Summer Doldrums

So starting at the end of April I've officially been on my four month break from university! Only a week in and I'm already super frustratingly bored.

Now don't get me wrong - I definitely need these four months to get myself back on track and prepare myself for my second year of uni. But after eight months of insane business, having nothing to do feels weird. 

So I've decided to set myself some goals for these summer months. Hopefully this helps me stay active and not fall into an apathetic rut.

1. Get a second job. I started a part time job a couple of days ago, but hours are scarce and always in the evening, and I feel this is just an excuse to wake up super late and not do anything until four in the afternoon (which is fine sometimes, but probably not every day, I'm thinking). Thus, a second job.
2. Begin working out again. Man, have I fallen off of that wagon. On campus at university I at least had a gym membership that cost me a decent sum of money, so I felt motivated to go to the gym at least twice a week to make it worth the fee. But now I'm just sitting around, and I really should get back on my feet again. Another gym membership here, that'll be good motivation.
3. Get back into my hobbies. I think this one is super necessary. So many things - like reading, painting, playing guitar - I simply did not have time to do during the school year. But now that I have all this excess time on my hands, I really have no excuses.

Hopefully with this goal of keeping active in mind, I can make this summer the best one yet!

-Hannah

Far Better Things Ahead

Hello everyone, I haven't posted in quite a while - my apologies!

Things have been incredibly hectic this past little while. April was my last month at university, so there were lots of things to fret about - finals, moving out, getting employed. Now I have fully moved back home, so I'll be able to make some legitimate posts soon. This post, however, is just a short hey-I'm-still-alive kind of thing.

Exams went really well (all except calculus, but that isn't too much of a surprise), and my first year at university was an absolutely amazing experience. Moving out of dorm was so so hard - saying goodbye to all of the people I had become so close with during the year was heartbreaking. It is just for the summer, however, I will see them before I know it!

And now I'm looking for a summer job, which is proving to be much more challenging than I had originally thought it would be. Today I went around downtown and gave out some resumes. Hopefully someone out there gives me a chance!

And one last fun update - we're going to South Africa for August! I am so so so excited, it's going to be brilliant. So I have that to look forward to, as well as my second year of university, which I'm sure will be just as wonderful as my first year was.

A little bit of wisdom as you continue with your week (image source):

So that is my brief life update - more posts to come soon. I hope you all are having lovely weeks.

-Hannah

Cherry Blossoms

It is a gorgeous Monday afternoon! I am all done with classes and able to fully appreciate the sunshine.

This past weekend I saw some of the most lovely flowers blooming around campus. Though I've already done a handful of flower posts, I just couldn't resist sharing more photos with you all!

I hope you're all enjoying the beginnings of spring weather! I'm absolutely loving it. A chance to get outside, get more active, take in the fresh air without freezing my nose off.

It's also the last full week of school (time goes by way too quickly), so unfortunately this gorgeous weather is making it a bit trickier to concentrate, which I really should be doing in these last few days of class. But in just a month I will be completely done my first year of uni - it's insane. This year has been quite the adventure.

I do hope you all have wonderful weeks.

Also, if you would like to check out my flickr, please click here! 

-Hannah

A Little Hope

Hey everyone! I hope your Februaries are off to an excellent start.

I've been horribly busy with assignments that seem never-ending, and now the sudden onslaught of midterms, so this is probably going to be one of the few blog updates I'll be posting for this next little while. And it's not a very riveting one, I'm afraid.

Life has been unexciting, but still lovely. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous, though frightfully cold, but we're surviving, just a little more red-cheeked and grumbly than usual. And like I said, midterm season is upon us, so we're staying indoors with our noses tucked into our textbooks anyway.

I did managed to escape the grasp of my calculus notes for a little while yesterday, though, and took some pictures around campus. It was just before sunset and the sun was hitting the clouds in a most spectacular way. But the picture I like the best is this one:

The composition is a bit meh and it's a fairly unexciting picture, but I just love how even in this bleak, grey February weather, bright flowers can be found, even if they are tiny ones like these. Gives me a little hope, you know?

Plus it makes me even more excited for spring. I can't wait to see the fresh green and the beautiful flowers.

-Hannah

So It's Monday

Hello everyone! We find ourselves at the beginning of another week!

I had an amazing weekend - my boyfriend visited me here at university for a while and it was absolutely perfect. But now back to the homework and assignments and lectures!

And next weekend, I get to go home and see my family! I'm so looking forward to it. I love it here at uni, of course, but I do miss the folks back home.

For this week, though, I'm going to concentrate on getting the most out of what I do. I'm going to study hard, be creative, live as fully as I can. Because I think that's important for being happy. Instead of waiting for something in the future, make the most of the now. 

Live for today. Life is as grand as you make it. 

So, while I do look forward immensely to spending time at home this coming weekend, I'm going to try and make this week the best one yet!

-Hannah

Dorm Room Excitement

Hello everyone! Happy Tuesday!

I recently did a full dorm room clean up and got myself a ficus. Pretty cool, I know! (Only somewhat sarcastic here, I'm actually really excited about the ficus)

Our ficus' name is Alex and he's a pretty rad ficus

Why a ficus of all plants, you may ask? I personally hadn't even heard of ficuses until my mother, an avid gardener, told me they make ideal indoor plants because they require minimal watering, are well-suited to indoor sun conditions, and are very easy to maintain.

It's been here for a little less than a week and is already improving the general feel and liveliness of my dorm room. It may also help that I cleaned, and my room is now organized as well. Hopefully it stays neat!

-Hannah

Back to School I Go

I have officially completed my first week back at university! Hooray!

It's been an amazing week. I'm getting back into the routine of university and the term is off to a fantastic start. I'm even adhering to my new year resolutions so far!

Taken at the ferry terminal as we waited for our sailing to
bring us back to the mainland

Between last Sunday when I returned to campus and today - a week - I worked out five times. I'm really enjoying keeping active and how accomplished I am feeling, and will totally be working out lots in the coming weeks so I really get into the habit of being active! 

I also got new workout shorts yesterday, for sale at Sport Chek. New athletic clothing is something I'm always excited about!

Orange & purple (looking a bit blue in this light) Adidas shorts

Along with being more active, I'm trying to get into the habit of eating healthier. Besides eating way WAY too much caramel corn yesterday, I've been decent with it! And I can already feel a difference - so much more energy. My body is happy with the few small changes I've been making, such as no more fried food, more fruits and vegetables, and decreasing drastically on sugar consumption.

I also have learned and continue to practice filling in my eyebrows. It feels so exciting to be able to enhance the shape of them, make them as bold as I like or keep it low key, and generally just play around with finding what works best on my face. Such fun! I'll be doing an eyebrow post one of these days for sure.

I'm feeling super satisfied with how this week went, and I hope my next weeks are even better. I hope your 2014's are off to a great start!

-Hannah

What I'm Listening To

I DID IT AGAIN, I'm sorry! I promise to be more consistent!

I've discovered SO many good artists this month and felt I should share. Here are a couple of my favourites!

The Head and the Heart. Suuuuch beautiful music. My friend introduced me to them a little while back, and sent me an earlier EP, and I instantly fell in love with their music. If you enjoy really gentle acoustic/indie, I'd highly recommend giving their songs a listen.

 Smallpools. Earlier this month I attended a Walk The Moon concert (which was ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE, and I was going to add them to this list too but I think I've already mentioned them a couple of times already) and these guys were one of the opening bands. Super interesting sound, and very enjoyable to listen to live. Upbeat and lively.

The 1975. I've been listening to them for a while now, actually, but have yet to get their CD or any of their EP's. I really, REALLY want to see them live, though, I think they would be absolutely incredible. Again, more lively and energetic, with lots of great vocals and fantastic drum beats.

So there is a little preview of some of the music I've been immersing myself in this past little while! Uni has been so busy but I do try to make time for music.

I hope you all have lovely weeks, and I'll talk to you again soon (I promise!)

-Hannah

First Month at Uni

Hello everyone! First of all, I do have a twitter, so if you do as well, please check it out and follow if you like it! It's mostly personal-type tweets. Here it is.

Now onto the main topic of this post: a little bit of an insight into what my first month of my first year at university has been like. If I were to sum it up in one word, that word would be busy. But so exciting and different and incredible.

I am in the Science faculty, so I'm taking courses like Biology, Chemistry, Calculus, etc. I'm really enjoying my courses so far, but am certainly nervous about midterms, which start next week. It all is very different from high school, though. A lot more independence, a lot more stress, and a lot of new experiences. I meet new people every day and have made tons of new friends. It's all very different and very exciting.

I have been relying pretty heavily on chocolate/tea/skittles to get me through the missing-my-family-and-friends-and-boyfriend part of things, but other than that, I have been having the time of my life. And I even managed to get away from studying for a bit yesterday and took some pictures of the beautiful campus.

I just loved the way this building
looked with the dappled sunlight.

There is my university experience so far! Really, I have no complaints, other than the lack of sleep, the lack of money, and the sudden change of weather from gloriously sunny to bitterly cold. But I'm adapting, and so far, things are going swimmingly.


-Hannah

September Favourites

Wow, hello everyone! It's been a while, eh?

I have really no excuse other than the fact I've been CRAZY busy settling into university. But now it's been a month, I'm getting used to the homework load and living in dorm, so I feel like I can begin regularly updating again. And what better way to start it off with a good ol' favourites post?

Favourite Clothing Item:

Steve Madden boots
$50.00

I got these boots while searching for "sensible university shoes" for my long walks to class, and have not been disappointed! They are comfortable and go with basically any outfit. I don't think they'll perform particularly well in heavy rain, but hey, that's what rain boots are for.

Favourite Cosmetic:

Eos lip balm
$3.00

A basic cosmetic, but an awesome one. I got the summer fruit flavour, which smells INCREDIBLE. The lip balm itself applies smoothly. I definitely want to get my hands on more flavours.

Favourite Music:

I Choose You by Sara Bareilles

I picked up this song (for free!) at Starbucks, where it was featured in one of the Pick of the Weeks. And okay, it is the most adorable, feel-good song. It's lovely! I adore Sara Bareilles' voice, and continue to enjoy her music.

A rather short post, I apologize, but my chemistry homework is calling my name. I hope you all are having lovely weeks, and I'll get back to you soon!

What are some of your September favourites?

-Hannah

A Handful of Things

Hello everyone!

I have been in and around the city many times in the last couple of weeks and have therefore got a wonderful amount of shopping done. Most has been for university - dorm room items and such - but I have managed to squeeze in a little bit of more personal shopping as well. Here are some things I have purchased!

From American Eagle, on sale for $20

Mighty Wallet for $18
Tear and water resistant, 100% eco-friendly

And the inside - Postcard themed

Body Butter from the Body Shop, 3 for $12
Hazelnut, Grapefruit, and Satsuma

Brown leather waist belt, $28

Burberry Body Tender perfume

Back-to-school shopping for essentials ain't so much fun, but I do enjoy stocking up on things I don't really need so much as want. I have been getting a ton of awesome and adorable dorm room necessities, though, which I will soon share!

Have a lovely weekend!

-Hannah

Today.

Hello everyone!

Today I went on a university shopping trip with my mum, which was EXTREMELY successful. I managed to find shoes, a couple shirts, a skirt, and bedding for my dorm room. I'll most probably do a dorm room haul at some point in the future. There is SO much I still need to get, but I am very excited to move in to my room.

Today's outfit

Here's what I wore today. I felt pretty proud of this outfit; I've recently begun experimenting with different textures, and really like some of the looks I've come up with, this being one of them, a Dex dress with an Old Navy button-up shirt over top. I slipped on favourite pumps and I was good to go.

Botanic Body Butter

I also cracked open this Pomegranate Botanic Body Butter that's been lying around in my room for ages... I just finished a wonderful lemon-scented one from the body shop and was glad I didn't have to go far to find another. I absolutely love body butter, I don't know what it is, but it's definitely one of my favourite things to have! This particular one has a lovely fresh scent and a creamy, velvety texture. Love it.

I hope you all are having lovely weekends! Feel free to post any thoughts or questions below.


-Hannah

University Wishlist

It's JULY. Crazy, isn't it? Only two months of summer, then I'm off to the great unknown. University. 

I'm beginning to feel really excited for starting university. Choosing courses, paying residence deposits, researching meal plans... it's all becoming so real. I am so ready to leap into that new and exciting pool that is university life.

But before I do any leaping, there are a couple of necessities I need to get my hands on. Good thing I have two months to do that!

1. A good pair of boots. I've been tossing around a couple ideas and I'm thinking just some good-quality leather ones will do the trick - ones that will go with anything and last forever.

2. A new bag. I need something that will hold all my massive uni textbooks and laptop, but still looks cute, of course. Cute yet sizable bags are surprisingly difficult to find!

3. Some new dresses. This one's more of a want than a need, really. But I feel like I really would like to refresh and expand my dress and skirt collection before I head off and become a broke student. I am working for the summer, so hopefully I'll have some extra cash to splurge with!

So those are some things that I feel like I need to purchase before university. I'm sure this list'll grow as I get closer and closer to moving out! What are some things you recommend for first-year university life?

-Hannah

Life Throwing Lemons

I'm being a bit dramatic. It's not really like life is throwing lemons at me, it's more like life is timing me while I  frantically juice as many lemons as I can. In other words, I'm stressed.

It's not really even that... it's just been one of those weeks when each little thing that goes wrong bugs me way more than it should. Which is silly, because a lot of awesome things have happened this week, but I'm so caught up on the bad that my brain isn't letting me appreciate them. Bah.

It is nearing the end of my grade twelve year, and while that is awesome, it's also draining me in a way I've never experienced before. I just want it all to be over, in all honesty, and move on to the next step of my life. I'm beginning to feel incredibly indifferent towards everything - schoolwork, going to the gym, end of year activities - that I would be alarmed if I wasn't so darn apathetic. I need to get out of this rut, and fast.

Also, there's this concert happening in October that I desperately want to go to - WALK THE MOON, check them out, they are amazing. They're playing in the city I am incidentally going to university in next year, which is super fantastic, but I'd still need to figure out transportation and finding people to go with and such. And since it's pretty close to the beginning of the year, I'll probably still be getting my university legs on and it might be tricky to swing it.

But I'm determined, people. I'm going to try my hardest to make it work!

So that sums up my week - feeling stressed from school, sad about not being able to go to a concert, and then stubbornly determined to go to it anyway.

I'll try to write a post that's a bit less... ah... irritated next time.

-Hannah

Fingers Crossed...

Yesterday, my parents and I did a campus tour of a university I am considering attending in the fall. I'd seen the UBC campus before, fleetingly, for sports and science field trips and such, but hadn't seen it in much depth before. And I had been considering the university as one of my options, but now, it's really the place I want to attend. I want this so badly.

I get kind of obnoxious if I'm worried about being late, especially if it's something I am really excited for, so it's safe to say my parents were just barely tolerating me. I shoved them into the car a good hour and a half early, not even allowing them a breakfast before the 10:00 tour. Thankfully we were super early, so we located a Starbucks on campus and got a bite to eat.

The campus is gorgeous. I didn't take any pictures, unfortunately - I was too busy taking it all in! We wandered around briefly before the tour started (we had about forty-five minutes to kill) and I was just in awe at how well-kept and green it is. Very peaceful, too, although that was probably due to the fact that it's exam time. As the tour drew nearer and nearer, I grew increasingly excited about what was to come.

And the tour did not disappoint! Our two tour guides were extremely good-natured and knowledgeable, and managed to keep the tour humorous yet informative. One was from Nairobi and the other from Tanzania, which was apparently a complete coincidence, but really accentuated the fact that UBC has a vast international student body, which is something I find super cool.

We didn't go all over the campus, just through places I would be around most often as an undergraduate student. We didn't actually go to either of the places I had personally been before - the field hockey fields and this one science building with a DNA double helix on the side. But it was an excellent tour, and managed to cover tons of information in just a short hour and forty-five minutes (at least it FELT short!)

Plus, it didn't rain at ALL. It was lovely and sunny, and everything was in bloom. Gorgeous.

In short, I have fallen in love with the UBC campus, and also feel really comfortable in all I learned during that tour. We were not only told about buildings and places, but also general information about classes, buying textbooks, and tips for transit.

So now I am eagerly and anxiously waiting to hear UBC's decision! FINGERS CROSSED for an acceptance!