d.i.y. ombre hair

Sooo I have been contemplating the ombre hair-do a lot lately, trying to decide whether I love it or hate it. What better way to make a decision than to test it out on my head! I haven't had hair dye in my hair in probably 5 years, and all of my experience with box-dye have been horrendous. But I decided to try it out after doing a cost comparison of Salon vs. DIY.

My hair colour is dark brown, so I knew that I would have to use a fairly light blonde colour to make any sort of difference on my hair, as it does not absorb dye readily. I picked out this colour:

I chose an ash blonde, as to avoid my hair turning orange. (re: horrendous past experiences.) I brushed my hair out, mixed the dye together, and using the comb provided, ran the dye through the ends of my hair. Now since my hair is very dark, I let it sit longer than the box suggested, about 40 minutes. I began to notice a change in colour, so I washed it out. I still had more than half of the mix left at this point, so I decided to lighten the very tips of my hair even more so, to create a more dramatic ombre effect. It was sooo easy, and I am very happy with how it turned out. This endeavour cost me only $10, as the dye was on sale, and took me about 90 minutes!!! 

salad in a jar

I (like most of us) find myself rushing around a lot, and eating lunch out A LOT.  I am always trying to think of new foods to bring with me to school or elsewhere as a snack, that aren't very fussy and that I can prepare ahead of time. I have been preparing these salads-in-a-jar all week, and it has been treating me very well. I prepare them ahead of time, then throw them in my bag and I'm ready to go for the day.  Often times, salads are messy because they end up 1. Soggy, or 2. Requiring multiple containers for salad dressing etc. Preparing your salad this way will prevent all of that. Remember, you can substitute any of my suggestions for whatever you have in your fridge - it's a salad after all, and most combinations just work!

desert obsessed

I have long been obsessed with the desert, for as long as I can remember. Something about the way that the flora and fauna have learned to survive in such harsh conditions. The vibrant colours that can exist only in the desert and no where else. The way that after a flash flood or rainstorm, the desert floor flourishes with life; an explosion of greenery and flowers from the soil.

Last year, my partner and I spent the winter in Baja California, which is such an amazing and unique area of Mexico. I got to spend a lot of time in the desert, which was an amazing experience for me. It was everything I had hoped it would be. I wish I could live in the desert, surrounded by cacti and gemstones. Hold the creepy crawlies.

Since this is my first "East Coast winter" (read: REAL winter) it has been quite a shock... It has been a great experience, but I am definitely ready for it to be over. I find myself longing for those long, dry, warm summer days. Here is a photo from my desert travels, as well as a quote about the desert, from a novel dear to my heart, The Alchemist.

new things!

Sooo, I have a habit of buying things that are on sale and going out of season, then not wearing them because the weather changes to super hot/super cold. Basically, I love sales. So since all the stores are filling up with Spring/Summer clothes, all the winter stuff is now on sale - like BOOTS!! YEAH! So I bought a couple pairs on wicked sale at Spring Shoes. Also, bought this arrow necklace from Stella & Dot.

1. & 2. Boots: Spring Shoes 3. Necklace: Stella & Dot

happy valentine's day!

Good morning! I'm not much of a Valentines person, but this year I decided to send my family Puss in Boots themed Valentines cards because they were too cute not to + my family is obsessed with that movie!

Drinking tea is an everyday ritual for me, but I thought I would do a little DIY post to cute-ify your daily cup of tea. <3

Loose leaf tea: DAVIDsTEA, Teacup: Thrifted

banana-carrot-cranberry loaf

Om noms. This recipe yields a loaf, as well as half a dozen muffins if you so wish. Expect more recipes soon, as a blizzard warning has been issued and I don't plan on doing much else but cooking and eating!