happy weekend! what’s happening in your world this weekend? i’ll be hitting up the season opener of the local farmer’s market on saturday (is it crazy how excited i get for this?!). after that, we’ll be attending the EAT! vancouver food & cooking festival – i was invited to cover the event as media am i’m excited to check out the demos, meet some celeb chefs and eat some delish food. i’ll also be bugging my boyfriend to help me hang the office shelves that have been hanging around on the floor for six weeks – tragic! cross your fingers for me that we don’t find something more interesting to steal our attention away… as usual.

have a great weekend and enjoy a few sparkles over coffee!

the image above is one in a series of three lovely iphone wallpapers designed by eat chic drink – grab one for your iphone!

are you turing 30 this year? talk about a serious 30th birthday fete – totally over-the-top and downright fab

this is definitely a different take on ’50 shades of grey’ (p.s: have you read it yet?)

so, it’s true, different mascara wands do yield a different result – fascinating comparison

i’ve been seeing this pretty little lady everywhere lately. from haute fashion bloggers pairing it with louboutins, to fashion week posers pairing it with hightops, to a few a-list celebs. it was released in fall 2011 and it’s now moved from the arms of high-powered fashion execs to the masses – it’s the unofficial luxury bag of fall 2012. judging by it’s scarcity, it must be so… it’s sold out most places!

based on looks alone, it has the makings of an investment bag as opposed to just a flash in the pan ‘it’ bag – classic structure, it’s sturdy and a great option for a carry-all… and it’s $900 which is most definitely an investment.

what do you think about the latest “it” bag? love it or nosomuch? gotta admit i kinda dig the black and gold version…

3.1 philip lim ‘pashli’ satchel full size // mini

spain is my favourite country to travel to. it’s in my heritage and my sister got married there – i have so many great memories of tapas and sangria on any patio that would have us and exploring the cobblestone streets. ordering tortilla espanola (spanish tortilla) for the first time was surprising – i was expecting a flour tortilla!

while it may look similar to a frittata or omelet, a classic tortilla espanola is a tapa, served at room temperature, day or night. jazz it up as you please and add what you have on hand but what makes it the real deal is the eggs, potatoes and peppers. i added a medallion of goat cheese and sprinkle of parsley on top. you could add some ham or chorizo to it, too!

eat it for breakfast and save the leftovers to throw into a wrap with some arugula or other green for lunch the next day. the heartiness always satisfies my hunger and leaves me feeling light. and how perfect and easy is this for a hosted brunch?!

 SPANISH TORTILLA

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound yukon gold potatoes
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion or large shallot, thinly sliced
• sea salt and ground pepper to taste
• 8 large eggs
• chopped fresh parsley
• hot sauce to taste

 method:

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. slice onion, potato and peppers as shown above
3. in a medium ovenproof skillet (i really like a cast iron for this), heat oil over medium. add onion and soften. stir in potatoes; season with salt and pepper. allow mixture to tenderize for 10 minutes and then add the bell pepper. cook for another 5 minutes. potatoes should be ‘al dente’
4. in a bowl, whisk together eggs, hot sauce, salt, and teaspoon pepper, then pour egg mixture over vegetables in skillet and stir to distribute
5. bake until tortilla is set, about 15 minutes
6. remove from pan and invert on a plate for serving (i didn’t invert mine), sprinkle with parsley and add goat cheese if you like
7. cut into pie like slices and serve!

modifications:

add extra egg whites and cut out a few yokes to lighten it up
remove the goat cheese for a dairy free option – it’s already gluten free, too!

::hover over any photo to pin the recipe to your pinterest boards!::

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as a makeup artist, the question i’m asked most often is “how can i achieve beautiful skin?”. it can be so complicated with the thousands of products out there claiming to hold the secret. i’ll be sharing the tips to getting beautiful, perfected skin in upcoming posts. let’s start with getting that beautiful glow in prep for summer! these are the products that will get you there.

exfoliator: to prep and prime the skin for makeup, use a gentle exfoliator to remove debris and grime. this smooths the skin so makeup looks as flawless as possible. dermalogica’s microfoliant is a perfect choice – it can be used daily and will help normalize sebum production because it doesn’t overstimulate like scrub based exfoliators do – save those ones for the body. (i just recommended this to a friend who was having problems with blemishes, and he says it’s the best product he’s ever used – how’s that for a testimonial?!)

tinted moisturizer: i’ve raved about nars’ tinted moisturizer a few times on the blog – it’s hands down the best on the market, and it has an spf 30 built in. two birds, one stone – love that!

bronzer: a bronzer is essential to getting that summer glow. i’ve had my nars bronzer for almost two years, and use it daily. adding a swipe to your cheekbones, collarbone and down the bridge of your nose instantly illuminates without any of that orange tint that some can have.

blush: yet another nars product! (can you tell i’m a fan?) this cream blush is the perfect natural flush for warm summer days and doesn’t look anything but natural.

highlighter: sunbeam is the sultry sister to this benefit clut classic (you all know moonbeam, i’m sure!) is the perfect finishing touch for a summer face. adding a few dots to the highest parts of your face adds a warm, dewy effect.

first of all, welcome back! i’m so happy you’re here. it’s been a crazy week and i’m so excited to share the new website with you. i felt it was time to take the blog to the next level to increase functionality and give it a little more sparkle – click around and get reacquainted!

the website was designed with the help of amanda over at Lust Luxe Love Designs – i highly recommend her as she was really fabulous to work with! a new logo, new category navigation on the sidebar and a fancy-schmancy pop-up ‘pin it’ button on each photo are a few of my favourite new updates. i hope you love the site as much as i do!

let’s catch up – here are a few of the things i’ve been up to while on lock down teaching myself css and getting the blog fine tuned:

this is the stuff that keeps you humming – love mine with pulp -
it’s like an energy drink and snack at the same time.

found a solution for that ugly plastic hand lotion bottle – a porcelain
pump bottle from ikea.

surprised my boyfriend with a warm cookie on his pillow before
bed – it’s the little things!

a summer wardrobe staple – the j.crew panama hat. love this with
a maxi dress and gladiator sandals.

see you tomorrow – i’m talking all about how to get that delicious summer glow without the sun!

{all photos via my instagram}

it’s a long weekend here in canada and ours is jam packed! tomorrow, i’m attending a dinner party in honour of jamie oliver’s food revolution day geared at sparking conversations about real food and inspire people to take steps towards a healthier lifestyle. i’ll divulge what i made to take with me on monday! enjoy your weekend, and why not treat yourself to some fresh flowers to celebrate spring – guaranteed to brighten up your space and make you feel HAPPY! x

how to tease your hair… this is a great tutorial and is exactly the same as my technique

stay organized in the kitchen with these fantastic tips

inspiration from ‘who what wear’ on styling your spring wardrobe

this homemade party favour is not only useful, but thoughtful and memorable

i’ve always wondered what my favourite fashion bloggers are obsessing over and now thanks to ‘currently obsessed’, we can keep track of the most current fashionable finds! i’ve recently joined in on the fun, and you can stalk my fashion faves at currently obsessed.

i can tell you that you’ll finds plenty of my favourite things: black, shoes, bags and GOLD galore at all different pricepoints. so, stalk me here!

getting a trend for less is such a score. i bought the much coveted cambridge neon pink satchel a few months back (it’s sold out most places right now but it’s always being restocked). this cheaper version is a pretty good dupe… and it’s 1/3 the price!

cambridge neon satchel // material addict neon satchel

oh, and by the way, i’ve received some great submissions from my readers for the spring fashion feature – if you haven’t sent yours in yet, get it in today and i’ll put it up on the site! details here!

one of my favourite things about summer is the abundance of fresh and colourful food – i head to the farmers market every weekend in search of organic berries, tomatoes and the like. these are recipes i can’t wait to try this summer – how amazing would that watermelon frosty be on a hot summer day? nothing better i’d say! well, maybe i spoke too soon; how ridiculously cute is that popsicle champagne idea above? to find the recipe for each, click on the photo.

check out my catalog of beautiful food over on pinterest – it’s guaranteed to inspire you to try something new and different!

i hope everyone enjoyed their weekend as much as i did! we had our first patio drinks with my mom and some friends to celebrate mother’s day – isn’t spending time on a patio (preferably with a drink) one of the best parts of spring and summer? see you tmrw with a round up of some recipes i’m dying to try this season. x

grey on grey on grey – an apple laptop match! // the beginnings of the mother’s day brunch spread // a fab fashion find at h&m for $10 // ava loves her spring walks // evidence of a delish lemon cocktail on a patio // luxurious chocolate covered grapes accented with gold foil at epic expo this weekend

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