One

“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms.”

Happy Tuesday everyone. It’s the first day of school today. I always loved the first day of school. I loved new outfits and school supplies and that clean, exciting, what’s-going-to-happen feeling when you open your notebook to the first page. Everyone told me when I was graduating from University and just couldn’t wait to get out of there that I would one day start to miss school. I laughed at those people, but they were right. I don’t miss papers but I sure miss heading to campus with a coffee in hand, staking out the best seats in the back row of class (so I could silently play nerd bingo). I don’t miss it enough to actually consider going back yet, but golly, do I feel nostalgic today.

Two

For the first time in my life, I bought a new piece of furniture. Not just new to me. Not a hand me down. New, new. I feel like a real, legit grown up. It’s a custom built couch from The Furniture Spot and it’s gonna be this really nice elephant gray colour. Unfortunately we’ll be without a couch for the next two weeks while it’s being built. But it’s probably good for your posture to sit on wooden kitchen table chairs, right?

Three

At my birthday party I had something life changing: a smaco. What’s that? It’s like a smore taco. Made with (cinnamon!) eggo waffles toasted over the fire. Here is a picture that Tiffany took of me eating one, look how happy I am. Yes, that is totally a piece of marshmallow stuck to the corner of my mouth.

Four

One of the former roommates and I hit up the Aritzia warehouse sale at the butt crack of dawn on Saturday. It seems like every girl in Vancouver went to this sale and every guy in Vancouver rolled his eyes (or mockingly feigned interest, ahem, Thomas) listening to stories about it. I scored a really cute laptop case, two slouchy toques and a gray cashmere sweater. It was super overwhelming though. I wouldn’t say that combing through racks and elbowing other girls out of the way is my ideal shopping experience.

Can we just pass a law or something that says you can wear toques to the office?

Five

Two Saturdays ago I had to park my car all day on Granville Island. I returned to find it literally covered in bird shit. I had just washed my car and was so angry that I had to pay for parking on the Island all day and also a car wash.

I don’t drive my car every day because I transit to work and I care about the environment so much. Way more than anyone who bikes on the sidewalk. So I washed it Wednesday night and then parked it in my underground for the rest of the week. When I took it out for the first time this past Saturday, I parked it at the furniture store and returned to find it once again covered in bird shit.

The moral of this story is that I will no longer be swerving to avoid birds.

Six

Last week I got sucked into this miniseries on the History Channel with Kevin Costner called Hatfields & McCoys. It’s all southern accents and blood feuds and civil war drama. It’s amazingly history-nerdy but so well done. If you are into period pieces or you happen to be a big Kevin Costner fan (who isn’t?) then giddyup:

Seven

Speaking of TV movies. We now have the movie channels at our house, thanks to my phone haggling skills. This is either going to be awesome or a total disaster for my sleep cycle and productivity. I pvr’d Contagion but I’m a little scared to watch it in case I start having nightmares about germs.

Eight

Oilers things: Jordan Eberle signed a contract last week and lo, there was much rejoicing. All of my Canucks-fan friends were super mean to me about it. I think they are jealous that they don’t have a Lady Bing candidate leading scorer with a beautiful gap between his teeth on their team and don’t know how to deal with their feelings. As much as I love Ebs (a lot), no one was more excited about him signing than Wanye over at Oilers Nation. Upon hearing the news he single handedly blew up my twitter feed.

I know he’s really into awful gangster rap and makes terrible drawings with MS Paint but I think I have an internet crush on this guy.

ps. look what came for me today!

Nine

Community Groups start next week at Westside! I am so excited and about 63% nervous to be leading a community group this fall. If you live in Kits and want to join one on Tuesdays, then sign up for me and Zach’s! If you are a dude I would really encourage you to check it all out because so far it’s mostly ladies. Not sure if this is because of me or Zach…

Ten

For the past week I have been going back and forth with the idea of stopping blogging. Specifically, I am considering not doing the Tuesday Top Ten posts anymore. This fall coming up is going to be so busy, and I need to be smart about where I am spending my time and attention. I’m one of those people who will push myself until I have a breakdown and I need to be realistic about what I commit myself to. I am so torn because I love writing. And as much work as the Top Ten posts are I know it is good for me to have to write every week. It keeps my voice and skills sharpened. But I feel pulled towards music this fall, I see God working in that and want to be a part of it. And as much as I love blogging, music is my first love (after Jesus obvs).

So what I’m proposing is this: I am going to take the month of September off. I might drop in here and there but I won’t be doing a consistent Top Ten for the next few weeks. I’m going to let myself get settled into Community Groups and Songwriting Class and establish some good routines and then I will re-assess at the end of the month. Let me also take this opportunity to say thank you to all of you who read every week. I like to joke around that only my Mom reads this blog, but the truth is that so many of you have been so encouraging to me in my writing. It means a lot, and it’s a huge part of why I love blogging so much. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart.