Thank you and see you around!

Some of you might have anticipated this day and here I am to tell you that, yes, this is my last post on exPress-o for a while. I'm not saying this is 'it', I'm simply saying that the past 8+ years have been the most amazing/challenging/fun years of my life. I'm saying that this space shaped my personal taste, expanded my creativity and made me think outside of the box. I'm saying that I'm thankful to all of you for reading all my posts from the very beginning, and I'm saying that despite all that, I'm ready to let it go, for a while, at least...

Thank you, amazing readers for meaningful connections, friendships and work opportunities. Thank you to this slice of heaven for showing me that being an introvert in a world of extroverts works as long as you do it your own way. Thank you for all the emails, notes, comments in the past 8+ years. I read them all and I even have some of them saved for a rainy day....

This is certainly not a goodbye...See you around? :) xo

(Photo of Alfred Eisenstaedt enjoying a tube floating party on the Apple River in Wisconsin in 1941 via For Emma, Forever Ago)

This Week's Gems

'The plan is to have no plan' - indeed!...

Beautifully understated...

Swoon...

The only earrings you'll want to wear this summer...

 The whole set, please!...

I'm telling you, we all would need this lavender ball in our homes...

Simple beauty...

Genius mismatched coffee lover socks!..

Beauty!...

 :)...

Dearies, what caught your eye this week? Any great finds or buys?

P.S: Fancy more gems?

Yay! It's Wednesday Cake!

Continuing my love for seasonal strawberries, here are the healthiest and yummiest berry muffins around. They are flour, egg and butter free, but you'd never know! Go on, try them yourself...

Strawberry Muffins
(The base is adapted from My New Roots' rhubarb muffin recipe. Makes 12)

Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1/4 of vanilla bean)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups of fresh strawberries chopped roughly
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce

Measure out 1 ½ cups of the oats and put them in a food processor. Pulse until you have a coarse flour.

Put the flour in a large bowl, and add the remaining 1 cup of oats, the coconut sugar, the vanilla extract, the baking powder and the baking soda. Stir to combine.

 Next, add the maple syrup and the applesauce to the flour mix, and mix just to combine.

Then fold in the chopped strawberries.

Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease a muffin tin with a dash of coconut oil. Fill the muffin cups with dollops of the batter. Bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until the muffins are golden and the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Ta dah!

P.S: How to use your strawberry tops.
P.P.S: Fancy more?

(Photos by exPress-o)

Dogs in Food

Ha, have you heard of the 'dogs in food' instagram account? It's a hilarious feed all about pooches in delicious dishes, aka the perfect little morning pick-me-up...

P.S: Giggle.
P.P.S: Book buddies.

(Photos by Dogs in Food)

Weekend Jollies

Cheers to the long weekend! What are you up to? A couple of friends just flew in for a visit, so I'm really looking forward to catch up with them over the next three days. Wishing everyone a jolly good time. I'll see you back here on Tuesday morning. Psst: don't miss out on those awesome links below.

What's it like to shop after not shopping for two years?

The happy secret to work better.

True gems of a place.

Brilliant read for anyone who wants to become a freelance photographer.

List of great ethical canvas sneakers right here.

'5 ways I'm taking back my time'.

The healing power of music.

Letting go of friends...

'I was sitting on the floor of my living room when I decided to start my dream list.'

This is happening tonight :)

Natural toilet cleaner that works.

Nifty.

7 self-care rituals that take 15 minutes or less.

50-item wardrobe.

Yum!

Four antidotes to procrastination.

Winning slowly is the same as losing.

And fancy a blast from the past?
- Eight years ago today
- Seven years ago today.
- Six years ago today.
- Five years ago yesterday.
- Four years ago day after tomorrow.
- Three years ago tomorrow.
- Two years ago today.
- One year ago today.

P.S: How about a bit of chit-chat? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and even Pinterest.
P.P.S: Sign up for your daily dose of exPress-o in your mailbox! (In the right side column).

(Photo by With Love From Kat)

This Week's Gems

Summery perfection!...

The loveliest charm bracelet for someone who loves all things France!...

Pretty ceramic juicer for the win!...

Stunners...

The loveliest dry oil for your skin and hair...

 Yes...

My new favourite...

Sarah's stunning currants printable...

 :)...

The perfect key chain for summer...

Genius...

The most amazing blend...

Dearies, what caught your eye this week? Any great finds or buys?

P.S: Fancy more gems?

7-Feet Tall Goldendoodle

Meet Christopher Cline and his totally adorable (and 7-feet tall) Goldendoodle named Juji. About three years ago, Christopher, in hopes to 'pass time', started to play around with Juji's photos and the rest is history. Let's just say, those two really love a good adventure:) What a sweet pair!

P.S: Human dogs.
P.P.S: A little remider.

(via DailyMail)

Beneath The Surface

Wow, those awe-inspiring photos were taken in a bunch of amazing places around the world, from the Farne Islands in the North East of England to even Cuba. They showcase the incredible underwater world in its full glory. Personally, I can't get over the cuteness of that seal in the second image. You?

P.S: Life on a goat farm.
P.P.S: llama type of day.

(via DailyMail)

Weekend Jollies

Cheers to the weekend. What are your plans for the next two days? Tomorrow night we are meeting friends for dinner and a movie, but tonight is all about chilling on our balcony with a glass of wine. Wishing everyone a beautiful next two days, I'll see you back here on Monday morning, but before you start weekending, don't miss out on those cool links below.

The strange, uplifting tale of 'Joy of Cooking' versus the food scientist.

Imagining a world after Anna.

What a gem of a place!

'I grew up on a diet of 90's skinny white-girl culture: Rachel Green, Buffy, Carrie Bradshaw.'

Ha!

Buying slow fashion on a 'stay-at-home' mom budget.

Springtime adulting.

Dear sugar...

The career advice no one will give you.

Kitchen niftiness on another level.

The art of leaning back.

How to avoid impulse purchases.

How eating a plant-based diet has changed my perception of food.

This.

Oatmeal is my gem!

Yes!

Eight habits that are worth the trouble.

The very best breathing technique for anxiety.

Nifty.

How to join the minimalism movement.

And fancy a blast from the past?
- Eight years ago today
- Seven years ago today.
- Six years ago today.
- Five years ago yesterday.
- Four years ago tomorrow.
- Three years ago today.
- Two years ago today.
- One year ago day before yesterday.

P.S: How about a bit of chit-chat? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and even Pinterest.
P.P.S: Sign up for your daily dose of exPress-o in your mailbox! (In the right side column).

(Photo by Jiawa Liu)

This Week's Gems

This dress is on my wish list...

My go-to sassy arrow studs...

Oh boy, you have to try this salted pretzel dark chocolate! My favourite right now...

The prettiest stem vases...

Showstopper...

To make your home smell amazing...

Swoon!...

True!...

Hi there:)...

Stunning quilt...

Summer hat sorted...

Rainbow leggings = rainbow workout :)...

Dearies, what caught your eye this week? Any great finds or buys?

P.S: Fancy more gems?