Books, Books, Books

I know I haven't been very good at consistently posting on this blog, and I blame a combination of real-life (school, debate, social life) and fake-life (writing) but I realized I had a decent batch of new book photos I hadn't shared so I decided to bask in their glory; I mean post about them.

First up is a batch of Canadian fiction from Penguin Canada.

A Tale For The Time Being by Ruth Ozeki is the only book in this post I've actually read, having finished it earlier today. It's been pretty much my main focus reading-wise for the last two weeks, and I'm hoping to share my thoughts about it soon... on another page though! More about in the near future.

The Perfume Lover by Denyse Beauileu is non-fiction meets memoir in the true story about how perfume gets made, and how one woman's beautiful night inspires a perfume. Finally, Creeps by Darren Dynes is a young adult novel set in Newfoundland about a kid being bullied and the girl who helps him escape it, until a moment of violence changes them forever.

Not long after, two more Canadian books showed up, the first from Harper Collins Canada, and the second from Random House Canada. In The Land of Birdfishes by Rebecca Silver Slayer is a novel about two sisters in Nova Scotia who go through the horrible only be separated, and what happens when one of them goes looking for the other years later. Supplying Salt and Light is a collection of poetry by Lorna Goodison that I've taken a sneak peak at and it looks to be very beautiful.

Finally, this week a surprise package showed up from Thomas Allen and Sons with some YA goodies. Unfortunately the first two books, What We Become by Jesse Karp, and Infatuate by Aimee Agresti, are both sequels to novels I haven't read yet so I didn't check out the synopsis since I didn't want to spoil anything. I'm trying to finish up quite a few series this year though so I may pick these ones once I do. 

Lastly, In Search of Goliathus Hercules by Jennifer Angus is the story of an orphan boy in 1890 who suddenly is able to speak to bugs. This is one where I'll probably wait to see what some readers I trust think, it doesn't initially appeal to me but the author is also an artist, and there are some pictures in the book, which I flipped through, and they're quite gorgeous– so maybe the novel will surprise me.

So, those are my books from the last two weeks. Has anything exciting found itself into your mailbox lately? What are you reading? Is there one of these you think I should pick up first? I admit In The Land of Birdfishes and Goodison's poetry is probably next!

Lies My Father Told Me Playlist

As my novel, Lies My Father Told Me, gets increasingly close to querying– my soft deadline was April and it's looking totally reasonable– I decided to share some of the music that helped me write it. I have a very specific way of listening to music while I write, one I recently learned I'm not totally unique in as Alex Brown does the same thing. But basically I have to listen to the same song on repeat dozens, sometimes even hundreds, of times. So for that reason my playlist is pretty short. The music has to blur away so I can focus on my own words and not the song, though it often does help to have the melody in the background, somehow it helps me maintain a certain mindset and keeps the flow of the novel for me. 

In sum, Lies My Father Told Me has been influenced by five different songs, which I listened to in the following order. They were all songs I hadn't listened to before writing this novel, though I have been drafting since November, so iTunes will tell me exactly how many times I listened to them also, which was basically only while drafting, although sometimes while drafting and actually procrastinating on Twitter. If I added up all the song lengths and multiplied I could maybe even figure out the approximate amount of time I've spent on Lies. That would be interesting. 

Anyway, I'm going to include YouTube videos so you can listen to songs where possible, even if there isn't an official music video.

My playlist is:

1. Intro by The xx (xx) - Listened to 166 times
2. Bigger Than Love by Benjamin Gibbard (Former Lives) - Listened to 50 times, although some of these times may have been when taking a break from song #3, and not all before.
3. Dream Song by Benjamin Gibbard (Former Lives) - Listened to 370 times, not entirely in a row because I sometimes come back to it even now, but definitely the majority of the times were one after another.
4. Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (Up From Below)- Listened to 60 times
5. Fix Me Up (feat. Zach Sobiech & Sammy Brown) by A Firm Handshake (Fix Me Up) - Listened to 147 times 

Although much of the first draft was written listening to Intro for the self-titled CD by the xx, as these numbers make obvious, the major inspirational song for Lies My Father Told Me was definitely Dream Song by Benjamin Gibbard. It was such an inspiration that whenever I played it when my boyfriend was around, he would look at me and say I must be writing. And I was. 

There's something so amazing about how one kind of art can inspire another. If you write, do you have a repeat-addiction like I do? What music is inspiring your words lately? And even if you don't write, have you heard any of these songs? If not, definitely check them out. They are all a bit low-key, and all incredibly beautiful... just like the book they inspired, I hope! :)

Orly: Buried Alive

Alright so I had a lot of fun with my first nail swatch/review of Hampstead Gardens by Nails Inc., and last week I picked up a brand new polish by Orly– well not brand new as in from a new collection, but brand new as in I just purchased it, so of course I decided to give this polish review another go and maybe eventually my photos of my hands will get less awkward and claw-like.

The polish I was so excited to find is Orly's Buried Alive, which was on sale for $3 and my first time testing out an "official" Orly polish, since I own quite a few of their Quo line which is a lot easier to find in Canada. Buried Alive belongs to the Dark Shadows collection, inspired by the film.

Buried Alive is a rich, dark brown filled with an underlying gold shimmer that gives it some sparkle during the daytime, while keeping it professional-looking indoors. I also detected some coppery shimmer as well, which helps give depth to the brown though my photos aren't the best at capturing it.

 

While wearing it, I never picked up quite as much gold on my fingers as I did in the bottle, but working in a lab indoors all day, and being in the midst of a Canadian winter, means I might have missed out on the bright sunlight needed to pick up the glitter.

In these photos I'm wearing a quick-dry base coat by Revlon, two coats of Buried Alive and a quick Seche Vite top coat. It definitely needed two coats because it turned out kinda splotchy or streaky in some places after just one. Two coats was perfect for keeping my nails covered and giving it an even, opaque, colour. That said, the polish was a tiny bit thick, but I didn't have any problems applying it.

Honestly, I'm usually not a fan of browns but the gold in this one captured my attention and I'm glad it did. It's such a rich, full colour, and the gold shimmer just brings it to life and makes it something special without being totally flamboyant. I don't think I've converted over to brown nail polish, but I'll definitely be wearing Buried Alive again, and I'll be keeping my eye out for future Orly's in the bargain bin.

Do you have any brown polishes you're in love with? Have you found any awesome polishes in the bargain bin lately?

Nails Inc: Hampstead Gardens

I really love nail polish. Like really. So inspired by my lovely friend Kylie (aka ChicBananas) I've decided I'm going to try my hand at swatching the colours that I wear, just to show them off and give anyone who is interested a reference for what the colours really look like. 

First up is one of the strangest polishes I own. I bought this one, my first and only Nails Inc. colour so far, last summer, when I spending a week and a half in New York City with my best friend Laala and we stopped by a Sephora where I found it on incredible discount. It was only a couple dollars, and we both bought a bottle. I was instantly in love with this ugly-pretty shade, Hampstead Gardens.

I'd definitely describe Hampstead Gardens as an authentic mustard. It's a funny colour that tends to look more brown indoors than in natural light– I actually had a family member compliment me on it one evening, only to tell me it was horribly ugly the next day when they saw it in different lighting! That said, it definitely has tones of yellow in it that give it its unique colour. I have quite a few polishes, but I've never come close to having a dupe of this one.

In these photos I'm wearing a quick-dry base coat by Revlon, two coats of Hampstead Gardens and a quick Seche Vite top coat. The colour is really opaque, and I probably could have gotten away with one coat but I still always go with two. If you don't want it so shiny, it is wearable without the top coat as well, I just love the extra gloss.

I'm really impressed with the quality of Nails Inc. polish. It definitely lasts longer than many of my other polishes, even using the same top coat. If I could find more on discount, I'd definitely pick up more polish by them in the future. The bottles are usually about $10, at least in the US, but are only 10 mL in size which is a bit smaller than the average polish. I actually appreciate the size, as given the number of nail polishes I have, the likelihood of me finishing one isn't that great. Though I do have a few favourites that are at risk!

I would definitely consider Hampstead Gardens a love-it or hate-it polish, and I just happen to love it. 

What do you think about strange polish colours? Would you wear this mustard nail polish?

Happy things with which to end the week (3)

It's been a good but busy week! Work has been a lot of work, and I'm working on revising my novel some more (I'm at the halfway mark now, so hopefully it'll be done this week). I also got accepted for a really awesome opportunity, but I don't want to say anymore and jinx it. Once it's officially started, I'll be sure to share :)

My mailbox had some happy arrivals this week, two of which were surprises of the best sort, and one I had been excitedly expecting.

Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala, courtesy of Random House Canada, is a memoir about a woman whose sons, husband, and parents all died in the 2004 tsunami while they were vacationing in Sri Lanka. I've already started reading it, and it's just as devastating– but beautifully written– as I imagined.

The surprises were two young adult novels, The Wrap-up List by Steven Arntson and Delusion by Laura L. Sullivan, which showed up courtesy of Thomas Allen and Sons. I hadn't really heard much about either title, though The Wrap-Up List, about a world where Death sometimes sends a letter telling people to wrap up their lives before it's time to depart, and a teenage girl gets one, had made intrigued me and made it on my TBR before. Delusion is about a pair of teenage magicians, set during WW2. I'm not exactly sure if I'll be reading it or not, but it does have a very sparkly cover.

When I went to pick up the Thomas Allen books, it turned out my mail was at the wrong post office, and while I was at a different drug store I discovered they have a pretty massive nail polish collection. In the discount bins I found a ton of magnetic polish I wasn't interested in, along with this gem for only three dollars:

It's called Buried Alive by Orly. I've never owned a normal Orly polish before, because generally I can only find the Quo by Orly line here in Canada. But I love their glitters, and this unusual brown gold immediately caught my attention. I took some photographs of my current polish– a mustard by Nails Inc. to swatch for this site, and I'll probably do the same when I try this. That'll probably be tonight or tomorrow, depending on when I feel like removing my current chipped polish. I'm going to try to swatch my colours as I wear them from now on (and not just using my phone). I adore nail polish, and I'm trying to make this blog about things I like, and make it pressure-free and eclectic in a a way my book blog no longer is. Whatever I feel like sharing, that's what you're going to find here!

Now I'm back to a weekend of Game of Thrones– rewatching the TV show, not reading the books. I hope you had a happy week as well. If you had any happy things to share, I'd love to know what they are.

DAVIDsTEA: Three Tasty Teas

When I made my recent, "Happy things with which to end the week" post, there was something(s) very important I forgot to include. I'd say I forgot them on purpose, in order to dedicate an entire post to them, but the truth is I was so excited about them, I brought them to work right away and never took any photos. Well, problem solved! Last Thursday I stopped by David's Tea after a long day, and came home with three new babies. They are:

I know every parent thinks this, but they really are pretty.

From left to right, we have Pink Flamingo, Creme Caramel Rooibos and Red Velvet Cake. That's a herbal, a rooibos and a black tea for variety. I also purchased a pretty teaball, because the one I'd been using is made of bamboo which makes it annoying to clean at times and not great for finer teas. When I went on Thursday, I had a friendly and helpful employee help me find exactly what I was looking for, even if I didn't realize it yet. I am definitely happy with my purchases, and thought I'd share a little bit more about the teas I took home.

Pink Flamingo is might be the one I'll drink the most often, especially in the summer months, because it's such an easy, light, and delicious tea. I'm actually in love with a tea called Paradise Found, but it turned out it was seasonal and isn't available anymore– luckily I still have a bit stored up at home. But Pink Flamingo was recommended to me as something close, and although I don't know that it's very similar, it comes across as a lot more citrus-y to me, it's definitely similarly delicious. It's a herbal tea that combines citrus fruits like orange and tangerine with lemonglass and hibiscus. It's also naturally caffeine-free.

Creme Caramel Rooibos is a simple tea made that contains rooibos, caramel pieces and flavouring. It's a bit of a more winter-y tea for me. Really smooth and delicious, it isn't overpowered by caramel or sweetness. My only problem with it was that it's so fine it really goes through the mesh of my tea ball. A smaller mesh, or placing it directly in the disposable teabags would definitely prevent this for anyone who dislikes having loose leaf tea floating in their water. Also caffeine-free, it's the kind of tea that would make a great treat without any of the caloric guilt; all of David's Teas are below 5 calories per cup.

Red Velvet Cake was recommended by the employee at David's tea as his favourite chocolate one, and from smell alone I can tell why. It's caffeinated, which is nice on occasion. I tend to go for non-caffeine teas so I don't have to think about how much I'm drinking, but every once in awhile it's nice to have something that can perk you up, and chocolate and caffeine are perfect for that. Plus, it's great in tea form because it's not nearly as strong as coffee or soft drinks or other things that sometimes make me feel twitchy. It also turns out to be February 2013's tea of the month. It's a black tea that contains beetroot and both dark and white chocolate bits. It's not overly sweet, but definitely not bitter either, even though I steeped it for awhile. At the moment, it's my least favourite of the three, because from the divine smell alone I was thinking it would be more chocolate-y, but it's still delicious. I will definitely be brewing it again in the future, and see if that cuts back on my chocolate cravings. In the meantime, I'll just keep smelling the tea in the bag, it's like cake you don't have to bake.

 

Do you drink David's Tea? If so, recommend your favourite! If not, it's definitely worth checking out. I haven't been disappointed yet- by both the service and the tea.

Happy things with which to end the week (2)

Remember that post last week where I talked about my amazing poutine? Turned out I was back at the mall on Sunday, shopping with a friend who needed an interview outfit, and managed to get it again. Yum. But that has definitely satisfied my poutine craving for the next couple months I think. Unless I happen to be nearby to it again...

I feel like this photo captures its deliciousness even better than last time.

What else do I have to be happy about? Well there are these gluten-free brownies I made last Saturday, and have since eaten. But I definitely enjoyed them while they lasted. Yum. 

Not the best photo, but the taste was worth it.

While I was at the mall, when I wasn't eating poutine, I picked up a few boring things at the dollar store like a potato masher. But I also treated myself to a perfume I've been lusting over for a couple months now. I got the body cream, shimmer cream, and scrub in the scent for Christmas, but I really wanted something stronger and longer lasting. Unfortunately the only size is pretty small, but for $12 I picked up Victoria Secret's Love Spell. It's described as cherry blossom and peach. All I can say is that it smells amazing. As cheesy as the names are, I have fallen in love with it. Definitely worn it a few times already, which you can tell by the slight use of the bottle. Luckily it's a really popular scent because I'm sure I'll be going back for more in the future.

Looking at this picture just makes me want to spray more on. Yum.

I actually also got quite a few goodies in the mail this week of the bookish nature, so I figured I'd share them as well.

Books, books, books!

A pre-order, along with a spontaneous purchase both arrived for me this week, along with two signed books I won on Twitter. Yay Twitter.

I bought Pivot Point by Kasie West when the author was running a pre-order contest with an awesome prize (one option was a manuscript critique) but unfortunately I didn't win. Regardless, I was looking forward to this book, because it reminds me a bit of the movie Sliding Doors and sounds really interesting. In this case the main character spends six weeks in two different realities, which alternate back and forth by chapter, but eventually she has to decide where she really belongs.

The second novel is The Reese Malcolm List by Amy Spalding. I'd been hearing good things about this one for awhile, especially since it was blurbed by one of my favourite YA authors, Courtney Summers. Then I was reading this post on quitting she wrote on Nova Ren Suma's blog, and it just me so much more impressed with her and excited to read her book. Plus, I have only heard amazing things about the publisher, Entangled, and since Book Depository had it for only $6.58 I decided to just order and see for myself. Right now that novel's up a few dollars, but worth keeping an eye because their prices sometimes fluctuate. 

I think she's got such a gorgeous signature actually, really lovely.

Two wonderful signed books courtesy of author Jessica Martinez, who I follow on Twitter, to celebrate the cover reveal of her third novel, The Vow. I only recently read Martinez's first book, Virtuosity, but I really enjoyed her honest contemporary YA and insight into the world of classical violin, so I'm excited to own a copy. She also sent along her second novel, The Space Between Us which is a story about sisters and secrets, and apparently the second half takes place in Canada, which makes it automatically awesome. Now that I own it, I'll definitely have to read it soon. Can't wait! Thanks so much Jessica! 

Combine these goodies with the fact that I finished a draft of my novel, and managed to get a beta back on it in the same week– which didn't totally tear it to shreds– and that's a pretty happy way to end the week. 

Happy reading, happy writing, happy weekend, everyone. 

Friends and French Fries

Maybe using "friends" in the title of this post is over-stating it. I'm actually not a cat person at all, although the hives they give me make me think the feeling's mutual. But this was definitely one of the most adorable sights I saw while traveling, right after arriving at my hostel in Istanbul on the morning of January 6th. Asides from my view from the shuttle on the way from the airport, it was basically my first sight in Turkey and it instantly felt like I was being welcomed. Of course, it wasn't long before the two matching sweethearts ran off together.

I don't celebrate Valentine's Day and I didn't start this year. I won't bother explaining why I think it's silly, but I had a great February 14th all the same. I got the poutine I'd been craving for months– thank you New York Fries for making a gluten-free one– and M bought me a surprise copy of The Hunger Games, and picked up some delicious movie snacks like Smartfood popcorn and Stewart's root beer for me, Old Dutch Baked Ketchup chips and Pepsi for him. We watched the movie together on his still-fairly-new-pretty-impressive TV. It was my third time seeing it, and his second since I dragged him to a premiere showing when it first started. So even though there were no cards and candy and balloon animals, it was a lovely relaxing night. I hope wherever you were, and whatever you were doing, it was a wonderful day. And even thought it's nothing special on the calender, I hope tomorrow is wonderful too.

If this doesn't look delicious to you, I don't think I understand you as a person.

One Hundred

I recently stumbled across fantasy writer Darci Cole's blog, just as she celebrates 100 followers with an awesome flash fiction contest. I'm definitely not experienced with flash fiction, but I thought it would be fun to try a little piece in verse, especially considering the awesome critique prizes! The contest guidelines, found here, require that you use the word one hundred/a hundred/hundredth/etc and that it is 300-500 words, posted on your blog. The prompt is the photo below, followed by my response! Good luck to the other contestants, and I hope you enjoy my entry.

source, author

I’d taken the path

before
on summer days
when sweat tingled
on the backs of my thighs
and popsicles would melt
before even touching
my lips.

Sometimes,
if I was lucky,
he’d come with me.

When he didn’t,
when I walked alone
the cement hills
blurred into each other
like the curves of my hips
where they met
my stomach.

I couldn’t help the acidic wash
that flowed backwards
up my throat
and coated my mouth
with nerves.

But somehow I spoke,
and maybe he would laugh
lean his cheek
against mine
and whisper thoughts
like secrets
into my ear.

I missed you,
he'd say
when his shift at the gas station
gave him time
to walk me to the country club
where I served sandwiches
with perfect corners
to men
with perfectly trimmed beards.

Their facial hair
barely hid their grins
when I bent over to pick up a
lost
fork or spoon.
But they tipped well,
and this job was only a gateway
to college

far away.

He walked me down the path,
and once,
as August crept into being,
he took my hand
and pulled me
from the road
into the grass,
still damp from morning dew.

Careful.

I ran my fingers
over the pressed white fabric
of my uniform,
and he put his hand
over mine.
And I was still.

I’m not
the careful type,
he told me,
and his mouth,
pink as a blush,
pressed itself against mine.

My hand tightened
and then relaxed
as the kiss stretched
the way the sun sets
across the sky
with every inky colour
leaving a goodnight lullaby
for the world.

Once again,
his mouth told me
secrets,
but I didn’t listen
to the way
most of the time
he didn’t have time
for me,
the way his phone
always buzzed
in his pocket
as we kissed.

Afterwards,
I checked my skirt
for grass stains
but I forgot to check
my heart.
Not that I could have
scrubbed away the mark
he’d left.

It was almost,
exactly,
six weeks later–
not that I was counting.
September had come,

and it was less than twelve
more months
until I could leave.

Maybe I didn’t want to.

It must have been
a hundred kisses later,
maybe more.

He walked me to work,
maybe because he knew
I’d have to be the one
who left.

I was wearing white.
Somehow that feels ironic
for how tarnished
I felt
as his mouth left
my lips
only to whisper

goodbye.

When I left work,
as the sunset smeared
across the sky,
I had to remind myself
that I’d taken this path
before.
The bright glare of a car
passed me,
blurred by my tears,
and for a moment
I thought it was him.

It wasn’t.

But the path was familiar,
I’d find my way
home.

Back From The Other Side (Of The World)

I just got back yesterday, after a month of travel, to Montreal and Israel and Istanbul and Oman and Bahrain; so I haven't really had a chance to go through my photos properly or think about blogging or writing in any real clear way. Being away is good for some things: learning, experiencing, inspiring, but horrible for others: mainly actually getting things done. I feel like it'll take me a little while to get back into things. And that's okay. Sometimes I think we forget that we all deserve a break. Even though I know I'll have to work extra hard on school-related stuff now, even though I missed my boyfriend and my bed and my apartment, the experiences and memories I have are irreplaceable.

I stopped writing this post to find one photo to share. Just one. A single photo to sum up the last month. Nearly an hour later, I have nothing. A photo, even if it is worth a thousand words, is still not enough.

Still, I keep coming back to this moment, as I touched the Western Wall in Jerusalem for the first time:

Just one moment, but what a memorable one it was. I am so incredibly lucky.

The Next Big Thing: The Promise Ring

After seeing this writing meme around lots and loving the opportunity to learn about what people are working on, somebody actually tagged me. Twice. So thanks to Q and Kelsey, you get to learn a bit more about the novel I'm currently revising, THE PROMISE RING. 

What is the working title of your book?
THE PROMISE RING. Honestly, it's pretty self-evident why, but it's not exactly a title I'm in love with. With my first novel, SICKGIRL, the title was something that I really connected to and it was sorta intuitive. With this one, it just sorta seemed to do the job. But I still feel like it's good enough, and so until I can think of something better, it stays. Besides, it's sorta growing on me a bit over time. 

Where did the idea come from for the book? 
This idea really stems– probably not a huge surprise here– from the concept of promise rings. I went to a Catholic high school, and knew at least one girl who had one. The words written across it, "True Love Waits" always stuck in my mind. One day when trying to sleep, I had this image of a girl wearing this delicate ring that felt so heavy, because of the implications attached to it. When I first wrote those first two lines on a post-it note I promptly lost, I had no idea it was going to be in verse. SICKGIRL, my first completed novel, wasn't. But when I went to write THE PROMISE RING, it was like I knew instantly this was how it was meant to be. Now I just have to hope I wasn't wrong.

What genre does your book fall under?  
It's definitely YA contemporary and it's probably a bit darker than you would expect.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? 
I honestly really hate these questions. I don't mind reading about other peoples' dream casts, but my brain doesn't work that way, and I just get a little frustrated thinking about it. Maybe at some point I'll feel more comfortable answering, but for now, if you want to know what my characters are like, then you'll have to read my book!

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
One sentence? Really? No matter how many times I see other writers answer this, I'm always impressed they've managed to condense their book into one sentence. And most of them have novels much, much, longer than mine. So anyway, I'm sure this is going to suck, but here it goes:

Eden made a promise to her dad to remain pure until marriage but then he dies, and she meets Mason, who finally makes her feel alive again but her desire for him may cause her to forget the one thing she promised her dad.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? 
An agency I hope! I think an agent is crucial to making sure it's sold to the right place. I'm also thinking about a career, not just this one book. If I can't get an agent with THE PROMISE RING, well there's always my next book! Or, uhh, my previous book, if I ever finish rewriting SICKGIRL.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? 
Fifteen days. Keep in mind, however, that it's only 25,000 words long, so it's not as impressive as it sounds. That said, it was a pretty amazing feeling to realize that when those two weeks were over, I had a brand new novel on my hands. Now I just have to get the inspiration for my next novel, and start writing!

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? 
I feel compelled to limit my genre to YA in verse, rather than YA contemporary, which would also qualify, and because of that my options are pretty limited. When I think about these for querying, I always come back to Lisa Schroeder as well as EXPOSED by Kimberly Marcus.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?
Pretty sure I already covered this, but basically I gave up on a novel that had some unfortunate similarities to one that's going to be published next year and was looking for a project. I mentioned my post-it idea to a writing buddy, and she was really supportive and I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
It has kissing, but it's not a romance.

---

Now I have the opportunity to tag other writers, which would be great, if I knew any! It seems like most have already done this, but if you haven't– I TAG YOU.

Here are the rules:

• Use this format for your post
• Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress)
• Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them. (Include the link of who tagged you and this explanation for the people you have tagged.)

Planning A Trip To The Other Side Of The World

So back in September I applied, along with my twin sister and younger brother, for a Birthright Trip to Israel. It's a really incredible opportunity for young Jews to visit, and it's the sort of chance I probably never would have had otherwise. All three of us were accepted and are taking that trip together. It just so happens that we're leaving in less than three weeks.

Unfortunately, because of a lot of political stuff and unrest I do not want to talk about, I wasn't really sure if the trip was still going to happen or not, so I held off on a lot of planning. The entire ten days we get to spend in Israel are completely organized for us, but I wanted to stay longer and visit a neighbouring country or too, and take full advantage of my plane ticket to the other side of the world. I didn't actually book the extension though, until earlier this week.

We were supposed to come back January 6th 2013, but while my siblings are, I'm not coming back until the 20th. Instead, I'm taking a detour to Istanbul, Bahrain, and hopefully Dubai and Oman (though those last two haven't had plane tickets booked yet). I bought my Turkish Air tickets today after I got confirmation that my extension on my Israel ticket had been confirmed. So now I'm all set to go. Except for the fact that I haven't planned anything.

Luckily, my best friend Laala happens to live in Bahrain, which is my reason for visiting, and I can rely on her for lots of organization and ideas. She also spent five days in Istanbul earlier this year, so she's already recommended a hostel and I plan to get as much information out of her as I can. Still, this is the first time I've ever taken such a massive trip, and the fact that I'll be traveling for nearly a month is both nerve-wracking and exciting. So while there probably won't be any blog updates while I'm away, I can promise lots and lots of photos when I get back.

Oh, and just to quell any jealousy you might feel, my current journey home (from the 19th to the 20th of January) looks like this:

Bahrain -> Istanbul -> Tel Aviv -> Toronto -> Halifax

And as excited as I am, I'm tired just looking at that two day journey. Traveling to the other side of the world is incredible, but I wish there were a way to orb myself home. It's the wrong kind of science for me, but somebody should definitely get on it.

Happy things with which to end the week (1)

Happy things with which to end the week is a post that Micaela at Dolce Vita Micaela does almost every week, featuring exactly what it says. I love the positivity of her posts, so I've decided it's something I'm going to try to participate in regularly. Plus it's a great opportunity to make use of Instagram and give a little more information about the pictures I post there now that I've officially joined the club. You can find me @strandedhero if you're looking for more nail polish and other random things (probably food, based on this first week).

It was too early for a Halloween manicure so I went with a lovely green by Sinful Colors (Rise and Shine) and a top coat of glitter by L.A. Colors on my thumb and ring finger. A little sparkle always makes my week better.

 

 Last Saturday we went to visit M's parents and his mom made a delicious, but gluten-filled, pizza which meant I got to spoil myself with sushi instead. There's a new local place there that I've now been to twice and both times it's been satisfying and wonderful. I had tuna, avocado, and one with avocado, smoked salmon and cream cheese and all three were great. Any week is better with sushi.

The next day M and I went out for lunch with his mom at the local truck stop where he got a happy meal. "You wouldn't want a sad hamburger," the waitress said and she is obviously right.

I got hailbut and a massive chocolate milkshake. M had a vanilla one, which he usually gets when he goes there with a friend and I was glad to finally get the chance to taste what he'd been raving about. That metal cup in the background was also pretty much full, so that I ended up with double what the glass holds (though I couldn't quite finish it!) It was just as delicious as it looks. I have an intolerance to dairy and so it made me kinda sick but it was definitely worth it. 

After lunch we picked up a massive (1/2 bushel) amount of Cortland apples and I made applesauce from scratch. Thanks to M's mom for her help peeling! I love my homemade applesauce, all it has is apples and a touch of cinnamon in it. I've been enjoying it all week. Oh, also the second photo is before I mashed it, so it's not that lumpy anymore!

And by Tuesday it was finally time for me to justify my Halloween manicure. I went with the Hunger Games orange nailpolish by China Glaze and a slightly sparkly black by Gosh. Again, I went with the accents on the ring and thumb finger– I guess it's a style I'm fond of lately. I think it's a pretty classy Halloween look. I do have a more traditional orange and black (sans glitter) that I might use next week if this chips off in time. Nothing like some holiday-themed nails to cheer you up. 

It's great to look back on these photos on Friday, after I just came home from a fantastic time at a departmental grad student Halloween party, and be grateful. Especially because I'm going to be spending much of my weekend on a midterm that is eating my soul and my all my free time. I really hope I can keep this up though! It was a lot of fun taking photos on my phone– and a lot easier than having to upload and reformat them all, even the quality is better on my camera.

What happy things do you have to end your week with? 

Letting Go and Looking Forward

Moving across the country and starting a brand new degree is hard. I'm not sure why I expected it to be any different. I really want to focus on the positive and the fun for Writing Whimsy, because otherwise, where's the whimsy? But I have to say it. Beginning my PhD has not been easy. Right now I'm realizing that a project I've been attached to since I started in September may not be the one I'll end up doing. I might be able to save elements, but in general– it just might not be the right time for it. Maybe in ten years, when certain costs have decreased. But sometimes, I think, you have to admit to yourself that no matter how much you want something, it's not always possible. That's depressing. I mean, we're always told to chase after our dreams and believe in ourselves. Well, I can't believe in $340,000 magically appearing to do my project, and I'm not sure that my Plan B will work. So if it doesn't, then yes, it is time to move on. I'd rather recognize this now then after three or four years of work. I think the same thing can be said about a lot of life. Sometimes, it's okay to let go.

The other thing I'm struggling with is a take home statistics midterm, but I just got that today and I somehow maybe just managed to do a question worth 8% which is way more than I thought I could do when I was first handed it. So I'm going to somehow believe the rest is possible. I have to try to be a little optimistic at least. 

With that in mind, here are a few things I am looking forward to this week:

• Halloween manicure (tomorrow night! And I have the best orange by China Glaze from The Hunger Games collection).
• Debate club on Wednesday, which I joined and really enjoy. I debated for the first time in three years last week and it went surprisingly well. My partner and I placed 2nd out of 4. Now that the rust is off, I can only get better.
• Trying out another meal on my slow cooker. Probably a roast with potatoes, though I also bought some "simmering steaks" that I think might be good with onions and potatoes. 
• Watching the new episode of Dexter that M and I didn't get to watch tonight. I love that show. 
• Continuing to work with the awesome associate book reviewer I got for my book blog, In The Next Room, and give myself a bit of a break from book reviewing. She just agreed to review a book I was pitched by the author– it sounded great but I didn't have the time or energy for it. It felt awesome to be able to say 'yes' when usually I would have said 'no'.
• Somehow, despite the fact that it feels impossible at the moment, making a dent in this midterm (due next Wednesday) and being able to look back and be proud of all I've accomplished. I guess that goes for life in general.

Judgey Eyes

Phew. I'm so glad that first post is out of the way. It's like a blind date. You don't know what to wear, or who you're meeting, or if they're going to be looking at you with judgey eyes or not. Now that it's over with I can move onto my regularly scheduled unscheduled programming. By which I mean, here's another blog post. I may or may not have already run out of things to say.

Okay well here's a secret that's not a secret anymore. This weekend I started watching The Bachelor Canada, there's been three episodes so far and we caught up. I've never watched The Bachelor before but I was interested by the Canada aspect and also, CityTV has all the episodes online for free. I'm not sure how the normal Bachelor works, but they seem to be eliminating girls awfully fast on this one... which is probably good because at this rate the show will be over in about a month and I can go back to my slightly less guilty pleasures instead. The horrible girls on the show are definitely the ones that stand out so I guess it'll be interesting to see if they are the ones that stay. There are a couple nice ones too. The guy himself, Brad, seems alright though he does have a pretty horrible tattoo. So I guess I have judgey eyes too.

Anyways, it was kinda neat that he booted extra people off on the most recent episode so he could spend more time with the remaining girls. Or– and maybe I'm just cynical– maybe the show only got a limited number of episodes. I'm sure they'll draw it out longer if it's a hit and it comes back next year. I promise not to watch it again if it does.

The show I'm most excited about right now is Dexter, and it's been an intense and awesome season so far. Also loving, The Big Bang Theory. And How I Met Your Mother, though this isn't the best season so far. And I guess that's about it. No wonder I got desperate enough for The Bachelor Canada, especially now that Project Runway is over. For the record– Fabio should have won, I'd be most likely to wear Melissa's, Christopher was out of his depth and knew it, and if the judges said "impeccable construction" about Dmitry one more time I was going to scream (but sorry, even with that weird hair, the clothes were not that exciting or creative which was disappointing because he was one of my favourites throughout the season). I would have swapped Fabio and Dmitry's places based on the final collection, but for the season as a whole I agree.

My favourite reality television is definitely cooking competitions though, so I'm still very excited for the start of Top Chef Season 10 really soon (November 7th). Part of me is getting a little tired of it, especially between the All Stars and the Masters and the Just Desserts and the Canada series. But I know that the instant that show starts I'll be hooked back in.

Do you watch any horrible TV like I do? Is there any of it you'd recommend?

Hi, I'm Zoë. The dog is Sass.

I haven't had a 'real' personal blog in ages, maybe forever, because I was pretty much under the impression that you needed to have an interesting life to have one. Well, maybe this will force me to be more interesting! If not, it'll be a lot of nail polish and science. Maybe even the science of nail polish. Probably not.

Okay, well here's a cute picture:

This is me and my puppy Sass back in June. She's not actually my puppy, she's my mom's. So she lives an hour and a half plane ride away which means that I don't have to walk her or feed her or all those other things that grad students don't really have time for. But she's cute and I love her. Someday, I will have my own puppy. Until then, I have a blog.

Also, just so they don't feel left out, my mom actually has three puppies.

From left to right, they are Mango, her half sister Nala, and then mommy Sass. This photo is two years ago, so Mango is now actually the largest one. And yes, they are poodles, no need to make them insecure about it.

Now I've run out of things of things to say. Nice to meet you.