Scenes from Montreal

We had such a wonderful getaway in Montreal.  Traveling is such a passion of mine that it was nice to know that it is doable with a baby.  Don't get me wrong- it definitely required more planning, but it was so worth it!  We stayed in historic downtown Montreal, and I'm so glad we did.  I fell in love with the French cafes and cobblestone streets.  Notre Dame Basilica was breathtaking...a definite must in my book if you ever chance to visit Montreal.  

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Bonjour!

We are headed to Montreal for a mini getaway.....our first trip as a family of three (wish us luck) and Reese's first international trip.  Be back in a few days!

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Dot It

I have been a little late to jump on the polka dot trend.......I blame it on a particular dress I wore all the time as a kid with large (and I mean large) polka dots, puffed sleeves, and complete with tool underneath the skirt.  I was one proud polka dot poofy mess.  It may have taken a while, but I'm now a fan thanks to images like the ones below:

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Enviable Workspaces

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Slumber Minus Color

As much as I do love bits of color here and there, these completely neutral (& Scandinavian) bedrooms look so soft and peaceful.  Maybe it's my lack of sleep these days, but I would gladly crawl into any one of these pictures for a nice nap.  What do you think?  Would you do a bedroom completely void of color?

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Fine Little Day Shop

Hope you guys had a wonderful Fourth!  We had a very chill holiday- complete with grilling , fireworks, and I even snuck in my first run since having Reese.  In the whole time we've been together, it's a rare occasion that Red is actually here for the Fourth due to military training/deployment, so I never take it for granted when we get to be together.  

Today, I'm sharing with you one of my favorite shops, Fine Little Day.  Based out of Sweden, it's one of those few stores that I can honestly say I love pretty much everything they sell.  Here are some of my favorites:


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this wallpaper = love

No Sugar/No Flour Oat Drops

We enjoyed having my mom and brother visit this past week.  Reese got lots of quality time with her grandma and uncle, I got some naps, and I even got to try a couple new recipes.  One of them was a "healthy brownie"- it basically substituted sweet potato for flour.  It wasn't horrible, but when I asked if I should make it again, both Red and my brother said "naaaa".  Ha!  Thank goodness we have a couple favorite "healthy desserts" that I can always come back to after a flop.  This is one of those recipes for us.  Happy Fourth!

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recipe & image found on pinterest via

Ingredients

- 1 1/2 c. rolled oats

- 1 c. coconut flakes

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 1 tsp. cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp. allspice

- 1/4c. almond meal

- 1/2c. mixed nuts, finely chopped

- 1c. dried fruit 

- 3 ripe bananas, mashed

- 1/4c. veg. oil

- 1tsp. vanilla

* Preheat oven 175.  Line baking sheet w/ parchment paper.

* In a large bowl combine oats, almond meal, mixed nuts & coconut flakes.  Stir in allspice & cinnamon.  Add dried fruit & stir until evenly mixed.

* In another bowl combine oil, mashed banana, & vanilla.  Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients & stir until combined. 

* Bake 20 min. or until edges golden brown    

Indoor Garden

Each Spring/Summer, I get the itch to start my own garden.  Because it seems like we are always about to move (this fall will be #9 in six years), it's just never been the right time.  Maybe your issue is more about limited outdoor space than a transient lifestyle, either way I find these images so inspiring to bring the outdoors inside.  Whether it's a couple plants or a wall full of plants, they add so much to a space.   Ps. What do you guys think about this glass bedroom?  Love or hate?

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Open Closet

Although we love living in an older home and (all of the character that comes with it), I'm definitely looking forward to/hoping for bigger closets in our next home.  Here are some great options if you also find yourself working with limited closet space (too bad it doesn't fix the general problem of limited space, right?). 

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Featured Artist -Meredith Pardue

By now you might have guessed I have a thing for abstract art......so here is my current "artist crush".  I'm especially in love with the last painting.  Be sure to check out Meredith Pardue's site here. 

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