Natalie Ho

There are a lot of expenses when it comes to planning a wedding. I can tell you no matter how diligent you are with your budget, extra costs and expense will always creep up. There were some things I absolutely planned to splurge on from day one and left it to the experts, i.e. photography and florals. Meanwhile there were other items, i.e. my wedding veil and wedding favors, I knew I wanted to DIY – I guess I’d consider myself as the expert in this scenario!

I wanted our wedding favors to be simple, easy to assemble, matched our table setting, and at the end of the day, a keepsake our guests can take which blend nicely with the rest of their home. These DIY mini Wedding Terrariums were inspired by a few extra IKEA spice jars I had laying around at home. I kid you not when I say that inspiration can be found anywhere… in my case, even within the dark corners of my kitchen!

These DIY Wedding Terrariums doubles as favors and place card holders, keep reading on to see how to create them!

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a behind the scenes and giveaway from Shop For Jayu‘s Holiday Collection that I was invited to style and model for. The Lookbook and is finally ready and I’m so happy to share them here with you!

To celebrate the launch, you’re also invited to shop the entire collection IRL on Friday, November 20 and Saturday, November 21 at The Ten Spot on the Danforth. Swing by to enjoy special perks such as a 10% off social media discount and 20% off Ten Spot Services with purchases over $50. Full invitation attached, I hope you can make it!

A special thank you to the entire team and wardrobe sponsors, Le Chateau (how amazing is my beaded dress?!) and Ted Baker for making this Lookbook and Holiday Collection launch a success, read further for full credits.

With Christmas holidays in under two months, I’m already prepping for my holiday shopping list. This year, we racked up a few BIG expenses, including our wedding, honeymoon, and also saving up for (hopefully) a near future kitchen renovation. With all that in mind, my goal this year is to reduce my holiday spending without compromising the quality of my shopping and entertaining plans. In Spring, I chatted about my savings journey with RetailMeNot.ca by utilizing some fantastic digital coupons offered by many retailers online. Since then, I’ve continued to scout many great deals and finds!

There is a misconception that couponing means saving $0.50 on frozen pizzas and and $2.00 off your next laundry detergent purchase. However, digital couponing can mean savings big dollars on your next luxury goods purchase or even your next holiday vacation.

I’m so thrilled to once again partner with RetailMeNot.ca to share some shopping tips and a $200 VISA gift card giveaway to help you exercise your couponing skills!

For those of you who appreciate crafting, spending time with friends, and the Christmas holidays, I’ve got great news for you! I am so excited to announce my collaboration with BRIKA and Delight Floral Design, to host two Holiday DIY Workshop at BRIKA’s new Yorkdale Mall location!

Last year, Delight Floral Design and I hosted a DIY Holiday Wreath workshop and it was a major success. We are so thrilled to work together again in bringing you two more DIY workshops this year, this time partnering with the amazing people behind BRIKA. BRIKA’s newest space will be a DIYer’s DREAM! A dedicated DIY Workshop area has been set-up, sponsored by the new “maker” channel, bemakeful.com and supported by partners such as The Kit and Crate & Barrel. Trust me, our curated workshops will NOT disappoint.

Read further for full pricing details and how to purchase tickets to our workshops, as well as BRIKA’s entire workshop series.

I finally started to go through some of the photos we took during our honeymoon! I will be sharing more in a few more posts, but first up, is the beautiful town of Oia on the islands of Santorini. During the second week of our honeymoon, we explored the islands of Greece and spent one day touring this breathtaking town. There are four main towns along the caldera in Santorini – Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli, and Oia. These are located on the western edge of the island and are situated on the caldera cliff, which offers fantastic views of the volcano.

Keep reading to see more photos.

I was provided product by BEHR to write this post but the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Happy Halloweekend! Whether you’re frantically getting ready for Halloween or looking for fresh Fall decorating ideas, these DIY Gold Leaf Painted Pumpkins are the perfect way to add an extra flare to your doorstep or window sill. When the BEHR 2016 Color Trends were released, I fell in love with pretty much every single colour which led me to order a sample of each, literally! With miniature pumpkins in hand, I was determined to showcase a few of my most favourite from the Color Trends list.

Read further to learn how to create your own Gold Leaf Painted Pumpkins in just a few simple steps!

Last weekend, I was invited by Sally of Shop for Jayu to partake in their Holiday 15 Lookbook shoot. Not only was I asked to model their beautiful, sparkly accessories, she also trust me enough to style the set alongside with amazing florist and friend, Sarah of Delight Floral Design! It was such a dream!

The Shop for Jayu Holiday collection and lookbook will be released in early to mid-November but I’m giving you a behind the scenes sneak peek and also a chance to win a $75 online gift card to shop your most desired pieces!

A special thank you to the entire team for making the lookbook shoot a super success, keep reading for full credits.

Happy Friday friends!! A super short post today, sharing my October shoe pick at Le Chateau. I can’t believe it’s been 10 months since joining the Le Chateau Shoe Ambassador team. As I mention every month, I LOVE their shoe collection and each pair I’ve picked up has become a personal favourite. This month, with the Fall season in full swing, I picked up a pair of Italian Made Over-the-Knee Suede boots. These bad boys were under $200, such a great alternative to the others on the market. These boots are totally made for walking, with the perfect heel height and may I add, just the right about of ‘pointy-ness’ on the toe. LOVE THEM! Oh, not to mention, they are suede from and elastic back, so those of you that have a wider calf, may find this a very good option!

During my visit to Le Chateau, I also stumbled upon the PERFECT Blanket Scarf. I find it hard to create the perfect wrap, that’s not too bulky and not too skimpy. This scarf has a slightly narrow design at the ends, which makes the perfect wrap!

I hope you guys are enjoying the cooler months with the perfect wardrobe!

For those of you who have tried Peking Duck before, you know just how delicious the combination of crispy duck skin, tender duck meat alongside with hoisin sauce, green onions and a soft, slightly sweetened flour pancake is. For those of you who haven’t tried, stop what you’re doing and make a reservation at your nearest fancy (or not so fancy) traditional Chinese restaurant and order this dish, you won’t regret it.

I love Peking Duck. It’s certainly not an ordinary dish we prepare at home, nor would I ever attempt to, it’s reserved for special occasions. With a craving for Peking Duck last weekend, I decided to tackle a knock off and modern version of this well celebrated Chinese dish in my very own kitchen. And so with the help of McCain® Superfries®, Peking Duck Fries was born!

This is a super easy recipe to #MODIFRY your typical frozen bag of fries from a side dish to a center stage meal option!

Happy Monday! I hope you had a fabulous weekend! Hard to believe that less than two weeks ago I was roaming around Mykonos, Greece in sleeve-less dresses, flowy pieces and strappy sandals. I visited a fabulous Toronto boutique, Sense of Independence prior to my departure to pick up some new pieces for my honeymoon. I ended up with this mix medium sweater vest (along with a few other favourites) and I absolutely love the added chiffon layer that nearly sweeps the floor. It’s an item that is truly unique and perfect for transitional weather. I paired the sweater vest with a basic black ribbed dress and some new accessories I received from ALEX AND ANI to celebrate the launch of their flat rate Canadian shipping offer ($9.95 or free for orders over $75).

Keep reading to enter a contest to win $100 gift card to spend at the Sense of Independence Online Boutique.