about me > what's in my bag

I have meaning to do a 'what's in my bag' post forever. I just got a new camera bag and filled it with essentials so here goes...

1. video camera
- Ivan and I just got this so we're really excited and bring it everywhere...this probably will only stay in my bag on weekends.

2. notebook and reading book
- I keep the notebook for ideas (this one has mostly wedding stuff) and the reading book for if I end up somewhere boring. find out what i'm reading here!

3. gum
- essential for possible bad breath situations

4. cell phone
- I am dying for an iPhone but this will do for now...I guess.

5. lip balm
- this one is Zen from Funk Off! So amazing!

6. sunnies
- I got these ones thrifting. By far the best sunglasses i have ever owned. I am super rough on my sunnies and these ones have lasted the longest any pair ever has!

7. extra film
- I'm thinking of making little pouches for "used" and "unused" film. These are all unused.

8. Diana F+ camera
- I am sooo excited about this camera. I got her a few weeks ago and just finished my first roll on the weekend. I haven't developed it yet but I'll keep you updated.

9. zune
- sooo, they don't even sell Zunes in Canada anymore but I love mine. I keep it with me so that I can listen to episodes of the Office while I'm at work, haha.

*not pictured*
- my Nikon D3000 (I need to take the photos with something!)
- a pen (oops, it was in the back pocket)
- my blog schedule book (also in the back pocket)
- my wallet...kind of important, i almost went out without it!
- if you're wondering about my keys...in the winter I always keep them in my coat pocket.

I thought it would be fun to show you what my bag looks like after using if for a few weeks. I manage to collect so many random bits and pieces over time. It will be interesting. Stay tuned.

♥elycia

Giveaway - Pink Lemonade & Sealed with a Kiss

Hi! I have another great giveaway for you guys today. This one comes from sisters who each have their own business...and did I mention they are just 15 and 11? Pretty impressive. I will let Paige and Zoe introduce themselves.

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Hi! My name is Paige, and I am the designer of Pink Lemonade products. I am a 15 year old girl with a love for crafting! :)

 

In my shop you can find a variety of rosette items from hats to necklaces to bracelets! You can even find some non-rosette products like my fashion-forward ruffle scarves! All items are handmade by me, and my guarantee to you is that they will all be Trendy, Fun, AND Affordable. :)

_____________________________________________

Hi Guys! My name is Zoe, and i am the 11 year old face behind Sealed With A Kiss cabochon jewelry.

 In my shop you can find all the cabochon accessories your heart desires! I love to do custom orders too, so don't be afraid to ask! :) I always incorporate the latest color trends into my jewelry so you will always get what's in style!

We are always coming up with new ideas and telling each other as soon as the idea pops into our minds. We are constantly supporting each other and encouraging one another. We are always promoting each others shops in any way possible! :)

Up for grabs in this giveaway are a pair of earrings from Zoe's shop Sealed with a Kiss and a $10 shop credit to Paige's shop Pink Lemonade.


How to Enter:
1. Visit Paige and Zoe's shops and tell me your favourite items.

Additional Entries: *please leave a seperate comment for each*
1. Visit Zoe's facebook page and "like" it if you like what you see :)
2. Spread the word about the giveaway! Blog, Tweet, or do whatever else you do and leave the link in the comments.
3. Tell me your favourite thing about spring!

I think Paige and Zoe are lovely girls and I am so impressed with them! Thanks ladies for hosting a great giveaway! I will announce the winner April 6th.

♥elycia

food > i baked donuts!

Ever since I saw this post on Kaylah's blog I have been keeping my eyes peeled for a donut pan at the thrift stores. Well...I found one on Thursday so on Friday I made these!

the first batch I didn't use food colouring...and they totally looked like cheerios! Also, they were pretty little, I could have added more batter.

ahhh, much prettier :)

♥elycia

how to take fashion risks!

hi friends!

Sometimes on my outfit posts I see people saying 'I wish I could wear that' or 'I could never pull that off'. It makes me so sad. Guess what? You totally can pull off any look you want to! You just might need a little practice.

Now, I'm definitely not saying I am a fashion expert. However, I do have a few tricks up my sleeve for wearing new things/interesting styles. Here are my secrets for wearing things that some people might shy away from.

Tip #1
If you see a style that you really want to try but are a little intimidated by it...practice wearing it around your house! Wear it on a day when you know you will be staying home.

  

Why this works for me...
You need to feel comfortable with the look to be able to pull it off. I have done this with so many things that were new to me: coloured tights, socks over tights, big hair accessories, high heels and most recently lipstick. Once I feel comfortable in the new style I know that I will be able to 'rock' the look with confidence. You can pull off anything if you believe you are pulling it off!

Tip #2
Have a little photoshoot while trying out the new style.

Why this works for me...
Snapping a few outfit shots lets me see how the style really looks on me and helps me decide if I am into it. I wasn't sure about this cape so I took a few photos before I left the house. I ended up really liking how the cape looked so out I went.

Tip #3
Another trick I sometimes try is to wear the new style out when I am going somewhere alone, not when I will be going out with my friends who may be shocked by my fashion attempt.

Why this works for me...
If I am pretty comfortable with the look but still not 100% sure if it is for me I don't want friends (or Ivan) asking 'What are you wearing?' haha. Once I am completely comfortable with the look I can just laugh if someone doesn't quite "get" my outfit.

So there are a few tips on how to feel comfortable pulling off looks you are a bit scared to try. Try something new! Parade around your house until you feel comfortable enough to share it with the outside world! I know you can do it!!

Are there any styles that you love but are too nervous to wear? Let me know if you try something new!

love, elycia

Tera Sue Giveaway Winner

Thank you so much to Tera Sue for hosting such a lovely giveaway!

According to Random Number Generator the winner is...

Rose

I popped over to Rose's blog Roses are Red and I love it! Her header is lovely and she has a post on a bunch of ways to cook veggies (love), some really pretty pillows and a dress that I love! Pop over and say hello and congrats!

♥elycia

colours > yellow

this may be my new favourite thing to do...

happy monday friends!

♥elycia

ps. i will be announding the giveaway winner tonight. last chance to enter!!

what i did // Cake and Loaf Fundraiser

I can't believe it has taken me so long to blog this! yikes! Last Saturday Ivan and I went to a fundraiser at Fenian Films on Locke Street in Hamilton for our friends' bakery (the ones i was making the aprons for). Cake and Loaf will probably be opening sometime in May or June of this year so they had this event to raise money for that as well as for cancer research. Here are some photos from the day.

They also had a cake decorating contest!

They had music all day, then at night Ivan performed with a band he has been playing with (that I'm probably rejoining!) It was a really fun day!

This weekend...we're not up to anything so fun.

♥elycia

We're pretty sure that we will be giving away herbs as wedding favours.  I would be so excited to get some herbs at a wedding! We are also thinking that they will also be part of the table decorations.

We planted this "test" run about 2 weeks ago and most of them are coming up really well. We probably need to plant the real ones this weekend! yikes! Here is how they are coming along...

If you are married...what did you give out as wedding favours?

♥elycia

cats - how we got farva

 To celebrate Farva's birthday (March 23) I thought I would tell you the story of how we got him (the short version).

It was May 2007 and we had had Anakin for about 4 months. I started to feel like it would be nice for Anakin to have another kitty to play with (and i wanted a kitten). We got Anakin when he was already pretty much full grown so we didn't experience the silly kitten phase with him.

Ivan wasn't super into the idea at first so it was quite a while before I could convince him that we needed another furry friend in our lives. On May 23rd he finally agreed and that night while he was teaching guitar my mom and I went to the SPCA to check out the kittens.

I went into the room where they were keeping the kittens and this cute little black and white one came up to me and started licking my fingers. Right away I knew that was our cat! It was love at first lick, haha.

Here are a few cute Farva photos.

Ivan and I love Farva so much and are so happy that we decided to add a second kitty to our life. Happy 4th birthday buddy!

♥elycia

hi friends! i will be back later with the story of how we got farva (in honour of his birthday on March 23) but for now here are some things that i really love this week!

5. these shoes from blowfish

 in love.

 4. these pretty teacups

i originally saw these on Savannah's blog Maie Dae. they are soooo pretty!

3. ther red velvet broach display

the whole store looks like a dream but i especially love this idea of using an old book to display vintage broaches. so smart!

2. this song

i love Simon and Garfunkel a lot. i have been really into this song this week. so pretty.

1. these pins from All Night Diner!

just in case you forgot that i love twin peaks. :)

i have really felt lazy this week. i'm having a very hard time getting myself to do things for some reason. I think i will whip myself up a latte today and see if that helps. usually lattes get me into a productive mood! what do you do when you just feel like lazing around but you have things to do?

♥elycia

thrift find - plaques

I originally took these photos so that I wouldn't buy these plaques. But then I just couldn't resist them. They were too cute not to come home with me. They remind me of Strawberry Shortcake characters (which I love!).

Do you ever take photos of things so that you won't buy them? It usually helps me not to buy things because sometimes I just really like looking at them and a photo will do.

♥elycia