BIRTHDAY BLISS

Hi everyone :) Yesterday was my 23rd birthday - yay! To celebrate, I had my best girlfriends and my sister over for dinner. I really love hosting dinner parties because it combines all of the best social aspects - great friends, great food and great conversation!

 

One of my favourite parts of party prep (and I realize that this probably makes me a freak), is planning out a yummy menu. For my bday dinner my mama and I made chicken curry with naan, roasted cauliflower and salad with mixed berries and balsamic dressing (recipe post to come). Yum yum! I had such an amazing evening catching up with all of my favourite people :) I even got to have a little skype chat with my dad in Greece!

After dinner we indulged in chocolate and raspberry cake - which I convinced my begrudging boss to make for me haha - and coffee with Bailey's...mmmmmm.... Then I chatted the evening away with all of my loved ones. Perfection <3

While I usually steer clear of haul-type blogs (it always feels a little 'show-off-y'), I really love to read about what other bloggers buy on their shopping trips/receive as gifts, so I'm gonna give it a go. Let me just start with a little disclaimer to say that I am fully aware how generous and amazing my family and friends are and that I very very much appreciate their wonderful gifts!! That being said, I really got some amazing loot this time round hahah!!

My amazing friend Alyssa (read about our trip to Osheaga here) bought me a great Smashbox eyeshadow and highlight,which I tried this morning and absolutely loved! She also got me Mindy Kaling's book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (and Other Concerns). I'm sooo excited to read this - it looks hilarious!! We both love Tina Fey's Bossypants and she said that this was even funnier.

Another thank you goes out to Alex (read about our New York Adventure here), who bought me the Too Faced Natural Eye palette. We went to Sephora while we were in Montreal two weeks ago and I was drooling over the colours in the Too Faced palettes, so she got me one of my own! I used the creamy Day shadow this morning and it had the softest, most blendable texture.

Continuing with the makeup trend, my friend Lauren bought me the Naked 2 palette from Urban Decay. Last time that we went makeup shopping together, we were debating which Naked palette that we liked more and I said that I loved the colours in the newer version but that I couldn't justify spending that much on myself. So that little minx went out and got it for my birthday! I can't wait to try doing a smoky eye with all of these colours!!

The other gifts that I got were all apartment-related. I'm gonna have the snazziest-looking apartment on the block with all of these great gifts! My good friend Allison, who I've known since we met at the babysitter's house when we were four, made me a beautiful decorative pillow. She's so crafty that she perfectly matched the colours to the headboard that I made for my bedroom!! Isn't it pretty!?

Last but not least, my sister took me to Chapters to pick out some fun home stuff for my new place. I chose this amazing glass water carafe (for future dinner parties!) with a wooden stopper, as well as a package of adorable birdie thank you cards! I love pretty stationary and I needed some new thank you cards for school next year.

And of course I wouldn't have such lovely blog pictures without the help of my amazing parents, who helped me buy my new Nikon D3100 camera for my birthday. I can't believe how blessed I am to have such amazing friends and family. Days like this really make you stop and appreciate all of the people that you love. Thank you so much to everyone for making my bday so special! And happy birthday to all of the other birthday boys and girls out there ;)

Talk soon,
Vi

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Sunday was Canada's 145th birthday! Since I'm a huge history nerd, I've collected 5 Fun Facts about our great nation :)

1. Kanata is the Iroquoian word for 'village' or 'settlement'.

2. In terms of land mass, Canada is the world's second-largest country. In terms of population, we are the ninth most sparsely-populated country in the world.

3. In 1998, 15 000 Canadian military personnel were deployed to deal with a massive snow storm. That's the largest deployment of Canadian forces since the Korean War.

4. William Shatner, Jim Carrey, Pamela Anderson, Justin Beiber, Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Ryan Reynolds, Drake and Kim Cattrall are all Canadian.

5. Recent statistics show that about 477 000 men and 54 000 women in Canada are registered participants of a hockey team. 

To celebrate, my friend Alex hosted a summer BBQ and we all got to catch up and hang out. The weather was so nice and warm that we even changed into our bathing suits for some swimming (I'm not gonna lie, I chickened-out and stuck to the hot tub). Nothing like good food, great friends and a campfire to complete the perfect summer evening.

Happy belated Canada Day,
Talk soon,
Vi

HAPPY BELATED MOTHER'S DAY

Hi everyone! This weekend was Mother's Day in Canada, so we got to celebrate all of the fabulous mamas out there :) My sister, dad and I got my mom an assortment of yummy bath and beauty products, as well as a Game of Thrones mug (Winter is Coming!). Then, we all had a delicious breakfast together that my amazing mama whipped up in the kitchen - yummmmy! Later in the afternoon, we all drove down to see my grandma and visit with my mom's family. As promised, here are some pictures from Mother's Day morning:

 My sister Zoe and I sporting morning naked faces :)

 My amazing mama cooking up a breakfast feast!

Talk soon,

Vi

OUTFIT OF THE DAY

Belt: H&M (find a similar one here)

Dress: H&M (find it here)

Sweater: Joe Fresh (find a similar one here)

Tights: H&M (find a similar pair here)

Happy Saint Patrick's Day everyone!!
Talk soon,
Vi

WHAT TO WEAR ON ST PATTY'S DAY

Oh, Saint Patrick's Day. As usual it poses a fashion dilemma. How do you uphold your duty to wear green without looking like a sad Irish leprechaun? The thing is, green is not always the easiest colour to wear. Most of the green items that I own come in pseudo-neutral shades like olive, khaki and army green - appropriate for everyday life, but not Team Green enough for this particularly tricky holiday. Here are three ways to dress for St-Patty's Day using pieces that you can wear year-round, thus avoiding a fashion hangover, if not a real one.

FLIRTY
For a cute and flirty St. Patrick's Day outfit, try a bright green dress with black accessories. A great solid frock can be dressed up for work or dressed down for the weekend, so you'll get plenty of use out of it. Throw on your favourite pair of black flats and a fitted blazer for a chic, tailored look. If it's warm outside, ditch the tights and substitute a pair of black wedges instead!
Try this: Green Dress, H&M (find it here)

CASUAL
If you're keeping your celebrations low-key, grab a green v-neck to get you through the night. The deep neckline is universally flattering and a solid sweater can be re-purposed for work or play. Jazz up your outfit with a pair of bright flats, which add a fun pop of colour on any day of the year. Toss on your bomber jacket and you're ready to go :)
Try this: Mock Button Cuff Sweater, Forever 21 (find it here)

BOLD
If you're feeling daring, why not try out the new coloured denim craze? Red, pink, yellow, orange and green denim are all super on trend this season, so go ahead and experiment. Pair your bright jeans with a pair of sexy pumps and a translucent top for a fashion-forward look. Pull the whole thing together with some bold green statement jewellery.
Try this: Coloured Denim Capris (find them here)

As for me, I think I'm going to go for a dressed-down version of the 'flirty' look. I'll post an OOTD later this weekend. Hope you all have a great St. Patty's Day!! Stay safe :)
Talk soon,
Vi

NEW YORK MOVIE

Hi everyone :) I finally got around to editing all of the footage from my New York trip and I put together a little video to share my adventure with all of you! In case you're curious, the song in the background is Billie Holiday's "You're My Thrill". Better late than never...

Talk soon!
Vi

NEW YORK ADVENTURES - DAY 3

Pants: Joe Fresh (find a similar pair here)

Boots: Kolding, Ecco (find it here) 

Watch: Couturier, Tissot (find it here)

Scarf: Joe Fresh (find a similar one here) 

Sweater: Jacob (find a similar one here)

Belt: Borrowed from my dad (find a similar one here)

Today is my last NYC post! I've only been home a couple of days and I already miss the excitement of the city. On Sunday morning, Daniela and Alex and I all got up early and made our way to Harlem to see the amazing gospel choir at Mount Neboh Baptist Church. Daniela had read online that this was one of the best places to hear gospel straight from the source and she was definitely right!

The church was in such a pretty neighbourhood and the architecture was really beautiful. I was so impressed by how nicely all of the churchgoers were dressed. Most of the men were wearing three-piece suits and the women had the most amazing hats. It was such a welcoming and positive atmosphere and the music was amazing. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in gospel music!

After listening to the music at Mount Neboh, we headed back downtown to hit up the Chelsea Flea Market. What a cool place! The vendors had such a huge array of items for sale. You could buy anything from a vintage fur coat, to a two dollar necklace, to a 1920s issue of National Geographic, to a vintage children's toy. It was so cool to be able to walk through the aisles and see all the amazing treasures that people had collected over time - it was like being on the show floor for The Antiques Roadshow! I ended up buying a chunky beaded necklace and two little gold buttons, which I will hopefully be able to make into a bracelet.

Last but not least, we walked through the Chelsea Flower Market. Even though it was mostly closed up for the afternoon, we poped into the little flower shops and looked at all of their plants. There were these crazy plants in one store that were growing out of the wall! It seems like no matter where you are in the world, flower shops all have the same smell - it's like the smell in a butterfly sanctuary or the 'rainforest' part of a zoo :) On our way back to the apartment, we bought a little yellow tulip plant as a thank you gift for Daniela - thanks for letting us invade your apartment all weekend!! 

This trip has really reminded me that it's so important to set up little adventures for yourself. Whether it's driving to a local conservation area or flying halfway across the world, it's so nice to keep things interesting. Even though I'm living at home in suburbia this year, I'm going to make an effort to shake things up. Did you go on any adventures lately? Share them in the comments or send me an email!

Talk soon,
Vi

NEW YORK ADVENTURES - DAY 2

Skirt: H&M (find a similar one here) 

Shirt: Gap (find a similar one here)

Boots: Kolding, Ecco (find it here) 

Watch: Couturier, Tissot (find it here)

Scarf: H&M (find a similar one here)

Bag: Marche aux Puces Clignancourt, Paris (find a similar one here) 

Coat: Boutique in Montreal - I forget the name (find a similar one here)

The second day of our trip started with several cups of tea/coffee to clear our groggy heads, before we headed to the Times Square discount ticket booth. When I know that I'm going to be doing a lot of walking, it's very important that I feel comfortable in my clothes. I kept my outfit simple with a plain grey long-sleeved shirt and a high-waisted black felt skirt. I added thick black tights for extra warmth and stuck with my comfy black Ecco boots. Alex and I each bought a pair of cheap Duane Reade gel inserts after the first day because our feet were killing us from walking so much. Many "Are you gellin'?" jokes ensued.

We ended up getting tickets to see Seminar, a play about the students and professor of a fiction writing class. It starred Alan Rickman (read: Professor Snape) and Jerry O'Connell (read: the chubby kid in Stand By Me and hubby of Rebecca Romijn). Since we had about an hour to burn before the matinee, we walked around Times Square, met a Transformer and grabbed a delicious icing-covered cookie.

That night we decided to splurge a little on dinner so we made a reservation at Freeman's, a great restaurant on the lower east side with delicious artichoke dip and a slightly-pretentious 'rustic' decor. Daniela, Alex and I met up with another friend from university and we had such a nice time catching up! I ordered the oven-baked macaroni and cheese and then slipped into a cheese-induced coma...mmmmm...cheese....

We tried not to stay up too late that night, since we wanted to go to listen to the gospel music at Mount Neboh Baptist Church the next morning. Stay tuned for our last day of adventures!

Talk soon,

Vi

NEW YORK ADVENTURES - DAY 1

 Jeans: Levi's Curve ID (find them here) 

Bag: Marche aux Puces Clignancourt, Paris (find a similar one here) 

Coat: Boutique in Montreal - I forget the name (find a similar one here)

Watch: Couturier, Tissot (find it here)

T-Shirt: Bluenotes (find it here)

Boots: Kolding, Ecco (find it here)

Necklace: Banana Republic (find a similar one here)

Sweater: Banana Republic (find a similar one here)

 

Hello :) I've finally had the chance to sort through my pictures from New York this past weekend and I'm so excited to share some with you. I went down on the overnight bus with my friend Alex to visit our mutual friend Daniela, since she lives in NYC. Even though we were pooped after the bus ride, we fueled up on some delicious hot chocolate and headed out to explore the city.

Since I am all bundled up in most of my pictures, I put together a little collage for each outfit that I wore. Keep in mind that the items in the collage are not the exact pieces that I am wearing in the picture - the exact items can be found in the listing underneath the photo. 

After a quick walk in Central Park, Alex and I went to see the new Art of the Arab Lands exhibit at the MET. I loved the carpets displayed on the walls - I couldn't believe how huge and intricate they were. We were also really lucky to have lovely weather throughout our trip. Look how sunny it is in this photo!

After the MET, we grabbed a bite of lunch and headed to Times Square to meet up with Alex's brother who was also visiting NYC. It was such a nice change to be in the city after being trapped in suburgatory for the past couple of months. We also scoped out some Broadway plays for the next day while we were there.

The Chelsea High Line was one of my favourite places that we visited this weekend. It was so warm that we were able to sit outside and watch the sunset. Better yet, since it was the off-season (or as close to the off-season as your get in New York), the High Line wasn't crowded at all. What a lovely view!

To top off our first day, we met up with another mutual friend from university and went to see the Nuyorican Poetry Slam. If you ever have the chance to go, I would definitely recommend it! Daniela had been raving about how cool it was before we got to New York, so we stood in line for an hour and a half and managed to get seats. It was such an amazing atmosphere and the poetry was great (if not slightly depressing theme-wise).

Stay tuned for Day 2 and more adventures!

Talk soon,

Vi

VI AND ALEX TAKE NEW YORK

Hi everyone :) This weekend I'm going to take the bus down to NYC with my friend Alex. Our amazing friend Daniela (see my Snapshot Inspiration post about her here) lives in the Big Apple, so we're all going to bunk up and explore the city together! I miss living two minutes away from these girls (or in Alex's case, a three-step walk down the hall) like we did in university!

Have you guys been to NYC? What do you most want to see? I'm going to try to do an Outfit of the Day post for each day that I'm there (I'll post the first one Monday when I get back) and I'll also sneak some pictures of Daniela and Alex's fabulous style. Alex and I are going to take the overnight bus (10 hours!!) from Toronto to NYC - wish us luck!

I don't know why, but I find packing to be such a drag. I'm always worried that I'm going to forget something important like my passport or money. My poor little Type-A brain can hardly handle it :) Here are some tips and tricks for packing effectively:

1. MAKE A 'PACKING' AND 'TO DO' LIST

Lists, lists, lists. I love them! If you're going away for a short period of time, the key is to pack only the things you will need and nothing more. Make a packing list that's organized into outfits instead of listing a jumble of clothing. How many days of clothes will you need? For example, I'm going away for three full days so I will need three day outfits, one night outfit (for a fancier evening outing like the theatre or a nice restaurant) and one comfy outfit for the overnight bus. By organizing your packing this way, you won't have to worry about matching once you get there. Make sure that you include accessories (jewelry, belts, bags, etc.), socks, shoes and underwear too!

Next, make a list of all the other things that you will need. Go through your daily routine in your head so that you don't forget anything. List things like pajamas, toiletries, electronics (and their chargers!), makeup, books and travel documents.

Last but not least, list anything that you have to do before you leave. Maybe you need to take out the garbage or exchange money or call your credit card company to tell them you'll be out of the country. Write 'em all down and then you can stop worrying about forgetting them. It will make the whole experience much less stressful!

2. LAY OUT YOUR CLOTHES BEFORE YOU PACK

This simple trick will help you so much! If you lay everything out, it will be quick and easy to see what you're missing. You won't have to wonder if you already put your earrings in your suitcase or whether you remembered to take your shirt out of the wash. Check each item on your list, outfit by outfit, and then pop them into your suitcase once they are complete. It takes all the stress out of packing :)

3. PACK YOUR HANDBAG THE NIGHT BEFORE

This one may seem like a no-brainer, but there's a method to my madness I promise. I always remember things that I have to pack during at night when I'm lying in bed, so by packing the night before I give myself all night to remember things that I've forgotten. The other bonus is that you won't have to scramble in the morning to make everything fit or run around trying to find something. This way if you hit a speed bump the morning of your trip, you will have left yourself plenty of time to deal with it.

New York, here I come :)
Talk soon,
Vi

NEW YEARS EVE

Dress: Joe Fresh (find a similar one here)

Tights: H&M

Happy New Years everyone! Here's the outfit that I wore on New Years Eve this year. I had my eye on this sweater dress for the past couple of weeks, but it was $70 at Joe Fresh and - forgive me if this seems harsh - I have a bit of a problem spending more than $50 at a clothing store located next to the produce aisle (if you're wondering what I'm talking about - most of the Joe Fresh stores in Canada are located inside of a popular grocery store called the Real Canadian Superstore). Don't get me wrong, I love me some Joe clothes, but if I'm in my gym clothes and buying Smart Ones for the upcoming week, I expect to see affordable clothing prices. Long story short, the dress was half-off after Boxing Day so I snatched it up :)

Me and my mama :)

Me and my dad :)

For the first part of the evening, I hung around the house with my parents. Around dinner time, they went over to their friends' house for the evening and I had some of my friends come over for a movie night. The last couple of years we've done bigger parties, but we all decided to keep it low key this year. I put out some yummy appetizers, popped some champagne and we settled onto the couch to watch the NYC ball drop.

As part of her Christmas gift, I got my friend Alex a copy of the British movie Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (find it here). It was mostly meant as a gag gift, since the trailer looked so silly, but we ended up quite enjoying it! In high school, we had devotedly read every one of the Georgia Nicholson books - they are kind of like a raunchier, British version of the Princess Diaries (read: highly amusing). By the end of the night, Alyssa (the only one of my girlfriends who hadn't read the book) went home clutching a copy of the first book in the series - Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (find it here). If you haven't read it, then run don't walk to the nearest bookstore. It's suitable for girls aged 12-50.

Away laughing on a fast camel,
Talk soon!
Vi

CHRISTMAS: TAKE 2

As promised, here is part two of my Christmas celebration, this time with my dad's side of the family. I got some great shots from Christmas weekend, so I'll share them with you over the coming week :) Hope everyone had a happy holiday!!

 My sister and me at my Pappou's house. 

 Pappouli <3 - my dad's dad. 

 My mama looking lovely. 

Aunty Fanitsa - love her festive sweater and scarf combo!

Group shot :)

Talk soon,
Vi