Crush: Girls Can Tell

Girls Can Tell is a collection of housewares and useful items featuring illustrative diagram designs by Sara Selepouchin. Every item is hand printed in her Philadelphia workshop. I love the uniqueness of Sara's designs and how there is a education factor when you look at each illustration. Girls Can Tell's collection includes notebooks, bottle openers, coasters, towel sets, lunch bags and note cards.

And maybe I'm thinking way ahead of schedule here, but can you say perfect stocking stuffer?

10.31.11

{photography by Selina Whittaker}

Happy Halloween! Nate and I went out Saturday night dressed up as part of the Pan Am crew - me as a stewardess and Nate as my captain. I must say we looked pretty darn cute, but not as cute as Harper does in his pumpkin costume.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Weekly Round-Up Halloween Theme

{via My Daily Randomness}

Creative Halloween themed birthday party via Amy Atlas.

OMG homemade Twix bars from La Raceta de la Felicidad.

Creepy but yummy looking dirt worm parfaits from My Daily Randomness (and free Halloween printables!).

Delish candy corn sugar cookies via Cupcakes & Cashmere.

Everything you need for Halloween entertaining from Breakfast at Toast.

Have a great weekend!

DIY: Glammed Up Pumpkin

I turned a regular pumpkin glam with some matte spray paint and a little bit of sparkle. Head over to my Handmade with Style column on Sweetspot for all the details.

Recipe: Mexican Tortilla Stack

I've been working on incorporating more veggies back into my life. I've also been trying to focus on making time to cook again. Life has been pretty chaotic these last few months and the easy go to food has been take out or restaurants.

I've made this Mexican Tortilla Stack a whole bunch of times. I really love the flavours and the fact that it requires a ton of veggies. I'll admit it takes a bit of time chopping everything up but I promise you it's well worth it! This was the recipe I first cooked for Nate. I paired it with gauc and chips as an appetizer, a Mexican salad (I'll post the recipe next week) along with frozen lemonade pie.

1 1/2 cups seeded, diced tomatoes
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/2 cup unpeeled diced zucchini
1/3 cup grated carrots
1 jalapeno pepper, mostly seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp of chili powder
salt and pepper
1 cup of black beans, drained, rinsed and mashed
1/4 cup of cilantro
1 tbsp lime juice
4 7-inch tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced fat Monteray Jack cheese
1/3 cup low-fat sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spray non-stick spray in a medium saucepan. Add tomatoes, onions, red pepper, zucchini, carrots, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, and chili powder. Cook for 5 minutes or until veggies are softened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and lime juice.
4. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray. Place on tortilla in middle of tray. Spread 1/3 of mashed beans over tortilla, followed by 1/3 of veggie mixture and 1/4 of the cheese. Repeat layering 2 more times. Place final tortilla on top and sprinkle with last bit of cheese.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and tortillas turn golden brown around edges. Remove from oven and slice into 4 wedges.
6. Top with dollop of sour cream and lime zest.

Recipe adapted from the 'Jack and the Bean Stack' recipe in the Crazy Plates cook book.

Recipe: Caramel Apple Cupcakes

I love love love caramel anything! I very rarely eat it but when I do I'm definitely in pure heaven. How freaking good do these caramel apple cupcakes look?

Boutique Spotlight: Au Lit Fine Linens

Buying good quality bed linens has always been on my wish list, but I've yet to do it. Somehow a pair of cute boots always wins. After reading a little more about linens, I've decided I need to get myself a good set of sheets. We do spend a third of our lives sleeping after all!



Au Lit Fine Linens is celebrating 30 years in business and they have recently taught me a thing or two about the quality of linens and the process involved in making them. Au Lit manufacturers their own collection of linens in Montreal, Canada where they have full control over the quality and details.

Au Lit's Three Most Critical Components of an Authentic Quality Sheet:
1. Type of cotton: Egyptian cotton is best
2. Where the fabric is woven: Italian mills have a long standing traditional of weaving, expertise and the latest technology.
3. Thread count: minimum 200 plus

Au Lit Fine Linens and Liv by Au Lit (a 10,000 foot store that includes both fashion and home) are must see stores in mid-town Toronto. You will absolutely fall in love with the merchandising, displays and products - trust me!

DIY: Kid's Halloween Craft

I made this terracotta pot pumpkin craft for Today's Parent. Click here for all the instructions.

Sponsor Spotlight: Dotty

I'm excited to announce my new sponsor Dotty. Dotty is a collection of dresses inspired by the detailing of the 1960s with a focus on simplicity and great quality. Each piece is made and designed locally in Canada. Dotty's dresses are designed to suit any body type and can be worn by any age group. I decided to put my own personal spin on a couple of the dresses from the fall collection. Enjoy!

Click here to view the fall collection.

1. H&M | 2. Topshop | 3. H&M | 4. Michael Kors - Net a Porter | 5. H&M | 6. Topshop | 7. Topshop | 8. Dolce Vita | 9. H&M

Cool Shit: Fashionable Faces

Amazing.

Fashionable Faces from FASHIONOTES

Crush: Muddyum

Muddyum is a designer and illustrator from Milwaukee who creates a collection of quirky cards. Using minimal line and handmade type, the result is fun and playful. Receiving one of these from someone special would surely put a huge smile on my face. Love!

Feeling....

{photo by Leslie M K via Daniella Marie}

...a touch under the weather.
Hope you had a great weekend!

Weekly Round-Up

Cool ass bracelets via Made by Girl.

Stunning fireplace makeover from Marion House Book.

Inspirational and creative Halloween table decor via Bright.Bazaar.

Yummy looking seared shrimp tortilla bites from Lisa Living.

Gorgeous prints and patterns via What's Up Whimsy.

I have a crazy fun weekend ahead. Happy Weekend!

DIY: Etched Glass Water Jug

I decided to spruce up this water jug I bought at IKEA by etching it. After playing around with a few techniques, I got it down. Head over to my Handmade with Style blog to learn how I did it.

Cool Shit: Smoke Proof Press

How amazing are these letterpress wedding invitations by Smoke Proof Press?

Recipe: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling

Nate and I made these pumpkin whoopie pies for his family for Thanksgiving. They turned out great, so we decided to make them again last Saturday since my girlfriends were all coming over. The recipe said it served 6, but we found they were a bit on the large side. Don't get me wrong, I love me lots of dessert, but these are quite rich so we made them smaller the second time around. I would say this recipe can easily make 9 or 10 servings.

Click here for the Rachel Ray pumpkin whoopie pie recipe.

Recent Project: Dresser

My friend Ola was in need of a dresser so a few months ago we hunted one down at Aberfoyle Antique Market. It was solid wood, but in pretty rough shape. I gave it a new life with a good sand, a couple coats of paint, a little stain and new crystal knobs. Voila!

Inspiration 10.19.11

{via Francesca Ramos}

Style Ideas: Men's Fall Wardrobe

Nate is a sports guy that doesn't really care too much about clothing or fashion. Thankfully he is completely open to me helping him pick out his wardrobe (a job I absolutely love!). I would never want him to wear anything he doesn't feel comfortable in so I carefully picked out a few pieces for fall that I think would be perfect for him.

Key pieces for men for fall/winter:
- Mid-weight jacket
- Good pair of leather boots
- Chunky knits
- Basic button down
- Basic light weight knits
- A couple pairs of well fitting denim
- Stylish down filled jacket





1. All Son - Urban Outfitters | 2. Clarks - Urban Outfitters | 3. H&M | 4. Wings + Horns - Need Supply | 5. Red Wing - Need Supply | 6. TopMan | 7. H&M | 8. Vans - Urban Outfitters | 9. TopMan | 10. Penfield - Urban Outfitters | 11. TopMan | 12. H&M | 13. Spark Brook - Need Supply

Wish List: Kelly Wearstler Jewellery

Stunning. Sculptural. Timeless. I. Need. Every. Piece.

Kelly Wearstler Jewellery

Crush: Eager Beaver

I have a major crush on my friend Sara's website Eager Beaver. The website is aimed to make you an active participant in your life. It is updated daily with a different adventure and all you do is click 'I want to do this' or 'I've done this'. The list on the site helps you feel grateful for all the adventures you've had and also inspires you to plan lots more. The idea is to focus on feeling alive, right now. I absolutely love the concept of living your life this way. Eager Beaver is a daily reminder to start living and to start doing the things you've always wanted to do.

Happy Monday!

{print via The Big Harumph}

Weekend wrap up: Random late night dinner at Lakeview (best time/place ever to be entertained by drunk partiers) | walk in High Park | girl's night out | Nate's hockey game (they won!)

All in all a great weekend.
Happy Monday!

Weekly Round-Up

{via 79 Ideas}

Cool clear nail tips via Stylorectic.

Yummy looking pumpkin butter recipe from Spoon Fork Bacon.

Amazing wall coverings via 79 Ideas.

Unique wedding favours via Lemon and Lavender.

Envious over this Paris apartment via Decor 8.

Have a great weekend!

DIY: Yarn Pencil Holder

I decided my desk needed a new pencil holder and I've been itching to wrap something in yarn, so this was the perfect project for me. You can head over to my Handmade with Style blog on Sweetspot to see how I did it.

Spotlight: Canadian Stage

I was recently introduced to Canadian Stage and it left me wondering how I never heard of them before. Nate and I went to see one of their plays last night and I loved that it was a fun, inexpensive night out. We tend to do dinner or patio dates, so this was something different to do and something we would definitely like to do again.

The play we saw last night was called Another Africa. The acting was incredible and the story really made you think and question things. I was also told that they have a click and save promo on their website where each day you will find a different deal - anywhere from 10% - 50% off play tickets. I love me a good deal!

We hit up a pub after the show for some drinks which was the perfect way to end a perfect date night!

Recipe: Raspberry filled Vanilla Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

I decided to make all of the goodies for the Bracelet DIY Workshop (a challenge I may not take on the next time around - holy lots of work!). The menu included rosemary shortbread cookies, hand dipped chocolate pretzels and cupcakes. I wanted to make a fun cupcake that was unique and full off deliciousness and based on the feedback I got, I would say I met the cupcake goal!

I used the Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcake recipe for my base and for the White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing I used this recipe.

Raspberry Filling:
- 1 16 ounces package of frozen raspberries packed in sugar (I couldn't find raspberries packed in sugar so I added an 1/8 of a cup of sugar to the raspberries as they were thawing)
-1/3 cup granulated sugar
-3 tablespoons cornstarch
-1 teaspoon lemon juice

Drain raspberries, reserving liquid. Add enough water to liquid to equal 1 1/4 cups. In a large saucepan, combine liquid, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice; mix well. Heat and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Cool completely. Stir thawed raspberries into cooled mixture.

Recipe adapted from Wilton.

Building Your Cupcakes:
1. Once the cupcakes have cooled, core the centres using a cupcake corer or by using the cone method.
2. Fill the hole in your cupcakes with the raspberry filling using a small spoon.
3. Fill a piping bag with your icing and swirl on your icing using a steady hand.

Enjoy!

Bracelet Workshop

I'm so thrilled that my first ever DIY Workshop turned out so smoothly! A big thanks to Paige from Bicyclette for allowing me to use her space. We've decided to turn this into a monthly event so stay tuned!

Many thanks to all the ladies (and one gentleman who kick some bracelet making ass) who came out. I had an absolute blast and I hope you all did too!

I also want to thank Girl's Night Out Wine for supplying the delish wine for us. There's nothing like a little vino to help kick start the night!

DIY: Paint Chip Garland

I made this paint chip garland for the DIY Bracelet Workshop I did last week. Not only was it free to make, but it was super easy to do!



Supplies:
paint chip cards (look for wider set ones at your local paint or hardware store)
sewing machine

Directions:
1. Fold each card in half so that the paint chips are horizontal.
2. Figure out a pattern and start sewing the cards. I left about a 1/2 seam allowance from the fold and starting continually sewing the cards leaving an inch of thread between each card.

Crush: Maptote

I didn't know whether to put Maptote under my 'Crush' column or my 'Cool Shit' column. The company really does fit under both categories.

Maptote is a Brooklyn based company that started off designing totes with maps and details about various cities. The company has now expanded into pouches, wine bags, note tags and even baby onesies. I absolutely love the fun playful twist on the traditional map. All the bags are 100% cotton and are made and hand silk screened locally in Brooklyn. They also take custom orders - think wedding favour or party gift bag (so perfect!).

Coming Together

{via For Me, For You}

I heart Thankgiving and long weekends. My weekend was full of family time, a late night bike ride, lots of food, quite a bit of alcohol and much needed sleep ins.

Now on a more serious note, it's time to come together to help a fellow Blogger. Kate Miss from For Me, For You opened back up her Etsy shop where she sells her photography along with her boyfriend Will's art collages. Will was recently diagnosed with testicle cancer and he is thousand of dollars in medical debt. The shop is acting as a fundraiser to help Will through this. My heart, thoughts and prayers are with you both. XO.

Click here to visit Kate's Etsy Shop.

DIY: Floral Pumpkin

Happy Thanksgiving! My mom and I made this floral centrepiece using flowers from her garden and it took us no time at all. You can head over to my Handmade with Style blog on Sweetspot to learn how we did it.