Weekly Wrap Up

Hello friends! Aside from my leg & arm issues... the past couple of weeks have been really great. I've been busy designing blog templates for clients, consulting (more on that soon) and working with beautiful mamas on newborn photos. I'm feeling blessed and affirmed... when we knock the universe really does answer! I've hinted at the fact we've had a stressful summer. Yup, we have! Martin has been off work for the past three months (teacher strikes) and losing his income hasn't been easy. But thank god, we've been able to make it work and for that I'm eternally grateful! ♥
 
Photos from our week: 1) Working on new blog templates. Yay! I hope to have them listed next week! 2) Are you sick of seeing Sunshine on instagram yet?! I'm thinking no... that girl gets more likes than I'll ever get. Hehe! 3) Working on a blog post about my everyday make-up. Watch out for that in September 4) Hair, hair. I want to dye it. But am beyond stumped on which colour to do!


Favourites from around the web:

♥ Discovered this beautiful blog a few months back and I'm so in love.
♥ Tieka rocked these flats a few weeks ago. Oh my gosh, need them!
♥ Beautiful words to live by - love reading quotes like this to start my day.
♥ This antique window headboard is beyond lovely.. can't wait to add something similar to our room.
♥ My new maxi dress crush for fall! Just add slouchy cardigan & booties. Am I right?!

Inspired by: Colour! I know everyone is into all things white at the moment, but I'm loving colour! Colour in our home, my graphic design and my photography.

On the horizon: Branding my site + social media a little more cohesively, and of course, awaiting my new blog template! Painting our bedroom a slate grey in the fall. Plus, I'm excited to get back into the swing of things with home group via Village Church!

Daily Wears: Scarf Obsessed

And just like that. I'm completely & utterly scarf obsessed! Since I tend to wear a lot of simple & neutral hued outfits, adding a scarf is the perfect way to give an outfit that something special. So, on that note... prepare yourselves. There will be many posts, with many scarves! ;) What accessories are you loving right now?!

I'm also excitedly awaiting my new blog template from the Maiedae girls. The countdown is on! In the meantime, I've started working on a new about page, fall sponsorship packages and designed a beautiful press kit for the blog. I can't wait to share all of it with you in September. Lately, I'm feeling inspired and like I have a new lease on life. After a stressful summer... it seems like there is a positive fork in the road. Finally! I'm welcoming it with open arms and a grateful heart. Happiest day to you, friends! xo

shop the look:

Scarf: Forever 21
Maxi Dress: H&M (similar)
Belt: American Eagle
Shoes: Zara (similar)

My Shop: Clearence Event... Up to 75% Off

What day isn't made better with the promise of a great sale, am I right?! I'm excited to announce my beloved shop XO Veronika is having a fabulous clearance event. All items are between 50-75% off and feature labels like Tulle, Hansel from Basel and Towne & Reese. So be sure to hop over & nab something gorgeous! I can't wait to start listing new items for fall later this September... I'll be focusing on adorable knit hats, scarves and delicate jewelry. My favourite!! Have a question about an item? Reach me at hello@xoveronika.com

Daily Wears: A Simple & Black Summer

This week, I hope to be back to business as usual on the blog. While my wrist & leg aren't doing great... I am learning to manage it a bit better. Definitely no fancy photo editing for me though. This particular health issue is teaching me to be quick and speedy in my work. Not a bad thing as I tend to be a perfectionist. So, it would appear, there is a zen like lesson waiting for me here. Although, the workaholic in me is not impressed. At all!

As for fashion this summer? I've been all about the black. I've worn this dress pretty much every day and remixed it a million ways! For this month, I plan on doing a few more outfit posts, hopefully ones with more colour! ;) And fall!! I'm getting excited. I have plans to dye my hair in the next week or two... and I have a few blog improvements up my sleeve as well. Don't I always?! Haha, yup!

shop the look:

Cardigan: Target (similar)
Dress: H&M (similar & gorgeous)
Cross-Body: Winners
Earrings: Stella & Dot
Shoes: Zara (get em' here)

Home: Wooden Feature Wall

Firstly, I'd like to take a moment and whine. Oh man, I miss blogging!! Unfortunately, I'm unable to sit at my desk without paying a hefty & painful price... but soon! Soon, I hope to be back in the full swing of things. So don't give up on me guys! And secondly, my girlfriend Erin (hi Erin) just added a wood feature wall to her bedroom and now I'm obsessed. I'd love to do the same for our place, we'll see... I'm kind of running out of walls! ;)


Aren't both these rooms amazing? I love the warmth the wood adds + the pops of colour are absolutely divine in both rooms. I swear, next life, interior design here I come. It's such a passion of mine... coincidentally Martin's getting a big raise in September and I see where all our money will be going. I kid, sort of. What do you think guys?! Would you add a wooden feature wall to your home?!

Love this wall from Better Homes and Gardens too. The slightly blue-ish colour is so beachy & lovely - plus the pops of white give this living room a clean and modern look which I absolutely adore. Ok, on that note, I'll leave you with a few more inspirations... be sure to pop by my pinterest page for my favourite beach homes and other home tid-bits!


Wishing you a fabulous Wednesday friends, and please, send your healing prayers!! xo

Weekly Wrap Up

I don't normally post on Saturdays, but what the heck, here I am! ;) How's yours so far?! We started our weekend off with a bang. Yesterday, Martin & I decided to go for an amazing run/hike, see first photo above. Pretty splendid, right?! My leg & arm might be numb, but damn it, I will not buckle on my fitness goals. I'm kind of a hard ass that way - stubborn, really! This past week has been a good one... I've been working on a bunch of design projects and have a few new templates to launch in the next week or two. Very exciting to watch my little Etsy shop grow. Yay!

Aside from that... because of said arm & leg it's been a lot of rest, rest, which honestly I find a little excruciating. I'm a busy body by nature. So, this goes completely against my grain. Upside? Amen for Netflix and a hubby that's home for the summer. I've also dreamed up lots of great things for the blog and can't wait to implement them once I'm fully back on the computer. Come on, already!!

And lastly, our poor cone head!! Although, I'll admit, Sunshine is a total fashionista because somehow she makes that cone work! Our poor gal hit her eye and now it's infected so we're giving her eye drops, spoiling her with her favourite foods (chicken and gravy) and nursing her back to health. It's kitty Hilton over here! ;)

Happy weekend, guys!!

Travel: Cee Of Coco & Vera, Top 5 Paris Cafes

Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to a new travel feature as well as a new contributor to "By The Shore." Say hello to Cee! She's one of my dearest friends and has spent the past year living in Paris. So, who better to cover one of the worlds most stunning cities. And, if you aren't already following her beautiful blog - please run over and do so! Cee's gorgeous outfits and insightful writing are a favourite part of my morning routine. With that said, here are Cee's top cafe recommendations. Anyone traveling to Paris?!... Spill please, Martin & I are excitedly planning a trip for next year!


Le Saint-Régis: there are very few cafes in the world that could convince me to get dressed before eating breakfast, but Le Saint-Regis is among them. Situated on picturesque Ile-Saint-Louis, this sweet little café is exactly what you would imagine finding in Paris, with scuffed wooden tables, tiled walls and gruff but charming old waiters. Oh, and did I mention it has a view of Notre-Dame de Paris?


Café de Flore: if you love to read, you won’t want to miss visiting this famous left bank cafe, said to have been a favourite of literary greats like Ernest Hemingway and Jean-Paul Sartre. At the Café de Flore, it’s more about the history and atmosphere than about the food, but you can’t go wrong with their thick, rich chocolat chaud.


Brasserie de la Tour Eiffel: Paris is a wonderful city for people watching and what better place to do that than in one of the busiest parts of the city – on the quais of the Seine, just down the street from the Tour Eiffel. Order a coffee and sit on the sidewalk outside this small café, which recently gained some notoriety being featured on the blog Gary Pepper Girl!


Le Louis-Philippe: to truly experience a piece of Parisian history, you need only stop in at Le Louis-Philippe – the cafe/restaurant, with its trademark green and white facade, has been open since 1810 and very little has changed since. The menu is French traditional and the views from the terrace and perfectly Parisian.


Lockwood: while Paris is a city steeped in history, it also has a large population of hip young people with decidedly modern tastes – including a taste for a good cup of coffee. Lockwood, a small café by day and whiskey bar by night, is one of many new spots serving up just that: good coffee, along with sandwiches, salads and baked goods. [I might be a little bit biased in recommending this one – a friend of mine was the chef here for a number of months and he’s never made anything I didn’t love. If he left some recipes behind, you won’t be disappointed.

If you'd like to learn a little more about Cee, visit my blogs "about" page! Or say hello, via her blog Coco & Vera! xo

Bocci With Friends

Thank you for the health well wishes, guys. I'm still feeling up & down, and my gawd, my numb arm and leg are driving me absolutely nuts! I'm trying my best not be a hypochondriac, but of course, the mind reels. In any case, I hope to be back to a slightly more normal blogging schedule this week - fingers crossed that goes as planned. On Saturday, I met up with our dearest friends Clint & Erin who graciously hosted a summer get together for our home group. We covered all my favourite summer essentials: wine, bocci ball and an outdoor fire pit. My over zealous bocci skills (read: no skills) may have have caused me to break Erin's planter though. Ooops! Regardless, we had the BEST time!

This week, I'm working with Erin on a really fun t-shirt collaboration. More on that soon! As well as introducing a new contributor to the blog... and possibly looking to do a blog revamp with the Maiedae girls. I always muck around so much with my own design, I thought it be kind of nice to have someone else do it for me. We'll see, what's going on for you?!! xoxo