"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." - Pablo Picasso

As you know, I am in Toronto for a short break before I have to start work in June.  Anytime I come home, my sisters and I (as well as our friends) try to find something new to do.  This time, we ended up going to this great little place on Queen Street called Paintlounge.  It is a cozy little art studio and cafe that my sister, Vanessa, ran across.  Paintlounge offers workshops for all skill levels, but we decided to go in for a freestyle session.  We each received our own little canvas and had access to a number of acrylic paints and supplies, to help us get our inner Picasso on!

Free styling can definitely be a little bit intimidating, but they also have little booklets available with several photos for inspiration. Once we got started, I think we all kind of found our groove and it was a lot of fun.  There was one couple in the studio painting before we arrived and they were very friendly.  They guy actually offered to take a polaroid of the four of us painting (see below). 

(My painting in progress)

(My nephew chillin by the window & waiting on us to finish)

Finally we were able to complete our mini masterpieces and I think they turned out quite well for our first times.  I would definitely be interested in going back to this place.  

P.S. I received the last of my final grades today and I actually managed to pull off a decent grade in Con Law.  I was really scared for that class and had no clue as to how my grade would turn out.  In the end, I completed my first year of law school with all A's and B's.  Straight A's would have been nice, but still, I am proud of myself.  I'm so happy to be done with 1L year and I cannot wait to see what 2L has in store for me!

Weddings Make Me Want To Get Married

The day after I arrived back in Toronto, I attended the wedding of a family friend.  It's so crazy to think that the people I grew up with are all getting married and starting their "real" lives.  In no way do I feel ready to be anyone's wife, but I have to admit that every time I go to a wedding, it makes me want it a little bit more.

I've never really enjoyed being the center of attention, so the thought of a big wedding never appealed to me.  I just felt like it would be too nerve wracking having all of those eyes on you, prying into your private affairs.  Considering the fact that I come from an enormous family though, small weddings aren't really an option!  Seriously, my side of the family alone could fill a church.  

This wedding made me appreciate the grandeur of such an occasion.  It really is a beautiful thing to have so many people come out and celebrate with you.  You could just feel that everyone was so genuinely happy for the young couple and it makes me think that maybe being the center of attention for just one day isn't so bad.  The dancing/music was incredible and I hadn't had that much fun in a long time (probably not since my sister's wedding last May) .... so it's official: I must really love weddings!

That day still isn't on the horizon for me but when it does arrive, I'm sure it will be big and beautiful.  I really am thankful to have so many people in my life that will be there to celebrate with me.

I Have A Life Again !

I should have spent today packing ... but instead I went to the beach with my girls and I don't regret it at all.  We went paddle boarding at Malibu Pier and we're all pretty new to it.  I was a little nervous at first because I have pretty extreme phobias of (1) getting swept away by a ridiculous current (2) getting eaten by a shark or annihilated by a whale.  I definitely had to get over both of those fears pretty quickly today and I'm glad that I did.  I had so much fun and realized the further out you get into the ocean, the safer it feels!  I'm not going to lie, I did go under a few times, but I managed to get back on the board without getting snatched by a sea creature.  Overall today was a win!  We ended the evening with dinner and drinks at Malibu Cafe.  I personally couldn't order any cocktails because I was DD for the day ... but I told the man to make me a virgin drink that was prettier than everyone else's.  He did a pretty good job.

I'm so happy to be on summer break and actually enjoy the company of good friends before we all start work.  I also have a write-on for law school that I should start on at some point ... but hey, til then ... surfs up!

It's Mother's Day ... Oh, And I'm A 2L !!!

First off, Happy Mother's Day to the greatest woman I know.  The older I get, the more I am able to realize just how hard my parents have worked to give my siblings and I the lives that we have.  I cannot wait to graduate from law school and get a good job so that I can give them something back.  By no means will I ever be able to repay them for everything they've done ... but hey, maybe at the very least, I can get them out of the cold so they can enjoy this beautiful Cali sunshine with me.

Second on the list: I completed my first year of law school on Friday and it was very anti-climactic.  I fully expected to be jumping for joy by the end of it, but instead I was just so beat.  The semester always seems to fly by and then final exams just drag on.  It's over now though and I couldn't be happier.  I'm no longer a little baby 1L .. I'm a 2L now :)  I celebrated a little bit by going out to the Bungalow Friday night with friends.  I had the most amazing night and I'm so grateful to be surrounded by so many great people.

Now that I have a little bit more free time, I will be paying more attention to this blog and hopefully coming back with some decent posts soon :)