Seattle Photo Diary

Because I have a handful of new posts to share with you guys, I figure my best bet is to start out chronologically with a photo diary of my recent trip to Seattle. We made the trip a couple weeks ago for my 23rd birthday & had a fantastic time. We did all the touristy stuff we could possibly cram in, & ate an appalling amount of food. The trip was definitely a success & made me even more excited (if that's possible) to return to Europe & be a shameless tourist there.

Seattle's iconic Pike Place Market

Giant vegan cinnamon roll - birthday breakfast of champions

Doing my touristy thing with Pike Place Market's unofficial mascot (In retrospect this doesn't seem like a very vegan-friendly photo-op...)

 

The Great Wheel - Because it was my birthday, we waited in line for 50 minutes & paid an exorbitant price to ride this thing. The view was pretty spectacular, I'll give it that.  

Scrumptious mushroom spinach (vegan) quiche + spicy lentil soup from Chaco Canyon Cafe

Most amazing sandwich I have ever eaten in my life... so I obviously had to photo-document it. Artichoke pate + cashew cheese topped with cucumber & sprouts on molasses wheat bread... I commend the genius who created this.

And of course it wouldn't be Seattle without the Space Needle

I was wearing:

Asymmetrical dress - Nameless (from Jennyfleur Loves)

"Paradox" Pistol boots - Steve Madden (here)

Chronograph Watch - Michael Kors (here)

Vanilla Hamilton Tote - Michael Kors (here)

Teal belt - Vintage

Sunnies - Ray Ban

My coverage of Fashion's Night Out Vancouver coming up next post so stay tuned :)

Summer Staples

I'm attending the Jennyfleur Loves fashion show tonight, so with a prospective busy day ahead I thought I'd sneak in a little outfit post while the morning is still young :)

I wore this a couple days ago for an afternoon stroll downtown & then out to supper with the girls. Unlike most days, I didn't have to think too much about this outfit. It was the first thing I put together & I felt it worked well. It features three of my newest items: Steve Madden pistol boots, H&M denim jacket,  & an oversized neon green tee from Gap. The boots are my favourite; I've been wearing them non-stop all week. Same goes for the denim jacket. Along with the maxi skirt, they are all great staple pieces for Summer! 

Going-away supper for Sabrina (in the coral) at my favourite vegan restaurant in Vancouver, The Naam!

Naam Salad starter with parsley tahini dressing - so so good!

Being crafty & lazy at the same time. I didn't have time to run out for a pair of spandex shorts & desperately needed something to layer under my sheer skirt. These white leggings worked, but I didn't like the length showing. Stubbornly refusing to take off my boots, I just cut them off. Hey, it worked. 

I'm off to catch up on my sleep (worked at 4AM this morning, eesh) & then a little shopping! I'll be sure to post photos from tonight's show as soon as possible :)

I was wearing:

Neon green tee - Gap (here)

Accordion-pleat maxi - American Apparel (here)

Denim jacket - H&M

Patent cross-body - Vintage

Pistol boots - Steve Madden

Chronograph Watch - Michael Kors (here)

Glasses - Ray Ban

Colour + Print

Yesterday I had the pleasure of lunch & a stroll with Kris (of Back Alleys & Boulevards), in the presence of some pretty glorious sunshine. After a long lunch at Nuba (delicious vegan Lebanese cuisine), we sat outside while Kris showed me her gorgeous designs & the current collection she's working on. We then proceeded to snap a handful of photos atop the Law Courts downtown. Most of mine are pretty ridiculous... it was somewhat difficult to keep a straight face with Kris laughing at at my awkward facial expressions & lack of balance. Nonetheless I hope we'll get in some more lunch + photo dates soon! It's certainly nice to be back & to see the lovely people I missed so much. The sunshine doesn't hurt either ;)

A few words about the outfit: my oversized fluoro orange top (layered over a lace bodysuit) was an obvious choice for a casual Summery day. I paired it with a black & white pencil skirt for a bit of contrast, & accessorized fairly simply: bag big enough for the camera, the necessary sunnies, comfortable flats, & statement earrings which you regrettably can't see all that well (they're a striking vintage roped gold, which I recently discovered in an old jewellery box while I was visiting home). I don't know all the details on Kris's outfit, but I do know I love her punchy colour-blocked top, well-worn brown satchel, & fantastic snake-print sandals from H&M!

The sun is out in full force again today, so hopefully I'll be able to accomplish my lengthy 'to-do' list while still enjoying the weather. Hope you're all having a fabulous week & thanks for reading! :)

I was wearing:

B/W printed skirt - Joe Fresh (old)

Fluoro top - H&M (old)

Earrings - Vintage (Grandmother's)

Vanilla Hamilton Bag - Michael Kors (Here, US)

Ballet Flats - Michael Kors (Here, US)

Number Six Sunnies - Karen Walker

April Snaps

1. Braid from the back

2. Gorgeous snow-capped mountains as far at the eye can see

3. Vegan mini vanilla cupcakes decorated simply for Spring

4. Zen curled up in my bed while I sift through party dresses

5. Organized chaos on my bureau top

6. Slowly but surely infusing my closet with colour

Today's scheduled exam was post-poned so I thought I'd take this as an opportunity to quickly share some random photos from the past couple of weeks. The past few days have been absolutely gorgeous here. The snow is almost completely melted, & rising to a pleasant 21°C,  yesterday was the hottest April 17th in recorded Newfoundland history (as the radio informed me all of 5 times). Besides the glorious sunshine, I've slid back into my daily running routine beautifully, had a delightful day at the Spa (where I ran into my Auntie who was lovely enough to treat me!), & gotten in enough studying to call myself semi-productive. I also received a highly covetable item in the mail, which I'll share with you in my next post :)

With my flight leaving at an ungodly hour Friday morning, my current 'To Do Before I Go' list is mountains high. I'll undoubtedly leave the packing to the very last minute. Later today I'll be entertaining one of my loveliest friends, who I haven't seen since last Summer. Although one afternoon isn't nearly enough time, I'm sure to cram in more life chatter than you can imagine. I'll also be making us a vegan gluten-free Avocado Pesto Pasta for sup (which I only mention because it is the worlds most amazing dish & you absolutely have to try it :)

Thanks for reading! <3 

Cold Comfort // New In

Despite my power-of-vegan-health-claims, the cold front here has finally given me a comeuppance. So for the time being, I'm stuck in bed, between endless packs of kleenex & literary diversions. 

There are several things brightening my day however; so I thought I'd share them with you! The primary one was the arrival of my first c/o item from OASAP.com - a lovely vibrant batwing top. To my delight it is the perfect shade of orange for Spring. As soon as my cold passes I'll be sure to put up an outfit post including it. I've shown it above with my H&M bangle which is no longer MIA (it was in one of my jewellery boxes all along, silly me); & hung below, to give you an idea of it's general shape. 

Delicious vegan zucchini brownies a la Mom. 

An eclectic pile of bedside books to keep me entertained + The Devil Wears Prada; one of my favourite 'sick day' movies.

Last but not least, Zen providing kitty company. 

I'd love to pass the entire day browsing blogs & responding to comments, but we unfortunately only have dial-up at home & it takes an average 40 minutes to read & respond to a single blog post (positively medieval I know). As soon as I'm able to leave the house I'll be back to my usual commenting frenzy, promise!

What are your sick day comforts? 

On Airports & Goodbyes

I'm writing to you lovelies from YVR Airport... boarding in about 15 minutes. I just wanted to quickly share a few photos with you of my last few days here in Vancouver.

Had a lovely last day with Kris yesterday. We shopped, we ate, we talked non-stop. I'll show you my new purchases as soon as I get things unpacked in NL (so excited about each new piece! Think Spring + Pastels ;) We stopped by Mucho Burrito on Davie to say goodbye to one of the nicest guys in the world (I frequent the place tri-weekly) & get one last amazing Shawna-approved burrito. And just when we thought the day was over, we ended up talking for 2 hours straight over tea. It was perfect :)

The amazing Kris! One of the nicest, most amazing girls I've ever been lucky enough to meet - I am going to miss you so much! And something I'm dying to mention: Kris actually just began her own fashion blog Back Alleys & Boulevards which I would love for you all to check out! :)

A delightful goodbye present from Kris - a bag of vegan chocolate goodies from Karmavore :)

Tea with Miss Sabrina! We completely lost track of time & talked non-stop for hours. You're amazing girl - can't wait to see you again!

The most amazing dessert ever. Vegan apple crisp with Tofulatti icecream on top. So good I went back two nights in a row for it.... I kid you not. 

And last but not least, a new clutch which just arrived from ASOS! It's cute & fun & I adore the colours. Excited to see what I can pair it with. Thoughts?

Okay, boarding has begun & I'm in a huge rush. Will post tomorrow when I've settled! Hope you're all having an amazing week & thank you for reading! :)

Newness & Change

Finally something new! I know it has only been a few days since I last posted, but it has seemed an eternity to me. I've got some recent purchases to show you & some 'life updates' to share! First off, some new additions to my wardrobe/beauty/book collection:

My new neon yellow pencil skirt from ASOS which I'm completely enamoured with - can't wait to show you the outfit I have planned for it! :)

Sephora is a rabbit hole. Seriously. I stopped by this morning on my way to a coffee date & ended up getting a few items. The Dior Rosy Glow blush you may recognize from my 'Beauty Edition' post last week. The visiting Dior rep who did my make-up used this on me & I've been lusting over it ever since. Today I finally gave in & picked it up. It's 001 Petal & although it looks like a scary bright pink, it's formulated to blend with any skin tone. I also got a Bobbi Brown concealer/corrector to aid in the ongoing battle against my dark under-eye circles. 'Porcelain Peach' is the colour I went with.

Then I decided my lips needed some loving too. So I picked up this amazing new lip exfoliant by Bite. It smells & tastes amazing; like wild cherry. I've read good reviews so I'm excited to try this one out. I then chose the Too Faced Lip Insurance lip primer because keeping my lipstick on & decent looking is always a challenge for me. I decided to pick this product up after reading this lovely post by Tess.

Post-Sephora I stopped by the drugstore, as I had some credit to spend from points accumulated. I needed a new facial exfoliant so I picked up this one from Soap & Glory, which I've heard good things about. I also picked up this Revlon lip stain upon a friend's recommendation. I just tried it out & am not sure how I feel about the colour, as it's a little too plain. I think it'll be perfect for quick & easy use on busy days though. 

And finally, new books! (so not fashion related but the arrival of new books makes me incredibly happy. I've mentioned before that I have a slight obsession with travel guides... well Rick Steves' books are my favourites... his dry sense of humour suits me to a tee)

Hello new favourite hairstyle! I've always adored the fishtail braid but shamefully never learned how to do one. Fortunately I discovered a great how-to video through L is for Lois' blog last week. I've done my hair like this the past 4 out of 5 days hehe. Although I'm pretty slow at it, & still in the 'practice makes perfect' stage, it's a great idea for other-wise bad hair days or busy days out & about. And I must say I've gotten so many compliments on it!

And now, the big-ish news. I'll actually be leaving Vancouver this coming Tuesday (so soon I know!). I'll be spending the next 2 months with my family on the other side of the country. Not only can you expect a big change of scenery, but a definite change in clothes as my mother informs me they are in the midst of several feet of snow. I'm not a fan of the snow & cold at all & to be honest I'm on a huge summer clothes, summer colours kick at the moment. It'll be interesting to see how I cope with the climate change. 

I've also been trying to cram in as much eating out as possible. Whatever picturesque points Newfoundland may score, shawna-friendly dining is not one of them. I've already said goodbye to my favourite burrito place folks, & intend to visit as many of my favourite restaurants as possible over the next few days. A little shopping on the side may also be in order.... though with the prospect of 3 overweight suitcases this may not be the smartest move on my part. 

In the meantime, I have one day of work left & a tonne of goodbye visits to fit in. Coffee dates, strolls, rushed farewells at work. I'm not very good at articulating emotional goodbyes though... I always like to believe I'll cross paths with the people that matter at some point in the future. I am feeling a little blue about leaving Vancouver, but as I always believe, everything happens for a reason. It'll be nice to be around my family, to have my mom baby me for awhile, & to see my favourite rambunctious 3 year old again. It'll be a good opportunity for me to actually focus on my German coursework. I'll also have more time to blog & take photos as I won't be working. See, there is always a silver lining! :)

Hope you all have the loveliest of weekends :) Mine will certainly be a busy one! 

Weekend Recap

Just a little bit of life. Although this could also be titled as the 'weekend of poor lighting' I'd like to keep things on a positive note ;) Photo op's aside, I had a lovely weekend; simple but sweet. Friday night I trekked an hour through the rain (hence the worse than normal hair) to attend a farewell party for my friend Irena. It was wonderful seeing the people I don't often get a chance to see, & I also met some lovely new folks as well. 


Saturday, post-work, Kris & I had our traditional food+movie friend date. After lusting over the beautiful bright garments in BCBG we had a delightful supper at the Templeton on Granville (cutest little vintage diner), followed by seeing the movie 'Big Miracle' (aka the whale movie), which we both loved.


And then there is today. When not working, Sundays are so nice: I usually have a quiet morning followed by a productive evening (fingers crossed that's the case today). I'm spending the morning curled up on the couch with wholesome oatmeal, a tasty berry+hempseed smoothie, & a computer chock full of New York Fashion Week shows to catch up on! Planning on doing a little Valentine's Day themed photo shoot later this afternoon, & glueing myself to my German text book after supper. Wish me luck! 

The lady of honour is in the white & I am of course wearing the red Dolce Vita shorts. Big thanks to Irena's dad for taking this one for us :)

Granville Street on our search for some edibles

Rocking the ponytail (a rare occurrence).
Wearing: Banana Republic faux fur coat, BCBG animal print blouse, Michael Kors watch & bag, Dolce Vita wedges

Oh so amazing vegan lentil loaf from the Templeton

Sunday morning pleasures :)

And that my dears, was what my weekend comprised of. Obviously quite envious of all the bloggers attending Fashion Week in NYC right now (living vicariously through Style Scrapbook & BryanBoy at the moment), but I'll take what I can get. Hope you're all having a great weekend as well! :)