where i'm at.

Here's a peek into my head this Thursday. I'm crushing on messy hair and rolled sleeves, craving to watch an episode of Friends (it's never on TV anymore!), and wishing everyone's favorite two-some a happy birthday. 

I took the month of May off (from what? Well, working for free, stressing about jobs/the future...) to go visit the West Coast. I think it's so funny how you can make the best plans and usually they don't happen. Yet - if you're open to it, somehow you always get what you need. For me, my vacation was a little less about working and rushing to squeeze in B.C. It was much more about spending time with three of my favorite people (it's been too long), searching for the perfect graphic tee (got it), catching up on important things like Mad Men and New Girl, and visiting my favorite coffee shop way too often. 

Now, I'm back in Montréal and happier than ever to be here. My drive back into the city was astounding - green leaves everywhere and at the moment my backyard looks like the secret garden. I'm praying for an excuse to stay here beyond September, but we'll see what happens.

xx Nat

. . . SURPRISE!

If you have never been thrown a surprise party then you need to get new friends. Well, maybe that is a little bit harsh, but you do need to give them a hard time for not throwing one for you! I am of the belief that everyone should have a surprise birthday at least once in their life as there is nothing quite like it. For some reason the victim of the surprise is always extremely frustrated with all their friends prior to the surprise, but I believe that is what makes it the best!

This year my boyfriend and some close friends attempted the impossible – to surprise me with a party. For the most part I try to stay humble, but when it comes to intuition I believe I am a cut above the average. However, on a sunny March eve a few of my close friends gathered in a quaint golf course banquet room and showered me with love, to my surprise. It was splendid. We ate, laughed, and communed. A few kind souls blessed me months ago and this past weekend I had the honour of repaying the favour for a much deserving beauty queen. This party was done in style. Here are a few photos from the evening...

 

 

 

xoxo rachel

time to head into the unknown.

Sharing this today because I love seeing wonderful people do exactly what they love and are meant to be doing with the people they care most about. I have the pleasure of knowing a couple of these folks, and today they graduate and head off on another journey, as do several of my friends (including our own Miss Rachel). Here's another song by Atlas for the road, an encouragement to all of you who feel like life keeps veering off of course (it's no secret that success is not a straight path), a reflection on farewells, and a big hug from me.

xx Nat

striped tees.

Groundbreaking, right? Who doesn't wish for the the certain "je ne sais quois" of a French woman once the layers start to come off? I bet you are wishing for the perfect striped shirt for summer too. I think mine might have royal blue stripes and be worn rolled to the elbow, like these ladies. If I could get a Kronenberg and a sailing boat to accompany it...well there goes the summer.

the promise of spring.

This beautiful sketch by Bernadette Pascua had me swooning today. Reminds me of that perfectly crisp time when Spring is starting and the winter jackets just start coming off. Toques are no longer necessary. And also, something about that flared leg looks so fresh (admittedly, I'm a skinny-legholic).

Today after dinner I stepped outside into the dusky streets and walked around the very calm neighbourhood. The air was still warm and the promise of summer evenings was very palpable. It's a tradition I intend to continue.

yoga talk.

Can someone (other than Garancé) please level with me here? When does one go from hot, sweaty mess to beautiful, stress-free yoga bliss?

I'm in the midst of trying to find the perfect exercise for me. Anyone who knows me will roll their eyes and say I've been doing that for the past five years (and they'd be right). I was so spoiled as a teenager, to constantly be involved in sports and never have to give a second thought to how I'd get my physical activity. But once university hit, everything unravelled.

Let's just say, one session at the gym was cut short by almost fainting off the treadmill, I've never been able to do a proper sit-up, and rock climbing equipment is just not that cheap! 

So, when does it get easier? Will I suddenly connect with this inner desire to stay perfectly fit no matter what the cost? And for me, the cost always chimes in dollars or having to strategically plan my showers! Plus, a girl can only walk up a steep hill on the way home so many times before she starts thinking, "This means I don't have to worry about the gym, right?" This summer, I think the trick will be challenging myself with something (I'm thinking tennis, or ballet...) or simply just making myself get outdoors and explore the city with a pair of sneakers on my feet. 

This is going to be a pretty constant battle for me. Although I agree with Garancé...I may be bored in the yoga studio or just counting down the sweaty minutes until I can be dry, but there is something that makes me walk on cloud nine when I leave the studio. 

nothing fancy, huh?

Nothing fancy today. Just a bit of my headspace, whether it be toques, film, how cool swimming pools look (just me?), sneakers, quilted leather, Cara, Melbourne Spring Fashion Week, or struggling to play guitar.

I had the loveliest getaway to Ottawa this weekend (the bottom image is shot from space by Chris Hadfield). I can't recommend jumping on a bus and reconnecting with the people you care about, enough. Yes, pursuing dreams, careers, etc. is all well and good...but if you can't share it with people who make your heart soar, what good is it? That is obviously melodramatic, but you get where I'm going.

obakki changes their game.

I'm not one to be coy about something I love. If I'm into it, I'm into it, and I'm not going to tiptoe around the issue and pretend I'm not behind the cause. That all to say, I'm on board with Obakki.

Obakki is a Vancouver-based fashion brand that recently has turned 100 per cent humanitarian. While they have always designed beautiful, on-trend pieces rich with a story, now all the profits from the sales of the brand will directly feed Obakki's humanitarian efforts in South Sudan, where founder and creative director, Treana Peake, focuses her attention. The Foundation's main projects are water well drilling and bolstering education in local communities. Last week, The Province did a great feature on Peake and her hopes for Obakki.

I was lucky enough to intern with the brand last year and saw first hand the dedication of the team to making their passion count. What I love about Obakki is that their design is smart, current and wearable. Apart from their charity efforts, the clothes are beautiful and covetable - you want to wear them! But I love to see this step towards fusing both of Peake's loves together: now, fashion supports philanthropy.

Take some time to view their collections, read about the cause, and watch some of the stunning videos of South Sudan by Brian Ceci. Ahead are some of my favorites from the Spring/Summer '13 collection and the recent Preserved In Time collection.

development days.

"Only one thing is certain about coffee...Wherever it is grown, sold, brewed, and consumed, there will be lively controversy, strong opinions, and good conversation."

-Mark Pendergrast

Wednesdays are my "professional-development" days. Really they just look more like catching up with new friends, the continual constant emailing of my resumé, fitting in a yoga class if I'm good, and wandering the downtown streets. But I like to think everything has a way of contributing to the goal. So if Wednesdays are only my day to refine my coffee tastes...rest assured it'll mean something greater, soon.

Image from this darling site which has been helping me (along with coffee-guide friends) find the best lattes in the city. That particular cup is from the same cafe I visited today, Le Couteau. 

the real atmosphere.

As someone who gets the entirety of my fashion runway experience from second-hand sources (whether it online photos of a collection, write-ups, videos, etc), I can't be one to complain about how the online experience is never what it is in real life. I mean, it's all I have...doesn't that make it real life for me?

That being said, I always look forward to the atmosphere photos that Style.com releases. How else am I able to see the sheer drama and elegance that the sets bring to the collections? In particular I swooned for the boudoir set at Louis Vuitton. It really makes the whole thing seem more intimate.

And now, I will stop waxing poetic about something I have only experienced at a distance. But...a beautiful distance.

sunnies and skiers.

 Images via: Garance Doré, WhoWhatWear, Stockholm Street Style, Pinterest, Minna May Blog

There's nothing like a malfunctioning keyboard to make you want to throw your laptop against the wall, curse technology forever and live in the woods. I still have a shred of sanity left, so I'm not going to do that (although the woods sound lovely...) - instead I'm going to let a few of these photos speak to my headspace over the Easter weekend. Are you picking up what I'm laying down in terms of my crush on reflective lenses, Paul Newman, and skiers?

On another note, my favorite Easter poem; also happy first day of April (my birthday month!) and here's to a week of continually receding snow, strong lattes, clean sheets and making this short week special.

xx Nat

the sweatshirt is king.

This is by no means new news, but I (along with the rest of the world) am really into sweatshirts lately. The rise of the sweatshirt has been well documented by others already so I won't wax and wane about the practicalities and amazingness that is a sweatshirt. Needless to say, I've come a long way since my hoodie obsession of high school (of the American Eagle variety, usually), and even longer since my beloved blue Club Monaco sweatshirt (remember those? I wish I had it still).

This week's selection features embroidery and some silk flamingos. It was a happy one-monthiversary gift to myself and although it looks nothing like Montréal, something tells me it will always remind me of this snowy, sometimes lonely, month, where I stepped into the belief that I am completely capable, given the opportunity.

More inspiration following, including a lovely snakeskin variety and of course, Kenzo. What's my favorite styling? Well keeping it pretty but tough, and never contrived. But who can really do that, except maybe these ladies after the break (Chloe Sachdev has my personal favorite, a Boy London variety).

the tote bag dilemma.

In moving to Montréal I've gained a lot of things: work experience in an industry I'm passionate about, the knowledge that snow doesn't have to melt into a sloshy, city-closing mess, exposure to more concerts than I know what to do with, and amazing croissants. But I've also lost some things...in this case, my car.

I'm a huge believer in public transit, and a huge lover of cities that make good use of mass transit systems. However, Victoria is not a particularly bus-friendly in my neck of the woods, and I've always been fortunate enough to have the use of a vehicle for transportation. The thing about driving to work is, you don't really have to plan how you transport everything! For me, throwing a handful of odds-and-ends on the passenger seat and zipping to work in a mad rush was the norm. But when I have an hour commute to work, carrying everything for the day gets to be a bit of a challenge. Enter: the tote bag.

Of course I'm drooling over things like this, but I really need less pretty, more sturdy. You know, the kind of bag that I don't mind putting extra shoes in. Googling "cute tote bags" was probably one of the more embarrassing experiences of my life so I don't recommend you trying it anytime soon. However, maybe you can help me narrow down my options.

happy birthday beautiful.

"True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It's the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years." -Audrey Hepburn

Happy 22nd birthday to my dearest Rachel. She's the kind of woman who gives others passion for their own passions simply by pouring her whole heart into everything she does. I'm blessed. Love you lots.

sending winter out in style.

I'm a West Coast girl through and through, which means that winter to me usually involves two bouts of snow (where the city shuts down completely), a whole lot of rain, and the trees welcoming Spring in March with heaps of pink blossoms. While I admit BC has its own troubles with the perpetually gloomy grey skies, I still haven't quite learned how to bundle like an East Coaster.

For Easter weekend I'm lucky enough to have the opportunity to explore Mount Tremblant, and so I needed to do one final round-up of what I was inspired by this winter. Rachel will probably laugh and pity me as she moves on to more Springy style, but I have a few more weeks of parks and toques ahead of me!

So what were my go to's in the snow? A toque with a thick fold, leather gloves, Sorrel boots (or wedge sneakers if the sidewalks were clear), and a puffy parka. I'm still missing wool socks and the perfect scarf, but those will just have to wait til next Winter...