April 27, 2015

Dissecting a space- My Closet/Alex 9-Drawer




Good Day my little snow cones,
   
    First things first, sorry for not posting a blog this Friday. My week had just been to crazy to work on anything but I'm back at it. Today we are going to continue with the home deco theme with a new series called 'dissecting a space'. In this series, we will take a space in my house and dissect the decor, I hope you will get some inspiration from this and I will also tell you where alot of my pieces came from.
   
       Today, we are dissecting my closet/Alex 9-drawer area. This happens to be one of my favorite spots in my room. It really pulls my room together and helps me keep my space organized. So, let's begin...



I picked up the black dot decals your see in the first pictures with the mirror and around my closet from chapters. These guys were on clearance for $6.00 originally $19.95. They also had these in gold with I thought were cute but I think it would have looked strange against my cream walls. My mirror I picked up at Ikea a while back. It reminds me of a Disney mirror for some reason. Maybe something from snow white. 


Alex 9-Drawer: Ikea
Hanging shelf: Not sure, it was given to me


Print: Chapters
Candle: Bath & Body works


Books: Various Places
Paris Hideaway Book: Micheal's
Candle and cake Stand: Bath & Body Works
Frame: Ikea


Brush Holders (Vases): Ikea
Jar: DIY


Clear Cosmetic Holder: Target


Deer Canvas: Spring Ridge Farms (Local)

I hope you enjoyed and I hope I inspired you to create! Until next time...


April 19, 2015

4 Ways to Spruce up your Space this Spring

Hello my little chocolate covered peanuts,

          With the warmer weather coming around, some of us may go through spring decor syndrome (I made this up, not actual medical condition). I am no home decorator or stylist but I do have a few decor ideas that I love. So, let's get started...



1.Re-purpose old Heirlooms

When I say 'Re-purpose", i mean taking something old and using it for something other than it's intended purpose. Such as, to decorate your space! We have tons of old Nick-nacks sitting around in my closet that we have used as decor. My mother had her first sewing machine collecting dust in our closet for years before we decided to whip it out and use it as a conversation piece. This sewing machine has given us many great conversations with our guests and it always gets noticed. Also, we have turned out old Singer table into a coffee station. We have a small amount of kitchen space so this acts like a second counter top. One thing to remember when using heirlooms in decor is not to fret if they aren't in the best of shape. My moms sewing machine has a few pieces missing and has collected some rust in the crannies. It happens, their old. 




2. Get Crisp with White

Since moving into a much smaller space last year, I have learned that using white or creams really open up a space and give it a clean and crisp feel. You can combo any color with white which makes it super versatile. I love combining gold tones with white. It adds a touch of decadence to a space without costing a fortune. 




3. Use Books to Warm up a Table

I am a bookworm, there is no doubt about it. But I also love books in decor. Stacking old books on a coffee table, add a warm vintage feel. My mom has tons of books that are not in any shape to be read but would make a great conversation piece on a side table. 

4. Bring on the Blooms

Since it is the season of spring blooms, why not go to your local grocery store or flower shop and pick up some beautiful flowers to cheer up your space. This will really liven the space up and inspire your spring to-dos. 

Until Next Time...


April 16, 2015

A Sardines Original Recipe: Baked Potato Soup


Hello my little spuds,

              I call you spuds because we are about to make potato soup. Get it? Spuds? Potatoes? Today for Foodie Friday, I am sharing one of my favorite recipes for a warm and tasty potato soup. I share this for alot of reason but one big one is, that alot of my friends have never tried it before. Honestly, if you have never tried potato soup before, then you are missing out. The best way for me to describe it is, it tastes like a bowl of baked potatoes. I am sharing my basic and simple version but you can add so many things to this to make it even tastier. Plus, it's uber easy!!! Bacon pieces and chives make this extra good. So, Let's begin...

*WARNING: THIS RECIPE IS NOT DIET FRIENDLY!! (LOL)



You'll want to begin by peeling and cubing your potatoes. No science here, just peel and cut as if you were making mashed potatoes.


Boil Potatoes until you can easily pierce with a fork. Drain out all but a half inch of water. In the meantime, saute the onion.

With a hand masher, mash potatoes to preferred consistency. I like mine mostly mashed but with a few potato chunks.


Add Chicken broth, milk, butter, sour cream. Mix together using masher to mash it all together.



Using flour and a bit of water, whisk together in bowl, slowly pour into soup while stirring. This will thicken the soup. Toss in sauteed onion.

Add salt and pepper to taste. I love tons of cracked black pepper in my soup. Stir.

Just before serving, stir in cheese and let sit until cheese is melted in.



Serve with a dollop of sour cream and cheese.



Voila! Hope you all will make this tasty soup and let me know in the comments below. Did you add your own flair? Give me some inspiration!



Until next time...


April 12, 2015

A Downtown Oakville Adventure

Everything you want to know about Oakville's historical figures

Hello my chocolate chip cookies,

                 I hope your weekend was great, but now we are back to classic Monday. A day of needing that extra cup of coffee, of counting the hours till home time and the general Monday "blahs". Anyways, here in Canada, Our first month of spring has been...not so typical 'spring'. But today we got a really nice preview with our 19 Celsius degree weather. Being that it was so amazing out, we (My sister, my niece and I) took advantage and went for a stroll to downtown. This is defiantly a highlight if you come down to Oakville, Ontario. Lots of great little shops, coffee spots and the gorgeous lake front. Here are a few pictures from our day out. 

Oakville's "Downtown Core"





Entrance to Erchless Estates
Town Square Clock


Anthropologie: One of my favorite stores downtown. Super pricey but super cool
Erchless Manor and Oakville's Official Museum
The Oakville Pier
Always looking for a photo Op

Ofcourse I had to stop for a Java Chip a la Starbucks
View From Erchless Estates


Night falls and the lights start flickering
End of a great day
I hope you enjoyed exploring a bit of my favorite part of down. Until next time...


April 10, 2015

Products Worth The Splurge

Hello my coco puffs,

         So, I have a secret, I love drugstore makeup as much as the next guy, but I also have some splurge-worthy products that I could not replace with a drugstore dupe. I have tried so many dupes in my makeup junkie years and I have not found anything I like as much as these guys. I think sometimes, things are worth the splurge. And despite what they all say (Especially men), there is nothing wrong with splurging once in a while. Let's begin kids...

The Naked 3 Palette-$70

I do not care what anyone says about there being a million dupes for this palette. There no dupes for the quality for these shadows. Being a girl who often skipped shadow all together, when I splurged on this palette, my life changed. Not only are the colors gorgeous, but they apply like literal butter. They blend like a dream and give off a lovely pigment. 


Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara-$30

Personally, I find the name of this product extremely unnecessary but the product itself is phinominal. The Packaging it's self is worth the splurge. This mascara packs your lashes with jet black, volume boosting, mascara and I absolutely love it! 


Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz-$27

It took me forever to buy this brow pencil, but since buying my first one last year, I have gone through 3. This ultra-thin retractable pencil mimics hair strands and doesn't give off an overpowering color. I tried a few 'dupes' but so far, nothing does the job quite as nicely. Alot of people say the Maybelline Brow pencil is a dupe for this but, personally, I find the tip of that pencil far too rounded verses the ABH Brow Wiz' pointed end which mimics hairs. 


Benefit Erase Paste

This peach-toned under eye concealer is perfect for covering those blue-toned dark circles. This products has a very moist consistency that sheers out really nicely. What I like best about this concealer is how moisturizing it is, unlike other undereye concealers, it doesn't look as dry and flaky as the day goes on. I would suggest setting this lightly with powder. 



Tell me some of your splurge-worthy products below!

Until next time...


April 06, 2015

March 2015 Favorites

Hello my chicken nuggets,

              The last few months, not much has changed in my beauty regime. But thankfully, in March, I got my hands on some awesome products that I really want to share. I didn't use a tons of new products some you may or may not see a few old friends in this line up. So, let's go...

             Tarte Tartelette Palette
This has been by far my go-to palette last month. It features 12 neutral matte shades that can go with any skin tone. This palette took me from day to night and made my blue-green eyes pop like nobodies biz. 




L'Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation
I got this dewy foundation in 1-2 N for my fair skin, but I will say it turns out a bit dark for me. Other than the fact, I am super happy with this foundation. I love the coverage it gives while keeping my skin fresh and dewy looking. 



Hard Candy Blush Crush Blush in Living Doll
I have talked about this blush one too many times, I know, but it is just such a perfect blush for spring. This blue-toned pink gives a gorgeous pink flush with a touch of shimmer. I skipped the highlighter on any days I used this bad boy.



Maybelline Master Precise Drama Eyeliner
This has been my favorite eyeliner pen in the last few years and I always end up back at it even when I try something new. It is super duper precise which makes it super easy to create the perfect cat eye flick. 



Duo Lash Adhesive
Last month, was false eyelash month and thanks to this glue, they stayed in place all day. I used the clear which did give a bit of residue so I needed to fill with some eyeliner. Other than that, this glue rocks my socks.




That's it for my March favorites! I hope you enjoyed and let me know in the comments what some of your favorites last month were. 

Until next time...




April 03, 2015

The Beginners Guide to Makeup

Hello my little sprinkle donuts,

       All of us makeup junkies have been there. Using sponge applicators to apply shadow, using those useless triangle sponges to apply our foundation, buying eye shadows that we knew we would never wear just because the color was pretty.
      
       Although developing good makeup skills is a process, I wish that someone had been there to get me on the road to good makeup from the beginning. Like a makeup fairy god mother. For all you makeup rookies who want to venture to the makeup isle, here are some of my top tips for beginning your makeup journey.