backyard cleaning

there has been quite a bit of yard work over here the past few weeks. tending to a yard and garden can be quite the job but the rewards are absolutely worth it. backyard barbecues with friends and late night talks on the patio while the crickets are having their own conversation in the background is priceless. summer really doesn't get better than that! i hope everyone is having a lovely weekend.

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free my soul

top, middle, bottom

i'll take one of each.

the stuff i love, the stuff i want, the stuff i dream about. 

pinned on a sheet of paper. 

life is sweet.

mask, bio, candle, cookbook, ring, boot

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snaps&shots

1. library visit

2. bathroom decor

3. fabric hunting

4. yarn cleanup

5. garden tools

6. coming along (taken a few days ago)

7. tomato thief (last one left)

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pretty things for monday

monday is a drag. here are a few pretty things to cheer you up.

1 2 via

google images

via

google images

google images

google images

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get your fix with a mix

happy fathers to all of you dads out there! i sure appreciate my old man and would not be where i am today without him. my dad turned me onto music at a young age so i thought tonight would be appropriate for a mix. hope you enjoy!

google images

1. showbiz blues - fleetwood mac

2. by the sword - slash feat. andrew stockdale

3. yayo - lana del rey

4. i'm shakin' - jack white

5. i've lost my baby - fleetwood mac

6. hair of the dog - nazareth

7. wild horses - rolling stones

8. world without end - a.a. bondy

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truth.

via

truth.

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birth of a book

extraordinary.
i hope you all find this as inspiring as i did. 


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time for a sweet

squeezing in all my vegetables and logging in hours for fitness has always been pretty high on my priority list. when it comes to losing weight and building muscle, diet is key. you can work yourself until you're blue in the face but without a nutritious diet you won't see the results you are looking for.

now people tend to steer clear of any sweets or treats when they are trying to lose weight. in general this is a good idea, but we are only humans..so fear not the babycakes bakery strikes again. mixing delicious and nutritious there will always be room for an all time favorite; chocolate chip cookies. this recipe is from this book and i highly recommend it to anyone with a sweet tooth and a healthy conscious.  

what you will need:

note: i cut the recipe in half. if you would like to make the full amount of cookies just double what i am telling you.

1/2 cup coconut oil

note: coconut oil is amazing for you in more ways than one. it has plenty of hair, skin, metabolism, stress and many more benefits. here is a good reference site on coconut oil.

3 teaspoons applesauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

5/8 cup evaporated cane juice

1 cup bob's red mill gluten-free all-purpose baking flour

1/8 cup flax meal

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 teaspoon xanthan gum

note: xanthan gum is used as a thickening agent. since we don't have eggs in this recipe we need something to bind the ingredients together. that is what xanthan gum does.

1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

note: you can use any kind of chocolate chips you want. :)

preheat your oven to 325* and line your baking sheet with parchment paper (parchment paper is a saint in baking. such a time saver). in a medium bowl, mix together the oil, applesauce, salt, vanilla, and evaporated cane juice. in another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, flax meal, baking soda, and xanthan gum. add the dry ingredients to the wet. mix until a grainy dough is formed and fold in the chocolate chips. scoop the dough onto your baking sheets evenly spaced. bake the cookies on the center rack for 15 minutes, rotating the sheets 180 degrees after 9 minutes. let the cookies cool and enjoy!

note: if you are making this recipe or any of the babycakes recipes it may seem a little pricey to you when you buy all of your ingredients. once you have them on hand they last for a long time and you can use them for many different recipes in baking or cooking. so worth it! not to mention people will love you for these sweet treats you are making.

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today..

today seems like it should be a bum around don't do anything kind of day, but instead it is a get up early, work, pay bills, clean, workout, and cross things off the to-do list kind of day. at least this little guy made me smile.


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snaps&shots

lately i have, 

said goodbye to the red rocks

had a jam fest in california

made a trip to the beach //

saw the amazing roger waters

 received some cat lovin'

 watched my mother embarrass herself --

\\ started a garden

gave some motherly love

monday came again just like it does every week. i like mondays in the sense that it is a new week and the past is the past and you just have to keep moving forward. i like to think of it as a clean start every week. 

i have been working on my new craft room and i am excited to start creating. i have a few projects coming up that i am excited to share with you. so stay tuned. have a lovely week.

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indulge.

it has been quite the long silence over here on the blog. packing, unpacking and re-arranging has gotten the best of me. i can't complain much i am really excited to start the next adventure in my life. i have inherited two of the sweetest felines, sydney and tootsie. although i have wanted a pup for quite awhile the time was not right but i couldn't be more smitten with the two loves i have at home. you will hear about them quite often i'm sure and sooner or later i will start to sound like a crazy cat lady (you have been warned.).

sundays are quite charming in more ways than one. although big coffee mugs and an extra big breakfast has to take the cake for sunday feel good moments. i purchased my first babycakes book about a year ago and it has since received a grade a spot in my kitchen. all of the recipes are vegan, mostly gluten-free, and mostly-sugar free (but that does not make them any less delicious). so to make your sunday a little more indulgent here is a tutorial video of erin mckenna founder of babycakes making delicious indulgent waffles. enjoy!

      


have you inspired yourself today..