home sweet home (have I used that before?)

So... I'm home! Well, actually I was home yesterday... but the Van Ride Of Death (yes, captials definitely necessary) murdered my brain cells with a hatchet, so I was unable to do anything other than flop into bed. (Actually, that's a lie. I cleaned my room, because the dust bunnies were beginning to come to life and hop around and I was worried that one might leap right into my nose.)

As for the VROD (that sounds appropriately ominous, doesn't it?)... thank goodness I had my cellphone, because it enabled me to complain appropriately to as many friends as I could about how awful of a time it was. Let's just say it involved mass singing, false British accents, and more air-conditioning than seemed strictly necessary. (Fact: in a van full of girls, there's always someone who's too hot or too cold. There is also, much to our male coach's chagrin, someone who has to pee every five minutes... that was generally me...)

Moving on, though, before I stew too much- better to block it out of my memory altogether. On to happier things... such as, the mad skillz of the girls playing. I was seriously impressed. YOU GO, GIRLS! (So probably none of you will ever read my blog, or know who I am if you do... whatever, just pretend this applies to you, because you're awesome.)

And okay. Admiring the local boys was pretty fun too. (For a town that sketchy, they were quite comely. See how I'm practicing my vocabulary still?) One of the schools we visited to watch a game at (that sentence seems ungrammatical, but it's almost bedtime and changing it seems like too much effort) had the most gorgeous uniforms, though... why is it that we get polo shirts, and they get to look like classy flight attendants? (Life is not fair.)

Best part though? The boys had ties.

LOVE.

This is why it's a good thing that I go to a small school. (Aside from the obvious fact that I wouldn't even be on the basketball team otherwise!) Were I to attend a larger institution (doesn't that sound lovely and prison-like?) I would probably be distracted by the comeliness of the opposite sex and not recieve the stellar scholar results that I do (see, such modesty, too!).

However, our coach (who grew up here) warned us to not even make eye contact with any of the boys... and not to stay out too late at night (in our thrilling expeditions to the grocery store to buy fruit!). I think that speaks volumes for the sketch quotient of the town. (I suppose that's why the girls got to have cute uniforms- have to make up somehow.)

Anyway. I'm home. Sitting in my own bed. Life is good.

How was your weekend?

hotel room blues

The problem with school trips: the conversation always somehow turns to boys, and experience thereof... and since I have nothing to share in that department, I turn into the girl sitting in the corner reading the newspaper. (Not that I dislike the newspaper... but really, there are cooler things to do.)

Still. We have arrived at our destination! Escape from the dreaded van! (Really, 12-seater vans are NOT meant for 12 people. I'm currently as flat as a sardine-flavoured pancake.) I am slightly deafened by the noise of girls singing along to "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"... Ahhhhh, team bonding. (At least I have hotel Wi-Fi, because it means that I can share all my excitement with you! The joys of modern technology; making it possible for the world to be bored together!)

Also: the hotel has a waffle maker. How cool is that? (I might be sleeping on a freezing cold air mattress, but where there is hot chocolate and waffles, there cannot be too much sorrow.)

 However, I just finished my newspaper...major sadface. Anyone have any exciting hotel room suggestions?

my opinions (something I don't suck at)

Two lists in one posts... I truly am blessed. (You might be slightly less excited but muahahaha, it's my blog!)

THINGS I SUCK AT
1. Braids. (Admittedly, this is partially because my hair is so fine that whenever I braid it, it looks like a rat-tail. So maybe I just suck at wearing braids?)

2. Stopping myself from eating sweets. (Aka, I ate half a bag of licorice allsorts yesterday. Why are they so good?)

3. Sleeping in. (The latest I've ever slept in my life was 8:30 am. No joke.)

4. Staying up late. (I am always the one who falls asleep and misses out on all the late-night craziness. Sigh.)

5. Not sharing my opinion. (I think something about everything. This is not always a good thing. That being said, it is my opinion that I used 'thing' too often in that sentence... hmmm)

6. Sticking to things. (Witness my several unfinished stories and the length of time since I last played guitar.)

7. Remembering things while I write lists. (Seriously, as soon as I post this I'll probably think of seven more items, but it will be TOO LATE!)
MY OPINIONS
1. Licorice allsorts are the most addicting and wonderful type of candy. (Witness point 2 earlier.)

2. Moist is an extremely disgusting word. (Just... ew, I don't even like thinking it.)

3. Vampire Diaries is the best show currently on television. (I SOBBED MY HEART OUT the last episode. OMG it was the saddest thing ever.)

4. People shouldn't text you if they don't intend to text back at some point. (I HATE this. I mean, really, if you're going to text me, I will reply and I expect there to be some kind of reciprocity. And no, I don't mean LOL. That is not actually an answer.)

5. October is too early to put Christmas decorations in stores. (Whoa, hold your horses! Halloween isn't even passed yet.)

6. Dressing up is fun and shouldn't need an occasion. (I would be one happy girl if I could wear splendourous dresses every day.)

7. There is no such thing as too much glitter. (Yay bling!)

8. "Example" should be shortened as "ex" and not "e.g.". (Eg just looks like you're trying to write 'egg' and forgot a g. It's silly. I think that in this case French is definitely correct.)

Both of these linkups are over here at lalalists! (Just in case you want to go read more lists or read some yourself!)

Also... try not to cry, but I'll be away for a few days. Remember the basketball tournament I mentioned here? Well, I leave Wednesday morning! (This means several days of agony while I ensure that my luggage contains all the necessaries... ok, and maybe a few extra shirts, just because. Although honestly, so far it contains more food than anything else... what can I say, road trips= snacks. ) I'll be sure to update you all on our progress (who knows, we might even win! Miracles have happened) when I return... until then, have a lovely week and enjoy the falling leaves.

words I should use more often

Do you ever have the feeling that you repeat the same words over and over again? I know plenty of delicious words, but the ones I use on a daily basis are pretty much the same. So, I made a list (yay lists!) of words I'd like to bring up more in conversation! (The one problem with this is that I will probably end up confusing my entire class whenever I open my mouth... I suppose that happens all the time anyway, so it's all good.) 

Hapless... funny how you can't say 'hapful' or use simply 'hap'... isn't the English language great. But seriously, I enjoy the image this word conjures up; it just seems so distressed.

Facetious... Physics Boy uses this one all the time and it just sounds so much more sophisticated than plain old 'sarcastic' or 'joking'. 

Mishap... because saying "I had a slight mishap with the floor' sounds much better than "I tripped and fell on my face." 

Splendour... so elegant, and because I say 'beauty' far too often. (I am very enthusiastic about everything) 

Comely... much more sophisticated than 'OMG HE'S SO HOT!' (Speaking of, there were three attractive boys plus a man who looked like Rory from Doctor Who crossed with Nick from New Girl sighted at work today... and yet none of them went through my cash. Just my luck.) 

Desultory... because it sounds better than 'lazy'... If I use this one, people might think I'm actually busy! 

Defenestrate... just because it sounds slightly kinky. (But really only means 'to throw out a window'.)

As you can see, my main goal here is to dissemble (another wonderful word) about my life and make myself seem like less of an idiot. (Hey, at least I'm being honest!) Are there any words you'd like to use more? Or that you use every day?

vérités de la vie

aka life truths... with my French twist. (I have to insert a little bit of French somewhere... I don't want to break the school's heart. And why yes, inanimate objects most definitely have hearts.)

-If you need to surrepticiously eat a snack (aka during class, not that I ever do this, cough cough), you will have brought something like apples or carrots.

-Plus, because you need to eat it quietly, the sound will be magnified a thousand times. (This is also true for wrappers.)

-There are two types of knee sock monsters. One steals socks and builds his nest with them so that you can never find them again; the other puts the mismatched remaining socks in pairs so that you show up at school with two completely different socks.

-The day you decide to put your hair in a messy bun and not wear makeup will either be a) picture day, b) the day all the other girls decide to look good (somehow without informing you; I suspect a plot) or c) the day you're supposed to be on a trip with a chance to see cute boys (and, because you are not groomed, they will appear).

-If you are not in class a full five minutes before the bell, you look like a slacker because everyone else will be.

-One side of the school will be a sauna: so hot that you have to take your tights off in the middle of class and just hope you're not flashing the people sitting behind you. The other side will be a freezer: so cold you have to wear a winter coat, a blanket and two hoodies in order to avoid becoming an icicle. (To be completely honest... both of these happened yesterday.)

To finish, this video... is kind of my life.

Except for two key differences:
1- we sing O Canada. Every morning. Except it's more like standing awkwardly and shooting glances at each other like 'why are we hereee?" because no one actually sings.

2- I don't bring notes to leave. I just disappear, and when asked for a valid reason smile and say that I was working on yearbook. (Works every time. This is probaly because enough people have witnessed my hallway meltdowns and are now too scared to confront me... SUCCESS.)

Any of this seem familiar?

Linking up here!

currently...

For whatever reason, I am super excited to write a post of this type. (I suspect it is because I am super tired, and talking about myself requires little to no effort... I am a constant font of wisdom, or maybe just made-up words.)

Reading: Cotillion, by Georgette Heyer. This book (like most of Mrs. Heyer's, actually) is like chocolate: a comfort read. I can be near tears... read... then still be near tears, but from laughing. (I think I mention this whenever I talk about a book I'm reading- rest assured not everything I read is funny, but I do dearly love to laugh. Yay for random Jane Austen references!)

Watching:...New Girl. Yes. Still. Repeatedly. Also, The Mindy Project! (Has anyone ever heard of this? It's in a similar wacky-girl vein.) However, I couldn't find this week's online... I think that the presidential candiate debate played instead. -sadface- How dare politics interfere with my TV watching? Obviously I need to find some Canadian programs to watch, seeing as our elections are so short that one week it's like, oh, there's an election and the next day it's like, oh, wait, we're voting today...

Working On: scholarship applications! Yay money! (Or maybe just hard work for nothing. Who knows. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for CASH!) Blah. If any of you feel like sending me cheques for my wonderful blogging skillz, please let me know.

Thinking About: the fact that 'retardis' should really be a word: someone who is dumber on the inside than they look on the outside. (Doctor Who, anyone?) Also, the fact that The Lizzie Bennet Diaries are soon nearing a scene that I think Darcy will appear in. Does that make sense? I'm trying not to be too obvious for fear of SPOILERS! (Which, in case you didn't know, is also a Doctor Who reference.) (I know, I know, crazy fangirl alert.)

Listening To: Taylor Swift's latest release (OMG her album comes out on Monday! Excitement central!) as well as some Owl City (this song is so adorably stalker-ish... and no, I didn't think I'd ever say that either) and a... boyfriend checklist song? (It is positively darling, and I can picture myself singing this to someone.)

Eating: nothing... but I want pumpkin. I saw this recipe for pumpkin cinnamon streusel cake and I want it... but I am lazy and so I am not cooking. (I am fully one of those people who bookmarks 500 recipes and eventually makes 3 in a year.) While I'm at it, I also want every single one of these cupcakes because I can't pick which one looks best. (Yes. I will one day become a hippo.)

Tea would also be lovely  (after reading this mouthwatering post by Em) because tea is just THE BOMB. (Side note: is that cool? I keep reading 'cray' and 'cray cray' everywhere for 'crazy'. Is that the new hip thing now? Is hip even in? As a teenage girl, aren't I supposed to know these things? I'M SUCH A LOSER.) However, it is late at night (read: after eight, oh my) and so I will resist temptation... sigh.

Anticipating: my basketball tournament! We leave next Wednesday... I just realised that yesterday, and was like OMG I NEED TO PACK. (Yes. I have a week. That's not really a lot of time when you look at the size of my closet. Plus, I have to bring several different outfits because I will probably be sweaty... gorgeous, I know.)

Wishing: that I did not have to work. (Whine, whine.)  I know. I should be grateful, and I am... especially when I hear the horror stories from friends (example: the girl who works in the deli and has to empty chicken grease into a gigantic vat... all together now, EWWW) or think about how much shopping money I have. (Shallow, yes. Exciting, even more so!) Ah well, keep calm and write blog posts, right?

Not gonna lie: I had a ton of fun writing this post. (Hopefully it wasn't too boring!) What about you? How is your week going?

fashionable endeavors

Last night (and yes, this did require me to stay up late... like, past 11. I nearly died) I went to go see a fashion show! (And yes, I mean an actual fashion show with designers and models... not just my friends and I in my basement. Although that would be fun, they rarely consent to participating... WHY?)

I blogged about last season's here (cause you know, I'm such a seasoned fashion blogger, who goes to all these huge shows...) and I am pleased to say that this time, there were no hair emergencies! (Plus, there was actual colour, aka I was not the sole person dressed in something other than black.)

We even had a stroke of luck: the people who were supposed to sit in the front row in front of us... never showed up. (How can you not show up for the front row of a fashion show? What is wrong with you?) Therefore, we (with our ninja skillz) managed to steal them!

So, without further ado, here are my 300 photos... haha, no worries, most of them are blurry. Sob. Here are the best ones! (..and they're not great either. I apologise for that blinding ball of light behind the models' heads.)

FIERCE. I need to learn how to model-walk. 

I am a sucker for bows. Plus leopard print... it just works.

I love this dress. Prom, anyone? (Also, this girl was 6ft5. That's more than a foot taller than me. PLUS she was wearing heels... WHAT.)

This outfit reminded me of something Mr. Darcy would wear! 

This dress was so darling! I loved the little bow. 

I apologize for the blurriness... but I just loved how she flared her skirt!

Doesn't she look like a princess? (This collection was actually meant as a homage to Grace Kelly, so it definitely worked.) 

What did you think? Did you like any of these? 

what we do in religion class

Let's just say that, when the teacher's away, the students play... Or, in our case, create extremely (I don't even know what word to insert here) photos of what our future children would look like.

You're welcome for the SEXY.

universally acknowledged truth

This.

(Confession: this post was originally meant to be about random facts... then I started writing about tea... and I was unable to stop. I blame YOU, Jesse. And I'm at school, with no near kettle... sob sob.) Really, there is nothing that tea cannot heal. It's just happy-making. (And whoever said that adding hyphens to make new words is not valid is a LIAR.) 

So, for a lovely Friday... I thought I'd talk about my favourite kinds of tea!

1) Actually, the tea-makes-everything-better fact is a lie. (Sorry.) Tea cannot heal not having tea... because then you don't have any. (Logic: Zia's strong suit, right?) I'm almost out of my Ice Cream Cake type from David's Tea... Heartbreak is imminent.

Honestly, how can you NOT want to drink Ice Cream Cake tea? It's like a calorie-free milkshake with Neapolitan ice cream: there are sweet hints of strawberry, vanilla and chocolate all at once. MMMM.

2) My second choice: pumpkin chai, also from David's Tea. 

It's perfect for a rainy day; sweet and cinnamony and, of course, pumpkin-y. (More hyphenated words, yay!) 

3) Let's face it: we all know that clarity is not my strong suit. That's why I drink this tea!

It tastes like blueberries with a hint of spice. Plus... it turns BRIGHT PINK! How can you not want to drink something that's bright pink? 

4) Okay... so you might be starting to see a theme here. David's Tea= love. Dessert teas= love. Strawberry Shortcake? LOVE. 

This is a wonderful summer-afternoon-in-the-air-conditioning tea; light and fruity and sweet. The sad thing is that I have to go visit one of my friends whenever I want this one, because I don't even own it. (I love you, Sophia!) So I'm a mooch. I admit it. 

5) Love hot chocolate, but not the calories? Try this tea.

It's rich, and chocolate-y (hypens again!)... the perfect treat for a snowy winter day after a hike. (Ok, so I have not tea-sted that theory out yet, but I'm sure it would be! This is actually another one owned only by a friend... love you too, Kori!

Yet another universal realisation:  I could buy it online... my life is complete. (Some people online shop for clothes. I online shop for teas. Cool kid here!) However, while browsing their site, I realised that another of my favourites (English Toffee, it literally tastes like caramel candy!) has been discontinued... and that I couldn't find this one either. (So really, this realisation was pointless.) How could they do this to meeee?

Sob. 

Okay, I'll go sample some different teas later and I will feel better. (Universally awesome, in fact.) 

Happy Friday!(Linking up for High-Five For Friday here!) (And Alpha-Thursday here!) Do you like tea? What are your recommendations? 

party timeeee!

Our basketball team actually won a game today! For the first time in two years! -totally dancing around the room- I'm still not altogether certain it wasn't a dream. However... I suppose that, since my dreams are 

either: 

a) full of blood and gore/crazy chainsaws/wasps and mad chase scenes

b) me turning into a mythical creature (some popular choices are unicorn, vampire and princess)

...this thought can perhaps be discounted. (Although there were plenty of bruises- I'm actually having trouble breathing from all the elbows I recieved in the ribs, nose and general face area... and okay, all the falls I took, this being me- there were no serious injuries. Except to the other team's pride. Because losing to us is seriously humiliating; we're known as the 'lame French school who sucks' plus a few choice curse words.) 

Anyway. WE WON! (Maybe if I write it a few more times, I'll start to believe it?) 

Second of all (and perhaps more importantly) I would just like to say: this is my life.

(And see, this is why I play basketball: so I can eat lots of pie. Mhmm. You know it. I'm sure I'm not the only one here.) 

things i'm thankful for

Looking at the blogs I follow, I was like "Wow! There isn't 50 new posts about Thanksgiving! That's so weird!" Then I realised, "Oh yeah. It's only in Canada." So, for those of you who don't know... tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day! (Or is it today? I can never remember whether it's Sunday or Monday...) Anyway, here is a list of everything I am thankful for on this lovely long weekend.

1. This cranberry galette.

(Because of course the first thing I list would be food, right?) It is SO DELICIOUS. Berries + Fruit + Crust= major YUM.

2. The fact that I have a day off Monday. No work, and no school= a chance to wear whatever clothes I want! (Watch me stay in my pyjamas all day...) 

3. This song. 

Somehow I forgot to put it on my playlist... which is bizarre, because for the past few days I've been listening to it on repeat. Have you heard it? Do you like it? 

4. Coffee mixed with chocolate milk. I did this for the first time yesterday, and I cannot believe I hadn't tried this earlier because it is just SO GOOD. 

5. The fact that my cat doesn't usually look like this.

Before I woke him up with my flash, he was actually sleeping like this. How is that possible? 

Seriously. He looks like a psycho serial killer. I don't think I'd be able to sleep if he looked like this all the time.

6. Pumpkin anything. (I know, more food. What can I say, I have a one-track mind.) Pie, oatmeal, coffee... really, I don't think there's anything it's bad in!

7. PITCH PERFECT!

I went to go see this on Friday with a gaggle of friends and it was SO FUNNY. You know how some trailers make you laugh, then you go see the movie and they used up everything good in the trailer? Well, this one wasn't like that at all; there was still plenty of other hilarious scenes! (And as usual, we were the loud annoying ones. I think it's just fate.) 

8. The fact that I actually HAVE IDEAS FOR BLOG POSTS! After my complaining that nothing exciting was going on, I have actually had fun recently... so yay!

9. My friends. 

Whether we're at the park (because we're children like that, no big deal)...

Being fashion analysts (because that sounds much cooler than plain old 'shopping')...

Or loitering in stores and laughing at their items (yes, this is different than shopping)... We always have a great time. 

10. My followers! I'm really thankful whenever all of you read and comment on my posts... it makes me feel loved. (Awww moment. Okay, maybe I'm just 'aw-ing' to myself... but still.) So thank you. 

What are a few things you're thankful for? (Because it's always nice to think about, even if your Thanksgiving isn't now!) 

the melody of falling leaves

...yeah, after these past few titles I think it's easy enough to tell that I love fall. I love the rich, vibrant reds, oranges and yellows... the crunch of leaves underfoot... the tiny chill in the air.... it's times like these that I feel truly lucky to live in Canada. (Just don't ask me when it's 20 below and my nose is dropping off.) Plus, today is Friday... so that's just a little extra boost. (Really all that means to me right now is that I work for two days straight... but whatever, I still haven't gotten out of the habit of excitement.)

So, to celebrate this lovely day, I decided to put together a playlist! (I'm currently at school, so I can't put up links... I'll do it as soon as I have a computer where Youtube isn't illegal.)

1. Red- Taylor Swift (What better way to start a fall playlist than with a song called Red?)

2. Seven Nation Army- The White Stripes (For some reason the boys at my school are obsessed with the guitar in this song, so listening to them play it, I've loved it for a while without ever knowing what it was called. In case this is your current situation, I'm sharing it!)

3. Black and Blue- Ingrid Michaelson (I sing these lyrics all the time. They just get stuck in my head... but they sound so sarcastic and, well... "Everybody knows that I'm a mess" is pretty accurate.)

4. This Kiss- Carly Rae Jepsen (Some nice pump-up music!)

5. Be Like You- Ed Sheeran (This song manages to sound both cheerful and melancholy at once. It's one of those songs that you're just tempted to sing to someone... or maybe that's just me.)

6. Hardest of Hearts- Florence + The Machine (They are, after Stars, my favourite band... she has such a gorgeous and powerful voice, and all the lyrics are so poetic.)

7. Ribbons- Ingrid Michaelson (I love the lyrics in this song too.. they're so full of imagery.)

8. Relax My Beloved- Alex Clare (This song makes my spine crawl. The combination of his voice and the dubstep-y music... mmmm.)

9. Turn Me Up- Carly Rae Jepsen (Looking at this and the other Carly Rae Jepsen song, I realise they don't fit with the tone of the rest of the playlist... but I like them, so I'll just ignore that fact! I suppose fall does have some 'heart-pumping' moments... like when you're on a Halloween ride and the guy with the chainsaw jumps out, OMG.)

10. Begin Again- Taylor Swift (This song is so sweet and soft... like a lullaby.)

11. Firefly- Ed Sheeran (This song also seems very 'fall' to me. I can just picture the fireflies winking through the dusk, fluttering through the leaves...)

And there we are! This is what I've been listening to lately. Do you like any of these artists? Do you have any suggestions for me? ...and even if you hated it, I'll wish you a happy Friday!

excitement takes many different forms

I wanted excitement... and I got it.

(Are you ready for a thrill? Drum rollllll...) Yesterday, I got to go the dentist!

(I bet that's more exciting than you were expecting!) My teeth now feel all squeaky clean...time to go eat some chocolate! However, I also learnt that I soon have to get my wisdom teeth out... so be prepared for chipmunk cheeks.

I felt bad for the hygienist, though... near the end, my mouth was beginning to foam as much as a mutant squirrel with rabies. I did not know it was possible to have so much spit in my poor little mouth. (Ok, so maybe my mouth isn't that small... some might even say I'm a blabbermouth... but still.)

...WAIT A SECOND. Maybe I contracted rabies on my earlier wilderness hike. (That might explain all the foam!) There was some quite dangerous wildlife...

Oops, wait, that was just us. I meant this little guy.

Who knows, maybe he was a poison arrow frog in disguise. Mud can hide a lot of things.

Also... you might be amazed by this but... I did fall over. (I know, it comes as a shock.)

Plus, there was a mysterious pool of water surrounded by a fence... horror movie material, right there. Perhaps it was a pool of biohazardous waste? Or maybe we'll all turn into dinosaurs? The forest did remind me of Jurassic Park... (That would actually be pretty epic.)

Or maybe I just have a lot of spit. Who knows.

(Also, all photos are courtesy of Claire! Go check out her lovely photography blog.)

falling is only a beginning

Before you ask: this title is irrelevent. (I just wanted to write something vaguely poetic that talked about fall... I don't know if I succeeded but at least I tried.) Actually... well, I guess it applies a little bit... because lately I've been in the mood to DANCE! (You know you're a klutz when dancing= falling...)

Yay for Oppa Gangham Style! (You can tell I'm Canadian from the heavenly cup of Tim Hortons in my hand. Yay x2 for coffee!) Who doesn't like crazy dancing in the middle of the street, right? (Honestly, plus the glasses, I probably looked like an alien... but a gorgeous one, of course.) Of course, it's a little less glamourous when one trips over innocent passersby... but let's not speak of that.

...I'm so bored right now, guys. My life consists basically of school: long discussions about whether or not Henry VIII had a son (the answer is yes, no matter what Physics Boy says), trying not to burn off my nose in Chemistry (because somehow I don't think I'd be as cute with a little stub), writing poetry (watch me drown in a pool of angst) and drooling sleepily (SEXY!). I apologise for the lack of posts, but the truth is that I don't have much to post about.

On the plus side, this means that I'm overdue for some excitement... come on, universe, fulfill my wish....and at least I have lovely friends who can comfort me with their beauty.

Plus, let's face it: no matter how down you feel, it's almost guaranteed that a Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate will make you feel a teensy bit better. (The perfect remedy for a Monday.)