Happy Friday!

Posted by kait / November 30, 2012

Happy Friday, friends! I am sooo looking forward to getting in some rest & relaxation this weekend. It has been a crazy busy two weeks with endless meetings, events and deadlines. It doesn’t exactly stop here but I definitely am planning a bit of a computer detox over the weekend. Let’s see how I do with that, haha!

This snapshot is of my new white tree which we will be decorating over the weekend and getting our house all Christmas-afied! A big Christmas party this weekend with Byron’s company and our annual family tree trimming celebration at my parents. Can’t wait to decorate, eat loads of great things and do some more karaoke (we just bought my parents a karaoke machine for their 35th anniversary!)!

Happy weekend. xo

happy 35 years!

Posted by kait / November 27, 2012

Happy 35th Anniversary to my lovely parents! They are such an inspiration of an amazing marriage to Byron and I! These are the gift bags I handpainted for their little gifts. We bought them the Moonrise Kingdom DVD so I went with a campy feel to the wrappings. What a great evening of fun, food and karaoke!

holiday cheer! deck the halls gift ideas!

Posted by kait / November 26, 2012

Holiday Gift Guide #5: Deck the Halls – Home Gift Guide

It seems as though we need the American Thanksgiving pass for us to officially feel that the holiday season has begun. I know many people who have already put up their tree and started decorating their homes – but do not despair – you still have plenty of time to get your home looking like a shimmering example of Christmas goodness. This is my last guest post for the series and while I walked around the CORE looking for these gorgeous gifts, I definitely felt that child-like excitement building up inside of me – I just can’t wait to officially be on holidays!

I pulled together some really great pieces to decorate your home with the holidays – they all have a design-inspired spin to them – graphic, bold and charming. I found this regal pinecone candlestick holder (01.) at Indigo and immediately pictured several of them down the center of a table setting. Perfect for Christmas dinner!

I am addicted to buying pretty patterned skinny candles right now – stripes, colour-blocked and argyle! These beautiful Channakuh candles (02.) at Papyrus are the most gorgeous shades of icy blue.

Pantone is everywhere now – including your Christmas Tree. Holt Renfrew is carrying these shiny and colourful Pantone ball ornaments (03.) this year and are the perfect gift for anyone who works in art and design. Plus, you can choose your favourite colours!

Roots has been carrying more and more unique items and their holiday collection is an excellent example of fabulous gift ideas. This 2013 Wood Stump Calendar (04.) is absolutely inspired. Simple and natural paired with beautifully illustrated calendar cards – this gift keeps on giving each month.

Nothing better than a mug, is there? This big cream and gold mug (05.) from Starbucks will keep your beverages hot while you watch It’s A Wonderful Life for the 20th time! Delicate design details make this a great gift for anyone who enjoys hot chocolate or a great coffee.

Stock up on these great items to deck the halls at Twas The Night! Buy your tickets for the biggest private shopping night ever, Twas the Night at The Core on November 28th!

You can find all these great gifts in downtown Calgary at The CORE:

01. Pinecone Taper – Large, IndigoSpirit, $24.50

02. Embossed Candles, , $12.95

03. Pantone Ornament, Holt Renfrew, $18

04. Wood Stump Calendar, Roots, $19.95

05. Rosanna Boxed Mug, Starbucks, $12.95

tiffany’s holiday luncheon

Posted by kait / November 26, 2012

Details are everything.

I was so elated to attend the holiday-themed Tiffany & Co. luncheon last Thursday. Bloggers and members of the media were invited to attend a lovely afternoon lunch at the award-winning Model Milk (recently named top 10 new restaurants in Canada in enRoute magazine) with Elizabeth Hellebrand of Tiffany & Co.! It was so lovely to sit down for a stunning menu with some new and old faces. Of course, details are everything to Tiffany’s as well – the dining room was dotted with perfect white roses, beautifully wrapped Tiffany’s coffee table books, right down to the selection of wines and the hand-typed menus.

While this Tiffany’s get-together didn’t have multi-thousand dollar rings sitting at our place settings like the Breakfast I recently attended – Elizabeth shared an exciting tidbit that Tiffany’s had created the jewelery for the upcoming holiday release of Baz Lurhman’s (of Moulin Rouge fame) adaptation of The Great Gatsby! Scroll down to watch the fabulous trailor that is absolutely stunning with the costuming, decor and music – per usual for Lurhman!

let’s neighbor: calling cards!

Posted by kait / November 21, 2012

Hello Neighbor! Getting to know your new (or sometimes old) neighbors is one of the first steps to bringing together the spirit of community on your block. I am part of a brand-new online Neighborhood that you have to check out! It is called Let’s Neighbor and it is an amazing resource of how to be the best neighbor you can be and to neighbor!

One of the simplest ways to inspire some neighborly conversation is to leave a sweet note on their front door. Whether it be a follow-up from your last Community Association meeting, accompanying a tin of homemade cookies or just a welcome note to a family who just moved in – a quick note is the perfect way to reach out and let them know you are there.

I have created a set of some super fun and eye-catching neighbor cards for you to print out and share with your neighbors!

Oh, won’t you be my neighbor?

holiday cheer shopping! glitz & glam stocking stuffers!

Posted by kait / November 21, 2012

Holiday Gift Guide #4: Glitz & Glam Stocking Stuffers

We have finally arrived at the most glamourous of all of the gift guides – the must-haves in glitz and glam stocking stuffers. These are specifically for the glitterati in your life who definitely have a taste for the finer things in life along with the mere fact that they totally deserve an amazing Christmas gift! And just because these items might shine and shimmer that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank – these particular gifts range in price from $14 to $1400!

Quite often really great things arrive in sealed envelopes and when you put it in a Kate Spade envelope (01.) it’s gotta be really good! These luxe Jingle All The Way cards are the perfect messenger to deliver those big cheques (or gift cards) in, Santa Baby!

One isn’t completely a fabulous socialite without a perfectly stocked bar cart and stunning glassware. These confetti-esque Champagne Flutes (02.) are perfect for those who love to sip on a little bubbly no matter the happy occasion. Cheers!

Fashionistas come in all ages and this Alexander McQueen Paper Dolls Book (03.) will stun and please anyone with a love for fashion and McQueen. Gift to a budding fashion designer or pass along to someone who needs to rediscover their inner child.

Luxury doesn’t always come in a ring box or on a silver platter. Sometimes the luxe life just means having the time to relax and rejuvenate – with fine products of course. This Coconut Milk Mango Candle (04.) is excellent to have burning during a relaxing bubble bath or while digging into a new book.

This is more of a last minute present as you’ll want to be fresh as ever when you place it into your loved ones’ stockings! Cupcakes (05.) are the ultimate Christmas morning treat and could there be anything better than a custom-made one from Buttercream Bake Shoppe? I think not!

And lastly, we have the most luxe gifts of all – beautiful winter-inspired baubles (06 & 07) from Birks Snowflake collection. Both the ring and the stud earrings are glitzy to the max – whomever you gift them to will be sure to shine on through 2013! Talk about bling!

You can get all the glitz and glam that your loved ones could ever need at Twas The Night! Buy your tickets for the biggest private shopping night ever, Twas the Night at The Core on November 28th!

You can find all these great gifts in downtown Calgary at The CORE:

01. Kate Spade Jingle All the Way Cards, Holt Renfrew, $35.00

02. Bubbly Champagne Flutes, Indigo, $36.50

03. Alexander McQueen Paper Dolls, Holt Renfrew, $14.00

04. Essentials Coconut Milk Mango Candle, , $14.95

05. Cupcakes, Buttercream Bake Shoppe, varied prices

06.Birks Snowflake Cluster Ring, Birks, $1395.00

07. Birks Snowflake Cluster Stud Earrings, Birks, $995.00

my stella & dot online trunk show!

Posted by kait / November 20, 2012

I am so excited to share my online Stella & Dot Trunk Show! I am so glad to have you join me virtually in shopping for your holiday baubles! Over the weekend I got together with my friend and Stella & Dot Stylist, Nathalie Tang to pick out my favourite pieces of the collection and photograph them. So much beauty – it was hard to choose which ones I loved the best.

The great thing about an online trunk show is that you can shop the collection of high quality and celebrity-coveted accessories from the comfort of your home! Simply settle in, browse our full collection and place your order here: http://www.stelladot.com/ts/mmjl5

ONLINE TRUNK SHOW NOV 17th-DEC 2nd.
LAST DAY!!! SHOW CLOSES DEC. 2 AT 11:59 PM

Order online: http://www.stelladot.com/ts/mmjl5
Or through my Stella & Dot Stylist, Nathalie Tang:

**All items are shipped directly to your home. Order will arrive in about 5-7 business days. Great for holiday gifts and partys!Please don’t hesitate to email Nathalie at for any questions you might have!

Happy shopping!

first look: chinook centre’s holiday reveal

Posted by kait / November 17, 2012

If someone asked you to get in a limo, grab a flute of prosecco and be whisked away to a top secret location – what would you do?

I decided that being whisked away in luxury is exactly my kind of mysterious adventure. I was invited by Chinook Centre along with several other Calgary bloggers (AniaB., Kara Chomistek, and Vincent Law among other fabulous creatures!) and we crawled into our shiny limos and were immediately presented with delicious bubbly for the ride to our mysterious destination. I tried to look out the window to gather clues for our destination but could not even distinguish the road in the darkness.

Finally, after a wrong turn (it was THAT top secret) we arrived at Heavy Industries. At first, we were totally confused about being smack-dab in the middle of an industrial park but we were quickly introduced to the main event of the night. We entered the workshop to meet the polar bear family that would be unveiled in Chinook Centre’s new north end center court! Creatively designed and beautiful, these polar bears will become an exciting addition to Chinook Centre’s holiday decor. We were then led to the parking lot (I know that parking lot doesn’t sound too glamourous) and were presented with delicious treats and yummy beverages from the ice bar. The weather seemed to be turning extra cold so I spent the remainder of the evening huddled under a white fuzzy blanket sipping Hot Chocolate with Baileys and eating mushroom caps!

A beautiful wintery evening…

happy friday!

Posted by kait / November 16, 2012

Happy Friday, friends! Byron and I just got back from a long shop at the grocery store and I am exhausted. I just made the conscious decision to eliminate sugar from diet this week. I am still allowed fruit so I stocked up on frozen mangoes, peaches and raspberries. It is going to be good and I hope I notice a difference in my energy. I have been staying up way too late in the past week and sugar combined with lack can only result in disaster for me. The next six months I plan to very focused on health and wellness personally. Six months is a good amount of time to take a tired, emotional girl and make her healthy, well-rested and balanced – at least I think so. On the plus side, I needed a new blender and they were on sale at the store! Good way to start off the weekend! Woot!

I hope you’ve got a nice weekend planned with plenty of togetherness with friends and family. I am definitely really looking forward to seeing some friends, getting some DIY projects done and having a big family dinner on Sunday. And the weather in Calgary should be pretty warm for this time of year so I hope to get out a bit and enjoy the sunshine. Are you planning any adventures this weekend?

Also, just wanted to share some of my latest work with you –>

Here is the online version of Design Decoder column in Swerve magazine today featuring Stash Needle Art Lounge!

Holiday makeup is my fave! Bring on the gold, glitter and shiny red lips, please!

How well do you know your neighbor’s? Leave a note & get to know them! As part of the new blog I am contributing to, Let’s Neighbor, I have created a set of fun calling cards for you to download and personalize!

All of the editors over at shared their favourite online shops! Check out your new daily haunts here!

Have a great one! xo

a very minted holiday

Posted by kait / November 16, 2012

Have you met Minted? Based out of San Francisco, they are one of the best resources on the web to purchase custom greeting cards along with beautiful artist prints (addicted to these) and their newly launched party decor line! With Christmas nearly just one month away, it is about time that we all dig out our favourite pen and get writing our Christmas cards.

Today I want to share my favourites out of their new holiday collection of cards. As if like a magnet, I gravitate towards the hand-drawn type cards almost immediately. I love the simplicity and the child-like nature to them. I would definitely want to receive one of these in my mailbox!

I love the colour palette of these last two cards. Cream, green and red – just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I am just wondering though – we don’t have any cute kids or pets like these beautifully photogenic families – hope people will like a card with our goofy mugs on it! Tough luck….

This post was sponsored by minted.com but includes my own opinions and reviews of the product.