Another Candle

Another candle will be added to my birthday cake today! :)  Each year that passes, I truly believe that we not only get older but wiser too.

There's something about an upcoming birthday that makes you evaluate where you are at in your life. How far you've come in the past year or more, what you've accomplished as well as what you did not achieve, the new dreams that lay ahead and new interests that await. This year for me I also contemplated where I had become distracted and how that affected so many areas of my life. I was confronted head on with the demanding perfectionist that lies within and tells me that in order to accomplish something it must be done perfectly when I know that it is not true. I've allowed this little voice to halt more than one project, leaving me feeling as though I've started many great things over the past year but accomplished only few. This will be my goal this year-discerning and dismissing that voice which hinders my progress. Sorry if this post sounds a bit heavy, I don't mean for it to be. I'm just a gal who always strives for personal growth and attempts to learn as much as possible from the past so I can move forward into my dreams. And while I could create a post filled with nothing but beautiful celebratory images with no real heart, meaning or depth, that is just not me. I choose to be real because this is where I'm at.

Even the mirror's reflection looks a little different today and in the weeks leading up. I've noticed fine lines that I swear didn't exist yesterday, new sun spots marked by days spent at the beach care free without the greasy and thick potion that is sunblock, and the the appearance of an enjoyable yet challenging year stare back at me. That's a hard one for us ladies sometimes, isn't it? So much of what the media sells women tells us that our worth is lost when we age. I'm also reminded on a regular basis by many well meaning friends and family members (even strangers sometimes) that I'm not getting younger and should act fast if I plan to have babies. Oh, the things we as women must endure. *wink*

I've made new goals and set new commitments for myself this year I really hope and intend to keep. Of the list in my head, these are a few things I've been thinking about:

1. I want to begin each day reading God's word (instead of when I randomly feel like it or once per week at church). I began again this morning before doing anything else and it felt great. Hubby sat in the living room with me as I read aloud and thanked me for our morning 'bible study'.

2. As a former Fitness Trainer, I know the value of exercise in one's life not only for appearance but overall heart health too. After an injury that set me back many months, a couple months ago I began getting back into the swing of things easing in with yoga classes. I really truly want to be in the best shape of my life by my next birthday which truth be told is sort of a milestone birthday. It's good to have a goal to shoot for, I have a plan of action and I'm really excited about it. For me it's not about weight loss, it's about taking this body and making it even more strong, flexible, fit and energized than it is today.

3. I have some writing goals. I've been working on three different books for a few years now. My mistake was trying to write all three at the same time. They keep getting put on the back burner while other projects pop up. I'm kind of ashamed to admit that I had a block of 4 months time where I could have focused solely on just finishing the first one and I did not. Again, it all comes back to sometimes listening to the wrong voice in my head instead of believing God's word for my life and also becoming distracted and being somewhat undisciplined at times. It feels like a bit of an uphill battle but the results will be SO worth the effort and I am excited about the process as much as the result.

Those are my top three. I have many others but as to not overwhelm myself I think it's best to stick to these and keep it simple, anything else is a bonus. ;)

Does anyone else make these kind of goals for themselves or at the very least think about what took place in the past year and how you might like to improve? I like to believe it's an ongoing process, I am constantly thinking about these things. I think one of a classy woman's best characteristics is her desire to endeavor to grow as a person and do things with excellence. Notice I did not say perfection? Doing the best that we can with the resources we have should be the goal.

Today it's raining in Florida but I can tell that in the distance the sun wants to peek through. Thankfully, hurricane Isaac didn't come too close to us and we only had to endure the rain so I'm daydreaming a little bit about what I would love to spend the day doing if it were sunny and I could go anywhere in the world. Here are a few beautiful images that highlight what a celebratory day would include if I could design it any way I wanted.....

An elegant outdoor garden lunch filled with ruffles, beautiful flowers, satin, pink & gold, sweet treats and savory snacks but most of all my very best girlfriends who I miss dearly that live back home in Toronto.

Until you've been to Santorini you cannot fathom how beautiful it is in person. Photos do not do it justice. This is by far one of my favorite places-a little village called Oia (pronounced EE-yuh) stole my heart. I would love to spend a whole month there but would settle for one full day of snapping photos, eating yummy Greek food, relaxing and just soaking up everything it has to offer again.

Paris is not only a dream destination for many, it is where my husband and I got engaged over 6 years ago. I adore the architecture, the simple yet delicious food, the elegance and beauty of the city. Knowing that we'd be doing a lot of walking on our trip to Paris, I packed mostly comfortable shoes, and mostly low-key casual attire since my hubby's a pretty relaxed kind of guy. My one regret is not getting to glam it up in Paris and get some photos of us all dolled up in one of our favorite cities with all of the stunning architecture as our backdrop. I'd love the change to do that for a day-just he and I.

I could spend a day at the beach anywhere, I love salt water, sand and sunshine. As a little girl we lived on the lake so I'm a water baby at heart. If I could choose where to spend a beach day it would be Fiji where we spent one week of our honeymoon. The water was pristine and  they have some of the best snorkel and scuba diving in the world. A hammock in the trees is a must!

Sweet Pink Lemonade- the perfect refreshing way to beat the heat of 

one's perfect sunshine-filled dreamy day. 

Since hubby is enrolled in a new set of school courses that begin today, we decided to do our celebrating yesterday instead of today. The rain washed out our outdoor plans for a relaxing day at the beach but instead  we relaxed at home headed out for a low key night of a yummy Italian dinner followed by a comedy movie at home-did I mention I love to laugh? We had a gorgeous backdrop of a street lined with stunning palm trees and white lights outside the restaurant but they all turned out pretty blurry since it was dark and rainy. The pic above was taken from my iPhone because we forgot to bring the camera. I'm thankful to have at least one picture that turned out to remember our evening even if it is a bit squinty. ;)

Even if it's not your birthday, I believe we all can begin EVERY day like it's a celebration-waking up with a smile, feeling happy and expectant as though good things are about to happen!

Happy Monday! XO





Photo Credits: (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7)

Springtime in Paris: Our Engagement Story

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Where does the time go? It's hard to believe that it was already 4 years ago today that my darling hubby asked me to marry him. Remember a few weeks ago when I posted about Pining for Peonies? Well Cathy M from the blog Check It Off came across a comment I had left on another blog pertaining to a Paris trip, and commented that I should share my engagement story. With today being the Anniversary of our engagement, I felt that the timing couldn't be more perfect. Here is our story...

It all began on Feb.7, 2006 when Paul and I met online, www.ChristianCafe.com to be specific. I had nearly given up with the online dating thing until he found me, right before my free trial membership was up. I kept meeting new men and making great friends which was amazing but I was there to meet 'the one'.

Funny enough when I first came across Paul's profile he appeared to have a lot going on. He is very accomplished and has always led a busy life filled with travel. I had wondered where a girlfriend might even fit in. I thanked him for contacting me but thought he was a bit too intense for me. He replied letting me know not to worry. He assured me that his crazy traveling days were in the past and that he was looking to settle down. His words: "There are 6 billion people on this planet, I know you'll find the right one at the right time. Good Luck!". He signed off his email with his ministry website whereby I got to see some of his videos online as well as the work he had accomplished. I was very intrigued and felt compelled to write back again for some reason. I didn't necessarily think it would lead to anything romantic but I thought what could it hurt to gain another friend and see if it had potential.

Well that reply quickly turned into exciting e-mails, long phone calls and text messages. We talked every night for hours for several weeks and with all the vacation time I had saved up at work I decided it was time for me to make a trip to FL so we could meet. I lovingly referred to as the 'chemistry test'. On March.17th I flew to Orlando (not traditionally something I would do. I prefer the man to make the effort romantically. Worst case, I would get to enjoy some sunshine and the beach during a long winter in Toronto) and met Paul for the first time. I spent a week with him and knew it could really be something. He was sweet, affectionate,  respectful, adorable and a lot of fun. There was something so easy about being around him. Tears filled my eyes on the way to the airport once it was time to go home. While waiting for my flight home I found a card in my carry on bag. He had felt the same way and actually wrote this inside a cute card, 'I had the most amazing week with you, you ruined me. I don't want to date anyone else. It's YOU I want to marry!'

Six weeks after that trip we travelled together throughout Europe. We met up in Holland and spent several days there. He arrived before me to attend a friend's wedding, then I joined him afterwards to visit my grandparent's home country with him which was a lot of fun. While there we had checked our e-mail one day in the hotel lobby and I happened to glance over and saw my dad's name in his e-mail box. I'll be honest, at this point I knew something was up. My dad had never mentioned speaking to him but he knew how much Paul meant to me and always told me he knew that this time everything was different.

I walked to the ladies room, locked myself in a stall for a few minutes and thought about the possibility. What would I do? Would I say yes after knowing Paul for such a short time? Then I stopped myself and wondered if I even knew anything at all at this point or if I was just letting my mind run away with ideas. It was a very exciting and overwhelming feeling. After that e-mail I had a pretty strong feeling that he might pop the question on that trip. After all, my friends had been telling me for weeks that they thought he would since we were going to be in Paris. I tried to just remain relaxed and enjoy our trip without any pre-conceived notions.  Next we  headed to Paris. After hearing so much about how it is the city of  love I couldn't wait to experience it with Paul.

Hanging out in the park near the Eiffel Tower.

We visited the Louvre, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel tower, enjoyed some French cafes, and just walked hand-in-hand experiencing the French culture first hand. We made a quick 3-day detour to Nice, France so we could spend some time on the beach and experience another part of such an amazing country. This was a surprise that I didn't know about until we were at the airport. While in Nice we rented a snazzy convertible and drove blindly for 30 minutes up the winding roads to Monaco at about 3a.m. It was gorgeous and the air was filled with the scent of blooming jasmine. We vowed to go back the next day during daylight. We did and they were setting up for the Grand Prix races in Monaco and we got to take a lot of great photos of yachts and the palace too. We even  got a tour by the Manger of the Monte Carlo casino. We don't gamble, just wanted to see what the fuss was all about and enjoyed lunch inside a cute little restaurant. Monaco is stunning, as is Nice. In fact we were trying to figure out a way that we could work and live in Nice. No such luck yet, plus I'd have to work a little harder on my French. ;)

Nice, France. There are no words adequate enough to describe it.

After our time in Nice we flew back to Paris for two more days. This time we stayed in a hotel in Versailles which was Marie Antionette's old childhood playground now known as the Grand Trianon Hotel, which was a gorgeous hotel and neat experience. The last morning before heading to the airport and actually heading separate ways back home-me to Toronto and Paul to Orlando, we stopped by some beautiful parks for more photo opps and then to the Eiffel tower one last time for a last glimpse and some photos.

So many places to see, so little time!

Paul had his video camera and tripod with him the whole time, but even to this day that is very much the norm for him. He loves shooting video. He brought that along and told me he wanted to do a video since it was our last day. I snapped photos while he set up the tripod. Then he asked me to do something that he hadn't done before. He has asked me to be in the video. I thought it was a bit odd that the tripod was sitting quite low (hmmm, perfect for capturing his proposal on one knee?) He started off remarking about how wonderful the trip has been and asked me what my favorite places and sights were. Then next thing I knew he was talking about me and how much he loved me and was down on one knee before me. I was trying to be as present as possible but we were surrounded by onlookers (whom I could see around us and out of the corner of my eye) They were at somewhat of a distance cheering and waiting for my reaction.  I of course said YES, kissed and hugged my new fiance then we noticed that many locals and tourists were taking our picture.

Paul then asked if I liked my ring. He had a jeweller friend custom design it to look somewhat like the Eiffel tower itself which I thought was very original and would forever remind me of that moment. It is similar to this image below which was a ring I had always had my eye on, but he added an antique look to it.

I would have shown my own photo here but my my camera can't seem to capture it.

At night it really does sparkle and light up like the tower itself, when the light catches it, which is neat. He later told me he had waited until the last day of our trip because it was May.7th and we met for the first time online on Feb.7th. So, it was exactly three months after we met and 7 is one of our favorite numbers. (In the bible it symbolizes the number of perfection). The whole adventure truly was a whirlwind experience. It turns out that my dad was in on it. He told Paul to go for it and that he had his blessing. He knew it would be a great place and the perfect surprise.

We quickly rounded up our belongings for the airport.  My flight was the first to leave so Paul waited with me and then I kissed him goodbye and flew home to Toronto. It was such an odd feeling. There I was sitting in my window seat on the plane next to a stranger, starting at my new ring wondering if it all just really happened. Was I really engaged? Did he really just propose in Paris? I had wished that we could have spent more time together after that moment but knew we'd have a lifetime to spend together. When I landed In Michigan en route to Toronto the first thing I did was call my mom and my girlfriends to share the good news. My mom was excited as were my friends but as I mentioned earlier they weren't surprised, they saw it coming a mile away. Next, I called my dad to catch him up on all that had happened, he was thrilled!

My girlfriend 'S' picked up this amazing chocolate chai cake to celebrate.

This cake was d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s, we still talk about it!

After that trip we stayed in touch and flew out to see each other every chance we got while engaged. We set a date quickly as the long distance relationship was emotionally difficult not to mention the cost of all of this traveling. Fall was the perfect time before it got too cold and to accommodate traveling family members from the U.S. We set our wedding date during Labor Day weekend and tied the knot on September.3, 2006. We had an outdoor garden wedding ceremony followed by an indoor reception at a quaint little Old Mill. Our room was on the second floor and was surrounded by windows with a view of all of the trees, a stream and the property also had a lovely waterfall too. We were very fortunate to get the venue we did in just 3 short months before the big day. We had a Sunday wedding which accommodated everything we needed. The weather was overcast and a bit drizzly but our ceremony managed to take place at a time when everything was still dry. Here are a few photos:

Before the ceremony. Anticipating the day and anxiously waiting to see my groom.

Just Married!

Walk through the venue parking lot en route to getting some group wedding party photos.

One of our first few dances as Mr. & Mrs.

One Year Later....

My Matron of Honor saved our wedding cake top for us for a whole year in her freezer in Canada. We did the traditional cake eating on our 1st Anniversary with all of our close friends present during a trip to visit everyone back home in Toronto.

I don't know about you but I've always love hearing how couples meet, their first date stories and where they got engaged. I've always been fascinated by my parents story of how they met, quickly fell in love and got married just a few months later (the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I suppose). I hope you'll all leave me a comment and tell me where and how you met your hubby/significant other or how they proposed. Maybe you eloped, celebrated at a super romantic venue or did something really unique. I love all those fun details, feel free to link to your blog pages too. I can't wait to read YOUR stories. :)

I will leave you with one of my favorite French songs...Summer in Paris by DJ Cam feat. Anggun. It gives me goosebumps, the good kind, especially when she says the word Paris in French at the end, pronounced (PAH-ree). :) I grew up in Canada and taking 5 years of French class was mandatory, so I have always enjoyed the elegance and sexiness of the French language.

International Etiquette

I was in the library yesterday picking up my weekly round up of books when I stumbled upon a book called, 'Behave Yourself! The Essential Guide to International Etiquette'. I quickly flipped though it and knew I had to check it out. It lists 45 major countries and what each of their individual customs and traditions are for greetings, dress, eating & drinking and conversation.

As someone who loves to travel, I thought this book would be handy for myself and my world-traveler hubby and also entertaining and informative for you too!

Interesting Facts:

~Italy~

• In Italy, chewing gum is considered vulgar however smoking is widespread, even in nonsmoking sections in restaurants.



• When answering the phone, say "Pronto", which means "ready", not "Buon giorno."



• Sitting down for coffee is much more expensive than standing at the bar, which is why you will often see a crowd of Italians crowded at the bar drinking espresso.



• It is polite to stay at the table until the meal is finished, rather than visiting the bathroom during the meal.
  
  

~France~

• Bread and bread sticks are an accompaniment to the main meal, so don't start nibbling until the food arrives!



• Don't use the OK sign, it means 'zero' in France.



• Good posture is very important and a sign of class. Keep your hands out of your pockets, don't slouch or chew gum.



• Only use first names when invited. It is customary to address your elders with Monsieur or Madame.

~Turkey~

• It is normal for people of the same sex to walk hand in hand as a sign of friendship.



• Carry Identification with you at all times-it is required by law.



• Don't cross your arms while facing someone, it is considered rude.



• Shaking your head means "I don't understand"; it doesn't mean no. To say 'NO', raise your eyebrows and make a "tsk' sound, or tilt your head backward slightly. Nod to say yes.



• On public transportation, women should not sit next to male strangers.

~Greece~

• The drinking age in Greece is 16.



• In many restaurants you are allowed (and even encouraged) to visit the kitchen to see how the food id being prepared and to decide what you would like to order.



• Raising an open palm at face level is insulting. The OK sign is considered a rude gesture with obscene connotations.



• When you are invited to a Greek home, make a big fuss over the children. Greece is a very child-oriented culture, so don't exclude them when talking to adults.



• In a Greek home, expect to be offered many seconds and thirds at meals. Eating well is a compliment to your hosts. If you are dining out, your host will usually pay the whole bill.

I thought I'd share with you the last four countries in Europe that I recently visited. They were all so lovely. The photo at the top of this post was taken on our trip in Santorini, Greece which in my opinion is heavenly!