MY STYLE: FALL PONCHOS

2 Comments

In my early twenties, I worked part-time at Penningtons, one of the few Canadian retail clothing stores that carried 14+. If I wanted to find trendy, age appropriate pieces for my wardrobe, I would look to the company’s MXM brand (who remembers MXM?!); it was limited, but I always tried to make it work. Fast forward ten years – I’m now in my early thirties, MXM is no more, and the options for trendy, plus size fashion are seemingly endless (this deserves a happy dance).

On the journey to a more stylish wardrobe, I’ve come across some wonderful local shops. Topping my list of favourites is Your Big Sister’s Closet. If you live in Toronto and have yet to stop by this boutique, you must get your fashion-loving butt over there asap! Shop owner, Karen, will make you feel like a million bucks, at a price that won’t break the bank! During my recent visit, I fell in love with a beautiful black and white knit poncho. I saw it in the window display as I drove by en-route to finding my parking space, and knew I had to try it on as soon as I stepped inside. So I did. And it was every bit as wonderful as I had imagined it would be! There was no doubt that this piece would make its blog debut along with me in my first ever fashion photo shoot. I’ve styled the poncho in three different ways to showcase its versatility for the fall; from casual to night on the town. Which look is your favourite?

Shop Look 1:  Jacket: Reitman’s Plus Size Faux Leather Jacket (similar) / Skirt: Reitman’s Denim Skirt / Boots: Addition Elle High Heel Boot (similar) / Addition Elle Opaque Stretchy Tight / Earrings: Ardene

Shop Look 2: Leggings: Addition Elle Cotton Spandex Legging / Shoes: Ardene White Leather Pointy Flats / Ring: Ardene  / Bracelets: Addition Elle / Sunglasses: Avon

Shop Look 3: Pants: Torrid (similar) / Jacket: Old Navy Peacoat (similar) / Shoes: Attitude

THE WONDERS OF WASHI TAPE

Leave a comment

After living in my apartment for about 3 weeks now, I finally hung some art on my wall (sound the trumpets!). But don’t get too excited. It was my go-to Eiffel Tower poster that automatically gets placed on the largest wall, and I only hung it because they are doing regular pest control treatments in our building and it had to be off of the floor. Glamourous, I know.

But if you live or have ever lived in apartment, you’ll understand how big of a pain it can be to decorate walls. The thick concrete requires you to have the strength of a mythical Norse God to simply hammer in one nail. So I rely on my go-to pieces as easy, effortless ways to spruce up the joint. There is only one problem – each new apartment I move into ends up looking just like the last. In hopes of remedying this, I’ve done some serious Pinterest hunting to find some fresh ideas. Enter: washi tape! It seems as though this magical tape can make anything look beautiful, so I’ll be off to the craft store this weekend to stock up. Not sure what colours I’ll be choosing just yet, but here are some of my favourite ideas that mayyy make their way into my apartment.

Washi Tape Wall Decals via Everything Emily
I feel it doesn’t get any easier than what you see above. ‘Nuff said.

Washi Tape Picture Frames via Design Sponge
I love this idea for a feature or themed image wall that you can change out with every season. Go from a Halloween to Christmas wall in minutes, with little to no fuss.

Washi Tape Door Delight via HGTV
Doors always seem to be forgotten when it comes to decorating your space, but they really are just an extension of your wall. Experimenting with your door is a great way to determine what colour combinations you like before committing to the time and effort of decorating a larger space. Bonus points for the Led Zeppelin poster!

Washi Wall via Ann Kelle
Feeling brave and adventurous? Why not washi an entire wall?! Wait, did I just say ‘washi an entire wall’? It seems easy enough, but I imagine that if I tried this as my first project, it may end up looking like it was completed at the hands of a drunk person. Perhaps starting on a smaller portion of wall in, let’s say, my bathroom would be a wise choice.

Washi Tape Furniture Revamp via Brit + Co
I threw this idea into the mix, even though it’s not a wall treatment. With most of my mix-and-match furniture on a “need to repaint” list, I can swap the paint brush for washi tape and coordinate my pieces with ease.

Which idea would you try? For more washi tape ideas for your small (or large) space, check out my Apartment Living board on Pinterest.

IPSY’S OCTOBER GLAM BAG

2 Comments

“This October, transform into whoever you want to be. A little imagination and your Glam Bag are all you need. Infinite possibilities, infinite ways to express yourself.”

This month’s “Alter Ego” ipsy bag marks #6 for me, and has easily been one of my favourites. I enjoyed every product that was sent to me (which isn’t always the case), and the shimmering gold bag they came in has put me in the mood for the glitz and glamour of the holiday season. I’ve shared reviews of my October goodies below, and will continue each month as I get a new bag.

Did you receive a glam bag this month? Be sure to leave me a comment and let me know what your favourite product was!

Eau Thernale Avene: Soothing Moisture Mask
With the cold fall weather officially here, my skin has been in need of a little tlc. So I threw this mask on, read a magazine for 15 minutes, and then removed it with some warm water and cotton pads. My skin felt soft and refreshed, and I appreciated the fact that it had a very light scent. Overly perfumed facial care products are not welcomed by my sensitive skin!

La Vanila: The Healthy Mini Roller-Ball Pure Vanilla
This is not your kid sister’s vanilla! The mix of Madagascar vanilla, freesia, and tonka bean, give this scent a very grown-up, luxurious feel. And the small roll-on applicator means you don’t have to go through your day smelling like you bathed in vanilla sugar cookies. This has become my new go-to scent for the office.

Mica Beauty: Cream Shadow in Bronze
I am not a huge fan of cream eye shadows or the colour bronze. Instead of using this on my entire lid, as cream shadows often crease over the course of the day, I completed an evening look with brown powdered shadows and then dabbed a bit of the bronze on the inner corners of my eyes. It gave the overall look a nice sparkle, and helped to open up my eyes. Bonus – no worries about creasing!

Skone Cosmetics: Pretty Eyes in Plum
Purple shades of eye makeup are great for enhancing brown eyes, so ipsy chose well with this product. The plum hue will be great for my fall makeup looks, and the application is (as the website says) effortlessly smooth! I really like that I can get a defined line with the tip, or a blended, smokey look if I use the rounded side of the stick.

The Balm Cosmetics: Meet Matt(e) Hughes in Commited
Nice to meet you, Matt. I think I’m in love! In every ipsy bag I’ve received thus far, there has been some sort of lip colour, and this one has by far been my favourite. Not only did it surprise me with its fresh, minty scent, but the staying power of this colour was amazing! If I can eat a meal and still have beautifully coloured lips at the end of it, I’m a happy gal.

For more information on these products, or where to buy, visit the links above.
To start receiving a monthly ipsy glam bag of your own, click here.