Beach themed Bridal Shower

Hey guys! This past weekend was my bridal shower … it was nothing huge but it still required a LOT of planning and preparation… from the food, to the games, to the table and chair rentals etc….It was an intimate affair at my godmothers house with some of my best friends and family… It was honestly everything I could imagine and more! There was a lot of food (appetizers, main course which included roasted pig, chicken, fish fillets, sushi etc… and coffee and dessert to finish) … wine that my lovely papa picked up for all the ladies (white, red and zinfandel)… the tables were beautifully decorated, games were fun … we played the apron game where you have to walk around and guests look at your apron .. but they don't know the rules yet… then they are quizzed to see how much they can remember and person with the most points wins a prize… we also had some throwaway games like “guess the seashells”, the “Price is Right”, create a dress game which was a team effort and Beach Bingo… I also got “grilled” with a set of questions that my maid of honour and fiancée came up with … to test my knowledge and see how well I know my husband-to-be… I was afraid but actually did very well :P…. overall, I think everyone had a great time and it was definitely a success… and there was not one person that could say they left hungry! My mother, aunts and maid of honour were just so amazing in helping to make sure everything ran smoothly …I am so blessed to have such wonderful and amazing women in my life… My little brother was also amazing at making sure I had photographs of the event… and being a runner/coat boy… I even got a cute little recipe book because each guest was asked to bring their favourite so that a book could be compiled for me – it was so sweet! J also made an appearance at the end and gave a lovely little speech that literally put me in tears and brought me a bouquet of roses <3

Next up is the wedding! I cant believe it is just over a couple of months away … I am a little nervous but I guess that's a good thing! I am so thrilled … and our home is almost ready … we are installing the kitchen, washroom and trim at this point…. then paint and we are pretty much set! I might show you guys some progress pictures of the home if you are interested

Hope you have all been doing well – thank you for sticking by me during this “crazy” time in my life

xox

We are a thrifty bunch …. I haven't disappeared, I just took a little break

Hey guys! So I guess its pointless to state the obvious… that I have been gone almost 4 months and I will just leave it at that … there has been a lot going on in my life and it has taken a slightly different direction where I have not had as much personal “free” time as I would like … J and I have a lot going on but you know what…. I am thankful. I am thankful for every opportunity life has provided me … I am thankful for everything that I have and that can be interpreted on different levels … I am thankful for the amazing people I have in my life (home, friends and work) and I am working on maintaining a sense of balance as best as I can and not let small bumps get in the way of what my ultimate goals are … I work hard at anything and all that I do but sometimes… you need to just step back and just breathe… because its so easy to become immersed in everything that you begin to lose a sense of enjoyment for the small things because you are so caught up in what seem to be all the “big things”. Anyways, enough of my “rantings” … I wish I had a fashionable post to share with you guys … but I don't … and to be honest… I'm ok with that and I hope you guys are too … because I am really excited to share my home and wedding related things with you! J and I have made a lot of progress on the home… we have done almost all of the work ourselves …. from gutting it to now beginning to install the floors… its been a lot of work… and a tight budget … but we have managed and are managing! It has been almost a year since we bought the house it is finally beginning to look like a home. We have walls! That we can paint! …. We are working on getting kitchen quotes (which was quite the shocker… in terms of pricing… but I am sure J and I will work something out that works for us and suits our style without compromising our “budget”… at least we have our fingers crossed) …. he hates that word… budget…. but its reality … and until we are both millionaires… haha …. that word will continue to play a “favourite” in our vocabulary!

I have not been thrift shopping much this past year … but I did manage to find a couple of brass coated lamps a while back with J… he actually sanded them down so that we could prime them with a grey spray primer … its about $5 at a hardware shop … and we are then going to spray them with white high gloss enamel paint … I cant wait to see the finished product because they already look pretty cool to me… and for $20… you cant go wrong – they are in perfect working condition! Our bedroom is a lot of whites, greys and silvers so these should go perfectly with our decor once its all done.
The table you see in the pictures above… was actually given to us from one of J’s mothers friends … she had the table for YEARS … its solid wood and was in great condition so of course … we weren't going to turn it down! I prefer the craftsmanship and durability of something that I know has withstood the test of time… and still looks great.. over something I might buy new anyways. The table was sanded down and re-stained… we will most likely be getting new chairs because the ones pictured are not very comfortable … and we like to mix antique with modern pieces so I think this table with some updated chairs will suit us perfectly!
Well I am off to bed to get some rest….

I hope to be back as soon as I can be back! If any of you have any home/wedding related tips or stories, or just want to say "hello" ... please leave me a comment and I will write back to you :) Talk to you all soon!

xox

A long weekend Away …. Tobermory

I don’t know how many Ontarians read my blog but just recently J and I discovered a beautiful new spot that we had never been before… this is apparently the “diving capital” of Canada … Tobermory! We rented one of the yurts there with a couple of our friends … it was affordable at $80 per person for 3 nights and we had a blast fishing, swimming, hiking, exploring, going to the docks, antiquing, and discovering a bunch of awesome independent coffee shops with crazy home baked goods! It was the perfect long weekend for J and I who have obviously been on a a budget with the wedding and home renovations… usually we would trek to New York or something of the sort… but that can get quite pricey for a long weekend and to be honest, this was just so much more relaxing and stress free (which J and I really needed after this crazy summer!) … We will probably go back next summer to Tobermory/Bruce Peninsula.. because we loved it that much! The water looked like water we see in the Caribbean .. to be honest, we didn't even know we had waters like this in Ontario and so close to home! Well, you can bet I didn't bring any of my perfumes with me here…. haha… I would have been eaten alive! The only “perfume” I wore was bug spray … and that is ok by me if it means clearing my head, fresh air and peace and quite … even if only for a weekend!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

A small glance into my Perfume Collection

Hey everyone! Again, you know I am going to start by apologizing for being away for so long but work in both the office and at home has been quite demanding and consumed a lot of my time as of late … which means less time for blogging. Unfortunately, I still don't have any outfit posts and its mostly because … to be quite honest, I have not been in much of a mood to “dress up” … things will get “back to normal” once the hustle and bustle dies down …. which will hopefully be shortly after Christmas time (which is quickly approaching might I add! you all know how much I love that time of season) … I thought I would do a quick post before getting away (I will be off to a cottage for the long weekend … our first mini vacation this summer!) …. one thing that has not changed much is my desire to have a pleasant aroma/scent… J always seems to appreciate this as well which only fuels my quest for my perfect signature scent … I have always appreciated and loved vanilla based perfumes, powdery perfumes and if you can manage to mix a teeny bit of muskiness in there … I am in love! Which is why I am going to start with my Dior Hypnotic poison perfume. I actually received this in a trade … and adore it to pieces! It is a very unique scent that you do not smell on a lot of people… I think its one of those love it or hate it perfumes – there is no neutrality to this …at least in my opinion! It mainly has an almond scent with a vanilla powder dry down… its gets better throughout the day and has pretty good lasting power on me … it reminds me of a sweet sexy cigar … the type of scent you would wear to a bar … super sexy and womanly but not overly sweet

Lolita lempicka is one that I have talked about a lot – and probably one that I wear most often when I am unsure about what I want to wear … it is a great daytime scent ..it is a liquorice, violet and vanilla blend that makes it hard not fall in love with … the only downfall is it really does not last that long… and for the price it demands, I would hope that it would ..regardless, it still makes it to the top of my list

Vera Wang’s Princess is probably my “signature” scent although I am trying to find a new one… it has become so common … but beautiful nonetheless… also vanilla based, I think it has better staying power on me than lolita lempicka … and it is a chocolate/vanilla scent to me … sort of soft and powdery

Miss Dior Cherie is what I like to wear as sort of a night time, going out –special occasion scent… it has a sandalwood base which I have noticed I seem to veer towards … sandalwood and vanilla .. it is a more “mature” scent but not overpowering at all… still very young and fresh .. this one smells slightly floral/fruity

Emporio Armani She is a gorgeous and sexy scent that I do not smell too often on women.. I am not a fan of the packaging at all … although it is easy to throw in your purse… but the goods inside are delish! there is nothing fruity or floral about this… it is spicy, sexy and smells amazing throughout the day from start to finish … this is at the top of my list … especially for a night out! It always gets compliments

Bond no. 9 Park Avenue is very clean and fresh smelling … this brand is extremely expensive but the lasting power is great and they are definitely unique scents … I have a hard time describing this other than noting that is a very light, clean and feminine fragrance .. perfect for spring and summer! Has paperwhites and chamomile notes which is unique to anything I own

A new addition to my collection is Floris – White Rose (eau de parfum) … I had read great reviews on this and wanted a powdery floral in my collection – this is it! It is not headache inducing … I usually steer clear from florals … the dry down is slightly powdery but with a bit of a muskiness to it – I love it! It does not have a traditional rose smell to it at all … it is something you need to smell for yourself to be quite honest… it tempts me every now and then and is definitely a perfume that not too many people own. The brand Floris has been around for over 200 years, made in England and has the Queens seal of approval… its a keeper in my books!

Givenchy Very Irresistible – this is one of those scents that brings back memories… It always reminds me of my cousin in Portugal (this was her signature scent) … she would always spritz some on me before we went out to a club … it brings back memories of summertime.. eighteen years old, with no worries and just enjoying each day… memories of Portugal and Spain.. until I had to go back home and back to “reality” haha… its a special fragrance .. sort of a spicy vanilla with slight floral but not overpowering ..also has sandalwood in it I believe

Cerruti 1881 – this is the slight “oddball” in my collection … it is not a scent that I would usually steer towards but for some reason I love this one! and again, it is one that you will not find in too many peoples collection… which I like… it is one of those fragrances that just doesn't go out of style .. you only need a light spray ..it has a clean scent to it – there are notes of bergamot, violet, chamomile, rosewood sandalwood and musk.

Nina by Nina Ricci – I love the apple bottle … it is a wonderful blend of fruit and vanilla! It is such a delicious smell… J loves this and always compliments me when I wear it .. I remember my mom came home with it a while back… and it was love at first sniff for me… I had to get my own bottle… and I eventually did and will continue to repurchase this one for as long as its made. It must always be in my collection. It is candy, warm and summery

Black XS by Paco Rabanne – this is a brilliant perfume .. this is a stronger perfume, more night time and not something I would wear to the office … well maybe depending on my mood! It is an oriental vanilla based scent and does not fall into the girly girl perfume category… slightly gothic, a little rebellious … there is something mysterious about this one… J loves this as well … it is a more unique scent and has pretty good lasting power. This is also one that I do not find too many women wearing

Let me know what your favourites are and if you have any recommendations…. what your signature scent it … if you are still on the hunt for one… I would love to hear about it!

xox

Make a Wish on Park Avenue

  

Hey guys! Its late but I am in a “blog posting” mood so I thought I would share … I just finished our wedding invitations… we had designed them and then had them printed at a print shop… I just finished gluing the finishing diamond touch and putting together all the labels on inner and outer envelopes as well as stamping them… believe it or not … it takes a LONG time! But I enjoyed doing it to be quite honest … Both our mothers (J and mine) purchased their mother of the bride and groom attire this weekend (gorgeous dresses that they picked out that are extremely elegant but with a tropical feel) … it has been quite hectic but I feel like a lot has been accomplished … even in terms of the house … J has been busy there and we hope to have a plumber and electrician there very soon… its coming along, slowly but surely! I am extremely lucky that J is a very handy man… otherwise, we would have to fork out quite a bit more on silly little things!

Alright… now onto the photos and a little “explanation”… so, a little while back Victoria’s Secret was having a sale … and when I saw this tank top (Just Married) in diamonds with the phrase “just married””in tiffany blue… I had to have it! It was $5 marked down from $36!  This is perfect for our destination wedding and for some reason I instantly saw myself wearing this the day after the wedding, by the beachside with J, sipping a pina colada drink wearing a white sunhat and bottoms :)…  The shoes will probably be what I slip into later on in the night of the wedding at the reception when my feet get tired from wearing heels (which I cant show you guys…. its a surprise until the wedding :p)… oh and yes, that is Maxie … my little yorkie… all curious to see what I was doing and trying to get into the picture

Also, I don't know how many of you have tried the Bond no. 9 perfumes but I received this as a gift and am loving it! I think they sell it at Holt Renfrew and Saks (if you live in the US) … It is an Eau de Parfum so it lasts quite long… The one I have is Park Avenue … and if you are familiar with it … you will know it has a vanilla base (which I love of course) along with chamomile and paperwhites. The ingredients are well blended and the scent is hard to describe… it is very unique to anything that I own and seems like a scent that I will not tire of quickly. Have any of you tried any of the Bond perfumes? Any favourites?

Lastly, as you all know I am a serious coffee lover … and recently I have been making homemade lattes and loving them even more than my Starbucks! I never thought I would say this …. but I actually prefer my own coffee now that I have perfected how to make the perfect espresso and steamed milk combination… It also saves me quite a bit of change because now I make it in the morning and bring that to work… I found a little green stove top espresso percolator at a garage sale (only $4) … the lady had bought and brought it over from Italy…. I love it! It makes a single shot so when I want to make one just for myself, I don't need to waste more coffee than necessary… and it works pretty quickly because it is so tiny! It is very well made – all stainless steel… the larger one I picked up at Benix because I had a gift card. When J is in the mood for coffee – that is the one I use… I love the look but it is not as well made as the one from Italy  

Well, I better get ready for bed … J and I have a lot ahead of us next week! Hope you all had a great weekend!

xox

Skin Care Routine, Update and some New additions to the Bookshelf!

   

Hey guys! I had a few requests through formspring for certain posts such as skin care, hair routines etc… which I thought was a great idea … especially considering I have not had time to do outfit posts (J is my photographer and his time is extremely limited nowadays… I cant wait for us to be all settled in … I am getting anxious! haha).

I guess I should start with a little update (if you could give a rats a** … then skip forward to the paragraph below that starts with “ok, I think I have done enough rambling”) … I know a couple of you had mentioned you were interested in home/wedding details (although I am limited with respect to how much I can reveal on here) … right now J and I are having out invitations printed and we will be sending those out very soon … once they have all been mailed I will show you the invites because we love them … J and I designed them ourselves and brought the idea to the printer… we are doing a destination wedding so you can expect them to be beach themed :) … with respect to the home… we are busy with heating/vac right now … it was something we didn't plan on having to do so it threw off our budget a little … but I guess that is to be expected when you go into a renovation… with the addition, the old machine was not strong enough to power the whole home … it was also apparently outdated … goes to show you how much I know about appliances/electronics etc… we have ordered the windows and are now looking into kitchens… we are thinking shaker style cupboards in white/off white colour … and undecided on countertops at the moment… we have been getting a lot of inspiration online and from books but obviously we have to factor in that we are on a budget …. so we will see what we can do! There is not much to show you as of now … so I will wait until I have more “exciting” stuff for you guys … haha

The weather here in Toronto is getting a little better … we had an extreme heat wave just a short while ago … driving home from work with no air conditioning in the car (broken at the moment) was a killer in fifty degree Celsius weather which is like 122 degree Fahrenheit (with humidity) … i felt like my arm was frying … sweat beads dripping off my whole body … I have never experienced such extreme heat… not even while on vacation (as far as my memory serves) …

ok …. I think I have done enough rambling … onto the facial routine. As most of you know … I have one holy grail and favourite face wash which is the tea tree oil face wash from The Body Shop… I have used this stuff religiously for years and will continue to … until… knock on wood… one day it is discontinued (shakes fist* … it better not happen!)… this stuff keeps me break out free for the most part … and if I do happen to have the random breakout pimple, I dab some pure tea tree oil on it with a q-tip and its usually dried up by the next morning. ok, I should mention that before I wash my face I always, always, always … wipe off any makeup that I have on first! I like to use baby wipes when I don't have too much on and when I have eye makeup and so forth … I love the generic brand equate (from Wal-Mart) facial wipes … they're obviously pricier than baby wipes but not by too much .. and a lot cheaper than anything from L'Oreal and those sorts of brands … once I have removed makeup, then I am ready to cleanse with my body shop cleanser …. I love to use my Olay pro X cleansing system ( has a rotating brush head and really gets all the dirt and grime out of your pores) … it cleans a lot better than just using your fingers and you can usually find it on sale at Shoppers Drug Mart for about $28 (and bonus points)! After I cleanse, if I feel I need to use a toner (I always do when I wear my Estee Lauder foundation because that stuff is pretty heavy duty) …  then I like my ROC one which I usually get on sale at Winners …I soak a cotton round with the toner and wipe it all over my face (avoiding my eyes)… when I find it, I stock up .. its gentle and I guess I am just used to it … it lifts any last traces of makeup etc…  during the day, I like to wear my Biotherm sun block in the summertime … I know you should use it all seasons… but I stick with my Clinique moisturizer in the fall and winter … I ALWAYS use an eye cream before bed … the skin around your eye is delicate so I always gently pat it on with my ring finger after I have applied my night cream moisturizer … moisturizer is so important to use every day … you want to start preventing wrinkles early and not trying to “treat” them after you already have them … at least that’s what my grandma always taught me and she look(s) amazing!! That's about it … let me know if you guys have any other questions!

Onto the books (like my new little brass rooster perched ever so perfectly? The mama brought it back for me from Portugal) … I have a massive book collection … which is why I cannot wait for J and I to have our own library/office … we already have visions of what we want it to look like and I am so excited!! I will finally be able to showcase my books properly … they are currently scattered about, in the basement and in boxes…. the set by George R.R Martin was recommended to me by one of my best friends … he loves to read and I trust his judgement .. although I will admit .. I was a tad sceptical at first but after reading a few more reviews of what the series was about .. I think it peaked my interest enough… that and I found the set on sale for a ridiculously cheap price.. cheaper than if I were to purchase second hand! As you can see from the pile I also picked up 5 books from Value Village for $3 each … the only book in the pile to the left of the set is “Committed” by Elizabeth Gilbert … I got that for $12 (40% off retail price) at Wal Mart because I had been wanting it for quite some time … and quite fitting considering J and I will be tying the knot soon as well! I got into the routine of getting up really early at 6am and taking an hour and a half for myself to make an latte at home and read for a bit before work … depending how cross-eyed my eyes are after work … I try to fit in a half hour somewhere …. usually before bed cuddled up in my sheets with a bunch of pillows surrounding me :)

What are you guys reading? Let me know in the comments section!

Hope you all have a great week… weekend is almost here (long weekend = bonus!)!

xo

Better together

 

 

Hey guys! So I cant say that this weekend was the least bit relaxing although it was Canada Day and thankfully had an extra day off … that time was spent at the house working on the basement. I cant wait for everything to come together … but everything is really starting to take shape (I am sitting on what is soon to be our “box window” on the outside of our master bedroom in the first picture). We did however, take some time to go out for some drinks and pizza made in a natural wood burning stove (so good!) with J’s parents and for some ice cream at La Paloma (kind of expensive but worth it for every bite). I wore a very casual outfit … a pair of green cargo pants (sort of a army crossed with mint green colour – my fave) with a white tank and my new Birkenstock sandals. Now onto the sandals… I found these at a consignment shop and they were practically new for $20! I had wanted a pair of comfortable casual sandals and these are it! I have really flat feet so sometimes its hard for me to find sandals that I like .. but these are absolute perfection and $20 versus the usual $100 price tag is good in my books!

I also got to meet my neighbours dog for the first time … he is such a cutie and loves attention! He weighs almost as much as I do … haha …

Well, I am off to paint my nails a light blue colour by Essie called “Borrowed and Blue” from the Wedding collection …. its a light sky blue colour. I picked it up for $6 on my lunch break at work … I feel like after a hard days work … I like to wind down by taking a bath … a cool one today because it was sweltering hot … and then clean up my grimy fingertips and painting them a fresh colour … there are will be no tell tale signs that these hands were ever working in dirt! Then its off to bed for me …

Hope you all had a great weekend!

xox