I don't usually dress in all-black, especially to a wedding. Bright colours and prints are my preferred style when it comes to wedding guest attire. They not only stand out in pictures but they can be uplifting to look at. But I always find it odd to wear bright colours to weddings during colder months.

I attended a wedding at a hotel couple of weeks ago and I ended up choosing an all-black outfit. Sometimes, wearing an all-black outfit could make you look like you're attending a funeral if you're not careful. So, I'd like to share a few tips on pulling off an all-black outfit to a wedding with you today.

Invest in a Lace Top

Believe it or not, I bought this long-sleeve lace top 5 years ago when I was travelling to Hong Kong. A lace top is a staple that everyone should invest in. It is elegant, sexy and will never go out of style! And that's why lace is always an excellent choice to wear to a wedding. It shows a bit of skin and makes you look flirtier and feminine.

Consider the Fit

This top fits me like a body suit. The front and back panels are covering all the right body spots. When you look for a lace top to wear in a formal setting, the fit is a crucial factor to consider. A loose fit is more casual while a slim or tighter fit allows you to show off your curves and shapes. I styled it with a high waisted black pencil skirt. They not only look like a set, but they also make me look slimmer and taller. A black fitted outfit accentuates my body and the side slit on the skirt creates an illusion of longer legs.

Accessorize with a Bold Print

To make an all-black outfit work, I like to accessorize with a statement piece like this leopard print faux fur clutch. Leopard print is my go-to when styling with a dark ensemble. It's classic and screams for attention.

Wear with Bright Red Lipstick

Makeup can do wonders to complete a look. It's little details like these that make you look chic and sophisticated. Not to mention that red lips also make you look younger.








I hope you like this look for a wedding. This is an elegant style that is great for a formal evening or a fancy night out.

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Check out my outfit diaries here.

Shop the Look!

Check out my posts for other outfit ideas and tips!

What to Wear for Formal Nights on a Cruise

What to Wear for an Engagement Shoot

How to be Casually Elegant on Valentine's Day

What to Wear for a Blue Jays Baseball Game

I'm so excited to share this printable Mother's day card with you all today! Unlike my mother's day colouring card design that you can colour in yourself, this card is created with bright and vibrant florals already. Appreciation gifts don't need to be store-bought and expensive. A thoughtful handmade card is even more meaningful.

My mom is actually having the best time travelling in Germany right now. And she deserves it. She worked hard all her life to provide my brother and I a healthy and comfortable environment to grow up in. Even though we don't get to celebrate with her until when she gets back but that doesn't stop me from showing my appreciation to her. Thanks for everything, mom!

If you're thankful for what your mom has done for you as well then this card will brighten up her day.

Free Printable Mother's Day Card Template: 

Measures 5" x 7" folded

Card Instructions:

1. Print out the template on any 8.5" x 11" paper/cardstock 
2. Cut along the trim lines and score along the fold lines
3. Fold the card along the score/fold line
4. Write your message inside
5. Place in an envelope

This design also looks great as a framed wall art. You can download this same design to print here. All you need to do is print and frame. I hope you enjoy this printable!

You can find other printable cards here.

Happy card-making!

Check out my other handmade gift ideas for Mother's Day!

Make Your Own Mother's Day Coupon Book Printable

Mother's Day Colouring Card Printable

Ferrero Rocher Bouquet Tutorial

Heart in a Cupcake Tutorial

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You've got the outfit ready. Found the perfect pair of shoes to go with your ensemble. Painted your nails. Styled your hair and put on your make up. You take your phone out and try to take a mirror selfie. But something looks odd in the reflection. Your phone case stands out like a sore thumb! Does this sound familiar? I know this had happened to me many times. If you've also experienced this, don't worry, I've got you covered. Today, I'm sharing my picks of stylish phone cases that you need to rock this season.

Wild Leopard

I like to make a fashion statement with one of the most popular animal prints! Wild Leopard is sexy, timeless and always trendy. Wearing leopard prints as an outfit might not be for everyone, so accessorizing with a bold print can instantly make a look edgier. Check out how I accessorize with the print here as well.

Photo Credit

Wild Leopard

Gleaming Licorice

A print like the Gleaming Licorice is not only dramatic, it is unique and novel. I have a thing for uncommon prints that you don't get to see everywhere. Something tasteful yet different can add individuality and character. The monochromatic scheme paired with the intricate gold leaf design is going to turn heads and demand attention no matter where you go.

Gleaming Licorice

Royal Grey Marble

White marble is always on trend and is much loved. This Royal Grey Marble is a step up to the overused white marble design while still keeping the luxurious and elegant look. This understated elegance can easily go with any outfit for any occasion. 

Photo Credit

Royal Grey Marble

Carrara Gold

This Carrara Gold is another play on the popular marble design. Inspired by Tuscany sculpture and architecture, this modern design brings elegance to anything. It is definitely a must-have this season! This is my personal favourite! This design is so versatile and elegant, it goes with ALL of my outfit.

Photo Credit

Carrara Gold

Sparkle Greige Marble

Summer is about sun-kissed nose and sandy toes. And this Sparkle Greige Marble design resembles just that. The swirly marble design reminds me of the ocean waves and gold sparkly sand. If you want to carry beach vibes with you all day, this phone case is perfect.

Sparkle Greige Marble

Vintage Tulips

Floral is always a favourite for Spring and Summer season. I've lost count of how many floral pattern pieces I have in my closet. This Vintage Tulips brings something different on the table than your typical peonies and daisies. The tulips are gorgeous and I just love the colour palette. It's both feminine and trendy without being overly romantic.

Vintage Tulips

There you have it! My picks of stylish phone cases that can go with any look this season! Good news is that now you can get 20% off on Ideal of Sweden using my discount code: ID20-GW477 when you check out. Don't let your phone case break a perfect mirror selfie and outfit ensemble anymore.

Which one is your favourite?

Check out my posts on other outfit tips!

What to Wear for Formal Nights on a Cruise

What to Wear for an Engagement Shoot

What to Wear for the Baseball Game

Since we all know that brunch is always a good idea, I want to share an underrated brunch that you probably have not tried before. It's something you definitely want to add to your to-try list!

When I think of brunch, I usually think of the American style with Eggs Benedict, waffles and pancakes on the menu. This has changed after I tried Maha's Egyptian Brunch on my birthday.

Maha's Egyptian Brunch

That day was -10 degrees when Will and I lined up for brunch at Maha's. The line up was unbearable in weather like that but it didn't stop people and us from waiting outside in the cold. The entire time in line, I was wondering if this was worth it. Why would people be willing to freeze their butts off and line up for brunch anyway? When we finally got a table and stepped inside the restaurant, I felt like home. An Egyptian home. Space was small but inviting. I love all the knick-knacks and artwork on the walls. I felt warm and cozy already.

The staff greeted us with a plate of spiced bread chips to start. They were delightful to get our appetites started. We ordered a glass of hazelnut latte and the Egyptian black mint tea. The hazelnut latte was huge with a spread of my beloved Nutella around the rim. Tea arrived in a cute blue pot with fresh mint dangling from inside.

I had no idea what to eat and their text-only menu certainly didn't help either. So, I did a quick search on Yelp and looked at people's photos. I landed on the Cairo Classic and Will ordered the Mind Blowing Chicken with a side order of hummus.

5,000-Year-Old Egyptian Food Made Today

The food arrived. And boy, they were huge. In the Cairo Classic, it came with seasoned fava beans mixed with tomatoes and onions. sliced boiled egg, creamy tomato feta and charred flatbread with a falafel patty in the middle. I'm usually not a big fan of beans, especially when they were cooked to a mushy paste. But I found myself scooping up the fava beans more than I thought. It goes well with the flatbread and I enjoyed them a lot. In case you didn't know, bread is a common item in Egyptian meals and it also served as an edible utensil. And their Egyptian flatbread is called the Eish Baladi.

Now, for the Mind-Blowing Chicken, it does live up to its catchy name! The dish was delicious and burst with wonderful spices and flavours. The chicken pieces were sandwiched between a toasty egg bun with their homemade mayo, Tomoya and tehina. This was a handful to eat. We didn't even bother to eat it like a sandwich because the meat kept falling out. Ha-ha.

Hazelnut latte at Maha's Egyptian Brunch

Best Brunch - Cairo Classic

Best Brunch - Mind Blowing Chicken

This Egyptian brunch food blew us away. They were so filling and kept us full the entire day. We've never been this satisfied for brunch before. And that's a great thing.

Next time, when you're looking for brunch ideas, I strongly recommend you to try out Egyptian food like Maha's. It gives you more than the typical brunch food that you're used to.

Maha's Egyptian Brunch
226 Greenwood Ave. Toronto

Check out the best brunch spots in Toronto!

Check out my posts on other unique dining experiences!

A Hand-to-Mouth Filipino Kamayan Feast

Down and Dirty with Seafood in a Bag

A Dining Experience Without Any Human Interaction

14-Course Feast Room Service at Japanese Hot Springs

It's been a while since I last shared my food excursions. Recently, I tried Kamayan feast for the first time at Tinuno Filipino restaurant and just have to share with you what that experience was like! Because if I don't blog about it, it didn't happen, right?

What is the Kamayan Feast?

For those of you who have never heard of Kamayan feast, it is a traditional Filipino family style meal eaten with your hands. The food is also served over banana leaves. That's right. No, plates, no cutlery. The simplest way to appreciate food!

Source

Tinuno Filipino Restaurant in Downtown Toronto

Living in a multicultural city like Toronto gives me lots of opportunities to try out cuisines from different parts of the world without travelling overseas. Although I'd love to visit the Philippines one day and experience what's there, I'm happy to settle with what's offered to me in my city for the time being.

The restaurant is packed on a Saturday night with lots of groups and couples filling the space. The feast seems to be a popular choice for birthday parties as well. Because at a cost of only $15 per person, you'd get a decent portion to have you feeling full at the end of the meal. And not to mention, it's also a great feast to share and bond with friends. Although the Kamayan feast is the only item available on their menu you could also add extra items such as milkfish, roasted pork, drinks, desserts at an additional cost. And of course, I tried them all out. Because that's how I roll.

Like the name, Tinuno suggests, everything here is cooked off from a grill. Banana leaves are spread across the table in front of you. Staffs would then add a bed of garlic rice over the leaves and layer a variety of grilled seafood and meat skewers on top. There's a selection of everything including squid, tilapia, pork, mussels, eggplant, okra, pork skewers, shrimps and mango salad. So imagine having this with a large group, it would be one huge and impressive spread to look at! At first, I expected this to be gimmicky, but the food was actually pretty tasty especially when they were fresh off the grill. I'd recommend adding sriracha sauce and vinegar to enhance the flavour even more.

Kamayan feast Toronto

Source

2-person's portion Kamayan feast with seafood and meat skewers over a bed of garlic rice

Roasted pork

A Hand-to-Mouth Experience

I remember when I was growing up, eating food with my hands was a big no-no. I was taught to be lady-like and how to use chopsticks properly at the dining table. So the fact that I get to break free from all those rules in public as an adult gives me joy. I didn't have to care about being proper. And I quite enjoyed the primitive state of eating food with my hands. It was a down to earth and authentic experience.

If you haven’t had a chance to try Kamayan feast, I would encourage you to give this unique dining experience a try! It's a great feast to share and to bond with friends and family.

Fun eat-with-your-hands Filipino food experience

Tinuno
31 Howard Street, Toronto, M4X 1J6


Check out 5 Restaurants for a Filipino Kamayan Feast in Toronto.

Check out my posts on other unique dining experiences!

Down and Dirty with Seafood in a Bag

A Dining Experience Without Any Human Interaction

14-Course Feast Room Service at Japanese Hot Springs

Due to popular demand from my tutorial on how to make Instagram Highlight Covers, I'm sharing another Instagram tutorial today! And that is to make your own Instagram Story Templates! Woot!

Since you're reading this post, I assume you're already familiar with what Instagram stories are and are an avid user. But, for those of you who haven't been taking advantage of this feature, I encourage you to get started now because you're missing out! Instagram stories are a fun way to increase your engagement and build your brand. Photos and videos posted on Instagram Story will vanish after 24 hours. You could add stickers, hashtags, geolocation and animated gifs to make your story look more interesting.

What are Instagram Story Templates?

These are pre-made layout where you could make your stories look more cohesive with your brand. Some big influencers like to share fun facts about themselves to their followers using these templates. And for this tutorial, I'll show you how you can make these templates to share about yourself and for your followers to do the same.

Without further ado, let's get started!

How to Make Your Own Instagram Template

By the end of the tutorial, you'll be able to create your own Instagram Story templates like these:

1. Sign up or Log in to Canva

Sign up a free account at Canva.com. I love using Canva for blog and social media graphics. It's just super easy to use (I save my Adobe CC for more advanced, complicated stuff).

2. Create a Design 

In the search bar at the top, type in Instagram Story. A suggested template with the size of 1080 x 1920 px will show up.

3. Choose a Background

On the left panel, click on background. Select one that matches your brand's look and feel. I like to use a textured background to add some visual interest. To do that, click on uploads and upload a textured background of your choice or use the available backgrounds in Canva.

Once the background is uploaded, drag it to the canvas. It will automatically be locked into position on the canvas.

4. Add a Title

To add a title, select text on the left panel. Click on add a heading and position it to the top of the canvas. Choose a font that you like from the top toolbar. For this tutorial, we'll use Brusher. Type in "Get to Know Me" and make font size to 58.5 or adjust the font size to make your own title fit onto one line. 

5. Add Graphic Elements

Select elements on the left panel and scroll down until you find an orange banner that looks like this. Edit the text to say "Q&A" in 12 font size. Make the banner grey or a colour that matches what you've used for the title.

6. Add Input Lines

You'll need to create some input lines for yourself or other people to type in their answers. In the same elements panel, choose lines from one of the 9 icons at the top. Select the dotted line for this tutorial or a line that you prefer. Change the colour to match the title to make it look more cohesive. You'll want to make sure the line is thick and the colour is bold enough so people can see on their mobile screen. Repeat this step until you have 5 lines on the page. Align all of them to the middle of the page and make sure they're distributed evenly.

7. Add Input Headings

Similar to adding a title, select text on the left panel. You can choose a font that you like but for this tutorial, I went with Glegoo in size 14. I personally like the contrast between the thin strokes and the bold thick title. It adds visual interest to the template. Add and edit text for each of the following:

• Name
• Where were you born
• Where are you living now
• What's your greatest fear
• What makes you happy

Align each of these text underneath the input lines and in the middle of the page. Tip: when you drag elements to the canvas, there will be a blueprint line that tells you where the middle point is. 

Check out other tutorials for Instagram!

How to Make Your Instagram Highlight Covers Like a Pro