Scent is a very personal thing. My first foray into a signature scent was when I wore Abercrombie & Fitch's "8" perfume in my teens. Then, a few Christmases later, my mama gave me Sarah Jessica Parker's perfume, Lovely, because I adore her and its title is my favourite word. It was a wonderful and sentimental gift. Lovely has since been discontented and I've ventured into other fragrances. Now if you smell me it is likely one of these three - the usual suspects. Since I love peeking into people's makeup bags and finding out what beauty products they can't get enough of, here I offer my top three perfumes of the moment. 




Elizabeth and James Nirvana White
Probably my ultimate fave and my new signature scent. I bought it in Chicago last year in the rollerball and then bought the perfume oil a few months later. I plan on purchasing the full size bottle (I miss the spray!). It's described as "a captivating blend of delicate peony, chic muguet (whatever that is...) and tender musk for a feminine scent with dark sophistication."

Marc Jacobs Honey 
I got this last year when I redeemed optimum points at Shopper's. It is a pretty strong scent so I don't wear it as often as the others, and I would consider it more of a "fun" or "daytime" fragrance. The bottle sure is cute, though :) Marc got a little more descriptive and writes "Honey is a sunny, delicious floral - energetic and alluring, with a sparkling golden touch. The perfect mix of brightness and warmth. This buzzing fragrance energizes with the freshness of green pear and a bright splash of fruity punch and juicy mandarin. Orange blossom resides at the heart of the fragrance and mingles with the nectars of honeysuckle and peach for a note of sparkling femininity. Honey, vanilla and smooth woods dry down to a warm, golden base." Phew. Well put, Marc.

I'm an introvert. In fact, I'm an INFP (but that's for another post ;). I'm also a journalist by trade, so I like news you can use. If any of these posts give you inspiration or tips I'm all for it. 

Today was a day I had completely to myself. Chris had plans to golf with his friends and my girlfriends were going for a hike. [Confession: I dislike hikes. When I was a teenager my dad would take me on hikes and I'd always come home and break up with my boyfriend; the open air gave me too much time to think and contemplate (I was a dramatic teen...but then again, who wasn't?). Now I just find them long and boring. You want me to walk for 2-3 hours along the streets of Manhattan? No problem! Let's make it six. You want me to walk for 2-3 hours in the forest? No thanks.] 

Not only were Chris and the girls unavailable, but both of my parents were out of town. So, the people I usually spend my weekend days with were out for the count; I had the whole day to myself, to do with whatever I pleased. As an introvert I relish in these moments. I had a very busy and stressful work week and I needed the alone time to recharge. 

To start my day I went for my second outdoor run of the year. The sun was shining, I had music in my ears and I love starting my day with exercise and fresh air. After I came home I made one of my favourite breakfasts (an over easy egg on toast with pepper and a green juice) and realized I could do whatever I wanted with my day. So, what does one do on a solo spring Saturday? Well, I decided to pack up my new backpack and enjoy the sun and the ocean. I went to Starbucks and brought my coffee to the beach. I listened to music, people watched, journaled...it was lovely. The time alone in the sun was so good for my soul. I even saw my first iceberg of the season! 

Today was a good day <3

I work in production and the times leading up to print can get quite stressful. Yesterday was one of those days when a lot came at me at once and I felt overwhelmed. I was feeling on edge and had a lot to get done so I took a moment to step back and evaluate the situation. I knew I had to calm down and pull myself together so I could focus on my work. I've found there are five things that really help turn around a stressful work day, so I wanted to share them with you.

My first tip would be to get out for a break - whether that's to get a coffee, a lunch break or even just a walk outside for a few minutes to get some fresh air. However, if you're really too busy and don't have the time to take a break (as I didn't) here are some ways to help alleviate the stress.

1. Make a cup of tea.
The first thing I did was put on the kettle to make some nice green tea with mint. Tea is both relaxing, comforting and caffeinated - what more could you want?

2. Light a candle or indulge in some aromatherapy.
I am lucky to work form home so I can light a candle whenever I please. However, I can certainly appreciate that is not the case in most offices. So, if you can't light a candle (which I find immediately gives a sense of relaxation) may I suggest dabbing some lavender essential oil on your pulse points. It'll have a similar effect without offending your co-workers or the fire regulations.

3. Turn on some soft music.
While the kettle was on the stove I got out my iPad and turned on Spotify to give some nice background music and ambience. Both the Acoustic Spring and Totally Stress Free playlists are awesome. I keep the music low even though I'm the only person around because I want to still be able to concentrate and answer phone calls with ease. If you are in an office that objects to you playing music you can use headphones - the universal sign for "do not disturb," which, let's be honest, is another bonus ;)

4. Focus on your breath.
If you can't get out for a break take a moment - seriously all you need is a minute - to take a few deep, soulful breaths. Close your eyes, inhale deeply for five seconds, hold for five and exhale slowly for a count of five. Do this a few times and I promise you will feel better. Extra points if you can do this in front of an open window.

5. Craft a to do list.
Perhaps the most important of the five tips, creating a to do list really helps you focus and prioritize. Even if you don't list the tasks in order of importance, you can look at all you need to accomplish and decide what to tackle first - whether that's the easiest or quickest to get the ball rolling or the most daunting so you can get that taken care of earlier, a to do list will make all the difference. Plus, there's nothing better than crossing things off a list and knowing you did your duty. High five!

Pictured below: my tips in action :)

Remember in my last post when I said it was lovely to watch a movie in bed without any intention of falling asleep? Well, I did just that this week. Twice. 

On Friday night Chris took me to a local Japanese restaurant to celebrate his busiest work season being over and me putting another magazine to print. Chris works in sports so a lot of his weekends are spent at a hockey rink; it was nice to get dressed up (I work from home... that's not a regular occurrence) and go on a real "date." After dinner we watched a movie that had been on my radar for a few months: The F Word (apparently its alternate title is What If). It's an adorable little movie (set in Toronto - how fun is that?) about love and friendship and asks the age old question can men and women be just friends? Harry Potter is in it and I thought he did a nice job being the charming "guy" friend. Probably more than anything else I enjoyed watching a quirky film about people my age set in a city I know well. If these attributes apply to you too, you might want to check it out.

The second movie I watched rather indulgently in bed was Begin Again. I LOVED this movie. It stars Mark Ruffalo (who I adore) and Keira Knightley and is about a music producer getting his groove back while recording an album all over New York with a darling of a songwriter. Adam Levine plays Knightley's rockstar ex-boyfriend and while I know some people are incredibly annoyed by Levine, his handsomeness resembles my loving boyfriend's so I have a soft spot for him :) The songs are cute and catchy and I immediately bought the soundtrack after the movie was over (and have been listening to it on repeat). At first I thought they did a poor job matching the singing voice to Knightley only to find out she is the one singing on the soundtrack and in the movie. Impressive! It's a feel good, want-to-sing-along type of movie that I highly recommend. 

Any movie recommendations for me to check out?!