canadian winter photoshoot

For those of you who live in a warm climate, this post is for you!  Wonder why us Northerners rarely take outdoor outfit photos during the winter? I thought I'd demonstrate why!

Step 1: Scout photoshoot location (which if you're as much of a cold hater as I am, means only venturing as far as your condo's courtyard where interesting locations to choose from are lacking) Ah a mini cottage- that will do!

Step 2: Disrobe. Now this is a crucial part of the process as your skin may start to turn blue and your nose will start running in a matter of time so you can't delay (unless of course you think the runny nose will add to the effect of the photoshoot in which case, take all the time you need!)

Step 3: Get into your cheesy pose and with bared teeth tell your photographer to hurry up so you still look pleasant in photos (note that I'm slowly starting to sink into the snow with my impractical boots that have no water or snow proofing capabilities whatsoever)

Step 4: Attempt a different but slightly more awkward pose.  This will prevent your readers from getting bored from the same old hands on your hips look day after day.  Peering into the mini cottage (aka the maintenance man's love shack?) Check!

Step 5: Uncontrollable laughter is captured by photographer as snow is now going into your boots and you are shrinking into the ground.  (Note that your feet are slowly starting to form icicles on your big toe's random hairs that won't shave off no matter how sharp the razor!)

Step 6: Run as fast as you can out of the quick snow (like quick sand but much, much colder), feeling like you're in one of those dreams where you're trying to cross the street but your feet are glued to the middle of the road (does anyone else have those nightmares?)

Step 7: Remember this is a fashion blog so direct the photographer to do a quick zooming in on the accessories, bundle back up and then hurry back inside to a hot cup of cocoa (or spiked apple cider if you really need something to hit the spot!)

Skirt, Belt & Ring- Thrifted; Blouse- Banana Republic (Gifted from ML); Sweater- Costa Blanca; Necklaces- The Bay & Gifted; Nail Polish- Midnight Sky by Sally Hansen; Boots- Spring

novice chef at the loading zone

Blouse- Old Navy (Swapped); Pants- H&M; Heels- Andrew Gellar (Thrifted); Ring- Aldo; Necklaces- Smart Set; Nail Polish-Midnight Sky by Sally Hansen

I'm not someone who enjoys cooking, in fact I've expressed my frustration for the activity in previous posts.  That is until I took a vegetarian cooking class at Credible Edibles, an Ottawa business just steps away from my condo building! I've been there for lunch before (yum!) but finally took the plunge and signed my man and I up for a Green Cuisine cooking class as another anniversary gift. I am so glad I did because what a hoot! There were 8 of us (including Judi, the phenomenal teacher/owner) and after watching a brief film about the health benefits of eating a local and plant based diet we divided and conquered the 5 recipes for the evening.  Roasted beet and toasted walnut salad, stuffed Portobello mushrooms, roasted vegetable soup (which the man and I helped make), garlic toast triangles and maple walnut cake with homemade peach preserves! (I wish I'd brought my camera because even the presentation was stunning!)

I've never had so much fun cooking, the company was great and the food was local, fresh and delicious.  I've always been a foodie and love eating out and supporting local restaurants but for the first time, I'm now excited to cook, to buy locally and to try out new recipes.  If you're in the Ottawa area, I highly recommend cooking classes at Credible Edibles, even if you're a meatetarian like my man, you won't be disappointed ! 


{Full disclosure: I have not been sponsored or compensated in any way for this post, I just love supporting local businesses!}

{I'm linking up this outfit to Silverstyle's Trending Through the Decades: Stripes edition and because the delicious recipes from my cooking class really 'caught my eye' (and taste buds!) I'm linking up to Shayla's Eye Candy of the week post!}

casual bling

Jeans- Bluenotes; Vest, Blouse, Belt & Boots- Thrifted; Purse- Aldo; Bracelets- Joe Fresh; Le Chateau & Gifted (from my Mum); Watch- Fossil; Nail Polish- Midnight Sky by Sally Hansen

I don't do casual well.  I'm not a t-shirt and jeans kind of gal, I don't own any hooded sweatshirts and I only wear sneakers at the gym. However, there are those days when you don't want to dress up but you still want to look pulled together.  That's what I call casual bling.  The outfit stays simple so the accessories can do all the talking. I wore this on Friday and my outfit was assembled with a little help from two birds and their Inspiration Monday challenge.   

Do you like wearing casual clothes or would you prefer to get all dolled up?

recycled red

Blazer & Pants- Thrifted; Boots- Aldo; Knee Highs- Gap; Ring- Fashion Museum of Bath, UK; Earrings- Nia Kaia; Nail Polish- Midnight Sky by Sally Hansen

Sometimes an outfit starts with an item of clothing but more often for me I start with an accessory and build the ensemble around a pair of shoes, a hat or a piece of jewellery.  I bought this pair of earrings back in December at a launch party for local jewellery designer Leah Clement. They are part of the Nia Kaia line, sustainable jewellery that is designed to make women "look and feel good without harming people or the planet". I've been waiting for the perfect outfit in which to incorporate these earrings and decided on my bright red vintage blazer (complete with shoulder pads- my homage to Super Bowl Sunday!), a pair of skinny black pants and my favourite boots. I wore this yesterday for a delicious gourmet grilled cheese sandwich, followed by a breathtaking performance of The Walk, an Ottawa play about women being trafficked into the sex industry.    

For someone that is an ethical consumer when it comes to food, I find it important to wear sustainable clothing (hence my love for thrifting) and jewellery when possible.  My Nia Kaia earrings are made from recycled cardboard, handmade paper created from renewable sources and gold beeswax paint. 

Do you enjoy wearing sustainable clothing (thrifted, vintage or eco-friendly pieces) or would you prefer to shop retail?

boudoir

For our anniversary last year, I wrote my man a poem. For our two year celebration I decided to be a little more daring and do a boudoir photography session...

My photos were taken by Kosio Ognianov, photographer for Lilac Lingerie.  I helped to develop the boudoir photography packages at Lilac Lingerie (in my previous role as Marketing Coordinator) so I was thrilled to be able to test out the service! It was such an amazing morning, an hour of photography with 2 outfit changes (the vintage pin-up look shown here and a more risqué, menswear look for my man's eyes only!)

When we started the session, I was so nervous that my lips were trembling.  The photographer and stylist put me at ease and after only a few minutes, I was laughing and dancing as if I were at home in my own bedroom! 

If you've never had boudoir photos taken before, I highly recommend it.  It's an empowering experience and at the end of it you'll have unforgettable memories & beautiful mementos. If you're in the Ottawa area, check out Lilac Lingerie (and who knows, I could even be your stylist for the day!)

don't walk away emily

Winter Jacket- Sears; Cardigan- J Crew (Swapped); Dress- Zara; Belt & Ring- Thrifted; Knee Highs- Urban Outfitters; Boots- Spring; Hat- Gap; Glasses- Gucci; Bracelet- A SweeT Boutique (Beverly Hills); Nail polish strips- Laced Up by Sally Hansen

Today's fashion challenge prompt is jacket over cardigan so I wore my favourite purple wool jacket over a swapped cardigan.  I absolutely love cardigans but after taking a quick wardrobe inventory, discovered that I only have 3- this one and two leopard prints! I will have to remediate this situation as soon as I have more than two coins to rub together!

It's interesting how our fashion sense evolves over time.  If I had told 15 year old soccer stomach Emily that in only a few years I would be wearing cardigans and tucked in blouses, I would have scoffed.  But here I am, aged 23 and I find myself drawn towards pieces that I would have historically categorized as grandma-wear.  My wardrobe proudly contains crochet capes, vintage clasp purses, oversized sweaters and lots of faux fur (no wolves howling at the moon or elasticized pants...yet...)

Has your style evolved over the years? What do you find yourself gravitating towards that you would have previously mocked?

{P.S. Bonus points for who can name the song and singer that my post title was inspired by!}

copy cat

Faux Fur Vest- Vintage; Striped Top & Heels- Thrifted; Blouse- Smart Set; Corduroy Pants- Gap (Swapped); Necklace- Macy's; Nail Polish- Posh by Revlon

 Does this outfit look familiar? That's because it was brought to you by the lovely Brett and Shea, two of my favourite bloggers:

 Wait a second are Brett & Shea wearing the exact same striped top? Looks like great minded fashionistas think alike!

You may have noticed that I look a little sleep-deprived in these pictures, that's because they were taken at 8 a.m. this morning before work.  It's dark by the time I get home and the indoor photo-shoots are lacking so I thought why not take them before work? Although I loved this plan, the man wasn't too keen so early morning photoshoots may be a delectable rarity!

{Today's outfit combines the Wednesday & Thursday prompts of Megan & Keely's fashion challenge because I have a non-fashion related post lined up for tomorrow!}

You didn't think I walked to work in pointy toed heels and with just a faux fur vest to keep me warm did you? Not this Canadian gal, I layered up and wore my boots for the 5 minute stroll to my job (now if that's not a desirable commute, I don't know what is!) 

Coat, Scarf & Gloves- Gap; Boots- Thrifted

Where do you gather inspiration from? Celebrities, magazines, fellow fashion blogs, or all of the above?