Hip Padders

I use to have these delicious squares when I went to a childhood friend's house... her mom was the best! I did a little search around on the interweb today and came up with the recipe. The only change that I made was that I used a 9x9 pan. The squares would be super thin if you used the 9x13 pan that the recipe calls for. Anyone can make these - they are super duper easy peasy. Enjoy... and tell me how it goes!

Happy Tuesday!

Multitude Monday

Another week has flown by... it's time for Multitude Monday again! I can't believe that it will be December in a few days - time to get cracking on the gift-making!

Today, I'm thankful for...

91 - hours spent outside decorating with my mom today

92 - a mailbox all of my/our own

93 - a new purse that stays on my shoulder perfectly
94 - yummy carrot cake for dessert
95 - fun colour combination responses to my giveaway
96 - a (failed) attempt at a craft show - more on that this week...

97 - a new-to-us dryer that we are picking up tomorrow
98 - a ladies' Bible study group every Saturday
99 - a secret sister... you know how that would feed my snail mail addiction!

100 - sparkly lights and candles in our living room - cozy!

Scroll down to see the giveaway winner...

Happy Monday!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

Congrats, Emily!
I'll be e-mailing you for your snail mail address...

For everyone else -

I plan on having two giveaways in December, so keep your eyes peeled!

Giveaway!

It's giveaway time!

 

Prize pack includes:

• a handmade red rosette pin (made by me)
• a set of four handmade cards (made by me, too)
• $5 Blockbuster gift card

 
Of course, I'll be throwing in a few more goodies as well... like stickers or treats - it will be a surprise!

How to enter:

• Comment on this post, write on my Facebook wall, or send me a Facebook message.
• Tell me your favourite colour combination.
• Include your e-mail address so I can contact you if you are the winner!
• International readers are welcome to enter...
• If the winner is not Canadian, I'll replace the Blockbuster card with another prize.
• Deadline is Sunday, November 28th at 8 pm AST.
• Random draw will be held on Sunday at 9 pm AST.
• Winner will be announced Monday here on the blog!

Good luck - I can't wait to hear your answers!

Happy Thursday!

Giveaway is now closed.

Polyvore Loves

It's an extra special Christmas edition of Polyvore Loves!

This week, I chose five outfits that would be perfect for a holiday dinner or get together with friends. These sets are dressy - it's fun to play dress up during the holidays. Each of these outfits are fairly subdued for a touch of glamour. I used jewel tones and metallics to spice things up. Add a pretty purse or accessory and some super fun nail polish - you're out the door!

By the way, don't look at the prices of the pieces: I know I didn't :)

Enjoy this little bit of eye candy... maybe you will feel inspired!

dinnerparty by littleohme featuring a circle dress

dinnerparty2 by littleohme featuring satin shoes

dinnerparty3 by littleohme featuring satin shoes

dinnerparty04 by littleohme featuring ankle shoes

dinnerparty05 by littleohme featuring a silk dress

Birthday Recap

I had a lovely 24th birthday yesterday...

I got to sleep in, and then I prepped our apartment for our evening guests. My mom and dad took me out for lunch at the local old-school restaurant... love those joints. Home made cheeseburgers are one of the reasons why I can't give up red meat :)

We had our families over for a little get together. We had yummy snacks, I'll have to share some recipes with you. Mom made adorable marbled cupcakes - totally professional! AND - Daniel got Jessie to make this:

A foxy chocolate and caramel cake! Look at the little button flowers! Genius... and delish.

I got so many presents from my family! A manicure/pedicure gift certificate, a throw for our living room, Michael's gift card, Value Village gift card, scarf, hats, purse, cutting board and so much more - so spoiled! My mom even made me a crocheted hat, it's adorable.

I got some special Facebook messages e-mails, and phone calls - I really feel loved. I got to finish the evening off with some quiet time with my hubby and Sage... watching old show episodes is the perfect end to a great day.

Happy Wednesday!

Today is...

( image via weheartit )

Happy birthday to me!

... And happy Tuesday to you!

Lunch in a Jiffy

I came up with a yummy little lunchtime concoction that I think you'll enjoy, too...

Warm Mushroom and Spinach Salad

1/2 package (454 g) button mushrooms, chopped

olive oil

butter

salt and pepper

handful of spinach, torn

1/4 apple, diced

dressing of your choice

Heat olive oil and butter in a pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms, saute until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Toss in spinach, stirring constantly for one minute. Remove from heat, place in bowl or serving dish. Top with diced apple and your favourite dressing (I used a maple garlic vinaigrette). Enjoy! 

This salad is perfect for lunchtime, but you could add a sandwich, panini, or diced chicken and make it for supper, or even serve it as a starter. I don't really enjoy cold meals - they don't feel like meals to me - so this warm salad is a nice treat, perfect for chilly weather. Give the recipe a try, I'm sure you will like it!

Multitude Monday

Welcome back - I hope your weekend was splendid! I spent Saturday at my brother's basketball tournament... bleachers are so comfy ;) Sunday, we went to remembrance meeting, made lasagna and caesar salad, napped with a big comfy quilt and went back for gospel. Nice and routine-like. Sometimes, those weekends are my favourite.

I've got a super busy week ahead of me! This week, I'm thankful for:

81 - the first of my Christmas decorations - a cutesy indoor wreath from my mother-in-law

82 - fresh homemade brownies in the kitchen

83 - a cuddly throw from Value Village

84 - my birthday tomorrow!

85 - the first big snowfall of the year

86 - waterproof winter boots (for keeping #85 away from my tootsies)

87 - a few online purchases that should start filling my mailbox

88 - an almost totally organized apartment

89 - a giveaway for you!

90 - some great handmade finds for Christmas gifts

I can't wait to share the giveaway with you!

Happy Monday!

EEK!

Here's a little excitement for all of my readers:

Since it is my birthday on Tuesday (yay!),
I'll be offering a giveaway next week to celebrate.
 

Keep your eyes peeled for more details...

Pretty Christmas Details

As you may know, I'm a sucker for anything ruffled, bowed, or polka-dotted. The more pretty details, the better. Case in point: the outfit that I wore in the picture above... ruffled lace blouse. Perfect. Add some curls, cute shoes, pencil skirt, detailed blazer... good to go. Speaking of dreamy details, I'll be sharing a pretty holiday version of Polyvore Loves with you next week - there are five outfits!

I have been brainstorming ideas for this year's Christmas card photo, and I've come up with a plan. It may include polka-dots and bows. Just on me, of course... and maybe Sage, too. He doesn't mind me taking charge :) My favourite one so far involved a photo booth, so this year's shot will be a riff on that - I don't think that Sage is up for a trip to the mall's little photo booth :) As we get closer to the holidays, I'll be sure to share our Christmas photos with you. 

If you'd like a photo and Christmas card of your own,
e-mail me your mailing address at
polkadotsoup@live.ca .

I've got our Christmas cards designed, and I have all of my supplies. All that's left is making the cards. Easy breezy lemon squeeze-y. Bring on the Christmas planning!

I hope you have a splendid weekend... enjoy your time with your family and friends.

Happy Friday!

Sneak Peek

Hello darlings!

I thought that I would share a little sneak peek of our nest. Bit by bit, we're making it home. You know how moving is. We've working out some of the bigger kinks. We've painted the living room and bathroom, there were new floors installed in the bedroom and living room, and a new entrance was put in. Lots of pretty changes!

Since we're downsizing from a large two-bedroom apartment to a cozy one-bedroom, it's taking me quite some time to sort through our belongings. There have been numerous keep, giveaway, throwaway, and store piles over the past two weeks. I have a pack rat tendency that's awfully hard to break. My closet contents, accessories, and craft supplies are slowly coming to a workable amount. Pretty soon I'll be able to share a home tour with you!

For now, here's a few detail shots...

Happy Thursday!

Polyvore Loves

I haven't shared one of these bad boys with you in a while. It's Polyvore Loves time!

I haven't been buying clothes lately and it's a bit of a struggle. Seeing how much I already have (during the move) certainly helps, but I wish I had some cute new trendy pieces in my closet. Polyvore Loves lets me dream a little bit. A girl can dream, can't she?

This week, I chose items that would transition well for the weather we've been having. All of the pieces would work well in fall or winter. I love the classic lines but shorter style of the trench. The little red crossover bag adds a pop of colour. You can't go wrong with a classic sweater dress. Dark trouser jeans? Count me in. Grey add-ons push it over the top: ruffled gloves and pretty boots. I wish I could find these items in my closet!

Hope you're enjoying your Wednesday!

Banana Crumble Muffins

I've got a killer recipe to share with you today - Banana Crumble Muffins. I've adapted it from an AllRecipes.com recipe, and it has the perfect blend of flavours, and an awesome consistency. Muffins can be hit or miss, but these bad boys had nice and moist. Enjoy!

Banana Crumble Muffins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with 12 liners, or grease.

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/3 c canola oil

1/4 c brown sugar

1/2 c white sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Combine wet ingredients.

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3/4 tsp cinnamon

Combine dry ingredients, and add to wet. Stir until just combined. Spoon into prepared muffin pan.

1/3 c brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tbsp butter, softened

Combine dry ingredients, and cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over muffin batter. Bake for 20 minutes, then munch away!

Happy baking!

Pretties

The pretty last little bits of vegetation caught my eye in our yard last week. Pretty soon it'll be time to build a snowman, make snow angels, scrape your car windows, and bust out the scarves, mitts, and winter boots. This morning, the grass was covered in frost... uh oh! For now, though, I'm enjoying this sweater weather. I hope you are, too!

Happy Tuesday!

Multitude Monday

I'm back, I'm back, I'm back!

We're all moved in, and I'm eager to share my Multitude Monday with you so I can start this blogging thing off right. Today I'm thankful for:

71 - a cozy and warm new apartment

72 - in-laws right next door

73 - my family a minute down the road

74 - an abundance of natural light all day long

75 - free laundry - yippee!

76 - yummy green onion and cheddar biscuits from the local bakery

77 - free wireless, for the second apartment in a row - don't worry, last time our landlord shared, and this time our in-laws shared... we aren't stealers :)

78 - getting to see Heidi this weekend

79 - freshly painted living room and bathroom

80 - a lazy Susan in my kitchen cupboards

This marks the first post of my fresh blogging start. I can't wait to share so much with you in the next few weeks: glimpses of our new home, recipes (since I can photograph food in natural light now), crafts, and DIY ideas for the upcoming holidays. Eeek - I can't wait!

Happy Monday!

Update

I'm sorry for the lack of bloggage - we're deep in the heart of moving. Keep us in your prayers...

Happy Tuesday!

Bloggie

I forgot to post this - I got a Three Wheel Kiss Bloggie!

My darling friend Janelle awarded me the bearhug. Thanks, friend!

Happy Tuesday - here's my gift to you - sit down and have a little rest. There. Don't you feel better? I know I do :)

Welcome, new month...

It's the moustache month! If you haven't heard of it, check out this website. Be informed.

November is for moving. For fresh starts. For praying. For craft time. For friend time. For Christmas preparations. For handmade. For craft fairs. For new recipes. For organization. For purging. For reading. For talking. For sharing. For walking. For snail mail. For list-making. For snuggling. For relaxed weekends. For remembering. For appointments. For love. For birthdays. For planning. For painting. For texting. For calling. For goodbyes. For hellos. For clean slates.

Start November with a bang!

Happy Monday!