[com]mission cuteness

Sharing is caring and for my entrance  back into the blogging world I thought I'd let you in on what I've been up to - getting paint in my nails has been one of these beautiful time-fillers.

I was commissioned to do something cute, and cute I did (I reckon). [com]mission cuteness is one of my works in the making. This cutie pie will soon be a part of a series of four framed watercolour pieces for my dear friend and her tiny tot's nursery.

m xo

Hello?

v

Hello,
Are you there?
It's been some time since I've been around this wonderful blog world. Sorry for my absence, but between you and I, I was feeling paralysed at the fact that I couldn't contribute something that I knew was wholeheartedly, genuinely meaningful. I missed it terribly - I missed the inspiration from the blogs around me and I missed writing. This time I took, though, was a blessing in disguise. It's given me time to reassess, experience, trial, succeed, fall and naturally find the flow my focus should follow - I can't wait to get back into sharing some wonderful things with you.
I hope you're out there, readers.
See you soon.
Maria. x

A thing called time

via

Hey blog-readers, if you're out there? I've been missing in action, I know. I've been busy with life. I've not been following a single blog - I have been thinking about them though. It's been tough to split my energy between my going-ons and posting something I feel could be half interesting. I'm apologising. I'm also saying that I'll be back at some point, soon. I'm also hoping you'll stick around and have a little snoop at the few words and links I leave around this space...when I get back to it. Until then, I'll be laying low-ish on the blog radar to keep up with the good stuff happening in my days; as much as I'm missing my blog and the wonderful people around it, I'm finding it a little more important to be even more present in my happenings than ever before.

Found

It's Friday and I've found a bunch of stuff! Look!

1. The secret to long life? According to this 100yo it's cigarettes and whiskey 
2. Harvard students aren't good at everything. Like keeping bathrooms tidy. They're cr*p at that!
3. That sickening display of that silly Kim Kardashian girl doing what she does best
4. This made me dream
5. Fendi s/s 2014. Wipe your drool!

Enjoy the times ahead with good people only, doing wonderful stuff and with only the biggest grins available! I'll be:

1. Meeting with my two loveliest ladies to be covered in their babies! They're first time mums and I'm thrilled to bits for them and their hubbies - their rugrats are extra cute which always makes things easier
2. Other stuff is happening. Stuff that's good for me - with darn good folk to boot.

Wednesday Wellness / Sinless

via

Eat well, keep active and enjoy something that's not on your usual healthy eating list once in a while. Depriving yourself is not the way to go, we all know that. If you deprive yourself consistently you will inevitably binge and that's horrible for anyone's metabolism. So now and then spoil yourself.  Sweet treats don't have to be loaded with "bad stuff" either, like this healthy indulgence.
These treats are heavenly in every way - sin free and delicious - from Jenna Zoe's decadently healthy cookbook, Super Healthy Snacks and Treats.

Chocolate Caramels

Makes about 6

200g/1 cup of dates, stoned
1 tablespoon of smooth peanut butter (look for unsweetened, made without any hydrogenated oils)
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
1 pinch of salt
250g/9oz. dark/bittersweet chocolate (preferably sweetened with unrefined sugar, or unsweetened if you can't have sugar)
1 chopped freezer-proof baking sheet or plate, lined with clingfilm/plastic wrap

How to make

1. Put the dates in a bowl of room-temperature water and allow them to soak for a few hours. They will soften and absorb some of the water, which will help when making the caramel.
2. Rinse the dates and put them in a food processor. Blitz until smooth, scraping down the edges of the bowl as you go.
3. Once the dates have started to form a paste, add the peanut butter and continue to pulse.
4. Lastly, add the coconut oil for texture and the salt to bring out the flavour.
5. Process again until the mixture naturally forms a large ball.
6. Pull off bite-size pieces of the mixture with your fingers and roll them into neat balls. Lay them out on the prepared baking sheet and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, put the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water. Leave until melted and completely smooth.
8. Remove the chilled caramel balls from the freezer. Place 1 caramel on a spoon and dip it into the melted chocolate so that it is completely and evenly coated. Return the ball to the prepared baking sheet. You can use 2 teaspoons to help shape the chocolate coating if that helps.
9. Repeat with the remaining caramel balls, then freeze for at least 20 minutes to give the chocolate and caramel layers enough time to harden properly. Once they've frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer bag.
10. Remove the caramels from the freezer just before serving. Store them in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe: Overnight Oats

via

Sugar free, bake free, fuss free, dairy free and packed with nutrients. Here's how to make a time-saving, power-packed brekky.  And yes, you guessed it - it's Vegan!

Overnight Oats

Dry mix:
Organic, raw oats
Chia seeds
A handful or 2 of Sunflower seeds
2 or 3 handfuls Psyllium husk
2 or 3 handfuls Linseed
Ground cinnamon to taste

Combine all dry ingredients into an airtight container to be ready when you are.

Serves 1:
1/3 cup dry oat mix
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
frozen mixed berries
Organic coconut flakes (if you like)

In a small container combine oats and unsweetened almond milk. You can place the berries in now or first thing in the morning - I like to place them in overnight, that way their juice sweetens the oats. Cover your container and place in the fridge - allow oats to set overnight. To serve, sprinkle some organic coconut flakes (and your berries if you hadn't put them in overnight) and you're good to go.
 

Found

5-sec-film-graphic

Yoohoo! It's Friday! See below for some nifty time-nibblers.

1. Speaking of nibbles, get your peepers over Jamie Oliver's Chorizo and tomato salad. Yum
2. THE BEST BUB CHAIR YOU WILL SEE...not to mention the branding
3. Spoiler alert! Get straight to the point of a movie with these 5-second-graphics
4. Contemporary art seems totally devoid of smiles. Why you no say cheese?
5. Double helix ring by Vale

 Hope those few finds get you onto the best possible start for a weekend of good stuff. I'll be:

1. Teaching a bunch of amazing girls how to samba, stretch and weave their way through some Afro-contemporary. Itching to get into my dance shoes.
2. Staying off sugar. That's right. I've kicked ol' sugar in the butt. More on that on Wednesday Wellness, soon.
3. Did someone say grapes? Heading up to Adelaide's Robert Johnson winery for a girls Sunday "long lunch" and wine sipping. More on that in Sweet Nothings soon.