Feeling so refreshed after a lovely long weekend. It was perfect – I wish every weekend lasted so long. Things are getting busy again as I move towards the weekend but in a very good way. I am excited to share some very exciting plans in the coming weeks! But for now, enjoy some sugary-sweet snaps from my instagram. xo
Oh and here are some of my latest posts out in the interwebs:
Top 5 Ways to Spoil the City-bound Guy this Winter
How-to: Eat Chic in the Food Court
These boots remind me of my childhood in Vancouver. Traipsing through mud puddles and climbing on rocks at the beach, my boots were a big part of my daily life. When I first found Native Shoes, I was smitten right away. I ordered a pair in an olive army green (the top photo is my feet) and I have been loving them ever since. I even jumped in a puddle the other day!
Also, a company that puts out a video like this, puts stars in my eyes instantly. Follow them here: .
from on .
disclaimer! i was not compensated by native shoes for this post. my opinions on the shoes are based solely on my own purchases.
We were so lucky to run away to Montana this weekend and get some much needed rest and relaxation. I have heard so many great things about Eureka and Whitefish that we decided to venture down and hang out in a big forest lodge – Grouse Mountain Lodge. It was so lovely – chocolate-dipped strawberries, champagne, live music in the lounge, thrifting, a quick visit to Target and just getting to spend some quality time together. We also stopped at my new instagram friend ‘s cafe in downtown Whitefish. While she wasn’t around while we were there – we definitely plan to come visit again in the summertime.
We plan on making this a much more regular thing – getting away to a mountain town for a night or two. How do you recharge your batteries?
It doesn’t take much to excite me and these scissors are living proof of that. I picked them up from Michaels yesterday in the Martha Stewart Crafts section and I am absolutely smitten. They make it easy, quick and fun to make confetti and fringe banners. Okay, I am off to make a mess of my living room. xo
this is my husband, byron. this is what i imagine his face would look like if i surprised him with this picnic!
This February 14th, skip out on the staid dinner+movie you’ve had planned for the past four consecutive years with your Valentine and do something a little bit more spontaneous. Surprise your guy with a Valentine picnic in the park! Sure, its still a bit chilly in these parts but that is only the more reason to get cozy with him in the park. I have 9 must-have ways to plan the perfect picnic. Here’s how:
Make a Scene! If you live in LA or you’ve got a sweet helium hook-up, order this stunning balloon valentine from the gravity-defying Geronimo Balloons. You’ll get a ton of looks carrying these enroute to your picnic and as long as your guy isn’t easily embarrassed – he will LOVE your stunt too!
To Freeze or Not To Freeze? You definitely won’t be freezing anytime soon with this celebratory Kate Spade Thermos. Fill it up with Hot Cocoa to keep you and your honey toasty all day.
Style Guy. My husband would never buy himself a bowtie but I know he WANTS one! I’m going to save him the trouble of ordering only and get him one of these great plaid ones from Forage.
Romance on ice. If you are lucky enough to have a public outdoors ice rink near you, your picnic just got 100% more awesome. Grab both of your skates before leaving the house to get some quality time on ice together.
Music is at the heart of every love story. Nothing says love like vinyl – this portable turntable is perfect for spinning your favourite love tunes all night long.
Beer. Yes, my first thought when planning my romantic picnic in the park was to get some fantastic pink champagne but then I remembered that this picnic is not for me and my girlfriends. Stock up on your man’s favourite craft beer and literally surprise him with your thoughtfulness. Ha!
Takeout! Downtown parks are always located near great take-out spots. Sushi, Vietnamese, subs, even pizza will fit the mood of your spontaneous blanket soiree. Plus, instead of cooking – you’ll have more time to plan your outfit.
Pie-in-a-Jar. There is just nothing better than individual sized desserts and trust me, if my husband doesn’t want to graze on cupcakes and macarons in public – yours probably doesn’t want to either.
The Blanket. Choose wisely. You can’t go wrong with plaid.
What are your plans for Valentines Day? Do you usually go with grand sweeping gestures or do you prefer to ignore the holiday all together?
It’s that time of year again, where we are all working on restoring, renewing and refreshing our homes. The best new ideas are appearing on all of our favourite shelter mags and we are starting to yearn for brighter colours to liven up these last few months of winter. Its almost like spring fever….
The Calgary Home & Garden Show has given me two pairs of tickets for the upcoming exhibition on Thursday, February 23rd to Sunday, February 26th at The BMO Center. This year’s show has over 650 exhibitors and an impressive star line up including HGTV host Bryan Baeumler and The Food Network’s Corbin Tomaszeski. My personal fave Alykhan Velji will be doing some amazing things throughout the week as well as other local designers Rosalyn Lazaruk and Tara Jamieson.
The YYC FoodTrucks will be there too! What gets better than amazing local food, beautiful style, and Canadian design celebs?!
Oh and did I mention the fabulous prefab Karoleena Home that will be onsite? There is an image below of The Kensington Dream Home and I pretty much could move right in!
Anyways, I know you want to win these tickets so here are two ways to win:
1| Leave a comment on this post telling me about your next Restore | Renew | Refresh project that you have planned for your home.
2| Like the and leave a comment about your favourite YYC FoodTruck.
The two winners will be randomly chosen on February 20th at 12pm. Good luck! xo
Sometimes when I am lost in my to-do lists and stacks of things to go through, I forget just how fun my life is. And then I see photos like this – outtakes from various projects I am working on and why I stay up late every night working on my writing projects and blogging. So so great!
I spent the evening running down by the river with my husband. We just started doing the couch to 5k running plan as our new workout “thing” together. It was fun and we mapped out the perfect route to take us from home and back again. It was the perfect night for it too – a little bit brisk but all-in-all warm for February.
I’ve been on a workout kick lately – spending time with a trainer once a week, fitting in yoga, swimming, and aerobic classes wherever I can. I’ve also been seeing a nutritionist who is a real kind of awesome. She did her masters thesis on an athlete who has Celiac so she knows just what kind of stuff I eat…and what I shouldn’t (aka just because it is gluten-free doesn’t mean its good for you). So, I’ve been sticking to a basic meal plan with her and figuring out what works and what doesn’t.
Its been fun and I love finding things that make me laugh and smile while I do them. In the next while, I hope to try Zumba, Bollywood Dancing, and Kickboxing. All of them are high energy, fun and likely with the exception of kickboxing – you have a smile on your face the entire time. Plus, I am going to Las Vegas in April for a music festival and I absolutely want to look stunning in my vintage swimsuits!
What is your go-to workout? I’d love to know what has worked for you!
xo