For me August is always one of my busiest months of the year besides December, it also happens to be my favourite. Yesterday I celebrated my 24th Birthday which is hard to believe. I don’t know where the time between what felt like FOREVER to turn 19 and head to college and now feeling like a real adult 5 years later went but I am trying to embrace this new (almost) mid twenties stage in my life with a whole lot of positivity, ambitions and goals. Today we’re heading back to Toronto and will be packing up to move as soon as we arrive, but until then here’s a bit of what I was up to this August.
1. Momofuko Sprinkle Cake:;
My family and I celebrated my birthday on Monday night with dinner at Chives followed by heading home for gifts and cake. What I wasn’t expecting upon arriving home was the Momofuko Milk sprinkle cake that my sister stayed up the night before to bake for me. Oddly enough I had been talking about how much I enjoy Christina Tossi (creator of this cake) on Master Chef and this cake at dinner…all along not knowing it was waiting for me at home! This cake is SO GOOD, perfect for a celebration and the cookie crumbles are incredible. My family also spoiled me with sweet and thoughtful gifts like a basket with all of my favourite things and a beautiful watercolor painting of Nova Scotia for our gallery wall.
2. Lots of Lavender:
Any time I’m home in Nova Scotia I make it a point to plan a day trip to Mahone Bay. This time around I went with my mom, cousin and sisters. We spent the afternoon walking around the little town enjoying the scenery, browsed in all of the little shops and then grabbed ice cream on the way home.
3. Lot Six:
Ever since I’d heard of the new Lot Six bar opening up in Halifax I couldn’t wait to get home to try it. Originally I had wanted to go for my Birthday dinner but my mom is gluten-free and isn’t able to try a lot of the menu, so Jamie and my sisters went a few nights ago to give it a try. I love sharing small plates and the combination of local ingredients + world influences at this restaurant really stood out. We shared so many plates but one of my favourites was definitely their shrimp and popcorn grits.
4. Hamman Healing:
I had always wanted to go to the Miraj Hamman Spa at the Shangri-La so when I was asked if I wanted to try out their signature Hamman and Gomage treatment I immediately jumped at the chance. I had never had a traditional Hamman and Gomage before and wasn’t quite sure what to expect but it was such a revitalizing experience. It began by me going into a private eucalyptus infused steam chamber and laying on a marble stone for 15 minutes to relax and cleanse the toxins out of my body. After my intense steam I moved into a less extreme steam room and enjoyed a full body exfoliation. When I was finished I relaxed for about an hour in the spas outdoor patio. I felt so refreshed after my blissful morning, like a new women with baby soft skin.
5. Beautiful Blooms
With my house filled with boxes and piles of things ready to be packed having fresh blooms delivered right to my door was just what I needed. This bouquet in particular is called the Corrie and is actually launching today at Tonic Blooms, but the lovely people over at Tonic Blooms wanted me to have it first. It arrived in under 2 hours after ordering and it brightened up my cluttered home right up until we left for Halifax.
6. Beach Days
Although we were only on the East Coast for a week I managed to get to the beach three times which never happens! Even though two out of the three times were foggy the last time we went which was yesterday for my birthday couldn’t have been more perfect. The sun was out, the water was warm and the waves were perfect for splashing in and diving under. We even put a 10 foot rope on milo so he could run around freely and splash in the water. I’m going to miss this view so much.
7. Market Fresh Fruits
There are few things I enjoy more than fresh, local produce in the summer and since arriving in Halifax I have had local peaches, strawberries and tomatoes almost every day. Jamie and I also went on a little date to the Halifax Sea Port Market where we enjoyed breakfast from Norbert’s who also uses local and organic ingredients.
8. Ice Cream You Scream
To balance out all of the healthy fruits and veggies I have been eating I decided to eat my weight in ice cream this August. Ice cream is my weakness and classic ice cream cones scream summer to me so I really just can’t help myself any time I pass a shop that is serving up ice cream.
9. Toes In The Sand
Even though the weather has been foggy here in Halifax it didn’t stop my mom and sisters and I from driving out to the beach for an afternoon walk. It was so calming to look out at the foggy ocean, walk along the sand and snap some pictures. I love this shot of all of our feet in the sand which was my moms suggestion and I’m actually thinking this shot would be a great addition the the gallery wall!
10. Bellwoods and Bloggers
I’d been bugging Jamie to go to Bellwoods Brewery all summer since neither of us had ever been, but every time we planned on going it would rain and we both wanted to sit on the patio. When one of my blogger friends Kayla was in Toronto and suggested dinner with her and her boyfriend we figured it was the perfect night to head on over to Bellwoods for a little catch-up and double date action. We shamelessly styled up our food on the table and shot photos of it before we ate and then enjoyed all of the amazing food, beer and conversation the night offered.
