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
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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...
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...
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!
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