Runs on Coffee and Cream

Seth Cohen grew up and melted our hearts all over again. And when I say "our hearts", I mean, us, millennials. We fell for his nerdy awkwardness in The OC and now, again, all grown up as a nerdy, passionate, and very kind-hearted man. And the chemistry he has with Veronica, um, I mean, Kristen Bell, is SO good. Seriously, watch this show!

Winter has been exceptionally long this year. We almost broke records on how much snow fell and we lived with a snow fortress surrounding our house for the last couple of months. Thank goodness it has been melting away the last couple of weeks.

We did disappear to the Florida Keys in February for a week which was a nice change from winter. All of us thrived down there in the sun and heat. Emma and Adam's eczema cleared up, I slept better after getting fresh air daily, and our moods were just better.

I'm itching for nice weather to show up. We've had a few teases of sunshine and above zero degrees temperatures, but it still doesn't feel like spring.

Ever since getting back from Florida, I've been trying to find ways to bring 'warm weather' back into my life, even if it's just a trick of the brain; things like melting fruity scentsy scents, drinking iced tea, and shopping for warm-weather clothes.

Skinny Syrup

Unicorn Syrup & Mermaid Syrup

I've purchased a couple of flavours of Skinny Syrup in the past; s'mores and pumpkin spice. I usually add them to my coffee, both hot and iced, and it's a nice addition. When a friend told me about the new flavours, I knew I had to try them. I picked up the Unicorn syrup and Mermaid syrup and I'm loving them! I didn't know what to do with them initially because the flavours don't work with coffee. The Unicorn syrup is a blue-raspberry flavour and the Mermaid syrup reminds me of pina colada. I decided to add them to my unsweetened iced tea, and the syrup makes it taste incredible! I've been making iced green tea (assorted fruity green teas) and both of these syrups are great in them. I want to try them in smoothies, milkshakes, and cocktails next!

Queer Eye

Source

The third season of Queer Eye came out in March on Netflix. I finally had the chance to watch it last week. It's not surprising that almost every episode made me cry but also filled my heart up. If you haven't watched the show, I highly recommend it if you're looking for something to warm your heart. Every episode leaves me happy and ready to take on the day!

Chocolate Eggs


Ha! Seems random but I'm OBSESSED with them right now. My Dad even picked me up a giant bag of them from Costco and they're close to being gone! I eat a handful while drinking a hot coffee... yum!

I've recently bought some new beauty products and have some Easter recipes to try out. I'll be sure to share what I end up loving!

What are you obsessed with right now?
xo Jen

The weather has been dark and dreary the last couple of weeks. Instead of snow we've been getting freezing rain and the afternoons get warm enough to turn our snow to slush. It's gross and depressing. I've been spending more time indoors since going for walks is extremely unappealing right now.

Seconds

I've been reading a lot this month and one book I finally finished was Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley (author of Scott Pilgrim). This book has been on my to-read list forever and when I saw it at my local library I knew I had to take it home to read. I loved it. The art was adorable, the characters were lovable, and the story was very interesting. It was a fast read and I already want to re-read it. Have you read Seconds yet?


La La Land

I've been sharing my love for La La Land all over my social media pages and I'm not sorry about it. I went to see it last week at the theatre and I completely fell in love with it. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone were perfection. The soundtrack warms my heart, the settings and wardrobe make me so happy, and the story line was incredibly sweet. I cannot recommend this movie enough. Go see it!


What have you been loving lately?
xo Jen

April has been a weird month for me and my schedule has been all over the place. But there are a few things that stand out this month that I enjoyed a lot.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Did you give this show a watch? I was in love with it from the first episode but the show's only gotten better. The songs (yes, songs!), characters, relationships and jokes are perfect. The songs can have me laughing or humming along. I was especially fond of the last few episodes.

*Spoilers*

Turn back now if you're not caught up!

Seriously....


I was so happy to see Rebecca with Greg. To see her move on and be happy. But the season finale left me so upset by all the characters' choices. Though, I'm now wanting a second season more than ever to see how things go.

Tegan & Sara

Tegan and Sara are one of my favourite bands ever. I've seen them so many times in concert and I hope to see them again. They released two new singles at the beginning of the month for their upcoming album that arrives in June. Oh man, I cannot stop dancing and singing to 'Boyfriend'.


What are you enjoying this month?
xo Jen

The holiday season is upon us and it's already exhausting! I swear I love this time of year and Christmas makes me beam like a 5 year old, but working retail during this time can really stress you out. Add in all my other hobbies (sewing, baking), a craft show, possibly getting my items into a local store (eee!), and Christmas shopping, I've become a walking zombie that lives on caffeine, preferably in peppermint mocha form, and Christmas music.

So what have I been loving recently (besides peppermint everything and Christmas music)...

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

From Goodreads:
"Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it's Amy's responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn't ready to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip - and has plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar - especially with their friendship venturing into uncharted territory - but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way."

This book was really good and it will cause a lot of feels. You keep reading to find out more about Amy and Roger because the author just shares small details about each of their stories slowly in the writing. Also, the descriptive writing about the states they drive through, the landscapes they see, the places they visit - it set pleasant and vivid imagery in my brain. Each segment of the story includes a road trip music playlist and, oh boy, did it ever make me nostalgic for some bands - hellogoodbye, Passion Pit, Jack's Mannequin. 





What have you been loving this month?
xo Jen

I feel like my to-read and to-watch pile have grown massive over the Summer! So many friends have been recommending books and television shows. I guess as the temperatures drop and the sun sets earlier, I'll have more time in the evenings to snuggle up with a cat to get through these piles.

Lola And The Boy Next Door

Lola And The Boy Next Door is the second book in a series after Anna And The French Kiss. I was told by numerous people that Lola And The Boy Next Door was even better than the first book and it was! The two main characters, Lola and Cricket, were so lovable and flawed and just perfect. I got hooked quickly while listening to the audio book. I really like how they included Anna and Étienne (from Anna And The French Kiss) in this book too. I'm very excited to start the last book in the series, Isla And The Happily Ever After. We'll see if the next couple can top my love for Lola and Cricket. 


Pretty Little Liars

I've been a fan of Pretty Little Liars for a couple of years now but I gave up at the beginning of season 5. I found the stories recycled and I wasn't caring for the characters anymore. But like with other shows, when I realized they were ending the series and wrapping the story up over the next season, I had an urge to catch up and watch the conclusion. I watched all of season 5 in August while getting ready for Fan Expo and I just started season 6 this week and I have to admit, season 5 gets really good. The story line gets quite dark and I enjoyed the new twists. I'm very interested in seeing how things turn out for the girls of Rosewood. 


What have you been watching or reading lately?
xo Jen

Life has been full of audio books and TV shows since I'm back to sewing like crazy for Fan Expo. I have a giant audio book list to get through and I'm excited to get to each book.

Anna and the French Kiss

I've heard of the book, Anna and the French Kiss. a lot. But the cover of the book and the synopsis didn't grab me. However, after hearing about it for the millionth time and about the following books in the series I decided to give it a try. I was looking for some fun, easy, modern books for the Summer anyways. Well, I loved the book. It's a really cute and basic story. The characters and setting are great though. I enjoyed it right from the beginning of the audio book. I'm very excited to move onto the next book, Lola and the Boy Next Door.


Being Erica

You know I'm busy filling cat toys and trimming pouches when I fly through two seasons of Being Erica in a couple of weeks. I finally watched season two and three and I'm itching for season four - the final season. But of course I don't own it. Ahh! I really like this show. I used to catch the odd episode when it aired on television and a friend recommended it to me. It's a Canadian show and takes place in Toronto, Ontario so it's fun to watch since I recognize a lot of places. There's also love, friendship, and time travel! It's so good.


I'm now re-watching all of the seasons of The Big Bang Theory and let me tell you, it will not take me long to get through them all with how much time I'm spending with my sewing projects.

I hope you're having a great weekend! I'm off to the craft room.
xo Jen

Since I've been busy outside a lot lately, I'm not watching as much TV. Though, we have been heading to the movie theatre more regularly for date nights since all the Summer movies are being released. It seems like we'll be going to the movies every week this Summer with all the new movies coming out.

Jurassic World


We finally got the chance to see Jurassic World at the theatre and I really enjoyed it. The story line was predictable and there wasn't much character development, but it was very entertaining. I enjoyed all the actors. Chris Pratt was great and I really liked Jake Johnson (Nick from New Girl). There were plenty of moments where I jumped in my seat or threw my hand over my mouth. It was a very good Summer blockbuster movie.

Lately I've been flying through audio books again. Probably because I'm working on sewing projects often while I get ready for comic conventions and also because I've switched to some lighter YA reads which tend to be shorter in length.

Fairest

I've been looking forward to more books in The Lunar Chronicles series ever since I finished Cress. The first three books were great and I loved all of them. Fairest is a prequel that tells Queen Levana's back story. It was a great read and I found myself glued to this book. I honestly didn't think I'd ever feel bad for Levana but there were a few moments throughout the book where I felt for her. But I also could see her manipulative monster come through. This book has re-sparked my love for The Lunar Chronicles and has me very excited for the new book, Winter, which comes out in November.


Once Upon A Time

I just finished up Season four of OUAT. I started the show late in the season and marathoned the entire thing over the last couple of weeks. I really enjoyed the first half of the season with the Frozen storyline. Elsa and Anna were great characters on the show. The actors were perfect too. The second half of the season, Queens of Darkness, was good but I didn't love all of it. I don't want to give any spoilers but Cruella got on my nerves and I disliked Gold more than normal. I did get a decent dose of Captain Swan this season though, so that was always enjoyable.

What have you been reading or watching recently?

xo Jen

It has been absolutely gorgeous out this past week. We've been going for a lot of walks - walking to the local ice cream shoppe, out for burgers, and to wander around garden centres. We also started cleaning up the yard this week and I'm feeling the pain from raking leaves and cleaning out garden beds.

Bunny Cactus

In my search for shrubs and vegetables to plant, I came across the 'Bunny Cactus'. I'm now obsessed and need to get my hands on one! I have plans to hit up garden nurseries in our area to look for one (and for other plants we want, of course).


Have you read any good books lately? I'll be starting Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles) next!
xo Jen

This week has been filled with yummy food, board games, video games, audio book listening, and baking! It's been a good week! These are at the top of my current obsessions this week:

Cadbury Creme Egg Cake

Every year Adam and I make birthday cake requests for each other. Then we have to somehow make that cake. I've requested a s'mores cake, a Passion Flake cake, a lemon-blueberry cake, and a pink lemonade cake. Adam's requested a chocolate bar cake, a mint cake, a lime cake, and this year he requested a Cadbury Creme Egg cake.

Surprisingly there weren't many recipes online for such a thing. There were a lot of cupcakes and cheesecakes but nothing stood out so I saved a picture of a cake I found for inspiration and then manipulated it to what my brain was picturing.

This is my finished cake:


Under the top chocolate frosting layer, I poked holes in the cake and poured a bit of sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce down inside. This left the cake super moist. I'm quite proud with how this cake turned out.

The Final Empire - Mistborn #1


A couple of IGGPPC staff members were discussing The Mistborn series a while back. About how amazing these books were and how they were obsessed with the author, Brandon Sanderson. So I decided to give them a try. I needed a break from the YA books I was reading. Oh man, I wasn't prepared for the audio book I picked up. I ended up listening to the graphic audio book for the first book in the series. So basically the audio book is recorded like a movie. Every character is narrated by a different actor and there's sound effects and music. It was like listening to a movie. I LOVED it. The voice actors were great. And the story was incredibly interesting and it sucked me into their world. I'm excited to move onto the next book in the series.

What are you loving this week?
xo Jen

Currently I'm obsessed with a few things, with Spring being the center of my obsessions. Going for walks, new cotton dresses, new tattoos to display, fun makeup... 

If I were to pick what I was obsessed with in March it would be these two things...

I'm starting to feel an itch for Spring... stores at the mall are bringing out all their Spring stock - pastel coloured clothes, Easter decorations, patio sets. I'm feeling a strong urge for sunshine, going outside without a coat, and to garden (crazy, I know!).

Spring Treats

I've been finding myself pinning Spring-inspired desserts on Pinterest lately. Whether it's pretty pastel coloured desserts or light and fruity flavoured ones. When I saw this cake on there, my jaw dropped. It's gorgeous! The light pink and blue meringues are too sweet.

What are you loving right now?
xo Jen

This week wasn't the greatest for me. I fell earlier in the week while ice skating and I've been left with a nasty bruise on my knee that makes me cringe every time something touches it, work has made me frustrated, and I haven't been feeling the healthiest. It's almost like a cold is just starting to brew inside of me. Either that or this dry weather and heat pumping indoors is making my nose and throat hurt.

So besides work, sewing, and IGGPPC duties, I've spent a lot of time this week watching TV and reading.

Once Upon A Time

Like I stated in my earlier post this week, I started watching OUAT again. I quickly got addicted to Season two and flew through all the episodes. Bringing Hook and Neal back into the storyline made things interesting and I really enjoy both of their characters. If you've seen Season two, you know how the last episode ends so I clearly had to start Season three right away. I'm already five episodes in and I'm loving Neverland. I'm guessing I'll be glued to my television all next week with sewing projects in hand and OUAT on.

I've been slowly getting back into my routine since the holidays are over now. I'm back to reading regularly and listening to my audio books. I've also been playing more video games with Adam.

Yes Please

Earlier this week I finished the Yes Please audio book. I was itching to listen to this book since Amy is the narrator and it did not let me down. I laughed out loud quite a few times and I just really appreciated Amy's honesty throughout the book. I found it very interesting and it was really cool seeing a bit into her life. If you're a fan of Amy Poehler, I definitely recommend this book, especially the audio book so you can hear Amy and all the funny voices she puts on. Plus, there's a few really fun guest narrators as well.



Soul Calibur V

We finally finished up Lego Batman 2 this week, but we've been squeezing in some rounds in Soul Calibur V over the last few weeks. Adam was playing this game and he introduced me to the creation part of it. Making my own characters was so much fun! Adam made quite the roster of characters as well. Let's just say we were fighting a lot as DragonBall Z and X-Men characters. Though, I had flashbacks the entire time playing this game because Adam kept telling me I was a button masher and I was being cheap. Oh, the memories of being told the same thing by my brothers while playing Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter growing up. I can't help that my button mashing allows me to beat you!


Binocular Bag

I can't say that I've had an itch for Spring yet. I'm still looking forward to so many Winter activities (skating in particular). But the Kate Spade email I received the other day did make me think some happy Spring thoughts. Look at this Flights Of Fancy Binocular Bag! It's perfect!


What have you been loving lately?
xo Jen

I hope you're having a fabulous weekend!
xo Jen

I hope you're having a great weekend!
xo Jen

I hope you're having a fantastic weekend! I'm actually off this weekend which is lovely. Spending time with my boys and Mr. and getting things done around the house is exactly what I needed. We're making Christmas plans, working out Christmas gift details, and doing some decorating.