tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55059993022106904662024-03-12T19:48:02.170-07:00THE INDULGISTLisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09818429369221116453noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505999302210690466.post-16599454669871529192010-09-20T21:08:00.000-07:002010-09-20T21:08:13.898-07:00Hairstyle Dilemma<div style="text-align: center;">My brother and his fiancee's engagement is coming up soon and I need to find the perfect hairstyle for the event. Because my dress is sort of backless, I would like to wear my hair up but I don't know what kind of updo would like nice! Here are some I have been looking at.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09818429369221116453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505999302210690466.post-67115370993422948062010-09-20T20:47:00.000-07:002010-09-20T20:52:31.198-07:00Awesome Music: William Fitzsimmons<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nth-21-dwKM/TJgrBetX-wI/AAAAAAAAACs/jadGc5bEMmQ/s1600/WilliamFitzsimmons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nth-21-dwKM/TJgrBetX-wI/AAAAAAAAACs/jadGc5bEMmQ/s320/WilliamFitzsimmons.jpg" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">William Fitzsimmons is a singer/songwriter I recently fell in love after hearing his song "After Afterall" on So You Think You Can Dance Canada (surprisingly!). Don't be fooled by his rugged and disheveled look, he has the voice of an angel, which fits perfectly with the soft and intense acoustic music he sings. If you like artists such as Iron & Wine, Joshua Radin and Sufjan Stevens, then you will definitely enjoy William Fitzsimmons. His song I Don't Feel It Anymore includes an anonymous female vocalist and is the perfect example of a heartbreaking acoustic love song. Hope you like it!</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', serif; font-size: 100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', serif; font-size: 100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><object height="400" width="255"> <param name="movie" value="http://listen.grooveshark.com/widget.swf"><param name="wmode" value="window"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&widgetID=22591482&style=metal&bbg=000000&bfg=666666&bt=a14ec2&bth=000000&pbg=a14ec2&pbgh=666666&pfg=000000&pfgh=a14ec2&si=a14ec2&lbg=a14ec2&lbgh=666666&lfg=000000&lfgh=a14ec2&sb=a14ec2&sbh=666666&p=0"><embed src="http://listen.grooveshark.com/widget.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="255" height="400" flashvars="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&widgetID=22591482&style=metal&bbg=000000&bfg=666666&bt=a14ec2&bth=000000&pbg=a14ec2&pbgh=666666&pfg=000000&pfgh=a14ec2&si=a14ec2&lbg=a14ec2&lbgh=666666&lfg=000000&lfgh=a14ec2&sb=a14ec2&sbh=666666&p=0" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="window"></embed></object></span></span></span></div></span></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09818429369221116453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505999302210690466.post-14988515975429276592010-09-20T20:44:00.000-07:002010-09-20T20:53:39.972-07:00<div><br />
</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09818429369221116453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505999302210690466.post-23398494634481102442010-08-19T09:04:00.000-07:002010-08-19T09:04:51.962-07:00It's Been Awhile!Hello! I can't believe I have neglected my blog for this long! I think it's because I was unhappy with the direction I chose for it. Although I'm obsessed with reading, it really isn't the only thing I want to talk about. In fact, I want to talk about all of the things I like to indulge in (hence the new title lol). Books are great, but so is eating dessert and going shopping! I'm also really going to try and write more often, not just once a month! lol. Anyway, hope you enjoy it!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09818429369221116453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505999302210690466.post-26366119787753987382010-03-02T18:35:00.000-08:002010-03-02T18:53:19.433-08:00Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nth-21-dwKM/S43PDQTjCFI/AAAAAAAAABw/66VlCbIfw_g/s1600-h/d14675028f9638ccab085593cb247e03.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nth-21-dwKM/S43PDQTjCFI/AAAAAAAAABw/66VlCbIfw_g/s320/d14675028f9638ccab085593cb247e03.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444235179384309842" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Yesterday morning before school, I started to read The Gazette's review of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. The article discussed how the Games suffered major devastation and setbacks, with the death of the Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili as well as horrible weather conditions and a technically flawed opening ceremony. Despite all of this, I believe that Canadians, both athletes and spectators, demonstrated how truly respectful, classy and talented they are. Winning fourteen gold medals is an amazing accomplishment and it is an understatement to say that Canadian pride has soared due to the achievements of our Canadian athletes. The article also explained that the closing ceremonies acted as a satirical representation of Canada, with dancing beavers, lumberjacks and gigantic mounties. Today, my friend Olivia showed me a wall post from people in the U.S. who ridiculed the closing ceremonies for being tacky and predictable. This made me angry but I also had to laugh because they entirely missed the point of the entire ceremony, as the purpose was to expose the stereotypes of Canada that people like those in the U.S. take seriously. Although I have to admit that William Shatner and Catherine O'Hara were somewhat embarrassing, the closing ceremonies did do a good job of poking fun at major Canadian stereotypes. Overall, I believe that the Vancouver Olympics were a success despite the major challenges they were faced with and Canadians should be very proud of our country's hospitality as well as its athletes. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">photo courtesy of google images</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09818429369221116453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505999302210690466.post-6621166327916780822010-01-20T13:59:00.000-08:002010-01-20T14:13:59.720-08:00Shaika Cafe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nth-21-dwKM/S1eAI_k0_KI/AAAAAAAAABo/0JnHQUNKyMM/s1600-h/sign.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nth-21-dwKM/S1eAI_k0_KI/AAAAAAAAABo/0JnHQUNKyMM/s320/sign.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428948767811632290" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Shaika Cafe is a really cute and trendy coffee shop in N.D.G. that is perfect for doing homework, writing and reading a good book. Located on Sherbrooke Street and Old Orchard, the cafe has an international and natural feel, decorated with dark wood tables, lots of plants and beautiful paintings. What is even more amazing about this cafe is that it serves fair trade and organic coffees. It is somewhat like a Java U but is much more unique and way more cozy. It also has wi-fi internet, like most coffee shops, which is perfect for getting essays written. They also promote and support local Montreal musicians, putting on shows various times a month. If you are bored of the regular Starbucks and Second Cup atmospheres, I definitely recommend Shaika Cafe. It is the perfect place to meet and talk with friends, read a good book or get some homework done. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">As a side note, if you like Shaika Cafe, you might also like the owner's other restaurants. Also located in N.D.G. and Westmount, La Louisiane, Bowfinger and The Claremont are all amazing restaurants, each with their own unique and diverse styles and menus. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Website: www.shaikacafe.com</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09818429369221116453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505999302210690466.post-65797102194024875992010-01-19T19:48:00.001-08:002010-01-20T14:15:29.239-08:00Audrey Hepburn<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nth-21-dwKM/S1aAD8-MktI/AAAAAAAAABg/_C3n7au6N8g/s1600-h/400000000000000045527_s4.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nth-21-dwKM/S1aAD8-MktI/AAAAAAAAABg/_C3n7au6N8g/s320/400000000000000045527_s4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428667206236672722" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I have long been a committed fan of Audrey Hepburn (as you can see from the title of my blog!). Recently, I have been reading her biography called "Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn" by Donald Spoto. A New York Times Bestseller, the biography does a fantastic job of retelling Audrey's life, beginning from her childhood in Belgium and Holland, proceeding to her lessons in ballet and then her subsequent career first as a dancer and then as an actress. It outlines Audrey's life as a celebrity and spends time explaining what her life was like while she worked on movies like "Sabrina" and "Breakfast and Tiffany's" (two of my absolute favourites). It also gives a detailed account of her love life as well as her work with UNICEF and other charities helping the sick and poor in Africa. As an added treat, the biography also includes many photographs of Audrey throughout her life, my favourite being the one of her sitting on the fire escape singing "Moon River" in "Breakfast at Tiffany's". If you are an Audrey Hepburn fan, I definitely recommend this biography as it more than adequately details the life and career of one of Hollywood's most classic and beautiful actresses.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">(photograph courtesy of ebooks images)</div><div><br /></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09818429369221116453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505999302210690466.post-36672453912218165392010-01-07T13:05:00.000-08:002010-01-07T21:51:23.988-08:00"The Choice" by Nicholas Sparks<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nth-21-dwKM/S0ZQDrfWzhI/AAAAAAAAABA/z4g27MggGMc/s1600-h/The_Choice.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nth-21-dwKM/S0ZQDrfWzhI/AAAAAAAAABA/z4g27MggGMc/s320/The_Choice.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424110825358413330" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">My friends Olivia and Natasha have got me hooked to Nicholas Sparks novels! I was so excited when Olivia got me "The Choice" and "Message in a Bottle" for Christmas seeing as love stories are my guilty pleasure. Even though I am an English Lit. student and feel as though I should be reading books that are more epic and revered by the literary world, I just enjoy books like "The Choice" far too much. If you have never read anything by Nicholas Sparks, he is one of the most romantic authors out there, writing story after story about star-crossed lovers in various heart-wrenching situations. I recently finished reading "The Choice", which tells the story of Travis Parker and Gabby Holland, two neighbours who despite their rocky start as friends, end up falling in love and embarking on a both romantic and heartbreaking journey through life together. (SPOILER) Although Gabby is already romantically involved, she cannot help but fall for Travis, the athletic veterinarian who lives next door to her. As they become more acquainted, they realize they have a lot in common (including their love of animals) and share the same hopes and dreams for the future. Although it is a little bit unsettling that Gabby is able to leave Kevin, her long time boyfriend so suddenly after spending some time with Travis, their unique love, which Nicholas Sparks demonstrates beautifully, is a good enough justification. Moreover, no Nicholas Sparks novel would be complete without some form of sadness and heartbreak, so when Gabby falls into a coma after a car accident, the reader is left feeling torn as Travis does, not knowing whether he should wait for her to wake up or move on. "The Choice", although a predictable and typical love story, is one that is extremely hard to put down. If you are looking for an easy and more importantly a romantic read, then I definitely recommend this novel, as well as all of Nicholas Sparks's books. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Photo courtesy of Google Images (about.com)</div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09818429369221116453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505999302210690466.post-10916441225066296802009-12-30T11:12:00.000-08:002010-01-20T14:16:03.043-08:00"The History of Love" by Nicole Krauss<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nth-21-dwKM/SzuqrnPcXQI/AAAAAAAAAA4/IyICZvm-BBQ/s1600-h/big0393328627.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nth-21-dwKM/SzuqrnPcXQI/AAAAAAAAAA4/IyICZvm-BBQ/s320/big0393328627.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421114242715376898" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I recently read "The History of Love" by Nicole Krauss, a touching story that parallels the life of Leo Gursky, an old man whose life was filled with missed chances and loneliness, and Alma Singer, a teenaged girl struggling to live without a father while simultaneously trying to keep him in her memory. Throughout the novel, the reader is presented with passages from a mysterious book called "The History of Love", the main character of which is named Alma. Alma Singer is told early on in her life that this book was cherished by both of her parents and that she was named after the main character because of her parents' strong connection to the novel. Leo Gursky is presented as an elderly man who immigrated to New York City from Poland during World War II, becoming a locksmith and regretting all his life his missed opportunity to live happily ever after with his true love. While Leo Gursky prepares to die a lonely death, Alma Singer vigorously searches for the Alma she was named after, driven by her curiosity while unconsciously trying to hold onto her father's memory. After a series of exposed secrets and illuminated pasts, both Alma Singer and Leo Gursky are eventually united by both their love of and strong connection to "The History of Love". The novel's ending is one of the most bittersweet encounters I have ever read. Although the plot becomes confusing at times and it is important to pay close attention to details, the novel is a work of art that transcends generational gaps and unites the characters through the power of a single book and its profound meaning to each. Provoking an array of emotions, the novel is more than a love story but rather a representation of the profundity of human relationships and more importantly the power of literature in its ability to inspire and connect.</div><div><br /></div><div>(photo courtesy of ebooknetworking.com)<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09818429369221116453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505999302210690466.post-27807844741550920622009-12-11T09:49:00.000-08:002009-12-11T13:34:22.511-08:00New Loves: "The Time Traveler's Wife"I have just finished reading "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger. If you are looking for an unconventional love story that still delivers the same emotionality that classic love stories do, then this is a novel for you. The novel tells the story of Henry DeTamble and Clare Abshire, whom Henry meets for the first time as a six year old girl during his time travels. Henry, a librarian, is eight years older than Clare, who is an artist. It follows their journey together in their various stages of life: childhood, teenage years and marriage. It demonstrates not only the amount of effort needed to maintain a marriage but also follows Clare through the difficulty of having her husband leave her for days while he travels through the fabric of time. The novel caters to a lot of tastes as it encompasses love, sex, art, literature and death. The story is unconventional as one about love but as a hopeless romantic, it drew me in immediately after having read the first few chapters. If you are in search of a page-turning novel that will pull strongly at your heartstrings, I definitely recommend "The Time Traveler's Wife."<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Spoiler alert (do not read if you have not yet read the novel and are planning on doing so): </div><div><br /></div><div>I found that Audrey Niffenegger really captures the irony of Henry's time travel, as it all at once saves him from a life of misery and simultaneously leads him to his death. If his time traveling adventures had never led him to Clare, he may have remained a womanizing alcoholic. However, his time with Clare as she grew up saved him from his what seemed to be inescapable demise. On the same note, Henry's time travel leads him to an untimely death, stripping him of the possibility of growing old with Clare and watching his daughter grow up. Henry's time traveling ability is the silver lining of his life, as it both saves him and destroys him. I also love the ending of the novel when Clare and Henry reunite at the end of Clare's life. It seems fitting that he should time travel to the end of her life because although he tells her not to wait for him, it is clear by her reaction that she has done exactly that since his death. I found this story extremely compelling and emotionally engaging. Although I have mixed feelings about seeing the film (I find novels adapted to film are always hit or miss), I do look forward to watching the story on screen. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">courtesy of google images: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nth-21-dwKM/SyKNVnlqrVI/AAAAAAAAAAw/GJZhPWVMUA0/s320/the-time-travelers-wife.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414045104596495698" /></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09818429369221116453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505999302210690466.post-29290648744121056862009-11-05T17:46:00.000-08:002009-11-05T18:04:34.607-08:00<div>I've decided to start this blog because I am an avid reader and aspiring writer. To put it plainly, I love books. Novels are my drug of choice when it comes to reading. However, lately I have been dipping my toes in what are the foreign waters of poetry. Although shorter in length, I have found that poetry is extremely complex when compared to novels, as one stanza can have a million meanings. Being an English Lit. major has really broadened my knowledge of just how much literature there is out there and just how much I have yet to read (and fall in love with). To give you a sense of what it is that I read, my favourite authors range from Jane Austen to Judy Blume, i.e. I have no preference when it comes to style or time period. Other authors that I love are J.K. Rowling (who doesn't love the adventurous novels of Harry Potter?), George Orwell, Khaled Hosseini, Charlotte Bronte and so many more. Because I spend a lot of my time reading, I have decided to create this blog in order to offer my personal opinions and comments with respect to the books I have read and the ones I plan on reading. </div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09818429369221116453noreply@blogger.com0