gone zane-y

I came across a new store on Queen St W on my walk home one night called Zane. They carry loads of Rebecca Minkoff purses and Karen Walker sunglasses - which are fun to browse through, but I've fallen in love with their collection of small beaded bracelets. I've been on the hunt for something special to send my little sister and knew I had found it when I saw these bracelets. They're priced well and the fun colors combined with the bit of glitzy gold make them fun for a simple everyday piece. The double strands sell for $40 and the single (not pictured) for $25. The turquoise one is in the mail and I kept the orange one for myself, and I've since returned to pick up a birthday gift. 

real men eat quiche

When I was younger, I hated quiche. I'm talking "I refuse to eat that" tantrums when my mom used to serve it for dinner. That being said, it's funny how things change :)

Quiche is such a nice way to get loads of veg into a meal, plus the protein of egg and the tastiness of cheese and a flaky crust. 

We bought frozen pie crust which made things super easy and we actually used the quiche recipe on the box for guidance. You can obviously combine any flavors you like but we used red pepper, mushroom, onion, spinach and brie. Another bonus was that we had cut up some extra veggies and had enough filling to make a second quiche to freeze for later.

We simply cooked down the vegetables together in a little vegetable oil and garlic, then poured them into the thawed crusts and topped with the cheese, herbs (basil and thyme) and the eggs that had been whisked together with the milk. You cook the quiche on 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees for the remaining 30 minutes. 

I can't wait to try some other flavor combinations. I want to try ham with cheddarar and goats cheese with roasted peppers. What combinations would you try?

have a great weekend

Our Saturday morning started off with a trampoline dodgeball 30th birthday party. Yes, it's as fun as it sounds but was also, unexpectedly exhausting. If you ever get the chance to play, I highly recommend it! A very fun start to the day :)

With another busy week over and gone our new place is really starting to feel like home. I have some new updated photos that I'll share early this week, but in the meantime, some links from the web...

Of a Kind has some sweet new limited editions, check them out...

A friend mentioned enjoying this drink in conversation and now I can't wait to try making them.

We ate and drank at this cool restaurant last night.

I'd love to wear this t-shirt this summer to get me excited about our fall trip to the Big Apple.

Are you going to watch for the Super Moon tomorrow? I can't wait.

some firsts

Since moving into our new place, we've been keeping busy and there's been lots of new "firsts". I've been careful to not let the time just pass by, by am trying to soak in these memories. I have no doubts that this is the start of yet another chapter of my life with D, but this one feels pretty darn special. I thought I would share my favorite five "firsts" from the past week...

1. Our first home cooked meal together. We made baked salmon, salad with blue cheese and boiled potatoes. We don't have a table but we sat on the ground around our coffee table and chatted about our days over white wine and food.

2. My first Skype date. When our cable got hooked up on Wednesday and I couldn't wait to connect with some loved ones that live far away. My sister and I had a long, wonderful catch up over Skype and I showed off our new place. One of the best parts was seeing her dog Bentley react to my voice. He was so excited/confused, he started looking for me behind the computer screen.

3. Biking to work for the first time. I was a little nervous, afraid that hardcore downtown bikers might whiz by me, but I was pleasantly surprised that my back street route was quiet and relatively untraveled, and I was able to enjoy riding along the streets of Toronto.

4. Our first after work drink date. Yesterday D met me on Ossington and we browsed in a few shops then went for a snack and a drink at Union. It was raining out and we sat at the window bar, once again catching up about our days and watching passerby's dodge the raindrops.

5. Our first Sunday morning coffee date. Last week we slept in (which is about the easiest thing to do in our new bed and 1500 thread count sheets) and we got up and walked down Roncesvalles to Lit Espresso Bar for a coffee and scone. Hand in hand, looking into the different shops and people watching - it was the perfect start to the day. I look forward to many more Saturday and Sunday mornings :)

snazzy red kicks

{ Franco Sarto Venezia Pony Suede }

I fell in love with these Franco Sarto Venezia flats on my way home tonight. Having one of my favorite shoe stores directly in my path from work to home might turn out to be a quite fun/dangerous. The pop of color would be such a fun way to snazz up a simple summer dress, don't ya think?

cozy campfire go-to

{ Three Dots Open Cardigan }

I know the summer heat is quickly approaching, but there will still be cool nights spent on patios and around campfires... right? Is there any way to justify buying a cozy sweater in June? It would look super cute with white jeans!

diy chalkboard

Some of you might have noticed the chalkboard in our kitchen from yesterday's post. I was inspired by this blog post, and knew that I wanted a little message board to write D little love notes for our new place. This DIY chalkboard is a piece of cake and such a fun way to communicate.

What you'll need:

1. A frame

2. Chalkboard paint

3. A brush or roller

4. Piece of particle board

5. Chalk

Start by measuring your frame. Then go to the hardware store and get a cheap piece of particle board (mine cost $2.80). The hardware store will usually cut your board to the size you need for free. Paint the board leaving as few brush strokes as possible - the paint will flatten out on its own. I used two coats. Then before you staple the board into the frame, prime the board by running the side of a piece of chalk along the surface. Wipe clean. Staple into frame and hang!

Make sure chalk is easily accessible so friends can write fun messages :) 

the move to our new pad

Turns out moving is super stressful. That being said, once things have settled down, it's easy to come to the conclusion that the reward is worth the worry and work. All of last weekend and week was consumed with painting and cleaning and picking up last minute things. Saturday and Sunday was spent moving in a Uhaul along with countless trips of very jam packed vehicles. The prep we did definitely made the move easier, as we just sort of moved things into place. The details all pieced together perfectly and we are so in love with our new home. Our couch is on back order, but we got cable today and our bed is officially the most comfortable ever - so the pros are outweighing the few cons :)

We're hoping to have friends and family over soon (although the perfectionist in me wants to wait until our couch arrives) but for all those loved ones living far away, I thought I'd share a few photos of the new pad! This is such an exciting time for D and I, and we so appreciate all the love and support we've received with regards to the move - so a heartfelt thank you.

{ The best welcome mat ever :) }

{ Picked up some fresh peonies on my way home yesterday }

{ Our $6 dresser all prettied up }

{ These chairs await the delivery of a gorgeous handmade table (photos to come) }

{ I'm in love with our kitchen and how everything came together}

{ The front hall brings back fond memories of the East Coast }

{ The painting is by D's grandfather }

{ I loved getting to creatively organize my new walk-in closet }

{ Our bedroom has been the coziest place to retreat to every night } 

a perfect summer bag

{ Marc by Marc Jacobs Goodbye Columbus Croc Bentley Tote }

top to bottom print

 

{ Stripe Cutout Maillot }

{ Stripe Cover Up }

What are your thoughts on wearing top to bottom matching prints? I think it can either be done really poorly or amazingly well. I've been noticing printed pieces everywhere - shorts, pants, t-shirt, blouses- and have really fallen in love with some of the looks. A well fitting look paired with simple accessories can look so sleek. I think this one piece and cover up are a fun twist on the matchy-matchy trend and would look super cute poolside or lakeside this summer.