Happy Birthday, Sebastian!

There just may be about a million things I love about you. Maybe even more. And if this love was something that you could physically see and hold, you'd be able to stretch it out like a canvas over the whole universe. It's infinite. And just like the universe, it's magic.

To list all the things that I love about you, would take days, weeks even. And heck - it would make for one lengthy post. Like the way you can make me laugh in the middle of an argument, how you go out of your way to make me happy, and even how you cleaned the countertops. (Yes - I noticed!) You motivate me just when I need it, know what to say to make my heart melt, listen to all my crazy ideas, and push me out of my comfort zone.

For that, and so, so much more I'm grateful. I'm so grateful that I am lucky enough to spend this lifetime with you. That I get to be by your side as we go through this journey called life.

Life is all about growing and evolving. It's probably the only thing consistent about it - that it's all going to change. As we live our everydays together, I see you becoming the man you're going to be. Ambitious. Adventurous. Full of life. Passionate. Caring. Handsome. Protective. Funny. (Remembering to refill the Brita water jug;) All the things that are already within you but are expanding exponentially by the day.

Whether those days are full of mundane routine, or spent talking for hours about life, or packed full of adventure, we will continue to grow and evolve - together. While we may not know all the answers, one thing is for sure - each and every day, I fall even more in love with you.

Happy 26th Birthday, Sebastian! I can't wait to be your wife.

Photography by The Last Forty Percent

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Being A Bride: Three Months Out

When it comes to weddings, I immediately think of how much time, energy, planning, and money goes into orchestrating the perfect day. The pressures to make everything "just right". The never-ending Pinterest boards, magazines, and options! So many options!

I must confess - before getting engaged, I never dreamt about what my wedding would be like. I always imagined myself as a wife but never as a bride. After Sebastian put a ring on it, you can imagine my shock when I signed up on The Knot only to discover I had 179 things on my to-do list. One hundred and seventy nine to-dos.

I kind of went from elated, over-the-moon joy to my stomach flying into my throat, jaw dropping to the floor, while my eyes simultaneously poppd out of their sockets.

Yeah, a little something like that.

There's been a lot of new (and stunning!) faces around here lately, so I'll fill you in on the juicy details if you've missed out...

Last June, Sebastian and I journeyed to Europe with family and friends. We partied in Poland during the Euro Cup, I met Sebastian's extended-family for the first time, and I learned how to handle all those vodka shots. We then hopped on a plane over to Rome just the two of us. We wined, dined, and explored, nearly losing our feet in the process. It was a whirlwind. It was magic. It was so much more than I ever could have expected. And, he waited until just four days before the end of our Euro trip before getting down on one knee and proposing in the city he was born in.

In the beginning of the planning process, it was a challenge to really narrow down on what we wanted. There's so many things that I/we thought we wanted, but really didn't. At times, we got swept up in the circus of everything, only to realize it wasn't what we truly wanted.

Now, we're just under three months away from hopping on a plane and flying down to the Dominican to get hitched! Sometimes I just have to pinch myself because it doesn't feel real. And you know what the weirdest thing is? I'm not stressed.

Say whaaat?

For real. Deciding to have a destination wedding was hands-down the best decision we could have made. They do everything. Of course, there's small things like favors, stationary, and small decor that you bring with you to make it personal, but for the most part, it's taken care of.

After seeing my enormous to-do list, seeing how stressful it's been for friends, reading through all the wedding resources, I sat there the other night, just thinking about it all. And you know what I did? I cried. Why wasn't I stressed out? Was I doing it wrong? Am I not doing enough? I'm not even joking. I was getting emotional because I wasn't stressed out. Backwards, huh? (That self-doubt is always ready to pounce, I tell you.)

Whether you're planning to board a plane, or tie the knot locally, here's some things that have helped me along the way...

1. KNOW THAT IT WILL ALL WORK OUT. Get it in that pretty little brain of yours! The one constant in life is that it's always willing to throw out some (major) curveballs. Don't get worked up over it, just know that this is life's way of bringing you something different. Think of it as a juicy present. Sometimes it's the unexpected messes that bring everything together to create perfection.

2. BREATHE. PLEASE, JUST BREATHE. Feeling overwhelmed? Walk. Away. From. The. Computer. Put down the phone! Get some perspective. Coordinating to get together a big group of your family and friends can prove to be challenging. Don't sweat the small stuff. Take some time for yourself and take a few deep breathes. You know what? Let's do it right now. Breathe in through your nose and count to 4, then exhale and count to 6.

Inhale for..1...2...3...4...

Exhale for...1...2...3...4...5...6...

And again,

1...2...3...4...

1...2...3...4...5...6...

Doesn't that feel good?!

3. ASK FOR HELP. You are strong and fiercely independent. It's completely natural for you to want to do everything yourself. But giiirl, take it easy! You are surrounded by love. That huge group of love doesn't want you getting all crazy. No need to be she-woman if you don't need to. Delegate. Ask for help. Talk it out with someone.

4. SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE. You're getting married! And you know what? That's pretty freaking incredible. You have come into this life and found your soulmate. High five to that! In 20-30-40+ years from now, you're not going to look back on it all and think, "But it wasn't as pretty as all those Pinterest boards." "I wish I had bought _________."

It's not about pleasing everyone but yourself, it's not about draining your bank account, it's not about comparison, and it's certainly not worth sacrificing your health and/or sanity over it.

How about we make a pact? Let's all shift our focus back to what weddings are really about. It's two lives uniting together through love. Wicked awesome love powerful enough to move mountains! The kind of love that's so rare to find, but when you do, you'll do anything to protect it. THAT'S what it's all about. And let me just say, it's pretty damn beautiful.

Are you in the midst of wedding planning? How's it going? (Or are you already married? If so, I'd love to hear any wedding tips you might have for me!)

P.S. In case you missed it, here's a look at our engagement photos.

Images: All images were taken from my own Wedding Inspiration pinboard. Find them here. xx

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From The Fair

Spending time at the fair always reminds me of when I was a kid. Running around full of excitement, eyes wide taking in all the sights, salivating as you pass by the food stands that are so bad for you, but oh-so-good. It's the kind of excitement that can hardly be contained.

Growing up, we had our own town fair, and we'd go every. single. year. I always looked forward to that time of year. It meant a day spent with some of your most favourite people, going from ride-to-ride (multiple times), and tummy aches from overwhelming amounts of cotton candy.

And this time was no different. Except for the fact that we were in Toronto, and that small town fair was now bigger than anything I'd imagined. It was my first time going so I didn't know what to expect. I hummed and hawed over the decision on whether or not we should even go, and I'm so glad we did.

Because I immediately went back to that time, and I was a kid again. We stuffed our bellies full of corn dogs, and pizza, and snow cones, and itty bitty doughnuts. We went on the swings, that spun around and around, and Sebastian realized that he's not as young as he once was. (I've been nominated to go on all the rides with our future children while he looks on from a distance:)

We hopped on a lift that stretched over the whole length of the fair, getting the perfect bird's eye view of our surroundings, and we danced. And people laughed. And we kept dancing.

As the night crept up on us, our eyes were full of flashing lights as far as we could see. And, of course, the experience wasn't complete without a sunset Ferris Wheel ride, and the ultimate adrenaline rush after the Mega Drop, where my stomach most definitely flew up into my throat.

We biked home with our bellies stuffed, and our hearts full. It was just another Tuesday night. :)

What are some of your favourite memories as a kid?

P.S. I hope you all have an incredible long weekend! I can't believe it's already here!

Needle in the Sky

Some of the best adventures are the most spontaneous ones. It's probably been a good fifteen years since I've made the journey up the CN Tower. And now, fast forward to all these years later and it's the first thing I see when I wake up. When I first moved to Toronto, it helped me get oriented with the city. Hell, it still does. That tower is my symbol for home.

So as we walked past that same spot, like we have countless times before, we decided to go up. And up we went - traveling at 22km/hr, shooting up past 340m in two minutes. Literally, two minutes.

The CN Tower is one of the most recognized structures in the world, so to say it's a tourist hot spot is a ridiculous understatement. But still - with all the hustle and bustle up there, there was something calming about looking down at the entire city. Seeing our home and how insignificant it is. We imagined ourselves back on the ground, like little specks that could hardly be seen from way up there.

And so we did what everyone does when they visit the top of the tower. We stared in awe at the incredible view. We ventured out onto the observation deck only to be nearly blown away by the wind - we walked the full 360 then hurried back inside because let's be honest, my goosebumps were outta control. Then, of course, we made our way to the glass floor. And sprawled out on it. Scratch that - I sprawled out. Sebastian can easily jump out of an airplane by himself but getting him to stand on that damn glass floor was like pulling teeth. But he got on the beam, and that's close enough. :)

Check out our photos, if you'd like...

(A view of the game!)

(I'm incredibly short...)

Are you a fan of getting out and enjoying tourist attractions in your own city?

The Creek

I remember the first time I went there. We walked along the trails and through the forest searching for it. We felt so close, and stopped by the creek to just stare at how beautiful it was, anxious to get where we wanted to go. As we walked along the small pathways, we heard splashing, and people yelling from a distance.

“That has to be it! It’s just over this way!”

We made our way down until the path widened. We could see the clearing up ahead. The sun was beating down on us, without a cloud in the sky, and the water was so tempting. Until at last, we made it. To Sharon’s Creek. The hidden gem tucked away in the forest.

I had lived a short car ride from the creek all my life, never knowing it existed. And upon first discovering it, my first impulse was to tell everyone about how beautiful it is. How they needed to go. And how exhilarating it is. And then my second impulse was to keep it a secret. Because when you’re there, it feels like it’s yours and nobody else’s.

Before we know it, summer will come to an end. It always seems to go by in a flash and all of a sudden, we’re spending our days reminiscing about our favourite summer memories – hanging out at the beach, the warm winds hitting your face during bike rides, campfires at the cottage, summer songs – and we knew that we wanted to remember Sharon’s Creek. And so we did. We made our way down those pathways, trying to remember how to get there. It had been nearly two years, after all. 

And when we stumbled upon that little clearing, and looked down at that water, it felt like ours all over again. We stood there for a moment, looking up at the rope that hung high up in the tree, and knew there was only one way into the water. Only one way to feel refreshed from the summer heat. I carefully made my way down to the platform, noticing how much the land had eroded with time, grabbed onto the rope as if my life depended on it. Because, let’s be honest here, it really did. I ignored the butterflies in my stomach, and swung my body into the water.

And then I did again, and again.



Paradise in Poland

Happy Monday, friends! How did we get here again so quickly? I hope you enjoyed your weekend! Sebastian and I spent our time biking around town, hanging out in parks, eating way too much ice cream cake, lighting sparklers, and celebrating birthdays with our friends. And as my friend told me... we successfully entered the realm of quarter of a century.

...So I figured we'd start out the week by looking at some pretty pictures!

While visiting Poland, we snuck away to a little piece of paradise - the family cottage. This is a cottage that Sebastian's dad helped build when he was young. A little home away from home to go, relax, and spend time with family. It's the cottage that was built with love. And continues to be maintained with just that - everything you see here is all taken care of by Sebastian's grandmother.

It's filled with lush greenery and flowers galore. Among the gardens, you can find lettuce growing, strawberry bushes, tomatoes, and herbs. All to be picked straight from the garden to enjoy devour.

And that view. There's just something about being next to a lake that immediately calms you. The water was cool, and crisp. And you can even catch a few pike, if you're lucky.

Some of my fondest memories from our trip come from this little place. It's where more than twenty of us got to get together to eat, drink, and dance the night away. And trust me when I say, the back patio turns into a wicked dance floor.

The Vatican Museum & St. Peter's Basilica

Looking back at our vacation photos has been a pretty surreal experience for me. I go through an array of emotions. Remembering all the fun we had, all the incredible people I met. At times, it fills me with great joy looking back, and others, sadness that it's over. And most of all, I find myself having to pinch myself because I can't even believe that this is real life. This happened and it was the most incredible adventure.

The Vatican Museum is by far one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen. As you walk through the museum, you are surrounded by beauty and history. You can't help but be in awe and at the same time, it was incredibly overwhelming.

Sebastian and I took a three-hour walking tour of the Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Basilica, and although we had those little earpieces in listening to an abundance of information, I couldn't help but block it out and just stand there completely overwhelmed by everything that surrounded me. Some of the most famous and influential works of art can be found among the gigantic collection. Paintings so big that walls had to be destroyed just to fit them inside. Tapestry so intricately designed, you have to wonder how they possibly did it all. And then, of course, beautifully painted frescos covering the walls and ceilings. It was unbelievable. I could have spent days in there.

There's really no way that words, or even photographs could paint an accurate picture in your mind. To say it was massive, to say it was lavish.... all seems like an understatement. It was truly like nothing I have ever seen before.

Have a look at our photos, if you'd like...

Exploring Rome

As we boarded the plane to head to Rome, I was filled with excitement. (Which also could have been from the adrenaline that was pumping through me after being sent back through security right when we were about to board our plane, then having to go back through it all again in hopes that it didn't leave without us. But that's a whole other story...)

I didn't really know what to expect when we landed, but the anticipation was killing me. We arrived late at night, and shuttled into downtown by bus, and were greeted by the hustle and bustle of the city.

We tried to quickly orient ourselves with our surroundings with the help of a map, and with no help from the locals, who so eagerly told us to go in the complete wrong direction. Luckily, I - and by I, I mean Sebastian, can tell when people are bullshitting us and we found some nice policemen to help instead. (Be warned, fellow travellers!)

Even though we arrived late at night, we were eager to see the city. We wined and dined, and explored as much as we could.

The only way I could possibly explain how I felt about our experience in Rome is that... I was in awe of its beauty, and I was completely fascinated with its history. There is so much to do and see, and you will most definitely need a new pair of feet by the end of it.

But it's totally worth it.

(I apologize in advance for the length of this post, and the amount of photos used. But c'mon! Cut me some slack. It's incredibly difficult to choose a select few from the hundreds taken. Soooo I did pretty good:)

Euro 2012 - Gdansk, Poland

Having the chance to be in Poland while they hosted the 2012 Euro Cup was pretty freaking amazing. Each time I try to think of how to sum it up, I come back to the same words time and time again. Madness. Surreal. Crazy. Mayhem. Busy. Un-freaking-believable.

Traveling from Canada to Europe is like stepping into a completely different world. The culture, the atmosphere, the history, the lifestyle… everything is different. And then throw in a bunch of wild soccer fans on top of all that and you have a whole new world of fun. And you know… it’s funny, because back here, the media reported on fights breaking out, and the controversy of how horrible racism is in Poland and Ukraine. And you know what? We saw none of that. No matter which team you were rooting for, you were accepted into the party. No matter where you were from, you’re going to raise your drink and cheers each other.

The only thing that made you stand out is a) if you didn’t dress for the occasion and b) if you didn’t have paint on your face. (And if you don’t have paint on your face, you can be damn sure there’s someone waiting to put their teams colours on you:)

***
June 8^th was the opening day of the Euro Cup. We spent the day in a city called Gdynia, which is where Sebastian’s aunt, uncle, and cousins live – who, by the way, were pretty much the best hosts ever. They put up with our shenanigans over the 2+ weeks that we stayed there. (And fed our bellies until we could eat no more. And then fed you again shortly after. Ahhh-mazing:)

We put on our team colours (Go Polska!), painted our faces, and set out to watch Poland vs. Greece at Gdynia’s fan zone. You could feel the excitement in the air, as everyone screamed for Poland. Who, by the way, if you missed the game, made the most insane save on a penalty shot and I thought everyone was going to completely lose their minds. (And well … I think some of them did … Sebastian included.)

All ready to go down to the game! From left to right: Ewelina (Seb's cousin), Me, Kasia (Seb's aunt), Ava (my soon-to-be mother-in-law!), Mirek (my soon-to-be father-in-law!), Valeriy, Matt (our friends), and last but not least, Matt (my soon-to-be brother-in-law!)

Ava and I, showing our team spirit.

***
On June 14th, it was time for Spain vs. Ireland. The game that the guys had been waiting to go to since, for what seemed like forever ago.

It might seem like there was a lot of people at the Gdynia fan zone up above, but baby, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Gdansk is the official host city for the Euro Cup, so you can imagine how crazy it could have possibly been there. In my mind, I mentally prepared myself, but really, let’s be honest here. There is nothing you can do to prepare yourself for thousands of people in such a condensed area.

Some of those people being the most hilarious you will ever see. There were leprechauns everywhere! (No rainbows though. What gives?) And countless amounts of ginger beards. It was a sea of red and green. And constant chanting. Then there's that guy who climbed the light post, tried to use a flower basket to lift him up, and crashed back down on the ground taking the flowers with him. And who could forget the Spain fan who was dressed up as a matador with a miniature mechanical bull that would literally walk on the ground while he waved his cape around it.

I kid you not. (If only I could flood you with all of the pictures we took.)

Watch this video to see a bit of what it was like downtown, in the heart of Gdansk. (And then be shocked that Sebastian didn't get punched:)

 

A sea of people. (Can you find me?:)

Don't let the crowd distract you from the beautiful city. 

Photo opp's with our new friends. Don't mind my sweet rain cape... it's fashionable, right?

After spending time downtown amongst the crowds, and after the boys went to the game at the stadium, Ewelina, Matt (Seb's brother), and I made our way to the main fan zone in Gdansk. (And made some more friends, of course!)

The fan zone has the capacity for more than 30,000 people and even though it was raining the first time I was there, it was madness. In the centre of the fan zone, there's a stage set-up for concerts next to the massive screen for watching the soccer game. There were beer tents and food galore, accompanied by a ton of activities for everyone to enjoy. I couldn't believe it when I saw human fooseball, cage soccer matches, and even water soccer set up in a small pool! The kid in me was jumping up and down for joy!

To give you an idea of just how crazy it was, check out this video that was taken from just one of the tents available. TV's surrounded the area, the beer was flowing, the chanting and screaming never stopped, and there were Ireland fans galore.

...Want to know how the Irish behave when they lose in the Euro cup? Check this out too. Best. Losers. Ever.

It was truly a once in a lifetime experience that I will never, ever forget. For the most part. (I kid, I kid.)

The finals are this weekend! Who will you be cheering for?