- DESIGNFORSOUL

24 hours in Banff

March 31, 2016

Last weekend we travelled to Calgary (about 2 and half hour drive from Edmonton) for some work and on our way back decided to visit a town called Canmore ( just over an hours drive from Calgary). As soon as we entered town it started snowing lightly and the weather was just perfect – bright and sunny and just partly cloudy. We were surrounded by huge snow-clad mountains all around us and the view was just mesmerizing. So we decided to stay back for a day and stopped to get necessary supplies for the night. Just there I got talking with a lady at the store and was asking her if she knew any good places to stay around town and she suggested a few. She also told us that the information center would be able to guide us better and the next thing you we were right there in their office. By this time it was about 2 pm in the afternoon. The lady at information center told us quite a few places worth a visit in Banff which is just a 20 min drive from Canmore. So that’s when thought it would be best to stay in city of Banff itself so that so that next day we could walk around to places instead of driving. We stay in Banff for one day but it felt like we were there for 3-4 days. Follow along to see our journey, places to visit, places to eat and more. And let me just say that these 24 hours in Banff were one of the best road trips and mini vacay we’ve ever been to.

By the time we reached Banff it was about 3:30 pm and we were starving. Quickly checked into this cozy comfy and a steal for the price at YWCA Banff Hotel. Since it was easter long weekend following day, our options were limited. But this place was just perfect. Walking distance from the main town with all shops and restaurants and located right on the banks of bow river. We grabbed lunch at a southwestern grill cafe called Coyotes. The mediterranean pasta was delicious. After lunch we decided to visit Lake Louise ( 25 mins drive from Banff town). The lake was frozen and we could walk on it. The sun was hiding behind the clouds and creating this diffused lighting in which the scene looked even prettier. Suddenly it started snowing and it felt like everything around was happening in slow motion. This place is so beautiful that it made gasp, literally ( take a look at the slow motion video to see how I felt :)) If this place looked like this towards the end of winter, I can only image how it will look in summer when the snow melts and lake will have blue water surrounded by these huge mountains and fir trees.
On our way back to the town we stopped at Johnston Canyon falls. This is a hiking track of 3 miles in the mountains. We had no energy to do the whole trek but we did climb up to see the first of the upper water falls. We also saw the castle mountain and lots of other scenic view stops on our way back to town.

We spent the evening walking around the main town area looking at all the cute shops and restaurants. There is also a museum in the town which is very informative. We decided to retire early that day since we were up from 4 am and had driven down to Calgary from Edmonton. Had dinner at Earl’s Kitchen restaurant and walked back to our hotel.

The next day we were up early and excited to begin exploring Banff national park. Although we did not get to see any wildlife, the views compensated for everything. First we went to visit Banff Upper hot springs. Honestly I was a little disappointed cause I though it would be natural hot springs but it turned out to be a spa and hot water swimming pool. I’m sure it would be fun to visit here when you have planned out vacation. Unfortunately the gondola ride which is just next to this place was also closed for maintenance. Next stop was Cave and Basin historic site which was one of the best things we saw at Banff. This place has natural occurring hot springs and a cave which has been converted into a museum. This place has deposits of hydrogen sulphide and minerals brought by the naturally occurring springs. So don’t freak out with the smell. You may even get this smell al over town or in your hotels but that’s not because its dirty or anything but because of then minerals and sulphur mixed in the water. Some people also consider this as healing water curing various illnesses. This place is also said to be the birthplace of Canadian national parks.
Next stop was Bow Valley falls. Truly beautiful place like torn from a magazine. Since the banks of the river were still frozen you could walk up to the edge and see the falls from closer distance which was super fun. We spent some time there took lots of pictures and then headed to our next destination, Two Jacks lake. This is also a campground. Beautiful location to camp during summer. And just next to this site is another lake called Johnson lake ( this is different from the canyon falls mentioned above). All of these places are just about 10 to 15 mins driving distance from each other. We are definitely planning to go back in summer. There are more activities to do and all the trails and treks are open. You can plan an elaborate vacation of a week to thoroughly enjoy all the activities . But if you are looking for a quick weekend getaway too, this place is not going to disappoint. In fact it’s natural beauty is so amazing that you leave feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. If we could see so much in just 24 hours that too without rushing, I’m sure a week here will be so much fun. Will definitely go back in summer.

Hope you enjoyed the pics. All the pics were taken on my iPhone since this was an impromptu trip and I was not carrying my camera. But like always, it did not disappoint at all 🙂

Bomber Jacket Trend

February 25, 2016

Yes, the bomber jacket trend from 60’s and 70’s back you guys. And what a comeback it has made. Bright colors, blood graphics, patch work, embroidery, embellishments, floral prints, you it name it. It’s very evident that designers are having fun with this sporty retro style and that’s whats making this style so cool. My favorites are the one’s with embroidery on the back.
This trend was also one of the most spotted trends on the street during fashion week. I love it because it can make a simple t-shirt and jeans look super cool and funky. If you look back, the bomber jacket trend has popped up from time and again even during the nineties. I think it won’t be such a bad idea to invest in one right now. What say? (some sources to shop them are listed below)

sources for the vintage looks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 // sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

YOU CAN FIND SOME ON TREND BOMBER JACKETS AT THESE STORES:

TopshopZaraAsos
Nasty Girl
H&M / Urban Outfitters

Chaotic Sequins – Ashish SS16

February 22, 2016

It’s the month of excitement, frenzy, chaos and fun in the fashion industry! With New York fashion week just wrapping up, y’all must be seeing pictures of collections, photo shoots and after parties on your social media feeds. I love fashion week times. What excites me the most is seeing designers come up with crazy ideas. More than the outfits and I’m excited to see the styling, use of patterns, colors, the show, the drama and the out of the box thinking that the designers bring in their collections.
One such collection that caught my eye this year is designer Ashish Gupta’s SS16 collection shown at London fashion week. This designer has truly taken sequins to another level. I love it! (check his models skateboarding on the runway). I thought it was pretty cool.

Image Sources : Vogue , Mirella Bruno

New Painting – Into The Woods

February 9, 2016

Last week I shared a Swedish photographer and artist, Jonna Jinton’s instagram account with you guys. Yesterday, I made a new painting – Into The Woods inspired by some of her pictures. I wanted to capture the mood of the woods in the painting. There is something about the woods that fascinates me a lot. They can be mysterious, sometimes scary, wet and dark but at the same time be very peaceful and calming.
You may wonder why a bride in the woods? It was not intentional .. trust me! Here’s the story – I wanted to something contrasting with the dark trees, something that would stand out. So I thought a girl wearing a white dress would perfect ( jonna has a picture like that). Then when I was highlighting the trees with white, my brush accidently touched the canvas and made a stroke near her hair. I thought it looked like a flower in her hair so I kept it and one thing led to another and I thought she should have a dress to match with that flower.

I have done a couple of paintings depicting forests and woods in the past. Intact, my first ever painting sold in an exhibition was also of mysterious woods (with a red piano).

I love painting tall tress and forests. Whenever I am painting these kind of paintings, there is a story that goes on in my mind and it keeps changing as go about it (like the one I mentioned above). I imagine myself there with somebody or more often wandering alone. I think that’s what connected me to Jonna’s work instantly. It reminded me of all my past paintings and totally inspired me to make a new one. It was totally in vibe with my thoughts and I felt, I had to put them on a canvas.

I love taking random pictures of my color palette and all the mess I make while painting. They are not so pretty but they kind of remind me of my process when I look back at the posts.

Also, I thought it would be fun to adjust the hues a little bit in photoshop and see the same painting in a different light. I love the black and white too. I think that’s my favorite. Which one do y’all like?

There are few more landscape ideas in my mind which I will be painting soon. Y’all can also check out the art gallery page to see my previous paintings.

Paper Flowers

February 9, 2016

These paper flowers created by artist Kate Alarcón are just amazing. I couldn’t believe they are made of paper when I first came across her instagram account (cobralilyshop). Looking at flowers always makes me happy. They instantly put me in a good mood. However, it’s not always possible to get fresh flowers all year around. Specially peonies, ranunculus, poppies are not readily available in supermarkets everywhere. Unless you know florists or flower decorators and even they have to order them outside sometimes. And the prices are way too high if the flowers are seasonal.
But these paper flowers just look so real that I wouldn’t mind having a bunch in all the varieties available. As bloggers we are always looking for fresh flowers for styling purposes and photography. This just solves the problem and you can have them in any color too. I would love to learn to make these and right now kate’s work is inspiring to me to try them out. The detailing is just unbelievable.

These succulents are my favorite!

How gorgeous is this garden rose?

Check out her website. She takes custom orders too.

Instagram Crush – Jonna Jinton

January 31, 2016

Just randomly stumbled across this instagram account over the weekend and I instantly fell in LOVE. So I visited the website and trust me, it was like a breath of fresh air. Some of the pictures actually made me gasp! Meet Jonna Jinton, a Swedish photographer, artist and blogger. I was totally inspired by her work and her story. She lives in the woods in a small village north of Sweden. Her blog and pictures were so refreshing that I had to share some of my favorites with you.

I started my blog almost towards the end of 2014 and since then instagram has played a huge part in terms of creative inspiration and connecting with fellow bloggers. I started following a lot of accounts which were similar to what I was doing (diy, recipes, art, lifestyle) and so on. However, these days I’m following a lot of random people. Creative accounts from all genres like pacific northwest photographers, abstract artists, graphic designers, modern art, mainly anything that is inspiring and catches my attention. Like Jonna’s work for example, there’s something that is so original in her thought process.

It’s a nice change to mix up your feed every now and then and break the monotony. I think it very important for a creative person to do that in order to think differently and create something new and original. I have said this before too and I will say it again, that sometimes we keep looking at different versions of the same thing and don’t even realize it. Internet can get pretty saturated specially if you are looking at similar stuff. That’s why I’m making a conscious effort to follow different accounts, see different work, even if it’s not my style. And I would love to see how this would affect my blog posts in the future.

Would love to know some of your favorite accounts too!
Have a wonderful weekend!

There’s something about Green Wall Color

January 28, 2016

Well, when it comes to choosing a paint color for your interiors, I doubt if green would be the first choice on anyone’s mind. At least it will definitely not be on mine. However, there’s something about green wall color that evokes a feeling of nostalgia within me and I seem to be drawn towards it. A couple of days ago, I shared a post on why I love rooms with all white walls. And I still do but some of these pictures I’ve come across are making me feel, I might have another favorite.
Would I paint the whole house in green? I don’t think so. However, I would definitely consider a small room or a vignette somewhere. I am more inclined to the darker and rusty shades of green like sage, olives, greenish grays, bottle green as opposed to the brighter and lighter shades.

I love the character it is giving to this particular corner. Feels like the room is telling some sort of story.

As soon as I saw this pic I thought it would be perfect for a photo shoot. The tall ceiling is creating a lovely backdrop. I would do a flower photo-shoot with pink and white peonies or some kind of clothing style shoot that involved a lot of lace and tulle.

Love the vintage look of this one. It almost feels like the walls have grown moss over the period of time due to moisture and is taking me back in time.

Everything about this is just perfect specially that bright orange wall art.

The combination of the purple couch with the light pink juju hat on that green wall is just incredible. (I would take a juju hat in every color btw)

There is so much drama created in this 1950’s designed room. Love the warm pops of color with the dark green walls.

This green is just so soothing to look at and instantly calms me down. The grey linen sheets are adding to the effect.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7