Easter Nails

I did up some pretty pink and pastel green/blue nails with yellow accent dots.  I was feeling extra crafty you could say.

It's a 4 day work week and I am so exited to have a long weekend! We'll be off to PEI for round two of the Hair Competition up-dos, and to visit my parents and raid their stash of T.P and paper towels. (We have become super cheap and broke all at once, resorting to stealing necessities from our loving parents. how rude, and sad, I know :p )

more easter nail inspirations:

One Nail to Another

HeartNAT Blog

Over the Taupe beauty blog

Holiday Sanity

It's Christmas time, and we are full swing, with only 3 weeks until our Wedding Day. It's time for some Girlfriends Guide to surviving the holiday season.
We have SpitFire's bachelor party this weekend, Christmas with my family the next, our wedding the next weekend, and then Christmas with his family the following weekend.

We are officially booked solid until New Years with epic events. How will we survive?

Here is my latest Girlfriends Guide to surviving this crazy month:

Healthy Snacks.
We are so busy, we often do not eat at proper times of day. by 10pm I'm starving.
Last night, I put a snack tray together of Healthy options: Carrots, Hummus, mini sausages, and pickles.
Goal: make sure there are easy to grab and go options in the fridge and cupboard.

Some Ideas for healthy quick foods:
-Veggie and Fruit Trays from your local supermarket
- Jars of Pickles; Mini cocktail sized, and regular sized, in all flavors.
- 2 or more different kinds of Cheese.
- Pre-prepared meals like Costco's Pot Pie, Salad in a bag, frozen stir-fry's.
- Canned items like Tuna, beans, chick peas
- Canada's Food Guide can give you more great ideas

Relaxing Lotions and smells
Bath & Body Works Just opened in our city and we picked up this great set of Spearmint and Eucalyptus Stress Relief line: Hand soap, Body Lotion and Body Scrub.  (It was buy 2 get 1 free! and So affordable!!)
I juts love the hand soap, because its instant relief at any time of day, just by washing up.

 

 

Going to bed with a clear & positive mind.

SpitFire and I will sit up and talk out our worries before bed. and then do something fun, like Play a game or read a book. (I keep "The Book of Awesome" next to my bed, so that the last thing I read/think about before falling asleep is something positive.)

 

 

The key to this is - you need to get out the bad, talk it out, do not ignore it. Suppressing stress and anxiety only makes it grow worse. Share with a friend or someone you love and who is supportive. But then turn around and let it go. End with something positive. Dont end on a stressful note, because you will sleep horribly.

 

We have started doing this ourselves, because I've been having nightmares about the wedding and about life events and changes. You can't stop the stress. but you can change your final thoughts and relieve a bit of that anxiety with these tricks. 

 

 

Bring on the Christmas Madness!

 



SpitFire's Birthday

It was my HoneyBear's Birthday this Nov. 13th. (He was born on a Friday too)

I had planned to build the most manly bouquet I could for his gift.

...But I failed at that idea. So I'll keep it for another time.

So what did I get him that was awesome?

This ring: Which I previewed a while ago. and he was so proud to put it on right away.

  And these awesome gloves:
Touch Screen Gloves for the touch-screen user.

And they were a hit with SpitFire. He absolutely thinks they are the coolest thing, and is super happy with how they work too.

These guys retail for about $10. but you can find them at a local store for less if you shop around.

And if you are super cheap, then give your hunny a pair of these:

Homemade of course would be best *snip*snip* :p

And then I gave him a bundle of his favorite childhood candy:

Laffy Taffy - Willy Wonka just started putting these out again around Halloween and SpritFire reminisced about how much he loved these as a kid. We have a box of mini's which he devoured in less than a week.
 I totally scored when I found full sized ones at the local bulk dollar store.

And SpitFire had a very Happy Birthday.

Inlaws are Evil - A Thanksgiving Tale

SpitFire and I spent this Thanksgiving with his family.
His mother is a wonderful cook, and his sister in law has proven herself worthy as well after this weekend.

It was Sis-inlaw's first time cooking a turkey. She had everyone over and made a big feast of turkey, potatoes and carrots.
SpitFires Mother made her famous Broccoli salad, and stuffing to go with it.
SpitFire and I brought the wine. as per usual. (why cook when you can drink!?)

we all sat down and our little niece said grace.
Everyone dug in and the food was so good.
I have some of everything. Even the turkey. My usual vegetarian-self took the day off to be kind to his hard worked sis-inlaw.

We finished dinner and all sat around talking.
His Brother looks over at me and says, did  you like the stuffing?
Me: "yes. It was very good"
Brother: "Very Good?"
Me: "Yes.... why"
Brother: "did they tell you it was made with chicken and turkey hearts?"
Me: *face turns to angry frown and cringe* "No"

Whole family starts to laugh.
Me in a frank tone: "Where I come from, stuffing is made with bread and spices. If I had been warned, I would have passed." finishes sentence with a glare towards Spitfire and his mother.

Family stops laughing.
They begin to feel sorry; and start making excuses like 'we didn't know you would be offended', and 'we came from a family of 8, so we had to use everything to feed everyone'.

I ignore their sad stories, and ask Spitfire for a refill on my wine.

Lesson learned: Never trust anyone with your food. Never Trust Inlaws.

Man Presents - The Man Boquet

SpitFire's Birthday is coming up and I've stumbled upon the most exciting DIY craft idea for him yet!
The Man Bouquet!

Thanks to Conniosseur of Creativity for this great idea!

All you need:
-wooden skewers
- Beer Mug
- Tissue Paper
-Foam Balls
- Tape
- Ribbon
- mini liquor shots
- jerky
- scratch tickets
- Candy
- other small items your man likes or craves

Put it all together and make his day a big happy surprise!

St. Patty's Day Style

St Patrick's Day is on Saturday, and green has always been one of my best colors! Here are some green things I'm in love with right now:

Sparkling green nail polish

Grab a Green Tea Frappacchino

This beautiful Clutch

a Green precious stone ring

These Shoes!

Bandage Style Skirt

Green Accessories like a Blazer & Heels

This sexy dress

This Cute Dress

This Graphic Tee Cactus Print <3

This Precious Bike

Eye shadows

This Dior Ad

 

Pictures Via Pinterest

 What will you be rocking this St.Patty's Day?

Valentines Ouma Style!

It's Valentines day. and I have no specific Valentine.  so I posted this on my facebook status:
"No Valentines for this Derby Girl. I'm gonna give somebody a Big Derby Bruise/BootyBlock today to make up for it! :D"

To which my Mother replied:

"considering how much like your grandmother you are, it surprises me that you have not yet copied her with this little matter: she always pruchased herself a gift for those days like birthdays, valentines and christmas ---- that is how she came to have all those jewellery and scarves and she did have a fair number of purses and shoes!!!!"

So, in honor of my late-and much loved- Grand Mother, I'm going shopping today!

Happy Valentines Day to ME! 
*and to you, Ouma, sitting on your cloud, smiling down on me. Thank you., you are the reason I bacame a strong successful woman, and can stand strong alone on my own two feet*

Girlfriends Guide: Holiday Recipe Fun

Picture from http://www.spillsonsricepudding.com/Recipes.html

A friend asked me to join a holiday fun recipe exchange. Here's what I contributed:

Recipe : Angel Pudding
Type: Desert

take 1 angel food cake
cut into small bite size pieces
separate into 2 or 3 bowls (2 or 3 layers as per your preference)

take 1 box of your favorite fruit jell-o and mix it up as per box directions.
you do not need to let this set. it will soak into the angel food cake in step 2.
2 cans mixed fruit
1 container of cool whip

1. layer 1 bowl of angel cake on bottom of serving bowl (clear or crystal bowls show a nice effect at the end)
2. pour jello over the food cake
3. layer fruit on top of food cake and jello
4. layer cool-whip on top of fruit

Repeat layering steps until you have your 2 or 3 layers.

*I like to sprinkle coconut on top for extra dazzle. or add rainbow marshmallows inside the layers.

*I also like to turn this into "Devils Pudding" and make it with chocolate pudding, and chocolate and toffee chips instead of fruit. :)

Vacation Fun. Some of the "Must Do" List Completed

On my Victoria BC Trip I've mamanged to complete some of my big adventure wishes.

I Took a wine tour over the Cobble Hill area, where we hit 8 different winery's, and had entirely too much wine. It was a great way to start my trip! Attended a fabulous Fine Arts Show in Sook BC.

Went Whale Watching with a great friend. Saw Killer Whales and Seals. We completely over dressed for the event; which turned into a total Diva Disaster, as we were soaked witin the first 5 minutes of the trip.

Tried Japanese food at a Japanese steakhouse where they cook right in front of you, and do all kinds of fun tricks with the knives and food.

Zip Lined through trees around 350 feet above the ground.

Hikedked to a lake where we swam with fishies, and rock climbed to get the best sunny spot.

Toured many little antique and gift shops, where i found hilarious items like this lovely wine opener;

and ate at so many amazing local secret spots.

Life is Good. Carry On.

Vacation Escapades

sometimes it's fun to be naughty.

I'm staying with my big bro on vaca in BC.
Problem number 1 - he has referred to me as his slutty sister one too many times before introducing me to his hot friends. When I arrived He made some cracks about worrying that I would show up in a skanky outfit and he wouldn't be able to take me anywhere.
He clearly has no idea who I am.
Yes I may have a few scandalous bar outfits which circuit my personal FB profile, but I usually show up in a fabulous pencil skirt and flouncy top for first meet and greet occasions. I prefer the sophisticated look, over the trashy one.

So I got a little sisterly revenge on him the other night. He has this one very handsome single friend. While out at wing night - where they served 50 different kinds of wings- with one too many orange flavored beers, I cozied up to this sexy man.

Problem number 2. most men are terrified of my big brother. hes big and burly. and has often threatened his friends not to go near me.

But that didn't deter me from my mission. I'm here to have some fun. lets go boys! So, Sexy man-friend and I spent the night sneaking off together.
At 6am, he snuck out, but big bro an sister-to-be heard him leave. hehe oops. My sister-inlaw-to-be is pretty awesome right now; because she totally covered for me, and told Big Bro that it was just their roommate leaving early for work. Big Bro chose to believe this story.

life is so much more entertaining when you are having sneaky fun with cute boyz.

B.C. Travels

I landed in Victoria BC on Saturday at 11am. From there I was whisked away into the mountains and taken to a wonderful family celebration. My Brother's Fiance's Father just got married, and they threw a huge party Saturday night.

On Sunday we took a wine tour and hit 8 different winery's before we could carry on no more. We bought at least 1 bottle of wine from each winery. When we got home, we had 10 bottles of our favorite wine! I took a bunch of photos on my digital camera, and when i went to upload them, my SD card got stuck in that stupid slot on my computer and scrambled something. so - sad face - no pictures for now. I hope to find a smart techy guy who can save my files and bring them back from the dead.

Today, Monday, I met my big brothers Fiance for lunch at a place called "Sally's Buns". They have this amazing recipe where they fill the bun with all kinds of yummy toppings and cream cheese. We split a tomato and bacon bun, and had an amazing salad, where you pick 4 salad toppings and the dressing. This place was phenomenal!

after lunch, I went on a downtown adventure. I had a wonderful chat with a diamontologist. She was so helpful in my quest to rid myself of the negative feelings attached to my diamond engagement ring. She told me this Fabulous Fact:

"Only 10% of all women in Canada will ever hold a 1ct solitaire diamond. and even less will own one."

My diamond is a beaut! I'm thinking I just may keep her for a while. she could turn into quit the family heirloom.

Then I hit The Bay, and ventured to my favorite section: CHANEL

At CHANEL I bought 2 colors of my favorite Lip gloss - the Brilliant Extreme Glossimer Line - 124 Venus, in pink and 106 Myriade, in red.

And after spending my complete savings on lip gloss, I almost sold my soul for a pair of amazing gold stiletto heals from a very pricey shoe department. I managed to talk myself out of the euphoria and carried on with my day.

VACATION TIME!!! - Victoria, B.C. 2011

I'm heading off to Victoria BC in just 4 Days!!!

Some things I plan on doing while in Vic B.C.
All great ideas from this great site: 125 THINGS TO DO IN GREATER VICTORIA BC . . . and counting!

• Take a scenic tour around Victoria - a city with world famous gardens and ambiance.

• Visit the amazing Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre at the Marina in beautiful Sidney by the Sea

• Soak up the entertainment (buskers), artists, and tasty treats in the Inner Harbour.
  


• Visit Butterfly Gardens
  


• Visit the Victoria Bug Zoo.

• Stroll through Beacon Hill Park - take in the Petting Zoo, Goodacre Lake, the free putting green, the summit lookout, behind the zoo and in the spring, the heron nests on the west edge of Goodacre lake

• Visit one of the rugged and beautiful West Coast Beaches past Sooke

• Try ocean kayaking

• Swim in the Sooke Potholes

• Visit Miniature World at the Empress

• Fabulous Fireworks at Butchart Gardens Saturdays during July and August

• Visit the Victoria Art Gallery

• Wine tasting and tours at 3 Saanich Peninsula wineries. It’s a lovely way for visitors to spend an afternoon in the area. The wineries are: Marley Farm Winery, Chalet Estate Winery and Victoria Estate Winery. I’ve included their website addresses below for verification purposes.

• Visit historic Rogers' Chocolates. It is in a historic building and is famous for their cream centre chocolates. Check out the history of Rogers' Chocolates and Charles William Rogers (founder).

• Discover the Past Tours - Victoria's history is rich and exciting. Discover the Past Tours reveal fascinating stories about the city's archaeology, architecture, art, spiritual sites, haunted places, natural history, gardens, parks and a host of characters. Click on our website for the full description, calendar and rates of our scheduled tours that take place throughout the year. Or arrange your own custom tour for groups of any size. Scheduled tours include "Ghostly Walks" in July, August and October and "Neighbourhood Discovery Walks" from January to April. Tours are conducted by John Adams, well-known historian, author and guide who pioneered walking tours of Old Town in 1971.

Canada Day 2011

On Canada Day, in the Year 2000, my family attended our official Citizenship Ceremony.

It is now 2011, and I will be celebrating my 11th Canadian Birthday with my family in PEI again this year!

Happy Canada Day Everyone!
Life is Good.

Summer To Do's

My Summer Must Do List:

1. Go Sky Diving
Picture from Skydive Moncton
2. Attend an ultimate pool party - successful!
Picture Via cute-pets
3. Reach my Goal Body Shape - almost there :)
4. Host and Party at A Blinged Out Birthday Bash
Picture Via Donna Makes Cakes
5. Attend a Fabulous Tubing Party
Picture Via Cake Design Ideas
6. Mow my lawn successfully.
(so far it just looks patchy. I could never be a hair dresser :P)
Picture Via My Zen Cupcake
7. See Family from South Africa,
whom I haven't seen in 18 years!
8. Learn French and get my Bilingual Certification
9. Spend Labor Day Weekend in NYC!
From CDTours

My List this year is small but mighty.