Love Me "Do's"

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Cut & Paste Tuesdays

I am starting to notice a pattern of sun, beach and ocean in my cut & pastes.

Just going to go with it!

I AM a water sign afterall ;)

Enjoy!

Obtained via: Inspire

XO
M

Friday, May 20, 2011

Love Token 99: Gold Glitter

For the long weekend I am rocking some gold glitter nails because it is just too FUN.

OPI has a polish out called "Glow Up Already"

Cup of Jo

Love Token 98: Only Happy In The Sun

Inspire

It is no surprise that I have had a long love affair with the sun, so much so that it is forever inked on my body (way before it became "that type of tattoo").

I was reminded of this fabulous song last night in my yoga class....three of my loves colliding

Yoga

Ben Harper

Sun

I hope you all enjoy your 2011 long weekend and are able to soak up the warm and loving embrace of the sun.

TGIF!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Love Token 97: New Love

THANK YOU Vicky for introducing me to MY NEW favourite blog Inspire.

It has the perfect combination of inspirational imagery (fashion,decor,beauty) and quotations.

Here are some of the BAZILLION posts from this tumblr blog that I really love

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Love Token 96: iLoVE oLiVE iLoVE oLiVE

What is on the menu for today's lunch...umm how about a side of delicious blue cheese stuffed olives.

Whether in a martini, a caesar or just on it's own, I LOVE OLIVES.

MAC V

Michael DL Smith

PVCPVC

YUM

XO
M

Change is Good

Love this, so true.

I really wish the world and it's incumbents were less narcissistic.

What satisfies the soul doesn't always necessarily equate to satisfaction around oneself.

Obtained via: Here

XO
M

Cut & Paste Tuesdays

Sorry for the one day delay on this, but I was out of town ;)

Who wouldn't want to cut and paste themselves into this alter universe for today?

Obtained via: happiness-is

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Girl Power

Be the change you wish to see in the world.

-Gandhi

Love

This

Movement

Thanks to the hub for introducing this to me.

It is reality that we take for granted in the comfort of our homes, with hot running water, education, and the belief in equality.

Please watch this - don't think of it as one-sided, sexist or anything other than a contributing part of the human condition that needs ALL our help.

Something I will invest my time and money in throughout my whole life.

Empowerment

Helping

Loving

The Girl Effect

XO

The Relief That Sighed

Fate has peculiar timing

When it is deemed to be yours or another’s

In less than a moment

A life can change

What seems routine today can be oblivious tomorrow

The present is a strange paradox of how you live, how you ought to live and how change can stake a fork in the road

One brief second

In one instant

Certain uncontrollable obstacles in place

To determine your fate …or mine

What was once mine, could have been no longer

What once was, could have been a past already being written

Life is kind, life is cruel, life is real

Life will pass you by if you let it

Take comfort in the inevitable

Like sand slipping through fingers, the chips will fall where they may

One gasping breath and the uncharted destination of the exhale

Enjoy now

Take solace in the confirmations of yesterday in all its bitter sweetness and realize tomorrow is undoubtedly unknown

As this is the dice we roll in the game of life

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Cut & Paste Tuesdays

In my past blogs I have uploaded photos where I would like to cut and paste myself into for the day.

I am going to try to make this a weekly update.

My photo for today - sun, beach, ocean and books - a version of my utopia for sure.

Found on MatchBookMag

xo
M

Love Token 94: Young Love

"When I was young...I met this beautiful girl by the lake"

-What Dreams May Come

Do you remember your first young love (I mean reallll young)?

Mine was when I was 3 years old, we met in kinder-gymnastics class, he was older (1 year) and his name was *sigh* Max.

Seeing young love is so cute, it brings out the fairy tale romantics in us - that you can find your soul mate when you are young, it is just a matter of how early your paths cross.

What Dreams May Come is my all time favourite movie and it touches on the themes of young love, soul mates, the quest for love, etc.

Anywhoo, I stumbled across this feel good "young love" video via TP's blog and it reminded me of my own young love and it made me smile....even though Max dumped me a few days later by sticking his tongue at me - ah well.

But before we grow up and face all the drama, the heart ache, the break-ups the rocky roads, there is well....

This

Enjoy taking a walk down memory lane - or just ENJOY!

Monday, May 9, 2011

The Cool Factor

Friday, May 6, 2011

Love Token 93 - I Am Not My Hair

I have never had a personal attachment to my hair.

Do not get me wrong, I love having nice looking hair but I have never been a "one-look" or what "suits me best type of girl".

I guess what I am saying, is that for some it can be a security blanket but for me it is not.

I like to experiment, try new things out and see what could look better and sometimes worse.

Risk and all.

As young as I can remember I have been doing my own hair, which I think my mom loved, less work for her.

I loved putting my hair in different updos, braids and accessories.

I enjoyed the versatility and creativity that hair let me have.

Up until the time I was about 7 or 8, my life long goal was to:

Go to Harvard and become the best hairdresser in the entire world

I ... loved .... hair.

In my young mind whatever you wanted to excel at (no matter the profession), you went to Harvard - duh!

As I grew up, my passion for hair never ceased but became more of a hobby due to a horrible life lesson in grade 8 that unfolded - and as great as I was at perhaps styling - cutting was not, nor ever would be my ahem "forte".

I have been pretty good to my hair over the past 5 years, little to no colour and getting regular trims...but the itch has surfaced and my boredom has led me to a lighter hue (for now) and lately I feel I want to chop it all off.

I am going to wait until post 30th birthday, but the time is coming.

I am not the girl who cries when locks fall on the floor of the salon, I actually take a huge sigh of relief, it is like shedding a coat for me.

It triggers change, revitalizes my energy source and is a great rush.

Some people jump out of planes, I just change my hair.

I have NO idea how this is going to look, this could end up being a great look or a lesson learned but thankfully my hair grows SUPER fast.

Of course the style I have been mulling around is now gaining steam it seems in hollywood but I still want to hold out until summer regardless.

Who knows I might even do a drastic colour change.

It is all about having fun, still looking classy and getting a cut that shapes and compliments your features but not being afraid to take that leap.

I am headin into a new decade in my life, so now is the time.

My love token today is embracing "Letting Go"

Wish me luck, because I may need it ;)

XO
M

Get Lost

Lose yourself, let go & embrace the unknown.

By: Shaun Sundholm

Monday, April 18, 2011

What SHE Said...

Feeling un-motivated, in a rut?

Watch this - and all I can say is "what she said".

XO
M

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Power to the People

Debate Word Cloud

This graphic shows the words used during the April 12 English leaders' debate.

The larger the word appears in the illustration, the more often it was spoken during the debate. (Wordle.net)

The Canadian Federal Election is coming up on May 2nd.

Remember where the roots of democracy come from.

Realize how fortunate we are (even though not a perfect system) we have the right to vote and are structured by democracy.

To ignore and not participate in this right is dismissing the beauty of this opportunity that is not available to all humans in the world.

Ignornace and inaction are not bliss in this respect.

Pull up your socks, get informed and vote on May 2nd!

"The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival"

-Aristotle

"Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be"

-Sydney J. Harris

Democracy is a system made up and governed by the people, not puppets - the social issues matter...be an active citizen in your country...in the world...vote...because you can....

With intention & purpose always.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

BannedBookDesigns

Creator: bannedbookdesigns

My new favourite Esty shop has just launched, bannedbookdesigns!

The crafty creator behind these items is fabulous.

Keep your eye out for more to come.

She is just getting her feet wet, I have seen her inventory first hand and let me tell you...they are fun, chic and unique with a real personal touch.

I hope you enjoy her inspiring items as much as I do.

Love Token 92: Skylight Divine

obtained via: gettyimages

Last night I was laying in my shavasna (final relaxation) pose at the end of my hot yoga class.

Right above me was the studio's skylight

Usually you are supposed to close your eyes and enter into a state of pure relaxation (some people have even been known to fall asleep)...but yesterday I decided to change it up and experience my eyes wide open staring and the beautiful blue sky with light smears of cloud.

My mind raced back to my childhood, when I would run up the hill in my elementary school yard, stretch out on the greenest patch of grass and just admire the sky and let my thoughts and daydreams take over.

I forgot how peaceful it can feel and how it can really evoke an emotion of being content.

I loved being reminded of that feeling last night

I love skylights (a must for my future house)

PS: I am currently on the hunt for a lush piece of grass for a blue sky kind of day, and I am looking forward to the experience already!

XO
M

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Thankfulness

*LauraGeorge*

Some cute imagery I came across on BLISS.

Simply put and cutely displayed, I am too thankful for the above!

XO
M

Love Token 91: How Do You Greet Your Day?

I greet my day with the appreciation of the following:

An inhale...an exhale

The ability to flutter my eyes and see the freshness a new day can bring

The stretch of my body from fingertips to toes

A sloppy kiss from my dog, a carefully executed kiss from my cat and a look of love from my other half

The comfort of a bed with cozy blankets

The security of having four walls to shelter me

The smell of fresh coffee being brewed

The sound of birds chirping

The senstation of my body slowly awakening

To take solice in the fact that life is trial and error and humanity is faulted but self-awareness and resolution can provide peace and movement.

The ability to be present, to live & love now

To memory bank yesterday, invest in today and put a deposit in for tomorrow

To think of all my loved ones with a smile and appreciation

To allow nothing to anchor me in the past but to only help shape my future.

To live with intention and purpose...to feel ALIVE.

Image obtained via: Ice Cream Is Better With A Fork

Et tu?

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

The Journey, The Ride, The Connection

WOW

I just watched one of the most incredible videos via a friend on FB about the socialization and human connection of modern day society.

I LOVE THIS

The beauty, the rawness and the embracing of opening up and pushing beyond the daily isolation.

LOVE

It is about the experiences we share and that we are in it together even when we feel most alone.

Enjoy

Love Token 90: New City, New Studio

I attempted to try out the yoga classes in my building at work before the Christmas holidays, but the class size and the atmosphere (hearing students below playing bball, screaming at each other to pass the ball) just didn't mesh with the feeling I love that yoga gives me.

So I began my hunt for a small scale studio again.

As luck would have it - I found a small yoga studio right on my bus route home.

I signed up for an unlimited 1 week pass and away I went.

I decided to do two back to back classes last night and it was pretty amazing.

The first class was a good re-awakening of my limbs and got my connection back up and running but the 2nd class - oh the second class was *magic*

It was called Yoga Chill. I thought it was neat but was skeptical as it was a very modern twist to yoga. I am glad my skepticism was squashed

Picture this:

1 small 500 square feet room

13 bodies

Sun sets - yoga by candlelight

Background music to the likings of Jack Johnson, David Gray, Bedouin Soundclash and Ben Harper.

It was an indescribable feeling that yoga has never brought out of me - the feeling of human connection confined in a space all at peace.

Usually I find yoga a solitary mind, body, soul experience.

It was beautiful.

I am really looking forward to trying out the other classes and starting to engrain it back into my weekly routine.

I am so GLAD I found a new studio, and even though my limbs are pretty sore today, I couldn't be happier.

Love Token 89: Birthday Road Trip To Tofino

Dear readers,

Please excuse my latest absence, so much love to share and just not enough time to get into the headspace of entering on my page.

So let me rewind a couple weeks back and share the incredible, relaxing, candy for the soul, b-day trip for the hub.

I cannot speak in detail about the hub's experience as his was slightly different and entailed much surf...but I can say he was super happy and loved it as much as I did.

Mine however composed of a quaint little cabin - surrounded by lush, rainforest-esque nature.
Included in this little cabin were

A few of my dearest loved ones
Lots of giggles
Many of dance parties
Zennin' out in the hot tub
More giggles
Heart to heart chats
Connection, togetherness and love.

It was a beautiful weekend in Tofino, surrounded by nature at it's finest.
Our hot tub was on the back deck and surrounded by beauty - it is so hard to describe that you kind of just had to be there, in that moment and that state of mind.
But let me tell you - the heart was very happy.
And really that is all that matters

Friday, March 11, 2011

Relief Fund

On days like today, it is really hard to feel upbeat and positive when there is so much hurt and pain going on.

But, if there is anything I can make out of a love token today - it is the gift of helping one another. The importance of sticking together when times are tough and being an active member in the world community.

Please read below and if you feel like I do, donate and help provide relief to the tremendous tragedy that has affected Japan.

Red Cross responds to massive earthquake in Japan.

On Friday March 11, 2011, an 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit Japan. This has triggered 4 metre waves in Japan and tsunami warnings across the Pacific coastline, including British Columbia. At least 28 people are reported dead, and many more are injured or missing. The earthquake has caused fires and severe damage to buildings, leaving 4.4 million households without electricity.

The Japanese Red Cross has deployed 11 national disaster response teams to carry out assessments and provide first aid and healthcare in the affected areas. Emergency relief planning is underway.

The Canadian Red Cross is monitoring the situation closely and has emergency supplies and trained emergency response personnel ready to be deployed.

Canadians wishing to help support relief efforts underway in Japan are encouraged to contribute by donating online, calling 1-800-418-1111 or contacting their local Red Cross office. Cheques should be made payable to the Canadian Red Cross, earmarked “Japan Earthquake/Asia-Pacific Tsunami” and mailed to the Canadian Red Cross National Office, 170 Metcalfe Street, Suite 300, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2P2.

A little can go a long way.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Happy Birthday To You Hub

A new chapter was beginning; a girl was changing direction in her life
A boy was turning a page

Heading toward the unknown, while butterflies of excitement and anticipation danced throughout their insides

The kisses good-bye from loved ones, the unpacking of old into new

A knock on the door, the exchange of glances; a smile and a sparkle

Two souls aligning, two paths joining and the start of their forever began

10 years of friendship, 9 years of love, 7 months of marriage and one constant feeling of peace.

Happy 31st Birthday Mr. K

Obtained via flickr: here

Love Token 88: Lunch Time Distractions

I was milling around on my Facebook page and being advised to update some settings, which led me to an application that I used in 2007 for celebrity look-a-likes.

To me the app was completely off but SUPER funny and also F-U-N.

Curious to see what it would pull out 4 years later I did it again and there are still some celebs this website is determined I look like (Kirsten and Martine) but some that I have grown out of (which I am kinda glad!).

I love mindless escapes like this every now and then and a good giggle.

PS - I WISH I looked like Vanessa Marcil (some of you are familiar with my thoughts on this chica!) so thanks My Heritage Website for a little pick me up on a typical Thursday at work!

Try it out for fun!