I Want It Now!

After scouring the internet this week looking at clothing and accessories, I put together a collage of some of my favourite items. Here are the details for each item and a link to where you can find them:

1. Topshop Pretty Bird on Branch, $15. Topshop has some gorgeous cocktail rings.
2. Asos Trinkett Peep Toe Lace Up Wedge Boots, $56. This is a great price for wedge boots!
3. Oasis Soft Studded Across-Body, $86. I really want to get a studded bag.
4. Asos Wooden Frame Across Body Bag, $34. Such a simple, yet feminine bag.
5. Modcloth Wheatgrass Top, $52.99. I've been craving flowing blouses lately.
6. Kitson 14ct Gold Plated Enamel Globe Pendant Necklace, $39. Such a unique piece. I can see myself wearing it with everything.
7. Matiko Okie Wedge, $172. I would kill for an embellished pair of wedges.
8. Mink Pink Tesselation Waisted Skirt, $57. I'm loving the patterned skirt with pockets.
9. J Brand Legging Seal Wash, $158. I have these in the Olympia wash and they are the best! I wear them so much that I think I should invest in a second pair.
10. Topshop Knitted Fisherman Rib Cardigan, $70. This cardigan looks so comfy. I can see myself wearing with everything this fall.

Which are your faves?

Florals in the Forest

Tank: Forever 21, Skirt: Joe Fresh, Necklace: Topshop, Sunglasses: RayBan, Watch: Citizen, Belt: Charlotte Russe, Sandals: Target.

Last night I went out to take some pictures with my new tripod for the second time. I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. Next time I will make sure that I set up in a better position in relation to the sun.

I am loving this Topshop necklace; it's a total statement piece when paired with a solid top. What is your favourite piece of statement jewellery?

Baklava

One of my favourite sweet treats has always been Baklava. I haven't found too many places in my area that have homemade Baklava, so every once in a while I make a trip to my local Greek Market to pick up a couple of pieces of this delicious pastry. Recently, I got it in my head that I would try to make some Baklava myself, so I started looking up recipes online and realized it really isn't as difficult as I thought it may have been. I wanted to use a recipe that (hopefully) was authentic, and I settled on this one. Below are the photos I took of this adventure.


Chopped almonds (instead of walnuts), sugar, cloves and cinnamon.


First layer of almond mix on top of buttered phyllo sheets.


It has been baked and is cooling off before I add the honey syrup.


It's cooling off after I added the honey syrup. I put it in the fridge for 1/2 hour and then it was ready to eat!

Suburban Waterfalls

Top: Forever 21, Jeans: Joe's Jeans "Ex Lover", Wedges: Target, Earrings: Banana Republic, Sunglasses: RayBan, Watch: Citizen.

Yesterday I was walking around looking for a quiet place to fool around with my new tripod and take a few pictures, and I stumbled upon this cool waterfall/fountain. No one was around so I set up my tripod for the first time and tried to take some pictures. I think I managed to figure out the majority of the tripod's functions, and the pictures turned out better than I expected. I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to turn the darn thing to take some portrait pictures, so all pictures are landscape for this post. Of course the second I got home my boyfriend showed me how simple it was to switch to portrait and I couldn't believe that I hadn't figured it out myself. Oh well, there's always next time.

Peachy Keen

Tank: Target, Skirt: Banana Republic, Sandals: Target, Necklace: Urban Outfitters, Sunglasses: RayBan, Belt: Winners, Watch: Citizen.

Last night we headed over to my boyfriend's parents' house for dinner before going to the theatre to see Inception. After dinner we had a few extra minutes before we had to leave for the movie so we had a quick photo shoot. My dog Huxley decided to make an appearance below!

I Want It Now!

Since I do about 90% of my shopping online, I am always browsing my favourite web sites lusting after numerous items. Here are some of the items that caught my eye this week.

Clockwise from top left:
Shop Hallelu Beauty and the Beast Dress, $34
Jeffrey Campbell Snick Stud in Khaki, $115
Oliver Peoples Lainie Sunglasses, $280
Gorjana Graham Leather Wrap Bracelet, $48
Seychelles Dorothy Lace Up Bootie, $101
Gorjana Large Feather Necklace, $70
Twelfth Street By Cynthia Vincent Mason Platform Buckle Wedge, $350
Forever 21 Silky Floral Dress, $22.80
Frye Shirley Studded Huarache Tall Boots, $398

Now my issue is which to buy now and which to save for!

White Out

Dress: Calvin Klein, Sunglasses: RayBan Wayfarers, Necklace: street vendor in Thailand, Watch: Citizen, Belt: Forever 21, Vest: GAP, Platforms: Vintage (I found them in my Grandma's basement!).

In my opinion, a white sundress is a summer wardrobe stable for every girl. Whether it is dressy, lacy, or simple cotton like mine, a white dress looks great on a summer tan. It was really hot out yesterday so I knew I needed to wear a light dress if I was going to make it through the day. I love the look of turquoise jewellery with a white top and a tan. I threw on a belt to accentuate my waist and my favourite vintage platforms that I found in my grandma's basement over ten years ago. I took a few pictures with the jean vest on (see below) but ended up liking how the dress looked without it.

Homemade Gelato

When I received an ice cream maker for Christmas, I was unsure that I would get much use out of it. The instructions seemed complicated and my first few batches left me frustrated when they didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. I also had the preconceived notion that all you had to do was add the ingredients to the machine and just like that you would have ice cream in 20 minutes; which I discovered is not exactly the case. But after using it 4-5 times now, I feel more confident and the recipes aren't quite as daunting. Yesterday I had some free time on my hands so I decided to make some strawberry gelato. I used the raspberry gelato recipe in the instruction manual that came with my ice cream maker. It can be found on page 9 here. Here are the steps I went through:


Pureed strawberries in my food processor (I used thawed frozen strawberries).


Egg, cream, sugar mixture thickened to a custard sauce (I used light cream throughout instead of half and half and heavy cream).


All mixed up and ready to refrigerate for 6 hours.


I added the mixture to the ice cream maker and let it do its thing for 20-30 minutes.


All ready to eat or freeze for a firmer consistency. Garnished with fresh garden strawberries.

The Long Story

Dress: Target, Sandals: Target, Necklace: Urban Outfitters, Headband: Target, Sunglasses: RayBan Wayfarers, Watch: Citizen.

I went out last night to shop for a new camera and to grab some ice cream with my boyfriend. I ended up wearing quite a few new items that I purchased last week. I have decided that I officially love this dress; it is so comfortable and a nice change from the usual short sundresses, and the tribal print is just so cute and summery. This was also the first time I wore my new Wayfarers and I absolutely love them.

On another note, I am in the market for a new camera and I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations. Also, I have been noticing that blogger compresses all of my photos so much that the quality is really decreased, and I wonder if it would be worth it to get a new camera if the photos are going to be compressed so much anyway? If anyone has advice I would love to hear it!

Delicious Memories

One of my favourite lunches as a kid was grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Seeing that my basil plant was starting to overpower the rest of my garden, I decided to make a batch of creamy tomato and basil soup this morning. I usually just make this recipe from memory, but it is similar to this with a few modifications. I usually use canned diced or crushed tomatoes, green and white onions, light cream, and olive oil as opposed to butter. I whipped up some grilled cheeses and our lunch was just as good as I remember it being back in the day!

Movie Mania

Blazer: Urban Outfitters (Silence and Noise), Tank: Target, Jeans: J Brand, Shoes: Steve Madden Melrow, Headband: Target, Handbag: Louis Vuitton, Necklace: Hilary Druxman, Watch: Citizen.

When I got back from Vegas I found a nice surprise in my mailbox: my new J Brand jeans that I ordered from HauteLook. I couldn't resist putting them on to head to the movies Saturday night. I had been eyeing this particular pair for months but for some reason hadn't bought them. When they turned up on HauteLook, I snapped them up for a fraction of the original price. This is the first pair of Japanese Twill J Brands I've owned, and I must say, they are extremely comfortable! I definitely will have to check out their other Japanese Twill jeans in the future.

Night on the Town

Dress: Heritage 1981, Clutch: Winners, Platforms: Steve Madden Melrow, Fedora: Jessica Simpson, Belt: Banana Republic, Necklace: Urban Outfitters.

I decided to throw this dress on for an evening on the town in the smoking hot Las Vegas heat. I know I have posted pictures of myself in this dress before but I decided to remix it with different accessories. We stopped for this photo shoot in front of the ship at Treasure Island.