June, 2014 - sparkleshinylove

Roxymandy June 12, 2014

Where to Shop – Soirée

When I hear the word soirée, I immediately think of a party I want to go to! It’s like when you see that you are invited to a soirée instead of just a regular party, that means it’s going to be so much better by title alone! Parties are my pretty much my jam. You could invite me to your puppy’s birthday party, and I would be there with a cute dress and a hostess gift without a second thought. Throwing a party or soirée myself ends up being days of Etsy shopping and Pinterest exploration.

The good news is that my party planning has been made easier with the opening of Soirée in Pickering! I frequent the Nautical Village of Pickering pretty often since we have boats on the water nearby, and while I was shopping the area a couple weeks ago I happened upon this awesome little gift and party décor shop!

Soirée has lots of unexpected gifts that are quirky and unique, and fit all kinds of occasions. The party supplies are to die for. There is specialized wrapping paper, carefully crafted present tags, and all kinds of coloured ribbon for gift wrapping. I love a good thank you card, and Soirée carries all kinds of them that I was sure I need to add to my stationary collection. One package of cards was even featured on the bulletin board Style at Home Magazine created for our home makeover. I always wondered where that card came from!

There is a section just for wedding items like cute banners, cake toppers, and all of the small detail items that you would want to set your day apart.

I think what I like most about Soirée is that the items they sell would set your party or event apart from the usual. A slice of cake is so much better on a plate that says “Eat Cake”, and a cupcake wrapped in a paris-themed wrapper is so much more impressive than one without it. Those are the details that set apart a regular party and an actual soirée! It’s the effort and the details which can really impress your guests.

It was quite difficult, but I narrowed down a few of my favourite items from the store. Trust me, it was not easy! You really need to take a look yourself.

Soirée is located at 615 Liverpool Road in Pickering, Ontario. You can email any questions to info@thinksoiree.com, or visit their website at www.thinksoiree.com

Visit them here on Facebook! Right now Soirée is giving away a gift basket valued at $100 on their Facebook page!

Soirée is having their Grand Opening on Saturday, June 14th! The mayor will be there for a ribbon cutting ceremony at 11am, and there will be live music, snacks and giveaways. It’s the perfect time to check Soirée out!

Eat Me Cups, $12.99

Eat Me Plate, $18.99

Paris Cupcake Cups, $14.99

Wrapping Paper, $5.99 per sheet

Placemats, $26.99

Notebooks, $12.99

Recipe Book, $24.99

Table Topics Games, $25.99

Foodie Gift Tags, $7.99

Wine Gift Tags, $5.99

Roxymandy June 10, 2014

The Babiators Contest Winner is…..

Stacy R.! Congratulations! I will be contacting you shortly to have your new pair of Babiators shipped to you.

Thank you to everyone who entered on the blog, and on Instagram.

Roxymandy June 9, 2014

Dinner at BOSK – Shangri-la Toronto

Last week my husband and I had dinner at BOSK at the Shangri-La. I had been to the hotel a few weeks prior for Mother’s Day High Tea, and had an amazing experience. I was sure we were in for a great dinner considering how amazing their tea service was, and we weren’t disappointed. Our meals were not only excellent, but our experience at the hotel and restaurant was very impressive. As always, I will also fill you in on my thought on if BOSK was kid-friendly!

We used valet parking on this trip as there aren’t many close lots near hotel to park at, and when you are wearing sky-high heels, it’s best to park close! Once we walked into the lobby we were greeted by the conceriege who walked us straight to the restaurant. In many of the city’s hotels you end up walking into a vast lobby and are not sure where to go from there unless you are checking in. At the Shangri-La the check in desk is tucked away in the corner, so it’s a different layout then most hotels. I like that the concierge is right at the front door so someone can direct you to exactly where you want to be. Once we were walked over to Bosk we were handed off to someone who found our reservation and seated us immediately. No one missed a beat – everything was so seamless.

Suddenly we were greeted with a champagne cart to start our meal. On ice there were many types of champagne for us to mull over while we were selecting our drink of choice. Although I am a champagne lover and the cart was tempting, in the dining area you couldn’t help but draw your attention to the wine displayed in the room. Their wine list was extensive, and I loved that I had more that just one option for a glass of Riesling (my wine of choice) – I hate it when I have only one option, but here I could chose from a few selection of Rieslings which was nice.

We both decided on wine (although I felt sad to see the beautiful champagne cart roll away) and were not disappointed in our choices.

Our water was poured from a jug with a foot-long curved spout which you couldn’t help but stare at as our server refilled our water glasses. I’ve never seen anything like it before! It was amazing how far she could stand from our table and pour it, which made it seem un-intrusive when she approached the table to do this, but you couldn’t help but stop you conversation as she did to see if she would spill a drop!

We decided on an appetizer to share since we were brought out fresh bread to start. The bread was warm with their in-house maple butter which was to die for. How many bread baskets did we go through? I was too embarrassed to count, but their rosemary herb buns where threatening to ruin my meal by filling me up.

Our appetizer was the Nova Scotia Scallops ($23) with avocado, hon-shimiji mushrooms, crunchy rice, and sesame ginger dressing. Our server knew we were sharing, and without asking had the chef split our appetizer into two plates so we could share. I thought this was an amazing touch – I don’t think a restaurant has ever done that for us. Especially since their presentation was so creative – it was lovely to have our own split appetizer made with the same careful attention to detail.

The scallops were cooked perfectly. They had a nice sear on the top so it was a bit crispy which was perfect. I don’t think I’ve ever had better scallops, and the mushrooms were to die for. The plate had very simple fresh ingredients, and the sesame ginger dressing which was a little sweet and tangy.

Next up a few more baskets of bread (only a few, I swear!) and then our mains were on the table.

I chose the Spring Pea & Mushroom Agnolotti ($30). Can you tell I love mushrooms? It was a stuffed pasta with spring vegetables, topped with fresh parmesan cheese. The pasta really was stuffed so I had to cut each piece in half just to fit it in my mouth. It was sprinkled with fresh peas, and I probably finished the whole pasta dish in embarrassing little time. I was nice enough to share a bite with my husband who was pretty impressed with it as well, but he was not allotted another portion. This entrée was definitely filling!

I was surprised when my husband chose lamb because the last time he had it was for dinner in Europe about 5 years ago! He thought that if he was going to try it again, this would be the place to have it. He had the Duo of Cumbrae Farms Lamb ($38) with tabbouleh, artichoke, carrots, cauliflower, yogurt and aromatic lamb jus. The first bite he let me have was just of the carrots and cauliflower. I am not a vegetable girl – I like them hidden so I can’t taste them, but this dish was the exception. Knowing my distaste for vegetables but offering them first meant my husband knew they were to spectacular too pass up. He was right – they were some pretty tasty veggies! The cauliflower was a little spicy and crispy. The lamb was cooked medium-rare and was very moist and tender. I loved it. I didn’t realize I like lamb until I tried this. Or maybe I only like it here? Uh-oh. I didn’t get more than a couple bites since my husband was being selfish and decided to keep the rest of his meal to himself. Dangerous move on his part.

At this point we were completely stuffed. Maybe all of that amazing bread wasn’t the best idea? Even still we were presented with some complementary truffles and treats at the end of our meal.

We thanked our server and went on our way with the intention of walking off that amazing meal. Where did we end up? Across the lobby to momofuku’s Milk Bar. I’d always wanted to try some of the desserts there, and with it only being a short walk away, we gave it a try. It was on the second floor of the momofuko complex, and it was basically a very busy walk in fridge filled with goodies. We came out with a couple Crack Pie’s, Compost Cookies, and truffles. We took them home with us, well, almost home. We ended up eating them in the car on the way home, so I was pretty sure I wouldn’t need to eat anything the next day because I was so full.

Overall our experience was a great one! I always check out if children are welcome to restaurants I eat at, and I hardly had to ask at BOSK because when we sat down two children were dining near us already. Most of the crowd at the restaurant seemed to be there after work (we went on a Tuesday night, so that completely makes sense) but there was a family sitting near us as well, and we were told that on Thursday’s, Friday and Saturday’s the lobby is filled with a younger crowd having drinks. They also have high chairs, and a kids menu with chicken fingers, mac and cheese, and other kid staples.

As I mentioned before, the service was impeccable, and the staff at the Shangri-La really focus on making sure your experience is the best possible. I don’t think I have had better service at a restaurant before. I hope to stay there for the night in the future to see what that experience would be like as well. They are doing a special Father’s Day brunch on Sunday which would probably be amazing, so check it out! I’ve linked to their website below.

The Shangri-La Toronto is located at 188 University Avenue in Toronto, and you can visit their website here.

For reservations call 647-788-8888 ext. 8858

Please note photos 1 & 3 are courtesy of Shangri-La.com

Roxymandy June 7, 2014

Benefit’s Big Beautiful Eyes

I hate it when you buy an eyeshadow palette and there are colours you absolutely won’t use in it! Then when you run out of the colours you like, you end up throwing out makeup that is unused, or you end up using those colours you didn’t like in the first place because they are all you are left with.

I made in to the bottom of my last palette so I went looking for a new one this week. What I chose was Benefit’s Big Beautiful Eyes palette.

The kit includes Boi-ing Concealer which I have never used before. I was a little worried this would be the one thing I wouldn’t use, but I’m obsessed with it! The concealer blends perfectly, and it stays on all day. Normally I need to do a touch up towards the end of the day, but the Boi-ing doesn’t budge. I need a whole bottle of this stuff!

There’s an alabaster pink eye shadow (which is a little shimmery) for highlighting or applying as a base. It’s a very natural colour, and the shimmer is only slight so it can be worn easily during the day.

For the crease of the eye there is a very natural cocoa eye shadow that is very complimentary. Just using the Boi-ing, the alabaster pink shadow, and the cocoa eyeshadow is perfect for day wear! The final shadow colour is a deep brown shadow, and I use this for a bit of depth to the outer corner of my eyes when I’m going out for dinner or drinks. It’s a little dark for daytime use.

I am pretty obsessed with this palette right now! If Benefit ever stops making it I will first throw a temper-tantrum, then buy a whole bunch of them on Ebay while I can, and then I will buy all of these shadows and the Boi-ing separately and make my own palette!

If you are looking for a natural eye palette, I recommend this one for sure! It retails for $32.99.

Roxymandy June 4, 2014

Babiators Review

As most of you know, I love shopping for my toddler. It’s so fun to dress him up while I can because someday he is going to actually tell me what he wants to wear, and stop being ok with me choosing his outfits. I’m sure I only have a couple good years left (tear) before I lose my stylist privileges with him.

When I saw Babiators for the first time, I knew I had to get a pair for London. Not only are they stylish sunglasses, but they have some pretty impressive claims. They have impact and shatter-resistant lenses, comfortable rubber frames, 100% UVA and UVB protection, and they are guaranteed against loss or breakage for one year. I know, that last one got me too – if a child’s Babiators are lost or broken within one year of purchase, Babiators will replace them. It all sounds too good to be true, right?

I decided to try out a pair of Babiators on London for a week to see how he liked them. I knew this might be a tough trial since I am really not good at making London try anything he doesn’t want to. He’s been a little….stubborn lately!

When his Babiators arrived, I made a big deal about it to get him excited. It worked because when I opened the box and showed him his new pair of Go Time Green Babiators, he grabbed them out of my hands and went running. I was really worried he would break these glasses before he even got to wear them. Of course the first thing he did was hide inside his circus tent (currently situated in my living room – I’m not sure Style at Home Magazine would approve) and then he proceeded to launch the sunglasses out the front of the tent! I went to grab them before him and realized quickly that I needn’t of worried because his Babiators were made from very flexible rubber, so they were completely fine. This became a bit of an issue throughout the week which tried out his new sunglasses – because they are made from such light and flexible rubber, when you throw them they really fly! London figured this out rather quickly.

Our first excursion in his new glasses was to the court outside our house and in the backyard to see how he liked wearing them. He was pretty excited to wear them, and no matter how much running around he did, they didn’t fall off. Babiator’s come in two sizes – Junior which fits most children ages 6 months to 3 years, and Classic which fit most children from ages 3 to 7+ years. London’s Go Time Green Babiators were size Junior, and seemed to fit perfectly.

Once we were in the backyard London remembered how far these glasses would fly, so he threw them around quite a bit, but I wasn’t too worried because of the material they are made from, and I also had had that nice guarantee so if he lost them I could have them replaced!

Over the week we tried as many toddler-friendly “extreme” activities as possible to test these Babiators out! We went to the park and played on the jungle gym, went for walks, we went to the beach, and we even went for a boat ride. The one thing that I absolutely loved is that these glasses never fell off. They seemed to be glued to his head! It was amazing because even when he was playing with other kids and getting bumped and knocked over, the Babiators still stayed on.

On our day at the beach and boat London had his sunglasses on non-stop for 6 hours. We literally couldn’t get these sunglasses off of him. He took a short nap in the car, and when he woke up he didn’t even take the sunglasses off. I was sure he might have been uncomfortable sleeping in them so he would want to throw them off when he woke up, but that wasn’t the case. That is when I knew they were truly comfortable glasses.

I was very impressed with these sunglasses, and I love all of the colours and styles they sell. I will definitely get a few more pairs to match some of his outfits. It’s awesome to find a product that is not only stylish, but is also a safer option for your child compared to other products. In the past I have been buying my son cute sunglasses, but I know the UVA and UVB protection was not as high as these Babiators, so it’s a nice bonus that they are also safe! And yes, these are the sort of lines I feed my husband, showcasing how my purchases are all about safety for our son, and I usually leave out the part about how adorable they are!

Original Babiators (which is what we tried this week) retail for $19.99 USD while Polarized Babiators are $45.00 USD on the Babiators website which you can find here. Two Toronto stores where you can also buy them are Mini Mioche and Whistle Kids.

This week I am giving away a set of Original Babiators to one lucky reader! There are two ways to enter – the first is to comment below this post and say “I want to win a pair of Babiators!”, or the second way is via my Instagram page found here, and to enter you must follow my Instagram (or already be a follower) and post below my contest photo saying “I want to win a pair of Babiators!”.

This contest begins on Wednesday, June 4th, 2014 at 9:00am EST, and runs until Tuesday, June 10th, 2014 at 9:00am EST. You have one week to win! The winner will be randomly selected from all of the entry’s on the website, and on my Instagram page. You can enter once on the website and once on the Instagram page for a total of two entries.

Good luck to everyone to enters!