Work wardrobe...From basics to fun accessories!

Dressing for work can be difficult. Trying to balance work appropriate with fun while showing your personality. But just because your dressing for work doesn't mean it has to be boring. By creating a work wardrobe with some great basics that are still stylish and fashionable you have the perfect starting point for your 9 to 5 wear. Here is a great wardrobe to start off from that includes great neutral tones and some fabulous fit! Pencil skirts in neutral colours may seem understated but nothing looks better than a great fitting skirt. Make sure this form fitting beauty is not too tight or too short. Just above the knee or below would be perfect for the office. Every woman knows that a great staple in your wardrobe is a classic pair of black slacks. Look for a straight leg (and again not too tight) this will keep the slacks modern and versatile. Shoes...your basic wardrobe should have a couple pairs of neutral shoes. I think they are perfect for that day when your running out of the house. Grab a pair of these and they will always match your outfit. Basic black pumps are not only a great staple but are forever classic! Nude heels will not only elongate your legs but are so effortlessly perfect. Last a comfortable pair of flats. Don't go too casual here, there are so many options with flats your bound to find the perfect pair that are both comfortable and dressy. 

The ever classic button down top. A crisp white button down is a long time basic and perfect for any working girl! Add a little flair to the classic style buy wearing a flowy fabric in a neutral tone. Also another great option for the button down is a pull over. Taking the beloved classic up a notch. 

Lastly a great fitting black blazer. Not only will this never go out of style it is a working wardrobe must! (in my eyes) 

A fun and simple way to add some fun and colour to your wardrobe is by incorporating bright blazers! Choose your outfit and add a bright or patterned blazer. Instantly with one simple addition your outfit has a whole new look and feel!

Once you have your basics for your work wardrobe you can play with the look and add tons of interest and dimension by playing with jewelry and accessories. Add a pop of colour with your shoes, bracelets, earrings or purse. An outfit can instantly be transformed into something completely new by just adding a few accessories. 

Much Love!

all photos via polyvore. 

Conquered my struggles and weight gain! Outfit Post

With this blog I have been somewhat hesitant to share too much personal information. Partially to keep some of my life private as well as unsure that people would really want to know. That being said this is a little more personal than usual but I am so happy and to be honest quite proud of myself.

After my mom passed away in April of 2010 I began a hard battle with a horrible bout of depression. It honestly seemed as though myself and my life were ripping apart at the seams and I couldn't hold it together. I new I needed help and with that I sought help from my family doctor who referred me to some others. I was however put on a strong dose of anti-depressants as well as sleeping aids as nighttime seemed to be the worst. I talked through my problems and issues and brought back up many things from the past. It seemed though that things would never go back to the way they were.

While dealing with the depression and being on the medication I gained weight. I guess its a well known fact that many anti-depressants have this terrible side effect but I could not afford to be off the medication as it was helping me through my struggles. The weight gain became its own struggle in and of itself. I was horrified that I had become the biggest I have ever been and I hated it.

Eventually I was able to lower the medication and stop taking the sleep aids. (The sleep aids were also another form of anti-depressants and are one of the worst for weight gain) I slowly started to regain my shape again. It looked as though my body was bloated with water. I hated getting dressed and looking at my clothes that no longer fit.

The jeans that I am wearing in this photo I have not been able to wear since June or July of 2010. I have not even attempted to try them on in the past 2 years as I knew they would not fit. They are the smallest pair of jeans I own and I kept them as a push to regain the body I had and lose the weight I had gained. Today for some reason I decided to try them on and was amazed as I slid them past my butt and was able to actually do them up.

So I can finally say I kicked the weights ass and have lost the weight I gained in about 5 months. I am so happy to finally be where I was (although maybe a tiny tiny bit bigger). I am going to try and lose a little more and putting those jeans on was the push to make me do so!

What I'm wearing:

Sunglasses - RayBan Wayfarer. Find them here.
Top - Flowy white tank by Vivienne Tam.
Jeans - American Eagle skinny jeans. Find similar here.
Bag - American Eagle Deux Lux grey purse. (purchased the other day from Winners so I couldn't find it online.
Shoes - Turquoise platform stilettos by Qupid.
Jewelry - 3 piece studded ring set from Forever21, Gold cross ring from Forever21.
Watch - Nixon in Small Player. Find it here.

Much Love!

DIY Cap Toe Pumps...

For this project I chose to use Martha Stewart Crafts multi surface acrylic paints. A regular white for the base coat as I wanted the green to really pop. The main colour I used the same Martha Stewart multi surface in Sea Glass. I love this almost sea foam, mint green colour! Against the dark brown of my shoes it really pops! 

1. Tape off the toe of the shoe pressing down the tape firmly so you do not get any bleeding. If there is a noticeable sole (or even a small one in my case) tape that as well to make it easier to paint without any slips. 

2. Paint each toe with a coat of white paint for the base coat. I did not worry about it being perfect I just wanted to make sure there was enough coverage.

3. Add two coats of your colour of choice and remove the tape before it dries. And voila! Your very own personalized cap toe shoes. How easy was that? I had a little bit of bleeding onto the sole of the shoe but with a little nail polish remover and a Qtip it comes off so easily.

Much Love...

It's empty in the valley of your heart. The sun, it rises slowly as you walk. (outfit post)

What Im wearing:

Sunglasses - A great go to pair of vogue oldies.
Top - Vivienne Tam white tank.
Bottoms - Coral skinny jeans. I bought these jeans this weekend and am in love with the colour of them!
Shoes - Colour splotch pumps by Naughty Monkey. I adore these heels, I love the bright colours and the little leather bow on the back.
Belt - My beloved brown leather belt by Tommy Hilfiger.
Bag - Black leather envelope clutch. I made this bag today and am so pleased at how it turned out. I have never made a bag before, nor have I sewn with leather so I was nervous. Pleasantly surprised at the end result.
Jewelry - Necklace - Gold leaf from Forever21. Ring - gold bauble from H&M.

Title lyrics - Mumford and Sons - The Cave.

Much Love...

Brights For Spring

Even with the snow flying today and cold winds blowing I am still daydreaming of warm Spring weather and sunshine. I love when our colour pallets of wardrobe turn from dull to as bright as sunshine! This Spring bold brights and chalky pastels are going to be everywhere. From top to bottom, shades to shoes bodies everywhere will be adorned in gorgeous fashion in every colour imaginable. Here are a few of my favourites that have me dreaming of Spring.

Happy Weekend!

'Oh the warmth in your eyes swept me into your arms'

How in love I am with Wedge Heels is totally redic. I see a cute pair and honestly I cannot help myself. Not only are they adorable, but they are also very practical as well. I love all things shoes and don't get me wrong I love a fabulous pair of pumps. But put me in a cute wedge and I can go for hours. On days when I am working which is 5 days a week like most, my feet sometimes take a beating while wanting to look good. (don't we all). A great pair of heels can make any outfit but I am not always willing to suffer for it. That is where the Wedge comes in. They are SO comfortable, ok not like a pair of slippers but for a heel I can't get over how comfortable they really are. I can put on a pair and go for 8 - 9 hours in a day and not suffer at all. Amaze? Yes I think so.

So yesterday when I braved a couple stores for all of an hour and a half I could not pass up a pair of Suede black Ankle Booties. I saw them and instantly had to try them on, once on my foot it was love. What made it even better is that this particular store had buy one and get one 50% off. So really I had to!

These are the cute booties I bought yesterday (black ones in top picture) along with a few other pairs I found while browsing the internet that are really gorgeous as well!

Enjoy!!!

Title - Lyrics from Mumford and Sons - Winter Winds
fashionfuss.com, intheircloset.com, accentricleartist.tumblr.com

The Biker Boot

Today I was scrolling through one of my favourite shopping sites and came across some fab boots that would be perfect for fall. I am drawn to the Biker/Combat boot styles but am having a hard time deciding which boot is my favourite. Zappos has got to be one of the best sites when shopping online. They have every brand and style under the sun and the prices are totally reasonable as well. It is hard not to go to that website and rack up a visa bill or two! Here are some styles I came across today.

                                              Born - Milari                     Steve Madden - Cablee

                                    
                                         Timberland - Lucille                 EMU - Toowoombah

                                         Kelsi Dagger - Jutta                   Seychelles - Jungle

                                    
                                         Madden Girl - Rickki                    UGG - Broome

Photos - Zappos

Enjoy!

Lovely Laces Adorable Booties for Fall

So I am always looking for fabulous shoes to add to my ever growing collection and I think some cute lace up booties for fall/spring will be my next addition. I was online yesterday and happened across 6 pairs that I love! The neural colour and texture of these shoes look so inviting. I really like the little ankle bootie, for fall I think they're a perfect option as we wont be wading through 3 feet of snow!

Investing in a pair of boots or anything you may be spending a little bit of money on I always keep the colour and style in mind. I ask myself "Can I wear these with lots of different outfits?" Buying a more expensive pair of shoes you want to be able to wear them! I also look at the style of a shoe, can you dress it up a little bit? Can you wear them casual? These booties fit perfectly under all categories! 

• Black Old Navy Oxford Ankle Boot 
• Jeffrey Campbell Platform Ankle Boot
• Mimi Loves Jimi Chase 
• Mossimo Taupe Bootie
• Peroxy Nine West 
• Mimi Loves Jimi Lailliow

Enjoy!

"And my runway never looked to clear, but the hottest b*&%#? in heels right here!"

Today I was finally trying to sort out all of my pictures from my trip to Italy a couple months ago. There are so many and to be honest I just couldn't sit there any longer. That said, while flipping through the pictures I found myself really wanting to go back! I wish I could have spent so much more time there, there were literally stores all over the place. I would have gone into each and everyone of them if I could have. And the women, wow I could not believe it. Amazing is the only word to describe it. Everyday dressed up to the nines even if they were just getting there daily bread. They took such pride in there appearance and how they presented themselves. The amount of woman wearing heels totally outweighed the amount who wore flats. Sometimes I found myself wondering how they weren't falling all over the place on the old cobblestone streets. But, I guess if you grew up on those streets it becomes second nature.

While in Italy our home base was a small town called Este which is about half an hour from Venice. This town had the most fabulous little shops I found myself going back into them more than once.

The cobblestone was a bit hard for me in the heels that I brought with me, but I ended up finding these adorable little wedge heels that were perfect.

The weather while we were there was gorgeous, walking through all the little towns we went through got quite warm so I was tending to dress a little more casual. I wanted a cute pair of flats to wear when I really wasn't in the mood to put on heels after 12 hours of walking. I found these little sandals and totally fell in love.

Needless to say I cannot wait to go back. Everything was so beautiful, I loved the old buildings and the ease of life that was Italy.

Enjoy!