Two Countries, Two Different Worlds

Well Christmas is done and another year come to an end in just a few days. I sure do love Christmas as you know if you have read my previous posts. There is so much preparation, time, and money that goes into the big day, and then when it's over, it's over. Just like that. I love it, but one thing I notice is that every single year it becomes more and more materialistic and the true meaning of the holiday becomes lost a little bit more each year. Gifts become more extravagant, people become too busy where they can't even make the time to shop let alone wrap the gifts they bought, and all in all everything just seems to be more about the dollar sign. And it doesn't just stop at Christmas, no, this has become a way of life for people in North America. It's all about what material things we have, and finding ways to get bigger and better than our friends or neighbors, or about having more. It simply is never enough. This is of course true in the material aspect, but also I've noticed it in the aspects of relationships we have with people. Why is it that everyone seems to always be in competition with each other? Are we all just contestants in this game called life where we can never be content with who we actually are, and so the only way we continue through life is by comparing ourselves to everyone else around us, and either figuring out ways we can get there or surpass them, or by having a pity party for ourselves because we don't have what someone else has?

I know we all have done it at some point. I think it might be a bit of human nature. But I also think it's more North American human nature ( the materialistic part rather) I have done my research within other countries, and I have also had my own first hand experience visiting Guyana, South America this year, and the biggest thing I noticed right away is how they do not place any value on the material things like we do in North America. There is little judgement on what your neighbor possesses over you, and their values lie solely within their families, friendships, and within themselves. What they have does not define who they are, whereas here in North America it's the complete opposite unfortunately. It seems to me that people take precedence in what you own, how you dress, and what you do for work over the actual things that matter such as who you are inside, what stories you have to share in life about where you came from, and what your passions are in life and what you believe in and value. This is one of the things I loved most about Guyana. The people are incredible, and welcoming no matter where you came from, what you have, or what you do. Here's an example ; in my last few days there I had not found the certain souvenirs I was hoping to find so I had looked online before going on my trip and found that there was this mall in Georgetown , Guyana. As much as I love malls and shopping ( hey, I'm a female, leave me alone! Haha!) I wasn't expecting much from a mall there nor was I looking to shop while on my vacation. So I mentioned to my aunt that I would like to check out this mall and see what they have, out of curiosity. Upon telling her that, she had this puzzled look on her face, almost like it was a combination of why on earth do you want to go to a mall and do we even have a mall? She had to stop and think of this so called mall, and where it is. Then she gave us directions and my Dad and brother headed there. Well, it totally and immediately made sense when I got there because although this 'mall' was in some sort of a small building, it was basically like every other street vendor but just out under a roof. There was a single shoe store in there and just some small vendor-type businesses selling little things here and there, some clothes, some knick knacks, perfumes, souvenirs and that was that. I thought to myself " wow, I feel like an idiot for even coming here" The people of Guyana are beautiful, inside and out, some look casual, some look polished, but ALL look happy and proud. They don't give a shit about the superficial things nearly as much like we do. They don't have as much money as other countries yet why does the entire population look so happy, healthy, and well spirited? Going back to comparing it with life in North America, I think it's because they are less stressed than we are, yet the funny thing is WE bring the stress onto ourselves entirely. We let it in. We allow it to happen because we have created this certain type of life with all these expectations and living in competition with others and always trying to appease everyone but ourselves. The focus there is completely different than there. I love how they value the simple things in life. Another example, on one of our last days there we went to Welldaad, Guyana where my Dad was born. After touring around his village and seeing his elementary school he went to, the stand where he would buy candy from, and his very own house with the coconut trees he used to climb, we sat down out back with his family and friends. His old school chum, who still lived in the same house ( as in Guyana apparently no one moves. Once you have built a home, you stay there generally) and he went over to the tree, cut some green mango down , busted out the pepper sauce and salt, and we all sat there sharing mangoes and talking about life. It was one of the sweetest moments of that entire trip. Oh how I envy and adore the value they place in things like that, and I only wish we had the same mentality up here in Canada. 

I do make an effort to try bring that feeling back every now and then, and try attract other people around me into it as well. As I've said it before, the human touch is slowly being lost I think, and my old soul craves it back. We should be indulging in the sweet things in life rather than spending our days desperately trying to keep up with everyone else or compare ourselves to others. Why do people do that? It's mentally exhausting and does no good at all. I think we have just become so used to that, and simply put it's our way of life here in our country.

I know that it's not completely avoidable and sometimes we are put in situations where we may feel that we almost have to pretend or lie to ourselves in order to match our surroundings at that given time, but I think that's bullshit. No one should have to pretend they're something they're not. No one should have to feel in competition or allow themselves to feel inferior or superior to anyone, and no one should be feeling jealous of anyone regardless of what they have/don't have or who they are/ aren't. If you appreciate , love, or admire something or someone, say so. If you aspire to be someone you're not, then make that change within to improve yourself so that you're happy with who you are. If you want to make a change or if you want to see a change, then BE that change. Growing up I have always held value in the simple things in life because that's really all we had as a family, and I found myself having to escape to the sweet places and moments in time quite frequently in order to escape what was presently going on during that time, so I have carried that with me throughout my life indefinitely. When I finally got the chance to visit my Dads country Guyana, I came back even more aware, even more enlightened, even more grateful, and even more hopeful for what I could possibly transcend into other areas of my life, and also to hopefully rub it off onto others as well. The world is so different, so diverse everywhere we go, and Guyana was just a small fraction of it, and an example of how I think we as North Americans need to start taking a page or two out of their book. 

It's the simple things in life that count, and it's taking appreciation for those things that I think would help alleviate some of our stresses on a daily basis. It's also knowing that everyone is unique in their own way, and we should never be trying to compete with anyone, or compare ourselves to others. We all have a purpose in the world, and what we have or don't have is not the definition of who we are. Dig deeper than the superficial layers and peel them back until you see what's inside. You might just be very surprised with what you find.

I Heart Christmas

Well here we are, just a few days before Christmas, and wow has it ever snuck up on me this year! I know they say time flies, and I don't know if its just the fact that I am getting older and everything seems to fly even more so but it seems like lately it just runs away on me....hence this late blog post for today.

The last couple months have been a bit of a whirlwind. I mean normally I finish up all my Christmas baking b the end of November! But this year I only completed it all about 2 weeks ago! So combine that with trying to Christmas shop for so many people, do up my Christmas cards, work two jobs, and find the time to catch up with friends before the holidays? Well, to be honest Im just straight exhausted! However I am looking forward to this work week simply because I only will have to work tomorrow (Monday) and thats it! My days off, plus the holiday days off I get all seamlessly work together to give me a super long week and I am absolutely pumped about it and being able to just chill, breathe and reboot my brain. As much as I love Christmas time, I believe this is necessary for all.

See with Christmas I look forward to all the little things. The simple things. I enjoy being in a house full of family and friends, no matter how hectic or loud it can be, I truly love it. I also love that it seems to be that one time of year for our family to just shut up and get along. There's never any arguing, everyone's in a good mood, and all the old and hilarious childhood stories come out. Especially when there's rum and eggnog involved, and with our family during Christmas, and being Guyanese, there is always rum and eggnog involved. Traditions are another thing that I hold close to my heart. Not the superficial traditions of Christmas, but rather traditions we have created and carried on continuously over the years. I am sure most families do have those one or two little traditions that they might not necessarily see as traditions but in fact they are unique and special to that family. As an example, one thing we do every year is have a huge ass breakfast on Christmas morning. My Dad usually is the one to cook it. We literally have everything on the table, the entirety of breakfast items. Just thinking about now makes me laugh because we're all trying to quickly eat so we can move on to unwrapping gifts together, so there's usually a couple of us whining for the rest to hurry up so we can get started. Oh yes, and rum and eggnog starts from sunrise too.

Another thing that my brothers and I would do (particularly my youngest brother Robert), is watch Christmas movies on Christmas Eve. My number one favorite, hands down is the classic Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. Not the cartoon ones, no. I'm talking about the old school claymation-type one with Burl Ives narrating. Seriously there is nothing cuter than Rudolph in that movie. Can't forget about the other classics such as Home Alone making it a close 2nd for me. Mr. Bean's Christmas is one we always watch too. Miracle on 34th Street, Christmas Vacation, and even the newer crude ones (now that we're adults of course) like Bad Santa. Man I love that movie! Cracks me up just thinking about it!

Stockings are another thing that our family has always done, and I will never stop doing them because they are simply just the best thing ever to wake up to. It's like being a little kid, no matter how old you get!

We also of course to the big Christmas Day turkey dinner that my Mom beautifully puts together (she makes one mean turkey and all the fixin's). Throughout the evening into the day, and back into the evening there is always an array of sweet treats I bake each year just for the holidays ; shortbread cookies, gingerbread men and gingersnaps, eggnog cookies, holiday bars/squares, bark, sugar cookies etc... This year I even delved into making candied pecans for the first time and they turned out amazing!! I think next year I'll be attempting home made 'turtles'. Mmm!!!!

I also can't forget the simple fact that I love wrapping gifts! I do! And everyone knows it, and they try take advantage of this, but its not really taking advantage when I love doing it already as it is. I love all the pretty wrapping paper, the bows, the glitter, and all the beautiful silver and gold ribbons. I like curling the ribbon and making the top of the gift look like an explosion of ribbon!

Christmas is such a beautiful time to me. I get all giddy and excited throughout the whole month, and from that very first Christmas song of the season even. However, if you follow my blog you would know that this year I was having a hard time getting into the spirit for some reason and found myself to be not as excited as I normally would be. Something felt off, and I felt like I had lost my spirit. Well, this year I can't say that I completely got it back right away, but I can honestly say that now, being just three days before Christmas, that I am finally feeling the warmth of the spirit and I am loving it. I have wonderful people in my life and am attracting positivity and good spirit on all levels. I am happy and fortunate to be alive and spending Christmas with my family and friends because I know that not everyone is that lucky, and so today and always I count my blessings. There is nothing quite like the togetherness of this season amongst people everywhere you go, and the whole world feels a little bit more love when Christmas comes.

Wishing you and your loved ones an absolutely beautiful and merry Christmas this year!

One love.

A Warm And Radiant Heart

Sometimes in the absolute craziness that is our world, in the chaotic schedules that make up our days, we are slowed down for a brief moment in time by something different, something out of the ordinary, something that has caused us to stop for a minute, mentally absorb, and really reflect. This can either be for a good reason or a bad reason. For me, it was a good reason. Yesterday I was lucky enough to experience a sweet moment in time after a heartwarming and connected conversation I had with my darling friend Natalie. 
And I am blessed.
So blessed.
Growing up I have always kept a good circle of friendships and I valued each and every single one all for their own unique reasons. I learned a lot about good character, qualities, and knew and understood the true value of a true friend. My childhood, although innocent, playful and full of normal mischief was also surrounded by dark toxicity with our family issues and an abusive brother, so naturally my friends were the sunshine of my life and I learned very quickly how important they were to me, and to never let a good friend go. To this day I have carried this with me and feel just the same and just as strongly, if not, more strongly, and I cherish the real ones more than anything.
I try my best to ensure they all know how much I value them in my life. I'd like to think they value me as well. It's almost an unspoken love. Kind of funny actually. But yesterday, there was no shortage of words from Natalie. My heart is still so warm and radiant from it. I'm not going to sit here typing out all the kind things she said to me, but I will tell you about the feeling. To put things into perspective, I am not a crier. I repeat, I am not a crier. But there came a moment when I had to tell her to stop as I could feel the tears in my eyes welling up. She exhausted herself on telling me how wonderful of a person and friend I am, and how much I mean to her. She complimented me not just on a superficial level but on a spiritual, in depth level. She explained how she thinks I emulate some sort of glowing,  good energy that people gravitate towards, and that I'm the most unselfish person she knows. She also went on to giving me inspiration through telling and reminding me that I have such talents, and how I need to follow my heart with them and continue to keep flourishing and growing and expanding my opportunity within those talents because the sky's the limit and she believes I will do great things with it. Most importantly she told me how grateful and thankful she is for our friendship and that she loves me. We had a little teary moment and then had to pull ourselves together before our evening commenced. My heart was warm and mind was right. Both last night and today I have had this feeling of gratefulness, and I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful friendships like ours. 
I'm glad she told me. It's a good feeling to know that someone else also believes that you can't put a price on friendships. But tell me why is it that we always need someone else to remind us of our own self worth?
Is it that because we become so engulfed in and mesmerized by everyone elses lives? Or caught up in being admirable or jealous even of someone else that we forget to stop and look in the mirror at ourselves once in awhile? Because I bet if we all just took the time more often to reflect on who we are, where we came from, and the things we had to do to get to where we are at this current moment in time, we'd probably start to think a little differently. I'm not saying that everyone out there is a saint or that we all have had great or easy lives leading up to the point you're at now. No, of course not. Anything worth anything never comes easy. I guess what I'm saying is that we should dig deep past the superficial layers of ourselves more often to reveal and remind ourselves of who we are, what we believe in, what we're passionate about, and where we're going. I believe that there is good in everyone. Some may have to dig deeper than others to find it, but nonetheless, it's there. Then when you find it, take that that feeling and transform it into something even more greater and beautiful.

Demons

Not out of laziness but rather appreciation and admiration for a song well written that I want to share with you today. I heard it on the radio about a month ago and was instantly drawn and connected to the lyrics of this song. The song itself of course is great and the lead singer really belts it out in such a way where you are actually hearing and feeling every word. Like you just know and understand that this man has truly been through some scarring times, but also to remind us that everyone has flaws, dark shadows, and demons. So touching and powerful. I love this song .



When the days are cold
And the cards all fold
And the saints we see
Are all made of gold
When your dreams all fail
And the ones we hail
Are the worst of all
And the blood's run stale

I want to hide the truth
I want to shelter you
But with the beast inside
There's nowhere we can hide
No matter what we breed
We still are made of greed
This is my kingdom come
This is my kingdom come

When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide

Don't get too close
It's dark inside
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
When the curtain's call
Is the last of all
When the lights fade out
All the sinners crawl
So they dug your grave
And the masquerade
Will come calling out
At the mess you made

Don't want to let you down
But I am hell bound
Though this is all for you
Don't want to hide the truth
No matter what we breed
We still are made of greed
This is my kingdom come
This is my kingdom come

When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide

Don't get too close
It's dark inside
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide

They say it's what you make
I say it's up to fate
It's woven in my soul
I need to let you go

Your eyes, they shine so bright
I want to save their light
I can't escape this now
Unless you show me how

When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide

Don't get too close
It's dark inside
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
 
~ 'DEMONS' by IMAGINE DRAGONS

Where The Heck Is It?

So it's December 1st and I'm sitting here wondering 'where the heck is it?' . Where is that feeling of excitement and nostalgia that I normally would've already had by now, specifically like two weeks ago? I'm talking about the Christmas spirit that one usually gets around this time of year. Some of you may think 'well geez, it's only December first Amanda' but that doesn't mean anything when it comes to me. Picture this......it's October 30th, the day before Halloween and the big stores are selling out the last of their Halloween stock. This stock takes up an entire aisle!.....wait a minute...except for the tiny little one shelf section at the end with Christmas decorations, gradually pushing its way onto the Halloween shelf and anxiously awaiting for the clock to strike midnight into November 1st. No one is  paying any attention at all to the Christmas stuff yet except well......except for me. How exciting is it to see all the different pretty wrapping paper, the festive ribbons, the glitter adorned tree ornaments? Or the selection of gorgeous and artful Christmas cards that are always so beautifully embellished?  I tell you, no other holiday gets me feeling so merry and bright like Christmas. So I'm sure you can understand how happy I get upon even just the first slightest sign that the season is upon us. Or at least I USED to. For some strange reason I'm not feeling that way at all yet, and it's very unlike me. I have told a couple friends this and how I think I may be 'broken' or something, but they just laugh it off and tell me not to worry because either a) everyone's feeling like that this year apparently or b) it happens. C'mon you guys, this is a serious problem, I may have caught some nasty Grinch syndrome or something! Ha ha! They laugh it off  ( and fair enough because I don't think this would normally be an issue for someone other than me) BUT this is ME we're talking about here - anything Christmasy you can think of, I do it all.... Well except for caroling door to door, but in my defense, in this day and age, and in North America, it would just be stupid or unsafe to do that. With all the crazies using guns, or cannibal-induced drugs, the pedophiles, and the sex offenders, you just never know really (sad but true). And if that's not what you're concerned about, how about the embarrassment or awkwardness that could occur when you're serenading 'Santa Baby' to a man in his underwear and slippers? Yikes! Can you imagine? Ahhh yes, good ol' Christmas time!  After all, it is about spreading Christmas cheer isn't it? So where the heck is mine?

Yesterday I headed out on a mission. After trying to find my spirit last week by playing Christmas jams non-stop and rocking out to Mariah Carey's complete Christmas albums in my car to and from work ( yes I was clearly trying very hard) , I failed miserably. So yesterday I decided that after I was done my hair appointment I would head over to one of our biggest and best malls where there was sure to be some festivities and Christmas charm in the air. I figured I was going to start my Christmas shopping and that would definitely help. As soon as I walked into the mall I swear I had to seriously coach myself through some therapeutic breathing to stay in a chilled out, carefree mode......and I did okay on the outside, pleasantly smiling to people who would bump into me carelessly, and step on my toes trying to make their way to yet another Black Friday sale rack. On the inside though, my patience was being tested for sure! So I get myself a Starbucks eggnog latte to assist with this mission. Nothing beats that! I was blissful in my egg nog world until I overheard a conversation between two females gossiping about a male customer who was in that store buying a necklace for his girlfriend. They were whispering to each other with disgust talking about how cheap that man is to buy a sterling silver necklace for his girlfriends Christmas present, and how he should be buying her white gold. Wow, what a complete jerk that man is to be buying a necklace for his girlfriend. Gee, that is the most unthoughtful thing I have ever heard of. What an ass! Then they continued to say to each other how they would never accept crappy silver for a Christmas present and that if they got white gold as a gift and it didn't cost more than 200.00 at least, they'd be asking for a gift receipt so they could exchange the "cheap gift". Yeah it took everything in me to just keep my mouth shut and quietly walk away. I just shook my head. So needless to say, that didn't exactly help either.

You know, when I go to the malls during Christmas time, yes I expect it to be busy, hectic, crazy, and full of rushed, stressed people. I can handle that for the most part. UNLESS my feet hurt, in which in that case you're better back off. But today I was more or less kinda hoping for the mall to be decked out in Christmas fashion, big trees all lit up and decorated, and Bing Crosby crooning some classic Christmas tunes over the PA system. But sadly, no. It was more just plastered with sale signs and posters, and top 40 music playing in every store. And do you think I ended up getting some shopping done for my friends and family? Of course not. I picked possibly the worst day to go because there were these outrageous Black Friday sales at every single store! You'd think that would be a good thing, but not so much when you have 50 people crammed into one store trying to buy up everything in sight.

After some time I decided to call it quits for the day, and made plans with myself to attempt it again next week sometime. I got in my car and tuned in the radio to the Christmas jams to try force some Christmas into my soul for the ride home. So all in all, mission not so accomplished just yet. But I do have a few other things up my sleeve that have always been a part of tradition for me, and are sure to bring my broken spirit right back on track! Baking! Christmas baking! And that officially starts today! 

Happy December 1st!

Anyone Got A Time Machine?

Living in the 21st century sure has it's advantages. I mean, look at everything we can do now! Cell phones have cameras, smart phones in general, YouTube and Facebook came out enabling a 'better way of staying connected now more than ever', human segway transporters (for people who who think walking just isn't cool enough), being able to order anything and everything online with a touch of your finger...like fast food even, GPS, e-readers, Skype. Basically our whole world revolves around computers and technology. Even some schools nowadays require that their students have laptops or iPads (and I'm talking about grade school). Also libraries filled with encyclopedias and books in general are starting to become a thing of the past. Am I complaining about all these techy advances we have now have in front of us at our disposal? No. Okay I lied, maybe a little. Is it so wrong that I would rather go back in time just a little bit? A time where books were actual books, not electronic books on e-readers? A time where we would have to solely rely on someones word alone upon meeting up somewhere for dinner, because we didn't have cell phones to text? Or what about a time where writing letters and calling people over the home phone was the only way rather than  our new-age emails, e-cards, and having text conversations through our phones ? I'm still happy to see that Hallmark is still business and that people do still send Christmas cards because if that ever dies out I'm going to be first in line for whenever a time machine gets invented (and at this rate with all that can be done in today's world, that may very well be sooner than we expect)
So I have a BlackBerry. Yes, a Blackberry. Yes that's okay, I'll pause for a minute here to let you laugh and get it out of your system. I love having one, always have. Even though Blackberry is suffering I still stay loyal. I have used an iPhone before, and I own an iPad so I am very familiar with how it works and all the features. I have also tinkered around on some of the Androids that are out there.All impressive for some reasons but I still love my BlackBerry the most. And an added bonus? The US government cannot monitor BlackBerry communication. Nope, nothin' wrong with that!
So anyways, I got a new BlackBerry the other day, thew fancy q10, it has the trusted old faithful keyboard that I love and the screen is all touch, sooooo navigating is done through the screen and there is no track pad. This part drives me crazy. (Thank goodness I still have the keyboard at least) It's not so much the fact that it's touch screen as I'm sure it's just a matter of getting used to it but it's just that it's too easy to accidentally touch something and make an error, send the wrong thing, delete in error etc...
It. Drives. Me. Nuts.
So although I love my phone, I wish I could go back even just a little to when phones only were used to make phone calls. Simplicity. We were fine back then and got everything done okay so I can't imagine us not being able to now. Or I'd even take pagers! Hahaha! Remember those things? I remember my Dad had one, and he would give us kids a legend of codes which would mean different things. So for example, if Mom needed Dad to call her when he was off work for a grocery list she would dial his pager and punch in a bunch of '4's. Awesome little weird way of communicating I think, but it did the job!
As I started writing today's post I began to think of all of our technological advances that we have made. Yes, some definitely are fantastic and make life much easier and more efficient, even some more eco-friendly. But some are just downright unnecessary and ridiculous and are only adding to the future laziness of our world, of our kids, of our kids kids, and their kids! How is that in a world where we have all this technology to stay connected, we are actually more disconnected now than ever? We have all these outlets for communication; text, Skype, emails, Facebook, Twitter, instant messaging, and basically just the ability to do everything online such as banking, dating, college diplomas and degrees, and ordering groceries even! All this to bring us closer, make things easier and more attainable or efficient, yet the human touch gap is narrowing as we speak. Sometimes I feel so lost amid all these new technological advances, and I'm doing my best to keep up and stay with it because if I don't blink quick enough, the world is going to take off without me.
If I may point out something funny, my parents struggle too - with even just text messaging. I probably shouldn't laugh at them because I may be in their shoes one day, but....I do. But they're definitely trying. My Dad has his BlackBerry and uses that okay, my Mom just got her very first cell phone last year (not a smartphone) and she is getting a bit better at text (it's still funny as hell when she uses it though. My mom thought 'lol' meant lots of love.....hmmm, I was wondering why she was always' laughing out loud' whenever she would text me telling me to drive safe or wish me a good vacation)
Now that I mention my Mom, it reminded me of a funny conversation I had last week with her. Well maybe not funny, but rather kind of sad actually. I was telling her how my generation is going to be the last of the already dying breed of domesticated, crafty, sweater-knitting grandmas. When all of today's young girls grow up to become little old ladies, not a damn single one of them are going to know anything about baking pies, knitting, sewing, pulling off making an entire homemade turkey dinner, or making jams and preserves. They won't even have actual photo albums to share with their grandchildren. Their memories and keepsakes will consist of Instagram selfies, Facebook and Twitter accounts. Their vocabulary will be full of stupid acronyms, and they wont be able to hold actual conversations. This goes for the grandpas too. Remember good ol' art of conversation? Something that should come natural to us but is becoming less used and people are actually losing their skills of real one-on-one communication? This is something I come across more and more every day. Even finding someone with a good solid and confident handshake is quite a rarity.
It would be interesting to see for sure, and I'm sure my parents generation felt the same way about my generation growing up. Obviously things are going to change. People are going to change. Things will advance and change the world - it's a given. But sometimes I think some things just need to be left as they are, and stay true to their origin, especially when it comes to the humankind and keeping the human touch alive.

10 Things

Looking outside my window, from my warm and cozy home, it's a splendorous sight to see. The bare branches that were once lined with lush green leaves, are now crystalized in sparkly white hoar frost, the ground surface is completely blanketed in heavy white snow, the sky is blue with the sun peeking through, and there is a definite icy cold crispness in the air. It truly looks like a beautiful Christmas snow globe outside, or just like the cover of a Christmas card depicting the perfect winter image. Sounds pretty, doesn't it?
Now, let's put me out on the other side of that window for a minute here.
This morning I woke up, ate breakfast, threw on some boots, my toasty warm hooded winter jacket, a toque, wool mitts, and put my ear buds in blasting my ipod on full! I headed outside, shovel in hand, ready to take on the huge 3 foot dump of heavy snow we got last night! Man I hate winter! Yes I was definitely busting my ass and working up a sweat but it was still so cold. The ends of my hair were even freezing into icicles! Now that's when you know it is damn cold! OR better yet when your nose hairs inside are freezing together. You can feel it when you wiggle your nose! It's the weirdest feeling ever. Nonetheless it was cold, and there was a ton of snow. I was much happier indoors in my sweatpants looking out, holding my mug of piping hot green tea.The only thing good about this is the exercise you get, so basically that's the only thing that gets me outside to shovel the snow, is knowing I'm in for an excellent workout.
How can something so beautiful be so horrible at the same time? The bitter cold, the icy roads, the dry wind that stings your nose and cheeks. I don't know how I do it year after year to be honest. However, I am a born and raised Calgarian, and I haven't died yet from a winter yet.....(although some days it really feels like I'm going to. Hahaha!) . I guess I've gotta be doing something right to cope through this crap, year after year.
So I came up with a list of things that help me get through my winters. A list of things that either make it a little bit more easier or bearable or make me feel a bit summery. I'm sure we all have our own things we turn to, and here is mine!



10 Things That Help Me Survive Winter In Calgary:



1) Vitamin D supplement - aka 'the sunshine' vitamin. Not only is it used for preventing chronic disease, and boosting your immunity, but it also combats depression, just like the vitamin D from good ol' sunshine does! Need I say more?

2) Heated car seats - I've had cars without, and Ive had (and have) car(s) with, and I will never, ever, ever go back to a car without heated seats. Sure in the summer it can suck having black leather seats but when winter comes, it makes it allllllll worth it!

3) Remote car starters - While we're still on the topic of cars here, yes, this is a must for me. I've had cars without, and my current car I had it installed in and it is the best thing ever! Totally worth whatever money it may cost you. Trust me!

4) Bob Marley - What better way to combat the icy cold than with blastin' up some sweet island sounds of Mr. Marley? Even when it's cold out, I find that sometimes just by playing his music, I instantly warm up and my mood changes. Instant mood elevator! What a legend! R.I.P Bob <3

5) Spiced rum / Dark rum beverages - Yeah that's right, hard liquor helps me get through the cold! Don't judge. Ha ha ha! No, no, I'm no alcoholic, but honestly when it's cold like this, nothing warms you up quite like a little rum drink (even with some egg nog in it) or some red wine. This is definitely not a season for cold beer or margaritas!

6) Bronzer - For all my beautiful lady readers, this is for us. Let's face it, our skin looks more dry, dehydrated, and dull in the winter. We lose whatever tans we got during the summer, and as for me, yes I'm half Guyanese so I stay tan all year BUT I do get a lot lighter during the winter months too unfortunately (that's my half white side coming out). But nothing like a little light dusting of bronzing powder over the cheeks, hairline, bridge of the nose and chin to give you that sun-kissed glow, even in the winter!

7) Sweaters and cozy blankets - Cuz baby it's cold outside, and I like to stay as warm as possible. Wouldn't you? 'Nuff said!

8) Starbucks holiday drinks - Mmmm!!! I wait for these bad boys every year. First they bring in the delicious Fall drinks ; the pumpkin spice lattes, and then the Christmas ones ; Peppermint Mochas, Gingerbread Lattes, Eggnog Lattes, Creme Brulee Lattes. If the delicious hot flavor of these drinks aren't enough, the cute red and white cup in comes in decked out in little Christmas images should be. Or get a tasty Christmas-style baking treat to go with it! Mmm! I don't know about you but these lattes always put a positive spin on winter for me.

9) Hydration!!Drinking lots of water, and slathering on the coconut body butter - We all know we're supposed to have the 8 - 8oz glasses of water per day, but during winter with all the dryness here, I slam the water like there's no tomorrow. Hydration from the inside for better skin, energy, and less headaches, aaand my all time fave go-to ; The Body Shop's coconut body butter! That stuff is simply amazing, and smells like a beach!

10) Projects - I find that if you can commit yourself to a project or two, or even just many little projects throughout the season, it gives you something to do and to focus on and work towards while staying indoors rather than the usual and preferred couch laying with a blanket and movies (although don't get me wrong, I love doing that too!!) When I give myself projects to do indoors I feel more productive and the time tends to go a bit quicker after Christmas, which is great!


So there you have it, that's my (shortened) list! A few of the little pleasures, and a few of the necessities for me. As a matter of fact, this year I'm going to start taking up cross country skiing as another great way to make the most of winter, and also to get in some fantastic exercise. I started skating again a couple years ago, and I am most definitely going to get back to doing that as well this year. At this rate, before I know it I will be slappin' on the summer rims, waxing up my car, and sportin' a fresh new dress and heels in no time!

It Is What It Is....And It's Okay

During this past week I realized something. Something I always sort of knew but I guess you could say wasn't quite sure of until recently. You might call it sad, but I just call it what it is.I came to the realization that my Mom and I are just two totally different people and won't ever truly be close. I've always known that we were never close, and growing up was quite evident. But you know how sometimes things can change or evolve as we get older? Well I thought that perhaps maybe as the years went on, we might get there, but we haven't. I don't think we ever really will be, and to be quite honest, I think it's fine. Most people tend to be closer with either their Mom or their Dad, and sometimes some are close with both. I love my Mom dearly, but our personalities just don't quite mesh that way where we truly 'get' each other, and we don't have anything that we even bond over really. From time to time I do try make an honest effort with her whether it's going out for breakfast or dinner and drinks, shopping, or even trying to help her with some things around the house or even just being inquisitive about her day and her hobbies and such. But one thing I learned about that is that no matter how much effort one puts into creating something, if it's just not there and never has been there, then chances are, it probably won't ever be there. In some ways I find this to be a bit sad as every girl wants to have that special mother daughter closeness I think, and I witness this all the time, even amongst my own girlfriends. When I stop and take a second to look at these relationships and evaluate and admire the love that I see, I smile. I smile because it's such a sweet and heartwarming thing to see. I smile because I can only imagine the growth and nurturing it must have taken to get there. But I also smile because although I may not have that, I do have the realization of something else - and that is that I am daddy's girl. Definitely. And no, not the spoiled brat "Daddy!" this and "Daddy!" that. Oh hell no. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't even dream of calling my Dad 'Daddy" because something about that word (at least when it comes to us) sounds so whiny and weak (and our Guyanese family is stubborn as hell and try not to show any signs of weakness, even in the simplest forms) See, to call my Dad 'daddy', to me, just sounds like I need something, and like Im still a little girl, when I prefer to have this independent woman state of mind, haha! So 'daddy' just does not fly. Unless you're referring to the term 'daddy's girl' in which it does, in this case.

So anyways, last week my Dad was on vacation for a week. My Mom was alone, and it was Halloween week/weekend. I worked all week but as my nights off came along I decided hey, why not have a chill night with Mom, watch some movies, and have a couple beers? So we did! I think she enjoyed herself. The next day there happened to be a Halloween party going on in the town, and my Mom always wants to go out to Halloween parties and dress up but my Dad never wants to, therefore they never go, and my Moms friends aren't normally into it either. So I have this bright idea at work that day and tell my Mom to put together a costume, Ill reuse one of my old ones and I'll take her to that party and we can Halloween it up together!

Well she loved that idea! So we went out, we had wings, we drank, we checked out all the different costumes and she took some pictures. But throughout that whole evening (and we were there for just over 4 hours) we just didn't have any conversation really. It wasn't anything awkward like being on a bad date, it was just quiet. There wasn't any similarities, no common ground, no mutual interests for conversation....nothing. The most we'd have to say to each other would be random comments about a funny costume we saw, or whether we should order more wings or not. Stuff like that. It was nice being out with my Mama for sure but we are just very different people. So after that night I accepted it for what it was.

Even when I think back to when I was a little girl, some of my most sweetest memories (which are usually memories a girl would have with her mother) are ones with my Dad of when I was done having my bath at night time my Dad would take a comb and de-tangle my long dark hair for me. Then he would part it down the middle or sometimes into three sections and braid my wet hair, fastening it with his version of a quick-fix hair elastic ( a piece of woven chicken twine.....uh huh, yeah you read that right. He's even used those little blue rubber bands that come wrapped around green onions in the grocery store). In the morning before school, I would take them out and have these beautiful soft waves. So sweet. Another fond memory I have is how my Dad bought me my very first CoverGirl compact for me! I remember being in junior high school and that's when all the cool girls would start wearing powder, so I pleaded to my Dad to buy one for me! I laugh as I think about it because his face was priceless. He twisted up his brow, wrinkled up his forehead and asked me what the heck do I need makeup for? I simply had no other explanation other than it was just cool to have. With that, he rolled his eyes, sighed, but got it for me anyway. My brothers would probably disagree with me when I say I wasn't spoiled. I really wasn't (in the normal ways that I guess most girls would be spoiled) as our family didn't have a lot of money growing up, and my Dad was primarily the only one working and supporting a family of six, with one of them being a hellion always getting arrested, getting into serious trouble and doing bad things - the older he got, the worse it got with him, but that's a story for another day.

Back on topic here...........as a matter of fact there was a time growing up, pretty much from pre-teen throughout the teenager years that I didn't like my Mom at all. Yes it was partly because of the hormonal teenaged girl reasons, but there are other bigger reasons as well. Again, maybe a story for another day.

But one thing that I have grown to know and learn as I get older is that when it comes to family, particularly your own Mom and Dad, although you might not get along or might not see eye to eye at all, ever, it's important every now and then to give them a little sign to let them know that although you've recognized your differences, you still recognize their existence, and that they are not unloved. Not unloved at all.

Hibernation In Full Effect

So Calgary got it's first real dump of snow a few days ago and I am not liking it. yes I was born and raised here so yes I should be used to it by now, but I'm not, and I don't think I ever will be. I mean normally our winters/first snowfalls come in a bit more like a lamb gently easing you into the cold season. But damn, not this year! It was like BAM!!! Honey I'm hoooommmme!!!! So naturally I'm in even more of a hibernation mode than normal this time of year. I've been sick for three weeks with this ridiculous super cough, and thus haven't been able to work out properly because with any increase in my heart rate and breathing, my lungs feel like they're going to explode, and my breathing becomes more difficult. Needless to say I'm a bit of a grumpy bear right now and I'm just trying to trudge through.
SO..............what's one good way to lift my spirits and pass the time during days or times like these? Bake! That's right, good ol' baking! One of my two favorite therapies right next to retail. So since it's so cold and miserable outside right now, I decided to close all my blinds so I didn't have to see it, crank up the tunes, throw on my latest, favorite new Wonder Woman apron (thank you Lem!) and get to work.
Todays inspiration came from flipping through a grocery store flyer where I saw tubs of neopolitan ice cream on sale (for those of you who may not know what that is or didn't grow up with it, its a three layer flavor combination of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla) I decided to try incorporate that into a cupcake. 
It turned out quite tasty, and was actually kind of fun to experiment with and make. I think you'll like it :)
Here's what I came up with!


For the vanilla cupcakes:
Measure the following, and mix all together using a whisk : 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Next, whisk 1 cup of milk, 1/2 cup water, 3/4 cup oil, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, and 2 large eggs in a separate bowl from your dry ingredients. Make a well in your flour mixture/dry ingredients, and gradually pour your wet mixture into it. Whisk until blended.

Divide the batter up into cupcake paper lined muffin/cupcake tins (makes 24), and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

So what I did afterwards, after everything was cooled off, I took a serrated knife and gently cut off the tops of the cupcakes, as I was preparing a strawberry flavored mixture/icing to spread on it and then sandwich the top back on.

So I whipped up some basic vanilla buttercream frosting, and I separated a small portion of it to make the strawberry part, in which I added in some red food coloring and some strawberry jelly. Once I mixed that together, I sandwiched it between and put the tops back on.

Then I used some white frosting, spooned it into a piping bag and drew a circle along the edge of the cupcake tops.

I added some cocoa to my remaining 1/2 of my vanilla buttercream to turn it into chocolate buttercream, and piped it onto the tops.

Lastly, I whipped up a small amount of icing, colored it with pink food coloring and drizzled it over top to tie the whole neopolitan-chocolate, strawberry, vanilla thing together.

Then I couldn't resist and inside shot of it sliced in half to show the texture and strawberry goodness!

So there ya have it! My Neopolitan Cupcake! And it sure is yummy! The only thing I might change for next time is to maybe try using a strawberry concentrate or juice as opposed to the strawberry jelly/jam I sued for flavoring today. Only reason is that the consistency was a bit off (for my liking) , but nonetheless it doesn't really matter as the strawberry part is sandwiched inside so no one really sees it, but rather tastes the strawberry goodness instead! If you end up trying it out yourself, ENJOY!!!!! If not, well that's okay too! Thanks for checking out my blog post today. In this weather where I can't wash or wax my car, I can't go galavanting outside in a dress and heels, and I cant go for a good energetic run with my ipod on blast, I'm glad I can find comfort and happiness in being a 'Betty Crocker', and all the ideas and creativity that come along with it (Mom, you had no idea what you were turning me into when you bought me my first Easy-Bake Oven , did you? Ha ha ha!!)




 

 

Happy Hallogiving!

I have a bad case of writers block today. I do. It happens. I mean, I keep a little list of random topics to blog about stored in my precious BlackBerry (yes I still have a BlackBerry and yes I love it) But I find that even with those topics, if you're having a case of writer's block it doesn't even matter because you can't focus, you're at a loss for descriptive words, and basically just whatever you end up writing or typing out , you're gonna hate anyways. So I figure I'll just write today as it is, and for what it is ; a bad day to write. Yes I shall chalk it up to just that.

In my defense though, I think it's mostly just because today there's a bit going on. Today our family is actually celebrating Thanksgiving. Not for any other reason other than we postponed it because my youngest bro Robert just came back from working eight hours away, for twenty-four straight days, and he only gets five days off. Soooo needless to say my time is pretty much occupied by his brotherly presence ; cracking jokes, catching up, going for pho-y goodness, and drinking some rum........and him farting around me. Gross. Yeah that's brothers for ya! Anyhow, so aside from having our Thanksgiving dinner tonight, it is also Calgary's first snowfall of the season, and man is it an ugly one! Ten freakin centimeters of the heavy wet crap! I didn't even get to swap out my summer car mats yet to my winter ones, yeesh! So needless to say, this cold snowy weather kind of puts a bit of a damper on the day, in the sense where you just want to go into hibernation mode and stay there! Well what better way to combat that than with a houseful of Rampersauds eating, drinking, and laughing over an awesome and delicious turkey dinner cooked by my mama? (I know everyone always talks about how their Moms make 'the best' turkey, but seriously, I have never tried any turkey dinner that's even comparable to my mamas! Hers are just so darn good!). As a matter of fact....here's a funny fact about Robert....when he was having his fourth birthday party my Mom asked him what he wanted to have to eat for his party. He said "turkey stuffing!!!" Ha ha ha!!! Not pizza. Not hot dogs. Just turkey stuffing. Silly kid. Anyhow it should be a pretty good night with everyone, plus our awesome and hilarious Newfie neighbor Charlie is joining us, and with him around us, when we're all together, ya just never know how wild the party can get! That's the thing, it's not a party at all, but when you mix Guyanese with Newfies, plus a bottle of rum and food....it equals good times. Charlie even ate a live earthworm this past summer while we were all having some drinks and barbecue! It was absolutely disgusting, but incredibly entertaining! So all in all it will be a great Sunday night. I already made my pumpkin pies, so those are ready and good to go and Mom made an apple pie using the apples from our tree.

Then after dinner Robert and I have The Walking Dead to look forward to. Never cared much for Sundays as they're always the last day of the weekend, and the day before the start of the work week. Blah. But now that The Walking Dead is back on, it's something to really look forward to because man that show is just so damn good! In addition to our Oct 27th Thanksgiving, the bitter cold and heavy wet snow,  I'm also sleepy from my late Saturday night and am all snug in my comfy sweats. Sleepy but no hangover thank God ( now that Im old balls thirty, I have learned over my years of drinking experience when to stop thus avoiding all hangovers) My girl Natalie and I went out last night to a

Halloween party. We were a pretty little duo dressed as the glamorous movie stars Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. It was awesome, and we rocked it. Although I know Miss Natalie probably disagrees as she was wearing an itchy Marilyn wig that she absolutely despised. I feel bad because had I know the wig would have made her feel that 'un-sexy' or uncomfortable I would have said lets just choose something else. Nonetheless she was a trooper that night and everyone loved our costumes. It was a fun night filled with soca music, and lots of cool costumes.....it was the very first time we ever went out for Halloween together (I hope she doesnt hate me too much in choosing the Marilyn and Audrey idea and totally boycott me in future years for Halloween) Ha ha ha!!

Anyways, it was a pretty great weekend, soon to be followed by a pretty great Sunday evening with the famz and some Walking Dead. Doesn't get much better than that I think! Well I think my time is up here, and I have to break away from this computer to go hang with everyone and get some awesome dinner. 

Happy Hallogiving! (my Halloween/Thanksgiving hybrid)

Beauty Bomb : Fall 2013 Trends

Aside from being a full-time RMT, a part-time Betty Crocker, and a part-time random blogger, I am also a Make-up Artist. Now although I enjoy my full-time job, nothing compares to the love I have for doing make-up. Seriously. It's just awesome. Every aspect of it. Not only do I love the creativity and artistry of it all, and the fact that trends are always changing, but I especially love the end result, the part where I let them look in the mirror and they're completely blown away with how beautiful they are! They feel happy, they smile, and they leave feeling beautiful. The fact that I played a part in that, in turn makes me smile and feel good. So as I mentioned, with trends always changing, we've began of our fall season of course. With the start of a new season comes new fashion and make-up trends. So I put together a little collaboration of 5 definite make-up trends that are huge for fall 2013, and that were seen all over the runways from New York Fashion Week 2013. Enjoy!

1. Wine Stained / Red Lips

Think very 'femme fatale' on this one. It's all about the matte, and vampy tones like raisin, plum, crimson, oxblood, all reds. The 90s are back with the dark lips, however, they key to keeping it modern looking is by ensuring that the rest of your face is muted and nude. So no dramatic eyes paired with this one. If you're trying this trend, keep the rest of your face very minimal. Tip: to give the color good staying power, line your lips with a close matched lip liner and then fill the lips in with the liner. Next, apply your lipstick over top. Blot. Apply one more time. Blot. And if you like, lightly dust it with a translucent powder to finish it off. If you do want a bit of sheen to it, just dab a bit of gloss in the center of your lips and press together.

2. Strong Eyeliner

Liquid eyeliners are being seen everywhere now, more specifically with the bold feline flick or winged liner on the upper lid. It's all about statement lines, even doubling up on two different eyeliner colors together on the top lid so that you have the two color line effect. Don't be afraid to try using liquid liner. The trick is to find one that is very easy to use (kind of like the comfort you'd have with using a felt marker). It shouldn't feel awkward in your hand or awkward to draw a line (Stila has, hands-down THE BEST liquid eyeliner I have ever used. Its called Stay All Day waterproof liner, and it comes in several shades). Tip? Try making tiny dots with the liner, along your eye line, and then connect the dots! It may take a few tries but practice makes perfect! Worst case, if you find it's a little crooked or you don't like how harsh the line looks, just take an angled brush, dip it in some matching eyeshadow and run it along lightly over the line you just drew to soften the look. The beauty of this look is you can amp it up as much as you want to, or make it more on the subtle side. The choice is yours, and it will still look amazing!

3. Bold Brows


Think Audrey Hepburn, Cindy Crawford, Brooke Shields, and Miranda Kerr. This doesn't mean grow out your eyebrows all bushy and wild and crazy. No. It means to yes grow them out, but groom them well, get them shaped, brush them and use brown gel (or TIP: clear mascara) to groom them and keep the hairs in place. Gone are the days of having eyebrows tweezed within an inch of their lives. Right now it's all about well-shaped, eye-flattering, well-groomed, natural brows.

 4. Blue, Purple, Copper or Crimson Lids.

When I say blue, I don't mean the 80's style blue eyeshadow days. I mean sweeping a nice midnight blue, royal or navy blue over your lid, and even softly blending it around just under neath your eye, softly lining it. You can do this with purples, coppers and crimsons too. With the coppers try blending it over your lid and slightly up into your eyelid crease, then take an angled brush and line your lower lash line with it as well. Try smoke it out with the color. You can use liner afterwards as well or you can wear it alone just like that with a couple coats of mascara.

5. Pink and Peach Blush Shades

Now that summer is gone, and the cold, dry season is upon us, keeping a rosy, warm glow throughout the next few months is key. Not only does it warm up your complexion, but it helps give a more youthful and natural appearance. The fall runways were flush with soft, pink cheeks. Unsure of which blush color to choose? Remember this : For porcelain skin, you want an apricot or light peach tone. Fair skin - pink shades. Stay away from anything with too much orange or bronzer in it though. Olive - coral pinks,  soft orange shades, and peachy pinks, and anything bronze. Deep or dark skin tones - try shades of plums and roses rather. Keep in mind for all skin tones that your blush color in the end should be harmonious with your lip color. It should flatter your face and make everything appear warmer and brighter. It should not be harsh, and the placement of your blush, according to what face shape you have, is imperative.

 

 

I Am Thankful. Today. And Tomorrow

Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadian peeps! Thanksgiving, although contrary to some people's beliefs, isn't only about stuffing your stretch-pants adorned belly with large amounts of turkey dinner and pumpkin pie. Although I'm sure we all do that, and slide into our turkey comas there after, we should never neglect to take a minutes out of our day to stop and think about all the things in life that we are thankful for. Whether big or small. Relevant or seemingly irrelevant. Take the time to chill the hell out for a minute today and hone in on all the good things in life. I don't care who you are or how much bad is going on in your life, there is always something good. It's just that sometimes in can be really hard to see the good when you're blinded by all the bad. Practice what we preach, right?

So today, for me, in no specific order, I'm going to just randomly list off all the things that I am thankful for.

I'm thankful for my family and my friends. For my wonderful cousins, aunties, and uncles across the way.For my Lemon who always uses his whole heart in everything he does. For my incredible circle of friendships and all the girl time we spend together. For the newfound closer relationships I've developed with some of my family members. For having a career in which I worked very hard to get and maintain. For having my own passions. For being as healthy and strong as I am. For having a mind of my own, and all the morals and value that embrace it. For being a Canadian, and living in such a safe and free country. For all the culture and diversity that surrounds us. For good books, museums, and unending knowledge and information at our fingertips. For music. For clean, drinkable running water. For star filled skies. For having talents I can share with the world. For my roots and where I came from. For beautiful autumn days. For cookies. For having a roof over my head. For mistakes I've made and learned from. For time. For Thanksgiving dinners. For love. For my  vision in that as time goes by, things become more clearer. For all the little things and moments in between, and for the joy and feeling of knowing that I made it through the day, no matter how amazing or how shitty it was. That in itself is an accomplishment.

When I really stop and think about all these things, it really puts into perspective just how much I think we as people get to be ungrateful. I find that it's always easier to hone in on the negative things that are occurring in our lives, rather than some of the positive things. Life gets busy. It gets hectic, and it gets superficial when we're only looking at it one-dimensionally. All the crappy things that go in my life always seem so prominent and so at times they can almost cast shadows on the good things. Why do we let that happen? It's just like the well known word of mouth fact where if a customer goes into a business and receives horrible service, they will tell everyone and their dogs. However if they receive good service, nine times out of ten they don't end up telling anyone about that experience.

Not every day can we all be these super happy super positive hippies who are all peace, love, and unity, and more times than not we'll probably be leaning more on the focus of the negative side, when things are going bad (I'm guilty of this one at times for sure. I'm human for gosh sakes), but once the storm cloud passes, I think if we could just be able to take a second and clue in to what is good, then that will make us just that much happier and hopefully bring us back to reality a little bit. And the reality is that everyone has certain things that they are thankful for. You just have to take the time to stop and actually think about it.

The Big Apple

What do you get when you have a population of over 8.2 million people,  the largest mass transit system in the world, 4000 street vendors, 24 hour everything, and fashion addicts on every street ? You get New York City, the center of all advertising, fashion, publishing, and radio broadcasting in the United States. The city that boasts some of the biggest, most amazing museums in the world. The historical city that dates back to 1624. The city that's richest in culture, cuisine, architecture, and arts and entertainment..... The city that never sleeps. 

In just three more days I will be on a plane to New York *sigh* Oh how I love that city. I didn't think I was going to be able to pull off a second vacation this year seeing as how I went to Guyana in April, but with the right flight deal, and a shorter amount of vacation time, I found that I would be able to do it (thank GOD because I need a mini-vacation now more than anything). Honestly, the last couple weeks have just been shit for the most part, so taking this vacation couldnt have come at a better time.......And what better way to get away from it all than to go to my favorite city, and spend some time with my beautiful cousin?!

So normally when I go to New York, I spend all my time with my cousin, doing random things in the city but also scratching things off of my To-Do-In-NY list, one by one (the list is ridiculously long as there are never-ending things to do there) But this time around I will actually have two days of taking on the city all by myself, and I'm super excited! See, my cousin couldn't get any additional time off outside her normal Saturday and Sunday off, so I decided that would be a perfect opportunity for me to go galavanting around Manhattan, get lost and stumble upon some cool little places, and just take in the whole experience in a new way (solo). I've been there enough now and I feel that I'm slowly starting to get familiar with a lot of the areas. Mind you, no matter how many times I go, I can never seem to fully comprehend the complexity and frustration that can sometimes be of  NY's complicated subway system. So rather than trying to walk around like a tourist with a huge fold-out map of the transit system in front of my face, I think I will just stick to relying on the good ol' locals and asking questions if I get confused. I love NY but I do not want to end up in Harlem. At all.

Like any city, there are good neighborhoods and bad ones. With NY, the bad ones are really bad, and with the good ones, they are really good! If I had to pick my favorite area, I don't think I could do it, to be honest. I love all of them for such different reasons, and I appreciate all the good, the bad, and the ugly.

One of my favorite spots is Greenwich Village. I went there for the first time last year as part of a Sex and The City tour we did, and I fell in love. It was so quaint but trendy, with a bit of upscale mixed with a casual laid-back attitude of the people there. If that makes sense. Apparently lots of celebrities reside there because its not as touristy of an area and its really quiet, but really pretty. It's got a lot of historic character and charm, and is filled with boutiques, theaters, cafes, and the historic Washington Square Park. I'll definitely be going back here again this time around.

I also have a soft spot for Brooklyn. I think there is a lot of misconception about Brooklyn, possibly due to movies on tv or even rap songs. Of course there are parts of Brooklyn where I wouldn't feel safe, but there are other parts of Brooklyn that are simply just awesome! Like Greenwich, it has a bit of that charm to it, but I feel that Brooklyn has more of a 'home' feel. Its the most populous of NY's five boroughs, and has a huge variety of ethnic groups. It used to actually be independent back in the 1800s and I believe that it still has a bit of that exclusive and proud feel to it. There are many neighborhoods within Brooklyn, and each seems to cater to whichever ethnicity dominates that part. For example, there's a Jewish area, a West Indian area, a Greek, Russian, Latin, and Chinese area. And with all these nationalities come all the different events, festivals, cuisines, and organizations. So it's almost like a whole different little world on the opposite side of that Brooklyn Bridge.

Those are only just a couple of my favorite areas that I like to see. But in terms of going to 'see things' in NY, I think the best way is to just wing it! I mean, definitely have your own little list of things you want to do, places you want to see, experiences you may want to try, but just know that the probability of you NOT getting all those things done because you had stumbled across something else along the way, and spontaneously decided to do it, is pretty high. I personally love when that happens - when you have a plan in mind, and you're on your way to go do it but then you come across something else really cool and decide to check it out! That's how I discovered this amazing place in the Flat Iron district called 'Eataly'. After getting home and looking it up online, I found out that it's actually a super popular and well-known spot. Its basically this huge, busy indoor Italian market right in Manhattan, that's full of Italian food, culture, restaurants, cooking classes, and cafes. It was amazing in there, and whether you were into Italian food or culture at all, you couldn't help but become interested and in awe over everything around you there. Super cool place.

I tell ya, there's just so much to do there, and so little time. Would you believe that out of all the times I've gone, I have never once been to a Broadway before? It's not that I didn't have intentions of doing so, it was because although it was in the schedule for that day, something else came up that we ended up doing. So random, so spontaneous, and so much fun.

There really are endless things to do there, and when people ask me why I love New York so much, that's one of the biggest reasons for me. I like being in a place that's not monotonous, but is full of variety and options. I like the diversity of the city, on all levels. I love the architecture, the history, the parks and river, and the fact that everywhere you go, there is always something new to be seen. I love the culture, the arts, the passion that you see on every street corner, whether its the passion that a Wall Street suit has in his billions of dollars, the passion of a young inspired woman trying to make it as a ballet dancer, the passion of a new cafe owner just trying to branch out with the big guys in the business, or the passion that that homeless man under the bridge has as he's playing his sax. Everywhere I go I see a unique beauty in all these different people from all different places in life, and I smile because the one thing they all seem to have in common is the love for the city. Yes, NY can be harsh, but that's what gives it it's edge I think. It has a lot to offer, and it's inspiring, It's also the type of place that creates dreams I believe.....because I see it in peoples eyes all the time. You can wear what you want, and be who you want. You can also do what you want. Really, you can. They even have actual outdoor trapeeze classes, for those who think they may have actually run out of things to do there, ha ha ha!

Really though, it's just a great city, and I'm obviously so excited to go! I've got a couple new things to hopefully cross of my list this time around, including some quick stops to see Hook and Ladder 8, and to see Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn)'s apartment from the oh-so classic Breakfast At Tiffany's. Above all, if you know me, you know that some serious shopping is right at the top of that list. New York fashion makes my heart skip a beat. They're just so stylish! And in between all my sight-seeing, and total randomness that is of NY, I'm just going to breathe deep, smile, and welcome any inspiration that may come my way. It's going to be so much fun and I can't wait to tell you all about it when I get back!