Back for the Holidays!

Hello my friends!

If you're still with me, I thank you. I know I havent been keeping up with this blog, and I dont have much of an excuse. Except for the fact that for a little while I really felt like life was kicking my butt, and sometimes I feel like people don't need to hear a lot of negative stuff. People like to hear positives, and that's usually what I try to project. But every once in a while life gets you down and that's just the way it is.

I am happy to report that the long line of unexpected disasters has come to a close, and we are levelling off right now. Gareth is back to work (yay!) with the promise of news on his residency application 3 months away. It's exhausting to constantly hear that I'm blowing things out of proportion, and he should automatically be accepted into the country now that we're married. Guess what folks, life's not like that! The process is working in his favor so that's all that matters right now.

I am now driving a new/old car, as I got my parents old vehicle from them. I am back driving the car that they had when I got my liscence at 16. It's has 4x4 and a car starter, so that should have been a "gimme, gimme!" kinda deal, right? But let me tell you, when you're struggling as much as I have been, giving up one more piece of independence (my very first car) and feeling like you're regressing (going back to the car you drove before you couldn't even legally drink) is a tough one. I really struggled with that. Finally swallowed my pride and exchanged the two (I hope gracefully). So that bug got worked out. Then Gareth was given a work truck, so there's another worry off our shoulders.

THEN to top it all off, we bought a new oven! Gareth searched and found a crazy sale, and it finally came in last week. Just in time for Christmas! Four months without an oven is NOT fun, but we got through, and now it's all over!

Luckily I seem to be coming out of my funk just in time for the best time of the year. Christmas is my favorite holiday as it's all about friends, family, and QT. I'm all about a little QT. My tree is up, our stockings are hung, and now we're just waiting for Santa to come!

We spent Saturday night with some great friends. We hosted a potluck and it was a great night! I am forever reminded of how lucky I am to have great friends in my life, who are wonderful. I feel so lucky right now!


Christmas is going to be a relaxing time this year. I shall return tomorrow with our plans.

I know I have neglected this for a while, but a new year's resolution is to keep up with it.

Back tomorrow!

Love and kisses,
Shauna xox

It's Been a While...

Hello faithful followers,

I bet you have been better at checking in than I have been at writing! Things have been crazy busy with me. Things haven't been too much fun, and I haven't felt like dumping on you all!

Alas, there have still been things to update you on, which I will slowly do the next week.

Gareth and I shared our 5th year together on October 30. We usually go for a nice, romantic dinner to celebrate. This year I planned things just a little different.

First off, we went and played black light mini golf. The decorations are fantastic! We had a blast.



Gareth won this round...so as of right now he's in the lead. But I will fight back!

After our rousing game, we headed over to the Fulton Burger Company for dinner. It's a gourmet, New York style hamburger joint.

Dinner was so good! We stuffed our faces and it was worth it!

Gareth enjoyed his :)

Happy 5 years babe. Here's to always having fun together.

I'm off to another work event, so that's all for today. I promise I will be back soon for more updates

Shauna xoxo

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Happy Friday everyone!

I have a busy day at work today, as we are carving pumpkins and having a pizza lunch. I said busy, not productive!

This day means a lot more to me than just the day before halloween though. It's mine and Gareth's 5 year anniversary! I know, I know, we're married now, so why am I still counting this one? Because it's special! And it's a milestone! And it's an excuse to go on a date ;)...as if we need an excuse :P

Anyway, I thought it might be fun for us...okay for me, to have a little walk through memory lane, photo style.

This is either the very first, or one of the first photos we have with each other. Adelaide, Australia, at the Grace Emily pub. 2004


Back in Canada, going to Bar None, a yearly party put on by the Agriculture students at the U of A.

New Year's eve! I'm going to say 2006.

My trip to the UK to meet the family!! We did some sightseeing as well ;)

Stonehenge

The night before I ran my first half marathon! 2008

And of course...

Wedding day!! August 8, 2009

And our honeymoon xx

So there you have it! We've done tons, we've been a lot of places and changed a bit I think!

Happy anniversary babe, love you lots!

Shauna xoxox

Vino!

Hello my friends!

Remember yesterday I said that I was doing something last night that was on my "Makes me Happy" list? Welllll...I went to a wine tasting! And yes, wine makes me happy!

Most of you know this, but my dad makes wine. The store that he buys the kits from hosted a wine tasting night, and it was fabulous!

There was a little slideshow telling us about the different kinds of wine they were offering, and which foods went best with what. Then we got to taste some of the wine! The best part (other than actually drinking the wine) was that they paired a little nibbly food to every wine to have with it. For example, there was a beautiful Blanca Quartet (white wine made from 4 different grapes). They paired it with hummus and a pita, and it was delish!

We also got to taste a Shiraz with dark chocolate. My fam with that tasting!

I had so much fun at this event! The crazy thing is that they paired some reds with sausage, and some with chocolate. I would have no idea which should go with a dessert and which should go with a meat! I don't know very much at all about reds. I've taken the time to get to know my whites, but not my reds. So I have NO idea how to pair reds up with foods. And if I'm going to be totally honest, I don't know how to pair whites up either. I just buy what I like, and that's that. This wine & food tasting helped me realize how much food can change the taste of the wine. I think this is fascinating! Okay, yes, I'm a geek. But it is! Think about it...you probably shouldn't be drinking the same white wine when you have salmon for dinner compared to when you have, say, hummus. But I don't know which one goes with which!

I have decided I am going to read up on this, get to know my wines better, and then start pairing them accordingly. If I can make my meals better with my wine, why wouldn't I?

This is my empty glass from last night. Doesn't it look lonely? I think I filled it back up soon after this shot ;)

So have a glass of wine tonight and think of me!

Shauna xoxo

The Grump is Gone!

Hello my friends!

First off I would like to apologize for my absense last week. To be very honest with you, I just didn't have anything good to say! I pretty much felt like this guy:

I was just having a bad week! I was grumpy, I was moody, and there was no pulling me out of it. I tried talking to people about it, I tried talking to myself, I tried working out, but nothing worked. I was just grumpy! Gareth was ready to make me this t-shirt:

BUT I have decided that grumpy time is OVER! There is no need to be miserable all the time, regardless of the situation. Right?! And there's no need making things worse than what they are. Right?! I have to make the best of the situation, make the best of our current set of cirumstances, and make the best of my life!

So to everyone who had to put with me last week, I'm sorry! To all of you who didn't come in contact with me, consider yourself lucky

Weekend

We had a fun weekend! Friday night I went on a haunted hike with my friend and her sons, it was awesome! Saturday night we celebrated a friend's birthday, which Gareth blogged about his presents:

Who wouldn't want homemade oreos as a birthday gift?! Yep, homemade oreos! The recipe is an old one from my Grandma, but you can't have it! Ok...I'll share it if you ask!

Here is Justin's birthday cake!

And that was the gist of the weekend! Oh, we finally finished off our bedroom suite with the final missing dresser. This one is mine to use, and I LOVE it! The drawers are fantastic. Perhaps I'll snap a photo and show you guys!

I've been reading over my "Things that Make me Happy" list, and I am going to make sure that I do something everyday to make me happy! I have a plan for tonight, that falls into my list. Wanna know what it was? Come back tomorrow!

Muah!

Shauna

Book Review

Hi again! It's meeee!!

I couldn't sleep last night-it must have been the excitment from the riveting wedding! Anyway, I was awake for hours, so I finished reading Twilight!

To be honest, I was skeptical about reading this series. I don't know why, I just was. Maybe because I saw the movie and it wasn't the greatest movie ever amde. My friend finally bugged me enough to read them. It took me a bit to get into them, but I ended up loving it!

It's a simple read, it has some really sweet parts, and the author's take on a vampire's life is interesting! I have never really thought about it...why would I, right? But it always interesting to think about it. One thing they haven't touched on, that I hope they do, is how it must feel to live that long and see all the changes in the world. They cannot really watch anyone they know grow old because they always have to move so they're not found out, but that's something I wonder about too.

I've seen the movie, but I think I want to watch it again. I always find when a movie is based on a book, a lot of the story is missing. So now that I know the missing pieces, I might enjoy the movie more.

So...all in all, good read! Light, easy, a good story, very entertaining. I'm hooked! I shall pick up New Moon from my friend this weekend and continue on!

Have a great weekend!
Shauna xox

Love me Tender

Guess what we did last night...


We went to a wedding.

A virtual wedding.

For the first time in my life, I wore sweat pants to a wedding!


My man decanted a bottle of wine...

He made us a very nice dinner (yes, I know, we need better candle sticks for the table!)..

And then we settled onto the loveseat to watch Gareth's friend tie the knot. By Elvis.

we had some technical difficulties and switched computers.

Elvis sang "Love me Tender" as the bride walked down the isle, and the couple had a little dance once she reached her groom.

And then they said their vows!

We toasted the happy couple...

and drank up!


It was a fun evening! We didn't have the best connection with the webcam, so we missed some of the ceremony, but it was a really neat experience. So different from any other wedding I've seen! There was no one else in the chapel except for them...and Elvis!

Congrats guys! Hope the trip, and the day, were everything you imaged it would be. We had a blast!

Shauna xox

p.s. I'll be back later to review a book I just finished

Share the Love!

Hello loyal Readers! I haven't given you much to follow along with lately have I?

Okay, here I go...

Long Weekend!

We had a fantastic long weekend for thanksgiving this past weekend. With an extra day off, I was able to stay in my pjs all day on Sunday and still have Monday to prep for the week. We ate too much, got to visit with a lot of different friends we don't always have the time to see, and we did 2 photoshoots! Pretty good hey?! We did all that, and I still felt relaxed and rejuvinated.

On saturday we took some newborn shots for a friend of the family, and we got a little cuddle time in with baby Bronsyn as well. A newborn warms your heart, doesn't it?

After this weekend, I got to thinking...how grand would life be if every weekend was a 3 day weekend?! I always thinks it's horrible that most people go through life just waiting for the weekend to come. Because honestly, how great is the weekend? It's only 2 days! If I could do math, I would tell you how small a fraction of our week that is! I would really like to start loving every day of my life. I know it has a lot to do with going to work, and waking up, and being told you have to be somewhere. So wouldn't it be grand if we loved what we did so much that we didn't stare at the calendar all week waiting for Friday? That's a goal of mine, to start loving what I do with my day, every day.

Love

Ever notice how we're grumpiest with the people we love? Why is it that we take out our bad moods, our frustrations, and our anger on the people who really don't deserve it? My guess is that it's because they love us anyway so we feel safe to vent our true feelings. But that sucks for them, doesn't it?!

Ever notice, as well, how little we compliment the people we love? How often do you think in your head that someone looks great, that they're doing a great job, that their house is amazing, that you're proud of them? Why do we keep these thoughts in our heads so often, and yet let out the bad stuff? Why do we feel safer being negative than letting it out and telling someone they're fabulous?

Let's make sure people know they're fabulous!

Start telling people when you think nice things about them. Let them know you're lovin on them!

Have a fabulous day!

Shauna xox

SNOW DAY!

Hello! It seems like I have been neglecting this blog for 2 days now! Seriously?! That's horrible! I've been busy the last couple days, but that's no excuse now is it?

I have officially already been to the gym 3 days, 4 times this week! Yay for me, since I only went twice last week. I just got back from a lunch weights session, which was awesome. I think I deserve some extra gold stars because...dun dun duuuun....

it SNOWED!!!!

It's def not all pretty like this, it's more mushy, slushy, 15 car pileup on the whitmud kind of weather. Luckily I went to the gym this morning so I avoided all of the traffic and chaos.

I have realized why I love going to the gym at lunch. It really makes me feel like I have accomplished something in the 9 hours I have to be at the office (1 hour mandatory lunch). In a job where I don't feel productive most days, this is prety important. So I shall continue to kick my ass there most days to give myself a break from stale air and sitting at a desk.

Why big question is-what motivates people? What makes the person who goes to the gym religiously different from the person who goes, then doesn't go, then goes. Why is only one of them steady in their commitment? I'm going to look into it!

Gareth and I have been busy with lots of photography shoots. We're having a blast, learning so much and I think we just keep imporoving, which is awesome! Check it out on Gareth's blog.

We have some more photoshoots coming up this weekend so let's hope the weather cooperates. Either that or I shall wear 10 layers and buy out the hot chocolate at Tim's!

Have a great day, and take your time gettin to where you're gettin to.

Shauna

Dreams Can Come True...Right?

As I have eluded to in the past few posts, life has changed a bit for Gareth and I. Okay, okay A LOT in the past little bit. For one thing, we got MARRIED!

Another change is that we have been getting knee deep in photography work. YAY! Gareth's #2 passion is photography (because I better #1 right?! hehe) and he is amazing at it. I have picked up a camera and I am slowly learning from him. He's a pretty great teacher, but I can be a cranky student. Alas, I learn, just maybe a bit slowly!

There have been some circumstances in our recent lives that have derailed us a bit-I'm not going to go into all this as I can't really-and has taken off of the course of a lot of our plans, and goals and dreams. Things such as going skiing, the same as every winter, going out for dinners, and the big BIG one, going to New Zealand for a year in 2010. Now, I'm not saying this stuff isn't going to happen, because we're going to make every effort to make them all happen, but it's going to be a bigger challenge now. We are going to have to work just a bit harder, plan a bit more, and maybe depend on some good luck as well.

this is what I'm working toward...doesn't it look worth it?

I can get a little down when my plans go awry, because the older I get the more I love a good plan, and our plan for New Zealand was a huge thing for me to look toward, look forward to, and give me something to dream about. When I told my mom I was mad this may not be happening any longer, this is what she had to say to me:

One day at a time. Hold onto to your dreams, they won’t happen if you put them on a shelf.

Ummm, hello?! Is it really that simple? Am I really going to be okay if I hold my head up, still think of these dreams as plans and to keep striving towards them?

Well, maybe not. But maybe. And they definitely aren't going to happen if I start pouting in a corner and just give up. So...we are still planning on going to New Zealand. We are still planning on going skiing this winter. What we have to do is make these things a priority and make the necessary sacrifices to make them happen. Dreams don't come true for free. There is a cost for everything.

Are you willing what it costs to make your dreams come true?

Shauna

September in Review

Hey everyone...HAPPY FRIDAY!! Boy do I mean that. I haven't been so happy to have a weekend come along in a while.

Yesterday was October 1, and Gareth asked me how I thought my plans & intentions for the month had gone. WELL I realized that I should do a recap and review over here on the blog-aroo! So here we go.

1. Cook a completely new ethnic food, including shopping in an ethnic store-
We did this! Well, FINE, Gareth did this. He made butter chicken, shrimp curry and naan bread all from scratch for my dad's bday. Good job babe!

2. Try a new recipe at least once a month-Again, with Gareth being home I haven't cooked much at all. So I shall try this month to try out a new recipe!

3. Rediscover Edmonton-Have tourist days-We didn't have a "tourist day" persay, but we have been wandering downtown to find some photoshoot locations, and Gareth has been wandering around the farmer's fields taking lots of pics.

4. Weekend getaway/discovery trips in Alberta-This...well, this kinda happened. We went up to the lake! But alas, no discovery trips. And it won't be happening for a while I'm afraid.

5. Date nights twice a month (one for each of us!)-again, I suck! Gareth made me a wonderful candlelit dinner this month. I had "plans and intentions" for some date nights, but the weather turned to crap and I've been so busy this month. No excuse!! Maybe I will have to do 2 in October.

6. 1 photography day a month-We have been doing wonderful with this, as we have been doing lots of photoshoots. I really made this one for Gareth as this is his passion and I want him to nurture that passion and allow it to grow, and he's been taking pictures nearly every day! Good job babe.

7. Write in the blog 3 times a week minimum-I have been exceeding this! Nearly every weekday. I love it!

8. Workout minimum 3 times a week-This is the first week in ages I am only going to get to 3 days of workouts. Again, this was a crappy week for me. No excuse, but on the whole I've been doing well.

9. Try a new restaurant every other month-We don't eat out much, and last month we didn't eat out anywhere new at all, so this hasn't happened. Might not be happening for a while.

10. FINALLY go on the hot air balloon ride Gareth booked as his proposal idea-This is booked for Monday morning!! Keep your fingers crossed for us that we can go up, and we don't freeze.

11. Skydive-This is a long term kinda goal. Hasn't happened yet.

12. Don't make too many plans!! Have days to just be-Oh man, this DID NOT happen this month. I was lucky enough to play model for a friend who became a professional makeup artist (YAY Nicole!) and that took up some time. And I feel like I've been trying to catch up with people who I didn't see before the wedding because I was so busy. BUT I only have plans one day next week, which is a good-bye party for a friend, so next week looks promising to not be crazy busy.

13. Be nice to people (truly nice)...you get what you give-This is going to be a constant effort, as it shoud be for everyone. I think I'm pretty good at it though :).

14. Get published!-Welllllll...no publishing going on here yet. BUT I did land a freelance editing job! So that's pretty cool, right?!

15. Write a list of what makes me happy, and make sure I do/have one thing on that list every day-I did! I did! I need to look at it more though.

16. Read, Read, Read-Pretty good for the month. I read on the elliptical in the mornings when I go to the gym, so I haven't read much this week, because I haven't been to the gym. Back to it!

So there you have it. Not all of these goals are weekly, or even monthly. Some are for everyday. But it's nice to look at them like this and see where I need to work on things (like date night, sorry babe!).

We have some fun, exciting plans for the weekend, including...dun dun duuun...THREE photoshoots! I just love to do these as we get to hang out with fun people, be outside, go to new/different places and just generally have an awesome time. It is tiring though so we don't have too many plans for the evenings. Movies maybe?

I might be back today as I am working on a longer post. If not, you'll see it Monday!

Have a happy weekend!

Shauna xox

October 1

Happy Fall everyone!

I woke up this morning...TO FROST!! It was -2 (celcius!!) when I left the house for work. It was +33 a week ago!! Only in Alberta I tell ya. I'm not happy about this change as I hate being cold, and yet I spend the majority of the year wrapped up in scarves and sweaters and fleece blankets. WHY?! Trust me I don't plan on living here forever. But here is where I live now, so I will enjoy it, and share with you what I love with some photos I'm stealing from my hubby's blog:

(isn't he talented?!)

It is a beautiful season with beautiful colors and a certain sense of coziness. That is, until you have to go outside to gusting winds and frost and icicles. EW! If the wind dies down and we get a couple pretty, warm days in the next bit, I will be grateful. We have a few photo shoots coming up and we would love some good weather.

This being October 1, it feels like a new start in many respects. A new month, a new season, the opportunity for a new start! I think I need to change my attitude, as I have been under the weather the past little bit, so why not use this new month as that beginning?

We have some fantastic opportunities coming up, photo shoots (mostly for Gareth, but I have fun with them too!), freelance work (mostly for me, but Gareth will be helping I'm sure), fun things that will help advance us! I need to get my head wrapped around the good, as there is so much to be thankful for! (Just in time for Thanksgiving too!)

I would like to note for the record though, I WILL NOT have a good attitude about this weather! Sorry, but until I get to go skiing, it aint happenin.

I will leave you with another photo of Gareth's, since he's so awesome at what he does!

Shauna

xox

Grump Alert!

Have you ever had one of those days when you feel like pulling the covers up over your head, staying in bed for the day and not coming out?

Ever had one of those days when you should have?

I've had both today.

I was awesome this morning, I was up early, my gym bag was packed and I was off to the gym. Then, at about 5:45 am, my car died. I was pretty far away from anything that resembled help. After unsuccessfully trying to wake my hubby up with repeated phone calls (love him to death but he sleeps like a rock) I called my daddy and he came and rescued me. Back to get Gareth. Back to the car. Couldn't get it going, so we had to call a tow truck. Wait for the tow truck. Go home, shower and get ready and all that stuff that I do at the gym in the morning, and got to work an hour late.

That DRAINED me! So annoying, so unnecessary, and so exhausting.

Now, after pumping myself full of coffee and chocolate (don't judge me, I'm back on caffeine) I tripped at work and landed hard on all fours-to the point that there are marks on my pants.

I'm just reminding myself that everyone has bad days, and someone has had a worse one than mine. Having a bad day? I probably just made you feel better!

Is it time for bed yet?

To better days ahead,

Shauna

Post Wedding Blues

Hello friends! Happy Monday.

How was everyone's weekend??

Mine was pretty good. Sadly, I don't have my camera with me, so no weekend pics for you! Gareth and I did have an engagement photo session on Saturday though (Gareth is a photgrapher, I pretend to be too) so I will share some of those once they're finished and edited.

This does mean that some more plans & intentions were followed through, as we have been having lots of picture days! Gareth has been taking photos nearly every day, and he's even commited to sharing a picture a day for 365 days on his blog. I love it! I think others will do, as he's pretty awesome.

Check out some of Gareth's work at his blog. He's pretty amazing at it!

I seem to be in better spirits this weekend. I think for the past little bit I have had a bit of post-wedding blues. I didn't think I was the kind of girl to suffer from something like this, because I wasn't all crazy about things being perfect or anything. But I think it's because I had a pretty big day lined up, arguably the biggest day of my life, and I had something really big to look forward to, to work towards, and to prepare for. And preparations there were, a plenty.

Now...I don't have something specific to look forward to. I'm so happy with the way the day went, and I loved every minute of it, and I wouldn't trade anything for the world. I just think that after having the majority of my time focused on this one event, there is a let down going on now because it's come and gone and now I have a lot of free time on my hands. Free times that has filled up very quickly with plans and friends and commitments I neglected leading up to the wedding, so it's a bit of a tradeoff I suppose.

Gareth thinks we need to plan a trip to Mexico or Costa Rica for this winter to have something else to look forward to. I won't complain ;).

This is me on our honeymoon...perhaps I'll look like this again soon??

Anyway, I think I'm getting over this feeling. I had a nice weekend, it was really chilled out and I was okay staying in my pj's all day on Sunday. And why not, right?? I think it's pretty normal to have these feelings after the wedding right? I know it's all about the marriage and not the day and la de da, but come on, who isn't going to feel a bit lost after months of being busy every single night after work, ordering flowers, going to dress fittings, finishing invitations and mailing them, and anticipating the happiest day of their life so far? Now that I've had it, I'm so happy and I feel so lucky to have Gareth, but back to real life it is, and sometimes that can be scary and the unknown can be frightening, not fun and exciting.

C'est la vie, take every day as it comes. I'm just excited to be living it with my man :)

Shauna xox

Hurt & Love

Gareth and I decided it would be an awesome idea yesterday to perform jumping squats AND dynamic lunges all in the same workout. This has equaled me hobbling around looking like I'm 80 today at work. Every time I sit for a while my legs seize up and...I hurt. I went on the elliptical today, nice and slow, to try to stretch it out. Still hurt. On a positive note, I've been to the gym 4 days this week already (6 times, weights at lunch). Yay!

Remember the post I wrote recently about friendship, and how friendships change and hurts us and we have to accept it and move on? I would like to let you know that I have experienced the rebirth of a great friendship. After having an amazing friend in high school-someone who laughed with me, cried with me, was my biggest cheerleader and helped me follow my dream of going to Australia-we lost our bond and our closeness slipped through our fingers.

Fast forward nearly 5 years, and I still have love in my heart for this girl. Our friendship is nothing like what it used to be, but it is great. I am still comfortable with her, I am still proud of her, and she still makes me feel like she's on my side.

Everything has to change and evolve and move forward with us as we walk our life path. And if we're lucky, the good peole we meet along the way will pop up and remind you how amazing life is.

Shauna xox

Love!

I would like to direct everyone's attention to an article I just read. I might have a new girl-crush on the First Lady. I liked her before, I love her now. Check out this quote:

"The American people remember the old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Health insurance reform must make health care more than just sick care."

I'm not American, and I'm not overly interested in their health care system, but this is how I want to live my life. Preventative rather than curative.

Wouldn't you rather take the steps to live a healthy life rather than struggle out of a hole of sickness?

I'm done my mini rant. Read the article. Click here.

We Need to Talk...

Have you ever wanted to break up with a friend?
Have you ever felt the distance growing wider and wider and decided that trying to make the relationship work felt more like beating your head up against the wall than maintaining a friendship?
Have you ever wanted to call it quits?

Most people have felt like this before. But most people never "officially" call it quits. Most people lose interest and put less and less effort in, and then get hurt and upset when they run into the almost ex-friend and things are awkward.

It's too bad we can't accept that not everyone is meant to be in our lives forever. It's too bad we can't remember the good times fondly, say a civil hello when we see the person and just appreciate what they were in our lives for the period of time they were there.

But we can't, can we? There are very few people I know who can remember someone fondly who they have fallen out with. We can't because we invest ourselves in people, and when the relationship changes and it looks like our investment is slipping away, we get hurt and angry and sometimes question our self worth. Did we stop being friends because they don't like me anymore? Did I do something wrong to drive them away? What made them stop caring? Bottom line, we don't get closure from relationships because no one knows how to break up with a friend. Instead, we choose to avoid the subject, sometimes letting it eat away at us over the hurt and pain we feel.

I recently had to "break up" with some family friends. No sense in giving you all of the details, but the gist of it was that I had to make a very difficult phone call to effectively end a 24 year relationship. No one else had addressed it (none of the "adults"), and I had to be the one to say the words, due to a position I was put in. It made me realize, no one knows how to react in these situations. So with shaking hands and a false casual tone in my voice, I left a voicemail (cowardly?! I dunno...) to end all future contact. Hopefully.

It's not that I wanted to be mean, but everyone had been fairy jumping around these invisible lines for two years now. The relationship had changed, the boundaries had been moved, and no one knew where they were anymore. Everyone was experiencing hurt and confusion over the sitaution in their own ways.

Someone needed to make a decision on where they stand, and that someone had to be me. Was it easy? Not at all. Will I know what do you if/when I run into them in the future? Absolutely not. But neither will they, right? I think the thing that everyone forgets in these awkward situations is that the other party is probably feeling just as uncomfortable as we are.

I shall do my best to be thankful for the many years we shared, to remember fondly the many memories I hold with them playing a part. Life is too short for bitterness, and life is way too short for regret.

Why can't we tell people when we have changed, they have changed, and we're no longer benefitting from the relationship? How come we can't take that news well, even when we know it's true?

Relationships are constantly changing and evolving, and when we don't move forward to a common way of thinking, the relationship gets lost.

Friends Forever? Rarely ever....

Shauna

Weekend Fun

Hey peeps! Happy Monday!

Ok...not so happy for me. I think I'm getting sick! So forgive me that my post won't be full of whit and humor and be the best post ever, because, well, it just won't be.

I had a good weekend, spent time with friends, with family, with wine ;) it was a good time. Sunday night was the family get together, for my dad's birthday (Happy birthday old man!). In my push for us to get creative and live outside the box, I suggested that Gareth try cooking some indian food for dinner (I know, I love it too that my crazy schemes always end up involving Gareth).

To put it mildly, he did a fantastic job. It was an amazing! Dinner.


This is the butter chicken he made. He said it was fairly easy to make, it just had a lot of ingredients. I forgot to get the recipe, I'll post that soon. He also made a shrimp curry, which I forgot to take a picture of.

Hard working hottie!



Gareth also made some naan bread. He practiced once during the week, tweaked his technique, and he had yummy bread for dinner.
This is some of them rising.


Does that t-towel look strategicaly placed to you?? It does to me!

I decided to lend a hand and whipped up a strawberry, cashew, tomatoe feta spinach salad.

I wanted it to be really light, to complement the main dishes, so I decided to make my own dressing. I muddled strawberries in our mortar and pestle, added some lemon juice and pepper, and it was great!


Once the family arrived, the camera was forgotton, so now pictures of our plates or anything, sorry! But it was a success, with some lovely white wine to go with it.

Tonight I think I will veg at home, try to feel better.

Until tomorrow!

Shauna

Money Money Money!

Everyone thinks about it. Most people earn it. Everyone spends it. It drives our decisions on what to buy, what to eat, when and where to go out, where to travel, when to travel, what we wear, and countless other factors in our lives.

Money can ruin friendships, great loves and business deals. It makes people do things they never dreamed they were capable of. Money drives our lives.

Most people can say with certainty that they don't make enough money. Most people say that if they get a raise everything would be better-debts would be paid off, bills would be paid on time, they would dress better, eat better, socialize more...be a better person?

Money drives our decisions, our social lives, our living arragements, our transportation. And these decisions make up the basis of who we are, because every decision we make determines how we see ourselves, how others see us, and how we spend our time.

No one wants to admit it, but money is a constant presence in our day to day. I hate making decisions based on the thought "can I afford this?" or "do I have enough in the bank for this?" and especially "I shouldn't be doing/buying/ordering this because it's too much money". Have you ever been at a restaurant and decided not to order that side salad to start because it's just more money, or one more glass of wine, or a dessert? I know I have. Maybe it's silly, but I believe that every dollar I spend counts, and even if I order a water instead of a soft drink, it's going to add up and I'll be better off.

I can't say I'm the best at paying bills, or budgeting for a trip, or or setting up a general budget to follow, but I'm good at following the rules once they're made. I have been fortunate enough to be in a good financial situation for my whole life (except when I was backpacking in Australia and was so broke I had to borrow toothpaste), but I really believe there is always room for improvement. The question is, how to improve? How do those people who have everything together financially get that way? Are they cheap? Smart? Lucky? Why is it that some people can go through life debt free, travelling and having fun, while some people struggle to stay above water their whole lives? How do I become the kind of person who wants for nothing and doesn't have to sacrifice financial security to get there?

I have been thinking about this a lot, and I have come up with some good ideas, as I have some big dreams that will require a good amount of dough to get me through (such as New Zealand!). Luckily my man is a bit more of a whiz with numbers than I am, so he is going to craft us up a budget. I have put myself on a "cash only" allowance that gives me a certain amount of money a week to spend on everything from drinks to gas to hair cuts to clothes shopping. If I don't spend it all in one week, I am simply tucking it away for a shopping trip! That way it all adds up.

Will this work? I'm not sure, as I've tried it once and I fell off the wagon. But this time around I am determined to spend my money wisely, and remember the big dreams that I have to spend my money on.

I also don't want to become one of those people who measure their success and their happiness by the possessions they have or the money they make. I want to be the kind of person who finds happiness in myself, and in money-free situations, such as a nice walk in the sunshine, or sitting on the dock at the lake with my feet in the water. None of that costs money, and it always puts a smile on my face.

I have been thinking about some challenges to give myself (and probably, inevitably, give to Gareth), such as not eating out for a month, not eating candy for a week, not buying a drink for a week. Things like that to test my will and keep things interesting. When something like this starts I will let you know!

The bottom line is this-money should set us free to do the things we love to do, not weigh us down, depress us and cause us grief. Gareth and I have been discovering fun "date" ideas that don't require money and have given us a chance to talk and hang out together. This has included packing a picnic and going somewhere nice for a meal, and going for walks in different parts of the city.

My thought? Money can't buy us happiness, but using it wisely sure can ;)

Shauna
I'll keep looking for one of these, just in case.

p.s. I am officially one week into no coffee!! I've had a couple decafs, but I'm getting away from the caffeine, so woop woop!

Quickie

Hello hello! Happy Wednesday everyone. I am having a really good week. I've already made to the gym for cardio 3 times (woop woop!), once for weights, and I have every intention of going tomorrow and Friday as well.

Gareth and I went for a walk downtown last night, to a park I'd never been to before. I don't remember the name of it, but it was a really nice time, and a good reminder to try new things around the city.

This is just going to be a quickie post, as I have been writing one today but I need to let it sit and simmer before I post it.

Now, I hope you get the opportunity to get outside and enjoy the amazing weather!! Its 31 degrees in September! Fabulous!

Shauna xox

Calling all Friends

Okay, okay...I know I suck! I have been promising this post for a few days now. But I've been thinking about it a lot! Anyway, here it is finally....

dun dun duuuuuun

I had a rare opportunity to be at home by myself last night, so I ate it up!

I had a shower, changed into my pj's, and settled under a blanket on the couch to watch some Sex and the City.

This show, quite simply, is amazing. Not only do I love the drama as well as the jokes, but I love to see relationships between 4 strong women who manage to make the time to spend with one another, and to be there for one another. The older I'm getting the more I'm realizing how precious good, healthy relationships are with friends-and how hard it is to maintain them.

Watching the show made me long for that kind of group of friends. One where everyone got along, could speak honestly and openly around one another, and supported one another in whatever they were going through, regardless if they understood exactly what the others were going through or not.

It made me think...What makes women connect with one another? And what makes us comfortable around certain women but not around others? Why is it that we can bare our soul to some and come away feeling protected and unburdened, but with some women we reveal one thing and we come away feeling attacked? Why is it that we feel completely at ease with some women and yet others make us feel like we're competing about everything in life?

I also wonder why I have many different friends but they don't all get along with one another...I find that bizzare. If I like them, you would think they would like each other. But alas, this is not always the case.

I want to live my life with the healthiest relationships possible with people, and I want a support system of people, and especially women, in my life who are going to support me, compliment me, lift me up to feel good about myself, and challenge me to be a better person. I don't think that's too much to ask, is it?

I'm finding that older relationships are harder to maintain, the ones from childhood that have to transition to adult relationships. I just recently really became an adult in the past year. I have bought a home, moved in with G, finished school, started a full time career, and got married. Pretty huge, ground shaking, life altering changes...all in the past year. I've changed a huge deal. I know that, I understand that. But it still makes me really sad when a friend I've had for a really long time just doesn't seem to match up with who I am today, even though we fit so perfectly when we were young. How have we both changed so much in this transition that we longer connect? How is it that we no longer feel the comforts within each other's company that we once felt? And why is it that this is true for countless relationships-they dwindle and fade until there is nothing left but the past?

Maybe I'm becoming pickier-which I don't see as a bad thing. Maybe I truly see who these women are as we grow up and have to make honest, life changing decisions constantly that shape who we are and how we will live our lives. Everyone makes choices, and I honestly believe that a lot of our choices will determine who we spend our time with. Our interests, activities, and let's face it, money, all come into play. Our choices about where to spend our money is a huge reflection of where we spend our time. We all make choices about who to go on trips with, who to go to dinner with, who to have a drink with. It all takes money, and it all takes choices.

I don't want to throw away good friendships, espcially because I know people drift apart and come together depending on where they are in their lives, so I need to be careful about who I'm choosing to spend my time with.

So...I will continue to wonder and contemplate and struggle through these questions, and maybe one day I will understand. In the meantime I feel more than lucky to have a few amazing women in my life who can pull me up, make me laugh and who make my life better than it ever could be.

A real, honest relationship with between women is a rare thing...so if you have it, hold on tight.

me and my mom, the best woman I know.

Shauna xx