Pod Squad

I attended my first Halifax Podcamp this past weekend and I'm so glad I finally got there.

Podcamp is an "unconference" about social media and marketing, which basically means it's an informal conference - anyone can host a session and discussion is encouraged. Best of all, the entire day was FREE!

Although I don't do any marketing or social media work at my day job, I hope to someday and I am very involved in social media in my spare time and hope to pick up more contract work to keep my communications skills up. So, the information was certainly useful to me on a personal level and I think anyone who spends a significant amount of their time on social media or marketing activities would find the information helpful, whether it's your day job or not. Learning new things is never a bad way to spend a Sunday!

I attended 3 sessions altogether - Branding in the Digital Age, How to Get Good Ideas, and the 5th Annual State of Social Media in Atlantic Canada.

The first session (delivered by Sean Williams of Brand Bandit) reminded me of being in PR class, but in a good way. He refreshed my memory on the basics of branding and brought up good points about how a brand is about the emotional side of a company or person as much as the physical and practical points.

The second session (delivered by Mike Hayes of Free Agent Factory) revolved around strategies for coming up with ideas. A lot of the suggestions Mike gave seemed like 'no-brainers' (two heads are better than one, rest up, fuel your brain, etc) however they are also things that most of us don't remember to do when we're actually in the moment. I will definitely keep some of the tips in mind next time I am sitting down trying to get some ideas on paper.

The third session (delivered by Giles Crouch of Media Badger) was basically the keynote of the conference (if there was a keynote) and presented the findings of the annual survey of social media activities in Atlantic Canada. Some of the findings were really surprising (activity on Linkedin increased by 67% over last year) and eye-opening (women are 8x more likely to share content then men). It was all a fascinating exercise in psychology and it was nice to see some local stats. This session was definitely important education for anyone who deals with social media and marketing in Atlantic Canada. (Psst you can read the report highlights here).

Not only did I attend a bunch of free, great sessions but I also had a lovely latte and croissant (prosciutto and provolone - gah!) from Two If By Sea - one of the best cafes in HRM (imho) and an even lovelier brunch at Nectar Social House with fellow Podcamper, Megan. Wow! This place is gorgeously decorated inside and the food is delish. My poached eggs parisienne was a refreshing detour from my usual eggs benedict and (coincidentally) our waitress was a fellow tweep who recognized us from our avatars (did I mention the Halifax Twitter community rocks?).

I also had a twist on the usual mimosa - a "nectarosa", which was cranberry juice and champagne. Very refreshing! I will definitely be back to this little downtown Dartmouth gem!

Social media is so much fun when your local community is so active, friendly, supportive and interesting. I'm proud to be part of the Halifax social media tribe!

pumpkin bread

I love discovering new blogs to read, especially ones that give me great ideas for things to try (although now that I am addicted to Pinterest, it is slowly taking over in that department). One of the funniest blogs on the Internet is Nicole is Better so when I discovered she now has a food blog, I got irrationally excited.

It's called Get This In Your Mouth (which is the best name for a food blog ever, wouldn't you say. Shut up, it is).

I printed off a recipe from this blog a while back, planning on baking it "sometime" (you know those things - I have a rather large "to do sometime" pile, if I can be completely honest). I finally had the chance to try the recipe out on Saturday when I was tasked with bringing a dessert to a friend's potluck.

What was this dessert I couldn't wait to make, you ask?

Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling. I love anything sweet and anything pumpkin, which is why this one caught my eye. I have never made a loaf or bread before, so I honestly had no idea what to expect.

Well, it turned out very tasty, if I do say so myself! The recipe made a huge amount of batter, so I ended up getting 3 small loaves out of it (one for the potluck, one for me, and one for choir practice Wednesday evening...gee, thanks to you planets for aligning so nicely). I have to confess - I didn't make the homemade cinnamon cream cheese icing - I bought a container of icing at the grocery store and just added the one tsp of cinnamon and one tsp of pumpkin pie spice. I know, lazy, but I just didn't have everything to make icing from scratch (nor the time).

Hi, I'm Kim and I'm sometimes lazy. Deal with it.

Anyhoo, I was worried about overcooking the bread and making it dry but it turned out perfectly moist! Love! And it really wasn't hard to make. It does take a bit more time than your average cookie just because the loaves have to cook for close to an hour, plus they take a while to cool (or at least they did for me) so it's not exactly something you can whip up at the last minute. I made the mistake of putting the icing on while the cakes were still warm (I was in a rush), and it got very melty and messy. Lesson? Make SURE the loaves cool COMPLETELY before putting the icing on, and just a tip: this cooling will take probably an hour or two.

All in all a good dessert experience, and definitely something I will make again (it was a crowd-pleaser!).

I am the first to admit that I do not love cooking - I have to force myself to do it most of the time so a recipe has to be fairly quick and easy for me to try it out - but I do feel I become more confident with every recipe I try out and find success with. Thanks Nicole - I'm glad I got this pumpkin bread in my mouth!*

Tried any cool recipes lately? Do you like to cook? Where do you get your recipe ideas from?

*Unfortunately I was not able to track this recipe down on the blog or through searches because apparently I'm a total dolt!! I printed it off so long ago I honestly don't remember how I found it the first time. However, I'm sure if you email Nicole, she could send you a copy no problem. Sorry, I don't have time for that bidness*

**PS: do yourself a favour and do a Google Image search for "Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling". Commence drooling*

Permission to Suck

Damn, did I ever need to read this post yesterday. I had pretty much the worst day ever at work (being yelled at over the phone by a rude and conceited professor is super-fun), and was feeling pretty down on myself when I noticed this article linked to my friend's Facebook wall. It came at the perfect time, and contains a whole lotta truth - truth that we do not acknowledge enough. We are all so busy trying to do-do-do and be perfect at everything that we forget we are human and make mistakes sometimes and that this is normal. Or at least I do this - TOO much, in fact. And sometimes I need a bitch-slap up the side of the head to remind me to cut myself a little slack. I figured if I benefited from reading this that lots of other people would too, hence the sharing.

Preach, Ash. Preach.*

(Source)

It’s okay if…you’re drowning in self-doubt.
It’s okay if…you don’t know where to start.
It’s okay if…you started, but want to stop.
It’s okay if…you sometimes mix up your priorities.
It’s okay if…you didn’t say the right thing.
It’s okay if…you really fucked up the first time around.
It’s okay if…you fucked up the second time around, too.
It’s okay if…you’re overwhelmed.
It’s okay if…you get down on yourself.
It’s okay if…you’re worried everyone knows more than you.
It’s okay if…you don’t have enough self-confidence.
It’s okay if…you’re secretly afraid that people will laugh at you.
It’s okay if…you question your own capabilities.
It’s okay if…you spent all weekend doing nothing but watching movies.
It’s okay if…you sometimes suck.
It’s okay if…you sometimes really suck.
It’s okay if…you haven’t reached your potential yet.
It’s okay if…you’re not sure that you ever really will.
It’s okay if…you sort of resent the people doing better than you.
It’s okay if…you sometimes think they’re full of it, too.
It’s okay if…you didn’t respond to that person’s email.
It’s okay if…you just don’t fucking feel like it today.
It’s okay if…you have no idea what to do next.
It’s okay if…you do know what to do next…but still can’t seem to make yourself.
It’s okay if…you just couldn’t find the time this week.
It’s okay if…you don’t want to do it the way they say you should.

None of it matters.

Because…

YOU ARE TRYING.

And as a matter of fact, you’re doing a wonderful job.

Just thought you should know.


*By the by, if you have not seen or heard of Ashley's website, The Middle Finger Project, you need to get over there like YESTERDAY and gobble it all up because it is amazeballs

Yelping It Up

One of the many places on the Internet that I attempt to compose my regurgitated thoughts into (semi)coherent posts is Yelp.

Have you heard of it? Of course, "yelp" is the sound a puppy makes when you step on its tail. It is not to be confused with "yep" (ok, Dave?). But Yelp is also a website - one where anyone can post reviews of pretty much any business they like so that they can either warn the masses about them, or spread the word of their awesomeness. A guy I know from University is the Community Manager here in Halifax, and I have to say he has made Yelping here so much fun by putting together some great meet-and-greet events, starting great discussions online, and coming up with fun challenges like these.

Anyway, at some point in the last 5 days or so I believe I must have fallen on my head - I say this because on Friday I signed up for the 30 Day Yelp challenge, which requires participants to write one review a day for the month of October.

I'm not sure what I was thinking either. I guess I was sucked in by the promise of a fun party at the end, and the excuse to get my butt out to some businesses I have been meaning to try but have been too lazy to get to yet.

I just hope this challenge doesn't go the way of NaBloPoMo (i.e. down the toilet). It is Day 4 though, and I am still on it!

I have written 4 reviews so far (DUH - it is October 4th):

1. Starbucks Coffee in Dartmouth Crossing - this is my favourite Starby in the city - their service is hands-down the friendliest.
2.  Mary Brown's - a "meh" fast-food fried chicken place which I only visited because they were giving away free sandwiches all day long.
3. Second Cup in the Killam Library atrium (Dalhousie University) - my office for my last job was in this building so I would go here for my morning fix every day. I have met the friendliest woman in the world, and her name is Sharon (tell her I sent you).
4. Pipa Restaurant - I visited this Portuguese/Brazilian place on my bday back in December...and got horrible food poisoning (but, believe it or not, I don't give it a horrible review!).

Who knows what tomorrow will bring! What culinary adventures I will have - good and bad.

I hope all of you out there who read my reviews (all two of you, including my mother I'm sure) realize that it's all for you - I am putting myself at risk of injury and obesity every day this month all in the name of public service. Well, that and because I love food. And writing. And writing about food. And drinks, too...

 Who am I kidding?! This is the best challenge ever!

Wanna follow along with me? Check out my page at khumes.yelp.ca (or click on the widget in my sidebar).

Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum

I never post twice in one day, but just wanted to give a head's up that my 2nd blog post is up on Nova Scotia Blogs. This one outlines a fun little trip the boy and I took to Deadman's Island city park last month - a place I never knew existed in my own city (and that has a dark past).

Feel free to read on!

Hidden Adventures (and frustrations)

My first blog post for Nova Scotia.com is now live! You can read it here.

As always, any feedback is appreciated! I hope my entries encourage those of you that live here to explore here more, and those of you that don't live here to visit sometime!

Photo taken by me, Five Islands Provincial Park

Unfortunately I am still sick - although I'm feeling better, I'm still not feeling good. Throat is still sore, still have a fever and generally low energy but I'm back to work because I just can't afford to take any more time off. I hate to complain about temping because it's helping me pay the bills while I look for a permanent job, they have been good to me, and ultimately I am the one choosing to do it, but I have to be honest - I am getting really really sick of not having a job that gives me paid sick or vacation time. Or that provides any kind of stability whatsoever.

First, they do not provide direct deposit, so I have to rely on waiting for cheques in the mail or going out of my way to pick them up (which was super-fun during the month-long postal strike). I am not provided any sick or vacation time, so these past two days I had to take off due to illness are a huge hit to my paycheque. Plus, I realized today that I was not paid for Canada Day (last Friday) even though it's a stat holiday because I didn't work the first scheduled day after the holiday (which was Monday in this case). I had remembered you had to work 15 of the previous 30 days in order to qualify for stat holiday pay, but had forgotten this other rule. So, this means TWO weeks of short paycheques in a row (one day short from last week, and next week will be two days short). Great.

Maybe I'm being a baby about this, but I don't really get why it's ok to doc me money because I physically COULD NOT work the first shift after the holiday. I can't help that I was sick - if I could have gone into work, I would have, but I couldn't. Besides, I shouldn't have to go into work if I feel it's endangering my health - it's not fair to me, and it's not fair to my coworkers. There is something wrong with a system that means people are dragging themselves into work half-dead simply to put in time to meet archaic and ridiculous rules. I had to borrow money from my mother in order to get a prescription and bus tickets because I have been so short the last couple of weeks. I HATE borrowing money from my mother, even though she doesn't mind and I appreciate it.

I am just getting so sick of temping. It's keeping my head above water and I appreciate that, and I certainly make more money doing it than I would if I took a retail job. But I barely make enough to get by and I am so tempted to just say "screw it" to finding a job in my field and just look for something that is easy to get but at least allows me a stable paycheque and benefits, like a secretary or receptionist somewhere. I feel like I have my foot in the door (finally) to a permanent career in a field I actually enjoy, so I am reluctant to pull that foot out, but I am just getting so sick of the unpredictability and stress that temporary work is giving me.

Sorry to rant - opening my cheque this morning just put me in a bad mood and I felt I needed to write it out.

Am I wrong? I know I should just quit complaining and do something about it, but I'm sort of at the point where I don't know WHAT to do. I feel like I'm damned if I do something, damned if I don't. Thoughts? Anyway, I'll figure it out - I'm just cranky today and need a nap. Or a giant cupcake.

Thanks for listening, internet.

My Nova Scotia

Just a quick note to say that I'm a newly minted blogger over at NovaScotia.com!

This blog network is basically a tourism tool for the province - local bloggers write about their adventures in Nova Scotia to educate people about the province, and hopefully to encourage them to visit! I love exploring where I live and sharing those explorations with people, so I can't wait to get started. This is brand, brand new so I haven't started posting yet, but keep your eyes peeled! I'll make sure to link to here whenever I post over there so you can keep up with my adventures, too (or at least try to - I'm pretty speedy).

You can check out my profile and posts here.

(in case you are curious, the photo is from a hiking trip in Porter's Lake, NS back in March on a trail system called Crowbar Lake. I know you were just dying to know...)


Speaking of this gig (and hiking in Nova Scotia), this weekend the boy and I are going to Five Islands provincial park to kick-off a fun NS Parks geocaching challenge. We will also be heading to Caribou/Munroe's Island Park to complete that portion of the challenge, and possibly camping there for the night (though they are predicting rain all day right now, grrr). This will probably be my first NS Blogs post, actually, though we shall see...I may be hanging out with a couple of gf's Saturday night (if we don't camp) and just getting some housekeeping thingy's done at home. Pretty easy, breezy weekend, nothing set in stone. Except, of course, rain (one thing I'm NOT so hot on re. living in NS right now).

Happy Weekend! Any fun plans?

Spread the Love

I really liked the idea I read about on this blog, and decided to participate.

I don't know about you, but I tend to be one of those people who is really hard on themselves. I tend to set the bar high and rag on myself if I don't meet it. But this is something I have been working hard to change. I have been trying to cut myself a break once in a while, and I think this is something that is important for everyone.

It is really important to focus on the positives as well as the negatives - sure, you made some mistakes and did some stupid things, but what are the things you have ACCOMPLISHED today/this week/this month? What goals did you set that you DID meet? What are the things you LIKE about how you look and act and think?

Everyone has gifts, qualities to be proud of, and it is important to celebrate these. That goes for physically as well as emotionally - many of us, women especially, are far too negative about their looks and spend more time comparing to non-realistic ideals then celebrating our own unique beauty. This just creates a vicious cycle of negativity and pretty soon that's all you focus on - and you begin to wonder why you are not attracting positive things in life (positive attracts positive = true story, although cheesy).

Look, you are human. You ARE going to make mistakes. You ARE going to mess things up. You are going to have a blond moment or two. It's just a matter of when. And it's ok! Everyone else does it too! And it doesn't mean you are a bad person, it means you are normal. The sooner you accept the fact that you are going to mess up, the sooner you will be able to embrace who you are.

Again, I am far from being an expert here, but I am working on it. I figured this challenge would help with that.

I hope that you will participate too, and link up here with Victoria with me. Lets spread some positivity!

I love myself because...I am open-minded and adventurous. I care about my friends and family and make an effort to be there for them whenever I can. I am creative - I am great at thinking up concepts for events, decorating, putting outfits together, thinking of cute plays-on-words, I play piano and write. I am constantly thinking about how I can improve and grow -  I have a thirst for learning and knowledge. I have great hair and teeth. I may be short, but I like my small but curvy frame! I have the ability to empathize and feel compassion. My attitude - I never give up, I never show if I am stressed, I am flexible and adaptable, I always try my best, I am level-headed and down-to-earth. I am self-aware and have a goofy sense of humour (don't take things too seriously). I value honesty and try to use it whenever I can. I like to support anyone and anything that is "different" or outside the norm - I like to give people a chance. I do not hold a grudge - I get over stuff very quickly and always look for what I can learn from an experience.

Please make sure you focus on the positive this weekend -

I can almost guarantee you will be happier come Monday!

Try a Little Tenderness

I wasn't planning on posting today, but then Hayley at Learning the World was lovely enough to pass on this little blog award to little ol' moi:

Thank you, Hayley, for thinking I am stylish - I certainly love style but most days I feel I look less than stylish (though I do feel a bit less boorish today with my new much-needed haircut, I must say!). It sounds cheesy but it always means a lot when other bloggers acknowledge you as someone they enjoy following. I continue to be blown away by the humility and friendliness of this odd little community!

Anyhoo, I am supposed to list 7 random facts about myself (which shouldn't be hard considering I'm a rather random person) so here goes:

1. I have 4 tattoos

2. I count stairs whenever I go up or down them

3. I love eating raisins by themselves but absolutely hate eating baked goods (cookies, muffins) containing raisins (don't ask me...I think it might be the texture)

4. My mom and I have the same birthday

5. I am practically a midget (I'm just 5 ft tall, pretty much on the dot)

6. I love elephants and collect elephant paraphernalia (even though I hate that word)

7. I have an older sister with Down's Syndrome and an older brother who's gay (and married - so I am therefore a huge supporter of both gay marriage and disability issues)

And now it is my duty to pass this award on to 7 other bloggers I think are great!

I'm looking at you:

Tasha @ A Work in Progress

Amanda Foley

Lynn @ Lynn's Life

Kim @ Say What?!

M. @ The Grown-Up Diaries

Danna @Youlookfiiine

Carly @ Tune into Radio Carly

Go forth, you chosen 7, and spread the blog love!!

Have a lovely (and stylish) weekend!


Addendum: The lovely KG from Lost to Gain awarded me this same award on June 14th! Thanks so much! Rather than do the above twice, just thought I'd give you a shout-out and thanks :)

Life is Good. That is All.

Life is good right now. I don't mean to brag, and I also don't mean to sound like a hippy-dippy tree-hugger or something. I just feel good about my life right now.

Here are some of the reasons why:

* I've been a member of Weight Watchers for approx. 2.5 weeks now and I've lost a total of 4lbs. Now 4 lbs isn't a huge amount of weight, but it's great for only 2 weeks. Plus, the thing that I love the most about this program is how accountable it has made me. It has completely changed my mindset in terms of what I eat and when. Once I started recording my food, it's like someone propped my eyes open with toothpicks because I realized up until that point I was eating WAY more and of WAY worse stuff than I realized! It boggled my mind how much of a mindless eater I am, and how few nutrients I was actually getting on a daily basis. I have also realized that the IDEA of a healthy lifestyle is scarier than actually living a healthy lifestyle - I was so worried before I started that I'd be starving all the time, would never be able to eat out or treat myself, and that I would generally be miserable and want to naw my own arm off after 4 days. However it's the complete opposite! I CAN have that cookie or that piece of pizza; I CAN go out with friends. It's all about moderation and portions and planning. Anyway, I won't go on and on (because I could, trust me) but suffice to say I'm finding this new healthy eating plan really great for me and I'm already feeling better about how my body feels and looks. I'm keeping my fingers crossed to meet my 1st goal (5% of my weight, or approx. 9lbs) by the end of this month!

* I'm really enjoying my new job - I'm not sure if I have explained my recent career change on this blog, but basically I've been temping since September while I try to find a permanent position and it's been a tough slog. I won't go into all the details here, but suffice to say I worked an admin assistant position that I really didn't like (but unfortunately was my only/best choice at the time), that is I worked there until about mid-February when I was let go because they filled my position permanently. However, it worked out for the best because my temp agency (which is amazing by the way!!) found me another position at the University in a different department and doing work which is actually related to my degree and activities that I really enjoy. I'm still temping for now, but the job will be reposted in the next few months and I'll have the opportunity to apply. For now, I'm just trying my darndest to work really hard and prove myself because this is a really great opportunity I don't want to miss! So, I've been here now approx. 3 weeks and I can already see myself working here long-term. I'm currently assisting with planning a major Conference taking place the end of April so I'm quite busy with that (and slightly stressed!) but I'm learning SO much. I'm really excited to see where this opportunity takes me in the next few months...stay tuned!

* I have been spending more and more time with my lovely boy. I don't like to get too personal on here, but what I will say is that we have a lot of fun together and he is very sweet. We love to go on little adventures, like road trips and taking in events around town. He's great for my weight loss too because he really enjoys hiking as well so we've been going on hikes every weekend for at least 2 hours! Now that it's warming up here, we are able to stay out longer and go on more trails since they are not all snowed in. He has also turned me onto Geocaching, which I'm sort of becoming addicted to. If you have never heard of it or tried it, check out the website - it's a lot of fun and a great way to get outside for some fresh air and to explore the city/town/province/state where you live. We have found so many little hidden gems around Nova Scotia and Halifax that I had no idea existed (and I've lived here my whole life! Hello!). It's a HUGE pastime - I had no idea how many people were into it and that they are so serious about it. If you like to travel and explore and be outdoors, give it a try! If you do, add me as a friend (my username is shortfuuse).

* I've been generally trying to focus more on myself and my personal life lately - I gave up some extracurriculars in order to have more time, both to spend with myself and with others. I have been trying to spend more "me" time, either just relaxing, or doing activities I enjoy like painting and drawing (I've been trying to tap into my creative side more as it's been neglected a lot in recent years and I really miss it). I've also been making an effort to spend more time with my sister and keeping in touch with friends. This has been quite successful and I know it's made me feel more positive and fulfilled. This is still a work-in-progress, but my efforts so far have really made a difference.

So, that's what I've been up to. Like I said, life is good! I think it's important for all of us to re-evaluate our lives once in a while ; to ask ourselves what's working and what's not and try our best to weed out the things that aren't working and replace them with other things that would benefit more from our time and efforts. We are all guilty of spreading ourselves to thin at times, and over the wrong things. Having a million hobbies and obligations doesn't necessarily mean you're a more accomplished and happier person. Sometimes having less external "projects" on your plate is better because it allows you to focus on more important things (like relationships).

Thanks for sticking with me, y'all! I told you I'd be back didn't I? I never make a promise I can't keep! **

What is new in your life??


*Seriously, if you are trying to lose weight and can't find anything to work for you (and you haven't tried it already), TRY Weight Watchers! Know what the best part is? If you sign up for the Online option, you get a whole online profile that's similar to Facebook and a Blog! I'm blogging about my experience here (not sure if the link will work for non-members but give it a try and let me know). LOVE IT!!

**I have to say I've missed this little ol' blog of mine. I have been keeping up with others' posts and reading their blogs has made me nostalgic for mine. I miss having it as an outlet for my opinions and thoughts, and I miss connecting with other writers through my comments and discussions on places such as 20-Something-Bloggers. 
I guess I felt weird about coming back all of a sudden after being gone so long, but then I realized it's my blog and I can do what I want with it. Besides, that's one of the great things about blogging - you can do it as much or as little as you want! Since I've missed it and I've cleared out some of the mental clutter I discussed here, I decided it's a good time to get back into it. I'm just going to post when I feel like it and not put too much pressure on myself. This is kind of the way I'm living my whole life right now - I'm feeling very easygoing and positive - I've made a dent in some positive changes I've been meaning to tackle, and I'm feeling good about that and that good feeling is permeating throughout my life. I still have plans for this space that I may or may not tackle in the near future, but for now I'm just concerned with what makes me feel good, and no matter the format or agenda, it feels good to blog! So, that's what I'm gonna do!

Objects in Mirror are Closer than They Appear

I can't believe I've posted 110 times on this blog! I laid out a goal for myself to blog at least twice a week, and I stuck with the whole year! This is amazing for me because I never stick with anything so...go me!

As everyone, I've been taking these last few days of the year and doing some reflecting about where I've been and where I want to go. One thing I would like to work on in 2011 is this blog. To be honest, I'm not entirely happy with where the blog is now and I have a lot of plans to sort of "re-vamp" it. I feel like it grew consistently the first part of the year, but in the past few months growth has slowed down. I have a feeling a big reason for this is that I've had a lot of worries weighing on my mind since September and have been struggling with self-esteem issues on various fronts so I just haven't been as motivated and my mind has been a bit stifled creatively. In any case, I have plans to change this in the new year and I'm excited to make new commitments to this hobby in coming months (more on that later).

I don't know about anyone else, but I don't revisit my old blogs too often and it occured to me that's not really a good thing. It's important to go back and read past posts both to see how you have evolved in your writing, but also to remember some interesting thoughts and experiences you had (as it's very easy to forget about these in the rush to forge ahead).

So, in this spirit, and in the spirit of the end of 2010, I thought it would be fun to revisit my 2010 posts and pick out some of my favourites:

1. Turning over a new...stone (my first official post on my "new" blog!)
2. Today on the Crazy Files... (wherein I dissect the horrifying phenomenon that was Lindsay Lohan + Ungaro...sigh, poor thing. This post also heralded my first official comment!)
3. The Road is Long, with Many a Winding Turn (my post about a trip I booked to teach English in China, a trip I would have departed on in August but alas did not end up taking. Long story on why I didn't go and part of me is still disappointed, however part of me also feels it was the right decision; you can read up on my reasoning here. If you follow the blog at all, you will know that career has been a huge thorn in my side this past year. After I decided against China, I decided on Vancouver, then decided NOT to do that either, then went back and forth various times. Needless to say it's been a confusing and overwhelming year in terms of career decisions. I have felt very "stuck", particularly in the last half of the year, in what is commonly called the Quarter-Life Crisis. I'm still feeling this but on the bright side, I have learned a lot about myself and what I want through all this reflection. I'm getting closer and closer to realizing what I should do. Career is something that is really important to me, and so it will always be something I discuss on the blog. I'm just hoping that 2011 will be a better year for me and I'll finally find a career that has some longevity and gives me financial and emotional comfort. I'm really hoping to find my niche this year. I guess we will see...
4. Don't Worry, Be Happy (the story of Roger Ebert overcoming personal tragedy really spoke to me and amazed me, so I felt compelled to write about it; just goes to show that one shouldn't complain about trivial things because there are always people worse off than you).
5. The Shape of Things (this post touches on an issue that I feel very strongly about - body image, and particularly in the media, more specifically in the fashion industry. I'm a huge fashion fanatic, but this is one part of the industry that just really makes me angry, as you can see by the rant here and a subsequent one I wrote in response to an extremely vindictive Marie Claire article here.)
6. Trip to Boston (this was so great - Boston is somewhere I'd always wanted to visit, and this trip wasn't really planned; it was very spur of the moment because my mom was going for work and I decided to tag along - free hotel, woohoo! I was only there for 3 days but saw quite a bit and it just felt good to be traveling somewhere again. I really needed to get away from life at that point and just move, so it was really good for me. That's one of my favourite things about blogging too, that you have an "account" of your activities that you can go back and review, which is handy for someone like me with a bad memory!).
7. Motivation Mondays (remember how I said earlier that I never stick to things? Well, case in point with these posts, which were meant to record my attempt to lose weight and get more fit. I did a total of five MM posts, which is pretty good, but I only ended up losing about 5 lbs. I think I completely fell off the wagon when I took a weekend trip for work and just ate junk the entire time. Never went back to it, and I think I'm probably slightly bigger than I was then. Sigh. I have been doing better in the fitness department since September because I've been walking to work, but my diet is still pretty bad and I'm really self-conscious about my body. This is something I hope to continue working on in the new year {again, more on that later}. This is a major struggle that can't be tackled overnight, but I know for me a huge part of it is "mental" so if I can discipline myself in that way, I know I can find a plan that works for me).
8. I will gladly bow down to Candybear's cuteness (I know, wierd title, but read it and you'll get it. This was an exciting moment for me because it was the occasion of my first blog award! I know it doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things - it's not an Oscar or anything - and I certainly don't blog to get awards and recognition, but it just meant a lot that someone felt like my writing was good enough to think of me. It made me realize that this whole blog thing really isn't a waste of time and that you can actually motivate people and connect with them if you blog with integrity).
9. Blog Challenges (another exciting moment for me on the blog this year was getting to participate in a couple of great blog challenges - the first concerned a global movement called Be The Change for Pets. I donated a large box of supplies to a local shelter and blogged about it, and it was very rewarding. I can't wait for them to do more challenges so I can help out more! In fact, I'm always on the look-out for animal-related blog activities to participate in as it's an issue that is really important to me. The second challenge was one put on by the Downtown Halifax Business Commission right here in my own city. I was given a $100 Visa card to spend anywhere I wished in downtown Halifax then blogged about it here. Wow, what a fun challenge! I mean free money is always great, but I'm also a big proponent of buying and supporting local businesses so it felt great to be a part of promoting my community and what it has to offer. Plus, I got to meet a bunch of local bloggers that I wasn't aware of, and with whom I hope to continue building relationships with).
10. Canada is Cooler Than You (I was really excited when Alison asked me to guest post on this series, writing from an East Coast point of view. Even though I talk a lot about living and visiting other places, I am a very proud Canadian, and I'm specifically a very proud East Coast Canadian. Non-Canadians won't really understand the "regionalism" that exists here and how profound it is, but the different areas of our country are extremely diverse {which is one of the things I love about it}. It was fun to reflect on why I love my home province/region, and hear reflections from other areas. Plus, it was the first time someone asked me to guest post, and I felt very privelaged to be given the opportunity by such a great blogger).

Wow, lots of posts I enjoyed this year so it was hard to narrow it down! But I think these best capture the scope of my year and the more profound issues that affected my life. I recommend going back and reviewing your old posts, if you haven't already, as it can be very eye-opening! It has definitely reminded me how far I've come in some ways, and in what areas I need to go further.

I can't believe this year is almost over!

Grab that cash with both hands, and make a stash

I hate money. And I don't really understand it.

Well, I think what I don't really understand is how people use it.

I've noticed a trend in the blogosphere along these lines lately. There are many bloggers that I follow who seem to have an endless supply of money. I say "seem" to because I really have no idea if they actually do have an endless supply of money, and in fact, most of these people are ones I'd assume would NOT have such a thing.

Yet, here they are, discussing the new clothes, house, pet, car, computer, ipad, or whatever they have just bought. Some of them seem to be out shopping and buying hundreds of dollars of new things EACH WEEK.

If they are not talking about buying "things", they are taking trips to faraway places (seemingly) every few months - jetting off to New York for fashion week, jetting to San Fransisco to visit a friend, taking shopping trips to Paris (then proceeding to post all their purchases from Louis Vuitton in enviable photo montages).

It just makes me wonder - WHERE DO THEY GET THE MONEY FOR THIS?! I certainly can't afford to jet off wherever I want on a trip once a year or buy new clothes and electronics every week. Mind you, I'm working a temp's wage right now but that's not even the point (there are certainly enough examples in the world of people who are living the lives they want, while on a tight budget).

How am I SO different from these people? Do they just make enough money that they have enough disposable income to buy these extra things? Are they spending money they don't have? Do they get "income boosts" from other sources (i.e. spouse, parents, inheritance, small side-business, etc)? I'm sure depending on the person, it could be any of the above, and if it is, I can more clearly see how they are able to spend money every other week on new stuff.

But, with some of them you have to wonder - I still can't help thinking to myself, "this person is a blogger/employee at a non-profit/insert other non-well-paying job here...how can they realistically have that much to spend?". I mean, these people must all have bills, same as me! They must have rent/mortgage to pay, just like me!

Am I just horrible at budgeting? Am I just more financially irresponsible than these people? I somehow doubt it; I'm certainly not the Queen of Budgeting but for the most part I'm financially responsible and careful about where my money goes (even more so since dealing with a huge pay cut the past 3 or so months). And, everyone knows that in our "credit-hog" culture it is all too easy to spend money without thinking about it or dealing with the consequences. But I still don't understand how it's possible sometimes. And there is just something that irks me about seeing post after post of "look at all the beautiful, expensive designer things I own and how cool they make me look".

I should say that I realize it's not any of my business how other people spend their money, and I want to make it clear that if you earn your money in an honourable way and you want to reward yourself once in a while, that is totally and completely understandable. I'm not knocking anyone for buying themselves things. Trust me, if I had more disposable income I would be doing the same thing! I also realize it's a no-brainer that what we see from the outside looking in on a person's life is nowhere near the whole story. Many of these people probably ARE spending more than they should and are in dire financial straights.

So, maybe I'm just jealous or being too critical or something, I dunno. I'm probably being too harsh because I wish I didn't have to stress about money so much. I'm sure most of these people I'm wailing on are just resourceful and good at saving money, and I should just get better at it. But I just can't help but wonder if I missed the memo.

Am I totally alone here? Has anyone else noticed this trend in blogs or IRL? Do you sometimes wonder how others do it?

You've Come a Long Way, Baby

Guess what, faithful readers?! Today is a very important day. Why, you ask? Well, today is.....

MY 100th BLOG POST

(cue the orchestra!!!)

Ok, I realize that this day is probably only exciting for me, but throw me a bone here. I'm not going to lie, when I first started this blog and set the goal of building it into at least a productive hobby, I didn't think I would stick to it. Generally I don't stick to things for very long as I get bored and moody very easily. So I'm quite proud that I've reached this point! It's taken almost a year to get here, but except for a few gaps here and there I've kept up with a schedule quite well!

I've also kept up with my goals of building a presence and starting conversations on Twitter, and on blogging forums such as 20-Something-Bloggers and She Writes. I feel that my writing has become stronger, and I've met a few great people through my writings. There is still so much I want to do with this blog and I still have a long way to go, but I'm most concerned with just enjoying the process. I have not only enjoyed writing my own blog, but I have stumbled upon some other blogs that are just AWESOME, written by strong, independent, quirky and creative women who are carving their own path in life and whose posts constantly make me think, inform me and make me laugh and smile. I couldn't imagine not keeping up with their writings now that I've done it for several months.

Anyhoo, to go with the whole "yay 100 is an awesome number!" theme, here's a list of 100-related things I think are cool (why not, right?!):

* The 100 Thing Challenge
* 100 Things To Do When Ordering a Pizza by Phone (because apparently, just ordering the pizza isn't enough activity)
* 100 Things To Do Before You Die, aka Creating a Bucket List (or you could be stupidly ambitious like me and create a 30 B4 30 list!)
* 100 Favourite Canadian Things (ummm whose the moron who voted for "our changing seasons?! That's certainly not one of my favs)
* 100 Jobs in 100 Days - such a cool project (and a creative solution to unemployment)
* 100 Things To Do in an Elevator (good for when the elevator is actually working; because if not I'm only doing one thing - FREAKING THE F$%K OUT!)
* The 100th Monkey Theory (oh yes, Virginia, there is such a thing)
* Billboard's Hot 100 songs for this week
* 100 Skills Every Man Should Know (because apparently women are so helpless that we have to rely on men to know these things *rolls eyes* (Yo, PM, hows about we change "man" to "person" in this title considering we live in the 21st century?! Are you with me?)

I wish you 100 happy thoughts and moments this week!

I soooo hope this is me in 75 years! Well, minus the cigarette...though I gotta be honest, she does look pretty bad ass

Featured Blogger

Just a quick note to say I'm this week's Featured Blogger on Infomonkey.net under the Nova Scotia Bloggers category.

I was really excited when they contacted me and asked if I'd like to be featured. There are tons of awesome bloggers here in Halifax and Nova Scotia so I feel honoured to be considered on their level!

Cheers!

Fashion Friday: No Slouch

Well, I've decided to start adding some new features to Ye Olde Blog. You probably have noticed I've started doing Manic Monday posts, which are short and sweet notes about random sites, photos, stories, people, places or things that are on my mind that day or that I just think are cool and want to share.

But I also have been thinking for a while that I want to somehow incorporate one of my favourite things into my posts. After all, this blog is a reflection of me, a chance to share what I like, don't like and what inspires me. I feel like I can sometimes get heavy on "opinion" and "reflection" posts and even though I AM an opinionated and reflective person, that's not all I am. I also have a fun, creative, art-loving side that I feel like I want to share more of.

Fashion is a major interest of mine - I love putting outfits together, trying out new trends, reading fashion magazines, watching fashion reality tv and runway shows. Pretty much anything fashion-related, I love. I also have FAR more clothing than one person should ever need in a lifetime, but as I always say, I could be spending money on far more destructive things, now couldn't I?!

I love style blogs and most of the blogs I actually follow are style blogs. I love seeing how "real" girls put outfits together and make their wardrobes work on a budget. I've often played around with the idea of starting a style blog but for many reasons that's not something I want to do right now - I don't have the proper camera or equipment to take good-looking photos, I don't have the time or patience to take photos of myself and post EVERY day, I don't want my blog to be ALL about style (there are many things I love and talk about here and I don't want to narrow my focus too much), and I feel like there's SO many style blogs out there that mine would just get lost in the shuffle and I didn't want to be just a "bandwagon-jumper".

However, I've been reading enough style blogs (and regular blogs) now to know that everyone has their own style, personality, schedule and preferences and it's possible to placate these things while also incorporating style into other hobbies (like blogging). I realized (as I mentioned) I really want to share my style and create more opportunities to interact with other fashionistas, and I can do that without posting every day or only posting about fashion. I realized I can incorporate fashion into this blog as little as once a week, at least to start out, without being a follower and without losing sight of how I see this blog - namely as a forum to share and discuss my passions, my life and my community.

So, without further ado I'd like to present my first Fashion Fridays post! I've decided once a week (YES on Fridays! How did you guess, you smartie pants, you?!) I will post my favourite outfit from the week, as well as one or two favourite outfits from the interwebs. I will probably centre the chosen outfits and discussion around a specific theme each week depending on what mood I'm in or what I experienced. I'm excited to make this addition to the blog and see where it goes.

Now please bare with me and my less-than-stellar photography - as I said I'm poor little Matchgirl and have a camera but don't actually have a tripod or anyone to assist me, which makes it tough to take photos of yourself and your outfit! I'm planning on getting a tripod as soon as I can, but I'd be lying if I said it is a financial priority at the moment (there are little things like...oh...rent and food that are kinda important to take care of first). I also didn't use the flash for these because I find the flash isn't so flattering sometimes - it can sometimes make one look all glowy and show every single pore and that's not really a look I wanna go for.

Anyway, I may not have fancy photos and sponsors and such, but I have passion for fashion and that's way more important in the end anyway. Plus it takes a lot of guts to take photos of yourself you're not entirely happy with and post them for the world to see, right? Besides, it's my blog so it's my rules and anyone who doesn't like it can go find another corner of the interwebs to stalk - mmkay?? (wait, where are you going?! Don't leave me...)


I love this scarf - I love me a good print - and I also love leggings. I don't care what anyone says, they are so comfy and they can be flattering as long as you wear them the right way (i.e. cover your ass and hips). I'm a major shrimp (5 ft nothing, baby) so any way I can make my legs look slimmer and longer I will try! I got the idea to cinch my scarf in the middle from one of my fav style blogs, Second Skin. I totally copied her idea (tee hee). She always looks so put together, yet comfortable, and this was kind of my theme for this week (well it's kinda how I try to dress everyday). I love the look of wearing a slouchy top with a slim, streamlined bottom, and I like layering pieces to add visual interest and colour (but not TOO much).

I LOVE LOVE LOVE these boots. Ladies, you have no freakin idea how hard it is for me to find boots that fit my ample calves (read: impossible). Picked these up at the Bay a couple of months ago (though there are already some scratches in the faux leather - grrr - ah well, get what you pay for).

Now for a couple of ladies' outfits that caught my eye this week and that I think are great examples of the slouchy-chic look:



I love the colours here and the fun print - as I said it's wearable and comfy but also cute and polished. Brit girls just have the best style - they don't take themselves so seriously



This outfit looks sooo cozy and warm, but also polished. She look like a young, hip sea captain or something, know what I mean?

Have a stylin' weekend all!! And I promise I won't be so long-winded next time, yeesh!

Everybody's Working for the Weekend

Happy Monday! Wow, that's quite the oxymoron, isn't it? I don't think I know anyone who is happy about Mondays, except maybe.....no, what am I saying there's no one who is happy about Mondays.

Ah well, they have to be done though, don't they?

I figured to make this Monday a little more bearable, I would do a quick, happy fun post about my weekend.

Friday (I know Fri isn't technically the weekend, but as far as I'm concerned, the weekend really starts at 4:30pm Fri) consisted of stopping quickly at home after work (which was the first time ever coming home to there and not being greeted by my kitty :( that was definitely sad and wierd...but meh, can't dwell on that!) to quickly grab some clothes, then head to my mom's in Dartmouth. She was away for work Friday and Saturday, which means I had to house/cat/sister-sit for her, and which also meant that I had the use of her car those two days (woohoo!). I decided to give my sister a bit of a treat and take her to Swiss Chalet for supper (I'm sooo boring I always order the Club Wrap, but it's just sooo yummy! They have the best fries).

I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before on the blog, but my sister has Down's Syndrome. She's five years older than me but because of her condition, she's more like a younger sister. I'm not going to lie, she pisses me off and she can be very difficult to deal with sometimes (she can be very cranky, shy and quiet - sometimes taking forever to answer a questions or not answering you at all - and not very sociable) but she means well and when she is in a good mood she makes me laugh. Deep down, I love her lots and am fiercely protective of her. Like, if you say or do anything mean to her you'd better watch out for me!! Ok, I'm like the least intimidating person ever (I'm only 5 feet tall!) but I can still bring it if provoked! Just remember, I'm right at crotch and knee level.

...Anyway...

She loves Swiss Chalet and going out for dinner in general so this is a big deal to her. Then I took her home and went for coffee with a friend of mine to catch up. It was a quick visit, but still nice!

Saturday I had a slow morning reading the paper, catching up on blogs, and working on some writing planning. I really want to get more serious about sending pitches and articles to publications and websites and start building up a larger, more consistent portfolio of writing. But I've realized I won't stick with it unless I have a plan, so I've decided to kick myself in the butt and actually start making a list of places I want to approach, subjects for articles, etc. Writing projects aren't just going to fall in my lap! I have to go out and get them. I also started an "Inspiration and Ideas" folder on my computer to save articles and web posts that speak to me and provide good advice that I want to keep in mind. I read all these things on a regular basis and come across so many things that make me think "wow, that's a great idea", or "I'm definitely going to use these tips" but had no place to keep track of them, which seemed silly. It felt good to get some of these things done; I feel much more organized on the writing front now!

Once my sister got up and ready to go, we headed out to run some errands and just get out of the house (my sister isn't 100% independent and that combined with her inconsistent social skills means that she only really gets "out" if my mom or me take her somewhere. Since I don't live at home anymore and don't get to spend time with her very often, I really wanted to take advantage of my time at mom's to take her out this past weekend). We went to the duck pond for a walk and to feed the ducks, but of course it started raining before we had the chance to do either, so we went to Starbucks instead! (is that not the best place to be on a rainy day?). Then we just ran a couple of errands and headed home!

Saturday evening I ended up at a friend's boyfriend's house for a giant games night! I was sort of on the fence about going at all, but I'm so glad I did because I've never laughed so much in my life! We played Loaded Questions, which involves one person in the group reading a question off the card, and everyone else writing an answer down. The answer you write can be as ridiculous as possible and not even have anything to do with the question. Then the "asker" has to listen to each answer and guess who wrote what. Some of the things that people wrote were quite hilarious. I ended up tying to win with my friend Michelle (we each got 5 right)! It's funny that I guessed 5 people's answers because I had never met over half the group before that night, and I think I guessed more of their answers than those of the people I actually knew! Wierd.

After LQ, we played What Mine's Like, which turned out to be one of the funniest games ever. It involves a card being passed around the group with a word or thing on it that is kept secret from one person in the circle. Then each person has to try and allude to what the word/thing is by describing what "their's is like", e.g. saying "Mine is green" or "I have used mine many times today", etc. You can imagine how much hilarity could ensue, both from the confusion of the "guesser" and the fact that the clues people give can be completely taken out of context, if you know what I mean. Literally, my jaw and ribs were sore from laughing by the time we left! I ended up having a 30 minute heart-to-heart relationship chat with one friend when I dropped her off at home. She was worried about some issues with the guy she's dating and needed some advice. She's actually a friend of a friend and we've never had any deep conversations one on one before, so it was nice that she felt comfortable talking to me about her issues!

Mom came home from her trip late Saturday night and Sunday we were slow going, didn't get out until 2pm or so but ended up getting a ton of shopping done. My lovely mother bought me a whole load of kitchen stuff I've been meaning to get, as well as a cute black sweater-cape from Walmart (yes, WM! Say what you will about Wally World but they have cute clothes!). This was such a huge help as I'm still horribly broke at the moment. I finally got my 1st paycheque from the temp job on Tuesday but once I paid a couple of (already late) bills, and had my cat put down on Thursday (which costs almost $150 by the way!! Shocking...), I was basically down to zero again. It's sooooo frustrating living hand to mouth right now, I can't even tell you. I know it will get better, but I have to dig myself out of the hole and get back on level ground 1st, and it's a very frustrating place to be in. Thank god for my mom's generosity and close proximity - she has helped me so much during this tough time and I can't thank her enough.

We went out for supper, and the little boy in the booth next to us was celebrating his bday (he was probably around 8 years old I'd guess). When the servers came around and sang to him, they made him stand up on the booth and as they sang he did this booty-shakin' dance in his spot - it was so funny! Hey, if you're being stared at by an entire restaurant and made to look silly, you might as well go with it, right?

When I got home I did a whole bunch of tidying and putting things away, and I also gathered all the cat's stuff up in a pile to get rid of. It's just too hard sitting there looking at her things sitting around like she's still there, so I wanted to get them cleaned out before the new week started. Clean slate. I'm going to donate as much of it as possible to a local shelter, which will help them out but also make me feel better. It was definitely strange spending the evening at home for the first time since she was put down; I kept expecting her to come into the room or to go into the bedroom and find her snoozing or something. I miss her and I'm not used to the change yet, but I feel very content about it in any case. I'm just happy that it's over with and she's in a better place.

After I tidied I got my Halloween decorations out! I LOVE Halloween! It's definitely one of my favourite holidays, and so I always like to have a few fun things around the apartment (I don't go crazy or anything; we're talkin' orange tablecloth and towels, candy bowl, skull candle holders). I've pretty much decided on my costume, just need to figure out where and when I'm going to where it. There are some murmurings of possible goings-on but nothing set in stone yet. I just have so much fun putting a costume together and wearing it that I definitely want to do something - not just sit around. Gotta burn off all the mini chocolate bars I plan on consuming.

Remainder of the weekend was spent laying on the couch with green tea and watching the Amazing Race! God I love that show; me and my mom are going to do it if they ever start a Canadian version (ummm, by the way Canadian Cable Companies, could you get on that, like soon?!). Is it sad that there are already teams annoying the f#$% out of me? Also, I have to say I'm rather worried for one particular team and whether or not they will be able to get through this thing...

So, that was it in a...well, a very long nutshell. I think it's going to be a good week! I'm definitely going into this one feeling more positive, motivated and organized than last. I also have been thinking a lot about this blog and what changes I want to make to it. I've decided that I want to personalize it a bit more, and so you can probably expect to see more posts such as this one that are more light-hearted and highlight a bit about me and how I spend my time. I'm hoping to create more of a connection with more readers this way. There's no way you will EVER see me writing about ME all the time, or going into every single detail about my existence on this blog, because when it comes right down to it, I'm a private person and I don't want this to be a narcisistic forum. However, I do think that people will enjoy reading more (and I'll enjoy writing more) if I have more of a fun, personal focus to my posts. I guess we'll see!

How was your weekend? Did you do anything exciting? Thinking about making any changes lately?

Things'll Be Great For Sure...Downtown

How was your weekend? I had a great one! Why, do you ask? Well, there are a few reasons for that, but the best part of my weekend was probably Saturday because this is the day I finally completed my Big Day Downtown*! If you aren't sure what the heck I'm talking about, you can read all about it here.

I had my activites for the day pretty much mapped out weeks ago, but actually changed it up at the last minute for various reasons. For example, I planned on visiting the new Farmer's Market first thing, but was scared away by reports from friends about the crazy busy-ness and I really didn't feel like getting up at 6am on a weekend (call me lazy, but I do that all week for work). My main goals for the day were to visit places that previous bloggers hadn't written about, and to have a mixture of experiences - e.g., visit new places as well as familiar ones, not stick to one particular activity, and plan the day out but also leave room for the unexpected. Interestingly, this is pretty much how I live my life a good part of the time so...neat!

WORD OF WARNING: this is a long post and there's lots of photos, so it's not a quick read. It's hard to cram an full 8 hour day of fun into a few hundred words (so sue me). Also, excuse the funky spacing in some parts - arranging photos in Blogger is quite the chore and I could only fix so much without completely messing up my format, so you will have to settle for less than perfect. Sorry!

Kick Off My Sunday Shoes

Yes, I'm still alive. I've been in a wonderful little land called "vacation" for the past 10 days or so, hence the lack of posting. I went on my annual cottage trip to PEI with my mom and sister, with a few extra days off before and after. I had a really stressful week leading up to going away so I wanted to make it a point to abstain from a lot of computering while away and focus on enjoying the sunshine, beach, food and reading.

So, not much more to say about that except that it was good! And I'm back to real life and to the regular grind!

The bad news is that I'm behind on things I've been meaning to post! Before I left for vacation, I did an interview for the new blog for Mephisto shoes. A lovely lady contacted me a few weeks ago, after I posted here about shoes, saying that she liked my blog and wondered if I'd mind being featured. You can read the interview here.

I say this every time, but I'm so blown away when I get messages like that and I hear that people actually read this little blog and enjoy it! It feels so great! And not just anyone but someone from a well-established company who wants to get my insights?! Seriously?! It's very humbling, especially since most of the time I feel like I just ramble on about very trivial, opinionated things in these posts of mine and probably don't even make sense. Actually when I re-read my answers to the interview questions, I cringed at my long-windedness in some responses! However, that's me, and as I say in one of my answers, the great thing about blogging is you have the freedom to be yourself, and to write however and about whatever you want. As long as it makes sense to you, that's the important thing (occasional cringe-worthy editing aside).

This is going to be a regular feature on Mephisto's new blog - interviews with bloggers that they enjoy - so I'll certainly be giving my contact there the names of a few blogs that I think are pretty great. What good is love if you can't spread it around a little?

I had a lot of fun perusing the shoes on GoMephisto.com (um, who wouldn't?!) and have several favourite pairs. At the time of my interview, I picked the Cataron style as my favourite, but I'm also a fan of Algie, Catiena, Abbie, and Bella (on another note, I don't know who comes up with the names of these styles, but I love them). These shoes really marry style to function and comfort, which I love. I'm always on the go, so it's important that my feet feel good!

Thanks so much to Pat at the blog for contacting me (and liking the blog!), and thanks to everyone who reads my stuff. It really means a lot. Even though this blog is ultimately for me and about me, I still love being able to connect with others through my words and pictures.

Keep up the great work, Blogsphere! xo Stay tuned for my post for the #bigdaydowntown project, that I'm completing this weekend (wherein I take downtown Halifax by storm), and an upcoming travelogue I'm entering in a contest over at Trazzler, plus some other fun goodies I haven't come up with yet but am sure I will soon, not to mention the continued saga of "the job search". It's good to be back.

Cherry Bomb

Well Thursday sucks today in Halifax - the sky is a gross, muddy gray colour and it's raining; supposed to get thunder showers later. Today is, in a word, BLECH.

But thankfully a little sunshine was brought into my morning by a great new blogger I've been following: Tasha @ Random Musings gave me a Blog Award!

Isn't is pretty?! I love pink and cupcakes so it's perfect for me! I've said this before but I still feel like I'm a beginner in this "world" and there are so many wonderful blogs out there nowadays I'm always surprised when people pick mine out as worth reading and recognizing. Thanks so much Tasha!

Of course, as always with these awards, I can't just sit back and solitarily (is this a word?) revel in the awesomeness; I have to pass it on - pay it forward, if you will. Here's my assignment:

#1 Answer this question: if you had the chance to go back and change one thing in your life, would you and what would it be? > Ooooo I love this question - quite the brain-burner - thankfully I don't have too many specific regrets but generally speaking, if I had it to do over again, I would have been more brave and confident in the past. I've always been a shy person and it's something I still struggle with, but I've literally done a 360 turn in that department since Jr High/High School. I'm much more confident now than I ever have been and I get more and more so every year. But there was a time where I was very timid and unfortunately I missed out on many things because of it. There are many times when I should have stood up for myself, made my feelings and thoughts known, and taken more chances. I played it very "safe" in a lot of ways, and I always wonder, if I hadn't, if my life would be different today. For the most part though, I'm glad for my history as it's taught me a lot and made me into the person I am today, so it's hard to regret that too much! If we never make mistakes in life we never learn anything and grow as human beings, so what's the point in doing everything right all the time?

 #2 The second thing you have to do is, pick 6 people and give them this award. You then have to inform the person that they have gotten this award > This is also tough - I love so many bloggers it will be really hard to choose only 6, but here goes:

1 - This might seem like a cop-out, but 1st I choose...well, the very person who gave me this award - Tasha! Since she wasn't actually awarded this in the first place, I felt I could pass it onto her. What I love about her blog is how genuine it is - she writes directly from her heart and sometimes about things that must be tough for her to write about/reveal to the world. I appreciate that - plus she just writes interesting posts!

2 - Jill @ Couchtime: This is a blog I've only started following about a week ago, but I love it already! It's a TV blog, so it really stands apart from the sea of "general interest" blogs (like mine, hah!) out there. I love TV and many of the shows she writes about on a regular basis so it's great to hear insights from someone who loves TV as much as I do. Even better, she's a local (she blogs out of Halifax, NS - my home) and we are both participating in a neat challenge being put on here in our city. Can't wait to see what she plans for her big day!

3 - Bree @ .simply.girly: All I can say about this girl is that she's completely adorable! She's another Canadian blogger (Cdn gals kick ass, what can I say) and reading her posts always puts a smile on my face. Mainly because her and her bf Dylan are like the cutest, most in-love couple ever. Dylan has his own blog called 100 Km Love Letter where he writes little love notes to her (they live an hour apart) - how cute and such a great idea for keeping in touch. So, I guess this award is just as much for Dylan's blog as for hers. Bree has such a positive attitude and just seems like someone you would love to be friends with because you would always have fun and she would always be there for you.

4 - Heather @ Boyfriend Challenged: Heather's musings about single life (and the fabulous fun of working as an au pair in Germany!) are hilarious and right on the money. I don't have many single girlfriends and sometimes it seems like there aren't many single bloggers out there, so it's nice to know there in fact is someone that can relate to my dating issues and the challenges/advantages to living the single life. I wish I could be as bold as her sometimes when it comes to guys (and I also wish I could have her hair).

5 - AubreyRose @ My Simple Everyday: This is another new blog discovery I've made recently. Besides being very pretty to look at, it's also fun to read. I loved her recent post about being short because I can completely relate, and she has the cutest pair of dogs ever (the recent photo she posted of them sleeping together was TOO funny - you know me, anyone who loves animals is a great person in my book). The title is right - this blog is simple, it's everyday, but it's clear that she's very proud of her life and the people in it and that really shines through when reading. (Not to mention she's a fellow "30 before 30" lister!).

6 - Kim @ Say What?!: This is yet another local blogger AND another blog I've recently discovered. We have the same name so that's really enough of a reason right there to give her this award, but on top of that she has a really funny, thought-provoking blog. Plus she has shown me real love by commenting regularly on my posts, and that means a lot. I love her blog title, and feel as though she's a kindred spirit since she writes (in her words) "all the outrageous things I wish I could say out loud" - there are many outrageous things I'd love to say out loud too, but am too chicken, so I can completely relate.

#3 The third and final thing is, thank the person who gave you the award > DONE!

So, there you have it! Another bright spot in my day is that tomorrow is Friday and then it's a long weekend! Can't wait to spend some time with my brother and his wife who are visiting from Vancouver (fingers crossed for good weather!). And of course I can't wait to continue following all the lovely ladies above, as well as the other great blogs I've been privileged enough to come across. Happy Weekend, all!