office artwork

The house is coming together swimmingly. Furniture is fitting into place and the home is taking on a relaxed, calm vibe. The only major thing left to do is place and hang artwork. We've saved some of our favourite larger pieces and new pieces for the living space on the main floor, but I wanted something for the walls in the office. The room will eventually be transformed into a nursery, so I wanted to keep it cheap and pretty. 

I came across my 2016 wall calendar with the most beautiful Garance Dore illustrations. I've been a huge fan of hers since the days back when she dated The Sartorialist. The calendar had large prints and I knew I could easily cut off the dates at the bottom of my favourite ones. I used a straight edge and exacto knife to cut away the calendar and top edge and was left with a stack of brand new prints. 

I had seen the idea online and searched the web for the dowel hanger system. I found some handmade cedar sets on Rug & Weave, a husband and wife run company based in Guelph. They provide such a simple aesthetic and allow me to easily change out the print. I am in love with the final finished look. 

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{ a souvenir from our most recent B.C. trip }

I'm looking forward to a busy weekend hosting friends and family at the house (we're actually hosting dinner parties Friday, Saturday and Sunday!) Hopefully we manage to balance entertaining with a late sleep-in and finally shaking my case of the sniffles. 

Enjoy your weekend! xx

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3 fun links from around the web...

:: A ginvent calendar {chocolate version reinvented for adults!)

:: A beautiful New York hotel that's major #designgoals

:: An expert shares tips to a successful marriage

{ some of my favorite go-to's that I carry in my makeup bag } 

{ inevitable downside to glass, the constant cleaning! }

We have a couple pieces of furniture that we've been patiently awaiting delivery of. Last week we picked up our coffee table! We ordered the Mix It Up table from Casalife with a brushed nickel frame and clear glass surfaces. Unfortunately the manufacturer came back and said they won't make it with clear glass, so we asked if they would just sell us the frame. We sourced glass elsewhere and I'm glad we stuck to our gut, because the table looks modern and 'light' in the space, the clear glass doesn't take up visual space in the room. Only thing left to do is style it, and I plan on picking up some pieces this weekend!

prince edward county

Several weekends back we tagged along with friends on a trip out to Prince Edward County. We've visited the county several times and will always jump at any opportunity to return. The small towns have such an inviting vibe, there are lovely boutique shops and restaurants and we really love some of the vineyards and the wine. D and I have taken interest in wine - something we now have the space to slowly collect, so it was fun picking up some delicious Ontario wines to both enjoy and keep in the cellar for a couple of years. 

We visited a handful of wineries, some old favorites (Norman Hardie, Karlo Estates and Casa Dea) and some new ones that we hadn't been to before (Closson Chase, Old Third). The County is known for light but flavorful Pinot Noir and rich Chardonnays and we tried some tasty different varietals as well - including an orange wine and a Calcaire, a crisp white, the 'perfect with oysters' was the selling point.

We were a group of eight and spent the day biking around the county (hands down, the best way to explore), we stopped off at an alpaca farm (D bought me the wooliest socks!) and ended the day with a beer flight at County Road Beer Co. 

We had lunch at Norman Hardie on the patio. We enjoyed a glass of wine and ordered pizza from the on-site wood oven pizza. My pizza had creme fraiche, white onion, aged cheddar cheese and spec and it might have been the best pizza I've ever had! (I'm now in search of a Toronto pizza spot that will recreate it for me!) We got to have a chat with Norman, the winemaker, and had the nicest and most knowledgeable girl help us with our tastings. D and I ended up sneaking back in for a magnum of the Calcaire and plan on hosting an intimate oyster party with friends!

The group enjoyed breakfast together on Sunday morning then we all went our separate ways. D and I took the opportunity to drive out to Exultet Winery, who are known for their Chardonnay, but are off the beaten track. We typically don't have the luxury of exploring on our own before heading home, so we took full advantage. We got to chat with the husband and wife wine-making team and my favorite find from this spot was the white Pinot Noir, which will be enjoyed post Whole 30 :)

Happy to provide recommendations if you're planning an upcoming trip!

whole 30: round 2

{ pumpkin apple breakfast bake }

Today marks Day 15 of Whole 30, Round 2 - we're half way through our second time following the eating program. You might remember we did Whole 30 in June and it left us feeling great (leaner and no bloating), reinvigorated our love of cooking together and we both lost quite a bit of weight (double digits). We're off to Hawaii in less then a month, and figured it would be a great way to reset after weeks of celebrating in the new home, and leave us feeling a bit more confident in our beach bods. 

{ curried sweet potato soup with coconut milk }

It's been a different experience starting the program for a second time - we're more familiar with the rules of what we can and cannot eat, so we've been able to get a bit more creative with our cooking.

We also are aware of the preparation and grocery shopping that is required to help us succeed. Little tricks like boiling ten eggs and cutting up a cantaloupe on Sunday nights, makes weekday mornings easier and leaves us with convenient, satisfying foods throughout the week.

{ seared tuna salad }

In a typical month, we might order in a couple of times and eat out for a date night or with friends 2-3 times. Eating out is something we enjoy doing together, so cooking and eating at home for 30 days straight gets a little tedious - also... the amount of dishes you create is insane!! That being said, we've figured out a couple of ways to enjoy getting out of the house, we went for a movie date night and had Five Guys burgers in lettuce buns (their burgers are 100% beef with no preservatives) and this past weekend, I met up with girlfriends at Carmen, I checked the menu ahead of time and picked out the items I'd be able to eat (I had ceviche and grilled shrimp).

I've halfheartedly tried some other diets/cleanses in the past and have never been able to stick to it. However, Whole30 seems to be the exception. We have the guide book and the cookbook, and if you're planning on trying the program, I would suggest getting at least one. There's so much information and some great tips for basic must-haves (like home made mayo, and we love the chicken wing recipe!).

Worst cravings: Halloween candy (ugh, worst timing), cappuccino (I'm looking forward to a hot, creamy coffee) and a glass of wine (duh).

Favorite Snacks: apple with almond butter, organic pepperette sticks, coconut chia pudding

Tastiest Meals: buffalo chicken wings, roasted spaghetti squash with veal bolognese 

Only 15 more days to go! (and let's get real - I'm very much looking forward to enjoying a cold beer on the beach in Maui!)

it's all coming together

Henderson Armchair from Wayfair

We took possession of the new house on August 17th, so we're just over two months in, and considering that short amount of time that we've been in it (and the fact we're working full time) the house is looking pretty good. Slowly but surely, the rooms are coming together. We're waiting on a few pieces of furniture we've ordered and working at getting artwork placed and hung. 

We ordered our new sectional in between the purchase and closing, and luckily it was delivered the Saturday morning of our move. Having our main couch in the space has helped it feel put together from day one. We painted, got new bar stools and our gorgeous new dining table was delivered a few weeks back, which is a key piece in the open concept space. Our coffee table is on order and we're left hunting for two remaining pieces for the living space on the main floor - a rug and a chair. 

We've designed the space to feel bright and light, with warm wood tones throughout. The walls are a light blue-ish grey and our couch is a textured white/light grey fabric. The above floorplan gives you an idea of where the chair will sit - facing into the living area of the main floor, but the space is so open, it needs to be a good looking piece from all angles, because it is very much visible from the dining and kitchen space. 

Chiara Lounge Chair from EQ3

(this style and frame, but with natural canvas and white leather cushions)

Nola Swivel Glider from Oilo

(I actually found this in a baby store - it's a nursing chair, but 1) it's Gorgeous and 2) so friggin' comfortable!)

Gualtieri Armchair from Wayfair

It's obvious from my inspiration picks, that I'm leaning towards something with clean, modern lines in a more neutral color that will have character but blend into the space. I'd love to add bold pops of color (my dream would be to have a sofa/chair in a jewel tone velvet), but will aim to do that in a less permanent way, with artwork and accessories. 

I'll work at putting together a post to show where we're at with the house so far! We have photos from the original listing, so it provides for a pretty fun before and after comparison!

good as gold

{ disc bracelet | hinge bracelet | orbit earrings | locket pendant }

Big, gold accessories are everywhere these days. I'm loving the trend and knew that holding onto my mom's hand-me-downs would pay off one day. You can count on J.Crew to nail the fall trends and each of these pieces would look great on their own, or layered with contrasting metals and colors. The orbit earrings have been on my radar for months.... Anthropologie also has some fabulous funky earring options - similar here, here and here.

wouldn't have guessed

Remember Abercrombie & Fitch...? That store that we were all obsessed with at some point in our teenage years, but then it fell completely off the radar. Well it popped back up last week and I couldn't resist browsing their 40% off sale. And let me tell you... I'm sort of re-obsessed. Jeans for $45, sweaters for less then $40 and tops for $20-30 (and I'm quoting CAD prices too). Neutral colors, comfortable fits, simple and stylish. I placed an order online, so time will tell if the fit and quality is as good as I'm hoping it will be. I unfortunately, somehow missed these jeans.... Might just need place a second order, I mean common...

{ high rise ankle flare jeans, $44 }

it's been a while...

Admission:: Life got in the way and this little blog was majorly rejected! The blog has always been a passion project and a space for creative expression and I've definitely missed it over the past few months... That being said, when life gets busy I do my best to enjoy the present, knowing that I'm always able to come back to the blog. But with fall fast approaching and a big life milestone (that is so blog worthy) I'm going to do my best to jump back into regular posts!

Here's whats been going on lately...

:: I've been married for over six months now! I totally missed the mini-milestone and only remembered when someone recently reminded me. We're loving married life and each day feels happier then the last

:: We spent a wonderful long weekend in Whistler in July. My younger sister did the Ironman 70.3, so we went out to visit and cheer her on. The weather was amazing (sun-shiny summer days) and we had so much fun chasing her around the course, cheering like maniacs!

:: My sister recently got engaged! Her boyfriend proposed while camping out in British Columbia and I'm over the moon excited for them. Being engaged was the absolute best and it's nearly impossible not to share that excitement once you've experienced it!

:: D and I bought a house! After house hunting for a while and walking through 40+ open houses, we knew right away that we had found a gem. We acted quickly and the house was ours 15 hours after seeing it for the first time. This will be our second week in the new place and we're busy getting settled and having so much fun decorating the new space. I feel so lucky to have ended up in such a beautiful home. (This was the blog-worthy news.. I can't wait to share photos of how we've transformed the space into our own!)

We have a busy few months ahead of us...

:: I'm turning 29 tomorrow! Lucky for me, Counting Crows + Matchbox 20 are playing at an outdoor venue, so I've rallied a bunch of friends to help me celebrate

:: We're returning to B.C in a couple of weeks to celebrate D's grandmonthers 90th birthday. We extended the trip so that we can catch up with my sister and friends too

:: We have two big trips coming up, and while they're a while off, I'm finding it impossible to not already get excited. We're going to Hawaii with D's parents in November and celebrating our one year anniversary in California (San Francisco, Napa and Lake Tahoe) in February. It's so fun having travel plans to look forward to!

wedding 101

Having recently experienced the entire wedding planning process and the exciting day-of festivities - I've found that I have a refreshing new perspective when reading wedding articles... Worries that caused me sleepless nights and things that I endlessly scrutinized over sorted themselves out and the day came together more perfectly then I thought possible. I can now sit back and laugh at myself for over-thinking almost every little detail.

With wedding season having already begun, here are a few links that are sure to be helpful for brides-to-be and wedding guests alike ::

Don't be the worst.

- the phones/ipads/cameras urks me to the core! (We actually added a little note to the ceremony program, asking people to not take photos, rather engage and be present throughout the ceremony.. (almost) everyone respected our wishes)

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Polite ways to ask rude questions.

- I took D's last name, and let me tell you, I have heard my share of other peoples opinions... (I get that not everyone is on the same page, but be respectful of others decisions) 

- I've been forth coming about certain costs with particular friends, but having to dodge the "how much did your ring cost" or "how much was the florist bill" questions is really awkward

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Rules to break on your wedding day. 

- #3 : we did a first look and it was one of my most favorite moments of the day - it's private and so so special - doooo it! 

- #4 : we had four long harvest tables and sat smack dab in the middle of everyone - it was perfect being surrounded by our bridal party, their partners and having our parents right behind us 

happy weekend

{ the sweetest vase with cottage grown flowers }

I'm welcoming the weekend with a full embrace. Looking forward to catching up on sleep, getting out on my bike and making some healthy, delicious food. 

Whatever you're up to, enjoy your weekend! xx

{ a sea-themed print in the bathroom }

{ new favourite drink spot @ cocktail bar }

{ views of park dale }

{ delicious dinner at black hoof }

{ beautiful blooms from hunt & gather, our local florist }