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Thursday, June 30, 2016

Bella's Treasure - A Canadian Jewelry Company

This is a sponsored post.

I love supporting Canadian companies and I also love jewelry. When Bella’s Treasure asked me to showcase some awesome earrings AND be one of their Prima Bella models, I jumped at the chance! Their online store is full of beautiful, sparkly things. Plus in Canada and the US, shipping is free! And if you order an item you don’t like you can return it, get a full refund and receive a $10 credit for your shipping. I think that rocks.

Now here’s some good news for you. If you love these earrings, you can now get 25% off them by ordering them here and then using JOELLE25 when you check out.

earrings

Soooooo pretty!

Now here are some photos of me and my co-blogger dogger enjoying a lovely day with my beautiful earrings.

Earrings: c/o Bella’s Treasure // Dress: Old Navy // Sandals: Thrifted

boston terrier navy dress

boston terrier navy dress

earrings red head ginger

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

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Tuesday's OOTW - Hawaiian Punch

Okay. I’m certain this isn’t a big secret, but I LOVE colour! And pattern! Sometimes so much that my conservative husband cringes. Other times he says, “Great outfit!” like he did when I put this little ensemble together to go bra shopping. I hate bra shopping sooooooo much that I thought it would cheer me up. This outfit plus finding the perfect bra, win-win!!

Hat: Thrifted // Sunglasses: Joe Fresh (In Stores Now) // Necklaces: Bow One From My Grandma – Love One Smart Set // Cardigan: Old Navy // Tank Top: Reitman’s // Shorts: H&M // Shoes: Ardene (In Store Now)

Clothes But Not Quite

Clothes But Not Quite

Clothes But Not Quite

Clothes But Not Quite

Friday, June 24, 2016

Friday's Faux Paw

Baggy Outfit

Today’s Faux Paw makes you look dumpy. Why anyone would want to look that way is beyond me, so it shocks me that I have to bring this up. When you wear something billowy and loose fitting on your top AND your bottom, you look like a marshmallow or a block of cheese – mmmmmm… cheese… okay I’m back. To fix this choose a tighter fitting top like a fitted T-shirt or blouse if you’re going for a loose bottom. If you’re wearing a loose top go for tighter fitting bottoms like a legging, skinny jeans, or pencil skirt. Remember tents are for camping, not for wearing!

Still want to look dumpy? Here’s my rating:

3-poop-star

Thursday, June 23, 2016

The Hunt For Coral Blush

At one point in time I didn’t need blush as I always had such super rosy cheeks. Fast forward a few years and now my rosy cheeks are no more. So now I am a big lover of blush- especially coral blush due to my red hair and fair skin. Since Annabelle discontinued my favourite blush in the whole world, (but they were great about it) I have been on the hunt for the perfect coral blush. Nothing says summer to me like a gorgeous coral blush. I believe that coral looks great on just about everyone if you find the right shade for your skin colour. After a long dry spell, I have found not one but FOUR that I am madly in love with. So here they are in order from cheapest to most expensive:

blushes

Open BlushesFrom Top Left Clockwise: Milani – Luminous, Annabelle SkinTrue Blush, Bobby Brown Pot Rouge For Lips & Cheeks – Calypso Coral, and Blush Subtil – Coral Kiss

Annabelle SkinTrue Blush – Passionfruit $8.99

Very sad but since Target left Canada, I can no longer buy this gorgeous blush. As you can see I am really in need of more. 

Milani – Luminous (Not the baked one, but the discontinued one.) $9.99

Yes it is discontinued but I can still find it on eBay. It’s often mentioned as a great dupe for Nars’ Orgasm. I wouldn’t know that for sure as I have never tried any of Nars’ blushes. Sorry for its shoddy condition. I have used it a lot. 

Bobby Brown Pot Rouge For Lips & Cheeks – Calypso Coral $34.00

This is a wonderful option for those of us with drier, mature skin. It’s a cream blush so it won’t dry out your skin or settle into fine lines.

Blush Subtil – Coral Kiss $40.50

I have an older version of this blush because I forgot about it. I just tried it the other day and I love it! The great news is I picked it up at a thrift store (unused) for $2! I took it out of its compact so I could use it in m own personalized magnetic compact.

Here’s the swatches. From Left to Right: Milani – Luminous, Annabelle SkinTrue Blush, Bobby Brown Pot Rouge For Lips & Cheeks – Calypso Coral, and Blush Subtil – Coral KissBlush Swatches

 

 

 

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Tuesday's OOTW - The Stripe Is Right

Happy 2nd day of summer! Yesterday was gorgeous but alas today is windy and rainy in Edmonton so throwing a jean jacket over my dress was a must. Stripes are big again this year. Vertical stripes are more popular than horizontal, however this dress is so colourful and comfy I couldn’t resist showcasing it. Are you wearing stripes this summer? Tell me about it in the comments.

Necklace: eBay // Jacket: Old Navy // Belt: Thrifted // Dress: eBay // Shoes: Call It Spring

Clothes But Not Quite

Clothes But Not Quite

Clothes But Not Quite

Clothes But Not Quite

Monday, June 20, 2016

Monday's Meme

I had a great birthday yesterday! I’m now two years old but still not allowed to drink either of these beverages. Siiiigh.

funny-wine-memes-coffee-youre-on-the-bench

Friday, June 17, 2016

Friday's Faux Paw

Flip Flops

Yes it is getting warmer out. Yes you can get a bit lazy style-wise. However this is no excuse to wear flip flops anywhere other than the beach or in the shower after working out or swimming. We all want to be comfortable when we are out and about, but there are plenty of other footwear options so you don’t need to wear $2 footwear. Birkenstocks and gladiator sandals have made a huge comeback if you want to show off your pedi. Otherwise lace-up flats, and sneakers are a great way to stay covered up and comfy. So ditch the unsupportive, cheap flip flops.

My rating on this fashion offense:

3-poop-star

Thursday, June 16, 2016

5 Additions to Make to Your Closet in 2016

This is a sponsored post.

So far, this year has brought with it a whole slew of new trends to try—and we’re only halfway through it! With so many chic and wearable styles available, it can be nearly impossible to decide which ones to add to your wardrobe. Supplement your collection with these five pieces that are sure to become staples this season.

The Choker Necklace

Once a must-have accessory of the ’90s, this trend is back in a big way for the current year. While the classic choker style tends to be a thin, black number that pairs well with anything, this season also offers necklaces that are jewel-encrusted, boldly hued, and metallic for a higher-level accessory.

choker

The Mom Jeans

Mom jeans aren’t exactly known as being the most attractive bottoms out there, to say the least. But, it’s time to throw all those preconceived notions about this particular piece out the window, because the mom jean is trending for summer. As Today writes, the high-waisted style actually flatters the waist and the bum, contrary to popular belief. Wear with a button-down shirt tied at the waist to further accentuate your curves.

style-trends-any-age-zanna-roberts-rassi-today-160524-01_0c110b6f5e5b1f51b957d960b321a646.today-inline-large

The Slide Sandal

Summer calls for a new twist on the classic sandal, and the slide silhouette certainly delivers. Equal parts practical and stylish, the slide sandal is casual enough to wear to the pool but can just as easily be thrown on for Friday night drinks with friends. The flat heel keeps you comfortable while luxe materials like leather, suede, and satin provide a hint of glam. Paste points out that slides are beyond your OG shower shoes—and even that is an understatement.

mya

The Cold-Shoulder Neckline

It goes without saying, but shoulder-baring necklines are having a major moment. Whether you love the full off-the-shoulder style or a more subtle cut-out version, this trend embodies the flirty feel of the summer season. Fortunately for us, there is a wide range of cold-shoulder necklines to choose from, including blouses and dresses of all lengths and silhouettes.

off shoulder

The Slip Dress

In the year of boudoir dressing, the slip dress is a versatile essential for any wardrobe. For the ultimate transitional piece between seasons, choose a midi length in a solid and neutral hue, as seen in Lyst’s dress roundup. During cooler weather, wear with a chunky knit sweater or cardigan and booties. For spring and summer, wear solo or layer with a T-shirt and leather jacket for a grunge-inspired look. For more beautiful dresses, be sure to check out these silk ones from Rose Fulbright.

black slip dress_lyst

This was a sponsored post by Janice Horvath.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Tuesday's OOTW - Chambray? Okay!

Always in style. Always a classic. I’m talking about the chambray shirt. I decided to kick it up a notch by pairing it with a mustard navajo print pencil skirt and a bold local made bracelet and necklace by Cristy Ellen K Designs. This outfit proves that you can look good and be comfy.

Earrings: Walmart // Necklace: c/o Cristy Ellen K Designs // Shirt: Smart Set // Bracelet: c/o Cristy Ellen K Designs // Clutch: Danier // Skirt: Ricki’s // Sandals: Call It Spring

chambray shirt navajo skirt

chambray shirt navajo skirt

chambray shirt navajo skirt

chambray shirt navajo skirt

Friday, June 10, 2016

Friday's Faux Paw

IMG_6994I blogged about wearing pants that are too short here. However I would be amiss if I didn’t discuss how awful you look when you wear pants that are too long. If you are wearing jeans this is super easy to fix as cuffing jeans is in style these days. So just roll them up a few times and you are instantly stylish. As for dress pants – go to a tailor and get them hemmed. 

So now there’s no excuse for wearing pants that are too long or else you will get this rating:

2-poop-star

Thursday, June 09, 2016

Disappointment

jean jacket ikat pantsAs I write this I have a heavy heart. I love acting, singing, and dancing and that’s why this Saskatoon girl ended up moving to Edmonton. The problem is once I completed my Theatre Arts Degree at Grant MacEwan, I never ended up doing anything in theatre again. I had my tonsils removed, got married, started a family, and forgot how much I loved being involved in live theatre.

After I made a vision board, I realized I gotta get back to the stage! So my goal for this year was to go on three auditions. While that may not seem like a lot, after not auditioning for 10 years it was enough for me. I saw on Facebook a post to audition for Chess at the Walterdale Playhouse and danced around the house for a half hour. I have always wanted to see the musical Chess, but I could possibly be in it?!? Ohhhhhh yes.

At the audition I sang my guts out. I got called back!! At callbacks I danced my very best.

 

Then the next day I got the email.

I didn’t get a part.

Then sadness.

Then the worst part of all. I call this the Brown Coloured Glasses Syndrome. I don’t get what I want and it dredges up EVERY time in my life when I didn’t get what I wanted. Believe me there are lots of times this has happened. Actually more often than not. I am not one of those people who seems to succeed at everything she touches. If you are one of those people, you might want to grab a snack now because the rest of this post probably won’t resonate with you and I don’t want to take up the time you could be spending getting more great stuff into your life. (I’m not bitter or anything.)

So what do we do when we don’t get what we want? Well after the sadness, disappointment, and grieving we have a choice. We can wallow in our crapulence, be bitter, and never try anything new again. Or we can get up, dust ourselves off, and try again, and again, and again. I believe there’s a reason why I didn’t get the part – God didn’t want me to. And He isn’t telling me why. And that’s okay because I trust Him enough to know that His reasons trump mine. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:8-9 

Yes my faith is very dear to me. It has gotten me through a lot of hell in my life, and it continues to do so each day. I used to think when I didn’t get a part I wasn’t good enough. Or I’m only as good as my next blog post, or how much I get accomplished in a day, or how pretty I look. But I know in my heart that even if I don’t do anything else in my life, I am loved, I am perfect, and I am a Child of God. And so are you! Yay!!

Tuesday, June 07, 2016

Tuesday's OOTW - Funky Pants

So glad to be sharing my first OOTW (Outfit Of The Week) in over two years. YAY!! I did wear other things in that time, I just didn’t put them up on our blog. And you would’ve been pretty bored because I wore mostly sweatpants or pyjamas. #mommingishard 

I rarely get any time to myself these days so I was super thrilled to go for a walk by myself, well except for my husband taking pics of me while I do so Рthanks Tim! While walking I envisioned myself somewhere tropical, by the water with an endless supply of pi̱a coladas. A girl can dream right?

Hat: Walmart // Sunglasses: Joe Fresh (in store now) // Necklace: From Toledo, Spain // Tank: Giant Tiger // Blazer: Smart Set // Palazzo Pants: Suzy Shier // Sandals: Walmart

palazzo pants white blazer

woman with white hat

sunglasses palazzo pants

palazzo pants white blazer

Monday, June 06, 2016

Monday's Meme

Hey everyone! My name’s James. Joelle (my Momoo) and my furry bro Zeke run this blog. My predecessor Cooper the Boston Terrier moved away to be with a new family. Mom was so sad and misses her everyday, so I thought I could cheer her up a bit by taking over Monday’s Meme each week. So here’s my first meme of many more to come:

26438529aa84fa962f0f316ecfe165dd

Friday, June 03, 2016

Friday's Faux Paw

Lipstick On Teeth

You most likely missed me a lot and have been stylishly lost for the past two years as a result. The good news is that I’m now back to let you know what not to do, so you can look your best.

This should be a no-brainer, but I feel that I must discuss it anyway. I love lipstick on a woman, but it should be on your lips – not your teeth. This is very easy to fix. After you put on your lipstick, take your finger and put it between your lips and pull it out. This removes the lipstick from the inside of your lips making it less likely to get on your teeth.

Otherwise if I see you with lipstick on your teeth you get this rating:

1-poop-star (1)

Thursday, June 02, 2016

Six Reasons I Am Not Following You On Instagram

Clothes But Not Quite

Everyone seems to want more followers on Instagram these days – me included! I am no expert on Instagram, actually I am quite late to the party if truth be told. All I know are my personal reasons for not following others and maybe you can benefit from these tips and get more followers for your account.

1. You Have No Profile Photo

I want to virtually know who I’m following. If you have no profile photo, your account seems impersonal and sloppy so why would I be interested in your feed?

2. You Have No Profile Write-Up

Once again, I want to get to know you but how can I if you don’t fill in your profile write-up? If you do get around to filling it in, please tell me about yourself and what I can expect from your feed.

3. Your Profile Is Set To Private

I am not going to send you a request in order just to see your feed and then decide if I’m interested in following you or not. Time waster.

4. You Have 17K Followers And Are Following 500 People

Yeah you are kind of just following me to get me to follow back then you’re going to unfollow me. This game is so tacky. I only want you to follow me because my feed interests you – THAT’S THE ONLY REASON.

5. You Have Nothing But Selfies In Your Feed

Not only is that boring to look at, it is also very narcissistic. Not interested.

6. You Post More Than Two Times A Day

I don’t care how interesting your feed is, if you post more than twice a day you are choking up my newsfeed and keeping me from seeing posts from everyone else I follow. Pass.

So that’s pretty much the criteria I look at when deciding whether to follow someone. See you on Instagram!

Wednesday, June 01, 2016

Wowzers time has flown by...

Hello everyone! I know that this is not a giveaway but it’s a Wednesday. It’s also been two whole years since my husband made this very sad post on my behalf. I don’t know where to begin or what to say. It surely has been a long time and so much has happened to me.

As you know I gave birth to the cutest baby boy in the whole wide world, yes I am that biased. But if you look at this photo you can see what I’m talking about. He is definitely a living room baby.

Cute Baby

(Here’s what I’m talking about when I say “living room baby”.)

The downside though is that I got hit badly with what I thought was postpartum depression. In the end I found out it wasn’t postpartum depression, but just a lame term that doctors slap women with. What I actually had was post partum anxiety and it was extremely debilitating. Breast feeding was a nightmare. I couldn’t even move out of my bed sometimes. I wasn’t sleeping at all. Yeah, I stayed up for 48 hours once. I had horrible visions of hurting myself and my child. I checked on him numerous times to make sure he was breathing. I experienced anger, sadness, happy bouts or what I like to call one bout of “hapangsad”. I felt detached and not bonded to my baby. I had shame and humiliation of having other people look after my child for me because I was too incapacitated to look after him myself. Physical health challenges plagued me as well. 

Also it is with a very sad heart I need to let you know that our co-blogger Boston Terrier Cooper had to find a new home as I couldn’t handle looking after two dogs and a baby. She is now way too busy to blog so she won’t be handling Monday’s Meme any more. But thank goodness my son, James will be taking over. I will miss sharing my house and my life with my beloved fur baby but she is doing great in her new home and has three kids to play with. We miss you, Mini C! xo

Nowadays, I’m doing way better. However, I’m still not 100%. I don’t know if I ever will be, but going through all of this really showed me that I need to make some changes on my blog.  Blogging is very cathartic for me. I’ve always loved to express myself with the written word. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way I got lost with trying to keep up with the “Jonses” or maybe the “Chanels” of the blogging world. I became more concerned with followers and people noticing what I was doing rather then just enjoying blogging. So this time I’m going to do everything possible to quit running myself into the ground trying to make everything perfect. This time our blog will reflect more of who and what I believe in. My faith is the centre of my life and got me through hell so it will now be a part of our blog as well. Also our blog is going to have mistkaes and not be purfect. There are days where I’m going to look like this:

Clothes But Not Quite

And days when I look like this:

Tired Woman

The bottom line is that I missed writing and connecting with all of you on my little piece of the internet. I never knew if I would be able to come back and continue doing what I love. But even in my darkest hours the new ideas I wanted to possibly implement on our blog went through my head hundreds of times. A voice kept crying out, “You gotta do this, Joelle! It doesn’t matter who comes along for the ride, or if you have to stop blogging again due to health challenges, it just matters that you be you. If you keep struggling with poor health you can just keep taking breaks. It’s your blog! And Zeke doesn’t seem to mind. (Bacon is a great bribe!)” So I’ve decided that like a weed, I will just keep coming back. For better or for worse, here I am.

Because that’s real life and real life is beautiful. It’s as if my freshly bathed toddler knew I was writing this and took a dump on the floor. Note to self: Do not blog while James is awake and running around in his bathrobe.

Toddler In Towel“Whatcha doing, Mom?”

Got to go and put him to bed. One moment please…

Okay I’m back. *chomping on chips and salsa* So great I can write with my mouth full. Well let’s see. These are a few of the events in no particular order that have occurred while I have been away: Snapchat was created (join me at clothesbnquite – yeah shameless plug!). China’s economy crashed. Kate Middleton had an adorable baby. Lots of fighting in the Ukraine and Crimea. Trudeau became Canada’s Prime Minister (I’m not so happy about that!). Many people have passed away like Robin Williams, Joan Rivers, Philip Seymour Hoffman, David Bowie, Glen Frey, Merle Haggard, Nancy Reagan, Abe Vigoda and Mother Mary Angelica. Florals and stripes have been in style two more times. ISIS was created and caused a lot brutal of terrorist acts. Mom jeans are now in style – never thought I’d see the day. A Malaysian plane went missing. Everyone and their dog is Kon Mari-ing their spaces. A major Syrian refugee crisis is ongoing. Fleek is a word. France and Belgium had major terrorist attacks. Fuller House has been created and is on Netflix.

So have you noticed something? For every good thing I wrote, I put a bad thing after it. And that’s life! Good stuff and bad stuff sandwiched together like an Oreo cookie with creamy white tastiness and a hard black crunchy outside. “But, Joelle!” you say, “All of the Oreo is good!” And you would be right. So then why did I use an Oreo as a comparison to good and bad events in the world? It’s because if you look really, really, really hard you can find good things in even the most horrible situation. For example, in the sadness and loss of both the Paris and Brussels attacks I saw love, faith, support, bravery, and strength. Something so awful and wrong can bring out parts of us that we may never otherwise connect with or even know we possess. On a much lesser scale, my year of hell showed me what I’m made of. I am forever changed, can share my heart with others better than ever before, and help others because of what I went through.

So my question now is are you with me? Then please come and be a part of this journey. Yes there still will be Monday’s Meme, Tuesday’s Outfit Of The Week, Win It Wednesdays, This & That Thursdays, and Zeke’s Friday’s Faux Paw. But there will be some changes. Some big. Some small. And some you probably won’t even notice that I will still be obsessing over by the time you read this! But there will be me and hopefully you. Sound good? Then let’s catch up.

What have you been up to lately? Anything you’d like to share? Please let me know in the comments below.