I never did get around to posting the pictures from my 27th birthday a few weeks back (hey! remember my 26th?). Cheena was amazing and basically planned a whole Fondue party for me <3 - we had vegan chocolate fondue & a very un-vegan cream cheese/cream & herb creation... mmm... Nigel & I remembered early in the night that we still had two bottles of Absinthe from our trip to Barcelona in 2007 and everyone managed to polish off most of it by the time we left for the bar.. it made for some very drunken friends..



( champagne & absinthe.. )

I don't care if everyone has already seen these. This was a rad-tastic night and I feel like posting pictures...



( Ginkth, Foundation, El Kartel, The Sweatshop.. )
♥ ♥ ♥

Saturday was Coral & Darcy's wine & cheese birthday celebration extravaganza! It was SUCH a ladies night (poor Nigel), Cheena stopped by my place fairly early for hangouts, then Amanda & Keri came over to get dressed, then Bri - then we piled into Nigel's car and headed for the west end...



( twenty somethings.. mostly. )

Good Morning!

Today was the first day this fall that I've had to wake up in the dark for work. It was very.. confusing. You know that feeling where you're not sure if you woke up on your own and it's actually 3:00am and the whole shutting off the alarm thing was just a dream? That's totally what this morning was like. Hello fall '08.

This past weekend felt like summer all over again, all rolled into two days. I went to dinner with Dustin, a comedy show, Library Square for 90's night, I rode my bike all over the city, spent a morning photoshopping, an afternoon in the park drinking Strong Bow with Garret, Dustin, Jordan, Jake & Co., Coral & Darcy's wine & cheese birthday celebrations with EVERYONE (epic car rides there & back), breakfast with Nigel, Jordan & Darcy, then four square in McLean park for the rest of Sunday until haircut time with Tanis and a nice dinner at home with Nigel. Gossip Girl was on and I literally passed out from happy exhaustion around ten last night. Every weekend should be like this weekend.



( photos from the last few weeks... )

There are so many good things coming up this week too - Cherry & Matt hangouts today, lunch with Sacha tomorrow afternoon, L.A. on Wednesday! (art show Thursday, dancing Friday! etc. etc.) Ginks & Bella get shaved Saturday morning and I'll be home Sunday night with more pictures and hopefully a good story or two. ♥ ♥ ♥

I took last Friday off work to go camping with: smokes_outside, darcymercer, rowdyllama, coralcoralcoral, fakesharkstore, codycallon, mikesleckyesq, KC!, Joe & Marina!

The whole trip could probably be summed up with the words: FOUR SQUARE!, A WHOLE LOT OF FOOD!, SCOOBY SNACKS!, PHOSPHORESCENCE! and CAMPFIRES!


( click here to see a bunch of pictures of us just sitting around )

I've had a really, really nice few days.

Last Tuesday Amanda came by for one final afternoon on the fire escape before I move and she headed off on her week long vacation in Portland. I bought a bottle of white and we grabbed the camera and computer and sat outside in the sun the last few hours of the evening.. it was lovely ♥.


( girl talk.. )


Wednesday was the first night of the fireworks and coincidentally it was also poker night at Darcy & Jordans.. who happen to have a really sweet deck with a pretty sweet view of the whole thing. Nigel stopped by after work, I won $8 and watched Canada compete for .. what exactly? Does anyone know what they actually win?..


( explosions in the sky.. )

Two days ago Lindsay & I met up after work and had some terrific sangria at la bodega on Howe (@ Drake) - sort of expensive but the next time we can't figure out where to go and don't mind splurging a bit, I definitely recommend it. They had the very best peach/vanilla/brandy ice cream too... mmmm...
We stayed a few hours then headed back to her house with that Grey Goose that I STILL haven't finished for some much needed quality time. I wish I'd managed to go out with her & JHames, but it's just not in me these days.

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Last night was the second night of the fireworks. Basil, one of the people I work for, invited us to his house (like last year) to watch and ooomg, it didn't disappoint..


( the good life.. )

July 5, 2008

Our second morning in Ashland. We all got up surprisingly early and lazed around for a while. I finally decided to throw on my bathing suit and get outside to lay around the pool instead of my uncomfortable cot. Coral & Darcy eventually joined me, leaving the boys to finish watching Punked until we all got hungry..
We spent the rest of the day riding up a mountain with Marshall, Risa, Trevor & their friends to the faerie ponds to swim (sit) - we picnic'd, we returned the bottles from the day before and bought a kick ball, we bbq'd more, drank more, did more biking, went bar hopping in downtown Ashland, skinny dipped in a pool none of us owned, hunted for grease for a grease run car, and finally (FINALLY) made it home for 4:00am - just in time to close our eyes before we were on the road again, headed back to ( Canada-Land. )

I've been back for four days and I'm already counting down the nights until we get to go back. The July 4th long weekend in Ashland was a dream. Actually, my whole ten days off was pretty fantastic.



Malcolm, Coral, Darcy & Jordan picked me up at my place at 5:00am last Thursday morning. I don't think I've ever managed to get going that early on a road trip before, much less with four other people all trying to get their shit together on time. It was perfect. ( Starbucks hadn't even opened yet.. )

The Cheaper Show was on Saturday night, it was crazy. I don't think I could have waited in the (over an hour long!) line up, so thank you to anyone who did. Anyway, the show was amazing - packed and way too hot, but still lots friends and friends of friends. I should have actually taken more pictures of the art, but I had to choose between my glass of wine and the camera and clearly the glass of wine was the victor.

( Cheaper No. 8 )

I don't think I've ever been as tired as I was at the end of this weekend.

Friday after work I met up with Lindsay & Dorian to go to the Cobrasnake yard sale across the street from Mareks house. I measured out my legal limit of Pear Cider in a 'to go' cup and drove us all over there just before it started to rain..



( skid sales.. )

Saturday morning was retarded. Eventually I managed to get out of my house and to the asian market for tp and sandwiches, then I photoshopped, showed and headed out to meet Lindsay & Tanis at the salon Tanis works at. Tanis is amazing and offered lindsay & I the sweetest deal ever, so long as we can get her some new clients, she'll style our hair for nights out! yesss..

After hair & dinner Lindsay & I were fading fast. Nigel got home from Barcelona around 8:00 and entertained us for a while with stories & presents but I honestly thought we might not make it out for a while. Thankfully, we found this.. and it got us in the mood..



( trann show.. )

ps - Amanda is coming back in July..!

There was this roll of film in my camera from last fall to early last week that I just couldn't seem to finish. It felt like I took a million frames with it, but there was always a picture or two left on the roll.. ( well, finally I'm done.. )

Friday night I stayed out late. "YOU'RE still here?!" - Jordan 3:00am

( Apparently I am. )

So Saturday morning was mostly a write off. I TRIED to get out of bed and get to Mal & Amandas new place by 11, but I think I arrived there closer to 1:30 - we were supposed to go watch hockey but I'm pretty sure most other people slept in too. Next week. I need some more time outside on the weekends.

I have an amazing picture on my 'real' camera from Saturday of Amanda & Malloreigh jamming Mal's mattress through the rag top on my car, I need to hurry and finish that roll from September, I'm pretty sure there's some real gems on it.

Sunday I stayed in bed ALL DAY LONG. Nigel went to work and then came home and made us breakfast for dinner, then we watched Get Shorty and I climbed right back into bed. I love it. I'm going to enjoy the shit weather the only way I can so when it gets beautiful outside I'll be tired of sleeping.

Speaking of the future (what a poor segue), there are suddenly a million awesome shows coming up that I've bought tickets for. Bon Iver on March 25th, Vampire Weekend on March 27th, Why? on April 16th, Cut Copy on April 29th and Vetiver on May 3rd!

This week is going to be busy. I'm getting my hair did this afternoon, then Lindsay & I have a million things to do in preparation for the show on the 19th (I can't believe we're actually getting this done). Wednesday is still being figured out, Thursday is that art show with Nicola.. Friday Amber is coming out and her, Mal & I are going to have a sleepover before driving out to Maple Ridge Saturday morning to pick up Carly and hopefully *fingers crosses for the weather* shoot a new SG set for Amber. Right now the forecast says Cloudy with Sunny Breaks, 8 degrees. (what's the plan if it's raining ladies?) We'll see how it goes.

Sunday after the party I woke up early at home and had the best shower of my life. I can't believe how sweaty & gross I was the night before.. ew ew ew. So anyway, I showered and grabbed my laptop and left my poor sleeping boyfriend for ( Lindsays house.. )

Happy New Year!

Don't 'they' say that where you are and who you're with when the clock hits midnight directly influences how you'll spend the following year? If that's the case, I won't complain since I was in the company of those I love the most while ringing in the New Year.



( Auld Lang Syne )

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I spent New Years morning with Dustin, Jordon, jasmine & Shannon - they phoned me from the beach at 8:00am (heh heh Jake) and came over to warm up and have some tea and croissants. Eventually we left my apartment and went to wake up everyone at Prior St. for more tea and new years stories and eventually three LARGE pizza's from Uncle Fhatihs. By the time I got home I was so tired that all I could do was crash on the couch for a few hours of mindless television before bed.. it was perfect.

So today is the 3rd, it's Marg Martini day at Moxies and I have a date with Lindsay & Coral. If you're in the West End, you should join us.