Travel Diary: Guimarães

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December Travel Plans

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Travel Diary: Porto, Portugal

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Wanderlust Wednesday: Costa Rica

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Travel Diary: Lisbon (pt. 1)

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First Futbol Match

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Expat Update 01

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Wanderlust Wednesday: St. John's, Canada

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Sunday at el Rasto

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My (insta) Life Lately

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¿Hablas ingles? : Dealing with the Language Barrier

The latest Petite Adventures post ¿Hablas ingles? : Dealing with the Language Barrier is now live on the blog. Check it out: https://petiteadventures.wordpress.com/2015/11/12/hablas-ingles-dealing-with-the-language-barrier/

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Wanderlust Wednesday: Jamaica

Check out the latest Wanderlust Wednesday post, now live on Petite Adventures: https://petiteadventures.wordpress.com/2015/11/11/wanderlust-wednesday-jamaica/

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Apartment Hunting in Madrid

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New Home. New Adventures. New Memories.

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Top 10 Places I'm Excited to Explore

Did you miss yesterday's post on Petite Adventures? Don't worry, there's still time to catch up: https://petiteadventures.wordpress.com/2015/09/14/top-10-places-im-excited-to-explore/ 

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Wanderlust Wednesday: Berlin

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Wanderlust Wednesday: Warsaw, Poland

Head on over to Petite Adventures to read about my short adventures in Warsaw, while coming down with a cold.

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What I'm Reading: September 2

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News & Announcement!

Unlike most blog posts, this one was over a year in the making. It was just over 12 months ago that we sat on the couch and started really talking about our next steps. For the past almost 400 days we've been working, separately and together, on various pieces of the puzzle, making sure all our ducks were in a row, all our I's were dotted, and our T's were crossed.

But now, I am so excited that I can finally announce that we're moving to Madrid!

All the stars have aligned, and the paper work has been filed and accepted. So, in just four short weeks we'll be leaving the comforts of Canada and spending the next year in Europe. While Dave is off learning, I'll be exploring, trying to improve my Spanish, and taking in all the sights and sounds of the Spanish capital. Together, we're off on this grand adventure -- and we couldn't be more excited!

 

We've already put in a lot of work, but there's still more to be done. The next months is seriously going to fly by as we clean, pack our treasured belongings (and discard our not-so-treasured belongings), and plan for what will most certainly be the adventure of a lifetime (hopefully, one of many).

 

So, follow my adventures in travel and life at petiteadventures.wordpress.com, as I explore Spain, Europe and Expat life!

 

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home. sweet. home.

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New Post: Wanderlust Wednesday - Brest, Belarus

Did you miss yesterday's Wanderlust Wednesday post? Don't worry, you can still check out memories from Brest, Belarus on Petite Adventures.

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What I'm Reading: August 12

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Wanderlust Wednesday: Moscow

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We've moved!

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Wanderlust Wednesday: St. Petersburg

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What I'm Reading: August 5

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Wanderlust Wednesday: Helsinki

There's a new post up on Petite Adventures. For this week's Wanderlust Wednesday post, we're exploring a memory from Helsinki. You should check it out!

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What I'm Reading

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Wanderlust Wednesday: Stockholm

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What I'm Reading

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Sunday Snaps: July 19

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What I'm Reading: July 15

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Sunday Snaps: July 12, 2015

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Stay tuned...

After an all-too-long hiatus, I'm excited to announce that Petite Adventures will be coming back soon with a new look and a big announcement.

Stay tuned...

Under Construction

photo courtesy of
http://annleeconciergetravel.com/home/female-construction-worker-3/

Check back soon.

xox

Tina Fey Tuesday

A little bit of Tuesday wisdom from my idol Tina Fey: 

via Pinterest

So true.

What's you mantra for this Tuesday? (NB: does not have to come from Tina Fey, but extra points will be awarded...)

Snakeskin Selfie

Dress - c/o Jacob; Sweater - Joe Fresh; Pumps - Aldo; Watch - Fossil

Sorry for the mirror selfies, but we're in the middle of what has become the neverending move, and I just had to show off this beautiful shift dress that Jacob sent me.

Since it arrived last week, it has quickly become one of my favourite pieces (I've already planned out to which events I'll be wearing it in the next few weeks). Not only is the snakeskin print great for fall, but the dress goes from day to night with the simple addition of a cardigan. The belt helps to accentuate the waist, and the length is completely office appropriate. All wins in my book!

I can't wait to wear this dress all through fall with my favourite tights and boots.

Life Lately: Fashion edition

A few snapshots of the fashions I've been wearing in the past few weeks.

Dress & Clutch - Le Chateau; Trench - H&M;
Wedges & Necklace - Aldo; Ring - Old Navy

Sweater - Joe Fresh; Blouse & Skirt - Jacob;
Purse - Aldo; Espadrilles - Aritzia; Sunglasses - American Eagle

Blazer - H&M; Dress - Aritzia; Heels - Aldo; Watch - Fossil

Blouse - Jacob; Skirt - Aritzia; Purse - Aldo; Sunglasses - American Eagle

Blazers - H&M; Dress - Banana Republic

Blazer - H&M; Dress - Banana Republic; Purse & Shoes - Aldo

Blazer - H&M; Dress - Banana Republic; Purse - Aldo

Blouse & Pants - Jacob; Sunglasses - Ray-Ban

Blouse - Jacob; Camisole - Smart Set; Trousers - Talula via Artizia;
Purse - Aldo

Blouse - Old Navy; Trousers & Belt - Joe Fresh;
Heels - Michael Kors;

Blouse - Zara; Jeans - Forever 21; Flats - Blowfish

Mark Your Calendars

After much anticipation, H&M is finally set to open it's doors in Ottawa on October 17th at Bayshore Shopping Centre. 

“We are thrilled to finally open H&M in Ottawa and to continue our expansion in the Canadian market. We have been waiting for a great location in Ottawa and are very happy to finally be opening at Bayshore Shopping Centre.” says Toni Galli, Country Manager of H&M Canada.

The store will feature H&M’s collections for ladies, men, teens and kids as well as accessories and H&M sport, and will be 22,120 square feet of fashion and quality at the best price with new items arriving in store daily.

Chiffon Dress, one of my favourite pieces from the Fall 2013 collection.
photo courtesy of hm.com

I have spent the last two+ years advocating (complaining?) that we get an H&M in Ottawa, so I can't even begin to explain to you how excited I am for it's doors to open. 

October 17th - I'll see you there!

For more information about H&M, visit www.hm.com.

Hiatus

I honestly didn't mean to be gone for so long.

What was intended to be a week long break to refresh and recharge has somehow turned into not only weeks away, but months.

But, sometimes these things happen for a reason.

By nature, I'm an introvert who doesn't really like to be the centre of attention. Writing a personal style blog was fun and something that pushed my personal boundaries (I guess you would say it's my Lean In activity - putting myself out there is the thing that scares me), but a few months ago it became a chore. It seemed as though all of my free time was spent working on growing my blog and its following, putting together outfits and thinking of creative ways to re-wear what I already owned (growing discontent with my closet and a modest clothing budget really didn't help), and trying to stay ahead of (or at least with) the curve.

Honestly, it became exhausting.

I pushed along for as long as I could, but I started to notice that I just didn't have the words. The content was suffering, and for someone who started a blog because they love to write, it just didn't seem right.

So I took a step back.

At first I felt guilty that I was neglecting my baby, but then I felt relieved - not having yet another schedule to follow felt like a weight had been lifted. So, for the past few weeks I've had the opportunity to focus on me - my day job, my volunteer activities, my personal life, and more recently, my chaotic move (how is it that moving five blocks is more difficult and takes longer than moving across five provinces?!)

However, as nice as the break was, I've found myself missing the blogging community and my creative outlet in the past few weeks. So, I guess what I'm saying is that I'd like to come back, if you (the blogging/fashion community) will have me.

Petite Adventures won't be a dedicated personal style blog - although, those might pop up occasionally - but will be more well rounded to reflect my loves (and sometimes loathes) in life.

So, stay tuned...