Sunday Brunchin'

There are few opportunities for "girl-time-bonding" that I enjoy as much as Sunday brunch. The long and lazy pace, perusing through endless options of sweet and savoury delicacies, sipping warm cups of coffee while chatting about everything from current events to careers - from family to fashion finds. Reminiscing about old times and looking forward (sometimes with excitement - other times with trepidation) to the next milestone. No one does bonding better than good girlfriends, and no setting is better for it, to me, than a fantastic brunch spot.

So last Sunday I made the trek from the 'burbs to the heart of T.O. to not only catch up with two of my best girlfriends, but also to celebrate the impending arrival of my friend Laura's new baby girl ♡♡♡. I have been to some really fabulous brunch spots over the years, and count Insomnia, Hot House and Patria among my favs. But this time, at the request (brilliant!) of the mom-to-be, we decided to check out the new Colette Grand Cafe located inside Toronto's hip and trendy Thompson Hotel. The weather on Sunday was decidedly fall-like - cool and damp, drizzling but not pouring - and it made the atmosphere inside this gorgeous, Parisian inspired cafe that much cozier. It also made our brunch date, that much longer as we opted for one more cup of coffee, and perhaps one last serving of prosciutto rather than heading back, out into the dreary weather.

The exterior of the restaurant has a distinctly European flair, with a crisp navy and white color palette and cute bistro tables shaded by a chic awning.

Once inside, I was greeted by a beautiful, smiling hostess and given a moment to take in the flawless interior decor as I waited for our table to be prepared (Reservations for Sunday brunch are strongly recommended - if not absolutely required). The brunch buffet was incredible. The selections endless and the service impeccable. The crowd was an eclectic mix of urban hipsters, and savvy fashionistas, and I expect that being just down the street from 2015 TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) action upped the overall beautiful people quotient this weekend.

If you haven't yet had the opportunity, I strongly recommend booking a table at Colette. At just under $300 for the three of us (including champagne mimosas, taxes and gratuity), it is definitely on the pricier side, as brunches go, however it is worth every penny. And really, as an occasional treat in the spirit of girlfriend bonding, I'm not sure that you can afford not to try it ;)

Shirt - Winners (similar)

Pants - H&M (similar)

Bag - Danier (similar)

Shoes - Nine West (similar)

Linking up with these fabulous blogs!!

Goodbye July, Hello August!!! My Long Weekend Look

I can't believe it's already August!!! This was a long weekend for us here in Canada - and one of my favorite long weekends of the year. This "goodbye July/hello August" weekend has always felt to me like the pinnacle weekend of the summer - the weekend that all the summer days have been leading up to....and the weekend after which we start heading steadily into fall. Typically in Toronto, the weather does a dramatic dive southward after this long weekend as August breezes begin to pick up and days get ever so slightly shorter. Which is why I always look forward to getting out and enjoying at least one of the many events that take over the city this time of year.

In my younger days, you would have found me spending this weekend jumping up at the annual Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival and then dancing the night away at one of the many long-weekend parties taking place. This year we were lucky to be kids-free and spent what is most often referred to as "Caribana Saturday" taking in the AMAZINGLY funny Kevin Heart at his sold out show at Toronto's Air Canada Centre. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to take advantage of overnight babysitting during what is arguably the biggest party weekend of the year here in T.O. I dressed for what I knew would be a long night of laughter, drinks and dancing.

I wanted a look that would take me from the show to dinner and drinks and then eventually to the dance floor. I decided that in this case, simple sophistication in a classic colour palate would get me where I wanted (style-wise) to go. I opted for a chic black and white combination for my long weekend night out:

Always a fan of mixing things up I decided to go for a combination of both black and gold accessories for added personality and "hipster flare"

This look was super easy to put together and incredibly comfortable hours after the night began. The base of this outfit is just a simple black racer-back tank and pair of comfy basic H&M leggings.

I added a light-weight, off-white blazer from H&M to pull the outfit together and add a bit of sophistication.

I decided to go with a comfy pair of black wedge-heeled gladiator sandals by Sam Edelman and this structured leather cross-body handbag that I picked up in a little shop a couple years back in Venice.

The great thing about this look is that I could easily remove the jacket and wear my purse across my body leaving my hands free for sipping cocktails and dancing the night away (as we did!!!) when the nights antics lead us to the ever popular over-30 T.O. nightspot - Pravda Vodka Bar.

Jacket - H&M

Tank - Winners (similar)

Sandals - Sam Edelman (similar)

Handbag - (similar)

I slipped my scent-of-the-moment rollerball - Balenciaga B. - along with my new fav lipstick and gloss combo (MAC's Angel and Revlon's Ultra HD Lip laquer #540 ) into my purse and was out the door. We met up with our friends just as the show was about to start, and a great night was had by all! Oh how I love this long weekend!!! 

Which is your favorite summer long weekend?

Linking up with these fabulous blogs!!

Denim Distressin'

I have been trying to find the perfect pair of distressed denim skinnies for the longest time! I was debating on whether to wait until I had lost these final post baby pounds, when I came across a great pair of stretchy, comfy, generously weighted jeans by H&M. For just $39.99, I was in the change room and at the checkout faster than she could say "cash or credit".

There are so many things I like about these jeans - I don't even know where to start! Firstly, the shade of blue is absolutely spot on what I wanted. Not too deep, and not so light that they are unflattering on my fuller post-pregnancy thighs - I find these the perfect shade of medium-blue denim. I also love that the distressing was done in such a way that there are no actual "holes" in the jeans, just a really great threading effect:

Next, I absolutely LOVE the length on these! They are sold as a cuffed jean, and so there is a very generous inseam that allows you to wears these with flats or with the highest of sky-high heels you dare. 

Finally they are made of that most elusive combination of thick, heavy-weight denim and generous stretch that makes them both comfortable AND flattering.

I paired my jeans with a pretty, blush blazer by Vero Moda, snakeskin heels from Nine West and a loose sleeveless blouse from Forever 21.

I had a tough time deciding between my cognac satchel from Danier or the gold Tory Burch clutch. As I was going to be on the road for a while, function ended up trumping form, and I went with the "fits-everything-i-need-and-more" satchel :)

Which handbag would you have chosen?

Linking up with these fabulous blogs!!