What's In My Bag

I'm so excited about this post. The lovely and very talented Kristina of Emma Kisstina (blogged about her Etsy shop here) has included me in her What's In My Bag? series. She's done these drawings for other bloggers that I love (Victoria and Monika) and I'm thrilled to be included!

Head on over to her blog to have a look at the post and all the rest of her work. I can't say enough good things about her, she's lovely, talented and fun to work with. Thanks so much Kristina! xo

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Up, Up and Away

So tonight, we fly far far away to the Motherland. While I'll be sneaking a few posts in while I'm there, I won't be able to post daily, so in the meantime, if you're in a blog reading mood, here are a few of my recent favourites to get you through. Obviously I'm your favourite and you're going to miss me, but I promise, these are great :)

The Londoner
Channeling Contessa
House of Earnest
Little Green Notebook

Bye Canada, see you in September!

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Marshmallow

Do you want to know something? Well, I'd say you probably do since you're reading this. Until last week, I thought the word marshmallow was actually marshmellow.

It sure sounds like mellow when people say it. I was always a little bit confused with terms like mallowmar (why mallow, not mellow?), but I just let it go.

All my life, I've been getting it wrong. I now feel like those people who say pellow instead of pillow.

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The Child Upstairs

A note to the small child who lives upstairs

Dear Child,

I begin this letter with an admission of guilt. I am guilty of not realizing what it may be like to live in a condo with a unit above mine. You see, I have always lived in the units at the top. Perhaps when I was living on the top floor, I too, made noise that was bothersome to the residents below.

Now, I am the dweller below and you are a young boy, full of energy. I'm sure you wake up each day, ready to spring into action. While I sit there, each morning, hugging my mug of coffee, watching my dog cower in the corner, because there is a monster (it would seem) trying to break its way through the floor (my ceiling).
What, may I ask, are you doing up there?

Does your mother not notice the running, jumping, catapulting off furniture? Oh, I'm sure she learned tune that out years ago. Does she feel badly when it sounds like my ceiling will fall down? It wouldn't seem so. What about when you run, back and forth, back and forth, until your little dog starts to bark like a banshee? Does she notice then? No.

The last time I saw your mother, she looked tired. So tired, in fact, that I wasn't sure I could ever so much as mention how much noise you create, for fear of pushing her right over the edge.

So, what's a girl to do? Eventually, maybe I could tune it out, like your dear mother. In the meantime, I stare at the ceiling (your floor), cursing under my breath, willing you to stop.

I am taking solace in the fact that school starts in two weeks. I'm sure your mother is, too.

Sincerely,

Your downstairs neighbour, who will not be baking you cookies at Christmas.

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Pearls of Wisdom

I was away for a girls night over the weekend in Niagara-on-the-lake. It's a gorgeous place to visit (if you've never been, go!). We stayed at a lovely hotel/spa and spent all day Saturday lounging pool side. While we were paddling in the water, this sweet little old lady came over to the pool. She was wearing a black and bronze sparkly bathing suit, a clear shower cap, a flower tucked behind her ear, and red lipstick. She was absolutely the most fabulous little old lady.

She got into the pool and exclaimed what a beautiful day it was. She asked us what we were drinking (mimosas) and jokingly told us how disappointed she was that we didn't save 'a drop' for her. She said she didn't have time to order one, since they had a tee-time in 30 minutes.

She then swam under the little waterfall, where she loudly yelled to Paul (we then noticed Paul, sitting on a lounger making friends with some young ladies). She threw her hands in the air and asked him to take her picture. She was enjoying every second of this swim.

She swam back over to us, called Paul back over and introduced us to him as her 'mermaids' she then wrapped her arms around us and told us to kick up a leg and he took a picture.

We asked her if she had been down to the hot springs, where we had been the night before. She smiled coyly and then said 'well, I'm sure it was nice; the springs with your girlfriends, but imagine if you had a man' :)

This was by far the most inspiring little old lady I've ever met. She was loving every second of her life and not at all acting like an old lady (with the exception of the shower cap).

We didn't know her name, but we nicknamed her Pearl. We called Paul over after she got out of the pool to ask him for her name. 'It's Sally' he said. 'We've really only just hooked up!'

My friends and I have decided to adopt a 'What Would Pearl Do' attitude, with a few significant take-away lessons being: always wear lipstick, take time to see the fun in things, and you're never too old for sex.

image via Refinery29

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Fashion Friday: Overnight Flight

Since I'll be flying to England overnight next week, I thought I would round up some essentials for night-time flights. The thing is, you get on your flight at bed time, and arrive in the morning. So as much as you want to wear your pj's on the flight it's best to wear something that can be as comfy as pj's but looks cute enough to wear the next day.

I always make sure the shoes I'm wearing are easy to take on and off (for security, but mainly because I don't like wearing shoes on a flight) and that I have a scarf that can double as a blanket. Add in a big carry-on stashed with things to read and a pair of sunglasses to hide tired eyes, and you're all set.

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Sandwiches

Hello, my name is Emma and I don’t like sandwiches.The cheese stands alone. Well that’s how I feel anyway. 

the only sandwich on my pinterest page - via Marshalls Abroad

Everyone and their mom seems to like sandwiches. The looks I get when I say I don’t like sandwiches. It’s like I’ve personally insulted them. Who doesn't like sandwiches?! they say. Me.

I suppose there are some sandwiches that I would eat. My mom’s homemade egg salad on a croissant, or a turkey and havarti on a superfresh bun from Ray’s (deli near my high school), and obviously grilled cheese (like that's even a real sandwich). But for the most part, the thought of a sandwich really makes me turn up my nose.

If you see me eating a sandwich for lunch, you know I’m facing desperate times. Even then, I take said sandwich and sit it atop of a toaster and toast up each side to take away the breadiness of the whole thing. 

As I write this, I’m having a revelation. Maybe it’s not sandwiches (because I tend to enjoy the filling). Maybe instead it’s: Hello, my name is Emma and I don’t like bread. Now the cheese REALLY stands alone.

Don’t worry, for what I lack in the bread consumption department, I more than make up for in the pasta, rice, potato and all other low-nutrition-white-starch category.

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My New Favourite Jam

I can't get enough of this song lately.

Ps. My Summer Play List and My Happy-Maker

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The Case of the Wrong Name

I know this has happened to you before. You meet someone, and somewhere along the line, they get confused about your name and call you something else. When they call you that wrong name, you’re thrown off. But instead of correcting them, you just dance right over it. Sounding familiar? It’s happened to me several times in my life.

I would think of myself as fairly confident, and honest, but when it comes to correcting someone when they get my name wrong, I completely shy away from it. But WHY?The reason I’m bringing this up is because it’s happening to me right now. One of my new colleagues keeps calling me Emily. While I can sympathize with the fact that Emma is a similar name to Emily, Emma does not equal Emily. Emma is not short for anything. Emma is a whole name (and a legitimately normal name at that). Emma. Emma Emma Emma. Too bad I can’t say that to the guy calling me Emily.

The kicker is that he has a rather difficult name, and I seem to have mastered that without a struggle.

I’m sure eventually he’ll figure it out, since all my emails host my actual name. In the meantime, I try to avoid him and say a quick good morning without using his name (so as not to prompt him to inaccurately use mine).
What do you do when that happens to you? And how awkward would you feel if someone told you that you were using the wrong name?

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Gift Idea: Date Box

I've had a lot of wedding stuff going on this summer. With all the different events to attend, sometimes it can be tough to come up with an interesting and original gift. Enter the Date Box. I have to admit, I got this idea from a friend, so it's not an Emma Original, but it was still a really fun present to put together.

The date box is a combination of items to inspire a date (gift cards, things to do, games to play, you get the idea) and other date ideas written on cards. The idea is that on any given night, the couple can consult the box for a date idea. For this date box, we included things like a s'mores kit, gift cards to restaurants, a night out at the movies, a bottle of champagne, a deck of cards, cookie mix and a cookbook of picnic foods.

{I opted for a gender neutral colour scheme since the box is for the couple to share}

{cut the cards into strips and write out different date ideas}

{attach the date ideas to the corresponding item}

{arrange all the date items in the box}

{sprinkle in the rest of the date ideas}

{et voila!}

Ps. to make this gift even better, get together with a couple friends (like I did), that way, you can really put a lot into it.

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Travel Plans

I'm so so excited today. Why, you ask? Because in two weeks today, we will be going on vacation. Where, you ask? To the UK! We haven't been there in over two years and we are loooong overdue for a visit.

Not only will we be seeing Nick's family and my cousins and our friends (which I absolutely can't wait for), but we're also taking a mini-break and going to Edinburgh. I've never been to Scotland, so I'm looking forward to that. Mmmm Scotchy Scotch Scotch and deep-fried Mars bars :)

If anyone has any recommendations of what to see/do in Edinburgh, please let me know! Count down to holiday time is on.

Have a super-fun weekend.

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Thirsty Thursday: Peach Sangria

It's peach season! While staying at my parents place, I noticed a plate full of ripe peaches. I knew my mom would want help using them before they spoiled, so I decided to make some peach sangria. It's super simple to make and is sweet and refreshing for a summer afternoon.

I used a bottle of white wine (a reisling/gewurztrameiner which is a little sweeter), a half cup of orange liqur (you could also use peach snapps), a can of gingerale and two peaches, sliced. I also sliced a third peach and froze the slices to add in to keep it cool (without watering it down). Many white sangria recipes call for additional sugar, but using a sweeter wine and gingerale eliminated the need for any additional sugar.

Mix all the ingredients in a pitcher, stir, chill (this gives the peaches time to infuse into the mix). Serve with the additional frozen peach slices.

Enjoy!

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Succulent Terrarium

Last weekend was my mom's birthday, and let me tell you, she's a difficult lady to shop for. So what do you give the woman who has everything? A succulent planter of course. Although I consider myself to have a black thumb, I am pretty crafty, so I figured I could put this together without much knowledge of plants. I consulted the internet quickly to make sure I had the right idea (turns out I did). Here's how.

You need:
A terrarium or dish to plant your succulents (I thought a teacup would be adorable)
A small amount of sand
A small amount of soil
Varying sizes of rocks/stones
Succulent Plants

In your dish/planting vessel, layer your sand, and some rocks for drainage. Next, layer in some of the soil. Now, loosen the roots of each succulent plant, and give it a spot in the dish (I found this to be a little difficult based on the size of the terrarium). Layer in a bit more soil, and then some smaller pebbles/stones to keep the succulents in place. Add a little bit of water and you're done!

Water occasionally, but make sure not to add too much (you don't want to see it pooling at the bottom). Look at me, giving advice on caring for plants. Somewhere, pigs are flying.

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Weekend Bits

What a beauty of a long weekend. I truly took time out for myself this weekend and really relaxed. It was heavenly. Here are some snaps of what I was up to.

{this beer is so refreshing}

{my two main guys}

{typical morning}

 {blue sky for days}

{a trip to the garden center}

{project! detailed post to come}

{pretty}

{love me some bbq}

{love}

{spent some serious time in here}

{so much reading}

{dog sitting ziggy-man}

{morning walk}

{a lesson in wildflowers}

{celebrating my mom's birthday with my first victoria sponge}

How was your weekend?

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