a bridal shower

{ the happy couple, haley + drew }

My mom and I hosted a bridal shower on Saturday for the lovely bride-to-be. She is such a wonderful friend and has made such a beautiful bride during every moment of the planning process, and this weekend was no exception.  It was so much fun getting to plan this party for her and as the maid of honor I really wanted to ensure every little detail was perfect. We had a great group of ladies gathered, made up of family and close friends. Despite the rain (it was a literal shower, ha!), we sipped on mimosas, feasted of delicious food and truly enjoyed celebrating the bride and her upcoming marriage. It was a special day that we will all remember forever. 

{ mimosa bar }

{ David's Tea iced tea }

{ breathtakingly beautiful fresh flowers filled the house, each bouquet uniquely different }

{ the spread! }

{ I handmade the place cards with water colors and washi tape }

{ the mini baguettes were from Delysee on King Street West }
{ ham + cornichon, feta + red pepper + black olive tapenade }

{ all the croissants were hand baked by our favorite Roncy joint, Extra Butter }

{ homemade vanilla cupcakes }

{ the bride + the mommas }

{ showered with such beautiful gifts }
{ the BHLDN robe was a big hit! }

{ the bridesmaids }

{ an adorable little visitor }

{ Essie bridal collection, "tying the knottie" }

{ wishing the happy couple all the best }

enjoy your weekend

{ it's official, free legal work forever : ) }

It has been a hectic week but in the best way - I had an exciting announcement at work, celebrated one of my best friends becoming a lawyer (!!!!!) and attended a very hip art opening in support of a friend. 

My mom and I are hosting a bridal shower for a wonderful friend tomorrow and I'm so excited to celebrate! I have to say, that as daunting as the responsibility seemed at first, it has been such an emotionally and personally rewarding experience getting to support her as she plans her special day. With everything going on, my mind has been a bit distracted from blogging - hope to get back into regular posting next week.

Whatever you have planned over the weekend, do enjoy yourself. And stay wet, seems like we're in for some rain! xx

{ we got a house plant! }

{ a special gift wrapped up for the shower tomorrow }

{ summer themed ginger breads }

{ red curry shrimp wrapped in avocado - The Chase killing the apetizer game }

{ cocktails in the sunshiney backyard }

{ the most perfect nude polish }

would you ever live on a house boat ?

I was in awe of the house boats that were scattered along the canals when we visited Amsterdam but I never even knew there was a small pod of house boaters that existed in Toronto. The Toronto Float Homes are anchored in Bluffers Park Marina just near the Scarborough Bluffs. The City of Toronto issued 25 permits, which have since been grandfathered and they will no longer allow any additional homes to be built - talk about an exclusive community! Imagine having a cottage without the commute, and being able to live on the water (for a small portion of the the cost of a gigantic lakefront estate) but being able to jump on the highway and get downtown in no time. Apparently many of the owners have renovated their spaces and turned them into modern homes with all the expected luxuries. 

If you're as interested in this idea as I am, read up here! I'm curious, would you ever live on a house boat?

cool cement planters

Although we've come pretty close to completely running out of table top space in our apartment, I'm always on the look out for small pieces that have a lot of personality. I've scattered quirky, unique objects on bookshelf ledges and on window sills and I find it helps make our place feel like home. Etsy is always a dangerous place to get entangled in a web of browsing, but there's an endless amount of beautiful creations. These cement geometric vases juxtapose a natural and industrial element. I think a set would look beautiful lined down the center of a live edge dining table or perched against a stark white bedroom wall with flowers spilling out.

Shop the designers collection here, and if you plan on placing an order make sure to use the 25% discount code 'THANKYOU'.

hello weekend!

{ celebrations at 416 Snack Bar }

It was a busy week that was made so much more enjoyable with what felt like the official start of summer weather! One of my closest friends finished articling and is one step closer to becoming a lawyer - a pretty exciting life event that warranted celebrations. Another girlfriend was recently engaged, so yet another reason to gather and celebrate the start of their new chapter. We Friday night on a date cheering on the Blue Jays and returned Saturday for the game with friends soaking up the sunshine. Hope you've enjoyed your weekend so far.

Happy Father's Day to all the Poppa's out there!

+ + + + + 

Here's a few links from around the web...

A thought that I can't help but admit has crossed my mind

A pretty dress on sale

I can't wait to try this restaurant later this week

I'm re-creating these for next weekends bridal shower

A friend lent me this book to read

The perfect summer scent

I'd love to see this documentary

{ a beautiful bride-to-be }

{ a view that reminds me how much I love Toronto }

a summer salad

{ Kale, Avocado & Watermelon Salad }

How darn good does this summer salad look? After a few weeks of busy nights and not so healthy eating, I'm on a mission to clean up my eating habits and shape up for the summer events we have upcoming. Plus, total added bonus, this in no way looks lacking in flavor or freshness. We had dinner for the first time on our back patio last night and I look forward to enjoying this Sunday afternoon in the yard.

What other summer salad recipes are your favorite go-to's?