{ Restaurant Review : Olive & Gourmando }

Tucked away in one of the quaint streets of Old Montreal, Olive & Gourmando is a little treasure of this city. Offering a range of incredible sandwiches (warm and cold), soups and salads, as well as deliciously hand-made pastries and baked goods, Olive & Gourmando is an absolute must.

The restaurant is packed on weekends and very busy around lunch time on weekdays. But trust me, it’s worth the wait. Whether you want breakfast, lunch, or a coffee with a dessert, this restaurant is so unique with its rustic décor and high quality food. On weekends, the place is packed with friends relaxing and enjoying great food. You will also always see a few individuals sitting and enjoying a nice cup of coffee and a pastry, because the vibe in the place is so energetic and positive.

Even when the place is packed, the service has been efficient and very pleasant, which is just another excuse why this place is worth visiting at least once. Your order is actually taken at a counter in the back where the menu is written on chalkboards.  

The breakfast sandwich (‘poached egg on your face’) is to DIE for - I would literally eat one every day if I could: “a warm grilled Panini filled with poached egg salad, Comte cheese, prosciutto, and roasted tomatoes.” The coffees are really good as well, and the pastries are fresh and comparable to the ones found in France.

I’ve also tried the Cubain, a hot Panini with “ham, braised pork, homemade mayonnaise (chipotle peppers, pickles, lime, and coriander) with gruyere cheese.”

The food at Olive & Gourmando is truly amazing and the ambiance is so nice, even if it’s just to have a coffee and pastry. I can’t emphasize enough: you. must. go.

351 Saint Paul St. West, Montreal

(514) 350.1083

{ The menu is found at the back of the restaurant where you can order at the counter }

{ Chocolate-banana brioche : the intense dark chocolate is balanced by the buttery-flakey pastry and the soft taste of banana }

{ Coconut and chocolate chip cookie is deliciously crunchy and sweet }

{ Homemade ginger iced tea (left) and raspberry lemonade (right) }

{ Cajun chicken sandwich : chicken, guacamole, cajun spices, tomatoes and mangoes }

{ Drool-worthy }

{ The Cuban : ham, braised pork, homemade mayo (chipotle peppers, pickles, lime, coriander), and gruyere cheese } 

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{ Rihanna Diamond World Tour }

On May 1^st, I was lucky enough to have gone to Rihanna’s concert from her Diamonds World Tour held at the Bell Centre. Where do I even begin to describe how much fun I had? From the minute we walked into the stadium, the energy and atmosphere felt like it was just a huge party with a big group of friends.

The opening act was A$AP Rocky. I really enjoyed his performance and finally discovered some of his music. What I particularly enjoyed was seeing his fans around me really enjoying the show; most of them were on their feet dancing and rapping/singing along. I think seeing the excitement in those fans really made me enjoy A$AP’s set that much more.

While we all patiently waited for Rihanna to come on, ‘Harlem Shake’ started playing, and they started showing people dancing in the crowd on the jombo-tron, which I thought was SO fun! I’ve been to quite a few concerts at the Bell Centre and it was the first time that I experienced this. It really felt like a huge party.

You are probably wondering why I’m blogging about this. Well, first of all, in case you couldn’t tell, I had TONS of fun, and secondly, I was really inspired by the outfits that she wore. They reminded me of a few pieces that I have in my wardrobe and thought it would be fun to use her on-stage style for some day-to-day outfits.

There were a lot of sheer or form-fitting fabrics. The dominant colors were black, sparkle or red. All the outfits had a whole-lotta-attitude and sass. I really think it’s important for girls to do what Rihanna did on stage: whatever you choose to wear, you should feel comfortable and confident in it so that you can do whatever you are doing in the best of your abilities. Miss Riri gave the crowd such an amazing performance and energy, and I really respect (and envy) her confidence and attitude. 

What do you think of the outfits? Would you wear any of them? Which one is your favourite? 

Outfit # 1 : Bad Gal Riri

Outfit # 2 : White flame

Outfit # 3 : Superhero

Outfit # 4 : Spicy

 

Outfit # 5 : Layered queen

Outfit # 6 : Class & Sass

More pictures from the show…

{ Opening show : A$AP Rocky }

{ A$AP on his throne }

{ The build-up before Rihanna came on stage }

{ They did a really good job with the stage and the visuals }

{ I wish I could describe the energy in there }

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{ Family Jewels }

Accessorizing is such an easy and fun way to add the finishing touch to any outfit because it can refine a particular style that you are going for. For example, if you are wearing jeans, flats and a cute top, simple or more delicate pieces are more appropriate. But if you are going out, this is the time to wear your craziest accessories!

Even though I am still working on my collection of ‘jewels’ to find useful and unique pieces that work together, I have a few pieces, many of which are sentimental. I am not showing any of the ‘family jewels’ (spiked your attention there with that title ey?) because a lot of them are technically still my mom’s…even though I have shot-gunned my favorites because I have two sisters to compete with for the most amazing jewelry, most from different parts of the Middle East where the gold and gems are breathtaking.

I also love using some of my jewelry as decoration on my dresser, especially the ones that I wear almost on a daily basis. Seeing some of these items reminds me to wear them and change it up from the usual pieces that I wear.

What do you think of these few items that I have chosen: which one is your favorite piece? Is there an item in your collection that you are particularly fond of? Does it have sentimental value to you? What’s the story behind it?

[ Project #92 from IFB.com ]

{ The pink cuff bracelet is from BCBG, and the far right is a Coach bracelet - two of my favourites! }

{ My boyfriend spoils me silly - the Thomas Sabo charm bracelet is so sentimental to me because each charm has a story behind it. Then the Swarosvki necklace is one of of my favourites because I always wanted something like that since I was a little, but now it was given to be by someone very special. And on the right, an amazing Coach cuff that I love because it adds a pop of color to any outfit }

{ These are the necklaces I wear the most often and they each have sentimental value. The key (on the left) was given to me by my boyfriend. The little gold heart was a gift from my family from Iran. The Swarosvki heart pendant was a gift from my sister - she bought one for herself and my older sister as well. The wishbone is from Marc Jacobs and I LOVE it. And on top, there is a little vial with a prayer inside for protection and a heart pendant. My cousin made one for my sister, her sister and herself. }

{ I LOVE wearing rings, but these are my favourites. I stole the left one from my Dad (it’s his engineering ring). I’ve always been very close to my Dad and love carrying around something of his with me. The middle one was a gift from my Mom and I just adore the intricate designs and patterns of this ring. The ring on the right was…a gift from my boyfriend on our last trip to Mexico. It’s pure silver and pure heaven. I love that it’s size and shape the most } 

{ Even though I have a huge collection of earrings, I spent a long time looking for the perfect pair of studs that I can wear every day, and I’ve worn them every day since I bought it a few weeks ago }

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{ Restaurant Review : Kafein }

One of my favorite things to do is to sit at a quaint little coffee shop and get some work done, read a good magazine (or be a creeper and do some people-watching). Although I love Starbucks and Second Cup, non-commercialized coffee shops can offer a different variety of coffees and menu. Kafein is one of those coffee shops that are a must. From great coffee to great food, to a cozy décor, this place is amazing.

There are two floors in Kafein. Upstairs you will find the counter and menu on blackboards, as well as tables and chairs. In the basement, there are a few couches, a long table with comfy chairs, and a bar. At night, the basement has a lounge vibe with a DJ, dim lights and a cool vibe – a great place to go for drinks and hang out with friends too!

Even though I am not a regular coffee drinker, I appreciate and know a good cup of coffee, which is precisely what you will find at Kafein. The latte is so delicious and frothy; the mocha is rich and tasty. There are also some desserts that I have yet to try, including a brownie, carrot cake, muffins and even milkshakes. You can also buy food, which I highly recommend. The sandwiches are AMAZING. I’ve had the chicken sandwich, as well as the salmon and my favorite, the Halumi. I didn’t know I could find this tasty cheese in Montreal until I found it at Kafein and wow, so glad I did. I tasted it for the first time in Israel and was excited when I found it on the menu at Kafein. It’s basically a thick cheese that’s deep-fried with some kind of buttery garlic coating. Heaven. You HAVE to try it! The sandwiches come with chips and a bit of coleslaw, which I appreciate because it makes for a filling meal. And don’t forget the freshly squeezed lemonade, with or without raspberries is up to you!

The service has always been efficient. You place your order at the counter upstairs and you get a number that you place on your table. You can go sit and continue your work and your order is brought to your table. Everyone is a friendly and pleasant.

I’ve always had a good experience at Kafein and really recommend it. It’s become a frequent study location, but is also great to hang out. It’s also open late during the week, so a great place for some late night studying or a good midnight snack.

1429 Bishop Street, Montreal

(514) 904.6969

Hours

M – Thurs. 9 AM to 1 AM

F – 9 AM to 3 AM

Sat. – 12 PM to 3 AM

Sun. – 12 PM to 6 PM 

{ The basement has a vintage feel with old wooden furniture }

{ Sandwiches are served in a basket with chips & coleslaw }

{ Salmon sandwich }

{ Haloumi sandwich }

{ Close-up of the haloumi sandwich }

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{ Happy New Year }

Yes, yes, I know we’re only in March so the title of this post might not make sense. Most of you probably don’t know that today is not only the first day of spring, but it’s also the Persian New Year (‘No-rooz’) which I celebrated with friends and family last night. It’s just like any other New Year’s party…but a lot louder. 

I decided to wear this black lace dress because it’s comfortable but classy, and it gives me the freedom to dance the night away (although my shoes gave me a bit of a hard time, but those are easy to just kick off before going on the dance floor) 

{ Jacob dress from ; Betsy Johnson tights ; Jessica Simpson pumps ; MAC Magenta lip liner}

 

{ I love these shoes but as you can see, I bought them a half size bigger, and even though I added TWO in-soles, they’re still uncomfortable..! }

{ Love my Grand-dad ! }

{ One of my closest friends and also my cousin ! You will probably see more of her on my blog }

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{ Keep Calm & Blog on }

My older sister has been blogging for many years now. When she first started talking to me about it, I didn’t understand what blogging really was: “You’re publishing what you write online…for who? Why???”

It took me a bit of time to get into the whole blogging thing, but I finally understood it about a year and a half ago. Through Lookbook.nu I discovered many fashion blogs that have fascinated me since. I obsessed over a few of them, going through every single post since the blogs had been started. I was mesmerized by the images, by the inspiration I got for my own outfits and wardrobe, and it was something that I love(d) doing at the end of a long day, with a nice cup of hot tea. It was my time to just shut out what was going on in my life and step into these bloggers’ lives and get inspired, explore and have fun.

The thought of having my own blog crept up and had been nesting at the back of my mind for a while, until I decided that it was a project that I wanted to undertake. I wanted to have an arena where I could share what inspires me to hopefully inspire others, the same way I have been inspired by other bloggers (maybe the title of this post should have been ‘inspiration’?).

A blog just seemed like the perfect blend of everything I love doing in my free time, from trying new restaurants and recipes, to going shopping, getting dressed up or exploring Montreal, while sharing it with other people. The more I delve into it, the more I love it. Deep down, I really hope that one day I will be able to blog full time, but what I truly hope is that I can offer inspiration and discovery to people that come visit my blog. 

[ Project #87 from IFB.com ]

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