Adventures of Etta Part II

I had an absolutely lovely Saturday. I sold two dolls (yay!), exercised on the elliptical for a full 30 minutes, went for a drive down Dallas Rd, and a walk by the ocean. Etta, of course, came too. It was pretty cold by the water (brr!), so we didn't get to take as many pictures as I would've liked.

Dallas Rd (which turns into Beach Drive) is a road that runs along the coast of Victoria from the Downtown area into Gordon Head (an area by the University). There are beautiful mansions, cute cottages, gorgeous ocean views, and a lovely dog park with pathways down to the beach. It's probably my favourite part of Victoria. Before my parents got their mini dachshund, Felix, I used to walk there to get a dose of puppy love. It's so fun seeing all the different varieties playing together.

Across the street is Beacon Hill Park, which is 154 acres of trees, grass, ponds, and flowers. It's absolutely breathtaking in the summer. There is a little petting zoo, open in the spring and summer, that my boyfriend and I frequent probably too frequently. (There needs to be a seasons pass--- you can't get enough baby goats!)

Here are some of the pictures of our walk/drive today in the sunshine! Etta enjoyed getting out of the apartment and seeing the ocean for the very first time. (hee hee)

PS. I can't wait to take more of these pictures once the weather is warmer!

Pretty Things

School has been REALLY hectic lately. Like- learn a whole body system in a night with two tests the next day hectic. I'm doing really well, but waking up this morning without having to study feels so good! The sun is shining here in Victoria. I walked home from school in a hoodie and capri pants yesterday-- it feels like Spring is around the corner!

Last weekend it rained (boo) {don't get me wrong, I love the rain too-- it's just disappointing when you were planning a lovely day outside}, so my boyfriend and I went to Value Village and spelunked in the kitchen section. We found a beautiful glass, tulip shaped bowl for under $10.00. The week earlier, I walked to Michaels and picked up some pretty pencils (homework is always nicer with pretty things, right?) and some fuzzy Martha Stewart yarn I had been eyeing since Christmas. I downloaded the free iPhone app, so I get %40 off every time I go (yay!)

On my friend and I's bubble tea date, we stopped in at a cute shop called Oscar and Libby and I bought these Matryoshka measuring cups. They are ridiculously adorable AND useful.

While last weekend was a major fail in the health department (Noodle Box AND hotdogs/poutine in the same weekend!), I'm going to try to measure out food so I can keep an eye on my caloric intake. Also on that front, my boyfriend fixed the elliptical we just bought (don't you love how poorly manufactured everything is today? Grr.) Now it doesn't wobble terrifyingly as you use it. I can't wait. It was ridiculously on sale, but still a major purchase, so I better look good in a bikini by summer-- no excuses. If I keep up eating like this without exercising... I might look like this...

I just had to take a picture of this bottle. My mum received this perfume as a Christmas gift, but the scent wasn't her favourite, so I inherited it. It's kind of violetty and sweet. I can't wear it due to the no-scent policy at the school, but I enjoy smelling pretty on the weekends.

I hope to update more this weekend. I have a major Cardiovascular test on Monday (eeks!) so I'll have to see how that goes! Hope everyone is out enjoying our pretend-Spring! Here's another picture of my pretty bowl-- yes, I'm silly.

Tuesday Treasures

So, this week's Tuesday Treasures doesn't really have a theme. I've been thinking of and planning so many neat drawings and various projects lately, so here's a variety of beautiful handmade goods from Etsy.

Granny Square Isn't this cute? I absolutely love Granny Squares. They are so homey.

Find it HERE:

Fancy Fox: Aren't these foxes gorgeous? The Amy Butler fabric is so pretty, and the stylized fox is so fun. This would make an awesome addition to a nursery or little kid's room.

Find it HERE:

Sucker for You: I went to Michaels over the weekend. So disappointed by the quality of the hoops there. Boo. I'll have to just admire these from afar, or find an alternative craft source.

Find it HERE:

Bunting Fun: I really need to make some of these one day. They are so festive and cheerful.

Find it HERE:

Botanical Bag: I just love this fabric. A beautiful shade of green AND cherry blossoms.

Find it HERE:

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Medical Office Assistant

So, I'm embarking on week four of my MOA course. It's going really well, but is definitely exhausting. I feel more like I'm studying to be a doctor than to be a transcriptionist, filing clerk and receptionist etc. It's actually very interesting though, there are so many medical terms we use without even knowing what they mean. Now I can understand a condition or disease I've never heard of, but I know each of the bits that make it up. It's like learning a new language... it's all starting to fall into place. We've done Chapter 1, 2, 21, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and am right in the midst of Chapter 8. Whew!

I'm definitely suffering from art/craft withdrawal. I've been working on a few things when I get a spare minute or two. The weekends feel so short with studying and getting things done. My mind is positively exploding with ideas. I've started bringing a little notebook with me, to write down ideas I get for dolls, toys, crafts and blog posts. I wish there were a few of me-- I'd be able to get everything I want done! I can't wait til I'm working and my nights and weekends are be my own! The days are getting a little bit longer, which is much appreciated. I love when Autumn comes around, but am always grateful for Spring to be on the horizon. Getting out of class into the pitch darkness isn't very motivating.

"studying with my medical textbook, with Felix my study buddy, looking at horrifying diseases."

"with my insane amounts of homework, this was a way of actually getting to draw, while studying"

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend and are enjoying the longer days! I'll try to update again soon!

The Weekend

I had a really great weekend. It felt so good to take a break from school for a whole day! Our chapters are getting much more involved now--- before we were just learning the language of medicine, like "arthr/o(joint) + itis(inflammation) = arthritis= joint inflammation." Now we are actually learning every minute bit of the digestive system, along with most every possible condition of it. It's a ton of information, but I seem to be retaining it alright.

On Saturday, I met my friend for bubble tea in China town. It's our favourite thing to do. She goes to University here, but is from the Kootenays (where I was born). She just moved back to Victoria after taking a year off, so it was super nice to see her again! I had this idea to take some photos of my favourite places in Victoria, and I started while we were there! Here's what it's called...

Okay, so I felt a little dorky taking pictures of her around town... but the result is so cute that it's worth it!

China town is probably my favourite place in Victoria. I will definitely post some more pictures in a future post, it was pretty rainy and stormy when we were out there (and to my horror, Etta accidentally face planted onto the sidewalk!) I love the bubble tea there. If you're not familiar with bubble tea, it's a tea based drink mixed with either fruit or creamy flavouring. The drink is filled with tapioca balls and jellies (rectangular fruity gels). The straw is so big to fit the jellies and tapicoa balls. You get a delicious, chewy mouthful. Maybe it sounds gross... but I promise you, it's delicious. Pineapple jellies are my favourite!

There's also some great restaurants, adorable stores that meander along a block, and the tiniest street in Victoria--- Fan Tan Alley. The archway itself is just breathtaking. If you are ever in Victoria, definitely check it out!

I meant to post this earlier, but I reorganized my purse and wallet this weekend, and I came across my Venture One card. How exciting is this? I feel like a real business now!!

While watching the movies, I decided to try something new with knitting. I'm terrible at sitting down and paying attention for two hours; I have to be doing something with my hands. I made this adorable Matryoshka doll. (The bubble tea friend is Russian-- she says it's pronounced Matro-sh-ka.) I'm super pleased with how she turned out. I love hand-sewing, and the hair is so cute! I can't wait to make more. I bought some multi-coloured felt square on Etsy, so I should be up and crafting more fun things soon (or when I have time...*sigh*)

Anywhoo, that was my weekend! I've been managing to find an hour or two to blog lately, so I'll keep updating as long as I have time! I hope everyone had as lovely a weekend as I did!

P.S. The snow melted!