Looks of the Week

There were 4 celebrity looks this week that I thought were pretty incredible so I wanted to share them here on this Friday, final day of the week!

The first two - Ali Larter and Molly Sims - are both wearing CH Carolina Herrera at the designer's boutique opening in L.A. How cute, fun and flirty, and perfect for summer are these! I could see wearing Ali's dress to a wedding or a fun night out on the town! And Molly's ensemble is actually a shirt and skirt so that equals versatile! I love all the soft colours too.

The next two looks that caught my eye were Sarah Jessica Parker wearing Naeem Khan at an event in London. Also, Julianne Hough wearing Naven at a Svedka event in L.A. Obviously both are pure party dresses, but who doesn't love a good party dress?! Both ladies look fab.

Of the four it's hard to pick a favourite, but for me personally, I might go with Ali Larter on this one. Who's your fave?

Shoes vs. Handbags

I was browsing around Pinterest a little while back and stumbled upon this image:

I'm not gonna lie, at first I kind of scoffed at it thinking "shoes OBVIOUSLY", but then I checked out to see if there were any comments on it. Much to my (initial) amazement, there were a lot of people commenting "handbags OBVIOUSLY". I definitely like a good 'ol handbag but I have never prioritized them or worshiped them the way I do shoes. In fact, when a moved about a month ago, I made sure that I had a space ready to go for my shoe rack but actually have all my purses in packed away in a box still...

What's your poison? Shoes or handbags?

Wedding Wednesday!

Okay, so Wedding Wednesday isn't actually a "thing" per say but it's Wednesday and I'm gonna talk about weddings today! Celebrity weddings to be exact. I think we are officially in wedding season, not only because my Facebook feed has been taken over by photos of weddings but also because my celebrity gossip has been filled with weddings too! As I've said before I love reading about celebrity weddings. They can be the most extravagant, but also can be the most unique. Celebrity or not one of my most favourite parts is the dress (as previously mentioned with Jessica Biel and Blake Lively). Well as it turns out, another one of my style icons recently got hitched a few weeks ago - Kristin Cavallari! 

 I don't know about you but I think their wedding portrait is adorable! She looks lovely (my fave thing is hair out) and they look very much in love. Also, she announced that she was married by posting the above picture of the wedding bands on her Instragram and Twitter. Gorgeous wedding band for her and I actually really love his! Different but very masculine. 


A couple of other weddings happened as well in the last couple of months, the first being Keira Knightly. Her wedding was TOTALLY the opposite of what I would expect of a celebrity. It was super low key. The ceremony happened in a church followed by a reception in her moms backyard. Her dress was Chanel, but was actually a cocktail dress that she had previously worn at another event a couple years prior! I guess that's her "something old". She paired it with a jacket and flats (yes, flats) designed for her by Karl Lagerfeld (who attended the wedding). Although very nontraditional I also love this. Definitely not for me personally, but I think it it fun and is true to her and her personality (it must be). The other wedding was Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul to his longtime love Lauren Parkesian. I honestly can't get enough of this couple. They are so cute and so in love - they speak so highly of each other, they act like best friends and look like they are madly in love. That to me is what it's all about. Their wedding was definitely more of an event - carnival themed in fact! I thought Lauren looked gorgeous. Again with the hair out! Love it. 

Well that concludes today's Wedding Wednesday. Just wanted to share some love and pretty dresses :)

The Best Things in Life...

Well, isn't this the truth! :)

Fitness Friday: Gear

Is it just me or can half of the fun of a workout be the gear? Clothes, shoes, accessories - you can have fun with fashion while working out! There are times I definitely enjoy having fun with my workout gear but I also like to find the balance between fun and practical.

My Gear

First off, don't think you have to drop a lot of cash to get great workout stuff. I've gotten some work-out clothes lately at Joe Fresh and Gap that are not wildly expensive and that allow you to get more bang for your buck. Although I don't think you need to spend a lot of money on the clothes, I do recommend making sure you have actual workout clothes. Workout specific clothes are designed for physical activities - from yoga, to running, to kickboxing, and everything in between! The materials of the fabric are designed for your body chemistry - like the general heat your body creates or your sweat. If you don't have the right clothes on, an unpleasant reaction may happen. I've always worn workout clothes so it's never happened to me, but I've heard about it and read about it and it does not sound good (rashes and such)! Also, workout clothes help support your movements in your exercise! No matter what your workout of choice is, there is an outfit designed just for you - but in the interest of saving money (should that be something you want to be mindful of) just look for basic versatile pieces that will take you though any kind of exercise. For example, a good black crop works for every workout under the sun! 

If you want to splurge on something then I tend to believe that one thing worth doing that with is something important like your shoes. Having a good pair of shoes for your workout (whatever it may be) is super important because they are built to enhance your performance as well as protecting you. When I say protecting you, I mean protecting the soles of your feet, your ankles, your knees - pretty much every part of you! You need a shoe that reduces the impact on your body if you are working hard. When I mention a shoe can enhance your performance well, that's why shoes are designed for different activities. There's no need to wonder why there is a running shoe, tennis shoe, basketball shoe, etc. Each activity has it's own movements and requirements so a shoe was made to accommodate that. And if you're not a runner or don't play a lot of specific sports, there's a trainer! I had often wondered how often one should replace their running shoe. After some research I found an article a while back that recommended replacing every 1,000km. If you're not a runner working with that value might not mean as much to you so it would more depend on your work out style, intensity, and frequency. For me, I try to replace them ABOUT every year to year and a half. Nowadays too there are so many colours and styles you can totally have fun with the shoes too. Like I said before though, make sure they're the right shoes for your activities! :)

Do you have any workout staples or a particular style? Colours or basic black?

Passion

One more to add to my favourite designer quotes collection...

Spend vs Save: Neon Satchel

Out shopping at Aldo recently I came across a fabulous Spend vs. Save case! In their sale bin they had these beautiful neon satchels. They reminded me a lot of the neon Cambridge Satchel's I'd previously seen in stores, but at a (really small) fraction of the price. Where the Cambridge Satchel will run you about $155 (USD), the Aldo Noronen will only set you back $29.95 (CAD)!

Having seen them both in person I think the Aldo one is the winner. The colours of each were very comparable. If anything I'd say the Cambridge pink is softer/lighter and the Aldo one is hotter/darker - but not by much! Also, I think I liked the fabric of the Aldo one a bit better as it was softer and Cambridge Satchel's feel a bit stiff. For me, it is because they are so comparable that I would pass up the name for the deal. 

What would you do with this one? Spend or Save?

*Note: if you are buying the Aldo one online the colours are listed as "Green" and "Orange" instead of "Yellow" and "Pink" - again, having seen them in person I can reassure you that they are indeed very yellow and very pink.

Hunting for Summer Dresses

With summer just around the corner (officially starting at the end of this week to be exact!), I find myself obsessing over summer dresses! I have a few, but mostly maxi dresses which I tend to use as cover-ups. I feel like I don't really have anything I'd really call "short and fun and flirty" - which is every girls' summer dress dream! While in my hunt for the perfect summer dresses, I have found myself frequenting the various online pages of the brand Splendid. I find their clothes in general to be basic, but must-have basics. Comfortable, easy design, in beautiful and fashionable cuts. Here are some of the dresses I've recently been ogling:

What do you think? I'm kind of crazy about that yellow one... don't be surprised if it makes it's way into my closet! Here's a few other non-Splendid dresses that have also caught my eye:

As you can probably tell, the thing all these dresses have is that they are simple - very throw on and go - and that they are all fun! One of the best parts of summer can be sporting colour, and one of the key essentials of summer clothing is that it is light and comfortable. I think it's safe to say all of these hit the mark.

What's your go-to summer brand/brands when it comes to dresses? Is there a summer staple you feel like you need to add to your closet line-up?

Gone Girl

I am so glad I got around to reading the book Gone Girl! It came highly recommended from friends, family and even responses to my "Book Worm" blog post awhile back. Now that I've read it I can definitely see why.   

If you have not read it: I won't give anything away, but you should probably add it to your summer reading list. 

If you have read it: OMG, right?!

I love books that are a unique story and that are written in a unique format - this book is both. A super quick and light summary of Gone Girl is that it is a story about a husband and wife that have a troubled marriage. The book starts with the wife missing, and the husband as the suspect. There are so many subtle twists and turns in this book that it is both exciting and intriguing. The unique aspect of the writing is that each chapter alternates between his perspective and hers. It keeps you very excited and is neat in that it is almost like reading two stories but they are actually one. The ONLY thing I did not love was the end unfortunately. I am not a writer but I feel like I could have thought up something a little more satisfying. Before reading the book my mom had actually said she didn't think the end was as great, but she also said that it didn't ruin the story for her, and I agree. I look back on that book as a whole and know it was excellent.

Apparently the movie rights to the book have been purchased and the author is now hard at work on a screenplay. Although a riveting story, I'm not sure how it will play out on the big screen so if you haven't already, I would recommend you read this book sooner than later! Perhaps the movie (kind of like My Sister's Keeper) will have a different ending than the book...?

Style Icon: Nina Dobrev

The Vampire Diaries actress has already made my blog for her good sense of red carpet fashion so it's no surprise I finally decided she, and she alone, deserved a moment in the fashion spotlight. She has previously made my Best Punk list at The Met Ball, as well as my favourites list at the SAG Awards. Let's not forget she also was voted Sexiest Style in this year's Victoria's Secret What is Sexy list. While browsing her looks over the last little while it was rather difficult to pick my favourite looks to feature - there were so many!

Kind of like my other style icons Blake Lively and Gwyneth Paltrow, I feel like Nina is all about the legs - if you've got 'em, flaunt 'em! I love how fun and youthful her style is but nothing outrageous. She does modest and sexy and chic at the same time!

What do you think about Nina's style? Yay or nay?

SATC Anniversary

Last week was the 15th Anniversary of Sex and the City. Man, what a show! It changed, reassured and empowered so many women. The show itself was a real, raw, fashionable, beautiful celebration of women. Since it's finale we've never seen anything quite like it, and I'm not sure we ever will. Personally, I'm okay with that. I don't seem to ever get sick of watching old episodes! In honour of the anniversary (and in the spirit of "better late than never") here is a favourite quote of mine from show which was spoken in the final episode...

#candidlyNICOLE

If you are not a Nicole Richie fan, this post is probably not for you. I however AM a Nicole Richie fan and as such, felt the need to share her latest project. Her latest project is a web-series called #candidlyNicole and consists of short (around 5 minute) episodes staring Nicole and based around the subject matter in some of her hilarious and random tweets. The official description of the show is as follows: Nicole Richie brings her unfiltered sense of humor and unique perspective to life in a new series based on her irreverent Twitter feed. The show follows the outspoken celebrity as she shares her perspective on style, parenting, relationships and her journey to adulthood.

That pretty much sums up exactly what it is! In recent years (and thankfully since the show THe Simple Life) we've seen Nicole's sense of humour here and there (like it says above "outspoken" - again, not for everyone), and she's definitely proven herself as a successful business woman with her fashion and jewelry lines. She's also solidified herself as a style icon. I've been following her on Twitter for awhile now and it's very cool to see those tweets come to life (boy, how our world has changed - an online mini-series spawned from and based on someones tweets...). Here's an example of one such tweet:

That's a tweet she sent earlier this year that they turned into an episode. I remember seeing that tweet go by and thinking it was hilarious and random, and now there's a mini-episode on it - you can see it come to life! (The fact that that excites me totally makes me feel like a nerd by the way.) With each video being only about 3-5 minutes in length, they're just a quick entertaining blip to watch.

So if you are a fan of Nicole's, do check them out because I bet you, like me, will find them pretty fun and hilarious.

Fitness Friday: You Snooze, You Lose (Weight)

This post HAD to be about sleep. For me, today, after coming back to reality after a long weekend vacation and landing right in the middle of a hectic work week, there was not other option. I am JUST wiped. The best part of it all is that I actually have the luxury to get as much sleep as I want this weekend! Speaking of sleep, we all know how important it is to get a good amount of sleep to help us reach our health and fitness goals... right? Right. It's just as important as diet and exercise. Did you actually know though, that if you don't get enough (quality) sleep, it can result in weight gain? Yup. 

There's an exception to every rule. Our family cat Winston
sleeps most of the day and never loses a pound :)

I love sleep but I will be the first to admit that every now and again, I just don't get enough. When this happens I sometimes play "catch-up" on a weekend and then try to get myself into a routine. I knew that sleep affected your health, but had never connected it with actually gaining weight - yet another lesson I learned from trainer-to-the-stars Harley Pasternak. Here are a few of the reasons:

• Hormones get affected. When you don't get enough sleep the hormone in your body that tells you when you're full starts to deplete. This causes you to feel less satisfied and to eat more in order to compensate. Conversely the hormone that tells you when you're hungry increases so your appetite does too. Statistically tired people eat up to 20% more from this reason alone.
• When we're tired we choose convenience over health and can make poor food choices. Been there, done that. Not only that, but we also tend to be drawn to sweets for an energy boost, all while moving less in general, so doing nothing to work any of this off. I can admit, for me tired = lazy.
• The longer you are awake, the more time is available to eat. If you have dinner at 7 and go to sleep at midnight, chances are you might have a snack you otherwise wouldn't have. Eating late as we all know isn't good for you, and can actually hinder your ability to fall asleep. Vicious cycle right there! By going to bed at a reasonable time, you save yourself potentially hundreds of calories and allow your metabolism to kick in and do its magic.

Aside from weight gain, it's important to know that lack of sleep has also been linked to health problems such as (but not limited too) increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and a weakened immune system. What happens to most of us is we're just busy. When you're busy sacrifices have to be made. All too often, sleep is one of those sacrifices. We really need to stop this. I recently read that even getting just one extra hour of sleep each night can dramatically benefit your overall health! Aside from the amount of sleep we get, we also need to make sure it's a good, quality sleep - meaning undisturbed sleep with significant periods of deep sleep. The quality of your sleep is linked directly to our brains and is strongly related to feelings of tension, anger, anxiety, fatigue and confusion. 

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to practice and test this theory! :)

Tips to get a good sleep (taken from various studies & publications with my own 2 cents):

1. Get ready for bed as soon as you get home. By taking the "getting ready for bed" steps right off the bat, you mentally and physically prepare and it's easier to fall asleep. Steps like getting into your sweats and washing your face.
2. Make your bedroom a tech-free zone. This is not easy. I don't know about you, but I like to fall asleep to the TV some nights. That is not good at all. Especially because it keeps our minds active even when we're in our slumber. Also phones off. I'm a big fan of unplugging. If you have an iPhone check out the "Do Not Disturb" feature in your settings - I love it because it does the trick for me!
3. Be active all day. This one makes sense on it's own and there are studies to support it.
4. Have a caffeine cut-off. This one also makes sense. If I drink coffee it's only at work and only in the morning, but if you're a big time coffee drinker, try to cut back to a no coffee after 2pm rule for example.
5. Plan ahead for tomorrow. I like this one. Basically have your lunch made, your outfit picked out, etc. and you will not find your mind busy with thinking about those things as you try to drift off.
6. Take care in your sleep environment. When you're stressed you may not be able to sleep or get to sleep as easily. Did you know that something as simple as your room being messy can (consciously or subconsciously) stress you out? Fact. Take care in your sleep environment - don't have piles of clothes everywhere, don't have junk on your dresser, etc. It makes a difference!

Here's to a great weekend, and hopefully, a good nights sleep...

Previous Fitness Friday Posts:
My Basics | Running | Yoga | You are what you eat | Stretching and sweating myths

Looks from Last Night: CMT Music Awards

Last night was the CMT Awards and this morning I went through the fashion and was really only awestruck by two (very different) outfits! Don't get me wrong there was a lot of nice fashion, along with the typical misses, but only two makes my topped my list.

First we have Carrie Underwood in an Edition by Georges Chakra short suit that I need immediately for a night on the town with my ladies! To me it's just one big YES. Next is Kellie Pickler in a gown so it's more formal but with the sparkle and low cut halter top - it screams "party". I don't even know where I would ever be able to wear it but it's pretty great. In addition to their outfits, both ladies are styled so simply and well.

 Did you check out the fashion from last night? Any favourites?

Been Away...

This past weekend I took off a few extra days to make it a long 5-day weekend, and went away with some of my girlfriends to the most amazing cottage! It was a dream. Today is my first day back and I'm not gonna lie, it's been tough. Waking up early and to an alarm. Putting on real clothes. Putting on heels. And now sitting in front of a computer screen. It was nice to unplug and relax. Take me back! :)

The cottage aka paradise

Musical Monday: Young and Beautiful

Have you bought The Great Gatsby soundtrack yet? I told you too so I hope you have! :)

Either way, I'm sharing today one of my favourite songs on it by one of my favourite artists: Lana Del Rey's Young and Beautiful. Enjoy.