Weekend Recap: The one with rapstars, smittys and leopard print.

I hope you all had a fun weekend! I want to share some pictures from Saturday. It was a pretty exciting day because B (our roommate) had just returned on Friday after being away for the summer doing an internship. It was really great to see him again, even though he's leaving tomorrow for a week-long course. Abby went crazy when he walked in. Her tail was doing 360s! On Saturday morning we decided to go for brunch at our favorite place, Smittys, which is just across the street. Darryl & I both had skillets while Brandon guzzled some coffee and a more traditional breakfast with french toast, eggs, meat and a waffle.

D, lookin good.

Joan Rivers cheekbones, I tell ya!

Pay attention to me, B!

Roomies reunited!

After brunch I headed out to do some solo shopping at mic mac mall. I bought Abby a couple things and then bought a flowy white poncho style top from H&M and a leopard-print scarf. Meanwhile, B headed out to see his gf for the night. D & I made naan pizza for supper and then we decided we'd go out with some friends from MTA. But first, we decided to play a little DefJam Rapstar on the PS3. You probably have no idea what the game is, or at least I didn't before we bought it, but it's basically rockband but for rap/hip-hop music. Even though I only know ten out of the twenty songs it comes with, it's still a good time! They rate you on pitch, timing and lyrics. While I may think I know the lyrics to a song, trying to spit them out on time takes some practice. Haha.

Romancing me with some terrible, unromantic lyrics.

Once we peeled ourselves away from the game we walked over to a friends' place and then hit up Pacifico a little while later. All I can say is that some shuffling happened on the dancefloor, a la LMFAO.... if you know what I mean. If you don't, check out their video. This was my dancin outfit (for Steppin Out Saturday):

Scarf (worn as top): Dynamite, my new purchase!
Skirt: Costa Blanca
Bracelets: handmade in Honduras

I liked the outfit because it wasn't tight and I could really dance up a storm in it. I may do a tutorial showing how to wear a pashmina or scarf as a tube top, so let me know if you're interested!

Goodnight & sweet dreams,

xo Janelle

Addicted.

# of people who live here: 2
boxes of cereal: 7

Just sayin.

Fun day of brunch & then shopping tomorrow. Maybe an outfit post on Sunday?

Today's Lunch: Bruschetta Chicken Sandwiches

Well, we made it half-way through the week. Thank you! I feel like it's hard for me to stay motivated at work this week. Hopefully things will pick up tomorrow. At least my lunch hour was pretty good, mostly because I inhaled two of these babies:

Bruschetta Chicken Sandwiches Serves 2

1 or 1-1/2 tomatoes, diced, drained as much as possible
1/4 green pepper, diced
5-6 slices of deli chicken
2 whole wheat buns or rolls
1-2 tsp cilantro

1/4-1/2 tsp basil

1 clove garlic, minced
2tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Toast a bun and spread with garlic butter. Top with one or two pieces of deli-slices chicken breast. I used Natural Selections by Maple Leaf. Eat up.

Another option is to throw it on a wrap & add some feta:

I love bruschetta. So much so that I try to order it as an appetizer at almost any restaurant I visit. My absolute favorite version, which no one has been able to top, is at Jack Astors. They top theirs with this garlic aoli (fancy mayo stuff) and balsamic reduction that takes it over the top. I strongly recommend that you try it the next time you're there. You will not be disappointed!

The Scrap Mongrel

Love & tomatoes,

 Janelle

Steppin Out Friday, I mean, Saturday!

Guys, I had a hot date this weekend. We went to Il Mercato, ate the most delicious food & talked about nothing and everything. After we left we went to pick up almond milk, ginger ale (for D) and the latest Real Simple magazine. I only thought to take photos after we got back and because I hate using flash, these photos are dark and fuzzy. Woops. I think my photographer did a good job with what he had.... Here's what I wore:

Dress: Thrifted, no label, probably hand-made ($10!!)

Belt: H&M ($17)
Sandals: Aldo ($20, including shipping)

Don't you love cheap outfits?

--------------

On Saturday morning I woke up at the crack of dawn to catch the bus to Sackville, NB (where I went to university) to see 3 of my closest girlfriends. We went on a random adventure to an old fort, went out for supper, spent an hour choosing a movie at the store and then didn't watch it. We met some special friends for brunch and then laid out on the deck and chatted. It was so nice to see these girls again. We talked about some things we shouldn't have, talked about some things we had to and then talked some more. That's what girls do, right? :) We reminisced about our time at MTA & felt pangs of nostalgia. We were staying on the other side of the duplex where I spent my last 2 years of university and it took everything I had not to knock on the door and go take a peek at my old room... Anyway, I think we all had a good time. There's something about the friends that you meet in university...

we're all wearing a bit of pink!

Miss you already!

xo Janelle

Casa Friday Confession: I'm a rug hater.

Hello lovely readers,

What do you think about rugs? Love them? Hate them? Don't know how to clean them? As you can tell by the title, I'm a hater. We never had rugs around growing up. This is probably because when I was about 3 or 4 I slipped on one and smacked my head on my metal bed frame. I imagine all the rugs in our home went to rug heaven after that little accident. Or it could have been because we had 2 cats and trying to keep rugs clean when you have cats is a big old waste of time.

I had one white shaggy rug in university between mine & Sono's bed. It got absolutely covered in hair and ended up looking more beige than white. Nasty, I know. Why am I even telling you this? Unnecessary details. Anyhow, I've started thinking about maybe having a rug in the living room to make it feel more cozy, since we do have hardwood. I'm thinking I'd like a more natural material, possibly jute or linen. Do rugs even come in linen? I don't know what I'm talking about. I basically want something that is very flat and vaccuum-able, so no shag, but that brings a bit of life to this box we call an apartment.

I like these ones:

Fun rug that's still neutral from West Elm

Natural jute rug from Home Decorators

From Sears, $1000. Yikes!

I gotta wrap this up because I have a date tonight! Teehee. I'll try to post for Steppin Out Saturday on Sunday with a travel outfit or two. Until then, have a great weekend!

xx Janelle

Tasty Tuesdays: Irresistibly Fudgy Brownies

 

Do you remember when I told you Sundays put me in a baking mood? Well this past Sunday was no exception. The boy & I decided to whip up some brownies using a recipe he had taken from what he thinks was his mother's old church cookbook. Why are they irresistible? Because I eat four yesterday & four Sunday and there are currently 2 left. Woops? Wanna know how you too can eat a half pan of brownies? Check it out:

Irresistibly Fudgy Brownies
Taken from an unnamed family cookbook
*Serves 10 people with self-control. Otherwise, serves 2.

Preheat your oven to 350.

Mix dry ingredients:

1 1/3 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1c cocoa

Look at those big, strong arms!

Mix wet ingredients:

4 eggs
1c. melted butter
2 c. white sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine the wet with the dry, pour into a greased 9x13" pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out nearly clean.

Now I don't know why I started doing this, but I think this is how my mom used to serve brownies... with applesauce! The tartness of the apples cuts the sweetness a bit and makes it a taste explosion in your mouth! Haha.

YUM

 

 

But if you're more into the frosting (like D is) here is the matched frosting.

Mix 3 tbsp melted butter, 1/4 c. cocoa, 1/4 c. milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla & 2 c. sifted icing sugar. Frost only once brownies are cooled.
These brownies are absolutely perfect. The top crisps up and crackles like it should and the middle is soft and chewy. If chocolate fudge and chocolate cake had a baby, it would be these brownies. No joke. They're easy to make and you probably already have everything you need to make them. So unless you're on a diet or your gluten free or some shit, you should do them up. I promise it'll be worth it. Do it for your tastebuds, not for your ass hips.

xo Janelle

Ladies Room Fashion Show!

Happy Monday! Today's style post was inspired by Melissa at Dear Baby. She did a slew of posts titled "Ladies Room Fashion Show" to show off her adorable outfits she wore to work when she was pregnant with her little ones. Now don't panic. I'm not pregnant in any way shape or form. But, since her posts inspired me to try some new looks I wouldn't have thought of, I figured I'd pass on the love to you.

Now because I'm one of 3 people in the office on a daily basis, I can get away with some casual pieces that may not be appropriate for other work environments. So I get to have a little fun and dress up or down. The one rule is no jeans. Other than that, it's all about being professional but wearing something that's comfortable enough to sit down in all day. Anyway, enough blabbing. Here's today's outfit:

Gray pencil skirt, Joe Fresh (it's knee-length & high-waisted)
Black tank top, Smart Set
Black blazer/sweater, Costa Blanca
Scarf, India (D got it for me on his trip!). You can't see the detail but it's got red, purple, black and tan threads.
Red purse, Northern Reflections (thanks Nanny!)

Thanks for stopping by the blog. Hope you have a relaxing night!

xo Janelle

15 minute craft: Twine + Tea Canister

Tonight I was in a crafty kind of mood. I finally made a list of all the projects I have planned and WOW. I was just itching to get started. I adore making pretty things and crafting. Always have. And now that I'm starting to get settled into a routine, I finally have the time to create. I've been working on 2 projects for about a month now off-and-on. One should be done within the next 2 weeks and the other I'm only planning on finishing in a year. So it felt very satisfying to finish this twine-wrapped tea canister in only 10 minutes!

All I used was a tea canister, twine, hot glue, scissors and an old rice box to catch glue drips. I was inspired by Centsational Girl's gorgeous rope bowl. Isn't it awesome? So with the bowl in my mind, I decided to wrap an old tea canister in cotton twine that I had already. The cost of this DIY was about $10 for the glue gun & sticks. That's it! It's a pretty straightforward, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Here's the canister in all it's naked glory before the "makeover":

See? Even the canister doesn't want to be thrown away. 

A little dab of glue at the top to start it off.

Wrap. Wrap. Wrap. I put a very very small dab of glue about every 5-10 wraps around. Make sure you keep wrapping really tight so that the design underneath is fully covered. Don't worry about making it perfect....

 And.... done.

I really like the texture of the twine with the smooth metal.

I tested it out as a makeup pad holder. Not bad.

Or I could always tie a ribbon around it, fill it with tea and give it as a gift. But, I've offered it up to D so who knows what he'll end up storing in it. Pennies? Chocolate chips? Dog treats?

Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

xo Janelle

Happy Friday List + Blog Catch Up

Today I'm stealing borrowing Jen's idea from JenLovesKev and doing a Happy List. I know that it's cheesy and shmoopy, but really though, have you met me? I love this stuff.

So here are 5 things I'm happy for this week:

1. SUNSHINE. Without really noticing it, the weather has been a bit bummy around these parts. Thankfully though, today it's nothing but clear blue so we're going to take advantage of it and check out the Buskers on the waterfront with Abby.

2. Catching up with friends you haven't seen in too long. Last weekend I got the chance to spend a couple days with not one, but two, of my closest friends. We chatted about girlie things, shopped, had a patio lunch, went to a concert and went out dancing with some cool people. Last night I also met up with a friend I used to work with and we had a lovely, delicious supper at a new-er restaurant in the waterfront/Hollis St area, Baton Rouge. It was just what I needed.

3. A happy pup. It's hard not to smile when Abby is licking my face. Unless it's 6am...

4.  Weekend morning laziness. There's something about waking up and not having to go anywhere... or even just having 15 minutes to lay there. It's a definite luxury.

5. My Nan & Grandad. My grandparents are the best. A couple of weekends ago Grandad showed up unannounced at the train station because he knew I'd have to walk home in the rain with my suitcase. Just this past week (and a handful of times before that) they drove us to the vet. Oh, and did I mention that Nanny never lets me leave empty handed? Love them.

What are you happy for?

Also, I kind of took an unplanned blogging break in the past couple weeks. I'm still trying to figure this whole Blogger thing out. When I'm working full-time on a computer all day, I don't feel as motivated to blog at night. I want to, but sometimes my eyes say no! I have so many things I could write about, but I need to pin-point what I want to write about. My favorite blogs are lifestyle blogs, but honestly, I don't know if my life is exciting enough to write about! Haha. We'll see.... I love doing home projects and crafts, but that can get costly. What do you like reading on my blog? Do you come for the recipes? The updates? The home stuff? I'd love to hear what you think! See you on Sunday for a Steppin Out post?

xo Janelle

MIA

Hi everyone! My blog needs a little love. I've neglected it for the past week, but I'll be back in full force ASAP. If the power doesn't go out tonight (again!) I'll attempt a post....

I will tell you I had a great weekend visiting my family for New Brunswick Day! And this weekend should be just as fun, with a few of my besties coming to visit for the Summer Rush concert. Hello, Pitbull!

Hope your day is less rainy & more fun!

xo Janelle