Thursday, March 29, 2012

tiaraiconJ'adore Marshalls


{Photo Credit: Marcia B. Linking up to Trending Through the Decades: Brights}


Yesterday I attended the sneak peek media launch at Marshalls in Ottawa Trainyards, a day before the department store opened to the public. The door was unlocked for me (à la Kim Kardashian) and I was ushered inside to a fashionable fairytale complete with live models, private tours, delicious snacks, upbeat music and a red carpet (ok I may or may not have imagined that part).  Oh and the clothes- let's not forget about the vêtements! Stripes, plaid, brights, pastels, chiffon, leather, colour blocking & neutrals...you name it and Marshalls sells it (at surprisingly low prices!)

The whole experience was somewhat surreal, almost like a scene out of Willy Wonka (if candy bars were fabulous shoes, oompa loompas were the attentive staff and I was Charlie!) How often do you get to be one of the first shoppers in a brand new store- it's a fashionista/bargainista's dream!
{Two of the adorable models rocking their Marshalls ensembles}

{Highlighter brights as far as the eye can see!}
{Stripes galore- I added a couple new pieces to my collection!}

{The dress selection is expansive and exquisite}

{These are called 'cubes' a section for tweens and teens to shop all the latest trends in a fun environment- even the music selection is different! I may be twenty-something but I'm a teen at heart so I couldn't resist and picked up a hot pink and orange top, people already think I'm under age so might as well dress the part!}

{The teenage boy cubes. I loved the amount of floor space that was allocated to menwear- almost as much square footage as the ladies wear which is rare in most retail settings!}

{Playful scarves, perfect for springtime.}
{I visited on my lunch break so had to be very strategic with my hour of shopping.  The manic shopper rushing around with her cart overflowing with goodies? Yeah that would have been me!}

{You would light up the gym in these bright coloured exercise pieces- stand out in a sea of yogi black!}
I love window shopping but bringing out the plastic is much more fun! Check out my new purchases from Marshalls which I plan on incorporating into my spring/summer wardrobe, starting with next week's trip to St.Kitts!

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

tiaraiconit's not all glamour

Pants, Top, Ring & Shoes- Thrifted; Cardigan- Swapped; Necklace & Bracelets- Gifted; Nail Polish-Minted & Whimsical by Revlon  
And the award for the most boring outfit goes to Tinfoil Tiaras! I almost didn't post today's ensemble because it was lacking personality and excitement but hey they can't all be winners can they? And part of our responsibility as a fashion blogger is to show off both the hits & misses! This is what happens when I don't plan my outfit the night before- in the morning I'm scrambling around trying to put something together that looks semi-decent and then after working an 11 hour day I'm ready to snap the pictures and change into my pjs!
Had to show off these adorable pointy-toed flats I thrifted for $4.99 -which by the end of the day had my toes screaming for mercy! (Please ignore the cat hair, it's inevitable with two cats, that's why I have a lint brush in my purse, at work, at home and in the car!)

The outfit may be a dud but I love my sparkly Easter egg nails! (These bracelets are actually the colour of my cardigan but for some reason they're showing up as bright red- just wanted to point out that I did go to the trouble of ensuring they matched!)
If you don't love your outfit do you just continue on with your day or do you feel blah and uninspired? (I'm the latter).

Sunday, March 25, 2012

tiaraiconoutdoorsy? not so much...

Pants (worn like this and this),Trench, Shoes, Tee, Scarf & Belt- Thrifted; Bracelets- Mingei Museum (San Diego) & Gifted; Earrings- Sears; Nail Polish- Sew Psyched by Essie


My family and I used to go camping every summer in Prince Edward Island (a beautiful island on the East Coast of Canada that Rebecca calls home).  If my memory serves me correctly, it rained almost every summer and as luck would have it, we had a leaky tent.  I loved the long walks, the exploring and the wildlife but when it was bedtime I did not look forward to sleeping in the tent (which, unless you're equipped with air matresses and deluxe sleeping bags, feels like you're lying on the ground).  Now as an adult, when someone says camping, I say hotel (or cabin, really anything that's elevated off the ground with a solid door and comfortable bed works for me). My idea of hiking in Mont Tremblant was wearing a maxi dress & heels on the snowy mountains so I'm not the most outdoorsy person to say the least (but I hugged a tree for this photoshoot, that counts for something right?)


I may look like a savvy camper but my friend's caption of this photo (taken in High School-where is this lovely tan coming from?) reads 'Emily pretending to light a fire, who are we kidding we don't know how to camp!' (My friend -aka Molly from the grownup diaries- reminded me in the comment section that we eventually got the fire going...by flirting with the men in the adjoining camp site and that all we ate all weekend was McDonalds and watermelon candy ...I think that proves my point quite nicely!)






Are you someone who is at one with nature or are you more in your element at the W? (my personal fave!)

Friday, March 23, 2012

tiaraiconfrom body-pump to birthday-dinner

Skirt- Thrifted; Blouse & Necklace- Smart Set; Shoes & Tank- Swapped; Ring- H&M; Nail Polish- Plummy by Revlon
I've now entered my mid 20s- yesterday was my 24th birthday which I started with an intense Body Pump class, followed by office work, a social media workshop, dinner at Zen Kitchen (where I also went for my 23rd birthday- the food and service can't be beat!) and  phone coversations and brief visits with family and friends. I'm not someone who likes to make a big deal out of birthday celebrations (in fact I probably only have a birthday 'party' every five years or so) but it's still fun to be treated like a princess for the day.

I transitioned this black & white skirt (linking up to Super Stripes week) from day to evening by changing the accessories, top & hairstyle.

Skirt- Thrifted; Dress (worn as top)- Forever 21 (Gifted); Necklace- Swarvoski (Gifted); Boots- Aldo; Clutch- Gifted & Brooch- Vintage; Cat- Marley

One of my friends brought me this adorable balloon, in reference to my Minnie Mouse outfit post.  I was also spoiled with lovely cards and beautiful flowers:
Can anyone identify this flower? Whatever it is, it's very elegant and was waiting for me on my desk along with streamers galore, a surprise banner and card from the Board of Directors at work.

My best friend had this gorgeous pink bouquet of flowers delivered to me at work.
My man was holding this bouquet of flowers when I got home from work yesterday with a goofy smile on his face....because he's taking me to St.Kitts for a week in Easter! I can't wait, it's a place I've always been intrigued by after reading about it in a fashion/celeb magazine years ago.  We're staying at the Marriott Beach Resort and I can't wait to read and relax both pool & beachside (and not do much of else to be completely honest!)

And of course a birthday isn't complete without a cake! I have yet to try this (I was so stuffed from the 4 course chef's tasting menu at Zen Kitchen) but it's a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting topped with a peanut-butter filled egg-mmm!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

tiaraiconshimmering vampire

Pants, Top, Ring & Shoes- Thrifted; Bracelets-Joe Fresh & Sears; Necklace- The Bay; Bag- Capital City Luggage; Finger Nail Polish- Plummy by Revlon; Toe Nail Polish- Aloha Luau by Island Girl Hawaii
 I met up with a good friend for coffee today, which we enjoyed outside thanks to Ottawa's unseasonably warm start to spring. She looked at me and said "wow you're really pale, it's almost like you're shimmering in the sun like a Twilight vampire!  But it looks good!" Well I'll take it as a compliment (because I love shimmery things, just look at my tights from yesterday!) plus my man is really into supernatural tv characters! This will be the summer of Sea of Shoes complexion for me, no more tanorexic Emily!
I'm still participating in Super Stripes Week, just in a subtle-pinstripe-pants kind of way today! I saw this adorable animal print bag at a local luggage shop and thought it would be perfect for travelling or to use as a beach bag!
 Are you someone who tans easily or are you a shimmering vampire like me?

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

tiaraiconsassy stripes

Dress- H&M (Thrifted); Belt- Thrifted; Shoes-Suzy Shier; Pantyhose- Forever 21; Ring- H&M; Nail Polish- Butterfly by Revlon; Sunglasses- Coach (c/o Marshalls)
I'm feeling sassy in stripes, continuing with day two of the Super Stripes Challenge and another outfit worn on my mini-vacay this past weekend at Mont Tremblant.
I'm linking up with Silverstyle: Trending Through the Decades- Pastel Edition because there's some pale pink in this dress somewhere!
No it's not your eyes playing a trick on you, these pantyhose really do sparkle and shine!

I'm also feeling sassy because I received this great pair of Coach aviator sunglasses (my fave!) in the mail the other day, courtesy of Marshalls, in preparation for their Ottawa store opening. As a bargain hunter extraordinaire, I can't wait to shop 'til I drop (I already have my eyes on quite a few pieces!) and am even using some of my overtime hours from work to attend the sneak peak (now that's commitment to style!)

 

 Imagine waking up to a view like that everyday! I can't complain though- the weather was summer-like today in Ottawa (+29'C with the humidity which is unheard of in March- we usually still have snow storms....knock on wood!)

Monday, March 19, 2012

tiaraiconpiéton


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?

Saturday, March 17, 2012

tiaraiconall made up for st.patty's day

Dress- Juicy Couture (Vintage); Blazer & Belt- Thrifted; Shoes-Swapped; Necklace- Sears; Nail Polish- Butterfly by Revlon
 This past week I had the opportunity to meet with (PR Executive) Lindsey and (Makeup Artist) Karina from Make Up For Ever , an innovative and prestigious beauty company founded in France in 1984 by Dany Sanz.  Sanz's background was a painter and sculptor which spoke to me because my Mum is an artist so growing up she was always mixing colours and coming up with beautiful creations (which is exactly what Sanz did with Make Up For Ever, she transferred her artistic skills from canvas to face).  Make Up For Ever sells theatre make-up (including fake blood, prosthetics and products to create wounds and burns- how neat it that!), a smudge-proof collection (which was originally created for Parisienne ballerinas and is now used for synchronized swimmers worldwide) and of course everyday beauty products which are sold at Sephora worldwide and used in Make Up For Ever's international beauty schools.
 

I had the opportunity to test out the HD Complexion Kit which includes a primer, foundation, microfinish powder and kabuki brush.  I had only ever worn foundation so was excited to have Karina use her magic abilities to transform my face.  Not only was the process as relaxing as a day at the spa (the kabuki brush feels like a mini facial) I also learned a lot about proper makeup application (turns out I've been doing it the wrong way this whole time!)
 I was so happy with the final results- I've never seen my skin so flawless (almost airbrush-like!) and I was feeling so sassy I even posed with my mirror face! Thanks so much to Lindsay and Karina for educating me, pampering me and putting up with my silly jokes (and believe me there were some groaners!)

 {Full disclosure- Make Up For Ever provided me with the HD Complexion Kit for review however all opinions expressed are mine.  I have not been financially compensated by Make Up For Ever for this product review- I just love getting my beauty on!}




Happy St. Patrick's Day from one crazy leprechaun to the next! (and yes that is an actual green wig, no photoshopping here, and yes I will be wearing that out tonight because really what other day could I get away with wearing a lime green hair piece?)