Five Favourites

Fave photo: boys in blue. My husband and nephew – don't they look so alike? I just love these guys! I took this photo before I left Tennessee last week. I don't know about you but considering that it's snowing in Ottawa right now I could really go for those warmer spring temperatures that still seem to be a myth on this side of the border. 

Fave book: I just finished Yes Please by Amy Poehler and thought it was enjoyable. Not my favourite comedic memoir (that would be Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling) as it had some moments that lagged and chapters that didn't flow into each other very well, but Amy had lots of insightful things to say and funny stories to share. It also made for a great way to stay occupied during my road trip last week. I liked Yes Please a whole lot more than Lena Dunham's Not That Kind of Girl which I also finished reading recently.

Fave moment: I turned 28 last week! This birthday was a little bittersweet considering that it was much more low-key than celebrations in years past (like when I turned 27 on the exotic island of Little Corn, Nicaragua), however this is probably the last birthday I'll spend with my parents and extended family for a while so that made it extra special. My grandpa has been very sick the past couple of weeks but he had a rare moment of lucidity just before I blew out the candles on my cake and pulled me aside to wish me a happy birthday. It was such a touching moment.

Fave present: My family completely outdid themselves and surprised me with a brand new unlocked iPhone 6 for my birthday. How crazy is that? I feel so spoiled but incredibly grateful. This is my first (yes – first!) smartphone so I'm embracing it with open arms!

My first selfies as a 28 year old!

Fave recent blog post: I'm getting ready to buy a 13" MacBook Pro with retina display next month and have been warned about how it's a blessing and a curse at the same time because the resolution of many web images is seriously lacking. It'll be all the more obvious on a new Mac so this post from Sarah about manually resizing your photos with HTML code came at just the perfect time. My HP is about to bite the dust and I'm looking forward to a new laptop. After all this time I'm finally going to be up to date on my technology. It feels great!

What are some of your favourite moments from the past week?

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Five Favourites

Fave photo: It's not a particularly good photo but it makes me laugh. This was taken at the Jack Daniels Distillery right after we finished our sampling tour :)

Fave moment: Hands down the best moment this week was going on a date with my husband to The Melting Pot in downtown Nashville. Like the true gluttons we are, we ordered two bottles of wine, a cheese fondue course, and a chocolate fondue course for dessert. I was forbidden asked very nicely not to bring my camera out so you'll just have to take my word for it that the food, service, atmosphere... everything... was amazing! If you find yourself in Nashville anytime soon, you should definitely check out The Melting Pot!

Fave snack: See above ^^ Who needs snacks when you ate enough fondue to last a week!

Fave recent blog post: When It Rains, It Pours – a post about big career changes and handling it all with grace from one of my favourite writers.

Fave recent purchase: Allow me to please nerd out on photography talk for a moment: I've had my heart set on buying a new camera lens for a while now. Last Christmas my friend Dave let me borrow two of his prime lenses, a 35 mm 1.8 and 50 mm 1.8, and I fell in love with the 35 mm. I shoot with a Nikon D3200 which has a cropped frame sensor – read more about that here – so the 35 mm lens is a better option for me. It captures images that are very true to what your eye naturally sees and I love the shallow depth of field. This lens was the sweetest anniversary present and I've been practising every day since I've received it!

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth & Style Elixir.

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How to Choose the Perfect Travel Purse

I think all of us ladies can agree that when we’re packing for a trip, whether it’s sightseeing in the city or backpacking abroad, it’s important to choose a travel purse that’s secure yet versatile. Unless you don’t mind paying extra checked luggage fees or carting around 50 pounds on your back, space is limited and you don’t have the luxury of bringing several different types of bags to match various outfits.

Travel purses are unique because they need to be way more functional, secure, and durable than our everyday bags. The sleek clutch that’s your go-to for bar hopping or the gorgeous camel tote that you love for running errands? Yup, you guessed it – they’re not going to cut it on the road (especially when you’re travelling in developing countries or visiting busy and touristy areas).

My travel style has evolved over the past year and now I’m a strong advocate for a capsule wardrobe. This means that I plan out what to pack in advance and choose remixable pieces so that I can maximize my total number of outfits (my rule is that each item must coordinate with at least two other pieces). When I packed for Central America I opted for a neutral palette of black, white, and tan and chose to accessorize with complementary pops of colour in the accessories. 

Now that I’ve got more than a few international trips under my belt, I want to share four of my tried and true tips to help you choose the perfect travel purse:

1. ZIPPERS

Though it may sound obvious, I’m going to list my most important tip first – a good travel purse needs to have a zipper at the top! It’s much too easy to reach inside a tote bag unnoticed as compared to unzipping a purse. Choosing a purse with at least one solid zipper helps to deter pick-pocketers and keeps your valuables safe.  

2. CROSSBODY STRAPS

I tend to gravitate towards crossbody purses in general but they’re particularly essential when you’re travelling. The liberty of being hands-free is so important when sightseeing, especially if you’re like me and love taking photos. Crossbody purses make it much harder for thieves to swipe and run (like that time my bag was stolen at the beach). Pacsafe even makes slash-proof straps that offer the ultimate peace of mind for those who are concerned about safety. 

3. EASY TO CLEAN

Travel is messy. Liquids spill, food crumbles, and sometimes there’s just no avoiding it – your bag is going to sit on the floor. A perfect travel purse is one that’s durable and easy to clean. Nylon, microfiber, and leather are popular options with the latter being my favourite due to its versatility. I personally stay away from canvas as I find it easy to stain and discolour.

My sister and I with our purses in Belize 

Exploring downtown Nashville with a purse that's sturdy enough to carry my DSLR camera

Taking a break from the heat in Music City

4. MULTIPLE COMPARTMENTS

I think it’s crucial to organize your travel purse so that everything has a place and you’re not fumbling around in front of vendors when trying to pay for something. Call me paranoid but the indecision of pulling your purse inside out to search for that elusive item is a signal to snatchers that you’re vulnerable and flustered. It’s so much easier to organize your purse when you have multiple compartments and pockets. Bonus points, of course, if the compartments have zippers!

In my opinion, a perfect travel purse has all of the characteristics above, is versatile enough to go from day-to-night, and comes in a complementary colour to suit the majority of your travel capsule wardrobe. I've picked a few options below if you have an upcoming trip or happen to have your eye on a new bag that will transition perfectly into your travel style.

What are your must-haves when choosing a purse for travel and your day-to-day life?

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Five Favourites

Fave photo: This photo makes me laugh every time I look at it. Or should I say them? You know exactly what I'm talking about and I know you're snickering too. Everybody meet my neighbour, Benjamin the Billygoat. Benjamin is in rut right now aka mating season aka he's ripe and smells terrible.

Fave book: I've been a reading fiend over the past couple of weeks! Girlboss, If I Stay, and Attachments were all good (actually, that's not true - Girlboss was disappointing and definitely could have benefited from my editing services). My favourite recent read was Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, an unlikely romantic story set in England that I wasn't able to put down until I finished it at three in the morning.

Fave snack: Carrots + hummus + garlic = love.

Fave recent blog post: I read a post from The Style Dunce about reconciling that some opinions don't matter and it really struck a chord with me. Katie has a lot of spark and snark and her article ignited some of that within me too, which is what prompted me to finally publish my post about Southern Culture Shock. Take a scroll through The Style Dunce - that girl doesn't mince words and I love her for it!

Fave recent purchase: Due to a lengthy immigration process, we've been trying to stay as frugal as possible but do you know how hard it is to not buy anything? I couldn't resist picking up this nail polish for only $1.50 when I was passing through Wal Mart last week. Despite such a cheap price, it's awesome! Excellent coverage and durability plus I love this lavender hue. 

New nail polish next to my favourite purchase from last month

What are some of your favourite moments from the week?

Linking up with Style Elixir & Lauren Elizabeth.

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Five Favourites

Fave photo: I just finished going through some more photos from Central America. This cutie is from Costa Rica. Did you know that sloths spend 90% of their lives upside down? After spending so much of their time hanging from the trees, they get very disoriented right-side-up when they're on land, which is when they're most vulnerable to attacks. This sloth was attacked by dogs which is why he's now recovering at Jaguar Rescue Centre.

Fave snack: Have you tried Talenti’s gelato yet? It’s incredible. My absolute favourite ice-cream-frozen-yogurt-gelato-cold dessert out there. Sea salt caramel is worth its spoonful in gold, I swear it’s so good! 

Fave book: If I’m not travelling I’m usually reading about travelling. Getting Stoned with Savages is a light and funny read about the author’s expat years in the South Pacific. Fiji is totally on my wanderlist.

Fave recent purchase: As you might’ve seen me gushing on Instagram, I am in love with my new Kate Spade planner. It starts next month and I can’t wait for August to begin! Maybe if I actually follow through with all the things I write in my planner my days will become much more productive. A girl can hope, right? (Second favourite purchase goes to these pants from Old Navy.)

Fave recent blog post: If you read a lot of lifestyle-type blogs, you’ve probably noticed that the blogosphere is dominated by Mormons and other very religious folk. While I think it’s perfectly fine to blog about your religion, it’s generally something that I’m not interested in, so I tend to ex out immediately. This week, however, Nadine’s post about God caught my eye. While we don’t necessarily share the same spiritual beliefs, I’ve also walked away from organized religion. I think there's a whole lot more to being a good person than doing something because the Bible told you so.  

What are some of your favourite moments from the week?

Linking up with Allieology / Lauren Elizabeth / Style Elixir.

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My Travel Makeup Essentials

For a low maintenance makeup routine in a hot and humid environment, only my tried and true makeup favourites would make it into my backpack for my trip to Central America. I slipped back into a low key routine quite easily, especially during the days as I sweat easily. I knew I wanted a natural look with a dewy finish, so what made the cut?

In order of application...

• Smashbox illuminating primer >> great for variable skin tones and mattifying my skin; I love the glow I get from this primer!
• Smashbox concealer in medium >> solid coverage from only a little bit of product. Fortunately my skin miraculously got better while I was on the road so primer and a little concealer under my eyes was all I needed cover-up-wise
• Benefit tinted stain in cha cha tint >> buildable coverage for my cheeks and lips
• Laura Mercier translucent powder >> sets my face makeup without adding coverage; leaves my skin breathable
• Smashbox brow powder >> long lasting formula that stays put! Much better than Anastastia brow powder in my opinion
• MAC black liquid liner >> a little goes a long way with this liquid eyeliner
• Cover Girl last blast mascara >> the winner in my battle of the mascaras holds up great in the heat! The curl I get from this mascara is incredible
• The Body Shop bronzer in apricot >> for nights when I want that extra special radiant glow that leaves people asking, "Hmm, you look all dewy, what did you just finish doing?" ;)

These makeup items give me a great range of products to work with if I have an extra 10-15 minutes to get ready. If it's too hot or too early, I skip makeup altogether and go au naturel.

What makeup do I regret bringing?

• Revlon BB cream >> I naively brought my winter shade which was pretty much useless within a week (I tan very easily)
• Red lipstick >> I brought it just in case I wanted to spice up my look, but I didn't reach for it once. My coral shade of Revlon lipstick was much better suited to the rest of my palette
• MAC mascara >> I justified bringing an extra mascara because it was in a small sample container and it wasn't waterproof like my Cover Girl, but the formula didn't hold up in the humid weather

Have you tried any of these items? What's on your go-to list for travel makeup essentials?

Linking up with Style Elixir.

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Product Review: Battle of the Mascaras

The Contenders:

In the red corner, Benefit's They're Real Mascara.
In the blue corner, Dior's Diorshow Mascara.

These mascaras have been talked about so often in the beauty world, but at close to $30 a pop, is the tantalizing promise of long lashes worth it? Benefit's They're Real particularly seems to get the Holy Grail of Mascara Award and yes, I admit, I got suckered into checking it out for myself to see if it lived up to the hype. 

Unlike my husband who has such long and pretty eyelashes with a natural curl (so envious), my eyelashes are left wanting for lots of extra oomph. Lashes a plenty I sadly do not have. After feeling a little guilty I succumbed to dishing out the mula to test if either of these luxury mascaras could possibly satisfy my mega eyelash envy. (Seriously though, do you know jealous I feel living with a boy whose eyelashes touch his eyebrows and he doesn't even care! Gah!)

What I'm Loving: 9 Outfits For Your Next Holiday Party

With Christmas only 12 days away (yay!), we're in the midst of holiday party season. If you're anything like me, obviously your biggest concern is what to wear. I've created a few looks below to give you some inspiration so whether you're partying with co-workers, family, or friends, I've got you covered! A little black dress is always a solid choice but here are some alternatives to throw in the mix too.

The key factors when deciding what to wear to holiday parties are the dress code of the event and who you'll be socializing with (we're going to ignore the fact that weather has any influence whatsoever on whether it's appropriate to wear dresses and heels). 

For work holiday parties, I suggest keeping relatively covered up but still having fun with fabrics and accessories. Here are three options you can try that'll have you looking stylish and sophisticated.

Click here to find out where to purchase these items

If you're getting together with family, comfort plays a bit more of a role in your outfit selection. Jumpsuits and maxi dresses are great options if you want to be able to get on the ground and play with the kiddies and they transition very nicely into adult attire for when you're up at the bar chatting with good ole Uncle Larry. Peplums are also a stylish way to hide your growing food baby when those appetizers are too delicious to pass on.

Click here to see where to purchase these items

When partying with friends, I always turn up the glam. Coincidentally. all three looks below incorporate sequins (clearly I have a weakness). A strapless sparkly blue number is a refreshing change from the usual holiday colours and pairs beautifully with icy silver accessories. Black and gold is super hot right now but adding in rose gold is an easy way to warm up your outfit and complexion. Lastly, these sequined harem pants from Nordstrom are too fun to pass up! Styled with a silky blouse, stunning earrings, and killer booties, you'll be sure to make heads turn. 

Click here to see where to purchase these items 

Have you picked out your holiday party outfits yet? Which pieces are you loving lately?

Linking today's post with Style Elixir.

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What I'm Loving: Fur Vests and Leather Leggings

I've been trying very hard not to shop for myself and just focus on Christmas gifts for others. Especially with our trip to Central America coming up, it doesn't make sense to be purchasing things for myself right now. 

But as much as I know I should stay clear, I can't help but feel the pull toward fall and winter fashion. Does that happen to you too?? I won't even be sticking around for much of the season so rather than opening up my wallet I'm turning to online window shopping instead. 

Lately two things have been catching my eye: fur vests and leather leggings. Here are a few looks I put together.

Click here to find out where to purchase these items

Click here to find out where to purchase these items

What's your opinion about fur vests and leather leggings? Since it's my first time playing with this trend, I'd personally stick to neutral colour palettes and add visual interest by wearing a variety of textures instead. This is one of my best suggestions for those who want to try out new trends without feeling too much out of your comfort zone.

What're you online window shopping for these days?

Linking up with Glossy Blonde / Karly Kim / Style Elixir / Because Shanna Said So / My Girlish Whims / Kiwi Womens Style / Get Your Pretty On / My Fash Avenue

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Pinning Lately: Etsy Edition

If I was ever going to wear a watch, this watch would be it

Raw emerald and amethyst stacking rings 

The knot ring

Eternity rings

An alternative kind of greeting card for the loved one in your life

 This slouchy olive green touque is right up my alley

The perfect chunky knit scarf

This over-the-shoulder tote is so simple but so cute! 

What have you been pinning lately? Leave a comment with the link to your profile, I'd love to check it out! Happy Friday :)

Linking up with Lauren's Fab Favorites.

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Product Review: Best Drugstore Dry Shampoos

For those of us who have neither the time nor patience to wash and style our hair every day, dry shampoo is a small miracle in our getting ready routine. It helps to absorb oil from your roots, adds volume for a bit of oomph, and can even help to texturize your hair if it’s too clean to hold teasing or curls. Especially since I chopped off my locks, dry shampoo does wonders for me with freshening up my day old hair.  

Brunettes often have a harder time finding a good dry shampoo because it has a tendency to make darker hair look a bit greyish if you spray it on too close to the roots or if the shampoo formula is mixed with powder. For those of us who can’t afford salon-priced products on the regular, naturally we turn to the more budget-friendly drugstore brands, and I’ve found two dry shampoos in particular that hold up quite well! Most days  Every day I wish I could just do a hair flip like Beyonce and have my hair fall perfectly into place, but sadly after several neck sprains I’ve learned this is, in fact, impossible.

What I'm Loving: Mustard Yellow

In light of my big news last week, my wallet is a lot tighter these days, so while it seems like everyone is indulging in the end-of-summer sales I'm wishing from afar and creating virtual outfits instead. Lately I've been crushing hard on mustard yellow. Paired with cobalt blue, chambray, aubergine, or white, cognac brown, and leopard print as I did below, mustard yellow is such a versatile colour. I especially love how well this hue transitions from summer to fall and is the perfect way to perk up your outfit.

Click here to see where you can purchase these items

With a casual blazer and chic accessories, this outfit is great for those of us who were dropped right into the cooler weather once the calendar flipped into September. An oversized "boyfriend" blazer is a great alternative to the typical cardigan - it's still loose enough to relax and sit comfortably in, but adds a bit more polish if you need to take your style game up a notch.

What's your favourite colour for the fall? 

PS - Who says you can't wear white after Labour Day?
PPS - Hop on over to one of my Pinterest boards to see other mustard yellow looks that I'm loving!

Linking up with the beautiful ladies at Style Elixir / Plane Pretty / The Pleated Poppy / Get Your Pretty On / Because Shanna Said So

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What I'm Wearing: TheIt Bossi Bag

What I'm Wearing: Pops of Neon

Life Lately

Lately,
I’ve been thinking like a blogger. This weekend I instagrammed my food – twice! – before eating it. I use instagram as a verb. I use hashtags when I write (see below). I get blog post ideas and must. write. them. down. immediately. Even if that means breaking traffic rules or jolting from my sleep to scribble them down in the middle of the night. 

I’ve been making small strides as a blogger but I’m still pretty happy with my progress. I hit 70 followers on Twitter this weekend and no I’m not being facetious when I say that I’m proud of that. (But yes I did shamelessly just plug my Instagram and Twitter accounts.) Exactly five of those followers are people that I know in real life. That means I made 65 online connections in the past four months of blogging part-time. Remember when I talked about recognizing small accomplishments? 65 followers in four months of blogging averages out to four new connections a week. Small but measurable steps! Chiara from The Indie Chicks personally invited me to guest post on their site and let’s just say that’s kind of a big deal for a newbie like me! I’ll be submitting some guest post ideas this month and am very excited.

Lately,
I’ve been reading a lot of books. Getting sucked into non-fiction travel memoires – particularly Love with a Chance of Drowning and The Lost Girls. Love with a Chance of Drowning was my favourite out of the two. A solid 9/10 as far as memoires are concerned, it tells the true tale of Torre DeRoche as she decided to follow her lover of nine months on a year-long voyage across the Pacific Ocean on a 32 foot long sail boat. Light-hearted, funny, and engaging, I devoured this book in less than 24 hours.

Mani Monday: Perfectly Peach

Nail Polish: Cover Girl Outlast in coral silk

Nail polish lovers, I have a confession to make: I'm not a fan of Essie nail polishes (gasp). While they have a fabulous range of colours, I find the polishes to be thin, streaky, prone to chipping, and at $10 a bottle seriously overpriced. I was craving a new polish though and love this colour for summertime. Normally I'm a bit hesitant about drug-store brands, but at $5.49 a bottle I couldn't resist giving this Cover Girl nail polish a shot as I'd been searching for this perfect peachy / coral shade for a while. 

I was very pleased about the quality of this polish and especially how chip-resistant it is! I used a base and top coat plus two coats of colour, then on day three I added another layer of top coat. For those of you who work with your hands a lot, you know how rare it is to stay chip free for so long and my nails are still going strong. These pictures were taken on day four after my manicure and not one chip - absolutely fantastic and such a better value compared to Essie! I'm a happy gal and will definitely be buying this line of nail polish from Cover Girl again. 

Linking up with Glitter and Gloss and Well Shut The Front Door. 

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Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post, ie: I did not receive any compensation for this article. I just wanted to share my review of this product. All opinions are my own.