Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Kiersten Holine

I discovered Kiersten Holine by accident on YouTube. She has such an amazing voice and is so talented. Her original songs and her covers are really good. My two favourites are Pale the Moon and her cover of When You Wish Upon a Star. Check them out!

Warm Italiano Dip

(Photo from Kraft)

Here is a recipe for a delicious dip. I brought it to my wonderful nephew's first birthday party and it was a huge hit! I also took some to work one day and had a similar response. And I took it to Mary's house for the Bachelorette finale! Obviously, I use this recipe often. It is so yummy and super easy!

Ingredients

1 pkg. (250 g) Light brick cream cheese spread
1/4 cup Pesto
1 Tomato, chopped
1/4 cup Shredded cheese (whatever kind you like, I've tried cheddar and mozza)
Triscuit crackers or Tortilla chips

Directions

Layer ingredients in a small casserole dish. Bake in a 375ºF oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until shredded cheese is melted and cream cheese is softened.

I got this recipe on the Kraft website, but shhh, don't tell anyone!

Monday, August 30, 2010

Matte Stephens





I heart these prints by Matte Stephens! I must get myself a few. The characters make me so happy and I love his style.

Ma-Ma-Ma-Marley!

My little sister (well, not so little anymore!) Marley did a similar post about her favourite products. You can find her blog here!


(I'm on the left, Marley is on the right!)

Product Junkie

I am a product junkie, I am not going to deny it. I have products over flowing in my shower and on my bathroom counter. I have gotten a lot better, I must admit, and that may be because I have finally found my go-to products. Here are a few that I use:

Purity Made Simple by Philosophy is amaaazing! I use it every night to get my make-up off and it just melts it all away. It makes my face super clean but feeling so soft.



The new formula for Bath and Body Works lotions are a huge step up. I loved their body lotion before but now it is so much better. It just soaks right in, smells so good, and transforms my skin. These 3 are my favourite scents.


My friends will tell you I am too serious about wrinkles - but I want to do what I can early, no harm in that! I'm getting closer and closer to 30. I use Dermadoctor's Wrinkle Revenge 1 every night after Purity, leave it on while I brush my teeth, then rinse it off. It has antioxidants and glycolic acid to help prevent wrinkles and exfoliate.


Like Butter Cream Cleansing Bar is the best soap ever. Inexpensive, lasts forever, and has shea butter. It makes my skin creamy and silky. The only thing is I often have to stock up because it is often sold out at my local Bath and Body Works.



Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2 is something I always go back to. Sometimes I don't use a toner or switch and use something different and I don't know why. I always end up re-buying this product. It helps clean every last trace of dirt and oil off my skin (if there is anything left after Purity!) but also helps keep my pores clean and my skin clear. There are different formulas (1, 2, 3, or 4) and you can take this test to find which number you are!



I have oily skin and I don't use moisturizer in the summer. Winter is another story. Winter here is so harsh, dry, and so very cold. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel does the trick for me! It is non-greasy, lightweight, and just sinks right in. A little goes a long way and the price is right.

What are your favourite products?

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Friday, August 27, 2010

Happy Weekend!


Hope you all have a fantastic weekend! Any plans? Tomorrow, Joe and I are going to a movie, but we haven't decided which yet. Any suggestions?

And how awesome is this photo? It is near Banff, Alberta - and I am lucky enough to live less than 2 hours away. I heart the mountains so.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

5 things I love about...Mad Men

Joe started watching Mad Men a few months ago and I would usually be in the living room with him doing something else while it was on. Slowly, episode after episode, I started paying more attention and getting deeper into the storyline. Now, I can't wait until Sunday evening.


Here are 5 things I love about Mad Men.

1. The clothes. Men in dark suits with crisp white shirts. Women in high waist pencil skirts and silk tops. So classic.
2. You always know when in time you are. The women cried when Marilyn Monroe died, a wedding was ruined due to the assassination of JFK, Don tells his secretary to buy Sally some Beatles 45s; I love the inclusion of true events.
3. Peggy. At first she was so mousy and naive. Now she is becoming more confident, successful, and is starting to take more chances to get what she wants.
4. The John Deere Tractor. I watched wide eyed with my mouth hanging open in horror while Joe laughed his head off. One of the most memorable scenes!
5. 2 words - Donald Draper. So suave, so handsome. His life is complex but he is always so cool. Oh, and handsome.





Cute paper clips!






I love all these cute paper clips! Especially the elephants, I heart elephants!

(Spotted on RUCHE)

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

London Fog

Tea is so yummy. Nothing beats a nice, hot cup of tea. I love it in the morning, the middle of the day, or after dinner. I especially love it on cool autumn evenings. It is comforting and tastes oh so good (not to mention all the health benefits!). But tea isn't just good hot, it's great cold (my mother in-law makes the best iced tea), it's fun to bake with, and who can say no to a London Fog? I might have to go make one for myself now!

Have you ever had a London Fog? It all started on the Canadian coast, in Vancouver, B.C., but the creator is unknown. I have never been able to find one while in the eastern USA (Joe is originally from Pittsburgh, so we are there from time to time), and have read that they are mainly popular in the North Pacific USA (Washington and Oregon), B.C. and Alberta. It all started for me about 6 years ago during my first year at University. My CA in residence made one for me and I have never looked back.

So, if you have never had one before, you are in for a treat! Here is how to make one (sorry for not having exact measurements! It all depends on how big of a cup you are using):

Ingredients

Earl Grey tea
Vanilla syrup (I buy mine at Starbucks)
Milk

Directions

* Boil water and brew a small amount of Earl Grey tea (fill about 1/4 of your cup). Steep it for about 3-4 minutes to make it really strong.
* Heat up milk (enough to fill the rest of your cup) with a steamer, or in the microwave and then whisk it to make it frothy.
* Add the vanilla syrup (according to taste, but a little goes a long way. I usually add about a tablespoon, but it all depends on how sweet you like it).

ENJOY!



A few more tea items I love...


(Elephant cup spotted on Abby Berkson Ceramics)


(Owl tea bag holders spotted on My Polka Dot Pottery)(Glass teapot spotted on Teaopia)


(T-Man tea strainer spotted on Geek Gadgets)


(Heart shaped cups and saucers spotted on Yedi Houseware)

(White dots spotted on Yedi Houseware)

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

I heart this cover!



It takes a lot for me to like a cover more than the original, but this one of MGMT's Kids by The Ooks of Hazzard is pretty spectacular. And in case you are not familiar with the original, here it is! Very different sounds.

PS - The original video is scary!

One year down...many more to go (and I'm looking forward to it!)

I love weddings! My husband, Joe, and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary on August 15th and tonight I was looking back on some of our wedding photos. Even though it was raining sideways and freezing cold, it was a fantastic day! We had a small wedding with our closest family and friends. Some of my best memories are when I first saw Joe when I was walking down the aisle (he looked soo nervous!), playing Yahtzee with my mom, Cori, and Lindsey (friends I've had since I was very little), making s'mores on the fire, the hilarious stories and charm of the amazing emcees, and when my then 3 1/2 year old niece sang Gives you Hell at our reception. Definitely one of my favourite days. Here are a couple pictures!




Monday, August 23, 2010

Cork boards



My oh my. When I was little, I had a cork board. Just plain, full of postcards, pictures, and drawings. And I know they are just cork boards - but these ones make my heart flutter. I absolutely love the idea of putting a cool frame around one and using it for necklaces! And the boards made of actual corks? Awesome! (Reminds me of Teira! T, save your wine corks for me!).

(All photos spotted on ROOM REMIX)

Friday, August 20, 2010

w-e-e-k-e-n-d it's weekend


The city has been so smokey the past few days due to forest fires in BC! It has been hard to even breathe.

At least it is the weekend! Yay for the weekend! Tonight, Joe and I went for dinner at Big T's and will probably just relax the rest of the evening and watch 30 Rock. Tomorrow, Teira and I are hitting up Market Collective. And on Sunday, I get to visit with some family!

Hope you all have a good one!

PS - To listen to the fabulous w-e-e-k-e-n-d it's weekend song, click here!

(photo from The Calgary Herald)

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Warm and cozy


I love this dress! It looks so comfy and cozy and warm and soft and perfect for the cold Canadian months.

(Spotted on lyptis)

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Jumping into puddles



Today wasn't the best of days, but tomorrow is new.

PS - I love this song. I can't explain how I feel when I hear it - but it is like something gets built up and up and up and then just bursts, in a happy way.

Smiling, spinning round and round, holding hands, the world is a blur, but you are standing. Soaked, completely drenched, no rubber boots, running inside us, want to erupt from a shell. The wind, an outdoor smell of your hair, I breathe as hard as I can with my nose. Jump into puddles, with no boots on, completely drenched (soaked), with no boots on. And I get a nosebleed, but I always stand up. And I get a nosebleed, but I always stand up. - Hoppípolla, Sigur Rós

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

More maps


(Spotted on ROOM REMIX)


(Spotted on Heartfire at Home)



(Spotted on Love From Chloe)


(Spotted on ROOM REMIX)


(Spotted on Cinder and Sage)

Posting about the Scratch Map got my mind on maps in general. I have always loved geography and love looking at globes and atlases. At my old job, I was always playing geography games with my coworkers Salli and LaToya; naming the 50 States, or the capital cities of European countries (Salli, being from Finland, had the upper hand on that one). Anyways, I love maps, and I love the idea of decorating with them or wearing them as jewelery!

Tara McAuley Put







Tara is a gifted artist, whom I just happen to know! Here are a few of my favourites. I love the little details (notice the hearts in the necks of the giraffes? And that the chameleon's skin is giving away his poker hand?), the simplicity, and the quirkiness. She often sells at Market Collective in Calgary (more on that soon), and here is her Etsy page.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Scratch Map




How awesome is this scratch map? Like a lottery card, you scratch where you have been. What a fabulous way to track your travels!

(spotted on A CUP OF JO)