You say potato, I say potato

This past weekend, a few friends and I got together for a potato and ice cream night! This idea actually came from an Archie comic! Betty & Veronica really do have the best ideas.  Each person brought an ingredient to create the double stuffed potatoes and ice cream sundaes. We had sour cream, bacon bits, and cheese wonderfully stuffed into our potatoes, and then finished off the evening with a bowlful of ice cream and it's good friends chocolate sauce, strawberries, and a few nuts! Having everyone bring different ingredients is a really fun way to make new recipes and mix up a night in with friends. :)

Much love, Vivi

Five things to love



{wise words found on Pinterest}

{a baby deer about to munch on some leaves, so blessed to have this piece of nature right in my front yard}

{the most delicious chips all in one happy picture}

{Pretty henna and rainbow nails to brighten a rainy day}

 {the most beautiful tea bag every created! Thanks to mighty leaf for this gem}

Life is so great right now. I found a new artist, Kimbra, and can't stop listening to her music, she has the voice of an angel! And for once this year, I've had time to snuggle up on the couch and dive into a good book. I was hooked on Pride & Prejudice last year, so I picked up a copy of Persuasion. Jane Austen and green tea together is really my ideal afternoon. Throw in a good chat, some baking, and I'm one happy puppy. So good.  

Much love, Vivi

 

p.s. I've hit 94 followers already! Thank you to everyone who reads my blog and leaves a sweet comment, they really do brighten my day!

Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

Lately I've been more than a little obsessed with lemons. Their vibrant colour and citrusy taste remind me so much of the approaching season of Spring. I made just one loaf on Saturday, and as always only a few crumbs were left on Sunday morning. So I thought, why not make another? The more lemon loaf the merrier! There I went, back to the recipe cupboard, and gathered the ingredients to make another. Trust me, you'll want to as well!   

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a loaf pan (mine is an 8x4x2 inch loaf pan) In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and set aside.

2. In a separate bowl beat egg with a fork. Stir in mil, oil, lemon peel, lemon juice, and poppy seeds. Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir until just moistened (batter should be lumpy)

3. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan; spread evenly. Bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

4. Cool on a wire rack for ten minutes. You can either slice and enjoy right away, or wait until the loaf is completely cooled. Once loaf is completely cooled you can add a lemon glaze by combining icing sugar with a dash of hot water!

Happy baking!

Feeling Indie

 Usually you can find me in a floral top, black leggings and ballet flats, but today I ventured outside of my usual "style shpere." Today called for an indie feel. Something about denim shirts with oxfords and red pants make me feel indie. I mean, freelance graphic artist with black rimmed glasses kind of indie. It definitely was different, but I loved it! Maybe outfits with an indie feel will be necessary in the very near future? I think I might just need some more denim shirts! :)

Much love, Vivi

A trip to the farmers market

I always love when our weekly trip to the farmer's market comes around. Everywhere I turn, a frenzy of bright and beautiful colours jump out at me. I love loading up the cart with all sorts of fruits and vegetables, and sometimes trying something new and mysterious. Although I'm still a die hard chocolate lover, there's something about fresh food from the farmers market that all the chocolate in the world can't beat.


This is what we turned our veggies into.... 

A delicious meal of roasted potatoes, onions, and carrots! So yummy!

Much love, Vivi

Green Gables

For months I've been on the look out for a pair of vintage booties. Not just because they're beautiful and trendy, but because I'll actually be wearing them in a play! What play you say? Anne of Green Gables of course! :) Finally, after many trips of scouring the mall to find "the" shoes, at long last I found them! I went to the counter beaming and ready to make my purchase, I was so happy for my search to finally be over. They were regularly priced at forty dollars, which I was fine with paying. Buuuuut then... The lovely lady told me in a matter of fact kind of way that everything in store, including all vintage Anne of Green Gables worthy booties were on sale for three for ten dollars. Woah. Slow down. You mean three items, for ten dollars?! Ohhh yes. This is my kind of deal. I ended up walking away with two necklaces as well as these shoes! For the price of only ten dollars! Don't you just love it when deals sneak up on you like that? :)

Much love, Vivi

The Details//
Jacket: cleo
Blouse: Seductions
Jeans: Guess
Booties: Ardene

Nails//
Red: OPI Red my fortune cookie
Gold: Sephora Charge It

Valentine's Cards

Hi friends! Today I'm going to share some Valentine's card inspiration with you. I hope these will inspire you to create your own to share with friends and loved ones.

Isn't he precious? I found the idea from modcloth!

Simple materials such as tooth picks, glitter, and felt pens make beautiful cards to give!

Happy crafting!

Much love, Vivi

Five things to love



{indulging in a hearty peice of black forest cherry cake, served on a vintage china plate}

{a beautiful scene of bright skies by the lake from last summer}

{my dear friend Kendra's rad shoes}

{a super simple nail look using tiny stars and a swipe of silver polish}

{freshly baked croissants with a chocolate almond filling}

Much love, Vivi

Hair: The four strand braid



Today I'm going to show you how to create this beautiful twist on the braid, using four strands instead of three!

1~ Gather your hair into two sections.
2~ Split each section in half to create four individual pieces.
3~ Take the outermost strand and put it under the next.
4~ Continue the strand over top of the next piece of hair, and then underneath the last.

Continue the pattern of under, over, under. After about two rows, your braid will begin to look like this!

Here we have the finished product! This four strand braid gives you a new and easy twist to a simple braid. I'm going to try it next with a curl dangling loose, and possibly two of them on either side of my face! Hope you enjoyed this tutorial!

Much love, Vivi

Valentine's Heart Warmers



I love it when Valentines Day rolls around each year. I love how it gives us an excuse to show a little love, watch a mushy chick flick, and eat far too much chocolate. In the spirit of Valentines Day, I was inspired to create these fabric heart warmers!



To create these beauties all you need is your choice of fabric, a needle and thread, and some rice! Cut two separate hearts and begin to sew on the perimeter. When you are 3/4 finished sewing, fill the heart up with rice. White rice, brown rice, any type of rice works! Flax seeds also work great. Once your heart is filled up, finish off the sewing. To end off your thread, loop your needle through the same spot about five times and tie off your thread. Yay! Pat yourself on the back, you crafty devil, you!

I used a soft fleece for the first heart, loved it so much, and decided to try a floral pattern as well! Just pop one in the microwave for 45 seconds and enjoy! I like putting them on my back, or even keeping one in my pocket when it's cold outside!

Have fun crafting & sharing these with loved ones! (Or just keeping them for yourself. Trust me, you'll want to... :)

Much love, Vivi



Friday Favourites!

Happy Friday!

To celebrate this great day that is much loved around the world, I thought I would share with you the random compilation of loveliness that I've found and been inspired by this week. This week I was really inspired by bright colours that reminded me of Spring.

What an adorable breakfast idea!

Pink ombre cake. Is anything more heavenly than this?!

I love everything about this outfit! Boots, pants, jacket, so beautiful!

Okay. So those shorts really need to make their way into my closet. And that scarf. And those shoes. Oh, I might as well take the hair too... :)

Converse nails. I think this may even catch on with guys. Okay, maybe that's pushing it, but really. These are more than amazing!

Mmm... Heart shaped fruit would be a perfect Valentines day snack!

These bright pink stairs add a retro feel to any space.

I hope this outfit explains why I'm really looking forward to Spring weather! I love the floral shorts paired with a soft pink blouse. Elegant and feminine!

I wish I had this talent! I almost wouldn't want to drink this it's so artistic!

 all images via Pinterest

Hope your week was wonderful and that these little inspirations could brighten your day!

Starting tonight, I'll be attending a conference for youth all weekend at my church. It's going to be a weekend of youth getting together from all different backgrounds and places to hear more about God's word and be inspired to live for Jesus. This is my first year going, and I can't wait to see what God has in store! I can't wait to share with you all how it goes... :)

Have a happy weekend!

Much love, Vivi