katie tower

It was one of those ideas that took on a life of its own. Two friends on a trip to Tulum from opposite coasts started as an email and culminated in a relaxing few days reading, talking, and wave jumping. Katie and I have a lot more in common than our names; we're both Designers so we spent lazy days talking about what it's like to be in the industry, our big dreams and goals, and taking in all of the visual stimuli that a place like Tulum has; natural beauty paired with vibrant colours and a unique way of approaching interior design since basically everything is exposed to the elements.

Traveling from Canada, Tulum is expensive. Our desire for beachside accommodations and the very weak Canadian dollar meant my tan faded before I had completely paid for the whole experience, but I have absolutely no regrets.

We stayed at The Beach Tulum in an amazing beachfront room.

A must-visit is Coqui Coqui. I had the best ceviche of the trip here. On top of that, the shop, perfumeria, and general vibes of the place are very inspiring. I picked up some perfume which, aside from a bottle of Mezcal, was my only souvenir from the trip.

Additional Notables: Heartwood for dinner; we met up with Robyn and her friend Becky who happened to be in town for the night and Guitano for a cocktail. We were all so enamoured with the indoor/outdoor layout and design of these places. Oh, and the food at Heartwood does live up to the hype. Get there at before 3:30 to make a reservation for the same night and show up on time for your reservation and you won't be disappointed!

If you're looking for a more in-depth travel guide for Tulum, here's one! This was my first time traveling to a tropical destination and foregoing an all-inclusive resort and it was an awesome, unforgettable mini-adventure that I'd do again in a heartbeat.

Just in time for June, here are all of the delightful web gems that I’ve been collecting this past month. On Saturday I’m leaving for Alberta and BC with Ceilidh for a summer vacation and I’m really excited to get away and explore. I’m going to try to take lots of photos this time as I’ve been on a few trips lately that have been sadly under-documented. If you have any tips for things to do in Calgary (we’re only there for two days) or Nelson (we have week there), tweet at me; I’d love to hear any and all suggestions! As per usual, I’ll be posting snaps of our adventure on Instagram! 

“In a world where the selfie has become our dominant art form, tautological phrases like 'You do you' and its tribe provide a philosophical scaffolding for our ever-­evolving, ever more complicated narcissism.” - “How ‘You Do You’ Perfectly Captures our Narcissistic Culture”, The New York Times

Also from The New York Times: the making of their April 24th cover.

Nike does it again with a very relatable ad.

“One Night Standard is The Standard’s spontaneous/why-not?/come-on-up/let’s-make-a-night-of-it/day-of/night-of booking app.”

“My entire career, my entire life, I’ve been told, ‘No, you can’t act like this, you can’t talk like this, you can’t be like this.’ And then finally someone said yes.” - Jen Agg in Toronto Life

I’m loving the enamel pin trend of the moment.

Have you picked up any sheer pieces for summer? I love the styling of this Garance Doré shoot. I recently picked up this tank from American Apparel and I think it will be in high summer weekend rotation (and most definitely packed for my upcoming trip).

My understanding of dating has remained unchanged since I was 12, so I’m on these kids’ level. (sent my way by Ceilidh!)

Go get my friend Siobhan’s zine!

[♫] I know this is going to be the song of the summer.

Something about the time of year made me think of this shoot I did with Emma over a year ago when she and I were next door neighbours. Then, the same day that the memory of our collaboration popped into my head, I ran into Emma at a coffee shop. It seemed like the perfect time to share this recipe now that she and her husband Sonny own and operate Manual Food & Drink Co., which wasn’t the case a year ago. Their business focuses primarily on custom catering, popups, and a donut subscription service.

I had never heard of conchas before Emma made them for me. They’re a sweet bread with roots in Mexican culture and she’s got a connection:

“I lived in Phoenix until I was 12 [...] I grew up eating a lot of really great Mexican food and one of my most distinctive memories is of these little pastries. We used to go to this part of the city called Guadalupe, a predominantly Mexican neighbourhood, and get lunch every once in a while. Afterwards we would visit this tiny bakery that had all kinds of beautiful sweets and pastries and that is where I tried my first concha. I thought they looked so pretty. The tops can be scored in different ways to make them look like sea shells and they usually involve cinnamon or cocoa on top. The ones I made for you had a brown butter, orange zest and cinnamon topping.”

For the conchas 3 teaspoons active dry yeast 1/2 cup warm water 1/2 cup lukewarm milk 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon salt 1 egg 3 1/2-4 cups all-purpose flour

For the Topping 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup butter, (browned and cooled completely) 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest

Directions Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in milk, sugar, butter, salt, egg and 2 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in a large greased bowl, then turn greased side up. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 1 1/2 hours.

While dough rises, combine all topping ingredients, form into a ball and refrigerate. After dough has risen, punch out any air bubble and cut into 12 equal pieces. Roll into balls and place on greased sheet pan.

Divide topping into 12 equal pieces and roll each piece out between two pieces of Saran wrap into round discs.

Place each disc of topping onto a ball of the dough and score with paring knife. Let rise until doubled. Bake at 350 in convection oven for 15 minutes or until golden.

Browsing around yesterday, I came across these two Oversized Denim Jackets (ODJs) within five minutes of each other and thought to myself, “what a coincidence!”. I've tried on denim jackets every spring for the last few years, but none of them seem to do it for me. Not Gap, J.Crew, or Levis. For some reason, the traditional-fit versions don’t suit me. Things changed as soon as I saw these two back-to-back blue babies; I realized it’s the oversized fit that I long for.

The story here really is quite simple. There are subtle differences between these two options that I have to weigh out: the Madewell denim is slightly warmer and the fit appears to be less oversized than the Zara option. Both have a bit of distressing; one a little more than the other and the buttons are different finishes. Oh, and there’s a price difference of around 50%. Of course, I could scour vintage shops for something and likely save even more.

And then there’s the question of how it gets integrated into my wardrobe. The ODJ has an effortless vibe that screams, “SUMMER!” “HAIR BRUSH BE DAMNED!” “PATINA ME!”. It’s not precious so it will temper any fears of being overdressed. Even though it borderline looks like you’re wearing your dad’s clothes, show just enough leg, neck, face, or torso (not all at once, jeez!), and we’ve got ourselves a winner. It can double as ground cover at a beach party or picnic and if your boyfriend gets cold you can turn to him and say, “here - take my jacket!” confident that it’ll be a perfect fit. Chivalry is not dead.

I’m curious what you think the ending to this story should be - with which ODJ will I live happily ever after? Tweet me @katietower!

Someday I’ll get back to this blog in a meaningful way. I have no less than half a dozen posts half-baked or half written. In the meantime, here’s a list of things other people are making and doing on the internet and in real life:

Guy Advice

This Mirror

Some gorgeous lighting and furniture design out of BC via Tom Froese

Drake-ify Your Life

On Constraints

How to grow old via Miss Moss

[♫] Janelle Monàe - Yoga 

DSTLD. The Everlane of Jeans

A great set of photos taken during the #NSFilmJobs rally by Jessie Redmond

The Halifax Crafters Market is this weekend! 

Do you ever catch yourself thinking, "I wish I had a really great, simple [insert useful thing here] right now?" I seem to be having those moments a lot lately. And then I set off on a journey - sometimes to local stores, sometimes online - to find said items. 

The worst feeling is needing an item and then, because you're in a rush and haven't had time to do some research, you buy something to tide you over, but it isn't the version you'd prefer. Maybe it's not great quality or it's more than you want to pay. Or both!

I realized today that I have carts on both Amazon and Crate & Barrel filed mostly with household basics. It's a good time of year to take stock of all of those "I could really use..." moments, consider your options, and decide how much you want to spend because, let's be honest: we're all just sitting around watching snowflakes like we're figurines in a snow globe anyway! 

This crop of items is mostly kitchen-focused, but watch this space for more posts for basics for other areas of the home. I've lived in my place for over a year now, but there are all sorts of useful things that I still need to acquire and, for me, it's about the delicate balance between form and function because I don't have a ton of closed storage.

It’s amazing, really. There are only 19 days until Christmas. Which means you have less than 19 days to get your gift-getting act together.

I personally like to give gifts that I would like to receive myself. Is that weird and highly counter-intuitive since gifts should really be given to please the recipient? Perhaps. I think, however, that when a gift is chosen by me, it should have my stamp all over it. It should be something only I would choose; something I also love.

This thinking has yet to totally backfire on me so this Christmas I’m keeping up the ruse. And, when possible, I am making sure that these gifts are purchased from local retailers and makers.

I’ve picked my top five favourite vendors from this year’s Halifax Crafters Winter Market and photographed them with a favourite piece from their collection (basically asking them to pick a favourite child) to get the wheels turning (hopefully the wheels of your car or bike pointed toward the Olympic Hall) so that you, too, can cross of your shopping list with a most satisfying strikethrough that can only come from the purchase of beautifully crafted, handmade gifts.

Bah humbug no more.

1 \\ Everlovin’ Press Maker: Vincent Perez (w/ Tom Froese and the Greetings from Canada crew of talented illustrators) | Item: Greetings from Canada postcard set | Shop | Instagram

2 \\ Fervour’s Own  Maker: Kiersten Holden | Item: Hair Pin | Shop | Instagram

3 \\ Old Birch Workshop Maker: Marc Comeau | Item: Canvas tote w/ leather strap | Instagram

4 \\ Taylor Made Maker: Anna Taylor | Item: Large Middle Finger | Instagram

5 \\ Minamalistos Maker: Vladislav Kovalik | Item: House in copper | Shop | Instagram

Last week my lovely friend Emma asked me to photograph a private tea party brunch she was catering. I was happy to; Emma is a great cook plus she was collaborating with her sister in-law, Chelsea of Chelsea Lee Flowers (also seen here) and our friends at Make Merry Events, so I knew the event would be worthy of documentation.

Gold-plated flatware, precious vintage dishware, BHLDN bunting, and lace tablecloths paired perfectly with Chelsea's pink, purple, and fuscia florals.

Emma’s menu included pastries and crudités, a beautiful shaved fennel salad, fish cakes with quail eggs atop, and a lemon curd with blueberry pear compote.

This year’s twist meant that I had to ask my friends and followers for help deciding what to do downtown with the $150 I was given from the Downtown Halifax Business Commission. I put it to a vote and it was a close race between the day I’m about to describe and a day where I set up a home bar with supplies from local shops.

Thanks to all of my friends on facebook and twitter, in the end I got to have an amazing day downtown visiting some familiar and not-so-familiar businesses to “Treat Myself”. I loved the idea of dedicating some time to thinking about my home bar, though, so look out for a post on that in the near future!

So - let’s get right into it! My Big Day went a little something like this:

Two If By Sea Cafe \ 1869 Upper Water Street

I was so stoked to have a croissant, but by the time I got there, they were all sold out. Instead I had a cheddar and chive scone, which I also really love. Add a cappuccino to the mix and the day was officially started. I love TIBS. It’s somewhere I go almost daily. I’m familiar with the baristas and the coffee and espresso are consistently awesome.

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The Flower Shop \ 1887 Granville Street

After breakfast, Ceilidh and I walked over to The Flower Shop to get treat number two. I have recently bought bouquets from this lovely shop on two different occasions - but both were gifts for other people. This was the perfect opportunity to finally get myself a “just because” arrangement.

Charlotte was lovely and when I told her I was out on my Big Day, she sprung into action and basically performed magic with the stems right in front of us. She let me in the back work area of the shop to watch and document her process; a total bonus. The Flower Shop’s space is so gorgeous with tall ceilings, amazing detailed mouldings, and a black and white checkered floor.

They were busy with weddings so I was very grateful she made time for me and my little bouquet. I spent $40 and got an amazing arrangement with ranunculus, purple roses, eucalyptus, spider mums, hydrangeas, and some other beautiful greenery.

I also asked Charlotte for some tips on keeping my bouquet alive longer. She said that Hydrangeas like hot water, so if they start to droop you can take them out of the bouquet and set them in some hot water for an hour or so. They’ll spring back to life and you can re-insert them into your arrangement. Also, clipping the stems every couple of days will keep them going a little longer, but don’t use kitchen scissors. They’ll just crush the stem. Charlotte said it’s best to use a sharp knife or get a pair of garden clippers to cut your stems. Lastly and perhaps most obviously: keep the water clean and fresh. Changing it every day is best.

I was really excited to hear that The Flower Shop is going to be hosting workshops for the holiday season - Charlotte mentioned a class on wreath-making which I will definitely be attending.

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Urban30 Blowdry Bar \ 1727 Barrington Street

Flowers in hand, we popped into Urban 30 so that I could make an appointment for later that evening. The bar was busy and had a lot of bookings, but they were able to fit me in at 6:45. That gave me time to head home and get gussied up beforehand. When I went back later I was all dressed and had already done my makeup. I chose “The High Roller” from the menu. Velcro rollers are definitely not something I’d ever be able to do on my own, while a blowout is, so that swayed me to give it a try. My hair length falls into the “tall glass” price range so it was $35 for my blowout.

The process was quick - 30 minutes from start to finish - and my stylist was friendly. They offer coffees and other (non-alcoholic) drinks, but they’re not included in the price of your service. I had water because I knew I’d be indulging in some wine in short order.

In hindsight, The High Roller probably wasn’t the right choice for me. About three hours after leaving Urban30, the humidity and my hair’s natural vibes had the back all wavy and frizzy; it had sucumbed to the elements faster than I had hoped. By the time I left Obladee to meet friends at Field Guide, my hair was in a ponytail.

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Obladee Wine Bar \ 1600 Barrington Street

Until last night, it had been a few months since I’d last been into Obladee. I’m so glad I chose this spot as my final destination. It’s a great spot to go with a friend, put your phones away, and catch up. I met my friend Jill there and we each had a couple glasses of wine, some cheese, and charcuterie.

For our first round I had The Crusher Grower’s Selection Petite Sirah (Clarksburg, CA \ $8g, $36btl). Jill had a glass of Planter’s Ridge Tidal Bay (Port Williams, NS \ $9g, $40btl).

We had some St. André (France, cow) and Le Samson d’Ici (Québec, cow) along with Jambon de Bayonne (dry cured, salted ham from France). The boards at Obladee are amazing and come with bread, mustard, pickles, olives, chutney, and a jelly.

My second glass of wine was Trapiche Finca Las Palmas Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina \ $9g, $40btl). I much preferred my first glass which was a bit of a revelation for me. I found this Malbec a bit too juicy. If we had stayed for a third round, I would have gone back to my original pick.

We maxed out the DHBC Visa gift cards here and had to dip into personal funds to cover part of the bill, but it was worth every penny. It was much-needed catch up time for the two of us and I was glad I had someone to share this phase of the day with.

I took a camera on this trip with the best intentions of taking a whole bunch of photos along the way. I managed to take it out only once; on my first day in Vancouver.

The day started out with coffee, natch. 49th Parallel was a few blocks away from where I was staying so it was the obvious choice.

Afterwards I went East from Kits toward my old stomping grounds during my summer there in 2010. So much has changed in the last few years. Main Street south of Broadway has seen a ton of growth and there are lots of cute businesses there now.

My first stop was Le Marché Saint George. It’s got an oasis-like vibe because it just appears out of nowhere on what is otherwise a completely residential set of streets. It was a bit smaller than I had imagined based on photos I’d seen online of the space, but it was lovely none the less. I ate a crêpe there and felt sort of creepy for taking so many photos.

Back on Main Street I wandered in and out of stores, heading North. A few notable stops: the Lifetime Collective Little Mountain Workshop, Front & Company, Vancouver Special, Radicle Juice, and 8th + Main.

My pilgrimage culminated with a stop at 33 Acres Brewing Co.

I had a glass of Sunshine and geeked out over how amazing their space is - again feeling pretty creepy for taking a million photos. I so desperately wanted to bring back a growler, but couldn’t seem to find a way that it wouldn’t be a logistical nightmare. I made up for it by going back a second time with a friend and without my camera to try a few more of their great beers.

Some other spots that I loved during my stay: Rain or Shine, Old Faithful Shop, Oak & Fort, Meat & Bread, Revolver Coffee (they sell and brew Anchored there!), and the Douglas Coupland show at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

I hope that whatever you've got planned for this sunny Canada Day weekend is glorious and that you don't forget to reapply your sunscreen. I plan to go with the flow this weekend which is basically code for "I have no plans". 

Here's the roundup!

Cresent Moons by Stella Maria Baer

Everything by Yield Design Co.

Emmadime's Studio Tour with Camp Collection

Snoop Dogg getting his hair done

The work of Calgary-based video company, Ramble 

Bio of Bessie Stringfield, "The Motorcycle Queen of Miami"

Kevin Drew's You in Your Were video featuring Zach Galifianakis

This wicked illu by my friend Siobhan

All I will say is that I am SO STOKED for this weekend's sunshine-y forecast! Here's some stuff from around the web this week: 50 Ways to get a Job

Engineer Prints via Photojojo are rad. I have a bunch of film images I'd love to get printed this way. You could also probably get a similar service at your local kinkos if you are impatient (like me). This also reminds me of a project that Fieldguided was doing a few years ago.

Dear Kate yoga pants. Now, I'm going to give you a little too much information here, but I almost always work out in comando mode. It's just... better. These pants and shorts are a game-changer; especially after last night when my workout shorts got a hole in the butt mid-group workout.

This gym bag. I think I found "the one"!

Twigg's Bindery via Design*Sponge

This rug by Mara Hoffman. Sadly not available in Canada.

The most beautiful tulip installation. I'm so inspired by this one!

Based out of Montréal, The Stowe by Molly Spittal is a bag and accessories line hand-crafted mostly with leather and duck canvas. Her clean lines, minimal colour palette, and utilitarian aesthetic are really up my alley.

She even named a bag after me! Ok, well maybe not after me, but whatever.

The Katie Tote is, naturally, my most wanted piece from her colleciton, but there are a bunch of other great pieces, too. I was planning on getting a similar bag from Madewell, but I'm stoked to have found a Canadian maker from whom to purchase instead.

Around this time last year I decided it was time to take control of the way I felt about my body and my health, so I joined a gym and started going a few times a week. A year in and I’m still at it and I feel pretty good! Maybe I’ll tell you more about that aspect of my life in another post.

This post is about clothes.

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One thing that I quickly realized after working out consistently for a few weeks, is that I needed more than one pair of tights and one sports bra. So off I went to the sports store, navigated my way to the ladies section, and quickly panicked because I hated everything. To add insult to injury, I was being asked to fork over the equivalent of three or four nice bottles of wine for pants I was merely going to sweat in.

To be fair, there have been some alternatives that I found and like: The Gap has a decent body collection, Joe Fresh sometimes pulls through for me, and I have purchased a sports bra from Lululemon, but until I came across Urban Outfitters' new activewear line, Without Walls, I have never wanted any certain piece of athletic gear.

I really dig the patterns that are slightly humorous and feminine (that jacket!!!) while still appearing very functional (full disclosure: I can’t see myself ever working out in a crop top, but I may re-evaluate that once my six pack decides to show up). Plus, the prices are reasonable; I’d say they’re on par with lulu or slightly more affordable in some cases.

Do you have any gym-gear shopping tips? I’m currently on the hunt for a bag and am finding the pickings slim, to say the least!

Well, what do we have here? A links and likes! I know it's been a while. I moved into a new apartment in November and, because of a pest issue, I have to move again. I'm pretty sure I've found the place but nothing is set in stone yet, so I have my fingers crossed. Even though I just went through all of this moving business, I'm trying to see the good/fun aspects of a do-over.

That'll be the focus of my upcoming weekend. I hope yours is great!

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I love the use of green in this design work.

Kate Arends' place is awesome. I particularly like the shelf propped up with magazines. I think I'll try this in the new place somehow.

This DIY coffee table.

The Reluctant Father.

"I'm trying to figure out what direction I should be moving in".

These behind the scenes photos of the cast of Freaks and Geeks.

This tattoo.

A mother-daughter duo who make the most amazing dresses out of paper and other craft materials.

The 25 Best Cocktails in NYC Right Now, in GIFS.

Mike Cummings' work on Dribbble.

I have to say: October weddings are the way to go. It’s not hot outside (but still warm), there are still plenty of sunny days to be had, and your friends likely won’t have to decide between your wedding and their cousin’s as it’s not the height of the season.

Sonny and Emma pulled this wedding together in less than six months! And that’s another thing I loved about the timing. They were so relaxed and go-with-the-flow because they hadn’t had time to second guess their choices.

A lot of the elements for the day were DIY and the venue was a perfect fit. Sonny’s sister Chelsea is an amazing florist and her work really shone in the rustic barn. Everyone sat at one long table and ate the meal family style. It was so intimate and lovely.

There were lots of heartfelt moments at this wedding; the speeches and toasts, friends playing music, the gift of a car (!!), and lots of dancing.

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I personally find wedding photography pretty intense. It’s a challenge I accept with trepidation; I feel a bit of imposter syndrome when it comes to my level of professionalism and expertise. I always make it through the day on a rush of nervousness and/or adrenaline, however, and once I start editing the images I’m always so grateful for the experience.

I’m proud of these photographs. I feel they capture Emma & Sonny’s personalities, the love between them, and the beauty of a day shared with family and friends. Thank you Emma and Sonny for trusting me. It really was an honour!