{pretties at the Toronto flower market}

They say that photos speak a thousand words and this morning this might have to be true. It was a busy weekend made even busier by a broken blog (!!!) Apologies in advance while we try to sort through why these errors keep appearing. In the meantime, may I offer you a glimpse of my weekend in picture format? Thanks for sticking around despite these minor (huge) annoyances!

{peonies!!}
{a new-to-me brunch spot: Samuel J Moore}

{picked up a few stems for my aunts 50th birthday}

{a new friend, from Woofstock}

{lilac lined streets}

We just returned from our cottage in Prince Edward County where we took advantage of the Victoria day long weekend. This time of year is always particularly beautiful as the country streets are lined with towering cherry blossoms and lilac bushes in full bloom – it makes the three hour drive infinitely more pleasant. During our three sweatpant-clad days we, admittedly, barely left the confines of our property. On Sunday, however, we reluctantly put real clothes on (sort of), as we headed out to visit some family friends, at The County Cider; purveyors of the most delicious peach cider in the entire world (truly. A big thank you to Grant and Jennifer!) Paired with views for days and warm summer-like breezes it was a wonderful welcome to the upcoming season.

{fun with sparklers (photo credit to my brother’s girlfriend, Sara!)}

{we get the most insane sunsets}

{afternoon pit-stop at The County Cider}

{views from The County Cider}

I’m breaking the get the look fast I’ve been on with this incredible bedroom that I kind of, sort of am dying to make my own. Furry throw, oodles of pillows, with a sophisticated yet fun vibe? Feel free to count me in twice!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

 This bright and cheery Toronto abode strikes that perfect balance between playful and sophisticated, which is no easy feat. It’s incredibly well appointed, yet doesn’t take itself too seriously with the use of fun brights sprinkled sporadically throughout. If you know me at all, you’ll know that I love a well designed home that feels well lived and loved. I do believe that this place is just the ticket!

Images from Style At Home

{My favourite park in Toronto}

I’m thinking that Mother Nature and I have to have a bit of a chat because the weather this weekend was absolutely abysmal. It was cold and rainy and all sorts of miserable practically the entire time. Instead of fighting it, I did my best to find this silver linen: the chance to catch up on some leisurely reading, watch more than my fair share of movies, and not feel guilty when the entirety of Mother’s Day was spent indoors sipping tea and stuffing ourselves with crepes. But seriously though – Mother Nature? Smarten up!
 
{Cookies for two}

{we hosted Mother’s Day brunch}

{the best Mother’s Day card, ever}

{crepe fixins’}

{my mom, brother and I post-brunch}

| Ed’s chocolate toffee ice cream |

Apart from an (amazing) industry party on Friday night (which ended in bowls of mimosas at 2 am), I had virtually no concrete plans the past two days and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. We meandered the city at will, mani-pedis were had, take-out Thai was thoroughly enjoyed, and Sunday afternoon was spent on the beach, ice cream in hand. It was exactly what the doctor ordered and I am now fully equipped to tackle the week ahead. Monday? Bring it!

| cool fixtures at Klaus |

| a brand new neighbourhood coffee joint – aka my new office |

| I inherited a hamster – his name is Miguel & he really likes cheerios |

| Sunday afternoon on the beach |

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Remember my bits & pieces series? It somehow got left in the dust the past little while but it’s back with a vengeance and I couldn’t be more excited! And I’m breaking the drought in the finest of fashions with the adorable Anabela from Fieldguided. As a fellow Toronto blogger, I constantly find myself getting lost within her beautiful pages. And as cheesy as it may sound, it’s kind of become my version of heaven. Read on to find out more about the girl behind this fabulous blog…

(more…)

| Bellwoods Brewery |

| A birthday gift for a friend (though I might need to treat myself too) |

| Brunch at L’Ouvrier |

| My new favourite spot: La Merceria |

| My weekend uniform: this necklace & a soft, flowy blouse |

I kind of went a little buck nutty this weekend and I don’t regret it for a second. Seeing as it was my first weekend of freedom post-exam, I felt as if I had a lot of lost time to make up for. And so I did. With spa dates, and brunch dates, and drinks with friends (twice!)… I somehow even found myself meandering the High Park Zoo, ice cream cone in hand, late Sunday afternoon. Though I’m not exactly rested as I kick off the week, it was by far the best weekend I’ve had in some time! Freedom? I could totally get used to this.

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Of course, I’ve saved the best of the series for last.
Today I present to you my must-trys:
the things you should never leave Toronto without tasting. 
note: After putting together this list I realized that the majority
of the items are either filled with sugar, or cheese. I like what I like apparently!

and if you missed the others, checkout “where to eat”, “where to shop” and “what to do“{leslieville cheese market: grilled cheese}{little nicky’s: fresh donuts}{poutinis: poutine}{farenheit coffee}{pizzeria libretto: duck confit & pear pizza}

savoury
::The duck confit pizza at Pizza Libretto
::The shiitake mushroom burger at the Burgers Priest
::The little-known grilled cheese sandwiches at the Leslieville Cheese Market
::The poutine at Poutini’s
::The French onion soup at Le Select Bistro
::Global Cheese for inexpensive, high quality cheese
::Essence of Life for extremely well priced organic treats
::The farmers sausage at Morning Glory
::The pad Thai at Sukho
::The pulled pork sandwich at the Black Camel
::The gnocchi poutine at Mildreds Temple
::The duck ragout at Terronis
::The lemongrass chicken pho at Hanoi 3 Seasons
::The butter chicken at Ghandis

sweet
::The maple bacon ice cream at Ed’s
::The piping hot, made-to-order donut holes at Little Nickys
::The lattes at Balzacs  - they come in a bowl which sold me from the get-go.
::The almond croissants at Sen5es (or Petite Thuet)
:: Farenheit for their delicious loose leaf teas and positive attitude at all hours of the day
::Daniel & Daniel for the most delicious baked goods (and catering!)
::The tiramisu at Café la Gaffe
::The cardamom lemonade at Barchef
::The pouding chommeur at Papillon on the Park
::The chocolate chunk cookies at Hammersmith’s
(pair it with an organic coffee – some of the best in Toronto)
::The blood orange margharitta at Reposados
::The brown sugar croissant at Clafouti

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I often get emails from readers asking for tips on where to find the best Toronto haunts. Whether it’s shopping, eating or simply something fun to do on a Sunday afternoon, I’ve put together a quick guide to Toronto from my eyes. Check-out my “where to eat” & “where to shop” guides and stay tuned tomorrow for my “must try” guide to tackling this wonderful city. And if you have any recommendations, feel free to chime in! I’m always on the hunt for a new stomping ground.

Today: what to do!

{visit sugar beach}
{meet a girlfriend for tea at nadège}
{hike the leslie street spit}{grab a macaron at bobette & belle}
{sail around toronto}

with girlfriends:
::Get dressed up for afternoon tea at the King Edward Hotel
::Catch up at Nadege. Try one of their macarons
::Grab lunch on back patio at the Red Tea box.
It feels like a secret garden
::Get your hair done at Solis. It’s inexpensive,
the staff are amazing, and guess what: free wine!
Talk about being pampered.
::Visit the pink umbrellas at Sugar Beach
(grab a drink at Against the Grain when the mood strikes)
::Head over to the Thompson Hotel and enjoy their rooftop pool
::Wine-bar hop along the Harbourfront
::Take a day trip to the Scandinavian Spa
::If you want to stay in the city, try the Hamam Spa
::Head over to Kensington Market to take in the immensely
diverse crowd, find vintage clothing shops,
unique furniture stores and delicious food.
::Learn how to knit at the Knit Café

on a date:
::Spend a night at the delicious tequila bar, Reposado’s
(complete with a perfectly secret back patio)
::Head to Barchef for a great drink experience. Try one of their molecular mixes
and enjoy the jars and bottles of smoking mixtures that line the bar.
::Grab a Bixi bike, take the ferry to the Toronto Islands
and bike around for the day.
See if you can find the nude beach (if that’s your thing)
::Alternatively: rent a boat and sail around the islands. Beautiful!
::Hike around the Leslie Street Spit
::Walk through the shops and art galleries in the historic Distillery District
(on Sundays there’s a market. Find the lady with
the cinnamon buns. Thank me later)
::In the summer, grab your organic fruits and veggies
at the Leslieville Farmers Market
::In the winter, head over to the Brickworks farmers market for the same thing
::Grab breakfast at the St. Lawrence Market as you shop
the food and craft aisles (may I suggest a peameal bacon sandwich?)
::Spend a night at the Gladstone hotel
(where each room has been designed by a different artist)
::Try to get an invite to Charlies Burger: an underground food experience
in which you must pass an interview to get an invite
::This (entertaining at the very least)

good for groups:
::Grab a coffee and a soccer ball and head to Trinity Bellwoods Park
::Take in a drive-in movie at the Docks
::Play the most expensive bowling game of your life at the Ballroom.
Try the nachos, they’re unbelievable
::Head over to Snakes and lattes: a café filled with hundreds
of board games, begging for you to play
::Go apple picking at Chudleighs
::Rent a cottage in Wasaga beach

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I often get emails from readers asking for tips on where to find the best Toronto haunts. Whether it’s shopping, eating or simply something fun to do on a Sunday afternoon, I’ve put together a quick guide to Toronto from my eyes. Stay tuned the rest of the week where I’ll be sharing my “where to shop”, “what to do” and “must try” guides to tackling this wonderful city; I’ll be sharing many of my very favourite spots. And if you have any recommendations, feel free to chime in! I’m always on the hunt for a new stomping ground.

Today: Where to Eat!
{grace}
{mildreds temple}

{osteria ciceri e tria}

{auberge du pommier}
{boehmer}

images found here 

I’ve seen snippets of Emma’s home on her blog throughout the past and I knew that it was something special. Seeing the entire thing in one place on design*sponge a little while back reaffirmed just that. This old Victorian Toronto home (located in the up and coming Parkdale) has been transformed into what can only be described as pure and utter perfection. Lived in, loved and no detail left unthought of. 

images found here and here

In the past I’ve mentioned that I’m always an advocate for supporting local products, especially when they’re hand crafted and specially designed, and especially when they’re as stinkin’ cute as these guys. I’m even more of a fan of designer Ange-line Tetrault because she too went to OCAD. In fact, she’s still there finishing up her last year of industrial design. It’s like one lovely little art school world! I’ve noticed these mugs here and there around the interwebs and they just slay me every time. Who wouldn’t want a sweet little owl poking out of their almost empty tea mug? Nobody, that’s who.

If you’re in and around the Toronto area, you should come and take a look at Ange-lines work (along with a ton of other incredibly talented female designers) at the upcoming design show Capacity. I was fortunate enough to have gone to school with a number of the designers and I must say, these ladies ooze skill and you should prepare yourself for leaving with an armful of goodies. I’ll be there trying to convince myself that I don’t need any more tea cups.

found via Victoria Hannan

Happy weekend, sunshine-biscuits!

And a few links that I stumbled upon this week that could be of some entertainment:

::Canoe (in my opinion, one of Toronto’s best restaurants) has now shared their incredible braised pork & split pea recipe
::Anthology’s stop motion video (I love me some stop motion)
::This bride was daring enough to pull of a black wedding dress (and I love it)
::An amazing Paris flat that remained untouched for 70 years
::A foam printer?

found via Munge Leung

Ever since hearing about the opening of Ame just off of King st, downtown Toronto, I’ve been itching to go. With an extensive cocktail list, a central location and quite the delicious sounding sushi menu, it would be the perfect place to meet your friends for a drink or two after work. Plus, the space feels like South Carolina country bar meets Japan meets industrial modern. I’m loving the fusion of the rustic elements with the kimono fabric. And did you see the washroom? You may not know this, but I judge a place based on its washroom. You can’t leave those details out!

Munge Leung, a Toronto based interior design firm, has successfully made their mark on many, many incredible projects. This 7,300 square foot ravine house in particular really caught my eye. Is it just me, or does it kind of make you want to become some sort of bachelor (bachelorette) and host a bunch of parties with tall models. No? Just me? Well then…

all images found via Munge Leung

Nikole Herriott from Forty-Sixth at Grace is a fellow Toronto designer whose apartment (and shoppe) I’ve just recently stumbled upon. Her place, a mere 390 square feet, is so sweet and well put together and I just had to share it. If you get a moment, check out her shoppe, Herriott Grace, as well. All of the items are incredible! This lady certainly has an eye for design.

all images found via Design Sponge

Friday evening my boyfriend and I escaped our busy lives and spent a much-needed evening just us two. We sat across from each other on a tiny patio, ordered entirely too much wine, and talked for hours. I’ve been blessed with a boy who I can easily call my best friend. It seems as of late we’ve been so pre-occupied with other life plans that our alone time has been put on the back burner. It was nice to be with just him. Just us. For the entire evening.

Saturday we headed over to my aunt’s place for a small backyard wedding ceremony. The rain was not our friend, but it held off just long enough for them to say their vows. It was a beautiful ceremony with only family and close friends. The rain didn’t damper anyones spirits as we continued the celebration water-logged under umbrellas.

We woke up late on sunday morning in a champagne induced haze, and took advantage of the sliver of sunlight that graced us with its presence by eating breakfast by the pool. The rest of the day was spent as it should be: cuddled under blankets, watching TV movies, and ordering take-out while listening to the thunderstorm outside.  Ahh Sundays.

With that said, I need your help. I’m still new at this blogging thing and I struggle with what you guys are interested in. This is primarily a blog about design, my findings, and the things that inspire me, but I don’t want to remain completely anonymous either. I’m not sure how interested you are in my life, or if you’re here mainly for the design aspect. Should I keep up with these Scenes from my Weekend, with little glimpses into my world or focus mostly on designy things that I find inspiring. I really need your honest opinions. I’m open to constructive criticism here, people! Please let me know, I’m torn.

My roommate and I moved out of our parents nests and into a place of our very own a year and a half ago. In our very first class of our second year of University, we were told to partner up for a semester long group project. I quickly scoured the classroom for someone who looked as if they were somewhat sane (I went to an art school), spotted her from across the room and sheepishly walked up to her like a third grader and asked her to be my friend. Basically. We hit it off immediately and the rest is history! (We also got an A on that project. I’m just saying).

I’ve been blessed with a wonderful roommate who will bake cookies with me at any given moment (literally), and who likes tea almost as much as I do. On occasion, you may mistake us for an elderly couple while we sip our tea and watch The Young and the Restless (earlier this year we also seriously considered taking up knitting – I’m not joking).

With that said, I wanted to share with you another piece of my portfolio (yay!). Our apartment. I lucked out and scored a roommate who’s as passionate about interiors and design as I am. We were (and unfortunately still are, sigh) both on pretty strict budgets and we really had to watch our pennies. We were careful with our purchases, found some incredible deals (our couch was a $250 Craigslist find), and only splurged on the pieces that we just couldn’t live without.

I know it’s summer time and blah blah blah. But I am currently obsessed with this pom pom blanket. It’s just so cute! And considering these crazy rainy days and tornado warnings we’ve been experiencing the past couple of days (in Canada no less!), I would love to cuddle up with one of these on my balcony and listen to the rain (and watch out for tornados, of course).

 
found via Calypso St. Barth’s

Four things to note:

1. I started my herb garden! I just hope that it takes. Our apartment faces north-west, and I’m not sure they will get enough direct sunlight… Does anybody with a green thumb have any suggestions?! I did my research but I’m very new at this.
2. A fresh avocado spread on toast with salt, cracked black pepper and melted sharp cheddar is a wonderful breakfast alternative.
3. Carole’s Cheesecake is pretty, but their New York cheesecake is not entirely worth the calories (please refer to my Life Rules).
4. At certain times of the year, the fields we pass on the way to visit my grandparents are neon green.

Happy monday, loves!

found via Atelier Pompadour via See Saw

It’s cold and rainy here in Toronto. I got caught in the downpour unexpectedly on my way to work this morning and as a result, my hair is all wonky. This would be the only day this week where I actually have a client meeting, of course. The silver lining though? I’m wearing warm fuzzy socks (this actually, sincerely makes me feel better!)

My weekends haven’t seemed to disappoint as of late. This one was filled with laughs, friends and so. much. food. Friday evening we gathered at the Royal cinema on College street to see my incredibly talented friends film screening. She’s been working on it for so long and has been through so much and it was incredibly exciting to see her name up on that big screen. I got all giddy and butterfly-like and just wanted to canoodle her and tell her how proud I was of her. Instead, we all went out for a late dinner at La Forchetta and celebrated over duck risotto (totally racking up those risotto calories, let me tell you), and glasses of wine.

The next morning we woke up at the ungodly hour of 9 am (on a Saturday. I didn’t know this hour even existed on a Saturday) to make it to a Model Suite sale hosted by Brad Lamb. We were told that there would be all sorts of designer goodies at up to 65% off. Score! Unfortunately, it was an incredible waste of time as when the doors opened at 10:00 am, everything that was worth anything already had a sold tag on it. Now I’m mad at Brad and his stupid Bentley and all of his accomplishments (note: I am not a morning person). I sent him bad thoughts and evil looks and decided that food would fix it (as per usual). We ventured to an incredible brunch place in Corktown called Morning Glory. Nothing on the menu cost more than $6.50 (apart from the omelets at $8.50, but this was acceptable because they were so light and fluffy and they tasted like angels and love mixed together and sprinkled with cheese – trust me), everything was delicious and it was all served on vintage plates you would probably find in your grandmothers cupboards. I will be going back. Again and again.

After brunch we headed over to Leslieville and did some perusing through some of the antique stores. We stumbled upon a store that I am pretty sure was designed just for me called Flik & Company. If I won the lottery, I would go and clean out the place.

I left with this bad boy for a measly $5.00, while my friend left with an incredible vintage drafting table for $200. If you’re ever in the neighborhood you really should take a look. The staff is so kind and the stuff is incredible.

Sunday, the girls and I got together to do a clothing swap. We each cleared out all of the unwanted clothes from our closet, got together, sorted through it all, took what we wanted from each other, and dropped about 6 tonnes of leftovers off at Goodwill. I scored a handful of really nice things, including a turquoise tunic from Spain! Because of all the hard work and good samaritan-like activities we endured, we treated ourselves to ice cream from Dutch Dreams. The place is always packed, with line-ups out the door and huge papier maché ice cream cones and wooden cows all over the place. There was so much eye stimulation and it was all so very exciting.

Next weekend has a lot to live up to.

Click here for a list of things going on in Toronto this summer!
The ones that I personally recommend? The Hot & Spicy Food Festival, the Beaches Jazz Festival, Summerlicious, and the Outdoor Art Show at Nathan Phillips Square.

This will be the summer of George!

all images found via Weheartit

Whenever possible, I like to give credit to Canadian artists and designers. Hariri Pontarini is an incredibly talented Toronto based architecture firm that does everything from residential to commercial to corporate and back again. Take a look at this ravine house!

 found via Hariri Pontarini