August in pictures

August didn’t happen, as far as I’m concerned. I know, I’m always saying time flies, but I’m convinced August didn’t happen because how is it possible that it’s already over? I have a vague recollection of going on vacation, but it’s really all kinda fuzzy.

Judging from my pics, I spent most of the month eating.

Luke Skywalker // chocolate raspberry truffle cake for Will’s birthday // xiao long bao (soup dumplings) // pan-friend dumplings // Banh Mi Boys club bao (pork belly and fried chicken) // Pizzeria libretto pizza/ Barbapapa bottles // Tim Horton’s boston cream doughnut // sunny spotted teacups at Anthropologie

more Chocolateria salted caramel ice cream (best I’ve tried) // yup, I need this // Banh Mi Boys fried chicken bao // more xiao long bao // macarons // Tiff macarons // vintage typewriter // oh, the poor CNE cronut burger // promises like (cherry) pie crust

teal maxidress with Essie Turquoise and Caicos nail polish // my 5-day step total courtesy of the Moves app // currently reading // Mr. Bojangles the Westie // patriotic British frames // I should read this // hey doggie // agreed // lol

Masie the rescue mutt (my friend on my recent cottage weekend) is so awesome she deserves her own set of pictures:

 
I love a blissed out doggie.

I have good doggie flavour.

This is my favourite picture. Doggie love.

She’s a bit camera shy though.

Sunrise over Lake Rosseau, Muskoka.

So pretty and peaceful.

Sunset on Hwy 11, on the way back to Toronto, after a pit stop at Webers.

It was a good month, even if it did go by too quickly. I have a lot to look forward to in September, including my big ten-day trip to Iceland, London, and Copenhagen.

Burned out, but getting better

I’ve been feeling a little burned out lately. I’ve had an extended vacation, but I didn’t feel it was particularly restful.Work has burned me out in particular this summer, I need some time to rest and recuperate.

So because I’ve been feeling burned out, I’ve been feeling lazy about clothes and even just getting dressed in the morning. I don’t care about putting new outfits together, I just wear whatever I’ve worn before. I don’t care about my hair, I put on minimal makeup, and I haven’t worn a heel in ages. I have a pair under my desk at work, but I can’t be bothered to put them on because they have buckle and that would be effort, so I just wear flats all day.

But I just had a relaxing, restful long weekend at a friend’s cottage in Muskoka, and we’re coming up on a long weekend where I don’t plan to go anywhere or do anything to exciting (I might go see Despicable Me 2. Ooh, I’m a wild one!), so I’m feeling a little refreshed and interested in getting dressed in something pretty again.

J.Crew tank top and featherweight cotton cardigan // Anthro Scalloped Stripes Skirt (Girls From Savoy) // Tory Burch Reva flats

But no heels yet, that would be asking too much.

Back from vacation

I think I failed at Instagramming my vacation. I took lots of photos but didn't post them all. I didn't post them as they happened either. As the name would imply, Instagram should be instant, right? No excuses, it wasn't like i was out of the country and didn't have constant access to the internet. I just kinda suck at some of these social media platforms.

Oh well, I have Europe next month to get better at it. I'll have to hop around to Starbucks locations for free wifi though.

First part of my trip: Parksville (on Vancouver Island, west of Victoria/Nanaimo) and Will's sister's wedding.

the view from the Black Goose Inn (excellent English pub) // classic English bangers and mash // trying to, I’m on vacation! // getting dolled up for the wedding, lots of eyeshadow and false eyelashes I managed to put on without gluing my eylids together! // wearing the Subcontinent Dress // Stephanie before the wedding // the “altar” at the beach // congrats to the newlyweds // pink wedding footwear

Unfortunately Will was incredibly sick during the trip with some kind of stomach bug so it wasn’t a great trip for him. While he convalesced at his parents’ house, I got some beach time, and a solo pub lunch. I find Parksville pretty boring, but it certainly is pretty.

I’m pretty tan this summer, but I got even more tan at the beach. With my back to the sun most of the time, I managed to get really lovely racerback tank top tan lines. My friend tells me that my shoulders and shoulder blades are so well done, they look like two rump roasts. Shouldn’t they be blade steaks instead?

Island Farms chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream // really scary wall art at the Nanaimo hospital // inside the Black Goose Inn // proper English chips and gravy // Rathtrevor Provincial Park // doggie wants English chips // goats on the roof market at Coombs // Island Farms sea salt caramel ice cream (kiddie scoop!) // single scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream

After most of the week in Parksville, we spent the last few days in Vancouver.

The views from the ferry between Nanaimo and Vancouver:

Will (recovered by then) went to the Abbotsford Air Show, while I had lunch with a colleague from the Vancouver office of my company and then spent some time walking around downtown.

this water bottle is judging me // I went to a bar method class in Vancouver and nearly died // Cupcake Girls apron // the steam-powered clock in Gastown // dinner at The Flying Pig in Gastown // inukshuk at Sunset Beach, English Bay // laughing life jackets // Ayoub's Dried Fruit & Nuts in the West End // Bella Gelateria salted caramel and chocolate with Malden sea salt gelato (good, but wayyy overpriced)

the view of Stanley Park from Canada Place, Coal Harbour.

It was a good vacation, great weather, nice to see Will’s family, great beach wedding. I’m also tired now and I wish I had another week’s vacation at home to recover from my vacation. I’m also happy to be back home in Toronto, despite hearing people say “why would anyone want to live in Ontario when you could live out here?” I live in Toronto quite happily, thank you very much.

No mountains or ocean, but it’s home and I love it.

summer days, drifting away…

As an example of how far summer has gotten away from me, I’ve had this skirt since April, and I haven’t posted it yet. And it’s one of my new favourites.

Anthro Tartlet Burst Top (Deletta) // Club Monaco Francis Print Skirt // Miss Sixty Tracy heels

I blame work for making the summer fly by, it’s been so busy I blinked and it went from May to August.

I also realized this week I haven’t had a day off since April, unless you count the three days in May when I was home sick in bed (and I don’t). Tonight Will and I leave for a week in beautiful BC, where I plan to spend as much time as possible sitting on the beach, completely zoned out.

The week before vacation is always hectic, so I didn’t get the chance to properly photograph my two dress choices or even make a decision on them. Both are packed; I’ll decide on Sunday which one I feel like wearing.

I’m back on August 11, but until then I’m sure my Instagram will be busy. Hope everyone has a great weekend and week (and for some Canadians, a great long weekend).

July in pictures

I get overwhelmed with too many social media platforms, but it is more than a little bit strange that I’ve never been an avid user of Instagram until now. I take tons of pictures with my iPhone, but most just end up here. All that has changed! (It also probably means more pictures in the future)

July is Darth Maul // Anthro teacups // doggie looks like he’s in jail, but he’s just on the other side of the fence // sad beagle // good doggie // fetch! // see-through Target leggings, while I’m lying on the couch in my condo // Magnum Gold ice cream bars are kinda gross and plasticky tasting // another good doggie

clouds have swallowed the CN tower // I love grapefruit // rubber boots came in handy during the great Toronto downpour of summer 2013 // I take pictures of my feet by accident // is this a dog or a walking mop? // cute greeting card // I heart Canada too // fresh basil // my fancy books

MAC false eyelashes I’ll have to put on myself on Sunday // love // 14-year anniversary flowers from Will // mistakes // Kate Spade heels // display at the Kate Spade store in Yorkville // giant scoop of salted caramel ice cream in a chocolate waffle cone // beef and rice noodles in black bean sauce, my fave // Chinese hotpot rice, also my fave

And some full size pictures of the thunderstorm and aftermath on July 19.

The last one is my favourite.

Weekend catching up

Work has been insane again lately, I’m behind on everything, including reading blog posts on my feedly feed (I have hundreds to read), and my own sad blog. Life has been busy but good.

I am, however, looking forward to a break next week when Will and I go out to BC for his sister’s wedding on Aug 4. Then it’s a week of relaxing in Parksville, Victoria, and Vancouver. It will be nice to turn off my brain from work (somewhat, I will still have my Blackberry on for emergencies), and to get a change of scenery.

Of course, the important stuff: which dress should I wear to this beach wedding?

 

Left: Anthropologie Skyfall Dress (Burlapp, December 2009)
Right: Anthropologie Sub-Continent Dress (Floreat, Spring 2010)

I wish I could wear both, but an outfit change halfway through would just be silly.

inspiration board inspiration

I pin, and then I forget that I’ve pinned and I rarely go back and look for inspiration. Kayla’s most recent style challenge made me go and look and get inspired, and I’m afraid I went a little nuts.

The first one was quite literal:

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J.Crew Vintage V-Neck T-Shirt // knockoff bubble necklace // Gap striped knit skirt // Cole Haan flats

And then after getting the literal out of my system, I could draw inspiration from non-outfit photos. I got called green on green on green by one of those street binder people looking for me to stop and talk to him, but it’s really more teal on turquoise on green, plus the teal iPhone case. It’s a little better without the cardigan (fuzzy pic though).

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Anthropologie Height of Summer Dress (Maeve) // J.Crew featherweight cotton cardigan // J.Crew knockoff bubble necklace // Puma flats

This pic makes me want to eat mint chocolate ice cream. But it was also a good opportunity to wear something very light and pastel-y, which I don’t usually do. Ever, actually. I’m always wearing darker jewel tones.

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Club Monaco T-shirt // Club Monaco mint statement necklace // Banana Republic pencil skirt // Miss Sixty heels

You look so fine

Classic Garbage, one of my favourite songs ever:

(Also, probably the theme song for Henry Cavill. What exactly is Man of Steel about anyway? He’s too distracting to follow any kind of plot.)

I’d also like to say that I looked so fine today, but that’s too vain/self-centred to actually say out loud, right? Screw that today. I put this on and felt great, so no hemming and hawing and saying “I think I look nice” or waiting for validation in the form of compliments.

Anthropologie Boreal Blear Tee (Weston Wear) // knockoff J. Crew necklace // J. Crew No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Retro Jade // Miss Sixty heels

To everyone who thinks that putting effort into how you look is frivolous and superficial: it’s not. This outfit made me feel great, happy and confident and energetic in a way I wouldn’t have felt wearing old sweats. It may just be clothes, but they make a difference.