Top 10 posts from 2015

I started Sweet Pea Afternoon Tea back in April 2015, and it has been quite an incredible experience so far! I am still very much in the early phase of working as a blogger and consultant, but I have been enjoying every step forward. As a way of celebrating the new year, I've compiled a list of my top 10 favorite blog posts from 2015. Even though I only had to sift through nine months worth of articles, it was really quite tough because so many great things happened last year! I got engaged, we moved into a new apartment, got married, and got our dog Rocky, just to name a few! 

Without further adieu, here is the list, in chronological order from oldest to newest! Enjoy!

*Note: Click on the title of each article for a link to the post!

1. Mother's Day Gift Ideas

I was fortunate enough to have my mum visit us in Ottawa for Mother's Day, so I had to include this one! I love shopping for women, but my mum is by far my favorite person to shop for (sorry boys, but I don't think this will come as that big of a surprise!). I really enjoyed putting together this post and coming up with a variety of gift ideas to suit different styles and budgets. 

2. Big News

Obviously, none of you will be surprised to see that my engagement announcement is on the list! Even though it wasn't a complete surprise since we had discussed marriage prior to the big proposal, I was still so shocked and excited when Ryan got down on one knee and pulled out the ring!

I am so happy that I was able to have documented the whole thing not long after it all happened, because I know in the years to come it will be harder and harder to remember the details. 

3. What to Wear: BBQ Party Edition

So I included this one because of two reasons...the first being that I really love the two outfits I put together, and the second being that I am currently craving hot summer days now that winter has finally arrived and I have had to wear leggings under my jeans just to stay remotely warm! I know, I'm a big baby and it's not even that cold!

4. Volunteering in South Africa

I should really clarify that I did not go to South Africa in 2015, I went in 2013. I did however, finally get around to documenting my trip in 2015, and I am so glad that I did! Volunteering was such an amazing and challenging experience, and I would definitely recommend that everyone try it at least once in their lives. It doesn't have to be half way across the world, but giving your time and putting your energy into helping others is one of the most amazing things we can do as human beings.

5. What to Wear: Mother-of-the-Bride

Needless to say, this past year has included plenty of wedding planning! I'll be completely honest, I was a bit hesitant about it at first, but I have really come around and have been thoroughly enjoying all of the planning and wedding activities! For this post, I had a great time researching dresses and discussing different looks and body issues with my mum and her friends. 

6. Married

I think it goes without saying that by far, one of the best moments from 2015 was getting married to Ryan!

 

We had a beautiful little civil service ceremony at the courthouse, followed by a delicious lunch at The Lord Elgin. 

I am so happy to be married to my best friend! I love you so much and you make every day special!

7. Updates

Next up, I've included my first article featuring the latest addition to our little family, Rocky! 

Ryan and I have always wanted a dog, but we hadn't planned on getting one until we had a house with a big back yard. 

Those plans changed in the fall, when we saw Rocky on the SPCA website, and quickly fell in love! He's a 3 and a half year old German Shepard/Husky and we love him so much! 

8. Wedding Weekend Activities

If I had to pick one word to sum up the year 2015 for me, it would definitely be "Love". Aside from getting married, love has played such a major part in my life this year. It reveals itself every day that I spend with Ryan, as well as the love that we both share for our dog Rocky. 2015 also marked a year full of the love of our friends and family, who have showered (bridal shower post, get it? I crack myself up!) us with so much support and generosity! We are truly grateful! 

9. Engagement Photo Session

This was so much fun! The photographs turned out beautifully, and we are so thankful to now have such excellent quality photographs to capture this time in our lives. We have a few of them framed and on display in our apartment!

10. What to Expect, Bring, and Avoid at a Bridal Consultation

Last but not least, I've included the article I wrote about my experience at David's Bridal for my bridal consultation. Since this past year has been all about love for me, I thought it would be fitting to cap off this list with a wedding related article! 

I had a really great experience at my bridal consultation, and after two visits, have finally found my perfect dress! Even if you don't end up finding your dream dress, I would highly recommend that every bride-to-be go for a professional bridal consultation!

Married!

I am officially a married woman! 

After finishing work on Thursday evening, I headed downtown to meet up with my aunt and Ryan for a late dinner and to pick up a few things that my mum had sent ahead with my aunt. We ended up choosing D'arcy Mcgee's, primarily due to it's great location right by the Parliament buildings, and near both The Lord Elgin and The Chateau Laurier. After dinner we headed back to our respective hotels to rest up for the wedding on Friday morning.

Ryan and I both woke up fairly early on Friday morning, so we had plenty of time to relax and get ready at our leisure. Since we were staying at the beautiful and very swanky Chateau Laurier, I certainly wanted to make the most of it! Ryan had picked up a bottle of champagne the night before so we got to enjoy a glass (well, two for me!) before heading over to the courthouse to meet our families.

The civil service was just lovely, and our officiant was so kind! She did a wonderful job at relaxing us both with her funny sense of humor! The room was just the right size to fit in both our of parents, and four brothers. After we said our vows we had our mothers act as witnesses and that was it! We were officially married!

Since we had about an hour and a half before our lunch reservations at The Lord Elgin, we all headed over to the park across the street to take some photos. We were joined by Ryan's grandparents and two of my aunts at this point. 

About half an hour into taking pictures, I realized that in all the excitement, I had completely forgotten to bring my bouquet! Luckily, the hotel wasn't too far away, and our brothers all volunteered to go pick it up for me. Once they returned, we were able to finish taking pictures..this time with the beautiful bouquet! 

Just before noon, we all walked over to The Lord Elgin for lunch, where they had set up a private room for us. The decor, service, and food was amazing! I had the butternut squash ravioli and Ryan had the duck poutine. We heard lovely heartfelt speeches, followed by a fun game of "He Said/She Said", and got to enjoy lots of quality time with family! After our main courses, Ryan and I got to cut the cake as tradition dictates. 

We had dessert and coffee, and then it was time to thank everyone and say our goodbyes for the day. After everyone headed home, Ryan and I went back to the hotel for one more night before checking out on Saturday morning. Everything was just perfect and we are so thankful for everyone's love, support, and generosity! 

River Walk

The other day, my fiancée (I love being able to say that now!) and I went for a walk along the river by our apartment. It was beautifully warm and sunny, so we headed out just before lunch to walk along the path by the river. 

I can definitely be a bit of a romantic at times, so I wanted to walk by the spot where he proposed to me last Saturday. Ryan was happy to oblige me, so we set off to return to our special spot on the path by the river. What I didn't expect, was that we would be lucky enough to see the swans again! This time though, we had our camera ready to snap a few photos of them! 

Beauty, Grace, and Love

I know it might sound a bit silly, but I can't help but think that seeing those swans on both occasions that we went to that specific spot, has got to be some kind of good luck or blessing of some sort! Of course, it's probably just a nice coincidence, but we still enjoyed it none the less. 

They weren't shy about swimming right beside us!

Big News!

Even though it was rainy and overcast for the past two days, I still had an incredible weekend! Add to the fact that today is the very first day of June (my favorite month, due in large part to my birthday on the 14th), and I am having a really fantastic Monday!

So the question is, what's my big news? ...

I'M ENGAGED! 

On Saturday, May 30th, Ryan and I went to the movies (we saw Aloha), followed by a nice dinner at home, and then a walk along the river by our apartment. He had originally planned for us to go out to sushi for dinner, but silly me, I turned it down! His plan was to recreate the little things that brought us together in Vancouver, like going out for sushi (we went every single week!), watching movies together, and going for walks along a wooded path (where he had first confessed he loved me!). So, after getting appropriately dressed for the weather, we headed out for what I thought was a routine walk along our path by the river. At one point, we stopped at a clearing where a few swans were swimming alongside us. I know he didn't plan for the swans, but it was a very beautiful bit of luck that they were there at that exact moment! Anyway, when I turned around from looking out at the river, there he was, down on one knee! He pulled the ring out of his wallet and explained how walking along this path reminded him of how we fell in love in Vancouver. I was so shocked and excited, it took me a few seconds to process what was really going on! He actually had to ask me if I would marry him twice since I was so excited I had forgotten to actually say yes at first! It was the perfect proposal and I have to admit, I couldn't help but cry tears of joy! 

I love you so much Ryan! I am so excited to be engaged to such a wonderful man, and I can't wait to become your wife!

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!