radical roman (italian) ramblings

...and radical they were indeed. At one point in Florence, we actually walked off the map! (Does that mean that the town ceases to exist? What a deep philosophical question... However, it more likely means simply that Mum and I continue to have an extremely bad sense of direction.)

As gorgeous as France was (you can see a small selection of photos here should you care to do so) I must confess that I preferred Italy. Why? Because... they had better food. (Surprise, surprise right? You should know by now that the way to my heart is through my stomach, for sure.)

really though just look at that. I don't think you can find a more gorgeous landscape

Our travels started in Pisa!

see how pretty this is? the town was unbelievably sketchy... not somewhere I want to be after dark

the basilica was unbelievably creepy... the place Weeping Angels go to die I swear

but really, is this not ridiculously crooked?

Then, onwards to Florence...

this was the best coffee of my life omg like really, it had ginseng and how cool is that? plus all the waiters were in fancy suits so love for that

we also went to the best restaurant. I can't even describe how good it was. plus it looked like we were in Versailles!

it seriously rained all day, I thought I was going to lose some appendages

and yet people still ate gelato, I feel my coffee was a far more sensible choice

I swear I'm moving here someday

After taking the bus yet again (I have so much more sympathy for those who take public transport all the time now) we arrived at Assise!

my new favourite (as are many things on this trip) church... really, can you beat three stories and gorgeous artwork filling every square inch? rhetorical all the way

adorably narrow streets, yes please! (as long as I don't have to drive... these people be crazy)

Finally, proving the saying "All roads lead to Rome" right by finishing our journey there. (Where does that saying come from anyway? I feel like it's somehow deep and mythological...)

so can anyone tell me what's on her chest? does she have a lot of extra breasts? are those melons?

crazy to think all maps looked like that at one time..

(Side note: these past two photos were taken in the Vatican, which is technically another city. I still can't believe that I stood under the Pope's window!)

I knew it was enormous and overwhelming and a world wonder, but I didn't know it would be quite that wonderful

and again. How is it possible that I walked around the place where Julius Caesar died? 

yet again. Rome by night, ancient and powerful and all too gorgeous. 

We also visited the Trevi Fountain (possibly my favourite stop on the trip... thankfully, because Mum and I got lost once more and had to hang out there for a while... I think the theme here is that Mum and I should not go places alone)- however, no photos remain (they somehow all disappeared, eaten by the faeries perhaps?) so... that's that. 

Also, how are there such random and gorgeous statues everywhere in all these cities? Send some to Canada for me, please! 

The nostalgia is growing... I think I'll go watch Roman Holiday! 

sugar and spice and everything nice

It is my cherished belief that you are never the wrong age to:
a) wear pretty dresses
b) drink tea
c) have a birthday party.

That's why, this past weekend, I combined all three! (My guests were ordered to come wearing dresses en lieu of the usual gift-bearing... okay no I just like ordering them around, no trade-off involved cause you know, presents!)

just to show how cold our house is... my poor guests needed to wrap up well

omg tea. there are no words.

also, food. isn't everything so tiny and pretty?

we headed upstairs for a photo shoot, and Tilney finally got some love

see? I'm not the only one who loves hats!

Cécile and I are spies, while Kori is our obliviously happy spy-ee? 

Bronwynne is also part of our amazing spy cult, watch out

...while Anna just likes frogs (there were probably 20 photos similar to this one)

after so much exertion, more food was necessary before Tamara ate our heads off (or Cécile's spun all the way off...)

there were fights over who got to eat... the pickles? 

OMG LISTS... let's just say my friends know me well. 

 this bag was also a contested favourite... I wouldn't be surprised if my basement was raided later

snow angels are equally ageless!

...although I personally don't see the appeal of sitting on the road

The next section of the evening was free of photographic evidence... but let's just say it involved more food, and more screaming. (AKA: we watched a horror movie. That is, some people watched a horror movie. I fell asleep, so obviously it could not have been that traumatizing...) 

note that I am alone here because no one else wanted to show off their gorgeous mask

seriously I don't understand why

...and that was that! (Apologies for the lack of text in this post- I'm currently in the midst of packing for France (confession: you can barely see my floor under the mountains of clothes) and my creative inspiration is therefore running a bit dry... being entirely devoted to figuring out gorgeous outfits!)

Thank you to all who attended... and to the chefs (/cult/parents) who made such a lovely spread possible! (and ensured that no one's head was eaten... I truly was worried at some points!) Do you still have birthday parties? What about tea parties? 

things at which I have no skill

...alternatively put, "things at which I am completely and utterly incapable of doing and should be supervised at in order to not kill myself and others." (Doesn't the title sound far better?) I thought I'd start off the week optimistically- the power of positive thinking, right?

...thinking positively. In case you hadn't already noticed... I tend to be a catastrophic thinker. AKA, everything that could go wrong, will. This isn't usually the case, but it doesn't stop me from thinking such things as "OMG I can't go walking in the woods alone! I'll be eaten by coyotes!"

...straightening my hair. (However, to be entirely fair, I've had my straightener for four years and during none of those has it worked well.) Instead of straightening, my hair tends to stick out horizontally from my head.

...taking selfies. I wanted to show off my adorable new owl shirt...

(Isn't it darling? omg, sequins and owl, I don't think you could get any better) but instead I look oddly contorted. Oh well. Just look at the glitter.

...making Red Velvet Cake Tea. Yes. That is a thing.

Looks delicious, right? But whenever I make it, it tastes like wood. (Not quite so appetizing.) However, whenever my mother makes it, it is a delicious caramelly concoction... I'm not sure why it's such a struggle for me, but there you go. (They say practice makes perfect, but it never seems to get any better.) 

...skiing. Last time, I cried. And fell over. Multiple times. I'd like to say that this was a long time ago... but unfortunately that is not the case. (I haven't even grown... actually I probably weigh more, but that's hardly comforting. Maybe the extra ballast will help me stay upright?)

And yet, that's what I'm going to be doing all day tomorrow with Kori and Cécile. (And that's how this entire post came about!) I may be insane... and if you don't hear back from me, know that I am also deceased.

On that cheerful note, happy Monday! What do you have no skill at doing?

zia vs. the world

...just accept that I'll probably be right and accept this as truth, kayy?

1) Our Perfect Mistake by The Wombats is a great song to go running to

2) Treadmills are hateful nuisances

3) There are too many good TV shows out there, they're taking over my life (New Girl, Vampire Diaries... Doctor Who, Bomb Girls... Sherlock, The Office... sighh)

4) As is Goodreads (it's like an online bookstore except I can't spend any money, what's not to love)

5) Life would be better if I could carry my tea/coffee/hot chocolate around everywhere

6) Before transitioning from a cute child into a semi-rational human being, everyone goes through this amoeba state in grades 6-8 (and some people never leave it)

7) Instead of better bombs, someone should invent calorie-free chocolate

8) Lana Del Rey has lovely songs and also bizarre ones

9) Peplum shirts and dresses are not flattering on anyone

10) Leggings are stylish and comfortable, what's not to love

11) These teas are possibly the best thing in my life right now

Merry Cranberry. It's like drinking winter; spicy and sweet and oh-so-nice.

Birthday Cake. It has sprinkles and ice cream. I don't think any other explanation is needed.

Forever Nuts. It's pink. Again, what else to say? (I reviewed it here!)

forever nutty

As promised, here's my latest tea review! (Plus the beauteous sweater. LOVE.)

Hope you enjoyed it! Are you tempted to go drink tea now? (You'd better be.)

waittt.... what?

I am now a triple-digit blogger! (The first image that flashed through my mind after typing that was of a person with three fingers. Like a fork!) 101 followers. What. I'm still in shock. (Best Christmas present ever.) Thank you all for reading along, commenting on my follies and ensuring that I don't feel entirely insane.

This was also a bit of a healing experience. Although my face is still not back to its usual foxy self (one of my friends, trying to comfort me, said "Right now, your face is normal, since usually it's strangely skinny..." That made me laugh, which made it hurt more... so it was a bit of a contradiction. However, last night a random customer at work asked me if I had recently been in a fight and broken my jaw... so hmmm, maybe it's obvious even to random strangers...) Ever since I realised that I had now crossed that vital threshold, I can feel my cheeks shrinking! (Logical healing by time? Nahhhh...)

In honour of this moment,  I decided to rename my 'Followers' bar. From 'lListeners'... you shall all become... "Blog Ninjas"! Isn't that just brilliant? (Linear progression: Followers-Listeners- Blog Ninjas. It might not have anything to do with the title of my blog, but it definitely sounds cooler.)

As the shirt says... keep calm and let the ninjas handle it. (Note that this is before the surgery. I debated sharing a photo of my currently overjoyed face, but seeing as I still have bruises the colour of highligher-yellow on my face... yeah, maybe not. Not quite ninja-worthy. Again, it really does look like I've been in a fight. Maybe I should give myself a black eye with makeup to look more impressive?)

Anyway. Thank you all, love you all, and wishing you plenty of snow! (Or, if you'd prefer, you could take some of our sun. I would be totally fine with that.)

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?

questions that have no answers... except they do!

More questions and answers? Yes. Just because they're fun. (Plus I told Jesse I would, and I am a good friend, right peeps?)

What size is your bed?

Single? but I need a bigger one... there's just so many stuffed toys I share it with

What is your song of the week?

This is kind of embarassing...

but Little Things, by One Direction.

Yes, you can shoot me now. 

I'm also loving everything Ed Sheeran, if that helps? (In my defence, it was written by him.)

Plus, Jesse sent me this video and I'm obsessed with it:

Just gorgeous. 

Would you bury treasure if you had some?

No way. SHOPPING SPREE!

Are you afraid of heights?

Not really... like, I'm not super fond of balancing on things (like those high ropes courses) because I have the balance of a drunk toddler (no I have no idea where that metaphor came from) but in general they don't bother me.

Do you sing in the shower?

I sing EVERYWHERE. Public, private, it doesn't matter. Let the music continue!

Do you believe in ghosts?

Yes. Oh my, yes. (Read this post for more info on my ghosts.) I think there are many things that exist both seen and unseen around us. 

What was the worst injury you had?

I've had a couple of broken fingers, but that's basically it. 

Coffee or tea? why?

BOTH. They're both so delicious! (I like tea better when I just want a hot drink, and coffee when I want caffeine.) I'm drinking cookie dough tea right now.... mmmm.

Are you patient?

LOL no. 

What was the last text message you sent?

"Omg I was so jealous when I saw it! I am totes buying it next year when I'm at uni if it's still offered! (Who cares about food when you can have tea? XD)" 

(Just to clarify: I was talking about the David's Tea Advent Calendar. Feel free to send it my way as a Christmas present peeps! -wink-)

What do you want for your first tattoo/what was your first tattoo?

Do I need a tattoo? This question seems very discriminating!

LOL, just kidding, I don't know if I want a tattoo or not... the idea is intriguing, but it's just so permanent- it would have to be something super meaningful. 

So there we go. Did you learn anything new? Were you surprised by any of my answers? 

vlog no. 2, in which I muse about tea and... stuff

Come on. That title definitely makes you want to watch it. I dare you.

Some musings about this one:

1) what was up with my hair near the end? It was like this weird, cloudy lump behind my head... I think this happens often and I just don't notice...
2) I managed to cut it a bit! I know the transitions are jerky, but I thought at least this way you weren't subjected to too much awfulness. (Random= good. Blabber= bad.)
3) it's kinda dark... I swear, my room is not some den of iniquity wherein there are no lights. Promised.

Anyways, I hope this helped brighten your Monday! Are you tempted to go drink tea now?

finally it is over

(Beware. I have been vibrating with fatigue all day. I passed out in the metro and some random old man poked me in the shoulder because he thought I'd miss my stop... needless to say I pretended not to understand English, because that's just what you do in that kind of situation, right? But anyway. If this post is incoherent, now you know why.)

Today was... drumroll please... the last in my series of university visits! Yes, I am finally done with tours and with... okay I can't think of anything else, but whatever, it's ALL done. I am now up to NINE campus visits- I think that might be some kind of record- can I have a medal? (Or even just a free meal. I keep being so hungry... that's definitely not something I will miss...) However, out of all of these visits, I've narrowed it down to three universities I'm actually interested in! (Okay, more like I LOVED these three and didn't like-in some cases even hated- the others.)

Today's visits were... a little bit strange, to say the least. Just being on the metro was actually an interesting situation. During one of our trips, right beside me, there was a group of people discussing the store I work at. (Like, in detail.) No one talks about where I work! No one even visits us there! (The sadness of my life.) Although we were the ones being the rulebreakers... as in, HOLDING THE DOOR OPEN. Gasp, right? How dare we? Apparently we could even have been fined for this.

What can I say, we're just such rebels. And then... we entered the university, and what's the first thing I see?

'Amiante' is French for 'asbestos', for those of you not in the know. Do I really want to go somewhere that has this label on the one of the doors? Not so much.

At least I managed to stop for coffee along the way. (Mochas make everything better.)

(This photo is dedicated to one of my friends, who took this picture for me despite assuring me several times that I was being 'lame' and that 'no one takes random pictures of themselves with coffee, even if it is for a blog!'... you can tell she isn't a blogger. Also I just realised that everywhere I go, I either have photos of myself with coffee or wearing crazy glasses... what can I say, it's my theme.)

Okay. So it is now after seven pm and I judge it time to go to bed. (There was no Vampire Diaries this week... I was so sad...) Goodnight world, and have a great weekend!

absolute anticipation

Right now, I am being my usual cool self... and working on UNIVERSITY SPREADSHEETS! (Is it sad that I'm actually excited by this... nahhh?) I'm sure that, when I'm older, I will be impressed by my own work habits... or maybe I'll just think, wow, I used to be kind of a weirdo. (Which is a word I need to banish from my vocabulary. It sounds so unsophisticated. Any suggestions?) I worry about what my future children will think... LOLZ JOKES, I'm never having kids, so no worries!

Anywayyyys, all of this planning-my-future deal is no use if I don't have a concrete idea of where I might head after, right? So, I decided to compile a list of jobs I could do in the future!

• Paleontologist. If you think I'm obsessed with dinosaurs now, trust me when I say it's NOTHING compared to when I was little. When I was two or three, I knew the name of every single dinosaur out there. (No lie.) I carried little dinosaurs around with me and corrected store owners when they said the names wrong (1- I have no memory of this and 2- I seem to have been a bit of a know-it-all). All that to say that I think I could do a pretty great job... especially if I got to wear my dinosaur hat all the time!

I mean really. How is that NOT cool?

• Writer. This would be, hands down, dream job of my life. Writing... all the time... Not talking to people... hanging out in coffee shops... (Okay, so obviously this is unrealistic, but let me have my dreams!) Seriously though, if I could make money off stories/blogging/poetry, my life would be complete. 

• Ninja/spy. If watching James Bond and Spiderman allows you to qualify for this, then I am definitely ready! (Waiting for those job offers now, CSIS.) Honestly, as much as I love 007 (FINALLY got to watch Skyfall! I've only been waiting since SUMMER after all... seems like forever...) I think I would do a far better job than he would. I mean, blowing up embassies? Crazy car chases? Please. I would be far less conspicious. (Now remains only to select a cool alibi...) 

I mean, come on. How is that not a spy face? Wearing those around... I'd be sure to get the job done. 

• Tea developer. How fun would this be? The idea of thinking up crazy new flavour combinations and/or names intrigues me. (However whenever I tell friends this, they're like... really? That's possibly the lamest profession ever.... For which I say only, SOCK DESIGNER.) When I live in a larger city, I actually plan on BEGGING for a position in a store like David's Tea. (Seriously, watch me. If I can't get one through an interview, I plan on simply hanging around until they get so sick of me that they decide to hire me... Hmmm, writing this down, my logic seems flawed.) 

Speaking of, my latest want is Earl Grey Cream from Teavana. Doesn't it look luscious? 

• Editor. If I don't end up writing professionally (note the adverb, I'll ALWAYS be writing, even if no one ever sees it) I'd love to be able to look over other peoples'. I'm the type of person who actually enjoys replacing commas and offering suggestions on character development... or maybe this just means I'm a little Miss Bossypants. (Also very possible.)

What about you? What kinds of jobs did you dream of when you were in highschool?