completely and utterly defenceless.

"Sleeping next to someone, not with someone, is perhaps the most intimate you will ever be with another human. In sleep, we are completely defenseless. We are soft and supple and childlike. Our hard exteriors falls away when the sand hits our eyes. The way you sleep, with your face softened and your arms wrapped around my waist, is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I am not an artist, but I may become one just so that I can capture that moment."

countdowns

we all know these are the only thing that keep me sane.

last final: 5 days

christmas: 15 days 

hawaii: 65 days

fly away: 140 days

lady gaga: 204 days

new beginnings: 265 days 

*fast forward please

crisp for two.

sometimes i get odd cravings for random things - tonight it was crisp.

so naturally, i googled crisp for two. 

place fruit in small baking dish

you can use whatever you like. i did blueberries and raspberries but you can do apples or pears as well

in a separate bowl combine 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2tbsp quick oats, 1tbsp flour, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, and 1 tbsp butter

sprinkle over fruit 

two option: cook for 25 minutes at 375 or microwave for 2 1/2 - 3 minutes. 

i used the microwave and it worked great.

i can hear the boyfriend scraping his dish clean - i guess it was a hit ;) 

england - it's on our list

london, england looks like a lovely place

buckingham palace, and big ben are two attractions that pop into my mind.

i love the world, it's really beautiful.

london kind of sort of seems a tad canadian to me but also not.

it will definitely make the 2014 travel list, though i'm not sure for how long as it comes with a rather large price-tag.

lots of puppy fever.

i'm having a terrible, unbearable case of puppy fever.
all I can think about it how much I miss having a puppy around to snuggle.
wandering 124th street with Natasha the other day and stumbled into an adoption business.

stumbled upon this little guy:

who unfortunately was hit by a quad and has a broken pelvis and leg.
oh my heart broke into a million pieces, but really all this little guy wanted was someone to play with

i don't think we can get a dog right now - or so the boyfriend tells me
our lives will be changing drastically in the next 9 10 months.
no i'm not pregnant.

this adoption agency suggested foster care.
so now i'm all over that like a dirty shirt.

lately, i've been feeling like there is something missing in my life and it wasn't until i found this little guy that i realized  what it was.

santa, for christmas i want a puppy.

i sit & think.

i sit beside the fire and think of all that i have seen,

of meadow-flowers and butterflies in summers that have been;

of yellow leaves and gossamer in autumns that there were,

with morning mist and silver sun and wind upon my hair.

i sit beside the fire and think of how the world will be

when winter comes without a spring that i shall ever see.

for still there are so many things that i have never seen:

in every wood in every spring there is a different green

i sit beside the fire and think of people long ago

and people who will see a world that i shall never know.

but all the while i sit and think of times there were before,

i listen for returning feet and voices at the door.

- jrr tolken

rip barry.

being a writer.

Being a writer is one of those things you kind of sort of don't consider yourself until you realize that you do it all the time. I've been writing for a long time, journals, quotes and now blogs. I never realized how long I'd been writing for until I found old journals stuffed away in cupboards. Writing is an outlet. Maybe for some it's a bit of a hassle but nothing feels better than putting a pen to paper and writing down your thoughts.... as arbitrary as they may be. I've never been a creative writer, and for a former dancer I actually wouldn't consider myself very creative. I write thoughts, lists, future plans, travel or otherwise and just general day-to-day musings. 

Writing is a way to deal with thoughts and feelings. Whether they are joyful, unhappy, frustrating, anxiety ridden or just plain neutral and benign. Writing deals with everything that's all cooped up. Writing doesn't judge, although your readers might. 

Again I never really considered myself a writer until I found that when bad or good and monotonous things happen in my life I really just want to write them down. 

become a poppy barely ambassador!

oh my gossssshhhh. 

i'm so excited to share with you that poppy barely (yes, the ones with the fantastic footwear) is starting their first ever ambassador program and yours truly is has already applied! 

i've been following poppy barley as their business grows for about 6 months and i have to say i'm impressed.

not only am i inspired by the young women who created this amazing startup (gosh their so young)

they have amazing product...

made to measure... footwear.

boots and flats to fit your feet specifically. 

my heart swoons and my feet drool (is that a thing?) 

i hope i become a #pbambassador

i love their shoes so much

i just have to decide on the pair i want! 

check out their website! 

home is where my heart is: L.O.V.E. mugs

oh, how i love diy projects! 

four mugs, stickers, a stove and some sharpies! 

for more instructions check this out!

i just had fund with it! 

our home is finally coming together piece by piece! 

karmic cleanse.

you get to decide who you want to be in your life.

what character you play, and how you treat people.

you get to decide if you are helpful, or hurtful.

and you, yes you have to decide to let go.

yoga is therapeutic for me. 

when i practice it's like i am a different person

im whomever i want to be and i'm me 

all at the same time.

i often let go of the days, weeks, months and years of frustration

only for them to all come back the next day

but, when they come back... they aren't as severe 

and little by little i'll let go of them all and they will melt away

that's the hope anyways

in the end only three things matter:

how much you loved,

how gently you lived,

and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.

- buddha

what can i say, yoga makes me a better person.

very, very zen. 

life update!

Wow, life is really keeping us busy and frankly I should be studying for midterms right about now. 2 more to go! I can't believe October is almost over, it's going by much to quickly - 6 months and school will be over! Which means I need to decide what the heck I will be doing with my summer before grown up life starts in September of 2014.

Andrew is busy studying for his Mod 4 exam, I'm so very proud of him for pursuing this designation. I really can't wait for graduation because these late night study sessions and early mornings are killing me!

We have a wedding to attend on Saturday (Andrew's cousin), and I adore weddings but always get such a bad case of wedding fever.

We have a couple countdowns going on:

- 64 days till Christmas 

- 67 days till Kelowna

- 114 days till Hawaii

I feel like if I blink it will be all over! 

home is where my heart is: his & hers

Finally convinced the boyfriend to hang these up <3 

I bought them in Settle (yes I know I need to put the pictures up on this blog)

his & hers. <3 

whatever souls are made of his and mine are the same <3

our lovely little home is because such a warm fuzzy place! 

happy thanksgiving - a list of gratitude.

lots to always be thankful for.

always try to be positive.

gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

it turns what we have into enough, and more 

it can turn a meal in to a feast

a house into a home 

& a stranger into a friend. 

it's not happiness that brings us gratitude 

it's gratitude that brings us happiness. 

happy thanksgiving friends.

<3 

home is where my heart is: la curtains.

finally, we have curtains in our bedroom. 

our bedroom is a combination of grey, and purple - so naturally our curtains have those colors as well.

sorry the picture is a little dark, when the window is open, the picture didn't take so well. 

i love the sheer purple curtain and dark grey. 

i'm starting to really love our home 

<3 

soulmates.

"A soul-mate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys that fit our locks. 

When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out 

& we can be completely and honestly who we are." 

- Richard Bach

apply for graduation: check!

Well, I did it! Today I applied for graduation. April 2014 will mark the end of my undergraduate chapter and my post-graduate self will starting a brand new chapter in a new city! I'm beyond excited after my 5-year journey and at the same time a little nostalgic. No more University life. I only have seven months left and that's it. It all seemed to go by so quickly and yet it seems so long ago that I started my undergraduate journey. I think I'm ready to graduate though, I'm at a good place in life - kinda sick of school, but still trying to enjoy the beauty of campus. 

life passes so quickly; the days are long but the years are short - write it down.

it's not the critic who counts.

Today I finished Brené Brown's latest book, Daring Greatly. What an unbelievable read. I just got lost in the book over and over again. Needless to say, I'm now blogging about it instead of doing my tax homework. Shame on me! Interesting that I would use the word "shame", for Brene Brown is a shame and vulnerability researcher - did you even know those existed? 

I've read one of her other books, The Gift of Imperfections and loved it. I've also watched her TED talks (boy would I love to attend a conference) and again loved it. I have to say I really enjoy Brené Brown's work and I can't wait to read the next book of hers I have waiting for me at the library.

I would recommend her books to anyone and everyone. I know they sound kinda silly and full of "self-help" but seriously you guys, they are great. As "silly" as it sounds I've learned so much about myself - we're all in a tough battle, why not open one of these books if not to understand other better?

Brené ended the book with a quote by Theodore Roosevelt that really resonated with me, remember... 

it's not the critic who counts. 

home is where my heart is: wooden decor.

Well this is long and over due and frankly it's actually kind of embarrassing. Well over a year ago Andrew and I were in Canmore. We stayed at a condo unit which had an item in it that I desired.

I called up (texted) someone I knew who I believed could help me with my predicament.

& Voila!

A year later we had picked out stain, and this summer we finally got around to staining the dang thing.

Now with the combines efforts of our friends (Keegan and Steven) it is hanging up where it belongs.

<3

home is where my heart is: my travel gallery wall.

You saw the list I posted yesterday. An attempt to work on our home and make it into a beautiful place we love coming home to. I love to travel, so perhaps this one was more for me than it was for him. 

I've taken my favorite pictures that I've taken and printed them out with iPhoto. I then wandered into Walmart and found $5 frames I liked (simple black).

So that's the start of my travel gallery wall. I still have pictures to print from Hawaii and Seattle so stay tuned! 

home is where my heart is.

I would say that in the past year or so I haven't really payed much attention to making the condo, well a home. A home is something you enjoy coming well home to. Don't get me wrong, I love living downtown, it's close to everything and while I painted a few of the walls last fall we really haven't done much else. After being away in Calgary for 4 months and reading The Happiness Project by Gretchin Rubin I decided there is no time like the present to get going on making our home a place where we get the warm fuzzies. I'm putting my heart and soul into our home this year.

So naturally I made a list.

Fill our home with beautiful scents

Hang up the pictures

Clean the fridge

Hang up the wooden thing

Purchase curtains

Find new lights

Fix espresso maker

Hang up curtains 

Clean out the office 

Have more date nights

Find benches

Get a new toaster

Do something for Andrew 

Cull my wardrobe (again)

Stop procrastinating when it come to school

Get rid of all the clutter 

So far we've managed to cross a few things off the list and I plan to update you on the beauty of our home in an orderly fashion of posts.

Stay tuned! 

day zero.

It's kind of funny isn't it. 3 years ago I started my first Day Zero list and was able to complete it June 8th of this year (you can read about bits and pieces of it on my other blog) and I immediately started creating a second list. Then I kind of forgot about it, until today... my boyfriend and my three year anniversary. Funny hey? I started my first list the day we decided to start "dating". I put dating in quotations because we were really seeing each other well before it's just that we decided months later to celebrate on this day.

If you don't know about Day Zero you really should look into it. You set 101 goals to accomplish in 1001 days and looking back on how far you've come is eye-opening.

Anyways, I'm looking at my list and I've changed a couple things and I still have a few goals I want to update but I've decided I'm starting my second list today because well, why not?

I'll be tracking it on this page and updating you as I cross goals off my list.

I'm hoping by June 8th, 2013 I'll have accomplished a whole lot, have a degree under my belt and be healthy, wealthy and living the life of my dreams with the man of my dreams.

Here's a little peak:

Where do you see yourself in 1001 days?

three.

3 years ago today I started dating the love of my life. 

He's my best friend, my partner in crime, my everything.

Not a day goes by where I'm not thankful for the amazing man in my life.

Three years goes by pretty quick, 1095 days seems like a lot. 

It's not though, because I'm hoping we have at least another 80 or so years together.

The days are long, but the years are short.

Thank you Andrew for always being there to comfort me, listen to me, hold me, kiss me, love me and understand me. I don't know what I'd do without you. 

I love you.

j.e. + a.r. 

<3 

09.11.10

my new hobby; painting.

This week I finished up my very first painting. I started it at the end of June and couldn't have done it without my fantastic roommate, Hailey!

 

Figuring out what colors to mix together was challenging. I did it all with 5 colors though! Perhaps the wires are too wide, the original photo I was inspired from had many more birds and the wires were a lot thinner. I do like how my picture turned out though!

I really enjoyed doing this painting and I think I'll pursue another painting. I'm just not sure what exactly. I'm stoked to hang this in the condo and I'm actually pretty darn proud of myself!

What do you think?

I love you means.

"I love you means that I accept you for the person that you are and that I do not wish to change you into someone else. It means I do not expect perfection from you-just as you do not expect it from me. It means I will love you and stand by you even through the worst of times. It means loving you when you're in a bad mood or too tired to do the things I want to do. It means loving you when you're down-not just when you are fun to be with. 'I love you' means I know you're deepest secrets and do not judge you for them-asking in return that you do not judge me for mine. It means I care enough to fight for what we have and that I love you enough not to let go. It means thinking of you, dreaming of you, wanting and needing you constantly, and hoping that you feel the same way for me."

Love is a wonderful thing, though it isn't always easy. I'm so lucky to have found who I believe to be the love of my life. I love waking up next to him every morning and these past three-and-a-half months of long-distance have really pulled on my heart strings.

Thank goodness that's over.

When we get home from this trip, we only have four sleeps apart, which is considerably more manageable than four months apart. 

Long distance is draining. Having one person drive six hours per weekend really takes a lot out of your. I kind of never want to do long-distance again. Hopefully, we'll never have to.

As our three-year-anniversary approaches (18 days) I feel more and more confident that this is in fact right. It may not be perfect everyday, there are ups & downs but in the end it's totally and completely worth it. 

aloha from hawaii!

Sometimes, I forget about this little blog. Sometimes, my life feels so overwhelming!
I've been in hawaii for almost 2 weeks now and while it isn't stressful in the least I've been taking a decent amount of time to unwind and relax before the craziness of September starts!

Hopefully, I'll get around to get posting pictures on this blog from our trip, I'm having a great time and I kind of don't want to come home.

Actually, I have to fly to Edmonton (through the night) then drive to Calgary that same day. I have three days left of work and then it's back to Edmonton for 8 more months of school. My hopes are to graduate and head over to Europe for a bit and then get my life organized to start my full-time job in Calgary.

Yep,  you read that right... I'll be heading back to Calgary to start my life after graduation!

Busy busy summer that is flying by much too quickly!

lately in life...

watching... new girl - love it

enjoying... the lake!

moving... everything back to edmonton!

excited for... hawaiiiiiiiiiiiii <3

cooking... pizza

pinning... travel pictures

planning... things i need to do before i leave!

what have you been up to lately?

things i'm loving lately.

the world is such a magnificent place.

there is so much beauty, sometimes you just have to look.

<3

summer hikes.

summer is such a beautiful time, i never want it to end.

two hikes so far this summer

so pretty.

sometimes i do silly things...

team skin.

bliss.

we did it.

<3 

bikini body days 6-10.

... and so it continues

day 6.

- run

- 70 side push ups 

- 150 rises

- 48 lunges 

day 7.

- yoga

- stretch

- sit ups

- 46 push ups 

- 80 hip ups

day 8.

- run

- 80 side push ups

- 175 rises

- 56 lunges

day 9.

- yoga

- sit ups

- 53 push ups 

- 100 rises

- 90 hip ups

day 10.

- stretch

- run 

- 90 side push ups (25 on each side)

- 200 rises

- 64 lunges 

rip grandma xoxo.

saturday july 13^th will always be a somber day.

the day my grandma suddenly passed away.

originally, I was going to post what i said at her funeral, but i just don’t think i’m ready for that.. it’s a tad too personal.

i did manage to get through it without crying, although there were many tears to follow.

so i’ll leave you with my closing quote:

“nothing you love is lost. not really. things, people-they always go away sooner or later. you can’t hold them anymore than you can hold moonlight. but if they’ve touched you, if they’re inside you, then they’re still yours. the only things you ever really have are the ones you hold inside your heart.” - buce coville

rest in peace grandma, you will be missed

bikini body days 1-5.

i don’t like my workouts to take up my entire day, but i do like to feel sore the next day.

day 1.

- stretch

- 5 minutes of situps 

- 25 push ups

- 50 hip lifts 

- run 

{hip ups – it will tone your bum, squeeze your bum while doing these}

day 2.

- yoga

- 50 side push ups (25 on each side)

- 100 rises

- 32 lunges 

day 3. 

- run

- 5 minutes of sit ups

- 32 push ups

- 60 hip lifts 

{lunges – remain in a lung the entire time. start with a straight back leg and then drop your knee to the floor and straighten it. you will feel this}

day 4. 

- stretch

- 60 side push ups (30 on each side)

- 125 rises

40 lunges 

day 5. 

- 5 minutes of sit ups

- 39 push ups

- 70 hip lifts

{side push up – i extend my arm to a straight position when i do these!}