Another year done

Two thousand and thirteen is just a handful of hours away from being another year in my rear view mirror as the countdown continues onto midnight. I have been meaning to write this post for a few days now as part of the aftermath of another festive season, but due to sickness and writer's block I couldn't quite muster up the ability to do so. There is no greater prompting than it being the final day of the year to motivate me to put fingers to keyboard. This year was one full of adventures, a birthday milestone and some changes. I revisited fantastic cities with people near and dear to my heart. I got to spend my thirtieth birthday at Disneyland, which was definitely a cool thing to do. I moved house, discovered a deep love of country music and got my last work visa for Canada. These are just the things that pop into my mind as I type, but I know that this year was so much more. I have continued to mould who I am as I tried new things, saw new sights and reaffirmed all of the different ways I enjoy life and how I lead mine. I got to witness my family and friends do some of the same. I want to take this opportunity to remind myself of how fortunate I am to be surrounded by amazing people, who help make me a better person by just knowing them. Gosh the ending of another year and the beginning of the next sure can have a profound effect on a person as feelings of nostalgia are stirred up. Life has been good to me throughout the year, predictability coupled with surprises as the days dropped off the calendar. I would be lying if I didn't say I still have some holes to fill, but even recognising this is half the battle won. It is with these thoughts and feelings that I remember the year that was and look forward to the year that is to come; a year full of endless possibilities, limited only by one's imagination. Plans are already afoot, as I get ready to enjoy more of what I love with the people I love. Two thousand and fourteen has so much potential like each year that has come before it and may just be a game changer!

Musical musings for December

This month I took advantage of an iTunes sale and the 'complete my album' feature to purchase the remainder of four country albums at a steal. This means I have gotten to enjoy two of my favourite things starting with C together: Christmas and Country. Even more awesome than this, is the fact that I am definitely going to Sunfest in August next year. I am so excited for a few days of country music, camping and maybe a little bit of relaxing in the summer time on Vancouver Island. Until this time I will keep listening to country music old and new with the latest being:

1. Days of Gold - Jake Owen
2. Crash My Party - Luke Bryan
3. Fuse - Keith Urban
4. Here's to the Good Times - Florida Georgia Line

December's musical musings can be found on these albums (images courtesy of iTunes)

Cookie exchange 2013

Cookie exchanges have now become one of my favourite things to do at Christmas time since living here in Canada. This is only my second time participating in one, but I have to say half the fun for me is choosing and baking the cookies. As a side note, I was feeling pretty nostalgic before I started writing this post so I re-read last year's cookie exchange one. Gosh time has flown by since then and it is funny to see what I was up to last year including having my brother and his girlfriend visit me. Anyway, this year I chose two cookies for the exchange. 

Both recipes were from two of my favourite bloggers and centred around ingredients I had picked up on my recent trip to Portland. First up were Bakerella's chocolate peppermint cookies. This was the perfect recipe seeing as I had grabbed a bag of the key ingredient. The only substitute I made was to use white chocolate chips instead of the bittersweet chocolate ones.

With my country music backdrop courtesy of Jake Owen tunes, I moved onto cookie number two. I definitely was more excited about this cookie, Kevin & Amanda's gooey s'mores cookies. This excitement extended from using the jet-puffed mallow bits, which are too adorable for words. I used Christmas coloured chocolate chips and regular graham crackers instead of mini kisses and cinnamon flavoured crackers. The cookies turned out great and tasted amazing, which makes me glad to know as I can make one more batch of them based on how much mallow bits I have left. This ingredient is definitely reason enough for another road trip.

These two cookies were easy enough to make, which I was really glad for as it meant I only spent a few hours of my day baking and have some deliciousness to show for me efforts.

Yay for cookie exchanges at Christmas, a newer tradition I hope to carry out every year as part of my festive season celebrations.

Spoonful of sugar

Sometimes all you really need is a spoonful of sugar in the form of a Mary Poppins musical production. 

Seeing this show reminded me of how much I love going to the theatre. It was such an amazing production with fantastic sets and wonderful actors. I really enjoyed seeing one of my favourite childhood movies brought to life on the stage and found myself tapping along to the beat whilst smiling to myself throughout it all. I have definitely been inspired to purchase the movie version to watch and relive the magic, but also enjoy the things that can't quite be captured in a live production.

Next up on my theatre calendar is West Side Story in February as part of my birthday celebrations, I cannot wait!

December so far

Today saw the first snowfall of December, which seemed to be inevitable based on the crazy weather we have been having lately. Snow is still such a wonderful sight to be seen although it can be slick to walk on as noted this evening. The Christmas season always seems extra festive with snow so yes it is lovely; just make sure you have traction on your shoes. So far this month I have been keeping busy not only with my usual stuff, but also Christmas shopping, which I am pleased to say is only a third of a present away from being complete. Christmas shopping aside, a highlight of the month so far has been going to see The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which was the blockbuster you expected it to be. Also, on the first day of the month a group of friends and I painted ceramics at U Paint I Fire, a local studio. It was a lot of fun even though I chose quite a simple heart-shaped dish to paint. Below are the before and after firing images:

Not a bad result for someone who is a bit creatively challenged when it comes to bringing ideas to life. Next up is Mary Poppins on Wednesday night and baking cookies on the weekend for an exchange with work friends. Now when I stop and think about it, I cannot believe Christmas is only a couple of weeks away.

Christmas countdown

Christmas is less than a month away now, which is made more obvious by the growing crowd shopping for presents along with the shops overrun with all things festive. It is around this time of year that I try to wrap up my Christmas shopping as soon as possible because I am not one for the holiday crowds. This is a task I will endeavour to complete within the week with any necessary packages popped in the mail. After I have achieved this, by no means, small feat then I can truly enjoy Christmas. Out of the last five Christmases, I have spent four of them here and I feel like during this time I have been able to do all things festive that has interested me. I know this isn't completely true, but for now nothing has caught my eye and become a Christmas must-do this year. I did attend the Christmas at Hycroft Manor this past Sunday, but it didn't inspire me as much as it did the first time I went. The only Christmas related activity I have planned is a cookie exchange with some work friends, which I am really looking forward to. My Christmas wish list is also pretty empty this year, but I think I can attribute this to my recent spending both here and down in the States. Anyway, Christmas isn't about receiving gifts, it is really about spending time with loved ones possibly with a wonderful snowy backdrop. 

Musical musings for November

Time once more to rave about country music because that is obviously what I added to my iTunes library this month. All the music comes from artists I already listen to and have come to love. Furthermore, I am super excited that I already have two country concerts lined up in the first few months of 2014. There is also the possibility of a festival in August being headlined one night by the gorgeous Jake Owen. I hope all my musings about country aren't making some people run for the hills because I know it is not to everyone's liking, but maybe one of these will change your mind:

1. Get Me Some of That - Thomas Rhett
2. Ghost Town - Jake Owen
3. Take You Home - Thomas Rhett
4. When She Says Baby - Jason Aldean
5. Somewhere In My Car - Keith Urban
6. Beat of the Music - Brett Eldredge
7. Beer With Jesus - Thomas Rhett
8. Every Time I Fall In Love (feat. Clare Bowen) - Nashville Cast
9. Drink A Beer - Luke Bryan

If none of these can entice you then please bear with me as I continue to muse about country music on a monthly basis. Maybe I should change the title of these posts to country musings.

November's music can be found on these albums (images courtesy of iTunes)

Fall Farewell

I know that there is still almost a month left of fall, but it is hard to hang onto this thought when there is a chill in the air and Christmas everywhere. Once more I only managed to do half of my fall to do wish list with apple pie, high tea and cheap/fun things to do with friends eluding me. This seems to suggest I should stop making to do lists and just roll with it. I think I might take this on board for winter by embracing both spontaneity and a few well made plans. This is especially a good idea seeing as I am trying to take my foot off the pedal for a few weeks to catch my breath and remember what it is like to not have so many plans. At the present time I cannot think of anything I must do this winter, but I have no doubt that this will change as the season arrives. I must mention that fall has been kind to the city with the weather, it might be chilly here, but the rain has been pretty non-existent. I know it won't last, but I will just need to remember how kind Mother Nature was when this happens.  

Holiday cheer in November

As we moved from Thanksgiving to Halloween to Christmas in November, the scents in the air changed too. Pumpkin, cinnamon and apple have now become gingerbread, peppermint and eggnog, not that I like the last one. I try very hard not to get sucked into the Christmas vortex too early in November although I have already had a few festive Starbucks drinks and am thinking about present ideas. The most exciting thing I have come across so far was the bounty of Christmas themed goodies in Target this past weekend in Portland.

It was so exciting and a tad bit overwhelming to see what was on offer. I was also reminded of how superior the US is when it comes to Christmas stuff. I ended up walking away with a small Christmas bounty.

Oh who am I kidding, I am being sucked into the Christmas vortex one day at a time and I do love it. So now begins the present shopping, festive events and anything else Christmas.

Portland once more

Travel and I have gone hand in hand for many years now. This is why I tend to get a little bit anxious if I have nothing planned. Therefore, I jumped at the opportunity to revisit Portland this past long weekend. A definite highlight on the way to our destination was Von Trapp's where I jointly indulged in amazing fried chicken and waffles, which were actually scrambled blueberry pancakes. 

For the most part, the weekend mirrored my one previous visit with the exception of a trip to the Lloyd Center mall and some new eateries. Delicious food was definitely had from the likes of Voodoo Doughnut and Cupcake Jones.

I also shopped more than I should have, but I love my new, slightly indulgent purchases. How can you turn down tax-free shopping?

The rain held off for the most part and helped make it a great long weekend, which was exactly what I wanted.

Knitting update

At the beginning of September I mentioned about exploring some creative outlets including taking a beginners knitting class. Fast forward a couple of months and I am now at the tail end of a beyond beginners knitting class at Urban Yarns. During the first four-week class I learnt how to knit many different types of stitches without completing an actual project. I didn't complete a project because I wanted to work on basics first, particularly being left-handed and completely new to knitting. I was surprised at how much knowledge I retained as the weeks went on, although I still have no idea how to correct mistakes. The fact that I only had a swatch of different stitches and still had more to learn were big motivators for taking the second round of classes. I wanted a finished knitting project that I could be proud to say I had done. I can now say I have completed, with some assistance, an infinity scarf (pictured) and am working on my second one in a different colour as a gift. The completed scarf has a few flaws, which are only obvious if I point them out, but nonetheless is a good first attempt. I am definitely keeping this for sentimental value and can't wait to wear it on a non-rainy day. The other project I am working on at the moment is a newborn baby hat, again for a friend. I am hoping to have this completed before my upcoming final class. I am really glad I decided to try knitting and although it has been a slow learning process, I can't wait to knit more projects as gifts or for myself.

Dining in the dark

On Tuesday night, I had a very interesting dining experience. A friend and I ate at the Dark Table restaurant. It was such a surreal and disorientating experience to eat a three-course meal in entire darkness and I do mean completely no light at all. We had to rely on both the guidance of our server and our other senses, particularly touch, which was a new thing to have to do. Our appetizer and dessert were a surprise, but we did select our main prior to entering the restaurant. The main too could be a surprise if you so wished. Eating in itself was quite entertaining as I found myself hitting my face with pre-cut meat and long stems of broccolini. There was still a lot of conversation going on in the restaurant despite the fact you couldn't see who you were talking to. Also, going to the dimly-lit bathroom required the assistance of your server and the only other light you were ever exposed to was behind a heavy, dark curtain when paying your bill. Overall, it is a unique and cool dining option, one that I recommend everyone give a go at least once.

Musical musings for October

Right now if someone was to ask me what my favourite kind of music is I think it would be obvious that my answer is country. I am not quite sure how it happened, but at some point it just became this way and I am pretty happy about that. It is almost to the point where the music I am listening to may not require musings and can exist just as a list. However, I don't wish to do that because I like to muse and suppose when the opportunity presents itself, especially as I feel I could be doing more of this very thing about lots of subjects at the moment. This month, my country music listening was inspired once more by the TV show Nashville, a country singer's wedding video, a familiar face and some new artists:

1. A Life That's Good (feat. Lennon & Maisy) - Nashville Cast
2. The Best Songs Come From Broken Hearts (feat. Connie Britton) - Nashville Cast
3. This Town (feat. Clare Bowen & Charles Esten) - Nashville Cast
4. Heavenly Day - Patty Griffin
5. Started With a Song - Brett Kissel
6. Play It Again - Luke Bryan
7. All Over the Road - Easton Corbin

For me, one of the things I appreciate about country is that it doesn't tend to be controversial. Plus it makes me happy listening to it, which I think is definitely what music should do for someone.

October's music can be found on these albums (images courtesy of iTunes)

Simply sweet cupcakes

I've baked many types of cupcakes in the past few years, but I love nothing more than whipping up a batch of vanilla cupcakes with a buttercream frosting. This past Monday I made a batch of them to acknowledge a co-worker and good friend's work anniversary. Prior to this baking session, earlier in the weekend, I paid a long overdue visit to Michaels to pick up some unnecessary supplies. I say unnecessary because I already had lots of sprinkles, frosting colours and cupcake cases. I definitely wanted new cupcake cases for this particular project, which I picked up during this visit. Anyway, for the cupcake I could have used a previous recipe, but I love the challenge of finding a new one and seeing if I can be successful with it. I used the vanilla cupcake recipe I found here, baking them for twenty-three minutes. I made the same buttercream frosting as I did earlier in the weekend minus the syrup, but with one extra teaspoon of vanilla essence and Wilton pink colouring to tint. The finishing touches were achieved with my Wilton 1M decorating tip and some colourful star sprinkles.

Thus, creating some simple cupcakes for the sweetest, most genuine person I have ever met in my life.

Thankful for cupcakes

This coming Monday is Canadian Thanksgiving, which is definitely one of my favourite holidays to celebrate here. I think the two things I like most about it are taking the time to stop and remind myself of what I am thankful for, but also the delicious turkey dinner that I usually get to indulge in. I don't like to show up empty handed when I am a guest for dinner and a dessert item is always a good choice. With this in mind, I wanted to whip up a batch of cupcakes. I used the chocolate cupcake recipe I found here, but chose to add the coffee to the boiling water. For some reason the mixture only made nine cupcakes, which may have meant I filled up the cases too high. I also baked them for twenty-three minutes. This meant I didn't have an even dozen of cupcakes so I needed to make another batch or something different. I decided to look for another cupcake recipe and thought I had found the one here minus the chocolate chips. However, it wasn't until I was mixing the ingredients that I realised it wasn't going to make enough so I made two batches for a total of five cupcakes. This allowed me to have a sample one of each, which I always appreciate when I am baking something new that others will be eating. For the frosting, the key ingredient was quite random in the form of Smucker's Sundae Syrup, which also ended up being the finishing touch. The other frosting ingredients were:

• 500g icing sugar
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tsp meringue powder
• milk, to create the desired consistency

As usual, I beat the butter by itself first in my KitchenAid stand mixer then added the remaining ingredients one at a time until the desired consistency was achieved. I used my trusty Wilton 1M decorating tip for the polished finish.

Not to make light of things to be thankful for, but I really am thankful for cupcakes. I am thankful for them because they allow me to be creative and make me feel quietly talented. Plus, they are pretty delicious!

Musical musings for September

I feel like I should start this month's musings with a big yeehaw! Another month dominated by country music with the pinnacle being last night's epic concert featuring Thomas Rhett, Jake Owen and Jason Aldean. The concert was fantastic and saw me wanting to chase them to another part of the continent for another round of country. I even went so far as to look into country music festivals today, which again had me so close to booking a 2014 CMA Music Festival package. Alas, reality set in and I took a step back for a few moments, well my computer's battery running out did assist with this. For September, I thought I should let a little bit of mainstream chart music sneak back into my iTunes rotation, whilst still purchasing some new country songs:

1. We Were Us (Duet with Miranda Lambert) - Keith Urban
2. Heaven - Jake Owen
3. Royals - Lorde
4. Surefire Feeling - Jake Owen
5. Roar - Katy Perry
6. Settin' the World On Fire - Jake Owen
7. Something to Do With My Hands - Thomas Rhett
8. Days of Gold - Jake Owen
9. Little Bit of Everything - Keith Urban

Keith Urban is next up on the concert schedule in January and I haven't ruled out going to the festival, but for now I should take a bit of a reality check.

September's music can be found on these albums (images courtesy of iTunes)

Brown sugar cupcakes with dark chocolate salted caramel frosting

When it comes to baking cupcakes, I love that the options of what to bake really could be endless. Sometimes I just seem to pluck random flavours out of thin air with no particular reason behind the choice. This past Sunday I knew I wanted to bake cupcakes and I got it in my head that they needed to be brown sugar ones with caramel frosting. However, I ended up compromising on the frosting, as I decided to use the ingredients I had on hand. For the brown sugar cupcakes I used the recipe I found here. For the frosting, the key ingredient was a small jar of dark chocolate salted caramel dessert sauce that I received as part of a gift. The other frosting ingredients were:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tsp meringue powder
• milk, to create the desired consistency

The butter was beaten by itself in my KitchenAid stand mixer for about thirty seconds. I added the vanilla, meringue powder and icing sugar next at a low speed. Lastly, I added in the dessert sauce and milk, mixing until I had achieved the desired consistency. I used my Wilton 1M decorating tip to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and finished them off with a dash of fun confetti sprinkles. This was definitely a winning combination as proven by the three I ate. Now I wonder what flavours I will bring together next time.

2013 fall days

Today is officially the first day of fall so as the leaves turn and scatter across the ground, I look forward to what this new season could be full of. Before I dive into the new possibilities, I have to wave a goodbye to an awesome, fun-filled summer. I may have only gotten through about half of my to do wish list, but I had a fantastic summer full of concerts, travel and plenty of sunshine. This fall already has television galore, a concert, a musical, a hockey game and an all-important visa renewal. I am not sure how I can possibly make it even better at this point, but I definitely plan on trying to by doing the following:

1. Make an apple pie from scratch
2. Really get into the Halloween spirit
3. Take a trip to Seattle and go to either a Seahawks or college football game
4. Go to Richmond Night Market before it closes for 2013
5. Have high tea at The Secret Garden or a new place
6. Do some or all of these cheap and fun things with friends

I think when I have too many items on my to do list then I don't really give myself the chance to fulfill them all, which is why I have a shorter fall list in comparison to summer. Now it may begin to get colder in the coming months, but I have lots to be excited about.

A new season, another run of TV show watching

Fall officially starts tomorrow, and whilst Vancouver is trying to hang onto the last drops of summer, I am quite excited to dive back into some serious television show watching. I have to say that the number of shows I watch these days is a bit out of control, but I really don't want any of them to end anytime soon. So whilst I shouldn't be taking on any new ones, I can't help but do so courtesy of the abundance of interesting options available. A quick mental tally sees me looking forward to the following eight new television shows:

• Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox Network)
• Hostages (CBS Network)
• Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC Network)
• Trophy Wife (ABC Network)
• Super Fun Night (ABC Network)
• The Originals (CW Network)
• Tomorrow People (CW Network)
• Ravenswood (ABC Family Network)

Two shows about to enter their sophomore season that really impressed me were Arrow (CW Network), which is filmed in Vancouver, and Nashville (ABC Network). I feel like the latter of the two is to be expected considering my most recent musical musings. I definitely have to mention the shows that have been around for two or more seasons now, which I have a vested interest in for various reasons:

• White Collar (USA Network)
• Modern Family (ABC Network)
• The Vampire Diaries (CW Network)
• Grey's Anatomy (ABC Network)
• Supernatural (CW Network)
• Hart of Dixie (CW Network)
• Revenge (ABC Network)
• Once Upon A Time (ABC Network)
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS Network) - the final season

I guess the above may seem quite excessive and I have to agree, but maybe some of the new shows won't make it to the end of a full first season, as is so often the case. I can see my selections have evolved a bit from last fall's viewings. Fall does mark the return of TV in a big way, but I always manage to have some television shows on the go. In addition to my summertime TV viewing, I spent some time watching all three seasons of Veronica Mars on dvd in preparation for the 2014 movie release. Now I am catching up on four seasons of Rookie Blue (I am up to season three). Factoring in all of the above, it may sound like I don't have a life, but I promise I do. Instead, I tend to get really far behind and play catch up on episodes plus sometimes sleep becomes optional. 

Revenge TV show poster (image courtesy of IMDb)

Becoming healthier a few steps at a time

Being healthy and looking after myself are constant hurdles in my life. I realise as we head into fall and then winter that I really need to take the time to tackle these issues because inactivity in the colder months is too easy. With this being said, I plan to set myself three, obtainable goals for the upcoming weeks:

1. Rain or shine, walk for ten to twenty minutes each day
2. Drink more water, working my way up to the recommended eight glasses a day
3. Buy more healthy foods, preferably unpackaged

I think these goals are definitely possible and I look forward to challenging myself with them. Once I have these mastered I will add to them as I continue to strive toward a healthier, happier me.

Creative outlets

Sometimes I feel like my life isn't full enough outside of work when it comes to creative outlets and bettering myself. I definitely should push myself to try new creative outlets, whilst not forgetting about what I already know I enjoy. It is with this in mind that I decided to look into doing some classes or workshops in a few different areas. Well five particular areas at the moment - knitting, flower arranging, guitar playing, baking and writing. I look at this list and part of me thinks I am aging before my time, but honestly I know I will really get something out of having a go. Worst thing that could happen is I am just not that good at any of it. Well I know I am somewhat good at baking, but regardless I really just want to have fun at least trying. I thought I would give knitting a try first. As such I have found a store relatively close to where I live called Urban Yarns, which has a beginners knitting class starting next Monday. I was happy to sign up for this four week class by myself. It might be better this way seeing as I have never used knitting needles before in my life. I look forward to providing an update upon completion of this little knitting adventure including photographic evidence of any creations.

Vancouver Island

A few weekends ago, whilst a friend was visiting, we spent four days on Vancouver Island. The weather may have been a bit temperamental, but it was a great visit and one I definitely recommend. We hired a car, spending two nights in Victoria, one night at a cute B&B in Chemainus and one night in Nanaimo.  Being in a car these days is actually a luxury so I enjoyed the freedom it afforded and many a Starbucks' drive thru we visited. However, the real highlights of the trip were the whale watching (attempt number two) where we saw a pod of five killer whales and tubing down Cowichan Lake. The tubing was quite the adventure and showcased my inability to go in any direction without assistance, which was fun in itself. Our island road trip saw us take in all the sights from Jordan River to Qualicum Beach. Vancouver Island and its surrounding islands require more than a four day visit so hopefully I will return again in the future.

Musical musings for August

This month has been completely about country, which hopefully shouldn't come as much of a surprise. The satellite radio country station we listened to for 4 days straight whilst visiting some of Vancouver Island earlier this month is primarily responsible. There definitely doesn't seem to be an end in sight to this country love as tickets have been purchased for next month's Jason Aldean, Jake Owen and Thomas Rhett concert. I know country isn't for everyone, but maybe one of these tunes will soften your stance:

1. All Your Life - The Band Perry
2. Chillin' It - Cole Swindell
3. You Don't Know Her Like I Do - Brantley Gilbert
4. From This Valley - The Civil Wars
5. Crash My Party - Luke Bryan
6. Whiskey - Jana Kramer
7. Drunk Last Night - Eli Young Band
8. You - Chris Young
9. Tomorrow - Chris Young
10. Could It Be - Charlie Worsham
11. Round Here - Florida Georgia Line
12. As She's Walking Away (feat. Alan Jackson) - Zac Brown Band
13. Helluva Life - Frankie Ballard
14. It Ain't Love - Green River Ordinance
15. Mine Would Be You - Blake Shelton
16. She Will Be Free - Josh Abbott Band
17. It Goes Like This - Thomas Rhett
18. Friday Night - Eric Paslay
19. Parking Lot Party - Lee Brice
20. The Booze Cruise - Blackjack Bill

Lots of new country faces featured in my August musings. I am sure that more of their music will appear in future months.

August's music can be found on these albums (images courtesy of iTunes)

NYC in the summertime

This is quite the overdue post about my trip to NYC last month. I thought it still worth a quick mention with a few highlights and a photo collage because I did have a great time there. My top three new NYC things (in no particular order) had to be:

• Dining at Serendipity
• Taking the Radio City Music Hall Tour
• Shopping at the Tanger Outlets

Of course I enjoyed revisiting all of the usual tourist hotspots as well as the above. Whilst this marked my sixth visit, I am not sure when I will get to see this great city again. There are many other cities I haven't explored yet that I wish to, so I best get saving and planning!

A little bit of theatre

Before I talk about theatre, I wanted to acknowledge that this past week marked two years of blogging. It is funny to think that I have chronicled bits and pieces of the last twenty-four months of my life on here. I realise on reflection that I didn't mention the one year milestone and I am not sure why. Nevertheless, I thought it would be nice to highlight this latest achievement especially seeing as I didn't think I would stick at it for this long. Whilst the amateurish content, photos and layout haven't really evolved, I would like to think I have. I definitely know that I have had some amazing adventures these past couple of years and am excited to see what the future holds with whoever wants to come along for the ride.

Anyway at the start of summer I wrote up a to do list and attending TUTS was item number two on it. I will be ticking this off on Monday night when my visiting friend and I go to see 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'. I am really looking forward to seeing this musical and the weather forecast is showing no rain so all signs point to a great night. Also, earlier this week I was able to see Riverview High the Musical, whose promotional poster had caught my eye in a Starbucks about a month ago. It was a fantastic production and I highly recommend it to any local reading this. So it seems that two theatre outings aren't enough because tomorrow I will be purchasing tickets for the production of Mary Poppins later in the year. I really do enjoy going to the theatre and hopefully I will be able to attend many more productions.

White chocolate chip cupcakes with raspberry buttercream frosting

White chocolate and raspberry is one of my favourite flavour combinations when it comes to baking as evidenced here and here. Therefore, it was a bit of a no-brainer to bake some cupcakes incorporating these two flavours today as I enjoy the last day of a lovely long weekend. It felt good to whip up a batch of cupcakes using this recipe, as I haven't baked in what feels like the longest time. I have instead been having a pretty awesome summer, but I always feel a bit restless when I know I haven't baked in a while. With the recipe I chose for the cupcakes, I used 2/3 cup of white chocolate chips as well as sprinkling a few on top of the batter incase the others sunk during the baking process. I also baked them for 25 minutes instead of the recommended baking time.

For the raspberry buttercream frosting I used the following ingredients:

• 15 fresh raspberries, washed
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 3 cups icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tsp meringue powder
• extra fresh raspberries, washed (for decoration)

I gradually added the icing sugar to the butter in my KitchenAid stand mixer at a low speed. Next up I pureed the raspberries using a food processor and poured the puree into the already combined ingredients. Lastly, I added the vanilla essence and meringue powder and allowed to mix for approximately a minute. The cupcakes weren't quite cool enough so when it was time to frost them I allowed the frosting to mix for another minute on a medium speed. I used my Wilton 1M decorating tip to frost the cupcakes and finished off each of them with one fresh raspberry instead of dipping into my sprinkles supply.

I think the raspberry on top was a good choice and might just alleviate a small percentage of the guilt associated with eating a cupcake or two.

Bringing sexy back

Mid-week excitement may be tiring, but last night was totally worth it. July's musical musings touched on the fact that I was to attend a concert yesterday evening, which was to be held under the open roof of BC Place Stadium.

It was definitely one of the best concerts I have ever been to. It confirmed how glad I was that Justin Timberlake decided to end his musical hiatus. He is such a talented performer, who is, without a doubt, easy on the eye. As each familiar song was performed I couldn't help but sing along at the top of my lungs and gaze adoringly.

Jay-Z may not have been the reason why I wanted to go to this concert, but there is no doubt that he held his own as part of the two-man show.

The lack of sleep may have haunted me this morning, but I would do it again. Furthermore, I hope this is not the last I see of a certain performer who brought sexy back.

Hearts and skulls

Edgy isn't a term I would use to describe anything about me. However, a few months ago I did develop quite an infatuation with skulls as mentioned here. This was still evident during my recent vacation and compelled me to buy a pair of skull printed shoes from Steve Madden. Now I have started pairing these shoes with more girlie or feminine items in my wardrobe including some heart earrings I purchased back in March when I was enjoying both sunshine and shopping. I like having these items standout against understated clothing such as grey jeans and a navy v-neck tee. Maybe this is the start of a fun relationship between different existing styles in my wardrobe.

Musical musings for July

July has probably been my busiest month so far this year, set against a backdrop of gorgeous summer weather and good tunes. Before I talk about the music of this month, I have to mention how awesome the Taylor Swift concert was at the end of June. She had such a great stage presence and kind of left me in awe of her talent and ability.

This Wednesday I will be part of the crowd who get to witness both the individual and combined talents of Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z. I have no doubt that it will be a fantastic concert. For now I have been listening to lots of new music, mainly country, which one of my housemates was kind enough to allow me to take from her iTunes library:

1. Love and Affection - Matt White (this is the only song I purchased)
2. We Own It (Fast & Furious) - 2 Chainz & Wiz Khalifa
3. Sorry On the Rocks - Kelleigh Bannen
4. Don't Ya - Brett Eldredge
5. Boys 'Round Here (feat. Pistol Annies & Friends) - Blake Shelton
6. How Country Feels - Randy Houser
7. Highway Don't Care (feat. Taylor Swift & Keith Urban) - Tim McGraw
8. Come & Get It - Selena Gomez
9. Ten Times Crazier - Blake Shelton
10. I Don't Want This Night to End - Luke Bryan
11. Here's to Never Growing Up - Avril Lavigne 
12. Doin' What She Likes - Blake Shelton
13. Can't Hold Us (feat. Ray Dalton) - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
14. Barefoot Blue Jean Night - Jake Owen
15. Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go) - Dierks Bentley
16. Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams) - Daft Punk

July's music can be found on these albums (images courtesy of iTunes)

Wishing into reality

Today I got to do something I have wanted to do for quite a while now. As a result, I am now the proud owner of a Canucks jersey. Just so we are clear, I did part with my hard earned money to acquire it in case you thought I took it off the back of some poor unsuspecting soul. 

I think I first mentioned my desire for a jersey here and it was nice to be able to buy something a bit pricey that I have lusted after for some time. I chose to get the named jersey of my favourite player so fingers crossed he doesn't go anywhere any time soon, not just because of my new purchase. So now I turn my attention toward counting down to the start of season 2013/14 and what will hopefully be a great season for my beloved Canucks.

Aritzia

Aritzia is a store frequented by many of my closest friends. Up until recently I had managed to resist the temptation to buy an item or two from the many gorgeous things that adorn their racks. However, this all changed in New York with the purchase of a winter jacket in the middle of summer as you do. I think it was the cool temperature of the store, the reasonable shopping budget at my disposal and the feeling I got as I slid the jacket on and my hands into the pockets. With this final gesture I was sold and so began my slippery slope.

This past weekend I made a point of doing some retail therapy on the Sunday just because I could. Once more I found myself in this delightful, yet intimidating store. This time I walked out with three cute, yet different summery tops all on sale.

I have to say though that I am not sure how often I will shop in Aritzia now that I have begun to. I think we will have a sales-based relationship for the most part, but I look forward to seeing if more of their lovely clothes end up in my wardrobe.