Mimi Takes Five - #402

ONE // Floral Mug

Another cute Homesense find recently. My husband and I have a unique way of stacking mugs in the cupboard. We have a variety of shapes and sizes and try to put a bigger mug on the shelf and stack a smaller mug on top of it, maximizing space. Recently, we broke one of our older, bigger mugs and stacking has been a challenge ever since. I never thought a mug could have such an impact, yet here we are. I figured we needed another mug (for once, I have a real reason to get a mug, ha!) and told my husband we needed a wider bottom mug to fix our stacking issues. He spotted this beautiful floral one and it turns out it was just the mug we needed. It's sturdy, has a great capacity and the handle fits perfectly in my hand. The fact it's floral and cute is really just the cherry on top. I'm glad this minute problem is fixed.

TWO // Practical Magic II

As if I needed another reason to look forward to fall 2026, ha! All joking aside, I am thrilled that the trailer for the second Practical Magic has dropped and that we have a release date. I've been looking forward to this sequel for two fall seasons now! While I grew up in the era the first movie was released, I was late to the party and my love for it only started in the last few years. The nostalgia hits hard with this one. I really have no idea what the story line will be and don't plan on digging any further. I want to be surprised and just let the magic play out on screen during my first watch. This fall season will be a good one, I can feel it in my bones!

THREE // Maple Bacon Rolls

My husband requested a dessert last weekend and I asked him what he was in the mood for. He wasn't too sure but asked me what I could make with the ingredients we already had on hand. I mentioned I could make cinnamon rolls and we improvised form there. It's maple season in Canada so that seemed like a good ingredient. I then suggested bacon and we had a plan, ha ha! I really just made it up as I went. I started with my usual cinnamon bun dough but got creative with the fillings and frosting. I added some maple syrup with the brown sugar and then topped the dough with chopped up cooked bacon before rolling it. Then, I simply added a healthy amount of maple syrup to the cream cheese frosting. I measured everything with my heart because when it comes to maple syrup and bacon, there is no such thing as too much. They are absolutely delightful, the bacon bits sort of candied in the process and I could eat the frosting with a spoon it's so tasty. My little experiment worked and I've unlocked a whole new flavour profile for my rolls. Will definitely make again!

FOUR // The Duke and I

I finally got my hands on a copy of the first book from the Bridgerton series. My local used bookshop closed right before Christmas and it took forever to find a copy to borrow from the library - but I finally got to start reading this series! I think this is the first time ever that I preferred the show over the book version... Probably not a popular opinion, but I just couldn't get behind the book versions of Simon and Daphne. That's not to say I don't like them, but I prefer the show's interpretation. Book Daphne comes across as smart, witty and average looking; she's not the diamond of the season by any means and I think she more closely aligns with the series' version of Eloise. Now, I've not gotten to Eloise in the books yet, so can't confirm if the two versions of that character align. But, so far in the books, I can see them being more sisters. I'm also not fully buying the love story of Simon and Daphne, it's just not jumping off the pages. That being said, I absolutely love Violet, and the three oldest Bridgerton boys, those characters are well written and endearing. To me, Simon and Daphne's story just fell a little flat... Know that I plan on reading the entire series, but for now, the standing is show 1, books 0.

FIVE // Final Bows

I've been putting off showing you my latest (and last) Grace & Grandeur hair bows. The business model has shifted to only wholesale and no longer offers direct to customer purchasing. It's such a bitter-sweet feeling. On the one hand, I'm so happy for Sarah and her evolving business, but on the other I'm sad I won't be able to get any more bows... For those in the U.S., many small retailers will still be stocking and selling G&G bows, so they will still be available in some places. Unfortunately, there are no options for purchasing in Canada. Thankfully, I have a very well-stocked collection and made the most of the final days to purchase a few extras to fill gaps in my collection. I was looking at my stats and realized my most worn bow was the Alice in red velvet, so decided a red satin bow would get lots of wear. I had also been wanting to add a summer navy option and the Florence is one of my favourite silhouettes. Finally, I added the new orange Petersham bow to my order because this fall girlie just needed another orange option. So that's a wrap on my final bow order and marks the completion of my collection. These bows have become such a signature part of my style that I wouldn't be me without them now. While I likely won't be adding much to the collection, the bows are definitely not going anywhere any time soon!