decor: martha & ash pillows

I had been searching etsy for the perfect pillow (for what seems like eons) when I serendipitously stumbled upon Martha & Ash, a mother-daughter shop based in South Carolina, that offers up lovely pillows and gorg custom drapes.

Since my discovery, their sunny ikat pillow has been calling to me in my sleep. Its cheerful, saturated daffodil hue makes me happy and will be the perfect way to welcome spring into my humble abode.

Sunny's got some good lookin' friends too.

And for the furriest member of your family - ever-so-chic dog beds.  Yes, chevron exists for pups!

Now, if you're a bit more crafty (god love ya!) like my friend Christine, you could make your own pillow cover.  Check it.  The girl is quite da bomb diggity DIY'er.

Happy Tuesday friends!

Dajana  :)

p.s. Hope you had a lovely Easter weekend with those you love to bits. I spent time with family & friends and of course this lil' darling, my niece Raissa. She's holding Le Fraisier, a traditional French dessert that I purchased on a lark from my local love - Duchess Bake Shop.  Fresh strawberries wrapped around an almond lemon sponge cake, layered with spiced strawberry compote and strawberry mousse. yum. It tasted every bit as good as it looked.

costa rican eats: pita bonita & selvin's

Can you tell I find extreme joy in eating good food? I surely do. Thankfully for the foodie in me, the restos in the Playa Chiquita area did not disappoint. There was good food galore.

Here are two more eateries that made their way into our culinary hearts:

Pita Bonita – Playa Chiquita

Pita Bonita's menu consisted of super solid Middle Eastern specialities - made by Israeli-born Eylon and served up by his lovely Cali-wife Alison. Their fresh baked pita bread is something I still think about today. It was pillowy soft and when accompanied by their perfectly creamy and garlicky hummus...it was thank you lord good eating!

Other dishes high on the tasty scale were the chicken shwarma, herb-filled falafel (or, as the Simpsons would have it, "crunchpatty"), and the Yemeni hot sauce – made with chiles, cilantro, garlic and cumin. This condiment reminded me of the tantalizing Venezuelan guasacaca sauce we stockpile from our local farmer's market every summer. Trust me peeps - this lovely green concoction is guaranteed to catapult your meal to the next level of deliciousness. 

We visited Pita Bonita twice for dinner but we probably could have eaten there every day. Yessiree. Loved everything about it - the ambiance, the eclectic background music, the food and the hosts.

Selvin’s – Punta Uva

This is what I'm talkin' about!! Costa Rican Caribbean food at its authentic best. Selvin's is where I devoured the most succulent grilled snapper of my entire life. So so good. Fresh, flaky and perfectly cooked. My mouth waters just thinking about that dang fish.

We also tried Selvin's version of rondon soup (a local specialty made with coconut milk, seafood and vegetables) and loved it. Rondon is a rich, delicious Jamaican dish, very popular on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast. The name? It's the Patois pronunciation of “run down”  - referring to a thrifty housewife putting everything together in one pot, simmering it in coconut milk, and calling it “rundown” for everything she was able to “run down” that day.  I call it coconutty goodness in a bowl.

After all these good eats, I think I might just have to make my way back to Playa Chiquita one day. soon.

Dajana  :)

p.s. We also visited: La Organica Botanica (super sammies & fresh organic produce), Jungle Love (all kinds of delish dishes), Miraflores (tasty squid tacos) and in Puerto Vieojo, we really dug Bread and Chocolate, a cafe that served up the most refreshing ginger lemonade and amazing brownies, among many other delights.

costa rican eats: la pecora nera

The boy and I ate quite a bit of gallo pinto (rice and beans) while in Costa Rica. I love that gallo pinto translates to spotted rooster. We also filled our plates with patacones (fried plantain), drank heaps of banana, mango and pineapple refrescos con leche (smoothies with milk), indulged in tres leches (three milk cake) and made sure to try regional specialities like rondon (rundown soup) and pipa (fresh young coconut juice).

We thoroughly enjoyed the eats in Costa Rica's South Caribbean. Here's a look at some of our fav restos starting with the black sheep of the lot:

  La Pecora Nera - Playa Cocles - Puerto Viejo de Talamanca


8 courses. Five hours. We were the first to arrive for dinner that night and the last to leave but not before I made friends with the resident puppies and the boy did grappa shots with Tuscan-born chef/owner Ilario Giannoni (what a happy guy & oh so passionate about food). This open air charmer of a restaurant is reputed to have the country's best Italian food and now we know exactly why. It's a must try.

We couldn't decide on what to order (everything sounded so damn good) so when Ilario came over to make a few suggestions, we went with the flow and trusted his tasty judgement. So glad we did.

Highlights of this taste sensation of an evening included:

• The heavenly homemade bread. 3 different kinds made every morning!
• My mojito with an Italian twist. The twist? Prosecco, of course.
• Red snapper bisque with shrimp ravioli
• Linguine with clams
• Grouper with zucchini 

Who am I kidding? The entire experience was a flippin' highlight! It was the perfect place for a birthday dinner. Charming and full of ambiance, it truly felt as if we had been transported to Tuscany for a few hours... which is never a bad thing. 

Looking at these pictures makes me salivate all over again. La Pecora Nera is Italian fare at its best and is definitely worth the 5520 km distance from our house.

Tomorrow, a look at our other two fav eateries - La Pita Bonita and Selvin's.

G'night, friends!

Dajana

coveting: a russian bauble

I'm completely enamoured with this dangly thing of a necklace.  I don't wear much jewelry but for some strange reason I have a je-ne-sais-quoi kind of a love affair with this piece. It might just be its chichi name - the Russian Imperial Magnifier. What a fancypants.

Intrigued? Check it out here.

Happy Friday!

Dajana

p.s. To all the lovelies visiting via just bella - thanks so much for stopping by & having a look-see!

Image via The Met Store

deetz on clinton kelly's visit to calgary!

Here’s what you need to know to get your stylish arse down to Calgary to see Mr. Kelly:

• Clinton will appear at Styling Your Life, which runs June 18 from 1 to 4: 30 p.m. at the Telus Convention Centre, with an after party at Fashion Central from 5 to 6 p.m.
• Tickets for the main event are $99. Or you can pay $159 for VIP tickets that include reserved seating and the after party, where you can meet Kelly at a book signing.
• Funds raised go to the Canadian Women's Foundation (dedicated to improving the lives of girls and women).
• For info and to purchase tickets, visit studiogorgeous.com. 
• To read the full Calgary Herald article, click here.

{via tlc}

Friends, I am very, very tempted to dish out the $159 so I can meet this stylish and witty fella. 

Now, who’s up for a good ol' road trip to visit our southernly neighbours? I’ll bring the snacks.

Dajana 

p.s. I'm in Calgary for my first ever indoor soccer tournament this weekend (yay!) but will be back soon with a post about the yummy food we indulged in while holidaying in Playa Chiquita.
Happy weekend friends!

destination: costa rica

Sublime. That's how I would describe our recent trip to the Caribbean town of Playa Chiquita in Costa Rica's Talamanca region.

Costa Rica's Caribbean coast is a world apart from the rest of the country. The pace is slower, the food is spicier, the tropical heat is more palpable, and the rhythmic lilt of patois and reggae music fills the air.

In other words, this was exactly our kind of 'off the beaten path' getaway.

Here are a few shots for your viewing pleasure:


Gorgeous place, isn't it? I sure hope you'll consider this part of Central America for your next getaway.

There's so much to do (hiking, surfing, ziplining, ATV'ing, bicycling, fishing, snorkeling & swimming for starters), the people are just lovely, the beaches gorgeous, the jungle lush, the wildlife plentiful and the food amazing.

Speaking of food, next up, a post about dining in Playa Chiquita. Delicioso-ness!

But before I go, I want to show you what I did on my 30ish birthday in CR:



Yup, that's me ziplining in the Costa Rican jungle. It was quite the exhilarating experience and I had that big goofy grin plastered on my face all day long. I kept on thinking - shiite, I'm ziplining, in the jungle, in Costa Rica.

most. memorable. birthday. ever.

Happy Thursday friends!

Dajana  :)

anthropologie: march outfit of the month

I don't like to complain but let's be honest here, March was a crappy month in Alberta and I wasn't at all sad to see it go.  I think at one point my Facebook status read, "Dajana is in dire need of respite from this wintry hell." That pretty much sums up how I felt about March... and now that I think about it, that's how I felt about January and February too.

What made March bearable was getting to wear outfits like this on casual Fridays:

Anthro at work pic taken by the lovely Ayesha



• Blouse: Anthropologie Fluttering Wrap Tunic
• Cardi: H&M
• Boots: Feet First
• Tank and hoop earrings: Banana Republic
• Jeans: Old Navy Diva Skinny Jeans in Rinse

Now, I haven't always been fond of Old Navy jeans, mainly because the material seems quite stiff and well, kind of cheap-y.  But I found myself open to trying the Diva skinnies when my friend Christine recommended them after reading a rave review and buying a pair herself.  I'm glad I tried them 'cause they're a good fit, comfortable and definitely a solid value. How much are they exactly? $29.50.  Word to your mother.

Now, does anyone have a recommendation for a great trouser jean? One that flatters curves and doesn't flatten the ol'arse? Let me know ladies. A girl needs all the help she can get when shopping for jeans.
 
Dajana  :)