shoes and dresses and yoga, oh my!

Good morning dearest ninjas! (Now that I've typed it, that greeting seems a little presumptuous. It's morning now and here, but who am I to say that when you're reading this it'll be morning in your time zone? However, I can't think of anything better to say, so hopefully that's acceptable.) I can't believe I haven't posted in almost a week! I would like to place the blame squarely on the shoulders of exams and work: really, I haven't done anything noteworthy enough to blog about. Nor have I even thought anything interesting. (Sad. So sad.)

However, yesterday... I DROVE to go SHOPPING. (Yes. Caps lock definitely necessary.) The fact that I can drive myself places has yet to lose its thrill... although staring at the road for an hour was less than exciting.

However.. Urban Outfitters. LOVE. It's so self-consciously hipster (and there is no way I'll ever fit into that perception of cool... I have no interest in listening to Pink Floyd, nor am I able to wear beige clothes because I'm too pale. I'm not sure why that's a hipster thing, but all the hipster stores are filled with beige clothes and it's NOT FAIR) that it's almost clichéd... but it's lovely anyway. Just look at this dress! (So Great Gatsby. Sigh.)

Also, kitty ears! (Yes. Crazy cat lady alert... or should I say ear-lert? Hahaha!)

But really, what takes the prize (both for cute and crazy factor) are my new shoes. There is no way you can believe these to be anything less than the most darling creations on Earth. (Look at that wonderful sentence construction. My English teacher would be so impressed.)

Or... this sweater.

-insert photo here- 

It's bulky yet also colourful and fancy. It's the sort of thing I'll reach for when I feel lazy but also want to look good (so, most of my life). (And it's Desigual. LOVE.) Why is there not a real photo, you ask? Because tomorrow... I'm going to make another tea vlog. And I will wear it. And you will all be in awe of its beauty.

(Aka: I want you to watch my vlog, so I'm building suspense. Is it working?)


Following this delightful exercursion, I headed off to hot yoga with Erika. Have any of you ever done hot yoga? What did you think of it? Personally, I thought I might drown in a pool of sweat and humidity. Even just walking into the room made me wonder if I had been transported to the Sahara desert.

I hadn't realised just how tense I was. Every time the instructor mentioned 'loosening your shoulders' I realised I didn't really even have shoulders- more like a steel bar connecting one side to the other. (And don't even get me started on the back bends. Everyone's neck was pressed to the floor and I was just sitting there like... yeah, I can barely turn my head...) However, I definitely felt better after- just the thing to remedy an excess of exams.

...and when I say 'excess', that means I've done one.

I'm off to study for math- joy. Hope you're all having a lovely weekend too! I probably won't be posting much next week either, as exams continue and I work everyday afterwards... my glamourous life. Try not to miss me too much! (Actually, no. Miss me muchly, so that you'll continue needing to read my blog.)

here there be dragons

So, while everyone is busy posting about goals and resolutions... I thought I'd lend a little lightness to the atmostphere by posting about dragons.

Why dragons, you may ask? Well, I've always related to them far more than to those prissy little princesses in fairytales. They're just trying to get along as well as they can, stealing a few sheep here and there (and let's be honest here. Does anyone really like sheep that much? They're just like little balls of fluff. Characters in novels are always mentioning how tough their mutton was. Having a dragon around is far preferable, even if they do all get eaten... that way the poor characters don't have to suffer and lose a few teeth while chewing) when along swoops that pesky knight, trying to attain honour and glory by slaying some innocent creature. (You can probably guess what my feelings on hunting are...)

Thankfully, it seems that, although they remain an endangered species, not all dragons have been extinguished, as I had the pleasure to meet one this weekend!

Really, why would you want to get rid of a creature so sparkly?

(And congratulations random strangers. You're now immortalised on my blog.)

This is exactly why travelling with my parents, down and through random castles, is enjoyable- you never know what you might discover and, while unrealistic, pretending to be a princess as I wander aimlessly is quite fun as well.

While I wasn't meeting mythological creatures...there may also have been even more shopping. Just a teensy bit. (OMG that's such a lie. Just ask my father, who managed to be marvellously patient throughout all the "oh-just-one-more-store"s and "this'll-just-be-ten-minutes-I-swear"'s- love you, Dad!

Oh, and because no weekend of travel is complete without a soundtrack, here's the song currently being overplayed on my iPod:

travelling through the snow

I'm sitting on a hotel room bed in my favourite city while my mother watches Extreme Couponing. The first part of this sentence is exciting; the second, not so much. (What is wrong with these people? It looks like they're preparing for the zombie apocalypse!) Amazingly enough, this time our hotel is not sketchy! (Not yet anyway... we do have one more night. And great, now Maroon 5 is going through my head...)

However, there was a problem. Remember that hotel that had a waffle maker? This one had a pancake maker. (Which do you prefer, dearest ninjas? I can't decide... BOTH!) I waited for like an hour and a half to  use it... before someone finally told me that it wasn't working. (Like seriously, you couldn't have told me this before? You didn't notice my longing looks? The sadness of my life..) (And as usual, I'm talking about food. I definitely have my priorities straight!)

So what are we doing here? Well, so far, there's been a lot of driving. (Round and round... mostly because no one knew where we were going.) There has also been a play. What play, you ask? Are you imagining something Shakespearian? In this case, no. (Although I do love Shakespeare. Except for Othello, because everyone is caught in a morass of stupidity and deserved their deaths. Yes, I am bitter- reading that in my English Literature class might have scarred me for life, much like the time my parents forced me to drink a glass of milk. These moments were both equally awful.)

Omg, I totally forgot what I was writing about. What I was getting to: the play we saw was a spoof of Snow White. Actually, Snow White + James Bond. What could be better? Also, there were cute boys who were dancing to "I'm Sexy and I Know It" in pink velour suits... just the icing on the cake! (Does that sound bizarre? It was legit hilarious.)

Oh, and there has been MAJOR shopping. Haul post coming up soon? I think so! (No more spoilers, though -wink-)

So how has your break been going? (I just realised that some of you are not on break and that question may have caused you to break into tears. If that is the case, I apologise and send you hugs and tea!) (Not the sip I just spit onto my keyboard, though- the Extreme Couponer's husband just said that her pregnancy was making her 'unfit to coupon'. I hadn't realised it was such a sport... If I'm going to keep up all this shopping, maybe I should try this out? New way to exercise!) (Omg, they just said she spent over 10 hours at the store. And is freaking out that she has to spend 56 cents. What's wrong with these people?)

gifts galore

Why staying at home sick is bad? I am absorbed into a vortex of expensive loveliness...AKA Sephora online.

And other random sites, just cause I am a varied person.

Ohmigodcan'teven...

Before I degenerate further into incoherence, I thought I'd share some of my favourite items with you! (Yes, friends and family and random listeners who want to give me presents, I will gladly accept any of these... as in, will do a dance of joy and love you forever.)

OMG sparkles. That is all.

This is the colour set I've been wanting for a while; it seems both summer- and winter-appropriate.

Let's face it: what girl interested in makeup DOESN'T want this palette? So lovely. 

Revlon Ionic Ceramic Pro Stylist: This is actually relevant. (I put the name because frankly, they all look the same...) I need one for university that doesn't take an hour to dry my hair/leave it deadened and dried like spaghetti. (Okay, maybe not quite that dramatic, but still...) (Is it sad that I looked this up on Consumer Reports? Maybe a bit...)(In ANOTHER note, why are they all so expensive?)

OMG. This tea has jellybeans. Can you get any cooler?

The library might have this book... but I have a feeling it's one I could reread, and carry around with me, and just.. LOVE OMG THIS IS SUCH A GOOD BOOK.

Checkmate! (Who needs to play chess when you can have tea?) This just looks scrumptious. Coconut, and the pretty little flowers... mmmm.

...And there's so much more, but let's start with this. (On the plus side, finding all this for myself led me to discover the perfect gifts for a few friends, so I can tell myself I've been productive!)  What's on your wishlist?

hats, glasses and rainbows, oh my!

NEWS FLASH. Today was the first day in a month that I didn't wear:

a) my school uniform (ewwwww)
b) my workout clothes (not the stylish kind you see at lulu lemon, but old shorts that are no longer publically acceptable)
c) my work uniform (should be ditto ew, except the worst part is it's nicer than my school one)
d) pyjamas (don't judge, they're comfy and warm!)

Yes, I am a style queen. (Be impressed.) The outfit I wore today was however, in my opinion, quite adorable... except I was too lazy to take a picture. (...to be completely honest, today I'm posting because I'm procrastinating on English homework. If you feel like giving me ideas for how to write poetry about healthy living, however...) I tried to find a photo online of the actually totally gorgeous dress I was wearing... but when I searched 'Yuki plaid dress' the one picture I found that somewhat ressembled it was this.

So there you go, I'm going to take that as a SIGN FROM THE INTERNETZ that my fashion is still stellar and suggest you do too. Where do I go to show off this outfit? (For the one weekend day in the foreseeable future and rememerable past that I'm not working?) Why, go shopping, of course! 

The sad thing is that I realised that the only thing I ever try on is glasses. Seriously. All the shopping excursions I've been on since I bought my phone (a grand total of... three) involve about fifty photos of glasses, and not much else. (In my defence, there were some pretty cool glasses... it's a good thing I don't actually need them, otherwise I'd probably be broke by now.)  The highlight of today's, however, were definitely one of these three pairs:

1- the plastic kitsch girly-girl... things. Literally, I'm not even sure how to describe these. Why would a store even make them? (No wonder they were on the clearance rack.) Also, yes, be in awe of that sexy face. I don't even know how I did that...

2- the giraffe. These ones reminded me so much of 'my' giraffe hat! I also found them slightly creepy though... like glasses with ears? Something is just wrong...

(I do want this hat now though!

Hats with ears, as you will already know if you've read this, are totally my fave, and what could be more amazing than a beret with ears?)

3- The mustache. After wearing these... I will never feel insecure about my eyebrows again. (The one benefit.)

What are some weird things you've seen while shopping? Are there items you find yourself trying on again and again? I hope you all had a great weekend, and that Monday isn't too painful!

Also... yay for pretty rainbows. Just 'cause I took about fifty pictures and needed to share.

catching up

Good afternoon dearest listeners! (Side note: I always put a salutation, I've realised. Is this necessary? I don't know... it just seems empty without it somehow.) I have returned from my university road trip, and aside from an excessively sore bottom, am none the worse for wear. (A longer post will be dedicated to it later... it was actually super fun as well as being educational, and what's better than that?!)  Until then, here are the photos for the days I missed! (Obviously I am not meant to do challenges like this... it's kind of a fail. Sorry.)

17/18- My happy place and my favourite store

Okay, so I had to combine these two.. because I couldn't decide which place made me happier. (I am a total material girl. I freely admit it.) Sephora: MAKEUP. Indigo: BOOKS. Really, if someone started a store that combined these two things, I would love you forever. (My new life goal? Hmmmm...) Which one do you prefer?

19/20- Outfit/Reflection

I combined these two as well... because you get to see my gorgeous work clothes! (The worst part is the fact that my shirt is more flattering than my uniform shirt... which I return to wearing NEXT WEEK, I might die...) I've been spending quite a lot of time in this glamourous outfit recently, I'm both pleased and saddened to say. Pleased: MONEY! work experience! Saddened: soul-crushing boredom. Ah well, can't have everything, right?

21- Favourite object

lh;ihaef;gfd OMG, this wasn't hard. I am rapidly becoming a total cellphone addict... it's not even funny... the worst part is that I keep thinking I've lost it, then I have a minor heart attack. Case in point: I was talking to my father on it, then thought, wait a second, my phone isn't in my pocket. WHERE IS IT? This persisted for several minutes before I realised... wait, it's in my hand. (In my defence, I had previously spent eight hours in the car. Road trips turn my brain into green, scrambled eggs.)

And Little Amber- not a favourite OBJECT, in case anyone was wondering. He/she is far too alive for that! (He/she even has his/her own post here!)

22- Guilty pleasure

OMG (again... I probably use this acronym far too often) coffee is truly the best. This would be an amazingly  cute photo of me were it not for the random guy walking around in the background... (I mean really, if you're going to photobomb, can't you at least do it in an interesting way? Thanks so much.) What's your guilty pleasure?

why are stores' lighting so weird?

Yesterday, I went on a shopping trip... to Costco! (What an exciting life I lead.) I actually love shopping there- so many super-sized possibilities. (Except my friend refused to push me around in the cart. Come on. I was really looking forward to that part...) Coffee! Vitamins! (Because they're just so thrilling. Who doesn't love their over-sugary, slightly goodness? Although it could be worse... I could have to continue taking iron, which is similar to drinking a spoon. Gag.) And best of all... protein bars. I am now stocked for the rest of the year!

...Hahaha I wish, watch me eat them all by the end of summer. (Or maybe the end of the month...) The one problem with buying such big boxes is that I then eat everything really quickly and turn into a  slug.

Maybe that should be my latest job possibility? (There must be some poor school somewhere whose mascot is a slug. After all, ours is an eel...) I took another career test (I know, I know, why do I keep putting myself through this pain?) and some of my top results were:

1. Model. (The aforementioned resemblance to a slug would quickly put an end to that. Plus, I'm SHORT.)

2. Professional athlete. (You can tell they've never read this blog- I've already lamented quite a bit about my lack of coordination. I'd also like to mention that, the other day, I kneed myself in the face while exercising... again, no.)

3. Infantry soldier. (This was there last time too! What's up with that? Do they not know that I scream at earwigs? Whatever it says, I'm pretty sure that "Major Wimp" is not a good personality trait for soldiers.)

Although really, all of this is rendered moot because... I HAVE A JOB!!!

(Yes, the three exclamation marks were totally necessary.) Starting next week, I will be entering the wondrous world of employment. It's definitely not my dream job (my top requirement is that I be allowed to wear glamorous clothes, and make enough money to buy them without starving) but hey, it's experience. Thank you all for the good wishes!

cute little cats

Cats are just cute. It's a basic fact of life. So... when I saw this hoodie... I had to buy it. (Confession: I have wanted an animal ears hoodie for over a year. See: reasons why people think I am twelve.)

Also... watch this and tell me it isn't the cutest thing you've ever seen. Go on, I dare you.

Happy Wednesday! Hope this helped sustain you until the end of the week.

Oh, and I joined a wonderful linkup over at Jenny Matlock's blog! Go check it out here if you're interested, she posts plenty of Cute and Comforting posts!

one of the reasons i can't wait to move out

There are a few advantages of living in a small town (...I'll get back to you on what they are) but shopping? Definitely not one of them. The other day, my friend Kori (over at The Musings of an Awkward Panda) and I went to the mall, hoping to discover some exciting finds.

Why we expected this, I have no idea.

We have a security guard at McDonald's and a hurricane simulator (pay two dollars to mess up your hair! Yay!) but we don't even have a photobooth. (We also have security guards around random piles of rocks in the countryside, so go figure.) What kind of mall doesn't have a photobooth? (Probably the same one that keeps a 'Now Open' sign on for six years after its actual opening...)

After that initial disappointment, we decided to simply wander around the stores, a process that took about fifteen minutes since there's only really three. (Unless you count the sketchy restaurant where people find chunks of metal in their food...) However, in the last store, we saw something that made the entire trip worth it.

Isn't this gorgeous? Apparently someone saw an old garbage bag, decided to paint it fluorescent orange, and put a price tag on it! For only eight dollars plus tax, it could be yours forever!

Oh, and the worst part? I went back the other day, and it was gone. Yes, you read that correctly- someone actually bought this monstrosity.

There are no words.

it's a rich girl's world

Peer out from behind a thick, leafy shelf. You have to tread carefully; an avalanche of boxes is imminent. Darting out of the way just in time to avert a crash, you spot the object of your desire. It won't escape you this time! Walking quickly now, you head in its direction, weaving through thick crowds while keeping your eyes focused on the prize.

Suddenly, you spot someone else headed in the same direction. No! This cannot be! But it's too late. Before your horrified eyes, the last package of Pogos has just been snatched up.

Sound familiar? Welcome to the excitement of grocery shopping.

To be honest, this has never happened to me. (I hate Pogos. Mystery meat and carbs, yum!) It would actually have been more exciting than what really happened- we almost had to leave behind our groceries.

Too much caviar? Nope. We'd decided to visit a different grocery store, and had arrived with a mountain of food at the checkout when we realised... it didn't take credit cards. (I mean, really. What kind of grocery store doesn't take credit?) It did take debit, but guess what? Despite the fact that she uses it all the time, my mother had forgotten her PIN. (Insert dementia joke here.)

In the end, I had to run out to the car (a 15-minute obstacle course, complete with extensive honking), find my wallet amidst the mounds of stuff and run back to the checkout, where eleven disgruntled people waited behind us.

Awkward...

On the plus side, I got to use my debit card for the first time! (At least one of us remembered her PIN.) However, it's also a little sad that my first purchase had to be groceries. I was hoping for something a little more exciting...or at least something I wouldn't want my parents seeing. (Same thing.) Has this ever happened to anyone else?

how to be a creeper

Friday, my mother and I headed out to visit my cousin, who lives about for hours away. (Plus traffic. Plus A LOT of traffic.) After this seemingly endless trip (I hate car trips. They make me feel just sleepy enough to be useless, but not tired enough to sleep, so basically I just stare out the window and drool all over the seat) we arrived at her apartment, only to find she was out.

At this point, you're probably thinking- why not just call her? The answer is simple. Unlike every other person in the developed world, we have no cellphone. (I've actually never texted. Isn't that sad? What kind of teenage girl isn't glued to her phone?) We were thus forced to stake out her apartment with no clear idea of when she'd be back.

Plus, she'd mentioned fabric shopping.

The women in my family have a tendency to get stuck in a fabric store as though it's quicksand. (I am proud to be the exception to this rule. It's the one time I can sympathise with my father's impatience about shopping.) They can wander around for hours, marvelling at patterns and colours and ribbons... that all look exactly the same to me. With this kind of pattern, I was worried she might not even be back until morning. (Who knows? Maybe she'd be so far hidden under a mountain of purchases that the security guards wouldn't see her, and would lock her in.)

Now, we did have plenty of books (a staple for car rides- actually, just a staple, period) but there's only so long you can sit in a car without getting the kind of cramps that indicate leg amputation will soon be necessary. Plus, I was worried someone was going to report us to the police. (I suppose staring at someone's door with binoculars does look a little suspicious.) Finally, we decided to go knock on her landlord's door and ask him to let us in- we'd been there before, so there was a chance he might recognise us.

A chance was not enough. He met us at the door with a glare (apparently having taken offence to our hour's creeping of his house... I wonder what he was doing that he didn't want us to see?) and didn't even give us a chance to speak before slamming the door in our noses. (I barely managed to move my toes in time.) We were forced to sit around for another hour (note to self: never eat garlic bread in the car) until my cousin finally got home... and laughed at us.

Next on the agenda: learn how to pick locks.