Self Care Sunday is the newest thing; why? Because we are so busy taking care of our kids, our jobs, our parents; that we have zero time to take care of ourselves. But guess what? If you burn out everyone around you will be screwed!!
Self Care Sunday is finding a bit of time every week to do something to help re-charge your body, mind and soul.
Here are 5 easy ways to chill the f@$# out!
Get Out!
When I am not sitting at my desk in the office; I am in an airport or scrunched in an airplane seat; It can be stifling. My remedy is to go out and get some fresh air.
There is something about being outside that calms me; wether it’s going for a walk in the desert or snowshoeing in the forest, being outside centers me and quiets the voices in my head…you guys have those little voices too right??
Work It Out!
To prep for this post, I did an informal poll and a lot of you mentioned that working out helps keep you sane…I don’t get it, but whatever, lol, kidding ish.
Nicole, one is my very best cousins, she says that her workouts keep her present and in control; and that feeling of accomplishment afterwards is a big win!
My Nicole inspiring me to practice my hand stand.
Feel the Rhythm of the Beat!
One of my friends is living a modern version of The Brady Bunch, between her and her boyfriend, they have 6 kids!!! One of her passions is dancing. On Sunday’s she cranks the tunes and dances in her kitchen while she does her meal prep for the week.
I have another friend who got so tired of seeing her kids playing video games, that she turns the games off and makes them dance with her. At first they rolled their eyes, but now they look forward to it. They learn the newest dance moves together, she’s now an expert flosser.
Learn Something New
Another friend in a house with three teenagers has decided to learn how to play guitar; it’s something she has wanted to do for years. She has paid for guitar, piano and drum lessons for her kids; now she is finally taking the time and focusing on learning how to play.
Shhhh!!
In my informal poll, many have said that they just need a bit of quiet time by themselves. With the hustle and bustle of our busy lives, I can relate to this one.
Find some time and a quiet corner to read. Fill up your tub and take a warm bath or get in your car and go for a little drive…alone; being alone with your thoughts can help keep you grounded.
How do you chill and re-charge? Maybe by reading my Sunday blog posts??? Lol
Thanks for reading! Have a great week! Be kind to yourselves.
On our agenda today is a Viva Vintage Vegas tour. We’ll shop, get a makeover, eat then visit an outdoor museum for old neon signs.
The “old” downtown area is in the process of a fabulous transformation. The Art District or 18b, because it encompasses 18 blocks, is a very cool and hip place with art galleries, vintage shops and funky restaurants. It’s way more authentic than than the strip and if you visit you may run into some real live Las Vegas locals! Don’t worry, they won’t bite, they are super nice people.
First things first, let’s shop! All the shops below are found on Main Street. (If you don’t get the opportunity to visit Vegas, then please venture out to your local vintage and antique shops! Also, I always check out how shop owners show off their stuff. It can inspire you to consider different color pallets.)
Patina
Patina offers vintage furniture, home decor and a huge collection of unique vintage clothing.
I was served by Katie, who is one of the owners of Patina. She explained that the boutique started off more focused on vintage furniture, but the clothing section has taken on a life of its own; with regulars coming to Vegas expressly to shop in her store.
She and her partner hand pick each item, they were getting ready to head out on a buying spree in a few weeks. How fun would that be?
Their vintage clothing is mostly from the 60’s, lets just say the colors were so vibrant I didn’t need to use a filter. I bought three things.
They also have beautiful glassware, vintage luggage, furniture and much more, check them out!
I tried to convince myself that I had room for this hot pink chair in my bedroom, but I don’t…booo! I love how they are showing pink with yellow accents, it’s not a combo that I would have thought that I would like. It’s brave, beautiful and inspiring.
Antique Alley Market
I love this store!! It’s huge so it’s almost impossible to see everything and they seem to have everything.
I must admit that I past by it several times without going in, because the facade doesn’t have a lot of flash. But I’m happy I finally did because it’s got some great stuff and prices are reasonable.
I collect vintage Murano glass candy dishes, ok I only have 4, so it’s not a huge collection, lol. It reminds me of my grandmother. She had this beautiful big green dish on her coffee table that we used to spin around, we were kind of bratty. I don’t think we ever broke it, which is a miracle. I have no idea where it went, but I would love to find it.
I have a pink dish from my mother’s cousin, I found another in the same color, so had to have it. And now I think I am starting a pink collection, but the other colors are all so pretty…sorry, all this talk about vintage candy dishes may not be as interesting to others as it is to me, lol.
Ok, just take a look at this picture of my budding collection and I will stop talking about candy dishes, lol.
Ok, I so I lied, but look how pretty they are. My new one is the one on the left…ok done, moving on.
Vintage Vegas
Main Street is littered with cool funky places. Vintage Vegas is a smaller boutique, but jam packed full of cool stuff. The signage: Dead People’s Junk ans Cool Crap, caught my eye; I had to go in!
I love these vintage Pyrex bowls!! My bff and I, back in Canada, are always on the lookout for vintage Pyrex. Yup, we’re nerds, but stylish ones!!
Retro Vegas
When I moved to Vegas this was the first vintage shop I visited, the pink caught my attention, naturally. They have beautifully painted flamingos on the side of their building perfect for photos!
They have tones of modern mid-century furniture, which is my all time favorite; along with stuff from the 60’s and 70’s. I am really starting to feel the 70’s vibe these days too.
The price point here is a bit more expensive, but they have high quality pieces.
I love this kitchen vignette! And look, they are pairing pink and yellow. Mmm, could this be a new trend? This is giving me some cool ideas.
And as I am writing, I just noticed that my pink candy dishes have yellow in the center! I guess I am already on trend.
Atomic Lounge
After you’ve shopped stop in at Atomic Lounge for a retro makeover. I went for the Va Va Voom hair and makeup package; they also have a package where they pick you up in a pink Cadillac, it doesn’t get more fab than that!
This was so fun! It would be the perfect activity for a girls trip. They do lots of weddings as well.
This was a lot of makeup!! Definitely meant for nighttime. I have to admit I felt like my grandmother with my hair in pin curls, but it all came together. This look called for a lot of hairspray!! I am not a big hair product person so it felt really funny and stiff. She told me to leave it for an hour and then I could brush it out for a softer look. It looked more modern with just a hint of retro vibe once I brushed it out.
My stylist was awesome! Ask for Becki. The lounge decor was funky and cool, just like you’d expect it to be. And look, more yellow! I love these chairs.
Let’s Eat!
There are a bunch of cool hip restaurants nearby and this is where you will meet actual Las Vegas locals. These restaurants are also a lot less expensive than on the strip.
I recommend trying Carson Kitchen, it has super interesting small plates that you can share. It’s urban neighborhood dining at it’s finest.
The Boneyard Museum
After dinner when the sun goes down, head to the Boneyard Neon Museum. It’s the perfect way to send your Viva Vintage Vegas Day!
Tours are $50, $35 for locals. You have to buy your tickets ahead of time, I have been on the day tour, but need to go on the night tour when the signs are on.
This isn’t your ordinary boring museum, first of all it’s outside and second of all, it’s full of neon. The museum is saving and honoring Vegas history for generations to come.
You will have lots and lots of picture opportunities, selfies are welcomed!
Photo from Boneyard Neon Museum
Bonus Feature!
Since you sat through my candy dish fetish, I will let you know that The Arts District also has the most Instagramable graffiti walls in Vegas!
The streets between Main and Commerce have cool alleys. The best one is on the corner of W 50-70 Imperial Ave and Imperial Ave. Do be careful and travel in packs, don’t go down dark alleys; you will run into some colorful characters if you venture too far. You can also rent bikes and cycle around.
Just a few of the murals you will see. Try to venture off the strip next time you are in town and check out the Art District. Be nice! And have fun!
I had a hellish busy Monday, I have a huge event starting in one week; today was spent putting out fires and coming up with solutions. But I got through it!!
Safely back home, I reached in my purse to get my phone and it wasn’t there!! A moment of panic rushes through my body; I empty my purse, wow! I have a lot of stuff in here, but no phone!
Hoping it fell out of my purse during the drive home, I rush to my car. I actually went twice, the first time I looked on the seat and floor. The second time, I go back because it may have slide under the seat? Nope, it’s not there.
I debate driving back to work, I am now sure I left it on my desk at work. It’s rush hour and I am more than a little embarrassed that I am really considering driving back to work to get it. Not having my phone is, for reals, causing me to hover on the brink of a full blown panic attack.
After a few deep breaths, I decide that this will be good for me, you know, to unplug for a few hours; and really how hard could it be to spend one evening sans cell phone? Challenge accepted!!
I do log onto Facebook on my computer to let my brother known that I don’t have my phone and he needs to text my mom to tell her that if she texts me and I don’t text her back that I am not dead in a ditch. I log off and decide, no computer or iPad until the morning.
5:30pm
I am going to cook myself a nice dinner, I just need to run to the grocery store to pick up a few things. While I am waiting in line to pay, I automatically dig into my purse to get my phone. I may have a 3 or 4 minutes of wait time until it’s my turn. Oh yeah, I don’t have my phone; what am I supposed to do while waiting?? Just stand here? Ugh, I get through it and make it back home, but I am annoyed. I could be going through withdrawals? Man this is getting serious!
6:56pm
I am eating dinner in front of the TV, I am not a freaking saint, I am not going to give up TV too! That would make no sense.
What an exciting game! The Bruins and Blues are tie, 2,2 at the end of the second period. I reach for my phone to text my friend, we often text while watching. Darn it!! I will have to watch it alone without sharing my witty comments…boring!
7:52pm
The Blues were ahead 3 to 2, but just scored another goal on an empty net with 1.29 left to play. I am rooting for the Bruins so this is no fun.
7:55pm
I go outside to feed the wild tiny bunnies, they are desert cotton tails. I sometimes give the mini carrots. I know, I know, I am not supposed to feed wild animals…whatever. I leave a few carrots on the grass then peek out around the corner to see if they will come and eat them. Yes, my life is this exciting!
OMG, there are 4 of them eating my carrots!!! But am I able to take their picture? Noooo, frig; there goes an Instagram moment that I will never get back!
Below is a fairly accurate portrait of me and the bunnies.
8:32pm
So many channels, but nothing interesting to watch!! I am going to take a hot bath and use all my fancy oils and creams that I keep buying, but never use. Oh yeah, that will be nice and relaxing!
8:42pm
Done! I smell nice, but now what do I do? Maybe I should re-organize my pantry? Sure, I’ve been meaning to do that for weeks.
I find a pack of strawberry pop tarts in the back corner of my pantry, score! I don’t remember buying them, it was probably when my nephew visited last April? I pop one in the toaster while I proceed to take everything out of my pantry.
Now my kitchen is a mess and I am not in the mood for this shit; what the hell was I thinking? I shove everything back in; it does look a little better than it did…I guess? Oh and then I burn my lip on the strawberry filling of my pop tart, and guess what? Pop tarts aren’t even that good.
9:30pm
I was up and at work super early this morning, I think it’s late enough to go to bed?
Mmm, guess what I normally do while in bed? I surf the net on my phone; I mostly Pinterest and Netflix. I even write most of my blog posts on my phone at night in bed. But not tonight, tonight I have a notebook and am journaling this old school.
Man my penmanship sucks and my thumb is cramping up, I am not used to writing anymore. I hope I can read my notes in the morning when I am back online?
Good night!
I am awake again! I have to turn on my TV to see what time it is; it’s 1:27am BTW. I toss and turn for what seems like hours. I turn the light on and grab my notebook to journal this. The TV is back on, it’s only 1:53am.
I eventually fall back asleep, but I wake up a few more times. I have no idea what time it is?? I am not going to turn the TV back on. I didn’t realize that one of my fun things to do during the night is looking at the time on my phone and calculating how many hours I have left to sleep before I have to get up. It’s still dark, so I fall back asleep.
Shit!! I am going to be late!
I always, always wake up a few minutes before my alarm, so I thought my internal clock would get me up at my regular time, but noooooo!
7:30am
Ok, I was able to make up some time, so I am still one of the first in the office. As I log on my computer, I realize that another habit of mine is to check emails before I get out of bed. I like knowing what I will be walking into when I get to the office.
There is my cell phone, right on my desk where I left it the night before. I am so happy to see it! Maybe a little too happy? Have I become one of those people? I sort of have and I bet most of you are too!
Did I enjoy my device free night? Not really? I missed Netflix and Pinterest and Instagram… But it was an interesting exercise. I didn’t realize how many times during the day that I reach for my phone out of habit, that was eye opening.
I think I am going to suggest a device free dinner with my friends the next time we go out. But when I am home alone, I want to be able to Netflix on my ipad, while I text and Pinterest, lol. Baby steps I guess?
Do you think you could go a full evening without your phone? How about a full day?
So technically, I didn’t, I don’t…I mean I haven’t ever said I do; but what’s that expression? Those who can’t do teach?
Here’s why I am qualified to give wedding planning advice:
I’ve been a real live party/events planner for the past 15 years; and a wedding is basically a big event.
Before that, I was a hotel convention sales manager and dealt with many brides; but the job that most qualifies me to give wedding advice was my four year stint as a banquet waitress, while in University.
I seriously must have I worked hundreds and hundreds of weddings! And if I hear the song, “I knew the bride when she used to rock and roll”, one more time, I am going to lose my freaking mind!…oh and I was a bridesmaid twice; both friends are no longer married, but I hardly think I can be blamed for that?? (and they did result is some pretty amazing children!)
Photo by CJ Hovey
Here are my top 5 expert tips
What’s your vibe?
You need to decide what vibe you’re going for? Here’s a hint, if your DJ plays, “ I knew the bride when she used to rock and roll”, you have failed in creating a cool vibe, lol.
But seriously, before you start planning you need to do a bit of soul searching on what you and your mate want your wedding to be?
You’ll be surprised by how many decisions you’ll need to make and you’ll be shocked at how quickly things can snowball out of control, so you need a plan.
In order to help you figure out what’s your vibe, you need to decide what kind of bride you want to be? Are you a Princess Bride, a Hippie Bride, a Shy Bride or a Party Bride? Ok, I just made those up, but they are brilliant!
The Princess Bride wants to be…well a princess, obviously. She wants a full ballgown with 8 to 10 bridesmaids. If you want a Princess wedding, then don’t look at beachfront locations. Ballgowns and beach balls don’t mix.
Now if you’re a Hippie Bride a beach wedding with a flowy dress and flip flops are a perfect fit!
The photos below are of a Princess Bride in all her glory! The horse drawn carriage, the adorable flower girl and the castle.
Photos taken by me in Jackson Square in New Orleans.
Photo by me! Taken in New Orleans.
The bride in the picture above is definitely a Party Bride. The most important thing to a her is to have fun. Her dress is fun, her shoes are fun; she’s literally dancing in the streets.
One of my cousins is a Shy Bride, she knows her vibe and is owning it. She doesn’t want to be on display or be gawked at, which is the princess bride’s dream.
Knowing this she has planned a super small fall wedding in a rustic cabin. No head table and no fussiness, oh and she is bringing her dog and I am pretty sure she and her dog will have a matching dresses, lol.
Elsa ready for her walk down the aisle!
Adding your own quirkiness to your big day is endearing. The trick is to know your vibe and keep it consistent.
Photography by Daniel St-Louis, in Moncton.
I absolutely love this picture above of my friend Stacey on her wedding day getting her glam on. I love it because, this is Stacey’s vibe. She’s always calm cool and collected. There’s no need for a big entourage and no drama. FYI, she is still happily married; I wasn’t a bridesmaid.
Show me the money honey!
Weddings are expensive!! So before you start making plans and spending money, you need a plan. You need to list out what’s important to you and what’s not.
Here’s an idea, right off the bat. What if you could take an extra few thousand dollars from your wedding and spend it on your engagement ring? Since it’s something that you will wear everyday and have forever; as opposed to something that will be over in a day?? Just a thought.
Now if you’re a Princess Bride, there is nothing I can say to you that will sway you away from all the bells and whistles; and if that’s what you want, then go for it!
For those who are more budget conscious, you need to list out your priorities. If I was planning my own wedding, I would spend money on my dress and the photographer. I would skimp on other things in order to stay within my budget.
There are things that I would skip altogether, like wedding favors and the grooms cake; and here’s why. Now, full disclosure, when I throw parties, I always have a party favor, but, and this is a big but, I host small gathering so I buy nice favors. If yo can’t afford a nice favor, maybe just skip it? Also a lot of wedding parties make their own favors, which is very sweet, but depending on what it is, you may want to focus your energy on other things?
While working as a banquet waitress, I will tell you that more than 50% of your party favors end up being left behind and thrown out; same thing with the grooms cake?
Let’s just say that a grooms cake is out of fashion anyway and move on. If you have your heart set on having a wedding favor, go with a bottles of wine or home made jams or something like that. I am going to be harsh here, but the only people who want something with your face or your initials on it is your mother and your crazy aunt Carol.
You may also want to revisit your wedding cake. I would get an amazing looking cake, but it would be a small cake for you to cut in the photos and take home with you. If you are doing a full meal, your guests are going to be too full for cake by the time it’s served.
Or do cupcakes or donuts, something a bit different that people will remember. If you do want to serve cake, get a big slab and have the venue serve your guests.
Fun fact; did you know that some wedding cakes are fake?? Those big fancy cakes that you see couples cutting, some are just one layer of real cake and the others are foam covered with icing. Why spend hundreds of dollars on a fake cake?
Another great way to save money is to select an amazing looking venue so that you don’t have to spend lots of money on decorations. And here’s a question to ask yourself when deciding if you should spend the money or skip it? Will your aunt Carol remember it in a year?
If budget wasn’t a concern you could have huge overflowing flowery centerpieces on each table a la Kardashian. But just modest flowers on every table in a large wedding is going to cost you thousands of dollars without making a huge impact. Now let’s ask the question; will aunt Carol be able to remember what type of flowers were at her table in a year? The answer is no! So why not boost up and spend a bit more money on your bouquet and skip the table flowers? Candles are less expensive and create a cozy mood.
It’s also worth exploring a different kind of wedding. A former coworker of mine has opened an amazingly brilliant business. They do pop up weddings, elopements and engagements and they are spectacular!! You need to check out their website: https://www.thehytch.com/ and follow them on Facebook, (The Hytch) and Insta, (thehytch).
The locations are breathtaking, the pictures are soooooo pretty! They currently offer pop up weddings, renewals and engagements in Reno, Lake Tahoe and Denver.
The beautiful Yeliz Berg from The Hytch. Photo by @journeeclarkphot
Be prepared to be blown away by crazy beautiful wedding photos, all provided by The Hytch. These are real couples and real weddings. I feel like I need to add that because they are so Instagrammable, they look staged.
photo by @imashleymariephoto by @imashleighmariePhoto by @theboundys
Photo by @sirberry
I am going to show the picture above to my cousin Brigitte, she is going to love this idea.
This is definitely the kind of wedding I would want. I would want a winter wedding…maybe I should book it for 2020? Yeah, that should give me enough time to find the perfect man right??!!
I think it’s possible to have an amazing chic wedding on a limited budget, you made need to think outside of the box? And maybe as you get older your priorities change? But a small intimate wedding seems like are a better choice then spending a down payment on a house on a wedding; but that’s just me, you do you!
Know your limitations
Do you get stressed out hosting a dinner party for 8? If so, you might not have what it takes to execute the perfect wedding by yourself? And that’s ok; know your strengths and be real about your limitations.
Get a wedding planner or recruit your friends and family. If you are asking friends and family members to help you, give them specific tasks and don’t overload one person, spread it out! If you aren’t paying them, you need to be nice and thankful!!
You can also lean on your venue manager to help with centerpieces and a few other tasks…within reason.
One thing you should never do is be setting up your own reception in your wedding dress! If you can’t get in your venue the day before, delegate, delegate, delegate! I have seen brides blowing up balloons for an arch while all made up and in their dresses. Don’t do it!!!
Show Up!
By show up, I mean, be present. It’s a big day with lots going on. You will be running on excitement, nerves and adrenaline. You have been working on this day for months and have spent a lot of money; you need to make a conscious effort to stop and enjoy your day.
You also need to eat and stay hydrated, plan ahead and have healthy snacks, or chocolate…either or, on hand when getting ready.
And when at the reception, pace yourself with the champagne, a puky bride is never cute!!
Let It Go!
So it’s your big day and you are present; now let it go!
I have witnessed so many bridezillas, in the early nineties, before that was a thing, we just called them crazy brides.
Here is the best advice that anyone will ever give you on your wedding day; let things go!! I have witnessed so many crazy brides sabotage their own wedding receptions, it was hard to pick just one crazy bride story.
But here’s a good one; this one bride poked her head into the ballroom before we opened the doors to see how the room looked. It looked beautiful, btw, but she proceeded to freak out because the salmon colored napkins, looked more peach than salmon. Freaked out may be an understatement, because she had a full blown, stage 5 meltdown over salmon napkins, minutes before her guests arrived. May I add that the lights were dimmed and candles lit, the napkins were perfectly salmony.
To make my point, I googled the color salmon and the color peach, can you tell which is which??? No, no you can’t, because there isn’t a difference. Lol
Needless to say, she never really recovered and looked pissy all night. I have seen so many brides look absolutely miserable during their wedding receptions; don’t be that bride!
The only way to enjoy yourself the day of your wedding is to roll with the punches and go with whatever happens. If anything goes wrong on the day of, and something will, let it go! First of all, chances are you will be the only one who notices that something is off; so don’t point it out or make a big deal, just let it go!
I have one great example of a bride who rolled with it. The MC was speaking and said that he had a game that would determine who wore the pants in the family. He explained that the bride had to hug each male at the reception and the groom each female and that whoever did so and got back to their seat first would be the one who wore the pants in the marriage.
The groom looked horrified and after an awkward moment of silence, you could tell this was not planned; the bride stood up, hiked up her dress and stared running to the first table to start the hug fest. The groom quickly followed and the crowd went wild!
At the time I posted this my mom was out playing cards so I couldn’t ask her the name of the photographer, lol.
I love, love, love this picture of my parents. Tell me they are not adorable!! My dad looks like a movie star. There is something really glamorous about old wedding pictures. Their 53rd wedding anniversary was this past May.
At the end of the day, your wedding is one day in hopefully many, many days together. It’s so easy to get caught up in the wedding that you lose perspective and focus more on the wedding than the marriage…said the single girl. But think about it, you know I am right.
I am pretty sure I will be a fun bride…just saying, lol.
Showing off my something blue, a vintage dinner ring that was my moms. Apparently dinner rings were a thing in the seventies.
My dad recently passed away, a few weeks before his death, one of my cousins asked him for relationship advice. He told her to be herself and that she needs to find someone who makes her happy, if he doesn’t make you happy, don’t marry him. Treat him like you would want to be treated and you will be ok, because you are a good person. It seemed like simple advice, but if you stop and think about it, it really is that simple!
I hope you enjoyed this post even if you aren’t planning a wedding at this very moment or are already married. If you are happily married and want to share your words of wisdom, please do!!
And if you are happily divorced, you probably have words of wisdom too! Sharing is caring, lol.
muah!!
Liette
Downtown Vegas, I had to stop and snap a quick pic.
Axe throwing is the new hip thing to do and after the week I’ve had, there was nothing that sounded better than throwing a sharp object at something! I’ve been wanting to try it for awhile and I’m so glade I did, because we had such an axe-cellent time!
It’s sort of like bowling, except instead of throwing a ball you’re hurling a super sharp axe. We booked two lanes at the Timber Lounge on 19 Orange Lane in Moncton; which is located next to the Pump House Brew Pub. Check them out online at: http://www.timberlounge.ca , on Facebook under: Timber Lounge Axe Throwing – Moncton. Or on Instagram at: timberloungemoncton. (they didn’t pay for our night, but hey if they wanted to invite us out back, we would be down for that… just saying.)
I’d never swung an axe before, but full disclosure, I am pretty sure I am a direct descendant of some hunky Viking, lol, so I assumed, I’d be super good at it.
We were greeted as soon as we walked in and after signing in, we got drinks while we waited for the rest of our group to arrive. Because why not have a few drinks before playing with axes, right?
The Timber Lounge has a really cool vibe. We got lucky and had the back lanes, which gave us a bit of privacy, as it wasn’t always pretty.
Our guide, who’s name escapes me, sorry. So I’ll call him Hans, since that sounds very Vikingy; his name is probably Marc or Jean? Lol. Anyway, Hans, explained the safety rules and showed us how to throw properly; during our practice throws he gave us pointers. He coached us and encouraged us all the way through. Hans was awesome! Please tip Hans if you go and he is your guys.
We each managed to get a bullseye, some…Stacy, got a few more…ok, a lot more.
My cousin Nicole had perfect form and the most graceful swing, but still managed to finish last. Sorry, Nicole; she’s naturally good at everything, so she can handle a little ribbing.
My brother, Serge, showing us how it’s done. He started strong, if I’m part Viking, then I guess he is too? But he got beat in a tie breaking axe-off by me!!
Our axemen and axewomen, top left, Kenda the small but mighty, Bullseye Stacey, Liette la Viking. Bottom left, Mary Helen aka Mrs. Brady, Serge, the silent one and Gina the beautiful beast; if there was a prize for best biceps she would win!
Mr. Bullseye or Stacey, won in a hard fought final round, beating his opponent, me, by one point. It was a nail biting finish…ok probably just nail bitting for me, because I really wanted to win, lol.
What I liked about this activity is that at the end of each round, you start fresh, so if you sucked, you can theoretically redeem yourself.
We started with a round of round robin and then, the top 4 axed it off, before the final axetravaganza; where the top two battle for the win.
Fun fact, Mary Helen had the most “unique” swing, and by unique, I really mean wonky, lol, but ranked #2 in bullseyes.
If you are looking for something fun to do, this is it!! We had so much fun! It exceeded our axepectations, (most fun axe puns provided by Stacey and Gina).
I really think we all would have played better had we been wearing plaid. Our next tournament, I think plaid, tuques or Viking Hornes will be mandatory!
I highly recommend the Timber Lounge Moncton; Lord tundering Jesus it was fun! (Ok, not sure why I am closing this post off with a Newfie accent? It just felt right, lol.
All the hipster cities now have axe throwing bars, look it up and try it!
I am working on a really fun blog post, but it’s not ready to be posted yet. So in the meantime, I thought I would share a bit of what goes on behind the scenes and what my blogging process is.
Not that anyone has ever asked me to share my process, but hey if I waited for invitations before doing stuff, I’d be pretty bored.
Everything I’ve read about blogging says that you should have a content calendar and follow it. I don’t really do that. I do list things out when I have lots of ideas, like leading up to Halloween and Christmas.
But some months, when I am not traveling, I just free ball it and wait for ideas to pop up. I try to post every Sunday. This week, I had nothing until Wednesday night. And then I came up with a really fun idea, that will be ready to share in a few weeks. But that didn’t help me for this weeks post. I had nothing, until I had the brilliant idea to blog about blogging, so here we are…you’re welcome, lol.
Inspiration
I am a visual person, so I often get blog ideas from photos. I also tend to come up with my best ideas late at night when I can’t sleep. For a morning person, I actually do my best writing late at night in bed.
I may start posting mini posts on Wednesday’s? And I would like to share more videos; and there is no time like the present. Someone asked me to post more pictures of my place here in Vegas, so here you go.
For those who don’t know me personally, I’ll share that the past 6 months have been rough for my family and I. My father is dying, there, I said it, it’s out there. It’s something that we are preparing ourselves for. It’s unbelievable how something that seems unimaginable, becomes something that you learn to accept.
Wow! That took a dark turn! Lol, I am sorry, I wanted to share that because but I wanted you all to know that my little blog has been a life saver for me these past few months. It has given me something creative to do and it has kept my mind busy.
Sharing can be scary
My two most popular posts were also the two posts that I was the most nervous to publish.
My second oui-liette blog post ever, “New Brunswick, You’re Going to Hate It”, got close to 50,000 views; I am pretty sure that was my 15 minutes of fame and now I am a has been, lol. But I think it’s better to be a has been than a never have been…right?
Before posting, I was worried that people wouldn’t get the tongue and cheekiness of it. But they did! And I was shocked by how people connected with it!
Fun Fact the feature image of this post was taking while tubing down the Miramichi River, but my blurb about how much people would hate tubing while watching bald eagles flying overhead, was cut out, because the post was getting too long.
The other post that I was afraid that no one would read was Senior Living. It was supposed to be funny, but it didn’t turn out that way. I considered deleting it because it wasn’t sassy or fun, but I guess life isn’t always sassy and fun. It’s harder to share real feelings than hints on how to throw a fabulous party.
Thanks for reading both the light and fluffy posts and the more serious ones. I love and appreciate all your comments, please keep them coming.
Ok changing the tone a bit, but this also falls in the scary category. Guess what happens when thousands of people read your posts? You get lots of creepy messages from men! All the comments I’ve gotten directly on my blog have been great and respectful, both from men and woman, thank you! But man I have gotten some creepy messages on Facebook messager,ugh! Thankfully I know how to use the block button.
Fun Facts
99.9% of the photos in my blogs are photos that I’ve taken; I am pretty proud of that. A lot of bloggers use stock photographs; not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Fun Fact, here’s where the blogging magic happens, in my bed!
I took photography in University for two years. I have a fancy camera that I never use; most of my pics are taken on my phone. I am not a great technician, but I think I have an eye for styling and knowing what will look cool.
My fancy photo shoot pics are taken by my friends Barney or Sean; a few were taken by my nephew Jack. If I use someone else’s photo, I will give them a shout out.
Some people have made comments like; “oh you take a lot of pictures of yourself”. To that I say, yes, yes I do. I really enjoy the process of coming up with a creative idea and then making it happen. It’s not as easy as it looks, if it was, their profile pictures would be much better…oh snap!!
This one below is for those people, I was going for an old Hollywood feel. Not sure if I like the black and white or the color better? What do you think?
The stronger or interesting the feature image, the more views the post will get. I think my marketing background has certainly helped me make my little blog look fancy.
I don’t consider myself a great writer. I just try to write the way I speak. I am fairly certain, I have way too many “lol’s”, in my posts, but what are you gonna do?
I also make words up, on purpose. Example, in last week’s post, I wrote that I was “patio lantering my way down Main St”. I know that lantering is not a real word, but I don’t really care, “lol”.
Thank You Next!
So what’s next? As mentioned above, I have an interesting post coming up. The post is pretty much written, I just need a few cool pictures so I have a fun photo shoot planned for this week. It could be really cool or an awesome disaster; I will share either way.
I am also working on another fun project. My part is done, but others are working on finishing it. I hope to have it back in my hands to share around the end of June ish.
On the travel front, I have a huge work event here in Las Vegas soon. Then in June and July I will be going to Edmonton, Moncton then back to Vegas; then Tulsa Oklahoma, Moncton and back to Vegas for a bit.
I am also going to start submitting some of my blog posts to different publications and sites to see if they get picked up; hey the worst thing they can say is no right? I am also learning how to better partner with companies.
So this was a different kind of post, did you like it? lol
Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there and thinking of all the people who have lost their moms. If anyone runs into my mom tomorrow, please give her a hug for me!
Full disclosure and this may be shocking to some, but I am not Mexican…I know, it’s hard to believe, lol. But I have uncovered similarities between Mexican Americans and Acadians (first Canadian French settlers); both groups are all about family… big families. And we tend to travel in packs, aunts, uncles, cousins…so many cousins, lol.
I love travelling and learning about different cultures so here are a few ways that we can all celebrate our neighbors to the south.
But before we get started can we acknowledge the fact that Mexico is part of North America? It’s a pet peeve of mine when people forget that tidbit and think it’s just Canada and the US.
See, I am not making this shit up!
History Alert
Before we get to the food and tequila we should also do a quickie history recap. Cinco de Mayo is often mistaken for Mexico’s independence day, which is September 16. Cinco de Mayo celebrates the May 5th, 1862 battle of Puebla; where Mexico fought France and was victorious! The victory was short lived as France did occupy Mexico for a few years after that.
May 5th is still celebrated in Puebla, Mexico, but Cinco de Mayo is actually more celebrated in the US by Mexican Americans than it is in Mexico.
The Food
When I think of Mexico, I think of awesome food. Growing up in Atlantic Canada, there were no Mexican restaurants; now Moncton has one…I guess that’s progress???
The first time I had real Mexican food was in New Mexico and I loved it. The tortillas were freshly made and warm, mmmm, it was so good; it all seemed so exotic to me.
I have since been to Mexico a few times and now live in Vegas where there are Mexican restaurants pretty much everywhere.
When my work peeps and I go out for lunch, we usually alternate between Thai and Mexican. One of the places we like to go is Frijoles. My big life lesson has been that authentic Mexican places serve corn tortillas, not flour…got it and I am down with that.
This was our Cinco de Mayo lunch; fresh fish tacos, street tacos and ceviche.
Ceviche is a seafood dish typically made with fresh raw seafood cured in citrus juices, such as limes and lemons, and spices.
I’ve had ceviche before, but I had never seen anything like what the man next to us was eating! It was a huge beer mug of ceviche. I had to ask if I could take a picture of his lunch, he seemed proud to show it off. And btw he ate the whole thing!!
They also have juices that I had never had before, like watermelon; I mean it makes total sense, watermelon is naturally watery, I mean it has water right in the name, lol. It’s very refreshing on a hot day.
Tasty Tequilas!
Can you have Mexican food without tequila? Probably? But will you have more fun with tequila? Yes! Tequila makes everything way more fun. Ok, more fun to a point, then tequila can get you in a bit of trouble; it’s a fine line.
One of my friends is a super tequila lover, I’ll call him Pete Post, because that’s his name, lol. I asked him if he could recommend 3 tequilas for this post; here are his recommendations.
His first suggestion is Don Julio, Resposado (rested) or Anejo (aged longer). Don Julio is a good tequila and easily found. It’s a great tequila starter.
The next is Cabo Wabo, it’s one is his favs, it’s really smooth and reasonably priced. It was originally owned by Sammy Hagar, but has since been sold.
Cabo Wabo sounds like it would be fun to say after a few tequila shots; Cabo Wabo, Cabo Wabo…lol.
Rounding up the top 3 is Avion. The goal of its creator was to make a tequila that his wife could drink without making that “tequila face”. I can attest that it is pretty smoooth.
Now I am not a big tequila “connaisseur” and what I am about to suggest may be a sacrilege to die hard tequila drinkers? But I like a shot of tequila with an orange slice instead of a lime, try it!!
So how cute are these small Patron bottles below! What a great idea and guaranteed, to make your party great!
Decor
The party planner in me can’t not share a few decorations ideas. Whether you are hosting a Cinco de Mayo party or Taco Tuesday, I love the idea and simplicity of decorating with lemons and limes. It’s easy, classy and inexpensive.
I think a Mexican theme has so many options, the colors are so vibrant, so you can go wild or a bit more restraint. You don’t need to decorate with sombreros and pinatas to pull off a Mexican theme. I think this look below gives you that Mexican vibe.
The table setting is from Fashionable Hostess.
I am thinking of hosting a brunch soon and I am totally going to use the citrus table above as my inspiration. I also love the ideas of slicing lemons and limes and adding them in a glass vase with candles or flowers.
This centerpiece is from Wedding Chicks, sooo pretty.
Pink, orange, green and yellow make a beautiful color pallet. Used together it may seem like it’s going to be too much, but it’s super chic and pretty!
Happy Cinco de Mayo! I hope you try one of the tequilas in this post, if you do, let me know what you think? Also, next time you have Taco Tuesday, pick up a bag of lemons and limes from Cosco and make your dining table fancy.
Life is short, so please make each day count; use your fine crystal, buy yourself fresh flowers, enjoy good, fresh food without feeling guilty! And as always, be kind to others, no one wants to hang out with an asshole.
So this is what happens when someone gives me a dozen roses, I put them on my head, lol. Some made it into a vase.
muah! Adios!
Liette
I tried to drown my sorrows in alcohol but the bastards learned how to swim – Frida Kahlo
