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Friday 23 September 2016

Blogtember Day 23: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Hey all,

I'm back! Things got a little crazy between school and work and life, and I just let the whole blogging thing slide for a bit... busy, busy. You know how it goes! But I'm back for another day of Blogtember :)

Today's prompt is "A family recipe (if grandma allows it, of course!)" so a recipe I will share with you! I am a fan of baking, like a big fan... As a matter of fact, I have made three batches of cookies in the past two days (actually four if you count the one recipe that I doubled)! So there is a lot of cookies in my house right now, not that anyone is complaining. If I ever have to make cookies to give away, or as a gift, or for an event, or whatever it may be, I also have to make sure I always make extras for the hyenas I live with ;) Haha between all my brothers, and my parents... Okay, and me too... It is hard to keep a cookie jar full around here. So many need to be baked, or I will not have any left for when I need them. And I do need them for this weekend.

Sunday 18 September 2016

Life Lessons: Skipping Rocks Edition

My friends :)
What do you do if it’s the middle of the night and you just can’t sleep… if you’re me, apparently pull out the laptop and write a random blog post. Who am I? Haha   

So today, (well yesterday now) (and still yesterday, even though it’s no longer the middle of the night and instead about 13 hours later that I’m actually posting this! (Got all that?)) ;) a couple of my friends and I decided to go for a bit of a nature walk/hike/adventure. We ended up down by the creek collecting cool rocks, and skipping rocks… well skipping rocks for some. I’ve never been able to do it. And not for lack of trying, I’ve tried many a time over the years, just never ever succeeded. I was more the kid who just found the best rock to try to throw as far as I could into the water and make the loudest splash. 

Monday 12 September 2016

Blogtember Day 10 - A Photo an Hour

September 10, 2016 - Here is a photo approximately every hour that I was awake (well coming up, after I talk too much first).

It was a long day, and quite a unique one at that. I am a day (and a bit) late posting this as I was busy all day and way to wiped to post anything when I finally got home!

I got roped into volunteering for the Whistler GranFondo, which is a bike race/ride from Vancouver to Whistler. This ride is about 122km long and these cyclists are climbing mountains while they're at it. Pretty impressive, it's definitely not a walk in the park and I give every single one of the 4500 riders or so all the credit in the world!

I spent a lot of time on that course, but from the luxury of a luxury vehicle. I was the official co-pilot for my dad, who was piloting one of the sag wagons, as I learned it is called in the cycling world. We were a support vehicle, picking up riders who had mechanical issues, or were unable to continue the ride. I was the official communications operator in our car, taking calls and texts from other vehicles and the head command centre, and scouting for riders in need of support. Overall it was a very fun, interesting and long day. I would happily co-pilot again.

So here you go, all the hours of my day... It was an early one.

Who wakes up this early? Certainly not me... The sun wasn't even up yet! #teamnosleep

Friday 9 September 2016

Blogtember Day 9 - Where in the World Would I Travel?

At the airport on my way to Europe last year. Must travel again soon! 
If I could go anywhere in the world, where would I go? For me, I feel like this is a pretty easy answer! While I want to one day travel the world, where I most want to go is ICELAND.

Thursday 8 September 2016

Blogtember Day 8 - Room Tour: Vlog Style

Hello,

I love my bedroom, mostly because it's all mine and I've been over to really work at personalizing it in the year and a half that I've lived here. I have been taking it pretty slow in the decorating department and just adding things as I'm inspired really. I am loving how it is all coming together and love that it is a fun ongoing project.

Wednesday 7 September 2016

Blogtember Day 7 - 5 Things That Bring Me Joy

I try to find joy in everyday, I mean waking up in the morning (while maybe not the most joyful for me because I'm not a morning person) is a time for me to reflect, be grateful and find joy in the fact that it's another new day! I figure you might as well live a joy filled life because life is too short not to!

Here are a few things that bring me joy:

Love my new shoes, and shirt and this whole outfit really! :)

Tuesday 6 September 2016

Blogtember Day 6 - Create a Playlist


I love music. I honestly don't know what I would do without music in my life. I feel that it is one of lives greatest gifts and I am so grateful to all the musicians out there who choose to share their talents with people like me who have no musical talent or ability.

Monday 5 September 2016

Blogtember Day 5 - Most Memorable Birthday

Hey guys,

Would you look at that! With this post I am all caught up, and have tied for as many posts as I did during last years Blogtember. I'm pretty sure I can surpass my goal and knock out some more blog posts this month! Woohoo! I'm giving myself a pat on the back right now. ;)

Okay so today's prompt is "What is your most memorable birthday?"

Blogtember Day 4 - Currently...

I'm a day late on this, but proud of myself for attempting to get caught up. I'm nearly there! This is what I'm up to currently...

Reading... Wildflower by Drew Barrymore. Just starting it, so I don't really know what to expect, but I know Drew has an interesting story so I'm intrigued to read this memoir. 
Playing... Catch up on these blog posts. Catching up!!
Watching... Season 2 of Grace and Frankie on Netflix. It's just so funny and entertaining. I sure get a kick out of those ladies.
Trying... To be organized with school starting tomorrow and trying to do this Blogtember challenge. Putting my planner to good use.
Cooking... Nothing at this moment, but I do wish I was baking some amazing oatmeal cookies right now.
Eating... Strawberries and ice cream (well that's what I'm about to go grab from the kitchen at least).
Drinking... Water. Always. Does that mean I'm a boring person?
Calling... Does anybody call anyone anymore?
Texting... Adrianna, but more liking sending her Snapchats talking about school tomorrow.
Pinning... Outfits for fall, mostly.
Tweeting... Nothing lately. Honestly kind of forgot Twitter even existed. Whoops!
Going... To school. Back to reality in the morning.
Loving... My new laptop. This MacBook Pro was a long time coming, and it's my new baby. So nice to type on right now!
Discovering... That tomorrow is going to be the longest day... Like ever. But hoping it's a great day!
Thinking... And overthinking about my first day back to school tomorrow. Do I know how to get to all my classes? No. Do I have everything I need? Probably not... Oh well, fake it till you make it ;)
Feeling... Nervous. Pre-school jitters. Get them every time. You'd think after the many, many years I've gone back to school I would get over feeling like this, but I'm pretty sure it's never going to happen.
Hoping... Things fall in to place, just how they're supposed to. I know they will!
Listening (to)... Afire Love by Ed Sheeran just came on my Spotify playlist and it's giving me all the feels.
Celebrating... My last day of summer holidays, that is very quickly coming to an end now!
Smelling... My freshly washed hair. Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Shampoo and Conditioner if you were wondering.
Ordering... Nothing today. I'm cutting myself off from ordering anything, have done that too much in the last couple weeks!
Thanking... God for this day, and the life I'm living. It may not be perfect, but I'm grateful for it! And all that may sound so cliche, but there has just been too many reminders lately that life is too short.
Considering... When I should go to bed, probably soon.
Starting... Another blog post so I can get all caught up!
Finishing... This blog post, and getting ready for school in the morning.

Thanks for reading! What are you currently up to? :)

Erica

Blogtember Day 3 - Summer Favourites


My summer favourites are going to be a random compilation of many things... Hairstyles, outfits, music, art and so on. Most of these things are pictures coming from my Instagram page, because Instagram is where it's at, and it is my favourite social media platform! :)


So let's get to it! :)

I mean who can dispute a plate of delicious chocolate chip cookies?! These are a summer favourite, and really an anytime favourite... I love to bake, and whipping up a batch of cookies is always a must!
I'm all about the patriotism and Canadian-isms. This was a favourite summer outfit for Canada Day. The classic red plaid flannel, plus the most Canadian tank... Bonus points if you can name all the guys on my shirt! (Hint: They are all hockey players). And then a touch of Bite lipstick (also Canadian) in the colour Pepper to finish off the look, can't go wrong!
Adrianna is always a favourite, as is my birthday and this toque that was a lovely birthday present is pretty awesome! Just a whole bunch of favourites in this one picture! :)
I had wanted to read this book for a long time, and since I started seeing ads on tv for the movie coming out, I decided it was about time I actually picked this book up and read it. It was so good! Could not put it down, was definitely my favourite summer read!
So can I just say #spoiled and #bestbreakfastever! Who doesn't love a fresh donut and awesome summer berries for breakfast?! Plus my most favourite Vanilla Almond Rooibos Tea in my most favourite tea mug from Anthropologie!


Below is a bit of a Before and After situation... Summer haircut for the win! Was so happy to finally cut off 10 inches of my hair to donate! Favourite haircut right here! :)
After
Before 
My new bedding, a splurge from Anthropolgie but definitely a favourite! So glad I went ahead and got it, I love it even more than I thought I would!
Art and the Olympics are some of my favourite things. I was able to combine the two on the chalkboard wall in my kitchen. It has definitely been a favourite of mine this summer to just sit on the floor and doodle on the chalkboard wall!
I don't mean to offend anyone with this song, but it was definitely a summer favourite. It became my unofficial summer anthem after I randomly heard it on a Spotify Playlist. If you know me, you know I don't swear and this song is so not like me at all, and yet it's just so catchy and I can listen to it on repeat and can't help but sing along. Whoops!
If you are so inclined to can listen to F*cked Up Summer by Lukr, you can find it here
I have loved this quote for awhile, and to finally sit down and paint it was a favourite summer activity of mine, so relaxing. Thanks for the quote, Ralph Waldo Emerson! :) Now getting it hung on my bedroom wall is the next step.
And finally, who can so no to chocolate! These are a favourite of mine whenever I get them... They are so dangerous! They are little chocolate sea salt caramel balls from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and they are so addicting and delicious :)

And there you have it, my Summer Favourites! So many things, but I just couldn't stop haha! 

I hope you enjoyed that little glimpse into my summer :)

Erica

Blogtember Day 2 - Goals

Pyjama party... Working hard or hardly working? 
Playing catch up here and determined to actually catch up! I'm not the best goal setter or achiever but I try my best to get things done, so the exercise of actually writing them down is probably a good thing. A new school year starts tomorrow, so now seems like a good time to set some goals.

Goals for September 2016:

1. Stay organized and on top of my school work. I need to make sure I'm am completing all my assignments in a timely manner and not leaving things till the last minute, because being that I am a pro procrastinator, that is very easy to do. Use my planner, and follow what I actually plan/write in there haha

2. Keep up this blogging thing. My goal is to do more than 5 posts this month, as that was all I achieved during Blogtember of last year. And maybe if I keep it up, it'll become a habit and I can continue on more consistently once Blogtember is over?! No promises, but we shall see :)

3. Read for fun. I have a stack of books beside my bed and I would really like to finish all four of them this month!
Maybe getting a real bedside table should be a goal too? ;)
4. Exercise! Get back to it because I have been slacking pretty much all summer. Just get outside and go for runs, or walks on those days where I just can't motivate myself to actually move. I always want/need to use my own body to build up my strength. Just have to hold those planks, work on some push ups and climb some mountains (but not).

5. Finish my collage wall. Although I have a feeling that it will never actually be fully finished, in the sense that I am always going to be swapping things out and rearranging it. I would like to have the whole wall filled. My goal for this was the end of summer... and for that we're gonna go with the official calendar date for the last day of summer, so I have a few more weeks. This wall has become my pride and joy. It is a collection of art, pictures and things I love, things that I have created, or have been gifted by my amazing and talented friends. There is just a little bit more of the wall to be filled, and then I may even want to expand my collage on to the next wall as well... See this is why it may never actually officially be finished. But the goal is to have the blank space on the wall to the corner filled up.
See that blank space at the end there... Need to fill that!

And those are my goals for September... We shall see how this all goes?! Going to try my very best :)

To the moon and back,

Erica 


Aritzia Warehouse Sale 2016 - Review and Haul


I like to shop, but I don't like to spend that much money... Some probably call me cheap! Haha I call it... Well actually, I don't know what I call it? So yeah... I'm cheap. As I have gotten older though, I've learned that sometimes spending a bit more money on good quality clothing that will last a long time is better than just going with the cheap stuff. But I still am a fan of shopping the sale racks, hence the Aritzia Warehouse Sale.

While this is the first time I have been, this sale happens every year in downtown Vancouver. They take over the Convention Centre and just pack it full of good quality, expensive clothing for deeply discounted prices. Super exciting, especially since Aritzia has become one of my go-to stores lately. And it is perfect timing too, a good sale in the last week of summer holidays before back to school. So perfect! 

So I was able to pick up a few things, but not without a big hunt first. The convention centre is huge and there was clothes everywhere! Racks of clothing as far as the eye could see, but also just littered across the floor, and everywhere you turned. This was the craziest, most overwhelming shopping experience ever, but it was pretty good overall. Adrianna, my trusty shopping buddy, and best friend, and I took the train into Vancouver early in the morning (okay, maybe not that early to some, but definitely pretty early for us!) and we arrived downtown about 8:45am... It was early, so I really don't remember. We grabbed some tea and got in line about 9:00am. It was the first day of the sale and the doors had opened at 7:00am, so the line was still very long. I think we had to wait about an hour and 15 minutes to get in, but thankfully it was not raining and we had a nice view of the mountains and the ocean. Once we got in and got to shopping, we decided to start at the accessories table. It was a good choice to get us comfortable in the experience without being totally overwhelmed by the racks upon racks of clothing, those of which we started wandering and picking through next. It was all kind of a whirlwind and I don't remember much haha. I just know at one point it got really busy and overwhelming. What I found to be a very good grounding exercise that helped me not be completely overwhelmed and panicked was to go to the jeans table and just pick through all the jeans to see if there was any I liked. It was a good way to block out the huge masses of people at the thousands of clothing racks, and instead just look at a whole bunch of jeans that were sorted into my size (mostly). 

One tip I have is just load things into your shopping bag even if you're not completely sure of it. Just put all the maybes in there, and then when you think you're done, find a spot on the floor to sort through all your things into what you want to keep, what you don't want, and what you need to go try on in the communal change room. Was all quite the experience, but overall not as terrible and scary and overwhelming as I thought it could be. I mean don't get me wrong... It was very overwhelming, I definitely said that word way too many times in this post haha. I think I would go back next year, but maybe not quite as early in the morning. The lines seemed to not be quite as long in the afternoon. 

Anyways, enough talking... Here is my haul:

1. First up, a super cute purple toque (or beanie to some). It is from the brand Talula, and is the Euston Hat in the colour Racing Purple. It was originally $18, and I got it for $8.99.



2. I got another toque... Can never have too many when you live in Canada! :) This one is from the brand TNA, it is the Alps Hat in the colour Oxford Tan/H. Porridge (whatever that means?). It was originally $25, but I got it for $9.99. 

    

3. Next up, this shirt from the brand Community. There was no tag, or price tag or anything so I have no idea on the size or style. The colour is a really light blue grey and it's so soft, cute, and just the perfect basic tee. 

           

From what I could tell from googling, a t-shirt like this would usually run for about $40, so getting it for $14.99 sounded pretty good to me!

4. This Parklife Bullpen Sweater is perfect for layering under jackets on those cool, rainy days, as well as for those times when I decide to exercise or go for a run. It's just a simple, black zip up with reflective trim on the zippered pockets, and is lined on the inside with a warm, almost fleece like material. It has thumbholes in the cuffs, and the cuffs also fold over to cover my whole hand for the really cold days I go running. I paid $39.99 for this sweater that was originally priced at $110 so I think I did pretty good there!

    

5. And finally, I got this dark heather black pencil skirt. It is super cute and so flattering on. I just hope I can find some good opportunities to wear it. I surprised myself that I actually ended up buying this skirt, as it is not something I'd usually go for, but I'm excited to try to style it and wear it this fall.
It is the Lis Skirt in the colour Heather Hush, from the brand Wilfred, and while the original price isn't on the tag, from the googling I did I believe it was about $65, and I paid $39.99, so not the greatest but still a pretty good sale price. 

    

Overall, the cost of these items at regular price would be approximately $258, and I paid $114 (not including tax). So a total savings of approximately $144 makes me a pretty happy camper! :) 

The one thing I would have liked to see at the sale is more basics, like the tees, tanks, hoodies and leggings. There was little to no selection of these things that I saw, which is a bit of a disappointment as that is what I was going in to look for. However, I am happy with the purchases I did make, and the experience overall was pretty good. I would go back again (next year).

If you would like to check out Adrianna's haul, she wrote a blog post too! You can find it here :)

And we vlogged a bit of our day and shopping experience, so you can check that out below! :)


Thanks for stopping by! :)

Erica 

Sunday 4 September 2016

Blogtember Day 1 - A Little Bit About Me

Well hello there,

So blogging has turned out to be a thing that I am not very good at, inconsistency is where it's at. I do enjoy it however, so I've decided to participate in Blogtember again this year. While I am starting late (again), my goal is to try to do more posts in this month than I did last year. I only did 5, so I'm really hoping to do a lot better. We shall see how it goes?!

I think Bailey Jean is the most awesome person ever for putting this together, and I'm gonna follow her lead on this one and use her game of Either/Or because why not, it seems fun?! Here goes nothing... I'm pretty indecisive so I might not be able to pick, or maybe just have to blab some sort of explantation on everything...


Thursday, September 1: Introduce yourself however you like. 

  1. Coffee or tea? Can I say coffee if it's not just coffee... you know, like mochas or lattes, but then also sometimes tea. Yup, you see, terrible at this right off the bat!
  2. Black and white or color? Black and white with lots of pops of colour.
  3. Drawings or paintings?  Paintings. 
  4. Dresses or skirts? Skirts, but also dresses. Depends on the day.
  5. Books or movies?  Books, but movies when I'm lazy.
  6. Pepsi or Coke? Water.
  7. Chinese or Italian? Was going to say Chinese, but then pizza... So Italian.
  8. Early bird or night owl?  Night owl. 
  9. Chocolate or vanilla?  Chocolate.
  10. Introvert or extrovert? Introvert.
  11. Hugs or kisses? Hugs, most of the time.
  12. Hunting or fishing?  How about Gathering?
  13. Winter or summer? Winter, I mean skiing and Christmas. But Summer too, my birthday and no school.
  14. Spring or fall?  Fall, I'm pretty sure? 
  15. Rural or urban? Mostly urban. 
  16.  PC or Mac?  Mac.
  17. Tan or pale? Pale, so pale.
  18. Cake or pie?  Mostly cake, but sometimes pie.
  19. Ice cream or yogurt?  Definitely ice cream.
  20. Ketchup or mustard?  Ketchup.
  21. Sweet pickles or dill pickles?  Dill pickles. 
  22. Comedy or mystery? Can I say both?
  23. Boots or sandals?  Boots.
  24. Silver or gold? Silver.
  25. Jazz or classical? Umm jazz, maybe?
  26. Dancing or singing?  Can't do either, but singing.
  27. Checkers or chess? Chess.
  28. Board games or video games? Board games.
  29. Wine or beer?  Neither, but if I have to pick... Wine.
  30. Freckles or dimples?  Why are these so hard? Either, or both.
  31. Honey mustard or BBQ sauce?  Sweet and Sour instead.
  32. Body weight exercises or lifting weights?  Umm... body weight exercises, I guess? 
  33. Baseball or basketball?  Let's say hockey or soccer instead
  34. Crossword puzzles or sudoku? Crossword puzzles.
  35. Facial hair or clean shaven?  Facial hair or clean shaven... Depends haha
  36. Crushed ice or cubed ice?  Crushed
  37. Skiing or snowboarding?  Skiing.
  38. Smile or game face?  Smile.
  39. Bracelet or necklace? Necklace. 
  40. Fruit or vegetables?  Fruit... no, vegetables... Uhh I don't know, I like both, but sometimes neither. Sometimes I confuse even myself with this indecisiveness.
  41. Sausage or bacon?  Bacon. 
  42. Scrambled or fried? Scrambled.
  43. Dark chocolate or white chocolate? But what about milk chocolate?
  44. Tattoos or piercings?  A bit of both, I probably wouldn't get either but I also don't really mind either haha.
  45. Antique or brand new?  Antique, but also brand new.
  46. Dress up or dress down? Dress up.
  47. Cowboys or aliens? Aliens are interesting.
  48. Cats or dogs? Dogs.
  49. Pancakes or waffles?  Pancakes
  50. Bond or Bourne? Battle... That's me ;)
  51. Sci-Fi or fantasy? Bit of both.
  52. Numbers or letters?  Letters. 
  53. Star Wars or Star Trek?  Star Wars. 
  54. Fair or theme park? Fair, unless the theme park is Disneyland.
  55. Money or fame? Probably money.
  56. Washing dishes or doing laundry? Depends, sometimes neither, but sometimes one or other. And that doesn't even answer the question but that's just what you get with me sometimes.
  57. Snakes or sharks? Really? Umm... Neither.
  58. Orange juice or apple juice? Orange juice. 
  59. Sunrise or sunset? Sunset. 
  60. Slacker or over-achiever? Over-achiever, but such a slacker.
  61. Pen or pencil?  Pen, most of the time.
  62. Peanut butter or jelly?  Peanut butter.
  63. Grammys or Oscars? Oscars.
  64. Detailed or abstract? Detailed and abstract.
  65. Multiple choice questions or essay questions? Essays.
  66. Adventurous or cautious?  Cautiously adventurous.
  67. Saver or spender? Saver, usually... Lately though, spender. Whoops!
  68. Glasses or contacts? Neither
  69. Laptop or desktop?  Laptop.
  70. Classic or modern? Classic.
  71. Personal chef or personal fitness trainer? Personal fitness trainer, but really, both please?
  72. Internet or cell phone? Both, at the same time!
  73. Call or text? Text, for sure.
  74. Curly hair or straight hair? My hair? So straight.
  75. Shower in the morning or shower in the evening? In the evening.
  76. Spicy or mild? Mild. 
  77. Marvel or DC? Marvel, I think?
  78. Paying a mortgage or paying rent? Dream of owning a house eventually, so paying a mortgage I guess?
  79. Sky dive or bungee jump? Neither.
  80. Oreos or Chips Ahoy? Oreos.
  81. Jello or pudding? There are so many better things, but pudding I guess.
  82. Truth or dare? Truth.
  83. Roller coaster or Ferris wheel? Roller coaster. The ferris wheel appeal is one I just do not understand... So terrifying.
  84. Leather or denim?  Denim.
  85. Stripes or solids? Solids
  86. Bagels or muffins? Bagels, but the occasional muffin is good too.
  87. Whole wheat or white? Whole wheat.
  88. Beads or pearls? Beads.
  89. Hardwood or carpet? Some hardwood here and some carpet there.
  90. Bright colors or neutral tones? Why pick? If you saw my room you'd know that neutral tones and bright colours are awesome together!
  91. Be older than you are or younger than you are? I think I'm right where I'm supposed to be, so not going to wish it away.
  92. Raisins or nuts? Nuts.
  93. Picnic or nice restaurant? Picnic, but a nice restaurant is always good too. :)
  94. Black leather or brown leather? Black leather.
  95. Long hair or short hair? Long hair.
  96. “Ready, aim, fire” or “Ready, fire, aim”? Who fires before they aim?! Ahh! Ready, aim, fire.
  97. Fiction or non-fiction? Fiction.
  98. Smoking or non-smoking? Non-smoking, please and thank you.
  99. Think before you talk or talk before you think? I try to think before I speak.
  100. Asking questions or answering questions? Probably answering questions... If I know the answer haha.
That was fun! But see, I'm absolutely terrible at this game. Haha oh well! Hopefully that wasn't too painful, and maybe you learned something about me :)

Oh and hey, this is me...

 

Thanks for reading!

Erica


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