20 December 2013

My Top 10 Must-Watch Christmas Movies


(* in no particular order)

Some other honourable mentions: 
Jack Frost, Gremlins, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Surviving Christmas, I'll Be Home For Christmas, Last Holiday, A Princess For Christmas, 12 Dates of Christmas

15 December 2013

Grown Up Christmas List: Victoria's Secret Edition

Just some of my favourite Victoria's Secret items I wouldn't mind seeing under my Christmas tree or stuffed in my stocking this year. 


(left to right) Sports Bra, $49.50-56.50 // Socks, Pack of 3, $19.50 // Knockout Stirrup Legging, $69.50 // Knockout Capri Legging, $62.50-69.50 // Yoga Crossback Tank, $54.50-56.50 


Fit and Flare Dress, $118 // Lace Dress, $59.50 (Sale) // Handkerchief Slip Dress, $94.40 (Sale) // Colorblock Tank Dress, $59.50 


Shirt Dress, $44.50 (Sale) // Paneled Ponte Skirt, Clearance, $14.99 // Colorblock Dress, $59.50 // Ribbed Sweaterdress, $54.50 (Sale) // Chambray Shirtdress, Clearance, $29.99

04 December 2013

My 22nd Birthday Week & More

Can't believe I'm 22 already. (I don't know about you, but I'm feeling twenty-two...) The amount of times I heard the Taylor Swift song this past weekend... well, let's just say I lost count around the twentieth time it happened.
Despite having a final at 8:30 in the morning on Friday (my birthday), it turned out pretty good. I got a few birthday cards in the mail; my mom's having a Canucks themed stamp on it. (Can you say awesome!?) Then I had a review class for English before taking a nap and getting ready for the night.

Five of us girls headed downtown to the waterfront and had dinner at The CUT, and I had a very, very delicious veggie burger. Exam quiet hours were already in effect, so we hung around our rooms and I'm pretty sure we still violated those rules, but we didn't have a massively large amount of people hanging around so it was okay. 



Since that weekend was also Thanksgiving for all y'all down south, I picked up some really great deals up here as it seems Black Friday has come to Canada, ha. Saved a good fourty-fifty percent on some clothes! 

Tomorrow I have my last exam of the semester, then I leave Friday morning for the airport to head home for Christmas. Words cannot explain how happy I am to finally be getting home. I've missed my family and friends back there, and there's gonna be long nights of catching up, Christmas movies, baking and hugging everyone I've missed so dearly. And cannot forget to mention hockey games!

I will officially be able to say I got through my first semester at Dalhousie, and I've come out (somewhat) alive. It's definitely been a new experience, but I'm glad I did it. Moving across the country to a new place, with different people without any of my safety nets to reach for was frightening and challenging, but I'm still here. Still kicking and still going strong, and the time away from home had also opened my eyes as to who my real friends are that are willing to make that extra effort to stay in contact even though I'm no longer in close proximity to them anymore. Those are the ones I can't wait to get back to, and will definitely be getting my full attention when I'm home. My calendar for the first week back is already fully booked up, and it's gonna be a blast! 

The next time I update, I'll probably be back in Vancouver so I'll see you guys then! 

18 October 2013

Here's To The Crazy Ones

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.
Maybe they have to be crazy.
How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?
We make tools for these kinds of people.
While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.


Just finished watching the film based on Steve Jobs. I've read all the negative reviews, but I gotta say, I enjoyed it. Ashton Kutcher surprised me. I didn't know much about the story of Apple or Steve Jobs, or his character so it may just be that I didn't spend the entire film comparing the two. I didn't see Ashton Kutcher in the role though, which usually is in some of his other work. I was impressed.

I love the drive Jobs had and how he never took no for an answer. He did it his own way, and did it if only to prove all the other people wrong. He had a passion and an eye for perfection and never stepped away for that; not for profit and not to impress other people. Anybody can succeed, as long as you have the drive and passion to do so. Opportunities don't come knocking, you have to bang down the doors yourself. On another note, I also am in love with this quote, so here you go. Happy Friday, all!

Maybe this quote will help me get through my English midterm...

11 October 2013

October Lust-List

Because I'm a broke student and I love torturing myself, I've compiled a list of some of my most-wanted this month. Here comes the tears...


1. Vila Gold Zip Detail Blazer - $106.79, ASOS
2. ASOS Blazer in Textured Boucle - $62.29, ASOS
3. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel - $29, Sephora
4. Novella Royale Hyperion Bodycon Dress - $142.61, Free People
5. Surf Spray - $25, Bumble and bumble.
6. Naked2 by Urban Decay - $62, Sephora

29 September 2013

Run or Dye: Halifax Edition & Some Tips

Today (err, yesterday) the Run or Dye 5K came to Halifax, so naturally we were all stoked and ready to go. The downside? We had to be ready to get on a bus by 7:15 AM. When you're living in residence -- the one specifically nicknamed 'Party Res' -- it's pretty much impossible to get to sleep before quiet hours start (2 AM). After about three hours of peaceful slumber, I got up, tied up my laces and headed on out the door.

I have to admit, I didn't show up very prepared. It was early, and the last thing I was thinking about was breakfast or grabbing a bottle of water to bring with me. I ran 5K on an empty stomach, no hydration and the track was up muddy hills, down muddy hills, and along topsy-turvy not-so-much-there trails. It was challenging, but I did it! (I'm pretty proud of myself for not dying halfway through.)

Things I learned from this experience:

  1. The dye doesn't come off your skin without soap, makeup remover, exfoliation and a lot of elbow grease. My skin is still not completely clear of the dye, and I spent an hour and a half post-race in the shower scrubbing my skin off. I used body wash; I used hand soap; I used face wash... in the end, makeup removing wipes actually worked the best. Still, be prepared to feel like an oompa loompa (or just a plain ole'regular human being with a skin colouration problem) for (what I hope will only be) a few days/showers.
  2. The colour gets everywhere. And when I say everywhere, I mean everywhere. It will find places you never even knew it had a chance to get to and stay there. Your underwear will be ruined, so I wouldn't suggest wearing that Victoria's Secret sports bra you spent $60 on. Your shoes will be covered (and I have yet to find out how that will end with my own). 
  3. Hydration is key. Marathons and running is hard enough, don't make it harder on yourself by not having water. Don't be stupid like I was -- bring your own water bottle and make sure you're hydrated before and after the run as well. Gosh, I totally spaced on this today. Don't hold that against me!
  4. If you sweat or get sprayed with water, the colour turns an ugly dark shade that's not exactly aesthetically pleasing to the eye. You will not look like the promotional photos, but that's okay. If your skin gets the powder on it and then gets hit with water, it will not be as easy to get the colour off your skin.
  5. Before getting back in your car to get back home, shake it off. Some stops will have a station post-race where someone will literally take a leaf-blower (esque) and just blow all the powder off of you. Remember your hair as well -- shake, shake, shake! It will get everywhere. I also suggest covering yourself in a garbage bag or putting down old towels on your seats.
  6. Sunscreen! I am one of those people that always carries sunscreen on them. I wear it on a daily basis (Hello - ginger here!), but since I've moved to Halifax I've been lacking several of my usual daily things. Today that came to bite me in the butt. There's a ring all around my hairline that's been burnt, as well as the back of my neck. You know what's worse than scrubbing your skin for hours? Scrubbing it when there's a burn there as well. 
  7. It is one hell of an experience. Despite waking up at an unGodly hour, feeling tired as heck and just wanting to sleep some more, it was worth it. Don't think about the shower after when you're getting pegged with colour, just jump around and have some fun. The goal is to be covered so get yourself covered and deal with the consequences later!

31 August 2013

Goodbye Vancouver

Goodbyes. It's hard to explain what it feels like to say goodbye to a constant you've had in your life for so long. I had this thought that it'd be easy. Like ripping off a bandaid real quickly, I wouldn't feel it that much. It's only until December, I told myself, but the ache inside my heart still remained.

Standing outside, hugging someone who's become so close before she left tonight, I can't explain the emotion that came over me. It hit me like a tonne of bricks, and wouldn't stop. I cried, which if you know me, is rare. Saying goodbye to someone is never easy. It's funny, really. The fact that it was harder to say goodbye to someone I've only been friends with for a couple of years than someone who I had labeled a "best friend" since the third grade.

Hugging my best friend since fifth grade only made it all the more real. I'm going to miss them. I'm going to miss the talks, the late night drives and singing along to Taylor Swift. I'll miss going to Denny's at 11:30 after finishing work, and gossiping about colleagues. I'll miss dancing all night and drinking so much that I don't really remember what it was I found so hilarious the night before. I'm not sure I could ever replace those people, but that's not the point, is it? You can't replace memories, or people. I'll be back in December, but it just seems like such a long time from now.

I might make friends, meet new people. Maybe I'll find my perfect companion, but something inside of me will always pull me home. Back to the people who know me; back to the people who understood that I had to leave to find my new adventure.

Here I am, at 2 in the morning, tears still streaming down my face as I write this. I'm going to miss my friends, no matter how much I try and convince myself this will be a great adventure for me. No matter how much I try and tell myself I'll learn a lot, and I'll grow so much. My only wish is that I could bring them with me; hide them in my suitcase and tuck them underneath my bed. It's hard making new friends, explaining your past and getting them to figure out why you are the way that you are. I've spent twenty-one years doing that with these people.

Now the idea of having to do it all over again scares the hell out of me. But that's the point isn't it? Starting new? It's always the scary things that are the most worthwhile.

30 August 2013

New Paths, Different Dreams

Yesterday I was getting my hair cut at the same salon I've gone to for the last four years, with the same stylist I usually go to. When I mentioned about getting ready to move across the country, she asked me about my acting. More specifically: Had I given it up? I really thought about this, because honestly, the amount of times I've been plagued with this question has been overwhelming.

I'll be taking political science in school, and I haven't registered for any theatre classes. I've got a film studies class, but other than that, nothing's really in the same genre.

To be honest, nothing could make me give up on it. Acting is something I wake up thinking about, get reminded of throughout the day and go to bed dreaming about being able to do as a job. It's a part of my life; it's a part of me. I've never really understood the idea of having it one way or the other. Can I not experience university and also pursue another dream? There's breaks, there's weekends, there's courses outside of the campus. I write, I watch, I study. Just because I'm not doing it in the "typical" way, and I might not have the same time to dedicate to it, but I still want it.

But then, is that running away? Am I avoiding the opportunity to succeed - and in the same way, fail - by going after something else before finishing my first dream? I want to be the type of person that can say with all certainty, that I've followed my dreams without hesitation. And if I fail, I fail, but it's not because I didn't have the guts to go after it.

Sometimes I tell myself in a few months, I'll go work harder for it. If I tweak something here, or work on something there, I'll have a better shot. Maybe I just need to stop making up excuses, or maybe I just need some time. Perhaps time at school will give me the thing I'm looking for. I don't even know what I'm looking for. But then maybe that's just making up even more excuses for myself.

So ask me again if I'm giving up on acting... the answer is no. You don't give up on the thing you can't go a day without thinking about. Maybe it's on the back burner right now. Maybe I need to find my drive for it again. But don't take this the wrong way, I haven't forgotten about acting and I won't be forgetting about that path. What an impossible thought, really.

29 August 2013

Starting a New Chapter

These next couple days mark a big chapter in my life closing, and another one starting over. On Saturday, I'll be heading to the airport to hop on a flight to Halifax. I'll be heading to university, away from everything and everyone I've never known. It's scary, yet slightly liberating. The idea of getting to start fresh in certain ways is really exciting. The idea of not having any of my safety nets with me however, is one of the scariest things in the world. I've never been away from my family. I've never been across an entire country for months at a time, without my mom or my friends.

I had my last day of work on Sunday, and was only slightly disappointed (I actually couldn't wait until I no longer had to pretend to like people when they were completely rude and obnoxious towards me...) when that day ended. I loved some of the people I worked with; it made those eight hour shifts bearable.

I've been making lists, checking them twice, gonna find out ... wait, sorry, wrong song.

Packing is awful. I don't just suck at it, I am shockingly horribly dreadful at it. I'm so afraid of leaving something behind, I've been packing, repacking, checking and then having to pack it up all over again. I just know it'll be over the weight limit, but at this point, as long as I have everything I just don't care.

I've been spending as much time possible with friends, and this also brings up another thing: Leaving has brought out just who really wants to be my friend, and who just wants me around for convenience; only when they want me. The ones who make the effort, the ones who have actually called me up and asked to hang out, are the ones I'm going to make an effort to keep in touch with when I'm gone. The rest, well I won't focus too much on. I'm going to use this change for good, and it'll help cut out all the weeds in my life.

19 April 2013

Boston Strong

People love a story. They love to hear something good coming from something evil--so here it is. Boston is a city known for many things: Boston Cream Pie, those accents, the Bruins of whom all Canucks fans have become... well, accustomed with, the Boston Tea Party, the Marathon, the Red Sox and Fenway Park... but this past week, it will have another thing to add to that list. If there is one thing I have learned, it's that hate is a little word that can cause more damage than just one bomb. But so can another four letter word, and that word is love.

We, as human beings, are resilient. We can and will stand back up after being kicked down. It's in our nature to fight back when our lives are being threatened. it may not be today, tomorrow or in a month. It could take years, but Boston will rebuild itself and it will be stronger. We will also be stronger.

You can't answer hate with more hate. I'm a believer in good. I believe everyone is born with the capacity to love. We are all born with hearts the same size, and those hearts are meant to be used. Compassion is taught, much like empathy... much like hate. I believe the world is a beautiful place, despite everything that's happened of recent. I believe that when given the choice, people will choose to help someone in need. Does that make me naive? If so, I'd rather be naive than a cynic. I don't see what's so wrong with wanting to live in a world where we are all equal; where we're all allowed to walk along the sidewalk without worrying about being shot at, or attacked in any way.

I refuse to give someone the power to destroy my world. I refuse to allow someone to change my view on people, or to let them take away the good. There may always be bad, but with bad, there's also always going to be good. And just like those people in Boston who finished the marathon and kept running right on to the hospitals to donate their blood, the good will always outnumber the bad. You can try and tear us down, but we'll keep fighting. You can't break someone down who refuses to be broken. You can't lose if you refuse to give up.

Finding the right words to describe how I'm feeling has always been a challenge. To take the things inside your heart and splatter them onto a piece of paper isn't easy. I've struggled to find the perfect way of putting things; trying to be as eloquent as possible, without sounding cheesy and ridiculous. But perhaps the only thing to say is that I'm sad. I'm sad for the ones who lost their lives, and I'm sad for the families who have lost a loved one. I'm sad for the innocent lives now faced with the trauma of this past week. I'm sad that the media is going to spin stories and look for the best way to cleverly get the 'first report' on it all. In the midst of all this, I'm sad that I can already see the victims of this tragedy being forgotten while the ones who caused it get the fifteen minutes of fame they wanted.

If you are looking for reasons to doubt this world and our own humanity, you will find it. It's there everyday on the front page of the newspaper. But if you look closely, you'll also see the good. There's always someone helping.