Christmas has come and gone but I like to keep the spirit alive by keeping our tree up for a couple more weeks and of course, sharing a few photos.
We had a busy couple days between traveling to see Marco's family on Christmas Eve and coming back to town on Christmas to spend it with mine, but it was great. We opened gifts with his family, exchanged stockings that night between each other and then exchanged our gifts the next day.
I didn't take a ton of photos but we got a few gems including the three trees, dinner and a couple gifts.
More photos after the jump...
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I'm selling a bunch of clothes from my closet (mostly under $20) and have created a little Instagram account for it. If you'd like to see, head over to shopacoest1984 to check it out.
To purchase:
Leave your Paypal email address on the item you like and I will send you an invoice. Buyer pays shipping but I will ship worldwide.
Cheers!
Are you shopping today on Boxing Day? In Canada, it's the biggest shopping day of the year and the sales are great. I decided to sleep in a bit today instead but plan on hitting the malls a bit later to roam around. Here are some great sales that are happening and my picks...
Aldo | 50% off already reduced footwear & handbags (these are a great basic, love these booties & just got these for Christmas!)
The Bay | Up to 70% off (a great New Years Eve option, love this and have something very similar, amazing price for designer denim & a pretty top)
Club Monaco | Take an extra 30% already reduced sale & clearance items; use code BOXINGDAY (this top is amazing, love this dress & this too)
Joshua Perets | 50% off everything (this is cute, have these and love them & I have these tanks in almost every colour)
Photo by Serena Rivard.
This is a little later than I'd hoped but, hello on Christmas! I'm home after a whirlwind of travel, family, and tons of food (turkey! sweets! wine!).
We spent Christmas Eve afternoon with my parents celebrating my Dad's birthday, from there, I went out of town to spend the evening with Marco's family. Then today, after breakfast with his parents, we headed back to Ottawa to spend the afternoon and evening with my family.
I hope you had a great day and spent time with loved ones yourself, eating delicious food and sharing laughs. It's what the season is all about (and dessert indulgences aren't bad either, ha!).
Merry Christmas!
This top on fleek (haha, have you heard that term yet?). One of my gifts from Sarah for Christmas--couldn't resist pulling it out and wearing it stat. Bonus, it's reversible!
Outfit deets: Zara romper (old, similar here) & The Bay necklace (old)
On Friday night we went to a holiday party--just a get together that was planned only a few days prior, but hey, any reason to celebrate. Since the dress code was 'festive', I threw on this romper I purchased from Zara over two years ago and wore it finally for the first time.
More photos after the jump...
For the past three years, my best friend and I have gotten together to exchange Christmas gifts a few days prior to the holiday. So, I packed up her gift and headed to her place for fajitas, gifts and good ol' one-on-one QT.
Since I've shared our annual tradition before I wanted to share again. Sarah killed it and bought me a top and pair of heels I was coveting, some special ornaments, a candle and a bottle of Essie nail polish. I gifted her with some heels she had been eye-balling (similar here) but yes, clearly she takes the cake (errr, pie) for being best gift giver.
More photos after the jump...
Today I'm sharing my Holiday Lookbook for 2014. I spent a lot of time prepping, filming and editing and can say it's one of my best videos to date!
In this video I show you five very different outfits for the holidays and New Years Eve and where you can buy them. You'll have to watch the video to find out which one is my favourite but it might not be what you'd expect. Hope you enjoy & thank you for watching! xo
Related posts:
Today I'm finally sharing my shoulder workout. Several of you have asked to see what I do when I workout, which is super flattering so thank you! I'm no pro but have been lifting heavy weights for about a year and a half. Prior to that, I was all about classes and cardio but for the first time in my life, lifting weights has shown me that you can change your body through exercise. It's amazing to see little muscle slowly starting to pop (under a little layer of dessert, albeit!) after all the hard work.
I'm no expert, but with the help of my boyfriend, a few friends and various fitness apps and YouTube videos, I've learned quite a bit. I also wanted to show you how you can do this workout without a gym membership but with some simple free weights you could purchase for your home.
Finally, I aim to do five different exercises, for the specified body part, and I aim for three sets of each with 10 reps. Remember, form is most important so if you're losing form, your weight is too heavy. It's better to have great form with a slightly lower weight to build your muscles and avoid injury--as time goes on, you will be able to lift heavier.
Full workout after the jump...
Outfit deets: Marshalls dess, BCBG pumps & vintage clutch
Friday night was Marco's Christmas party and I had fully intended to wear this dress which I purchased two years ago after that photoshoot and still had the tags on, but when I shimmied into Marco's closet to show him I was ready, he wasn't feeling it. The above dress was my back-up and I kind of wanted to wear it so I quickly changed and we both agreed it was the better choice and off we went
More photos after the jump...
Last night, Marco and I hosted the second annual Secret Santa friends party at our place with a group of 15. What a hoot! Everyone brought a dish for the potluck and let me just say, some of our friends have a passion for cooking (we even call one friend the Cullionaire, he's that good). From gourmet deviled eggs, to spicy shrimp, fancy cheese plates to take-out egg rolls from the best Chinese spot in town, and more--the food table was bumpin'.
We drew names over a month ago and set a $30-no-gag-gift limit. I think everyone was pretty happy with their gifts from cool printed screen tees (like mine below!), amazing hot sauces, a board game, fancy liquor, a customized blanket, jewelry and more. We chatted, drank and ate our way into the night while Christmas music streamed from the speakers. A real festive and fun night leading up to the holidays.
This year I have decided to partake in Vlogmas or Vlogcember which is essentially vlogging everyday until Christmas. I tried last year but gave up after a couple days because it is a bit of a commitment filming your day and editing it altogether at night. However, it's been a fun process so far and I love watching others so here we are. Additionally I can imagine it will be nice to look back watch in a year or two from now, just as it is re-reading older blog posts.
I have been consistent with my uploads and you can see all the videos here under my 'Vlogmas' playlist. If you'd like to check out my other fashion, hair, make-up and lifestyle videos you can do so on my YouTube channel (I'm acoest1984).
Thanks for watching! xo
Outfit deets: Dynamite scarf (new!), TNA 'Aspen' parka (old), Urban Planet leggings, Rampage boots, Aldo bag & headband, Michael Kors sunnies & hand-made mitts (by my Grammy)
On Friday morning, after a party for Marco's birthday with our friends, we headed to Toronto for a long (birthday) weekend. After a short flight we arrived and decided to walk the 3.5kms to our hotel.
I snapped this pic of the CN Tower in the distance on our way to our hotel while crossing a bridge.
I love doing these recaps because although I put my life 'out there', the day-to-day feels and is mostly ordinary but looking back each month makes me appreciate more-so the things I did and what happened. I have had friends say that my weekends look so thrilling but I think it's just a pretty photo that makes take-out and a movie look much more fancy than it actually is (as I sit in my pajamas and binge on ginger snaps). For me, these recaps are like counting your blessings and help remind me that things could always be worse and to appreciate what you have.
Enough mush, onto the recap!
In November a group of us went to the Wine & Food Show and also tried out The Albion Rooms for a friend's birthday. We saw our first snow fall (yuck!) and I shared how I went from never running to running 5km.
I got some new shoes, saw progress on my condo and went to a late-Canadian-Thanksgiving with the Barbados crew (which turned into a onesie party). Marco surprised me with a new iPad--best boyfriend award, I swear, that guy--I checked out The Scone Witch with a friend and did some damage at Marshalls. I washed my car, bought a couple new headbands and we put up our tree!
I shared a huge bikini haul video, my trip to Barbados part 1, part 2 and part 3. Lastly, I filmed my holiday lookbook and got some new bindings for snowboarding season.
Happy December!
Related posts:
* A Look Back at October
* A Look Back at November 2013
* All my monthly recaps
Saturday morning post-gym #acolookdowns.
We went to lunch at Chuck's (I won a coin flip for this one!) and had their amazing Panini's. I always get the chicken/bacon on multi with added fresh veggies and the lentil salad is second to none.
More photos after the jump...
Are you shopping today? I was up at 4:45am to hit Future Shop and Best Buy with my guy--which is far too early, in my opinion, but he needed my help and I was down for the team.
If you're staying in and shopping from the comfort of the couch, I've rounded up a few places online that are hosting some great deals today. Happy shopping!
Steve Madden | 30% off entire store, use code OMG (I just bought these)
Dynamite | 40% off all regular price items + free shipping (great basic, love this skirt & this knitted cardi)
Shopbop | 15% off orders of $250 & 20% off orders of $500, use code GOBIG14 (an amazing splurge)
Revolve | Up to 80% off (wish I could add these to my closet)
Asos | 30% off everything, incl. sale items, use code TGIBF (this splurge jacket omg)
Forever 21 | Free shipping & extra 50% off sale items, use code BFExtra50 (this for the beach & this for a night out)
Aldo | 50% off original price of reduced items + and 20% off regular priced items until 10am with code EB14 (want these, these & these; already have these and now so cheap!)
Bath & Body Works | Buy 3 Get 3 Free (I would go for the 3-wick candles in my favourite scents here & here)
Lastly, don't forget to click through Ebates before you shop to get a percentage of your purchases in cash back. Use my referral link if you'd like to sign up (I get a $5 kick back, so thanks!)
Photo by Serena Rivard.
The third and final part of my trip to Barbados last month. In this video we visit the Limegrove outdoor shopping centre, the west coast, Surf Side Beach and more. As always, thanks for watching!
Related posts:
* Video | Barbados Part I
* Video | Barbados Part II
* Where we stayed (you can rent it!)
* A.Co est. 1984 on Instagram | Barbados Vacation Shots
Outfit deets: Zara sweater (similar), Urban Planet double-layer cami & leggings (similar, more expensive) & Aldo booties (similar, similar).
On Friday night we went out with three other couples to Ace Mercado...
Click for more photos...
Related posts you may have missed:
* Video | Barbados Part I
* Where we stayed (you can rent it!)
* A.Co est. 1984 on Instagram | Barbados Vacation Shots
Outfit deets:
* Bench jacket (similar & love this one).
* Mondetta tank (love this one).
* MPG leggings (dark grey, on sale & a personal fave).
I'm not someone who really enjoys cardio, however, up until about a year ago, it was a huge part of my workout. I started running about seven years ago, on a treadmill, at the gym. I had never run before and never thought I could run until a friend shared her running 'program' (see below) and I tried it myself and eventually 'became' a runner, I guess.
Over the years, I've taken my running outside and at first disliked it but eventually preferring it to running on a treadmill. The most I have run is 6 kilometres (3.73 miles) and the most I have run without stopping is 5 kilometres--which was a pretty proud day considering when I started, my goal was to run 1 kilometer without stopping!
I have taken a break from running since the Spring, but I have been trying to incorporate more cardio into my workout routine by going for walks at lunch, climbing the stairs in my building and using the bike at the gym (while catching up on my favourite YouTubers). Every little bit helps.
Click for more...
Happy Monday ladies! This weekend was productive and enjoyable: I got all the laundry done, cleaned the condo and spent time with friends. A well rounded weekend. I've got a ton of photos to share with you so here we go...
Outfit deets: F21 shearpa jacket (also love this one), Jacob sweater, Seduction denim, Aldo Klarr boots (similar mid-calf style here) & Aeropostale cross-body bag.
On Friday after work I ran some errands including hitting up Winners. I snapped a selfie before going into the fitting room.
Clearly I have a distinct colour palette. Who am I kidding? If you've been following for a while, you know I'm a huge fan of neutrals which is why everything I tried on was black and grey. That said, I didn't love anything enough to bring it home with me (and felt a little guilty too about spending money on myself when Christmas is just around the corner).
Last night we went to The Albion Rooms in the Novotel hotel to celebrate a friend's birthday. It was my first time and it did not disappoint. The menu is small and the atmosphere is rustic meets modern with rough wooden tables, drop pendant lighting and cozy booths with pillows.
Click to read more...
Today I'm sharing part one of our Barbados video recap. We spent seven glorious days on the rock and saw and did so much. Since I took over 200 video clips, I've split up the video into three parts to keep it interesting. In part one you'll see where we stayed, our 'home' beach, hitting a popular touristy spot, trying out Bajan fast food and more!
Thanks for watching! xo
Related posts you may have missed:
* Where we stayed (you can rent it!)
* A.Co est. 1984 on Instagram | Barbados Vacation Shots
1. Emu Aero High Stool // 2. Stainless Steel Counter Stool // 3. Modway Furniture Stool //
4. Wood & Iron Stool // 5. Chintaly Imports Steel Stool // 6. Tractor Seat Bar Stool
I'm on the hunt for a couple of taller bar stools for our place. While we don't have a real overhang in our kitchen, a few friends and family have mentioned it would be nice to have additional seating; not to mention, when we host dinner parties Marco and I are stuck sitting on the couch since our cocktail table only seats four!
I was initially leaning toward the Modway style (which I've also seen on eBay) but ever since a friend suggested a more rustic-chic stool like the Chintaly Imports Steel stool above, I can't get it out of my head.
My style tends more towards contemporary-chic but I love the idea of incorporating more of a rustic-chic element. We recently bought a rustic-ish pendant for our dining nook so that might have triggered this (Marco picked it out!). Moreover, I have recently become obsessed with these industrial metal stools from Bouclair and they might be the ones. I'd love to throw a sheepskin over it as a final touch and and call it day.
Outfit deets:
* Walmart sweatshirt (similar and on sale & cute quilted version).
* Snap quilted sweat skirt (purchased at Winners; almost identical here & better quality here).
* Enzo Angiolini heels (also loving these).
* Accessories: Joe Fresh necklace, Swarovski & Expressions bangles.
I'm not sure why I haven't paired these two pieces together sooner because I'm essentially rocking a glorified sweatsuit! Well, not exactly but I love the look of a sweatshirt and a statement necklace and since getting these shoes it seems all the outfits I have been waiting to wear with the perfect nude pump are coming to fruition.
I've had this sweatshirt for over a year and wear it now and again but always very casually and never to work. That said, it's slim fitting through the arms and body which makes it more chic and paired with a statement necklace and fancier pieces it feels very put together.
Lastly, sorry the image quality isn't the norm, I convinced Serena to snap a few photos of me with my iPhone so I could share with you as it seems I'm often wearing a favourite outfit or new pieces on the days we aren't shooting. Cheers.
Photos by Serena Rivard (via my iPhone).
New shoe alert! I bought these Enzo Angiolini shoes on Amazon back in August and had them shipped to my US address to save on shipping/duty, etc. however, haven't had a chance to get down there. Fortunately, Marco's friend took a trip and grabbed them for me and I just love 'em. They fit true to size (tts) and the perfect nude pointy-toe heel. I know I'll be getting a ton of use out of them.
Friday night impromptu date night at Milestones with Marco. I had the California Salad with salmon (this is one salad I am crazy over and while I love to splurge on burgers and steaks when I go out to eat, this is loaded with goat cheese, strawberries and cartelized pecans it's definitely splurge-worthy and so freaking delicious).
I recently tried out Younique mascara which promises to add crazy length and volume to your lashes with their two-step routine. As someone who loves a dramatic lash, I was really impressed with the length I got with this in just three coats (but you can do more or less). Check out my video above to see more.
I recently read on Joanna's blog about her starting an Article club and thought it would be a great way to see friends, meet new ones and do something different.
I sent out a Facebook-wide message on my personal account inviting all ladies, from whatever walk of life, to come to my place one evening to discuss an article (instead of a book since that's far too time consuming), have some wine, snacks and general girl talk. The post received great feedback with many girlfriends jumping on board, including ones wanting to be included next month if they couldn't make it this month.
The plan was that everyone reads the article before the gathering. I set the date and so last night there was about 10 of us who got together to discuss this article. Everyone brought either a food or wine contribution and we ended up chatting away for hours--it's amazing how different opinions can be and also how much you learn about everyone and how many topics you end up going off on. I can't wait till next month when we get together again to discuss something else!
I know I'm a few days late but I couldn't not share this recap. October just might be my favourite month of the year (provided it doesn't snow, which it didn't) with the fashion/layers, cooler temps, changing leaves and the ability to cover up a few extra desserts underneath said extra layers (hehe).
In October I finally finished our bed by purchasing decorative pillows which I spent weeks searching for, I put the gym in our building to use several times and picked up some new burgundy heels. The most exciting part of last month was visiting Barbados with six friends for over a week. We had such a great time and since our friend is Bajan and his now fiancé (they got engaged while there!) had been eight times, we were in great hands to see more than anyone would otherwise (even more photos here).
Other than that, I shared some new boots in a layered up outfit post, we bought a new chair for our living room (see the full condo tour here), and hosted a dinner with three other couples. I rocked some new booties, cooked my first turkey for my family, got back to the gym and celebrated Halloween with two costumes: mimes & a pink flamingo!
Related posts:
Hello ladies! Happy Monday--hope you had a great weekend and Halloween. I kept busy and we had some beautiful weather so without further adieu, onto the snaps...
Friday was Halloween and two days before I decided to dress up as a pink flamingo.
We had a huge potluck lunch at work which was delicious--so many great dishes brought in by everyone (I made a black bean salad). The downfall? Spilling sauce on my pink costume shirt! #soclumsy
Friday night I went to the gym with a girl friend and we did legs (and butt). I am working on a few workout posts but to give you an idea of what we did:
Click to read more...
I know I'm a little late, but we had a Halloween party last night, despite being the day after, and I wanted to share our costumes.
Marco came up with the idea to be mimes and I was able to mostly pull things from our closets to complete our outfits. I picked up his striped shirt at Joe Fresh and bought white cream make-up for our faces.
Click to see how I pulled these costumes together...
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