{rekindling old favourites: Pinkberry is still my favourite after dinner treat}
If you're a photographer, or a perfectionist like I am, you'll know that it can be far too easy to get caught up in trying to capture a shot and forgetting to actually appreciate what's happening in front of you. Lately, I've been leaving my camera at home more often in an attempt to really savour every moment (and okay, my camera is also pretty ridiculously heavy). And while I've had less photos to look back on & share, I've really enjoyed just being present in more situations. With that in mind, here's my first Tuesday Treats post in a while, with a few highlights I did manage to document lately.

{being adventurous: trying raw vegan high tea (and being pleasantly surprised!)}

{discovering new gems: pretty knot earrings that I've been wearing non-stop}

{anticipating the new: looking forward to wearing this stormy grey Estee Lauder polish come fall (available in August @ Holt Renfrew)}

{soaking it all in: heading down to the closest beach and spending the afternoon}

Although I wouldn't exactly call myself a coffee junkie (I rarely drink it in the mornings & more often than not choose matcha lattes over ones with espresso), exploring different coffee shops around the city is undoubtedly one of my favourite things to do. This past weekend D and I visited one that had been on my radar for a while, and were pleasantly surprised by both the quality of the caffeine as well as the cafe's delightfully rustic interior.



Wearing: 10 Crosby Derek Lam jacket, H&M top, J Brand jeans, Tory Burch flats House of Harlow sunglasses, MICHAEL Michael Kors bag, vintage belt/necklace, Henri Bendel earrings, nails Estee Lauder in Caviar

You probably already know that they make beautiful shoes, but Loeffler Randall's just-launched line of handbags for Fall are really something else. I've always been partial to more structured handbags because of their timeless appeal, but D has often teased me that the purses I'm drawn to are more suitable for little old ladies. While the Rider ($495) is admittedly boxy, the blush tone and modern hardware on it make it remarkably age appropriate - even D approved! It's got all kinds of great features, but the best part? A slot for your iPad! Time to save up!
Check out the lovely ad campaign on Refinery29. What do you think? Happy Friday!

{photos by Alicia}
I love a good casual dress for summertime: it's easy to throw on and super breezy, but a lot more put-together than the typical t-shirt and denim cutoffs combination we see so often in laid-back Vancouver. I've been living in some variation of this outfit for days of shopping and walking this summer; it's not only super comfortable, but an easy dress makes it that much simpler to try clothes on, too!



Wearing: Wilfred dress (via Aritzia), vintage belt, MICHAEL Michael Kors bag (similar), Coach sandals, ASOS, Lauren Elan (c/o) and MONIKALOVE (bfrend) (c/o) bracelets

As much as I like the idea of shifting an outfit from day to night, I honestly find many instances of it done rather impractically: after all, changing every single element except, say, your blouse basically requires you to carry a whole other ensemble with you all day! Last week, I had a date with D after a casual lunch and errand running in the afternoon. Because I didn't have a chance to go home, I popped a few items in my bag in an attempt to transition appropriately into the evening festivities. An accessory & footwear swap, quick pop of lip colour, and bag strap removal later, and I felt much more prepared to take on the night.
How do you transition from day to night?




Wearing: h&m blouse, Club Monaco skirt, DKNY bag.
day / Coach flats, Alex and Ani bangles (c/o), House of Harlow 1960 sunglasses, C Wonder belt
night / Aldo RISE heels (c/o), BCBGMAXAZRIA cuff, vintage belt, Revlon Fuchsia lips

I'm such a fan of these J.W. Andersen Aldo RISE pumps... they're the perfect shoe to jazz up an effortless summer look and just as ideal with a dressier night time look. The heel height and shoe colour together also pretty much guarantee elongated & toned-looking legs! Even better is the fact that they're all leather, including the sole, and happen to be on major sale at ALDO right now (with an even better deal here)!

Outfit post with these beauties coming next week. Happy Weekend!
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p.s. If you're in Vancouver, you can swing by the Robson location until the end of July to pick up a coupon for 10% off at the store, plus a free treat at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory next door! Who doesn't love shoes & sweets... especially when combined?!

This beautiful jacket caught my eye the moment I saw it several months ago. Upon taking a look at the price, however, I quickly put it down and made a mental note to just forget about it: it was way out of price range! A few weeks ago it finally went on sale, but it was still substantial amount so all I did was try it on, admire it, and put it back on the rack. D knew how much I liked it, and sweetly decided to surprise me with it the other day! Besides the sentimental value it now holds, my favourite part of the jacket is that while it's interesting and on-trend now, it really has a timeless appeal to it; it's the kind of piece that I hope to one day pass down to a daughter.




Wearing: 10 Crosby Derek Lam jacket (dress version here, on sale!), Zara dress as top (old) and leather skirt, BCBGMAXAZRIA shoes and clutch, House of Harlow 1960 sunnies

Although it's subject to rain about seventy-five percent of the year, our city is really something else during the summer (which kind of makes you forget all the dreary days, to be honest). Now that the sunshine has finally arrived, I've obviously been trying to make the most of it! One such way to do so has included going on as many walks as possible; these photos were snapped during a pre-dinner stroll in Coal Harbour, one of Vancouver's most well-loved spots, this past weekend.




Wearing: Express blouse (c/o), T.Babaton pants, Zara shoes, MICHAEL Michael Kors bag, House of Harlow 1960 sunglasses, vintage belt worn as necklace, Revlon Fuchsia

Goals. Long term or short, we all know that it's good to set them... if only to give ourselves reminders to stay on track. Although we are already well into the summer season (boo!), here is a short, realistic list of things I'd like to achieve before the leaves begin to fall this autumn. Publishing them online makes it that much more official... right? Happy Friday!
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Be consistent
This is something that I constantly struggle with: consistency in Bible reading, consistency in exercising, consistency in eating well, consistency in blogging! It's easy enough to do these things in spurts when the mood strikes, but working at being more consistent is of paramount importance in order to build discipline.

Get my full driver's license
I've had my Class 7 (i.e. I can drive one other person) license for a few years now, and have put off getting it fully done for way too long. Pretty sure it's time to finish it for real so my poor friends and D aren't the only ones who have to drive!

Read 5 books
It seems, these days, that if I'm not checking my email, then I am on instagram. If I'm not sending a tweet, then I'm watching a TV show on my iPad. I grew up a bookworm and now find it ridiculously difficult to just sit still and devour a book. I hate that my attention span has gotten so much shorter - I want to change that! Do you have any non-chick lit, non-trendy (Fifty Shades of Grey I'm looking at you), reasonably light summer reads that you can recommend?

Learn how to make delicious macarons
A couple of years ago, I tried my hand several times at making these delectable morsels of sugar,and even came out relatively successful once. Then, macarons started popping up all over the city and it became so much easier to just purchase them. However, since trying Laduree in New York this past May, the ones in Vancouver just don't really hit the spot anymore! I'm not saying that my standard of baking will measure up to that of the French-based brand, but it will be nice to be able to make them to suit my own tastebuds!

Stop buying so much coffee when I'm out
It adds up. Enough said.

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Do you have any goals this summer? Please share!

As I walked out the door in this outfit the other day, I knew something was a little off with the look. After a bit of contemplation, I decided that a red bag (preferably this one) would have been much more ideal paired with the ensemble. Since no such bag exists in my wardrobe, and because I didn't want to change anything else about it, this was the next best thing. I'm curious, though - what kind of bag would you have carried with this look?



Wearing: T.Babaton striped tee (via Aritzia), 3.1 Phillip Lim skirt, Aldo shoes and necklace, DKNY bag, NARS Amchoor nails

I feel like I'm always talking about it, but being outside during golden hour is seriously one of my favourite things in life. We took these photos quickly before a reservation at a new restaurant this past weekend, and getting that bit of late afternoon vitamin D was the perfect start to a wonderful date. How did you enjoy the sun this past weekend?


Wearing: YesStyle blouse (c/o), Forever 21 cardigan (old), T.Babaton pants (via Aritzia, similar), Barneys CO-OP shoes, MICHAEL Michael Kors bag, House of Harlow 1960 sunnies, C Wonder belt, NARS Lal Mirchi nails

I've never been much of a pastel girl (the subdued colours tend to make my pale skin look sickly), but this beautiful new silk blouse by Amber Patton caught my eye immediately. I love how it's not quite as desaturated as a typical pastel, but still sufficiently soft enough for one to feel feminine and pretty in it.



Wearing: Amber Patton blouse (c/o), YesStyle jacket (c/o), Zara trousers and shoes, vintage Bally bag, Joe Fresh earrings

{best of both worlds: a gorgeous sandal with colour and texture}
After what has seemed like weeks upon weeks of rainy, gloomy weather, the forecast in Vancouver is finally calling for real sunshine! Anyone from this city will know how precious weather this beautiful is, and I plan to spend as much of it outside as humanly possible. Of course, I'm also looking forward to wearing the summery pieces that have sat in the back of the closet for far too long: here are a few of my new colourful acquisitions that have me extra excited for the final arrival of the long-awaited blue skies!

{the perfect beach-worthy nail colours - NARS Amchoor & Lal Mirchi}

{pretty coral wallet thanks to Jimmy Choo (in classic black here) & the girliest bracelet by LOVECOCO}