Closet Essentials: The Romper

I love the easy & chic style of a quality romper. The one I've featured here is from Madewell and I can imagine it transitioning so seamlessly in one's closet. Wear it out for drinks with a great blazer, or with converse & a ball cap for a day of grocery shopping. These days, my style has been incredibly easy and basic. Loose knit cardigans paired with simple neutral hued sundresses, leather tote bags and easy t-strap flats. I hope to be back with an outfit post soon. Perhaps I can twist my honey's arm for some outfit photos later today! ;)

And yay, throwing confetti in the air, cause tomorrow is Canada Day. We're having our friends over for a yummy barbeque: hot dogs, potato salad, spinach salad and corn on the cob. I'm making this one and I'm all kinds of excited. Then we're heading down to the pier to take in all the festivities and celebrations. I'll be sure to snap a few photos of our day!! Happiest Canada Day, friends! xo

look one: white blazer, romper, bag, flats
look two: vest, romper, sunglasses, sandals
look three: sweater (topshop), romper, ball cap, converse

Favourite Corn Recipes

Corn + Goat Cheese Pizza | Mexican Corn Salad | Corn Chowder | Sriracha Street Corn | Asparagus and Corn Salad

With Canada Day and Independence Day just around the corner I have side dishes on the brain, and these delicious recipes would be perfect for a summertime barbeque. Especially the two salads and the Sriracha Street Corn which I'll be making for Canada Day. This year we plan on relaxing at home with great food and then walking around our neighbourhood to check out all the fun celebrations. I can not wait!

Also, a few helpful tips regarding corn, it's one of the vegetables mentioned on the "clean 15 list" so no need to buy organic. It's high in vitamin A, potassium and contains 5 grams of protein per 1 cup serving. On that note, what's your favourite dish for Canada Day/Independence Day? And, happy Friday everyone!! xo

Pizza At The Pier

It's early and my big mug of coffee is doing nothing to jump start my brain. So, we're keeping it nice and short today. Plus, I was up most of the night with the worst back pain. Onward, two exciting things! One, this date night. Two, I finally dusted off my DSLR and took photos. I've been relying on my iphone a little too much lately and taking these photos reminded me how much I love adventuring + capturing everyday moments. Let's do this all summer long I say! Oh if only I could, the dreamer in me would love to travel for a year, take pictures and spend my days writing it all down. Life, I'm forever your biggest fan! Here & there, Martin and I have talked about the possibility of moving to New York for a year. He's suggested doing a teachers exchange, and you know what? As terrifying as it seems... maybe we should!

On topic, off topic, we were witness to a terrible car accident the other day which has honestly left me very shaken. We were first on scene and I felt like my heart was going to rip in two for everyone involved. I hardly slept that night... those events have a way of replaying in your head. I'm really not keeping this short, am I?! Coffee kicking in, check! Anyway ever since the accident I've been thinking about the fact that life has no guarantees. We can try and clutch to the things that define us: marriage, monetary stability, our talents, careers, etc. But none of us are immune from the unexpected. And so, it got me thinking that courage, authenticity and living a life that's meaningful matters a whole lot. Seize the day, seize your personal truth! xo

Monday Finds...

(Image source | via Pinterest)

Hello, friends. Hope the weekend treated you well! Ours was great, so much sun, plus our brunch with friends turned out great. Mimosas, good food and over the top silliness. We have many an iphone photo to prove it! ;) This week, I'm working on a few more blog templates for my Etsy shop + launching a sale. I also did a photo-shoot with the sweetest couple and love how the photos turned out. I'll be sure to share them with you soon! So much fun, right?! In the meantime, links, these are my faves! xo

1. What do you think guys, most perfect dress or what?! Plus I love how it's styled on the model!

2. Just made this DIY Vanilla Coconut Moisturizing Sugar Scrub, thanks to Melissa of Bubby & Bean. It was awesome!

3. This watermelon cucumber salad is on my must try list... would be great with a BBQ dinner!

4. Never thought I was a romper girl until I saw this one.

5. Old Navy has so many well priced + adorable sandals. Narrowing down my choices will not be easy!

6. This purple druzy ring is such a gorgeous statement piece.

7. Love this portrait session shot by my pal Gaby of the blog This Little Port!

8. And what is it with me and silly dog pictures?! Oh my lord, I can't get enough!

This week's photos

I could keep posting, and posting photos. Yup, no doubt about it, my iphone is ready to explode. As for this week? Well, teacher strikes & health flare ups aside, it's been a pretty good week. Although, I will take a minute and say when my health issues flare up it's a struggle. Currently, I'm taking a new round of enzymes and eating a very clean & simple diet. So far, it seems to be easing my symptoms and life is returning back to normal. Thank god! If you deal with health problems, you have my deepest sympathies!

On a brighter note, I had the pleasure of attending the J.Crew event recently. Oh man, I wanted to buy everything + I loved seeing all my favourite blogging pals. This past weekend Lynn & I rounded up our fur babes & guys and headed out for a misty ocean walk. Tomorrow I'm hosting a vegetarian brunch at our home with friends. I'm baking muffins and making this tofu breakfast stir fry. Fun fact?! I'm a total domestic nerd, well okay, sometimes! ;)

What's going on for you this weekend?! Any fun adventures or plans? Let me know, as always, I love hearing from you guys!! xo

Time For Change

(Image source | via Kinfolk)

It's been a lot of blabbing and not much blogging this past week-ish, sorry, but I'm honestly still reeling from all your comments on my most recent post. So instead of carrying on, I've used this last week to step back and thoroughly examine the kind of content I want to be posting. I believe in having a solid game plan as it helps keep me focused and passionate about what I'm doing. So, a few quick updates for you today...

I excitedly gave the blog an overhaul & re-brand. I still have lots to do, but it's a start and I love how clean and content focused this new layout is. For me, change is like a breath of fresh air and I'm soooo craving it. As for the blogging portion?! I'd like a little less "me" on this space. Sometimes, if I can be frank, being in front of the camera turns me into a bit of a stress case. I still intend to post outfits and daily snaps it just won't be the heart of the blog anymore. Instead, I'm envisioning a blog filled with beautifully curated content and a healthy mix of home decor, recipes, fashion and lifestyle.

So what can you expect? Well, for the month of June I'll be introducing several new features as well as working with two guest editors, more on that soon. I'm starting a monthly blogging series which will begin the last week of July. Yay! I get so many emails asking for blogging tips and I can't wait to start sharing them here. Lastly, I'm cooking up a fun feature where I'll be interviewing some amazingly talented & creative woman. Lots of fun stuff to look forward to! As always, thank you for your wonderful support! xo

PS - I'll be picking & announcing the Belle Hibou giveaway shortly via Twitter!

Closet Essentials: The Denim Vest

Over the weekend, I whittled my closet down to my most beloved pieces. Eighteen, to be exact. I'm not sure what came over me... but for this upcoming season, I'm so craving simplicity! I paired down my choices to include great basics and neutrals like: cardigans, camisoles, midi skirts, maxi dresses and great fitting denim. I must admit, I have a deep love for outfits that are easy and above all unfussy. Now that my closet is paired down, it's my hope to start shopping a little less and incorporate more strategy. I'll be sure to share my progress here!

One of my "must have" items is the denim vest. I had a ton of fun coming up with different outfit variations for this post and can't wait to wear these looks for summer. They're so perfectly me! Lastly, I plan to be back with my personal style posts soon. But honestly, it's kind of nice to take a break. Plus, you haven't missed much. I spent most of the weekend in t-shirts and boyfriend jeans, so yeah! ;)

look 1: vest, maxi dress, tote, sandals (Zara)
look 2: vest, tee (My Theresa), skinnies, tote, sandals
look 3: vest, tee (My Theresa), midi skirt (Zara), sandals

Thank You... You Guys Are Truly Swell!

I wanted to pop in oh-so-quickly on this fine Sunday morning and say thank you! Thank you for all of your amazingly insightful, sincere and candid thoughts on my last post. I loved, loved reading your comments and in-fact have read them several times over. I also received several emails from long time readers, saying they were feeling inspired to start blogging again (yeah baby!) and bring back more of a personal & authentic tone to their blog. In fact, my long time reader Kate did just that and I was thrilled to read her first post. Her words resonated with me so deeply and it's reassuring to know we're all scratching our heads over the same thing. We're a community of strong, intelligent and thoughtful woman, each of us gifted with our unique voice... I say let 'er rip ladies! ;)

On that note, signing off... that second cup of coffee is calling my name and so is my messy kitchen. Happy Sunday, beauties!! xo

My Thoughts On Blogging

As promised, I'm back, and sharing my thoughts on blogging. Is it wrong to air out my thoughts on the blog?! I don't know, but I'm just going to go with it. So yes, blogging about blogging. Instead of banging my thoughts out alone, or watching poor Martin glaze over. I thought I'd jump over here and chat with you guys. Most of you have blogs and are a wealth of sage advice. Right?! ;) K, here's the thing. Last week, I decided to start a personal & private blog. A place to document a photo or two from my day and just write about my thoughts and daily happenings. I thought it would make for an adorable keepsake for our kids one day, and for Martin & I. But... something awesome kind of happened, all of a sudden I felt free to write, post less than perfect photos and basically felt no pressure!! Um, kind of rad, which also got me thinking - isn't that what blogging is supposed to be like?!

Blogging has changed a lot over the years. I think in the beginning it had a really indie vibe, a super thriving community and girls were blogging to have fun & connect. But then blogging started to explode and become a real thing, a career, a powerful tool for companies and bloggers started to make money. Lots of money. Which is awesome and commendable, but that doesn't have to be everyone's goal, right?

I'll admit, here & there, I've gotten sucked into the notion that I need to work really hard on my blog and make it the best it can be. But do I?! Don't get me wrong, I love photography and taking gorgeous photos. But sometimes, that's not where I want to be investing time, ya know?! I'd love to take a more casual approach to blogging. I'm not trying to turn my blog into a huge money maker... so why set the bar so high? Or live under false pressure?!

Does that make me sound bad? Do I sound like a terrible slacker?! Ha, I don't know, maybe I am. But for those of you who blog... I'm sure you've felt these things too. Sure it's fun to take photos while you're out with your main squeeze + friends. But then again, it also takes you out of the moment and stops you from being present. I've started taking my camera out less & less. Although, I still love snapping a quick iphone photo or two. I love writing, capturing moments from our life and connecting with this awesome community. I've truly made so many amazing friends through this space, and it's how I keep in touch with many of you!

So now what?!! Well, I have no idea! Take a break? Um, no! I'm way too addicted to blogging for that! But, I'm slowly learning to pull the plug on pressure, and I hope to become more free & spontaneous in how I do things. No need for schedules, or rules, or any other nonsense. So yeah, I'm still working through the fine details. But I wanted to share none the less and get your input and start a conversation. Spill guys, spill... why do you blog? Do you feel the pressure? Or are you able to take a super casual approach?

PS - see ya next week, less rants, more posts!! ;)

Belle Hibou Giveaway, Win An Item Of Your Choice!!

I'm very excited to be hosting today's super rad giveaway. One of my favourite things about having a blog, with fabulous readers (thank you!!) is getting the opportunity to introduce you to fantastic shops, and this one is exactly that. I adore Belle Hibou and her amazingly sweet & whimsical jewelry. So, be sure to enter and nab yourself a gorgeous piece of jewelry for this summer!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Girlfriends

I had the best weekend, I hope you did too. On Saturday, I spent the afternoon with two of my besties, Erin & Sabrina! I'm convinced time with friends makes the world a way better place. Right?! My only complaint about our afternoon? Time went by alarmingly fast. The girls got to my place just before four, and poof, it was eight. We talked about so much good stuff those gals & I. Social media, materialism, mother-hood, our spiritual beliefs, and shared a few embarrassing stories which we're all taking to the grave. Erin, I have two words for you!! "Golf course!" Have I said too much?! ;)

The gals gave me some very insightful blogging advice as well. I actually had a candid post on blogging all cued up for this morning, but chickened out. Friday, I'll post it on Friday! So yes, blogging advice, the girls shared their point of view on this crazy thing called "blogging & social media" and it was incredibly refreshing. They pointed out the importance of staying real, being yourself, and to show more than just the "pretty" things in life. As Sabrina pointed out... it's life, not a magazine. Honestly, I couldn't agree more. I'm certainly not perfect, nor do I want to put forth a perfectly curated image of myself. That's never been the heart of who I am. I like seeing the bumps, warts and imperfections in people. It's compelling and interesting. So yeah, blogging has definitley been on my mind lately, and it's my hope to get a little more candid with my posts here. I may share my thoughts with you over the next few weeks, as I explore this topic, and hopefully I won't bore you to tears! I kid, I kid... it will be riveting! ;)

PS - I also wore my rad maxi skirt all weekend long. A few of you have asked where it's from... I bought it at Forever 21. Nab yours here!

Weekly Wrap Up

It's been a pretty awesome last two weeks. I excitedly re-launched my Etsy shop (psst, the à la carte items are now available!!) plus I'm working on a new biz. Or more like resurrecting an old passion - I'll be sure to fill you in next week. Sorry, I've been so secretive. I just want to do a proper post!

Photos from our week: 1) The new Etsy shop is live... feeling like a proud new mama over here!! 2) Friends, sun and good times. 3) I started a personal blog this week. Each day I take a quick photo or two and talk about my daily happenings. A lovely keepsake which I hope to share with our kids one day! 4) After work, patio and wine ritual! ♥


Favourites from around the web:
♥ Not only is Jen one of the coolest gals around but she also has killer style. Loved this outfit!!
♥ Um, have you ever seen anything more precious than this anchor top?! Dying over here!
♥ Just re-vamped my pinterest boards!
♥ Loved this post on blogging from Sophie of Her Library Adventures. A topic I could go on about!
♥ Aw, this black tie french manicure is too cute!

On the horizon: Summer, summer, summer!! I just wrote out a summer bucket list and can't wait to start checking things off. Picnics, day trips, and weekend getaways to nearby islands. I can't wait to make this summer a memorable one! Only 15 more days till summer officially hits. Who's excited?!

Healthy Living | Black bean, Tofu and Spinach Salad

Today I'm sharing one of my fave & newly created salads. In fact, I made it twice in one day - it was that good! :) Lately, I'm adding lots of salads/raw food to my diet and loving it. It's a great way to get a good dose of minerals and vitamins, plus my skin is thanking me for it. And beans! Absolutely love em'... they're high in fiber & fill you up, have a great range of minerals and protein as well as iron. As always, if you try the recipe, let me know. I'd love to hear what you think!

You'll need:

Spinach
Black beans (canned or pre-made)
Firm tofu
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Almond milk, unsweetened 
Mayonnaise
1-2 cloves garlic
Mexican spice
Flaked chilies
Salt & pepper to taste

Wash and trim spinach, place in salad bowl. Next, sprinkle your shredded cheese on top of spinach. I do about 3/4 cup. Meanwhile, in an oiled pan, stir your tofu until golden. Then add your rinsed black beans (if using canned) and add your premixed Mexican spice and flaked chilies. Stir until warm and then let cool for 3-5 minutes. Add beans & tofu mixture to your salad, sprinkle with a little more shredded cheese. Salt & pepper to taste.

Meanwhile for the dressing (I did a really quick one), whisk 1-2 crushed cloves of garlic, with 2-3 tsp of mayo, drizzle of lemon juice and a drizzle of unsweetened almond milk. All done!

Recipe source: This one's my own. If you'd like to share it on your blog, please be sure to link back to this post. Thank you!!

Everyday Style | New Ventures

Yay!! Just as the title states - I'm excited to announce a new venture! Over the past year, I've completely fallen in love with blog design & coding and I'm excited to announce I've re-opened my Etsy shop (I use to sell handmade jewelry). Now you'll find... blog templates, blog elements and clip art. Although, the last two won't be available until later this week. Sooo, head on over and let me know what you think!! Outfit wise?! Next best thing to a maxi dress? A maxi skirt! Can't believe this is my first one... I've also worn it with a fitted coral sweater and loved that too! Happiest week, friends! xo

shop the look:

Denim jacket: H&M (similar)
Tank: Joe Fresh
Skirt: Forever 21
Bag: KGB Black Label (similar)
Shoes: Zara (get em' here)