sara russell interiors

mykonos, greece | pasta fresca barkia

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Sun, 12 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

This charming Italian restaurant was the perfect little getaway for the evening. As you walk to Pasta Fresca Barkia, you are instantly impressed with the display of the pasta making station. There was a very friendly gentleman making every single piece of pasta from scratch right before your eyes.

They began the meal with olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette, fresh bread and delicious fresh olives.

Since we are in Greece, I had a Greek salad. I still can't get enough of the feta cheese here, it's incredible!

For our main, we both had the tortellacci with tomato sauce, shrimps, octopus, squid, cuttlefish, mussels and parsley. It was to-die-for! A complete taste sensation! Each piece of pasta was handmade right out front of the store and was truly very yummy.

Our evening finished with a complimentary martini with delicious fresh fruit! Don't you just adore the sea shells in the platter?! It's all about presentation here.

The ambiance was bang on and the whole restaurant was beautiful. They really did pay close attention to detail as every inch of this space was charming.

Even the washrooms were elegant!

{Images by Sara + Susie}

xo sara

where to have dinner on the island of ios

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Sun, 12 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Greek Tapas

Step into magical little nook of hanging pink flowers and fairy lights all above. This is the perfect place to come with friends where you can all share delicious traditional Greek dishes. There were two pages of scrumptious options of appetizers, fish, meat, salad, etc. We came here two nights and were blown away each time. The staff are adorably charming and were very helpful with pickin out great options. I had the best Greek salad ever here! You have to get one! At the end of the meal, both times we were given a few shots each of the traditional Greek drink, Ouzo!

Lord Byron

This restaurant came highly recommended by the locals and on tripadvisor. There is a large patio out front which minimalist decorative accents where as the interior is decked out head to toe in trinkets and sea shells. Come here for a fun evening of great food and a wide selection of decadent cocktails.

You must order the beet bruschetta, it was unreal. We almost cancelled our mains and just ate a few servings of this all night!

Right across the lane is a bar with cheap drinks! This is a great spot to go before the bar for some delicious deals. You will know right away which one I'm talking about, every time we walked by a woman would call out to us the drink specials of the night!

How to save money on food

There are many fresh grocery stores within the Chora which is very convenient. We bought fresh fruit so we would have healthy snacks during the day and at night in our rooms. Don't bother with buying water bottles, all around the city are water fountains with drinkable water! *Do not drink the tap water in Greece*

{Images by Sara + Susie}

xo sara

ios, greece | francescos hostel

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Sun, 12 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

For the 5 nights we were in Ios, we stayed at the very highly recommened hostel, Francesco's. When we got off the ferry, were greeted by a gentleman from New Zealand named Alex. While we drove to the hostel, he pointed out places to go, where to eat and how to navigate back to the hotel, etc. From the parking lot, it was about a seven minute walk up to the hostel.

Every building was painted white, all the doors, windows and shutters were painted blue and all the crackes between the flagstone on the ground were painted white. It was just like how we had imagined Greece to be and more!

Typically our hostel has around 200 people stay here a night. While we were staying here there were about 15. This let us get to know the other guests and get to know the lovely staff on a more personal level.

When you first walk into the main area, you are amazed by the breathtaking views.

They had welcome shots for us the first and last night which was so nice!

On the way up to our room on the top floor, we walked up a painted staircase and arrived at the top with another spectacular view of the sea and city.

We stayed in a very spacious private room with an ensuite and two twin beds. This room came with a television with channels, air conditioning, a closet, two night stands with drawers, and a vanity with a mirror and hair dryer. Every day they would clean our room, make our beds and give us fresh towels. It honestly felt like we were staying in a hotel!

There was a pool with a huge deck but it wasnt open while we were there.

Every morning we ate at Moonlight Cafe which was delcious and really inexpensive.

Rating of this Hostel

The Views ****

Cleanliness ****

Hospitality ****

{Images by Sara + Susie}

xo sara

ios, greece | the night life

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Sat, 11 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Yes, we all love soaking up the sun and splashing around in the water but there is something special about going out at night in Ios, Greece. The bars and clubs begin to get busy after midnight and make sure you pace yourself because locals and tourists will be out until after 4am. We wanted to get a good taste of the night life here so we would have one night out and one night with a late dinner and go to bed at a decent time.

We would begin our night at Blue Note which is in the upper main sqaure of the Chora. They have a special of 2 drinks for 5 euros (doesn't get much better than that!). This place is small and has a variety of top 40 mixed with party music.

After a round or two at Blue Note, we would head to Slammer Bar. This place is a must! They have a drink called The Slammer where they put a helmet on your head, give you a tall concoction of tequila and some other mixes, then hit you over the head with a hammer. It sounds painful but dont worry it's not. Just remember, it's all about the experience! They have a great deal - for 21 euros you get 7 shots and a free Slammer Bar tank top. Great idea to share these drinks with your friends!

We all would end up at flames at the end of the night. This small bar was always packed with lots of dancing and great feel-good music which you would know every word to.

There are many late night places to snack after the bar. We found the Porky's was delicious and popular but right across the street was a to-die-for crepe place called Club Sandwich. We found that these places where the closest to the bars, cheapest and quickest to prepare.

If you have been to Ios, where was your favourite place to party at night?

{Images by Sara + Susie}

xo sara

ios, greece | farout beach hotel

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Sat, 11 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

One of the top places to party in the summer is Ios Greece. Both Susie and I have heard amazing stories of summers on the island of Ios and how much fun it is. Turns out we missed the memo that the excitement begins around mid June. Nevertheless, there were some pluses with it not being the busy season:

1. We always got an amazing spot on the beach with a complimentary umbrella and lounge chair

2. It wasn't unbearably hot

3. Lot's of great pictures without hundreds of people wondering around

4. There were no lines for anything!

There are 2 main places to stay in Ios if you are between the ages of 19 - 27, Francesco's and Farout. We stayed at Francesco's (ill post about it another day) and we hung out at the Farout beach during the day.

If you are looking for a place to party during the day, Farout is your spot. They have everything you need and more! We were here just before the high season started so it wasn't as bumpin as it normally would have been during its peak season. Nevertheless, there was still music, bar service and a delicious menu.

They have lots of places to lounge on the beach including these luxurious beach beds! There was also people playing volleyball all the time which was exciting.

We were expecting there to be a big range of people from countries all over the world here. Turns out the majority of tourists are from Australia and Canada is a close second.

We met so many people who will arrive here with a suitcase and a few nights reserved to stay at a hostel with the hope of getting a job and a place to stay in Ios for the summer. Lot's of people in our hostel did this and ended up getting jobs at bars, restaurants or spots on the beach!

Would you come here for a summer of fun in the sun?

{Images by Sara + Susie}

xo sara

ios, greece | windmills + the odysseas elytis theatre

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Sat, 11 May 2013 00:38:00 +0000

There are many beautiful things to see on the island of Ios, Greece and one of them are the famous windmills. There are 12 on this island and only 3 have been restored. At one point in time they were used to grind barley and wheat to make bread! To get to these windmills, walk East through the village of Chora.

Just around the corner from the windmills on the top of the hill of Chora was the famous outdoor theatre called The Odysseas Elytis Theatre of Greece, Cyclades named after the famous prize winning noble poet. The amphitheater is made of mable and can hold up to 1100 people. This is one of the architectural wonders of Ios and I highly recommend visiting it!

Image performing or speaking here in front of a packed audience on a sunny day . . . Just magical!

{Images by Sara + Susie}

xo sara

ios, greece | atv trip to homer's tomb

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Fri, 10 May 2013 03:21:00 +0000

Today Susie and I rented ATVs with our new Australian friend Amy! We drove all around the island, up and down the hills. We went through beautiful valleys with vineyards and there are donkeys and goats everywhere!

I highly recommend renting an ATV while you are in Greece. They range from 15 - 18 euro per ATV including helmets but the price of gas is extra. Look for a place that lets you rent it for 24 hours to maximize your time on it. The two of us where driving all day and only had to fill up at the beginning of our trip!

Beautiful view from the top of the mountain above the Farout beach!

On our way to Homer's tomb, there was a little farm with goats and donkeys! There were no building anywhere around and the farmer was there feeding them when we drove by!

Here I am in front of Homer's tomb! He was a famous Greek poet who wrote The Odyssey and The Iliad. Legend has it that he was buried here but there is no proof. Wonder where he was burried?

The long ride up and over the mountain to the other side of the island was well worth it for this beautiful view!

We ran into rush hour in the countryside!

It's hard to see at first but if you look closely there were over a hundred goats wondering around the mountain!

{Images by Sara + Susie}

xo sara

athens, greece | the beginning of our euro trip

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Tue, 07 May 2013 03:39:00 +0000

After being up for 24 hours, we have finally arrived in Athens, Greece! The plane was massive with 350 people on deck! We checked into our hotel at 7:30am, tossed our luggage in our room and headed straight for the Acropolis! Since today is the orthodox Easter holiday, many stores were closed. Luckily we were able to hike up and see the Parthenon and all the other incredible temples on the hill of the Acropolis, overlooking the city of Athens.

* Fun fact: the columns on the Parthenon are Doric Style

Before Susie and I began our travels, we were strongly advised to keep to ourselves. Being the friendly Canadians we are, we were making small chat with nearly everyone! Of course we were being careful but when given the opportunity, we'd jump at the chance to meet new people!

The Parthenon was built for the Greek goddess Athena.

Since we are tourists, we thought we would take some tourist pictures!

The seats in this Athens theatre were in pristine shape.

Imagine going to see a play here hundreds of years ago!

{Images taken by Sara + Susie}

Keep up with my travels on Instagram!

@misssararussell

xo sara

{euro trip} taking the world by storm

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Sun, 05 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

My dearest friend and I are on a plane and about to backpack around Europe for 2 months! I have been a mixed bag of emotions over the last few weeks but I couldn't be happier!

Since I will not be taking my laptop with me, I won't be posting as regularly. Keep checking back for when I do have the chance to post.

{via}

xo sara

{pink love} decorating

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Fri, 03 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

My mom has been rocking hot pink a lot lately and I have to say I am really loving it! Decorating with such a vibrant colour can be tricky so I have selected a few of my favourite interiors who flirt with this fun colour. Don't be afraid to be bold!

How siiiick is that space galaxy picture?!

{one, two, three}

Keep up with Sara Russell Interiors

Pinterest // Twitter // Facebook // Tumblr

xo sara

{get this look} high vs low

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Most of us are on a budget but who has the time to find the better deal? This image below has a few of my favourite things - wooden sideboard, comfy modern chair and of course a sheep rug. I found a few places where you can get this look by either breaking the bank or on the cheap!

{lorilangille}

GET THIS LOOK | HIGH VS LOW

"Spencer Chair" from West Elm $1250 | "Karlstad Chair" from IKEA $799

"Flynn Sideboard" from Crate + Barrel $2436.45 | "Bjursta Sideboard" in brown from IKEA $289

"Sheepskin Rug" from Pottery Barn $101 - $230 | "Tejn Faux Sheepskin Rug" from IKEA $12.99

xo sara

{masculine monday} hey there fancy feet

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

For years it was okay for men to wear "running shoes" out in public even if they were not actually going for a run. Style gurus have transformed the classic "Jerry Seinfeld sneaker" look into a work of art and letting men be not only comfortable but stylish. Us ladies have countless brands and styles to choose from when it comes to footwear. As for the gents? Not quite the same.

When I am introduced to luxurious yet slim and super cool brand of mens footwear, I always share it! Welcome to the world of Generic Surplus from Los Angeles California.

Compliments of the one and only very fashionable Kyle Parry*

SPORTSMAN Navy Linen / Leather

BORSTAL Military Green Canvas Suede

MARINER Grey Canvas

LEDGER Black Wool

DOM Chambray

:: See you next Monday for another Masculine one ::

xo sara

hot pink nails, vegan leather + camo

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

It looks like camo is making a come-back in the fashion world (so happy about it) and this fun outfit is perfect for this warm spring season. Skinny pants are a favourite but something I don't even think about when the warm weather hits. I think I wore pants only 3 times last summer - it was a hot one here in Toronto! How fun are these hot pink nails and super feminine heels?

{a house in the hills}

xo sara

j crew | neutral swimwear

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Some neutral colours and patterns from the J Crew swim collection.

Double Stripe Halter Tank // Jersey Lomellina Ruffle // Frosted Lilac Stripe with Twist

ps. 25% off your purchase in store and online

xo sara

hanna wessman's home

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

The gorgeous Hanna Wessman of Extreme Home Makeover has opened up her beautiful white home!

{plaza interior}

xo sara

{wedding wednesday} dude, be my groomsman?

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 23:51:00 +0000

For the soon-to-be grooms out there, ask your favourite guys to be part of your wedding party in a fun way! With a label maker, simply create a design, print and paste on a bottle!

{wedding window}

:: See you next week for another Wedding Wednesday ::

xo sara

masculine monday | casual spring

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

For those chilly spring days, layer up!

casual spring

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Today is a throw your hair up in a bun, comfy sweater, circle scarf and over-sized sunglasses kind of day.

{via}

xo sara

grumpy cat for prada

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

I really hope this is happening.

{via}

xo sara

pink by victoria's secret | a few summer favourites

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:31:00 +0000

I haven't been to PINK in years until today! All the bright colours in their windows completely drew me in as I walked by the store. Their bathing suits are beyond adorable and are in all the fun colours and patterns we have been missing the last few seasons! They have racks of tank tops for every beach occasion and summer music festival and of course a feminine selection of bras and panties. Below are some favourites from today . . .

Flamingo Bikini top: $32.50 // bottoms: $22.50

Green Low Back Tank in Green $22.50

Lace Bralette $24.50

Black + White Printed Yoga Leggings $49.50

Sequin White Chevron Bling Backpack $49.50

xo sara

{wedding wednesday} perfect hair. perfect dress.

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 04:49:00 +0000

Most of us dream of this day and often stress that it won't be completely perfect. We flip through magazines and blogs searching for the perfect dress, hair style, flowers, cake, venue, ~~groom~~, etc. I no longer have to stress. If I can copy and paste everything from this wedding, I will be a happy bride (when the day comes). Below is an entire list of how you can re-create this special day!

Seriously loving how the bridesmaids have casual sundresses on!

{Images via Grey Likes Weddings}

Wedding Dress: Carol Hannah Whitfield

Flowers: Honey and Poppies

Makeup: Melina Ruiz and Amy Clarke

Hair: Dianna Lopez

Stationery: Megan Gonzalez of Maemae Paperie

Cakes: Andrea Boudewijn of Superfine Bakery

Bridesmaid Dresses: Nordstrom and Forever 21

Groom's Suit: H&M

:: See you next week for another Wedding Wednesday ::

xo sara

{spring is here} pink doors + brick

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Spring has sprung! I have only seen one pink door in my neighbourhood and have been searching for another. I wonder if my mom would notice me painting our current black door to a pale pink? Or perhaps a mauve?

* ps has anyone been watching Downton Abbey? My mom and I have been on a marathon and finished all 3 seasons in just under 2 weeks! Amazing and heart-wrenching at the same time. Everything I say or read is in a British or Irish accent. Anyone else do the same?

{one, two, three, four, five, six}

xo sara

{masculine monday} roll up your jeans

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 03:22:00 +0000

With all the rain lately be sure to be prepared - roll up those jeans!

{one, two, three, four, five}

:: For more Masculine Monday posts, please view here ::

xo sara

spring in canada

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 05:22:00 +0000

It snowed here in Toronto yesterday. A lot. We had a few warm days and the flowers were beginning to poke out from the ground which gave us some hope that spring was finally here! Since it's April, there has been lots of rain - then fluffy snowflakes all day yesterday?! This Canuck has no idea what mother nature is thinking.

* note to self - never say goodbye to your winter parka until at least the end of . . . April?

{Image by Sara}

milan home | modern luxury

noreply@blogger.com (Sara Russell Interiors) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 06:30:00 +0000

There is something about the milan style I just can't get enough of. Tall ceilings, modern luxury, hardwood floors and lots of white is the perfect combination!

{ny times}

xo sara