My favorite soap

Ok, I know it's kind of lame to do a post about soap...but it's literally taken me years to find the perfect soap. Plus, I like to spread the word about other small businesses that I admire. I've tried lots of handmade soaps, and Mooka is hands-down my favorite in terms of quality, all-natural ingredients, and scent. I've found that a lot of handmade soaps are only good as hand soaps, but Mooka's are great in the shower, as well. You don't get that weird tight skin feeling after you use it.

I find her scents to be really soft and sophisticated. No gross neon pink "bubble gum" soap here. Haha. My favorites are yuzu (japanese grapefruit), plum blossom and silk, and patchouli and hemp. The patchouli and hemp one sounds really hippie, but it smells sooo good!

I just bought this batch:

Nice minimal packaging = less waste! I approve!

Brick and mortar shop: 3412 Saint-Antoine Ouest, Montreal QC (St Henri metro)

Online shop: Mooka Soap on Etsy

Read an interview with Carolyn here.

My new Spring/Summer collection!

Eeeeeee! So sorry for two posts in one day...but I was really excited to share my Spring/Summer collection!

The fabrics that I used for this collection are vintage deadstock and recycled. Most styles are available in Small, Medium, and Large...while others are made to order specifically to your size. They're now available in my Etsy shop.

Pom-Pom dress

Pinstripe ruffle top

Triangle top and denim skirt

Ruffle romper

Pompom skirt

Pink ruffle tank

Blue ruffle tank

Floral romper

A big thanks goes out to my friend (and neighbor!) Meaghan for being my supa-model. She has a great style blog called Left Hand Endeavor. Her style is vintage and girly, so it was a no-brainer to ask her to model this collection for me. A match made in heaven! :-D Thanks so much, Meaghan!

Hidden beauty

Look at the amazing wallpaper Freddy discovered in our hallway when he took off the phone jack!

I wonder what other beautiful things are hidden away in this old house...

A day in the studio

I decided to make a little video showing the progress in our studio space! We were in a silly mood today....especially Marc! What a weirdo.

Sweet five month old kitten...

My friend and fellow fashion designer Jen Glascow found this sweet stray kitten. The kitty is female and around 5 months old. She's got two other cats, but she's going to hold onto the kitten until she finds a home. Is anyone in Montreal looking for a new feline friend?

It's coming along...

The house is starting to come together! I'll take more pictures when things are less messy...hehe.

Dining room:

Living room:

So far, home ownership has been a lot of fun! We don't have to do any major renovations so we are pretty lucky. I don't know if I mentioned this before, but we bought the duplex with two of our friends, Jen and James. I love having them here, it makes the process seem less scary. They live in the second floor apartment, so it's easy to get together and hang out.

Here are some pictures from our Mexican-themed Valentine's day feast last night:

Oh, and here's a cat pic just for fun! Little Girl's favorite new spot is on the radiator in the kitchen. :-)

Mexico

I'm baaaack! Freddy and I went to Mexico with 6 of our friends. My first time going anywhere tropical! I fell in love with the architecture and the colors. I also really enjoyed the different kinds of plants they have. One that I especially liked was a giant tree that had thorns like a rose. There was another tree whose leaves feel like sandpaper (people use it to exfoliate their feet). So cool! Unfortunately our friend Marc rubbed that leaf on his bare back and broke out in hives. We all had to laugh at him about his enthusiasm. Oh and don't worry, the hives went away the next day.

Here are some highlights:

Beautiful mansion in Merida

We went swimming in a cenote (underwater cave). I was really scared but I got peer pressured into doing it :-D

Mayan temple at Uxmal

Mexican Market in Merida

Waiting for the sunset in Holbox.

Where we stayed.

Panchetta, the sea cat!

Paldo the kitten and Marc

Amanda and Paldo

Me, Jen, and Panchetta