let's have a chat

I never thought it was possible, but I really have developed a relationship with Blogging. It's been a place where I can show the exciting aspects of my life and get feedback. It's been my pretty place on the internet. And I love that it's a place where I can post outfits, food and the fun stuff in my life.

taking an outfit shot at work with my awesome camera that I bought mostly because of the blog. 

It's been  more than 2 years of blogging DAILY! It's seriously part of my life and I have to think about it constantly to make sure I have pictures to post about.

snapping a picture of my lunch before devouring!

weekend muffins- it's so nice taking pictures on the weekend because I can take advantage of the daylight

But lately I've been struggling with blogging lately. Maybe it's all the craziness in my life right now. Work (new position IS so busy, but fun), Engagement (YAY!!! But planning... oh my!), house buying (oh yeah!) and wanting to join a few clubs (and perhaps start one of my own). It's all so much fun, but it's hard to focus on it all.

The day after the proposal!

So this is me saying that I need a break.

I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read my little blog. It's been SO much fun exploring this with you all. Of course, I'll continue reading blogs and I have a feeling I won't be gone for long. But I think it's time for a change. Perhaps a new blog or something completely different! I'll be out there though!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Emilie

fall wears

Happy Friday! It was a short week in Canada, but I'm still happy it's Friday. 

The air is very chili now so I've traded my flats for boots!  

Jackets and scarves are my wardrobe staples in the fall and I love it!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Emilie

last minute granola

hummm it seems we need groceries! With the holidays and working we are down to our last few staples in the house.

This morning I used up all my jarred nuts and dried fruit to make a quick granola!

Last Minute Granola

makes 4 1/2 cup servings

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

4 Tbsp unsweetened coconut

2 Tbsp ground flax seed

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/2 Tbsp honey

In a frying pan toast the nuts, seeds and oats until you can smell them and they are turning a darker toasted colour. Stir continuously! Add the cranberries and honey and stir to combine. Serve with yogurt or milk. 

Enjoy!

Emilie

best date night EVER!

On Friday night the BF took me out for a date night.

We hiked...

I love fall hikes! Check out those trees!

We wined...

  I loved this Malbec! So smooth. 

We dined...

I had a creamed barley stuffed squash with roasted veggies. Mmm... crispy kale!

Dessert- chocolate pecan pie!

And we sparkled... 

What?

Yes, we got engaged!!!!

So again: BEST DATE NIGHT EVER!

Emilie

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Thanksgiving in Canada. I hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday weekend!!

Emilie

embracing the fall

On a cold rainy fall day what can you do other than make your rain coat warmer with a fall coloured scarf!

Happy Friday everyone! Are you enjoying the fall weather? I'm so excited for Thanksgiving weekend! Nothing says fall like getting together to eat pumpkin pie!

I'm really into cardigans this fall. I guess I'm just chilled to the bone all the time and go right for the warmth of a sweater in the morning.

Have a great day! Thank goodness it's Friday!

Emilie

family style sushi night!

Last weekend we got some friends together to try the family style sushi I learned about at a meeting a few weeks ago.

The fixins'- smoked salmon, marinated tofu, shrimp, "crab", seasoned sushi rice, marinated veggies and avocado.

What they look like before folding up the sides, dipping in soy sauce/wasabi mixture and taking the bite!

Look who came over for dessert! Our friend got this awesome cookie monster cake from a coworker for his birthday. Yummy AND cute!

The next day's leftovers were amazing! We really need to do this more often!

Emilie

cold weather road biking rides

Fall is colder this year in Ottawa. But I'm not complaining! I'll take cozy sweaters and scarves over sweating while sitting any day. It's taking my new obsession of road biking to a whole new level though!

Riding in cold air is a bit harder than most other sports during this season because of the wind factor. On some hills I'm getting up to 50-60km/hour! That's a lot of cold air! Here's what I do to stay warm:

Waterproof and warm "booties" to go over my cleats. These are imperative! My toes actually go numb without them. 

There are full finger gloves available, but I find this works just as well. I use cheap gloves to fit under my protective biking glove and it keeps my fingers toasty!

Finally there's the head band (cold ears!), the base layer shirt and the leggings that go over the padded riding shorts.

Lastly, you need to have a hot meal planned for when you get back because you're going to be chilled to the bone! Last week we planned to have some roasted spaghetti squash and bolognese sauce waiting for us on the stove.

With garlic toast on the side!

What do you do for your cold weather workout?

Emilie

Banana Pancakes

A rainy Sunday morning means Pancakes. Period.

I used this recipe and added a few a few tasty tweaks.

Banana Pancakes

Serves One

1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour 
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 mashed banana
1/4 cup skim milk 
dash salt

1/2 tbsp ground flax

2 tbsp oats

1/2 tbsp maple syrup

yogurt for serving

Mix dried ingredients and wet together until combined. Makes about three pancakes per batch. I used a spray instead of butter to cut the calories. 

I like to serve mine with yogurt as a topping instead of maple syrup.

Enjoy your pancakes!

Emilie

Photo a day challenge- week four (final week!)

Final week of the photo-a-day challenge!

Day Twenty-Four - Three Things
Have you ever gotten any Stella and Dot jewelry? I haven't, but my co-worker got a few pieces the other day. I love the jewelry, but I loved the boxes even more!

Day Twenty-Five - Frame
It's the small things. I love our white window frame and white curtains in our office. It's a touch of pretty in a corporate world. 

Day Twenty-Six - Near
I LOVED this fruit display at work all the colours beside each other really worked for me. 

Day Twenty-Seven - Love/Hate
Working from home! I love that we get to stop and make a home cooked meal for lunch- like these Tuna Melts. I hate that I have to work all day and I can't do "home" things. 

Day Twenty-Eight- A Good Thing
This only happens once a year so I jump at the chance to have mini pumpkins! Love this white one!

Day Twenty-Nine- Errand
Errands mean a stop in to Mucho Burrito! The BF got the Ghost Pepper one. Wow even my one bite was hot hot hot!

Day Thirty - You, Then 
This was taken in January of this year. Almost a year with the Nikon! 

That's that! I would do this challenge again.

Emilie

fluffy banana peanut butter oatmeal

It's Saturday and I'm up early for work. There's nothing like serving 700 people a home-made burger on a beautiful fall day! 

To fuel my day of running around I made myself a batch of these fluffy oats. I made a few adjustments of course!

Banana Peanut Butter Fluffy Oats

serves one

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup skim milk (or soy/almond beverage)

1/2 cup water

1/2 banana, sliced thickly

1/2 tbsp ground flax

pinch salt

1/2 tbsp Peanut Butter

small handful of Muesli and 1 spoonful of PB for end

Boil oats, milk, water, banana, flax, salt and 1/2 tbsp PB on medium heat. Once bubbling stir vigorously to create the "fluffy" texture until oats are cooked and liquid is absorbed. Served with your favourite toppings (nuts, cereal, nut/seed butters, dried fruit, fresh fruit- berries would be great!). Enjoy!

I loved the idea of keeping the PB on the spoon. It lasted until the last few bites. Yum!

Enjoy your day!

Emilie

Ribfest 2.0

What a Ribfest this year! Great ribs, awesome dips and a great time all-round. The weather even co-operated.

The winning dip!

The "men" at work!

Ribs!!!

SO much dessert! I made PB cups. 

Until next year!

Emilie

snippets of my workweek

Another week on the road!

Outfits for the week:

A big batch of moroccan stew with chicken, sweet potatoes, chick peas, kale and couscous. I used cinnamon, cloves and cayenne powder to spice it up!

Outfit shots in the bathroom mirror!

A pretty darn awesome Chicken Vindaloo Naan Wrap. LOVE this healthy Indian fast food place. I wish Ottawa had one!

Adding a scarf to my outfit mid-day because it was darn cold!

Loved this fruit display!

Emilie