Beach Ruffles

One of my first jobs as a teen was working in a bikini store. I remember starting there in January and thinking it would be a breeze of a job because WHO shops for a bikini in the middle of the winter? Turns out, I'd underestimated the power of the beach vacation crowd! The store was swarmed with people looking for the perfect bathing suit for their vacation. This year, I have my eye on the ruffle trend!

L*SPACE Fringe Benefits Audrey Halter

Red Carter Core Ruffle swimsuit (Love how it looks like a tuxedo!)

Free People (digging this hippy vibe)

The Friday Five

I love the blogging trend of sharing your five favorite things from the week on Friday. While it was hard to narrow it down to five things that I love at the moment... I did my best!

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend! It's supposed to rain/snow here all weekend but I'm hoping some drinks with good friends tonight will keep me in high spirits!

If anyone can tell me where this adorable bathing suit is from.... I'll LOVE YA FOREVER!!

These Maryjanes from Nine West caught my eye in the mall yesterday... I've been thinking about them every since!

Coach has a new SunBurst collection and I love it. They also have matching earrings for this necklace.

Pyrrah seal necklace! Pieces in the seal line are cast from authentic 19th century wax seals - every design has a symbolic meaning taken from family heraldry, celebrating a connection with the past, with each other and with ourselves. Bonus - the designer hails from Vancouver!

I recently stumbled upon Lauren's blog and being a fan of the Hills, I couldn't resist reading it. And it's actually super cute!! Loads of good fashion/ makeup /hair tips. Check it out!
http://www.laurenconrad.com/

H&M Goodies

You Guys! H&M has released it's Spring preview and it is so cute I just had to share my favs! One thing I've noticed in a lot of stores recently is the baggy "boyfriend" jean. I like H&M's version because it has a slightly tapered leg but is still relaxed looking. Check out the rest of the collection on H&M's website!

The Classic LWD (Little White Dress)

The Little Black Dress has always been given lots of attention. It's your Go-To dress for a hot date, a night out with friends, drinks after work... If I'm having one of those "off" days and I've already torn every dress out of my closet and decided nothing looks good - I usually settle on a Little Black Dress and end up feeling pretty good about it! So I thought we should explore the distant, much ignored cousin of the Little Black Dress... The Little WHITE Dress!!
Here are some favs!
(Gah, can you tell I'm highly anticipating spring??)

Free People New Romantics Olympic Corset Flame Dress (WANT!!)

Free People - Rainforest Dress (love the billows!)

ARG! Why must this Raquel Allegra Washed-silk mini dress
cost so much?? Sad face. I am in love with that bow.

So, what do you guys think? LBD or the LWD?

The Peplum.... To trend or not to trend

Defined as "a short overskirt or ruffle attached at the waistline of a dress or skirt", the peplum seems to be sneaking its way onto runways and into stores just in time for spring. This seems like one of those unfortunate trends where only the pencil-thin can pull it off however, I could be wrong! 

Lace sleeves seem to balance out the waist ruffle! Can't find out where this one if from though... wahwah

Jason Wu. Extreme version of the peplum!

Alice + Olivia Tory Peplum Dress
This one is cute for the office with a bright blazer!

Finishing Touches

We moved into our house about 3 months ago and we've since been putting lots of effort into making it comfortable and homey. However, there is one room in particular that is being ignored and has kept it's white walls and bare wood floors - the dining room. Perhaps it's because we prefer to eat in the living room where it's a more informal, casual atmosphere? Perhaps it's because we want to avoid the giant window where strangers can peek in from the sidewalk and admire our meals? Whatever the reason is, I found myself perusing the home decor pages of Urban Outfitters. They have some seriously adorable window fixtures that I think might solve the privacy issue at the same time as they brighten the room up.

How adorable are these woodland garden curtains? So bright and cheery!

The Urban Outfitter's website has a TON of these curtain devices. I love the detail!

Sorry I know it's super small! But you get the idea... :)

NEON Light

Whenever I stumble across something online that I. must. have. like. now. I go through several stages before I commit to the purchase.

Stage 1: Bookmark the item so I can lovingly return for visits whenever I want.
Stage 2: Begin to think of reasons why I DO NOT need to own it (it's not the right season, I don't need any more dresses, do I even know if NEON is back in style??)
Stage 3: Add it to my online shopping cart just *out of curiosity* so I can see what the shipping and tax fees might be like if for some *crazy* reason I were to buy it
Stage 4: ...... I'm actually not certain what stage 4 is because usually at this point I have realized too late that my credit card numbers have already been entered and the item will be arriving in 2-3 weeks.

WOOPS!

It is safe to say that right now I am only at a stage 1 with this dress by Equipment. I can't promise what tomorrow will hold but for now I hope my credit card stays safely put in my purse. HA-ha!

I mean, look at this dress! Can you blame me??

Sails Out

There is nothing quite like the breeze on your face and the sound of waves cutting into a hull as you skip across the water. From a very young age I embraced the sailing lifestyle - whether I was learning to fish with my wayfaring grandfather as a child, balancing on the boom with a good magazine as a teenager or sipping cool drinks in the cockpit as a young adult. As winter weather continues to weigh heavy on my summer-loving heart, I find my mind drifting back to my favorite boating memories...


For inspiration!

Gretal Dress - in Chambray
from Dear Creatures

Juicy Couture
Sailor Girl Bandeau

Kate Spade Striped Adette

Cash in Your Chips

I love the first day of a new manicure. It's shiny, polished perfection and I can't resist holding my hands out in front of me and admiring my colored tips. However, the second I get that first chip, I can't seem to stop obsessively eying it from every angle and double checking my other nails for more chips. One day of this and it's a pretty much a guarantee that I'll be reaching for the polish remover that night. Call me a perfectionist!
This is why I was so thrilled when I tried Deborah Lippmann nail polish a few weeks ago. It stayed chip-free for nearly a week and a half! In nail years that's pretty much a life time!
My fav colors for the winter are...

Do Ya Think I'm Sexy
Lara's Theme
Single Ladies (this is the color I got my manicure in... so pretty!)

You guys need to check out the rest of the rainbow on the website!
http://lippmanncollection.com
What do ya'll think?

Rings & Blings

I've never been the type to fantasize about my future wedding ring and how large and glittery and heavy it may be (hehe). For some reason, I've always looked at wedding rings as being mandatory and traditional which seems to make them less special. Below is a collection of rings that I've had my eye on for a while that I would love to receive for a "just because" occasion. Now to leave some subtle hints for a certain someone..... ;)

Old Timey Lace

Even though it's currently -27 outside and there is still 3 feet of snow that needs to melt, I've been highly anticipating spring and all the new fashions it will bring. I'm fairly certain that spring is especially exciting for Canadians since most of us have been sacrificing fashionable clothing all winter long in exchange for layers of fleeces and fur-lined arctic excursion boots. It is nearly impossible to throw together a cute lil' outfit when trying to incorporate long underwear and a neck warmer.

So in celebration of February being nearly here (which means March is nearly here, AKA the month where us die-hards will venture outside in leather bombers and stylish trenches), here is a trend I just can't wait to explore once it is seasonally appropriate. Lacey Shorts. Enjoy!!