Wedding season is upon us!

If you are anything like Brett and I, you will be looking forward to a number of weddings this spring/summer.  Weddings are by far my favorite part of the summer season - I love getting dressed up, doing my hair and makeup, dancing, and of course bawling my eyes out at the ceremony.

In anticipation of the coming wedding season, I put together a few outfits for inspiration (I can see a new dress in my near future).

Of course you should be sure to accessorize your outfit with waterproof makeup!

It's been a while...

Wow, long time no see.  The past weeks/months have been spent in a blur of bathroom renovation, night shifts, paper writing, not really seeing my husband, and essentially barely keeping my head above water.

BUT!  A week ago I finished my last night shift of my final practicum.  So essentially I am finished my nursing degree, I have no finals this term, all I am waiting on are the official marks saying I passed.  That definitely has not sunk in yet - and I honestly don't think it will until September rolls around and I'm not heading back to the city for school.  I am so thankful for the amazing final preceptorship that I had.  Let me tell you, rural nursing is not for the faint of heart.  I had some crazy experiences (some of which I hope will remain once-in-a-lifetime) and met some awesome people who I hope to be able to work with again soon.

Last day of school selfie!  Taken before the night shift (no one needs to see what I would look like after).

In celebration of finishing my degree, I got my grad present!  A Canon Rebel T5-i.  I am so excited.  I haven't done much with manual mode yet, as I am just getting used to navigating the different auto modes.  I have, however, done some really amazing work with the high speed sports setting.  Exhibit A:

Also, we finished (and by we finished, I mean our contractor finished) our bathroom reno!  Start to finish it took about three weeks (which could have been two if our tile hadn't taken a millennium to arrive).  We are so happy with the outcome.  There are a few finishing touches left, such as framing the mirror and a few paint touch-ups, but here are some reveal pics!

That is about all that is new around these parts.  You can expect me back to my regular posting schedule from here on out (baring any major bouts of writer's block or night-shift brain of course).  Have an excellent week!!

The heat is on... On the bathroom

There comes a time in every home owner's life, that a leaky tap inevitably becomes a full out gut-the-bathroom reno.  Wait, that doesn't happen in your life?  I guess we are just the lucky ones.

This post about the installation of our front doorknob pretty much sums up how home reno projects have gone for Brett and I so far.  Even painting has not come without its casualties (such as my mother falling head first down our stairs because we laid down painting plastic down the stairs in about the dumbest way humanly possible).  So you can see why I am filled with extreme trepidation and dread when I think of this bathroom reno.

I do, however, love the design ideas part of a reno.  So I whipped up an inspiration board for what I/we hope to achieve in the new space.

1.  We want to do a glass half-door rather than a shower curtain.

2.  I am so excited to have a nice soaker tub, I haven't had a bath in ages.

3.  Two words, Rain. Showerhead.

4.  I love these old-school faucets.

5.  We want to do subway tiles for the tub/shower surround.

6.  And I am in love with these hexagon floor tiles.

7.  I find this lamp to be really pretty and different.

8.  The wall color we like is called Adirondack Blue from Behr.

9.  This mirror from Pottery Barn is something I think we are going to try construct a dupe for (that should be interesting).

10.  We want to do something similar to this vanity with the white on white look.

11.  I absolutely love this oxford strip rug from Pottery Barn.

Have you recently done a bathroom/other reno?  Any tips on staying sane?

Why my marriage isn't 50/50 - and why I don't want it to be.

There has been a shift in the past few decades or so that has changed marriages (in many ways for the better).  No longer are we in the time where husbands work away from the home bringing in the money and wives stay at home with the children, cooking and cleaning.  There was a lot about that set up that didn't really work very well, and for the most part I am glad things have changed.  But with these changes there inevitably comes those who take it a bit too far.

So many people now, seem to think that marriage needs to be a 50/50 equal split of duties at all times.  Like if one person does something, the other owes them.  But last time I checked, it never said "I promise to sweep the floor exactly half the time" or "I promise to cook on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but we have to split the Sundays" in our wedding vows.

I can honestly say there are few times that I have done something nice for Brett because I felt I owed him something.  He and I are partners in our marriage, yes; but not in a business sense where the things we do are transactions that should be equal.  I can also honestly say that I don't think our marriage has been totally equal yet, and I am very happy with that.

When I got sick before Christmas, I would say we were sitting at about 90/10 (at the very best).  The 10% of the time when I was doing anything was only the most basic of my own personal care (like brushing my own teeth and blowing my own nose).  I think Brett even helped me put on my socks a few times.  Was that fair?  Technically no.  But I was horribly ill and Brett picked up the slack without so much as a complaint.

When I make Brett his favorite pie, I don't do it expecting him to then go cut the grass or do some other chore.  I do it because I love seeing him happy (and let's be serious ladies, few things make a man happy like his favorite food).

It seems to me that assuming your relationship (with anyone really) will always be 50/50 is setting both your significant other and yourself up for failure.  No one can be on top of their game 100% of the time - we all need a little help now and then.  If you can find it in yourself to let your spouse be your strength when you are lacking and to be their strength when they need it (whether that strength means cooking all the meals one week or putting their socks on for them), your relationship will inevitably grow stronger.

We did actually make it back from Cuba...

Not that you would know it from my activity around these parts.  We got back from Cuba and I hit the ground running with final practicum.  To say things have been busy would be an understatement.

Our trip was amazing.  This was my first tropical vacation ever, and Brett's first time in Cuba as well.  We had so much fun, and Cuba is such a cool country.  We stayed at Iberostar Playa Alameda in Varadero.  The resort was great and we found the food to be really good (especially the croissants and breakfast... I ate them every single day).  We really don't have any complaints.  But a picture does say a thousand words, so here are some pics!

We left on a frigid morning with temps below 30 degrees Celsius... But you still can't beat a Saskatchewan sunrise.

Some serious humidity hit us when we landed at Varadero airport!

Thank goodness for air conditioned buses!

The central check in area.

Main courtyard - also, this was where you can find the best sangria I have ever tasted.

The pool water was unbelievably clean.

My first ever real swim in the ocean.  It was amazing!

On our way to tour the city of Matanzas.

Matanzas

Matanzas

Matanzas town square

Matanzas

Brett and I on our tour of Varadero, which included visiting some seaside mansions that are now restaurants.  The most beautiful water I have ever seen.

Have you gone on any winter holidays this year?  Or are you planning any?  I would love to hear about where you are going!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone, from our family to yours!

What a happy little family... This is what really happens behind the scenes:

Merry Christmas Eve + Disassembled Chocolate Turtles Snack Mix

Hello there!  How is Christmas Eve already?  I  definitely love Christmas Eve as much as I do Christmas Day, so you better believe Brett and I will be having a relaxing day.  Since we live so close to both his parents and my parents, we rotate having Christmas Eve with one side and Christmas Day with the other (which works out awesome because we get twice the Christmas fun!).

If you are doing some last minute party planning/host preparation, I want to let you in on this little recipe I whipped up for caramalized pecans.  I adapted my recipe from Gimme Some Oven's Candied Pecans recipe.  It is so easy and makes a great snack to have by the Christmas tree or to gift.  I was inspired by chocolate turtles, which I actually don't love *gasp*.  Chocolate turtles are such a staple Christmas chocolate, and I like all the things in them (pecans, caramel, chocolate), but for some reason don't 100% love it all together.  But I digress....

So I decided to make a snack mix with all the things I love that are in chocolate turtles.  And it turned out amazing.

Prep Time: 10 min             Cook Time: 40 min             Yield: 4-6 cups

Ingredients:
4 cups pecans (or any nut really, this would also be great with almonds... yum)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 egg white
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup Skor chips
1-2 cups milk or dark chocolate chips (depending on your chocolate preference)

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees
2.  Mix together dry ingredients and skor chips
3.  Whisk egg white until frothy, then add nuts and toss
4.  Add dry ingredients to the nut/egg white mixture and stir well

5.  Coat a pan with parchment paper (if you don't have parchment paper, aluminium foil would work as well) and spread nuts on pan
6.  Bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes, being sure to give the nuts a stir at the 20 minute mark
7.  Remove from oven and let cool until the nuts and sugar coating reach room temperature.

The last thing to do is put the nuts in a storage container or pretty serving dish!  I used these cute mason jars embellished (if you can even call it that) with some bakers twine.

I hope you all have a Christmas Eve and Christmas (or any other holiday you may celebrate) filled with love and all your favorite things.