bonne.

Bonne nuit my friends. 

instagram.

I gotta say, there have been some great 'grams coming up over the last few months. I've throughout enjoyed following and interacting with several brands, friends and to be frank, people I've never met via Instagram.

Here are the accounts that I'm following this month - guaranteed, they'll liven up your feed if you're looking for something fresh!

@TaylorSterling 

Founder and Creative Director of The Glitter Guide, Taylor Sterling is the ultimate girls girl. Some wouldn't stop to take a photo of an interesting wall or moment happening on the street. 

Taylor captures it perfectly, and reminds us to stop and smell the roses in life. 

@blushshop

Simple shots from the waist-down of outfits, perfection in the use of white backgrounds and snaps of this dog - basically, one of the loveliest accounts I've seen. 

@GQ

It's not secret that I'll go for a GQ-esque guy every time. Let's keep this dapper look, gentleman-ly feel and witty/smart work up guys, it doesn't just pass by us ladies. 

@treasuresandtravels

Three Vancouver girls, Tegan, Bethany and Lindsay, write the divine blog Treasures & Travels. 

As a relatively newbie to the city, I love following their site and 'grams to see where the ladies are munching, hanging out and spending the season. 

Hands down, these gals got it when photographing with natural light - a must-do in my books!  

I'm always on the hunt for great Instagram feeds to follow for upcoming blog posts (and life). If you know someone interesting that I should take a peek at, tweet or leave me a comment below. 

I'm also on Instagram shares a few treats from my life...learning new tricks daily!

Have a lovely rest of your weekend.   

I do not take credit for any of the photos used in this post. Photography belongs to the credited photographers, text belongs to Portia Favro. 

instagram.

As much as I try to follow and maintain a healthy work-life balance, what's a gal to do when the things she enjoys in "off" hours transform into career passions?

Instagram it all, of course.

Thus, I've been on the 'gram more than ever lately, and these are a few of accounts I've had my eye on this fall. Between great photos, styling ideas and to-die-for foodie posts, I recommend following these gals stat!

@emilyschuman

I think I speak for most of the female population that I have a bit of a girl crush on Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere.
This modern-day Martha Stewart has a fresh take on lifestyle blogging, and a knack for showing the beauty in everyday activities.Her Instagram photos are as divine as her blog - if I could walk in any one's shoes for a day, Emily's grey pumps are definitely front-runners.

@welovecitrus

I just can't get enough of interior designer (and crafter extraordinaire) Ana's fresh 'grams.
Besides inspiration photos, her too-cute babies make weekly appearances on her feed - their little outfits and those chubby legs will put a permanent smile on your face. 

@theeverygirl_

When life gets hectic, one of the best things to do is check The Everygirl Instagram. You'll often seen a quote (like the centre one above) that hits you square between the eyes.
 Mixed in with travel shots from around the world, every photo is postcard-worthy in my books!

@kellygolightly

It's no secret that Breakfast at Tiffany's is my all-time favourite movie, and has been since I was a teenager.
Needless to say, Kelly Golightly is the epitome of the modern-day Audrey, with a touch of Holly, and lots of sass. She's also the queen of cropping photos into shapes like clubs, hearts and circles - no one on Instagram does it better.

There we are! Enjoy and happy "liking" these divine Instagrams.

As always, I'm on the hunt for interesting profiles to follow - food, fashion, race cars...whatever. I'm all ears.

Let me know on Instagram (@PortiaFavro) and I'll feature my favourites again next month.

Have a lovely weekend!

All photos via the Instagram users. I don't own any of the photos from this post - just the writing! 

instagram.

Hello, my name is Portia Favro and I am an Instagram addict.

When I started using the popular photo-sharing application in 2011, it was solely to make my photos more interesting with the filters. It was free, easy to use and immediately changed the way I took photos.

Two years later, it's one of my essential networks for both personal and business use. I urge many of my clients to use Instagram, or at least be aware of its impact.

Like many of the big social media networks, there are a plethora of users. For most of the general population, the feeds include blurry pictures, some odd hashtags and a fair deal of food photos (which is never a bad thing!)

However, I think there are a handful of brands and users who are creating some incredible content on the application that hardly get noticed. So I've decided to feature my favourite Instagram accounts/users every month - these may be feeds that personal, professional or brand-focused, but are always inspiring and full of major eye candy.

Without further ado, here are my "must follow"accounts on Instagram. These guys and gals are doing it right!

@JillianHarrisDesign

Remember this Bachelorette? Jillian Harris is a true B.C. gal, and her Instagram fed truly reflects that. I love her healthy mix of design, food and personal photos from across the province/country! Her smile is infectious, and I truly feel that she takes the time to plan out and execute great content. 

@TheStoreOnQueen

I met Angela and Vava after they came to see a show I was performing in Toronto. We've run into each other at events in the city, and of course, at their divine boutique, The Store On Queen. These ladies are so passionate about their brand and their strong friendship, which is reflected through their feed. Their daily outfit posts are always full of life, colour and of course, lots of sass. I'm missing TSOQ! 

@donalddrawbertson

As another blogger put it - these are the best sketches, ever. I think I may have "liked" every single post since I've started following, no joke. 

@coachblkwomen

The pictures from the desk of the Coach Women's Legacy store on Bleecker Street in New York City are just, awesome. These shots are real, and even though the lighting, colour, etc., isn't always perfect, it doesn't matter. It humanizes the brand/feed and bring the streets of NYC (one of my favourite places in the world) to the palm of your hand daily. 

There you have it - my top four Instagram accounts of the month.

I'm anxious to hear what your favourite feeds are on Instagram. Let me know on Instagram (@PortiaFavro), and I'll feature my favourites next month. 

Happy Friday! 

All photos via the Instagram users. I don't own any of the photos from this post - just the writing! 

b&w.

I think I'm en route to finding what happiness is. One piece of the puzzle is finding out that something you love to is actually something you do quite well. 

Former Cosmopolitan editor Kate White has put it best - "success is sweetest when you’re able to leverage it to do things in your life that fulfill you." 

What a fabulous afternoon teaching dance and celebrating a birthday - pretty lucky, pleased and thrilled. 

Have a lovely rest of your Saturday and weekend! 

hola.

Well, I'm officially back on the grid after a stunning week away in Mexico. 

For the first time in a year and a half, I disconnected myself from all technology. No phone, no texting, no email and no social media. There's still a part of me that didn't want to come home. I was perfectly happy hanging on the beach, ready to jump in the waves at a moment's notice. 

It was a treat to touch down and be greeting by several "we missed you!" texts and messages, but I'm seriously going to try to settle down with my addiction to my phone. Stepping completely away was one of the best things I could have done. 

In a country where people aren't recording every waking moment with their phone, life is just so much more present. Viewing things through your eyes, not a lens is the way it should be.

However, the wanderlust bug has got me - after being in Toronto for a year (which I have no regrets about, I had some incredible projects I got to work on) I feel like I'm falling into a little bit of wanderlust.

I'm finding myself already skimming through travel websites wondering, "where can I go next?".

I hit my palm to my head yesterday and realized I will be back to B.C. in just over six weeks for a emcee gig, and potentially to NYC for another weekend visit before then.

But first, heading back into the Toronto chill to prepare for another week of teaching, dance and work. Expect some Latin-inspired music and moves to sneak up in class this week...

Enjoy your weekend. Stories and photos to come from Mexico. 

b&w.

There are few things I love more than a good suit on a man or a woman. In black and white? Even better.