My Life~ Christina's Birthday!

It was my bestie Christina's birthday this past week and on Saturday we celebrated her! It was a love and fun filled night~ the perfect combination of amazing girls and guys, killer cocktails and food, laughs and hugs. Nobody deserves happiness like this girl~ she is an absolutely unbelievable friend, the kindest, sweetest and most thoughtful of people. Ever. I feel so lucky to know her and to be able to call her my friend and it was such a treat to celebrate her. My beautiful Berg, to many many more birthdays together! I can't wait!

(that's the gorgeous birthday girl in the middle in purple!)

The Three Musketeers

The beautiful birthday girl!

At the restaurant, Society in Yaletown~

instead of bread to start they bring COTTON CANDY! Now that's my kind of place!

Muah!

Besties xoxo

Is it still a Christmas Party if it's in January?

Last week we finally had our staff Christmas party and let me tell you, we seriously let loose! December is one of, if not the, busiest months of the year for us so we simply can't have our party before the holiday itself. Still, it was quite lovely to be able to get together and celebrate knowing that the chaotic nuttiness of the season was well behind us! 

We were taken to blue water cafe in Yaletown, where we feasted on their unbelievable sushi, oysters, prawns and sashimi, not to mention three additional courses. Did I mention there was an open bar?! I won't go into the details but suffice it to say I have a new resolution for 2010~ no more unlimited cocktails for me! I am lucky enough to work with some amazing people, including three of my best friends and two incredible bosses, so it is always (mostly always) a joy to go there. In fact, after 5 days off already after my knee surgery I'm more than ready to go back! Here are a few candid shots from our fantastic evening...

My BFF, Leah, and I got ready together and started the evening with a few Cosmos! 

Leah shows off her stunning Birks engagement ring! Greg did GOOD! Nah, he did great! 

All ready in our party gear! My dress is BCBG, my pale pink heels a steal from Aldo. 

The blissful, newly engaged couple! 

Girl time in the ladies room, of course! Leah, Jenny, Nic and myself. 

Smooching time at dinner! 

The boys hanging at the (open!) bar! 

Bestie time! 

Hamming it up for the camera! It was such a fun night! 

Holiday Brunch

A lovely moment of relaxation amidst the chaos of the holiday season~ my lovely friend and co-worker Jennifer had myself and Nicole (the third of our work trio) over for an incredible Christmas brunch this past Saturday. We literally feasted (and I do mean feasted) on both cinnamon chocolate chip or rum and egg nog pancakes (or both!!), goat cheese frittata and bacon off of Jen's Vera Wang wedding china and drank sparkling rose wine out of crystal flutes. It was amazing and I ate until I could eat no more! On top of Jen's amazing skills in the kitchen~ she hand made the gorgeous beaded initial Christmas ornaments (above), inspired by the goddess of Christmas herself, 

Martha Stewart of course. 

It was a wonderful day and one I hope to repeat many times in the future~ both for the fantastic feast and, mostly, the friendship.

Best Friend Christmas Day

enjoying girl's day 

with our festive head gear and Lulu in front of the tree!

embracing our tiny first fall of snow! 

my beautiful best friends

Happy December!

Happy December! I'm looking forward to holiday cheer, late nights wrapping pretty gifts, stolen afternoons shopping with my girlfriends, festive cocktails, lights going up all over the city, old familiar songs, laughter and most of all, (with much hope) snow. My favourite month of the year is here and I'm determined to have a wonderful one! I hope you and your loved ones do too! Spread some holiday joy today! 

It May Be Way Too Early But....

The stores are filling up with Christmas decor and ornaments and I hate to admit it.... but I'm already planning my holiday decor! Christmas is by far my favourite time of year. I love the smell of apple cider brewing to sample in Williams Sonoma. I love the persistent cheer of carols in the stores and (I shamefully admit it) on a permanent loop in my car. I love sending and receiving cards in the mail, if for no other reason than to express love at such a time of the year. I love it all, the happiness and gushiness of it all. 

I decorate my place faithfully on the 1st of December. Sadly my apartment building won't let me have a live tree so mine is a fake. It does a good job but I love the smell of a real tree. Still, there are plenty of pretty decorations to sustain me through the holiday season and I love to spread them throughout my entire apartment, even the kitchen and powder room. I'll certainly post on the upcoming holiday more as it draws closer but I wanted to share some of the holiday decor seen at my favourite place, The Cross. Isn't it all heavenly? 

I utterly love this white Christmas tree. I want one for myself this year!

Owls are my absolute favourite! I adore both the owl lamp and the tree ornaments like crazy! 

Cupcake and pink reindeer ornaments? These are so on my list! 

Snowflake scatter is perfect for a seasonal party! 

(Photos via The Cross' Facebook Fan Page)

Thanksgiving

Over a chilly Thanksgiving long weekend all I want to do is this: 

Eat pumpkin pie. Lots of it. Or pumpkin cheesecake. I'm down with that too.

Be cozy. Spend time with my family. Wear fuzzy socks and an oversized sweater. Lose myself in a good book. Relax. Hole up in front of the fireplace above (sadly not mine, but the one in my dreams). 

Turkey turkey turkey. But more importantly, stuffing. 

Sleep in. Wrestle with my purr monster. Have late brunch. 

Bake something fall-ish. Maybe something with apples and cinnamon. Then eat it. 

Best of all, give thanks for all the wonderful people and things in my life. I am truly grateful this year. 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

(Photo via This Is Glamorous)

A Few More From The Dirty 30

Humor me! My lovely girlfriend Christina kept taking photos long after my camera battery died the night of my 30th surprise party and I couldn't resist posting a few group shots I didn't have before! 

ps- The party was supposed to be a White Party, as it's my favourite thing to wear in the world! See how much my BFF knows me? 

Thank you, Berg, for the fabulous photos! I love you! 

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Birthday Canada! I love being Canadian and am genuinely proud to call this my home, on this day and all others. I love so many things about being from here~ its beauty and diversity, medical care we can count on, a solid educational system, music from the likes of Arcade Fire and Metric, the birthplace of Ryan Reynolds and Rachel McAdams! This country has so much to experience and offer, despite not being perceived as glamourous or as sexy as the States or as cultural and historical as Europe (I'm not arguing here, I'm just sayin'). I hope one day to explore my country better, but in the meantime I'm a happy girl here on the West Coast! 

Today was a wonderfully celebratory Canada Day! My beautiful friend Nicole and I headed out to Steveston to take part in the annual Salmon Festival, which is (as our waiter later told us) the largest celebration across the country~ even bigger than in Ottawa! We and 50,000 other people wandered around the sunny (and very very windy) fishing village and took part in the general festivities, including yummy salmon burgers and, of course, ice cream cones! Despite being incredibly crowded (and a little overwhelming) I enjoyed the exuberance and feeling of community amongst the throng of happy revelers! The patriotism was infectious and the enthusiasm in the crowds endearing. Yet more reasons to say I'm proud to be Canadian!