I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for a while now. 2012 has been a busy year for us and it has completely flown by.  So today we’re taking off for the weekend in hopes to return on Monday with recharged batteries.  I can’t believe that tomorrow is already our six month wedding anniversary!

Wishing everyone a fun and relaxing weekend. I look forward to sharing photos of our trip next week. x

PS.  This time in 2011, 2010 and 2009.

The xx‘s 2009 debut album “xx” is awesome from start to finish.  It’s definitely become an all time favorite of mine. I can listen to it on repeat and never have to skip a song.

Keep an eye out for the release of their new album, which should be coming out anytime now.

*photo via

These songs are a great way to kick off the week.  I find them to be equal parts soothing and upbeat.  Thanks Allie for introducing me to Pupkulies & Rebecca.

My mom has been visiting and she bought about 20 bananas last week. I knew for sure that some would become overly ripe before we got around to eating them.  In preparation for this, I searched on pinterest for a chocolate banana muffin recipe (or else I would make this again).

This recipe was a total hit. I had all the ingredients at home, which is always a plus, and the whole wheat flour & applesauce substitutions definitely minimize the guilt (without sacrificing the taste).

I only made 2 variations to the original recipe: I added chopped walnuts to the mix along with the chocolate chips and used kosher salt instead of regular, which really brought out the flavors.

{view from the top}

These kids are amazing! I thought I’d share since I posted about Gotye just yesterday…

PS. Thanks Pati for sharing!

In case you still don’t know, Gotye is a Belgian-Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumental musician.  His songs have an edge, and I specially enjoy his very original videos.

*photo via

I haven’t made myself a bracelet since high school, but I’m excited to try to make these.

I discovered Honestly…WTF while browsing on Pinterest. The detailed step-by-steps for DIY bracelets on the site are amazing. So much so that I may just have to go bead-shopping this weekend…

*Photos via

A yummy bolognese is not only great with pastas – we actually like it best served over polenta (as seen here). This recipe is so easy that it pretty much makes itself.  I like to make a big batch and store it in the fridge/freezer. It’s often been a huge lifesaver!

You’ll need:

1 lb. lean ground turkey, beef or chicken
1 bottle of your favorite marinara sauce (for this recipe I used this)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped garlic or garlic paste (I use this)
3 bay leaves
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Sea salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add in the garlic and toss to coat in the oil for a minute. Now add the turkey, browning it on all sides. At this point, add the rest of the ingredients: marinara sauce, bay leaves and red pepper flakes. Mix well and bring to a boil, then cover with lid and set to low heat.  Set the timer to 90 minutes and let the sauce simmer.  If it becomes too thick, you may add a little hot water (do this in 1/2 cup increments to avoid using too much).

{mix a few times while simmering}

{remove bay leaves before eating}

New list starting today…happy snapping!  See my daily uploads here, here and here.

Also part of the Lolla line up, Sigur Ros is an Icelandic band known for its etherial sound.  The band sings in Hopelandic, a made up language based on rythms and sounds, but no actual meaning. I think you’ll find a really soothing quality to these songs. It was tough to pick favorites…

*photo via