Dynamite blazer (last seen here), Sirens dress, unknown tights, Aldo wedges (last seen here),
Emily Elizabeth necklace (last seen here) & Forever 21 ring
First outfit post of the new year! Ya! So I figured I'd put this post to good use and offer up an outfit post, finally, and list out my resolutions. I'm not really one for resolutions, I used to make them when I was younger and of course, never follow through with them, leading to a year of un-crossed off items and disappointment. This year, I'm going to partake, but only in a half-assed way. Resolutions? Not necessarily. Things I enjoy and would like to accomplish? Yes.
* Wear more lipstick (on weekends, especially) - why not? I currently never wear lipstick, always gloss, but you know what? Lipstick is fun and I'm going to incorporate it into my make-up looks.
* Continue to step outside of my fashion 'box' - when helping style my friends, I always encourage them to step outside of their personal fashion box. This means, trying anything and everything on, keeping an open mind and not turning up your nose at something that might seem outrageous (outrageous to you, courageous to me).
* Meet at least two blogger friends. I'm assuming this will be Emily & Kara as they both live relatively close, but who knows (Jamie & Sharon are top on my international list).
* Buy an SLR camera (I'm debating between a Canon & Nikon - suggestions?).
* Teach myself more HTML and advance my skills - this is mainly to help me blog better. HTML annoys the F out of me, but it can be so rewarding, so wish me luck.
{ new lipstick: N.Y.C. 407B, $3 }
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{ black & white with lots of stripes }
I was totally spoiled this year for Christmas by my family, friends and hubs, and wanted to share with you a few of my favourite goodies.
{ two jackets with fur & a tulip dress }
{ chiffon & wool tops with a clutch & pashmina to match }
{ the wool snood I was coveting & a super soft scarf }
{ various shoe paraphenalia }
{ MAC Fix + this stuff was a savour on our wedding day thanks to the BFF }
{ Gucci shades - ballinnnnnn' }
{ recognize this shoe? Hubs had our jeweler custom make this pendant.
The stone is a orange sapphire }
What you didn't see:
* Sewing machine (sneak peak)
* Various Bath & Body Works products
* A spider catching device (don't ask)
* Two pairs of black lace-ish patterned tights
* Spa gift certificate (mani, pedi, facial & hair styling)
* Mall gift card & some money
* An iPhone clock radio
* Leopard Christmas ball ornament
* BCBG beaded bracelet in navy with a 'pisces' charm
* Pier 1 candle in my favourite scent
* White fur knee boots
* China serving platter & bowl
* Lots of chocolate
Back at the end of November I entered Natalie's give-away to win three beautiful gold necklaces from Emily Elizabeth Jewelry. I was so ecstatic to open her blog a couple weeks later to discover I won! IMy package finally arrived yesterday and I tore it open to find the three beautiful necklaces you see above, inscribed with, 'Faith, Hope, Love'. The necklaces can be worn separately or together cohesively. I will certainly be getting a ton of wear out of them so thank you so much Emily Elizabeth Jewelry and Natalie's Sentiments!
Mexx fur snood, Smart Set jacket, Jacob tights & bracelet
Hello my lovely readers. I just wanted to touch base and really write something out. The holidays have really taken a toll on me and not necessarily in a good way. In return, I've been totally slacking on blogging (between Christmas and New Years), which doesn't make me happy, however, I needed the break. If anyone tries to tell you blogging is easy, they are lying. It really is like a full time job from the photoshoots to editing the photos, to posting, etc. I absolutely love it and have found a passion for it, but it was nice to exit the Internet world for a few days and focus on myself.
I have several things I want to share with you all, that I'm trying to get around to. I got an extra special package in the mail from a great blogger friend with the-most-amazing contents (this girl, I tell you, so generous) - wait till you see. I also am dying to show you my Christmas goodies (sneak peak here), which are still under the tree and seriously should be put away (oops, procrastinator over here - but it looks so fun and festive, so who cares). And last, but not least, come up with some New Years resolutions (I have a few in mind, attainable, realistic, enjoyable too, and just need to put pen to paper .. er, fingers to keyboard, and share with you all). With regards to New Years eve, if you didn't see my tweets, I was sick. I woke up at 6am with the most horrible sharp pains in my stomach and made friends with the toilet bowl fast. By 11am I think I had flushed my system and felt a ton better, but still very woozy (I think it was food poisoning, but how do you ever really know?). By 10pm that night I still wasn't 100% but said, f'-it, and headed to a friend's house to ring in the new year - very low key, very casual, not what was planned, but none the less really great.
This isn't exactly an outfit post as I was only able to get a few shots in before the camera battery died (and these were the only ones that turned out, the rest were blurry). Underneath I wore a black pencil skirt, grey scoop neck tee (both Boxing Day purchases from Jacob), this necklace and my studded pumps. Winter is becoming so difficult to shoot outfit photos, I was thinking this as I drove home in the pitch black ... at 5pm. Hubs often isn't around to take photos outside and when he is, it's too dark. C'mon summer, you can't come soon enough!
Finally, I know I said I talked myself out of buying some shoes on the weekend, however, shoes have now been purchased. I couldn't resist. I might have purchased seven pairs. Yes, seven. From two different web sites (Aldo & Urban Original). The jury is still out as to whether I will keep them all, but look, I had a semi-bad day, okay, and I haven't bought multiple shoes in a while, so beat it. (Mom, if you are reading this, I didn't really mean you should beat it).
PS - this tweet made my night.
Sally Hansen nail polish remover, OPI Lincoln Park after Midnight (plum) & Don't Know Beets Me (pink),
Avon Nail Experts base coat & Rimmel 60-Second top coat (740 clear)
A few of you readers have commented on my nails always being painted and a friend recently reached out to me about my nail routine. I do always (prefer to) have my nails painted and typically give myself a manicure every Sunday (and a pedicure every three weeks or so - more often when summer rolls around, though). I love the look of painted nails and although it is high-maintenance, to me, it's worth it (and more cost-effective if I do it myself, although getting a manicure by a professional is always a lovely treat). I'm really terrible with biting my nails and picking at them and have been trying so hard to kick the habit (I've been good in some instances, but in others, old habits die hard) because they look way better when they have some length.
I've always painted my nails, even since I was a kid, I remember buying tons of Wet'n'Wild nail polishes, all colours of the rainbow. Now, I prefer OPI, however it is much pricier than drugstore brands, so I save so I can splurge on a new colour every so often to build my collection.
I really feel that the brush of a nail polish makes all the difference. You want something that has a wide brush, to minimized the number of strokes to completely cover each nail. I aim for two strokes per nail, but sometimes it's more. I find OPI's brushes are wide, the polish is smooth and it goes on very nicely. However, I have recently (re-)discovered Wet'n'Wild's newer line of nail polish, which I blogged about a few months ago. I don't find the polish lasts quite as long as OPI, but the brush and formula are excellent., and for $2 bucks a bottle, you can't really go wrong. Enough chatter, let's get started.
Start by removing all existing nail polish by using a cotton pad (do not wash your hands after this, the residue from the nail polish remover is actually beneficial to your manicure). I then use a cuticle stick to push back my cuticles, then I gently file my nails square with a stiff file.
I love this base coat, it goes on smooth, the brush is fairly wide and it dries quickly. A base coat is essential in preventing your nails from yellowing from the polish and to help the polish stick to something.
Next up, the polish. I like to do two coats of whatever colour I'm doing. You can see in the first picture it's the first coat (this should be a very thin coat, but completely cover your nail. Try to make it as smooth as possible, no bubbles, but perfection is not the goal here). The second coat (picture on right) is more important - you must ensure you cover the nail completely with quick strokes to minimize any air bubbles or bumps (don't worry about getting polish on your skin, we will take care of that after).
Let your nails completely dry before applying your top coat. This will ensure you don't smudge or remove any colour. Apply a thin layer of your top coat (I do like this top coat, but keep in mind that 'quick-drying' top coats aren't usually as good as non-quick-drying and may cause your nails to chip sooner (personally, I don't care, I'm in a rush all the time).
Once nails are dry, dip a Q-tip in nail polish remover and trace around the edges of your nails and cuticles to remove excess polish. If your nails are taking too long to dry, dip your fingertips in a bowl of ice water for as long as you can stand it. This will set the polish and you'll be ready to head out the door.
{ deux castors }
I'm a few days late, but over the holidays, my BFF had a birthday and we celebrated in style. She invited a slew of people out to dinner at a chic new-ish restaurant in town and we dined on tuna carpaccio, assorted olives, the best meatballs in town (stuffed with ricotta) and an amazing mousse-pudding like dessert that came in a jar topped with shaved almonds. I think everyone had a great time, the food and company were certainly delicious and it was of course nice to celebrate such a special evening with such a special friend. Happy (belated) birthday, Beavs.
Old Navy oxford (last seen here), Do & Be studded dress (worn as a skirt),
unknown tights, Aldo booties (last seen on my birthday) & Forever 21 cuff
As I look back on 2010 I think of all the amazing times and memories that were made, the hardships I've overcome and what the future holds. To say it was easy to put together this recap would be a lie as there was so much to share but I've decided to keep (this recap, at least) to strictly fashion. Hope you all have a safe and happy New Years and I look forward to 'seeing you next year'!
* click photos to enlarge
Hello my lovely readers. Hope everyone is enjoying their last day of 2010. I, for one, am stuck in bed with either food poisoning or a flu, it's awful & have been making good friends with the toilet (nice visual, I know). I wanted to ask for your help in a contest I have entered on Facebook. It's a contest where you show how you organize your shoes. The best display wins a $200 gift card to GetOutside, a shoe store in Toronto. You can vote once per day and I would appreciate your votes more than you know! Thank you to everyone who has already voted!
See the full post of my shoe room.
{ the greys }
Boxing Day is the biggest shopping day of the year in Canada, it takes place on December 26th and it's always a mad house at any mall - it's like the Black Friday of Canada. The last two years my bff and I hit the mall before it opened and had a hay day. This year, we ended up going much later in the day, but I still scored big time. Not all the sales are fantastic, and sometimes not even worth it at all, but everything I purchased was 50% off and more than worth it. I made purchases from Mexx, Jacob and The Bay and haven't had that successful shopping (and splurging) like that in a long time.
{ the blacks }
{ colour }
What I purchased:
Mexx
* Light grey wool open-faced cardigan, extra long in the body
* Baby pink silk tank with ruched empire
* Grey (faux) leather skirt
* Black-ish (faux) fur snood
* Dark steel silk cap-sleeved top with boatneck
Jacob
* Black silk tunic dress
* Black tapestry-style pencil skirt
* Black high-waisted pencil skirt with full zipper at back
* Light grey boat-neck tee (loose)
* Dotted tights
* Dark grey knit headband
* Black square bangle
The Bay
* Vera Moda navy dress with leather circles down front
* Vera Moda light grey t-shirt dress with bird-style embellished sleeves
{ with my chinese-gift-exchange score: two bottles of my fave champagne }
Every year at Christmas time, my high-school friends and I (aka THE 5) get together at my place for potluck dinner and a chinese gift exchange. We all live in various places and have busy lives and the only time we connect with all five of us is at Christmas. We try to get together twice a year, but Christmas is always a certainty.
This year it almost didn't pan out as one friend was only in town for a few days, and we all know how busy it can be during the holidays. However, another friend suggested we do a potluck brunch instead and it worked out so well. We had baked french toast, veggie quiche, bacon, a fruit platter, fresh juice and coffee. It was delicious and after we stuffed ourselves with a late brunch, we did our chinese gift exchange ($20 limit) which was equally as fun. Afterwards we discussed who we have and haven't seen recently from High School, what's coming up in the future, etc. It's so cool to stay in touch with friends I've had for over a decade (wow, that makes me feel a lil' old) and reminisce about the old memories and create new ones.
{ THE 5 - Christmas 2010 }
{ our family tree }
Merry Christmas everyone! It's been a crazy busy last few days and I've missed you all very much. I know I've been MIA but the holiday season has taken over my life, and honestly, that's pretty nice. On Christmas eve I went to work in the morning and spent my time exchanging gifts with friends and coworkers, tying up some lose ends before my 10-day-long vacation, drinking coffee with Bailey's and attending an annual Christmas eve potluck (brunch). It was fantastic. I left work around noon and heading in the direction of home with a few stops.
My sister came over to my place and we got busy preparing (my dad's birthday) dinner for that night (tacos - his choice). My parents and grandparents showed up just before 5pm and we ate, talked, and laughed.
Much later that night, my parents, sister and I headed to my parent's house to keep up our annual tradition of us sleeping over the night before Christmas. We woke up later than normal (which was so nice to sleep in!) and ate breakfast (a combination of fresh fruit, cinnamon buns and croissants) and drank mimosas. We then ran to the living room to see what Santa brought us and open our gifts. I was totally spoiled by my parents, sister, hubs and in-laws. That night we had our (traditional) turkey dinner (my fave) and of course stuffed ourselves to the brim.
I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas and I'll be checking your blogs to hopefully see how it went. I will also be posting more detailed shots on what I got, Boxing Day shopping and more.
{ my stocking & Santa gifts }
{ opening something totally unexpected and totally exciting:
my very own sewing machine! }
{ our tree at home with all our gifts underneath }
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