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Featured Life

Why I Went To My 10 Year High School Reunion

June 10, 2016

alicia fashionista, should i go to my high school reunion, is it worth going to a 10 year reunionCan you imagine how intimidating it was being in high school with such gorgeous ladies?  And this is only a few of the beautiful women I had the pleasure of graduating with!

It was a stunning June day in 2013.  We lay on the beach in Antibes, France, soaking up the sun in the Cote D’Azure.  I brushed away a few crumbs from the heavenly pain au chocolate I’d just consumed at an impressively reserved speed.  Somehow we’d been on the topic of high school and I was grilling Adam about whether or not he regretted not attending his 10 year reunion.  He seemed quite neutral about the entire thing. “Do you think you’ll go to your high school reunion next year?” he casually asked me.  Without a beat, I replied, “Only if my friends go,” in the ditziest tone.  Apparently my unfiltered response was to revert back to high school me.  We both burst out laughing at my desperation, and went back to our ever important pastries.

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Featured Life

Mother’s Day

May 4, 2016

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It’s really too bad that I will be out of town for Mother’s Day, but I’m really happy that my studio/office mate Bethany was able to capture these photos of us as an early gift!  It’s so funny how my mom used to be the one to arrange these shoots, and now that we’re all grown up, it’s the other way around.  I must say, it’s so rare that we get photos together that aren’t on an iPhone, and usually after a few glasses of wine.  Can’t wait to print these out and give them to her in person when we’re back in town!

If you’re in Vancouver and still looking for gift ideas, Bethany just so happens to have a couple spots left for her Mother’s Day Mini Sessions left!  It’s a 20 minute shoot on May 7th at our Gastown studio and such a thoughtful gesture!  You can find all the information and other portraits here on her blog. Be sure to send her an email ASAP if you’re interested, as these spots fill up fast!

While we’re here, would just like to say an early Happy Mother’s Day to all you wonderful mamas out there!  It takes tremendous strength, patience, and kindness to hold that title.  And a special shoutout to all my preggo pals, can’t wait for you ladies to meet your little ones! xo

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Health Life

What I’ve Learned On My Wellness Journey (So Far)

April 20, 2016

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Photo by Lindsay Henwood

I’ve been trying to journal on a more consistent basis and it really is helping me sort out my thoughts on this process towards a healthier mind and body.  I thought I’d start a dialogue with you, as I know that we all have times of struggle in our lives and I wanted to share mine.  I eluded to some of this in this blog post, but here is the story behind it.

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Life Studio

From Hobby to Career: My Blogging Story

April 14, 2016

alicia fashionista, how to make money blogging, how to blog full time, how to start a blog

Photo by Shari and Mike

I realize that a lot of people don’t know/understand what I do for work.  And really, I can’t blame them.  Up until January of this year, I had 4 jobs (which, is actually an understatement, but more on that later). Now, with some much needed focus and drive, I can say with confidence that I am a full time blogger.  And I’m pretty sure people STILL don’t know/understand what I do for work – but, that’s okay.  Over the next little while, I want to explain, share my story with you and hopefully inspire some of you to finally start your own blogging journey.

What has sparked all of this?  Well, it just so happens that I started aliciafashionista.com EIGHT years ago today!  Can you even believe that?!  I’ve taken what was initially a creative outlet/way to pass the time and built a personal brand that is actually making me enough money to live on.  Holy smokes, this is actually real life!

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Health Life

5 Ways To Improve Your Mood

January 20, 2016

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There weren’t any new years resolutions or intentions for me this year.  Instead, I’ve simply scheduled in a complete life overhaul.  Reinventing yourself is easy, right?  Okay, good, because I’m right in the middle of establishing a new and improved, happier me.

I don’t even know if ‘mood’ is the right terminology to use here, but that’s what I ended up with so let’s go with it.  So far, I’ve realized that as much as we’ve come leaps and bounds in our efforts to talk about mental illness, there’s still a lot of discomfort around depression.  There are different types of depression and varying degrees in which you can be lost in the fog.  Regardless of why you’re feeling a bit down, happiness and self love are essential ingredients for mental clarity.  Keep in mind that the following 5 points aren’t a cure to anything, but we’re all aiming for good days, aren’t we?  Accomplishing even just ONE item on this list is a huge step in the right direction.  Remember that small changes add up to make all the difference!  Now, let’s get started with these simple ways to help boost spirits and keep that stress in check.

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Life Travel Vancouver

Dine Out Vancouver

January 8, 2016

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Photo by To Vogue Or Bust taken at Chambar on Abbott Street in Gastown (SPOILER ALERT: It’s one of my Dine Out Festival Picks)

We’re 8 days in, and this is finally my first post of the year.  But, I mean, if there’s one thing that could break my silence, it’s to share my best kept Vancouver dining secrets.  Well, probably not so secret in the day and age of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, Tumblr, Yelp, Trip Advisor, Zomato, etc. etc., but my favourites nonetheless.

The lovely team at Yellow Pages asked me to narrow down my top 10 restaurant picks for Dine Out Vancouver 2016.  I tried my best to cover places all over the city and at different price points.  Being vegetarian, I even asked a few friends for recommended dishes that contain meat or seafood!  Any fellow veggies out there, I did throw in some of my go-to vegetarian friendly choices in there as well.

Let’s not waste any more time.  Click HERE to check out my top 10 picks, and if you’re wanting to make your Dine Out 2016 reservations, I would definitely recommend that you do so NOW.  Word on the street is that they’re already filling up!

Life

Unique Holiday Gift Ideas

December 18, 2015

uniquegiftideas

Photo by Ainsley Rose

I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of buying people gifts that aren’t really a big surprise.  I LOVE the excitement of watching someone open a present that I am over the moon pumped for them to receive.  As the years go by, Christmas has lost its spirit a little bit, and it can feel like we’re all just racing over to the mall to get them SOMETHING to fill their stocking or put under the tree.  We’re being so silly!  I was lucky enough that this year (earmuffs Mom, Dad, Elaine, and Derek) to have a built-in thoughtful gift for all our parents.  I made them Artifact Uprising photo books from our wedding with our amazing snaps by Shari and Mike.  But, for the rest of y’all I wanted to pass on some really different gift ideas from the internet that can, for the most part, be done online!  Happy shopping 🙂

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Home Life

Indigo Holiday Favourites

December 14, 2015

indigo holiday 2015 favourites

The Indigo obsession continues with their holiday collection.  I think I spent a good couple of hours in there yesterday, getting a book for everyone on my Christmas list (spoiler alert) and picking up some new reads for myself.  I’m especially excited to read The Girl On The Train and Furiously Happy over the holidays/on our upcoming trip.  What’s on your reading list this winter?

I’ve teamed up with To Vogue Or Bust to bring you our favourite Indigo book and decor items from their holiday collection and beyond.  Be sure to read on for all the juicy details!

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Life

Hosting Brunch On A Budget

September 3, 2015

vancouver lifestyle blog, hosting a brunch, brunch on a budgetAs seen on The Glitter Guide!

The idea of hosting a brunch (or lunch, or dinner) can be a bit much.  In the day and age of Pinterest, I kind of feel like I can’t have people over unless I’ve made an ombre cake, spent hundreds of dollars on floral crowns, and had a professional calligrapher write everyone’s names on place cards.  This is why Alexandra from To Vogue Or Bust and I decided to pull together a brunch on her patio that didn’t break the bank or cause an exorbitant amount of stress.  We had to see if it could be done!

Photographed by the talented Britney Gill and Makeup by Katie Elwood (who also joined us in the photos because she’s awesome like that).  Read on to find out how we pulled it off!

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