Niagara Road Trip in the 2019 Ford Edge

The holidays can get so unbelievably hectic. They come so fast and before you know it you have barely had any time to enjoy them. I was not going to let that happen this year. The past few weeks Brandon and I have been on disjointed schedules. I'm home and he's at work, I'm at work and he's at home. We've been missing each other! So we knew this break would be the ideal time to get back on track with some wedding planning and just hanging out! This past weekend we made plans to have our wedding cake consultation and tasting and thought why not make it something more. We packed up our bags and, thanks to Ford Canada, we hit the road. We're getting married in Burlington so most of our vendors are in the Niagara region which gave us the idea to have an overnighter. We hit the road for Niagara in our 2019 Edge and did not look back.

So what did we get up to? Here's a mini diary of our little pre-holiday excursion!

Hitting the road with the 2019 Ford Edge
First of all, hello spacious! We fell in love with the Edge. The sound system was bumping, we literally blasted holiday tunes the whole way there! And the Co-Pilot 360 Technology is such a great bonus. It has pre-collision assist, a rearview camera, lane keeping system and more. Also, I loooooved the wireless charging dock. You just place your phone inside the centre console and it charges! So convenient.

Stop 1: Check in
Okay, so we technically didn't check in anywhere. My parents have a cottage in Vineland, Ontario which is on the way to Niagara so we headed there first to drop off our bags and freshen up. Since we decided to go so last minute we didn't really look into other accommodations. But this worked perfectly for us as it was a middle point!

Stop 2: Redstone Restaurant
Friday night we hit up Redstone Winery & Restaurant. Since the winery is so close to where we were staying we decided to take a taxi just in case we decided to have a glass of their signature wine (which we did)! The restaurant was set up so cozy for Christmas! They had a 20+ foot real Christmas tree all lit up and we dined under the twinkling lights! The food was delicious, too! After dinner, we headed back to the house and put on The Grinch by the fireplace. I fell asleep mid-movie (as per usual)! Haha..

Stop 3: Niagara Falls
We got up super early Saturday morning and headed to Niagara Falls. We wanted to take in the fresh air and just walk around and see the wonder during this time of the year. Yes, it was freezing near the falls, but we made the best of it! We took in all the Christmas music and lights and had a leisurely morning, coffee in hand.

Stop 4: Sweet Celebrations Patisserie 
Next up was our consultation at Sweet Celebrations. We got there smooth and sound in the Ford Edge and we're ready for the cake! Sharlene brought out over ten flavours of cake and different sweets and we got to tasting. I still can't decide what was my favourite. I loved the champagne strawberry flavour, and the lemon!  We left buzzing with excitement, probably due to the sugar, but also for the big day! We loved chatting about our details and finalizing some ideas for the cake. Stay tuned for more on that...

Stop 5: Toronto Prime Outlet
On the way home we popped into the Toronto Prime Outlets for some last minute shopping. It was packed! But there's nothing like seeing all the people hustle and bustle trying to pick up their last minute gifts. We were in and out as we knew exactly what we needed. So it was easy, breezy for us! Since we weren't frantic we actually enjoyed our time walking around. But man was that wind cold! Since it's an outdoor mall we left fairly quickly and set out for home!

We spent just over 24 hours away and it was such a nice treat to just be with one another without the distractions of home. Even though we weren't going far, or somewhere exotic, we got to bask in the holiday cheer of the season and spend some quality moments together before things get even crazier this week for Christmas! Sometimes taking a mini getaway can be just as sweet as going somewhere far. Bonus-- our Ford Edge got us home and back in time for Brandon to watch the leaf game.

Do you have crazy busy Christmas plans, or are you taking it easy this week? I'd love to know!


Thank you to Ford Canada for allowing us to take this mini pre-holiday excursion to experience some holiday cheer! We had a blast learning about this SUV and test driving it for the weekend. It's sleek, has some amazing driver assist features to make driving as smooth and easy as possible, and it comes in so many fab colours! Check it out for yourself at Ford Canada.

Leopard Midi Skirt

Hello, leopard midi. AKA the "it" skirt of the season. 

There is a reason you cannot go into a store right now without seeing leopard print everything. It has become timeless. It's luxurious and sophisticated and playful at the same time. I've been wearing leopard print for years and while I used to get the strange looks, now my leopard pieces are some of my most sought-after pieces!

I recently started reading Fierce: The History of the Leopard Print, and have become even more obsessed with the print! I love the images, the inspiration and the whole tone of the book! It divulges into the history and contains stunning imagery and really makes you feel FIERCE!

But sometimes I get questioned on what to pair the leopard print with. Really, it goes with anything! But if you need some leopard outfit inspo, I got you!

Here are a few styling tips for your new leopard midi:

1. Pair with booties.

I love how this instantly makes the skirt more casual and less dainty. I threw on a chunky knit and some booties to run errands this week and it was the perfect daytime outfit. The boots have a bit of a heel, but are not fancy so it served well for daytime activities! I've also been loving pairing the skirt with a turtleneck for the office. The turtleneck really hones in on the sophistication! 

2. Glam it up.

Pair it with heels, and a tank top for a swanky soiree. You can totally take the leopard midi dancing. I love the slit on the leg! I opt for a satin flowy tank top to take this number on the town. 

3. Break it up with a leather coat.

Black accessories like a leather coat and leather flats break up the print. They really allow the leopard print to become a wardrobe neutral. 

4. Go bold with more prints.

I love doing this for some fun! Pair the leopard print with a polka dot blouse, or a floral top. It's such a fun twist on playing with neutrals.

5. Add a slouchy tee. 

Extra casual. I would totally wear this with a tied up t-shirt on the hot summer days walking up and down the boardwalk. Do I even live near a boardwalk? Sadly, no... lol but I can totally see it happening on vacay! 

Do you love the leopard midi? What's your take on it?  

{btw- my skirt is from Dynamite, and it's on sale!}
S H O P  T H E  P O S T :

The New Charcuterie Board in Four Easy Steps

Move aside cheese and charcuterie! Holiday hosting is upon us and if you're looking for one easy, peasy way to wow your guests, it's by creating the ultimate vesper board. You may be wondering just what is a vesper board. Well, friends, let me spill! It's a gourmet take on serving a variety of little snacks. The little snacks that you love, but for some reason don't get much love on the typical charcuterie board. The rule is simple, fill the board, maximize every inch of space, and offer up delectable bites, dips, spreads, and other little delights. The idea is to not separate your sweet and savory items on different trays and to provide a great balance of the both. The vesper board is a great way to make guests feel comfortable since there is sure to be something everyone will love. Plus-- it allows you, the host, more time to mingle with guests since you're not worried about putting things out and making sure all the snack bowls are stocked.

Last weekend I took to making my own vesper board for a holiday party that I was hosting and my guests loved this new take on the charcuterie board! If you're looking to make a board of your own I am sharing my four easy tips over on Summerhill Market's blog. Summerhill Market is my favourite boutique grocery store in Toronto. It's a family own business and the offer the freshest produce, hard to find goodies (like Purely Elizabeth's granola and Siete Chips!), and just a great shopping experience!

Read the post now.