Summer vibes, at last

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GANNI

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Now that we are in mid-June I can finally feel those summer vibes that I’ve been craving all year. There is something to be said about what changes when the city heats up, from the sudden urge for gelato to the increased traffic basically going anywhere, Toronto becomes alive in the summertime. I personally, can’t help but feel the heat and want to get out and explore our beautiful city, from Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington Market to exploring what’s changed on Queen Street. Summer in the city is without question my favourite.

My go-to look for exploring in the city are flowy dresses that can take me from day tonight – because you never know where you’ll end up. When I found this stunning dress (now on sale) I knew it would be the ideal item to that I could hit Sugar Beach in, walk to some shopping, then out for dinner. As soon as I put it on (back in early spring when it was still snowing) I got all the summer vibes and it was true love.

Dress: Ganni, Frames: Michelle Lane, Earrings: by the fab Emily Valentine, Sandals: Dune London (old)
Photography by 2Boo Studio

Time for Change

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Seasons change and time passes. It’s super important to take the time to reflect on what’s working in your life and what needs work. Spring and summer are a perfect time for this type of reflection, as inspiration is all around.

I find it necessary to put away time each day, it can be as little as 15 minutes, to really analyze what makes you happy. Is it spending more time outside, with friends, or taking care of yourself? For me it’s all of the above and I’m happy to be back in the mindset of self-care, and taking the time to focus on what’s really important.

By the way, you can save 15% off the new Classic Petite by Daniel Wellington by using the code “BARBARAANN15”

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Pants: Theory, Shirt: Paul & Joe Sister, Shoes: Zara (old), Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington Glasses: Clearly.ca

Our Kitchen Reveal

They say “good things come to those who wait.” If that’s true, then I’m deserving of all of the good things.

A few years ago, my husband and I, as newlyweds, purchased our first home together. It was a pre-construction, and move in was set for summer 2015. Due to, literally every unforeseen circumstances, we have just moved into our new home this past February, that has three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths. (Which has also been the reason for my recent disappearance.)

Due to the delays, there were a few things we’ve realized that we had the time to do, like save, plan and invest. Staying in our tiny apartment for those extra years, was definitely a strain to our lifestyle, but as time went on, both of us were able to continue to save money, as we tried to live with our new budget.

We spent a lot of time figuring out how we were going to use the space; today, a year from now, and five years from now. We bought a stacked town house, aka too many stairs – but it’s turning out to be a great workout. Our main floor is an open concept living space that hosts our living, dining, cooking and entertaining. This is my favourite space, probably because it’s the most complete, but also because I’ve been shopping for most of these pieces over the last few years, and at last I can see them.

Today I’m revealing kitchen to you, and over the next few months, stayed tuned as I complete each room and share with you our journey as we make this space our home.

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Trevor, and I are entertainers. We love to host, so creating a kitchen and dining area that made sense for group gatherings was really important to both of us. We started with keeping things open – which meant loosing our upper cabinets and allowing our beautiful collection of dinnerware and serving pieces to shine. We found sturdy and beautiful floating shelves from Silicate + Studio, a design studio and lab in Idaho, and fell in love with the perfect imperfections of their wood pieces.

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Next came to adding the show stopping piece. I was fortunate enough to have partnered with Delta Faucet Canada to upgrade my kitchen space. This Champagne Bronze beauty is not just about her looks, she’s also brilliant. With Touch2O Technology, a simple touch anywhere on the curved spout will turn the water on and off, and will automatically shut-off after four minutes to conserve water. I love the colour and how well it works with the mixed metals, whites and woods, blues and citrus theme I have.

 We still have a bit of work to to do in this space, like adding the rest of our door handles, figuring out storage solutions for our cabinets and adding flush under-mount lighting to the shelves. But overall I couldn’t be happier with this space, it’s exactly what I’ve pictured and had hoped for.
Photography by 2Boo Studio
Faucet: Delta Faucet Canada, Shelves: Silicate + Studio, Dinnerware: Villeroy and Boch, Cookware: Le Creuset, Cake stands, cheese boards, accessories: Hudson’s Bay & Home Outfitters, Cat ring tray: Kate Ubbi,
Barbara is wearing: Top and skirt: Who What Wear Collection, Glasses: Clearly.ca
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Thank you to Delta Faucet Canada for sponsoring this post, all opinions are my own. To inquire about sponsored posts and working together, please email amy@shineinfluencers.com