happy fall to all! 🍁🍂

♪♫ Season of the Witch - Lana Del Rey

I have had this blog in my drafts for a couple months now. I have just been so busy! Ugh! I wish I could keep up better with blogging. Anyways, since my last blog, I went on a trip to see my best friend. She lives near the border of Maine in the United States, on the Canadian side. I was feeling apprehensive about visiting Maine due to the issues going on politically, but we decided to go over the border a few times and we took an overnight trip to Bangor. It all ended up being fine. I actually had a few Americans apologize to me for what their president has been doing. Despite the nice Americans, I don't know if I will visit again on my next trip. It seems to be getting worse and worse...

I did lots of shopping in Maine, which is usually what I end up doing, haha. I am a big Stephen King fan, so of course we also had to stop by his house. This time we decided to go to a Stephen King themed bookstore that I have wanted to go to for a long time now (we just usually run out of time before we can get to it). The owner was super nice. He was actually one of the Americans who apologized to us, haha. I ended up buying a vintage hardcover copy of Nightmares & Dreamscapes. I wanted a vintage hardcover copy of IT, but the one he had was $350 USD!

I also went into Books-A-Million (my favourite store in the United States), Target, Walmart, Dollar Tree, and a little local witchy store located right across the border. I went a little crazy with the shopping!

My absolute favourite thing I bought was the mushroom mug! A couple years ago I heard that Books-A-Million had retro inspired Merry Mushroom dupe mugs, and I have looked in that store every chance I got, with no luck... until now! I am an avid collector of vintage mushroom stuff, especially Merry Mushroom items, and although I have two sets of Merry Mushroom mugs (both the American & Canadian versions), I am unable to use them due to lead. Now I have a brand new one that I can use! Yay! I was excited when I saw it that I gasped. I just wish there wasn't only one left! I would have bought two if I had the chance.

I did some thrifting/vintage shopping in both Maine and Canada. I didn't find a whole lot honestly. We visited the biggest antique mall in Maine like we did last year, and this time it was dead! Almost no one was there... last year was packed! We also noticed that on both sides of the border, thrift/vintage shops just didn't seem to have much. I think its a sign of the struggling economies honestly. But I did manage to find some stuff on the Canadian side; a vintage brooch of a clown sitting on a moon, a Spring Blossom Pyrex bowl, a round retro orange mirror, and some Halloween candles.

I also got some stuff when I was home. Due to my disappointment over not getting a hardcover copy of IT in Bangor, I went on eBay and found one for a really good price, and with a custom plastic sleeve to protect it! The book isn't first edition, but is actually a book club edition. Technically they came out at the same time and look the same on the outside, but the insides have differences. I really only cared about two things; having a hardcover copy and having the original cover artwork. The book club edition fit that criteria. The description also said it had some signs of wear, which is why the price was low. Well... imagine my surprise when the book shows up looking perfect. I have never seen a vintage book in such pristine condition! There wasn't a flaw that I could find! The seller had a ton of other listings for books and they had special gloves on in every photo of them handling books, so I think they were just a perfectionist and felt compelled to make note of any minor defects.

Aside from my copy of IT, I also got some new plushies. Two of them are bag clips/key chains. I found the mushroom one at my local drug store for $8. I couldn't leave him behind! A mushroom... and he is orange? He was made for me, haha. The jack-o-lantern with the black cat was found at a thrift store for $3, and is perfect for my keys! The jack-o-lantern squishmallow was at Walmart for $10. I just couldn't resist his cuteness! Finally, I also stocked up my yearly Bath and Body Works fall products. They sadly didn't bring back Pumpkin Swirl Cake as a scent this year, but they did come out with Glazed Pumpkin, which I actually like a lot more. I bought body cream in full size and travel size, and a large shower gel. That will last me the whole year (I also get the same things for the Twisted Peppermint scent every year). Plus I got a couple other random items.

Some other items I have gotten since I got home; a vintage hardcover copy of Dolores Claibourne by Stephen King, a vintage paperback copy of Misery by Stephen King, a vintage hand towel, a Goosebumps bookmark (finally!), the new book about David Lynch by Tom Huddleston, the new House of 1000 Corpses book by Rob Zombie, a vintage floral luggage suitcase, a Kermit the Frog Christmas tree ornament, and a bunch of random little Halloween items!

Oh and a vintage Avon fiber optic jack-o-lantern light! My grandmother bought me one in 2002, and I used it every year for Halloween decor. Some years it was the only thing I displayed for Halloween! I was so upset when it broke a few years ago, but I found another one at the thrift store for $10. It has some signs of being well loved, but that is okay, because so did my old one! I do want to buy one in very good condition via eBay someday, but for now... I have this to keep me going!


All of that shopping may seem like a crazy amount, but this was over the span of a few months, a lot of it was purchased at thrift stores for very cheap, and there was a large portion of it purchased while I was on vacation (which I had money budgeted for). I'm a maximalist, but I am good at budgeting my money, haha. Speaking of trips, I have another one coming up in five days! This is a big one; three weeks in Europe! I'm going to Dublin, Edinburgh, Prague, London, Paris, and Tromsø. I have some very special things planned, and I am super excited! I will try to write the blog for that trip as soon as I return. It'll be a long one!

Aside from all of that, the only other things I have been doing lately is school work, work, and a couple other random things. One of those random things is pickling and canning jalepenos from my backyard garden. Its my first time doing it... pray that I don't get boutilism, haha. I think I did fine though!

Now I need to get back to doing my homework and assignments for school in advance of my trip. Plus I also have trip related stuff I need to get done. Ahh! Every time I think I'm almost done, I remember another task I need to do. I can't wait for three weeks of not worrying about my usual life stuff. I need a break.

every river that I tried to cross

♪♫ Lost! - Coldplay

I finally have gotten around to writing another blog... and it wasn't several months later! Yay!

Well, I did it... I splurged for the LOST Temple set on DVD! I bid on an auction on eBay and didn't win, which made me really sad. I've been trying to get it for so long. I ended up sending a lowball offer to one of the listing I was watching and surprisingly it worked and I got it! It just arrived a couple weeks ago, and I tested all the discs to make sure they worked (they do). The set is in great condition. The novelty items weren't even opened! It looks like the person who owned it must have only watched it a bit and didn't bother with any of the bonuses. Some of the discs did have some superficial scratches (which is why I tested them), but 3/4 were completely scratch-less. I am so excited!

Speaking of LOST items... I also recieved the three LOST novels that I ordered, which were all in perfect condition. Yay! Also... I ordered the LOST: Messages from the Island book, which is a compilation of the best parts of LOST: The Official Magazine, which ended in 2010. It arrived last week, and its also in great condition. I'm having some good luck finding items for decent prices lately!

Truthfully, I have been a bit depressed lately. I have been struggling with my weight and health. I love sugary foods, and cutting them out of my diet has been hard. Overall, I am down 40lbs from my highest weight, but I have 65lbs to go, and it has been a major struggle. Now that I'm in my 30s, I have noticed that weight loss is much more difficult. I heard before that weight loss becomes more challenging with age, but I guess I thought I had more time before that would impact me. Before anyone says it: yes, I have been tracking calories. I use minimal oils/fats when cooking, and I don't drink my calories! I am hoping to be down to at least 185lbs by October, because I have some clothes that are 1-2 sizes too small that I would love to wear on my Europe trip.

Aside from weight loss struggles, I am also having digestive issues. They are slowly improving, but it has become clear due to multiple rounds of eliminating foods for a couple weeks at a time, that I am lactose intolerant. I initially thought it could be gluten, so I cut that out of my diet completely and strictly for two weeks, but felt no different at all. When I removed dairy? My digestive system worked amazingly for two weeks. I find it hard to give up dairy though... I love cheese! I will say that hard cheeses, like cheddar, don't upset my stomach too much in smaller doses (I guess hard cheese is naturally much lower in lactose), but I also love Greek yogurt, sour cream, the occassional ice cream... thankfully I switched to lactose-free Greek yogurt with no issue, but I haven't found any lactose-free sour cream or ice cream that tastes good. However, I purchased Lactaid pills last week, and so far they've been helping for when I eat dairy with lactose!

Another digestive issue I am facing is the massive increase in fiber that is now in my diet. My body wasn't used to eating so much produce, so its been causing discomfort. I am hoping that issue goes away soon! Thankfully I love veggies, and I used to be vegan and vegetarian, so I know how to make delicious meals with veggies. My issue, truly, is that I just love food in general... Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that at least my enjoyment of the meals is keeping me powering through the discomfort. If I hated veggies and was feeling discomfort, this would be so much more difficult.

When it comes to meals I have been making and eating, here are the main ones:
» Fruit smoothie for breakfast with oat milk, high protein Greek yogurt, honey, and a small amount of protein powder. I alternative between the banana/strawberries/blueberry combo and the banana/strawberries/peaches/mango combo.
» Overnight oats made with oat milk, chia seeds, ground flax seed, cocoa powder, dark chocolate chips, cinnamon, honey, and topped with almonds and banana slices.
» Ground turkey taco salad with a big pile of mixed baby greens, tomato, guacamole, salsa, black beans, sour cream, shredded cheese, some organic tortilla chips, and taco seasoning for the meat.
» Homemade ground turkey chili with green pepper, onion, garlic, shredded carrot, kidney beans, diced tomato, tomato sauce, and seasonings.
» African chicken peanut stew with basmati rice, made using sugar-free peanut butter, tomato sauce, red bell pepper, onion, and seasonings. The chicken is skin-on/bone-in chicken thighs, but I never like eating chicken skin, so I save calories by not eating that part.
» Beef stew made with double the carrots called for in the recipe, baby potatoes, onions, garlic, and seasonings.
» Hummus plate, made with roasted red pepper hummus, carrot sticks, sliced bell pepper, cucumber slices, a bit of low fat feta cheese, and sliced up pita bread. The veggies are 2/3 of the meal.
» Ground turkey stuffed bell peppers, with rice, some shredded cheese, and seasonings.
» Low fat chicken/sausage gumbo. I use 1/2 the sausage the recipe calls for and extra chicken to make up for it. I also use 1/2 the oil the recipe calls for, and reduce the amount of floor used. My roux is smaller than what is typically used for the batch size, but I can't justify consuming that much oil/flour! The meal has green bell pepper, celery, onion, okra, garlic, seasonings, and I eat it with basmati rice mixed in.

I know these meals aren't 100% healthy, but it is a significant improvement. I figure that over time I will continue to alter these meals and discover new ones that are even healthier. I definitely need some new recipe ideas right now, because I'm getting a bit sick of the same meals all the time. I used to really enjoy cauliflower "wings" when I was vegan, so I think I'm going to make those soon with some veggies and ranch on the side for lunches. I also would like to try to make Thai red curry with veggies and tofu again. Every time I tried to make it before, it just didn't turn out for some reason. I want to get it right! The restaurant Thai red curry is so good... I don't know how they do it!

Although I am eating much healthier meals, I do still enjoy occassional treats. It isn't realistic to completely cut out junk food. I am aiming for 90% healthy, and 10% junk food. I have a bag of mini chocolate bars (60 calories a piece), and I have a couple of them every other day to keep sugar cravings at bay... and to keep my sanity haha. I also had a big slice of pizza last week for supper, and another night I had a McCrispy burger at McDonald's. I do count the calories of my treats too! That is why I only had the burger with zero calorie pop, and no fries on thes side... the burger is sadly 520 calories by itself! Eventually I'd like to limit my treats to only two sugary ones per week, and one junk food meal per week, but I am taking it slow.

Wow... what a rant, haha. I had so many thoughts to get out about my weight loss and health journey. I hope things improve in the next month or so. I feel like constant digestive issues for months and miminal weight loss will be too discouraging for me...

Another issue that I am experiencing is treating myself for low iron and low magnesium. The iron supplements have been fine. I purposefully purchased ones that are easy on the stomach due to past issues with iron supplements making me sick. I thought I had done the same for the magnesium supplements... but they have made me very sick. I have purchased a smaller dose and a less harsh type of magnesium, which I will start next week... for now I am taking a break from them so that I can feel better. What a rough time...

That is all I have for now! I will leave you with these whimsical circus press-on nails that I made for myself yesterday! Not sure when I am going to wear them... maybe for my birthday?

so tired of fire, so tired of smoke

♪♫ Good Day Today - David Lynch

Prior to my last two blog posts about David Lynch, I had not blogged since August. I figured I should write a quick blog of life updates since I slacked off so much on writing blogs for a while...

» I got color added to my flower tattoo.

» I had a great fall; I made pumpkin-shaped pumpkin spice bread, took a gorgeous picture of some fall scenery near my house, had my favorite Halloween candy, had pumpkin cheesecake made by my aunt, gave myself Halloween themed nails, had a caramel apple that was also made by my aunt, carved a Jack-O-Lantern, and ate lots of Halloween candy while watching scary movies.

» I saw the Northern Lights again! This time it was a super intense show and it was right above rather than just on the horizon. I didn't need to squint at all. It was so bright and colorful!

» Went to visit my best friend in New Brunswick for a couple weeks in December. She gave me gifts for my birthday and Christmas: a Hello Kitty light up travel mirror and a glass Merry Mushroom canister ornament. I was screaming with joy over the ornament because I wanted one so badly, but I couldn't find one here in Canada and websites that sold it wouldn't ship it to Canada either. She lives ten minutes from the U.S. border, so that is where she bought it! In addition to that, we did lots of fun stuff like going to the biggest antique mall in Maine (sadly I didn't find anything I wanted though).

» I had a good birthday in December. I had a couple birthday dinners with different groups of people, plus one cake that was delicious.

» I got awesome gifts for my birthday and Christmas: a Middle Earth themed cookbook, a Tolkien companion book, a sterling silver/high quality version of the Evenstar necklace, a workbag, a compact phone tripod, the video game Stray for PS4, a light up makeup mirror, Turtles chocolates, socks, and cash.

» I made shortbread cookies and watched The Muppet Christmas Carol like I do every year.

» Although my best friend gave me a glass Merry Mushroom ornament, I had already been working on making myself one with polymer clay and acrylic paint. I finally finished it! It isn't perfect, but I am proud of it.

Aside from all of that, there isn't anything else major. I have mostly been focusing on school, work, and planning my trip to Europe for next fall. This month has been rough with the political issues we are experiencing in North America, plus David Lynch's death. I am holding out hope for things to improve and the grief to pass, but it has been hard. I hope everyone is well!

happy birthday david lynch

♪♫ I Know - David Lynch

Its been four days since I found out David Lynch passed away. The grief has been intense and challenging to deal with. I have never experienced grief like this for a person I had never met, nor did I anticipate experiencing grief like this. He just had such a profound impact on my life. I seen a post from a girl who said that David Lynch was like a lighthouse for weirdos, and I couldn't agree more. I've always been weird, and he made me see that weird is beautiful and nothing to hide. I am proudly weird because of him.

Today would have been his 79th birthday, so happy heavenly birthday David. I hope wherever you are, there is lots of coffee, infinite cigarettes, and a studio with endless art supplies. To celebrate his birthday, I participated in the ten minute meditation session his family invited his fans to join in on. I also had two cookies and a Coke. I think that will be my new tradition every January 20th; meditation, followed by two cookies and a Coke. I am also re-watching Eraserhead tonight. I have already re-watched The Art Life and Lynch (one).

I miss him so much.

august 2024: a month to remember

♪♫ Another Day in Paradise - Phil Collins

This month has been the most amazing month of the past year... and perhaps the past few years. I went on my annual road trip to New Brunswick to visit my best friend for two weeks, but this time, we went on a five day trip to Salem, Massachusetts in the United States. Although Salem was the main destination, we also stopped in Bangor and Augusta, Maine and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, we went to Boston for half a day, went to Fall River, Massachusetts to visit the Lizzie Borden House, and we also went to Providence, Rhode Island for half a day. We did a lot in a short period of time and I had so much fun! I did most of the tourist-y things in Salem; went to the Witch House, the Salem Witch Museum, the Halloween Museum, the Witch Board Museum, the International Monster Museum, we ate at a haunted restaurant, we went on a ghost walking tour at night, plus we walked around to explore and went into tons of cute shops! Its such a fun place with spooky vibes. Even though we went in the summer, it still felt like Halloween! We didn't get to do everything though, so we definitely want to go back!

In Rhode Island and New Hampshire we mostly just looked in some shops, drove around a bit and went to restaurants for dinner. We didn't get to do much, but it was cool to see what both places are like. Although I must say driving in Providence was stressful because they have cameras everywhere to enforce then speed limit. Where I live, everyone speeds a bit. It was hard to constantly try not to exceed 30 miles per hour. Speaking of driving, I drove in Boston! I'm proud of myself. It really wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I explored the city and got to drive in underground tunnels for the first time. I also drove through the Harvard campus and saw the hotel that the Tipton is based on while I was there (from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody). We walked through the mall, then went to eat at the Cheesecake Factory. We don't have it in Canada and neither of us has tried it before, so we were super excited! It didn't disappoint. I got stuffed mushrooms, which were delicious, then the cheesecake... oh my goodness... it was divine. I couldn't even eat it all in one sitting. I took it back to the Airbnb to finish. I wish I could have done more in Boston, but my friend only lives a five hour drive away and we are already discussing maybe doing another little trip there for our birthdays (our birthdays are only eleven days apart).

Another weird thing I feel compelled to mention is how many wild rabbits I saw in Massachusetts. It was so strange. In Salem, we saw a rabbit on the doorstep of the Airbnb when we walked up, then it hopped away. It felt like some sort of supernatural experience, haha. Then we saw a bunch in the middle of downtown Boston! I've seen rabbits where I live, but only near the woods. Never in the middle of the city. It was so weird!

Aside from all of that, we also ate some amazing meals. We went to Olive Garden again, which is my favorite US restaurant. I think I've eaten there five or six times now. We also went to Longhorn Steakhouse for the first time and the steak was amazing! It reminded me of a steakhouse that used to be where I live. It was a popular spot for decades and very nostalgic, but sadly they closed. Anyways, we also ate at a place called The Ugly Mug Diner in Salem, which I highly recommend. We had to wait for a seat because it was so busy! I got steak and eggs, and wow... perfection. The other meal that was memorable was from the haunted restaurant we went to, called Rockafellas. I got a hummus platter with veggie and pita bread, and my best friend got mini pulled pork sliders. We shared our meals with each other and it was amazing. I regret not taking a picture of it.

here are my photos from the trip

The highlight of the trip, for me, was the Lizzie Borden house. The tour was thorough and definitely worth the money. The house has super creepy vibes and while in the attic I started to feel faint (but I hadn't told anyone or shown signs of it), and the tour guide told us that folks often get faint in the attic and they believe its related to a spirit. Freaked me out a little! Also, they took us to the basement where years prior they had someone spray luminol on the floor boards just under where the father was murdered, and there were still small specs of blood! Next door to the house is an old home that used to belong to relatives of the Borden family, which is now a Lizzie Borden themed coffee shop. We went in and got some delicious iced coffee, haha. Before I forget the coolest part of this experience: we ended up in the newspaper! Someone had vandalized a traffic sign across from the Lizzie Borden house the night prior to make it look like Lizzie Borden with an axe, and as we walked past it, a man took our picture. He then approached us and said he worked for the newspaper and that we would be in it! I checked a couple days later and he was telling the truth! Sadly I only have a screenshot of their web version of the article. Its not a flattering photo of me, so I'm not gonna post it on here, but its cool I ended up in the newspaper anyways!

Here is what I got for souvenirs. First of all, I got a postcard from each place I went to. I collect postcards from trips because they're cheap and don't take up much space. I saved some brochures and tickets from places we went. The Halloween Museum didn't have a ticket or brochure, but I saved the 3D glasses they gave me. I also saved the bag from the cheesecake factory... don't laugh at me! Haha! For larger items, I got a vintage pumpkin pail and a vintage Halloween treat bag from an antique shop/thrift store called Jerry's Department Store. I highly recommend if you love vintage Halloween! I got a Salem shirt, a Salem key chain, and a pencil (impulse purchase because it was only 30 cents). Finally, in Providence, I ended up buying a magnet because the artwork was really cool. Overall, I didn't overspend and didn't buy too much stuff. Most of these items are going into my travel memories box (aside from the vintage Halloween items, shirt, keychain, and pencil). I also turned my vacation pictures into poloraids and they'll be going in the box as well. Just waiting for the photo centre to finish printing them.

On the way back, we stopped in Bangor, Maine, and I went to Target since its my favorite store in the US. I bought a Tree Hut body scrub, a pumpkin candle, and a thin yellow comforter to put on my bed during summer (I searched everywhere in my city but couldn't find a thin yellow one).

When we got back to New Brunswick, the fun didn't end! Unfortunately there was an issue with the power at her house. She just moved in and they connected it to the wrong house. Since we returned on a Friday, we had to wait until Monday for them to fix it. We ended up going across the border to Calais, Maine to stay in a hotel for two nights. During that time, it just so happened to be the International Festival. Its an annual event to celebrate the friendship between the border town of St. Stephen, New Brunswick and Calais, Maine. It involved a parade, an outdoor market, a beer garden, and fireworks! We only participated in browsing the outdoor market and going to the fireworks, but it was fun! I also went to Walmart in Calais for even more items; two more Tree Hut scrubs, Bodycology Hawaiian Beach body wash, Body Fantasies Cotton Candy spray, celestial flared leggings, an orange sweater, and a couple treats. After the power situation was resolved, we did a lot more fun stuff; went to a vintage car show, went swimming (I learned what a dock spider is & they're terrifyingly big!), had a campfire & made s'mores, went for ice cream, went thrifting/antiquing, and my favorite part: saw the Northern Lights! It was more faint to the naked eye than what the camera picked up, but it was still super cool! I hope to see them much more vibrant someday.

I didn't want my trip to end, but sadly it had to. Since I returned, I have been mostly working, cleaning/organizing my room, and getting ready for school. However... I did go to a concert for the first time in several years; Platinum Blonde & Billy Idol! I went with my dad and we had an awesome time! He was more excited for Platinum Blonde since he went to see them when he was younger and it was nostalgic. I was more excited for Billy Idol. He really puts on a good show. I was so happy that he played Eyes Without a Face and Hot in the City, since those are my favorite songs of his.

Oh, I nearly forgot... my thrifting finds! I already covered the first two items, so I'll move onto the third one; a '90s colbalt celestial candle holder ($2.99). I have wanted one for a long time, so I was thrilled to find this in Providence, Rhode Island! I hope to come across the sun and star versions someday to complete the set. The fourth item is a set of three Merry Mushroom cansiters ($50 total)! I was blown away that I found these for so cheap and that they were in excellent condition. They are hard to find, and typically one canister is sold for $50. This set would be $150-$200 online. I have wanted a set of three for so long. I have two of the Canadian version canisters, but this is the American version and I think its much cuter. The fifth item is a cute mid century modern set of plastic canisters for flour and coffee ($3). It was so cheap, in decent condition, and I thought they were cute, so they came home with me! Final item is a '90s celestial shower curtain ($6.99). I thrifted the matching window curtains a while back, so now my future home will have a celestial themed bathroom! Now I'll be on the hunt for '90s celestial bathroom items (trash can, soap dispenser, soap dish, etc).

This may be the longest blog I've ever written, haha. I guess I'll wrap it up now. I have to get back to cleaning anyways. I'll leave you with a fall-themed edit of the picture of me in front of the Witch House in Salem. I hope everyone is enjoying the end of summer!

its been too long...

♪♫ Dilemma - Green Day

Wow! Its been way too long since I last blogged. Oops! I have had an eventful time since my last post. I'm too lazy to write it out, so I'm going to list it in bullet form (in no particular order):

• I went on a two week trip to see my best friend Kara. She lives near the US border, so we went on a trip to Bangor, Maine for a night. We did Stephen King touring (on our own), since we are both big fans. We also did lots of shopping and ate at Olive Garden (my favorite restaurant ever now). I purchased a lot of stuff at Walmart and Target, haha. Some items include; a Tree Hut body scrub (which I'm obsessed with now), a Goosebumps sweatshirt, a little plush Pennywise doll, a Body Fantasies spray, a jack-o-lantern face shirt, snacks, and more.

• Began planning for a Salem/Boston trip in August 2024. We are driving (only 5.5 hours from where my best friend lives). We are going for four days and have already booked our Airbnb. However... for our last night, we are actually staying the night at Lizzie Borden's house in Fall River. We are both really into paranormal stuff and true crime, so we are super excited!

• Speaking of trips, I went to Ontario in November, and stayed there for four days. It was my first time there, and I really enjoyed it. Also, the trip was almost free because I used an Air Canada voucher (they gave me because of the 24 delay/cancellation when I returned from New York), which covered the cost of the roundtrip flight. I also stayed with a friend, so the accomodation was free. She lives in Hamilton, which is halfway between Toronto and Niagara Falls, so we went to both! We did Toronto the first day, where I saw the CN tower, did some shopping, and wandered around. Then the next day we did Niagara Falls. We stayed at an Airbnb for the night because we had plans to drink. First we stopped at the falls to see them lit up at night, then we went to a bar and got drunk, haha. The next day we drove across to Niagara Falls, NY to eat at Olive Garden. The whole trip was tons of fun!

• I graduated from university. I got my degree with honours and I also made the dean's list, so I am very proud of myself! After my graduation ceremony, I went out for lunch with family to celebrate and I got some gifts; a 10k gold heart locket, a Juicy Couture purse, and Halloween cupcakes. Not pictured are the monetary gifts I recieved.

• I already started another degree at a different university. I am doing a social work degree now. Its online and since I'm doing it part time, it should take about three years to complete.

• I have discovered I have mild lactose intolerance. Since I switched to lactose free products, I am feeling a lot better.

• I have been cooking a lot more and perfecting my skills. I've made stews, soups, gumbo, goulash, and more. Everyone has raved about how good my food is! I ended up buying the cutest crockpot that is the perfect size to make myself a few days' worth of meals.

• I turned 31 in December. I decided to go visit my best friend Kara again. Her birthday is also in December, so we decided to celebrate together. Before I left, I had a dinner with my family and they gave me gifts. I forgot to take pictures of most of the gifts. However, I did get a picture of the gifts my dad gave me; David Lynch's Dynamic:01 on DVD, Sex Pistols on vinyl, and the Criterion version of Lost Highway. He knows me so well!

• When I went to visit my best friend Kara, we did lots of stuff. For celebrating our birthdays, we got an ice cream cake that has our nicknames for each other on it (long story haha), and had a fancy dinner with drinks. We also exchanged gifts. While I was there, we also visited the US multiple times for shopping and eating out (since its so close to her house). I went a little crazy at the US Walmart, haha. I stocked up on a year's worth of Tree Hut scrubs because we don't have them in Canada. The downsides of the trip was a windstorm that knocked the power out for a few days, having food poisoning for two days, and getting a flat tire just before my trip!

• As soon as I returned from my birthday trip, I only had a few days until Christmas, so I got right to work on making a double batch of my family's traditional shortbread cookies. This year's batch was the best so far! I also added a new shape to the cookie cutters: mushroom! Its so cute!

I can't think of much else that is new. I will try to keep up with blogging!

there's no place that can be better

♪♫ Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow - Strawberry Alarm Clock

Its been a few weeks since I last blogged. I've mostly been busy with the end of the semester assignments and exams. I've also taken a few extra shifts at work to get some more money into my savings account (since I took a chunk out for Christmas gifts & food). Thrifting hasb't been too exciting lately. Thrift stores are all filled with Christmas stuff and not much of anything else. The only thing I found since my last blog was a cute '60s flower power apron (that actually fits me - often I come across children's sizes). I also have been going to the thrift stores a bit less because covid cases have gone up in my area and I don't want to get sick.

I finally got onto booking a trip! In 2020, I was supposed to go to Hawaii in May. The pandemic happened and I didn't go, but I've held onto the money since then. I decided that I am going to wait on Hawaii since they are having some issues with too many tourists and not enough resources for locals. Instead, I am going to New York City for ten days! I already booked the Airbnb and bought the plane ticket. I got my passport, luggage, spending money already saved, and a list of things I want to do as well. I just have a couple minor things left to do. This is such a dream! The book I have been writing for over a decade is set in New York City and I plan to draw further inspiration while I'm there to get back into writing it. I think I will buy a notebook just to write down ideas.

I am back on track with losing weight. Everything got so derailed in the past year due to the chaos of not having a place to live for a long time while balancing school and work. Its been one week so far and I've lost 5 lbs! That is typically a lot to lose in one week, but often weight loss happens quickly for the first 2-3 weeks, then slows down to 1-3 lbs per week. I am not doing any special diet, just counting calories (which I did back in 2015/2016 and lost 60 lbs). I'm still enjoying foods I like and I'm not starving, so don't worry! For example, yesterday I had the following:

Breakfast: A big smoothie with strawberries, bananas, blueberries, high protein greek yogurt, almond milk, honey, liquid Omega-3/Vitamin D & protein powder (414 calories).
Lunch: Two fried eggs & an English muffin with strawberry cream cheese (352 calories). I often don't feel hungry around lunch, so I typically only have a small lunch anyways.
Dinner: Two cups of vegetarian chili made with Beyond Beef & lots of veggies (approximately 350 calories).
Snacks: Mini ice cream sandwich, hot chocolate packet with 7 peppermint vegetarian marshmallows, an apple, & two cheese strings (311 calories). I'm a snacker, so I prefer to do smaller meals in exhange for more snacks. I also have a multi vitamin (zero calories) with helps me get more vitamin A, iron, B12, and more.

Total: 1427 calories. I aim for about 1425 on days I don't do much and add more calories on days that I exercise or engage in alot of physical work. Also, if I have a craving, I find a way to fit it into my calorie "budget". The last time I did this (when I lost 60 lbs), I still had pizza, ice cream, chips, chocolate, cake, pasta, and more! Its all about two things: finding/making a lower calorie version (for example naan bread pizzas or eating just one or two small slices from a restaurant pizza), and portion control. I used to be able to down a whole 12 inch pizza to myself and end it with a big bowl of ice cream. Now I have a slice or two, then one scoop of lower fat ice cream. There are many alternatives that taste just as good or better, and the smaller portions are actually just normal portions, but will take some time for your body to adjust if you are an overeater like me.

The reason I mention this is for anyone looking to lose weight and thinks they need to eat salads for every meal and spend three hours on a treadmill everyday. You don't even really need to exerise, although for health, you should definitely add that in if you can. It also allows for more calorie intake each day. You could be losing weight on 1800 calories per day with enough excercise, but if you aren't used to it, then it takes time to work your way up to that. But as I had said, technically its not needed for weight loss.

Before I go...

Happy birthday to my best friend Kara!
She has been my best friend since I was seventeen and I'm turning thirty in a couple weeks. Over the past thirteen years, she has been there for me, grown with me, and supported me. We went through hell together and she is the only person who really understands me (and that I show my writing to). I love her dearly. 🧡🧡🧡

That is all for now. I'm going to finish some cleaning and organizing, then binge watch the rest of Wednesday on Netflix. I hope everyone is well!

don't tell me 'cause it hurts

♪♫ Don't Speak - No Doubt

Its been two weeks since school started and its going really well! University has a lot more reading than I thought, but a lot less assignments than I had in college. I'm enjoying online classes a lot more than I thought I would. I actually think I prefer them over in-person classes. I only have one assignment in which I have to present it in front of my class, but its only for a few minutes! Also, I'm understanding my math class! I'm definitely not going to get an A+, but I'm pretty sure I can obtain at least a C. I just need to pass it and the grade isn't important to me.

When I'm not busy with school, I'm spending my time binge watching Alias, spending time with family, or browsing my local thrift stores. I haven't found much while thrifting lately, but I did find a cute mushroom sugar bowl for $3! It doesn't have the original lid, but whoever donated it put a makeshift lid on and it works! I also bought a Merry Mushroom gravy boat from a local vintage shop for $10! My vintage mushroom collection is slowly growing. I'm hoping to find some more Merry Mushroom pieces, as well as some Arnel pieces. I love the blue mushroom utensil older I mentioned in my last blog and I'd love to see more blue mushroom pieces!


I also got to go to a wedding this past weekend. It was for a co-worker that I used to be friends with. We didn't have a fight or anything, we just went to different jobs and drifted apart. I did feel a bit awkward about going because a lot of my old co-workers were there and some of them I don't like/have had issues with. However, it ended up being a good time! It was nice to see everyone and catch up. The wedding was beautiful, the food was delicious and the conversations were pleasant. I'm glad I went! However, I did leave before the dancing started. I just hate dancing, haha.

Today is an exciting day! After classes, I am going to spend the evening with my mom. We are going to Walmart to do some shopping, going out for supper, going to the dollar store to buy candy, and then going to see Jungle Cruise at the theatre! I did lots of homework over the last two days in order to be able to take a day off from doing homework, so I will have no worries! Its nice to have an evening to relax and not think about school work. I hope everyone is doing well!

i'll be on the way

♪♫ Montero (Call Me By Your Name) - Lil Nas X

Its been over a month since I last blogged. I've been struggling with winter depression, so I haven't felt up to writing anything. I moved back into my house (aka my workplace). Sadly, my client/youth was removed from the program for inappropriate behavior towards me. It was honestly scary and I think it contributed to the depression I was already experiencing. Since then I've been alone in the house, just waiting for more clients/youth to be moved in. I've been cleaning everything super well to prepare, but also doing a lot for myself...

I bought myself a makeup vanity, which is super cute! I really needed a place for all my makeup/hair products, so its been really useful. The sink in my room was removed and the guy who did it also made me an extra shelf for my plants! He was so nice! He also added in a storage bench in front of my window. I went to the dollar store and bought a blanket and some cushions to make it look fancier, haha. I also bought two more plants; a succulent named Gus and a venus flytrap named Scully! Oh and I no longer have blue in my hair. I've dyed it pink instead!

Speaking of plants, I also got a cute rearview mirror decoration for my car; a fake succulent in a little terracotta pot in a macrame hanger. Its so cute! I'm trying to obtain all the plant decorations to give off the vibes that I'm actually a fairy that lives inside a mushroom house in a field of wildflowers, haha. Speaking of that... as you can see, I also updated my blog theme! I'm currently obsessed with mushrooms, so I thought it would be the perfect blog theme!

This past weekend, we held a cute little tea party at work! It was my idea and my coworker got excited about the idea, so we made it happen! We even wore cute little flowery outfits for the ocassion. She had tons of vintage tea cups/tea pots that she brought from home and together we put the food together (sandwiches & sweets). It was so cute! She brought this peach flavored tea, which was amazing. I went out and bought a box of it afterwards!

This summer I have plans to make a terrarium. If the first one goes well, I'm making tons more! This will also require me to spend lots of time in the forest, which I love. I'm so excited! I'm hoping to make a spooky themed one and a fairy garden themed one. It all depends on how things go. I hope it turns out! Here are some inspirational photos of terrariums that I found online...

That is all for now! I am hoping to keep up more with blogging... we will see how that goes, haha!