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Sunday, October 05, 2014

Not a "Good-bye.", but a "See you later!"

My name is Tim Forest and I am Joelle’s husband. You may have read my name on some of her posts or seen my mugshot from time to time throughout this blog. Unfortunately, a recurring medical condition of Joelle’s has reared its ugly head and this has rendered her unable to continue blogging until further notice. I have been asked by Joelle to tie up any loose ends on her behalf. Updating her blog is one of the last things that needs to be done. It is our hope and desire that she will be able to resume her blog in the future, however at this point in time the priority is on Joelle, her recovery, and the care of our newborn child. I appreciate your understanding regarding this matter. Rest assured that if possible, she will be back in the saddle with her blog as it has been her labor of love. Hopefully, she will be able to continue where she left off with you in terms of providing her unique perspective on fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. Zeke will take a break as well to provide as much support as possible to Joelle during this time. He sends out a hardy “Woof .” to all his loyal readers. Thanks so much for all the love and support you have shown so far for Joelle and Zeke here at Clothes But Not Quite.
Tim Forest

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Wednesday, October 01, 2014

Who won our recent giveaway? Find out now!

Yes I have been posting a lot less lately but I must take a moment to tell you I am still amazed at all the beautiful items Cristy Ellen K has been designing as of late. Stay tuned because I will be adding some of her pieces to a future Outfit Of The Week post sometime in October. I was also privileged to be a guest at her show at Western Canada Fashion Week back in September. If I add another 12 hours to each day, there will be more to follow about that as well!

And let’s not forget that Cristy was so generous to supply me with “Timeless” – a beautiful one-of-a-kind necklace which features a 45″ chain with an interlocking link pattern and matching earrings. It’s also adorned with octagonal crystals and melded ringlets throughout, “Timeless” will be the focal point of any collection. The set Price Valued at $185.00 CDN! But one lucky person will get this set for FREE!

Giveaway Piece

So who is going to walk away with this stunning necklace and earring set from Cristy Ellen K?

*rustling shopping bags for effect*

That would be Liane B!!! I will be emailing you soon to get your mailing address. Feel free to send me a photo of you wearing the set when it arrives.

Thanks for all of your who entered and take the time out of your busy lives to read our blog.

I’m not starting another giveaway until next week. But I can tell you it’s gonna be a another good one!

Have a great rest of the week!
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Thursday, September 18, 2014

Why was I "Missing In Action"?

Hey there, you! Yes I’m talking to you, you beautiful person! I appreciate that you took the time to stop by our blog and check out what’s going on. I gave birth on June 19th and was hoping to continue blogging while caring for a newborn, being a wife, being a friend to our roommate, running a household, recovering from more health issues, and raising a Boston Terror (my wonderful co-blogger Zeke).

What in the sam-hill was I thinking?!?!? *screaming*

Obviously I wasn’t.

The past ten, yes TEN DAYS have been a gong-show!

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From Upper Left to Lower Right:

1. Painting the deck and dodging rain.

2. The Baptism of our sweet baby James.

3. Our 6th Wedding Anniversary, (Thanks for the flowers, Tim!) which fell on the same day as the Baptism. We had 40 people descend on our house afterwards!

4. Attending the Simons Fashion Event at West Edmonton Mall. I will be blogging about this later.

5. Life in general with a newborn.

6. One of the rare times Tim was right about something. Worth documenting! Let the world now know there is no hydrogenated oil in this particular brand of hot chocolate.

7. Visiting Grandma in her new home.

8. Blogger down!! Zeke crashes into a fence playing fetch and hurts his paw rendering him unable to blog.

Nothing beats a photo collage to illustrate my point.

Anyway, I don’t know if it was the I-can-do-it-all-and-be-a-superwoman mentality so many of us women seem to have, being afraid to lose readers, or maybe it was plain redhair stubbornness. All I know is when I was writing posts at 3am and later to have them live on the blog by 8am, it was time for a break before I burnout. That being said, I’m still doing the same thing right now! Heeeeeello 4:44am. How you doin’? What I have learned is just having a newborn who is “talking” away as I write this (I love you James but pleeeeeeeeeeeease go to sleep!) will truly make one re-evaluate one’s life. This could be the lack of sleep hallucinations talking though.

So as a result there might be less posts nowadays, but when I do post I will make them good ones. Even Zeke will try and throw a Friday’s Faux Paw your way, but he has decided to take a break as well to pursue his interest of bacon and how to acquire it.

In the meantime keep caught up in real time with all of us on Twitter, Facebook, and especially our new Instagram account.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Giveaway Winner Aaaaaaaand A New One Begins!

All of us haven’t been on our blog for ten whole days. Why? Stay tuned for the crazy details tomorrow on This And That Thursdays!

But for now, some exciting news.

The lucky gal who won our latest giveaway for mascaras, eyeliner, and false eyelashes is… *clicking my stilettos on the ground real loud to create a drumroll*…

Sara C!!!!!!!!

She won by following our brand-spanking-new Instagram account. Congrats Sara! I’ll be emailing you soon for your mailing address.

Thanks so much to everyone who entered! If you didn’t win, don’t despair! The great news is that there’s another international giveaway starting now and running until Tuesday September 30th at 11:59pm Mountain Standard Time!

If you have been hanging out with me lately on our blog, you might have noticed that recently I gave away some CND Nail Polish, some beautiful lipsticks, and then some “eye candy”. So I have handled nails, lips, eyes, and now how about some local bling?

A few days ago this delightful woman emailed me. *Helloooooo Cristy you talented gal you!* She wanted to share some of her unique and beautiful jewelry creations with my wonderful readers from her company Cristy Ellen K. So I looked at her pieces and I was BLOWN AWAY – such love and personality put into her one-of-a-kind, handmade designs for women, men, and children.

So without further yappings from me, here is what is up for grabs in this weeks giveaway:

Giveaway Piece

Cristy Ellen K Presents “Timeless”.  Elegant and striking, this piece bestows upon the wearer a bold, chic but classic look. This stunning set features a 45″ chain with an interlocking link pattern and matching earrings. Adorned with octagonal crystals and melded ringlets throughout, “Timeless” will be the focal point of any collection. Set Price Valued at $185.00 CDN. But for one ultra lucky person this beautiful necklace and matching earrings could be yours free. (Matching bracelet available for an additional $45.00 CDN.)

Enter now below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also do yourself a huge favour and check out her collection as it walks down the runway at WCFW (Western Canada Fashion Week) at the ATB Financial Arts Barns here in Edmonton, Alberta on September 19th at 8pm. Get your tickets here.

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Wednesday, September 03, 2014

Who won our latest giveaway? A new giveaway begins...

The lucky gal who won our latest giveaway for 6 summertime lipsticks is… *clicking my stilettos on the ground real loud to create a drumroll*…

Mindy B!!!!!!!!

She won by tweeting out a message letting others know about our contest. Congrats Mindy! I’ll be emailing you soon for your mailing address.

Thanks so much to everyone who entered! If you didn’t win, the great news is that there’s another international giveaway starting… wait for it… how ’bout now?!? (You can tell I loves me some giveaways.)

If you have been hanging out with me lately on our blog, you might have noticed that recently I gave away some CND Nail Polish, then some beautiful lipsticks. So I have handled nails, lips, and now I wish to focus on the eyes. After all they are the windows of the soul, n’est pas?

So here is what’s up for grabs:

Maybelline Volum’ Express Colossal Mascara Classic Black

Essence get BIG! lashes triple BLACK mascara

Essence Limited Edition Cookies & Cream jumbo eye pencil in 01 Last Night A Cookie Saved My Life

e.l.f. Dramatic Lash Kit (False Eyelashes)

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This giveaway is international and ends at 11:59pm Mountain Standard Time on Tuesday September 16th, 2014. The entry form is below. Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Friday, August 29, 2014

Friday's Faux Paw

10495334_496350327168085_8630724138548137414_oYes skinny jeans are a big trend still. Yes everyone is wearing them. But I’m here to say the look on men and women can be less-than-flattering at times. And to be honest with you, I’m really not big on skinny jeans on male humans period. And then there’s the problem of wearing them way too tight. Human females – when shopping for skinny jeans, don’t get hung up on the tag size announcing to everyone “Look I’m a size 6!!” and try to squish and contort you body into them. If you have a muffin top while wearing your skinny jeans, they are too tight. (Woman at the Tim Horton’s drive-thru the other day, I’m talking to you!) However if they are too loose, you run the risk of looking like you’re wearing a second layer of wrinkled, saggy skin (also not a good look). They should fit snugly, so grab some with lycra for some extra stretch. But never should they show every “lump and bump” if you know what I mean. The look on the gal’s face in the photo truly says it all! Thanks to Joelle’s friend Carla for sharing the photo. My rating for this Faux Paw is:

5-poop-star

 

 

 

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Thursday, August 28, 2014

CND Vinylux Modern Folklore Collection - Fall In Love!

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This is a sponsored post.

With Labour Day weekend fast approaching, it’s time to get ready for fall with CND’s Modern Folklore Collection. Available in both CND Shellac (in salons) and CND VINYLUX (DIY), the collection consists of six rich and gorgeous shades that transform nails into the ultimate fall accessory. Whether your fall look is luxuriously embellished or consists of florals and lace, the Modern Folklore Collection will indulge your senses. I’m one lucky gal because the great people at CND sent me two beautiful nail polishes from their Vinylux collection to try out for you – Crimson Sash (a metallic, decadent deep wine) and Locket Love (a shimmery metallic gold).

If you’re new to the party and don’t already know about CND VINYLUX, here’s the low-down:

  • VINYLUX is a revolutionary weekly polish system offering durable, high-shine and week-long wear and currently has 76 runway inspired polish colours to suit weekly desires
  • VINYLUX system includes a self-adhering Color Coat that eliminates the need for Base Coat; Top Coat becomes more durable with exposure to natural light due to ProLight Technology; dries in just 8.5 minutes and provides week-long chip-free wear
  • In consumer testing of hundreds of manicures, more than 80 percent of clients had no chipping after 7 days!
  • VINYLUX Weekly Polish Color Coat and VINYLUX Top Coat retails for $11.90-$13.00 CAD. Available worldwide July 2014

Now it’s time for some fun!

I gathered together some CND ScrubFresh Nail Surface Cleaner ($20 CDN), an artist’s brush, cotton pad, and a glass of wine (all bought by myself). I don’t need the wine for the actual nail art – it’s purely just for me. Yes it’s been THAT kind of day!

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First I moistened a cotton pad with CND ScrubFresh Nail Surface Cleaner and removed all the dirt and oil off my nails so the polish will adhere better and therefore last as long as possible. Please ignore my damaged thumbnail on my right hand. Don’t mess with car doors. That’s all I’m gonna say.

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Next I painted each finger with two coats of Crimson Sash. Man I LOVE this colour! Wine nails, and wine. Hey this works!

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Now the nail art begins. I’m no nail artist, but I dabble on occasion – just like the wine. I took some plastic wrap and dotted some Locket Love on it.

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Then I grabbed my artist brush and painted a diamond in the center of my nail.

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Then I dotted some Crimson Sash on the plastic wrap and roughed up the center of the diamond to add some texture.

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Next I dipped into the Locket Love and painted a dot in each corner outside of the diamond and then in the center of the diamond.

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To finish, I painted each nail with Top Coat.

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And done!

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This was so easy and fun I will have to go shopping for more colours soon! Here are all the colours in CND’s Modern Folklore Collection – Locket Love, Fine Vermilion, Rose Brocade, Crimson Sash, Indigo Frock, and Plum Paisley shown in order below.

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I’m also totally crushing on Fine Vermilion and Plum Paisley. Methinks I need to go shopping soon…

What’s your favourite colour?

The wine is done and so am I! Bye!

This is a sponsored post, however all opinions are my own.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Giveaway Reminder: Five Gorgeous Summertime Lipsticks

Just to let you know, I am giving away FIVE lipsticks!! What kind of lipsticks are they? Well here they are (left to right):

Paula’s Choice Perfect Shine Hydrating Lip Gloss – Peachy Cream

Fresh Tinted Lip Treatment Sunscreen SPF 15 – Sugar Rosé 

L`Oreal Paris Color Riche Lipstick – 406 Neonic Orange

Maybelline Baby Lips Electro Lip Balm – OH! ORANGE! 

New York Color Big Bold Plumping Lip Gloss

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One lucky winner gets all of them! This giveaway is international and ends at midnight Mountain Standard Time on Wednesday September 3rd, 2014 which is one week from now. Enter here. Good luck everyone!

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Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Tuesday's OOTW - Jump For Joy!

I’m deliriously happy that jumpsuits/rompers have come back in a very big way. One piece dressing on the run is awesome when you have a wee bundle of craziness (Love you James!) and very little time to pick out different pieces of clothing. And it’s fun to accessorize differently each time to get a whole bunch of different looks. I started out acquiring a purple one shouldered number to wear out on the town for the Yeggie Awards, and at the same time bought a great black one that I wore to a certain milestone birthday almost two years ago. Then while looking through my closet a few weeks ago, I thought, “Why not get a jumpsuit that I could wear during the daytime?” So I got someone to look after my sweet baby and moseyed over to Forever XXI and tried on at least seven jumpsuits. Finally I tried on one and I swear I heard a choir of angels singing. Actually it was just a hallucination from sleep deprivation. But needless to say I loved it, bought it, and rushed back home.

P.S. I’m LOVING my new CND Vinylux polish in Crimson Sash on my toes! See my review of this shade and one other on Thursday.

So, what say you? Would you try this trend?

Hat Army & Navy $15 (in stores now) // Sunglasses Call It Spring $5 (in stores now) // Necklaces Smart Set $5 each (in stores now) // Bracelets – Turquoise ones and smaller silver one gifts from my friend Angela and largest one from eBay $4 // Purse – made by my Mom a loooong time ago! (similar) // Jumpsuit Forever XXI $24 (in stores now) // Belt eBay $7 (similar) // Shoes WALMART $15 (similar)

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Yep, there’s actual jumping!

 

Friday, August 22, 2014

Friday's Faux Paw

JamesStahp2Okay human males. I haven’t slagged on you for a very long time so you’re in my crosshairs for today’s faux paw. Why, why, oh for the love of everything WHY do some of you wear knee-high socks with shorts?!? Unless you need orthopedic socks or are trying to hide a submarine sandwich for later, PLEASE don’t do this. And definitely do not put sandals over top of that whole mess you got going on. If you think it adds some sophistication with dress shorts, no, no it does not. I keep thinking I should buy you a pair of sock garters to complete your look. If you truly wanted to be dressed up, you wouldn’t be wearing shorts anyway, right? Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight?? If you’re too cold and want the socks to keep your legs warm, there’s this great invention called pants. So unless you need some Geritol please wear ankle socks or no socks at all with your shorts. Wear black socks with dark shoes, and white socks with light shoes. My poop rating on knee-high socks with shorts is:

4-poop-star

 

 

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Thursday, August 21, 2014

Keeping It Real

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I love blogging about fashion and beauty so much, but I need to stop for a sec and write a lifestyle post. Why? Because I’m tired, oh so very tired, tired like a junkyard. See how tired I am? That simile sucked!

Being a new Mom is tough sometimes and things are rather hectic around here these days. (Am I wearing clothes right now? Okay. Good). I just want to be real for a moment and give a shout-out to all of the people in the world who have some sort of craziness going on (I call if “life”) and tell you, you’re not alone!

In fact, life is ever-changing and crazy all the time. Sometimes with things you adore – like a new baby, a promotion, moving to your dream home, meeting your soul mate, learning who you are, etc. However, life can also throw you some real curve balls like the death of a close friend, a family member who quits speaking to you for no reason, a pet getting sick, the loss of a job, not getting into the college you wanted, breaking up with a boyfriend/girlfriend, having major health challenges – the list of hurt is endless. I must admit I’ve had a few of the things on both lists happen to me personally and I used to think, “Wow that’s awesome!!!” or “How am I going to get through this?”. But nowadays I know that each and every situation is just there. Things aren’t really good or bad in the end.

By now you might be thinking, “Okay Joelle is really tired. She truly does need some sleep. Should I personally be coming over there to look after her baby so she can get some much-needed rest?” And I would answer, “Sure!!! The line forms to the right of me. C’mon over!” But before you volunteer, (and I REALLY hope you do 😉 ) let me explain.

I’ve had something I thought was good – a promotion at my job. I was so excited because I had the big desk in the biggest office and was making the most money I ever had in my entire life. But the long hours, extra work, and stress came with it too and before long I started to become VERY ill. So ill in fact that I ended up not just losing the promotion, but also losing my job. I felt empty and unimportant. I didn’t realize that my job was my identity, and when I lost it, I lost me. It took me an entire year to become healthy again, but I have never forgotten the lessons I learned from the experience. So I guess it turned out badly after all, right?

Wrong! Out of the chaos of my job loss, when I was busy healing a doctor discovered another major health problem that if left untreated I could have been paralyzed eventually. Now if it weren’t for the promotion (good thing), and me getting sick and losing my job (bad thing), then I wouldn’t have discovered a health problem that would’ve messed me up later on (good thing). Are you with me so far? I hope so. But there’s more!

I started treatment for the new problem and unfortunately I got worse  and started blacking out all the time (bad thing). Over the course of two years I FINALLY started getting better slowly each day and stopped blacking out and felt wonderful (good thing). Then the doctor treated me passed away and I started going back to how I was before (bad thing)…

Am I just stating the obvious each time I type good thing or bad thing after an obvious good or bad thing or am I doing this for a reason? I am doing this for a reason.

Count each time I typed good thing. It’s okay. I’ll wait.

Now count each time I typed bad thing.

Notice anything? Yes the amount of times is three for each and the story isn’t over yet. Not by a long shot. You see, it always goes back and forth and only ends when you die. This applies to pretty much everything, even blogging! The other day one of my favourite fashion bloggers “J” from J’s Everyday Fashions wrote about both her good and bad experiences in the fashion blogging world. There was her happiness of helping others and the hurt of others lashing out at her. Through it all the good and bad things co-existed and some things which she thought were good turned bad and then back to good. So to all of my fellow bloggers: be thankful for the good things because they might not stay and please. please, please don’t let the bad things get you down.

To see the Chinese proverb that inspired my post click here.

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Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Giveaway - Lipstick Crazy!

I am MADLY in love with lipstick and am rarely seen without it. I truly believe that lipstick can change your look and your attitude. Put on some dark red and you’re a 50’s screen siren. Throw on some pink and you are sweet and innocent. Slick on a nude shade and you’re polished for a job interview.

Anyhow, to share my love, I am giving away not one, or two, or three (okay you probably see where I’m going with this so I’ll skip ahead) but FIVE lipsticks!! What kind of lipsticks are they? Well here they are (left to right):

Paula’s Choice Perfect Shine Hydrating Lip Gloss – Peachy Cream

Fresh Tinted Lip Treatment Sunscreen SPF 15 – Sugar Rosé 

L`Oreal Paris Color Riche Lipstick – 406 Neonic Orange

Maybelline Baby Lips Electro Lip Balm – OH! ORANGE! 

New York Color Big Bold Plumping Lip Gloss

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Summertime Lipsticks. Squeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

This giveaway is international and ends at midnight Mountain Standard Time on Wednesday September 3rd, 2014. The entry form is below. Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Tuesday's OOTW - Happy Anniversary!

On Tuesday August the 12th Tim and I marked our tenth anniversary of being together. We decided to celebrate by recreating our first date at the Earl’s we first met. I also wore the exact outfit I wore for our first date and Tim remembered it! August 12th also represents the first day we met each other in person. You see, we “met” online on lavalife a month prior, but just emailed back and forth on their site. Yes it’s always best to be careful online because you never know what kind of freak you are dealing with. At the time I was getting ready to pack to move back to my hometown of Saskatoon because I had finished my Theatre Arts degree (now as I ask people at McDonald’s if they want fries with that, I can belt out show tunes). After meeting Tim, something in my heart told me to stay. It turned out that Tim wasn’t a freak and this fall we will be married for six years. And I don’t work at McDonald’s. Actually it was Burger King. Many years ago.

Necklace Aldo $12 (similar) // Cardigan COSTCO $15 (similar) // Shirt ?? (Same colours minus the white.) // Skirt ?? (similar) // Shoes Zellers $20 (similar)

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TJ

Happy anniversary, Bugs!