{lost memories}

Today, some friends and i went out to wallis to take some photos and just hang out. we met this amazing woman running an antique shop. we talked to here for about 15 minuetes. she was so interesting in what was going on in our lives and you could tell she truly enjoyed hearing about it. she was so sweet and we took a picture with her that i was going to bring back. but then i went to drop my film off and it was ruined. i lost all my pictures from today. lesson learned: never drop film off at walgreens. i should have learned this forever ago but for some reason i keep giving them my film/money to develop. but no more. all and all it was disappointing. i have lost those memories and cannot get them back.

{google earth}

Google Earth is one of the coolest inventions. Today we were in the computer land for Government and I clicked on the Google Earth icon and spent the whole period searching places. It is so amazing to think how big the world is and how intricate every city is. When you zoom in places you can see pictures and videos people have posted of the place. I looked at McGill on it and it looks so much bigger than the part i walked around when i went! It is so beautiful. I also figured out where Easter Island it (don't laugh). I thought it was a lot closer to land but it is literally in the middle of the ocean. I suggest if you have some free time to go play around and get to know the world around you :)

{another happy list}

I realized i left some things out of my happy list so here are a few more :)

1. star gazing
2. picnics
3. laughing
4. wearing a dress
5. blankets
6. snow
7. being cozy
8. fireplaces
9. long walks (not on the beach lol, well beaches aren't bad but i prefer cold)
10. Harry Potter
11. animals

pretty cliche list but i hadn't posted in awhile. it has been super busy around here! I hope to get back to posting daily soon! What have you all been up to?

{Parker Fitzgerald}

Parker Fitzgerald has the most amazing photostream on flickr. Well maybe not but i have been looking at it constantly for the past few days. You could probably spend a good week look at the whole thing and still not get through it all. He mainly shoots film, which i love and does Polaroids also. He did a Polaroid project where he took a Polaroid picture everyday and put a quote on it. it is a very neat project that i kind of want to start, except with a digital camera because unfortunately i do not own a Polaroid. His photos are so dreamy and pleasing to the eye. i suggest you check it out! His work has been going around the blogging world quite a lot lately so if you read other blogs you may have seen some of it! (I think i may message him and try to get him to answer some questions that i can post!) I want to start doing a few guest post on my blogs.... if anyone is interested let me know!

and those are just a few of his photos! amazing huh?

{successful shopping day}

well today i went shopping. i found a few cute things and got a lot of information on snow boots. eep! i will have to buy snow boots for next year. my excitement keeps growing! I am also on the look out for good winter wear sales because i will also need those.

My mom and I had a lot of fun talking and listening to music and going to whole foods (the best grocery store ever). I really love grocery shopping. It is so nice and relaxing.

We went also went to Starbucks and Swirl.

We have a bad addiction to frozen yogurt.

{happy list}

Here is my list of things that make me happy:

1. Working Out
2. Cooking
3. Laying on my bed listening to music
4. Drinking Tea
5. Girls Days
6. Shopping
7. Deciding on where you are going to college
8. Having a Clean Room
9. Crafting/ Painting
10. The New Radiohead Album
11. Long Weekends
12. Half Days

This week we had a half day thursday, then a full day friday which was odd but fun because we did nothing on friday. Plus the new Radiohead album is really awesome so you guys should check it out. its quite different from all their other albums though so listen with an open mind :)

Have a great day!

{uninspired}

sorry i have been m.i.a. lately. i haven't been doing to much beside school so i don't want to bore you. today i am going to take body attack with my mom and then go shopping so maybe i will have an excited post for you all then :)

{a bit of music}

currently i have been listening to yeasayer non-stop. i had forgotten how amazing they are.

this song is so good. it has an awesome message (stick up for yourself) and its just amazing all around. i suggest you all listen and decide for yourself if you like it :)

what kind of music do you like?

& and get to see yeasayer at free press summerfest this summer!

{and the decision has been made....}

drum roll please....

(drums)

(drums)

(drums)

and it is..... MCGILL UNIVERSITY!

sorry it took so long for me to make this post, but before i was really sure i didn't want the whole world to know. since the whole world reads my blog and all.

and now i just need to keep my grades up and make some money before next year. i am so excited but really want to enjoy the last few months of senior year and all the exciting things we get to do.

& i am sure you all already guessed where i was going but i just wanted to make it all official and stuff.

the picture is of the arts building where i will be spending a lot of time next year :)

{valentines day}

otherwise known as singles awareness day, valentines day was actually really fun this year.

anyways, valentines day was fun because we have singing valentines at my school. it is where different kids from choir come around singing to people whos friends, boyfriends, siblings, parents, etc.. bought them one. its really fun and makes the atmosphere of school a thousand times better. all the teachers are in a good mood, all the students are in a good mood and we just have a good time.

other than that, i got two cards from my most favorite grandparents in the world. Mimi & Poppa and Grandma & Grandpa! (I'm pretty sure they read this, and if you are reading this, I LOVE YOU!). You made my valentines day very special :)

Hope everyone had a great one! Did you do anything special?

{the homeless project}

my sister, the one who wrote the Barbie article, is doing a project called "The Homeless Project". It is super neat. She is buying 6 $50 gift cards from the money she raised. She will give them to 6 different homeless people with the promise that they will meet her back and give her the receipts of what they bought. You may read about why she is doing this here.

She is an inspiration and i love her dearly. I suggest you all check it out and keep checking back to see how it it going!

Love you Ashley! Good luck!

{Grilled Salad Pizza}

Let me prefarence this by saying i do not normally like pizza, but this is really good. pinky promise.

We just bought a premade pizza dough from our grocery store but you can make your own if you please.

{What you need}

1/4 cup mozzarella

1/8 cup parmesan cheese

1 1/4 cup coarsley chopped trimmed arugula

3/4 cup chopped seeded tomato

1/8 cup fresh chopped basil

1 tbs basil pesto

1/2 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

{What to do}

1. Combine arugula, tomato, basil, pesto and artichoke hearts in a bowl and mix until well covered.
2. Put parmesan and mozzarella on pizza and then cover with the salad mixture.
3. Cook for about 8 min. in the oven at 450.

AND DONE. simple, easy, yummy, healthy and vegetarian recipe in about 15 min!

{crafting}

this weekend has been a crafting weekend. i have also been seriously uninspired for new posts, thats why i am several behind (aka: flikr faves, goals, and how i did on my goals last week, and a new recipe) but i will get to them soon i promise!

This weekend i made a quote on a canvas for a friend of mine who just got a new house so its a housewarming gift of sorts. i have also been collaging which is really fun. i have a new found obsession with it. i really wish i could set up a small business and have people buy these from me because i need money for college and i enjoy doing it :)

A quick update on my dog, Buddy, he is not doing well at all. yesterday he had several seizures and was up most of the night wondering. it was horribly sad and i don't want him to die.

{a lazy saturday}

after waking up at 9, and working out i have been a bum all day. i took a two hour nap, painted some and have watched The Travel Channel. The Travel Channel will be the death of me. Everytime I watch it i add another few countries to my list of countries to go to. My top right now: Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Singapore, New Zealand, and Iceland. I am really into Asia right now.

Well not much has happened so sorry for the boring post! Hope you are having a relaxing day!

& We got our Spring Break Planned! Montreal here i come! I love this city and am so excited to go back :) SNOW. ahhh! can. not. wait. I will also get to show ashley McGill which will be fun because she probably will not come visit me :(

{the barbie article}

if you read my post about the barbie photo shoot, this is the article that goes with it! you should all read it. my sister is an amazing journalist and i know she will go far :) (maybe i can even travel with her sometime, hehe). i love you ashley!

and on a side note, my dog isn't doing very well. he has had several seizures and i am really sad :(

{vegetarian egg strata}

here is the recipe i did not care for, but those of you who like goat cheese i think will like it! try it out if you are feeling adventurous! Note: it is messy, takes a while and a lot of ingredients but again try it out if you want something new!

{what you will need}

1 medium zucchini, finely chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1 cup sliced baby portobello mushrooms
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 loaf (1 pound) day-old French bread, cubed
2 packages (5.3 ounces each) fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1-3/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
6 eggs
2 cups fat-free milk
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

{what to do}

1. In a large skillet, saute the zucchini, red pepper, mushrooms and onion in oil until tender. Add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper; saute 2 minutes longer.
2. In a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray, layer half of the bread cubes, zucchini mixture, goat cheese and Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and nutmeg. Pour over top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting

{barbie photo shoot}

my sister messaged me this morning needing pictures of Barbie and Ken on a date. well this was strange but sounded like fun and she is my sister so i agreed! she is writing a story about Barbie and Ken for her school newspaper, so i will be published! when i got home from the dentist, my mom and i dressed up barbie and ken and made them go on a date! it was really fun. we even straightened her hair (it didn't even catch on fire!). moral of the story: if you are ever bored set up a barbie photo shoot. you don't have to find people to take pictures of plus you set them just how you want them!

here were a few of the shots!

{a clean room}

today, i got in trouble for my messy room. understandable. when my mom threatened college i knew i must clean to the best of my abilities. so now, an hour and a half later, my room is spick and span. i plan on keeping it this way so i can go to college where i please :) which i have almost made my decision.

its about a 80%:20%. thats where i am right now. almost decided but waiting it out just to make sure i don't close any doors. Many late nights where i can't sleep because i am so stressed. i am not so good with decisions. but i feel i am being lead in a certain direction. i will not reveal the college in the lead right now though because sometimes i am very fickle so i don't want to keep switching back and forth. but i will give a very discreet hint: i will need a jacket. hahaha silly, you need a jacket everywhere if you are there in the summer.

Will it be

McGill or

or Southern Miss?

I shall reveal the final decision soon! Hope you are all having a great day.

{the beginning of the end}

today we took our senior panoramic picture and had a class meeting. it was quite chilly outside but all the bodies smashed together warmed it up quite a bit. it took almost an hour to get it all situated. thats 750 kids for you. my class is so huge. in the senior meeting, we voted for class favorites and talked about how bad everyones senioritus has gotten. haha.

but the meeting made me think. this is really it. i am so excited but i am really going to try to enjoy these last 67 days of school. i have been wishing away high school for so long and it is finally leaving, but again i must make the best of it. i am really excited for prom though that will be fun! and exam week and taks week will be fun because seniors do not have to come in! seniors get such special rewards it is so grand.

other than that my day was pretty uneventful. i went to school (had to wake up earlier than normal for the picture), came home, painted, and will go work out soon. it was a nice and relaxing day. i think i will go work on my french now. have a great night!

{best letter of my life}

i just got THE letter in the mail. THE letter. Aka the acceptance letter to McGill. I had recieved an email last time i was really excited but letters are so much more exciting. It had all my immigration documents and a guide for international students. my decision just got 5,000 times harder. i have really been praying about it also and i seem to be just as confused now as i was a point A. i am really trying to seek gods will but i think i am confusing my will with his so i just need to wipe all that out.

but other than the confusion, I AM SO ECSTATIC. seriously the best day ever. my day was quite lame and boring until this. now i am motivated to keep my grades up. which is motivation i REALLY needed. my grades were dropping fast. well time to go do work. & drink tea!

hope you have all had a lovely night!

{the ultimate sugar cookie}

i am going to share with you all the secret recipe to my amazing sugar cookies. here it goes:

{what you will need}

1 stick Crisco Baking Sticks Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups All Purpose Flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

plus any decorations or cookie cutter you may need

{directions}

1. beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until well blended and smooth
2. beat in egg, vanilla and milk until blended
3. combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture
4. wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or until firm enough to handle
5. heat oven to 375
6. roll out dough, make shapes and cook for 5-9 min.

Simple! let me know if anyone makes these :D

{& i'll dance with Cinderella}

today, i had father daughter dance practice for NCL. we are dancing to a song called Cinderella by Stephen Curtis Chapman. its a really sentimental song and my mom gets all choked up when she sees us dancing to us. she calls me the "goofy" child because every time she is about to cry or what not i make a funny face or a sarcastic comment and she can't help but laugh. i can not seem to take this dance seriously for two reasons: one, i do not take very many things seriously; two, i do NOT dance. its fun dancing with my dad though. hes a fun man, we are a lot alike in many ways.

other than that, today is the superbowl, which i am not watching. instead i have my paint brushes and Scott Pilgrim to watch. Haley is happy.

the other day, before the dance practice my mom and i made cookies to bring to the practice. they were heart shaped cookies with pink frosting & o so good. (after eating like 3 i went to take a step class at the Y). i took pictures of the process using my camera in M mode :D it is so fun finally using my camera correctly after several years of having it.

Hope everyone has an awesome superbowl sunday! Has anyone taken bets on the teams or are you doing something completely different?

{its that time again}

today is goal day! last week, i did pretty well on my goals. I finished the book in 2 days, you can see the review here. i cooked a meal, Vegetarian Egg Strata. I thought it was gross but it uses goat cheese and i can't stand goat cheese so maybe other people like it. I may post the recipe soon, if anyone wants it let me know. I can't seem to spend less time on the computer. I guess i need to set a time limit. I was pretty positive until the end of the week when school started getting to me and i was tired. and i am doing great on taking pictures! I worked out everyday but yesterday, but i did walk quite a bit yesterday so i guess its ok.

so here are the goals for this week:

1. finish Stones into Schools
2. keep working out
3. learn to use my camera in M mode better and photoshop
4. spend an hour or less on the computer everyday.
5. finish the painting i am working on

thats it! seems doable! So any goals for you all?

{the freezing forest}

after breakfast, my friends and i went to explore the forest. probably not the smartest idea. it was 29 degrees i believe, with wind none the less. but it was really beautiful and once you stopped feeling your legs it wasn't so bad. we only lasted for about 30 min before we left to go get coffee and tea :D we are from the south obviously.

it was a beautiful day though, despite the cold. well i actually love the cold. hope everyone else had a great day!

{friday flickr faves take two}

the faves of this week:

as always, just click through for the links :) enjoy!

{snowless snow day}

it didn't snow, if you can't tell by the title. my friends slept over last night in preperation for the big day but no such luck. all we got was a bunch of ice. icy roads, icy plants, icy cars, icy hands. quite lame. but we did go to panera this morning which made things better. ice is not fun. it covered my friends cars so we had to use a blow dryer and a gatorade bottle to remove. don't even ask how these things work. here are some pictures for your enjoyment.

the best things about the day: no school, cat hat, and hanging out with my best friends during the day on friday. my life is cool.

{green tea,grapefruit and grilled cheese... but no snow}

the snow has still not come :( the forecast said it was about a 30% chance beginning at 5 tonight. the good news: work got canceled! so i went on a run (i have a strange obsession with running in cold weather) and i ate dinner. i seem to be very patterned in my eating i noticed, right now my pattern: grapefruit and grilled cheese. Green tea is a staple in my daily intake, i love it. i am awaiting snow with open arms. PLEASE JUST COME ALREADY.

all this waiting is making my antsy, i need to go read to calm myself.

i am reading this amazing book called Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson. He is such an inspiration to me. For those who do not know, he builds schools for children in the most remote parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. His belief is to start in the most cut off areas and provide education which will lead to peace. He focuses a lot on the education of women because in many middle eastern countries this is not a priority leaving women hopeless. His first book is called Three Cups of Tea, i would suggest you read that first. By purchasing these books online, 7% of the cost will go toward paying for a child's education, a school house or a teachers salary. You can also donate online to Pennies for Peace which is an organization through Greg, who is backed by the Central Asia Institute, that for every penny donated it buys a pencil for a child in one of these areas. These books are great, inspirational reads that need to be spread around the world.

{cancelled!}

school is canceled for tomorrow and this makes a very happy haley. although we do have to make it up in a couple of weeks but i am going out of town so i still won't have to :) also, my work place closes at 6 so i will only have to work for an hour! today is such a happy day. i do think it is really dumb how everyone is overreacting because NOTHING has happened yet. it is just cold. that is all. but i will take the day off of school gladly.

plans for the night: work, drink tea, read, paint, maybe watch a movie? any suggestions?

hopefully it will snow so i can take pictures and have a snowball fight and do other fun snow things!