Getting my hair did: Two Horses

Posted on October 19, 2015January 22, 2016 Posted in Decor, Design, inspiration, MontrealTagged art, decor, gallery wall, hair, hair salon, inspiration, interior decorating, interior design, lifestyle, montreal, montreal blogger, tattoo, taxidermy, Two Horses, wallpaperLeave a comment

I want to share a unique place in Montreal that always leaves me a happy customer: Two Horses on Jean Talon. A hair salon, tattoo shop and some pop-up vintage clothing all-in-one, my visits are never short of inspiring.
A little background: I only get my haircut a maximum of twice a year. It grows incredibly slowly and I like to stick to a certain length, since the fine and frizzy texture usually requires a bit of weight to keep me from looking like Cameron Diaz in Being John Malkovich. I’ve experimented over the years: undercut/shaved sections, short out-of-bed cut, bowl cut, baby bangs…. These days I like to keep it kinda long and low-maintenance, since it just agrees with my life currently.
My experiences at Two Horses have been relaxingly pleasant, and I think it’s mainly due to the fact that the hairdressers really listen and make sure that we’re on the same page. There’s definitely a system of a good system of trust going on; I never feel like I’m being boring by asking for a subtle cut. Add to that an incredible décor, good music and sometimes a friendly dog (belonging to one of the owners), and you can guarantee I’m overstaying my welcome.

I took these photos last time I went in. How awesome is this place?
Above: enviable gallery walls, the most beautiful wallpaper (from Poland!) and a touch of taxidermy on every wall.
Below: waiting space flooded with natural light, some vintage finds, tattoo outlines and framed art for inspo.
Visit their website
Two Horses Salon and Tattoo: 170 Jean-Talon W, suite 306 (upstairs from the Atlas lighting store)
See some of their work on their Facebook Page

Hide your kids, hide your wallet: COS opens in Montreal

Posted on October 8, 2015October 19, 2015 Posted in Fashion & Beauty, MontrealTagged clothes, clothing, COS, COS stores, fashion, h&m, high end fashion, high fashion, montreal, ootd, scandinavian fashion, shopping, wearLeave a comment

Cos, I love you, but all your beautiful clothes make me look like a child wearing a painting smock in kindergarten art class. Or as if I just ran out of the hairdresser’s while still wearing that polyester cover-up thing. At 5’3″, I’m far from the tall, slender Scandinavian body type that the flowy, high-end cuts look flattering on. You know, with swan-like necks, long torsos, ballerina limbs. This may actually be a blessing, since the new flagship store is said to open Friday October 9th in Montreal, and the price range doesn’t fit my current budget (not that this usually stops me). Still, I know myself, and I know that I will be in there regularly trying to find the one item that makes me look and feel like I own an art gallery. I’ll try to admire you from a distance! Let’s see how long I last.
http://www.cosstores.com/gb/
1310 Ste-Catherine West
(All images taken from the COS website)

Bar Kabinet

Posted on July 20, 2015July 21, 2015 Posted in Food & Drink, MontrealTagged bar, bar kabinet, cocktails, drinks, interior design, lifestyle, mixed drinks, montreal, nightlife, russia, tourism, travelLeave a comment

When it comes going out, I’m not really a club person (long line-ups, bottle service, painful high heels… enough said). I’ll go to the occasional pub once in a while, but I’m not crazy about the ambiance of sports fans and being surrounded by TV screens. Bar Kabinet is my kinda place. Last fall, the inviting glow attracted me into this little nook of a bar, and I have been drawn to it ever since. Located in the Plateau/Mile End area of Montreal, it’s easily accessible and makes for the perfect after-dinner drinks spot. Luckily the inside is just as cozy as the exterior promises.

Bar Kabinet is inspired by Imperial Russia, both in the drinks and the decor. With ambient lighting and framed pictures of Tolstoy and Rasputin, it feels like you’ve discovered a secret time portal, à la Midnight in Paris, except in Moscow. They import foreign liquors such as Cachaça and Fernet to give their drinks a unique twist. I really loved the Casarah drink: a sweet mix of pureed strawberries, lime and mint with distilled sugarcane syrup. I’d also recommend the Filoettovvy (which translates to violet-coloured, since it’s tinted with beet juice) and the Chay Kabinet II (a cocktail with a splash of black tea for flavour). Be sure to check it out if you’re in the Montreal area. Take note that it is the size of a shoebox, so best to keep it to one-on-one dates or small groups.

Bar Kabinet Montreal — Vintage fringe lamps complete the decor

Website: bardatcha.com/kabinet
Address: 98 Avenue Laurier W, Montreal QC

Illustration: Rewarding Yourself as an Adult (in Marc Jacobs form)

Posted on June 14, 2015June 14, 2015 Posted in Fashion & BeautyTagged beauty, fashion, illustration, lipstick, makeup, marc jacobs, montreal, montreal fashion, watercolourLeave a comment

Remember how when you were a kid, you got rewarded for things? You got a sticker for doing well on a test, or a lollipop for going to the doctor? My personal favorite was at the end of each dentist visit, I got to choose a pretty toy ring. Well, I feel like we should continue getting these rewards as adults, especially when we get through rough things in life. I recently got some very good medical news, and decided to treat myself to some high-end top quality lipstick. Because when else am I going to splurge on something like that? I picked up Le Marc crème Core Cora by Marc Jacobs lipstick and have been wearing it everyday since. I had been looking for a perfect coral for a while now, and it’s a tricky colour to pull off. They’re often too orange or make your teeth look like you smoke a pack a day… but this one just hits all the right notes for summer.

Favorite summer colour: Core Cora - Le Marc Lip Creme — Favorite summer colour: Core Cora – Le Marc Lip Creme

Apologies for the radio silence these past few weeks. I have 2 main excuses:

I am slowly painting every room in my house. SOLO. By my self. It was my decision and as a result, my home is a little chaotic. Random furniture is shoved in every room, I’m finding paint splashed on EVERYTHING (including myself). But it will be SO WORTH IT once it’s all completed. I can’t wait.
My computer, my beloved 5 year old macbook, is on the fritz. It takes about a half hour to turn on. Uploading pictures? I’m looking at about 2 hours of rainbow swirl time-outs. So it’s incredibly frustrating and frankly I can think of better ways to spend a sunny day. I need to look into fixing it up, or just biting the bullet and buying an upgrade. ::Soon::.

In case you missed it, I wrote a fashion article for YUL.BUZZ on my Made in Montreal Wishlist (collage featured below). For details on all the items, check here.

My Made in Montreal Wishlist on Yul.Buzz

And there you have it! Despite a few setbacks I have some fun posts coming up, so please check in! I appreciate each and everyone one of you stopping by. xoxo

Illustration of the Week: Lou Reed Memorial Singalong

Posted on March 27, 2015April 1, 2015 Posted in MontrealTagged CKUT, event planning, fundraiser, illustration, ink, lou reed, montreal, music, paint, singalong, watercolourLeave a comment

I can get really defensive about my city. Yes, the weather and the politics can be frustrating. The shortage of good jobs available is always a challenge. That aside, Montreal has a solid arts scene which offers so many cultural events that even the brutal cold can’t seem to impede.

I recently attended a Lou Reed Memorial Singalong, which was held in an airy loft in the Plateau. A musician played a grand piano to all the songs we know and love, while a crowd of about 70 people sang as loud or as quiet as they wanted to. Lyrics sheets were provided to help follow along, and food and drink were served. As I looked around at the room of people singing, I couldn’t help but notice a lot of them were smiling and seemed to be transported somewhere else in their minds. I think many of us associate Lou Reed’s music with a particular time in our formative years, and it often triggers past memories and emotions (at least for me, anyway). There’s something really cathartic about singing a song that is so familiar, the kind that you’ll never forget the words to, like running into an old friend. Singing in harmony with a group just brings it to another level.

Best of all, this event was a fundraiser for CKUT, our local college radio station. Great event planning for a good cause. I give it an A+.

What are some of the original events or fundraisers you’ve attended?