Saturday 31 August 2013

Locks of Love!



Well, this is pretty anticlimatic... because there have already been posts with my short hair... but anyway, here are two pictures of all of my hair. The new haircut (new being, almost two weeks old) is really wonderful; the old hair has probably already arrived in Florida (headquarters of Locks of Love).

The minimum requirements are 10 inches of hair (I had 14 inches though!)... and not bleached. Most companies that deal with hair donations actually don't take dyed hair at all, but Locks of Love does - which is why I went with it.

It's a little strange, but I feel like hair carries so much weight. It grows as you grow, and it's there in every day you live. To chop off your hair (which is pretty typical of girls who want "change" in their lives) is so satisfying; it's a way to say to the world, something is about to change and I'm okay with that! Is this weird? Do other girls out there agree with me?

I think it's really such a good idea to drastically change up your appearance every once in a while - it's a very very visible way to get out of your comfort zone, which is definitely worth doing as much as possible. I stumbled upon this lovely quote the other day:

"We’re not the same person we were a year ago, a month ago, or a week ago. We’re constantly changing. Experiences don’t stop. That’s life." - Anonymous

Change is good. Change is important. Almost all of my closest friends (and friends in general) are starting their university adventures this weekend; I start on Wednesday! This is an important milestone for all of us, and I guess I just wanted to say that we deserve to have an incredible year. We deserve to have rewarding lives with lovely new friends, super old friends, spiritual fulfillment, academic success, and whatever else we need to be happy. We deserve all of this, but we need to embrace the changes in our lives to get to that point.

I can't wait to see how my life changes over the next year... and if you're reading my blog now, I hope you're excited to go through this journey with me.

Tuesday 27 August 2013

Instagrams




Making my brother take selfies with me always results in ugly silly faces.

Outdoorsy Chic



I've kind of started to realize that as much as I like clothes, I don't love it. It doesn't excite me as much as I thought it did to find an incredible piece of clothing, or to find new ways to wear certain items in my closet.

These pictures were taken at the PEYA retreat at the PDSB Jack Smythe Field Centre! It is absolutely beautiful, with lots of staghorn sumac trees and white pines etc etc surrounding the area.

The summer retreat is meant to introduce the new PEYA executives for the year to what we're all about and how things work behind the scenes. There's a lot of great leadership workshops to prepare them, and a lot of planning sessions for them to sort out the year. The first thing to come is the September Gathering! This is a picture from last year's September meeting!



The Peel Environmental Youth Alliance (PEYA, as mentioned before) is a great network of environmentally-conscious youth 13-24 in the Peel Region! They have monthly meetings and other special events throughout the year, such as the fall EcoBuzz conference (with past keynote speakers like David Suzuki, Emily Hunter). It's all by youth, for youth - and it's a ton of fun! Regardless of if you care about sustainable transportation or gardening or planting trees, you can probably find someone to talk to at PEYA who shares your passion.

To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't have realized my passion for environmental issues without this incredible group. I was a general member for a year in Grade 10, then became an executive for two years in Grade 11 and Grade 12. Now, as I'm heading off to England, I'm in a small supporting role as a "champion" PEYA Advisory Council member. I hope some of you decide to join PEYA and I'll see you at the last meeting of the year in May!

You can find more information here: http://peyalliance.ca/

Wednesday 21 August 2013

I CHOPPED OFF 14 INCHES OF HAIR.

I just wanted to post that. And I kind of want my friends to see it in person first (and I'm seeing the majority of them on Thursday)... so no posts until then! Sorry guys! Lots of packing and lots of people to see and lots of work until August 30th... which by then I should have everything under wraps and I should be almost ready to go (except for last minute packing, of course.)

Sunday 18 August 2013

Electrofishing Style!


My co-worker/friend from Ecosource Olga and I went electrofishing with CVC on Friday! These were the super cool overall rainboot things they made us wear!

This is a link to the next electrofishing days: http://www.creditvalleyca.ca/event/cvc-electrofishing-day/

Basically, you stun fish temporarily to inventory fish species and populations, to get a sense of the health of the river. It was a really really wonderful experience (so many fish! Absolutely mind blowing!) and it was great to go up to Caledon and explore more of the Peel Region.

What do you think of my clothes today? Haha, shouldn't I dress more like this every day?

Have a great week everyone! Coming up soon: PEYA retreat!

Wednesday 14 August 2013

Rustic Browns


I like how neutral all the browns are and then the hot pink pops!

Monday was a lazy day, I think? Not really up to do too much in the evenings this week.

This is a very fall-inspired outfit. Hope your summer is wrapping up nicely... September is really so so so soon!

Sunday 11 August 2013

Unexpected Happiness!


I had a pretty awful day at work but then I was able to go out fishing with some of my friends! We didn't catch anything, but we saw other people around us catch some nice catfish and crappie?? Haha. Lake Aquitaine is actually quite a nice area! It's where I took my prom pictures (if you remember that from a couple months ago: prom post).

It was pretty ridiculous, because we accidentally bought cream corn instead of regular canned corn... so we were trying to get like creamy corn kernels onto our fishing hooks. The vienna sausages we got also weren't working very well... But to be honest, I think the biggest issue was the lack of patience we all had.

So after a while, we went out to Axia for dinner! Was pretty yummy! Oh I got the Mongolian tofu! HOWEVER, my friends bicker about paying the bill... and so I got yet another dinner for free... I'm not okay with this. I suppose the next time we go out sometime, I'll have to find some way to pay sneakily. (:

Anyways, it's Monday in about an hour! It's a big big big event week at Ecosource this week! (Also, we're hiring full time positions if you're interested!) Wish me luck! And have an incredible week yourselves!

Slouchy Florals



T-Shirt : Garage
Dress : Somewhere in Hawaii?
Wedges : Crocs

Slouchy flirty florals. There. My friend Winsha has told me to use the phrase flirty florals in one of my blog posts... so there you go!

But really though, I love love love floral prints for summer. They're so cute and summer-y and flirty and fun. Hahaha wow I sound like a seventeen magazine article or something! But really though, I love prints in general and I think florals (if they're a nice print) are really pretty!

I thought this outfit would be good for getting froyo and walking around the harbour front with some friends! And I had a dress shirt I was going to throw on top (and take the tshirt off) for dinner, but we ended up going to a billards place and then got pizza... so I stuck to this.

OH HEY so it was my first time playing pool! Apparently I'm not terrible yay! But yeah, that was lovely. And then, we got pizza at Pizzaiolo on Lakeshore! Super super yummy Spinotta pizza (spinach, tomatoes, ricotta cheese, mozzarella)!  


Yay so yeah, happy Diana is happy! Y'all should play with me sometime.

Saturday 10 August 2013

UK Visa Appointment & Work Work Work



Friday, August 9th. 9:00am. That was the day and time of my UK Visa appointment. Ugh, I could go on and on about how ridiculously awful my experience was... but I'm not going to.

I just wanted to clarify a few things:

No one cares how nicely you dress, because the people who get to accept or reject your Visa application are not actually at the centre you're at. They're in NYC and will never see you except to see your face.

Read all documents and website links and resources WAY before the day before your appointment. I was mad rushing to figure out how to get a passport sized photo the night before and that was really such unneeded stress.

You can't use your electronics in the building (or at least the Toronto WorldBridge centre), so if you need to check anything on the internet or whatever... print it out. (I hate that I'm encouraging wasting paper but really the level of incompetency I felt was completely not worth it).

If you're going anywhere you haven't been before, even if you kind of know the area, CHARGE YOUR PHONE the night before so you're not stranded and lost and confused about what you're doing or where you're going.

Anyways, then I had work at Ecosource which ended at 5:30, then work at Wasabi from 6 to 11pm... so yeah, pretty exhausting day. HOPE YOUR WEEKEND IS BETTER THAN MINE. Bye!

Thursday 8 August 2013

Unprepared

This is the shirt I wore today. I was going to do an outfit post until I started freaking out about the stuff I need to do (and hadn't done) for my UK Visa... so I panicked and got stuff done and now I'm exhausted and not ready for tomorrow at all. I also took this picture in practice for my Visa picture because taking neutral faced pictures is so odd...

Oh goodness, I want to just leave everything behind, but more and more I'm learning this summer that I can't just do that. I can't just pretend that everything will be okay if I leave it long enough or that things will work out eventually even if I don't put in any work.

This summer is so draining. I love working this much, and I love knowing that the money will be well well worth it. But after an entire year of basically wilting away (not that this was a good thing), this hectic crazy lifestyle is starting to take its toll on me. I can't burn out before September.

I need to start taking steps to relax and feel at peace with myself. Any suggestions? PS - I find yoga really uncomfortable and strenuous.

Sunday 4 August 2013

Busy Busy Friday




I had work at Ecosource on Friday from 10am to 2pm, then went shopping for a gift, then went to my friend Lucas' birthday party, then off to work at Wasabi by 6pm!

So my outfit today had to be work appropriate but also birthday party appropriate, which I think I pulled off pretty well?!

Anyway, since I typically work 7 days a week, this weekend is kind of lovely and special! Since Monday is a holiday and I got Sunday off from Wasabi, my mom & brother & I are going camping with some family friends! It's only two days of wilderness, but I'm sure it'll be some well deserved rest and bonding with nature for me.

OH HEY, I almost forgot! I bought my plane ticket the other day! I'm leaving on September 4th. Most of my friends (read: probably people who are reading this) have university move-in dates before then, so y'all will be off and away into your residences before I head off... but if you'd like to see me before then, feel free to contact me!

Bye y'all! Hope you're having an incredible long weekend!

Thursday 1 August 2013

Work that Karaoke!



Shirt - Polo Ralph Lauren
IDK WHAT ELSE I'M WEARING SORRY

So today, I went to work with the tee and dress shirt on... and really thin baggy long grey pants & rain boots. As I've explained before, I garden most of the time I'm at work, so outfits like the one above are not really appropriate for the outdoors (though, almost good enough for the office - the skirt is a tad too short for office wear).

But I later found out that day that instead of having a friend come over to my place (which essentially gives me the right to change into comfy (read: generally ugly) clothing, I was going out with my friends to karaoke! AH, what to do? So I asked my mom to bring me shoes and a navy skirt when she picked me up... which she didn't understand completely. She brought good shoes, but didn't know which skirt I was talking about so brought 4 different skirts! Who knew I had 4 navy skirts (in different fabrics... but still)?!

Anyway! Karaoke with my friends was actually a lot of fun, if more so for the laughing at my friends' interesting accents and tones of voice used to sing various songs from Barbie World to Touch My Body to Rolling in the Deep! We're a pretty chill group, so I didn't feel underdressed as I might have if we were going to a real karaoke bar in downtown Toronto or something. Also, I think my lack of accessories, messy bun, and short jean skirt made my entire outfit feel pretty thrown together and relaxed.

I'm looking forward to this long weekend! I have work tomorrow and Saturday, but Sunday and Monday I'm off camping! Yay! Have an incredible weekend everyone!

Ruffled Silhouette



T-Shirt - Garage
Skirt - Forever 21
Shoes - GH Bass

I feel a little terrible about how little I've been posting this summer. Here's the outfit I wore to church on Sunday.

I feel a little odd naming blog posts too... because I feel like I want them to be special and interesting and relevant to my post, but it's so hard to pick a name. I suppose this is how songwriters and novelists must feel when they pick titles.

CA$H 'N GUN$... at Snakes & Lattes!


Romper - Adidas
Dress Shirt - Hollister
Shoes - Toms
Bag - Michael Kors

Being honest, I didn't actually go to Old Mills Station. We started off the day at Kipling Station then headed off to Bathurst Station to go to Snakes & Lattes, a quirky board game cafe. 

It was quite the interesting experience, as we were able to try out all sorts of weird games we'd never done before such as Ca$h N Gun$ (pictured below, sort of). There is a $5 admission fee, but no one harassed us about buying food (we did get veggie chips) or drinks or being too noisy or asking too many questions. The $5 makes a lot of sense though, as I imagine that the game gurus are pretty ridiculously exhausted after answering everyone's questions on how to play this and how to play that instead of taking the time to read the instruction manuals... 

I really did enjoy my experience here and would highly recommend it to anyone who doesn't hate board games! However, it is a little concerning that there is no time limit for a few reasons: 
  1. If you go at a really busy time like Friday night, you might not be able to get in at all because the cafe will be packed and no one has to leave after a certain time... 
  2. Perhaps this is just me, but it is really draining to sit and think and play board games for hours on end. I think we did about 4 hours, and my brain was positively fried. Just be cautious of how much you're enjoying yourself, and don't feel obligated to stay longer and play more just because you can. 


A few tips:

  • Go as early as possible, so you get into the cafe without a wait. By Friday afternoon when we left (5pm?), it was pretty packed. 
  • Ask the Game Gurus lots of questions! They're there for a reason and it'll save you time and energy instead of deciphering the usually unclear instructions
  • Ask the game gurus for recommendations, or pick one from the Most Popular section, if you're stuck on what game to pick. There are really too many games in their library collection to play all of them, and since you can't try them all out, the Game Gurus will likely give you one that fits what you'd most like to try. 
  • Eat beforehand, so you can stay a couple of hours without needing food. Though they do have food, your tables are not super large, so it's inconvenient to have food squished to the side because of the game board. Also, you're in Koreatown/the Annex, so there are tons of tasty options right across the street! 


Anyway, then my friends and I walked around the area for a bit, looking at cute stationary stores and such. OH I bought these absolutely adorable rabbit stickers (even if I kind of dislike the rabbits that are eating our vegetables at the garden), but I forgot to take a picture of them... Next time! Afterwards, all of them left except Cindy, so we just walked about and got a falafel wrap to share and talked about silly things. 


I rarely have fully free days this summer, so when I do have them, it's really lovely to be able to spend it with friends as great as these, and do such new fun adventurous things. Go out there and have some adventures, people!