There's A New Hair Master In Town!

I have been waiting for a whole week to share this with you all! A week may not be long to some people, but for me it's like a year when I'm excited, ha! A little while ago I was fortunate enough to be offered a hair cut by a crazy talented guy. Originally from Vancouver, Mark McLeod has been a super successful master stylist, manager and educator at the Arrojo Studio in SoHo, New York for the past seven years. That's right, the Arrojo studio. For those of us who are not well versed in the beauty industry, you will know Nick Arrojo from the TV show What Not To Wear (which had to be one of my favorite shows in high school). Needless to say, Mark is one of the top people in his industry, and his skills definitely showed through in my appointment! 

Mark was an incredibly professional, fun guy to work with. He did things to my hair that I did not even know were possible. You know that awkward weight that can sometimes happen in sections of your locks? Where it just doesn't quite fit? Well, that's gone now! Since last week, my hair has just worked, and it takes so much less time to style. I'm beyond grateful for his services and for the fact that he is a hair genius! Plus, it was awesome timing because I got my new 'do right before Vancouver Fashion Week began, so I was feeling extra good! A good hair cut really can make the difference, can't it?

Now here's the good news for all of us! Mark has recently relocated to my lovely city, and will be making trips back to NYC every couple of months to work with his loyal (read: obsessed) clients there. That means that us Vancouverites are in luck! He has set up shop in the Sinclair Center Downtown at Kore Salon and he is open for business! 

Mark was also awesome enough to offer you guys some special deals.

 1.  "Friends" Rewards:  through October 31, you can bring a friend who has never been to Kore studio before and get two cuts with Mark only for the price of one ($108 value).

2.  The Pre-Booking Discount:  Think ahead and save earned cash:  Pre-book, on the day of your service, your next appointment for within six weeks and receive 10% discount when you return.

So if you are living in Vancouver, or are planning a visit in the near future, I would highly suggest giving the Kore Salon a call and booking an appointment! I definitely recommend Mark and his skills. You and your hair can thank me later :)

Tea Party // 14

First of all, I feel like I should tell you all that our tea parties are for sure one of my favorite posts to write. Each week I look forward to our talks, and spend much of my allotted daydreaming time on brainstorming questions that I think we'd have fun chatting about! I really hope that you all enjoy participating in the parties as much as I do! Therefore, without further ado, here are this week's questions! 

1/ As always, what are you ordering for our get-together?

2/ Have you ever seen Downton Abbey? The photo I chose for this week's party reminds me of a modern day version of a scene from the show! If you watch it, who is your favorite character?

3/ What is one item on Etsy that you are dying to hit order on? What do you love about the item? If you aren't as obsessed with the site as I am, then feel free to leave a link to a wishlist item from another site!

4/ What is the last book that you read? What was special about it? Would you recommend it to the rest of us?

5/ When you have a day off, what is your relaxation method of choice? Please give me pointers because today is my first day with no scheduled events in about 3 weeks, so I'd love to get some fresh ideas of how I should rest and recharge!!

Here are my answers!

1/ It's getting chilly around here, so I'm ordering a cup of creamy earl grey tea, with milk and sugar. My favorite brand of tea these days is David's Tea because they have a crazy assortment of delicious flavours, and gorgeous packaging to boot!

2/ I sure have! A women obsessed I am, hence the decision to feature this image :) My favorite character is Lady Mary, but her grand mother has made my day with her witty one liners more than a few times. 

3/ Everything in this shop is amazing, but this vintage milk can is especially lovely, and would be perfect on my counter, or coffee table! Anything old and charming is right up my alley.

4/ I currently have 3 books on the go. This one, this one and this one. I'm loving all 3 because they focus on embracing your dreams and really going after what you want! A good message any day, I'd say.

5/ I'm planning a day of laundry, groceries, homework and other work catch up, and perhaps a run! But I'd love ideas for how to un-wind tomorrow! I plan to use it to my full advantage :)

I can't wait to read your answers! Don't forget to invite your friends! 

My Style // Easy Does It

This past week was a whirlwind to say the least. A wonderful, inspiring, invigorating whirlwind. I hired and trained a new team of awesome people at work, attended 3 nights of Vancouver Fashion Week, and racked up a whole lot of blog ideas. Needless to say, all of this fun left me pretty drained by yesterday afternoon and I happily took a couple of hours to lie in bed, watch a documentary, and eat soup! Now I'm ready to face Monday with a fresh spirit. 

This is one of the outfits that I wore last week for the VFW shows! The maroon corduroy skirt was exactly what I wanted to be wearing, since it felt a little unique and fun, but still polished. Plus, the pockets were great for storing my iPhone while I took a bazillion pictures of the gorgeous looks! The blouse is my new favorite piece, and also works really well with brightly coloured jeans. I love it because from a distance it looks feminine and classic, but up close you'll notice that the pattern is tons of teensy little stars! :) 

I seriously have so much fun content to share with you this week, so get excited! One of my goals for October is to carve out time in my schedule for more photo shoots and features on the blog, so keep an eye out for that! On that note, is there anything that you would be interested in seeing here? I really want to make sure that you're all getting what you want, so let me know! 

Happy Monday!

Shop: blouse / skirt / flats / ring

Watch It, Buddy.

Aside from keeping me on schedule, my watch serves some purposes that are a little less practical. We can probably all agree that a good watch can serve as the foundation for a very nice little wrist situation. I just picked up some pretty new bracelets that are looking snazzy with my current watch, but I just noticed yesterday that my trusty time piece is starting to show some wear and tear! Thus the fantasizing about a different one has begun. These options from ASOS would make a sweet addition. Which one is your favorite?

classic/ glam/ skinny strap (similar)/ floral/ initials/ leopard strap

Tea Party // 13

Welcome to the party, friends! I hope you all had an amazing, relaxing weekend and are ready to take on this week! I spent some time with my family which was awesome, and a much needed break. Yesterday was definitely a Monday, but it was also super productive so I was pleased! This week is super exciting for me, since I'm attending some of the Vancouver Fashion Week shows - as many as I can fit into this darn student schedule of mine, that is! But I will be taking tons of photos, so get excited! You're going to feel like you were sitting right there with me, ha! But since it's Tuesday today, that means one things. Tea Party time! Here are this week's questions.

1/ As usual, what are you ordering for our get-together?

2/ This is super random, but I've been spending lots of time fantasizing about having hard wood flooring in my apartment! If you could change one big thing about your home, what would it be?

3/ On the other side of the coin, what is something about your current living situation that you absolutely adore and are grateful for?

4/ What is one hobby that you've really been wanting to take up? Have you any plans to do so in the near future?

5/ What is your latest & greatest internet find? Could be a site you just discovered, an awesome blogger, or a pretty new shop that you just can't get enough of! Leave a link so we can share the love!

Here are my answers.

1/ Caffeine is my friend this week, so I'm ordering a big cup of earl grey tea with soy milk.

2/ I think I gave mine away up there! My new apartment is awesome and I'm in love with it, but if I could change one thing it would definitely be the floors. They are not too pretty, so I would die for some gorgeous, slightly worn hard wood.

3/ All of the space! After living in dorm rooms for 3 years, having a full apartment is such a crazy luxury! I mean, I went from having a twin bed and one teensy closet, to a queen sized bed and two full closets!

4/ Cooking! As soon as my schedule calms down a bit, I'm going to be a cooking machine! You can expect some fun new recipes up here on the blog, that's for sure.

5/ This blog is so awesome and I'm super glad to have just discovered it. It's written by an adorable couple, who both happen to be fabulous graphic designers! They created this printable, which is sitting pretty on my desk at the moment. 

I can't wait to hear your answers! Have a lovely Tuesday everyone!

image taken from my instagram

Light Up My Life.

Just some pretty pieces that are lighting up my Monday! I hope your week is off to a great start! Who is ready for tomorrow's tea party?!

necklace from Minco Jewellery/ flats from Aldo/ cross body bag from Madewell/ backpack from Madewell

Candid Conversations // making time for friends.

I have a confession. There are weeks that I am not the best friend. I forget to respond to texts, I decline invites to go out at night, and I don't check in. Those are the weeks that I let work overwhelm me and it's something that I definitely want to work on. While I'm proud of the work I complete, I know that I need to develop some more balance. Plus, when I hole up in my apartment for too long, void of de-stressing activities, I find that I actually am less productive and get less work done. Not to mention, being burnt out is hardly a recipe for inspiration! 

It seems to me that this is a pretty common phenomenon. I live on a university campus and am therefore surrounded by thousands of hard working, motivated people. While it's awesome to want to succeed and to work hard at it, I think we could all use a little break every now and then. There are times when I forget to take these breaks, or convince myself that I need to get everything done that evening. But when I choose to take a breather and grab tea with a friend, or just spend an evening chatting and catching up, I always end up so much better off! A few weeks ago I was in the mind-set that I was too busy to take time out for a coffee date with one of my friends. In the end I just went, and I felt so invigorated after! That evening I was calm and much more able to get my work done, and was so much more engaged with what I was doing! One of my goals for the next couple months is definitely to carve out more time for friends and make a point of planning fun afternoons with them. 

Do you face this challenge too? I'd love to hear what you've done to combat the "busy" monster!

sweet image found at the indikidual tumblr

Tea Party // 12

First of all, happy Tuesday friends! Yesterday was one of those Mondays that really felt like a Monday. Does that make sense? :) My schedule just doesn't seem to want to slow down, but thankfully I can see the light at the end of this tunnel because my mom is coming to stay at my new place this weekend! We are going to do some shopping for Vancouver Fashion Week and hopefully pick up an area rug for my living room - my tootsies are getting a little chilly with the cooler weather! Today I'm running some interviews for a team I'm hiring at work, so it's sure to be another jam packed day. Naturally I'm thrilled to have the tea party to drop in and out of throughout the day! On that note, here are this week's questions. 

1/ As always, what are you requesting from the barista on this fine Tuesday?

2/ If you could have a free day off to do anything, who would you spend it with and what would you do?

3/ First of all, what field do you work in (or hope to work in)? Who is one person within your industry that you would love to collaborate with one day? Dream big!

4/ Tell us about a big goal that you have right now. Don't be shy - we're all friends here! :)

5/ What is the last movie you watched? Would you recommend it to us?

My answers:

1/ When I'm feeling overwhelmed, a simple cup of tea always does the trick. Today is one of those days, so I'll be ordering a cup of earl grey with soy milk and way too much sugar. 

2/ I've been working a lot lately, so I'd probably spend it with my boyfriend. A yoga class to start the day off, then lunch downtown and a movie night at home to cap it off. Those days always re-charge me.

3/ Graphic design is what I'm planning to do after I finish up my degree, and I really want to work as a freelance designer. One person who has really inspired my journey thus far has been Bri Emery, of DesignLoveFest. If you haven't heard of her crazy rad work then you must check out her blog. She would definitely be my dream collaboration!

4/ Lately I've been on a self-improvement kick, ha! I'm a naturally upbeat person, but like many people, I struggle with keeping focused on my intentions during the stressful day to days. I'm currently reading The Art of Non-Conformity and it has really been pushing me to set goals and aim my efforts in a direction that will take me towards that goal. The author talks about taking your dreams seriously, which I love. One rather small thing I'm doing to work towards a big goal is that I'm saving up my monies for the new version of the Adobe Creative Suite. I know that it will benefit my design work, and will bring me closer to my broader goal of working full-time in the graphic design field after graduation. 

5/ The other night I watched The 5 Year Engagement and although I'd seen it before I still loved it the second time. It's such a hilarious movie, and the leads are perfect. Emily Blunt and Jason Segel have tons of chemistry, and I really just couldn't stop laughing the whole time. Plus, it's by the same guys as Bridesmaids, which has to be one of the most ridiculously funny movies ever. So yes, I'd recommend it!

I can't wait to hear your answers! And I've got some fun news for you - if you look over at the bottom of the left sidebar, you'll see a brand new button for our tea parties! The code is below the button, so if you want to show your love for our weekly get-togethers, and perhaps get some of your readers in on the fun, then by all means, do so! The more the merrier! 

Ingredients For (Apartment) Style.

About 3 weeks ago (can't believe it's that long already!) I moved into a new apartment and have been loving the process of slowing decorating it. Although there are still some corners that look a little sad and empty, I don't really want to rush the process. Rather, I have been hunting for my very favorite pieces - items that I will have and love for years. I'm still working on coming up with a solid organization system for my tiny cozy kitchen and I'm sure I'll have some insights to share soon for any other small apartment dwellers! I'm beyond in love with my new couch, and can't wait to get a graphic, printed rug to go with it! The rest of the process has included lots of white, with fun splashes of color. I've also got some DIY projects for the apartment in the works, so those will be coming at you soon as well!

Do you love the process of decorating as much as I do? What are your favorite sources for furniture and quirky little extras? I'm planning to hit up a couple thrift stores this week for some unexpected pieces!

photo 1/ photo 2/ photo 3/ photo 4

The Daily Grind // 2

This week has been one of those strange combinations of long to-do lists, long nights and some incredibly peaceful moments thrown into the middle of all the chaos. These are some of those quiet moments that I really cherished this week.

1/ Walking downtown with my boyfriend, we spotted this rad little reminder to stop and chill out on the sidewalk. 

2/ My new favorite store EVER. I spent an afternoon in the neighborhood last weekend and discovered this little spot. The flags outside, along with the wooden sign and white text were really the icing on the cake. 

3/ When I have a few minutes to spare in the morning, I try to snuggle up on the couch with a cup of tea and a magazine or book. I find that the rest of the day is so much more productive when I start things off this way. 

4/ My lunch the other day included a bowl of soup, and my two little dates for lunch. Frogs in the form of salt and pepper shakers :)

5/ Classes have begun, and as usual, I spent an inappropriate amount of time picking out my school supplies.

6/ The inside of the shop I mentioned above. Isn't it just the cutest? If you live in Vancouver you seriously have to make a trip to Deep Cove. A beautiful little place, and it also happens to have the coolest shop around. Check out the site here as well. 

7/ Racks upon racks of lovely fall attire in the Free People section of The Hudson's Bay downtown. 

8/ Making my rounds at the grocery store the other night.

9/ I have visited this pretty little courtyard downtown before, and I always love sipping my tea in here. The prettiest old building and an opening to the sky above. How cool would it be to live here?!

10/ Late night snacking while I worked this week. Baguettes and cheesy dips are so up my alley. 

Do you love Instagram as much as I do? Leave your account name! I'd love to check it out :) I'm Kendra_Sally if you'd like to follow along.