Blogging Break.

I'm going to be taking a little break from blogging. Little because it shouldn't be too long - in fact, I'll be back next month. The reason is because I'm living in a little bit of a chaotic transition stage right now. I don't have my own place; many of my things are packed away in boxes; I'm still getting used to my new life here in Vancouver; I'm working, volunteering, and trying to finish a Master's degree; and I'm just plain lacking on time. I plan on taking this month to take lots of photos of all the things I love to do/eat/wear/buy to get ahead on future posts, because right now I just don't have the time to do all that! See you soon, friends! xo Caroline

Traditions.

Everyone seems to be posting about apple picking these days, and now so am I! Jimmy and I went to an apple orchard/pumpkin patch on Saturday to pick up some festive treats for Thanksgiving, including apples for an apple pie I made for our Sunday turkey dinner. I was WAY over dressed for our outing (a sweater, boots, and pants + mid-day sun beating down on me) so, unfortunately, we didn't last long amongst the trees. But it was fun nonetheless! It has now become kind of a tradition for us (thanks to my pushing, let's be honest), which makes me realize how much the little things in life matter to me - apple picking and pumpkin choosing, for example, and even mundane activities such as home-made apple pie and intimate chit chat. I don't know, I guess the more and more I adjust to "adult" life, the more and more I realize how precious life is ... which is both scary and relieving.

The Flea Market.

I went to a local flea market last Sunday and it was such an adventure! When I first arrived I was so overwhelmed with the amount of used, new, antique, and vintage items but the feeling turned out to be a nice change. You should have seen me; I was rushing about from booth to booth trying to make sure I got a good look at everything. I didn't want to miss even one deal! Luckily, Jimmy was there to capture my movements on camera.

Kelowna Snapshots.

These are some random snapshots I took during my quick little trip to Kelowna (the one I mentioned here), as well as some lookbook photos that Jimmy took while in Kelowna. 

Birthday Snapshots.

Last weekend I celebrated my 24th Birthday. It was an unexpectedly lovely day. I tried not to set the bar too high for this Birthday, only because in the past when I've done that I've found myself let down. I wanted to take the day as it came - both the good and the bad. I did, and I was happily surprised! I just spent the day with my family and it was so needed, especially because I move to Vancouver this weekend. My mom and I went to two of my favourite places in downtown Ottawa: The Sassy Bead Company to make a necklace tutorial I found here and then the Fairmont Chateau Laurier for - brace yourselves - high tea!!! I love high tea! It was delicious and everything I needed.

In the evening we made dinner, drank wine, ate delicious Stubbe chocolate cake, opened gifts, and finished of the night with a game of pool. Not too mention, I got some lovely new things including a purse I'd been eyeing, the Guess watch I've been wanting (see here), and a Lauren Elan bracelet, as you'll see below!

A Day on My Own.

I visited a lovely nearby town on Sunday and had such a nice time! I was feeling restless and sort of lonely Sunday morning, sitting at home with not much to do. (Literally! I'd been so busy taking care of things all week that I wound up with spare time--something I do not come by often!) Anyway, most of my friends and even my boyfriend weren't in town but I didn't let that stop me. I thought: well, why not do a little bit of shopping/wandering/eating by myself? Right? Who says you can't enjoy time alone--in public? I'd driven through this specific town the night before and only then realized how nice it is there. And I'm so glad I chose to go back!

Ottawa Snapshots.

Here are some snapshots of last weekend's time spent in Ottawa playing tourist with my dear friend  who was visiting from Calgary. We had a lovely weekend meandering through the city, soaking up the hot weather, enjoying the sights, sharing stories, eating yummy foods (include one of my favourites: charcuterie!), patio-sitting, and people watching (a couple of weddings in particular)!

Capitol Pride 2012.

My friend Emma (who was visiting from Calgary last weekend) and I watched Capitol Pride in Ottawa last Sunday. It was my first time going to a Pride Parade (surprisingly, actually!) but I loved it! I had so much fun. It was so empowering to see all the love that was around. People were uniting in both small and big groups. Happiness and music filled the air. Smiles were everywhere. Feet and arms were moving, embracing everyone. I'm so not used to seeing people unite in such a way (I can name on one hand the other time's I've experienced something similar: the Olympics, the Stanley Cup, natural disasters (?????), so seeing this ... wow, it just made me realize how amazing and important it is when groups of different people unite. In my opinion, it needs to happen more!

Weekend Wandering.

[ Aerie shorts // Twik blouse // Geox flats // Matt & Nat purse // Vintage necklace // Michael Kors sunglasses ]

A couple weekends ago my friend and I headed to a nearby town called Perth (as you know, visiting local small towns, like this one, has somehow become a regular hobby of mine). Here are just a few snapshots of our afternoon there. I hope to do be doing more wandering this weekend, actually. The same friend and I are heading down to the market for an afternoon of shopping and eating, and maybe a few drinks afterwards? We'll see! Happy weekend to you - may it be filled with whatever makes you happy! xo Caroline

Captivating Croatia.

Let's start off in Split.

Our hotel room overlooked this Roman ruin. Pretty amazing, huh?

Streetscape.

The streets were so narrow and tall-it was as if we were trying to navigate through a maze!

 Magnificent! 

On our way to a local beach.

View from a boat we took to a 'blue lagoon.'

And here we are at the lagoon!

Soaking it up, obviously.

Too... bright... to... look.

A Dalmatian beauty.

That's our hotel room!

And our balcony.

And us as happy as ever on the balcony.

Clearly, we loved our balcony!

Heading back from the beach.

The fish market. Every. single. day. this happened!

The lovely Natasha ... one of the Canadian girls we met on our bus tour. This was our favourite restaurant!

 And now we arrive in Zagreb.

 Such a beautiful church.

And another.

Same one.

Streetscape.

Wall art + oldest pharmacy in Zagreb.

The train station.

We were celebrating absolutely nothing, by the way. 

Croatia ... definitely one of my favourite places of all time! I loved everything about Croatia--the people, the culture, the food, the vibe. The people especially were lovely. Everyone we met was humbly proud of their country's history (especially since it gained independence in 1991 after the Yugoslav wars--see I've done my research!) and wanted to share it with tourists. It was incredible to see such kind hospitality. Incredible!

Split was Dalmatian life (it's located on what's referred to as the Dalmatian Coast) at its finest. It was bustling with youngsters and partiers and drinking and shopping and warmth and beauty and locals and kindness and Roman history. It was such an experience. I just loved it there (despite that I'm not a huge partier!). Zagreb, the country's capitol, was of course less Mediterranean-like (not being on the sea) and more corporate but also very "art nouveau" in its architecture (much like Vienna and Budapest, but less grand). It also had a very contemporary artsy feel to it, on might even call it avant-guard. There were local artists and artisans everywhere and galleries lined the side streets. I 100% recommend Croatia!

Anyway, happy Friday to all! Now I have to get stated on my school work! xo Caroline

An Outdoor Adventure in Croatia.

An open air museum. And I don't know what it's called or where in Croatia it is. I may have been sleeping on the bus (tour) ride there.

Jimmy was just so excited about getting up on one of these.

And now we are in Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia.

Sadly, no swimming was allowed :(

There were tons and tons of waterfalls, everywhere!

And the turquoise coloured water-that's natural!

Hold on to your hat? No idea why?

Again with the hat.

Just look at that water!

We could take boats to get from lake to lake!

Those sandals took me everywhere, in case you were wondering!

Cute ducks cleaning themselves. 

Wow! Plitvice Lakes is beautiful, isn't it! We signed up for a Busabout tour, which took us from Budapest to Plitvice to Split (the next instalment of photos!). I was sceptical at first, I'll admit (even though it was my idea?), but I actually really, really enjoyed myself! It was great to socialize with other travellers (two Canadians in particular!) and step out of our comfort zones. I mean, I had no control over what we did and where we stayed. Although that scared me, I liked just sitting back and just enjoying the ride for once! I think that's important in my life--as much as I love to have control (and always will), often hoping that I will gain some kind of certainty (but never do), I try to remember that it's okay to feel uncomfortable sometimes. It's only through feeling uncomfortable, unsure, and scared that I am able to grow and know myself better. Anyway, that's about it for today's words of wisdom, haha. xo Caroline