Living in Canada I automatically feel an immense pressure to make the most out of every minute of the summer because I know that this warm weather only lasts for so long. Canada Day is tomorrow and this year Jamie and I are taking a road trip to the USA. I don’t know if that is anti-Canadian of us but the 30 degree temperatures and ocean in Delaware are sure calling my name. June has been a busy month that has been full of events, long walks in our neighbourhood and lots of ice cream runs! But I am looking forward to what July has to offer which is hopefully more sunshine and a new home to live in (fingers crossed).
1. Toronto Flower Market: The first month that the Toronto Flower Market was in town I was in Halifax so I missed out on it. So this month Jamie and I woke up early to beat the crowds and have first pick. I was determined to get a huge pile of peonies before the season ended and the TFM did not disappoint. I came home with a bundle of these gorgeous flowers which not only made our house smell so fragrant but two of these guys lasted for almost three weeks!
2. Treats From Nagège: You might have seen via my Instagram that last week Nadège Patisserie sent over the most thoughtful box of macarons customized with my logo. On top of the beautiful macarons they also sent the most stunning box of their P’tit Choux & Miniature Gateaux. I am not kidding you I ate 75% of this box within the first day and saved just a few for Jamie. It was indulgent but so worth it.
3. Surfet: I was so excited to be asked to go on my second adventure with the Bench Canada team a couple of weeks ago. The first time around we went axe throwing which was fun but not really my thing, so when I found out that I would be working out on indoor surfboards for this adventure I was so game. I thought that because I have paddle boarded that this workout would be a piece of cake, but it kicked my ass! I loved working on my balance and pretending I was surfing so this is a work out I will be doing again!
4. Rooster Coffee Date: Last summer Jamie, Milo and I would always walk to Rooster Coffee on Saturday or Sunday morning and have breakfast on their patio. We have been pretty busy so far this summer and put a yield on this tradition. Last weekend we made it a priority to go and it was so nice to feel nostalgic and drink coffee with each other.
5. Pamuk & Co.: I wrote about my affinity for Turkish Towels back in May so it comes as no surprise that I have been on the hunt for some for my own bathroom since then. I felt so grateful when Pamuk & Co. contacted me to see if I wanted to try a couple of their ultra luxurious towels and now feel almost guilty I hadn’t heard of them before I made my round-up. These authentic Turkish Towels are so soft and gorgeous. Having them in my bathroom makes taking a shower that much more enjoyable.
6. Replanting: It came as a huge surprise to me that one of the succulents that I had planted in my DIY succulent garden would grow so much that I would have to re-pot the others. Charlie, as Jamie informed me is his name, has grown over a foot tall was taking over the entire bowl, so recently I had to move the other plants into their own mini bowls and I ended up love the look of them.
7. Boots & Bling: I was so happy to be invited to the Front Street Capital Charitable Foundation’s 5th annual Summer Solstice event this past Thursday. The event raised more than $275,000 for St. Joseph’s Health Centre’s Paediatric Emergency so you can imagine that it was quite the party! The event was white and western themed and obviously included a mechanical bull that I felt the need to try. Embarrassingly enough I flew off the bull and my entire dress ripped. I’ll spare you the details but it was bad…Luckily for me the caring ladies in coat check sewed my dress back together and I went on to enjoy the evening…turf burn and all.
8. Club Monaco Preview: Club Monaco is one of my favourite brands so when I was invited to check out the fall preview I was beyond excited. There isn’t much that can make me wish away the summer but the rich fabrics, colours and textures that Club Monaco is offering this fall (almost) did. One of my favourite styling tricks that Club Monaco showed was layering turtlenecks underneath silk camis which was something I did a couple of years ago and am glad to see it is still so popular.
9. Wall Flower: June is the month when all of the flowers that had been planted back in May really start to bloom and stand out. I always enjoy walking by local homes and businesses and admiring the gardens that people create. This one in-particular really caught my eye. I think the contrast between the dark grey wall and purple flowers make a beautiful impact.
10. Kensington Market Openings: I really enjoy the laid-back and carefree vibe that the Kensington Market area lends but I rarely make my way to the area. The Trinity Commons opening party was the perfect excuse to wander around the little shops and eat delicious food on the Trinity Commons patio. Jamie and I loved that the restaurant sources most of their ingredients from the grocers in the market and we were huge fans of their house made sausages. We will definitely be going back.
Highs And Lows
June 26, 2015
{Beautiful handcrafted Turkish Towels c/o Pamuk & Co.}
We have been so busy these past few days trying to play catch-up as Jamie and I are heading on a road trip to Delaware next week for a mini vacation. I am so used to the drive back and forth to Halifax by now so it’s nice to be going on a different kind of road trip this time around. I’m looking forward to setting up a summer inspired playlist, check out the sights on the way there and finally dip my feet in the ocean. Have a great weekend everyone, see you Monday!
{My first ever drive in theatre complete with pillows, blankets, pizza and Milo}
{Morning light on a coffee date with Jamie}
{Love the idea of this tin bucket floral installation at a local restaurant.}
{First bottle of Rosé to kick off the summer, I felt the name was very appropriate.}
DIY Tassel Tote
June 16, 2015
Tassels are absolutely everywhere this season. From home furnishings to clothing, shoes and accessories, you name it there’s probably going to be a tassel attached to it. Ever since I created my tassel bedding this past March my mantra has been “if you like it then you shoulda put a tassel on it” *Sings in Beyoncé voice*. I have been dying to share this DIY tassel tote with you because it is just soooo adorable and perfect for summer! I love this pink ombré version that I have created and can’t wait to carry it around everywhere with me everywhere this summer. I think that adding tassels to a simple beach tote is such a simple and fun way to elevate a basic bag into something so eye catching and unique.
What You Will Need:
1. Tote (here, here & here)
2. 12-24 skeins of embroidery floss (front & back)
3. Sharp scissors
4. Needle and thread
Step 1: Remove paper from embroidery floss and open it up so that you have a long oval shape.
Step 2: Cut 2 small pieces of string and tie one of them underneath the top of the string and secure it with a double knot. You can also make a small loop with the string so that it will be easy to sew onto the tote later.
Step 3: Tie the second piece of string that you cut tightly around the floss about 1/4″ of the way down to create a small ball of the top. Trim the remainder of the string.
Step 4: Use sharp scissors to cut your tassel loose. Make sure to cut it evenly in the middle of the skein so that your next tassel with be the same size. Each spool of floss will make 2 tassels.
Step 5: I only put tassels on one side of my tote and made 4 rows with 6 tassels in each (12 skeins) you will need 24 skeins of embroidery floss if you want to do the front and back of your tote.
Step 6: Colour coordinate your tassels and line them up in the order you want them to appear on the tote. I made a ombré colour scheme, making sure to make each row slightly different so they didn’t look too uniform.
Step 7: Take the needle and thread and carefully sew each tassel through the holes in the tote. This part is really simple so all you have to do is make sure that the tassels are secure.
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