Monday, October 31, 2011

tiaraiconHalloween Haunting


Happy Halloween! A day when it's perfectly appropriate- in fact expected- to dress like someone else.  Low on funds I re-used the same costume (Sexy Garden of Eve) I wore Last Halloween  when I was on a business trip in Newfoundland (don't worry I didn't wear it to meetings, in fact it didn't leave the hotel).  This year we attended a festive Halloween party complete with a fog machine, devilled egg eyeball treats and adult loot bags.  I thought it would be fun to wear couple costumes so I made my man a tree of forbidden fruit outfit complete with a bird's nest, tempting apple and a moving snake on a fishing line (I won't take credit for the snake, that was his lewd idea!)


{I'm linking up to Silverstyle's Trending through the decades- Halloween edition.  If you're wondering why my hair seems to have miraculously grown overnight it's because I'm wearing a wig-something I'd most likely wear more of if it wasn't so itchy!}






Happy Halloween from our forbidden forest to yours! 

Saturday, October 29, 2011

tiaraiconjewel briefcase

Jacket- Gifted (from my Mum); Blouse (previously worn like this and this)-Smart Set; Skirt & Boots- Thrifted; Purse- Aldo; Wallet- Matt & Nat
Today is the last day of Megan & Keely's This or That remix challenge (insert sad face here).  I've thoroughly enjoyed this challenge- having outfit prompts makes getting dressed that much easier! I decided to combine two of my favourite trends for fall- jewel tones and briefcase inspired bags for a look that's colourful and oh so me!

Scouting a photo location in my condo's courtyard...


It's also Bloggers for Health day and it's all about personal workouts today.  Since I've mentioned my love for exercising here and here I thought I would keep my post short.  I am such an advocate for working out because it has so many health benefits and makes you feel and look your best.  I've taken my love for Zumba to the next level- I finally bit the bullet and registered for a Zumba Instructor training on December 3rd in Toronto! I can hardly wait to get my groove on (and hopefully get paid for it eventually!)

My new autum bag- on sale for $30 at Aldo and my new Matt & Nat vegan wallet- also on sale for $30!







Friday, October 28, 2011

tiaraicon17 going on 23

Tunic- Spoof (Boutique in Toronto); Tights-Smart Set; Boots- Aldo; Hat & Ring- Thrifted; Nail Polish- Cerise by Sally Hansen

I am 16 17 going on 17 23
I know that I'm naive
Fellows I meet may tell me I'm sweet
And willingly I believe

I am
16 17 going on 17 23 innocent as a rose
Bachelor dandies
Drinkers of brandies
What do I know of those

{Bonus cool points if you know what classic movie I adapted these lyrics from!}

 
You know that magical number- the age you'd like to permanently associate with? For me that number is 17, a time when life was carefree with very few responsibilities.  When sales associate paycheques were spent on clothes, movies & candy instead of rent and bills galore.  A senior in High School with a driver's license, cruising the streets in a poorly manufactured car just for the fun of it.  Sleeping in until noon on the weekends, concerts and parties with friends at night.  But alas I'm not 17 anymore but one can dream, especially when wearing such a youthful and colourful outfit!
 

It's 'Fall Brights' today for Megan & Keely's Fashion Week remix and y'all know I love me some brights! Check out some of my other bright looks for fall here, here & here.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

tiaraicondots or squares? who cares!

Skirt- Joe (Clothing Swap); Top, Belt & Ring- Thrifted; Boots- Aldo; Nail Polish- Cerise by Sally Hansen

Today it's dots or stripes over at Fashion Remix Week (hosted by the lovely Megan & Keely) but for some reason I just couldn't seem to style an outfit with my striped and dotted pieces so I threw on this fun green skirt I got at a clothing swap last weekend.  Because we all know squares are the next best thing to dots- right? I wore this outfit to skincare genius Thann's media event (where the alluring aroma of lemon grass tempted me to buy one of their oriental essence scented candle- yum!)  followed by a Stella & Dot party (where I finished off my family Christmas shopping- you heard me right, finished!)



{Not satisfied with the squares? Check out some of my polka dotted and striped looks here, here, here & here!}



{Besides being a bad veggie, I've been a baaaad blogger.  Since I haven't been able to stop by your blogs in the past couple of days I'm making it up to y'all by spending my Friday night blog reading and commenting- because that's my idea of a fun time- no seriously it is!}

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

tiaraiconbad veggie!

Skirt (previously worn like this, this, this & this) - Danier (Thrifted); Turtleneck- Smart Set (Clothing Swap); Shoes- Charlotte Russe; Necklace- Thrifted; Ring- H&M; Nail Polish-Tulip by Revlon & Gold Digger by Aldo; Glasses- Gucci
Thank you, thank you, thank you to all your supportive and kind comments on yesterday's blog post.  I was a little hesitant to share this news but am so happy I did- Tinfoil Tiaras is an open book after all! I was very encouraged by what you had to say and am feeling positive about what the future holds (I love surprises after all!) So here's to new adventures, new friends and new possibilities!

{I've ran out of pink clothing- I only had enough for one outfit- so now I'm keeping my nails painted in pretty shades of pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month}

I'm a bad veggie because I'm wearing a *gasp* leather skirt.  I know I wore this leather vest too, sometimes when I thrift things I don't feel as bad as if I was buying it new but I guess that would be like eating meat leftovers and I sure don't do that! Ah well I do the best I can and I couldn't resist this beautiful green skirt for $5 at my local thrift store! Looking at these photos I'm noticing wrinkes in leather- I didn't even know that was possible! Does anyone have any suggestions on getting wrinkles out of leather?


It's midi or maxi today over at Megan Mae Daily and Casual Chic Kiki- I chose a midi which is a harder style for shorter folks like me but with some high shoes anything's possible! And yay finally some outdoor photos- although I must pre-warn you, as the days get shorter and colder my indoor photos become more common (I may be a Canuck but that doesn't mean I like winter weather!)


P.S. I'm thinking of adding the blogger feature that sends all comments to my e-mail so that I can respond to comments faster and more personally.  Do people like this method? I would of course still be swinging by your blogs, this feature would just make my replies more instantaneously (because I'm OCD about checking my e-mail!) Yay or nay?

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

tiaraicontoo cool for school

*This post gets personal so if you're not feeling up for it, skip to the outfit pics, I won't be offended!

Wondering why I haven't talked about my Masters program in over a month? That's because I have big news- I'm no longer doing my Masters! The second week into the program after crying almost every night and feeling completely overwhelmed I realized I had to do something. I hemmed and hawed, wrote pros and cons list, consulted with friends and family, cried, laughed and cried some more.  At the end of this quarter life crisis moment I finally decided to pull the plug on my Master's degree with no regrets and being at peace with my decision.

I didn't enjoy my undergraduate studies in Social Work and I definitely wasn't enjoying the graduate level classes in Social Work and I didn't even want to be a Social Worker when all was said and done so why the heck was I putting so much pressure on myself? Most likely because of outside perceptions and the emphasis I place on education- I thought that if I had a Master's degree, people would take me more seriously and think to themselves 'hey this gal has it going on!' At the end of the day all that's important is that I'm happy and healthy and doing something I enjoy so that's where I am now-an awkward but at the same time amazing transitional period that will lead me to my next adventure. 

For now I'm working part time for a company I truly love, I'm volunteering, I'm exercising and I'm 'trying to find myself'.  I never knew what that meant when I was younger but now that I've been thrust into the middle of it I understand.  Do I wish that I was in a successful full-time position with money flying out of my wallet left, right and centre? Sure I do but that's not where I am at this stage of my life and who knows maybe I'll never be there.  For now I'm just enjoying my journey through life.

Quarter life crisis aside, here's my menswear inspired outfit for Megan Mae Daily & Casual Chic Kiki's Fashion Remix Challenge (this is a fashion blog after all!) I'm not a huge fan of menswear, preferring feminine silhouettes to masculine styles so I changed my outfit choice at the last minute to better reflect the challenge and my personality!

Pants & Ring- Thrifted; Blouse- Gap (Clothing Swap); Shoes (previously worn like this)- Payless; Hat (previously worn like this)- Zellers; Nail Polish-Tulip by Revlon


"You are now at a crossroads.  This is your opportunity to make the most important decision you will ever make.  Forget your past.  Who are you now?  Who have you decided to become?  Make this decision consciously.  Make it carefully.  Make it powerfully."  -Anthony Robbins 
(I came across this quote from a blog post I wrote last January when I was in a similar situation-some things never change...)


Have you ever had to make a difficult life decision that made you change direction? I'd love to hear your advice or thoughts on the matter (tinfoilstiaras@gmail.com)

Monday, October 24, 2011

tiaraiconleopard love

Cardigan (previously worn like this), Tank, Heels, Belt, Jeans & Scarf-Thrifted; Rings- H&M; Nail Polish- Tulip by Revlon

Having just worn leopard print a week ago, I think it's safe to say I'm enamoured with this animal print.  So much so that I wore the sassy pattern yesterday to run errands and today for work! This week I'll be linking up the fabulous Fashion Remix Challenge hosted by Megan & Keely!


I added my favourite brightly coloured accessories that I wore last time I was posing by the green door.





I'm also very excited to link up with Callie & Lauren for their weekly Bloggers for Health challenge.  Here are my 5 tips for living a healthier lifestyle: 

1) Cooking more, eating out less.  This is something I have really struggled with because as a veggie who doesn't like to cook my options are limited.  Tonight I took the plunge and made a delicious shepherd's pie using ground round instead of beef....mmm!

2) Drink more water! My Mum has been instilling this in my mind since I was a little girl and I think it's about time I take her advice! I usually drink a glass of water before bed and while exercising but I will make sure I'm hydrated throughout the day.

3) Take my vitamins! I recently bought one of those day of the week pill boxes for old ladies forgetful people like me.  Since I bought it I've remembered to take my pills which include a concoction of iron, vegetarian multivitamins, vitamin B and vitamin D.

4) Scheduling in at least an hour a day of 'Emily time'- time for relaxation with no commitments.  I'm the type of person who gets easily stressed and participates in a lot of extracuricular activities so by the end of the week I'm usually zonked.  Even if it's just giving myself a manicure or watching my favourite trashy reality tv show, I need daily time to unwind.

5) Keeping up my fitness schedule.  As I mentioned in my Love your Body Day post, I work out at least 4-5 hours/wk including cardio, weight and dance classes.  Regular exercise keeps my energy and serotonin levels high so I will continue to incorporate fitness into my weekly to-do lists.
Top- Clothing Swap (Free!); Skirt- Bettie Page (previously worn like this, this, this & this); Belt- Spoof; Nail Polish- Tulip by Revlon & Gold Digger by Aldo; Earrings- Handmade (By my Mum); Heels- Thrifted

Besides leopard print clothing I also love leopard print accessories such as scarvesstrappy sandalssky high heels , winter gloves and patterned purses!

Friday, October 21, 2011

tiaraiconawkward & awesome thursday {on a friday}

Top, Belt, Shorts & Jacket- Thrifted; Boots, Purse & Sunglasses- Aldo; Bangles- Roadtrip & Dragonmoon; Bracelet- Persona (Gifted); Nail Polish-Portobello Pink by Rimmel

I know it's supposed to be Awkward & Awesome Thursday but I got so caught up in reading all the Love your Body Day posts that I forgot to post until today so A & A Friday it is and boy it's been quite the week!

Awkward:

-having to use my rusty French while ordering food in La Malbaie, Québec (where I accompanied my man on a two day business trip) "soupe des legumes s'il vous plaît).  And since my man doesn't parle la langue, having to order for him as well.

-because I was concentrating so much on whether or not I was using the proper verb tense, forgetting to ask for my caesar salad 'sans bacon'.  Decided that picking out all the pieces of pig and handing them to my man was easier than an explanation in French- sorry mes petits cochons I think I may have eaten a couple of pieces. Not having tasted bacon in over a decade, I don't get why everyone likes it so much!

-also eating quail and chicken accidentally because the dishes' ingredients were lost in translation.  Let's just say that this week wasn't a good one for vegetarianism! 

-driving 8 hours back home from La Malbaie, Québec when the longest stretch I've ever driven is 2 hours.  I don't know how truckers do it- your body aches all over from sitting for that long and cruise control is a nightmare when there's more than two cars on the highway- lead foot it is!

I'm a day behind anyways so I'm linking up to Le Chateau's Thursdays are for Thrifters



Awesome:

-finally receiving my resized Persona bracelet (think Pandora but a fraction of the price) that my man brought back for me from a work trip 'just because.'  You can see it in the photo above (the purple beaded bracelet). 

-dropping my cell phone in the very parking lot these photos were taken and having a woman and her grandson return it to me while my man and I were eating at the diner.  She recognized me from the picture on my cell phone's display, if I'd had the usual picture of my cats, I might have been phoneless for some time!

-spending an hour in the warm outdoor pool at Manoir Richelieu, splashing around and creating boats out of floaty boards and pool noodles.  Spectators must have thought we had a couple of screws loose.

-volunteering at the Ooh 'n Aah Fashion Show last night in support of The Youville Centre (for young mothers) and Dress for Success.  I have been volunteering as a Boutique Manager at Dress for Success for almost a year now so it's a charity that's very close to my heart. 



Have a great weekend everyone- my friend is hosting a clothing swap party tonight so I hope to get rid of my massive garbage bag of unwanted and add some new pieces to my wardrobe! (another awesome moment)

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

tiaraiconloving my body- imperfections and all!


The beautiful and talented Ashley from 2 Eyes in the Mirror is hosting Love Your Body Day- a time for bloggers to reflect on, comment and share what we love about our bodies.  For me, loving my body has been a process so here's my story in a nutshell:

Junior High School was a hard time for me.  I was lanky, had awkward bangs, wore thick glasses and was shy.  I tried to hide behind loose clothing- mostly baggy jeans and itchy sweaters.  Playing competitive soccer was my niche- my escape and my way of fitting in.  I could be myself on the soccer field and loved the feeling of running and being physically active.

Fast foward to High School.  I started wearing contacts, got my hair highlighted and wore braces to fix the gaps in my teeth.  I became interested in heels and clothing and loved dressing up.  I was still playing soccer and exercised several times a week.  I was proud of my body- I loved how I was becoming a woman with curves and a feminine silhouette.

In University I tried to fit in by partying as hard as everyone else was when that's really not me (I'm more of a bookie, art gallery and theatre type of gal).  I thought the only way to feel good about myself was by exposing myself with low cut tops, barely there skirts and wearing lots of makeup.  If a man wasn't giving me attention (even if it was for the wrong reasons), then I didn't feel pretty.  I stopped playing sports, didn't exercise and starting drinking.  I gained a bit of weight and noticed that my metabolism wasn't as good as it used to be.  I became a full-on vegetarian and became anemic because I wasn't eating properly.  I was diagnosed with mild depression and was told by my Dr to exercise as it would release endorphins but I ignored her advice so it became a cycle.  I was depressed so didn't exercise and by not exercising I became more depressed. 

Now, at the age of 23 I've never felt so comfortable (and happy!) in my own skin.  I don't need others to tell me I look good (although I certainly don't discourage it!) because I feel great and that's whats important.  I joined the gym this summer and have been going to the gym at least 4 times a week since, doing step cardio, weight classes, bootcamp and (my personal favourite) Zumba.  My man bought me a bike and we enjoyed many leisurely (and some not so leisurely) bike rides beside the Ottawa river.  I'm hoping to become a Zumba Instructor in the next few months and I've even dabbled with the idea of taking a Fitness Course at the local College.  Let's just say that I'm loving my body these days, sure there are still many things I would love to change but I feel strong, healthy and beautiful and that's what truly matters! 

{Since I work for a lingerie company, part of my job is helping with photoshoots, surrounded by beautiful lingerie models.  It's hard not to be self-conscious around these girls but hey it's the true test!}
Yeehaw! So that's how I'm loving my body today- now it's your turn!

Monday, October 17, 2011

tiaraiconleopard print & pink

Pants- Gap (Thrifted); Blouse- Zara; Shoes & Belt- Thrifted; Bracelet- Persona (Gifted); Nail Polish- Portobello Pink by Rimmel

 Monday, the start to another week and time to link up to Inspiration Monday over at two birds' and Thrifters Anonymous over at Colour Blind! I'm currently blogging from the beautiful Manoir Richelieu, about an hour outside of Quebec city where the man is attending a tech conference and I'm enjoying some down time (and by that I mean working remotely as I'm not the best at r&r).  He met me on his lunch break to take these photos as we walked around the grounds.  It's getting a bit cold for open toed shoes but I hadn't worn these embellished sling backs in a while so I figured they would make one last appearance before Canada's winter shows its ugly self.

High School Musical actress Vanessa Hudgens is this week's celebrity inspiration.

Thrifters Anonymous



This outfit makes me feel confident, visible and alive so I'm linking up to Not Dead Yet Style's Visible Mondays!

I'm also linking up to the Blogging for Breast Cancer Awearness challenge hosted by A Working Mom's Closet. Fortunately no one close to me has been diagnosed with breast cancer but I worked previously at the Cancer Centre entering data on clinical trials and was exposed to the prevalence of breast cancer among both women and men and its impact on loved ones.  When rooting through my closet I realized I don't own very many pink pieces so made do with what I had (these pale pink trousers, coral pink belt and of course hot pink nails!)



I may not love the colder weather but one of my favourite things about autumn is the brightly coloured foliage and falling leaves!