yesterday was my sister's high school commencement, so the whole family headed over to PA. it felt so  weird entering the auditorium and then sitting in the same seats that i used to sit with my friends back in high school. on top of that seeing old teachers and classmates (who had siblings in the graduating class) made me quite nostalgic.

lil jung, or "sarah," as we like to call her, was co-president with her best friend, robyn this school year. not going to lie, i felt pretty proud to call her my sister as she and robyn kick started the ceremony. also, it's safe to say that she definitely trumped me when she received the allen hornby scholarship. whatever. 

                   

and last but not least, today was her official grad or "prom" as americans (i.e. caitlin) like to call it. nothing tests the bond of "sisterhood" when you automatically become your sister's slave for the morning. but hey, YOGO right? (you only graduate once) ;) - waddup drake.

concluding thoughts: i don't know if i have the patience to be a future mother of 3-4 girls. 

love on top!

spring, you're all about optimism, renewal, blah blahhhh, but move over... summer (the superior) season is here! vancouver ushered in the best season with sunshine! if you're from vancouver, you'll most likely understand my appreciation and thankfulness for the sun. considering the fact that this past month has been marked by constant rain, it's definitely note worthy.

speaking of good news, our blog has a majahhhhh  announcement! caitlin is engaged! yes, you read that right. alas, there are no pictures to display as of right now, but i promise you that it really did happened! mentally prepare yourselves for some wedding talk on this blog!

to celebrate, here's some flawless beyonce.

happy hump day XO

She's all grown up

Last week, my roommate (and one of my BFF's in Montreal!) graduated. She even had the nerve to leave the country, move, and take an incredibly cool internship. What is that roomie?!?

Anyways, we obviously had to celebrate our grad with an amazing all-grown-up style dinner. The lady of the day was feelin' some Japanese so we decided to try out Ginger restaurant on Avenue des Pins. Here's a sassy, somewhat informative review from Eatwellmontreal. Our dinner that night was the first time I have had hot sake with my dinner. AND OH. WOW. How good is sake? Why did I never know this? My definition of sake is as follows: Deee-licious and warm and smooth with a feisty finish. I am most likely a sake connoisseur by now.

Anyways, here are some lovely little pics!

The aesthetics of Ginger seemed super simple at first, a bit too plain. But, once the owner brought out the candles, whilst simultaneously dancing to *NSYNC  (we cannot hold this against him), the soft light fell over the restaurant and the ambiance was transformed. Crazy what a little light can do.


Have a bright sunshiny day :)
coco xx

Tea Time!

I am back in the Great White North! Is Canada still called that? Anyways, I got back to Montreal two days ago and am seriously so happy to be back! I've lived in the suburbs (of New Jersey, no less!) all my life and being in cities is still so invigorating, inspiring and exciting for me. Even my summer course, Introduction to Prehistoric Archeology, is looking promising. Can I just say that rocks have never been cooler?

I am loving being back, but it would be wrong for me to not fully express how much I love my little fam and being home with them. One particular day before I came back, I made a random tart with some deliciously sweet leftover ingredients we had in the fridge. I was in the mood for some coffee and sweetness, so I grabbed Beatrice Peltre's Tartine Gourmande cookbook and made her sweet crust to go with my filling. A wonderful choice of action, if I do say so myself.

The best part of this gastronomic venture, though, was having a fun time with my mama and baby sis. Those two make me laugh so much. Mama and I are way into Downton Abbey and so I told her that I wanted to pretend we were the Crawley ladies when we took our tea. hahahaha. Yeah, whatever, I am a nerd. And also secretly Cybil Crawley.

I love you mama and hermanita :)

hehe fun times. God bless this week :)

cocoxx

treated myself to a nice lil morning treat. nothing like an espresso and freshly baked lemon pistachio biscottis. mhmm.

Down the shore

Checking in from the Jersey Shore! Not with Snookie & Co., actually, just with my own (not so) lil fam. We are having a reunion with more of my family members down here. Watching sunsets on the rooftop, sharing my morning toast and jam with my baby cousins, running in and out of the Atlantic waters, and eating late dins of clams and pasta and garlic bread has been life as of late.

And this deliciousness is summer to me.

Today, after a long morning at the beach, we grabbed lunch at a local motel called The Shell. To say my family and The Shell have history is an understatement. My youngest memories of the beach are firstly,  digging for sand crabs at the shoreline with my Dad. But a close second, would be of summer afternoons at The Shell. My family has been coming to this classic shore dive for my entire life. The patio and pool are supposed to be reserved for customers only, but in the entire 21 years I have been living, we have only stayed at the actual motel twice. Management does not, and never has, minded what, when, or who shuffled in. Think live music bands playing Van Morrison covers, Coronas and margaritas covering wooden and plastic tables, and always for this girl, an order of the chicken tenders with curly fries. Ah, I love you Shell. You semi-dingey dive, you will forever remind me of summer.

I have been in full relaxation and baby cousin cuddling mode so I haven't snapped many pics down here, unfortunately. But! Here are some comical pics from my fam's trip to the city a few days ago.


Laday libertay!

Wall Street and my bro, being...a bro.

A hilarious capturing of my cousin's dragon face and then classic subsequent snicker.

        

        This is the view from the ferry from lower Manhattan back to Jersey. Looking out over the Hudson Bay at dusk is another delicious, cherished summer moment.

Hope your summers are off to an equally lovely start.

à trés bientôt!
coco xx