When the Christmas season arrives there are many things I look forward to. Christmas carols on repeat, decking the halls, baking to my heart’s content, and eating enough peppermint bark for a small country. My ultimate favourite in the peppermint bark department has to be the goods sold at Williams Sonoma. I decided this year that needing to get my fix from a store front, that has hours where it is physically closed, just wasn’t going to cut it. What made sense was searching for a recipe that replicated that deliciousness so I’m able make it anytime I get a craving, morning, noon or night. All of the recipes I was able to search out had the same four ingredients, and almost all of the sites stressed that fewer ingredients means you have to pay attention to the quality of those ingredients. I personally used Ghirardelli dark chocolate for my base layer and Cococo Chocolatiers white chocolate for the top layer. Regular old chocolate chips just aren’t going to cut it for this recipe. I also used Nielson-Massey Pure Peppermint Extract and found red and white peppermint candy canes for the crunch on top of the bark. The results are nearly identical to the bark I buy at the store, and it was so easy I didn’t even know that it was blog worthy. It’s the perfect treat to bring to those holiday potlucks, or wrap up individually as gifts to your loved ones. I think it’s obvious to say that my stretchy pants will be on repeat for the rest of the holiday season, with a sequin top of course.
Mason by Michelle Mason Coat, J Brand Jeans, Aritzia Sweater, Valentino Boots, Escada Scarf, Celine Handbag
Throughout this season of stillness and slogging my priorities have shuffled, and the whole thing has left me reassessing, well, virtually everything. In regards to my wardrobe, I have done a huge overhaul, essentially getting rid of anything that no longer sparked any sense of joy. I’m not entirely sure what ‘look’ or ‘uniform’ I’m going for, but I’m so grateful that the pieces that I did invest in, and have kept around, were classic, neutral and the materials and craftsmanship were high in quality. Everything worn for this particular blog shoot was purchased prior to having my daughter in 2015, and everything is completely relevant today, over three years later. I used to find satisfaction acquiring new pieces to showcase on the blog, but there’s an even bigger reward in knowing that longevity and recycling pieces can be just as chic. I’m continually finding new ways to wear older pieces, and that is most certainly sparking joy.
I’ve always believed in professional photos for the big life events like weddings and newborn photos. It wasn’t until my entire family did a photo shoot last summer with one of our longtime favourites, Bliss Photographic that I realized how nice it is to splurge and capture a moment in time while it’s happening. I have so many photos of myself from the blog, but I’m always the one taking the photos for our family, and images of myself and the kids are a rarity. I’ve had the amazingly talented Jody from JAC Photography photograph both my babes within their first week of life, and when she released family mini sessions earlier this year I knew I had to book. I had envisioned an experience filled with laughs and giggles, adorable poses and unbearably cute candids. From the photos you may even be tricked into thinking that’s exactly what it was. Don’t be fooled, that is the magic of Jody, not the cooperation of the small child in the faux fur vest. The session itself consisted of numerous tantrums, a strong willed child that made it her job to NOT follow direction, and it ended with me profusely sweating whilst carrying my screaming two year through the beautiful scenery, back to the car. Jody reassured me though, it would be all worth it in the end, and she couldn’t have been more right. I’m so grateful we went ahead and took the time and effort and invested in these images. Time is so fleeting, and I know in the future these images will bring me back to the good ol’ days where those tiny hands loved to be held and I received a rockstar worthy greeting anytime I walked in the front door.
Alice and Olivia Sweater, Zara Denim, Gucci Slides, Celine Handbag
Since entering a season of a serious lack of fashion, after being so immersed in it for both work and play, I’ve had time to take pause and reassess. Pre-kids I was obsessed everything fashion, and willing to give it all a try. Multicoloured stripes, check. Leather skirts in every colour of the rainbow, check. Denim in pink, red, blue, green and burgundy, check, check, check, double check. As I find myself coming out of a season of loss, pain and isolation, I’m ready to slowly start dipping back into fashion, my absolute passion. As I’m no longer the same person I was, my fashion tastes are no longer the same either. In fact, I’m not so sure what exactly I love anymore, for me that is. While I’m slowly starting to fit back in to my ensembles again, there’s a clear picture of what I’m reaching for and what is pushed to the side. While it’s evident that this season doesn’t include a ton of colour, fuss or frill, I’m unprepared to commit to purchasing anything until I lock down the look I’m going for. I promise to share my roadmap and how I plan on navigating the addition of new items, and until then I’ll be keeping the black ensembles on heavy rotation.
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I have a closet full of beautiful silks, sparkly sequins, deliciously soft wools and gorgeous leathers. Ask me how often I reach for these items and my answer would be, rarely. My season of life right now consists of spending the vast majority of my time at home or out and about with my babes. I’ve overhauled my wardrobe a few times and consigned dozens and dozens of pieces I know I won’t reach for in the short, or long term. My plan is to recreate a wardrobe that is realistic for the season I’m in. I need comfort dammit, and I’m no longer ashamed to say it. I want my look to be pulled together, but I’m unwilling to sacrifice the coziness of my clothing. It’s a balancing act, and I’ve created a visual map of sorts to help articulate my personal weekday looks. Some of the items I already own and the others I’m looking at adding to be able to create multiple ensembles. I often do this with personal shopping clients, having a road map makes it easier to navigate, rather than adding piece after piece into your closet and realizing nothing goes. I didn’t add arrows for everything because I didn’t want it to look too overwhelming, but my goal, as should your own, is to have all items able to seamlessly be thrown together. Plotting it out visually helps to see that with just a few pieces, numerous ensembles are able to be created. Don’t mistake me, my wardrobe will always hold some glitz and glam, as I know there will be a season for that again. But for now, the overall goal is to feel like I’m still in my pyjamas, but look like I’ve got it all together, not a bad concept, right?
- Madewell Whisper Cotton V-Neck Pocket Tee
- ALO Cadence Crop Sweatshirt
- Free People Jaden Rib Knit Blanket Scarf
- Zella High Waist Crop Jogger
- Zella Taryn Ultrasoft Recycled Joggers
- Zella Erica Twist Cowl Neck Pullover
- Beyond Yoga Slashes Raglan Sleeve Sweater
- Smash + Tess The Sunday Romper
- Nike Air Max Thea Sneaker
- ALO High Waist Lounge Leggings
- Adidas Originals Trefoil Hoodie
- Nike Roshe One Sneakers
- Beyond Yoga Featherweight Sweatpants
- Free People Gossamer V-Neck Sweater
