A Single Friday's Haul

This past Friday I was armed with a modem I had to return to the internet company. I had put off mailing it so I had to drop it off at their store location at the mall. That, my dear friends, is the perfect opportunity to shop. I wanted to pick up some shorts from American Eagle but couldn't really find anything in my style. Actually, I couldn't really find any clothes I liked at all anywhere. But I did find plenty of accessories! Here's my haul from The Body Shop, American Eagle, RW&CO, and Bath & Body Works.

The Body Shop

1. Tea Tree Skin Toner
2. Loofah
3. Exfoliating gloves
4. Organic cotton pads

One of my housemates last year, K, loves this tea tree skin toner. She has the most clear skin to the point where I've never seen even a tiny blemish on her face. I, on the other hand, get at least one breakout once every month and it gets especially bad during times of high stress, such as summer or exam season. To combat this, she recommended I use this toner so I picked it up in order to test it out. I haven't used it yet but I'll do a full review on it once I've used it for a couple of weeks.

RW & CO

This necklace was particularly beautiful. I don't wear many that look like this but this one certainly caught my eye. Although it looks like it may weigh a ton, it was super light and the color was to die for. The beads (Beads? Do you know what they're called?) were almost a soft rose-gold color linked via an intricate structure of gold chains. Plus it was on sale. Win-win.

Bath & Body Works

One of the things that I've really gotten into is lighting candles. I never used to be a fan of candles but on a trip to Bath & Body Works sometime last year, I came across the cutest owl candle holder and just had to buy it. Forget the fact that I'd never light candles before but I just couldn't resist the owl. I used it as a decoration type thing on my bookshelf for the year but finally decided to actually use it for the reason it was made: candles!

When I went to the B&BW this Friday, they had a sale on mini-candles (3/$10) so I bought three. Honestly, I wasn't a big fan of a lot of the ones they had; the ones I purchased were literally the only ones I liked, with Lakeside being my favorite so far. It has such a nice and sweetish smell that was too good to resist. Boathouse Row definitely grew more on me (burned through 3/4 of the candle by Saturday). Japanese Cherry Blossom is also a very sweet smell (that of cherry blossoms, obviously). These candles are said to last for about 10 hours and are relatively cheap ($4.50 each) so they're perfect for those of us who aren't completely committed to regularly burning a candle but want to get started.

American Eagle

I've never actually bought any accessories from American Eagle before but they were having a 40% off sale (argh, every place was having a sale. Not good for my wallet) so since I couldn't find any shorts, I looked to see if there was anything interesting in the jewellery rack. I don't really wear watches but I actually really liked this one. The picture makes the straps look more yellow but they're neon yellow and perfect for the summer. Plus, I've been meaning to start wearing a watch and I really liked this one so decided to take the risk. Needless to say, it's definitely growing on me.

The pearl earrings are my staple accessory. I mean the name of my blog is Pearl and Glory for a reason. These pearlies have a really soft color with a very pale yellow/creamy tint, instead of white, and I totally fell in love with them. As for the ring, I really liked it and since I only own 2 other rings, I figured I should buy another to add a little more variety to my hand.

Anyways, that's it for my haul!

Cheers!

A Night Out at Atomica

So I completely forgot to write this post until now but last Thursday (not this past Thursday but the one before that), my lab team and I went out to a restaurant called Atomica. Funny story before I begin: my friend who called Atomica to make reservations, as there were about 10 of us, didn't realize that he had accidentally made them for Friday instead of Thursday so we all showed up on Thursday night, expecting to be seated inside right away. However, because of the mix-up, the hostess sat us outside for a while, during which we just ordered some drinks and then contemplated on what to order, and then brought us inside when a big party left. It was perfect timing really, because it was starting to get a little chilly outside.

I honestly just love this picture because of the hilarious, yet completely different, expressions on everyone's faces! There was good company and the evening was just gorgeous!

[caption id="attachment_104" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Herrow, Syl![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_114" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Pizza 1: Bistecca (gorgonzola cream, mozzarella, 'enright cattle co,' rare flat iron steak, portobello mushrooms, arugula, balsamic reduction)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_115" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Pizza 2: Autunno (sundried tomato pesto, mozzarella, artichokes, roasted red peppers, olives, red onion, herbed chevre)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_116" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Pizza 3: Atomica (la bomba tomato sauce, mozzarella, local cremini mushrooms, 'seed to sausage' calabrese calabrese, pepperoncini)[/caption]

I ordered the Autunno (vegetarian) and it was quite simply, one of the best pizzas I've ever had. It was very filling (I had two massive pieces to pack home) and the crust was to die for; it had the best balance of soft but crispiness. Another favorite part of my pizza was the sundried-tomato pesto sauce. I've only ever had pizza with tomato sauce so ordering this was quite the risk for me, especially because it also had goat cheese and I'd never had that either, but I'm glad I made the dive. It was just too good. I can't even go on...

But wait! There's more...

So after we wrapped up our dinners, our hostess walks over with 10 of these badboys and says because we had to wait outside and were super patient about it, this was our treat. Um...what?! Now I don't drink so I gave mine to someone else (*cough*) but I was told they tasted like peppermint liquorice and were shots of sambuca. And that's all I'll say about this picture.

The best part of eating out is the dessert. I mean the actually food part is great but I always get bummed out when it's dessert time and the person I'm with says they're too full for dessert. Uh. That's not possible. There's always room for dessert. A friend and I shared a tiramisu and it was absolutely amazing! It was so light and fluffy with little shaven bits of white chocolate and came in a cute little mason jar. Needless to say, it was just amazing.

Now, I've lived in Kingston for 4 years now but had yet to go to Atomica, which is weird because I absolutely love pizza and Atomica is said to be THE place to get good, gourmet pizza. And those reviews haven't let me down. I had very high expectations for it and needless to say, Atomica met every single one of them. If you find ourself in the Kingston area, do take the time to eat out at least once at Atomica, though I would suggest calling ahead just in case to make sure they have room. You can find them here:

Atomica
71 Brock St.
(613) 530-2118

Final Rating: 8.5/10

Recipe: Italian Pesto Ciabatta

In my third year at Queen's, I used to work for a cafe on campus called Common Ground. They offered two sandwich options: made-to-order bagels and sandwiches and pre-made wraps and sandwiches (two of which were vegetarian). My favorite was what CoGro had named the 'Italian Pesto Ciabatta'. It was simple and delicious. However, they cancelled it the following year and because it's my favorite quick lunch item to make, I took to making the sandwich at home. And because it's so delicious, I've decided  share it with you all!

Plus, it takes less than 10 minutes to make. Perfect for those busy early mornings!

Ingredients

- 1 ciabatta bread
- Mozzarella cheese
- 1 tomato
- Your choice of pesto

Step 1: Assemble all your ingredients.

During my time at CoGro, I saw that the company they used for pesto sauce is Olivieri so I grabbed a tub from the local Metro. Olivieri is quite expensive (about $5.30 for the small tub) but I was used to paying $5.50 for the pre-made sandwich so it is much cheaper for me to buy the tub since I could make about 2-3 sandwiches out of one tub. Of course, you can also use homemade pesto as well!

Step 2: Slice your ciabatta in half and spread pesto on both sides. Use your discretion as to how much you want in your sandwich.

Step 3: Slice your mozzarella cheese in thin slices.

Step 4: Place the cheese slices on both sides (like the pesto and then thinly slice your tomato. Put the tomato on one side and close the sandwich.

Voila! Enjoy the sandwich!

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Currently Hearting: Leo the Owl Coin Collector

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in Kingston. After a long cold period, we had our first taste of hot, balmy weather.

And it was lovely.

However, being the unprepared girl that I am, I wore a long-sleeved plaid shirt on my way out to meet a friend and realized my mistake after about 5 minutes of walking. So I decided my first stop would be the Urban Outfitters store in downtown Kingston to buy a t-shirt (the absolute best thing about living in Kingston is that downtown is a short 7-minute walk away). It worked out perfectly since UO was also having one of their 'Additional 50% off all their sale items' events for the weekend. So I grabbed a shirt that ended up costing me just $5 and just as I was about to get in line for the cashier, I caught the eye of this cheeky little guy:

[caption id="attachment_133" align="aligncenter" width="291"] Leo the Owl Coin Collector (Urban Outfitters, $12)[/caption]

Isn't he just so cute?! My friends are well aware of my obsession with owls so when I came across Leo the owl, I just couldn't resist him. Plus, I'd been looking for a cute coin collector for a long time and didn't want to settle for a plastic little piggy bank. He is absolutely adorable, don't you think?

If you're interested in buying the little guy, you can find him HERE.

Review: Soap & Glory Righteous Butter

The one thing I don't like about my body is that from my neck down, I have the driest skin possible. Like Sahara Desert dry. My face, on the other hand, gets super oily, especially in the summer. So by now, trust me when I say I've tried pretty much any kind of body butter or body lotion out there. Okay, most of them.

Victoria's Secret? Done. The Body Shop? Done. St. Ives? Got it!

But one that I hadn't tried yet was Soap & Glory's The Righteous Butter. I mostly avoided it because of its priciness. At $18 a container, I wasn't sure I should buy it so for a long time I avoided the purchase. However, after my last final exam in April I decided to just go for it. I needed some retail therapy and figured I'd be better off buying the body butter than more clothes. A month later, I'm glad I made that purchase.

Soap & Glory's The Righteous Butter is their original formula made especially for those of us cursed with very dry skin. It contains shea butter and aloe vera, two key components to get your skin back to it's healthy glow. Oh, and did I mention it smells absolutely divine? Currently, I slather on a generous amount just as I'm heading off to sleep as a way to relax my entire body and this routine leaves me feeling utterly peaceful.

One reason that I didn't take a liking to other super-moisturizing lotions and creams is because they leave my skin with a sense of greasiness. Have you guys ever found that? You slather on a good amount of lotion and it feels just great but then when it comes time to put on your skinnies, suddenly it feels like you're trying to put on tight leather pants on a hot summer day! Needless to say, it's not a desirable feeling. This was not the case with the Soap & Glory body butter! Out of all the body butters I've tried, this had the least amount of greasiness so I was one happy camper.

I got my tub at Shoppers Drug Mart (drugstores in Canada) but if you live elsewhere, I'm not sure where you might be able to find them. You can try your local drugstores such as Ulta, Target, etc. Regardless, if you can get your hands on a tub of this body butter, I would highly recommend you give it a go. You won't be left unimpressed!

Recipe: Walnut-Cranberry Banana Loaf

When I was away at university, my mom made this delicious walnut and cranberry banana loaf and sent it to me. It was so delicious! I'm not the biggest fan of banana bread because a lot of times I find that the banana flavor is too strong but this was banana bread with a twist. It had walnuts and dried cranberries in it. The walnuts added a nice little crunch and the dried cranberries gave it an extra tang. So this time when I came home and my mom asked what I wanted to eat, naturally I suggested we make the banana bread again. And I've decided to share it with you all because it just needs to be shared!

One thing I love about this recipe is that it doesn't require eggs. It's not completely vegan (we do use milk) but you can definitely experiment and try using soy milk or almond milk. Our household doesn't really stray from using regular milk but we did find that for those of you who don't eat eggs (like us), milk and the ground up flax seeds happen to be great substitutes!

Doesn't it just look absolutely delicious? Let's just get into it, shall we? This is what you'll need:

Ingredients- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 small bananas or 2 large bananas (Note: make sure they're thoroughly blackened; you don't want ripe bananas!)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup oil
-1/2 cup milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
- Any nuts you like (e.g. walnuts, pecans, etc.)
- Handful of dried cranberries

Step 1: Assemble your ingredients! Take this time to set your oven to preheat to 375 degrees as well.

Step 2: Mix all the dry ingredients together: flour, salt, ground flax seeds, baking powder, your nuts of choice, and dried cranberries. Don't add the sugar now though! It will be added later.

Step 3: Mash those bananas until they look like the picture below. Come on, work those muscles and mash those bananas!

Step 4: Add the vanilla extract and sugar. Mix it a bit and then add the oil. Mix it again. Add the milk.

Step 5: After all that mixing and adding, your mixture should look like this!

Step 6: Add in the dry ingredients in and mix them in well. PUT THOSE MUSCLES TO WORK!

Step 7: Grease your loaf baking pan and then pour the mixture in. Feel free to add some extra walnuts in top for an added crunch! Pop it into the oven for 35-45 minutes. I set the timer for 35 minutes and then just checked up on it. For us, it took around 40 minutes.

This is what the finished product will look like. Doesn't it just look scrumptious?

Step 8: Cut up, admire your work and then DIG IN!

Try this recipe yourselves and tell me what you think! Did you like it as much as I did?

Cheers!