NaBloWriMo: whoops...

Well, I started off NaBloWriMo with a bang, full of intent and determination, ready to go...and then I went on a trip. It's not that I forgot, I just ran out of time each day. But, that's changing now! I've been in Ottawa for the past few days, so to catch up, I'll be blogging about my mini-break with my mother and some of the great spots we've been since arriving!

Here's a little snap of some crazy-looking clouds from my flight Wednesday evening as I headed off west to chase the sunset. 

Stay tuned!

Pink sky at night...

I know the saying is technically "red sky at night, sailor's delight", but in this case, a pink sky was what we saw last night in St. John's. A sudden thunderstorm came over the city and poured for about 10 minutes. Shortly after, the sky brightened and cleared, and we were treated to this beautiful sight.

As I get older, I seem to be getting more and more of an appreciation for nature and the world around me. I just came back from a week out west in British Columbia and Alberta for a family wedding. Driving through the Rocky Mountains, I saw sprawling landscapes and natural beauty that really are a sight to behold.

The wedding ceremony was at a beautiful spot called Emerald Lake, in B.C. It was stunning. Snow-capped mountains, lush green forests and a teal-blue lake...breath-taking. 

If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend driving through the Rockies, as they'll give you a new appreciation for the vast land we call home.

2015: A Year in Review

It's that time of year again - my annual year in review. I've done this a few times since I started blogging and I like doing it because it forces me to reflect on the past 12 months and take in all that's changed in my life. So, let's go:




- I hit the big 3-0 this year and celebrated with family and friends in style with a fancy pink and gold sparkle party. The glitzy glam night was exactly how I wanted to enter into my next decade. 






- I spent some time in the hospital and had emergency gall bladder surgery! What a whirlwind three weeks that was. As painful as the experience was, I know I'm much better off now that the ordeal is finally over. 







- My wonderful brother married the love of his life and I finally gained a sister. The wedding was one of the most beautiful I've ever been to and I was so honoured to be involved as a bridesmaid. 

- Some of my girlfriends and I began a monthly brunch club, where we tried different restaurants around the city. It was so good to have a regular date with friends, to catch up over delicious food and of course, obligatory mimosas. We love brunch club!!

- After a hectic first half of year with work and surgeries, I finally took a vacation in August and went back to my second home, Toronto for a week of friends, food and familiar haunts. It was so good to be back and to get the city into my blood again. 

- I celebrated the ten year anniversary of the term that changed my life. I've mentioned time and time again in the blog how my experience in Harlow changed my life. During the autumn, I remembered where I'd been on a particular day or what I'd been doing during a certain period of time. It's hard to believe ten years has passed since I was with this group of people. 

- I took another last minute trip to Toronto in December, this time meeting up with my folks and taking my mother to a taping of one of my favourite television shows, The Social. We had a great time! 

- I also popped outside of Toronto and spent a weekend with two of my favourite gals, shopping and visiting wineries in the Niagara-on-the-Lake region. Lots of laughs were had those couple of days! 

- I enjoyed a magical Christmas break packed with brunches, lunches, coffees and parties with friends from home and friends from away. It's always a whirlwind time of year, but it's always so good. 

So there you have it. 2015 is in the books. It was a good year with me turning 30 and my brother's beautiful wedding, but I have a feeling there's big things to come next year. 

I usually like to come up with some kind of motto or quote to live by for the upcoming year. This year, the one I'm really feeling is one I've used before and even blogged about recently during my #NaBloWriMo challenge. "More fun, less fear" is what's going to push me through into 2016 and stay with me throughout the next 12 months. Let's see how it goes. 

Here's to new beginnings, new experiences, fresh perspectives. 

Welcome 2016: more fun, less fear!

A wedding to remember

My brother got married this past July to the love of his life, a girl who I'm so happy to now call my sister. The wedding was a beautiful affair full of love; it was everything they'd hoped for.

The photographer was fantastic, a fella named Mark Oakley, who was creative and organized a shot that's probably my favourite out of the hundreds taken that day. 

Doesn't it look like something out of a magazine? I love it! 

2014: The Year in Review

2014. What a year. It was a year full of big changes for myself, my family and my friends. Some changes were amazing and came in the form of new jobs, new living situations and new relationships. Others came in the form of illness and disappointments. Looking back on the past twelve months, I can say without hesitation that it's been one of the most eventful years of my life.

This year was definitely the Year of Weddings for me. With half a dozen close friends getting married over the past twelve months, and me standing or participating in some way in almost all of those weddings, to say I'm a bit wedding'd out is fairly accurate. Still, I'm so grateful to all of those friends for asking me to be part of their special days in some form or another.

Weddings weren't the only events that took place this year, though. Let's take a look back at some of the highlights of my 2014:



- Being bridesmaid for a close friend in her glamourous Toronto wedding in February. A long weekend in Toronto is always enjoyable, but when it includes a spectacular wedding of a favourite friend, it doesn't get much better than that. It was fabulous!

- Moving into a gorgeous new apartment with a spectacular view of St. John's. Though this is a small city, living in the east end instead of the centre or downtown areas of town has been a big adjustment for me. Still, it does have its perks - I can see the ocean from my window and have a beautiful view of Signal Hill!







- Taking off on a spur of the moment long weekend to our nation's capital to visit family and friends and escape the island for a few days. Sometimes, the best trips come out of the blue with very little planning. This wouldn't be the only time I did that this year...






- Helping my best friend of 25 years plan her beautiful garden wedding, and stand by her side as her maid of honour. As I'd said to Meg on her wedding day: we've been through a lot, and through it all, we've grown up together and shared each other's biggest and littlest moments. I was truly honoured to be with her as she went from Ms. to Mrs.






- Escaping to Europe on another spur of the moment trip for two weeks with a good friend. As I'd said before, sometimes the best trips come unexpectedly. We experienced the simple things in life: good food, somewhat good wine, lots of history and loads of beautiful scenery. Italy and France, I'd missed you.






- Finally returning to where I left my heart almost a decade ago: London. Breathing in that crisp, English air and feeling the rush of that beautiful city was magical. I felt a constant hum of excitement pulsing through me every day I was there. I know I'll be back again soon.







- Celebrating a different kind of Christmas in my new home. Instead of going to my folks' house, they came to mine, where we've enjoyed making new traditions.





As I said before, 2014 really was one of the most eventful years of my life. Lots of changes came my way, both positive and negative. But overall, it was a really great year. As 2014 comes to a close, I look towards 2015 and what it will hold: a big wedding for my family, a big birthday for me (30! Yikes!) and more challenges ahead, both personally and professionally. But that's okay. I'm ready for it all. I'm going to face 30 head on and take whatever else comes in stride. 

Welcome, 2015! It's time to be fierce.

There's Nothing Like...

A long overdue phone call with your sister living away, catching up on each other's news and excitedly making plans for Christmas. I think my most favourite part of Christmas time is not the presents or the food, (though I do enjoy both those things) but the people that come from away. I am so looking forward to seeing so many good friends next month, I can hardly wait.

Harlow

There's something about this time of year that makes me really nostalgic. I always think back to what I was doing three, five, seven years ago, and how my life has changed since then. This time of year always makes me especially miss Harlow, where I spent the autumn of 2005 during my undergrad at Memorial.

When I talk to other people about their Harlow experiences, the same words usually come up every time; their time in that small English town was "life-changing", and I know that for me, it truly was. I had the opportunity to study great classics like Pride and Prejudice, Great Expectations, North and South and works by Shakespeare, and then visit the areas of England where the books took place, or where the author grew up, or where they were laid to rest. To be able to have an experience like that to look back on fondly is something I'm so grateful for.

The picture below is just over seven years old. Even though it's been a while, I can remember it being taken. I was sitting in a T.G.I. Friday's in London, the one on Coventry Street, just down from Piccadilly Circus and across from the London Trocadero. My folks were visiting me for a couple of weeks and we stayed in London for the weekend in a lovely hotel on Gloucester Road. I remember being so happy to see them and missing Newfoundland and the people there...but at the same time, I was completely content with being in England and loving my little life there.

I can honestly say I think about Harlow every single day since my time there.Whenever I talk to people who are considering studying abroad for a term, I always, always encourage them to do so, because you will undoubtedly learn more about yourself, others and life in general than you ever thought possible. If you're thinking about making a move, just do it. Stop wondering and do it. :)

The Birthday Weekend That Was...Sunday & Monday Edition

On the Sunday of my trip, I allowed myself to sleep in a bit, since I was so sleep deprived from my long day the day before. When I finally got up and got ready, I headed out to Etobicoke and went to IKEA. I had a shopping list full of things I had held out on buying for my new apartment because I knew I could get them for so much cheaper at IKEA. I took the subway out to Kipling, waited for the IKEA shuttle, and finally reached my destination.

I spent a few hours at IKEA, so that actually took up most of my Sunday, what with the travel to and from and the strolling the aisles. It was dinner time by the time I got back to the hotel and dropped off all my purchases. I met my aunt for dinner at Red Lobster, another favourite food joint, and we chatted and caught up on all our news.

That's something I did an awful lot of on this trip: talk. And I said pretty much all the same stuff (as all my news was the same) but it was all to different people. So even though I grew a little tired of repeating myself over and over, I was happy every time to hear about the other person's news. I know I've said it before, but it's always so nice to catch up and learn what's changed in a friend's life, or how they've grown in some way.






I knew a trip to Toronto couldn't happen without stopping by CTV and seeing my pals there. I miss the people and the place so much, so I really wanted to pop in and see it again, so I did that on Monday. As was the usual on this trip, it was so great to see so many friends and catch up again. I miss my Dance Family all the time! How could I not, when I really had the dream job there, working with such amazing people?

I made a few other stops at favourite cupcake shops, familiar subway stations and walked down my favourite streets. When it was finally time to head back to the hotel and pack for my flight, I didn't have any unfinished business. I'd seen and done all the things I'd wanted to do on this short trip, met up with the people I really wanted to, bought the things I'd been longing for. I only had three days in the city but I packed so many things into those three days, it was like a small recap of my life in Toronto. A taste of all of my favourite things about this place I used to call home.




This whirlwind trip was exactly the birthday present I'd been searching for to give myself. A chance to be in one of my favourite places, surrounded by my favourite things. And when it's your Champagne birthday, you really do have to make it special. After all, it only happens once in a lifetime. :)

Recommended Reads Part 2

A couple of weeks ago, I talked about five of my favourite blogs to read, and explained some of the things I love about them. I promised a part 2, and I don't like to disappoint; so here's Part 2 of my Recommended Reads!

a diary of little things and curiosities

I can't even remember how I came across Laura's blog, but from the first post I fell in love with it. Laura has this way of writing that sucks you in and makes you want to go back and read all of her blog entries. Whether she's blogging about where she lives or how she feels about something, her style is captivating. My favourite part of Laura's blog is her "Today I Believe" series, which I've blogged about before. She has a way of putting into words exactly how I feel about something, but can't seem to put into words myself. Her blog is a great read!


Notamodel

Amanda and I went through our PR program together a few years ago, and back then she was a blogging pro. I love reading Amanda's blog and catching up on her photo series, or her reviews of products that she's tried over the years. I also really like the premise of her blog "not a model", meaning that nobody's perfect, but everyone is beautiful in their own way. That being a notamodel is more about accepting yourself and embracing yourself. It's a refreshing read for sure!


It's a Colourful Life

Meghan and I have been best friends for over twenty years and ever since we were little, I knew she was really artistic. Whether it was doodling on the corners of notebooks or decorating display boards for school projects, Meg has always been creative. So when she started an interior design program last year, it really came as no surprise to those of us who know her. Since she started her blog last year, she's filled it with pictures of great decorating ideas for the holidays, beautiful furniture and creative ways to use the most random of items (like mason jars!) For some design inspiration, check out Meg's blog; you just might get some ideas for your next DIY project!


Gravitas & Giggles

Sara is one of my best friends from university who I did a term abroad in England with. It didn't take us long to become fast friends with our shared love of things like ruggedly handsome foreign men and coffee. Sara is a wonderful writer who composes poems, short fiction and has even written some children's stories. She posts her writings every once in a while on her blog, along with musings about books or her thoughts on the art of writing and of literature. What draws me to her blog the most is how she writes - so thought out and words carefully chosen, her poetry isn't the only writing that's magnificent; even just her every day blog is.


stephanie fusco 

Stephanie is a fellow PR girl who lives in Toronto and blogs about fashion, lifestyle and living in Toronto. Like some of the other blogs I enjoy reading, she writes products reviews and tells about her experiences at events around Toronto. She recently attended the launch of Banana Republic's Mad Men collection, which had some gorgeous pieces, like the Betty dress. Stephanie and I share a love for the colour pink, so usually when she posts about an article of clothing that comes in our signature colour, I fall in love with it too! Check out Stephanie's blog for some great posts about fashion, TO events and PR musings!


So there you have it - my weekly reading list. These blogs never fail to educate me on the latest trends in fashion, the hottest new restaurants in Toronto, great design ideas for my home, and new ways to cook healthy treats. I always enjoy posts from the bloggers listed above and in Part 1, and if you check them out, you might find that you enjoy their blogs too. :)

Happy Reading!

This Blogger's Recommended Reads!

I've been thinking about this week's blog post and I've been trying to figure out what to write about. Transatlantic Tastes is still on hiatus, but will hopefully be back next week. In the mean time, a blog post by my cousin-in-law, Colleen, got me thinking about blogging.

Colleen is a faithful blogger who posts nearly every day. Almost every morning when I come into work and turn on the ol' computer, one thing I do while I'm waiting for my email to load is go read her latest blog post. Doing this yesterday made me think about the other blogs I like to read regularly.

So, in the same sort of way people on Twitter participate in "Follow Friday" and recommend Twitter users other people should "follow", this post is my recommendation to you for blogs that you may enjoy reading, because I sure do!

{Every Day}

My cousin-in-law, Colleen, writes a wonderful blog from her perspective as a new mom. She talks babies, family, recipes and running, just to name a few topics. One of the reasons I love Colleen's blog is because she always posts amazing recipes, and her photography displays her culinary creations beautifully. As well, I always love seeing new pictures of my new little cousin, and her blog is a great way to keep up with how much he's been growing!





Shades of Aquarius

Katie and I went to PR school together a few years ago, and back then, I knew she was super fashionable. I think this girl has always been fashionable. But what I didn't know, and soon learned from her blog, is that she's also an amazing cook. Katie has blogged about so many delicious-looking and sounding dishes that she's made, I've had to make a list of the ones I'm dying to try myself, just to keep track of them all. I always enjoy reading her blog because I get to see what's happening with the latest fashion shows in the industry, and learn a new recipe while I'm at it.


It's a savoury life

Rebecca is a friend of mine from high school who lives in Ontario and works as a dietician. Her blog is generally consists of recipes and ways to take better care of yourself in terms of food and health. One thing I love about Rebecca's posts, however, is that as a dietician, she explains everything that she's posting about, like telling you the health benefits of different beans, or listing out a recipe for a deliciously healthy pizza and telling you which veggies would not only taste great on it, but the nutritional information that goes along with them. Her blog has made me stop and think about different foods that I used to avoid, but now include in my diet regularly.



The A List

Alanna is another former PR classmate from Toronto who writes the super popular blog, The A List. If I ever want to know what's happening in the celebrity world (and really, who doesn't?) I turn to Alanna. I love catching up on all the latest gossip and videos that Alanna posts, especially the videos about Sophia Grace and Rosie these days! Alanna also attends a lot of entertainment functions around Toronto, so it's really cool to read about her experiences at things like TIFF.




the rural knitter

Kayla and I studied abroad in England together during our undergrad, during the best months of my life (and possibly hers). Kayla's worn a few different hats in her time, (figuratively) but these days, her recent hobby has her wearing many different hats (literally). A newcomer to knitting, she picked up the skill faster than I could ever hope to, and has made some amazing pieces, one of which I'm sporting in the picture below. I love reading Kayla's blog and seeing what new piece she's knitted. Maybe I can wrangle a pair of mitts of of her sometime, to match my gorgeous pink hat. :)

So, these are some of the blogs that I read regularly and always look forward to new posts from. If you're looking for something to add to your reading list, why not check out one or all of these wonderful blogs?

I'll post Part 2 of my Recommended Reads next week. Until then, have a happy week!

I'm Picky about Paint Colours

When moving into a new place all your own, the prospect of shopping for new furniture, picking out paint colours and decorating your walls seems pretty exciting, right? Right.

Riiiiight.

For someone who likes to think she knows how to match colours, and knows what goes with what, let's just say that the task of picking out paint colours for my apartment was one that was pretty overwhelming. I wish I were kidding. 

Like the colour beige, for example: I knew I wanted a beige colour for my living room and halls, but I couldn't find that perfect colour, the one I'd been thinking of and persistently looking for. And then, when you do find a shade you like, apparently it won't actually look like that when you put in on the walls. And then, you have to think about lighting - what will your chosen colour look like in the daylight? What about in the lamplight? Not to mention the type of paint, and the finish, and the texture...so many questions! Too many questions. Frustrated and overwhelmed, I gave up...but not completely.

You see, it's handy to have friends that are creative. I'm creative in some ways, but picking colours just isn't one. I left that to the professionals. One professional in particular: my best friend.

She just completed an interior design program and now, not only is Meghan naturally talented when it comes to colour and lighting, space planning, window treatments and more, she now has the credentials to back her up. This girl knows her stuff, as you can tell from her blog and all her design ideas!

So instead of pulling all my hair out, I grabbed a handful of different blues and beiges and brought them to the expert, who promptly pulled two paint chips out of the pile and said, "Here. Do you like these?" And of course, I did, since she knows me so well. And that was that, problem solved.

And so, voila, I give you...my living room colours:

So exciting, I know. ;) I'll bet you wanted to see the finished product? Don't worry, that's coming in a blog post in the next couple of weeks!

Oh, and by the way - I got so frustrated with choosing colours, I used the beige alllll through the halls, living room and half the dining room. The kitchen, bathroom and other half of the dining room are the blue colour. After a while, I just couldn't take another visit to the Paint Shop, staring at paint chips for 30 minutes, trying to figure out what went with what, and I couldn't bear to bother poor Meghan again. 

I'll be back next week with another post about the trials and tribulations of that pesky chore: furniture shopping. 

Have a great week!

Another Year Has Come and Gone...Goodbye, 2011!

I've been doing some reflecting the past few days - well, the past couple of weeks really - about how I felt about 2011. I can say right off the bat that it definitely wasn't my favourite year, and didn't turn out to be "The Year of Elizabeth...Again". I gave up on that a month or so in and decided I didn't need it to be. I'd save it for the next year. :)

Like 2010, however, 2011 was still a big year of change: change in jobs, living situations, relationships and most of all, change in me. It's funny to look back and think, "This time last year, did I ever expect all the things that have happened to have happened?" This time last year, would I have thought I'd be back living in Newfoundland? Probably not. It wasn't in my plans, but I am glad it happened. There have been a lot of things I've experienced, both good and bad, but it's all added to an eventful year.

And so, enough rambling. Let's do a recap of what 2011 held for this girl:




- Celebrating my 26th Birthday at home with my family and friends in Newfoundland after being away from them for months!

- Getting up at 3am to watch "The Wedding of the Century", the Royal Wedding coverage and ceremony, and having a "Royal Wedding Breakfast" for family and friends!

- Beginning work at one of the most amazing jobs I think I'll ever have: working on a television show for a national television network and meeting some wonderful new friends! 

- Working at CTV definitely had its perks: I got to work the CTV Upfronts and the MMVAs (Much Music Video Awards) and cross paths with lots of amazing musicians, actors and celebrities. It was really neat to see how things work behind the scenes!

- Getting to see Coldplay, one of my favourite bands in concert for the first time, was a real dream come true!








- Having the best weekend of my year with three of my best friends in Toronto. We came from all across the country for 3 days of hilarious chats, exciting wedding dress excursions and lots of dinners and drinks!

- Getting to visit Niagara Falls and Ottawa, two places I haven't been in a long time, to see family and friends before I left Ontario.










- Coming home and beginning work at the place where I started my PR career last year: the best marketing communications agency on the east coast!




So, as you can tell, it's been an eventful year. And after reflecting on all the things I've listed above, maybe it wasn't such a bad year after all!

One of my favourite things to do in life is learn: learn new recipes, learn about a new area of the world, read a new book, visit a new place, try something different. I really believe in living life to the fullest, and I try to practice that in my career and the rest of my life.

2011 was an interesting year, but to be honest, I've been looking forward to 2012 for months, for a number of reasons: My champagne birthday is coming up in March, and since it only happens once in a lifetime, I intend to make it the most memorable birthday of all; one of my best friends is marrying her long-time boyfriend, and her three bridesmaids are myself and our other two friends. A wedding of friends is something to definitely be excited about; I intend to take better care of myself and spend as much time with family and friends as possible, because as I've learned the hard way, you never really know how much time you have left with them.

And so, I can finally say, "So Long, 2011!" You helped me grow and I experience a lot. Here's to 2012, the Year of Elizabeth!

Happy New Year! This will be the best year yet!

"Twenty years from now, you'll be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So sail away from the safe harbour. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain