leisurely swim in my backyard

I still can't believe that I can walk down the road from my condo and swim in the ocean. So far I am absolutely loving living in Vancouver! Everywhere I look there are trees, mountains and the sparkly ocean. What more do you really need?

xo sara

cascade falls

There are so many incredible trails and waterfalls in British Columbia so I thought I would start checking a few off my list. Cascade Falls is about an hour and a half easy drive outside of Vancouver. Considering I went here on a Saturday afternoon, I didn’t find the park that busy.

Outfit Details

Top, JOE FRESH

Shorts, American Eagle

Watch, Daniel Wellington c/o Jacaranda Tree & Co.

Backpack, MEC

Much like most outdoor places within the mountains, there is so cell service! So for all those Snapchat lovers out there, you’ve been warned.

After I spent some time looking at the waterfall and taking a few picture, I wasn’t ready to go home. I saw a couple people come down a road beside the waterfall wearing their bathing suites and carrying towels. What was up there? I wanted to find out. A few others and I went up this road and found a small opening into the forest. After trying to navigate our way around the trees and down a really slippery slope, there was a huge opening of little pools with the current running through it.

xo sara

blueberry picking

I work just outside of the city so I'm always passing by farmers marketing and blueberry patches. I don't know what it is about Vancouver but I have never seen so many blueberry farms in my whole life! There are rows and rows of blueberry farms! I stopped by one on my way home from work and picked a whole bundle of blueberries. 

xo sara

the calgary stampede

One of my best friends Darcie invited me to go to the Calgary Stampede with her this year and without even a hesitation, I accepted. Finally, I felt like I was going home to the mothership! I packed two dresses, cut off jean shorts, two tank tops and a pair of sunglasses. All I needed was a pair of cowboy boots. When we arrived, can you guess what our first stop was? You guessed it! I bought myself my first pair of authentic cowboy boots! I've never been happier. 

Darcie, myself, her dad and a bunch of his work friends all went to a rodeo. This was my first time ever going to one. All of the events were super quick which made each one really exciting. They would introduce each of the cowboys before their event. They had the hottest cowboy names ever and were so dreamy. There is something about a man in a cowboy hat, tucked in button down, jeans and cowboy boots that makes my heart flutter. 

xo sara

cottage weekend

A couple friends and I had a lovely weekend at my cottage in Northern Ontario. When we arrived late Friday night, we caught a stunning sunset! It was a peaceful evening so we were able soak in all of the beautiful surroundings.

There is something pretty awesome about making breakfast at the cottage. Maybe it's because it is the start of a day spent entirely with your friends, or maybe you know that the sun is coming up and you know it will be filled with sunshine? Whatever the reason, it's my favourite and I think the gang agrees. 

xo sara

quick trip home to toronto

Isn't my mum super cute?! She owns, in my opinion, the best home decor store around. If you haven't already been to Jacaranda Tree & Co, be sure to pop in and say hello when you're in Toronto strolling along Mount Pleasant Road. This is a picture of her in front of her shop!

Outfit Details

Sunglass, Vintage Vuarnet Sunglasses

Top, J.CREW

Purse, J.CREW

Watch, Daniel Wellington

We went out for dinner to Boland's Open Kitchen which is a couple doors down from Jacaranda Tree.  One of the wonderful things about Mount Pleasant Village is that all of the shops and restaurants care to get to know you and treat you like a friend. Chris Boland is the owner and head chef at Boland's and he always makes a point of coming over to our table, sitting down with us and catching up on our lives. He rocks and if you're in the neighbourhood and looking for a nice home cooked style meal and great company, head on over to Boland's. 

xo sara

san francisco in june

Twice a year my company goes to San Rafael, California for an annual general meeting for one of the brands we represent. I stayed a couple extra days in San Francisco at the Hostelling International Hostel and toured around town with a friend of mine for the weekend. This is the second time I've stayed at this hostel and absolutely loved it. The entire place is really clean, has really cool decor and is filled with people from all over the world. Plus - it's a lot less expensive than staying in a hotel!

My friend and I went to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market by the docks in the morning which was incredible! This is where the cities best known chefs come to get their food for the day. There were so  many stands of fresh gigantic flowers, big baskets of vibrant fruits, delicious veggies and artisan and prepared foods. 

M U I R    W O O D S

After we had breakfast, we rented a car and drove to Muir Woods National Monument just outside of the city. While my friend and I were walking around the woods, we couldn't help but notice that it looked like there was a fire at the base of many trees yet there was no all over forest fire. How can this be? "Fires over the centuries can hollow out a redwood, burning out a case in the trunk of a living tree. Though the fire caves on some of the redwoods look fresh, the last forest fire that occurred in Muir Woods was about 160 years ago" - says Muir Woods National Monument website.

There is no cell phone service in the woods so be sure to plan ahead if you plan on meeting up with someone there or having someone pick you up at the end of your visit.

Did you know that Coastal Redwoods only exist along a narrow

500 mile coastal strip in northern California and southern Oregon?

Outfit Details

Sunglasses, Free People

White Button Down Top, JOE FRESH

Watch, Daniel Wellington c/o Jacaranda Tree & Co.

Purse, hibou from Little Burgundy

Jeans, JOE'S JEANS

Sandals, Vionic Shoes

L O M B A R D    S T R E E T

Since it was such a spectacular day and the flowers were in full bloom, we went to see Lombard Street which is the most crooked street in the United States. We parked the car and walked up and down the windy round. There are a handful of gorgeous Victorian mansions that have beautiful flowers pouring from window boxes as well as vines climbing up the front of the homes and lovely little gardens that curve with the windy road.

G O L D E N     G A T E     B R I D G E

I've been to San Francisco a couple times now and every time I try and get a close up picture at the Golden Gate Bridge, it's always cloudy! One time I took a cab from my hostel (where there was a beautiful clear sky) all the way to the bridge ($$$ later) and it was too foggy! Devastated. This time I was walking along the water with some friends and was able to snap a shot. Side note - I had no idea how windy and chilly it would be in San Fran in June!

xo sara

p.s. if you missed my last post in January about my trip to San Francisco, check it out here!