Outfit deets:
* Ardene overalls (new!); I had planned to remove the daisies before we left on vacation but ran out of time. I know daisies are a huge trend this year but I'm not really feeling it, and despite thinking it's cute on theses, I'll still likely cut them off.
* H&M tank (old).
* Converse sneakers which I finally got to wear outside during our vacation, plus I used them as my travelling shoes instead of my normal flats.
This is a super simple outfit from my trip, but next time I'll style these overalls with a tee. That was my initial plan, but the t-shirt I brought was too flowy and it wasn't doing any favours to the overalls, nor me.
That said, this denim won't be seeing the light of day for a good month, with the cool temps we are still having. As an aside, it feels good to at least put away the winter jackets and pull out something a little lighter like leather jackets and trench coats. Hope you're having a great week thus far and see you tomorrow.
1 comment
More after the jump...
Hello! Hello! How is everyone's week going? You didn't think I would go a whole week without checking in from vacation, did you? Ha, me neither. Blogging is always on my mind and I love sharing and connecting with you all through here so I thought Friday would be the perfect day to stop in with a post from Punta Cana.
This week has been wonderful and relaxing, although I have found myself having a hard time sinking into vacation mode. Might be due to a longer length in between this and my last vacation--I'm out of practice. That said, as the days go by, my pace slows a little more, I breathe a little deeper and savour the moments a little longer. With two days left I better hurry up and relax!
I've been instagramming lots so if you aren't following along, and would like to, I'm @acoest1984.
On Tuesday we did a full day Catamaran excursion, leaving the resort just before 8am ams returning over 11 hours later. Sadly, it was not my favourite thing and it felt so good to get back to the resort. On top of that, I think due to the food and drinks I had off the resort, I ended up feeling pretty yucky on Wednesday. It was super unpleasant so that day was a bit of a wash.
On brighter notes, the resort is amazing and the food is fantastic. The people here are incredibly kind, friendly and accommodating. The pools are massive, the beach is gorgeous and the weather has been great (not great for my hair though, ha!).
I'm sitting here on our second-floor balcony with a view of the ocean and palm trees rustling above. I just ordered room service for the first time: a pre-dinner snack of chicken Caesar salad and am catching up on my favourite YouTube subscriptions (having wifi is awesome) while Marco is having a snooze inside.
Ultimately, I don't want to go home! I'm trying not to think about the inevitable because the thought of cooking and cleaning again? Ugh! Till then though, I'll down several more margaritas, indulge in far too many croissants at breakfast and enjoy the sun from my shaded beach chair since this girl isn't getting a tan. See you Monday!
I'll be honest, when I first saw these, I wasn't their biggest fan. That said, I thought they were really on-trend as far as d'orsay flats go, the snakeskin print makes them unique, and the price was right. Sometimes I will push myself, fashion-wise, to step outside the box; case in point, recent overalls.
It often results in things you would normally pass up, but then end up loving and being ahead of the fashion curve. Wins all around!
These are grown up flats with an edge that I think will end up being a neutral staple in my wardrobe for work and weekends. And if the snakeskin print isn't up your alley, they come in black as well.
I'll admit I sometimes have a hard time being social. I love being at home and often have to be forced to get out and be social.
Once I'm there, I usually have a great time, but beforehand, my introverted side can get the best of me. I will often have minor feelings of anxiousness for some strange reason despite most people thinking I'm a social butterfly.
What about you, is it hard for your to get out of the house and socialize? Or is that how you recharge your batteries? I'd love to hear, sound off in the comments.
(Photo from a party last summer with a new friend).
I started packing around 11pm the night before we left and ended up pulling an all-nighter. Talk about procrastination, but I think I did alright (and we had to be at the airport for 5am).
First up, outfits for dinner. I really wanted to find a sexy dress but to be honest, I'm much more of a separates girl (and didn't have any luck dress shopping).
I started by planning the outfits but quickly realized putting the shoes above helped me plan two outfits per heels. I would have loved to bring more shoes but that's not really an option with weight limits. Four of the outfits are shorts--my jam--and two are skirts.
For jewellery, I kept it fairly simple with statement necklaces and I'll wear the same studs every day and night. I wore a couple bangles on the plane that I can swap in too. The clutch is an oldie but goodie from Ardène that works with mostly everything despite being a print.
I'll be sure to share outfit photos as I wear these.
Shoes (left to right): Shoemint, Le Chateau & Liliana.
This is the fewest bathing suits I've ever packed and I'm kind of happy. Less selection but my absolute favourites, plus I get to wear them more than once.
Top photo (left to right):
* Victoria's Secret top & bottom
* American Eagle top & Victoria's Secret bottom
* Ardène hat
Bottom photo:
* Ardène top & bottom (wore this yesterday)
* Ardène top & Victoria's Secret bottom
* La Vie en Rose hat
For casual day clothes I packed the new overalls, a variety of shorts, the new kimono, a denim jacket (also worn to travel), an open knit sweater & two pairs of flat gladiators. The Converse kicks were worn to travel in and perhaps if we go somewhere off the resort (I'm just excited to rock these newbies outside, finally).
I also packed a couple of black cover ups/dresses for easy access at the beach and pool.
Working out on vacation is something I enjoy since I love eating and drinking and basically just indulging. I forgot to include my gym shoes in this photo but they came with me too. I packed shorts & tanks for the week along with my running skirt.
On Friday night I went shopping and tried on a ton of stuff at Forever 21 (including this jumper), Zara and Urban Outfitters. I bought two boring grey tanks and found nothing I was actually looking for.
I went back to Home Sense on my lunch break on Friday to grab these Tahari sheets. We have a friend staying at our place while we are away and since we only have one sheet set, I knew there wouldn't be enough time at 4am to strip the bed, wash and dry the sheets and re-make it. So I washed these in advance and Marco made the bed before we flew out.
I was starving when I got home so I made some roasted heirloom carrots & sweet potato fries with sea salt.
Saturday morning at the gym.
Then we went to Chuck's Deli for lunch which was so delicious, per usual.
Sunday afternoon was spent procrastinating and looking for a few new clothing items to take with me to Punta Cana, instead of cleaning the condo and packing. I went to Fabricland in search of fabric to make myself a kimono and liked this purple-white-floral one. I didn't end up purchasing it--I wouldn't have had time to make it beforehand--but might go back for it when I get home.
After spending several hours at home cleaning, I showered and headed out to another mall. I ended up scoring this cool feather-print kimono from Sirens. I went to two Sirens this past week and saw all their kimonos and just wasn't sold--I must have missed this one and scooped it up for $15.
Late night thai take-out.
Time to go! Instead of going to bed and getting up at 4am, I stayed up until Sunday morning packing, cleaning and blogging.
We are leaving for sunny Punta Cana this morning and I just finished packing, cleaning and getting everything in order. As I mentioned, I had a helluva time while shopping this past week--it seems when you have things in mind, you cannot find them for the life of you.
All that to say, I spent Saturday running around with Marco doing last minute errands and some shopping, for both of us. He was quite successful but it wasn't until my final trip out after a few hours of cleaning at home, where I found some items. I'm so excited I found some vacation-specific pieces--things that I certainly can't wear here for a few more months.
Stay connected with me on Instagram this week (I'm @acoest1984).
Item details after the jump...
Outfit deets:
* Reitmans sweater (new!).
* Mavi 'Serena' jeans from Jean Machine (new!).
* Converse low-tops (new!).
* Accessories: MK watch (old).
Happy Friday!
Today is my last day at work before a blissful 10 days of vacation. We leave for Punta Cana on Sunday for a week and I can't wait to sleep in, eat, feel the heat and wear shorts!
Although I won't be in town next week, I have some fun posts lined up for the blog and may even check in with some fresh vacation photos while they are happening. Be sure to follow along on Instagram as I'll be posting up a storm on there (I'm @acoest1984).
Before we go, I have a few things to take care of; this week I've been to the mall twice and to a few Winners in search of three things: a floral kimono, some flat sandals & a sexy dress. I have had zero luck thus far and only come home with purchases for Marco. Not a total fail, but certainly not as fun.
Tonight I'm meeting up with Serena to shoot the look I'm wearing today--hopefully the rain holds off--and then I plan to dash to the mall with high hopes I'll find what I'm looking for. I've already purchased more sunscreen, a new lotion and some aloe vera gel in case someone gets too zealous in the sun. Tomorrow will be spent packing and cleaning, and then we are off!
Hope you have a great weekend!
Aldo, Ceriwiel $110 sale $74.95
If you've seen my most recent haul video, you've already seen these beauties, but since I've slowed down on the shoe purchasing, it's fun to showcase new purchases in their own blog post.
Cut-outs are a huge trend for this Spring and I knew I had to scoop these up when I saw them. I would say they are true to size and I purchased a size 10. I love how they look with black skinnies but am looking forward to pairing them with skirts and bare legs soon.
The living / dining room in our new space is a great size with large windows. Since it's a corner unit, we have a really nice view of the Ottawa river and towards downtown. The light that streams in during the morning is both beautiful and annoying for those who love sleeping in (this girl!).
Since we have to wait a few months for our new sectional, we moved my furniture in for the interim. Once the new couch is ready, we will sell this furniture to make room.
Plans for this room include the new couch, an entertainment stand which will go on the left-hand wall/side for the tv, and a rug. The couch we've ordered is a light heather grey--you can see a sneak peek of the fabric in my hands here--and I'm thinking a dark grey shag rug would be nice. However, since the furniture in the space are currently brown tones, we might hold off on purchasing a rug. That said, it's pretty echo-y in here but we haven't found the perfect rug yet either.
Lastly, since wall space is so scarce, the main focus for art will go on the left wall, before the door--which leads to the master bedroom. The wall is slightly curved and quite large so we are thinking about what we would like to put there, likely a large abstract piece or three coordinating abstract canvases. There is no major rush for this, as priorities are going to and have gone to furniture, bedding, vacation, eating out, etc.
In the photo above, I'm standing in front of the kitchen, so when you turn around, you see...
Since there is a lack of cupboard space, the owner added that small armoire on the left. We have since moved that to the second bedroom to keep things open. We are thinking about looking for a hutch but have been using a similar light wood armoire that I brought from my old apartment; it matches the floors well and is storing all our stemware.
You can see how the space looks now, with furniture and a big ol' mess that needs to be unpacked, after the jump...
March was an emotional and stressful month with lots of changes and excitement. At the beginning of the month, my best friend Sarah welcomed her baby boy whom I met on his birthday. We had our new bed delivered, I cleaned out my old closet and organizede.the new on. We officially moved on March 8th and woke up the next morning to a beautiful view.
I did a ton of unpacking, bought some cut-out heels from Aldo and some lace-up heels I was coveting for almost a year from Le Chateau. Emily sent me flowers as an early birthday gift / congrats-on-moving, my Grammy made me fingerless gloves and I saw some muscle definition in my arms (what!).
I celebrated my big 30th birthday, with family in February and with friends at an amazing party thrown by Marco on the actual day (see a recap of the weekend). I shared a few outfits and got down to business filming my most recent haul/try-on video.
I'm so excited to share the news that I'm going to Punta Cana this coming weekend! Marco is taking me for my birthday and I didn't want to spill the beans until he booked the trip which happened a couple nights ago.
The initial plan was Mexico, but we couldn't find anything that looked like it would be as good as last year's trip, without spending a silly fortune. Then we came across the new Breathless resort and it was almost a given. We hesitated for a minute, I think simply to switch our hearts from Mexico to Dominican, and Marco surprised me by booking it. Woohoo!
I pulled a few things from my closet that I'd like to bring along with me; obviously this isn't everything, but a few key pieces. As always, I'm going to try and plan outfits and pack in advance so I don't overpack--but when does that ever happen (the answer we are looking for here is never).
Photo details after the jump...
Friday afternoon and evening it rained and rained. It was such a nice change from the snow and it even got quite mild. I spent the evening in, made a stir fry and relaxed.
Unfortunately the mild weather was short lived because we woke up to a snowstorm on Saturday morning (ugh).
I whipped up some raspberry chia seed jam--my second batch--to stir into my greek yogurt.
Saturday morning gym sesh (chest), then it was onto lunch...
More after the jump...
I first saw these leather lace-up heels at Le Cheateau last May (here's proof: I debated purchasing them and asked for your advice on Instagram). I decided to walk away from them, against almost everyone's advice, but haven't stopped thinking about them since--and almost regretted not buying them.
Since last year's lace-up trend seems to be going strong for this year, the hunt continued. When I popped into Le Chateau the other night, I was shocked to see these on the sale rack (for $35, versus the regular $100). I laughingly asked the sales girl to check for my size, knowing full well it was a lost cause...
And then she came back.
With a box.
In my size.
Gasp!
I put them on, again, and pranced around the store knowing they were coming home with me for sure, no questions asked. I wore them the very next day and can't wait for warmer weather to rock them with some bare legs. And, if you want to grab a pair for yourself, the website still has them in the nude-blush colour. Woohoo!
Outfit deets:
* BCBG jacket (borrowed & sold in my former closet sale).
* F21 faux leather top.
* Sirens camo pants which you've seen on the weekend at our new place, with my favourite black boots, for a Halloween costume, during the summertime last year & also in my Fall Fashion video.
* Aldo wedge boots (old) which you've seen with pink pants, with a skirt in my old apartment & also in black with a leopard dress, and a sequin skirt.
* Accessories: Gucci shades (Christmas gift many years ago) & MK watch (also a Christmas gift a few years ago).
While taking these photos, Serena commented the jacket looked like a flying squirrel. She immediately gasped thinking I'd be upset but I burst into laughter--I had never thought of it that way, and it was kind of true, despite really loving the jacket.
Fashion is always in good fun, and I've had a silly Dad who's always made cheeky comments about my clothes; a cropped jacket, 'Hey, your jacket shrunk in the wash', distressed denim, 'Oh, I see you took a tumble and ripped your jeans...', and so on, so it's safe to say, I can handle it.
What are your plans for the weekend? This is the last weekend I have my apartment before I have to give the keys back. My parents are going to help me move the last few items out--some being stored at their place, some to the new place--which will of course be followed by more unpacking. We received our new duvet cover so now the hunt for shams, accent pillows and a few other items can begin too. Otherwise some sleeping in, some breakfast in the new kitchen, and some relax time.
Hope you have a lovely weekend!
Photos by Serena Rivard.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)