freshwater.purls

Goodbye from FreshwaterPurls

2011-09-06T22:18:00.000-06:00

After my huge hiatus, I have decided to say goodbye to Freshwater.Purls and start fresh. The name no longer applied to anything I was sharing (I don't think I've knitted anything in 6 months......).

You can check out my new blog HERE!

<3 Kristen

Hiatus

2011-07-21T04:07:00.000-06:00

Due to problems with my computer, I will be taking an official blogging break (not that I've been posting that regularly anyways) until I get back to Canada. I will be leaving Paris after next week and won't have definite internet access, so this is easier than stressing about when I can find time to update. Don't forget about me though, because I have tons to share from my summer in Paris when I get back!

...in the mean time you can follow me on twitter for little updates on my trip @freshwaterpurls

Tune Tuesday - My Delirium

2011-06-28T14:09:00.000-06:00

So due to the fact that my computer won't upload pictures, or the videos I wanted to share...my planned post for this week will have to wait. Until I can get that resolved, I leave you with a song that is currently stuck in my head. Hope you enjoy :)

In other news, I'm going to Main Square Festival this weekend in Arras! I am beyond excited! Get to see Arcade Fire, Fleet Foxes and the National...among a bunch of other bands! It's gunna be awesome!

Tune Tuesday - L'été est arrivé

2011-06-22T11:49:00.000-06:00

So due to the fact that I was out WAY later than planned last night this post is a tad delayed. I will share the excitement of my Tuesday with you next week! It was pretty magical :)

Happy Summer! To celebrate, the sun finally came out. It's been raining here for the last 2 weeks...I was starting to get a tad worried! Here's a summer playlist inspired by 'The Drums - the Saddest Summer' (Thanks Rachelle, this song is kickass!) Hope you guys are getting to enjoy your summer as much as I am! I can't wait for picnics and more summer music festivals (they're my favorite!)

The Truth about Paris - La Langue

2011-06-17T12:00:00.012-06:00

So after thinking long and hard about what how to share my summer with you, I have decided to do a little feature on what it's like to be a foreigner living in Paris. The good and the bad....and yea sadly there's bad stuff. It is pretty freaking awesome though!

I thought I would start off with the language barrier. I think it's been the biggest challenge for me.

For those of you who don't know me, I am an Anglophone (English is my first language), however, I completed my schooling in French, and am currently taking the entirety of my degree in French as well. I speak the language very well. My vocabulary is very school French, still learning the 'slang', but I can understand pretty much everything people say, even if I miss a few words here and there. Either way, I speak french VERY well. This being said, no one here cares that I can speak french. If I say something in French, everyone responds in English. It doesn't matter how good my vocabulary is, how perfect my grammar and sentence structure are, I sound like a North American trying to speak French. Even the people who can't really speak English, speak to me in their terrible broken English. I know they are just trying to make things easier for me, but this has becoming ridiculously frustrating in day to day life, as the whole point of my being here is to perfect my French.

The only exception to this is at work. My co-workers deal with customers and suppliers from all over the E-U, and are fully aware of how important it is to speak another language. They speak to me in French, and don't hold back at all. Now this makes up a huge part of my day, so I'm VERY thankful to have the opportunity to speak French 8 hours a day. They correct me here and there, suggest other words I could use instead. I'm still a tad self conscience during conversations, but I refuse to give up!
I have been here a month, and have already begun muttering to myself in French, swearing in French, French even makes appearances in my dreams. I am submersing myself in French music, movies and literature. I LOVE this language. The way it sounds, the way it feels to speak, even the structure of it...probably why I'm minoring in it! I truly appreciate the challenge of living in a country that speaks a language different that what I use on a regular basis.

Oh and just in case you wanted to learn how to say something rude, or sassy in french, you should check out this website. It's kind of hilarious, especially since they give you the literal translation of a lot of it.

Grand bisous
❤ Kristen

Tune Tuesday - Valse accordion

2011-06-14T12:57:00.002-06:00

Like I said in my last post, I'm really loving all the accordions. And they seem to sound the most Parisian when playing a lovely waltz (or valse in French). Here are a few beautiful songs on the accordion...one of them is a little more famous than the others, do you recognize it from somewhere?

I'm trying really really really hard to come up with some post inspiration....do you guys have any ideas? After posting all my trip pictures on FB, I don't want to be too repetitive and share them all again here...I will however post the best of eventually....I will come up with something eventually, all this wine drinking has to be good for something ;)
Oh and case you didn't guess, the last video is from the movie Amelie, one of my all time favorite movies. If you haven't seen it, you should definitely watch it!

Tune Tuesday - La Musique française

2011-06-07T13:00:00.000-06:00

So, I have put together a nice playlist for you guys, full of some wicked French music. It was WAY harder than I ever imagined. Why? Because everyone here listens to American Pop. Now I'm not trying to shit American Pop, it's fun to dance to at the bar, but when I hear the same 5 songs repeated in the mall, on TV, on the radio...it loses any appeal it might have. People here appear to care more about anything coming out of the U.S. This saddens me, since French culture is kind of amazing.
Needless to say I have managed to come up with some stuff, most of which is kind of amazing even if you have no idea what they're saying.

Completely unrelated to my French playlist...I have never heard so many accordions as I have in this country. It's freaking AMAZING! On the train, in the train station, on the side of the road, in malls. Accordions are EVERYWHERE. It might be one of my favorite things about this country...right up there with cheese and WINE!

I truly love it here...even if I'm broke and friendless. France is Freaking AMAZING

Tune Tuesday - Paris Edition

2011-05-31T13:14:00.000-06:00

So I know I said I would return to blogging after finals, but I got swept up in planning a trip that I had very much neglected.....and then I set off for FRANCE!
So to celebrate my arrival in The City of Love, I've decided to share a montage of Paris songs.
A few are not in English, but Yael Naim is amazing even in Hebrew, obviously threw in some French, and lastly some Rammstein dedicated to one of my travel friends, Natalie.

Planning on touring Paris tomorrow, so I will share pictures of that ASAP. Hope that now that I'm settled in one place for the next couple months I should be able to hop back on the blogging train. I can't promise anything. But I will do my bestest ;) I missed the blog world terribly!

Bisous
♥ Kristen

Tune Tuesday - Sucker Punch

2011-04-19T12:19:00.000-06:00

So this CD doesn't exactly fall into my usual music genres, but that doesn't stop it from being any less amazing. The music in Sucker Punch was so well selected that listening to the CD pretty much replays the whole movie in my mind. Plus it has Queen on it, so it wins simply because of that!

and because I couldn't find the last song on Groove Shark...

I am super sorry for the lack of blogging...school is consuming all my time and then some. But I am finished this week, so I hope to catch up on all the things I've been wanting to share soon! Plus I have a pretty fantastic playlist to share for May :)

Tune Tuesday - Whale Tooth

2011-04-04T22:09:00.000-06:00

Discovered another fantastic band on the weekend. I LOVE when opening bands are just as good as the headliners (well almost...Mother Mother is a pretty sick group). It makes me feel like I get my money's worth out of a show. Whale Tooth was definitely one of those bands. Not only do they have fantastic talent, but they put on a great performance. Elise, the lead singer had awesome stage presence, and a voice that just blew me away! I can't wait for the release of their CD! Mother Mother was also amazing...I can't express how much I love them! If you ever get the chance, you need to see them live! It was honestly one of the best concerts I've ever been to!

WHALE TOOTH - The Visitor from Mitch Fillion (southernsouls.ca) on Vimeo.

In other news, I'm sorry I haven't been blogging so much. Life has been busy, and to be honest, I just haven't been feeling all that inspired lately. Hoping once school is done in 3 weeks, I'll have a little more time, and a LOT more to share!

Tune Tuesday - April Showers

2011-03-30T19:13:00.000-06:00

Sorry for my tardiness...school is in the last few weeks, and that means 8 bajillion things to get done. To make up for it, I've made you an April playlist. This one's a lot more mellow than the last. Hope you enjoy it!

Oh, btw, the other Pinback album I found was even better than the first. This song is my favorite!

Tune Tuesday - Pinback

2011-03-22T12:46:00.000-06:00

So to be quite honest, I don't even know how I ended up in possession of a copy of Pinback's Autumn of the Seraphs, but it's been playing over and over in my car for the last month...I only took it out yesterday, because I realized I also had a copy of another one of their albums and thought I should give it a try. You know be fair to other cds in my possession...

I was trying to pick my favorite songs...and realized I kind of just love the entire album....it's got a good balance. But I really recommend listening to #3, 6, 9 and 10...and maybe 11...Here's the whole album, hope you enjoy!

I ♥ Youtube

2011-03-20T18:08:00.003-06:00

Eeek this is the coolest thing ever!!!

My good friend Mik posted a pretty hilarious video on youtube this weekend....you should definitely watch this :)

I've spent the rest of the weekend watching The Vice Guide to Travel. This is pretty much the most awesome show I have ever seen, especially since I started with the one about North Korea. Best journalists EVER...or maybe the stupidest.........
Here's all 3 parts of The Vice Guide to North Korea. (They're about 20 minutes each...but well worth the hour!) You might have to click 'skip this ad' to get the video started.

Tune Tuesday - Jeremy Larson

2011-03-15T15:13:00.000-06:00

So today marks the release of a bunch of fantastic albums. But this one really deserves a mention! They Reapear is available for download here, and even better yet, you can listen to the whole thing before you decide to buy (but it's only 12$ so it's really a steal anyways!)

As it just come out, there isn't a lot on youtube as of yet, so I encourage you to click the link and listen away, but here's one of his new songs :)

Here's a the only video I could find of him. It also happens to be my personal favorite, from an earlier self-titled album.

You should also check out Mother Mother's Eureka.....I cannot wait till I get to see them on the second...SO EXCITED!

Any new albums to share? I can always use new music :)

Hey Jude

2011-03-13T15:42:00.000-06:00

So my very good friends Terra and Rob became parents last weekend, and little Jude Alder is pretty adorable.

He's a pretty big boy, coming into the world at almost 9 lbs, but that's 9 lbs of pure adorableness!

Who couldn't love this precious face?! He already has enough hair for a little faux hawk, and the most pinchable cheeks ever! I can't wait to get to meet him in April! So sad he lives in Calgary, because I would cuddle him all day if I could! Congrats Terra and Rob!

Tune Tuesday - Siskiyou

2011-03-08T16:34:00.000-07:00

So I did end up going to a concert last week! Sadly it was not Hey Rosetta. Instead I went to see what I thought was the Weakerthans, but turned out to be Jim Bryson with the Weakerthans band (they were accompanying him so support this new album). It wasn't the best concert I've ever been to, but I already caused a bit of scene on Twitter sharing my opinions, I will leave it at that. It was not however a waste, as I discovered a new band. It's a collaboration between former Great Lake Swimmer's band member Colin Huebert, and Erik Arnesen who still plays for GLS. It's a pretty fantastic first album, and they did an amazing performance. Never Ever Ever Ever Again is my favourite song so far...and not only because they added the saw to one of the many instruments making an appearance on this album. I think I counted like 10 different instruments during their performance. It was pretty awesome. Especially the Melodica, I REALLY want one!

In other news I bought tickets to see System of a Down with my friend Jessie the day after my birthday! I am ridiculously excited!

And hopefully I will be able to blog more often now that my midterms are done. It was a rough couple weeks, but I survived!

P.S Happy International Women's Day! Did you do anything to celebrate?

Tune Tuesday - March Madness

2011-03-01T00:08:00.000-07:00

To celebrate being one month closer to Spring...(it seems to be getting colder here instead of warmer...we're someone in the -40 region tonight. ICK!)...I thought I would share a new playlist.
This playlist was inspired by the first song...which I have been listening to on repeat for like a week straight...

...I got in trouble because I never remember to turn down my stereo, so when I use my car starter in the morning, you can hear the music blaring out of my car...and apparently my brother didn't appreciate it @ 8 in the morning...you can actually hear the words from inside my house...it's amazing I'm not deaf, I like to listen to music REALLY loud to drown out my terrible singing haha!

So in addition to this playlist I thought I would share a couple tracks from two lovely albums that got released in February. I've been so busy with school I totally forgot!

Radiohead's 8th album - The King of Limbs was released on the 18th (MP3 only), but you can grab the CD at the end on this month. I've only heard a few tracks, but I'm enjoying most of it. It's so mellow and lovely. So far I love both of these:

Also out this month is Adele's second album - 21. She's one of my all time favorite artists, the power of her voice blows me away every time. I'm not 100% impressed with the whole album, I think I need to listen to it a few more times, but her first single is amazing (thanks Terra!).

Have a magical week! I have my fingers crossed that I can score tickets to a show tomorrow that's sold out...wish me luck!

Any albums you're looking forward to for March?

In the bag - BUMP BUMP

2011-02-27T12:41:00.001-07:00

So this was my all time favorite Disney short as a kid...we had it recorded and I used to watch it over and over and over. I still hum the tune every now and then. I didn't even think of Youtubing it...but then I found it on Cuppy's blog! She's my swap partner for the Tacky Souvenir Swap. This totally made my Sunday morning (well...afternoon haha)

I ♥ it

2011-02-27T01:13:00.001-07:00

These amazing sunglasses from Oregon company Shwood - Discovered on Hivenn

Warby Parker Glasses - Discovered on Our City Lights
It's like TOMS Shoes but with glasses...and they're cheap. I don't even wear glasses and I want them...

Umm they even have a monocle?...I want it purely for funtastical value!

This super cute Nail DIY on Pamplemousse I've become nailpolish obsessed lately...

This awesome Braided Hex Nut Bracelet DIY...it's kind of magic!

What are you loving?

Looking for a new dress?

2011-02-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

You should definitely check out Red Velvet on March 1st. These dresses are freaking ADORABLE!!!...and this video is the cutest video I ever saw...

Red Velvet Lookbook // Spring 2011 from elsie flannigan on Vimeo

I love the black velvet one! Which is your favorite?

I ♥ Science - Kevin Van Aelst

2011-02-23T19:26:00.001-07:00

I found the picture of these amazing mitosis donuts on Kyla's blog and they totally made my day. Despite hating my genetics class, this is exactly what I have been learning. Kevin Van Aelst has a pretty amazing take on photography. It makes the nerd in me, giggle extra hard :)

Don't these chromosomes look delicious?! It's kind of the crazy how close this one looks to an image in my textbook.....although those ones are a little less sugary haha.

SCIENCE IS FUN...yea I just said that...I spent the last two days at the WISEST Choices conference, an opportunity for Grade 6 girls to get exposed to the awesome that is science. I am getting SO excited to be closer to the day when I get to teach!...although I do have to say that elementary school is really starting to appeal more than the original plan of high school.

Put a bird on it

2011-02-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

So my old roomie B-Ren told me about this video on our last viet/chapters/movie date when I was in Calgary last. I totally forgot about it till I ran across it on Paper Sparrow today. Seriously this video is hilarious...especially since while we were in Chapters, half of the home stuff they sold....had a bird on it...

You should check out all of the Portlandia videos...they are hilarious, and make me miss my former home and favoritestestest city ever, Portland, OR.

Tune Tuesday - Mother Mother

2011-02-21T22:39:00.001-07:00

*I got a little excited and accidentally posted this a day early...so....SURPRISE! Tune Tuesday is Tune Monday this week hahaaha*

From the first time I heard Mother Mother on the radio I was hooked. O My Heart was my favorite song for months and months, and then I finally got a chance to see them open for Matthew Good 2 years ago. They've come a long way and are releasing their 3rd album - Eureka on March 15th. I talked Carla into going to their upcoming show with me...and due it being at a crummy venue in Edmonton we decided to roadtrip it down to Calgary! I cannot WAIT till April!

Here's the first single off their new album...I am in love. I cannot wait to hear more!

'oh you're a handful - I forgot about handfuls' made me giggle so much when I heard it. And now I just want to say 'It's like paradise - spread out with a butter knife' all the time...I think it might become my new catch phrase :)

Here are a couple other songs that I love by them :)

Life is Like a Mop

2011-02-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

So last week my bestie Sarah and I were visiting our friends Lindsay and Ryan and their beautiful daughter Cassia. Lindsay started talking about their cat Riot, and how he really likes to rub up against dirty mops. The conversation went on for at least 10 minutes, and Sarah started to get this really awkward confused look on her face. Then all of a sudden, Sarah goes, Ryan that is REALLY creepy. Turns out instead of hearing Riot...Sarah heard Ryan. And for 10 minutes thought Ryan had a weird mop fetish, and could not for the life of her figure out why Lindsay was sharing this with us. I laughed for at least 10 minutes, and actually every time I think about this, it makes giggle. Ryan decided to share this video with me as a joke...it kind of made my day :)

Tune Tuesday - Calm Asa Coma

2011-02-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

So I went to see Michael Bernard Fitzgerald (MBF for short) Saturday night, and discovered a new favorite artist. I was so disapointed in the crowd for not giving them more appreciation, but seriously 10 seconds into their set and I was dancing my butt off. They're from Calgary, like MBF so the fact they're local makes them that much cooler! Also the fact that they didn't run away after we totally harassed them like crazy groupies makes them kind of awesome as well.

(this is the only video I could find with decent sound quality...check their myspace for some more songs!)

...a little shenanigans...(I love random band videos...they are better than actual music videos!)

In other news MBF was freaking fantastic! He puts on quite the performance, and did not disappoint, here's a catchy tune by the lovely Michael Bernard Fitzgerald (I shared my favorite song of his here).

...I also just wanted to add how excited I am for Arcade Fire! Yay to good music getting the recognition it deserved! Mumford & Sons and the Avett Brothers was also phenomenal! So many good performances this year!

♥

2011-02-14T23:21:00.001-07:00

I had a lovely night with one of my favorite ladies. She bought me chocolates, and I got her flowers...we're true dorks! I've been studying to I can't upload pictures...but I will share this weekend...hopefully!

Did you have a magical day?

P.S I'm super excited for Tune Tuesday...don't forget to stop by and check it out!

Swagger Wagon

2011-02-11T23:09:00.000-07:00

So I used to drive a minivan...k wait that's a lie. I've owned 2 minivans. People like to make fun of me, for some reason they think calling me a soccer mom hurts my feelings. They don't realize how useful being 17 and having a minivan was, or how it makes moving 8 times in 5 years so much easier. This video just proves how awesome owning a minivan is. You should watch it. It's the cool soccer mom thing to do.

...I'm not gunna lie...I kind of have a crush on the swagger wagon dad..
Thanks Sarah for sharing your school learnings with me :)

6 Confessions

2011-02-11T20:51:00.001-07:00

Sorry for my lack of blogging...school is stupid busy, and I've been feeling a tad lazy. To make up for it I thought I would share 6 secrets about myself...you can't tell anyone kay?

1. I can't say no to sushi...if someone wants to go, I will cancel plans to make it work. It's becoming a problem since I'm allergic to soy and should not consume soy sauce...but I don't care I will eat it till it kills me.

2. I have an addiction to buying sweaters...zip-ups and hoodies......I dislike summer because I can't wear them...I have more sweaters than shirts to wear under them.

3. I hate taking showers. I take them, but I will put it off for days if I can get away with it.

4. I hate phones. I've needed to get my hair done for a month, but I keep putting it off simply because I don't want to call and make an appointment. Don't call me...I will NOT answer.

5. I will however respond to texts/emails/social networking within seconds...I am attached to my BlackBerry, and would die without it...seriously though, I dropped it in a puddle on Friday and almost had a panic attack...

6. I hate sandwiches but love Subway. I don't know how to explain this one...it's just true.

...Thanks Leah-Anne for the idea :)

Tune Tuesday - Donovan Woods

2011-02-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

I was at my friend Carla's house last week trying to get things done for a baby shower...and despite her being a huge help she shared this song with me...and then we listened to it on repeat for like 5 hours...it's actually playing while I'm typing this...I am in love with Donovan Woods voice! Sadly he's not touring...seeing him live would be fantastic! In the mean time I shall try and track down a copy of this album.

Here are some other songs of his. They are also pretty amazing...

I have been having a bad day, and I'm not going to lie...listening to his voice has totally just put me in a better mood.

Freezing Man in Pictures

2011-02-07T19:31:00.000-07:00

OMG...I had SUCH a good time on Saturday! So much music, spinny rides and lots of lovely friends!

These 3 have become my concert buddies! Erin and Jeremy are sometimes accompanied by their adorable children...we always have a blast together!

We decided to add one more to the mix...I think she might get addicted to concert going....(fingers crossed!) The more the merrier!

And the rides....soooo much funnnn!...Jenn didn't like going on this with me so much.....I wouldn't stop the spinning, and since we were the only people on the ride, they kept it going and going and going and going....There was also some swings!

I also ran into my brother and his friends, and we took a spin on the Gravitron...probably not the best idea when booze is in the mix...HOWEVER

Greasy delicious pizza made everything better! I was a truely magical night!

Tune Tuesday - Freezing Man

2011-02-01T22:44:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun at the first ever Freezing Man Festival on Saturday! Incredible artists mixed with crazy rides and lovely friends! Sadly I didn't make it through the whole concert due to a little too many rides mixed with a few too many drinks....but what I did see was AWESOME! Here are some tracks of the bands that played! I can't wait till next year :)

Sorry for the quality...I didn't make it till Stars took the stage, and serious kudos to Amy for doing a 45 minute set, 8 months pregnant in 4 inch heels (...they were the prettiest shoes EVER). My friend got their set list, and we all bought shirts and got them signed afterward...I have a ridiculous collection of band tees...I try and get one at every show!

It was so good to hear live music again! Hitting up Michael Bernard Fitzgerald in a few weeks! I lurve live music :)

I will post pictures tomorrow!

btw...I've given up on Movie Mondays...I don't like writing them, it feels like a book report...PLUS I got film for my instax mini, s I am going to be hopping on the 52 weeks of instax boat! I can't wait to start snapping pictures with it!!!!!!!

I love mail - Tacky Souvenir Swap

2011-01-26T11:21:00.001-07:00

So this is probably the funniest thing I've ever heard of...and I love getting mail more than anything in life...click the picture to fill out a form a join! The more people the more awesome this will be!
Thanks Maryam for sharing :)

Antique Technology

2011-01-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

I found this video on Kyla's blog. It reminds me of how often I say something @ school and get blank faces due to the huge age gap between myself and the other students...I don't feel old generally, but things like that really make me feel ancient! ...btw this video is extra cute because the kids are french...but don't worry it's got subtitles.

Little Miss Christie

2011-01-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

My good friends Ryan and Lindsay had a little girl 2 weeks ago. She surprised us a month early, but she's perfect in every way! Meet Cassia Marie :)

I can't wait to cuddle with her again soon!

Tune Tuesday - Guitar

2011-01-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

So when I was little my parents were super nice and usually let me listen to cheesy kids music when we went on road trips (and we went on LOTS of roadtrips....), but every now and then my dad sneak in some of his favorite's.... He loves guitar, so anything with an awesome solo got played over and over. By age 5 I'm pretty sure I knew more Eric Clapton songs than I did Sharon, Lois and Bram.... Here are some of my favorites.

This is a cover of Van Morrison...but honestly it's way better than the original...I LOVE Colin James...

This video is awesome because it shows you how amazing Jimmy Page actually is....his fingers are SOOO fast!

and for those of you not familiar with Sharon Lois and Bram....

and completely unrelated to guitars...you should check out the video that Rachel posted on her blog here...it's lovely!

Happy Tuesday!

We're Going Sledding!

2011-01-22T23:18:00.000-07:00

So...I pretty much had the most fun night ever last night...and it wasn't simply because of the alcohol we consumed...

Or the fact that our junk food covered my entire kitchen table.

It had a LOT to do with the fact that we have a ridiculous amount of snow....

A nice little hill

AND SOME SLEDS!!!

Oh yea..and 4 of my favorite ladies!

To accompany me on a magical adventure

In the snow

for the best non-sleepover EVER!

I Love you ladies :) You help make my life perfectly wonderful!

Tune Tuesday (on Wednesday) - Favorites

2011-01-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

So I've been listening to so many new artists lately that I've completely forgotten about some older songs that I love. So here are some songs I could listen to on repeat forever!

I LOVE Imogen Heap. Here voice is incomparable. It still makes me giggle that I discovered this song on the OC. (There's a funny SNL skit using it that you can see here)

I love the Beatles...who doesn't? But this song will always be my favorite, simply because my dad used to sing it to me when I was little.

This song will always have a special place in my heart even though I have been banned from singing it out loud...I must admit I sound a little ridiculous pretending I can rap, but this song gets it my head and won't leave till I've sang it all...P.S...the Mase part is my favorite (2:53)

And I wanted to share this just because it is pretty much the cutest thing I ever saw...thanks Rach ;)

Movie Monday - The Fighter

2011-01-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I thought I would venture out on the icy roads in ridiculously cold temperatures to go see a movie...and I'm glad that I did! The Fighter was pretty fantastic, and not just because Mark Wahlberg was half naked for a lot of it! In fact most of the time I was focused on Christian Bale's crack addicted character! I could not believe how well he depicted an addict, and it was even more amazing after seeing a clip at the end of the original Dickie Ekland. I also think it's kind of fantastic that Mickey O'Keefe played himself in the movie...his glasses were fantastic! To top it off a fantastic job by Amy Adams, one of my favorite females, and it's not hard to see why it got 6 GG nominations...and why Christian Bale got best supporting actor!

...in other news I'm really disapointed that Black Swan didn't win Best Motion Picture...the Social Network was a good movie...but Black Swan BLEW me away...Very happy for Natalie Portman though, she really deserved best Actress! Did you guys watch the Globes? I hate award shows...I just read twitter instead!

Rainbows and Unicorns

2011-01-14T14:47:00.000-07:00

I bought these :) I can't WAIT to get them in the mail!!!!!

I want this so bad...but it's sold :(

This shirt from Threadless.com....

...and this is what I came up with when I searched Rainbows and Unicorns on Youtube...it's kind of awesome...mostly because of the guys eyebrows hahaha

...and I actually found an awesome song called Rainbows and Unicorns! I think I found a new artist to listen to :)

So I should be unpacking...

2011-01-12T21:52:00.000-07:00

....but my computer seems so much more interesting! I just realized I forgot about Movie Monday, so I think I'll catch up on that tomorrow!...do you guys actually read those anyways?

In other news I started back at school and it's terribly boring...thankfully I have some familiar faces in all my classes, so it makes things a little less dull. I do however have a class which is requiring me to write 7 essays...I am NOT looking forward to this, but it will help me improve my french writing so yay for practice?

ANYWAYS...I thought since I'm procrastinating that you guys might like some things you can do instead of what you're supposed to be doing as well, so here are some AWESOME DIYs!

Amazing earing DIY at Seablanket

This super cute Faux-Feather Headband at Big Box Detox

These amazing upcycled bracelets from At Second Street

Hope you are staying warm during this chilly week!

Tune Tuesday - Winter Videos

2011-01-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

So we've been having ridiculous weather. On the weekend we got over a foot of snow, and now the temperature is supposed to drop to around -40 with the windchill (that's the same in Fahrenheit...). These videos seem appropriate for our arctic weather.

...the stereo in my car stopped working today...I think it's cause of the cold, but it makes me terribly sad. Please let it get a little warmer soon!

Send Me an Instant Photo

2011-01-11T19:44:00.001-07:00

Have an instant photo lingering around? Why not send it to Send Me and Instant Photo! Lauren has put together an awesome collection of instant photos from all over, and as soon as I get some film for my instax mini, I will be joining in!

While you're at it, hop on over the The Dainty Squid and check out here 52 Weeks of Instax! I am so excited to start using my new mini!!!!!!!

Project ReStyle

2011-01-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

Elsie and Rachel have put together this amazing year long project aimed at using damaged, unwanted or unusable items into amazing new pieces (click the banner for more information, or you can click the button on the sidebar). It's already started and I'm hopping on board...hoping to at least get a couple done this year (I am queen procrastinator so even 2 is far fetched for me ahahaha). You can check out the flickr pictures of projects already completed here. It's crazy how many people have already posted pictures!
I dare you to join in too ;)

So I have a crush...

2011-01-09T09:26:00.002-07:00

on a really cute boy....and with a date proposition like this, how could I not?!

Him: I'm gonna take you to Swiss Chalet on a hot date. I can only do this at 4:30pm in the afternoon.
Me: shall I bring you a cane?
Him: oh this will be a kinky date?
Me: isn't that what swiss chalet is all about?!
Him: Let's just skip dinner and get straight to the visit to Sears on a Tuesday, say mid-morning?
Me: can we do laps around the mall before hand?
Him: mall walking? Hell yeah!

btw...this date pretty much sums up my trip to Ontario...with trips to Wal-mart (ICK), Goodwill and the Dollar Store in addition to Sears, doing many laps of the worst mall ever, and a early dinner at Swiss Chalet. Oh how I love visiting my Nana :)

Also, I just got tickets to see Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, this super cute singer from Calgary...and this song totally came on in my car right after I got to spend some time with said cute boy....

I'm back!

2011-01-08T11:44:00.000-07:00

and I've really missed my dear little blog. Also missing some cute 4 legged friends I made in Ontario. I am very glad to be home...even if we will get like 30 cm of snow by the end of the weekend. It's been a busy few weeks, and I have lots to catch up on and lots of things to share!

Hello from Ontario

2010-12-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

...so I was hoping that since I was here in August the internet situation might have gotten better...but alas I have no internet aside from driving my butt down to Starbucks...so I think the blog is officially on hiatus until I return home next week.
Wish you all a wonderful New Years and I will see you in 2011!

P.S...my New Years resolution is to give up swearing....so if you catch me saying something bad on my blog in 2011 you win something...I don't know what...but you it will be awesome.
Any resolutions of your own?

Movie Monday - Black Swan

2010-12-28T12:01:00.000-07:00

Okay so this was probably the best movie I've seen all year...if you haven't seen it already you should do so asap! I went with a couple of friends to an old theatre in Edmonton, and it totally added to the eeriness of the film. The acting was phenomenal, the plot was intense but the costumes were exquisite. Especially the head piece Natalie Portman wore. I kind want earmuffs that look like that! I don't wanna spoil the movie so I'm going to keep this super short. BUT GO SEE IT!!!!! It's hauntingly beautiful in every way!

...sorry this is late, I haven't opening my computer in over a week, and I'm in the Airport off to Ontario for a week. Tune Tuesday will be here tomorrow...this week is a little behind hahaha.
Did you have a magical Christmas? Mine was strangely amazing...

Wishlist Pt. 2

2010-12-23T14:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Santa,

I would really love the following...please and thank you :)

I am in dire need of new luggage before I head off the France...I would love both of these in the top pattern!

These shoes are beautiful...

And these three are just too cute for words...I asked my dad to get them for my stocking...we'll see if he was listening....Even though I don't have aplace of my own right now I have been oogling over home stuff...I should probably stockpile before my rents kick me out on my ass hahaha!

If I even get just one of these I will be extatic...2 more sleeps till Santa comes!!! WOOHOO

Did you ask Santa for anything?

Goodnight Moon

2010-12-21T22:25:00.000-07:00

I have a serious infatuation with the night sky. I have spent numerous nights staring up at the stars, and when something like a lunar eclipse happens you can bet I am outside no matter what the hour waiting it's arrival. Last night was no exception. I ran outside every 15 minutes to peak at the progress and around 12:25 I got all bundled up and went outside to gaze up at the sky. I didn't last too long out there...it was a tad chilly...but I did stay until it had completely eclipsed.

(Taken by an old co-worker of mine's son)

A red moon is hauntingly beautiful. A probable time for the arrival of zombies (haha Carla!) but thankfully there was no invasions of any kind..and I was safe to freeze outside in awe of it's beauty.

Here are some of my favorite images of the eclipse:

(Click pictures for sources)

...the last one is my favorite hahahaha!

Did you stay up to watch?! Any pictures to share?

Tune Tuesday - Holiday Magic

2010-12-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

I really just should have made this all Michael Bublé...his voice is so wonderfully calming.....I could listen to him for days and days and days. *sigh* Anywho enjoy!

Click here for more indie Christmas songs. AND ONLY 4 more sleeps till CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Movie Monday - YouTube Hilarity

2010-12-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

I'm back with a funny video for you! It made me giggle...Will Ferrell looks HILARIOUS...
I am SO glad exams are done! It's been nice to have school off the brain for a few days.

Here's the original. It's amazing how they are like exactly the same......

Exam Hiatus

2010-12-13T22:22:00.000-07:00

So unfortunately I have to take a bit of a hiatus for exams. I am beyond stressed...as per usual and sadly don't have time to post anything this week. I will however be back full force next week :) In the mean time...enjoy this little clip. It always makes me smile :)

I love this scene so much its ridiculous...their dancing is just hilarious especially the guy in the orangey shirt!

Christmas Cheer

2010-12-09T18:27:00.000-07:00

...this is just amazing. It ALMOST makes me want an iPad...

Thanks Laura for sharing!

Wishlist Part 1

2010-12-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

Here are a bunch of lovely things that I dream of wearing...

1//2//3//4//5//6//7//8

I'll share some more next week...it's a LONG list....

Snow Foxes

2010-12-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

omg this video is so cute...and I really liked the song in the background! Double awesome :) Discovered it @ Paper Sparrow!

Tune Tuesday - Indie Christmas

2010-12-07T21:19:00.000-07:00

So I decided to put together a nice indie Christmas playlist. Some songs are classics others are new...but I love them all, with the exception of the last song....and why did I add it you ask? Because I LOVE Zooey's voice in it...but I feel like it clashes with Leons...so I love half the song...and am confused by the other half...either way it was my favorite moment in Elf :)...so I pretend I love it anyways!

Any Christmas favorites?! Check back next week for a more classic Christmas playlist :)

Movie Monday - Christmas Movie List

2010-12-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

So I don't really go crazy over Christmas. I like it, but at the same time I don't...however I kind of really love Christmas movies......So here's my list of top 10 Christmas movies you should watch cause they're awesome!

10. Ernest Saves Christmas
9. A Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
8. The Preacher's Wife
7. Scrooged
6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas ( NOT THE ONE WITH JIM CARREY!)
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas
4. Home Alone
3. A Charlie Brown Christmas
2. Love Actually
1. ELF

Tune Tuesday - Christian Hansen & The Autistics

2010-11-30T13:11:00.000-07:00

K this video is hilarious AND it's filmed in Edmonton! (Thanks Carla!)

Next week I am going to try and put together a Christmasy playlist....we'll see how much school takes over my life....

Movie Monday - The Expendables

2010-11-29T21:31:00.000-07:00

I don't know why so many people crapped on this movie. JASON STATHAM WAS IN IT!

Sure, Sylvester Stallone looked like his face pulled so far back it would rip in the middle....and the story didn't really make ANY sense what so ever....They blew stuff up and JASON STATHAM WAS IN IT!!!

I took it for what it was and really enjoyed the movie actually. Lots of super ninja moves big guns, lots and lots and lots of bad acting....things blowing up...oh yea and JASON STATHAM WAS IN IT.........

Sorry I don't really have much more else to say...I was too busy drooling over JASON STATHAM

Tune Tuesday - By The Fire

2010-11-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

So...I kind of delete the playlist I intended to share...so I decided to make a new one! Sadly I couldn't get all the songs I wanted so I added a couple videos. Hope you enjoy it! I've been listening to it all morning :)

The drive home

2010-11-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

So the drive home was almost as hilarious as 4 days in Calgary...it's amazing how a little detour made things so much more exciting! Carla took a ride on a bail of hay!

As Carla was unable to give me a boost without possibly sharing her intestines, I decided to take a run at it...

it didn't work out so well

So we decided to visit the Pioneer Village Museum in Sundre....and man was that an experience...

This dolls face will now haunt my dreams along with....

all these poor dead animals......seriously this place was out of control...I didn't know if I should be in awe or cry...

Look Sarah, A HIPPO!

There were tons of heads on sticks...

Our national animal!

A real elephant foot stool...it was hairy and hard...and the weirdest thing i have every experienced...

They even had a pervy fox...he looks like the biggest creep every right?!

All thanks to this guy.........and his rifle...

There were also some suppositories (infant size.....)

Apparently some zigzags....

It was a weird museum all in all, but it was well worth the 8 bucks to get in. Don't think I'll be back...but don't let that stop you from seeing all it has to offer.
THANKS CARLA FOR MAKING THAT A LOVELY DRIVE HOME :)

Get Off The Road

2010-11-19T22:40:00.000-07:00

So I started a mini blog on Tumblr. I made it to share some insight into the world of driving. A world most people take for granted. I hope to share some ideas that might help my fellow Edmontonians learn to drive like curtious, thoughtful members of society. I do apologize in advance for my language…bad drivers really ruin my day. But if we can all follow my simple advice, I think we can make this city a little better! If not, I may have to commence a vehicular homicide rampage….you really don’t want that. (btw you can now skip the first post...cause it says the same thing hahaha)

CLICK ME

Why you dumpin' shit: This ain't yo house!

2010-11-18T23:34:00.000-07:00

...I apologize in advance for how long this is...I had to split it up into two posts....
Okay so I probably had one of the most hilarious trips to Calgary ever. Sadly I some how ended up with NO pictures of my lovely hosts Terra and Rob and soon to be baby Sprout...but I had a magical time with them, even if it was sporatic. Terra and I spent Thursday knitting up a storm and discussing my crazy ex-coworkers. I LOVE YOU BOTH :)

Friday I did some xmas shopping by myself as it wasn't really a day off for everyone. BUT Friday night I got to visit my favoritest bunny EVER. Isn't Pope the cutest?!?

He was a bit of an asshole when we lived together, but it appears the lovely Brenna has managed to win him over, and he let me pet him for like 10 whole minutes!...and take his picture endlessly.

Eventually I petted him into static craziness, and his crazy fur turned even more out of control. He's so funny!

Then Brenna and I went for dinner for yummy vietnamese and then watched a random fireworks show and then spent an hour smelling and rating candles in Chapters. The winners were Paddywax Library Collection . They seriously smell like the authors.

Then we went and saw Megamind, which was a little disappointing to say the least...I was really hoping it would crack me up like Up and How to Train Your Dragon did, but alas, it was a mediocre animated movie.....one of those ones that shows all the funny bits in the trailers...We however had a magical time. As the title says, we discussed why it is appropriate to dump anything in a movie theater even though NO ONE would do that ANYWHERE else. We laughed about this for awhile as I snapped pictures in an empty theater and dumped my disgusting popcorn on the floor...oooooooooops! It was so good to see my lovely Brenna. I would say more about our conversation but honestly I think I laughed myself into memory loss...the only reason I remember that much is because I sent myself an email to remind me haha.

Saturday I went for coffee with my friend Thea and we did a little more shopping :)

And then I went to dinner with 7 people I don't know and 2 ladies I love...and had the most randomly hilarious night of my life filled with oversharing, weird people humping and strange photoshoots (surprising not by us). I made some lovely new friends, and even got to practice my drunk french!

Sunday I woke up @ Jessie's. Her lovely fiancé is pretty hardcore and was up painting their living room at 9:30. Jessie had a little bit of a hangover, but jumped right into help, and I delegated from the couch while sipping some tea. They have done so much to work to their house it's amazing. Then we had lunch and took the puppies to the dog park.

All in all, it was an amazing 4 days. I couldn't have shared it with better people, and I dont think I could have laughed harder...well maybe except on the drive home...but that's for tomorrow!

Tune Tuesday - OK Go

2010-11-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

I found this video thanks to my good friend Mik. They used 215 loaves of (stale) bread to put it together, and it's pretty lovely. The song isn't too shabby either! It was all shot with an NX100 (you can read more about the project here). Since reality TV took over Much Music and MTV, I find myself super excited to see really good music videos.

Next week I have a playlist to share put together by my little brother.

Movie Monday - The Lookout

2010-11-15T15:20:00.000-07:00

So this movie came out in 2007, but it somehow missed my radar. It was on TV last week...I can't remember which channel, and something about it caught my eye so I recorded it and saved it for when I had some free time. SO GLAD I DID! I love Joseph Gordon-Levitt to begin with (If you haven't seen Inception you should get on it!), but the plot was really surprising.

The story is about a young promising athlete (Chris) who's life is changed by a terrible car accident. Having caused serious damage to his frontal lobe, his new social awkwardness and night job at the bank makes him a suitable aide to some big time gangsters, where he becomes the lookout.

Jeff Daniels who plays Chris' blind roommate and mentor Lewis does a phenomenal job. I almost enjoyed his character more than Chris. Isla Fischer leaves a little to be desired in her role as Chris' love interest...she's not one of my favorite actors....so I might be a little biased. I think the movie could have survived without her character. The bank robbers aren't as seductive as they should have been, however Matthew Goode did a pretty good job making up for it , but Josephs portrayal of Chris completely made the film.

The opening scene was by far my favorite, sharing the mating ritual of fireflies (?) which was kind of romantic. However the conclusion of the movie totally shocked me. If you haven't seen it you should definitely give it a watch. I can't wait to see another movie with Joseph LG as the lead. He is a pretty amazing actor!

Lest We Forget

2010-11-11T00:34:00.000-07:00

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

At 11am today, bow your head in remembrance of those who fought for our country.

I remember.

Mad men Yourself!

2010-11-09T22:44:00.000-07:00

omg it was so much fun...I seriously wish I lived in another time...

and yea that's a cigarette in my mouth. I would DEFINITELY smoke in the 60's. I would smoke now if I wasn't so aware of how deadly it is.
And I love picnics...especially the aftermath that is this one...

BTW...you shouldn't smoke it's bad for your health...are you happy now?

Click here to Mad Men yourself...boys you can do it too!

Share your pictures with me! I would LOVE to see them!

Tune Tuesday - The Kooks

2010-11-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

Do do dododododo Do do dododododo. I love this song. It has a habit of getting stuck in my head every time I hear it, but I'm totally fine with that! The Kooks are an upbeat band from the U.K. And I'm hoping their 3rd album will be just as good as the first two. I find the only problem with bands from the UK is they never make their way to Canada, and I find I connect most with music when I hear it live. Till the day the Kooks appear in Canada, I will continue to enjoy them via CD.

Movie Monday - An Education

2010-11-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

So I watch a ridiculous amount of films...to the point where close friends make me pick things, cause I've watched almost all the new releases as well as the majority of everything else. So since I watch everything, I thought I would share some with you guys, and start a new feature.

This weekend I found a movie I had never seen, and REALLY enjoyed! I had constantly looked at the case in the movie store, but always found something that appealed more and never bothered to pick it up. But I came across An Education (2009) on Netflix (which still hasn't impressed me...but I never bothered to cancel...) and am so glad I watched it.

The main character Jenny (Carey Mulligan) blew my mind. Her assertiveness was impressive for a 16 year old girl, especially in the 1960's. Olivia Williams played her teacher, who added another strong female to the cast. Top them with the adorable Peter Sarsgaard, Rosamund Pike and Dominic Cooper to add some sex appeal and the most amazing wardrobe makes for one heck of a movie.

At first I was a little surprised at the plot. Jenny's parents seemed to have no problem with their 16 year old daughter gallivanting with a man twice her age and I was kind of angry at where the movie was going, however towards the end things took a different turn, and I was able to continue enjoying the film. I no longer felt worried for poor little Jenny, despite her having to learn some hard lessons. Her personality added so much to the whole movie, I completely fell in love with her character. She said the most innocently funny things, but also blew me away at times with some bold remarks for someone her age. It didn't hurt that Carey Mulligan is also amazingly adorable. I also loved the mischievousness of conman David (Peter Sarsgaard) and his scheming crew. They really managed to seduce the audience as well as every character in the movie. Even luring Jenny's parents into their posh lifestyle.

This coming of age film, although a bit tame, was really well done. The acting was sensational, and it made for some rather memorable scenes. There was one really hilarious scene with a banana...and my favorite line of the movie said by Jenny:

'It's funny though, isn't it? All that poetry and all those songs, about something that lasts no time at all' ....she really knows how to cut a guy down hahaha.

But the costumes....I couldn't stop staring at their outfits. Everyone looked stunning. I really wish I could have lived in the 60's. Everyone seemed so posh. They even made smoking look sexy.

CHECK IT OUT :)

Any movie recommendations? I've been on a 60's movie kick lately...but I will watch pretty much anything...

p.s there's a super cute giveaway on The Dainty Squid. It's for an amazing handmade hoodie. I have my fingers crossed for this one!

ZOMBIES

2010-11-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

Those who know me know I have a weird obsession with zombies. I don't know why, but there's something comical about them wandering around, and then freaking out when they seem human flesh. I like to joke around and every time it's foggy I tell who ever I'm with that the zombies are coming...I can just picture a huge mob of them emerging from the fog trudging towards the city.

ANYWHO...the reason I am posting is to tell you about this fantastically wicked ZOMBIE TV SHOW! Yea you heard me. Weekly installments of ZOMBIES. I just found out about it over at The Fiction We Live Thanks Kyla!

(doesn't she make a spooky zombie?!)

So this show...it's called The Walking Dead on AMC and I'm in the middle of episode 2 as we speak and I am seriously in love...I LOVE this show! You can watch old episodes on the AMC website...and yea it even works in CANADA! YAY!

You should watch it so I have someone to talk to about it...seriously. It would make me REALLY happy :)

Happy Movember

2010-11-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

My dad is participating in Movember and is doing some fund-raising. If you have a second, it would mean the world to him if you clicked here and donated. His boss and good friend was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, and together with his coworkers, they are working to change the face of men's health. Help make a difference!...I promise to post pictures of my father's hilarious facial hair at the end of the month...I'm really pushing for handlebars! My brother's in on it too, and he looks quit ridiculous as he can't grow a mustache but can grow a beard...

Happy Sunday! Did you enjoy your extra hour of sleep?

Tune Tuesday - Florence and The Machine

2010-11-02T22:10:00.000-06:00

Okay seriously, everything about this video makes me happy...it's funny, she's adorable. Her outfit is amazing...I REALLY want those tights! I LOVE everything about Florence including her red hair! (She was my red hair inspiration!). The whole Lungs album is lovely and upbeat. It had my friend Jenn car dancing today :). I HIGHLY recommend checking it out!

Happy Hallowe'en!

2010-10-31T20:46:00.000-06:00

Despite having some problems with the fabric I chose...my costume turned out fantastic, thanks to my mom and some genius ideas! (Lydia from Beetlejuice...the cartoon!...I LURVE THAT SHOW!!!)

I love Halloween. This was the first one I have spent in Edmonton in forever, and it was hilarious...probably because I drank too much and couldn't walk due to death shoes.

Last night we went to one of our favorite hang outs...however it just wasn't the same without Sarah's husband djing...so we left. HOWEVER we did run into a familiar face, which was fantastic!
(Sarah is trying to look like a serious sheriff here...it makes Josh look that much more hilarious!)

Then today baby Alex came for a visit with his mom and dad (they just wanted Halloween candy.....)

Cutest tiger I EVER saw!!!!!!!

We carved some pumpkins...well I didn't cause I'm doing homework.............ew...but pumpkins were carved!

Oh and my brother rocked a costume my dad wore ages ago...(my mom made pretty sweet things back in the day....)

So Guess What?!

2010-10-27T23:06:00.000-06:00

I GOT A FROG :)

And a pretty fishy!

and they get along!

...still need to figure out names...Ideas?

Tune Tuesday - the XX

2010-10-26T22:22:00.000-06:00

This lovely UK duet is pure magic. Their music is so mellow, and their voices match so well. I've been listening to their album for days and I fall in love with it a little more every time.
Sometimes I wish I could stay home all day and just lay in bed and listen to music...........stupid life getting in the way of my dreams!

Vajazzled

2010-10-21T18:46:00.000-06:00

...so I heard this word for the first time last night on Cougar Town (for those of you who don't watch this show I highly recommend it...SO FUNNY!). I thought it was one of the quirky things the show had some up with...BUT when I googled the word, to my surprise...actually horror, it was actually a real thing!

Vajazzling is by definition applying jewels to the pubic region...or if you want around your nipples...you can read more about it here.

Jennifer Love-Hewitt even endorses it...

....seriously this is beyond weird to me...has anyone done this? Opinions?!.....

Tune Tuesday - Hollerado

2010-10-19T20:44:00.000-06:00

Best video I've seen in a long time! Song's not bad either ;) THANKS CARLA :)

Is it too early to start my Christmas list?!

2010-10-17T12:47:00.000-06:00

...Santa I would like one of these for Christmas please!

...isn't it the prettiest radio ever?!

I discovered it here...but you can read more about it here.

I also wouldn't mind Orla Kiely's book Pattern....such pretty pictures!

Movie Review - Leaves of Grass

2010-10-15T19:22:00.000-06:00

I just finished watching a movie that I was quite surprised by.

I LOVE Edward Norton, but some of his less known films tend to be a bit off the wall. This movie was simple but thought evoking. About estranged twins living completely different lives, and the events that unfold when they're brought back together.

Norton plays both twins, and I LOVE the way he portrays Brady (the Hick). The character Bill (the Academic) took awhile for me to care for, but in the end I was quite fond of him.

I especially enjoyed Keri Russell's character Janet, which I didn't think would happen because I've hated Keri since her days on Felicity. I also enjoyed Bolger played by Tim Blake Nelson.

The title of the movie is taken from a Walt Whitman poetry collective with the same name. And it relates back to Janet's character being a high school English teacher, and a conversation she has with Bill. I love Walt Whitman...He's a pretty amazing poet. You can read the Leaves of Grass in it's entirety here (oh how I love the internet!).

HOWEVER...my favorite part of the movie was a song that came up a couple times...and then played over and over and over when the movie ended (looped on the menu) while I was taking a nap.

You can skip ahead 1 minute if you don't want to catch the end of the movie..however it was really nice dialogue.....

...now I should really get to studying...however watching movies, napping and updating my blog seem like much better ways to spend my time ;)

Tune Tuesday - Sunshine and Starlight

2010-10-12T18:04:00.001-06:00

So instead of just sharing one song...I stumbled across this playlist. I found it @ a blog I follow
Sunshine and Starlight. If you like the kinds of music I post here, you'll love the playlists she shares. This one includes a lot of artists I LOVE, and showed me a couple news ones, which always makes me happy. Hope you enjoy, and check out Laura's blog. It's freaking adorable.

I am thankful for...

2010-10-11T18:06:00.000-06:00

so much really. I had an amazing talk on Saturday with my dear cousin, and it really made me reflect on how lucky I am to be surrounded by such a great support system. I have had an amazing week despite being exhausted and a little stressed because of school. I could have asked for a better weekend to help me see all that I am thankful for:

Friends...you help me strive to be my best everyday, and are by my side now matter what.

(isn't baby Alex ADORABLE?!...I could cuddle with those cheeks for hours!)

Family...I would be no where without their support and love.

Health...mine and everyone I love. Besides a few bumps and bruises we are all standing strong.

I really have everything I could ever ask for...except maybe a mansion on an island with someone to cook for me...but maybe one day.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

what are you thankful for?

Another week of music!

2010-10-08T12:53:00.000-06:00

So this was a couple weeks ago now...(I forgot to upload the pictures)...but non the less worth sharing! Carla and I went to a couple shows, and man was she a trooper!...First was Hot Hot Heat, (I love the lead singers hair!) with Hey Rosetta and this guy who's name I cannot remember, which is sad because it was the most entertaining set ever (Carla do you remember?!)...BECAUSE.....

There was a parachute! Yea you heart me, a rainbow parachute that bounced balls, and then we all ran under it and had a fantastic dance party. It was pure magic let me tell you. There were also glow sticks, and a ridiculous amount of balloons.

And lets not forget the Grinch playing on a giant screen behind him. His music was a little random...but he was so interactive. It was a good way to get everyone pumped. He like danced in the crowed, and climbed on the bar, and got us all singing along!

My brother was kind enough to chauffeur us around, and after we dropped Carla off he and I decided to head out for some late night Chinese....he made me eat this....I've avoided it the last couple times we've been because well it looks like peaches and some creepy clearish white sauce (yea it looks like EXACTLY what you're thinking...) but I sucked it up and ate it...and let me tell you, Deep fried Shrimp with Peaches and Salad Sauce is pretty freaking amazing.

Two days later we decided to go see Caribou. I can't remember who opened for them because well they just made a lot of electronic noise which gave me a headache......(picture is of Carla texting during a concert...WHO DOES THAT?!!!!....heheh jk...the opening band was really really bad................we needed to be entertained somehow!)

But Caribou was fantastic...the drummer was freaking amazing, I kind of wanted to just sit there and watch him for hours...I seriously love this band!

P.S Make sure you click the links...there's lovely videos in it for you :)

P.P.S For those of my friends not a part of blog land...if you leave a comment it would be super awesome if you could maybe....put your name? I have so many anonymous comments and no idea who any of them are from!

100th Post AND I made cupcakes

2010-10-07T21:52:00.000-06:00

Well it's technically my 112th, but I didn't count the 12 I made in 2007...and although these were made for Jenn's birthday, but what a better way to celebrate 100...than with CUPCAKES!!!!

Jenn always makes everyone cupcakes, so I thought I would surprise her with some really fabulous ones!

...It took forever!...and I may have filled them a little full....(they were the HUGEST cupcakes EVER)....BUT

THEY WERE DELICIOUS!...like I was kind of surprised.....they tasted better than your normal Betty Crocker box mix...even in the eyes of Jenn the cupcake queen!...(she made me a McDonalds cupcake cake for my birthday!)

And they looked SO pretty on the inside :) I was quite proud!!!!

Fieldtrip!

2010-10-06T21:18:00.000-06:00

I can't lie...I kind of love school...we went on our second field trip of the year...who knew you got to take field trips in University?! ...we had a blast...sorry for the picture over load.....

Thigh high rubber boots...very stylish!

...we found a dead muskrat...and made some observations in the name of science....poor guy...we said some words and properly covered him.

rainboots!

...poor muskrat :(

Don't fall in Joe!

Very pretty scenery....Hawreluk Park is pretty magical this time of year! I LOVE FALL :)

...our lovely TA!

There were TONS of geese....and lots of poop to go along with them.

...It was actually so much fun! I hope we get to fit in another field trip...but I think all the fun might be over for the semester :(

Tune Tuesday - Broken Bells

2010-10-05T14:18:00.000-06:00

I've always really liked DJ Dangermouse. The Grey Album was one of my favorites for awhile...for those of you not familiar, it was a mash up of Jay-Z's Black Album and the Beatles' White Album. (Example here) However his pair-up with James Mercer of the Shins to form Broken Bells is like the best thing EVER. This song makes me so happy everytime I hear it. It's all kinds of magic :)

VOTE - October 18th!

2010-10-03T22:12:00.000-06:00

so if you don't live in Edmonton, Alberta you can skip this post...

FOR THE REST OF YOU.........

VOTE ON OCTOBER 18th!

This blog isn't political so I am not trying to push my opinions....but voting is the responsible thing to do.
If you haven't heard already, there is a municipal election on October 18th.
To make things a little easier for those of you who don't know who the candidates are, or what their platforms are, here are websites you can use for your research. I've only listed the candidates for mayor, or this would take all day. You can find out who's running for councilor in your ward here.

Stephen Mandel
Andrew Lineker
Dan Dromarsky
Dave Dowling
David Dorward
Daryl Bonar

For information about other cities municipal elections in Alberta click here.

...public service announcement over...

Tune Tuesday - Band of Horses

2010-09-28T13:03:00.000-06:00

I freaking love love love band of horses...like words can't express how much I love the lead singers voice...the variation in genres...pretty much everything about this group...

No one's gunna love you was stuck in my head all day yesterday, so I thought I would share it. Although I hope it doesn't leave my head because it's like the perfect song to have on repeat.

This week also starts another week of music (as long as Carla doesn't fall asleep in the middle of the concerts....she thinks she's superwoman despite still recovering from major surgery...pretty sure that's why I love her so :) so be prepared for some lovely tidbits from the shows we catch!

Sometimes I like horoscopes!

2010-09-27T18:49:00.000-06:00

So at dinner my mom randomly started reading horoscopes...I've never heard my mother take interest in them before...but today she felt the need to share mine and my fathers...my dad said he didn't need to hear his cause it would just be what he wanted it to be cause he's an Aries, instead it told him to stop assuming he knows what's going to happen and stop and maybe learn something, which made us all giggle and mine said:

Taurus
You seem to understand far more than many people do. In a sense, you are a role model, as you frequently make the proper decision and head in the correct direction. A meeting demonstrates the optimism that others associate with you.

...I've been telling my parents I know everything for years, thanks Edmonton Journal for finally giving me published proof ;)

Thank god for weekends.

2010-09-26T23:13:00.000-06:00

So I had a terrible week. I have no idea what made it terrible, except that I felt super stressed and anxious all week, and I couldn't shake it. Thankfully my fantastic friends saved me this weekend. I may have become an agoraphobe without them.

So I had a terrible week. I have no idea what made it terrible, except that I felt super stressed and anxious all week, and I couldn't shake it. Thankfully my fantastic friends saved me this weekend. I may have become an agoraphobe without them.
Friday study dates with Sarah picked up again. Is it strange that I look forward to studying? Probably cause it's with such lovely company...and to be quite honest I did 8 minutes of homework.....and then we chatted till the wee hours, despite being totally asphyxiated by her dog smudge's farts.

Saturday was the return of Carla. (She abandon us over the summer to be the most amazing person ever and donate her kidney to her little sister...you can read about it on her blog here.)
The night was filled with laughter, free drinks, lots of cleavage photos.....and ended with pizza, and a fantastic conversation (drunk ones are always my favorite :)

Sunday I got a lovely visit from my old roommate Brenna. I had missed her terribly, and it was amazing to get to spend time with her. We went for brunch at my favorite restaurant...sadly I did not order the best thing on the menu (first time I have EVER been disapointed there)...but Brenna's company totally made up for it. We then wandered around the area, and found a cute little boardwalk that we explored. And then we picked up some delicious desserts at the Wild Earth Bakery and OMG...I wish I bought more...I think I might have to stop by there tomorrow after school...........

Now I am putting off doing the last of my homework, and as it is almost 11:30 I may never get to sleep........guess I should stop procrastinating now!

30 Days of Me - Day 30!

2010-09-22T10:48:00.000-06:00

Final Post!

My favorite song.....
YOU READY FOR THIS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

It's been my favorite song since the 3rd grade. I will always love Ace of Base!

Tune Tuesday - Blinded By The Lights

2010-09-21T16:19:00.000-06:00

This song was shown to me by my little brother a few years ago, and we were listening to it yesterday so I thought I would share it. I have a thing for English music...especially rap. Something about their accent makes it kind of fantastic.

30 Days of Me - Day 29

2010-09-21T16:18:00.000-06:00

In this passed month what have you learned.
That posting everyday on my blog is HARD! But only because living life got in the way, and I'm totally okay with that!

30 Days of Me - Day 28

2010-09-21T16:17:00.000-06:00

A picture of me a year ago and today...How have I changed?

Well this picture was taken right before school started last year while in Colombia with my friend Sarah...It was kind of a huge transitioning period for me...I moved home after living on my own for 5 years to start school for the 3rd time (I'm thinking of being a professional student, I'm really good at it!) and getting my life back on track after making some HUGE changes. So I guess I've kind of settled into things since then. Solidified a lot of friendships, and reconsidered others. Really tried to establish who I am, and what I need out of life. It's been a wicked year! Challenging, but overall it's been incredibly positive! The current picture was taken two weekends ago with my friend Peter.

30 Days of Me - Day 27

2010-09-21T16:12:00.001-06:00

Why am I doing this blog challenge.
Because it seemed like something fun to do! It was also a good way to share some stuff about myself to the 4 people who read this that I don't know. Only 3 more to go!

30 Days of Me - Day 26

2010-09-21T16:12:00.000-06:00

What do I think of my friends?
This is the weirdest question I have ever been asked...
Obviously I love them or they wouldn't be my friends. They are all ridiculously supportive, inspiring and all around hilarious. They keep me sane, and push me forward toward my dreams.
One of my good friends just gave her kidney to her sister (how amazing is that?), I have two that are expecting little bundles of joy. a handful that have already started adorable little families. And some that are hitting the books like me! I couldn't be more proud to call all of them my friends. Plus the fact that they can all tolerate my crazy makes me feel that much more special! I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!

ps...my friends are pretty awesome mostly because they get to hang out with me ;) HEHEHEHEHE JUST KIDDING...but not really.

30 Days of Me - Day 25

2010-09-21T16:11:00.000-06:00

What I would find in your bag...

....Starting left going right....
1. Cold FX
2. first aid kit
3. epi pen (I'm allergic to something, but not really sure what....)
4. inhaler
5. candy necklace from my friend Andrea's Penis Pinata at her stagette
6. Stride gum
7. Excel mints
8. running mitts/gloves
9. 3 Burt's Bees chapstick
10. Mac Lustreglass in Lustrewhite
11. 2 Mac lipsticks in Fabby and Lustering
12. Avojuice hand lotion in Coconut Melon Juicie
13. antibacterial wipes
14. brush
15. Earrings

16. Alice in Wonderland mirror

17. comb
18. headband
19. wallet...that I never use
20. mini wallet I take everywhere
21. keys
22. 3 tampons
23. 5 condoms that made their way into my purse after Andrea's stagette....(we blew up the rest of box)
24. iPod + headphones

missing...my camera cause I had to take pictures with it. haha

Fact Friday! - a little early

2010-09-16T21:18:00.000-06:00

@OMGFacts

If you were to eat a full 11oz bag of Lay’s Classic potatoes chips, you would receive 110% of your recommended daily amount of Vitamin C.

...so why do people keep telling me chips are bad for me?....that's about as much as an orange. No wonder I rarely get sick hahahahaha............mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm chipppppppps

30 Days of Me - Day 24

2010-09-16T21:10:00.000-06:00

A letter to my parents...I'll keep this brief because I have a habit of turning letters into novels...

Mom and Dad,

I would be lost without you both. I couldn't have asked for more supportive, loving, all around amazing parents. Who else would let their 24 year old move home to attend school for the 3rd time? You are the reason I am who I am. I only hope one day I can be as fabulous of a parent as you both are.

Love Always,
Kristen

30 Days of Me - Day 23

2010-09-16T21:07:00.000-06:00

Something you crave a lot.....
CHIPS...

and or McDonalds.

But lately frozen yogurt....I would take any of those 3 right @ this second actually!

Tune Tuesday - Plants and Animals

2010-09-14T20:34:00.000-06:00

Their La La Land album has been on repeat in my car for the last two weeks. It's SO GOOD. I think they might be one of my favorite groups right now. Plus as an always lovely bonus, they're Canadian, from Montreal in fact. Other song worth checking out - The Mama Papa. Seriously I LURVE Plants and Animals!!!!!!!!!