I know we are all trying to be healthy for the new year, but I have to share this recipe. It's one of the easiest recipes ever ... it's gooey & sweet & delicious! I made a batch just a few days ago, and they have already been mostly devoured by my kids and visitors. Thankfully, I'm one of those people obsessed with photographing pretty food (that's a good thing, right??), so I took photos of the squares before anyone had a chance to get at them - whew! 

Check out the recipe below if you're interested in trying it out:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine
1 cup peanut butter
1 (300 g) bag butterscotch chips
1 (200 g) bag mini marshmallows (use white or coloured/flavoured)

Directions:

1. Melt together butter, peanut butter, and butterscotch chips on very low heat until mixed, stirring constantly. Cool for a bit (so as not to melt the marshmallows).
2. Stir in mini marshmallows.
3. Pour in a greased 11" x 13" pan.
4. Refrigerate and cut into small (1-1/2") squares.

I've made this recipe many times by memory, so I got the above (and accurate!) details for you here, from Food.com ... enjoy.

A fresh new year for us all ...

Wishing you a very blessed 2014.

Much love, 

Carla & boys xxoo

Some people may say diamonds are a girl's best friend, (and I'm not here to argue the fact that pretty, glittery baubles aren't nice ... and desirable ... and ... errr, I digress) but pretty little gems can't take the place of a loyal, fluffy friend. 

Merritt is a seal bicolour Ragdoll cat whom I adopted in May 2004, and he has been an irreplaceable member of my family ever since. Merritt has been with me through many moves and job changes. He has tolerated the introduction of two babies to the family, and he has endured a lot of rough play from those babies when they became toddlers. He has even accepted other cats into his territory with just a little hissing and growling. He's been with me through the good times and bad, through the laughter and tears. Merritt has been my loyal buddy for nearly 10 years, and he is worth more than a million diamonds to me. 

So ... here's to Merritt ... and to all the pets we love and cherish !!

PS: I also have another kitty that I will feature one day soon on my blog ... stay tuned :-)

PPS: May I mention something else that is near-and-dear to my heart? There are many cats and dogs (and other animals) out there who are homeless and are temporarily living in a pet shelter. Some have been abandoned, some have gotten lost and were never claimed by their owners, and some have been abused. These animals desperately need homes. If you're looking for a new pet I urge you to visit a pet shelter ... give a shelter animal a fighting chance. Additionally, many local SPCA's and shelters are overwhelmed with pets, and they need help from their surrounding communities in order to keep their shelters running.  If you aren't looking for a new pet, but you love animals and you're feeling generous, please contact your local shelter to find out what they need and how you can help. Make a donation if you can. Or volunteer! Visit the BC SPCA for more information.

Thanks for reading. Carla xo

Although I feel like I'm dying from my Holiday Cold, I have managed to muster up enough energy to do some online shopping. My favourite places to hit up when I have a little extra cash to spend on myself (thank you Xmas gifts!) are Anthropologie, Dorothy Perkins, Forever 21, H&M, Banana Republic, J. Crew ... the list goes on, but those are my faves.

And what did I stumble upon this afternoon?? Anthropologie, my ultimate favourite store ever, is having a Winter Tag Sale ... and giving an extra 25% off sale items. Ummm ... hello!!! So, guess which website I've been perusing for the last hour. 

The above items are a few of the pretty things I want to buy from Anthro's sale, but I have a limited budget, so I can't get them all. I'm really loving the bracelet and scarf, but I can't decide which one I should get ... or, maybe I should just buy everything I see? That sounds like a pretty great option!

Next stop on my online shopping adventure is Dorothy Perkins ... I'm guessing there's going to be some big sales there too!

Ahhhh ... retail therapy ... my happy place :-)

The above items: Birdcage iPhone Case, Kittanning Poncho, Linneage Bracelet, Misen Cowl.

Pounding headache. Sore throat. Sinus pain. Fever. Check, check, check and check.

It's confirmed ... I have my annual Holiday Cold/Flu. 

I thought I had escaped this ugly annual visitor because I was feeling healthy the week leading up to Christmas. Then - WHAM! - Christmas evening I started feeling warm and lethargic. Attempting to be optimistic, I convinced myself that I  was just experiencing tiredness after all the Christmas chaos. I was so wrong.

As you can see from my photo above, I have Halls (my go-to whenever I have a sore or scratchy throat), and Kleenex. What you don't see is my drugs (legal ones, I swear!), my orange juice, ginger ale, blankets & pillows. 

Do you get an annual Holiday Cold or Flu? How do you beat the nasty symptoms?

My boys and I like to get outside as much as possible ... scratch that ... we need to get outside as much as possible. Having 2 young boys is like having puppies. They need to run off their energy or they go absolutely crazy. Although outdoor physical activity is necessary for my kids' happiness and overall well-being (and my own sanity!), we actually do love being outdoors, playing and enjoying nature all year round. 

We are so fortunate to live in a place with a temperate climate. On December 24th, it was 10 degrees celsius (that's 50 fahrenheit) here on the West Coast of BC. Yeah, we get a lot of rain, but we rarely get a lot of snow or extreme temperatures. It's perfect for those of us who like to play outside all year!

Since it wasn't raining (yay!), we took advantage of the warm winter weather, grabbed the boys' hoodies & new Razor Scooters (thank you Auntie Sue & Uncle Steve!), and headed to a nearby athletic park. The boys scooted around for a sufficient amount of time (ie: they were actually slightly tired out - yay again!), then headed to the playground where they made a couple of new friends & continued to play games all afternoon.

Despite leaving home without my camera, I got a few semi-decent shots with my cell phone. I love that my kids go into pose-mode as soon as they see a camera. Ben especially loves to pose, and I'm pretty sure his alter ego is some sort of ninja-spy, hence the crazy poses that I sometimes get from him.

Oh, and the last pic ... as I was walking along with the boys, I saw these trees standing along the path, and they were perfectly lined up, in their own little section, unlike all the other trees just hanging out in random groups or on their own. For some reason this appealed to my OCD senses ... hashtag ilikewhenthingsareperfectlylinedup. 

No matter how or why you celebrate, the holiday season is a magical time to enjoy with family & friends, near and far. It's a time that we can all be together and enjoy the real blessings in life; it's a time we can create lasting memories with each other. I have been blessed with a wonderful family, caring friends, and a fantastic community of people who influence my life everyday. It's the people (especially my kids!) who have made this season so memorable for me.

I hope you all are enjoying this holiday season ... I know we are.

From my family to yours ... Merry Christmas !!

My absolute favourite Christmas cookies are Noel Cookies. My mom used to make them every year, and it's the one treat that I always look forward to. UNFORTUNATELY, my mom hasn't been making them as much as she used to (guilt trip, mom!), so I went online to find a comparable recipe. After trying a recipe that didn't quite replicate my mom's, I found this one on Food.com and I tried it out this afternoon. The cookies turned out perfectly! Here is the recipe, in case you want to give it a try ...

Noel Cookies (Servings: 30)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, soft
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup maraschino cherry, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Mix in the egg and extract.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips, coconut and cherries.
5. Drop by teaspoons on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are slightly golden in colour. Cool slightly before removing to a wire cooling rack.

Find the recipe on Food.com

How cute are these holiday-inspired accessories! I'm not big on flashy Christmas jewellery, but I think these are subtle enough, and still fun! I would totally wear all of them, but my fave is the little blue bird brooch. I would pin it on a coat or cardigan. CUTE!

Images are here, and here, and here, and here!

I have been dabbling in jewellery design and creation for the last 15 years. I love being able to immerse myself into my creative projects ... it makes me feel artsy and connected to the creative world. 

I used to sell some of my designs on eBay, but honestly, I felt like I lost the joy of being creative when I was focusing my energy on listing, selling, customer service, etc. 

Now, I design and create to satisfy my creative yearnings only!

Above is a lovely violet lariat that I whipped together last weekend. I started by selecting a bunch of beads and supplies (see first 2 photos) from my beading stash, and then I developed an idea of the type of piece I wanted to create. 

I wish the photos properly represented the violet turquoise briolettes that I chose ... they are a gorgeous, vibrant violet colour. The fastening loop is made of shimmering, faceted labradorite rondelle beads that reflect the light with flashes of rainbow. They are exquisite beads. I added a small, silver filigree pendant for a little extra detail. 

I think it turned out pretty well! Trust me when I say that not all of my pieces work out. Sometimes the vision that I have in my head does not translate into something fabulous. So, I do a little happy dance when the finished product matches the vision I had. *happy dance*