new year. new changes!

happy new year!

i'm so happy to announce that lovely and lavish has a new home at

www.lovelyandlavish.com

i loved my time at blogger, but i'm so excited for the move.

meet you at the new place!

also, happy new year!!!

-m

let it snow!

hi hi!

very busy,
but today was the first snowfall of the year,
worthy of a post!

first snow falls are always exciting because it completes the scene,
the christmas carols have been playing for a while,
the tree has been decorated,
gifts continue to be purchased,
the first snow fall completes is the last piece of the puzzle,
it completes the season.

but snow also has very functional purposes,
after all, is it really a winter, if you haven't tobogganed?

i am not a fan of early snow falls,
they come too soon,
when I still have to trek downtown for school,
& when i still have to wait on cold platforms for the late trains,
but this year, the snow was kind enough to wait for classes to end!

i've been listening to this & this & this & this a lot lately!

&

coming soon,
my holiday gift guide,
so exciting!


hope you're seeing some snow outside your window!

-m

images: 1, 2, 3

pearl + frankie

quick note.

my friend caitie & i,

like to think of ourselves as pretty witty ladies,

well... when we're in the company of each other,

we're relatively witty

:)

our little side project,

though she's the brains behind it,

the (mis)adventures of pearl + frankie

-m

classical tuesday III

hey lovelies,

still swamped with work,

but classical tuesday made me feel better,

yes, yes i know it is wednesday,

but i am drowning in work!

& besides, good classical music should be experienced everyday,

if you ask me!

this week on the menu we have:

Offenbach - Barcarolle
Elgar - Salut D'Amour
Tchaikovsky - None But The Lonely Hearts
Schubert - Standchen (Schwanengesang, D 957: no 4)
Saint-Saens - The Swan ( Le Cygne )

oh & a few days ago,

i could not tell you which exactly,

this week feels like one long (never ending) day,

i made brownies for the first time, late at night during a study break.

my wonderful friend caitie saw it as an ideal opportunity,

to add in some of her famous mockery & post it on her blog

lots of hugs,

-m

evening delights!

hey!

i'm munching on strawberry jam sandwiches

& listening to - to build a home by the cinematic orchestra

the song is absolutely brilliant.

give it a listen!

kiss,

-m

update: it is now 10:30 pm & I am making brownies,

because, why not?

:)

on (imaginary) plans to move

hello again!

i'm currently writing an essay comparing the welfare states of sweden & germany,
proving why the former has been more resilient to globalizing trends than the latter.

during a study break i stumbled onto this is glamorous,
& found a post about an apartment in sweden that is on the market!
coincidence? i think not...alright, definitely a coincidence.

but, looking at those photos make me want to close the laptop,
pack up the essentials (nivea),
and catch the first flight to stockholm.

i mean it is entirely possible,
the only thing standing in my way?
reality :)

happy friday!

-m

on holiday gatherings

hi hi!

just a quick post,
in the midst of essay writing (bet you guessed that!)

every year i host a little holiday dinner,
after the books are put away,
when late nights are reserved for sleep,
rather than study,
& when deadlines go on vacation
i put on my apron (from my days as a starbucks barista)
and start whipping up a dinner.

during my study break, i've been looking around, shopping for a recipe and ideas,
i always try to make meals as healthy as possible,
& a great online resource is the website cooking light

on last year's menu?
ravioli with pisatchio & walnut pesto
& sun dried tomato & feta cheese stuffed mushrooms.

this year i would love to make the salmon my friend natasha has perfected,
it is spectacular, just melts in your mouth!
but maybe i will try a chicken-based meal? for the sake of tradition?
hmmm decisions, decisions

still haven't decided on a dessert, but i'm leaning towards a layered cake.
the only thing that is confirmed is the wine, from my trip to italy during the summer.

in any case, i cannot wait to don my apron,
whip out my mom's recipe book,
put on some christmas carols,
& start.

for now,
essays need to be finished!

kisses galore,

-m

oh! the photos above are from hands that make,
anytime i think of food,
i skip there, very inspiring!

on lovely headbands

quick hello!

the gifts above,
would look lovely under my christmas tree,
:)

they're all headbands from lock & mane,
si, si jolie

a tad pricey,
but a girl can dream !

kiss kiss kiss,

-m

classical tuesday II

morning!

sitting in a library, with the most wonderful view,
the fog has surrounded the entire toronto sky,
but some of the skyscrapers are peaking up above the fog,
wish you could see this!

sipping on my americano,
speaking of which,do you know how the drink inherited its name?
an americano is essentially espresso shots and hot water,
during the american civil war, the soldiers, wanting to preserve the espresso for as long as possible,
would soak the shots with hot water.

on to important things: classical tuesday II

Mozart - Rondo Alla Turca
Nandel - Largo Opera (from 'Xerves')
Rachmaninoff - Vocalise for Violin
Kreisler - Liebeslied
Gounod - Ave Maria

Kisses,

-m

on cold mornings and wonderful outfits

tonight, another late night study session awaits me.

but that's okay because i'm gazing outside my windows,
that are intimately hugged by the a sheet of thin frost.

this morning as i stepped outside the house,
it was eerily quiet, but i relished in the silence,
i inhaled a deep breathe of that fresh, crisp winter air,
& as i exhaled i could see the smoke of my breathe in front of me,
which reminded me of being little and pretending that i was smoking,
did you ever do that?

it was so perfect, but with one click, the car doors were open,
i slid on to the leather seats and was on my way!

The photos above are all outfits i wish i had in my closet.
perfect for waging war against the cold winter.

& a nice treat is that my good friend bojana is the model in all of the pictures!

0h! and tomorrow is my friend mila's 22nd birthday, now that's exciting!

kisses,

-m

classical tuesday I

morning!

i've been finding that on occasion,
some of the library folk to do not comply
with the universal 'shhh' library rule

to prevent myself from getting distracted by the chatter,
i put on my headphones
& press play to one of my favourite playlists.

the play list is composed of classical music,
each sunday i will list 5 songs off the playlist

let's call it classical tuesday!

on the menu this week:

enjoy!

-m

si on me cherche, je suis à la bibliothèque.

hey hey!

lately, i've been spending most (read: all) of my time
in the library.

spending the entire day in here does have a certain charm,
coming inside in the early morning,
and leaving late into the night,
during those steps to the exit,
there is a certain feeling,
of pride & accomplishment,
sort of a right of passage,
after all,
is it still a university experience,
if you haven't crammed for essays and tests?

although the library i have chosen to inhabit,
is less than exceptional,
it serves its purpose.

but,
the libraries above, are the ones that i day dream about;
the old spiraling stairs,
the antique columns,
& the secrets between the pages of the rustic books,
those are the things that make the perfect libraries.

hope your study space is inspirational!

-m

0h!

i stole the images above from an article about lovely libraries,
i cannot for the life of me remember the link to the article,
but if i stumble upon it again, i will add it here!

lovely mornings.

hello!

long time, no blog
i know,
i know!

just wanted to quickly pop in,
& talk about lovely mornings.

mornings when you slip into the coffee shop
bright & early.

when you peek at the pastry window,
choose a lemon & cranberry scone,
watch as the freshly brewed coffee
leaves the pot & rushes to your welcoming cup.

when you sit by the window,
laptop in tow
& take a deep breathe,
knowing that the day will be long,
but for now all you need to know
is the feel of a warm cup, that your fingers surround,
the sweet smell of the scone, as you take the first bite,
& the sound of newspaper pages turning amidst chatter.

when you gaze out of the window,
& you can almost see
autumn packing up,
& winter settling in.

when you start brief errands,
& gleefully check off tasks on the to-do list.

that morning was mine,
& i loved every moment of it.

it's a monday,
here's hoping that this morning
was a sign of things to come.

lots of (delayed, often neglected ;) love,

-m

quick hello & a few other things.

hi loves!

a quick post today because i need sleep so very badly

i just returned from my fencing tournament,
placed second,
considering how little sleep i've had in the past few days,
how many assignments were worked on,
how much lsat studying took place,
i'm content with the results.

now i have the night to recharge
& it starts again tomorrow

i think it's important to remind ourselves
to take it one day at a time.

so without further ado,

1. my friend caitie blogged about an issue that i think is very important, you can find that here
2. i'm currently listening to this, and it is helping the relaxation process quite nicely
3. i received a postcard in the mail today that reads:

your task is not to seek for love,
but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself
that you have built against it.
-rumi

isn't that lovely?

exhausted kisses,

-m

pb & j on a sunday.

hey!

it's going to be a long night,
presentations need to be rehearsed,
& midterms need to be studied for.

i made myself a pb & j,
some comfort food
for the long night ahead.
looks delicious, doesn't it?

& i'm listening to ray lamontagne - hold you in my arms.

hope your weekend was wonderful!

night,

-m

yum & a tune.

ok, i could not resist

i've been craving Portuguese custard tarts for days,
finally googled them,
hoping it would slightly quench my craving

flawed logic
because i found this photo,
& it only heightened the craving

YUM! YUM! YUM!

also, i'm currently listening to passion pit - the reeling (manners)

voila!



-m

film for a friday.

one more thing for today,

a few days ago i was watching bored to death, with jason schwartzmann
since the show started,
i wondered who his character reminded me of.

it finally clicked!

his chacarer reminded me of Antoine Doinel,
a character in François Truffaut's L'amour en fuite

i found the film on youtube,
it's quite fun!

enjoy,

-m

tea time.

hi hi!

i'm afraid i've fallen victim to the horrible cold!

yuck.

a runny nose,
eyes with an aversion to any light,
& a pounding headache are no fun

but, the tea set from urban general is absolutely delicious!

now all i need is an eclectic downtown flat &
my retro tea party will be in full swing!

no kisses today,
can't risking passing on this cold.

-m

early morning musings

morning!

i have been up since 5 this morning,
i think i feel a cold creeping on

too bad, cold.
you'll have to come back
when i don't have two essays due

whilst debating with my immune system,
i'm listening to

this

&

this

&

this

....


&

this

(yeah, every once in a while, T.Swift is mandatory)

i do highly recommend
running out this weekend
& buying bell x1's flock cd.
i've had it forever, and still enjoy it more & more
every time i pop it in

now i must get off my bum,
& choose an outfit.
which reminds me,
winter is creeping up.

i am one of those people who hate winter 99%
the other 1% revolves around christmas and carols
but everything else about canadian winters,
i dislike.


well i do love hot cocoa,
while listening to bon iver.

ok maybe 98%


kiss,

-m

light love.

love that set!

kiss,

-m

sunday cute.

hi hi!

a few adorable photos
for a lazy sunday

&

this flickr set
(jumping cats!)

smooch,

-m

nostalgic tendencies

many people who know me,
know that 80s yugo rock
is one of my favourite things

...

ever.

well bijelo dugme (translated as white button)
were the leaders of the 80s balkan rock movement,
below is one of their more popular songs

everything about it is amazing,
how can you not be ecstatically happy
after that video?

ha ha

enjoy!

- m

one moment

so today was one of those days,
the demanding ones.

on the agenda:

eight hours of class
... consecutively,
fencing lesson,
late night studying.

so,
i reluctantly got out of bed,
& proceeded outside,
only to be met with a downpour!

well finally,
i was done the eight hours
& exhausted,

was about to head out to fencing,
when i caught a glance
of girl guide mint chocolate cookies

the day went from being
exhausting to amazing,
in one moment.

kiss,

-m

two things.

the first

the second

this site.

both kept me laughing
for quite some time!

enjoy!

-m

in a perfect world...

men and women would understand each other :)

music on a monday

time for some music!

tunes i'm currently bopping to...

alexi murdoch - all my days

i've been listening to his stuff since the first year of high school,
& i still love it as much as i did the first time i heard orange sky

recommended for:
summer days at the cottage,
just as dusk descends,
lying in a hammock.

favourite tunes from the album:

1. song for you
2. orange sky
3. all of my days

the antlers - hospice

i just love this band,
i can't really pinpoint why,
the music just makes me happy.

recommended for:
depends on which song you are listening to,
you could be strolling downtown,
sipping tea and listening to "two"

or

you could be coming home from a long day,
on the train commute out of the city,
whilst listening to "shiva"

so, favourites:

1. shiva
2. two (hehe, see what i did there?)
3. prologue

jose gonzalez - veneer

the entire album is absolutely wonderful,
but the song, "heartbeats" is one of my favourites
of all time.

this will be a great addition
to your "music to relax to" playlist

hope your ears enjoy my suggestions!

love and kisses,

-m

shoes! food! perfect.

night!

late night post,
hope you're tucked in bed by now,
but before i do the same,
thought i'd share my evening.

first,
i got new shoes!
suede + leather laces,
aren't they just lovely?
will post my own photos soon.

went out to dinner with a few friends,
drank strawberry beer,
ate wild mushroom soup,
& devoured white belgian fudge cake
yeah, you read that right WHITE BELGIAN FUDGE CAKE
yum yum yum !

now,
i'm listening to interpol,
while sulking in the scent of my perfume,
t'was a gift :)

lots of love,

-m

currently...

listening to

this here.

bjork . all is full of love.

kiss,

-m

wet fridays.

hey!

the above photos from papertissue,

perfectly describe the current weather.

rainy & foggy,

it's the type of weather,

that people

LOVE

or

HATE,

it really spawns no indifference

me,

i love it!

maybe because the summer

was filled with brightness & clarity,

whereas the rain & fog,

evoke such a dark, gloomy mystery,

or

maybe because it provides me

with the perfect excuse to buy new boots!

i've spent all day studying for my lsat,

i score incredibly high on every section,

except for logic games

grrrr,

life would be so wonderful without logic games

i've cracked open a window,

am boiling some water for my tea,

&

i'm enjoying

the smell of wet grass & the foggy mist

much love,

-m

can't wait for this to come out.

audrey tatou is by far

the most beautiful & elegant person

i've ever seen

night.

-m

birthday.

hey!

today was my birthday,
wonderful way to end the month :)

munched on cake,
wrote thank yous for the well wishes,
listened to wonderful music

i have a new flickr account
& you can find it

here,
here,
& here.

ok ok they're all the same links,
did you click all three?

:)

-m

rainy monday hello.

hello!

our indian summer,
is coming to an end.

here,
rain is the buffer
that occurs between seasons.

it welcomes the spring,
after a long winter,
introduces the fall,
after a delayed summer.

so,
it's raining as i read,
& finish my egg whites & cheese salad,
while sipping on my green tea.

also, got a new camera,
hope you enjoy the photos!

love,

-m