It's the pretty things in life…

all me a shopaholic, but when I see something that's so pretty and at a good price, I just can't pass up on it. I was out running errands this afternoon- picking up a birthday gift for my girl friend and my twin sister and as always, I got distracted by all the pretty things I saw. First stop- Chapters/Indigo. I swear, that place is dangerous for me. Especially when they are having a sale.

Here's what I got at Chapters/Indigo:

I saw this pretty notebook (left) with gold foil embossing. They are really promoting all things
Canadiana with their stationery supplies right now. The pink thing to the right is a sticky
note set.

Here's a close-up of the cover. This was $6.50CAD.

The pages are lined inside and there are 3 sections divided by craft paper (you can see
it on the left of the lined page). I'm planning to use this notebook when I go back to work.

This is the Canada Owls Sticky Note Set. Isn't the cover pretty?
Chapters/Indigo also had a blue version of a sticky note set with a different graphic,
but I liked this one better.

Here's the inside with all the different-sized sticky notes. I love the owl-print lining.

Here's a close-up. I'm also planning on using this when I go back to work.
This was $10CAD.

I love love love Voluspa candles. They smell amazing and the packaging is just to die for.
However, it is expensive. That's why I always wait until they go on sale at Chapters/Indigo
before I purchase these.

I got Eden & Pear (my favourite scent out of the 2) and Crème de Pêche. 

They were originally $12CAD, but I got them on sale for $6CAD each.
The great thing about these candles are that I can use the jars after I'm finished with
the candle to store stuff in.

I picked up votive candles to put inside my next purchase. This was $4.75CAD, down from
$9.50CAD. There's no scent to these, but I wasn't sure if my regular tealights
would fit in my next purchase.

I got 2 of these beautiful, mercury glass votives. It's just stunning in person.

The insides are gold and they glimmer in the light.

These were $4.50CAD each.
I'm even thinking of storing some of my jewelry inside the votive. It looks so pretty with
my Voluspa candle.

So this is what I actually went into Chapters/Indigo for- a gift for my girl friend.
I'm going out tomorrow night for my friend's birthday and I wanted to pick up
something for her. I don't really like buying clothes and shoes for friends because
I never know what size they are and I don't know if they will really like what I get.
To be safe, I always get home goods.
I got this initial mug with her first name initial (it was $8CAD or 2 for $12) and an
organic green tea canister from Harney & Sons. This was originally $10CAD, but I got
it on sale for $5CAD. Score!

I then went to the mall to see if I could find something for my twin sister. Our birthday is coming up- August 12 and I noticed she was walking around with flats that were almost threadbare. She is pregnant with her second child right now so I want to make sure she has good flats to walk on. 

From J Crew Factory:

I wish they had the nude colour ones still available, but I still like this persimmon-coloured
ones. I hope she likes them too. I'm more daring when it comes to dressing so I know
I would rock these, but I'm not sure if she would… I think they are so pretty!
These were originally $115CAD, but they were super marked down. I got them for just
under $40CAD with tax. I wish they had it in my size…

As always, I can't help myself from going to HR2. Their stock is always changing so I like going there to see if there's anything new and if things I liked in the past are further marked down. Lo and behold it was! Remember the Echo scarf I talked about earlier here? Well, they were on sale for $39CAD.

I wanted to take better photos, but the scarf is super long. Maybe I'll do an OOTD
photo in a future post.

Shopping, shopping, shopping

orry for the lack of updates. June flew by and July has been a crazy month with my daughter's 1-year birthday party, my son's 4-year birthday party and hosting my inlaws for 2 weeks. I have a couple of weeks left before I go back to work :'-(
I was initially supposed to start work on July 22, but I'm taking 2 weeks vacation before I go back. It's good because that means I can have a period of rest before I start work. After I had my first (in 2009), I started work right after my son's 1-year birthday party so I was so drained and tired. This time I wanted to use up some of my vacation time. That also means I can spend more time with my little ones before I become a working mom. I know how much I'm going to cry when my daughter starts daycare… Even though I experienced putting my son in daycare after my first mat leave it doesn't make it any easier… August will be a depressing month for me.

In a lighter note, I've been doing a lot of shopping in preparation for work. Here's some of the stuff I've acquired in the past couple of weeks:

I've been wanting these Zara skort ever since I first saw them on fashion blogs.
I finally got it in white. They are super comfortable! They are still available online in
white, black and red. I even saw a gray pinstripe one in store today. These white ones
were $49.90CAD.

I got a few bottoms at HR2 a couple of weeks ago.

I got my first pair of Alice + Olivia shorts. They were marked down to $65CAD, down
from $176CAD.

These Rag & Bone Jodhpur jeans were $98CAD, down from $335CAD. You can still
find these on Shopbop in all black, but they are not on sale.

Got these gorgeous, bright jade trousers from Vince Camuto. They were $48CAD, down
from $98CAD.

I also got this Anzie necklace from HR2 last week. It's a silver disc necklace with my first
name initial. It also has a clear topaz charm attached to the chain.

Initially I wanted to get my kids initials- A & K and layer them on, but the chain is not
adjustable and it just looked messy when I had both of them on.

I wish it came in gold because I tend to wear gold jewelry more, but I really love this
necklace regardless. This was $63CAD, down from $300CAD.

I picked up 2 Gorjana rings from HR2 as well. They were $13CAD each, down from $30CAD.
I'm planning to wear them together. I don't think there is anything wrong with mixing metals.

I picked up this silk top from Aritzia today. It was on sale for $39.99CAD, down from $110CAD.
It's quite sheer so I need to wear it with a nude bra. It's also pretty loose. I got a size
small, but I think I could have gone down to XS.
I'm wearing the top with my new Alice + Olivia shorts.

I ordered these Zara ankle strap sandals online last week and I had them shipped to my
local Zara store. I picked these up today and I couldn't be happier! They are just gorge!

They are super high, but surprisingly comfortable. It's not real leather, but the price was
great at $49.99CAD. I plan on buying Zara shoes online in the future because I always
have a hard time finding my size (size 6) in stores. Plus, if you have it shipped to the
store there is no shipping fee (and shipping is free if it's over $50CAD before taxes).

While I was picking up my shoes in store I fell in love with a simple black top. I know
it doesn't look like much, but it's so lightweight and the back is why I fell in love with this
top. The front neckline is high, while the back is low.
You can see how the shoes, skort and shoes look in this look.

See what I mean? This was $19.90CAD.

Here is my Aritzia top with my Vince Camuto 

Here's how the Rag & Bone jeans look on me.

The leather panels (white) gives the illusion of thinner calves. I love that! I have fat
calves so I was pleasantly surprised when I tried these on.

Inspiration wall

his May will mark our 4th year living in our house. I still can't believe how quickly time passed. Even though 4 years seems like a long time I'm still in the process of decorating our house. I want to take my time because I want it to look perfect. Also, it takes time to find the perfect piece for each room. I don't want it to look cookie cutter or haphazardly put together. 

Now that I'm home on maternity leave I'm constantly looking at all the spaces in my house and thinking of what I can do to make it better. There's still so much I have to do for my home office, but I've been looking at the wall behind my computer desk. It's been blank for a while now and I keep looking at it when I'm working on my computer. I was thinking of doing some sort of polka dot, washi tape DIY project behind it (you can see what I'm talking about on my Pinterest home office board), but then I decided against it. Then, I came across a cool print that I got from a photographer through work and decided to frame it. It's actually the backside of his photography print. I loved the 'A' and how graphic it was and thought it would look so neat in a frame. That gave me an idea to put up some sort of art wall behind my computer. I may add to the vignette later on, but I'm liking how it's looking. Now, when I look up from my computer screen I can see my vignette and it will put a little smile on my face :-)

Here's my computer desk. It's the white Parsons desk from West Elm. It's a little cluttered,
but I like having cute and pretty things around me for inspiration.
I still have to do something about the little cubby beside my desk. It is ugly, but it
stores all my junk and my huge printer. I may paint it a white to match my desk…

Some of my pretties- my Shim and Sons fabric bulletin board and pencil cup (that I use
to display my money plant or Lunaria Annua); my lovelydesign address file;
my Teatro Verde flower vase that I use for my pens and pencils; a ceramic plate that
my son made at daycare; and my staple-less stapler that I got from Paper-Ya in Vancouver.

Since the colour for 2013 is supposed to be an emerald green I changed my screen
saver to a green. It's a turquoise green, but still…

I love my heart mouse pad.

And my pride and joy- my Phillippe Starck Louis Ghost Chair as my office chair.

Here is the wall behind my computer before I put the artwork up. It's so… plain and boring.

Now with my little artwork it looks a bit more visually interesting.

I didn't want to put anything in a frame as it could look too done up.
I used washi tape to stick the other pieces.
The illustration of me was done by an illustrator I commissioned for the magazine I work
for. I had an extra sherpa proof from my printer so I used that to hang it on my wall.
The hot pink print is a print I got with my Kate Spade watch. I've been meaning to put
it up somewhere in my house because it is super cute, but didn't get a chance to… until now.

Another view.

I get a lot of promos from illustrators and photographers through work and I always store the ones that I like just in case. It always comes in handy when I'm hanging artwork up and I need an original piece.