We'll always have Paris

Paris has been and always will be one of my favorite European cities. It was the 4th stop on our vacation and the place I was most excited for. We were lucky to stay at a beautifully decorated apartment in the city courtesy of my work where we had the chance to experience a bit of Parisian life. The cafés and shops were amazing as always but we spent most of our time walking through neighborhoods and along the Seine, soaking in all of Paris' magic. And yes, it was just as beautiful in the rain! Some highlights from our time in Paris included a picnic for two and bike ride by the Eiffel tower, an afternoon of sweet indulgence at Ladurée, a dream bag purchase at the original Chanel store at 31 Rue Cambon, and a surprise marriage proposal from my long-time boyfriend! I'll leave the proposal story for a post of its own :)

   

Little White Dress

Lush dress, Chanel WOC bag, Valentino rockstud sandals

Summer is officially here and I'm loving the warmer and sunnier days. My fiancé and I will be making the most of our time in Vancouver before moving to Toronto in August. That means going to outdoor movies, patio dinners, local hikes, kayaking and much more! Little white dresses are great staples for the summer and this weekend outfit was perfect for a day in the sun. I also got the chance to take my new Chanel wallet on chain out for a spin. This pink surprisingly goes with a lot of pieces in my wardrobe! And yes, you'll be seeing lots of her as I love to add a splash of color to summer looks!

  

I said Oui in Paris

After 5 days in 3 countries, our Europe trip was beginning to feel like a whirlwind. We were excited to arrive in Paris and have a relaxing week-long visit.  It was our second time in this beautiful city so we knew where we wanted to go, what to see and of course, what to eat! What I didn't know was that the love of my life was planning on asking me to marry him.

It happened at the top of the dome at Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre. I wasn't thrilled about climbing 300 steps up a narrow spiral staircase to get to the top but the view at this high point was well worth the dizziness! The Paris skyline was half lit with rays of the sun after a rain shower and we couldn't help but stand there for a half hour admiring its beauty. It was then he pulled out a small notebook from his coat pocket. Reading his words on the past, present and future in the setting of an 100 year old basilica made my eyes water and before I knew it, he was on his knees! It was a blur from there (literally, since I couldn't see!) and after I said yes I apparently repeatedly asked if that just happened.

We continued on to Barcelona after Paris and spent the rest of our vacation enjoying our new "status" and getting used to saying fiancé (first time he said it I heard Beyoncé!). Surely it'll take awhile since we've been girlfriend/boyfriend for nearly a decade! While we have talked about marriage over the past couple of years, our focus was always on education and career development. This year marked a new milestone with his graduation and my acceptance into a post-graduate program and we're so thrilled to have a third reason to celebrate! I couldn't have dreamed of a better proposal and cannot wait to celebrate our 10 year anniversary next year with a summer wedding!