2016

Ria goes to her First Ever Baby Shower!

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Today I went to my first ever baby shower & it was a lot of fun! I don’t have a lot of friends in Toronto who have kids so I don’t really get invited to a ton of baby showers!

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The radiant mom to be and CAKE! OM NOM NOM!

It was a baby shower for one of the nicest, kindest souls that I have the pleasure of being friends with. Emily I love you so much and you are going to be an incredible mom!

I met Emily about 4.5 years ago now through twitter. She is a Toronto based jewelry designer and all around awesome lady! Check out her creations —> HERE <—

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It’s blurry but just LOOK at me having a really good time :p

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One of the many photo ops

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Up close and personal with the cake because that’s just how I roll! 

Straws

gaaaah how cute are these straws?

Cupcakes

baby shower favours!

Baby shower favours for everyone to take home – handmade soup that says from Ruby Shower to yours! How cute!

If you haven’t guessed by now, the theme of the shower was flamingoes and it is a girl! Congratulations Em and Alan! I can’t wait to meet your little bundle of joy and babysit her!

P.S: We played games and I actually won one of them! HUZZAH!

FANGIRL – When a book gives you all of the feelings!

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big deal alert
This post is part review and part me fangirling over FANGIRL!

I just finished reading FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell and it is giving me all of the feelings. I do read fiction but lately I haven’t been reading a ton because you know, “I am an adult and adults only read non fiction blah blah blah!”

Also, I have read some pretty awful fiction and I have comparatively high standards when it comes to fiction. You don’t need to give me Harry Potter feels but I do need to feel like I am in the book—just give me one relatable character and I will be a happy camper. Sadly, not all fiction has the ability to do that.

A few weeks ago I was wandering around a second hand book store here in Toronto (Shout out to BMV!) during my lunch break, cause you know that’s how we should all spend lunch time. And I started thinking about the good old times when I used to read and sometimes write fiction.

Little known fact about me, I started writing Buffy and Spike fan fic when I was 13. No, I am not going to share links.

Summer always does this to me—it makes me want to read fiction; I know summer hasn’t started officially but you get my point.

So there I was—basically in heaven—wondering whether I should dabble in fiction, when this book appeared in front of me, in all its hardcover glory.

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First Impressions

1. I thought it was going to be a sappy teenage love story, which to be honest I kind of enjoy. Takes me back… way back.

2. Was I ready to commit to a 437 page long work of fiction? Will I have the time?

3. Will I be able to relate to the characters?


After Reading

I am not going to write a plot summary on here but if you do want to find out what the book is about, please feel free to peruse Rainbow’s website!

But I will tell you this, the book chronicles twin sisters Cath and Wren’s first year at university.

Cath, our heroine, is a writer and prefers the company of fictional characters to IRL encounters. Whereas her identical twin Wren is the outgoing one. It involves boys, writing—lots of writing—coming to terms with who you are and learning to be comfortable in your own skin.

Honourable Mention: Levi—Cath’s boyfriend. OMFG Levi is only the most perfect boyfriend ever. Cath writes and he wants to hear everything. SO PERFECT! I CAN’T!

By the way, in case you are wondering, yes Cath Wren, Cath-Wren, CathWren… Catherine!
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The first thing I did after I finished reading the book was to tweet about it because it was so freaking good! Honestly, I haven’t read something this good since Harry Potter and I really really hope—with all my heart—that Rainbow Rowell writes another book about Cath and Wren.

Who did I relate to more?

Sometimes I was Cath, sometimes I was Wren but mostly I was Cath.
In my first year at university though I was definitely Wren. Read the book and find out more about Wren and I guess find out more about me.

From page 1, I was hooked and read it in 3 days!

I felt like I was back in university again and could relate to everything. The fact that the book was about learning to be comfortable in your own skin made it all the more relatable.

I think that’s something a lot, if not all, of us struggle with even as adults. Easier said than done.

Has Rainbow written a universal coming of age story? Nope.
Did I love it? HELL YES!

Thank you for getting me hooked on to fiction again Rainbow! I can’t wait to read the rest of your books!

P.S: I am trying to read one book a week for June. Wish me luck! The first one I read was The Clasp by Sloan Crosley, had been trying to finish that one for a while! Next up is Meg Wolitzer’s The Interestings.

3 Things I learnt about life in the early 20th century from “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway

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hemingFinished reading Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises” & wanted to do a quick review! Here are 3 things that Hemingway taught me about life in the early 20th century.
1. People used to drink so damn much back in the day…
…no wonder so many had liver issues. HOLY!
2.Trust fund babies were everywhere!
No one in “The Sun Also Rises” had a stable job but they all seemed to have tons of money to spend. Trust funds rule!
3. If you were pretty, you could get by without spending a dime!
Everyone was in love with Lady Ashley including Lady Ashley. She worked her feminine wiles to her advantage but in the end couldn’t stand being a cougar and decided to go back to her former lover, whom she had cheated on with a 19 year old bullfighter. The man’s feelings were of little importance. She was going to smoothly flirt her way back into his life. 😀 yay! After all, you should definitely use your God given talents! wheee!

With all due respect, I am not really sure if Hemingway is for me. I like the way he describes places but the characters lack depth or maybe the whole point was to portray shallow people?
Has anyone else on here read it? Would love your thoughts.

20 things I have learnt after a year of marriage

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Today marks C’s and mine first wedding anniversary. A year ago today I couldn’t believe my sheer dumb luck that I was marrying someone I was head over heels in love with.
Here we are, a year later and I wanted to share 20 things I have learnt after being married for a year – with tons of input from C as well!

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  1. It is possible to love someone without losing yourself.
    I am madly in love with my husband and those closest to me know that. He is my raison d’être but each day that I fall more in love with him, I fall more in love with myself too.
    I feel like I am the most productive, successful and the happiest I have ever been in my life.
  2. To love someone else you have to love yourself first
    If you start with loving yourself first, you start by being in good place and it is only rainbows and sunshines and unicorns from there on! :p
  3. Love isn’t a competition
    When your relationship is a competition, that’s not love. Supporting each other is the shit.
  4. We are different people with different preferences but that doesn’t mean we have to fight.
    The goal is not to be one amorphous blob with similar likings and opinions! We have our differences and we love each other for them.
  5. You don’t have to fight to get closer to each other or to have a more interesting relationship.
    LOL. If I had a penny for every time I have read that fights bring people closer together, I’d be rolling in $$$!
  6. The passion doesn’t fizzle away after a while
    …neither is it something you have to work on like it is some kind of a household chore.
  7. Being married is the shit!
  8. There is nothing quite like having someone in your life who has always got your back!
  9. The happiness level of your relationship isn’t dependent on the size of the rock that you get for your engagement
    9 our of 10 times that I tell people that I am married, I am immediately asked to show my ring. LOL! I don’t get it. I don’t have an engagement ring. I wear a wedding band that C and I picked together. It is a dainty little gold band that cost us $99 and it is my favourite ring in the world!
  10. It is possible for your parents to love your significant other more than you :p
    Mum & Dad I am looking at you.
  11. When you find your person, you just know it
  12. There is such a thing as true love and soul mates
    Some might not agree but it happened to us. Oh the stories I could tell you…
  13. A year later and the same jokes are still funny
  14. You never get tired of telling your own love story
    People may get tired but not us!
  15. When you have someone who has got your back, everything in life is easy
  16. He gets sexier with each passing day. HOT DAMN!
  17. There is nothing I don’t love about him. He is smart, funny, caring and the best human being I have ever met in my life.
  18. I don’t like roses
    They die.
  19. In-laws are not scary beings you need to run away from
    Mine are the fuzziest!!!!
  20. Communication & Honesty are the keys to a happy relationship, a happy marriage and a HAPPY EVERYTHING!

This post has C’s stamp of approval!!! 😀

Update: #goals, tattoos, MARKET and more

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January whizzed by and February is threatening to do the same. It has been a busy albeit a productive year thus far!

Launched MARKET – Powered by RIGHTSLEEVE and got to chat with some brilliant marketing minds in Toronto. This will be a quarterly series and promises to be good. If you don’t know what I am talking about, click —> HERE <—
The feedback has been amazing so far and I am eternally grateful for that 🙂

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All of my other goals that I had set up in January have gone down the crapper just due to the fact that I have been busy. SILLY RIA! This is why you set goals, remember. I know, I know. I ought to be more realistic. So starting this week here are my rejigged goals;

1. Do yoga once a week – So everything on top of that will be gravy!
2. Eat one home cooked meal a week.
3. Read one book a month – I tend to read a lot faster in the summer but start of the year is brutal for a reader.
4. Blog Once a Month – I think I can do it 😉
5. Relax

What am I reading right now?

Still trying to finish “The Sun Also Rises” by Hemingway but also started reading an excellent book titled “Everybody Writes” by Ann Handley, which is about content marketing and for those of you who know me personally, know that I live and breathe marketing.

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I don’t like sharing photos of my kindle because book pics look like crap on it. So here is one I found on Craft of Marketing.

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Here is a picture of my beautiful copy of The Sun Also Rises. I had to travel to Montreal to get my hands on this copy. True Story.

Achievement Unlocked 

Spoke at a Women in Tech event a week ago and I know this may not be a big deal for some but hey it was pretty fun for me so yay! go me! LOL
The most interesting part of the evening was that it made me more aware of my own privilege, which is awesome! Go mum! Go dad! and thank you for everything you have given me and done for me!

Local Products I am loving at the moment

I am going to give Inkbox, an organic tattoo, a whirl! Going to try it out this week and let you know how it goes! Check out their website for more! If you are so inclined, you can use the code #RSxMARKET for 15% off. I don’t get a cut from it but I just have a discount code so use it if you want!

What are you up to!?

Bowie

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starman

This whole week has been kind of rubbish to be honest. Found out on Monday that the world has lost Bowie only because C told me. I would have found out on social media but I was grateful that he told me. I have never met Bowie but I think we can all agree that his music transcended time and touched us all.
Was feeling pretty lost all week. It was a weird sort of feeling, you know when you have never met someone in real life but you feel a giant gaping hole in your chest nonetheless? Yeah that.
Found this list of Bowie’s top 100 books on DavidBowie.com and going to try to read them all this year to honour and remember him.
#RIPStarman #BowieBookClub

That moment…

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Was rushing through my day as usual and got a big ass cut on my finger. Not only did it delay my dinner, it also made me think.

I run, I rush and I try to hurry through my life. What am I hurrying towards anyways?

slow down take a moment

Honestly don’t even know where 2015 went. Here’s to taking things a little slow this year. Be well.

Week 1 of 2016 – Progress, Food & More

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Middle of the first week back at work and I thought that it was time for some reflections.
Goals wise, the week is going pretty well. I have achieved two of my standalone goals and I am on my way to achieve the ongoing goals. Not doing so good on the yoga goals but I am going for yoga at the AGO tomorrow and am pretty stoked about that.

1. Cook a meal at home once a week.
2. Launch my etsy store
3. Learn one new recipe from my mother
4. Do yoga twice a week. 
5. Read The Sun Also Rises 
6. Blog once a week
7. Do one book review a month
8. Try out a new cafe per month
9. Write in my diary every morning
10. Relax

Downloaded Sloan Crosley’s “The Clasp” on my kindle and Screen Shot 2016-01-06 at 9.35.35 PMstarted reading it on my train ride to work this AM. So far, so good. I think it is going to end up being my book review for the month. It is basically chick lit & I can’t believe I am starting my year off with that but oh well I do enjoy a good romantic comedy once in a while.
Note to self: Kindle books don’t photograph half as well as real books… ok NOT AT ALL!

For the food goal, I pan fried rainbow trout! It is simple but delicious. It was my first time trying it out too. I didn’t want to do anything too complicated, so I used a pinch of sea salt and some ground black pepper for seasoning and ta da!

I bought only onScreen Shot 2016-01-06 at 9.35.19 PMe fillet because I didn’t know if the taste would suck but then I realized that C had to eat too 😉 so I improvised. Made spinach, mushroom omelette to go with it! Strange I know but delicious yum yum!

And then there was the matter of trying out a new cafe per month and I did! My friend Jaclyn was in town from Vancouver and we decided to check out Te Aro cafe in Leslieville.

Admittedly, I had a cup of green tea and an apricot biscuit (DELICIOUS) but hey! you can tell a lot about a place from the type of tea it serves. Contrary to popular belief, you can indeed fuck up a cup of tea.
Screen Shot 2016-01-06 at 9.35.06 PMIt is a cute little cafe in Queen East and is definitely worth a visit. I imagine in the summer it will be even nicer with the patio and all that jazz. Reasonable prices, not a ton of space so I don’t really know if I will take a book along with me on my next visit.

Apart from that, I just feel like I am not out of vacation mode yet. I miss Montreal, book shopping and hiking with C.

Goal #6 achieved for this week.