Food: Mary Macleod's Shortbread

If you love shortbread cookies, give Mary Macleod's Shortbread a try. The Toronto company was started back in 1981 by Mary Macleod whose specialty was shortbread.

I've known about Mary Macleod's Shortbread for a few years and recently had the opportunity to style and photograph all their different flavours of their cookies for their marketing and promotional material. For me, it's special to work with local businesses that started small and have grown to reach shortbread lovers around the world. 

If you're looking to give delicious gifts, check out their online store or if you're in the neighbourhood, check out their shop at 639 Queen St E.

Chocolate crunch, the signature cookie

Maple crunch

Perfect for gifts

Food: Chocolates

I love chocolate (just about any kind will do) but it's always a special treat to try handmade chocolate. Chocolates x Brandon Olsen (CXBO) is a little shop in Toronto that makes cute morsels of art. They're so beautiful I almost can't bring myself to eat them. Almost.

Flavours in this box: Cinnamon, Brown Butter // Orange Blossom, Honey // Pistachio, Orange, Bergamot // Sherry, Milk Chocolate // Lime, Ginger, Black Pepper // Cherry, Vanilla // Salted Caramel // Raspberry, Rose, Fennel // Yuzu, Sake

Food: Lunar New Year

Happy Lunar New Year! It's the year of the rooster.

Each dish represents a well wish. Noodles for a long life. Dumplings for wealth because they look like gold ingots. Steamed fish for abundance because in Chinese, the word "fish" sounds like "abundance".

While it's all just symbolic, I do love each of these dishes in the photo so here's to a year of many more dumplings and noodles!

Food: Adventures In Icing

Adriana of Adventures In Icing makes cute cookies for any occasion. They're delicious and consistent, which is what sets them apart and they make great gifts and party treats.

I got to watch the entire process while taking a few photos along the way. The best part was the smell of freshly baked cookies filling the room :)

The cutest mittens and snowflakes.

Lifestyle: Morning Coffee

It's important to remember the small moments. The ones that seem so regular, so basic. The everyday norm. Those are the small collection of seconds that create minutes and in turn, fill up an hour. 

December is usually the time for taking big group photos at gatherings but I continue to remind myself to be present and savour the limited time I spend with each person. Those moments are precious and it's reason enough to capture them.