Sunday Antique Market Finds

Today's a lovely sunny but cold day in Toronto. I got up super late but made it to the antique market in time. I got lucky because I found a couple of things I've been looking for. I found a lovely silver antique cake/pie plate that will be lovely for our wedding. I also scored this antique camera that's dated 1902. I love photography and have been meaning to purchase one of these for a while now. It will also work with the vintage decor for our wedding. Right now it's sitting on my shelf and I love it!

I hope you are all having a wonderful Sunday. Mine is all now chores but maybe I'll have time for a DIY project that I can tell you about later.

~B

Wedding Planning: Name Change!?

Yesterday I eagerly went to the post office to pick up this personalized wedding dress hanger that I ordered from the Etsy shop MyAmberColouredWorld. I love getting stuff in the mail. It's so fun to get something nice in the mail not just advertising and bills! I have always loved Etsy and over the years have ordered a few things from it. It's really great for those special wedding details, which I'm all about.

So about the hanger ... I have not yet decided on a name change. I like these hangers and have seen them on many blogs, namely Style Me Pretty. I think it's a sweet personal touch to the getting ready photos so I went ahead and ordered it. Whether or not I change my name, it'll be fun to be Mrs. _____ for a day! The fiance thinks the hanger is super cute but does not care whether or not I take this name. I am not sure what I want to do. I initially was not going to change my name since my name has some cultural significance to me and it's simply MY name. I'm not sure if that matters so much anymore since my first name, well middle name (Bola) is also VERY Nigerian. My first name is actually Marilyn which some of my friends still don't know. I also think that it would be nice to take his name namely because it would be nice to have the same surname as my children one day. I also REALLY love his last name! On the other hand, it's a huge pain to change your name, getting all your legal documents changed but I'm sure if it ever means that much to me I'll go ahead and do it. A compromise that I am considering is hyphenating my name but then it would be super long!! Then there's the other question about whether to change my name professionally. Many of my colleagues that have recently married have changed their surnames but not professionally. I already get tired of writing out my name and then my credentials when making referrals and signing legal documents at work (like consent forms). I can't imagine making it any longer!!

What are your thoughts? Are you or would you ever change your last name?

~B 

Sweet Tooth

Not sure if any of you have a sweet tooth like me!? I love sugar and feel like I can't live without it. I know how bad it is for me but a little bit here and there is okay. I've definitely cut back on my sugar intake and am enjoying things like dark chocolate now. Two of my fave sweets are macaroons and Cadbury Minieggs. The are also both very pretty ;)

What are your favourite sweets?

~B

Tea Time

Note to self: relax! Enjoy a cup of tea ... I have a lot going on right now with the wedding, supervising students, doing a new therapy group at work for the first time and preparing for another exciting change coming up in a few months (I'll tell you about that when it comes closer :) Less coffee - two per day is not good for me. I've now transitioned to having green tea in the afternoon or when I get home from work. I feel like I'm still getting an energy boost and it's calming at the same time. I'm not even sure if I really like the taste of coffee!? Maybe it's all that sugar I used to put in it? Anyways .. the other day I even munched on some chocolate covered orange peels which are YUM. This is all okay. I don't have to be productive every minute of the day! It's OKAY to sprawl out on a blanket and crack open a book! Relaxation is key ... 

~B

It's an antipasto kinda night~

On my way home today I stopped by the market and was inspired to go straight home and whip up some antipasto. I love antipasto and just realized that even though I don't often make an antipasto plate I eat the various components of my typical antipasto plate a few times a week. I love olives and tomatoes with olive oil! There's no better way to start off a meal!

Happy Wednesday!

~B

One Year Blogiversary!!

Wow time flies! About one year ago I finally decided to start this blog. I had wanted to start a blog for a while and was inspired by my cousins who are both bloggers. I think what kept me from starting my blog was not knowing what to name it. I know sounds silly but it's true! Overall, the blog has and continues to act as a creative outlet for me, a journal and a way for me to connect with others. I know I haven't been blogging as much lately but I hope you all continue to check in here once in a while.

Last weekend was a long weekend and I spent it relaxing. It was nice to spend time a home, doing some DIY projects and watching tv. Here are some pics of some of the other things I did. 

Got brunch at Insomnia Cafe. I'll be going back there just for the hash browns!

We planned to play board games at Snakes and Lattes but it was a 2.5 hour wait. Instead we played scrabble at home. I've set up a really cozy area in our reading nook by layering blankets and cushions over our gym mats. It's a great use of the space.

Valentines day roses and baking some Croatian pastries ... YUM!

So here's to another weekend and another year of Lilac Dreams!!

~B

Weekend Relaxin' in Florida!

I'm guessing that you've likely heard about the huge amount of snow Toronto got this past weekend. I was super lucky because I flew out on Thursday night as planned for a weekend in Fort Lauderdale. The weather there was awesome. I'm really eager for summer to start. I can't wait for evening walks and not having to wear so many layers. The fiance and I have never gone down south to get away from the cold Toronto winter so this trip was really awesome for both of us. Here's are some of the highlights of my weekend. Short and sweet!

bar hopping along the canals 

enjoying some Cuban cuisine

enjoying the sun at South Beach during a day trip to Miami 

cuddling on the couch with our friend's two frenchies  

Mexican!

gators at the Everglades! 

I think that my favourite thing during this trip was the 24 km bike ride we did along the Everglades. We thought it was a hoax at first but quickly discovered that all the gators were real. We got really close to them and I'm still surprised how close I was. Apparently gators find the water cold at this time of year and are only interested in lying in the sun to get warm. I guess preying on humans is not their top priority right now, which worked out well for me. I've done a boat tour of the Everglades before but this was waaay better. You get way closer and you get to see lots of other wildlife during this type of tour. Needless to say, I wish we could go to Florida every winter!!

Happy Tuesday!

Wedding Planning: My Dress Search!

Hey peeps! I hope everyone has had a good weekend and is enjoying the Superbowl (if you care about that!?). The fiance is a HUGE football fan so I'm sitting here trying to be (or rather look) supportive. I'm basically catching up on some emails and wanted to update you all on my dress search. 

I went to about 5 places to try on dresses. One of them was a blowout sale where my mom and I stood in line for one hour. Unfortunately I didn't find anything there but I had to try. I can't image spending $$$ on a dress and not being able to say, well ... I tried! I stood outside in the freezing Toronto cold for one hour but oh well I didn't find anything. 

So, like most girls I have a story about my dress. I bought it at the first place I went and it was the second dress I tried on. I should have purchased it right then but of course I wanted to be sure and went to a bunch of other places to try on more dresses. I love my dress and I like that my mom also pointed it out and insisted I try it on. I know that it is MY dress because I kept thinking about it and nothing else compares to it. I am so excited to wear it on my wedding day. Unfortunately, there's another six months  until it comes in and there will be several fittings before it's just right. 

My approach to wedding dress shopping was to go and try on as many styles as possible. I had spent hours on Style Me Pretty and Pinterest pinning dresses that I liked. Looking back it was fun but kinda pointless in a way because it's hard to really have an idea of what styles look good on you until you go out shopping. I tried on many dresses, some just for fun even if I knew I wouldn't even consider them. It was a fun experience and not as stressful as I imagined. I also kept it simple by going with my mom on one occasion, once with my cousin, once by myself and once with my mom and cousin. It's probably best to not go with a large group of people. Too many opinions!

Styles I tried... 

puffy/I guess a ball gown?

old hollywood

a line? I really like this dress.

lace with key hole back

Don't worry, I haven't spoiled the surprise by showing you anything close to my dress!

~B

Friday Night at the Market Kitchen

Last night I took the fiance to the Market Kitchen for a cooking class. It was a seafood class and on the menu were fish cakes, steamed clams in white wine with choriso, arctic char with veg confetti and a lemony pudding cake. The food was amazing and the Market Kitchen is so beautiful! It overlooks the St. Lawrence Market and has huge windows. We both had a lovely time and met some lovely people. I now have the food class bug!

Three Pics

sending out our save the dates

leather pants for a night on the town

Sunday morning waffles 

Happy Wednesday!

B~