Best Banana Bread Recipe!

My apologies for not posting for the last few days. I have been working heavily since I had to purchase text books (which are approximately $8-$150 each... X 6 courses!)so I've picked up a few extra shifts to pay for that expense.

Anyway on to the real post...I had some bananas in the kitchen that were almost completely black, which is not ideal, however, makes the best banana bread because they are about 3 times as sweet when they are overly ripe.

This is the recipe that was given to my from my boyfriend's mum..it is truly the best I have ever tasted.  I ended up making 4 loaves..three regular and one with the walnuts (for my dad)..you can also add in some chocolate chips if you are a fan of chocolate chip banana bread.

These are the only recipes you need although you may want to substitute the brown sugar for white (I was out of white so I used what was left of the brown).  Also, not pictured are the eggs, I forgot to bring those out until half-way through the recipe :P whoops

Just having a bit of fun!

After removing the bread from the pans I left them on the counter to cool and when I came back up, this is all that was left!

Yes, there is still a lot left, but when I had gone downstairs, there were four loaves!! Oh well, at least they're not going to waste!

Hopefully I will be able to post more regularly again. I just placed an order online to ELF (eyeslipsface.com) after I broke my Studio Bronzer yesterday and of course since I was ordering that, I figured "why not order a couple of other items while I'm at it?" It may seems ridiculous but I found a coupon online for 50% off of my entire order and ended up paying only $7.50 plus shipping for ELEVEN things!  Elf is generally hit or *really* miss for me but I have found a couple of items that I really enjoy.  I will post when I receive them and perhaps do a couple of reviews on the products I ordered!



Apartment Porn: Potential Bed(room) Ideas ...and Current Room

My boyfriend and I went to Ikea this evening to look at some furniture and get some ideas on prices and what we would like when we move out this summer.  I wanted to look at wardrobes, since apartments never seem to have enough storage these days, not to mention my boyfriend and I both have a ton of clothing.  I found a nice mirrored wardrobe which I am thinking will probably be our choice. However, I could not find any bedding or bedframes that I like.  I think I'm going to have to find a vintage bedframe and get it restored and re-upholstered (my mum is amazing at that kind of thing!) 

I really like the pop of mustard in this one..it's so vibrant and fun

This one is gorgeous..I really love the upholstered look with the clawfoot legs.  It's so feminine and vintage!

 I don't know if anyone is familiar with the show "The Secret Diary of a Call Girl" with Billie Piper as Belle but I LOVE her bedroom.  It's really hard to find pictures of the room but I did find a couple (which really don't do it any justice).  Her bedroom has a really vintage feel with lots of unique colors and interesting textures

And here is a better look at the bed

Here are some overall bedrooms I like..although I am fairly certain that my boyfriend will not agree..I'm going to have to compromise with him and perhaps get a really girly bedframe and tone down some of the accessories

For me, this one has a tad too much going on but there are elements I really like such as the floral wallpaper, the gorgeous square mirror paired with a rustic looking desk, the indian style mirror on the right. However, I would never pair these together.  I really like a bold wallpaper, but I generally prefer a larger print, and just on a feature wall as opposed to an entire room.



I think I may be able to get a bed that I like eventually, but they are quite expensive..if you look up "Louie bed" you can see what I'm dealing with!

This is my current bedroom.  I have a really bright accent wall behind my bed in a mango/peachy/pinky color with a really nice button tufted style bed set.  The mirror was something I picked up at Home Sense for $250...there were about 10 of them.  I purchased it and left it there because I had to get my dad's pickup truck.  The next day there were only 2 or 3 of them left! They literally FLEW off the shelves! I just love the victorian, Marie Antoinette style of the mirror.  The lamp was also purchased at Home Sense on a different trip..it's got a glass base with a really pretty damask pattern.  In the mirror you can sort of see my vintage geisha painting which I picked up on Ebay (the print, not the frame).  I love the colors of it and I picked my wall color from this painting.

Oh my lord I'm so excited to start designing my new apartment!!!!!

An Ebay Steal + My Current Favorite Band=LOOOVVVE

While looking for some artwork online, I came across this seller on Ebay that sells fantastic, high quality photographic art of musicians, models, actors, etc for a really reasonable price.

These photos are only $17 on Ebay, plus shipping and there are over 1000 to choose from.  They're really big and are a great way to display your favorite artists for a great bargain! This particular photo features my favorite band Mumford & Sons (check them out, they're absolutely amazing!)You can check out the artwork available here: http://shop.ebay.com/hang-your-idols/m.html

This is their newest album and it is FANTASTIC....Here some of the links to my favorite songs:

Little Lion Man- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7bHe--mp1g
The Cave- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KkUeRPjc-Y

Winter Wins- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i8ml0XnR4k&feature=channel

Anyways, I thought I would have time to post later on this evening but I have been called in for a shift tonight..I have to pay for textbooks this week so I couldn't turn it down.  Hopefully we didn't get any new, cute stock so I can keep my money where it belongs...in my wallet! Sometimes I think it would be better to work at a store where I dislike the products so I won't be tempted to buy anything (hah!).  I was up at 6am this moring for class..it's going to be a long night....My sister bought The Simple Life season on DVD and we ended up watching the whole thing so I didn't get much sleep...can I just say it's friggin hilarious? I never would have thought I would like it but it so ridiculous that it was just way too entertaining. What's your guilty television pleasure?

I Found a Little Gem at Winners!

My sister is going to Los Angeles in a few weeks so we decided to go to Winners (which is a Canadian version of the U.S.'s "Marshall's" I believe) to look for a swim suit and because we both had gift cards.  She ended up not finding anything, but I did....BIG surprise, right?

This is my new Calvin Klein clutch! I am so in love with it. I have been looking for a nice clutch for a while now, but everything I liked seemed to be $80 and up so when I spotted this for only $29, I couldn't pass it up (and with a gift card, it's basically free right? HA!)It's made of a really nice leather and has gold accents which is really luxe looking.  It's perfect for a night of dancing with my girlfriends:D And I didn't even need to spend any money.  Still on target with my frugalness...whaaat!

Accounting This Morning .....Oh Joy!

Today was my first day back at school after a nice break for the Holidays.  I am finally on my last semester and am going to be all done and graduated in April which is exciting but kind of scary since it's going to be time for a "real" job.  I'm also moving out this summer so I'm planning on keeping my retail position for weekends and then working the standard 9-5 during the week. I had a job at one point where I was travelling and working 90+ hours a week and I actually really enjoyed it! (I was also selling the most beautiful jewelry so aesthetically and creatively, it wasn't your typical job..it was a ton of fun). As much hard work as it's going to be, I like to keep busy and productive and I just can't wait to be out of school and on my own (and by on my own I mean living with my boyfriend :) Hopefully anyone else that was back to school today had an alright day. Back to the griiind!!

Two Cheap(er) Style Alternatives

I know this is my second post today. Chances are there will be more than one per day since one of my new years resolutions was to be frugal and save, thus I will be spending more time indoors (I guess it's a good thing I started to blog, it'll help keep me occupied!)

I wanted to share a cheaper alternative to the Chanel two tone flat.  I got mine from Gap, and they only cost $49.50 Cdn as opposed to approximately $400 US for the Chanels.

These are gorgeous, but way too expensive for my taste. Perhaps when I am no longer a student and making a better income, I will indulge...then again, I think I'm too much of a bargain lover! Now that I have taunted you with these adorable shoes, let me show you a really cute, affordable version.

These are the flats I purchased just before Christmas. I have yet to wear them because...well there is a ton of snow on the ground and as much as I would love to be one of those *ballsy* Canadian girls, my toes just wouldn't be able to handle it.  They are so, so cute and reminded me so much of the Chanel flats, that I just could not resist.  They are a patent leather type of flat and as you can see, the toe is capped along with the back while the rest is a nude color.  These also tend to make your feet look smaller! For the price they are a steal, not to mention the fact that Gap now has its own Canadian site and seems to have weekly coupons and sales.  You can buy these shoes here: http://canada.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=34759&vid=1&pid=818171&scid=818171002  I know they are comfortable because they are the same style and composition as the Gap City Flat, of which I own two pairs ;)

Now, onto my next style alternative.  I know many people have been really excited about the Michael Kors Rose Gold watches.  They've been all over various magazines and the fact that they're the "boyfriend" style that is so popular right now is probably an added attraction.  Not to mention the fact that Lorraine Stanick (a Youtube fan favorite) owns one and its actually ridiculously gorgeous!

While I do reaaaally love this watch, the price tag was a bit hefty for me at just over $300 Cdn and I just could not do it.  BUT! I did come across Fossil's Rose Gold collection (new and probably limited edition) and I fell in love.  At only $170 Cdn, it was a much more reasonable price, and my boyfriend's mother decided to get it for me for Christmas to boot!

This is the one I have and it's called the Riley Multifunction Rose Gold Tone Dial Watch. Also, incase you perhaps are in the mindset that the MK watch is "better quality" or a "better bang for your buck" here's a little food for though: Fossil makes the MK watches! Fossil is the main manufacturer for many brands, including MK, Marc Jacobs, Burberry and more.

                       

I work retail and let me just say, I have people constantly asking me where my watch is from.  The champagney/rose color is just so unique and stands out against most skin colors (my flash kind of washes it out, the photo from fossil.com is a more accurate depiction of the color).  Hopefully someone can benefit from this post, or at least have an option if they're considering the more expensive version-let me know what you think!

An Ebay Steal!

Right before Christmas, I ordered a leopard print scarf from Ebay..I wanted something this color (the greeny/chartreuse)but could not find it in stores.  I finally received it!! And even though it was shipped from Korea ( the quality from Korean Ebay sellers is notoriously iffy, you never seem to get what you expect) it's actually GORGEOUS!

Above are the listed photos from the sellers page and below is what it looks like in person;pretty much exactly what I wanted!

Here is the link to the scarf if you are interested, they have two other colors: http://cgi.ebay.com/Leopard-Long-Scarf-Muffler-3-Color-Made-Korea-/260691081314?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item82639a313c It looks like they may have raised the price since I purchased it (I think I only paid $8 plus shipping-it's still worth it though!)

I've seen similar scarves in stores like Honey and Aritzia for $50+ so this is really reasonable. I just find this color so unique and fun.  I've already had a couple of people comment on it!

My First Blog Post!!

Well...I have wanted to start blogging for some time now, so I figured "what better time to start than in the new year?!".  This is like a "message in a bottle moment" for me, since I don't know who, if anyone, is going to read this but I'm gonna do it anyways!  I plan on writing about beauty, fashion, some of my DIY projects as well as anything else I may feel like writing about, including things going on in my life, etc.  Hopefully I can share with people and someone will gain a little joy from my posts; I know that I enjoy reading others' blogs, so maybe someone will feel the same way about mine!  Blogging seems like it could be a blast...I'm really excited even though I have NO idea what I'm doing!