France 1: Chardonnay grapes in Chablis

When an opportunity presents itself to spend part of your favourite month of the year, October, strolling through the golden French countryside, you take it. The other week my other half and I took off with three very clear goals in mind – 1) try to relax,  2) try all the local wine we could get our hands on, and  3) stuff our faces full of warm fresh fluffy pastries. oh sweet, sweet, gluttony, followed by a lot of walking mind you.

I'm an avid traveller, if you couldn't already tell, and  i whole heartily believe that your mind and body feel better when you are out exploring something new. I read once that "travel makes you modest, because you see what a small part you occupy in this world" and it really is true. There is so much to see, touch, and learn when you get up and go anywhere. When i travel I come back feeling refreshed, reinvigorated and with a new found appreciation for my day-to-day life. 

Our trip into Paris started near the old Opera on Rue la Fayette just north of the Louvre where we spent a wonderful evening catching up with two very dear and newly married friends (welcome to the club you two!) who are lucky enough to call his beautiful city home. The next morning we kissed Paris goodbye zipping off straight for the most northern part of Burgundy wine region to a little quaint town called Chablis – obviously well known for their amazing white wine and chardonnay grapes. So of course, we made a point to try some of that deliciousness.

insert obligatory travel dork 

shutters for days and days and days,

chardonnay fields forever 

i know what you are thinking, and yes, trust me i would have brought these home if i could for that backyard vineyard i'm dream of

downtown Chablis, main square

it tastes even better than it looks

Chablis is the most beautiful very small town, seriously you should go there

Chablis is a very, very small town. There is basically just the one main road, which makes it perfect for a half or full day stop as part of a bigger trip. If you happen to find yourself here, head to the main square and pick up a walking tour map from the tourist office. You can easily navigate this tour which takes about all of an hour and gives you a good bit of history, highlights architecture and walks you through the entire town. The main square has a small number of cafes that serve up a good croque-monsieur and cold glass of Chablis. The streets are lined with wine shops that happily offer tastings and information about production, and there are a few wonderful home decor shops and small patisseries.

As for wine itself, Chablis are crisp, and refreshing almost more of a dry taste than fruity. Since Chablis wine is made from pure Chardonnay grapes some experts say that it's the "purest" expression of what true chardonnay is. 

(more posts about the trip and travel guides to come)

The Markham Fair

Hello Markham Fair! i haven't been to this particular local fair, or any fair for that matter, in years, so i made sure to enjoy a full day of animal meeting, fair food eating, live magic shows and concerts, games, rides, cooking lessons, craft shopping and fireworks watching. i love everything about going to the fair and I've decided it will now be a fall season ritual i make sure i practice every year. we happily all pigged out on Tom's donuts, lobster mac & cheese (from one of the best gourmet food trucks), and even a whole bbq turkey leg – because sometimes you just gotta, even if it looks totally barbaric. nothing beats the lights and kid like excitement you feel at a fair.

i even made a little video to share ...

itunes music  //  Circle - Fashion me a drum

just a few more pictures from our day at the fair.

Ain't he just beauttttiful.

nothing will beat fresh lemonade from a lemon shaped stand.

fall windy weather with sunshine and braids.

only the best  lobster mac & cheese for her, and bbq pulled pork for him!

i wasn't kidding about that caveman dinner time turkey leg. 

my favourite ride will always be the ferris wheel. 
you just can't beat the coloured lights and a good view.

the best ending to a perfect fall day.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

image via here

happy Canadian Thanksgiving everyone!
or as i call it,  "put on your fat pants, it's Turkey Day!!!"
there is just so dang much to be thankful for,
but most of all, i'm thankful for all of you who take some time to read this little blog.
it may not be the biggest, or the best out there in the big sea of blogs,
but it is my little hobby, my own little creative space to share with the
interwebs in the hopes that some of you find something to get excited about and 
it's grown a lot over this last year.
so thank you, thank you and yes, thank you.

A Canadian Thanksgiving

photo via

there is so much to be thankful for this year!

i'm so looking forward to celebrating this day with ...

fresh air

good food

great wine

glow of candles

amazing family and friends

happy thanksgiving to all those celebrating!

Traditional & Modern Turkey Day Tablescapes

pic 1 via, pic 2 via

i'm hosting thanksgiving this year, which is really our first big attempt to have a bunch of family in our still relatively new home. we've also decided to test our culinary skills and barbeque the bird (all 17 pounds of it!). ok i'll admit i'm a little worried it actually won't fit on our barbeque, but at least that clears out my oven for other things. growing up i watched my mother take such great pride in setting the dining table for holiday family gatherings. as i got older i got more involved in helping her pick out the china and linens, and design creative centerpieces with flowers and gourds. sure some of this seems like fluff to some people, but even as i get older i still love that feeling of dusting off my handed down silverware and crystal glasses. i  believe that setting a festive table shouldn't be something that adds stress to your day, or even costs a whole lot. there are so many creative ideas  using what you already own in different combinations. but, to help anyone planning a thanksgiving feast this long weekend, here are two suggestions that include a traditional mix & match tablescape, and a more modern minimalistic option, both of which  won't break the bank!

pic 1 via, pic 2 via

Applewood Farm & Winery

last weekend my husband and i, along with his sister, her husband and their kids, loaded up and headed out for a day of  apple picking at the Applewood Farm & Winery in Stouville, Ontario. It was the perfect fall day. bright sun. light breeze. pumpkin patches. fresh apples galore. i must admit that as much as I see the different varieties of apples in the grocery store I haven't really stopped to compare how and what makes them different. To me an apple was an apple unless it was a grannysmith (then it was special). the same goes for cooking with apples, i just figured any apple(s) were good enough. clearly i was still an apple newbie. after spending the day on the apple farm i learned so much. we taste tested every variety they had and learned even visually what made them different. we finally picked two giant bags of, Cortlands, great for apple pies with a tart taste; Honeycrisp, large size with a sweet and sour blend great for eating and for apple sauce making; and Empire, a small deep red apple with moderate flavour perfect for snacking on.

after picking our two huge bags of apples, my husband headed back for a free pumpkin and I headed off to the wine shack. in the main barn at the Applewood Farm there is a large tasting bar where you can sample many of the award winning  fruit wines. the best by far in my books was the 2010 Trio and the Iced Cider. After this year I know i'll be coming back for years to come. it's great, even for a little bit,  to feel like you are out of the city and into the wild. now for my list of ideas on what i'll be making with all my apples ...

• apple sauce
• apple crumble
• apple pies
• canning apple pie filling
• pork tenderloin with apples
• caramel apple jam
• apple donuts
• apple cider

Autumn Beauty Best of the Best

the autumn season is the time of year i begin to notice that my skin starts to change from combination to dry. i have always adapted to those changes by using sugar from my pantry as an exfoliant, paired with rich facial oils packed with vitamins for the coming winter – like Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Dry Oil , or my recent new find which smells SO amazing, the Youth Preservation Serum by Clementine Fields (review to come soon!). i have also always then modified my make-up routine to help keep my face looking fresh. i crave spending as much of this season outdoors as possible and so my morning and (when needed) evening routine is quick and to the point. this is the time of year i swap out up my bronzing powders for tinted moisturizers, and things like my peach powder based blushes for more liquid based berry 2in1 stains. here are a list of my tried & true favourite beauty recommendations for this season, and the best way to take your fall look from day to evening in a matter of minutes.

day time

when it comes to my daytime routine i'm quick and to the point. in the mornings i'm usually found running out the door to work, or to an early morning gym class. like i said earlier, i like spending as much time outdoors as I can, so i like to keep my face as fresh and as natural looking possible. because of all that I focus on key double duty products to give you that crisp cool morning rosy glow.

1+ Bigelow's Warm Apple Cider Lip Gloss

2+ Revlon Lash Blash Mascara in Brown

3+ Laura Mercier Tinted Moisterizer (great for the start of dry skin season)

4+ Brown Sugar (mixed with cleanser this is the best exfoliating scrub in town)

5+ Benefit Bene Tint for lips and cheeks (this gives that perfect duwie cheek and provides a long lasting touch of colour for lips)

night time

my night face is what i do post work and more often than not on my way out the door to meet friends, or my hubby for a night out. I typically carry these supplies in my purse so i'm always ready for anything, along with some rose gold hoop earrings and an elastic for a quick bun updo. for any evening look that isn't overly formal i truly believe that it shouldn't take take more than 15-20 mins to get ready. heck - i'd rather be out drink in hand doing something fun!

1+ Benefit Watt's Up Shimmer (used as a highlight under the brows and on the cheeks)

2+ Mac's Ruby Woo Matte Lipstick (this one stays on perfectly without bleeding. it is the best red i've ever found)

3+Aveda's Rose Mascara in Black (great for plumping up and it also smells heavenly)

4+ Stila Shimmer eye shadow

5+ Maybelline Foundation Stick (great long lasting wear and super easy to apply to any much needed cover up areas)
6+ Butter London Nail Polish

 what are your favourite tried & true products?

Winter Fresh Peaches

fresh peaches yummmmmmm. soon these fuzzy treasures will be out of season and cost literally an arm and a leg if you want one. this year i've very much been focused on eating locally, but now I want to include a task of eating seasonally. that isn't something I have been very good at because i often find myself getting sucked into the rows of shiny happy fruits at the grocery story during the cold winter months. I get so entranced by things like a genetically modified shiny strawberry bigger than my fist! but this year I am going to try to remain strong, armed with my seasonal fruit charts in hand. this past weekend as i was gallivanting around at the grocery store, i saw a whole display of overflowing baskets of fresh ripe peaches on sale and decided it high time I put my preserving/canning skills to work so we can enjoy seasonally fresh peaches this winter.

what you'll need:

• fresh ripe peaches
• heat proof containers. (i highly recommend buying yourself some mason jars because they will last a lifetime)
• mason jar lids and rings (these are the only kind that will create a airtight seal for long-term storage)
• vanilla beans or cinnamon sticks
• large pot
• sugar
• ladle
• baking sheet
• tongs

basic sweet syrup:

mix 2 cups water to 1 cups sugar. bring to a rolling boil for 3 minutes stirring regularly while ensuring that all the sugar dissolves.  *note: i did try to substitute the sugar for a smaller amount of organic honey, but the results did not prove to be the same and affected the mixture.

The how:

1. start by washing your jars and lids to ensure they are perfectly clean    2. peel and core all your peaches and then cut the into halves or quarters (a variety is nice!).   3. make a simple medium thick syrup using the recipe above.  4. place your mason jars in the oven on the middle rack and heat to 200 degrees which allows for proper sterilization of the containers before packing   5. pour boiling water in a closed sink and place in your lids and rings so they heat up in this hot water bath (leave them in there until you need them again)   6. once the jars are heated using oven mitts carefully remove one jar and place it on the baking sheet.   7. moving quickly, but carefully (because the jars is hot), add in enough peaches to fill the container but not stuff it    8. grab your ladle and spoon over the syrup mixture onto the peaches until it reaches the neck of the jar   9. carefully place in one vanilla bean, or one one cinnamon stick into the jar    10. using  tongs grab a lid and ring from the hot water bath and seal up the jar (I recommend you use a towel or oven mitt to help protect your hands while tightening the hot jar and hot lid)   11. repeat the last 5 steps with the remaining jars and peaches keeping them all on the baking sheet without touching each other  12. place the baking sheet of jars in a cool try place and drape a towel over them.   13. leave for approximately 24 hours and then check to see if the seals have "popped" – which means they have created the proper vacuum seal   14. to check press down on the center of your jars any lids that spring back have not sealed and should be placed in the refrigerator and eaten  15. place in a cool dark storage space for up to 1 year!

Fall Finds - Treat Yourself

happy friday the 13th!!! the fall is the time of year to cozy up at home, start your first fire in the fireplace and enjoy rich full bodied red wines. these are a few pics of my must have items to best invited that warm fall feeling indoors.

1 // Wicker baskets (image via)

2 // Olive Oil Soap  (image via) 

3 // Linen Napkins & Rosemary Accents (image via) 

4 // WoodWick Candles (image via)

5 // Plaid Throw Blankets (image via)

6 // Emile Henry Cook & Bakeware (image via) 

Movember Madness

 

It's officially that time of year once again when the moustaches come out to shine. It's Movember Madness everyone! For anyone who doesn't already know about this rapidly growing event,   it's a time that most men get a little excited about not shaving (and no, it's not playoff hockey related ... not this year anyways...) and allow their inner macho ego to step out while raising funds for men's health issues, specifically prostate cancer research. If you are anyone who knows me and knows me well, you'll already know I love the moustaches. I think they are absolutely hilarious and should be admired on the best of occasions – I mean check out my 30th birthday shindig for example. 

To all the non-stache growers out there reading this, let's get ready to show our own support and encourage participation this November. Inspire guys to get involved! Help everyone globally raise not only awareness but funds in an effort to fight nasty cancer. For Mo Sistas, get into it by sporting your own little stache in the form of a key chain, necklace, ring, or even temporary tattoo. There are some great finds on Etsy for items like that. Heck, throw a fundrasing stache party with staches on sticks. Regardless of how you do it, it's a good time to do something that shows we care about our guys and these growing issues that affect them. 

So, to all the men out there ... let the games begin.  

Autumn Air

 

 There is no season I adore more than fall. The pumpkin smells, velvet scarves, the crisp air, the crunchy sounds and the deep red colours. More than anything this year,  I especially love being in my new house getting to enjoy the season with all the windows opened and the view of trees and sunsets that surrounds it. It's been a great first month of slowly planting some fall flower pots and the little knickknacks finds their place in the home. This past thanksgiving was outstanding and my belly has never been soooo full of turkey feasts, amazing wines and teeny weeny treats. There really is just so much to be thankful for right now. Hope everyone else is enjoying this time of year. Halloween (my favourite holiday!) is just around the corner. xoxox.