$2.27 bracelet

I bought a few of these wood bead bracelets at the dollar store knowing I could pizazz them up somehow. 

 

I figured they would look adorable with a fabric rosette attached. (I told you to be prepared for fabric rosette overload!) I went to the fabric store and bought some silk. Don't let the high price scare you off, you only need a little. I got 4 inches for $1.27 and will be able to make a few rosettes from that.

I tore the fabric to make it fray and made a rosette. I hot glued it right on one of the wooden beads, and as the say, voila!

Cute right? It took all of 10 minutes (3 of which were an interruption to change a wet diaper) and cost exactly $2.27!

T shirt hat

Tonight I turned this 

into this

You can make one too following this tutorial. It was fun, easy and quick (could have been quicker if it weren't for those darn rookie mistakes...) give it a try, the possibilities are endless!

What I Wore Tuesday

We just moved home after 5 months away. I spent most of last week packing and most of this week unpacking and trust me, the combinations I threw on were not worth documenting. I went out with a girlfriend last night and thought I'd better take a picture to show I put thought into at least one outfit this week! So this is literally well, what I wore Tuesday. As always I'm linking up to the Pleated Poppy and Meet Virginia so go and check out what the other ladies have been sportin'. Thanks for stopping by, have a great week!

Tuesday

White shirt and tank - H & M

Green cardigan - Urban Behavior

Zip belt - Forever 21

Skinny jeans - Urban Behavior 

Flats - Superstore

Earrings - Suzy Shier

Tired face - 4 days of too many boxes!

Quilled Monogram

My friend Laura made me this little beauty and I was so excited to get home and put it in it's new home! I've had the plant for years and honestly I've never loved it (it's looking especially sad in that pic...) it just filled the space..... and then filled more space (does anyone else feel like they're always trimming those things?) so I knew exactly where I wanted to put my new initial. Here is a before and after as it sits in it's new home.

I love, love, love it. Thanks Laura!

 

Isn't it beautiful?!

Share A Meal Monday

Well it was only about an hour after I posted this that I realized it was possibly the worst time I could have picked to start this linky party! I posted that on Thursday, spent Friday and Saturday packing up our entire apartment, drove home Sunday and now it's Monday morning and I'm supposed to have something fabulous to share. Well, not one to disappoint I do have a recipe to share and I really did use it last week. This is my go-to meal, it's fast, it's easy and it's really tasty, what more could you ask for right? I'm sure a lot of you have had this before but like I said with the inconvenient timing of my post it's what I have to share. Bu-ut the fun thing is, here's where you come in, hopefully other people's recipes make it worth stopping by this week!

Thanks for linking up, I look forward to your ideas!

Stove Top Chicken Casserole

4 chicken breasts cubed or leftover roast chicken

1 box Stove Top Stuffing

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

1/2 can milk

1 cup frozen corn

Cook the cubed chicken breasts in a frying pan and put in the bottom of a casserole dish. Add a layer of corn over the chicken. Mix milk with soup and pour over the top. Make Stove Top Stuffing as directed on the box and spread on top of the mixture. Cook in microwave for 10 minutes and you're donezo! Simple!

Homeward Bound

Well here we are - last day. I'm pretty sure we would have stayed up all night to finish packing so we could go home today but we're staying for a Cuff the Duke concert tonight and it's going to be awesome. We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning. I'm thrilled but I do have to say the fact that my basement is in shambles and needs our immediate attention is putting a serious damper on the excitement of going home. Ah well, I think we've got things figured out and should be able to put the whole thing back together quickly. Anyone have any tips on restoring a flooded basement, I'm an expert on installing sump pumps... er?
 
See you at home!

I have an idea!

I have really enjoyed doing What I Wore Wednesdays and feel that it really does make me accountable for getting myself put together every day. It has made a difference on those days that I would rather stay in my pj bottoms or swap them out for sweats which is really no different right?

Sooooo ya know where else I really need to be held accountable? My meals. It's so sad but I have to be the most uncreative cook out there. I run out of meal ideas or I think of them when it's way too late and everything is still rock hard in the freezer. So I came up with an idea - I want to do a linky party of my own. I'm going to call it SAMM - Share a Meal Monday. Every Monday I will post my favorite recipe I used the week before and then everyone can link up (assuming I'm smart enough to figure out a linky thing....) and post their favorite recipe from the week too! I really want you all to join in so I can get lots of new ideas of things to make AND because I don't want to be the person that hosts a party that nobody comes to, *me wearing a party hat sitting alone at a table* right?!?!! So next Monday look for the link and PLEASE join in with your favorite recipe or meal idea.

My family thanks you.

WIWW out of the garbage

Ok so I'm not actually wearing clothes from the garbage... but whilst I was cleaning out the photo albums on my laptop I somehow deleted the pictures I'd been taking this week so I did have to go restore them from my recycling bin which is kinda like going through the trash, right? While I was dumpster diving I came across this little gem:

a picture of me pregnant with Rigby last year.... aww. Anyway. Moving on.

Here is what I wore this week, straight from the garbage.

Wednesday

Grey shirt and mustard tank - Shade

Grey cardigan - Wal Mart

Striped scarf - Urban Behavior

Headband - made by moi

Thursday 

Black and white striped tank - Shade

Purple Cardigan - American Eagle

Jeans - Bluenotes

Black flats - Wal Mart 

Friday

White 3/4 sleeve top - Shade

Blue jacket - Gap

Metallic belt - Fairweather

Jeans - Bluenotes

Saturday

White and mustard tanks - Shade

Blue and white striped shirt - H & M

Monday

Black and white shirts - Shade

Yellow leather jacket - Urban Planet

Cream scarf - Ardenes

Jeans - Bluenotes

Boots - Wal Mart 

(Looking at this now I'm going to call it my Amelia Earhart outfit - I sure do look like I'm off to the hanger....)

Tuesday

Black camisole - Shade

Printed top - Superstore

And I'm not gonna lie - most of my outfits ended up in some combination of this -

becauuuuuuse.... this is also what happened this week!

Yay-ah! What a GREAT week!

Go see what other brave gals are posting for their WIWW's over at the Pleated Poppy.

And in the end

As our summer here comes to a close (5 more sleeps) I can't help but reflect on the last 5 months and think about all the things I have loved here and the things I am happy to kiss goodbye.

I've made a little list-

things I will miss

• the girls - I LOVE the ladies I get to spend every summer with, I wish they all lived right in my backyard
•  living close to family I don't get to see often enough, this summer has been awesome to spend so much time with them
• the gym just one floor above me - I'm afraid my physical fitness is going to take a serious turn for the worse
• my PVR, seriously, how did I ever live without one?
• the AMAZING view from our apartment windows
• our en suite bathroom
• the fireplace in our living room, it's beautiful and warm 
• super friendly Edmontonians and this beautiful city in general
• Chantal's neighbors - let's just say they sure kept us entertained

things I will not miss

• the crappiest dishwasher in the world. I have to basically wash the dishes before and after I use it, I'm not sure why I even bother
• carrying children, strollers, carseats, and groceries up stairs and through 2 sets of elevators
• the smells on my floor - we have some interesting cooks around here
• this carpet that shows everything!!
• having to stuff our garbage down a tiny shoot, and trying to do it really fast while I'm holding my breath!
• not having a vehicle (let alone a husband) for the majority of the time

So besides packing up and cleaning my entire house (I've got the stove done, that's a start right?) I'm ready to head home BUT I'll sure miss it here, this has been a fantastic summer for us and I have truly fallen in love with Edmonton.

enter this giveaway!

I think you should head on over to my pal Laura's blog - she is doing an adorable custom giveaway!! I'm not entering because I'm lucky enough to already have one of these creations (that beautiful F is all mine, just waiting for me to come home and put it in the perfect spot!) but YOU should go and enter here!

Things I'm loving right now

• adding fresh blueberries to my Mini Wheats
• wrapping my ponytail with hair so you can't see the elastic - dunno know why I didn't ever do it much before, it's so much cuter than seeing the band
• my PVR (for one more week *sniff*)
• a nude lip - I'm using MAC Creme d 'Nude and love it
• chocolate covered jujubes
• the new H & M jeans we bought for Porter - he looks like such a stud
• Airplanes by B.o.B featuring Hayley Williams 
• fabric rosettes - when I go home I'm going to make another 15 thousand of them for everything, it's going to be ridiculous

I'm so flippen excited!!!!

Well I hope I don't disappoint some of you with my exciting news but I know that any momma out there will relate and celebrate with me. I didn't want to announce anything prematurely, especially since it only took a day and I couldn't really believe it myself, but I am confident in saying

PORTER IS POTTY TRAINED 

*cue the angels singing* 

Seriously! This kid amazes me - when he decides he's ready for something he just goes for it, full steam ahead.

He woke up yesterday morning a baby wearing diapers and went to bed last night a big boy who goes pee and poops on the potty all by himself, without any reminders or anybody taking him. I'm serious, I'll ask him "Porter do you need to go potty?" and he'll tell me no he doesn't and then like 20 minutes later I'll see him stripping down and running off to the potty. He's all like I-didn't-have-to-go-then-but-I-do-now-so-I'll-just-take-myself-thankyou. Ok then. Glad you need a mom.

We are still doing diapers at nights and I'm afraid that may take a while yet cause he usually wakes up pretty soaked but I guess we'll see, this kid is full of tricks.

Every time he goes potty I tell him, "good job Porter!!!" and every time he replies back "good job momma!" Haha! Thanks, I really did a lot.

A Meme

 I have a very exciting post to make and although I would like to post it today I'm going to wait until tomorrow to make sure everything is certain before I make any announcements (if the thought of me being pregnant is even crossing your mind we are not friends...) so come back tomorrow for some exciting news! In the meantime I found one of these survey things (from the Flashy Soup Can, a link from my newest follower - hi Ashley!) and thought I'd fill it out to give you something to read today. So carry on if you're interested. Aren't you supposed to be somewhere right now? Anyway. 

1. What kind of hair (color/cut) have you always wanted but never had the nerve to do? I am pretty sure I've had every cut under the sun and since dying my hair brunette 2 years ago (has it really been that long?) I don't really have any desire for any new color experiments. I guess I'm not opposed to trying red sometime but I don't see that happening. 
2. If you haven’t been/or could do it over, where would/did you go on your honeymoon? We spent our honeymoon at the Chalet Europe in Radium Hot Springs and LOVED it.
3. What is your dream car? I've always said I'd love to drive a Volvo, like those old boxy ones - they are chalk full of character. I'm pretty sure I'm driving my dream car right now though, haha, a van where my family and all our stuff can fit perfectly and ride in comfort, I'm LOVING our van.
4. If you could move anywhere in the world, where would you go? I would love to go to South Africe and see where my family comes from. I would also love to visit England and I would be thrilled to go to Finland with Neil, he's dying to go back.
5. What famous lady would you love to be or be bff with? Oprah. Seriously. She's taking strangers to Australia, can you imagine if she actually liked you?
6. What colors did you do or do you want to do for your wedding? We did black and pink but if I were to do it again I'd do charcoal grey and pink, just a little less harsh I think.
7. What trashy reality show are you embarrassingly addicted to? I loved The Hills and shed a tear inside when it ended. I also follow and thoroughly enjoy The Real Housewives of Orange County. Yes. It's true. 
8. Do you remember your first kiss? How old were you and how awkward was it? Oh my word, I was 15 and it was with a guy I'd liked in junior high but he had moved away. He came back and we started hanging out again and one night when I was saying goodbye in our garage he leaned in and kissed me. He left and I kept my mouth open and walked into the bathroom and wiped it all off. Guess I'd lost that lovin' feeling!
9. What is your guilty pleasure? Besides the Real Housewives? Wow you're asking a lot. Umm, I really like those King Don, Jos Louis things. Neil thinks they're sicker than sick and makes sure I understand I'm disgusting while I'm eating them so yeah, I guess those.
10. What is your favorite chick flick? The chick flick of all chick flicks - 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, didn't that start it all? I love old singing and dancing movies. I also LOVE Mean Girls. 
11. What is your favorite beverage? I love a glass of cold Coke with ice and a straw. 
12. What is your theme song? Theme song? There is no way on this earth I could pick just one.
13. Who is your style icon? Wow, I really don't know. I think I get inspiration from gals I see on the street. I love a girl that has confidence to wear whatever she wants. I think pairing odd pieces together always looks great and creative.
14. When was the last time you cried and why? I am seriously so not emotional, I honestly don't remember. It's been at least a few months because I haven't cried since we've been here in Edmonton...... oh wait, that's a LIE. In May/June I totally cried over my flooding basement. Yep, that's it.
15. What playlist/cd is on your CD player/iPod right now? That's constantly changing since I'm a music whore (I just said that.) but this morning I was listening to The Magnificent Sevens. 
16. What is your favorite dessert? Chocolate. In any way, shape or form. 

Take a turn - copy and paste and post it to your blog! (With your own answers, not mine.)

knit headwrap

I just ordered this and I'm super excited. What a great alternative to a toque this winter. If you would like one (it also comes in charcoal grey) you can find them right now on Forever 21's website for five dollars and eighty cents. Super cute and super warm - that's music to my freezing ears.

Makeup Alley

I want to share with you a website I have been enjoying for the past year or so.

It is www.makeupalley.com

I don't know how well known it is so if this post is like me introducing you all to facebook or something just bear with me, I think it's pretty awesome and something worth blogging about!

Makeup Alley is a site where you can go for all things health and beauty. You create a little profile for yourself and it keeps track of all you do there. My favorite part of Makeup Alley is the product reviews. You can search a product, anything from lipstick (like the MAC Viva Glam 1 I am currently toying with) to nail polish, to shampoo and conditioners to perfume to moisturizers to hairstyling tools. Members of Makeup Alley can write a review on a product and rate it (out of 5 adorable little lipsticks) to let you know what they thought of the product or how it compares to other products they have used or what they would use in conjunction with it. I use this ALL the time! Before making a purchase I read all about what other people that have actually used it have to say and what they recommend. I return the favor by writing reviews of products I use as well.

The other fun thing about Makeup Alley is the swap. If you purchase a product that you realize you really don't love as much as you thought you would you can add it to your swap list and when someone has something you'd like you can swap for it. (You can judge how you feel about the germy aspect of this - there is a disclaimer about health and safety precautions...) For some products I think it provides a way to make good on a purchase that may have otherwise been a waste.

There is also a message board to have discussions and ask questions and a wish list to keep track of products you're eyeing to buy.

If you are at all interested in makeup and/or health and beauty products I suggest you take a little peek at this site. It's free and fast to join and it's worth it, in my opinion, for the product reviews alone.

Back at WIWW

I have missed 2 weeks of WIWW and I'm happy to be back, more for me than for you I'm sure, haha! I really enjoy this project and encourage you to try it.

I have realized (not that I didn't know before) that I do have A LOT of clothes but I consider myself to be a smart shopper, I really am a straight-to-the-sales-rack kind of gal and pride myself on dressing for less! I generally do not spend more than $19.99 on one item, unless it's jeans or shoes - something I expect to pay more for. Anyway, if you really look you can find some super cute things for cheap so this week I have added the prices I paid for some of these items.

Here's what I wore this week and as always I'm linking up to the adorable Lindsey and The Pleated Poppy.  

And new this week I'm linking up to the fab Meet Virginia who's always got some great style tips, check her out!

Wednesday 

White cap sleeve - Shade

Coral top - Stitches ($12)

Black leggings - Wal Mart ($5)

Black Belt - somewhere in Kelowna

Thursday

Skinny jeans - Urban Behavior ($15)

White camisole- Shade

Brown ruffle top - Old Navy ($10)

Green cardigan - Urban Behvior ($13)

Boots - Aldo ($60 - on sale from $90)

 

 Friday

Yellow tank and heathered brown T shirt - Shade

Fuchsia cardigan - Wal Mart ($7)

Jeans - Bluenotes ($10)

Belt with my name on it - a thrift store find by my bro in-law. AWESOME eh?

Sandals - Payless

Headband - made by my friend Elizabeth

Saturday 

Striped sweater - Bluenotes ($10)

White tank - Shade

Pink pashmina - wedding gift

Jeans - Buffalo ($20)

Sunday

Brown wrap dress - Sears ($17)

Snakeskin pumps - Suzy Shier ($12.50)

Shell bracelet - Lonsdale Quay, Vancouver 

AND I'm trying out a red lippie - like? dislike?
(seeing it now it's a little intense but I'm not giving up on it just yet!)

  

Jeans - Urban Behavior

Black dress - Wal Mart ($5)

White Cap sleeve - Shade

Black flats - Wal Mart ($15)

Earrings - Suzy Shier ($2.50)

Monday

White cap sleeve - Shade

Red jacket - Old Navy ($25)

Trouser jeans - Old Navy ($6!!)

Black and white flats - Wal Mart ($10)

Tuesday

White tanks - Shade

Striped top - Stitches

Jeans - Buffalo 

Ring - boutique in Mazatlan

Thanks for stopping by, see you next week!

Banana Bread

I'm just going to come right out and say it. I make amazing banana bread. I have given the recipe to 6 different gals this summer alone. I thought I had really better share the recipe here so you can enjoy it too. Get a pen, you're going to want this.

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup mashed banana (I use 4 bananas)
1/2 cup margarine
3 Tbsp milk
2 eggs

Combine 1 cup flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt, mix well. In another bowl mix banana, margarine and milk, add to dry ingredients and mix. Add remaining 1 cup of flour and eggs. Mix well and divide into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 45 - 50 minutes.

You can thank me later. :)

I made stuff!

As I mentioned I went home for a week last week. One of the things I really wanted to do when I was home was some projecting, projectering, projectioning, work on projects with my friend Laura. Specifically, I reeeeeally wanted to make some of those fabric rosettes that unless you've been living under a rock I know you've seen floating around bloggerland. So. Cute. Because they are so common (and they're not brain surgery either) I'm going to skip a tutorial and just show you what I made. To see Laura's cute creations you can go here. They were so quick and easy and the possibilities really are endless (why stick to just hair accessories?) I think you need to make some.

Communicating with a 2 year old

My dialogue with Porter this morning went something like this:

Mom, did we bring that chair from Jo?

What chair, and who's Jo?

That chair we had at our Lethbridge house with Jo.

I don't know what chair and I'm not sure who Jo is...

Ya know Jo, and Luke. Luke, and Jo is his momma.

Oh! Yes! Hahaa, Jo and Luke, that's so good of you to remember! Now what chair?

The chair from our Lethbridge house where we just goed (we're working on grammar, haha..)

Yes, what chair at our Lethbridge house?

The bouncy chair at our Lethbridge house where I put my puppy.

OH!!

Then it all came together for me and I was SO proud of my little communicator - he did such a great job. When we were at our Lethbridge house hanging out with my friend Jo we set up the Jolly Jumper for Rigby to play in. When Rigby was done Porter stuck his puppy in it and played for a while. So "mom, did we bring that chair from Jo?" was actually asking if we had brought the Jolly Jumper back to Edmonton with us. I was really proud of how he stuck to it and communicated until I understood what he was asking.

Chiropractors

I have a question for moms (again...). How do you feel about taking your kids to the chiropractor? I do believe in chiropractors and have been GREATLY helped by them in the past so if you don't share the same feelings please don't try and convince me they are quacks or it's just in my head. I believe and so does my back. My question is just this - have you taken your children to see one and how did you feel about the experience?

The single life

Single moms. Honestly and sincerely, I take my hat off to you. I don't know how you do it. I had a wonderful week at home with my boys but I am telling you, I am so exhausted and out of patience (I first typed 'patients,' haha!) it's not even funny, not even a little. I could go into all the details of parenting that I learned are easier when shared with a spouse but instead I'll just say I admire each and every good single mom out there, you are truly amazing.

Toes

Rigby has reached what I think is THE cutest stage for babies. He lays on his back with his feet in the air and plays with his toes. Like really, is there anything more adorable?!