bath time

sign me up for this...

i am a bath girl. i love them. if this could be my daily bath life would be pretty fantastic.

via

hbd

i missed my blog's one year birthday on may 26th, so i shall celebrate today. hbd iheartpaish!

via justbesplendid

k + j

i can't wait!!! 

up we go

i climbed a mountain today. we are talking, legit, hiked/climbed up the side of a mountain. i did not walk up the road you can drive to the top, i hiked a non path all the way to the up. 1.8 kilometers up, to be exact. if you know me well, you know that's pretty impressive, and you also know that I would have had to be at least partially coerced into doing such a thing. i won't lie. i did it for a boy.

two months and seventeen days

is how long it's been since i last blogged. i called paish a blogcrastinator today. i should eat those words. a lot's happened since my last post. i've moved into my new apartment, i've been reunited with the love of my life, i've climbed a mountain (literally, more on that later), i've really started to excel at my new job, and the canucks got eliminated. my best friend also got engaged, which is pretty damn exciting. things are looking up. you've got my newly renewed commitment to blog more.

Coffee Culture

I've noticed that Victorians are snobs when it comes to coffee. I have to admit I am snob about a lot of things, but I am certainly not snobby about my coffee. More numerous are Starbucks than Tim Horton's in this city, on this island...that's for damn sure. Don't get me wrong, once to twice a week in Ontario was my average for driving out of my way and getting out of my car to go into a Starbucks and treat myself to my regular grande one pump skinny vanilla. I am certainly a coffee girl, and I can think of maybe one occasion ever, since I have been working, when I have not arrived at the office with a large double double from Tim's in my hand. Scoff at me if you will, but I love Tim Horton's coffee, and I am sure I always will. It was my routine every day in Ontario go go to Tim's once in the morning on the way to work, and I mean, I passed about ten (in one city) DIRECTLY on my way to work, and once during my lunch hour. If I was having a bad day, on my way home as well. I have to say I have a bit of a beef with the lack of Tim Horton's locations that I know of in the city of Victoria that have a drive thru. One. And it is VERY out of my way. I guess this Tim Horton's drive thru loving Ontario girl will have to change her ways, and stretch her pocketbook if she wants her daily caffeine fix!

Love of the coffee + this is why I don't want to go to Starbucks everyday!

Expectations vs. Reality

Since moving to Victoria, my life has played out a lot like the expectations vs. reality scene in 500 Days of Summer. I do, to a certain extent, feel as though my first impressions of living in this city have not been the most positive because they have differed so greatly from how I expected it to be when I arrived.

I've learned in the past that it's not a wise idea to have expectations in most situations. Rarely do they play out the way one wants them to. I wish I could have arrived in Victoria with nothing but the excitement and optimism I felt both times I had been here in the past.

Nonetheless, I am letting go of my expectations and appreciating this city for everything that it has to offer, and everything that I have been looking forward to since I was here last May and began to think about a move. A very wise Paish told me that expectations are silly because everything I want is within my control. I think she's right.

A to Z

I'll hop on the bandwagon.

A - Age: 24
B - Bed size: Queen. For the first time. This pleases me.
C - Chore you hate: Washing cutlery. Ugh.
D - Dog’s name: No thank you.
E - Essential start your day item: Snooze button followed shortly by coffee.
F - Favorite colors: Black (debatable, I know) but I wear the most of it.
G - Gold or Silver: Both, I go through phases, and it depends on my outfit.
H - Height: 5'7 without heels.
I - Instruments you play: I can play one tune on a piano. That is all.
J - Job title: Financial Services Representative.
K – Kids: No thank you.
L - Living Arrangements: Fabulous thanks.
M - Mother’s name: Lynda Adair.
N - Nicknames: Annie. Annabelle (aww, I miss that).
O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: I had Scarlet Fever when I was six and stayed for a week.
P - Pet Peeve: Bad grammer and people who don't know how to drive.
Q - Quote from a movie: "Just how obscene an amount of cash are we talking here? Profane or really offensive?" - Pretty Women when Edward takes Vivian shopping on Rodeo Drive. Mostly I just want to steal Kaitlyn's quotes from Thomas Crown, because they are the best.
R - Right or left handed: Right.
S - Siblings: None.
T - Time you wake up: Usually 6:30. Since I've been on vacation, about 10:30.
U - Underwear: Yes please.
V - Vegetable you dislike: Asparagus.
W - Workout style: Non existent with a New Years Resolution to change that.
X - X-rays you’ve had: Teeth, foot.
Y - Yesterday’s best moment: Have to go with Vero's and say waking up. Seriously.
Z - Zoo favorite: Giraffes. 

I'm here!

I am being threatened with mild violence (from a distance) if I don't post more now that I've moved, so here it goes.

I am very happy to be in Victoria. My first week here has been lots of fun, emotional, and super stressful all at the same time. I have felt VERY WELCOMED by my Victoria friends, and it's made me feel a lot more comfortable and at home (even though I just arrived). So Victoria friends, and you know who you are, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Tonight I drove to Duncan to see my new branch. I start on Monday. It seems like a beautiful drive, though I am sure I did not appreciate it fully because it was dark. I am no longer intimidated by the Malahat (which is a mountain between Victoria and Duncan).

Here is my list of things I am loving about Victoria so far:
1. Breakfast. There are AMAZING breakfast places here. I have been to 4 or 5 already and I'm sure there are lots more. Can't wait for more breakfast tomorrow. I'm learning that bennies are huge here. Guess I should try hollandaise for the first time!
2. Downtown. It's SO easy to around, and there is a lot to do and see. Everything I need is right there.
3. Walking. I have walked much more this week than I have in a long time. I also can't say this is necessarily because I have been without a car. I anticipate I would have walked just as much if my car were here. My number one New Years resolution is to use my car only to go to work and get groceries, once it gets here, that is.
4. The bus system. While not always time reliable, it's great that I can hop on a bus right in front of my building and be downtown in less than 5 minutes.
5. People who work in the service industry. Wow. I can't believe how happy and helpful everyone is. When I was hungover at breakfast yesterday the servers were so cheerful it was almost painful (I'm not complaining, trust me). Today, I was walking around Home Depot (likely looking confused), attempting to purchase a garbage bin, and a representative walked over to me while I was browsing through the store and voluntarily offered their assistance. This doesn't happen in Ontario. These are only two examples of many.
6. Kaitlyn, Jon, Veronica, Mike, and Stephan.

Joyeux anniversaire...

The result of my birthday shopping:

and snacking...

Top Ten - beauty

This is my top ten list of can't-live-without beauty products. I have tested many brands, but these work the best for me. Some of them are tried and true that I have been using for years and won't ever give up...others are fairly new to me but I know I will continue to use them for a looong time!

1. Body Shop Coconut Milk Body Lotion
This smells fantastic. I use it every day before I leave for work and after every shower. It leaves my skin feeling very smooth. The best part is that it's in a pump/spray bottle, so it's easy to apply and very light.

2. TRESemme Tres Two hairspray
I am a firm believer in minimal use of hair products. Other than shampoo and conditioner, this hairspray is the only hair product I use. After I wash my hair I don't use anything before drying and straightening, I find my hair cooperates much better without it. When I curl my hair (which is most days) this spray does a fantastic job and keeping it in place all day, without making my hair feel like there is product in it. Props to Paish for pointing this one out to me!

3. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion
Best.face cream.ever. Enough said. I've actually heard this is the most popular and best selling brand of moisturizer internationally. I believe it.

4. Benefit High Beam
I believe all of you have seen this product in action. I won't leave the house without it on.

5. MAC Select Cover Up
More than I want to pay for concealer but worth every penny. Does a great job of hiding under eye darkness.


6. Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker
I have been wearing this perfume daily since it launched in 2004. I love it and I cannot forsee a time in the immediate future that I will stop wearing it. It's light and fun, appropriate for both day and evening. If it stops being produced anytime soon I will need to stockpile it for sure.


7. L'Oreal Clean Definition Telescopic Mascara
Hands down best mascara ever. I have long eye lashes and it works perfectly for me without making them look ridiculously and inappropriately long. Perfect not-too-thick brush!


8. MAC Paints in bare canvas
This product solves the problem of eyeshadow staying put. When applied to eye lids in TINY portions before eyeshadow, it holds the shadow all day without causing it to fade or crease, regardless of what kind of eyeshadow you are using. Love!

9. Benefit Get Even Powder
Since I began wearing make up in my teens, I have had the constant problem of finding a powder that works with my skin. For some reason my skin doesn't seem to want to hold a powder, and shortly after application my skin would be tired looking. Benefit Get Even has solved my problem! It works great to make my skin look much more even and covers up blemishes and discolouration perfectly. I recommend. It's worth the $32. Thanks to Callah for this one.

10. Bonne Belle Lip Lites in Crystal Clear
Last but certainly not least. This tried, tested and true product is an oldie but goodie. Works with any type of makeup application, day or night, on it's own or overtop lipstick for a glossy, iresistable look. I love the smell of it. It reminds me of BR. I can't tell you how many tubes of this little gem I have gone through in my life time.

A little advice goes a long way...

I love my job. It's difficult and stressful at times, but I love what I do. I have learned many valuable things from my job. Most importantly I've learned how to properly manage own finances. I am certain this is something I would not have learned otherwise. Every day, I am blown away by how badly people can mismanage their money. Not that I want to plug the competition, but Scotia Bank's current catch-phrase has it right- you ARE richer than you think. This is the case for almost anyone. I know, I am a financial advisor.

I think EVERYONE should take 30 minutes of thier time and go to thier bank and talk to someone who does what I do. I don't care where you bank- sitting down with a financial advisor can honestly change the way you do your banking and save you more money than you thought possible. I know you likely disagree with me and think you already know everything. You don't. You don't know your bank's products as well as I do. Don't waste more of your money because you think you know it all. Most people of our generation do the majority of thier banking electronically. I certainly did before I started working at the bank. Now, I RARELY do my banking this way and likely never will again. Here's the reason why= PEOPLE can advise you and machines cannot. Perfect example= when I was a student, I was paying upwards of $30 a month, every month in service fees to the bank. Why? I didn't really know. Did I ever do anything about it? Not so much. I see this ALL time.

On a daily basis I save people hundreds of dollars a year because they are not using banking products which are best suited to thier needs. It is defiinitely worth your time to take 30 minutes and talk to someone who can review you products and services with you and advise you on your financial needs today and for your future. No bank will charge you for this service, and the advice will go a long way. If you bank with PC, good luck doing this- you won't succeed. Anywhere else, congratulations you are going to get the best advice of your life.

It's best to sit down with an advisor and take a comprehensive look at your entire financial picture. Day to day banking needs, credit, non-registered investments and retirement planning. While this can seem daunting and unnecessary in your early 20's, it is. Wake up, you're an adult and you need to formulate a life plan.

My advice for the day:
- Make sure you having a chequing account that suits your needs. Don't pay $25 a month when you can pay $12...and don't pay $4 a month for the cheapest account when you make WAY more then the allowed number of transactions and end up paying $20 in transaction fees.
- Open a tax free savings account and set up a pre-authorized transfer between your chequing and savings for an amount you can afford on a bi-weekly basis (or whatever your pay frequency is).
- Open an RSP (mutual funds are best right now), and do another pre-auth transfer the day you get paid to go into the RSP. It's a fantastic time to get in to the market. This is a moment in time where people of our generation will be able to amass a great amount of wealth from taking advance of low stock and mutual fund prices which have no where to go but up. Don't wait until you are 30 to start your RSP, you will be WAY ahead the game if you start now.
- If your credit card has a limit of over $5000, lower it. Anything more is unneccessary, and can hurt your credit in the future when you want a mortgage....and that may be sooner than you think. $5000 is enough to suit anyone's short term credit needs, which is the purpose of a credit card. If you need more than $5000 worth of credit for debt or a major purchase, you should have a line of credit instead.

That's my two cents for the day. ;)

It's time for you to...

...get a watch.

As featured in my previous "What she must have" post, I wanted to take a moment to focus on this Coach watch. It's on the top of my list of must have accessories. I think it screams Annie.

I have searched high and low on line, and have been unable to find it anywhere for purchase. Should any of you happen to come across this ANYWHERE, please let me know where I can purchase it.

Love love love!

Help!

What does one wear to a Blue Jays game these days? One who is absolutely not planning to wear jeans and a t-shirt of any sort. One who rarely dresses down for any occasion. Thanks in advance.

What she wants...

Thanks to Paish, I am now unable to stay away from Polyvore.


Basically everything I need to own:

Untitled by iheartpaish featuring Coach

What she wore...the first.

06/20/09

A night at Neds...
Shoes (that you can't see), Aldo. Shirt, Costa Blanca. Jeans, Jean Machine. Bag, Coach. Belt, Aldo Accessories. Coat, awesome, circa 1998.
Photo credit to Callah.

FML

...am I too new to blogging to rant yet? Mmmm....yeah I'm over it, I've already decided I don't care and I am going to do it anyway.

As two of the three faithful readers of my blog likely know, I work in a job where I have to very closely interact with customers for most of my day. I have an office, and people come to sit in it, and I provide them with advice.

This can at times prove difficult for me as I am not one to make small talk. I HATE small talk. I would rather knife myself then have to talk to a stranger and pretend to care for the 5-25 minutes they are in my office. It's always the same. I ALWAYS lead with a comment about the weather. I am going to need to work on this as my repeat customers have began to snicker when I lead them in to my office and once again start with the "so..it hasn't been a very nice week so far, hopefully the weekend will be better!"

Anyways, I digress. Back to my story. Today I had a nice women in my office to do something that should have and did take me about 30 seconds. In my attempt to shoo her out of my office, I asked her if there was anything else I could do for her and to have a nice day. BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY DAY. She took this as an opening to tell me her entire life story. For real. Courtship, engagement, marriage, kids, divorce, re-engagement, re-marriage. Great.

I'd like to take this moment to point out the company I work for allows us to have two personal items in out offices, so as to cut down on the clutter and make everything look more professional. All of my other co-workers have chosen to adorn their offices with a token picture of themselves and thier spouse....and a plant. Myself however, I JUST have a plant. It's pretty jazzy and I get lots of compliments on it, but nevertheless, just a plant. Single as I am, I don't feel there is really any sort of appropriate picture I could put in my office at this point in my life. I can't put up one of my parents, that's lame. I can't put up one of me and a group of my friends (I'm a financial advisor, my customers already barely trust me, as a 23 year old female with thier money...let alone if they see pictures of me and my jazzy friends in my office). I'm stuck. I shall have to wait until I am in a significant and long term relationship before I get to the stage of having ANY sort of picture in my office. I am not complaining or asking for pity, I am just pointing out the truth as it pertains to my story.

I digress again, but this information is pertinent. So this women who is sitting in my office, after having told me her life story, I suppose picked up on the subtle hints that I may be single. No ring...no picture of myself with spouse. "Are you married dear?" Yes, I am fucking married, obviously you can see my imaginary ring, and my imaginary fiance/husband in that lovely picture over there.

She then proceeds to talk to me for LITERALLY 10 minutes about how "when I meet that person, I will just know", and "hang in there, it will happen for you". Fuck my life. Yes, that's the point of this whole story. Fuck my life. Who the fuck does this lady think she is? I should likely mention that this is NOT the first time I have heard this in my time of being a 23 year old financial advisor. This was however, the most blantant and drawn out attempt.

Note to any of my future customers: I am aware that I am single. This is not news to me. As of this moment, I am enjoying it, and don't really have a problem with it. Please refrain from coming into my office, not taking my advice, and making me feel hopeless about the fact that I am 23 and husbandless.

Thanks.

GPO things i like.

I have been told that I need to start blogging for real. By several people.
Why not start with this. I agree with Paish, I am just as materialistic. I don't think it's unfortunate though.

sneakers / never.
shoes /many. all heels. nothing shorter than 4 inches.
jeans /mostly hollister and jacob.
t-shirt / costa.
bag / coach.
wallet / coach.
watch / guess or coach.
sunglasses / coach. (see a pattern?)
jewellery / aldo accessories.
tv / LG flatscreen.
cellular phone / BB pearl.
mp3 / ipod nano..i think?? it's small and square and pink.
make-up / mac and smashbox.
deodarant / dove cucumber melon.
toothpaste / aquafresh white and shine.
shampoo / some dove crap.
conditioner/that john freida redhead stuff.
soap / fruits and passion.
mineral water / brita thanks.
wine / sauv blanc or pino grig. i'm not overly picky re: the brand.
food / mostly anything delicious.
candy / fudge
hairdresser / looking for a new one. any suggestions?

Paish...

What can I say? I recently spend a fairly excessive amount of time with Kaitlyn and enjoyed every moment of it. I was also recently asked to create my own blog about something that I am passionate about. Well...I can't really think of anyone/thing more fitting.

patience (pey-shun ns) - noun
1. the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like. (Not applicable).
2. an ability of willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay: to have patience with a slow learner. (Not applicable).
3. quiet, steady perseverance; even tempered care; diligence: to work with patience. (Perhaps...I think we are getting closer).

Patience at her finest:

Spotted: Patience in the Bishop Reding cafeteria WITHOUT any fancy clips in her hair. This must mean she is approachable. Careful K, you don't want people to stop thinking you are one of the "A's".

xoxo.