Friday's Little Bits

+

+

+

+

+

Bedroom Makeover

This weekend, we finally got around to finishing our bedroom and we couldn't be happier with the way it turned out (watch out Sarah Richardson). It's so much cozier and feels really lush!

The Goods:
- Area rug and carpet from Shelter
- Bed, side tables and lamps from Structube
- Bedding and pillows from West Elm
- Shhhh! throw pillow from GH Johnson

Mini Banana Mega Muffins

I love bananas! Generally, I buy a whole bunch at the store, cut up half and freeze them for smoothies and leave the other half for snacking. While most get eaten up rather quickly (*with almond butter), sometimes a few stragglers get left behind leaving me with mushy bananas. So when mother nature gives me mushy bananas, I make a healthy banana loaf. This time I decided to turn them into mini muffins. I have been working on this recipe for a little while now and today it is finally ready to share with you (complete with a nutritional breakdown). These little puppies are low in calories (*under 100), low in fat, low in carbs and sugar but high in taste!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of Almond Flour

1 1/2 cups of Kamut Flour

2 ripe bananas (mushed)

1 egg plus 4 egg whites

1/4 cup Xylitol (non-chemical sweetener)

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamon

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tbsp chia seeds

1/2 tbsp cocoa nibs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix all flours, baking soda, spices and salt in a large bowl.

3. Mix bananas, egg, egg whites, vanilla, xylitol and apple sauce together in a small bowl.

4. Add wet mixture to the dry mixture. Stir, but do not over mix.

5. Fold in chia seeds and cocoa nibs.

6. Divide mixture into a mini muffin tray (24 muffins).

7. Bake for 25 minutes.

Nutritional Information (1 mini muffin):

86 calories

4 grams of (wonderful heart healthy) fat

9.4 grams of carbohydrates

1.6 grams of sugar

3 grams of protein

Friday's Little Bits

This picture put the biggest smile on my face! What a cutie pie (not as cute as Stella though).

+

So simple!

+

To my darling fiance, I love and adore you.

+

Just Pretty!

+

A friend told me to embrace the breakdown today. I guess she is right - there is beauty in them somewhere.

+

I am still searching for it but I feel something coming!

+

White Pop Up Store!

You heard me go on about the beauty and awesomeness that is White Toronto. So I had to let any of my Montreal reader know that they are coming to you! That's right! From January 29-31, White is hosting a trunk show in the Opus Hotel! If you or someone you know is in the market for a wedding dress, I highly recommend you check it out. You just might find THE ONE!

Give Me Shelter!

Have you ever walked into a store and thought - wow if I had 10k burning a whole in my pocket, I could go nuts in here? Stupid question, I know it happens a lot to us ladies. But it doesn't always happen to me in a furniture store. Until I walked in to Shelter. We could seriously furnish and style our entire home without having to go anywhere else. Their style is so bang on!!

(all pictures are from Shelter's Facebook Page)

Coming to Canada!

It's official! The day that every Canuck has been waiting for has finally arrived. Target announced it will be opening their first store in Toronto in 2013. Sure, it may be a two wait but at least our years of wishing and hoping (and crossing the border for shabby chic home decor at bargain prices) has finally paid off. With so much to offer, I will admit I find Target to be overwhelming so I tend to focus solely on their wonderfully diverse selection of home furnishings. I would happily take home any one of these pretty babies.

I Choose Joy

I don't make new year's resolutions, I don't believe in them. They are bunch of nonsense that set us up for disappointment of the worst kind - disappointment in ourselves. When we let ourselves down, negative thoughts and emotions fester and thrive. But for some silly reason, I had the urge to make resolutions this year. I tried really hard too. I sat here night after night trying to write down all of the things I wanted to resolve for the year ahead. I read them, rewrote them, read them again but each night I stared at the screen unwilling to press publish. Unwilling to fail myself. This left me thinking about what I was trying to achieve by making them in the first place? It took about a week to realize what motivated me to willingly torture myself. It's simple - I've been feeling uninspired. The idea of making resolutions was in some way an outlet to guide myself towards inspiration or as Oprah says my "a-ha moment". It didn't work. I just felt less inspired. Then I read a wonderful post by the uber sweet and talented Ashlee Gadd over at Where My Heart Resides and I feel in love with her joy pledge. It's not a resolution but a choice. The simple decision to choose joy, to welcome joy and to create joy in every way possible. Sure I may still have this lingering urge for inspiration that needs to be satisfied but for now if I just focus on that which brings me pure joy, Miss. Inspiration will find it's way to me and when she comes it's going to be rain storm!

Thanks Ash! Your never cease to amaze me.

Emerald's Cocoa Roast Almonds

Chocolate covered almonds... good. Emerald's Cocoa Roast dark chocolate almonds... even better (with a little less guilt).

Bold Statement

Wow! These are some serious statement necklaces. The attention to detail in these Suzanne Dai pieces is just outstanding. I would love to pair any of these babies with the perfect little LBD.