Seeing a Friend

Hello lovelies!

This weekend was amazing. I got to see one of my best friends, whom I haven't seen in at least 10 years. We grew up together, and I loved seeing her again.

Though we only had the weekend to spend together, we talked and laughed a lot. It's like we've never spent a day apart!

Here are some pictures:

Heather, I just want to tell you how proud I am of you. You've grown into a beautiful person. I know you've been through a lot and things are still hard sometimes, but I'm always here for you.

I'm happy I got to see you again.


Love,
Leni

I Got a Tattoo!

Hello lovelies!

Hope you're all doing well and are safe!

As you can tell from the blog title, I got a tattoo!

I've been wanting one for a long while now, and finally had the courage to get it done. I'm super proud of myself and I'll tell you all why.

Many of you know that I've struggled with multiple mental illnesses and still have an on-going battle with my mind every day. I've come a long way since 2014, when it got really bad and I got hospitalized for the first time.

In honour of myself, I got a tattoo. It's a semi-colon in the middle of a dragonfly.

The semi-colon stands for the story I continued living. Many times I thought about giving up and ending it all. I chose to finish my story and to keep going. As in literature, a semi-colon stands for the continuation of a sentence instead of a period or comma.

The dragonfly to me has always been an amazing creature with such an allure to it. It represents my will and self-realization. It reminds me of my worth and the happiness I deserve to have in my one wonderful life.

Here's a picture of what it looks like!

In an Instagram post (that you can view here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BVLopFDg19g/?taken-by=lenianne.blacker) I wrote a message to my followers that reads, 

"My first ever tattoo. The semicolon is for my battle with mental illnesses. I could have ended my story many times but I chose to continue on. The dragonfly is the symbol of my self-worth and realization. It was amazing to put all my pain and passion into one simple piece of art. Forever on my body, so I remember courage in the darker times of life. Honestly, live and love your life! It's the best thing you can do!"

I want you all to live your dreams and I hope you aspire to be the best person and best version of yourself that you can possibly be.

Remember, I'm proud of you and I love you.

Hope this post helped someone!

XOX,

Leni-Anne Blacker
aka
NightNerd18

2017 Summer Bucket List

Hello again!

What are your plans for summer? Anything you absolutely must do?

I know I don't have much of summer because of work, but I plan on making the best of it! Here's my 2017 summer bucket list!

1- Go skydiving. I reallllllly want to do this.

2- Go kayaking. Whether it be on a lake, the ocean, or even a river!

3- Swim in the ocean. Nothing beats taking a dip in cool salty water when it's hot outside.

4- Eat as many different fruits as possible. I love fruits, and what better time to try different and new ones than in the ripe season of summer?

5- Fly a kite! I haven't done this since I was maybe 10 years old. Maybe I could even do it on the beach?

6- Roast marshmallows at a bonfire. I love s'mores. Enough said.

7- Read and finish my want to read summer book list. You can read it in my last blog post!

8- Fall asleep in the sun. I love the warm feeling of the sun right as I'm about to fall asleep on sand or even the grass. I'll make sure to wear sunscreen though!

9- Snorkel. I'm really bad at it, but I'd love to give it another shot!

10- Run through the sprinklers. I seem to do this every year, so I might as well add this to the list.

Alright, so those are my top 10 things I'd love to do this summer. What are yours?

Thanks for reading,

Leni-Anne Blacker
aka
NightNerd18

2017 Summer Want to Read List

Hello lovebugs!

Almost everyone likes to kick it back and read a good book in the sun by the pool or at the beach. I'm one of those people.

I'll be working throughout the summer, and I have hardly any vacation days. That's definitely not going to stop me from buying books and reading during my time off!

Sure, I already have a ton of books that I have to read... But knowing me, I'm still going to order some new ones from Chapters. Here's a list of what I want to read this summer!

First off, I want to read Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Jenny Han had created my perfect summer go-to trilogy, The Summer I Turned Pretty. I fell in love with these books and read them over and over again throughout the summers for years.

I loved the way Jenny Han captured the essence of summer, and what it means to have a first love. Summer crushes are always complicated and she did a good job of explaining the main character's feelings and surroundings. This trilogy reminds me of my own times in Cape Cod, MA. The scenery is similar (beaches, cottages, tiny shops), and though I never had a crush on anyone there, I fell in love with the town itself.

Anyways, I want to read Jenny Han's new series and fall in love with it the way I did with The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy. While I'm at it, I'll probably read those again, too!

Another thing I want to read is Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. It's an old classic; one I haven't had the pleasure of reading yet. I love old classics like this novel because of the style of writing. The way people told stories back then is so beautiful and different from today's literature. The stories are poetic and intense, often filled with romance and tragedy. What isn't there to love about books written by Charles Dickens, Emily Brontë, and others like William Shakespeare? I'll probably read some other classics, like one of my favourites, Oliver Twist. Or maybe A Tale of Two Cities.

Hopefully you all have time to relax and have a great drink whilst reading a good book this summer.

Thanks for reading,

Leni-Anne Blacker

aka

NightNerd18

Super Simple Skin Care Routine

Hello lovelies!

Today is my cousin Katherine's wedding day. I was asked to be a bridesmaid and I of course said yes. She's like a sister to me and I'm extremely proud and happy for her.

She's always been there for me and we've only grown closer these past few years. I love the shit out of her. She's beautiful, inside and out.

Katherine, if you're reading this (which you should be, cuz), I love you forever and always and wish you all the world has to offer you. <3

Okay, now on to the actual blog. Today I'll be sharing my super simple skin care routine.

I like to start off by washing my face with Biroé's Pore Penetrating Charcoal Bar. It's amazing for oily skin and leaves you feeling refreshed and light. I highly recommend this product because it gets rid of all your dirt.

Step two of my skin routine is St. Ives' Blackhead Clearing Green Tea Scrub. It really gets into your pores and unclogs everything within. After a few days of using this morning and night, I notice an extreme difference in my skin. I hardly had any breakouts and my pores weren't as noticeable or clogged. Definitely use this product if you have a hard time with blackheads!

My third step is to use Bioré's Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strips. It's just all-around an amazing product. I've never felt better using this. It's disgusting, yet soooo satisfying to see what comes out of your nose. It's honestly amazing how gross and full our pores can be, even when taken care of. I'm impressed with this product and have fallen in love with nose strips. I don't use these everyday, and instead suggest you use them once or twice a week.

The last thing I do is rinse everything off. Make sure all the products (soap, scrub, strips, etc) is off your face. I pat my face dry with either a paper towel or clean face cloth.

Now I'm ready to start my day! Sometimes I decide not to add makeup to my face and let it stay natural after cleaning it. Other days, I make sure I clean properly and let everything dry nicely for a half hour before applying my makeup.

I've been through many routines, trying to find the perfect thing for me. I finally found something that works extremely well. I highly recommend trying some of these products, or finding your own that work for you!

Healthy skin is happy skin!

Thanks for reading!

Leni-Anne Blacker
aka
Eleni Giannakas
aka
NightNerd18

Following Your Passion

Hello!

I guess I'll just dive right into the update!

I've finished school and am waiting for my DEP (DEP stands for diplôme d'études professionnelles) in the mail from the government. I'm super excited to get it! I'm going to frame it and hang it in my room.

It's good to be proud of yourself. Following through with something isn't always, and I wasn't sure how I felt with this new program, straight away after high school. It was all new to me, and I was meeting new people for the first time in years. I would have to sit with them everyday. Make new friends. It was a crazy concept for my anxious brain.

I made some great friends, and had some awesome experiences. I'm sad it's over, but I learnt so much. Not only did I learn a new trade; I learnt more about myself, and my passions.

I had an internship to complete the course that lasted three weeks. They kept me as a freelancer for another week to complete the projects I had been working on. After that ended, I spent a few weeks at home, applying everywhere I could think of. I needed to do something with myself. I needed to get out of the house!

One day, I was updating my profile on LinkedIn, hoping to apply to more companies. I received a message from one of my previous teachers who I still stay in touch with. She told me a company she worked for, before her teaching days, was looking for a graphic designer to help in their prepress department. So I sent her my CV, she wrote me a reference letter, and sent it to the CEO.

I get a call the next day at like 11AM. I don't usually answer my phone, especially when it's an unknown caller and I'm half-asleep. Something told me to answer it, so I did. Sure enough, it was the CEO of the company my teacher referenced me to!

I had an interview the next day. It lasted 15 minutes. Then, when I got home, I realized I had a missed notification. It was an email telling me I had gotten the job and if I could start the next day. Obviously I took it.

So now I'm working 40 hours a week, and I couldn't be happier. I go to bed early, and wake up early, but it's so worth it! I take the bus and metro to get to and from work. It's an amazing feeling to set up meetings at the bank and to be able to treat yourself. I feel like I'm starting to learn more about this whole "grown-up" thing!

Overall, this is really good thing I've got going for me.

Also, I have money to shop for things I want. Like makeup or clothes! That's always a bonus.

I have created a Want List and a Need List.

The Want List is made up of a bunch of goals I would like to achieve. Some things on it are simple, like buying a new outfit or makeup. Other things are a bit more long-term, like buying an iMac or another camera. It's all goal and achievement oriented.

The Need List are things that I would use for my daily life. Some examples of what I've written down are pet supplies, hygienic products, and office supplies.

I'm super excited to be starting this new chapter in my life.

I highly encourage everyone to find something they love, and make a life out of it. Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind and want to go back to school to learn something else. For now, I'm happy where I am and can't complain.

You do you, friend!

Hope you take my advice, and find your passion.

Xox

Leni-Anne Blacker

aka

NightNerd18

Favourite February Quo Products

Hello!

I feel like blogging about beauty, yet again. I know I recently posted my favourite makeup of 2016, but I got some new stuff so I thought I'd share.

First of all, I've become obsessed with Quo. I got quite a few of their products for Christmas as presents from my family.

My favourite out of all the Quo products I got is the Blending Sponge. I like to use it for mixing all my creams and powders together once I've applied everything. It's super soft and smooth and feels really great against my skin. I usually apply creams first, blend those, and then add some powders (highlights, contours, blush) and blend those on top of the creams. I also like that the sponge is purple. It's super easy to clean. I use Sunlight dish soap to get everything out and warm water.

Another thing I got was these beautiful lipsticks, also from Quo. They came in the Luxury Lipstick Wardrobe pack of four. They're all so gorgeous, but my favourite one of them is Fig, a nude pink. It's subtle and looks good with everything, especially my pastel dress from Reitmans.

Also from Quo, I acquired stunning eyeshadows. There's 12 shades in one palette and I love to play with them and mix them around. My favourites are lighter pink neutral shades. They apply easily and I was so happy to find that they came with brushes!

I don't know if you knew this... But I LOVE sparkles and glitter. And hightlers. Which is why Quo's So Focus Highlighting Palette is the perfect match for me. Not only does it make you shine like the star you are, it blends perfectly with your other makeup products. It comes with two amazingly plump brushes. One is slanted and the other is nice and rounded. These brushes work great for any powder you may use!

The last Quo product I'd like to talk about is their Age Excellence Foundation. I'm only turning 19, but this is a beautiful foundation for my skin. I'm an 004 shade and it matches my tone perfectly. It's super smooth and blends easily against my skin. You don't need much for full coverage, so your supply lasts a while. One of the best foundations I've had, to be honest!

Most of these items can be found at your local drugstore such as Pharmaprix (Shopper's Drug Mart).

Happy makeup-ing!

xox
Leni-Anne Blacker
aka
NightNerd18