Travel: Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Palliser, Calgary

After reading about Erica Cook’s (of Moth Design) stay at the Fairmont Palliser over the holidays, I knew that I wanted to make a visit while I was in Calgary.

One of the highlights of my trip to Calgary was enjoying afternoon tea at the luxurious Fairmont Palliser. The hotel had a special tea service to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday. White-Cabana-Afternoon-Tea-Fairmont-Palliser-Calgary_4White-Cabana-Afternoon-Tea-Fairmont-Palliser-Calgary_7

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I opted for a tea with bergamot because I love its flavour and fragrance.

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Tea time began with a martini glass filled with berries and devonshire cream.

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The tiered cake stand that our friendly server brought out included a selection of scones and jams (including Saskatoon berry jam). The middle layer of bites included an open-faced cucumber sandwich, a deviled egg, a salmon roll, and a curried chicken sandwich. My favourite of this bunch was definitely the salmon roll, followed by the curried chicken.

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The top tier was the one that I wanted to dig into first (but I didn’t) since I have such a sweet tooth! I began with the trifle in the sweet glass container. While I did want to eat more while I was there, I got the rest packed up and enjoyed them the next day. The strawberry cake was my favourite dessert of the bunch.

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Besides the deliciousness and the experience of enjoying the Fairmont Palliser’s afternoon tea, I couldn’t help but explore a bit more of the hotel. As one would expect of any Fairmont hotel, the details were superb and the architecture was classic. Just look at this stunning chandelier.

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The Fairmont Palliser’s Afternoon Tea was definitely a special break from my work week in Calgary, and when I make it back to the city, I’ll definitely take another trip to this pretty hotel.

Many thanks to Jacqueline and the Fairmont Palliser for sponsoring this post. All opinions and photographs are my own.

The Friday Five: Pretty White Dresses

I wore a white-on-white-on-white outfit last weekend, and I loved it. It’s such a fresh clean look, and it makes me feel super summery. Thinking of all-white summer ensembles prompted  me to browse through some of my favourite shops to see what white dresses they have to offer us this summer.

Here we go…

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Nadeer eyelet dress, $279, Club Monaco

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off-the-shoulder dress, $149, J.Crew

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linen v-neck and flare dress, $62.99 (on sale), Gap

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pleated skirt sweater dress, $428, Kate Spade

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DVF cotton eyelet dress, $410, Diane von Furstenberg

Aren’t they pretty?

Hotel to Home: Design and Wine Hotel, Portugal

We’re heading over to Portugal today to check into the Design & Wine Hotel in Caminha.

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I do not know how they do this, but the room rotates with the sun! Isn’t that the coolest thing? It sounds pretty high-tech to me!

The room (I think it’s shown in black and white in the photo above) has a ridiculously simple design. The use of multiples (in the art, water) is very striking and easy to recreate at home. Here’s what it inspired me to put together:

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art, sheet set, blinds, water, glass

Catch up on all the posts in my Hotel to Home series.

Art: Anna Church

Take a closer look at Anna Church‘s photographs, and you may be surprised at what you find. From afar, you may see a beetle, a heart, or a row of feathers, but on closer inspection, you’ll find trophies, shoes, and teacups. Anna Church is a sculptographer – she takes photographs of the sculptures she creates with interesting, unusual, and everyday objects.

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Crowning Glory, from $795

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My Heart’s Content, from $650

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Career Girl, (sold out)

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Taxonomy I – Stag Beetle, from $650

In addition to her own collections, she also offers bespoke commissions whereby you provide your bits and bobs, and Anna will create an incredible display of them for a beautiful, original photograph. In addition to this, she offers custom wedding insignias, like the one below, that brides and grooms will enjoy for years to come.

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Wedding Insignia

Learn more about Anna Church’s approach to art and business in this Design*Sponge feature.