Beauty-full January

Here are the products that I picked up during the month. I'm a devoted bargain hunter, so five dollar lipsticks made me a very happy shopper! Which hopefully explains why I have.. uh.. five. :)

 The collection of lip products that caught my eye. I was super excited to have finally picked up a Revlon lip butter! They glide on like a gem and leave on an almost shimmering colour. 

From left to right...
1. Rimmel's lasting finish lipstick in Paradise
2. Rimmel's Lip butter in Berry Smoothie
3. Revlon's Super Lustrous lipstick in Porcelain Pink
4. Rimmel's lasting finish lipstick in Just So

I first tried Jergens natural glow last summer and I loved it! It has a soft scent with notes of lemon. When everyone else is going to Hawaii to get their tan, I get mine at home with snow on the ground. Wahoo. This is my first time trying a St. Ives facial cleanser, and it has certainly made a good impression on me! It smells fresh and is a great cleanser to use first thing in the morning.

  I have always been a big fan of Physicians formula because it doesn't clog my pores or give me any irritation at all! So, when I saw this powder on for half price, it made its way into my shopping basket very quickly. :) I've only used this mascara once so far, and I'm liking it! I love it when my mascara glides on easily and coats my lashes evenly, and this one does the job!

Can you believe that all of this came to just over fifty dollars?!

Wearing my favourite of the month, the Revlon Lip Butter!

What deals caught your eye this month?

Much love, Vivi

Five Things

 An afternoon of reading with Moroccan mint tea and crackers

Sparkly lilac nails with a handmade stone ring

Cuddly kitties in the morning

 A dainty silver heart locket

The chubbiest birdies having a snack in the snow

What's making you smile today?

Much love, Vivi

Chocolate Hazelnut Macaroons

Ever since I made double almond macaroons back in September, I've been itching to try a new variation. I loved their nutty flavour, so I was tempted into making these hazelnut crowd pleasers!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup finely ground hazelnuts (filberts)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup hazelnut spread (Nutella)

1. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl stir together powdered sugar, hazelnuts, (or almonds) and cocoa powder; set aside.

2. In a large bowl combine egg whites, vanilla, and a dash salt. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until frothy. Gradually add the granulated sugar, (or brown sugar) about one tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed just until soft peaks form. Stir in the nut mixture.

3. Spoon the mixture into a large decorating bag fitted with a round tip of about 1/2 inch. You can also simply spoon the batter onto the parchment as well, though I find that piping the batter out is much easier. When you are finished piping the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheets, let them stand for thirty minutes before baking. This step ensures the perfect texture, so make sure not to rush it.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake in the preheated oven for 9 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool on cookie trays for about 10 minutes before trying to transfer them onto wire racks. Carefully peel cookies off parchment.

5. Spread chocolate- hazelnut spread onto bottom halves of the cookies. Place the two sides together and walaah! You have just mastered the chocolate hazelnut macaroon. Reveal in your amazing skill and please do take a huge bite. :)


Since I can't seem to make a recipe without making a small change, I substituted almonds  instead of hazelnuts, and brown sugar instead of granulated sugar. I still wanted the hazelnut flavour, so I made the filling with Nutella, a hazelnut spread. The brown sugar gives these bite size treats a richer taste that brings out the hazelnutty taste.
Enjoy!



Much love, Vivi

Candy, anyone?

A few days ago, my friends and I went to our favourite local spot for lunch. Since my routine at restaurants usually consists of me picking apart everything on the menu, and then only deciding on a simple salad or soup, I wanted to try something that had an interesting twist of flavour. So, I opted for a grilled chicken and brie panini. I was definitely not left disappointed! No more soups and salads for me! After lunch, we browsed around the local shops and boutiques, and went back a few years to giddy little children in the candy shoppe. Overall, an absolutely delicious day.

Note: red pants may seem easy to wear, but I had the longest brain fart (of about three months) and couldn't seem to put together an outfit with these. So here they are, finally making their debut.. :)


Much love, Vivi

Let's be Adventurers

My weekend included... some Winter time exploring, hot chocolate drinking, guitar playing, and lots of picture taking! Now that's my kind of weekend... :)

Much love, Vivi

Cute blog award!

Right now I'm just bursting with excitement. Last night DoNaH from Mnemonic Reveries awarded me with the cute blog award! DoNah is an inspiring blogger who shares her beautiful style and tidbits of life. I may have ran up and down the house and startled my lackadaisical cat with a hearty cheer. Ever since I first started blogging, I wanted it to be a place of inspiration, beauty, and laughter. Oh, and not to mention... good food... :) It makes me so happy to know that a fellow blogger enjoys my little corner of the Internet! So thanks DoNah, and don't forget to check out her blog!

RULES// 

1. Link back to the person who gave you this award. Thank you DoNah!

2. Answer award questions.
3. Award as many blogs you think deserve this award.
4. Make sure you let those you give this award know that you awarded them.
5. Tell something you have never told before in your blog.

1. What is your go to make up product?

Burt's Bees lip balms! I use them everyday, and my current favourite is the pomegranate balm. It's tinted with a soft berry colour, so it's almost like wearing a shade on your lips as well.

2. What's your favourite fashion trend of 2011?

I ADORE high waisted shorts paired with textured tights! I'm also a pretty big fan of any type of oxfords. Flats, wedges, heels, I'd wear them all!  

3. What is your favourite dessert?

Oh, there will never be only ONE favourite... :) In the wintertime I love lemon meringue pie, vanilla glazed pumpkin spice cookies, and fruit fondues.

4. Favourite colour?

Right now it's deep turquoise and lilac, but it's always changing. :)    

5. What is your middle name?

Kathryn. My aunt and I share the same birthday, so my parents decided to name me after her!    

6. What was the last song you listened to?

Human by The Killers. Sooo good.

7. Cats or Dogs?

I've wanted a pint sized pug for so long, but I gotta be loyal to my kitty! So, I'm going with cats! Plus, cats are cuddly. Which is a bare necessity for me in a pet! :)

One thing I have never mentioned in my blog...

A lot of my time right now is spent preparing for a musical I'm in! At the end of April I'll be singing and acting as Diana Berry in a production of Anne of Green Gables!

Blogs I am awarding

...Cue the drum roll....

1. Stardust and Roses

2. Fine and Feathered

3. The Belle Diaries

4. Ol' Green eyes

5. Confessions of the Cupcake Countessa

6. Eau de glam

7. Feeling above the weather

8. The Green Raybans

9. Madeline Quaint

10. The Mow Way

Spread the love!

~Vivi

Chocolate chip banana bread

I have a thing with bananas. Give me a fresh banana with even the slightest bruise, and I can't  bear to eat it. But give me 4 squashed, bruised, and beat up bananas and I couldn't be happier to bake you a delicious banana loaf to drool over. I only planned on making one large loaf, but there was enough batter left over to make two mini (almost bite-size) banana breads! Midnight snack, anyone?

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

2 eggs

4-5 medium mashed bananas

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used grape seed oil)

1/4 cup chocolate chips or chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or grease the sides, either will work just fine. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger. Make a well in the centre and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl combine eggs, bananas, sugar and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chips.

3. Spoon batter into the prepared pan(s) and spread evenly. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 55 to 60 minutes.

4. Cool loafs on a wire rack for around ten minutes. Once cooled, slice and enjoy!

To whoever thought up banana bread, you sure hit the nail on the head!

Happy baking! :)

Much love, Vivi

If we canteloupe, lettuce marry

Life is wonderful.
The moment when you're...


eating someone else's delicious sandwich. They realise this. They demand my sandwich in return. I sheepishly slide over a sat-upon liver paste sandwich. Of course they totally got the better end of that deal. Pfff. Lucky bum.


tutoring a younger boy in chemistry and slipping on the word "acids", due to braces, saying instead a rather vulgar body part. Laughing at myself hysterically, because, well, it was hilarious, if I do say so myself. Too bad he had noooo idea what was going on in this loopy mind of mine.


doing highly attractive faces to my friend across the choir room and not so soon after realising that the entire tenor section was pretty entranced. From the looks on their faces it was as if they had never seen a girl pull a Donald duck face before. How sad.


waking up to a wonderfully warm cat bum. Oh, did I mention it was in my face? Yay! Cat bum! Little one never fails to surprise me.


getting the offer to go out for coffee from my brother. And he's paying. Oh yes. Brother from heaven.


making up a pretty darn intelligent vegetable rap. By myself. In the shower. Just living the fast life folks!



Much love, Vivi

//The Details

jacket// Suzy shier 

sweater// bluenotes

boots// Sterling

floral ring// Forever 21

oval ring// handmade by my grandpa

Let it snow, let it snow!

This morning I woke up to the warmth of sunlight flooding through my window. Everything seemed a bit brighter than usual, almost like a crisp summer's day. So I peered through my blinds and out into the outside. And oh, what an amazing sight I saw! The trees were laden in fresh blankets of snow and the sky was a stunning shade of bright blue. All last December, we never had a drop of snow, and finally, on the 14th of January, the magical white came falling down. These photos only begin to do the beauty justice!


Much love, Vivi