Laura Liira 7/8/15 Laura Liira 7/8/15

BLACK BEAN QUINOA SALAD

I've been getting my meal planning on like donkey kong this week. #BOOYAH

On most weeks, I'm not so organized...aka "Smoothie for dinner love?" But as I told you on Monday, we got a homestay student on Sunday and we need to feed her! I'm good eating peanut butter toast for dinner, but I don't think that will fly with the homestay program :p

So as I was meal planning I came across this recipe for a black bean quinoa salad and YOU GUYS...it was delish! With orange zest and jalapenos, this salad is basically a party in your mouth.

BLACK BEAN QUINOA SALAD

Makes a very large salad

Ingredients:

-2 cups quinoa (cooked to your liking)
   -3 large oranges cut into bite size segments
   -2 red peppers, diced
   -2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
   -1/2 cup red onion, diced
   -1 can black beans, rinsed
- 1 can corn kernels
   -3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

For the dressing:

-1/2 cup olive oil
   -1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
   -1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
   -orange zest from 2 oranges
   -2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions:

1. Mix together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
   2. In a large bowl, mix together the quinoa, orange segments, peppers, onion, beans, corn and cilantro.
   3. Pour dressing over and give it a good mix.
   4. Enjoy!!

Happy Wednesday!

xo,

s.s.♥︎.

Laura Liira 7/6/15 Laura Liira 7/6/15

BAND WIFE LIFE // TALL TREE MUSIC FESTIVAL

Well it's summer music festival time and I've been band wife life-ing it up. Two weeks ago I got to see James play at Tall Tree Music Festival!

The Festival ran from Friday to Sunday. Towers & Trees played Friday afternoon. It was a really sweet set-up in some ways. The whole festival was on top of a mountain in Port Renfrew. The stage's backdrop was just STUNNING. Trees, ocean, mountains #swoon. But the practicality of holding a festival ON TOP OF A MOUNTAIN..... Camping was all over the place and we ended up camping on a dirt road with golf carts speeding by making humungous dust clouds.

The festival was also a bit cray cray for my liking 😳 so we only ended up staying one night and went to bed at 10pm...#proudgrandma...BUT we got to see Yukon Blonde on Friday night and that was amazing!! And it was also fun hanging with the Towers & Trees Famjam.

How stunning was that backdrop!!!!

Hope you had a great weekend! So yesterday James & I became parents....HOMESTAY PARENTS! We now have a wonderful 20 year old student from Mexico here on a one month ESL program...so fun!

Happy Monday everyone :)

xo,

s.s.♥︎.

Laura Liira 6/30/15 Laura Liira 6/30/15

PRINTABLE JULY CALENDAR

Well hello there! Can you believe today is THE LAST DAY OF JUNE!!! Seriously...was it not just March??? Well anyhoo...today I have a printable calendar for all you who like planning out your month!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD JULY CALENDAR

Today I'm off to Tofino! James & I are going camping for two nights. He has a couple shows with Towers & Trees and we're making a mini vaycay of it! Stoked to camp in a nice campsite...especially after last weekend at Tall Tree (camping on a dirt road....no thanks...). We've planned out some delicious meals and he went all out in the planning to make it as comfortable for me as possible (awwwe!!) Excited to get my s'more on.

See you in a couple days xoxoxo!!

s.s.♥︎.

Laura Liira 6/26/15 Laura Liira 6/26/15

OFF TO TALL TREE

Yesterday I wrote my final exam. Now I can officially parrrrrtaaaaaay! James is playing up at Tall Tree Festival with Towers & Trees this weekend, so I'm tagging along. We're gonna tent it, but just for one night...oh my goodness I'm actually going camping...eeeee.

Now that school's done (I'm not starting my next course until September!!) all I want to do is curl up on one of these amazing circular beach blankets (I love this one and ohhhh this one too) with a real good book.

P.S. Did you see my Summer 2015 Reading List??

I've heard such good things about these lipsticks but I can't seem to bite the bullet...

I'm finally catching up on The Mindy Project season 3 and ohhhh my goodness that scene when Danny finds out they're preggers and searches NYC for her...#swoon

How cute is this scalloped one piece?

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! I'll be sure to post Tall Tree festivities so follow along...

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Laura Liira 6/25/15 Laura Liira 6/25/15

2015 SUMMER READING LIST

It's light out well past 9pm. All I want to eat is ice cream. And I have a desire to go camping (whaaat??) Folks, summer is HERE. I also have the desire to curl up and do nothing except sit in a hammock and read a book. Maybe you have that desire as well and if that is the case, you will be glad you stopped by today because today, I'm sharing what's on my summer reading list!

Summer is my favourite time for reading. I think it started when I was a little girl. I always remembering going to the library in the summer and signing up for their book reading club. You were challenged to read a whole bunch of books and it was THE BEST. Well this summer, how about we take that challenge? Here's 10 books I'm going to read this summer...and please don't judge me for the chick lits :p

1. Silver Girl by Elin Hildebrand- I actually already finished this one! It's definitely a chick lit but it's perfect for summer. This author always writes about Nantucket and it makes me want to visit there sooo badly!

2. The Shadow Queen by Sandra Gulland- I'm so pumped to read this! I devoured her trilogy on Josephine Bonaparte. Love me some historical fiction.

3. Fashioned to Reign by Kris Vallatton- I actually bought this book last summer and never really dived into it. It's all about empowering women to step into God's calling for their lives and not be held back by the glass ceiling society or (sadly) church's have put over them.

4. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern- Both Courtney and Thea recommended this one to me so I'm defs going to read it!

5. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving- I've only heard good things about this book so I'm excited to read it!

6. The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion- I loved The Rosie Project so I'm assuming I'm going to love the sequel! Witty writing is perfect for summertime!

7. One Plus One by Jojo Moyes- I'm currently reading this book. I'm only in the beginning and it's pretty good. Nothing too exciting but I'm digging it.

8. Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple- OH MY GOSH I LOVE THIS BOOK. It literally had me laughing out loud repeatedly. I can't recommend it enough!!!!

9. Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan- I've heard this one is a page turner...so pumped for it.

10. Simplify by Bill Hybels- I started reading this one in LA and almost bawled....it's exactly what I need. A serious refreshing cup of iced tea on an incredibly hot day. It's all about simplifying your life to do what God's called you to do. At the end of each chapter there are action steps...and you know how I feel about action steps (!!!) My soul is really excited to read this.

OK there you have it, 10 books I'm going to read this summer! Who's with me??

xo,

s.s.♥︎.