8 years ago..

8 years ago I went to prom (unofficially...long story!) with this handsome man. We have now been happily married for almost 4 years! I love you Mika!

Prom 2004

falling in love.... !!

 Happy Monday!

Mel Xo

Life lately

Wow I feel like I haven't posted in so long. Life has been busy lately but I have lots to share today. I was inspired by Bonnys post over on Yours Truly about "giving up on good".  There is a bit of a buzz going on in the christian blogging world! A group of women started doing the Soul Detox devotional and sharing their thoughts on twitter and instagram. I started doing the devotional but was a bit behind to start in on the discussion. All you need to do is download the Bible App and then search and download the devotional Soul Detox. It is basically a devotional that is focusing on what the name is. Detoxing your soul and making your heart and mind set on pure and rightous things rather than the garbage the world has to offer.
Gods really been working on my heart in these last few weeks. He's been showing me what I need to work on and it's truly been an amazing blessing. God is so good and I am so undeserving of his grace. I feel that God has been showing me that I don't always need to look like I have it all together. Whether that be to my bible study friends, other friends, and family. It's ok to admit that you don't have it all together and that your life isn't perfect. I don't need to have this false idenity to define who I am. What I need is to have and show everyone is my idenity is found in Christ not in having a perfect put together life.  He's teaching me that.....
It's OK that the house isn't always clean.....
it's OK that I don't have name brand pinterest worthy clothes.......
it's OK that we don't have a big house with a yard.........
it's OK that sometimes I screw up and don't act how I should around others....
It's OK because my identity is found in Christ and he will make all things right.

On Tuesday my morning devotional was on Philipians 4: 6-9 and wouldn't you know that on Tuesday night at bible study we talked about that same verse. I feel that it was God speaking to me through scripture. What a blessing it was!

^"6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

⁸ And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ⁹ Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you." Philipians 4:6-9


Well happy Sunday. I'll leave you with some life lately photos via instagram!

Mel xo

my vintage market finds

our vintage market setup for Tracycakes

high tea with the ladies

saw this at the vintage market! Mika is going
to make me one in a "mini" form

dinner in White Rock with good friends!

Seasons

Today this ugly rain has reminded me of the ever changing seasons with the weather and with my life. I feel like I am in a season where God has really blessed with me peace, joy, and contentment. I am really loving this season of life but am also looking forward to see what God has in store for us.
      Speaking of seasons this past week has been a glimpse of summer so my hubby and I got our deck all ready and setup! It looks great and I can't wait to have some friends over for a BBQ and some sangria on the patio! Hopefully this rain goes away fast!
Here are some photos of the patio, I wanted to create a little backyard oasis that we could relax in.

Mel xo



Reconnecting

Do you ever feel like there is just not enough time during the day? I feel this way a lot. Lately I have been making more of an effort to make time for things that are important to me. I'm really trying to make time every day to spend with God. Mika and I have also been making a better effort at making time for each other after work to reconnect and making sure to plan date nights together. On Tuesday night we were supposed to have bible study but decided to skip it and go on a date instead which I think you just have to do sometimes!
Reconnecting with God, husband, family and friends is the best feeling and this is something I always want to make time for!
Today is a good day for a few reasons!
1) It's a LONG weekend. Enough said.
2)Mika and I are having another date night tonight.
3) Tomorrow I get my hair done and then having a girls night with some friends.
4) the sun is shining!
Other than that I don't have too many plans for this long weekend. I love having days where I can wake up and do whatever my heart desires that day. I think it's good for the soul to have those kind of days once in awhile.
I'll leave you a few photos from this week via instagram.

Happy Long Weekend all!

Love Mel xo

date night, bike, picnic dinner, book, wine, husband = perfect

new picnic spot!

Marisa and I at Roasted Grape!

Happy Monday!

Normally I dislike Mondays. The weekend is over and you are back to a long week of work! But don't worry I normally get over it by lunch time on Mondays. It happens every week so you kinda get used to it.
Today has been a good Monday! I only worked a half day today since I worked over the Mother's Day weekend. After work I went to Windsor Nursery and picked some flowers for by my front door. And again I didn't even have to get my hands dirty! The lady offered to plant them in my planters for me!!

my planters

After that my sister and I went shopping and got iced coffees from Starbucks. By the way the half off frap deal is over! We even waited until "happy hour" and at 3:00. Needless to say we didn't get the deal.
The day was finished off with a nice chicken salad and a refreshing glass of white wine.  I also have some Pina Colada Popsicles freezing the freezer! Check out the recipe here.

Have a happy week!

Mel xo

Mother's Day! We got Mom a cruiser bike too!

new tanks that were on sale! some were only $6!

My best friend and my Mom....

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom. My Mom has taught me so many important life lessons. Most importantly she raised me and helped mold me into a women of God. She has taught me to always keep praying and trusting God even when life gets hard.


see peach and denim are a timeless fashion statement!

She has inspired me with her business, Tracycakes.  She has won business of the year in two out of three of her locations. Not only has she inspired me but she has impacted and inspired thousands of women's life's. They are inspired that she was just a "stay at home mom" that opened three locations in three years and they are touched that her goal is to make "the world sweeter one bite at a time". She is definitely making an impact with all women in business!

My Mom has also taught me how to be a good friend and wife. Watching her with her friends has taught me that friends are precious jewels in life that should never be taken for granted. By loving my Dad for 27 years is an example in itself how marriage should be! She has always given me good marriage advice but only speaks when asked about it.

My mom has also taught me some of life's greatest lessons! Laugh lots, love hard, dance always, drink wine and coffee, shop til you drop!, work hard-play hard, be kind.

I love my Mom and appreciate all she has done for me.

Happy Mother's Day!

Love Mel xo

afternoon margaritas are always a great idea!

we love to drink wine together!

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving...

I feel like this past weekend and the last few days has given us a glimmer of hope of what's to come...SUMMER! My second favorite season. For those of you that don't know me well, fall is actually my most favorite time of the year.
This past weekend was filled with fun summer activities...BBQ, fires, lemon meringue pie, bike rides. My wonderful hubby took me on a bike ride on Sunday afternoon. We rode all around the Sumas Flats and then stopped for ice cream at Birchwood Dairies. A dream date! My next bike adventure idea is to ride around some of the wineries in the Langley area and then stop at Domaine de Chaberton for some wine and a picnic.
Well I am off to have a nice relaxing bubble bath! It's been a busy busy week at Tracycakes! My Mom and I were on the Global TV news. Click here if you missed it!

Mel xo

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. ~ Lao Tzu
And a bicycle ride around the world begins with a single pedal stroke. ~ Scott Stoll

lemon meringue pie mmmmm

lovely fire

my favorite little man!

Sweet eating!

Healthy muffins... Now that is a contradicting word! Lately I have been trying to make more healthy eating choices . Now I definitely do not deny myself of eating treats but I like to get the nutrition that my body needs! I more or less have the mentality that if I eat a healthy breakfast, lunch and snacks than I can totally have a sweet treat and wine in the evening! It's all about balance right?
I love baking and I especially love baking muffins. Today I am going to show you how you can  make any muffin recipe a healthy tasty snack.

Last night I baked some delicious Whole Wheat Lemon Raspberry Muffins.

Here is the recipe below. I substituted the following...
white sugar with honey
canola oil with apple sauce (unsweetened)
all whole wheat flour
add in 1/2 cup flax seed!
This takes out any fats and processed sugar. These substitutions work for almost any muffin recipe. Apple sauce is a great way to take out unnecessary fats and makes a really nice moist muffin! Flax seed is a great source of fiber and Omega-3s.

delicous and nutricous!

Ingredients

• 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup sugar (use honey)
• 1 cup nonfat buttermilk (add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to one cup skim milk)
• 1/3 cup canola oil (use apple sauce)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup white whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (use all whole wheat)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) raspberries

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 large (1/2-cup) muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
2. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemon in long strips. Combine the zest and sugar(honey) in a food processor; pulse until the zest is very finely chopped into the sugar. Add buttermilk, oil(apple sauce), egg and vanilla and pulse until blended.
3. Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture and fold until almost blended. Gently fold in raspberries. Divide the batter among the muffin cups.
4. Bake the muffins until the edges and tops are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve warm.

On another note...Today is FRIDAY! I am off to enjoy a BBQ at my brother and sister in-laws place. Looks like the sun is peeking out just in time. Happy weekend!
I'll leave you with a funny photo that made me laugh out loud!

Mel xo

Currently...

I have been in the blogging world for a few short months now but have been following fellow bloggers for awhile! I had some inspiration from Bonny over at Yours Truly to do a "currently" blog post. She has an awesome blog, go check her out!

Currently

Obsessing over: my bike, cute vintage bike accessories, herb baskets, healthy/organic eating, my new mint green flats, Jamie Oliver, Hunger Games (I'm so sad I'm done reading the series!)

Working on: My patience and waiting on Gods timing, not my own. I want my life to reflect Gods faithfulness which requires me being patient and listening for Gods still soft voice guiding me and my hubby. This is sometimes a really hard thing for a girl that likes things instantly!

Thinking about: summer....! bike rides, picnic dates, camping, cabin, evenings on the deck,sangria. I LOVE summer!

Anticipating: Our future. Looking forward to see what God has planned for us in the coming years!

Eating: slightly obsessed over Davids tea at the moment. Does that count as eating? Also eating lots of good healthy Jamie Oliver eats! Seriously if you haven't tried his recipes yet TRY them! You will not be disappointed! Fairly easy as well.

Praying for: that mine and Mika's life would be a reflection of Gods love and grace. That my heart would overflow with the fruits of the spirit. love, peace, faithfulness,goodness, gentleness, patience, self-control,  kindness, & joy.

Wishing for: some sunshine soon, a garden and a chicken coop, a family someday soon,  a salon in my own house, some more spring dresses (of course right? you can never have enough!), mint green jeans (if anyone knows where to currently find these let me know!). more time with my husband, family and friends.

Have a good week. I'll leave you with some photos from a fun photoshoot I did with Ashley Martens. If you need any photos done give her a call, she is awesome!

Mel Xo