Farewell 2009!

So it seems that the year is indeed coming to a quick close.  This has truly been a great year. I thought I would recap some of the best of my 2009 (in no particular order).

1) Going on exchange-  Spending 5 months abroad in Europe was one of the best experiences of my life.  It was incredible being on my own in a foreign country, being able to jet of to Greece for week, meeting so many amazing  and diverse people, and finally making use of my secondary and tertiary languages.

2) Moving in with my bff at school- It makes life much easier when in a hazed mid-exam week state someone can interpret your odd mumbles and perplexed expressions and can read your mind.
3)First half of senior year-  It's hard to believe I'm in my last year for my Commerce degree.  It has truly been a whirlwind.  I've definitely tried to experience everything my school has to offer this year. I was a leader during orientation week, attended our Fauxcoming football game, went to the engineering Greasepole (see old post for explanation), and tried to become more active in my business school's student government (mostly through bake sales and volunteering. I also made the bake sale sign below)

4) Started my blog- Sure I may not be queen of the blogosphere, but that's not matter.  I've had a great time writing my posts (on the rare occasions I've found the time) and reading those of the many wonderful bloggers out there.
5) Secured my position as the Craft Queen amongst my friends-  With my newly-acquired Martha Stewart craft supplies (and they are truly amazing), I've glittered, painted, and colored my 2009 away, and it has been a blast.  I love arts and crafts, which is why everyone keeps telling me I should accept my fate and become a kindergarden teacher.
6)Michael Buble released a new album- I LOVE Michael Buble.  I think he brought so many wonderful classics back to life and added so great new songs of his own.  I especially love Haven't Met You Yet.  So good!

There are of course many more, but my mind is slightly distracted by the upcoming festivities.

And of course I have new resolutions for 2010 (and beyond):

1)More workouts- Sure this is a staple on most lists, but it's definitely true.  While I tend to work out quite often during routine weeks, during those of stress I tend to lag a bit on my gym visits.  I really do love that post-workout endorphin kick and feeling healthier in general. And of course it's important to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle, which is quite difficult as a student, but equally important.
2)Cook more- as a student who doesn't live on campus I'm forced to fend for myself for food.  I'd love to say that I cook myself a wonderful meal everyday, but unfortunately that is not the case.  I'm unfortunately a frequenter of mac and cheese and frozen pizza.  As a recent vegetarian I'd really like to cook for myself much more often in the new year.  I've come to love tofu so it's definitely becoming a staple of mine.
3)Read more- I've barely enjoyed personal reading over the last year- again the plight of a college student.  So I vow to spend more time reading for pleasure in 2010, rather than only for school.  I have so many books in my personal library that I have yet to read, and I've had a hankering to finally dig into them.
4)Clean!- It's been far too long since I've done real 'spring cleaning.'  I have far to much in my room, and my closet is bursting at the seams. It's about time I take out one of the 365 days of the new year to finally purge my room of the unnecessary.  I also have so much that I really don't use that someone else could need far more than I do.  I foresee a hefty trip to the Salvation Army in my future.
5)Update- my blog, my to do lists, my journal.  It's important to take the time to jot my life down everyday, otherwise I will quickly find myself over my head.  I must remain organized!
6)Less Starbucks- Even though I moved a little further away from campus this year (and a lot further away from my neighborhood Starbucks), I still found myself visiting the coffee shop far too often.  The baristas now know me by name, never a good sign.  Last year I received an actual Starbucks Barista espresso machine for my birthday, so I aim to make my own lattes at home instead of heading to Starbucks everyday.  It's really too expensive of a habit.

And again, I'm sure there are far many more that I need to include on my list, but there's a glass of champagne with my name on it!

Happy 2010!

-MJ

Vacation So Far and Me and Orson Welles

Greetings from Orlando!  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and is looking forward to ringing in the new year (and new decade)!  I can't believe it was a whole decade ago that everyone was worrying about y2k, and here we are about to enter the 2010s.  Time really does fly by too quickly.

So I have had a great vacation so far.  I spent a week in a condo in Fort Lauderdale.  Our condo was right on the beach, with only an elevator ride and a few steps down to sandy beaches and ocean waters.  Although there were icky blue jelly fish lining the shore, I went on enough walks to find some great shells to bring back to Canada with me.  I also did some great shopping!  The outlet mall in Ft. Lauderdale is beyond amazing.  I found so many great items at the J. Crew outlet for some great prices.
I'm also the proud new owner of a pink Kate Spade Wellesley Quinn.  I LOVE it oh so very much!

We also headed over to West Palm Beach.  I was hoping to pop by the Lilly Pulitzer, but it was a little too far.  But have no fear, I stopped by C. Orrico for some Lilly goodies.  I found some great deals on a swimsuit, a skirt, and I somehow scored Lilly espadrilles for a mere $10!  Deal of the century!  After a lovely time relaxing and reading on the beach, I flew to Orlando yesterday and have been spending time with some old friends from high school. It's so nice to be back. I feel like I'm home again.  Tonight I went to see Me and Orson Welles at the Enzian theatre.

I'm not sure how many of you liked Citizen Kane, but it's one of my favorite movies, and I think it's one of the best movies of all time.  I thought Me and Orson Welles did a great job of showing the big-headedness and ego of Orson.  He was known for being a little unkind. It has also been years since I've seen a Shakespeare play, so it was enjoyable to see the portrayal of Julius Caesar, and a good one at that.  And of course having Zac Efron in it made it a little more enjoyable to watch as well.

Happy Wednesday!

Off to Florida

Farewell bloggers, for tomorrow I fly to Florida to send some time sunbathing in

Miami

Key West

Orlando

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  And for those of you not in Florida, stay warm!

Holiday Break

As of 7 this morning, I am officially done with this the fall semester of my senior year of college!  I can't believe I'm halfway through already!
Now that I can take my mind off school, I can finally be free to think about Christmas and Florida ( my family leaves for Miami on tuesday!).  I have barely started my Christmas shopping, I still have to pack my entire suitcase, and I have yet to send off my holiday cards.

I'm a little sad that my family will be celebrating Christmas in a condo instead of our usual decorated house, but I'm just super thankful to head to warmth.   I  saw this dress at Talbots and think it would be perfect for Christmas dinner.  I only hope I can still find it in stores this close to the holidays.

And I have been making a mental list of what to wish for from Santa.  I've been smitten by the Lilly website.

I think it's time I add some height to my McKims

Pink!

Classic, cheerful, crave-worthy!

I love board games. My housemate and I have a game night coming up, and I would love to whip out this Lilly-good-time!

I would also love the Ugly Betty dvds.  They would be great for study breaks.

Santa, if you're reading this, please feel free to email me if you have any questions.  I think I've been pretty good this year. If I must get a lump of coal, could you please at least make it pink?

I suppose I should go start packing now.

Miss Dior Commercial

Still plugging away, finishing my last essay of the semester (hence my disappearance from the blogosphere), but I saw this commercial on tv and am just drawn to it. Oh to be able to frolic through the streets of Paris!

Southern Proper

I love Southern Proper.  They have such adorable items, and really, who doesnt' love their boy in a bow tie?  Well now Southern Proper has blog, titled Pransey Proper: the musings of a preppy southern belle. It has some fun features such as southern stats and Pransey's fancies.  Check it out here:

http://www.southernproper.com/pransey/

Fun Watch

I Would Rather...

So currently I am doing this because of a huge Art of the High Renaissance paper:

I would rather be making these :

(these ones are made by Andover Cookie Mama)

While drinking one of these:

And watching this:

I just want to be on holiday break already!

Way To Go Gaels and Gators!!!

 

What a great weekend for college football. Of course the Gators won yet another game.  I'm hoping I can find a way to watch the FSU/UF game online. It's always a good game to watch- so much spirit on both sides.

What was truly amazing was the victory of Queen's, who won the Yates Cup for the first time since the 1970s. So exciting!  Now all they have to beat is the team from Quebec, and then they are nationals bound.

Laval, I hope you're ready, because you're going down!

Remembrance Day

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 - 1918)

Niagara Weekend

This weekend my housemates and I are traveling to Niagara Falls (where on of them, my bff DW, lives) to show our German and Polish friends one of Canada's greatest treasures.

Today we saw the Falls, and they are GORGEOUS, especially at night, when they are lit from behind in a whole slue of different colors. After losing a game of rock, paper, scissors, Nora forced me to go up the Niagara Sky Wheel (much scarier than a ferris wheel) at night. Once our little pod started shaking, I completely lost my nerves. So scary!  However, we were lucky enough to go on at the right time, because halfway through our ride we saw some beautiful fireworks over the Falls. So I suppose the amazing visual end to our day was worth my momentary freakout.

Tomorrow we head over to the American side to do a little shopping. I'm so excited to visit the J Crew and Kate Spade outlets.  We have our Commerce semiformal coming up next weekend, so I'm hoping to find a new dress.

Then it's off at 6am Monday morning for the 5 hour drive back to school.  I'm definitely going to have to stop by Starbucks to get some sustenance.

Happy Weekend (and Go Gators)!

Post Halloween

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!  Here I am with my housemate Nora from Germany:

The stripes started falling off unfortunately, so you can't really see all of the words of my spelling bee costume.  But it was still darn cute!

Lilly Sale!

Lilly - 50% + love of pink and green + Under the Palm Tree = bliss

In case you haven't heard yet, Under the Palm Tree is taking 50% off the Lilly fall collection, plus offering free shipping.  I really shouldn't have, but I couldn't resist picking up a couple of items:

I admit, I have become a Lilly addict, and I can't wait to receive my order!

Halloween

I don't know about you, but I am SUPER excited for Halloween!  I love dressing up, I love carving pumpkins, and I love the colors (mainly because my high school's colors were black and orange, so October was essentially an entire month of school spirit fun).  Every year I try to outdo myself with my costume.  Last year I was the Travelocity garden gnome:

This year I think I will go as a spelling bee.  I have a yellow dress on which I will pin black ribbon and velcro letters, spelling out some of my most commonly used sayings such as "gosh darn" and "holy moly". Now I just need to find time to cut out the mass of letters. What is everyone else doing for Halloween?  

Busy Busy Busy as a Bee!

I am so very happy that it is the weekend but, unfortunately, the majority of my weekend will be spent studying for my Medieval Art exam,

an Art of the High Renaissance slide test (somehow I have to memorize 200 works of art),

and an observation study for my Marketing Research class (I get to people watch and make notes- basically stalk people for an hour).

Hopefully I can make it through the following week in one piece!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Autumn Is Here To Stay

Well it appears that autumn is here to stay after all. After experiencing cycles of warm and then cold weather for the last couple of weeks, it seems that the cold is here to stay, much to my dismay. Thankfully this weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving, so I will be driving home to Ottawa and will be depositing my summer clothes. No more summer dresses, flip flops, or cotton skirts. This makes me sad. It also means that my fellow students will be leaving behind their bright colors and exchanging them for their dark, bleak ideals of the colder months. However, when it comes to my color, I REFUSE to give in. So what if my bright pink Vera tote and pink and green striped cardigans will receive concerned looks of consternation, I will display them proudly.

On a happy note, it does mean I get to whip out some of my favorite fall staples:

London Fog black trench

Classic black industrial rain boots (a necessity in the Kingston rain storms)

My Monet umbrella (a sturdy handle is a must, considering the strength of the wind coming off Lake Ontario)

A Land's End tote (I prefer these over those of L.L. Bean because they contain plenty of pockets to keep all of my school necessities. ) I wish I could fill my tote with beach gear, but unfortunately it's full of books, binders, my laptop, and my frequently-refilled coffee tumbler.

A J. Crew cord blazer. A classic to accomplishing a put-together academic look, especially if paired with an oxford shirt, a v-neck sweater, and a pair of sperry's

Personalized coffee tumblers are a definite must. I refill mine at least 3 times a day during the school week to keep me awake and warm. Not to mention, these are far more environmentally-friendly than getting a new paper cup with every coffee purchase. This one from Frugal Frou Frou is simply perfect!

Unfortunately, it's also time to trade my favorite Ray-Bans wayfarer sunglasses for my D&G reading glasses. A necessity if I actually want to see anything in class.

And just for fun, I always tie my Lilly jubilee scarf on my tote, just to keep a little of the summer spirit in the colder months.

My Home away from Home

I've noticed a lot of bloggers have been posting images of their dorm rooms and thought I would do so myself. My room is a little small and cluttered, but it's pink and, therefore, makes me happy. I currently share a house off campus with some of the best people in the world, including my bff DW. It's truly an amazing house of people, and we have an amazing time together. Last week DW packed her backpack full of picnic supplies and containers full of pasta, sauce, salad, and apple cobbler, and we had a picnic outside the library. People gave us interesting looks, but we know they were just jealous.

Happy Weekend!

Recent Events

I recently took a trip back home to Ottawa to show the two exchange students (a girl from Germany and a boy from Poland) who are living with me here at school my nation's capital. Here are some photos from our trip:

I LOVE this house. It's an estate in Gatineau Park, only a short drive away from my house. It's a frequent stop for my family. So beautiful.

Here I am with Nora, me wearing my new school sweater. This year my school came out with these darling ivy-league inspired cardigans with our school crest and stripes on the sleeves. I of course scooped one up as quickly as possible.

..........................

Normally my school is supposed to have an annual Homecoming, but because our last principal (who was only the interim principal attempting to flex his muscles for his 3 months in office) decided to cancel our homecoming for 2 years. A little history- my school was in the news a couple of years ago for tipping a car upside down and setting it on fire during one of the massive homecoming celebrations. So I understand the school's actions to minimize the craziness of the event. Even though we didn't have an official homecoming this year, we still attended the football game and celebrated with a "faux-coming" party.

Our football players. Pretty good. Much better over the last couple of years. But I'd much rather see Tebow on the field.

Our crazy engineers. They have this strange tradition of rushing the field during halftime and slamming their jackets against the ground. That and they dye themselves completely purple. Very odd, but fun to watch.

Our cheerleaders. Adequate, but not all that fantastic. I miss the spectacles of Gator games.

So although it was unofficial, it was still a fun weekend. I suppose the fun is now over, and it's time to get back to work. I already miss summer vacation.