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What I Wore: The First Long Weekend in May

18 May, 2017 Nelia

Victoria Day long weekend is just around the corner and for many Canadians this weekend marks the beginning of cottage season. While le bf and I aren’t cottage-owners, our usual Victoria Day long weekend plans involve packing our bags, renting a car, and driving to a hotel in Gravenhurst for a few days of sunshine, hiking, and swimming. Depending on the weather, my packing list for these trips is fairly uncomplicated – sweatshirts and comfy denim for chilly evenings, a dress or two for dinners out, a swimsuit, sunglasses, my fave HBC beach towels, beauty essentials, and a couple of easy to pack Tide PODS for clean laundry in a pinch (no musty towels for us!).

And since Victoria Day is the unofficial kick-off to cottage season, I partnered up with Tide to share the Cottage Laundry Care Guide for any upcoming weekend getaways you may have planned. Check it out after the jump!

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What I Wore: Baldwin Beach Park and Paia

28 January, 2016 Nelia

The thing I loved about Maui is how easy it is to get around the island. There are only a couple of main roads, so getting lost is nearly impossible. After spending a few blissfully relaxing days at our hotel, we decided to go on an adventure. We rented a car at the hotel, and took a picturesque drive to the north side of the island, heading towards the fishing village of Paia. Our plan involved a late lunch at Mama’s Fish House, as well as some beach time at Baldwin Beach Park.

On our way from the hotel, we noticed signs for a scenic lookout, and decided to make a pit stop. What we found was a breathtaking view of the ocean, with whales splashing in the distance. It was glorious! After enjoying the lookout, we jumped back in the car, and headed to IHOP in Kahului…judge if you must, but our breakfast was deeeeelicious. Afterwards we drove to Baldwin Beach Park to work off those pancakes, relax, and look for sea turtles.

Baldwin Beach Park was an interesting place – a beautiful beach with lifeguards, and all kinds of colourful characters. Hula-hooping hippies, a friendly, if a little crazed-seeming Bible-reciting man, girls handing out free coconuts, nudists…you name it, Baldwin Beach Park has it all! Speaking of free coconuts…I considered declining the kind offer, but the girls were opening them up right next to us, so I figured YOLO, and accepted one. I didn’t share the coconut water with le bf, in case it was laced with something…but it ended up being delicious and not at all poisoned nor roofied. Lesson learned: when life gives you free coconuts, take them and drink the coconut water with abandon.

We spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around and playing in the waves. After a while, we took a stroll down the beach and spotted sea turtles swimming super close to shore. Le bf grabbed the camera and waded into the water, forgetting that his phone was in the pocket of his swim trunks. Cutting our sea turtle adventure short, we drove to Paia to buy some rice to try and save his phone, but apparently the rice trick doesn’t work with ocean water. Before we realized it, it was time for our Mama’s Fish House lunch. Once we arrived at the restaurant, we found immaculate grounds overlooking the ocean, friendly staff, and a dining room with a ton of character. We ordered Macadamia Nut Crab Cakes, Mama’s Stuffed Mahimahi, and Opah, Mahimahi and Ahi fish sautéed in Panang Curry. All seafood at Mama’s is freshly-caught by local fishermen, and everything tasted great. Prices are definitely not cheap (especially with a weak Canadian dollar), but Mama’s is a perfect place for a special occasion dinner while in Maui.

After spending some time in Paia, we jumped back into our rental and drove back to Kaanapali, enjoying all the beautiful sights along the way. Minus the ruined cell phone, it was a pretty magical day…IHOP and all.

More after the jump!
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Style Days of Christmas: HBC Collection Gift Pack

4 December, 2015 Nelia

I’m not gonna lie…I want to keep today’s prize so badly! I am a huge fan of Hudson’s Bay’s signature stripes, and this gift pack (valued at over $400*) has it all – chic cardigan, comfy sweatpants, cozy blanket, and a roomy tote that is big enough to hold a week’s worth of shopping. If you want it, you’ll have to wrestle me for it!

Speaking of holiday shopping, once again, a ton of my Christmas presents were purchased from Hudson’s Bay – from their impressive beauty selection at Beauty Underground, to the quirkiest finds over at Drake General, to everything else in-between, it’s my one-stop-shop for gifts for so many people on my list. It’s no wonder that so many items on this year’s Gift Guide are from Hudson’s Bay. So whether you win today’s prize or not, I encourage you to bookmark their site for those amazing One Day Sales, and stop by one of their stores, for the most wonderful selection of pretty much anything and everything.

Now back to the giveaway…I was just kidding, you don’t have to wrestle me for it…follow the instructions below instead!

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Holidays 2015: Gift Guide

17 November, 2015 Nelia

Christmas is just over a month away, which means you’ve got just enough time to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. For someone the perfect gift might mean a bespoke bag, while someone else might be dreaming about a cordless vacuum cleaner (seriously guys, Dyson V6 Animal has changed my life!). This year, I put together a shoppable gift guide, with my fave things like ceramic cat mugs from Etsy, adorable housewares from Indigo, philosophy holiday gift sets, and CHANEL everything. I hope it gives you some ideas and makes your holiday shopping a little easier. Happy Shopping!

1. CHANEL Small Patent Calfskin Wallet
2. CHANEL Round Runway Sunglasses
3. Lanvin iPhone 6 Case
4. ela handbags M.I.L.C.K. Clutch with Chain
5. Apple Watch Hermès
6. Hugo Boss Bespoke Bag
7. Coach Glitter Passport Case
8. Jenny Bird Pearl Choker

1. Drake General Store Holiday Happy Hour Gift Pack
2. The New York Times 36 Hours Guide: World
3. Triple C Backup Phone Charger
4. TOMS Sunglasses
5. Comme Des Garcons PLAY Converse High-Top Sneakers
6. Drake General Store Work Week Sock Pack
7. Kenzo Logo Sweatshirt

More gift ideas after the jump!
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Styled by Nelia: Wear Canada for Canada Day

27 June, 2015 Nelia

Canada Day is around the corner and this year we wanted to showcase some of the wonderful Canadian brands available at Yorkdale. Some, like HBC Collection are iconic and can be found in many Canadian homes, while others like Erin Kleinberg and ela handbags are less mainstream, but nevertheless deserve your attention.

If you did a quick glance inside your wardrobe, how many Canadian brands would you find there? Adding just a few more Canadian pieces to your wardrobe every now and then would help support local brands and designers, while promoting Canadian fashion industry in general. So many designers have to leave the country in order to find popularity, and it’s really sad, because the talent is all here, we just need to help nourish it.

So next time you’re looking for a work outfit, skip your fave fast-fashion retailer and consider picking up a few well-made items from Judith & Charles or Pink Tartan (avail at Holt Renfrew). Instead of buying a “designer” purse, invest in a timeless bag by ela or Mackage (avail at Holt Renfrew and Mendocino). Buy a stunning Dean Davidson (avail at Holt Renfrew) or Jackson Rowe (avail at Mendocino) jewelry piece that you’ll keep forever, or a trendy Brave leather belt (available at Mendocino) that will go with all of your outfits.

Once you take a look around, it’s really easy to find cool Canadian brands, and Yorkdale carries so many – ALDO, Aritzia, Brave, Cougar, Danier, Dean Davidson, Dsquared2, Dynamite, ela handbags, Erin Kleinberg, HBC Collection, Honey, Jackson Rowe, Judith & Charles, Mackage, Pink Tartan, RW&Co, RUDSAK, Tristan, Wilfred, and so many more!

I’m not saying that you should avoid all non-Canadian brands, but with so many amazing local designers, adding a few more Canadian pieces to your wardrobe should be a breeze. And what better time to start than Canada Day?

Share your fave Canadian designers in the comments, and HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Photos and Video by Max Kopanygin

Holidays 2014: Gift Guide

17 November, 2014 Nelia

For some reason, this year, I am woefully unprepared for winter’s arrival, but since it’s practically end of November and there’s snow on the ground, I guess it’s time to snap out of my denial and start shopping. Full disclosure: I have yet to buy any presents, but I do have some ideas as to what I’ll be picking up for my loved ones this holiday season. And just in case you’re in the same boat, I thought I’d share some of my fave holiday gift ideas with you.

I glimpsed most of these back in July, during the annual holiday previews, and I have to say that this year in particular, those previews came in super handy. I got to learn about the existence of cool adult onesies, played with the Big Love Ball, and tried on the gorgeous Thomas Sabo infinity ring; I self-medicated with the all-natural Saje Pocket Pharmacy, and sipped on Inniskillin sparkling icewine. In short, I got to preview and test out a lot of the picks below, and I hope that this gift guide gives you some ideas for your holiday shopping this season. If you’re looking for stocking stuffers, hostess gifts, and presents for him, her, and the kids, then this is a great place to start! Happy Shopping!