Just to let you know that this will be the last post until January 2, 2014 because we have a lot of Christmasing to do!! Joelle, Zeke, and I wish you the merriest of Christmases and a wonderful New Year filled with special moments. Thanks for hanging out with us and supporting our blog!
With Christmas on its way, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss how to shop smart.
1. Know What You Need
Always have a list. It can be in your head but better yet, put it on paper so you’re not overwhelmed once you reach the mall.
2. Be Sure About It
Ask yourself, “Will he/she love it?” and “Will he/she use it?” And don’t buy it unless the answer is a “yes”!
3. Dress For Action
Wear a comfortable outfit and shoes. Bring some bottled water. Make sure you eat enough and eat more when you need to before low blood sugar strikes.
4. Avoid The Crowds
If you can sacrifice a weekday morning for shopping (before the lunch rush), you’ll be rewarded with emptier stores and less stressed out salespeople.
5. Shop Early
I started my Christmas shopping in October. For those of you who haven’t started, why not start now? It’s just going to get busier and crazier the closer it gets to the big day.
6. Have A Christmas Storage Area
Designate a small part of a closet for Christmas gifts. Throughout the year when you see something you know someone on your list will love and it’s a great price, buy it and store it in your Christmas area.
7. Feel Happy
Don’t shop when you are hungry, tired, or depressed. Once again don’t wait until the last minute.
8. Set A Budget
Figure out beforehand how much you can afford to spend on Christmas gifts and stick to your budget. If you have a tendency to max out your credit cards, then shop with cash only.
9. Keep Your Receipts
If someone ends up not liking something or the gift is defective you can easily return it. Many stores also offer gift receipts that don’t show the price so you can include it with the gift. Remember that gift receipts are only useful for a return if you pay with cash. If you pay with a debit or credit card, the gift recipient will only be able to get a store credit because they won’t have your card.
10.Buy Extra Gifts
Find some “generic” items on sale that can be for a man or a woman, and purchase a couple of extras. Wrap them up and put a sticky note on the box stating what the item is. This way you’ll always be prepared if someone unexpectedly gives you a gift, and you can avoid any embarrassment or hurt feelings by returning the favour.
How do you shop smart?
This holiday season you might have to go to a party or two so I thought I would discuss the top ten mistakes people do when getting ready for the big event.
1. Open Toed Shoes And Sheer Stockings
I know Zeke discussed this as one of his fashion faux paws recently, but it never hurts to repeat this one again. If you can’t go barefooted in open toed shoes, then it’s time to buy a cool pair of closed toe shoes.
2. Overdone Hair
It’s time to stop using a can of hairspray to do your hair for evening. Your dress should take centre stage, so why not try more of a natural look such as a ponytail with a section of hair wrapped around the elastic? Or a messy updo?
3. Too Much Cleavage
A Christmas party is not a nightclub! Showing some cleavage is acceptable but if your dress has a neckline that plunges more than half-way down your upper arm, you will look trashy, not sexy.
4. Excessive Bling
If aliens can see you from outerspace, then you’ve overdone it with the sequins. Yes holiday parties are a great time to break out the sparkle, but limit it to one item. For example, wear a sparkly skirt with a non-sparkly blouse.
5. Visible Panty Line (VPL)
It’s never a good idea to have a visible panty line in any outfit you wear, however it looks even more cheesy when you dress up. Wear a super thin thong, laser cut panty, or full coverage pantry to have people looking at you, not your bum.
6. Tight Dress
Too tight is not right! You will want to move around freely and even dance at some parties. It is never good to look like a stuffed sausage. And you will want to have some breathing room with all the yummy goodies that will be everywhere.
7. Holiday Themed Sweater
This should be a no brainer, but in case there is one person out there I can get through to about this, then it will be worth it. Holiday themed sweaters make you look fumpy not festive and haven’t been in style since the eighties. People nowadays even have ugly sweater theme parties to mock them.
8. Wearing Green And Red Together
We get it, it’s Christmas! You don’t have to be obvious about what time of year this is. Green and red will always scream Christmas and don’t look that wonderful together. Wear a red dress or a green dress instead.
9. Business Attire
The only appropriate time to wear business atire to a Christmas party is if it’s an office party. Otherwise dress up! If you have to go to a party right after work, then plan ahead. Take a wrap (to wear instead of your suitcoat), evening shoes, a clutch, and some statement jewelry to work with you the day of the party.
10. Make-Up Overload
Yes this is the time to wear red lipstick, but if you do, then tone down your eyes and cheeks. If you desire a dramatic smoky eye, then wear a natural blush and lipstick.
Now get out there and paaaaaarty!!!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of our American friends!
My wonderful husband bought me an awesome birthday present – my first SLR camera! So of course I thought he should christen it by shooting my outfit of the week. So happy that it’s a super nice day and not too cold for some outdoor shots. However, if you’re looking for everyday outfit that you can use in your daily work, you can check out work uniforms for some choices of outfit.
Mixing prints is still going strong in the fashion world, so I teamed up two hot trends – plaid and polka dots. My new sweater totally scored big points with my two Boston terriers. I’m totally loving my new burgundy booties as burgundy is everywhere this winter and I can’t wear it next to my face because it washes me out. And just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you have to go with dark nails. I chose a nice bright orange/red hip-anema by Essie to warm things up. What prints do you like to mix?
Earrings Forever 21 $5 (in stores now) // Sweater Old Navy $22 // Shirt Old Navy$15 (similar) // Ring H&M $5 (similar) // Purse Value Village $10 (similar) // Skirt Reitmans $20 (similar) // Booties Old Navy $34
Thanks to Nicole over at VV Boutique Style for sharing this meme with me.
And a big congratulations to the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League for winning the 101st Grey Cup! Arf!
Image from nationalpost.com
Sometimes when I’m getting ready to go somewhere, I will goof up my make-up, hair, etc. I have found that the following are very useful tips, to correct various getting ready mistakes and I hope you’ll find them helpful too.
1. Eyebrow Gap
To fill a gap in your brow, brush your brow hairs in the opposite direction of the growth so the bare area becomes more visible. Use a brow pencil to cover it with light hair length strokes. brush the brow back into place.
2. Too Much Blush
Sprinkle translucent powder on a make-up sponge and blend over the blush. Blend the colour in toward the cheeks instead of out towards your ears. If your cheeks still look too dark, then go over them again with two drops of foundation on a make-up wedge.
3. Streaky Self -Tanner
To lighten colour in one spot, stroke the area with a lemon wedge or a cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide. To fill in light streaks, even out colour by applying self-tanner with the edge
of a make-up wedge, or brush on matte bronzer with a small blush brush.
4. Perfume Overkill
Rub skin with an unscented baby wipe or a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol. If you’ve sprayed too much perfume on your clothing, blast fabric with a hair dryer for 30 seconds.
5. Too Light Highlights
Wash your hair twice with a caramel hued colour depositing shampoo to deepen your highlights.
6. Smudged Nail Polish
Put some nail polish remover on the end of a cotton swab and gently blend away the smear. Add a coat of clear polish instead of more colour which will make the nail darker than the others.
7. Clumpy Mascara
Do this immediately as mascara dries in seconds. Wipe all the mascara off the brush with a piece of napkin or paper towel (don’t use a tissue because it could leave pieces of it on the wand). Wiggle the wand gently from side to side from the roots to the tips of the lashes. You can also purchase a dedicated de-clumping wand in the make-up brush section of the store.
8. Dirty Hair And No Time To Wash It
Blot your scalp with an oil-absorbing sheet (the kind you use for your face), then sprinkle baby powder or a dry shampoo onto your brush and comb through your roots.
9. Eyeliner That Has Gone Astray
Dip a cotton swab in an oil-free moisturizer and dab the sift tip on the back of your hand until it almost feels dry. Use it to wipe away stray marks.
10. Deodorant On Your Clothes
Simply take a clean, white sock and rub the sock over the deodorant mark in small circles. It removes the white mark without leaving behind any bits (like paper towel does) or smearing the mark into a bigger mess (like using water can do).
Hope these suggestions assist you the next time something goes wrong while getting ready.
I’m absolutely delighted to announce that our blog has made it into the top ten Canadian fashion blogs in the Made In Blog Awards for 2013! A HUGE thank-you to all of you who voted for us. We couldn’t have done it without you! Three blogs will be chosen out of the top ten to win some great prizes. Now we await the judging from the industry professionals…
Now for some more exciting news! I have drawn a winner for our Bubble Necklace And Jewelry Giveaway. The lucky winner is: Verena! Congratulations!! I will be emailing you soon to get your mailing address so I can send you your prizes. Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway.
I’m all fresh out of good news so I will be heading off now.
Enjoy your Wednesday. See you tomorrow!
Or are they the same people? Have you ever seen all four in the same room. Hmmmmmm….
And a BIG happy birthday to Joelle today!! Love you Mom!
As promised on Thursday, here are more tips on how to look younger without going under the knife. If you missed How To Look Younger Part I you can find it here.
Tip Eleven – Skip The Powder
Powder tends to settle into your fine lines and wrinkles, making them more noticeable. Older skin doesn’t produce as much oil as younger skin. Plus a matte face look solder than a dewy fresh face.
Tip Twelve – Eat Healthy
Too much sugar can make your skin look dull and wrinkled due to a process called glycation which breaks down you skin and decreases firmness and elasticity. Make sure to eat enough protein because your body needs it to convert it to amino acids to repair skin cells, cartilage, and muscles. Aim for 120 grams of protein a day or else your skin could start to sag more.
Tip Thirteen – Don’t Overpluck Your Brows
Once you hit your 30s, you’ll want to be careful not to overpluck your eyebrows since brows are less apt to grow back if you excessively pluck. Full, natural looking eyebrows can soften your face making you appear younger. Fill them in with feathery strokes using a matte eyeshadow that matches your hair colour.
Tip Fourteen – Update Your Wardrobe
If you’re wearing stuff from the 1970s, 1980s, and in some cases the 1990s, it is definitely a time to ditch those outdated clothes and buy more current pieces. When I say current, I don’t mean trendy. I mean age appropriate, modern pieces that suit who you are now. Every five to ten years it is a good thing to re-evaluate what works and what no longer does.
Tip Fifteen – Don’t Smoke
I know that Zeke has blogged about this one before, but I would be amiss if I didn’t bring it up here as well. Smoking prematurely ages skin by between ten to twenty years, increases the likelihood of facial wrinkling (by 3 times) particularly around the eyes and mouth, gives a sallow, yellow-grey complexion and hollow cheeks, which can cause smokers to look gaunt. Yep, it makes you look older.
Tip Sixteen – Curl Your Lashes
If you are already blessed with thick, curly lashes then this tip is not for you. For the rest of us mere mortals, break out the eyelash curler. Curling lashes opens eyes making them pop and eyelids look less droopy.
Tip Seventeen – Lighten Up On The Make-Up
The term less is more truly applies here. “Less makeup is more youthful,” says makeup artist and Cover Girl Pro Paul Venoit. “But it doesn’t mean no makeup. Foundation in particular helps gives the complexion a fresher finish.” Gravitate towards eyeshadow in natural colours like browns, and plums. Swear off dark matte lipstick and instead opt for creamy formulas with a satiny finish. And use gloss, since shine makes lips look fuller.
Tip Eighteen – No Shiny Eyeshadow
When you’re in your 20’s you can get away with any type of eye shadow. As we get older, it’s best to use only matte eye shadow because it stays on better, plus it won’t amplify every wrinkle making you look older. If you must use sparkly/shiny eye shadow, only apply it on your brow bone as a highlighter because there usually aren’t many wrinkles there.
Tip Nineteen – Use A Retinol Product
This Vitamin A derivative boosts collagen production and normalizes cell renewal, a process that slows with age. Use Retinol to help keep your skin plump and smooth. Retinol is available in a variety of over the counter products.
Tip Twenty – Look After Your Smile
A great smile makes one look youthful. Teeth-whitening kits are budget-friendly and effective if you follow instructions. And take note: “Brushing immediately after consuming teeth-staining food pushes the stain deeper into the enamel,” says the Baltimore-based dentist Michelle Dozier. “Instead, rinse as soon as you can, and brush about 30 minutes later.”
Hope this has been helpful in your quest for the fountain of youth!
This giveaway ends in just four days and it’s for a black bubble necklace (full-sized – not the mini version), a leaf necklace, two pairs of earrings, and a cocktail ring. It’s international, so everyone can enter! All you have to do is head HERE and enter through the rafflecopter widget. Super easy! Enter now because this giveaway ends Sunday November 17th, 2013 at 11:59pm Mountain Standard Time.
