Happy Halloween! Despite being confused with a ballerina 50% of the time, this pink flamingo costume was a big hit and cute at the same time. I hadn't planned to dress up during the day today but then I saw Veronika's adorable flamingo DIY for her daughter and it sparked an idea for myself.
Click to see more photos & how I made it...
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We are in full swing Fall here in Ottawa so I've picked up a bunch of items for my favourite season. This time of year is all about layers, dark and moody colours and natural materials like suede and knits. Check out my newest video on Fall fashion above to see what I scored.
Related videos:
Outfit deets:
* Accessories: Laundry by Shelli Segal fingerless gloves (similar texture, similar colour & splurge) & Call It Spring circle scarf (old; similar, pretty grey option)
Just a quick post today on a couple outfits I shared on Instagram recently. Not every outfit can be a 'photoshoot outfit' but I still like to share what I'm wearing (even for myself to look back for outfit inspiration!).
I've included links to similar items since a lot of my clothes are things I've had for a few years and I'm constantly re-styling them in different ways. The boots up top I picked up in the Spring at BCBG super on sale and this was my first time wearing them--finally! The sneakers below are the ones I picked up in Vegas back in June and something I've been rocking a ton on the weekends to run errands and shop (can't beat that comfort).
Hope you're having a great week!
Outfit deets:
* Walmart cotton leggings
* Accessories: Forever 21 cross-body bag, seen here (similar, similar) & branch necklace (pricier option)
I wanted to start a new 'series' where I share some affordable finds when I come across them. These will be items I would genuinely purchase myself, that are on trend, and at a great price point.
I absolutely love these boots and would totally buy them if I didn't already own this similar pair, plus they have all sizes available right now! At under $50 they are a steal and I've had great success with GoJane in the past and purchased tons of shoes from them.
I love the wedge heel on these--easier to walk in, especially if it's snowy outside but you want to dress up a bit. I'd pair these with leggings, skinny denim and short skirts with oversized sweaters.
A few more affordable boots I'm loving, after the jump...
Filming videos and editing them is something I love to do but it's rarely seamless so I compiled a quick video with a few outtakes from the last year to laugh at.
Thanks for watching!
See all my videos here.
On Friday night I celebrated my good friend's birthday at Big Easy's in Little Italty. We were a small group and the conversation flowed as well as the drinks did.
Read more after the jump...
I wanted to share the photos I posted on Instagram of our trip to Barbados because I know not everyone has Instagram. If you already follow me (I'm acoest1984), you can skip this post and come back on Monday, but if not, here's a few things you may have missed.
Also, if you wanted to see all the photos--shared by friends and myself--in a condensed format, we created an IG album under the hashtag #brilliantbarbadosbreakaway
Thanks for reading! xo
More photos after the jump...
Outfit deets:
* Dynamite jacket (old) which you've seen with leggings and a scarf, with denim in one of my favourite outfit posts of all time, belted with skinny pants (what was I thinking?), three years ago with my favourite snood, with a sweater dress & booties, and with flared denim.
* Zara thin-knit sweater (bought recently during the semi-annual sale).
* Zara pants which you've seen with an amazing pair of heels.
* Forever 21 booties (new!).
* Accessories: Forever 21 purse, The Bay necklace, Gorjana bangle & MK thick bangle and sunglasses.
I saw these booties on the Forever 21 website about a month ago and picked them up in store a couple days later. I love them! They are definitely one of those purchases that look more expensive than they are, and are nothing like I own--so $40 was well justified.
You guys know I'm a huge neutral lover, so this outfit is totally me, yet professional enough for a business casual environment. I could also see these booties with a snug dress in black, navy or maroon for a night out.
Hope you're having a good week, it's almost the weekend!
Photos by Serena Rivard.
1. Schutz Noire // 2. Forever 21 // 3. Express // 4. Zara Leather Western Boot // 5. Sole Society Natasha //
Hello hello! I'm back from Barbados (as of late last Thursday) and spent my remaining three days off catching up on stuff around the house, laundry, unpacking, and of course some fun and shopping in there too.
I'm still going through the over-500 photos I took, but I promise to narrow it down and will share a travel-diary tomorrow. I also took tons of video and am currently working on a recap of the trip that I will try to keep under three minutes (to some fun island music).
Thank you so much for being patient with my lack of posts for a week--I know that can be annoying or frustrating, but at the same time, it's the first time in over four years where I went on vacation and truly kicked back and didn't schedule posts--which was kind of nice. I definitely felt a little guilty and you guys were always on my mind, but hopefully we kept in touch through Instagram at least (see our IG vacation album here).
Anyway, without further adieu, here is a peek at my weekend...
Long nails--sort of! I think going on vacation with a manicure helped me stop picking at my nails knowing I didn't have nail polish remover to take it off once it chipped. I did bring a bottle of the polish I wore--Essie's, e-nuf is e-nuf--for quick touch-ups, but when I got home it was exciting to see some length. In this photo I'm wearing OPI's, Lincoln Park at Midnight which is one of my faves.
More photos after the jump...
Hello! I know it's been a few days since I've checked in but I'm seriously enjoying this vacation and trying to disconnect as much as possible (I mean, besides sharing photos to Instagram every time I get a wifi connection and checking my Facebook when we come back to our home-away-from-home for naps). I had planned to share a weekend recap with you but I think it's best if I just group the photos together for a Barbados recap instead, once I'm back.
Today was our last full day as we leave tomorrow afternoon. We got up around 9am and Marco and I went to breakfast on our own to a cute little spot up the St. Lawrence Gap called Happy Days. From there, we padded down to the beach where our friends slowly joined us and we alternated between lying on the beach and swimming in the ocean--what a life, right? The biggest worry: what to eat next. I don't want vacation to end!
On that note, I'll let you go as it's official nap-time here at the house which I've been partaking in on the daily despite not being a huge nap person. Tonight we're headed out for (more) Bajan food and to see some live music. Hope you're having a great week!
Photos taken from video via the GoPro.
Sorry for the radio silence, I have been busy preparing for our trip to Barbados! We arrived yesterday afternoon and have been taking in the sun and sand.
We are here with five of our friends for a full on vacation and it is so hot (no air conditioning in the house either, except the bedrooms, which is great for sleeping). We spent the day yesterday at the beach and watched the sunset, came home, got ready and went to dinner at Rude Boys. We had authentic Bajan food and it was so good. Most of us called an early night so we were fully refreshed this morning to spend the day at the beach.
The water here is crystal turquoise and blue, the sand is super soft and fine and the locals are uber friendly. We sipped on beers all afternoon while hanging out in the ocean, every so often grabbing shade under an umbrella on the beach. Later we grabbed flying fish sandwiches at a shack bar at the beach. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a little bit toasted today, but it was worth the fun afternoon!
Tonight we are headed to a fish fry and later on a party on the beach with an all-you-can-drink party! Should be a great time and can't wait to try more of their amazing food on this island.
Follow along on Instagram (I'm acoest1984) and check out our unique vacation hashtag #brilliantbarbadosbreakaway for photos from me and my friends too.
My closet-office room is the second bedroom in our condo and was built using the Ikea Stolmen system, which is completely customized to whatever you like.
We chose to go with three sections as it was important for me to have lots of hanging space for tops and a longer hanging area for dresses. I needed shelves for folded pants and accessories, and then we put shelves across the top to house shoes.
The initial plan was to install drawers but they were too deep so we returned them and picked up the cubbies instead. I had the faux black leather boxes already (from Loblaws) which fit perfectly into the spaces.
Overall the build took a few days and turned out great. I use the built-in closet in the room for jackets, skirts and to tuck away sweat pants, leggings, swimsuits in various boxes, etc. I recently added a mirror and artwork to the room too so it's really coming together and will share more updates soon.
We have been living at our place for seven months now and the bed, despite being new, is something that has felt unfinished (see our bedroom tour here). We had purchased a new Hotel Collection duvet cover (style is called, 'Frame'), but didn't get matching shams because I wanted to find something less expensive, less matchy-matchy, but also that worked in the space. On top of that, other expenses took precedent. All that said, I finally finished our bed last week and even found some art work to hang above it.
The three Euro pillows (with cases) were found at Home Sense, the black damask stripe King pillow cases are from Home Outfitters, the black ruffle pillows is old and from Home Sense, and the white fur and grey woven pillow are both from Bouclair. I've had that furry, black throw for years and it works well as it's become Eve's favourite place to lie (and we no longer use it for ourselves, ha).
More after the jump...
Outfit deets:
* Joe Fresh tee which you saw during my trip to NYC but in black and also when I initially tried it on in the fitting room.
* Kenar skirt that I'm obsessed with. It was one of those purchases I instantly knew I'd make the minute I saw it.
* Iro Manela wedges which you've seen in one of my favourite outfit posts of all time, with a LBD, and this past Summer when I went to Taco Fest.
* Accessories: unknown necklace (old), Swarovski & Hot Diamond bangles.
Per usual, I'm drawn to neutrals (and still am, with a mix of olive green and maroon for Fall) and have come to accept it's just what I feel best in. Colour has a place in my heart but it's taking a backseat currently.
I totally forgot to post these photos that were taken a few weeks ago and now the weather has turned here in Ottawa, but I figured better late than never. Additionally, since this is an outfit that's been on repeat, I wanted to capture it even if it meant using my iPhone instead. Hope you're having a great week & happy October!
Here we are the end of September and it's definitely Fall in these parts. Marco and I kicked off September by traveling to New York to celebrate our anniversary (see a short two-minute video here). When we got back, I bought several bikinis--on sale!--from Ardene, since my shopping during our trip was minimal.
I looked after Peanut one weekend and found a mirror for my walk-in closet. I made three-ingredient peanut butter cookies (recipe here), bought some new boots and went to a party where a friend brought the most amazing, gourmet, meatballs.
I detailed my car, shared my first Fall outfit of the year and got the new iPhone 6 (thanks to a very generous boyfriend). I shared an almost-all-black outfit, obsessed over these two-ingredient pancakes, and since I was supposed to travel to Vegas but fell ill at the last minute, I shared my tips and tricks on packing for a four-day holiday in only a carry-on.
Related:
* See all my monthly recaps here.
Friday was a gorgeous, sunny and warm day that I spent inside sick. In fact, I'm still fighting this ridiculous cold that started over a week ago! Can you believe that? I went to the Doctor mid-week and she said this new strain of colds are hanging on for up to two weeks, so, it's not uncommon that mine is sticking around. That said, I'm getting better and better by the day and coughing less and less. The above photo is a pic of the beautiful sunset on Friday night.
On Saturday morning, this furry girl woke me up super early and since Marco was still suffering from minor jet lag, I got up and then she proceeded to ignore me... unless I left the room where extreme meowing ensued. And so, we hung out in the sunny living room.
Outift deets: C'est Moi tank, Paige denim, Bamboo sandals & F21 cross-body bag (available here).
On Saturday afternoon I decided to put on make-up, real clothes--goodbye sweats!--and leave the house for the first time in a week (beside's my Doc appointment). I took it slow and just poked around Home Sense and Winners and grabbed a couple necessity groceries. I definitely felt it when I got home and had to lie down for a couple hours although it was really nice to get out.
As you know, I was supposed to travel to Vegas last weekend for four days but had to cancel my trip due to falling ill. Since I was all packed and ready to go, I thought it could be useful to share how I managed to pack everything into a carry-on suitcase!
As someone who tends to overpack, I can honestly say I was pretty proud of myself for narrowing it down to just one small suitcase and a duffle bag. I discovered a few tips and tricks while packing for this trip too and wanted to share.
Click to see what's inside my suitcase...
After sharing this photo on Instagram and having it blow up, I figured I had to share this super simple, gluten-free, dairy-free, healthy pancake recipe that I discovered it through Blogilates.
These pancakes are light, fluffy and best eaten stacked with some fruit on the side. You could use syrup but I found the fruit was enough sweetness and I wanted to keep it as guilt-free as possible.
Click through to see how to make them...
If you're already subscribed to my YouTube channel, you've already seen this video; I upload new videos every week too, so worth clicking over. However, if you haven't seen this, here is a quickie two-minute recap of my trip to New York City this month.
Outfit deets:
* Ashley B jacket (old) which you've seen with raw-hem denim and with a skirt and booties.
* Jacob thin-knit sweater from my Back-to-School Lookbook.
* Nitrogen pants (old) which are actually olive green and you've seen with a cognac leather jacket and a cozy sweater cape.
* Maxgreat boots (new!) from Marshalls.
* Accessories: Dynamite scarf (new!), Aldo bag, F21 necklace & Michael Kors sunnies (similar).
I'm the kind of shopper that when I see something I like, I will usually debate it by walking around the store for a while, ensuring I don't find anything I like more before rushing to the cash. Also, while I love to shop and do shop often, I frequently leave empty handed. That said, sometimes there are items that you see and it's like an instant click; you know it's coming home with you.
That can be said for these boots I recently picked up at Marshalls. I was sub-conciously looking for a pair of tall, black, leather boots with a chunky heel that would be work-appropriate, but also comfortable enough to wear on weekends. When I spotted these, I tried them on immediately and did a little happy dance when they fit knowing there was no question, they were coming home with me.
I have since worn them multiple times, including to work, out shopping and running errands and have to say, despite being a pretty simple looking boot, they get tons of compliments. I couldn't find a link online, but if you're in Ottawa, run to Marshalls at Trainyards and scoop yourself a pair.
Photos by Serena Rivard.
Happy Monday everyone! I had quite a crappy weekend and it starts with the above photo. I never mentioned it on here because I wanted to surprise you with a blog post like, 'Hello from Vegas!' as I was supposed to fly out on Saturday morning and meet Marco down there (he was traveling for work). Sadly, some craziness went down health-wise causing me to cancel my flight three hours prior to my departure.
Click to read more...
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