Real, Not Ideal

I'm exhausted. That's all I have to see. I've taken pictures of some specific things, but this week has really been all about work. I've been working and training and running all over the place. I'm the kind of person who really likes to sleep in once a week. The absence is noticeable in my life. Other than that, I took some selfies. (left to right) 1. My sister graduated on Thursday! Brianne and I made a deal that we never have to go to each other's graduations. But Wednesday night, my parents took her out for a fancy dinner downtown. So we got all dolled up and went out! The food was to die for. 2. I have two weddings to attend this summer, and my mom and I went out to look for a dress. I found the most adorable dress. It's very 50s housewife, but I absolutely love it. I promise to post pictures. 3. This picture makes no sense without explanation. Monday night, there was a huge storm. I ended up sleeping on my sister's floor that night becau...

Here’s a shocker for everyone reading this: I am not skinny. Summer is here, and I know this can be a vulnerable for those who don’t have “bikini bodies.” And I get it, I really do. There are times when I have wanted to cover up or stay wrapped in a towel. But that’s no way to have fun in the summer. My weight and body is something I have come to accept. I love myself just as it is. This is not easy, especially when there are so many images that invite me to think otherwise. A rare case of a brand offering support for girls who are not perfect is Aerie ’s No Touchup Campaign. I can’t remember when it was launched, but I was extremely happy to see models just as they are in their ads.  [source] This is a good step in the right direction when it comes to positive body image. Girls can come to accept freckles, body rolls, and tattoos. Aerie primarily sells bras, underwear, and swimwear. Let’s face it, even the best of us don’t always feel comfortable mostly naked. By seeing ...

I can honestly say at this point that all my weeks are blurring together. I took all my pictures this week, but I am having the worst time figuring out what I actually. Which was apparently not a lot. The weekend was fun though! (left to right) 1. Last Saturday was my sister's birthday! We had celebrated the previous week with the family, but her boyfriend came over to hang out with us. I'm really good friends with him, so we all had great fun. Brianne had a great night as well. 2. Sunday was a staff outing to Canada's Wonderland! I have never had a good time a theme park. My mom is having of heights, my dad gets nauseous after a few rides, and my sister is terrified of roller coasters. I went with high school friends on a band trip once, but they ended up leaving me and took all my stuff. This picture I took was to send a friend to show him how wet it was. The good thing about going to theme parks on a rainy day is that no one else is there. So the wet hair was wo...

There are certain things in life that we all come across. I’ve previously written about my experience with pretty , and I have since thought about something else we all experience. Popularity. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of popular is “of or relating to the general public; suitable to the majority; frequently encountered or widely accepted.” To be honest, I don’t see how that ties into what makes people popular. It is my personal belief that popularity should not be a thing. It is interconnected with being cool, and I just don’t see why that holds such a strong value in society. If we’re looking at school settings in particular, we see distinct groups that are placed above others. Again, I’m going to question why that is. Why must there be a social ladder that dictates how social interactions are meant to be carried out, especially when the definition of popular changes as you grow up. [source] I have never been popular. I’ve seen what it takes to ...

Yeah, everything's been late this past week. I have been the worst at planning all week. It happens. All in all, it's been a good week. All my activities have been all over the place. A couple of the days were just taken over by sleeping after work. I had a full week, and it was exhausting. (left to right) 1. On Thursday night, the promotions team decided to have a few (or more) drinks. We went to the classic patio bar downtown, and let me tell you, they have great nachos. That's kind of it. We all learned a lot about each other, and it was a fun time. 2. Whoever didn't like the High School Musical franchise (even if it was just for Zac Efron) has something wrong with them. Marlee and I decided to watch all three movies this summer, and we made it to the second movie! It was obviously amazing. And fun fact: a co-worker was driving me home yesterday, and he totally played the slow song that Zac and Gabriella sang when they broke up. 3. My sister's birthday ...

I have once again received something to review from BzzAgent . The last product I reviewed was deodorant , and going along with the beauty theme, I have received shampoo, conditioner, and oil elixir from Herbal Essence’s Wild Naturals Rejuvenation Collection. The way BzzAgent works is that they have a series of activities to complete. Last time, a blog post was required. It isn’t this time, but I figured I would give you all the full review anyway! This collection is meant to restore hair back to its natural state. It strengthens and nourishes your hair. Using all the products together is meant to give your hair extra protection against breakage and give your hair extra shine! My hair was generally healthy before I started using the products, so I don’t know if I got the whole she-bang. The scent is Turkish fig and cassia flower. I have no idea what either of those are supposed to smell like, but I liked the scent of the shampoo and conditioner. Just so you know, I have thin hair. ...

We all have those days where we just NEED a cookie. For me, those days come more often than I'd like to admit. I've had this recipe from No. 2 Pencil saved for quite some time now on Pinterest,  and I finally decided to go for it. Ingredients - 1 tbsp. butter - 1 tbsp. sugar - 1 tbsp. brown sugar - 3 drops of vanilla extract - small pinch of Kosher salt - 1 egg yolk - slightly less than 1/4 cup of flour - 1 1/2 tbsp. of chocolate chips (moving from top left to right, up then down) 1. Melt the tablespoon of butter. I melted it for about 20 seconds. 2. Add the brown sugar. 3. Add the white sugar. 4. Add the vanilla. 5. Add the kosher salt. 6. Stir until all the ingredients are mixed. 7. Add the egg yolk. 8. Stir until all the ingredients are mixed. 9. Add the flour. 10. Stir until all the ingredients are mixed. 11. Add the chocolate chips and mix. 12. Microwave for 40-60 seconds. I cooked mine for 50 seconds. My rationalization is that cookies are h...

I didn't think I did a lot of things this week, but looking back, I actually did! I've just been busier with work things rather than social things. I do want to get back on the social events because it makes these posts (and my life in general) more interesting. (moving left to right, top to bottom) 1. On Saturday, I went to a party with Marlee and her boyfriend. I've known this group of people since I was in first year. They are all graduating and moving away, so this was the last kick altogether. It was a great night. This picture is a label was from a guy who remembers the first time I ever drank at a party. That still makes me laugh! 2. On Wednesday night, Sarah came over, and we played Scattergories and ate popcorn. Scattergories is my favourite game to play, so it was a fantastic night. Any night I spend with Sarah is a great night. We really only started talking in September, and we had a spat that lost us three months of friendship, but we came out on top ...

I knew I wanted to continue these posts at the end of the summer months, but I had no idea how odd this outfits would end up looking all together! The weather this month has gone right from winter to summer and back to colder temperatures! So there is a wide variety of outfits for your viewing pleasure. I have also completely made up the days of the week just so it fits with the regular style of these posts. Anyway... Monday- This outfit was for my final exam. I decided to take the inspiration from Polyvore  and dress up a little to celebrate my second year finale. Who doesn't love a good blazer? Especially if it's red! Blazer- Smart Set Shirt- Reitmans Jeans- Old Navy Tuesday- These pictures are out of order, but we're fine with it. I needed a cozy outfit that still looked good for an evening of studying at school. Enter statement necklace and shirt from a Nordstrom ad (original picture found here). This shirt is so pretty (it has some...

May was an interesting month where I did a whole lot of nothing. However, a few things have been getting me through the events of the month. Getting this list together is amusing to me because I can tell exactly what I've been doing. I keep a list going on my white board of all my favourites, so a few of these items become irrelevant by the time I sit down to write this. But this is like a reminiscing thing I can do every month. I love these posts! 1. Straws I want to add jars to this too. My sister and I found large mason jars and have since been drinking out of them. I am also a firm believer that everything tastes better when drinking through a straw. I don't know why that is, but I know that when I have my own place, straws will be a staple. This picture is from a smoothie I made, but I am all about water recently. As a side note, I've been trying to drink more water to try to be healthy. 2. Cheerleader by OMI (Felix Jaehn edit) ...