say anything

an exhausting amount of apartment inspiration.

2012-02-04T00:59:00.001-05:00

good god, i love photos of homes. perhaps this has to do with the fact that i have been living in my parents house with virtually no furniture for the past year (lots of moving around, lots of stuff in storage), so i'm lusting after a space to paint and furnish and decorate and call my own.

as it turns out, i collect a whole lot of home style images on my desktop after i see them on the internet and like...immediately want to live in them. i'm getting very excited about (eventually, hopefully soonish) having a place to myself in some great city. hopefully with exposed brick, floral wallpaper, giant windows, painted dressers, and evidently a lot of pink, turquoise, bookshelves, and photo walls. maybe a fireplace and a claw-foot tub too.

...a girl can dream, right? what's in yours?

*if you know where any of these images came from, i would so love to know. i've collected them over the past 4 years and rather stupidly not taken notice of what the original sources are.

violet winter issue

2012-01-23T01:00:00.000-05:00

Our winter issue launches today!

Check it out for some ever beautiful photos, ideas and stories. It's such an absolute pleasure to be part of this project, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoy making it.

P.s. if you have a small business or service online, we're always accepting advertisers and would love to work with you. Just leave me a comment and I'll point you in the right direction!

P.p.s. if you can't get enough Violet, follow us on Twitter or head on over to our blog where we do regular posts on living fully, and all of our favourite things.

when my parents were my age they had an almost one-year-old kid.*

2012-01-06T22:55:00.000-05:00

and two dogs. and almost another kid. so, you know, they had to work insanely hard at everything in a very Real Life way, not just a Gotta Finish University way.

sometimes i think about this a little too much, and then i take huge advantage of being 21 and completely irresponsible. and i stay in bed for a few hours painting my nails, reading gatsby (my beautiful new collector's edition from ryan's sister), and watching father of the bride and planning imaginary dream vacations.

also sometimes i dedicate entire mornings to moisturizing my whole body (back included...and you know that takes time) and dancing around my room, singing loudly and off-key while getting dressed. did i mention the other hours spent on food blogs and browsing etsy? and occasionally taking myself out to lunch with my notebook and just like, eating soup and writing? not to forget the cocktail nights with my girlfriends and the disappearing off to europe for a while. and the three fitness classes i signed up for this semester. and recklessly buying another camera while i have perilously teeny funds in my bank account. sometimes i give myself an entire makeover in sephora. or hang around with my sisters rating celebrity men cuteness on a scale of 1-10.

not bad. not bad at all.

apparently i am really milking this not-growing-up thing. and i'm doing it for you, mom & dad! just think of all the times you couldn't do any of that! no but seriously. i love babies, but it's totally great not having any right now. definitely loving this state of self-indulgence.

*alternate title: on not growing up, and really rather liking it.

i resolve to...

2012-01-03T23:05:00.000-05:00

told you i was big on resolutions. in fact, this is only a handful from the real list, but i thought i could only subject you to so much. like i said though, i'm pretty good at making them happen. some are little and very easy to accomplish, others are going to take more work. i'm a goal-setter, though. and a big dreamer. so i make resolutions even in july.

what are yours? are you more of a one-resolution gal, or do you have a bit of a novel like me?

twenty eleven in photos

2012-01-02T22:21:00.000-05:00

this year zoomed by for me. a whirlwind of travel {amsterdam, paris, london, toronto, montreal, cheltenham}, family, dearest old friends and brand new ones, lots of amazing food, starting to run again, sisters, goofy dogs all over the place, my 21st birthday, getting to know my grandma even better, the stress and excitement about 4th year journalism school, music festivals, visiting ryan's family, new apartments, a photoshoot with the amazing miss kim, writing for the violet {a huge highlight of my year}, lots of reading, a big crush on hemingway, falling even more crazy in love with my guy, quitting my job, having all my important belongings stolen and slowly replacing them, so many nights spent talking until dawn, bad health, big dreams, and starting to put plans in place.

there was a lot of stress this year, a LOT. but also so much goodness. i'm very happy to breathe out this year and make space for something even better.

i know the new year is going to be one of the best ever. 2012. i will graduate and finally, finally, start to make my own life. and i'll turn 22, which is my favourite number, and i have always suspected that wonderful things will happen at 22. i have a list of resolutions as long as my arm {...and my other arm} that i can't wait to get started on. if you know me, you know even my daily to-do lists take up a whole page, so i have a field day with resolutions. but i'm good at keeping them. of everything i resolved last year, the only thing i didn't manage was playing cello again. so i'm carrying it forward. but this is material for a whole other post...

i hope your holidays were all fabulous, dolls. i'm so excited for what this year will bring, and even more so to have you along with me.

lots of love

happy holidays!

2011-12-23T10:52:00.000-05:00

i have spent the last few days tree-decorating, wrapping up the last presents, and listening to a whole lot of michael buble {my littlest sister loves his christmas album beyond belief}. there hasn't been nearly enough baking though, so i'm going to try and remedy that today.

soon there will be lots of hungarian food {namely, cheese and cold cuts and pickles}, our very favourite traditions, mimosas, bagels, and going literally over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house for a christmas dinner by the {frozen} lake. and a little trip to toronto to see my sweet guy and his family.

hope you are keeping warm, loving on everyone & getting sparkly holiday feelings.

mini christmas

2011-12-19T22:56:00.000-05:00

tomorrow we're having our own mini celebration before ryan goes home for christmas. that's the problem with boyfriends who have families in toronto...nahh i'm kidding...i'm totally visiting him right after i finish my own christmas. a very hungarian christmas, might i add, with meats and cheeses and chestnut puree (urgh) galore. and pickles, don't forget the pickles.

i'm really excited for our little christmas because (and i don't wanna brag or anything) i think i TOTALLY blew the present thing OUT OF THE WATER. okay, that sounded like bragging. let me explain. usually i am a big present over-thinker and end up freaking because i (wrongly) feel like the pressure is too much and end up buying concert/theatre tickets. or something really weird and expensive that doesn't make sense. this year, i finished all my shopping wayyy in advance, and am prettty sure everyone is going to be happy. and i didn't have a mental breakdown in the process, so that's good too.

i think we're going to have some sort of christmassy dinner, exchange presents and hopefully watch some movies and snuggle. that would be pretty wonderful to me. really that's all i want. (maybe some dark chocolate too.)

i've had a bit of a lame week...tonsillitis for the 9th time in a row (that isn't an exaggeration), exams grinding my brain into porridge, fear of being jobless, and to top it all off my hairdresser told me i had broad shoulders. so. there's that.

...for the record, i am pretty sure they're not that broad.

in any case, i know some christmas cheer and extra kisses and a boyfriend who (hopefully) loves his presents will turn everything around. if that doesn't work, i will just have to watch father of the bride 1 and 2 because that is a surefire way to get me in high spirits.

but it's also our 2.5 year anniversary (wooohooo), so there are a lot of reasons to be smiling. even in the face of this history essay that is trying to turn me into scrooge.

loving

2011-12-19T22:22:00.000-05:00

new, flannelly, fresh-out-of-the-dryer sheets.

seeing people that look like their dogs.

handsomest boyfriend who is also coincidentally the sweetest boyfriend.

finding the right gifts for generally impossible people.

say yes to the dress marathons with my sister.

the violet. winter issue coming up!

mervin the fir(vin), our christmas tree.

lactose free half sweet peppermint white hot chocolates.

attempting to say that at starbucks.

new fitness classes for next semester: kickboxing, zumba & weighted hula hoops.

a certain cuddly golden retriever, who still looks like a puppy even though he's six.

liz earle cleanser. a new must-have skincare love.

fairy lights.

seasonal nostalgia.

sending packages to old friends.

little chances to hang out with ryan even though it's exams. listening to music, talking, making homemade pizzas, making him laugh so hard he almost drops a tv on his feet. i'm so lucky.

wooly socks, always and forever.

playing apples to apples with my family {& the outrage that ensues! some of us cough dad cough are a bit competitive.}

ron swanson. started watching parks and rec, i think i'm in love.

cinnamon popcorn. good lord.

the charlie brown christmas album & vince guaraldi. this will always be the soundtrack to the holidays for me.

baileys. in almond milk hot chocolate. do it.

watching home alone. nothing is better for giggling to.

getting ready for a lot of baking. i mean, a lot.

on making new friends...in your 20s.

2011-12-17T11:47:00.000-05:00

i was at an event a few weeks ago, volunteering and pouring wine in order to snag some vip tickets to the ottawa food & wine festival.

it was a great evening, and after the volunteering part ended, the 5 of us who had helped out were invited to the 4-course meal & iron chef demonstration that was going on in the next room. 4 courses! wine pairings! amazingness.

ANYWAYS i'm getting a little off track here.

one of the other girls who was volunteering with me was super nice. we chatted the whole night, had lots in common, and actually knew a lot of the same people from middle school. since i rarely find girls i really get along with in ottawa, i was excited to be making a new friend.

but, when the evening came to an end, i wasn't sure what to do! how did i get her number? could i just ask her to hang out? i didn't know her last name, so even facebook stalking wasn't an option. this was worse than a first date!!

it ended up being a prolonged awkward "well...uhh...it was so nice to meet you...maybe i'll see you around campus?"

AGH. SO LAME.

i've heard countless times that it gets harder to make friends as you get older, which i'm finding is absolutely true.

my best friends from high school are all in england, and as long as i'm here, i'd love to build up an even bigger circle of friends. i have some, but not a ton. it's been especially crazy this year since we're all so close to graduating, nobody is really making time for each other {myself included}.

and then i get the opportunity to make a new friend, and i freeze up into this awkward girl when i should have just been more...i don't know...confident?

i went to an all-girls school in high school, and so having a lot of girlfriends was only natural to me. we were always together, in school and out, having silly adventures and a million coffee dates and shopping excursions. we went on day trips, and had sleepovers all the time, and knew we could really count on each other for anything. it sounds idyllic and rose-tinted, but that's really how it was.

i love those girls with all my heart, but they're so far away. i've been realizing more and more that i need to have more friends in canada too. some of my very dearest and oldest friends live here, which is amazing, and i'm so happy i can see them at christmas or in the summers when they're back from school, but i also want to prove this idea wrong, and start making friends in my 20s.

have you found it more difficult to make friends as you got older as well?

how do you go about it? where is the best place to meet new girlfriends? so tricky you guys, so tricky.

i think on a certain level, people are in more serious relationships in their 20s and they're spending more time with their boyfriends than their girlfriends. but i still think having a network of women who you really love spending time with is so important for your soul! and your mental health haha.

this is one of my resolutions for the year: make some new friends. thoughts?

latelies...

2011-12-11T00:26:00.000-05:00

i have been letting my hair do it's own thing & wearing my denim shirt all the time. i washed it today, and was at a loss when i looked in my closet, and it was missing. maybe i should find it a twin...

i have been running lots, and doing pop pilates, but also eating gingerbread houses and drinking peppermint white hot chocolates {ooh baby if you haven't tried them yet...i implore you to}. so i seem to be balancing out at neutral.

i am dreaming of a big trip. i don't want to jinx it by writing it down, but ryan & i are thinking of a loooong, exotic adventure after we graduate. this is pretty much the only thing driving me towards graduation {is it just me or is the last 6 months the hardest? so close, yet...not close enough} where would you go on a dream trip? i'm looking for inspiration. anywhere in the world.

i did almost all my christmas shopping way ahead of schedule. so, that was out of character but also pretty fabulous. snaps for me. also i managed to find the perfect, elusive, dad-present!

related: christmas shopping has crippled my bank account, so i should probably get a job. like, stat.

i'm looking for new reading material. i have a whole 12 days school-free starting on the 21st, and you can bet your bottom dollar i'm going to spend it reading for pleasure {!!!}. well, when i'm not running off the holiday treats & job hunting, i guess.

favourite holiday movies: home alone, muppets, the santa clause, love actually, it's a wonderful life. i always watch when harry met sally at this time of year too. what are yours?

exams have eaten my boyfriend, but i think i get him back tomorrow. yayyy! lots of silliness incoming. much needed silliness.

i'm listening to this all the time.

tell me your latelies!

chocolate coconut pecan cookies with a salted caramel thumbprint

2011-12-09T17:20:00.002-05:00

these are some of my favourite holiday cookies. we make these amazing little treats every christmas. somewhere along the line {in one of our many trans-continental moves} we lost the recipe, so i sort of combined a few i found online, and improvised a bit to make my own recreation. i highly recommend them. like, seriously you guys. they will be a major hit at all cookie exchanges and christmas parties. or you know, just for your tastebuds.

for the cookies:

1/2 cup softened butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, separated
2 tablespoons cream
1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour {you could half-and-half with whole wheat, actually}
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
-preheat oven to 350 degrees
-cream the butter and sugar together
-then beat in the egg yolk, cream, and vanilla
-slowly add the cocoa and the flour until it has formed a thick dough
-refrigerate for about an hour {but 30 minutes is probably okay too}

-when you take your dough out of the fridge, roll it into small-ish balls {maybe 1 inch?}

-put the egg white in one shallow bowl and the chopped pecans and coconut in another

-dip balls into egg white and then roll them in the nut mixture so they're coated

-place on greased baking tray, and make an indent in each cookie with either your finger or the handle of a wooden spoon {this is what i find works best}

-bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes depending on your oven...

-they'll be a little squishy when you take them out, but make sure they're set.

-let them cool on wire racks while you make your caramel

for the salted caramel:

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons salted butter

2/3 cup of heavy cream

*have these all at the ready! caramel is quite sensitive and needs your full attention!*

-place sugar in a large pot {very important} over medium heat

-constantly watch it, whisking to make sure it melts evenly

-when the sugar has reached a deep coppery colour, add in your butter and keep stirring!!!

-take pan off heat

-add the cream and stir some more! it will bubble up a bit, but keep stirring until it's smooth and lovely

-voila! use right away or refrigerate in jars until it's cooler.

note: you can always use prepackaged caramels & just melt those down too for a quicker fix.

when the cookies and caramel are both relatively cool, spoon a bit of your caramel into the indent of every cookie. refrigerate or freeze your cookies so the caramel can set. sometimes i like to melt some chocolate and drizzle it over them too before they go in the fridge.

happy baking! let me know if you make them & how they turn out.

gift guide #3: the man in your life who you really love but is difficult to buy for.

2011-12-08T00:01:00.001-05:00

1. A Moleskine notebook or planner. So simple, so useful. Particularly great if you man is a student or a writer. Pair with some Fineliners for a really classy present. Good for dads too!

2. For the bearded men: "Fresh, spicy, and woody, this fragrance is the new classic manly scent that will make you want to get close." This Dude No.1 Beard Oil sounds like a pretty sexy present to me. And thoughtful! Shows you're looking out for your bearded fellow. A yummy scent plus moisturization. Winner all around.

3. Cool scratch-off map for the avid traveller. Or travel-dreamer. There are a bunch of different sizes, and this could be a really great piece to hang on a wall, or just pin the smaller version above a desk.

4. For your game-lover. A lego Wii controller. It comes with 31 lego pieces and you build it yourself! Cute.

5. Furry trapper hat! Gah I swear by mine, and sometimes (shh) I put it on Ryan and he looks super cute. Flattering on everyone and you can't get any cosier. This one's from Timberland, but you can find them all over the place. Go, fulfill your rugged lumberjack fantasies. (What? I'm Canadian.)

6. RADDEST PRESENT EVER. I would get these for everyone if I could. Personalized illustrated stationery or calling cards. You get a little picture of your face drawn up by the people at Rifle Paper Company, and then get to choose fonts, colours, and what information goes on your personalized cards or letters. The minute I graduate, I'm getting some of these. Hi I'm Emily. Here's my illustrated face. Occupation? Journalist/Writer/Blogger extraordinaire. How could you not hire me?

7. What guy doesn't want to try making his own beer? This one is really cool, and presents that are projects are always really great to receive. It could taste awful or amazing, but the fun (to me, anyways) is really in the process.

8. Flannel shirt. You literally cannot go wrong here. Every guy looks good in a flannel shirt. Get them vintage or new, they come in every colour of the rainbow, and will be super warm in the colder months. Maybe this is my ~~lumberjack love~~ Canadian thing again, but I can't see anyone being disappointed. Okay, maybe Hawaiians.

9. A record player. This is my dream gift to give, but sadly on my student budget it's a little out of my price range. It's a great present for music lover (you can keep getting him records for all subsequent gift occasions!) and even better if you live together, because you can both enjoy it. This one would look great on display.

10. The Art of Manliness. Seriously. How awesome is this? Inside are things all men should know, like how to get fitted for a suit, how to start a fire without matches, and how to become a supremely virtuous and confident gentleman. All very important. I say we all get one for our boyfriends and help them become renaissance men.

11. iPad travel kit. Obviously only for iPad-equipped guys. The keyboard rolls up, it interacts wirelessly with the iPad, there's a little stand for the device itself, and a few other things that make it easier to type & travel.

12. Cookbooks! This one is apparently the must-have for grill masters, but for busy or food-lazy guys, I hiiighly recomment Jamie's 30 Minute Meals the recipes are fab and easy to follow and already come paired up with dessert and a side. Another cute, simple guide with a bunch of basics is Recipes Every Man Should Know. We peeked through it at someone's apartment once and thought it was surprisingly comprehensive.

13. Shark socks! Uhh. Not much else to say about these. Awesome stocking stuffer.

14. This is one of my personal faves. A popcorn popper, some kernels and an iTunes giftcard to buy/rent movies with. Home movie dates for aaaages! How perfect for the winter time? If your boyfriend is as popcorn-crazy as mine, he will be over the moon. The best popper ever is on major sale right now on Amazon. We have it at home and love it.

gingerbread house night

2011-12-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

cookies and peppermint bark and icing fights and gingerbread house double dates (ish) are the best. we listened to christmas tunes and i turned ryan into rudolph with a piece of our house-making kit, which was pretty festive. in fact, i think our house turned out pretty formidably, but perhaps was no match for jo and (other) ryan's swamp train. creative, those guys.

the christmas season is being very good to me so far! i've had no class or assignments for 3 days, so that's been making me ecstatic! i've been going to the gym again! and listening to music! and running errands! how glorious. we also got our tree yesterday (more on that later) and tonight i had hot chocolate with bailey's, sooo i am feeling the joy and the falalalala-ing.

we are definitely making this house thing a tradition.

gift guide #2: the foodie/kitchen queen who is always whipping up something, hosting a dinner party or raving about the best restaurant she discovered.

2011-12-04T00:17:00.000-05:00

1. This apron to protect her favourite skirt from the haphazardness of baking. Floury handprints begone.

2. Onion goggles because...umm..ingenious, practical, & extra points for looking like a badass while you chop onions!

3. A porcelain measuring jug because it's so much prettier than a glass one & is the kind of thing Jane Austen would have used.

4. Send custom ice cream/sorbet/gelato from Ecreamery. How amazing!? If you don't want to go through the insanely fun process of making your own flavour, give her a gift certificate so she can do it herself. The combinations you can make are unreal!

5. Every kitchenista loves Le Creuset. These mini cocottes are adorable. (My favourite colour is Cassis. Cough, cough.)

6. Fig, honey, lemon jam from Lemon Bird sounds so delicious. Imagine how yummy it would be paired with a cheese plate? Mmm.

7. What about a tin of famous Momofuku cookies? These blueberry cream ones look divine, although I'm sure you couldn't go wrong. For a more extravagant gift, pair with the new Momofuku baking book!

8. Wooden chicken board. The cutest.

9. Handstitched monogrammed linen napkins would be such a nice touch. Kind of old fashioned, but I love the idea, and it's one of those gifts that seems super thoughtful (even though it only takes a minute).

10. A slate serving board and a chalk pen. This is the craftiest way to serve up starters. Whether it's cheeses, charcuterie, or preserves, you can label everything. This is such a fabulous gift for a host/hostess.

11. A wooden cookbook stand. We got my mom one a few years ago, and it's a lifesaver when you're making something messy or hands-on.

12. And a cookbook or two to put on it. These ones are great choices (Hummingbird has the world's greatest carrot cake recipe), but you couldn't go wrong with Jamie or Nigella either.

13. This mermaid bottle opener is functional, but lovely enough to keep on display.

barbie nails

2011-12-03T12:16:00.001-05:00

i have really nothing important to say right now apart from LOOK at those nails. they're the sally hansen glittery stick-on nail polish strips and i have quickly become obsessed. i think they're probably a little too expensive for something that already seems to be peeling off, but i'm in love with my sparkly pink nails for the time being.

this would actually be a good little present for someone. it's kind of a fun project too-- more novel than just painting. ever tried 'em?

holiday jewelry giveaway! {CLOSED}

2011-12-02T16:32:00.004-05:00

this week i am thrilled to tell you that i've got a fabulous shabby apple jewelry giveaway to go alongside my gift guides! (this has been tricky for me, because jewelry is something i LOVE but also one of those words i have to try spelling about 14 times before i get it right. even then, i had to rely on spellcheck. ooh embarrassing.)

shabby apple, if you don't already know (and you probably do since you're a rad blogging lady), is an online boutique that sells stylish, flattering, modest women's dresses and accessories...and kids stuff too! i can't get over some of the pieces in their new dress collection, particularly the tinsel town skirt, which i'm dying to wear for new year's, but is sadly sold out in my size. you can bet i'll be stalking it pretty much all of december just in case.

on their website, they say they aim "to make women feel feminine and beautiful for what they wear, not what they bare." i like that. i like it a lot. so when they approached me about a little giveaway, you can imagine i was more than excited.

the giveaway piece is the gorgeous "lost in wonderland" necklace. it's the prettiest green floral cameo with cream detailing. i think it'd be the perfect gift for a friend or sister, or even just for you! imagine how lovely it would be paired with your christmas ensemble.

to enter:

please check out & "like" shabby apple on facebook, come back here and leave a comment!

simple, non?

for extra entries, tweet about this giveaway and leave a separate comment.
the winner will be announced on friday, december 9th.

*us residents only, sorry international readers, i promise i'll hook you up next time*

in fact, shabby apple has been so sweet as to offer a 10% discount on anything on the site for all say anything readers!

just use the coupon code: sayanything10off at checkout to get a little discount on your party dress shopping. easy as pie.

good luck!

xo

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED:

Winner is:

Congratulations, girl! I'll be sending you an email with the details.

gift guide #1: your pretty sister who makes you laugh so hard you cry & has excellent taste in celebrity men

2011-12-01T23:54:00.002-05:00

1. Pretty Heart Clutch: $45 the cutest way to keep all her necessities in check for a night out.

2. Missed Connections by Sophie Blackall: $11 because she has a soft side and will love the illustrations.

3. Gingerbread Cupcake Mix: $11 since apparently these Barefoot Contessa ones are insanely good. Add some cute liners like these or a swirly tray for the perfect gift.

4. Charm bracelet. Any kind is an amazing gift you can keep adding to, but this Tiffany one is so lovely: $125.

5. Stila Acai Crush Stain: $24 a super flattering soft red that works on lips & cheeks for that rosy in-from-the-cold look.

6. Cosy Heart Mittens: $24 to keep her hands warm when she's tobogganing. bonus: they're fair trade!

7. Butterfly Pushpins: $13 the prettiest detail for her bulletin board.

8. Cute Writing Slate & Chalk: $13 for love notes and to-do lists.

9. Flowery Shower Cap: $8 sometimes a girl just can't get her hair wet! she should probably look like an old fashioned movie star in the process.

10. Eggnog Bath Bubbles & Shower Creme: $16 omg. no words for how delicious this is. she can use it as bubbles, shower creme and shampoo. it'll make her hair smell all christmassy past the holidays.

schwartz's

2011-11-27T21:42:00.001-05:00

when i was a younger, i was a vegetarian. in fact, i stayed veggie until i started university (i tried to keep it up, but it was totally impossible to eat on campus.) during my childhood, however, there was one rule. if there was an opportunity to eat montreal smoked meat, you took it.

schwartz's was the preferred place to do so.

schwartz's is one of my very favourite spots in montreal. unassuming, small, a little gritty outside, you might walk right past it if if weren't for the line that is constantly halfway down the block (uhh, and if it wasn't such an infamous institution in the city). they offer like, 6 things on the menu. smoked meat sandwich, turkey sandwich, french fries, pickles, black cherry soda, and something else. (it's actually quite possible that they serve more things, but i have never needed to look for anything else, and you would be wasting your time if you did.)

it is SO old school inside. black and white pictures and newspaper clipping line the walls, the white-clad, baseball cap-wearing servers are brusque, they plonk you down at a communal table (or at the counter) squashed in between other smoked meat lovers, take your order right away and then before you've eaten your last bite, they rush you out. it's small in there, and to me it feels like you're stepping back into some awesome joint in new york in the 1950s.

for some reason, whenever i go, i am picked from the massive line to head in straight away. i've probably cursed my good luck by even telling you this, but it's totally uncanny. my dad thinks it's because i look like i belong in montreal, but i would argue it's because i look really extremely hungry for a sandwich.

in any case, ryan had never been. obviously this had to change, so when we visited montreal in september, schwartzes was our first stop off the bus. suitcases and all. i grinned like an idiot the whole time we were in there, because it just makes me so happy to sit at a counter eating a sandwich with a lot of mustard, thinking of all the people before me who were doing the exact same thing.

i have been craving it ever since. the pickles especially, but i am the kind of girl who could get through a jar of dill pickles if given the chance. anyways, go if you're in montreal! it's so good and i promise you won't be disappointed.

manamanah.

2011-11-26T22:20:00.000-05:00

have you seen the new muppets movie? we went tonight and i cannot recommend it highly enough. go now! bring your friends, bring your love! find a kid who has never seen the muppets and EDUCATE them (for goodness sake)!

the muppets were a big (awesome) part of my childhood, and although some people were a little concerned that this comeback movie might not do them justice, i knew they couldn't go wrong!

it was amazing. hilarious and sweet and musical. i couldn't stop smiling the whole time...and laughing hysterically...and holding back tears (yes, i'm one of those). i find it very rare that you get one of those honest, simple, good movies. this is one of them. jason segel did a really incredible job at staying true to the real muppets. it easily fits in with the classics and i'm sooo excited that the muppets are back on the big screen!!

plus there was lots of swedish chef, who is my very favourite. isn't he everyone's?

p.s. did you know there's an OPI range celebrating the muppets and their return?! so rad.

today was the first snow (& also the proposition of gift guides!)

2011-11-24T00:10:00.000-05:00

(lame iphone pics. really need to stop being scared of my big camera)

snow in november. how rude! actually, we were very lucky this year because normally we get it in october (ick). i am not a fan of the gloomy wintertime, give me a crisp fall with fiery leaves or a sun-dappled, leafy june afternoon instead any day. but since this coldness will be around until march, i am sucking it up and making baked eggs and drinking lots of coconut lavender tea. it seems to be helping and i would recommend doing so if you are in a similar snowy situation. although i am wearing two patterns together AND red lipstick, so i may not be the one to take particularly seriously.

in light of this hefty snowfall, i busted out the old sorrels to go trekking through the city today. they felt like they were made of lead! i dragged and dragged my feet to the bus stop, but then i thought OH this isn't so bad after all! snow means it's time for christmas movies and tunes (coincidentally i listened to a she and him christmas today as my first carols), and pepperminty treats and lots of hungarian food and holiday crafts, and giving gifts, ohhh the gifts.

while i am not a fan of the gloomy november feelings, i am a big BIG fan of the warm and twinkly christmas feelings. and they are starting to stir, thanks to this snowfall.

is it snowing where you are? when i lived in england, it hardly ever snowed. and when it did, it was about a centimeter high and the whole country would shut down haha. they just aren't prepared at all! living in canada makes you kind of a snow snob, if you know what i mean. we scoff at anything warmer than -30, and snowbanks shorter than 5 feet. snow snobs.

p.s. starting this week i am going to be doing gift guides. i am no expert here, but i do spend a good deal of time coveting things (only sort of kidding), and even more time perusing the globe for fabulous stuff. who are you buying for this year? need help?

happy birthday jo & lots of sushi

2011-11-22T23:56:00.001-05:00

it was jo's birthday last week (you may remember her as the beautiful halloween costume model in the latest violet issue), she is also my partner in crime for a street style blog we are launching, annnd the girlfriend of my boyfriend's bestie. does that make sense? anyways. i'm really glad she IS because we're pretty much soulsisters and have been having the most fun "no boys allowed" nights all year. think: yoga, cupcakes, cocktails, manicures.

we went out for sushi at hokkaido to celebrate her umm definitely not 20th birthday and ate so many amazing spicy salmon rolls and sashimi that we almost exploded. it's really nice to have a good sushi place downtown. love love love. i forgot to take out my camera until everything was almost gone, so you can't really see the beauteous platter of fish we had. oops. i assure you it was major. i have never eaten so much raw fish!

and then, naturally, we went out for a drink or two at the honest lawyer. outrageous prices. out. rageous. but they do have a zillion arcade games inside, which is pretty cool. and something called a beer-zooka. and jo managed to crush people in foosball, which is apparently her secret talent. so all was well! a happy birthday indeed.

p.s. the number of photos i have of us making these bizarre poses in candid shots is getting to be uncanny...what is that about...i guess it's a talent.

on life after graduation & fast-approaching big important decisions

2011-11-22T15:40:00.000-05:00

-ira glass via...someone on facebook.

i hate facebook, but sometimes it throws me things like that.

"we know our work doesn't have this special thing that we want it to have."

above anything else i have seen in the past few years, that sentence has resonated with me. i know that feeling, i thought when i read it. that's exactly it. sometimes in writing you have moments of punch-the-air brilliance. but that brilliance is often a sentence amid seven hundred other sentences. or a perfectly-thought-of pairing of two words. yes. you think when you get those words. you read them over, you congratulate yourself. yes.

but then they're lost in the sea of everything else you've written, which may be okay, it might even be good, but it doesn't have that special thing. and you know you have that special thing within you somewhere, but it's stubbornly refusing to show itself. come on, you think. i know you're in there.

i have done some good work in the past four years as a journalism student. i've had some crazy experiences. i sat in on a murder trial and got stared in the eye by the murderer as i hesitantly took notes. i went to roller derby games. i read stories to the daughters of a teen mom and sat in on a support group for pregnant teenage girls. i danced traditional african dances. i spent hours on the phone with a man who lives like a medieval broadsword fighter. i interviewed a classroom of kindergartners. i spoke to the president of the canadian water resources association, to the head of the mental health institution, to midwives, to bakers, to small business owners, to 1960s housewives, to justin trudeau, to artists, to a slew of people dressed as zombies. and that is only about a third of it.

i've hated it and loved it all at the same time.

i'm graduating this year and i'm scared about it. i'm more excited than scared, but i really don't have a plan. and while i think that's relatively normal, it seems to me that i have less of a plan than other people. do i want to work? go to grad school? travel? i don't know.

all i know is that i want to write. and i want to have adventures. i want to hear stories and tell stories and get out of my comfort zone. most of all, i want that special thing to come out from its hiding place and find space on the paper. i guess i will have to be patient, and keep trying, keep writing, keep practicing.

this growing up thing has snuck up on me very fast.

i would like to go to maine...

2011-11-22T15:11:00.000-05:00

1. 2. 3.

i would like to go to maine and feel the brisk, salty breeze. i would like to sit on rocks by the sea and watch it swirl, grey and stormy, and i would like to feel tiny next to it. i would like to walk all day and visit markets and eat lots of fresh seafood. i've never had a lobster roll, but i imagine when i do, it will be in maine. i would like to start a new book, and wear old jeans and cosy up in the most worn of my fisherman sweaters with a paper cup of tea and an afternoon with no plans. i don't know why, but sometimes deep down i crave a visit to new england. reading archives from this blog doesn't help.

burger joint

2011-11-17T16:38:00.000-05:00

my boyfriend is into video games. i'm sure most of you can relate (sympathize? haha just kidding. sort of.) he plays videogames, he talks about videogames, and more importantly, he programs them too.

his latest idea, burger joint, recently got turned into an app for iphones. if, like me, you are an avid on-the-bus-iphone-gamer (it's a problem! angry birds? cut the rope? tiny wings? burger joint?! i'm really into on on-the-bus gaming), maybe you want to check it out.

it's free (huzzah!) and involves cute monkeys and tetris-style burger-making. i'm probably just being all proud and stuff, but it's so cool that something he thought of is out there and people are playing it all over the world! check it out anyways, and if you're feeling especially kind, maybe leave a rating.

got any favourite apps/games?

i'm always on the lookout. i spend a lot of time on the bus, you see.

on sweaters

2011-11-17T16:27:00.000-05:00

if you are one of those people who snubs the gap because...you know...it's the gap, i totally get you. or at least, i did. i used to be a snubber. really and truly, i was all "psssh the gap. mom jeans ahoy" and wouldn't so much as look in the window.

then came this year. and the discovery of the black knit jeggings aka the pants that changed everything. comfier than pj's, sexy because they're fitted, wearable with LITERALLY EVERYTHING, and totally reasonably priced. mmm the jeggings. i am never wearing real pants again. i would show you a picture, but i don't have one because i have become incredibly lazy with my camera. those pants are the reason i started loving the gap.

also, if you sign up to their email list, they pretty much send you major savings every day. like, 40% off savings.

IN ANY CASE, what i'm trying to say is that i live in canada. and it's damn cold over here for like 6 months a year. i also am generally the coldest girl on the planet. so sweaters are a big thing for me. i can never find any that are cute enough, as well as being affordable. i'm a student, but i also aim to be a stylish student. vintage wool sweaters are great but they tend to be itchy, student-budget sweaters tend to be...hoodies. i have no problem with hoodies, but a girl can't wear one every day.

enter the gap, (my love).

(can you tell i am bored? and in the library? and am procrastinating HARDCORE?)

their perfect fisherman sweater is, uhh, perfect. you can find it here. better yet, go into stores because it is on sale for $30 right now. proceed to buy 3. think about buying more. these are the comfiest, prettiest, most high-quality sweaters i have ever seen. they've got the perfect cable knit. the perfect neckline. they are totally cosy-winter-cabin girl but also studious-library-girl. i have grey and cream. i am possibly going to get doubles so i can wear them every winter for the next 10 years.

i am in love. in LOVE, i tell you.

i should be getting commission for this, but no. i am just spreading the word. it's imperative that you are informed.

today is one of those days...

2011-11-08T13:18:00.001-05:00

you know the kind of day. where you are woken up wrong, and your interviews get cancelled and you stutter awkwardly in french class. and then you kind of start to freak because you really needed those interviews, and then to top it all off your fishtail braid falls out and you end up being the dork using photobooth as a mirror to re-fishtail-braid in the library.

just me?

i am not supposed to drink coffee because of this thing i have with my kidneys and bladder (lame), BUT TODAY I NEEDED ONE. so hey there peppermint white mocha (lactose free, holla!) and that's making me feel slightly better. along with the fact that i finally learned how to fishtail braid. AND i have a panini- gelato lunch date with my handsome man set up later. and i got this rad skeleton t-shirt in the mail from topshop.

and those interviews...? well...it's my graduating year, so i'm sure one day i'll miss the all-nighters. i'll count it as another quintessential university experience.

so i guess it's really about deciding what you focus on.

p.s. this is the last few hours to bid on my ebay stuff. go go go! it's cheap. and almost entirely new. and the cuteness. i have so much more to put up, but ebay is being difficult so i may just try and post them here if anyone's interested.

design by camilla

2011-11-05T13:40:00.001-04:00

i'm sure you've noticed i'm back from my little blogging hiatus (yay!) and with a new design.

thanks to camilla, who is amazing at so many things, one of which being html, i got a snazzy new look.

anyone else in the mood for a virtual makeover should check her out here.

live the language

2011-11-04T00:32:00.001-04:00

I cannot get over these amazing videos from EF. Watch them all here. It's worth it, trust me. Although side effects may include a severe case of wanderlust and sudden complaints of the troublesome travelling feet.

These little films make me want to pack up my things and hop on the next plane out of here to somewhere beautiful and foreign and nerve-wrackingly full of the unfamiliar. I suppose pretty soon I'll be able to do just that, and I am just thrilled about it. New possibilities make me so giddy.

xo

p.s. thank you to Hilary, who showed me these.

shop my closet!

2011-11-03T01:50:00.000-04:00

hello hello!

it is way too late to be up, but i've been working on this for hours (who knew ebay was so tedious?!) and needed some sort of public record of my efforts.

ahem:

i recently decided to have a clear out of all the things i have bought but never worn.

i thought i would join the recent trend that's been going around and whack them all up on good old ebay to see if any of you might be interested in some heavily discounted, new-to-you things. i myself love hawking the clothes of other bloggers haha.

i'll be updating frequently, but so far there are some pretty things that just might tickle your fancy. the case is that they're usually too big/too small, and i've worn them only once. so i need to find homes for them.

if you love something but think the price is insanely unreasonable, shoot me an email and i'll see what i can do.

happy shopping!

p.s. the picture quality and my awful poses alone are reason enough to take a look. you see, emily alone + tripod + no fabulous model = awkwardness. no teasing. please.

did i mention that we were jellyfish for halloween?

2011-11-02T18:30:00.000-04:00

it was a big hit & so easy to make:

clear umbrellas, lots of streamers & double sided tape.

that's it! presto, voila, easy jellyfish costume

although, i wouldn't recommend it for an indoor party...

we had a bit of trouble with mobility {particularly getting through doorways}

what were you??

amsterdam

2011-07-30T09:36:00.000-04:00

Amsterdam was museums and art galleries and the zoo. It was Ryan getting so excited to see "great art!"

It was cheese shops and Belgian beer and tall skinny houses that need pulley systems to hoist up furniture.

It was canals and sunshine and our amazing apartment with a balcony overlooking the city. It was stroopwaffles and vespas and bikes everywhere. It was where we decided that we would definitely get a vespa in our hypothetical European life.

It was trying to learn Dutch and collapsing into giggles because we sounded like the Swedish Chef from the muppets.

It was taking trams and staying up way too late and wandering the red light district, shocked at how young the girls are. It was deciding that the traditional 'frites' are grosssss.

It was a drive through Haarlem where we looked at the windmills and heard a story about the start of Dutch democracy. It was seeing giraffes (Ryan's fave) and elephants (mine).

It was finally getting to see penguins together! And a scary first meal with grey meat that we will never forget, but will try hard to block out. Shudder, shudder.

Amsterdam was a really good place to explore for a few days. I think we went to every corner of the city and loved it so, so much. Easy to navigate, great transit, good food {if you knew where to go...we finally found out!}, lots of sunshine, and so much fun.

soon i will be home

2011-07-26T18:09:00.001-04:00

& If you need me, I will be tucked into bed with Hemingway.

{The books, not the man. Oh you guys.}

Travelling all summer has been so fun, but I'm exhausted now. Time for real life and dogs and my bed and getting to go grocery shopping, etc etc. Oh and I guess my boyfriend too ;)

Next time, I am only doing beach holidays. None of this interning, house-hunting, city-walking nonsense ;)

pip pip! {or...scenes from london}

2011-07-23T07:57:00.001-04:00

We didn't get enough time in London...and I wish we'd had more. I think it was Ryan's favourite place out of all our travelling. It was nice because I know my way around in London, and we got to spend time with my family as well as exploring some of my favourite spots. The best thing for me about our whole trip was being able to show Ryan all the places I love and have loved since I was a kid.

In our couple days there, we did a TON.

Saw a West End show (STOMP!), went to the Natural History Museum (the 'sexual nature' exhibit was amazing), the Borough Market, Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Oxford Street, stood inside red telephone booths, admired paintings at the National Portrait Gallery, explored Kensington, ate fabulous Italian food (and pub food and gelato...did I mention Europe is making me fat?), saw the pride parade, took a London cab, went into Harrods, picnicked with pigeons, went to pubs, put on ridiculous attempted British accents and minded the gap.

The thing with London is that there is SO MUCH to do and see that even after years of exploring, it's so easy to discover new things. Oh gosh, I wish he was still here so we could keep finding favourite spots.

violet.

2011-07-22T05:10:00.000-04:00

If you follow me on Twitter, I'm sure you've been getting tired of my excited tweeting about The Violet.

I've been so happy to be involved with this project, and this group of talented women. I love that it's homegrown. I love that it is conversational. I am super excited about the launch of the second issue, and can't wait for this thing to get all the attention it deserves.

Not only did I contribute a little something, but so did Meg and Jasmine and Molly and Bridget and Ashlee and Kenza and of course Camilla...a few of my favourite ladies from the blog world. Pretty unstoppable team right there. So give it a read. Tell us what you think.

Without further ado, I would highly suggest you guys get over here for a little summer reading.

sweet sixteen.

2011-07-21T08:09:00.000-04:00

my littlest sister is beautiful when she laughs.

she's hot tempered and hilarious and keeps me up to date on all things pop culture. like, you know, the biebz and other important matters.

anyways. today is her 16th birthday, so she's super old now. and can do all kinds of fun things like going out drinking in belgium. uhh. and buying lottery tickets.

i got her tickets to join the circus (for an afternoon) and play on a flying trapeze. gotta stay young somehow ;)

happy birthday, sarah. we love you.

on girls.

2011-07-21T06:32:00.001-04:00

I like girls names you can shorten and make slightly boyish. Jo(celyn). Alex(andra). I like the name Dianna with two n's and ones that start with A. Jamie, too. Strong names, but also pretty. Names that you could find in a novel, perhaps. Not too typical. That sound good as they roll out of the mouth.

I imagine that if I had a daughter, I would try and keep her grounded. Of course she would be full of silliness and fall in love with little things like girls do, but I'd want her to be practical too. To know what she likes. To be healthy and happy and have a good head on her shoulders most of all.

I would send her to camp for part of the summers, so she could make friends and stay outside all day and breathe in fresh air and scrape her knees and run around in the sunshine and swim all day and dry off on the dock. So she could sleep in bunk beds with new friends and learn to french-braid and have secret midnight feasts. This is the kind of thing (I think) that teaches you about people and the world and sets you in the right direction. Not to mention the outdoors, which is just so good for you.

I'd read her classics and poetry of course, but most of all I'd read her stories about magic so she could keep it with her as long as she could. Not just witches and wizards and fairies, but real-life magic. The kind that exists in ordinary people. I'd want her to know that her life would be full of it.

Anne of Green Gables, to teach her about how important it is to stick up for what is good but let her know it's okay to make mistakes as long as you try and fix them. Little House on the Prairie, so she could learn about growing up and having patience through your hardships and sisterhood and family and being happy with what you have. I'd read her Mallory Towers so she could learn about resolving conflict, about loyalty, about standing on her own two feet, about education and wise old headmistresses. And Little Women for so many reasons. I'd read her stories about strong, amazing girls who learn lessons and laugh all the time and work hard and have adventures and fall madly in love and help out their girlfriends when they're in a bind.

Hopefully she would have brothers, who would teach her about boys better than I ever could. I knew virtually nothing about boys until I was 16 years old and that rarely worked in my favour. I would try to teach her about love. I'd try my hardest to be a good example here. And offer advice when she needed it, but I would learn too. I'm sure I would learn more from her than I can even imagine now.

I'd tell her stories about her Hungarian great, great grandmother and teach her how to make chicken paprikash and Hungarian birthday cake. I'd teach her all the little traditions so she could keep them alive, no matter how distant they seem.

I would show her Steve Martin and Bill Cosby and old Eddie Murphy shows. I'd have her listen to David Sedaris books on tape. I'd hope she would laugh. We would watch John Hughes movies, and somewhere between Duckie dancing to Otis Redding, and John Cusack driving through the rain, something would click with her. I would twirl her around the living room to 80s post punk music, and maybe (just maybe) she would have a soft spot for The Smiths for the rest of her life.

In this dream world, we wouldn't talk about weight or cellulite or diets...you know, all those things girls talk about that chip away at their characters and consume them to the point where they can't talk about anything else. We would eat wholesome things. We would bake banana bread like my mom does, and enjoy it, and we'd get on our bicycles and ride to the library afterwards. We'd shop at the farmer's market. She wouldn't be one of those kids on Jamie Oliver shows who is completely unaware of what an eggplant is.

I'd give her my old journals and photo albums. Things that would make me cringe, but probably make her happy (if she's anything like me). I wish my mom had written and kept clothes and pictures! I always feel like I would know her better if I could see that stuff. My dad wrote a little, and reading what he thought and listening to the music he wrote at 19 is one of my favourite things to do.

I'd hope she would have big curls like mine, if nothing else. And the eyelashes. But most of all, the sense of adventure. I'd hope she would wonder at the world.

{Just a collection of thoughts I started for a creative writing class a long time ago. All the pictures are from Tumblr, but I can't remember where. If anyone knows, tell me!}

the rest of glasto

2011-07-16T09:08:00.000-04:00

we saw such an incredible lineup of bands at glasto-- darwin deez, bombay bicycle club, janelle monae, gold panda, u2, friendly fires, two door cinema club, noisettes, beyonce, stornoway, chemical brothers, morrissey...and ryan accidentally stumbled upon an impromptu, unscheduled radiohead concert {of which i will be eternally jealous}.

my favourite by FAR {which is saying a lot} was darwin deez. if you haven't heard them, i can't tell you how fast you should get over to their website and have a listen. radar detector is the best song to listen to first {i dare you not to get it stuck in your head}, but they're all amazing.

aside from the music, the food at glasto is spectacular. you wouldn't think it-- but hundreds of incredible little restaurants set up in the mud and rain to feed thousands of people. from insane black bean burgers with 17 kinds of salad to 'proper' sausages and mash, from super muesli to cream teas, i would rather eat there than anywhere else.

we got freezing and soaking waiting for u2, and sunburnt at gold panda. our boots got sucked into the quicksand mud, and we lost our voices from all the screaming. we were dirty and tired and ecstatic. if any of you can get the chance...do it. this was my 3rd year there and if i get the chance to do it again, i will. although...i think i might choose somewhere drier like coachella or sasquatch next time.

we were sad to leave, but happy to get back to civilization {read: real toilets and showers} and excited to move on to the rest of our adventures.

first peek at the festival

2011-07-15T16:46:00.000-04:00

glastonbury is totally magical. flower crowns, hundreds of thousands of people, crazy healing fields, lots of mud, yummy food, noisy cows, yurt village and fairy lights at night.

i have so many pictures! how many is too many?!

this girl and her travelling feet are back home

2011-07-14T19:36:00.000-04:00

hello darlings!

i'm back, back, back. with many tales and photos for you, which i promise to share, but i need lots of sleep first. as amazing as it is, travelling really tires a person out.

today, pressing the 'new post' button seemed like such an enormously daunting task, i was hardly up to it.

"emily," i said to myself {and you know i was serious because hardly anyone calls me emily-- just em-- unless they are serious} "how can you expect to report back to these ladies when your eyelashes are drooping so much, and you can't even string a sentence together?"

so i am postponing a tad bit longer.

i forget you don't all have me on facebook {aka the lazy girl's photo backup}, since you often feel like very dear friends haha. so i guess you haven't really been following my recent adventures, unless you have me on twitter.

they include {i will have you know} an unlikely wine picnic under the eiffel tower with a group of canadian, french and british hardcore bands.

more tomorrow, promise.

festival packing

2011-06-24T07:00:00.002-04:00

a little peek at what i packed for the festival:

it's going to be rainy AND sunny while we're there, so i decided on a mix of lightweight, layer-able pieces and a couple cosy sweaters.

not to mention my new yellow raincoat and hunter boots.

i love love love them.

glastonbury

2011-06-23T07:00:00.002-04:00

every few years my family packs up and heads off to the glastonbury festival. if you've never heard of it...let me explain. basically, glastonbury is a huuuge music festival in england that takes place on this massive piece of land called worthy farm. it's close to stonehenge and although it has always sort of been a total hippie-fest, it's definitely expanded to fit every kind of music lover.

a few hundred thousand people go every year, and watch all kinds of bands. from the super famous (u2, coldplay, oasis, the cure, al green...) to the teeny tiny unknowns. there are a ton of stages, outdoor bars and restaurants, healing fields, circus tents, burlesque shows, electronic dance tents, outdoor yoga, strange art exhibits, inflatable night clubs...the list goes on.

we're a big music family, and we always have an amazing time seeing our old favourites and new discoveries. there's something that {my dad always reminds us} is really tribal about a hundred and fifty thousand people standing out in the mud and rain to see these icons and sing along to their favourite songs.

we went in 2005 for the first time, and there was a massive rainstorm the night before all the shows began and the farm turned into a sea of mud. people's tents floated downhill and they lost everything they brought! people were canoeing around through the mud and a whole bunch of naked old guys were walking around covered in muddy handprints.

this year, we're seeing a TON of amazing bands. u2 {their early stuff is some of my favourite music of all time}, morrissey, beyonce, two door cinema club, laura marling, chemical brothers, fleet foxes, bombay bicycle club, noisettes, janelle monae, darwin deez, ok go...

i'm so excited for the craziness, the sleepless nights, the dancing, wearing flowers in my hair, eating vegetarian schnitzel, henna tattoos, and sleeping in a YURT (!!!)

i'll be there til monday...but i'll take a million pictures.

have a fab week, lovelies!

2 years later...

2011-06-22T19:00:00.001-04:00

today is our 2 year anniversary.

how exciting.

we're in different countries right now, but my handsome guy is flying all the way here this evening to see me {after he takes a major exam}. a man who will travel by train, plane & automobile for 20 hours for me {and battle the subsequent jetlag while rocking out and sleeping in a tent} is probably the sweetest thing ever.

this past year has had some of the happiest moments of my life. largely thanks to ryan.

we had bumps in the first year together {i'll be the first to admit it wasn't perfect} but this last year has been amazing. i love this boy so much. he makes me laugh more than anyone else and he's my best friend.

i love his love for movie theatre popcorn, that he lifts me over puddles, that he knows my silly idiosyncrasies, that he loves hanging out with my family. i love our nicknames {i never thought i'd be a nickname sort of girl}, his letters, our interesting dates. i love that we stay up all night talking because we're so interested in each other's opinion. i love his music and his silly dancing and his gallant attempts to take care of me when i'm sick.

he's a great person. and two years later {eek!}, i am more convinced of this than ever before.

here's to the next amazing year and many, many adventures.

*clinks imaginary champagne glass*

snapshots from my old hometown

2011-06-21T20:26:00.001-04:00

hello you beautiful readers! this post comes to you from cheltenham, a little town in the south-west of england.

although you wouldn't know it from my accent, i grew up here. i spent all of high school, and part of middle school in this gorgeous part of the world-- the english cotswolds. i haven't had much time to come back in the past few years, but this summer i've been twice already and i'm appreciating it here more than i ever did when i was younger. at the time, this was just my boring home. i guess i didn't realize how lucky i was.

today, the girls and i woke up wayy too late because of our jetlag {eww, jetlag}, and we ventured into town. lavender is blooming everywhere, and because it rains so much the grass is super green. we snapped some photos in the gardens, and then toured around the town centre looking at our favourite buildings and sitting in the sunshine outside the (what i personally think) best bookstore here.

in cheltenham, there are red phonebooths and big stone buildings, and people speak in posh english accents. there's a huge racecourse (for horses) that draws a massive crowd every year-- the town literally triples its population for that week {mostly with irish gamblers who want to strike it rich at the races...}

i love the regency architecture, the parks, the shopping, and the secret little gardens all around. i love the fact that my dearest friends are here. i don't so much like the pigeons and the rain {serious frizz, guys. you can't even imagine}, but i can put up with that for all the loveliness.

tomorrow we're leaving for glastonbury festival, but i'm coming back {and bringing ryan!}. i'm so excited to show him my favourite spots here and for him to meet my friends. i've been lucky enough to stay in contact with my best girlfriends from high school {and a couple guy friends too} and i've been waiting for TWO YEARS to introduce them to my boyfriend. can't wait! i'm sure i'll have about a thousand more pictures to show you very soon.

where did you grow up? what do you love about your home town?

i'd love to know.

can you guess where we're off to...?

2011-06-17T00:53:00.001-04:00

I know I told you we were planning our European adventure, but I just discovered that I never let you all in on the verdict {& my hopeful vacation wishlists}.

So... without further ado:

Glastonbury Festival

♥ Sleep in a yurt.

♥ See tons of bands.

♥ Drink cider.

♥ Rave.

♥ See stonehenge {it is very close by}

♥ Buy awesome band tees.

♥ Try and meet someone famous.

♥ Eat a lot of amazing food.

♥ Do a morning yoga class in the crazy hippie fields.

♥ Wear my flowered headband.

♥ Go on the ferris wheel.

♥ See a burlesque show.

♥ Wear our rubber boots.

Cheltenham {old home}

♥ Drink tea

♥ Hill-walk

♥ Visit my old school

♥ Show Ryan my favourite places

♥ See best friends

♥ Eat at Nandos & Giannis

London {new home}

♥ Go to the Natural History museum

♥ Take the sightseeing bus tour

♥ Experience of Marks and Spencers grocery shopping

♥ Go dancing at Ministry of Sound

♥ Eat at Pret

♥ Have a "full English breakfast," traditional fish and chips & "high tea"

♥ Go "shopping" at Harrods & show Ryan the wonders of Topshop

♥ Take the tube so we can hear them announce that we should "mind the gap"

♥ Drink cider & black in an olllllld pub

♥Go to a West-end musical

♥ See a play at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre {I'm a big drama geek}

♥ Go to Camden town & the Borough Market

♥ See a show at the Camden Barfly

♥ Go to the Hamley's toy store

♥ Gelato at Oddono's

♥ Picnic in Hyde Park

♥ Take a picture in a red telephone booth

Amsterdam

♥ Gawk at all the bicycles

♥ Take a boat tour of the beautiful canal

♥ Eat stroopwaffles.

♥ {And apparently July is the time for eating fresh herring! I don't know how I feel about that...}

♥ Go to the Van Gogh museum! Also, the flower market to buy tulips!

♥ See the Anne Frank house. I went once years ago, but I would love to go again

♥ Red light district

♥ Wander through the Vondelpark

♥Eat traditional Dutch food...and also cheese fondue

♥ Take a trip to the Artis zoo.

♥ Go shopping/browsing on the 9Streets.

♥ Go to the Albert Cuypmarkt {flea market} and Dam Square

♥ Tan on a Dutch beach!

Paris

♥ Experience the wonders of Laduree and their macarons

♥ Eat crepes & baguettes & too many pastries

♥ Listen to accordion players in the metro

♥ Go to the Louvre

♥ Tour on the bus, see all the sights

♥ Have a special, fabulous 2 year anniversary date

♥ Drink amazing coffee

♥ Dance on a cobblestone street

♥ Explore all the different districts...the Montmartre, Marais...

♥ Shop! In Paris!

♥ Practice our French

♥ Sail a little toy boat in the Jardin du Luxembourg

♥ CLIMB the whole Eiffel Tower!

♥ Go to the Moulin Rouge

♥ Visit the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise and smooch Oscar Wilde's grave.

♥ Go to an amazing jazz club in the Marais.

♥ Peruse the flea markets.

♥ Stroll down the Champs Elysees!

♥ Watch the sunset from Sacre Coeur (and take the funiculaire to get there!)

We are so excited about this, and think we have a pretty amazing trip planned! After approximately a billion changes we're managing to do it all on a super budget by staying with family, friends, and renting apartments through airbnb {seriously worth checking out}. I'd like to think that travel can be done on most budgets, and we're trying to make the most of ours by staying in low-cost accommodation so we have more money for food & doing stuff.

Got any more suggestions?

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

times have changed...

2011-06-15T19:13:00.000-04:00

eating salad, blogging, and writing an exam...

all from the comfort of my bed.

some days i love the modern world.

wish me luck! i have til ten. i'm writing about the secret garden.

what a magical book.

twelve hour work days call for passionfruit mojitos.

2011-06-15T17:38:00.000-04:00

the past few weeks have been absolutely crazy.
working, school, moving, trip planning...crazy.
we took a few hours off from studying & tried out a new bar downtown.
the food was bad, but oh the mojitos.
for them, we will be going back.
i think sometimes it is those quiet nights that are my favourite. an impromptu date, a new bar, a tasty discovery, and a lot of good conversation. this was a lot like when we first started dating.

xo

p.s. it is becoming increasingly evident that i really need a camera before europe. i've had a couple suggestions...but i'm looking for more! just a good point & shoot! anyone?

in which i try getting fit...in 8 minutes {i dare you}.

2011-06-12T15:41:00.002-04:00

So ever since it's been spring {like a groundhog, spring is when I generally come out of my long winter hibernation}, I've been trying to get in shape. The threat of bikini season is looming, and I always find that to be quite enough to scare me into exercising.

In the past, I've always generally stuck to doing some traditional cardio {either running or elliptical or biking} or some alternative fitness class like weighted hula hooping & zumba.

My littlest sister Sarah is sort of a fitness fanatic however, and told me that on top of my running, I should really be doing 20 minutes of toning exercises if I want to see a difference. So as a girl who will give most things a try, I decided I would get toning.

Hooping is usually my way to do this, but if it's raining or if there's no space inside, it just can't happen. And I'm really intimidated by the weights machines at my gym {and all the massive muscly guys around using them}. I wanted something I could do at home. For free, preferably.

Enter 8 Minute Abs. Hahaha...oh boy.

I'd heard of this in passing...but thought of it as sort of a jokey fad. The 80's stay-at-home mom in her living room, wearing spandex and a headband. Then Sarah and I decided to give it a shot. She had done it before, but I'd never seen it. I'll allow you the pleasure now:

Once you can get past the spandex, the muzak, and overuse of the word "gang"... it's worth a try. We've stuck with it for about a month now, and I think it's working. Like, really! When you're not giggling your head off and you actually stick with it, it burns like crazy and I think it's a decent workout.

The thing I like about it is that I can just do it at home whenever I have a few minutes and I don't need any fancy equipment. Like, who doesn't have 8 minutes? It's great. They have a whole series for arms, legs, etc. and you can do a couple every day. Oh god I sound like a commercial. I guess I'm just surprised that something SO CHEESY and that I was so skeptical of is actually working.

My other personal favourite is 8 Minute Buns {is that music stuck in your head yet?}. It hurts though. I feel like this is something I could keep up even during my usual winter hibernation...

Got 16 minutes? I dare you.

What are your tips for staying in shape? I'm always trying to find out what people do to get fit! What has worked for you?

friday night

2011-06-12T14:14:00.000-04:00

grocery shopping {we love to grocery shop}

inventing an amazing sandwich

subsequently planning our future restaurant

movie date to see the new x men {liked it!}

sour cherry candies

walking home in the middle of the night

& laughing so hard we couldn't breathe

nobody makes me laugh more.

after a very long week, we really needed a date night.

i love this boy so much.

what did your friday night look like?

lately

2011-06-09T23:35:00.001-04:00

working 12 hour days to save up for europe

planning: glastonbury, london, amsterdam, paris! we are over-the-moon excited.

spending nights on bike rides with sarah.

we don't have too long left together!

trying to make the most of it.

eating vegetarian bagel sandwiches from kettlemans

i am a dill pickle fanatic, and so is holly.

sparkly gold nails-- is anything better?

opi 'looks like rain, dear'

running 3.5 miles a night.

actually loving the gym for the first time & feeling stronger.

i think cubicle days = active nights.

walmart shopping trips.

we love walmart!

& you can get st ives apricot scrub for $3!

$3, i tell you! get in on that.

bowling with my handsome man friend.

he won, but it's only because i let him ;)

it's one of our favourite dates...there are disco lights & 70s pop music.

he also took me out for brunch a while back...blueberry pancakes!

surprising. usually i'm a poached egg girl.

reading bossypants on the bus.

getting the giggles.

not being able to stop {the giggles or the reading}.

highly recommended. i love tina.

writing for the violet.

preparing for a photoshoot with kim.

life {although stressful} is going along busily.

blogging has brought so many great things to me,

i should probably be more present here.

although making do with no camera is tricky...

any suggestions?

i know nothing about photography...just a good basic camera is what i need.

help!

10 days in europe...where do i go??

2011-06-01T22:24:00.000-04:00

dearest bloggies.

my travelly friends...i have a question to ask.

soon, i will find myself with a spare 10 days to play in europe.

& a boyfriend who has never been there.

we are already planning on gallivanting around the uk,

so my question is...

where else do we go?

we're open to anything.

i would love your suggestions, your recommendations.

where have you been that you loved?

where have you always dreamed of going?

what is worth seeing?

where did you stay?

fabulous restaurants, exciting adventures, unforgettable experiences!

help!

lots of love,

xoxo

p.s. i am always happy to return the favour. travel-suggestion swapping is one of my favourite things to do.

super delicious & healthy mediterranean-type sandwich. mmm.

2011-05-25T17:39:00.001-04:00

Although this is not technically a food blog...it is written by a girl who considers herself to be something of a foodie. I love food. And eating. I love cooking and baking and experimenting. I love restaurants, but I also love knowing exactly what's going into my food and putting together healthy, yummy meals.

Last week I had this Mediterranean veggie sandwich at this little bistro near my house, and I fell in love with it. Oh my gosh, it was SO. GOOD. Although...tragically...it was a bit too expensive to be making a daily habit.

I decided {as any determined young lady would} to take matters into my own hands.

I would recreate the sandwich.

I added a few minor changes, but generally it remained the same as the delightful original. And it was amazing. I thought maybe some of you might be sandwich-lovers {if not...we may need to reevaluate our friendship} and so decided I would share it here. So we can all share in its deliciousness.

What you will need:

- 2 slices of bread {I used multigrain, but anything will work}

- 1 portobello mushroom cap

- 1 clove of garlic

- A little olive oil

- Sundried tomatoes

- Roasted red peppers {I buy mine in jars but feel free to roast a pepper yourself}

- Soft feta cheese

- Spinach

- Cucumber

- Black olive tapenade

It is {like most sandwiches} extremely easy to prepare. First, brush the mushroom cap with a little olive oil and some crushed garlic. Grill it in the oven for about 8 minutes.

While the mushroom is cooking, crumble some feta on one slice of bread, and spread the tapenade on the other slice. Chop the sundried tomatoes, the roasted red peppers, and the cucumber into sandwich-appropriate pieces.

When the mushroom is ready, assemble all the ingredients as you see fit.

Promptly devour. And then come back here to tell me what you thought!

Happy sandwiching!

P.s. don't forget to share a little with your assistant. Even if you spent the whole time chasing him around saying things like "What is that?? DON'T EAT THAT!"

pucker up, mr wilde

2011-05-23T20:49:00.000-04:00

next time i am in paris... remind me to wear my reddest lips & go give a smooch to mr. oscar fingal o'flahertie wills wilde {apart from being a literary inspiration, he has probably the best name ever.}

summer checklist {and a big old update}:

2011-05-23T00:28:00.002-04:00

goofy sunglasses

rocket popsicles

european vacation round 2

bicycles

sundress weather

hula hooping

summer playlist {still working on this}

suntans

music festivals

denim shorts

little white keds

dinner on the balcony

lots of louis armstrong

& lilacs

did i miss anything??

thanks for all your sweetiepie comments on the last post. yes, being robbed is super lame. i was really angry for a few days, but {!} now i'm trying to rally my optimism! i've done everything i can, nobody was hurt, and i guess that's the best i can ask for given the circumstances. i'm just trying to cheer up about it, get my identity back, and move on. just PLEASE make sure you're so careful with your purses. it's heartbreaking to lose everything just so someone can pawn your stuff for a little cash.

in any case...

yesterday was the first real summery day here. so grandma and i ate dinner outside on the balcony and had raspberry-lemon gin & tonics {perfection}.

i also got a gym membership {the ever-dreaded bikini season is coming}, so hopefully i can be beach-ready in the next month. we'll see...i'm unforgivably pale even after spending so much time outside lately! library gurls like myself tend to have some trouble in the 'tanned and toned' areas.

i need to find a fabulous bikini too...i'm thinking black & gold for this year. i'm on a gold kick lately! so fun! so glam! any amazing bikini places you know of?! shopping for swimwear is one of my least favourite things to do...trying to make it as painless as possible.

also, we are in the midst of planning eurotrip round 2! insert 'eek' of excitement here.

we're starting off in london, then going to the glastonbury festival {where we will sleep in a YURT and see such fabulous performers as: u2, beyonce, chemical brothers, laura marling, two door cinema club, stornoway, fleet foxes, mumford and sons...and about a gazillion more}, then maybe edinburgh, perhaps a little bit of france, and we're trying to decide on a beachy getaway for the last week. italy? greece? cyprus? any suggestions...we're totally stuck!

i also have to try and find an apartment in the next couple weeks. no big deal. not like i've been eating a lot of sandwiches to try and counter my stress or anything.

okay that's a lie. but they're really good sandwiches. i will elaborate on this sandwich thing tomorrow {trust me, you won't want to miss it}. but it's probably not helping the gym situation. I JUST NEED TO GET RID OF 6 POUNDS! {oh hey regina george} maybe then i'll have a chance for megan-fox-abs!

ooookay, sorry bloggie loves. this has turned into a bit of a ramble... i guess i missed you guys.

HOW'S YOUR SUMMER GOING?

love, sparklers, smooches,

thieves, etc.

2011-05-18T19:36:00.000-04:00

Today has been no fun at all. While I was at the grocery store with my grandma, someone stole my purse right out of the cart. Like, she was standing there with it, and someone grabbed it and ran.

That was pretty bad, and then I realized that I'd not only been carrying around my wallet...but also passport. And my camera. And my iPhone. And my bus pass.

And now it's all gone. And nobody (not even the police) is able to help me out or do anything about it. Even more frustrating is the fact that my camera had some Europe pictures on it that I'll never get back.

And now Telus is trying to charge me $420 just because the phone was stolen. Worst day ever.

Don't worry, I cancelled all my cards. And my passport. And suspended my phone contract. But still, I just am so upset. It's really shocking when someone breaks the illusion that people are good. You know? I just always assume people will do the right thing, and I guess that's just not true. Sigh sigh sigh. Not much else to do except hope that karma will prevail...

On that note...anyone have any tips on how to try and retrieve a stolen phone??

new girl

2011-05-18T11:01:00.000-04:00

Can I just say please...I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS!

Zooey! Ahh! Amazing!

three little things cheering me up today

2011-05-10T17:15:00.000-04:00

1. my new manicure in opi's 'cajun shrimp.' it's so bright and fun. i love it. i also love the sister time it took to get this done. we only have a couple months left of living in the same place, so i'm trying to make the most of it.

2. my turquoise ring because i've been looking for one for years and finally found the perfect one. {and it is the first in my 'big rings' collection.} it makes me giggle every time i see it because while i was buying it, i embarrassingly got my finger stuck in a different ring and my friend jess and i were in total hysterics as we tried to pry it off...

3. my tiny purse. because it means i'm HOME and no longer have to lug my beastly suitcase {appropriately named the beastcase} around everywhere. gosh, was that ever a lesson in packing light. next europe trip {which is actually coming up soon}, i am bringing a super small bag with my lightest clothes.