I am such a fan of Nikaela and her lovely blog Rose & Crown. Her simple yet beautiful posts always take me somewhere peaceful. We've never met in person--only corresponded by email. That said, she is so warm and genuine, that after reading her emails, I often feel as though we've known each other for years. Nikaela and her better half, Thom, live in Winnipeg and will be celebrating their third wedding anniversary this year. Thank you Nikaela + Thom for being a part of My Better Half!



NIKAELA
1) Likes grey days best.
2) Is excited to be old.
3) Wants to own a goat of her own.

THOMAS
1) Happiness = the Saturday Globe and Mail.
2) Two things that make him feel like a kid: ice skating rinks and the ocean.
3) Writes his secrets down in Korean letters.

THEIR STORY (by Thom)
For us, approving of each other's book shelves was a big step. We shared: I lent her The English Patient and If On a Winter's Night a Traveller, she gave me The Satanic Verses and Of Love and Other Demons. Maybe it was, in part, through each other's favourite books that we fell in love. I loved the way Nikaela read her books. She reads physically—creasing the spines, folding corners, underlining. In between the pages are ticket stubs and leaves and the odd smear of strawberry jam.

Nikaela keeps my head in the clouds; I keep her feet on the ground (although we're not as tall as that makes us sound). We like cooking and dreaming and reading and eating breakfast in the sun. In short, we're a match.

Well said Thom. You both have a lovely way with words. Thank you being a part of My Better Half!

Photos taken by a friend.