My colleague drew my attention to handbag designer Jessica Jensen and now I’m obsessed. I LOVE her line. Beautiful classic pieces like the Bloom Tote ($758) do not come cheap, but offer a unique design that you’ll never regret owning. And it’s large enough to be practical (or at least balance out the impracticality of a white purse).

I also love the Bliss Tote which is a great everyday bag with hand tacked pleats that offer a little something extra.

And how cute is this envelope clutch in pink? There are also options in taupe, gold and black that are available in different textures. Really I didn’t see a purse on the site that I don’t covet.

I love this home fragrance– Esprit de thé from Esteban Paris. The pretty ceramic flowers are a lovely update on traditional potpourri. I find the scent of green tea to be light and not overly perfumed and it lasts a long time. Reminds me of a nicely scented candle, without the unattended danger factor. I think that the perfect place to keep this would be on an entryway console so that the fragrance could greet guests upon arrival.

I hope that you all had a fantastic Canada Day! I spent mine mostly outdoors on a huge trek of a bike ride with my husband. It was fantastic, we discovered trails along the Don Valley and managed to escape the Beach unscathed despite the fact that I think mostly every Torontonian was at the waterfront– or at least so it felt. As a new rider (technically I’m not a rider at all, as I don’t actually own a bicycle) I have to say that it’s quite annoying that pedestrians insist on walking along the bike path when there’s a perfectly good boardwalk several steps away– sheesh. But I digress, the real reason that I brought up our bike ride, is because I really can’t remember the last time that I had been on a bike– I LOVED it! So I’ve decided I’d like to own my own and have been looking into different ones, something nice, but not too flashy, and came across this basket. Isn’t it fantastic? Really I think that every bike needs a removable basket and this one is perfect! So far, I’ve only found it online at Relish Design, but they do ship internationally. Now all I need is the bike.

OK, so it’s not technically a long-weekend, but I’m guessing that a bunch of you have booked off Monday. Even if you haven’t, doesn’t this line just scream cottage wear? I love it. I’m the kind of gal who shudders when people say “the water’s sooo refreshing”, because I know that refreshing = freezing in my world. Regardless of the outside temp, I like my water lukewarm. What can I say? I get cold easily. That’s why I love Thirsty Wear. It’s a line of clothing made entirely from terry cloth! No more shivering after a dip while trying to make do with a flimsy towel. Hey, this may even transform me from a trepidacious tip toer into a cannon baller.

I’ve gotta say that I’ve been so impressed with Old Navy lately. They’ve managed to keep their prices really low while offering increasingly trendy, fab pieces. I wonder if this is direct result of designer Todd Oldham joining  the team as Creative Director?

Check out this casual yet beautiful tank dress (above), perfect for the weekend or even more casual offices (especially paired with a cardigan), about $35. And I think that this shiny tank dress is adorable– although I’d probably pair mine with a dark wash skinny jean. Again only about $35!

Were you stuck in traffic near Bay & Bloor on Tuesday evening? If so, maybe you were able to catch a glimpse as the new Hermés location was unveiled. Having recently moved across the street from their former location, it was quite the affair complete with six trumpeters and an officer on-hand to stop traffic so that we could have an unobstructed view of the display. As the new store front was revealed, orange confetti shot from the roof– amazing! Over the top? Maybe. But would we expect anything less from one of the largest and most prestigious fashion houses in the world?

Did you catch the awards on Sunday? What a show! Despite the torrential storm, the performers and audience were all in fine form. As a first time attendee I had a great time. My first stop: the gifting lounge. Sadly this was just to look and not actually be gifted, but it was cool to see the fab products that were available for celebs to pick and choose from. Mavi offered a limited edition pair of jeans designed specifically for the MMVAs. They were a beautiful deep wash of rubbery denim, apparently Robin Antin loved them so much that she wants to put the Pussycat Dolls in them. Girlicious was on site and indulged in Bali bracelets from Cristy’s Jewlery Designs, Donnie Wahlberg scooped a Campaign hoodie and he and the other NKOTB boys sported the Oakley sunglasses from the lounge on stage during their performance. Whitney Port took home a pair of peep toe oxfords from Guess by Marciano.

After visiting the gifting lounge we hung out upstairs where we watched the event on screen. It was warm and dry but we couldn’t actually see the stage. I was almost bummed out (well as bummed out as you can be with champagne & hors d’oeuvres on hand) until I realized that this is where all of the performers actually passed through after their set. Nice! It was fun to see the celebs up close & personal, and of course Rihanna is especially super hot, but I’ve got to say that nobody had the audience screaming as much as with the NKOTB reunion set. Even in the lounge, people couldn’t resist singing along and waving their hands to Hangin’ Tough. And they were super nice guys. All in all a fab night.

Me with fellow LOUOU staffers Liv Judd & Denise Chow and the Jabbawockeez, check out the grin on Denise with Chace Crawford, me with Jonathan from NKOTB

If you are taking part in any of the Luminato festivities at the Habourfront or find yourself in the area, you should check out the Garnier dome between June 13th to 15th. Inside you’ll meet with haircare, skincare and hair colour consultants who’ll give you advice, tips and product info based on your concerns and aims. This is a great place to test out product, get some samples and indulge in a mini hair styling session. You’ll also get a “passport” that includes coupons and space so that you can record all of the product suggestions that you’re given.

OK, admittedly this is not the most glamourous item that I’ve covered, but you’ve got to admit that it’s kind of an ingenious product. This little bottle packs an essential oil formula that you shake and spray directly into the toilet bowl. Way different than an air freshener, the oils actually encapsulate odors with a neutralizing scent of lemongrass, grapefruit and bergamot. And there’s a travel size version that you can keep in your purse as a handy gem when using stinky public restrooms. macfabhome.com $16 4oz/ $10 2oz

Do you know what you’ll be doing next Sunday, June 15th? Watching the MuchMusic Video Awards of course. Believe me, you’ll want to tune in, it promises to be a hot show with some big name celebs already lined-up to present. Fans of The Hills’ will be thrilled to know that Whitney Port and Brody Jenner will be in attendance, as will Gossip Girl’s Chace Crawford, Spice Girl Melanie C, The Office’s Rainn Wilson, and gossip blogger Perez Hilton. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of confirmed presenters.

LOULOU is the official media partner of the MMVA talent gift lounge, so you know that I’ll be there spying on outfits and checking out the legendary gift lounge. The swag at this event is unreal with celebs getting their pick of the hottest labels– I’ll be  sure to keep my eyes open so that I can let you know who chooses what, a sure way to spot the next must-have purchase. The laundry list includes things like watches from Aquaswiss, footwear from Guess?, limited-edition jeans (designed exclusively for the gift lounge!) from Mavi, sunglasses from Oakley– I can’t go on, this isn’t even half  of the list of sponsors and I didn’t even include the swag bag. (BTW– Be sure to check in to the LOULOU site for an AMAZING contest in which a lucky winner will get all of this stuff and mucho, mucho more!)