love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.

Things seem to be moving quickly lately. Everyone I know is talking wedding, wedding, and more wedding. Meanwhile, I am still trying to process the engagement! So, instead of thinking about to-do lists and making plans, I am dedicating the next week or so to enjoying the moment. My boyfriend and I are engaged....and I am happy. Everything else can wait.

On that note, I thought that I would post about our trip. As I mentioned in my last blog post, we had gone away for the weekend when he proposed. Our trip started off with a 3 and a half hour car ride to Upper Canada Village (which is a village full of old houses and artifacts from 1800s Ontario, Canada). The day there was really fun. We just explored the village and acted like kids. It was really nice. After we finished up there, we walked around the grounds - where he proposed! - and then got back in the car to spend the rest of the day in a nearby town.

The rest of the Saturday was a flurry of phone calls, text messages, and oh my gosh....we're engaged! moments. Even the normal moments seemed pretty special. We ended up eating dinner at Kelsey's because they have the best drinks ever. It was a really nice end to the day.

Here are some pictures from Day 1 of our weekend trip:

On the Sunday, we made the most of the free breakfast at the hotel before driving to see Fort Henry. It was interesting but there wasn't a whole lot to do there. We just looked around and snapped some pictures for a couple of hours. Then it was back in the car to head home. Along the way, we stopped off at The Big Apple - which is apparently a super giant apple that you can walk inside. They also sold apple based products, had a little zoo, and stuff like that. It was so novelty and cute. I loved it! After that was over, it was back home to share the big news with our families.

These are some of our pictures from Day 2:

So that was it! Our memorable weekend away. One thing is for sure: I will never forget it.

When is the last time you went away or took a vacation? What did you do there?

xo Shannon

true love stories never have endings.

Remember a few posts back when I talked about wanting to have the best summer ever? Well, it happened. It actually happened. How? My boyfriend and I took a weekend getaway on the 19th and 20th. The plan was to go to Upper Canada Village on the Saturday, grab dinner, and then go on to Fort Henry on Sunday. We did all of those things....but that wasn't all that happened.

He proposed!

Yes, I am officially engaged to my amazing boyfriend - and I couldn't be happier about it. The proposal came as a complete shock to me. I mean, we had talked about getting married and our future....I just didn't expect it to happen during our weekend away. It was a total surprise but by far the best moment of my entire life. I am so excited to spend the rest of my life with him.

How did it happen? We had just left Upper Canada Village and he took me over to this beautiful fountain on the grounds. We snapped a couple of pictures and were being normal when....bam! He got down on one knee and popped the question. I have no clue what I said or did (other than cry). It is all such a blur in my mind. After saying yes, we sat on a rock in front of the fountain and talked while I tried to process everything that had just happened.

Needless to say, I am very happy and excited. I feel so blessed. I've found the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I have family and friends who love and support us. Life is pretty great.

We're all a little weird.  And life is a little weird.  And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness - and call it love - true love.  

- Robert Fulghum

xo Shannon

you're lucky enough to be different. don't change.

Any Taylor Swift fans? Over the years, I've been a big fan of her music, her perfume line, and even her fashion sense. I love the way she pairs classic pieces with bold colours. She manages to effortlessly blend feminine style with fashion forward pieces....and I love it! Recently, she stepped out looking better than ever. I immediately fell in love with her street style outfit.

It featured a crop top and skirt in a gorgeous colour with a subtle, summery print. The style was sweet, flattering, and chic. She added more colour with a mustard coloured purse and a perfectly pink lipstick shade. Add in her signature cat-eye winged eyeliner, a laid-back hair style, and a pair of gorgeous nude heels - and you're left with a totally stunning summer outfit. It just came together perfectly. I wish I had this outfit hanging in my own closet!

In general, I think Taylor Swift has incredible style - and she always looks great. This street style outfit proved just that. Taylor is without question talented, stunning, and a total fashion icon.

What do you think of this summer outfit? Are you a fan of Taylor Swift?

xo Shannon

life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint you can on it.

Have you ever had one of those days? You know, one of those perfect, special days? A couple of weeks ago, I did. My boyfriend planned out this entire day for us. Why? A few months back, I made a declaration that this summer would be the best one ever. I didn't know that it actually would be - but that was the goal, anyway. We are halfway through the summer now....and I don't know if it is the best ever, but I am doing my best to get out there and have fun!

Which is exactly why this day was so special. We started it off by going to Jungle Cat World, which is basically a small zoo a half hour away. It has tigers and lions, monkeys, birds, bunnies, and a bunch of other animals. It wasn't a huge place, but I had a lot of fun there. You could get pretty close to the animals and there wasn't a massive crowd of people there. It was nice! The highlights? The bunny rabbits! I have always wanted one, so I just spent a lot of time looking at the bunny cage. They were so cute.

After our time at Jungle Cat World, my boyfriend took us to a hiking trail. Now, I'm not a super outdoorsy person...but it was fun anyway. (Minus the eleven bug bites I got. Yikes!) We followed a trail, took some pictures, and my boyfriend even picked me a flower. It was different for us. So, that was really nice. We stopped to take this picture on a bridge about halfway thorough - and it always makes me smile.

 

To finish the day off, we headed to the local RibFest. I don't actually eat ribs but my boyfriend does and he enjoyed them. The line ups were massive everywhere, so we didn't stay too long. But it was a nice way to end the day. Then it was back to his place to watch our favourite TV shows.

I don't know if I'll have the best summer ever - but days like this make it seem possible.

What have you been doing this summer? Is it your  best one yet?

xo Shannon

don't wait for old age to wear purple.

Sometimes, my biggest makeup inspiration is my makeup collection. There are times when I'll see a picture in a magazine and think: I want to re-create that look! And then there are other times when the look comes to me. Simply going through the makeup I own is enough to inspire me to try something different, use a shade I haven't in a while, and get a little creative.

That happened the other day. I was getting ready to see my boyfriend and I wasn't sure how I wanted to do my makeup. Should I go for something bronzey? Shimmery? Bright? Then I started riffling through my eyeshadow drawers. I came across a Wet n' Wild quad I bought in the wintertime. It had a pale purple, a deeper purple shade, and some cool greys and blacks. Instantly it hit me: purple everything.

I made a grab for my purple Rimmel eye pencil, my radiant orchid blush from Sephora, my Grape coloured Bite lip pencil, and the purple tinted gloss from Clinique. It was purple overload. I don't know quite where this love affair for purple came from - but it just felt right. So, I created a purple inspired makeup look. Take a look!

What I did to create the look? I applied that pale purple shade all over the lid and added the darker purple shade through the crease. A little purple eyeliner added some definition - but kept the look soft and feminine. A sweep of radiant orchid blush on the cheeks (blended out with my foundation for a softer look) and a bold purple lip.

I'm happy with the way this look turned out. It was a lot of purple....but definitely fun to create. It was nice seeing where the inspiration took me!

What inspires your makeup looks? Do you wear a lot of purple makeup?

xo Shannon

in love with: Dresswe

The best thing about special events? Wearing something equally special. Dressing up can give you the confidence you need to look and feel your best - whatever you've got planned! I know when I have a function or event to go to, my first thought is always: what am I going to wear? Well, that is where Dresswe comes in handy! They offer cheap special occasion dresses and plenty hot sales. That means you can look great while you save money.

I've been taking a look at their website and honestly? All I do is drool over those gorgeous dresses! It definitely makes me want to have a special occasion coming up. There are cheap homecoming dresses (you can take a look at some of them here: http://www.dresswe.com/homecoming-dresses-2014-104113), evening dresses, party dresses, and so much more. The selection is amazing. Even better than the wide selection? All of those incredible designs. There were so many pieces that I mentally added to my wardrobe wishlist.

Want to see what some of those pieces are? Here are my favourite Dresswe 2014 gowns....

There you have it - some of my favourite pieces from http://www.dresswe.com. As you can tell, they have a ton of variety on offer. With gorgeous dresses and great prices, it's the perfect place to find that something special. Love the pieces on my wishlist? Head to the website and take a look at the amazing online promotion they have going on. You're sure to fall in love with a dress or two!

What do you think of these dresses? Which one is your favourite?

xo Shannon

there is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.

I am a comfy kind of girl. As much as I love getting all dressed up, when I'm at home, I like to be as comfortable as possible. That usually means sweatpants and a band t-shirt - or maybe even an over-sized hoodie. When it comes to lounging around the house, I am certainly not thinking: high heels and distressed denim! I can't be the only fashion lover who is like this, right?

Well, the other day I came across a cute outfit from Hard Candy. (Yes, the same brand that makes some of my favourite blushes and bronzers.) They had lightweight hoodies with lace and matching lace shorts in a bunch of different colours. The moment I saw these summery sweatsuits, I thought: that would be perfect for a comfy night in! So, I chose one in green. Since buying it, I've worn it around the house and even for a movie night with my boyfriend. It's the perfect combination of comfy and cute.

Are you ready to see my comfy outfit of the day? Take a peek at my makeup and of course, my summery sweatsuit:

Do you like this comfy look? What do you normally wear around the house?

xo Shannon