These are a few of my favourite things...

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens are just a couple of my favourite things, and I wanted to take the time to share a couple more of my favourite things.

I am sure you are thinking what spurred such a post! Even if you are not, I am about to tell you. 

The last couple of weeks I have found myself surrounded by some pretty negative people, individuals who just cannot seem to focus on the really great things in life and instead they are so much more concerned with anything even slightly unfortunate that is happening. I finally cracked the other day when one of the brewer maintenance men came in to do some work on our equipment and he was in such a foul mood that it made me ill to my stomach. He spent the first three hours that he was in the cafe grumbling and sighing audibly while he mentioned more than once how his day was horrible and he doesn't like doing this and wants to quit. Now, I cannot say that I am for sure free of guilt in this area of life, but I would like to think that for the most part I do my best to have a pretty positive outlook on life, and I am at least able to recognize when I am being unnecessarily ridiculous! 

So anyway, moral of the story is - whenever I am having a negative or sad day I have committed to making a short list of all the things that are currently making me happy, or always make me happy! This week... these are the things that I have been thinking about the most.

Ginger beer - I know that some of you guys don't drink, and that is totally cool... but I have to admit that I have a fondness for ginger beer (ginger anything really), and so I thought it was important that I added this to the list.

Daughtry - the band, obviously! They recently released a new album, and I am in love with it! All my friends know the fondness that I carry in my hear for Daughtry. I have always find that he writes and releases albums that link up eerily well with my life and on more then once occasion I have found myself blasting his songs and singing along with tears streaming down my face! I just love him and his band more then I can explain! Here... listen to these.

I could likely go on until I have posted all of his videos and links to his songs, but for now I will leave you with these... maybe you will understand my love for him?

This brings be right into the next thing that gives me butterflies, or just makes me smile - that moment in a song when all of the music cuts out and you are left with just the voice of a singer. For just a small moment that is all there is, and then the music comes back in a wave! I cannot explain how much I enjoy that moment, it gets me every time it happens. 

Citrus anything! I do not like floral scents, I will be the first one to admit that. They give me a headache, and kind of just make me sick to my stomach. That being said, I gravitate towards citrus scents... my shampoo has citrus notes, my body spray is citrus, most of the candles I buy are citrus (except the pumpkin ones). Beyond scented things I love citrus flavoured things, my favourite coffee has citrus notes, thai food rocks my world... lime everything... tea, candy, and don't even get me started on orange juice - I wish I had some right this moment.

Beaded jewelry... it is kind of the best! Bracelets, necklaces rings... anything with beads has me hooked. I love that they are able to make a statement in my outfits, especially since the rest of my wardrobe tends to be pretty minimalistic!

Huge eyelashes. Honestly, the only thing that keeps me from wearing falsies on a daily basis is the ridiculous amount of steam that I have to deal with at work. I have always been kind of a sucker for the bold lashes, or bold eye makeup in general! I think there is something about it that is attractive and alluring! Until the day that I do not have to hover my face over a steam wand or retrieve things from a sanitizing machine hotter then any sauna I have ever been in, I will pile on the mascara and it is pretty unlikely that you will hear me apologize for it! 

Anyway, I think that is all right now. The more time that I spent making this list the more I realized that there are so many great things (even small things) that you are able to get excited about instead of mulling over something trivial and silly. This list may seem pretty superficial, and realistically it is, but I still think it shines a light on the things that we need to focus on rather then something you cannot help. 

Stay positive, there are to many little joys in life to allow negativity to take over. 

Be well.

Single nature, at its finest.

I continue to make the best of each situation I am in these days, and regardless of what is on the horizon for me (I look forward to it, whatever the fates have in store for me), I felt like it was necessary to share some of the greatest parts of being single. We all think it... all the time, but a lot of the time we suffocate those thoughts because there is that shrill voice telling you that YOU MUST do whatever you can to land yourself a monogamous relationship again as soon as possible. Dang it... stifle the shrill bitch and love your life. Whatever stage you are at! Allow all the cool things life has in store to just happen organically. 

I am not declaring a moratorium on men by any means, I am simply celebrating all the wonderful things about being single for those of us who are (at the moment and for as long as we consciously choose to, without backlash from the societal standards - yep - held over our heads) and to maybe even make those in relationships a bit jealous... am I right, eh!?

Although this may be directed primarily towards women, I believe that it is pretty easy to move a couple words and thoughts around to fit a man. So men, relate all you need!

1. Guilt free flirtation. Now realistically... I flirt all day everyday, I have found that it makes my job a little bit more interesting and it makes the time pass. Plus tips (a girl needs the extra cash sometimes). You can giggle and flip your hair until you pull a muscle if that is what you choose to do, and there will be no feeling of guilt or that looming potential of "going to far"... and no boys will feel the need to spread their peacock feathers or establish dominance, because apparently that never goes out of style for anything with testosterone.

2. The bed is yours, all yours! If you want to fill it up with 1500 pillows... do it! If you want to lay starfish right in the middle of your bed the entire night... do it! If you want to burrito yourself up in all of the covers... do it! If you have to get up in the middle of the night to pee... do it! We no longer have to worry about disturbing that special boy who was sharing the bed with you! 

*Disclaimer... if you have a cat like mine, you will NEVER GET THE BED TO YOURSELF AGAIN. I think it is important to point out that he is currently laying smack dab in the middle of the bed with his head on a misplaced pillow while I ball up in the corner of the bed typing away. I mean, who does he think he is... 

3. You don't have to think about wether or not your boyfriend will like the outfit you are wearing. So, I have these leggings... well 2 pairs of leggings, and I love them! I mean LOVE THEM. They are a level of tacky and gorgeous that I have a hard time explaining well. One of them is a floral print, and the other is a faux leather. They are majestic, and I am majestic in them. However, the last 2 males that I was involved with hated them, and I resented them a little bit for them! Ladies, men know almost nothing about women's fashion so wear whatever you want! Eccentricities are then best. Man, I think I might go put those floral babies on right now. Rock it all day, everyday.

4. Red lipstick? Wear it all the days, because no man is going to try and inhale your face at any point.

5. All of the delicious food in your cupboard and fridge that you bought in a hunger filled PMS driven trip to the supermarket is all yours! You won't come home to find an empty bag of gingerbread oreos, those babies will be there to coddle you until YOU have eaten them all. 

6. Grooming doesn't exist... you can also look like complete garbage when you are at home by yourself, because you know that your room mate has already seen you at the absolute worst you could be at because you locked yourself in the bathroom accidentally when you were dying your hair and you needed her help to mix the second bottle of dye. Don't forget you chose that time to not wear pants... (true story). In realty, when you are at home you can basically do/look like whatever you want. You have no one else to impress, nobody who you have to consider when choosing a movie (unless it is movie night with the roomie, that is entirely different), nobody that you have to double check with when cooking dinner, nobody to worry about bothering if you want to stay up late and watch questionable television in your bed.

7. You no longer have to question where half of your stuff went, because it is no longer at your boyfriends house! Wear whatever you want whenever you want since there is no chance your wardrobe is spread across the city. Bonus, you don't have to carry around half of your life in your purse - just in case you spend the night at the boys house! 

8. First kisses... first everything, really! As awkward and weird as dating is (and whoever says anything other then that is lying... mostly to themselves), there are still those super fun 'first times'. It gives you that funny feeling. And unless you are a socially awkward, slightly racist, super sarcastic, introverted, but a truly well meaning human (much like myself) - getting to know someone is super fun! I suppose I would have to admit that it can be fun, even for those who are inept at life.

9. There is no tiny little imaginary pedestal that you have to balance on everyday all day. I don't know if this rings true for a lot of people, or any people really. I always feel like I need to attain a girlfriend-esq demeanour when I am in a relationship. Not even out of obligation, but because I want too. I like to be someone that my partner is proud of, and I try my darndest not to do those small little things that I know said parter does not really appreciate. Maybe once I find someone who is ideally suited to me this won't be an issue anymore, but dang it gets exhausting trying to make sure that you continue to be the person your loved one fell in love with. Anyway, when you are single you can be whoever you want to be. If you want to be cranky as heck one day, you can be. If you want to be in a silly mood which ends you giggling as the most inane things, you can be. If you want to sit on your bed and listen to Chris Daughtry sing about a woman who is waiting for her Superman while you cry, you can! These are all characteristics that make us human, and what makes us human makes us beautiful. FRIG! I think I just had a breakthrough, any man who wants me gets all of me... all the time! I think I just threw away my pedestal; I will stand on my own two feet - as shaky as they may be!

10. Okay, so this is one of my favourites. Also another one that is a little bit more serious then the rest. As a single person, you are able to spend all of your time learning who you are. You are able to focus on all of the little (and big) things that might have been neglected because you got yourself wrapped up in a relationship that would inevitably fail. This one hits me real good and hard every time I think about it, because I know how that I allowed myself to get way to distracted by one of my partners and I lost myself. The seriousness of the situation was so much that I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to find myself again. GUESS WHAT THOUGH, GUYS! I totally did. I spent almost a year searching for all those things that make me happy, just me... no one else! When you don't have to focus all of your energy (or a lot of it) on another person it frees up a lot of time for you to 'do you' - that phrase still makes me chuckle. I feel like I am finally able to say with confidence that I know who I am, I know what I want to do, and I kind of sort of know how I am going to get there. I now have a much better understanding of who I am, and what I am about because I took the time to get to know myself rather then get to know someone else or turn myself into something I didn't really want to be. A funny thing happens when you take time for yourself too... everything else around you seems to be a little bit easier! My job is no longer quite as emotionally exhausting, some of my other personal relationships with people have fallen into place, mundane life chores and errands really do not seem so bad anymore. It is just funny how all those things seems to work themselves out.

This list could go on forever, I can guarantee that but I think that is truly because I have made such a decision to be so happy with my life no matter what is happening! I am not perfect, I will have bad days and that is okay! But I mean... I made my life what it is, so I am going to enjoy all of the minutes of it! 

I hope you were able to share some laughs with me, and for those who are in a position to relate - I hope that you did! For those who are not single, I hope you were able to take something from this, whatever that may be! 

Till next time, be well! I am off to go flirt with some boys.

It's 2014.

I find myself browsing through some of my old posts and I realize just how long it has been since the last time I posted something... I have found that lately I have been starting countless posts but not being able to finish them. I truly hope that in the New Year I will be able to share my life and experiences with everyone that much more.

Speaking of life, I thought it was appropriate to share what I am hoping for this coming year!

2013 was not one of the greatest years of my life, I think that I could go as far as saying that it was one of the most emotionally taxing and heartbreaking years of my life but I would like to turn these experiences into something of a positive nature because, I have also learned that it is useless to dwell on such sad experiences. The reality is, they teach us something - sometimes they teach us a lesson that we have no desire to learn (but fate as this funny way of knowing what we need as opposed to what we want) but they also have a tendency to teach us things we didn't know about ourselves but truly wanted to know!

I hope that this coming year teaches me more about myself as an individual, 2013 taught me that I am stronger, more independent and far more resilient than I ever thought I could be. At the beginning of the year my heart was shattered and at the time (even the couple of months following) I didn't think that I would ever be able to recover from something like that. Here I am today though, recently single again, handling it much better then I ever thought I would. Don't get my wrong, being passed up on or being broken up with is still heart wrenching and everyone should take the time to work through their feelings and emotions the proper way but I am still living! I know now that I do not need to rely on any other human to make me complete and the reality is that I need to be complete on my own before I can allow another soul to bond with mine (that makes me sound like a yogi)!

My plan for this year also has me venturing even further into the world of art, the last couple of months I have done more painting and more drawing and more art then I have in the past couple of years and it has felt amazing! I know this is my calling, and I know that I am required to use the natural talent that I possess along with the skills that I have worked hard on to share a message, my message, with the rest of the world. I hope to have my work shown in a couple of local spots this year, and sell as much of my work as possible! This means a new website is on the way, and expect to see a lot more art posts flood this blog page!

I have moved again, back in with my old rookie Sarah and I think it is safe to say that this has been a long time coming for the both of us and so far everything has been delightful. We are still getting a little bit settled in since we are both busy with work and life it is something that hasn't been a quick process, but we are both happy and both at a point of being comfortable in a house filled with love, creativity, and respect for one another. I am excited for our relationship to become even more stronger then it has been in the past as I have the opportunity to learn from Sarah and I hope that she is able to learn from me as well! Speaking of relationships, this year has been a great one for friendships in general. It is funny how when a romantic relationship ends it is able to open doors to a friendship stronger then one you could imagine. I hope this year that I am able to become closer to those around me, there are no more road blocks to friendships in my life and I am able to throw everything I have into my love of those around me and the things that I love to do.

Again, this year is going to be another year of personal growth for me. I will no longer put myself into positions of heartbreak but growth. I will no longer belittle my beliefs and my virtues because it would better a situation. I will learn to become even more independent, both in and out of relationships. I will begin to treat everyone I encounter with the utmost respect since that is what I would expect from everyone else. I will finish the projects that I start, and I will share my excitement for all of the things that I do!

My wish for everyone else is that their year is the greatest one that they cold ever imagine, or even greater. Remember to take time for yourself, take time to honour your passions and fulfill even the smallest of dreams. Do not compare yourself to others, because there is no scale to compare two separate beings. Love to the fullest, and love in entirety. Cherish the moments in which you find the greatest amount of contentment, and the more stock you put in needing to be "the best" the more disappointment you allow yourself. Strive to be "your best" and when you find someone who may be better then you, celebrate them and learn from them. Begin to search within yourself and learn who you are and who you want to portray yourself as to the rest of the world, in that you will find a sense of peace.

Be well, happy 2014!

Giving Thanks

It's that time of year again where everyone begins to think about all the things they are thankful for, and I myself do this as well! So it got me to thinking, why don't we stay thankful all year long? Why is it so hard for us to acknowledge all the things we are thankful for year round? Why do we have to reserve gratefulness for one weekend (or two for those who celebrate Canadian and American Thanksgiving)? It seems as though this is a question that is asked every year... and every year we vow to change our ways...

Rant over!

I wanted to share with everyone some of the things I am the most grateful for this year. So of them may be slightly trivial, but some of them are a little bit more deep rooted. However, I think it is a healthy balance of small and large things that make life worth living and make you a well rounded person!

1. A closet full of fall clothing! I am a very candid autumn lover, and I will talk about all my appropriate clothing to pretty much anyone who will listen! I can finally break out the leggings, the oversized sweaters, the scarves, mittens, hates, and autumn dresses! It makes me happier then I can explain to anyone! Mustard yellows, burgundy, grey, and brown (Ohhhhh the brown boots!) My love affair for fall will never dwindle, I promise you all that!

2. A solid support system. The last year has been one of the hardest of my life, but the amazing group of friends that I have did not leave my side for one minute. They waited as I went through the motions and they waited to be the shoulder to cry when I needed it, and they were there to share in my angriest of moments. Most importantly, they were there to celebrate, laugh, and joke with me when I was ready again. I couldn't ask for a more amazing group of people, and I love them all!

3. Those moments where you have small breakthroughs with people. When you are able to break through to a new and different part of your relationship then you have never experienced before. Those moments where you realize that you will be friends with this person and they will remain an important part of your life for years and years to come.

4. Ryan Gosling... I have no words.

5. Avocados! I eat one everyday and there is no shame in that!

6. The moment in an amazing book that you finally figure out what is happening, and it all makes sense.

7. Finishing a painting, sitting back and realizing that you created this. Right down to the minute details you made this, and you love it!

8. Waking up just a couple of minutes before your alarm goes off but you still feel utterly refreshed so you are able to just lay in your warm bed and enjoy the gift of time you have... even if it is just a few short moments.

9. Corbin! He's just so lovely. Most handsome kitten on the block!

10. My newfound enlightenment in regards to what I want and what I need in a relationship! I have finally figured out what is important to me and I will no longer back down and just let things be. I've come to the realization that I am actually a girl, I have feelings and while sometimes they do tend to be a little irrational they are still my feelings and they are likely very warranted. I have learned to accept that I need to be chased, need to be told that I am beautiful, and need to feel that I am wanted. I no longer try to convince myself that I don't need that, that I am better then that, and that intelligent secure women do not need that kind of reinforcement in their lives. Fact of the matter is, every girl likes that feeling! Every girl deserve to hear that she is beautiful, she deserves flowers, she deserves some guy looking through her eyes and into her heart, she deserves someone who embraces her whole world when he holds her hand. I am still strong, independent, intelligent and awesome... I just want to be treated a little bit like a lady!

While I really could go on and talk about countless other things that I am thankful for, I should let it be for now!

Please, share with me what you are the most thankful for! Also, have a safe and amazing Thanksgiving weekend (remember, it isn't ALL about the size of the turkey).

Be well.

Acorn Squash Soup

At the beginning of the week I decided that I needed to roast a squash, and when I say needed I really mean that! At the moment I cut it, seasoned it, and put it in the oven I really truly felt that I needed to be doing it! Believe me guys, this happens more often then you would think!

The problem was, that I was not sure what I would do with my finished product! So I packaged it up, and threw it in the fridge until I knew what I wanted to create with it. 

Throughout the week the weather became amazing, and by amazing I mean that fall officially hit! I was foggy in the morning, we had a couple days of rain and the temperature is slowly dropping. As much as I love this weather it was leaving me craving food that would warm me to my bones! Obviously pumpkin everything was the most logical thing to do, but I needed to branch out (and use up that tasty squash that I had sitting in the fridge). So, on a particularly chilly night when I was off work late, starving, and oh so cold I felt like it was time to whip this squash into some amazing heart warming soup.

For this soup I used a medium sized acorn squash, since it was what I had in my fridge, but I am certain you would be able to use butternut or even pumpkin! Whatever is plentiful in your home at any given moment in time. 

First off, I sliced up and the squashed and removed all the seeds. Then I drizzled some olive oil, and sprinkled on some Italian Style seasoning and a bit of pepper then baked them in the over for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Keep checking on them, and when they are fork tender and it looks like you could separate the skin from flesh they are done!!

From this point on, this is what you will need:

- the squash you have roasted

- a small onion, chopped

- couple stalks of celery chopped

- three cloves of garlic, crushed

- 2 tbsp of olive oil

- 1 can of coconut milk

- 2 cups of vegetable broth

- 1 1/2 cups of frozen peas

- crushed red pepper, to taste
- sriacha, to taste

Whatcha you should do now:

1. Get your lovely boyfriend to peel the skins off the squash and put all of the flesh into a blender while you chop the vegetables and sauté the garlic, onion and olive oil together, on medium heat until tender. Turn element to low.

2. Add the can of coconut milk to the frying pan and gently heat through. Then add the coconut milk mixture to the blender and blend until the squash is a smoothish consistency.

3. Put it all back into the frying pan, add the spices, and the vegetable broth until your desired consistency is reached. Add in frozen peas and heat till warmed through again!

That should be all! Be prepared to enjoy some amazing and delicious soup! (Jonathan really seemed to enjoy it, so I can assume it was good!)

Blogging with a kitten is a way different process!

As many of you lovelies already know, there has been a new addition made to our little household! His name is Corbin, and he is a sweet little ginger kitten. 

I thought now would be an excellent time to share his story so everyone knows how he came into my life!

As most things in my life it began with a simple text message from a friend of mine; in a small panic she asked if I would mind keeping a couple kittens in my bathroom overnight so that they would not be taken to the SPCA by an unpleasant man that will remain nameless. However, we ran into the small problem of me not being back in the city from my vacation yet. So, I suggested that she contact my younger brother to get the keys to our apartment and she would be able to let herself in and situate the kittens safely in the washroom! TimTam agreed (although he was not made aware of a number of the details until I had pressured him to agree)! 

The next day I arrived home in the early evening and promptly rushed to my bathroom, since I was very aware that there was still four kittens playing amongst themselves! I opened the door and immediately died of a cuteness overload! In front of my eyes there were four tiny adorable (and somewhat frightened) little babies trying to figure out why their lives were being uprooted. Admittedly, I sat in my washroom playing with them all for almost an hour! Sending text messages back and forth to my friend who was very concerned that she was inconveniencing me with this litter! She was most definitely the furthest thing from right about that! I was in love with the fact that I had all of these bundles of love under my roof!

After a couple of hours I grew quite attached to them all, but knowing full well I could not keep all of them I focused my attention on one specifically. He seemed to have a much more calm demeanour about him, and was content to watch his brothers and sister play for the most part and only chose to join in when he saw the moment to be fitting. It was clear he would much rather cuddle with someone and enjoy chasing his own tail (how could you not be enamoured with such a kitty)!

Eventually the kittens had to be brought back to their own home where they were comfortable and a small five year old was eagerly waiting, so my friend swung by to pick them up. I slyly asked how upsetting the family would be if I was to keep one of the kittens for my own benefit! With the most sincere thank you I have ever received it was agreed that I would keep the baby boy I fell so in love with! We chased the rest of the kittens around the house trying to catch them and I bid the other three goodbye while clutching my kitten! 

Next came the process of naming my new friend! I knew in my heart that he needed something beginning with 'C' because on either side of his body he has somewhat of an abstract 'C' in his fur! We began to narrow down the possibilities, quickly phasing out names such as Clemence and Cory etc! I was also shot down pretty quickly when I suggested a strong name such as Colonel Fluffster Mc Cutepants (or something equally as degrading). Eventually TimTam and I agreed Corbin fit nicely, especially since I feel that all animals need some sort of adorable human name! 

The next couple of nights were unbelievable and rough, it turns out that having a new kitten is pretty comparable to having a child! I was up all night with him while he cried for his brothers, sister and mum and I spent a greater part of the next couple of days trying to comfort him and help him get used to his new surroundings! However, it has been a couple weeks now and he has settled in very comfortably! 

I cannot explain the amount of love that I get from him everyday! To cuddling with me when I go to sleep, to a very excited greeting when I get home from work! He is always there to fall asleep on my face, or play with my toes while I watch tv! He even sits with me to watch me as I paint and will attempt to type while I blog or text! 

Call me a crazy cat lady if you must, but this little guy is pretty much the greatest and I will use any excuse to talk about him! He is exactly what I was looking for and he fills the void in my heart that Freddy used to fill for me! Even TimTam and Corbin have created a small bromance!

I am not even slightly sorry that there is an obscene amount of cat spam here, he's just the more adorable fluff ball!

Be Well!

Dairy-free Alfredo that will leave you loving life.

I posted this on my Instagram not to long ago, and I was flooded with a number of text messages afterwards asking for the recipe (probably because I raved about it hard to anyone who would listen). So, as promised and in timely manner (pahaha, just kidding) here it is! 

Keep in mind this makes about 2 cups of sauce once it is finished, and about half is sitting in my fridge and has been for about a 5 days... thus far unscathed! I really don't know how long it will keep but I think I am going to use the remainder in a soup this afternoon. I will let you know how that goes.

Ingredients:

1 can of full fat (much to my dismay) of coconut milk

1/2 cup of nutritional yeast (this adds the 'cheesy' flavour - look for it in organic markets such as Planet Organic)

handful of fresh sweet basil (or a tsp-ish of dried basil)

clove of garlic, crushed

salt & pepper to taste (I added a lot of pepper, and it was a good choice)

Combine everything into a food processor or a blender and blend until everything is smooth and combined. No joke, that is it!

To eat it hot, just warm on the stove top for a few minutes! I poured mine of a bit of cooked pasta and a ton of zucchini pasta and PURPLE CAULIFLOWER! I steamed the cauliflower, but I left the zucchini raw, if it is sliced as thinly as I sliced mine it will cook a little bit when it is combined with the hot pasta, vegetables and sauce! 

Also, keep this in mind. I love basil so I did add a lot to mine, so if you are not as much of a basil lover start with half the amount and add to taste! If you choose to consume cheese, you could probably add a little bit when you are heating it up, that could be delicious! 

I made sure that everyone I came into contact with over the next couple days after making this the first time heard about how much I loved it! I went as far as to share bites of it with all my coworkers, I did not hear any complaints from their end! 

Be well.

Becki