Procrastination

Good Morning!

Have I ever told you about my procrastinating problem? I am a born procrastinator. Seriously, when my mom was pregnant with me, I was 2 weeks overdue and she had to be induced. I am that much of a procrastinator and have been my whole life. When I was 9 or 10 years old we were playing a trivia game at school and I was the only person who knew the definition of the word because I was so used to hearing it from my mom. Haha, and that still applies today. Even though I have gotten better at managing my procrastinating, my mind seems to be programmed for it. Whenever I get to a really busy period in school when I have a million school-related things to do, I start wanting... I start wanting to do more crafty stuff, blog more, buy stuff, and so on. It's pretty funny, but at least I recognize it, right?

Anyways, this is what has been attempting to steal my attention away from homework lately.

via MWestDesigns

Yep, that's right: Rugs! So strange. The reason I'm interested in rugs right now, besides procrastinating, is that we have really ugly carpet in our apartment. It's not something that I can change directly, but at least I can cover it, right? Our living room also looks better now, we've added and subtracted things so things actually match rather than looking like a total hand-me-down living room. While it looks a lot better, the carpet sticks out more. I went looking for a new rug the other day, but they were either way too expensive or way too small. So now I'm looking at what I can make! Here's some of the inspiration I've found:

via Sew Liberated

via Xoelle

via Design*Sponge & Adventures in Dressmaking

Food Friday

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Good Morning!

I almost didn't post today, but then I changed my mind. I didn't want to let anyone down! The fact of the matter is that I am in Regina, which is 7 hours away from my recipe collection. I have no recipe for you for Food Friday! So I'm going to talk about food and give you some fun links. First of all, I have come upon these multiple times and I want to talk about them: Gourmet Marshmallows.

My first thought? Wow, they really do have gourmet anything these days.
My second thought? Even though I don't really like marshmallows, I have a very powerful desire to eat one of these.


This lead me to a little bit of research. I found two recipes for these, if you are an adventurous cook. Martha has instructions for you to make Strawberry Marshmallows and Butter Sugar Flour will tell you all about making Chocolate Marshmallows. If you're not so adventurous, here are some sweet Etsy shops that will send you some fantastic looking gourmet marshmallows.

(click the photo to go to the listing)

{Chocolate Mallows by Mia Mallows}

{Matcha Mallows by Fusion Sweets}

{Jingle Mallows by Have it Sweet}

Have any of you ever eaten or made these? I'd love to hear about it!

A Non-Food Post

Hello!

I was just sitting on my couch browsing the www when I came upon this etsy shop. I love it! I really wish I was not a student and I could afford dresses like these. Here's my absolute favourite. I'm totally in love with this dress:

That's right, it's AMAZING! :)

On the Move Wednesday

Good Morning!

Well, we're on the move again. Back to the old apartment. It's crazy to think that the next time I'll be with my family, I'll be an auntie! That's just too exciting!

Since it's a travelling day, you're getting filler. Sorry! Here's some Etsy picks for fall...

I love these leg warmers. I've never really worn leg warmers, but I think these are really cute.

Faux Boot Legwarmers by LeshasWorkshop ($49.50)

This skirt looks cute and cuddly. It might also look good with the legwarmers!

Felted Wool Skirt by sandmaiden ($90)

How about this sexy, but totally comfy looking wrap sweater to top it all off?

Wrap Sweatshirt Top in Grape by Lirola ($69.00)

I'm getting excited for fall already! Sorry for the filler stuff, I'll hopefully be back into things tomorrow.

:)

A Little Bit of Etsy in My Life...

Good morning!

Do you ever just explore Etsy and all of the amazing items? I know I do. I was doing that last night and it inspired me to share some picks with you. I was in the mood for clothes that I would love to wear. Check out this fabulous stuff.

This is the first shirt I found. If I could afford $105 shirts, I would buy it!

Publish My Love Bell Sleeve Top by iheartfink ($105)

I don't really understand this dress fully, I would have to see it in real life. It caught my eye though, and I like it!

Tulip dress swirl by cocoricooo ($55)

There's something beautiful about tiny girls in big clothes! 

Sober by Lwangslife ($68)

Last but not least is this cute brown dress. Simple, but unique: the perfect combo.

Banded Bandit dress by sewmoe ($165)

Have a great day!

Just Checking In...

Good Morning!

I hope everyone is having a nice sunny Sunday like we are here. I know I have been slacking off on blogging, but it is with good reason, I promise. The first reason is because, as you know, we are moving. So there has been a lot of packing and sorting and what not going on in our house. The other reason is that my body seems to be self-destructing. Since Thursday I have had sore muscles all over my body that have gotten progressively worse. At first it felt like the aches you get with a flu, and I had a fever too. Now, however, it has changed and I feel like I spent the whole day yesterday doing the most intense workout of my entire life. I woke up at about 3 a.m. and it took me about 5 minutes to move from my back to my side. It's very strange and not helpful for packing, moving, or blogging! It is actually difficult to type! Go figure. So any ways, here's some lovely Etsy finds to amuse you for now. Today I found all of the shops using the "Shop Local feature on Etsy. :)

The first pick may be totally out of season, but they caught my eye because they are so cute! These handmade baby boots are absolutely adorable! 

snowboutique ($24)

Next is this sweet linen zip clutch that is made from repurposed fabric, with some really cute embroidery.

maiseyhandmade ($15)

For the third item I picked these rockin' guitar tags. Any gift would look a little cooler with these. They can also be used for lots of other things, use your imagination.

BarefootCards ($1.75)

That's all for today, folks, my hands are about done with this keyboard!

The Joy of Packing

Good evening!

Well today I officially started packing for the move! I realized that we will get the key in less than two weeks, so I had better get on it. I have left packing to the last minute before and suffered for it... So while packing isn't generally an activity that would be considered a great amount of fun, it certainly isn't all bad!

Today I packed books and DVDs. While it was not apparent at a first glance how many books we have, the act of taking them all off of the shelf really opened my eyes! I did know that our living room shelves each had two layers of books (so it looked like a normal shelf, but there was a whole other row behind the front ones on the shelves that are above Cookie Crumb's reach), but somehow I didn't realize what that meant. Then there was also all of our textbooks from university. Oh my!

This has lead me to a book inspired post. So here are my Etsy picks, inspired by my bookshelf!

This is a custom printed tee with Kurt Vonnegut on it. He is my absolute favourite fiction writer, and he was also an anthropologist! Cool.

{zenthreads, $17)

This is a Gonzo pendant. Inspired, of course, by Hunter S. Thompson.

{distinctjewellery, $185}

This pretty little cuff has a quote from Lao Tzu, author of the Tao Te Ching. Let me just say, it is a book that every person should have on their shelf. 

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"

{jzdesigns, $60)

I think three is a good number for tonight.
;)

Summer Fun Has Begun!

Good evening!

I almost put afternoon because it still feels like the afternoon here. Sorry for the cheesy title as well, but it just fits so well because the beautiful summer weather is finally here. Not just for one day a week either! That is very wonderful EXCEPT for the fact that we live in a second storey apartment with no air conditioning. :) When it gets to this time of day it is actually hotter inside that it is outside! 

Today I bought Mr. Cookie Crumb a little paddling pool that was small enough to fit on our balcony. I'll just let you know that bath time and outside time are his favourite of all, so putting the two together was like winning the lottery for him. He was so excited to be out there and was pretty unimpressed (to say the least) when we finally made him come in. 

(Here he is going nuts in the pool)

So I already have my mind on next weekend because we are going home for 4 days. That is awesome, but visiting everyone in that amount of time is nearly impossible. It's complete mayhem for the full 4 days, to say the least. However, in honour of our trip home I decided to add some cute Etsy finds that one might find useful on a weekend trip! (click the photo to view the listing)

I love this adorable weekender bag. Personally, I use a duffle bag that is older than I am (yes, it is teal and purple) for such trips, but someday I will learn to travel in style!

This bag, found at doodlescoot for $48, is even personalized with your initials.

Next is a beautiful kimono-style bath robe from plumprettysugar for $70. For the summer, the knee length version ($64) would probably be best, but the full length one is where I got the picture from!

A great way to take your favourite soaps with you (or to try new ones) is by purchasing sample packs. Many sellers on Etsy have deals like this one from SpaGoddess, where you can receive four 0.5oz bars for only $5. These are the perfect size for a weekend away!

(And by the way, these soaps are organic, vegan, cruelty-free, nut-free, SLS-free, sulphate-free!)

The final item it something I think almost every female travels with: a toiletry bag. I found this one at SwingStationStudio for $32. I love the size of it, as well as the bright Michael Miller fabric! Oh, and I am also a big fan of boxy pouches!

I am finally finished classes for the summer and will hopefully be working when I am back from my crazy weekend! I will make sure that I devote a post to talking all about my initial experiences in education, but let me just say, WOW! :)

Good night ;)

Can't Escape the Ruffle

Good afternoon!

I've been having a busy time lately, my summer class is winding down, which means I've got the work piled high. Lots of presenting and writing and putting together! So this will be a simple post.

Since ruffles seem to be the most popular thing for women's clothing this year, I thought I'd just pick out some pretty ruffly things that I personally love. Enjoy!

First of all, this is the cutest take on a fanny pack that I have ever seen! 

Check it out at Kinies on Etsy. ($38)

The second item is this sexy ruffle scarf. 

Check it out at rufflesandlinen on Etsy. ($98)

Third is this lovely pillow cover! 

You can find it at iviemade on Etsy. ($44)

For the last ruffly item, I chose this unique ruffle necklace.

You can find it at bikimiki on Etsy. (20¢, yes, that's right twenty cents!)

Now go find/make yourself some adorable ruffles and have a great day!

Exploring Etsy

Good Afternoon!

The other day I made my first ever treasury on Etsy, and I was pretty excited to share it BUT it didn't save! This has left me a little bitter about treasuries. So I decided to share some Etsy items on my blog because I know that it is going to work for me! I was thinking about how much stuff there really is on Etsy. I usually only look at a few categories, but there truly is something for everyone. This lead me to do some exploring. Here's a few neat items that I found on my journey.
(All photos are linked to the listing)

This is a vintage dictionary light switch plate by TackledAndShackled. I picked this because it reminded me of a couple projects I did a few years ago. I modge-podged an old phone (one with a cord) and one of those cheap floor lamps with text from Cosmopolitan magazine. It was funny because if you read the little pieces they sometimes said really funny things!

This is chandelier made from reclaimed wood and wine bottles at RepurposedOnPurpose. What a great idea! I love very original repurposed items. Plus, I've always found it really interesting when people make their own lamps/chandeliers/etc.

I love the whole collection of "botanically inspired textured tiles" that elementclaystudio has for sale. If I had a nice house and extra cash I would definitely buy a bunch of them and put together some kind of interesting arrangement.

While I do not endorse the smoking of the illegal substances that these are often used for (Note: The seller specifies that these are for use with tobacco and other legal substances only) I do think that this glass Honeycomb Jupiter sherlock by endiodesign is a work of art!

Thanks for checking out this stuff! Next time you're bored you should take a look around some of the categories of Etsy that you haven't yet explored.

Good Evening!

I've been thinking about my blog all week. I really want to write on here consistently, but I have a hard time getting going on it. I don't know what to write about. But tonight I have about 500 things to talk about! I will try to keep it short, though, I don't want to bore you.

First things first, I'm just sitting at my kitchen table right now listening to the John Butler Trio's new album "April Rising". Let me just say, I am digging it. If you have never heard of them, I suggest you go to their MySpace or their official website. They're a band from Australia, and they are fantastic. A co-worker at my last job told me to check them out and I forgot to for weeks, maybe even months. When I finally did, I realized how much I had been ripping myself off by not finding them sooner.

Anyways, enough about them, but on the topic of music... My boyfriend is out with a couple friends tonight at a metal concert and I'm thoroughly enjoying the time to myself. (and to be honest, I'm really intolerant about metal music, so it's nice that he can get out and listen to it really loud every now and then, and his friend is the singer! ok... here's their site if you like metal) Neither of us get out much, so I like a Friday night at home to myself.  I just sing at the top of my lungs and dance around the house and eat strawberries and bananas dipped in chocolate. No lies, this is what I am doing right now. Yum.

So onto something more creative... This week I planted my very first window garden! I'm very excited about it, and I'm crossing my fingers that these little babies sprout and turn into something. This year I've been wishing for a garden, but living in a second floor apartment doesn't allow much for a garden. There are free plots at the university, but I don't think I would do well if I had to go all the way out there for it. I got a little kit and then I just bought two other pots and seeds. I'm feeling confident about it right now because I have two lovely pots of plants that I managed to keep alive for the past 5 months or so. This is a great accomplishment for me because I have killed cactuses before. I used to have the opposite of a green thumb, whatever that may be, but it seems my new experience as a mother has done me some good. Or something! Here's some pictures of my little pots of dirt potential!

I will cut this short now because I know that long blog entries do not get read! I'll leave you with my creation of the day.

These are my pretty drool bibs, the first ones that I am selling on my AcireBaby Etsy shop. They are absorbent, waterproof, and stylish. :)

Goodnight.

Here we go, number two...

Well, I'm back to give this blogging thing another go. I don't have a real plan for this one, so bear with me. It's a beautiful sunny morning and I can hear a crow cawing in the distance. For once it isn't windy, which is great. The last few days all I have heard from outside is howling wind. But that's Lethbridge for you. I'm having a really peaceful morning, the boys (boyfriend & little boy) are both still sleeping and I've been up for almost two hours. Anyways...

I just finished a crazy week at school and another one is about to begin, so I haven't had much time to be crafting lately. It's on my mind all of the time, but I really have to choose homework first right now. But in the spirit of all things crafty, I figured I could share some of my favourite things from Etsy until I get a chance to make some new stuff to show you!
(If you haven't seen my stuff, check it out on my Etsy and Facebook pages)

So here's an old favourite of mine. The seller is located in my home town. And believe me, if I had the money, I would have bought this necklace already.

Labium Pendant by melodyarmstrong

Find the Labium Pendant Here

This dress is sold, but it's so amazing! My favourite vintage dress.

The Right Stripes from fabgabs

Find it here, and check out the stuff for sale!

These earrings (and the rest of gemagenta's jewelry) are so unique. I love how original they are.

Medium Earrings QUEZTAL Bird Collection by gemagenta

Find these earrings and the rest of the Queztal bird collection here.

I hope you all enjoy these for today and hopefully I will be back soon with something of my own to show you!