Tuesday, November 30, 2010

tiaraiconBargain Believer

Skirt= $3.  My excitement at finding such a bargain= priceless!

I don't believe in divine intervention but I do believe in bargains.  Shoes, dresses, jewellery, handbags...you name it and I've nabbed it at a bargain price.  I love vintage and thrift shopping because they provide the shopper with hidden treasures, just waiting to be found.  Bargain shopping at the mall is a whole different ball game because retailers don't typically mark down their merchandise too much except for Boxing Day and special sales.  So when I stumbled across this cute brown skirt at Old Navy for only $3 I just knew I had to have it.  (I also had to have the same skirt in royal blue because paying $6 for two brand new skirts is basically unheard of.)  Now if only I could find the same bargains at Chanel!





It kind of looks like divine intervention is happening in this picture I am glowing so much!


Remember when tiny multicoloured butterfly hair clips were all the rage? I thought I would bring them back, adult style!


Outfit (my apologies for the cat hair!)
Skirt and Shirt- Old Navy
Black Socks- Urban Outfitters
Boots- Spring
Nail polish- Emerald City by Revlon
Butterfly hair clip- Zellers
Ring- Smart Set
Necklace- Dragon Moon from Perth, ON

What is your best bargain find?

Monday, November 29, 2010

tiaraicon"You know where nice people end up? On welfare."


...Just one of the controversial remarks that Public Relations and Fashion guru Kelly Cutrone has been quoted as saying.  I just finished watching her reality tv show Kell on Earth (as recommended by my younger fashionista sister) and I now have great respect for her as a power woman, entrepreneur and human being.  She doesn't take b.s. from anyone but she also has a very sensitive and nurturing side to her, proving to be a great mother to young Ava and a caring boss to her faithful staff.  I just ran out (on my short lived lunch break) and bought her survival guide "If You Have to Cry Go Outside: and other things your mother never told you" and I can't wait to sink my teeth into it and gain some great business tips from Ms. Cutrone.

Kelly and her beautiful daughter Ava with her New York Times Bestseller book

If you haven't heard of Kelly Cutrone then you are must likely living under a fashion-less rock as she is a god(dess) in this industry.  Have you seen the short video she directed for DKNY's Cozy Sweater? Pure genius.  If you are looking for a new reality show to become obsessed over- than Kell on Earth is it- I just wish it was more than one season long!  After watching all eight episodes over the weekend (while the boy was flying a remote controlled helicopter around our living room!) I have mixed feelings about a Fashion/PR career- yes you get to work with amazing designers and icons but Kelly's skeleton staff basically has to give up any notion of a social life.  I mean these kids are working an average of 16 hour days and as much as I love fashion, I love my evenings and weekends a little more.  Now working with Rachel Zoe on the other hand...bananas!

That jacket=made to work in fashion!
 "I think the best thing to do is just know that there’s a big difference between style and fashion, and that one doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the other. I think people should stop and get off the train. I think they should look at things, and they should sit like a king on a throne and let everything pass by them. They should practice the art of discernment, and they should do that with their dollar, and they should do it with their eye, and they should do it with their ear, and do it with their mouth, and they should do it with every one of their senses. And they should really sit there, and they should make up their own fucking minds. They should do it about government, and they should do it about their art, and they should it about their clothes, and about their music, about their foods. You decide. If you dig it, dig it. If it’s fashionable to you, then love it and celebrate it."

Saturday, November 27, 2010

tiaraicongimme that girl with the hair in a mess

I love country music and I'm not ashamed of this fact! I used to despise it, dismissing it as uneducated, hick music.  Then I lived in rural Ontario for a summer and there was literally nothing else to listen to on the radio.  So I adapted, and now it is my favourite genre of music.  The song that really started off my love for country was Whiskey Lullaby by Allison Krauss and Brad Paisley (listen here- the song actually starts around 2 mins) which is hauntingly beautiful and my high school drama group used it as the soundtrack for a short play we wrote.

I am curently loving the country song Gimme that Girl by Joe Nichols (listen here- he's not bad on the eyes either!) which is about a guy telling his girl how beautiful she is without makeup on, just lounging around the house.  I think my boyfriend wished I wore jeans and t-shirts more (as blogged about here) so I thought it would be fun to do this post.  I'm not a big makeup wearer (a swipe of mascara and lip gloss and I'm dolled up) but I never wear sneakers or sweatpants (unless I'm working out or sick and even then I'm self conscious). The beautiful Marilou from Twenty York Street has also admitted to wearing little to no makeup and she is stunning!

For this post, I threw on a cute t-shirt from and a pair of comfy jeggings and went barefoot (around the condo, don't worry I didn't pull a Britney!)  Wearing heels and nice outfits makes me more confident, but hey we can't always be fabulous.  Even fashionistas need to take a break sometimes! And guess what, the majority of men don't even notice when we're wearing heels as blogged about here.

Hang up that red dress,
let down your hair,
cancel those reservations
there's no need to go nowhere.
As good as you're looking right now,
girl I bet your'e thinkin I'm crazy,
there's a side of you that I wanna see
that never ceases to amaze me. 


Gimme that girl with the hair in a mess
sleepy little smile with her head on my chest,
thats the you that i like best,
gimme that girl.
Gimme that girl lovin up on me,
old t-shirt and a pair of jeans,
thats the you i wanna see,
gimme that girl.



Gimme the girl that's beautiful,
without a trace of makeup on,
barefoot in the kitchen**
singing her favorite song.
Dancing around like a fool,
starring in her own little show,
gimme the girl the rest of the world,
ain't lucky enough to know. 

**and while I was barefoot in the kitchen I decided to make tofu pad thai!
 
 Have a great weekend ladies and don't forget to let your hair down!


Thursday, November 25, 2010

tiaraiconThe Black, The Blue & the Beret

Sometimes fashion is about not taking yourself too seriously and playing with colours, textures and styles.  I'm sick (yet again) with a cold and when I'm under the weather I like to wear fun outfits to counter-act my blah mood.  Today I wore a wool beret (cute but can you say itchy!) by Alfred Sung that I bought at Zellers for $10! I also layered my tights as it is freezing outside and I don't want to catch pneumonia! (Please disregard my visible bra- no one informed me of this before leaving for work- don't you hate when that happens!)


I ran out of pose ideas so safe bet= grab a book and act studious!
 


  Outfit
Wool Beret- Alfred Sung for Winners
Grey Turtleneck Dress- Gap
Black Boots- Spring (a little worse for wear!)
Blue Tights- Primark (worn here)
Black Socks- Urban Outfitters
Belt- Thrifted
I'm currently in a hat mood- my cat Mamma Sita with my new felt fedora from Urban Outfitters and handpainted skull from Venice Beach, CA
On an unrelated note, my Dad shipped the boy and I these Personalized M&M's with our faces on them and the message 'sweeter than candy'.Apparently he wanted them to write 'bite me' on the M&M's but they didn't approve! I blogged about these sweet candy gifts here.

What do you like to wear when you're in a fun mood?






Wednesday, November 24, 2010

tiaraiconEmily has the same sized hands as Marilyn Monroe...

The last weekend of my trip to California was spent in the land of celebrities and angels, Los Angeles.  I must admit that L.A. was probably my least favourite city we visited as we were constantly being told by people to "be careful" (which is quite unnerving) and I found that the hotspots were overrated and overpopulated.  We still had a great time and the weather was warm so hey, I'm not complaining!

The Hotel
We stayed at the W Hollywood which was a plethora of beautiful people, fantastic decor and a spectacular ambience.  Plus we were right on Hollywood Boulevard so everything we wanted to see and do was in walking distance.







  
Even the peep holes were Hollywood glamour!

The Food

The first night we were in Hollywood, we ate at Ike Sushi which looked like a mafia hang out on the outside, but was warm and cozy on the inside with some of the freshest (and most affordable) sushi I have ever tasted.

We asked the concierge for breakfast recommendations and she sent us to this great joint called Kitchen 24 which is a must visit for anyone in the area!




Friday night we had reservations at Katsuya Sushi (where Kristin Cavallari dined the previous weekend).  This place was a perfect example of an overrated hot spot in LA.  Even though we had reservations we still waited for a half an hour to be seated (and I'm positive that if a celebrity had come in, that we never would have been seated!) The restaurant was overflowing with it girls and their money-bag boyfriends, and the older gentleman (and I mean older!) sitting beside us, asked the young Asian waitress if she was 18 and what time she got off work.  Ick- and to top that all of, he already had a young date with him! But of course, restaurants are all about the cuisine, and I was unimpressed- my tuna roll was minced and mushed up which gave me the sensation of eating baby food! Enough ranting, here are the pictures (I will give them the decor!)



On our last night of vacation, we ate at a great Italian restuarant called Trastevere at the Hollywood and Highland Centre (after watching the Tree Lighting Ceremony).  The food was fabulous and the mood was bittersweet (happy to have had such a fabulous trip but sad to be leaving the city and the warmth behind).


 
The Culture/The Activities
As die hard fans of Criminal Minds and Dexter, the boy and I thought it would be interesting to visit the Museum of Death in Hollywood.  Interesting= yes.  Terrifying and disturbingly gruesome= most definitely.  I guess I should have taken the warning more seriously as well as the owner's story of visitors defecating themselves (although this seems a little far fetched!) The Museum consisted of graphic photos of brutal murders; suicide notes; taxidermed animals; a morgue and serial killer paraphenalia.  At the end of the self guided tour, the owner showed us his two headed pet turtle- at this point I thought I might have been possessed by one of the taxidermed monkeys (hey you never know!) I am finally back to normal, although the scars of some of the images will remain!

On a more cheerful note, the boy and I attended Cupcake Camp LA, where the only thing terrifying was how many cupcakes the boy ate! You got to sample 5 different cupcakes as well as decorate one of your own.  My favourite was a mini chocolate cupcake with nutella icing- mmmm! The proceeds went to local charities so it was the perfect opportunity to be an altruistic glutton!





Our samplers (the sparkly blue one was called Breakfast at Tiffany's and two living barbie dolls were selling them!)
Here are our creations (practice makes perfect!)



On our last evening in Hollywood, we attended the Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Hollywood and Highland Centre which was super tacky but super fun! The perfomers included the Los Angeles Gospel Choir (amazing!); Mitchell Mussu from Hannah Montana (adorable); Kyle Massey from Corey in the House and That's so Raven (and yes I do watch all these Disney shows); Kimberley Locke from American Idol and Cirque de Soleil.  It was incredible to be watching a Tree Lighting Ceremony in my spring jacket- this would never happen in Canada!

The Outfits/The Shopping 
By the time we hit LA, my funds were severly depleting so I steered clear of any real shopping, opting to buy a cheap fedora at Forever 21 instead. 





Outfit
Skirt & Necklace- Smart Set
Black Tank- Old Navy
Floral Tights- Wonder Bra
Shoes- Andrew Geller



 Outfit
Dress- Anthropologie
Shoes- Fergalicious by Fergie
Earrings- Forever 21


Outfit
Fedora- Forever 21
Nude Coloured Dress, Belt & Boots- Thrifted
Long Sweater- Smart Set

The Boy's Outfit (hey he can be fashionable sometimes too!)
Red Dress Shirt- Winners
Grey Pants & Belt- Parasuco

Iconic Landmarks
It was so inspiring to see the Hollywood sign that has made many a star and brought many visitors and wannabes to the City of Angels.  Strolling along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, I was surprised at the sheer number of stars and only a handful of names that I recognized.  Christina Aguilera is the newest addition to the famous walk, and we saw her star getting processed for installation.