Appreciation

I got a humbling surprise in the mail yesterday. A good friend of mine who lives in Toronto sent me a snail mail letter about how much she appreciates me; “the top 5 reasons why i'm awesome”. lol

At first she made me laugh, but by the end i was in tears. It's rare these days that we tell each other how we feel. We have so much technology available, but somehow it seems that this only allows us to be more disconnected from each other. It honestly felt good to know how much someone appreciates me, and to have it said in handwritten letter makes it so much more personal.

I'm guilty of not calling friends i used to call because i see how they're doing on Facebook. But they don't know that i care/think about them. And let's be honest, a phone call or coffee date with a friend is A MILLION TIMES better than a “Facebook like”.

On this note, i will not allow myself to ONLY use my blog or Facebook to say much i care about my friends. I will make it my mission to tell them/show them, in some way, how much i love and appreciate them.

Thank you Val xx You really made my day yesterday!

— Roxy xo

My 2011!

My year in Instagram photos: my favorite app of the year!
Have a happy New Year everyone! The best for 2012!

What does XMAS mean to you?

As we're on the cusp of Christmas, i want to remind us all to think about what this time of year is really about...

Think about what made you happy as a child. 

For me, it was the snow falling to the ground, the smell of my mom's Christmas cookies, the anticipation of the gifts under the tree, the magic of Santa Clause, giggling with my brother and sister, sitting in front of the sparkling Xmas tree, talking to my family in the U.K over the phone... 

It's hard to keep that blissful mindset as an adult, and it's easy to get caught in the hustle and bussle of the Holidays... 

This morning, I'm preparing myself for the last push: the last visit to the mall; the last minute wrapping... but i'm trying to appreciate every moment... the snow falling outside, the lights of my tree, the sound of the xmas music, anticipating time with family and friends, and all the love in my life. 

And I'll also be donating to a new charity as i do every year. This year i've chosen Mission in Action see Davina + Daniel's story here. You can shop from Davina+Daniel's ETSY shop, and until December 31st all the purchases will go directly towards Mission in Action, to build a new orphanage for the kids they visited in Africa. 

I encourage you all to think about what will make you feel good this holiday season.

What does Christmas mean to you?

Happy Holidays friends xx

♥Roxy 

Dirty thirty

So I survived my Dirty Thirty, but I’m still recovering 4 days later!

First thing checked off my SUMMER OF FUN list =  ✔ skydiving!
Yes, I actually did it! And it was the most exhilarating feeling! I recommend Parachutisme Adrenaline (located in St-Jerome, QC) to any first-time jumpers. I will definitely go back again!


Next thing to check off my list = ✔ partying it up for my 30th; on Grand Prix weekend in Montreal. We partied at Ballroom with VIP service. I highly recommend them for any night you want to party! The night was epic. Lots of fun, lots of booze, lots of friends = happiness! I wouldn’t have changed a thing! Ok well... maybe the rainy-cold weather... oh and.. the 40 minute walk at the end of the night to find a cab! Apart from that; it was the perfect evening!



Thanks friends for the balloons, cupcakes & flowers at work, the wonderful BBQ with friends, & the night of partying! It was a special day xo I've got a GOOD feeling about my thirties when i'm surrounded by so many good friends and family xo

10 ways to feel positive when the man you love walks away...

1. Spring is around the corner (even though you would never think so with all the snow today...)
2. There is always ONE friend on any given night that needs a drink just as badly as you do
3. Your heart’s been broken before and you got over it. So, the comfort in knowing that this too shall pass.
4. Knowing deep down that he will miss you sometimes. Even if it is just for the amazing sex (he is a guy after all).
5. Thinking of all the next “firsts” that are to come for you... first flirts... first dates... first kisses... first butterflies... first nights ;)
6. Knowing that you’re one step closer to finding someone who can give you what you want... someone who will want to share their life with you...
7. Extra reason to look hot when you go out on Saturday nights, or when you go to the grocery store!
8. Nights at home just means that you’re getting your money’s worth of your mattress you bought 6 months ago and your new flatscreen TV.
9. Knowing that the guy who will eventually love you is out there feeling miserable without you, and in a terrible relationship right now!
10. And finally, realizing that your life is already full of love: from friends, family and your godson’s sweet kisses.

What is the most hurtful thing an ex has ever done to you?

Formspring Question: WHAT IS THE MOST HURTFUL OR MOST DISAPPOINTING THING AN EX HAS EVER DONE TO YOU? AND WHAT IS THE MOST SPECIAL OR MEMORABLE THING AN EX HAS EVER DONE TO YOU/FOR YOU? ask your question here

Hmm this is a hard question. Sadly because i can think of SO many things exes have done to hurt me. But i definitely know which one tops the list...

It's THE most hurtful thing anyone can do to someone they love: and that's cheat on them. My ex (not my most recent love, but the one prior) cheated on me after a year of us dating. He cheated on me with his ex. It broke my heart into a million pieces. I can't explain the devastation. Only someone who's lived through it can understand. You need to be really strong to pick up the pieces and move on...

And that's where my most recent ex pops into my mind... hopefully he's not reading this post :S I guess i won't know whether he does or not... basically, he decided after 6 months that he couldn't love me for who i am. For reasons that are hard to explain. But for me, who had finally opened my heart to be vulnerable again, it was devastating and disappointing all over again. I still love him and miss him everyday. But i've come to terms with the fact that if he can't love me back, then i'm moving on. Thankfully i have great friends who are helping me do that.

Now for special and memorable moments.... yes there are lots (thankfully!) -- i will talk about my most recent ex because he is the one on my mind... I went away for a weekend in NYC for a friend's dirty-30 bday celebration. I'd been dating my boyfriend for about 2 months at the time. Midway through the weekend there was a delivery to my hotel room: a card wishing me a great weekend with my friends, truffles and champagne... signed from him. I never expected a gesture like that — it was so thoughtful ...That was the weekend i realized that i was falling in love with him...

Sigh... ok let's focus on the future girls! and all the “firsts” to come! Let's hope at least!! lol

— Roxy xo

Ask me anything

Friends

I'm so lucky to have my FRIENDS.



I don't know about you, but my favorite show growing up was FRIENDS. That's all we'd ever gossip about in the high school hallways. Ok, well FRIENDS and boys!!

But, today watching a random re-run of Friends made me appreciate the show with a whole new light. Because, now, I AM those girls. I'm their ages! I feel a whole new connection to Rachel, who is trying to find herself in her career, who is always recovering from a break-up, and who counts on her friends every step of the way!

Today's episode was all about their 30 birthdays! It just so happens that 2011 for me and my friends is the year of our dirty thirties! lol

The episode was hilarious! I can sooo relate! ...We've all got drunk at inappropriate moments. (haven't we?!) We've all realized that dating younger men doesn't get you what you want! We've all got a list of things "to do before we turn 30". We've all supported friends and consoled them on THEIR 30th birthdays! We all freak out. We analyze too much and we think of everything we thought we should have at this point in our lives... And we all plan everything out just like Rachel does! You have to watch that episode to understand ;)

But all in all, shows like FRIENDS, like Sex And The City, they make us soon-to-be thirty-something girls feel less alone. Thank god for them AND for our OWN amazing friends!

Roxy xo
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Hanging out with your Ex lately?

Formspring Question: How do u feel about people still hanging out with their exes to the point where the current person in the relationship is bothered by it? ask your question here

Thanks for asking that question! It's a big issue that couples do encounter all the time. I have some personal history regarding this type of issue, so if i allowed myself i would have soooo much to say.
However, there is one simple answer for you: If the friendship with an ex is bothering the current relationship (aka causing conflict between you and your boyfriend), and you CARE about your boyfriend and want it to work out, just STOP seeing your ex!

Plain and simple. Your partner should be your #1 priority. Not the ex who either broke your heart or that you dumped! Let him go, and try not to accumulate ANOTHER ex in the process!! hehe

If you care about the person your with, the decision should be simple. As an “ex” myself, i would understand! Wouldn't you?

Ask me anything

Christmas Spirit...

The lights are up... the tree is glittering (ok only half way for now, pics to come when it's done)... presents are underneath it; ready to be wrapped... snow is on the ground... holiday songs are playing in the air... xmas movies on TV... but no xmas spirit to be found...

Makes me wonder... where does this “spirit” come from anyway?

Will it suddenly hit me?
OR maybe this year is a year, where, instead, i'll be thankful for the people in my life... and think back on this whirlwind of a year that just happened... I'll hug my mom when she's thinking of her mom who passed away. I'll hug the new friends i've made, and kiss the ones i've always had. Especially my best friend... she might just need a few extra kisses she can share with her new puppy. I'll put up some mistletoe just so that i can have another romantic kiss with my boyfriend. I'll be thankful for him, my family, my friends and all of our health. I'll send cards to my family in England, and tell my grandad i love him. I'll bring my godson toys on xmas day and kiss him til he giggles and pushes me away. I'll be thankful to see a good friend and pray for her health every night. I'll fight the bad weather and make the extra effort to see the ones that i love.

Maybe that's all xmas is about anyway... Loving the ones I love. Not because i'm supposed to. But because i can.   And maybe then... the magic of xmas will surround me...

Ms Independent

I was trying to think how to write a blog post that would interest my readers. You all know that i don't go on dates anymore. Well, i do, but they are always with the same guy :) Which is awesome: as per my last blog post. No more random date with internet weirdos, no more meeting men in the most random spots! I'm not “riding solo” anymore.

At the beginning of Roxy's era, a year ago, i promised that i wouldn't discuss relationships. Not past ones, and not current ones. Relationships are hard enough to keep balanced without having someone blogging about how the other one pissed them off! LOL BUT… it seems i'm in a predicament because i want to keep writing and people want to keep reading… so… no worries, i will figure this out ;)

So, with no further ado, let's review the first topic of the week, something that's on my mind….

How do you go from being that awesome self-reliant-independent-chic that your friends love, to a heart-throb cool-as-fuck-girlfriend that he can fall in love with?

I ♥ Blush

One of my loves in the fashion industry is lingerie ♥
As you already know, it just so happens that one of my great childhood friends became an amazingly talented lingerie designer (for Blush Lingerie). I support her at fashion shows, and am so proud when i see Rihanna wearing her designs!!! But this year, for my bday, I was extra surprised when she gave me lingerie that was named after “moi”!

How hot is that?! Everyone who's anyone has lingerie designed for them! xo thx S  

Got My F*** Cancer Tshirt!

Finally got my tshirt! SO excited about my outfit today, FUCK CANCER tee and white washed jeans! YEAH BABY! Checkout the links to buy a tshirt like this on my last post @ http://roxysrendezvous.blogspot.com/2010/08/fuck-cancer.html
 

How important is it for you to have your friends like your boyfriend and vice versa?

Good question!
I find this is kind of an important question at the moment because it IS important that my friends like my significant other. Even MORE important that my sister likes him!lol But that's a whole other story!! hehe

Friends are the people who are of most importance in my life and will be around BOTH of us if things start to progress into a serious relationship. I find it interesting to know what kind of vibes people get from the guy your seeing. Things that maybe you don't notice or even think of.

Actually, this past weekend, the guy i'm seeing met one of my best friends, AND my best GUY friends—JB and K. I didn't put any extra pressure before “the meet”, but it was imperative that these friends in my life (who are very protective of me) like the “new guy”!

And thank god that they did! What i found interesting, is that THEY noticed things that i didn't. Example: apparently i was sitting on the couch, balancing a baby and a glass of wine (sounds right up my alley right?! lol) and my guy walked in the room and immediately took the glass away and put it somewhere safe. I didn't even notice this. But, this is how my guy friend KNEW that this guy is a good guy! Funny huh? But it's true, my guy (who we TOTALLY need to find a name for now -- what could it be?) he's totally attentive and always pays attention to if i'm comfortable/uncomfortable, and without saying anything he fixes the situation. It's pretty damn nice to have someone thinking of you like that!

Anyway, all to say friends opinions are of utmost importance, as I'm sure HIS are to him! Luckily i already know his best friend, but i'm sure there are a bunch more to meet!

Thanks for the questions! Keep them coming!
—Roxy xo

Ask me anything

self-reflection

What's was your dream for 2010?
Are you living up to your expectations of yourself?
Are you being the best you can be?
Or are you letting yourself down...
Self-reflection is a constant need for us to feel happy and satisfied with the life we're living.

I am faced with these questions, and this reality, due to supporting my friends who are suffering or have experienced realities that are tougher than most. Death, loss, tragedy, love, friendship, family, depression, grief, miracles and uncertainty... It makes me question life, how i live, who i choose to love, and what i want at the end of it all. It's rather intense and humbling all at once.

This is me, the real me, raw and honest.
Love yourself.
Free yourself. xo kisses.

Thinking back to your most serious relationship, what would u say was your biggest sacrifice and was it worth it? What would u do different with the next serious prospect in your life?

OMG this is a good, but hard question...
i think the biggest SACRIFICE i made in my past relationships has been my independence. It's NOW something that i cherish closely and feel very comfortable with, so in future relationships i think will always try to keep that aspect of myself alive and well. It's not just because you have a guy that the rest of your life stops! There are so many wonderful things to do ! Friends, family, traveling, work, sports, etc.
Obviously having a supportive, caring man is of HUGE importance, but just don't lose yourself in it ladies! That would be my advice for now!

— Roxy xo

Ask me anything

So there's This Guy... i've been seeing

So there's this guy... isn't there always?!... that i've been seeing.

And i haven't written about him much to everyone's disappointment — well maybe once...
I just decided on a new tactic for this one... trying NOT to put pressure on it, or jinx it.

So basically i decided to NOT talk about it, even though he's been wonderful every step of the way. I guess every girl gets tired of dates never working out the way you hope they would. And sometimes when your feelings are involved and “out there” (like mine of the world wide web!), it can get... extra frustrating.

But now, there's good things going on here, so i feel the need to talk, so here it goes. Let's hope i don't jinx this!

do u believe that exes can be friends? especially if there's a new girlfriend in the picture?

hmmm it depends how friendly u want to stay w the ex. I think in some ways, it's difficult for everyone involved. I'm friends w one of my exes and he has a gf, and i'm totally happy for him. BUT we don't hang out outside seeing each other at work. I guess everyone's just got to be on the same page.
And i think if you're in an important relationship, NEW gf outranks OLD gf, so if she's not ok with the friendship, then something's gotta change!
tough question, i like it ;)
— Roxy xo

Ask me anything

inspire yourself

This inspirational note helps me get through the day... Originally written by galadarling.com. I just prettied it up a little ;)

so there's this guy...

Ok I don’t want to jinx anything or even say one word about it, but there’s this guy I’m crushing on. And we have a date tmrw night. I’m excited. Really excited. I don’t have a name for him, I don’t want to make up a name for him. He’s a friend of a friend, and I don’t want them to even know what’s happening between us... Weird of me, I know. That’s all for now. Wish me luck! xo

What Fills Your Heart?