FETE || chic canadiana party

Happy Canada Day eh! My long weekend was pleasantly packed full of family, food and fireworks; my fave things ever...and in that order.  We hosted a Canada Day party on Sunday in our backyard; I had an idea to honour this special day in a way that included more than just red and white paper flags. Chic Canadiana was the theme, think woodland wonderful, beavers and moose, beer and bacon, all things coined classically Canadian. I get ridiculously excited by any occasion that allows me to let my inner party planner, crafter and hostess rear its' obsessive head, and this patriotic celebration was no exception. 

I dug out my wool Hudson's Bay Co. point blanket, with its iconic stripes, and used it as the inspiration for my master plan, bwah ha ha ha.

I prepared a food and bevy line-up that was quintessentially Canadian; Canadian Bacon Burgers, Poutine,  and Moose Tracks Ice Cream with a Maple Cookie topper.  We sipped on Canadian beer from our famed cottage country in Muskoka and cocktails infused with fresh Ontario strawberries.

I also got my craft on; I ordered some of these cute moose gift tags from Etsy and glued them to red take-out boxes from Michaels (I also raided Michaels for scrapbook paper, glue and string), made a catchy celebratory banner and wrapped vases with scrapbook paper to add a little oomph. 

I wanted to keep the classic Canadian red and white colour palette alive, but I freshened things up by using some pretty patterned paper. We handed out maple suckers and sparklers as party favours.

After the feast, we headed out the beach to take in the annual fireworks show, it was a lovely way to cap off the evening. 

The party was a success, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and we all left feeling uber proud to be part of the true North strong and free.

FETE || stylish outdoor entertaining

Hi lovelies, just wanted to share a few quick pics with you from last night's Palm Springs inspired dinner party; it was the first time we've used the new backyard to host a dinner (promise pics of the yard are coming soon).

We were celebrating summer and couldn't have asked for more perfect weather, although I did ask the weather gods several times to please keep the rain away, it worked.

This was the scene...

Black, white and yellow with a splash of pink was the palette I played with, of course. The table seats 8 but was set for 6 and still a tight squeeze, but it seemed to work. I ended up making a table runner from fabric I had leftover from our wedding (cheated a little and only ironed the edges flat, it actually held together well, great shortcut if you don't like to sew).

Any excuse to craft, I'm on it, so I picked up these cute anchor stamps and some scrapbook paper from Michaels and made these little cards to bring some pink and whimsy into the table setting.

The flowers were meant to be bright and have a California feel to them. The market I go to didn't have the billy balls I desperately wanted, so I grabbed these nifty things, thought they fit the bill.

The menu was simple but risky; don't ask me why I decided to try 3 new recipes in a dinner party setting, I usually test them before hand to make sure they're up to snuff.  This time I just went with it and everyone seemed to like the food, and drinks of course were cold and plentiful :)

The menu; Citrus Marinated Shrimp Skewers with Grilled Pineapple to start, Arugula, Potato and Green Bean Salad, a Smitten Kitchen recipe (so amazing, it was totally delish) and Teriyaki Flank Steak (a fave amongst the group). 

For dessert these super refreshing, light and flavourful Strawberry Paletas I saw in Sweet Paul . TO.DIE.FOR! 

We laughed, we chatted, to be honest most of us were tired from work, but it was a relaxed evening and always great to get together

At the end of the night we lit up the fire and toasted marshmallows; our friends brought over a s'mores kit that came complete with sticks to put the marshies on, genius.

This was first of many summer backyard dinner parties in our household. Now, I'm on to the next, Canada Day party planning; was there a hostess badge in Girl Guides? I would have totally earned that one ;) ! Have a wonderful long weekend!

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.

FETE || backyard dinner party inspiration

Happy first day of summer! The weather here in the Tdot is perfectly suited for this special day as it’s a scorching 43 degrees C (110 F)!  To celebrate the first official day of summer I tried to organize a big bash with friends; that went over like a lead balloon. All of my lovely pals had prior engagements such as traveling to Scandinavia, New York City and Vancouver, ya I guess these trump our backyard party ;). It’s a busy time of year as we all know, but I’ve managed to round up a few of our besties for a more intimate dinner party next week instead.

I’m sticking to the summery theme and will be stylin’ it up like a Palm Springs dream. As you will notice almost all of my parties, décor items, inspirations and loves are somehow related to the Palm Springs aesthetic; every time I try to veer away I end up back where I started, oh well I love so let’s roll with it.

Here’s what I’m thinking, a playful and coulourful palette with a summery menu to compliment.

I’m going to attempt to make these delicious looking ice pops from this month’s Sweet Paul mag.

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This will be our first official dinner party in the new yard – which I haven’t fully shown you yet, I was waiting until we had the trees planted to take the “after” pics, but we aren’t moving quickly on that so I’ll work on pics next week for the reveal! 

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And so it’s official, summer is here, time to let your hair go wavy and put the champagne on ice, let’s celebrate!

CHIC COUNTRY LIVING

How was your weekend?  Mine was quite lovely, such wonderful weather here and being Father’s Day on Sunday I got to hang out with my family which is always a treat.

My extended family met up in a little rural town called Grafton; think rolling hills, houses acres apart and fresh air.  Grafton is home to Canadian famous, St. Anne's Spa and also my Grandparents and Aunt and Uncle. I’ve been going to this quaint little town since I was born, frolicking in the raspberry bushes, swinging in the hammock and mostly running from all the bugs.  Until a few years ago, I didn't really appreciate just how beautiful this precious land is; now I savour every nugget of its undeniable beauty.

Thought I would give you a little break from your everyday (although, maybe your everyday looks like this, in which case you know what heaven is) and share with you just a slice of chic country living.

This is my Aunt and Uncle's place, a quintessential country home that’s complete with a gazebo, several horseshoe pits (duh?) and way too many beautiful secret spots to escape to  with a good book. 

  

NIBBLES & SIPS || mint iced tea

Hopefully you enjoyed some of the same fabulous weather we had here in Toronto today. It was a quintessential summer day and we shared a wonderful afternoon on a friend's new sailboat. I couldn't show up empty handed, so I whipped up a batch of this refreshing, virgin bevy and hit the harbour. Here's the super simple recipe.

Ingredients:

3 tea bags - I used orange pekoe but you could also use green tea

1/4 cup of sugar

4 cups of boiling water

2 cups of cold water

bunch of mint leaves

lemon slices - if desired

First, boil 4 cups of water.

Then steep the tea bags for 10 mins.

Once the tea has steeped, remove the bags and transfer to a serving pitcher. Add sugar.

Stir the tea using the bunch of mint until sugar is dissolved, drop in. Pour in the remaining 2 cups of cold water. 

If you like, you can add a few lemon slices, this time I went without.  It's best to let it sit for a couple of hours so the flavours meld.

Pour into a pretty glass and serve over ice.  Do you have a favourite summer beverage?

LOVE, LUST, MUST || summer entertaining

Hello all, Happy Friday! I had lots of fun putting together this li'l feature; I have a feeling it will quickly become one of my faves. Love, Lust, Must is centered around a theme, featuring a collection of items I own and want to own, today's theme, summer entertaining.

I’m always on the prowl for chic new items that will make my role as a hostess easier and the experience of my guests better. Here’s a peek at what I stock up on for summer parties.

I obsess over strange things, like salt and pepper shakers for example. I simply adore this stunning, vintage marble set, an essential table item, why not make them easy on the eyes? 

Williams-Sonoma Easy Entertaining, need I say more?  Everyone with at least one domestic bone in their body loves Williams-Sonoma and this book is one of the many reasons why.   It includes drool-worthy summer entertaining tips  for everything from a smashing backyard BBQ, to a quaint sandwich picnic or a brunch buffet complete with peach nectar spritzers. Love!

 

Pull up a gold tree stump stool why don't you? Extra seating is always important to have on hand in the summer months when the wafting scent of pulled pork on the BBQ tends to draw in a crowd. This gold wonder-log is my idea of the great outdoors.

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In all its fabulous, hexagonal glory, this Jonathan Adler lacquer serving tray is a lust item indeed. A selection of pretty summer colours and sexy lines make this tray an outdoor entertaining lust. Carry mint juleps to your gracious guests or ice cream sammies to the kids, heck, use it as a centerpiece filled with a pretty collection of bud vases holding tulips.

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There is no such thing as a summer party without ice and a glamaroo ice bucket to serve it from - although technically I think this may be a champagne bucket - but who cares, greet your guests with bubbly when they arrive and fill this baby back up with ice.

The ol’ mortar and pestel, time to dust this baby off as it’s a crucial summer must. Think marinades with fresh herbs, ground spice rubs for your ribs, mojitos, guacamole, BBQ pesto pizzas, I will stop…but you get the drift.  

And of course, get 'em while you can, Peonies, no explanation needed, an early summer must!

Well, this about rounds out my list of summer entertaining loves, lusts and musts (I never get sick of saying that); let the parties begin! Will you be playing host/hostess this weekend?