Fashionista Travel Peru – Downtown Cusco
There are no words to translate the beauty of Downtown Cusco… so with that, I will leave you with my picture story… enjoy 
…These are a few of my favorite Montreal Things…
Randomn and beautiful brick wall art… it’s all around the city!
I found this super cool iron sculpture-like thing on the outside of a mexican restaurant… love the shapes!
We are blessed here to have some of the most amazing europeen coffee here in the 514… I loooove my lattes! Take that Starbucks!
Perfectly blended martinis from W Hotel Lounge…. mmmm… a la rose is an all time fave… served with a fresh orchid on the side of the glass 
Luxe.
Holt Renfrew Department Store and Blogger appreciation! Celebrating Garance Dore, Bryan Boy and Sea of Shoes! WoW… famous bloggies!!!
Breakfast at Tiffany’s… the Oceane dish is probably my all time favorite version of Eggs Benedict… mmmmm…
Vanilla Smack Cupcakes with colored frosting from Cho’cola Bakery on Monkland Street… mmmmm…. *drool*
They make some other great flavors like s’mores, boston cream, ginger orange, etc… DELECTABLE TREATS!
The freshest local ice cream from Quebec… Bilboquet! My favorite flavour… Cacaophonie… chocolate ice cream, white chocolate chunks with fudge, brownies and pecans… mmmmmm (for a lighter choice, the raspberry frozen yogurt above is a great tangy alternative).If you are what you eat, then….
I am definately a Greasy Spoon Diner Breakfast!!!
Had a diner breakfast with all the trimmings this morning (fried eggs over, sausage, buttered toast and beans with a never ending cup of coffee), and just remembered that this is WHERE I CAME FROM
Ma Roots yo! Makes me remember all the mornings I ate with my dad at one of these numerous little precious spots… the good ol’ days…
Soooo…. I PASSED my Restricted Firearms Licence… WOOT WOOOOOT!!! I scored 94% and 96% on my finals… I am now qualified biznatches!!!
Another thing to celebrate…
It has been 15 whole days that I have been shopping sober.
2 WEEKS!!!
Okay, it may not be hard for anyone else… but for me this is saying something!
Hope everyone’s Monday wasn’t too Manic…
1st Money Saving Tip (Eating In) & My New Crib ;)
Thanks to everyone who has already left a money-saving tip for my
The first tip I am dedicating myself to is
EATING IN!
This shouldn’t be too difficult as I work from home and really have no excuse not to be eating in… however when I meet friends downtown – that is where the challenge will lay
Thank you to
&
for this awesome tip… here goes nothing!!!
Ladies & Gents keep the comments coming and mix it up! I need as many motivations as possible and leaving a comment puts you in the running for a
FREE Fashionista 514 engraved iPod Nano!!!
Saturday morning my friend Deborah came over for brunch (usually we chose restaurants around town, but I figured this would be the ideal time to try brunching at home)! We made green tea with honey, cinnamon buns, egg “Mc muffin” sandwiches with tomato and brie cheese, waffles with maple syrup… it was some good homemade cookin’!
It was also the first time I got a chance to use my new kitchen! Gotta say I am lovin’ the new appliances… will be making some homemade pasta very soon… stay tuned…
Here is our little breakfast setup…
Enjoyin’ my new space! Here is a mini tour of my new apartment!
(Please note that it is NOT yet finished (or fully unpacked) and still slightly under construction)
My beeeeeautiful kitchen with dark hardwood flooring and cabinetry… stainless steel appliances… yum! I gave my kitchen a subliminal Marilyn Monroe “modern” theme (if that makes any sense at all)
Thank you IKEA!!! Got these suspendable wall slouch bags a while back… love ‘em.
The Oven. Digital. Lets me know when the time is up for baking. No more burning EVERYTHING!!!
I’m psyched.
I think my granite counter tops are awesome… is it just me? Probably.
My fridge is traffic central as you can see… very girly and lots of ladies to dress up! Knock your socks off…
Pug Mug
The Bathroom. Probably my most favorite place in the apartment.
Brushed stainless steel sink, bubble massager tub, disco-style tiling, washer & dryer…
ummmm… what more could I ask for?!?
Pug being a camera whore (as usual). This is pretty much an overview of the place. In the back is the kitchen, the first door after that is the bathroom, and then the two bedrooms. Dining room and living room area opens on to each other.
The beautiful green “leaf” view we have from both our living room and bedroom
My terasse tea table! To be used obsessively all summer!!! Nothing like a balcony picnic!
Through the looking glass
The “Love Shrine” above our bed. I set this up as a surprise for Vlad so that before his head hits the pillow every night he knows that its just the two of us together in this crazy world
Aaaaaand this is where all the magic happens… lol
Through the looking glass
The “Love Shrine” above our bed. I set this up as a surprise for Vlad so that before his head hits the pillow every night he knows that its just the two of us together in this crazy world
Aaaaaand this is where all the magic happens… lol
This brand has seriously whipped my used-to-be acne invaded face into shape. It is still on the mend but has improved CONSIDERABLY from what it was only 6 months ago!
My makeup brushes in my favorite mug of all time. Vlad and I went to a coffee shop that lets you paint your own pottery and he made me this!!! I can’t get enough of this mug!!! He made all these little faces with different colored lipstick all around… and inside is a hilarious portrait of PUG!!!
My makeup brushes in my favorite mug of all time. Vlad and I went to a coffee shop that lets you paint your own pottery and he made me this!!! I can’t get enough of this mug!!! He made all these little faces with different colored lipstick all around… and inside is a hilarious portrait of PUG!!!
So there is my mini-tour for now! The office will be coming soon too (full of unpacked boxes still). Once we are up and running for real I will show off some more!
Watched The MTV movie awards last night and am SOOOO happy Twilight won pretty much EVERYTHING!!! Yay Edwaaa – I mean Robert Pattinson!
Brace yourself peoples – IT’S MONDAY!!!
It’s Free Cone Day!!!
OMG!!! I was picking up dry cleaning and movies and saw a lineup down the street… FREE CONE DAY AT BEN & JERRY’S!!! Wow! Thank god for errands – I would have kicked myself if I missed out on a free cone!!! Get out there and get yours!!!
Date Night at Garde Manger Restaurant
Every now and then, no matter how long you have been in a relationship – you need to get away from everything and remind the special someone in your life that amongst all the chaos it’s still just you and them. DATE NIGHT!!! There is nothing I love more than showing my babe off for all of the world to see how lucky of a lady I am . Soooo… we finally got reservations to one of Montreal’s most coveted restaurants in the heart of the Old Port – Garde Manger.
. Soooo… we finally got reservations to one of Montreal’s most coveted restaurants in the heart of the Old Port – Garde Manger.
Garde Manger has now been open for about four years, and still remains one of the city’s hottest spots for amazing seafood, cocktails and a new menu every night (written so homely on an old school black chalkboard). The decor is classy, yet rustic and natural (gives hints to a fish market/beach hangout). Upon walking in you instantly feel at home (no wonder I was eating my crab legs so savagely). With a large chandelier hanging over the full dining area, candlelit jars filled with sand, an old school rock and roll soundtrack and dimmed down lighting – it is a place you can tell houses many regulars. Reservations are a must, as it is actually impossible to get a table without one. The bar, however is always open and always serving some quite amazing concoctions. So… We decided to try some of their specialties…
( The “art deco” styled address above)
To start off, I ordered a Caesar (one of my favorite aperitifs!)… Garde Manger makes it rimmed with seafood spices, with your classic celery stick, and with a crab leg protruding from your over sized beer mug! I was in heaven. Crab leg in my cocktail? Bring it on!
Next for the starter, Vlad and I shared the seafood platter for two (first and last picture). The platter nearly took up the whole table and was absolutely succulent! Fresh oysters, shrimp, scallops and crab legs in a very healthy portion delivered with decorative sea kelp, home made horseradish and Tabasco sauce. YUM! My main course was a fish fillet in a shrimp and lobster bouillon with artichoke hearts, and Vlad went for their BBQ baby back ribs – I must say, his plate was better than mine! The ribs practically fell off the bone and were incredibly juicy.
Because we stuffed our faces, we did not get to experience any of their desserts this time round, but next time we will indulge in something sinful while dancing the night away to amazing rock n roll Overall rating: 4 stars!Garde-Manger Restaurant Information
408 St-François-Xavier,
Old Montreal
Phone: 514-678-5044
Hours: Tue–Sun 6 pm – 3 am
Payment: Cash, Credit Cards
Awesomely Successfull Shopping Afternoon!
Soooo… today after a busy and intense morning of work, I took my weekend (a.k.a. afternoon)! First and foremost, I went to my shopping mecca – Holts!!! I picked up some of my fave Laszlo skincare products – and am trying this new eye cream (Ocu-Phel Emollient)… it’s a super rich and concentrated eye cream for the evening to hydrate dry eye areas. It also doubles as a great day time moisturizer when you are out in the harshest of the elements (ski days, or hiking). It creates a barrier that protects the skin from harmful free radicals. Next, it was upstairs to dvf to see Audrey – a personal shopper of sorts (she picks out new stock in my size and style and sets it aside for me until I can come down to the store to try it all on). I found three new great summer dresses, all which I will eventually get around to taking pics of for you guys. I will be back next week during their promotion to pick my purchases up with a 25% discount. YAY! 
After finishing up at Holts, I met up with a friend of mine and we went to visit my mother in law at the gorgeous jewellery store she manages – Kaufman de Suisse. True beauty, let me tell you!
http://www.kaufmanndesuisse.com/
So, we chatted, got a quick tutorial on diamond qualities, coloring and rarity while sipping perfectly foamed lattes amongst a sea of diamonds . You know, just your typical afternoon…
Betsy Johnson was one of our last stops before we dropped and I found these stunning Marilyn Monroe – styled socks (I got the pink ones above). I looooove them, especially since I share boy socks normally with my babe…
We refuelled at the NYC inspired deli Anton & James on Stanley Street, downtown off of St. Catherine and filled up on mushroom & cheese melts, Greek salad, and grilled chicken pasta salad. Mmmmm…
Now I’m back at home, enjoying all my goodies and all washed and ready for bed curled up on the couch watching James Bond with pug and babe. Such a fairy tale ending to me!
Coolest Coffee
How insanely jealous am I that I have never truly experienced a latte of this caliber?!?! VERY!!!
Now I am sorry to say, I will stick my nose up at the “normal” concoctions Starbucks throws together… my latte life will never again be satisfied untill I have a taste of the good life…
These coffee artisans use special techniques when they pour the milk and use toothpicks
to recreate these “latte looks”. Dragging it through the foam to form lines and eventually shapes, characters and words! Some of the more intricate looks (like the King, above), were created with a stencil and special coloring.
I saw these and thought they were just too cool. Check out this link on youtube for a quick how-to for your morning latte!!!
Nothin’ like a Ski Day
One of the greatest advantages I have livin‘ up in the great white north, is being close enough to go skiing every weekend (ahhhh… if only I had the time every weekend!). It is truly awesome that I am literally surrounded by great ski hills… large challenging ones when I’m feeling up to it, as well as the little bunny hills when the workweek has been especially tough on me!
Did I mention chalet food?!? Mmmmmm… here we have hot chocolate (a staple), the infamous Quebec poutine (fries, cheese curds and gravy), chili and cream of spinach soup. The best part of the day may just be eating all this crap! Hey – it’s cold out there and I need all the insulation I can get
Canadian winters are cold. Spending the whole day outside on a slope is even colder. My Canada Goose down-filled parka does one hell of a job keeping all that good poutine-radiating heat in! Apparently when you are warm and dry, silly faces come naturally…
Man I look like a dork when I ski!
The very necessary chair-lift shots…
My hubson… he is a great skier that always ends up lecturing me on the slopes about posture, pole positions, and making large turns… Very helpful, but sometimes I just wanna kill him!
Anyways, here he is decked out in her Arc’teryx gear (specially made to keep the warmth in and your sweat out – very thin layering of specialized nylon shells).
For the great winter gear were sporting here, check out:
Have the absolute greatest parkas here – used originally for expeditions to the Arctic!
Outdoors wear in any climate, in any condition.
Things I agree with…
- Eating whenever you are hungry – none of this “nothing after eight bullshit” (oh, and satisfying attack cravings).
- Buying incredibly high, insanely gorgeous, ridiculously expensive high heels.
- Doing something every once and a while that scares you, or puts you out of your comfort zone. Right now, that happens to be taking salsa classes with my boyfriend…
- Shop, shop, shopping!!! My style is my creative expression – I love learning how to mix and match different things to play up my best qualities!
- Going to bed early and sleeping ten hours a night (if you can).
- Drinking lots and lots of water.
- Overdosing on bubble baths.
- Loving the person you are with and leaving the past behind.
- Considering your pets your children.
- Living each and every day to its fullest.
- Watching tons and tons of movies!!! With popcorn!!!
- Singing and dancing in your underwear.
- Old fashioned romance.
- Not being ashamed to still admit you love Kraft dinner and Ramen noodles
- Diamonds, diamonds, diamonds
- Opening your mind to all the crazy people out there – and finding inspiration from how liberated they are.
- Not cooking or cleaning sometimes when you don’t feel like it.
- Sharing a balcony picnic watching the sunset from your high rise apartment building.
- Long steamy makeout sessions with your lover that don’t have to lead to anything else…
…Stay tuned for more acceptable behaviour…
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