Christmas – before and after!

December 30, 2009

A week before Christmas comes my favourite thing about Christmas….decorating the tree! Luana came over to help, but first we needed to get into our Xmas tree decorating outfits…   

we're ready!

While decorating we looked through all the decorations my parents kept from christmas past…..there were some new ones from this year, and from each year…ahhhhh yes christmas is all about “junk” but beautiful junk. Here are our favourite ornaments that best represents Christmas in the 1970s…   

mushroom ornaments :)

 The tree turned out pretty….so did the rest of the apartment:   

Christmas Tree 2009

 At least this year my decorations didn’t get removed and put into the back. Unlike last year where my stupid roommate and her mom took the decorations off the tree I bought – I shall never forget the rudeness!! pffffffffff this year the tree was untainted.   

and what better way to celebrate then to make reference to LADY GAGA by doing the gaga pose :)    

Gaga!

ga ga!

 The only place you’ll wanna be is underneath my Christmas tree…..lets falalalalaaa lalalaa 
and then it happened. Christmas came!!!! and went sooooooo quickly!

The aftermath: SANTA CAME!!! even to Vienna! yeeeeee  xmas!

Vienna Christmas 2009

my whole family was really happy to see all the presents, but my Cat Chanel showed the most enthusiasm as she hid within the presents….what a character that Chanel the lion cat!  

Chanel hearts Christmas!

and another Christmas has come to an end..there was presents, and family, and TURKEY, and relaxing and TURKEY leftovers and of course a little partying on the side, because you can’t leave DANCING out of a vacation. Now I am back at work until New Years which will be the next big celebration! My last new years in Vienna.   

Then off to Rome for an Italian adventure <3 I hope everyone is having a great holiday season!!!   

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Sample of Downtown Lights During the Winter

December 23, 2009

This is what it looks like in the centre in Vienna during Winter, all winter (up to february). This is the main strip (a.k.a. the Graben)

and…

conclusion: Winter in Vienna is beautiful <3

p.s. can’t wait for Ball Season! Have my tickets for IAEA ball ready, just need a date :)

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United Nations – Rotunda Tree

December 21, 2009

The tree that sits in the middle of the rotunda, a little meager, but better than nothing. THANKS CITY OF VIENNA for sending the UN the best charlie brown christmas tree I ever did see…

…here is my enthousiasm

christmas is approaching!

and as the Christmas tree appeared at the UN, it was a sad day to see one of my best friends here, Mandy leave…but a department is not complete without an intern picture…

classic photo take 1

classic pic take 2

and soon this group of interns will go….this is group 3 or 4 i’ve seen come and go now. ohhhhhhhh I have been here a while! It’s almost been a year now!

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Chanel the lion Cat & Crazy Shitzus

December 20, 2009

Chanel got her make over again….here is a before picture

Chanel - before

and then she was transformed, from Chanel the Cat – to Chanel the Lion Cat!

CHANEL - after

some people might say this is mean or cruel – it is not! she might not like the process but after she is sooo happy not to have long clumpy hair she feels free:

look how happy she is

ahhhh the animals are great entertainment & great company too…

clueless dog.

Chanel (the lion cat), Sunny (pictured above), and Lenny (newest addition) are quite the group….the second generation of pets i have. yes I am a loser for making a post about them….but they are funny…I also enjoy singing to my cat and video taping it :)

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CaraVision a.k.a. Caren Hood Classic!!!

November 27, 2009

I love how when I tell my Mom I’m going on a date and I won’t be home until tomorrow – this is fine.  It should be now though since I AM an adult. Very cool!!!

 HOWEVER – The fact I am NOT wearing a dress is the problematic issue apparently. I love getting stopped at the door when I’m about to leave the house for a hawt date and being told i should wear a dress! LOL I love my parents sometimes for being old fashioned!

***

My code name is now:  Caren Hood the Dragan Fighter. Gotta love a man in uniform.

bad romance.  ohhhh good times!  and i’m BACK IN THE GAME!

p.s. i love her.

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Genius – H1N1

November 20, 2009

So…alot of my office mates are getting the Swine Flu! I told my friend Ben who is better now to make a t-shirt that says: “I survived the Swine Flu”  or “KISS ME IM H1N1″

they survived/are surving it…are you?!

oh picture below….pure genius!!

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Thank You Emma Bell Fashion

October 21, 2009

This girl is making me a dress! A lady gaga inspired dress I can debut halloween! I am soooooo stoked! We had a little creative session on the weekend! I REALLY Hope I can find the proper hair extensions, wigs, and accessories this weekend!

Emma Attack promotional Video:

London Fashion Week:

I love the perfomance artist who opens the show!!! It’s soooo cool!

This weekend I am planning on collaborating with her to make a voxpop video remix, I will interview people or do a segment of something silly and we are going to make a proper youtube video out of it! REMIX STYLE!

stay tunnnnned!

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CaraVision One Liners – Golden

October 11, 2009

ohhhhh its wonderful to be in love! It brings happiness, and joy and funtimes anywhere….ahhhhhh young love!!! Happy times call for funtimes, which then are followed by funny things that are done and said!! Here is a summary of the recent quotes that come to mind

***

Prater fairground weird statues

Hailey: ummmmm people are posing with the statues

Cara: butttttt no one is taking any pictures

(nor was there any camera)

***

Cara: DVDS! I LOVE DVDs, you can’t get DVD deals in Vienna, they don’t have bins. The five dollar bins. WE HAVE TO GO TO WALMART TO BUY DVDs…DVDS DVDS DVDS

Kim: Wow, didn’t know you felt so strongly about DvD’s

Cara: well now you do.

enter night out clubbing night and seeing alot of old friends

Random: so how come your visiting Ottawa? its wack!

Cara: i came to shop at walmart and buy DVDs

enter after partying

Daniel: Wanna come to my house, this party is getting lame…

Cara: ummmmm I don’t know

Daniel: We can watch DvDs

Kim: really? because Cara LOVES DVDS!

dvds.

***

Kenny: CARA I LOVE YOU COME STAY WITH ME, I WILL BUY YOU ONE DRESS A MONTH

Cara: One dress a month?!? that changes EVERYTHING!

***

3:45 fight by the fountain, no principles, no student teachers. United Nations? or International High School?

I’ve decided, have you?

***

pokerface night.

Jorge: Cara the strategy is that you have to analyze the card situation….

Cara: JUST TELL ME MY OPTIONS! MY OPTIONS! DO I CHECK OR DO I BET?

pokerface!!!!

Cara: I just want to live an alternative lifestyle! i’m sick of pokerfacing life!

***

Random: who is this kenny guy? your boyfriend?

Brian: ughhh didn’t you know?! he’s her boyfriend through “reservation,” like you know when you call and reserve a table, but you don’t have the food yet but you know your going to eat at that restaurant at 8. its like that

Random: how does that work?

Cara: its CARAVISION

alternative.

***

Random: So your in public information, what would you like to do with your life? I want to be a diplomat.

Cara: I want to move to Toronto and find The Fame. I wanna be a VoxPop super star or work on MuchMusic, I wanna work with Pop culture Media.

Random: So why are working at the UN?

Cara: because I can.

***

lady gaga.

***

big rings.

Cara: It’s ok I could take her, just gotta wear a ring that cuts. See this ring? it cuts!

If i punched you, IT WOULD CUT.  but I wouldn’t punch you…but I could if I had to, cause its the ring it cuts! As long as you have a ring that cuts.

***

enter 1990s party in MQ, Zach Morris phone necklaces (stay tuned for epic photo update!)

***

Cara: Hello?  WHAT DO YOU MEAN ITS NOT 1994?!?

Cara: WE REFUSE TO UPGRADE!

Cara: I think i’m going to take off my phone necklace now  (1990s phone)

Hayley: NO STOP! you have to keep it on! this was mentioned like it was a life mission

Cara: OMG that is soooooooo 1992! hold on i’m getting a call from my zach morris phone…

Cara: OMG if you love the 1990s why don’t you marry it? Just kidding, NOT!

Hayley: Whatever, AS IF

aftermath: Apparently there was Proper paparazzi at the party, we are thinking it was either VICE or Vienna Fashion Observatory! HOPE HOPE HOPE its VICE…stay tuned….

epic hangover. the one like in the movie had to piece together the whole night from clues….lost cell phone, but not 1990s zach morris phone

***

Pizza & topfell strudel @ Emma’s solves all, so does laying on beanbag chairs, chain smoking, and laughing about what an AWESOME weekend it has been……in between fantasizing about DESSERT BUFFET, which in theory would include:

pink cupcakes,

lemon merange,

banofe,

ice scream sundays,

topstrudel,

crumble,

peacan pie,

tirimusu,

rum balls,

cotton candy,

eadible bubbles,

brownies,

and everyhing in between!

check in for 1990s updates <3

 

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Christina & Joe Tie the Knot <3

October 2, 2009
My word of the day was: omg “>omg “>omg “>omg”>omg”>omgomg “>omg “>omg “>omg omg omg omg omg at every moment.  A sight that could bring a joyful tear to any eye (including mine). Everytime I looked at her…OMG! I have never seen Chis look so beautiful! Everything was perfect – they were so lucky.

Joes family was AWESOME by the way! I got along with his Aunties really well!  It was weird to be the only single girl there – BUT I was the representative long time friend. Knowing the bride the bride since highschool. We were the “trouble makers” together, each others “partners in crime.”  Now one has settled down, but with someone very suiting! A beautiful day & a beautiful couple!

beautiful!

beautiful!

but before they walked down the red carpet…..was the preparation. While Christina got her hair & make up did. I helped the family set up the decor

the party room

the party room

the party room

the party room

getting ready for the candy bar later :)

getting ready for the candy bar later :)

Now that everything was set up…it was time to get Christina ready! Here is my excited face!!

see that hair bow? its like LADY GAGA

see that hair bow? its like LADY GAGA

Her friend Kandie and I were ready for “behind the scenes bride”:

GIGANTOR CARA

GIGANTOR CARA

I had the honour of helping Christina lace up the gown (in reminiscent times of our teenage years fixing each others hair drunk to make it look like we weren’t up to no good :) )

teee hee

teee hee

and a nice one now for the parents

and a nice one now for the parents

The whole time…..throughout the whole day…I swear it looked like just out of a bridal magazine….I just wanted to take pictures of everything.  It was so happy and beautiful…I am really stoked they got together! I even got to speak at the reception.
sisters!

sisters!

bride, flower girls, & bridesmaids...oh my!

bride, flower girls, & bridesmaids...oh my!

sisters in spirit <3

sisters in spirit <3

“i’ve been through many firsts with Christina, first school dance, first getting drunk, first time getting busted, first groundings, first love, first boyfriends, but since she met Joe I know that i am truly experiencing the first ‘great fit,’ i love you both so much, and wish you all the best”
 
classic

classic

just beautiful

just beautiful

just beautiful

just beautiful

beautiful couple!

beautiful couple!

carrying him over the threshold :)

carrying him over the threshold :)

beautiful…
p.s. I got to sing lady gaga at the reception! Joes aunts said I was a mix between lady gaga/selma blair?! lol funtimes! Can’t wait to come to family bbqs when I move back!!!

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Posted by caravision

Chocoballs!

July 16, 2009

So last weekend I was sick, all I did was sleep for five days straight. One night I had “cabin fever.” Michele had a few people over for a bbq. This is how I got introduced to a cereal called “Chocoballs,”  which last Saturday i found at a biostore….to my surprise!

Anyways, whenever i’m sad I look at this picture:

what a goof!

what a goof!

IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY! Michele is such a character – I am so glad we met. He always knows how to take away my bad vibes and make me smile <3 Michele is the happiest guy i know, and he says its all thanks to the “chocoballs” he eats in the morning…hahahahaha.  My office husband lots of kisses go out to you xx.

In addition to chocoballs, he also had jumbo sized peanuts. There was just a whole lotta nuts and balls at that bbq – but who am I to complain about that ;) Bruno would have been in heaven…

balls in one hand, nuts in the other.

balls in one hand, nuts in the other.

Also – it was refreshing to meet some new faces at his place. I was introduced to a website called couchsurfing.com a platform for travellers and open minded people to meet. The idea is that if you have a couch and are open to someone sleeping on it, they “surf” your couch, its also a great way to find accommodations while travelling. For more paranoid people (like me) you can just put “coffee” which means you are open to show someone around your city. I’ve joined…but need to explore the site more.

2 Comments | Friends&Fun, Nutrition&Diet, Things that bring me Joy | Permalink
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