Things I Love Thursday: January 28, 2010

New Haircut

I've been wanting to get my haircut for awhile now. I was planning on doing it yesterday, but then my afternoon class was cancelled Monday and on a whim I went to this place called House of Lords on Yonge St. It has a cool rocker atmosphere, and it's cheap. Sure, my haircut didn't come out exactly as I wanted it, and I'm trying to figure out how to tame certain parts of it, but I like it overall.

Children's Lit Essay

Okay, this isn't due until March, but it's wonderful that I'm actually excited to write it. I plan on talking about gender politics and roles in Twilight. My professor [who is delightful by the way] hasn't specified any kind of questions or topics to talk about, but she did say we could write about Twilight if we wanted to, as she didn't choose it for the syllabus, due to how poorly written it is. I'd have to agree with her.

Fruit Punch

Went grocery shopping with Kayla yesterday, which is infinitely more fun with another person, and I bought some Arizona fruit punch, which I haven't had in a long time. It was wonderful. Plus the burrito I got at Burrito Boyz was a lovely addition.

With love and copious amounts of fruit

Cathryn

Remember Me as a Time of Day

My roommates and I have been on a Friday Night Lights kick. We pretty much just powered through the first season. I was never one for football in high school, even though my high school was one of the best in Ontario. We'd often get let out early to go out to games and one time my friend, Emily, and I stayed for about five minutes before we left to go to Tim Hortons. Some of the players could also be kind of jerks sometimes, so I wasn't wholly invested in it.

Friday Night Lights however is kind of excellent in making the game exciting to watch. The characters are so realistically depicted and it's shot with a documentary-like feel with shaky cameras that go in and out of focus. You also can't beat a relationship like the one depicted between Coach Taylor and his wife, Tami. One of my favourite moments is when their daughter, Julie, comes home after a rough night and tells her parents they're the best in the world. Her dad gets a self-congratulatory smile on his face, while her mom knows that something did not go right. It was subtle, and funny.

Now, I seem to be in a different spot then where I planned. Thanks to this show, I've found this amazing band, Explosions in the Sky. They're an experimental rock band, which sounds weird, but they perform really affecting music that can really raise your spirits, or mellow you out depending on what you need.

Unfortunately embedding has been disabled, but here is a link to a video that combines both Friday Night Lights and Explosions in the Sky. If it doesn't make you feel something, you have no heart.

With love and football

Cathryn

Things I Love Thursday: January 21, 2010

Ottawa anticipation

Just bought my train ticket to go visit my friends up in the capital. I'm not fond of Ottawa as a city, but I'm excited for beaver tails and 24 hour diners and my friends spy-themed party. I'm going as a femme fatale. Shh don't tell anyone.

Enlightening conversations with friends

On Sunday night, I had a nice chat with my roommate Logan. It first started with asking about his painting and then it grew into talking about goals and life. I like those conversations. I mentioned how I was interested in writing a book and I was telling him my ideas and he was really receptive to the whole thing. It was a nice kick in the pants, and I've been writing steadily ever since. It feels really good actually.

Road trip playlists

I want to go on a road trip across Canada. In fact that's one of my goals for my twenties. I need to get a group of friends and a van, and hit the road. I'm torn between going out east or out west, and as much as I'd like to go east first then west, that might not be practical. We'll see! For now I'm making a playlist filled with songs I want to listen to, which I will probably divide into other subcategories depending on the time of day. Because I'm anal like that.

I'd also like to make some games and plan sights to see. Most likely "World's Largest Things". Make some road-trip bingo, and get a wacky journal to log everything, for which we'll yell log it at random intervals a la Brendan Leonard. I'm getting hyper just thinking about it.

With love and road maps

Cathryn

Word words words

Last year I read 10 books. Only 10. Now that's not bad considering school and whatnot [although it's not really cool to mention that almost half of them were Twilight books]. This year I'd like to read at least a book a month, and fortunately with my Children's Lit class I'll be getting half of it done before April.

On the 18th I finished Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. I'm still making my way through No one belongs here more than you by Miranda July, and this is my ever growing reading list:

Children's Lit:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling*

Regular List:

Emma by Jane Austen

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

White Oleander by Janet Fitch*

Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Anything I should add?

With love and bookmarks

Cathryn

*I've read it before

Daily Outfit: January 14 and 15, 2010

I appear to be loving the monochrome, but it's winter and I'm in love with my new oversized grey cardigan. I'm wearing it right now in fact.

Apologies for the unmade bed, and slightly out of focus pictures. I'd like to make this a regular feature if possible.

With love and self-timers

Cathryn

Notes on self-esteem

Credit: Unknown

My heart reaches out when I hear stories like Heidi Montag. Stories about people who feel so deeply unattractive and ashamed of their bodies that they resort to drastic diets and surgeries to feel better about themselves.

I think everyone experiences some unhappiness with their bodies and features at some point in their life. But getting plastic surgery is sort of this demented notion that you'll become "your best you" as if having your chin reduced and your cheeks and lips puffed out will result in instant confidence. Only you have the power to become the person you want to be.

These insecurities are holding us back. "Oh that guy isn't going to like me, he'll be too distracted by my massive schnoz to notice me." Well that gets you nowhere. You've psyched yourself out. Getting a nose job won't necessarily change that mindset. It just adds a level of artificiality. Plus I guarantee most people aren't fixating on your perceived flaws as much you are. And you shouldn't change yourself to please a guy, because that won't make you happy.

Even the women you might deem as the epitome of attractiveness feel imperfect sometimes. But that doesn't hinder them, and it shouldn't hinder you.

With love and affirmations

Cathryn

Things I Love Thursday: January 14, 2010

Mexican food

Today I went out with my new friend Phillip and he showed me this place called Burrito Boyz on Adelaide. I love Mexican food, but I think my concept of it is limited to Tex Mex Lonestar fajitas. [Great food, but not really authentic]. This place was nice because a) not really a chain, b) not dirty and c) awesome food for cheap. I can't wait to show it to people.

Children's books

This semester I'm taking a Children's fiction class that is sure to be awesome. This week we have to read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and over the semester we're going to read Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. The Harry Potter one is the only book on the list I've read [a travesty I know], but I'm excited to be reading so many wonderful classic books.

Drunk roommates

Last night, my roommates went out and got drunk on 9 dollar pitchers. Since I have no class today I was up until 3 reading anyway, and I went down and hung out with them. They're very entertaining when they're drunk [and it's completely true that when you're drunk you tell all your friends you love them]. Even when they're a little aggressive. [Yes, I'm wearing a retainer. No, I don't have headgear]

Mike: We're going to double team you

Me: What?!

With love and guacamole

Cathryn

Music Monday: January 11, 2010

Credit: Unknown

What's been playing on repeat

"Standing in the Way of Control" - The Gossip

"Angel in the Snow" - Elliott Smith

"Set the Fire to the Third Bar" - Snow Patrol featuring Martha Wainwright

"Walking with a Ghost" - The White Stripes

With love and crazy dance beats

Cathryn

Hypothesis Conclusion

So for the month of December, after buying a mini Sephora eye shadow case, I experimented with my make-up and here are some of the results.

Since I haven't been a huge make-up person I feel that although the looks are more subtle on the experimentation scale, they're still a step-up and I've learned a few things.

With love and make-up brushes

Cathryn

Things I Love Thursday: January 7, 2010

Credit: vklahti

Bikram [Hot] Yoga

Cara is doing a 30 day hot yoga challenge and the place she goes to offers unlimited sessions for a week for 20 dollars. I went on Monday and Wednesday and lets just say I've never sweat so much in my life, and yet never felt better. Yesterday was pretty brutal, but it feels good to be active.

Train rides

I went home for a day this week to pick up some stuff left behind. After waiting for 40 minutes in the cold to go on a coach bus, I've decided I'm never taking the bus again. Train all the way. It's just such a better way to travel.

The fresh start of a new semester

Had my first class yesterday at 8 in the morning. In a movie theatre. I'm told that it's impossible to stay awake in this building because the seats or so comfortable. Anyway I digress, I'm excited for new classes and a new schedule and everything in general. Hopefully the workload won't be too bad.

On another note I feel like I should mention that it's been a whole year since my ex-boyfriend left for his mission. It's odd to think about where I was last year and where I am now, but at the same time I feel like I'm in a better place [except for other boy stuff I won't get into]. I haven't seen him in a year, yet it feels like longer. I don't know how any relationship can survive that. I still miss him, but I'm confident things will work out for the both of us.

With love and yoga mats

Cathryn

24 Hour Notice

Credit: Unknown

So you know my shopping manifesto? I've been trying to put the tips to good use, and I snapped up a couple of things over the holidays. Also in an effort to get rid of some stuff I've made a pile of things at home I'd like to sell in the hopes of acquiring much needed cash money.

Yesterday, I was at H+M with a friend and I saw a plain black pencil skirt with a zipper up the front and seams all over in cool graphic pattern. It was on sale for 20 dollars and my size, but I walked away because I didn't think I needed to spend the money.

So here I am 24 hours later, and I can't stop thinking about this skirt. Would it fit right? I do need a better fitting black pencil skirt, don't I? It's not a big cost, right? Will I even wear it?

The store is maybe 5-10 minutes from my house, and I have nothing to do for the rest of the day, but I'm not sure if I can pull my butt out of the house, into the cold and slush to go see if a) it's still there and b) if it looks good on me.

I had class at 8 this morning, so it feels like I have all the time in the world to just go see.

Geez, why does it have to be so crappy outside?

Update: So I went to go pick up my OSAP, and I got lost, and when I finally found the place there was a huge line that I was not up for. So I headed over to the H+M and couldn't find the skirt anyway. Even if it was only 20 dollars this is probably for the best. The money could be better spent on books or something.

With love and restraint

Cathryn

Sunday Photo Dump- January 3, 2010

Hello everyone. I've been a bit under the weather [hungover] so I bring pictures.

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With love and gatorade

Cathryn

2010

Credit: Unknown

So my 2009 felt really good overall, and I hope to make 2010 even better. I know it won't be perfect, because no year is ever perfect, but I'm excited for what it will bring.

My goals for the year involve:

Cutting way back on my pop intake. I don't drink it every day or even every other day, but when I do, I go overboard and that's not healthy.

Read. I bought, received, and stole from my mother a bunch of books to read, and I know it's not easy in school, but I'd like to read for pleasure as much as I can.

Write every single day. Much like I did in December, I want to journal, blog or take note of something every day. I was fairly successful with it in December too which makes me more excited for the coming year.

Learn to play a song[s] on the guitar. I wasn't able to bring my guitar home over the break, so I couldn't practice as much as I would have liked to. I told my uncle about how I was learning and he said that I just have to make friends with the instrument, and not think about being "good". He's been playing for 25 years and he doesn't consider himself "good". He's also in a famous Canadian band so he knows what he's talking about.

Take more photographs. I received an awesome new camera for Christmas. It takes great pictures.

That's what I have so far. In general I want to be more positive and outgoing. I'm getting better at not over-thinking mundane details and just doing. It's been working out so far.

With love and aspirations

Cathryn