Am I Too Old To Wear That?

Hello friends,
Hope you are enjoying what is left of summer. It's that time of year again...back to school!! Haha. Oh how I miss my school days. I wish I could go back. I always loved back to school time. Getting new clothes, buying new school supplies. I especially loved the smell of the school supplies!
But anyways. This post is about Back To School/Fall Fashions!
So I have been sauntering around the malls lately, and I don't know, but I feel like I am too old for some of the items on display. The stores I am so used to frequenting like H&M, Forever 21, and Winners seem to be getting a bit too "young" for me. The other day I noticed a cute grey skirt that I wanted to buy, but as I looked around the store at the younger girls picking it up, I thought to myself "Maybe this isn't age appropriate?"

Being 25 feels so much older than 24! At least when I was 24, I was in the early-ish twenties and could get away with little skirts and funky bracelets and neat hats. Now, that I am in my dreadful "mid" twenties, I feel like if I wear something a little orginal, I look like a 25 year old pretending to be a teenager going through an identity crisis.

Am I wrong to be thinking this way? Or am I just aging myself? Sorry folks, I am not taking this being 25 thing very well!

All this talk about clothes makes me want to shop for a whole new fall wardrobe. Not that I need anymore clothes! In fact last weekend my friend hosted a clothing swap where we alll brought clothes we didn't wear and traded. It was quite fun and I got a few cute finds. But I am addicted to clothes, so of course I still want more! Yesterday I bought myself some very cute black flats with bows on the front from Payless. And now I am thinking, "Are bows okay for 25 year olds to wear?"

They were too cute to pass up and I think I can still get away with them :) Here is the pic, let me know your opinions.

Other items on my list for the fall season include:

-A new pair of Dr.Marten's boots
I know! How early 90s of me! But hello! They are totally back in! There is even a Dr.Marten's store right by my work that offers the most selection I have ever seen. It is quite tempting, and I have been wanting a pair now for a couple months. I think I would just like a basic black pair. Midlength. Classy!

-Beautiful Fall Coat

I bought an ivory coloured one a few years ago, but it just always looks dirty! Note to self, never buy white coats. They always end up a disaster and are a hard to clean. Coffee spills and makeup stains? No thanks! So this year I would like to buy myself a lovely trench coat in black. Fitted and chic. All young professionals need one of these in her closet!

-Basic 3/4 length shirts

One in every colour please. Great for work and practical for the weekend too!

-Puffy Vest

Preferably with a hood. These are perfect for crisp days where you don't want to wear a coat but still want to be warm.
More to be added soon I am sure. :)

Summer Reading List

Hope everyone is having a great summer so far. We have really lucked out with all this gorgeous and hot weather. Why can't it be July everyday!?

Anyways, now that I am an official train commuter since moving back home, I have started to get back on track with my reading. Here is a list of some of the books I am reading, have already read or will be reading shortly.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova-

If you don't like sad books, don't read this one. I borrowed this one from Eric's sister, and once I started reading it, I felt I should at least finish it. I hate when I don't read the entire book! Anyways, it was tough to get through reading about the main character Alice Howland, a 50 year old wife, mother of three, successful professor who suddenly becomes diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease. It was a very interesting read, but hard to get through as her condition gets gradually worse as the book goes on. It was so interesting to see how such a disease can have such an effect on loved ones, especially when diagnosed at such a young age. A good read if you can handle it. This was one of "Heather's Picks" at Chapter's too!

The Trouble With Marriage by Debby Holt-

While wandering through the Chapters clearance section, I spotted this chic-lit novel right away. I am sorry, they are my guilty pleasure! Anyways, I just finished this one a few days ago and I couldn't put it down. So much drama, lies, deceite...all the ingredients for a perfect chic-lit book. This is about a couple Tilly and Robin who met in college, got married and had a few kids. Everything is going smoothly until Robin's parents decide to move down the street, Tilly becomes unexpectantly pregnant again and Robin's business is heading for bankruptcy. In an effort to save the marraige, Robin moves out and into his parents house, all while his mother tries to set him up with an ex girlfriend, Louise. The book takes you through the main character Tilly's life at home sans husband, including a potential new beau! I won't give away the ending, it's much more fun reading yourself.

One Day by David Nicholls-

I was in Walmart the other day and they had sale for 40% off books so I knew I had to get a few. This was one of them! I was intrigued by this book because I know there is a movie of this story in theatres with Anne Hathaway. I want to read it before I go see it. It's a romance novel, telling the story of a couple through reflection of years after they meet. I am only a few pages in and a little confused on the story line, but hopefully it picks up and I can read it quickly (it's a pretty thick book with small print).

The Room by Emma Donoghue -

This book was given to me as a birthday gift and I am excited to read it! I've seen it all over the bookstores but never purchased. It's about a woman who has been kidnapped and trapped in a room. This room is now her home where she grows up and has a son. The book is told through the eyes of the son, Jack who has never experienced life outside of the "room". I am very intrigued about this one, and can't wait to get started. The cover indicates it is an International Bestseller abd a Writer's Trust of Canada Fiction Prize Winner. Not too shabby! It must be good!

The Summer of Us by Holly Chamberlin-

This was the second book I picked up at the Walmart 40% off sale. It seemed like a good summer read about a group of three strangers sharing a beach house for the summer. Through the summer the group of girls develop a special bond over their individual sets of agendas and troubles. Seems like a nice light read that I woulnd't mind leafing through while chilling on a beach :)

And those are all the books I have at the moment. Stay tuned for more!! :)

Indian Summer

Hiya Folks!
Hope the summer sun is treating you all well (and you are treating your skin well with some SPF!)
Just thought I would share with you a new band I have been listening to lately, White Wives. I heard about them through the website, http://www.absolutepunk.net/ which offered a free stream of their album. I was immediately intrigued because two members of one of my favorite bands, Antiflag are part of this new group. (Chris Head and Chris Barker). The rest of the group consists of members from other bands called Dandelion Snow and American Armada. It is a lot softer than what I am normally used to hearing with Antiflag and their regular angry/aggressive tracks. But it works!
Together they have put forth an amazing album entitled “Happeners” that in my opinion, deserves a lot more media attention than it has received since its release date of June 28th.
Some stand out songs that I really like are “Indian Summer” “Hungry Ghosts” and “Sky Started Crying”.
They all have a sing-along song type feel to them which is perfect for summer. Give them a listen! I guarantee you will love them as much as I do.

The Cutest Dog In the World

Happy Monday :)

Book Review: The Get Your Man to Marry You Plan-Buying The Cow in the Age of Free Milk

Bonjour!

It's been a while since I have reviewed a book, so I decided to write one up on this lovely Sunday evening.

As most of you know, most of the books I tend to read are "How To" type books, or self-help/improvement. I like to read books that will arm me with knowledge that I can use to enhance or enrich my life. Most of the time the books I get are just random finds from the library, I seldomly seek out the books I read.

Anyways, a couple weeks ago while I was in Pittsburgh, I came across this book at a warehouse store, and for $3.oo, I just had to get it. Just for kicks! (As most of you know I have been in a relationship for 5.5 years, so I thought it would be interesting to see what this chick had to say!)

The book, written by Lori Uscher-Pines, highlights a lot of important notes about marriage and relationships in general. She begins the book by examining the modern day woman, and questioning the argument about a woman proposing marriage instead of the man. Before reading this book, I admit that I thought it silly to even think of a woman proposing to a man, but after reading Uscher-Pines' first chapter about women empowerment, I thought differently.

She observes that, while women may appear to be anti-feminist by wanting to settle down, those women who want to get married to the guy of their dreams are anything but! They are independent women who know what they want, so why is it so wrong to go after and ask for what they want and deserve? That sounds pretty logical right? I agree, that a woman shouldn't be forced to wait until the man decides he wants to get married, why can't a woman bring up the idea first? In regards to an official proposal with a ring and parent permission, Uscher-Pines explains that most men would prefer to get down on one knee the good old fashioned way, however there are some men who wouldn't mind a woman to take charge and do the official proposal.

After the first empowering chapter, the book is divided into sections of "excuses" that boyfriends will give their girlfriends about marriage, like having no money or having a need to "sew some oats". With each excuse, she labels them as either a "you" or "me" excuse, explaining if the problem has something to do with you or him. Each problem she gives a list of tactics to use when discussing the topic of marriage. E.g. "You care too much what your family thinks," would be a "you" excuse, meaning he still sees you as immature and not ready for marriage. Whereas a

"I am too focused on my career right now," would be a "me" excuse. Makes sense? Right! Moving right along...

For most women, they will use only parts of this book and hone in on the areas and excuses that apply to their man. There are even real-life examples used throughout the chapters. There was one story that made me chuckle. A couple in their late 20's who met back in college went on a mini-break before getting hitched. In college, the man was never very popular and wasn't smooth with the ladies, once his career had started and he grew out of his ugly duckling phase, he noticed more women paying attention to him and felt he owed it to himself to explore his options. The girlfriend, of course devastated, felt he needed to get this out of his system, but gave him the space he needed without saying a word. While it killed her inside to let him be free, she had to let him go temporarily until he realized how good he had it. Four months later, he came back, ring in hand and ready to settle down. He was a changed man. And all it took was a little break to see that what he really wanted and needed was with him all along.

Near the end of the book there is also a chapter called "Fouls". Meaning, bizzare acts that women wanting to get married should stay away from. Including, pretending to be engaged, being mean and resentful, withholding sex and a slew of others. Uscher-Pines brings up a good point: Men will be more inclined to propose if they think it is their idea. If a woman pushes her man into the idea, he will be more inclined to do the exact opposite. He would prefer to do on his own terms and feel that he came to the decision on his own. (With your subtle hints of course).

Depending on how long you have been with your man, or how much longer you can wait for that ring. The last chapter gives women the ultimate test, after all the tactics have been laid out, you should be either engaged or newly single. The point is, every man is different, and with this book Uscher-Pines gives different approaches for different personalities. Once the tactics have been used on your man, you should have a good idea of what he thinks of marriage and if you will be heading down the altar soon.

After reading this book, I felt I gained a little bit more insight on the "excuses" men give to their ladies. However, I don't think this book could be taken literally word for word without actually knowing the couple being dealt with. While books are good at the generalities of relationships, there is no way to know the exact thoughts of your man, because every guy is different and every relationship is different and while the book can be used as a good guideline to getting you down the altar, I wouldn't use it as a bible. But definately worth a read! I know I had my highlighter out as I read :)

Last month of condo living...

I can't believe we are in June already. I guess because the weather has been rather chilly and non seasonal, it makes it feel more like April these days! But it's supposed to warm up this week!
So this is my last month of living the glorious city life. No more short commute to work, no more walks to the library or grocery store, no more elevators, no more guest parking passes and no more coming home to my best friend :( Yes, it's going to be sad, I may even cry a little!
However, it's been a fun year and we have had some great times in the condo. A lot of memories were made here.
The city has been good to us. It is very convenient to live so close to everything, however I don't think long term city living is for me! There are just too many people and not enough space. I don't particularly like fighting for a seat on the subway every morning, dodging cars when crossing the street or waiting hours to get a table at a restaurant on a Friday night after work. But people born in the city are used to these types of things, where as I am not. But to each his own, right?

So I am slowly starting to pack things away for the big move out and I have come across heaps of clothes and knick knacks that I need to get rid of. I decided that I am going to have a garage sale in mid July. It will be just for fun and to make a couple bucks! Hopefully my junk can find a place in someone else's home. Stay tuned for further details!!

Saving Money 101

Happy early long weekend!! It’s Victoria Day weekend and I couldn’t be more excited!! Not that the weather has been great or anything, but I feel like I need some time to relax.
I don’t have any big plans, but I would like to go up to look at my “house” in Bradford. Buying a brand new house is so exciting and nerve wracking at the same time! On the one hand, I have all the freedom in the world when it comes to design! It’s like having a blank canvas and I can create whatever I want! But on the other hand, you don’t have a clear exact picture of what everything is going to look like in the end. What if it’s not as big as I imagined? What if the colours looked better in the samples? Why didn’t I opt for the siding instead of the brick? It’s these kinds of things I worry about when talking about the house. But I have a good feeling that we are going to end up with something really awesome and I am excited to see the final product. (Even though it is 8 months away!)

So as most of you know, to help save money with the house I have decided to move back in with my parents starting in July. Living in a condo with my best friend Shannon for the past year has been wonderful and I can’t believe how fast the time flew by. I am so sad to be leaving, but sacrifices need to be made on my end to help afford the house.
With that being said, I have taken it upon myself to be extra frugal and dollar savvy these days. No more frivolous spending!! It’s going to be easier once I start living at home again, but I want to save as much as possible so that when it comes to moving into the house, I will have more than enough saved for furniture, household items and décor. So needless to say, it’s going to be a pretty tight few months. So with that I have implemented some rules and tips to help me save more of my money, and hopefully you find these tips useful as well!

Tip #1
Go Shopping in Your Closet
I don’t know about you, but every morning when I wake up and wash my face, brush my teeth and head over to my closet to pick out the day’s outfit, I never seem to have anything to wear! Or I do, but I have nothing to wear my items with! It’s a vicious cycle…I buy the cutest pieces but then I have nothing to pair them with. So I have decided to actually go through my closet before I move and MAKE outfits with all my pieces and if I can’t…toss them! There is no use having a beautiful printed skirt if I don’t have a matching shirt to wear with it! I know I have tons of items in my closet, and some of which I forget I even own! So before heading out to the mall, I will shop in my own closet first and see what pieces I can use to help build an outfit. Who knows? Maybe my long dress shirt just needs an inexpensive belt, instead of buying a whole new outfit!

Tip #2
Leftovers…Learn to Love Them
Oh this is going to be a hard one for me!! But I must learn to make dinner at home and take the leftovers to work as lunch the next day. As much as it annoys me to pack a lunch, it’s a definite must. A better idea is to make it at night, so that way I don’t feel so rushed in the morning. I will feel better getting it out of the way, perhaps doing it right after supper! I am not the greatest cook either, so hopefully Mom and Katrina have some delicious meals for the summer that I can easily learn.

Tip #3
Groupon It!
Have you seen all the deals those coupon websites have? It’s incredible! I can find almost anything on there for at least a half the price off or more! From manicures to haircuts, and from dance lessons to bowling, these sites have a lot to offer for a great price. This will be a good way to find inexpensive ways to do social things without overextending myself. So far I have purchased coupons for running gear, facials and even ballroom dance lessons. There is a world of activities and fun out there to try and this is a great excuse to give them a whirl! I like this website, it pools all the deal sites together and lists them all conveniently on one page: http://www.dailydealzone.com/daily-deals.aspx You’re Welcome!

Tip #4
I’m The Winner!
Contests! Contests! Contests! I love contests!! Especially ones where I don’t have to do anything except write my name and contact info!! Just fill out a ballot, because you never know!! I like this website, it has links to various online contests for things like trips, cash, makeup, clothes and more! If they ask to refer a friend, you can always refer me, then you get an extra ballot entry. http://www.win-free-stuff.ca/

Tip #5
Be a tourist in your own city
As most of you know, I love vacationing! I love a good old getaway!! Travelling is always a luxury, as everything adds up! From flights to food to accommodations, one vacation for me can cost me upwards of $1500!! That’s my hardwood floor cost right there!
But travelling doesn’t always have to mean going far. Staycations are perfectly good ways to take a break and enjoy the city you actually live in. I don’t think I have ever tried being a tourist in my own city, but I would certainly love to this summer! Maybe I will do one of those Toronto Bus Tours or check out some museums and parks. Because let’s face it, we are always too busy to actually sit down and appreciate our surroundings. The Toronto Hippo Tour looks pretty amusing to me. I mean just check out the bus/boat we get to travel in! http://www.torontohippotours.com/home.html

Tip #6
Piggybanking
Remember when you were a kid and everytime you got some change, you put it straight in your piggybank? Well, I do! I remember having many piggybanks as a kid. There was my ladybug piggybank that was fuzzy that was really cute and my Disney Princess piggybanks that were shaped like Ariel and Sleeping Beauty. But as I got older, I stopped using them and it wasn’t until recently when Eric’s mom got me another Disney princess piggybank that I started using one again. And I must say it’s really fun putting in my loose change everyday, trying to guess how much I have in there. It’s one of those banks that you have to break in order to get to the money, so this way I can’t touch it until it’s full! I think this is a great way to save up some extra cash because really, who likes having pennies and nickels floating around their wallet anyway? Not Me!!

Tip #7
New Books at the Library
Not that I don’t love Chapters but sometimes their books can be a bit pricy! Recently I found a ton of good books at the library. It’s almost overwhelming to go in there and see everything they have on those shelves. I am a big fan of biographies on how to books so I am never at loss when I browse these aisles. Reading is also a good way to pass the time, especially in the summer. There’s nothing like a good book, the sun and a nice cold drink. If you get overwhelmed with book options, ask your friends what good books they would recommend. I am sure they wouldn’t mind lending you their copies of favouties.

Tip #8
Holler for a Dollar!
Everyone loves the dollar store! But have you been to one recently? That place has everything! And I mean everything! I find going to drugstores, items such as toothpaste and shampoo are overpriced, but stopping in at the dollar store I can find these items for a buck or two. And birthday cards from Hallmark are always nice, but I have seen just as nice ones at the dollar store too. Tupperware, showercaps, gum, toothbrushes…lots of little household items that you normally see at retail stores can be found at the dollar store for a fraction of the cost.

Tip #9
Hair Schooling
Hair can be quite the expense…cuts, colours, highlights and styles are never cheap. I am probably the biggest spender when it comes to my hair so this will be hard for me to do. But I have been thinking about trying out some hair styling academies to go for my highlights and cuts. I have been to the Aveda Institute in downtown Toronto before for highlights and they did a good job. Most people would be afraid to go to a student to have their hair done, but I trust the salon because a teacher is always supervising. The only downfall is that the hours of availability are limited and sometimes it takes a long time to get done. I have also been thinking about the Fiorio hair academy in the north end of Toronto. With these prices, I am almost feeling stupid paying full price for hair services. Fiorio Hair School: http://www.fiorio.com/mainsite/pages/academy/index.html Aveda Hair School: http://www.avedainstitute.ca/toronto-hair-salons.php

Tip #10
Take the Train
Gas is expensive and for most of us, we have to drive cars. But for a lot of people, public transportation is a good way to save money on gas as well as help the environment. I am a big fan of the GO bus and train (except for when there are delays!) I feel more relaxed knowing I will get to work at an exact scheduled time than being stuck in headache induced traffic for god knows how long. Paying for a monthly transit pass saves me money in the long run when you factor in gas, parking, insurance and other routine car maintenance. May be something to consider if you drive into the city everyday!

And those are just a few tips I have been trying to practice. Stay tuned for more!

Xox
Tasha