Monthly Archives: April 2012

shorts + tights = lovee

Posted on by

layering made easy! shorts + tights

first step. Invest in some good nylons.. for spring and summer I like more sheer ones, even though I hate those a*holes le chateaus tights are super awesome. “40 deniers” are the best ones for sheer tights that don’t  rip. I hate it when tights rip!  I think american apparel has good tights too, both are a little pricey but its better than constantly replacing cheap pairs.. and yes, they are nylons, not leggings.

Having the foot covered makes your legs look super long, especially if you wear black or dark heels, for the same reason that wearing nude heels and bare legs makes you look taller; visually one straight color line is slimming and elongating.. two things I think most people want for their legs!  If its chilly out, and you want to wear leggings, that’s okay as well, just wear boots so that you don’t see bare feet. Wearing shorts with tights has already broken your leg into 2 “color blocks” so be matchy-matchy with the shoes to avoid a 3rd block.. that’s when you start looking stumpy!

step two. make sure you have a pair of shorts that fit well! When looking for high-waist or mid-rise shorts I buy them looser (usually a size up from my usual size) because I have a big booty and a small waist sizing up helps to avoid pulling. Then however, the waistband often gaps quite a bit if I don’t belt it..  fortunately, I am obsessed with belts.  I have found that almost everything is a bit loose in the waist when I shop to fit the rest of my body (aka the butt), - fit issues are so often fixed with a well placed belt! 

With low-rise to medium-rise shorts, I usually layer a tank underneath a loose-fitting top , the tank helps smooth any lines that the tights might be making around your waist, you could also use a body slimmer. I favor wearing  loose, often asymmetrical tops over low-rise shorts.

On left: mid-rise Jessica Simpson faux-leather shorts from Winners- for a fall look. Lots of layers to keep warm, without adding bulk. You can still wear a belt with shorts when the top isn’t baggy just wear it on the smallest part of your natural waist, not in the belt loops! I’m wearing a tank underneath- tucked into the shorts, over the tights (wearing 2 pairs, black underneath, grey knit over top) and then the button up with an open cardigan over top. TIP: When wearing something that adds bulk to the chest, its good to define the waist with a belt so that the detailing doesn’t overwhelm your figure.


On right: low rise sequin shorts from F21- for a spring look.  It was super hot out, so I am wearing a bandeau underneath, and very sheer tights, and the top is somewhat sheer as well. TIP: when you are leaving your top un-tucked, especially if it is baggy, do NOT wear a belt on the shorts, it will just add extra bulk! & when wearing sheer pieces, keep it monochromatic and neutral to avoid looking trashy.

High waist:

Pulling off high-waisted shorts is tricky, and its almost entirely in the fit of the shorts. When I shop for them, I always go bigger rather than smaller, because with the high waist, comes dangerous camel toe territory and you need all the extra material you can get! Like I said, fit issues are so often fixed by belt, try for a pair with loops, or else make sure they fit well. (Not everyone has an awkward body to dress like mine, and obviously you know your own fit issues better than anyone else would so keep any hard to fit issues in mind and try to work around them.) When wearing anything high-waisted (shorts or skirts) you want  it to sit at the smallest part of your natural waist this creates an hourglass figure, belting the waist will help to emphasize it even more.

When I wear high waisted shorts, I often choose tops with embellishments at the bust-line, or pair with blazers with prominent shoulders, in order to balance my bottom half. The key to pulling them off is balance, so be honest about your shape and dress accordingly. I’m right on the border between hourglass and pear, what are you??

(I know I’m not wearing tights – I’m in the process of moving and didn’t want to dig them out- so use your imagination!)

If you aren’t sure of your body type, measure yourself! Its an easy way to get a quick snapshot of your body shape.

DIY- glitter heels

Posted on by

GLITTER SOLE & CAP TOE HEELS- diy

I found a pair of BCBG shoes at Winners last summer, &  instantly, I was in love. They were the perfect pink, nice soft leather, comfortable and chic, basically everything a girl could want from a pair of heels.. Unfortunately for me, they were also a half size too big, but I liked them so much (plus they were such a great price) that I got them anyway.

The first night I broke them out was for an evening of debauchery at the Ship&Anchor Pub on 17th Ave. It was stampede, which in Calgary (if you don’t already know) basically means it was a drunken free for all.. almost no one in the city is behaving properly during stampede week, and I was certainly not the exception. I don’t know how much experience you have trying to walk while intoxicated in shoes that are a little too big, but it never ends well. Morning came, my ankle was swollen and my once pristine shoes were ruined. I had over the course of the evening scuffed the toes, sides and back of my heels, as well as had more than one drink spilled on them which water marked the leather. True love, and then.. Heartbreak. But I’m a hoarder, and I’m cheap, so I kept them, if only to mourn over love lost.

Fast forward to now, where unemployed, but still a shop-a-holic I didn’t have the funds so go out and splurge on a pair of cap toe heels (a look I have been in love with since I saw Jessica Alba rocking this super trendy color block look. So instead I hit up Michaels bought myself some supplies and got crafting. And though I do love Jessica’s sleek shoes, I wanted a little more sparkle for mine.

To get started:

FIRST YOU’LL NEED THIS:

- A paintbrush or sponge
- Mod Podge Gloss Finish
- Loose glitter!!!
- Paper ( 2 pieces )
- a shot glass ;)
- a pair of shoes

THEN YOU DO THIS:

1. Pour some mod podge into your shot glass, about 1/3 full (you can use any small container but.. thats what I had lying around, so I used that.) This way the glitter you use wont get into your bottle!

2. Then using your paintbrush or sponge, evenly coat the first section of the shoe, dont make it too thin or it will dry before the glitter can adhere (at least it did for me, but maybe I’m just slow!) once you have the area you want to be covered in glitter coated with mod podge, take the glitter, make sure you have a piece of paper (or several) underneath the shoe and sprinkle the glitter all over the coated area, better to use more than less!

3. GENTLY tap the sides of the shoes so that the excess glitter falls off.. if the sides aren’t coated very well, roll the sides of the paper up so it forms a “U” shape and then carefully roll the sides of the shoes into the extra glitter that you caught at the bottom. Once its covered in glitter to your satisfaction, leave it to dry for a few hours. ( I left mine outside because it was sunny and windy so they dried very quickly!)
Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each different area you want glittered (for me the soles, and the toes) When I did the soles, I did only the parts you could see when the foot was down, until I got to step 4, and then I used the glitter mixture to coat the very bottom sole of the shoe, so the glitter is more sparse on the part that its going to get rubbed off on the ground.

4. Once its dry, do a single thin coat of mod podge over and let that dry as well. Then take a look.. for any touch ups I poured some glitter into the cup of mod podge I hadn’t used up and mixed it together, then just dab that mixture onto any area that doesn’t look sparkly enough for your liking.

5. After the touchups had dried I did one final (thicker) coat of modpodge (no glitter) to seal it, and left it over night. By morning they were beautiful and ready to wear.

Not counting drying time between, I’d say it took me about an hour and a half? If that. I highly recommend doing this OUTSIDE so it doesn’t look like a gay parade marched though your house throwing glitter everywhere.. (how does it get EVERYWHERE?!) I would also advise doing it in a sheltered spot, so that the wind doesn’t blow away your sparkles :(

I didn’t bother taping off the areas that I sparkled (although I think I could have gotten crisper lines if I had, so you might want to if you have shaky hands) the shoes I used had straps that separated the two areas so I took my chances. Then I tried getting fancy and used another kind of glitter on the straps across the toes and it didn’t really work out.. the glitter I used was too fine and lightly colored, it didn’t show up and dried kinda chunky. The glitter I used for the toes and the soles had fairly large flakes which worked much better than the super fine stuff.

To do a cap toe shoe, a pointy or almond shaped heel will look best. If you only want to glitter the soles, any pair is fine.

By the end of it, I looked like one of the twilight vampires I was so sparkly but it was totally worth it!

python + nude.

Image | Posted on by

J’adore python print!  + white and nude,  going for something simple& spring.

 

SHOPPING TODAY:
Cuffed denim, the slightly more polished sister to cutoffs + brown leather belt + white silk tank + nude heels + white & silver strand necklace + leather fold-over clutch with python accent + amber ring- mañana imports calgary.

While I was out, I found the perfect flats! (As pictured above) Dead on match for the bag I am currently obsessed with carrying! Now that is fashion fate,  so obviously I had to buy them… plus it was 2 for $20 so I got these cute mocs as well. You just can’t say no to deals like that. (shoes from ardenes)

I wish I could be one of those types who throw on anything, colors&prints&layers, and still look put together.. but I can’t. I am hopelessly devoted to matchy matchy so finding  shoes that perfectly match my bag appeal to me on an ocd level.

I don’t even feel guilty.

touch of teal.

Posted on by

Today I had to pay a speeding ticket. One of those delightful ones where you don’t even know you got one until it arrives in the mail like a gift from the collection fairy. But I figured I might as well look good doing it.. and since I must admit- speeding is a somewhat regular habit of mine so a little extra cleavage can go a long way in saving $$$ when you get pulled over. I <3 nice cops!

Anyways, even though I’m looking forward to spring, today I decided to cling a little bit to fall, especially since I recently received these leather motorcycle boots that I ordered from VS! I confess- I’m smitten. They’re the perfect mix between country and rock, and the cognac is an awesome color for any season. To set them off, I paired them with a leather jacket and kept the pallet neutral and with accessories accents in teal & & natural inspired prints and textures on the scarf and bag. <3

Makeup I kept simple. With a strong brow, blush and bronzer  on cheeks and eyes + vaseline on my lips. I wanted to look light and fresh for this rainy spring day.

Listening to: Simply, Simple -Mother Mother

getting healthy

Posted on by

Ahhhhhh, the familiar mantra, TODAY, I SHALL EXERCISE AND EAT HEALTHY. Only to find myself on the couch all day, shoving chocolate covered raisins (fruit is healthy right?) into my mouth while marathoning an entire season of weeds. 

Personally I find the search for motivation to be like a prolonged game of hide and go seek. Sometimes you find it, but then it goes back into hiding until you want to play again. And sometimes you just straight up give up looking and somehow eat an entire cake in one sitting.

So, in hoping that catering to my own laziness will be the key to success, I have been trying to “sneak in” my fitness lately.

Here are a few habits I’ve been trying to get into that make toning up easy. (or at least more manageable)

 -10 squats every time you use the bathroom

-10 lunges (on each side) while brushing your teeth + 10 squats for being in the bathroom..

- jumping jacks every time you use the microwave, when its done, your done. (maybe don’t defrost anything big for this one…)

During tv shows: 10/side/action- leg circles and lifts (lie on your side). Using a kettle ball or free weights 20 arm curls each side. Do either arms or legs once immediately following every commercial break and alternate.

During commercials: run in place, high knees,  jump rope or jumping jacks, basically anything to fit in some quick cardio, keep going for the whole commercial break!

Alternate your cardio with Pilates oblique exercises every other commercial break:

  • Draw your head and shoulders off the floor, abs tight! Inhale , and then exhale as you twist at the waist, bringing the right elbow to the left knee as you extend the right leg away from you. Switch elbow to right knee as you extend the left leg.
  • Continue switching both legs as you inhale and exhale for 10 reps.  One on each side = one rep.
 If you do this during just an hour long episode of your favorite show that gives you 15 minutes of commercials to do cardio + abs, and then the other 45 for toning arms and legs- now that’s guilt free tv!
 

In the shower, do some stretches (be very careful not to slip, fall and hurt yourself.) Focus on going slow and relaxing.

Do a 54321RUN! -  To start 5 minute warm up jog, 4 minute walk, 3 minute medium pace, 2 minute sprint, 1 minute walk. It only takes 15 minutes so there is NO excuse for not having time!  Get up and do a circle around the block.

Make time at least once a week, for at least one hour, to focus on just your fitness. Whether its joining a club, signing up for a class, going to the gym, for a jog, for a swim find something you like and commit to that hour a week. Everyone is busy, its about making time, not finding it.

NOW, for the eating healthy part.

This is where I really struggle, as a self professed chocoholic I have a really hard time cutting out the sweets… and the salts.. and the bacon. Mmm.. bacon.

  • The biggest, most important and bestest thing ever. DRINK LOTS OF WATER! Not only is it good for you in every way, but if you drink a big glass of water before a meal, you will feel more full, faster. If you want to take it to the next step and drink water instead of ordering another drink that’s even better. Things like pop, juice, and cocktails are like drinking liquid calories (sweet, delicious liquid calories) and if you stick with water, you can fill up on your food guilt free. Plus most restaurants totally gouge you price wise on soft drinks and liquor so you might as well save the extra $$ on your food bill, then buy yourself something nice to flaunt your new figure.

  • I have found that one thing that will NEVER work for me, is cutting it out, cold turkey. Its just not an option, who wants to live in a world without chocolate? I for one, could not. So instead of focusing on it being bad, allow yourself treats, but limit yourself to one, and don’t go back for more. Whats the point of life if you have to restrict yourself from all things delicious?

  • Stock your fridge with healthy and yummy snacks. Like snow peas (my personal favorite) or make easy snacks that satisfy your cravings.. like take a slice of spiced turkey deli meat, wrap it around a celery stick and viola! yummy, meaty, crunchy goodness.  Eating protein after working out is crucial for building muscle.

  • Portioning is KEY. Lots of people smarter than me have done all sorts of studies proving this to be a fact. And it is.. I hate wasting things, especially food when so many people don’t have it. To me ingesting the extra calories is almost a big a waste as throwing it out would be.. only worse since you have to work them off later. So, when you go to a restaurant, order what you want (and it doesn’t have to be an overpriced salad) but when you get your meal, split it in half, and commit yourself to eating only one half of the portion served to you. Take the other portion home and take it to work the next day for lunch, not only does it spread out those calories, but by not stuffing yourself the night before, you get yummy food twice, but only pay once, and you save on buying (or packing) lunch the next day. WIN, WIN, WIN. Knowing this, I usually try to order things that reheat well, pasta for example, over a steak sandwich. Plus, I just love pasta. Anyways, the point is, I was raised to clean up my plate, but when you go to a restaurant where the portions served are 2-3 times larger than recommended, I still feel obligated to clean up my plate, to not waste food, and to stuff myself to the point of discomfort. Its an easy trap to fall into.. one I’m sure we all have, but now we can outsmart the enemy.. or something.

  • Just like with portioning, where the more you have the more you will eat. The more you see, the more likely you are to eat it. So I have a designated “treat drawer” to be opened only in case of PMS or other similar emergencies. When I go rummaging for food, I look in the fridge, or in the cupboard, and by storing tempting junk food in a place I don’t usually look for food (a drawer) I avoid temptation simply by outsmarting myself. (Its a good thing I’m easy to trick.) So store your “bad foods” somewhere off the beaten path, and only stray there in the most dire junk food emergencies. Some people recommend storing things in opaque containers because by the same logic, if you can’t see it, its like its not there. But I myself tend to take that to the next level, and only reopen said container months down the road when I happen to be cleaning the fridge, innocently going about my domestic duties only to open the gates of mordor, staring into the eyes of hell come to me in the form of the moldy lumpy remains of what was once a delicious treat. At times like those, its hard to tell which is more tragic, the loss of your treat, or the massive assault on your sensory system via the nasal passage.

Have any easy tips of your own? Share in the comments!!

finally, more bob than beiber.

Posted on by

I cut my hair last summer into a teeny little pixie cut. Now while you have it, a pixie cut is the best thing ever.. takes

about 5 seconds to style, saves on products, looks better the longer you leave it unwashed. A lazy girls dream hair cut to be honest, which is why I was all over that like white on rice. But, all good things must come to an end and by that I mean I got bored of it and decided it was time for something else. Well there is just one problem, it means you have to deal with the dreaded grow out. I defy you to find a graceful way to grow out a pixie without it looking JB-esque or just like a terrible 70s bowl cut.
I hope it isn’t just me who feels the need to constantly change my appearance in an effort not only to combat boredom but to continue buoying up my self esteem, and while I loved my short hair, there is something about longer locks that are distinctly feminine.  Plus, I really wanna start rocking some beach waves… should be only about 2 years until it gets long enough for the style I have in mind, and by then, I’m sure I’ll be so sick of it that the circle of pixie-cutting begins anew.bowl cut.  It was a frustrating few months let me tell you. Which is why its so exciting that through the wonders of biology or nature of whatever, that my hair is finally getting longer again. Its really only been a few months ( my last trim to keep it in pixie form was in November) but as always, whenever you are unsatisfied with something, time has an irritating way of slowing down. So I present to you, the new do. Very exciting stuff ladies and gents.

wishing for summer

Posted on by

Right now I am all about the turquoise accents, such an amazing color on any skin tone and perfect for summer.

Also a fan of the ring finger manicure today I used blue, with purple on my ring fingers.. Tomorrow perhaps coral and sparkles?

natural makeup- how to

Posted on by

palm trees and a warm breeze

Ahhhh vacations who doesn’t love them? A sweet reprieve from the bitter cold and hopelessness that is winter on the prairie. The sun on your skin, sweat on your brow reminds us of summer love, simple makeup to keep you glowing.

To get this sunkissed look is easy, even if you haven’t been anywhere near the equator this winter. I focused on emphasizing my cheekbones and keeping the look neutral and natural.

Using this bronzer palette (physicians formula or body shop shimmer strips) and a powder brush I swept it into the  hollows of my cheek, and lightly over my neck and chest. It adds just a little shimmer to catch the light (and the fellas eyes am I right?). Then take a pink/berry based blush and apply with a brush to the apples of the cheeks. I use the classic staple; covergirl cheekers blush in deep plum.

*
.

On my lips is one of my all time favourite products Clinique chubby stick in Chunky Cherry.  It gives sheer color and moisture. Plus its easy to throw in your bag to reapply and its not heavy like lipstick.
*

For the eyes, I used the top few color strips of the bronzer (the light gold/rose colors) and just brushed it over the lids and crease. Easy peasy, use a shadow brush or  *gasp* your fingers. Then onto a couple coats of the best mascara ever (in my opinion, Benefit bad gal lash) to give you long, dark lashes.

Now, for my most important beauty rule. FILL IN YOUR DAMN BROWS. Everyone looks better with properly filled brows, its practically science. Youtube can show you how if your don’t already know, I use pencil (CG Eyemakers), some people use powder, do what you gotta do but fill those babies in. You can even get stencils from stores like Sephora to help you shape them, well groomed brows are SO important… If the eyes are the window to the soul, then don’t put hideous curtains over them. (Okay, not the best analogy but I’m going with it.)

here it goes..

Posted on by

This feels like it could be significant… it sounds that way anyways “my first blog post”. Okay maybe not, after all I’m not the first one to make a first blog post. But I do have to admit, I am hoping that this first blog post could prove to be significant, the start of something awesome. I have to be honest, I may have romanticized the idea of a blog a bit, hoping for a little validation, and an outlet for my creativity and opinionated rambles.  Maybe the internet will like me, since in real life I am broke, fired and feeling more than a little left behind. Perhaps my humor will translate, my weirdness will be written off as quirky and most of all someone might actually care about what I have to say.

I got laid off (I know, big deal right?) Well it is to me, as I’m sure it is to everyone who has ever been laid off. Whenever you tell anyone you have been laid off there is always the GLAD-THATS-NOT-ME look in their eyes, the expected sentiments and courtesies and then of course, the mandatory verbal evisceration of  ”the man”. (A topic which I plan to cover extensively in future posts.)  Now I’m not the first or the last person to be laid off, but I am human, and I am mad. I find myself with a great deal of rage, a new outlet and a great deal of free time on my hands. And thus, the blog is born.

So when after  3 years of slumming it at a terrible retail job at Le Chateau for (just above) minimum wage- over worked and underpaid, basically living the dream I got laid off I think its fair to say I was understandably pissed.  Its not that I cared about the job itself- because it sucked- but still, it is a little insulting when after 3 years of work they tell me its time to peace out. Not even a thanks for your hard work just.. pack up the rest of the boxes and then you can be on your merry way to the unemployment office.

There were a few reasons I stayed so long.

1. I was the store manager, I like being in charge.

2. I made shitty money, but was raised by 2 of the most frugal  parents and I know how to stretch a dollar so it was enough to live on.

3. I was generally left to my own devices and I could pick my staff- meaning i could surround myself with cool people who were a mix of work hard/ slack hard. And I was in charge. That’s the most important thing to me since not only do I always think I’m right (because I am) but I hate having anyone bossing me around, since obviously I know better than they do. Really this is the same as number one.

4. I loved working on the trendy “Uptown 17th Avenue” and I got to meet lots of cool people.  Retail isn’t bad if you don’t work in a crazy busy mall, except for the mandatory insane customers… (Where do they even come from? Some self entitled land of jerk-offs where rudeness is a permanent state of being? I mean seriously, some people’s children.)

5. And the main reason… I really love clothes and I got half off!!

When they told me I was being laid off in 2 weeks time I a little upset.  By a little I mean my rage was next level and I absolutely could not BELIEVE I had wasted my time working at a company that would so completely use me, then blatantly lie to me, only to lay me off at their last legal moment. I mean, it was some Grade A Bologna. If you have a job interview at Le Chateau and are wondering, is this job good for me?  The answer is most likely no.  There are a lot of really shitty companies out there that are not above lying, manipulating and underpaying their employee’s to get their maximum profits. There are a lot of good companies out there too, find one of those.  They told me I had “two weeks notice” (there were just 2 weeks left until the store closed, which I had been aware of for an entire year) for my being “let go” and paid out all the mandatory funds.  It was all legally on the up-and-up. Morally, the fact is that THREE different Calgary supervisors lied to my face and told me I had a position at another location, before hiding behind their HR department and telling me I was done. COOOOOOL. They did the same to my other staff members, one of whom walked out immediately. I left this note and left early the day after they told me…  suffice to say, I did not finish the two weeks.

fuck you, le chateau

I waffle back and forth about airing such dirty public details, but why should I be silent about how terribly we were treated? What if someone looking at my resume Google searches my name and sees this.. would they want me to work for them? Probably not, if they were judging just from this post. But you know what, if they were, I wouldn’t want to work there anyways.  If a company didn’t want to hire me based on the fact that I called out another company on its incredibly shitty ethical treatment of their employees, its probably for the best anyways. Why work at a job where they expect you to just take ENDLESS SHIT from everyone?  Its why I decided to start blogging, because here, I can do or say or FEEL whatever I want to.

This reveals a few facets of my personality- bit of a superiority complex, slightly superficial… really doesn’t play well with others. VERY opinionated and overly vocal about it. So with all my new found free time I thought about what my next step should be- the aforementioned list, combined with my love of fashion and the joy I take in ranting about the injustice in the world all combined in the perfect storm of mediocrity and I thought well hey, maybe I could do this blogging thing I’ve heard so much about. Honestly, its mostly because everyone I know in real life is sick of listening to me but I’m not done talking yet.  Plus I have a lot of spare time on my hands now, so here goes. I was hoping to make this blog a lifestyle/fashion/diy thing with a little humor and opinion and maybe the tiniest bit of wisdom thrown in. So bear with me I guess as I try to figure out what comes next.. oh and just wait until I afford an iphone- then  instragram would totally help the fashion part get going. Everyone knows that everything looks more chic in sutro.

What was meant to be something little somehow turned into a giant ramble (this always happens to me) And I bet most people will have given up before they even got here but if you didn’t give up then you rock! And if by some miracle you want to share this, please do. And I leave you with this:  if this blog ever does find even the slightest bit of success I will be able to call up my old boss and say THANKS FOR FIRING ME FUCKERS, BECAUSE I HAVE INTERNET FRIENDS NOW.