Last weekend life worked out in the way that it sometimes does where serendipitously everyone's schedules aligned at the last minute and before I knew it we were packed and on our way to Montreal. We want to take advantage of spending time with friends before we leave in a few weeks, so we hopped in the car for an impromptu trip to Montreal (normally about a 2 hour drive) to spend quality time with good friends of ours before beginning our travels to Central America. 

I put away (most) technology, totally turned off blogging, and enjoyed days filled with conversation, laughter, unhealthy-but-way-delicious food (please tell me you know what poutine is), and most importantly, great company. 

All bundled up to explore the city. Once we realized it was -15 C degree weather (5F), we stopped only for food then went back inside

Poutine! Fries, cheese curds, and gravy for those who don't know this delicious French Canadian dish. Way better than it looks, I promise

The weather was beyond frigid and since I've already visited Montreal many times, I wasn't too concerned about touring different sites. These are pretty much all the photos I have because I was legit concerned about losing my fingers to frostbite when we were outdoors. What kind of Canadian am I anyway, you might be asking, but when the wind bites at your face and your eyes are tearing up from the windchill, it's no fun to be exploring around outside (especially without mitts). When I was back indoors though, it was so easy to get caught up in the moment and put my camera aside. While I love having pictures, I don't always enjoy taking pictures and being all up in everyone's faces, know what I mean?

Anyway, after an extended break it usually doesn’t take me too long to jump back into real life obligations but with this trip, enjoying the good old days in general, and thinking about packing up to move I've been truly awful at letting those emails pile up or putting blogging on the back burner. Thankfully today I'm back at it. I've learned that when I'm getting into the blogging grove, there are four things I need:

1. quiet space where I can talk to myself (sometimes I need to read aloud, ok?) 
2. bright lighting 
3. soft music playing, usually something folky or acoustic (current faves include John Mayer and Gareth Bush) 
4. no short time restrictions (like photography, I really enjoy writing when I can do it organically and not have to “pump it out” in 20 minutes. That’s what I used to do with papers in university so writing feels like work for me if I do it like that)

Today I figured why not start off by sharing a few links I love from November. I have article ideas bursting out of my brain and am so excited to sit quietly on this Friday morning and just write. Make sure to check back next week for new posts including some pretty cocktail dresses and my picks for travel makeup.

Now for November’s link love…





Kate always has the best hair tutorials, but for the life of me I can't do a french braid. This hairstyle is so perfect for travelling though, I think I'll have to put aside some time over the holidays to finally master this pesky thing.

Yellow pants and a floral scarf? Love this outfit from Earnestyle.

With my upcoming trip, Rachel's advice for travelling with an expensive camera was such a useful read! 

This article from Alycia about valuing moments and memories makes me smile.

Alex offers such great inspiration about what to pack for backpacking Central America. I loved seeing how her 10 piece wardrobe for a week in Mexico gave her 11 different outfits!

Sarah has 7 unique tips for SEO optimization and Amanda shares 4 tips for time management for those of us bloggers who are always trying to grow.

Anyone doing some job hunting over the holidays? Read this article by Erica before turning in your resume.

Katie shares 4 colour combos that are great choices for fall outfits.

For men, wearing the wrong sized suit is such a fashion buzzkill! Don't be that guy (or let your guy be that guy) whose suit obviously doesn't fit correctly. Donald tells us 3 fashion mistakes to avoid with men's suits.

What links have you been reading lately? For any writers or bloggers, I'd love to hear which techniques you use to get back into the groove.