E.T. Phone home!

Today I thought I would dedicate a post to my favourite furry friend.. well sort of furry friend.. GOOBER!


Goober was given to Jeffrey and I as a wedding present from my family.  We got him just days after the wedding and he has been the best addition to our new little family :)  Goober is a one of a kind cat with a spunky attitude!  I like to think he is part cat, monkey, and dog.  Like ALL Devon Rex cats, he is very loyal, cuddly, and unique!


What's not to love about this little creature... :)

I began my obsession with Devon Rex's when I was around 10 years old.  I remember seeing a Bell commercial at Christmas time.  In the commercial was this girl sitting on the couch surrounded by these weird looking cats.  From that day on I was obsessed.  I just had to have one.  So, I saved my money and a year later I bought my first Devon Rex, Waverly :)

Waverly is 18 years old now and still going strong.  She does however have a "cat" form of breast cancer therefore, it was decided it was best she stay with my parents instead of trying to adapt to a new kitten and new home at her age.  I am still her "person" though and she gets very excited when I go over to visit.  She is amazing!

A night to remember...

This Monday (November 14th) Jeffrey will be celebrating his 25th birthday.  I decided I wanted to do something special for him this year.  We both have been super busy at work so I thought a night out of town would be the perfect remedy.

I planned a getaway to The Benmiller Inn and Spa just outside Bayfield.  The Inn had been affected by the tornado that hit this past summer so there was still some renovations being done, but we didn't notice a thing out of place besides a few fallen trees.  The Benmiller was a beautiful retreat and we had a fantastic time.

I decided to plan everything from the car ride down, to the car ride home.  I went to Bulk Barn and bought two Chinese takeout containers and filled them with all our favourite candy.  This was to be enjoyed on the drive down along with a monster (for him) and a water (for me).  Candy is an obsession that Jeffrey and I both have in common.  We LOVE sugar!!

We got in the car around 2:30pm and started our journey.  We arrived around 4pm and checked into our room.  The room was beautiful.  It had a big comfy king bed and a beautiful view of the river.  It was perfect.  I had picked up a bottle of wine and a 6 pack of MGD so we both had a drink while I got ready for dinner.

Around 5:30pm we headed into Bayfield.  Because of the time change, it was dark and the town was lit up with christmas lights alone.  We decided to eat at The Black Dog pub in Bayfield.  This little pub was extraordinary.  It had over 20 beers on tap and the atmosphere was incredible.  I loved everything about it.  We were lucky to get in without a reservation on a Friday night but we had arrived just on time.

Jeffrey ordered a Carlsburg and I ordered a glass of white wine to start.  We had a hard time trying to decided what to eat but in the end I ordered the one piece fish and chips and he ordered a gourmet burger and fries.  Both were delicious.  We sat in that little pub for hours just talking and reconnecting.  I felt like I was on a first date again learning new things about my husband.  We enjoyed each others company until we were "kicked" out because of another reservation coming in... haha..

So, we bundled up and headed for a brisk walk through Bayfield.  We ventured into a few stores and then decided it was too cold to wander much further.  We jumped in the car and headed back to our little inn.

Once we returned we had a couple more beverages and made our way to the heated pool and hot tub.  To our surprise, we were the only ones to use it that night.  Once we got back to the room, I surprised Jeffrey with a cake that I had gotten made by a friend at the gym.  She did an amazing job on the cake and Jeffrey was blown away.  Thanks Shannon!!!!

The next morning, we woke and walked to the building serving breakfast.  The place was beautiful.  Each table was set with fresh flowers.  It was buffet style with fresh fruit, eggs, bacon, potatoes, cereal, toast, anything you could think of, they had.  We enjoyed our breakfast and decided as much as we didn't want to leave, we had to say our goodbyes and head back to reality.

Needless to say, our night away was a success.  It was everything I had hoped for and more and I think Jeffrey really enjoyed his birthday celebration in Bayfield!

One Classy Lady...

Beautiful.  Sophisticated.  Brilliant. 

Audrey Hepburn encompasses all three of the above qualities.  She has been one of my idols since the first time I saw Breakfast at Tiffany's, almost 20 years ago.  So today, I thought I would dedicate a post to the brilliant actress, caring humanitarian, and true beauty: Mrs. Audrey Hepburn!

"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone."

- Audrey Hepburn

"If I'm honest I have to tell you I still read fairy-tales and I like them best of all."

- Audrey Hepburn

 

"I was born with an enormous need for affection, and a terrible need to give it."

- Audrey Hepburn

"True friends are families which you can select."

- Audrey Hepburn

"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says "I'm possible"!"

- Audrey Hepburn

“I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.” 
― Audrey Hepburn

Originality = Beauty

When was it decided that to be beautiful you had to be a size 00, 5'11'', D cup or bigger with tan skin?  I looked up the actual definition and nowhere does it state these things.  The actual definition states that beauty is "The quality that gives pleasure to the mind or senses and is associated with such properties as harmony of form or color, excellence of artistry, truthfulness, and originality."

I highlight the word originality for an important reason.  The definition of originality states, "The quality of being original; The capacity to act or think independently."  So, why do we all strive to be the same?  Why do we all strive to be society's definition of beautiful when the actual definition says beauty is being original?

We are all made different and this should not be considered a bad thing.  Take me for example, I am barely 5'2'', muscular build, brunette.  Although I can change my hair colour, skin colour (tanning), boob size, and somewhat my build, I could never permanently change who I am.  I look at pictures in magazines and wish I could look like these movie stars and models.  But I know that no matter how much diet and exercise, I will never achieve this look.  But then I started thinking, why would I want to?  Instead of beating myself up because society tells me I'm not good enough, I decided to look at my "different" qualities and realize the beauty in each and every one of them.  

I look at my friends and see each of them as beautiful and all of them as different.  Most of us aren't born supermodels so instead of wishing we had been, we should start realizing that we are beautiful and unique because we are original.  

Here are some pictures of some true beauties in my life... You are all unique and beautiful from the inside and out :)

“The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It's the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years.” 
― Audrey Hepburn