Paris With Etsy

My husband and I took a trip of a lifetime to Europe two years ago. We went on a tour and visited seven countries starting in Paris  and ending in Amsterdam. And wait for the cliche….I fell in love with Paris. It just happened. Some of my favourite memories from Paris include walking alongside the square shaped trees, seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkle during the light show, eating freshly made chocolate crepes and taking a gazillion pictures!

            

I didn’t know of Etsy then. For those who don’t know, Etsy it is an online marketplace of handmade and vintage goods. My sister introduced me to Etsy last year and within a few weeks I opened my little shop there. If I were to go to Paris again here are 16 items that would be in my travel bag. All are handmade and vintage items for some great shops on Etsy.

1. A handmade clutch from G.Malou Designs

2. Vintage Leather Jacket from Paint Your Wagon

3. Modern Tourmaline Earrings from By Jodi

4. Grey Summer Blouse from Pig Pig Cow

5. Upcycled T-shirt Dress from Ohzie

6. Vintage Levi Shorts from Filthy Rebena

7. Paris Map Passport Cover from Efratul

8. Gemstone Triangle Necklace from Lowe Lowe Jewelry

9. Cactus Print Phone Case from Sonia Cavallini

10. Nude Lace Dress from LAL Couture

11. White Tote from Alfa Studio

12. Sheer Summer Kimono from Everly Style

13. Boho Bracelet from Loulalalou

14. Crochet Necklace from 100 Crochet Necklaces

15. Lace Infinity Scarf from Three Dressy

16. Ballet Flats from The White Ribbon

Which one is your favourite?

A Trip To Harbourfront, Toronto

This past weekend was the Victoria day long weekend in Canada thanks to the Queen. The weather was just fabulous for the whole weekend. On Sunday, we went downtown to the Toronto Harbourfront area. While strolling along the Harbourfront I tried to capture the essence of our trip, enjoying a beautiful day. Any excuse to capture something on my camera!

World famous CN Tower

You can take the elevators up to the top of CN Tower and dine at the 360 restaurant or if you like a little rush try the Edge Walk 1000 feet above the ground!

Harbourfront Canoe & Kayak Centre

Rent a canoe or kayak from Paddle Toronto and enjoy the views of the skyline from the lake.

View from the marina

View of the lake from the boardwalk with the seagull keeping watch.

While walking, we came across this beautiful cherry tree in blossom. It wasn’t like the cherry blossoms at High Park, but I was content.

Our dinner venue

We had gone to Hunter’s Landing for New Year’s Eve and loved it so we decided to try it again. This beautiful view is of the outside patio. If you are ever catching a Blue Jays game downtown, Hunter’s Landing is walking distance both from Rogers Centre and Harbourfront Centre.

We made quite a few furry friends downtown. This little guy was simple adorable.

Mother’s Day

My sister and I spent some quality time with our parents yesterday on Mother’s Day. I didn’t get a chance to post this yesterday but mothers are to be appreciated every day anyways so I will share it today.

I came across this quote recently and it is perfect for sharing for Mother’s Day. It reminds me of how my mom is.

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.
Tenneva Jordan

My mom and I manage our shop Fashionelle Studio. She helps me sew our scarves and knit accessories in the winter. She has always been there for me. I wanted to dedicate this post to her and all the wonderful moms out there.

How was your mother’s day weekend?

High Tea Experience

I had a lovely high tea experience this past weekend. I went with a few girlfriends to a place called Victorian Garden Tea Room in Toronto. It was a quaint but charming place. You enter through a gift shop where you can buy collectibles of all sorts. You then pass through an arbor into a Victorian garden themed tea room.

Food presentation at the high tea was impeccable. The two tiered platter included a freshly baked scone, delectable petite desserts and assorted finger sandwiches. Everything looked appetizing and fresh. Sandwiches were my favourite. My only recommendation would be to include smaller sized scones instead of a single big one.

The mismatched tea cups and tea pots were simply adorable. There was a cornucopia of tea choices available including the house blend Lady Victoria. I am a big tea drinker and ordered their strongest black tea. It was a full bodied tea that I had with milk. My girlfriends tried the Raspberry in Paris and Royal Jasmine tea.

The scallop edged napkins with the teacup napkin rings were a nice touch. The decor however could have used an update specially the tables and chairs. The customer service was simply impeccable. The two ladies managing the tea room were very courteous and attentive. Their British accent just made the English high tea experience even more authentic.

Overall, I would recommend this place. My girlfriends and I are planning our next high tea experience in downtown Toronto and I will keep you posted!

Trip To Grand Canyon

My husband and I recently took a day trip to Grand Canyon. We visited the west rim of the Grand Canyon which is on an Indian reserve. We had some concerns for not visiting the south rim located in the Grand Canyon Park. However, we were not dissapointed. The views here were simply breathtaking. The immense vastness of the Grand Canyon was moving. It was a great reminder that we humans are such a small part of this world.

The reserve had a lot of ravens waiting for the right moment to nibble at the food given by the tourists.

You can see the Colorado river meandering through the canyon and how red the soil was in some places.

I was instantly drawn to the minimalism and the beauty of the desert landscape. You can see the canyons far out in the background in this picture. I have heard of Agave syrup and I got to see the actual Agave plant from where the syrup comes from.

The reserve also featured a Native American Village where you get walk through and tour how the Indians used to live. This was one of their dwellings made out of mud and wood.

That blip in the sky was a helicopter. You could take helicopter tours of the Grand Canyon. We choose to experience the canyon on foot this time. When we visit the Grand Canyon again maybe we will try the helicopter tour.

This panoramic view tries to capture the sheer vastness of the canyon. The Grand Canyon truly is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. We had a great time and would love to go back again.

My Spring Shopping Finds

My birthday is just around the corner so last weekend I treated myself to a few gifts (any excuse to go shopping!). I have been searching for the right bomber jacket for some time. I found this steal of a find at Winners.

What I love about this jacket apart from its price is that the leather is vegan. The creased elbows, epaulettes on the shoulders and the embossed detail on the lapels add the right amount of personality to it.

My search for a party purse also came to an end on this shopping trip. I needed a big one that holds a gazillion things I need to take to a party. When I laid eyes on this gold foil, laser cut clutch I knew I had found just the one.

The birthday girl couldn’t be happier with her fabulous finds. Did you find something oh so fab on your last shopping trip? Share your finds in the comments section.