Happy Halloween 1920's Style

Yesterday my friend Elise & I attended a 1920's-30's halloween cocktail party. We had so much fun putting our costumes together and just being all girly. We spent a good part of the evening hanging out in  front of the bathroom mirror, drinking wine and beautifying ourselves (it also took us about an hour to figure out how to get our fake eyelashes to stick!). 

We ended up turning Elise into Audrey Hepburn (even though she's not really from the 20's) because she just played the part so well... and honestly, doesn't she look fabulous?

Hope you're having a fun halloween as well : )

oxo

Happy Halloween - Have a Spooky Weekend!

Hello lovely readers and happy Friday. This weekend I'm heading out to the country to visit my parents, and on Saturday night I'm going to a 1920's-30's halloween cocktail party.... Although I still need to find a costume. I hope you have a fun weekend too. Happy Halloween!

And now for some links....

• I adore this sunny South African Kitchen
• the prettiest pumpkins
• the cutest kiddie costume for coffee lovers!
• coolest spice jars
• And now here's a sweet song by The Weepies:

oxo

Vanessa

I Heart My New Dyson

Last weekend our old vacuum cleaner passed away. Coincidentally we also discovered that we had some unused points that needed to be cashed in before they expired..... so we browsed the online catalogue and picked out a new vacuum. Naturally, I picked a Dyson.

And today it arrived in the mail.

Hello little guy, and welcome to your new adoring parents : )

Goodbye forever annoying vacuum bags, and good riddance!

It took us a while to put it together, but once we did, our little Dyson did not disappoint!

Did you know that Dyson vacuum cleaners are displayed in design museums all around the world? I'm very happy to own such a functional piece of art!

How Fabulous is Anne Hathaway in November's Vogue Shoot?!

I think she looks stunning in all of these dresses..... tell me, which one is your favourite?

(All pictures from vogue.com)

Halloween Project: Carve Mini Pumpkins!

Believe it or not, you can actually carve those mini gourd pumpkins 

... and they make the cutest jack-o-lanterns ever!

Weekend Moments: Mountains & Breakfasts

On Saturday we climbed to the top of Mt. Royal (a little weekend ritual of ours). It's a tiny mountain actually, taking only about 15 minutes to reach the top... but Montrealers adore their mountain, and it's always buzzing with activity. There's a stairway that leads all the way to the top, and people of all ages do stair climbs for exercise. I love to people watch up there.

On Friday I received a surprise package in the mail from my friend Karalee.

 It contained this adorable breakfast dish designed specifically for coffee & toast... which is absolutely perfect for me! 

Isn't getting real mail (especially a package) one of life's best simple pleasures?

(Thanks, sweetie, you made my day!)

I hope you had a lovely weekend too!

oxo

Flourless Chocolate Cloud Cake

This rich, dark chocolate cake is so moist and delicious, it will leave your guests absolutely astounded when they discover that it doesn't contain any flour. 

The texture is incredibly light & fluffy
.... sort of like mixing fudge and pouffy clouds. 

Seriously, it's amazing!

Read on for the recipe....

Have a Warm and Fuzzy Weekend!

I'm so happy the weekend is here. It's certainly been an intense work week... plus I'm still in shock from the season finale of MadMen (although I did enjoy the Montreal reference via Don Draper's new girl).

I hope you have a glorious & sunny weekend, and I'll see you back on Monday.

oxo

Vanessa

And for your weekend, here are a few fun links...

• Have you heard about these miracle fruit that change your taste buds completely for an hour?! (via Lake Jane)
• Make a DIY xylophone out of beer bottles
• The most beautiful hanging garden suspended from a church ceiling
• I'm in love with this kitchen, oh and this one too : )
• Finally, how cool is this giant clothespin?

An Ode to My Morning Coffee

Good morning, lovelies.

I'm guest posting over at Little Girl, Big World today on why I love my morning coffee, as part of her It's the Little Things series.

Won't you head over there for a little visit?

Curried Coconut Squash Soup

I've made this soup 3 times in the last month, that's how much I like it 

(or I should say, that's how much my husband likes it, because he keeps asking for it again and again).

 It's spicy and unique and absolutely perfect for fall. You should definitely try it!

Read on for the recipe...

Winter Preview: Kate Spade will leave you feeling very festive this holiday season

Brrr Ski Hat

Ice Queen Bib Necklace

Twirl Karolina Pump (I love the red heel!)

Peppermint Earmuffs!

Frosted Felt Treesh

Giada Heel

Mercury Erika Dress

Jingle Bell Ring (isn't that just so adorable?!)

Now if only I had an extra $2000 laying around to buy all these things....

(all images via Kate Spade)

Recycled Vintage Suitcase Furniture

Katie Thompson, the creative genius behind REcreate, uses discarded junk to create unique pieces of furniture and funky decor items. Aren't these suitcase chairs amazing?!

She also makes some really cool lamps....

Check out her website to see more amazing recreations...

Homemade Rosemary Pecan Crisps

These crackers are to die for! They make any dip or cheese taste better. 

And guess what? They contain no butter or oil at all.

Have you ever tried Lesley Stowe's amazing Raincoast Crisps? Seriously, they are the best crackers in the entire world! And these homemade crisps taste just like them (but won't cost you 7$ a box!).

Read on for the recipe...

Monday Morning Full of Light

Good morning dear readers, I hope you had a relaxing weekend.

Just wanted to share some uplifting images with you of my new orchid...

isn't she lovely?

She looks absolutely radiant in the morning light.

I hope your morning is filled with light & radiance too : )

Happy Friday! Take some time to enjoy the little moments this weekend...

Happy Friday, Folks. 

What a week it's been, and on the other hand it just raced by, didn't it?

I'm so looking forward to sleeping in on Saturday morning.

Isn't that such a satisfying feeling?!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! 

Here are some lovely links from around the blog world....

• Rocky Mountain Pillows
• these pictures have me over the moon
• I'm totally craving Gwyneth's grilled cheese & onions, Erin's shiitake stir-fry, and Indie.Tea's skillet apple cake. YUM!
• How to make your own mason jar lanterns
• And a little peak at Belle & Sebastian's new album.
oxo
Vanessa.

In Search of Some Good ol' Bookends

 I'm in the market for some original bookends. Truth be told, I own way too many cookbooks and there is no more room on our bookshelf.

 I was thinking about just using two red bricks, and then i started googling bookends, and there are so many cool ideas out there...

Vinyl bookends (nerdnest)

"BOOK END" bookends! (via)

Cute little eggplant bookends (pillowhappy)

A bicycle bookend (via)

 Typewriter bookends (via)

Even London Traffic Bookends (Susan Bradley)

You name it, it's out there! They're all pretty cute... but in the end, I'll probably just end up sticking with the bricks ; )