Splish-Splash Pool Time

I try to visit my dad once every 2 or 3 weeks but sometimes plans don't go accordingly. In the summer though, I find myself hanging at his place more often because he has a pool, a big back yard with a deck, a BBQ and always cooks a delicious dinner!

Recently I managed to convince D. to go out there for a swim and chill during a hot afternoon (he's not big on swimming pools, he likes the lake better), which went like this in no particular order...

Pool time!

And a bird!
(My dad & his girlfriend adopted a bird from a family who couldn't take care of him anymore)

More pool time!

And a dog!
(My old pup named Nicky, I had to leave him with my dad when I moved out.)

Even more pool time!

Ending the day with curly frizzy hair!

This is what it looks like naturally ladies and gentlemen.
Yes, it's quite a mess.
(Exactly why I straighten my hair every day! XD)

How have you been enjoying your summer so far? Do you let your hair go natural in the summer season?

Winterlude 2011

Winterlude is currently on in Ottawa. It's a big snow festival that happens every year between January and February. It lasts for about 3 weeks and has tons of events, activities, you name it!


One of my favorite part (#1 favorite is skating on the Rideau Canal, looove~) is the ice sculpting competition. Sculptors from around the world gather to compete into making the coolest sculptors out of giant ice cubes.

I went out at night because it looks 10 times cooler with the colorful spot lights.

My favorite one of the bunch. If you can't see very well, it's 2 kids dressed up with boxes and pots and pans, with their reflections / shadows in the back as warrior and dragon in battle!

And of course, Winterlude is not Winterlude, without a BEAVER TAIL!

Chocolate hazelnut. Yummy~

Is there a winter festival in your city?
Have you ever seen ice sculptors live?
Which one is your favorite?

Haunted Walk

This last Saturday on October 9th, two girl friends and I decided to go out on the town for a haunted walk. Ottawa has haunted walks tours! No joke! You pay for your ticket, present yourself at said place and time, you'll be put into a group and assigned a guide, and then you will be off to walk around town while the guide tells you stories and shows you places that are supposedly haunted! (You can find out more here: http://www.hauntedwalk.com/ )

I had done "Ghost and the Gallows" in 2008, and wanted to try out a new one this year so we went for "The Original Haunted Walk of Ottawa". Ghost and the Gallows is centered around one of the old jails situated downtown, right next to the Rideau Centre. The original haunted walk, is scattered around the downtown core, you don't just stay in one area.

Autumn season is officially here in Ontario, Canada, and I was worried I'd be cold (I was sick once this month, that's enough) so I over dressed a little. I don't take co-ordinate shots very often because my camera is very basic and I'm not good at it, but I loved this outfit so I figured I'd give it a try.


I had skinny jeans with a loose black hoodie, a brown jacket with fake fur on the hood (no sleeves) and my leopard printed scarf.


And these new winter boots I got a few weeks ago! Totally love them, they're super comfy and warm!!


First, we went for dinner at this little place down Queen street called "Green Papaya" or "Papaya Verte" in french. Tiny little place, super quite and very good. I had fried rice with beef and brocoli.



Then we met out around Elgin/Sparks for the tour. There were A LOT of people, I was surprised. I didn't take a lot of pictures because it was dark and my camera sucks in dark settings, but I tried, when I could think of it. I was absorbed in the story telling the entire time.


Our tour guide leading the way:


Some haunted school:



Fairmont Chateau Laurier:


ByTown Museum:




Sadly though, I gotta admit, it wasn't all that scary. Ghost and the Gallows REALLY gave me goosebumps, where as this one, Original Haunted Walk, didn't. Our guide was a good story telling, but there wasn't much scary about the things she said. It was just stories. They say that their stories are based on facts they found in the city's archives and that they each have at least 4 witnesses. But, the Ghost and the Gallows taking place in the old jail, sounded much more believable than this one.

But, it was still fun to go out for a night with these two new friends, try out a new restaurant and walk around town at night. Plus, it was pretty cheap (13$ teehee).

La Ronde - Amusement Park

On September 5th, my sister, a few other people and I went out to La Ronde! La Ronde is a big amusement park in Montreal. Montreal is about 2 hours drive from where I live, so we left early in the morning to be there at the opening.

I'd been to La Ronde several times before. The last time I went was 3 years ago. There were new rides since I went last.

It's situated on an island, so it's surrounded by water. Some rides it looks like you're going to fall in the water! Super scary!!

(This might be a bit picture heavy. I'm sorry!)



Montreal is bilingual, but La Ronde is mostly french. Instructions for the rides are bilingual, but the names of the rides are all in french only. A lot of them can easily be translated though. Judge for yourself!

This is the 1st ride we did:





In this one, you're sitting with your feet dangling. Upside down and all round!



I was really scared I was going to loose my shoes at one point! Lol



Next one:



This one you're standing! Upside down, all around too!!





And then this one. This was one I said I'd never do. Somehow though they managed to convince me.





Basically, it lifts you up really fast up to the top. When it went up I was thinking "Hey this isn't so bad!" and then they let you fall.

O_O !!!!!!!!!!!!

Free fall!! I lifted from the seat!! I never screamed so hard in my entire life! I was REALLY scared!! Lol









Goliath is the highest and longest ride of them all!





"Le Monstre" is my favorite. It as always been since the 1st time I tried it. It's hard to take a picture of it because it's so huge. You can see a little bit of it behind the sign. It's made out of wood! A lot of people are scared it's not strong enough. But I love it!! There are 2 rides in that one, and when we went in, the other one was going up at the same time, so we kept crossing each other through the entire time!



While you wait to go to Ednor, there are TVs and posters telling the legend of Ednor. It's like a mini loch ness in the lake surrounding the island.



This ride was built completely on top of water! And it's shape resembles a water snake :) Sitting with dangling feet on this one too.







This new one is funny! You're sitting in what looks like a boat designed like a log! And you're in water! Suuuper fun!!





I can't remember the name of these next two...









And then there was a rainbow at the end of the day :)