Vibing the deep, deep burgundy for when you’re feeling like going for a dark, rich shade.
Colour: ‘La Moss’ – applied 3 coats to get the full opacity.
Brand: Butter London – This is my first Butter London polish and I’m liking it. It lasts quite a long time. I like that they’re an 8-free polish (Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, DBP, Toluene, Camphor, Ethyl Tosylamide, Xylene, TPHP).
Where to purchase: I got it at Whole Foods for $18.99 or you can get it online here.
Have a great weekend!
I’m back and I know it’s been a while. I’m sorry for being MIA – I’ll fill you in on a separate post about what I’ve been up to. It’s a passion project, just like this blog!
How is it fall already?! I had to quickly switch from light, flowy summer dresses to cozy, thick fall sweaters to adapt to the chilly weather. Fall is one of my favourite seasons so this transition is good but winter, on the other hand, will be a different story.
Just picked up this new fluffy jacket from Uniqlo and I just love mixing new obsessions with old favourites. I’ve been keeping an eye on these fluffy jackets since last year but I’m glad I waited for this one. The fit is great, it’s snug so it keeps you warm and I can wear it on its own or layer it within loose fall jackets. They also come in a range of colours – 12 to be exact! Not surprising though, I went for the black because…well, it’s black! It will be easy to incorporate with other items that I already own and you can never go wrong with a neutral.
It might seem a little early to think about Christmas presents, but this little number would make a great present! It’s honestly so warm and so comfortable.
The perfect fall nude.
Colour: ‘On One Knee’
Brand: Moov Cosmetics – it’s so long-lasting and they’re a vegan, 7-free nail polish. Ever since my skin got super sensitive, I’ve been only using vegan nail polishes.
Where to purchase: I get it at Whole Foods or you can get it online for $14.99 here.
Have a great weekend!
Hi lovelies!
After sharing with you my current obsession on My Obsession Monday: White Embroidered Shirt post, I thought I’d show you how I would style it in 3 different ways. You can dress it up for a night out with the girls, throw it on top of a bikini for a resort look or even wear it to work.
Lace Bralette: Aritzia | Faux Leather Skirt: Zara | Crossbody Bag: Banana Republic | Strappy Heels: Aldo Shoes – I’ve always wanted a pair of Raye heels from Revolve, these two pairs are super cute and they’re on sale right now – Mia Heel & Sebastian Heel!
Wide-Leg Pants: Fashion Nova – I found these Ruffle Tier Pants from AE that are to die for, I need these before I go on vacation! | Bandeau Bikini: Victoria Secret Pink – really loving Spell & The Gypsy’s Hotel Paradiso Bandeau. | Strappy Sandals: I got these Billabong sandals from NEON Toronto. Currently loving these tied-up sandals from Billabong that would be great for kicking around the resort. | Statement Necklace: These are from Zara but a pair of statement earrings would work well with this look too to give a resort look. Here are a few pairs that I like from J.Crew if you are looking for a bit of tassel, colourful jewels or a pop of colour.
Continue reading
Hi lovelies – Happy Monday!
I love the look of embroidered shirts, skirts and shorts for when the weather starts to get warm. It’s light and easy to throw on with different pieces to style different looks. This cute little number has so many great details on it so when I came across it on the Zara website, I knew I had to get it.
The material isn’t stretchy so the crossover detail makes it easy to wear. I love the billowy sleeves, they’re airy so when the weather is hot in the city or during a vacation, you would stay comfortable while providing some coverup. This shirt just has so many cute details – I know I’ll be wearing it a lot over the next few months. Head over to Zara if you’re looking for more embroidered pieces – they have a lot of cute ones!
Zara Crossover Top with Cutwork Embroidery ($45.90)
I can already picture myself styling this top in different ways – maybe I’ll put together a “3 Ways to Style” post!
Hope you have a great week – thanks for reading. xx
Hi everyone! Hope you’ve been having a great weekend while enjoying the warmer weather in Toronto.
Sometime last year I began looking for a natural deodorant because I felt that I was ready for the transition. I’ve always struggled with eczema and hypersensitive skin that lead me to developing different allergies and sensitivities over the years. As I got older, I began paying more attention to my health and how my skin reacted to different products. Although I didn’t get a visible allergic reaction to the previous deodorants that I used, I started to learn more about the health implications of parabens, aluminum and other harmful ingredients contained in personal care products. When I began researching for natural deodorants, most of them came with a heavy price tag but I took the plunge and found one that had great reviews to try. I’m not going to lie, it took a bit of time for my body to get used to it at first. It went through a “detox” period that was not pretty. But after giving it a few months, my underarm pores felt like they were unclogging. If you’re looking for one to try, this is a great one! There are more and more natural deodorants out in the market now but this one got my attention because of the dark grey colour from the bamboo charcoal. It’s an ingredient that pulls out all of the toxins but the colour doesn’t transfer so no need to worry about that! I love the two different scents that I tried. The lime mint smells fresh, great for day-to-day and when I’m working out while the cold-pressed rose has a light floral scent that also compliments the perfume that I use when going out.
Happy New Year!
Hope you had a wonderful holiday and wrapped up the end of 2017 with great company and memories. At the end of every year, I think about all of the high and low moments, lessons learned, people who walked into my life and opportunities that I am thankful for and begin the New Year with some perspective and planning. 2017 was a great year, I traveled to Montreal, Vegas, Bali and took a cruise around Europe. I was also asked to be in 3 weddings, that brought all the good feels. It definitely kept me very busy during the first half of the year. It’s a really great feeling to witness love with the people who you cherish and love the most. During the process of bridesmaid and maid of honour duties, I discovered that I have quite the nack for styling hair, creating flower arrangements/bouquets as well as wedding planning. I’ve been interested in doing these things over the years on both a personal and professional level but to see it applied to actual weddings made it more real. I may turn this little passion into something bigger – stay tuned!
Another milestone moment from 2017 was that I met someone very special. I don’t want to give out too many details as of yet but he’s definitely a keeper! He came out of nowhere, completely unexpected and caught me by surprise. Over the years, I have felt comfortable with being single, without the pressure of trying to chase for love to find “The One”. Don’t get me wrong, I love being in a relationship but my fear of being in an unhealthy relationship is far greater than being on my own. I have been in a few of those unhealthy relationships and it makes me grateful to know that it happened to the younger me, allowing me to learn and grow from them. It made me stronger and eventually, more comfortable in my own skin. I’m very happy that I have been patient and took the time to take care of myself before I allowed another person into my life. We’ve been really enjoying each other’s company by taking some short travels, learning new things from each other and trying restaurants together. I’ll make sure to share our 2018 adventures with you!
To start off the new year on the right foot, I want to set some intentions. I was reading Chriselle Lim’s blog post on her 2018 Intentions and I really liked her approach on how intentions are focused on “being” instead of “doing”. So here are some of my intentions for this year.
I intend to take better care of my body and soul.
I intend to let my mind take a break when I am feeling stressed and overwhelmed.
I intend to be more patient with those who are around me.
I intend to always be thankful for the present.
With my special someone. ❤
The 3 weddings that I was in and the bridal showers for each of the beautiful brides brought so many laughs and tears. I had such a blast standing by these amazing ladies during such a special moment in their lives.
I also celebrated my 29th birthday with the best company in a Halloween-themed party. We went to Bad Axe Throwing and of course, dressed up as lumberjacks!
With great company, I Made a few small trips over the summer and fall to the wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Vineland. I discovered a new found love for red wine and have my picks from each of the wineries. Angels Gate was my favorite winery though, it’s so beautiful there! It’s a must-go if you ever get a chance to make a visit to Vineland.
This year I was lucky to be able to travel to so many places. I had such a blast in Bali…
It’s a new year! Start fresh by finding something small to add or change in your daily routine. Take your success into your own hands.
xx
Happy Friday!
It’s finally the weekend and I’m excited to share with you my recent experience at La Palma. I remember seeing this on Instagram and didn’t think that it’s located in Toronto but then was very pleasantly surprised that it was! This restaurant has a very Cali vibe with the way the interior has been designed. We didn’t get a chance to make a reservation beforehand so we were seating in the back by the open kitchen but it was still nice. Wish we got a larger table though as the tables for 2 felt a little crammed for sharing dishes. All in all, I had a great experience, the food was very delicious and the service was amazing. The next time you’re looking to try a new restaurant in Toronto, consider La Palma.
Cacio e Pepe ($14): This is kind of like a flatbread cheese pizza with garlic and olive oil. It was SO delicious, definitely my favourite dish of the night.
Ontario Corn & Beluga Lentils ($12): This dish also has arugula pesto, feta, chickpeas and I like all of those ingredients. It had a fresh and light flavour to it with a little kick of feta. Sometimes I find that the feta can be too overpowering in flavour but this dish was delicious!
Wood-fired Cornish Hen – half ($14): The cornish hen was so tender with great flavour.
8 oz. Flatiron with chermoula ($17): It came as ‘medium’ and it was cooked perfectly. The sauce that came with the dish added a very rich flavour. I really enjoyed this!
849 Dundas Street West, Toronto
I will definitely go back again for more of the Cacio e Pepe. Thanks for stopping by – have a great weekend!
xx
Happy #MyObsessionMonday!
Fall is my favourite season – I get to wear boots and layer up while enjoying the cooler weather. I love looking for new boots to rock and this time around, I wanted a pair of statement boots.
What I really like about these blue velvet boots from Zara are that they have a really nice arch and heel shape. Those are usually the two things that I look for first. The blue colour is also very easy to pair with different outfit options so I’m looking forward to wearing it more throughout the season. This long weekend was the perfect weather to start wearing boots so I wore it out to my weekend day trip to the wineries!
Zara Over the Knee High Heel Boots in Blue Velvet ($99.90 – these boots are now marked as a “special price” item and is priced at $49.99!)
Here are some fall style inspiration pictures from Pinterest – love how these ladies are rocking their knee-high boots!
I went to the Vineland wineries for the first time and it was so stunning there! Angels Gate was my favourite out of the 3 that I went to. I’ve been wanting to expand my red wine appreciation and what better way than to do some wine tastings at all the wineries we have in Ontario. As I try the same type of wine at each of the wineries, I start to figure out which ones I like. At Angels Gate, I really enjoyed the Cabernet Merlot. It’s a great one to enjoy during the holidays!
All the wineries look stunning, very quaint and smaller in size compared to some of the ones from Niagara on the Lake (although those ones are impressive too!). The views are so beautiful. The second winery I went to was Tawse Winery. I LOVE rieslings and this one was so delicious, I picked up a bottle! The Gamay was also great too since they’re running low on the 2015 bottles, we thought it was great to pick up one of those as well.
The last stop was to Fieldings Estate Winery – such a beautiful place there. I love that you can sit out and overlook the vineyard while enjoying a cheese platter and some delicious wine. We didn’t have enough time to try the cheese but will definitely try it next time!
Hope you’re enjoying your Monday – thank you for reading!
xx
My Blanc Canvas 