I was browsing Pinterest the other day for some casual outfit inspiration. The search results provided me with a collection of images featuring tall modelesque blondes with really slim legs. This ‘inspiration’ left me feeling discouraged to say the least. When I put on skinny jeans and sneakers, the shape is quite different from these girls and I started to wonder if this was something I could “pull off”. I was so angry at myself for even considering such a thing and decided that a casual look warranted an entire blog post because I have curves and can still *gasp* wear flats and skinny jeans AND live to tell the tale. Do you ever feel like your size/shape is misrepresented online? Where do you source curvy outfit inspiration? I’d love to know! xo
I simple adore the English garden party vibes of this Barefoot Contessa dress! What first caught my eye wasn’t even the 70’s inspired colours or floral pattern. It was that even though it’s not a tight fit, it still has seams that cinch in at the waistline taking this from shift dress territory to more of an a-line. Off body, the dress has an hourglass shape all on its own. It had to be mine! It’s certainly nice to dress up for once too. I feel like I keep gravitating towards ripped jeans, sneakers, and a loose tee. What is happening to me? Am I on the way to being perpetually casual? Maybe it’s just because we haven’t been hit with warm weather yet? Is this a delayed quarter life personal style crisis? Help!
Jennifer Wilson of VONBON made my floral crown dreams come true when she helped host a workshop at Celsia Florist. As a testament to her loveliness, she also gathered a seriously awesome group of women together to have a full fledged crafternoon. Something I really don’t make enough time for, but would love to do on a regular basis. Forget a book club, let’s start a craft club! Between that and my love for crossword puzzles, sometimes I think I’m 70 at heart.
I had to laugh at the fact that with all these talented, successful business women making floral crowns, we definitely had a room full of perfectionists. You can just see for yourself how beautiful the results were, I mean Jennifer made an ombre crown! Pretty sure I had Jo from Celsia make my entire drown for me. Yeah, I guess I’m THAT student. I genuinely hadn’t realized how much went into making a real floral crown. The price point on them is completely justified, let me tell you. It takes cutting each stem quite short, weaving wire through them (tougher than you think), and taping it together to act as a new mouldable ‘stem’. That part was time consuming, but then you actually had to attach them onto the crown structure as well! It was really fun and even slightly therapeutic. Monika Hobbs wrote a great how-to post about the process here and you must check out Jennifer’s recap of the day here. I can’t wait to try making a floral crown again on my own, thinking I might just need one for the wedding rehearsal 😉
I truly believed my culotte days had come and gone. The gaucho craze of the early 2000’s was one that I exhausted, but thoroughly enjoyed and I really thought my legs would never be able to breathe as much as they did in 2004. This was all before my Sunday trip to the grocery store, of course. Like your classic khaki green dream, this hybrid of pants and shorts stood out to me in the Joe Fresh section at our local Superstore. For just $29, I figured what the heck?! I’d give this culotte trend another go. They’re light, they’re comfortable (you know how I feel about an elastic waistband), they’re oddly flattering, and I am most excited to have found this latest trend for less!
So what do you think? Will you be giving culottes a go?
This blush faux leather skirt is actually my spring/summer wardrobe staple…again. If you’re like me and your mid-section is something that can cause you trouble depending on the day, then an elastic, high waisted circle skirt is THE number one item you need! I rarely spend a ton on shopping (my clothing budget should probably be in the negative lol) but the larger price tag on this one was worth every single penny! I’ve got my eye out for similar skirts right now because I’ve already been wearing this one waaaay too often. What’s your go-to versatile piece right now?
Also, how cayoooot is this cross-body red bag from the Gap? I’m all about a pop of red, it’s a classic look that is always a win!
The Details // Photos by Alexandra Blazer, LOFT Blouse, TOPSHOP Black Denim, P L E N + Y Pumps, Zumel & Co Purse, Urban Outfitters
‘TGIF’ doesn’t even cover the excitement that I feel for the weekend to finally be here! The only thing that would complete this joyous Friday moment would be a new episode of Full House. Oh wait, that IS actually happening soon. This really is an amazing time to be alive, isn’t it?
I plan to cut loose this weekend and spend some quality time (my language of love) with Adam. Tomorrow is our 8 year anniversary and in the most romantic move ever, we’re going to recreate our first date, which took place on April 25th, 2007. It actually wasn’t the best date (you can read all about it here) but it was, of course, so special in its own way. As fate would have it, the date will be totally complete because The Canucks somehow won their last game to give us a Saturday night playoff game, just as it was all those years ago. Oh, how the time flies by! Hope you all have an awesome weekend planned as well 🙂
This following is sponsored by my friends at Dove. What you must note, however, is that I would never agree to review anything that I didn’t totally agree with, or write anything that went against my personal beliefs/values. For instance, I already use Dove deodorant on the daily. So, when they asked me to review the exact same product, but in spray version, it was like heck yes – send it on over! Hope we’re on the same page about all this, because I really think you might adore this one.
The assortment of new Dove Dry Spray Antiperspirants arrived mid-week and I kept the package sitting on our dining table for a few days. Last Friday, amongst the chaos of moving back into our place, I had access to only half of my closet, didn’t know which bag my jewellery was in, and couldn’t, for the life of me, find my deodorant. Desperately needing to head out the door to a meeting and already a bit dishevelled, I happened to notice the pretty package of Dove deodorant sprays, just begging to save the day! I reached for my personal favourite and signature scent, the green ‘Cool Essentials’ bottle, and gave it a little shake. I sprayed the antiperspirant, left pit and then right (never noticed I went in that order until writing out my routine to you in such great detail. We’re getting to the point soon, I promise). I instantly noticed how much lighter the spray felt as soon as it dried. Plus, there was no chance of white marks all over my top or embarrassing deodorant clumps. The lasting power is very much on par with a stick deodorant, but the biggest difference for me is it’s moisturizing abilities. After using the Dove Dry Sprays for one week, I can report that my under arms haven’t been as dry as normal, which has even helped with reducing razor burn.
I actually think that I’ll be converting to the spray from now on, especially with the warmer weather approaching. Also, I admittedly still haven’t been able to find my old deodorant stick. I feel that we’ve taken our internet friendship to the next levee now that I’ve shared enough intimate details about my underarms. If you’re interested in Dove’s Dry Spray Antiperspirant, they’re about $5.99 and available at local drugstores, etc. You know, basically wherever you normally purchase deodorant. If you give it a try, let me know what you think!
The Details // Photos by Alexandra ‘Mount Pleasant’ T-Shirt, BC Living c/o Black Trousers, Nicole Bridger Khaki Jacket, Plum Sunglasses, Le Chateau Loafers, Aerosoles (old) Bag, Phillip Lim for Target
Sweet mother of pearl, we are HOME! I cannot even tell you how good it feels to be back at our little apartment. The time we’ve spent apart has definitely been eye opening. We realize now how lucky we are to have this square footage to call our own. Thanks to the gorgeous new floors I picked out and a little re-arranging of furniture by the moving company, I have a newfound love and enthusiasm for our place. It’s so easy to get stuck in a comfortable rut when it comes to the home. Not only does completely useless JUNK pile up in every single crevasse, cupboard, and drawer, but we hadn’t done much in the way of decorating in years. There are walls that needed to be repainted, small renovations that needed to be done, and furniture that needed replacing that we’ve neglected for years. We’re now in FULL redecorating mode and are in the middle of a total spring clean and purging of the things. It’s a big undertaking, but I’m kind of glad we were forced out of our decorating fog. Another positive way of looking at this whole experience, I suppose.
While we’re on the topic of my home, I’m sure you noticed my cute ‘I live Mount Pleasant’ shirt in these pics. If you live in this delightful hood, you can get your own BC Living Mount Pleasant tee here, or there’s plenty of other neighbourhoods to choose from! And if you hadn’t seen it yet, here’s the BC Living article about all my favourite spots around here.
P.S. Semi-confusing that we took these photos in such an iconic Gastown setting. In all fairness, Gastown is where my studio/office is, so it’s really my second home lol
Last week I got to thinking (always trouble) that I have all this hair and I never do anything with it. So, on a mediocre hair day, I decided to experiment. I parted my hair in the middle, flipped my head over to one side and began french braiding from the bottom, upwards. I took my time, keeping in mind which parts of the braid would be most visible. I then tried to replicate my right braid on the opposite side with absolutely no success at all. The first braid was too beautiful to give up on, so I left it and bobby pinned it as a braided crown. I curled the remaining hair and ended up with what you can see above. It was quite an extreme to my everyday curls or natural waves, but I did get a few compliments so clearly the masses didn’t hate it. I’m definitely into the idea of trying other braids and fun hairstyles! Any requests?
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