A few years ago I embarked on a culinary adventure. Having grown up on a British-meets-French Canadian diet of meat based proteins and spuds – I decided to go vegan. Two decades ago, this would have been considered rather extreme. Vegans of the 20th century were rare curiosities, seen as self-denying activists who survived on little more than lettuce leaves (aka rabbit food). Many a vegan (myself included) have been reminded that “you don’t make friends with salad”.
Free ~ September 2015 Desktop Calendar
Goodbye August (sigh), and hello September! This summer has been one adventure after the next, and the 20+ degree temperatures outside mean it’s not over yet! Take a peek at The Rather Luvly Summer Bucket List of 2015 for photos and stories about what I’ve checked off so far.
7 Things to Love About Visiting the Country
If you live and work in a big city, you can probably attest to the fact that as city dwellers we rarely give ourselves permission to slow down. Our day-to-day is fast paced because “fast” means “productive”, and boy do we love to get stuff done! Somedays it can feel like an endless race; masses of people rushing to get places, filing in and out of down-town offices on a 9 to 5 clock. It’s enough to make me stand like a rock in white waters – to throw my hands into the air and yell “what is it all for!” Suffice it to say, a 24 hour hustle leaves me feeling tired and unfulfilled.
Lolë White Tour
Isn’t it fascinating when an event draws thousands of people into one place for the purpose of sharing an experience? When we gather in large numbers, our experience simply magnifies. And an activity as humble as the yoga practice can become quite grand, awe-inspiring and exceptionally joyful!
DIY ~ Wrapping with Mapping
Despite having a smart phone, which conveniently maps nearly every possible destination I could hope ever hope to visit, I still love the look & feel of an analogue paper map! I usually keep these maps long after our travelling is done, opening them once in a while to retrace our steps via the tiny landmarks circled with my enthusiastic scrawl. Oh, I love to travel!
Free ~ August 2015 Desktop Calendar
Ahhh summer. Time to explore the city by foot, to eat outside as often as you can, and to experiment with this season’s trending apparel (rompers get a pass, but I’ll skip the crop tops thank you). Adult onesies aside, summertime is just plain good for the soul – And theres nothing better than finding yourself in the middle of a perfect summer moment while suddenly being filled with gratitude for it.
A Very Gatsby Garden Party
Hello friends! I don’t know about you, but Summer 2015 has got me hustling! There’s been dinner & jazz in Montreal, tasty brunches and girl dates, teaching my first yoga classes, and trying to maximize being out in the sun – All on top of my day job! It seems I’ve been going non-stop for weeks now, and as a result the Rather Luvly blog hasn’t seen an updated post in some time. This isn’t to say that I haven’t had plans to post, oh quite the opposite! It seems I have a million ideas for interesting posts and pics to share with you, and I can’t wait to roll them out.
Free ~ July 2015 Desktop Calendar
Well friends, we’re officially half way through 2015 – Time flies! And to be honest, I usually have mixed feelings about this, come the 1st of July. On the one hand, summer has finally arrived, and in Canada we usually spend the better part of January – April in serious anticipation of these warmer days. Yet we also come to the realization that a new year is approaching, and we only have the two to three months ahead to fulfill a years worth of summer-time resolutions.
We’ve been a little aggressive with our weekend/holiday planning this year, and despite feeling like we’re always on-the-go, I don’t think I’ll regret it one bit. So, with July’s Free Calendar, I’m also sharing our summer bucket list below!
The Rather Luvly Bucket List of Summer 2015!
- Go camping at Sandbanks Provincial Park
- Pet the manta rays at Ripley’s Aquarium
- Buy peonies at the Toronto Flower Market
- Attend the Gatsby Garden Party at the Spadina Museum
- Celebrate Canada Day with Beaver Tails in the Capital
- While away the hours In The Country with family & friends
Tropical Style
Ahh… the pineapple! This lovely fruit is enjoyed fresh, cooked, juiced, and preserved all over the world. And of particular importance over the summer months, we have the pineapple to thank for the piña colada!
Fun Fact: The pineapple is a “true fruit” made up of lots of little “multiple fruits” (aka. coalesced berries). Basically each pineapple grows from a cluster of fruiting flowers which fuse together into singular pineapple! Who knew?
So, besides being delicious (and botanically fascinating), this funky fruit also adds a tropical twist to your summer wear. Here are my favorite Pineapple Picks for some rather luvly pool-side lounging. Cheers!
1. Patterned Sarong – H&M // 2. Brooch Necklace – Anthropology // 3. Tropicana Pineapple Ring – Olive and Piper // 4. Pineapple bathing suit – Top Shop // 5. Sunglasses – H&M // 6. Straw Hat – H&M // And bonus Free Pineapple Wallpaper
Blooms in the City
If you’ve managed to make it this far in the season without buying a single bouquet of fresh blooms, I invite you to visit the Toronto Flower Market and try to resist. I guarantee it will be nearly impossible not to covet a lovely bunch (or two, or three) before you leave!