Daily Grace

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1. Franks Red Hot Sauce on pizza
2. Waking up feeling refreshed this morning
3. Finishing an assignment 2 weeks early so I can concentrate on my thesis
4. Having subway tokens so I don't have to further rob my piggy bank.
5. Christmas cards arriving in the mail -eek I better get on mine!
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Definitely winter

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It comes every year but somehow that first day of utter crazy freezing that is Ontario winter seems to take me by surprise. I did bring gloves this morning, but it is time to break out the big jacket with a hood as well as hats and more scarves! On my way back to the office from lunch I had to tie a scarf around my head granny style. BRRR.
Today has been one of those days at work where it seems to last forever. Its only 2ish but I feel like its bedtime. This weekend I am moving in with my friend Alaleh and we are doing homework from tonight until sunday night, possibly Monday morning. Soooo I don't even have the sweet relaxing feeling of weekend to look forward to. Although, for sure getting another big dent in my work will make me feel good!
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To do list

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There are many MANY things I have been putting off since I have been in school. Things I keep saying "when I'm done school I shall...." and I think I better start thinking about what they are and making a list, so I can get the satisfaction of crossing them off my list once they are completed. Some of them are pretty average boring things like, call a naturopath and get to the bottom of my food allergies. Yet others I think I will be racing to do as they are more fun-sign up for a class so I can learn how to use my digital SLR better (aka not on the automatic setting!) I have managed to find all kinds of time over the past two years to do homework, so I'm sure I can fit in all the odds and ends of things I want and have to do.
It is finally super freezing in Toronto, and I feel unprepared. My big winter jacket is north at my mums so I have layered up like crazy for the commute this morning. Which is great while outdoors but am currently fighting off sweating on the subway. The at work coffee is greatly anticipated today
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Today is all about

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I played hooky from work today, I have been feeling not-so-healthy this week.  I spent the day on the couch doing homework and taking it easy.  I also took a lot of breaks to do things like watch Food Network and read some of my fave foodie blogs--which I shall be adding to my sidebar shortly.  I think I am going to add cooking and baking to my happiness project for January.  I LOVE making food that G or other friends and family love.  I enjoy feeling prepared meal wise for the week, and it would be nice to step outside my comfort zone in the coming months and add more to my repertoire.

School is on a countdown--T-minus three weeks until school is done.  I have an insane amount of project assembly until that time, but I think it will just make me enjoy Christmas that much more. I know that I will really miss this stage in my life once it is over, but as of late I have just felt creatively exhausted.  It seems insane, but being in school and having to be "on" creativity wise can sometimes be too much.  All my classmates and I are frazzled and trying to tie up all the loose ends with our thesis projects while we figure out moving on.  I know I am lucky because my job shuts down for 2 weeks over the holidays and then starts up again on January 4th (maybe 3rd? I will have to check oops!)  My contract only goes until May, but I am very thankful that I don't have to panic about a job.  I hope to spend some time in January snazzing up my resume and reprinting my portfolio with my latest projects in them.  Its both freeing and terrifying to think that I don't know what I will be doing 6 months from now.  School was the only thing on the horizon for the past 2+ years, and that dictated what I was doing and where G and I were living.

We would both be really happy to move out of the city, but it all boils down to us being where the jobs are.  

But no matter where we are living I(we ;) ) get to start planning the wedding after Christmas (OMG *head explodes with happiness)

Daily Grace and a prayer

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1. Christmas plans
2. Ice cream and espresso
3. Lululemon pants
4. New eyeliner
5. Snooze button!

So, G's mom has been involved in a court case that has finally gone to court this week. It has been 2 plus years of her trying to get this dealt with and unfortunately it had to come to this point. I don't want to get into details, but I just need to throw out some good vibes into the blogosphere that this goes in her favour and wraps up this week. The whole family needs to be able to move on and it will really make our lives less difficult if this can end with a fair resolution
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Daily Grace

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1. Home made pasta
2. Engagement talks
3. Secretly planning my wedding, don't tell g I told him I would wait til January!
4. Harry Potter 7
5. Surprise birthday parties for friends!
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Daily Grace

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1. Its friday and the morning at work flew by
2. I met a friend for a homework date last night and now I better understand estimating and budgeting for interior design!
3. Vanilla Rooibus tea
4. Surprise birthday party for a great friend Saturday night
5. Starbucks date with my good friend Melissa and her daughter Lexi tomorrow morning!

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Daily Grace

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1. The bus was waiting when I got off the subway this morning.
2. No longer waiting to start happiness project! My friend Liz and I are already making changes
3. I didn't have dessert last night so didn't feel stuffed and gross after dinner
4. Got some homework done on my lunch hour
5. Homework date tonight after work!



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Daily grace

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1. No line at Tim Hortons
2. An amazing night sleep
3. Its 7:44am and I have already laughed twice
4. Homemade dinner someone else made last night.
5. Harry Potter in a few sleeps





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Daily grace

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1. Frosty breath in the morning 2. G remembering a card for our anniversary (with only a mild reminder!)
3. Boardwalk empire
4. Early to bed
5. Slow cooker meals
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Daily Grace

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1. Having one more "snooze button" reprieve
2. Tim hortons bagel on the way to work
3. New boots for $40
4. Finding friends who want to happiness project with me
5. Knowing that Not So Wise's husband will be moving back home shortly!
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Daily Grace

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1. Scarf weather
2. Gorgeous weather for Remembrance Day.
3. The work day passing quickly
4. Leftovers for lunch
5. G working nearby so he could drop off my contacts this morning-couldnt figure out why I couldn't see this morning!
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My Happiness Project

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I just started reading The Happiness Project (which has a blog www.happiness-project.com). And I should probably mention that it is my new obsession. This happens to me somewhat frequently, I find something I love, obsess about it til I sound like a crazy person, and then I fall in love with something else...However, I just simply love LOVE this book, and just the concept as a whole. I supposed I didnt have to read the book to get the idea, )but I didn't buy it I borrowed it from a friend so it also counts towards my saving money plans so it is twofold awesome). And it is actually quite an obvious concept--the author spent a year making changes towards making herself and her life a happier one. She tackled a few items a month and recorded how the may or may not work towards making her life better. Granted I am only on February in her year so far, but it just really got me interested. I want to be happy!(happier) Perhaps I should also go for a happiness project, because, I do love a project, and what with school being over in just over a month (omfg) I may need a project to occupy what I think will seem to be countless hours of spare/free/not interior design studying related time!

I haven't nailed down all the details as of yet, one of which being I need to get a friend or two to do this with me as I tend to be better at things when I am being accountable to someone! And the other would be what specific things I will be working on to achieve said "happierness"
Grand scheme things I think I must focus on are: Finances, Relationships, Motivation/Attitude, and Health. Big project kick off shall be in January and by then I will have a list of what specifically each part shall entail, but for now as I have been a bit stressed out as of late I shall focus a bit on Attitude: Daily Grace every day should help!?

1. Walking through fallen leaves
2. My gorgeous new day planner
3. Having had a car for the past two weeks
4. Crossing things off to do lists (two today!!!)
5. Sense of Accomplishment at work and school!

Moving forward

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I have always been the type of person who regularly fears change. There have been many times in my life where I have prayed that things would just stay the same so I could savour the moment that much longer. After I left the States and moved back to Canada, I lived with my mum and that first summer my brothers were both living at home too. It was a strange moment to be back together, just the four of us. It seemed like it had always been the four of us, then Garry and my mum fell in love and we became 5 again. After he passed away it was so strange to go back to 4. Despite the craziness of the summer of 2007, I was so happy. My mum had moved into a smaller house so for a while my bedroom was a bed in the laundry room, but we were all there and I was happy. We hadn't lived in the same house since 1999. I remember mum and I having coffee one morning on the deck talking about how everything would change again soon, the boys and I would move out and move on...and I didn't want to. I wanted to stay in that moment of total security. Once again living as a family and feeling like I didn't have to make any big decisions.
Little did I know that a few months later I would meet back up with G and we would fall in love. Moving to the city together May 2008...
Everything has changed since then and I am ok with it. I love it actually. I am crazy in love, loving my career and looking forward with new goals in mind. And yet...a part of me wants to freeze this time too. We are in love, we don't have anything to worry about but each other, and I am in school. I think that me being in school has been a safety net the past 2 years cause I haven't had to decide anything. Career, where we want to live when I graduate....and now that the end of school is so close, I want to freeze this moment just a little longer so I can stay here where its safe before moving to territories unknown.


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Starvin!

G had to go back to work tonight to let someone into a jobsite...I thought he would only be gone for an hour but its been 2 now. I made dins and wanted to be familyish and wait to eat, but I just couldn't wait any longer! Our schedules are too insane as of late, I look forward to us being on same schedule so we can cook dinner and just have more normal nights!
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Whoops!

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I was planning on posting every day in November, but yesterday flew by and so...by day 3 I have already missed a day!
The Toronto Star has been running a series of articles about couples and money- I think that's what spurred my post on Monday! As of right now, G and I have a joint account that we just pay rent from, as well as joint savings. Everything else is separate. It doesn't come down to "you pay for this I will pay for that" at all, but I think once I am working full time in January I can hopefully figure out some sort of budget for us. We both have near insurmountable student loan debt that we hope to somehow combine and pay off in time, but we also want to get into housing market as well as have a wedding. Now realistically I am not even thinking of having anything over the top, but EVERYTHING costs money so even if we DIY like crazy it will still cost us some cash. I feel like I should be responsible and just get married at city hall and go for pizza afterwards, but I just can't bring myself to do that! I want the white dress and late night dance party with my friends and family.
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Cash money millionaire

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I have never been all that good with money. Once upon a time I would view each paycheque as containing the precise amount of dollars that I could spend. I tried to save but I really just didn't have the discipline/desire for it. More than once my mum has come to my rescue bailing me out of debt to my eternal thanks and utter embarrassment.
Nowadays I am a better, but I always thought I would end up with someone who was good with a budget and could help me manage my money. No such luck. G is many things, but a money manager he is not. While he doesn't go for my not so effective avoidance technique (if I just avoid checking my bank balance all will be ok), he too sucks at saving and doesn't make the best money choices either.
As we move forward together as a couple I wonder the best way to work that? Perhaps this is the push I need to become better at handling finances because I simply must? However I don't want to be seen as the one who rules our bank account with an iron fist-maybe it is both of us who must work on this?
And I also wonder how other couples handle their finances? We want to have money that is just ours for presents and items we want to buy for ourselves, but we feel and want to have most of our money as joint money for groceries, gas, meals out etc. How do other people do this I would love to know?
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