NOTD: Essie's Bikini So Teeny
Before I said goodbye to my beloved Montreal apartment until next fall, I sort of had a lot of dishes to do that I had neglected during finals season. As you can imagine, my nails looked a hot mess afterword, so I had to take off my beloved OPI Elephantastic Pink manicure. Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to re-paint my nails prior to my bus ride back to Toronto. It may be pathetic, but I feel completely underdone without my nails painted. Although this may not be amazing for the health of my nails, I have a rather extensive manicure routine that manages to keep them growing strong. Naturally, I had to paint my nails almost immediately upon my arrival at home.
Essie's Bikini So Teeny was released as part of their Summer 2012 collection, and it was lust at first sight. Since I already owned so many blues, it was hard to justify adding it to my collection, but I just could not seem to forget it. As coincidence would have it, my younger cousin wound up with two of these in her collection, as she got gifted one and already owned the shade. Fortunately, this meant that I was finally able to cross this off my ever-expanding wishlist. This bottle still features Essie's old thinner brush, which I find harder to work with, yet it still showed up beautifully in two coats (one would not have been sufficient). Truthfully, with my Revlon Colorstay Base + Top Coat, no nail polish shade can disappoint.
Home is where the heart is.
People often ask me what I consider more my "home" between Toronto, where I was born and raised, and Montreal, where I have lived on my own for 2.5 years. Honestly, I consider myself a dual-citizen of both municipalities, with half of my heart belonging to Toronto, and the other half to Montreal. Realistically it's more like a quarter for each, because significant amounts belong to NYC, Paris, etc., but you get the gist. However, there are some undeniable benefits about coming home to my parents and household comforts after a long independent semester of living a student-lifestyle (don't get me wrong, I still live nicer than most). My favourite part about being home? Hands down, our fridge built for a family of six with sumo-wrestler appetites:
And you don't even want to see our pantry...
There are many useful advantages of living with your family in a house that was built in this millenium, that I simply took for granted before moving out. These include, but are not limited to:
Additionally, there are several little luxuries that I get to enjoy when I go back home. These are just some of the many over-the-top benefits of having a foodie/great cook, homebody mother and a coffee-connoisseur, avid television-viewer father:
- A dishwasher
- A gas stove
- Private laundry machines
- Alarm security systems
- Access to a car (and someone to drive me) if necessary
- Other people that can cook!
- Storage space/more space in general
Additionally, there are several little luxuries that I get to enjoy when I go back home. These are just some of the many over-the-top benefits of having a foodie/great cook, homebody mother and a coffee-connoisseur, avid television-viewer father:
- Heated floors
- Multiple televisions
- Big showers
- So. Much. Food. (leftovers!)
- Our family's DVD collection
- Multitude of spices, flavoured oils, seasonings, etc.
- Fancy red wine (enjoyed a lovely bottle of Mastro Janni 2007 last night)
- Several pod-style coffee makers
Coffee-Lover's Paradise
My father just happens to be a bona-fide caffeine addict, which has led to several coffee-maker purchases over the course of my childhood. Currently, our kitchen features a Cuisinart standard coffee-machine, a standard Keurig machine, a standard Nespresso machine, and a Nespresso Aeroccino milk frother. When I was only five years old, my dad took me to a Chapters bookstore where he got his standard black Starbucks Venti bold roast. I asked him to try a sip (remember, this was straight-up black, unsweetened, un-milked coffee), took a large gulp, and spat it all out straight onto the Chapters carpet floor. My dad then went to get paper towels to clean up, and was extremely satisfied in his successful attempt at turning me off coffee for years. Until my second year at university, I barely had anything beyond a sip of coffee in any form (no lattes, no cappuccinos, not even any frapuccinos or Coffee Crisp chocolate bars).
Then came second-year McGill University, when I chose to take a full course load and get all the difficult required classes out of the way. Well, when trying to balance accounting, statistics, and managerial economics midterms while still in the midst of my regular class schedule, my teas and energy drinks just weren't cutting it any more, and I slowly brought myself to a place where I even could drink coffee (with the help of much milk and sweetener). As with most bitter flavours, frequent consumption can eventually lead to a transformation of taste buds, and I grew to actually enjoy my coffee. Nowadays, I have coffee on most days, especially during any exam season. My parents gave me an old french press to make my own in Montreal, so I do that on occasion. However, I frequently wander over to a Starbucks (or another cafe) in order to take advantage of the ambience and to study more effectively.
Now that school is out, I no longer need the added sitting-space and wifi that justifies a five dollar cup of coffee. Besides, who needs a cafe or professional barista now that pod-style coffee makers have gone mainstream? Inspired by my favourite cafe drink, a traditional café au lait, I now present you with my step-by-step guide to making your own damn good coffee in the comfort of your own home, featuring Keurig and Nespresso.
Then came second-year McGill University, when I chose to take a full course load and get all the difficult required classes out of the way. Well, when trying to balance accounting, statistics, and managerial economics midterms while still in the midst of my regular class schedule, my teas and energy drinks just weren't cutting it any more, and I slowly brought myself to a place where I even could drink coffee (with the help of much milk and sweetener). As with most bitter flavours, frequent consumption can eventually lead to a transformation of taste buds, and I grew to actually enjoy my coffee. Nowadays, I have coffee on most days, especially during any exam season. My parents gave me an old french press to make my own in Montreal, so I do that on occasion. However, I frequently wander over to a Starbucks (or another cafe) in order to take advantage of the ambience and to study more effectively.
Now that school is out, I no longer need the added sitting-space and wifi that justifies a five dollar cup of coffee. Besides, who needs a cafe or professional barista now that pod-style coffee makers have gone mainstream? Inspired by my favourite cafe drink, a traditional café au lait, I now present you with my step-by-step guide to making your own damn good coffee in the comfort of your own home, featuring Keurig and Nespresso.
"As long as there was coffee in the world, how bad could things be?"
- Cassandra Clare, City of Bones
- Cassandra Clare, City of Bones
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