ban.do – Page 2

Pack Your Bags!

February 1, 2016January 31, 2016 by Alyssa Garrison

And just like that, we’re officially off to California- in fact, if you’re reading this we’re probably already halfway there!

Booking the trip with Expedia.ca a month ago was a breeze, (they bundled our car, hotel, and flight for one crazy price) but ever since things have been a bit chaotic here at The Pastel Palace as we scrambled to wrap up creative projects, organize pet sitters and get our nails done (it’s an essential prep step!) When it came to the final countdown, we left the hardest part of the trip till last- packing!

I like to pride myself on being a really good packer, but even I had a tough go this time around. Travelling from cold Toronto to warm LA is complicated as it is, but factor in outfits for photoshoots and the cold seaside nights and it’s easy to go overboard with the suitcases.

After a bit of trial and error, and some harsh cut backs, we finally got it together.

Scroll down for our tips for perfect pastel packing:

Keep it Simple // There’s no need to bring three curling irons and four different kinds of deodorant. You’re not on vacation to hide in the bathroom prepping for hours at a time, so streamline your routine and go have some fun!

Cut What You Can // I once read never to pack anything for vacation that you haven’t worn in the past few months, and though climate changes come into play I generally agree with this statement. If you don’t wear it at home you likely won’t wear it on vacation!

Save Space // It’s pretty much inevitable that no matter where you go you’ll end up with a handful of treasures to cart back. Save space so nothing gets left behind, or pack an extra collapsible bag just in case.

Back to Basics // Layering and basics are the key to smart packing. Keep patterns and heavy materials to a minimum, and layer up with light favourites instead whenever possible.

Oh so Pretty

Dressing up My Desk With Birchbox

December 13, 2015January 14, 2016 by Alyssa Garrison

I’m a big homebody, and now that I work from home making my space a sort of pastel paradise has become even more important. Johanna and I have put a lot of love and attention into every corner of The Pastel Palace, but these days we’re really focusing on making our studio/home office super swoon worthy. From photo backdrops hung on copper pipes to a pretty epic prop shelf, the space is really starting to take shape, and even the tiniest details on my desk are coming together thanks to a bit of early self-gift-shopping on the Canadian Birchbox site.

Birchbox is famous for their amazing beauty boxes and cosmetics shop, but they also have a pretty fun lifestyle section loaded with all sorts of special goodies. From Rifle Paper Co. card sets to Lauren Hope jewels, you’re sure to find something in this section for everyone on your list (and maybe a treasure or two for yourself too!) Here are some snaps of my favourite desktop essentials- they all come together to create a pretty dreamy nook for team RAOP to plan our pastel world from, don’t you think?

In order of appearance- Ban.do tumbler, Tocca mini candle set, December Birchbox, Rifle Paper Co. notepad calendar, Gorjana Chloe necklace, and Benefit Cha Cha Balm

Birchbox – The Box is Monthly, the Beauty & Grooming Possibilities are Endless! Sign up for just $10/month.

Dress Up

Polka Dots and Pink

July 1, 2015July 6, 2015 by Alyssa Garrison

Happy Canada day everyone! As much as I’d love to do a big red shoot with hockey and maple leaves all over the place, I’m going to stick to my regular pink programming if that’s alright with you…

There are very few good pastel photo walls in this city, and perhaps that’s part of the reason why so much of the photography I see coming out of Toronto is very monochromatic and minimal (not that there’s anything wrong with that!) It’s tough to find the bright and cheery in a place with so much marble, concrete, and grey, and I often think I’d be much better off living in Miama or L.A. where every second building is a fun colour. But for now at least, I’m not one to give up on finding the colour in my life that easily!

Anabela of Fieldguided introduced me to this wall while we were out on a photo shoot adventure, and it immediately became one of my new favourite spots to take photos. In real life, it’s a pretty massive, somewhat grimy car mechanic shop, but in photos it transforms into a hot pink haze that I just can’t get enough of. Here’s to the first of many hot pink wall photo shoots!

Sunnies by TOMS, sweatshirt from H+M, shorts by Rosehound Apparel, to-go cup by Ban.do, shoes by Loly in the Sky

Photos by Johanna Martin

Dear Diary

Toronto Social Media Workshop 2 // March 2015

February 19, 2015June 10, 2015 by Alyssa Garrison

Random Acts of Pastel and Bicyclette are always dreaming up new adventures, and social media is a massive part of what we do on a daily basis. We love snapping Instagram photos and updating our Pinterest feeds, and over the past year or so we’ve worked together to grow our brands, both on the personal blogging front, and the business promotion front. After the success of our first Get Social Workshop in October, we’ve decided to share our knowledge about this fun way to promote yourself again. In case you haven’t guessed already, we’re hosting our second Social Media Workshop next month!

As small business owners, freelancers, creatives, and makers, we use social media tools on a daily basis to share what we’re up to and communicate with our followers. It’s a way for us to connect, to offer a peek behind the scenes, and share our personal style and aesthetic, which in turn helps build a brand- all the while inspiring ourselves and others through the process of doing so.

Each different platform holds value in its own way, and when you bring all of them together to build a cohesive online presence, you’ll really start to see them working for you. Because social media varies so much from person to person, It’s really about finding the balance that works best for you and allows you to be authentic and genuine, while still getting your brand out there.

We’ll be offering a 2 hour seminar led by Alyssa (Random Acts of Pastel) and Paige (Bicyclette) mid-March that goes over each of these platforms and provides tips and tools to manage each one effectively to make them work for you and/or your business, all while establishing your brand in the online world.

We will be covering pre-planned key topics and points, but we also want the workshop to feel collaborative and open, so we invite you to bring any specific questions you may have with you, and we’ll be sure to cover them in our discussion. We’ll also be offering scones and jam from Kitten and the Bear, treats from Bake Shoppe and hot beverages from Sloane Tea, a photo booth where you can get your ‘gram on, and special swag bags with all sorts of amazing surprise goodies from favourite companies like Ban.do, Fresh Tangerine, LoveFresh, and more!

When //
Saturday, March 21st from 10 am – 12 pm

Where //
Studio B, 882A Queen St. West

Cost //
$15o

What //We’ll go over key social media platforms – Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – how to optimize content (including sizing guidelines, etc), and what the pros and cons of each are; the process of taking photos on your phone (including editing and captioning); tools and tricks; telling stories and building a lifestyle brand through photos. And that’s just the beginning!

Interested? Sign up here!

Please note, tickets are non-refundable.

Dear Diary Dress Up

Closet Clean Up

September 20, 2014September 19, 2016 by Alyssa Garrison

Paige and I have been totally obsessing over the weekend to-do’s in the new Ban.do planners, and we’re doing our best to stay on top of the directions every week. When we read “Clean your house in roller skates” a few Saturdays back, we got a little bit too excited. We’d been on the lookout for a reason to borrow some of Char Ziie’s incredible painted roller skates, and Ban.do had just handed us the perfect excuse.

Paige and I love cleaning of all sorts (personally I’m a big fan of dishes), but our favourite department to keep clean and tidy is most definitely our wardrobes. There’s something so satisfying about a perfectly organized closet where clothing is kept protected, clean, and ideally nicely scented. For us, there’s nothing more fun than sifting through clothing to reorganize, re-merchandise, and reinvent, and since we truly love it that much, we wanted to share some of our favourite tips with you!

1 // Colour code! There’s nothing more fun than a perfectly colour coded wardrobe, especially when you own a ton of different colours!

2 // Showcase your favourite seasonal pieces in creative ways around your apartment, like on a special rolling rack, on sequin hangers on a curtain rod, or even just hanging on a wall hook like art!

3 // Do a monthly closet clean out, and if you haven’t worn something in the last month, put it in a special section. If another month goes by and you still haven’t worn it, take it down to your local thrift shop and say goodbye. Clutter is the enemy of clean closets.

4 // If you buy something and don’t wear it within the week, exchange it. New clothing is like a new relationship: if you aren’t excited about it in the beginning, you won’t be excited about it later.

5 // Scent your clothing with your favourite signature perfume to keep everything fresh and ready to grab on the go. Plus, every time you look for something to wear you’ll be overwhelmed with a burst of fragrance!

*Bonus points if you’re able to wear rollerskates!