travel

California Dreamin

December 14, 2015December 17, 2015 by Alyssa Garrison

2015 has been a year of so many incredible events and magical moments, but the one thing missing was my annual trip to California. Growing up in Vancouver we’d road trip to LA or San Francisco almost every winter, but when I moved to Toronto that drive became a lot less doable. I’ve still managed to make it out almost yearly, but 2015 was just too busy and I never quite found the time.

Luckily, team RAOP is taking off February 1st to make up for the gap!

Thanks to the folks over at Expedia.ca, Johanna and I just booked a week-long vacay to the land of palm trees and pastels. Jo has never been to California, so of course we’ll be exploring all of my favourite places (like the Madonna Inn and Disneyland!) I used Expedia to book us flights, a snazzy convertible, and 3 different colourful hotels, and now all that’s left to do is daydream and plan our escape!

These next two months are sure to feel *very* long, so I’m sharing some of my very favourite Cali-based accounts in the meantime. I honestly can’t wait to be basking in the sun with all of these babes in 2016!

Bon Puf // It doesn’t get much sweeter than this amazing cotton candy dream girl!

Jen Gotch + Ban.do // These ladies really define the word fun.

Studio Mucci // A magical tassel factory in downtown LA? Yes Please!

Designlovefest // Featuring amazing LA spots, products, and oh so much colour goodness.

Christina Winkelmann // Also part of the Ban.do squad (aka. Girl Gang), but her recent epic wedding adventures have earned her a separate mention on my list because I couldn’t stop swooning every time I checked her account!

Yummertime // The cutest pastel couple in the entire world. Period.

Header photo by a non-Cali favourite, @brightbazaar

This post was sponsored, but all opinions are my own. To inquire about sponsored posts, please email jess@shineinfluencers.com

Dress Up I'll Follow You Anywhere

A Mermaid in Mexico

July 29, 2015July 28, 2015 by Alyssa Garrison

I was told over and over again that there was no way I’d get in the ocean in Puerto Los Cabos, but nothing can keep a mermaid from the sea, and from the moment we touched down I was determined to get my fins (I mean feet…) into the water. I have a special connection to the ocean, and with all of the emotional turmoil behind the scenes in my life lately, I knew there would be nothing better than the crash of waves in my ears and the salt spray in my nose.

When we arrived at the resort my cousin and his fiance chose for their wedding, I was broken hearted to find not only was the water roaring with massive waves, but the entire beach had been swept away, volleyball nets and all. A few of the groomsmen had tried to get their feet wet when they first arrived, and apparently that resulted in hotel staff hysterically running down to the water waving their arms in protest. Essentially, it was a total bust- there was no way anyone was letting me disappear into the waves, and I can’t say I blamed them.

Luckily, on the very last day of our stay the hurricane winds calmed down just enough that I could justify a tiny bit of wading. I’ve been pretty determined to take this custom dress from Pastel Dress Party on a mermaid adventure since the moment I spotted it on their sample rack, and the way it glistened in the sunlight was definitely (sort of) worth nearly drowning trying to hold the hem up!

The pull of the current grasping at my legs and the deafening roar of the surf was just what I needed, and though I didn’t actually get to swim, it was a pretty cleansing way to start my trip back to reality.

I'll Follow You Anywhere

All the Lights

March 23, 2015June 10, 2015 by Alyssa Garrison

So somehow the temperature here in Toronto has dropped once again, even though it’s supposed to be the first week of Spring! Though it’s a little disheartening, I’m trying to stay hopeful and excited- it can’t be winter forever, right?

While I wait for the season of short gingham shorts and floral sundresses (shivering in bed with a cup of tea all the while), I’ve been spending a lot of time going through the 100’s of photos I snapped on my impromptu Las Vegas vacation. Needless to say, there are quite a few sunny photo posts coming your way!

I decided to follow my first pink outfit post with some sign love from the Neon Boneyard. This place is a must-see in Vegas, and it has given me so much inspiration for the RAOP rebrand I’ve started to work on. I hope you enjoy the sunny pastel goodness as much as I have these past few chilly days.

I'll Follow You Anywhere

Waking Up In Vegas

March 16, 2015June 10, 2015 by Alyssa Garrison

So a few weeks ago I found myself feeling completely destroyed by the winter blues with no end in sight. I felt truly hopeless- my usual sunny cheerfulness was replaced by nonstop doom and gloom, and getting out of bed each day seemed almost unbearable.

So, I did what any logical adult woman with a ton of work and responsibilities on the go would do. I booked a four day trip to Las Vegas with Emmett and hopped a plane to the desert sunshine.

In retrospect I’ll admit, it was a bit kooky, but it turns out Vegas had everything I needed to cheer myself up, including but not limited to massive buffets, vintage pastel motels, fancy slushie drinks, hot sun, and gigantic swimming pools (RAOP city guide coming very soon!)

Instead of spending our trip clubbing we went exploring, and on our way we found all sorts of treasures, including a totally pink motel with a wedding chapel out front. Of course we had to stop for an impromptu photo shoot!

I'll Follow You Anywhere

An Unexpected Adventure

December 9, 2014June 10, 2015 by Alyssa Garrison

Hello lovelies! I’m going to have to make this quick because I’m scrambling to get everything together, but I just wanted to announce my programming might be a little bit off this week. I’ve been invited to go on a four day expedition with Nike called “Project North”, and so far I know nothing about it except that I have to be at HQ at 3am this morning with one backpack and no personal belongings except the basics.

Sounds fun huh?

Basically I might not be posting quite as much as usual, but be sure to watch for updates on my Instagram feed and Twitter over the next few days!