Outfit deets:
* Amanda & Chelsea sleevless blazer.
* Sam & Veda tank.
* Zara pants (new!).
* BCBC Conrad pumps (new!).
* Accessories: F21 necklaces & earrings, Deux Lux bag, Le Chateau cuff, Gorjana bangle & H&M rings.
If you follow me on Instagram (I'm acoest1984), you've seen these shoes I purchased a few weeks back. I searched four Winners to find them and was so excited to finally get my hands on a pair!
They have really nice padding for the bottom of your foot but they do run a little snug. I got my normal size (10) but they definitely need to be worked in and stretched out a bit; however, since they're real leather, it shouldn't be a problem over time.
As far as the outfit, I'm loving these pants--I'm a huge black pant lover, especially for work, and these take my regular skinnies up a notch. I especially love the side zipper and a cool seam that runs up the back of the legs to back pockets--so much so that I tried to get them in navy after buying these but they were sold out.
Photos by Serena Rivard.
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I'm back from NYC with a whole lot of photos that I'm hoping you would like to see! While it was a quick trip and we didn't get to see everything--is that even possible in one trip anyway?--it was a wonderful getaway.
This post is photo heavy so I'm putting it all after the jump.
We left super early on Thursday morning to fly out. We flew Porter, which was a really nice change, and took advantage of the lounge at the airport to drink our caffeine and and wake up.
Tons of photos after the jump...
As you know, I was in NYC for four days (Thursday through Sunday) and so that pretty much takes up my weekend recap, however, since we did arrive home shortly afternoon, I still have a few snaps I'd like to share, if you'd like to see...
After hanging out at home for a bit, I decided to run out to Ardene to check out their swimsuit selection...
More after the jump...
I saw these at Macy's while in NYC and can't stop thinking about them. I didn't buy them, nor even try them on, because technically they are not something I need to spend my money on right now, but these are so amazing I had to share them here. They also come in a olive-brown option.
I'll be back later today with a few non-New York weekend snaps and will have a full recap of my trip tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by & for being patient while I get my photos together.
Happy Friday from NYC! Marco and I are here for a few days in the big apple to celebrate our anniversary. This is my first time here (shock is usually the look on people's faces when I state that...) and we are staying in Times Square being full on tourists!
We arrived mid-afternoon yesterday and were able to check into our hotel. We unpacked a little then ended up snoozing a couple hours away. So zonked from being up at 5:30am. Despite it technically being less than three hours flying time, we had a connecting flight with a layover and also flew into Newark and grabbed a shuttle into the city--so, all time consuming but still so wonderful to be able to fly (versus the eight hour drive).
When we finally woke up, we got ready and headed out in search of some grub. We took the subway down to Yankee Stadium and caught a game against the Red Sox, then back to Times Square to shop and poke around... at 11pm! The city really does not sleep.
I am, of course, snapping photos and vlogging and will share more photos next week. In the meantime, follow me on Instagram if you'd like (I'm acoest1984), to see more. Have a great weekend!
Outfit deets:
* Winners top.
* Jacob skirt.
* Zara basic heels.
* Accessories: Ardene sunnies, Emily Elizabeth necklace, Michael Kors stud bangle, Vince Camuto leather bracelet & Aldo bangle.
We found this amazing sunflower patch and knew we'd have to use it shoot an outfit post. Only days early they were holding their faces high to the sky, soaking up the afternoon sun but by the time we arrived, they were heavy and starting to fall. Still beautiful nonetheless.
Hope you're all having a great week!
Photos by Serena Rivard.
September is here and while I can't wait to bundle up in boots, leggings, leather jackets and beanies, I'm secretly hoping for an Indian Summer to prolong the warm weather for as long as possible.
In August I celebrated my nephew's first birthday (in a maxi dress I made last summer), shared my recipe for Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps, and filmed a quick and easy hair tutorial on my go-to bun. I bought a cool earring cuff (from H&M), went to a cottage with 15 friends for a weekend (see the three-minute video recap here) and participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge (and yes, I donated too).
I showed you my secret to making dresses appear longer, tried ramen for the first time (meh), and shared my looks for Back-to-School in a video. I celebrated my bestie's birthday, bought a couple pairs of heels and shared an outfit with a top that's been on repeat all summer.
Marco bought me a hat, I took full advantage of the rooftop garden we have here (hello basil!) and we hosted am all-night party at our place to round out the Labour Day weekend.
Happy September!
Related posts:
Saturday morning gym sesh: arm day.
I usually do arms (biceps & triceps) on Friday evening but had a birthday party to attend so skipped my workout. I didn't take any photos at the party, but it was a really cool home-wine-tasting get together with plenty of delicious food as well.
Post workout brunch at Salt.
We spent Saturday afternoon at our new friend's pad, on the rooftop pool soaking up the last days of summer. As excited as I am for Fall, I am not looking forward to putting away my sandals and what comes after that (snow, ack!).
We decided to try out Salt yesterday for brunch, after the gym with a friend and I hadn't planned on sharing this eating out experience, but figured why not.
First off, the restaurant is gorgeous inside and if you're from Ottawa, you know this was formerly a Broadways and very casual. It's now transformed into a velvet-and-crystal-chanelier chic lounge with beautiful, moody decor, plush arm chairs, a grand piano in the front bar, an open kitchen and completely overhauled bathrooms.
Heading back to school? I've got three chic yet comfortable looks that you have you looking your best for the new school year. However, if you're like me and not heading back to school, these looks will take you into your weekend and make getting dressed a cinch.
As always, thanks for watching! xo
Related posts:
* Last Year's Back-to-School Video (I still love these pieces)
Okay you guys, I have the best kept secret when it comes to cleaning my shower and I'm sharing it with you here today.
Here's a little back story: I hate cleaning the shower. Like, hate, hate, hate. It is probably my most dreaded house-hold chore and before Marco and I moved in together, I would seriously let it go as long as possible (did I actually just confess that on the Internet?! Ew).
When we were looking for a place to live, we immediately fell in love with this place but my second thought after seeing the beautiful glass shower was, 'Omigod, I'm going to have to clean that'. I was cringing before we moved!
Luckily, a good friend shared this 'recipe' with me and I have been cleaning the shower like clockwork every weekend. This little concoction has turned the task into something that's not so dreadful, plus it doesn't take much elbow grease, it's super cheap and relatively good for the environment. Win, win, win!
Let's get started.
More after the jump...
Outfit deets:
* W118 by Walter Baker faux leather peplum top which you've seen last summer.
* Vero Moda jersey skirt, a Boxing Day purchase last year and you've seen me wear in Punta Cana.
* Accessories: Suzy Shier necklace, & H&M ring.
Outfit deets: Jacob sweater, Joe's Jeans denim, Guess heels (new!), The Bay necklace, Michael Kors & Joe Fresh bangles.
On Friday I headed straight to my Grandparent's place for dinner to celebrate my sister's birthday. We had a great dinner and then I stayed a while after to visit with my grandparents and Aunt who was in from out of town. I snapped a pic with my sis and my nephew but she asked me not to share it online so here is my outfit instead.
Afterwards, around 9pm, I went to the gym and had a great arm workout and threw in some abs. I slacked on the gym last week so made it a priority to get there on Friday night.
Outfit deets: 90 Degree by Reflex tank, Lululemon shorts (I bought these off my bestie who only wore them once and found them too short; they are the 2.5 inch), Puma shoes, Lululemon bag & Gucci sunnies.
On Saturday morning, Marco and I headed to the gym together.
More photos after the jump...
I was nominated for the ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) by my best friend. I have donated and taken the challenge (with Marco's help--looks like he had a little too much fun "helping", right?). Click below to watch the video.
If you've been nominated by someone, don't forget the rules: you must make a donation either way, but if you don't take the challenge, you must donate $100. If you take the challenge, the amount you donate is up to you. Good luck!
On Monday evening I posted the above photo on my Instagram and Facebook. I did a large grocery shop (finally) and did so with meals in mind to specifically plan for the week in an attempt to save money and waste less. That said, our schedules are a little bit all over the map which makes dining together during the week a bit difficult. I said I would share my dinners today for the week so here we go...
More photos after the jump...
Outfit deets:
* Imaginary Voyage peplum top which you've seen with a green pencil skirt.
* Rewash dotted denim which I purchased the first time I went to Vegas.
* Liliana wedges which you've seen with a black and white dress and also on vacation in Punta Cana back in April.
* Accessories: Emily Elizabeth necklace, Material Girl cuff & G21 sunnies.
This peplum top has been in my closet since last summer, it wasn't expensive (under $30) and I wore it a few times but this summer it has been getting a ton of play. I find myself reaching for it with skirts, denim and other pants, so much so that I have to stop myself from wearing it weekly. Does that ever happen to you? You develop a deep love for something you've had for a while?
Also, while I've been somewhat obsessed with neutrals lately, I could not deny how stellar these shoes looked with these jeans. They popped in colour against the tone of this denim that I set aside my nude pumps and just went for it with the neon. Then again, only a handful of more weeks to really rock sandals and bright neons before the snow flies so might as well take advantage.
Photos by Serena Rivard.
Remember a couple weekends ago when I went to that cottage with 15 friends?
Well, I made a little video.
I wasn't planning on it, but then we got in the car and I got excited thinking about a music montage vlog I could whip up as a keepsake to our weekend... and so, after several hours of editing, here it is.
Thanks for watching! xo
Outfit deets:
* Dynamite faux leather blazer (new!).
* C'est Moi tank (old) which you've seen a long time ago with my favourite scarf and on the weekend almost a year ago during a photography course.
* Boathouse leggings (new!).
* Accessories: Dolce & Gabanna glasses.
After Marco and I filmed my next video for Place d'Orleans on the weekend, he started to snap a couple shots of me sitting on the couch... turns out the man has a serious hidden talent! While he won't be replacing Serena anytime soon, I had to share these shots he got of me on our new couch. There are even a few that would make great head shots... if I ever needed that sort of thing... with my hair up.
Also, I'll be sharing these items in my video later this week but PDO has the blazer and leggings in store right now, so run, if you're in the area and looking to scoop them up. This blazer totally reminds me of the olive green/faux leather one I picked up this time last year (see it in an outfit post here)--such a great silhouette and price point.
Outfit deets: Vero Moda top, Dynamite faux leather shorts & Aldo heels.
On Friday night I went to Nature Nocturne at the Museum of Nature; a once monthly event where they turn the museum into a night club with multiple rooms with different DJ's and sounds and more. Since it was the kick off to Pride Week here in Ottawa, this one had a burlesque and drag Queen show which was so fun to watch.
There was this huge octopus that hung from the ceiling and changed colours; trust me when I saw it was a huge photo-op to anyone with an Instagram account (ha).
This week has been busy--my own doing--with something happening every night. I don't usually jam pack my schedule, but this week just ended up that way and now I have a weekend with very little plans planned and that's quite alright with me.
On Monday and Wednesday I met up with a friend and we worked out.
I painted my nails with OPI's, 'Mod About You' which is a milky pink that's really pretty but, it's similar to an opaque white where, once it starts to chip, it looks really bad, really fast.
More photos after the jump...
Last week, Marco took me out for my first Ramen experience. We went to Ginza in Chinatown for a casual meal to round out the long weekend.
More photos after the jump...
A few weeks ago I had a really bad day.
Like, really bad.
One that ensued multiple sessions of tears and I just felt emotionally drained. I briefly touched on it in a blog post and someone scoffed commenting something along the lines of, 'Yeah, like your life is so stressful'.
I wanted to talk about this today because like anyone else, I have heartache, emotional ups and downs and while things might look just rosy here, it's not like that all day, err day.
So yes, I had a horrible day, and I cried and it sucked. I vented to my friends, to Marco and had to ride the wave until I decided to push it out of my mind for the next couple days and try to enjoy that weekend.
I'm sharing this because while I try to keep it pretty positive here, there are definitely days where I wake up and kind of just want to stay in bed. I'm not going to post misery and negative rants on here because that's not what you come here for, and that's not really me. I want to share enjoyable experiences, a cool shopping find I'm loving or mini success moments in hopes it inspires someone. I love hearing that you enjoy coming here and hanging out--I know for me, reading blogs is a big happiness part of my day, every day.
All that aside, I want you to know that you are important, and good, and special and we all experience pain and sorrow in our lives, and you are not alone. I have been so low before it felt I would never feel happy again. I have had a hard time picking myself up, getting dressed, and just leaving my apartment. A hard time talking to someone, anyone, without crying. Being so low I could barely crack a smile.
The best part? It was temporary, all pain is. So, if you're having bad day, a bad week, a bad month, or maybe it feels like this just isn't your year, I'm sending you a BIG HUG through the Internet. A big, freaking bear hug. You don't have to smile today, maybe not tomorrow, but know that your smile will soon return, naturally and this too, shall pass.
Related posts:
Last weekend was one for the books for sure. We left work early on Friday and 15 of us drove up to Fiddler Lake in Quebec where we rented one of the many cottages (Le Harfang) for Marco's friend's birthday. I think I speak for all 15 when I say we were all pleasantly shocked at how beautiful the cottage was, but more on that later.
We left mid afternoon on Friday, in separate cars, and drove through the beautiful Quebec countryside. It was just under two hours to get there and it was a perfect day for it.
When we arrived, the writing on the wall was clear was the plan was for the whole weekend.
Many more photos after the jump...
One day, a few months back, a friend and I were emailing and I asked her if she had any suggestions for dinner. She suggested her signature recipe: Thai chicken lettuce wraps.
Since then, it's not only become a go-to and something I make quite frequently, but also something I whip out for guests as well--and it's always a hit. I'd love to share the simple recipe with you...
Click for more (photo overload)...
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