Cupcakes and Stragglers

Do you have any friends that are super talented?  They have a skill, a small business or a talent that is just out of this world and you would be so happy to just see them succeed?  I am lucky enough to have met a few friends in the past year that fall directly into this category.  I wanted to take a moment to recognize them and give them a free plug for what it is worth.

Sweets by Ashley

When most single women go out to a bar with their friends they usually try to find the best looking single man in the bar and try to work their womanly ways on him.  I on the other hand go to a bar and pick up a girl that makes cupcakes.  If I have to choose between a stinky beer drinking boy or a retro Cupcake Fairy I will choose the Cupcake Fairy every time.  And this is how I came to be friends with Ashley Burt of Sweets by Ashley.  Ashley works part time baking and creating cupcakes and other desserts that are out of this world.  Imagine a cupcake with a Reese's Peanut Butter cup baked into the bottom.  Yep, Ashley did that.  Not only are her cupcakes to die for, her eye for design and artistic ability make her creations as beautiful as they are tasty.  I have ordered cupcakes from Ashley on several occasions for both personal events and for my Social Committee at work.  Everyone always raves about how yummy her treats are and I just can't argue. 

So, if you are craving a cupcake fix be sure to stop by Ashley's website and order a dozen or two.  You can always share your leftovers with me.  I won't mind.

The Stragglers


Truth be told I don't really listen to a lot of mainstream music.  I tend to like my music acoustic and depressing with a dash of heartbreak thrown in for good measure.  However, I had the pleasure of meeting Mark this past summer and learned that maybe I should expand my musical tastes just a little.  Mark is the lead singer in a local punk band called The Stragglers.  Just to be clear, I do not normally listen to punk music but Mark invited me to a show this summer and I was more than happy to support him and his band.  And, you know what?  I actually really enjoyed the show. Mark is a talented singer and the rest of the band is equally skilled.   

The Stragglers play local venues and shows when they can and have recently released an EP.  I believe it is so important to support local talent...especially in the music industry.  So, check out The Stragglers the next time you feel like expanding your musical library.

Second Dates and Self Discovery

I just discovered Adele.  I am in love with her music and her style - she is beautiful.  This particular song is one of my favourites.  It makes my heart ache.  It is so beautiful.

It is yet another cold and dreary Spring day in London, Ontario.  I don’t know about you but I am sick and tired of this terrible weather.  We have had just a few days of lovely sunshine this spring but for the most part it has been cold and wet.  Boo!  I want to be wearing sun dresses, sandals and sunglasses.  Instead, this morning I had to put on long pants, a sweater and my leather jacket. 

On a brighter note I ventured into second date territory with a new suitor this week.  He is the friend of a friend.  It was sort of a set-up situation (thank you Amanda!).  We had coffee on Sunday evening then had a Bookstore Browsing date last night.  I chose not to wear the first date yellow cardigan as mentioned in my previous post just in case it had some bad karma associated with it.  This seems to have been a good strategy as things are going splendidly.

As far as what I decided to differently this time.  I decided to break with traditional gender roles and asked him out rather than wait for him to ask me out.  This is always a tricky situation in my opinion.  Some men prefer to be the aggressor and instigator in relationships and it can be a turn off if a woman is too aggressive.  But, the reality is that I am an extroverted person.  I am not even the slightest bit shy and I am rarely embarrassed.  Also, this is part of my personality, part of who I am, so I might as well show him the good stuff right out of the gate and he can make a decision then and there if I am too much to handle. 

Much to my delight he said yes.  I am realizing more and more how important it is to really be yourself in dating situations – in all aspects of your life.  If I had played the shy and bashful roll (which is the exact opposite of my true personality) I may never have gone on the date in the first place, and that would have been a sad shame. 

I know that while the way that I am can make me a difficult person at times, it also makes me the outgoing and social butterfly that I love to be.  My extroverted personality traits are truly what I love the most about myself and I want my partner to love these things about me too.  So, regardless of the long term outcome of this budding relationship I have learned just a little bit more about myself, and that is always a good thing.