YOLO

Source: bluemooncandles.tumblr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Last week Michelle, who is currently travelling around the world with her boyfriend, wrote a post to inspire people to live out their dreams, even if they think they are impossible.  She said that she never thought she would be the type of person to sell all of her belongings and travel the world, but then she did it. 

I have been reading her world travel posts since she took off, and as much as I'm inspired by her, I still feel like I could never do it.  There are some things that I think shouldn't hold you back.  I'm not sticking around in cold Canada because of my job really.  I like my job, it's a good job and it's getting my career going, but if I really wanted to leave, I guess I could.

I feel like I'm just too Type A to pick up and go.  Honestly, what's keep me here, (besides the fact that I don't think that Ryan would ever go for the travelling the world thing), is my house.  I know that a house is just a house, but we have put everything into this home that we have created.  We have worked so hard to get it to where it is.  Plus, it's in the perfect location, so I would never want to sell it, for fear that we wouldn't find the same thing when we returned.  This isn't a 3 year house until we outgrow it, this is a 20 year house.  And the thought of renting it out....no.  Do you know what renters do to houses?  I don't even want to think about it.

To be honest, money is kind of a big thing for me as well.  It's not that I need to be rich, I just don't like the thought of going into debt.  And it's not that I don't value travel.  I absolutely value it and hope that we can do a lot of it.  But I think that I would find it much less stressful to travel small bits at a time.  I hope that we always have the means to travel somewhere each year.

So despite the fact that I don't see us being the type of people to just drop everything, Michelle did inspire me to think about it.  I was asking myself the question, could we do it?  She made me realize that we only have one life and that we shouldn't wait until tomorrow to live out our dreams.  So I'm going to work on making this one life the best I can, and make sure that it is what I want it to be. 

Pinterest Challenge: Paint Chip Coasters



It's time for another Pinterest Challenge!  That means that I find a Pin that I have been wanting to recreate, and actually recreate it!  The Pinterest Challenge is an idea thought up by Young House Love and Bower Power to get us all to stop pinning and start doing. 

This time around, I decided to do something that I pinned a long time ago.  Paint chip coasters.  I think I picked up the paint chips about a year ago from Home Depot and they have been waiting to be put to use ever since.

Source: craftycpa.blogspot.com via Kaileigh on Pinterest

I found some tiles at the Habitat for Humanity restore.  I splurged, $2 for 6 of them.  I'm out of control, I know.  Then I bought the big jar of Mod Podge, and since I got 40% off it was about $9.  Realistically I probably could have bought the smallest jar, but I didn't know how much I would go through.  Now I will just have to find things to Mod Podge in the future.  I didn't use spray acrylic, but I think it was something similar that Ryan already had.  So the whole project cost about $11.

I'm working hard, Pipsi is hardly working.

So I started putting the first coat of Mod Podge on the top of my paint chips and was having the hardest time trying to figure out how to get them to stick to the tile.  Ya, that just happened.  Try putting the Mod Podge underneath the paint chip.  Genius!  I'm new to this crafting thing.  I did let them dry overnight with a book on top and then put about 5 coats of Mod Podge on top.

The only thing I haven't done is to glue felt to the bottom.  I have to travel a whole kilometre down to the road to use my parents hot glue gun, and I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

They turned out alright I guess.  I couldn't get the edges to stick down to the edge of the tile.  If I could just figure that out I think that they would look much better.  But overall, not a bad DIY effort.

In Need of a Good Cry?

{via}

I randomly came across some Nicholas Sparks movie posters on Pinterest, and I can't believe I didn't see this trend sooner.  Do you think they mean to make them all the exact same?

But that leads me into today's post.  Safe Haven.  Have you seen it?  Because you should.  I went to see it with a co-worker last week, and I was pleasantly surprised.  I figured I would like it, because I loved the book.  I thought it was one of his best books since The Guardian.  But you just never know.   Last weekend I finally watched The Lucky One, and although it was good, it wasn't anything super special.

Safe Haven on the other hand kept me very entertained!  I found it a bit slow in the middle, but sometimes that's necessary in a chick flick because it's all about building the relationship.  It can't just be they meet, fall in love, the end.  The movie would be like 10 minutes long!  It was especially fun though because the girl that I was with hadn't read the book, so she had no idea what was coming.  It didn't hurt that it had Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough starring in it.  They were cast perfectly.  Oh and this kid:

{via}

She made the entire movie.  So cute.

I don't want to give anything away, but if you feel like watching a good chick flick that may or may not make you cry (or possibly sob like the lady 2 people down from me), then I highly recommend this movie. 

Mushroom Vacation

Another weekend bites the dust.  They go so quickly.  I spent a lot of this weekend working on a pinterest project and reading Harry Potter.  Book number five is done and I'm on to number six!

The highlight though, was acquiring this little mushroom.

I've been trying to sneak it out of my in-laws house and I finally succeeded.  I think it looks great in my house.  Just kidding Carrie....I will give it back.  Now that the thrill of stealing it is over maybe I don't really need it.  It is pretty neat though and I'm sure it is enjoying it's vacation at our house.  My father in law is super talented and makes them.  I will sell it to the first bidder for $50.  (Side business?)

 Of course while we were out there we went snowshoeing.  Ryan came along, but you obviously can't see him in that picture because of the camo outfit.  So sneaky.

Oh and Amy fell in a stream.  So obviously, we all watched and took pictures.  Willis just kept walking across the stream to show her how easy it was. 

And I'm not sure how to end this post so......see ya?

 

Sometimes I Wonder About Me....

So I have a story.  I received a call today from my bank asking about some charges on my credit cards.  $550 for some company that I had never heard of.  I said no, I definitely did not make that payment.  So a  few security questions later and I was cutting up my credit card.  Not a huge deal because I don't use it for everything.  I basically just use it for gas, and of course the contacts that I had decided to purchase online over the weekend.  (That purchase apparently wasn't the best idea, as that's probably the site that stole my number.  I did actually receive the contacts today though, so it seems legit.)

Anywho, then I went grocery shopping after work.  I put in an order at the pharmacy for a prescription, grabbed all my groceries, went back and paid for the prescription and then checked out to pay for my groceries.  Well I go to grab my debit card and it's not in my wallet.  Of course I knew that I had just used it, but all my groceries had been rung through and there is a lady behind me probably wondering why I didn't find my card earlier.  The groceries were $90, I had $40 cash in my wallet and no debit or credit card.  I panicked a little bit.  Then I remembered my emergency credit card.  It's been sitting in my wallet for years.  It has a low limit and I keep it just for moments like this.  Thank goodness. 

Source: ohmyfreakingstars.blogspot.com via Elsie on Pinterest

I went back after I put the groceries in my car, and my card was at the pharmacy.  I also signed the receipt with my married name, and the card is in my maiden name.  I will probably get the call from that company about the compromised card soon....

My Naked Entryway

My brother is home from his University reading week this week, and I went with my mom to pick him up at the bus station on Saturday.  We stopped at Wicker Emporium on the way there.  I wish I could buy everything in that store.  They have awesome furniture for really reasonable prices.  I have been looking for a table for our front entrance since we moved in.  The problem is, there isn't much room there.  The maximum length is 37 inches.  Most hall tables seem to be at least 10 inches longer than that.  I also don't want anything too bulky, because the entry isn't huge and you come through it to go into the living room.  I don't want it to seem crowded.  So we found this in the store.

It's 36 inches long and about 11 inches deep.  Perfect!  What's not perfect is the colour.  I just don't really enjoy the red.  And the only other colour it comes in is cream.  At first I thought about being all DIY and repainting it.  Then I thought better of that idea.  Chances are I would screw that up and then be pretty upset about ruining it.  It's a good price, but not good enough to destroy!  I feel like this space is just meant to be empty forever, and it makes me sad all day. 

So I guess the search continues.  What fun would decorating be if you found everything you needed right away?

Family Day

Today is Family Day.  A day that we all get off work to spend with our families I guess.  Well Ryan got up at a ridiculous hour to drive three hours and look at a car with my dad.  So Pips and I have been hanging.  We watched The Lucky One, did some stretching, a load of towels.  I'm trying to contain my excitement!  It's funny, no matter how relaxing my weekend is, I never feel like going back to work! 

Yesterday I guess was more of a family day.  We had Sunday Funday at my parents house.  My brother and my sister were both home from school, along with my sisters boyfriend.  Since Brady is at school 5 hours away, and Dean is 8 hours away, this doesn't happen very often.  We had a delicious turkey dinner and played Phase 10.  Phase 10 is a fantastic card game that we have been playing since I was just a wee one.  It was Dean's second time playing and Ryan's first.  They may not have the same appreciation for the game as we do. 
 

I forgot my camera, so blackberry pics will have to do

As I said, we have been playing the game for a long time.  Here is my sister and brother playing it in the Dominican 4 years ago.  Every night we would go to the coffee shop and play the game.  That's what you do on a family trip.  We had so much fun on that trip, that last night my sister tried to convince our parents that they should take all 7 of us on another trip.  She even offered to contribute $200 to the cause.  How nice of her, right?

It's a pretty long game though, so we eventually gave up on it so that we could watch The Amazing Race.  Which by the way, Bora Bora for the first leg?  I wouldn't even mind being the first one out (actually I probably would) if I got to go to Bora Bora! 

So there you have it, Family Day & Sunday Funday all wrapped into one!  I hope everyone else had a great weekend with their families too!

Valentines Smalentines

I'm not a fan of Valentine's Day.  I never have been.  I just don't see the point.  Needless to say, us eating dinner together at home (which is what we do every night), will be the extent of our Valentine's Day celebration.  But, if you do celebrate this silly little holiday, Happy Valentine's Day!

The one thing I do love about this day, is the red candy.  Red candy is the best isn't it? Red jelly beans, red jujubes, cinnamon hearts.  Yum.

I did, however, decide to participate in the Valentine's link up, because it seemed like fun. Ryan didn't agree, but he humoured me and answered the questions.

How long have you been married?
We both said 1 year 3 months.  It's easy to calculate at this point.

Where was your first date?
K: The Mandarin
R: The Mandarin

Yes, we went to an all you can eat Chinese buffet.  How romantic.

Where was your first kiss?
K: My parents house
R: My parents couch

Who first said, "I love you"?
We both agreed it was Ryan

What were your wedding colours?
He was correct and he said teal and gold

What is her most commonly used phrase?

I didn't know what Ryan was going to say to this, Ryan said "oh fella"
He's probably right, I call him fella most of the time.

If she was ordering drinks for both of you what would you each get?

K: I assumed it was if we weren't being cheap, what would our drink of choice be.  Creemore beer for him, Long Island Iced Tea for me

R: Water for both of us

I'm pretty cheap and I always order water at restaurants and I always try to get Ryan to order water.  I usually fail at that.

What is the best meal she has ever cooked you?

K: I make this Mexican Casserole that I think is delish
R: He said I don't cook, which is a dirty lie, I absolutely do.

What is the worst meal she has ever cooked you?

K: Most things (I said I cook, I didn't say I was good at it)

R: Never has made a bad meal

Clearly he was afraid of what would happen if he answered honestly.  I know he compares my cooking to his mother's.  She has had a bit more practice than me.

What would she say is your most annoying habit?

K: When he corrects me when I'm cooking

R: Leaving wet towels on the bed

Both things get on my nerves.

What is the last thing she does before she goes to bed?

K: Brushes my teeth and then reads

R: Reads

It drives him crazy when I leave the light on to read before bed.  I don't know why, because he's usually asleep within 10 seconds.

If you could throw out one item of her clothing what would it be?

K: I didn't know what he would say to this

R: Bra

I should have seen that coming...

What would you say is your favourite thing about her?
K: My ginger hair
R: "Titties"

To which I said, you are disgusting and do you realize that this is going on my blog...I decided to be honest about his answer anyways.  Dirty dog...

What's her go-to drink at Starbucks?

K: Vanilla Latte
R: Caramel Macchiato (Caramel Mach E Otto is actually how this one was spelled)

I will let this one slide because that used to be my go to but now I try to be healthier with the vanilla latte.  If I have a free drink though I usually treat myself and get a venti Caramel Macchiato.

What's her blog's name?!
The Osbott Spot - and he is correct.  He does actually read my blog.

The Best and Worst of the Grammys

I wanted a little red carpet action on the blog, and to share who I thought was best dressed and worst dressed.  I didn't actually watch the entire Grammy's because it was on until 11:30.  Excuse me?  It's a work night.  But I did watch the entire red carpet.

Best

First up is JT.  Usually I wouldn't give a man any credit, they just put on a suit and are good to go.  But for some reason he was especially handsome.  Maybe it's the hair?

I enjoyed Taylor's dress.  It was scandalous without looking scandalous.  And for once, during the show, she looked like she was having a good time, instead of being all moody and emo.  However, why can't they do something with her hair?  Dye it or something, the colour is just blah and then it's kinda straight but not straight.  It's confusing.

I don't like Rihanna.  I like her music, I don't like her.  But you can't deny that this dress is phenomenal.  And I love her with long hair.

Faith looked great.  That's all I have to say.

I thought Carly Rae Jepsen looked lovely.  Ryan said "she's really pale."  I said, but she's from Canada.  "Ya but she's as white as you are."  Well thanks....

Meh

I thought that Kaley looked nice, but it's the Grammy's, not the People's choice awards.  Pull out the gown.

I don't hate this dress, but I do kind of wonder what she was thinking.  It's a bit much. 

Worst

Colgate green clothing does nothing for me.  Just because we can see your boobs doesn't make a dress nice.

What is going on here?  Just because we can see your leg doesn't make a dress nice.  And I use the term dress loosely, because I really don't know what this is. 

Kimbra had her dress designed by Tinkerbell according to Ryan.  You look ridiculous.

This colour just isn't right for Nicole.  Her hair, skin and dress are all the same colour and she looks washed out.  But she did redeem herself when they were interviewing her and asked "Leather or Lace?".  She giggled and said a little bit of both.  I like seeing some personality. 

We didn't get that from a lot of the Canadian interviews, probably because the big names wouldn't talk to them.  You know who they did talk to though?  Casper Smart.  Also known as JLo's boyfriend.  It was the worst interview ever and he kept looking away hoping that someone would save him.  He was probably thinking, I'm just here with my hot gf, I didn't expect anyone to talk to me.  Then they talked to Nelly who proceeded to tell them all the things he has been up to and why he deserves to be there.  Ok then Nelly.  Just go sit with Ashanti, we don't know why she's at the Grammy's either.

With that said, Kaileigh out.

{All images from cbsnews.com}

Winter is Good For Something

Two years ago for Christmas, Ryan gave me snowshoes.  We used them once and it was an unhappy experience for me.  Take note: don't take your DSLR snowshoeing for the first time.  You fall in the snow and freak out when it gets wet.  So finally, after our winter storm, we had enough snow to go snowshoeing.  That's right, we didn't once have enough snow last winter to use them. 

This experience was more enjoyable.  I didn't fall once, so that right there is a bonus.  And I brought my waterproof camera along, which I was much more comfortable with. 

We probably snowshoed for 2 hours or so.  Which is a lot, considering I was tired after about 15 minutes.  It's not easy, but it's kind of fun and is a great workout! Which justified the 2 glasses of wine I had when I got back to the house....

Snowshoer down! (And it's not me)

Apparently it's going to get hot and rainy in the next few days, so that may have been our first and last snowshoe for the year.

Snowed In

So we got the storm.  And it's still snowing.  It's crazy town out there.  Needless to say, I didn't risk it to drive into work.

Instead I:

-walked up the street through waist deep (exaggeration) snow to visit the cutest baby (not an exaggeration)

-got caught up on TV

-baked some Peanut Butter and Banana Breakfast Cookies

-did yoga, because I left my gym bag, which has my running shoes in it, at work, doh!

-broke my bar pan - I'm pretty much devastated about this and the $46 price tag of a new one - birthday ideas family!

-played with a bobby pin for an hour - oh no wait, that wasn't me, it was Pipsi

-played with the draw string on a sweater for an hour (Pipsi again)

Now I'm going to huddle under a quilt on my couch, drink some coffee (that I briefly gave up on due to the broken bar pan), eat a breakfast cookie (as a snack) and read Harry Potter.  Oh and think about why I shouldn't be allowed to use the stove (because I almost set the house on fire and broke my bar pan.  If you haven't noticed, I'm pretty distraught about this).

 Pipsi is going to watch the storm some more from her warm spot on the back of the couch.