2015 Best of Blog Award Nominations

I received some fun news today! I was nominated for the 2015 Best of Blog Awards. I've been nominated in the Fashionista category for best fashion blogger, and the Most Beautiful Blog category, for attempting to fancy my blog up by showering it in flowers! Haha! Go take a look, and if you're feeling extra warm and fuzzy, click the little dot beside my name! There are so many amazing blogs nominated in these awards and I can say without the blink of an eye that it's an honour just to be nominated ;)

The Soo Experience

(top: h&m | tank: joe fresh | pants: h&m | boots: target | earrings: joe fresh | necklace: american eagle | bracelets: h&m)

I am SO BEYOND EXCITED. My dearest darling young pup of a friend Amanda has turned 19 is FINALLY LEGAL. To (FINALLY) celebrate, I am taking her out for a night on the town! Unfortunately, in the Soo, a night on the town has limited options. However, we've planned it all out, and I've plotted a strategic bar hop so that she can have a true Soo Experience.

The Soo Experience is not necessarily a great time, but it is definitely a rite of passage. The bars in the Soo are a rare breed my friends. It is a limited, often tacky, and sometimes horrifying selection. It can be a lot of fun, and also, it can be not a lot of fun. However, in this case, I think tonight is going to be a blasty blast. I think the two of us will make sure it's an amazing night :D

As for me, I have not gone out in the Soo in YEARS. I go to Loplops all the time, but that is such a classy bar, with awesome bands, and drinks that are too expensive to get drunk off of. I've also gone out across the river, or in North Bay, or when we go on trips. But I've avoided the Soo Experience for so long that A) I'm anticipating some horrifying flashbacks to my own 19th/ 20th year, and B) I had SUCH a hard time figuring out what to wear.

In the end, I decided on this outfit of all-black-head-to-ankle, with a cute pair of heeled booties to fancy it up a little bit. Amanda and I both figured that with the range of bars we are going to, semi-casual with heels was going to be the best fit. I'm so excited!

A Successful First Week

My first week of placement has been SO MUCH BETTER THAN EXPECTED. I can't even express what a relief it's been.

My associate teacher has been incredibly helpful and supportive. She has given me day plans and week plans and clear outlines of what she'd like me to do. It's been such an awesome change from my last placement, where I didn't know what I had to teach until the night before. This way, I have a great idea of what I need to prepare before I even need to do it! And I even get nights off when I prepare properly. My lessons have gone so well and she really seems to love what I'm doing.

That's another thing- she has given me feedback throughout every day. Feedback! Completely unheard of during my last placement. While I really loved my last Associate, at times it felt like she didn't even notice I was leading the class in a lesson, that it was my first time doing so, because I'm actually a student and not yet a qualified professional, and I might want to know how I was doing and get a few pointers. My evaluation at the end of the placement was very positive, but that was a complete surprise, as I really didn't know what to expect! This Associate has let me know what I'm doing right and what I can work on. She is so incredibly supportive and encouraging, and it's helped me to feel SO much better about the whole ordeal.

And the class is adorable! I feel like an absolute meanie, because this whole time I had managed to convince myself that 10 and 11 year olds couldn't be cute. But they're precious! They have been so sweet and even greeted me to the classroom with homemade cards saying how excited they were for me to join the class! They're also including me in the Valentine activities tomorrow, and I've gotten a few comments about how I'm the best teacher ever! So cute! They have been so kind and caring already.

It's such an interesting age. They definitely have more sassy moments than the kindergarteners. And at points they seem to think they're too cool for anything and everything. But at other points, they are vulnerable and silly and childish and funny. These kids are also at a point where you can have real conversations with them! Imagine.

Overall, it's been a really nice introduction into the classroom. I'm hoping the next 5 weeks go as smoothly! Eep!

Some Wine and a Bride

One of my best friends from North Bay is getting married this summer and we're all so excited for her! Last night, Larissa's maid of honour threw her a lingerie bridal party. The group involved our group of friends from school and a bunch of her old roommates. Larissa used to live in a house of 9 girls with SARAH, so Larissa and I knew of each other before this year through Sarah, and that's how we actually first connected in class! Sarah was also there, and the party was at Sarah's house, because her roommate is the maid of honour! Simply craziness, so many connections.

The party was such a blast. There were delicious snacks and lots of wine, which is always a great time in my books. We all bought lingerie for Larissa, and surprisingly everyone actually kept the gifts very classy!! I was SO jealous of Larissa's newly acquired collection, and decided I HAVE to do this for my wedding (in 8 or so years lulz). She got so many pretty new bras, underwear, baby dolls, and even a pretty robe! SWOON. I love pretty undergarments. I was dying. It was also a generally hilarious event, and we were being a silly group of gabby girls. We ended the night with a hilarious dance party. Definitely showcased our best moves.

My friends are such a blast and we had such a great time laughing and dancing. I'm so glad I have a fun group of girlfriends in North Bay! We always talk about how lucky we are, and how we don't know what we would have done if we didn't have each other. Our section is great in many ways, but the four of us just click like crazy. I'm gonna miss these girls once I go back home for placement! But it was so much fun to have a final night together :)