a day in the life...

Musings (& ramblings) of a thirty-something nature-loving tree hugger. I love seeing people's eyes light up when they talk about their passions. Forward thinking nostalgist. Enjoys a good warm beverage & a bit of sarcasm. Thanks for coming out.

[adenye]

Own Your Shame & BE YOU

Hello, it’s me, Adrienne. And I confess, I do say LIKE a lot.. and I am pretty nice too.  Rewind the tape (my life’s tape that is) 20 yrs ago and I remember moving to a new home and meeting some of the neighbourhood girls. We were hanging out in one girl’s backyard and drawing, with pencils and paper, just a random activity you know!? I see the one girl write something on her paper, show it to the other girl, and then erase it. My young CSI kicked in, “oh can I see your drawing?”, I said. She passed over her paper and I saw the faintly erased words: “She says LIKE a lot but she’s really NICE.”

The year was 1998, Clueless was my favourite movie (still one of my faves to this day). I had been saying “like” way too much, just like a valley girl, I guess? It was the word I used instead of “umm” or “uhh”. My parents and family told me I was saying it too much but to see someone new “secretly” mention it right in front of me? I felt so ashamed!! But I also felt empowered. They say that there is resilience in adversity. I never hung out with those girls again (they just weren’t for me), I still say like more than I need to (at times).

This was one of the first (of many) times, that I’ve felt shame from other people’s opinions of me. It’s a feeling that most of us have felt before. And it does suck. You know what sucks more though? Conforming to what other people’s opinions dictate. I’m over it. I know that many of us have spent time feeling the weight of other people’s opinions. Let’s push past that and just do what feels right for ourselves shall we?!? I think it is time. Be yourself. Embrace your own opinion and the things that make you uniquely you. Please don’t feel like you have to fit inside a cookie cutter of societal expectations!!! (I could go on and on about this topic but I think & HOPE that you’re getting the point!)

I hope that you’re able to laugh at this story but also feel a little bit inspired to continue to embrace your authenticity, the things that make you unique. Let me leave you with one of my favourite quotes, 

“Be who you are and say what you feel Because those who mind don’t matter And those who matter don’t mind.” -Dr. Seuss

[adenye]

“Phwooooo” let me blow the dust off this blog!!!!! Testing 1 - 2 Is this thing still on??

This has been a lonely little space for more than three years now. Definitely not the intention after the first 6 months, year, second year. I, for sure, thought I’d be back regularly or at least sporadically - alas here we are three years later.. so much has happened of course - as it does in the course of three years for any of us. Time did not stand still!! It is definitely ironic that my last post (3.5 years ago) was one of my favourite quotes about passion. And how if you’re passionate about something you should be pursuing it ... with fullll intention!!! Trust me the irony is not lost on me!! Well I’m back. And I’d love to share with you again. Can I share pieces from the last three years? And stuff about the current present day...?? That’s the plan ...

Hope you’ve been well - can’t wait to get back into this!

“And the days go by Like a strand in the wind In the web that is my own I begin again” -Stevie Nicks, Edge of Seventeen

[adenye]

#manifestation #mantra à la @freeandnative just using this quote as a guiding light most days. do more of the things you love, say no when you need to, you’ll start to feel lighter ☀️🦋 https://www.instagram.com/p/BoIe0TuBWTP/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=fgle6dj3pe2h

[adenye]

September is the time to begin again. On that first autumn evening, I always felt my season of good luck had come.

Eleanor Perenyi (my favourite seasonal quote)

[adenye]

White hot and passionate.

[adenye]

December Barrie Trip - REcap

I said I would share some photos from my trip to Barrie (the one I took in the beginning of December!!). I didn't want to go back on my word no matter how long it took... soooo here are a few of my fave photos and a few memories from the trip - summed up. 

When I landed in Toronto on December 6th, there was no snow in sight, the grass was still green-ish, and there were chubby squirrels running around!! I had just left two feet of snow so it was definitely a nice treat. On my last night there, they were calling for a big snow storm and it was big enough to put a huge wrench in my travel plans! Luckily though, I got to stay for two more days and that made a huge difference for me (cause I got to see my fam and friends again and my travel anxiety was lessened).

As you might remember, I had a vacation to-do list, which got pretty well crossed off!! Especially when my flight home got cancelled and I got to stay for two more days!

Photos from top to bottom:

Moments with friends - I got to see so many sweet faces on this vacation!! These are just a few of my fave group photos but I also got to have some meaningful one on one dates too. To all my friends that I got to see: thanks so much for your time and the laughs! And to anyone I missed this time, next time I'm back you get double the hugs!!

I got to have dinner at my best friend (Sarah's) parent's house and it was such a lovely time. Sarah's mom, Glenna, always has the best holiday decor, plus she is an amazing cook. I always love to catch up with them when I'm in Barrie.

Family times - I spent as much time with family as possible and my cousins even got to come and visit. Plus I got to see my Opa and it had been a few years so that was great!

All the food! I had so many fave food items that I had been missing out on since moving to the Great White North (where food options are few and far between!). When I made my vacay to-do list I wanted to get as many treats as I could - and I did (& it was sweet!)! I'd like to say I'm a foodie but aren't we all really? We all eat food, am I right?! (PS. the food pics on the left are of this cool thing at Jack Astor's called "chicken dippers" or something and it was soooo good and cool. Just plain fried chicken pieces with three dips and three shakers that you can mix and match flavour combos. I could eat that again right now. The best combo: strawberry bacon jam with maple bacon shaker.)

I got to have a few visits with my Grandma and on my last day, Lydia and I went over to her house and got to look through some old photos. It was a really nice time and I love looking at old photos of family!

I had an awesome time back in Barrie and I'm looking forward to the next trip home! Thanks for checking out my pics. I'll be back in this space sooner than later... you'll see!  XOX 

Happy Saturday friends!! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

[adenye]

Ëffulgentfriends

I have to share this with you!!! My dear friend, Alex, from Edmonton, opened an Etsy store last year and she has an amazing gift! She carefully selects unique gemstones to create beautiful jewelry and she does a wonderful job at it. Since Alex is one of the coolest chicks I know, I had to share her awesome work.

Her Etsy store is called Ëffulgentfriends, effulgent meaning "shining brightly, radiant. (of people) emanating joy or goodness". The name definitely fits Alex and her craft. Alex does a beautiful job at her own photography and her creations are all one of a kind and have different meanings. Luckily, she answered a few questions for me about her creative process / and the future of Ëffulgentfriends. 

Where do you find inspiration for your pieces?

Nature. I've always felt guidance and love from nature. I think that's why the crystals attracted me so much! I love their deep meanings and helpful notions. When choosing a gemstone for personal use, you are choosing a friend and ally to accompany you on your journey. I feel my connection with the earth and the gemstones and I appreciate their beauty! I also take all of my listing photos outdoors and in nature to highlight the source of where these wonderful friends come from!

What do you want to create in the future? 

I am very excited about the future of Ëffulgentfriends! I am taking silversmithing and casting classes and really molding my style and perfecting my craft.

I plan on releasing one of a kind rings and pendants in the next year. I'm also planning on branching out with my own website in late 2015 early 2016.

What are some of your personal favourite pieces?

Currently, I have 41 items and I love every one of them! I take care choosing each ingredient for a piece. I think of each finished product as a talisman or an aid in a persons journey. Maybe you're working on staying grounded, then I would recommend "Pretty Buddha". Or maybe you're looking at saying focused on health and happiness, then I would recommend one of my personal favourite bracelets "Ruby Soho".

I do have a couple of extra extra fav's on Ëffulgentfriends. "Sparkle Pony" and "Darling Meriwether". Maybe it is because both of these are very Type 2 and I am an Energy Type 2 (based on Carol Tuttle's energy profiling system)!

As I discover more about personality typing whether it be Astrology, Numerology or other energy typing systems and also more about manipulating metal and stone, my manifestation comes to life.

I want women to feel loved and supported when wearing my jewelry. I want to make fabulous pieces that spark vitality and rekindle self love. I think of the gemstones as personal armour, they should be special and unique, just like the wearer.

Here's a sweet deal! : ***  Right now until January 31st, everything in the store is 20% off!  Use Coupon Code: INFINITELOVE2015  *** 

From the ABOUT on her Etsy page:

I was born blown minded!

Imagining and creating in my dreamthoughts and waking life has been...my way of life! I find so much inspiration and love from nature, that's probably why the crystals attracted me. I started ëffulgentfriends last year in hopes of sharing my love of stones and crystals with the world! I take very much care picking and choosing the gemstones, not just within the general buying process but also when coming up with new designs. Some gems and crystals work more harmoniously with each other and have a bigger impact on the wearer. I am always looking for the next precious addition. I buy all of my material from sources that I trust for quality or sometimes I find really rare items in vintage shops or while travelling. Each piece has a different personality, and a lot of time and thought goes into their composition. Whoever you are, reading this now, through time and space, thank you. Please take your time and enjoy the shop and don't forget to take breaks and look out the window to admire our beautiful mother earth.

--

Big thanks to Alex for letting me share her passion with you (and huge thanks for being a constant inspiration & light to me <3)!!

There is new life in the soil for every man. There is healing in the trees for tired minds and for our overburdened spirits, there is strength in the hills, if only we will lift up our eyes. Remember that nature is your great restorer.

CALVIN COOLIDGE, speech, Jul. 25, 1924

Click here to check out her store ASAP! You won't regret it! :) Thanks for reading!! XO

[adenye]

You always look so cool. ❥ #TheGreatGatsby #gatsby

[adenye]

How's Your 2014 2015??

Oh hey there! Happy 2015! Is it just me or is this month just speeding by? Hope you guys are having a great year so far!! 

It hasn't been my intention to go so long without posting here BUT sometimes these things just happen! Anyways I'm here now, I'm back and I'm going to try and post as much as I can now! I promise. It's weird. Sometimes there is just so much going on in this world that I think what is the point of blogging? But then it's like why shouldn't I be blogging? Hellooooo.. So I'll start posting again! Swearsies.

Here are just a few pics to sum up my last month or so: 

>I got to go on a sweet trip to Barrie and see my family and friends and it was just lovely!! I know it's late but I'll share a quick photo spread of those soon!

>Christmas came and went and it was soooo much fun and much too short! I think I'll start getting into the Christmas spirit starting November 1st this year (then I can get two full months in!).

>New Years was spent at our friends camp where we had no cell service or running water for the night. It was a nice, relaxing way to ring in the new year! 

>We have a godson now!!! Craig's brother Nick and his girlfriend, Amber had a baby boy! His name is Wyatt and he is adorable! They live in Edmonton but we can't wait to meet him when they come for a visit this summer! We have been so stoked to get as many photo and video updates as possible of him, babies are the best! 

Well friends there's a quick update in short! I'll be back soon with some more goodies! I've missed you and I swear you'll be hearing from me soon! :) XOX

[adenye]

Merry Christmas friends! 🎁

[adenye]

Mini Vacay Underway

Tomorrow I take off for a mini vacay to Barrie (my hometown) and I'm soooo excited!! I made a little to do list of things I'm hoping to do while I'm there! Can't believe it's been over a year since I was there last. 

I had to add some "must eat" foods to my list because ever since I've lived here, it's hard to get certain foods. I'm totally looking forward to some treats I have missed!  MOST OF ALL though: can't wait to see my family and friends!!!  

I'm going to do something different for this vacay and post a little travel diary via Instagram (and I'll share on FB too!).  AND I'm going to hashtag all my photos for funzies!!!  If you want to see what I'm getting up to make sure to follow the tag #travelade !! (Love making my own hashtags FYI - awesome internet organization tool!!!)

Stay tuned for updates!!!  XOX

[adenye]

Oh Heyyy.

Remember how hard it was, back in the day when you wanted to "record" your fave song off the radio?  Wait around for what felt like hours only to miss recording the beginning cause you were fumbling to hit record on your tape player (unless you got lucky and the DJ announced what he was playing next).  Making radio mix tapes was a disaster.  

What about when you wanted to know a certain song?  How were you supposed to figure it out?  Hum it to everyone you know until someone recognizes it?  (PS. I have the worst voice for that but have done it too many times)  Now we can just google or youtube the few lyrics we remembered and find our song within minutes.  The internet is COOL man.  Most of the time.  The capabilities are cool anyways!

I missed this space!  I took a little (long) break from my blog for a bit and dialed my social media use back a notch and the results were good.  I'm not even really a social media "addict" per se but when you have a smart phone (do we still call them that?) all the social medias are sooo accessible it can be distracting!!!  So I deleted the Facebook app off of my cell phone, that's it really.  And it made a big difference.  Maybe you don't need a break from social meds but for me it was a nice break!! (I still checked the sites by the way just had to go out of my way to do it ie. log on to a computer)  

Anyways, I missed you guys and I'm back for good now!!  I am soooo excited for Christmas!!!  I must have started decorating just a week or two after Halloween.. The way I look at it is: it's a short season, the Christmas season, so enjoy it as long as you can.  Plus with all the snow we've been getting, it just seemed fitting!!!  And I know I'm not the only Christmas enthusiast out there!! 

What I've Been Up To:

Doing: working, cooking, cleaning (who makes all these messes?  there is only two of us!), decorating for Christmas, making lists, crafting, reading, watching (TV, documentaries, "time fly")

Watching: TOWIE (I have seriously spent too much time watching this show but let's not dissect the details k?!!), Modern Family, Blackish, Are You The One? (anyone else? this is a guilty pleasure!!), childhood movies (Disney whenever I feel like it), Alone in the Wilderness (an amazing documentary that will get its own blog post soon it's just that good.)

Listening to: A LOT of rap music: Young Thug, 2 Chainz, YG, Rich Gang... will I ever grow out of it?  I've been trying but it's hard.... 

Looking forward to: Christmas!!  (obviously!!) and a little trip to my hometown soon!!

Missing: family and friends! and writing!!  The way movies used to be made!!  Why are older movies so much better than new ones?  Or is this just something that you start feeling when you get older?  Am I getting old?  JK.

Alright folks that's all for now but stayed tuned because this space will be lonely no more!!!

Thanks for reading!  LOVE YOU GUYs!!!  XOXOX

[adenye]

Peace Cake

So I got this random idea on my bday that it would ne so sweet to have a cake with a peace sign made out of sprinkles on it.  My birthday was last week and I made my cake on the day because around here we don't have too many cake options and I really like baking!!  In my mind I was like, I feel like I've never seen this online before so I really want to try and create it.  And here we go, it worked out.  Warning: this cake is a sugar overload and not healthy.  But it does taste delicious.  Just wanted to clear that up.  

You know, there is nothing that icing doesn't stick to.  I made stencils out of cardboard and then I covered them in saran wrap and placed them gently on the cake and poured the sprinkles in around them.  When I pulled the stencils up, the icing got pulled up a bit too so if you know of anything that would come up easier, let me know!!

More details:

Before I started the process, I traced the bottom of my baking pan on two sheets of paper (to prep the stencils).  While the cake was in the oven, I came up with the design, which was super easy… and I think you could get creative and try something else sometime!!  I cut the paper out and traced them onto cardboard (you could skip a step and traced your pans directly on the cardboard).  Then covered the cardboard stencils in saran wrap.  

For the cake, I made two 8 inch rounds out of confetti cake mix.  Once they were cooled, I iced a layer on the first round and sprinkled some sprinks (I love the little crunchy and colourful surprise).  Then put the second round on top and covered the whole thing in icing.  Placed the stencils on, sprinkled some magic, pulled the stencils up, et voila.  Cake was ready.  

It was a peace of cake!!!!!! :D 

[adenye]

Family Visit

A couple weeks ago now we had the lovely pleasure of having my mom, sister and brother come for a visit!  We had such a good time and it was hard to say goodbye to them.  

While they were here we tried to fit in as many activities as we could.  We went paddle boating, swimming, Jay and Craig went fishing, we ate tons of good food, and had lots of laughs.  One day I even brought my mom and sis along to take photos for a blog post (which is where the bee on the sunflower comes from).  We also tried to watch a few movies but after keeping busy all day, we never made it through a full movie at night. (typical around here lol) 

We never seem to get enough pics together when we are visiting each other but here a few of the good ones.  Our visits are never long enough and i miss them tons already!!  Can't wait to see them again sometime soon!

[adenye]

Motivation Monday: The Story of Positive Pete

I changed positions for a job within the same company, and my new position was really promising. The new position required more responsibility and was a leadership role. I was really looking forward to the change of scenery as well! UNTIL just a few people started saying that my new position was going to be difficult and that I would "get my head bitten off" (lol I was so annoyed with that comment). I don't know what was going on but people were trying to get in my head! And it worked for a while actually… you know how the "negative few" are sometimes louder than the "positive many"… it just happens sometimes. ANYWAYS I planned on going into the new work situation with a super positive attitude and I REFUSED to compromise! 

Starting a new position was hard enough but to go into it with a negative mindset would have been ten times worse!! So the first week of training was all together in a classroom format. It was tons of fun because we got to do lots of group building activities and answer a lot of questions, I love that stuff. For one of the activities we had to write down something about us that was something no one knew and it was supposed to be like a talent or something, and then everyone was supposed to guess whose talent was whose. This was hard for me - I don't have a specific talent!!! I always felt like I was pretty average at a lot of things but never excelled at one specific thing. Thinking on my feet, I scratched down "I can find a silver lining in anything. People call me Positive Pete". <-- what? lol. 

Once I put that thought down on paper, I realized how true it was. No one has ever called me Positive Pete BUT I do believe that I am a very positive person. I always look for the silver lining in a situation!! I haven't always been this way though. I've always found that it is easier to be negative than to be positive. Seriously think about it;

how many times do we let a negative thought or comment from someone else bring us down?

how often do we feel negative when we are just having a brutal day? 

It's just easier to succumb to the negativity than the positivity. SO I ASK OF YOU; try not to give into that negativity. Try to be a Positive Pete for a day, and then try it for a week. Whenever you have a negative train of thought, push on and think about something positive instead. Your world will change! (I didn't write the book on this stuff, just look it up, positivity is a driving force for change)

Seriously, I've had some pretty crazy negative stuff happen in this life of mine, I do know however, that it could always get worse. That's for sure. No matter how much stuff happens, force yourself to see the positive. Count your blessings. Sometimes the blessings you have to count, have to be a bit creative but do it anyways because LIFE IS GOOD. It's up to you to control that. 

Happy Monday everyone!!  Hoping that this post fills your day with inspiration and positivity!  Keep your head up!  XO

[adenye]

"It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living." -David Attenborough

[adenye]

Soup There It Is

Shea and Dylan are the cool, bearded guys behind "Soup There It Is", a straight-forward soup booth at the farmer's market!  They offer two different varieties of soup every week at the market and I'm always impressed with the flavours and fresh ingredients.  

Their mason jars full of fresh soup make a perfect lunch or side for dinner, and they are unique -- no canned soup junk here. 

Find out more! 

What are you offering at the Farmer's Market?

We are offering fresh soups made with local ingredients. We are trying to bring out a variety of flavours to give people an opportunity to try some new and different flavours.

What made you decide to start participating as a vendor at the Market?

We both have experience in the food business and wanted to bring something to the market that wasn't yet being offered. We also really wanted to get involved in the local happenings of Cochrane. For a small town there is so much going on!

How long have you been selling at the Market?

This is our first season at the market so we're definitely the newbies. But so far it has been a great couple of months! Everyone seems to really be craving soup!

Are your products available outside of the Farmer's Market?

As of right now, we're only at the market however, there seems to be demand for something else. We're definitely looking into other options to pursue after the market closes. We're also open to ideas from our local soup lovers! The more we know about what people want, the better.

How can my readers find out more about your business?

Currently we have a Facebook page that can be found at

www.facebook.com/soupthereitiscanada

Or we can be reached at our email

[email protected]

But the best way to find out more is to try out the market and come by for some soup samples and chat us up!

If we could only try one thing at your booth, what should it be??

We make that easy. You just have to come sample the soup at the booth and decide right there. Dylan's favourite though is Sweet Potato Corn Chowder and Shea's is the Coconut Thai.

Anything you want to add?

Stay tuned for some new recipes coming out this fall. Check us out on Facebook and pass along your suggestions. Thanks to everyone that has been supporting the market this year!

And thank you Soup There It Is for letting me interview you!!  

The Cochrane Farmer's Market runs until Thanksgiving so make sure you come out and see what's in store before the market is gone for the year!  

Thanks for checking out my mini series on our local farmer's market!  It's been a real treat getting to know more about some of our local vendors!  :)