- i am full of pasta, garlic bread and apple crumble pie/triple berry pie with vanilla ice cream

- gravy boats make cute vases

- after all these years i finally saw 13 going on 30. i now have the hugest crush on mark ruffalo. is it the way he speaks? his hair? hmm. i don't know.

- i bought 28 zippers today

- i love cozy dinner parties

- i sort of pulled an ina garten today. had everything ready before everyone came. i even set the table with flowers, harhar. one day i will have my own set of crisp fabric napkins too. i'll make them myself, just to one up her. harhar.

- yay for gossip girl. they finally have a new episode out.

- have a lovely weekend everyone! :)

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je l'adore.

i finally bought it. :)
the scent lasts longer.
and the bottle is just so adorable.

looking forward to:
- 5:00 pm, friday
- dinner party tomorrow
- a weekend of crafting
- sleeping in on sunday morning and waking up to my dad's banana and blueberry pancakes. yum-o.


here's to a sunny weekend! happy spring everyone :)

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just because.

1. there's 50% less hot sauce in the disposable little cup that goes with my jerk chicken burrito (i have to squeeze every bit out now, whereas before i would have to throw out a third of it).
some stores have started keeping their serviettes behind their counters.
and manchu wok is still giving out one napkin per order.
i feel as if i'm the only one who's living in an economic boom. i really should start saving money. or just stop spending money in general. and start bringing breakfast and lunch to work again. and once h&m stops making pretty clothes then i will stop spending.
a pleated, gauzy, silky, high-waisted navy blue skirt is just irresistable.

2. and it doesn't help that i'm planning a trip in may either.
i just want to do everything.
my dad and i had finally narrowed it down to the following:
* bike tour to versailles
* bike tour to giverny/monet's house
* day/night bike tours around paris
* day trip to london
* normandy/st. malo/mont st michel trip
(bike much?)

3. my little sister has the cutest little phone voice.

4. i am going to start sewing again. i'm going to be sewing up tiny makeup kits for the TRENDS event (a makeup artist from dior has graciously agreed to give four lucky girls makeovers!) in march (harhar, i had a lot of practice in december. i know it seems like that's the only thing i know how to make, but in truth, it's the only thing i can make that has the least number of flaws!). i have to make a minimum of 10. yay, project.

5. it is so wonderful to walk to work with the sun shining so brightly and to come home in daylight.


i hope everyone is having a good day! 15 degrees of sunshiney weather! lovely lovely.

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25 things.

hello friends.
i have completely neglected this blog so to update it i've decided to list 25 random things about me. i have been tagged on facebook but didn't really feel like posting this there.

1. i just bought the 13 inch macbook and i'm quite frustrated.
i named it hiro nakamura (my favorite character from heroes).

2. i used to crush on cartoon characters: gambit from x-men, darien from sailor moon and eric from little mermaid.

3. i still do not have my license. fine by me. i catch up on sleep on the train.

4. i started reading the sweet valley high books in grade 4 and i secretly did so from my mom. i thought it was scandalous at the time because of all the kissing parts. i also that the same way about the betty and veronica comics.

5. my barbie doll didn't date ken. she dated my brother's gambit action figure. i also used to make them kiss, for which i got in trouble. my sister, who was such a prude back then, told on me.

6. i keep a moleskine journal. i no longer write profound things (harhar like i ever did). most of the time i just doodle or list good things that happened to me during the day.

7. i went clubbing for the first time two weeks ago with my co-workers, and i really enjoyed it. it was at a classy club where most of the guys wore suits and the girls were in nice dresses. it was different from what i had imagined it to be (dingy, dark and sketchy).

8. making my bed in the morning is that one consistent thing i do each day.

9. i have problems with saving money. my investment is in my closet. hardeehar.

10. the first concert i attended was our lady peace.

11. i always take the aisle seat at the theater or on the plane because i go to the washroom often.

12. my closet looks like yogurt because of all the creamy tops i have purchased. i love cream.

13. i always order the same thing from the menu.

14. i clean my bathroom or bake when i am anxious.

15. i haven't used my sewing maching in two months.

16. my favorite karaoke songs are making love out of nothing at all and total eclipse of the heart.

17. i secretly wish that i was half japanese and half something. hehe. not so secret anymore. japanese girls are gorgeous. i also secretly wish that i had been born and raised in france. not so secret anymore either.

18. i would like to redecorate my room. it's screaming to be redecorated, what with all the fabric and craft supplies i have amassed over the months.

19. i am a huge sourgrape, especially when i play scrabble and monopoly against john.

20. my most favorite place in the world is anywhere where john is. sounds cheesy, i know. but there, i have said it.

21. i liked high school musical 3.

22. when i was in jk i shaved off my right eyebrow, the day before picture day! my mom got so mad and she cut my bangs in the sideswept fashion so that it would cover the missing brow. i did it because i remember watching my dad shave and being fascinated by it. another stupid eyebrow mishap was when i had the genius idea of plucking my eyebrow with a mini nail clipper (because i couldn't find the tweezers. this is so wrong in so many counts. one of them being that it was totally unsanitary)

23. i can finish an entire bag of chips and box of ice cream. i would also rather snack than eat an actual meal.

24. i have a routine for when i take a shower: hang my towel on the left side of the rack and my bathrobe beside it, so that the towel is the first thing i grab when i am done. after showering, i brush my teeth, then wash my face (the logic behind it is so that i have washed off any toothpaste residue, making it safe to apply my toner), then flush the toilet.

25. i hate daylight savings time...springing forward, that is.

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i'm back & family day.

(in edmonton at the fairmont macdonald)

after a few days (that felt like months) in the west, i am glad to be home.
in those five days i was gone, i:
* visited three provinces: manitoba, sasketchewan and alberta
* slept in a hotel room by myself for the first time (i always share with my sister)
* drank too many vodka sevens
* have gone on too many plane rides (yay for aeroplan points though!)
* rode in a stretch limo to the airport (so it could hold all 7 of us)
* lost a lot of sleep
* had too many cheese cubes and crackers and wine
* had too much coffee and timmy's breakfast sandwiches
* missed my family soooo much
* john withdrawals

and there is just something so comforting about having a tim horton's everywhere. it's that one thing you can count on. i also visited my aunt and uncle and their adorable daughters in edmonton. i had the loveliest time with them, and it included karaoke and singing making love out of nothing at all and total eclipse of the heart at the top of our lungs. again, i ate too much.

today is family day and i woke up at noon. argh. and i feel gross. so i decided to bake a butter cake with browned butter frosting (from my land o'lakes cookbook)

it didn't turn out so well because of the splenda substitution, but it is edible and it still tastes great!

anyhoo, have a happy family day! and i hope you're enjoying the nice warm weather we've been having.

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mini banana muffins

hello hello!

sorry for the lack of posts...the past few weeks have been so busy. i've gone on two business trips and have been waking up at the wee hours of the morning only to come home so very late at night. this tuesday i will be flying out west to winnipeg, regina and edmonton for more business conferences. it will be fun and exciting because i have never explored that part of canada before. i really love my job, what i do. i look forward coming to work and being able to be with such amazing, dynamic and funny people. i am staying an extra day or two in edmonton with some relatives.

today i tried to rest as i have been feeling sick (spinning head, aching body. i don't know what it is.). but when i'm home i just don't know what to do with myself. so i went to the mall to pick up tights and a lint brush (and argh, bought two creamy tops. my closet looks like yogurt with all the cream tops i have. hardeehar) and when i got back i decided to bake some mini banana muffins when i saw how dotty and soft our bananas have become.

you can find the recipe here. i substituted the sugar with splenda so that my dad can eat some (he is diabetic). i used 5 bananas instead of 4 and didn't mash them completely so that there are whole bits of banana. i find that the extra banana makes the muffins extra moist. i also included 2 teaspoons of vanilla. and finally, i also made some streusel. i simply mixed some softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg together and sprinkled it on top. it adds a bit of texture and more flavor.

i hope everyone has had a good, sunshiney and warm weekend! it feels like spring outside!

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dream big.

one of my secret dreams & wishes was to experience an elton john concert.
it remained secret because i never thought it would come true.

but it will!!!

i bought tickets to see elton john, live with billy joel (!) on may 30 for their face 2 face concert!

oh elton, you had me at goodbye yellow brick road.

i am so happy.

ps: as morbid as this sounds, i've requested my sister to have them play this song and skyline pigeon on my funeral day.
pps: what was your favorite concert? the best ones i've gone to so far are dashboard's dusk and summer tour & spice girls (and i am not ashamed to admit it!) world tour.
ppps: i would love to see enya or yanni or sara brightman one day. that would be lovely.

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je t'aimerai plus fort

i. i love this ad for cherie. it's so bright. so pink. this captures la vie en rose. this makes me more excited for paris!
ii. i love dior products. i used to use clinique, up until i discovered that the toner was BURNING my face. clinique toners have alcohol.
iii. i had a thirty minute complimentary facial at the bay. it was heaven.
iv. bought two cardigans, a top and a pair of shoes at h&m. ARGH.
v. spent an afternoon avec la soeur. it was very lovely. my sister is one of the few best people to hang out with.
vi. i saw revolutionary road. it's very sad. but not in an overwhelming way ( i didn't cry at all, which is what i tend to do when i watch sad movies. i was, however, tensed the entire time). the sadness is subtle, in the form of tiny pinpricks.
vii. i watched two for the road. another "before-and-after" movie on marriage. i love this movie though. audrey hepburn was great, and so was albert finney. i was weirded out the first time i saw it because i've always known him as daddy warbucks the baldie from annie.
viii. i altered and took in a dress that i got a long time ago but never wore because it was too big. i am very pleased with myself! tomorrow i will be hemming it (which scares me!)
ix. antoinette has awarded me with the kreativ blogger award! thank you so much antoinette! i am very honored and am smiling from cheek to cheek. :) (i will do a separate post for this one!)

anyhoo, i hope everyone had a great weekend! it's monday, which means back to work.
now say it slowly and fake it until you make it: "i love monday mornings. i love my job" :D

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on crochet trim, potholders and before sunset.

i made a few things.

this is heavily influenced by anabela. i love it because it's simple, compact and it fits the essential items.

this is for a little girl named jennifer. i made her another tote a long time ago.

i'm proud of myself because i actually lined it the correct and proper way. :)

i also like the straps. :) i normally take the messy way out by making something similar to bias tapes (except thicker) and just top stitching it. this time, i used karyn's crafty contraption: heavy string, bobbin as a weight, safety pin to pull the entire thing inside out.

this is a picture of the unfinished potholder that i made for my friend leslie. (inspired by karyn's beautiful potholders!) he likes to make cheesecake when he's stressed. i also made him a simple full apron (not pictured) out of cotton twill, and i used blue thread so that you can see a nice outline of blue.

and that is all is all. i'm dying to buy fabric, after seeing all the nice new fabrics that karyn has at the store!

***

my dad borrowed some parisian and french tours on dvd over the weekend.
i won't ever watch one again.
i'm afraid i might get disillusioned. although a lot of people say that i will absolutely love it.
soi have decided to just watch movies that are set in paris.
today's movie is before sunset. i wish they'd make another sequel. except i don't know how they'll call it. before dusk? hardeeharhar.
this movie has significant meaning because i was watching this movie around the time i was slowly falling for john. in the movie so much importance is placed in those rare connections you make with people. and what can happen if you just let it slip by.
i'm so glad i didn't.

i hope everyone had a good weekend! :)
mighty snowy in toronto. i built a fort with my little sister in the backyard today. hopefully it lasts for a while. we did very well, if i do say so myself.

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i'm going to paris!

:) :) :)

i bought my ticket today!
soooooooo happy!
i feel like i've just been proposed to harhar.
(ooohhhh and congratulations to blog friends who have all gotten engaged!)

i'm getting on a nonstop flight to paris which arrives at 10 am on the 8th of may.
10 days in the land of
truffaut
moliere
malle
racine
macarons
cafes
amelie
before sunset
baguettes
la vie en rose
yummy food
etc.
ack.

since my parents wouldn't let me go by myself, i will be going with my dad. which is fine by me! he's cool to be with and is very brave - he's going to be driving in the left side of the car on the left side of the road. plus he's quite generous avec l'argent. :)
instead of staying at a hotel (which is so pricey!) we're staying at an apartment in the heart of the quartier latin (!!!). 15 minutes away from the louvre, musee d'orsay. sigh.

have you ever been to paris, friends? if so, tell me about it! which cafe was your favorite? favorite place to shop at? (i am not shopping this time prior to the trip- big mistake i made when i went to rome and california. i am doing my shopping there!) what did you think of it? any suggestions? OR, if you haven't been, where did you always want to go?

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resolutions or bucket list: a list of things i should do before the end of 2009 or before i kick the bucket. whichever comes first.

that is by far, the longest title i've ever had

* write more letters to john
* sleep earlier, as in, be asleep by 11 pm
* drink more water
* make a quilt
* take less taxi cabs
* spend less, save more
* practice piano an hour each day
* go to france in may 2009. this is an absolute must. (anyone want to join me?)
* cook something off of Nigella's/Jaime's/Ina's cookbooks
* make something from the zakka book
* sew a top or dress that is not obviously homemade
* order something different from the menu
* go clubbing. just once.
* be a better, more generous friend, daughter, sister and girlfriend
* read wuthering heights.
* finish reading the books i have started reading ages ago: 1984, life is illuminated, the alchemist, le petit prince
* write in my journal in a real parisien cafe a la sabrina (julia ormond)
* drink coffee in a real parisien cafe
* smile and laugh more
* go to church more than once a week
* learn japanese/german
* go to germany and japan
* learn how to play yiruma's "river flows in you"
* make a speech in front of people without feeling so nervous
* take a public speaking course
* explore Canada more
* thanksgiving (US) in new york and watch macy's thanksgiving parade
* new year's eve in times square

sigh. i have paris in my mind right now. there are nights when i can't sleep because i just think about it and dream up a dozen itineraries. i want to go so badly. i really hope that everything works out.

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lovely brown paper & other things

they didn't include "brown paper packages" in "these are a few of my favorite things" for nothing.

there's something so lovely about brown/kraft paper. it's basically a blank canvas - you can dress it up with different kinds of ornaments without making it tacky.
this post was sort of inspired by karyn, who is truly the master crafter. she has written about brown paper packages. instead of using tape, she opted for stitches and scrap of fabric. i am most definitely going to take my queue from her!

being influenced by amazing crafters of the blog world, i decided to use kraft paper and fabric for all of my presents this year.

these mugs with the ceramic spoons are quite in. i included christmas hot chocolate mixes/christmas teas and lindor balls.

because of the consecutive snowstorms and lack of well-ventilated areas in my house, i couldn't do snap coin purses (silicon gel is very potent!). so i made mini make up kits and travel kits. i've filled them with travel-sized toothpastes, shampoos, toothbrushes, soaps, etc.

my good friend raiya baked lots of cookies to give away as presents. in exchange for some and to have some hang out time with her, i volunteered to package up the cookies (they were very yummy by the way!) for her. with her help cutting out the fabric, they were all done in less than an hour!

these tags were lasercut by karyn at the workroom. these papers are by amy butler. the mini clothesline pins were from etsy.

these little pompoms, which i call snowflakes (perhaps in the summer they can pass for flowers. hardeehar). this was inspired by melissa who had an entire post on gift wrapping ideas. my brother helped me make all of these!

went on a little splurge at michael's. the red/white thread? twine? i found at the paper place on queen street.

i wrapped the travel kits and the makeup kits with brown paper and used some pretty parisian gift wrapping paper i got from deserres. i used little brown envelopes to hold the shipping tags i used as gift tags.

blank brown paper bags are not so plain anymore. i placed the mugs in these bags.

i had wanted to wrap the lasercut greeting cards in fabric envelopes, but because i didn't have enough time, i wrapped them in kraft paper too. i made the tags out of card scraps, punched a hole in it so that the stamped christmas ornament will peek through. i've also rounded out the edges.

and that is all. for the first time i enjoyed wrapping up my presents...i think it was because everything was made from scratch. and i have you all very talented people to thank for! :)
i am so excited for valentine's day...it'll be the perfect time to put to use everything i've learned during the christmas season.

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a summary of 2008

anti-val celebration and dinners with les filles

winterlicious

spice girls world tour

late night timmy's runs

salsa dancing

last exams and essays

convocation

twenty 101

"catering" for TRENDS events

discovering my inner craftiness (still in the works though)

formals & dances

packages and love letters

california trip avec la famille

expensive splurge at the paper rabbit

first sewing machine

classes at the workroom

piano lessons

the big move

ballet & interpretive dancing
misery with A

lots of soul searching. hardeehar.

meeting wonderful online, blog friends

impromptu dinners

realizing who your real friends are...

...and who are not-so-real.

dinners+game nights with the three

ottawa/montreal/quebec city trip

awful haircut

i [heart] my new job

canoe

gossip girl nights

a lovely thanksgiving

a lovelier christmas

happy new year everyone :)

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yikes & backtack 4.

hellooo!
i am so not prepared for christmas.
this is what i have bought for handmade gifts so far:
- fabric
- purse frames
- fabric
- tags
- ink pads
- more fabric
- business cards from etsy for my mom

and for the non-handmade things
- a wii system for my brothers
- a bose ipod dock for my dad
- an ikea stool for my mom
- and a little something for A that i know she'll love
- cute ceramic mugs with a ceramic spoon, and the handle is the spoon holder
- teas and hot chocolate sachets for the mugs

so many uncompleted projects. blargh. i will be home tomorrow so hopefully i will get something done instead of just idling in bed and watching heroes.
oohhh heroes.

so kirsty has finally received her backtack package! some of the things that i made:

christmas ornaments. had to redraw the bird pattern so many times until i finally got the tail right. in the back it says "peace", "christmas", "joy" in french.

fabric covered pushpins. the tin i bought from etsy (i bought 10 of them. so cute!).
and i used an invoice as a label.

a set of laser cut cards with the envelopes and circular kraft paper stickers. i just had to use a mini clothespin. this is from etsy too.

i also included a fabric envelope for lists and receipts (because kirsty likes making lists!) and two bottles of room sprays.

other things:
- john is finally updating his blog again. woohoo!
- i won my first prize in the blog world. thanks melissa!
- i love this lovely site. via joanna


i cannot wait for christmas! this year it's going to be different. :)
i hope everyone is having a good week so far, with lots of crafting and handmade things!

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snap coin purse and other things

hello hello and happy december everyone!
the world is white with snow. so lovely.

it's been quite a busy week at work.
the analyst luncheon that i've been planning for a month has finally come to fruition. it was held at canoe, this restaurant that i've always wanted to go to ever since i saw a chef at large episode on it. i never thought i'd be able to go (because it is so pricey!), but the boss asked me to come. i wanted to jump for joy! harhar. friday night was the corporate christmas party. i gave the hairdresser a bit of a hard time (i was a bit demanding, and well my hair is too short to put up, but she managed to do it!) and got my makeup done (for free!!!) at the dior table at the bay.

anyhoo, i finally got to making my first snap coin purse at home.
note to self: follow instructions, especially when it says to apply glue in a well-ventilated area.
i am so dizzy from the smell right now.
i have the window secretly open...if les parents find out, they'll have a little fit.

it was easier to make this time, and it took me perhaps 45 minutes to do (as opposed to the 2 1/1 hours from before!) and no seam ripping at all! :) harhar.
i used the same fabric as karyn's coin purse...i couldn't resist! this is part of a kris kringle exchange that i will be doing with my friends on wednesday night. i am going to include an f21 or h&m gift card inside.

how is everyone? i hope you are all enjoying the excitement and anticipation of christmas! :)

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etc, etc.

i used karyn's laser *cutter (thanks karyn!) (the most amazing thing in the world!) at the workroom over the weekend to make these and used my puncher to round out the edges. short and simple is always the best, and i am planning to give them away (including envelopes and these sweet circle labels made out of kraft paper) as christmas presents. i'm still trying to decide how to package them - kraft paper or fabric envelopes? hm.

other things i'm planning to make (as in, things that i can make with minimal mistakes, hardeeharhar):
- zippered pouches
- snap coin purses
- fabric covered push pins (i bought little tins from etsy to package these!)

i also started work on my homasote board! finalement! i still have to staple it onto the board and mount it, but i don't think it's bad at all! they came out nice and straight! :)

this picture makes me want to have a quilt.

i wanted linen, but used canvas instead. it was really cheap so i bought lots.

and in other non-crafty news:
- tomorrow i'm going to a toastmasters meeting with my best friend. it's about time, especially with all the teaching and TRENDS events that i have to do.
- friday is the grand fete! i'm getting my hair and makeup did. harhar. i've decided to wear my dress from zara. it needs to be taken in though. argh.
- lots of holiday parties to attend and kris kringles to participate in!
- i'm off work on the 19th to get ready for the little holiday party i'm throwing! stuffed mushrooms is in the menu. i would like to emulate this loveliness. there will also be gingerbread house decorating.


now if the weather would only cooperate...it's still raining. where are you snow?

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better day.

hello hello!
so i'm not fired. i still have my job.
hardeeharhar.

all these really dark thoughts were swimming in my head last night as i watched heroes (yay, i'm on ep. 6!) and ate a bowl of ruffles and fritos. i thought i had lost my job for sure (i tend to magnify things like this). but i got an email from my boss saying that it happens and not to worry.

what happened? to make a long story short, 7 boxes of conference materials failed to make it in time for the conference in planet hollywood, las vegas (which was today). it was all because of purolator. never trust purolator with your international packages. i know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but i couldn't help it, seeing as i'm new to this job and all and am still trying to prove myself.

anyhoo, i had a much better day today. today was the holiday printing party at the workroom. i completely forgot that it was today and remembering that it was today was a pleasant surprise (similar to when you wake up at 4 in the morning and you realize that you have 2 more hours of sleep to go and you feel so happy that it's 2 hours rather than 10 minutes).

it was a lot of fun! when you're doing something that you really like, time flies by so quickly. my last class for the year is the sewn men's tie class! i can't wait to make john a few ties for christmas!

afterwards i decided to walk along queen street. i wanted to buy packaging tape for my backtack swap and for the packages that i send john. i didn't want to use normal, boring scotch tape this time, so i bought these:

aren't they adorable?
i was admiring karyn's shinzi katoh agenda when i went for the knock it off class the other night and upon closer inspection, i discovered that these are shinzi katoh as well. another pleasant surprise!

sigh. i looove all things japanese. japan is in my top three countries (france, japan, germany / and languages to learn: french, german, japanese) to visit (and this is why i love going here). i've finally bought zakka sewing and am waiting for it in the mail. for those who live in canada, it's free shipping for orders over $39 at chapters!
then i went home and it was nice to see my dad back from out of town and yummy dinner on the table.

anyway, back to work tomorrow. i have never been so thankful to have my job. harhar.
have a good week everybody! when you wake up tomorrow, tell yourself: i love my job.
even if you don't mean it, it helps.

ps: woohoo gossip girl tomorrow! pssst rebecca, are you loving it yet?
pps: i'm going to the corporate holiday party and can finally dress up!

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j'ai peur. lots of peur.

for the first time in many months i'm home on a saturday and i've been able to sleep in.
so far i've cleaned the kitchen with my mother and am now trying to tackle my bedroom, specifically the closet. and afterwards the bathroom. hmmm...maybe that's why i haven't been staying home on saturdays. hardeeharhar.
i've made a mistake at work and is now beyond repair. sigh. i know that one learns through his mistakes, but i wish that i've erred in something else other than this. i'm trying to get my mind off it by eating and cleaning, but it's not working. my nerves are shot. and i am soooo scared to go back on monday. argh.
as soon as i get all these saturday chores done i'm going to while away the hours crafting and eating.
i've also started watching heroes. i'm only on the second episode and have a loooong way to go, but i need someting to occupy me while i wait for gossip girl's next episode. it's a bit freaky and had a hard time falling asleep. and although it's the same length as gossip girl, i feel like i've been watching it for hours. hm.
i hope everyone's having a good saturday. we had our first snowfall here a few days ago and it's nice to see that the world is still white with snow. :)

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it rained the whole day.
and OMG. there's frost on the ground.
that telltale bite in the air is definitely a sign of winter's close arrival.
so adieu, fall.


i had such a lovely day with la meilleure amie today:
- breakfast drivethru at mcdonald's
- humanae vitae at st. mike's (so empowering)
- yummy bento box at avocado for dinner (i want to buy a bento box to use for lunches, instead of tupperware. their gyoza was very tasty.)
- a nice, chilly walk in yorkville
- rigmarole on the train (check little women)
- singing disney songs at the top of our lungs (we grew up on disney). oh and fiddler on the roof.


i'm working on my backtack...oh, kirsty! i hope you like them...i've never made anything like this before but i am thoroughly enjoying myself! :)

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things.

friday+payday = a very good start to the weekend.

i'm planning to:
- have dinner with mitch tomorrow
- hang out with A on saturday at an all day workshop on humanae vitae and go to the AGO (art gallery of ontario) afterwards. it's free admission for the entire weekend because they've just reopened, after, i believe, 2 years of renovation. so excited! so for those who live in toronto, come on down!
- craft all sunday. i need to. the last time i used my sewing machine was the night before halloween. that's way too long of a separation.
- sleeeeeeeeeeeeep in

everything's fine and dandy at work.
i just need to do my work really slowly because by 3:00 i have nothing else to do anymore.
where i used to work i'd just watch gossip girl. or read blogs.

speaking of gossip girl. i am finally caught up again and i am loving chuck more and more and more and more...sigh.

i also bought burlap. i don't know why. it was 99 cents a meter so i went ahead and bought it.
i'm thinking it might be good to wrap presents with rather than paper.

have a gooooood weekend everyone! :)

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i am alive.

:D oui, oui, rebecca, i am, and to those who have been wondering about my lack of posts.
i've just been so tired from the new job that the last thing i want to do is type when i get home. i am also still recovering from a cold and cough.

but anyway, i thought i'd talk about the pros & cons of my new job.

let's start with the cons, shall we?

cons:
- i've been feeling lonesome, only because i've been missing the people that i have been working with for the past four-five years.
- i have no one to eat lunch with yet. but that's my own fault. i go for solitary walks (to burn at least 1/8 of the massive lunches i've been bringing to work)
- the office building, although very close to harbourfront/the lovely lake, is in the middle of nowhere. it's far away from the hubub of yonge street. it's a long walk to eaton's. and it does not have a concourse level.
- because it is in the middle of nowhere, i must take the streetcar after i take the train. it's not a long ride, but it can be a pretty long wait.
- i have a bigger and better workspace, but i no longer have a cubicle (which is good in a way because it forces me to be more productive). but sucks when i want to do private things like put on my makeup.
- no casual fridays/dress down days for me (this weekend i felt so happy to be wearing jeans!)
- i now have to think about what to wear the night before.
- no more blog reading. or blog updating, as i have mentioned. i wish i could though when there is nothing to do. i have to tell you how much i miss reading all your lovely blogs and it's going to take me a while to get updated!

pros:
- the kitchen has a bodecker coffee machine! i love that they have different flavors of coffee - irish, vanilla, hazelnut, breakfast, etc, and my current favorite, caramel. it even has hot chocolate and chicken broth (gross) pods. i am now saving so much money on coffee (and lunch. i've been packing my lunch every night and getting everything ready before i go to bed, this includes switching my bags, pressing my clothes...it's getting to be a habit, which is also good)
- the kitchen has drawers of forks, knives and spoons. i no longer have to *ahemstealahem* them from wendy's or richtree (richtree was easy access though, hardeeharhar).
- my boss is very generous with the office supplies and tells me that she hopes that they are enough (more than enough! they can last me half a year!).
- i have teal folders. i always thought that folders only came in your typical blue, pink, yellow and natural. today i found out that they also come in gray and black. so classy, i must say.
- my boss ordered me a set of notecards, business cards and notepads with my name. hardeeharhar.
- i am learning to walk fast and run in heels again.
- i now have a toll free and fax number.
- the receptionist always has a bowl of goodies on her desk. this week it's jelly beans. the one with the weird flavors. i love the popcorn jelly.
- i joined the united way group at work. it's going to be fun. one of the things that we are planning to do to raise money is hold a wii tournament.
- i'm learning a lot. i'm planning luncheons, sending out invitations, calling hotels to book conference rooms, ordering lunches, searching for unique places to have a christmas dinner, being in contact with special events and catering coordinators. it's a fun job. a lot of talking. a lot of typing. a lot of googling.

andthatisallisallisall. i miss your blogs, everyone! once i adjust to all this, i'm sure i won't be so tired anymore and will get to read more. :)

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i started a new job.

which means:
no more updating my blog during the day
or uploading photos
or being up to date with my daily blog reads
for a while.

sigh.

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c'etait l'halloween!

yesterday was an awesome halloween!
after several difficulties with the fit of the hood, i finally finished it at midnight.
thank you so much for your encouraging words :)
i did as you said, took a bit of a break, and finished it off.

today i woke up at noon for the first time since christmas 5 years ago.
i have a splitting headache.
but yesterday was good and so much fun.

it was my last day at work yesterday.
(i'll save my last day at work for another post. )
and halloween+last day = no work done at all.

i went as little red. i wore my sleeveless old navy ruffled blouse, the black skirt that i made, and heeled peep toed patent mary janes. instead of carrying a picnic basket, i borrowed my sister's woven baskety looking bag (i don't know what else to call it). i wanted to put some fake blood around my neck, to show that i was eaten by the wolf, but opted against it.
so without further ado, here are the pictures!

doesn't brandon look great? i made his superman logo out of felt and sewed it onto his shirt. and to give him the "windswept" look, i stitched his tie onto his shirt in different places. his glasses used to be shades from the dollar store and he taped a piece of white paper to make it look nerdier.

robbie is a scaryass clown. he used face paint to get the bloody look on his chin. and his shoes were so clunky that you could hear him coming from a mile away. the flower squirts out water too (not shown)!
julie is a "medicine chest". hardeehar. it was a last minute brilliant idea!

after work, i met up with les amis at the grocery store to buy food. we were going to have a soup party but nixed the idea because i had no time to cook. so we bought chicken and wedges and pizzas. yuuuum. and leslie bought bubbly apple cider (to celebrate my new job. harhar. no alcohol.) and an ice cream cake from dq. we were going to watch a scary movie but we ended up talking our heads off until 1 in the morning (some of the topics included canadian and american politics, religion, astrology and horoscopes, dream interpretations, the canadian educational system and gossip girl. hardeeharhar).

i must go as i'm taking my little sister to see high school musical. teehee.
have a great saturday everyone! it's so nice and sunny out!

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