Hello Monday {Exciting Uni News, My Trip, "Poop" Restaurant, Golf Hat, Bracelets...}

Hello everyone! It's the Monday after returning from our road trip in Canada and the US.

First, a recap of what I've been doing the past few weeks, then I'll share what's happened since I've gotten home!

Hello Toronto, and Canada for the first time evvveer - and lovely view of the city from the airplane. Can you see CN Tower?

Hello Niagara Falls (view from our hotel). Niagara Falls was STUNNING! We went on Maid of the Mist.. and I was in complete awe / wet. If you haven't been there yet - you have to go!

Hello Cleveland! We ate at Hard Rock Café there. YUM.

Hello beach and Lake Erie. This beach was beautiful!! We found lots of pretty rocks that we took home with us :))

Hello Chicago! LOVED this city! Can totally see myself living here one day! (This view is from The John Hancock Tower - amazing view, right?!)

Hellloooo yuuummmyyy hotel breakfast in Chicago. They made the best Eggs Benedict EVER. Ahhhh... Somehow I always manage to get inspired and get the urge to make food whenever I'm on vacation. The food I've eaten has been so amazing, you have no idea! Be on the look out for lots of new recipe posts/ pics/ links :)

Hello shopping :)) {Clutch from Charming Charlie, ring and bracelet from Banana Republic} Yes, I still love gold (read about my gold obsession as a little girl here).

Hello new shoes - so comfortable and suh-weet. "You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes." ;)

Hello Toronto - we meet again! - Man, I miss the heat!

Hello restaurant called "pooped" in Norwegian! Haha! I love happy coincidences like this :)) Didn't eat there ;)

Hello man with the super cool golf hat!!!!

Hello new books - Imma get smart + rich ;D (Excuse me, I meant smarter ;) )

Hello coming home/ pretty sunset from the plane

Hellooooo jetlag

Hello uni acceptance letter!!! :D :D I've gotten a reply from the school I wanted to get in to! I haven't gotten a reply from another school yet (where I applied to study psychology), but I think I've made up my mind - I'm going to study International Marketing at the Norwegian Business School :D You can read more about this here.

Hello new turquoise bracelet I made yesterday. I paired it up with a macramé bracelet I made earlier for the picture. Would you like to see either one of these get posted in the store? And what colours would you like to see?? Let me know in the comments please! I'm working on lots of new products - especially bracelets, so get ready to build up your arm-party ;D


Hello blog, and readers - I've missed you! I'll be sure to post more from my trip later as well ;)

And heelloo cookies I baked yesterday which I had for breakfast today... I loooove summer ;)
Ps. cookie pictures are apparently popular on instagram.. haha I got lots of likes in no time! But I won't disagree... they're yum-aay! Btw I baked these cookies yesterday using a recipe from the new Hershey's cook book I got. I can post the recipe later, if it's available online I'll link to it ;)

And I'm linking up over at Lisa Leonard's fab blog. 

If you're a new visitor, please be sure to leave a comment saying hi with a link to your blog, or other social network sites, and I'll be sure to visit/ follow you too! Also please follow the blog/ me via GFC, twitter, Facebook, instagram (@thegentleflower), pinterest :) Let's be friends! :D

See ya!
~ Katrine

Love Never Fails: 4 Articles on Happiness and Change

                                                                          Source: penelopesoasis.com via Katrine on Pinterest

As I've mentioned, I looove self help books. (more on some of my current favorite self help books later.)
But who doesn't want to improve themselves, and want to become a better person?
Who doesn't want to know the secrets to happiness, and the secrets to life? - I sure do!

I think that happiness can be found in the smallest of places and by the smallest means and that happiness can be found anywhere - and can happen every day.
Miracles are happening as we speak.

Today I had a long conversation with my bff. I helped her with some issues, and she even thanked me later. I said, what are you thanking me for? She said, for being you. 

Helping her made my day, and it didn't take much effort on my part. I was glad to talk to her, and to listen. She needed a friend, and I was so glad that I was the friend she could, and wanted to, talk to.  

I love reading articles and lists on self help and happiness topics, and I recently discovered a website with some uhhmazing articles/ lists, that I can't get enough of!

Here are some of my favorites:

• 40 Extraordinary Things Happening Right now

• 28 Dignified Ways to Impress Everyone Around You

• 30 Things to Start Doing for Yourself

• 18 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I Was 18

                                                                                 Source: favim.com via Katrine on Pinterest

Tell me whatcha thiiiink ;)

Confessional Friday

I thought I'd confess a few things today and link up with A Blonde Ambition for her linky party! YAY :D

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1. I just realized that it's actually Saturday today... but I guess I can still confess stuff. Whoops!

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2. I need 6-8 tea spoons of sugar in my tea. Always! (It does depend on the size of the cup, but I usually drink my tea from a 0.5 L cup...) I can't stand tea with too little sugar!!!

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3. I've been sick for the past week and a bit down in the dumps about it because I have don't really have time to be sick!

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(this cracked me up)

4. I've injured my knee, and I may need surgery... which is also getting me down. And my knee is aching!!!

5. One of my New Year's resolutions was to not get injured this year... well technically I got injured in December, but I'm feeling the pain. So I guess that's a resolution I will have to give up on already.

6. I was too late to participate in the Cold Hands, Warm Hearts swap at Much Love, Illy's blog, so I contacted another blogger, my new bloggy BFF, Erica @ Sweets and Hearts and asked her if she wanted to do a swap. And she said yes!! I'm so excited! I just finished up her package and will be sending it out on Monday :D Yay!

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(did that make you yawn too?)

7. I'm seriously tired of school.

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<3

8. I'm SERIOUSLY tired of being sick and/ or injured.

9. I'm dreading the possible surgery of my knee.

10. I chew on my tongue when I'm concentrating.. and I've recently discovered the best way to chew it... which makes me look like a monkey I guess. I really need to stop that!

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11. I LOVE self help books. I'm in the self-help section of the bookstore so often that one of the women that work there asked me if I needed help one time. She looked slightly worried. Haha! Is there a self help book for being addicted to self help books? I'll be sharing a bit on the recent books I've gotten and that I'm reading later.

12. I feel guilty when I blog because I should be doing other stuff.

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13. I don't want to turn 19 this year.

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14. I just chewed my tongue like a monkey.

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15. I feel guilty because I want to and should read more.

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16. I feel guilty because I feel too much guilt.

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(I tried watching this movie once... couldn't get through more than 10 minutes!)

17. I feel 17 years old.


18. I just got a Pinterest account.. but I can't figure out how it works. I'm usually not technically challenged! :/



Have you made any confessions?
Share your links or confessions below, I'd love to read yours :)


Psst.. have you noticed The Gentle Flower's super duper new sponsors?? Check 'em out (in the right side bar) - they have awesome blogs :D -->

Would YOU like to be a sponsor? Get the low down here.


Have a great weekend! :)
~Katrine