Outfit deets:
* Plenty trapeze top which I wear frequently. Last seen here with a red skirt and leather jacket (and one of my favourite outfit posts of all time).
* Stitches skirt which is stretchy and amazing and can be tugged down lower to make it longer for work or hiked up high for weekends or evenings out (and always fits you even when you're having a fat day). I have this skirt in black, grey, red, blue... and wear them often.
* Anne Michelle heels, another favourite and seen here with grey, pink & ruffles (their first outfit post), with a pretty floral dress and a favourite with polka dots.
* Garage tank, Auslini bangle, Dollarama ring & Suzy necklace.
Thanks for all your comments and suggestions on how to make the Internet run quicker and smoother for me. Big help! I still seem to be unable to upload to Flickr at home, but am going to purchase more storage space for photos because as you all mentioned, it's cheap (it is! $5 for 20GB) so again, thank you.
Hope you all had a great weekend; I went running for the first time since returning from Florida, visited with family, checked out the local Farmers Market, visited cottage country and ate far too many Peeps on Easter Monday. I have a weekend recap coming up for you, as well as my recap of Florida and an what I wore for Easter.
Outfit deets:
* Talbots top which I purchased in Florida at TJ Maxx for $14.99 and seen here in my shopping recap post
* Bongo pants which I have owned for at least three years and am finally wearing them... last seen here with booties and here with stripes. I seriously didn't wear these for years, they sat in my closet, brand new and I remember thinking, 'I love these pink pants, but they are a little"out there" for me to actually wear'. In fact, I thought that as I purchased them, but boy oh boy am I glad I did!
* Aldo wedges which are from 2007 but my second pair as they went on super sale at the end of the season so I scooped up another pair (hence why these look practically brand new; they are!). I used the first (well worn) pair for a cool studded DIY project (you can see them here in action).
* Jewelery: Auslini bangle which was a birthday gift last year from a friend that is my favourite, Pandora bracelet and a ring from The Bay.
I've been having some serious Internet issues. So serious I haven't posted in two days which frustrates the hell outta me. Wah wah.
But seriously, my blogger account has run out of juice...er...space to hold photos (has this happened to you?!) and now I have to use Flickr, which isn't that bad except I can't seem to upload my photos to Flickr when I'm at home... and I can't do it from work because, hell-o, I'm working (and the the site is blocked) so it's been very frustrating.
On top of that, the Internet connection I have been pirating in my apartment building has recently been locked and (woe is me) I have been forced to get a connection of my own. I'm using my iPhone to tether the connection to my laptop and as it turns out, the connection isn't what you would exactly call lightening speed.
However, I can't complain as it is faster but I can complain about Blogger, Flickr, my lacking graphic design skills and the weather (I know you melted all the snow, Mother Nature, and you're awesome but could you send some warm weather this way, please?).
Rant over.
A couple fun Instagram shots below. ...because I'm obsessed.
Dresses (birthday gifts from my parents): Calvin Klein, Spense & Jessica Simpson
Shoes: Guess & Sbicca
Shorts: Hybrid & Co. | Top Talbots 
Bikini top: Target | Hat: Rampage
I've uploaded a haul video I filmed so check out the link.
I love love love the neon trend for Spring and can't wait to rock it through items I already own (pashmina, skirt and shoes) and maybe purchase a couple more. If you're a little apprehensive about neon, nail polish is a great way to ease your way into the trend.
I recently picked up two China Glaze nail polishes at Sally as they were on sale, two for $5. I've worn the pink a couple times but had yet to rock this neon yellow (Celtic Sun #1015), but after seeing the inspiration photo below, I knew exactly what I wanted to do!
To complete this look, after applying a clear base coat and letting it dry, I taped off my nails with Scotch tape on an angle. I painted two coats of the silver (Revlon's 'Silver Screen' #918) and left it to dry for a good 30 minutes. Then I peeled the tape off, gently, and very carefully coloured in the other part with the neon and it's regular brush. The edges aren't perfect (hello shaky hand) but still came out pretty great. I did two coats of the neon and my only qualm is that it's not the thickest solution (I found this with the pink too) and going over it many times with the brush creates almost 'bald patches'. I let it all dry for another 30 minutes and then did a top coat which smoothed out the whole thing.
The inspiration...
“There’s something sacred about reading a blog post on someone else’s site. It’s like visiting a friend’s house for a quick meal ’round the breakfast table. It’s personal — you’re in their space, and the environment is uniquely suited for idea exchange and uninterrupted conversation. In many ways, we should be treating our blogs like our breakfast tables. Be welcoming & gracious when you host, and kind & respectful when visiting.” – Trent Walton
(via Cup of Jo; via Swiss Miss)
Oh TGIF, literally T. G. I. F.! I'm so pumped for the weekend; tonight will be a low key evening in and watching 'The Ides of March'. On Saturday I plan to check out the new Marshalls that just opened up in my city with a girlfriend and that night I'm attempting home-made thai food (rice wraps & pad thai, we'll see how that goes). Have a great weekend!
If my sewing skills suddenly improve, I'd love to try and make this.
Have you seen this slow motion ballet? Incredible.
Don't forget about Earth Hour on Saturday night.
Want to dye your hair 'Rihanna Red'? She shows you how to.
These boots are sweet and sassy (& cheap).
Have you ever consigned your clothes?
Side-note: I'm totally obsessed with Instagram, are you? If you use it, leave your user name below so I can find you. Mine is acoest1984.
Outfit details:
* Dynamite blazer (a personal fave), last seen with a ruffled pale pink dress, here with a geometric print dress & with skinny pants.
* Spense dress, picked this up in Florida at Ross and was part of my birthday gift from my parents.
* BCBG heels from TJ Maxx last year when I went to Florida. Last seen with white skinnies, here with grey denim, and my with my favourite ruffled skirt.
* Givenchy nude fishnet tights that I wear all. the. time. I found a handful at Winners and scooped them up as they are hard to find and since I've been wearing them for years, I need to replace them yearly.
* Givenchy nude fishnet tights that I wear all. the. time. I found a handful at Winners and scooped them up as they are hard to find and since I've been wearing them for years, I need to replace them yearly.
* Vintage necklace, Pandora bracelet (with two new charms I received for my birthday: 'Journey' and my birthstone, 'Aquamarine,' similar), Dillards & F21 bangles.
I'm switching up how I list my outfit details, what do you think? Do we like it? LoveMaegan... does something similar and I really like how she lists what she previously wore with something and gives a visual before you even click the link. Thoughts?
So I wore this dress to work the other day, and while I got a ton of compliments and love the colour, I couldn't wait to rip it off when I got home. Too tight and too fussy! The following day was dubbed a 'flowy' day where I wore skinnies and a flowy top. Ah. To be able to breathe.
I know I said I had a purchase post coming soon on the loot I nabbed in Florida, plus a recap of my vacation, also I want to share the birthday gifts I received; I did not lie, it's just taking me a bit longer. Between going through all my photos, editing them, and (the worst) not having Internet (the connection I was pirating has now been locked. Damn!), I've been a little slow moving. But alas, I have a 'net connection now and will get those posts up very soon. Hope you are all having a great day!
This year my birthday extended over three weeks (three weeks!) and I must confess, I’m not complaining.
My girlfriends and I (a new group of girls I was introduced to less than a year ago by a dear friend) try to have girls’ nights once per month, but we hadn’t seen each other since our Christmas Party in December! Anyways, we decided to plan a get together a week prior to my birthday and I mentioned to my friend (the introducer) that it’d be nice to go out and in a way celebrate my birthday with those girls and since this girls’ night was so close, we could roll it into one. I figured we might say a, ‘Cheers! Happy Birthday Amanda!’ over drinks at dinner. Boy was I wrong. My girlfriend made it her personal mission that we celebrate my birthday that night and she made that very clear when she showed up at my apartment before dinner with the amazing, custom cake above. Yes, that is a big chocolate shoe. It brought tears to my eyes!
From there, we got ready and met up with the other four girls and had an amazing Italian dinner complete with complimentary shots from our server. Afterwards, we went back to my place and cut the cake, had some drinks and laughs. It was one of the best nights of my life (that sounds pretty bold, but it was).
I have spent three birthdays in Florida: five to six, eleven to twelve and this year, twenty-seven to twenty-eight. Pretty lucky, right? I’d say so.
I flew down to to Florida the day before my birthday so was there to celebrate and it played out perfectly. In the morning, my mom, step-grandmother and her niece all went to get pedicures at a Cosmetology school. It was interesting and fun. The pedicures were only $14, which is a steal (I know I mentioned $8 before but the numbers were mixed up) and everyone was very nice. I picked out an orangey-red colour but cannot remember the OPI name.
F21 top, American Apparel bandeau, Almost Famous shorts, Bamboo sandals, H&M bangle & Dollarama ring
We hit up Target after our pedicures and I must have tried on half the store. I walked away with some new skinny pants (in magenta!), a bikini top, some Elf make-up brushes and the brightest pink blush you have ever seen. I certainly didn’t buy a lot, but it was our first day of shopping so I didn’t want to go too crazy.
On that note, I had four more things in my cart that I was planning on buying (cat-eye sunglasses, a white bf cardi, a coral pencil skirt and some jewellery) but put them back at the last minute. Do you ever do that?
Ashley B jacket (last seen here), Rachel Roy pashmina, Charles Jourdan purse & Diva Lounge wedges (last seen here)
That night, my whole family (seven of us) went to my favourite US chain, Chili’s, for dinner. We had two-for-one drinks (love this concept as we don’t have that in Canada!) and I got my favourite: the buffalo chicken sandwich with coleslaw. Mmmm.
Our server got wind that it was my birthday and came along after dinner with some others, sang to me and presented me with the most delicious brownie you’ve ever had. I shared.
Edit: Forida recap HERE.
Jacob Connexion button-down, thrifted leather skirt (last seen here), Joey heels (last seen here), Suzy belt & Dollarama ring
Once I returned home, I was taken out for a very special dinner to a favourite restaurant of mine. Since the weather was so mild, I took advantage and went bare-legged with highly uncomfortable shoes and rocked some extensions.
What you didn’t see:
My work friends (which includes one of my besties) surprised me by taking me to lunch at one of my favourite lunch spots.
I thought it was just going to be me and my girlfriend and I was saying how I really shouldn’t go and spend money since I was leaving for Florida the following week. She said she would treat me for my birthday and little did I know; we showed up and the other three were there (one of whom is on mat-leave currently!) and they had already ordered (my favourite dish) and were waiting.
It was so kind. They also gifted me with the sweetest card and a gift card to one of my favourite stores, Winners!
Sometimes I get a craving for something sweet, even though I'm not hungry.
Okay, who am I kidding? I frequently get sweet cravings.
Tonight was no different but I knew if I tore open the bag of mini-eggs I have stashed in my purse, imense guilt would set in immediately after especially since I induldged enough this weekend. So, the alternative? A make-shift 'healthy' apple crisp.
It's has fruit, that's healthy, right?
It's simple. Go!
You will need:
* 1 apple
* 1 tsp. butter
* 1 heaping spoon of whole wheat flour
* cinnamon
* vanilla frozen yoghurt (optional and personally, I like the option)
With a fork, mix your melted butter and flour together until it forms a pebble-like consistency. Peel the apple (remove the skin) and slice into flat-ish pieces into a bowl. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Sprinkle with flour/butter mixture. Add more apple pieces, repeat & microwave for about four minutes (or until it looks cooked). Enjoy.
Another shot of the beach. Your thoughts: Yawn. Snore. Boring! I'm on holidays though and not doing full fledged outfit picture taking and all that jazz... Is it Tuesday or Wednesday? I can't keep up. That's what true holidays feel like, right?
Shopping purchases post coming soon. Two days of vacation left.
Have you ever met someone you felt you knew for a long, long time, but really only knew them online? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to hang out with another blogger? Have you ever Skyped, emailed and bonded simply through today's technology yet never physically been in the presence of someone you consider your 'friend'?
Jamie from Glam Latte and I 'met' over two years ago after discovering each others blogs. We became Internet friends fast and blog comments turned to emails and emails turned to Skyping and last week that turned into meeting in person. She tells the story so much better than I, but I have to say it was so great finally meeting my BBFF (best blogger friend for-evah; yes, we are that cheesy and we love it). It was a fluke and the stars aligned or something, but it happened. We had lunch, chatted for hours, and got one picture (ha!).
Have you ever met a blog friend?
You guys I'm in Florida! I'm having such a great time and am finally unwinding and relaxing. You know when you first arrive on vacation and you're all go-go-go!? Well, I am, and it takes me a few days to come down from the regular pace of life and just simply enjoy doing nothing, basically. I think I'm almost there.
Today I spent all day at the beach, which was glorious. It was over 80 degrees, sunny and breezy (we are staying in Cocoa Beach, Florida so the wind off the ocean is great as you can lie on the beach all day and not sweat, but it's still uber warm). I finished reading my book, I swam in the ocean (I body surfed & boogie boarded), I walked down to the pier and I sat out in the sun and relaxed (wearing SPF 30, of course). My spray tan is slowly fading and the albino in me is slowly showing her face (ha), but that's okay. People often comment when I come back from vacation that I 'didn't get much colour', but that's because I'm so fair skinned that one week in the sun isn't going to render me much colour, on top of that, I do tend to stay out of the sun (save today) as I try to be preventative (pre-mature aging) and I know I won't get much colour anyways!
I just finished dinner with my family and we ate at the condo for the first time since I've been here. Last night we went to this little pizzaria on the main street where you can get a pasta dish, salad and garlic bread for $5.99. What?! Where I'm from, that would be at least $15 and it was good, and there was a lot of food. I love eating down here, it's cheap and the portions are huge.
So I have five more days left in my holiday and then it's home time. So far the weather has been amazing, sunny and beautiful. Yesterday, my mom and I hit up Ross, Payless Shoes & Bealls. Although I tried on a ton of stuff at Ross, I only walked away with a couple items. The day before that was more successful at Target where I found a couple bikini tops, some new skinny pants (in magenta!) and some awesome Elf make-up products (we don't have Elf in Canada) including a super bright pink blush. We still need to hit TJ Maxx and maybe a few other places and I really hope I can go to a favourite: Bijoux Terner, which is at the Orlando outlet, before I head home.
Hope you are all having a great weekend & fabulous St. Patty's day!
Not my favourite photo, but for blog purposes, I'm letting you guys see it!
...for all you confused out there, we don't have a Target in Canada...yet.
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