A Letter

Monday, July 30, 2012
I've been a bad, bad blogger. For the past couple months posting has been irregular and, well, just lacking. And for that, I'm sorry.

Around the time that I wrote this piece for the Huffington Post, I felt that I needed to step away from posting regularly, do some soul searching, get healthy, and re-focus myself. Fast-forward 2 months and things are not much clearer for me.

I do know that since I dubbed 2012 to be the "year of no sleep" due to the sheer number of projects I wanted to be involved in, I have done almost the opposite of that. I have been seeing an Acupuncturist since the end of May, who told me that I was qi deficient - which most people have a difficult time believing since I was constantly on the go. But, in retrospect, it's true. Yes, I was always on the go, but I'm just so used to my life being like that, that it seemed natural. So, I knew I needed to make an effort to rest and relax more, make more time for myself, and enjoy my life. Gone are the late blogging nights. It was a struggle to get past the guilt of not having new posts, but I knew that the hiatus would be a temporary thing and force myself to have better time-management. As a result, I feel so much better. My energy feels pure and natural. I feel lighter.

In April, I changed jobs. Rather, I went back to my previous job. It's not exactly a job I enjoy, so I have been busying myself with having back-up plans A through S, one of which involved me trying to teach myself French to become bilingual (the job didn't pan out, so I was able to leave that endeavour by the wayside for the time being). At one point I was doing 2 jobs, plus volunteering to do many other tasks outside my job description (resume building!), which sometimes often involved me choosing to read relevant research, case studies, and articles on my own time (this is, however, still happening, because I'm super cool like that).

My involvement with TEDxSFU has increased significantly as we get closer to our event (September 22!). Which reminds me, have you applied to attend yet? I love TED so much, so being a part of the TEDxSFU team has been such a great experience that I wish I could do it full-time. TED, are you listening?

I've also been toying with the idea of going back to school. I know it's something that I'll definitely do, it's just a matter of the right time. But, with something as big as school, is there ever really a right time?

Over the past couple months, there have been moments of joy, moments of sadness, delicious food eaten, no fabulous new shoes bought (I know, I know), moments prompting me to write this, lots of sleep, and trip planning. While I wouldn't change a thing (OK, that might be a lie), I know things still aren't super clear cut for me. But, I'm still here, and I have some cool posts (and a bunch for the Huffington Post), so stay tuned.

Outfit: Nautical Wedding

Wednesday, July 25, 2012
I went to a wedding a couple weekends ago at Granville Island. It was an interesting choice of venue since I don't know anyone who had gotten married there before (trust me on this, my Facebook would've told me).

It was a gorgeous day with the ceremony taking place in Ron Basford Park, overlooking False Creek. The reception was held inside Performance Works, with the garage doors open.

I knew that the wedding was going to be on the messy side, so I didn't want to wear a fancy silk dress that would get ruined. Instead, I opted for a navy jersey maxi and some flat sandals to dance the night away.

Dress & Scarf: Club Monaco Sandals: Zara Necklace: Aldo
Admittedly, the dress isn't anything super amazing on the hanger, but the moment I tried it on, it was love. It's insanely comfortable and it just looks unreal on.

Bag: H&M Sunglasses: Spitfire
Lipstick: MAC Show Orchid
Congrats guys!

Summer Photoblog

Wednesday, July 18, 2012



Love my Native Shoes
Burgoo Brunch

Lunch from Vij's food truck





John Olerud at the Vancouver Canadians games
Miss Birthday Girl
From the Bibo Brunch tasting


Beer float! Peroni & lemon sorbet


Brunch at Market by Jean-Georges
Brunch at Market by Jean-Georges
Brunch at Market by Jean-Georges
Canada Day outfit #1
Canada Day outfit #2
Phyllo pizza


From the VFT Craft Beer 'n' Bites Tour

From the VFT Craft Beer 'n' Bites Tour
From the VFT Craft Beer 'n' Bites Tour
Wangs


Fishbowl Fridays



Brunch at Falconettis
So much this.

Review: Anastasia Lash Genius

Tuesday, July 17, 2012
One of my favourite mascara's is Buxom Lash Mascara. However, because it's not a waterproof formula, it smudges all the time, leaving me looking like a raccoon with no mascara left on.

When I heard about Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Genius, I knew I could ditch the waterproof mascara I was currently using and go back to my beloved Buxom Lash (I was actually still wearing my Buxom Lash, but was putting a waterproof mascara on top).


The Anastasia Lash Genius is a clear waterproof coating that you put over your mascara. It's lightweight and doesn't clump.

I find that the Lash Genius is much more effective than my regular waterproof mascara because my lashes are still long and full at the end of the day. Lash Genius actually even holds up through work outs - which is one area I find waterproof mascara's fail me.

Since it's wedding season, I'd recommend picking some up to ensure that your mascara isn't running down your face (Lauren Conrad, anyone?) for those heartfelt moments.


You can find Lash Genius at Sephora and Nordstrom - $21



Images via The Confluence.

Vancouver Food Tour - Craft Beer 'n' Bites Tour

Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Last week, the Vancouver Food Tour hosted some bloggers on their Craft Beer 'n' Bites Tour. Since we know that the craft beer scene is booming in Vancouver, I was really stoked to learn about some different (new and/or local) beers and have some good eats.

While I can't say where we stopped on the tour, I can tell you the different beers and food we tried - and fortunately the beers at the different stops change, so you may never get the same tour twice!

Stop #1


The beers (L-R): Phillip's Phoenix Gold Lager (Victoria, BC), Parallel 49 Seedspitter Watermelon Wit (Vancouver, BC), Driftwood Fat Tug IPA (Victoria, BC)
The bites (paired) (L-R): Lobster Mac 'n' Cheese, Vietnamese Taco, Award Winning Chili (won the Gastown Chili Cookoff a couple years ago)

Notes: I prefer the Phillip's Blue Buck over the Gold Lager, but this one is still good. I'm not into super hoppy beers, so I don't typically drink IPAs, but this one was a nice middle ground for me. The Seedspitter was amazing - like, I would go back to just drink this beer...and lots of it.

Stop #2


The beers (L-R): Lost Coast Brewery Great White (Eureka, CA), Driftwood White Bark Wheat Ale (Victoria, BC), Crannog Ales Back Hand of God Organic Stout (Sorrento, BC). 
The bites (L-R): Scotch egg, Devils on Horseback (prunes stuffed with gruyere, wrapped in bacon)

Notes: Driftwood's White Bark is a staple craft wheat in my life. The Lost Coast was also great - it was really interesting to juxtapose the two wheat ales. I'm not a big stout drinker, but the Back Hand of God is always enjoyable.

Stop #3


The beers (L-R): Lighthouse Brewery Switchback IPA (Victoria, BC), 2012 VCBW Collaboration Beer (a Cascadia Brown), R&B Brewing Stumpy (Vancouver, BC) *note: The Stumpy is exclusive to this location
The bites: Flourless chocolate cake with raspberry and hazelnut

Notes: By this time, I was so full of food and beer. The cake was delish and the beers were too. I found this IPA too hoppy for me, but the others, for dark, stout-type beers, I enjoyed them. The flavour profiles were so different - which is why I love beer/wine/coffee flights.


The VFT Craft Beer 'n' Bites Tour is $69 plus tax and gratuity. It's a great way to spend an evening whether you're a local or tourist, a great way to learn more about beer, and a great way to go home with a food coma.

Check out my posts on the VFT blog.