Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Polyvore Loves

Haven't had this feature in a while, have I? 

It's Polyvore Loves! I based this outfit around the beautiful mustard yellow belted dress. Wouldn't it be sweet with a pair of brown leather boots, dressed up or down? Glamorous accessories, such as the glasses, pretty floral necklace, watch, and leather purse all take this outfit up a notch. You could wear this outfit to a Christmas night out with some girlfriends, or on a hot chocolate date with your main man. Isn't it the sweetest?

Love It.



Where would you wear this outfit?

Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Giveaway Winner

As we all wait with baited breath, I present you with the giveaway winner:


Congrats, Ramona! I'll get your package in the mail :)

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Multitude Monday


Well, guys, this week is the end of November and Christmas is right around the corner. After today's shopping trip, I feel a little bit more prepared. How about you? Are you a procrastinator or an eager beaver when it comes to Christmas? I'm hoping to share some of my handmade projects as I complete them, but for now, let's cover Multitude Monday!

This week, I'm thankful for:

300 - reaching 300 things that I'm thankful for!

301 - a shopping trip with my in-laws and Mama

302 - having a hefty chunk of my handmade Christmas shopping done... 

303 -  ...and most of the supplies to make the rest!

304 - getting our apartment decorated this week

305 - Daniel being invited to join a scrub hockey group

306 - the fact that the end of Movember is in three days :)

307 - deciding on a verse for my humungo canvas for 12 by 2012

308 - buy a stepladder today to finally be able to reach all of my upper cupboards

309 - discovering a new recipe - and it being a big hit!

What are you thankful for today? 

Happy Monday!

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!

Friday, November 25, 2011

November Giveaway


* GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED *

Hey readers - it's giveaway time!

It's been forever since I've had a giveaway here on Polka Dot Soup! I figured that it was time to offer up a l'il somethin' somethin' for my little friends. I know that I love a good giveaway. Here's what's up for grabs:


Dove grey satin and tulle headband
Thank you post-its from Knock Knock
La Senza lip gloss
Bath & Body Works Charmed Life body lotion
Hefty goody bag of neutral vintage buttons
A surprise!

What more could you ask for in a special tiny snail mail package? 

Here are the details:
- Open to Canadian and US readers
- Giveaway closes Tuesday, November 29th at 9:00 pm AST
- Comment on this post or send me a Facebook message if you are unable to comment

To be entered, answer the following question:
What is your favourite 
Christmas tradition? 
It can be one that your family does, one that you've heard of, 
or one that you are planning on starting this year.

That's it! Easy-breezy. I can't wait to hear everyone share their responses. I'm eager to start some brand new special Christmas traditions this year with Dan as well as with my family. It's such a special time of year.

Want another peek at the goods?


Happy Friday!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Holiday Itch

Now that my birthday is past, I've got the CHRISTMAS itch. Some people wait until Halloween is over, some wait for Remembrance Day, some the American Thanksgiving. Me? I've gotta get my birthday out of the way and then it's full tilt into Christmas.

I took my containers of decorations up from the basement yesterday and looked through them, but haven't done anything yet. I have had a gold/turquoise thing going on for a few years now, but this year my mother-in-law decided that she wanted turquoise. It got me rethinking my scheme, so I gave her my turquoise shtuff. I thought about a classy white and silver, or a Scandinavian white and red, but really? I don't want to have to invest a whole lot. I've decided to go with a gold and bronze combo, that way I can mix in a variety of themes. Jewel tones, rustic elements, traditional, natural, anything really. I'm excited to get started!

I have to work tomorrow, which means even more holiday excitement. Making and sorting and cleaning and selling. Commercial Christmas at it's finest :) It's a nice way to be connected and disconnected from it at the same time. You'd think that since I've been working on Christmas stuff since July with ordering merchandise I'd be sick of it, but no such luck. I am a little tired of coming home from work every day covered in sparkles, though.

Isn't this wreath that we made at work the most fun one ever?!


It's a little rich for my blood ($$), but I can use all of the elements with my current decor and colour scheme. I'm all for festive on a budget! :) 

Tell me, what's stirring in your Christmas decor world?

Happy Thursday!

P.S. Stay tuned tomorrow for a giveaway!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

What I Wore Wednesday

It's Wednesday!

It's my birthday!

It's What I Wore Wednesday!

Dan got off work at noon today, so we went out for lunch together. I figured it was the perfect time to put a little pizzazz into my outfit. A girl only turns 25 once, you know. Here's what I wore:

Outfit Details:
Black ruffle dress: Old Navy (thrifted)
Green flower pin: Suzy Shier circa 2005/2006
Green bracelet: I don't remember. I think it's my oldest bracelet, though.
Purple patterned tights: Vera Wang
Black flats: Thrifted

Want a detail shot?


After I was all ready to go, I realized that if I'm gonna wear something fun, it's gotta be fun. I went back in my bedroom and scanned my closet. I came up with another layer. Take a look:

Outfit details, cont'd:
Yellow printed cardigan: Thrifted
White belt: Local boutique

I'm linking up with Lindsay at The Pleated Poppy.

Happy Wednesday! 

P.S. Don't forget about the giveaway this week! Check back soon...

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Hear It.


Stumbled upon this tonight - hope you enjoy it. 
This is one of my favourite hymns ever... and Mumford & Sons do a lovely job.

xo

Movember Progress


I thought that it might be time to share Dan's Movember progress. 

For a guy that can grow a scruff like no man's business, this greasy little moustache sure is taking f-o-r-e-v-e-r! (Sorry, baby, but it's true. You're no Burt Reynolds.) He's raising money for such a great cause. Even the fact that he has been growing a moustache this month brings the important issue to mind: mens' health, and in particular, prostate cancer. Be a dear and check out his site and "rate his space" or donate if you're so inclined. Every dollar counts!

Without further adieu, here's the man with the 'stache:


Not creepy enough? Here's a close-up:


Yeah, that's right. I'm married to a mustachio man. 

Happy Tuesday!

P.S. Keep watching - the blog's got a giveaway coming up this week!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Multitude Monday

I took a bit of a bloggy break, but I'm back in action with this week's edition of Multitude Monday. I was a busy bee getting ready for the Christmas market that I participated in yesterday, so this is the market edition of Mulitude Monday. 

This week, I'm thankful for:


290 - spending the day with Mom at the market
291 - super successful sales
292 - customers opening goodies and enjoying them on the spot, then buying more
293 - selling three paintings
294 - watching a grandmother buy a star ornament for each of her grandchildren
295 - seeing the Christmas spirit
296 - making some spending money
297 - not having a single disaster the day of the market
298 - everyone loving our packaging - I must admit, they were pretty cute!
299 - picking up a few stocking stuffers at the market from other vendors

What are you thankful for today?

Happy Monday!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Crafting Itch
























I don't know about you, but as the cooler weather starts moving in, I get the crafting itch. I'm dying to get my hands on a pair of scissors, pretty paper, and double-sided tape. Washi tape = bliss. Embellishments and buttons = just too much. I want my table covered in supplies and projects.

I'll be crafting and baking all week, preparing for the Christmas Market that I'm attending on Sunday. Hopefully that'll scratch my crafting itch :) I'm still brainstorming, but I do know that I'll have gift tags, Christmas ornaments, and treats that are freezable, so they can be saved for Christmas. My list will be finalized (and started!) by tomorrow evening, so check back if you'd like to hear more. Maybe I'll even manage an in-progress photo or two.

Have any ideas? Do share!

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, November 14, 2011

Multitude Monday


It's nice to have a relaxing evening after a busy, busy long weekend. We had our annual Bible conference here, so there were lots of people around and jobs to get done. I'll be busy this week prepping for the Christmas Market that's coming up on Sunday. I've got lots of things to be thankful for for Multitude Monday!

This week, I'm thankful for:

280 - having Jamie and Joanna stay with us for the weekend - yay for friends!

281 - stocking up on sales on ingredients for Christmas baking - gotta love a bargain.

282 - having our annual conference run smoothly - and successfully.

283 - a failed attempt at a dessert - and a quick recovery 
(tragic bundt cake stuck to the pan, turned yummmy trifle)

284 - a movie night with my brothers - gotta love group giggles

285 - a successful youth games night - about 60 people showed up!

286 - finding not one, not two, but three pairs of boots for my niece at the thrift store 
(and buying all three for $10!)

287 - also finding a new (with tags) zig-zag tie for Dan for $1 - he wore it to conference! Success!

288 - a food handlers' course being offered in the area - right after mine expired!

289 - Dad coming home for Christmas!

What are you thankful for today?

Happy Monday!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Twelve by 2012: Update



Time for this week's 12 by 2012 update! 

I'm plugging away at all of my goals (click here to read my list of fun goals to accomplish by 2012) and slowly making progress. It's time to pick up the pace... only seven and a half weeks left of 2011. How crazy is that?! I did get to check one goal off of my list, though:


#2 - Use my manicure/pedicure gift certificate before it expires

I took a trip to Sydney with Mom on the weekend and had a little time at the nail salon. It's called Darling... isn't that darling?! I got a metallic teal on my toes, and these shades on my nails:

Bare it in Trafalgar Square by Opi

Bring on the Bling by Opi


I got a pretty nude shade with a bling finger on each hand. I think it's going to be my go-to now... I love having one nail different. And... the pedicure! I could go every week. Aaah. Totally relaxing. Other than giggling out loud when she was pumicing the bottom of my foot, I loved every minute. Thanks, Dan, for the birthday spoilage - too bad it took me 12 months to get to use it!

Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

What I Wore Wednesday

It's my first time for this feature! What I Wore Wednesday was started to encourage women to dress their best for all occasions - and rid the world of yoga pants in a non-exercising setting :) I thought that it would be fun to try. I'm linking up with The Pleated Poppy for her WIWW feature.

I have had a dress from H&M in my closet sitting unworn in my closet since last fall. I knew that it was time to either wear it or take it to the consignment shop. It's a bit of a challenge to wear - it's got short sleeves, but they're ruffled so cardigans on top look lumpy and bumpy. Here's my outfit (and solution!):


Outfit sources:
Ruffled scarf - Local giftshop
Khaki tee - Smart Set
Floral dress - H&M
Brown braided belt - thrifted
Black leggings - Reitmans
Wood bracelet - gift from Mom & Dad

I try to get at least one new basic shirt every season, and my newest one is khaki. It matches one of the colours in the dress perfectly. I wore it underneath - easy breezy! Not as lumpy as a cardigan, but still has the added warmth and arm coverage. The scarf was cozy, too - with these layers and the beautiful weather that we had here yesterday, I didn't need a coat!

Have you wore any cute outfits lately? Tell me about them!

Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Bling Fing.



Years later, I'm still loving our ring choices for my bling finger. Solitaire chosen by him, polka dot band chosen by us. Nice. 

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Hello November


Hello November.
Hello sunsets on the way home from work.
Hello earlier evenings.
Hello stopped clock.
Hello conference.
Hello Christmas market.
Hello pizza nights.
Hello borrowed cookbooks.
Hello gift making.
Hello Apple.
Hello command vs. control.
Hello confusion.
Hello trips to the post office.
Hello new pet bed.
Hello paint samples.
Hello birthday.
Hello craft fairs.
Hello library.
Hello giant canvas, calling my name.
Hello chilly winds.
Hello first snow.
Hello warm duvet.
Hello sleeping in.
Hello November.

Friday, November 4, 2011

My Darlings


I love my boys.

That is all.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Make You Laugh

Dan and I saw this boat on our road trip in September, and the two of us cracked up and had to pass the truck to take a picture. This guy's a genius, although I'm sure his wife doesn't think so. Want to giggle? Take a look at this picture:


Smirk.

Twelve by 2012: Update


Since a couple of weeks have passed since my original post (can you believe it?!), I thought that it was about time for me to share my 12 by 2012 progress with you. I know you must be itching for an update, so here you go! :)

I chose twelve fun goals to achieve before 2012, since we all have loads of serious goals to deal with. So far, one of my goals is entirely accomplished:


#5 - get rid of twelve things in my closet

I've been purging, and I definitely came up with more than twelve items to get rid of. I have a grocery bag full of donations in our car's trunk, ready to take to the thrift store. I also have a smaller bag to take to a consignment shop. It has a pair of camel-coloured dress pants (for the job that I no longer have), a cute pink belt (that I never wore) and that fun black and white polka dot cardigan in the photo. It the cutest sweater ever, but it has those dolman (I think that's what they're called?!) sleeves that don't come up to your armpits which are just not flattering on me. When I wrote the word armpits, it reminded me of elementary school - I wrote armpit in my journal (don't ask me what the reason was) and my teacher corrected me. She said that armpit wasn't a proper word, it was a slang word for underarm. I remember being totally disgusted and thought, "Who says underarm?" She wasn't my favourite teacher in the world.

I'm making a dent on some of my other goals, and barely starting others, but I can check one more goal off my list by the end of this week. I'll share the details next week - it'll have cute pics, too!

Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Carrot Chipotle Soup

I love experimenting in the kitchen when I have the extra time. Soup is not something that I make very often, but I love it. I find that I only make soup when I'm not rushing, so on the average weeknight, it's out of the question. I was really craving a good bowl of soup lately with the chillier weather, so I decided to make a batch. I tweaked a couple of recipes, combined them, and put my spin on them and came up with this recipe. Give it a try!


Carrot Chipotle Soup

EVVO (extra virgin olive oil, Rachael Ray style) + butter, enough to sauté with
1 small onion, diced
3 leeks (whites only), diced
3 tbsp adobo sauce
1 chipotle pepper, minced
2 lb carrots, sliced
chicken or veggie stock
salt + pepper
1 can evaporated milk

Heat large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter and melt. Sauté onion and leeks until softened. Add adobo sauce and chipotle, stirring until fragrant. Place carrots in saucepan, stirring, for two minutes. Cover with stock, and increase heat to medium-high. Cover, stirring occasionally, and cook until carrots are tender. Remove from heat, and add evaporated milk and salt and pepper. Puree and add more stock or water if needed.


We had this soup with warm multigrain rolls, mmm mmm! It was great for lunch the next day, too - the flavours mingled overnight and it was so flavourful. I had it with guacamole and crackers, so yummy. The amount of heat and smokiness from the adobo sauce and chipotle were just right - it tasted mild at first, but the spice hit once you swallowed.

Let me know if you try this recipe - I'd love to hear what you think of it! It's a yummy, inexpensive soup with pretty basic ingredients (you can get the chipotles in adobo in most grocery stores in the exotic food section) so it's totally worth a shot. It makes a big batch, too - perfect for sharing or having with company!

Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Multitude... Tuesday


 Oopsies! With the trick-or-treating hubbub of Halloween, I didn't get a chance to write a blog post last night.That doesn't mean that I'm unthankful! Each Monday, I come up with ten things that I'm currently thankful for.

This week, I'm thankful for:

270 - my Dad arriving at his camp in Labrador safe and sound (but without his luggage, boo.) Six weeks 'til he's home!

271 - a relaxing day off from work yesterday to spend just chilling and getting a few things done around the house - it felt so nice to not have to do anything

272 - having a movie night - Young Victoria was a beautifully created film - I can't wait to create something with some of the gorgeous colour combinations from the film. Sea green, gold, coral... oh my!

273 - getting the chance to watch David's soccer game - one of the last ones for him, since he's in his last year (I can't believe he's in grade 12!)

274 -  watching Dan and my bros play racquetball on Thursday night- next time, I'm taking them on!

275 -  a few cute little turnips left to harvest from our garden (and some scraggly little beets, too)

276 -  celebrating a friend's 19th birthday with a surprise costume party - I got to wear the dress I wore to a wedding last week, plus some black and white striped stockings, witch's hat, eye make-up - good to go!

277 - making a batch of yummy toffee apples with ingredients that I already had on hand - gotta love when you don't need to make a trip to the grocery store!

278 - an almost weeded out closet and wardrobe - I'll share my 12 before 2012 progress soon! It's coming along...

279 -having a little bit of crafting time - card making and supply purging, and wrapping my sister-in-law's birthday present. Yay for cuteness!

What are you thankful for today?

Happy Tuesday!
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