Urban Safari Biking Adventure

I find trying new things to be slightly awkward. Okay, extremely awkward, but that doesn't stop me. I'm just strategic about it. I always have a plan.

Take Sunday, for example, when I embarked on my first ever BIXI bikes adventure in Ottawa. I wasn't sure how it all worked, so I researched a location that had a lot of bikes (I didn't want to walk all the way out there to find there was nothing to ride), and was somewhere that wasn't too out in the open, so I could struggle, walk around the station eyeing my "enemy" (I do this when I get frustrated, glaring solves everything) and figure things out, without too much of an audience.



Well, sometimes things don't go according to plan.

The closest location with a lot of bikes just happened to be on Elgin Street right in front of city hall, so I had quite the audience while I desperately tried to pull and wiggle the bike out of it's parking space (it's not as easy as it sounds, either that or I have severe issues; most likely the latter). And of course, because I like to look cute when I'm out and about I wasn't exactly wearing the most appropriate outfit for this sort of endeavour. But I made it work.



Finally, after multiple attempts, and a lot of strange glances, the bike was free!

Top - Song from Off the Wall; Shorts - Old Navy; Sandals - Jules & James; Bag - Aldo; Sunglasses - Ray-Ban

But this was only the beginning. You see, I haven't actually ridden a bike in years - I can't remember the last time I was on a bike. I knew I'd be wobbly, so I walked the bike away from the street and once I knew no one could see me I was off, wobbling down Nepean Street.

My view - don't worry, I wasn't biking and shooting.
I was standing awkwardly half resting on a bend and shooting

It took about ten minutes of riding for me to feel comfortable (and to figure out how to change gears) but it's like they always say, it was just like riding a bike! By no means was I going fast, distance wasn't the goal of this adventure; it was all about being out in the sunshine, cursing along the canal and feeling the wind in my hair. 


It was glorious! I can't wait to take the bike out again next week!

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Pampering and Relaxing

As I mentioned in my last post, Saturday I took a Kate-day: a day completely devoted to me. No chores, no errands, just pampering and relaxing.

It was fantastic!

After spending the week and weekend working in Toronto I returned to Ottawa late-Sunday night. I was given  Monday off to rest and recoup (and in my case grocery shop) and then it was right back to work on Tuesday.



By the end of the week (which felt like it was a million days long) I was still exhausted. My Kate-day couldn't have come at a better time.

I started the day by walking in the sunshine to Elgin St. to meet a friend for brunch - not only had I not seen her in weeks, I hadn't had brunch in months. I can't tell you how excited I was for eggs benedict, mimosas, coffee and girl talk! Delightful.

Following brunch, I did a bit of shopping where I purchased my new Aldo purse and then it was off to York Street Spa for a massage. Despite the fact that I can never fully relax during a massage (apparently I like to be in control, who knew...) it was exactly what I needed. Throughout the sixty minutes all of the tension I'd been carrying in my back and shoulders over the past few months slowly melted away. I left feeling like a noodle; in a good way.

Dress - Banana Republic; Bag - Aldo; Sandals - Jules & James; Sunglasses - Joe Fresh

After my massage I had an hour or so before my next pampering appointment at Spa Junkie, so I decided to take a long walk along the canal. It was the most beautiful day and I thoroughly enjoyed soaking it all in as I crossed the bridge at Ottawa U.

Once my day of appointments and pampering were finished I came home and collapsed on the couch; who knew a day of indulgence could be so exhausting!

I don't know if it was the sunshine, or the knowledge that the conference was completely over and done with for another year, but at the end of the day, as I curled up with my book, I felt so completely happy, a feeling that stuck with me throughout the rest of the weekend and all the way into this week.

I couldn't have asked for a better Kate-day.

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Black, White and Lace

Lace is one of the biggest trends this season, and it's something that I don't own. So, you can imagine my joy when I came across these lace-esque tights at Zellers for a mere $5. As soon as I saw them, I knew I would be stupid not to pick up a pair.

To keep the lace tights as a focal point of the outfit, I kept the rest of the outfit very monochromatic.

As the weather has turned in the last few weeks, and it's definitely fall now here in Ottawa, I decided to throw on this Joe Fresh cashmere sweater to keep warm throughout the day.

Sweater - Joe Fresh; Top & Skirt - H&M (also seen here); Tights - Jules and James; Boots - le Chateau