outside the lines.

So, now that 2011 is about to end I thought it would be smart to post my favourite tracks from the past year. So, without further ado, here they are:

20. Mac Miller - Knock Knock
19. Beyoncé - Love On Top
18. Kristina Marie - Co-Pilot (feat. Laza Morgan)
17. Nicki Minaj - Super Bass
16. Outasight - Tonight Is the Night
15. Eliza Dolittle - Mr. Medicine
14. Chromeo - When the Night Falls (feat. Solange Knowles)
13. Peter, Bjorn & John - Second Chance
12. Wiz Khalifa - Black and Yellow (feat. Juicy J, Snoop Dogg & T-Pain) [G-Mix]
11. Wolf Gang - The King and All His Men

10. LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
For my first "explanation" song I thought I'd put this out there: When it comes to music, I am ahead. I start listening to songs before most people know they exist and wear them out by the time they become massive hits. I started listening to Party Rock Anthem in January - almost a whole year ago. For most, this song hit it's peak in the summer. I'm so ahead of the trends, it's scary. I practically set them.

9. Katy Perry - Firework
Is this song cheesy? Hell ya it is. But, it's a great track and it made me feel somewhat more at ease last January when I was taken out of my comfort zone safety bubble.

8. Joe Jonas - Just In Love (feat. Lil Wayne)
The single most surprising song of the whole year.

7. Chris Brown - She Ain't You
I love the MJ sample in this song. It makes Chris Brown seem more... Human.

6. Smokey Robotic - Outside the Lines (Uptown)
I like that I can say Lindsay Lohan introduced me to this song.

5. Matt & Kim / Andrew WK / Souljaboy - I'm a Goner
My mind still blows up every time I hear this song.

4. Transit - Calgary (feat. Jann Arden)
Has Calgary become my new, adoptive home? Hell ya it has. It's taken a lot of time for me to be able to say this, but I love this city.

3. Britney Spears - Til The World Ends
By far, my single most instantly loved Britney track in YEARS.

2. Bombay Bicycle Club - Shuffle
I first heard this song when, at the time, my whole life was changing due to work. Now, it'll always remind me of the month of September when I was nervous and anxious.

1. Foster the People - Helena Beat
I, being the indie guru that I am, started listening to Foster the People's Pumped Up Kicks last December, 2010. Again -- I am so far ahead of the trends it's scary. While most people this year were obsessing over Kicks, I was jamming out to Helena Beat. When they released their EP in February, it immediately caught my attention and midway through my first listen, I had to hit the repeat button on my iPod to keep the song cranking.

underneath the sycamore.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!! I got you Frankincense. Oh? You already have that?? Uhhh... This is awkward...

Merry Christmas : )

i'm glad you came.

Alright, for all 3 of you that read this, here is my Christmas Wishlist for 2011:

WARNING: As I upgraded all my tech gadgets this year, my 2011 wish list will pale in comparison to some of my previous years.

1. Photojojo iPhone Photo Lenses $49

This company produces these awesome Fisheye, Telephoto and Macro lenses that are specifically designed to mount to your iPhone.

2. North Face ETIP Gloves - Graphite Grey $40

These gloves from The North Face have special tips on the fingers that are designed to let you use your touchscreen gadget (aka iPhone) without having to take your mittens off.
Note: AGLOVES are the original, cheaper, and probably better product. However, they have an online only availability. www.agloves.com is the site if you'd prefer to get me a pair of those.

3. Steve Jobs Biography $36.99

Steve Jobs biography. Because I want to read it.

4. Snuggie $20

I have been wanting a Snuggie in either blue or green for YEARS.

5. The Art of Shaving Badger Brush $75

I basically stopped using foam shaving cream and switched to cream based ones, so now a badger brush is a natural extension of that.

6. GNC AMP Stainless Steal Shaker Bottle $14.99

The GNC Shaker Bottle would be perfect since I hate dealing with the clumps in my shakes. Gross.

7. iPod nano watch $129

iWatchz have this site where you buy the strap and hook up your nano. The iPod nano watch is SO FREAKING COOL.

8. AppleCare for my MacBook Air $279

Because you know one day I'm going to need it.

9. Smallville Season 10 $45

I'm still pretty devastated this show is over. : ' (

10. Wii: Mario Kart Edition $149

I basically just want to play Mario Kart. Is that wrong?!

11. Phil & Sebastian coffee beans $16

Coffee = Life.

12. iTunes gift cards $???

I <3 music. 13. Chapters gift cards $???

I <3 reading. 14. Chinook gift card $???

The new expansion at Chinook is amazing. The sheer amount of high-end and "name" stores that reside in that place is astounding and a sign of just how "big city" Calgary has become. My favourite new stores are A&F, Urban Outfitters, Bench, Burberry, CK, Express and Guess.

tonight is the night.

So I know I said that with the mobile Blogger app I'd start blogging more but I guess I failed. : /

Quick recap:

Started job at Catch.
Next week am leaving said job at Catch.
Tomorrow I get to shave my mustache off.

michigan left.

Moxie's has been a big part of my life for the past 4 years now. Since moving to Calgary it's given me so many opportunities — opportunities I wouldn't have gotten anywhere else. I truly believe in the core values and beliefs the company promotes; and it really does feel like I was adopted into a family. I've gotten to meet so many people, some of whom have become amazing friends to me. I've gotten to do and learn things that I would never have experienced anywhere else. I've even gotten to live out a lifelong childhood dream with them. When I was a kid I wanted to be an astronaut, and my backup career was radio DJ. Hahaha. I realize how much of a nerd that makes me, but getting to be in control of the entire Moxie's playlist across the country was a way of living that dream of mine.

It's been 4 years and 2 months since I decided to apply at Moxie's. I didn't realize how much the course of my life would change just by the simple act of filling out an application. Had I not done it, I would never have realized how much I enjoyed working in restaurants and my life would have gone in a different, potentially less rewarding, direction. My experience with Moxie's made me realize the goal I want in my life, for now at least.

I am excited to start a new part of my life, and I am incredibly nervous as well. My only emotion stronger than nervousness right now is sadness. I admit it. I'm sad to leave Moxie's. It's like filing for divorce. You know you cannot keep going, but accepting that it's over is hard.

love you like a love song.

Heading in a new direction.

This is gonna be good. I can feel it.

last friday night (tgif).

I sincerely hope that my decision from earlier today doesn't come back and bite me in the ass.

I could have changed the course of my life today and I'll never know.

lighters.

The blogger department of Google finally pushed out a mobile app for iOS. Guess my wish came true, some 2 odd years later.... Guess I'll be able to blog on the go now.

hold my hand.

I've been very lucky my whole life. I've never experienced death. I've never had anyone close to me pass away, and those who have, I can't remember. My grandparents passed away when I was an infant so I have no recollection of them. I've gone 23 years without ever losing someone. The closest I've ever come to experiencing death was when Michael Jackson passed away and I actually felt sad. I didn't even know the guy and yet his death was the closest thing to mortality that I've ever experienced. Until now at least.

It's weird. This is something new to me. I'm still in complete shock. It's like there's a giant brick in the middle of the road in my mind that won't let me get past it. Every couple of minutes I just think back to the fact that she's dead. Gone. I literally can't get over it.

Yes, I've been very lucky up to this point in my life. But luck doesn't change the fact that it still sucks when it comes time to experience it.

Bye, Sami. You helped make Calgary feel like home when I never thought I'd get to experience home again.

sante fe.

I realize I haven't blogged in a while. iGeneration fail. However, I thought I would point out that I blogged in January that I hoped to upgrade my gadgets this year. A few months back I snatched up an iPad 2; and as of this past Monday I traded in my original 2006 Core Duo MacBook for a brand new 13" Core i5 MacBook Air. It's so sexxxy.

I've gotten 2/3 upgrades done, including the one I wasn't holding my breath out for (my new Mac). All I have left is to get the iPhone 5 when it comes out in the (supposed) fall and we'll be all set.

radioactive.

The Daily Blender: Alcoholic Drinks with Recipes Inspired by Harry Potter

i wanna go.

So part of my new years resolution was to read my magazines on time.

I have 3 I haven't gotten to and another one just came in the mail today.

Resolution fail.

rolling in the deep.

2 things:

1. The other day someone said my skin looked flawless. Then, the next day someone called me "skinny." It's taken a lot of effort to get to those two points in my life. Needless to say - I've been secretly ecstatic since. Someone deflate my ego now, haha.

2. I think I've started to outgrow PostSecret. It no longer means and represents the same thing to me now than 5 years ago. I can't explain why, but I think that's a good thing. I'm not in the same place I was all those years ago.

friday.

Yesterday was Thursday; today is Friday; tomorrow is Saturday; Sunday comes afterwards.

Fun, fun, fun, fun.

Yeah!

express yourself.

Seriously, Lady GaGa, there's only 1 Madonna - and you are not her.

Born This Way, my ass. Minus 10 respect points.

pharaohs & pyramids.

Zonoscope is so full of epic win I can't even describe it.

Worth the wait? Heellllll yeahhh.

I thought In Ghost Colours was amazing, and it still is. They're not "the same" but that's why they're both so great -- they're different. They took some of the best elements of In Ghost Colours and used them to make Zonoscope. It doesn't have any crashing beats like Lights and Music, but it flows on a synthpop dream trance that made Strangers In the Wind so damn good.

I'm in love.

girls with accents.

I'm super bummed out right now...

It's like when you're a kid and your parents tell you that you're moving cities...

pumped up kicks.

2011 is well under way. It's a shame. I kind of liked 2010. I got to graduate, I bought a car, I went on vacation, went to a bunch of concerts, and probably did other stuff I can't remember. I'm expecting to upgrade my gadgets in 2011, including an iPad, the new iPhone, and if things work out in my favour, a new Mac. I'm not holding my breath for that one just yet though.

Anyway, new years resolutions abound this time of year, so who am I to not follow the societal norm?

1. Finish my magazines on time. I subscribe to 2 magazines and I never get around to reading them until I'm 3 or 4 issues deep for both of them. Yikes.

2. Clean my room more often. I don't think I do it enough.

3. Try different booze. I tend to stick with what I know. I should branch out more often.

4. Visit different websites. I tend to visit the same 3 over and over again. More surfing, more discovering!

5. Try different personal products. I always use the same deodorant, body lotion, shampoo / conditioner, shaving gel, etc. WHY CAN'T I TRY NEW THINGS?! I see a pattern developing here....