a fall treat

I rode my bike to work this morning and it officially felt like fall. I had an oversized knit sweater on with a scarf wrapped around my neck and there was a crisp fresh breeze. I avoided baking over the summer, mostly because out place was already so hot, and I didn't need any extra heat from the oven. But the fall and onset of cooler weather has reignited my desire to get baking again. This William Sonoma bread and butter set is easily one of my favorite autumn treats. Given where it's from, it is a bit of a splurge, but it's usually a one time purchase that is so fulfilling. The pumpkin loaf is moist and flavorful and when topped with the rich pecan pumpkin butter it's to die for! 

{ spiced pecan pumpkin loaf & pecan pumpkin butter }

And incase you need a hostess gift to bring to your aunts house for Thanksgiving, I'd be willing to bet this gift set would guarantee your invited back for next years feast. 

{ gift set }

countdown to the weekend

{ bedroom mantle re-vamped with a new decal }

Happy Tuesday! Hope you enjoyed your weekend and that your week got off to a great start yesterday. This week totally feels like a countdown to the weekend - we're headed to Muskoka for a good friends wedding on Lake Joseph and I cannot wait to see all the fall colors and dip my toes in the lake. I'm catching up with my friend tonight who's back fresh from her honeymoon and I can't wait to hear about their adventure! It's a busy week but in an exciting way, and I'm very much looking forward to ending it off with a terrific celebration. 

Here are a few photos from recent days if you care to take a look...

{ drake general store warehouse sale steal, fig + vetiver candle }

{ tagged along for a park date with this little cutie }

{ 416 Snack Bar's version of dunk-a-roos }

{ new fall shoes from Zara }

{ we cheered the headed-to-the-playoffs Blue Jays victory on Saturday! }

{ the prettiest light installation }

{ sunday morning run + extra butter coffee + village juicery }

{ wedding prep with a friend, deciding on earrings for Saturday }

a classic tote

{ Le Pliage Neo by Longchamp }

On my daily commute to work I tend to accumulate a very full purse. Once I've gathered my thermos, lunch snacks, book and agenda - I'm in need of a tote bag to carry it all, a small side bag just isn't going to cut it. The Longchamp Le Pliage is a very popular choice of women here in Toronto and I think arguably world wide. It has that chic, simple french design yet it's utility is just as useful as it's looks - leave it to the Parisians to figure it all out. I have a playful purple version that a friend got me in London and I have lovingly worn it out to the point that there are small holes. I'd love this black on black version as a replacement, it would blend into my work wear aesthetic and just as easily double as a weekend getaway bag.

Do you have a beloved tote bag? Another great alternative.

lisa vorce events

Lisa Vorce is a celebrity event planner extraordinaire. She's planned breathtakingly beautiful weddings that truly appear like the most love-filled gatherings. Every single detail is attended to yet the parties seem effortlessly relaxing and beautiful. One of the coolest ideas she creates for events is welcome gift boxes for out of town guests filled with local delicacies and favorite treats. I'm not dropping any hints here, I just truly think her parties are the best of the best. I've shared some of my favorite images from her events, and here is her entire event gallery. And here is her recent interview from Camille Styles. 

music monday

How was your weekend? We stayed really busy and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The Roncesvalles Polish Festival was a big success and I ate perogies and bigos for the majority of my meals. D and I are going to a Blue Jays game mid week and I am expecting a quiet week otherwise. Here are a few songs to start your Monday off...

2 Heads by Coleman Hell

Leave a Trace by CHVRCHES

Omen by Disclosure feat. Sam Smith

Wildest Dreams by Ryan Adams 

(Ryan Adams has just completed a full remake of Taylor Swift's 1989 album, it's set to be released soon and I can't wait to hear the rest)

hello weekend

{ the cheese-iest grilled cheese sandwiches with loads of mustard}

TGIF! It's been a very busy week, so I'm looking forward to weekend fun. Work kept me on my toes, and I had a couple of successful meetings, so while a little hectic, it left me feeling accomplished. I took yesterday off and boated over to the Toronto Islands for a day in the sun. It was a welcome change up to the typical 'work day'. 

D and I have a date night planned tonight, including checking out the Drake General Store Warehouse sale (his idea..!). I've booked a relaxing pedicure at HMP for tomorrow morning and am meeting up with girlfriends to celebrate a birthday and engagement. Then D and I will be touring friends and family along Roncesvalles to check out the Polish Festival for the rest of the weekend. I plan on consuming my weight in perogies, and hope the weather holds up for some social beers in the backyard. 

Whatever you get up to, I hope you enjoy yourself and these final days of summer. xx

{ sunny sunflowers to celebrate the lingering warm days }

{ the September issue }

{ gluten free treats for a friend (that he was forced into sharing) }

{ just blogging with Obama }

a peek inside my closet

Many girls dream of having a gorgeous walk-in closet one day, and I for one, am certainly no exception. I love fashion and have fun playing around with clothes and accessories. At our current place, I have to admit I do have a tiny little walk-in. It's literally that, you can walk-in and do a 360. But even if it's small, I love having all my clothes and bags and shoes in there, it makes getting dressed so much fun. I took a few photos the other day if you care to take a peek...

humpday laugh

Did you catch this episode of The Tonight Show last week? Jimmy Fallon faces off in a lip sync battle with Ellen Degeneres. It is as funny as you are imagining.

Watch the epic battle here.

a new camera

This year for my birthday D surprised me with a Fujifilm Instax camera. A friend had one at her party earlier in the summer and I remember raving about how cool I thought it was! I guess D was paying attention because I had sort of forgotten about it until he brought it out last weekend! This portable little camera is so fun and it brings my photography to life. I love my digital Canon camera but I rarely end up having the prints developed.  The film pops right out of the camera after capturing a shot and it also had neat features - like self timer for great group shots, double exposure so that you can superimpose two images and bulb exposure to allow for long exposure times. Each new film cartridge has ten slides and costs about $12. I've carried the camera almost every where with me since my birthday and it'll be such a fun way to continue capturing memories. We've started a collection of photos on a bulletin board in the back hall and I hope that all of our friends and families beautiful faces are posted up there soon! 

{ Instax Mini 90 }

And as if the polaroid camera wasn't cool enough, D found these custom camera straps from the local Roncy shop Muttonhead! 

music monday

Hello! How was your weekend? I had one of the laziest weekends of my summer. The rain and cooler weather definitely encouraged snuggles on the couch. We did make it out of the house to go see The Gift in theaters. We hadn't been in forever but it ended up being a good movie and we chowed down on popcorn - so I was happy! We also did a big grocery shop and it's so satisfying starting the week off with a full fridge and healthy lunches.

Here are a few tunes if you care to listen...

Rise Up by Andra Day

New Americana by Halsey

Here by Alesis Cara

Time to Run by Lord Huron

S.O.B by Nathaniel Rateliff

enjoy your weekend

{ espresso ice cream + ontario berries + septembers vanity fair }

What are you up to this weekend? We don't have much planned but I'm looking forward to hanging out around the city and seeing friends. After the busy-ness of last week and weekend it will be nice to sleep in and go on bike rides. Have a great weekend! xx


..... And for a laugh to start off your weekend, have you seen the 'Whine About It' video's on You Tube? A guy named Matt gets drunk on wine at his desk and then goes on hilarious rants about his topic of choice. This weeks whine highlights the worst things about weddings, he had me laughing out loud... Watch him say what we're all thinking, HERE.

a new coat

As I've mentioned before, I'm a little obsessed with coats. There's something so sleek about the way a well fitted coat can tie together an outfit. I'm on the look out for a grey or camel coat to add to my collection this fall and these three Club Monaco styles have caught my eye. They all offer something a little different.

{ 1 }

{ a classic cut with a sharp leather trimmed zip }

{ 2 }

{ a modern twist on tradition + a very cool collarless look }

{ 3 }

{ a rich dark grey color + a simple yet elaborate wrap collar }

I'd love to know which you like best, let me know in the comments!

Update: After visiting Club Monaco earlier this week, Option 1 won out! It's hanging in my closet and I can't wait for cooler weather that warrants it being broken in :)