My Favourite Articles and Links This Week
The harsh reality of when mass retailers partner with indie designers.Â
As someone who shares the content of others on Mondays and Fridays, this essay was very on point about how important it is to value the work of other bloggers and be respectful about how their work is shared.
Letting go of perfection and embracing the okay.
When was the last time you asked for a raise? Here is how to go about it, and some interesting facts that you might not know- for example, your workplace might have raises automatically approved each year, you just have to ask.
My Favourite Pins This Week
I’m a big fan of one-dish cooking (who needs more dishes to do?), and this Cajun chicken and veggie dish is fantastically easy. If you get pre-mixed Cajun seasoning, you’ll save a lot of time, too! Pinterest link is here, and the original recipe post is here.
Twix thumbprint cookies– again, not a lot of ingredients, but that chocolate caramel cookie combo is irresistible. Pinterest link is here, and the original recipe post is here (and from the same site as the Cajun chicken- I’m a fan of Cooking Classy!).
Have you tried a breakfast smoothie that involves blending in oats? If you like something sweet in the morning and need a bit more staying power than just a fruit smoothie, try this hot chocolate breakfast smoothie. It has oats blended in. I personally skip the cooking stage since I don’t care if it is hot  not, but I suppose it isn’t really a hot chocolate smoothie if it’s cold. But I don’t mind- remember when iced hot chocolate was a thing? Pinterest link is here, and the original recipe post is here.
These pretty crochet hearts look adorable in bright colours- you could crochet a little garland, or find all sorts of little sues for them- they would be cute appliques on a coffee sleeve! Pinterest link is here, and the original crochet tutorial is here.
I’m smitten with this little DIY birdhouse key keeper, which includes the pattern for the felt key ring. This would be a perfect key holder for a special key that you don’t need to keep on a key ring regularly- or for kids that need to keep track of just their house key! Pinterest link is here, and the original DIY post is here.
It was a busy week with my in laws here- a good visit! It will b ea busy week on the blog next week- most of my weekend will be prepping new posts and spending time with the family. How about you guys?
Thank you for the wonderful links! My weekend will be really busy – lots of meetings and household things 🙂
That article about indie designers pairing up with big chains/brands is fascinating. I don’t know why, but it had never occurred to me how stressful that would be. Or, in al honesty, that big stores like that carried small brands. They boho/indie aesthetic they portray makes it hard to know what has been mass-produced in a factory vs. what is handmade, but next time I’m in one of those stores I’ll have to pay more attention.
That little bird key holder! So adorable!
I tremendously appreciate the sharing other peoples’ work link. I had a similar “what do I do?!” last year, when I was doing a recipe sharing thing on my blog – trying new recipes, and sharing how it went. I always always always linked back to the original post for the recipe, and never shared the recipe itself, just what I did, and what was different (basically, if someone else wanted to make it, they would have to go to the original post). It was fun to do, and I enjoyed being able to share things that others had done, but it’s so easy to just say “oh, I got the recipe from here, and here’s what it is” – that’s cheating! If you got the exact thing from somewhere else, you shouldn’t share those exact instructions yourself! You can share parts, or photos, but not the full information – that link back, for those that actually are interested in the project, can mean the world to someone else, why take that from them when it’s so easy to do! It’s really not even about money, it’s about human decency and being aware that other people have the same feelings as you (and that they appreciate when someone appreciates their work)!
I look forward to this post every week.
I’m really excited about that chicken recipe! Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks, Julie, for more beautiful inspiration. My daughter learned how to make jam thumbprint cookies at school this week. But she didn’t like the “jam” part. I think the Twix option will go over much better! Gotta try it!
I love the “embracing the okay” post. It does resonate with me a lot. Glad you had a good time with your in-laws. This week-end is all about relaxing for us. I spend yesterday in my pyjamas, and looking forward to not doing much today either. Maybe a bit of knitting would be good though…
Great links.
I love the essay on how being okay is good enough. Sometimes I think we put too much pressure on ourselves to be perfect in all that we do.
A big fan of one pot/dish meals. That Cajun chicken is right up my alley.
Oh goodness that birdhouse!
I’ve been seeing the Twix cookies recipe around a lot on Pinterest. We’ve been eating the actual candy (mini size) here for dessert. I have cleaning to do with Chinese New Year coming up. We have a playdate Saturday; excited to have one of my homegirls down for the first time.
I’m running behind in my reading lists but I really look forward to catching up with these article. And I might use the crocheted hearts idea for my sister’s upcoming wedding shower! What a cute garland idea!