Up until last year I was completely against fur vests: I thought they were way too bohemian and it was nearly impossible to wear without looking tacky. I guess it's all about baby steps- I started with one last year and now my count has gone up to three! This black one from YesStyle is my new favourite, since it adds texture to a look without being overbearing.


p.s. yikes - sorry for the super tired looking face. Winter can do that to you. :(
Wearing: YesStyle faux fur vest and scarf, BB Dakota jacket, 7 For All Mankind pants (my favourite pants!), Marc by Marc Jacobs flats (similar), MICHAEL Michael Kors bag

The last time I posted this skirt, it was warm enough to go bare-legged and jacket-less. While it's much too cold for that now, I wanted to wear the piece again since the saturated colours and pattern are much too beautiful to stow away. While I can also imagine it easily transitioning into every season, I particularly love the lush feeling it exudes for the winter months when worn with darker hues and a double layer of black tights.




Wearing: BCBG down jacket, H&M skirt, Zara booties

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a unique preview for Joe Fresh (apparel) and President's Choice's (home decor) winter collections. The cozy penthouse that housed the event was decked out in everything holiday, with festive home goods and on trend clothing in abundance as we sipped on champagne and munched on seasonal snacks. I felt like I had stepped into the home of a stylish friend; it's hard to believe that everything used to decorate was so affordable!




You can find everything in these photos (except the furniture) now at Real Canadian Superstore and Joe Fresh locations nationwide. Joe Fresh also opened its first store south of the border in New York recently - a must visit if you're lucky enough to live there!
Thanks to Lisa Kwong of Tait PR for the invite to a lovely event!

{photos by Alexandra Grant}
When Alex asked me several weeks ago if I could answer a few questions about winter dressing for her class, I was admittedly a little bit daunted. After all, you're looking at the girl whose boyfriend now keeps an extra down jacket in his car because she's put looking cute over warmth so many times. Taking part in the interview has inspired me to really be practical with my dressing this year, while still maintaining a sense of personal style. So, a pledge: no more not-so-warm "winter" dressing for the sake of the blog this year. Here's to outfits that look good and will still actually keep you from catching a cold!


Wearing: Zara cape and skirt, sweater from a consignment store (no label), leather gloves from Finland, Stuart Weitzman booties (c/o)

{the crisp edges of a new lipstick - YSL's Blond Ingenu}
I like overexposed photos. You know, the ones where the edges are brimming with light, resulting in the whole image possessing a soft, airy feel? The snow we got this past weekend made the daylight extra bright, which provided beautiful natural lighting to showcase a few of the things currently making me happy.

{a new, Christmas appropriate nail polish combo: Joe Fresh Wine and Deborah Lippmann I Love The Nightlife

{the always exciting discovery that a favourite chocolate bar is available in white chocolate form - we also found white chocolate kit kats!}

{pretty little details on a new blouse c/o Montaffair}

{classic leather ballerinas in a quirky lime green colour}

{photos by Carmen Ng}
This faux-fur vest (last seen here) felt like a bit of a risk when I purchased it last year: the fact that it wasn't a solid colour not only made it considerably harder to style, but meant that it was truly a "love it or hate it" piece. I bought it anyway, since it was super soft and also on sale, and when I pulled it out again for this look my decision was reaffirmed; it not only works well as a cozy layer during moderately chilly days, but adds a dash of interest to my mostly dark coloured winter pieces.



Wearing: Zara vest, skirt and booties, Banana Republic sweater, vintage belt

This past weekend, David and I got in touch with our inner artists in a perfectly unique space. Raw Canvas has been open in our city (and opening soon in Toronto) for several years now, and we decided that it would be the ideal spot for our Saturday night date. After a glass of Shiraz & a slice of organic chocolate cake, we chose a canvas, put on our smocks and set out to paint. The atmosphere was inviting and relaxed, complete with an 'in-house artist' giving pointers & suggestions. At the end of the night, we brought home our very own "masterpiece". I can't wait to proudly display our first piece of art created together!

{our not-quite-done piece. I'm planning on strategically adding gold leaf to parts of it then hanging it horizontally over my bed!}
Many thanks to Matthew & Melody at Raw Canvas, who kindly invited us in to paint and provided the canvas. Visit their website for prices, location & all other information!

{Photos by Paul Milaire and Roderick Fung}
Stripes and leopard are one of my favourite pattern mixing combos (as seen here and here). Although I've been accustomed to wearing the cat print alongside typical navy & white Breton stripes, throwing red into the mix seems to jazz up the classic pairing a bit. These photos were taken a while ago, back when it was still warm enough to wear nothing but a thin sweater comfortably. Unfortunately those days seem long gone, but I'm excited to be sharing some winter appropriate looks with you starting next week!



Wearing: H&M sweater, Zara skirt, Stuart Weitzman booties (c/o), Coach bangle, Joe Fresh bracelet

{cleanse: I've completely abandoned store-bought cleansers and have instead been washing my face with oatmeal for the last few months (followed by toner and moisturizer). The results? Softer, clearer and calmer skin than ever before. I recommend this to everyone! See the video that first convinced me here.}

I never used to be a girl that stressed too much about beauty products, but recently I've learned that paying just a little bit of extra attention can equate to significant results. While things of this nature are still nowhere near the top of my priority list, finding and using great products has proven to be useful and rewarding. Here are some beauty essentials that have worked well to help me look and feel my best (of course, plenty of sleep and water are more effective than anything else). What are some of yours?

{tresses: to add extra shine to my mane, I take two dabs of Moroccan oil in my fingers and work it through the ends of my towel-dried hair. If I'm curling my hair in the morning, I protect it with Tresemme's heat tamer spray}

{face:my every day make up consists of a bright face, rosy cheeks and accentuated eyes. here are the products that I use to help me out: Laura Mercier secret concealer, YSL touche eclat, Bare Minerals warmth, Shu Uemura lash curler, Shiseido Nourishing Mascara Base (amazing) and Covergirl Lashblast.

{tips:though I've always been a red nail polish kinda girl, this fall I've been drawn to a greater range of colours. My favourites right now: Deborah Lippmann Sarah Smile, Butter London Royal Navy, Deborahh Lippmann Billionaire and classic OPI You Don't Know Jacques}

{spritz:I've always thought that women who have a "signature scent" are that much more put together. A few spritzes of this and I head out the door feeling just a little bit more ready to face the day}
Have any extra questions about any of these products? Ask me on Formspring!

A day filled with violent winds, occasional downpours and intermittent hail storms doesn't exactly make for ideal outfit photos, but sometimes (particularly during the cold months) you have to take what you can get. Since I was so eager to capture my new skirt in action, we quickly snapped these shots this weekend while I tried my best not to look like I was on the verge of being toppled over by the wind.

Wearing: H&M jacket and blouse (old), Club Monaco skirt (here in a lighter hue), Zara pumps, pearls from India and China, vnunes ring (c/o)

I met Judith in my first year of university and we quickly became friends. Although we've now both graduated, we've been blessed to be able to keep in touch through periodic lunch and shopping dates. Judith was also one of my favourite "stand in" photographers when David was away all summer (see her work here and here), so when she wanted to play dress up and have her photos taken, of course I said yes! Since we happen to be more or less the same size, we dove right into my closet and managed to style up and shoot three outfits in a day. Though I'm clearly not as gifted as she is in the photography department, here are some of the photos that we took! Isn't she cute?!





look 1: Zara shirt (Judith's own) and scarf, YesStyle skirt, Roberto Vianni boots, Coach bag (c/o), BCBG ring and Joe Fresh bracelet
look 2: Zara sweater, YesStyle blouse, Johnson shorts, Stuart Weitzman booties (c/o)
look 3: Zara blouse (Judith's own) and sandals, unbranded sweater, vintage belt, Moon skirt, Coach bag