Two New Things

I am currently on day three of seven in my Florida vacation, and loving every minute. Florida has been one of my absolute favorite vacation spots ever since I was a wee one, and I have been fortunate to make it back here numerous times. There is something about the warm breezes and slow paced retirement lifestyle that speaks to my 90 year old withered soul. Send me to a beach dotted with sleeping elderlies and littered with seashells, and I will kick off my flats and laze away the afternoon with content.

One of the things I was looking forward to most during this trip (besides great food and even better company) was to test out my new tripod. I received it a few weeks before Christmas but due to the fact that New Brunswick currently resides at a temperature of about -30 and I hate the cold, I had not used it. I bought this red velvet cloche hat that I was dying to photograph, so this afternoon I took advantage of a quiet property while everyone was out golfing, and took my first ever tripod photos. Needless to say I am in dire need of figuring out how to work my angles and straighten things out a bit, but it is trial and error and I can only improve on my technique! (Hopefully..)

xo-

Toby Kitten

Nearly two weeks ago we welcomed this little rascal into our home.

He is a ball of vibrant energy during the day and a snuggle sleeper at night, and also he will eat anything. Toby is three months old and adopted from our local SPCA. Always considering myself a dog person, he is my first experience with a kitten and the first four days I had quite a rough go of adapting my home to him and reminding myself to possess the patience that he deserved. He is such a loveable little guy when he is not sabotaging my bubble baths and jumping from dark crevices to attack my legs in the dead of night. He is seriously handsome and sleeps with his paws resting on my cheek- how cute is that?!

Fall in Instagram

I am a pretty huge fan of instagram, and of following not only friends and family members, but also bloggers that I love. Since I have been missing in action from blogging the last little while, I thought I'd throw together an instagram collage of my fall in a nutshell. In greater news- I was recently given a tripod as a little pre-Christmas amp up from Amanda. In my mind (hopefully) this means that I can slowly become one of those admired bloggers who take brave selfies in public places.

 

 

1. an attempted photo-shoot with my friends new(ish) puppy.

2. cool, crisp fall mornings- my favorite.

3. afternoon french vanilla to get me through a shift.

4. thankgiving centrepiece.

5. welcomed by an unfamiliar bed.

6. healthier snacks than the alternatives in my cupboard.

7. treated myself to a new charles bukowski book.

8. halifax public gardens exploration.

9. precious time with my little ladybug.

instagram: cassidyydawn

A visit in boots

 

The 2.5 days I traveled home to visit my family for Thanksgiving this year seemed too short. With a work schedule that keeps me tied up 50-60 hours out of each week, it was a welcome break but still it never feels as relaxing as I would hope. I am always scurrying around trying to squeeze in a visit with everyone and making sure I delegate my time evenly, and for my scurrying this year I purchased these light brown fall boots for the occasion. Boots are basically the only things I wear from September-April, so I like to make sure I have ones that are comfortable, are suitable for my everyday run around wear, and lots of different colors!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my fellow Canadian bloggers! 

 

 

I was fortunate enough to have the weekend off so that I could head home and spend the holiday with my family. I have been feeling lately that my life has been consumed with work and nothing else, and missing them a little bit more. I often take for granted just how special our time together is, but was able to get everyone to sit still (sort of) long enough to snap a few family photos.

 

 

These are just a couple of my favorites!

 

Fall Food

I recently had a day to myself, and I spent a good portion of it recruiting recipes and compiling a large (for me) grocery list. I had been wanting to devote an evening to making a few bulk meals to freeze, and there is no better time of year than fall to bring out the dusty crock pot and take advantage of the fresh, local produce. I did my share of research on the pros and cons of frozen meals, and found that most food bloggers prepared the ingredients to freeze but left the meals uncooked. This completely defied the point of my mission, which was to have easy, individual meals to grab and heat up for work for both Amanda and I.

That being said, the three meals I choose for this month were:

• Crock pot beef stew
• Oven baked lasagna
• Stove-top broccoli and cheddar soup

These meals were fully cooked before individually freezing, and because of their cooking locations- simultaneously!  It only took one devoted afternoon to prepare almost 30 homemade, yummy meals for around 100 dollars. This equaled out to about $3.50 a meal, plus homemade rolls for each!

happy fall!

goodbyes are hard.

Two days ago we said goodbye to this girl.
Words cannot explain the love and simplicity she brought to my everyday life, her gentle heart, and her calm spirit. She was kind, she was brave, and she was wonderful. I am blessed and so thankful for her and everything she was and still is, and will remember her always as a little sparkle in a dark world.

she was so, so special.

we will miss you sweet girl.

Fine Arts

On our final day in Boston we visited the museum of science, took a tour of the Samuel Adam's brewery, and spent the remainder of the afternoon engulfed in the fine arts. I would not call myself an art buff, but I am definitely an art appreciator- and even for those who are not, the building itself is exquisite. This museum is riddled with fabulous pieces and rooms that will make you feel as though you were plopped into eastern Europe in the 19th century. 

The highlight of the entire trip for me was the Claude Monet exhibit room. Being able to see such famous and delicate works in person was overwhelming, and I was riddled with soppy wet emotions. I felt extremely blessed to be so close to an original piece of history, and a collection that I have admired since junior high art classes.

http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/water-lilies-32724

Harvard Grounds

hello lovelies. i recently returned from a quick trip to bustling boston, and to say it was jam-packed would be an understatement. knowing that we only had a limited time to see the city, we made a list of our 'must see's', and opted for on the go over relaxation. it was a good choice. let me just say that the architecture of boston not only overwhelmed me but surprised me, and that it was one of the more beautiful cities i've visited. i've chosen to break the trip down into two posts, starting with a little tour of the harvard campus (definitely one of my must see's.)

instagram: cassidyydawn

xo

Feeling 22

Two nights ago I celebrated my 22nd birthday. It was a lovely evening filled with good food and even better people. We started out by having a lovely supper at a new restaurant in town called 'Ten Resto'- fantastic. Then we headed over to a quaint little wine bar next door. My friends had gotten together and decorated the place for the occasion, and picked up a tasty little cake that ended up being just the right amount for everyone at the party, plus the wine bar staff! 

I tried three new different types of wine and one old favorite! I used to be big on wines imported from Chile, but in the last year I've moved into more local wines from Canada and the US. 

Cheers! xo

New Brunswick

I have lived in the province of New Brunswick for twenty-two years and still have yet to see its ins and outs. Unfortunately, when I imagine a vacation or plan a trip, anywhere remotely local just doesn't seem to appeal to me. Canada is a remarkably beautiful and preserved country, and New Brunswick is a gem. 

It wasn't until recently when asked numerous questions about the Bay of Fundy and it's national parks (which we did not know the answers to) that Amanda and I decided to take a little day trip to some of New Brunswick's finest. 

 Fundy National Park/ Alma

We enjoyed a beautiful picnic at Hopewell Rocks at high tide, and took the scenic route back to Fredericton through Alma and Fundy National Park. It was definitely a day to remember and a huge reminder to uncover the hidden gems of your stomping grounds! 

Rock Bottom

I have tried to hit rock bottom for years

found it in a lot of strange beds
before six dollar coffees,
and I have seen the sunrise many times
but never because I wanted to.


cdi

Red Night

Wore this outfit to a BBQ with friends and a red themed night out afterwards. The outfit (including a lovely fitted black blazer) was a gift from Amanda for my graduation. :)

Here, There and Home.

What i have been up to this spring...

My sweet niece and her mama came to visit me and take in a show at the playhouse. She's going through a stage where getting a smiling photo out of her is painful, so I had to bribe her for this one. 

Discovering new walking paths with Sage.

Dinner dates with my beautiful friend Kate.

Said goodbye to the pup for a few days so we could take a mini-vacation.

Went to the zoo and became a crazy goat lady. How cute are those little goat bums?!

Goats cheating the system and stealing treats. 

xo