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Finding Home On the Blue Horizon

Sherry Dryja, Mel Kobayashi, Suzanne Carillo, and Patti Gibbons pose as models in the pool area of the Blue Horizon Hotel in Vancouver, BC.

Sponsored post by The Blue Horizon Hotel, Vancouver, BC.

In so many ways, Vancouver feels like my home away from home. This is not only because Vancouver and Seattle are so much alike in geographic feel, culture, and history. It’s because I go there to meet my crew—people who know I’m a bit whacky and love me for it. We get together to recharge our creative spirits and feel the strength of one another’s support.

Isn’t that what home’s all about?

Mel Kobayashi of Bag and a Beret, Suzanne Carillo, Patti Gibbons of Not Dead Yet Style, and Sherry Dryja of Petite Over 40 pose in front of the doors leading to the Hotel Blue Horizon in Vancouver, BC.
Photo by Sue of A Colourful Canvas.

This year, we added another member to our crew—the Blue Horizon Hotel. They took us in, gave us a suite for the weekend, and didn’t bat an eye when we walked out of the elevator and into the pool and fitness areas dressed in our finest “Goochie” Designs.

Take a look at our video and you may understand just how supportive Blue Horizon was to our creative endeavors.

We went all out this year with our “Goochie Style.”

No Further Than Marilyn

When I first entered Blue Horizon, I knew we would have a good time, but when I encountered Marilyn, I knew we were home. Marilyn is the fabulous lady who adorns many walls around the hotel. Here, she reminds us to Speak No Evil–and that, my friends, is a good first step to making people feel right at home.

Read the story of Marilyn on Blue Horizon’s website.

Suzanne and Marilyn–quite the pair!
Photo by Mel of Bag and a Beret.

Our Accommodations

You can see from our video how we took over the hallways, the lobby, the pool room, and common areas of the hotel, but the one-bedroom suite we shared was what made everything else possible.

For starters, we had plenty of space to spread out. That’s saying a lot for four fashion bloggers armed to the teeth with outfits and shoes.

King sized bed at the Blue Horizon Hotel is covered in fashion bloggers outfit ideas.
Just a portion of all the outfits we brought. Photo by Mel.

The suite also gave us the space we needed to host a professional makeup session with makeup marvel, Suzy Thomas (@thasooze on IG).

Suzy Thomas of MAC Vancouver works her makeup magic on Sherry Dryja of Petite Over 40.
Suzy working her magic. Photo by Patti.

She rolled out her supplies on the desk in the main room and made us all feel deserving of a Vogue…er…Vague? cover shot, taken by our resident photographer, @VancouverBarbara.

Photo by @VancouverBarbara. Fake magazine cover designed by Yours Truly.

When we were worn out from our day of super modeling, the room became a safe haven to us, a quiet place to hang out, catch up, and speak our deep thoughts.

Here we are on the couch together minutes after Patti and I arrived from Seattle via Cascade Rail by Amtrak.

From L-R: Sue from A Colourful Canvas, Mel from Bag and a Beret, Me, Suzanne Carillo, and Patti from Not Dead Yet Style. Photo by Mel's awesome remote control camera.
From L-R: Sue from A Colourful Canvas, Mel from Bag and a Beret, Me, Suzanne Carillo, and Patti from Not Dead Yet Style. Photo by Mel’s awesome remote control camera.

Apart from our sunny faces in the photo above, check out the light in the room! Big windows = better to see the view of English Bay!

Suzanne Carillo stands on the balcony of one of the one-room suites at Blue Horizon Hotel which overlooks the city and English Bay in Vancouver.
Suzanne plots to take over the world from our balcony at Blue Horizon. Photo by Mel.

No Need to Leave When There’s ABODE

We literally did not leave the hotel over the course of one 24 hours. We had everything we needed right there, including an inviting restaurant called ABODE.

Cozy spaces and welcoming light brightened our day at ABODE inside Blue Horizon Hotel. Photo by Mel.
Cozy spaces and welcoming light brightened our day at ABODE inside Blue Horizon Hotel. Photo by Mel.

When it was just the four of us, we held court at a booth and played improv games to keep our creative juices flowing.

The results of a game I learned in my improv classes. It's the only one you can play in public without becoming a public nuisance!
The results of a game I learned in my improv classes. It’s the only one you can play in public without becoming a public nuisance!

And when Sue, our favorite sewing guru from A Colourful Canvas joined us, the staff at ABODE smushed together tables to make room for all of us. Then they made sure we had everything we needed, including the much talked about and thoroughly enjoyed rhubarb crisps.

Yes. You read that correctly. We had it more than once.

One of our dining configurations at ABODE, including Abigail, the lady who became a member of our group right away. Photo by Mel.
One of our dining configurations at ABODE, including Abigail, the lady who became a member of our group right away. Photo by Mel.

We loved our time at ABODE so much we had to get a photo with Abigail, our favorite waitress.

Mel Kobayashi of Bag and a Beret, Suzanne Carillo, Abigail from ABODE restaurant in Vancouver, Sherry Dryja of Petite Over 40, and Patti Gibbons of Not Dead Yet Style.
Full and sassy and ready for our next adventure! Photo by Sue.

Until Next Time, Blue Horizon

From the moment we arrived until the last goodbye, Blue Horizon made us feel at home. They allowed us to let our hair down or put it up, whatever we needed. We could be exactly who we are and that’s what made us feel most at home.


Outfit Details

There are several outfits in this post. My outfits consist of things I made, things I’ve had for a while, or things I’ve thrifted. If you’d like more information about any of the outfits I sport in this post, please comment below and I’ll respond with ideas and links to similar styles.

For details about what my colleagues are wearing and how they experienced our weekend together, visit their blogs here:

Finally, one of our outings in Vancouver included a visit to My Sister’s Closet, a shop benefitting Battered Women’s Support Services. I was lucky to find the sequined dress I wore in the video, as well as the black maritime-styled pants I wore at ABODE.

Below is a photo of our crew populating the windows as mannequins at My Sister’s Closet.

A window full of "mannequins" at My Sister's Closet in Vancouver.
A window full of “mannequins” at My Sister’s Closet. Photo by Sam at My Sister’s Closet.

Linked to the lovely Patti’s Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style.


Affiliate link and Sponsorship disclaimer: Please note, our stay at Blue Horizon Hotel was sponsored by the hotel itself, but my opinions are my own and they come straight from the heart.

Also, although I paid for the outfit and accessories seen in this post, some of the items linked above may be affiliated with companies I am associated with. By purchasing from these stores, I receive a small commission and you support the work I do here. Thank you for your support!

About Author

Freelance writer about food and fashion. Obsessed genealogist and history nerd. New to sewing. Love all dogs and one hubby. Seattle

(8) Comments

  1. I could watch your video for hours, so much energy and lots of fun. You guys all look fabulous in your own unique way. I’m loving your magical, elfin make-up, and the dress or top you’re wearing in the “bedroom” photo. But my favourite is your all-black but the shoes outfit 😉 You guys sure know how to have a good time! xxx

  2. sandypatti says:

    Fabulous account, Sherry, and I adore the video. I need to be with you guys more often and let those happy, creative vibes come out to play. And thanks for hosting me in Seattle, it was dreamy. xox

  3. Suzy says:

    Love, love, love…your video!!! Soooo cute ..it captures that fun and fabulous day so well XOXO

    1. Oh, Suzy! Thank you so much! It was such a fun day. Let me know if you’d prefer other links to your info!

      Hugs,
      Sherry

  4. Marilee J. Gramith says:

    Your video is a smash hit in my world. It captures the colors, textures, energy, enthusiasm and love that fuel this friendship and a kind of dynamic fashion think tank??

    1. Thank you, Jude!! I love that phrase “dynamic fashion think tank”! I may have to borrow it from you sometime.

      Big, Big Hugs!
      – Sherry

  5. Jodie says:

    You guys have such a fun time which is exactly what life is all about!!
    XOXO
    Jodie

    1. As you know–and as I have done with YOU!–it is so fun to get together with creative minds and create or simply be with one another. 💕💕❤️

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