Last Day of School

Today is Sym’s last day of fourth grade. The year started out a little rocky- she moved from the Annex school, which is only about a hundred students K-3, to the main school, which is 400 student K-7. She was pretty nervous at first, not wanting to make new friends and struggling with her work a little (her first report card this year was her worst ever). She pulled it together, made lots of new friends and received certificates for fine arts achievements and her science fair project earlier this year, and at the end of the year awards ceremony she got two more, for good citizenship and the honour roll.

Last Day of School

here she is on the first day of school

Her dad and I usually buy her a little end-of-school gift, so this year I picked out a new book, and some fun sparkly treasures from the dollar store- cheap rings with green stones (green is our favourite colour) and some plastic diamonds.

instructions
Magical Rings

This is the first summer I haven’t signed her up for day camp since the summer after kindergarten. Actually, I DID sign her up for day camp that summer but a strike closed the community center and cancelled the camp. Anyway. I’m hoping to find fun things to keep her occupied for the next two months while I’m working so she doesn’t end up watching tv for eight hours a day, so if anyone has any ideas send them my way!

Manicure Monday

Manicure Monday Header

Twice in one Monday???? Yes, because I really wanted to get these nails out of the way because I donut like them at all.

IMG_4764
Ugly Fingers

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Hidden Treasure + Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Mint Sorbet
Theoretically this could have been really pretty, but I was a little drunk when I painted them and kept messing up. The Mint Sorbet was an unfortunate combination of gloopy and streaky, which is too bad because it’s a great colour.

Ugly Toes
Ugly Toes

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Hidden Treasure + Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Mellow Yellow
Yellow polish on my toes? What was I thinking??? This is hideous, and the Hidden Treasure does NOT go with the Mellow Yellow AT ALL and just looks nasty. Clearly I’d had too much beer when I decided to do this. Yuck! Also, nice flip-flop tan.

Weekend Parking

My ten-day-weekend didn’t get off to a very auspicious start, in spite of my amazing gold-star Dance Central performance on Friday night.

Gold Stars
just pretend I wasn’t doing it on easy for greater effect

Saturday was cold and rainy and miserable. Taylor and I went to the bank and ended up soaked to the skin. I had to dog my wool duffel coat out to wear to the farmer’s market, it was so freezing!

Real Strawberries
real strawberry-flavoured strawberries
Green & Black Zebras
green & black zebra tomatoes

It cleared up in the afternoon, so once Sym had been picked up I dragged Taylor around the city looking for nail polish and more Unicornos. Unfortunately the Unicornos had all sold out again, but I did buy white and red glitter nail polish for the Canada Day nails I’m doing later this week.

Nicole by OPI in Sensational Scarlet; Essie in Blanc
Nicole by OPI in Sensational Scarlet; Essie in Blanc

We also took Kichou and Georgie to play at Emery Barnes dog park. I spent a lot of time there this weekend.

Georgie Cooling her Belly
Kichou @ Emery Barnes

Sunday was another story: gorgeous and sunny and AWESOME!

Summertime

I’d extracted a promise from Taylor that we’d go to the beach on any sunny days, but we wanted to bring the dogs so we decided to go to the beach-adjacent park instead.

A Floridian friend once expressed disbelief that it was warm enough in Canada to go to the beach, this picture is for her.

Sunset Beach Park
Georgie @ Sunset Beach Park
Georgie @ Sunset Beach Park
IMG_4741
Georgie @ Sunset Beach Park

As usual, I mostly took pictures of my dog.

Taylor @ Sunset Beach Park

Taylor was also there.

Georgie on my Butt @ Sunset Beach Park

As was I. Or my butt, at least!

After the beach Taylor had to go to bed since he had work that night, but I had a whole evening of freedom- Sym was staying over at her dad’s house. I napped, and took Georgie to Emery Barnes again (and unfortunately didn’t take my camera because there were LITRALLY the most adorable dogs there), and finished off the weekend by rewatching season one and part of season two of Parks & Rec. Of course, I didn’t REALLY finish my weekend because I’m off all this week. Yay ten-day-weekend!

Manicure Monday

Manicure Monday Header

Okay so I am basically OBSESSED with this pink & blue glitter polish.

Sinful Colors in Frenzy
Sinful Colors in Frenzy

Last week I had it over purple and it was FANTASTIC, but I wanted to see it over blue and pink. I couldn’t decide which to do first so I did both! Disclaimer: I took these pics before I cleaned it up because I was working and I was afraid they would chip before I could photograph them.

Sinful Colors in Frenzy + Essie in Beach Bum Blu
left hand: Sinful Colors in Frenzy + Essie in Beach Bum Blu
Sinful Colors in Frenzy + Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Fuchsia Power
right hand: Sinful Colors in Frenzy + Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Fuchsia Power

I love how over blue it looks like pink glitter and over pink it looks like blue glitter. It’s very versatile!

The Beginnening

Ten Day Weekend
ten-day weekend: hour one

I finished work an hour ago so I’m officially on vacation until July 5th at 7:45am. I’m starting things right with a sweet, sweet can of Canadian beer. It says it’s best enjoyed at 7-10°C, but mine is significantly warmer since I LITRALLY can’t wait for it to chill after the hellish week I’ve had.

Happy vacation to me!

Windowscape

Windowscape

Basement suites aren’t generally known for their stunning views, and the view from my living room window is particularly ugly: the old green mouldering fence of the house next door. Of course, the house is for sale and whoever buys it is likely to tear it down, so the imminent construction site view won’t be very lovely either.

Stunning Vista

I was sick of looking at that ugliness so using some vases, candlesticks, glasses and one empty gin bottle, plus twenty-four dollars’ worth of peonies I made something much lovelier.

Windowscape
Windowscape

When Sym got home from school she added our collection of Tokidoki Unicornos to give it a little something extra.

Improved Windowscape
Twonicornos

The little red devil, Pepperino, is new, Taylor picked it up for me on Wednesday when I was having bad day.

Pepperino

Actually this whole week has been terrible, but! I forgot I’d booked all of next week and the following Monday off. WOOO TEN DAY WEEKEND!!

After Piano

Recently Sym’s dad asked to switch one of the nights she spends at his house, so now she goes there on Mondays instead of Tuesdays. This is actually way more convenient for me since I no longer have to walk her down to his place after her piano lessons, although she only has one more left before summer vacation.

This Tuesday it was gorgeous and sunny so I suggested that instead of going straight home, we should go get ice cream from the beach concession. Shockingly, she agreed!

Sunset Beach, pre-Sunset

Sunset Beach is our go-to beach. It’s a little closer than English Bay and a lot less crowded.

Sym @ the beach

Sym was in a “no pictures!” mood but I snapped this while she was distracted.

Me @ the Beach

She took this one of me (you’ll all be seeing this pic again in next week’s Colour Challenge post).

It’s so fantastic to me that I can leave my apartment and walk to the beach, I really am very lucky to live where I do. I ♥ Vancouver!

Colour Challenge

Colour Challenge Header

Not only did I take more pictures, I actually used my real camera. THE MIND BOGGLES. Of course I still took terrible pictures but oh well.

My Jersey & Blurgie Dog
Green Shoes

Monday, June 13th AND Wednesday, June 15th
colourful clothing items: Vancouver Canucks jersey & Kelly Green Converse

Blue Tank

Tueday, June 14th
colourful clothing item: blue tank top, American Eagle Outfitters

This Bores Georgie

Georgie is not impressed by my using her as a fashion prop.