Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Day 7: Rainbow Chip Icing


Today my socks look like Betty Crocker's Rainbow Chip Icing, which is probably one of my favourites and, I can't even lie, the reason I bought the socks in the first place. I bought these last night when I bought my skinny jeans. The socks were only $1.10!

I had a fabulous day while wearing socks displaying my favourite icing!

First thing this morning I thought to myself, what the heck, I'm going to try on those pants that haven't fit me in over a year. Normally, I would not put myself through the shame, discomfort, and hurt feelings of trying something like this. However, I know I've been losing weight because the scale and my baggy pants tell me so. So, I pulled on these jeans and...they fit! As in, the button and zipper do up! And not just that - they are comfortable! The scale has been telling me that I lost 20 pounds, but I really didn't feel it until that moment.

While at school today I got to have lunch with a friend that I haven't spent time with in over a month, and ran into another friend that I also haven't spent time with in a while! It was so nice to catch up with these two ladies, if even for a few minutes.

In my co-op class we had an employer panel and they were talking about different summer employment possibilities. I was excited because The Mustard Seed was there and I thought it would be such an awesome place to do a summer placement. Then my summer placement would be not just about me, but about helping others while learning Human Resources. Amazing!

The last thing I did today before coming home was take one of the boys I nanny to hockey practice. I stayed and watched this time so I could take him home once it was over. Oh my gosh those buildings are cold. I get that because they need to keep the ice cold. That's fine. But why in these places do they have benches that only giants could comfortably sit on with no back support? Who invented this idea? Maybe the tall benches are there to be closer to the heater, but could I at least get a step up? And who wants to sit somewhere with no back support for an hour and 15 minutes? Not me. My last problem with the place is that they do not have free wireless internet. If moms, dads, and nannies have to take the kids there, the least they could do is provide free internet so we can do something other than watch kids skate around in circles! For our sanity...? Pretty please?

Lastly, a message to any men that work at a hockey rink: Please take me on a Zamboni. It's one of my goals in life to ride on one. Help me realize this dream!

I am now off to work on a birthday present for my Stepmom! Hope you are all having a great day!

xo

Monday, November 29, 2010

Day 6: Yellow and Orange Stripes (continued)

It's still Day 6, but I just had to share about my evening. Very blog-worthy!

It is official. I have caved. I have finally, after years of protesting, given in.

I now own skinny jeans.

I got my skinny jeans at Forever XXI (21, for those of us that don't read Roman Numerals easily -- me!) for less than $20. Pretty good deal, I must say. I decided to finally buy some because I just really wanted to wear the adorable boots everyone else wears over top of my jeans. Anyone that knows me knows that I am shoe obsessed. Why not broaden my shoe loving horizons to boots too? Oh, the excitement!

After I joined the world of hipsters and hot girls, I went to Petsmart, which is where all hipster/hot girls go. Right? This is only natural as my little Pekoe de Freako (my dog) will be expecting his usual stocking filled with toys on Christmas day. First of all, if you work at a store and your girlfriend comes to visit while you are still on shift, customers are still your first priority. Walking around hand-in-hand in the store with said girlfriend is not. When a customer is looking extremely lost looking for something specific, I genuinely suggest you offer help instead of - not even kidding - kissing your girlfriend in the main aisle! Seriously? Of all the times to say it...GET A ROOM.

I now move on to my check out experience. After finally finding a suitable toy for a destructive little chihuahua, I made my way to the cash register to pay. The cashier didn't have enough coin for change for my $20 bill. My change was supposed to be $12.66 and all he had was $12.50. I said, "Let me give you the $0.34 and then you can give me $13." To which the man replied, "That doesn't make sense, I have $12.50." Oh dear. Once I explained the basic math to him, we were fine...until he started talking about symbiotic relationships. Here I am buying a tiny little toy for my pint-sized dog and the cashier that can't do math wants to talk about symbiotic relationships?! As if I know what that is?!?!

So I googled it when I got home and I now understand that a symbiotic relationship is when one organism lives on another. Where did my helping him with math get his brain onto a track of thinking about organisms that live on one another?

I will never understand men. Not ever.

Day 6: Yellow and Orange Stripes


Sunshine on my feet in the form of yellow and orange stripes. I figured wearing socks with these colours would have to make my day a good day. So far it's been great, other than a test that I don't care to talk about in depth because I fear I may not have done as well as I had hoped. 

I went shopping today with a couple friends to a store I've never been to before in Marda Loop. It's called Crabapple Clothing Company. If you are looking for a store where you could spend a fortune on adorable (sometimes one-of-a-kind) items, this is the place for you. Think hand-knit scarves, cream-coloured pea coats with feminine, intricate black detailing and gorgeous silk blouses. Seriously, us ladies had to restrain ourselves so we didn't get carried away. This store also has delightful underwear that I was told about last night and just had to have a pair (or two...)! While there, Rebecca and I found these winter ear/head covering things. They are hand-knit and absolutely adorable. They are perfect for keeping your ears warm (in the ridiculous Calgary weather) when your hair is in a ponytail. I scoped it out, had Rebecca try it on for me since her hair was up, and we were both hooked. We both ended up buying it in inverse shades - mine is black with grey accents and hers is grey with black accents. They both have these adorable bows on the side...as a side note, I just typed 'boys' instead of 'bows' and laughed hysterically. 

So that was my adventure today. I feel that I deserved a little present after the test I wrote so I treated myself to Starbucks, new underwear and an adorable head/ear warmer. Happy Monday to me!!

xo  

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Day 5: Stitch


Last night I saw the movie 'How To Train Your Dragon' with some friends. I thought that the Night Fury "Toothless" reminded me of Stitch from Lilo and Stitch, so I decided to wear my Stitch socks today. Plus, they match my pants that I got at Lululemon (for $20!!) perfectly! My Stitch socks were from the Night Market in Vancouver - seriously, I need to go back to that place for more socks for this blog.

I have had a few people now say that they will give me some socks and/or send me some socks and that makes me really excited! I can't wait to start receiving them so I can wear socks I've never worn before and see what happens in my day!

Going back to school as a 'mature' student this year has been a huge life change for me. I had to leave my amazing dog, Pekoe, in BC while I made the trek to live in Calgary. I miss him every single day. Some days more than others. I also had to leave my Mom, Stepdad, brothers, grandparents, aunt and uncle, and many, many friends. It is hard to be away from them all, but I know that there is purpose to me being here and it's something that I needed to do. Plus, in moving here I've become re-acquainted with old friends and made such wonderful new friends!

The student part is difficult though. Now that I'm older I actually care about my grades. Gone are the days that a C+/B- average is alright with me. I now strive for A+, or at least an A, in my classes. It's a lot of work, but extremely rewarding when I succeed. This is probably the most challenging course load I've taken thus far, so it's nice to see that I am doing well (fingers crossed that finals won't hoop me)! I am extremely nervous for next semester though. I have 5 heavy courses, will be working part time, and am just today (when I should be studying) contemplating what aerobic classes I'm going to sign up for. I'm thinking I'll sign up for two classes! Maybe I'm crazy to try and fit all of that in, but I feel that I work best when I am kept busy and have an easier time not procrastinating when I don't have as much open time that I need to fill. Does that even make sense? In plainer English, I thrive on a busy schedule.

There is a certain apprehension I have when looking at next semester's schedule, but an excitement all the same because I know that I can do this. I am a grown up (eek!). I am capable. And I have a solid foundation of people that are encouraging me.

Okay Winter 2011: Bring. It. On.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Day 4: Hearts


Today my socks have hearts all over them. I think I got these for Christmas from my Mom at some point. Possibly not though, I can't really remember. They are very cute and cheery! 

Let me just pour my own heart out a little bit here. After speaking on the phone with a very close friend about our love lives, it is very apparent to me that as humans, we are desirous of giving and receiving love. Much like my post a couple of days ago there is the special love of a family, and the love of friends that have such a great impact on us. But, most of us also desire for a romantic, deep, and personal love with another person. 

In my dating life I have found that dating now that I'm older is much more difficult than it was when I was younger. When you are in high school or the first few years of University there are so many people around you all the time that dating is easy. It's a "he likes me", "I like him", kind of thing and that's really all you need to form the basis of a short-term (but we fool ourselves into thinking it's long-term) relationship. While that is great and fun, there are few people who marry those initial dating partners. I'm happy for the ones that do though - how amazing is it to get it right on the first try?!

For the rest of us that didn't marry our first loves, or even our second or third loves, there is still that deep-seated desire to find the "right" person, whether or not we consciously acknowledge this desire in our day-to-day lives. It is from this thought pattern though that I can't help but wonder why people don't seem to go on more dates. In movies, a 'dating' life is when you are single and you get asked out by a guy at, it seems, every turn. Where are these men in real life? I personally don't think I have ever been asked out to even coffee by a man with the intention to date me. I have been out for coffees, dinners and lunches with male friends where it's clear that there is no intention of dating each other, and that's fine. But when did men stop being gutsy enough to ask for a girl's attention? This whole phenomenon of women wearing the pants is just not my style, and therefore I wait. It's not a complacent, uninterested waiting. It's not laziness. It's a 'God is in control of my life and he'll give me the desires of my heart, in his time' kind of waiting. 

My advice to married couples: If you say you will set someone up with someone else: do it. Follow through. There is nothing worse than being told repeatedly "Oh I know the BEST guy/girl for you" and then never having an introduction happen for either person to decide if they're interested. If you are not willing to follow through, don't say anything at all.

My advice to single girls: Don't lose heart. God hears us when we are weary and he hears our prayers. He knows our desires, but we need to trust him enough to take care of those desires in his timing (not ours!), and trust that he is listening and understands. Easier said than done, to be sure, because faith can be messy. Sometimes we are mad at God for not giving us what we want right now, sometimes we are selfish, and sometimes we just want to scream because it can be hard to trust. He is there through it all. Listening. Comforting. Restoring. Talk to him.

My advice to single men: Be brave. Be courageous. Be a man. Ask girls on dates. Seriously, girls want to be asked. Even if she isn't interested, you tried and can now move on to someone worthy of your love and affection, instead of wasting your time on 'what if's'. Let God guide your decisions so that you can be the spiritual leader the Lord has called you to be in the relationship you finally enter into. 

Ok, now that I've laid that all out on the table, I must go and study.
xo

Friday, November 26, 2010

Day 3: Elmo


Today is Elmo's turn! I also purchased these Elmo socks at the Night Market in downtown Vancouver, sometime in the spring or summer (can't remember).

Elmo always reminds me of being little. I used to love watching Sesame Street, back in the days when it was still a Street, not a Park, and Ernie and Bert still had baths together and shared a bed. No one thought anything of that stuff back then. Elmo reminds me of bath time as a girl because I had the whole Sesame Street character set as bath toys. My Dad would talk like Grover, saying "Neaaarrr" and "Faaarrr", and make me laugh. Elmo reminds me of living on 4th Street and having my best friend, Lindsay, live in the apartment upstairs. We would have tea parties on the front lawn, do somersaults over the bars outside, watch The Little Mermaid, dance like fools to 'Walk Like An Egyptian' and 'Kokomo', and have sleepovers where her Mom would make us a snack tray before bed. We would giggle until we couldn't stay awake anymore (probably about 9pm - ha!). We both had adorable cats. Mine was named Tot and she was a Sealpoint Siamese. Oh man, I loved that cat. Lindsay's cat was named Thunder and he was grey and white. One time we tried to see if Thunder could fly and threw him off the 2nd story balcony at the pine tree. In hindsight it was really cruel, and totally stupid, but Thunder lived (thank goodness he held onto a pine tree branch) and we found him after just up the block, scared out of his mind. Gee, I wonder why.

Other things that remind me of being little:
- feety pajamas
- Smurf bedsheets
- CareBear sleeping bag (not sure why I had one, we didn't ever go camping)
- dresses
- purple rubber boots
- frilly socks (if anyone has a pair of these that would fit me and I could wear for a day - PLEASE send them!)
- sleepovers on the hide-a-bed
- Angels in the Outfield, Little Rascals, and what was that one with Devon Sawa that was about football? Shoot, I can't remember the name.
- the book - Bridge to Terabithia
- our hideous carpet and yellow kitchen appliances
- playing hide-and-seek in the apartment building
- rollerblading
- riding my bicycle
- my imaginary friend, Bentley. He got hit by a car.
- walking to school with my wet hair freezing into icicles on the way
- day care
- cuddling with Tot under the covers
- my Father taking photos of me crying (I can think of at least THREE specific pictures)...maybe I'll post them if I find them.

I could probably go on forever, but I will stop there. It's fun to think about the things that made up parts of your childhood and remind you of being small. As much fun as most of those things were though, I am really glad that I am older now and independent.

Dinner time...
xo

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Day 2 continued: Apple Tarte

Warning: I'm feeling all sentimental and stuff.

I went to Joy's Uncle and Aunt's place for American Thanksgiving tonight with Joy and Rebecca. It was so nice. Great food and just such a nice, funny, and giving family! I really appreciated them inviting both Rebecca and myself into their home and allowing us to be a part of their family time. Us ladies (our favourite word!) had such great chats in the car on the way out there and the way back.

It just got me thinking how grateful I am for friends and family.

Friends are those people that you can be completely candid with. You can share how you truly feel, what you are deeply struggling with, and all of your insecurities. They do not laugh at you, only with you. They do not use your secrets against you as ammunition in a disagreement. They support you and help you to come to conclusions in your life, all the while showing sound judgment in their responses. These are the people that cheer you on when your world feels like it's crumbling like an avalanche, and you feel weighed down and heavy. Friends pick you up and help you stand, and sometimes even shoulder some of the load for you. How amazing are friends, really? I know that I couldn't do what I do every day without the support of amazingly giving and sincere people behind me. To all of my friends (past, present, and future) -- I adore each and every one of you, often for very different reasons, and I thank you for the part you have played in my life thus far, and will continue to play until I am an old woman.

Family. Family often play the role of friend when you need them to and also play the role of those crazy people you are sometimes slightly ashamed to admit are your 'next of kin'. Family members have the power to build you up and also tear you down like no one else in your life could. Family members know how to make you angry with just a word, and know how to make you extremely happy as well. I am so blessed to have the amazing family that I do. I have this wondrously large and complex family structure filled with half-siblings, step-siblings, parents, step-parents, grandparents, and all the rest of the extended families that branch from there. These people mean the world to me and again, each and every one has their place in my life and in my heart that could not be filled by any other. Though we fight, make each other cry and want to scream at times, there is an inexplicable bond of love that only a family member could possibly feel for another. For this feeling of unwavering, unconditional and complete love, I thank my family. And know that love is reciprocated every day, no matter how far away you are.

I encourage everyone to hug a family member or friend when you read this. If hugging is not your thing, just express your love for them in whatever way you can. Show people you love them consistently. We are never guaranteed tomorrow, and there is no better way to show your true self than to love another completely, despite any perceived faults. Much like a garage sale is one man's junk and someone else's treasure; what you see as a fault could be someone else's favourite thing about that person.

Shoulder someone's burden, if even for a little while. Be in relationship with one another. Love one another.

Just love.

xo

Day 2: Apple Tarte

Yes, I do know how to spell apple tart. My socks do not.
Today in honour of celebrating American Thanksgiving with friends, I decided to wear socks that had food with cartoon smiles on them. I realize that one does not generally eat apple tarts at Thanksgiving, or even apples for that matter, but they are the only socks I own that have food on them. Seemed appropriate. Food makes me smile too.

I bought my socks at the Vancouver Night Market in Chinatown one evening. They had a table of six pairs of socks for, I think, $10. I thought that was a pretty good deal considering not one pair of socks on that table was boring. They all had a slight defect that I didn't notice until I got home. You know the line across the toe that's usually on top of your feet? Well, all six of these pairs of socks have it underneath my toes -- a small sacrifice for such cute footwear.

After school today I was pleasantly surprised when I walked to my car in the ABOVE ZERO celsius temperature. It feels like summer after the -40 with wind chill we had earlier this week. Plus two today is practically t-shirt weather. The roads are messy (as in, using windshield washer fluid every 5 minutes), but the sun is shining and that makes me a happy girl.

That reminds me of a discussion I had with a friend the other day. At what point in life do you stop referring to yourself as a 'girl' and start referring to yourself as a 'woman'? I think I technically fall into the 'woman' category, being in my mid-twenties, but it's hard to break the habit of referring to myself as a 'girl' and to males as 'boys'. However, when I think a guy is attractive it also seems rather strange to refer to him as a 'boy' considering what people generally picture in their head is a 12-year-old, and being attracted to a 12-year-old boy would just be wrong...and illegal. Must break this habit of calling men 'boys' so as to avoid...jail time?

Anyways, back to the topic of Thanksgiving. What are people thankful for?
I know I'm thankful for people with public Facebook profiles. It just makes Facebook creeping a lot easier!

I hope you all enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner (if you're having one)! I know I will, even if there are no "Apple Tartes" there.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Day 1: Mr. Incredible

Today I am wearing my Mr. Incredible socks (picture is terrible, but I'm not at home). I bought this pair of socks probably about three years ago at a Wal-Mart, in the little boys section. I just realized this is not the only time I've shopped in the little boys section. I also did it in Disneyland while on the hunt for Peter Pan gear. Seriously why do girls only love Tinkerbell? She's snobby and rude. Peter Pan, the lost boys, John, and Michael, are clearly where it's at. Anyways, I digress.

In my Mr. Incredible socks, nothing...incredible happened. At least not so far (it's only 4:30pm)!

However, I did have an epiphany that following through with this blog may make it hard for me to match my socks to my underwear and my shirt, like I currently do. Too much information? Maybe, but it's the truth. I may be a tad obsessive-compulsive -- if you saw my underwear and sock drawer, you would believe that.

On another note, I have started my 'Socks for Lydia' fund and put the word out on Facebook, which means everyone should know -- tell your friends! I need to have socks for this blog to be successful and I currently only have about 30 pairs (and some of them are really too boring to be a part of the blog). My requirements are that the socks are fun, clean, and NOT toe socks because I dislike them and know I'd be uncomfortable in them all day.

If something incredible happens this evening, I'll write again...

xo

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

In the beginning...

This will be a blog for 365 days of socks. A different pair of socks each day for 365 days. These are the stories of what has happened in my life each day in a different pair of socks.