On our way home from Hawaii, we broke up the trip with a 24 hour stopover in Seattle. My brother and I have always wanted to visit this beautiful costal city so it was something to anticipate after having to leave paradise! We arrived at night, headed to our hotel after grabbing a late night dinner at iHop. The next morning we went down to Pike place and thoroughly enjoyed exploring the bustling market. We sipped morning lattes at the very first Starbucks; something that has been on my bucket list for a while now… I was pretty stoked! We also visited the aquarium, contributed to the famous Gum Wall, rode the Ferris Wheel and enjoyed a lunch of fish and chips at Lowell’s in the Market. Seattle is such a wonderful city full of art, history, and the steady, energetic hum of everyday life. You get the erie feeling that extremely creative people live here. The sea is only a few steps from the market, street musicians and entertainers occupy every corner and you hardly see a person without their precious cup of coffee. I think this is my kind of place!

The ocean has shown me some serious love this holiday. Most days are spent living in our swimsuits, wearing no makeup and o-naturel hair. We sipped our coffees a little slower in the mornings and we never kept track of time on the water. At the end of the day we had sand in our swimsuits, sticky-salty faces and tanned sunburnt legs. The living here is easy and I dont want to leave.

On my quest for health and wellness I have tried very hard to drink commercial coconut water. Despite  knowing all the health benefits  I just could not choke it down. It wasn’t until I saw a Maui surf babe drinking from a real coconut that I attempted to try it again. I stopped at a roadside stand with a truck filled with coconuts and a man with a machete cutting them fresh. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the refreshing water and after a full day spent in the sun and in the salty ocean I felt as if I was instantly recovered! My skin is going to love me now:) xx

Classes are now over and the last stretch of finals have begun! I can hardly wait to be in Hawaii but in the meantime, I’m putting in some good hours studying while treating myself to oat fudge bars and lattes from Starbucks. The libraries and study areas of the university are packed with students and the coffee shops are enjoying good business I’m sure!

I have been coming to Hawaii during the spring ever since I can remember, I have such happy childhood memories here. Even though it feels familiar, this year has been completely different to past ones. With the trade winds kept at bay by different weather systems I have been forced to branch out from my usual water sport, windsurfing. This has been a blessing in disguise as I am the proud owner of a slightly used 8′ surfboard! With the  gentler swell hitting Maui now I am slowly progressing from a complete novice to being able to paddle into some small waves (usually followed by a spectacular crash).  Waiting in the lineup has also taught me allot about wave dynamics and I am hoping this will help me when I build up the courage to launch my windsurfer into some bigger waves! Here are a few snaps from an evening on the beach!

Easter is seriously one of my favourite times of year. Some of my fondest memories were early morning easter egg hunts, decorating eggs, hot crossed buns for breakfast, wearing spring dresses to the Easter service and enjoying the prolonged sunlight and warm breeze of Spring. I have been stubborn in maintaining most of these traditions as I am a sucker for nostalgia! (I fear for my children.) This weekend I hitched a ride to Calgary with my Aunt and cousins and have been enjoying the break away from school! My Aunt and I drove to Canmore this morning to spend the day in the mountains and visit my brother. Couldn’t ask for a more beautiful day!

This weekend was absolutely wonderful. Our good friend, Ruth, drove down to Edmonton to celebrate both Damaris and my 21st birthdays! We had a whirlwind couple of days full of spontaneous fun, good food, and some much needed catch-up time. I especially enjoyed lunch at Duchess Bakery…the treats were SO delicious and pretty!

If you are on the hunt for a cool bag with great quality craftsmanship WILL leather goods has so many amazing bags that cater to all types of lifestyles. I use mine to lug around two big cameras and still with plenty of room left inside! My favorite part about them is the overall vintage look of the bag, while being so durable it still has really special details. Also they are from my favorite State, Oregon.   Check out their video below to see more bags and different ways to use them! I have also included four of my favorite bags from the website!

This month is all about staying motivated!! Expect to see more posts that are healthy for your body and mind as well as some natural beauty posts.We have made a playlist to get you inspired too, hope you like it!!

march from ashressaday on 8tracks Radio.

*image from lululemon.com

After a restful week at home, Damaris and I are back in Edmonton, preparing ourselves to launch back into the student life. We took the evening off and walked down to my favourite coffee shop to indulge in a rich, wonderful latte. I brought along my “33 cups of coffee” book in which to document the details of my drink. My mom had this little note-book sent to me and I absolutely love it! Makes me feel like a true connoisseur of coffee! It’s little things like these that make me happy… not to mention my speckled nails and a good chat with my beautiful friend. : )