35 Weeks

The final countdown has begun as this week marks the 35th week of my pregnancy! This week has gone especially fast because I've had three days off, which is the longest amount of time I have spent at home throughout my pregnancy. Up until last week I had been working 5-6 days a week, but have started to cut my hours back because my feet are starting to get really swollen. If Ursula The Sea Witch had feet, they would look like mine do at the end of the day! Last week when I had two days off work I felt a little lost for what to do, but I was totally fine with it this week. I treated myself to the complete box set of Desperate Housewives so when I finish up work before the baby arrives I'll be set! I had my baby shower last weekend, which was an absolute blast! My Sister & Mum made it such a fantastic afternoon with miniature tea party delights, it was beautiful. I can't wait to see all the photos and to share them on here. Our little baby got absolutely spoilt, so much so my Mum had to come over and help me pack all of the gifts away!

Start Your Week Off With..

Rainy Day Smiles by The Life Of A Cupcake

Tips by Gentri Lee

Fruit Leather by Boringspice

What I Ate by By The Lock

I hope you have a fantastic week!

Fancy Folk - By The Lock

Have you met Chloe from By The Lock yet?

If you haven't it is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to her as she is this weeks Fancy Folk. She likes nature dwelling, vegan cooking, coffee, dresses and crafts. 

Do you have any big plans for 2013?

Lots!! I am forever setting myself goals and challenges, you can find a whole load here. But, mainly, I want 2013 to be full of stitching. By the end of the year I want to wearing clothes I have made completely from scratch myself! I am so excited for that moment.

Describe your style:     

God, this is tough! I think until pretty recently I didn’t have much of a style at all! I love dresses, I love collars, I love patterns; polka dots and stripes. I also love any kind of clothing with animals on it, the more unusual the better! I also tend to lean towards darker colours, navy, black and grey. That sounds kind of depressing, doesn't it? I liven it up with colourful cardigans. Goth Granny, probably sums it up quite well! 

Is there one thing you have bought that you think might turn into a family heirloom?    

All the stuff I own is pretty junkish, other than my cameras and computer, but I don’t think they will stand the test of time.  I would like to think that something I make will turn into a family heirloom more than something I have bought. A quilt or a piece of embroidery! Maybe! I plan on making a dining table this year, hopefully that will stand the test of time! It'd be pretty amazing knowing my great great grandkids could be sting breakfast at a table I made. I'll have to engrave it with my name!

What is one of your favourite combinations? (food, colours, fashion etc)

This changes for me all the time! At the moment though I am really loving the colour mint with white polka dots. Thats quite specific huh?  Green is generally always my favourite colour with anything, but mint and white is so refreshing! Particularly in home decor! 

Your perfect day would be:     

Spent on a boat!! We (my boyfriend and a couple of friends) hired a tiny boat last year and it was the best day. We took a bunch of snacks and a bottle of Cava. The only way I could have made that day even more perfect was if the sun was out and I had a little dog with me, in a life-jacket…I'd have a full pack of bread to feed the super friendly ducks.

>>> To read more about Chloe,

visit her blog and say hello!

Home Inspiration - Living Rooms

One / Two / Three / Four / Five

I've never been a fan of colourful spaces. I generally find myself leaning towards neutral coloured spaces, especially for living rooms with statement pieces like scatter cushions or a throw rug or something decorative. When Luke & I moved out together into a teeny tiny one bedroom terrace flat, our first place together, I wanted everything to be white. All I managed to get was a white kitchen table, that Luke constantly reminds me he doesn't like. He is not a fan of white furniture, whereas its my first choice. When we moved in to our last flat we updated a couple of things and bought a new bed and bed side tables - all in white. White generally compliments accompanying colours, where wood can clash too much with different interiors, especially when renting. So I twisted Luke's arm on the bedroom furniture.

Over the years we've talked about things we would like to do when we had a bigger space, and having a baby prompted us to make our most recent move. We've only been in our new house for a week or so now, so I haven't had a lot of time to get down to the finer decorating details, but I sure have made the time to drool over other peoples dreamy spaces to get me motivated. Luke is quite opinionated with what he does and doesn't like aesthetically, so I always feel a little guilty without asking him when I want to change things up or buy something different. Because I know he enjoys the process just as much as me, which is definitely something I love about him! This move around he suggested we bring a little more colour into our living area because we're going to be spending more time in this house, and it will be more visually stimulating. So its our little nesting project that we will be gradually working on. Last week I started it off with the new addition of a bright yellow studio floor lamp for our living room, and the excitement over the purchase has kept me inspired all week to bring more colour into our house. I'm looking forward to sharing our little nesting project here on TLL!

Start Your Week Off With..

Affirmations by Twigs & Tea

I'm A Spoiled Brat On Spring Break In Hawaii by Lifesize Paperdoll

Dear Coffee by I Believe In Story

On Turning 30 by Stars In Jars

Have a neat little week!

Fancy Folk - Gypsy In Jasper

Ahoy there, Tastes Like Love readers. 

I'm so honoured to be here today as one of Lauren's Fancy Folk. I mean, who knew I was fancy!? I sure didn't. But, I will gladly take the compliment.

1. Do you have any big plans for 2013?
I don't know that any of my plans are big, per se, but I do plan to do a lot this year. With spring peaking her gorgeous little sunshining face out from behind the snowy mountains, I'm just dying to go hiking and camping and rafting. I really hope to make this the spring/summer of outdoor adventures. I live in a national park, after all. There's no excuse for staying inside. I also hope to road trip like crazy this summer. Last year, Ian and I had so much fun spontaneously jumping in the car to visit friends and family in British Columbia and in the city. I would love to do a butt-tonne (technical term!) of that. I don't even care if it's a trip to a small village an hour away or to a ghost town or to a city hours and hours away. I just want to explore and enjoy this beautiful area I live in. (If all goes well, I might also be heading out on a longer adventure all the way down to Utah in the fall! Fingers crossed.) So, big plans, no. But plans, oh! I have plans. 

2. Describe your style.
Oi. Um. Well, I like colour. No. Scratch that. I LOVE colour. I don't shy from it. I mean, there are definitely some black items in my closet, but those aren't generally the ones I reach for. Even in the dead of winter you'll catch me in a bright yellow top, trying to shine some life into the dark, cold days. In the last year, I've also been a big fan of the skinny jean. It just took finding a pair that fit my short little legs to convert me. Now, instead of wearing all the skirts and dresses in my closet (which was all I was wearing before I discovered skinnies), I seem to always reach for pants. If you do catch me in a dress or a skirt, though, it usually has a big pattern or, again, a bright colour. 

**Note: although I post my outfits in my What to Wear series, I don't consider myself a fashionista. I like clothes, but I don't know anything about them. I don't know what's in style at any given moment and I don't generally follow the "rules." I just wear what I like and feel comfortable in. 

3. Is there one thing you have bought that you think might turn into a family heirloom?
My goodness, Lauren, these questions!! You're really making the creaky wheels turn in my rusty ol' head. I'd love to think that every crocheted item I have ever created has the potential of becoming an heirloom, but I know that's asking a bit much. But honestly, this is a tough question for me because, aside from my clothes, I don't have many things that I hold dear or that I would want to carry on. I don't buy a lot of "things." I have crafts and art that I've created that I'd be totally honoured if my family kept or treasured. But, otherwise, I can't think of one thing. (How lame am I!?)

4. What is one of your favourite combinations? (food, colours, fashion, etc.)
Obviously I'm going to choose the food option here, because if I know anything, I know I love food and I know just what kind of food I love. One of my favourite combinations is Ian's fried chicken on top of his mom's waffles with syrup, ketchup and sriracha. Nom nom nom. I thought this was a really weird meal when Ian suggested we make it one day, but then I tried it and my mind was BLOWN. Like, wow. If you've never had chicken and waffles, you need to get on that. No joke, it's a party for your taste buds.

5. Your perfect day would be...
This all depends on the season. But, assuming it's spring, I'd say my perfect day would be waking up around 10 a.m. to the smell of bacon and coffee in the kitchen. I would then, of course, eat the bacon and drink the coffee. And, I would do that on the patio with the warm spring sun keeping me warm in my PJs. After breakfast, I'd clean myself up and head out for a hike and picnic in the mountains. I'd preferably eat my sandwich, while looking out on a gorgeous lake or mountain vista. (By the way, I'd either be enjoying such a day while surrounded by my pals or just Ian.) Following our hike, we'd head home for a BBQ and a beer. Then we'd have our friends over for games before checking out live tunes at the Jasper Legion, where we would dance the night away. The day would be topped of with (you guessed it, more food) an early morning corn dog and some Gatorade. Yup, a lot of my perfect day revolves around the perfect foods. There's no denying my love for a tasty morsel.

>>> To read more about Nicole

& her Jasper adventures,

check out her blog!

It's Oh So Quiet, Shh, Shh, Shh!

So glad to see our old flat finally empty!

It's been a little quiet around these parts the last week because over the Easter long weekend Luke & I moved house. Finally! With only seven more weeks until our baby arrives, we got around to looking for a place and organising our much anticipated move. And we picked the best weekend to do so - I had to work for the most part, and Luke had most of the weekend off. I was quite useless this house move being pregnant and all. Luke & my Mum basically did everything from packing up our old flat, going through our things, and moving them into our new house. And while I was at work, they spent the day together cleaning our old flat from top to bottom. We've now been in our new house for a week, and we are unpacking the last of our boxes and things are starting to take shape. Now, the exciting part, setting up the babies room and our little home projects we finally have the space for! I'm really excited to share some of our upcoming nesting projects and to finally put use to the DIY's I've been drooling over for months.