EASILY MADE//PEANUT BUTTER POMEGRANATE TOAST

tis the season to eat lots of pomegranate and these yummy little seeds have been eaten on their own, mixed in vanilla yogurt, tossed in salads, and now on top of peanut butter toast.  this may seem a bit weird, but think of it as a substitute for jelly with a little crunch! just toast up your favorite bread ... smear on some peanut butter ... and top with pomegranate seeds. now that's easily made + tasty!

are you a fan of pomegranate?  how do you like to eat it?
and before i forget, here are some easy recipes with pomegranate you may want to try ...

+pomegranate and rosemary white sangria by bakeaholic mama.
+orange sweet potato bake with pomegranate by keep it kind.
+a kale and wild rice salad with pomegranate, walnuts, and feta by pinch of yum.
+and this chocolate bark recipe by yours truly, of which you could use the pomegranate seeds in place of dried cranberries.

enjoy!

FASHION + DESIGN

wear this wooden necklace while styling your christmas tree with those cedar ornaments.

find them here:

.01 wooden necklace

.02 cedar ornaments

INSPIRE ME//A MODERN CHRISTMAS FILLED WITH HANDMADE LOVE

are you decking your halls and hanging mistletoe? in my quest to find a little inspiration, i came across these images and love the simplicity and creative nature of them all. i am in no way a traditional person and tend to gravitate towards design that is a bit unexpected, clean, and imaginative.

are you thinking outside of the box and getting creative for christmas? are you making ornaments or have some other cool project in the works? do share ... i'd love to hear about it! oh, and speaking of ornaments ... i'll have an easy diy for you, so stay tuned!

ps//you can find more of my holiday inspiration on pinterest.  just click here.

find them here:
+ribbon draped holiday table featured in canadian house and home
+a wall collection christmas tree by jane, all the luck in the world
+mantle display created by anthology magazine
+diy christmas chandelier by philip sawyer designs via apartment therapy

A MERRY CHRISTMAS FOR OUR TROOPS

this blog exist to capture the beautiful things in life, to recognize creative talent and awesome individuals, and to pay homage to the things that are dear to me and i love.

i love my husband.
i love and support our military.
and i love the opportunity to share with you.

my husband (along with many of our close friends) and family have served this country proudly. thru blogging, i have met military spouses and former servicemen (and women) as well. the military is part of our lives and will forever be. and i think my husband put it best ...

during this time of year, i like to take time to remember my brothers and sisters that are on active duty overseas.  not only the soldiers on the front line, but all the other service members serving around the world.  it's something we don't think about every day but, there are a lot of them.  i remember what is was like to be deployed during the holidays ... wishing to be home with family, but filled with a sense of pride in knowing in a small way, i was serving my country and making the world a safer place. 

this holiday season we are sharing a little gift by participating in the USO charitable giving and sending some love and appreciation to those who will not make it home for the holidays. if you are interested in learning more, you can visit the USO's website here. and if you would like to sponsor a care package, you can do so here.

WORN ON A TUESDAY + HANDMADE ACCESSORIES

hello there friends.

hope this day finds you in a good place and you are happy and well.  as you can see, i'm sporting yet another cold weather staple ... patterned tights ...  and will be wearing lots of these this season. today's look is a simple sweater dress finished off with some boots + minimal accessories and topped with a hat.

what's your favorite cold weather gear to sport this season?

handmade items//
upcycled aztec necklace, vancouver vintage
tiny silver rings, tarnished and true
quartz wire wrapped knuckle ring, peace luvin hippyness

other//
boots, similar here.

*sharing this post with the pleated poppy.

CHOCOLATE BARK + A HANDMADE HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY WINNER

so this is how it's going down today. no work ... pj's ... and some easily made chocolate bark. and to not keep you waiting any longer ... i am happy to announce the winner of the ini vibez handmade giveaway is dale m. an email has been sent so respond as soon as you can to claim your prize!

now back to that chocolate bark ...

this is the easiest thing to make.
melt down some chocolate (i added a little sea salt). spread it out on a pan lined with wax paper.
top (and lightly press into the chocolate) your favorites (today's choice is almonds, toasted coconut, dried cranberries, flax and pumpkin seeds).
let cool completely until hardened (to speed things up a bit i placed in the freezer).
break into pieces.
best enjoyed while in your pjs accompanied by a glass of almond milk.

happy weekend.
later.