All Apologies

Alright, alright I realize I've been a slackity slacker. I know it's unacceptable. But to be fair I've been kind of busy. Like a lot busy. Let me explain. Here are the top 7 reasons I have sucked as a blogger of late:

1. I got a new job. Actually not a new-new job but a promotion at my old-old job. So I'm now assistant production manager. It's nice. I mean I haven't given up on my PR dreams or anything but it's nice to be able to breathe for a bit and also...get paid for my work. Thanks for nothing internships :P

2. I moved. That's right. I no longer live with my mommy. (Okay truth be told I love my mom more than anything and loved living with her. I had a great time at home, but it was time to go.)

3. I went on vacation. The day after I moved in to my new place my friends and I went on a roadtrip across this great nation of ours all the way to visit another friend in Prince Edward Island. (Thanks Herman!)

We also did ALL things Anne of Green Gables because...I'm obsessed. Seriously. Why do you think I dyed my hair red? Jk, jk...ahem.

Road trippers at Dalvay Beach in PEI.

Mecca. I mean Green Gables. <3

4. I bought a car...that since moving out on my own I will no longer be able to afford so I now have to sell. Also I failed my driver's test. Yep...go me. (Currently practicing my patootie off so I can actually not be a hazard on the roads. Thanks dad! You have the patience of a saint.)

5. I was kinda seeing someone, only not, only kinda, only not again.  Onwards to better people in my life. Come on Hamilton...you can't only have these wishy, washy dudes kicking around. (fingers & toes crossed)

Whoa...that's graphic...and extreme.

6. I was in a wedding. One of my oldest and bestest friends married the man of her dreamz. Candace and Andrew tied the knot on September 21st, 2013 and it was a lovely day.

PS. One of my other friends Amanda recently became engaged and has asked me to be in her wedding as well. So much love happening around me! (Wait...how many times a bridesmaid, never a bride? CRAP!)

The beautiful bride and her ladies. Thanks for asking me to be part of your day! <3

7. It was summer and then fall and like...I have a life :P

Anyways to my loyal (and few) readers I thank you so much for understanding. I know you know life can just make a better door than a window sometimes.

So what happens now? I suppose I will start being a better blogger. Hamilton has lots going on that I can focus on. I mean...I know we're no Toronto and our Mayor hasn't brought us world wide headlines but we're still pretty awesome. Actually maybe more awesome since our Mayor  is presumably NOT a crackhead.

Nuff said.

Hamstown in finter (that weird time between fall and winter)(TM) is very pretty and you can feel the excitement all around as the population prepares for Christmas and other winter celebrations. Something has happened to me guys...I think I have somehow found a bit of Christmas spirit this year.

It is November 9th and I have already had my apartment decorated for the season for over a week. Who am I? I am supposed to be all Grinchly. I blame the kids. Those sweet, loving, adorable children in my life who make me feel all warm and gross with this yuletide glow. Yuck.

 Look at these faces. They make me believe in Santa...well you get what I mean.

Not to worry I'm sure it will wear off soon. A person can only take so many malls playing Christmas music before they snap. Snapity, snaps a lot.

I feel like I've gotten off track somewhere. All I was trying to say is that there's stuff coming up in the city that I'll most likely attend and write about. So look for it. Stay tuned. Check back. Same Tamara time, same Tamara channel. (Okay that didn't really work but I'm gonna leave it because I love batman.)

Hope you're out there enjoying all that Hamilton has to offer on this lovely, crisp finter(TM) day.

Finter. Is it fall? Is it winter? What do I wear? I'm so confused.

Out With The Old

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I know, I know it's about 18 days too late. I do apologize for that but I have been busy. Like actually busy. I'm not just saying that. Heck you were probably busy as well so I don't know why I'm explaining myself to you.

December was a great month. It flew by without giving me a chance to write about exciting things that took place.

Let's see, there was Christmas but really what's more important than that? My birthday of course! It just so happens to fall on the same day as Christmas. Way to take the spotlight away from me baby Jesus. Real nice.

Of course I had to celebrate my birthday before my actual birthday and it was great! It all started in the morning when I looked at Twitter and saw that the Arkells had Tweeted that they were going to be shooting a music video at This Ain't Hollywood on James St. N and they were looking for fans to be extras. Obviously I had to do it. Laura was in as well and we headed on down to go be in a music video! How exciting!

It was very interesting to watch it all and I must say that I really respect the band for sticking with their home town. They've definitely had enough success to film music videos elsewhere but they continue to pay homage to the Hammer and to their roots. It's great to see that their feet are safely on the ground.

The video hasn't been released yet but I'm excited to see if Laura and I made the cut. Maybe we'll be on your teeeeveeee some day, maybe not. Either way it was a lot of fun. Here's an older video from Arkells.

Here's a picture of me "on set"...I'm such a nerd.

That's one of the directors in the background. Hollywooood!! :P

After our day of pretending to be important, glamorous film stars it was time to head to the most important red carpet event of the day. My birthday party. Now I won't divulge how old I turned because a lady never reveals her age. Wait a second...I'm not a lady! Okay I turned 28. Egads! That was harder than I thought.

I celebrated my old age with a low key celebration at the neighbourhood pub, Ye Olde Squires. I really love the atmosphere there, plus their food is pretty awesome as well. It was all very nice and once again my friends made me feel very special and loved.

This is not the whole party. Some of them had left already but this is most of the gang!

My friends like to make me act a fool. I will admit that it was pretty yummy :P

It's my party and I'll lie on the floor of a pub with my best friend if I want to.

After the epicness that was my birthday (thanks Squires staff btw) Christmas kind of paled in comparison so I will just move right along to New Years Eve.

My friends and I kind of failed to come to a cohesive decision about what to do. Apparently you have to plan this one evening months in advance and as a group that is made up of some couples and some singles it's hard to find something that won't make people feel left out. Anyways we ended up all kind of splitting off and that is fine. I think everybody got to do what they wanted and had a good new years.

My little group went to Milestones. They had a special NYE evening going on and the menu was delicious! It was only my second time there but boy do they have some yummy food. After dinner My friends Erin and Amanda and her boyfriend Gary came back to my place. My family was having a NYE board game extravaganza. Unfortunately we took so long at dinner that we only made it back juuust in time to drink some champagne and ring in 2013.

I have pretty, pretty friends! <3

My lovely little niece was my kiss at midnight! She promptly passed out right after the ball drop!

That seems to bring us to January. I got a job doing communications consulting for the Community Centre for Media Arts (CCMA). It is part time and a contract position BUT it is definitely a step in the right direction. I started last week and am happy to report that so far I'm really enjoying it! It's a bit of a relief after stressing for so long about ever finding a job in my field, especially one in Hamilton. I think it is going to be really good for me.

Aside from that January has allowed me to make some great memories with friends. Karaoke at The Staircase Theatre (go check this place out, you'll thank me) is just one of those great memories. That was such a fun night and Amanda even convinced me to sing (to the absolute shock and horror of all others in the room).

Olivia Newton John...eat your heart out.

If January is any indicator 2013 may just be my year. I have so much to look forward to. My sister will have her baby (so soon I can't wait!), I get to do some cool things in my volunteer role at the CNIB, there are a couple travel opportunities which I am so excited for and who knows, maybe even doors opening for me in the career corridor of my life.

Bring it on 2013. Bring it on!

Oh Come All Ye Faithful...Or Whatever

As some of you may or may not know I can be a bit of a grinch about the holidays. Maybe it's because my birth was unlucky enough to fall on the same day as the sweet baby Jesus or maybe I just hate how commercialized Christmas has become OR maybe I'm just an angry person underneath and crowded malls and the sappy, stupid look people get this time of year just really get my blood boiling. Either way I can at least admit that I am a tad irrational about my holiday hatred and you know...they say the first step is admitting you have a problem.

No spirit eh well...here I am dressed as Santa for charity. I was also the victim of a random mistletoe attack.

Now don't get me wrong, some things do still give me that warm, goofy feeling of sugar plum fairies and candy canes. Very few. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, the way my mom won't let anybody in the living room in the morning so we can't see what "Santa" left us, and in the past couple of years the Holiday Makers' Market on James Street North are what get me in the Christmas spirit.

Market Poster

James Street North has become so popular in Hamilton thanks to art crawls and supercrawls and yes many of the vendors at the holiday market are regulars at those crawls but something about going to this particular market just screams Christmas to me.

I have been a regular attendee to this market for the past few years and I have found amazing, beautiful, handmade gifts every year. Something about giving somebody something they can't buy in a store and that nobody else in the world has but them is so special. Plus getting my shopping done there and avoiding the chaos of the mall doesn't hurt either. 

Make it one of your traditions!!

Plenty of great, original gift ideas all under one big beautiful roof. Christ's Church Cathedral, located at 252 James St. North really reminds me of Europe. The cathedrals I've seen over there are just awe-inspiring. Even if you're not religious the beauty can still really move you. I've had those experiences. I cried in Notre Dame in Paris because I was so moved. Christ's Church doesn't bring me to tears but for a church in Hamilton it is really very beautiful. I think it's funny that I love churches so much but am not religious, funny really.

Anyways the whole point of this was not to go on a tangent about religion, or churches or hating Christmas but it was to tell you that the Holiday Makers' Market is taking place THIS Saturday at Christ's Church Cathedral!! If, like me, you are not finished (or started) your holiday shopping you should definitely come check it out. I can almost guarantee you will find something wonderful. In fact it may be so wonderful that you decide to keep it for yourself instead of giving it as a gift.

Happy shopping.

Oh and PS. If none of this is enough to draw you down to the holiday market I must tell you that many of Hamilton's food trucks will also be attending. There. Now you have to come. See you there!! I'll be the slightly green one who's heart grew 3 sizes.

Holidays In The Hammer.

Just because it’s cold and blustery outside doesn’t mean that you should hide indoors for the whole winter. Hamilton has lots to offer to warm your hearts this holiday season. Whether you want to experience an old fashioned Christmas or you want to indulge in some modern art, Hamilton has it all!

If you like history you can harken back to days of yore by visiting Dundurn Castle for a Victorian Christmas. Decorated in the authentic way the castle may have looked for the MacNab family in 1855. Victorian Christmas runs from Saturday, November 26, 2011 to Saturday, December 31, 2011 (Closed Mondays).

For those folks who want to brave the outdoors you could visit Westfield Heritage Village every Saturday in December (except for Christmas Eve) from 5pm to 9pm for ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas. It is a celebration of Christmas past and present. You can warm yourself with seasonal drinks and food while wandering around the historic village.

For the less traditional out there you can cozy up by the fire and listen to some Victorian ghost stories by candlelight. Haunted Hamilton presents An Old Man Young Christmas on December 18th at 8pm at The Parlour in the Historic Mansion at The Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

If, like the Grinch none of these holiday events make your heart grow three sizes and you are on Christmas overload The Art Gallery of Hamilton is a good way to escape the hustle and bustle of the season. With local and world art that will help take your mind off the stress that the holidays can cause. Don’t miss the Masters of French Realism on until January 15th.

So as nice as it is to slip into your flannel PJs and hibernate on the couch in the winter don’t forget that there’s always something happening in Hamilton. For more winter activities and ideas visit http://www.tourismhamilton.com/.

Gore Park during the Holidays

(Photo by Kerry Wah)