The Good Wife: About Last Week...

I've often joked with people about how much I love The Good Wife but I can't binge watch old episodes since the series completely stresses me out. Last week was no exception...

(Spoilers ahead!)

P.S. My Weekend was Awesome

Sorry things have been a bit quiet here lately, but I've been busy preparing for the 3rd Annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, crafting some holiday gift guides, and of course, meeting the fabulous Erica Domesek from P.S. I Made This!

Erica was in town promoting her new craft and lifestyle book, P.S. You're Invited and it was super fun covering the event for my sister's blog This Beautiful Day. Please pop on over to see all the pics including the scoop on Jelly Modern Doughnut's DIY doughnut station...(P.S. I'm still trying to figure out how to install one of these stations in my office cubicle.)

Happy Monday and I'll be back again soon to chat about pie!

♥

Southern & Swampy

After the surprising announcement that the next season of True Blood will be its last, I thought I'd round up some of my favourite southern-inspired finds to pay tribute to the show's mysterious mix of gothic southern charm...

• It makes me infinitely sad that the talented musicians behind country/folk duo The Civil Wars are currently not on speaking terms. Joy Williams and John Paul White have been estranged since November 2012, but by moxie or miracle, they released a sophomore self-titled album (recorded last year while on tour) just this past month. My favourite track is called to 'Dust to Dust' and you can preview it for free over at NPR's All Songs Considered.

• This stunning digital print by Korean artist Madame Lolina reminds me of Sookie Stackhouse's sleek black Diane von Frustenberg dress in the episode Dead Meat. Off to meet her potential faerie-vampire husband, Sookie's outfit encapsulates the sexy, dangerous, and supernatural energy that makes True Blood so deliciously watchable. Madame Lolina's 'Crow Hat' print shares a similarly alluring quality with the crow's glossy black feathers complementing the model's dramatically winged eyeliner and almost stiflingly ornate dress. Available in three print sizes over at The Working Proof. 

• Southern Tupelo Honey Favours from Pressed Cotton - Of all the different honeys I've tasted, Tupelo honey has got to be my favourite. Harvested from tupelo trees that only grow along four rivers in Florida and Georgia, this swampland honey is prized for its pure and slightly floral flavour that is perfect simply scooped out of the jar and savoured. Read more about the fascinatingly tricky process of producing tupelo honey here. 

• Southern Lights Electric Co. x Pennyweight Goods - It was love at first light when I first set my eyes upon this elegant lamp by Adam Gatchel of Southern Lights Electric Co. Designed to darken and age over time, this limited edition steel and brass swing arm wall lamp makes the rustic refined with its use of unfinished steel and raw brass. Sadly this edition is already sold out at Pennyweight, but you can view more of Adam's stunning fixtures (along with his commercial work) over on his website. 

What will you miss most about True Blood when the TV series wraps up its run?

♥

(Photos via The Civil Wars, The Working Proof, Pressed Cotton and Southern Lights Electric Co.)

Netflix Pick: Celeste + Jesse Forever

Have you seen the romantic dramedy Celeste + Jesse Forever? 

It's a fascinating and funny love story about a married pair of best friends who are going through a divorce. Their cute and quirky marriage is already over by the end of the opening credits and the rest of the movie explores the various complications and entanglements that come with separating from your best friend. 

With Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg in the lead roles, the movie strikes a great balance between humour and honesty. Jones plays the protagonist with aplomb and Samberg is surprisingly earnest and endearing in an uncharacteristically serious acting role.  

The movie also has a stellar soundtrack that's pretty much the quintessential heartbreak mix for the cool kids.  

The story is a bit heartbreaking, but it also has a lot of heart. Jones co-wrote the script with her writing partner Will McCormack (and no, not Will from Will & Grace...that's Eric McCormack - don't worry, I got excited too.) She also included a lot of her own real-life dating experiences for some wickedly fun cringe-worthy moments that enriched the story and made it more intimate.

See it if you're a fan of love stories that aren't afraid to dive into the nitty gritty details of a complicated adult relationship and skip it if you can only stomach meet-cutes and happy endings.

Movies that are similar in tone include Sarah Polley's Take this Waltz and Richard Linklater's famed trilogy, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and the recently released Before Midnight. 

If you're on the fence, I highly recommend you give it a shot as Celeste & Jesse Forever has given me a new found admiration and respect for Jones as both a writer and a leading lady. 

(Photos via Pinterest)

Boston Eats: Chowda, Cannoli & that Elusive Donut...

Because every trip I take seems to turn into a foodie trip, I thought I'd share some of the delicious eats I encountered on a recent trip to the beautiful city of Boston!

Before arriving in Boston, I wasn't really sure what the largest city in New England had to offer up besides seafood. I mean Chicago has deep dish pizza, Philadelphia has cheesesteak, but what else did Boston own the bragging rights to?

After a little online digging and a lot of hitting the streets and taste testing, it turns out there are so many local gems that Boston can be proud of. Here are some of the ones I discovered and at the end of this list, some of the spots I missed but will need to save for my next trip!

Lingerie Lookbook: Sophie Hines

Currently swooning over this super sweet chemise from lingerie and dress designer Sophie Hines. 

The subtle, peekaboo detailing in the bra top is a such pretty touch, and the organic colour palette makes it seem like the perfect flirty piece to lounge around the house in too.

Stop by Sophie's Etsy shop to find more playful pieces to freshen up your lingerie wardrobe for spring :)

♥

(Photo by Ann Luchsinger)

Roshambo.

Although I hated seeing Charlie getting walked all over by Marni through most of his time on Girls, I'll still be sad to see his character go since it now leaves us with only Adam, Ray and a rotating carousel of seemingly random male guest stars.

In the meantime, I'm glad to see that Christopher Abbot has re-surfaced in this gorgeously shot video for Free People. I hope his departure from Girls due to "creative differences" doesn't hinder his chances of scoring other high-profile projects in the future.

What did you think of the season 2 finale of Girls? (I was a bit frustrated and sceptical of the whole romanticized tying up of loose ends.) How do you think they'll write Charlie off the show in season 3?

♥

Fashion Friday: Sorry I'm Late

A perfect tee & tote combo to describe my general state of being as well as my unintentionally lengthy absence from this blog. 

If you take a look around, hopefully you'll enjoy the mini makeover courtesy of blog milk. And if, in viewing my profile picture, you are concerned that I may have morphed into a tray of mini meat pies, rest assured that I remain more girl than pie, but with the summer coming, I make no guarantees!  (You are what you eat after all...)

So I hope you will find some time to pop back into my neck of the woods, and I will get back to sharing and writing about stuff that I find simply swell.

Sorry for the tardiness and now back to work! 

♥

(Photos by Print Liberation Shop)

Fashion Friday: Farewell Summer...

Farewell to... 

endless summer cocktails, 

long summer nights, 

and finding beach sand between your toes.

♥

Hello to... 

crisp fall weather, 

warm apple cider, 

and a season end sale from the superbly chic Emerson Fry.

♥

Pictured here: 

Caramel & Black Toe Patch Slingbacks ($128)

Navy Peacock Yes Dress Long ($178)

Ticker Tape Coat ($178)

All images by Emerson Fry

Back to School: Leather & Mint

Whether you're going back to school in the fall or simply taking mental stock of projects you want to tackle when the weather gets cooler, let these smartly designed work essentials be your guide...

Earhart Carry Case by Materials + Process
($88, Of a Kind)

Longitude Case in Weathered Leather by Infusion
($40, Etsy)

Colour-blocked Tote Bag by Rouge & Whimsy
($50, Etsy)

And for those of us whose bank accounts are currently in detention, here is an adorable (and free!) DIY geoball tutorial from French blog ZU to deck your desk! 

Which item is your favourite?

♥

(Photos: 1, 2: Materials + Process via Of a Kind / 3: Infusion / 4: Rouge & Whimsy / 5: ZU) 

Good News / Bad News

When I first booked my trip to New York at the end of the month, I completely forgot that Kinfolk would be hosting a dinner in Toronto on June 30!  Luckily, the dinner in Toronto is currently listed as postponed but there's sadly no indication of when the dinner will be postponed until. Did anyone spot any clues on the Kinfolk journal?

In the meantime, here's a video of last month's dinner @ Terrain in Philadelphia and shot by Andrew & Carissa, the neat folks behind the original Kinfolk teaser.

Soft & Snappy

Even if you're camera shy, it's easy to smile for the camera when you're looking back at a cute and colourful softie from Etsy shop Yellow Heart Art!

Each "squishable art" piece is hand sewn and features a fun complementary patterned fabric on the back as well.  With softies as low as USD$10.00 for a mini and USD$30.00 for a large, you'll want to snap up one of these retro cameras while you can!

♥

(Photos by Leonora of Yellow Heart Art)

Battle of the Pugs

I unfortunately haven't had time to see The Avengers yet, but I was surprised to hear Disney's blockbuster hit has already been bumped into the #2 spot by Men in Black 2: Back in Black. 

This is bad news for the first pugvenger, who was spotted by Caleb Goellner (senior editor of Comics Alliance) at the Oregon Humane Society Pug Crawl just a couple of weekends ago. 

Photo: Caleb Goellner

Which of course only begs the question, which character deserves to be top pug at the Hollywood box office? 

Photo: Caleb Goellner

VS.

Photo: Columbia Pictures

Who do you think is the best pug to save the day? 

♥

Disclaimer: In real life, Captain America is sadly not played by a pug, but by actor Chris Evans. I hear people say he's pretty cute too ;) 

(Images 1, 2: Caleb Goellner for Comics Alliance / 3: Columbia Pictures via Cineplex.com)

Wooden Wayfarers

With the onset of summer weather, the search for a new pair of sunnies officially begins!

I spotted these handcrafted wooden veneer sunnies from Tennessee-based Etsy shop Tumbleweeds -- aren't they the cutest?

The top pair is made with a mahogany veneer and a golden maple diamond accent at the temples, while the bottom pair keeps a sleek profile in hearty walnut veneer and a subtle oak diamond accent that extends to the arms of the frame for a fun two-tone effect.

Which pair is your favourite? :)

♥

(Photos by Tumbleweeds)

Homework + Late Nights = Cupcake ATM

Sorry for the long absence from the blog! I recently started a copyediting course at George Brown College and it's been swallowing up a lot of my time, especially when you take into account minutes spent working and minutes spent procrastinating ;) One of the best things I found on one of my mini study breaks is this gorgeous cupcake ATM in Beverly Hills, California:

Serving up fresh Sprinkles Cupcakes 24/7, the address you need to punch into your smartphone right now (if you're lucky enough to live near Beverly Hills) is 9635 South Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, California 90210 :)

But don't take my word for it, see the cupcake ATM in action for yourself!  

(My favourite part is when the pink door turns around Price is Right style to reveal your purchase!)

So let's brainstorm friends...how do we get Sprinkles to open a cupcake ATM in our neighbourhood??

♥

(Photo & video by Sprinkles Cupcakes)

Art & Social Responsibility

Have I ever told you about The Working Proof?  It's a wonderful art organization (conceived by Anna Corpron & Sean AuYeung in Brooklyn, NY) where independent illustrators design limited edition prints that are released for sale weekly on The Working Proof website and e-newsletter.

A considerable 15% from each print sale goes to a charity of the illustrator's choosing making it a win-win situation for anyone looking to support charitable causes and emerging artists.

Here are three of my favourite prints that have been featured on the site so far:

"Proof: Burden"
by Samantha Hahn for the Kids in Need Foundation

"Wildlife of Vietnam"
by Brendan Wenzel for the Jane Goodall Institute

"Wanderlust"
by Linda Kim for the Kids in Need Foundation

Luckily, great minds think alike as Judy Tan operates a similar venture in Portland, OR called tanQ where consumers can purchase limited edition t-shirts to support a different non-profit organization each month. With the motto of "1 tee, 1 month, 1 good deed", tanQ will donate 100% of the net profits from each sale for the first 12 months tanQ is in existence (est. Sept. 2010). 

My favourite tanQ so far is this super cute pencil tee from by Yas Imamura of Quill & Fox Design! 

"Pencil Personalities"
by Yas Imamura for Pencils of Promise

Featuring 12 classic yellow school pencils with various quirks and quarks (I'm the perfectionist!), each tee comes with a collector's greeting card and a mini button all in support of tanQ's December charity pick, Pencils of Promise.

What do you think of these start-ups connecting artists and national or global not-for-profits? Have you ever purchased anything from The Working Proof or tanQ?

♥

Image Credits: 

1: Samantha Hahn via The Working Proof

2: Brendan Wenzel via The Working Proof

3: Linda Kim via The Working Proof

4, 5, 6: Yas Imamura via tanQ 

Fashion Friday: Nicole Richie

Nicole Richie looks simply fabulous in the latest issue of Ocean Drive magazine.  

The bun! The fringe! Those baby blue peep toe shoes! 

I'd happily settle for any of the above, wouldn't you? ;)

♥

Photo Credit: Ocean Drive Magazine

Countdown to The Five Year Engagement...

Can it be April yet? Because I can't wait to see this movie!

Jason Segel (Tom) and Emily Blunt (Violet) look like they have brilliant comedic chemistry together and Alison Brie takes a supporting turn as Violet's sister too :)

Until then, check out the couple's hilarious fake wedding website, which should keep us chuckling all the way to the box office on April 27!

Kyle Killen's 'Awake'

Photo Credit: NBC via Global TV

Compelling, smart, and suspenseful, the series premiere of Awake offered viewers a complex storytelling puzzle that has you rooting for the 'lone ranger' protagonist standing at the precipice (or frontier) of dreams and reality.

Meet Michael Britten. A veteran homicide detective that we first encounter when his car plunges off a cliff critically injuring his wife and his son. After he regains consciousness, Michael discovers two separate realities - one where his wife is dead and his son is alive, and another where his son has died but his wife lives.

This excruciating conflict is what drives the drama as Michael transitions from one world to another when he falls asleep with no idea which one is real. Luckily, the viewers learn how to distinguish between the two realities through the sophisticated use of visual cues and colour palettes - cooler, starker tones when Michael is with his son Rex and warmer, softer environments when he's with his wife Hannah.

Photo Credit: NBC

Photo Credit: NBC

For Michael, the key lies in his wrist where a simple rubber band is worn - green when he is with his son and red when he is with his wife.  He claims it's what helps to keep him straight, but the panic that ensues when he wakes up one morning with no rubber band at all only illustrates how deep and disturbing this psychological coping mechanism may be.

As Michael returns to the police force and begins work-mandated therapy, the struggle between what is real and what is fake becomes strangely advantageous as details from one crime case often lead to clues and key breakthroughs in a parallel case worked in the alternate universe.

Rounding out Michael's support team are rookie partner Erfam Vega and pragmatic psychiatrist Dr. John Lee in the green/Rex reality and veteran partner Isiah "Bird" Freeman and Jungian psychoanalyst Dr. Judith Evans in the red/Hannah reality.

From the producers of Lone Star (an excellent but short-lived drama that similarly explored issues of dual identity), this taut psychological, science fiction thriller packs a philosophical punch that combined with slick cinematography and the grittiness of a crime procedural makes it a surefire contender in its time slot.

The next episode of 'Awake' airs in Canada on Thursday, March 8th at 10:00 pm on Global TV. 

Missed the series premiere? Catch up online with full episodes at Global TV (Canada) or NBC (America). 

Mahna Mahna Monday...

Cute alphabet print by Mike Boon that would be great for a kid's room, but be prepared to answer lots of questions when your little one asks "A is for...who is this again?"

I only know the top billing characters: Animal, Beaker, Fozzie, Grover, Kermit, Miss Piggy, and last but never the least (and never speaking really in Swedish or English for that matter hehe) the Swedish Chef!

Can you name all those Muppets? In lieu of Jeopardy music, I'll point you to Jason Segel's Oscar nominated song instead ;)

Image by Mike Boon via Society 6 

Video by Disney via Youtube