My Boyfriend's Back

I don't know about you, but when I like something I wear it and it enters heavy rotation in my wardrobe. I love these boyfriend jeans and I am wearing them every opportunity I get. My dark skinnies are boring me. These boyfriend jeans are different. Plus I can't get enough of the Canadian Tuxedo.

Jean Jacket, Jeans, Shoes - The Gap

Shirt - Old Navy

Scarf - Ann Taylor (old)

Belt - Tory Burch

Bracelet - Cocoa Jewelry

Last week I featured my newest denim obsession Salsa Jeans (here). I was invited to participate in a world wide blogger challenge featuring my Salsa Jeans. Voting is open to everyone with a Facebook account and I need your vote to be part of the top 15. Click here to cast your vote. I'm on page 4.

My Cocoa Jewelry giveaway is still on, a $100 gift card to spend on their website. Please enter if you haven't had a chance, if you've already entered there is still a possibility to earn some extra entries.

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A Little Pink Dress - Big Changes

I'm always preaching about stepping out of your comfort zone and mixing colours and trying dresses and skirts and having fun and blah blah blah. I'm taking my own advice today. I ordered this dress online from Gap because it's a very different silhouette then what I'm used to. I'm more of a structured dresser with a defined waist who's skirts and dresses end up around the knee. This dress is shorter then what I'm used to and it's a fuller skirt. I like things to go straight down. Anyway, not sure how I feel about it. Loved it when I put it on and took the pictures. Now that I see the pictures not sure if I'm sold on it. Maybe because my legs are that perfect shade of pasty white? This blog is about fashion, we shouldn't take ourselves too seriously.

So should it stay or should it go?

I am sure about one thing this necklace.

Jacket & Dress, The Gap. Necklace & Bracelets, c/o Cocoa Jewelry. Flip Flops, Tkees. Sunglasses, Rayban.

If you have some time I would love your help with a contest I am in. Salsa Jeans put out a call to 50 bloggers worldwide and I was one of the 50, to show off how their Salsa Jeans. I would love to be in the top 15. I'm one of the oldest bloggers and I'm pretty sure I have the most kids so I'd like to have a strong showing. Please vote here.

If you haven't entered the Cocoa Jewelry giveaway there is still time. You can get extra entries by tweeting or adding a blog comment. Good Luck and have a great weekend.

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Brights - Featuring Salsa Jeans

I've been posting a lot this week. I've been busy. Admittedly I've taken things slowly with this blog the first quarter of 2013. In January I was consumed with being a finalist/winner with the Marilyn Denis show's Search for Real Canadian Women. February was about taking it easy. March was about #WMCFW and working with Victoria Revay at QMI agency and since that job things have been busy and I'm not complaining. I've been contacted by many companies and been invited to several PR events which have been both flattering and exciting.

When Salsa Jeans initially approached me I was hesitant. I had never heard of their company. After some on-line research I learned it's based in Portugal and ships to Canada and it's very popular in Europe. As fun (and small) as my blog is I take it seriously. If I recommend something it's because I like it not because I got a freebie. I didn't want to enter into any contest just because I received a free pair of jeans and a possible grand prize (even if the top prize is to Dubai - I'll be bugging you on Friday) if I didn't believe in the product. I asked my UK blogger friends and Beth from Style Guile recommends them to her clients because of the rise selections, and Helen from The Flaky Fashionista says her neighbour just raves about her Salsa Jeans and Helen has added them to her wish list because she has fallen for them as well.

These women helped to convince me that I should enter the challenge. If you've been reading this blog for a while you know I prefer a mid to high rise because I've had four children, lucky for us all because Salsa offers everything from low to high. Lots of people automatically think that they are going to be ugly "MOM" jeans. Well get a load of these Morpho Push-In Jeans in Atlantic Blue. Their in-seams range from 30 to 34 inches (tall girl love) and pocket placement is lowered to accommodate the high rise for a nice bum. Plus it literally Pushes everything In and no puckering. The Morpho line offers six different fits and includes maternity jeans. The problem now? I want more!

Yup I even gave you a behind shot. I don't know how long this is staying up (I wish I could blame it on the alcohol).

I'm also linking up with The Pleated Poppy for more blogger inspiration.

Jeans - c/o Salsa Jeans

Blouse - Ann Taylor

Blazer - Cassis (old)

Shoes - Christian Louboutin

Necklace & Bracelets - c/o Cocoa Jewelry (here, here and here)

Clutch - Jeanne Lottie

Sunglasses - Burberry

If you haven't had a chance to enter, the Cocoa Jewelry $100 gift card giveaway is still on. You can get bonus entries every day by tweeting and leaving a blog comment. I love to hear what you have to say.

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Monochromatic - I'm Seeing Blue

When I venture into the monochromatic look I make sure that whatever colour I decide to wear that the hues are the same tone. Let me explain, when I mix my reds I make sure that they have a blue undertone and not the orange of a tomato red, or if I wear yellow I wear lemon yellow instead of shades of mustard. If you're having difficulty the easiest way to visualize colours of the same tone is to look at a colour wheel. You can purchase them at any craft stores and they will help you with monochromatic looks or mixing colours (great for interior design, scrapbooking, party planning for colour schemes...I digress). 

Now that Spring seems to be with us (I hope I didn't jinx us) I'll be wearing more dresses. I love blue - especially Navy and Cobalt. The two were easy to mix - navy dress & cobalt coat that have deep undertones. In photos the colours look to be exact and matching coat/dress or skirt/coats are very retro and reminiscent of the 50s & 60s. I could see Joan, Betty or Peggy wearing this outfit. I wore it to my children's First Communion and Jadran's Croatian Canadian Folklore banquet (where my 3 oldest children performed). The dress is really kid friendly and stays in place (had a little incident with a v-neck cross over dress). Fabric is pretty thick so it doesn't show anything. You know how much I hate pucker/cellulite peering through fabrics.

This is a very high neckline which made accessories easy, I decided to do a chunky cuff. 

Dress, Talbots. Coat, H&M. Shoes, Christian Louboutin. Cuff, Cocoa Jewelry. Clutch, Coach. Sunglasses Burberry

If you love this cuff enter a chance to win a $100 gift card from Cocoa Jewelry below:

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Cocoa Jewelry Giveaway - Blazers & Boyfriends

I first discovered Cocoa Jewelry in Shopepers Drug Mart during the fall. One of the kids was sick and I was waiting to pick up a prescription. I browsed the Beauty Boutique and admired the jewelry display full of great finds and picked up my first Cocoa piece a ring. Between the four kids I got to Shoppers quite often and my collection grew - more rings, bracelets and earrings. When Cocoa Jewelry reached out to me and gave me a goodie box full of their  jewelry I was ecstatic because I was already a fan and that meant healthy children!

I've been wearing the pieces constantly and gotten to know the creative power behind this brand through e-mail, Twitter and Facebook. Nancy is a woman after my heart - she loves denim and blazers as much as I do.  Cocoa's philosophy is pretty easy to understand

"Cocoa Jewelry is an affordable luxury accessories brand.  We source, design & manufacture high quality, trendy jewelry and accessories.  Our products are sold at major retailers under a number of branded & private label collections.  We want woman to feel empowered and beautiful.  Be fierce ladies.

You can get our exclusive collections at Shoppers Beauty Boutiques, TARGET Canada, the Shopping Channel or online at www.cocoajewelry.com."

With their recent appearance on Dragon's Den and deal with Jim, Cocoa Jewelry is taking the Canadian Accessories Marketplace with one fashionable piece at a time. With an exclusive line now available in Target Canada, there is a style and price point for everyone.

This style post is dedicated to Cocoa Jewelry and Nancy - I'm rocking jeans, a blazer and bling.

I made a fashion friend/colleague, Nora, at a PR event bonding over our love of dressing up and this Spike Me Collar necklace

Wearing - Blazer, Banana Republic. Shirt, Marc by Marc Jacobs. Jeans & Shoes, The Gap. Watch, Michael Kors. Sunglasses, Rayban. Handbag, Coach. Necklace, c/o Cocoa Jewelry. Bracelets, c/o Cocoa Jewelry (here & here)

I'm linking up with The Pleated Poppy for more outfit inspiration!

Now it's time to talk about the giveaway. Cocoa Jewelry is giving one lucky winner a $100 gift card to spend on their website. Please note this giveaway is only open to residents in Canada and the US.

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The Canadian Tuxedo & a Favour

According to the Urban Dictionary the definition for a Canadian Tuxedo is:

Made popular by the movie Super Troopers when the Sergeant appears wearing a denim jacket with a pair of jeans (could be matching or not).

You see someone wearing jeans and a jean jacket..."Hey Denim DAN, nice Canadian Tuxedo"

The definition has expanded to any denim on denim type outfit. The Canadian Tuxedo goes through periods of "in fashion" followed by a periods of "fashion death". Just depends on which way the wind is blowing. As you can probably guess it's making a fashion comeback and since I am Canadian I love it.

On Tuesday I had lunch with a girlfriend at a lovely (posh) restaurant - the regulars are Bay St. Boys and Ladies Who Lunch. That's what I wore on yesterdays post here. My reasoning with the chambray blouse was my children have swimming lessons after school and I know lunch is going to go later then expected and I still had to pick up my youngest, get home, change, make sure I have everything ready for lessons and deal with any other issue that arises. I needed to be ready with a quick change and the Canadian Tuxedo was an easy wear.

On a more serious note May is National Mobility Awareness Month.

"This May marks the 2nd annual celebration of National Mobility Awareness Month, when we encourage people with disabilities to embody the spirit of Life Moving Forward by raising awareness of the mobility solutions available in your community. Whether you are living with a disability or have dedicated your time to helping someone who is, we want to hear what makes them a Local Hero.

Local Heroes can be defined as people who: Volunteer, Educate, Advocate, Achieve, Persevere

Stories will be shared and voted on. Voting is open to the public and at least three customized wheelchair accessible vehicles will be awarded to the Local Hero Winners.

Over 18 million people in North America are living with restrictive mobility issues. This is your chance to change the lives of just a few of those triumphing in the face of adversity."

A very close family friend has a Godson who is in need of minivan that is wheel chair accessible. It only takes a minute to vote and change this families life. All votes count. I encourage you to read Ben's story and vote here.

Chambray Shirt, Shoes - The Gap

Jeans - Yoga Jeans

Coat - Cassis (old)

Belt - Tory Burch (old)

Necklace - Banana Republic

Clutch - Pink House Jeanne Lottie

Rowenta Versa Style & Chambray

When I attended World MasterCard Fashion Week (WMCFW) my favourite booth was easily the one sponsored by Rowenta Beauty. Now I know about Rowenta because I own one of their garment steamers. I keep it in my bedroom next to my bed and I've owned it for 8 years and bought one for my mother for Christmas. When asked by The Kit what my favourite fashion tool was I said my garment steamer by Rowenta. Well now there is a tool tie. I have fallen for the Rowenta Versa Style. I was lucky enough to have my hair styled three times during that week by Rowenta stylists and each time the stylists used the Versa Style - I had my hair flipped, curled and straightened. Three different styles all done with the help of one tool (when my hair was curled the top pieces were curled with the Rowenta Curl Active my next tool purchase). My hair looked amazing with each style and I walked a bit taller because we all know I need those extra inches. 

I needed a new hair tool. Mine was 10 years old and when I used it to straighten my hair it pulled my hair and was burning my ends. I payed good money 10 years ago and was willing to spend again. The nice people at Rowenta Beauty sent me the Versa Style and I haven't looked back. I love the fact that it locks closed, is all push button and comes with a case and instructions. My only wish was that it could remember the temperature you liked and kept that set for future uses. The first style I tried was straightening my hair, nice and smooth. I've been straightening my hair for a decade so I got that down pat. I decided to try something different, the Flip - this was my intro to the Versa Style during WMCFW. I was a little worried because hair tools scare me. I love to get my hair done and I give stylists lots of creative judgement,  I'm just not very adventurous when it comes to me doing it myself. Just check my blog for the lack of creative hair ideas. I used the attached style booklet and followed the easy instructions and ta da! I think my first attempt was a success. My friends were impressed and told me how much they liked my new style. It took the same amount of time to flip out my hair as it does to straighten, my youngest was using me as a jungle gym and I think I did a pretty good job. 

My next style tries are the wave and the curl. I've got tool confidence now and will be show casing my attempts in the next week or two. In the words of Icona Pop "I Love It" and recommend it. 

The Rowenta Beauty Versa Style retails for $239.00 and is sold exclusively in salons. 

Now to the outfit...

On Tuesday I was meeting a few friends for lunch and decided to usher in spring with some colour and my new favourite shirt - chambray! Taking pictures proved trying because it was so windy.

I have to say my flip weathered the wind pretty good - I dare say it even looks better.

Chambray Shirt - The Gap

Skirt & Necklace - Banana Republic

Shoes - Prada

Spring Transition and Purges

I honestly wasn't sure I would be able to write about transitioning my winter to spring wardrobe because of the weather we've been having in southern Ontario. Just when I thought warmer weather was in the forecast we were hit with an ice storm. Any way, it seems like Mother Nature is finally in the mood for sunshine. I obliged her by packing up all my chunky sweaters, dark chords, heavy coats and blazers and bringing out lighter knits, brighter blazers, light denim, skirts, maxi dresses and spring coats. I keep my dark blue and black denim on hand as well as basic skirts and dresses that are a medium weight. I tend to wear those pieces up until the summer heat makes its appearance. This outfit is a perfect balance of winter/fall basics (black jeans and basic stilettos) and combining new spring pieces (bright blazer and sheer blouse in a colourful pattern).

Spring is always about bringing out the brighter or lighter colours and appreciating the thaw of snow and sunshine on my face. The mornings can still be cool and harder to dress for. I find the best way to combat the colder mornings during this transition is just to layer - add a spring coat to my blazer and blouse combination. This allows me to shed the coat in the afternoon. 

Another question I get asked is how to purge your closet. That can be a big tricky, however, here are a few easy things to do:

1. If you have holes, runs, pulls, stains or fabric is pilling get rid of it. Why take up valuable space in your closet for things that most likely just look horrible. I will have some people talk about gardening clothes etc. Fine keep one or two work clothes, get rid or everything else.
2. If you haven't worn it in a year or more donate it. There are a few exceptions (like pregnancy or sickness) but for the most part that means it doesn't fit or the piece is dated. There's a reason you are not wearing it. I don't want to hear "It was expensive I can't get rid of it". Sure you can, buy something that fits and looks better.
3. Articles of clothing that are dated like 80s power suits and MC Hammer harem pants. All joking aside this one may be harder to figure out, I say ask a friend to help with this one or take a picture of you in the article and ask me. I love to purge and friends ask me to help them all the time.
4. Anything from a junior store. Example, if you are wearing t-shirts that a teenager or tween would love from stores like Aeropostale pack it up. The cut is not for women, nor is the store, we're not seventeen anymore and why try to re-claim that time in our lives when it is never going to happen? This includes any type of clothing with writing on our behinds. No Juicy track suits please. Moreover, things from these stores just age you and make you look like you're trying too hard.

I hope this helps.

Blazer & Blouse - c/o Smart Set 

Denim - Adriano Goldschmied 

Shoes - Jimmy Choo

Bracelets - c/o Cocoa Jewelry

Watch, Michael Kors

They Didn't Make the Cut

And yet I'm showing you my reject posts. There are various reasons I didn't feature the following outfits. I'll let you guess why. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Okay, this is all about the bad hair. WTF.