Mission: Not Impossible

In the very, very near future, I need to master this:


So I can drive this:


We got a new car back in August, and I'm ashamed to say it, but...

I don't drive.

I've driven four or five times since we've gotten the car. And, here was the deal: we were getting a much, much needed new vehicle, and Daniel loves standards. I thought, sweet, this will force me to learn, so I told him that I thought our new car should be a standard. He was pumped, we bought a VW, and I sit like a wimp in the passenger seat. Every. Single. Day.

I know how to drive our car, I'm just a big chicken. It's my goal for June to buckle up (pun intended) and drive this mad beast. I can do it... right?

Happy Friday!

Polyvore Loves

Don't you get excited when it's Polyvore time?! I know I do - I can't wait to create a new look for you every week!

I'm a huge sucker for polka dots, and I wore my polka dotted cardigan today, so it got me in the mood. A polka dot dress - in red and white? I'm hooked!

How cute is that hair clip? I adore little teensy hair accessories... I have a few that I haven't tried out yet, and I'm itching to debut them this spring - bows galore, let me tell you.

I chose only Modcloth products this time - hope you enjoy, and...

Happy Thursday!

pacaderm by littleohme on Polyvore.com


Sorry for the wierdo spacing - I can't figure out how to fix it!

Recipe Time

I have a super-duper delish salad dressing recipe to share with you. Be prepared to inhale anything that comes into contact with this stuff...


You need:

1 c plain yogurt
1/2 c olive oil
1/3 c honey
1/2 c lime juice
salt and pepper
fresh basil or cilantro, chopped

Of course, if you know me, all measurements are approximate. I only use measuring spoons and cups when baking - exact amounts is for sissies :)

Place all of the ingredients in a mason jar, cover, and shake it silly until it's combined.

We made a simple pasta salad with the dressing, using egg noodles, green onions, celery, and green pepper. It's super light though, so it would be perfect for salad greens as well. Mmm... pair this with something from the barbecue, and you'd better invite me over!

In other (semi)food related news, I'm down two pounds since my last weigh-in. It's been a really slow process, but I know I'm not putting my heart and soul into it. I've got to up the exercise-anti... my August deadline is coming quickly! Anyway, here are today's positive choices:

• Drank lots of water... also, missed my mouth and spilled it down my dress at work - classy.
• Walked with D and Sage for 20 minutes

Happy Wednesday!

I'm Back.

We had a terrific weekend away - I'm glad to be back, though. There's no place like home, eh? I was sick all weekend, and it's taking a little while to recover... pardon my absence.

I took some fun shots that I'll share with you here and there, but for now, here's a picture of each of the boys...

My dreamy husband :)

My cute middle brother

I've got a couple of fun things to share with you this week, but yesterday and today - I'm taking a bit of a break. Hope you had a lovely long weekend!

Happy Tuesday!

On the Road

Pretty houses in Fredericton (Sept 09)

Just a quick little post - we're at my parent's place for the night, and we're heading out early tomorrow morning: 5:30. We need to catch a ferry that runs at 8:00, and it's two hours away... add in waiting time, and we'll just make it. Groaner. Thank heavens I can snooze - it's nice to be a lady :)

I've been playing around with the macro on our camera, and I've got some super fun shots to share with you. I hope to take lots of pics this weekend, so you'll have a photo-filled week ahead!

I've been forgetting about posting my two positive choices! Today:

• Ate breakfast!
• Had Mom's homemade vegetable soup for supper - yummo.

Happy Friday!

Taking the Time...

Before we get ready for our weekend away, we're trying to get our home as organized as possible. Laundry finished, folded, put away. Dishes washed, dried, put away. Fridge emptied, tidied, wiped down. The works.

I took out my summer clothes today - it's funny how your taste changes. I have a big pile of clothes to iron and take to the consignment shop tomorrow... might as well make a little money from it. I found that my skirt lengths from last year/the year before were a little too dowdy looking, if you know what I mean. I'm a shortie, and I need every inch of long-leggedness that I can get. Mmmm, pretty summer colours though!

I hit up the thrift store and hit the mother load. I can't wait to take some pictures and show you. Case in point: I bought a skirt after work to wear this weekend - cost:$30. At the thrift store, I found almost the identical skirt, new with tags - cost:$3.50. Yes, please. Needless to say, I've got some returning to do tomorrow morning.

Like my colour-coded bookshelf up top? My mom gave me some of my old books to hang on to, and I couldn't wait to put them in order. Sometimes I'm anal like that :)

Hope your week is coming along well. I know I'm certainly ready for the weekend... We both booked Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off and we're headed to a Bible conference. It will be so nice to be with friends and be encouraged. Sometimes this area can be a little hard on the head - especially this week. Yikers... I'm sure ready for a break - it's been one of those weeks.

Happy Thursday!

Inspiration

Here's a few things that have been inspiring me lately, including this idea from Ali Edwards... and you can click on the photos for the links!

Favourite pattern: large-scale floral - Heather Bailey, be still my heart!


Favourite letter: lowercase k


Favourite font: Matchbox - it's adorable, and a free download!



Favourite colour: seafoam green... mmm mmm.


What are your current favourite patterns, letters, fonts, and colours?

Happy Wednesday!

Recipe Time

I have had world's best panini.

On Friday, a friend from work and I went out for lunch. I had the best panini ever - roast chicken and provolone. On my way home from work, we stopped at the supermarket because I felt an intense need to re-create my lunchtime meal.

The verdict? Pretty darn close!


I picked up ciabatta buns, fresh basil, two red peppers, provolone cheese and a roast chicken (who has time to cook a chicken on a week night?!). Easy-peasy.

I roasted my own red pepper, but you can buy the kind in a jar if you'd prefer. It's a pretty easy thing to do, though. Place the red pepper under the broiler, and rotate every few minutes. When it gets nice and black, remove it from the oven. Place in a brown bag, or under a dish towel (which is what I did) for five minutes. The skin should peel off easily, and you can remove the seeds and inside gookies. Mmm, mmm - these peppers are delish!

You can use whatever type of spread on your bun... we had a salad dressing that was a little too flavourful for salads (Kraft's new BBQ Ranch) and it worked perfectly. Load your bun up with lots of fresh basil (my fave), roasted peppers, chicken, and cheese. Place under the broiler, or use your fancy panini press if you have one.

Enjoy!

Happy Tuesday!

Polyvore Loves

I hope your weekend was as enjoyable as mine! I'll share everything with you tomorrow, because today, it's time for a Polyvore Loves!

I created this set with a picnic in mind. The weather's been lovely, and I've had picnics on the brain. I adore coral - it's one of my "colours" and it's' perfect for spring. Cute dress with some jeggings? I'm in!

Happy Monday!

picnic by littleohme featuring Eva Franco dresses

Spring has Sprung.

When I got home from work today, I had the biggest urge to refresh our bedroom. I took our lightweight blankets and duvet cover out of storage - it so nice to see pastels and whites again! I love our plaid shams - I've got a real thing for pillowcases, it's a bit of a problem. Give me a pretty new or vintage case and I'm happy as a clam.

I finally got our thrifted silhouettes hung. They suit the spot that I had imagined them in perfectly, they're just the right size. Teensy prints for a teensy spot.

Like our mismatched bedside tables? The one on the left is a yard sale find. I bought it a few years ago, and it was ugly, but I loved the shape. Daniel stripped it down and re-stained it, and now it's one of my favourite pieces. The one on the left? Oh, just a pile of hat boxes stacked to a similar height. Yeah, I'm the queen of making due. :)

Hope our fun colours put a little spring in your step... Happy Thursday!

I've Got the Quizzies.

This fun little quiz has been floating around, from blog to blog. I figured I'd give it a go - enjoy!

1 - When do you feel happiest?
I'm not sure about happiest, but I know I feel happy when I've had a great day outside and I'm freshly showered, wearing clean pjs, and snuggling under a blanket with D and Sage.

2 - How do you take care of yourself?
I watch what I eat, use an unscented cleanser every morning, try to get at least seven hours of sleep a night, and keep healthy relationships with those I love.

3 - Are you internally (by yourself) or externally (by others) motivated?
I'm totally externally motivated... I need lots of encouragement and inspiration to get started with anything.

4 - What do you do for fun?
I love bowling, thrifting, painting, scrapbooking, and playing board games.

5 - What intimidates you?
Large social settings, driving our car (it's a standard), time management...

6 - What is something you're proud of?
(Almost) three years of marriage, my husband finishing university, and never getting a speeding ticket

7 - Finish this sentence: I never...
leave the cover off of anything.

8 - Favorite vacation spot:
(Future) London, England

9 - Today is a (rate from 1-10).
I know it should always be a 10, but tonight feels like about an 8.

10 - Finish this sentence: If you knew me really well, you'd know...
I'm a lefty with neat handwriting (supposedly an uncommon occurrence).

Happy Wednesday!

New Fave

I have a little habit of picking up new hair products and letting them sit without being used. Tonight Daniel and I had a date night, so I tried a new product:


Umm, okay, hello?! If you don't already own this, buy it now. Having long hair makes it next to impossible to have big hair (the length weighs it down) but this product did the trick. I had the most volume I've ever had in one evening... with only a little scrunching here and there. It would be awesome for a super big, messy updo, too, with a big bow or flower stuck in. I haven't tried washing it out yet, so I'll let you know how that goes tomorrow :)

Thanks for all of the positive feedback on yesterday's post. It's hard to talk about personal issues when you're really just typing on a keyboard... thanks for the encouragement.

Happy Tuesday!

The Road Ahead

Today's the day. The day that I share my current state with you. Confess it all, hold nothing back state with you.

I'm on a mission. I'm tired of carrying too many pounds on this frame. It's time for me to stop. I have always had a weight problem, and at 23, I know that I need to deal with it now so that I'm not dealing with it for the rest of my life. I have some health issues that make it challenging to lose weight, but if I do lose it, it will help decrease my other symptoms... so that's a huge reward!

I want to have a healthy lifestyle, diet and exercise-wise. In order to achieve that, I've come up with the following guidelines:

• Eat a healthy breakfast every morning
• Drink lots and lots of water
• Cut out treats and desserts - have one once a week as a treat
• Add lots of fruit and veggies to my diet
• Watch my portion sizes
• Stop eating after 8 pm
• Check my weight and body fat weekly
  
• Exercise regularly - and feel the burn :)

I came to the end of my chaotic, no-rules ways two weeks ago. So far, I've stuck to my new guidelines surprisingly well... of course there were a few cheats here and there - for example, yesterday was Mother's Day, so I saved my weekly treat for that day. But, I celebrated with my mom and D's mom... so I had two desserts. It's not like I chowed down, though.

Exercise is my main focus right now. I'm planning on walking and doing exercise videos until I'm comfortable enough to bring this body to the gym. My goal is to exercise 4 -5 times a week, but I'm not near that yet.

Each week, I'm going to share a healthy recipe that I've tried with you, and also give you an update as to weight-lost. I'm the type of person that needs to be held accountable by more than one person, and I also need a lot of encouragement. I'm planning on being honest with you - and I hope that I can get some positive feedback. I need the support :)

So far, in two weeks, I've lost five pounds. I have a short-term goal of 30 lbs by August... and once I've lost enough, I'll share my long-term goal :)

To close, I'm going to follow in my friend Janelle's footsteps and share two good choices I've made with you in each post.... Here's tonight's:

• I had unsweetened applesauce and water as a snack at work
• I had a ham sub with lots of veggies (and low fat dressing) for supper

Happy Monday!

Recipe Time

(via weheartit)

If you're like me, you sometimes get in a suppertime rut. When this happens, I usually cruise around online to look for supper recipes, and often come across too many to try. I tend to search with a specific ingredient in mind, like a pork tenderloin, fresh tomatoes, or jasmine rice. This helps to narrow down the search a little. There are so many yummy sounding recipes, but I always get sucked in by nice photographs... I'm a little too visual!

I'm going to share my bookmarked recipes with you - maybe you'll get a chance to try them out before I do!

Baked Spicy Potato Skins with Yogurt-Curry Sauce
Chicken Gyros
Stuffed Maple Burger with Spicy Apple Bacon Compote
Indian Pudding
Indian Spiced Chicken Burgers
Pizza in a Bite
Mongolian Beef

Happy Thursday!

Polyvore Loves

Happy Wednesday to you!

I've had a very busy week so far, and my blog isn't usually at the top of my priority list... as you can tell. I have the day off tomorrow, and I have some fun things on my to-do list. I can't wait to get my 100th post snail mail ready! I'll send everyone a message for their mailing addresses - so if you signed up, be on the look out.

This week's Polyvore Loves is all about floral... I chose to make three different outfits reflecting the ways to incorporate floral prints into your wardrobe. It's perfect for spring and summer!

I'm itching to buy some floral prints, but I've been holding off on any major clothing purchases. I have a goal or two that I may share with you this week. I have a hard time sharing personal issues on my blog, but I know that we're all friends, and that should help with some of my insecurities. Anyway... without further adieu, here are your Polyvore Loves! Let me know which one is your fave :)

Link Love

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend! I was so happy to be off of work for both days - got to spend some quality with my darling, family, and friends... and Sage, too, of course :)

(via weheartit)

I couldn't help but share this fabulous link with you today. I'm sure that I'm not the only spelling junkie out there - nothing kills me more than seeing a word spelled incorrectly in the media or on a personal blog. It turns out that a pretty funny person thinks the same way...

The Alot is Better Than You at Everything

This made me laugh out loud... let me know which alot is your favourite.

Happy Monday - and you still have a chance to enter the giveaway below!