Blanco y Blanco

How do you wear your hair at the beach?? I like to be able to go swimming in the water without worrying how my hair is going to look when I get out of the water. Although my previous haircuts did not allow me to do this, my current hair cut, which is a bit longer, was perfect for the beach. I was able to put my hair up in this cute little bun and it basically looked the same at the end of the day. Plus, this was a great way to keep my bangs from off of my face which helped to keep me cool in the hot hot weather!! I would love to hear how you wear your hair at the beach??

On a side note, I am really sad to report that I lost these amazing linen pants from United Colors of Benetton. And despite many phone calls to try to Mexico to try to locate them, they seem to be gone which is super sad because this was the first and only time I ever got to wear them!! But alas, there will be more pants!

Pants: United Colors of Benneton

Bikini: Joe Fresh

Sunglasses: Rayban

Love,

Karen

Fall Inspiration

I love how effortlessly chic this couple looks!! As my hair gets longer and longer, I am constantly searching for a medium length hair cut and as such I am finding myself smitten with her haircut and color!! Do you like it??

Photo via The Satorialist

Happy Friday,

Karen

We're Back From Mexico....

We are back from Mexico....with our skin a lit bit more tanned and our spirits rejuvenated by the beauty of the Mexican culture. Although the trip started off on a bit of a bad note with Dominic losing his wallet, the rest of the trip was absolutely perfect. The sun was hot hot hot, the city of Merida was enchantingly colonial and the water at the beach was almost a fluorescent blue!!

We ate lots and lots of palettas (a Mexican Popsicle-like treat) to stay cool....

We visited Chichen Itza - one of the largest Mayan Pyramids and ruins in the world

We also stayed in a beautiful boutique hotel el posada del sol which is right on the beach....

and hung out in the hammock...

and with each other....

and of course drank lots of sangria and margaritas...

Since Dominic (aka my photographer) was busy organizing his Toxicology conference, of which he was the hit of the show, was unable to take that many outfit posts when we were down there. But I will post the few that I got, in the next few days.


XOX,
Karen

Sneakers in the city

Love these girls wearing converse sneakers and dresses!! Functional and fashionable. Enough said!

the sartorialist

Love,

Karen

A River Runs Through It..........

Prior to my trip out west, I was feeling a bit uninspired by my wardrobe!!! And since I live in Saskatchewan, which has a very limited shopping scene I felt like there was really nothing I could do about it!! But alas, the streets of Vancouver have again replenished my closet, so you can expect lots of exciting new photo shoots!! I bought this cute little sun dress at United Colors of Bennetton for a super great price and I have already gotten so much use out of it!! 

These photos were taken at one of our picnic stops!! Since Canada and especially Saskatchewan are so vast, most people are accustomed to driving long distances. And as such, we have also come up with ways to enjoy these long distances. One of the ways our family likes to combat the long hours of driving is with picnic stops. Since Canada has so many scenic places to stop, we tried to stop at least once a day for picnic so that we could thoroughly enjoy the scenery. Picnics are not only great beacuse they give you a chance to get up and walk around, but also pic-nick food is often way better than any of the fast food options in the small towns we drove through!! Plus, I had a few opportunities to take some photos which is where these photos were taken!! Do you ever stop for picicks on road trips!! 

Jean Jacket: Gap

Dress: United Colors of Benetton

Shoes: Repetto

Also, I just wanted to thank my mom and dad for the wonderful trip. I am sure they never imagined that they would still be taking family trips with their almost 30 year old children. Nevertheless, we had an amazing time and it is so great to have parents like you!!

xox,

karen

Beach Getaway!

Dominic and I have started packing for our little beach getaway to Mexico next week!! And since it is going to be about 36 degrees celcius every day, I am trying to pack super light!! This is what I hope to be wearing for the majority of our trip!! And although I still have not purchased a Panama hat, my research tells me that there are an abundance of Panama hats for sale in Mexico, which obviously I am looking forward to!!

 

Cheers,

Karen

Song of the Week: The Deep Dark Woods

I can't seem to get enough of the Deep Dark Woods!! Home grown in my home province of Saskatchwan, the Deep Dark Woods are steadily gaining popularity throughout North America!! I for one, am a fan and I thought I would like to share their unique sound with you as it is kind of like you get a little taste of Saskatchewan!!! Make sure to check out all of their albums which I am totally loving!

xox,
Karen

Mountain Casual....

We are finally back from our little adventure out West. And although we had a wonderful time visiting our family and friends, I didn't end up taking that many photos!! I did have good intentions of taking as many outfit photos as I could, but somehow the time just slipped away as we were having such a good time!! Does that ever happen to you??? Anyways, I did manage to take a few outfit shots, so I will post what I have!!! 

These photos were taken in the Rocky Mountains somewhere in between B.C and Alberta! And although this is not the most glamorous of outfits, it was super comfortable for the 12 hour drive. I do like to be comfortable, as do most people, and I think that your style should never be compromised in the name of comfort!!! As such, I chose to wear jeans because they are super functional for getting in and out of the car. And to give the look a bit of an edge I wore pink jeans!!! I also wore a cardigan because when you are driving with other people in the car (there were six of us), there is always somebody too hot or too cold. So a cardigan allows you to adjust your heat by taking it off or putting it on!!! And finally Birkenstocks because they are obviously the most comfortable sandal out there and they can easily slip off in the car to get the perfect driving/sleeping position!!  What do you wear when travelling??

XOX,
Karen

long shadows of july sun

I have to start off by saying that I am so sorry for not posting these past weeks but somehow time just got away on me!! But I guess those are the joys of having your own blog!!

These photos were taken on August 1st which was our 3rd wedding anniversary! I have to say that the past few years seemed to fly by as it seems like just yesterday we were in GDL getting married! Nevertheless, they have been the most wonderful years of my  life full of lots of laughter, happiness and adventure!!! To celebrate, Dominic and I made a delicious dinner on our charcoal bbq which was of course accompanied by a bottle of Prosseco while we watched the set on the beatiful prairie!!

Playsuit: BCBG

Sandals: Sam Edelman

Bracelets: Aldo Accessories

 P.S - We are currently on the West Coast of Canada (Vancouver and Victoria), so if I have some time I will definitley post some of the new clothes that I have been purchasing!!

xox,
Karen

Bensimon Sneakers...

Wouldn't it be lovely to stroll down the street in these casual yet chic sneakers just like the French girls. I think a pair of these Bensimons are in order for a 'birthday to me' present, since I am turning 29 today!! And yes, this means one year closer to being thirty but I have to say that I feel pretty satisfied with my age and of all that I have accomplished in my 29 years! I wouldn't change a thing!

Images Via Bensimon Girls

P.S - Sorry for the lack of posts lately but we have been super busy with roofing our house and of course all of the other fun summer activities!! I promise an outfit post is coming soon!!

Love,

Karen

Suryanamaskara

My sister in law took me to my very first yoga class when we were visiting her and my brother in Thailand almost six years ago. Soon after, Dominic and I moved to Taiwan and immediately started a yoga class. We had the most amazing instructor and even though the class was entirely in Chinese, I learned so much about yoga as a way of life! Participating in classes 3 times a week for 2 hours per class really inspired me to continue my practice even after we left Taiwan. And as a result, yoga has become an integral  part of my life that keeps me happy, healthy and grounded. Moving around as much as we do, yoga has been one of my constants as all it requires is a yoga mat and maybe some nice yoga gear. Yoga I love you!

How do you keep healthy and fit??

Love,
Karen

Off we go......

I am so excited because we are just about to head out for an adventurous camping trip in Northern Saskatchewan. I am not sure if it will look just like this but I am sure that it will be great!! In any case, I am bringing my camera so I hopefully I will get a chance to document a few of the highlights!! Hope you are having a great week!!

Source

Love,
Karen

To Wash or Not to Wash?

Last year my hair stylist told me that I should not wash my hair everyday!!! My immediate response was, "that is so gross." However she continued to explain to me that the shampoo actually washes out all of the healthy oils that makes our hair shiny and beautiful. When you wash your hair too often, the scalp over compensates for its lost oils and goes into production overdrive, leaving you with greasy hair after only one day of not washing. So, the less you wash your hair the less greasy your hair will be. In addition to this, shampoo actually has a long list of chemicals, which I personally would rather like to limit as much as possible. So by the time my haircut was finished I was inspired to cut down on the amount of times I washed my hair per week.  

I must say however the transition from washing to not washing your hair is not instantaneous and is actually not that easy. When I began this endeavor, the first few days without washing my hair were excruciating. Not only did I feel a bit dirty but my hair looked and felt dirty as well. But, since I was dedicated to this experiment I stuck it out. And by the third week, my hair actually started to clean itself. Now I shower everyday but only wash my hair once every three or four days. And by only shampooing my hair every four days, the natural oils have time to make my hair look and feel amazing. 

Photo via Pinterest

I would love to hear your thoughts on hair washing??? Would you ever try cutting down on the amount of times you wash per week?? 

Hint: A great time to start the transition from washing to not washing is on a weekend camping trip. 

Love,

Karen

Baby Bumble Bee

My birthday is coming up at the end of July and I know that Dominic always looks on my blog for gift ideas. So not to make it obvious or anything, but I thought I would post this lovely baby bee necklace just in case!

Baby Bee Necklace

Love,

Karen

El Mar de Amarillo.........

I want to start off this post by saying that Dominic has finally arrived back home from Newfoundland and after two of the longest months of my life, words cannot even describe how happy I am to have him back. Not to mention, my blog has been a little slow as I have had to find replacement photographers in his absence. So now that he is back, I promise I will get back to some regular outfit posting!! 

Purchased in a little Mexican market, this is one of my favorite summer dresses. The Mexican Puebla dress or the peasent dress is traditionally style dress which is attached to a large folkloric story which goes like this: 

 "In the early 17th century, a girl from China, Mongolia, the Philippines, or India was brought to Puebla, Mexico by the Spaniards as a slave. The unfortunate girl, whose name was Mirrha, was apparently bought by a man named Miguel de Sosa. Sosa had Mirrha baptized and given the Christian, Spanish name Catarina de San Juan. Upon the death of Sosa and his wife, Mirrha married Domingo Suárez. Oddly, Suárez was the Chinese servant of a local priest, and this fact seems to have added to the legend that Mirrha was Chinese, though as I've said, there is belief that she may have come from some other eastern country.

According to the legend of the China Poblana, Mirrha refused to dress like the locals and maintained the dress of her distant homeland. The fashion caught on, and soon native women were copying her distinctive style of dress. This dress consisted of an embroidered, short sleeved blouse, a long, full skirt and shawl. For an image of this costume, see this article on the China Poblana." (Source)

The dress that I am wearing is actually a child's size large. This size is super hard to find but with some good searching/shopping skills it can be sourced out!! So, make sure to pick one up on your next trip down south. 

Mexican Boho Dress: Market Purchase

Belt: Vintage

Bracelets: Aldo

Clogs: Sanita

Love,
Karen

Popcorn and True Blood!!

So excited to watch tonight's episode of True Blood. I am not a big TV watcher, in fact we don't even have a TV. But every Sunday night during the summer, we go over to my parent's house to make popcorn and watch True Blood. If you haven't seen it yet, I definitely suggest you do!! Tonight's episode should be amazing!! 

Love,

Karen

Built By Wendy Spring 2011

This is my favorite time of the year to shop for summer clothes because summer in Saskatchewan only officially begins in July and coincidently most of the summer clothes are currently on sale!! If you are looking for a few more pieces to complete your summer wardrobe, you should check out the Built By Wendy Sale!!! There are so many cute items that make the perfect addition to any closet!!

Love,

Karen

Strawberry Rhubarb Summer Cake

When we moved into our sweet little summer home, there were an abundance of rhubarb plants just waiting to be savored. So when I came across this strawberry rhubarb crumble at Smitten Kitchen, I just couldn't resist baking it. 

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble

Yields 6 to 8 servings.

For the topping:
1 1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons Demerara sugar (or turbinado sugar aka Sugar in the Raw)
Zest of one lemon
1/4 pound (1 stick or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

1 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 quart strawberries plus a few extras, hulled, quartered

Juice of one lemon

1/2 cup sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons cornstarch (some commenters found the flour option a little too, well, floury so this has been updated)

Pinch of salt

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Prepare topping: In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugars and lemon zest and add the melted butter. Mix until small and large clumps form. Refrigerate until needed.

2. Prepare filling: Toss rhubarb, strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and a pinch of salt in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. (I used an oval dish this time, because they fit better in the bottom of a shopping bag.)

3. Remove topping from refrigerator and cover fruit thickly and evenly with topping. Place pie plate on a (foil-lined, if you really want to think ahead) baking sheet, and bake until crumble topping is golden brown in places and fruit is bubbling beneath, about 40 to 50 minutes.

P.S - This is one of the most delicious summer cakes I have ever tasted!!

Love,

Karen