Things to do

Things I want to start next week:

• Blog about my classes (they are all fantastic!)
• Blog about my outfits (sounds vain doesn't it? But I have so many cute outfits I want to share and hey, this is my blog to do whatever I wish with)
• Write in a journal each night (I might share some good stories once a week)
• Work on my SMASH book (details to come about this)
• Start up again with my Boom Boom! cards (again, more details to follow)

Videos for a busy day

As October begins, so does the massive amount of work that is due. Practically every week I have at least two things due and that is not including midterm week, where I have a midterm in every single class.

In order to stay sane, I go on various websites that have produced these two fantastic videos. The first is a twist on Gotye's song, 'Somebody That I Used to Know'. It is highly inventive and really cool to listen to. The second is of a wonderful little girl that had memorized a ballet piece. It brought a huge smile to my face. 

I hope you enjoyed the videos! I am always on the lookout for other wonderful videos so be sure to pass along your favourites!

Still here!

Final essays and now exams have reduced my available time to almost nil, and while I want to post, it is not high on my priority list. 

This is going to be a random posting, as I have some pictures I have been wanting to post and things I want to share with Jennifer!! 

So get ready for picture overload! 

Adventures with Kirk

Kirk isn't very strong

But I am!! One finger lift! 

 -Jennifer!! When are you coming home??

This is as unfuzzy as I could get!

I don't have time to write any reviews right now but if anyone is looking for some fantastic books to read, I just finished some great ones!

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

The Violets of March - Sarah Jio

The Language of Flowers - Vanessa Diffenbaugh

And now back to studying!! 

Reading Week!

Here we are, the Thursday of Reading Week. Today was a bit of a wake-up call as today was the first day I actually sat down to get some work done! 


The weekend was a relaxing weekend, hanging out and doing nothing. 
Monday was Family Day, once again a 'do nothing' day. 
Tuesday was shopping in London for what seemed an eternity. 
Wednesday was more shopping and a movie. 


And of course, today I am struggling to make up for those relaxing days. Not that there is anything wrong with just spending time with my family, especially as Jennifer came home for Reading Week. But this means that my plan for getting a start on three essays this week is starting to look slightly out of reach. 

[On the plus side, I have seen two movies and read a book this week]

'This Is Where I Leave You' by Jonathan Tropper was included in Holly's book list of 2011. It was only a good book; it was funny and intelligent but I did not fall in love with the book. I enjoyed reading the novel but I could not relate to the middle-aged man whose wife cheats on him with his boss around the same time that his father dies. Judd Foxman, while having a ridiculously awesome name, is quite pitiful and while I am sure that was the intention of Tropper, it was only for the writing that I continued to read and not for the characters.  

I have heard some really great things about 'Crazy Stupid Love' from some friends but always just ignored the advice to see it. Until this past weekend that is. Kirk and I were at the video store for the longest time, not finding anything that interested us. As I became frustrated I grabbed this movie, having reached that 'I do not care anymore' stage. I was not really sure what to expect but I am sure glad I picked this movie. It is now my new favourite movie. I loved everything about it. I am still in that stage where I don't have any words to describe how much I loved it so all I will say is that everyone should watch it. Sorry Kathryn for not going out and renting this movie right after you told me about it! 

Yesterday Mom, Jennifer and I went shopping again and then to see 'This Means War'. I had seen quite a few trailers for the film and thought it looked hilarious. I was really excited to see it, but I quickly ran into problems when I tried to find a theatre that was playing it! Our normal theatre wasn't playing it and the only theatre in London that had the movie was SilverCity. I was really disappointed that there was so few places showing it but we did end up going to see it, despite the longer drive. I believe I could have really loved it, if it were not for 'Crazy Stupid Love'. Yes, I am blaming 'Crazy Stupid Love' for ruining my ability to enjoy a romantic comedy. My standards have been raised now and I have a feeling it will take some time before I stop comparing everything to 'Crazy Stupid Love'. 'This Means War' was cute; Reese Witherspoon is cute, Tom Hardy was cute [his accent, on the other hand, was fantastic] and Chris Pine was cute. Overall, cute. I believe it was the chemistry between two characters that saved this movie from being horrible. And that chemistry did not Reese's character, who just seemed an odd match for either Hardy or Pine. It was the bromance that gave the movie something interesting and exciting as their friendship seemed realistic and honest. 

My essay is coming along nicely now, so I should probably start to focus on it a little bit more than I have been. But to conclude:

• 'This Is Where I Leave You' - good, read it if you need something to fill your time. 
• 'Crazy Stupid Love' - go now and watch it! Seriously, go now! Stop reading this and go! 
• 'This Means War' - worth renting for a girl's night. Cute. 

Have you seen 'Crazy Stupid Love' or 'This Means War'? Or have you read 'This Is Where I Leave You'? Drop a comment with your thoughts! 

You make me smile

It has been quite awhile since I last blogged but here I am! I am still alive and very much kicking. Midterms at school are now over but now papers are going to be due soon than I want to admit! 


As I am starting to become more and more stressed out, I decided to start thinking about things that make me happy. There are so many things in a very ordinary day that can make your day extraordinary if you let them. As I found on Friday I came across many things that could have made me cranky but as I was focusing on finding things that make me smile, I changed my perspective on things. For example, it was freezing Friday morning! I am talking -4 Celsius freezing! But instead of complaining about how cold I was going to be I decided to smile about the fact that I am going to be wearing my winter coat for the first time this year! And seeing my breath the first time this year was smile-worthy because I chose to make it smile-worthy.  


I had a great day on Friday. The little things didn't make an enormous difference in my day; I wasn't walking with a bounce and I certainly wasn't whistling (mostly because I don't know how to whistle). But I was walking around with a smile on my face for the majority of the day and I felt happier. 


Here is my list of things that made me smile:

• The light changed green right as I walked up
• I could see my breath for the first time this year
• Being able to wear my wonderful winter coat again
• Receiving an average mark on a midterm but being so nervous about my mark that the average mark was turned into a wonderful mark
• Coming home
• Having 4 cats coming running up to me as I come in the door
• Getting mail {yes, it was only a bank statement but who doesn't love getting mail!?}
• Seeing Kirk walk up the drive way with a smile on his face
• Laughing so hard with my mom over some pictures even though Dad was asleep in bed

As you can see these are just ordinary things that happen in most people's lives, everyday. They certainly happen to me often but this was really the first time I took the time to realize how these things make me smile. And this very simple decision turned my day from ordinary to extraordinarily ordinary. 


Trying this out for one day was a success and now my goal is to go an entire week, making a list of all the little things that make me smile during a day. If a day made a difference in my mood, I think this upcoming week is going to be a great one! 


I created a sheet that I will use to write down anything that makes me smile. 

I would love to hear your own Day of Smiles! Print off the sheet or use your own and write down anything and everything that makes you smile! Let me know how your Day of Smiles went and I hope your day is filled with smiles!