This is, quite possibly, the closest I’ll ever come to being Miss. January! The wonderful team at WedLuxe turned the spotlight over to little ol’ me for their latest Trend Report. Flip to page 20 and then pinch me. I share some of my favourite Vancouver spots, fun tidbits like how Adam and I met, and a TON of wedding planning secrets. Now, grab a cup of coffee and get your WedLuxe Trend Report fix right here!
For more pics from the big day, be sure to check out my recent wedding post!
There weren’t any new years resolutions or intentions for me this year. Instead, I’ve simply scheduled in a complete life overhaul. Reinventing yourself is easy, right? Okay, good, because I’m right in the middle of establishing a new and improved, happier me.
I don’t even know if ‘mood’ is the right terminology to use here, but that’s what I ended up with so let’s go with it. So far, I’ve realized that as much as we’ve come leaps and bounds in our efforts to talk about mental illness, there’s still a lot of discomfort around depression. There are different types of depression and varying degrees in which you can be lost in the fog. Regardless of why you’re feeling a bit down, happiness and self love are essential ingredients for mental clarity. Keep in mind that the following 5 points aren’t a cure to anything, but we’re all aiming for good days, aren’t we? Accomplishing even just ONE item on this list is a huge step in the right direction. Remember that small changes add up to make all the difference! Now, let’s get started with these simple ways to help boost spirits and keep that stress in check.
Last week was so darn weird. Nothing went as planned, down to the tiniest little details. Work days unexpectedly went sideways. I was extra clumsy. Did you happen to see when my website went down for an entire day? That sure was fun. And it wasn’t just me. Friends were getting locked out of their homes, injuring themselves, everyone was running late or cancelling. The universe was off kilter. Turns out, that we’re in Mercury Retrograde right now, and call me crazy, but I totally believe in that stuff. Especially when everything keeps going awry. Really hoping things are back to normal when the 25th hits, when all is supposed to be right again!
All Photography is by Shari and Mike. For a complete list of vendors/credits, scroll to the bottom of this post. This is a continuation of my post about our rehearsal dinner.
I truly thought it’d feel like Christmas morning on August 15th, but I woke up to a text that the beautifying team had arrived and everything felt rather ordinary (not that I normally have a hair stylist and makeup artist greet me in the morning). Adam stirred a little and we smiled at each other and declared that we were getting married that day, as if neither of us had realized. I made my way to the main house, a steady stream of light raindrops creating a serene soundtrack for those rolling green valley views. There was a perfect sense of calm in the house that remained there for the entire morning. It felt like we had forever to get ready, so I tried to savour every moment. We drank coffee and laughed in our matching floral robes. We listened to 90’s pop/rock and everyone else in the house made cameo appearances to check in on our progress. We had all the time in the world until, of course, we didn’t. Suddenly the photographer and videographer were there and it was time to get into the dress, and then it was game on.
I went to a group meeting the other day where we sat down and were asked a ‘Check-In’ question. Something that took me a bit by surprise, as my freelance meetings are usually with one or two others, we aren’t usually structured enough to carry out such an exercise. We all had to share our worst haircut stories, which made for a hilarious ice breaker. Then as things wrapped up, we were asked a ‘Check-Out’ question. We had to state what we were grateful for. I’ve heard and read a lot about the benefits of pinpointing daily gratitude, and it really was a great way to kickstart new and beneficial habits.
Photo by To Vogue Or Bust taken at Chambar on Abbott Street in Gastown (SPOILER ALERT: It’s one of my Dine Out Festival Picks)
We’re 8 days in, and this is finally my first post of the year. But, I mean, if there’s one thing that could break my silence, it’s to share my best kept Vancouver dining secrets. Well, probably not so secret in the day and age of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, Tumblr, Yelp, Trip Advisor, Zomato, etc. etc., but my favourites nonetheless.
The lovely team at Yellow Pages asked me to narrow down my top 10 restaurant picks for Dine Out Vancouver 2016. I tried my best to cover places all over the city and at different price points. Being vegetarian, I even asked a few friends for recommended dishes that contain meat or seafood! Any fellow veggies out there, I did throw in some of my go-to vegetarian friendly choices in there as well.
Let’s not waste any more time. Click HERE to check out my top 10 picks, and if you’re wanting to make your Dine Out 2016 reservations, I would definitely recommend that you do so NOW. Word on the street is that they’re already filling up!
If there’s one thing I couldn’t bring myself to do this party season, it was buying a new glitzy holiday dress that I was bound to never re-wear. This Christmas has been particularly casual and short-lived, so purchasing something new just wasn’t an option. Instead, To Vogue Or Bust and I raided our own closets for items we could put a ‘holiday’ spin on. With the help of the AMAZING Christie Graham and Denise Elliott, here’s what we came up with!
The 70’s vibes live on! Flares are in and then they’re out, in, then out again, and just like that, they’re in again. I really didn’t think I’d be wearing flared denim again so soon, but my goodness these Mavi jeans are comfortable. And it really is kind of nice to veer away from the skinny jean for a moment, I didn’t realize how much I missed the flare trend. It makes a simple denim pairing with a polka dot blouse and a blush cross body bag feel somewhat new again. It’s the little things, ya know?
