Welcome 2018! I know I've been MIA again the last few months - this year at work has been a lot more hectic than last year. Teaching 7 courses and even more students, plus taking a course on top of it all has been nuts! Lots of change and learning happening this year which has made it tough for me to be present in my blogging and YouTube filming. I've missed it so much & knew it was time to carve out both some "me time" and some blog/film time. I want to share with you some of my growth from this year!

     I haven't written or filmed nearly as much as I'd hoped but I do want to share with you some links to check out of blog posts and/or videos by category.

Beauty
Review | Tartelette Palette
St Patrick's Day Subtle Rainbow Makeup
Haulin' All the Way
Swatches | Lancome Le Parisian Palette
Lip Swatches of My MAC Collection
Canada 150 | Festive Makeup & Nail Art
Full Face of Firsts Impressions | Purple Makeup Tutorial
Lip Swatches of My ColourPop Lipsticks
Swatches | ARTDECO Neutral + Bold Custom Palettes
Soft Peachy Gold Summer Wedding Makeup
Review | Givenchy Noir Interdit

Fashion
Holiday | Christmas Party Outfit
NYE x LH
OOTD | Surprise Stage & Doe
New In My Closet | Clothes Envy + Forever21
GIVEAWAY | The Gift of Time JORD Watches
OOTN | A Night at #OdysseoSAUGA
OOTD | Maxi Dress for Maximum Comfort 
Casual Floral Jumpsuit for a Sunday Stroll

Nails
Pantone's Colour of the Year + Spring Trends
Julep | August Duochrome Polishes + Nail Tattoos

A Day in the Life
Best Year Ever & 17 Goals for 2017
Blogiversary | 6 Years in the Making
A Night to Remember #OdysseoSAUGA
Craft Brewery Tour | Shawn & Ed Brewing Company

Videos
I've only listed those that don't already appear in any of the above posts!
Best of | My Favourite Beauty Products in 2016
GRWM SULTRY HALO EYE for Valentine's Day - Collab | Sydneexo

This month has been filled with new experiences, and heading to a craft beer tour is definitely a new one for me. Scott won a tour for 10 at the Shawn & Ed Brewing Co. when we attended the Albino Rhino Beer Festival back in May. So we grabbed some friends and headed down to Dundas, Ontario.

     We had a relatively easy time finding the place, and because we went down on a Saturday in the late afternoon, we didn't have to pay for parking! There is a small lot beside the building but there was some free parking around the area so if you choose to, you can park elsewhere. The building itself is quite unique and has a lengthy history.

     ​When you first enter the building there is a long passage towards the SHED Bar, on the left side there was a fun display show casing the building in its many lives. It is a recognized heritage building and they've made every effort they could to keep the building in it's original state. This is where we began our tour with Ted, after receiving our first tasting of their light beer.

     After Ted shared the historical background we walked down the passage where it opens up into the main part of the building. You pass their bar (which also serves gourmet pizza) on the right and to the left you see all of their equipment. 
     The equipment itself has quite the story, as it was brought in from Italy and we had the whole process explained to us. I learned a lot about the brewing process, when certain ingredients are added, various temperatures being added and used for different purposes. Even as someone who doesn't care much for beer (I've been trying!!...I'm sloooooowly making progress) I can appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into creating it. It was super interesting to hear how everything works and their plans for the future. 

     After we finished the tour, Ted told us to get comfortable at the long benches while the brought us our tasting paddles. We each got our own paddle that featured 4 of their beers; two LagerSHEDs: Original and Darker, as well as the Barrel SHED No. 1 and their seasonal Cherry. The Cherry was a fan favourite, especially for my friend Boston & I who much prefer ciders to beers. I was surprised that it was my favourite, as cherry isn't a flavour I am typically drawn towards. I also enjoyed one of the darker brews, but I can't quite remember if it was the Darker or the No. 1 - but I think it was the BarrelSHED. We were also served a second paddle of three beers to the group which included a wheat beer,  an Irish stout IPA,  along with another brew that if memory serves was either seasonal or a concoction they were playing around with. I wasn't as keen on those so I left them for the boys to drink!

     So if you're like Scott and enjoy trying different craft beers, or you're on your own little "Brewery Tour" I would definitely say check out these guys! Scott and the boys have a list of Ontario craft brewers that they'd like to visit, so I'll definitely tag along and see if anyone has my perfect beer!
     Let me know if you're a craft beer person (or beer person in general) and if you'd ever consider doing a brewery tour. If you have done an Ontario Brewery (or even winery) that you enjoyed, let me know in the comments below. I think it's so fun to try new things & learn about how they are made. 

Connect with Me
YOUTUBE - Sydneexo
INSTAGRAM - @livelifeyourway
TWITTER - @sydnee_xo
FACEBOOK - Sydneexo
SNAPCHAT - @syd_xox ​

Last week I had the pleasure of attending Cavalia's Odysseo show here in Mississauga for their Social Media Week. I was so excited to accept their invitation for two Gold VIP tickets that I brought Scott along with me. 

     Scott and I received a Media pass upon arriving at the Big White Top and were ushered into the VIP tent where we were invited to their gourmet buffet dinner. They weren't exaggerating when they said gourmet; meals included a fancy salad, seafood, vegetables, humus/crackers, along with some chicken and steak dishes.
     I always find pre-selected meals tricky because they can sometimes lean more towards "boujee" where it takes something you enjoy and adds a few too many fancy things in. But, for all those fussy eaters (or children) out there, they had pizza and burgers as well. So everyone is covered for their meal. It was actually quite enjoyable & I found myself heading over for a (small) round 2. We also had drinks included, I had a mimosa and Scott had a beer.

     After dinner, we still had some time before the show began as we arrived around 6:30pm and the show wasn't until 8pm. So, we took some photos and walked around the little gift shop inside. Then just before the show began we decided to go find our seats - and we weren't disappointed. We were in the 4th row and just off centre, which was perfect! We had a great view of the whole stage and truth be told, even if you purchased the least expensive tickets and had seats all the way at the back - you'd still have good seats. I don't think there is a spot in the house that wouldn't provide an excellent view. The tent holds just under 2,100 seats which is mind blowing because it really doesn't seem that large.
     Now you aren't permitted to take photos during the show, but I was provided some amazing images to share with you. The stage design is amazing and all of the work that goes into the lighting, stage and curtains is immense.  

     Act One runs for about an hour, after they do some fun trivia with the audience to settle everyone down. I was so excited, I must have looked like a child sitting on the edge of my seat. Many of you won't know, but my cousin has owned horses for most of my life, and I used to ride for a short while as a child. I love animals and enjoy their presence immensely. Seeing the craftsmanship that goes into the costumes and the training for both horse and rider and have everything come to life is a beautiful spectacle. The first act was thoroughly enjoyable. 
     After Act One was complete, there was a 30 minute intermission; this is the time that VIP/Gold ticket holders are invited back into the VIP Tent for dessert. They had little cakes, cookies, popcorn, and fruit. We were still quite full and unable to indulge quite as much as we'd planned. After that brief time, we went back to our seats.

     Act Two was absolutely amazing. I didn't realize that Act Two would easily outshine Act One, but it did and the stunts and aerial work was breathtaking. My two favourite scenes are captured above: Carosello & Anges. In Carosello, they have a vocalist singing while it goes round and there are male and female acrobats dancing on the poles. In Anges, four women are in aerial silks being spun around by actual horse power from the male riders. They were so graceful through the entire scene and I think it may have been my favourite part of the whole night. 
     The finale was fun to watch with everyone coming out & performing a few more tricks and stunts and (obviously) they received a full standing ovation. My shoulders actually hurt from clapping so much! After the finale, I was able to get a tour of backstage, walk on the actual stage (which in heels was quite a workout) and learn all these fun facts about the show and its tour. We also got the chance to pose with Silver and two of the artists (as we weren't allowed to use flash, I had to up the brightness - sorry that it's grainy!) as well as walk through the stables. They have some absolutely stunning horses - they have 12 different breeds, all of which are male; I believe 16 are stallions and the rest ~34 are geldings (neutered males). Some of them have quite the personality! I enjoyed myself so much, and Scott (not being an animal lover) also enjoyed it quite a bit more than he expected to. I would highly recommend this show to anyone and everyone. 

     The show has been extended until July 23rd, so if you are at all interested in going, don't miss your chance. This is the first time they've held it in Mississauga, as they usually showcase in Toronto - but I'm so grateful they were close to home. But let's be real...I'd have still gone to Toronto to watch it! They were also kind enough to extend a discount code for anyone interested in Gold & VIP Tickets; so use the code 'SOCIAL'  on their website to get 15% and it is valid until their last show day (July 23rd, 2017). 
     If you do end up going, or have already been - let me know what you thought of the show!

Connect with Me
YOUTUBE - Sydneexo
INSTAGRAM - @livelifeyourway
TWITTER - @sydnee_xo
FACEBOOK - Sydneexo
SNAPCHAT - @syd_xox 

Can you believe it?! This past week marked my SIX YEAR anniversary of Live Life Your Way.
I am so stunned that it's already been six years; it does and doesn't feel like that much time has passed. Looking back on the last six years there have been so many changes in my life and I wanted to share a bit of a "Then vs Now" type post.

     Oh my, so it was May 10th 2011 that I first started my blog (as Facebook Memories so kindly reminded me of this week). I was just finished my second year of university at that point and what really got me started was discovering the brand BH Cosmetics. I can't even tell you how I stumbled upon them, as social media was definitely not what it is today. But they must have only just started up around the time I saw them because they were a muuuch smaller brand. Anyways... they had this amazing Spring Bundle set that had almost one of everything they sold and I was never very much into makeup - I'd wear it for the odd occasion - so I didn't really own very much. I had bits and pieces family/friends had given me and a few things I'd purchased but not much of anything really. So the chance at getting a full kit with everything was super appealing. 
     When I saw this bundle, I told my (then) boyfriend how awesome it would be to try it out and get basically everything I needed. So he bought it for me as an early birthday gift. I was SO excited to try it out and as I had only just discovered YouTube and the Beauty Community, I was ready to learn. 
     So makeup in hand, YouTube at the ready, and my love of clothes (having worked retail for several years) I was ready to put myself out there for the world. I wanted to cover so many things on this blog, aspirations, health/fitness, food, beauty, fashion, nails, etc. etc. and I tried to do all of those things but felt it was a bit much. So over time I took away some of the sections that I felt I couldn't really do justice to (like health/food) and decided that my focus would be strictly fashion and beauty. I knew that I wanted to do outfit posts because I've always loved clothes and I wanted to do tutorials and product reviews for makeup, hair and nails. I was using this blog and later on my YouTube channel as a creative outlet. I've always enjoyed the arts but without time to hone my skills I never felt very successful with it and it was always seen as time consuming. HA, little did I know how much time it would take to run a blog and channel! So I thought that despite not knowing a whole lot about makeup (or anything), that I would try my hand at sharing tips and more with the world. 

     The blog has definitely changed over the years which is important because no one stays exactly the same person, if they do they aren't living life.  I've always wanted to encourage people to "Live Life Your Way" because you are the only you on this earth. You are unique and special and I never wanted anyone to dull their sparkle for anyone else. I want(ed) to empower everyone and give them the courage to be themselves despite what anyone else has to say. I've been in places in my life where I didn't have much control or was held back in one way or another and I've learned over the years that it can be difficult to live your life. People always have something to say - good or bad - and it can be hard to deal with but I promise everything always works out in the end. If it hasn't, it's not the end. Sappy internet quote for the win. 
     I am by no means done my blogging journey - it's always been a hobby that's been pushed to the side while I was in school and while I've been teaching. I've never truly been able to throw myself at it 110% or 24/7 despite always wanting to. I've tried to be reasonable and rational about committing to it as I wanted to work on my career. I am AWFUL at posting and yes I take massive hiatuses that are never really intentional - time just moves so quickly sometimes, that I blink and it's been months. It's terrible and I don't want anymore excuses. I've been blessed with another year at my school for the 2017-18 school year so this summer I'm taking time off of all work and doing me. I'm going to be committing myself more to my blog and my channel so please join my journey and keep in touch. Whether you're someone who's been following me from the get-go or are just finding my today - Thank You. Thank you for any and all support you send my way, all the encouragement and inspiration. I aspire to do more with my blog and take it to new heights. This is the year of pushing my limits and reaching out to brands and fellow bloggers/influencers/YT content creators. I want more and I need to make it happen. I'm aiming to set up a consistent posting schedule to keep me accountable so expect at least two blog posts a week, some weeks there may be more, but at least two a week. I may branch out a little more into lifestyle posts as things progress, as I never like to shut doors or burn bridges. So buckle up and enjoy the ride!

2011 Snapshot:
Age: 19 turning 20 
School Status: 2nd year of university (UTM represent!)
Relationship Status: Had been dating my boyfriend for about a year and a half. 
Job Status: Worked in retail at Old Navy

2017 Snapshot:
Age: 25 turning 26
School Status: HBA from University of Toronto Mississauga, BEd from York University
Relationship Status: Scott and I have been together for just shy of a year and a half.
Job Status: Full time teacher in a Private IB School of Grade 4

     So I thought I'd share some of these fast facts about me from 2011 and now, that really makes me go, "yup...time has passed!" The biggest difference, other than my age, would be school and work. Second year of university to having two degrees. Working in retail part time to working full time in the career I've wanted since I was a child.
     I have grown so much as a person over the last six years and sometimes I look back and thank God that certain things happened to me, even though at the time I thought the world was ending. Life is for growth, we all need to grow - I'm not the same friend, daughter, niece or girlfriend I was when this all started but I'm definitely a better person from all that has changed. 
     So here's to change! to life! and to Live Life Your Way!

     I figured it was a good time to start fresh & share with you everything that happened last year & my goals for this year. Figured I'd write and share 17 goals for this year, some of which are "real life" goals in addition to online goals. Please share with me any of your goals or resolutions for this year in the comments! I'm always so intrigued by what goals other people set themselves and it always seems to inspire me more and more.

Recap of 2016:
     I met the love of my life in January (technically NYE) who has opened my eyes to so many things this past year, and is 90% of the reason that I struggled to put content on my YouTube Channel and blog, and the funniest part is he knows it! He constantly jokes about "what would you do without me? Oh probably upload more and actually write things online" so I have to forgive him. I would say the biggest struggle was once I got my teaching job, while he was still doing classes to finish his degree we would toggle between when we could see each other, and we just have a genuinely difficult time NOT seeing each other. Whenever we get the chance, we see each other and that can make it quite difficult to get anything done. But that is one thing that I'm going to work on very hard this year, balance Scott + all my other time. Hopefully he will get his full-time job in the next couple months and that will lead (eventually) to us getting an apartment. I think if we lived together I'd get more done LOL. 
     Other than Scott as a major accomplishment this year (ahaha) I would say another huge change is my full-time teaching job. Back in April I was hired as an assistant in a Junior Prep/Junior Kindergarten classroom at a local private school and was then hired full-time as a grade 4 teacher for this September. It's definitely been a change, that's for sure, due to the fact that technically I'm a grade 7-12 teacher of History and Geography, not a general education teacher of grade 4s! But I love my students and wouldn't change them for the world (minus their non-stop chatter - I could do with less of that aha). But coping with curriculum I never had to deal with before has been a challenge, and just trying to accomplish all the curriculum for these subjects is also challenging. I'm up to it, but I'm also still learning and having to remind myself that they are not grade 9 students and no they aren't going to get perfect on their tests (or "study" for that matter) and they are going to stumble over my instructions no matter how many times I write them or say them. But I am always going to be growing as a teacher and I have an AMAZING staff that are truly there for me, for better or for worse; good days and bad. 
     I think those two things were the biggest from last year, and of course are the most time consuming ones. I also ran the summer camp again this year, but did it mostly by myself with just one other girl. THAT was a challenge, but again I enjoyed it but it kept me busy all week and on the weekends Scott and I would run away to his family cottage, which I never wanted to leave. I had probably the best summer on record due to that cottage, despite buggering up my ankle to the extreme (as it still hasn't healed nearly 6 months later...). I went tubing,  learned to wake board, and got my boating license so that I could drive the seadoo. Took Scott quite some time to finally launch me off the back of that sucker! He and his best friend are cray-cray and spend 90% of the time trying to launch each other from the back of the seadoo. I am not brave enough to try to launch myself or anyone else off them, I'm just happy to go from one spot to another (which Scott doesn't think is fun enough aha). 
     I was alright at hitting the gym this year, started to get into a groove and then when I buggered my ankle (couldn't walk for a while) it took some time to be brave enough to go. I also got quite sick with a mysterious stomach ailment (which still hasn't been diagnosed) which limited my gym visits but the upside of that was I lost about 15lbs. Fifteen pounds that I shouldn't have put back on in the last year, so good riddance! But I'm technically about 5-7lbs away from what I was in university, so I would like to get back to that, but the focus I have is toning up, so if I stay the same weight then I'm okay with that, so long as I'm more toned. 

     I don't think there is much else from 2016 that is noteworthy, so onto the Goals of 2017! I decided it was appropriate to list 17 goals for the year and I have them broken up into a few different categories: Online/Health/Work/Personal. 

1. I want to upload consistently, but more importantly I want to get into the habit of pre-filming videos so when I get busy I have something on deck and am not scrambling.
2. Collaborating! I would LOVE to work more with others both for blogging and for YouTube. I want to do some in person as well as online collaborations.
3. More giveaways! I haven't been able to do a giveaway for quite some time, so now that I'm a bit more financially stable so keep your eyes peeled
4. Get a lighting set up...I'm on the market for some lighting and have been toying with the idea of either a ring light or umbrella lights...so bloggers if you have recommendations hit me up! 
5. Make and stick to a gym schedule - I've decided for the first year probably ever (at least since I was 12/13) I'm NOT going to say that I want to lose weight or tone up. I just want to focus on the commitment to the gym and that is what is going to produce the results. I'm working on building up my home gym as well, so the days I don't make it to the gym I can do something at home.
6. Get more into yoga and meditation (drink more water) - I really want to work on my flexibility and gain back what I've lost over the years. I would love to be able to do the splits again. As for meditation, I usually only do it when I'm having an anxiety attacks, so I want to build it into my routine before the extremes happen. Water is my friend...water is my friend...
7. I would like to cook more. I'm not the biggest fan of my kitchen because I'm someone who gets hungry and wants food immediately and I don't have the patience for cookie. Though I have cooked a lot more with Scott in the last year, but I would like to learn to enjoy it more.
8. Attempt a Tough Mudder - as you may or may not know I was suppose to compete in my first TM this past September with Scott, his sisters and our friend Jeff. But because of my ankle injury I could still barely walk at that point, so running and obstacles were NOT going to happen. This one I'm not 100% committed to - but it is an ideal.
9. Work smarter not harder for work...In case you are new around here, I'm a grade 4 teacher (first year) so I'm learning to be more efficient with my time when I'm working on lessons and marking. It's difficult because I'm always trying to find fun lessons when sometimes I have to stick to the basics. I would like to schedule time specifically for work and then walk away from it
10. Read some professional development books and teacher books. I would also like to find some free PD materials and courses as well.
11. Read more books/finding more ME time - I don't ever make enough time for myself and I think that is something that causes me subtle stress. I want to find time to read all the books that have been sitting on my shelves for years and all the books Scott wants to pass on to me. I got my nose in a series just before the summer and then camp/cottage killed my reading time and I haven't been able to pick it up again. 
12. Work on French - hahahahah aw man....I SUCK at this one....I've been telling myself to work on French since first year of university when I dropped my French course because it was hell on earth. I have all 5 levels of Rosetta Stone and I've probably spent 1.5hrs using it in the 3 years I've owned it. Très pathétique! I think I'm going to bite the bullet and pay for an in person course this Spring/Summer so that I have real interaction with the French. I would also like to get back into using French ("game") apps for vocabulary etc. that I can pull out to kill time so if you have any recommendations please let me know. 
13. Travel with Scott - other than the odd trip to visit my mother in the last couple of years I haven't travelled since high school, and it's killing me. I am itching to go somewhere...anywhere! So Scott and I have decided that we are going to go on a trip this summer. We are currently thinking either a European trip or a Caribbean adventure (cruise or hitting up an island). Either way I'm stoked! 
14. Money Management is something that I want to work on this year, I want to work on paying off some student debt but I want to also work on investing some money etc.
15. See more of my friends. I've found since graduating university, I don't see many of my friends consistently. So I'd like to make all those "lets grab some tea sometime" actual visits. I'm sick of saying it and not finding time for it.
16. Do more around my house - just generally making time to help do any rearranging of things and spend the time reorganizing my closet and basement etc.
17. OVERALL GOAL: TIME MANAGEMENT - This is the key for this year. If I can only work on one thing this would be it. If I can accomplish this, then my whole list can be achieved. This has never been my strong suit, I've never been very good with time management and I've tried so hard over the years but I just fall back into bad habits.

     I tend to get overwhelmed when I write massive lists of things I want to so my advice to you is make a plan. Write out some small manageable tasks to help you achieve the larger goals. That is my task for this month, look at all my goals and see what I can do to make them achievable and manageable. 

     So please let me know what YOUR goals and resolutions are for this year. I'm kind of nosey like that and would love to know. Remember you don't have to wait until the new year to start them but I always find it's a good fresh start. Don't forget to hit me up on my social media! 

     I can't believe Summer 2016 is over...although the season is not technically over until later this month, today marks my first day of the 2016-17 school year. I know that I haven't been over here on my blog or on my YouTube channel in ages, and I apologize but here I explain a bit about all of that and more!

     It comes down to living life in the moment and trying to enjoy everything that comes my way. I am constantly thinking about filming videos and writing posts but just couldn't motivate myself to get them done. Part of me regrets that a lot but part of me realized it was needed. I'm at a transition in my life and trying to figure out how that will influence and impact what I write and film online. It is something I'm figuring out. It will take time. I always apologize for my unintentional hiatuses but sometimes I feel like I'm not really ever missed which doesn't really help me in wanting to hop back onto my computer and get busy. I would love to blog everyday and get up the posts that have been sitting as drafts for weeks, or months but I know it's just not realistic for me. I'm going to see how I feel once school picks up and try to hop on here more frequently but life happens and I'm going to roll with the punches.
     You can keep up to date with me on Instagram, as I'm part of a collab giveaway with some great gals! Use #simplystyledseptember to get a chance to win some great prizes. Best part is you don't have to post everyday, just follow myself & the other hosts & post at least once this month using the daily prompts!
     I'm also hosting a trunk show with Stella & Dot until the 19th online! It's really only applicable for my Canadian readers BUT if it's something you are interested in and you live internationally, I am willing to ship it out to you if you cover the shipping! So don't hesitate to message me about it & you can all check out the link here! They have some stunning pieces and they don't break the bank either. 
     I hope everyone has had a great start to their September! 

​xo

     I have to say the biggest change this year and what's allowed me to do so many fun things and enjoy even the little things, has been my relationship with my boyfriend Scott. It's been such an amazing few months with him so far and it's so unbelievable how we clicked and found my other half. We've gone to more movies in the last couple months than I've been to in years, the drive in, glow in the dark mini putt, going to his family cottage and binge watching 9 seasons of Dr Who! We spend a LOT of time together which for some would seem OTT (over the top) but for us it's perfect. He's also my current driving instructor, getting me primed for some actual lessons so I can get my G2 sooner (don't judge the delay ahaha). We're both getting back into our fitness routines & currently starting the 28 Day PIIT Challenge. We're helping to push each other out of complacency which I am desperate for at the moment.

     Another HUGE (and very exciting) change that has happened in the last month is the fact that I've been hired in a school full-time. At the moment I'm an assistant in a classroom with Junior Prep (age 3) and Junior Kindergarten (age 4) class until June but come September I'll have my own class and be working with grades 6-8! I'm so incredibly happy and lucky for this opportunity and look forward to what's to come in the Fall (not that I'm trying to rush through summer by any means). So that's the major reason I haven't been on the ball with blogging and with filming the last month, trying to get into the swing of things and unfortunately I haven't been sleeping well in recent weeks so I'm usually quite exhausted when I'm home from work. I'm vowing to myself and to you guys to try and keep myself going and blogging once or twice a week to keep bringing you fresh content. I'll be uploading once a week on Tuesdays to my YouTube channel, so if you aren't already subscribed to it, please go click that button right now! 

     Another fun tidbit to share with you guys is that I've been in a couple more runway shows for my friend Lesley (of Lesley Hampton Designs) with the biggest one being Fashion Art Toronto 2016. I'm also so stoked to share that she made her fashion week debut at Vancouver Fashion Week back in March and I couldn't be more proud. I was asked to join her out there to help behind the scenes but it overlapped with March Break Camp so I was unable to attend. FAT2016 more than made up for it and was an amazing show with more pieces of her new collection than weren't shown at VFW. I also got to have a hand in the design I got to wear down the runway which is always fun. I will have a tutorial for the runway makeup look up on my channel in the next couple of weeks and I'll have a post with photos and videos of the outfits I wore for her pre-runway fashion video as well as the runway itself. You can catch a preview of some of the photos on my Instagram which will also be less neglected in the coming weeks!

     I hope 2016 has been treating you all well so far and my hopes is that it gets even better for everyone. I'm having the time of my life so far and it can only go up from here! 

xo

     2015 did NOT start out on a high note, as I was still realizing that my last relationship was indeed not going to work out after moving back from England. That took a couple weeks but in that time I had reconnected with one of my best friends from high school who is one of the greatest guys I'll ever know and who I love to pieces. He and I thought after almost 10 years we may finally have our "shot" and stop being the "couple that never was" but after a bit of time we realized that we just couldn't do it...at least not yet. So I would say my heartache continued for a little while longer. Heartache was a major theme throughout 2015, despite my best efforts, I'm just too open and loving and unfortunately for me that meant I got shat on...a lot. But life moves on and after a few more little and big bumps on the relationship road I learned a bit more about myself and how I cope with that kind of loss. It doesn't really get easier to have someone leave your life, regardless of how long they've been in it. It can hurt just as bad if you've only known them a month, 4 months, or a decade.  
     Another dramatic change that occurred over 2015 was physical. I chopped a tonne of my hair off, going from an ombre, with my natural colour, to later going back to red after about 3 years, having to go to an auburn colour for a couple weeks before getting to the highlighted blonde I am now. I don't think I've EVER had so much happen to my hair in a year...I also got the opportunity to review some extensions which let me have my long hair back! I also was able to drop 15 pounds (of about 20lbs) that I had gained over 2014 (mostly while I was in England). I've been battling the last 5lbs and a few more that keep trying to come back, but I'm just happy that majority of it disappeared when I got back to my regular diet and proper sleep. I attempted a fitness routine in the first half of the year and then it all went downhill because sometimes I struggle to keep at my routines, yet other times, I'm great at it...I'm a weirdo. 
     Work wise, no teaching opportunities have presented themselves to me yet, which has been incredibly frustrating. There is nothing that I can do but wait to be summoned for an interview, so it's out of my hands. I helped to run March Break, Summer & Winter camps as well as the odd bit of tutoring and of course my birthday parties. I was trying to apply to Sephora for seasonal work, but there was a program glitch and so I missed that cut off, but I may try again when the opportunity arises. I also almost ran away to live in Florida with my mother and teach there, but then had common sense knocked back into me and realized I was doing it for all the wrong reasons (despite having a couple perks).
     I did get to have some amazing freelance opportunities this past year that I never thought would happen, along with some other great experiences with someone who became a great friend to me in 2015. I worked on 3 photoshoots with 2 different designers as well as a cover shoot for an online magazine. I also got to attend Fashion Art Toronto for 4 of the 5 days, meet a fellow blogger that I've kept in touch with throughout the year as well as attend a World MasterCard Women's Fashion Week in Toronto! I also had the opportunity to walk in 3 runway shows for my friend Lesley, which were all so fun to do. I may have more opportunities to work with her again in all capacities (MUA/Hair/Model/Assistant) and it's been a blast. 
     I honestly don't think there is much else to be said about 2015...it was an interesting year and I got turned around a few times but you have to learn to roll with the punches (something I think I'm getting better at). It's always nice to reflect back on what's happened, see the many ways in which you've changed physically, emotionally and mentally. We are forever growing, learning from our mistakes and generally working to become better people, both for ourselves and for those around us. I hope that 2015 was a great year for you, if it wasn't, I hope you learned many lessons and can apply them to 2016 and make this the best year yet. XO
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Recaps of 2015
January 
February
Summer
September
October

November/December Posts
Review | Irresistible Me Royal Remy Clip In Extensions
Tutorial | World AIDS Day
Tutorial | New + Unloved Products
Tutorial | Elsa Inspired Makeup
Fall Trends | Must Have Pieces
Fall Trends | How to Wear Popular Patterns + Prints
Fall Trends | How to Wear 3 of Fall's Hot Colours
​
November/December Videos
My Story | Living with Anxiety
Hair | I'm Blonde!
Nails | Nov. "It Girl" Julep Maven
Tutorial | Chatty Elsa Inspired Makeup
Organization | Plan With Me
Tutorial | Using New + Unloved Products
Review | Irresistible Me Clip In Extensions (#14 Golden Blonde)
Tutorial | #WorldAIDSDay #KissOffHIV
Makeup | Everyday (Drugstore) Foundation Routine
Collab | Holiday Glam Makeup Look w/ LoveGlam
Haul | Black Friday - Sephora, Morphe + ColourPOP
Nails | 3 Christmas Nail Art Manicures - Santa, Snow, Outdoors
Tutorial | Smokey Green Christmas Makeup
Tutorial | Blown Out Red Christmas Makeup
Hair | 3 Easy 5-Minute Holiday Hair Looks
Oh Christmas Tree - Makeup Collab: Silver Bells
Lookbook | Casual to Glam for Christmas
Tutorial | NYE Smokey Eye + Outfit Ideas

     To be honest, looking back this month I don't even know what happened...I do know that the Rugby World Cup took over my life and I've never watched so many matches before. LOVED IT. I wish they would play rugby more often. My New Zealand All Blacks took the cup again this time, first country to ever win twice in a row AND they have now won the cup 3 times (more than any other country). So I was super excited for that. On the downside the Jays lost the Championship series and were defeated by KC who ended up winning the whole thing (BOO!! HISS!!) but I won't dwell on that and how the boys were incredibly mopey after watching that game haha. 
     Thanksgiving was this month for Canadians, which meant I got to spend time with some of my cousins and aunt/uncle which I always enjoy. I swear I eat more food when I visit them in a day than I do in several days back home. I honestly treasure time with family, even when we are just sitting on the couch chatting about this, that and the other, i just love being with them. 
     I also helped out with two fashion shows for my friend Lesley (of Lesley Hampton). One of the shows I walked for her (and had to do my full-face makeup in the car!) and the other show I was a merchandiser, helping to sell at a vendors table. Enjoyed both of the shows and am so excited to help with another show coming up and seeing new pieces! I also got to wear some of her pieces to World MasterCard Fashion Week (aka Toronto Fashion Week) and saw the Sig Neigum show. 
     Got to see a good friend of mine and her twin for their birthday celebrations, it's so nice to catch up. She's one of those friends that no matter how much time has gone by, when you see each other you just pick up where you've left off. Went to The Keg for the dinner and I haven't been there in years...it was sooooo good. Steak, for those of you who don't know, is one of my favourite foods. Ever. 
     Other than all that, I worked a couple of parties for a drop-in job I have that does photo booths as well as being a helping hand. It's fun to see people enjoying themselves and its good money. I must admit, the first party I worked was a company dinner and the drunker people got the funnier their photos became!
     I want to write more frequently in this section of my blog; include misc. ramblings and other goals I'm setting for myself, both personally and professionally. Also to clear my head sometimes when I feel like I need to talk but don't have someone to listen. 
     But I would love to know what did you get up to in October? Let me know in the comments below & don't forget to check out my social media!

Posts
Beauty
Tutorial | Vampy Autumn Look
Hair | Madison Reed Hair-o-Scope
Tutorial | Luring Makeup
Halloween | Simple Mime Makeup

Fashion
Haul | Old Navy
OOTD | Lesley Hampton Photoshoot

Nails
Nails | Julep Polishes for Autumn
Tutorial | Negative Space
Julep | New York Never Sleeps Oct. Maven

Videos
Tutorial | Vampy Autumn Look ft. Milani Black Cherry
Haul | Old Navy
Tag | Jaclyn Hill's Fall Favourites
Julep | New York Never Sleeps + FREE BOX​
Tutorial | Luring Eyes
Tutorial | Negative Space Nails
Fashion | 14 Trends to Rock for Fall 2015
Halloween | Simple Mime Makeup

     This month started with a gorgeous weekend up North in cottage country and it could not have been more beautiful, peaceful and relaxing. Met some fantastic people, had a fun party and accomplished a few things I never thought I'd do. I could definitely get used to going up there in the summer months. Capping off that long weekend was a date to the Exhibition, which I hadn't attended in about 8 years. Just roamed around with the boy, got a brain freeze from a slushie and absolutely devoured an Oreo/cookies & cream BeaverTail. Also got to see some animals and some amazing statues carved from nothing but BUTTER. 
     Nothing exciting to share with you on the work front, still waiting for the opportunity to interview for the local school boards and no one is interested in tutoring just yet. Still working a few parties as a hostess but have been trying to put all the extra effort into filming and posting. I had surges of inspiration and drive, and other days I just feel put off but that's like every job so I don't sweat it. Sometimes I just get too overwhelmed with what I want to get done which makes my anxious and then I don't get anything done. I'm trying to schedule my days as a 9-5 to help me manage everything I want to do and to also give myself "me time" and time with others. Time management has never been my strong suit so it's an uphill battle. I do have to make a conscious effort to unwind and make time for relaxing, like knitting or reading a book, and also working out and doing some yoga and/or meditation. I also have to remember that changes do not happen overnight and that even small progress, is still progress. That is something I have to remind myself off constantly. I did come across an AMAZING acronym this month that I now have written up on my whiteboard so I see it everyday.
FOCUS- Follow One Course Until Success.
It's brilliant, especially when I'm feeling scatterbrained and spread too thin because I'm trying to accomplish 10 tasks at once.
     Another thing that has kept be busy (for better or for worse is up to you) this month has been the RUGBY WORLD CUP!! I'm not sure if I've ever really mentioned that I used to play rugby when I was in high school and I loved it. I played grades 10 & 11, but in grade 12 I wanted to focus on school and in university there was only a varsity team which met at the downtown campus. I was too lazy to commit to that journey multiple times a week but one of my best friends actually played on the team. Anywho, Canada is actually participating in the RWC2015 as well as England and my New Zealand All Blacks (yaaas). So I have lots of teams to support. (Unfortunately both Canada and England are out now) That has been a major disruption to my scheduling because I just can't miss matches! I've also been able to introduce the sport to a few friends which was fun and I so desperately want to play again after watching all these matches. I'm going out to buy a rugby ball ASAP so that I can have it on hand to teach the boys how to throw it ;)
     Speaking of the boys, I don't want to jinx anything by talking about it, but I do have to say that this last month has been great. I think I'm finally starting to understand the desire for almost keeping it a secret and to myself. Yes, I realize I've mentioned it in last months recap and here but I haven't said too much (at least that I can recall aha). Part of me wants the world to know and another part of me wants to just be selfish and keep it all to myself. So time will tell.
     Don't think there was anything else exciting to share with you guys so I'll jump to my social media (which you should totally follow...) as well as the posts and videos that went live this month!