The perks of blogging

Mostly I blog to keep friends and family in the loop with my life. But recently I have discovered the added perk of making new friends while blogging. New friends who actually live in my city and like to do creative, crafty things like I do. It may be too early to say this, but I think I have found a winner here! Check out what I got in the mail today. How can you not like someone who sends a package filled to the brim with goodies as a get to know me better gesture.

And before you go getting any funny ideas in your heads. She is MY new friend, and you can't have her. And I don't feel like sharing, thank you very much! :) Happy Friday!

Studio M

James and I had a favourite neighbourhood brunch place while we were living in Chicago. The place was called Hot Chocolate. If you are ever in Chicago I suggest hitting this place up. It will not disappoint. The restaurant also displays local artists' creations for purchase. I fell in love with the painter's first collection at the restaurant and we ended up by these two beauties for our home.

The artist whose name is Michelle started off with a career in the medical field. One day she just had this urging desire to pick up brushes and start to paint. She used to paint in school, but teachers critized her technique. Once she picked up her paints, she never looked back. Love stories like that. Let's just say when we went to her gallery opening, we could only afford special edition prints of these two originals. She'd be popular and doing well now! These two beauties hang above above our bedroom wall.

And these are the ones the slipped out my hands....I so want these.....They have VIOLINS people. They belong to me :)

Check out her gallery at Studio M

The man behind the curtain

Or in this case, the woman behind the camera, is usually me. Rowan will start to think that he had an absentee mother when he looks back at the oodles of pictures of him and James. But not this weekend. James took the camera and caught a few shots of the two of us together which I am super duper pleased with. We scouted out this location in Toronto. Filled with wooden gates, and vibrant colored cottages and dandelions galore. Score!

And a few I took.....

Booked the tickets to NYC last night. Our friend's wedding is at the NYC Botanical Garden. Talk about swank! And swanky calls for a cute dress..Dress is by Chicago designer Elise Bergman which can be purchased at my friend Rosie's store.

NYC shopping list

James and I will be there for a wedding so my list needs to be short and pack a punch. Here are two places that I will be hitting up in June.

Albertine. For whatever and whenever.....

Matta. For some fierce pom pom scarf love. The citrine one is a calling my name.

The Little Red Wagon that Could

I had talked about Rowan's Christmas gift from his great grandmother and grandfather in an earlier post. James finally got the wagon put together. So here are some outtakes. I am still working on the whole camera in manual mode thing, and believe me it is a work in progress. I promise a more interesting post later on in the weekend, but it has been a busy week at the office. In other news, Rowan has learned how to say the word outside. And that is ALL he wants to do. The wagon has been coming in mighty handy for both Rowan and Lola. Off to book our tickets to NYC for June!

The best presents

a mother could ask for. I am lucky that my lens and I were there to catch it!

Here you go Mom!