Friday Loves: DIY Spot Wall, Spark Sessions, Leopard Loafers and More
TGIF! It’s been a few weeks since I posted my “Friday Loves”, but it’s back with a few of my current obsessions.
1. DIY Painted Spots Wall. My fabulous gal pal, Gaby (her wonderful blog is The Vault Files!), is a DIY Queen. Her post on How to Transform Straight Jeans to Skinny has to be one of the most pinned DIY’s on Pinterest I’ve ever seen. That is, until she did this amazing Painted Spots Wall in her entryway of her condo. I’ve seen it in person, and let me tell you, it’s beyond gorgeous. I’m so inspired by this easy DIY, that I’m going to attempt the same technique in my closet, and have somehow convinced Gaby to help me paint it!
2. Nine West Leopard Loafers. I purchased these fabulous Nine West “Tryme” leopard loafers a few weeks ago and can’t stop wearing them. I love the small chunky heel that gives me just a little bit of height, but is still super comfortable. For reference, they run true to size.
3. Spark Sessions Blogging Conference. Some of you may know that I’m involved with a wonderful company called, Spark Sessions, which is Canada’s Premier Fashion & Beauty Bloggers Conference and Workshops. I get a lot of questions and e-mails from bloggers who are looking to start a blog or grow their current site, so I know that many of you will be interested to know that Spark Sessions’ 2nd Annual Conference will be held this November 15 & 16 in Toronto. It’s 2 full days of learning, networking and inspiration. We’re giving away a trip to this year’s Conference, including airfare, hotel-stay and a ticket to our VIP dinner! Be sure to enter at SparkSessions.ca!
4. Cirque du Soleil. I vividly remember the very first Cirque du Soleil show I ever experienced. It was in 1998, the show was called Saltimbanco, and it was a magical moment that I’ll never forget. I’ve since tried to see every Cirque Show that I can, and last week we experienced their newest show called Kurios. As always, I was just blown away by the athleticism of the performers. But what I found even more amazing was the amount of creativity that is displayed with these shows. From the costumes, to the characters, to the set, it boggles my mind how they can create such magic and wonder. I highly recommend checking out one of their touring tent shows or permanent shows they have in several cities. However, I must warn you that Cirque du Soleil also offers touring stadium shows, where the experience is much different (and a little disappointing) compared to their tent shows. The tent shows are much more intimate, where every seat in the venue is fantastic. You can make eye contact with the performers, see the expressions on their faces, and the details in their costumes and make up. Sadly, this magic is lost in the arena shows, where the space is too large, and you’re sitting too far away from the stage.
5. Zucchini Noodles. I generally try to stick to an 80-20 rule when eating; eat healthy 80% of the time, and be a bit more indulgent the remaining 20% of my meals. For me, that means trying to make good food choices on weekdays, and saving my sweet tooth for the weekends. I’ve been trying to prepare more healthy lunches, and my current lunch of choice is zucchini noodles. My favorite recipe is super simple, tasty and healthy: zucchini noodles (made using a spiralizer), edamame (I always keep a frozen bag on hand), Grana Padano (Pecorino Romano is a very similar option), basil, pine nuts, lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt. Yum!
