Thanksgiving 2013

Hello Followers! Okay so in awesome fall tradition, I will tell you about my thanksgiving with friends in Calgary.

So Corrina was realllly excited this year to cook her first turkey ever! So we started planning and the day finally came. Monday October 14 was my first day off from both jobs in over a month and I was looking forward to it like a kid at Christmas. I wake up to Corrina handing me a cup of French press and cooking me bacon and "Eggy Toast" as she has coined the term. Think of french toast but WAYYY better.  She is actually my favourite human. One day, her kids (all boys she hopes!) will be worshipping her thats how good of a mum she'll be! But back to Thanksgiving! After breakfast, we get ready and head to the store for some last minute things and of course wine and champagne. You can't forget those two. They are almost as crucial as the turkey. We pick up our things and drive out to the house that my roommate Victoria had been housesitting. We arrive at the house around 2, which is late to get our 12 pound turkey into the oven. Corrina had confirmed that all of the materials we needed (baking pan, etc) was there. We arrive and a baking pan and tin foil are no where to be found. I don't think I have seen Corrina this frustrated in a while. Brandon (her boyfriend) and I set out to the store to grab the things we need.

The Longest "5 minute" Store Trip of My Life. 

After 15 minutes of running around Superstore with our heads cut off and me being distracted like a 5 year old by things like Pillsbury Pumpkin Sugar Cookies (Which i bought , completely unnecessary) We ask the lady where the pans are. She says theyre out! Imagine the look on our faces. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a pan sitting on top of the frozen turkeys. I dash towards it, moving through the soccer moms and homemakers to claim my prize. I snatch the pan and head for the checkout. So picture this, were in the self checkout line on Thanksgiving Monday so its busy as shit, and there just has to be the most annoying humans in this line. First, an Asian couple that is moving at the pace of a glacier with a cart that DEFINITELY has more than 25 items (Like Wtf?), Next a middle aged woman that makes the poor attendant run around the store to price check her 24 pack of yogurt to find out its 2.97$ (Which is CHEAP AS EFF) only to tell him "Nahhhh, not today". Then the cherry on top of this slow ass cake. An older gentleman with at least 50 things in his cart. We watch this guy as we are painfully waiting and he suddenly takes a peak in a 180 degree radius and "pretends" to scan his 0.97$ paper plates. I don't see this sneaky mum move until Brandon leans over and says " What a weasel." I immediately burst out laughing and as I'm getting annoyed looks from the other impatient patrons waiting for these people, I see the attendant run over as she catches him red handed. He plays dumb and proceeds to lie about the amount of cans of something rather in his cart. At this point, the attendant starts to count individually the items in his cart and by this point I'm about to snap. Thank Baby Jesus, the till beside him opens up. We finally rush over and pay for our items and get back to the car. After 45 minutes, I never want to step foot in this place for a while. Corrina is meanwhile frantically calling to make sure we hurry back so we can get this damn bird in the oven.

The Preparation 

   We get back and get the turkey in the oven. Already, I have some awesome excitement. I havent had some good home cooking for a while and I wanna pop some bottles to celebrate this first day off! 3:00 and the turkey is in!

HE's IN!

     As the bird begins to roast, Corrina, Brandon and I pop a couple bottles of champagne." Like a 2'6" as Corrina so awesomely puts it. 

So we sit out on the deck on a gorgeous holiday monday and get our drink on. Now this house had 5 cats and 2 dogs in it (Mine and Corrina's heaven), and we drank and had some awesome times. 

Young Love <3 C&B

Three Musketeers!

The Feast

It gets to the time where we need to take out the turkey and does this bird just look PERFECT ! Look at how golden brown that bad boy is. Frank really roasted nicely ;). 

Corrina Unstuffing Frank

THE BIRD

Corrina made her famous twice baked potatoes and miniature apple crisps for dessert, Vic and Amanda did the roasted peppers, brussel sprouts and zucchini and I did my Mom's signature candied yams with roasted marshmallows and a peach raspberry pie. The look on Corrina's face was so proud! A GREAT success! And for the most part gluten free! It was a win win!

Everyone LOVED the food and my candied yams were a hit! Ryan will have to fight me for the recipe ;). 

Ready to Eat! Corrina looks proud! Ya girlllll.

After we finished eating and cleaning, we played a new board game, Battle of the Sexes, had some great wine and laughs with friends and called it a night . I say SUCCESS! Until next year, this is one of the top ones for the books. In tradition of the real meaning of the holiday, it made me thankful for the awesome and caring friends that I have. Even in a new city that I am vulnerable to, I have found people that I love that I can laugh and have awesome times and great fun with. Even though my family isn't always near me, I am so thankful for their awesomeness as well! 

Happy Thanksgiving and be thankful for the love and support that surrounds you! 

XOXO

S. 

My New Adventure

Hi guys! Sorry for the hiatus I have been insanely crazy busy. I moved to Calgary exactly 10 weeks ago and so far, I'm loving my life here. Life's pretty crazy and it has thrown me some serious curveballs in the last month. With holding down two jobs (which I love by the way) and our basement flooding I have been barely holding on to my sanity. All in all , I have fallen in love with Calgary. The city itself is such a lively city, with a rambunctious nightlife and loads of great restaurants and coffee shops to keep you busy in the day. Here it doesn't matter if its a Saturday night or a Tuesday, people are out and about and enjoying their lives. They don't succumb to the perils of the 9-5 life and live their lives like tomorrow will be their last day.

After weeks of searching and perfecting resumes and cover letters, I landed two jobs to sustain my new life. Here's a little bit about them!

Dr For Moms Chiropractic And Family Wellness

      When I got the job at Dr For Moms, I didn't know what to expect. I have an introductory knowledge of natural health disciplines, but chiropractic I hadn't really looked into. My first impression was that it was a lot of "back" cracking. I was hired at the center and immediately felt a warm welcome by the team. Dr. Hort and her team really exemplify the meaning of "it takes a village to raise a child". The center makes moms feel welcome and encouraged to bring their children. Whether its holding babes to entertaining toddlers or changing a diaper or two, were there to help. Thats my favourite part. I love that I can be some form of help to these moms and expectant mothers  in their hectic lives. Even though I have only been apart of the center for 10 weeks, I have already learned so much about chiropractic care for adults and children. If the nervous system is able to operate at an optimal level, the rest of the body systems seem to be able to work themselves out.  Our nerves are majority what controls physical pain, or our nociceptors. When the joints are misaligned, this can cause the body to perform improperly and can interfere with how the you innately heal. These are called "subluxations". Dr. Hort has programs such as "How to have a baby in 6 hours or less and love to tell about it!" . For the women in my life that have given birth, I know they would have killed to have this knowledge! Whether you are pregnant or not, male or female, young or old, chiropractic care can help with many different conditions.  For children and babies, adjustments are very different than those for adults.  They are gentle and effective in relief from such conditions as torticollis, plagiocephaly, collic, acid reflux and much more. I love that I feel I get to learn every single day.

        The center is multi-disciplinary, with three chiropractors with wide ranges of areas of expertise, two massage therapists and a health and wellness fitness expert. We make everyone feel like they belong and are taken care of with exceptional standards. Chiropractic care can never be detrimental, only progressive and I believe everyone in life should experience this! Come and join our village!
www.drformoms.com

Roosevelt Food and Drink

       When I first moved here, I was under the impression that I was finished with the serving industry. It isn't that I had hard feelings towards it, as I worked in restaurants throughout university and was able to make a decent living.  I just wanted to utilize the skills that I believe I had acquired in the 5 years of education I had just finished. Nonetheless, reality hit and I decided if I wanted to financially be in a comfortable place, serving would have to continue for a while. With the amount of experience I have, I was able to hunt around and try to find a restaurant that I believed I would fit best in. A friend of mine, Chanelle, worked at Roosevelt and had great reviews to say about it. So I went in and applied. Immediately, I felt welcomed. In many restaurants, girls can be competitive and snobby. It is very off putting. But when I started, I didn't feel that at all. Everyone was really nice and made me feel comfortable. Roosevelt is an upscale pub and lounge that has something to offer to everyone. Taking service standards to a new level, we like to get to know guests on a personal level. Weekends are awesome with FREE milkshakes and mini donuts at brunch and awesome DJs on Fridays and Saturdays that are guaranteed to show you an amazing time! Plus the 5$ Happy Hour drinks and FULL sized flatbreads cannot be beat. I have been told in the cold fall days that have recently passed that we are the one of the busiest places on 17th! I love being apart of such a fun crowd and team and look forward to serving all of you! 

I am really excited about my new adventure in Calgary. With the help of these two positions, I have expanded my network and can't wait to see what is in store for me. 

Until next time !

xoxo

S. 

Rest in Paradise friend, In loving memory of Michael Tomescu

Now, these posts are never ever enjoyable but sometimes, necessary and I believe that everyone deserves acknowledgement for the great things they do in life.

Ten short days ago, a lively and beautiful soul was ripped from this earth and taken to spend eternity in wherever it is we go after our human lives. I had only known this young man for a short time and even though we were never close, he always made me feel that in the moment he was talking to me, I was a special person to him and he genuinely cared to hear about what was going on in my life.

It was May 1, 2011 and I had just moved into a new basement suite in Victoria, BC with my boyfriend at the time. It was a hot sunny day and I was the first to arrive at the house, a double duplex, and slowly unpacked my things. As I was doing countless trips back and forth from my beat up and very full Toyota Echo, I heard this loud, blaring music coming from a red truck in the driveway beside. A young man got out, sunglasses on and two big diamond studs in his ears. I noticed him walk across the lawn and in the midst of me trying to unjam several miscellaneous items from my car I hear the words "Hey there! I'm Mike, Are you just moving in?" I turn around, all sweaty and grumpy to see Mikey To, with a big smile from ear to ear, eager to meet his new neighbour. I smiled and said that yes I was just moving in. In his charming demeanour, Mike's next question was " So, do you have a roommate? Are you two single?" I laughed. When Mike was inquisitive about something, he definitely didn't hesitate to ask. A quality that served him well in both his personal and professional life. I explained that I was moving into this house with my boyfriend. Even though I had established that I was unavailable, he still treated me with respect and told me to come over and say hi any time! Of the 8 males that resided in the duplex at the time, Mikey To was the only one to formally introduce myself and I won't ever forget that about him. From then on, I saw Mikey To on a regular basis in the bibliocafe at UVIC and he always seemed genuinely happy to see me. We would catch up for a minute and get back to our studies or whatever else we were doing.

A year later, I moved out of the duplex and moved on.  It could be months since I had seem any of the boys from upstairs and beside, but every time I bumped into Mike, he always acted as if no time had gone by. I really admired his ability to try and make everyone feel like they mattered to him. As a Facebook friend, I observed him pursue his music career. You could tell he was very passionate about his art and what I admired most is that he wasn't all talk. As a person that enjoys music and writing myself, I see a lot of people talk about how they would love to pursue it as a career but that it was an "unrealistic pipe" dream. Mike actually went after what he wanted and strived to get there. He had meetings with people about gigs in Victoria and always took the initiative to introduce himself. I remember him approaching me at the duplex asking me for a quick ride down to the local Starbucks so he could meet a possible booking agent. I admired that he had done his research and that he was so passionate and lively about something he loved.

Once I had heard about the Waka Flocka tour , I remember thinking to myself, " Wow, the kid might actually do it".  I have to admit when he talked about his music plans, I did have some doubt as it just sounded so farfetched, but he actually made it happen! I envy that amount of drive and determination to do what you love.

When I heard of the tragic passing of Mike, I was in shock. Now, many of you do not know but I have had an unfortunate fair share of loss, both young and old. Each one has hit me with a different form of grief and sorrow and I have gained some insight into the various reactions that people have to death. Now, when someone you love dies, it is never easy in any case. You will always feel that longing for one more appearance. One more conversation. One more glimpse of their smile. You long to tell them you love them, tell them you're sorry, or to hold them tight. Very rarely do we get to say goodbyes but I can tell you, even when you do, it doesn't make it easier.  The biggest difference that I have seen with death is this.

When someone old or older dies, at their wake or celebration of life you hear about the life they lived. The things they saw and conquered. Their accomplishments and their legacy that they left behind. When my grandfather died, as deeply saddened and broken as I was, I loved seeing all of the people that he touched in his life. The receiving line where a woman told me how proud he was of me, and how amazing he thought I would be. I have always carried that with me, and always will. Even though sadness took over my mind and body at times, I was comforted to know that he had gotten to experience love, success, laughter and a beautiful family. We carry him with us forever and always.

Now, the closest person who was young and taken from me was my long time family friend Andrew Walker. He was 21 and died tragically in a very sad and very preventable accident. Now the death of someone young, I hate to say it, instills a much darker sadness. At their life celebrations you don't hear about the things they saw, but what they could have seen. You hear about the possible. Not the overcome. The dreams, not the accomplishments. The "what could've been". The anger part of the grieving process I believe lasts longer here. In relation to a possible belief that there is a higher power that controls the life cycle of each individual organism on this earth, I experienced extreme anger. How is it "God's plan" to let a person grow from a child to a young adult, complete university or school or some form of obstacle, and have a taste of a successful career, just to have all of that ripped out from underneath them into darkness. I am still a spiritual person but I do not believe that some higher energy or power determines our span of life on this earth. It wouldn't be fair. It isn't fair. That someone with so much promise and potential to become an amazing citizen of the world, to have a beautiful and everlasting love with someone, and to eventually create a beautiful family and legacy is taken so suddenly and hastily. I've heard many theories, that they are "God's Children", he wants them close forever, etc. Maybe it's selfish to want more time with the ones you care for but its a needed selfishness.  I know that after Andrew's death and now with Mike's, it has taught me not to ever hold back on my feelings for anyone. If y To not hold a grudge. To forgive. If you love someone tell them. Every day that you can. 100 times a day if you can. Just because you can. They are still there. You can still touch them, feel them, yell at them, laugh with them. You can cry to them and pick up the phone and call them, knowing there is someone else on the other end of the receiver. For those close to Mike, that isn't there. It has been taken from them and it feels like there is a big gaping hole in their hearts. So everyone reading this, hug and kiss the people close to you often and never, ever take the time you have for granted.

In reading all of the messages and heartfelt prose posted on Mikey To's Facebook wall, it is astonishing to me the amount of love that is surrounded around this young man. There is a whopping 2,730 likes on the memorial page. Wow. I could only hope that many people have love and appreciation for the impact that I had on life. He was a good natured, wonderfully bright and considerate young man that will be remembered fondly by everyone he influenced whether in a big way or small. For myself, Mikey To has taught me to never ever give up on my dreams and passions. To stop being all talk and put my money where my mouth is. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, his parents and the people closest to him. I know Mike never ever stopped talking about his mom, and the love and bond he shared with her was both admirable and envious. As well with his girlfriend. I never met her but he only ever had wonderful things to say and lit up at the thought of her name. I barely even knew him that well and I knew that. My heart goes out  to all of you. May he rest in peace and forever make his dreams come true, even in the afterlife. RIP Mike, we'll all see you again some day.

xoxo
S.

Calgary Stampede

Hello my blog followers! I am so sorry that I have been away for so long, July was the craziest month! As my first blogpost back, I would like to share my experience at the Calgary Stampede this year!

After a devastating attack by mother nature on the city, the show went on. Hell or high water was the slogan, although to me a little too soon, the city banded together and stampede commenced with full force!

It had been four years since my last appearance at the Calgary Stampede and every year since, I had come up with an excuse to miss out on the excitement. Year after year, my friends ventured out to the Alberta town to have many expensive drinks, see good friends and dust off their cowboy boots. This year, with my new life, new boyfriend and newly graduated, I decided to throw away the excuses and go. For the first time in a long time, I decided to be spontaneous. As of June 30, I was set to leave July 3 and had no ride and no exact thought of where to stay. Normally, as the control freak that I am, this would be very unnerving to me, but as my lovely friends say, Everything always works out. And it did. My gracious friend Morgan took a detour from Victoria to Kelowna to pick me up and off we went. On the drive, I really began to think about maybe starting a new adventure in life and moving to a new city. A couple weeks before, I had applied in passing to a job ad in Calgary for a chiropractic assistant. Two days later, I had an interview, so the trip wasn't only for pleasure, but business as well (This appeased my practical career side).

 After 8 hours of country music and tanning mostly my legs in the window, we arrived in Calgary. First thing I wanted to do was see my love. Rob and I had been dating for 6 months and I was as my friends Corrina and Brandon called me, "Smitten". Never had I met a more caring, understanding and thoughtful man than my new boyfriend. He puts a smile on my face every single day! Plus it doesn't hurt that he looks really cute in a cowboy hat and boots ;).

After a night of rest and happiness seeing my love, I was ready to conquer the world! I had some drinks with Rob and some friends and more and more people just started showing up! It made me begin to love the dynamic my friends had here and the appeal of moving to this city grew on me. The camaraderie that my friends here had reminded me of home in Kelowna, and that was important to me. After a few drinks, we hit the cowboys tent. It was great. The energy and happiness that was filled made me want to jump up and down. So many people but I loved it all the same. Then seeing my best friend Jill peak out of the corner just made my day. I love seeing one of the Brothel girls ( I will explain that later) , as they are my forever sisters.

For the next 3 days after, it was clear to me that I wanted to be here. My interview went well, I had many drinks, shared many laughs and had gads of fun. I was so sad to leave and thought about it for a week when I returned to Kelowna. But until next year, I hung up my hat and plaid and cannot wait to do it again. WOO HOO!


xoxo
S.

Artist Profile: Miranda Lambert

OLA!

Hi guys! Sorry for the two week hiatus, I went to my graduation in Victoria, had a fabulous time, but was so busy that I haven't even had time to think!


So for my blog post this week, I've decided to do an artist profile once a month for some of my favorite artists and to share my musical taste with everyone! This week I decided I would feature country's badass sweetheart, Miranda Lambert.

       When it comes to country music, I feel that I identify with Miranda. She is a strong woman and is encouraging to all women to stand their ground and stick up for themselves. She also stays strong to her roots and doesn't let the glamourous world of stardom push her into the clouds, a quality that is difficult for recording artists to hold on to.

      Miranda Leigh Lambert was born on November 10, 1983 in Longview, Texas and was raised in Lindale, Texas by retired police officer turned private investigator Richard Lambert and his wife and business partner Beverly Lambert. She grew up with a tomboy, country lifestyle, as her father taught her about guns at an early age and as she grew up, she became an avid deer hunter. When she was nine, her parents took her to a Garth Brooks concert and her love of country music began. Miranda and her father began to perform country music in various restaurants.

        At 16, she began to play on the Johnny High Country Music Revue in Arlington, Texas, the same show that launched Leann Rimes' career. This landed Miranda a recording session in Nashville, but she was deterred by the overly pop sound to the music. This sparked her to ask her father to teach her the guitar and to start writing her own music and taking charge of her own career. I love this quality about her. She didn't let the record company dictate who she was as an artist and was willing at such a young age to forego the glamour of instant stardom and gain success on her own terms.

   Miranda's songwriting material is sufficed through many of her experiences both in childhood and adulthood. Her close relationship with her parents has brought the inspiration for such songs as "The House That Built Me". Her parents are very generous and empathetic people and when Miranda was young, they opened their home to an abused woman and her daughter. This experience sparked the lyrics for the 2008 hit "Gunpowder and Lead", a personal favourite of mine. The fact that she is a strong, independent woman that can defend herself is what makes me relate to her.

   Miranda's big television debut was on the singing competition show "Nashville Star", which she placed third in in 2003. She was later signed to Epic Records and began recording her first album, "Kerosene", which merited hits such as the title track "Kerosene" and "New Strings" which both topped the Billboard charts.

    It was clear that after the success of Kerosene, Miranda Lambert's name wouldn't be off the country music radar anytime soon. Her next two albums, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2007) and Revolution (2009) were major successes, yielding memorable hits such as "Gunpowder and Lead" and "House That Built Me".  On Revolution, Miranda entertained collaborative writing styles of such legends as Blake Shelton (her boyfriend at the time), Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum. The lyrics on both of these albums are so heartfelt and give the listener an ability to identify with the situations.  "House that built me" really resonated with me, as I have moved around a lot and still remember my childhood home. I still to this day will listen to this song whenever I need to feel at home.  Revolution landed Miranda 9 CMA award nominations, setting the record for most nominations for a female for the organization.  She won 2 out of those 9 nominations, including Female Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year.

   Her most recent album, Four the Record (2011) is another mecca of heartfelt and beautiful songwriting. The songs "Over you", which she wrote with husband Blake Shelton about Blake's late brother, "Baggage Claim" and "Fastest Girl in Town" are a few of my favourites. The amount of emotion in "Over You" is astonishing. It brings tears to my eyes every time I listen to it. It won the 2012 CMA for Song of the Year and both were in tears.

   Miranda is an amazing role model and is virtually unstoppable. Not only does she have a multi platinum solo career but she has recently in 2011 launched a girl group project, the Pistol Annies with friends, Ashley Monrow and Angaleena Presley. Their first album and title track "Hell on Heels" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Music Chart. Her talent is impeccable and she recently opened an antique shop, The Pink Pistol, in the town where her and husband Blake Shelton live, Tishomingo, Oklahoma.


  Another thing I admire about Miranda is her relationship with husband, Blake Shelton.  They have big shoes to fill, often being compared to country power couple Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, but they do a beautiful job at it.  They don't let the calamities of fame and paparazzi tear down their relationship, but rather are two very grounded and genuine people that have found real love. Their chemistry is pure magic and gives me hope that one day I will find my own Blake!! Who knows, maybe I already have with my boy ;).

  
      Miranda is a refreshing face to country music, as there has become this superficial new country woman persona that can seem diluted and teeny bopper (No offence Tay Swift!), but Miranda brings back a sense of traditional country roots.  She has a take no crap attitude with a traditional country girl lifestyle reminiscent of Tammy Wynette.  She also isn't this stick thin celebrity that looks like a skeleton. She is a healthy beautiful and strong woman that pours her heart out into her songs so that girls like me can feel at home. Thanks Miranda, you brought some life back into the country music scene!!I suggest that all of you beautiful people take a listen.

Xoxo Love you all,

S.


[Sources :

1. ^ "Nashville Star Show and Television Series – Miranda Lambert Musician – USA Network -Character Profile: Miranda Lambert". USA Network. Retrieved 2013-06-24.

            Us Weekly, Collectors Edition. The Women Of Country & Their Amazing Love Stories. Retrieved 2013-06-24. ]

Graduation Dress & Decorum - 10 Gift Ideas

Hi guys! Sorry for the late post, this week at work has been insane to say the least. So for this week, I just wanted to start off by saying Congratulations to all the grads out there, both from high school and from uni! It is such an accomplishment to have finished something that you have put years into.  I know I am feeling a plethora of emotions, both happy to be moving onto my next chapter and sad to be leaving this era behind. Nonetheless, it is an exciting time for all experiencing it! So UBCO had their grad yesterday and today and from all of the photos, the dress code includes a large variety. Some people are going garden party like those shown in the photo collage below (Congrats girls!) , while I have seen others in more formal dresses.

Those girls look fab! Now for my dress.. here is a peak , but look at my horrible tanlines! Any suggestions on how to rid myself of them would be much appreciated so comment!!

Now, Decorum for grad gifts. My coworker and I were having lunch on Wednesday and she was torn on what she should get for her friend's graduation and it got me thinking. Now, for myself I am not expecting anything lavish from friends, even just a congrats shoutout or message is perfect for me!! But if you are wanting to get the grad of your life a gift, its a hard job. Is it formal enough for something huge like wedding style or should it just be a small token that shows that you acknowledge their accomplishment. It's up to everyone's own discretion I guess, but I did some research and here are my

Top 10 Grad Gift Ideas (in no particular order)

1. Bottle of Wine/ Scotch (For the boys). Obviously if anyone knows me, this would be a suitable gift. Now that we are graduated and educated, we want to be sophisticated too !! What better than a gift to start our copious selection of reds and whites to entertain our esteemed colleagues ;) (or just get licked in the first week, haha!).A Couple of my fave Okanagan Wines? Try the Quail's Gate Chasselas, the Summerhill 2011 Riesling, or  the Kettle Valley Pinot Gris for whites and for Reds, The Cellar Hand Red, The Quail's Gate Old Vines Foch and the Mission Hill Cabernet Sauvignon.  And the scotch for the boys, who have now become gentlemen, Try the Talisker 10 year. Yup. I Know that :).

2. Cash. Simple, and straight forward. Those last 4 or 5 years have driven us into debt close to bankruptcy before our careers have even started. So some extra cash on the side is much appreciated to put towards those stacking bills and loans. Or to squander on travelling and more wine :)

3. Gift Cards - Boutiques, Electronics, Clothing, Restaurants. Now, some find these impersonal but I personally love gift cards! Now that I am working full time I feel guilty if I splurge on a new outfit or out on the town for some dinner and drinks! But with a gift card, it's justified because I have to use it up somehow!

4. Spa Day- Massage, Pedicure, Facial , or Hair Color/Cut. Those 5 years took a serious toll on my stress levels. What better than a relaxation massage or pedicure to unwind and take a break! I just so happen to work for a PHENOMENAL salon and spa and maybe if you all are lucky I can swing  you a deal ;). Plus now with the prospect of getting hired at a Big Girl Job, I will need a new, hot professional look !!

5. Flowers & A Heartfelt Card. This idea is for the budgeters. I don't care what any girl says, but getting a nice colorful bouquet of flowers always gets a smile and the warm fuzzy feeling :) Plus a heartfelt card with how proud you are of that special grad with some other personal anecdotes will be sure to get a happy tear and resonate with them :)

6. A Piece of Jewellery - (Watch/Ring/Necklace).  Very traditional and original, but classic and still appreciated! Although this is more for the big spender, it can still be a great gift. My fave for watches obviously a Michael Kors with a big face plate (avail at the Bay, Spare Parts, Holt Renfrew) and for guys, this company I stumbled upon FarmFresh is awesome. A canadian company, their watches are mint, ask my very happy boyfriend :). For necklaces, my fave for right now the Pyrhha Talisman Necklaces! The Reward for Perseverance Talisman (202$) or the Follow your Dreams Talisman (166$) seem quite appropriate.  For Rings, anything Wolf Circus (wolfcircus.com) for girls, and for guys a classic class ring type is very cool.

7. A Gym Membership/Yoga Pass. I know what some of you are thinking, wont that be offensive? But actually, for a lot of students we get really cheap gym passes and fitness classes while we are in school but once we get out, that disappears and memberships can be pretty pricey! So a starter membership or yoga pass for a couple months is actually a great help rather than an offence, just maybe chat with the grad first about their needs!

8. Phone Cards/Euro Train Passes . For that grad planning on spending their next year abroad travelling and gaining some "culture" in Europe. It'll be a nice start to be able to get home when you get beligerantly drunk in Amsterdam and wake up in a barn with no pants and surrounded by goats with a bottle of Absinthe hanging from your neck. (Not saying this from experience or anything)

9. Concert Tickets. In my country lily form, of course music would be a fantastic gift! Now that we have some more time, we can actually attend that concert/festival we have been putting off!! Yes Please!

10. A Painting/Photo Collage of the Grad's day. This is an after the fact gift, but take some great photos at the Convocation and create a scapbook. If you have known the grad throughout their time in school and have some chronicle photos of their time there include those and write little notes. Inexpensive, yet very thoughtful and will last a lifetime.

That's all I got for now, but any of those I would be SOO happy with! Again, Congrats Boys and Girls, all of that hard work has paid off! Whether youre off to an exotic wonderland or are gearing up for graduate/medical/dental school or are just going to enjoy the time as a uni grad like me, that took a lot of work and we should be proud that we got through it! YAY US!

xoxo

S.
(ps. for the photos in the collage, no credit goes to me. As you can see, I sniped them from insta! NO copyright issues ! haha xo)

Nashville Dreams & The use of my degree?

Hi guys! So for this week's post, I decided to kind of combine two topics. One thing that I am having some serious difficulties with is my career ( a fully loaded subject, I know).

Bachelor of Science in Biology - So What?

So as some of you know, I just recently graduated from the University of Victoria in Victoria, BC with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology. When I was in high school, I was told by many peers and faculty members that this degree would set me up for an unreal future and open many doors of opportunity and jobs. Well, I would like to say that didn't exactly pan out.

Currently, I am living in Kelowna, BC, which needless to say is not so much a "recent graduate job opening" mecca, but it's my hometown.  In saying that, my BSc isn't totally useless, I'm just having such a hard time finding a job that pertains remotely to my area of study. What I think should happen is that they prepare high school grads for this hardship and advertise the need to get more involved in campus activities and networking. The only faculty at UVIC that has strong emphasis on this was the BComm faculty and all others advertised very little when it came to university involvement.  Because I had to work full time to put myself through school, I was unable to partake in a lot of involvement through the university and that may be why I wasn't as "engaged".

Its just funny to me that I have paid well over 25000$ for this degree that I can barely even use to get a restaurant serving job which if I had just worked there in the time that I was in school, I would be in better shape financially and without the debt.

Aside from this, I am fortunate to even have a job at all, but I just feel as if I am wasting my education. Does anyone else share my pain, or maybe am I just an exception and need to be patient?

Nashville & My Dream 

So in light of the theme of my blog, Music, I feel the need to include something that is in relation to that so I thought I would share my plans to visit my own graceland, Nashville, Tennessee. So in the last few weeks I have been trying to write something meaningful lyrically and convince my talented and amazing friend Matt to come with me! Honestly How amazing is Nashville to anyone who has gone? 

I previously have said I wanted to move there and try to pursue my music career, however I think I need to figure out my life first. I love music but I am a practical human and I do know I need to get my life sorted first!

So here would be my ideal

Get some money to pay off my school debt so I can start fresh -Acupuncture school next?
Buy a guitar (and learn to play it)
Convince Rob to move to Nashville with me in an apartment near Music Row
Find a job doing something to finance my music aspirations
Kill it at the Bluebird then take off from there!
oh and also buy a golden retriever puppy!

:D I hope hope hope!

Maybe a pipe dream, but its still a dream!

<3 love you all,
S.

Artist Profile : Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

Hi guys! So for my first post I decided to do an artist profile on one of my favourite bands, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (GPN) is a female fronted rock band signed with Hollywood Records in 2005.  In 2005, they released a self-produced album called Nothing but Water, which was praised as a modern take on roots and blues.  For their next three albums, the band collaborated with many big name producers and influential songwriters such as Jim Scott, who has done phenomenal work with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Other collaborations have been done with Rich Costey and Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. The fact that they are self produced and have collaborated with some big names tells me that they have some serious talent and that they stick to their rock roots.  I like that about a band, especially one with such a powerful female voice.  

The media perception has been more than positive. GPN has been referred to as “ a timeless, organic brand of American Rock and Roll”.  Grace Potter herself has been referred as a heart pumping rocker whose nuanced singing, organ playing and phenomenal songwriting belied her age when she debuted at 21 years old.  She is praised for having a raw sense of sexuality, being amazingly glamourous and talented. The band’s ability to transcend genres from blues and R&B with hard rock and cool psychadelics reminiscent of 1960s and 1970s rock with Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac and the Kinks. The band is musically sophisticated and innovative in that their lyrics have the nostalgia of neoclassic rock while still being modern and fresh.  

The front woman, Grace Potter is from Waitsfield, Vermont and formed the band in 2002 while attending St. Lawrence University in upstate New York with drummer, Matt Burr. In 2004, they added two more guitarists, Scott Tournet and Benny Yurco. They were part of the jam band community in Vermont and were once an up and coming modern jazz and blues band being compared to Norah Jones and Lucinda Williams.  Their amazing stage presence and ability to completely take over a show gained them some respect from this community. Their next album after their debut, This is Somewhere, took more of their neoclassic rock approach with which they’ve come to identify with and stemmed the buzz of this “sexy new female badass rock group”. Her influences include The Band, The Rolling Stones, Little Feat and Neil Young to name a few.  The newest album, The Lion The Beast The Beat is a little more commercial, but lyrically is acclaimed as their best yet. 

For marketing, GPN uses their talent for live shows to their advantage. They have played many music festivals (Bonnaroo 2009-2011, Lollapalooza, Coachella to name a few) and have made many live television appearances.  Potter’s songs have also been featured in a few TV shows such as Grey’s Anatomy and One Tree Hill.  They are active online, with Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Myspace and active YouTube channels with many videos available.  On their website, you can access previews to their albums and songs and even purchase their albums all in one place, which I thought was cool. Their music is downloadable, however she seems to release a couple of songs here and there on youtube to catch listeners’ ears and then offers the full albums on her website, which I think is smart. Friends of the band include Jim Scott and Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys), Kenny Chesney and Time McGraw to name a few.  She met Chesney and McGraw while doing the Brothers of the Sun tour in 2012, which was a mainly country tour.  This shows that ability of transcending genres, showing that she is capable of pretty much anything.  GPN’s target demographic includes what they call “college radio and music-heads that typically scour record stores for that rare Kinks record”. However, the fact that they just finished the country tour shows that they do have a broad audience.  The image of the band is important as it is kind of their identity, being repeatedly referred to as “hard hitting badass rock with a raw sexuality and edge”. Their reputation for their amazing live performance quality is what I believe is their best marketing strategy.  Many videos of their performances and interviews are available, outweighing those that are actual studio recordings. This shows real talent I believe and takes us back to a time when the live show was the music. 

If I ever make it in this cruel world, I want to take a similar path as Grace, but more into the country route. Bridget Bardot meets Suzi Quatro with a little Miranda Lambert. Love it.

xx S. :)

Debut Post: Who am I?

Hi! So in the spirits of my first blogging attempt, I would like to formally introduce myself to the blogworld.
My name is Stacey Caroline Chore and I am a Kelowna, BC born and raised girl with strong country roots and a big city attitude. My life has been pretty insane so far and the things that I have seen and experienced with my wild and insane family and friends have been crazy to say the least. I started this blog to document my deepest passions, thoughts and adventures to anyone who would be so inclined to read about them. For my first post, I'll just let everyone know just a little bit about my life.

Being born and raised in a beautiful paradise such as Kelowna, I can honestly say that I feel so fortunate. After my first 12 years on this earth, my career superwoman of a mother was transferred to Ottawa, ONT where my life changed. Previous to this, I was a pretty normal child, with a pile of brothers and sister and an active lifestyle. I had early passions for soccer, dance and music. Vivid memories of being in our 1990 Ford Windstar (it was a beast) singing at the top of my lungs to god knows what (most likely the melodic sounds of No Doubt or Garbage or something else in my rebellious teenage angst-y sister's repertoire). Throughout these highly underrated vocal performances, I would stare my 7 years older sister in her eyes with her looks of 10 seconds away from her strangling me or ripping out my tongue. Either way, I loved to sing.

But back to the big move, I was at the absolute worst age to be the quintessential "new kid". My first day in a new Grade 7 class and I was mortified. 3900 km away from everything I knew, I hated Ottawa and felt alienated by these new children in my classes. What was worse was this was my first real experience with girl bullying. Luckily the cyber age was in its infancy and there was no Facebook, but we still had some forms of internet outlets for abuse. For 2 years, I endured cold and gutless hounding by teenage girls until my family decided they would try Edmonton, AB as our next stop on our cross-Canada "culturing" tour. As much as I endured this form of abuse, I did meet some great people in this city, including one of my best friends, whom I still keep in touch with.

Edmonton wasn't as bad. The girls were decently friendly and I made friends much better, as Ottawa taught me to be more open and outgoing when it came to new people. However, it was now males that were giving me a hard time. I didn't know what it was about me that seemed to spark the bullying but it was becoming a pattern. I stayed strong throughout the year and channeled my passion into soccer where I thrived and met some more amazing people. Finally in April of 2005, my family decided that they were sick of the Edmonton frost and it was time to head home. Kelowna, I had missed you.

It was a sunny June day when we drove around the bend from Vernon to Kelowna and I saw tears stream down my mother's face. We were finally back home. True Kelowna locals out there know this feeling, that wherever you are in the world, you know that in this amazing and beautiful valley we have something special, almost magical.

My experience throughout high school was amazing. I met lifelong friends that I can say I will never let go of. These people are extraordinary and beautiful people that live the most epic and amazing lives. I met people that I had amazing connections with and my love for music came back to me when we started to jam out in our friend Nelson's garage. But as contemporary society instills, I decided that once I graduated, I would go to college. I always had a knack for school, as I loved to learn and even more, loved to be right, which I often decided I was. In elementary school, my mother recieved numerous calls from my grade 1 teacher who would send me to the Principal's office for calling her out on being wrong during class.  I really was a treat of a child.

After high school, I attended the University of Victoria in Victoria, BC and my journey into my amazing 20s began. I met more lifelong friends, fell in love, was heartbroken, fell in love again and experienced a wave of challenging tests, emotionally, mentally and physically. At many points of my undergraduate career, I considered quitting and coming home, admitting failure and moving on, but I pulled through.  Five years later on my last drive to the ferry as an islander, tears were shed at the end of this chapter of my life. Presently, I have become a strong, independent woman and have found a passion in science, specifically in alternative medicine and overall health and wellness.

Now I am back in my lovely home of Kelowna, and loving every moment of it. The hot summer sun graced me with her presence last week, welcoming me back to our mini Kelownafornia paradise. With a degree under my belt, I am ready to pursue the next chapter of my life with many hopes and dreams in my head. Music is my first love and always has been, and just recently I have been trying to become more open about that passion. That is where Country Lily comes from. Since I was young, I have had a soft spot for country music and I have always felt like I have had a connection to it. Lillies are my favourite flower because they remind me of my dear Grandpa, whom I loved and cherished with all of my heart. He always believed in my greatness and I aspire for the rest of my life to always make him proud.  Now that is a bit (lot) about me that many people don't know, even some of my closest loves so there you go. I hope you enjoy my blog and I will start working on my official first countrylily post this week.

Cheers babies!

S.