Monday Motivation.

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3 Things // Try, Make & Do.

>>> Try.

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Been itching to try something new with my hair. Haven't been able to decide if I want to keep it long'ish, or cut it short (shoulder length). I have always loved the messy hair look that Casey always seems to pull off so well, so may give it a try this week. 

>>> Make.

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Now that fall's weather is here, it's time to start cooking warm meals again. I absolutely love spaghetti, and have been wanting to make turkey meatballs for sometime now! Mmmmmm! 

>>> Do.

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I saw this DIY the other day and fell in love with it. I have been eyeing all of our apartment walls to determine if we too can do something similar. We have a lot of glass windows, so I may have to hang onto this one for the next place we live in. 

What are three things you want to try, make and do?

Lately.

Holy smokes, where has this past week gone. The past few days have honestly been a blur, so much happening around here. 

On Monday I finally caved and made a doctors appointment to have my foot looked at because it's not feeling any better. I realize there isn't much they can probably do for a broken baby toe, but I wanted to try and get some answers. Anyways, fast forward to Thursday, I had my doctors appointment, followed by an x-ray. And now I wait to find out what's wrong with it. I fully expect the x-ray wont show anything though. Who knows.

Today, the weather took a turn for the worst. We had a major rain storm pass through this afternoon - it was really quite something to watch. I haven't seen rain like this in awhile. I was at work all day, so I didn't mind. By the time I got home, the rain clouds had opened up and we had a beautiful sunset. It was stunning! 

And before I know it, my day off tomorrow will be over and it will be time to start the week, and a new month. 

Top 5 // Apps to Add Typography to your iPhoneography.

I have started playing around with a few typography apps on my iPhone. They are all unique in their own way, and I love playing around with each of them. Most of these apps are more than just for text-on-photo, they contain various design elements, to filters to fun badges, shapes and much more!

1. Rhonna Designs

2. A Beautiful Mess

3. Studio

4. Over

5. Phonto

What are some of your favorite typography apps? 

Sometimes, We Don't Always See Eye to Eye.

Photo Credit: Darcy's amazing & talented sister!

Darcy (my boyfriend) and I are like two peas in a pod. We always get along, enjoy each other's company, rarely fight, etc ... however, sometimes, we don't always see eye to eye. Usually its over something super silly and will result in me getting all worked up and him making fun of me for getting annoyed. I love him lots and lots, and can't stay mad very long.

After reading Chelsea's blog post about the 4 Things her and her bf always disagree on, I started to think about what little things Darcy and I often disagree on... the list I came up with was quite silly and trivial, it also made me laugh thinking about all the various memories I recalled when thinking about these things. Obviously I had to share them...!

1. Unidentified foreign objects in my food. I hate them, they are gross and I cannot eat them. Just thinking about them gives me the hebe jebes. Broccoli, for example, is considered a UFO. I hate broccoli, and refuse to eat it. Other UFOs include: the core of a tomato, the brown bits in a banana, and the stringy things on an orange. Darcy doesn't understand my issue with these bits, he quite likes them, and will often go out of his way to include them in our meals. Not cool! The last time he made dinner, he put thousands of tiny bits of broccoli in our Tikki Masala ... I couldn't eat it because it was everywhere. If the broccoli was large enough that I could pick it out, fine, but I couldn't. Let's just say, that was the last time I let him make dinner alone! 

2. Holes in socks. As a young child, I was very specific about the socks I wore... first, they couldn't have the little fluffy bits in the toes and two, they could not have holes in them. While I have outgrown the fluffy bits, I still can't stand holes in my socks. The moment they get holes, they are in the trash. Darcy, on the other hand, couldn't care less. When we first started dating, I quickly discovered that almost ALL of his socks had holes in them. We're not talking little holes, we're talking, toes and heels sticking out of the socks kind of holes. Obviously I bought him some new socks, but he refused to throw away the old ones. I even had his sister throw away all of his old socks when she was in town visiting; of course, when nobody was looking, the sneaky bugger went back into the garbage, pulled out the bag full of sucks, and hid them under his bed. If it wasn't for the fact that I am a clumsy person and dropped my lip balm on the ground, which rolled under the bed, I wouldn't have known. Now that we are living together, his socks often find their way into the trash before he knows! Sneaky, sneaky!!! Shhhhh!

3. Putting dishes away. I am not a huge fan of clutter. He claims he isn't either, yet nine times out of ten, he is the one leaving the dishes on the counter and not putting them in the dishwasher. They will often sit on the counter until someone (aka ME) comes along and puts them into the dishwasher. Drives me nuts!! I will also take some blame in this, because I will sometimes do the same, but not often. If the dishwasher is clean and hasn't been emptied, fine, I am probably guilty for leaving them out as well. In my defense, if I worked all day, cooked dinner, I shouldn't be the one to clean everything up?! Right?!! 

4. Making a cup of tea. Yes, a cup of tea. When I make my tea, I like to put the tea bag in my mug, pour in the hot water, mix the tea bag around in my mug with a spoon to ensure I get all the caffeine out, and use the spoon to remove the tea bag. Often I will not rinse the spoon before filling up on sugar and will then put my milk into the mug. Darcy, on the other hand, likes to put his milk in first, then the sugar. Something about the tea not being so hot and the sugar not melting? I'm not sure. All I know is that whenever I make tea for the both of us, he knows when I don't make it the correct way. I now refuse to make his tea! 

What are some of the things that you and your beau don't see eye to eye on? 

Wantlist.

iPhone case / candle holders / vases / utensils / wire handled vase / iPhone case / terrarium house / picture frame / concrete planter

Now that autumn is upon us, and my birthday and christmas are right around the corner, I can't help but look for things to add to my wantlist. I am patiently wanting for several items to be moved out of our apartment so that I can move some furniture around, de-clutter some more and re-decorate here and there. I absolutely love Etsy and would love to get my hands on a few of these items. Oh, and obviously the iPhone cases aren't part of my "re-decorating," I just love switching up my case every few months (and I am long overdue for a new case)! 

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn.

The final sunset of Summer 2013. 

We had an amazing summer this year, its sad to see it go. I am not ready to stop wearing my flip flops and shorts. 

The first sunset of Autumn 2013.

Today, September 22, marked the first day of autumn. For the better part of the day, it pissed rain. Vancouver weather is back to normal...!

5 Things I Love about iOS 7.

1. New camera features. 

The camera is fast, like really really fast! Not only does it take photos as soon as you touch the shutter button, but if you hold the button down, it takes multiple photos. 

2. Instagram like filters.

Filters have been added to the camera app. Love them all!

3. Photo capture.

There are now three capture modes for still photography: the standard photo, a new square frame, and 'pano' for capturing horizontal or vertical panoramas. 

4. Photo library.

The photo library has evolved - it now categorizes photos by year(s), collections and moments.

5. AirDrop. 

This neat feature lets you share photos instantly with one (or more) of your friends.

With all of these fun new features, I can justify keeping my iPhone 5 for another year and not shelling out a few hundred more for the 5S. What are your favorite things about iOS 7?

Friday's Letters.

Dear Apple, kudos on iOS 7, I am loving some of the new features! Dear Nana, I hear that you aren't doing that well today; I hope you are feeling better soon! Dear weather, please don't cool off any more, I am quite enjoying wearing my flip flops and shorts. I am not ready to bring out my warmer shoes. Dear foot, what gives? It's been over a month now (I think, I have lost count) and you still hurt from when I stubbed my baby toe. I am beginning to think its more than a torn muscle, perhaps maybe a stress fracture? Maybe I will visit the doctor one day soon to figure it out. Dear body, I am sorry, I know you are very tired and can't handle all this work. Hopefully soon I can stop working so much. Dear all my favorite TV shows, I am ready for you to start up again!!! 

September nineteenth.

September 19th ... you could say its been a weird day, sort of. 

1) It's a full moon tonight. Enough said.

2) Its the ten-year anniversary of my grandfather's death (my mom's dad). He was quite young when he died of cancer. The past ten years have flown by, it really doesn't seem like its been that long since he passed away. 

3) My Nana (step-dad's mom) agreed to move into long-term care today because she can no longer take care of herself without 24-hour help. She has been in the hospital for the past few weeks and it was suggested that she shouldn't be living on her own any longer. Hopefully this is what's best for her. They have decided to give it a try for a few months and if she isn't happy, then they will explore other options. 

4) Today also marks the three-months mark until I am no longer twenty-nine. I'm not ready to turn thirty ... eeeek!

Only Photos.

A few photos I have snapped on my iPhone lately. Some can be found on my instagram acct.

What I'm Listening To.

Give a little time to me or burn this out,

We'll play hide and seek to turn this around,

All I want is the taste that your lips allow,

My, my, my, my, oh give me love,

My, my, my, my, oh give me love,

My, my, my, my, oh give me love,

My, my, my, my, give me love,

Blogger things I have been Sucking at...!

As you may or may not have noticed, I have been a bad blogger these past several months. June, July and August to be specific. To name a few things that I have been sucking at: irregular or lack of posting, lack of replies to comments on my blog, and basically no commenting on other blogs. 

While I could easily write an entire post about my excuses (...I have been working lots, we had family in town visiting for a few weeks, and the weather has been really nice...), I thought it would be more beneficial/helpful to write about a few of the blogger things I have been sucking at and how I am fixing it so that I am not a 'bad' blogger. Sound good..? Excellent..!

1. Consistent posting.

The key to being a 'good' blogger is consistent posting. In June I posted twenty-one times, July dropped down to eleven posts, and August only saw a mere nine posts. It's only half-way through September and I am already at twelve posts; I am getting there...! So, now that I am getting back into the swing of things, I have started brainstorming on a scrap piece of paper and planning my blog posts in advance in my agenda. On occasion, I even schedule a blog post to be posted at a later date. If planning your blog posts isn't something you currently do, I recommend that you start! To learn more about planning blog posts, check out 'trade secrets: how we plan blog posts' by A Beautiful Mess. It's a great post full of some very helpful tips!

2. Reading other blogs.

A 'good' blogger must also be a blog reader (and commenter, but I will get into that next). Now that Google Reader is no longer, my go-to wevsite/app to follow/read other blogs is via Bloglovin'. I hate to admit this, but during the summer months, the number of unread blog posts I had from all the blogs I follow was reaching +5000. Yes, five-thousand! Unfortunately, I don't have the time to read all those posts so I decided to do some house-cleaning on my bloglovin' account and unfollowed a bunch of blogs that were no longer active, or that I was no longer interested in. Initially, I felt really bad, but after reading Chelsea's post about 'why unfollowing is okay', I didn't feel as bad.. #sorrynotsorry

3. Commenting on other blogs.

During the summer months, I would be surprised if I left more than five comments (in total) on all the blogs I follow. Horrible, I know! The thing is, when I read a blog post that I really like, or inspires me, I like to leave a meaningful comment. I also like to 'like' the post in my bloglovin' or add to my google chrome favorites. Commenting on the blogs you follow/other blogs is a essential form of networking/building relationships with other bloggers. This is one area I still need to work on - not just leaving comments, but leaving meaningful comments. Kate from Diaries of an Essex Girl recently shared 5 tips on 'how not to suck at blog comments' that is super helpful!

On a side note: Lisette from Northern Belle Diaries has a great post on reasons 'why you should comment on WordPress blogs' ... just like Lisette point out, I always avoid commenting on WordPress blogs because of those extra fields to fill out. Little did I realize the potential benefits.

4. Responding to blog comments.

Did you know that there is a 'right' and 'wrong' way to respond to comments? Thankfully this is one thing I learned early on when I started blogging. On a bad day, I am really bad and don't often reply for a few days, or maybe even longer. However, on a good day, I try my hardest to reply the 'right' way ... that is, through email and on my blog. Replying via email allows you to build relationships with other bloggers, and replying on my blog allows for others to see that I have replied. When I am leaving a comment on another blog, I like to see that the author has taken the time to reply. Sometimes its fun reading their reply to another blogger's comments!

My trick? It's quite simple .... copy (ctrl + c) and paste (ctrl + v)! Normally I type out my reply in blogger, then copy and past it into my email reply. It takes maybe an extra few seconds. If you aren't sure how to set up your comments so that you can reply via email, Nadine offers some excellent advise on 'how to respond to blog comments the wrong way' and how to change the settings in your blogger account!

Well, there you have it... all of the blogger things I have been sucking at, and what I have been trying to do to fix them..! Hopefully I am not alone? Any other tips/advise/suggestions?

Sunday Social.

1. What is the name if your blog? 

Life Unpublished.

2. What do you love most about blogging?

Being able to step outside of my comfort zone, both personally and creatively. I have also met some pretty amazing people through blogging!

3. Why did you start blogging? 

A number of years back, my friend Lindsay and I were big into designing our MySpace pages, then moved over to this blog platform called Efx2 (I think?); once that site failed, I kind of gave up. Back in the winter of 2011, I was bored and feeling a little sad, so I decided it might be fun to get back into the blog world. 

4. What is something you’d want to tell someone just starting out in the blog world?

 Do not focus on the numbers and to blog for yourself! 

5. Biggest blogging learning experience you’ve had? 

Blog hopping, commenting and reply are all very important (and time consuming!) if you want to grow and meet new people.

6. What are three blogs you love?

Picking just three is tough, because there are so many that I love. Off the top of my head, and in no particular order: A Beautiful Mess, Story of My Life, and Wonder Forest.

Recipe // Hasselback Potato.

Baked potato meets oven fries...

Ingredients

Russet potatoes
Olive oil
Crushed garlic
Sea salt & pepper to taste
Herbs

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

2. Scrub the potatoes.

3. Using a sharp knife, cut through the potato, about 1/8 inch apart, so that it looks like an accordion. A neat trick, line up two regular knives on either side of the potato - they will stop the knife from cutting all the way through.

4. Combine some olive oil, sea salt, pepper, herbs (I used basil, oregano, and rosemary) and crushed garlic. Brush mixture over the potato(s), making sure the oil and herbs seep between the slices.

5. In a cooking dish, bake, uncovered at 450° for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size and type of potato. 

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com.

These potatoes were both different and very delicious! They weren't very difficult to make and took less time to prepare than a baked potato. I love potatoes and have seen this recipe floating around pinterest for some time; I am really not sure why it has taken me so long to try it. Both D and I loved how they turned out and can't wait until the next time I make them! 

4 Reasons Why You Should Drink Ginger Tea.

A few years ago, my Homeopath introduced me to Ginger Tea. I am a fussy eater/drinker, and my initial thought about drinking slices of ginger root steeped in hot water was never ever. After being hit with a horrible flu bug/sinus infection, I caved and decided to try this tea... best decision of my life! Now, every time I am feeling something coming on, Ginger Tea is my go-to beverage.

So, if you only do one thing a day to improve your health, try adding ginger tea to the top of your list. Here's a few reasons why...

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1. Fights Common Respiratory Problems. 

Drinking ginger tea is recommended for fighting off common respiratory diseases such as coughs and colds. If you are looking for sinus relief without having to resort to over-the-counter medicine, you should try a cup of ginger tea first - it works wonders!

2. Boosts Your Immune System.

This is one of the amazing benefits! Ginger tea is packed with antioxidants that help improve the immune system. That means you get sick less often and that you recover more quickly when you do become ill.

3. Encourages Blood Circulation.

Drinking a cup of ginger tea can help to improve blood flow; ginger gets the blood in your body flowing, which will give you a feeling of having more energy. It also helps to prevent  chills, fever and excessive sweating.

4. Relieves Stress.

Ginger tea is remarkable in relieving stress because of its comforting and relaxing scent. Taking a whiff of ginger tea can help improve and uplift your mood. It leaves you feeling refreshed and calm.

If you want to give ginger tea a shot, check out my ginger tea recipe that I shared last winter. Enjoy!

TV Talk: What I'm Watching.

I don't think I have discussed this here very much, besides in a Sunday Social post last summer, but television shows are a huge part of my life. There are many reasons why I like to watch TV. Like mainly, I find it very relaxing after a long day at work. 

With the new fall TV season upon us, I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite television shows that I can't wait to start watching again!

The above list doesn't quite include all of my favorite shows to watch... Game of Thrones, Girls, Downton Abbey, Grey's Anatomy, Saving Hope and Nashville.

How I am going to find the time to watch all of these shows, I have no idea. A few of them I will probably hold off and watch an entire season at once. Sometimes its fun watching an entire season all at once.

What are your favorite TV shows? I would love to hear what you are watching as well!

What I'm Listening To.

So wake me up when it's all over 
When I'm wiser and I'm older 
All this time I was finding myself 
And I didn't know I was lost

Taste of Fall.

Last September, I shared 3 of my favorite apple treats. Now that I am trying to introduce "healthier" recipes into my diet, I thought I would share a few more tasty apple treats that I have found!

1. Apple Cobbler

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2. Tumeric Apple Chips

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3. Apple Spice Coffee Cake

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4. Apple Crisp

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5. Apple Spice Cake 

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What's your favorite apple treats? 

Happy Birthday, Dakota!

Today, Dakota turns six!

In doggy years, he is forty-two years old. 

My handsome little puppy is becoming an old man. 

But that's okay because he will ALWAYS be my puppy.

Happy birthday, Dakota! I love you my pup!

Tonight.

This is the second thunder and lightning storm we have had in the past seven days. Once it passed through, we had this BEAUTIFUL sunset!  

Back to basics.

back-to-ba•sics

—adj.

1. stressing simplicity and adherence to fundamental principles: The movement suggests a back-to-basics approach to living for those whose lives have become complicated. 

Source.

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I have been doing a lot of thinking lately ... about life, what I want, what I want to do and accomplish, etc  ... and after reading On Who I Am Becoming from Erin and The Back Story on the Front Story from Katie this evening, it dawned on me that maybe I need to refocus a few aspects of my life, go back-to-basics.

Food ... I think its time to buckle down and start eating healthier. Hello Paleo! If that's not back to basics, I don't know what is. I am tired of feeling like crap. I know my health would also hugely benefit from eating healthier. I know this change isn't going to happen over night, but going forward, I want to start making healthier food choices. 

Fitness ... Exercise and I have this love-hate relationship. It doesn't help that I keep injuring myself and my poor right foot has taken quite the beating this summer from my carelessness. Without going into too much detail, I was drying off from my shower, looking at my hips and waist in the mirror, and was quite disappointed in myself for letting myself get to this point. I wouldn't say that I am overweight, but currently there is a little extra cushion which I would really love to ditch sooner than later. Maybe I should attempt the 30-day shred again ... third time is a charm?! 

Health ... If I can simplify my diet and start exercising again, I know my health will improve greatly! Also if I can do something about my work schedule, I think that would be HUGE. 

Work ... Now this is a tough one and will require some serious thinking - do I want to keep doing what I am doing, or do I want to pursue another avenue? I don't really know what I want to do, career wise, but what I do know is that I am tired of working two jobs, six days/week! I will more than likely continue this work schedule until the end of the year, but I need to figure out a new plan and actually do something about work. Less work and more money!

Now the tough part ... making some positive changes and sticking with them!

5 Pretty Sweet Instagram DIY'S to Try.

As I am sure you all know, I am addicted to instagram. I love snapping memories of my loved ones, beautiful sunsets, or anything for that matter. But what happens after you snap that photo and share it? 

Here are some clever instagram DIY's that I came across and wanted to share. I have also posted their website so that you can check them out and try them yourselves! Enjoy!

1. DIY Magnets

Make your own fridge maganets with your instagram images. Visit Secondhand Sunday's for the tutorial.

2. DIY Instacards

Such a great handmade gift idea for the holidays! Visit Say Yes to Hoboken for the tutorial.

3. DIY Wrapping Paper

Have you ever made your own wrapping paper? I love this idea! Visit Poppytalk for the tutorial.

4. DIY Wall Art

This DIY is my personal favorite because I have always wanted to get some of my photos put onto a canvas. Visit A Beautiful Mess for the tutorial.

5. DIY Photo Strips

Such a fun way to document your life and to decorate your walls! Visit Free People blog for the tutorial.

What do you normally do after you share your photos on instagram? Have you ever printed them? Or tried any DIY's? 

Summer Days are Ending...!

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Even though its still warm outside, I can feel the temperature changing. June, July and August have flown by way TOO quickly. While we have been very lucky this summer and haven't had much, if any rain, it's sad to see summer coming to an end. 

With summer's hot days/evenings coming to an end, it means more time spent on this virtual space of mine! That means ... a new face lift for Life Unpublished! I have been playing around with a new design for a few weeks now and decided to launch over the long weekend. There are still a few more changes I want to make, but they will come in due time. 

What do you think of the new look?