Mini Shoe-Spree

Hi friends! I am blogging from a cozy hotel bed, complete with soft white sheets and 6 pillows. Looooove it! Day 1 of the conference went well. I definitely ate too much, but that's what conferences are for right? I actually felt so guilty when I got back tonight.

Tomorrow, when I have time, I will update you on the hilarity that happened last night between 11:00pm and 12:45am. It involves 7 men, a broken door, a pair of underwear, and a very sleepy blogger.
I don't have much time to blog because I need to get some sleep. I have to be up, groomed and ready to go at 7:00 tomorrow morning. Ugh.

Here's just a quick little peek at a mini shoe-spree from this past weekend. I desperately needed some new flats now that I don't have to wear boots every day! Both were from Aldo, and both were only $45!

Magen flats. Love!

Carriger flats.
(Kind of boring, but I needed them for work)

Fun Custom Made Pillows!

Monday has come once again, but this time I'm excited! I'm headed to a work conference until Thursday, and we get to stay at a fancy hotel and enjoy being spoiled all week! I'm looking forward to the meals, wine, and giant fluffy beds. I may pull a disappearing act on the blog this week, as I don't know how much spare time I'll have in the evenings. I'll try very hard to make time though!

For today, here are some fabulous custom made pillows from Mi Casa Bella, on Etsy. You can choose the shape and size of the pillow, and then you can choose the color and fabric! My favorites are the ones with the ornamental flowers in the corner. So pretty!



Happiness: Have a happy weekend!

Have a great weekend everyone!

This video sums up how I feel about warm(er) weather, Spring, and Goldfrapp. Isn't she awesome?

Faux Naturel: Faking "Natural" at the Gym

Yes...I am THAT girl. The one that can't go to the gym with a fully natural look...meaning...no makeup at all. Don't get me wrong...I want to go completely natural, but I just can't bring myself to do it! It's not like I wear a full face of makeup, just a few tiny little touches.

Here's a mini "How-To", for faking au naturel at the gym:


1. Skin: I prefer natural skin. I don't wear any foundation at all. Just a tiny bit of concealer under my eyes, and a tiny bit of cheek color. Top picks:
 

The Body Shop: Lightening Touch   

The Body Shop: Baked-to-Last Blush



2. Eyes: This is where I can really pat myself on the back...I only wear mascara! This, coming from someone obsessed with eyeshadow and liner. My favorite steal:

Rimmel: Glam'Eyes Lash Flirt Mascara

3. Lips: Personally, I don't want any stick gloss on my lips while I'm working out, but my lips do get really chapped. I prefer to use a tinted balm like this one:

Dior Addict: Lip Glow

4. Hair: A sleek ponytail is the only hairstyle that I know at the gym. Try this product for the perfect ponytail (I tried it at Sephora, and it's awesome!):

HerCut: The Ponytail Styling Lotion

Bold Front Doors: A Welcoming Surprise!

via Design Guide

A bright, bold paint color can be the perfect mini-makeover for your home's exterior. It's inexpensive and packs a big impact. We'll be painting our door and our garage door this Spring, so I'm using these images as inspiration. Then I'll have to convince my neighbors to copy us! We live in a townhouse, and I'm thinking that their dark green garage will NOT blend well with any of these options.

Apartment Therapy

Dezign Buzz

Design Fabulous

Decor*Pad

Fresh Home

Elle Decor

Tacos and Cousins

THANK.GOD.IT'S.FRIDAY. I have had a mentally exhausting week at work, and I need it to be the weekend now. I have a fun weekend planned for myself, and hopefully it helps ease the pain of this past week.

Here's my weekend in list format (I make lists when I'm stressed out):

Friday: Movie night with my sister, my niece and my daughter. There will be much popcorn, Doritos and talking during the movie :)
Saturday: A lovely lunch date with my friend Vic. I get all squirmy with delight just thinking about it!
Sunday: The perfect way to finish off the weekend? All of my girl cousins are coming over for taco night. It's a strange way to reconnect, I know. But we always seem to get together and make tacos, and have the best nights. I already foresee many a dill pickle topping (another strange cousin secret...that I just ruined), many a glass of wine, and many many games of Mad Gab.

Me encanta primos y tacos! (Thank you Google translator!)

Messy Bedding

Like an answer to a prayer (refer to yesterday's post), Apartment Therapy had a post yesterday about unkempt bedding for messy people! This was my favorite look:

Matteo's Fil Couple Douvet Cover

Clean

A room like this one is inspiring on a day when I'm overwhelmed by little everyday messes. Piles of paper, 9 pairs of scattered mittens in the front hall, dog toys, cat hair...sigh. No matter how hard I try, I can't pull of minimalism. Ever.

So, I'm breathing in the clean, the white and the crisp of this room, and dreaming of a day when I can finally pull it off. (even if it only lasts an hour)

via Style at Home

Cosmetics Splurge: Part 2

Cosmetics Splurge Part 2...AKA Why I can't leave Sephora without purchasing at least 5 items.

In addition to the Burberry cosmetics purchase this past weekend, I also left Sephora with a few new goodies! Unfortunately, I forgot to create a makeshift display on the hotel bed with these items...because I tore into the packaging the second we got back from shopping. Photos from the Sephora website will have to suffice:

1. Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo: I've tried about 4 dry shampoo products, and this one is my favorite. I prefer this bottle of dry shampoo power over the spray version because it doesn't clog, and it gets my hair the cleanest. Bonus: It comes in a convenient small size in addition to the full sized product.

2. Fresh Sugar Lemon Eau de Parfum: A delicious, light and citrusy scent. Perfect for the Spring and Summer season! I picked up the 30ml bottle in line...you know the spot...the lineup surrounded by boxes of little extras? I don't think I've ever shopped at Sephora and NOT picked up one of these last minute items.

3. Sephora Collection Boar Round Brush: Creates volume and shine, and doesn't make your hair static-y! The first time I used this brush, I was hooked. I even said, word for word, "This brush has just changed my life." It was easy to use, and my hair really did look smoother and shinier!

4. Sephora Easy 4-Step Buffer: A fantastic and inexpensive way to get shiny manicured nails! There is a step for filing, buffing, polishing, and shining. Every girl should own one of these.

5. Sephora Professional Emery Board: A 7" double-sided emery board. It's a basic that I tend to replace once or twice per year. I really like this one.

6. Cake Milk Made Hand Creme: A "cult favorite hydrator"...this hand cream smells delicious and gets your hands soft and supple. I really needed this after our freezing Winter that we've been suffering through.



Cosmetics Splurge: Part 1

Happy Monday friends! Did you have a good weekend? I spent mine in Toronto with two great friends. We saw Lady Gaga in concert, shopped, and ate a ton of delicious food. It was also really nice to spend some quality time catching up and talking in our hotel room.

I had been saving up some shopping money for a few months so that I could splurge guilt free this past weekend. I ended up spending the majority of it on cosmetics! Although I'm kind of annoyed that I didn't find more clothes to buy, I'm really happy with the purchases that I did make!

My favorite buy of the weekend was at Holt Renfrew. I invaded the Burberry counter and came away with two gorgeous new eyeshadows and a brilliant mascara. My friend M, from Little Blond Bird, is the one who got me hooked on their makeup in the first place. She bought me the Khaki eyeshadow for Christmas, and I've been promoting their cosmetics ever since! The eyeshadows are velvety and soft, and so full of pigment that you barely need any to cover your entire eyelid.

I bought Antique Rose and Midnight Plum eyeshadows, and Midnight Black mascara.

My makeshift beauty display on our hotel bed:

Midnight Plum Eyeshadow, Antique Rose Eyeshadow, and Midnight Black Mascara.

They also gave me a sample pack of other items which you can see in the back!

Display of Burberry eyeshadows.

Antique Rose

Midnight Plum

Midnight Black Mascara

Final Look: My new dream living room!

I've had a blast this week finding chic pieces that make one beautiful living room. I've selected something different each day. I'm finishing off this look with beautiful photography by Etsy artist Tricia McKellar. Her Etsy store, Dreams and Visions, offers affordable art and photography to suit any room.
I adore these fun and youthful carnival inspired photos, and they finish off the room perfectly!

Moma Store: Chic Lamp Find!

As noted in all of my posts this week, I'm putting together one great furniture / design piece each day this week to create one chic living room. This lamp is the perfect addition to the sofa, area rug and console.

The MOMA store never fails to impress with their collection of stylish and modern home accents. This lamp is no exception! The Bourgie Lamp comes equipped with a dimmer and an adjustable base so the height can be changed to suit the room.

Wouldn't it also look beautiful in the front entryway on a wood table?

Fab Furniture Find: Day 3

Day 3 of Fab Design / Furniture Week

Hi friends! Are you having a fabulous Wednesday? I'm in a thrillingly great mood today because I'm on vacation tomorrow! My girl M, from Little Blond Bird, and I are heading to Toronto for some much needed shopping, relaxation, and hopefully some dancing! We're also lucky enough to be going to see Lady Gaga on Thursday night at the Air Canada Centre. I'm sure we're in for a great show!

To add to Monday and Tuesday's posts, I'm putting together one fabulous furniture / design piece each day this week, and all 5 pieces will be the main focus of a great living room.

Today's piece is this fun and affordable area rug from Ikea. I think it would be perfect with the couch and console. Here's the rug, followed by the other pieces from this week:

Gislev Area Rug: Ikea

Urban Barn Sofa

Zone Ottawa: Ash Console

Fab Furniture Find

Day 2 of Fab Design/Furniture Week

As I was searching for a great furniture piece today, I found myself looking at items that would go beautifully with the Urban Barn sofa from yesterday's post. I've decided that all 5 pieces from this week will add up to one gorgeous room.

Today's furniture find is from Zone, a modern furniture and home accents store in downtown Ottawa. I love the sleek look of this ash console. It's retro and modern at the same time! This console would be perfect in a living room or dining room. It could house wine, a mini-bar, extra dishes, tablecloths...really anything that needs to be hidden away.