my week through the world of instagram

{paleo granola / pumpkin cupcake candle / fall walk on campus / pear&almond dessert}

It's the weekend, let's all take a moment and celebrate! 

This week has been pretty hectic, here in the world of midterms and papers, but I still managed to enjoy some of these beautiful little things in the process! If I haven't mentioned this already, I've gone paleo!

alkmaar, the netherlands

five things to try this fall

October is finally here! Canadian Thanksgiving is this weekend and I'm extremely excited to chow down on a turkey dinner and relax for a few days (and who can forget the pumpkin pies!). To celebrate the season, here's a list of some fun things that you should try this autumn:

1. Try the navy nails trend. As Joanna Goddard has pointed out, navy nails are a huge trend this fall and look great if you're dressed up or down. Try this colour from Essie for guaranteed cute!

get to know me a little {ali}

P R E F E R S

frozen yogurt over ice cream

early mornings to late nights

fall to any other season

big dogs over little dogs (Great Dane please)

{frozen yogurt / sunrise / leaves / puppies}

S I M P L E // P L E A S U R E S

earl grey tea of any sort

perusing Chapters slowly

Pumpkin Spice Lattes

campfires on the beach

W H E R E // I ' D // R A T H E R // B E 

England; anywhere in England

Chicago

the Muskokas tanning on a dock

{small towns / chi town / muskokas}

W E E K E N D // P U R S U I T S 

afternoon tea

lazy mornings 

tough workouts

S T E A L // T H E I R // S T Y L E 

Olivia Palermo

the cast of Pretty Little Liars

Demi Lovato 

G I R L // C R U S H E S 

Mila Kunis

Candice Swanepoel

Emma Stone

Rachel McAdams 

{Mila // Candice // Emma // Rachel}

{inspiration for this post from Luella & June}

aspire to inspire,

bookworm: little bee

Since now I'm commuting to my internship 5 days a week, for an hour each way, I've been reading so many books to pass the time! My mom gave me this book to read after she enjoyed reading it, and I ended up really liking it. Chris Cleave writes really honestly and leaves the reader in anticipation of finding out more about the main climactic event of the story! Little Bee follows the lives of two women from different sides of the world, who, through an unfortunate series of events, cross each others paths. I can't tell you much else about this except for that it's a secret! So when you read it (which you must), make sure to not tell your girlfriends what happens (cue the maniacal laughter). In all seriousness, it's actually a really great book with an unique and heartfelt plot.

Let me know what you thought of the book if you've already read it and if you haven't yet, let me know what you think of it when you finish it!

typography tuesday: every artist...

source

Today I came across this lovely and oh-so-accurate piece by Sam Stratton of Sam Stratton Design. I found his work on Dribble, a site that I've came across while trying to find inspiration for my business cards (which I can't wait to show you all!). The actual typography in this isn't overly out there, but I appreciate the great quote and simple - but effective - design. It's a great reminder of how much I've grown over the past few years and how much I've learned and developed in all of my creative ventures. When I started Xquisit Magazine, I knew nothing about InDesign. Now, I know it like the back of my hand and don't know what I'd do without it! The same goes for my photography. When I started photographing headshots in 2008, I had no idea how to execute the concepts I had in my head and very little knowledge about lighting and Photoshop. With practice and much researching, I am confident in saying that I can pretty much figure out most things that I put my mind to.

Stay inspired, 2OAKERS!

birthday wishes

birthday cake / Rachel and I / summer drinks / breakfast / campfire on the beach 

Wishing my amazing sister a HAPPY HAPPY 23rd birthday! I can't wait to spend the day with you eating too much cake, going out for breakfast to John's, having a few fruity coloured drinks poolside, and ending the day with a fire on the beach! Love you so much.
♥

aspire to inspire,

breathtaking scenes: the keukenhof gardens

Holland is absolutely beautiful, with tulips lining fields everywhere! But nothing was quite as beautiful as the Keukenhof gardens we visited. The pictures above don't even begin to show the beautiful scenes we got to experience.

inspiration: summertime ☀

I love summer. Although I can't choose a favourite season because my love for fall is strong as well, whenever this season rolls around again I get butterflies in my stomach. I just want to live in a bathing suit and hit the beach with a cold drink and some SPF 15. These pictures make me super excited for the upcoming months and I just had to share my excitement!

we remember: arnhem world war two cemetery

inspiration: european vacation

all images are our own 

It's time to get back to reality - job hunting, spring cleaning, and soon summer days! But first an update on the most amazing trip I've ever had. I am still in awe of how beautiful Holland is, and super sad that I had to leave. I will definitely be going back as soon as I can! My family and I had so many wonderful experiences and we did A LOT while we were there: visits with family from my Grandma's, Pake's, Oma's and Opa's side, exploring the streets of Amsterdam, a tour through the canals, and some shopping, delicious dinners/ lunches/ desserts (raisin buns with Gouda, sugar bread, drojpes, croquettes, pancakes with stroop, koffie verkeerd and much more...), touring the royal palace, visiting the Arnhem WWII cemetery, viewing the beautiful tulips at Keukenhof and that's just the start.

make the most out of your university summer vacation

This exam season has left me with multiple joys as a result of stressful times. The rockies have decided to emerge on my face and I'm pretty sure some of my hair has fallen out (oh joy). Luckily, my post-exam stress is pretty much diminished and I can finally start focussing on the things that I want to be doing this summer. This great article from Thought Catalogue has inspired me to write about what everybody can do to make their breaks more enjoyable and valuable, and how to make the most out of the summer.

photo by moi!

exam motivation: Starbucks

For all of you fellow students out there (especially Western U) who are still in finals this week, I thought I'd share some perfect exam motivation, and an absolute obsession of mine: Starbucks drinks! Occasionally (perhaps more than occasionally) we head to Starbucks for the perfect 'get down to business' environment! Seriously, I think I am the most productive person while I'm there - I don't know what it is - maybe a combination of caffeine and the smell of espresso! Whatever it is, a trip to Starbucks makes me super happy! It was a perfect break from the library, as I cram for my last 2 exams (hello summer)! Although I'm usually the type of girl that goes for simple caffeine, in the form of an Americano, every once and a while I like to splurge! Exam time can be tough for numerous reasons, so picking health conscious drinks shouldn't be another hassle as you balance nutrition and all nighters. So I've come up with a list of my favourite low-cal drinks to help you out!

                                     

                                               Cafe Americano 

Chai Tea 

                                     

                                                 Cafe Misto

Iced Caramel Macchiato

Personal Favourites:

Chai tea - calorie count: 0
Cafe Americano - calorie count: 10 (hot or cold; probably my top pick!)
Iced Skinny Latte - calorie count: 60
Nonfat Cafe Misto - calorie count: 60
(I like to add some extra flavour to my latte, misto, and americano by adding a sugar free flavour shot! My favourite is half vanilla, half caramel, but they're also available in cinnamon, peppermint, hazelnut and within season pumpkin) 

Splurge a little:
Iced Skinny Caramel Macchiato (or hot) - calorie count 140
Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte - calorie count 100
Caramel Frappuccino Light Blended Coffee - calorie count: 130

all nutritional values represent a tall size

If none of these picks satisfy your craving, check out the Starbucks Signature Drink feature where you can handcraft a drink to your liking and see all of the nutritional information at the same time!

all nutritional values via Starbucks

Happy studying!

aspire to inspire,

two of a kind on facebook!

Two of a Kind is now on Facebook! Make sure you "like" our page to keep up with the latest posts from the blog! It's perfect if you're not a huge fan of email updates (although we always appreciate email subs as well!!) and you can give us feedback on our posts. Keep an eye out for giveaways and announcements!

wish list: my best friend note pouch

 

I've had the link to this adorable note pouch saved on my Macbook notes for a while now. I love how it has just enough space for my Moleskine notebook/daily planner, a few pens, and whatever notes I accumulate throughout the day. AND it's small enough to fit in my purse. At $37.95, it's a great storage solution that I will hopefully be acquiring soon!

hello

source: dressdesigndecor/prettypeonies

Welcome to two of a kind, a lifestyle blog fueled by unique designs, awe-inspiring locations, tasty treats, and student living on a reasonable budget. Our goal is to create a place for students to discover the possibilities of inspired living. The two us frequent the blog community, which ignites our imaginations with creative visions and DIY-worthy projects. The name "two of a kind" envelops our shared passion of all things bright and beautiful; visually stimulating and perfectly designed spaces.  

With that being said, we're looking for student decor submissions! If you think your space is blog worthy, send us an email at twoofakindblog@gmail.com and you could be featured as a part of our "real student spaces" series. 

goodbye for now but not for long,