.travel: san diego, to celebrate a new mr. and mrs.

a while back, peter and i flew to san diego to attend one of the funnest weddings we've ever been too! makes sense, since these two crazy cats are seriously one of the coolest and friendliest couples we know -my old cruise ship bestie and her new husband, melissa and bryan swarberg.

[and gosh, didn't they make a gorgeous bride and groom! not even fair!]

and where do i even start? it was all just perfectly amazing. 

from the venue - a new children's museum in san diego, to the guests - probably some of the nicest people we've met in a while, to the decor - the bride has some serious diy skills and such a creative eye. seriously, everything was so beautiful.

we were welcomed with open arms, even invited to the rehearsal dinner the night before, which was super thoughtful of the couple. we had such a blast and made so many incredible new friends. i truly wasn't kidding when i said everyone was super nice. we felt like part of the family.

^^a canadian mountie we found at a local bar, after the rehearsal dinner! sweet! ^^

the ceremony was the best ceremony we've seen. period. it was emotional, personal, beautiful and filled with these amazing little parts - like a rope tying performed by the bride's dad, a reading from the story 'i like you' by sandol stoddard warburg and vows written by the bride and groom.
i cried. i laughed. i smiled. i held my husbands hand and was filled with love.

at the wedding, we sat at table 9 and shared many many laughs. we even had a little bonding session with a few 'famous' people [name dropping! yes, that's kaitlin olson and rob mcelhenney from one of our favourite shows 'it's always sunny in philadelphia']. needless to say i think kaitlin may be calling me to watch her children and vice versa, since we're bff's now. you know how it is. as rob put it, they got sucked into my vortex. umm....that's a good thing right?!
anyways.....

we also partied and drank with 'trebuchet', a band that we cannot stop listening too. peter and i fell in love with them and their music just solidified their awesomeness. seriously, how good are they? they played during the ceremony and it stopped us dead in our tracks. take a little listen below from a short clip i made on instagram.

other than that, we were known as 'the canadians'. and probably 'the loud canadians' as i allowed a few drinks down the old hatch. again, you know how it is....i simply could't let my girl, melly, down.

we danced. we sang. we ate. we drank. we talked. we sprayed the newlyweds with silly string. we bar hopped. it was the perfect way to celebrate love and friendship and everything that a wedding should be about. what a great night.

it was an event i knew we wouldn't miss for anything, and it is a memory that i am so happy to share with the newlyweds. i adore mel. couldn't love her more. she's one of my best friends even with our distance, and i know she's found the perfect match in bryan. he's just one rad guy. and that hair of his!
thanks again, you two. we love you both immensely and can't wait for our annual reunion!

.valentine's day gift guide, 2014.

we usually don't make a big deal out of valentine's day, but after leaving christmas to the very last minute this year, i'm feeling the need to do a little making up for that. in other words, the treb household may just get a big ol' dump of hearts and love and warm fuzzy's this month.

basically, the last few days i've been busy crafting up a storm. pinning valentine's images like crazy [although how anyone finds the time to do it all is beyond me!]. and my favourite - sourcing out some pretty rad presents to gift both peter and jack. and lets be honest - a little for myself too ;)

here's a few picks that really stood out.

the tiny's:
kisses sweater
liberty print bow tie
somebody loves you mr. hatch book and also equally awesome, plant a kiss book
heart pyjamas red
polaroid colorblocked earbuds
heart pouf - wild hearts stella & dot
heart stripe pyjamas [on sale!]
ruffle hearts swimsuit
swell water bottle
heart sunglasses

the mister:
mason jar shot glasses
ray ban caravan sunglasses
play comme des garcons red heart shirt for jcrew
cashmere jcrew v-neck sweater 
heart and bows boxers
felt and leather iPad cover
bolle ski/snowboard helmet
chambray and floral tie
movado black watch

the mrs:
brass wire sculpture
lover teacup
maison labiche for jcrew i love you tee
stella & dot sutton necklace - green stone
melanie auld white howlite cuff
walnut hexagon serving platter
poppy barley gold flats
tia mosaic tile stella & dot cross body bag 
overture shift lace dress

.i resolve to:

anyone who knows me or has been following this blog for a while knows just how much i adore lists. they help me de-clutter my mind and accomplish things in a timely manner. while it can be daunting to think of a year full of 'resolutions' or to-do's, i have found that if i break them into quarters or seasons, it becomes more attainable and i don't feel as weighed down with all the tasks i throw at myself. 

so 7 days into the 2014, here are my winter/spring list of resolutions. looks attainable enough, right?!

i'm curious, what are your 'resolutions' this year?

ps. in keeping me accountable [trust me, i'll need it!], here is my daily smoothie concoction in case any of you feel like playing along.

.travel: toronto.

following our amazing day with h&m. we spent the next 3 days exploring the beautiful city of toronto. 

it was jack's first trip [well, with a plane anyways] so the amount of things we needed was quite the learning experience! a car seat, a stroller, a portable highchair and an entire suitcase filled with all the goodies that an infant requires [diapers, wipes, toys, clothes x 2 [you know, for spills], bedsheets for the hotel's crib, books, snacks & food, etc.]. and while it was certainly fun handling all that luggage [imagine sweat pouring down our foreheads] we managed it like champs. sweaty champs, mind you.

our first stop - the new ripleys aquarium of canada! this place...really there are no words. perhaps incredible. unbelievable. beautiful. exquisite. jack's little mind was absolutely blown! and frankly so were his momma's & poppa's! i'll let the pictures do the talking, but you can definitely say, 'i highly recommend!'

the aquarium was located almost directly under the cn tower, so we knocked that off the list right away too. we each got our pictures with jack under it, along with the obligatory family shot. some were more amused by it than others.

then we headed to the hockey hall of fame. hey! i was with two boys i didn't have a choice. all in all, i did get to see a picture of my old fav in there - dougie gilmour, so i was a happy camper.

and last but not least, we hit up a little shopping at h&m! what can we say, it had too be done!!

thanks again for the trip h&m! we sure had a blast!!!

.sweet potato hash w/ caramelized onions, eggs and ham.

while i may have posted on instagram that i was going to share this tomorrow, i just couldn't wait - or make you wait either! also, this way you can get your ingredients today and surprise your special someone [or yourself even!] tomorrow morning.

this recipe would also be amazing if you had guests over, as it can feed a large brood and you can even make it all the night before!

i couldn't stop eating it. seriously! i was so full and i went back for seconds [and maybe thirds a short hour later ;)]. it can be made with ham, bacon, vegetarian or try out the original recipe here made with chorizo sausage. enjoy!

 Sweet potato hash 

w/ caramelized onions, ham and eggs

ingredients:

2 large white onions

1 tbsp unsalted butter

salt

1 pound ham [or bacon or italian sausage like chorizo]

3 large sweet potatoes

6 large garlic cloves, minced

4 long stalks of rosemary, about 1/4 cup of leaves

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp salt

pepper

large eggs, amount is optional as to how many you want

parmesan cheese, optional

directions:

1] Heat oven to 450F. Peel the onions and cut them in half lengthwise, then cut them into thin half-moons. Cut the half-moons in half. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. When it foams up add the onions and sprinkle lightly with salt [if you use a smaller pan, don't worry if the onions are crammed; they will rapidly cook down]. Lower the heat slightly and cook the onions for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and lowering the heat if they seem to be burning. Cook them until they are dark brown.

2] While the onions cook, chop up your meat of choice [we used ham] onto little cubes. Fry until browned and cooked all the way through [if you're using sausage or bacon]. Drain away any excess fat.

3] Next, chop the peeled sweet potato into cubes [apparently you can use unpeeled potatoes too?!] about 1/2-inch in size. Place in a large bowl. Finely mince the garlic and rosemary leaves and toss them into the bowl of sweet potatoes. Toss with olive oil, salt and a generous helping of black pepper.

4] When the onions are done and the meat cooked, stir these into the bowl of sweet potato mixture. Mix well. 

5] Line a large baking sheet with foil and spread out the sweet potato hash evenly. Roast for 30 - 45 minutes [roasting time depends on the size of the sweet potato chunks], or until the are soft and browned.

***You can now refrigerate the cooled hash for up to 5 days, which is perfect if you have guests over and want to make this the night before!***

To Serve:

6] Heat oven to 425F [or just lower your oven temp. from 450F to 425F, if cooking the same day].

7] In individual ramekins or a 9x13-inch casserole dish, scoop cooked hash and make a few small wells throughout the sweet potatoes. Add your eggs into the wells. Sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper.

8] Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are hot and the eggs are baked through. [Test the eggs by poking them with a fork to check the firmness of the yolks]. Sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese, if you choose. Enjoy!