*Face Palm*

Apologies!  It's been a crazy couple weeks. To recap:

Dog's birthday was a success! Cake was enjoyed by both canines, chocolate banana muffins with delicious icing for the human guests. Movies were watched, tears were cried (it might have been only me...Homeward Bound is heartwarming, don't judge me.)

Coachella plans are all but executed! All we have to do is show up at the airport and we're off to a weekend of awesomeness. April 19th can't come soon enough!

On a more serious note, I feel it is very important to bring this case to a wider audience. Please take a minute to read it (it's not the best written article but delivers the facts nonetheless)
If you feel inclined, sign the petition on change.org and help spread awareness of this injustice.
Help the family of Trayvon Martin find peace in their son's murder.

As a firm believer in equality to all, regardless of our societal labels, this case is an example of the lack of recognition of the equal rights deserving to all citizens. The Florida police would do well to take this case as a lesson to strive for colourblind service. That all citizens, regardless of their age, gender or ethnicity deserve equal attention and compassion. When it comes to crimes against unarmed youth, there is no room for personal biases. George Zimmerman should be tried to the fullest extent of the law for murdering unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

I hope this brings a little awareness to your day, and I will try to post some new recipes and photos soon!

Have a great Tuesday!

Coffee Critique? My Starbucksidea.com Experience

As a blogger who's had her share of negative responses, I am not sensitive to backlash. However, I couldn't help but feel a little ostracized for expressing a concern, and posing a suggestion to Starbucks, of all places. I was expressing my "desire" for something gluten-free at Starbucks. (my "desire" as my critics called it. I do not choose to eat gluten-free, but clearly my need for something to eat with my coffee is not a necessity) I was not suggesting Starbucks go completely gluten-free, but perhaps they could accommodate some of their diet restricted customers?
Anyway, the criticism, from people who would not be affected in any way by this, was quite rude. These seem to be the same kind of people who join forums just to disagree and argue with other well-meaning writers. I found the whole thing a little funny, so I thought I would post them here for your enjoyment, my original post included. The last comment was my response to my nay-sayers. :)

We all want a better, gluten-free Starbucks.

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Posted on 3/8/2012 12:37 PMby whitb 

After reading the many, many requests by my fellow Starbucks customers for more (read: any) gluten-free food options, I feel like a broken record. But, here it goes. As one of many, and our numbers are growing, of the sufferers of a gluten/wheat allergy, I feel we have a responsibility to provide patronage to those cafes and shops which provide us with aggreable dishes. Starbucks, unfortunately, falls a little short in this category.

I use my Starbucks card deligently, and I frequent the one at my college, however, I feel somewhat betrayed by the lack of attention to customer service that Starbucks fails to provide to its diet-restricted clientele.  Starbucks would do well to listen to the overwhelming demand for more gluten-free food options. I can also attest to the lack of employee knowledge on storing and packaging in keeping gluten-free products free from cross contamination. 

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Sharlsie 3/8/2012 1:03 PM

Uh, guess again. Not all of us.

1yogagirl Top CommenterIdea Launched3/8/2012 1:43 PM

I'm all for offering alternatives for people who need them.

lilmissykato Top Commenter3/8/2012 3:04 PM

I dont want them. I dont mind if you have the ability to have them, but i want my glutten..

Cafeslinger Top Commenter3/8/2012 4:11 PM

This is a very limited need. Rather a desire. Snacks are not a need. And, there are plenty of places to get them from.

lilmissykato Top Commenter3/9/2012 10:05 AM

Ya know, ive been agreeing with slinger ALL week. Must be that solar store everyone was talking about around her. Tis a good thing.

Cafeslinger Top Commenter3/9/2012 3:46 PM

lilmissy. i know you have a hard time understanding what you read. So let me lay it out for you: lots of stores offer this. Those who need these items have lots of places they can get them from. Starbucks does not sell gluten free well. But there are still plenty of stores that offer them.

lilmissykato Top Commenter3/10/2012 6:10 AM

Slinger, i was agreeing with you...... nothing to lay out. chill.

1yogagirl Top CommenterIdea Launched3/10/2012 8:36 AM

I think there is more than a limited need for gluten free being that many stores now are carrying a whole section of gluten free products.

nmk1986 3/13/2012 5:26 AM

People with wheat/gluten allergies are customers too, it would be nice to have a treat with your coffee. Who wants to go to a bunch of different places for coffee then snack.

whitb 3/13/2012 11:20 AM

I love all these supportive comments! To be honest, this feels a little, "if it won't affect you, there's no need to share your opinion." I wasn't suggesting Starbucks go completely gluten-free (don't worry lilmissy you'll still have your glutinous treats). Speaking from solely my own position, and in no contempt to anyone who does eat gluten, I was merely expressing yes, my desire if you wish, to be able to enjoy a Starbucks snack with my coffee. It's fine to disagree, but what harm would it do to keep negativity to yourselves? You're all entitled to your opinion. As am I. Equally so, I believe I'm entitled to enjoy a bite to eat at the same establishment as the rest of you. If that's alright.

If you're only on forums to disagree with anyone simply expressing themselves, then you are a sad lot. 

Have a nice day!

P.s. thank you nmk1986 and 1yogagirl; it's nice to know Starbucks has a few positive customers! Maybe the others hadn't had their coffee yet before posting ;)

Something Spring-like this way comes

Spring is in the air! Can you feel it Vancouver, can ya? Personally, I'm still feeling a bit of winter skepticism, thinking, "oh it'll rain tomorrow, or this weekend... forever." But I'm starting to see the light. A full day of sunshine always helps brush the cobwebs off my sneakers and puts a smile to match the sunshine on my face. I think new years resolutions are made a bit hasty. Far and few of us really get out there and diet/workout/run/etc etc in the rain or snow. Let's be realistic. Once the sun comes out, no more excuses. If, according to the weather gods, this is supposed to stick around for a little while, I hope you all can make it out there to enjoy it!
Can't wait for the cherry blossoms to come out!

In honour of the approaching primavera, do you have any springtime rituals or tasks? Other than the typical spring cleaning (which I cannot WAIT to do!), what means "spring is here" for you? I'm looking forward to hiking weather, and the beginning of fruit season and farmer's markets. Granville Island is awesome this time of year, and it's also the start of arts and music festivals! 

Soak it up Vancouverites, the groundhog's prophecy of 6 more weeks of winter is nearly over! 

images: weheartit

Next recipe post! Stay Tuned!

This weekend I want to do some celebratory baking in honour of finishing my midterms on Thursday, which seemed to drag on for 3 weeks too long this semester, and to make something new for my lovely boyfriend who is coming to visit <3. I've been wanting to try cinnamon rolls for a while, and I would like to make some for my dog's birthday (yes, I'm throwing her a party) for the human guests. This recipe's been sitting in my Recipe bookmark folder for a few months and I think it's about time I tackled it. I'm always up for the challenge of taking originally non-gluten free recipes and turning them into gluten-free deliciousness. This one, like most of the others I've metamorphosed, will require me to change the flour. So far, I've had success changing most recipes this way, using my GF mix (usually brown or white rice flour, sourgum and tapioca flours, and potato starch. The ratio depends on what i happen to have in the cupboard) instead of using wheat flour.

Here's the original recipe: Apple Cinnamon Rolls. If anyone happens to try it before I do this weekend let me know how it goes! If you make it GF, vegan, dairy free, also let me know! I also usually use almond milk in my baking, I will probably do that this time as well. Almonds and apples are a good combo (also an alliteration combination!) This one probably won't be entirely dairy free, as I like to make cream cheese icing instead of the sugar-based one in the recipe.

Bear with me, I haven't attempted a recipe like this before so it'll be an experiment!
Also, in lieu of the miserable weather, (and the fact that my motivation to study has dwindled since I found out I was accepted to UBC for September) I am looking for recipe suggestions! Particularly muffins or loafs. If you have a favourite you'd like to see me wizard into a gluten-free delight, let me know in a comment!

As for today, I plan to be neck-deep in studying for the rest of the day.
Hope you all enjoy this chilly Tuesday!

Anyone have leap-day plans for tomorrow? Maybe doing something you would never normally do, this day only happens every 4 years, make it count!

The Facts: More than one blogger's opinion

I am always one to sing praises for all-natural skin-care and organic products, but I feel I must add a disclaimer: I am not a doctor, skin-care specialist or have any expertise in what I recommend other than my own personal testimony. They may not work for everyone, but the research I've done, as well as my education in aromatherapy, massage, basic skin-care, anatomy, as well as my personal experience, has led me to trust more in natural and homemade products than anything synthetic or store bought. I'm just one blogger putting my love of naturalism out there, and I hope it works for you too! At the very least, you're investing in your body. Your skin is your largest organ after all, anything you put on it will go directly into your bloodstream and affect the rest of you too. Something to keep in mind when you want to get a self tanner or shimmery lotion...

So, if my opinion does not satisfy you to try natural cleansers, oils and edible scrubs, then here is a website that began my self-imposed exile from commercial products. (be warned, you may rethink everything you've ever bought for your skin...)

Cosmetic Database

They list products by recognizable labels, so just search your current moisturizer, cleanser, sunscreen, nailpolish, makeup, and see what happens. They list all ingredients, as well as the Hazard Level. This was a game-changer. Try your favourite concealer ladies, it might make you think about what you're putting on your skin!

On that note, My wonderful girlfriend Della recommended me to this amazing site. It started with a jello recipe, annd one thing led to another, naturally I was looking at the skin-care Instructables. 

This one caught my eye; something I had neglected to suggest! Now, bear with me, this one sounds counterintuitive as well, but hear me out (and read the Instructable!).

Wash your face...with oil. Just do it, try it once, a week, a month if you can! I like to use olive oil. I got hooked on it as an all-body oil and cleanser when I first went to Italy and forgot to bring any skin products with me. My hippie brain kicked in, and I used olive oil it for everything! My skin took to it like Nemo to the open sea. When I returned, I unconsciously went back to my normal skin regime. On my next visit to my kinesiologist, she said I was lacking something in my diet. Turns out, my body had gotten used to "eating" olive oil through my skin that it required that essential nutritional and moisturizing boost.

 So try it. When I ever suggest oils for the skin people cringe and say "doesn't it make your skin all oily???". Well duh, what would you rather your sebaceous glands secrete? Lotion? Your skin already produces natural oils to hydrate itself, when would you consciously put anything else on it? On the last page of the Instructable she recommends different oils based on heaviness and consistency. I like olive and coconut (in the winter as it's heavier). Jojoba is closest to your skin's natural pH level, so your skin will accept it the easiest. 

Try it out! Let me know what you think! If you have a favourite natural skin remedy you'd like me to give a shout out to, leave a comment! 

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Love,

Whit

P.S. Oil is also awesome for your hair...more tomorrow! 

images:weheartit.com

Wow.

Ok I'm about to lay down some serious knowledge.

My hands. Are so soft. No jokes kids. A-maz-ing.  And I did it all by myself. With a little help from this awesome website - go here for the recipe to make your DIY Body Scrubs.
No more lusting after expensive scrubs. This one is for real. I've made brown sugar scrubs in the past but had forgotten how unbelievable my hands feel afterward. If only I had a hand to hold now... ;)

As soon as I read this recipe I said: Done. It was an immediate impulse and I urge you to try it right away too! Only takes 5 minutes to make and you'll be so thankful you did. Your hands will thank you too!

Hope this brightens your Tuesday night!

Tip: massage it into your hands over the sink - it's a little messy but totally dissolvable! Finish with a hand massage of your favourite oil and you are set! Do it before your next manicure and use weekly this winter to help your hands stay soft and moisturized! Remember to wear gloves and moisturize more often when it gets cold!

image: Pinterest

Breathing Room

It's still taking me a lifetime to figure everything out, and by my calculations, that's about the normal rate to go about it. If things were truly meant to fall into your lap, or so simple you didn't have to agonize over it, it wouldn't be worth it. Or that's what I'm told. The easiest advice to listen to is one you can't argue with. Like someone telling you "there's always someone worse off", or "the best things in life are worth waiting for". I'm all for living life to the fullest and striving for amazing, not settling for mediocre, but sometimes it'd be nice to read something that says it's ok to revel in the little, insignificant, selfish things we all do every day. If it weren't for the small things, no one would get out of bed. If it weren't for the guilty pleasures and twinges of ego we all feel, the world would be too idealistic for its own good. I like the things that make life imperfect, and the cynicism that keeps me grounded. I'm still optimistic, but I like being able to see a glass in both its states of fullness. Sometimes it is half empty, and that's ok too. Life isn't about being an eternal optimist, or convincing yourself there is beauty everywhere, because sometimes it's the ugly parts that makes us see the beauty a little clearer.
To me, life is about creating your own in anything. It's about applying your energy and focusing it, or not, for that matter. We all stress about not doing one-hundred percent all the time, and then feel guilty when we do something completely normal, and human. Urges of the heart, mind, and body should not be ignored. As long as you're careful and keep yourself safe, don't let the constraints of others hold you back.

Ok, now I'm starting to sound like a re-posted motivational blurb.

My bottom line, if you care to know, is to live, love, and learn with a passionate heart. Above all, believe in your ability to stay true to what makes that fire in your belly, that sense of purpose, regardless of if you're saving the world, or just talking yourself up before a big decision. No matter what or who, or where, it's more important to create your own anything.
Even if that's just a little blog post every now and then.

Packing Mouse (Guest Blogger maybs?)

Another Tuesday. The last before I leave for the island this weekend, second last before I jet to Italy. Today I'm catching up on all the housework I should have done this weekend instead of watching SATC/Say Yes To The Dress/Clueless. Somehow I envisioned being 80% packed before this Friday. I've made a list. That's about it. So to help my packing procrastinations, I searched some helpful tips for making trips of any size more comfortable.

This is a great abroad packing list for long trips.

I've read from numerous sites that sticking to one colour family of clothing is the best way to go. That shouldn't be a problem, I'm a neutral/navy/black offender most of the time. However I don't know how comfortable that will be in 40 degree Italian heat??

I tend to be a pretty efficient packing, re-wearing, hand-washing traveller.
That and I'm cheap.
Real Simple suggested packing your suitcase like a layered cake. Rolled items like tshirts, jeans socks, on the bottom, and folded items in the middle. Wrapping belts and scarves around the edges to help keep everything together, and all shoes in a large re-sealable plastic bag.

As far as electronics, I'm probably bringing my two digital cameras. My Olympus baby is a little bulky with its removable lens, so I think a compact one for lighter days is a good idea. Plus iPod, plus phone, the idea of unplugging for five weeks is getting to be harder than I thought.

As a city rat going out to the Italian countryside, I know that no matter what I bring it won't be the most appropriate choice. What can I say, I love comfy west coast style. I will miss my trusty Uggs though. I think as urban as I can get is some aviators and boyfriend jeans. My Birkinstock sandals will be right at home!

Does anyone have any good travel or packing tips? Regret thankful for bringing or forgetting anything when you've taken a trip? If you're traveling soon, where are you headed amigos? Dream vacations?
I wanna hear your whimsies and starry-eyed giggle fits. 


Tomorrow: Alliteration Wednesday, brought to you by the letter F. Let's have some clean-minded fun with this one, kiddies.

ALSO: putting out the word, (no not bird), for a guest blogger while I Italianize. Any takers? I know this blog's a wee baby but I'd hate for it to be neglected for five long weeks. Think cute photo-lover, vision and fashion sharer, and you don't have to be from Vancouver! Must love belugas and gluten-free food.

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Today is Tuesday. Tomorrow is Wednesday.

A day of rest, finally. One exam down, only one more to go! I can almost taste freedom.
Some things I've noticed recently:

Improv cookies don't always turn out the way you want. They do sometimes make really good dipping cookies for coffee though.

Warmer weather really does have a psychological effect on me. I feel more inspired and eager to get outdoors and finally start running. Take that new years resolutions!        

I leave in exactly 16 days for Italy! Ahhh I can't shut up about it!

Studying really does work. I've never been a good studier but I left my french exam feeling a little better than I have in the past. Only my grade will tell if my optimism was felt in good faith.

Next weekend is Easter! I'm very excited because the boyfriend and I have an egg hunt and decorating planned. I'm very eggcited. Photos will be taken. Maybe even attempt to make cupcakes this cute?

Fingers crossed I get the scholarship I applied for! That money would definitely help my financial worries for my trip. Or I wish school in Canada was like France: where the government pays (!) Now if that's an option in the upcoming election, I might even vote! I don't like to get involved politically, unless there's something I really feel strongly about but to be honest (and a little embarrassed) I haven't paid attention to any of the federal business going on right now. I tend to read more global news than I do local anyway. But I suppose it's my right as a liberated, post-modern woman to vote...can you tell my mom is of that generation?

Summer is just around the corner!
Who's excited?! I have big plans. Big big...okay maybe not so big. The word this summer is Creativity. If only there was a hand gesture to go along with that...(picture the rainbow for imagination.)
I'm thinking BBQs, bike riding, crafting, baking, and lots more photo taking!
I've also started looking for some DIY projects to do. Thank you fellow bloggers!

Braided hex nut bracelet - Because I'm Addicted
Wine Bottle Light (I want to decorate my backyard with these!) - Wit and Whistle

Anyone have some great DIY projects to share? I'm looking to make jewelry, frames, maybe add some girly accents to my room :)

Images:

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The Waiting Game

So I'm sitting overlooking the morning traffic of people milling around City Square, waiting for my new glasses to be ready (!), and I started wondering, where's the sunshine Vancouver?? Okay maybe it wasn't a direct train of thought but somehow after coming inside, sniffling and my hair sufficiently humidity ruined, I really wished it was summer. Despite the fact that my birthday is smack in the middle, summer happens to be one of my favourite seasons. I say one because there are times when I could live every day in a Vancity autumn. The trees, the colours, the comfort food! I digress.
Back to summer. One of my favourite things to do is pack up my selection of beads, hemp and girlfriends and trek down to Wreck Beach. (No, we don't go fully nude). The atmosphere is far more tranquil and beach-like there, rather than enduring the surplus of body oil and trance-blasting-muscle-morons at Kits. If only there were starbucks/sushi/gelato at Wreck too, then I might never leave!
Another favourite summer haunt of mine is my top deck. When the vines are in full foliage, they create a secluded oasis perfect for tanning or curling up in our hammock with a good book.
Sigh, can't wait for summer!
Fellow Vancouverites, what are your favourite things to do when we finally get some warm weather?
And Global amigos, I'd love to hear what's great to do in the summer months in your home towns!

Happy summer lusting everyone!

To Fashion or Not to Fashion?

That, is the question. And my answer is, probably not. Every spring, new fashion faux pas and modern takes on retro-inspired trends literally, "spring" forth. I'm not one to shy away from the classics, but mainly I like to stick to what's comfortable. And what I know I can pull off. Argo, I wouldn't attempt a neon shift dress or Twiggy-esque high-waisted flares. So this season, I'm avoiding fashion. I plan to stick to my own intuition and (gasp) re-wear most of my last years warm weather wardrobe. I might invest in a top or two, but overall I don't see much wrong with what I already have. Ok, I'll admit, a lot of the motivation for this post is to put in writing that I sincerely don't need to shop. And yes, this comes after a trip to forever21 and amazon but that's beside the point. My Spring Resolution: I will not shop. (unless I absolutely, can't-wear-anything-else-in-my-closet-without-it need it.)
That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.
If you feel the same, do not, and I can't stress this enough, do not visit these sites. The temptation is too great. ;)

asos     forever21     victoria's secret     revolve        erica weiner     bonadrag          urban outfitters     etsy

{On the other hand, if I were allowing myself to shamelessly indulge in a spending frenzy..I would probably start with these}

               

maybe just a little lot of shopping?...

(if anyone asks, Charlie Sheen made me do it.)