packing

so europe is still far off, but i have to admit, i'm already getting a little anxious about packing my life into a backpack for what i'm hoping will be the most amazing seven weeks of my life. i am the most infamous "over packer" there is.. always concerned about packing "options"... i've been obsessed with asking friends and family who have traveled-backpack style- what the "essentials" are... so far, my thoughts are focused on finding cute cotton dresses, comfortable shorts that can be casual for day trips and dressed up for dinners or nights out, deciding which pairs of my many jeans i love most, and finding a new pair of sandals that look cute and will not leave my feet feeling like i can never walk again after hours of touristy exploring...

my plan is to bring my backpack to whistler with me this weekend. my trip will include plane rides, bus rides, walking to find my sisters place (i haven't been to visit since she moved).. i figure it'll be good practice, choosing and packing only the essentials!

wish me luck!

ps. thats my actual backpack! mines just blue :)

{photo cred, mec}

floating islands

my favorite dessert is without a doubt, le select bistro's iles flotants - floating islands. fresh merengue pouffs floating in a pool of creamy, vanilla custard-y type liquid; topped with flecks of hardened caramelized sugar. really doesn't get much better. in my current obsession with cooking and baking i have decided that i must, atleast try, to master making iles flotants, so i'm able to share the delicious with as many people as possible!!! i plan on trying this recipe very soon!

{photo cred}

ipad

i recently bought an ipad and i'm in love with it! when i was away on my girls trip, my friend had an ipad and it was so convenient and entertaining and i felt it would be perfect for our upcoming eurotrip.

i chose the white ipad 2 with a pretty tan leather cover - aesthetics are important right?

i've been downloading apps like crazy and trying to figure out how everything works! this is my third apple product, and i am continuously impressed with how great their inventions are! my favorite apps so far are style.com, pinterest (obviously), and instagram! d is obsessed with angry birds! and i have bookmarked all my favorite blogs on safari, making it easy to catch up on new posts!

do any of you have ipads? do you love them?! what apps are the best?

wanderlust wednesday

come next friday, i'll be reunited with my little sister in whistler, british columbia!... i am so super stoked to see her and i am SO excited to meet sweet baby bentley - her new puppy! oh and not to mention, i get to ski whistler blackcomb - yay for weekend ski trips!

cupcakes

i have found the recipe for the perfect chocolate cupcake. it literally produces the most moist cake with crispy edges, a delicious cupcake every single time.

...as anticipated, february has brought birthdays, and birthdays deserve cupcakes! : )

just because

guide to toronto: restaurants

so i've been gathering ideas to do a guide to toronto, sharing my own favorite restaurants, bars, places, things to do - i don't have a finished product quite yet - but i could not bear to hold out on you any longer!

i had to share my love of marben after returning for my second feast this past weekend. i eat out, a lot, and this restaurant has shot to the top of my "YOU HAVE TO EAT HERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND AS FREQUENTLY AS POSSIBLE" list!

both of my visits to the restaurants have been genuinely amazing food experiences. the wait staff are so uber passionate about the food. so many of the products they use and sell - veg, meats, cheese, wine - is sourced locally and the menu changes up quite a bit because of this. they even make their own butter! like who does that?!

they have bar stools that line the kitchen window and you can sit and interact with the chefs as they cook your meal. or you can catch up with friends in one of their cool, cozy booths.

i've tried a good portion of the dinner menu and my favorites include john's burger and denins' beef - both "must-trys" in my humble little opinion.

i have yet to try out the lunch and brunch menus. the ice cream sandwich on the lunch list looks delicious and i know their breakfast sandwich was recently featured as one of toronto life's "best eight breakfast sandwiches in the city"

there's not that many restaurants i get this excited about. go with great friends, feast on amazing good, drink awesome wine and enjoy!

fun to 'read'

I quite enjoyed reading, and looking at this article. #hunks

crochet shorts

i have been on the lookout for a pair of crochet/lace shorts and the search is finally over. i found this black pair at zara yesterday. a stretchy waistband and comfy fit makes these a new favorite and i plan to wear them this weekend with tights and heels! i was literally drooling as i browsed the zara website earlier this week, especially at the skirts!...take a look here!

peach & berry crisp

when i entered the grocery store to pick up ingredients for our dinner party on monday night, they had huge ripe peaches sitting right at the door. i've been wanting to try a peach crisp for so long and figured this the perfect opportunity! the price of the peaches, being out of season, dictated the addition of raspberries and blueberries, but it ended up being a perfect combination. i don't have a recipe to pass on as i sort of combined different aspects of a couple recipes, but it was a brilliant dessert! i feel that ice cream is mandatory with any sort of fruit crisp, but it is delicious without as well. our guests loved it, and d snacked on the leftovers for breakfast tuesday morning - which is always a good sign! :)

wanderlust wednesday

{ some of our thoughts so far... :) }

just because

tasty tuesday

{ caesars with fresh lime & spicy beans }

{ red grapes covered with goats cheese, rolled in crushed walnuts}

{ crisp prosciutto, toasted cranberry foccocia, applewood smoked cheddar }

tuesday's post has been inspired by my monday night... with my parents out of the house this week (visiting amy in whistler- lucky ducks), d and i took advantage of the empty house and had friends for dinner. a monday night dinner party is always a little tricky, with getting back into another work week but we chose to keep it basic and simple and it turned out to be a delicious meal, spent catching up with great friends!

happy valentines day!

{ homemade valentines postcards }

i hope you all have a day filled with happiness and i ask that you please know that you are special and that you are loved! xo

music monday - the grammys

thought i'd share some of the night's highlights for me...

*adele deserved every single one of her six grammys. 21 has been on repeat in my car for the past couple of months. her recovery from vocal cord surgery obviously went well with her amazing performance!

*rihanna's hotness in her plunging black armani dress was outdone by her hipthrusting during her performance. it's unbelievable to think that shes just 23 too! so much success at such a young age
* i literally could not stop bopping around in bed listening to taylor swifts performance. her reaction to the standing ovation she received made me love her even more, genuine shock and awe.

* i love the fact that bruce springsteen opened the show

* i thought chris browns' performance was disappointing

* kelly rowland and fergie both look stunning in their own fabulous ways!

*finally, jennifer husdon's tribute to whitney houston was absolutely beautiful. but nothing beats the original.

did you watch the show? what did you think?

paris in the springtime

d and i have finally booked our trip! 7 weeks of travelling europe, beginning end of april in paris! i can't believe this is actually happening... i'm so happy and excited.

more details to come as we plan and figure everything out.

suggestions, recommendations - so very welcome! please do share what you know!

just because

wanderlust wednesday

i think st. anne's spa would be just about the most perfect valentines weekend getaway there is... voted as canada's favorite spa and one of the top 100 spa's in the world, it sounds like heaven on earth! love is in the air, and this wonderful spa has me daydreaming...

what's on your valentines wishlist? any special plans?

oh hi there

february 1st! can you believe it. I can't believe 2012 is off to such a quick start. february is starting off on a great note, with a girls-only trip to mexico this weekend. some of my favorite people's birthdays fall in february, which i look forward to celebrating with them. and some of my bests have trips to toronto planned this month as well!

i look forward to a month filled with happiness, laughter, good food, lots of drinks, dancing, oh and LOVE! i truly enjoy any opportunity to celebrate those people who i love and cherish the most!