Mama Would be Proud

The lovely and beautiful Marilou invited me to go with her to ROUGE: Ottawa's Ultimate Bacherlorette Party, on Saturday night.  This was a fun "non-wedding" event for a good cause.  The proceeds went to support the AIDS Committee of Ottawa. 

The only thing that was missing from this event was my good friend, Krista.  Her wedding is fast approaching and even though most of the details have been sorted out, there was tons of fun and ideas for her bachelorette.  Unfortunately my camera is a very basic "point & shoot"... and the lighting in clubs is never ideal... so please excuse the fuzziness of the pictures.  The bridal fashion show was very pretty.  Even though the dresses were all very beautiful, I kept my eyes on the hair pieces... they were all so funky.

Two hotties: ML from 20YS & Isobel of frAsh femme. & bel.

Isobel is the creative and talented designer of frAsh femme. & bel. 

Above is just one of many beautiful pieces created by Isobel.  The generous Marilou gave this necklace to me and I can't wait to show it off.  I first discovered Isobel's work when I attended The Posh Wedding Show, in February.   Her jewellery really stood out from all the other booths.  I enjoy the unique looks to the pieces.   Her spring/summer 2011 line is amazing and it's so cool that each piece is one of a kind.  

Yummy cupcakes were generously provided by Auntie Loo's Treats.  The most shocking discovery of the night was that the delicious treats were vegan.  Vegan! It really blows my mind that cupcakes can be diary and egg free.... and still taste amazing good.  It's dangerous for my waist line that she sells these amazing cupcakes at a cafe close to my work called Raw Sugar.   These cakes are also Auntie Loo's creations and look amazing.  My favourite is the orange one because it reminds me of Alice in Wonderland.

Now on to my awkward moment of the night... 

It involved a pole, a scandalously dressed hottie as an instructor and ML recording the moment.  

I was so confused on how to turn around and slide down the pole.  With the first attempt, I lost my shoe.  And didn't do much better with round two.  Pole dancing is not a hidden talent of mine... no upper body strength and lack of grace are not pros for this activity

 ML was awesome, with confidence and humour she nailed the turn and slide.

Isobel is too cute.  I wasn't able to capture the moment too well with the crap-tastic camera of mine (it had a seizure during her turn and slide).  But she did great and the bow at the end was adorable.    

The pole dancing demonstrations and lessons were provided by 3Sixty.  The girls who were doing the demonstrations were amazing.  If I try to explain what they were able to do it doesn't seem to do it justice, so you're interested just check out the site's photo gallery.   What's really fun is that they will do Pole Parties... something that could be tons of fun for a bachelorette?! Non?! 

Since returning to work, everything seems so hetic.  There's so much to catch up on... and very little time to rest.  Lunch breaks are spent at campus picking up books.  Work.  Reading.  School. Attention Seeking Critters.  Chris.  Chores. Procrastinating Activities. There needs to be some serious time management review. 

I really do love fashion.  But I'm no fashionista.























Lately I've felt in a rut when it comes to my wardrobe.  It's hard for me to match things and try new combos.   About half of the times I look like a silly woman trying to be fashionable.

Case & Point.

There is a very good reason for Jake's paw print walking down this mirror.  And, non, he's no Cheshire Cat. It's that he loves when the mirror is laying on the floor and playing on it, the way that cat's do.

~*~

Really exciting news (well exciting for this introvert trying to be more daring).  The lovely store Miss Violet Lace posted some pictures from this blog for the Fairytales wig.   Check it out. 

Aren't those shorts just darling?  My dad picked them up while he was in Japan.  I totally adore them and cannot wait until the summer. 

Chris says that I'm mean today.  It took a few hours for me to calm down after the crap-tastic day at work.  

{purple T-sweater ~ H&M/gray cardigan ~ thrift/ skirt ~ Rietmans/ necklace ~ Urban Behaviour} 

I look so tired.  This is me: stressed and very tired.

Tomorrow we are planning on having the in-laws over for dinner.  It should be tons of fun.   There will be lots of food, wine and laughs. One of my favorite things about having a house is being able to throw parties.  

I'm all over the place today....
Tomorrow is another day though.  I'm hoping things will be better.

"I climbed the fruit trees before school, after school and after homework to get the fruit.  The best are at the top...." - Mario. The tallest thing I've ever climbed for food is the kitchen counter (usually to get the cookies from the top shelf).  Family dinners are always full of laughs and tales of the old days.  Chris and I had a wonderful time this evening with Katrina, Mario, Maria, Sabrina and of course, the adorable Gabriella.   After dinner we hung out with some cousins for a very short bit.  Now we veg till bedtime. 

I'm not too sure where to direct this post... I've been MIA for most of this week to study for my second midterm.  I'm feeling all dazzed and confused... it's hard to remember what the heck I did this past week. The only things circulating in my head have been the topics of "obedience, aggression, group dynamics, boys vs girls..etc...".  I don't want to think about school for the next 24 hours. 

{skirt - Express/blouse - thrift/cardigan - thrift/tights-Joe}

Saturday came... went for a long ride with my Love... wrote the damn the midterm... and then relief came.  This time though, I feel more confident about this test.  After the long return ride home on the CBR600, I went into mad-crazed-cleaning mode for the dinner date with Jaclyn and her boyfriend.

While the pasta cooked, we watched "Grown Ups".  Jaclyn knows about my crush for Kevin James and totally outed me in front of the boys.  Not cool J, not cool.  Jaclyn made a yummy pasta dish and brought great wine & chocolate.   I ate way too much but enjoyed every mouthful.  We stayed around the dinner table for hours just chatting and laughing about the old days and whatever other silly topic came up.  

 

Our Big Suck, Jake, provided much entertainment and cuddles for us in a very "attention seeking" kinda way.  I'm still trying to peer pressure Jaclyn into moving to Ottawa.  It's sad that she is two hours away.  We used to spend almost everyday together during our high school years... now we see each other every few months *pout*.

{cardigan-Smart Set/skinny jeans - Smart Set/navy tube top - thrift}

Tomorrow... *sigh*... Nothing is planned.  Wait.  Sleeping in is planned.

Is it still okay to show your bra strap in your mid-twenties?  Hummm... the questions I come up with but never answer myself. 

Ottawa Fashion Week

Ottawa Fashion Week 2010, has come and gone. I was really excited to go, because I've never been to a fashion show before.  The idea of going seemed so glamorous.  Saturday was the only day I could go, so I got tickets for Morgan and myself.  It was going to be a girls night.  

Before Morgan came over I raided my closet to put together an outfit.

Of course none of these outfits made the cut.  By the last outfit of my black skinny jeans and purple tank, I was ready to burst.  That feeling of having nothing to wear was too overwhelming.  Morgan was due to come over to my place in a few hours, so I hit up the closest mall to pick up some new items.  It's not always the best idea to shop when you feel like you have nothing, because there's that tendency of buying too much.  But I tried to keep a clear head on what I wanted and not purchase everything in sight. 

I got a pair of essential - thick cotton - black leggings, a super cozy blue/grey sweater, a deep purple sweater, an adorable ivory rose headband and a dark grey bennie.  Done.  My style for the fashion show was going to be far from glamorous.  Just fresh & casual.  

When Morgan came over my tension just faded and we got down to the business of dolling up.  She is super talented at styling and I was very appreciative that she helped me out with my hair & false lashes.

The fashion show was amazing! I wish that we could have gone to all of the nights.  Both Morgan and I promised each other that next time we will prepare ahead of time to make sure our schedules are free for the whole week. 

The line-up Saturday night included: LABEL, Flood and Robicheau, Andrew Majtenyi, Jana Hanzel, Judy Design and Rachel Sin. It was so hard to pick out which designer was my favorite because they were all so good and different from each other. 

Flood and Robicheau had amazing bright colours and playful designs. The collection was fun!  Next summer my "got-to-have" is a bright jumper from F&R collection. 

Judy Design had a great rocker feel to her clothes, they were urban and wearable!  The music selection was great.  The opening song was Marilyn Manson, and poor Morgan got a punch in the arm from me due to my excitement (sorry Mo, but when Chris isn't around, I tend to punch the nearest person when I get too excited).  Each outfit was awesome, eager to see more, I was sad when her lineup was over. 

Jana Hanzel threw in a nice twist of having a violin musician playing at the beginning of her line-up.  The outfits to follow were classy and beautiful.  I wanted so many of them to add into my "work-appropriate" collection.  I loved the enlarged bows and flowers the models wore in their hair. 

Rachel Sin *sigh* xo is all that can describe her.  Je adore! I envied all the ladies who walked around the gallery wearing her dresses.

One of the big highlights of that night for me was meeting the beautiful ML, from Twenty York Street. She's a super talented Ottawa fashion blogger.  She's also really nice! If you haven't checked her out yet, do it!!!  She has great taste and is down-to-earth. It was too bad that we didn't have much time to chat but she was super busy with meeting & greeting others.   

I think this photograph is the best representation of how awkward I felt in front of the OFW poster. ML had her friends pointing cameras at us then Mo with my camera...  Too many cameras!  Which one to smile awkwardly at?!?!  My anxiety confession to ML relieved some of my nervousness because she was so friendly.  We laughed, I sighed.. after 2 minutes of photo-taking I had enough. 

after OFW self pics

 

 

My biggest regret was not taking a picture of Morgan.  She looked so pretty!!!  She always looks beautiful, but she was especially dolled up for OFW.  I continuously peer pressure her to start up a blog.  Mo would be so good at it!  She is so talented, that I know that she would be tons of followers and people adoring her style.

My second biggest regret of the night: leaving my camera in my purse for the majority of the time.  But thank goodness for fellow Ottawa Bloggers!  Including Twenty York Street, there are two other beautiful bloggers in town that I follow and enjoy reading.

Methodical Melrose has written a great review of Ottawa Fashion Week.  What I like about Melrose's is that she has great style.  Her clothes are what I would love to have in my closet. Then there's Pop Champagne, who has reviewed each day: One, Two and Three of OFW.  She also has an interview with the very talented designer, Adrain Wu.  Champagne is funny and full of fun celebrity gossip, local events and fashion.   It's everything that defines Pop. I like reading her "Around Ottawa" section, the events she follows are  interesting.  So check out all the wonderful links above to see the beautiful fashion trends and read the talented bloggers. 

I Should Never Try to Make Blog Promises

Sorry but no OFW post... I got distracted.

OFW deserves a post that isn't rushed, with pictures and links.  Tomorrow I have class, so it's doubtful that the post will be in the next couple of days. So I will quickly make a post to show off what I threw together this morning.  Please excuse the lack of make-up.  Apparently lightly using the mineral powder seems to go away by the end of my work day.  Why do I have such oily/sensitive skin?!  It's not fair! But most likely if you have been reading for a while (or know me well), you're used to my lack of make-up use.  

Cardigan - Forever 21 (??)

Blouse - Forever 21 (??)

Skirt - Unknown, semi-vintage

 

All of these items are quite old.  I can't remember where I bought most of them, and all of the tags are cut off.  It's been about 5 years of me cutting off tags because I hate knowing sizes.  They throw me off and put me down.  Tag cutting is an unhealthy habit.  One that feeds into my body image issues. 

It's getting late, one way to tell that I'm tired is that my "emo-side" comes out.  Like anger does with hunger. Nighty, night!

I Can't Stand the Rain

 

The morning started with a struggle to roll out of bed. As I gazed at myself in the mirror, the though of "shit, I look as horrible as I feel". 

Aged. Tired. Grey. Greasy. Blah.

Maybe it's a cyclical thing... Depression. Maybe it's the rain.

I missed the 8:17 bus and the 8:22 was early, so I missed that one too. As I waited during those 11 minutes, the rain just poured down on me. The thought of getting an umbrella crossed my mind but I didn't care about getting wet. The external discomfort felt so minuscule.

The outfit of the day is an attempt to reflect the weather and emotions: gray & blue. 

 A little on the boring side. Tights are gray, from Joe; Blazer from Smart Set; Blouse & Skirt are "vintage" a.k.a. second hand.  There's a few bloggers I follow because they have amazing fashion sense.  Hopefully I can pick up a thing or two from them. 

Last night I tried to Guestblog for my good friend, Krista. Her laptop is busted and she cannot keep up with her blogging community. Which sucks, really, she is an amazing blogger!  My confession of the day will be that I love reading her blog first thing in the morning.  

The attempt as guest-blogging was fun but also a huge shock as she has tons of followers and a large daily hit number. It's lucky for me to get in the double digits in a day. But Krista offers great advice to my pouting, which is: "to blog for you and not for other people or the amount of comments you get. When it becomes a popularity contest, then it's no longer fun." I try to tell myself of that every so often.

 On a brighter note, I bought two cacti!! I do believe they are: cacti & succulent and a fairy castle with strawberry flower.  Or I could be totally wrong.  To make sure these two don't die, I'll have to do some research.  Unless there's someone out there who knows how to take care of these things.