27.6.11

SUM-to-the-MER.

Hiya Friends!

Sorry I have been quiet on the blog front these past few days, but I've been too busy catching up with summer to be sitting at home on my computer!

Here are three things I picked up this (long) weekend that just SCREAM summer:

After being scared of face bronzer forever (I'm so pale - didn't want to look orange! Can you blame a girl?) I finally found this perfect bronzer from the BS. It's lightweight and I just love that it adds just a wee little bit more colour to my pale face. 

It's taken me a while to get into the greenish-blue nail trend, but I *love* this Essie colour...and the way it makes my feet look even more tanned in my sandals. A fresh change from my normal reds and hot pinks I normally sport on my toes in the summer!


Kronenburg 1664 Blanc
This might make me look like a little bit of a lush, but I can't get enough of this deliciously fruity white beer this summer. It's hard to find, but find it I did this weekend...and enjoyed one (or two...or three) on the dock on the lake this past weekend. :)

Hope you're all enjoying the summer so far! With 4-day weekend numero dos coming up, I know I am!

xo J.





23.6.11

Lace

I'm about a week late with the lace trend but it took me a looong time to figure out what to do with this lace top. It's not super flattering over the hips, so it needs to be tucked in and I wanted to keep any outfit with the top in it neutral to make it a bit more classy. 


Cue this skirt. I bought it years ago (when I first started working full time) and it's made it's way in and out of the "swap/consignment/giveaway" plenty o' times. 


But with longer hemlines this summer, I'm super glad I kept it. I really do love it. My favourite thing about it - apart from the colour and the cut - is the mesh fringe underlayer that sticks out at the bottom. So classy yet so edgy!


Lace Top and Tank: Dynamite | Skirt: Tristan & Iseut
Braided Leather Belt: Old Navy | Blush Kitten Heels: Jules and James | 'Gold' Braided Bracelet: Spring
Bag: Next (UK)



Today is my Friday! Hooray for the long weekend!

xo J.

22.6.11

The Power of Six

Emily and Kyla are both excellent list-makers. Emily's 'Five Things' post are so lovely, and I am always amused by Kyla's Monday lists of five 'Ramblings of a Monday Afternoon'. I enjoy these posts so much that I'm inspired to start regularly posting my own lists - but with my own twist: 6 items. SIX!  (6 was always my favourite number when I was a kid.)

So in no particular order, here are six things I wanted to blog about today (warning - it's long!):

1 - Mid-Blog Crisis
I think I might have just gone through my first mid-blog crisis. I've spent the last few weeks floating around trying to figure out why I blog, and what I hope to put into my blog and get out of it. Truth is, I'm not comfortable in the spotlight and a blog that posts outfits and how I look everyday has been very powerful in making me feel uncomfortable about myself and my new hobby. But I've come to the conclusion that I still enjoy it. I have been a reader of fashion blogs for years, and absolutely love the way blogging about fashion has completely transformed the industry, and I'm excited to be a part of it. This is the part about blogging I have decided I need to focus on - being part of a community that is so passionate about some of the same interests as I am. I need to put away the worries about 'exposing' myself or 'looking stupid' and just keep going. Cos I'm really having fun, lovelies!

2- WIW Giveaway
Jessica is one of the very first fashion bloggers that I ever followed. For years she's been paving the way for independent fashion blogging and I really think she's been such a pioneer - she is an inspiration for any girl (or guy!) with a fashion blog out there. She took something that she really loved and turned it (and herself) into a huge success...and now has her own book! And what's better? She's giving away 10 signed copies! Check it out here to get yourself into the contest. 

3- SALES
I went to the mall today. My sales-sense was tingling and had a feeling it was a good time to check out some deals - and I was right! Everything on sale at the Gap was 25% off the sale price (my favourite sales are always the ones where you get a discount on the discount), The Bay had a huge sale (hellloooo new JS jeans!) and summer dresses are marked down all over the place. Love this time of year :)

4- Long weekend numero uno
Because I work across the Ottawa River in La Belle Province, I gets me a holiday this Friday. the best part about this is that it's not a holiday for the rest of Ottawa (well, except for those who also work in Gatineau), so things aren't crazy busy. D and I plan to take advantage of the weekday breakfast deal at the local diner (we never get to do that!) and then bum around for most of the afternoon (I also have plans to check out the new consignment shop in my neighbourhood, but he doesn't know about that yet!). Then the weekend will be filled with cottage. Fun!

5- Clinique City Block Face Protector
I need to lecture about the sun for a minute. YOU NEED TO PROTECT YOUR SKIN. I have been blessed (no really!) with the ancestry of the world's two palest nationalities - Irish and Finnish - and have to realllllly watch myself in the sun...I burn in minutes. So protecting my skin is so important (but really, no matter what your complexion, you should all be protecting your skin from the sun, yo!). I hate most sun screens for the face...I find them too thick and make me feel like my pores are getting all blocked up. But last year I purchased Clinique's City Block Face Protector in SPF 25, and I *love* it! It has a slight tint to it so it can be used as a primer base (which is what I normally do) or on it's own. And it's so light I don't even notice it's there by the time I put on the rest of my face make-up. So go protect your beautiful face!

6- Summer Reading
The minute I finished my last course of my Master's degree last summer, I picked up a (non-academic) book and read. And I haven't stopped since. I've always been a huge reader, but 2 degrees kind of took that passion out of me and didn't give me much time for fun reading. But now that I have time for leisurely reading, I can't get enough. I put a lot of work into coming up with good 'summer reading'. There's something about the summer that says I need to find the perfect summer books that will allow me to sit outside and get lost in a good story. This summer I'll be reading:

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
Ugh, my bestie J got me into the Twilight books and as much as I hate admitting it, I enjoyed them. I am by no means a "Twi-hard" or whatever they call people who are obsessed, but I am keen to get this last book finished to see what happens next.

Bossypants by Tina Fey
I've already read a few pages of this. It's freaking hilarious.

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
I have a thing for books that tell stories about people affected by war. The strength - fictional or otherwise - is so inspiring.

Gosh, that was a long post. Guess I had to get 10 days of no blogging out of my system. Thanks for listening :)

xo J.




12.6.11

Major Wardrobe Malfunction

I actually wore this outfit to work on Thursday. It was sweltering hot, and I couldn't bring myself to wear anything but cool cotton.


Boat-print dress: Primark (UK)
Cardigan: Pure by Alfred Sung 
Clogs: Target
Belt: F21
Vintage faux-pearls: Vendor at Great Glebe Garage Sale



I just love the print on this dress! So fun! And the best part? It was only 5 pounds!!! FIVE POUNDS!


I was pretty pleased with this outfit...got myself ready for work, took my photos and I was off to start my day. Then the unspeakable happened. About halfway to the bus station, my sandals broke. BROKE! The straps on the left heel just popped right out. I was devastated! And annoyed that I had to very awkwardly turn around and limp my way back to my building with a broken sandal to change footwear. I ended up wearing a cream pair of peep-toe wedges for the day which worked pretty well, but I was still disappointed. 

I know that this is what I get for going crazy about my $24 clogs, but still. I would have liked if they'd lasted more than 3 wears!

Anyhoo, off to Moneysworth and Best Monday to get these puppies fixed! I got plans for them this summer, yo!

xo J.

11.6.11

To the Max(i)

For dress down day this week, I decided to switch it up and instead of wearing denim as pants, I wore it as a cover. Crazy, I know.




Maxi Dress: Old Navy
Denim Jacket: Gap
Belt: Smart Set
Gladiator Sandals: Target
Scarf: "Belt" from a pair of shorts aaages ago!
Turquoise Ring: H&M




The dress is the result of my Old Navy Groupon I purchased last week. There's not much I find at Old Navy, but I am IN LOVE with this maxi. I love the cut on the top and I love the flow.




This is me laughing at my cat. Yes, I laugh at my cat. He's kind of ridiculous.


Today I'm off to the mall with my Mom which always proves to be dangerous. She's great in that she thinks EVERYTHING looks great. And so when trying things on, I walk away with way more than I ever intended to buy. But we have fun :)


For those of you in Ottawa, check out Westfest this weekend! That's right, my neighbourhood has its own festival! Cool huh? Take THAT suburbs! 


Enjoy your weekend lovelys!


xo J.

10.6.11

FBFF - Friend Friday: Summer Trends


It's the return of FBFF (for me anyway)! I've been too busy to keep up with the Friday fun, but I'm back in it this week!

Today's question is about summer trends.


FBFF - Friend Friday: Summer Trends






What are the top 5 Summer trends that you are looking forward to wearing this season? 

Clog sandals
This is a trend that hasn't really taken off in Ottawa (from what I can see), but I absolutely *love* my $24 pair I picked up at Target over the Victoria Day weekend, and will be wearing them constantly this summer!

Printed sun dresses
While in Cardiff in May, I discovered the hot mess that is Primark. Using every inch of patience in me, I maneuvered my way through the craziness, and came out 3 printed dresses richer, and only 15 pounds poorer! Stay tuned for these pretties this summer...

Dry shampoo
This is yet another trend that seemed to take time to get to Canada. Last summer the blogosphere was raving about unwashed hair. It wasn't until this past spring did I finally find a dry shampoo in my local drugstore, but it was terrible and made my hair disgusting (fyi - it was TreSemme). In London I snagged the Batiste Diva Dry Shampoo (which I've since found at home) and I love it! I save so much time in the morning, and my hair feels like it has so much more volume! 

Orange nails
One of the first things I noticed in the giant March issue of Vogue this year was the orange nails. I love the vibrant, non-traditional colour, and I love how they make my toes and hands look a wee bit more tanned :)

Hats
I own 2 hats - one floppy one for the beach and a Reebok ball cap for running. But I'm loving the cute little hats everyone seems to be sporting recently - from hipsters to fashionistas. I haven't found the right hat 'for me' - and I'm not sure I will - but in the meantime, I'm enjoying seeing them everywhere.

xo J.



5.6.11

What is this - 1979?

I had two choices for Casual Friday this week: the usual skinny jeans, flats and some sort of t-shirt and cardi combo...or this 1970s-inspired number. I debated for a while. The wide-leg jean is all the rage on the blogosphere, but here in sheltered ol' Ottawa, they haven't really taken off, meaning the chances for getting looks on the bus is increased. But I didn't care. I went for it and was super happy I did.


Blouse: Jacob
Wide-leg Jeans: H&M
Clog Sandals: Target
Belt: Urban Behaviour
Bag: Next (UK)
Earrings: Smart Set

I bought these clog-inspired sandals at Target in Syracuse a few weeks ago (another trend that hasn't taken off in Small-awa). I just love them and am having so much fun with them! The jeans were a purchase from Montreal a few years back but haven't been out of the closet until this week...they're super light weight making them perfect for the summer!




In other news, I had an excellent weekend - partied with some fab girls from work on Friday night, relaxed on my parents' new porch at their place yesterday, went for an excellent rollerblade with my neighbour this morning (hooray for living next to the Parkway on Sunday mornings!), shopped with D's sisters and took a nap. Refreshing! Love me some summer.

xo J.

3.6.11

NY Times Great Homes and Destinations

I'm a bit of a news junkie...on my iGoogle, next to my Gmail and Google Reader widgets, are about a dozen RSS feeds for various news outlets, including the New York Times. As much as I love the articles and news coverage from the paper, by far my favourite feature is the Great Homes and Destinations section. 

The slideshows allow you to escape for a little bit and get a glimpse of cool and impressive houses around the world. And the "What You Can Get For..." let's me dream about what kind of house I'll be able to afford one day. A great way to waste spend some time!


xo J.

2.6.11

Soup...eh?

In February, my mentor, friend and boss, K, announced she was leaving her position in our office to pursue her dream: to start her own gourmet soup business. Incorporating her love for good, homemade food, and recognizing the lack of healthy, quick options for working parents such as herself, she started Soupe, Hé! making homemade, seasonal soups that are available frozen from several gourmet food locations in Gatineau. 


Today marked the first week of the local farmer's market outside my work building for the season, and Soupe, Hé! made it's market début. As a result, I ate goooood tonight! I love market day!




The soup is K's Caramelized Onion and Almond soup....and it was delicious! I drizzled a bit of extra virgin olive oil on the top (I love the texture of the oil with the creamy soup). The fresh greens were also purchased at the market ( I drizzled a little olive oil and balsamic on them), as was the Rosemary Garlic bread from my favourite bakery, Art-Is-In. LOVE!


xo J.



Back in Black

Hiya friends,


I'm back from my little hiatus. No reason in particular for being away so long...the weather's been amazing and I've been enjoying summer in our little city. I'm so very sorry for being away so long...I've missed you blog-world! 


Here's what I wore a few weeks ago...D was taking photos and wasn't inspiring me (how dare he) so I decided to be less serious. 




Note to self: belt this outfit next time.


Dress: Apricot (UK)
Cardigan: Old Navy
Leggings: Jacob
Petal-coloured kitten heels: Jules and James (Zellers)
Earrings: Expression (The Bay)




I was clearly never a trained dancer...terrible form!


I've become a huge fan of these cheapie shoes - I've been wearing them all over the place! The perfect height and I just can't get over the colour...and they were $20! Zing!


So you might have noticed a little blog update. I've used what very basic Blogger skills I have to re-decorate around here a little bit. A little more simplistic and summery, I think. Oh! And I now have a blog email, so please give me a shout! I'd love to hear some feedback, questions or suggestions (karma-friendly only please).


I'm back kids!


xo J.