Oh MFGG, you make my heart smile.

So in roughly 24 hours G and I will be on our way to the Edmonton Airport to start our journey to New York City. I don't feel ready, but I'm one of those people who like to be over-prepared, so I'm probably just as prepared as the average person.

We don't leave until late tomorrow, but I have the day off, so that means I can clean the house and get everything ready before we actually go. Poor G has to pull a 16-hour shift to make sure all his work is done >:( I'd rather be the one at home!

Basically all I have left to do packing wise is take any extra stuff I don't need out of my purse, toss my liquids in a little baggy and tuck this laptop into my carryon.

The essentials

I've inherited my mother's crazy-dream genes where we dream about stupid stuff before something big happens, and I was plauged with one of those dreams last night. I dreamt that we got held up everywhere we went, then our plane was delayed, then we were held up in customs and missed the Toronto to New York connection entirely.

Luckily we have a two-hour stop in Toronto from0 6:30 to 08:30 local time so that should be enough to get through customs (I hope). This is my first flying trip to the US so I really have no idea what to expect, security-wise.

I packed pretty light for me. Look at me go!

Since we leave late, late tomorrow (our flight takes off at 1 am but we'll be in Edmonton around 10:30) I have to have my day all mapped out ahead of time.

Wakeup. Wash hair. Put hair in rollers.
Clean house. Get all gross and sweaty in process.
Shower again.
Get ready: Do make-up, hair and get dressed.
Run errands: Go to my office and pick up my camera charger, print off maps, itinerary, misc stuff like that.
Finish packing for once and for all.
Nap (hopefully!)
Head to the airport.

I'm taking one skirt, one capri (wearing) and a few dresses. I'm also taking three shoes: tennis shoes, kitten heels and my "comfy" heels. I tried to pack light as we will be taking transit/walking from Newark to the Bronx and I don't want to be that person on the train with a giant suitcase. I'm no Snooki.

Yes, I watch Jersey Shore. Purely for satire

We plan to do mostly walking and public transit, so I need some heavy duty foot wear. On the plane I'm wearing my black capris, a tee and my red coat (which will double as a blanket on the plane). It's a basic outfit but when you're sitting, need to be wanded/patted down and don't know the potential temperature of the plane, I think it's a pretty safe one.

I also have everything we need on Google Docs, so even if I lose the printed copy I can still print off another one.
I need to sleep now. G'night all!

One of my favorite vintage blogs is Lottie Loves, run by Brit-turned-California super-mom Lottie. One regular feature of her blog is Finishing School, where she alphabetically runs through goals and post challenges for her followers to complete. Since I'm late to the game, I am going to start posting backwards from the latest, starting with O and then try to catch up. She posts them one a month so if I'm on the ball I will catch up in no time!

Your Challenge:

This week I want you tell me about your dreams. Perhaps you’ve never voiced your dream before, perhaps you think it sounds ridiculous and unattainable. Perhaps you think a miracle is more likely to happen so what’s the point in even mentioning it.
Tell ME. Leave a message in the comments section or write a blog post and link up with Mr Linky. What is your big dream? What do you dream about doing in five, ten, fifteen years time? In your widlest fantasies (keep it clean ladies!) what do you see yourself achieving? Do you long for a certain type of family life? Do you yearn to be running your own business? Do you wish to be a ballet dancer/pop star/zoo keeper? Do you want to look a certain way? Do you want to be a lawyer/brain surgeon/scientist? Do you dream of having a yoga fit slim, toned body? Are you healthy? In love?
I want to know what you dram about. If you don’t have a dream then your challenge is to make some time for daydreaming this week and think about your dreams and hopes for the future.
Another dream of mine is about to come true. My husband and I dreamed about living and working abroad for many, many years and always considered it to be impossible. Once I started dancing West Coast Swing I had wild fantasies of being able to live in the home of West Coast Swing and indulge my passion in the dance and become really good at it (as do many of my fellow dancers). I can not tell you have bloody amazing and much like a miracle it is that we are now moving to California. It was a dream, an honest, outrageous, unattainable dream.
Dreams come true so get dreaming.

It's funny that this is the next finishing school challenge because just last night, G and I were laying in bed talking about the future. We have lots of dreams - some that can be shared and others that will probably work better as secrets until we're farther along - and I know we're going to get there eventually. That's not to say that I'm shy about talking about my dreams, it's just that some things are better left to sit and ferment and grow before releasing into the wild. Is that cryptic enough for you?

I want to travel. I want to spend time with my family and really get to know them. I want to buy some old, dilapidated mansion in the British countryside, the one where I dream about it and find beautiful, old clarinet sheet music and beautiful lace dresses (that one was a real sleeping dream). I don't want so much money that I turn crazy, but I don't want so little that I have to work so hard that life passes me by. I want to be spontaneous - even if it means planning spontaneity (baby steps!)  Most importantly I want to have fun and explore being me. I love dreaming and I love life; it's only going to get better.

I can still sleep through anthing.

xx Laurie

Happy June! Now that it's inching its way towards summer, it's time for me to start building my summer wardrobe. I have a girl's dinner and shopping date tomorrow with my best friends from college who are now scattered everywhichway, and I want to be prepared with a list!

Hat: ~$10 (Joe Fresh)

Shoes: ~$30 (Spring)

Swimsuit: ~$40 (H&M)

Dress: ~$40 (H&M)

If I could only spend $40, the hat and the shoes are at the top of my list. I don't know how much beach bumming I'll get in this summer, but it'd still be nice to have a leopard print bathing suit!