a winning week

So Jordyn and I have had a pretty sweet week.  Let's just say that luck has definitely been on our side!

First, Jordyn called into a radio station and won 2 tickets to see Tegan and Sara at an amazing outside venue this summer!  And the concert's just a few days after her birthday...woohoo!!

via

AND, I picked up a gorgeous leather bag today that I won in a facebook contest put on by Plen+y and one fated knight.  I am super stoked, and still can't believe I won!

Both these companies are awesome.  One fated knight was founded in Vancouver, and Plen+y also started in Van, and supports local designers!  The bag I won is called the Cardinal, and can be found here if you're interested!

I'm totes already obsessed with it.  There are just so many zippers and compartments!  I love it.

p.s. ♥ kelsey

p.p.s. I guess we should have probably bought a lottery ticket this week...haha!

weekly wrap-up: grad celebrations

The past few weeks have been full of so many endings, and it's kind of freaking me out.  Graduation is right around the corner, and I'm full of excitement, anxiety, pride, and sadness.  I'm trying to soak up as much as I can, and not worry too much about the future.

My lovely roomie and her boyfriend treated me to the most amazing supper at the Boathouse in Vancouver.  It's located less than a 10 minute walk from our apartment, and sits right on the beach.  The view was incredible, and the food was so yummy!

I also attended a grad banquet, which was so much fun, but so sad since it was likely the last time I would see some of my friends!

Oh ya, we work out.

And these last few photos are for Clara!  Haha.  I was baking these cupcakes during our last skype date, and she told me to take a picture for her!  Too bad you can't e-mail food ;)

Hope your week was sweet!

p.s. ♥ kelsey

outfit post : cut out shoulders

Caleb and I went out on a date night on Whyte Ave. this week and he was gentlemanly enough to stop and snap some photos of me in my favourite shirt right now. I am currently obsesseddddd with cut-out shoulders! Seriuosly, I love them and how spring-y they feel.

top :  forever XXI  /  jeans : thrifted  / heels : DKNYC  /  earrings : ten thousand villages

p.s. ♥ clara

diy: map pendant necklace

I picked up these pretty silver pendant backings and plastic cabachon covers at a local craft shop, and they've been sitting in my craft drawer just waiting to be used.  I decided to scroll through etsy for inspiration, and found several variations of map necklaces!  I'm a sucker for any kind of map (I'm a geography major.. it comes with the territory!), so I knew that it would be perfect.

(this picture is of the back of my calendar...showing all the different maps included!)

At first I tried printing off maps, but that was a nightmare.  Then I remembered that I had an old Ancient Maps calendar stashed away in my room!  I knew it would come in handy one day (hoarding for the win! thanks dad...).

The hardest part of this project was trying to decide which map and what part of it to use!  Now I'm on the lookout for more map diys so I can use up the rest of my calendar! hehe.

Supplies:

-silver pendant setting

-plastic cabachon covers

-white glue

-E6000 glue

-old map scraps

-chain

-jump rings

Directions:

1) Take your plastic cabachon covers and move them over your map scraps until you find somewhere that will work well in a pendant.  

2)  Then, place a tiny bit of white glue over the back of the cover, and firmly press down over your chosen spot.  It may want to slide around a bit, so press firmly and then release and don't touch it again until it's dry!

3)  Once all traces of glue are dried, cut around the cover as close to the edges as possible.

4)  Now, place a dab of E6000 glue onto your silver pendant setting, and firmly press the plastic cover onto it.  Make sure the map is centered before the glue starts to set!

5)  While the pendant dries, measure out your chain to whatever length you'd like.  I chose to make mine nice and long, and added a jump ring instead of a clasp since it will fit right over my head. (jump rings are cheaper, so I like using them in place of clasps when I can!)

6)  Finally, use another jump ring to attach the pendant onto your necklace!

So, you should probably make these, and then go on an adventure!

p.s. ♥ kelsey

tasty tuesday: blueberry muffins

Today we're talking about muffins.  Blueberry muffins!

Now I'm a big weirdo, and am really not a fan of blueberries.  I know, know.  I'm strange.  Add in the fact that we grow blueberries on our farm, and most people think I'm downright nuts!

However, all hope is not lost!  Because....I like them in muffins.  That's a start right?

I don't know why, since I'm normally not the biggest fan of cooked fruit, but there's something about a blueberry muffin that I can't resist!

Now, I found this recipe on allrecipes, and decided to give it a shot since it had a bajillion reviews....and it did not disappoint!  I think I made it 3 times within a week...it's that good.  I tweaked it a bit, and am so excited to share some goodness with you!

Blueberry Muffins

adapted from: allrecipes - to die for blueberry muffins
Yields: 9-10 muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Flour

3/4 cup Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Baking Powder

1/3 cup Vegetable Oil

1 Egg

1/3 cup Buttermilk (it's fine to just use regular milk here too!)

1 tsp Vanilla

1 cup Blueberries (fresh or frozen)

{topping}

1/4 cup Sugar

2 1/2 TBSP Flour

2 TBSP Butter (cold)

3/4 tsp Cinnamon

Directions:

1)  Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into a medium mixing bowl, and stir.

2)  Place oil into a 1 cup liquid measuring cup; add the egg and enough buttermilk to fill to 1 cup.  Add vanilla, and gently stir.

3)  Mix liquids into the flour mixture; mix as little as possible!

4)  Carefully fold blueberries in.

5)  Fill greased muffin tins 3/4 full, and sprinkle topping over*.

6)  Bake at 375 degrees for 18-22 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

*I have replaced the topping with just plain coarse sanding sugar for a bit of extra sparkle and crunch.  It's one of Jordyn's best tricks, and makes them look fancier without adding more calories!

The trick to getting light, delicate muffins is not overmixing the batter!  Try and mix it as little as possible.

Below is an example of a muffin with a coarse sanding sugar topping instead of the streusel topping!

I love when the juices of the blueberries run wild in the muffins, staining everything purple!  Yum!

I can't wait to make these in Summer, where I can pick my own blueberries the size of loonies and bake with them!

p.s. ♥ kelsey

springtime in Vancouver

Here in Vancouver we get a lot of rain.  And I mean A LOT of rain.  Sometimes we don't see much sunshine during Fall, and sometimes our Winters consist of days (or even weeks) of constant drizzle.  

Rainboots are a must, and a good rain jacket is your best friend.  At times it can be depressing, and other times invigorating.  But most of the time it's wet. Very very wet.

And then suddenly it's Spring, and we remember why we love Vancouver.  It still rains a lot, but not as much as before.  The best part of all is when the first tree blossoms!  Hope rides in on soft pink petals, and the city smiles back.

p.s. ♥ kelsey

p.p.s. I took all of these photos on my way to and from the library a few blocks from  my apartment!