Girlfriends

This weekend had to be one of the busiest weekends, and of course I ended it off by being sick (again!). Oh well c'est la vie, I would do it all again! Saturday night Erin, Heather, Angela, Estelle and I jumped into the Rice wagon and made our way to NOTL to celebrate Josie! We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived to see a gorgeous dinner table, tiki lights and candles all set up amongst a vineyard. We had such an amazing meal (and wine of course!) it was such a great experience and it was nice to meet the people who have made a difference in Josie's life! The best part of the night was when Josie toasted her girl friends....Josie is definitely the most sincere and kind hearted person I know and I shed a few tears when listening to the amazing things she had to say, it's definitely true, girlfriends are what make the world go round! xo

The Way I See It #11

Why are we inspired by another person's courage? Maybe because it gives us the sweet and genuine surprise of discovering some trace, at least, of the same courage in ourselves. ~Laurence Shames

Ps. Brema & Sarah's house is fantabulous! The kind of house that has just the right blend of style, unique features, comfort and sweet location! Congrats!
Pps. You know you are climbing the age brackets when your weekend consists of house warming parties, bachlorette's & baby showers! Though I am just a spectator I love celebrating these momentous moments for my friends! (...for the most part...ha! jk! one day soon!)

Enjoy Summer

As this weekend marks the start of the summer I thought I would share an excerpt I read in Journey to the Heart.
Learn to enjoy summer, that wonderful warm time when everything is in full bloom. Summer isn't forever, but don't ruin it by fussing. Forget about the winter just past, the autumn that lies ahead. Immerse yourself in the good times, the fullness of summertime. We may have gotten so used to other times, the colder times, that we've forgotten how to enjoy the sun, the warmth, the play times. The good times. Each moment of our lives is important. Each moment of our lives is a spiritual experience. To live fully in joy, we need to learn to enjoy the good times as well as weather the storms. Most of use are proficient at hunkering down and getting through the winters of our lives. Now it's time to learn something different. Take off your heavy wrap. Grab your straw hat and go bask in the sun. Tomorrow's lessons will take care of themselves. Today the lesson is learning to enjoy summer!

Read into the excerpt as you like, but I thought it was very suiting...as I find when summer has arrived there is a different kind of energy that people give off and it's so great to start fresh in this new season! This weekend for me is all about celebrating my amazing friendships! Last night Jodie & Matt had a BBQ with a couple friends, tonight Dave & Sarah are having a house warming party, tomorrow night is Josie's Bachlorette party in NOTL, and Sunday is Angela's baby Shower! Yay for the summer! (Also the summer means Andrew is coming home soon!)

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day...to the most loving, generous, kind and overall amazing dad in the world! I love you! xo

How to Make Sushi

While in Dublin, Jen informed me that she knew how to make sushi and wanted to know if Andrew and I would join her for dinner to eat some of her creations...and maybe even I could help her. Yes please!! Let me tell you it was de-lish and eezy-peezy to make! So for dinner tonight, I thought I would put my chef hat on and show my mom that I really can be domesticated! So this evening my mom and I had vegetarian sushi (Maki rolls with Sweet potato, cucumber, and avocado). I can't express enough how easy it is to make a simple roll of maki...so of course I thought I would share (it's also now 1am and I am a little wired from my tea date with Katie, and movie date with Josie).
Step 1: Go to grocery store and buy the following: sticky rice, bamboo mat, nori sheets, wasabi, pickled ginger, chopsticks, soya sauce and ingredients suited to your taste buds
Step 2: Cook sticky rice (takes 17 minutes) - follow directions on package
Step 3: Place a bamboo mat on the counter with the slats of bamboo parallel to the counter’s edge. Lay a sheet of nori (sheets of seaweed) on the mat with its shiny side down.
Step 4: Spread a thin layer of rice covering 3/4 of the nori
Step 5: Place ingredients on top of rice close to the edge
Step 6: Lift the edge of the mat closest to you with your thumbs so that a curve forms in the mat around the roll. (see picture) Lift the edge of the mat closest to you with your thumbs so that a curve forms in the mat around the roll. (see second picture) And continue to roll until all the nori has wrapped the contents
Step 7: Once the roll is complete cut the maki into even pieces and voila! Ready to serve!
You can be more creative once you get the hang of it, and for a quick tutorial go to your nearest sushi place and watch them in action.
Ok it is now 1:11 (make a wish) I need to hit the hay desperately! Off to the cottage this weekend! Can't wait!
Ps. It is officially Friday the 13th! Night night!

My Review

Ok so its 12am and I should be sleeping...but instead I still need to pack for the cottage and have the need to finally exhale!! Tonight was round 2 of seeing Sex and the City, The Movie! I had a little slip up in Dublin and went to the theatre with Jen, her girl friends and Andrew to see the long awaited film. I then as promised went with my fellow #1 fan (Josie) tonight so that we could be there side by side and take in all the movie had to offer. Both times...a-mazing! Though I feel the movie could never have been a 5 out of 5...as it was the final episode of 6 wonderful seasons....I felt it had just the right amount of life lessons, endearing friendship moments, heart breaks, stunning true love and lots and lots of fashion! "It's the end of an era." Favourite moment: "I will love you forever."

“Sometimes we need to stop analyzing the past, stop planning the future, stop figuring out precisely how we feel, stop deciding exactly what we want, and just see what happens.” -Carrie Bradshaw