Monday: a carton of mixed emojis ♥

 (photo from Studio DIY)

How adorable are these eggs from Studio DIY?! I know it's not Easter (or even close to it) but don't these little guys just make you smile? I'm pretty sure I go through all 12 of these faces on an average Monday.

xo
Lori

Throw back to Thailand

I think I was in Thailand this time last year. Either weaving through the floating markets, hugging baby tigers at the Sriracha Zoo, happily lost amongst the bustling streets of Bangkok, or indulging in fresh seafood on the beaches of Pattaya. Whatever I was doing in Thailand - it's definitely a lot better than sitting at home watching old episodes of The Ellen Show because I need to have a little fun today. 

Traveling is one of the greatest enjoyments in my life. I haven't been to a great number of places around the world, though out of all the places I have been, I must say that Thailand was the most memorable. It's difficult to explain what about it makes it so special - and maybe that's exactly why it is so special. There are things in life you can't explain, only experience to understand.

Thailand is a unique country. It's a wealthy collection of culture and history amidst tropical paradises. Imagine exploring grand temples and royal palaces in the morning, soaking up the sun on a paradise island in the afternoon, enjoying flavorful and spiced up Thai cuisine for dinner and then heading out for an evening of adventure and mysterious nightlife. 

For anyone who has never visited Asia, Thailand is a great destination to start. It's relatively affordable (in comparison to places like Japan or Hong Kong), gives you a true Asian experience (street food, markets, temples, palaces), will keep you rested (on the beaches) and busy (on the streets) and end up being a trip you'll remember for a lifetime.

My trip to Thailand was as a group tour, which was nice because we got a taste of everything and not nice because of the rush (that's how we saw everything) and crazy schedule everyday (think: no sleep and 5 minute showers). Regardless, I loved it! 

I had family members who were wary of how safe travelling in Thailand would be (think scams and pickpockets), but I found it to be fine. It's a very crowded and busy place but I found the people there to be welcoming to tourists and helpful. I did not have any problems with theft and never felt like I was in an unsafe environment. It's always good to be a bit cautious of your surroundings and belongings - but that goes for wherever you are. 

A few things I would mention to anyone new to Asian countries:

- Don't expect fancy washrooms and toilets (or toilets at all). I always pack Kleenex and wet wipes with me (trust me, they come in handy)

- Bring Tums (it's a spicy, deep fried world out there)

- Comfy clothes and comfy shoes. You'll be walking and sweating all day - not to mention eating delicious street food and probably having to use "squat washrooms" (do you really want to be worrying about your pretty blouse?)

- Bring a smaller purse with essentials inside only.

- Haggle! Don't be afraid to ask for a lower price on things in the market. The worse that could happen is they say no!

- If you see souvenirs you really like, buy them. Chances are you won't come by that same thing again.

- Take photos! Of anything and everything! 

I hope I get the chance to visit Thailand again in the near future and explore more islands and cities ♥

xo
Lori

A week in the life of ❣

FUSE 10

We finally had the chance to enjoy a night of FUSE at the Vancouver Art Gallery. This month's theme was "Disruption - electronic art takes over the gallery" and also marked 10 years of FUSE. 

Admission is $20 a person (purchaseable at the door or online). If you have a Vancouver Art Gallery membership, these events are free!

Upon entering the gallery and purchasing or presenting your ticket (don't be surprised by the long line ups), everyone is given a button (that you must wear) that allows in-and-out access to the gallery for the night. The gallery being not only the collection of amazing exhibits it has daily, but also hosts fun surprises (shows and dances) while the yard outside is turned into a playground for drinks and mingling amidst a stage of live music. 

It was a new and unique experience for the both of us. We were surprised at the large turnout - it definitely lived up to the Gallery's claims of this event being the place to "see and be seen".

If you enjoy art or want to be a part of something eclectic and different, this is an event to add to your weekend. FUSE lets you enjoy the Gallery and its current exhibitions and heightens the experience with the liveliness of performance and music. 

A current exhibition that caught our attention: "How do I fit this ghost in my mouth?" by Geoffrey Farmer. It was all kinds of special, interesting and bizarre and is best explained experienced (on until September 7). 

A few tidbits:

- The event runs from 8pm to 12am. We arrived at around 7:45pm and a line up to enter the gallery had already formed (and it only got longer as the night progressed).

- You must have a button to enter the galley. If you purchased tickets online, you can bypass the lineup for at-the-door ticket purchasing but make sure to talk to one of the ladies at the desk for your button.

- Drinks are available for purchase outside. There are two booths: one to purchase tickets for drinks and the other to exchange your tickets for drinks. So don't go to the drinks booth before buying your ticket! They accept cash and card (cash definitely being the easier and faster payment method).

- You can only drink outside in their courtyard, so finish up before heading back in to enjoy the gallery.

Check a future FUSE out for yourself and let us know how you enjoyed it! Visit www.vanartgallery.bc.ca for future dates and to buy tickets.

xo

Lori and Zhuran

Today is Sunday

You know what that means...a day of sleeping in, late coffee, tuning in to some Lisa Ono, taking a short walk along Main, having brunch, window shopping (and maybe shopping shopping), a pile of good books and a hearty dinner. Sunday, our lazy day ♥

 

(all photos via tumblr)

xo
Lori and Zhuran

Online shopping.... with a twist

Am I the only person who can browse a website like Garmentory, bookmark a million things and never have the courage to put in an offer? I remember when Lori and I first stumbled across Garmentory, we were absolutely ecstatic about the site and thought it was the best thing ever!

In case you haven't heard of this genius site, Garmentory is "a community to shop and discover new boutiques and labels to love." It has a wonderful collection of stores that carry anything from high-end designers to local emerging artists. If you're looking for one-of-a-kind pieces from boutiques across the US and Canada, this is a great site to browse. (Did I mention free shipping in the US and Canada?)

(Just a few of the boutiques on Garmentory)

When Garmentory first began, it emerged as a site that listed only sale items from boutiques. Why we got hooked? You can make offers on these sale items - in other words, bidding on sale items! It was like an eBay, but for local boutiques! Things have changed a bit since then. They now have a mixture of regular-priced items, sale items, and sale items that you can place a bid on. (And of course now I wish I had offered on those items since that "make an offer" option has been taken away for certain items I had my eye on.)

There are so many different designers and shops to choose from. I was always too scared to bid on pieces I liked. I didn't want to submit a bid too low and get rejected, yet at the same time I didn't want to feel like I could've bid lower should my bid have been accepted (yes I'm cheap and indecisive like that). So at the end of the day, I never bid at all.

Despite my one million bookmarks, I have only purchased one piece of clothing from Garmentory (and of course I thought to myself... maybe I didn't bid low enough).

So what exactly am I trying to say?

Firstly, of course, being CHECK OUT GARMENTORY! Despite its changes and moving away from being a bid-on-sale-items-from-boutiques concept that I really loved, it's still enjoyable and fun to browse with lots of potential goodies to purchase (trust me, you'll be on it for a healthy amount of time and your bookmarks will grow before your eyes). And secondly, we take things for granted and miss it when it is taken away from us. Life is short, BUY THE SHIRT!

xo

Zhuran

Happy Monday ♥

My cousin has the cutest pups ♥

xo

Lori

A week in the life of ❣

Recent Puchase: Louis Vuitton Wallet ♥

Hello Lovelies ♥

I recently picked up this Louis Vuitton wallet after starting my new job (you can say it was a treat to myself)! I had quite the time trying to find reviews about different compact wallets online. I've always been used to carrying a rather large bag and have recently downsized to this lovely Celine-inspired crossbody from Aritzia's Auxiliary line. Finding a wallet that still provided enough card storage, coin, and bill space (not that I have much to speak of) all the while fitting into my new bag was a challenge.

I pondered about a Comme des Garcons wallet or a Clare Vivier wallet but neither of the two hit me as being "the one". I figured if I was going to spend a good amount of money on a wallet, it had to be love at first sight - not something I had to ponder. My mom and I had a shopping date and stumbled into Holt Renfrew one weekend. When we passed by the Louis Vuitton store she encouraged me to browse their wallets. I was hesitant at first (I was planning to spend a good amount of money, but not Louis Vuitton amount). We were very warmly greeted by a lovely, older Japanese lady who brought out a large handful of wallets. The moment I saw this black zippy coin purse, I knew it was meant to be. She had it available in several colors, but there was something about the black empreinte leather and gold-tone hardware that stole my heart away. The way it felt in my hand when I held it: simple, quality, chic - perfect ♥

It has 7 card slots, 3 on each side and 1 in the middle.
Each card slot can definitely fit more than 1 card if you have more than 7, but I limit myself to 1 per slot. On one side I have all my bank cards and the other I keep rewards/points cards and gift cards. I keep my driver's license in the middle slot for easy access.

The wallet is divided into 2 compartments.
I put all my bills on one side and coins on the other. Unfortunately, there is no coin zip compartment, but I have not had any trouble with coins falling out or moving around within the wallet. This has also simplified my coin collection to quarters and loonies.

It measures 11cm by 8cm and with all my things inside weighs a happy 150 grams, and fits perfectly in my bag with room to spare.

Pros:
- It's simple and easy to use. There are no hidden slots, so you have what you see - which I love.
- It's beautiful! The logo imprint is deliciously deep, making it look amazingly chic (this particular one was deeper than all other colors of the same style I saw that day).
 - The zipper is very smooth and the quality is impeccable.
- It truly is compact! It holds all my necessities (and more) yet feels like I'm holding nothing.
- It goes with everything!

Cons:
- Price! It is a classic Louis Vuitton piece, but I can't say I didn't slightly cringe when I saw the price tag...but other than that I really can't think of any other cons for myself! However...
I do have friends who dislike folding bills making this wallet not the best for them.
If you enjoy collecting a lot of coins, this wallet may not work for you.

Overall I would rate this wallet a 4/5.
I love it to bits and pieces and see myself using this wallet for years and years to come. The only con, again, is the price. I also have the Louis Vuitton zippy wallet in monogram vernis leather in amarante (a luscious burgundy) - it was my first Louis Vuitton purchase. Too compare it to that, I have to say I love my compact zippy twice as much despite being half the size ♥

 

Which wallet are you using and what makes you love it? ♥

xo
Lori

And so the adventure begins...

Sometimes you’re 23 and standing in the kitchen of your house making breakfast and brewing coffee and listening to music that for some reason is really getting to your heart. You’re just standing there thinking about going to work and picking up your dry cleaning.

And also more exciting things like books you’re reading and trips you plan on taking and relationships that are springing into existence. Or fading from your memory, which is far less exciting. And suddenly you just don’t feel at home in your skin or in your house and you just want home but “Mom’s” probably wouldn’t feel like home anymore either. 

There used to be the comfort of a number in your phone and ears that listened everyday and arms that were never for anyone else. But just to calm you down when you started feeling trapped in a five-minute period where nostalgia is too much and thoughts of this person you are feel foreign. When you realize that you’ll never be this young again but this is the first time you’ve ever been this old. When you can’t remember how you got from sixteen to here and all the same feel like sixteen is just as much of a stranger to you now. 

The song is over. The coffee’s done. You’re going to breath in and out.
You’re going to be fine in about five minutes. 

- The Winter Of The Air

Hello!

We felt obligated to create this blog to share all the amazing little places, eats, shops, and tidbits in our every day lives ♥

You can call it our scrapbook.

We feel that (almost) everything in every day life is worth treasuring and making note of. You just never know what you're going to look back on and ponder about.

For all you readers out there looking for something a little special, we hope you'll enjoy our travels, food adventures, crazy shopaholic moments, and all the quirks inbetween.

 (photo via tumblr)

If there's something you'd like to see us explore, try, or munch, don't be shy to leave us a comment ♥

xo
Lori and Zhuran