Survivor! February 29, 2008

Yes I am a Survivor junkie. I have been watching the show since it started 16 seasons ago! I don’t know what it is but I love the show. The characters, the challenges, the relationships . . . I just love everything about it. I know that people think it’s just the same old show with different people and that it’s now boring, but I strongly disagree. I love watching it every Thursday and if I miss it I’ll watch it on YouTube.

This season is fans vs. favourites and my favourite is definitely Ozzy! He is amazing! The things that he thinks of in challanges and strategy are brilliant. I am very happy to say that he found the hidden immunity idol that was on exile island and I hope that it is used to his advantage so that he can stay on the show a little longer.

Oh how I love this show!!!

Listening to Little Kids Talk February 28, 2008

Ok, so I’m not that into the Star Trek and Star Wars scene. I remember watching the television show and movies with my dad and brother, but it’s definitely not something that I would want to do for fun. I don’t know what it is, but there is just something about people flying through space and encountering aliens and attacking space ships and planets that doesn’t thrill me. If you could explain what the appeal is let me know!

BUT . . . I was looking at YouTube and through this past week one of their featured videos was of a 3 year old girl giving the summary to one to of the Star Wars movies. She is so cute that I had to laugh. If she narrated one of those movies then maybe I’d be interested! Just take a look . . .

David Archuleta February 27, 2008

I was vegging last night after a full day of classes and I turned on the TV to watch American Idol. I haven’t really watched much of it this season so I don’t know a lot about the contestants. Last night’s show was the men singing, and to me, some were alright, some weren’t and some did a pretty good job.

David Archuleta was the last to sing for the night and oh my goodness! He can sing! I gave me goosebumps just listening. The judges all said that he was incredible and the one to beat. My vote is definitely for this 17 year old boy.

Check out this clip from last night’s show.

Zoey’s Cafe February 26, 2008

My last post was about a bead store in Ventura California, and today’s is about a little cafe down the street. It’s is two doors down from The Peruvian Bead Company, but is down a backstreet and behind the bead store (not on the main street). We only found it because we were hungry, and I think my sister was complaining about her starving stomach when a local girl who worked at the bead store mentioned Zoey’s Cafe and their incredible food.
This place is amazing and it brings me so much joy to think about that day and the fun we had in Ventura. Zoey’s Cafe has been open for about 10 years and is owned by Polly and Steve Hoganson. The menu offers fresh salads, sandwiches, pizza and pasta. The evenings make Zoey’s a busy place to hear the best music in Ventura County.

We sat upstairs in the coffee bar loft which is also the place that has the stage where artists perform. There are local artist paintings all around the Cafe and every table is shaded by an umbrella or vines from the plants that surround the actual building.

Something that I love about this Cafe is that known artist, Colbie Caillat played here before she was famous and her co-writer and friend Jason Reeves still does.

Here is a picture of my family sitting in the cafe (minus my brother).

This was the view off the balcony and onto the street.

The Peruvian Bead Company February 25, 2008

My first job in retail was at a little bead store in Calgary called Beads and Plenty More. It was such a good job for me because I could work part time and be in the environment of one of my favourite hobbies. I love beads and creating earrings, necklaces and bracelets. Since working there, I love to go and check out other bead stores in my travels.

This past summer my family and I went to California for my cousins wedding and before we headed back home, we traveled up the Californian coast. We stopped for a night in Ventura, California. In the morning we walked down the streets and much to my surprise we found one of the nicest bead stores I’ve been to. The Peruvian Bead Company sits in downtown Ventura and is owned by Steve and Juana Jelen. The couple lived in Spain for a year and since then have been devoted to beads and creating unique jewelery pieces. Juana is known for her designs that have been featured in Bead and Button Magazine and Steve runs their sister business, Pacific Silverworks, that designs and makes clasps and other metal items.

I loved that place and bought a lot of materials there. While making a bracelet yesterday I realized that I’m quickly running out of some clasps that I bought there . . . oh I need to go back!

Ingrid Michaelson February 22, 2008

You may have seen the Old Navy commercial during Christmas about sweaters that went along with a catchy tune. Well that “catchy” tune is a song by Ingrid Michaelson called The Way I Am.

Ingrid Michaelson was born in 1979 to two artistic parents. Her dad was a composer and her mom was a composer. She started to learn piano at the age of 5 and since then her musical career took off from there. She posted several of her songs on her myspace and that is where she became popular and was found. Since then her songs have not only been heard on the Old Navy commercial, but also on Grey’s Anatomy and One Tree Hill.

Click here to see her official website, or here to see and hear songs on her myspace.

I really like her unique sound and her style. The video below is her music video for her song The Way I Am and I think it’s just cute. The words and video are about loving someone for just the way that they are and I think the video show it so well even if it’s a little “quirky”.  The song and the video just make me smile.

Put on Those PJ’s February 21, 2008

Today I spent the day doing pretty much nothing. Yes I got some homework done and worked on my passport application, but besides that . . . nothing.

This week is reading week for many of the University’s and College’s in Canada (and perhaps elsewhere). It’s our version of Spring break or can also be called suicide prevention week. Rumour has it that we get this amazing break to decrease the numbers of suicides that are committed by those attending post secondary education every year. I just love that I get the time off to catch up on school and to see friends I haven’t seen in a long time.

One of the parts that I love the most though, is sleeping in and staying in my pajamas for long extended periods of time. I love my PJ’s! They just come in comfortable fabrics and bright colours that make me happy.

Check out this site dedicated to all of the pajama wearers out there.

Another Japanese Game Show February 20, 2008

By request I am posting another Japanese game show video. I can’t believe how they come up with the ideas they have to create these game shows. What do the Japanese have think of to come up with racing people on treadmills, making them fit through strange shaped holes in the wall or trying to bite marshmallows off strings while strapped to the wall with a rubber band. This video is one that I found on YouTube and it’s just unbelievable. It seems that the game show is about fear and conquering it. Several girls pop their heads out of these little holes and have raw slabs of meat strapped to their heads while a komodo dragon is let loose in the arena. I think they win when they are the last ones with their heads still up and they haven’t “chickened out”. I think it’s just funny to watch this.

What is Joy? February 19, 2008

As I’m writing this blog I’m wondering what joy really is. I’m sitting here with 15 minutes until the day switches to tomorrow and I’m grumpy. I can’t think of anything that brings me joy today. Well nothing that I can link a website to. There are just days that seem to go by that I don’t notice the joy or I honestly don’t care to. I guess it’s part of being human. What do you think?

Even though I’m not entirely in the mood to reflect on the good things of this day, it might help me go to bed a little happier. I’ll list a couple things that I can be happy about though, and maybe I’ll have something brilliantly joyful to post tomorrow.
Today I can be happy that:

• I have a car to help me get around the city
• I have friends to go out for coffee with
• I have a student loan to spend!

Patrick Henry Hughes February 18, 2008

Last night’s episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition was such an incredible story. The family had a son that was born without eyes and had limbs that wouldn’t ever completely straighten. Instead of treating their young boy like a child with a disability they focused on what he could do, and that was play music. During the airing of this episode Patrick was 19 and attending the University of Louisianna. With the help of his dad, he became a member of the marching band. His dad goes with him to classes and pushes him around the arena for the band, and then goes to work!

It was an incredible story of the relationship between father and son and the joy in Patrick’s life. He tells the camera that he doesn’t see himself with disablities, but more with abilities. This young man has an incredible outlook on life. He sees the positives in everyday no matter what. We should all strive to be like Patrick Henry Hughes.

Click here for the Elite Homes Website of the family.