Monday's Meme

Have a very happy Hallowe’en!!

Friday's Faux Paw

Something has been bothering me as of late and I’m probably going to get some negative feedback on it but, I still feel compelled to say it anyway. There has to be others out there who feel the same way. I am sooooooo tired of seeing the same outfit over and over and over again on many popular blogs. When did fashion start to be unoriginal, uncreative with just a bunch of people buying and wearing the same stuff? We are not sheeple! (Sheep + People = Sheeple) Just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean you have to get on board. I find the most interesting dressed people are creative and not following the rest of the herd. The most popular well-known blogs are loved because they too are thinking outside the box. I’m not just addressing bloggers here but also challenging others in their day-to-day dressing to be an original. So be inspired by others but put your own spin on it, otherwise I give this rating:

 

Bella's Treasure Jewelry's Eternity Necklace

This is a sponsored post.

Even though we have had snow here already, it melted so I could get out and shoot some more outfits. I really don’t want to be shooting outfits when it’s -35 Celsius and three feet of snow outside. 

When Bella’s Treasure Jewelry asked me to pick out an item to feature on my blog, I jumped at the chance! To find out more about this Canadian jewelry company click here. For other posts, click here, here, and here.

The Eternity Necklace is even more dreamy in person! It instantly took my casual outfit up a notch.

Necklace: c/o Bella’s Treasure Jewelry // Shirt: Old Navy // Cardigan: H&M (In Stores Now) // Leggings: Sirens // Shoes: Call It Spring Shoes

Now for the best news. You can get this gorgeous necklace into your life for 25% off with the code JOELLE25 when you checkout. 

Here are the other lovely items you can get 25% off using the same code:

Sangria Swarovski Crystal Earrings

Red Heel Cufflinks

Silver Heart Cufflinks

Autumn Leaves Cufflinks

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

Last day to win a handmade toque by ilex. every. day!

Today is the last day to enter to win this adorable  handmade mustard toque from ilex. every. day. Stay warm AND stylish with one of the must have colours for fall! This giveaway is open to Canada and the US only and ends at midnight Mountain Standard Time on Wednesday October 26th, 2016. Don’t let winter catch you off guard – enter here. Good luck!

Tuesday's OOTW - It's A Bling Thing

I’m originally from Saskatoon, a small city in Canada. I still have family there so Tim, James, Zeke, and I went back for a visit in September. The University of Saskatchewan is one of the most beautiful campuses in Canada so I decided to do several photo shoots there on our visit. The weather was so awesome we got some great shots.

I love anything shiny! One of my good friends joked that if someone put sparkles on cat poop, I’d buy it. I don’t think I’m that bad, but when I saw this necklace I had to get it. I love how it makes a plain white t-shirt look more stylish. And did I mention it is shiny?

Shirt: Joe Fresh // Necklace: eBay (Online Now) // Bag: Made by my Mom before I was born. Jeans: Thrifted // Booties: Old Navy

Monday's Meme

Friday's Faux Paw

Today’s faux paw I write on behalf of Joelle who had to sit through an entire Mass gasping for air. Why do you ask? Well it wasn’t the incense (although she was indeed incensed), it was the person in front of her that decided it was a good idea to have a bath – in perfume! I am a dog, so I can smell things way better than a human but yet I am not allowed to attend Mass so I am relying on Joelle’s story of this event. What truly matters here is that no one should wear too much perfume/cologne. How much is too much? Here are some rules for wearing perfume for women and cologne for men:

1. Do not wear an evening scent during the day. An evening scent is stronger and more powerful than a daytime scent which is lighter and more office appropriate. If your favourite evening scent has a light eau de toilette/cologne version, it might be appropriate for daytime.

2. Women: apply perfume before you get dressed. Hold the bottle six inches away from yourself and spray one spray on each wrist and on the neck. Alternatively you can spray one spray into the air and walk through it. Do not spray perfume onto your clothes because it will be scent overload and could possibly ruin your clothes. Men: spray cologne on your hands and apply to neck, ears, and chest. Or spray one spray directly on neck, ears, and chest. Use a maximum of three sprays.

3. Be intimate with fragrance. Fragrance is not supposed to overwhelm, it’s supposed to be subtle. Marian Bendeth fragrance expert and owner of Sixth Sense has said, “People further than an inch away from you shouldn’t be able to smell your perfume. If you’re applying more than a spritz because you can’t smell it yourself anymore, it’s time to introduce your nose to something else.”

If you don’t comply to the above, I give you this rating: 

Snapchat vs Instagram Stories

It may seem like I am a bit late to the party as Instagram Stories has been up and running since August, however I wanted to give myself a couple of months to try it out. Here’s what this fashion and beauty blogger has to say about both platforms.

First off I’ll discuss my feelings regarding Snapchat.

When I first started using Snapchat I was immediately in love! What fun I had with the filters, emojis, etc. It runs really smoothly and it’s great that you can use old photos and videos from your camera roll. It’s also cool that you can send a snap to just one friend if you have something private to say. Just recently you can now choose what order you’d like to watch people’s stories in.

Now for the not-so-good things. I find the Snapchat interface not very user friendly. It took way too long for me to figure everything out and I had to Google how to work it more than once. Not very fun. And the ads are extremely annoying and can pop up during a snap at any time. I also feel that it is difficult to find friends on it unless you know their user name or scan their snap icon. And the last thing that bothers me about Snapchat (at least for me) is getting followers is near to impossible. And it’s not a matter of what I’m posting because I posted the same content on Instagram Stories and got lots of views.

Now to discuss Instagram Stories.

One big pro is that I am having lots of people view my content. And out of that there has been more interaction and views to my blog. You can also choose what order you want to watch people’s stories in. I found it really easy to use – only had to Google one thing. And that’s pretty much all the pros.

The con list is bigger. Instagram Stories has very limited filters and emojis – only different colour filters (no being a bee, deer, etc.) and whatever emojis you can use in a text message. It is often slow to load and freezes during videos. You can’t send a story to just one recipient you can only limit who sees what. A big bummer for me is that you can’t go into your camera roll and send whatever you want. It does allow you to choose from your camera roll, but only something taken in the last 24 hours. No throwbacks allowed! My only consolation is that I can upload whatever to Snapchat, then save it to my camera roll, then post it on Instagram Stories. What a pain though! That is also the way you can use all the fun filters on Instagram Stories too.

So it would seem that Snapchat is the way to go, however I have chosen Instagram Stories. Say what?!? Let me explain. I don’t want to spend my time trying to get followers on Snapchat. Believe me I tried for two months and I have under ten followers. I would rather spend time creating fun, interesting content on Instagram Stories and importing the stuff from my camera roll, filters, and emojis via Snapchat. It’s still a pain, but now I have the best of both worlds. I am simply waiting until Instagram Stories gets better filters, emojis, allows me to grab anything I want from my camera roll, and starts running more smoothly. Then it’s bye-bye Snapchat.

Hope this helps you out if you’re still on the fence about these two apps. Which one do you like best and why? Let me know in the comments below.

One more week left to win a handmade mustard toque!

Only one week left to win a super cute mustard toque from ilex. every. day. Mustard is one of the must have colours for fall and the faux fur pom-pom is so adorable! This giveaway is open to Canada and the US only and ends at midnight Mountain Standard Time on Wednesday October 26th, 2016. Enter here. Good luck!

 

Tuesday's OOTW - Mad For Plaid

I love going for walks with my family in autumn. It’s hands down my favourite time of year… mmmm… colours…. This comfy outfit is easy to throw together and also looks great. I sometimes swap out the boots for walking sneakers if it’s a extra long walk. Leggings are great if worn as leggings and not pants so cover up your butt! See you on the walking trail.

Hat: Ardene // Necklace: Smart Set // Jacket: Old Navy // Shirt: Old Navy // Leggings: Walmart // Boots: Old Navy

Monday's Meme

Friday's Faux Paw

Ladies, I saw an unacceptable make up faux paws the other day. I call it “The Reverse Raccoon”. This poor woman put way too light concealer underneath her eyes. The good news – I could no longer see her dark under eye circles. The bad news, she looked like she was wearing a whitish mask underneath her eyes. When you go to choose a concealer you want to wear under the eyes, make sure that it matches your skin tone. It can be a bit lighter, but also make sure you look in the mirror before leaving the house. If underneath your eyes it looks way lighter than the rest of your skin, then grab your foundation and blend it until it matches the rest of your face. Otherwise I will think that in your spare time you like to rummage through garbage.

 

My Six Current Must Have Products

It’s been a very long time since I shared my favourite products on our blog. I love sharing things that work for me (as well as those that don’t) so you can save money and time. Think of me as your personal shopper. Also I have not received any sort of compensation to blog about these products. So time to give you the details.

Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner

I wear contacts so I am pretty fussy about what goes near my eyes. I don’t want a product flaking off and getting between my contact and my eye because it freaking hurts and could cause damage. This eyeliner glides on easily, deposits tons of pigment, stays on all day, and comes off easily. You also don’t have to sharpen it. Love it!

L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara

I hate spidery, clumpy lashes. I prefer a natural look for every day. If these things matter to you, this is the mascara for you! This is my go to mascara. It goes on non-clumpy, stays on all day, doesn’t flake, The brush is awesome, and it washes off easily. It is a lengthening formula, so don’t expect a lot of volume here. If I want more volume, I wear fake lashes instead of reaching for a clumpy, volumizing mascara. I have not found a volumizing mascara that doesn’t clump or I hate the jumbo brush. If you have one, please let me know!

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Yeah at first I thought, “What idiot would spend $8 on water?”, but then I tried it. Mind. Blown. It takes stuff off my face I didn’t know existed. After using it my face feels clean and not dried out Seriously, I will understand if you stop reading this post right now and go and get yourself some.

Remington S5500 Digital Anti Static Ceramic Hair Straightener, 1-Inch, Purple

I was skeptical that I could find a hair straightener under $100 that I would use all the time. I saw the reviews on Amazon.ca for this straightener and they were very good. For $30 I thought, “Why not?” Well I must say I am super impressed. This thing straightens my hair super fast leaving it shiny and manageable. And I use it on the lowest setting! Love, love, love this straightener!

Joico K-PAK Color Therapy Shampoo And Conditioner

I had badly damaged hair after I gave birth. I thought I was going to have to cut it all off. Then my sister-in-law suggested I try these products. My hair was transformed! It’s nice and soft and feels like hair again. Plus my colour lasts way longer than it used to. The only thing I don’t like is the smell. I am scent sensitive and prefer unscented products. For people who aren’t scent sensitive the smell shouldn’t be a problem.

dōTERRA Wild Orange Essential Oil

I am soooooo addicted to this essential oil! I use it in my autumn blends with some clove bud and cinnamon essential oils. When I am stressed out I put a drop in a cup of water and drink it. It takes the edge off immediately! I diffuse it at night with frankincense and marjoram for a great night’s sleep. It is uplifting yet relaxing at the same time. I love it oh so much!

What are your favourite products? Let me know in the comments below.

Have you entered yet to win a gorgeous hand made toque?

If not, whatcha waiting for? Up for grabs is this super cute mustard toque from ilex. every. day. Mustard is one of the must have colours for fall and the faux fur pom-pom is so adorable! This giveaway is open to Canada and the US only and ends at midnight Mountain Standard Time on Wednesday October 26th, 2016. Enter here. Good luck!

Tuesday's OOTW - Purrfection

Hope everyone in Canada had an awesome Thanksgiving! I may have to buy bigger pants now.

I love leopard print. There is something so feminine and mysterious about it and when I wear it I just feel darn pretty. I even have leopard pajama pants. I never thought I was ever going to buy distressed jeans as they seemed way too sloppy to me. Then I saw these ones at Value Village at their 50% off sale. For $5 I thought, “Why the heck not?”. Turns out that I really like them. A lot. What say you?

Blouse: Suzy Shier // Necklace: Smart Set // Purse: Smart Set // Jeans: Thrifted // Shoes: Reitman’s

Monday's Meme

Hope everyone in Canada is having a wonderful Thanksgiving long weekend!

Friday Faux Paw

Today’s faux paw can make you look 10+ years older than you are now. I’m talking about wearing too much make up. It’s unfortunate but when you get older, your skin starts to wrinkle – especially around the eyes. Also it loses colour and elasticity. If you wear too much make up or even a bit of make up in the wrong places, it can settle into the wrinkles making them more noticeable. And who wants that? Plus wearing darker and intense make up can make skin that’s losing colour already look washed out making you appear older and tired. Not a good look.

So what can a woman do to look her age and even younger?

1. 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 looks older than a dewy fresh face.
2. Mascara on the upper lashes only. As we get older, dark under eye circles become more noticeable as well as those dreaded crows feet. Also mascara on the lower lashes can smudge and flake off more easily. If you are trying to draw attention away from those areas, then just put mascara on the upper lashes only.
3. Purchase under-eye concealer which doesn’t settle into wrinkles and skip the powder which can also settle into fine lines.
4. No shiny eye shadow. It will amplify every wrinkle on your lids making you look older. Plus it can flake off more easily settling into the fine lines under your eyes making them more noticeable.
5. Wear less make up. The term less is more truly applies here. “Less make up is more youthful,” says make up artist and Cover Girl Pro Paul Venoit. “But it doesn’t mean no make up. Foundation in particular helps gives the complexion a fresher finish.” Gravitate towards eye shadow 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.

If you still decide you want to look like you’re about to star in Cirque De Soleil, know that I will be judging you with this rating:

Bella's Treasure Jewelry Autumn Leaves

This is a sponsored post.

Those who know me well know that I abso-freaking-lutely love autumn. It’s so crisp and the colours are so gorgeous. Plus I got married on a beautiful autumn day back in 2008 and our son was also baptized in autumn as well. And most importantly, it’s BOOT SEASON!!

If you haven’t heard of Bella’s Treasure Jewelry, I explain their company here. I have also blogged about them here and here. In summary they are a unique jewelry company in Canada with awesome pieces for every budget on their website. I was lucky that they sent me this gorgeous cuff link for my Bella Cuff. It has a vintage feel and I can never say “no” to leaves – especially red ones which we don’t often see here on the Canadian prairies.

Now for the best part! Any piece of jewelry that I model on their site, you get 25% off using the code JOELLE25 at the checkout. Shopping time!

Here I am modeling my Autumn Leaves Cuff Link with my Bella Cuff:

Hat: eBay (On eBay.ca Now) // Sunglasses: Joe Fresh (In Stores Now) // Scarf: eBay (On eBay.ca Now) // Cuff Link And Cuff: c/o Bella’s Treasure Jewelry // Sweater: Thrifted // Jeans: Old Navy // Boots: JustFab

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

Enter To Win A Gorgeous Mustard Toque From ilex. every. day

For those of you late to the party, I am loving my toque from local knitwear company ilex. every. day. Holly’s tagline is “beautiful things thoughtfully made” and it’s so true! She loves making beautiful knit and crocheted things for people to wear. Everything in her shop is handmade and designed by her, unless specifically noted. She also gives credit to pattern designers whose work she’s borrowed, so if you’re a crocheter yourself and you find something beautiful, you’ll be able to replicate it using their pattern. All of her materials are high-quality and traded fairly. Many are manufactured in the USA or Canada, and those sourced from exotic locations are strictly Fair Trade. With every purchase, you are supporting local, sustainable production practices. Also when you purchase an Ilex product, you’ll receive a complimentary “Story of Me” card, detailing where the materials in your product originated. See something you like, but want it customized? Simply send her a message, and she will work with you to make your vision a reality! For more info about Holly and her creations please check out my blog post about her company.

So do you want to get your hands on one of her creations? I have for you this beautiful mustard toque with an adorable faux fur pom-pom ready for fall and winter up for grabs as modeled by yours truly.

This giveaway is open to the US and Canada only and will end at midnight Mountain Standard Time on Wednesday October 26, 2016. So what are you waiting for? Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday's OOTW - Another Brick In The Wall

I love wearing white after Labour Day and during winter. It looks so crisp and is a great departure from the greys, navys, browns, and blacks that I can get stuck in once winter hits. I fell in love with this top because it’s so versatile, comfy, and on trend. I bought another blue and white pin-striped off-shoulder top around the same time and I’m still loving it. However, I found out right away that this style is not practical for a busy Mom as the top pops back onto the shoulders when you try and lift a thirty pound two year old. As for the jeans, white is not a good idea around a toddler either. Go figure. So after this shoot I changed into a T-shirt and jeans. This look will find its way to a date night soon though. I know, it’s fall and I’m wearing *gasp* sandals. They’re new to me and I couldn’t wait until next summer to showcase them on my blog. Pretend they are cute suede booties, m’kay?

Sunglasses: Joe Fresh (In Stores Now) // Earrings: Suzy Shier // Top: eBay (Online Now) // Purse: Army & Navy // Pants: Joe Fresh // Shoes: Thrifted