Hello Darlings,

As a few chilly evenings have assured me, fall is coming! And if you love summer, there are perks with some cooler weather. Fall is the best season for fashion, think cashmere and boots without the messy winter snow. Another perk is a warming cup of tea on a cool afternoon walk or cozy evening at home. So to help embrace the cooler autumn weather, my friends at DAVIDsTEA treated me to their Fall Tea Collection. And they also kindly offered this giveaway of their Fall Tea Collection for WithLoveGabrielle readers!

CONGRATULATIONS to our winner BRENDA who commented: "I Love sunflowers, the colours of the fields and leaves, thanksgiving, Halloween, apples and pumpkins. It is a gorgeous season. I love the fact David’s Tea celebrates each season with a sample box. I look forward to each new box."

My Fall Tea Collection arrived a week ago. The collection includes five teas: Organic Persian Apple, Toasted Marshmallow, Pumpkin Chai, Banana Nut Bread, and Indian Summer. My personal favorite is the Organic Persian Apple, which has a taste of cinnamon and caramel. To read more about The Fall Tea Collection click this link!

Hello Darlings,

Toronto International Film Festival (“TIFF”) is famous for two things: an abundance of Oscar-worthy movie premieres, and fabulous parties with movie stars and celebrities. One of the hottest invites for TIFF opening weekend was the Hello Magazine “Movie Star Magic” party at the five star Ritz Carlton hotel, and yours truly attended to enjoy a fun evening as well as experience a little intrigue from Givenchy.

The house of Givenchy was founded in 1952 by Paris based designer Hubert de Givenchy and in the current day is a luxury French brand of clothing, accessories, perfumes and cosmetics with Parfums Givenchy. If you’ve been following my recent adventures, you won’t be surprised to learn about my fun challenge for Saturday TIFF adventures – as Givenchy asked me to attend a couple of the best parties to search out a “Mystery Women” who is part of the ad campaign for their Dahlia Noir perfume – and to shoot fabulous photos of our night out together!

Hello Darlings,

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure to be part of a new handbag campaign for Roots fall 2012 collection. Roots is an iconic Canadian brand started in 1973 by Michael Budman and Don Green. Along with its beaver insignia, the brand is renowned as leaders in quality leather products.

When I moved to Canada in 1999, I remember my parents bringing me to a Roots store to purchase my first hoodie :) Ever since, Roots has been top of mind for my family when searching for leather goods, as my Dad will attest since their wallet and bag selection are my favorite gifts for Father's Day — three in the past ten years including earlier this summer. Meanwhile my mom knows their their shoes and handbags, which she describes as "indestructible".

Hello Darlings,

American retailer Target has been making a big splash in Canada's two biggest cities sponsoring and hosting events at Montreal Fashion Week and Toronto International Film Festival. People who know the brand keep raving to me about how fabulous is Target - humorously pronounced "Tar-Jay" as if somehow a French sounding name elevates it's image. Although I haven't ever shopped at Target, I am impressed with their values and how they position their brand.

Target will open more than 125 stores across Canada beginning in 2013. And to help build some buzz for their launch, Target signed on as one of the main sponsors of Montreal Fashion Week (September 4-7) where they had a highly visible presence including a cute media lounge decked out in their signature red. At the event, Target executives also announced a Target Emerging Designer Award where an rising star designer will win a $25,000 cash prize and an opportunity to create a collection to be sold at Target stores in Quebec.