Runs on Coffee and Cream

I guess I'm getting sick of Winter and the cold, messy weather outside. I'm starting to feel the Springtime itch. My email inbox is being flooded with newsletters from websites that are advertising their new Spring clothing/crafts/recipes.

There are some many things I want to do this Spring, including some day trips, crafts, recipes, and places I want to explore. I want to drive with my windows down, have the sunshine flood my apartment, and have a reason to wear sunglasses everyday.

I cannot wait for Spring weather....






Are you looking forward to Spring?

 xo Jen

Over the last couple of years I have been doing my best to watch my money when it comes to clothing. I had a slight clothing addiction when I was a teenager and young adult. It took me a few years to realize I didn't need an overflowing closet of clothes. So I've been good with my spending habits and trying to only buy clothes that I really love and that are either a great deal or a great investment.

But this doesn't keep me from falling in love with clothes all over the internet....







Maybe after Toronto ComiCon next month I'll treat myself to something from my geeky wish list!

xo Jen

Isn't it crazy that February is almost over?!?! This month has been filled with a lot of TV watching for me. Work has been busy and stressful so I've spent most of my free evenings trying to unwind with a show. And The Walking Dead started back up this month so of course me and Adam have been glued to our television Sunday nights! Is anyone else watching it? There were a couple of episodes that didn't grab my interest recently but last week's episode had me on the edge of my seat!



We're also rewatching Futurama right now. I'm so in love with that show. The humour is great and I so want to have my own Nibbler!


How amazing is this fan art??

As I stated before, I'm taking a small break from Supernatural. I'm currently watching Portlandia and the last two seasons of Gossip Girl. Portlandia is funny and so smart. The sketches they come up with are so accurate. I love it! As for Gossip Girl, I gave up on the show a couple of years ago. But recently I've been itching to watch a juicy, no-thinking required drama. And since Gossip Girl is ending soon, I figured I'd catch up on the last couple of seasons. It's just like I remembered but at least since I had a couple year break, the story lines don't seem as repetitive for me.


Blair... the main reason I watch the show!

Recently Tegan and Sara's new album, Heartthrob, came out. I've now listened to the whole album about 50 times... it's been my go to music when I'm on the computer lately. Luckily, they're playing at a university nearby tonight and I have tickets! I'm excited to see them play for the fourth time (that seems crazy to me). These super talented ladies have been my soundtrack throughout my twenties. I love it.



What have you been watching and listening to lately?

xo Jen

So I don't know if you've seen The Mindy Project or not. But I'm so in love with the show. I was a fan of Mindy Kaling when she was on The Office. Her character, Kelly, was super cute and funny. Plus, that show had a good hilarious run (not so much anymore) and she was writing for the show during their super funny time. I was still a little skeptical when I heard about The Mindy Project. I don't know exactly why. Maybe because Mindy was great on The Office, but she was a supporting star, not a main character. I didn't know if her quirkiness would work as the lead character.



Boy, was I wrong. The show is wonderfully written (written and created by Mindy too) and I really love her portrayal and view of an early 30s woman in today's world. Her character is strong, successful and independent. But yet she still deals with her self consciousness and trying to find a healthy relationship while continuing her career. It's a fun show and I really love the characters.



Since starting The Mindy Project I have started following Mindy Kaling on Twitter and Instagram. The little bits of personal tidbits she gives has me hooked and completely in love with her. She seems down to earth and definitely happy and grateful for her success.



I just got my hands on Mindy Kaling's book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), today. Finally. I have been itching to read this book for a while now. I'm excited to start it, which is probably going to be tonight.


I'm excited to continue watching The Mindy Project and I'm hoping the show has many more seasons! Either way, I'm going to look forward to whatever projects she does.

xo Jen

This month I had made some Valentine sugar cookies and Cherry Almond cupcakes early in the month since I was going to be working crazy hours during the week of Valentine's Day.






Well, they have pretty much all been consumed so I made up some quick and easy lemon cookies this morning.

I have been making this recipe for years now. It came from my Cake Mix Magic book and I have made variations of this recipe a few times, along with the lemon flavour. 



Lemon Crisps

1 box lemon cake mix

1 egg
1/2 cup butter/margarine, melted
1 tsp lemon juice
Granulated sugar
 
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix cake mix, egg, melted butter and lemon juice in large bowl. Mix with wooden spoon until well blended.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place on greased baking sheets and press flat with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Cool 1 minute on baking sheets or until firm, then transfer cookies to wire racks and cool completely.  

These cookies are addictive and everyone I have made them for asks for the recipe. They are chewy on the inside and the outside has a nice crunch. If you're looking to whip up some cookies and have limited ingredients on hand, these cookies are perfect!

xo Jen

I'm feeling emotionally, mentally and physically drained today. It's not a total surprise considering I worked 58 hours over 5 days this week. I didn't expect to work this much so a lot of things in my personal life got pushed aside unfortunately this week... plans with friends, emails, blog posts, and sleep.

This was my last week of work at a job and it was the first week of work at my new job. The transition and change is incredibly needed. I'm excited to move forward. I'm excited for the change. I'm just trying to be positive about it all.

Crafting and baking was on hold this week. I'll be back to making cookies this weekend and I plan on filling 3 days that I have off next week with sewing projects. I have Toronto ComiCon coming up so I need to get myself organized.

I spent the majority of my day so far catching up on emails and reading blogs today. I'm happy to say reading these posts and looking at some wonderful photos really helped my mood. I need to get my inspiration juices flowing again. This week sort of killed my creative inspiration and motivation.

Thank you for inspiring me!



Have a wonderful weekend!
xo Jen

Since Valentine's Day is coming up, I wanted to share this wonderful Etsy shop: Claireabellemakes. Claire makes the most adorable jewellery and hair accessories and her recent Valentine's Day line is just lovely!

Last weekend me and Adam headed up to Sudbury for a night. Adam had some physical testing to do for a job application. It was a fun couple of days away, though it was absolutely freezing.

Seymore tried packing himself up the morning we left.

Our usual car snacks!


As we drove further up North there was more and more snow along the highway. I also spotted about 6 deer along the highway hanging out behind someone's house.


The scenery is getting rocky...


Once we got to Sudbury we went out for dinner, took a stroll around Chapters, and watched a Chopped marathon on the Food Network. The next morning we woke up to -30 degree weather. My hands were numb after a small time outside and for some reason the ends of my hair went white? I spent the morning in an empty college cafeteria. It was a good time to catch up on emails and get some things organized.



Afterwards we had a quick lunch and cupcake break before heading home. I picked out a maple bacon cupcake. It was so amazingly good! The small cupcake kiosk in the local mall was a pleasant surprise.



It was a fun weekend and there's a chance we'll be doing this road trip again this winter.

xo Jen

One of my favourite new shows that started this TV show season is Elementary. I really love the characters and the chemistry between Sherlock and Watson. I've always been a fan of Lucy Liu and I'm really enjoying her as Joan Watson.

I realized pretty quickly into the season how much I love the clothes that Joan wears. She dresses on the casual side and she wears a ton of layers. I feel like her wardrobe is a very realistic one for a person to want to have. I have a lot of similar wardrobe pieces that she has - tights, booties, cardigans, and loose skirts. I love all the different shirts she pairs with her skirts. The patterns and designs are great and add some character to her outfits. Her tights, skirt and knit sweater combo seem to be a common outfit that she wears and I really love how it all looks together!








I love this shirt and jacket combo!


I'm also completely in love with her hair. She may have inspired me to start wearing my hair with a middle-part... and yes, my face shape is nothing like hers but I'm liking my hair better now!

I hope this show continues on for more seasons!

xo Jen

It's hard to believe Valentine's Day is next week. It marks the half way point in February which just seems crazy. This year has been moving at a fast pace for me.

I will be busy next week at work because of Valentine's Day. But I plan on getting in some baking this week. Sugar cookies and cherry cupcakes are on my to-bake list. After drooling over some photos online, I'm also itching to make some doughnuts as well. 








Homemade treats are definitely one of the best gifts that I can give Adam for Valentine's Day, which is perfect since the holidays always encourage me to bake! My love for baking and his sweet tooth are a perfect combination!

Are you making anything special for Valentine's Day?

xo Jen

This year looks to be a busy one for my crafting. Right now I have 3 comic conventions booked for the year and there's a couple more I'm considering applying to. There's also a few craft shows in the Fall and early Winter that I hope to do as well.

Comic Conventions I'll have a table at:
* Toronto Comicon - March 9-10
* Niagara Falls Comic Con - June 8-9
* Fan Expo Canada - August 22-25

I've already started sewing and stocking up for these shows. I have learned that you can never have too much stock and whatever I have left over can be used for the next show. Plus, I want to keep my Etsy shop updated so I should be able to post new items every couple of weeks throughout the year.








I've also listed a few new pillowcases in my Etsy shop.

I'll be listing some new pouches over the next week, so watch out for them!

xo Jen