Punch Studio gives me a Hair Transformation + Hair Donation

If you follow me on Instagram, then you have already seen the hair transformation I have undergone. Aimee Cox, co-owner and stylist at Punch Studio is the talented women with the scissors who took my long locks and snipped them away to give me a sleek stylish cut that I am in love with! 

Hair is a big part of my identity and I am sure it is for many of you too, so I really wanted to find someone who was going to understand me and translate my thoughts into reality. Punch Studio is a fairly new addition to Mount Pleasant and embodies all the vibes I love. From dusty rose walls to pink styling chairs facing arched mirrors, to fresh plants and fluffy Pampas lining the shelves, Punch Studio is basically a Pinterest board come to life. But what really drew me to the boutique salon was Aimee herself. 

Aimee is a wealth of knowledge in both hair and life - because stylists are practically our therapists am I right? - and being someone who craves new information, Aimee was a pleasure to chat with. 

You could call it an exaggeration, but Aimee literally gave me the best haircut of my life. She was efficient, quick and detail-oriented. My hair length is even all around, thinned in the right places and shaped to compliment my face. As a bonus, Aimee gave me a lesson in achieving that tousled hair look.

Condition your hair, from the ROOTS down to the ENDS

In addition to the stellar haircut, Aimee gave me the rundown on why I need to be conditioning all of my  hair, including the scalp. My thick hair gets oily fast. I do not mind the oil build up because it is natural and nourishes my hair, but in an effort to slow down the oil production I only condition the tips of my hair. According Aimee's extensive experience with hair, I need to add moisture back to my roots with the conditioner otherwise, my body will produce oil. It has been a few weeks since my haircut with Aimee and I have been diligently following her conditioning advice. The result - my hair is less oily! 

In total, we chopped off 12 inches of hair which I have sent to Wigs for Kids, a phenomenal organization in Vancouver that constructs wigs from donated hair for children with medical hair loss. The minimum donation length is 10 inches and there are a couple other restrictions that can be reviewed on Wigs for Kids. 

Do I recommend Punch Studio - YES

Aimee Cox gets a 10/10 

BYES

Sunflowers, Mountains & Blue Skies in Chilliwack

Being the flower obsessed person that I am, I was not about to miss out on the Chilliwack Sunflower Festival. Despite this being year 3 for the festival, this was my first time visiting. Blanketing the fields are sunflowers, but also 50 varieties of dahlias and also some gladiolas. 

When I think of Sunflowers, I picture the giant bright orangey-yellow petalled flowers with the deep brown centre that can grow 3 meters tall. At the farm, you will encounter these tall beasts plus over 25 other types of sunflowers. There were white petalled varieties to dark burnt orange purple-hued petalled sunflowers. There were sunflowers half a meter to of course the towering behemoths. 

Berry Picking at Krause Berry Farms Langley

My obsession with Krause Berry Farms runs deep, so deep that I actually plan my summers around their berry schedule. COVID-19 did throw a bit of a wrench in my plans, but everyone adapted, so I did get my fill of sweet juicy BC berries. Krause Berry Farms has become part of my normal summer routine and it is about time you did the same. 

For starters, Krause Berry Farms is so much more than just a u-pick farm/ berry market.

MARKET | on any given day, it is brimming with baked treats, fruit syrups, fresh produce - also grown at the farm! - cute homeware and more. The market is also stocked with fruit and berry pies all of which are made on-site by a team of grannies and younglings in training. You can watch the pie-making action through the window on the porch out front. 

Dried Floral Display on Robson Street for Pride 2020

Robson Street has been killing it with their celebration displays. This year for Pride, various dried florals and greens were arranged around a massive circular display. There were several different textures from the feathery coloured pampas grass to the ruffles of the carnations and little pops of softness from the bunny tails.

I had fully intended on photographing this beauty and posing with it because I live for anything floral, but due to previous displays being vandalized, the Robson Street team made the decision to move the display inside Chapters Robson for safe keeping overnight. Imagine my horror when I arrived to find it locked away indoors. Why do people have to be terrible and wreck beautiful pieces of work. You ruin it for all of us! The piece was going to be moved back outdoors in the morning, but I had work the next morning, so I needed to settle for pictures through the window. Needless to say, I was annoyed because I was really excited to see this piece in person and photograph it! 

Edgy, Quirky and Offbeat: Why I am Obsessed with The Umbrella Academy a Netflix Original

I am obsessed with The Umbrella Academy and the anticipation for season 2 to drop is killing me. Thankfully we are only a couple hours out because this Netflix Original is back July 31, 2020. At first glance, the Umbrella Academy seems like another comic book superhero adaptation, but The Umbrella Academy could not be further from it. When I first came across this show, I grossly underestimated it and for that, I apologize to all the fans. 

The Umbrella Academy is complex, intelligent, dramatic; yet quirky, edgy, upbeat and completely unique. If I had to sum up the storyline, it would be: 7 gifted children that are adopted by an eccentric billionaire who trains them to become a "child superhero league," but they eventually drift apart, only to reunite under the same roof at their father's funeral which is also they find out they are humanity's only hope of stopping the apocalypse. 

I know I know, superheroes and apocalypse, but I assure you this is nothing like the Marvel or DC shows. The Umbrella Academy is completely different and marches to the beat of its own drum - I really wanted to use this saying, but it is true! 

This is the point where I stop being vague and insert my official disclaimer that there are SPOILERS ahead. 

Exploring Urban Gardening in Vancouver

Vancouver plays host to numerous farmers' markets which are lush with locally grown produce. It is amazing to have access to fresh locally grown produce and this year I wanted to try growing some of my own vegetables. Spring and Summer are generally warm and sunny in Vancouver making it optimal for gardening. We did have a couple of rough weeks of cold rainy days, but aside from them that, my garden has been thriving! 

I went with a diverse mix of vegetables for my garden. I opted for mostly little starter plants from Gardenworks and Home Depot because there is a higher success rate. I did plant some seeds, but it was a bit of a hit or miss for me. 

The vegetables I went with are:

Beta 5 Dessert Jars featuring my two favourite fruits, strawberries and mangos

In a bid to practice social distancing measures, I have tried to remain at home and leave only when it is essential. After weeks going on months of being stuck at home, my craving for sweets has exponentially increased. I guess with not much else to do at home, my mind just fixates on desserts. 

I have been trying my best to remain healthy and avoid sugary treats, but when I saw Beta 5's Dessert Jars menu for June 26 & 27th, I immediately caved and ordered the four-pack, which comes with two of each flavour. For the weekend I ordered, I received: 

Mango Milk Tea-Ramisu 

Milk tea custard/ brown sugar boba/ diced mangos/ Hong Kong-style milk tea-soaked sponge cake/ mango curd/ condensed milk Chantilly/ brown sugar streusel 

Strawberry Shortcake

Vanilla custard/ strawberry jelly/ macerated strawberries/ mojito-soaked baba sponge/ lime curd/ vanilla Chantilly/ vanilla shortbread cookies