wishing you the merriest

Wishing you the merriest Christmas filled with the following:

- time with family & friends

- good wine & great meals

- fun in the snow

- a little something special you've been wishing for

This year has been so exciting with life changing milestones and I can't wait to see what the New Year has in store. xx

sweet dreams

We recently stocked up on some household basics during the infamous pre-Christmas mega sales. We bought huge, cozy bath towels for half-off, replaced our old suitcases with easy-to-wheel hard case models and splurged on hotel-quality, luxury bed sheets.
D has discovered, much to my delight, the fun of on-line shopping and suggested we try ordering Brooklinen sheets. They've been reviewed in Vogue, GQ and Apartment Therapy, they come in various colors and designs, plus they were on sale!
We went with the Luxe Hardcore Bundle and chose the duvet cover in classic white, the flat and fitted sheet in the Smoke Stripe, and the extra pillow cases in the Bedford Smoke Stripe.

We received the sheets a few weeks ago and got around to washing them this weekend and slept in them for the first time last night. Holy moly! They are crisp and light and super soft. I had such a comfortable sleep and can't wait to get back into bed tonight. We're already talking about ordering a second set so we can have them on rotation. They're a little bit of a splurge once you add shipping and duty, but even after only a single nights use, worth every penny.

happy weekend

{ cheering on the Toronto Maple Leafs }

Can you believe next weekend is Christmas?! It truly feels like this year has just flown by. Wedding planning has served as somewhat of a distraction from my normal holiday enthusiasm, but we've been keeping busy and enjoying the holiday season. 

I had my work Christmas lunch yesterday then treated myself for a mani/pedi afterwards. I now have bright red polish to last me through the holiday season. We have a holiday party, brunch with a friend and a cookie swap this weekend - so the festive spirit will be in full swing!

Have a wonderful weekend (it's the last weekend to shop before Christmas!)

Here are some photos from recent days if you care to see... xo

{ D's famous dollar pancakes }

{ wrapping necessities }

{ our winter mantle set-up }

{ couldn't resist coffee with baileys at the Ritz Bar }

{ tacos + margaritas at our favorite local spot }

{ annual Christmas tree haul! }

{ the sweetest little visitor,  our friends new puppy Wilbur }

+ + + + + 

Here are a few links from around the web... 

Upcoming decor trends

'Research' for this weekends cookie swap (I actually think I'm going to try peanut butter fudge!)

I'm looking to tone muscle a bit more, a friend suggested I try these protein cookies to eat after my workouts.

Obviously being in the thick of wedding planning, I have a new perspective on certain topics - I loved this article on 'plus-one' etiquette + these tips for winter weddings! (Thankfully, I think we've managed to navigate as per Vogue's suggestions ;)

Holiday beauty help for simple eye make up looks

I love this list of movies (that are family appropriate) for enjoying over the holidays (we once made the mistake of watching The Hangover with my Grandma on Christmas morning... she was not very impressed!)

Happy to hear Glossier is working on International shipping! And they they have a showroom in NYC now too!

polished

{ Herbivore Coconut Oil Body Polish, $38 }

In an effort to achieve radiant, glowing skin for our wedding day, I've been exfoliating, moisturizing and over analyzing every step of my skin care routine for the past few months.  I have a pretty good handle on my facial products at the moment but realized I needed to up my body-beauty game. With the winter months having officially arrived, my skin is more parched then normal and seems to drink moisturizer. I love everything Herbivore and knew I had to try this body polish after reading the raving reviews on the Sephora website. The polish isn't too harsh of an exfoliant, so it does the job of getting rid of dead skin without leaving your skin red or irritated. And the coconut oil also leaves your skin sooo soft. I'm trying to keep myself from using it during every shower to make it last, but it's addicting! I even have D hooked. During these dry winter months - this stuff's a gift from above. 

my one of a kind finds

{ cookies from the Teeny Tiny bakery }

I look forward to the One of a Kind Christmas show every single year. It's always at the beginning of the holiday season, so I hold out on gift shopping knowing that I'm bound to find some great presents for the majority of recipients on our list. There are always vendors that I look forward to going back for each year and this year there were a ton if new artisans, which was so great to see. I usually plan two trips on weeknights, since I usually am so distracted that I can't get through the show in one evening. I love chatting with the artisans and learning more about their work. Here are some of my treasure's from this years visits::

{ candles scented like places across Canada }

{ fun stationery for friends }

{ the sweetest baby leggings }

{ a handmade mug for a secret santa gift }

{ one of my favorite vendors, Hoi Bo } 

{ a couple of friends are lucky enough to be getting gifts from this year! }

{ handmade stamps for gifts and cards }

{ wardrobe additions: a cotton tank + a silky blouse + a faux-suede turtleneck }

{ for personal beautification :: brightening + exfoliating face mask w/ applicator brush }

wrapping accents

With the holidays quickly creeping up on us, I've been picking up gift wrap and decor accents as I've come across them in stores (tip: the good stuff goes first, so keep your eyes peeled - Home Sense has some great things right now!). I love choosing a few complementary papers and accents that work together to create a beautiful look under our tree, as well as a lovely aesthetic for those receiving the gifts! Here are a few creative and inexpensive decorative accents that can help bring your wrapping up a notch this holiday season!

{ gift box, $2.99 / 2 pack }

Look for gift boxes and bags that a little out of the ordinary! You you tie a sweet ribbon on these and fill them with home baked goodies. 

{ gift tags, $2.99 for 90 }

Even though it's a small detail, nothing's worse then ugly labels. These are clean and modern, and most holiday papers will work with the red and white.

{ ornaments, $7.99 for 3 pack }

Tied to a bag or taped on top of a parcel, a tree ornament is such a lovely little extra gift and decoration.

{ holiday tape, $3.99 for 3 pack }

Washi tape is one of my favorite wrapping tools - it's such a simple substitute for clear tape and can really elevate the final look (I use it to decorate plain paper bags too!)