Pizza is a favourite around here. My brother Micah is genius at putting together flavours atop carefully stretched, homemade dough. We like to make an evening of it, eating pizzas as they emerge hot from the oven. Colours and fragrances of fresh herbs, vegetables, cheeses, and other toppings together create a delectable dinner. The new combination is sweet potato slices with sautéed onions and sprigs of rosemary…it’s irresistible! A little music to inspire carefully assorted delicate flavours proves that flatbread-making is an art. We used this dough recipe and baked the pizzas at 550 for around 6-8 minutes each.

I hardly ever print real photos anymore, it is easy enough to snap a quick picture on my phone and store it on Instagram. If I somehow lost those photos I would be so upset because many of them are from trips and have sentimental meaning. I decided to make a mini collage to put up in my room using an empty ikea frame I’ve had laying around. I ordered the prints from Firebox, they come printed out in polaroid style on thick photo paper & a mini sharpie pen! This project took about five minutes and I am so happy with the way it turned out! I think this would make a lovely fathers day present (you could do pictures from a family trip, or pictures from when you were little)!! The instructions are pretty easy, its really up to you how you want your collage to look, I taped my photos to the cardboard that the picture frame comes with and then hung it in my room!

This post is rather picture-heavy but I couldn’t resist all the beautiful colours! The treat recipe is from my Meringue book
. My mom bought me these sweet little teacups from Anthropology for my birthday. They have the prettiest little detail and make tea-drinking all the more exciting!

I love the feeling of freedom and a care-free spirit that comes with summer. Yesterday the sun was out in full force, inspiring a walk through the greening woods to soak up some of that ever illusive rocky mountain heat. A skirt or dress are my go-to items for a free flowing comfortable summer outfit.

I love almost anything with curry. For this meal, I used Chef Michael Smith’s recipe “curried coconut shrimp & edamame” from his book Fast Flavours. It took hardly any time to throw together! Hot jasmin rice together with flavourful curry creates a therapeutic aroma as well as a tasty dish!

Ingredients:

1 can of coconut milk

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoon of soy sauce

2 large carrots, peeled

2 cups of frozen edamame (I used frozen pees instead)

1 pound or 450 grams of fresh or thawed frozen shrimp

Instructions (directly from book):

“Pour the coconut milk into your favourite large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Spoon in the curry powder and splash in the soy sauce. With  vegetable peeler, shave the carrots into the pot untill they are whittled away and the pot is filled with bright orange thin shavings gently simmering. Stir in the edamame and shrimp. Adjust the hear much lower, just enough to maintain a slow, steady simmer. Continue stirring until the carrots soften and the shrimp cook through and their shells turn pink, 5-8 minutes. Spoon the stew into 2 bowls. Serve and share!”

The mountains have been completely socked in with rain and clouds over this past week. As a preventative measure for cabin-fever we took a trip down to one of our favorite bakeries in town. We warmed up with a bowl of soup and enjoyed some of the best cappuccinos in Canmore!

These braided bangs were inspired by this video from leafTV. I used her technique to ‘messy up’ the braiding, but only braided one strand for either side of my head. I usually don’t do a whole lot with my bangs so I was happy to get them out of my face and primp up my regular hairstyle. L’Oréal’s matt&messy spray is wonderful for adding a little extra texture for more workable hair.

Now that summer here, I think it’s time for another glorified water post. I was researching skin brightening tips and drinking enough water was (of course) one of the major ones. Usually I don’t find it difficult to get enough water; I’ve just made a habit of drinking throughout the day. Nevertheless, adding garnish to spruce up a cool glass of water on a hot day makes for a whole new and exciting H2O-drinking experience. I used some fresh mint, lime wedges and ice for this one and it was wonderfully refreshing!

For me, summer is synonymous with cut off denim shorts. The concept of shredding a pair of pants after a long winter is completely satisfying. I have seen many variations for this upcoming summer, particularly ones with precious lace detailing. I love the idea of ripped and tattered with a pretty accent. These were so simple and fun to make, I know I will be living in them all summer.

Tools: Old pair of denim jeans (I used some old levis)// lace or plaid for decoration//fabric glue, tweezers//scissors// cheese grater// sand paper (basically anything to help scruff up the denim) , pen for marking preferred length

Directions:  Before you start cutting, decide on the length and then mark it with a pen or chalk. Once you’ve finished cutting one leg, fold over the jeans and cut out the other//make a few incisions in the denim to create holes. With sandpaper, rub back and forth, up and down against the holes. Measure the lace before you trim and put it anywhere you like; it would be cute to place it around the legs as well! Then, using fabric glue, begin to glue and press the lace in place! I also cut up an old flannel shirt to add a few touches of plaid on another pair! Have fun!

These pancakes seem like they should be made around Christmas, or, in the least, on a rainy morning. It is neither…but I still had a huge craving for something hearty and healthy after my early run! I found the recipe from here and they turned out deliciously. Instead of the cream cheese mixture, I grated some orange peal into whipped cream. The combination of zested cream and maple syrup made for a perfect topping to these spiced pancakes. That, along with freshly brewed coffee and some chill morning music, left me feeling very full and very happy. : )