piéton

Dress, Belt, Striped Tee, Jacket & Heels- Thrifted; Necklace- Gifted; Nail Polish- House of Parliament by Nails Inc (Magnetic Polish)

 I'm someone who needs a little break from routine every once in a while and what better way to indulge than with a mini-vacay? A good friend invited my man and I to spend a night with her and her man in Mont Tremblant- a well known ski resort in Québec, a two hours drive from me. It was my first time in Tremblant and the weather was beautiful.  We decided not to go skiing as none of us are experts (I only went once over 10 years ago and it was a terrifying experience for someone who is queasy with heights) and the skiing conditions were less than ideal due to the spring-like weather.  Instead we spent our brief time at Cap Tremblant (where we stayed in a 2 bedroom condo with an unbeatable view), sitting in the sun, laughing, drinking wine, soaking in the hot-tub, walking around the European style village and indulging in fatty foods.

 

 {I'm participating in Inspiration Monday & Stripes Remix Challenge today. My maxi dress and heels received some strange looks from skiiers but hey who says you can't be fashionable on top of a snowy mountain?}

We paid the piéton (pedestrian) fee and rode the enclosed glass pods up to the top of the mountain which was enough to get my adrenaline pumping and to produce a few high pitched screams as we plummeted 2871 feet!

 

Are you a skier or would you prefer to stay at the bottom of the slopes in front of a fire with a hot chocolate and good book?

diamond on a landmine

T-shirt- Billy Talent concert; Tights- Forever 21; Heels, Cardigan & Necklace-Swapped

I usually dress in girly clothing with feminine silhouettes but sometimes I get the craving for a rock and roll ensemble that's a  little rough around the edges (now that being said my definition of rock & roll is most likely different than most- I still like to incorporate a pair of heels and some cute jewellery into the mix!) My weekend getaway to Montreal provided me with the perfect excuse to participate in Inspiration Monday, copying the grunge-chic style of Drew Barrymore.

 

{Billy Talent is one of my favourite Canadian bands and I've had the privilege of seeing them perform live- what an unforgettable concert!}

After bidding adieu et bon voyage to my sister on Friday (I miss her already!), my man and I drove 2 hours to Canada's most European influenced cities, Montreal, Quebec.  We stayed at a funky hotel, danced the night away with some old and new friends, indulged in bottle service (and suffered the consequences the following day) , watched a lot of hotel room tv and ate the best guacamole I've ever experienced at a cute little resto called Tequila Taco.  Sometimes a couple of nights away is all it takes to unwind from the stresses of everyday life.

Whether you have the luxury of going away for the weekend or you treat yourself to a staycation, make sure to find time for some rest & relaxation because life is hectic!

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?

sometimes less is more

Blazer- BCBG (Thrifted); Top, Pants & Ring- Thrifted; Knee-Highs- Roots; Booties- Charlotte Russe

I'm a colour, jewellery & hat gal but sometimes even I support the notion that less is more.  This week's Inspiration Monday challenge provided me with the perfect opportunity to exercise my accessorizing restraint.  It was hard for me not to pile on the jewels or add a splash of brights but I like how it turned out.  I wore this outfit on Saturday night for sushi and comedy with a close friend. One of the (senior, overwight and sweaty) comedians decided to strip down to his underwear and then treat horrify the audience with bizarre magic tricks including a vacuum and fabric.  He then proceeded to call an unsuspecting lady on stage to feed him a banana.  He must have been high on something, that's the only explanation...

 

{Let's just focus on the cute striped socks and not my lack of floor/wall cleaning....now that I think of it I don't think I've ever washed the walls!}

P.S. Happy Chinese New Year! Want to know which colour is thought to scare away evil spirits? Check out my blog post for Lilac Lingerie here.

spotted leopard

Skirt-Bettie Page; Blouse & Ring- Thrifted; Orange Top & Necklace- Smart Set; Bracelet- Le Chateau; Shoes- Charlotte Russe; Nail Polish- Today was a Fairytale by Deborah Lippmann

Leopard print and polka dots (or in this case polka squares) how I love you and your pattern mixing finesse! Once again I wore my favourite Bettie Page leopard print skirt and paired it with an Ann Taylor tie blouse that I thrifted for only $3.99! I have to admit that I almost didn't post pictures of this outfit-not because I didn't like the ensemble (in fact I'm quite partial to it), but instead the photo quality is atrocious (especially with my apparent lack of hair styling & wonky looking eyes!) Ah well not to despair as my new Canon Rebel T2i is on its way, a late Christmas gift from my man (this year we waited until Boxing Day sales to buy each other presents -more bang for our bucks!)

I'm linking up to Inspiration Monday with a (very loose) interpretation of Emily Blunt's casual shopping attire.  Besides sharing the same first name, we also share a love of black and white patterned tops and John Krasinki (sorry to break the news to you Nora but I'm also seeing him on the side!)

relaxation resolution

Jeans- Gap; Blazer, Tank, Boots, Scarf & Belt- Thrifted; Ring- Gifted (from my Dad); Nail Polish- Water Mist by Sally Hansen & Today was a Fairytale by Deborah Lippmann

It feels like ages ago that I last participated in Inspiration Monday so today I decided to join in on the fun! I liked the photo of Rosie Huntington-Whitely (albeit having no clue who she is, just knowing that she is a pretty lady with a pretentious name, wearing leopard print-good enough for me!) I've expressed and demonstrated my love for leopard many times on this blog so for my outfit, I decided to switch the elements for a patterned blazer and a neutral scarf.  I fell ln love with this blazer as one of my many thrifted purchases during the holidays.  I wore this ensemble Saturday for cat sitting (you know you're jealous) and shopping with my man where I bought a purple wool jacket (on sale for $35, reduced from $150) and furry earmuffs for myself and a Perry Ellis jacket for my man (yeah that's right I like to be the sugar momma sometimes!)

{I love the outfit but in hindsight, the belt may be a tad too big...}

I stuck to my guns on last year's New Year's Resolutions and took up a new hobby- exercising! Which I like to think as more than a hobby, it's a full fledged addiction lifestyle change! As far as the 'managing my finances in an adult manner' resolution goes, let's just say it's a work in progress...

This year my New Year's resolution is simple: set boundaries.  I'm notorious for taking on more than I can chew so in 2012 I'll say 'no' when I need to and make sure to give myself adequate Emily time.  This will become increasingly important due to an exciting life change (no Mum, don't worry I'm not pregnant) which I'll share with you soon.  My mantra for 2012? Teach me how to dougie relax!

What's your New Year's Resolutions for 2012?

sparkle & shine

Blazer & Scarf-Thrifted; Top-Swapped; Jeans-Gap; Shoes-Aldo

Sometimes lunch at a tex-mex restaurant with friends requires a bit of sparkle and shine.  So I pulled out my shiniest blazer, painted my nails with sparkles and imitated Kelly Ripa for Inspiration Monday.  Kelly's bright yellow top is reminiscent of hot summer days but my mustard yellow ruffled blouse? Now that's autumn inspired (and one of my new favourite colours!) I added one of my favourite floral scarves (worn like this) and my nude 'sitting pretty shoes' because they are too high to do anything but!

True to my tech free word, I spent most of the weekend offline and caught up on reading, household chores and sleep.  Especially the sleep part thanks to a rare Saturday night of tequila and dancing.  When I was a University student I could stay out late, drink Smirnoff Ice after Smirnoff Ice and still get up the next morning to write an essay or study for exams.  Nowadays I'm lucky if I experience night life once a month.  Not only is it exhausting, it's also incredibly expensive ($40 on bar drinks and cover charge? I'd rather go out for dinner or thrift shop!)  I know, I know I'm a party pooper but give me a glass of wine, boardgames and good friends and I'm having the time of my life!

The winner of my Adrian Wu fashion show ticket giveaway is....Kat from A Second Glance-congrats and thanks to all who entered!

chilly days ahead

Pants- H&M; Blouse- Joe Fresh (Swapped); Cardigan- J Crew (Swapped); Shoes- DIY; Ring- Boutique in Hawaii; Nail Polish-Perfect Plum by Sally Hansen

I'm linking up to two birds' Inspiration Monday challenge on a Tuesday since I showcased Halloween costumes on yesterday's post (I'm glad no one was offended by my man's costume- I thought it might be a tad risqué for the blog!) Beautiful actress Jamie King is the celebrity to be today.  I was drawn to her bright pants and patterned top and decided to draw from that look with pieces I have recently swapped and my go-to pair of coral pants (worn here and here).  It's starting to get chilly here in Ottawa, I spent the weekend washing scarves and substituting my summer wardrobe for my winter one (it's always fun to stumble across forgotten cold weather clothing in the process!) I'm not a fan of Ottawa's brisk temperatures to say the least and as the majority of my work is currently from home I foresee a long winter of condo hibernation!

leopard 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.

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!