say cheese!

As some of you might know, I haven't spent much time residing at home over the past six months. I've been traveling, working and visiting people and places all over and I figured I should share a bit of what I've seen! The photo sharing in Europe was cut off, so I've updated some more photos from our trip; as well as some photos from my summer at camp, Halifax and our time spent in Alaska and B.C so far! Click HERE to take a looksie on my Flickr!

nautical

{ sweet onboard welcome mats }

{ easy, breezy boat attire }

{ colorful boating gear }

{ cold water, warm walks }

 { lonesome September beach afternoons }

change of interests

{ Layla Towel Shop }

With our plans to move out when we return to the city, my browsing interests have shifted into full time home decor mode. I'm typically a white/grey girl when it comes to color palettes (boring, I know) but I was rendered speechless when I saw the unbelievably vibrant colors and gorgeous graphic prints of the terry cloth towels of Layla in Brooklyn, NYC. Once we find a place and get paint colors sorted out I will definitely be placing an order! What a fun way to spruce up a small space!

snail mail

{ adorable kate spade "snail mail" stationary (already on my christmas wishlist :) }

I love snail mail. I love sending it, I love receiving it. The excitement that comes from opening the mail box and having something in there with your name on it that's not a bill- rather a little note from someone reminding you how they love you- it's the best! Luckily I have enough friends and family who live far away to keep me busy. I will post soon about my home made cards but in the meantime I want to share my all time favorite card line - Just Wink! They used to sell them at my local Shoppers and I'm happy to say I found them again at the Shoppers out here in Sechelt! The cards are witty with cute graphics, and most importantly reasonably priced when it comes to drug mart cards. Check out Just Wink here, and look out for their cards at your local card shop! From a snail mail sending professional - they come highly recommended - you can send both written love and a smile! :)

vintage sparkle

I was practically speechless when my Mom pulled these two gorgeous purses out of her closet. They were my Grandma's but I had never seen them before. I am so in love with the detail, beading and gold accents. I brought them with me for the formal nights on the cruise and am hoping to sneak them back into my closet when I get home. I'm continuously impressed by how stylish my little Grandma was :)

  

{ details: the silky lining and scalloped edge }

jacket weather

I've previously admitted my obsession for jackets (current closet count is at 14 I think) and the Emerson Fry Fall line really isn't helping with anything.... check out the GORGEOUS-NESS - HERE.
I'll take one of each :) (seriously though, every single jacket is amazing)

foodie favorite: tom kha gai

I decided to try making Tom Kha Gai (Thai coconut soup) when we got out here to the West Coast. It's my absolute favorite soup and I'm always wanting to order numerous bowls of it anytime I go for Thai food. I followed this recipe and had no trouble finding all the ingredients at the local grocery store. One benefit of being on the ocean is that we got to use fresh shrimp we caught earlier in the day! I chose light coconut milk in an effort to be waist wise, but I think regular coconut milk might provide a bit more creaminess. Also, the chillies - they're deadly, I bought about six and ended up adding only one without seeds - so be cautious when adding them in! 

( although I'm smiling in this photo - my fingers were on fire! the oil from the chillies got into my skin when I was cutting them up and I spent the rest of the night soaking my fingers in a bowl of ice milk ) 

http://shiokfood.com/notes/archives/000025.html

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iphone > blackberry

{ photo cred }

I'm switching over to the dark side... but I have a feeling the dark side is going to be soooo much better! I decided on the 4s since it was a gift for my birthday and I probably wouldn't be able to tell much of a  difference between the 4s and 5. I'm a little anxious about the learning curve but I figure after having an Apple laptop and Ipad, it shouldn't be too bad. Most of my friends have switched to iphone as well, with makes leaving the much adored BBM a little bit easier! I never really used apps on my blackberry so I'm pumped to have all the cool and useful apps of the app store at my fingertips. (There's a good chance just about everything around me will be instagramed for the first week or so)  And well, typical me, I'm most excited to pick out a cool new case for it above anything else! Right now I'm loving both the Dannijo and Kate Spade cases.

Anyways, I usually hate change more than anything, and with how much I use my phone this will be a big change, but I can't wait to get the iphone into my hot little hands. 

Are you an iphone or blackberry user? Any "must-have" apps you would recommend? Do you miss BBM?

neon kicks

extra padding. light as a feather. and neon blue and pink. ... doesn't get much better :)

capped off

I ordered these flats off some discount, last call type website last year and am pleased that they seem to still be in style this fall. The black goes with everything and they can be dressed up or keep things simple with jeans. I think the cap toe trend lends a bit of sparkle to any pair of plain flats.

Speaking of cap toe flats, aren't these Jimmy Choo's so dreamy!?

birthday treats

With my birthday being in September, I'm usually not looking ahead to the colder weather of the fall and winter to coordinate my birthday wishes with. This year when D asked if I had anything on my wishlist,  I really didn't have much to say (he was sort of in shock, as this is very rare). Once I thought about it a little bit I thought I might like a leather jacket! Once the colder weather sets in I'm always envious of the girls in gorgeous leather jackets and boots! So D and I spent the day together going to a few different stores and I ended up a spoiled birthday girl with this Danier jacket. It fits as if it were custom made and it was on a great sale- even better!
It will definitely be packed in my suitcase to battle the cooler temperatures of the West Coast!

all wrapped up

Just wanted to share the cute wrap-job I used for a framed wedding invitation I brought to Halifax with me last week to give as a wedding gift. 

The technique was time consuming but in no way difficult. I chose black and pink ribbon to match the invite and I taped the ends of the ribbon inside the paper folds on the back for a seamless finish.

buttermilk pancakes

My first morning back from camp felt like I was waking up at the Four Seasons, and my morning only got dreamier when my parents suggested breakfast in the backyard. My Mom whipped up a batch of my Grandma's recipe for buttermilk pancakes and I chopped up the fresh Ontario strawberries that were in the fridge - which I later drowned my pancakes in :) The pancakes are fluffy and crispy on the edges, truly delicious!

(tip: if you don't have buttermilk in your fridge you can make your own by adding vinegar to regular milk!) 

organized chaos

I went on a search for a certain long-forgotten bracelet to wear on my birthday last week, and when I had to practically dig it out of my jewelry drawer, I got sucked into reorganizing (read: the OCD in me wouldn't let me leave the drawer looking like a disaster). A before picture would have been too embarrassing to share, but I am pleased with the outcome! Makes sense to me and now I know where everything is. And it should make packing my jewelry for BC and Alaska this afternoon much easier :)

Plus, I always figure if a robber were to come into my room, my jewelry is safer in my little drawers then if I kept it all in my jewelry box. Admittedly, I do have another jewelry box (not pictured) that's filled with chunky bracelets and extra earrings and some other items that I don't wear as much. It's beautiful and wooden with lots of little drawers and brassy, gold detailing - a hand me down from my mother that I've recently come to love!

Do you have a jewelry box? or a secret drawer? Do you keep boxes from jewelry purchases?! 

(I always have a hard time throwing away pretty boxes!)