real life

found on my new obsession, pinterest ... more on that later.

happy halloween

Happy Halloween!

fall treats

In a recent post, Amy of Rainy Saturday fame noted that Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes are one of her favourite fall treats. The crisp feeling in the air has made me crave one ever since.

Then, The Kitchn posted a great DIY recipe that I can't wait to try —

Pumpkin Spice Latte
makes 1-2 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin OR 1 teaspoon of Torani Pumpkin Spice Syrup
2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute - you can halve this amount
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1-2 shots espresso (about 1/4 cup of espresso or 1/2 cup of strong brewed coffee if you don't have an espresso machine.)

Directions:
In a saucepan combine milk, pumpkin and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and spice, transfer to a blender and process for 15 seconds until foamy. If you don't have a blender, don't worry about it - just whisk the mixture really well with a wire whisk.

Pour into a large mug or two mugs. Add the espresso on top.

Optional: Top with whipped cream and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or cinnamon on top.

Doesn't this sound delish?

And then, Maggie of the lovely Magchunk posted this not-so-bad-for-you, but oh-so-good recipe for low-fat cupcakes.

Pumpkin Cupcakes = Heaven

Ingredients:
15 oz can pumpkin
1 box cake mix (yellow or chocolate)
1 egg
Water according to cake mix instructions (ignore oil and additional eggs)

Directions:
Mix ingredients together with a whisk. Take care to get all the lumps and clumps of mix broken up (no pockets of dry cake mix!). Pour into 24 muffin papers. Bake according to box instructions (mine took 20 minutes for 12 cupcakes at a time).
Once cooled, adorn with 1 tbsp frosting.

Maggie swears that these little morsels should be baked with a buddy, because you will.eat.them.all. I plan to put this theory to the test very soon.

I've also been searching for a really delicious-smelling fall candle. Something cinnamon/spice scented. Recommendations?

Did I mention I love fall?

blog love

I am beyond flattered to tell you that I have been given a blog award!

Beth at Laugh Until You Cry recently started following my blog and has decided to honour me with the Over The Top award! Thanks for reading, Beth!

The rules for accepting this award are to answer the questions below and pass the award to 6 of your fave bloggers and alert them they have been awarded.

1. Where is your cell phone? In my raincoat pocket
2. Your hair? Rain-soaked
3. Your mother? Friend
4. Your father? Hard-working
5. Your favorite food? Pasta
6. Your dream last night? My Husband was in the NBA
7. Your favorite drink? Coffee
8. Your dream/goal? Magazine writer
9. What room are you in? Office
10. Your hobby? Crafting of all sorts
11. Your fear? The bubble bursting
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Living in a house
13. Where were you last night? At home, doing the hokey pokey with Husband as he prepared for today's elementary phys ed classes.
14. Something you aren't? Mean (I try not to be, at least)
15. Muffins? Making homemade tonight, actually
16. Wish list item? New winter clothes
17. Where did you grow up? Woodstock
18. Last thing you did? Commuted to work in the rain
19. What are you wearing? Dress, tights, sweater
20. Your TV? HD
21. Your pets? Scarely and Ellie
22. Your friends? Can't live without
23. Your life? Pretty awesome
24. Your mood? Content
25. Missing someone? Lots of family and friends who live in other places
26. Vehicle? Mable the Corolla
27. Something you're not wearing? Pants
28. Your favorite store? Khols
29. Your favorite colour? Yellow
30. When was the last time you laughed? Two words. Hokey. Pokey.
31. Last time you cried? It's been a while
32. Your best friend? Is awesome
33. One place that you go over and over? The grocery store
34. One person who e-mails me regularly? Mum
35. Favorite place to eat? Home

I am passing this award to the following lovely bloggers:

1. Lacey @ Laptops to Lullabies

2. Dusty @ All Things G&D

3. Amy @ Rainy Saturday

4. KS @ While We're Waiting

5. Molly @ No Hometown

6. Jennifer @ Made By Girl

if you're looking for us on saturday ...

... this is where we'll be ...

**Editor's update: OK, so we didn't go camping. Boo. I came down with a sore throat on Friday, just in time to turn into a full-blown head cold and sinus infection, and ruin our long-awaited camping trip.

But we're making-lemons-into-lemonade type people, so we made the most of it ...

Stay tuned for a very special un-camping edition of Try it Tuesday.

so many blogs, so little time

The other night, I spent an hour picking through the many, many subscriptions in my Google Reader, and after much deliberation, several didn't make the cut. I didn't make this decision lightly, but I've been subscribing like crazy since I first adopted GR in the spring, and well, things were getting a little crazy ... to the tune of hundredsss of new posts a day.

I'm trying to be more selective about the blogs I subscribe to. Some of my faves reside in the right-hand navigation. Please take a moment to check them out. If you like me, you'll probably like them, too!

However, being the blog aficionado that I am, I'm looking to replace a few the departed blogs with new lovelies. Do you have any recommendations for my Reader?

What do you look for in a good blog?

go bump in the night

We have a routine in our home in the mornings. Husband or I open the bedroom door two find two baby cats waiting patiently for breakfast. As soon as the door cracks open, they immediately start meowing — which I choose to believe is their way of saying, "Good morning!" instead of "Where's my breakfast?!"

A few days ago, the routine was different. Scarley and Ellie were in their usual spots outside the door. But they didn't make a sound.

Hmm. 

I proceeded into the bathroom and moments later Husband discovers what they were up to. I hear, "You guys are baaaaaaad."

Needless to say, they didn't need to meow for their breakfast. And we had to buy more cat food.

Those two are bad news.

falling in love

I wore tights to work today. Not footless, I'm-wearing-these-to-make-my-short-dress-more-work-appropriate tights. Real, thick, warm tights.

And do you know what that means, dear readers? It is almost my favourite season! This week, for the first time in nearly a month, the temperature has dropped below 27+ degrees. I'm sure you hate to admit it, but in no time fall will be us upon us.

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I'm looking forward to getting our apartment ready for fall — adding cozy throws to our couch, buying gourds for a new kitchen table centrepiece, wearing slippers around the house, and stocking up on the treats I can only justify eating in October, under the guise of Halloween.

What do you do around the house when the seasons change?

If you've got 'em, flaunt 'em

OK, the title of this post might be a tad misleading. I've mentioned before that I love cookbooks and have made a modest collection over the years. That said, I am officially adding open kitchen shelving to my dream home wish list —

favourite things

Since I left my freelance life for the 9 to 5 grind, I haven't seen a single episode of Oprah, but when it's time for her Favourite Things, I will probably set the DVR ... not because I care what Oprah favours, but to see the reactions of the lucky members of the audience who get to take home a ridiculous amount of loot.

If I could play Oprah for a day, I'd fill an audience full of my family and friends and give them a taste of my faves —

A copy of one of my earliest fave books, Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar.

A bag of super delicious Just Us coffee to sip while reading.

And what kind of giveaway would be complete without some electronic goodies? I'm a Mac girl, as I know many of you are, so I would pass along the iMac that I would like to have, as soon as I decide to part with my beloved MacBook.

And a Nikon D60, which is the perfect camera for someone who isn't terribly versed in photography but likes to pretend wishes that she was.

And if I knew how to clone cats, I would give everyone a pair of the sweetest sleeping babies ever.

And, in the Oprah spirit ... A NEW CAR!

It would have to be a Toyota Corolla, of course. For those of you who don't know, Husband and I drive a 1998 Corolla, who passed her inspection today, which is cause for celebration. And yes, she is a she, and her name is Mabel. Why? Because she is purple. Am I the only one who loved Mabel Murple by Sheree Fitch when I was a kid? Incase you have no idea what I'm talking about, watch this:

What would you put in your favorite things giveaway?

Prompt courtesy of MamaKat. 

pretty please?

I managed to last the entire summer using last year's purse. In my thrifty attempt, I even rubbed off on sister-in-law C, who also reused her 2008 bag. In fact, C's sister S and their mom C had the amazing idea to do a purse swap, so they both had new-to-them bags for the season without spending a cent! Well done, ladies!

But now, I must admit, I'm falling off the wagon. Last year's summer purse is done like dinner, and it's time to look into an autumn appropriate option.

Enter this little lovely —

I've been bitten by the shopping bug. Somebody please put on some sort of parental lock that keeps me off the Forever 21 website.

the sun and the breeze

It is an amazingly beautiful day outside. It makes me wish I had a clothesline to hang out my freshly washed sheets.

Dear Apartment Dwellers,

How do you get that fresh-from-the-clothesline feel and smell?

in need of a nook

I am in search of the perfect reading situation. When Husband and I are out and about shopping, I'll often flop into whatever chair or lounger that's on display and give it a test. It has to be cozy, yet not too soft. It would have to match our decor and fit into our space (and space is certainly at a minimum), and be relatively affordable. 

Incase you're keeping track, our dream house requires a reading nook.

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And while this doesn't look exactly comfy, I love the quote.

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Where do you love to relax with a good book?

lovely sentiment

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opposites attract

We've had Ellie for almost 5 weeks, and though we weren't sure how Scarlett would manage with our new addition at first, we're sure now that they were meant to be sisters. But the more Husband and I talked about it, the more we realized that they're really nothing alike. For instance:

Scarley is big. Ellie is small.

Scarley is dark grey. Ellie is white.

Scarley likes to sleep under the bed. Ellie sleeps on top.

Scarley takes her time eating her food. Ellie inhales her food.

Scarley is slow. Ellie fast.

Scarley's fidgety. Ellie likes to cuddle.

Maybe it's true that opposites attract.

Don't they look pleased to be having their picture taken?

Cameo by sister-in-law C.

i heart blogging

Eek! This week is so busy, I almost missed MamaKat's Writer's Worskshop. Don't worry though, there's still time! My chosen prompt:

Tell us about your blogline — how long have you been blogging, when did you start, what were/are your goals for your blog?

I started this blog on February 10, 2009. Why? Because I was yammering on to my creative partner C about something I'd read on a blog — this was just after I'd discovered Google Reader and was completely obsessed. Still am really, though I digress — and she turned to me and said, "You should start a blog." I said, "OK" and the rest is history.

The biggest challenge I faced was trying to focus on what to write about. If I simply mused about anything and everything that popped into my head, I would lose my day job for blogging all the time, and you would get very, very bored. I blogged for several weeks before I leaked the link to a few close friends and family members. I got some great positive and constructive feedback and continued to write. It's a great outlet for me — an advertising copywriter — to be creative in ways that doesn't include a client's approval. 

I love that lots of family and friends read and comment. Since I live away from many of my fave people, this blog is the ideal way to fill them in on what I'm up to. For the people I don't know and the many lovelies I've met through blogging, it's a fun way to share tips and tricks on almost anything. I subscribe to more blogs in my reader than I'm willing to admit and read each post for a different reason. Some write about cooking, some about crafts, lots about newlywed life or their families. Each blogger has her own story to tell. It's a lot of fun to be a part of.

To read more from workshop writers, click here.

blog love

Have you visited le love? It's one of my new faves.

a girl needs bubbles

Every once and a while — not often — I enjoy a hot bubble bath. I'm not a soaker. I don't like to stay in the tub until my fingers and toes are prunes. I like to be there long enough to read a chapter or two and unwind.

This leads me to reason No. 947 why we need to buy a house. Our apartment tub isn't adequate. Firstly, even though I trust my own cleaning skills, there's something sort of weird about the fact that who-knows-how-many other bums have splashed around in our tub. Secondly, it might have the worst design I've ever seen. The back of the tub (opposite the faucet) is straight up and down — 90 degrees to the floor.

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So, for those of you keeping track, our dream home now includes a bathroom with a clawfoot tub, a pedestal sink, modern tiles, ruffled shower curtains and stunning light fixtures. I'm nothing if not specific.

pretty as a picture

i have an etsy crush

I've been spending a lot of time on Etsy, browsing for tips and tricks to a successful store, as HH and I are crossing our fingers to finally launch by the end of this month.

During my Etsy travels I discovered the oh-so-lovely dazeychic and her amazing prints. This is her store. This is her blog. I'm not sure I'll last the weekend without making a purchase.