5 questions...

julie (thelifeofacupcake!) and carly (teacups and bubblebaths)

posted this...so i thought i would give it a go. 

1. If you could live anywhere in the world where would that be?

i like being close to my family and friends...as they are very important to me. 

but ill pick something that i likely will never do, but would love it....

 live on the beach somewhere.

(anywhere central or south america area or bali)

own a hostel/guest house where travelers come to stay. 

yoga in the mornings, lots of yummy food/drink, games to play

and bikes for people to tour around the area.

there would be hammocks and lots of lounging chairs. 

with books to read and journals to write in. 

(beach in malaysia) 

2. Are you happy with where you live?

yes. 

i am happy where i am now, because it is a great city 

and i am close to my friends and family. 

sometimes i have a hard time with how big it is and how long it takes to get around.

(and i miss ottawa for its smaller size)

but for right now, where i am in my life...

toronto is the place i want to be!

i also love my area - so many places to wander and explore, 

lots of great shops and parks and paths and restaurants.

(cn tower)

3. How often do you go on vacation?

like julie - about one a year. 

i love to travel to places and see things. 

last year was a trip out east to nova scotia, the year before mexico. 

this year - hopefully hawaii!!!!! 

im saving my pennies to get me there.

                                             (nova scotia)                                       (mexico)      

4. If you could change your profession and start all over what would you do?

honestly, no. 

i like where i work and what i am doing. 

public health can be a frustrating place to work

(such big, complicated issues to deal with - and so little resources to do so)

but i love the idea that i can/might/do make an impact on someones health.

5. Are you honestly happy right now?

honestly, yes.

i have goals that i am working towards

and as many people feel...at 30, i am not where i thought i would be. 

but i embrace everyday and am blessed with so many great things. 

a job i love, an amazing family that means the worlds to me, 

a man to share my life with 

(he continues to amaze me with how wonderful he is)

friends that will last a lifetime

and so many opportunities to have fun, amazing adventures.

happy!

well that was fun!

thanks for reading!!

xo.a

new!

a few new things on the blog!

i love organizing....

so i have added horizontal bar above with some quick links.

about me - pretty obv section

my buttons...i have NO idea if they work...can someone let me know?!

features...things that i am / hoping to post about on an ongoing basis

and i am working on a frequent reading with links to my fav. blog reads.

check em out! 
xo.a

100 things about me...part deux

ok so here we go with part deux!

50 things...
51. i love felt tip pens
52. i prefer cross country skiing to downhill
53. i have travelled to the following places: london (england), bali, new zealand, singapore, malaysia, thailand, cambodia, laos, mexico and various places in US and canada
54. as a little/grown up girl i have never dreamed about my wedding and what it would look like...i am starting to think about it now that i have someone amazing in my life though
55. a few years ago, i lost 25 pounds without having the intention of losing weight....
56. i have maintained that weight
57. when i was a kid, i wanted to be a marine biologist
58. in new zealand i crossed "swim with dolphins" off my bucket list
59. the olympics are my favourite sporting event
60. i am afraid of heights
61. but i went sky diving once, got the video tape to show my family because they never would have believed me otherwise. it was the first time my mother heard me swear repeatedly. but we have since lost the tape :(
62. i had a reoccurring dream as a child - i was at the dinosaur museum with my family when all the doors closed and i was stuck in the room with the t-rex bones. it came alive and started chasing me, eventually i was able to get out and ran to my family (who were already in the car)...when i got in the car, they were aliens (3 heads, lots of eyes etc.). then i would wake up.
63. last week i was a book worm and read A LOT
64. i have no grandparents left and miss them all terribly
65. my degree is in human kinetics
66. i was once a page at queens park (in grade 8 i lived in toronto, stayed with friends of the family and worked in the parliament for 6 weeks - its a pretty big {nerdy} deal!)
67. one time in florida - i almost drowned in a lazy river. the current was moving pretty fast and these boys were goofing around and somehow i got stuck under all these inner tubes and couldnt get to the surface for air. i panicked almost drowned (probably just in my head - but it was realllly scary!)
68. my family used to spend 6 weeks of every summer at my cottage
69. most of my closest friends now are friends i grew up with at the cottage; we only saw each other for 6 weeks of the year but have formed very strong friendships
70. i met matt at my cottage (he was/is one of my brothers bff's)
71. i have never dated anyone my age - always younger or older...usually younger
72. there is a chance i will be taking a trip to hawaii in october!!!!!!
73. i play sudoku 
74. i only have 4 cousins; 2 aunts and 2 uncles
75. my favourite quote and one of the easiest ways to make me smile is from the movie finding forrester "an unexpected gift at an unexpected time" ... 100% believe that (doesnt have to be big, expensive or cost anything at all)...i am lucky - matt brings me unexpected gifts :)
76. the words i live by are "its all about balance" 
77. when i was little, every year for christmas i would ask my mom for a golden retriever puppy in my stocking. every year i would get a gund stuffed animal retriever, but never got the real thing; i would just die if that ever came true
78. how the grinch stole christmas is my favourite christmas book/movie
79. i own a honda civic; it is a stick shift
80. i am left handed
81. i wish i could be on the amazing race - i have looked into all the fine print, i need to find myself an american...
82. my all time favourite season is spring, but i also really love summer and early fall days
83. i have a really hard time trusting and opening up to people, but once i do...i will be a loyal friend for life 
84. one thing i cannot stand is when people say they are going to do something and dont do it
85. if i had a lot of money - i wouldnt buy lots of clothes or things, but live modestly and travel as much as possible
86. i loathe bonnie brooks the president of the bay and her commercials...i have to turn the radio station immediately
87. currently, matt and i are watching all of the bond movies from start to finish. 
88. i ran in the city chase (like a mini amazing race) twice and have been dying to do it again
89. i really miss riding my bike to work (like i did when i lived in ottawa)
90. this year, matt gave me the most thoughtful and beautiful valentine; i cried. 
91. in high school after my parents split up, i went years without crying; i probably should have gone through counselling but didnt
92. i had a livejournal account since 2002...i just recently made a fresh start here in blogger
93. i LOVE big, fun earrings, but rarely change my simple silver hoops 
94. i have a super high arch in my foot
95. i am 5'6'' and a 1/2 - apparently above average for female height
96. nature is far more beautiful than cities to me...i love sunrises/sunsets, woods, fields, open space etc. more than buildings, architecture etc.
97. before matt, i wasnt sure i ever wanted to have kids....but now i am sure i want to have a family
98. my favourite number is 8; my favourite animal is a turtle (and dogs!)
99. my ideal outfit is a pair of comfy jeans, a nice shirt with a sweater or jacket, a light scarf and some comfy flats
100. everyday, i think about how lucky i am

ok - wow. i hope i didnt repeat anything! 

thank you for sticking to the end ... if you made it!

xo.a


ps...link to part one if you missed it

100 things about me...part one

ok - i am going to split this into 2 posts because even 50 is a lot to read!
but i figured since it is a new blog, this could be a good way to get out some random facts about me.

   

50 things...

1. i am a middle child
2. i have two wonderful brothers (love them a lot!)
3. my parents divorced when i was in grade 9
4. i have the most amazing boyfriend
5. i work in public health; i do drug and alcohol education
6. i love my work
7. i LOVE mexican...guac and nachos are by far my fav
8. when i was little i was mistaken for a boy, many times (i had very short hair, and wore older brother hand.me.downs)
9. because of # 8 - i have had long hair for most of my adult life
10. my guilty pleasure is the soap y&r (its a great mindless 38 minutes every now and then, thanks to rogers on demand)
11. in high school my bff and i dreamed up a plan to ride around canada in a VW van, filled with supplies and stop everywhere to talk about healthy living
12. i REALLY miss travelling
13. my favourite place on earth is my cottage
14. i swam competitively for 14 years
15. one of my favourite movies is UP
16. i love punk rock music (although dont listen to it as much anymore...mainly when im working out)
17. i also love very girly music (ellie goulding, tegan and sarah, lily allen, lauryn hill and sometimes taylor swift!)
18. i am definitely a morning person
19. my favourite drink is tea (and water)
20. i used to drink a diet coke a day (in high school) - stopped in grade 11 and have rarely drank any pop since
21. my friend erin is basically my sister, i have known her since we were little wee bebes
22. i miss real thai food, especially the 10bhat pad thai from a street vendor...but the stuff here is decently good
23. i really want to go to costa rica and peru
24. spring is my favourite season
25. i was born in may and am a taurus
26. i am also dating a taurus 
27. generally, i take lunch to work everyday
28. i enjoy chopping vegetables or fruit while watching tv or listening to music
29. my priority list of beauty maintenance is 1. haircuts 2. massages 3. mani/pedi
30. i am a sens fan, mainly because i went to school with one of the players
31. i read eat, pray, love while i was in bali...it was my favourite book at the time
32. before i started dating matt (my current bf), i was single for 4 years
33. i love the idea of going to coffee shops to read, journal, listen to music - but never want to spend the money...so usually just do it all at home instead
34. i used to hate winter, i am starting to warm up to it
35. my friends and family are the most important thing in my life
36. i absolutely love fresh fruit - all kinds but pears
37. cleaning, singing and exercise are my top 3 stress relievers
38. i am so excited to be an auntie to a little girl :) 
39. sometimes i can be very emotional
40. the movie that makes me cry every single time is - when a man loves a woman
41. i love taking pictures, to the point where im sure people get really annoyed with me
42. real simple is my favourite magazine
43. i get scared easily, especially when matt hides around the house with the agenda to scare me...he does that a lot and gets me EVERY time.
44. i can honestly say i am happy with my weight / body where it is now. it isnt perfect, but it is mine and i like it
45.  i constantly make to do lists and love crossing things off
46. i reallllly want to get a dog....
47. i always eat breakfast
48. i am a huge klutz and often hurt myself or someone else and/or break things (i.e. dropped my phone in the bath the other day and now its dead!! it was only 3 months old!!)
49. going to the movies is one of my favourite things to do
50. i am way more girly now in my life than i ever have been


link to part deux

About me

                                             Hi! I'm Elissa.

 I am a married 36 year-old mom to three outgoing, funny, voracious children - a daughter and identical twin boys. My family and I live McKinney, Texas, though we're originally from New York City. We have also lived in Long Island and Brooklyn, New York; Alpharetta, Georgia; Murphy, Texas; and Des Moines, Iowa. Hopefully we're here in McKinney to stay!

Me and the kiddos

                                                             

Growing up in New York City gave me an early education in personal style. I attended Laguardia High School for the Performing Arts in Manhattan, where the hallways often resembled runways. While working with a typical tight student budget, I learned how to mix thrift, discount, and high-end store pieces (usually gifted or passed down from family) to create a unique look.

I started this personal style blog because after following many other fashion blogs for awhile, I realized that most of them didn't reach to an audience beyond twenty-somethings. I believe that it is possible to be age-appropriately, stylish, and true to who you are when getting dressed. I try to shake off the should's as much as possible when getting chosing what to wear. I'm far more concerned with making myself happy than impressing anyone else. This is what I believe dressing courageously is all about.

I try to keep my style affordable, practical, trendy and (above all else) comfortable. I want to illustrate that you don't need a ton of money or a closet overfilled with clothes to be fashionable.

I believe in good food, red wine, pretty clothes, a juicy novel, the love of friends and family, great music, fashion magazines, and the wonder of a great pair of jeans. 


Want to know more? You can email me at dresswithcourage@gmail.com.