The Worst Blogger in the World

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Hi...

It's me again... Erica...

Now I know what you're thinking but I had reasons! Bad reasons...but reasons nonetheless! I'd get into all my lame excuses but...I doubt you actually care. If anyone is even reading this at all! If you are, I thank you and lets begin.

So, it's been about 6 months and though not much has changed a lot has changed at the same time! Still super into knitting (Harry Potter Gryffindor Scarf is sort of almost done), I'm currently crocheting a Mollie Flower Blanket (aka puffy flower) for my lovely Hannah Sophia (for those of you who don't know, that is one of my future daughter's name. I've had it chosen since I was 8 years old, I'll post about her and my other love, Tessa, later) and will keep you posted on the progress, I've gotten into embroidery (by hand) and it is very hard   I'm currently working on a map of the USA and will also keep you posted. Tomorrow my Vovo is coming over and teaching me how to sew! I'm making Abby Cadabby shorts with a matching button-up shirt and you've guest it! I will be keeping you posted on that too.

UPDATE: here they are. 100% designed by me. 75% made by Vovo, 25% made by me..I'm learning okay!!

Over the winter I developed the worst seasonal depression I've ever experienced. This winter... It was the worst winter I've ever experienced. It was long, cold, dark, and icy! After I finished my dad's scarf, I wanted to start one for me but didn't have the right colours and my mom also went through a hard time this winter and was in a lot of pain for a long time and couldn't take me anywhere. Those weeks were the saddest, loneliest, darkest, and coldest times of my life. Knitting was my saviour, my everything. I can't begin to explain the dramatic change I had when I started again. It helped me concur my demons and I'm so thankful that's over.
Here's my scarf process:

Once my happiness returned, I got into gardening. I had a successful indoor garden for a while but spring never came! All my plants died because they didn't have enough warmth or sunlight or space for that matter. I started over again and currently my garden is finally blooming! I have two poppies that finally came right now out of the many still left to come. They're some of my favourite flowers and I'm getting more and more excited each day! My gorgeous Plum coloured Dahlia bush is also beginning to bloom. It is beautiful! My Bachelor Buttons are also gorgeous too.

Let's review so far:
Still knitting a Gryffindor scarf, starting to crochet a blanket for Hannah, embroidering a map of the USA is difficult, starting to learn how to sew, and earning my green thumb.

I'm also volunteering at an acting camp for kids (the same one I attended many years ago) where they're putting on Disney's Frozen and I'm seeing Katy Perry on Monday...I can hardly wait to check another thing off my bucket list!!

And finally, before I let you go, Happy One Year Anniversary Nicholas! (July 18, 2013) It's been one year since I've met you and your brothers and wow what an incredible day that was! Each day when I walk into my office I see that gorgeous frame with our picture and all your autographs reminding me of one of the best days of my life. I don't know what the future holds, but I'm very excited to see everything the three of you have up your sleeve and hopefully our paths cross again really soon. All my love, Erica.

 

Shout out to my Rachel Berry Gold Star necklace which has gone EVERYWHERE with me for big events in my life (except Katy Perry...kicking myself in the head but oh well)

Wish it. Dream it. Do it, people. I am determined to do my best to be back for good!

Future Self Part 1

Hello lovelies!

Okay here's something I wanted to do for almost a month now (WAH!) and I wanted to do a video (which I still have hopes of doing so maybe I'll revisit this) but life happens, right?

Basically every year I want to write something to my future self and at the same time, keep a record of myself in this present moment so I can compare as the years go on. I'm sure this isn't making much sense to you right now but bear with me for a second.

With this being said, lets get started!

January 7, 2014

Hello world. My name is Erica Natasia K. I'm 16 years old and live in Toronto. There is a lot I want to say and I don't know how this will pan out but let's give it a shot. I'm going to state some statistics for you first.

Name: Erica
Name I wish I had: Nora
Age: 16
Age I wish I was: hmm...today I wish I was 30
Favourite colour: Red (even though I'd rather have something in pink, I can't bring myself to admit it's my FAVOURITE colour because red has been my favourite for 16 years)
Favourite colour combinations: Red and Frosty Blue or Red and Purple
One sentence describing who I think I should have been (This is a very vague question...): A green eyed, redhead from Arkansas
Celebrity crush: Nick Jonas, Darren Criss, Jonathan Groff
Favourite female singer: Lea Michele. Katy Perry in a close second.
Favourite male singer: Nick Jonas and Darren Criss in a tie for first.
Favourite Band: Jonas Brothers
Favourite Cartoon movie(s): The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, Lilo and Stitch, The Emperors New Groove, Frozen, Despicable Me 2, Madagascar
Favourite Disney Princesses: Ariel, Rapunzel, Belle, Anna
Favourite baby related rom-coms: Life As We Know It, The Backup Plan, What to Expect When You're Expecting, Juno, Baby Mama
Favourite Bridal Rom-coms: Bride Wars, 27 Dresses, Made of Honour
Favourite Movie Series: Harry Potter
Favourite Books: Bossypants- Tina Fey, all Harry Potter books, all Ellen books, Twilight saga, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, To Kill a Mockingbird
Favourite little kid book: FANCY NANCY!
Favourite Musicals: Wicked, A Very Potter Musical, Hairspray
Favourite TV shows: New Girl, Glee, The Mindy Project, Arrested Development, Toddlers & Tiaras, Cheer Perfection
If I were to walk in on you watching TV what channel will it probably be on?: HGTV or the Food Network
List of Celebrities you've Met/taken a picture with/gotten an autograph from: Emma Watson, Kristen Wiig, Daniel Radcliffe, Nick Jonas, Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas, Jason Bateman, Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Bridgit Mendler, Taylor Swift, Mila Kunis, Adrian Brody, Kate Gosselin, Amy Poehler
Youtubers I watch: The ShayTards, Bratayley, KittiesMama, SuperMac18, NigaHiga, The Nive Nulls, Glozell, MR. ARTURO TREJO,
Favourite female celebs: Lea Michele, Katy Perry, Emma Watson, Amy Adams, Amy Poehler, Jennifer Garner, Katherine Heigle, Ellen DeGeneres, Taylor Swift, Melissa McCarthy, Sandra Bullock, Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling, Zooey Deschanel
Favourite male celebs: Nick Jonas, Darren Criss, Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, Josh Duhamel, Channing Tatum,
Friends (in no order): Jessica, Lindsey Jenna, Maryam, Kianah, Callie, Victoria, Jaime, Charlotte, Yasmine, Molina,
Obsessions: Nail Polish (over 80 bottles), pinterest
New Skills: Make-up, Knitting
Hobbies: Photography, singing, acting, dancing, knitting, baking, shopping, writing, playing sims 2, playing with dolls,
TV shows or movies: TV shows
Favourite places in the world: New York City, Los Angeles, Disney World, London, Hawaii, Texas, Arkansas
Motto: Wish it. Dream it. Do it.
Mantra: This Too Shall Pass
Strong believer in: The Secret

What I want to be when I grow up: Actress (Specifically TV and Film)
Backup Plans: CPA, Midwife, Doula, Writer, Photographer, teacher
Short term future goals (within a year): Lose weight, get my headshots taken, get an agent
Favourite girls names: Alexis, Avia, Abigail, April, Aria, Cecily, Corey, Caroline, Ellie, Emma, Emmy, Eloise, Faith, Grace, Gracie, Hannah, Hattie, Hallee, Hermione, JoHannahBelle, June, Katie, Katherine, Kenzie, Lea, Lorelei, Lorraine, Lila, Macy, Mia, Nora, Penelope, Pippa, Poppy, Perry, Quinn, Rosalie, Sophia, Santana, Summer, Serena, Tilly, Tessa, Violet,
Favourite boys names: Brady, Chase, Chandler, Cooper, Connor, Carter, Dash, Finley, Jack, Josh, Liam, Mack, Malcolm, Noel, Ross, Schmidt, Seth, Will
Set in stone children's names: Hannah Sophia, Tessa Claire, (and if I have a boy...) Finley, Dash
Where I see myself in five years (age 21): In Los Angeles successfully perusing acting
Where I see myself in ten years (26): A successful actress living in America with my husband
Where I see myself at age 30: A famous Actress married with at least one child if not two happily living in America
If I could tell my past self one thing what would it be?: PLEASE 13 YEAR OLD ERICA, DO NOT GET ADDICTED TO SUGAR AGAIN AND WORK YOUR A** OFF PLEASE!
What would you ask your future self: Do you have a happy life and how'd you get to where you are today?

Maybe I'll come and revisit this post throughout the year because I have so much more to say but there's too much going on in my brain to remember. So I hope you enjoy this.

What would you tell your younger self if you could and what would you ask your future self?

Wish it dream it do it.

The Random Post of December

(Please note: I will add pictures when I get around to uploading/editing them)

Hello everyone,

So, I'm officially 16 now. I wanted to do so much on my birthday for this blog but accomplished none of it because I was so busy.

That week, I spent 4 days straight baking with my mom for Christmas for at least 10 hours a day so when my birthday came, it was the first day that we weren't baking and I was utterly exhausted. My parents give me a midnight gift every year and this year I got: Harry Potter postage stamps, and Hungry Hungry Hippos. That game is a game my mom promised she would replace when she sold it when I was 6 years old...only ten years late mom ha-ha. She wont admit it but she sold it because I woke her up from a nap one day playing it and all of a sudden it was "Too loud and too big!" and "The box is broken!" and she said "I promise we'll buy a smaller version of it after I sell this one. Okay?" Yeah...the game now is way bigger and louder than it was back then so... Anyway, it was pretty funny and my parents and I played it last night.

The day of my birthday was very special. I woke up, went to school before it started to see some friends and then left as it begun and went to get some birthday Freebies with my mom! We went to Shoppers, Starbucks, and the Bay. Before the Bay, we went to Nadege (a yummy bakery) and got some Macarons and my favourite, an almond croissant! Then while we were up there, we went to Chapters to pick up a gift for my dad and my mom got a Christmas gift for me. For lunch we got a Borrito and then visited Vovo.

We went home for a two hour nap and when we got up, my mom gave me another gift. I got the Taylor by Taylor Swift perfume box set and a Lancome lip gloss that I've wanted for a long time.

My friend Jessica came over later and gave me the most incredible birthday card ever. She even made a PlayBill of our "up coming" musical about our many years of friendship! The different scene names sound hilarious and maybe I'll take a picture for you another time. She gave me the new Katy Perry perfume, Killer Queen, boxset and were going to go watch a Second City show! We went out for dinner at one of my favourite restaurants out in Brampton and we saw the most beautiful lighting ever. Oh I almost forgot! Before we left for that, my parents gave me a...ZOOM LENS! 70-300MM WITH IS AND USM! I am totally in love with it!

My party was the the Saturday after and it was busy but fun and I got lots of money to order things I wanted online (Hooray for SensEpil Flash & Go!) And then, there was an ice storm...

Almost all our family and friends lost power and we housed a couple of them while that was happening. All the way until Christmas! (Which was yet another lonely Christmas read Confessions of a Lonely Child for more) I had a great Christmas though. Lots of great stuff including a lens hood for my new lens. Loving my paint by numbers and Rainbow Loom along with lots more. Santa got me a pink hair dryer (because ours is 20 years old and it's funny because I was going to buy that for myself!) and an ice cream maker!!! (Funny side note: I asked my dad if we could get an ice cream maker three days before that and he told me "You know what...we'll just buy ice cream..." and he didn't tell my mom (who would then tell Santa) and so Santa got me that with no hints whatsoever!)

Santa has a tradition now of giving me kitchen appliances... two years ago, I got my waffle maker, last year I got a cake pop maker, and this year I got an ice cream maker. Love it! My stockings were so fun this year too.

On boxing day I went out to buy a speedlite (aka flash) for my camera because it was $120 DOLLARS CHEAPER! Canon Speedlite 430EX II is my new baby. It took me less than 8 minutes to get it which is great. My photography has improved immensely already. Totally in love. I'll do a Camera Bag tour when my new camera bag comes in the mail.

On the 23rd, I almost forgot, I got my G1!

My holidays were great and I hope yours were too.

Wish it. Dream it. Do it.

WE Day 2013

This is a post that was supposed to be written and published around the second week of September. This post is dedicated to my dear friend, Molina.

Hi friends!

I'm pretending it's September and so should you for just this one post... I got an incredible opportunity to attend WE day 2013. WE day is this big motivational concert-esque event where people all over that specific City/State/Provence, in this case Toronto, who have made a difference in the world/their community/their school come to hear really touching stories about people who have made a difference on Earth and listen to some amazing artists who have donated a lot of their time and money to charities. My favourites this year were The Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, and Darren Criss who was the host. All my pictures are on a camera that I don't know where it is at the moment so I'm sorry that this is a picture-less post :(

Side note: I'm an idiot for not writing this sooner because I've lost the immense motivation that I had right after attending...stupid stupid stupid.

At first, I was sitting way up high behind the stage at the ACC for when JB came on but I still enjoyed it! My mom has a friend, named Claudia, who works at the ACC and she was able to move me down to the floor after their performance. Some of the stories I heard were so touching and sad and inspirational. I couldn't help but cry. It's horrible knowing there are people out there living in such horrible circumstances around the world. And to hear that bullying is still happening is just a disgrace!

Half way through the event, Claudia united me with her daughter, Molina, and bought me lunch (Cheese Pizza from Pizza Pizza at arenas/concert venues are just so much better! Seriously my favourite!) I sat with Molina and her friend for the rest of the event super close to the stage as I continued to hear inspirational and motivational stories from some incredible people. Darren Criss kept entering and exiting right where we were sitting and I screamed his name very very loudly and he looked at me and we both smiled and waved at each other...It was great!

If you get the honour of going to WE day, please take that opportunity. You wont regret it! You will come out feeling thankful, motivated, and inspired.

Here's a video from some YouTubers I watched named MuggleSam. They went to WE day too! Check it out:



Wish it. Dream it. Do it.

The Jar

Hi guys!

This week has been interesting... Today is another special occasion so I get sugar! My mom has noticed my lack of motivation and how discouraged I have been lately so she has come up with a way to motivate me.

It's called the Workout Jar.

There are seven rules to the Workout Jar. Here's an instagram of my first dollar in it from last night!

I know it's hard to see but I have this nice vase that I place money into every time I workout. But there are rules.

Rules of the Workout Jar:

1. You Must Workout Once a Day (however, you are aiming for twice a day)

2. Every Workout is Worth One Dollar!

3. If you miss a day (aka. one workout) you must make up for it another time.

4. When you make up for it, that workout is only worth fifty cents!

5. Having sugar on a non-sugar day results in one workout.

6. That one workout, if done the same day, is worth 50 cents.

7. If that one workout is made up for on a different day, it is only worth 25 cents.

Notes: 

A sugar day is one of the following: A special occasion (Party, birthday, holiday, celebration), or a bad day (like a really bad day. A day that is so bad, you cry) [Note* you probably shouldn't be eating away your feelings. Limit yourself. You don't have these days often]

Your workouts may be "blown off" (aka rule 3 does not apply) for the following reasons: You are too sick to do it, it is your birthday, it is a holiday and you don't have time to workout[If you have time, you better do it], you are having a bad day.

DO NOT MAKE EXCUSES NOT TO, YOU ARE ONLY COSTING YOURSELF MONEY AND RESULTS!

My mom is so kind to be willing to do this for me to help me out. Half my earnings will go towards my concert savings and the other half to spend and/or save.

How do you motivate yourself to workout?

Wish it. Dream it. Do it.

Confessions of a Lonely Child.

Hello all!

So...I assume most, if not all, of you have siblings. And you may or may not get along. If you get along, I am weeping on the inside. If you don't, I am weeping on the inside.

Please though, do not EVER tell an only child they are lucky. We are messed up people for the most part. We are almost like a different race. You will never understand the hardships of being one and I guarantee you that if your siblings were not there, you would feel the same as me or worse.

I wrote an essay on this topic for school this week and I'd like to share it with you.

This is for all the siblings out there. Be grateful. Be loving. Be kind. After all, you are more related to them than anyone else on this planet. There is a relationship there that I will never experience. Now, I obviously can't speak for every only child out there, but this is my experience:

The “Lonely” Child

           

            “Don’t get offended or anything,” a friend began to tell me. “But when I was younger, I used to think they were called lonely children!”
“They should be called that!” I expressed. “That’s exactly what we are.”
              Throughout my whole life, I have always marvelled at siblings and for every time I uttered the words “I wish I had a sibling,” people would always tell me how lucky I am for being an only child. But they don’t understand. Sure, there were times when my parents asked if I wanted a sibling and I’d answer “NO!” as quickly as I possibly could. But there were also times when I’d sit in my room crying miserably because I could really use an older sibling to talk to. I yearned for someone to laugh with about how ridiculous my mom looks when she brushes out her hair, to share family memories with, to be asked to “look like you love each other” when taking a photo, to share half my cookie with, to hug and snuggle when I’m feeling exceptionally lovey. I wanted to cheer for my older brother at his baseball game or hand a bouquet of roses to my little sister after her first dance recital; I wanted someone to love. And I still do.

 When I see siblings smiling in pictures together as teenagers, I cry. When I see them together in my school, I cry. When they tell me how much they wished they could be an only child, I cry. They don’t understand. I guess the saying’s true: you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone…

Let’s go back to the beginning. My dad is an only child and my mom has a brother who she’s now great friends with. I have no first cousins. All my second cousins are at least 45 years old. I have five third cousins, three of which live in Montreal and I don’t get along with. Out of the two remaining, one is a girl, Callie, who is eight months older than me and the other a boy, Jake, who is two years younger. Growing up, my mom would try to have us spend as much time together as possible by driving to Hamilton every weekend for years to visit those two cousins. At some point, we went every other weekend until slowly, we only got to see each other a few times a year. I was closer with Jake when we were little, but now Callie and I are BCFF’s (best cousin friends forever, like Sophia Grace and Rosie from Ellen). They are the only kids in my family that I get to see. I got along great with other kids growing up, but now I have an issue.

Lonely children have the advantage of learning advanced social skills from a young age because we are constantly only surrounded by adults. We are used to talking to adults who talk to us like we’re real people not just kids... We’ve known how to entertain ourselves for long periods of time from before we were potty trained; something our sibling friends still don’t seem to know how to do most of the time. Because I was the first and only child in the family, everyone adored me. My mom tried as hard as she could to stop “Only Child Syndrome (OCS)” early on by doing to me what I did to her. “Did you like it when mommy bit you?” “No.” “Mommy didn’t like it when you bit her either! Erica, you have to think of others. Before you do something, think about if you’d like it done to you. Okay?” “Okay mama, sorry.” And that stuck in my head to my detriment. I put everyone before me. Their happiness mattered most. I wouldn’t like to be told that I was being mean, so I didn’t say it to people when they were being mean to me. That led to depression. When that got too much, my parents sat me down and fixed their mistake. They told me “yes you have to think of others but you are the most important person. You have to be true to you and speak up for yourself.” I still put others before me but if I don’t like something, everyone around me knows it. And it better change. Fast.

The holidays are the absolute worst for me. It used to be okay when I was younger because my cousins would come to celebrate with me. I’d have people to talk to and have fun with. Now, they’re spent with people over the age of 44 who are too tired or too busy to do anything with me. They’re also my family so they like to criticize me whether they know they’re doing it or not. I’d rather not spend Christmas Eve crying so I go to my room and play Sims 2 until midnight because that’s when we open presents. I have a quick break for dinner at nine and dessert at 10:45pm, but other than that, my Sims and their huge families are living it up at their Christmas Eve celebration. Yes you heard me right, I sit alone in my room making sure my Sims have a good time on Christmas Eve because I’m not. The holidays are hours upon boring hours of eternal loneliness that I am forced to endure by myself with my boring practically non-existent family. Do you love your siblings yet?

Let’s fast forward. Have you ever heard the saying “friends come and go but family is forever?” What if you don’t have any family? Who would I call in the middle of the night in case of an emergency? Who will be there to morn with me at my parent’s funeral? Who will I have to reminisce about family memories with when my parents are gone? No one can now anyway, and the only people who have a more distorted vision of your childhood, other than yourself, are your parents.  So even they can’t reminisce with you sometimes. Who will be there for me no matter what when my parents are gone? Once they’re gone, they’re gone. I will be walking this Earth alone.

I will have to support my parents alone. All the pressure is put on me. If I mess up, my parents can’t hope that at least one of us ends up all right. I need to make them proud because I’m all they’ve got and all they will ever have. I have to be extra careful around my friends so I don’t lose them. I will never be a true aunt. My children will never have an aunt or uncle on my side. There’s something special about siblings cheering you on oppose to your parents, aunts, or even friends to me. I will never feel the joy of having my older brother being proud of me or my little sister pointing to my graduating photo and exclaiming “That’s my sister! She got a full scholarship to her university!” to all her friends at school. I will have no cute sibling moments on the red carpet when I’m a famous actress. Basically, I have no one but myself and my parents and for now that’s fine, but it won’t last forever.

Only children have a stigma. We’re all rude, selfish, self-absorbed, ignorant, greedy, needy, clingy, indecisive, inconsiderate, antisocial, and many other things along those lines. Now, most of those are true in some way or another but whenever you tell people you’re an only child, they give you a sceptical look and make rude comments like “You don’t seem like an only child.” Or “That makes a lot of sense.”

            Can I share a secret with you? I have a million friends that other people just can’t see.

They are all celebrities or fictional characters. They are my imaginary friends and I still talk to them on a daily basis. They’re not all with me at once. That gets too complicated. Depending on which celebrity I’m especially into at the time, they come and hang out with me whenever I want. Sometimes they’re my parents, sometimes they’re my siblings, sometimes they’re my friend.  Most only children, (if they will actually admit it) have imaginary friends.  People often ask if I’ve ever had imaginary friends and I just laugh because I still do and my imaginary friends have imaginary friends!

As I aforementioned, I used to socialize really well but now it’s a problem. I cannot be around people for particularly long stretches of time. I’m talking about even as little as two hours in some cases. I crave the solitude because I’m not used to doing things with other people. In fact, I tend to choose to be by myself whenever I can. Either that or do something with my mom. This is because most teenagers do not have the maturity level that I am used to socializing with. Growing up, I’d rather hangout with my mom’s friends than my mom’s friend’s kids, who were my own age or a bit older or younger. I’d always complain to my mom, “You’re so lucky! You get to hang out with them! I get to hang out with their kids…” I realized this maturity level thing early on, and kids are crazy. I would secretly refer to myself as the 30 year old in an 8 year olds body because I longed for that kind of socializing. As you get older in your childhood, adults tend to not want to hang out with you as much and I was forced to hang out with immature people who I wanted nothing to do with.  Now that I’m a teen, they like to talk to me again but it was a rough few years without them… However I do have friends that I like to hang out with for long periods of time. In fact, despite our self-centeredness, only children are extremely loyal! I value the relationships I have with my friends and if we’re close, I will do anything and everything for you because I am so thankful that I have someone I’d rather spend my time with than being alone. Despite the very few, select group of friends I have, I’m worried about how all this loneliness will affect me as I age. Only time will tell.

I grew up with false knowledge that my parents are my equals and I still pay the price by getting in trouble whenever I act upon that false knowledge. "You are not my mother!" Is a typical thing my mom will yell at me. I also find myself attracted to older people in all aspects of my life. My closest friends are all older than me and I seem to have crushes on boys who are at least three or four years older than me. That's just the way it is. Because I was socialized and still am socialized with such an older crowd, I seek for that in my relationships. I get along better with the teachers than the students for goodness sake! This makes school incredibly hard, I'm lucky I have as late of a birthday as I do; everyone is basically a year older than me.

I know for a fact that I will have a family consisting of a minimum of two or four kids and I will mom-blog my heart out when the time comes because I would never wish being an only child on even my worst enemy. I can’t wait to experience siblings through my children. I have a whole plan to make them love each other already.

This is one of my favourite songs from Glee sung by my girl Lea Michele/Rachel Berry. She understands.
Do you love your siblings yet? I would love to hear your thoughts so please share. Again, this is just a little glimpse at what I feel and go through as a lonely child. I hope you have a better respect for your brothers and/or sisters now. Give them a big hug for me and tell them you love them because I will never be able to do that. Ever.

The Woman Who Started It All: Love Is In The Mix

Hey everyone!

Today was very exciting because I got to meet a lovely lady who basically started my love for children, multiples, and large families. I watched her kids grow up as I grew up myself. I was barely eight when I started watching and I would lay in bed after every episode and think "Oh...how I wish I was one of her kids! How cool would it be to meet her? One day..." I cried when the show came to an official end...a lot...and today, I got to meet the mom behind it all.

If you've guessed the show I'm talking about is Jon & Kate Plus 8 and Kate Plus 8, then you'll know the lady who I met was none other than Kate Gosselin

She was so lovely! She's a very nice woman but little eight year old me wished to see her short hair again. Over the summer they had the front cover of People Magazine and as soon as I saw it, my mom bought it for me and I saw the beautiful, grown-up faces of little sweethearts my heart swelled for as I watched in awe of the amazing family.

She was at Indigo at Yorkdale promoting her book, Love is in the Mix. I've already got my eye on a couple recipes.

So she signed the book for me!

And I brought her gifts for her kids and got to chat with her.

I'll tell you the gist of our conversation. 

I went up to her smiling face and told her I had home-made hair bows for the girls and that I couldn't forget about the boys and brought them some cars. She told me how thoughtful and amazing I am. I pointed out that there was a letter in the bags for her to read later. She told me she would and pointed out the Giraffe on the boys gift bag and how adorable it was. While she began signing, I told her I started watching the show when I was eight. She then said "Yeah...and then it ended!" "I know...and I cried...a lot" "Me too..." I told her she was a big part of my childhood. I asked her how she was and when she was done signing, the lady took a picture of us (shown way above) and then I was on my way. I thanked her and said how nice it was to meet her and she thanked me. And then I left to go home with a sense of utter joy because, other than a Baby Story on TLC, her family sparked my love for children. So thank you Kate Gosselin, for everything.

Oh, in case you were wondering, check this out:

(No...I haven't had these photos saved on my computer since I was eight years old...Also, No copyright intended)

Now look at this: 

(Photos from here and here)

It was amazing and I think I will be watching some Jon and Kate later... I miss my Hannie and the whole crew.

So, Gosselin Family, if you're reading this, I hope you enjoyed the hair bows Cara, Mady, Alexis, Hannah, and Leah. And Aaden, Collin, and Joel, I hope you enjoy my favourite toy cars and I really do hope you write me back. It would literally make my year.

And so, the secret prevails once again. It only took about seven years but it happened. It would be awesome to meet her kids one day too but she's the one who brought them here.

Wish it. Dream it. Do it, guys. I'm tellin' ya!

Big thank you to Kate. Follow her on Twitter and check out her Blog