February 2013 – Upside Down Canuck

Some Of Us Are Wild Ones

Howdy Do Blogger Friends

So I had this post earlier and something went a bit weird when I tried to view it on my phone…I updated it back to the draft version or something…I’m actually a bit bothered because I had a pretty good intro to it and everything and for the life of me I can’t find it ANYWHERE….Good job internet….good job.

The gist of the intro was about how strange it is to blog….having your friends and family take a journey into your brain so to speak…and strangers too…but I don’t care as much about what they think…It’s a new thing for me and I am enjoying it but it is strange to think of your life, literally, as an open book. I have never been one to shy away from my history so I figured I would give the blogging world a try.

Still mad that my original post somehow disappeared into the interweb and all its tubes…Anyway…

Here are 25 Things About Me…if you’re interested!

1. I’m older than I look…and act. And that is good. Really. I have never smoked, I have no children and I manage stress pretty well. It seems I have been blessed with good, dare I say excellent, anti aging genes. It’s always a bit of a boost when people are shocked when they learn my true age as they tend to think about ten years younger than what I am. I’ll take it now because I know it will not last!

2. I like to shop. Acknowledgement is the first step to recovery right?

3. I can kill spiders…not furry-size-of-a-mouse-Australian spiders…but spiders and bugs of any normal Canadian size, and I am not at all freaked out by snakes or the dark but put me on a ladder two feet off the ground and I will be shaking for hours afterwards. And don’t even get me started about that stupid “swings” ride at amusement parks…nothing amusing about them…unless you’re watching me scream my head off from below.

4. I’m a HUGE fan of the ellipsis…I am sure I over use it…and misuse it too…but I don’t care…

5. I am a product of a divorced family. It happened when I was an adult which I feel has caused an entire different set of issues.

6. I can’t watch movies about horses or dogs without being a sobbing mess at the end. Marley and Me was torture. And even those damn puppet horses in War Horse…..sob.

7. Even though I don’t really think I am, I am a hopeless romantic. Not like the cheesy romantic kind but more like the cool kind…honestly there probably isn’t much of a difference. I’m still waiting for my “you had me at hello” moment.

8. I am a disgusting wealth of useless knowledge. No one ever wanted to play against me when the Cheers board game came out and no one will play Seinfeld Scene It with me either. It’s a curse….a very fun, only a handful of people get my references curse.

9. I hate being late. It’s not that I never am but it makes me incredibly anxious.

10. I love music and concerts….particularly the ones where I can chill with friends on the grass, have a beer and just enjoy. A lot of my best memories are of concerts with friends.

11. I’m a country girl at heart. Not so much the cowboy boots/hat wearing country but more the living in the country girl. I love the energy of a big city but my soul is much more calm surrounded by nature and the slower pace of small town.

12. I was picked on when I was younger for my weight. Debbie Debbie two by four can’t get through the bathroom door. Can still hear those kids every once in a while.

13. I had the worst teeth ever as a kid. Teeny tiny jaw, loads of crowding. Had to have four teeth pulled to make room for the rest…total teeth pulled to date: 8. Had 8 cavities too when I was a kid.

14. I hate the dentist. See above.

15. I’m claustrophobic.

16. I am 37 years old…I have been in 3 relationships and have had my heart broken 3 times. See #5. I’m seriously considering throwing in the towel and becoming a crazy dog lady.

17. I am adopted.

18. I suffer from depression. Which kind of makes me a walking oxymoron because I’m actually a pretty happy and positive person.

19. I had a mullet when I was 8.

20. I used to kick boys on the playground. I wonder if that had anything to do with #19.

21. I have a kind heart and don’t understand hate. Unless it’s winter…then I totally get hate.

22. I’m incredibly patient.

23. I am a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl although I do love to get dressed up for a special night.

24. I think I’m pretty low maintenance…it may take me a while to get ready (have you seen my hair?) but I’m really laid back and am totally comfy in trackies, ponytails and zero makeup.

25. I am truly blessed with everything around me. I have the best friends and family EVER and they make all of life’s ups and downs much more tolerable.

Thanks for reading about me writing about me…even if it’s not as good as the first one I had up.

Hugs and Love

With A Mouthful Of Shooting Stars

Howdy-do Blogger Friends.

My life has been a bit of a roller-coaster the past few months. Some highs, followed by some lows…hopes raised, then dashed just as quickly. I had a particularly trying night last night which left me feeling very melancholy today. I stayed in bed, had some tea and a cuddle with the pooches…finally dragging myself out of bed around 1pm.

I knew just what I needed to help pull me out of my funk.

Shopping.

Everyone deals with sadness differently…some eat (I won’t mention the double cheeseburger and bag of chips I had for dinner…or the cupcake I will have for dessert), some just chill in bed, drink tea and reflect (again…did I mention…not out of bed till 1pm) and some go in for a little retail therapy….like me.

Here is a little sneak peek at the goodies I purchased today to help me through the next little while.

Nothing too crazy. Just a few tea and bath products.

I have a friend at work who drinks tea every day. She has mentioned that she gets her supplies from David’s Tea. I actually had never come across it before in my shopping travels until today. And all I have to say is OMG. It is so delicious. It smelled like candy, not tea, in the shop and I was greeted with a complementary cup of their tea of the day: Cookie Dough. Now I go through phases of coffee, then tea, then no hot drinks at all. Recently I have been on a bit of a tea kick because I’m slowly cutting dairy out of my diet…so when I passed by I knew I had to stop in and take a peek. The tea was so smooth and lovely that I just had to pick some up. I got a giant tin of the Cookie Dough flavour and then two small bags to try in Red Velvet Cake and The Skinny. If you come across a David’s Tea definitely do your soul a favour and pick up some!

Lush. That store that you can smell halfway though the mall. I remember Lush from *cough cough* years ago. What I remember of them though wasn’t very special. I bought their Bath Bombs and just remember the tub being a disaster after using it. After watching some reviews, and all the beauty bloggers raving about how much they love their bath products, I picked up a few things around Christmas and have since become hooked. In the time since I have last used their products they have changed drastically. No more gross mess in the tub (at least with the products I buy…the glitter bubbles I’m sure would be bad news) and my skin has never felt so soft after baths. This time I stocked up on Bath Bombs in a variety of flavours…my favourites being the Avobath and the Dragon’s Egg. Shown in the picture above are The Enchanter (left) and Creamy Candy Bubble Bar (right) both of which are new to me! Can’t wait to Lush it up tonight!

My last stop was to Shoppers. I am still on the lookout for a foundation that I LOVE. I have ones that I don’t mind but nothing that I’m gaga over. So I picked up Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation…it has come highly recommended by others in the know so we shall see how she treats me. Whilst there I noticed that Shoppers is now stocking No. 7 products from the UK…seeing as the majority of the beauty you-tubers I follow are from the UK, I am aware of the brand and it, again, comes highly recommended. Their skin care was on sale and I was out of night cream so I picked up a new lotion that will hopefully help me keep fooling people with my age. I also picked up another highly recommended product…Scandaleyes waterproof eyeliners from Rimmel. I got mine in Nude and Brown. Possible reviews on all three products in the future.

Thus ends my sad day. Nothing like a yummy Vanilla cupcake and a hot cup of tea to help soothe the soul. If you’re having a bad day, or are feeling sad and lonely try to take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone. Brew a cuppa, run a bath and remind yourself just how totally awesome you are.

Hugs and love.

How I Would Love a Burger From The Chok’lit Shoppe…

Howdy-do Blogger Friends

Everyone has snippets of their past I think they will never forget. One of many for me is taking a trip down to the corner store to buy candy and the most recent episode of Betty and Veronica (all for which could be bought for under a dollar…and it was a bill…not a coin)

I was around 7 when I became hooked on the teenage drama that would ensue. Would Archie stop being a dink to Betty? How many burgers would Jughead eat? Would Ethel finally get a real kiss out of him?! And would Reggie and Veronica just hook up already and take Archie out of the picture and leave him for Betty…seriously, I felt Betty’s heartache!!

Fast forward 30 years and I am no longer hooked on the comic (I haven’t actually read it in a VERY long time….I should actually pick up a copy and see what is going on in the modern Riverdale world!) My obsessions…er…”interests” let’s say…have grown over the years.

As a teenager I never wore make up.

I mean NEVER

Didn’t even own mascara

MAYBE a white lipstick but who didn’t back then?!

I didn’t really bother with it in University either except if I was going to the bar. It wasn’t until my late 20’s that I started learning about, and really being interested, in the beauty world.

Now…it’s much more than an interest.

I read beauty blogs, watch beauty guru’s on YouTube and stay up-to-date with the most recent advances and trends in the makeup world. It’s actually a bit ridiculous. BUT….not when it is combined with a childhood obsession. (um…well maybe to some it makes it even more ridiculous?!)

I am a fan of MAC cosmetics…I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite go to brand but they do, in fact, rock. They come out with a ridiculous amount of limited edition collections every year and the most recent one made me incredibly happy! So I picked up some things (I guess I will admit to asking my mom to go and pick up the most requested products first thing so I could have them before they sold out…) and while I was making a purchase the salesperson asked if I had signed up for their official launch…get your makeup done by an official MAC artist, meet MAC’s Betty, Veronica and Archie and listen to some cool old tunes? So I said no but SIGN ME UP!

And I went.

It was fun.

My makeup looks great.

I got a sneaky little pic with the guy they had dressed up as Archie

The Setup at Mapleview

Tools…I had my makeup done with the Betty side of the collection (with the exception of a Veronica blush)

Archie…an inspiration for little ginger boys everywhere!!!

The before and after….

My collection

I wonder what the next pop-culture collection will bring?!!

Thanks Beth-from-MAC-at-Limeridge (soon to be at Mapleview for those interested! She was great!)

Thanks for stopping by!! (and quietly judging my obsession)

Hugs and Love

xox

You Only Think Of The Best Comeback When You Leave

Firstly, let’s just address the fact that I attempted to get into the blogging world just over a year ago and have been quite lame at keeping up with it.

Really. QUITE lame.

I think it all boils down to the fact that I really don’t think my life is overly exciting and that people don’t really care to read about a secretly lazy, (almost) middle aged, pudgy, single woman who has a love for PJs and movies on the weekends. But….after searching for some inspiration I have found some truly great blogs which have motivated me to get cracking again…(namely: www.jackstrawlane.com, sprinkleofglitter.blogspot.ca, and www.zoella.co.uk)

I originally started this blog as a way for friends and family to follow my adventures in Australia but what I am hoping it will turn into now is a place to share my life, thoughts and maybe some sneaky shopping trips.

Alright then…on to this post.

It’s about love. Self love to be exact (…get your minds out of the gutter…)

It’s February….Valentines Day.

A day this singleton really doesn’t mind…because, well, I love love. And yes, you shouldn’t need a designated day to remind you to love, or guilt you into doing things/buying things for those you love…but I love that it is a day all about love. Love, love, love. (barf)

Now there are a bunch of different forms of love; love for family, for friends and being in love with a partner…I have been blessed with a history rich in all those forms of love….but one area that I still struggle with (I’m talking 30+ years of struggling) is being comfortable with my body and loving my physical self.

I honestly can’t remember when I haven’t obsessed about my body. Obviously as a toddler I wasn’t worried about my bongo belly when I would be put in a bathing suit and I never worried about the size of my thighs. I would play on the beach and interact with other kids who never judged. They also didn’t care or know anything about body image.

It was around grade 6 (age 10/11) when I started to become aware of the fact that I was a bigger girl. Kids started to get meaner and more judgmental about my size. The friends I had in elementary school were now growing tall and skinny and I was staying short and growing outwards instead of upwards. I started to really struggle with and hate my body. And it has never stopped.

Until today.

On this day of roses, fancy dinners and chocolates to pledge your love, I am making a different kind of “love pledge”. I’m going to stop, once and for all, obsessing about my weight and my size. When the negative thoughts start creeping in I am going to focus on what my body has done for me (4 completed half marathons along with a handful of triathlons for a start), not about the size of my pants or the cellulite on my legs.

It doesn’t mean that I am “giving up” but I’m shifting my focus. Instead of running/spinning/working out to burn X amount of calories, I’m going to do those things because I truly love to do them. I’m going to eat butter (is it REALLY butter?!!) soaked movie popcorn with friends, who love me unconditionally, and not secretly hate myself afterwards.

I’m going to look at my naked self in the mirror and smile because I know I’m strong and that my beauty isn’t dictated by the size of my ass but rather the size of my heart. And I love my heart…it’s time to love my ass!

Hugs and Love