B-rad and I spent the weekend taking care of some overdue wedding business, including scouting out some fab invites. We had a great meeting with Rozanne at Oakville Paper Boutique… If you’re looking for custom invitations, I would absolutely recommend checking this place out.

I also updated my 101 in 1001 list! I’ve already tried out AntiGravity Yoga and have become slightly addicted to hot yoga. I was a bit worried at first that the heat would be too much for me, but it’s actually quite soothing. I feel like I’m getting stronger with each class, and every time I leave, I feel more energized. Any other hot yoga fans out there? What’s the biggest benefit that you’ve experienced so far?

Also in the health and fitness section: I’m working my way through another Booty Camp session and totally loving it. My first Booty Camp experience was in October 2009 and it was a bit brutal with the cold, rainy weather. While I’ve certainly had to tough it out during the rain this time around, I’m really enjoying it. My instructor, Joanne, is wonderful—she’s got great energy and really makes me want to push myself as much as possible. I’m heading into my fourth week, and I’ve got eight more to go… Wish me luck!

Next up on the 101 in 1001 list: Find a favourite red wine. This is an ongoing challenge for me. I really enjoy sweet white wines, but have yet to find a red that isn’t too “earthy” for my liking. So, my oenophile friends… what would you suggest?

Until next time…

am

Blogging fail. (Flickr, Amanda Woodward)

So, before I go ahead and lap myself in terms of blogging (does that last one really say August? What time trap did I fall into, exactly?) I thought I’d take a moment to actually update the front page of my site so that it’s clear I haven’t skipped town (and by “town,” I mean “the internet”).

Catching up properly at this point is bound to turn into a multi-post epic, so let’s just give you the TV version of “here’s what you missed,” and get on with it, shall we?

Here’s what I’ve been up to for the past, uh, several months…

• Life at home: You may remember—a long time ago now—some references to a new apartment. Well, it’s not really “new” anymore, but it’s still all kinds of awesome. B-rad and I are loving our new digs in this much less stabby part of Toronto. There is a movie theatre down the street, a Starbucks on the corner and a Greek restaurant across the road that makes a mean flaming cheese. What more could a girl ask for, really?

• I’m not getting any younger! In fact, I’ve gotten another year older. Funny how that whole birthday thing works, isn’t it? Anyway, no doom and gloom here. I’m looking forward to all that 27 has to offer…

• Wedding update: The Dress has been ordered and now I’m on a quest to find the perfect shoes. Let me clarify that—the perfect purple shoes. We’ve also secured the most delicious cake of all time. Wedding planning is crazy fun times. Srsly. Six months to go!

But wait! There’s more…

• Super exciting job news: Since my last update, quite a bit has happened, work-wise. In September, I had the most surreal 10 days ever as a volunteer for Tribute magazine during TIFF. It was an amazing experience—from the great team that I got to work with to the sheer volume of celebs I shook hands with every day. It was brilliant. From November until the end of March, I was working at AOL Canada.

Early April marked the beginning of a very exciting chapter for me. I’ve just started my second week as Associate Web Editor for besthealthmag.ca, and I couldn’t be happier. It is a huge personal and professional milestone for me and I feel incredibly lucky. (Head over there to see what I’ve been up to so far!)

• 101 in 1001: The List is done! Check it out and stay tuned here, because I’ll be tracking my progress along the way. No, really. I will. In fact, check back soon for details about the things I’ve already finished. And if you’ve got a list of your own on the go, let me know in the comments so that I can follow you, too!

I think that just about covers it. It’s so good to be back again. Thanks for hanging in there and watering the plants while I’ve been away. You rock.

Until next time…

Still swamped with work/moving… But looking forward to a triumphant return to these here parts so that I can dish about wedding planning and our adventures in making over the new apartment (with pics and all!) In the meantime… Enjoy!

While I’m on this little vacay from the blogosphere (which I promise will not last much longer!), I have to leave you with a few things that I am absolutely loving lately:

• EcoNation Speakers: Thanks to Sarah, my MoH, for introducing me to the wonder that is this set of eco-friendly speakers. I adore them! And for $15 (at Chapters/Indigo), they’re very hard to pass up!

• The Wedding Dance: Forget choreographed first dances… It’s all about the big entrance! I’ve now watched this vid a few times, and it never fails to make me smile.

• Super simple baked brie: We served this at the cottage on the weekend, and it was an instant hit. Ready in about 20 minutes, delish when paired with crackers and green apple slices… And most importantly, it’s brie. How could I NOT love this? Check out the link for instructions, or follow my lead: Wrap a medium-sized round of brie in crescent roll dough (ie. a tube of Pillsbury dough) and bake according to the instructions on the tube. When the dough is golden and delicious looking, remove from the oven, transfer to a plate, and dig in!

• Buzzfeed.com: What would a lunch break be without hilarious gems from all over the web? This site is now officially my go-to for the latest viral videos and wacky new finds.

• Outtrip’s Yo…Lounge: Okay, so this album certainly isn’t new, but it’s made its way back into heavy rotation on my iPod as of late and I need to share the love. Have you heard it? If not, you’re seriously missing out. “Yo… Lounge” is the ultimate summer chill album. Check it out on MySpace and then pick it up on iTunes. You’ll thank me later.

As for what’s coming up on my little corner of the web, I’ve got plenty to share! So please stay tuned, and bear with me… MoveFest 2009 will be over soon!

Post-choreography. So hot.

Fact: In my younger days, I took 5 years of jazz dance classes. We’re talking sequins, spandex, and hair with enough AquaNet to withstand a tornado. The whole nine.

Last night, yours truly was thrust into the dancing world once again, as part of The White Hot Happening at the National Ballet’s White Hot Gala. After some incredible performances by newly promoted members of the company, as well as retiring dancer Chan Hon Goh, it was time to grab a martini and bust a few moves of my own.

And how on earth did I manage that? Like most of my crazy adventures, it was sort of by accident…

My friend Jess and I both receive emails from Dance Break, a program that makes ballet tickets more accessible to dance fans aged 16-29. I was out for coffee with another friend when I got a text message from Jess, asking me if I’d gotten the latest email, and if I wanted to go. I said I wasn’t sure, as I couldn’t actually see the email on my Blackberry, but that I’d let her know. She wisely pointed out that tickets would likely sell out quickly, due to the nature of the event and the fact that there were drinks after the performance with members of the company (ie. a super awesome night that was sure to rock our faces off). So I said, sure, yes, put me down for a ticket. Then I got back to the coffee…

When I got home that night, though, I was in for a surprise. Upon opening the actual email, I realized that this super awesome event was much more than I’d bargained for. In addition to the performance and the gala, there was going to be something called a “Happening,” which required me to go to a choreography session downtown. At the National Ballet. With Melissa Williams from So You Think You Can Dance Canada. Umm… Wait a minute. I have to dance? In front of strangers? Seriously?

Hello flashback to the early 90s! (Or Frosh Week, for that matter!)

When our choreography session rolled around in May, I walked into the studio and took a good look around. Surrounded by very fit women on all sides, I had a sudden urge to proclaim “this isn’t where I parked my car!” and run quickly out of the building. But thankfully, I stayed put. After all, how many times in my life am I going to get to learn a dance from Melissa Williams? Really now.

The choreography session was great fun—despite the presence of many video cameras—and we were asked to keep a lid on the dance so that it would be a big surprise for everyone at the White Hot Gala. And let me tell you, it was a secret worth keeping. Last night was a complete blasty blast. After a month of practice here and there, I’m happy to say that I danced my very best, and managed not to trip on my heels and face plant on the hardwood. What more could a girl ask for?

For more details on the White Hot Gala and Happening, check out this article from the Globe and Mail. And if a video of The Happening surfaces somewhere, you can be sure I’ll be posting it here as well!

Update: Here’s the video!

Now… As for the winner, it was a tough choice! And while I totally loved all of the stories, there was one that really stood out because it just made me laugh and laugh. So congrats, Erin!!! A sweet prize pack is headed your way!

Here’s what Erin had to say:

Hmm, how we met, well I was working at summer camp and my coworker found him in her neighbour’s barn and brought him to live with us for the summer. Turns out he was kind of mean and bit people, but that summer I fell in love with him. After the summer, nobody wanted him, and he was going to be returned to the barn. I couldn’t let that happen so I decided he was coming to live with me. My parents were not impressed. That was almost two years ago. I could not love my little troublemaker more, and even my parents have come to like him. Now, I don’t know what I’ve do without him.
Clearly, I am single with a cat, so that’s the best I could do!

Seriously? How could you NOT read that and giggle? “He was kind of mean and bit people”?! That’s gold! And B-rad got a good laugh out of it, too. Congrats, Erin! And thanks again, everyone! Look for more random contests this summer…

Happy Friday, all! I have many stories to share, but after soaking up the sun with the Terrible Two (aka my adventure-loving cats) this afternoon, I’m a bit wiped out. Before I head off for a night of Wii and wine, there are a few things I’ve stumbled upon in my travels around the Interweb this week that I simply have to share. Enjoy the link love!

• F**k You, Penguin
If you can get through the entries on this blog (that tells cute animals what’s what) without laughing, let me know, and I will send you a prize. Because seriously? Hilarious.

• Viva La Love Story
If you’re just tuning in… Hi, my name is Alicia, and I’m a bit of a music junkie. That said, is anyone really surprised that I am loving this instrumental mash-up of Taylor Swift’s Love Story and Coldplay’s Viva La Vida by John Schmidt? It’s fab. Trust.

• Wordle
Fun fact about me: I love words. Shocking, right? But perhaps a lesser known fact is that I’m also a big fan of art. Wordle is kinda like the best of both worlds, because you can take a URL or a bunch of text and turn it into a word cloud with different colours, designs and fonts (a la the image above). Super nerdy, right? But let’s be honest… It’s pretty cool.

• Target Women vs. Twilight
I totally have a girl crush on Sarah Haskins. Watch a few segments of Target Women and you’ll understand why. She is one funny lady.

• Britain’s Got Talent: Diversity
While I wait (im)patiently for So You Think You Can Dance to return, I am more than happy to keep watching this clip. Yes, we all know that Susan Boyle is the big BGT story right now… but these guys? Fantastic.

Also from the “pretty darn cool” files, earlier this week my post about One Million Moms got a shout out from Canadian Family! And did I mention that the letter writing campaign against Miley has vanished from their website? Note to self: Don’t eff with Disney.

Tune in next week for some long-overdue updates re: The Wedding(!!!), my 101 in 1001 list, and a new category called “Remember When?” As for me, I’m off to deal with some crazy bunnies.

Have a great weekend! (AND! If there are any awesome links that you think I should include on this list, please let me know! I’m all about supporting procrastination…)

I have MANY things that I desperately want to share with you and some exciting changes planned for this blog (the first and most important being more content!). But at the moment, I am holed up in an office on Queen East, assisting in the production of a magazine (and loving every minute, I might add). We’ve had a few very late nights here, so if anyone feels like sending cupcakes or offerings of chocolate and coffee, I’m not about to stop you from fulfilling your good deed of the day. (*Cough* Please? Chocolate? Someone?) 

Back to blogging soon, though… Stay tuned for details of my new master plan!

5 Steps to Make Your Own Album Cover:

1. Go to “Wikipedia” and click “Random Article” (or click here) The FIRST random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your new band. I was hoping for “Llama Face,” but no such luck.

2. Visit the Random Quotations page here. The last four to six words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album. Huzzah!

3. Go to Flickr and click on “explore the last seven days.” Need a shortcut? You can find it here. The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover. As a side note, if I ever do put out an album, this is actually how I will choose my cover art. Because it’s fantastically random. And we all know how much I love random awesomeness.

4. Use Photoshop (or a similar editing program) to put it all together!

5. E-mail your fabulous creations to alicia@aliciamcauley.ca and I’ll post my faves on this very site!

Yes, it is indeed yours truly. I had the pleasure of testing the new fragrance by Christina Aguilera called “Inspire,” which is actually quite lovely. And let me tell you, there is nothing more fantastic than free products showing up at your door as though by magic, so I would highly recommend signing up to be a tester on their website.

As for being under the heading of “moms tried it,” well… I’m going to go ahead and assume they’re referring to the cats. Otherwise, I’ve got a lot of explaining to do.