fashion

Friday 5: Tea, Pizza, Clothes, Caves and Wine

I’m doing some editing, research, and working on a Friday 5 list for next week, so I thought I’d do a quick list of links and things I’m loving this week.

1. Clipper Tea. I picked up some Earl Grey and Sleep Easy locally on a whim this week and I am head over heels. I highly recommend both!

2. Foolproof Pan Pizza! I’ve been testing dairy again this week and haven’t had any problems so far. Knock on wood! One thing I’ve been missing like crazy is pizza, so I’m going to make my own and enjoy the heck out of it. This is one of my favourite recipes. (via Serious Eats)

3. Project 333's "5 Ways to Create a Capsule Wardrobe" for helping psych me up for spring cleaning and trying out a capsule wardrobe. (via Project 333)

4. Reading about the opening of Caverne du Pont d'Arc, a replica of the prehistoric paintings of Chauvet Cave (take a virtual visit here) in France's Ardèche valley. Its been under meticulous construction since 2007. (via Smithsonian Magazine)

5. Learning about the wines of the Languedoc and planning our own wine tour. (via The Guardian)

That's it for this week! I hope you have a beautiful weekend.  

Friday 5: Spring Jackets

I always find it a bit hard to figure out what jackets to travel with during a shoulder season like spring. For summer travel I just bring a rain jacket and pack some layers cool nights. But spring is little different. I often need to keep a jacket with me at all times since the weather can be a little tricky--cold in the morning, warm in the afternoon, and chilly rain anytime. I tend to like jackets that are classic, stylish, and functional that I can wear year after year and trip after trip. Today's Friday 5 are my picks. 

The Rain Jacket

A great rain jacket, in my book, is:

  • All-season (well, 3 season in Canada if we're being reasonable)
  • Lightweight
  • Waterproof
  • Breathable and has underarm vents
  • Packable and fits into a small pouch or its own pocket 
  • Functional with well-placed pockets and an adjustable hood

The North Face's Venture jacket ticks all of these boxes and comes in an array of fun colors (and some more subdued basics). 

The Denim Jacket

Do denim jackets ever really go out of style? They're such easy, casual layering pieces. I love the darker, distressed wash on this one from Zara. 

The Trench

Perfect for trips you need to go day-to-night on. The trench goes with just about anything and looks as good with a pretty dress and heels as it does with jeans and a tee. I especially love the back storm flap and button on this version from J.Crew.

The Parka

I bought an olive-coloured waxed parka a couple of years ago from J.Crew and it's become my favourite everyday jacket for spring and fall. It's water resistant, wind resistant, doesn't show dirt, and feels a little bit rough and tumble. J.Crew doesn't sell mine anymore, but I really like the look of Penfield's Vassan Parka (also available directly from Penfield). Those pockets! If I had unlimited funds, I'd look into a Barbour, too. 

Bianca Lamb Leather Biker | Danier ($199.99)

Bianca Lamb Leather Biker | Danier ($199.99)

The Moto Jacket

I probably don't need to explain the appeal of a (leather) moto jacket, right? Sleek, sexy and a little bit badass. With the right quality leather, it will only get better with age, too. I like the simplicity and femininity of this one by Danier and the price is great (although it looks to be sold out currently). Another option is the Ayers from AllSaints ($650 CAD) or something like the Gray Cotton Moto Jacket from Banana Republic ($215) for those who don't wear leather. 

That's it for this week. I hope the sun in shining wherever you are! Have a great weekend. 

Friday 10: Pies, Poison, a Podcast, and Passes

This week has flown by! I had my birthday on Tuesday and pretty much ate my way through it. Then on Wednesday, S and I went to a Toronto Maple Leafs game. I think it was my first game at the Air Canada Centre and we had a great time. The Leafs destroyed the Bruins. We paid approximately 1 zillion dollars for me to have a collectors cup full of Coke Zero. I drank it all. I don’t think I ever want to drink Coke Zero again. We stayed up way past my bedtime and I think I’m still paying the price. I am old now, what can I say?

So figured it was a good week for a link roundup! There’s some Ham, some Histoire, and some Travel. 

The Ham

#1  We received a huge pile of carrots in our CSA box this week. Melissa Joulwan’s recipe for Cumin Roasted Carrots came highly recommended to me. It seemed perfect for the season, so I’m giving it a try tonight. 

#2  On the less healthy side, Serious Eats’s list of 11 Must-Try Pies Across America seems like a good reason to go on a road-trip, right? Not to be biased, but I’d probably start in DC for the Baltimore Bomb which is described by Dangerously Delicious Pies as “loaded with Berger Cookies (a Baltimore specialty) that melt down and swirl into a sweet vanilla chess filling.” Sign me up!

#3  Italian master barista Ettore Diana gives coffee at McDonald’s and Starbucks a thumbs up. Take that coffee snobs!

The Histoire

#4  My favorite video and link of the week. Vince Speranza, a WWII vet, tells the story of returning to the French town of Bastogne 65 years later and finding out he’s a legend. It’s a must-see! You’ll probably want to check this out after you watch, too. 

#5  A look at the strange, fascinating history of poisonous Victorian clothing (link via Stuff You Missed in History Class). The exhibition that inspired the article, Fashion Victims: The Pleasures and Perils of Dress in the 19th Century, is on at Toronto’s Bata Shoe Museum until June 30th, 2016. 

The Travel

#6  I’m daydreaming of staying in the Ufogel (€120/night), a Tyrollean house and "spatial wonder." I can just imagine cozying up with hot drinks to watch the snow fall on that beautiful landscape after a long day of attempting to ski.

via Apartments for Sale Paris and Paris Perfect | Saint Aubin

via Apartments for Sale Paris and Paris Perfect | Saint Aubin

#7  I’m also daydreaming of buying this fully-furnished Paris apartment. It’s located in the 7th arrondissement and has an Eiffel Tower view. I’m not sure if €915,000 (approximately $1.2 million) is a deal or not, but it seems like it after seeing what Toronto prices have been doing lately. 

#8  I have been looking into the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France a lot  lately and this lovely post about the seaside town of Collioure from Girl in Florence has only sparked my wanderlust more. 

#9  Are those museum passes worth the money? I generally skip them because we don’t hop from museum to museum fast enough. The New York Times takes a look at Amsterdam, Madrid, Florence and Paris to see what kind of bang for your buck you are actually getting. 

The Wildcard

#10 And, finally, I’ve been completely mesmerized by a podcast called Serial. This season (I say that in hopes that there will be more) is all about the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, a young high school student in Baltimore. If you are one of the few who has not heard of it, give it a listen.

That's it for this week! The flurries were flying as I wrote this. I think I'll go settle down with some tea, a book, and a down throw!

I hope you have a happy and warm weekend.