The Awesome Diaries

Hello to anyone out there who may still be reading this! 

As promised, I have started a new, much more thought-out blog that will still share my childish antics and love of food, all while being prettier and more polished. I hope.

Please, join me over in my new home, The Awesome Diaries. I think you will like what you find! ;-)

Thank-you to anyone who ever showed the slightest bit of interest in this blog, and (if you so choose) I'll catch you on the flip-side! 

~J

Retiring An Awesome Life

The time has come for me to retire this blog. 

I started An Awesome Life almost 6 months ago as a way to help me figure out what direction my life will be headed in next. It has, in the end, helped me even more than I expected it would, ultimately playing a large part in helping me to discover what really makes me, well... me. You know - what makes me passionate, what challenges me, scares me, what just plain grabs my attention and doesn't let go, and even what I do not need or care for.

It's been an insightful journey full of unexpected outcomes and I'm truly thankful that I made the decision to give the whole blogging thing an honest chance.

Writing this blog has kept me focused on always moving forward, never remaining idle. It's inspired me to take a deeper look at what I choose to fill my life with, each and every day, from the obvious such as hobbies I'm interested in and people I associate with, to the less obvious like what quotes or song lyrics I identify with and what TV shows (and their characters) I'm drawn to... and then just about everything in between. 

 I've discovered quite a few patterns, and although there are many, I finally have a sense of organization to my thoughts and interests.  That is something that I'd likely never have been able to get out of any college dilploma or university degree. I don't want to lose the benefits of a tool this valuable, so I will be starting a new blog in the New Year (which, by-the-way is only just over 5 weeks away).

The next blog will be more focused on what I've discovered that I enjoy writing about. I'll be spending the next 5 weeks planning out Phase Two of my "retirement" so that I can get started on it, right away. No hesitations, nothing to turn into an excuse for not having the proper tools or set-up. 

To anyone who has read this blog and offered me feedback, I sincerely thank-you for your help. The encouragement from friends and strangers alike gave me the drive to keep at it for just "one more post". 

Thus concludes Phase One of the rest of my life. 



-J 

Just keep moving.

Day 17: Guilty Pleasures

Bacon - to put it simply, my life wouldn't be the same without bacon. It goes with everything.
 
Baked goods - in particular home-baked or fresh from the bakery. From muffins and cupcakes to cinnamon rolls and danishes, I love it all.
Maple anything - It, much like bacon, goes with pretty much anything. I have been known to drink it right from the bottle, Buddy the Elf style. 
 
Naps - But so many studies show naps as being beneficial in a huge way, therefore I'm chalking this one up to my interest in being healthy. Or something...

Frappuccinos - While my "usual" is a mocha light, I can't get enough of the full-fat, whipped-cream smothered mocha coconut in the summer and raspberry java chip anytime of the year. 

Justin Bieber - Go ahead, make fun of me! The kid is incredibly talented. Although his screaming little-girl fan-base is absolutely horrendous. Maybe he'll hit puberty soon and his fan base will grow a little older. One can only hope... right? 

Duck Dynasty - If you have never heard of it, that's too bad. Look it up. 
 


What kind of guilty pleasures do you admit to having? 

Day 16: The Last Items I Purchased

I went to the mall the other day to look for shoes and instead came out with the following: 

Yup, those are Superman knee-high socks complete with their very own capes! And the newest Christina Aguilera CD (I'm kind of a giant fan!).



And the last item(s) you purchased.... GO!

Day 15: A Skill I'd Like to Learn

Videography. Not just any kind - I want to learn the kind that makes things look like a Hollywood movie. I found some people online a while back who shot weddings and made these absolutely gorgeously amazing videos that made it look like they were filming the next Blockbuster hit. It's so cool. Or perhaps I could create music videos of fun occasions. Really awesome ones.

If I come across any websites that show what I mean, I will be sure to update this post! 

 

Any mad skills you'd like to learn?

Day 14: Something I Am Looking Forward To

Next week I will be doing something for myself, by myself: I am escaping for a few nights to have some quality 'me' time.

I've spent the last 5.5 months doing a lot of soul searching and trying to figure out what my next move is. I've got a lot figured out, but I am in need of something seriously inspirational. I just want to take some time to really listen to (as cheesy as it sounds) my heart and soul. I want to really pay attention to what makes me excited, what piques my interest, what makes my brain tick. 

After quite a bit of deliberation, I finally decided on a location that I feel will offer me what I am looking for. I'm not telling anyone where I am going just yet, but I'm sure I will have a lot to share once I am back. 

And that is something I am looking forward to. How about you?  

Day 13: My Favourite Movies

In light of the post about my current TV obsessions, I decided not to say much about my favourite movies. Short and simple, right? Right. Okay, here goes:



Camp Nowhere - A bunch of middle-class kids pretend to go to camp with their parents money and really just do stupid stuff all summer. Like roller blade off of ramps into the lake. Wearing a helmet with lit firecrackers strapped to it. How would I not love this?

Beauty and the Beast - Belle is an animal-loving bookworm who just wants out of her small town. Need I say more about why I love this one?

Back to The Future- In reality I enjoyed them all, but the first was definitely the best.

Elf - The movie that made me finally appreciate Will Ferrell. Also the only Christmas movie I am allowed to watch any time of the year. We once named a Betta fish 'Fransisco' because of this movie.

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation - Can't have Christmas without it... at least twice. Fact.

The Nightmare Before Christmas - Tim Burton is brilliant. Honestly.

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory - The original. Johnny Depp is amazing and all, but the original has my heart. Call it nostalgia.

Jurassic Park - I remember watching this movie over and over as a child for two reasons: I love dinosaurs and this movie was really loud in the home theater my dad put in his basement. It shook the entire house, and it was awesome. RAWR!

Lost World - The dinosaur on the loose on mainland hahahahaha it makes me laugh every time.

The first 3 American Pie movies & American Reunion - The Stifmeister, and all of this one-liners... and that ridiculous laugh. I think I need to go put on some American Pie now...

Eurotrip - The source of many things I say on the regular: "Error", "buon giorno", "mi scuzi", "Miami Wice",  "Ah, Berlin", "For shame!" and "Hapi Djus!" come to mind at the moment. It's even the source of what I call Mike 90% of the time: "Mieke". My life wouldn't be my life without this movie.

The Chronicles of Narnia (mostly The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe). They did a good job at making the books come to life, mostly sticking to the original stories. That doesn't happen too often.

Vicki Cristina Barcelona - I don't really know why I love this movie, I just do. Maybe it's Spain, maybe it's the adventure, maybe it's just the beautiful accents of Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz. It has a rating of 7.2 on IMDb, so I'm clearly not the only fan.  




And there you have it. What are your all-time favourite flicks?