CLOSED: Giveaway From Poppy Clothing

I'm incredibly excited to be hosting a giveaway for my good friend + fellow blogger, Amy of Urban Frill. If you aren't familiar with her blog, please do follow because she's one stylish and gorgeous lady! Today she's offering up a $50.00 gift certificate to her beautifully curated shop to one lucky reader. Yay! 

Enter to win:

1. Visit the shop

2. Leave a comment letting me know your most beloved piece

Bonus entries:

1. Follow via twitter

2. Or like on facebook

(please leave an extra comment for each - bonus entries only)

Giveaway is open from now until March 5th, 2014, and open to US & Canadian readers only. Good luck, everyone!!

UPDATED 03/06/2014. WE HAVE A WINNER... CONGRATULATIONS TO KILEEN, OF THE BLOG: http://www.cuteandlittle.com/ 

Creative Transformation

Outfit Details:

Hat: H&M (similar)
Jacket: H&M (similar)
Dress: thrifted (favourite midi 1 & 2)
Tights: Joe Fresh
Boots: Aldo Shoes (similar)

This month, creative transformation and a resurgence of inspiration have been hitting me hard. Perhaps, in tune with spring's soon to be arrival, my own creative buds are slowly preparing for bloom! I’m currently and excitedly writing a post for the lovely Jenny Highsmith of Maidae on pursuing your dreams. I'll admit, writing, has always been a bit of a stranger in the room for me. However, I’m slowly taking steps to familiarize myself with it, and learn more. I’ve committed my mornings to “free writing” where I let it all flow, without hesitation and without judgement - it’s proved to be an amazing exercise. Not just for writing but also for instilling a sense of faith & trust in my own creative process.

Trust can be hard. Kind of like, if you’re giving a speech and you over prepare out of nervousness. It can end up feeling stifled, and out of the moment. As of late, my new motto is to under-prepare. Arriving at the next creative destination, feeling open to inspiration and in-tune with the uniqueness of the moment. I'm learning there is so much magic in the spontaneous, if, we can just let ourselves be! Seeking truth definitley makes life sweeter! xo

Lately

Happy Friday, everyone! I'm gearing down from a long week of sleepless nights. Family stress and Martin's relentless coughing (he's sick) have left me feeling so tired. The kind of tired where your eyes burn all day. But hey, it's Friday, and I'm off to enjoy Sabbath dinner with friends tonight. Thankfully, I still have some semblance of energy to appreciate the good things. So not all is lost, friends. There's light breaking through the clouds and I'm soaking it in.

This week, I dusted off my DSLR and spent some time taking photos. I even started a fun side project through Society 6. I'm now selling a small collection of prints, framed & unframed, and canvases of my artwork. It was so fun to put together, and each photo is incredibly special to me. I'm excited to fill our walls. Timely, as we're doing a bit of re-decorating. Um, again! I'm far too visual for my own good, and currently dreaming of a space like this!

When the creative tides pull me, I know no self control. I'll happily go where they take me, and will without resistance, settle on new shores. xo

New In Shop

I'm so excited to be popping in today and sharing my newest shop updates with you guys. It's safe to say we're all in a spring state of mind. Or at least, wishing winter away. Am I right?! Well, these pretty baubles have definitley been brightening my wardrobe and chasing those winter blues away. I'm also offering a promo code for today. Yay! Enter treatyourself at checkout to receive 10% off your order! Quantities are limited and items are going fast, so be sure to pop by the shop & nab your most beloved items! xo

www.xoveronika.com

When Inpsiration Calls

Outfit Details:

Scarf: H&M
Jacket: Forever 21
Cardigan: Madewell
Jeans: American Eagle
Bag: Handbag Heaven (old)
Shoes: Aldo Shoes

I love moments of spontaneous creativity and last minute photos. That's exactly how the above snaps happened. Martin & I were both sick and miserable this weekend, and off to dutifully do our grocery shopping. Because we had no food. I threw on some easy layers, looked at Martin, we did a knowing nod, and thought, yes, photos! When inspired, it's best to roll with it. I'm glad we did because I'm quite smitten with how the pictures turned out.

One of the main reasons I started "By The Shore" was to challenge myself creativity in both my photography and writing. Unfortunately, those intentions haven't really been in bloom these past few months. But lately, it feels as though there's a new creative re-birth happening, a calling and a new bend in the road. I'm excited to see where it leads me. I'm feeling the need to cement my passions and make more time to nurture my creativity. I have lots of ideas. Hopefully, some of which I'll get the chance to share with you!

Outfit wise? Oh man, I could live in Madewell cardigans, boyfriend jeans and slouchy boots. In fact, you just might see a version of this outfit a few more times on the blog. No joke! It's my favourite uniform.

You're The Prettiest (Etsy Edition)

I may no longer have my Etsy shop. In fact, going solo was the better decision for me. But having said that, I still stalk and shop Etsy, a ton. There's nothing I love more than unique & creative pieces to set my closet or home apart. Usually, my weekend ritual includes peppermint tea and a quick perusal of Etsy. Then I thought, hey, I should totally share my finds with you guys! After all... who doesn't love a little eye candy to inspire their day! Am I right?! K, time to get off the computer!! xo

Left to right: Hand knit blanket, Yarning Made // Ring dish, Claylicious // Canvas & leather tote, byMART // Geometric necklace, Blue Bird Lab // Felt succulent planter, The Yarn Kitchen // Eames RKR chair, Cast and Crew // Card, Quill and Fox // Leather cuff, Brick and Arrow // Throw cushion, Zana Products
 
* Interested in featuring your shop? Visit my sponsorship page or pop me an email. Please note, while I whole heartedly appreciate all inquiries, I only feature shops that reflect my taste & personal aesthetic. Thank you!

Happy V-Day Ya'll

Well, evidently, these two love bugs got the Valentine's Day memo. How cute, right?! I was originally planning on including a sweet wedding photo of Martin & I... but I couldn't resist sharing this photo instead. Speaking of which, if you'd like to see our wedding photos you can check them out here. So what's on everyone's agenda for tonight?! I think whether single or married, it's lovely to spoil yourself and the people around you. We're keeping tonight relatively simple, we'll be heading over to one of our favourite Japanese restaurants for dinner and then watching Martin's students perform in Hairspray the musical. I can't wait, it's one of my favourite shows!

I'm so ready for it to be Friday too. We've had a hell of a stressful week. Honestly, I have a huge knot in my stomach and having terrible insomnia because of it. Oh man, nothing like family drama to get a gal feeling over-whelmed. As always though, I'm counting my blessings, staying strong, and feeling thankful I have amazing girlfriends that are willing to lend an ear. Amen! Sending big heaps of love to you guys!!! Happy Valentine's Day!! xo

stripes and mocs

Say hello to my make-up free mug and turbo fast outfit photos. I like to fuss with my photos just as much as the next gal, but, some days it's just so refreshing to snap a quick photo or two and be on my merry way. Especially when I have a date with my honey and we're off to enjoy our favourite pho place. Mmmm!

This past weekend was a bit of a mixed bag. On Friday, I put my back out, ended up on the floor and couldn't move. It was painful and mind numbingly boring. Oh man! So glad to be up & moving around again. We spent a bit of our long weekend running errands and peeking at our favourite home decor shops. We're in the market for a new area rug, floor lamp, art for our gallery wall + I just discovered the cutest pouf for our home!! Can't wait to nab one. And my outfit? Oh you know, comfy and casual. That's how I roll! ;)

Jacket: Forever 21 / similar
Dress: Gap / similar
Ring: XO Veronika (coming soon!!)
Bag: c/o Handbag Heaven (old)
Leggings: Joe Fresh
Shoes: Joe Fresh (similar)

a tour of our home

Hello! Today, I'm sharing a quick little tour of our home, which is brought to you via my trusty iPhone camera. I've been meaning to do this forever and can't believe I just got around to it now. So bad, but so me!! When it comes to our space, we're still wanting to add hardwood floors, swap out our gallery wall and buy a new area rug. Hopefully, I can feature updates of our home here & there on the blog throughout the year... if that's something you guys would like to see?! I also have a few DIY's that I'd love to share!!

We bought our home five years ago, and immediately fell head-over-heels for the over-height ceilings, mountain view and the fact that we're surrounded by the most breathtaking nature. We have the cutest village right down the street with adorable boutiques, restaurants and fantastic coffee shops. Our complex also has an outdoor pool, hot tub and a ton of private amenities like a fireside lounge, theatre room and tennis courts. The list goes on! In the summer, we love to hike with friends, barbeque and then dip in our pool - such a wonderful treat!

As for our home decor? I wanted to create a space that was warm, cozy but still modern. I love the beige walls, moldings and I'm a huge fan of our red accent wall. For the furniture, we focused on mostly white upholstery and dark wood. Since our kitchen is dark and our space is super open, I wanted everything to feel cohesive and have good flow. Martin & I are slowly starting to dream of a second home... but for now we're loving and enjoying this one so much. Hope you enjoyed the tour! xo

PS Have you done a tour of your home recently? Leave a link, I'd love to see!!

keeping it simple and boho

Argh, is anyone else finding their photos are uploading all grainy to blogger? The last time it happened, I was able to fix it with a simple setting tweak (turning off auto-enhance in Google+). However, this time I'm at a loss. If you know of any fixes, please share!! Also, thanks so much for your sweet comments to Friday's more personal post. I'm definitley mastering my new diet and slowly starting to feel better. Although I just learned I'm dealing with Adrenal Fatigue too, so, aren't I just a treat?! But working from home helps manage my symptoms a ton. I'm extremely grateful for that!

Okay, on to the outfit. I actually wanted to name this post... my boots, my boots, I freakin' love my boots. You know how some shoes can just make the outfit?! That's how I feel about these boots! They were such a great purchase... I've been wearing them with tunics + leggings or with my light wash skinnies. Swoon! As for the rest of the outfit? Well sometimes it's just nice to keep it simple, you know, throw on a dress and head out the door! xo

Dress - Forever 21
Tights - Joe Fresh
Bracelet - Stella & Dot
Arrow Ring - XO Veronika (only 1 left!!)
Boots - Aldo Shoes