I'm Back!

So after over a month of being MIA, I'm finally back, and will be making a conscious effort to post regularly! In my defense, the past month has been crazy busy, and I honestly haven't had a whole lot of free time to just sit and write! The good news is that from now on, I'll only have one job instead of two, which means more time to write! However, that being said, having one less job also means one less source of income, so...yeah, it's definitely a bitter-sweet kind of thing. 

Anyway, I suppose I'll start off by saying that Ryan and I are officially settled in our apartment and couldn't be happier living downtown! I'm loving the way our place is taking shape and even though it's still a bit of a work in progress, I'm quite content with the way it's going so far. 

We did encounter a mini disaster of sorts when we tried to stain our IKEA dining table and chairs. I'm getting over it though, since I have since purchased a navy tablecloth to hide the mess! Essentially, we bought the wrong kind of wood stain, and instead of creating a beautifully rich walnut color, the paint turned out very streaky and formed horrible globs everywhere. I know, I know...those of you with experience are telling me "you should have used X paint or Y paint" and "you should be sanding it between coats". Trust me, I spent far longer than I would have liked, researching all of this stuff! With the price we paid for the table and chairs, and with how the paint turned out, it's really just more economical to cover it all up for now..at least until we're ready to tackle the problem again! 

In other non-decor related news, something that Ryan and I have both been enjoying in our down time, is the convenience of being able to walk three blocks to our local dog park! Rocky absolutely loves it, and it's nice because he gets to meet lots of other dogs and get plenty of exercise running around off-leash! He's even been lucky enough to be at the dog park at the same time as his old buddy Bane, a two year old mastiff, who was at the Humane Society with Rocky at the same time that he was. Ryan and I had even seriously considered adopting Bane, that is, until Rocky cemented his place in our hearts! 

I don't want to ramble, so I'll end here for now, with the promise that I'll have more posts this week! I hope you all have a fun (and safe!) Halloween! 

Throwback Thursday + Wedding Prep

Me and my mother 

For today's Throwback Thursday post, I wanted to have a picture of me and my mum! Judging by all the red we are both wearing, I'm guessing this picture was taken at my grandparents house over the Christmas holidays. The doll I'm holding must have been a freshly opened gift I imagine! 

I was very lucky to have my mum drive up from Kingston yesterday morning to spend a few hours here in Ottawa with me and Ryan. After she arrived, we had some tea and chatted a bit while we unpacked some of the things she had brought up for us. My mum is really quite skilled at sewing, so for as long as I can remember, I've gone to her for anything sewing related! Given my affinity for fashion design, I've had my mum's help with sewing on many, many occasions! 

Preview! Can't give away the whole
look before the big day!

The project my mum came all the way to Ottawa for was particularly special, since it has to do with my bridal outfit for next Friday! Rather than buy a pre-made bridal belt, I wanted to do a DIY project and pick out the sash color and embellishments myself. I can do a few basic stitches, but without my mum and her sewing skills, I can honestly say, my bridal belt would never have turned out! Along with sewing my bridal belt, my mum also brought up my bridal skirt, which I am SO excited about! I ordered it online so I wasn't sure about how it would actually look in person, but I was not let down at all! 

Even though it was only a short visit (mum left at 2 pm to drive back to Kingston), it was a really lovely way to spend the morning! I love that we live fairly close to both my parents and Ryan's parents, but it's still such a treat when we actually get the chance to spend time together! Getting my bridal outfit ready with my mum was really special to me and I am so happy we were able to do it together! 

How To: Clean Your Makeup Brushes

Something that most of us tend to neglect, is brush care. We use our makeup brushes (nearly) everyday, and yet they often don't get the proper TLC they need. 

After frequent use, makeup brushes become caked with makeup residue, oil, and dead skin cells, which create a breeding ground for bacteria, that you, in turn, end up putting right back on your face. Gross right? Well that's exactly why you're going to want to step up your brush cleaning game!


The general consensus suggests that on average, you should clean your brushes once a month. However, if you use your makeup brushes quite often, I would recommend increasing the frequency to bi-weekly. 

There are a number of brush-specific cleaning formulas out there, as well as many DIY or multi-use products that also do the trick. Here are my top three recommendations in each category: 

1. Brush-specific 

BlenderCleanser by BeautyBlender $9.95 

2. DIY 

In 1 warm cup of water, mix 1 tbsp of vinegar, and 1 tbsp of dish soap.

3. Multi-use products

Johnson's Baby Shampoo $3.95

No matter what kind of cleanser you decide to use, it's important to take into consideration the delicate nature of the bristles, which require special care when being washed as to avoid changing their shape. Once you've got your formula set, let your brushes soak for about 5-10 minutes. Gently run them under warm water to help wash out any residue, followed by cool water to settle the bristles. Avoid the barrel of your brushes, since if it gets wet, it can cause the bristles to loosen and fall out. If the brushes are extra cakey, a drop of olive or almond oil will loosen things up. Some people suggest gently blow drying your brushes to dry them, but I would strongly advise against this! Instead, place your makeup brushes flat on a sheet of paper towel, in a cool, dry place. They should be clean and ready for use in about 8-12 hours. 

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Mother's Day is officially only a week away! If you haven't put much thought into how you'll be showing your appreciation for mom yet, now would be a good time to start!

No language can express the power, and beauty, and heroism, and 

majesty of a mother’s love. It shrinks not where man cowers, and grows stronger where man faints, and over wastes of worldly fortunes sends the radiance of its quenchless fidelity like a star. ~Edwin Hubbell Chapin

 I am very lucky to have a wonderful relationship with my mother and I am incredibly thankful for her constant love and support everyday. Looking back, I regret that it took me so long to understand how incredibly special she is to me and just how much I respect and admire her. I'll be the first to admit that I was by no means an "easy" child to raise. I was incredibly demanding, had a quick temper, and an insatiable curiosity that meant I needed a lot of supervision! Yet despite everything, I knew I could always count on my mother to look after me when I was sick, give me advice when I felt like no one else understood me, and love me no matter how many times I messed up. To this day, I am still in awe of how she managed (scratch that- still manages!) to look after me, run a household, have a career, and still have a fulfilling life! 

I've told her this many times now, but I sincerely hope that when it comes time for me to become a mother, I'll be able to do it with as much love and grace as she does. 

Whether you're on great terms, or things are a bit shaky right now, it's incredibly important to show your appreciation for the woman who brought you into the world and raised you. It doesn't have to be big or flashy, but as long as it comes from the heart, I'm sure it will be appreciated!

When it comes to gifts for mom, I tend to either go with DIY (Do-It-Yourself) projects, or gifts that are indulgent and relaxing. The DIY route can be more budget-friendly, but you have to be prepared to put in the time required to actually complete the project. 

Here are a few Mother's Day gift ideas to get you started:

* DIY Heart-shaped tea bags

* Framed photo of you and mom

* Scented candle or perfume

* Spa package (at home or in salon) 

* Afternoon Tea (when I lived in Vancouver, The Secret Garden was my favorite place to go!

* Lotions (the Pear & Pink Magnolia collection from Crabtree & Evelyn smells amazing!) 

* Customized jewelry (I really like the custom bracelets from Etsy. You can feature both of your birthstones for a meaningful touch) 

If you're short on time, or you just can't think of something original, it's always a good idea to at the very least, give (or make) a card. You can always up the ante by pairing it with flowers, which add a pretty and fragrant touch! 

Happy Mother's Day to all!