I recently contributed a favourite boutique-hotel detail from Nostalgia Hanok, Seoul, to A Little Thing You Love?
I loved loved, lOVED my stay at Nostalgia and I would recommend it to anyone. Tucked away between the two palaces, it really gives you an appreciation of traditional Korean architecture.
ELENA:)
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For my second trip to Seoul, I decided to concentrate on skincare. Which, between the weather (it was chilly at the beginning of Feb) and 11 treatments in total was not an easy feat. Click here to read my piece for House of Coco.
In hindsight, I would not have packed it in as much as I did. It was slight exhausting running around the city – but it was a great way to escape the cold. I will definitely will be back though. Seoul is such an easy city to visit.
ELENA:)
Happy 2026! It’s the New Year! And while this trip actually happened in Fall 2025 – for some reason I forgot to update my own site!
Amsterdam is a wonderful addition to any European getaway, and completely walkable. My must do is a canal tour!
Click on this link to read the full scoop on House of Coco.
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Here is a piece I wrote for House of Coco. And yes, it’s almost been a year since I got to visit the ADLER Spa and Resort DOLOMITI. But better late than never! Haha.
Click this link to read the piece.
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On April 29, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend North America’s 50 Best Bar Awards which were held in Vancouver.
While Vancouver is no stranger to hosting global sporting events (Winter Olympics 2010 and soon to be co-hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2026), this event bought the best of the best in the drinks and hospitality industry to the Canadian city.
Click here to read the short piece on BELLAMedia.co
I cannot wait to see how Vancouver’s bars fair next year with Prophecy (#53 on the top 100 list) joining regulars Botanist Bar (#26) and Keefer Bar (#28).
Photo credit: James Nguyen
Here is my final piece for the House of Coco team. It was great to work with them over the last year. So many adventures and new friends.
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Ever since 2017, I have sung the praises of teamLab as a must see/do for anyone travelling to Japan. I had the great opportunity to check out the latest teamLab Borderless installation, which opened to the public in Feb. Click here to read the piece.
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If you know me, you know I can throw a mean party. And if you are lucky to be on my birthday guest list and have attended, you will know I really try to think of all the details. Here I had a chat with POPSUGAR writer Maressa Brown where she asked the question, “Who Pays For the Birthday Dinner?”
A very timely piece after I hosted my birthday dinner mid Feb. In the piece you will find my travel writer friend La Carmina as well.
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My last European trip of 2023 was to Losinj, Croatia. What a beautiful, serene place. It’s no wonder that those in the know would flock here for respite. Click on this link to read the piece on House of Coco.
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On this last day of 2023, I give you not an article I wrote, for a change. But here is one about me and my long-time trainer and friend Ayron Howey. This is written by my NYC pal Amanda for Women’s Health.
Hope you have a happy and healthy New year ahead.
ELENA:)
Sadly, this is my final product roundup for House of Coco. I wanted to do something that is fall without talking about Pumpkin Spice. Hahaha. Click here for the link to read the piece.
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En route to Losinj, I was able to stay one night pre and post trip in London. 35 hours is not alot of time. Here are my suggestions to make the most of your short time. Click here to read the piece on House of Coco.
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So I had a completely different idea of how this piece was going to turn out. I was not expecting the overwhelming silver options I would receive. Click here to check out my silver finds.
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On my first day/night in London I had a reunion dinner with two writers from House of Coco, Anji and Anna. Our meeting place was the Old Queen Street Cafe. Click here to read the story.
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Ever since I learned about SMIZING from Tyra Banks – I have incorporated it whenever I am taking a photo. Here she teams up with Karen Miller for the ICON series. Read about this collaboration here on House of Coco.
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After my wonderful 2 week stint in Greece, I came home and had to get to work (eek!). Click here to read my piece for House of Coco.
Although I miss all the yummy food, I am thankful to have missed the heat wave!
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It’s prime time for heading out on vacation. Here are some of my Carry on Classics to get you on your journey.
Click here to read the scoop on BELLA MEDIA
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As someone who owned 12 Barbies growing up, I am excited to watch the movie. Here is a Barbie inspired piece. I mean where would Barbie stay on her summer vacation?
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Here’s a Q&A I did with the co-founder of Pentire, Ed Grieg-Gran. With all the popularity of non-alcoholic spirits, this is sure not to disappoint. Click here to read the story.
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Mauritius was so dreamy. If you have the opportunity to go, I would recommend it. It’s not over-crowded like other island retreats and 1/3 of the cost of the Maldives. While ever resort lines the beach, I had the opportunity to sample three Marriott properties.
Click here to read the article live on House of Coco.
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Here are two pieces for House of Coco.
The first is about the latest Karen Millen partnership with Supermodel Elle Macpherson for the latest instalment in the ICON collection. Click here to read the story.
The second is the launch of Nadine Merabi ‘s SS23 Bridal Collection. Click here to read the story.
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Little did I know my original roundup on some sustainable fashion brands would have a few PR groups reaching out and wanting an update on the story. Managed to create a whole new piece. Click here to read all about the brands and their ethos.
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BELLA Mag got a refresh (and now live on BELLA Media + Co and I got two stories published on the new site! The first is my Resort Wear Inspo. Click here to read that roundup. The second is a Travel Carry – On Essentials roundup. I had so much to share I needed to split it up into two pieces.
Enjoy!
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I love the concept of made to order clothes. Click here to read the short piece on House of Coco about Rebecca Minkoff’s relaunch of RM Green(e). This is just in time for Earth Day. Below are some photos from the collection…
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Here’s a short roundup on some travel essentials to keep you looking your best embarking on a long haul flight. Click here for the link to the piece on House of Coco.
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So excited to be working on these monthly City Guides for House of Coco. I did have the opportunity two weeks ago to visit (it was my first time since Feb 2020). I am going to be adding the new links as they come up.
Hope you enjoy one of my favourite cities in the world:
New York Year-round Date Ideas
Unique Ways to see New York City
Beautiful Boutique New York City Hotels
The Best New York City Brunch Spots
Behind the Brand: Artisans in New York City
Summer in the City: New York’s Best Rooftop Bars
All about Brooklyn: Stay, See and Shop
Who can really say no to Italy, Jennifer Lopez and lingerie? I was also introduced to Intimissimi when I was in Milan/Florence back in 2019. The brand has beautiful collections, and this Jennifer Lopez collaboration is gorgeous!
Click on this link for more info on the collection live onHouse of Coco.
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Here is a roundup of several brands working towards their sustainability efforts.
Click here on the live link on House of Coco.
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I have yet to sample my bottles of Proxies, but here is an interview with one of the Co-founders of the brand, Charlie Friedmann for BELLA. Click here to read the story.
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On our last day in Katmandu I got the pleasure of meeting Rina, Suman (our Nepalese guide’s wife).Click here to read the piece I wrote about her and her business for Cotopaxi.
I know I am biased, but it’s a great read about female empowerment.
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I managed to watch Netflix’s Wednesday, not once – but twice over the break. And I really enjoyed it. Glad it’s coming back for a second season and it definitely deserves all the accolades it has received.
Click here for the link to the fashion/beauty roundup on BELLAMag.co
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Normally, I don’t do these. But then I was thinking to myself. What a good way to wrap up the year in an Oprah, “My favourite things” sort of way.
Click here for the link on BELLA and the link on House of Coco.
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This piece was a team effort with my nursing colleagues. We spent the month of Sept and October training over 1K Dr’s, creating 43 unique workflows for the implementation of our online system. So yeah, we needed snacks.
Click here to read the piece on BELLAMag.co
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It’s been a while since I posted anything on BELLAMag.co, but I’ve been actually working on ones of these pieces since Sept. Believe it or not, sometimes these roundups take time.
Click here to read Woven Winter (my roundup on woven outerwear).
Click here to read Fall Fashion Finds
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I love a great salon mani pedi so I was curious to try Dazzle Dry out. I’m very impressed with the results. Click here to read the article on BELLAMag.co
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What a lovely way to spend a weekend. I had the opportunity to check out what’s good about Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Click here to read the highlights in my latest for BELLA.
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This is my first online piece for House of Coco. So thankful to join #TeamCoco. Here is the link to the piece about Totes.
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I love a great tote bag. I use my black Balenciaga one on the regular along with this Baggu foldable tote. So useful. Click here for my roundup of 12 Terrific Totes for BELLAMag.co
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WOW. I feel like this also took some time to get all sorted. These two pieces were 9 pages! The first piece is the city guide. Click on this link to read it. The second piece is a packing guide. Click on this link to read it.
I never really thought about humidity before I went to Singapore. I guess it’s been a long time since I have been in that kind of weather.
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I wanted to put this together as I basically started from scratch in prep for Everest Base Camp. I had a few pieces, but not nearly all the layers I really needed. Let’s just say, next time I’ll be prepared.
Click here to read the Essentials Edition.
Click here to read the Comfort Edition.
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I know what you might be thinking – didn’t Elena return from Nepal over a month ago? Yes June 6 to be exact. And when you check out this piece (Click here for the BELLA Media.co link to the article), you’ll see why a Coles Notes version of the adventure just wasn’t possible. Hope you enjoy it!
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I’m so excited Katana Kitten will come to Vancouver this week. This three day pop-up will start on Wed with renowned owner and mixologist Masahiro Urushido. Click to check out my piece on BELLA.
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With less than a month until my trip, I didn’t see myself writing another piece until after my epic trip. But this short roundup came together quite organically (pun intended). Click here to read the piece on BELLAMag.co
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And you had to know this was coming with the launch of Bridgerton Season 2. Here is my roundup of necklaces for BELLAMedia.co Can’t wait for the upcoming seasons.
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It is Women’s History Month – all March long. And what a way to celebrate then with cocktails inspired by influential women from two influential mixologists – Ivy Mix and Lynnette Marrero. I had the pleasure of doing a short interview with Ivy for Thrive back in 2020.
Here is the link for the BELLA Media.co piece.
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So here we are -it’s almost Spring! I can feel the weather getting a little warmer, the sun out for longer. I thought I should pre celebrate and do a beauty roundup on new products for Spring. Click on this link for the roundup on BELLAMag.co
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After 5 long months, I think my bedroom refresh is complete. It’s astonishing how fast time flies and how much the supply chain has affected our shopping habits. Click here to read the full article on BELLA Media.co
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Here is a quick roundup I did with all things Heart related. Click here for the link to BELLA Media.co
Happy Lunar New Year!
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Ok – that was a very long title for a very fun article. I came up with the premise over the holidays and with Emily in Paris being renewed for two more seasons (gasp!) it just made sense. Click here for the piece on BELLA Media.co
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I am definitely missing travel and I am so grateful I was able to head south twice late last year. Hope this gives you the inspo you need as better days are ahead.
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About two years ago I created the roundup for BELLA, but this time I changed up some products and published this for RESIDENT. Click here for the online version.
Hope you have a wonderful New Year!
ELENA:)