Nova Scotia Recap

After a ten day hiatus I'm back to the blogging world! I've been in Nova Scotia the past 10 days, revisiting old haunts & friends in Antigonish, family in Halifax, & examining an endless array of bacterial culture plates in a microbiology lab in Wolfville (you know you're jealous ;). It rained 8 out of 10 days & I was clad in a highly attractive white lab coat for the most part, so hopefully you'll understand why the blog remained untouched. I also had only a point & shoot with me, so my apologies for the lack of photos! 

In a quick recap of my week: 

Antigonish (the quaint little town I went to university in) was fun to revisit; indulging in delicious food at my favourite cafe & playing catch-up with people I haven't seen all year. In Halifax I got to meet one of my newest little cousins, the adorable Sam (whose closet may well rival mine). Finally in Wolfville (where I had to go for a Microbio lab) I eased the pain of poor weather & daily dealings with E.coli with great company & some pretty serious cuisine indulgence. It was my first time visiting the teeny tiny town, which I can now say without a doubt is the most delightful of Maritime towns! The plethora of Victorian houses is to die for, & the restaurants... oh my! I was amazed at the sheer amount of restaurants & bistros (each with vegan menu options, hallelujah!) for such a small population. They were all top notch & highly recommendable. Admittedly we ate out for every single meal. Whether I magically gained 10 lbs in the process remains to be seen haha. It was a lovely time none the less. 

I've got 2 weeks crammed with German lessons ahead of me, but I'm feeling pretty refreshed & ready to get my blogging mojo back. Outfit photos to come tomorrow so stay tuned :)

[A couple quick photos in & around STFX university; obligingly shot by my weekend hostess Jenna Gillis, on our way home from sup Saturday evening]

X-Ring: My Favourite Accessory

In honour of the Feast Day of Saint Francis Xavier I'd like to share a little personal tidbit with you about my X-Ring. Calling it my favourite accessory is somewhat of an understatement… it's probably my most treasured material item; and for good reason. If you've followed my blog or lookbook you've probably seen it sparkling on my right hand - the large gold ring emblazoned with the bold black X.

If you're wondering it's significance; it's actually my university ring, that of STFX University in Nova Scotia, Canada. From your first day of classes in your first year, you count down the 1188 days until X-Ring. And every December 3rd, 4th year students attend the event which is touted as one of the most important in your life.

Any Xavierian will proudly explain to you that it's the 3rd most renowned/recognized ring in the world (after the Pope's ring & the Superbowl ring of course). If you take notice of someone's X-Ring you'll likely win them over in a heartbeat. Although the monetary value is hefty, it's something that has to be earned to be worn & therein lies it's real value among all my other prized possessions. It's also the most amazing networking piece. Anywhere I've ever travelled I've run into at least one STFX graduate or someone who is related to one. It truly is a family affair. 

So, happy 1st birthday to my X-Ring & a huge shout-out to the entire Xavierian family - I miss you & am so proud to be part of such a wonderful, enduring tradition. <[X]>

Here are some photo's from last year's event - the dress is by Betsey Johnson (aka my 80's prom dress ;)