A Little More "Jungalow"

I haven't written about home decor for a while but that does not mean that I have forgotten about it or stopped dreaming up ways to improve my space. I previously blogged about how much I love "Jungalow" style. If you missed that post click here. 

Jungalow style is all about creative reuse, personalization, vivid colors, bold patterns and lots and lots of plants--Jungalow style is tropical and bohemian, very vintage and very cozy. Jungalow is about bringing the eclectism of nature and the wild indoors. 

Justina Blakeney 

I have been meaning to make my space a little more Jungalow so I purchased a fern this afternoon. Since I have a north facing apartment that doesn't get much natural light ferns are a good option. I originally planned to hang a few ferns from the ceiling in our living room but decided it will not work since they would be competing with our hanging lights. I may still do this in our bedroom. Anyways ... I placed my fern on our shelf/wall divider because I want it to expand and grow into long "strings" on both sides of the shelf. I am so excited to see this transformation!

Btw, I will post about my Vancouver trip as promised. It was awesome and I have so many lovely pics I want to share with you. I am just waiting for the bf to bring back my camera ;)


~B

DIY Update: Indoor Herb Garden

I know I said I'd be back with a post about my Vancouver trip but I really wanted to share an update about my indoor herb garden!

The herbs have been growing slowly but surely. We've had a lot of overcast weather in Toronto over the past month so they haven't been getting enough sun. Regardless, I am happy with the result and have been using the cilantro and rosemary in my cooking. Since rosemary takes so long to grow, I have to admit that I caved in a bought a starter plant. I would recommend growing herbs at home to anyone who has the light. It's amazing how little waste you have when you don't have to purchase them in large quantities. I have also convinced myself that using my own herbs also makes my meals taste better ;)

What I've Been Up To ...

I realize that I haven't done a "this week" post in almost a month. I've have been experiencing a little bit of blogger fatigue over the past month (with job interviews and lots of other things going on in my life I simply couldn't find the time to blog nor was I enjoying it as much ). However, I am now feeling much more relaxed and settled in my life and am enjoying blogging just as much as I did when I first started!! So here goes ... 

I discovered Beast with the help of my cousin Maria @ Orchard Bloom. 

I really enjoyed the fried pickles, which I ate there for the first time.

A little chocolate gift straight from Vancouver was hiding

in my drawer one evening. Yah for the bf :) 

Enjoying yet another brunch last weekend. 

Review coming soon.

Funny dog seen at Wolfstock last weekend. 

A little gift from my mom. We all know how much I love bottles lol!

The herbs are growing. This is what they looked like about one month ago. 

More recent update coming soon ... 

Trying out some Jiffy corn pancakes that I picked up in Miami. 

So yummy. Thanks Tamara :)

The bf's cousin came to visit from Australia so we all 

went wine tasting in Niagara. 

Enjoying some Iranian food. 

I will be heading to Vancouver this week and I can't wait to come back with an update ... 

Happy Weekend!

Nautical Stripes, Gold & Garden Party

This past Sunday I attended a dinner with the bf and his colleagues. It took place in a backyard/garden and was absolutely amazing! The table was so well decorated that I felt like I was at a small, intimate wedding. Not to mention that the food was delicious!

I ate BBQ'd artichoke with aioli sauce for the first time and the stuffed chicken wrapped in bacon was to die for! Overall, it was a wonderful evening spent with friends that ended with a wacky game of charades. I can't wait for the next dinner. What makes it even better is that all the proceedes for the dinner went to the United Way of Canada.

I wore a nautical stripped maxi that I picked up for $40 when on vaca in Miami. I often have difficulty finding maxis because I am tall. This one is perfect :)

Here's to more outdoor dinners and evenings spent playing silly games with friends!!

Outfit 
Dress: Anthropologie (no longer on site)
Bag: J. Crew Invitation Clutch
Sunglasses: Kate Spade 'Darryl'

If you missed my first outfit post, you can see it here!

Summer Travels: Views from the bus

During our trip last summer we took many bus rides. The winding roads up and through the mountains made me feel sick and sometimes scared. Despite my nausea, I was able to take in some of the beautiful scenery that I saw travelling between Split and Dubrovnik and also from Gradac to Sarajevo. 

First Outfit Post: Red Pants

Alright ... so this if my very first outfit post!!! I by no means consider myself to be a model or think that I am some fashionista but I do love fashion and have been trying to muster up the courage to do an outfit post (because they are fun). I often draw inspiration from my friends and other bloggers and would like to think that I have learned a lot about fashion from the various women in my life. So here's goes ... I wore this outfit yesterday evening to get some gelato and watch NBA Game 7 at a bar with the bf. It was a fun night that wrapped up with us catching up with friends over drinks. I hope that you are all having a great weekend and are enjoying the summer weather. Today I will be grocery shopping, cooking, doing some reading for work and heading out for dinner with the bf and his colleagues. 

I am starting this coming week with the intention of growing tougher skin. I feel that I am often very sensitive (which is actually a great asset given that I am a therapist) but sometimes it affects my mental health and I just need to let more things roll of my back.

Outfit

Top: Forever 21 tank and blouse (similar here)

Bottom: Dynamite (old - from last summer) 

Bag: LV Speedy 30 

Shoes: Franco Sarto (old) 

Jewellery: House of Harlow necklace, Pandora bracelet

Summer Travels: Dubrovnik, Croatia

I hope everyone is having a great week. I have been keeping busy enjoying the warm Toronto weather, trying to get back to a regular exercise routine (looks like I found a running buddy) and spending my evenings reading and relaxing. Another thing that has been occupying my mind is vacation time: when to take it, where to go, with who etc. It looks like I will be heading to Vancouver for about 6 days in a couple of weeks. Vancouver holds a special place in my heart because the bf lived there for about 1.5 years and we spent a lot of time exploring it together. It is such a laid back and beautiful city and I'm super excited to go back. I haven't been there in about three years and plan to check out all my fave places and discover a few more. 

Anyways ...  back to my 2011 summer travels. In my previous post I left you all at the beach house which you all seemed to enjoy and even want to visit lol! I will see if I can arrange for that! I mentioned previously that Gradac is located between Split and Dubrovnik, so of course we were not going to travel to Croatia and not visit both of these places. It rained the first few days were were in Gradac so we used the opportunity to travel to Dubrovnik where it was kinda sunny. The bus ride was really windy and I felt sick for most of it (scenes from the bus coming next week). 

Here I am waiting for the bus, all excited to go to Dubrovnik ... 

We spent a full day in Dubrovnik to soak it all in and explore as much as possible. We ate pastries, browsed all kinds of shops (I bought a great pair wedges), took tons of pictures and met other tourists. The bf had been there numerous times before so it wasn't a huge a deal to him but as he always says it's always waaaay better and a completely different experience exploring with moi!  

I was completely wowed by the beauty of this medieval city. I love Dubrovnik for it's history, lovely shopping and beautiful scenery. My suggestion (in case you ever visit) is to walk the wall. The bf and I got some amazing views from the wall and were so happy we took the time to do it. I admit I'm pretty afraid of heights and even I could do it! 

 Below are some pics of the breathtaking views. I hope you enjoy them :) 

I'm not sure what's in store for me this weekend aside from a Sunday night dinner with the bf's boss and colleagues. As usual, I would like to get out on my bike, sit under a tree reading and maybe even fit in a run. Let's hope the weather cooperates. 

Hope you all have a lovely weekend! 

Art I'm Loving: Being Scene

Three Figures in Autumn by Robin Jones

Everywhere a Sign by Peter Mulcair 

Utterance of Addiction by Utter Logic 

Delerium by Laura Laughren

Yesterday I went to the Workman Art's Being Scene exhibit at Hart House (University of Toronto). I really enjoyed this free exhibit that showcases the talent of individuals living with mental health and addiction issues. Above are my favourite pieces.

Check it out if you live in T.O.

I hope everyone is having a great week. I have been off the past two days and start a new job tomorrow. Will be back later in the week to continue my summer travel series :)

Saturday Brunch Obsession: Edward Levesque's Kitchen

Several weeks ago I had brunch at Edward Levesque's Kitchen, located in Queen East's Leslieville. The bf and I heard about this place from a friend, so of course we had to check it out. We met some friends there who were just as hungry and excited as we were. Here's what we saw while waiting in line ... 

These reviews made me even more hungry and excited to get inside, order and start eating. Unfortunately I cannot agree with all the reviews. I agree with the "simple, fresh, tasty" but completely disagree with the "best service" review. We ended up waiting in line for about 30 minutes and didn't get our food for about one hour. The reason we were given was that one cook was sick and another one was in training. I realize that this is likely an isolated incident (I hope) so will not base my whole review on this one aspect. 

On a more positive note, we had great conversation with our friends and shared many laughs, one including the text pictured below which was written at the bottom of the menu...

Please do not leave children!?! I guess this happens a lot at Edward Levesques?!?

Anyways, there's no question that the food was tasty. Feast your eyes on these yummy cheddar/chive biscuits served with apple butter. They seriously melt in your mouth. I (and three others) can attest to that!

I had the poached eggs with tomato/basil sauce, cornbread and Italian sausage. It was good!

Overall the food was great, but not amazing. The service was pretty crappy, but I think I will give this place another chance. What do you think? Would you go back?

Menu

Located at 1290 Queen Street East 

416-465-3600

Peonies

Yesterday I bought some peonies and was really excited to see them open up. Well, that didn't take too long. They opened up over night into these full, beautiful flowers that (for me) resemble feathers. I hope they last. They are kinda expensive but regardless they make me smile :)