the best day ever

As I mentioned last Friday, Drew and I had our first bike date planned and we had reservations to check out a new Greek restaurant on Ossington. When I got home from work on Friday, Drew enthusiastically made me a cocktail and I mosey'd around, changing my outfit five times and fixing my make up. We have a Polaroid camera and have all our beloved photos posted on display in the back hall and Drew mentioned that he hadn't made an appearance on the polaroid boards in a while and suggested that we should take a photo. I'll happily take advantage of any opportunity for a photo together, so I set up the camera for a timed selfie. Little did I know what Drew had planned.... As I set it up and went to press the button he asked "how much time does the timer give us", to which I replied "10 seconds" and ran back to stand beside him. He looked me in the eye and told me how much he loved me right before getting down on one knee, just in time for the best photo ever. 

We stood crying and smiling in the kitchen for the next hour and called to tell our family. We sipped on champagne and I was shaking as I kept saying "I can't believe we're engaged!". I had hoped he had something in the works but Drew certainly caught me off guard, in the best way. Drew did a wonderful job on having my ring custom made, and its far exceeded any idea of what I had imagined I wanted, it's absolutely perfect. We ended up missing our reservation but met up with my parents and continued celebrating over dinner and drinks. We privately enjoyed the news together last weekend and have slowly been sharing the news with friends and family over this past week. We've had so much fun announcing the news and it's been so great seeing peoples reactions. It's amazing to be surrounded by so much love and excitement and we can't wait for all that lies ahead. 

This is easily the happiest time in our lives and I feel so lucky to be sharing it with Drew. We're headed to Costa Rica next weekend and we've chosen to forego any serious wedding talk until after we get back and are just enjoying the engagement with friends and family.

{ This has got to be the coolest blog post I've written to date :) Thanks for sharing in life's milestones with me. xx } 

happy weekend

{ the cutest little palm }

What do you have planned this weekend? D's Dad flies into town for two nights tomorrow and we're looking forward to catching up and hanging out. I'm hoping the weather might cooperate for the first bike ride of the season, I'm so eager to get back out on my bike! Other then that, I look forward to sleeping in and perhaps enjoying some wine :) What ever you get up to, enjoy yourself. xx

{ the medals from our 10km run, proudly on display }

{ delicious avocado toast }

  

{ a surprise treat, gift card for a facial }

{ the most exciting fourth quarter of basketball }

{ homemade cookie dough (that got consumed far too quickly) }

just because

{ nike sneakers $100 }

Summertime is fast approaching and sneakers look cute with just about everything. 

best restaurants

Anyone who knows me well is aware of my love of food. I love cooking and trying new restaurants and really anything foodie related. We subscribe to Toronto Life, and they always send out an annual Best Restaurants guide. I go through the guide checking off the spots we've tried and highlighting the places I want to check out. Toronto has some amazing restaurants and I think I've been to about 30% of the suggestions in this guide, which feels like an accomplishment, but also means there's so many more meals that need to be eaten! They also include a star rating system and a budget guide (tip: If the restaurant has 3 or more $ signs, it should have the same stars to match!)

Here are some of the restaurants on the top of my "I've gotta eat there" list!:

The Commodore (to have a cocktail and soak up east coast vibes)

Patois (to order the entire menu with three friends (yes, it's a thing you can do there))

Figo (simply to enjoy the beautiful space, apparently the pizza is really tasty too!)

Here are some recent spots that I've checked out, which were worth going back:

Bosk (winterlicious menu was delicious and affordable + great service)

Buca Yorkville (call ahead for the chef's tasting menu, a memorable experience)

Home of the Brave (forget the guilt, order extravagant ice cream)

mission accomplished

Yesterday, I checked a personal accomplishment off my bucket list - I ran a 10km run! I've been plagued with a knee injury since high school and running has never been my thing. My knee started acting up last summer and it forced me to search out a new physio. I've found a great clinic with therapists who have helped me tremendously which has allowed me to start running. D and I have spent the last few months training on loops through High Park and jogs by the lake. A friend mentioned she had signed up for the Mercedes Benz 10km run in Oakville, which winds through the beautiful neighbourhoods and along the lake and I knew it was a great goal to work towards. My fitbit helped keep me motivated and it was so much fun to feel myself progressing and building endurance. My goal was to finish in under an hour and my official race time was 58:31. It was an amazing and fulfilling experience and I'd love to sign up for another run later in the summer!

happy weekend

{ vegas selfie }

What are you up to this weekend? D surprised me with a reservation tonight at a Greek restaurant I've been dying to check out. We're going to go see the Jungle Book tomorrow and plan to keep it low key before our 10k run on Sunday morning! We're praying for good weather and a quick finish time :) Wish us luck...

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This coffee + chocolate pavlova looks amazing!

I'm especially dreading being asked #6

Adorable shoes for summer

I'll take one of each please, for the most epic pool party ever!

A beautiful and affordable one piece 

We're spending an overnight in Van enroute to Kelowna in June and I'd love to stay here 

Have you watch Taylor answer 73 Questions?

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I was a little sleepier then usual this week, but for good reason. The bachelorette in Vegas was more fun then I could have imagined and we all had such a great time together. I didn't take many blog-worthy photos, but here's a little peek if you care to see....

{ a beautiful flower garden in ceasars palace}

{ dinner at Rose.Rabbit.Lie }

{ American Must-Eat: In-N-Out cheeseburgers + choco shakes }

{ supergas (ie. italian converse) + miller lite }

{ the most elegant shopping mall ever }

{ the maid-of-honor surprised us with the sweetest gift bags (heart shaped sunnies included) }

{ a vegas worthy manicure from HMP }

{ PSA: Jaclynn gives the best gel manicures }

worthy of a switch

{ Eagle Blanket from Joinery NYC }

Our bed is draped in crisp white sheets with a fluffy white duvet on top, and typically I wouldn't dare stray from all-white-everything, but this blanket just might give me reason to stray from the norm. I love the aztec pattern and muted grey paired with the cream. This would be perfect for a guest room, visitors would feel like they're at a cool hotel like The Drake or The Ace.

holy guacamole

{ Yucatan Guacamole }

I work in a small office of ladies and there are always several snack breaks throughout the day. During the holiday, it's treats galore, but we do our best to have healthier options around for the rest of the year to share when the afternoon slumps hit (or atleast small quantities of unhealthy treats...). This guacamole from the local grocer is my recent go-to. I substitute tortilla chips with low calorie, fat free rice crackers that are super crunchy and we can easily go through a small tub in one sitting. The guac is super smooth and flavorful and doesn't have any preservatives. When handmade just isn't an option, this is my favorite!

[ Disclaimer: I have a bag of trail mix & a small tub of gummy bears in my drawer right now  too! ]

I'd love to know, what are you're healthy go-to snacks? 

house(boat) crush

Would you ever consider living on a boat? I don't think I could swing it as my permanent residence but there's an appealing intimacy about a small personalized space and being able to dip your toes in the water right outside your front door. This cozy house boat succeeds at temptingly convincing me the idea might not be that bad.. (it would however require a move to a much warmer climate)

A lovely alternative - stay on a house boat during a European vacation 

happy (early) weekend

{ a pretty card for the bride-to-be }

It's hard to believe this weekend has already arrived. I remember the excitement and butterflies I felt booking my trip months ago. I've spent too much time deliberating over what outfits to pack and the girly group-chats have been non stop for weeks. I'm thankfully feeling back to myself and have a busy day of wrapping up loose ends at work (+ a nail appointment!). I'm looking forward to cocktails and lounging by the pool and finally experiencing Las Vegas for myself! 

Whenever your weekend begins and whatever you have planned, I hope you enjoy yourself. xx

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A few links from the web....

I'd love to try this recipe - anything to make me feel less guilty about pancakes ;)

A fun phone case for the summer

Warm weather staple that literally look good with everything

A classic indulgence that reminds me of Parisian cafes

Goal: check off one of these destinations this year

An laugh inducing lip sync battle

I'd love to try parachute sheets

Major plant envy

{ D's choices for a fun beer taste test last saturday }

{ not complaining about a surprise dinner at Lee }

{ happy belated birthday to the beautiful bachelorette, time to go celebrate in Vegas! :) }

a decorative touch

One of my favorite parts of gift giving is easily presentation. Even if it's a small gesture, with a little effort and creativity, it's easy to make a gift feel extra special with pretty wrapping. I've got a stash of about 15 rolls of wrapping paper, and a drawer full of ribbon and stamps but my recent go-to wrapping accessory has been tape. I tend to pick up rolls as I notice them, in craft boutiques or in local shops - they never really cost more then $5 and they're easy to tuck away in my drawer at home.

I'll use them as a substitute for scotch tape or to add a more decorative look to an otherwise ordinary parcel. I also love layering the patterns and colors of tape, paper and ribbon. The world of diy crafting has thought up hundreds of ways to use washi tape and here are a couple ways from gifts I wrapped up this week...

{ the gold adds a fun sparkle }

{ the black & white stripe added a stylish touch to a structured box }

beauty bargain

One of my most coveted magazine beauty looks has got to be the rosey glow of a bright pink blush. I've been trying to emulate the look but the Nars Orgasm blush I had in my makeup bag had too much shimmer. I had tried some other drug store brands but nothing ever satisfied the look I was going for.

When I saw this Joe Fresh blush at Loblaws, for $6, I figured I might as well give it a try. It's the perfect bright pink color and the formula has no shimmer, so I can brush on a small amount to the apples of my cheeks for a dewy, fresh look. It saved my life when I was feeling under the weather last week.

tgif

{ celebrating my uncles retirement last week }

I haven't been this ready for a weekend in a long time. It was a busy and stressful week at work and to top it off I've managed to get sick. I'm not sick very often so I always forget how draining it is.

In between packing and attempting to exercise, I plan on relaxing and making a permanent indent in the couch :)

Have a lovely weekend. xx 

{ pretty white flowers for our kitchen }

{ the sweetest summery salt & pepper shakers }

{ completely addicted to the fun of snapchat filters }