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Thursday 30 April 2015

One second.

Alice: How long is forever?
White Rabbit: Sometimes, just one second.

- Lewis Carrol

Monday 27 April 2015

Bookworm series: Yoga Girl.

Happy Monday, Friends!

It seems like just yesterday I was doing up last Monday's post. Crazy how fast the weeks are passing by, eh?
As I shared last week, I am starting a new series on my blog called "Bookworm Series" where I share the books I have read, am reading or want to read. This week's "Bookworm Book" is Rachel Brathen's Yoga Girl. Rachel is known for her Instagram, @yoga_girl, where she has over 1 million followers. In her book, Rachel shares her rough past growing up in Sweden, her lessons learned along the way, finding the love of her life, some delicious recipes (juices, smoothies, guacamole, etc.) and some of her favourite yoga sequences.
This is my first ever yoga-book purchase and I was not disappointed. I loved reading about her life, her struggles and her accomplishments. She really goes with the flow of life and in return life has given her many successes. 
For someone like me who is twenty-four and still have no idea as to what I want to do for a good chunk of my life, I found that Rachel's story showed me that I will find what it is that I am meant or want to do but I cannot force it. 
I need to just go with the flow.

I would recommend this book to anyone. Whether you are curious about yoga, are at any level in yoga, like reading autobiographies, or just want a quick but inspiring read. This is such a wonderful book and I refer to it when I am in need of some encouragement!

"If doing something new doesn't scare you at least a little, it's not worth doing."

- Rachel Brathen, Yoga Girl
pg. 126

Sunday 26 April 2015

What lies within.

"What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when you bring what is within out into the world, miracles happen."

- Henry David Thoreau

Saturday 25 April 2015

Saturday Story-time: Education is key.

Happy Saturday, Friends!

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend. We have been enjoying some pretty beautiful weather here in South-Western Manitoba. I believe that 95% of the people who live in our area are officially out of their hibernation! It is nice to hear a little noise during the day, haha! 
With this nice weather, Mark decided it was about time to dig out his gun and hit the range!
Before I met Mark, I had never held a gun nor did I ever want to. I had no use for one and I hated hunters. But, like most people who are sceptical of things, like guns, I never had any education on them or hunting. Mark's lifestyle was different for me.
When he took me out shooting for the first time near his cabin in Newfoundland, I was terrified!
I saw all of the shells left behind from previous visits, the rock wall that stood before us, and someone's left-over freezer. None of these things made me more at ease. 
Finally, when I got behind the gun, I could feel my heart on the verge of exploding, my palms got sweaty (gross) and I wanted to throw up! Then, I closed my eyes (which I do not recommend when operating a gun..) and shot!!
To this day, I cannot think of a more exhilarating feeling that shooting a gun and hitting the target. My adrenaline kicks in, my hands still get a bit sweaty (with excitement!) and I feel pretty badass.
I will say that I will never be able to hunt and I am still not a huge fan of the sport, but I am not going to judge the people who choose to go out and kill their own food. We do what we need to survive, is how I see it now. 

There is a moral to this story and it is this: I have learned to like (almost love) something that I had hated for at least 14 years of my life (I have no idea what I hated before the age of 5) and just by being educated on the matter. 
Do not be so quick to judge. 
Education is key to a happy and fulfilling life! 


Photos shot by: Mark and Myself :)

Friday 24 April 2015

There is a place..

 "There is a place, like no place on earth. A land full of wonder, mystery, and danger! 
Some say, to survive it, you need to be as mad as a hatter. Which, luckily, I am."

- Alice in Wonderland

Thursday 23 April 2015

Haunted.

"Nothing haunts us like the things we don't say.."
- Mitch Albom

Disclaimer: Sorry for all of the flower photos! I am a girl. We tend to take an exhausting amount of flower photos. But, I mean, they are so pretty! And soon they will die.. in which case we will go and get more :)

Do you believe in magic?


 "You know what the issue is with this world? Everyone wants a magical solution to their problem, and everyone refuses to believe in magic." 

- From Alice in Wonderland
Photo Credit: Mark Buckle :)


Believing in "magic", to me, is believing in God. When I have a problem, He is who I look to for help. He does not solve every problem but it is not his job to do so. He is there to guide you in the right direction. And you do not need to believe in God, but I do think that it is important to believe in someone. Believing in someone (or something) gives people the chance to lift some of the stress in their lives and hand it to someone who will graciously take it off of your shoulders. 

If you do not believe in God, who or what do you believe in and why? 
Or, does magic stand for something different in your life? 

I hope you are all having a magical week!



Wednesday 22 April 2015

Have I gone mad?

Happy Wednesday and Earth Day, Friends!

"Have I gone mad?"
"I'm afraid so, you're entirely bonkers. But i'll tell you a secret..
All the best people are."

- From Alice in Wonderland

Tuesday 21 April 2015

Wildflowers.


"Like wildflowers; You must allow yourself to grow in all the places people thought you never would."


- E.V

Bookworm series: April.



Hi , Friends!

These are a few of my favourite book finds of April! 
Let me know if you have read any of them and if you liked/disliked them! 
Any book suggestions that you might have would be greatly appreciated as well!
Also, I will be doing review-type posts on all of these books eventually, so keep an eye out for them if you want to compare thoughts on them or you are curious about the books and are not sure if they are your "type".

:)


Monday 20 April 2015

She always had that about her.

Happy Monday, Friends!
I hope you all enjoyed your weekend and you are optimistic for this week because I know I am!
Smile big, laugh a lot, and embrace every challenge that comes your way this week :)
 "She always had that about her, that look of otherness, of eyes that see things much too far, and of thoughts that wander off the edge of the world." 

- Joanne Harris

Photo Credit: Mark Buckle :)


Sunday 19 April 2015

Just... start.


"Start now. Start where you are. Start with fear. Start with pain. Start with doubt. Start with hands shaking. Start with voice trembling but start. Start and don't stop. Start where you are, with what you have. Just... start."

- Unknown

Saturday 18 April 2015

Find of the day.

This is Rosie's find of the day!
She disappeared into the wheat and came out with this in her mouth. I thought it was a dead prairie dog at first but I am thankful in was only a skull. We are not sure what to. Maybe a fox or possibly a jack-rabbit (because they are pretty huge) but we are by no means biologists so we put it back and went on our way!
I hope you are all enjoying your Saturday (or enjoyed) and you all had as awesome weather as we are having here in Manitoba :)

Until next time, friends!

Friday 17 April 2015

Happy Weekend!

Happy Friday, Friends!

The weather here in South-West Manitoba has been phenomenal! The has been shining, the skies have been painted a beautiful blue, and the temperature has remained at double-digits! It truly feels like Spring :)
I hope that you all had a lovely week and that your weekend is even lovelier!

 This is our third and final fur-child, Rosie :)
(This was about the 10th try at getting a decent photo of her. She seems to be a bit camera shy/ she doesn't enjoy me being in her face pointing a big black object at her face, haha!).




Wednesday 15 April 2015

The Happiness Project.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

Before I rang in 2015, I told myself that I wanted this to be my year. 
A year of goals that I would surely accomplish. Goals like: accomplishing what I start, taking each opportunity as they come, seeing the brighter side, stay curious, and probably my favourite goal, read a variety of books. 
So far, I would say that I have been pretty successful at all four of those goals!

My secret to success: The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin.

I read this book a little over a year ago and I loved it then, so I decided to read it again this year for some inspiration and guidance with my year. Reading it a second time was the best choice I have made! Gretchen has so many great points and ideas and goals that we all should be striving to achieve, one way or another. This book has truly helped me with my home life and my minimal social life (haha!). It has helped me think before I speak, learn to stop "nagging" and appreciate all  that is being done. My mind is clearer, my thoughts are flowing (I think yoga has also helped with this), and I feel like the imaginary weight on my shoulders has been lifted!

You are probably thinking (if you have not already read this book), "Is she serious? This book cannot be that good." And I would reply by saying that it would depend on two things: 1) It depends on if you are into these "self-help" books, and 2) If you seeking some guidance or want change in your life. If you are not into these types of books and are not looking for guidance or change, than this book probably is not for you. BUT, if you do like them and you are looking, this is an incredible book filled not only with Gretchen Rubin's experiments and experiences, but with her blog readers' experiences as well!

Check out Gretchen's blog http://www.gretchenrubin.com
"After all my research, I found out what I knew all along: I change my life without changing my life. When I made the effort to reach out for them, I found that the ruby slippers had been on my feet all along.."

- Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project, page 289

Monday 13 April 2015

What you want.


" You will always be okay! Money and material things come to you when you dare to trust in life's ability to take you exactly where you need to go. When we live in fear we create tense vibrations that keep the things we long for at a distance. Worrying is praying for what we don't want to happen. Focus on what you want, not what you fear!" 

- Rachel Brathen, Yoga Girl, page 56.
(@yogagirl on instagram)


Sunday 12 April 2015

Unlikely Places.

"And able all, 
watch with glittering eyes
the whole world around you
because the greatest secrets
are always hidden
in the most unlikely places.
Those who don't believe
in magic will never find it."
- Roald Dahl

Saturday 11 April 2015

Growing up.


People are not exaggerating when they say that "time is flying by." It is
Every minute you spend upset is a moment of happiness you could of had.
So, live life for YOU
Find what makes you happy and, I promise, when you find your happiness, you will spread that joy onto others. 

Stay happy, my friends :)
"And then all of a sudden
She changed.
She came back completely different person
With a new mindset, a new outlook, 
A new soul.
The girl that once cared way too much 
About everyone and everything
No longer cared at all."
- Unknown

Photo Credit: Mark Buckle

Just Being.


"Never lose sight of the fact that just being is fun."
- Katharine Hepburn

Photo Credit: Mark Buckle

Friday 10 April 2015

Just bloom.

" A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms "

-Unknown

Goodbye Twenty Three..

Well, today is the day. 
24. 
Wow. 
But, I am actually pretty excited for 24. I am going to make it a year that I will truly miss. 
23 however, didn't fancy it much. I don't like the number 3 that much and it was a year full of adjustments (which I did not like but was also grateful for).
So, to say goodbye to 23, I have made a list of 10 things that I learned during the year.

1. It's okay to act like a kid.

2. You can do anything you want, but you can't do everything you want.

3. It's okay not to know.

4. "Be Charlotte" (Got this from The Happiness Project, which I will be doing a review on soon!)

5. Embrace the crummy moments because there will always be "crummier" ones to come.

6. You are not a hermit, you are a homebody. :)

7. You are stronger than you give yourself credit for.

8. Venturing out can lead to the discovery of hidden treasures.

9. You may have a bigger addiction to Tim Horton's than you think...

10. Life is about the journey.

 Happy Birthday to all of my April babies!

Photo Credit: Mark Buckle

Thursday 9 April 2015

Wake Up.

"You will have bad times, but they will always wake you up to the stuff you weren't paying attention to."

- Robin Williams

#ThrowBackThursday.


 Happy #ThrowBackThursday, my friends!
Today's photos come from May 2013. These are a couple of my engagement photos!
It was such a beautiful day on the West Coast of Newfoundland (where Mark is from). 
Both of these photos were taken by my ever-so-talented sister-in-law, Jess MacDonald (Buckle)!
If you want to see more of her work or live in Newfoundland and are looking to have some extremely beautiful photos taken, you can check out her Facebook page! (https://www.facebook.com/jessbphoto



Wednesday 8 April 2015

New Eyes.


 "Discovery consists not in seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes."

- Marcel Proust



Admire.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

It was almost 2 years ago that I dipped my toes into yoga. 
My first experience was amazing! It was difficult but encouraging. For some reason though, it did not keep me going on a steady track. I continued practicing yoga in the comfort of my own home off and on from that time but I still wasn't "erking" to get on my mat.
Then, at the beginning of this year, I decided it was about time that I changed my life-style. I started doing POP Pilates (by Cassey Ho) and then once I was dedicated to that (three months strong!) I just popped "yoga" into the YouTube search engine and I found what I needed!
A thirty-day yoga challenge that would ease me back into the practice and also teach me new things about yoga and also myself each and every day! Since starting the challenge (Day 21 and going strong!), I have thought (pretty much) about nothing else! All I want to do is roll out my mat and enter my space of serenity. 
Yoga has done wonders for me, inside and out. I am thinking more clearly, I have learned to use my breath, I am happy and more alive!
It has truly changed my life for the best :)

What is something that has changed your life recently?
"Attract what you expect, reflect what you desire, become what you respect, mirror what you admire." 
- Unknown

Tuesday 7 April 2015

The way you walk.


 "Your handwriting. The way you walk. Which china pattern you choose. It's all giving you away. Everything you do shows your hand. Everything is a self-portrait. 
Everything is a diary."
- Chuck Palahniuk


Photo credit to the hubs ;)


The Curious.

 "The future belongs to 
the curious.
The ones who are not afraid to try it,
explore it,
poke at it, 
question it,
and turn it inside out."
- Unknown


Monday 6 April 2015

Not all there.


"You may have noticed I'm not all there myself."

- Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland

Building the new.

"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new."
- Socrates

Sunday 5 April 2015

He is Risen.

Happy Easter, my friends!

He is not here 
for He is risen
Just as He said.
- Matthew 28:6

Friday 3 April 2015

Good Friday.

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: 'Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!"
But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."
Luke 23:39-43

Thursday 2 April 2015

Complete.


 All you need is love & a dog.

No truer words have ever been said. 
My dogs (and all dogs) are the most incredible creatures. They don't judge Mark and I when we are being the goofballs that we are or when we say very unintelligent things. They care for us when we are sick by smothering our faces with spit and cuddling in the crooks of our aching bodies. They keep us on our toes and make each day a little more interesting than the day before. 
We would go completely mad without these two crazies.

Does anyone else feel me on this one? 
What or who makes you feel complete?







Wednesday 1 April 2015

Inspiration.

This is my guy. My rock. My everything. He makes me laugh to the point of almost wetting myself. He does not care when I moisten his shoulder with tears and mascara. He has been with me through the biggest changes in my life; from the loss of my grandmother to my parents separation. He provides for our family. He goes above and beyond to make sure that everything at home is at peace.
He is the most precious gift from God and it blows my mind that of all the girls he could run into and choose to be his wife.. he chose me!
He is my inspiration.

 You are forever and always the hero of my heart, the love of my life.

- Unknown
Who is your inspiration?