Forgotten Photos from the Royal Palace of Madrid

Some forgotten pictures from the Royal Palace of Madrid. 

Classes are now done, and I'm just studying for finals now. But it's not too heavy, so I have lots of time to decorate and organize my new place! I am literally obsessed with staying home and cleaning now. 

xo, Dahye

NOTTINGHILL PASTEL COLOR HOUSES, LONDON

Half-a-day well-spent photographing the infamous pastel color houses in the upscale neighborhood of Nottinghill during my trip to London. 

Just procrastinating from writing my final papers, you see. 

xo, Dahye

MODERN WHITE BEDROOM INSPIRATION AND IDEAS

I have have trolling on Houzz.com for interior design inspiration for my new apartment. I definitely want an all-white bedroom interior, with a mix of modern and classic elements. 

Must have's:

- clear chair

- NYC poster

- furry carpet

- asylum-vibe, but still warmish 

xo, Dahye

VELVET BLAZER + KNEE RIP JEANS

velvet blazer, Zara____Jeans, forever 21____Top, super old____Shoes, Zara____Purse, urban outfitters____hat, J. Crew

Photos by Katia

Wore this outfit last Saturday night for a concert. A friend I know from Minnesota is in a band called Hippo Campus, and they stopped in Montreal during their tour. It was nice to catch up with someone from MN, and I realized again how small the world really is. 

Finals are here, and although I don't have too many exams, the papers and essays are stacking up. I am literally glued to my computer screen for at least ten hours a day. The eye strain is real. 

xo, Dahye

BEST BRUNCH IN MONTREAL

Last fall, I created a list of my top five favorite cafes in Montreal. It got a really positive response, (not to sound like a medical diagnosis) so I decided to make a list of my top five brunch places. This was also a hard one to make, and there are so many more that I wanted to mention. I would love to hear about your brunch spots because I'm always on the hunt for the best eggs benedict.

1. Lawrence

photo via my instagram @heydahye

Not to sound like a food snob, but I'm going to sound like a food snob, I've been to a lot of brunch places. Even compared to some popular spots in NYC and London, I still am loyal to Lawrence as my favorite brunch place. The neighborhood atmosphere, the large portions, and simply everything on the menu is good.

I recommend: Pig's trotter. I'm not entirely sure which part of the pig is served in this dish, but it's delectable. The only downside is that you might fall asleep for the rest of the day, but napping is what Sunday is about, right? But also, the pancakes. and the english breakfast. okay I'll stop.

5201 boul. St-Laurent
Facebook here.

2. Le Cartet

photo via lecartet.com

photo via Le Cartet facebook page

This place is really cute. And for some reason, everybody here is dressed super well which is always a plus for the overall atmosphere. This is a more expeez brunch option, but definitely worth the treat from time to time. Be ready for a line-up.

I recommend: brunch de l'atlantique. It also comes with a fabulous portion of fruits. This is my fave place for eggs benedict. The toasted coconut bread is also major yums.

106 Rue Mcgill. Facebook here.

3. Suwu

photo via montrealgazette.com

photo via missadri.net

I never realized how pretty the decor of Suwu is, because I usually come here at night when it's a bar. But their brunch menu is really good, and they serve big portions.

I recommend: forgot what it was called, but it's the breakfast chicken burger. idk, it's not really brunch but there is a fried egg on it, so now it is brunch. But you might want to go for the classic english breakfast because it's served on a silver platter, and it kind of makes you feel really special for a bit.

3581 St-Laurent. Facebook here.

4. Leméac

photo via my ig @heydahye

photo via restaurantlemeac.com

Okay, so this place is pretty darn fancy for brunch. The crowd is posh and the Paris vibe is real. I do prefer a more cozier brunch place, but their food is pretty darn good.

I recommend: smoked salmon, poached egg on blinis. Can someone tell me what blinis is? Also, sharing a bowl of their jelly-filled doughnuts is a good idea.

1045 Laurier ouest
Facebook here.

5. Arts Café

photo via wonderfilledmag.com

photo via IG @inayali 

I think this may have been the first brunch place i've even been to when I moved to Montreal. The interior is very artsy (duh) and the menu has a lot of unique dishes.

I recommend: the waffles.

201 Fairmount
Facebook here.

on a trench penchant

Trench coat, c/o Miamasvin.net____Scarf, H&M____Boots, Zara

So I'm kind of getting back in touch with my preppy style, which might explain why I hoarded three different trench coats in the span of two weeks. This one is my favorite, because the fabric is more flow-y and it doesn't wrinkle as much. 

I've been in a really good mood all the time. The first reason being, it's finally spring in Montreal. Despite it snowing super randomly sometimes, it is warm enough that it melts by the end of the day. Now that it's warm, I actually leave my house and started exploring more neighborhood cafes. I'm in my last semester of cegep, so the work load has been manageable. Now that I think of it, I haven't pulled an all-nighter for a really long time. It's super exciting to hear about where my friends are going to university this fall, and how we are developing career plans, internships, and actually getting down to serious stuff. 

I'm making it my goal to blog and make videos consistently during my upcoming university career. Because of the lighter school load, I've been stalking my favorite bloggers intensely. I love looking back at their first posts from 2008/2009. It's really inspiring to see their own humble start, with awkward mirror selfies and rookie outfit posts. 

Also, I realize that I need to start making videos where I'm talking in them. I feel like my personality does not really show through in my current clips. Idk, it's just so awkward to talk alone to a camera ... I thought I would be used to it by now, but it really takes a lot of practice!

xo, Dahye

LONDON BLOOMS

Another thing I loved about London was how there were flowers everywhere.

School has been pretty laid-back lately, giving me more time to blog and make videos. I go through phases where I'm super energetic and excited about blogging, and times when I have no inspiration at all. I think a part of this, probably the biggest part, is that I let myself feel discouraged. It's natural to feel inadequate, and fall into a hole of comparing oneself to all the other people who are bigger, more famous, and prettier than you. It's sad, but I actually have to force myself to take breaks from Instagram. I consider myself to be a pretty confident person, and I know what I like/dislike most of the time. But still, scrolling through pictures of other people and places make me question myself. Am I doing what I really want? Should I still be blogging? Along with those questions, come the feelings that I despise and get really worried for myself whenever I feel this: jealousy. 

Again, jealousy is a natural emotion. I would be lying if I said I don't get jealous. In the internet world, with a saturation of gorgeous people and breath-taking places, real life (the life you are living in the real world) seems .... for the lack of a better word, sucky. 

Whenever I get into my little phases of not being inspired or reeking of jealousy, I take the day (or even just a few hours) off the internet and my phone. I'll do school work, jog, talk with friends. Talking about how you feel is the best way to feel better, at least it's the best way for me. Because by talking to others, you realize that you aren't the only one who has these blue feelings. 

Another thing that helps me out of a negative rut, is to think of everything that I am thankful for. Anything. Little things. 

To conclude my unstructured thoughts, (which I did not even plan to write this much), the internet is a vast and fabulous place. But I'm still struggling to find the balance between lusting over pictures, and feeling bad about myself. 

I'm really maximizing the long weekend with rejuvenating cafe sessions and some retail therapy. Hope everyone has a nice Easter break. 

xo, Dahye 

The Classic Trench

Total look from Dynamite

The sun is out and spring looks like it's here to stay. I think Montrealers are happy to see the sun out. All of the sudden, there are joggers and dogs and flowers and PEOPLE walking outside just because they can.  I can't believe it's April already, and that there is only a month left of classes before finals it's all over. Then, summer (which I will be returning to Korea again).

So I think I'm going through another style phase. During my stint as a blonde, I tried out the minimalistic, all black everything look. Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE my black outfits. But I think it's time to reintroduce some color to match with the season. I have been wearing this trench super often. It's kind of like my leather jacket, once you have it, there are so many outfits you can create. Definitely a staple. 

xo, Dahye