Belle Chantelle

Decorating & Organizing A Rental Apartment

2013-05-18T01:06:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone! I'm back in action, and lazing around in my comfy Toronto bed. It's so good to be in my home city again, and most importantly being with my family. I hadn't seen mum & dad in two months - way too long! [I'm convincing myself that Toronto was so excited to have me back that it did the harlem shake, but it was just a mini-earthquake.] Anyway, I wanted to share a ton of links and

Mini Blog-Break

2013-05-06T21:15:00.000-04:00

image: annawithlove Hi everyone, I thought I'd post a little update. I'm finishing up the last two weeks of my first year of medical school, and will be taking a blogging break 'til I'm back in Toronto. I'll be studying, preparing for presentations, going to meetings, finalizing leases, making post-dated checks, packing an entire season's worth of clothes to take home, and spending as much

A Lazy Girl's Guide to Denim

2013-04-28T14:47:00.001-04:00

Today I'm going to broach a subject that has confounded me for a while. I get frequently asked how I have time to dress up for class (and work, in the summer) and I'm always floored by the assumption that it takes long. Before I go to bed, I check the weather (10 seconds max), walk to my closet already thinking of a temperature-appropriate outfit (5 seconds), and then I pull out the garments (15

Things I Love Thursday

2013-04-26T00:48:00.001-04:00

Facetiming with my parents for the first time (they bought an iPad & are so excited!) * spending time with The Boy and cooking up a storm * my new running shoes * the slightly warmer spring weather * fun med school mixer with the M1-M4's * getting to dress up twice in 6 days * spending hours watching routines from last season's 'So You Think You Can Dance' - ughhhmazeeballz * spontaneous

Inspired by 2013 Bags: Pastels & Neons in Decor

2013-04-21T13:23:00.002-04:00

Hello, everyone! I'm so happy to be here at Belle Chantelle with a guest post from Arcadian Home blog. It's a great place to find lots of interior design inspiration including beautiful home decor ideas from brilliantly colored decorative pillows to lovely modern pendant lighting and much more. Chantelle inspired today's topic with her post on pastel and neon bags for spring 2013. The

Pretty Etsy Finds

2013-04-18T15:43:00.002-04:00

A while back, I used to make posts chockfull of Etsy accounts that had beautiful handmade jewelry, or clothing. But, with the workload in school increasing, and my ever so frequent blog-reading binges, I completely forgot about Etsy. I KNOW! I know. [I remember reading an article stating that social media and blog over-saturation was making everyone less creative. Sometimes I have to agree, if

Dressing For A Cold Front

2013-04-15T21:53:00.000-04:00

leather jacket - Danier // sweater - Madewell // wool skinnies - Wilfred // ballet flats - Bloch Snapped these shots before I left my apartment for another histology lab last week. I thought I'd let you in on my "cold spring" uniform for school & studying: skinnies, leather jacket, and ballet flats. It has been raining quite consistently these past few weeks, and I've considered investing in

Spring Items For Under $50: A Pick-Me-Up Edition

2013-04-12T01:04:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone, I've decided to compile a few fun, affordable spring pieces that will help us get through this dreary winterish-spring period. I don't know about you, but here in Chicago it is nowhere near warm enough; I'm tired of wearing the same thing over and over, but I'm hoping a heat wave will roll in & I can pull out my cute dresses. I am so ready for the real spring! [If any of your are

Recipes That Worked: Simple Sushi

2013-04-08T14:10:00.002-04:00

Last month, The Boy and I decided to test our ability to make delicious, easy sushi. We had a craving one weekend, and that the craving needed to be filled. [We only used one recipe, the rest we learnt as we went.] 1. Collect your fillings - we chose salmon & avocado. Since The Boy wasn't too keen on the safety of raw fish from the market, we shocked it with heat on the skillet for a few seconds

My Apartment Update & Things I'm Loving Lately

2013-04-05T21:06:00.003-04:00

Hola everybody!! I thought I'd share a few images from around my apartment lately. I was able to bring a few more things from Toronto over to Chicago on my last trip. It was such a relief opening my luggage and seeing nothing was cracked or broken. Ten points for mom's great wrapping skills! I've just finished up my latest exam, and feel like a fried egg on hot asphalt. I can't believe I'm

Fun Links For The Week

2013-04-02T17:23:00.002-04:00

Only a few weeks until I can wear this without freezing my tush off! Hi everyone, I'll be contacting all the winners for the Zinio magazine giveaway very soon, so make sure you check your e-mails! Here's some fun stuff to get your week rolling: First & foremost, if you are in Toronto please check out this fantastic event called Education Remixed, a Charity Arts Showcase hosted by Humber

Things I Love Thursday: Chicken Biryani and Lucite

2013-03-28T21:41:00.001-04:00

* cleaning, purging, and rearranging my apartment * finishing a beauty product bottle/tub * wunderlist (thanks to galadarling's iphone app post) * ploughing my way through Anna Karenina on my free time * catching Life of Pi & eating incredibly delicious Indian food with S (see above). It was my first time at an Indian restaurant and I'm officially obsessed; hoping to go there with The Boy

Recipes That Worked: Cooking My Way Through The Internet

2013-03-27T16:21:00.000-04:00

Hola lovelies, I realized I've been collecting oodles of pictures of food, and not sharing them! Some of the homemade dishes The Boy and I have made turned out to be incredibly scrumptious. It would be criminal not to pass on the recipes we've found online. If my memory continues to serve me well, I will do food updates with personal images, and also a link to the special recipe that caused a

Spring 2013 Bags: Pastels & Neons

2013-03-25T23:27:00.002-04:00

1. Deux Lux 2. Rebecca Minkoff 3. Serpui Marie 4. Rebecca Minkoff 5. Annabel Ingall 6. Tory Burch 7. Jason Wu Hey everyone, I've been (unfortunately) spending too much time online window-shopping this past week. I think it's because the days are lighter for longer, and spring is just around the corner. I have spent most of my mornings wishing for the warm weather to arrive sooner! I went

Giveaway: Zinio Magazine Subscription (Vogue, Elle, Officiel!)

2013-03-23T19:54:00.000-04:00

Hiya everybody, I have a few one-year subscriptions to giveaway for Zinio (online magazine service) - I have 9 giveaways in total. I have taken a magazine subscription for myself, because ..like Vogue Paris. Come on. I've added a few examples below of the goodies you can possibly win, and if you're interested in signing up for Zinio yourself they have some great deals (Here's a 2-for-1

Things I Love Thursday + Outfits + Links

2013-03-21T14:46:00.001-04:00

Skull tote (etsy - check out the floral skull one. LOOVE) - Mavi skinnies (similar) - Zara moccassins (similar 1 & 2) - gifted knit (Ami dans la rue) - Lanvin perfume Going to Toronto for less than 70 hours, and being able to celebrate my mother's birthday * Watching movies with my dad - we are movie addicts! * Painting my nails neon pink * Watching "Menace II Society" with The Boy; I needed

Academic Toolbox #4: Organizing Your Study Space

2013-03-16T14:59:00.000-04:00

Hi everybody, Today I'm bringing you another Academic Toolbox (past ones here) to help you get those A's you've been coveting! This set of information is all about personal study spaces, and how to make them more conducive to learning. This will be a blend of office areas, and "on-the-go" work spaces (ie/ when you hit the library or decide to write an essay at Starbucks). Hope you find some new

Things I Love Thursday: Leather and Elegance

2013-03-14T19:53:00.002-04:00

* Leather jackets and nice-fitting jeans * Flirt by Essie * Packing for my flight tomorrow - quality time in Toronto for all of 2 days. * So excited to get my hair done, finally. * Strawberry, banana, raspberry smoothies * Signing up with RewardStyles - I can now have a products bar with pictures underneath my posts, instead of just linking the products via text. Yay for visuals!! [If you're

Goodman Theatre - Other Desert Cities

2013-03-12T17:46:00.000-04:00

Hola everybody, A couple weeks ago I caught a great production here in Chicago. Other Desert Cities was so unlike any of the pieces I'm used to seeing in live theatre. There was no fancy costumes, crazy light shows, loud music or funky dance routines - none of that. This was bare bones acting at its finest, and the twist it took in the second half was such a killer. I LOVED IT! If this

That's a Wrap: Florida Edition (Set 3)

2013-03-10T18:12:00.000-04:00

Heya lovelies! The weather is slowly warming up, and I can feel Spring at my back. Until its time arrives, I'm still wishing I was strolling through the streets of Miami & West Palm Beach. Yesterday's physical exam test went well; I had a fantastic standardized patient who taught me some cool tricks afterwards. Yay, learning! Thanks to those of you who checked up on me - I got all your good luck

Things I Love Thursdays & Pastels

2013-03-07T18:27:00.000-05:00

Image by: David Higgs Hey everyone! The week has been slowly trudging away. I'm a few days closer to my physical exam test & super nervous I'll forget everything once I walk into the room and see the standardized patient. sigh. I keep reminding myself that in 4 years I'll be laughing at my current state, and wishing life was as "easy" as it is now. Doesn't everyone always do that? Anyway,

Florida Set 2: Ancient Spanish Monastery & South Beach Miami

2013-03-04T02:00:00.001-05:00

Hiya everybody! Here are a few more pictures from my trip down south. My family and I (all 3 of us -_-) had an absolutely marvelous time in Florida, and a couple great adventures exploring different areas along the coast. I'm sorry I overloaded the blog with photos, but I just had to share. Many a times the images I take just sit on my hardrive doing nothing, seeing nobody, and being nowhere.

Things I Love Thursday & Florida Pics (Set One)

2013-02-28T17:42:00.003-05:00

[Mom & I in Mizner Park. Versace House in South Beach] Things I Love Thursday vacationing in Florida with mum + dad * breaking out the camera for some photography fun in the sun * tanning & swimming * taking walks by the dock * catching Other Desert Cities with The Boy at The Goodman Theatre * watching A Good Day to Die Hard - I love me some action movies! * loading up on summer clothes &

Monday Links: Cuteness Overload

2013-02-25T21:55:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone! I'm back from Florida, and cramming away for an exam. I absolutely loved it down there, and will be posting a ton of photos over the next two weeks. Here are some links (and a few cutesy pictures) to get your week off to a nice start: + How to stretch out too-tight shoes + Sweet Baby Cheesus by The Londoner (if I wasn't lactose intolerant I'd be all over this). + How to apply a

Update: I'm Off To Florida

2013-02-19T01:52:00.002-05:00

...So please forgive the lack of postings on the blog this week. If I catch some wifi, I'll try to sneak in a few photos & updates. I've taken into account the many Miami sites + suggestions I was sent via comments and e-mails. Thank you so so much. If you're interested, I'll be updating from instagram & twitter while I'm down there. I'm incredibly excited to see my parents & soak up the sun (