How to Accept a Compliment

Are you good at taking compliments? I'm not.  The simple, easy, thing to say would be thank you, but instead I ramble on about where I got it or how cheap it was. 

I purchased this skirt from Banana Republic on major sale.  It was 50% off the sale price AND it is a petite. That is a major win for me standing up at just under 5'2.  Petites just fit me so much better.

I love the look of a pleated skirt but I hesitated buying one because I am scared of washing it.  It I were being completely honest, I would tell you that I don't wash my work clothes unless I spill on them.  Is that wrong?  There are certain clothes that never come out the same after you wash them and I am scared that this skirt could be one of them.

But it is so pretty.

And I got so many compliments.

Eff it.  I'm keeping it.  

The best shirt to pair with a less fitted skirt is the Shapely Shoulders Seamless Top at Salt and Light.  In the past I've had these higher waisted skirts but no top to wear with it. I love how fitted these are without being a body suit.  They are currently sold out in black, but honestly, I think white is a great option for summer.  Check them out, you won't be disappointed.

A Hair Affair

I got a call every woman dreads last week.   My hair stylist was no longer with my salon.

Say what?

I've been going to Adria for almost 10 years.  I've been going there since before I was pregnant with Cooper.  And she is just gone?  No warning, nothing.  I don't even know her last name.. how am I going to find her on Facebook.  Thankfully, with an unusual name and me thinking her last name started with a G I was able to send her a message.  Apparently, she was fired during an argument with her boss and did not have a chance to grab her contacts.  She assured me that she was already in talks with another salon and she would be in touch ASAP.

Well now I was in a pickle.  

With only 2 weeks before leaving on vacation I needed to get my hair cut and colored.  The salon offered me 30% off my appointment if I was willing to try someone new.  For 30% off a $300 hair bill it was well worth it for me to try someone new and snag a discount.  That and I didn't really have an option since Adria had not secured a new salon yet.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I showed up at the salon.  It had been 10 years since I had a new stylist and it felt like a first date.  I showed her the pictures of how I wanted my color to look and she asked me how often I wanted to come since the colors I chose were very high maintenance.

We talked about what I wanted my maintenance to look like and also gave me tips to prolong the ash color I wanted in between appointments.  It's purple shampoo in case you were wondering which I came home with.  She was full of knowledge but also super slow.  My appointment that usually lasts 2 hours was well over 3 hours and I hated that I spent so much time sitting in a chair.  Thank goodness for podcasts!  I'm currently listening to a crime one called Serial suggested to me by Sara.  So far, I am really enjoying.

Back to my hair...

The other reason I was optimistic about trying something new is that I've been having trouble growing out the front of my hair.  I wish I would have taken a picture to explain but I wasn't planning on blogging about my hair appointment today.  It was very Jennifer Ansiton like from the 90s with lots of layers and I didn't like it. I would tell Adria not to cut the front hair very much because I wanted it to grow.  Time after time I ended up with what looks like a mullet.  

This time, the stylist explained to me it could be due to breakage, especially if I was side sleeper, which I am.  She suggested a hair mask every 2 weeks to condition the hair and prevent it from splitting.  She explained that once the hair is split you have to cut it off.  Though cutting hair while you are growing it seems counter intuitive, she said that the faster you can get to the split ends the less you have to cut off.  After consulting with my product guru friend we decided I should order this one from Sephora.

She was really knowledgeable, or just a great sales person.

I am really happy with the finished product.  While she did not go as drastic as the photos, I think she nailed the color.  She suggested that when I come back we could add more in to ease into the more bold lighter color just in time for summer.  I liked this idea.  I told her that I didn't want to show up at work the next day and have every single person comment on my hair.  So far, only 1 person has noticed, so I think she nailed it.

Now the tough question is do I continue with the new stylist or go back to Adria who has now secured a job in the same mall.  I rebooked with the new gal but I have time to decide.....  1st world problems.

Did I mention that the salon is in the mall?  I always go an hour early or stay an hour later to browse the stores, something I rarely do.  I found a teddy bear jacket at Aritzia that finally fit me properly and didn't make me feel like a fuzzy blimp.  I told the woman that I wanted it in cream but they were sold out.  She told me the beige color is the most popular because Kendall Jenner was spotted wearing it in December.  Though I wasn't sold on the color initially, I loved the style of the jacket so I took the plunge.  I think it will be great to wear watching the kids play soccer in what is usually very cold spring weather.  I wore it to hockey last night and it was so warm!

I'm happy to report that trying a new stylist wasn't as bad as I thought.  Having a different perspective isn't always a bad thing and if I can outgrow my mullet then I will be a happy lady!

The Night Before Christmas

The night before Christmas you will see the kids and I in our not quite matching onesies.  I asked James if he wanted one but he politely declined.

Of course I bought all three from Amazon Prime where I do the majority of my shopping these days (Adult, Kid).

I chose this Christy blue snow flake pattern so I can wear them all winter instead of just for Christmas.  When I tried them on for these photos it made me so excited to wear them all Christmas morning.  They are so soft and cozy and I'm thinking they'll keep me toasty warm since I am always cold.

I felt like a big kid wearing these and that is not such a bad way to feel, especially during the holiday season.  Shouldn't we all feel like big kids?

Link up and show us what you'll be wearing the night before Christmas.

An InLinkz Link-up

Fur! Pink! Plaid! Oh my!

A few weeks back I hit the road for Edmonton to shop with my gal pals. While I've already told you about all the fun we had, I haven't actually showed you what I bought.  Some years I have a little luck, some years I have a lot.  I'm happy to report that this year was one of success, much to James' dismay.

Let's start with this furry vest.  I've been hunting for one since last season but I didn't find quite the right one. Until now. I grabbed this bad boy off the shelf even though it was a medium and I suspected that it would be too big.  I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't.  I wore it with the tag the first day to make sure it was a keeper and hands down this will be well worn this winter!

This was another item I was looking for, a dusty rose sweater.  What the heck is this color called anyway???  My friends and I called it Carmen purple all weekend.  Now Carmen has a color just like I do, Christy blue!  I scored this one at Simon's for $40 ad haven't looked back since  The color, the fit, the length is all perfect.  I should really go back and get a second color because at that price they are practically giving it away!

This next one is one of my pricier items from Aritzia.  Candace came out wearing this over a blue dress and I really wanted to try the blue dress, of course.  The sales person came back with this green guy.  I said I wanted the dress, and she looked at me like I was crazy, this is the dress.  So apparently this can also be worn as a dress.  Truthfully I liked it better as a dress but I forgot to take a picture.  If I were to wear it as a long cardi again I would wear a more fitted shirt.  I felt very shapeless in this ensemble the way it is.

This plaid jacket from American Eagle is by far my favorite find of the weekend.  It was also the second winter jacket I purchased.  Before you judge, don't forget I live in the frozen tundra!  We were walking by AE, a store I usually don't go into, when I saw this coat out of the corner of my eye.  I stopped, I tried, I bought, no hesitation.

Just a side note on American Eagle.... Have you ever tried their shorts?  They are perfection, perfect amount of stretch to make them flattering and comfortable.  My sister tipped me off a few years ago and I haven’t looked back since. 

This sweater was another one I kept the tags on the first time I wore.  I actually wore it home on the Sunday of our trip with the tag hanging down my back and the waitress told me how cute it was.  So it came home with me and stayed! I'm a sucker for an animal with glasses, what can I say?

Finally, let's talk about these sneakers.  Four of us bought them.  Love, love, LOVE.  Except it snowed on the way home and I haven't worn them since.  They didn't have mine in the camo print but I did walk away with a pink pair.  I love them!  Thanks for the tip Abbie and Lana!

While these are not all the items that I bought, these are the ones I remembered to take pictures of.  I love shopping, but  better yet, I love shopping with my besties who share that same passion.

Shopping is my Cardio!

But First, Lipstick!

It is late, but it is still in fact Wednesday when I posted this because after seeing all the gals of TBB showing off their graphic tees, I wanted to get in on the fun.

I love me a good graphic tee.  But they need to speak to you.  Like my Dirty Dancing tee for instance, I LOVE that movie and that shirt.  I looked for one for so long and when I saw one at H&M I knew I had to have it. 

I have one about pizza and one about wine, all I was missing was one about lipstick.  If you know me, you know I love lipstick.  The only time I leave home without it is for early morning hockey practice.  I love lipstick of all colors and shades. Love, love LOVE!!!

I had looked on line before for a lipstick shirt and I didn't find one that spoke to me, until this one.

 

I actually bought it my accident.  I had it in my cart and it was in USD and I wanted to see what the shipping was so I had to go through all the steps like I was buying it.  Then in my clicking frenzy I ended up clicking one to many times and before I knew it the shirt was on the way to my house.

I don't even want to think about how much it cost me in the end between the exchange rate, shipping, and customs because yes, I had to pay customs when it arrived on top of everything else.

But you know what?  I kind of love it.  Despite it's crazy cost, the shirt spoke to me and it was meant to be mine.

Kimono

Two weeks ago, My Girlfriends Closet had their first fall pop up shop.  When i mentioned the pop up shop to people, I was surprised how many people didn't know what it was. 

Per Investopedia the definition is as follows

Pop-up retail is a retail store that is opened temporarily to take advantage of a trend or a seasonal product. Demand for products sold in pop-up retail is typically short-lived. Pop-up retail stores are found most often in the apparel and toy industries.

In this case it is an online store (currently closed during pop up season) that does not have a retail location.  They have an Instagram account, Facebook page, and an online store but their pop up shops are the only time you can go and see the clothes before buying.

The one that I attended most recently was at a skin care place.  I 'won' $50 off botox.  I'm thinking everyone who went was a winner of some sort!  It works great for both the retail store and the place hosting as the customers get to shop like they would in a regular store and the shop owner gets access to a bunch of people that otherwise would have never come to their store.  Win - win!

I bought 2 items and this long kimono is quickly become my fave.

At first I was concerned that kimonos were only for fall but I convinced myself that they are perfectly fine for fall (and maybe even winter!) as well.

1.  The color.  Navy blue scream fall.

2.  The length.  The almost duster length seems more fall like to me

3.  You can easily wear a long sleeved shirt underneath or even a sweater.

Other things I love about this one in particular is the big pink flowers which is a perfect match to the Aritzia sweater tee I already owned.  I also love the slits up the side.  Anything long has to have slits up the side for easy movement.

I got lots of compliments on this piece and I think I will get lots of wear out of it over the next few months.

Do you own a fall kimono?

Ready to Swim

A mere 4 months ago I shared my thoughts on shopping for swim suits.  Not my favorite activity, nor yours I imagine.  In that post I talked about Cupshe and how I wanted to order from them but I was too chicken to pull the trigger.  Deena  has ordered suits with success, so has my sister, but when I actually got to see my friend's suit in person in Penticiton I was sold!   Every day she came strutting out with a new super cute swim suit and each and every one was from Cupshe.  Less than a week later I had 4 suits headed my way.

It took less than 2 weeks for them to arrive all the way from China.  I immediately tried them on and all four fit!  For size reference I am 5'2 and wear a size 6 or 8 and I ordered all in medium.

This is the one that I wanted really bad.  I love the pattern mixing and the side holes on the bottoms.  I always look for the little details that make it unique.  I was a tad concerned about my fat pouring out of the holes but I risked it anyway.  Ironically, I liked this one the least out of the 4 suits.  I felt like the bottom of the whole hit my at a spot where I got a little over hang.  I will still wear it but it wasn't my fave like I expected it to be.

I have always wanted to try a high waisted bikini.  It is the area just over my belly button that I am self conscious about and this covers it while still showing a little midriff.  My girlfriend suggested that I get high waisted bottoms with some rouching to not only camouflage any bumps but to also add interest.  She was 100% right.  This was the last addition to my cart and also my favorite of the 4.  I must admit that it was a little complicated to get tied in the back.  It is a 2 man job.

When we were on one of our away hockey tournaments this past season one of the Moms had a very similar suit on and it looked fantastic on her!  When I saw this similar one in grey it was an easy choice!

Finally, the fourth choice is this sport looking one with a zipper up the back.  The only issue I have with this one is that it is white.  Not because it is see through but because the sunscreen turns yellow on it.  I won't be able to wear the spray on these days, will have to resort to lotion.

I love, love, LOVE these suits.  There are trendy and cute while still providing coverage.  I've learned that when love your outfit you feel so much better about yourself.  I'm hoping to rock some beaches and pools on my upcoming summer vacations.

I forgot to mention the best part... each suit was $32 or less.  I got all 4 suits for about $100 USD.  That's a steal compared to the 2 I got earlier this season for $150 and truthfully, I like these better!

If you are in the market for a new suit, don't be scared like I was to take a risk on Cupshe.  I wish I would have done it sooner!

Getting My Shopping Mojo Back

The past year, much to my husband's pleasure I am sure, my shopping mojo has been non existent.  I have been so busy buying house stuff that I didn't have the time or desire to fill my closet with new pretty things.  Weird, I know.

It literally ended last week.  Now, I want all the things.

I was in a closet rut.  I had no new items that I was excited to wear but at the same time I didn't know what I wanted to buy or what I liked.

Bear i mind, I don't go to the mall often so I don't really see what is trendy except for the blogs I read.

Then I got injured.

I took the week off the gym and started walking the mall at lunch, something I never do.  And just like that, my shopping mojo returned!

One of the items that I became obsessed with finding this season was blush pumps.  I found a pair last year and waited for them to go on sale, when they finally did, my size was gone.  I forgot about them until this week.

It is Bay Days and I was browsing the site, because, why not, and I spotted a similar pair to the ones I coveted last year.  I was about to pull the trigger when I noted the 3.5" heel and decided that I needed to find a lower one.

Pet Peeve... I hate it when woman wear high heels that make them walk funny.  If you can't walk normally then your heels are too high.  Obviously.

I became obsessed with finding another pair and it was harder then you thought.  Eventually I settled on this pair and they are currently on their way to my door.

They are suede, which wasn't my first choice, but they have a 3" heel which sealed the deal.  Where did I find them you ask?  The Gap. Surprisingly, the reviews are all fantastic and I hope I love them as much as the reviewer!

Along with these shoes, I ordered this dress (sold out in Canada) and this skirt

On the total opposite end of the shoe spectrum I am also currently obsessed with these new balance sneakers.

I think I'd buy the grey, but the pink ones are pretty tempting to.  I literally talked myself out of buying these but I have the feeling they will be mine before the end of the season.  You see, I still have remorse after not buying these blue new balance sneakers on my girls shopping trip last year.  The fact that I am still thinking about these shoes almost a year after the trip tells you I really really like them.  

Enough said.  Cheers to all the shoes!

Glasses Galore!

You can NEVER have too many.  Ever.

Let me tell you a little about my history with glasses.  My mom has worn glasses since she was 7 years old while my Dad didn't get reading glasses until a few years ago.  I was certain that I was blessed with my Dad's good eye.  And I was, until I was almost 30 years old.

When I started articling for my CPA is when I started to notice my vision wasn't as sharp as it used to be.  I could see perfectly fine but they were tired after a long day at the computer trying to decipher small numbers on massive spreadsheets.  When I was about 25 I started wearing glasses at my desk only.  I put them on when I arrived at work and left them on my desk when I left for the day.  They helped me see the screen better but I didn't need them to see once I walked away from my desk.  All was fine and dandy for years, until it wasn't.

Just before I returned to work after maternity leave with Grady, I got a blister on my retina otherwise known as CSR in the medical community.  You may wonder how I knew that I had it?  I literally had a shadow in the center of my vision.  I could see but it was like I was looking through a screen in the center of my vision.  In all honesty, it was really scary.  I got refereed to a specialist that I saw that same day.  I had 2 options - to laser it off or to wait it out and would likely heal within 3-6 months.  I chose to laser it but when I showed up to get the procedure done a week later it was already starting to shrink, so they recommended that I wait it out, which I did.  And a few weeks later my vision was back to normal.

Before this happened I was only wearing my glasses at my desk, however, the shadow appeared in my 'good' eye so I started wearing my glasses full time so I could see out of my bad eye.  Once I realized how clear I could actually see with my glasses on I started wearing them full time and haven't looked back since.  Even after my eye was fully healed.

You may wonder why I don't wear contact lenses.  First, my prescription isn't that bad.  For reference, my eyes are -1.75.  I sometimes forget to put my glasses back on after I get my brows waxed and don't realize it until I start to walk away.  You see, the reason that I don't wear contacts is that my astigmatism is really bad and I have yet to find a contact that I can't feel on my eye.  So... I continue to wear glasses.  If you ever see photos of me without them it is because I've chosen to not wear them for some sort of dress up occasion wear I am not reading or on a screen.

Now that you know why I wear glasses you may wonder how many pairs I have.  Twelve.  I have twelve pairs of glasses.  With great health benefits and a family that have perfect vision, I've never paid a penny for any of them.

For the first several years I bought and wore only one pair. When I grew tired of them I would buy another pair and wear only those.  Then I got into fashion and my glasses became accessory, similar to jewelry.  I wanted them to match my outfit.

If I was going to wear glasses every single day I decided it was time to invest in more than 1 pair.

I've been collecting 2 pairs a year for the past 5 years.  I always have a favorite pair but I rotate them depending on what I wear.  Once I had the classics like black and brown I started to venture into statement glasses whether it be the color or the print.  When I wear glasses that compliment my outfit I feel better about myself.  When I look in the mirror I want to be happy with what I see and for me that means loving my glasses.

Recently, I've discovered clearly.ca and gone on a bit of a spending spree.  If I can buy a pair of glasses for under $100 then I say they are practically given them away!  There are a few things you should know.

Returning is easy.  At first I was skeptical about ordering online in case I didn't like them.   And a few pairs I didn't.  You have 30 days to return your glasses no questions asked.  They pay shipping and refund you your money.  I am so much more likely to buy online if returning is easy.

Size.  Since I've been wearing glasses for over a decade, I know exactly what size I need.  I find that I can't just walk into a store and start trying on glasses because almost all of them are too big for my petite face.  My perfect size is 50-17-135.

I am willing to go up to 145 on the arms but I am NOT willing to go higher than 50 on the lens width.  Ever.  Knowing these measurements have made is so much easier to buy online not to mention you can search by size so you don't have to fall in love with a pair of glasses that don't fit.

Adjustments.  When your new glasses arrive in the mail they haven't been adjusted and often they fall down my face.  You can bring them into any eye glass shop to have the arm bent so they rest nicely on your ears.  I bring them to the eye doctor that I see because feel bad getting the service for free.  From what I understand, all eye glass stores will do it for you.  This is key to buying online.  If your glasses don't fit perfectly, you won't like them.  I speak from experience

Promo codes.  I never pay full price for a pair of glasses at clearly.ca.  Google 'clearly.ca + promocode' and you can be sure you'll find one for a % off.  I got 30% off my last pair.  Sometimes the site even offers buy one get one free.  I don't know how you beat this!

Now for the fun stuff... the glasses!  Today I am posting over at the Blended Blog all about my glasses, head over to check them out and make sure you tell me your favorite pair!!

My thoughts on.... Shopping for Bathing Suits

Buying a new bathing suit is the worst.

I have never once in my life felt like I wanted to go bathing suit shopping or looked forward to the process.  It is probably the only thing I don't look forward to buying and lord knows I like to shop!

With that being said, we have a beach vacation coming up and I wanted to get a new suit.  I didn't need one per se... but it is like when you go to a wedding and you want to buy a new dress.  If I am going to be living in my swimsuit for a week I wanted to feel good in it.

So what do I do when I decide I want to buy something?  I google the crap out of it and before you know it I have swimsuits galore showing up on the side of my screen all the time.  Does anyone else find that creepy?  I google something on my desk top and it starts showing up on my phone as well.  Big Brother is always watching.....

I was orginally going to order form Cupshe since there were several super cute ones at great prices but I couldn't pull the trigger.  Just like shoes, I didn't feel comfortable ordering online unless I could easily return.  I kind of pushed the idea aside since I still had time before our trip.

In the past, I've come home with new suits when I least epected it.  Once time I was walking through Nordstrom and saw a suit I just had to have, I tried it on and bought it.  There was no anticipation or dread around the process since it was unplanned.  That is the best time to buy, even if you don't need one soon. Trust me, if you set out looking for a specific item, you never find it.  Not looking for something.... and you'll find 7!

Some of my favorite brands of bathing suits are Trina Turk and most recently, Nanette Lepore.

Once again, I unexpectedly tried on and bought not one, but two, bathing suits in one outing.  My theory is when you find a swimsuit you buy it now because actually liking a swimsuit doesn't happen often, even if it means buying two!

I was in La Vie En Rose over my lunch break buying underwear and I thought I'd stroll through the swimsuit area since there were 2 suits that I had eyed up online that I really liked.  What do you know... they had both of them in stock, so what the heck, I tried them on.  Over my nylons. I think it made my legs look better and may have contributed to me liking them so much!  Without further a due, here are the 2 suits I walked out with.

Suit 1:

I call both suits I got 'vacation' bathing suits.  Aka, I would never wear them in the city at the pool with the kids where I may run into someone I know.  They are kind of sexy, non?  They don't scream public swim to me.  I prefer to wear them at the beach where I see no one I know and I am hopefully reading a book on the lounger rather than swimming in the wave pool or going down the water slides.  I have full coverage suits for that!

Suit 2:

What makes this one a vacation suit is the possibility of a boob popping out.  For reals.  When you swim with kids they pull at everything and I can just see one of the kids yanking the front of this bad boy down.  Full coverage but not enough support to be worn for an 'active' swim.

I do pack bikinis for vacation, again, where I won't see anyone I know.  After I had kids I took it as an excuse that I never had to wear a 2 piece swim suit ever again.  However, the more I went on beach vacations the more I realized that there was no reason for me to not wear one.  There are all shapes and sizes on the beach wearing swimsuits of all sizes and there was no reason that I shouldn't wear one.... with that being said, I feel way more comfortable in a one piece so I try to find 'sexy' ones that make me feel good with out showing my tummy.

What is your go to swimsuit style?

TBB asks March: Beauty Edition

1.  No eyelash curler.  I used one fairthfully for years until my friend said that she didn't ever use one.  Her makeup is fantastic and I never used mine again.

2. My fave nail shade is light grey or any other light color in the pastel family.  Right now my nails are painted pink but they are too neutral for me, like they blend into my skin color.  It was a very bad choice that I've had to live with for 4 weeks.

3.  My favorite lipstick color is the Candy K lip kit by Kylie Jenner.  It is the perfect pink and I love the matte look on my lips.  Followed closely by Dolce which is a shade of brown.  They were the very first ones I bought and I am about to re buy them both!  I love me some lipstick!

4. I only wash my hair twice a week before work so it is always blow dry.  If I am at home and have time I will NEVER use the blow dryer. Can I answer both ways?  #ijustdid

5. I got gel nails in June after we moved as a reward.  I started with shellac polish since I think it is better for your nails but mine wouldn't stay on for more than 10 days. I switched to gel nails and never looked back.  I love having pretty nails.

6. I always wear foundation.  I like full coverage for the week and have been using the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 hour full coverage foundation for years.  I tried something different for a few months when they were sold out and I got huge sores on my nose where my glasses are since the foundation was on the sticky side. I'll never switch again! On the weekend I use a dual foundation from Aveda with great coverage and just faster to put on.  

7.  Hair is still mostly down since I am still in the process of growing it out.  I wear it in a pony to work out and around the house but rarely in public.  

8.  Body wash all the way.  I use one from amway that comes in the biggest bottle with a pump.  My mom used to sell Amway and she still uses all their products so when I go to visit I use them to.  Love the body wash and the stain removal.  Totally unrelated.  I'm a little concerned that I couldn't find the link to my fave body wash.  Better ask my mom about that.....

9.  I've only bathed in our new house twice in 9 months.  So it is safe to say I am a showerer.

10.  I am using Live Clean body lotion right now.  But truthfully, I am bad at putting lotion on.  I rarely do unless I see my legs are super dry and it is probably too late by then....

11.  I wear Yves St Laurent Black Opium perfume.

12.  Umm everyday?  Is that a thing?  I shave my legs once a week, maybe twice if I have to wear a swimsuit. HA!

13.  I love my rosebud salve.

14.  That was too many years ago to remember :)

What I Wore Wednesday: Christmas Sweaters

It's been a while since I linked up with the ladies of The Blended Blog for their fashion link up but today I am back at it since we are talking about somethiing I am very passionate about... Christmas Sweaters.

I bought us all matching sweaters from the Sears catalogue in the days where christmas sweaters were harder to find and SEars was still turning a profit.  I thought James was a sport for wearing his, though he has yet to put it on this year.... He says maybe over Christmas.

Heritage Park, 2015

While I still LOVE my sweater, sadly the kids have both outgrown theirs and we've passes them along to other families to enjoy.  I would buy them replacements if I thought they would wear them but they don't seem to be very keen so I haven't bought them new one... yet.

Mine is still getting worn quite regularily.  I pulled it out to wear on December 1, the first day, in my mind, you can officially start celebrating Christmas, only to find that it had a stain.  I soaked it with stain removal and washed it.  I was so hopeful when I pulled it out but the stain was still there.  I applied more stain removal and scraped it with my fingers.  When the foam started turning brownish I knew the stain was coming out so I put it in the washer a second time and thankfully the stain was gone.  A good reminder that you should wash your sweater before you put it away for the season!

What I love about this sweater is that the reindeer has glasses just like mine.  That is why I was panicking a little, I didn't think I would ever find another one with the same glasses.

Though, when I was i panic mode I started looking for a new replacement sweater and I was shocked that I couldn't find one I liked.  My style is a 'cute' Christmas sweater and I find lots of them are really out there or not festive enough.  

Finally, I found this sweater at Winners for $25.  Perfect!  I'd say it's pretty darn cute if I do say so myself and I may be wearing it as I type this post....

Left photo courtesy of Cooper

I liked it so much that I waited in line at Winners in a line up of approx. 30 people.  Dare I admit that I also bought gifts for 2 others while I was there and purchased the exact same thing for myself.  I'm talking about you Sheila and Kolby!  Guess you'll have to wait until Christmas to see what we now own the same of!  And this is why Christmas gets so expensive.  One for you... one for me!

Do you have a favorite Christmas sweater? 

The Mondetta Shirt

Wednesday is the day that bloggers typically talk fashion.  While this post is about fashion, it isn't a typical one.... this one is about my sweet husband.  You see, he is a hoarder of clothes.  So was his Dad so he comes by it honestly.  It is not uncommon to find items with tags, items he has never worn, or items that are more than a decade old in our closet.  Since he moved into our first home 6 months before I did, he took over the master closet. It wasn't huge, but it certainly should have been large enough for both of us.

To avoid a big argument, when I first moved in I just chose to use a spare room as my closet and 'get ready' room, after 2 kids filled up both spare rooms I finally had to move into the already cramped master closet.  We were forced to start the closet purge of 2010.

Let's just say that James wanted to keep everything.  Shirts I'd never seen before, shirts that were dusty and buried in the back of the closet, and just plain ugly clothes.  He didn't want to get rid of anything.  It all started with the Mondetta shirt shown below.

I love my Mondetta shirt!

If you were born in the late 70s early 80s I am sure you would recognize the brand Mondetta. It was everywhere. For interests sake I wiki'ed Mondetta and learned the following:

Mondetta is a Canadian casual and sportswear design and manufacturing company. The brand is best known for its world-flag themed apparel. Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Mondetta has three main divisions: Mondetta, MPG and private label.

It was an interesting read to learn how the company started and that they are in fact still around and interestingly enough make the shirts for the Canadian Olympic curling team.

Before we move on, let's address the picture.  This was taken within the first 6 months of James and I starting to date.  How can I tell you may be wondering? Because of his hair.  When I first met James he had long hair parted in the middle and then flipped out to the side. We started dating in Jan 2002 and he cut his hair in October of the same year.  This photo was taken in my first apartment when I first moved to the city.  When I first laid eyes on this photo it took my a while to place it.  The door to my bedroom is right under the purple clock and James appears to be digging around in the linen closet

Back to the story.  When I pulled that particular shirt out of his closet and targeted it for the recycling bin he didn't want to hear it.  He liked it and didn't want to get rid of it.  I told him that if we wore it the next day he could keep it and he agreed.  We were both sure we were going to win.

The next day he woke up, put on his Mondetta shirt and headed to the office.

He came home, looked at me, and said we could get rid of the shirt.  Turns out all his coworkers made fun of him for his choice in attire.  Can't say I didn't warn him.

Since this incident almost a decade ago, James has come a long way in his fashion.  Like me, he is particular about what he wears and we both choose to not buy each other clothes. 

I never shy away from telling this story whenever I can and love to remind James that I was right!

Triple the Fun

What?  An outfit post, on this blog???

That's right, I loved one of the outfits I bought in Edmonton so much that I had to share it.   Not to mention three of us bought the exact same outfit and 4, almost 5, bought  the same skirt.  

A little back story on the outfit.... Deena showed up hunting for the striped skirt that she saw on Lisa's blog.  

If you don't already read Lisa's blog, you should!  We went to H&M on Friday night and Deena set out on her hunt.  It was a hidden gem in the store, literally.  She walked out one happy lady with her striped skirt.  

When she tries it on for us that evening in the hotel room she had us all sold.  This skirt is stretchy, long, flattering , and only $14.99.  

Three of us went back the next day to buy it.  

While we didn't set out looking for the floral top that Lisa pairs with the skirt in her post, we stumbled upon one anyway.

 

When the mall opened on Saturday morning we were standing outside Anthropologie waiting to barge in.  Lucky for us, it was 30% sale items so that is where we headed and surprise surprise Dee and I ended up with the same shirt in the change room and eventually it came home with both of us.

I love this outfit.  I'm not going to lie, it is a little out of my comfort zone.  Maybe a lot.  But I love that I could see it on my friends and witness how great it looked giving me confidence to wear it. In public.  

   

Friends who shop together stay together!

Little Black Dress

What??  A fashion post? On this blog??  That is how much I love my new little black dress from Carina in Vegas.  It gets it whole post.

This cute little boutique was recommended to my by Andrea since she was in Vegas earlier this year and had tremendous success there.  Stacey and I made a special trip to Caesars palace to check out this store, and so the boys could play poker.  For the record, James won $150 dollars which almost paid for the dress....  I would never have walked into the store with out the recommendation and I tried to find a link to the website but it doesn't even have one!  Once inside I found so many items that I loved.  It is a touch on the pricey side, especially if you are Canadian, so I held myself back to 2 items.

The first item that caught my eye was this dress.

In the back of my mind I was looking for a dress to wear to a friends wedding the following weekend and I like to choose multi use dresses if I can. Meaning I can wear it to a wedding, on vacation and hopefully to work.  I thought this one fit the bill.

  

Picture it with sparkly shoes, purse and jewelry and bam, it becomes wedding attire.  With a jean jacket I can wear it on vacation.  Not sure if I could pull it off for work, but 2 out of 3 ain't bad!

I had already changed back into my clothes when the sales lade said I needed to try on this black dress.  She said it is nothing much on the hanger but that it looks good on everyone.  Since I was still waiting for Stacey I thought, what the heck, I'll give it a try.  I am certainly glad I did.

 

Things I love about this dress:

1. The pockets!  Who doesn't' love a dress up dress with pockets??

2.  The long zipper up the front.  No asking your husband to unzip you at the end of the night to get out of your dress.

3.  The hemline.  I can't remember what it is called but it is unique and adds a little volume to the dress.

4.  Its classic. I will be wearing this bad boy for years to come.

5.  The collar.  This is my absolute fave part.  It is very rigid and bendable which makes it stand up a bit.  I chose not to wear a necklace with it since the collar is such a statement piece. I wanted to let it shine.

Here is the final outfit right before we left for the wedding.  I think its a keeper. 

 

 And while we are talking about this outfit... notice I curled my hair.  It is finally long enough after years of being too short so I thought I'd give it a try.  I came downstairs and after about 5 minutes I asked the kids if they noticed that I curled my hair and they both said they did.  I asked what they thought and Grady quickly told me that it didn't look that great.  He likes my other hair better.  Thanks for the honestly little dude.  Note to self, need to work on things not to say to woman.

An InLinkz Link-up

Fashion Files: Orange - Turquise - Leapord

Traditionally, Wednesday is fashion day in the blogging world and I just haven't been feeling it.  While my camera roll was once filled with outfit inspiration and selfies, it is currently filled with light fixtures and reno photos.  Boo.  Today I am linking up with TBB where we are recreating outfits we've saw online.

If you read fashion blogs, I have no doubt you are a regular reader of Shaeffer Told me To.  I originally started reading her blog because she was friends with Sean Lowe's (The Bachelor!) sister and does fantastic Bachelor recaps but continued to read because she has a great sense of fashion as well.   Her entire blog was once devoted to recreating Pinterest outfits so it seemed only fitting that I recreate one of her outfits.

When she posted this outfit last month, I swooned.

Unlike many people, I do not shy away from color.  I love mixing bright colors together and turquoise happens to be one of my favorites!  Just the other week my SIL asked to borrow a chunky turquoise necklace and I was surprised to discover I had 5!

Since she posted this outfit in mid April, she has highlighted this orange shirt many time.  If Nordstrom had free shipping and returns in Canada like they did in the US I would have already ordered it and worn it many times, alas they don't.  Which I may consider a good thing as it saves me a ton of money!

I used Shaeffer's color combo as inspiration for my own outfit mixed a different way.  White shirt, orange skirt, turquoise necklace and leopard shoes.  Bam!

While I am always somewhat disappointed with my bathroom selfies photos, I felt fantastic in this outfit.  Love how it came together even if the picture doesn't show it...

This will be an outfit I definitely repeat!