All that really should matter...

Cute!

xo

M

Love Token 53 - Family Love

This past weekend was a lot of family quality time. 

I went to visit my dad's sister/aunt at her cottage in Haliburton, to give winter one last shot as my aunt was convinced I could possible have a change of heart. While my heart did not necessarily thaw for the love of winter I did have a great time in the "great outdoors" with a huge bonfire all day, turkey stew, mussels and beer with the background of quality music and great company.

On Sunday, we went to my cousin's to celebrate a birthday (February always is a hot month for birthdays huh?) and we had a huge family dinner, and it was just a nice feeling of "togetherness" which can be hard to do sometimes in the ever so fast paced world we live in.

So thank you everyone for family love and catching up....as busy as the weekend was, I would not trade it for anything.

xo

M

Quality Life Mantra

To Put It Simply

Love Token 52 - A letter of thanks

Now this love token wasn't to me or even from me, but it put a smile on my face and made my day.
This token of appreciation shows why it is important to do what you love in your career choice.
I am so proud of Matt and I know he is on the right path, because of cute and funny reminders such as this.

XO

M

Love Token 51 - Coral is "my" new Black

I have been noticing that the colour Coral has been slowly inflitrating my closet, make-up, nail polish colours etc.

I love it though!

It gives such a fresh punch of colour with the Winter Blahs

See here is to Coral "for now" and our time together

xo

M

Love Token 50 - Leo La La Land?

My crush with Leonardo DiCaprio first started when I was about 14. I remember wallpapering my locker with countless magazine pictures of him. After the over-saturation of Titanic - the love affair died and in came Mr. Justin Timberlake at age 15 -which has never stopped btw - and the space in my guy-crush heart had no more room for Mr. DiCaprio.

Fastforward about 10 years later - and right about the time when Leo and Martin Scorsese started making movies together - the flame that I once thought was put out - was slowing gaining some heat.

The peak of this flame grew - when I realized my actions at lunch today.

I went to a convenience store to grab a pack of spearmint gum, just as I was receiving my change, my gf Vicky asked " Hey Mel, have you seen Leo on the cover of Esquire"? (I had - two days earlier - and remembered a slight flutter of my heart).

I said " OH YES I have - he is looking sooooo goood - aging like a fine wine"

Vicky and I then got lost in our fantasy of Leo for a solid two minutes in the store, and then happily left while still flying high on our Leo train.

However, I was sans gum. I got so wrapped up in Leo - that I literally dropped it out of my hand and left it on the counter to be swept away by his handsomness and fabulousness.

If this does not confirm - re-love for the man- I am not sure what does.

1 hr later - I did the walk of shame back to the store - to retrieve my gum from the lady - who witnessed this whole scenario.

If you have not checked out the Esquire cover and would love to maintain, heighten or reignite your love for Leo, then this is a must do for you - which in turn, ended up being my Love Token for the day.

xo

M

When I grow up....

www.daydreamlily.com

It's really your perception

"We can complain because rose bushes have thorns,

or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses."

~ Abraham Lincoln

Wind in my hair

My alter universe for today is this picture.

I love road tripping with the sun beating in - no traffic - windows down...favourite tune on...

Where do you want to go today with your imagination?

Enjoy!

www.bluebirdluxe.com

xo

M

Love Token 49 - Bigger than his Body

This was a GREAT love token.

On Sunday night the girls and I treated ourselves to a great Valentine's Day gift, John Mayer.

As always he was incredible, he played amazing, was super funny and just all around charming and enjoyable.

Yes John Mayer has made some mistakes, but really who hasn't...as long as we admit our faults and take responsibility for them - then that is all anyone can do.

I find it is so easy for people to cast judgment and point the finger when it's pointing in the direction opposite of themselves.

Ah but that is a whole other rant.

John Mayer did a great job, he is a remarkable musician, singer and all around artist.

If you have not embraced yourself in his music and he is a genre you would consider listening to - I would highly reccomend him!!

xo

M

Love Token 48 - Dinner on the Danforth

I love him

For who he is, not who I think he needs to be.

I love him

Because no matter what - he is there for me.

I love him

Because every single day he shows he loves me.

I love him

Because he is one of a kind - a real gem.

I love him

So Matt and I like to celebrate Valentine's Day, yes we know it is a Hallmark holiday, but so what!?

On any other date night of the year - we are still giving our money to someone - so Hallmark or Starbucks or Carlton Cards or Sivercity or whoever can have it for this one night.

It gives an excuse to have a date night (on top of other date nights) and it is fun - to treat ourselves.

Matt took me out to Danforth (we lovvvve Greek Food) - and we ended up at a nice restaurant - and had good eats and great chats.

We always have our best chats going out to eat, which is why it is one of my favourite outings to do with him.

We are nearing on 9 years coming this November, which is amazing because I try to think what it would have been like if we never met, and I would not be the person I am today or the person I would want to be - without him by my side.

It's nights like these that remind me to savour every moment, don't take anything for granted and appreciate that all you really need is love and rest will fall into place.

xo
M

Love Token 47 - Party like it's 1999

It's a Friday night, I am on the GO Train heading to Whitby. In tow with me:
1. Facemask
2. Hot Rollers
3. Rice Krispie Square Mix
4. A baby mickey of Tequila + lemon
5. 20 CD's that I purchased during the years of 1990-1999

What I decided to have is a slumber party with my best friend. I was going to make the time to GO Train it out to see her, to ensure a night of fun filled activities that would remind us of how we partied together from ages 12-19.

I met her when I was 12 years old, we were neighbouring homerooms in our junior highschool.
We both had the similar likes, dislikes, and enjoyed being silly in the same way. That is really all you need at the age of 12.

Countless sleepovers, countless dance parties, countless and priceless memories.

As I am nearing my 29th birthday in a few short months, I reflect on our 17 years of friendship and am amazed by it.

We have been separated by distance, time and distractions in the past - however we are eachothers home base.
We have grown up and experienced life in different ways - yet we embraced the growing pains together.
Time apart is never a factor, when someone just "gets you".

So as an homage to our youth, to where it all started, we shared a great love token of partying like we were 12, 15, 17 or 19 - and had a Friday night in, just the two of us, doing girly things and listening to the music that shaped our adolescence.

Love like that is hard to come by - true friends are a gift, they are the witness to your life willingly - and I am lucky to have her be part of that circle of trust.

xo

M

Love Token 46 - Read My Lips

If you have not experienced David's Tea and are a tea lover - please go.

I am enjoying "Read My Lips" tea and the smell that is coming off this cup of tea is insane - and quite frankly it is keeping me VERY content at my cubicle as we speak.

XO

M

Authentic Perfection

Perfection.

I have always had beef with the concept of perfection and the methods used to acheive it.

Perfection as we all know is an unatainable goal. In fact, it is our imperfectations (ahem differences) that make us unique and give us character.

Which brings me to my next point.

Authenticity.

This is an obtainable goal - this is ensuring you are being a true reflection of yourself always - being 'you', flaws and all.

Inauthentic people are all too common in the world, and they coincide with the desire to be perfect, when really it should be just the opposite.

So I will always be a happy imperfect yet authentic version of myself.

This is a concept I that I have always had lingering in my mind - I was actually planning on getting a tattoo to represent this concept during my stay in Australia - but it wasn't my time to do it then.

What resurfaced this, was "The Happiness Project".

So I will take the good and the bad, the highs and the lows, and remind myself daily that all I can be is me, and as long as I am staying true to myself and not inflicting harm on others...then I am content.

I wish nothing but the same for you.

xo

M

Be You.

Currently I am enjoying the read of "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin, that I picked up about 1 month ago. I am about 100 pages in and so far, it has sparked my interest and really opened/refreshed my mind to the old/new concepts, perspectives and view points of the human condition on happiness.

The ideas that spiral out of my head from this book are overwhelming.

The author and I overlap similar themes in our visions of self-fulfillment.

Alas, this post is not about the book - but an idea stemmed from it.

Be Melissa

All you can be in this world is the best possible version of yourself intrinsically and extrinsically.

Lots of people tend to have some sort of idea of who they wish they were, which can obscure the understanding of who they actually are. (Gretchen Rubin)

We are bombarded via media, social networks, traditional practices, etc. that sometimes I think we forget to really look at ourselves, our true wants and desires, rather than what we should be and should want etc.

I have always been fairly strong about who I am and what I want to be, but I know that this can always be worked on, as I am not completely unimpressionable (whether I am consciously aware of it or not) nor is anyone else.

That is not to say to completely disregard factors that influence your decisions because that would be dismissing the concept of learning - but stay with me here....

It is just an acceptance that things can always be worked on and improved.

Self-improvement is not black and white - it isn't as simple as saying a person is confident or not-confident, happy or not happy, there are layers, levels and continual growth, hence the purpose of the journery of life.

i.e. I am happy but I am sure I could work on elevating that happiness to another level
i.e. I take good care of myself but I am sure I could take time out of my day to ensure that more (i.e. Love Me Do's)
i.e I spend quality time with my friends - but I am sure I could re-define what quality time means to our friendship

and so on...

Just because you want to be happier does not mean you were not happy to being with...it is a page turned in a book.

Instead of always chasing the dream, or thinking about what could make you happy...live it, be present, do not fall into the "arrival fallacy", because most of the time we are so worked up about arriving at the destination of our dreams, we forget to enjoy the journey in getting there.

Recognize that if you are already happy - seeking the want to be happier is not dismissing the knowledge of your existing happiness. Then when you seek new forms of happiness - it will be more gratifying - because you are not relying on a particular variable to complete you but rather, to enhance an already amazing version of yourself.

"Take pleasure in the atmosphere of growth, in the gradual progress made toward a goal, in the present" - Gretchen Rubin

Therefore - this current book I am reading and the message I initially conveyed at the inception of Love Me Do's both are from similar beliefs.

I am enjoying the growth process of this blog and the self-reflection that it is providing, and it reminds me everyday to enjoy me for the sake of just being me, and everything else and the contributing factors, is a part of the journey.

So don't forget, as crazy as this world can get and as hectic as life can seem....

Be You.

xo

M

Love Token 45 - Manicure Monday's

Gave my nails a little love - a manicured them up last night.

The winter season can really dry out the hands - so make sure you take good care of them!

xo

M

The pursuit of happiness

We must exercise ourselves in the things which bring happiness, since, if that be present, we have everything, and, if that be absent, all our actions are directed toward attaining it.

-Epicurus