Banff: Mountains and Memories

The mountains and evergreens of Banff welcomed my friends and I this summer. A day was spent treking through the small town, while we took in the daily life of those that live there. Pastry shops, sushi and local boutiques were all stops along the way.

Though not far away, it feels like entering a different time. Perhaps it's the pace. Banff, being a small tow, feels like stepping into a time period where you still knew the nieghbor, and the local bar knows your order by heart.

 When you live in a place so long, without really venturing out (that includes outside your own perspective), you forget what it may look like to someone else. The drive to Banff had it's postcard picturesque moments that left me in awe of my own Province.

The rains began to fall; the fog decended, and the scene took on a a mystic eerie feel, that made one both worried and yet inspired. It's the kind of scene that is beautiful to stare at from ones window, safe indoors, but creates feelings of deep caution when you have to drive in it.

The rains slide down the mighty mountains, unaffecting it's majesty, and slipped into the lake, making little ripples that carried on seemingly endlessly. The weather was gratifying. Not too hot, nor too cold. The rains brought out the mosquitos who enthusiastically followed us through our walk.

One of my favorite things about going somewhere else is trying new food. That's also the downside, since new favorite treats cannot easily be accessed. But it gives me an excuse to go there again. In Banff is a Pastry shop that sells ice cream and a dessert called "Beaver Tail." The Beaver is a big part of Alberta culture, so the name is fitting. The dessert comes in a varity of flavors, but my friends and I opted for Skor and cream cheese. It was delicious! The pastry itself is rich and kind of sweet, but the skor, frosting, and caramel...divine.
The sushi in Banff was also tasty and well priced considering that Banff food can be a bit pricey.

 
It's nice to get out of the city, even if you don't go very far. See other sights, engage in different activites, and give yor senses something new to take in. We saw muesum exhibits, horses pulling tourists down the street and locals going on with their ordinary days. And I wonder if they ever take the time to see their lovely little towne the way we outsiders do.

Introvert vs Extrovert

One of the most mis-defined definitions in psychology is that of introvert and extrovert. It’s so mis-defined that even “experts” use the incorrect definition of it.

Most people think introvert and extrovert has something to do with how outgoing you are or even how you express yourself. It doesn’t. It deals with how you manage your mood and energy. Extroverts rely on external things to manage their mood, while introverts do it internally within themselves. The best way to describe the terms is with examples.

If you wake up a little a down, but the sun is shining and your favorite song is on the radio, and you find yourself feeling more positive you’ve handled your mood in an extroverted manner. An introvert can wake up to the happiest day and if they’re sad, they stay sad. Few things on the outside will affect their mood.

Extroverts seem more sociable because most extroverts rely on others as a method of improving their mood and energy. Extroverts will call their friends when they are down, or will go to a party just to alter how they feel. An extrovert is more likely to ask their friends for advice, so going shopping in groups or texting all their friends for tips on what laptop to buy is common for extroverts.

Introverts are internal. When they have a problem they prefer to be alone and self-reflect so as to come to a long term solution. They rely on their own personal feelings to make a decision and if they do seek advice, they prefer tried and true expert advice or to talk to someone who has gone through something similar.

According to studies there are more extroverts than introverts, but many people actually sit close to the middle of the spectrum.

One isn’t better than the other and you can’t change how you are. Most psychiatrists say you’re born either or.

The upside to being an extrovert is that they can change their moods pretty quickly, for a temporary period. Listening to their favorite song, watching a good movie, or hanging out with friends can shift their moods to positive fairly quickly. Thus, extroverts can give the appearance of being happy or ok in a moment. Or they can be happy long enough to get through something. Example, their physics class isn’t so bad because all their friends are in it.

On the downside, extroverts are usually moody and rarely keep an emotion or energy level for a long period of time. They can start the day off good, but if one negative thing happens, their positive mood plummets. Even seeing a sad story on the news can put them in a negative mood. Extroverts are known to feel sad if their friend or loved one is sad.

Because they prefer to be distracted from their bad mood, they tend to always be seeking something to keep them up. This goes back to the misconception that they are more social. They may not be hanging out with their friend because they really want to; they could just need the distraction.

Extroverts can sometimes be clingy and dependent, because when they find a person who helps them maintain their mood and energy level, they are very reluctant to let go. Remember, extroverts are external. Their mood and energy is greatly affected by things outside of them.

The great thing about being an introvert is their ability to maintain a positive mood for a long period of time. Their sad friend or bad hair day isn’t going to get them down. Introverts are not as moody as extroverts, so when they’re up they can remain up for a lot longer. They are also better at solving their own problems and keeping themselves motivated. The internal introvert doesn’t need a team of cheerleaders behind them to get a job done; they can usually mentally talk themselves into doing it.

However, the ability to sustain a mood also applies to negative ones. Unlike the extrovert who can do something to switch their feelings, the introvert can remain in a negative slump for a lengthy period. This is largely due to the fact that introverts don’t like distractions, they want a solution.

They may try to alter their mood with a good song, but can zone into the bad feelings rather than the song. If you’ve ever tried to cheer up an introvert you know how frustrating it can be because nothing seems to penetrate the bad mood.

Introverts need to work through things themselves. Unless you’re going to offer a different perspective, most introverts can easily tell themselves what they need to hear. They are good at tinkering with their own minds and working their way to a solution. Introverts usually prefer to do this alone, where they can be within themselves and not be distracted. An introvert can’t snap out of things, but they usually are able to come back to a positive way of thinking.

Most introvert and extrovert tests online and even those giving by professionals aren’t correct because they focus more on the social aspect. I was able to do several with the panel and learned I’m an introvert. I always knew this though, because of the way I handle my problems. I don’t go to my friends, or seek a distraction. I tend to sit alone until I’ve thought my way through the problem or I’m ready to simply let go.

Introverts can love going out; they can be noisy, and opinionated.

Extroverts can be quiet, can be homebodies, and reserved.

How social or talkative you are has nothing to do with whether or not you’re extroverted or introverted. It’s a matter of how you deal with and maintain your mood and energy. Extroverts are external; anything on the outside can help them feel better. Introverts are internal, they prefer to self-reflect and alter their mood from the inside out.

Are you living for you?

The problem with people is they assume everyone wants the same things. As I talk to my friends and strangers, listening to their goals, I learn that they want to go down paths I wouldn't consider for myself and visa versa. But as individuals, and as a society, we tend to forget that it's perfectly acceptable for someone to want a different lifestyle from you.

For example, not everyone wants to get married and some people don't even want to be in a relationship. There's nothing abnormal about that decision. They have their reasons for not wanting one; and even they have no particular reason, it's still their decision and deserves respect.

Another example, not everyone wants to go to or even believes in higher education. Modern society has made it handy to have one, but classroom study does not suit everyone and not everyone has the desire to get a degree. There is no flaw in not wanting secondary education, especially considering the many successful people who didn't give college a single thought.

But try telling someone you plan to make different decisions from the accepted norm and you get skewed faces, long winded lectures or an outright argument. People have forgotten that we are not on this earth to conform to some definite way of living. We are here to try and make a life for ourselves that will bring us peace of mind and happiness and happiness is a very subjective thing.

No two people hold the same definition of happiness. It is something very personal. For instance, it would make my mother very happy to see me as a doctor. But it would make me miserable. I've decided to pick a field that she really has no interest in. She may not be happy about it, but she has no real right to deny me of my happiness.

However, I see parents, friends, and even strangers rob others of their chance to pursue happiness simply because it isn't what they want. I have friends getting degrees in industries that they can't stand and people being forced into lifestyles that their personalities are not suited for.

We don't all want to live in some chic LA apartment with our 6 best friends close at hand, throwing parties every weekend. Some would love that, but someone else would prefer a quiet country cottage surrounded by land and animals instead of people. Either way of life is perfectly normal. You may decide you'd be most content never settling anywhere.

Instead of giving people freedom to decide, society has given us a checklist to complete by a certain age and if for some reason we haven't done every acceptable thing we're considered failures.

This is one of the worst thing we have done to eachother. We are stripping people of their individuality and their right to have their own personal human experience. Life is actually very difficult when you have no sense of yourself. More and more I am meeting people who have no idea what they would like or what would make them happy because they have had little opportunity to explore it.

You have the right to make decisions that will suit you (as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else). Remember that there are billions of people who will never be able to make a single personal decision. Women in oppressed societies, people in tyrannical countries, they have no freedom to live for themselves. If you have even a small opportunity to create a life for yourself, take it!  Don't hesitate because it's not what society deems acceptable or because it's different from your friends. Take the chance to be happy; live in way that works for you.

Love getting real mail? Try Postcrossing

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A month ago, I signed up for a postcard exchange program provided by postcrossing.com. You can check out the website for more information, but this is the jist of how it works:
1. Sign up for an account (which is free)
2. Create a profile which includes your address and a little about yourself, including the types of postcards you like.
3. Mail your first postcard, and when a user registers the postcard number, you are then the next person to get a postcard.
4. Receive and register your own postcard.

For those wondering, these are real postcards. You can find postcards in dollar stores, post offices, or souvenir shops to send.

The site has hundreds of thousands of users, which makes it more fun, as a postcard can come from anyone in the world. I also like that the site encourages postcards rather than letters. Writing a letter to a stranger can be a little intimidating. You just don't know what to say. But a postcard offers a small space to say a little about you, like your hobbies. The task seems easier, since sometimes just putting your favorite quote is enough. And of course, it's fun to look at the different pictures of places and things around the world.

Last week, I received my first postcard from a site user :D
It was from a lovely lady named Eva, who lives and plays the violin in Budapest. Eva and I have one thing in common: we both love resting, when we are not busy. I think the card she sent is perfect. It gives me a chance to see where she lives. 

Greatness of God

 

“If you don’t see the greatness of God then all the things that money can buy become very exciting. If you can’t see the sun you will be impressed with a street light. If you’ve never felt thunder and lightning you’ll be impressed with fireworks. And if you turn your back on the greatness and majesty of God you’ll fall in love with a world of shadows and short-lived pleasures.”

—	John Piper

Moments of my day Feb 27

I listen to Chopin, while I read long articles about hedge funds for client research. Cheese and crackers with licorice root tea make up my breakfast.
 My face gets pampered with a French facial mask made for beauty queens. I turn in my french assignment and make a wish that I haven't mucked it up.

 I check tumblr obsessively, to see if anything will inspire me, and find I am being inspired by everything. I force myself to log out only to log back on, and continue to be filled with too much desire of things I never will see of have.

I find myself getting nervous about exams and expectations from clients so I pull out a coloring book and calm myself with hues of purple and blue on fishes and balloons.

Yann Tiersen begins to over take Chopin and the swift impassioned violin tune remind me the day is going and I need to resume work and study.

My phone is shut off and I miss a call, but I'm also too busy to call right back, or so I tell myself. 

I miss lunch, because I can't decide what to eat. Instead, I munch on raw pumpkin seeds to keep my energy up. I take out beef for a roast beef supper. Though the more I think about it the more I see I'm craving chicken.

I finish the draft for a client and consider myself productive for the morning, though a pile of work await me for the afternoon.

I want to rush through it, but my health forces me to do things in small increments. I move like a snail. I feel as if nothing gets 'done' and I am always playing catch up. I tell myself to stop getting myself down for lack of energy and use whatever I have to do the task in front of me.

I get a lovely message from a follower, which put a bright spot in my day and take a moment to listen to the silence while I breath in and out, giving thanks for the day.  

Nice or Kind?

There is a difference between being nice and being kind. Being nice is simply a matter of doing or saying nice things, often in return for something (affection, attention etc). Even your worst enemy can be nice to you. But being kind is selfless. It means what you are doing is purely from the heart. Whether the recipient acknowledges it or not doesn't matter because you did it for no other reason than you wanted to. You can fake being nice. But you can't fake kindness. 

I don't believe in positive thinking

I believe in positive “feeling.”

The age old theory is, if you tell your mind something enough times it will start to believe it. But just because I tell myself “I am pretty” a hundred times doesn’t mean I “feel” pretty. A dozen people can tell me I’m pretty I still won’t feel it because I don’t believe it.

Self help people try to tell you to change your thinking, but that doesn’t necessarily change the feelings associated to the thoughts and it doesn’t change the behaviors.  Thinking good thoughts doesn’t necessarily mean I’m going to gain good feelings or even attempt living a better life.

For some, it does; they can do the affirmations and mental exercises and change things but for me, I can’t get my mind to believe what it doesn’t feel. I have to first change my feelings and that triggers more positive thoughts and actions.

I can’t just feed my mind nice phrases; I need to feed my heart good feelings. Because if I feel sad, ugly, low ect, it’s going to be hard to get my mind to think otherwise all on its own. I have to give it something to work with.

I usually do this 3 ways

1.  Gratitude and being being grateful. Being grateful is one of the fastest ways to get good feelings. If you’re reading this, you have access to the internet and that is something to be grateful for considering so many people don’t.

Gratitude opens you up  to the things you already have. That means, despite what you may lack, there are things that you don’t have to worry about bringing into life. It’s one less thing for you to deal with.

Maybe you don’t like the way your legs look, but if you’re not in a wheelchair be grateful; if you are in a wheelchair be grateful you at least have a wheelchair to get around in.

Grateful people rarely get depressed, because they feel a sense of appreciation for what they do have and they realize they have something others wish they did. This can give a positive feeling where you’re not focussed on all the things you wish you had.

It doesn’t come just by thinking you’re glad you can walk or you have friends, it’s feeling blessed and not taking it for granted because you could lose that thing.

2. Hope. Hope can make you feel more positive because it can inspire you. You can draw out this hope from your own life and from others.

You may not feel good now, but it probably isn’t the first time you had to deal with something. You got through that so the idea becomes, I can get through this ordeal. Looking to others also does this. For example, lots of people around the world have battled addiction and won. Thus, it’s not an impossible feat and can you feel hopeful that you could also conquer it.

When you are hopeful, you are at least willing to accept the possibility that things can improve. This helps it become more believable when you plug  positive thoughts into your brain. Because you’re not just saying “it will get better” you actually feel hopeful that it will be.

3. DO something positive. Simply sitting around trying to think positive isn’t really helpful. Doing something positive can help you feel more positive, which helps you think more positive. This is especially helpful when you don’t feel hopeful or particularly grateful.

Doing, gives you something to actually work with. You start to see that while you don’t feel ok, at least you are trying. It doesn’t have to be life changing or heroic. Just doing something small, like watching your favorite movie or taking your dog out for a walk can help stir up some positive feelings.

For me, working with “feelings” and not just thoughts is more helpful because it helps me enter a state of “being.” This helps me become a grateful person or become a hopeful, positive person.

So while I might not think I’m pretty, or ok, or have any positive thought, I at least don’t have any deeply set negative feelings because my “being” is in a state of positivity. When that happens, it’s easier to get the mind to believe the positive thoughts that I feed it.

Why do bad things happen to good people

A friend of mine made a post asking the following two questions below. I wanted to share my response to him.

Why do bad things happen to good people?
Why don’t bad people get punished?

Well, to quickly answer the second question…bad people do get punished.

Most “bad” people have internal struggles. Even if on the outside they look fine they are obviously dealing with something that is negative enough for them to inflict pain or conflict on others. They don’t have inner peace. To go through life without the peaceful content feeling is a struggle, even if you have everything else. So most “bad” people are suffering daily internally.

To address the first question…

Sometimes what seems like a bad thing, can be a blessing. When I had to leave school because of my illness I was distraught. I had a student loan to pay, no job, my health was miserable, and I thought I’d never be able to attend school again. But the situation forced me to look at other options and my life is actually better now, even with my illness, than it was before. I’ve created a life for myself that suites me better. I’m going to school, I’m working and I paid off my loan.

2. Sometimes it’s your fault. Yes I know it sucks to admit it, but sometimes we make mistakes that we could have avoided if we just listened to ourselves. There is a voice that tells you “don’t date that guy/girl” “don’t listen to those people” “don’t go down that road”, but we don’t always listen and terrible things can happen as a result. This is why the past can be your friend. If you live to tell about it, learn from it.

3. Most of what we call “bad things” is just life. Life flows in waves. Sometimes you get nice soft waves. Sometimes it feels like the sea itself is tossing itself on you. You just have to try and deal with it the best you can. Use your resources, talk to people, and remeber that nothing last forever; the problem will pass.

4. We are a bit too tolerant. Good people have a tendancy to put up with crap that they don’t need to. If more people spoke up, half the problems in this world wouldn’t exist. But people stay quiet when they should be shouting at the top of their lungs. If something is bothering you, say something Fix it while you have more control over it, instead hoping it goes way. It’s ok to put up a fight for your own happiness. It’s your life, after all.

Not even in fairy tales

You don't really want a fairy tale. If you do, you've never really read one. Because if you have read a fairy tale, you'd remember that there were dragons as well as princes; magic was used for both evil and good, and that happily ever after never came before dark and stormy nights.

Life isn't easy. Not even in fairy tales.

But life is a lot like a fairy tale. It takes courage to stand up to the evil witches and dragrons in our lives. It's takes heart to pursue your prince or believe that he does in fact love you, once he shows up. And like all fairy tales, it takes a kind of hope and patience in knowing that your dreams will come true.

A terrifying and beautiful thought

One of the most terrifying things about life is that you can become almost anything you set your mind and heart to. I use the word terrifying not as a negative, but it demonstrates the feeling of having boundless possibilities before you.

 If you were to look back 3 years ago, you may have imagined yourself at the very spot you are in now or the complete opposite has happened and life is very different from what you've imagined. Regardless, this shows that as we progress we become whatever our wills push us to become and nothing else.

 And if you think about the next 3 years of your life, you are greeted with a galaxy wide span of options. Anything can happen. The thought of life becomes more than simply goals, doing, and breathing. It's like standing on a high plateau looking at the great sky in front of you trying to take in all that in ahead of you, marveling at the vastness and beauty of it all.

With each day,  you are met with a countless number of possibilities. Your life at any given moment can go in any direction. You may start the day feeling so very single, and by the end of it you have a date. You could be bored at your desk and within the hour you get a call that a loved one has been in an accident. If you consider how many curves, twists, and opportunities life can toss at you you begin to see that the creation of who you become is something of a wonder.

This is why you should never think of your life as unchangeable. Things are altering around you without your permission, but when you become an active participant in your own life what you can make of it is astounding. With the help of God all things are possible, but you must be fully engaged in your own life. You may be working towards something you've always wanted, or maybe you don't know where you're going, perhaps things are finally looking up--as long as you always keep faith and give your own life a chance, you'll find life will give you something worth waking up for.

We move lightly

Life occurs in little steps. Though there may be great leaps you must take from time to time, the majority of what your life becomes happens as a result of little, unnoticed, almost insignificant moments. But they're not insignificant are they? They are you.

They are your breakfasts, the movie you chose to see last weekend, the shoes you wore out from your morning runs, the posters on your bedroom wall, the crush you never revealed, the seat you pick on the bus, the first text you ever sent, the spill on the rug you could never get out, the scent of your first love on your clothes, the dance you decided to sit out, the alarm you sleep through, the first day of school, the last day of work before your dream vacation, the swing set your father would push you on, the first curfew you broke, the side of the bed you always sleep on, that perfect dream you had a month ago, the dog that always barks you down when you pass by, the chill of the wind as you realize summer is ending, the jeans that no longer fit, your favorite meal at your favorite restaurant, the clock ticking in the background as you try to finish a mountain of work, the scratchy feeling in your throat when you feel a cold coming on, the greeting of your furry friend, the anticipated dawn on Christmas, the compliment on your new haircut, the deep feeling of missing someone in the same room as you, the fear of telling someone how you really feel, the sigh after a hard day as you wind down, the yawn that comes when you're bored, that birthday where you felt rushed to put your life together, that quick text to say you're on your way, days spent indoors wondering what everyone else is doing, the disappointed feeling of working so hard and getting nothing in return, the first real fight with your first real friend, the feeling that brushes your heart when someone you care about smiles...because of you.

 And day by day these little moments that no one notices but us shapes us into these beings we call humans. We are little things, doing little things, that one day becomes a big deal. It's all life.

We Move Lightly by Dustin O'Halloran

Tuesday Treasures

What a charming summer it's been--picnics, beautiful rainstorms, sweets and the sweetness of friends. I will miss it.

I wanted to share a few delights I recently received from near and far this summer.

Letter from my pen pal

Whenever I see something in the mail, handwritten and well thought out, I grin--inside and out. My pen pal from Algeria sent me not only a lovely letter, but a seashell and treasures from her life as well. This is just one of the reason why I love having a penpal. It's like having someone travel to you with their heart. She used a calender as an envelope and I think this is a very clever and stylish idea, one that I will be borrowing. Thank you again for the wonderful letter.

Cutest little cupcakes

 Yesterday, while I was out Downtown, I stumbled upon a cupcake shoppe called Buttercream cupcakes that has some deliciously cute cupcakes. The flavors here are french vanilla (purple frosting), strawberry shortcake (pink frosting) and red velvet (white frosting). They are rich, and full of flavor. Though I will admit they are pricey. This batch was over $9.00

Accessories and deals

BCBG had a promotion where if you tried on a pair of jeans you got $10 off your purchase of anything in the store. That's how this cute rabbit ring end up coming home with me. Say hello to Mr. Hello. His expression is bit bewildered but I think he's very cute. He's also quite large. I have long finger and Mr.hello takes a fair bit of room on them and he has some weight to him. He's not heavy, but you do notice him there the way you would with a cocktail ring.

When my times feels most valuable

I wanted to make buttermilk pancakes this morning. Correction, I wanted to eat buttermilk pancakes. I wasn't bursting with enthusiasm to make them. Isn't that how it is sometimes? You want something, but you don't actually want to work for it.

For instance, I want a million dollars, but I'm kind of just hoping I'll go to the bank and there it'll be without my having to do anything. Or how I really want to spend a summer in a luxury apartment in France, but do I want to work my tail off to earn enough to go to France...nope. But life doesn't work like that. You have to do something to get something.

If I want a boat load of money, I have to be willing to do two boat loads of work to get it. Sometimes it's all worth it. You work hard and feel proud once you've achieved the end reward. Sometimes it's not worth it, but in those cases at least you can say you put in your best effort. At least you tried.

Most of what we do is trival. It doesn't mean all that much in the grand scheme of things. I mean, me making pancakes is not going to help the world much (not unless I'm sharing). Even the hours spent working is done to stuff something in between the slots of time I've been alotted. It helps me contribute, but I'm not doing anything incredible simply by working.

The only real time I feel the time and energy I'm giving is doubled (trippled), and I really feel it is valuable is when I'm spending time with God. To the outside viewer, I'm not doing much in those moments. I'm not rushing around; I'm not trying to please everyone in sight; I'm not conquring the world, but in those moments I am doing the very best thing I can do for the world. I'm opening my heart; I'm letting him in; I'm boosting my self worth and yet humbling myself. I'm filling myself with joy, releasing my fear and sorrow, I'm conquring my demons, and I am connecting with everything he has put on this planet. All this lets me do whatever it is I'm expected to do with renewed excitment. It gives me courage to face the things I couldn't otherwise. It keeps me hopeful, joyful, grateful.

God gives me more than the world will ever give me. No matter how hard I work, the reward will never match up. And there is no possible way I can ever give to the world all that God has already given it. So while I do my trival work on earth, I remind myself to work even harder for God. Not because it will change the world, or even send me to heaven (it might not) but as a way to say thanks for all the times I didn't do anything but was still blessed by him.

Picture Credit: http://enoqi.tumblr.com/

When you feel life is unfair remember this

When you feel life is unfair--that the pressure is too much, or you are exhausted from trying, remember that the flowers must start out as buds. They must wait for the rains and the sun to come and go. Up and out from the ground, they must push themselves in order to be the beauties we all stop and admire. Do not be afraid of life's challenges. Celebrate the rain, the sun, and before long you will be like the blossomed flower: beautiful and admirable.

Photo is my own. The wild rose is native to my Province.

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Sushi and High Heels

 

I think we all have that one meal we crave often. For me, it's sushi. Walking past sushi restaurants is impossible for me. There is something about it--maybe the variety--that makes me opt for it whenever I'm hungry. Put me in a quiet corner, with nothing but sushi, and I'll consider it a makeshift heaven.

Thank you!

The sun is shinning and I blessed to be out of the hospital so I can enjoy it. I'm still sick, but it's always nice to be in an environment that you feel the love of those around you. It is one of the fastest healers. I was quickly going through my emails and noticed a subscriber sent me a get well wish. Thank you so much Candice! That truly made my day. I hope you, as well as all my readers are well, happy, and safe. 

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Queued

I apologize for the lack of posts. I am in the hospital. This blog will run on queued posts for a while until I am home and well again. I hope you, my fair reader, are having sweet and lovely days.
Thanks for sticking with me; your support means a lot!

May 24 Moments of my day

In all honesty, I'm not in the mood to be crafty with my words. But all in all it was a good day. I had lunch with a friend. I ordered the fresh fruit waffle at Cora's, which was tasty but the highlight of my day was when I got a $34 mascara kit for only $5.70!!! I love deals and this one just blew my mind. The deal was a result of store points I had acculated. Apparently, my points added up to $60 dollars. However, I how I had to pay something for the item so I ended up getting $30 off, leaving me with only $5.70 after tax!!! Best bargain of the month!

On a side note: I also treated myself to some cheese cake, last week. It was good :)

Tuesday Treasures

It has been a while since I posted some treasures in my life. May has been keeping me busy. I always find May to be a month that `blossoms` me.

It somehow wants me to reach my full potential and will throw a mix match of challenges at me, forcing me to try harder; try something new and keep going. By June I`m ready for a real vacation.

Somewhere between working hard, and complaining about all the work I have to do, I found time to go thrifting.

I bought Ernest Hemingway`s writings and a wool hat. The book was $2 and the hat was $1.50. If I get the time I can read and sport my new hat. I also made a dessert by putting frozen yogurt into a cord pear. It is delicious!