She's Going the Distance

In 48hours time I will be on an airplane. Monday marks a 15hour travel day for my sister and I. It's the weirdest feeling experiencing so many emotions at the same time and I feel like much of my stay in Scotland has been like that. Right now I am very very excited to see Nick, Ziggy, and my friends, but also really sad knowing I am saying goodbye to my father for 7 months at least. With my mother and I having no present relationship and not speaking, the geographical loss of my other parent is a little devastating.

         This is a photo taken from the day my Dad and I climbed Arthur's Seat at Holyrood Park.

I've thought many times since arriving in Edinburgh that I would absolutely move here if the people that enrich my life so in Canada would all re-locate also. That will never happen. Edinburgh is a great city for so many reasons. I find it to be the perfect size, (not too big, not too small), easily walkable, BEAUTIFUL, safe, fun, and the weather really isn't that different from home. (oh and did I mention beautiful?). There are, however, obvious culture differences between Europeans as a whole and Canadians (and this girl is very Canadian).

Yesterday Linus asked me what my favourite memory of my time away has been. I couldn't recall just one so instead I gave several enjoyable days; my first time in Glasgow, the Specials concert, going to Sweden, the Queen Musical, Meghan's birthday, the day of our run, etc.

One tradition I will be taking home with me is teatime. Now that I've had it, I don't want to give it back. Yes, teatime means I have to do that many more minutes of plank or walk that many km in one day, but there is just something worth it. For anyone in Victoria wishing to join me for a teatime I will be more than happy to oblige.

I think I'll keep the blog going and just change the name. I've been wanting to do a blog on fashion at UVic for a while so we'll see :)

Flicka= girl in Swedish.

Changes

Back to Edinburgh from Sweden. Only 10 more days in Edinburgh. I'm both excited and sad to leave.
It was great to be in Sweden. I only have one cousin and I hadn't seen him in 4 years. It was lovely to be with him. One of my favourite moments of the trip was sitting in the backseat of the car with Becka and my Aunt in the front. My Aunt was singing to us in her powerful husky voice and I was enjoying a lollipop. It reminded me of my Aunt singing to Linus and I as children and I really felt like a child again. I know I had a stupid grin on my face the whole time.
 

Christmas in Edinburgh has its own website.

This song makes me think of Made in Chelsea and it's great: listen

I'm already starting to book holiday party make-up applications. Please "like" my page. Plugging myself

Will post once more in a maudlin manner before leaving S-Land. xoxx

Am I a hopeless romantic?

I'm reading Bram Stoker's Dracula right now and loving it. A few years ago I had to read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein which I also enjoyed. There is something so beautiful, tragic, and romantic about the two stories. I'd definitely recommend both of these horror classics.

I adore this photo. She is lovely. The make-up artist in me is screaming "look at those eyebrows! Perfection!"

                                                 Original Morticia Addams; full of grace.

                                                                Vampires. Romantic.

Then I got to thinking about some of my favourite movies and was surprised by some of the romantic themes each of them had.

For anyone that cares here's a little list of some movies I could watch again and again:

Amelie

1996 Romeo and Juliet

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

How funny is it that if asked I would probably say my favorite genre of movie is comedy and that I don't like romantic comedies? I can't stand a typical romantic comedy with the lame story that is so easy to figure out after 10 mins. I like watching comedies because often my own life can be really upsetting and it's fun to just watch something so stupid and laugh my face off; as my wise esthetician said (about comedies) "It's like eating junk food! How can you not like it?" Such a smart women.
However, the movies I listed as my favourites are all about something more than just romance and I have more movies that I would consider my favourites outside of these ones (for example, Crash which is about racism on so many levels, but I couldn't find any good youtube clips).
What are your favourite movies?

One Last Month

Still no photos from my shoot. Boo. Some photographers get the photos to you super fast, others can take a while. Out of politeness I never rush them, merely "inquire" about the state of the photos if a month passes and I haven't heard anything. So far it's only been two weeks.

In lieu of photos from my shoot I will post two of food.

Haggis-flavoured crisps. The vegetarian in me was too repulsed by the idea of Haggis so I didn't try any, but my Dad said the flavour was subtle.

I don't think I really want to know any more details about clotted-cream other than the one I do know: it's delicious. Calories, fat, dairy= unnecessary facts. This photo may look a little gross, but believe me, clotted cream mixed with raspberry jam, spread thickly over two fresh warm scones on a chilly afternoon after a long walk around medieval cobble stone streets is perfect.

Other news in my life involves a fun day of birthday celebrations for Meghan on Remembrance Day (not a holiday here btw), Linus getting a job at Pizza Hut and therefore potentially unable to join Becka and I in Sweden on Friday, and the Cake concert on Wednesday night.

With holiday gift-giving season fast approaching I have a few links filled with absolutely quirky objects. I find these websites fun time-wasters. Enjoy.

Don't Get me these

This would definitely be okay

Harry Potter Generation

Kinda Cute :)

Today I enjoyed a soy gingerbread latte from Starbucks and it was delicious

Sorry for the long-time no post. I've been lazy. I was hoping by the time I got around to posting I would have received some images from my shoot on Sunday, but alas no such luck. Next post hopefully! The shoot went well, I worked with an easy-going Polish photographer who had a whole Polish team working with her. She had 2 Polish assistants and a Polish make-up artist. The driver and hairstylist were Scots though. It was just a TFP shoot at a lovely beach called Cramond. The theme was bad-ass bride and I wore fur coats, combat boots, and of course a lovely white dress, all the whilst trotting around that beach like I owned the place.

Since last I wrote I visited York, Oxford, and Bath. I may have even fancied York the most out of the 3 cities.  York has a wall around the city as well as many snickelways and the ancient Shambles that have existed for a minimum of 900years.  Next we visited Oxford which is beautiful and also full of history. Oxford's soul purpose appears to be maintaining their many prestigious colleges (all sub-sections of the University spattered about the town) and withholding traditions. Oxford definitely enjoys boasting about the countless famous people who have attended their University over the centuries. However, rather than have this be annoying, the boasting seems to enhance the city's charm. Lastly we visited Bath (only for a day, we trained to and from Oxford). Bath has the oldest architecture I have ever seen with the ancient Roman baths. At the end of our tour through the vast Roman baths we were able to sample the water. It tasted like warm pennies because it was so full of minerals and apparently we could have been drinking rain water that fell 10,000years ago. Then we ended the day with a 2hr trip to the spa. So relaxing. And amazing ethnic food for dinner, so much flavour in tasty Moroccan dishes. Yum.

Halloween passed and I was sad because I didn't dress up or do anything. My liver loves me. I was able to do my Dad's make-up for a party. I thought I did an only okay job what with having to use shitty make-up and no brushes though apparently he had the best costume at the party and the next day (at the failed fire festival) Meghan's peers from the university were telling me what a fantastic job I did. Yay for some make-up this Halloween!

Now to end my post with some songs because my friends have been asking me to play DJ lately, and who doesn't love sharing music? Feel free to message me on Facebook with some songs any of you have been diggin' lately.

Can't find this on itunes (sent this to you already Von)

Not Everyones' Cup of Tea

Cute Video

White Knuckles

Today I've been in a good mood. I started that day off with the "Big Fun Run" around the perimeter of Holyrood Park with Linus. I then had brunch with my Dad and Linus. (Rebecka is in Victoria and Meghan is in Toronto for a wedding and reading break.) Then I went to meet up with Tallis at her hostel and we went to "Frankenstein's" for a Sunday afternoon half-pint. Then Nick and I skyped and then I met up with Linus and Tallis for dinner with my Dad at Yocoko, a cheap and delicious noodle bar. It some how miraculously did not rain this weekend.

Earlier this week we went to the "Specials" concert in Glasgow. So much fun hanging with Linus and Rebecka skanking the night away. My Canadian drivers license was almost taken away when I tried to buy a Magners cider it seriously went through several people before it was approved. I had never been to a concert that starts off with a bunch of people booing a photo of Thatcher; too funny. I loved the short, middle-age Scottish men skanking. Unfortunately because of their height I did experience a few elbow jabs to the boobs. Ouch!

Tomorrow morning me, Dad, and Linus are off to York. We'll stay there and then travel to Oxford and then on to Bath. I GET TO GO HERE: most amazing spa EVER. We should be home Thursday evening. Sunday I have a photoshoot.

It's too bad I'm in Europe for Halloween because it isn't really celebrated much at all here. :( I'll be thinking of all y'all at home with jealousy. I may even have to stay away from facebook for a couple of days after.

                   I see this view every day and it still doesn't cease to amaze me. It is so beautiful here.

Wear a Cozy Blue Sweater and Just Remeber: You have my Love to Keep you Warm

I miss everybody, but this week I've really been feeling the love from home. I've had so many people say so many kind words to me and it really makes a difference, no matter how small the gesture. Thank you friends and family.

Hehehe just for fun ---> must love dogs

Keep Calm and Have a Cup of Tea

Today Dad and I went to Eteaket http://www.eteaket.co.uk/. It was great! We had a traditional Scottish tea time with sandwiches, ginger-bread (basically banana bread made with ginger), mini-treats, and of course tea. I had a herbal tea blend of peppermint, chamomile, strawberry, lavender, and rose. Dad and I got to talking about potentially opening a similar sort of tea place in Victoria (because we both seem to be drawn to business). So many people would enjoy a lovely tea time without paying an arm and leg at the Empress. Would any of you be interested?

          Dad and I both find this picture super amusing because he looks like an excited little boy.

                     This photo is mainly to show just how small the mini-treats really were.



Otherwise today I went to H&M with my Dad where he got some new jeans and we went to British Home Stores to get new towels. No gym today as I went 3 days in a row prior.

Unfortunately, we're in a routine now which is making it so that we bicker and laze about and have no motivation. I can't stand it. Today I felt like a ghost in the house. Nobody would talk to me as I filtered in and out of the rooms. The sad part is, I didn't even really feel like engaging in conversation. My brain is experiencing so much turmoil. Just like the Clash I am continuously asking myself "Should I stay or should I go?" My self-esteem and confidence are slowly plummeting. I am too old to model. To quote another song that seems totally relevant, "They only want you when you're 17, when you're 21 you're no fun. They take a polaroid and let you go, see if they'll let you know." Yeah...I'm 21. Boo. Past my modeling prime already. I just feel so angry at myself and also so depressed. Fuck. I hate this. I don't even think Victoria will fix what I'm feeling.

Sorry for the sob sorry. My blog has become my agony Aunt because I feel that I have so few people to talk to that actually want to listen.

Must not end on a depressing note! I determine the quality of my own life and by goodness I am going to try to have an amazing day tomorrow doing all the things I love. :) Living right downtown in a very safe and exciting city is great. :)