Just Because.....

There is nothing better than your husband bringing home a gift just because he loves you. Since we don't have a flower store in our little town, that is currently not really an option. But, last week when we were in the city, Dominic bought me this beautiful bottle of perfume, just because. It has a slight citrus scent with a splash of floral. I usually go for the sweet floral scents, but since it was Dominic's special treat we made a compromise on one that we both liked. And since we tend to spend most of our time together and we therefore will both be smelling it, I figured that was fair.  

Not only does it smell amazing but it looks so pretty on my dresser!!

XOX,

Karen

Zara Evening Collection

Have you seen the new Zara Evening line yet? I couldn't have chosen a better selection of evening wear for the holiday season myself. 

Incorporating the perfect combination of red, black and leopard print, the entire line has a festive yet stylish feeling. With  the rich colors and heavy fabrics, the only accessories you will need are a great pair of black pumps and an amazing shade of red lipstick!!  

Bye For Now,

Karen

Keep Cozy!!

It has been snowy and cold here for days and I have been dreaming of the perfect little fire place to keep our little Swedish abode warm and cozy!! I think any of these would be perfectly amazing in our house!!

source

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Stay Warm,

Karen

The Tuque

Tuque: (tūk, tyūk) n. French Canadian word signifying a knitted woolen cap

I am proud that Canada proclaims itself as a bilingual country of French and English. Being bilingual not only offers a glimpse into other cultures, but opens up your world and point of view to whole other level. Reducing stereotypes and prejudices, often facilitating the ease of learning other languages, and traveling to far off countries, being bilingual is something we should all strive for. Sadly, the majority of people in Saskatchewan cannot speak both languages which is a disgrace to our culture and our bilingual reputation - but this is a whole other topic which I won't get into right now!!).

Although I am one of those poor people who cannot speak French, I do have an appreciation for the language and one day I would love to learn to speak it. For now, one of my favorite French -Canadian words is tuque. Adapted from the French (France) word toque meaning a hat that knocked against the back of your shoulders because it had a long droopy end. Today, the word tuque is widely used throughout Canada referring to a woolen hat that keeps you warm on those cold, snowy, winter days. 

As a Canadian, I think that tuques can be one of our very best accessories in the winter. Since tuques are readily available and relatively cheap, you can have a wide selection of tuques to pair with your other winter gear. And since my winter coat was a bit over budget, I think it will be the only winter coat I am getting this year. However, by changing up the style of tuque, you can change the entire look of the coat, making super versatile and fun. So, here are a few pics of my new coat with three different tuques!!

The Bobble Toque

The Nautical Sailor Tuque

The Faux Fur Cossack Hat (definitely my favorite right now)

Black Tuque: ???

White Tuque: Joe Fresh

Russian Faux Fur Hat: H & M

Coat: Filippa K

Boots: Madewell

Hugs and Kisses,

Karen

Shoe Clips

Arent these shoes clips from Ban.do great. I think they will look lovely with the new pair of black pointy toe flats that I have been searching for. I can picture these with a fun cocktail dress at a Christmas party!!

Hugs and Kisses,

Karen

Baby Its Cold Outside!!!

My number one goal of our Portland/Vancouver trip was to hunt down and purchase the perfect winter coat. Since Dominic and I are moving east in January to the rainiest of rainy climates, I wanted a warm and cozy yet stylish wool coat. 

While my search in Portland was unsuccessful (although I did see some amazing coats they were all wayyyy out of my price range), I was a bit more hopeful for Vancouver. Since I know the city well and have my favorite shopping destinations, I had a hunch were I would find my perfect coat. With a few stops on the way, I headed to Main Street and of course to Eugene Choo!! 

Upon my arrival, I was delighted to see an additional outside space full of winter coats. My day couldn't have got any better. My search was quickly narrowed down to three amazing coats, two of which were A.P.C and one which was Filippa K. Basically it was French vs. Swedish. 

A.P.C Duffle Coat

                        A.P.C Wool Overcoat

Filippa K Wool Coat

I ended up going with the classic Swedish Design Fillipa K. It has a sort of nautical feeling and reminds me of cold and rainy east coast of Canada. But now when I am cold, at least I will look good. Stay tuned to see pics of the new coat. Hopefully I will be able to get some pictures up in a few days!!


Besos,
Karen

XOX,

Karen

Going Green in Portland!

Dominic and I have just arrived home from a whirlwind trip to Portland, Oregon for an Environmental Science conference in which Dominic was presenting some research. It was such a perfect city for this conference because the entire city is sooooo green and environmentally friendly. The wide use of paper bags vs. plastic bags, the free train system and the abundance of bike lanes and biker friendly signs throughout the city was amazing and definitely a model green city. 

And what is more green than vintage clothing. They have the most amazing selection of vintage clothing stores with such a  wide selection of vintage goods. I however did not buy anything vintage as I was more focussed on the fact that there is no sales tax in the entire state. So I went for the big ticket items and bought a pair of amazing J-Brand jeans.  

I thought that the coolest feature of the city was by far the existence of food stalls which are located throughout the city. The options sold out of the food carts are endless with everything from Mexican, to Egyptian, to vegetarian, to Thai. We had a great time sampling as many food carts as we would. My favorite however was the Thai food which was way more authentic and cheaper than anything I have ever had in Canada.

Dominic in all his charm!!

Food Carts!!! Yumm!!

Although I do love good food, clothes are always on my mind. And after doing some research on Portland, I found out about this amazing little cart that rather than food, sold vintage clothing. Taking their cue from Portland's abundant food carts, The Wanderlust Mobile Cart, decided that the next logical step would be to have a stall that sold vintage clothing and hand made goods. Complete with a tiny dressing room and a store full of neat goods, the cart can easily change locations and will be moving through out the country. Although I kept my eye out for the cute little store, I sadly did not end up seeing it. Maybe next time. 

Cheers,

Karen

The Return of The Long John

Living anywhere in Canada, but especially in Saskatchewan, it is extremely important to incorporate warmth into your fall/winter/spring wardrobes. I have finally decided that I have seen way too many girls wearing tank tops, mini skirts, and pumps, shivering in the blistering cold to not write a small piece about dressing for the weather. And since I am constantly searching for beautiful accessories to keep me warm, I thought I would like to post a short series of my favorite ways to keep warm while looking good at the same time.  Because you shouldn't have to sacrifice your warmth for style.

I wanted to start with these super cool long underwear. Designed by Sara Torrie, a Canadian designer based out of Toronto, who, in search of her own long underwear, began crafting long underwear from recycled cashmere and merino wool sweaters.  The result of her endeavors are a versatile line of colorful, warm, comfortable and stylish long johns which can be worn underneath your clothes or layered under a mini skirt!! The line is currently being sold at Satoria on Etsy so if your interested in buying some be sure to check it out. For more info the line, check out the article in the Georgia Straight.

Adios,
Karen

Ballet Mini!!

I feel like it has been a long time since I have really fallen in love with a piece of clothing!!! That is why I was sooo ecstatic to see this beauty of a skirt. Ballerina inspired, this pink tutu like skirt from Designers Remix Collection is definitely on my Christmas Wish List!!




Much Love, 
Karen

Frosty Flowers

There is a recurring conversation that we have with some of our friends in which we all think that we were actually born and destined to live on a different continent in a different climate. It is in this alternative location, that one can be the best they can be, live their life to the fullest and be completely satisfied and inspired by their surroundings. 

Being sort of gypsy spirited, I feel like I may belong in two or more different continents. I love the summers in Saskatchewan, but as soon as the first snowfall comes (which was last week), I am ready to head out on an adventure to somewhere new, exciting and most of all hot. This way, you get the best of both worlds!! 

This year however we are not heading anywhere hot since we are moving to the East Coast of Canada in January. So it looks like I am going to have to brave the cold, Saskatchewan winter - at least until January!!! But, it is nothing that a cute sweater, some tights and some boots can't fix. 

Sweater: Joe

Skirt: Mango

Boots: Madewell

Ciao for now,

Karen

Halloween Treats!!

I trust that everyone had a fantastically scary Halloween filled with lots of tricks and treats!!!  For the first time ever, Dominic and I didn't get dressed up and to my dismay my brother commented that maybe we were getting old. 


On Saturday night however, we celebrated Halloween with a lovely dinner with my two brothers, my sister in laws and my adorable little nephew - Otto. My sister-in-law Minna made the most delicious Finnish Beet Root Pie for supper. I would have given the recipe but sadly it was in Finnish and only Minna could read it!!

After dinner we filled our bellies with Halloween chocolate treats which was most delicious!!

On Sunday, Dominic and I watched some super scary movies and baked pumpkin cookies which were absolutely delicious!! So delicious in fact that I thought I would share the recipe!! I first saw the recipe on Pure Mod Life but hers are a bit different because she put frosting on hers - so for the recipe with frosting you can refer to her website!

Fall Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix up:  flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. 

So simple and so scrumptious!!

XOX,

Karen