Bleeding Blue

Since returning to the United States last spring, the 2016 presidential election has been a hot topic in both the news and media. The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution has given me the liberty to express my choice and I am proudly exercising that privilege. 

I chose to wear ALL blue to the polls as a cheeky expression of my left leaning preferences, so I paired this light-colored chambray shirt with dark denim skinny jeans. The chambray is a bit snug on me, so I could have easily worn a white tee-shirt underneath and left in unbuttoned. I've never mixed different variations of the same material in one outfit before, but I think I would like to try this again.

If you haven't geared up for spring and purchased lace-up flats yet, please do yourself a favor and buy a pair right now! I am obsessed with how comfortable and fashionable these lace-up flats are and how they make me feel. Each step I take in them makes me feel like a prancing ballerina as she waltzes through a field of wildflowers. Okay, maybe not majestic..but they do make me feel very confident/special when I wear them. 

Chambray: American Eagle

Pants: Forever 21

Shoes: UrbanOG

Some states have already had their primaries, but I encourage everyone with upcoming dates to head to the polls this year and vote for the candidate that you feel is best. 

xx Besos, 

Erika

Proud to be an AmERIKAn!

Happy Independence Day, America! It's the time of the year where people get to drink American flag printed Budweiser cans and blare "Proud To Be An American" and no one bats an eye. This year I'm feeling patriotic as ever because for the first time in a long time, I am not abroad on 4th of July. Setting off fireworks and wearing a weekend's worth of red, white, and blue is everything I want and more. I hope everyone is being safe this holiday weekend and has an amazing independence day.  

Besos, 

Erika 

T-Shirt: University of South Carolina

Shorts: Gangnam Subway Station

Shoes: Converse

Chambray: American Eagle Outfitters 

Lipstick: Etude House

Happy Canada Deh

It's July 1st! So you know what that means, right?! It's Canada Day!! While I may not be Canadian...Canada still holds a special place in my heart. Being an expat in South Korea was lonely at times, however I was fortunate enough to meet some of the most incredible people, many of whom were Canadians, that shaped my life forever. So bust out the two-fours and eat poutine until your heart's content. I may not be in Canada to celebrate, but you better believe that I am decked out in red and white today and will be going out for a rip ;) 

 xx Besos, 

Erika 

Crop: Forever 21

Shorts: TJMaxx

Shoes: Shoopen

Lipstick: Nature Republic

Baked Falafel Recipe

Hi, y'all! It's been a while... after going on an unbelievable trip across Southeast Asia, I've since "officially" moved back home to Canada after living in South Korea for two years!

BIG STUFF!

I'm still going through a lot of adjustments, but one of the first things I wanted to tackle (and share with you) was my diet.

After eating my way through Southeast Asia, then coming home for Christmas (turkey coma), then visiting friends across Canada (read: eating out + ordering in), I decided it was time to get back to cooking!

So, here is a simple recipe for making baked falafels at home!

 

1 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon baking powder
4-6 tablespoons flour

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Place drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.

Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough bulgur or flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours. 

 Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts onto a non-stick pan.

Bake until brown (about 20 minutes).

Stuff half a pita with whatever you desire! I served mine with cucumbers, lettuce, hummus, hot peppers and feta cheese.

Enjoy!

Wandering

I have a confession to make.

I am an overpacker. 

No matter how much I try to be a smart packer, I always end up bringing too many clothes and/or too many pairs of shoes. I wish I could say that I've learned from my past mistakes, but as I continue to travel South East Asia, the story remains the same.

Here are a few snaps of me wearing my male travel companion's clothes in Vietnam, because I still haven't learned to pack appropriately!

I'm still on the pleather-legging-loving-train.

Bisous!

Marie-Anne

Halloween Inspired Outfit Four

The Pumpkin Queen

I've recently become obsessed with orange and would wear it every day if I could. This look takes Halloween fashion pretty literally, but many of the pieces can be worn after Halloween. If not paired together, the sweater, shirt and purse can all be worn again.

Halloween is a time that you can dress up as someone else or you can stay true to your own style. I hope everyone had a great Halloween last weekend. Have fun this weekend. 

Socks: Tabbisocks
Skirt: Nostalgia
Sweater: Chinti and Parker
Shoes: Charlotte Olympia
Purse: GIVENCHY

Besos, 

Erika

Halloween Inspired Outfit Three

Vampire Vixen

I'm typically not into Hot Topic-esque fashion, but I sometimes cant help myself from dressing very young around Halloween. This look is very vampire inspired, without being a costume. I own a backpack very similar to this one and I'm always shocked by how many compliments I get when I wear it. 

Shirt: Truffle Shuffle

Sweats: Zoe Karssen

Backpack: VANS

Ring: Bernard Delettrez

Besos, 

Erika

October Sun

Here are a few snaps from when we photographed our lovely friends for our hats post.

Soaking up the very last of the rays of sunshine before the real cold sets in.

(Obsessed with these pleather leggings!)

Halloween Inspired Outfit Two

In the Eye of the Beholder 

Getting into the Halloween spirit doesn't mean that modesty has to be thrown out of the window. This look is a bit spooky because of the Victorian print of the shoes and the print of the dress, yet it is very feminine and can even be worn to the office. I would pair this look with a dark wine lipstick to add a bit more mystery.

Dress: Kenzo

Shoes: Charles Philp

Hat: American Apparel

Clutch: Alexander McQueen

Besos, 

Erika

Hats, Caps, & Snapbacks

We've been obsessed with hats all summer and will continue to be moving into Autumn! Whether they have a buckle or have a snap-back, bring them our way. We don't have to tell you that they're especially perfect for bad hair days, but they are a fashionable option. 

Asia is known for putting bad (and very inappropriate) English translations on apparel... which is hilarious and we love it.

You can find phrases such as "DRUNKEN," "DOPE," "ONE OF A KIND" (shout out to G-Dragon) and other, more obscene, words on hats here and we want them all!

Besos and Bisous, 

Erika and Marie-Anne

Halloween Inspired Outfits

Dressing up for Halloween doesn't necessarily mean that you have to be in full costume. There are many fashionable ways to get into the Halloween spirit - without splattering your face with fake blood, sporting a mask or wearing your sexiest lingerie. Over the next four weeks, we will be posting some Halloween inspired outfits. Hope you enjoy them!

Day of the Dead

Sugar skulls are the iconic symbol of the day after Halloween, Mexican holiday, Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead), but they can be seen in fashion year round. This look is functional, comfortable and it channels my inner J.Lo. I'm a proud owner of a pair of leather joggers and I highly recommend them to anyone who is looking for a stylish fall pant. 

Sweatshirt: Pierce the Veil

Pants: Neil Barrett

Shoes: Nike

Nail Polish: NARS  

Besos, 

Erika  

Autumn Audio

October has arrived- which means it's finally the perfect temperature for afternoon bike rides and evening strolls. Autumn is without a doubt my favorite season because of the amount of time I spend outdoors. Music is my preferred walking companion, so here is a small collection of songs that I enjoy listening to on my morning commute to work. Give them a listen. xx

Besos, 

Erika 

Fall Favorites

Fall is upon us! After a humid summer of damp clothes and frizzy hair, we can finally pack away our crop tops and sandals to make way for oversized sweaters and leather booties.

 

I am channeling my inner Gothic Princess with my favorite items for fall. 

First of all, I love everything with a little pleather, but especially a good pair of pleather leggings. They add a stylish, playful touch to any outfit. I really like to pair mine with a black blouse or oversized sweater. 

Speaking of, have a peek at that "Province of Canada" sweater! I've had my eye on this piece for a while now; I like it's simplistic design and how perfectly it would go with my pleather leggings. 

Next up, a black floppy hat - they're just so chic... I can't wait to wear mine out this fall! 

Let's talk lipstick. I love wearing loud, vibrant colors during the spring and summer, but it's just as fun to wear rich, deep colors in the colder seasons. Wine-colored lipsticks are my favorite thing to complete an all-black outfit.

The last "must-have" of my fall favorites is a pair of stylish running shoes. If you live in a city like I do, a pair of comfortable shoes is essential to someone who walks everywhere! 

Let us know what your favorites for fall are, too!

Bisous,

Marie-Anne

Metro Mania

If I were living in North America, I would never associate the words "subway station" and "fashion". That is definitely not the case in Seoul. Countless stations have incredible underground shopping centers that are not only stylish, but also very convenient.

Some of my favorite unique pieces that I've acquired while living in Korea have been purchased at one of these stations. They sell a variety of items including: clothing, accessories, makeup, shoes, cell phone cases, food, coffee and even selfie sticks.

Affordable, trendy items don't have to break the bank. You are able to pick up a variety of styles at a minimal cost. I've been able to buy cute, functional purses for roughly $10, dresses for under $15 and tops for about $5. Picking up trendy items at subway stations has cleared my budget to buy higher quality staple pieces.

Stay posted to see some of my favorite subway station finds.

Besos, 

Erika

Instadaily

Thanks to the Chuseok Holiday (Korean Thanksgiving) we had a very long weekend at the beginning of September, so I took the opportunity to visit Taipei, Taiwan! 

Taipei has always been at the top of my list of places to visit and I am so excited that I finally got to go!

Here is a roundup of some instagram photos I took during my visit!

The Hawaii of Korea

Back in July we went on a beautiful trip to one of Korea's most famous tourist destinations: Jeju Island.

We visited waterfalls, ate black pork, explored the island, and got heavily bloated from eating so much good food.