Goddess of.. Moving On Out!

Life is passing me by these days. I'm moving out of my apartment, and moving to Paris. It's official now, well, it shall be truly official when I get my visa in a couple of weeks.

Since I came back from vacation, I had a million things to do for my visa. I sent in my application last Wednesday.. and then, I needed to start packing.

I'm moving out this Sunday, as I'll be working during the week (official move-out date is July 31st). Thankfully, I've managed to sell most of my big pieces of furniture (bed, sofa-bed, dining set) but we'll be moving the rest (bookcases, nightstands, leather chair & ottoman) along with lots of boxes this weekend. I guess it's really the ideal scenario, but my mom is seriously stressing me out. "Yes, I know I'm last-minute. No, I cannot turn back time. Yes, I will be done on time."

The good news is: Nick is here. He's helpful and loving.. that's everything I need. Don't get me wrong, my mom is loving too, but just a little stressful right now.

We're dropping items at 3 spots (my mom's, Nick's mom's and Nick's dad's place) and I feel bad about invading everyone with my boxes.. but really, I don't have a choice. Paying for storage would come up to about $1,000+ for a year. I just hope I can minimize the number of boxes.. it's hard to purge when you moved just a year ago and purged back then too.

I'm starting to hate "stuff". I'm really glad I made a serious effort not to buy too much of it in the past year.

We'll be spending the next few weeks at my mom's and at Nick's mom's place.. until the BIG move.

Blog you later,

Goddess of.. The Great Yoga Challenge of 2011!

In a constant effort to get my mind off residual breakup feelings and the lack of P-in-V on this side of the fence, I set up a challenge with my good friend & co-worker, Bunny.

Despite some of our friends' scepticism, Bunny & I started off by doing yoga at a lululemon store on Sunday morning (bright and early at 9:30am) two weeks ago. And then, we had the idea to set up the Great Yoga Challenge of 2011 for ourselves.

A few months back we had purchased a 10-yoga classes Groupon deal at a local yoga studio. Said Groupon deal was expiring at the end of July, so in a panic.. we decided to set up this 5-yoga-classes-in-5-days challenge .. to ensure we wouldn't lose the entire deal we'd paid for.

For 5 days in a row, we were gonna do 1 class of yoga per night (all different types of yoga). Tuesday, we did Hatha Flow yoga. Wednesday, we did the Budokon-Yoga fusion class. Thursday, on the hottest day of the heat wave that was hitting The City, we did Hot Yoga. On Friday, we did Yin Yoga. Sadly, the teacher cancelled the Saturday class so we were unable to complete the 5-in-5 but still managed to do 5-in-6 days if you count the Sunday class we had done at Lululemon.

Yoga helps make the little voices in my head shut up. Yoga makes me feel serene, free, loved, worthy & empowered. I need yoga right now and I think everyone could use more yoga in their life.

This past week, we decided to do a repeat. Yoga on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night. Maybe we didn't manage to do the 5-in-5 but we did 4-in-4 .. for 2 weeks in a row. We both feel super empowered, more fit and definitely, more serene.

Cheers to yoga everyone! Try it out sometime :)

XOXO

Goddess of.. Home Stretch: T Minus 5 Days!

Less than a week until I move into my new place and begin a brand new phase of my life!

I'm packing boxes.. and uncovering hidden/forgotten things all over my house. Some bring a smile to my face, others make me want to curl up in bed and cry. I text my friends to remind them of forgotten moments.

I guess I'm hopeful though: Starting a new chapter and I have a clean slate in my new place to forge new memories.

Can't believe this is finally happening.
The day is almost here!

Goddess of.. Found the Apartment, Signed the Lease!

I am so unbelievably excited!!!

This day has been such a blessing :)

First, I visited an apartment in the coolest part of town last night and I fell in love with it. It's right next to one of the biggest parks in town (kind of like our "central park") and it's just perfect for me!

And today, well I got my bonus at work. I exceeded my objectives for the first quarter this year and got 6 on 5 for most things. Which means I got an even higher bonus than it's generally possible!! Wooot woot!!

That money's gonna come in handy, considering that I also got a call today from my future landlord telling me that I got the apartment :) !!! They had several applicants / offers but I was first and I guess they trust me to be their quiet & adorable new tenant.

I am dying with excitement, I could pee my pants (but I won't). And I'm sorry if this post makes absolutely no sense, but I had to put pen to paper (or rather keyboard to screen) about this.

Goddess of.. Social Media Marketing?!

As you know, I've disappeared. I haven't really been around the blogosphere since I got my new job (last August, time flies!) and I've missed blogging regularly.

I've been doing terribly well at my new job, not to brag. I just mean that I feel extremely comfortable in my work environment and my ideas are always welcomed with open arms. It's been a growing, learning and super rewarding experience thus far.

I got my first pay rise in January, not too shabby (12%!) and they also acknowledged my work with the company's Facebook fan page. Apparently, I have a gift for handling social media and I managed to grow the company's fanbase on Facebook from .. 2,500 to 25,000 fans in well.. 4 months. I'm super proud of myself because I love the company and I think it deserves to have all this attention from the general public.

In the process, I am learning so much about marketing and social media in general. I've really gained a huge interest in the matter and I am hoping to take more classes, attend conferences, etc. If you hear of anything interesting happening in that area.. please think of me and let me know?! :)

Also, I'm thinking of going more tumblr than blog.. what do you think?

Love you,

Goddess of .. Writing a 50,000-word novel !?

Well, there's a blog post title I never thought I'd write.
Holy moly, I actually just signed up for NaNoWriMo without fully realizing what it entailed.

So, uhmmmmm.. for those of you who, like me, don't know what 

National Novel Writing Month 

(NaNoWriMo for short) is: 

It's a pledge I just took to write a 50,000-word novel, over the course of 30 days.

That's right, the challenge is to write roughly 1,666 words a day, for a whole month .. and it has to amount to something potentially readable. I might as well pledge to give up sleeping and eating, because I don't see how I'll fit that into my schedule.

The busier the bee, the more honey you'll get.. right?

Okay, I just made that up, but you catch my drift.

Help me pick a topic / idea.

Please.

P.S. This is going on my 30 before 30 list. Woah!

Goddess of .. Can't stop thinking about you !

Hey there, you're looking quite pretty today, if I may say so :o)

I've been thinking about you lately. A lot.

Don't worry, nothing creepy. I swear. For the most part.

All week long, I have been rummaging Etsy shops for hours on end, looking for the very best items.. the crème de la crème. You should've seen me, it was cute at times and pathetic at other times (i.e. when it was 4pm.. Okay, I'm lying, it was 5pm.. and I had spent the whole day in front of the computer. All I had eaten was toast & coffee .. and I was still in my pjs). The things you do for love. *singing* The things you do for love. *singing*

But it was worth it, 100%. I am well on my way to some great partnerships with the finest & coolest Etsy sponsors a girl could have.

And THAT means giveaways for you !

Stay tuned, bloggies.
XOXO

P.S.    Don't worry, today was a wonderfully-bright-and-sunshiny day.. and I spent it outside ! I won't let you write me off as a total hermit crab just yet :o)

HAVE A VERY HAPPY EASTER WEEKEND BLOGGIES !!!

Goddess of.. BIG Birthdays!

In exactly 2 months from today, it'll be my 25th birthday !

Two weeks after that, it'll be Lolita's 25th birthday !

And in June, my adorable grandma will celebrate her 100th birthday !

As you can imagine, I am busy brain-storming for the best ideas on how to make these special days even more memorable. Planning, I like to think, is one of my specialities. I'm organized and, quite frankly, one of the most anal-retentive perfectionnist people around. I'm determined to make a big deal out of these birthdays and to get shitfaced celebrate in style !

The first thing that came to mind

when I thought of a way to make a big deal of this : CAKE.

I'm a fanatic of the tv shows Cake Boss and Ace of Cakes. Either you know what I'm talking about or perhaps, you've seen pictures circulating of those amazing cakes. It's no secret, they're really fabulous but also quite expensive. I found a cake shop, here in the city, who seems to make similar (amazing) cakes.

I'm thinking of perhaps combining Lolita and I's birthday celebration .. and get one cake for both of us. That cuts the cost and gathers more friends & family in the same place. Also, we're bestfriends, turning the same age, within 2 weeks of each other .. it DOES NOT get more perfect than that, right ?

Obviously, for my grandma's cake, I would go with something simple, pastel colors, with some beautiful (real or icing/fondant) flowers on it. Both parties would probably involve around 50 people, so I guess it's good that it wouldn't be as big as a wedding cake. Of course, I need to find a job before spending this kind of money on cake, but that's .. well .. a piece of cake ! Uhmmm .. right.

If the budget doesn't allow for the "cake of my dreams", it could be just adding a special touch to some cupcakes and to the drinks.

via @ The TomKat Studio etsy store

via @ The Pink Cherry Mama etsy store

For some reason, I think these silly little party hats would be awesome to wear. However, I think that's the kind of thing that I would never be able to get Lolita on board with.

via @ The Monsoon Bead etsy store

Perhaps I'm leaning towards an Alice in Wonderland and Mad Hatters themed party ?

But then again, neither of us are big Wonderland fans.

How about an Old Hollywood Glamour theme ?

Audrey Hepburn meets Marilyn Monroe.

Afterall, Lolita is the Audrey to my Marilyn.

Let me know what you think bloggies ?

P.S. You are ALL formally invited to this birthday bash !!

Goddess of .. Big news for the New Year !

Ahem. Ahem.

< insert lame excuse here >

I'm sorry. The truth is, I've been procrastinating. God, I love using big words. They make me feel so smart and superior and .. okay, shut it.

{Forgive me, pretty pretty please ?}

via Weheartit

The bottom line is :

New year = New Look

But not for me, silly. Although I could use a haircut of some sort but I'm not really set on what I want just yet and I really just wanna grow my hair long so, you know .. and .. okay, shut it.

I plan on changing my blog theme for a 3-column template. I find that there's never enough room for all the things I wanna add on the sidebar.. and it doesn't help that I have the longest blogroll ever .. but ya know, I love you bloggies.

I haven't picked it out yet but I'm sure it'll still be girly and I hope you'll like it enough to keep coming back around here. Please don't get lost ..

HAPPY NEW DECADE BLOGGIES !!!

2010, Here I come bitches !

Goddess of .. Brand Spankin' New Blog !

Dear bloggies,

I've been absent and distant, yes. The truth is, there's someone something else. I'm seeing writing another blog. Remember when I mentionned my whole Julie/Julia Project idea .. and the volunteer blog.. well, I did it ! The blog is up and running .. it's not perfect yet (a work in progress, right?) but I'm very happy to get it going.

If you want the URL, e-mail me and I will gladly send it to you..

because I'm just soooo freaking excited about this ! lol

I do not want the two blogs to be connected, as this one is ANONYMOUS and I don't want my family, friends and love interests to be reading it.

The other blog (volunteer) is public and I strongly suggest that everyone read it (please please pretty pretty please!?), just don't mention "Aritza" .. hehehe !

Goddess of .. Inspiration for new beginnings !

• I just saw Julie and Julia. Totally loved it, of course, as most bloggers / foodies did and I feel very inspired at the moment. I must get up and do things. I must start a countdown of something exciting on my blog.

• There is the Martha Stewart's baking handbook that Lolita gave me on christmas 2 years ago .. and I haven't tackled more than 3 recipes in there. Maybe I could try that. Perhaps Martha is the Julia to my Julie, the butter to my bread, the breath to my life.

• Or it could be totally non-cooking related.

• Ideas ???

Goddess of .. Dreaming an impossible dream ???

I got a call today, from the Team in Training chapter in my town, because I registered online to get information about Nike's Women Marathon in San Francisco..

It's been a dream of mine for almost two years now. I've been wanting to raise money for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society since my uncle passed away, from a lymphoma disease, in July 2007.
They just sent me the information package via email .. and it says that I would need to raise over 5000$ (for my expenses to be covered) by October 2009. Oufff .. that's a lot of money.

I'm thinking, last year, my mom and I did the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life and together we raised 1000$ .. so 5000$ by myself sounds IMPOSSIBLE right now.

And, I would have to train very hard to get in shape .. to run a marathon or half-marathon by October.

AND, I need to decide by tomorrow 5pm.
Ugh, this is so discouraging. This is one of my dreams right now and it's not looking good. I knew it wouldn't be easy but still .. it sounds totally impossible, right ???

Goddess of .. Playing Interior Designer - Part 2 !

Could also be titled :

Goddess Of .. Dreaming out loud and Designing from the Heart !

This week-end was BIG design-wise.. I devoted all of my time to Lolita and shopping for her new appartment !

She bought a dark purple fabric cover (for the futon bed she already owns) which is going in the living room as a sofa and totally follows the grey, cream and purple theme for the room.
The zebra cushions will go on this sofa. She also bought a tv unit to go in the living room and it's a light wood color that will match the adjacent dining room set that she's getting from her mom.

And a cute purple lamp too !

For the bedroom, Lolita picked this bed with the attached side tables that are really simple and modern.

Also, got her comforter which has really thin little stripes on it, in the shades of beige, baby blue and brown.. and latte sheets.. and two brown silk cushions for the bed. As for decorative pieces, we're still working on it but she got a beautiful blueish-green ceramic vase to put on the floor with decorative twigs in it.

A lot more was accomplished this weekend but these are the big pieces ! I will keep you updated with more :o)

And now, a little bit of design pieces from my heart, if I could describe myself with three images they would be the following :

How would you describe yourself, bloggies ?

Goddess of .. Got it ! The perfect cushions !

Got it ! I found the perfect cushions for Lolita's living room.

They have the perfect shade of warm grey I want for the accent wall .. and they're just down-right sexy!

Hopefully, I'll find the purple silk cushions I really wanna pair these with ..

Lolita is one lucky lady, hahaha :o)

Goddess of .. Playing Interior Designer - Part 1 !

Here's my latest project bloggies :

In the weeks to come, I will be playing interior designer for my BFF Lolita who is moving back in town (and in style) on june 1st and getting her first apartment on her own.

I think maybe (just maybe) part of her figured out how jealous I am and offered me this job out of pity. Anywowzer, I took it and ran. I'm so excited to do this !

The apartment is basically a blank canvas that I can just paint all over :o) She's got a bedroom, a dining room / living room, kitchen and bathroom that need love and decorating.



So far, I've been picking out colors :

Bathroom is white so I will accent and decorate with creamy latte color and turquoise !

Living room will be painted off-white / cream color with a warm grey accent wall and purple accessories.

The adjacent Dining room will also be off-white and warm grey for the walls but the accesories and decorations will be either a light apple green or soft coral pink.

Kitchen is painted white but accesories and decorating items will be cherry red ! F-i-e-r-c-e !

Bedroom is more personal so I will leave much of it up to her of course, but it will include brown drapes which she already owns and are perfect because they keep the light out .. and some shade of blue.

We're going shopping this weekend, I'll keep you updated :o)