"Goin to the Chapel"

No I'm not going to the chapel of love and getting married. BUT my friend is. She's getting married at the end of March and hasn't found a dress yet {eek, we all know let's not stress her out more}. Until I beheld this beauty from the 1950's at a little Boutique in Downtown Belleville. Let's just say Belleville has some perks. Such as this adorable store and GLORIOUS dress for the low price of 350.00 with a matching little jacket! How Cute!

She's going to try it on this weekend...fingers crossed it fits :D

Close your eyes and picture this with me. Hair done in lose curls pinned to the side in a ponytail with beautiful teardrop pearl earrings. Breath taking.

Blog Lovage

Came across this blog today and LURVE it! Check it:
http://kelindakelinda.blogspot.com/

This inspires me to take pics of my outfits when I actually dress nice {ie. I haven't just rolled out of bed for my 6am shift}

Stay Tuned!

Welcome Fall!

It's 11 degrees out there today and I'm hoping and praying it stays!
It's PERFECT weather for a pumpkin spice latte
AND to bust out jeans and a sweater...siggggh
I LOVE FALL!

Stuck in my head

Love the lyrics
Fave verse by far:
When we arrive at eternity’s shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We’ll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we’ll sing... You’re Beautiful

things i like

1. TOMS! They are really cute and super comfy (perfect when you have a job that has you on your feet for 8-10hrs) I already own the black canvas ones but am eyeing these guys: http://bit.ly/9NFEl1 (love the yellow and for fall, how wonderful!)
2. Organic foods: Ok this weekend I ate more Organic food than what I usually do (just b/c it's usually more pricey) but many of these foods where either on sale or something my roomie left behind.
What did I eat you ask: Organic carrots, apple sauce and shreddies (YUM!)
3. Blueberry bagels: LOVE! I went looking for some breakfast food for work and found some bagels made in the IGA bakery and they smelt amazing and were soo fresh! Can't wait for break tomorrow morning ;D
4. HSM 3 (Yep, I admit, I like the corny songs too, I will belt them out at the top of my lungs when no one is around ;)
5. Biking really early in the morning. Srsly if I was more awake and it wasn't for the weirdos I'd bike longer, It's kinda cool biking down the middle of St. Cat's through all the red lights just b/c you can :)

Lazy days, Summer Meals and books

Today I journeyed to Lachine Canal with a friend for a visit and to enjoy the lovely breeze coming off the water.

We then decided to take a stroll through the Atwater Market on the way back. I was debating getting some cherry tomatoes but didn't want to spend 4-5 dollars for a small basket I'd eat in one sitting. But then, as I passed one stand, my friend asked the guy how much they were:

"Trois dollar"
He said.
Hmm, three dollars I thought
"Oui, Je prend ca"
I responded

As he went to bag them up, he made sure I got a good mix.

So I thought to myself on the way home that I needed to make my meal based around these tomatoes. So, that I did!

I got some cheddar and crackers out and then made a pasta. This pasta dish is my favorite impromptu summer dish. When its hot and I want something light and yummy. Here is the recipe:

-Make some spaghetti (according to package)
-In another frying pan, put in a wee bit of extra virgin olive oil
-Cut up some bell peppers into little pieces and put them in the heated pan
-Also cut up some pancetta and throw it in the heated pan
-Heat peppers and pancetta til the peppers have a hint of brown
-Mix the peppers and pancetta in with the spaghetti

Top each dish of pasta with corriander, unsalted sunflower seeds and parm cheese.

Oh and Bon Appetite!

Ps. I have to say since reading My Life in France by Julia Child, she has inspired my writing style. It's very much a narrative now, I document how I shop for food and all that happens while doing it :D

I like you, I like you not part 2

Things that make me smile or irritate the *beep* out of me:
1. Cafe Myranny coffee (just half a milk and one sugar and its glorious!) accompanied with Rachel :D
2. Dislike: the unreliable STM bus services. Example: the non-existent 4:45am bus! Where art thou?
3. Good food for thought:
"Satan is the master of extremes. As Luther said, Satan doesn't care which side of the horse we fall off, as long as we don't stay on the saddle" Randy Alcorn Money, Possessions and Eternity.
4. Dislike: Stale 2.50 vanilla cupcake from Starbucks (shakes fist)
5. To make up for the horrible vanilla cupcake I will make these: http://bit.ly/coOEpP
6. LOVE: Afternoon naps on rainy days with a lovely breeze blowing in (thank you Jesus)
7. Cute $10 black shorts from H&M that make running around a coffee shop a whole lot cooler ;D
8. Walks home in the rain in evening with a sturdy umbrella

Saturdays

Mmmm, today looked like this:


With a bit of this:

And yes some of this:

And coffee tasting with a good friend :D

So flavourful!

And some treats to accompany the coffee


I heart the Sabbath <3

an attempt

So my brother and I both LOOVE eggs benny!
And I have heard that they are somewhat challenging to make, but I really want to give it a go!
So Wednesday morning (late morning that is) its me and martha's step by step video on poaching eggs...wish me luck!

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/eggs-benedict-2

beaming with anticipation

I can hardly wait for this Monday 9:16 am to come!
It means I will be on a train headed towards home sweet home
Its interesting as home has never really been a place of retreat or relaxation for me
However, I feel that now since I am on my own and work crazy hours, my mom seems to have extended some grace in that regard
I literally think she would dissaprove of me sleeping in before
but now, since I barely EVER get to do it, she may approve
And even when I tell her I have days off work she encourages me to sleep in :D

Here are some things I am looking forward to:
1. Praying and hoping for a snowy train ride home (those are always so peaceful and very conducive to deep meditating and reflecting) whilist sipping tea
2. Bumming around in my pjs for a few days just because I can
3. Reading the word and a few good books over the break
4. Getting a real tree, putting it up and sitting next to it with no other lights but the ones off the tree and the ones of flickering candles
5. Evening walks and drives to enjoy the snow and the lights
6. Pics of all the snow and lights to stop and enjoy God's creation (just as He did on the Sabbath, so I will stop and enjoy His beauty)
7. My home church (love love LOVE Maranatha!)
8. Breafast dates with the fam
9. Shopping dates avec ma mere
10. Seeing old friends
11. Babysitting some of my fave girls and making a gingerbread house with them (we sealed this deal in November lol)
12. Christmas movies
13. Meditating on the true joy of the season, I have a Saviour who was born in a manger, who can relate and mourn with me in every way and paid the penalty for my sins so I never have to experience separation from my Heavenly Father! Best gift of ALL! Thank you Jesus :D

It's the most wonderful time of the year

So today I opened up shop (by that I mean Second Cup) and was getting annoyed with the music selection (same songs everyday!). So I decided to flip through and see what I could find. "Contemporary...no"
"Jazz...no" (big shock, I know!)
"Christmas jazz" (umm YES!)

I selected that station and to my delight came on Charlie Brown's Christmas! YES!
As I stacked some java jackets and hummed away I got thinking there is truly something magical about this season. People really seem to come alive (the majority that is).

I had several customers come in when White Christmas was playing and they were all humming away and in good spirits. Definitely fueled my energy for that eaaarly shift and put me in good spirits :)

things i like

1. the stars "romantic comedy" it has a good medley
2. my beautiful new apartment (the colours, character, light fixtures, neighbourhood, architecture...my only dislike is the gas stove b/c i don't know how to work it yet :P
3. new cheap slowcooker (go walmart :)
4. dollarama (you stock my kitchen and supply mini decor to make my place a little more homey :)
5. zellers 4.79 candles (again with making my place homey)
6. sleep (i think i may call it an early night)

falling for fall-weekend love

these past few days have been AMAZING!
alot of the things i LOVE to do were all combined into one glorious weekend :)

it all started friday morning with a doctors appt at 9:30am (so much for sleeping in eh?)
your all probably thinking what is so great about a doctors appt? well there isn't anything really, but i did enjoy the walk there (admiring all the colourful trees and the sound of them crunching under my feet oh and who could forget, that crisp fall smell in the air? i love it!)
which was then followed by an appt to get my eyebrows did (yess!)
after that i decided to treat myself to lunch at this cute cafe that a guy from France actually came to Belleville and opened up. i had the most amazing ham, swiss and mushroom quiche on the cutest plates ever!
-scored a cute little hat i have been wanting for a while for really cheap
-looked around at more stores downtown and had some great convo's with the owners
-impromptu coffee date with a friend
-dinner date with the fam
-shopping with mom

today
-i babysitt some of my favorite girls :)
we watched madeline, made cookies, ate KD for lunch and giggled over the sounds animals make (not to mention i LOVE their house! its not a mansion, but the way it's decorated, is soo homey and makes me dream about the day when i have a family and how much i will enjoy making my house cozy and welcoming while doing fun things with my kids :)
-this was followed by my nanny's 85th birthday celebration. it was great to see ppl i haven't seen in soo long and to meet some of my cousins kids that i have never met before (they are so stinkin cute!)
-we then went back to my nanny's opened gifts, had dinner together with some great conversation about the old memories we made

as for tomorrow:
-i am SOO looking forward to maranatha (i heart that church!)
-hanging with my bro (he's gone away on a retreat with the youth and i miss him like crazy...we are pretty tight)
-nothing planned for the afternoon, laying low
-the turkey dinner my mom is making me :)

thank you Lord for a great weekend :)

beaming with anticipation

-hanging with some C4C girls tonight over baked goods and swaping clothes/stuff
-small group tomorrow night
-young adults wednesday night
-home for the weekend on thursday night
-kickboxing with mom on friday night
-nanny's b-day party saturday afternoon
-movies with bro in the evening
-church on sunday (maybe both services b/c i LOVE maranatha!)
-apple picking
-making apple crisp with a great friend and my mom

on a more random note:
-the things God is teaching me/woman He is making me

thankful for:
-the blessing of living with an awesome woman of God for three months and learning sooo much!
-whether it was theology/music/art/fashion/food/health...she is a vault of info and i praise God for her wisdom
-as a result of living with her, i feel more free in expressing myself in all areas of life whether it be my convictions God has given me or little things like the clothes i choose to wear or how i opt to spend my free time. this woman has truly shown me that in all this, i stand before God and if its fine with Him, its fine with me :)
as a small disclaimer on that last point:
i am still open to the fact that some things are temptations for others and would refrain for their pursuit of holiness

i am hearting life right now <3
like evacuate the dance floor, i feel like busting a move, i am hearting life!
thank you Jesus!

when you wish upon a star...

haha, well i don't actual believe in wishing on stars but i do really want a certain something to be the will of God :)

so tonight my friend Joy and i had two places to look at (considering renting).
the first was a condo complete with a fire place and stove, fridge, dishwasher, a/c, washer, dryer, great size rooms and balcony as well as a sunken tub (did i mention the fireplace?)
sounds great eh?
but just a wee bit out of our price range

we then ventured to LG and found an AMAZING place (and price!)
i actually liked it better than the condo. it has such character and charm!
beautiful stairwells (the posts are those gorgeous old victorian style)
so you walk in the front door and walk up the stairs.
the immediate landing has room for a plethora of bookshelfs :)
to the right is a gorgeous kitchen with huge cupboards and a little patio to sit and have qt's :)
go to the left and you have a cozy living room (not too big and not too small)
come out of the living room and turn right and you are greeted by another glorious staircase
this one takes you to another landing with a small skylight big enough for more bookselfs and a comfy chair (YES!)
to the left a large bedroom and to the right a not so large bedroom
oops almost forgot the bathroom that apparently has amazing water pressure and nice tub for bubble baths

i don't think i stopped smiling the whole time
it has my character written all over it
2 guys have already put in their forms and their references are being checked
others are viewing tomorrow
i know God has my best in store
but i really really hope this one is what He has for me :)
Please Jesus!

laughter: she can't contain it

sometimes i enjoy those days where i am able to let my emotions run loose
its nice when you need to cry and your in a place where that is possible, or where you are soo angry at injustice and know that one day there will be an end to it all
to know that God is patient and wants everyone to come to a repentance
but also to know that God mourns and weeps with us
thank you Jesus
as for today, i have had many moments of laughter which i am so thankful for ;)

it started with an invite to see disney on ice (yes i know i was lame and didn't go)
i spent a day all to myself
looking at my work week ahead, it was a hard, but wise choice
i am learning that solitude gives me rest
it really refreshes me

-so after church i headed up to the plateau and had a yummy bagel and salad at St Viateur
(i was also very happy to see they were playing some old episodes of the pink panther), i felt like a fool sitting by myself eating my meal trying to withhold laughter
-this was then followed by some much enjoyed window shopping
-a stop at a cute inexpensive grocery store (to get banana's for the banana choco chip pancakes i have been craving lately!)
-another pit stop at premiere maison for an after dinner treat
-and a little pumpkin for decoration until it gets made into martha stewarts pumpkin soup :)
-then while on the metro, i pulled out one of the 3 books from my bag, this time it was madame bovary, i am only three pages in and almost died laughing

as for right now, i am enjoying this:

whilist chuckling to myself at my random almost outbursts of laughter today
(not the greatest quality pic on my macbook, but you get the idea :)
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Hey, Hey, Hey, Heeeey, Hey beautiful day

What a great day for Amanda looks like:
-Spending loads of time at Marché Jean-Talon (http://www.marche-jean-talon.com/)
-More gads of time in fabric stores, finding great fabric to make that homemade apron I have been dying to make
-Slowly wandering through used bookstores
-Being a food connasseiur :)
-Journaling
-Great books (depending on my mood, one's that challenge and convict or easy reading books)
-Hours upon hours crafting
-Making some wonderful, goodness in the kitchen...my tastebuds for Indian food seemed to have kicked into high gear for this weekend :)
-Finding great deals
-Being inspired

AHHHHH Yay for loong weekends in beautiful cities :)

School's out for sum...oh wait forever!

I probably shouldn't say its out forever, who knows, I may go back, but for know I am certain that I need a break and am taking the month of May off to do just that.

I guess my summer vacation started this weekend with a trip to the lovely Montreal. I have to admit it was pretty much one of the best weekends ever! It started with a banquet at my "good friends" church with free food and great people and a walk through downtown montreal and ice-cream sundaes from McDonalds...YUM!

Saturday was glorious day, I was finally able to bust out my cute summer dress that I got for Easter because it was plus 27 in the shade and have a great lunch at a restaurant that I can't remember the name of, all with a pretty great guy. Our day continued with a drive down to Lakeshore and sitting down by the water. But it didn't end there, our evening was accompanied with great food cooked by a lovely auntie and a walk through old Montreal.

Sunday was a bit chilly but didn't dampen the days events. Church then dim sum with another great couple, afternoon naps and then hot pot made once again by the lovely auntie.

And lastly, Monday. Brekkie with one who has become such a great friend through another great friend, quiet times on the McGill field (b/c it was plus 27 in the shade again!), half and half at calories (half lemonade, half iced tea) accompanied by nachos, dropping in to see a lovely family, chat with the mommy, give their cute kiddos gifts and adore the reactions...mickey dee's for a lovely train ride home, dinner with the aunt and uncle, 11pm trips to bubble tea and intense games of dutch blitz into the wee hours of the morning :)

My weekend was soo good and I needed to get it out! YAY!

These are a few of my favorite things (*3)

3rd post relating to things I love.  I caved real early this year and started listening to Christmas carols this past week (I know, but I needed something to make me smile and get me thru the essays).  

What is it about Bing Crosby Christmas classics that just makes you want to sit by the fireplace (or in a room full of lit candles if you don't have a fireplace), sip a hot cocoa, under a cozy blanket and read a good book? The new Christmas music just doesn't have that affect...I am such a little old lady, haha!  Oh well, I will continue to write my essays to Bing Crosby's the "Holly and the Ivy".

While packing...

this morning I was laying things out on my bed that I planned to take with me to Toronto.  I grabbed a few necklaces and bracelets and my necklaces made me giggle.

Anyone seeing a trend here?