Happy Monday! It's a public holiday in Canada today, celebrating the Queen Victoria's birthday. Fairly uneventful long weekend, managed to catch Star Trek on 3D (great movie!), stopped by the yacht club for some sun, strolled around the Beaches and stayed in to catch up on some work. I hope whatever you spent your weekend doing, you had a wonderful time!
In a recent interview with cityline.ca, I talk about comfy t's and jeans being my go-to closet items. There's nothing easier than throwing on a comfy t-shirt, a pair of skinnies and pumps for a put together a staple outfit. To dress it up, throw on a blazer, layer a few necklaces, and voila.
I am addicted to Everlane t-shirts. They are comfortable, soft on skin and very reasonable in price (click here to read about Everlane). I am wearing the crew neck, v-neck and the Ryan tee c/o Everlane paired with light denim and my new shiny silver pumps (from Target for $30!).
What are your must have go-to items?!
Feel free to leave a comment if you have questions about Everlane and their amazing t-shirts! I'm more than happy to give you more details. Everlane ships in U.S. and in Canada now!
Have a great start to your week! I will be posting two DIY projects this week! Check back soon ;-) !
My recent trip to Europe has taught me a few things about planning your own vacation. As you may know, these days, there is little reason why anything should be done any other way than the DIY way; and that includes travelling. DIY travelling is simply the best way to travel, wherever your destination may be. Rather than basing your trip around what others have arranged for you with a set itinerary, planning your own DIY vacation allows you to build your own holiday book. However, DIY travelling can be a daunting task and it is rarely easy so I thought I'd share a few tips from my most recent holidays. Hopefully I’m able to provide you with an insight or two!
Passport Tips
Always make sure that you have a valid passport with you while travelling to and from different countries. This passport should be signed and if required – accompanied by a visa depending on your travel destination.
Furthermore, I always like to keep a scanned copy of my passport and other important travel identification documents. A scanned copy makes it extremely easy to send a copy to family and friends in case of emergency. Worst case, if it gets misplaced or stolen!!!
Now when it comes to travelling, bringing and looking after your passport is as obvious as common sense but keep it safe by locking in a safe at the hotel if this is available.
I’d also like to mention that if you’re renting/hiring a car to an international travel destination, ensure to have your passport with you when you pick up your vehicle! In Barcelona, we walked all the way to the car rental place and then realized a credit card and driver’s license wasn’t going to cut it!
Insurances
Another one out of the ‘Travelling for Dummies’ book, you should have both medical insurance and travel insurance sorted out before starting off your journey. Your health insurance card should be kept with you at all times. Check with your credit card company to see if your current agreement covers travel insurance, most cards that have an annual fee includes this option. Otherwise, you can purchase separate travel insurance through major banks.
Transportation
Different transportation means can prove to be dangerous in several countries throughout the world and so you should research how safe each methods are in the country you find yourself in.
Once you’ve gathered your research, don’t be afraid to explore public transportation such as underground subways, trains and buses. During our stay in London and Barcelona, we only used a taxi once! We made use of both city’s public transit system which were both extremely efficient and reliable.
There are several travel apps you can download that include offline maps and transit maps. I particularly love the Ulmon city offline maps. We downloaded both the London and Bacelona maps to our devices and made travelling on foot that much more efficient and successful. The app includes all major recommended attractions, a full map, and suggestions on their closest ‘subway’ stop. I HIGHLY recommend checking it out.
Water
It seems as though only us North American’s drink water by the tap! Be cognizant when drinking water in other countries. Order bottled water in countries outside North America for consumption. Drinking water that is contaminated may cause life threatening illness.
Accommodation
Try to avoid staying on the ground floor of an apartment as this will increase the chances of it being broken into. Furthermore, passports and money should be well hidden within your residence.
It does of course depend on the place you’re visiting. For example, Jasper hotels will be a lot safer than ones in Columbia’s Bogota.
I prefer staying in condo apartments when it comes to travelling for vacation. I enjoy the aspect of having a full kitchen and laundry facilities, it many ways, it feels much more “homey” to me. I made one of the best decisions in Barcelona by booking a condo apartment. I researched online and looked up reviews from other travelers to help me make an informed decision.
Restaurants and Dining
One of the most enjoyable aspects of travelling is trying local food and drink. I am totally on the ball when it comes to researching for places to wine and dine PRIOR to my trips. I typically use Tripadvisor or read local blogs to get a good insight on what restaurants to try and also some etiquette on tipping. Some countries are just not accustomed to tips and some may even feel offended when you do. We dined at an amazing restaurant in Barcelona, ranked #4 – Con Gracia, after an unbelievable 7 course chef tasting, we weren’t given the option on the credit card machine to leave gratuities! They said there is no need! But we left cash anyway because their service was simply superb!
I can’t stress enough to always make a reservation for restaurants that are deemed very popular if that is an option. For those that are recommended by ‘locals’, be sure to find out what items to order prior to arriving. Many times, tourists don’t get the best of the local cuisine and are offered many ‘North Americanized’ options.
Those are a few insights I wanted to share with you to build your DIY holiday plans. Don’t be intimidated, planning your own trip can be so much fun! Be sure to use apps such as TripIt to organize your trip plans, I swear by it, it keeps everything in check with just a few clicks away.
Have a wonderful Canadian Victoria Day Long Weekend!
Happy Monday everyone! I've been quiet that last week as I was taking some time off and celebrating the 30th in London and Barcelona. We had such a great time! It was my FIRST time ever to Europe and the experience was amazing. I can't wait for the next opportunity to explore another European country!
We took hundreds of photos but I found a few from Barcelona that captured some of my most memorable moments! (I'll get through the London photos and post some up soon!)
We stayed on Diputacio in Barcelona right in the heart of the Gracia (think Gucci, Chanel, etc.), it was such a beautiful part of Barcelona. If you are looking for a recommendation, leave me a comment below and I'll send you the link!
Strolling through La Rambla area, I absolutely adore the narrow streets and hidden architecture.
The infamous Carrer del Bisbe Irurita in Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter)
Enjoying a nice walk by Barceloneta water front
Hundreds of colorful gummies! There were so many treats everywhere!
Relaxing in a quaint, small beach town - Sitges, less than an hour away from Barcelona.
Incredible sight and structures at Montserrat
A killer view from the top of the Montserrat Monastery, we spent over an hour lining up to see the dark faced Madonna in this Basilica.
Visiting Gaudi's Park Guell, I love the mosaic work.
Of course our rented FIAT. I advise only renting one day at a time if you're in Barcelona, it is impossible to find reasonably priced parking in the city! It would have cost us 25-48 euros for 24 hours!
Tapas overload, but I enjoyed them so much! Razor clams... yum yum yum! This was one of the best restaurants for tapas - Cerveceria Catalana!
Thanks so much for dropping by! I promise, more DIY's and some giveaways are going up on the blog soon! Please check back! Have a wonderful Monday wherever you are!
I'm taking a well deserved vacation! Off to London for a couple of days followed by spending my 30th in Barcelona with the boyfriend. I'll be back next week to post more DIY projects and photos from my trip!
If you have suggestions, please tweet (@mlsecrets) me!
In the meantime, follow me on Instagram (mlsecrets) to see my adventures!
Hi everyone! To me, the best DIY projects are those that take the items that you already have in your closet and re-purposing them into new items. I've always had problems with pant legs being too long, I'm always either folding them in or getting them hemmed! That's what you get for not having super long legs!
I decided to tackle a DIY project that creates an on trend look but also solves my "these are too long for me" issue. After seeing this pair from Song of Style and this pair from This Time Tomorrow, the Front ZIp Denim option was born - creating an alternative hem!
Happy Monday to you!! I hope you had a fabulous weekend! We spent the weekend yet again house hunting but let me tell you though the experience has been exciting, it's also been stressful! I hope we will find our dream home soon! On a lighter note, a few days until vacation to London and Barcelona, I'm looking forward to some R&R. If you have any suggestions, please leave me a comment below, what to see, what to eat, what to shop for etc.!
With wedding season fast approaching, thought I'd give some soon-to-be brides a few ideas on DIY-ing your own wedding invitations. Don't be intimidated by making your own wedding invitations!
Many brides are now opting to make their own wedding invitations as a personalized alternative to having them created at a boutique or expensive printing shop. Your invitations are just the beginning to your wedding, and therefore they should have the personalized and romantic touch which you will be incorporating into your very special day.
It can often appear like a daunting task to make your own invitations, place cards or wedding favours, however this is just a myth. If you know what idea you are wanting and are already confident with the colour themes you will be using, making your invites and wedding favours can be a breeze.
Many brides decide that they would like their wedding invitations to match the colour schemes of their bridesmaid dresses and the flowers; however it can often work to pick complimenting colours, but not exactly the same. This can create a nice edge to the colour scheme, and allows your big day to not be as colour restricted.
Here are a few options you can try!
By hand
Creating wedding invitations by hand can be a gorgeous way to personalize your wedding, however this can sometimes be quite time consuming if your wedding party is expected to quite large. Don’t underestimate me, threading beautiful silk ribbon through the edges of your invitations, and watching your invites come together through your hard work can be so rewarding, however sometimes it can be just as exciting and enjoyable to have your invitations created through online companies, which can allow you to sit back, relax, and let someone else do the hard work.
By having your invitations created through online companies you are leaving all of the hard work up to someone else, yet utilizing your creativity and having the personalized invitations you always wanted. Whether you want to scan romantic images of you and your loved one walking hand and in through the park….
Or simply to pick a beautiful pattern from the endless choices that creative companies have, you are generating beautiful personalized invitations, yet still have time work on the other aspects of your gorgeous wedding.
Don’t let the thought of making your own wedding favours fill you with dread; it can be such a fun and exciting way for you and your love one to spend some time together before the big day…… this also works for table decorations, place settings, wedding favours and of course gifts for the bridesmaids and the ushers.
As always, thanks for stopping by and continuing to support my blog! I am so excited to be featured in a few online publications/website this coming month, please stay tuned to see my features! If you haven't got the chance to check out my most current DIY project on SheKnows.com, head over there now!
Have a great Monday and more to come later this week!
Happy Friday Everyone!! What do you have planned this weekend! I hope wherever you are, it's sunny skies! I am off to vacation one week from today and I can't even tell you how much I'm looking forward to it. All I know is, I just want to put on my hat, sunnies and pack a bikini and off we go!
This DIY Ribbon Straw Fedora project, featured this week on SheKnows.com is certainly timely for my upcoming vacation, I hope it'll come in handy for you too! Why not jazz up your existing straw hat/fedora and add a splash of color to your outfit! It is simple yet stylish, I hope you will give it a try!
With Spring and Summer just around the corner, I am totally lusting over a shoulder length haircut accompanied by some tousled curls. I haven't had a haircut since January and my hair is getting extremely long to handle! I'm thinking of updating my look with a fresh cut, some added ombre highlights, and one of these days, attempt to create these effortless tousled curls (which requires a lot of effort on my part!).
To create tousled curls, I typically use a flat iron or wrap my hair in a bun and let it down after a couple of hours and spray it down. Do you have any trade secrets to share?!
Would love to hear how you create your tousled curls! Please share with me by commenting below!
Happy Weekend to you! I am so glad this week is over! The busiest week at work for me, so once again I apologize for being so quiet this week! I want to share with you a very SPECIAL DIY project. I typically don't do a lot of Home DIY's however, when Michelle, a member of the Orillia Couchiching Jubliee House asked me to participate in the Bowls for Bed Fundraising event, I couldn't resist.
Couchiching Jubilee House is a housing program to help vulnerable women in the Orillia, ON region. Their latest fundraiser - Bowls for Beds aims to raise at least $10,000 through a soup tasting event and the auctioning of hand drawn/painted soup bowls from local celebrities. I was very happy that Michelle thought of me and asked me to participate in this great cause and including my bowl in the upcoming live auction on April 28, 2013.
This DIY Project is SUPER EASY, only requires a bowl and a few sharpies (or ceramic food safe markers) and VOILA!
I decided to go with a TORONTO SKYLINE and pay tribute to this wonderful city. So many endless possibilities!
My Little Secrets is a DIY and Style blog featuring DIY projects & inspirations, fashion & style tips, outfits, and some amazing product reviews. If you love it, make it!
