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.

y'all be chooglin' tonight

♪♫ Keep on Chooglin' - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Wow, its been a while! I need to focus on blogging more... I say it every time, but life just gets so busy! I have been mostly focused on work and school lately. I did go on a mini trip to go to my cousin's wedding, which was lovely. My mom and I stayed in an Airbnb and did some shopping and eating out at local restaurants. I didn't buy a whole lot, but one thing I bought that is worth mentioning is a brand new copy of the second season of Twin Peaks for $6.99! I don't even think that version has been in production for well over a decade. The fact I found it brand new in a little country town is shocking. I already own Twin Peaks on two different Blu-ray sets, but I love the show so much that I want to own all versions of it! Its too bad the first season wasn't there too...

I've bought lots of items since my last blog, which has mostly been books and magazines. I've been getting back into eBay, which I hadn't really used a whole lot in several years. First of all, I finally bought Catching The Big Fish by David Lynch. I actually got sent a copy that was somewhat defective (the wording was a bit lopsided through the book & some pages were cut crooked), so I got a refund and purchased another copy from a different seller. That seller sent me an older hardcover copy. I ended up deciding to keep both because the defective copy is actually the 10th anniversary edition with bonus content and I wanted to have those bonuses. Another David Lynch item I got is the 1990 Time Magazine issue about David Lynch. It was listed for a decent price on eBay, so I put it in my wishlist. Then the seller sent me a very generous offer. I boldly sent back an even lower offer. In the end, the seller sold it to me for half the listed price! Its in excellent condition, so I am very happy!

After getting those items, I also bought the novelization of Halloween III: Season of the Witch, which is one of my favourite horror films. I have been wanting it for a long time, but the prices were always between $100 - $200 on eBay, and I just couldn't justify that. I finally found a copy in great condition for less than $70, including taxes and shipping. I'm so thrilled! Speaking of horror and reading, I also purchased the graphic novel version of the film From Dusk Till Dawn, another one of my favourites! It was a decent price, and its in mint condition too.

When I was looking through the books at a local thrift store, I found the last two Lord of the Rings books in great condition in a version that I really liked, so I bought them. I didn't see the first book, so I went on eBay and found the matching book in good condition for $12 including shipping. The colouring is slightly off, but its the same version. It did come from England, so I'm wondering if maybe the version was just made with a slightly different colour there?

Speaking of Lord of the Rings, I also acquired a bunch of vintage Lord of the Rings bookmarks recently. It all started when I was looking through the wall of trinket bags at the thrift store and I spotted a bag with some Star Trek bookmarks. I'm not a fan of Star Trek, but it got me wondering if perhaps there were bookmarks from any other fandoms. I began looking thoroughly at all the bags and I found several bags with bookmarks with characters and images from my favourite shows and films; Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Pirates of the Carribean, and more! I didn't post all the bookmarks I got, because it was well over 100, so the picture below is just of my favourites that I got. All together I spent less than $30 for a ton of awesome bookmarks!

I was somewhat disappointed that I didn't find the Eowyn (Lord of the Rings) bookmark in the bunch, so I looked on eBay once again, and this time I came across a recent listing for 9 more Lord of the Rings bookmarks, including Eowyn! The starting bid was super low, so I watched it until the last minute of bidding and bid the starting amount. No one else bidded on it, so I won! Yay! I now have 129 bookmarks in my collection.

I have been re-watching Lost recently, which re-ignited my love of Lost, which is of course tied with Twin Peaks for my favourite show of all time. I decided to go looking through my stuff to find few issues of the official Lost magazine that I bought in the late 2000s, but then I remembered that I gave them away when moving. Ugh! I'm kind of mad at myself, but thankfully I never got rid of any of my other Lost merch. Anyways, I went on eBay to look for one issue in particular that I had that was my favourite, which had Sawyer and Juliet on the cover. I found it in mint condition for a good price, so I bought it! I'm so thrilled to have that issue again! Speaking of Lost, I also purchased all three of the Lost novels for around $37 total. I'm so excited!

I won't bother posting all the other random vintage collectibles items that I got recently, but if you are interested, you can click here to see my vintage/thrifting Instagram page. I've had some great luck lately, which makes me excited for my upcoming travels, because I usually find good stuff when I'm traveling.

I'm not sure what is next for my eBay purchases. Despite how it looks with all the purchases I've made, I am on a budget, so I have to stagger the purchases and be mindful of costs. I'll show you what I have on my mind right now though...

Lost bookmarks, 20th anniversary edition of House of 1000 Corpses, & a Barbie book from my childhood.

Aside from all that, I don't have much else to write about right now. I'll leave you with my Lord of the Rings inspired nails that I did a couple days ago. I'm not entirely happy with how they turned out, but they are kinda cute.

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!

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!

the sun is eclipsed by the moon

♪♫ Eclipse - Pink Floyd

Another long period as passed and I forgot to blog! Life is so busy with school, work, helping my grandmother, and trying to have a social life, haha. Aside from those things, the only excitement I've had has been finding more vintage items for my collection. Here are my favorites from the past six months...

Top row:
1.: A unicorn trinket dish, circa 1980s. I had one like this when I was a kid (except it had two unicorns instead of one). I always regretted giving it away, so I was thrilled to find this for only $2!
2.: Another Libbey Celestial wine glass, circa 1990s. I have two other wine glasses already, plus two tumbler glasses. I just need some of the mugs! This was $2.
3.: A Merry Mushroom pot, circa late 1970s/early 1980s! I have lots of Merry Mushroom items, but this is my first pot. I bought it at a Vintage show for around $25 (I can't remember the exact price).
Middle row:
1. A red vintage portable TV/Radio, circa late 1970s/early 1980s. I bought this at an antique store very recently for $100. I talked the man down from $125. There is one on Etsy currently for $300. I don't think its worth $300, but definitely $100-$150.
2. Cute sunflower valances, circa...? These were $6 for the set at the thrift store. They are currently on my hallway window, but will be used for my future kitchen window when I get my own place!
3. Groovy earrings, circa 1960s. I got these for free! I asked a man at an antique store how much they were while I was purchasing another item, and he threw them in for free! I don't think they're really worth anything, but I love the style.
Bottom row:
1. A handmade mushroom potholder, circa 1970s or 1980s. I found this at a thrift store for $2.
2. Three André Morin space age kitchen canisters, circa 1970s. I got these from the Facebook Marketplace for $55. I already have an André Morin sugar dish, creamer, and butter dish, so my collection is growing!
3. Another Pyrex Forest Fancies bowl, circa 1980s! I found it at an antique store for $10. I'm up to 13 pieces of the collection now!

I have found lots of other vintage items in the past six months, but these are my favorites!
In a month, I'm going on a trip. I'm driving to visit my best friend (like I do every year), then me and her are driving to Salem and Boston, MA in the USA (she lives right next to the border so the drive is like 5-6 hours). We are also stopping in Maine, New Hampshire, and taking a quick trip to Rhode Island for a day. The main focus of the trip is Salem, because we love spooky things. I am so excited! I will definitely post pictures on here!

In addition to that trip, I am also planning a big Europe trip for October 2025. I am going to Dublin, Ireland, Edinburgh, Scotland, London, England, Paris, France, and Tromsø, Norway. I'm spending about four days in each place (except Norway where I'm only spending three days). I'm planning it out so that I don't spend too much money. I'm going with a lot of cheap accomodations like hostels/Airbnb rooms... except for Paris. I have booked an Airbnb room that is just under $300 total per night, because it has a terrace with a beautiful view of the Eiffel tower, which is what I really want. I hunted for so long to find the place, because almost all places with views of the Eiffel tower are at least $600 per night! This place is cheaper because its a room in someone's home (they've been on Airbnb for several years with amazing reviews).

I have a ton of plans for my trip. I have to fit a lot into only a few days, because I also have to account for traveling between places, which kind of reduces it to three full days in each place. Most of my plans include art museums, seeing famous landmarks/attractions, and eating, haha. I am on a small budget, so I am likely not doing a lot of shopping. I plan to buy a postcard in each place to add to my travel postcard collection. Aside from that, I will buy probably a handful of small items (especially bookmarks because I love them). I am traveling with only a backpack, so I will have limited room. My favorite keepsakes are postcards, ticket stubs/reciepts, and photos. As long as I get those items, I'll be happy.

My weight loss journey has been challenging. I did lose a lot more weight. When I began a year and a half ago, I was 253lbs. I am now 211lbs. Definitely notice a difference, but its going slow. My mother ended up in the hospital a few months ago and I spent a lot of time there with her, and helping her with different things. That took a toll on me, which lead to overeating again. Battling binge eating disorder is really difficult. Its not like you can quit food!

That is all for now. Hopefully I'll remember to blog again next month!

eating soft ice cream, coney island queen

♪♫ Carmen - Lana Del Rey

I can't believe its been months since my last post! Oops! Well, my last semester was super busy. I did full time classes and worked part time, so I had no real free time. As soon as the semester ended, I went on my first big trip... to New York City! I went by myself and spent ten days having the best time of my life. I tried to jam as much as I could into the trip, and here are the highlights...

» Went to Times Square.
» Took a boat ride around Manhattan.
» Saw the Statue of Liberty.
» Went to the Musuem of Modern Art, where I saw The Starry Night by Vincent VanGogh, and other famous paintings by Salivador Dali, Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, and more.
» Saw famous buildings from TV shows; the restaurant from Seinfeld (where I had lunch), Carrie Bradshaw's apartment from Sex and the City, and the apartment building from Friends.
» Saw the famous Stonewall Inn, where pride began.
» Went to the top of the Empire State building to see the view at night.
» Went to the American Museum of Natural History, where I saw real dinosaur bones!
» Explored East Village/Alphabet City, the neighborhood that the musical Rent is based on.
» Went to see Wicked on Broadway, which was great!
» Went to the Katz' Deli, an authentic Jewish deli where I got an amazing sandwich and a black and white cookie.
» Went to Washington Square Park.
» Went to Central Park, and saw the fountain that the Friends' fountain is based on.
» Went to Bryant Park, which is a lovely place to sit and watch whats happening around you.
» Went to the Coney Island boardwalk, where I listened to Lana Del Rey while eating soft ice cream.
» Rode the subway everyday!
» Went to the New York Public Library, which has stunning architecture and a display room of old books and other historical items.
» Finally got Ben & Jerry's Americone Dream (aka Stephen Colbert's ice cream). It was so good!
» I had a ticket for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, but sadly the writer's strike happened and it was cancelled.
» Went to a very fancy restaurant to try truffle pasta for the first time. It was good, but defintely overhyped.
» Saw Rockefeller Centre.
» Saw Radio City Music Hall.
» Visited Brooklyn briefly. I will definitely spend more time there whenever I visit again.
» Saw a Louis Vuitton store for the first time! This is exciting because I always wanted one of their bags, but I'm poor, so I just looked through the window at the bags, haha.
» Had authentic New York pizza and bagels!
» Went to Grand Central Station many times.
» Did lots of aimless wandering around Manhattan.
» Did lots of shopping!

Speaking of shopping, here is what I brought back...

Nine bookmarks (from the gift shops at MoMA & the public library), a mini mug and regular mug, a book of mushroom art (from the public library), a ton of ticket stubs/reciepts (to keep for the memories), the metrocard I used during my trip, the playbill from Wicked, a few postcards, a zip up hoodie (which is the most expensive thing I bought at $48), a Victoria's Secret Pajama set (found at a thrift store in perfect condition for $12!), and a Sex Pistols shirt (bought a punk store in East Village).

I also bought a bunch of souveniers for my friends and family. Overall, I stayed within budget, which I am very proud of myself for! I definitely wanted to buy way more stuff! Anyways, it was an overall great experience and I will definitely go back someday. However, there was an issue at the airport when I was returning home. The flight was delayed/cancelled multiple times. I ended up having to stay in a hotel in New Jersey (near the airport) for the night, and didn't get home until 24 hours after I was supposed to. Air Canada gave me a $600 voucher for my next trip, which I think I'm going to use to go somwehere tropical next spring. Maybe Cuba or Hawaii? Not sure yet. All I know is that I definitely have the traveling bug now that I have experienced my first trip (& did it by myself too!).

After my amazing trip, I got amazing news; I have been accepted into the social work program at my local university! Although its local, I signed up for the online program, because I want to save gas money (plus I prefer online). I'll also be doing it part time, which will take three years, and it starts in September! I am so excited! Speaking of university, I am almost done my current degree. I am over halfway done my practicum (two weeks left to go), and then I have the rest of the summer off! I plan on doing lots of local traveling, hiking, and other outdoor activities.

I will also be thrifting a lot more in the summer. So far in 2023, I haven't found a lot. It hasn't been as lucky as 2022 was. Here is what I got so far...

From left to right; a multicolored monogram Louis Vuitton (its definitely not real but I always wanted one as a teen in the 2000s & it was only $12 so I had to get it), a vintage mushroom lunchbag, a vintage tericloth apron, a crocheted cushion cover, a tea towel calendar from 1987, a vintage '60s floral tote bag, a small vintage pillow case, a vintage mushroom tile coaster, two vintage Easter candles, a groovy candle, a vintage floral coin purse, and a vintage fairytale book.

That is basically all for now. Since I will soon have a lot of free time, I am hoping to keep up better with writing blogs. Hope everyone is doing well!

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!