Twenty Eleven

This has been such an eventful year for me, so many amazing changes have happened in just one year! I've moved (three times) to two new cities (first Montreal, then Vancouver). I started a new job, moved in with the boy, and of course started this blog. 

As soon as I discovered the blogging world, I knew I wanted to be part of it. It's such an amazing network of lovely people, as well as the perfect creative outlet for me. It was a bit (ok very) scary to start it, but all of your kind words and encouragement have made me love it even more than I thought possible. Thank you so much for all of the support. I look forward to the new year and what's ahead! 

xo

December Photobook

- Christmas tree farm

- Snowboarding in Whistler (where we spent Christmas) 

- Warming up by the fire

- Beautiful gift from the boy

- The German Christmas Market (where we ate too much!)

- Pretty new way to braid my hair 

- My festive (french) chalkboard

- My girl friend's gorgeous Rebecca Minkoff 

Happy Holidays lovelies! I hope they've been happy, exciting and relaxing for everyone. I know mine were all of the above! Is it bad that I just want it to be spring now? This is going to be a long winter... 

xo

Tinsel Ornament DIY

I've been so inspired by the subtle Christmas decor ideas floating around the web right now, hence my silver and gold colour palette for my home. I saw this DIY idea posted on Made By Girl and thought I'd try my own version, with tinsel instead of sequins. It took no time to make, and I love the result. The ornaments are especially pretty at night! You could also pile them into a tray or bowl as a center piece. 

I simply took the tops off of the glass ornaments (found at Michael's) filled them with a small handful of tinsel, replaced the lid and tied on some ribbon!

xo

Merry and Bright

On Sunday, after enjoying some eggnog lattes and making ornaments, I headed to the Vancouver (German) Christmas Market with the boy and some friends. We enjoyed warm mulled wine and cider, too much delicious German food (including bratwurst and waffles on a stick!) and picked out some adorable vintage ornaments. I hope you're all enjoying the Holidays as much as I am right now! 

Also, check out this post by the lovely Rebecca of Lot 65, featuring myself and many other amazing Canadian bloggers!

xo

A White Christmas

Images clockwise found here here here and here

This Christmas is both extra exciting and a little sad for me. This will be my first Christmas away from my family and friends, which is already hard. Missing everyone much more right now! The exciting part however is that this is the first year I'm decorating my own home! 

Since neither myself or my boy have any decorations, we are starting from scratch. Which is both exciting and expensive. Working on lots of DIY projects to keep my budget down! I've also started with a neutral (white, gold and silver) palette for a crisp and clean (yet very sparkly) affect. I can't wait to finish up and share some photos, but for now here are some images that are inspiring my decor. 

xo

Chorizo and Sweet Potato Soup

By now you may have noticed that I have a bit of an obsession with Jamie Oliver recipes, especially from his Food Revolution book. (I should probably invest in a new cookbook soon!) This was my first time making soup (other than from a can) and I loved it. Such a perfect meal for a cold day! The combination of the spice in the chorizo and the sweetness of the potatoes was just perfection. I will definitely be making this recipe again soon!

Recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver

2 carrots / 2 celery stocks / 2 onions / 2 cloves of garlic / 1 3/4 pound of sweet potatoes / 7 ounces chorizo sausage / a small bunch of fresh parsley / 1 1/4 quarts chicken broth / olive oil / 1 teaspoon curry powder / sea salt and fresh ground pepper / 1 fresh red chili

Peel and slice carrots.  Slice celery. Chop onions. Slice garlic. Peel and chop sweet potatoes. Slice the chorizo. Chop parsley leaves and stalks. Put the broth in a sauce pan and bring to bowl. Put a large pan on high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add all chopped/sliced ingredients with the curry powder and mix together with a wooden spoon. Cook for around 10 mins with the lid askew until carrots have softened, and the onion is golden. Add the boiling broth to the vegetables. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins, until the sweet potato is cooked through. Using an immersion blender, pulse the soup until smooth. To serve, scatter over a little finely chopped chile.

xo

Party Season

Dress: Urban Outfitters | Clutch: Club Monaco (borrowed) | Shoes: Badgley Mischka 

Holiday parties are in full swing! Most of our weekends over the next few weeks are packed with them, and I couldn't be happier. Any excuse to dress up! I unfortunately did not have a chance to take proper outfit shots, so I thought I'd just share this one of the boy and I from my Iphone. The dress is made up of feathers, and my shoes have giant bows on the back of them. I love how glamorous you can be over the Holidays! I will definitely share more party looks over the next few weeks! 

xo

November (Insta) Photobook

Happy December 1st! It seems everyone is buzzing with Holiday excitement as soon as December arrives. The boy was no exception, the first thing he did when he woke up this morning was open his Advent calendar and eat today's chocolate! 

November seriously flew by. It was such an exciting month! I've started to make some wonderful friends in my new city (which has involved many girls nights), snow has piled onto the mountain tops (yay snowboarding!) and I went home to  Toronto for a much needed visit. Whew! Now let the Holiday fun begin! 

Pasta recipe found here (I added 2 cups of peas) 

Bocconcini, fresh basil and cherry tomato kabobs, serve with balsamic glaze (on toothpicks) 

Chocolate cookie recipe found here

xo