This year has been a whirlwind! Moving on and gaining new experiences, finding new hobbies, spending time with friends and family, and making healthier choices. I hope you have had a wonderful 2018 and achieved some, if not all, your goals! Unfortunately, I did not follow through with one of mine: this blog. I have felt really bad about neglecting the blog this year and I want to change that in 2019. I am aiming to write one blog post a month and hopefully more in the summer when I have break. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the posts I was able to get up this year and look forward to my future posts. If you would like to see my 2018 year in review, then keep reading!

1) Goodreads Challenge:

I set my reading goal to 24 books in 2018 with the mindset that I would read two books a month and complete my goal. Well, the workload this year from school made it very difficult to complete this goal. If not for my Graphic Novels & Comics course I took in my first year of college, I would most likely not have completed my goal. I am happy to say I read 31 books this year and have expanded my reading into different genres like adult contemporary fiction and graphic novels and comics. If you would like to see my year in books click here. Did you set a reading goal this year? Did you complete it? Let me know in the comments section below. 

2) Graduated Grade 12 and Completed First Semester of College:

This year has been a very special and memorable one academically. I graduated Grade 12 in June 2018 and started my college journey in September 2018. I have put in a lot of hard work this year to succeed and achieve everything I have wanted to and I feel so accomplished. I have grown and learned a lot this year, especially in the last four months. I am looking forward to achieving my 2019 academic goals and getting ready for my future career!

Books:

My reading this year drastically changed with the higher volume of work in both Grade 12 and college. I struggled to make reading a priority this year and as a result I read less than I had in 2017. With my struggle to read as much this year and rereading 5 books, I did not have as much favourites this year. However, out of the 31 books I read this year I absolutely loved these four. These books really stood out this year and I highly recommend you read them in 2019 if you haven't read them already. You can click on the book name to find out what the book is about and read my review by clicking on the links. 

1) The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (review)

2) The Astonishing Colour of After by Emily X. R. Pan (review) 

3) Beartown by Fredrick Backman (review)

4) The Hating Game by Sally Thorne (review)

Music:

I never have a bad music year and this year isn't any different. This year I have discovered new artists and rediscovered some old favourites. All the music I mention below are ones I still listen to everyday and have definitely been added to my all-time favourite albums. Click on the links to listen to my favourite songs from each album below!

1) Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves (Fave Songs: Slow Burn, Butterflies, Golden Hour, Space Cowboy, Love Is A Wild Thing, Oh, What A World, Lonely Weekend, Velvet Elvis, Wonder Woman)

2) Origins by Imagine Dragons (Fave Songs: Cool Out, Only, Bullet In A Gun)

3) On The Corner Where You Live by The Paper Kites (Fave Songs: Give Me Your Fire, Give Me Your Rain, Deep Burn Blue, Mess We Made, Don't Keep Driving, When It Hurts You)

4) Dan + Shay Self-Titled Album (Fave Songs: Alone Together, Tequila, What Keeps You Up At Night, All To Myself, Speechless, My Side of the Fence, Island Time)

5) A Star is Born Soundtrack (Fave Songs: Heal Me, Always Remember Us This Way, I'll Never Love Again, Is That Alright?, Hair Body Face)

TV Shows:

Of all the TV shows I've watched this year, these three are my absolute favourites. Outlander premiered its fourth season this November and so far it has been incredible. The plot continues to thicken and seeing Jamie and Claire together makes my heart warm. There are only four episodes left and I don't know what I'm going to do with myself after it's done. Another Droughtlander is fast approaching!
All American and Manifest are two new series that debuted in 2018 and my family and I are obsessed. With All American, I did not think I would be so intrigued in a show that focuses heavily on sports but this show is so addicting! If you aren't watching it, you MUST! The show returns January 16th, 2019 so now is your time to catch up on the first eight episodes. Manifest is also such an intriguing show because it has mystery and suspense and every episode leaves you with more questions. I cannot wait until it returns on January 7th, 2019.

Movies:

This was the year for Crazy Rich Asians and To All the Boys I've Loved Before. I absolutely loved both movies but Crazy Rich Asians truly takes the cake. It was extravagant, funny, and incredibly romantic. I cannot wait until China Rich Girlfriend comes out hopefully in 2019! To All The Boys became famous worldwide this year and I am so happy it did. I fell in love with Jenny Han's books in 2015 and when I heard it was becoming a movie I couldn't handle my excitement. Now, the sequel P.S. I Still Love You is becoming a movie! I loved rereading the books this year and I'm looking forward to watching the sequel! 

I hope you enjoyed this last 2018 related post and look forward to some new posts coming very, very soon (a tag and a most anticipated reads of 2019)! I hope you all had a wonderful year and have a wonderful 2019. May you ahcieve your goals, have amazing experiences, and learn and grow as people in 2019. I will see you soon with a new post! Have a wonderful day and rest of the week!

Hello everyone! Long time, no see. I said in my last post that I wanted to post more frequently on my blog and that post was over a month ago! I failed to do what I said I was going to do! I'm so sorry. I need to start making more realistic goals, especially now that I am in college 😂! College is actually the main reason you haven't heard from me in over a month. I promise to post whenever I can and I hope you don't mind the sporadic posts. Today, I just wanted to talk about what has been making me so happy recently. With all the busyness of school, I am in definite need of some mood-boosters. Anyways, let's get into the post!

#1

As you may have read in this post, the movie adaptation for To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han came out on August 17th. I had been feeling the inclination to reread the first book before watching the movie to refresh my memory. However, I forgot how addictive this series is. After reading To All The Boys I've Loved Before, I immediately read P.S. I Still Love You followed by Always and Forever, Lara Jean. 

Rereading this series was the best and worst thing I could have done to myself. It's the best because I loved it even more than I did reading it the first time--if that's even possible! It's also the worst because during and after reading Always and Forever, Lara Jean, I was sobbing everyday, multiple times a day (I'm not exaggerating). It literally left me an emotional wreck. I couldn't believe that after three years of reading the first book I was still so emotionally invested in these characters! Lara Jean and Peter's relationship is honestly the most beautiful love story I have ever read. Something about these two characters together resonates with me so much. By the third book...Peter, aka my dream guy, deserves all the applause 👏👏👏 Cue "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green and "If You Were Here" by the Thompson Twins (did you get the reference? btw I cried so hard during this part of the book 😭).

I'm so looking forward to rereading this series again in the future. If you have not read this book, please do. It's sweet, relatable, and emotional--in the best way.   

Now, onto the movie. I have watched this movie three times now (just watched it for the third time a few days ago). As expected it didn't reach my high expectations because it would be nearly impossible to tell Lara Jean's story as well as Jenny Han, herself. However, that doesn't mean it was bad. It was super cute, totally rewatchable, and a definite mood-booster if you're in the need of one. I enjoyed it enough to want a sequel and if we were ever get an adaptation of the third novel...oh my poor heart...get the tissues ready. I would most likely die from crying. It seems that a sequel is very possibly as this movie blew up when it came out and the response has been incredible. So, fingers crossed!

#2 

After rereading the To All The Boys trilogy--which has a ton of Harry Potter references--I had the urge to continue reading the Harry Potter series. I've only read the first three and that was a year ago. I tried reading the fourth book, Goblet of Fire, but I realized that my memory was a bit foggy on the events that took place in books 1-3. So, I reread the first three books! It filled me with joy every time I read about the adventures Harry, Ron, and Hermione embark upon. Also, it lets me escape the world for a little while. I'm 160 pages in Goblet of Fire now, but I have actually paused my reading as I borrowed some books from the library that I need to read soon. Hopefully, I will soon pick up where I left off and finish this series before the end of the year!

#3

As soon as I saw the first official trailer for this movie, I knew I had to see it on the big screen. As a romance fan, I have to say there has been a major lack of movies in the romantic comedy genre over the past few years. It really breaks my heart because they are my favourite movies to watch. Fortunately, though, Crazy Rich Asians might just be the revival of the genre that romance fans have been waiting for! 

For those who were not aware of this book-to-movie adaptation, it is about Rachel Chu (right) who has been dating her boyfriend, Nick (left), for a while and he invites her to his best friend's wedding in Singapore. She soon learns that Nick is Nick Young, extremely wealthy and one of the country's most eligible bachelors. Rachel soon finds herself in the spotlight and has to deal with jealous socialites, his relatives, and his disapproving mother. 
To put it simply, this movie is fantastic. It was funny, charming, endearing, and heart-breaking all at the same time. I cannot wait to watch it again and again and again. Dare I say it's become a new favourite! 😍 And I hear they are filming the second book, China Rich Girlfriend, so I am beyond excited!!

#4

As you have probably seen me mention in a few of my posts, The Paper Kites, one of my all-time favourite bands, has been releasing new music from their newest album, On The Corner Where You Live. Well, I am happy to announce that the wait is finally over--the album is here! AND. I. LOVE. THE. ENTIRE. ALBUM. Every song is so beautiful and the INSTRUMENTS, don't even get me started on the instruments. 
Even though I love the entire album, I do have some favourite songs I rewind every time I hear them. Those songs are: Mess We Made, Don't Keep Driving, When It Hurts You, Give Me Your Fire Give Me Your Rain, and Red Light. Please check them out! They are absolutely incredible and their music is so soothing and I believe can be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of which genres are your favourite. 


Thank you so much for taking the time to read today's post. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and week ahead! I'll see you soon with another post! 

love xena 

Hello everyone! Today's post is a short one because I haven't done much this month. July has been a month of relaxation after a long and busy school year. It's been really nice to have my own agenda and wake up whenever I want. With that said, I hope to post more frequently because I have lots of new content that I want to share with you. Anyways, let's get into my July favourites. 

Music:

As I mentioned in my last post, I have been anxiously awaiting Dan and Shay's self-titled album. The songs I mentioned in that post are still songs I love listening to but when the album dropped and I heard the other songs.... I fell even more in love. My top three favourites from their album are What Keeps You Up At Night, My Side of the Fence, and Island Time. 

The Paper Kites is a group I talked about in a previous blog post and since then have released new music. They released On The Train Ride Home in April and more recently released the first single Deep Burn Blue off their second album, On The Corner Where You Live. I love every single song I've heard so far. They explore a new sound in these albums than their last, twelvefour. Twelvefour is more indie rock while On The Train Ride Home and On The Corner Where You Live is definitely more mellow indie folk. I can't wait until the rest of On The Corner Where You Live is released in September. 

TV Show:

Dawson's Creek is a show I started four years ago and this summer I've finally gotten around to rewatching it. I'm currently on season 5 and I love this show so much. I love teen drama series and this one is so great. The friendships, families, and relationships are so touching. I'm excited to see how the story contiunes in season 5 and how it comes to a close in season 6. 

Food:

I've been making what I call the Deluxe Egg Brioche most mornings. It consists of two brioche bread slices, spreadable Laughing Cow cheese, half a mashed avocado, and a fried egg on top seasoned with salt and pepper. It fills me up for hours and is wonderfully delicious and nutritious. It's done in under 15 minutes and is a really great way to start the morning. 

My mom was dying to go to the Lindt store and the day we went they were having a promotion. We decided to try one of their new flavours, Blueberries and Cream. This. Is. My. New. Favourite. Flavour. It's creamy and melts in your mouth. The white chocolate and gourmand blueberry flavour is mouth-watering. If you haven't tried this, YOU MUST!  

Candles:

I've been burning these two candles all summer because they are my go-to scents for summer. If you haven't read my 6 Things I'm Looking Forward To This August, I mentioned that I'm going to start making candle reviews on my blog. I'm very excited to share new content on the blog since candles are one of my favourite things. 

Watermelon Lemonade is perfect for hot summer days and smells fruity and refreshing. The notes for this candle are Watermelon Ice, Sparkling Water, and Meyer Lemon. Summer Boardwalk is the perfect summer to autumn transition candle. It has the warm caramel smell of fall and the salty popcorn smell of summer. I burn this the most in August and September before whipping out the fall candles. The notes for this candle are Caramel-Glazed Popcorn, Warm Taffy-Apples, and Salty Sweet Cream. Summer is almost over but definitely pick up Summer Boardwalk for August/September. 

New 'Do!

Yes, you are seeing right! I cut my hair a month ago and got rid of most of my heat damaged straight ends. For a year now I've been working towards this haircut by not using heat and using natural products. I'm so happy with my new curly hair. I've never felt so confident and happy with myself. I'm so happy I finally embraced the hair that God gave me. It's been the best decision I've made. If you are thinking about going natural, I would definitely say to take the plunge. It's such a fun journey figuring out what works for your hair. In this picture I used Lush R&B Hair Moisturizer, Camille Rose Curl Love Moisture Milk, Lush Hair Custard, and Jojoba oil. My hair feels soft and smells amazing for days. I'll definitely do a blog post talking about great hair products if you would like!

I hope you enjoyed today's post. I will see you soon with new content. Have a great day and rest of the week!

 love xena

#1: To All The Boys I've Loved Before Movie

One of my favourite books, To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han, has been made into a movie that is coming out on Netflix on August 10th! This book/movie is about sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song who keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They are love letters that she she has written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control. 

It's such a cutesy novel and the romance is so fluffy. You need to read this series if you love romance. Recently the movie trailer came out on Netflix and I couldn't be more excited for August 10th. If you have Netflix, definitely watch it when it comes out!

#2: Fall Candles

There is no doubt that fall time at Bath and Body Works is the best time of the year. The best candles come out right at the end of July and early August. Out of the many candles they have created, I chose these eight, some of which are old favourites and some of which are new and I'm excited to smell very soon. I actually wanted to start doing candle reviews on my blog. So, when I acquire the rest of the candles that I like, I will do a review on each of them. 

These are the notes of each candle:

Leaves: Crisp Red Apple, Golden Nectar, Warm Clove Spice

Marshmallow Fireside: Toasted Marshmallow, Smoldering Woods, Fire Roasted Vanilla, Crystallized Amber

Hot Cocoa and Cream: Decadent Milk Chocolate, Fresh Steamed Milk, Mini Marshmallows

Blueberry Maple Pancakes: Wild Blueberries, Griddle Fresh Pancakes, Warm Maple Syrup

Campfire Pumpkin: Fall Pumpkin, Nutmeg, Vanilla Bean, Smoky Cinnamon

Pumpkin Peanut Brittle: Crunchy Caramel Brittle, Salty Peanuts, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Patch: Bright Orange Pumpkin, Autumn Spice Blend, Rich Molasses

Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin: Warm Cinnamon, Fresh Ground Clove, Vanilla Cream, Brown Sugar

#3: August TBR

Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West 

Buy at Indigo and Amazon 

Borrow from the Toronto Public Library

Talking to other people isn’t Kate Bailey’s favorite activity. She’d much rather be out on the lake, soaking up the solitude and sunshine. So when her best friend, Alana, convinces Kate to join their high school’s podcast, Kate is not expecting to be chosen as the host. Now she’ll have to answer calls and give advice on the air? Impossible. 

But to Kate’s surprise, she turns out to be pretty good at the hosting gig. Then the podcast gets in a call from an anonymous guy, asking for advice about his unnamed crush. Kate is pretty sure that the caller is gorgeous Diego Martinez, and even surer that the girl in question is Alana. Kate is excited for her friend … until Kate herself starts to develop feelings for Diego. Suddenly, Kate finds that while doling out wisdom to others may be easy, asking for help is tougher than it looks, and following your own advice is even harder. 

All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover

Buy at Indigo and Amazon

Borrow from the Toronto Public Library 

Quinn and Graham’s perfect love is threatened by their imperfect marriage. The memories, mistakes, and secrets that they have built up over the years are now tearing them apart. The one thing that could save them might also be the very thing that pushes their marriage beyond the point of repair.

All Your Perfects is a profound novel about a damaged couple whose potential future hinges on promises made in the past. This is a heartbreaking page-turner that asks: Can a resounding love with a perfect beginning survive a lifetime between two imperfect people?

#4: Chesapeake Shores

Chesapeake shores season 3 if fast approaching--August 5th to be exact! The show is about a very successful woman, Abby O'Brien who divorces her husband and takes a trip back home to Chesapeake Shores, taking her two daughters with her. She is confronted with all the people from her past--including her high school sweetheart. She begins to realize that her high-pressure job is taking away a lot of valuable time she could be spending with family and considers moving back home. This decision helps restart relationships and gives Abby the break she's been needing. 

Once again, the trailer for season 3 came out recently and I can't wait to see what happens in the upcoming episodes!

#5: Hotel Transylvania 3

I've watched the first and second Hotel Transylvania movies with my mom and when I heard the third one was coming out I was so excited! The film series is about Count Dracula, the owner of a hotel called Hotel Transylvania where the world's monsters can take a rest from human civilization. Dracula invites some of the most famous monsters to celebrate the 118th birthday of his daughter Mavis. When the "human-free hotel" is unexpectedly visited by an ordinary 21-year-old traveler named Jonathan, Dracula must protect Mavis from falling in love with him before the hotel's guests learn that there is a human in the castle, which may jeopardize the hotel's future and his career. Each sequel follows the story of this hilarious family and their monster hotel. 
These movies are so adorable, funny, and great for the family. Hotel Transylvania 3 already came out but here is the trailer if you haven't seen it. I can't wait to watch this movie!

#6: Day Trip to Niagara Falls and Cookie Dough Fudge

Every year for my mom's birthday we go to Niagara Falls, her favourite place. I can't wait to relax with my family for the day and eat cookie dough fudge from Hershey's. It's deliciously sweet and so hard to savour because it tastes incredible! 

I hope you enjoyed today's post and have a wonderful weekend! I'll see you soon with a new post. Goodbye!

love xena

Hello everyone! I know I haven't been very active on my blog recently (more like the past few months). School is so crazy this year. It's just assignment after assignment, test after test, and now ISU after ISU and exam prep. To say I'm exhausted and stressed is an understatement. However, blogging takes away that stress for a while and I really missed it so I decided to carve out the time to put up a post. Since I have missed March and April Favourites and it's now the last month of spring, I am doing a Spring Favourites to talk about all the things I loved between March and May. I hope you enjoy! I will post again probably early July when school is officially over!

Music:

Dan + Shay are my favourite country duo and they recently released their new singles Speechless, All To Myself, and Alone Together. I am so obsessed with all of them! I can't wait for their album coming out next month.😄😄😄 

Bloom by Troye Sivan is a catchy, fun song that's perfect for spring and summer. I absolutely love Troye's music. If you haven't listened to him before, you have to check him out. You will not be disappointed.  

I recently watched Forever My Girl which I talk about below in the movies section. When I heard the song, Enough in the trailer last year I fell in love. I couldn't wait to hear the full version. It's such a lovely country song sung by someone who doesn't even identify as a singer! Alex Roe has a voice like honey and I would love it if he released more songs. 

Wafia has been a rediscovery for me this month. I've been loving Love Somebody with Ta-ku, Heartburn, and 83 days. Spotify recommended her songs to me and I'm so glad I stopped to listen. This is the type of music I love so much. I've heard of Wafia before when I listened to her cover of Let Me Love You and I was obsessed with her voice then just as I am now. Love her songs so much!

I have been hearing Mine by Bazzi played repeatedly on every single radio station. I was annoyed every single time I heard it. However, one day I stopped to listen and I actually liked it! He has a really nice voice and I absolutely love the chorus. I 've been playing it so much and humming it around the house. It's so catchy! 

Another catchy song! One Kiss by Dua Lipa and Calvin Harris is a bop for the summer. If you have read previous blog posts of mine you would know I love Dua Lipa and this song is no exception. I have nothing bad to say about it! 

Alina Baraz is an old favourite of mine. I noticed that she had released a new album while browsing the new music on iTunes. I am so glad I gave it a listen because I love her new album. It also made me become re-obsessed with Urban Flora, her album with Galimatias. My favourite songs from Urban Flora are all of them LOL! My favourite songs from The Colour of You are: Coming to My Senses, The One feat. Jada, Yours, and Electric feat. Khalid. 

I had been listening to an R&B playlist on Spotify when I came across ELIZA. I had heard of Eliza Doolittle before but it seems she dropped the last name and is reinventing her sound and I love it. When I heard Livid I instantly loved it so I decided to check out Wide Eyed Fool and just...wow. I am definitely going to keep an eye out for her album because these two songs are incredible. 

TV Shows:

The show is about a very successful woman, Abby O'Brien who divorces her husband and takes a trip back home to Chesapekae Shores, taking her two daughters with her. She is confronted with all the people from her past--including her high school sweetheart. She begins to realize that her high-pressure job is taking away a lot of valuable time she could be spending with family and considers moving back home. This decision helps restarts relationships and give Abby the break she's been needing. 

When I was in Jamaica back in March I had American Netflix. Chesapeake Shores used to be on Canadian Netflix but they got rid of it before I could watch it. I finally got the chance to watch it and I loved both Seasons 1 and 2! I can't believe I finished it because I didn't think I was going to between doing homework and travelling. It is such a wonderful show and I can't wait for season 3 which they are filming right now in Vancouver!

Movies:

Liam Page, a country superstar, returns to his hometown of Louisiana after eight years. Liam left his high school sweetheart, Josie, at the altar for fame and fortune in the music industry. He tries to reconnect with those he left behind like his father and Josie. He begins to realize what he missed while he was gone and the price he paid for notoriety. However, a surprise is waiting back home that could change his life forever. This is a story about love, family, and second chances. 

Forever My Girl has landed on my favourite movie list! This movie made me feel like I was on cloud 9. It's so cute and funny and the drama!! It was so excellent. And yes, the plot is not super original but it's a cliche I love and these actors portrayed these characters and told this story so beautifully. The country music aspect also sold me. If you are in the mood for a heart-warming romance, then Forever My Girl is the one for you. 

Elle and Lee have been best friends since birth. Lee's older brother, Noah has constantly picked on Lee his whole life. Elle is the only person Lee has to himself since his brother always gets everything he wants. To avoid Elle being taken away from him, Lee and Elle make a set of rules that both besties must follow. The most important one is that Noah is off limits. However, Elle and Noah begin to like each other and they are not sure if they can keep Lee out of the dark much longer.

The Kissing Booth is soooooo cute! It's obviously another cliche: falling in love with the best friend's brother. But I still loved it! I already watched it twice and I'm contemplating a third time after I finish my exams LOL! There was TONS of drama, bouts of laughter, and cuteness overload!! I can't recommend this enough if you are in the mood for an awesome teen flick. 

Beauty:

I went shopping with my parents a few weeks ago and we decided to go to the NYX store because it's my favourite besides Indigo. We were in there for so long looking and trying on their new collection. I just couldn't leave empty handed. I got NYX Shimmer Down Lip Veil in Sweet Mama (left) and the Duo Chromatic Lipstick in Bless (right). I am absolutely obsessed with holographic things and glitter so when I saw these my brain went into overdrive. They are GORGEOUS!!! I wear both to school everyday (lipstick first and then the lip veil on top). I think I need to go back to buy more colours from this collection! 😍😍😍

My mom recently bought this beautiful nail polish by Sinful Colours called Let Me Go. I kept this polish on for weeks even though I should have taken it off after a week but it was just so pretty! Right now my nails are coated with Essie's Viva Antigua but as soon as this week is up I am painting my nails with Sinful Colours. It is a gorgeous iridescent purple-y blue and makes your nails look holographic. Sensing a trend LOL! You have to buy this nail polish. It is truly the kind that looks good against any skin tone. 

My bought Bath and Body Works' new fragrance Chamomile & Honey and we are both obsessed. The notes are steam-distilled natural chamomile oil, fresh bergamot, sweet honeysuckle & white cedarwood. It is the perfect spring smell. It's like you just took a visit to a local flower garden. I'm in love. I also wear Black Raspberry Vanilla on alternating days which is an oldie but a goodie. The notes are Vine-Ripened Blackberries, Vanilla Orchid, and Creamy Sandalwood. This one is a nice juicy and sweet and perfect for warm sunny days!

Thank you so much for reading today's blog post! Sorry for the inactivity. I'm hoping to rectify that soon since summer is fast approaching. I'll see you in late June/early July! 

love xena