start spreading the news...

♪♪i am leaving today

i want to be part of it

new york, new york♪♪

 (frank sinatra)

the day is finally here! we are off to NYC tonight!!  we'll be taking a bus that leaves at 9pm and we'll get there by 7am. do i even have to say how excited i am? i don't think so. i know a 10 hour bus ride isn't for everyone, but here's why we prefer it over flying:

-the fact that we are each paying $13 return, compared to flights that are likely around $200, or a little more or less. no, i'm not joking.

-we don't have to worry about getting in mid-day; we have the whole day ahead of us by getting there at 7am

-the whole no liquid, no bottles or other ridiculous, stupid airplane security rules--don't apply!

-no long line ups (except for stopping at the border for about an hour at 11pm-ish; small price to pay)

-we can spend a bit more on where we stay because we're basically traveling for free.

-better for the environment!

some people might hate driving overnight, but i sleep majority of the time. dylan? he gets a little cranky and uncomfortable, but we both love taking the bus. i love waking up around 5:30, 6am while we're driving through jersey, and then seeing the skyline in the distance when we get close. for us, it works.

we don't do the tourist thing when we go now. we like to pretend we're real new yorkers. while we don't have any set plans and prefer to just let our feet take us wherever, there are a few things i have jotted down: serendipity (we've eaten dessert here once before and it was oh so good), strand bookstore (loved this place last year), the huxtable house (from the cosby show!), a walk across the brooklyn bridge (which i'm surprised i've never done) which will lead to a few places i can't wait to try in brooklyn-grimaldi's pizza, brooklyn ice cream factory (which i saw on the food network), and cake man raven (which i also heard about on the food network; one of the food network stars said this place has the best red velvet cake, so obviously i have to try it), and visit the top of the rock (yes, this one is touristy, but we've never done it, and i really do want a full view of the city).

so that's that. we have 5 full days. 7am saturday to 10pm wednesday. i'm hoping the weather holds up. it keeps changing when i look it up. i don't think it's going to be as warm as last year even though we're going at the exact same time. last year we were boiling hot wearing shorts and t-shirts, and getting burned; doesn't look like that will be the case this year. ah well.

taken last year from the manhattan bridge

what the heck am i going to do for the next 12 hours while we're waiting to go!? besides packing, of course. i wish i was a light packer, but i'm not. i wish i could plan my outfits, but i don't. i feel like i need options! anyways, cross your fingers for good weather and we'll be back soon!! (or maybe not, i have no school now, so maybe i should just stay there...)

♥♥♥

i've got 1 or 2 scheduled

posts for next week.  this blog

won't go *that* quiet :) 

end of the road...

well, this morning i write my last university exam. i'm sure by the time most of you read this, i'll be in the middle of writing it, or done (it's at 9am). this is what i've worked 4 years towards and it's hard to believe it's finally here. i'm not really sure what to feel. relief, that's for sure. but also now the new stress that comes along with looking for and applying for jobs. but also, i feel like a bit of a failure for not going on to do my masters. it seems everyone is getting their masters and phd's nowadays, and it seems that a university degree just doesn't cut it anymore. but after college and university, i need a break for at least a year. maybe i'll go back to school in the future; i'm definitely not ruling it out. but looking online at jobs briefly, it just seems as though i'm not qualified for much of anything.

but anyways, enough of being mopey-i'm done university and that's an accomplishment! i should be proud! and i am. it feels darn good :) weird, but good.

i don't know what's next, but i'm looking forward to finding out.


edit: i'm done now!!! it feels really crazy and surreal to know that i have no more exams or late nights or studying or papers to write. what?!?! thanks for the comments and congrats thus far!! :):) ♥♥ i just woke up from a nap (i was up at 5am) but i'm going back to hang out in bed and read!!

nothin' like grandma's home cookin'...

..from her homemade pasta sauce and meatballs, and breaded chicken to her stuffed artichokes. good italian cooking. but oh the artichokes. i never used to touch those things. and neither did my dad. he would come home the odd time with a few for my mom and she loved it because neither of us ate them, so she got them all to herself! not sure why i was so against it, there's nothing i don't like in them. eventually, me and my dad both gave in, and now we love em!

 ready to go...

stuffing away

 pre-cooking

i don't know the exact recipe, but i know that sliced garlic, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs all get mixed together, then add some extra virgin olive oil. then you whack the artichokes to open them up a bit, and just start stuffing. then they get put in a pot with a lil but of water and put on the stove to steam with a lid for about an hour and a half. i believe with about an hour left, a bit of extra virgin olive oil gets put on top of each one (i'm sure there's variations of this recipe online). mm mm mm. i mean, you're not even eating the artichoke. you're basically using it as a spoon to scrape off the goodness with your teeth. and now i want one.

birds of a feather...

on saturday, i got to take pictures for an outdoor event. dylan has been volunteering with this particular committee for a couple years and volunteered me up to be the one to take the pictures. i figured it's good to put on my resume too ;) i was a little intimidated, but overall, once i got into it, it was a good day. i got to go in the aviary and then saw a couple owls too, which was awesome. i think i now love owls.

 i love this one! haha he kinda reminds me of the dramatic chipmunk on youtube

 such a gorgeous creature.

 octavius the owl

another fantastic lookin' creature

are these guys photogenic or what?! this one was itty bitty, but 8 years old.

 enthralled by him. kinda wanted to take him home.

oh, she all of a sudden got glasses? ha, nicknamed; the professor.

i think this is enough for now. it was a good experience and the lady in charge was really happy with all the pictures (400 which was then narrowed down to 170 which were edited). apparently i captured the joy. so that was a nice compliment :) maybe they'll have me back next year!

100 years...

how cool is this picture of NYC from 1911..and the fact that it was taken exactly 100 years ago. wow have things changed...

via

 via

such a great angle via

we will be leaving 1 week today!!
woohooo
back to my city.
back to the city that has my heart.
♥

chewy bites of love...

yesterday between reading and studying i decided i wanted to whip up some type of cookie or other simple dessert. instant *light bulb*-coconut macaroons. o.m.g. i go crazy for these things. i used the recipe from Amanda's blog-Small Home Big Start. she's got a tonne of recipes and they all look so good. i won't post the recipe, you can just check out the link if you wanted to make them. they are ridiculously easy (we're talking 5 minute prep time) and they come out all chewy and delicious.

for me, it made about 14.

when i was looking in the fridge to see if we had coconut so i cook make these, i saw we had candy melts!! they're what i use for cake pops. so i thought, well, i'll just spruce up a few macaroons.

 at first, the pink wasn't hardening and i was a little disappointed. but eventually it did. i think it was from the grease on the pan that was mixing with it.

i should have made them later in the day. about half were gone by the time my parents got home from work. woops.

abc's about ME...

i saw this going around a bit, and i thought, why not fill my friends in on what size bed i sleep on and possible x-rays?

Age: 23
Bed size: double. wish for a california king
Chore you hate: hmmm probably dusting
Dogs: yes. love them. obviously. there's miss chloe. but i also eventually want a giant one (think great dane, bull mastiff, bouvier, bernese mountain dog...)
Essential start to your day: going pee? lol or eating an apple
Favorite color: to wear? black. so boring and drab, i know. decorate? white or dark plum
Gold or silver: silver. although i do love the look of rose gold for the odd thing
Height: 5'2" and i love it :)
Instruments i play (or have played): the recorder in grade school ;)
Job title: the student title is now done, so i suppose at this moment my title is 'unemployed'-lovely
Kids: one day
Live: Toronto
Mom's name: to me-mom
Nickname: when i was young,  my dad called me bones. now my friends just call me bee or bree (which is what you all know me as, but that's a short form)
Overnight hospital stay: nope.
Pet peeve: tonnes. but the first one that comes to mind is people who walk too slow on the sidewalks, or walk in packs, or stop abruptly, or come towards you in a group and expect you to move out of the way. ugh. can you tell i walk everywhere???
Quote from a movie: "can't see the lines, can ya russ?" from christmas vacation (first thing that came to my mind!)
Right or left handed: right
Siblings: none. always wished for one though
Time you wake up: generally between 7:30-8:30 on my own
Underwear: yes, i wear it...
Vegetables you dislike: mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes; i'm sure there's more
What makes you run late: nothing! i'm always on time. i hate lateness
X-rays you've had done:  just dentist ones. oh, and i'm assuming i had one when i broke my collar bone when i was about 3 (i fell off my parents bed..i didn't get the nickname bones for nothin' ha)
Yummy food you make: grilled cheese. and red velvet cake. i'd say i'm pretty decent at a lot of things though
Zoo animal: i could do a whole post of the animals i love: tigers, penguins, elephants, monkeys (and everyone in that general category), meerkats...

so there you have it. the most random things you probably didn't care to know anyway!
love, yours truly. and chloe.

back in the city for a day..

yesterday, me and dylan drove into toronto for my 4th final. it snowed. i wore my winter coat. in mid april! not normal..

arriving back home

i've never gotten a heart in my latte from starbucks before-totally made my day while walking to my exam! and then i'm sitting there in the building, my friend gets there, and he says "gee, looks like you pulled an all-nighter." nope i didn't. but thanks!

 

after my final was done (which i think went well), we went for pizza. oh so good. i got white sauce, goat cheese and article hearts (white magic i think it was called), and dyl got asiago cheese, mushrooms and onion. it was called the 'magic mushroom pizza' and yes me made a joke to the waitress. 

then, an apple came with the bill!? so random but i started eating it right away. nice little gesture.

overall, pretty good day. you know what was weird though? i looked at the clock on the stove on my way out the door in the morning-9:32am-and when i pulled back in my parents driveway after getting back into toronto? 9:32pm.  i think that means the universe is on my side or something.

this is slightly awkward...

first of all, let me just say how my parents house is set out. you walk in the front door, there's a hallway straight ahead and the living room is to the right. the hallway is maybe 15-20 long and then it goes right upstairs. at the stairs, the kitchen is to the right. probably a terrible explanation, but whatever. chloe loves to run from the front door, all the way up the stairs, to the end of the upstairs hallway and back to the front door like a madwoman. she goes super fast and does a lot of laps until she's tired. ok, now that that's outta the way...

lemme set the scene..weekday morning, my parents are at work and me and dyl are in the kitchen figuring out what to eat for breakfast. he says something along the lines of, "imagine when we have a house this big; what are we going to do with all this space?" and for some reason i just pictured him running back and forth like chloe does. then i decided to show him what i thought and i started running back and forth. on my way up the stairs, i meant to kind of slow down and lay down, but i failed. i landed harder than expected and got carpet burn while laughing my face off...

it's like, "oh what happened to your elbow?" "well, ya know, just running up and down the hallway like the dog..."       *crickets*

i texted my friend and sent her a picture, and she was all "are you joking? haha" and i informed her that no, i was not joking. i'm a bit of an artard.

 it doesn't look that bad, but it stung like a bitch all day. and the next day. and then even worse the 3rd day. it got much redder and now it's scabbing (this happened thursday morning). lovely. i think because i always had long sleeves on and it was rubbing, so i finally put a band-aid on.

so there's your life lesson for the day; don't run like an idiot! you'll fall and it'll sting. and then you'll have a not so cute scab.

automatic laughter...

it's friday. duh. as if you all didn't know that. i thought i would leave you this little video that had me in tears (in a good way) from laughing. i was hitting my desk i was laughing so hard. after dylan sent it to me, i watched it a second time, then i showed it to my friend, then i showed it to my mom. and basically anyone who would watch. i think it's that funny. the girl is clearly having a fantastic time. i should film my own. now all i need is a mac (& i don't want one, so there goes that idea).

enjoy!

and have a happy weekend

road trippin'...

oh, didn't i tell you? i went for a sweet bike ride this weekend. just me and the open road. so relaxing...

i loved having the mountains behind me, the trees on either side of me. freedom, i tell ya. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

juuuuust kidding, of course.

 just playing around on dylan's brothers bike that he's fixing up.
i'm so sexy on a bike.
makes me look hard.core.
i should get a tattoo on my butt to match this new image.

(dylan very quickly (obviously) 

photoshopped the first picture) 

i don't share food...

after wandering around looking at antiques on saturday, the 4 of us built up an appetite. we weren't quite sure where to eat, but quickly remembered a place we had heard about in the area. we were told that this place was a total dive, but the portions were huge and the food was good (you know, burgers, onion rings, fries, stuff like that). the place was barely a restaurant. you walk in, order at the counter, and there's a few scattered tables. but this place has been around for years and years. remember the last time we ate at that americanized restaurant, and the portions were huge? very similar. it was embarassing.

i opted for the single burger. which you can see was huge. and came with 2 patties!! single=2 patties?! sure. couldn't quite finish the last few bites.

moms chicken fingers and fries. really?!? we all could have shared those fries...

check out that bad boy. double bacon cheeseburger (canadian bacon). in this case, a double=3 patties. he finished that baby. my dad got the same, minus the bacon.

 just because you needed a closer look. (this one is a phone pic)

and as you can see, because we didn't realize how much food was coming our way, we got another order of fries, and onion rings. we seriously laughed when all this was brought over to us. we were gluttonous pigs and enjoyed it all. until we were walking back to the car and could barely move. we brought majority of the fries and onion rings home with us.

(i do share food, especially in this case. well, except maybe red velvet. i don't share that. but did anyone catch the reference? "joey doesn't share food!" [friends])

saturday antiques...

saturday morning road trip (not really, only 45 minutes away) to an antique place with my parents and dyl. it was just ok. i like the one we go to in the summer better.

couldn't take pictures inside, so the above 3 are just with my phone...

 old broken down building

 dyl, me and dad walkin' to the next stop

typical "i'm terrified" picture whenever i see something butterfly related. yes, didn't you know? i'm deathly afraid of butterflies...

and another worn down structure i thought was cool

it was such a nice day (weather-wise too) and even though we didn't buy anything, it was fun to try out a new market and browse around. however, i think we'll stick to our regular place.

from dolls to dogs...

just over a week ago, my girl friend diana got a new puppy; an 18 week old cairn terrier. as official aunt (just as she is chloe's aunt), i was quite upset i wouldn't be able to see my niece until i came back to my parents. luckily, i only had to wait about 5 or 6 days to see her. my parents were also dying to meet her (also major dog lovers), so on friday afternoon, everyone came together and it was one great big exciting meeting. (there may or not be picture overload) ((also, very hard to take pictures of a puppy who is a ball full of energy!!))

 hi new bff, not sure what to think yet...

 of course my little rag-a-muffin isn't looking-brat!

 ahh i die! miss olive!

 after about 5 minutes, they were chasing each other around the family room having a great time.

 just taking a little break

olive, you are too cute

we used to play with dolls, now we have dogs. we're growing up. *tear*

stealing chloe's chew toys. brave

relaxation; i like you...

yesterday was a pretty darn good day. dyl came over, we hung out reading, went for a walk to taco bell for free tacos from 3-6 (!!) {canada} and then i had to pack, clean and do laundry because now i'm at my parents for a bit until my next exam. it was so nice not thinking about papers or exams.

dylan's toaster strudel art. he's cute.

last week my girl friend got a new puppy and today i finally get to see my niece!! i'm so excited. and then introduce chloe so they can be bff's and cousins. can't wait to take pictures of them together. and then tomorrow it's supposed to be around 15 degrees (60 degrees for you americans), and me, dyl, and my parents are going to an antique flea market thing. first one of the season! woohoo. excitement all around i tell ya.

hope everyone has a good weekend

♥