Monthly Archives: August 2012

Boo! Ahh! It’s Haunting. It’s Daunting.

Posted in Just for Fun, Something A Little Personal by

I’ve come across the saying INNOVATE OR DIE several times in the past few months and it’s haunting me.

INNOVATE OR DIE! It leaves you with a lingering feeling of fear in your heart and nausea sitting in the pit of your tummy. I’ve been searching for different ways to innovate/improve the content on my blog so that My Pen, My Voice.;* doesn’t die.

Last week I was contacted by the assistant online marketer of Random House Canada and asked if I wanted to start reviewing books on my blog. You all know what I’ve said about opportunities knocking once, right? That’s the first thing I thought about after I read the email (and jumped around a little bit). The second thing I thought about, was an email I received from my Grade 12 English teacher.

“Take advantage of whatever opportunities are presented to you. It’s surprising how one thing leads to another.”

 

Obviously I said yes – books are my number one love after all! I just picked out two books that I’m interested in reviewing so stay tuned for that – I’m anxiously awaiting for them to land in my mailbox. For now, I’m reading an ARC of Moira Young’s Rebel Heart and I’m having trouble putting it down! So I guess I’m on the road to innovation, to change.

Here’s to improving my beloved blog and still keeping it very ME -

*raises coffee mug*

Cheers!

–
Love Always 
Vanessa Xo

P.S. Suggestions on how I can INNOVATE? Leave ‘em in the comments! HAPPY FRIDAY!


This is me.
Check out Random House Canada on Pinterest!
http://pinterest.com/RandomHouseCA/bookish-things/

Let me just bottle up that memory and throw it away… BRB

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Ever seen that magic trick where the magician pulls a colourful cloth out of his pocket? It looks like it’s a small cloth but it’s really really long and doesn’t seem to end? Imagine you could dig into your own ear and pull out bad memories, upsetting thoughts, or things that people said that made you feel like a piece of poop?

Imagine you could just take out a memory like in Harry Potter, bottle it and then watch it disappear?

Sometimes it would make life a whole lot easier if you could forget things and move on. I know that’s a juvenile way of thinking and I also understand that everything you go through creates the person that you are. You can’t have the good without the bad, you can’t appreciate good things unless you have some rotten experiences. You can’t learn or grow or change or adapt if everyone is nice to you, if you don’t feel challenged, if you don’t say or do stupid things. I know all of this, but in a world of my own you’d totally be able to forget any bad/sad/upsetting memories.

Oh, Alice some days I want to head over to Wonderland or maybe Neverland. It’s a good thing I still believe in magic ;) . It’s also a good thing that I can escape for a few minutes and get lost in a good book (speaking of books, only 11 days until the S.T.E.L.L.A.A. blog tour).

What’s your Wonderland?

How do you cope with bad memories or stressful situations?

Lemme know!

–
Love Always
Vanessa Xo

doing, enjoying, trying

Posted in Family Time, Just for Fun, Something A Little Personal by

I love taking out my notebook and writing when people are around, it freaks them out. They look at you with suspicious eyes, showing you the true power of a pen gliding along a piece of paper, forming words and creating your voice.

This morning I took out my Sharpie and doodled on some pretty paper. My Sharpie is sometimes my voice too. I came up with this:

Doodling is a great way to find out how you’re really feeling and what’s tugging at your heartstrings. I guess that ^ is how I’m feeling about my life right now. I’m loving that I threw out my 10-year-plan. I love the fact that I’m not making a plan for the rest of my life. I wake up and enjoy the routine chaos of my day. It’s a nice break from the constant worry that an avid planner with a mild case of OCD puts on herself.

I work, I write, I relax, I read, I get ready for school, I spend time with loved ones, and I enjoy my life. If I keep doing what I’m doing then something good great wonderful will eventually happen. Until then I’ll take out my pen or Sharpie and continue to sharpen my skills and radiate my voice ;) .

Hope you enjoy this sunny Sunday!

–
Love Always 
Vanessa Xo

 

P.S. 13 days until the S.T.E.L.L.A.A. blog tour!

P.P.S. CHECK THIS OUT –> click here.

Let the countdown begin!

Posted in Just for Fun, Something A Little Personal by

T-Minus 15 days until the S.T.E.L.L.A.A. BLOG TOUR!

I’ll be the third stop on their tour and as you can see the stops just keep getting better! I am completely honoured and excited to be part of this and I hope to see you back here on September 9th for my post (and every day before then ;) ). Rumor has it that on top of reading some awesome posts and getting to know S.T.E.L.L.A.A. as an organization, there may even be a GIVEAWAY!

Oh and a special thanks to Gigo Elmoselhi for the awesome poster.

Love books. Love to learn. Get involved!

And a Happy Friday to you all!

–
Love Always
Vanessa Xo

The Twenty-Something Crisis?

Posted in Book Reviews, Just for Fun, Something A Little Personal by

So I picked up this book recently – after finding it on a every women in their twenties should read this book list.

I’m not usually a self-help book junkie but I have to admit this that book has been helping me get a little more perspective on my own life. It’s helped me to understand that it’s easy to want it all and to be expected to be that powerhouse career woman, terrific wife, and loving mother, all while keeping a clean house and your figure at the same time…

I know it isn’t mother’s day but I love this pic.

…BUT in order to have it all you need to figure out exactly what you want out of life. You have to put your middle finger up to all expectations and just do what’s right for you. Maybe you already have it all but you’re too busy focusing on having ‘more’ or something ‘different’ that you can’t even see what’s right in front of your pretty face. 

“‘Life is never how you think it’s going to be. If I had known how easy life can be if you just let it, I wouldn’t have wasted so much of my time judging myself and keeping busy doing so many different things– I would have enjoyed the possibilities of my twenties.’  Cynthia, fifty-seven”

–
Love Always
Vanessa Xo

Give what you get and get what you give.

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It goes both ways. You can’t expect people to go above and beyond for you if you’ve done nothing for them. You have to appreciate every gesture, every moment, every single time someone makes you laugh or smile.

A shared smile or laugh is the greatest moment you can have with a person. Seeing the corner of their mouth lift slightly, anticipating something clever or witty or downright stupid to come out of your mouth. Seeing their full smile and their pearly whites as the other corner of their mouth lifts into a full smile that nearly reaches their ears. Feeling a slap on your arm or the nudge you get once they finally break out into laugher, snorting, or gasping for breath. Seeing that tear of joy run down their cheek – it’s contagious. Before you know if you’re laughing too. You’ve just shared a wonderful moment, you’ve just made their day, maybe.

To all of the wonderful people in my life:

I’ll  try to do more for you. I’ll do my best to help out, to make an effort, and to participate in your life as fully as I can. Even if a laugh is all I have left to give, I’ll give it to you.

–
Love Always
Vanessa Xo

Books and Cleverness!

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Let’s not play games here – I am  a BOOK-LOVER. I love getting lost in a book, in a story. I love getting obsessed with characters. I love to learn. Last night at work, my boss (who is an avid reader) and I talked about how very rare it is to find a kid who likes to read today. It’s rare to find a child who likes to learn. It’s also rare to find a teacher who loves to teach, who loves to inspire their students. Kids today are pushed through a system and it’s a little really disheartening.

I had some fantastic teachers both in elementary school, high school, and university.  Teachers who were passionate about the subjects they taught, teachers who made me want to learn MORE even if I didn’t particularly like the subject they taught. Do teachers like that exist today? My english teachers in particular had a profound effect on me, I can thank them for making me a writer, a reader, a learner.

I’ve never dreamt of becoming a teacher but I’ve always known that I want to make a difference. I want to inspire someone. I want to turn someone (the world) on to reading. I want to show children and teens how lucky they are to be able to go to school and get an education. I want to tell them that it’s cool to be passionate about a subject and that there is a point in learning about history or reading books in English class.

I want to make a difference.

I want to inspire someone. 

–
Love Always
Vanessa Xo

Life is Real.

Posted in Family Time, Just for Fun, Something A Little Personal by

“Life is real, it’s made up of little things – minutes, hours, naps, errands, routine. It has to be enough.” – Barney’s Version

When it comes to love and relationships is anything ever enough? Is there some preconceived notion in your head that you’re expecting someone to live up to? Life is REAL, it isn’t always what your expectations want it to be.

Sometimes it’s worse.

Sometimes it’s better.

I understand that contentment with the “little things” in life is difficult to harness. You are constantly reaching for more, striving for something, improving, making your life better, trying to get THERE.

How can this be enough when you want to get there, when you want to be that? I’m not going to pretend that I know the answer to that. I just want to believe that when it comes to love, relationships, and family, it’s the little things that matter most. It’s the little things that count – and they ARE ENOUGH.

Like going for breakfast with your family (minus the hardworking sister :( ) to celebrate your parent’s 29th anniversary…

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And while you’re there, you laugh with your family, you talk about the future, you listen to your dad when he’s trying to teach you something, you order more coffee, you watch your mom smile as she enjoys her blueberry pancakes, you let your dad make fun of you for not being able to see over the counter when you’re trying to pay, you let your brother laugh at you because his laugh is just so damn contagious.

You relish these little moments because you know that they matter.

You know that they are more than enough.

–
Love Always
Vanessa Xo

When the cat’s away, the mice will play – or so I’ve heard.

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Mama, Papa, and Brother have been at the cottage all week. Given my part-time job status, this is how I spent my time.

I had a few glasses of vino.

I made Portuguese sausage and toasted some bread!

I congratulated a friend on her new job :)

I made dinner with Sister!

I went to the Bf’s Zia and Zio’s house for dinner – Waffles begged us to bring him along. We did and he was very well-behaved! He had some yummy pasta and chicken and was so cozy that he fell asleep after.

“Thanks for having me over Alex’s Zia and Zio! Sorry for pooping on your lawn!”
Xo

Overall, it was a great week but I’m looking forward to having a full house again! I miss my Mama and Papa, and yes even Brother ;)

In other news, I’m 0 for 8 in the whole internship/job search but I’m staying positive.

All good things to those who wait.

–
Love Always 
Vanessa Xo