condo flowers

My man and I recently bought a house which meant we also had to sell our condo.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a neat and organized person by nature, it takes a lot of effort and for the most part my home is in a state of creative chaos (a nice way of saying complete and utter disarray!) We spent 3 weekends de-cluttering the condo, cleaning things like baseboards and window sills (which I'm embarrased to say had never been touched) and finishing touches (like having a contractor add a granite bar, custom made hall closet and tiling the bathroom and kitchen).  We are happy to say our condo sold after two days on the market (I don't know how people live in staged homes for any longer!) and I wanted to share how some photos of my interior designer tip- fresh flowers! They make any room look fresh and vibrant (just don't let the cats anywhere near them!)

{I'm currently reading "Mockingjay" and my Venice Beach skull hangs out bedside}

{I will miss the view from our balcony- we can see Ottawa's Parliament building and have a private garden courtyard- which is where I take most of my outfit photos}

{They may not be flowers but my favourite coffee table books & zen statue add a personal touch to the living room}

{Flower canvas print from Winners in the living room}

{My beautiful British Nana in her modelling days}

{Front hall potted plant}

{Bright flowers in antique egg cups for whimsical decor}

{Desk area print}

{Dining room florals}

"Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that's why it is so complicated." (Paul Rand) 

business appropriate {and giveaway winner}

Pinstripe Blazer- H&M (Swapped); Skirt, Belt &White Flower Bracelet- Thrifted; Blouse- Anthropologie; Pearl Bracelet- Le Chateau; Pink Flower Bracelet- Castellammare Designs; Flower Ring- Boutique in Hawaii; Hosiery- Forever 21; Shoes- Spring; Nail Polish- Coral Pink by Sally Hansen

I'm currently in Marina del Rey, California (in LA county) for an international Dress for Success conference which starts this afternoon.  I'm looking forward to networking with other affiliates, exploring the local area (I've previously visited San Diego, Hollywood, Beverly Hills,  Malibu & Lego Land- which should count as a city in my opinion!), learning from others and hopefully teaching something as well (I'm a panelist at one of the conference sessions on starting a new affiliate).  

The attire for the conference is 'business appropriate' which I am embarassed to say I had to google as it's not a term I'm familiar with (I'm a wear what makes you feel good and works for an office setting kind of gal).  It basically means pants or a skirt with a blazer for a woman (doesn't have to be a matching top and bottom as in traditional business attire). I packed lightly (for once!) with one suit and a few separates that I can mix & match. During the conference I'll be wearing outfits similar to the one shown in these photos (which I wore to conduct job interviews last week), professional but with a bit of Tinfoil Tiaras injected style!

I'm very excited to announce the winner of the Castellammare Designs jewellery giveaway- drumroll please.... congrats to Breakfast with Tiffany! (Please e-mail me at tinfoilstiaras@gmail.com to arrange delivery.) Thanks to everyone who entered!

 P.S. I've scheduled posts for the whole week I'm in conferences, you can't get rid of me that easily! :)

you need soap. p.u.

Blouse- Spoof (Boutique in Toronto); Jeans- Swapped; Shoes, Purse & Brooch- Thrifted; Belt- Peacocks UK; Nail Polish- Fuchsia Fever by Revlon

I've never said that to anyone before ( although have definitely thought it!) but an Ottawa based company has taken the offensive term P.U. to stand for something aromatic and natural, Purple Urchin homemade soap, skin care & bath products (they also have many vegan soaps and none of their products are tested on animals!) 'Squeaky Clean' co-founders Sarah Stewart & Rebecca Pereira are holding an official Purple Urchin launch party this Sunday, June 10th from 1-4pm at the store (located in Chinatown at 882 Somerset St. W- look for the purple door, you can't miss it!) If you're in the area, be sure to drop by for drinks, music, snacks and hand massages (plus the first 25 party-goers will receive a special swag bag) I think it's vital to support local (especially when the local shop smells so yummy!) and can't wait for my next trip to Purple Urchin (they're located right by my vet's office and since my cats are on a special chub chub diet which requires weigh-ins every month, I'll be there quite often!)

Hemp Head Shampoo: I've been eating a lot of hemp hearts on my vegan diet so was intrigued of a solid shampoo made from hemp.  I've never used a solid shampoo before so wasn't quite sure how to use it but decided to lather it up like a soap and instead of applying it to my body, rub it in my hair! It smells very earthy (as it's 100% natural) so I made sure to use a fruity conditioner afterwards so I didn't smell too much like a hemp head!

Dead Sea Mud w/Lemon Soap: Yum, yum yum! This was my favourite product by far, I loved the subtle lemony smell and detoxifying properties of the soap.  If you have acne, the deep sea mud and lemon ingredients are said to purge the skin of acne-causing oils and reduce skin irritation.

Coconut Lemongrass Body Butter: Coconut has always been one of my least favourite flavours but I like how the lemongrass gives it a more citrusy smell.  Made of whipped shea butter (which is an ivory coloured fat that comes from the nut of the African shea tree), the body butter is thick, doesn't leave residue on the skin and is thought to increase collagen and elasticity in the skin.

Don't Bug Me Insect Repellent w/Catnip: I can't wait to test out this product next time I'm at my friend's cottage (sometimes I wonder if the population of mosquitos outnumbers that of humans during the Canadian summertime!) I sprayed a bit of the repellant on my skin and it's not sticky, has a less harsh and more natural odour than drugstore brands and the ingredients are 100% natural (including catnip which has been proven to be more effective at repelling insects than deets!)

Root Beer Lip Butter: I'm a Coke snob but my man is partial to Root Beer so when I put this lip butter on, I got lots of sweet kisses! Silky smooth on the lips, the product is 100% natural made of ingredients like cocoa butter, beeswax, sweet almond oil & natural organic aromas.

 

{The countdown is on- only 2 days left to enter my Castellammare Designs jewellery giveaway!}

1 year gym-aversary

I'm not just showing you my exposed midriff for the sake of it, I'm proud to say today is my one year gym-aversary! This day a year ago I tentatively signed up for a membership at Goodlife Fitness and have been actively engaged in the group exercise classes for at least 4-6 hours/week since then (even on my Birthday, Christmas Eve & on vacation!) It's something that makes me feel phenomenal (both emotionally and physically) and it's just a perk that my body has started to tone and tighten (my goal for next year is to have a visible 6 pack and more defined arms).

 

How did I celebrate my one year gym-aversary? I started the day with a two hour cardio and ab workout and then treated myself to a new pair of sneakers with hot pink laces! (seen here reflected in the mirror).

And now for something truly embarassing, a vlog I took back in December after I'd completed my Zumba instructor training (I've taught a couple private classes but have too much on my plate to commit to regular Zumba instructing).  This video is silly with a few mistakes and I don't explain the moves (because that's what they teach you in training which is not very helpful in my opinion) and I'm a white girl trying to perform latin moves so just keep that in mind (my hips don't move quite the same way as JLo!) The video is sideways (not sure how to fix that) but I hope it makes you smile!

"If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you." -Fred Devito

{P.S. It's not too late to enter my Castellammare Designs jewellery giveaway!}

minnie mouse pt 2

Top- Spoof (Boutique in Toronto); Skirt- Swapped; Shoes, Plain Black Ring, Clutch & Jacket- Thrifted; Necklace- RW&CO;  Flower Ring & Tights- Aldo; Nail Polish- Fuchia Fever by Revlon

For some reason I really enjoy dressing up like cartoon mice.  According to blogger stats, the most common search term that brings readers to my blog is 'Minnie Mouse' (due to my previous MM ensemble).  There was no headband this time but there was red, white and polka dots, all very vintage Minerva (did you know that was her real name? I didn't until just now, thanks Wikipedia, I truly do learn a new thing every day!)

I wore this out last Saturday night to fellow Ottawa blogger A Fine Balance's wine & cheese party.  I am very happy to say that I stayed on my vegan diet, avoided the temptation of cheese and indulged in my homemade tofu cheesecake (which was super easy to make- melted dark chocolate chips blended with silken tofu and granulated sugar and then baked in a pre-made graham cracker crust- voila!)

Love bling as much as I do? Be sure to enter my Castellammare Designs jewellery giveaway!

castellammare designs giveaway

This giveaway is now closed- thanks to all who entered!

Jewellery- c/o Castle on the Sea by Castellammare Designs; Jeans-Swapped; Top & Shoes- Thrifted

I love discovering new things about people I know.  Just recently I found out that one of my colleagues at Dress for Success is not only a pro at Excel spreadsheets (she saved my life with data entry), she is also a jewellery designer! She recently launched her Etsy shop,  Castellammare Designs (Italian for castle on the sea) which features funky, affordable and versatile pieces.  I'm Tinfoil Tiaras, and she's Castle on the Sea, it's like we're a match made in heaven watery royalty!  

I'm wearing the 'So You Wanna Try Neon' necklace as a belt (which I then wore as a hairband later in the day, versatile, just like I said!) & the 'English Rose' bracelet.

Now you have a chance to win a unique and beautiful piece of jewellery from Castellammare Designs!  
(of $30 or less value, only open to residents of Canada or USA due to shipping costs)

To enter all you have to do is:

1. Visit the Castellammare Designs Etsy shop (and leave a comment below telling me what is your favourite item is-of $30 or less value)

For extra entries:

2. Follow @castleonthesea on twitter (and leave an additional comment indicating you've done so)

3. Like Castellammare Designs on Facebook (and leave an additional comment indicating you've done so)

4. Tweet about the giveaway (be sure to mention @tinfoilstiaras and @castleonthesea and add a link to this blog post)
5. Add Castellammare Designs to your Etsy favourites  (and leave an additional comment indicating you've done so)

Giveaway ends Sunday June 10th at noon (EST)- good luck to all who enter!

orangey-red

Skirt, Blouse, Silver Ring, Purse, Flower Pin & Shoes- Thrifted; Flower Ring- Boutique in Hawaii; Turquoise Necklace- Boutique in St. Kitts; Silver Necklace- RW&CO; Nail Polish- Coral Pink by Sally Hansen

This lovely thrifted orangey (I've decided this is an acceptable descriptive term) red piece is a welcome addition to my pencil skirt collection. I love how pencil skirts create a natural feminine silhouette but I find them very difficult to walk in (especially when boarding a bus or walking up stairs).  You have to hike your skirt up (to Britney Spears length) and swing your legs around in a very unladylike, robotic way.   Oh well sometimes fashion can be awkward or uncomfortable and that's ok by me!

A year ago I was wearing another vintage-esque outfit:

{source}

It's the last weekend before we put our condo on the market so it's cleaning crackdown (interspersed with a wine & cheese hosted by A Fine Balance- I'll be making a tofu faux cheesecake to stay on my vegan diet & an evening at a nature spa with my colleagues at Lilac Lingerie).  Do you have any fun plans?