In case, you haven’t heard – National Pizza Party Day is coming up on May 20^th and I couldn’t be more excited. National Pizza Party Day marks the time-honoured tradition of eating pizza in a party-like atmosphere with fellow pizza aficionados.

Since the dawn of time (the mid-80s), the pizza party has been a quintessential part of life. Remember back in grade school when your birthday party would literally be themed around pizza? Those were the days… While reading about this notable holiday online, I discovered that one of the best ways to observe the day was to: meditate on all of the best pizzas you’ve had over the course of your life and to make a list of your top ten toppings. Sounds like my kind of holiday.

To mark the special day, I decided to host my own pizza party a few days ahead so that I could report back with the best pizzas to be had. Ordering from JUST EAT Canada was super easy which was exactly what I wanted for my laidback dinner party vibe. I didn’t have to slave over a hot stove all day or worry about making sure everything was cooked in a timely fashion – our piping hot stack of pizzas arrived just in time for my hungry guests.

To get in the party mood, we converted our backyard patio set into a makeshift pizzeria – dining al fresco definitely requires a little bit of style. Tablecloths and fresh flowers gave it a some bistro-style panache. Since most of my guests are on a gluten-free diet, we ordered from the tasty pizza joint Lorenzo’s Pizzeria on JUST EAT. I wasn’t sure how many pizzas to get since gluten-free pizzas are often smaller than regular crust pizzas – so I ordered five. I highly recommend Lorenzo’s Pizzeria – their gluten-free crust is thin and crunchy but has a great chew. All of their toppings are incredibly fresh and they don’t put too much sauce on which allows the flavours to speak for themselves.

We ordered the Lorenzo Super Special Vegetarian Pizza, The Zeus Greek Pizza, The Margherita Pizza, The Pepperoni Pizza and the Pepperoni Mushroom Pizza. It was probably more than enough as the pizzas were actually a great size but the group of us managed to devour most of them in mere minutes. The crowd favourite was definitely The Margherita – it was the perfect simple pizza packed with a ton of flavour!

We served up a bunch of crisp ciders and craft beers for our guests and enjoyed the beautiful Saturday night sunshine. We had dessert as well – of course it was the perfect compliment to pizza: ice cream cones!

One of the best things about ordering in from JUST EAT is the sheer volume of awesome pizza places to order from! As I pointed out in my How to Gilmore post, ordering from multiple eateries in one night is a joy I have never experienced until recently! While we only ended up ordering from one pizza joint for this party (due to requiring gluten-free crusts) there was over two dozen pizza places at our disposal on JUST EAT! Incredible! Pizza parties are best held at home and JUST EAT makes it so easy to stay in while still having a fabulous meal. We enjoyed the best of both worlds – great pizza from a delicious local restaurant while relaxing in our own backyard with good friends.

Planning your own National Pizza Party this coming Friday, May 20^th is easy. All you need to do is do a little pizza meditation, gather your best buds, order in your favourite pizzas and enjoy a night of great food, drinks and conversation! Buon appetito!

Huge news for fashion and cinema lovers in Calgary! The Canadian International Fashion Film Festival (CANIFFF) has just announced their inaugural event this coming July. I don’t know about you but some of my favourite films have been about fashion, design and the creative people that shape our world through those mediums. Advanced Style? Check. Bill Cunningham’s New York? Check. Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel? Check.

It is an understatement that I am super excited for this new film festival - that is going to be hosted in Calgary, no less! On July 22 & 23, 2016, the first-ever CANIFFF will explore the diverse and shifting landscape of fashion in film and honouring the genre’s best. I cannot wait.

Film stills courtesy of CANIFFF.

Just pre-ordered my copy of the Modern Women’s Many Moons Workbook. July can’t come soon enough.  And The Craft-inspired “We Are The Weirdos, Mister” pin just went to the top of my wishlist. A few more bewitching finds for yourself or the teen witch in your life…

Many Moons: 2016 Workbook

The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Deck + Guidebook

Make Your Own Fortune Patch

We Are the Weirdos, Mister Pin

Spirit Speak Tarot Deck

Swell Made Co. Moons Print

Dusty Mint Dream Catcher

Crescent Moon Necklace

Palms Notebook

Black Quad Candle Holder

Hex Marble Tray

Chakra Balance Oil

Since becoming parents, we’ve started planning our date nights at home.  So much easier than trying to find a babysitter at the last minute or worry about plans falling through – we love to relax at home, eat something tasty and enjoy eachother’s company. Since Jack goes to bed around 7:30pm, we wait until he has gone off to dreamland to dig into an epic meal and mix up some craft cocktails.

We recently decided to step it up a notch and plan a fancier version of date night at home - and it wouldn’t just be take-out in front of the TV again – it would be takeout, restaurant style! Instead of going out for the night, we were staying in and bringing the flavours, ambiance and excitement to us. Inspired by creating a bistro ambiance in our dining room, I set the table with all of our favourite dishes and flatware. I gathered ingredients to make delicious cocktails and poured some craft beer for my husband. We wanted a real show-stopper meal so we went online to JUST EAT CANADA and ordered up an Indian feast from our fave place Royal Ganesha. While we waited for delivery we listened to music (check out my playlist below) and got the table set for our epic meal.

One of the easiest ways to dress up a date night at home is to pull out all of the stops in terms of dishes, cocktails and table styling. While it wasn’t the fanciest date night that we have done at home, I still tried to make it feel special – I brought out my fave gold candlesticks to add a bit of ambiance and used my gold cutlery and serving spoons to dress it up a bit. I kinda love the tin foil take-out containers so I left the coconut rice for a bit more metallic sparkle on the table.

Ordering from JUST EAT is so simple and I love being able to order from a variety of amazing local restaurants but have the convenience of it all right at my fingertips. Royal Ganesha is definitely a fave in our household; the Onion Bhajia was absolutely to die for. Made with onions and chickpea flour they were perfectly savoury and a bit sweet - with a lot of crunch. I would definitely order these again and again. We also ordered veggie pakoras, Kadai Paneer, Masala Aloo and papadums. Needless to say, we were stuffed and still had leftovers for the next day. Not only was it a great amount of food but it was also super affordable – way more affordable than going out for the night! Plus, we were already home so after-dinner cocktails in the backyard was a done deal!

I pulled together a bit of visual inspiration for anyone trying to build up your cupboard of pretty housewares for at-home date nights and dinner parties. I am obsessed with gold-tipped everything right now so the cutlery and coupe glasses are on the top of my list. I love checking out local art markets for unique ceramic pieces to add to my collection. You can actually pick up marble trays for really great prices at home decor shops these days and IKEA is an awesome place to pick up inexpensive accessories like patterned napkins and cute plates. All of the items might look a bit disjointed when you buy them separately but once you bring them all together you can have a really fun eclectic look for your dinner table. Staying in can absolutely be glamourous, romantic and stylish!

I also made a fun at-home date night mix of some of my current favourite songs right now. Click the tape to check it out!

Here’s my list of amazing things happening in Calgary this month. How is it May already?! I didn’t really get the memo that this year was going to go by so quickly. Regardless, spring is definitely here and we’ve already had a taste of summer. Spoiled! Check out these great events and as usual please spread the good word of I HEART YYC to your friends.

➔ I HEART YYC

♥ Community Folk + My Mila Pop-up at Plant: Two of my fave online retailers are popping up at Plant this week for an IRL shopping experience! Community Folk is an online kids shop featuring stylish brands from across the globes, covetable eco-friendly toys and fabulous decor accessories. My Mila is an adorable locally designed and made kids collection featuring modern, minimalist designs for your cute kiddo. May 13-15, 1327 9th Ave SE

♥ Inglewood-Ramsay Shop Local Fair at Ramsay Community Hall: A fun, family-focused event in my new neighbourhood of Ramsay. Looks like a lot of fun: face painting, local business owners and food trucks! May 21 10am-4pm, 1136 8th Street SE

♥ Market Collective Spring Fling: Everyone’s favourite local market is back at the Chinese Cultural Centre for an entire weekend of shopping, live music and great food.  May 27-29, Chinese Cultural Centre 197 1st Street SW

♥ PARKSHOW 2016 presented by CF Chinook Centre:PARK’s annual emerging fashion and art showcase, PARKSHOW 2016 presented by CF Chinook Centre, will be expanding to include two unique nights of programming, each featuring different designer lineups, pop-up shops, and art. This two night extravaganza is not to be missed by any fashion lover in Calgary. May 27 + 28. Tickets here.
♥ NOW OPEN ♥

♥ Guildhall Home: Absolutely excited to have this new shop in Inglewood - literally walking distance from my home! Their focus is on the best new design products for your home found locally and from around the world. From internationally celebrated and established brands to emerging and independent designers, their product selection offers great design at every price point. 1222 9 Ave SE

♥ Bamboo Ballroom Southcentre + Online: One of my favourite Inglewood shops is Bamboo Ballroom, a gorgeous women’s shop filled with great clothes, accessories and vintage furniture and housewares. They just opened up their second Calgary location at Southcentre Mall which is very exciting for anyone living down South. Always nice to have more local shops at the malls. Sidenote for anyone not in Calgary or Edmonton, Bamboo Ballroom also just launched their online store so you can shop from the comfort of your own home.

♥ Plant: Seems like everything is coming up Inglewood these days. Plant, one of Calgary’s favourite home garden shops just re-opened in a massive new space on 9th Avenue SE, just doors away from their previous home. The new space has room for pop-ups (like the Community Folk one!), workshops, bigger plants and loads of plant accessories and home decor! 1327 9 Ave SE

♥ COMING UP IN YYC ♥

SocialWest: If you love social media, work in social media or want to work in social media, you should attend SocialWest, the largest social media and digital marketing conference on the prairies! June 15-17 right in the heart of downtown Calgary, learn about the latest trends in social media and digital marketing. It will be a great experience for anyone looking gain some more insight to this ever-changing industry.

♥ ♥ ♥

Enjoy and #shoplocal!

For as long as I have been dreaming about being a mother, I have also been dreaming about twinning my clothes to match my children’s. There is just something about a family uniform (nerd alert!) that is just up my alley. Maybe it is my love of the Von Trapp Family Singers and the Sound of Music; or maybe it is because my parents used to dress my brother and I up in matching clothes occasionally (which we loved btw!) when we were little. Whatever the reason, matching clothes with Jack was on my list.

Thanks to the ingenuity of the unrivaled sneaker designers at  Vans and the toddler-sized versions of all of their classic shoes, we finally got the chance to have matching shoes.

I picked up a pair of the Vans Gumsole Old Skool sneakers and Jack got the Vans Toddler Old Skool sneaks. Together we looked pretty rockin’, if I do say so myself. We laced and Velcro’d up and we took our new kicks to the park to test drive them.

My sneakers are super comfortable and ideal for my daytime lifestyle right now – where I am often running around chasing Jack, going for walks to the park and grabbing coffee with friends. I was looking for a black sneaker that would go with just about anything, that was comfortable and had a bit of panache to it. I love the gumsole – it totally adds a vintage-y vibe to the shoes.

For the first 15 months of his life, Jack was wearing slip-on shoes and lace-ups. I am not sure why I waited so long to embrace Velcro. Seriously, it is the greatest invention known to man. I can slip these bad boys on Jack’s feet in record time which is very important these days. He is known to squirm away just as you’ve got the shoe onto his foot! Again, I love the Old Skool collection and it is even cuter on Jack. The iconic Vans waffle sole gives him great stability and some grip as ne navigates the playground.

I highly recommend you check out Union Jack Boots for their great selection of toddler and kids Vans – you might even find something for yourself! So, at what age do they start being embarrassed by their mothers?! 

In case you haven’t heard the news, I recently announced that for the spring + summer I am a brand ambassador for 4th Street here in Calgary. The role is fitting, as 4th Street is one of my favourite places in the whole city and I have spent the past six years living, eating and breathing the culture of 4th Street. What is not to love? The street has everything you could ever want and/or need!

In the spirit of Earth Month, I wanted to share seven great local shops that carry products that are eco-friendly, ethically responsible and sustainable that are all located on 4th Street. While Earth Month is a great initiative to get people thinking about all of the things we should be doing to help care for our earth, I think that our duties definitely extend past the month of April and we should take into account these things each and everyday. Luckily, there are so many great companies that are dedicated to making a difference on planet earth - we have lots to choose from!

Amaranth Market is one of my favourite places to shop in the entire city. Not only do they have an incredible selection of gluten-free products but they also have some amazing egg-free, vegan and vegetarian products that truly make life so much easier with an egg-allergy in the house. Not only are they great for anyone with allergies but eating less meat and animal products also impacts the earth in a very good way. It has actually been proven that giving up red meat will reduce our overall carbon footprint more than getting rid of cars. While I am not vegan, I stopped eating red meat (except for a couple steaks while I was pregnant - the craving was insane!) a few years ago and haven’t looked back. Amaranth also carries fantastic organic produce, vitamins and supplements like VEGA as well as other great products like eco-friendly diapers, toilet paper and laundry detergent. It is definitely a one-stop so if you are looking to bring eco-friendly products into your home, you can pick up pretty much everything at this lovely shop.

Neal’s Yard Remedies is another one of my favourite shops on 4th Street. Priding themselves on creating ethical and organic products, this UK-based brand has brought their wonderful products to the streets of Calgary (their 2nd store is in Southcentre Mall!). Longtime lovers of the brand swear by their all-natural products. I love their philosophy on seeking out natural healing properties from plants and herbs. If you are new to this way of thinking I really recommend you pick up two books from their collection: NYR Beauty Book and the NYR Healing Foods Book. Both are a crash course on how plants and herbs are vital to your well-being and include all sorts of recipes and tips on how to incorporate them into your life. I used their Mother Care and Baby Care collections while I was pregnant and now on Jack - the balms and creams are so amazing. Jack had diaper rash for one day thanks to the Baby Barrier - it cleared it up in no time! I can personally recommend so many of their products - you must check it out!

Pawsitively Natural Pet & Food Supplies: While I don’t have a pet, I have frequented this great shop for pet gifts in the past. Stocking the biggest selection of natural dog food and cat food in Calgary, they carry eco-friendly, Canadian-made products and pet food at competitive prices. All of their products are human-grade food and treats. What I love most about this place is that it is independently and locally owned and operated.

Frequenting The Tea Factory since it opened, I love this fantastic all-natural tea shop. They ensure that all of their teas are 100% all-natural, no artificial flavours or synthetic ingredients. They even have kombucha on tap! Everyone at The Tea Factory is super knowledgable about each tea - and they have dozens of teas so that is saying something. The shop has a super calming atmosphere - I highly recommend checking it out to enjoy a great pot of tea with friends.

OP to Go: A newer addition to the Street, OP to Go is a delicious Vietnamese take-out joint. In a world where styrofoam containers are still being used everywhere, their eco-friendly contribution is their bio-degradable to-go bowls. I really appreciate when a company takes the time to find environmentally-sound options for their customers.

Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters buy directly from Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Colombia, Bolivia, Kenya and Ethiopia and have launched quality and sustainability projects in nearly all the countries. I love their Mission cafe - you’ll love it too! It has great character, is perfect for people watching and has a fantastic food menu. They source all of their ingredients locally and all baked goods are made in house.

Another fave spot in Mission, Saje Natural Wellness is an incredibly environmentally responsible company. Their day-to-day business is deeply rooted in a strong environmental commitment. All of their ingredients are derived from safe and renewable resources. They have not been tested on animals. Packaging is simple, and made of recycled or recyclable materials. All of that and their products are just beautiful. I love their Peppermint Halo wand - it really helps with headaches!

It’s not too much food. This is what we’ve been training for our whole lives. This is our destiny, this is our finest hour. - Lorelei Gilmore.

I know I am not alone in the fact that I cannot wait for the Gilmore Girls Revival. I know that there are thousands of other Gilmore Girls (and Guys!) out there waiting with baited breath for the day they announce the series launch date. Hoards of people will be booking the day off from work - binging once and then re-watching again and again … and again. In the meantime, however, all we are left with is the incredible pre-existing seasons that have warmed our hearts for the past sixteen years. So, while you are waiting for the new episodes, sit back and dig into your old favourite episodes. Relive your favourite moments and reconnect with your Stars Hollow faves.

One of the most talked-about aspects of the Gilmore Girls’ lives is their seemingly bottomless stomachs. Always up for a good take-out binge-fest or progressive Thanksgiving dinners, Lorelei and Rory are kind of my spirit animals for being able to eat just about anything and completely get away with it! Inspired by their many delicious meals of take-out and comfort food over the show’s 153 episodes, I’ve partnered with Just Eat Canada to explain exactly How To Gilmore!

First off, the key to being a Gilmore is knowing where the best takeout is from in town and have them pretty much on speed dial. Lorelei and Rory’s go-to places include Al’s Pancake World for Chinese food, Antonioli’s Restaurant for pizza and, of course, Luke’s Diner for burgers and fries.

I knew I would never find a burger as legendary as the ones that Luke’s serves up but I did find a pretty amazing one on Just Eat at O’Sullivans. We ordered their classic burger and it was everything that a good burger should be - complete with melting cheddar inside and a juicy pickle right on top!

Step two to becoming a Gilmore is to order more food than you can possibly eat. Every self-respecting Gilmore knows that if you order more than you can eat, it is pretty much guaranteed that you won’t have to cook the next day. Hello leftovers! Is it just me or does take-out taste even more amazing the next day? Pizza and Indian food definitely age super well but I feel with the right fridge and tupperware conditions, just about any kind of take-out could be delicious the next day.

Lorelei is notorious for ordering loads of Chinese food from Al’s Pancake World. It is pretty much guaranteed that you could dig into the Gilmore’s fridge and find at least one carton of chow mein tucked away. We ordered up an assortment of classic dishes from an old favourite - Peking Dragon Chinese on 4th Street in Mission - ginger beef, mixed vegetables, chicken fried rice and spring rolls! Absolutely delicious and you bet there is leftovers in the fridge for tomorrow’s lunch.

The third step is to always make it about the food. Stop whatever you are doing (except watching Gilmore Girls, of course) and truly indulge yourself in the eating experience. Talk about how good the food is and make as many pop culture references as humanly possible. And always try to go above and beyond - just like Rory did when she ordered the biggest pizza ever for Lorelei’s birthday party.

Speaking of pizza, you aren’t a true Gilmore Girl if you don’t include pizza in your tv-watching, take-out experience. It doesn’t really matter what kind of pizza you end up delving into. We ordered up a delicious gluten-free pizza from Lorenzo’s Pizzeria - super gourmet ingredients and incredible flavour. Really impressed with their gluten-free crust - what a great addition to our list of favourites.

Lastly, I’d like to ponder what those Gilmore Girl’s will devour in the new episodes. They already missed the cronut trend so I’m not expecting to see any though they may make reference to them. I’m hoping that the Canadian classic poutine may have made it down to Stars Hollow by now. So of course, we ordered some of that as well from The Big Cheese. They have fantastic vegetarian and gluten-free gravy! We also ordered their dessert poutine with is fries dusted in cinnamon sugar, topped with caramel and cream cheese. Much like Lorelei and Rory, my eyes were bigger than my stomach so I only had a few bites but it was delicious!

I polled my fellow Gilmore Girls addicts about what kind of food they would eat for the rest of their lives if they had the choice. 59% voted for pizza, 29% for burgers + fries and only 12% voted for Chinese food. These are astounding numbers, folks. Make sure to have plenty of pizzas at your upcoming Gilmore Girls revival soirees.  In the meantime, reruns on repeat and tons of take-out…

BTW, feel free to share these images!!!

Nordstrom just kicked off their week-long Beauty Trend event and the buzz around the cosmetic counters is palpable. Runway looks are being turned into everyday makeup routines, personalized fragrances are being concocted and people from all over are being educated in the art of beauty - including myself!

On day one of the Beauty Trend event, I met up with the lovely Karen from MAC Cosmetics to get the scoop on her absolute favourite make-up brushes. As a makeup artist, Karen often totes around 30-40 brushes at a time but she swears by her Fab Five, most of which actually are multi-purpose meaning you can keep your makeup bag somewhat minimalist. I love the idea of keeping my tools down to a minimum. Since having a baby, my makeup routine has to be quick and easy as I often don’t have much time alone to dedicate to beautifying myself! Karen’s tips were fantastic - hope they are helpful for you too!

Synthetic Fluffy Eye Brush: This brush is great because it works really hard to do everything thanks to the precision and flatness of it. It works great for all over shadows - from the crease up the brow - and you can even go in with the tip and create more definition. The bristles are super soft.

Lip Brush: I am a big fan of lipstick and I feel like you should always get full value of your tube. The lip brush is so great for digging into the bottom of the tubes and getting your full money’s worth! You can get really great precision when using a lip brush and achieve the perfect shape around your lips.

Concealer Brush: I absolutely love the concealer brush. You don’t need to use your fingers at all - it is so good at contouring under your eyes; you can go into all the small little places around your nose, and you can use it to dab on you concealer. The other thing that is so great about it is that it doubles up for eye shadow and eyeliner. It is lovely for cream eye shadows or using the tip to apply beautiful eyeliners.

Photo via MAC Cosmetics