LUXOMME

Lush gardens, bright blue skies, and brilliant rays of sunshine are things that come to mind when I think of Summer. And things that I like to do during this lovely warm season?

BBQ parties on the deck, patio nights on the riverfront, and of course, exploring the city with some insanely good company. 

Getting ready to see friends is a casual affair, and my routine in the summer is especially mellow. A quick blow out, a simple pair of earrings, and my favorite contact lenses in Misty grey that are always a great conversation starter. 

'Are your eyes real?'

'Um. Nope'

The adventure that evening was a little more spontaneous, all we wanted to do was spend some time in each other's company, catching up and sharing stories. What we did and where we did it didn't matter so much as long as we were together.

Personally not great at making decisions, I left the leading to Jane who suggested we head over to Stella's - a local gem. I ordered my usual pesto havarti tomato sandwich coupled with a delightfully crisp arugula salad. And Jane sprung for the indulgent and scrumptious mexican breakfast with a little bit of chorizo action - just to spice things up a little bit. 

While we waited for Gary to join us, the two of us launched into a riveting conversation about our Summer vacations, with me sharing my adventures in Asia while we gushed over her exciting  upcoming European adventure.

In between reviewing her absolutely jam packed itinerary for Europe and my plans for the rest of Summer, Gary popped into the restaurant and joined us for a quick bite, while the three of us tried to determine what our next stop would be. The original plan was to see Jurassic World in theaters, which he quickly turned down.

 'We didn't meet up to sit in a movie theater all night!', he said. 

So we decided to go somewhere we could sit and chat and stare into each other's eyes, and it was decided that Thom Bargen was going to be the place.

Jane, the coffee connoisseur, grabbed a rich and aromatic cup of joe, while Gary decided to venture out and try a London Fog - which was equally delicious, and because I'm still experiencing a crazy amount of jetlag, I played it safe and ordered a hot chocolate. 

But lets be real. It was just an excuse to get the chocolate.

Thom Bargen closed much earlier than expected, and clearly still enjoying each other's company. we looked at one another not wanting to part quite yet. Gary (who's really a Torontonian, but more a Winnipegger than the two of us combined) had made a list of things he wanted to do in Winnipeg and BDI was quickly decided to be our next stop.

For those of you who haven't been to Winnipeg before, BDI is a local spot for Summer night sweet-tooth satisfactions. It stands for Bridge Drive In (hence the bridge) and is only open in the Summer for a few months, which means that the anticipation really builds up the rest of the year. This translates into insane lines - even on a Tuesday night.

After what seemed like ages of waiting - which didn't actually feel like that long because we had each other, we finally got on hands on some delicious icy treats and headed over to the bridge. We spent half the time trying to eat our rapidly melting cones, and the other half of the time laughing while watching each other struggle. 

We ended up staying at the bridge to admire the view of the river, before heading over to the riverbank to watch the sun set. There we searched for jumping fish (which Jane swears exists), and enjoyed the light breeze coupled with the gentle hue of red and orange that flashed across the sky. 

Staying until my jetlag started to hit, we took in one last breath of the cool night before making promises to continue the rest of our Summer with evenings like this.

naomi

What usually comes to mind when you see the word 'Harajuku'

For me, it's Gwen Stefani and the Harajuku girls she so famously took around with her everywhere. For the longest time, this street was also what I thought of when anyone said Japan.

Known as the center of youth culture and fashion, everything is a step ahead in Harajuku. Things are exaggerated, louder, and a little extra quirky. So of course, we had to make our little visit there to see what the fuss was all about.

Lining the streets are rows and rows of shops plastered with decorations, posters, models. You name it, and they've probably got it on display somewhere. What this creates is a total feast for the eyes. You don't quite know where to look, or rather, where to even begin.

Part of the charm of Harajuku is also their food culture, namely crepes, which they are famous for. According to Tiffany, Marion's crepes are one of the best - evidenced by their long line of customers who always emerge full crepe in hand and smiles on their faces. These delightful little desserts (or meals!) are generously stuffed to the brim with the filling of your choice - usually involving a decadent amount of whipped cream.

Feeling full from lunch, despite the enormous amount of temptation, we decided to skip the crepes and head directly instead to Doutor, a coffee shop which would honestly give Starbucks a run for their money. Feeling a little bit fatigued, we ordered up a tall glass of ice cold matcha latte, and settled into our seats to catch up on our e-mails and current news. 

Which was the perfect and most relaxing afternoon to ease our way into the evening.

naomi

Tokyo has the most curious array of goods that reflect their equally quirky and innovative culture, and it seems that it's all found under one roof. Or rather, one store named LOFT, a concept/department store that is unparalleled by anything I've ever come across. It's basically levels and levels of retail goods ranging from plants, to jewelry, stationary, and wellness machines. Anything your heart would ever desire is probably found within this place.

The first time I stumbled upon LOFT, I found myself being continuously surprised by how much there is to discover. The main problem was that I wanted ALL of it, especially the air plants - which I'm pretty sure are not allowed back within Canadian borders. I literally felt like a kid in a large candystore. From pre-made Sangria bottles which are designed to make your wine-loving nights a little more flavorful, and live-pet shrimp encased within a glass ball, to build your own bonsai gardens. You could have probably told me that this store was all of Tokyo, and I would have been satisfied. 

But what I loved most was simply the sheer ability to get lost in this place coupled with the steady flow of feeling like you've found something new and exciting over and over again. That sense of excitement you feel when you're discovering something for the first time. Like magic.

It also helps that everything is so picturesque as well.