saturdaze.

My weekend was spent roaming the city by foot with friends, eating sushi, fish & chips, poutine and tater tots, soaking in the sun while watching a Gastown FC soccer game, and lounging in the jacuzzi on the rooftop of the Woodwards building. It was really quite wonderful, my only complaint is that it ended too soon and now I am going through Caesar withdrawals.

Wearing: H&M jean jacket, Supre maxi dress, H&M woven belt, Michael Kors ballet flats. Purse - Marc Jacobs. Jewelry - Michael Kors, H&M. Sunglasses - Ray Ban.

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blue.

It’s back to work after spending a wonderful hot and sunny May long weekend at Shuswap Lake with some friends; a place where I used to go every summer throughout high school. Though past trips have included wakeboarding and tubing on the lake, I opted for a much lazier itinerary this time. We played games on the lawn, went boating, lay on the dock and ate a ton of delicious food. Sunny side up and scrambled eggs, cheesy hash, and bacon and sausages for meat lovers for breakfast. Sandwiches for lunch, and a hearty dinner of either jambalaya, roasts and ribs (in my case, salmon), and lots of potatoes, salads and chips (I would estimate about 20 bags were consumed throughout the weekend amongst us). The lake really is the place to perfect the art of relaxing, but in the meantime, a warm evening at English Bay comes pretty close...

Wearing: Anthropologie shirt, F21 shirt, Aritzia faux leather tights, Aldo heels. Jewelry - Michael Kors, H&M.

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cheese.

Cheese is the way to my heart. I love all kinds of cheeses, so it's really hard to pick my favourites. I usually like having a few different kinds of cheese at a time. I often put them in dishes, such as salads, sandwiches, and pastas, but I enjoy it greatly on its own. Rosenborg® Danish blue cheese with pear is one of the best blue cheeses I have ever had. It is extra creamy and super tasty. I can’t have enough of it – plain, in salads, grilled cheeses, etc. and comes in a variety of flavours. Gouda with caraway is an easy cheese to nibble on its own because of the nuttiness and smoothness of it. The creamy goat brie cheese that I bought this time is incredibly strong compared to the capriny goat cheese that I usually crumble on my salads, and I liked it best just with crackers and red pepper jelly or olive tapenade. Triple cream brie (made from cow’s milk) is the most delicious brie cheese there is with a really delicate nutty rind, and is incredibly creamy and soft. I love it with some French toast with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. I will show some of my other favourites soon, which include old cheddar, gorgonzola, camembert, and havarti. I actually had more on the list, but it looked way too long so I had to cut it back a bit. This was quite a cheesy post, so that will be all for now. My friend gave me this wonderful present of a cheese board for my birthday, and what better way of putting it to use than to lay some cheeses, take out some homemade raincoast crisps, and snack away. Heavenly.

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rainy days.

Due to the never-ending rainy weather in Vancouver, it's difficult to wear what I want, let alone take pictures outside. Seeing the summery outfits that some people are wearing already around the world makes me so jealous! I am going to gather some of my favourite looks from some other bloggers and post it within the next couple of days. In the meantime I can only live vicariously through them; sadly in the midst of yet another rainy day, it's still Umbrella and I.

Wearing: Joe Fresh sweater, Old Navy Pants, Club Monaco cashmere sweater, LL Bean boots.

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tofu.

Soy sauce, ginger, garlic and chili powder are a few components that can make some dishes taste so wonderful (especially in one of my favourite dishes - shrimp dumplings, which I will try to make sometime soon!) It also nicely compliments tofu, giving it a bold flavour which makes it easier to eat. I recently came upon a little more complex version of the dish I usually make (asks for cornstarch and some flour) and it turned out GREAT. Pair it with some sushi rice and some vegetables and you got yourself a delicious meal. Follow the link here to see the recipe for Soy Seasoned Tofu (the pictures are quite helpful, and look a lot better than mine).

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