Showing posts with label Friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friends. Show all posts

Wednesday, 29 January 2014

Where Have I Been? What Would Make Me Happy? and The Bachelor Double Episode Update

Hello Nelly Belliers!

Happy hump-day (aka Wednesday)! [sounds rude but it's not]

WHERE HAVE I BEEN?

Working... trying to catch up with University course work... the gym... trying to stay warm in this "feels like minus 30 degree weather".... and planning life stuff. 


As some of you have noticed my blogging hasn't been as regular lately, which is simply because of time (or lack of it). Also, I find it really hard to find motivation when the world around me is frozen. You get home from work, you eat, and then you just want to crawl under a blanket and stay there... forever....call it the Winter blues. I am ready for Spring, actually I was ready a few months ago!

I also wanted to put the focus on my friend's 2-year old daughter. If you haven't read those posts click here and here, and please help any way that you can. Spread the word and don't forget that If you are in Vancouver (or know someone that will be) on February 2nd, 2014 then please attend this Swab Event / Marrow Donor Registry Drive in hopes to find a donor match for Nadia. This is a life or death matter, and time is of the essence. Click here for more details.

Anyhoo... this blog is going to be long and random, so I apologize in advance. I have a few things that I need to catch up on, and random thoughts in my head, so here we go...... 

WHAT AM I LOVING RIGHT NOW? 
WINTER BLUES BE GONE!

Thanks to one of the many blogs / vlogs that I follow, I now have some new tunes to listen to. Mindy Gledhill is not only gorgeous, but she sounds like a stroll in the park on a perfect Summer's day. Her music is great to listen to if you are experiencing Winter blues like me. Her voice will make you feel happier, and you might even find yourself dancing and singing along to her songs! I highly recommend listening to "Whole Wide World" and pretty much every song that she has released. Click here to check out her awesome and super adorable website!

Tuna and apple wraps. Ever since I was a little girl my mum would always make me tuna sandwiches in a special way; she would add some granny smith apple slices on top! We are on a bit of a health kick right now, so we're trying not to eat bread, but this concept is just as delicious on a warmed-in-the-oven wrap. It may sound insignificant but I promise you it takes tuna sandwiches / wraps to a whole new level. Add some ground pepper to your tuna / mayo mix and you've got yourself a mouth watering creation.

Staying nearly naked with Revlon's Nearly Naked Pressed Powder. I am using the colour "light - 020" and it works a charm. I find that my foundation stays on a lot longer when I use this product over top of it, and I love how soft and smooth it is. It has great coverage, it is very lightweight, and there is no fallout when you apply it. The light shade is perfect for my pale Winter complexion, and I find it really compliments my other make-up products. The price point is good to (it retails for about $9.99 but I was able to get mine on sale), and you can buy it at your local drug store! Click here to find out where you can buy it. One negative is the applicator it comes with, however most applicators that come with make-up are usually cheap and cheerful. I recommend using a nice big soft brush to apply this powder.

Time with friends. For those of you who don't know I didn't get a lot of friend time when I was taking a full-time course load. This semester is part-time (hence why I'm working at the same time) and it just so happens that I get to work in the same building as one of my really good friends. I get to see her every day, and even though it feels like minus 30 degrees Celsius outside, we still make sure that we go for a lunch time walk together after we have eaten. It's been soooooooooo nice getting to hang out with her again. She is one of those people that you could see every day and you would always have a great time. I am making a conscious effort to have a bit more balance in my life, so this time together really does make a huge difference. This week-end we are heading out with some of our other friends as well, and I am definitely looking forward to a night of laughter and fun!

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." ~ Albert Schweitzer

THE BACHELOR CATCH-UP
EPISODE 3 (Jan 20) & EPISODE 4 (Jan 27)

'Sisters Tell All' - The Bachelor - Episode 3

VICTORIA'S THOUGHTS (ME)
  • I can't find my notes on Episode 3 - oops!

SISTA K's THOUGHTS (MY SISTER)

  • Chris Harrison must be hurting for money...he sewed two shirts together to make himself a new one :) Maybe I was hallucinating, and that shirt was a side effect of my migraine ;)... (haha I totally commented on his shirt as well; time for a new wardrobe assistant!)
  • Cassandra. Riding in a water car is now on my bucket list!! I like her, but I think she's too young for Juan P. First date since she was 18 - wow. 
  • Kelly is still bugging me. Every single thing she says bugs me. Wonder if they're setting her up to be a villain. Every time she's on screen I see that spotty puppy costume from last week. Maybe that's what caused my headache? It was definitely visually disturbing :)
  • Soccer match. The only thing I really noticed in this segment was the opera singer getting knocked down...but she got up again...I feel some tub thumping coming on! OK, I may have noticed Juan Pablo in his soccer gear. 
  • Nikki the nurse. Juan P likes her vibe. He juants to get to know her better. I think she'll be around for a while.
  • Andi. Hmmm, he didn't kiss Nikki but he jumped right in there with Andi. Maybe he was afraid she'd prosecute him if he didn't. (haha you are on a roll!)
  • My spell check turned Sharleen into 'shark even'. Wonder if that's foreshadowing! I cannot figure her out. I want to like her, but I'm not there.
  • Sean told JP never to let the other girls see him kissing someone. Oops! Andi's definitely prosecuting now!!
  • Chelsie told Juan Pablo that she liked his music pretty much before the first note was over. Red flag, but I like her. The bungee jumping spot is kind of ugly. As Juan Pabs says, 'Holy moly macaroni!'. I knew she'd jump. For a minute there I thought I was psychic, but then my bubble burst and I realized that I saw the preview! Guess I can't quit my job and start a psychic line now. Goodbye fame and fortune :(
  • Elise is a green eyed monster!! Or, as my son would say, 'Jelly Bro?' So mature at 27 compared to those 25 year old babies! Wonder if she'll look back one day and see the irony in her words?
  • Juan Pablo is cooking in the kitchen!! He's making breakfast too :) 
  • Pool party's on. Kelly is nasty! I would love to know how Sharleen ended up applying for the show. Maybe she never watched it before and thought she was auditioning for the new opera, 'El Bachelor'. Clare is crying...Renee to the rescue again! Maybe she thought she was auditioning for 'El Counsellor'.
  • Time for the rose ceremony. Naked girl is gone. She didn't take her shirt off this episode. Coincidence, maybe?? I juander who the other girl is...I think my migraine affected my memory too!!

'Sisters Tell All' - The Bachelor - Episode 4

VICTORIA'S THOUGHTS (ME)

  • Nikki. Still no one on one date..... yikes! She got the group rose and a smooch don't think she cares any more about no one on one.
  • K pop. Guess I'm getting old.
  • Kat. She doesn't come off very authentic. I actually think she has quite low self-esteem & doesn't know who she is yet. She needs time to grow up and find out who she is and what she wants out of life. She is not the juan.
  • Cassandra. I like her. She seems mature and a good role model. She's a lady! [insert quote from Little Britain here "I'm a lady" - just one of those many moments where I have a random thought pop in my head]
  • Clare. Doesn't know if Sharleen and Juan are right for each other? Aka jealousy. I'm not a fan! "Omg I ate octopus" - bahahaha. She always needs the focus on her, and you can see her panicking when it's not. Another one that needs to go and spend some time with herself for a while.
  • 2nd Group Date. Felt soooooooooo bad for Lauren S. Clearly he just didn't want to kiss HER. Juan let me down a bit on this date. He didn't act like a man with Lauren, he acted like a chicken, and his "no kissing" rule went out the door with the snap of a Clare!
  • Andi. She is growing on me.. but very slowly.
  • Chelsie. Wow! Time to go! Puttin' it on thick and I'm starting to suffocate.
  • Sharleen. I am liking her more and more. She keeps it real, and I like that she makes fun of him (in a nice bantery way). They have fun together and now have non "bland conversation" - aka. he's not an idiot. I think it was Sharleen that said "there's a shot we could fall in love".... I like whoever said that. Keepin' it real and not sounding psycho like some of the others. 
  • "I'm in a mice" bahahahahaaaaa - my kind of humour.
  • Danielle. No air time whatsoever. Is this a trick to make us think she is not in the running, but she really is?
  • Alli. Again another one that I question if they are trying to trick us?
  • Kelly Meow. (totes agree...see my sister's comment below)
  • Renee. I still heart her, but I want to fix her mascara and eyebrows badly. Not being mean, but it looks like she has two spiders on her face. Where are The Bachelor make-up artists?
  • Feet fish thing banned in Canada - hello not sanitary!
  • Elise. So long. I didn't really feel one way or another about Elise. Skirt under dress and dress way too big and all over the place? Again, where are The Bachelor wardrobe stylists?

SISTA K's THOUGHTS (MY SISTER)

  • Nikki. Even though the producers are mad at Nikki, JP obviously isn't. Don't think I've ever seen anyone get two group date roses in a row like that before. 
  • 1st Group Date. Dance in a mall...very romantic...not!
  • Sharleen. This is the first time I've seen Juan Pabs have a conversation with anyone. Good to know that he is 'not bland'. Of all the compliments she could have picked, 'not bland' was the best she could come up with! Maybe next week she'll step it up a notch and tell him he's 'not stupid'? They do have chemistry, though. Not sure if she's step-mother material. Also not sure if he fully understood what she was saying about whether she wants kids...
  • 2nd Group Date. How mad must the girls peddling around in the swans be that they have to pedal around by themselves. Great way to get to know JPabs. 
  • I will NEVER get a fishy foot treatment. Ewwwww. Who invented that????
  • Clare is clingy. Clingy Clare.
  • Kelly Meow. That's her new name. The ONLY screen time she gets is when she makes her catty comments. 
  • No kissing from Juan tonight. Poor ladies. 
  • Andi. Definite chemistry there. 
  • Music composer girl...ouch!! She misread the moment, whether he was imposing a kissing ban or not. Awkward!!!
  • JPab where is your willpower? Two minutes after banning kissing for Camilla's honour, he's playing tonsil hockey with Clare. 
  • Rose ceremony time. Why oh why did he pick Miss Kitty? Bye Elise and Lauren. Elise is going home to finish sewing her dress. At least Lauren was self aware enough to realize that she shouldn't have pounced on JuanP like that. Nojuan should pounce on anyjuan like that :)


NELLY BELLIE UPDATE

Nelly Bellie is great and adjusting well to my return to work situation. In fact there's a chance that she loves it. Freedom, and no daily motherly nagging, "Nelly no... Nelly stop... " :). 

I have to say that even though I am not a big fan of office politics, it is nice having some time away from Nelly. Because of our space, our time together is more positive and fun. Just as you can spend too much time with one person, the same goes for animals (well it does for me at least). I need "me time" and I'm sure Nelly needs "naughty..I mean Nelly time". So it works out well for both of us. 

I also think that a change of scenery in life allows you to see things from a different angle. You get a new perspective and for me that perspective is that we really do have a lovely and for the most part well-behaved puppy. Nelly and I just needed some time apart, and that's ok!

WHAT'S COMING UP & WHAT WOULD MAKE ME HAPPY?

Hopefully this weekend I will be able to film my Valentine's Day giveaway contest. It will be posted on my YouTube channel, and all details will be in the description. Stay tuned for that!

I am putting together a short and sweet 'Hour in the Life' video (don't worry it will not be an hour long), it's just not a full 'Day in the Life' video. I don't have the time right now to film a full day out and about, so I thought that a snippet here and there is better than nothing? I also want to put up shorter and longer videos for those of you who don't want to hear me ramble on forever, so this is a great opportunity to post something under 10 minutes! Let me know if that sounds good?

What would make me happy? I would really appreciate it if you guys would leave me a comment or question below this post. You can tell me about your week or your day, ask me a question about Nelly, ask me a question about Canada or myself, post a thought on this blog post, tell me your favourite Bachelorette, let me know if you like my video ideas above, or anything else that is not creepy or evil. It would make this weather a bit more bearable! :)

WEDNESDAY WINTER BLUES

Sorry that these pics aren't sunny and cheerful, but unfortunately I can't change the weather. At least Nelly doesn't seem to mind the cold snap! She loves going to the cemetery and we now have to kick snow balls and ice chunks for her non-stop. She is a chasing / fetching machine!





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"You want a friend in this city? [Washington, DC.] Get a dog!" Harry S. Truman

Friday, 20 December 2013

Fridays : Finals : Food : Festivities : Fashion : Fur-daughter @ Nelly Bellie

Hello Nelly Belliers!

Fridays: 5 more sleeps until Christmas! Yayyyyyyyy

Finals: So turns out I did very well on my final exams and my overall course marks. I'm going to have a "pat my own back" moment because I honestly have never had such good marks. I ended up getting 82, 92, 93, and 96 for my final marks! Woot woot! Next semester (starting in January) I will only be going to school part time so that I can work at the same time. I'm looking forward to a little more balance in my life, and some casholla in my pocket.

Food: I made a delicious shrimp pesto pasta recipe last week, and also found a new way to make carrots (like a carrot mash). I will either post these recipes in an upcoming blog or possibly video them for you. Stay tuned.

Festivities: This week-end is low key for us. Last minute Christmas shopping, a haircut for Chris, and I definitely want to watch my favourite movie in the world, Love Actually. Last week-end we had a huge family Christmas get together with Aunt's, Uncle's, Cousins, etc, (it's so nice to have a new big family) so it is definitely time to take a little rest before the festivities start again this week!

Fashion: These are a few of my favourite things this week, and things that I am really hoping Father Christmas will be bringing me :) :) :) : 


  • If you haven't heard of Sigma (cosmetics) then you are probably living under a rock. JK. Their make-up is the bomb diggity, and their brushes are ah-may-zing (I'm hoping Santa is bringing me some). They are on the pricier side, but worth spending the extra cash on because they last a long time, and make a huge difference to your make-up look: http://www.sigmabeauty.com/category_s/46.htm


  • I am absolutely in love with this dress (link below) from Next UK. I think it is stunning, and would be such a conversation piece at any holiday party. I showed this to someone and they said you would need to have a rockin' body to pull this off, but I disagree. Everyone should feel confident in their own skin, and we need to stop thinking that dresses like this are only for women who can wear a size 2. Confidence is sexy no matter what size or shape you are, and if you are confident then you should definitely buy this dress: http://www.next.co.uk/g4916s1#888319g49



Fur-daughter: I have picked up 3 new puppy toys for Nelly's Christmas stocking, and weirdly they are all in the same colour palette. I bought them completely separately and it looks like I purposely wanted all her toys to match… hehe. Three sleeps and Nelly is 7 months old! I can't believe she is now approaching 1 ….. it's sad looking back on all her first puppy pictures. She used to be the size of my running shoe (actually maybe smaller, I have big feet!).

For Tomorrow: Make sure to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel, follow me on BlogLovin and Twitter, and to "Like" me on Facebook - because tomorrow you will have a chance to win my Nelly Bellie Christmas Holiday 2013 Contest

I will let you guys know once the video is up so you can see what you will win, and for specific instructions on how to enter the contest (you will need to post 2 answers below my YouTube video - both questions will be given tomorrow). This contest is open to anyone (it is international) and you can enter as many times as you like. Feel free to pass this on to friends, family, etc. This contest opens once my video goes up. Good luck!

http://www.youtube.com/TheNellyBellie
https://twitter.com/TheNellyBellie
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"The greatest pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him, and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself, too.~ Samuel Butler

Tuesday, 17 December 2013

Tuesday's Treats & Truths - Nelly Bellie

Happy Tuesday Nelly Bellier's!

Treats

8 more sleeps until Christmas!

I will be uploading a new video (hopefully tomorrow… and hopefully this is a treat :)).

I am close to posting a giveaway Christmas / New Year contest thingamabob so stay tuned for your chance to win free stuff!

In the next couple of weeks I will be posting a blog about awesome people in the world (who have overcome huge obstacles or have a small business with a heartfelt story to tell) so please contact me asap if you would like to be included (or know of someone who should be). Tis the season to spread love and joy for those who truly deserve it.


Truths

We are trying to make some huge life decisions right now, mostly in regards to where we are going to live. 

Most of family (minus my brother) live on the west coast and Chris' family all live here (east coast-ish). We have talked about making a big move out west, but other days we (or one of us) leans more to staying here (we are both very close to our families). 

We have tried making pro and con lists, flipping coins, and even asking Nelly Bellie (yes, asking a puppy is the smartest way to make a life changing decision :)) - but in the end nothing works. We've tried listening for a "gut feeling" but either our guts are empty or they aren't working properly. We have had lots of conversations with friends and family, but still we end up here… stuck. 

Have any of you had to make a similar decision? What did you do? Please let me know (comment below or email me). Sometimes strangers have the best advice. 

Some more treats for you…




























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I have found that when you are deeply troubled, there are things you get from the silent devoted companionship of a dog that you can get from no other source.” ~ Doris Day

Monday, 9 December 2013

Our Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Was A Hit!

Hello Nelly Belliers!

First, my apologies for the delay in blog posts. We had a very busy, fun, and need to recuperate after the Christmas festivities weekend.

Chris and I made our own ugly Christmas sweaters this year and Nelly Bellie definitely gave us her input on what they should say. Basically she decided that she should be the main focal point of our sweaters (see pics below).

If you are going to be heading to an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party, or you just want to make one for the heck of it, then follow these easy steps. 

Find a cheap sweater (Walmart, Secondhand Store, etc) and buy some printable iron on transfers. Make sure that you buy the right ones for your material (i.e. for dark vs. light material). 

Print, iron, and let dry / cool for a couple of hours. Then get out the good old glue gun (Michael's has super cheap ones that work great (here's a link to one similar to ours). I recommend getting one per person, otherwise you'll be waiting around a while. Also, buy some ugly junk to glue on (Michael's also has this stuff) and glue, glue, glue (as long as your of age of course). Warning: glue guns can become quite addicting. Let everything dry and that's it, voila, a hand-made and affordable Ugly Christmas Sweater. It's fun to crank the Christmas tunes and pour yourself a drink or two while you're making them.

I'll be working on a vlog (video blog) tomorrow so stay tuned! Things are going to get very exciting.

Happy Monday everyone! Please let me know how your weekend was (post below), and don't forget if you know someone who has a great story (click here for details) pass along my blog information, or contact me to get featured! And please follow follow follow this blog (that's all I want for Christmas).






































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"My dogs have been the reason I have woken up every single day with a smile on my face. I am among the ranks of millions of people who appreciate the souls of dogs and know they are a gift of pure love and an example of all that is good.~ Jennifer Skiff

Monday, 2 December 2013

Christmas Party Update & Monday Non-Blues

Hello Nelly Belliers,

Thank you so much to everyone who voted on my Christmas dress and hair style. Dress #3 and Dress #4 were neck in neck for a while, but Dress #3 won in the end (and so did wearing my hair down). 

We had a FABULOUS time and we ended up making some great new friends. Do you ever think "wow, can the universe can hear me?". It's not always easy being so far from most of my family and some of my closest friends, and it's not always easy to make new friends… well not only did the universe deliver some amazing people to us this weekend, but I also ended meeting a Spanish couple who are further away from home than me! I ended up having a great conversation with them, and discovered that there are people in the universe who have much bigger distance issues than me (it's always great to get a new perspective on things). I couldn't believe how happy it made them when we asked them to come for dinner some time, and the wife of the Spanish couple almost cried when I gave her a hug.

My wish for today is that you reach out to someone or give someone a random hug - it goes along way and sometimes I think we forget that little things can have a huge impact!

Here are some pics from the night of the party….













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Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace.” ~ Milan Kundera