Burger Bonanza

There has been quite the case of "Burger Fever" here in Halifax this past year, with a gourmet burger joint opening (it seems) every other week in various neighborhoods and enthusiasts endlessly comparing the pros and cons of each.

The Coast, in all their awesome genius-ness, decided to get in on the hype by making March 21st to 27th "Burger Week"! A whole week dedicated to eating burgers? Pretty sure this is the best idea ever (next to the hairdryer, of course). They also offered a prize of a Big Green Egg smoker/grill for anyone who visited a minimum of 3 establishments, so the boy and I promptly grabbed our passports, picked our Top 3 and spent the week trying them all out.

We decided to try 3 places we had never visited before, so this was an excuse to not only eat delicious burgers but to visit a few restos I have been meaning to get to for a while! Win-win!

1. Bearly's House of Blues, Burgers and Ribs

All photos by me

This place was PACKED when we arrived and we only got a table within 10 minutes out of sheer luck. Clearly this is a popular place on Friday and Saturday nights. I can see why, since it has a casual laid back vibe and low prices. The Bearly's Burger was one of the $5 ones from The Coast list - that's $5, TAXES IN, y'all. The price was great for the amount of food - this plate was HUGE. And the burger had some great toppings, including onion rings and house-made salsa.

Unfortunately, our service left some things to be desired, but I'm willing to cut them some slack since they were really busy. And the important thing is that the burger was delicious! Next time I hope to catch some of the great blues music they are known for.

2. Tempo Food + Drink
This is a brand new restaurant that I had heard good reviews for, so I was probably anticipating this visit the most. It just looks like such a cool, funky place through those big, open windows on Barrington Street - like a place that has interesting cocktails and takes on food. This burger was one of the most delicious-sounding on the menu, with its smoked ketchup, fried onions, candied bacon (candy and bacon in ONE?!), and tempura pickle! Who could resist all that fat and grease?!

The burger was quite tasty, although all the tempura promptly came off my pickle the minute I bit into it, which was disappointing. The prices here are also a tad higher, so it's not a place I could afford to frequent often (most dishes and drinks are around the $15 mark). The two cocktails I had were good though, particularly the "Chant", aka. lemon vodka, lemon gemello, blueberry liqueur, rhubarb
bitters, sour, pineapple. I think it's really cute that their drinks all have musical names, since I'm a music geek and all.

My favourite thing about this place is the atmosphere - the decor has a real modern, sleek feel to it with a touch of down-to-earth comfort (long cafeteria-esque counter in front of the kitchen, chalkboard special listings). They had a great-looking "lounge" area with candles and comfy chairs that looks like a great place to sit and sip a drink and talk with a friend. Will keep this spot in mind for just such a future visit!

3. Finbar's Irish Pub
This being a suburban pub, we weren't sure what to expect, but we liked it very much! It's just your basic Irish-style pub, not really anything special but the burger we had here was probably the most unique of the 3. This patty was lamb instead of beef and had a delicious sweet Guinness glaze on top, which I really enjoyed. The service here was great - all the waitresses are really friendly and helpful. Ours helped the boy pick out a beer to compliment his burger when he wasn't sure what to have, and he's a bit of a beer snob so if he's impressed with your pick, you have done something right!

Thanks to The Coast for putting on such a delicious promotion - it made our tummies very happy and also got us out to try some new places, which we are always up for! It seemed like this promotion was very popular and well-received, so hopefully this means there will be more. May I suggest something dessert-related?

damn words...you fine

I was lied to. Or, I should say I was never given the whole story.

Everything I was told, or that I read/heard, in high school basically implied that if I got a University degree that I would be all set. I would graduate, get a job and that would be that. They never told me that so much rides on your first job out of school. They never told me that sometimes that first job that you think is going to set you for life ends up being...well, nothing like you expected. They never told me that sometimes your first job out of school can also be the first job you are let go from and that you can be unemployed for the first time a month into living in your first apartment (and having, you know, actual BILLS to pay).

But this all happened to me (needless to say I would have appreciated a head's up as to the possibility). This experience set off a sequence of events that resulted in finding myself inching closer and closer to 30 while spending my working life jumping between temporary secretary jobs where I am not appreciated and that don't really suit me (setting: present day). Soul-sucking corporate jobs with lots of forms, regulations and people blaming you for things that are out of your hands. Jobs that make you long for 4:30 and give you permanent neck and shoulder pain and tension.

And in between all of this, a job search that is pretty soul-sucking in its own right. A search that after a while appears futile and makes you wonder if you have anything of value to offer, if there was any point in getting that degree after all, and why is it so many of your peers seem to be "getting it right" while you are getting it so...wrong.

Not exactly the rosy image I had in my high-school head about my future.

The one blessing from my unexpected career woes? Realizing what I really love and am really good at. Had I never been forced to do so much self-examination and career research, I may have never realized where my true passion lies and the number of opportunities available within that niche for someone who is willing to reach out and grab them. I am not sure I would have ever looked at a skill that lurked there the entire time - my entire life, to be exact - in my peripheral vision as a potential career path had I not been forced to think of "outside the box" ways of bringing in income, as well as my purpose in life.

I have always been a writer (even though I hate when people say that, and they say it a lot) but never a confident one. I never thought of myself as a writer nor thought of the skill as a "talent" or as something that made me special. As an extremely quiet and shy kid growing up, it was a struggle for me to even raise my hand in class and give a 10 second answer, let alone admit to myself that I was talented or special in any area.

I just knew I liked doing it. It felt good to have my essay chosen to read at my 6th grade graduation (out of all the essays in my class). I actually liked writing papers in English class (if that's not an indication of uniqueness, I don't know what is). My marks were always highest in English and arts-related classes. In Jr High I started writing a movie screenplay (alas it never got finished, but if it did I imagine it would have starred Rachel McAdams).

It felt good that, even though I was too scared to open my mouth and speak my mind, that I could always get my thoughts and opinions out on paper. Even if I couldn't be one of those confident and articulate people that everyone listened to in person, I could at least be that person through my pen or keyboard.

I have learned and grown so much since then, but writing is still an outlet for me. And now that I realize it can not only be an outlet, but a way to earn a living, I think I love it even more. You see, I am of the mind that things happen for a reason - so, I am starting to think that maybe there is a reason that my career trajectory has not gone as I would have liked or expected. Maybe there's a reason that I am not liking these secretarial jobs (and they don't like me back).

Maybe it's because I am following the wrong path, looking in the wrong places. Perhaps I was far too focused on getting a "regular" job where I'm always working to please others and feed others' souls rather than working to fill up my own. Maybe it's time to shake things up, give up on the whole "regular" existence thing and take a chance on something I love.

I have been working a bit towards writing for work for about a year now, but I feel I would benefit from some guidance and some mentorship. I feel like I am finally pointed in the right general direction, but I need someone to lead me from here. I know I want to write for a living, but I don't quite have the confidence or the full range of skills to jump right in with both feet on my own.

I feel that your writing course would help give me the confidence boost, practical tools, advice and motivation I need to really make a future out of this. It's time to tell myself it's ok to do what THEY never did - go forth, and follow your passion.

This blog post is an entry into The Damn Fine Words Writing Contest.

Happy Haulidays (take two)

One of my favourite gifts to get for Christmas (well, anytime really) is new books. I especially like books that teach me about quirky things I didn't know before. Chronicle Books publishes a lot of books like this - I love perusing their site and checking out their new fun books. There are so many of their books that speak to my passions and interests, I could EASILY spend $500 in one-go.

Speaking of spending $500 in one-go: Last year I entered the Happy Haulidays contest to try and win $500 of books - alas, I was not successful but it was still fun to shop around and write the post, so I thought why not do it again?!

The cool thing about the contest this year is that they are not only awarding one lucky blogger AND one lucky commenter $500 in books, but they will also donate $500 worth of books to the winner's chosen charity! Cool, huh?

If I were to win, choosing a charity to receive the donation would be tough because there are so many organizations that I think are deserving. But if I had to choose, I would probably split the $500 donation prize between my two best friends, who both teach elementary school. One works as a resource teacher in a school in my city, and the other teaches a kindergarten class in Cold Lake, Alberta. They both work so hard at their jobs, and they are always spending their own money on much-needed supplies for their classroom (I'm sorry, but whoever says teachers make too much money and get too much time off have NO idea what their job actually entails) so I would love to help them buy some educational and fun books for their kids (like perhaps this one, or this).

I feel that fostering a love of reading and learning at a young age is so important, and it makes me proud that my friends are helping so many students do this. A few hundred dollars worth of books would be a great help for them. I'm not sure if this technically counts as a "charity" but I think they are deserving.

Behold my list of chosen books (I think it's safe to say I would have no problem spending $500 on this site. No sir). If you like what you see, don't forget to comment below for your chance to win too! And stay tuned  in case we win! Happy Haulidays, y'all :)

One Line a Day Memory Book * Creative Inc * The Exquisite Book * Paper + Craft * A Very Merry Cookie Party * I Was Here * 18-mth Moleskin Planner * Rubberneckers * Wanderlust * Places To Check Out * Paint By Number * Coffee * 52 Relaxing Rituals * Soul Catcher * Lotta's Printing Studio * Mexicocina (my bf would love this book) * Penny Saving Household Helper * Same Place, More Space * Anne Taintnor 2012 Wall Calendar * The Writer's Toolbox * Copywriting

design YOUR look - My Spring Dream

I decided to enter the "design YOUR look" contest over at Jess LC because the prizes are amazing! (her blog and jewelry are amazing too, check out her site if you have not already). I think I am now addicted to Polyvore, though, which is not good. Too much time wasted on here already! Back to the grindstone - anyway hope you like my set!

SOOOOO glad it's the weekend - man, work has been busy this week. The days have just flown, too, which doesn't help when you have lots to do (why does that happen anyway?! Can someone explain this phenomenon?!). Going to see our local Symphony do a Beatles tribute tonight (yess!) with my mom and sister (+ sushi for supper!). Tomorrow I'll be housekeeping, running errands and hopefully going for a hike and out for supper. Nothing set in stone though, just a nice relaxing weekend.

I've officially reached the 5 lb mark for weight loss (as of Wednesday), which I'm very excited about! I fell off the wagon the last two weeks and have been struggling to get back on track but I think I've got my mojo back, thank goodness!

What are your plans this weekend?

design YOUR look - My Spring Dream by shortfuuse featuring a stripe cardigan

TopShop stripe cardigan
$80 - topshop.com

Lace top
$30 - delias.com

Old Navy wedge shoes
$33 - oldnavy.gap.com

Tote bag
$25 - ae.com

Ronald Pineau studded belt
$400 - barneys.com

Goorin logo hat
28 GBP - urbanexcess.com

Mens Waistband Tapered Trousers
$90 - topshop.com

Un-Happy Haulidays

Well, alas I did not win the Chronicle Books Home for the Haulidays contest I wrote about here, which means no free books for me or for anyone who commented. WAH!

However, twas not all in vain! Chronicle is offering we bloggers + our readers the following deal:

35% off + free shipping through December 16, 2011

Use this promo code at checkout: HAULIDAYS

Huzzah! So, you can still pick up some books and if not for free, at a reduced cost.

Thanks to everyone who commented! It was fun to search the site and make some picks (and daydream). Until next time...what are you waiting for?! Go read something!

If You Could Read My Mind, Love

I recently discovered a sweet company through one my favourite bloggers, Bakerella. For those of you who haven't heard of her, she's a "cake pop" maven! If you like baked goods and fun, easy recipes check out her blog ASAP!

Anyway, Chronicle Books (@ChronicleBooks) is the publisher of her cake pop book, and I stumbled upon their website through following her book tour. I'm hooked! They publish really fun, quirky, witty books with some of the coolest graphic cover art I've ever seen. I could spend hours perusing their site. I ordered this book for my mom for Christmas (she makes the best whoopie pies).

So, given how much I love this company, and the fact that I'm a huge book-worm, I was soooo excited to learn about their Happy Haulidays contest.

By blogging a list of Chronicle books (valued at up to $500!) I would love to see under my Christmas tree, I'm automatically entered to win said list! Better yet, anyone who comments on my post will win the list too! (ahem, hint hint)

It would be so amazing to win up to $500 in books - I wouldn't have to buy a book for two years! I mean, I love me some books, but they can be pricey and I'm one of those wierdos who likes NEW books and therefore frequents bookstores and Amazon.ca when I really should be visiting the library (oh hello, budget, haven't seen you in a while!). Feeding my habit can get pricey so needless to say, winning a huge stack of lovely books would be very much appreciated. If I won, I probably wouldn't leave my apartment for, oh, a month or two because I'd be too busy caressing all the cute covers and absorbing every whimsical word.

The only issue is there are so many books on the site that I'd love to read, it was hard to narrow it down (believe it or not the list below IS in fact a narrowed down list!). Don't say I didn't warn you ahead of time about the book greediness (what?! All they said was $500 limit, and I'm well within that! Don't judge me!). This means there are too many for me to write a little blurb about every single one, so photos (and short comments here and there) will have to suffice. Photos are better anyway because you can get an eyeful of the aforementioned gorgeous cover graphics! Behold the awesomeness (and pray to the book gods for me to win - draw is Dec 13th)! *remember to comment below if you want to be entered to win too!*


I am CONSTANTLY writing myself notes, so this would be very handy

Yes, Kerry, please help me 

Such a sweet story behind this one!

Meow!

Considering my financial sitch I'll be renting, oh, forever so new decor tips would be great!

BEAUTIFUL

I love to doodle and colour!

 

Frida Kahlo is one of my fav artists. I just read a novel that features her and really enjoyed it

Bahahaha. Oh cat lovers and their silliness

I really miss doing yoga, and lets be honest, we could all use a little "om" in our workday once in a while, am I right?

J'adore dips, and everyone loves the person that brings dip to the party!

Just something I wanna learn more about...

In conclusion, I'd just like to say that books are the shiz. Listen to Levar Burton kids, "take a look, it's in a book!"

Happy Reading!