Creative, custom cake...from a box!

For our glamping extravaganza this past weekend I wanted a unique birthday cake that didn't cost a fortune. I'm a self professed baker-wannabe, I def don't know my way around a scratch cake mix, I bake from a box - there I said it. So, I had to pull out all of the other stops I could think of to make up for my baking inadequacies; a theme, edible custom topper, a friend with mad icing skills and food colouring! 

Do you love that my GF matches the cake? 

Nothing says fashionable-great outdoors like Canada's chic Hudson's Bay Co. I dreamt up the idea to colour each layer of the cake to match the brands signature stripes (many a rainbow cake have come across my Pinterest feed lately...an idea was born).

Of course I went right to my fave resource Etsy, to seek out a creative genius who could recreate the Bay's logo (with a small tweak to the date to represent the year the hubs was born) and add in a birthday message. The TopACake shop turned my logo around in hours and it was a flawless match! I was nervous about the application of the frosting sheet, but this sheet was sturdy and literally peel n' stick.

Cutting into the middle was the most exciting part! The reveal of these multicoloured layers was a fun surprise - TIP: for rich colour use food colouring gel, I used the drops and didn't quite get the dark colours I was going for.

I couldn't have been more pleased with this custom cake masterpiece, and the best part is the total costs was less than $30 (custom cake topper was only $10!!).  Not bad for this Betty Crocker connoisseur.

Glamping Style Weekend Getaway

This weekend was the hub's 30th birthday, woohoo! In honour of this milestone we set out to arrange a fun filled "Glamping" theme weekend and invited some of our closest friends. We headed in to the deep woods for this one, and there we uncovered a glorious gem. I took a few shots of the place we stayed in, I simply HAVE to share because well...this may be the prettiest "cottage" I've ever seen!  I'm less of a camper, more of a glam gal, but I could def get down with this woodland masterpiece. 

The space was designed to be modern, yet they respected the natural elements that make this land special. Everything started with douglas fir beams, doors and mouldings, but finished with modern industrial details such as this fireplace - with cool storage compartments for wood, and (heated) concrete floors throughout.

The kitchen was a complete dream! High end appliance, a HUGE island and definitely the place where we all ended up gathering most of the weekend.

Move now to the master bathroom, and it gets even more exciting! A stunning view of the great outdoors that can be enjoyed as you shower in a fully exposed area, no glass! It took a bit of bravery to indulge in this amenity, but once I did it was very freeing.

Other than the beautiful setting, modern design and luxurious details, this weekend wouldn't have been complete without the best set of friends anyone could ask for. We gathered by the fire at water's edge and had many laughs over roasted hot dogs and inside jokes, which for us made this weekend very special. 

HOW TO MAKE A QUICK DIY VASE IN A PICKLE...JAR

Hello!!! I know it's been a while, I've been busy getting my life back on track after my loooong vacation; laundry piles, bills and fallen leaves have been top priority; however I did mange to get away for a weekend with friends (they come before laundry).

Last weekend we made the trek up north to a friends cottage to celebrate two birthdays, an anniversary and one engagement! I was in charge of the flowers for the bride-to-be and in my post vacay daze I didn't even think to bring a container to put them in for her to transport back on the 4 hour drive home. Yikes!  

One of my super crafty girlfriends came to the rescue, she spotted a pickle jar in the fridge and decided we could make something pretty to keep these flowers perky.  

We emptied the pickles into Tupperware, washed the vase,  arranged the flowers (not sure why we did this before we wrapped it) and wrapped in twine (taping the first end down and the last end as well).

Ta da...make-shift pickle jar vase!  It turned out beautifully, very rustic-chic.

When you get desperate, your get creative; think beyond the everyday use for items you have on hand...it just might get you out of a pickle.

WEEKEND GETAWAY || classy rustic retreat

Yet another wonderful weekend away.  The summer for us is always super busy, we're lucky to have so many friends with cottages who graciously invite us along or who enjoy travelling as much as we do, so we are always on the move.

This past weekend we headed east to a lovely retreat on the water. Check out this gem. Pretty right? A chic wood cabin-esque pad, with 20 foot vaulted ceilings, the fresh scent of pine throughout and casual/classy decor a ’la Ralph Lauren.

Hubs and I stayed in the master suite, how generous, and got to enjoy a spacious room with the most darling bathroom I have ever seen. Tell me this isn’t rustic retreat perfection?!  The chandelier made me weak in the knees and the claw foot tub, swoon worthy.

Throughout the cottage were cozy details, such as these hand painted paddles, which added a neat graphic element as well as this accidental vignette with firewood as the focal point. I found simple beauty all around me.

We also ate VERY well; not gonna lie, gorged on cheesies too. We tried something new, bacon jam. Have you heard of this? I’d been dying to try, I mean anything with bacon must be delish; I figured brie and crostinis would be the perfect vehicle. The verdict, not bad, not to die for as I had hoped, this was the consensus of the group.

We went for a boat ride, swam at the sand bars, lounged in the sun, sipped on Pimms, gave ourselves pedis and flipped through our fave mags. 

This was the best spot to hunker down with a morning coffee and take in the stunning view.


All this to say I am truly spoiled. I’m a lucky gal, living a fanciful life, sharing it with stellar friends and the perfect partner.