Monday, April 30, 2012

Garden in the City

April showers bring May flowers... True, even for urban apartment dwellers!

My sister-in-law and I spent Saturday afternoon 'gardening away' in hopes of turning their urban rooftop into a more zen-like space. The area receives direct sunlight all day... Perfect conditions for many flowers and most vegetables and herbs. 


As we had a lot of ground ('rooftop') to cover, we divided our tasks accordingly. I focused on the vegetables and herbs, and Trish handled all the flowers. 

The vegetables were planted in a large bed of organic soil and peat moss, mixed with Miracle Grow fertilizer. 


Twine divided the bed into 12 inch sections, to ensure proper spacing for growth. We decided to use seeds for the vegetables: Radishes, Green Beans, Green Peas and Butter Lettuce. Since tomatoes grow quite large, those were placed in their own large pot.


For the herbs, we purchased seedlings. I can't wait to have an abundance of fresh basil on-hand for all my summer-time recipes! 


What I love most about Trish's rooftop garden is her use of vertical greenery and flowers to cover the, otherwise boring, cement walls. These vines are very young, but just imagine what they will look like mid-summer!



Happy Gardening!

Monday, April 23, 2012

Neon and Polka Dot Presents


As I've mentioned previously on the blog, probably several times, I absolutely LOVE all things paper. Let's be honest, don't we all agree that the prettiness of a package truly makes a present more memorable? Ahem, that's what I thought.


Homemade wrapping paper has recently become very trendy. And, this little number caught my eye because of it's pop-of-color and simplicity. The only supplies needed include:


Kraft Paper (Brown or white)
Stickers (Neon office dots are perfect, but any bright sticker will do)
Twine or Ribbon
Scissors
Tape
(Present... Obviously!)


Another fun variation on this DIY is decorating with colourful Washi tape. 




Simply use different lengths and patterns to decorate your gift box. And, be sure to tie with a brightly coloured ribbon or natural twine. 


*Image via Project Wedding

Thursday, April 19, 2012

BIG CITY, small world

Moving is always extremely overwhelming… No matter how well you organize, and pack, and then unpack. It almost seems never-ending.

But, good news, I’m happy to announce, it’s almost complete! A few of our key furniture pieces will be delivered tomorrow morning (which is wonderful, since we’ve only had a mattress for a week) and our downtown space will start to feel a little more like home. More styling and décor tips to come!
One thing has always surprised me about New York: How can it be so big, yet seem so small?
This thought has entered my mind a few times now, since we’ve arrived and it’s only been one week. I guess, in a city filled with 8 million people, you learn to appreciate the little things that truly make a place your own.
Last Saturday, we were invited over to our brother and sister-in-law’s apartment for dinner. It was a gorgeous night, so we lit the BBQ and enjoyed some good wine and fun company on the rooftop. After several hours, the street noise started to quiet down, but yet, the dull roar of our conversations continued. Sometimes, the city can be the most memorable when you feel like you’re the only ones in it.
Another instance... Monday was our first night in our new apartment in Tribeca. As mentioned above, we had a slight hiccup with deliveries over the weekend, so the only piece to arrive was the mattress. I wanted to check my email and watch a little TV after work, so I situated myself in a nice chair in the lounge of our building (because our cable and Internet have yet to be connected). In the lounge, who do I see? A sorority sister from college watching the hockey games with her husband. Such a welcoming surprise and a very, very small world! We're so looking forward to spending time with our friendly neighbors soon!
*Image via Lion is the New Black

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Buyers Remorse (Or Not)

I know it's a good thing, but rarely do I impulse shop. I think it's often because when I do, I usually suffer from the agonizing feeling of 'buyers remorse'.

That changed a couple weeks ago as I was casually browsing through Sephora. There I spotted it. The Clarisonic. Immediately, I grabbed the Mia and proceeded to the checkout counter, and never looked back.


(Well, this probably wasn't entirely an impulse purchase since I'd done significant research on the product and had only heard outstanding reviews on the fast-acting results. But still, I didn't have any intention on buying it that day. It just happened. Oops).

Granted I've only been using the Clarisonic for two weeks, I'm already in love! My skin is clean, soft and more hydrated than it's ever been in the past. The gentle exfoliation really allows moisturizers to deeply penetrate the surface. I actually find myself using less night cream, as well. Huge bonus!

If you're interested in trying the Clarisonic for yourself, check out the official website HERE.

I know I'm a beauty product junkie (good thing I work in the industry)... But, I'm thrilled to say, this is a skin saving game changer!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

A New Venture:: MAC Cosmetics

I've got some big news for all of you on this lovely Tuesday... I got the job!

Next week, I will be starting a new chapter in my career at MAC Cosmetics in New York, working as Global Marketing Manager - Color Collections and Collaborations in their head office in SoHo.


My responsibilities will be focused on Global Marketing, Product Development and Brand Management for all the color cosmetic collaborations within the company. I'm so looking forward to the opportunity and couldn't be more excited about such a dynamic brand!

The past few weeks have been a little busy, as you can imagine, so I haven't been keeping my blogging schedule as "daily", as I usually do. Give me one more week and I'll be back on track!

The Mr. and I are currently packing all our things for the big move into our new apartment downtown. He'll continue to commute between Calgary and the city for work... So delicious cooking posts will be focused on weekends :) More on that later... And, keep an eye out for an upcoming feature "How to Decorate Small Spaces" in NYC.

Have a great day!