lust

lusting over these gorgeous rough diamond earrings... debating whether i should go for one last splurge while i'm employed... ha!

{ via alexis russell }

weekend

hope you had a great weekend! here are a couple of things currently making me happy ...

{ travel books helping us plan our trip }

{ flirty & dreamy new zara dress }

{ easter sweets that are rapidly disappearing }

girl crush

{ jenna lyons via the sartorialist }

guide to toronto: restaurants

breakfast. the best meal of the day. i couldn't make a final call between my two favorite restaurants, so i'm going to share both...

1. hanks. you are living a deprived life until you have tried their breakfast poutine. for me , breakfast + poutine = heaven... and this dish does not disappoint. tip: order it with breakfast potatos instead of fries! the cinnabon bun french toast is also out of this world! everything is served fast and is just delicious - which in the morning is pretty great! it's a cozy restaurant with friendly wait staff and a menu full of freshness. located at the very bottom of church street and there's $1 parking across the street. you're also a short walk away from st. lawrence market - which is awesome on the weekend!

2. good fork. i've only been here once but it was great. went for a similar dish but it was called spanish hash. had a bit of a kick to it with chorizo and a smokey hollandaise - yum. we had to wait but they gave us smoothies while we waited! bonus!

i find breakfast such an ideal time to catch up with friends and enjoy a tasty meal. with d working mornings, i've gotten into the habit of meeting with friends on weekends. and hey, it's hard to mess up eggs and toast right, so there's barely any chance of disappointment! : )

when i grow up

when we get our own place, i am totally making one of these chalkboard runners and hosting the most fabulous wine & cheese party to celebrate the coolness factor!

{ via here }

fish & chips

until today, i was a chippys girl. i have now converted to a TOTGA lover. fish and chips isn't something to indulge in on the regular, but good fish and chips really is such a treat..

today i tried the arctic char sandwich and it was phenomenal! the fish was grilled instead of breaded and fried - so not the typical goodness, but honestly - healthier and more delicious!

i'm really dying to try the fish tacos with mango salsa though - timing and seasonal restrictions didn't allow for it today... oh well, i guess i'll just have to go back!

(p.s. i can't even begin to explain how much i'm going to miss being downtown everyday. mainly for the food... always so many fun and delicious options within a short walk)

side tracked

as of late, i cannot get our trip to europe off my mind. for obvious reasons i suppose, but it's a little overwhelming thinking about what i need and what i might forget. needless to say, the lists have begun. i faithfully rely on lists. lots of lists. i may come off as a bit dorky, but i know i need a little help when it comes to the abilities of my memory, so i am proud to admit that i am a happy list-making dork!

one of the only remaining items on my apparel list is a nice pair of walking sandals. my closet is full of flat, strappy sandals - that are all really pretty but not practical for seven weeks of trekking around. i have a couple pairs of birkenstocks, but honestly, they've never been my most comfortable sandals... so i'm on the hunt.

in my hunt, i might have gotten sidetracked in dreamland... if i were travelling to europe under different circumstances (i.e. with a large rolly bag and not as much moving around) i would bring

these

and these

and these

and these

oh and these...

: )

but i'm not. i'm bringing a backpack and we're going to be wondering gypsies, visiting as many countries, cities and towns as possible. therefore, my shopping cart remained empty.

{ via shopbop }

travel essentials

{ roots venetian village bag }

{ nike free runs }

there isn't a whole lot i need before europe, but i did know that i wanted these two things that i picked up over the weekend. i wanted a good quality should bag that can be zipped shut and kept close on the body - in an attempt to out smart all the theives; the roots bags really are some of the best and most reasonably priced leather goods on the market. and their made in canada- a neat perk!... then i needed a good pair of runners. the ones i have currently are bulky and heavy, so i decided that the nike free runs were perfect - aesthetically pleasing, while being lightweight and flexible. hopefully i manage to resist my typical pre-vacation shopping sprees - and stay focused on saving for vacation related spending!

oh, i might have also picked up this dress i had been eyeing for a couple of weeks... it's definitely coming with me!

sunday night dinner

we made this last night, it was pretty darn tasty. and SO simple. for those who 'can't cook', try this, i promise boyfriends/husbands/friends will be impressed and asking for seconds!

(i have one particular friend in mind, this recipe's for you! ;)

{via a cup of jo via the wednesday chef}

peckinpah, gas town

the monday before leaving vancouver last weekend, we met up with some friends at peckinpah. it was a small carolina style bbq joint in the super cool neighborhood of gas town, right down by the water. kind of similar to our distillery district mixed with a bit of queen street maybe?

i started off with a 'mystery can' as recommended by james. how they turned a simple can of beer into something as exciting as a 'mystery can' is kind of awesome. then dove into my all time favorite fried food - deep fried pickles, yum! then ordered their pulled pork, really have no option when you're at a bbq joint. it was delicious! i find it rare to get pulled pork that is really amazing but this place did not disappoint. then we all finished off, splitting some deep fried mars bars. hello! unreal. (figured i was already past the unhealthy point, so why not)

the cool, laid back vibe was inviting and the experience was only heightened with the quality and tastiness of the grub.

a tasty meal with great friends - the perfect way to finish off the weekend!

lemon meringue cupcakes

when i asked d what he wanted me to bake him last week, the enthusiasm of his answer - "lemon meringue cupcakes!!!" left me with no choice but to give in. i had been putting off baking them, knowing the martha stewart recipe wasn't going to be easy, and while my fears were correct, these cupcakes really are fun and delicious... the recipe involves a lot of lemons -zesting, juicing (boyfriends are the best for this) and a lot of using the electric mixer. we chose to fill the cakes with the curd and used a mini cigar lighter to torch the meringue : ) a lovely treat to enjoy over the weekend!

keep calm & carry on

we've all seen the posters... they're sweet and reassuring...

i personally am a fan, and enjoyed reading the story behind them. fascinating really. can you imagine?

{photo and story via}

hello weekend

i finally have a weekend ahead of me with nothing planned. don't get me wrong, i love and adore having visitors and extra long weekend trips, but i'm looking forward to relaxing and doing nothing. i plan on sleeping in til noon, working out for hours - followed by equally lengthy stints in the steam room, watching movies, painting my nails and researching europe! i also plan on making (and thoroughly enjoying) this egg sandwich. i'll have some yummy food posts for you next week too!

have a wonderful weekend! enjoy the sunshine on sunday!xx

{inspiration and photos via a cup of jo & smitten kitchen}

slight obsession

this gorgeous silk cotton eileen fisher skirt. i love it. i want it. i think it would be so dreamy for travelling. loose, light weight, easily packed. keeping our warm beach destinations in mind, not so impractical... lucky for my bank account it's not available in stores until may. shucks :(

(i literally started drooling as i came across the ad in my vogue on the plane back from vancouver... especially since grey is my favorite color)

wishlist-ed

{photo cred}

flickr

in my hopes of forever more avoiding posting pictures to facebook, i created a flickr account for myself last night. i didn't realize there was a monthly picture upload allowance (300MB), but i think i'll pay the $25 for unlimited uploading for the year... totally worth avoiding the creepy world of facebook. i even got to make up my own url that links directly to my photos - neato! luckily no one else has tried to register my full name :P

i posted some of the photos from my weekend in whistler and vancouver, and i have more to add tonight! take a look!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimberlyannemclean

i plan on posting all our europe photos there as well! i've also decided to create a new blog to share travel updates and stories as we enjoy our seven week adventure!

watch it. love it. support it. #KONY2012

KONY 2012. Please watch this video. It's the first time I've been inspired to take action. I'm ordering my action kit today. Support Invisible Children. Book April 20th off in your calendars, we're getting together...

(ps. crazy fact, when d and i watched the video in bed last night it had close to 200,000 views, this morning it has 2 million!)

there has been some backlash about invisible children... i think this article is so great. and urge you all to read it!