Fresh Goods {Going Places}

I am beyond, beyond excited to introduce this week's kit, Going Places, a travel collaboration with One Little Bird! Now, let me just say, I've been a fan of One Little Bird for quite some time... So when one of the girls on my CT suggested we team up, I was more than thrilled! And what a joy it was to work with Peppermint! I'm really proud of this kit and hope you'll love it as much as I do!

Grab Going Places this weekend at 30% off and get the Going Places Journaling Cards FREE with purchase (offer ends 02.24)! Enjoy and happy weekend!

Going Places // A Travel Collaboration from The Ardent Sparrow + One Little Bird

Going Places Journaling Cards

Layouts by Emma, Carina, Maribel & Michelle

Layouts by Anja, Marjo, Emilie & Melanie

Layout by Chiara

Layouts by Tracy, Linda, Celeste & Andrea

Weekend Project for the Kids {Paper Cities}

Hop on over to 'Made by Joel' for a peek at all his wonderful, printable paper cities!

"Lalé Suitcases"

Back in September, my mom was wondering what to get the girls for Christmas... She wanted to get them suitcases... The night before she'd visited, I'd seen these Lalé suitcases online... I showed them to her and she was just as pleased as I was... I love the vintage inspired fabrics... And think the girls will be hang on to them years beyond needing grown-up luggage... We were even more excited to find them stocked at shop from Montreal (no duty, yeah!), "Mini Bulles"!

Live the Language: Paris

Balzac's Coffee...

A little peek at our favourite Stratford Coffee shop, "Balzac's"... I could spend all day in this charming little shop, sipping a latte, reading a good book...

Paris

Two years ago today, Jay and I were in romantic, wonderful, perfect: Paris, France... Enjoy!

Click here to view this photo book larger

A Visit to the {Royal Ontario Museum}

Tuesday was a wonderful day... Jay took another much appreciated day off work and we took the girls for a subway ride downtown (Let's face it... That's all Brennah really cares about!) to visit the 'Royal Ontario Museum'... I love history and just last week I heard a commercial on the radio advertising the Terracotta Warriors Exhibit which is ending January 2nd! It's been on my bucket list (if you can call it that) to someday see the Terracotta Warriors... While we didn't get to see all 8000, we did get to see 10 up close and personal... Amazing! Of course, we couldn't take any pictures of the warriors... But trust me, the visit was worth it!

The day was perfect... The ROM now has a really good restaurant and so much to look at! And if you live in the Toronto area, I highly recommend you try to see the Terracotta Warriors before they're gone!

And finally, don't forget to enter this week's giveaway for a calendar from 'Sixth and Main'! 

Giveaway {Sixth and Main Calendar}

I'm really thrilled to have another calendar giveaway this week... This week's winner will get to choose a beautiful fine art calendar from HERE or HERE! Myan of both 'Sixth and Main' and 'Myan Print Shop' takes such pretty, dreamy photographs... Don't you think one of her calendars would make the perfect addition to any table top?

{Sixth and Main}

{Myan Print Shop}

 This giveaway runs from December 6th to 12th at 7pm (EST)... The winner will be chosen and announced on Sunday, December 12th

1. Visit 'Sixth and Main' OR 'Myan Print Shop', look around and choose your favourite piece from either shop... Come back here and leave a comment along with your email address, mentioning your favourite item...

2. For an additional entry, link to this giveaway on your blog, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

3. For an additional entry, tweet about this giveaway on Twitter, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

4. For an additional entry, link to this giveaway on Facebook, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

5. For even more entries, POST again (Blog, Twitter, Facebook) at any time later in the week, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

* YOU MAY ENTER UP TO FIVE TIMES FOR FIVE CHANCES TO WIN!

In order to keep offering these fantastic giveaways, I need to get as many comments (and visits for the sponsors) as possible... Please help me spread the word so we can keep a good thing going!

The winner will be randomly chosen and posted HERE on the blog on Sunday, December 12th... Please check the blog on Saturday to see if YOU are the winner! Enjoy... Please help spread the word and a dear thank you again to Myan of 'Sixth and Main' and 'Myan Print Shop'!

And don't forget to sign up for the First Annual Gift Exchange HERE before Wednesday at Noon!

Myan has also taken the time to answer a few questions:
What does a perfectly ordinary day in your life look like?
"my day has to start with coffee or i can't function. :) then i do yoga/meditation to get grounded before i start my "work" day. after that i answer emails, package orders, harrass my 3 cats, run to the post office and then i edit photographs until my hubby comes home. then it is time to eat dinner, and chill for the night. really boring i know!"

What time of year most inspires you?
"autumn is my absolute favorite season but since we moved to l.a. it has been quite some time since i have seen a proper autumn. so i try to recreate it myself at home with everything pumpkin. art & photography wise, definitely winter. especially a cold moody day at the beach."

What do you think of as comfort food? 
"cupcakes. hands down, a big fluffy vanilla buttercream cupcake! along with hot tea with a splash of rum. ;)"

If you could hop on a plane, without giving one thought to your budget, where would you go?
"oh such a tough question! it would be between england and argentina. but if i didn't have to care about a budget i guess i would go to both! :)"

What are five things you would like to do in the next five years?
"more photography, more painting, be a mom, move back east and learn the cello."

{Newfoundland}

Finally finished, after a year and a bit, our Newfoundland scrapbook! Enjoy!

And don't forget to enter this week's giveaway with 'Minus One'

On the Road...

Good Monday morning friends! I'm taking a break from offering a giveaway this week... No need to fret... Next Monday there will be another fantastic giveaway awaiting you... There just wasn't time this week to promote the giveaway as I need to... Why? Well... As you read this, I will be on the road with my girls and my parents to visit my dear cousins in Ohio!

When I was growing up, my twin cousins Amy & Karen lived several hours away... Despite the distance, we saw one another often and I long considered them two of my best friends... When we were in high school, they moved with their family to Ohio... They met boys south of the border and married there... I had the lovely pleasure of standing up with both of them in their weddings... Flash forward several years... Amy still lives in Ohio but Karen has moved with her family to Arizona... This week, Karen will be in Ohio, so I'm a road trip to re-connect with them after nearly THREE years! When I last saw them, I was just barely pregnant with Brennah... Now between the three of us we have NINE kids! Amazing what the Lord has done!

My parents, the girls and I will be visiting (and shopping... Oh 'Target' how I have longed for thee) for a few days... And then I'll be heading back home on Thursday morning... Such an exciting week... Brennah is beyond thrilled to meet all her cousins... And I can't wait to see the twins again... Some things never change... And for that I am truly thankful! Have a great week and I'll be back with a lovely giveaway next Monday!

(l-r: Alan, Uncle Gary, Amy, Tom, Me, Grandpa & Karen, circa 1983)

One Year Ago Today....

One year ago today... Jay and I were enjoying our very last day in Paris... A trip that my wonderful husband had surprised me with a few months earlier for Christmas... It was a lovely trip... With every last detail given careful consideration... In honour of his thoughtful planning and to just relive the joy a bit, here are my seven favourite pictures from our trip... One from each day! I hope that you all get to experience Paris someday, with someone you love...

Montmatre Cemetery...

The Eiffel Tower...

Exploring the Louvre...

The Gardens of Versailles...

The rainy streets of Paris...

'Cathedral de Bayeux', Bayeux...

The view from the 1952 Citroen that we rented to tour the countryside castles...

Greece Bound... {Evening Look}

Black Silk Blazer from 'Net-A-Porter'
Belize Tie Die Wicker Clutch from 'Monsoon'
Lele Silk-Chiffon Strapless Dress from 'Net-A-Porter'
Ribbon Espadrille from 'Matches'
Cascading Earrings from 'Zappos'

Greece Bound... {Day Look}

Leather Bag from 'Net-A-Porter'
Greek Palmette Bracelet from 'The Met Store'
Green Shoulder Print Fill Blouse from 'Debenhams'
Back Flap Short from 'Wet Seal'
Gold Seagrass Flip Flops from 'Monsoon'
Bijoux Heart 24K Gold Earrings from 'Net-A-Porter'
Melissa Odabash Palm Beach Kaftan from 'Net-A-Porter'

Greece Bound... {Accessories}

1. Bali Basket Candle Tin from 'Antropologie'
2. Vintage Paloma Picasso Sunglasses from 'Net-A-Porter'
3. Teal Flower Pinny Cover Up from 'Topshop'
4. Kyko Towel from 'Amara'
5. Planet Stripe Embellished Scarf from 'John Lewis'

Greece Bound... {The Hotel}

Oh... Isn't this everything Greece should be? 'Canaves Oia Hotel'... On the Island of Santorini... Built into the side of a cliff above the Aegean Sea, with a view of the Caldera... Beautiful!

Greece Bound... {The Inspirations}

Ireland Bound... {Evening Look}

Warehouse Ruffle Bib Lace Blouse in cream from 'John Lewis'
Luck of the Skirt from 'Mod Cloth'
Purple Ruffle Trim Pumps from 'Dorothy Perkins'
Nisa Draped Cardigan from 'Net-a-Porter'
Flutter Flower Clutch in sheer lilac from 'J.Crew'
Majique Leaf Charm Bracelet from 'Oli'

Ireland Bound... {Day Look}

1. Easy Flare Pants in Oak from 'Gap'
2. Applique Cardigan in Coral from 'Old Navy'
3. Swathed Gingham Blouse from 'Antropologie'
4. Folklore Dress from 'Mod Cloth'
5. Born Flower Ballet Flat from 'Garnett Hill'

Ireland Bound... {The Accessories}

1. Leather Journal in Off White from 'Kate's Paperie'
2. Yasmine Leather Bag from 'Matches'
3. East Anokhi Emery Print Scarf in Red from 'John Lewis'
4. Vintage Camera Photo Album from 'Antropologie'
5. Lolita Lempicka To Go from 'Sephora'

Ireland Bound... {The Castle}

I've always felt, that if you were going to travel to a land of castles, you should stay in a castle... 'Ballybur Castle', a 16th Century towerhouse, is located just outside the medieval city of Kilkenny... It is everything you could dream of... And looks oh, so romantic! Enjoy!

Photos courtesy of 'Homebug'