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! 

Throwback Thursday

Happy Thursday! I hope everyone is having a nice morning so far!

I don't have a huge selection of old photographs on my computer, but when I came across this one, I knew I wanted to post it! As you can see, the picture was taken on the gangway of an NCL cruise while it was stopped in Barbados back in 1997. What I love about this picture is that it has three generations of the women in our family in it (myself, my mum, and my nanny). It's been quite a few years now since my nanny passed away, and I still miss her everyday. I am so thankful to be able to have pictures like these to look at whenever I miss her most! The women in my family are so strong, intelligent, beautiful, and compassionate. I can't help but feel proud when I see little me, standing there with two of the most inspiring women I know. 

Throwback Thursday

This week I'm featuring a photo from about fourteen years ago. It was taken in my littlest brother's room, which certainly looks much different now than it does in the picture.

This dress was so fun and airy!
 I also loved the bright pink color!

Ever since I was a little girl, I absolutely loved to dress up and play around with clothes, accessories, and makeup (check out the lipstick and heavy pink blush!). I've always been a very creative person, so experimenting with fashion and beauty proved to be a really fun outlet for me. I didn't get it right all the time, but I always enjoyed dressing up and putting different looks together..and after years of practice, I absolutely still love it!

Throwback Thursday

Good morning! For this week's post I chose some old photos that I believe were taken in England. I could be completely off base about that, but luckily I know my mum can easily correct me in the comments section below if need be.

When I was little, for some reason, I really enjoyed spinning in circles. Maybe it was because I really wanted to be a ballerina! 

Check out those little black ponies! I'm sure I would have loved to have run around in the fields with those two! Even though I was pretty young when these photos were taken, I still have many special memories from my childhood. It's just so wonderful to be able to have captured some of those moments on camera!

Throwback Thursday + Lately I've Been..

Good morning! It's a bit chilly here in Ottawa today but compared to the intensely hot, humid weather that's sure to be coming our way, it's quite refreshing. I'm kicking off today's post with my Throwback Thursday photo of the week, followed by my take on the survey "Lately I've Been..", which I got from fellow blogger Julie!

Despite the bright glare from our life-jackets, it's still possible to make out four people (my dad, myself, and my two brothers) standing in the doorway of a cabin. Since my mum isn't in the shot, I think I can safely assume that she's the one taking the picture! Every cruise requires all passengers to participate in a lifeboat drill at the beginning of the trip (for obvious safety reasons). It might not look like it, but those life-jackets are surprisingly bulky! I'm not a very big hockey fan now, but I think the hat I'm wearing has a Toronto Maple Leafs logo on it! Clearly we all really liked ball caps back then! Oh, and I guess I missed my baby brother's memo about socks and sandals! As silly as we may look, going on cruises with my family was a lot of fun and always an adventure! I have so many wonderful memories together from our vacations!

Now on to the survey, "Lately I've Been.."

*Making: Lists. I am a "list girl" and it's kind of my hyper-organized way of managing things! 

*Cooking: Slow-cooker pork. It's so tender and the flavor is phenomenal! I've been doing a lazy version lately by just using a combination of original and honey dijon Diana Sauce.

*Drinking: Coffee. Lots of coffee. 


*Reading: To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. I read this back when I was in grade 9 but it's such a classic that I enjoy it even now. 


*Wanting: So many things! I guess if I had to pick one right now, I would probably say another cup of coffee! 

*Looking: Forward to going to Kingston with my boyfriend to visit family for my birthday in June!

*Playing: The Simpsons: Tapped Out. My boyfriend got me into it last year and now I'm slightly addicted! 

*Wasting: Too much time watching Mad Men! I'm only starting it now so I've been binge watching lately.

*Wishing: We could go on vacation! I really want to go to Charleston, SC, and Savannah, GA. 

*Enjoying: Everyday with Ryan! 

*Waiting: For our lease to end in September so we can move into a new apartment downtown!

*Liking: Sunny days! 

*Wondering: How great Jurassic World is going to be..awesome or SUPER AWESOME! We're planning on going with my family in Kingston once it's in theaters so I'll be sure to review it!

*Loving: My family. They are always so loving and supportive. I feel incredibly blessed everyday. 

*Hoping: I'll actually remember to set aside time to paint my nails today. They are definitely in need of some TLC!

*Needing: To start going on walks with Ryan more often! We had a good routine for awhile but we need to get back into it. 

*Wearing: Right now? Pajamas. Don't judge...it's technically still the morning.

*Following: Lots of foodie blogs lately. If you're looking for something incredibly delicious and aren't too worried about calories, Michelle has got some pretty amazing recipes! Check it out here!

*Noticing: All the beautiful flowers and blossoms. The trees are green and the birds are constantly chirping! 

*Knowing: I have so much to be thankful for and lots to look forward to! 

*Thinking: About doing some self-directed learning. I've been really interested in learning more about different animals so maybe I should start there!

*Feeling: Happy and hopeful for the future!

*Bookmarking: Lots of DIY projects! I'll share them once I give them a try!

*Opening: My mind to new things and new ideas! 

Feel free to share some of your answers to the survey in the comments below! 

Throwback Thursday

Hi there! I hope everyone is having a lovely Thursday afternoon. It's a beautiful sunny day here in Ottawa and the temperature is warm, but not too hot. It's almost the weekend so I'm in a very good mood since that means two days of relaxing. My aunt will be visiting us here in Ottawa so we also have that to look forward to on Saturday as well. 

My mum sent me a bunch of old photos the other day, which inspired me to start doing 'Throwback Thursday' posts. I won't be discussing any particular topic, but it will be a nice opportunity to reminisce and in some cases, laugh at old styles or funny pictures! 

The three kids enjoying life on deck!

This week I chose a handful of pictures from a cruise we took about 13 years ago. We were either on the Celebrity Century or the Horizon I believe. My mum knows the exact details of the trip so I'm sure she'll correct me in the comments below.  

My brothers and I always had a lot of fun in the 'kids program', which involved lots of on-board activities and entertainment. We were all really excited when we got the chance to go backstage and try on all of the crazy costumes and accessories the performers wear for the extravagant shows they put on almost every night. I still find it hilariously entertaining looking back at these photos and seeing my brothers (now much older!) dressed up with giant coins and feather hats on their heads!

I'll be writing a travel piece entirely about cruise vacations soon, so stay tuned for that!