monday music

I've recently moved into my own office at work. And while I miss the hustle and bustle of the open office interactions it's nice to have my own space. One of the differences I've enjoyed most is listening to my music. I've been playing different Songza playlists and love the variety and anticipation of what tune will be next up. Plus, once I'm connected to the wifi, music just streams all day and I don't have to give it any thought.

I know there's a few different applications (Apple Music, Spotify) but I started with Songza and have had no reason to switch... Here are a few of my favorite Songza playlists that are being rotated these days.

Ladies of Summer

Barefoot Beach Chill

Late '90s Rock Relaxation 

Today's Singer-Songwriters

Wistful and Delicate Film Scores

happy weekend

{ last weekend spent poolside }

What are you up to this weekend? I'm taking it easy tonight and am looking forward to getting into bed early. Tomorrow my girlfriend and I are going to cheer on the Blue Jays at their afternoon game, and it's so exciting with how well they've been doing as of late. Then on Sunday we're having some friends over for a BBQ - one of the couples is moving to Michigan soon, so it'll be nice to visit before they take off!

Whatever you have planned, I hope you enjoy a really great weekend. xx

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I am admittedly a little obsessed with expiry dates, this answers everything!

I could go for a sugar rush courtesy of Milk Bar

A friend just got engaged(!) and this is my favorite gift for the bride-to-be to get her excited about planning.

My sister is coming into town next week and we've already planned a lunch date here.

I love my new 2016 agenda - super colorful and funky!

A beautiful farmhouse turned into a modern abode

The perfect recipe for sleepy and slow Sunday mornings

Can't wait to add a bit of shimmer to my daily make-up with this shadow stick

6 yoga poses to help you relax

{ stunning view from last weekends dinner at RCYC }

{ happy belated national dog day Jo! }

{ found wedding shoes just in the knick of time! }

{ On sale for $39.99 at Le Chateau }

{ fresh blond & freckles }

just because

{ Loeffler Randall Fenton Rain Boots }

These are arguably the cutest rain boots I've ever seen. Nothing about these makes me upset about the looming colder days of fall.

hello again

It took me far too long to get around to this little blog this week. It's felt like Friday ever since Tuesday and there's been something going on each night that just keeps me away from blogging. All excuses aside, I was able to finish my Maid of Honor speech last night (with the help of girlfriends, thai food and wine) and I am feeling good about it - still a bit more practice needed. I've committed myself to a one day juice cleanse today which I hope will help to flush me of said wine and thai food and other extravagances that I've been enjoying recently. I found some pretty earrings for the wedding earlier this week and I pick up my dress from the seamstress tonight! Next week will come faster then I can imagine and I can't wait for the upcoming festivities. More to come before week end, but for now, a few songs....

Panic Cord by Gabrielle Aplin

First by Cold War Kids

Sedona by Houndmouth

Georgia by Vance Joy

Ship to Wreck by Florence and the Machine

have a great weekend

{ this is where you'll find me this weekend }

What do you have  planned this weekend? We're going to the Royal Canadian Yacht Club for dinner with friends tomorrow night, and I can't wait to sip wine on the big wrap around porch over looking the city. Other then that, I plan on just relaxing by the pool and I need to work at finishing up my maid of honor speech! 

Whatever you have going on, I hope you enjoy yourself. xx

{ the cutest bookends at an antique store on Queen West }

{ the sunniest sun flower }

{ 'french onion soup' pasta at Cafe Bar Pasta }

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And here are a few fun links if you care to browse...

a peek inside celebrity bedrooms

how to repair your summer locks

possible earrings for my bridesmaid accessories

master strategies for public speaking

in case you're thinking about getting away, here are some tips for scoring summer travel deals

where to score awesome vintage on etsy

the prettiest San Francisco house tour

the most beautifully messy dessert to share with guests

lovely grey booties

wanderlust wednesday

{ Boro Hotel }

I'd love to escape to New York this fall. Walking through Central Park with the leaves changing, staying cozy in big wooly sweaters and warming up at hip coffee shops sounds like a perfect getaway. Although I'm loving the summer heat, I am excited for slightly cooler weather. The new Boro Hotel in Queens looks super stylish and like a beautiful place to escape the buzz of downtown Manhattan.

Do you have any fun vacations coming up?

my biggest beauty insecurity

{ just browsing brush-on styling mousse }

My biggest insecurity when it comes to my beauty routine are my eyebrows. I remember going to the salon where all the girls in my class got their eye brows done in high school and being told they just couldn't do anything... Talk about destroying any confidence I might have had! It's haunted me ever since. I'm complete intimidated by the idea of drawing in my eyebrows each day but have tried a clear eye brow gel to keep the hairs in place that has worked into my daily routine. I'm excited to try this Clinique styling mousse for my brows. It takes the gel idea to the next step, adding in a tint of color. I'm  hoping it might boost my brow confidence! (ps. I definitely plan on using the expertise of one of the ladies in Sephora to help color match!)

I'm curious, does your daily beauty regime include your brows? I'd love to hear about any products you use!

for the final beach days of summer

{ beach chair }

I've been soaking up all the sun I can this summer, with lots of SPF of course. I'll stop in Trinity Bellwoods Park on my ride home from work and have spent more afternoons poolside then I can count. This backpack turn sun chair would be perfect for weekend bike rides to the Beaches or impromptu picnics in High Park. 

happy weekend

{ the best gelato from soma chocolate maker }

What fun do you have planned for the weekend? We're meant to have beautiful weather in the city and I can't wait to soak up some sun. I booked a massage for tomorrow morning and cannot wait for an hour of total relaxation. Then Saturday night D and I are going to catch up with some friends who we haven't seen in a while - and they're getting married in less then a month, so I can't wait to hear about their excitement! Whatever you have planned, I hope you enjoy a terrific weekend.

lemonade cocktail

One night a couple of weeks ago I came home and D had made himself a vodka-lemonade. It's dead simple but man is it good, especially served over lots of ice. It's perfectly refreshing for hot summer nights and you don't need to have much stocked in the fridge. I'd suggest taste testing this idea over the weekend...

#tbt

Seriously missing lakeside sunsets and happy hour cheese plates. 

I'm missing Canoe Lake these days #tbt

lash extensions

When we stayed with our friends from Vancouver in July I was quick to take advantage of my girlfriend when she offered to do my lashes. She had told me about her job out West I never fully understood the process of applying and the final look of lash extensions. Lucky for me she had put together a little travel kit and can apply lashes pretty much anywhere that has good light. She has quite the set up and I loved watching her get everything ready. She uses precise tweezers to glue mink lashes to your own real lashes. Different lashes give different looks - glam, natural, dramatic. When I heard of how much ladies usually pay for a set of lashes I thought it was an extravagant add for a monthly beauty ritual. But after wearing a set for the past couple weeks (I even still have some lashes on!) I'm completely addicted. Regardless of having make-up or mascara on you look fresh faced with beautiful big, dark lashes. I'll definitely keep this treat in mind for very special occasions. I've even told my bride-to-be friends about them, as they feel and look much more natural than the strip lashes - plus they would last for the honeymoon! 

Would you ever try lash extensions?

whipped feta croustini

I got to sneak out of the office early last Friday and I decided to put together a happy hour snack for when D got home. We had some baguette from earlier in the week and some leftover feta cheese in the fridge. I blended the feta in the foot processor with olive oil and lemon juice until it was smooth and creamy. The baguette toasted up perfectly and when paired with the sweet ripe peaches and fresh basil, these hit the spot especially with cold rose. 

cashmere is never a bad idea

{ Brianna Cashmere Hoodie }

This Club Monaco poncho-like cashmere sweater would be perfect for chilly summer nights. The soft grey would pair beautifully with flowy white t-shirts and jean shorts. I pretty sure that if I were to splurge on this, D would have to peel it off me after the fall...

just because

{ iggy sandals }

{ selma sneakers }

Summer sandals are so much better with pink flamingos on them..

good morning

{ Kate Spade heels that I scored in Yorkville }

What did you get up to this weekend? We stuck around home and didn't take the car out once, the beauty of living downtown! I recently got a Fitbit and have become slightly obsessed with  logging my daily goal of 10,000 steps. We started off the weekend with a lovely date at Bellwoods Brewery and then took full advantage of the great weather and went for runs along the lake. We also rewarded ourselves with a juice from Roncesvalles newest addition, the Village Juicery. 

Here are a few photos from recent days if you care to take a look... xx

Happy Monday!

{ leftover cobbler from last weeks post.. }

{ textured greens in my parents backyard }

{ fitbit fits right into the mix }

{ a B.C. brew at Wvrst }

{ the candle holder perfect for outdoor gatherings }

{ homemade cookies to end off a bbq with friends }

peach and blueberry cobbler

When the grocer has cute little baskets of local, Ontario-grown peaches, it's hard to pass them up. They're sweet and perfectly ripe but the only challenge is trying to consume 25 peaches before they go bad! The most simple and al-beit satisfying solution is to bake a blueberry peach cobbler. I've made crumbles and crisps before but the cobbler was considerably more cake-like. We had bought wild blueberries that were a most welcome addition with the peaches. Served warm with vanilla ice cream it was the perfect treat to end off the long weekend. 

summer squash

I'm always looking for salad alternatives to pair with bbq'd meat in the summer. A house without air conditioning also has me searching for side dishes that don't involve much time spent using the oven. This squash roasts up quickly, the pumpkin seeds have a lovely nutty flavor and the dried cranberries have a fresh tang. In hopes of keeping up on the 'clean eating' habits that started during our cleanse, I resisted adding in feta cheese and still found the dish completely satisfying.