29.6.12

HAPPY {LONG} WEEKEND!


It's going to be a hot, hot weekend in Toronto. And, it's the Canada Day long weekend! Monkey and I are going for our first picnic of the season to the Toronto Islands with our friends. We're very excited to ride the ferry and play in the sand!

Let's go back to 1999 for today's song of the day. It's a Canadian gem in honour of Canada Day and hot summer days. Admit it, you can't help but dance.

(Image)

28.6.12

DESIGN INSPIRATION: A SIMPLE DINING ROOM TABLE

Aside from fresh cut flowers, I struggle to decide what to use as a centrepiece for our dining room table. I often find that centrepieces look staged and are not really conducive to everyday life. In my search for inspiration, I came across these dining rooms that lack centrepieces and come across as simple and uncluttered...perfect for everyday life.

dining room
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dining room
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dining room
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dining room
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dining room
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27.6.12

A DATE NIGHT TIP


kissing couple

I have a confession to make. I'm a fan of The Bachelorette. I simply can't get enough of the dramatic moments and over-the-top romantic dates. As I was watching it Monday night, I remembered this relationship tip about how to keep the sparks flying in a marriage. Here it is...when you're heading out on your next date, meet your spouse at the date venue (restaurant, lounge, movie theatre, etc.) instead of getting ready and leaving the house together. This way, you don't have the chaos of getting ready together (and throwing in a toddler to the mix definitely makes it a bit chaotic) and you get to anticipate seeing each other for a special night out. It'll take you back to the early days of your relationship when you'd meet up after work or for a weekend adventure.

It's such a cool idea and makes me giddy to think of trying it for our next date night.

(Image)

26.6.12

FRESH CUT FLOWERS

fresh cut hydrangeas


One of my favourite things is to have fresh cut flowers in the house. They can brighten up any room and are so pretty to have on our dining table. My hydrangea bush is in full bloom, which gives me a ready supply of fresh cut flowers. Now, if only my lilac tree would bloom!

25.6.12

OUR FAVOURITE POPSICLE MAKER


Monkey recently suffered a terrible illness. He was extremely grumpy and everything hurt, especially his mouth. So, I went on a mission to find a popsicle maker to soothe his mouth and found the Zoku Quick Pop Maker, which made our little monkey smile again. It takes about 10 minutes to make one popsicle and you control what goes in. Our current favourite is a blueberry yogurt pop. Here are a few fancy creations that I plan on trying...

Zoku Quick Pop Maker popsicles

I found this at Kol Kid on Queen Street West, but I've also seen it at Williams Sonoma.   


(Top image and bottom image)

22.6.12

SUMMER SANDALS


My friend Amy has two very active boys who like to play outdoors all summer long. Her one wish is to find a comfortable, affordable sandal that she can run around in with the boys and still wear around town. I tend to gravitate towards my pair of Birkenstocks, which is not a very inspired choice. So, I did a little searching and here are the comfortable yet stylish sandals I found for the season.



1. Topshop
2. ONE by Marais USA
3. Benvado
4. Madewell
5. KORS Michael Kors
6. Saltwater Sandals (also worn in the image above)
7. Splendid
8. We Who See

(Top image)

21.6.12

CURRENTLY LOVING: THIS SWEATER

J.Crew Tippi heart sweater

I'm not usually one for heart emblems, but I'm loving this playful sweater from J.Crew (obviously I'm on a J.Crew spree today).

J.CREW: HELLO, WORLD

Two of my favourite fashion photographers are collaborating with J.Crew to illustrate the global appeal of the brand and its style. Scott Schuman (a.k.a. The Sartorialist) and Garance Doré went on an eight-city tour to find out how everyday people wear J.Crew. This collaboration -- J.Crew Hello, World -- mixes my love of street style photos with my love of J.Crew. Wouldn't this be a great idea for J.Crew's next catalogue?

Here are a few photos from the first leg of the tour...

J.Crew Madrid
Madrid


J.Crew Berlin
Berlin

J.Crew Hong Kong
Hong Kong


J.Crew Tokyo
Tokyo

20.6.12

RECIPE: BALSAMIC & LIME VINAIGRETTE

Limes

We have a fresh salad with almost every meal because it's such an easy way to make sure we get our greens and veggies. This simple dressing is currently my favourite (it's another winning recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook). It's sweet and tangy and can be made in a matter of minutes.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Whisk the vinegar, agave nectar and lime juice together in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Save your mason jars to keep the extra dressing as it will last three-to-four days.

(Image)

A BRIGHT SUMMER COLLECTION

I seem to gravitate towards bright, cheerful colours during the summer. It's almost as if the hot, sunny days challenge me to shed my standard black, navy and grey outfits. So, you can imagine my delight when I stumbled upon the recent collection by Heidi Merrick, a designer known for her west coast brand of Californian cool. 



Heidi Merrick Spring Summer 2012

Heidi Merrick Spring Summer 2012

Heidi Merrick Spring Summer 2012

15.6.12

LOVELY SHOPS

I dream of one day opening up a little neighbourhood shop. Aren't these from Amsterdam some of the most lovely shops you've seen?

Amsterdam storefront

Amsterdam storefront

Amsterdam storefront

(Photos via EclecChic)

SONG OF THE DAY


This song always makes me think of driving along the Pacific Coast Highway 1 in California. Of course, it would be in a convertible. 

(Photo via Flickr)

14.6.12

THE BRASS EFFECT

Brass fixtures would never have occurred to me, but then I saw these photos in Dwell Magazine and I'm suddenly hooked. Very unique and very stunning.



12.6.12

DINING AL FRESCO

dining al fresco

Summertime brings with it backyard lunches and dinners with friends and family, which is one of my favourite things about the season. Whether you're having a simple BBQ or a four-course meal, dining al fresco is so refreshing.

I'm finding inspiration in these beautiful outdoor spaces...

dining al fresco

dining al fresco

dining al fresco


dining al fresco

dining al fresco

dining al fresco


(Photos via Apartment Therapy)

11.6.12

STREET STYLE INSPIRATION: SUMMER DRESS

 summer street style

It will be hot, hot, hot outside today. It is hard to look elegant and chic when it is oppressively hot outside. I think this is the epitome of effortless summer style.

(Photo via The Sartorialist)

SWEETS IN MODERATION



I used to obsess over what Monkey ate and tried desperately to avoid all forms of sugar for fear of turning him into a rotten-toothed, hyper, delinquent toddler. Well, I recently had an epiphany. I realized that I was depriving my little guy of some of the best treats in the world for kids. Think decadent ice cream, pretty cupcakes, celebrated birthday cake and yummy cookies.

So, I've changed my tune. I will still obsess over giving him organic and unprocessed food at home, but I will also happily give him little scoops of ice cream this summer. There's no way that I could survive without ice cream, so why should Monkey be any different?

(Photo via Flickr)

7.6.12

FATHER'S DAY GIFT GUIDE 2012

It's Father's Day on June 17. I had a little help from Monkey's dad on this one. I hope we give you a bit of inspiration if you're still searching for a gift for your dad (and husband too!).

Skillet bacon jam
Bacon jam to make any piece of toast a little more delicious. ($47.50 for 3)


Cut and Shave
A cut and shave at Garrison's by the Park, downtown Toronto. It's like a spa treatment for dad. ($60)


bow tie
Getting dad a tie is cliché, but a reversible bow tie is just crazy enough to work. ($65)


Beer Making Kit
 A beer-making kit to help him realize his dream of becoming a micro-brewer. ($60.62)


Our Legacy men's sweater
He doesn't know he wants a cozy sweater, but he does. ($145)


Glen Abbey Golf Course
A round of golf at his favourite course. ($100) (Photo)


Baseball hat
A must-have this summer for Toronto dads. ($24.99)


Rock and roll book
Written by a dad for all music-loving dads. ($16.98)


TOMS navy men's shoes
The summer shoe that gives back.
For every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. ($55)


6.6.12

RECIPE: FRIED ZUCCHINI SPAGHETTI



Pasta is one of my most favourite meals. While we were in Italy, I ate a lot of pasta dishes and found that the best ones were very simple with just just a few fresh ingredients. This recipe, from my current favourite cookbook My Father's Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow, follows the simplicity of Italian cooking.

Ingredients:
3/4 box spaghetti
Coarse salt
3 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
1/4 cup pasta water, to thin
Freshly ground black pepper
Handful fresh basil leaves, roughly torn

Toss the zucchini with the flour.

Boil the spaghetti in salted water until just al dente.

Heat 1/4 cup of olive in a large skillet over high heat and add as much zucchini as will fit in a single layer. Cook, stirring and flipping occasionally, until well browned and a little crispy, about 4 minutes. This is the most time-consuming part of this recipe. To speed up the process, I use two skillets.

Remove zucchini to a plate and sprinkle with salt. Repeat until you've cooked all zucchini.

Whisk the cheese together with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the pasta water, adding a bit more if necessary. You want the consistency to be creamy.

Drain the spaghetti and add to the bowl with the Parmesan mixture. Toss together, season with salt and pepper. Fold in two-thirds of the fried zucchini and all of the basil.

To serve, evenly distribute the rest of the zucchini on top with a couple of gratings of Parmesan.


(Photo via Smitten Kitchen)

3.6.12

NERDY GLASSES


My inner nerd is a fan of big glasses. For one, you don't have the annoyance of constantly peeking over your rims. And secondly, if you're going to wear glasses why not go big and make a statement? Here are a few options that I've come across...

Cutler and Gross glasses
Cutler and Gross


Linda Farrow glasses
Linda Farrow



Prism



(Photo via Madewell)

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