Holy smokes, here comes July!  Doesn't it seem like every month we all claim, 'OMG, can you believe it's (insert month here) already?!'  It's hard to believe the longest day of the year has come and gone but summer is just kicking off (thankfully, because we had one helluva long winter here in Ottawa!).

 

In June I shared the finished (ish) result of my closet - office room.  Marco did an amazing job building a beautiful space for me and I will film a video tour in the coming weeks (aka, as soon as I clean up all my clothes off the floor).

 

I kicked off the month with a week-long trip to Vegas where temperatures soared above 100F; I did a ton of walking, some shopping and plenty of eating.  I shared what I packed, a Vegas Photo Diary, and some snapshots via Instagram. 

 

When we got back, my Dad had generously spent two days polishing my car for me--something I did on my last car when I first bought it, which took me six hours straight.   He knew how much I was dreading doing it again, but I seriously owe him huge and am so thankful.

 

The following weekend Marco and I popped down to New York state for the day to do some shopping and pick up my new Iro shoes (ordered online in Vegas after trying on the sand suede version).  I also grabbed a few make-up items from Walmart and to recap am really loving that Neutrogena lip gloss (in #40 Gleam).

 

I shared my pretty-basic skincare routine, rocked some full length overalls and attended the wedding of a good friend (where Marco played the bride down the aisle with his guitar!).  We got our new couch that we had been waiting four months for, I sold my old furniture, worked out almost every day and tried out the slouchy pant trend (spoiler: I'm converted!).

 

 

Other posts you may have missed:

* June 2013 Recap

* Last Month's Recap

 

Outfit deets: W118 by Walter Baker top, Paige denim & Iro heels

While I would love to photograph all my outfits, it's slightly unrealistic so I often take a daily pic and share them on my Instagram under the hashtag album #acolookdowns.

I thought I would share a few of this week an last week's outfits here, as seen on Instagram (I'm acoest1984).

Outfit deets:  Max Studio sweater (new!), Vero Moda skirt & Liliana wedges.

Outfit deets:

* James Perse dress that I bought in Vegas (see my haul video here) and shared in the fitting room on Instagram.

* Iro wedges.

* Accessories: Auslini bangle, Pier 1 ring & Gucci shades.

With the weather heating up, it's nice to bring out some warmer weather clothes, like this James Perse t-shirt style dress I picked up in Vegas.  I love the fact that the fabric is doubled up and ruched to camouflage any areas that need some help, despite being a snug dress.

Lately I've been really paring down on my accessories, case in point: no necklace with this outfit.  I've left the house several times in the past few weeks without a necklace which was a strict no-no for me in the past (necklaces are my jam) but for warmer weather, it just seems less fussy with less jewellery.  That said, I always need something on my wrists and knowing me, since I've now put it out there, next week I'll be piling on statement necklaces like nobody's business.

Photos by Serena Rivard.

On Friday I got a little surprise in the mail:  new glasses from Clearly Contacts.  I'm a Style Ambassador for the brand and I guess surprise glasses are a perk of the gig!  Cute.

Outfit deets:  F21 tank, Kyoden sports bra, 90 degree leggings & Nike Free 3.0 v5

Friday night I hit the gym with Marco but was terribly grumpy #keepinitreal.

See all my 'in action' workout photos in my Instagram album called #acowerkout

Outfit deets:

* Urban Planet overalls (new!).

* H&M dress (worn as a shirt) which you've seen, as a dress, when I went to Tremblant last winter.

* Iro Saika heels (new!).

I love the overall trend but as similar to maxi dresses, have had the hardest time finding ones that fit my 5'11 frame.  The bib is never long enough and the fit is always off.  I came close to purchasing a pair in Vegas but wanted a darker wash.  I'm glad I held out as I found these ones last weekend and was shocked when not only did they fit, but I had to size down (they are made big).

I was kind of torn as to whether it was in the cards for me to pull off this trend after shrinking my shorts overalls in the dryer (I actually haven't tried them on since doing this because I'm pretty sure I'm going to be super bummed they don't fit anymore). I also tried on an acid wash but wanted something a bit more chic (if calling overalls chic is your sort of thing; it certainly is mine).  These ones have some distressing on the legs and a slightly wider opening at the bottom--versus being a full on skinny.

Lastly, let's talk about the shoes you guys.  Yes!  I bit the bullet and bought the long-covetted Iro Saika shoes.  I'll share more in a post dedicated strictly to them because while they aren't everyone's cup of tea, they are mine and I'm stoked (like, walk around the house in them stoked).

Photos by Serena Rivard.

Friday was great, I went for a pedicure, did some shopping after work and then met up with Marco at the gym.

Afterwards we...

More photos after the jump...

Hello!  Sorry for the radio silence the past couple days, I've been adjusting to the time change (which is hardly anything, at three hours, but still), getting back into the swing of work and trying to just get organized since returning from Vegas. 

I know some of you follow me on Instagram (thanks!) but not everyone has it and I like when others do Instagram recaps on their blogs, and since I did it for Punta Cana, thought I would share my Instagram snaps from my trip to Las Vegas last week.

Warning, this post is super photo heavy, hence why I'm putting it all after the jump.  If you'd like to see a condense version of this, they are in the hashtag album #acoinvegas on Instagram.

So here we go!

Upon arrival, despite it only being 11am, I was able to check in right away.  I stayed at the Aria Hotel which is across the strip from Planet Hollywood and really quite fantastic. 

I was given a tip by a friend to ask if they would offer a complimentary upgrade to a higher floor level / better view of the strip and it worked!  They initially were going to give me the 7th floor (of 54) and bumped me up to the 52nd (hello amazing!) free of charge.

I grabbed some food after dropping my bags, explored the hotel a bit then crashed for a solid six hours (not going to the bed the night before due to a 6am flight will do that to you).  When I got up, just after the dinner hour, I went downstairs and hit the buffet for an amazing dinner.  Then back to bed to sleep off the remainder of the jet lag.

I ended up getting up bright and early on Monday morning and hit the gym at the hotel.  It was surprisingly busy but quite nice.  There was an abundance of cardio machines--which I never touched--and a sizeable weight area. 

 A lot of people ask me why I work out on vacation but I kind of enjoy it.  My rationale is this: on vacation you technically have all day every day to do whatever you want.  I like to start my day with a workout because I find it sets a great tone for the day; you feel better as you get dressed, there is no rush to be anywhere and I feel a little less guilty about all the indulgence that come with holidays (margaritas & buffets anyone?). 

I could never be the person who gets up during the week and works out before work.  It's either after work or bust, but on vacation, time is infinite (sort of) and especially if you're sitting around in a bikini all day, that helps keep myself in check.

  

Outfit deets:  Urban Planet romper (new!) tucked into Bench shorts, Diba sandals & Target lace bralette.

After my workout and breakfast, I showered and got dressed.  I headed out to explore the strip, but mainly to shop.  I hit up Ross & Marshalls and scored huge at latter.