[ 4th blogiversary! ]

CAN YOU believe my blog is already 4 years old? Gosh, how time flies!

When I think back to when I started this blog 4 years ago, I can't believe how different blogland was back then ~ a buzzing, vibrant community filled with ideas, conversation and inspiration. With the explosion of Pinterest, blogs are no longer the main place to get inspiration for decor or DIY. Many of my regular stops have packed it in, in favour of Instagram to share up-to-the-minute goings on of everyday life ~ so much quicker than putting together a blog post when life gets busy.

The thing I have loved about blogs is the discussion, the support and the sharing ~ getting to know the person behind the pretty pictures, feeling a connection. Does Pinterest do that? No. Instagram? Not really ~ after all, you can only say so much with a pic and for that reason, I haven't joined in. I feel like the interaction has become disconnected in many ways and I have to say that I miss the good ol' days.

I've made some lovely connections through my blog and my heartfelt thanks to those of you who still visit me regularly ~ your comments and emails are what keep me going and I truly love the friends I've made, this blog bringing us together. And I'm grateful that many of my absolute faves are still around, those whose blogs were always on a more personal level than just a stop for a pretty picture fix. I wish more of them would come back.

So what will this year bring? Well, I can't be sure. But for now, I'll continue to be here ~ and I hope you'll continue to pop by and say 'hello'. Big hugs!

lisa

[ mom jeans ]

SHOPPING FOR jeans can be a frustrating experience and what if you found out you could be wearing mom jeans and not even know it? gasp!

I came across a great blog post at grasping for objectivity and not only was it funny, it was eye-opening! Essentially, Rachel went on a quest to try on numerous brands and styles of jeans and her husband photographed her from behind to show what a difference a good cut, fit and pocket placement actually makes. Could Gap jeans almost be mom jeans? How about Old Navy? Hmm... maybe they are...

I know I'd rather have a perky bum than a wide or droopy looking one. Needless to say, it prompted me to immediately go try on all of my jeans and take a better look. Hmm... maybe I'll go jeans shopping this weekend! Check out her post and see all of her examples here.

lisa

[all pics: grasping for objectivity]

[ pokin' around ]

ARE YOU all familiar with poke cakes? I had heard of them but have never made one until today! I decided to try my variation of The Country Cook's Banana Pudding Poke Cake...

I don't tend to make many desserts anymore since I've had to change my diet but sometimes I want to surprise my guy with something yummy.

All you need is: a yellow cake mix, 2 boxes of instant banana pudding and some whipped topping.

{I decided to add 2 mashed bananas to my cake mix and I used sugar-free vanilla pudding since I couldn't find any banana pudding here in Dubai}.

Just bake your cake according to the box and after it has cooled for a few minutes, poke holes all over it...

Then mix up your pudding and pour all over it so it trickles down into the holes...

Spread the remaining pudding over top and refrigerate. Then add a layer of whipped topping {CoolWhip or real whipped cream}. You can top with some crushed vanilla wafers if you like.

Done!

For more detailed instructions click here .The Country Cook has all kinds of delicious southern recipes so be sure to check out her blog here. 

What have you been baking lately?

lisa

[ happy monday! ]

I HOPE your weekend was a good one and you enjoyed a bit of fun and relaxation!

Today, the lovely Barb at hodge:podge has featured me in her Loving Your Rental series. Being a fellow renter herself, she knows what it's like to try to create a warm, stylish home in a space you can't make many alterations to {although her landlord is very sweet and does allow her to express her wonderful creativity ~ I'm not so lucky!}. If you're not familiar with Barb's awesome blog, be sure to check it out. It's filled to the brim with wonderful inspiration and her amazing DIY projects. Come on over!

Thanks for having me Barb!

lisa

[ happy weekend!}

IT'S BEEN another sandy week here ~ no pretty blue skies. Looks like our weekend will consist mostly of a bit of shopping, going out for breakfast and maybe catching a movie.

I've been wanting to get a new camera {I've had my trusty Canon digital Elf now for 5 years and while it's been a great camera, I'm hoping for some more flexibility without being overly huge}. Taking pics is a favourite past-time but I don't want to lug around a big piece of equipment so I'm exploring what's out there. And my guy gave me a "coupon" in my Valentine's Day card to get me something new ~ gotta love him!

Speaking of pics and art and such, if you haven't been over to Emily Clark's inspirational blog, stop by and see her great "Send me a Picture" series. This week she asked several of us fellow bloggers for a pic of the last thing we hung on our wall ~ come see the last thing I hung up here.

Have a great weekend everyone!

lisa

[ella may]

[ crushing on colour ]

TODAY I am over at 10 Rooms guest posting on Anne-Marie's Crushing on Colour series while she's away on vacation. If you're not familiar with her blog, you must check it out - it is filled to the brim with gorgeous, inspirational colour.

If you have a moment, come on over and see what colour I'm crushing on!

{psst! here's a hint...}

lisa

[ I'm over here today...]

HEY everyone! I'm guest posting at veranda interiors while Melissa is off tanning her cheeks in Hawaii! If you're not familiar with Melissa's blog, you've been missing out on lots of eye candy!

And so what better time to talk about giving your home beach style even if you live in the 'burbs? Pop on over and say hello!

lisa

[ online mag eye candy ]

HAVE YOU read the new issue of House of Fifty yet? I love that along with great decorating, this issue also includes organizing tips, recipes with gorgeous food photography, book reviews, intros to blogs... everything but the kitchen sink {oh, right, there are a few of those too!}

Janell and her team have delivered another great issue! Check it out here.

lisa

[ sweet sweet monday ]

EVER JUMP out of bed so fast that you give yourself vertigo? That was me this morning. My guy left early for work but no sooner had he left, he returned with a package in hand! What a great way to start off the week!

My dear bloggy friend Janis at Pinecone Camp sent me this lovely package - I won her giveaway back in June and can you believe it took 2 attempts to get this to me? The first package disappeared into obliviion {or it was too darn cute that someone helped themselves to it?}. So you can imagine my excitement when this one actually fell into my hands!

Oh, the anticipation....

the cutest little package with a custom notecard attached with fancy striped tape...

a lovely handmade fabric pouch....

containing the most beautiful recipe cards I've ever seen...

recipes printed on the backs....

The photography is so mouth-watering gorgeous, it makes me want to run over and preheat my oven stat!

If you haven't discovered Janis' delicious blog, check it out here. Janis is an incredible photographer who shoots for numerous magazines and every week she bakes up some delectable treat, and most are even healthy! {no excuses not to try them!}

Thank you my sweet friend! I will treasure these recipe cards and think of you everytime I bake up one of these delicious treats. xo

lisa

[ crazy about crochet ]

AREN'T THESE  pillowcases charming? I came across these at a lovely blog called rose hip and I was instantly smitten. The crocheted trim really adds the finishing touch to these pretty patterned pillowcases and would be equally as cute on some plain ones.

You can pick some up in Beata's Etsy shop here or try your hand at crocheting some of your own with this tutorial at You Go Girl.

I remember learning to crochet granny squares when I was a kid so this is probably something I could tackle. Do you crochet?

lisa

[ I'm over here today! ]

THE LOVELY Marianne of Style for Living is featuring me today in her ABC's series! I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be included amongst the other fantastic bloggers she has featured.

If you're not familiar with Marianne, she has her own design business {Marianne Simon Design} and her blog is always oozing wonderful design eye-candy. If you have a moment, check it out here! xo

lisa

[ so sweet ]

THE LOVELY Carolyn at Sweet Chaos Home has passed along the versatile blogger award to me - thank you!

To accept this award you must thank the person who awarded it to you and include a link to their blog. Then choose 15 fellow bloggers that you've recently discovered or follow regularly to pass the award along to and share 7 things about yourself.

So, since I don't want to be a party-pooper, here are 7 things about me you may or may not know...

1. I was born and raised in Canada but my family is Finnish with a pinch of Swedish thrown in for good measure.

2. My favourite car is the Mini Cooper and I used to own a cream one before moving to Ireland. I called it my little rocket.

3. Chocolate cupcake or vanilla? Definitely vanilla. It reminds me of birthday cake and we all need birthday cake more than once a year.

4. Shania Twain and I are from the same hometown.

5. I grew up playing the piano and played the saxophone in highschool.

6. My favourite TV shows are Modern Family and Mad Men.

7. Beach cottage or ski chalet? Definitely beach cottage - someday I want to retire by the sea and wake up to waves lapping the shore.

I'd love to pass along this award to a few of my favourite fellow bloggers - they all have lovely blogs that I always look forward to visiting...

Fern Creek Cottage

Strickly Simple Style

Plain and Fancy Living

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Razmataz

Beach Coast Style

Inspired Design

Use the Good Dishes

The Hairy Peach

Dreams on 34th Street

Style for Living

A Happy Little Life

A Delightful Design

Pinecone

In Corners of My Mind

Happy Monday!

lisa

[all pics: Google]

[ my thoughts on guest posts ]

GUEST POSTING is popular in blogland and it's a fun way to connect and discover other lovely blogs. However, not all guest posts are created equal.

Have you been bombarded lately with requests from companies to post guest posts on your blog? Well I have! And I just had to share my thoughts on this practise {please bear with me if this post gets long!}

To me, guest posts by companies are an entirely different ball game. They are like advertorials - those special advertising features you see in magazines - like when Scotties tissues runs a spread showing various bathroom decorating ideas, all the while, promoting their newest tissue box designs. And in magazines, placing those advertorials costs money.

While some people may feel flattered that they've been approached by a company wanting to post a guest post on their blog (their emails gush with compliments on how great your blog is), I feel differently. These companies should be paying you to do so. These posts are exactly like magazine advertorials but in blogland. Why should they be allowed to target your blog readers for free? They're YOUR blog readers - people kind enough to tune in regularly to read what YOU have to say, not to read what is essentially an "ad" by some company. {Unless of course they want to offer a fabulous giveaway - then that's a different story}.

I've been approached by lighting companies, real estate companies, vacation rental companies, design companies, clothing companies... all wanting to put up a post on my blog with no benefit to me or my lovely blog readers. No giveaway. No discount. All of them wanting links back to their company website. One company even said they'd do it at NO COST TO ME! Gosh, really?

Rather than purchase a sponsor ad in your sidebar, they take the approach of offering up some original content for your blog ~ they'll do all the work and all you have to do is post it. To me, it's sneaky and a free way for them to get traffic to their websites through you, if you fall for it.

What are your thoughts on these types of guest posts?

lisa

[ blog love ]

HAVE YOU MET Janis over at Pinecone Camp? If not, you MUST go and check out her blog!

A photographer from Vancouver, Canada, Janis shoots interiors for magazines including Style At Home, Canadian House & Home, Chatelaine and more. Along with posting great pics of interiors and beautiful shots from around her city, Janis bakes every Monday and photographs her way through each recipe - it will having you drooling on your keyboard! Being the sweetest thing, she recently had a giveaway of her gorgeous recipe cards in a cute little cloth bag and I'm thrilled to say that I'm the lucky recipient (I can't wait to receive my first piece of mail in Dubai!)

..............

I'd also like to give a shout-out to Carol at The Design Pages for sending a lovely award my way! Carol is an interior designer from Vancouver and her blog is filled with lovely spaces and her fun diy projects. Thank you so much - you've really made my day!

I'm passing it along to 5 bloggers I love....

Janis at Pinecone Camp (I think you already know how much I adore her blog!)

and to 4 other bloggers who have lived the life of an expat just like I am:

Kathy at West Family Adventures - she's lived in Germany and has now moved back to the US
Robynne at Robynne's Nest - an Aussie who has relocated to the UK
Chania at Razmataz - an interior decorator who moved from the UK to Canada
Laura at Happy Homemaker UK - an American expat living near London, England


So drop everything and pop on over and say hi to these fellow globe-trotting bloggers! Have a great weekend everyone!

lisa

[ white life ]

I RECENTLY discovered a lovely blog called Uruguay White Life and it's just so charming! If you love all things white like I do, you'll have to take a peek here.

I love her little DIY projects and the pretty vignettes she creates with simple things. I think I need a box just for lace too!

lisa

[ so canadian, eh? ]

HAVE YOU SEEN Barbara's new series at hodge:podge called so Canadian, eh? Each week she is highlighting a Canadian designer, artisan or blogger and I'm SO THRILLED to be featured this week!

If you have a moment, please stop by hodge:podge and check it out here!
Barbara's blog is full of inspiration as she shares her love of design and DIY projects - definitely a blog worth following! Thanks so much Barbara for inviting me to participate - it's such an honour to be included in your series!

lisa

[ diy silhouettes + giveaway reminder ]

I KNOW, silhouettes have been around for awhile but I just don't get tired of them.

I love the idea of creating your own silhouettes of your family to display, including Fido. If you want to try your hand at it, check out this great tutorial over at The Shabby Nest.

Happy weekend everyone and don't forget to enter my blogiversary giveaway by Sunday. I'll be back on Monday to announce the winner!

lisa

[unknown; country living; house beautiful; better homes and gardens;

carter kustera; apartment therapy; the inglenook decor; parisinpink]