Stuff your Skin Craves

After many hours spent lounging around outside, {With Sunscreen applied of course} your skin craves some TLC come Fall. Yes, I know some of us have just started seeing some sun and here I am blaberring about Fall.. I don't want to burst any bubbles here but August is just around the corner...Just sayin ;) Treat your skin to these five things & get Fall ready:

1. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and will prevent fine lines: Murad Active Radiance Serum 
2. Exfoliation! Dissolve extra dead cells & dirt with Laura Mercier
3. Sunscreen. Slather it on even once Summer is over. I Love Clinique
4. Retinol. Triggers collagen, increases Cell turnover.. Need I say more? Retinol Renewal Serum
5. Moisture. It may sound weird, when in Summer your skin seems greasy, but it is a step you cannot overlook. Dior Skin Perfect

ARE YOU JUST AS EXCITED AS I AM FOR FALL TO ARRIVE?

When Life Gives You Lemons

When life gives you lemon, make a candle! Are you planning on making lemonade this weekend? Here in Vancouver it's so warm, it will be a must! Reuse those lemon skins and make candles out of them!

Hope you are having a great weekend thus far. 

MeMo

{Photo via apartmenttherapy}

It's Friday

Remember how I wrote a post about going back to basics at the beginning of the week? Well, first thing to go on my "over consummation" list was my daily starbucks run that was making my coffee machine feel very unappreciated. I survived all week on home made coffee and to tell you the truth I was pretty satisfied and happy with myself. {Except when the guy next to me on the bus was holding a jar, yes a jar, of Starbucks coffee & I twinged just a bit}

Second thing I wanted to do was to get working on my bookcase which was only holding my laptop and camera. Here's what I have so far:

I am hoping to finish all of it over the weekend. Any suggestions?

Greetings from a sunny & really hot Vancouver!

Summer Sale

I know most normal people post 4 to 5 times a week but I can't help myself: Everytime I see something I like, I want to share. (I had warned you about my oversharing habit) But all kidding aside, this post couldn't wait. First and foremost, Zara is my ultimate favourite store and secondly, Summer dresses at $30 and less? Come on, need I say more?!

 

What is also great about these dresses that are all below $30 is that you will also be able to wear them come Fall. Add cute stockings, a cardi and you are ready to roll.

MeMo

When Salt And Sugar Meet

I love salty foods, I love sweets: Combine both and I am in food heaven. These easy to make cookies have the best of both worlds: A chewy chocolaty center with some sprinkled Maldon salt over the top. Needless to say the whole batch of cookies {about 20 big ones} were gone in less than a week.

{Chocolate chips and brown sugar rock this cookie dough}

{Cook from 12 to 15 minutes, not more or you'll get dry cookies}

{Sprinkle with Maldon or Fleur de Sel while the cookies cool off}

Get the full recipe here. Enjoy!

Ruche Resort 2011

This is what summer looks like to me. 

Simple dress in a bold colour.

Added belt.

Simple Accessories.

Beautiful sun.

I just wanna go sip a spiked lemonade on a patio.

{Photo via eat,drink,chic + Ruche Resort Dress 2011}

On This Note

As a young girl, I always loved going to the mailbox. Most times, I would return with a pile of bills for my parents secretly disappointed...But sometimes, a letter would come for me: A friend I'd met on a trip would write, my grand parents, gone on vacation, would send a post card..I would even get chain letters now and then (Remember those?!) Then the years flew by, Internet grew on us and picking up a pen to actually write a thank you note seemed like the last thing on our minds. These cute postcards from Holly Webber have made me want to take out my address book all over again and send a little love to everyone.

Some may say I am a nostalgic person but I think certain things are meant to not be forgotten.

Back To Basics

Like most people in our modern world, I get caught up in life. I like projects {sometimes big projects like moving across the country or starting a blog that requires almost the same workload as a full day of work.} With time, I have to shamefully admit I have acquired a taste for bigger and not necessarily better things. When I noticed I wasn’t excited about the small stuff that used to make my heart flutter, I knew it was time to go back to basics.

I’m not the first one who decides to go under: Liz from Eat, Pray,Love left all behind to embark on a soul searching journey, major clothing moguls like Zara (see lookbook here) have focused their Summer Collection on simple yet clean cuts and stars have been spotted wearing what seems to be the no makeup look (See here)..Umm maybe we should clue in.

Photographer Matteo Montanari & model Mona Johannesson have perfectly captured how I feel; Less is more

Mona is simply naturally stunning. Editorial for Amica March 2011

Let’s enjoy Life’s smallest pleasures, a makeup and clothes free Summer(okay maybe not)

In Life, like in Fashion, Less is always More.

Love Etc...

Each and everyone of us will be part of a love story.

I thought that, in the wake of recent tragic events, posting this trailer about Love would give us hope that no matter what, love is always out there. 

MeMo

Summer Bag

Summer requires a different kind of approach when it comes to your makeup. Here is what I am keeping in my make up bag this Summer {Click on the links to purchase}:

1. Clinique's Chubby stick, moisturizes & leaves a subtle touch of colour on your lips
2. Nars blush in orgasm (My first ever purchase in a Sephora in NYC)
3. Bobby Brown eye shadow palette. Putting the pink shade in outer corners makes your eyes pop
4. Clinique Moisture Surge with SPF is great for spending a day outside without worrying about the rays
5. Dior Show mascara is waterproof, no need to shy away from water
6. I spray my face with this Thermal water during the hot months of Summer
7. Lanvin is my go-to perfume. It smells really fresh and crisp, I use it year round
8. Dior polish on my toes makes me :-)
9. A cute make up bag that also doubles up as a clutch for a night out

 My tips for Summer: Wear lots of Sunscreen, go easy on powders as they look cakey in humidity, avoid sticky glosses and opt for lip balms instead, use waterproof mascara and do cleanse your face EVERY night before bed. {When I'm lazy  tired, I just use humid wipes, it's so much easier}

Hope you are having a great Summer 2011 !

 

DIY PROJECT: Colourful Bracelet

Wether you are wearing a silky black dress or a simple white T-Shirt and jeans outfit, this bracelet is sure to make you stand out. Best thing of all, you will be able to brag about your homemade confection. 

This tutorial is courtesy of M&J Blog. Get the full tutorial here. 

Happy DIY!

It's Friday...

It is Friday and I bring you pictures of..My feet! No flowers this week but a pedicure for me. The lovely ladies at La Lotus, corner Seymour & Davie, offer manis/pedis, face treatments and so much more. Now I am ready for a fun packed weekend. I had more pictures but the more I looked at them the more I couldn't help but think that feet are actually not that great to look at. So, I will leave it at this.

Great links from around the World Wide Web:
~ Don't want to get inked for life? Find wicked temporary tats here
~ Write an open letter anonymously and post here
~ I just love Kate Moss's easy Summer make up
~ Catching up on breaking news is so much easier when accompanied with breathtaking pictures
~ Remember when we used to all make Friendship bracelets
~ Sometimes, the best products are from the drugstore
~ View Christian Siriano's chic chic chic pad

{This is not the polish used on my toes but the closest colour I have for touch ups}

{These sandals complement well the new colour on my toes}

Bon Weekend!

Thursday Recipe: Rosemary Infused Pasta

Don't be fooled by the lack of ingredients in this recipe. When we were buying the ingredients for this pasta plate, all I could think was: "I will need extra parm on this one." Truth be told, I didn't even put ANY cheese on this. {And everybody knows my soft spot for cheese}:

You will need:
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Fresh rosemary
- 2 garlics cloves, minced
- Salt & Pepper
- Long pasta (Spaghetti, spaghettini, linguini ...)
- Olive oil

Heres what you'll do:
- In a mixing bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Toss.
- Arrange the tomato mixture on a lined baking sheet. Top the tomatoes with rosemary sprigs.
- Cover your baking sheet with aluminium foil. Bake your tomatoes for 45 minutes. It will smell great.
-  Prepare your pasta according to instruction on package.
- Once your pasta is cooked, fold in your roasted tomatoes and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Enjoy with some crusty bread and good wine!


{Recipe courtesy of the bf, photography and assisting at drinking the wine by moi}

Do You See A Difference?

{$19 Joe Fresh dress}

 Last Friday, I ventured out to the mall with the very difficult task of finding clothes for this "Mother Nature can't make up her mind" weather we are having. One of my purchases was the above jersey stripped dress from Joe Fresh for $19 that will be perfect on it's own or layered under a blazer for work. {I say: When in doubt of Weather, layer, layer, layer!} I double smiled when I caught the almost replica of my dress in the display window of Juicy Couture with a price tag of 7x my dress.      

Of course, I splurge once in a while, sometimes more, but never turn down deals like this one! Go to joefresh.com to view the collection. 

DIY PROJECT: Hinge Heads

So this isn't really a DIY project but more of a little way to add a unique touch to your home. After all, what makes a "house" feel like a home are the people & treasures found inside of it, no?

 You can find these online at hingeheads.com

It's Friday...

My weekend treat: Peonies. I think they look so pretty and buying flowers is my end of week gift to myself. Since it was somewhat of a stressful week, I also treated myself to the New Yorker cartoon illustration book, it's justified. Happy Friday!

Awesome things on the Web this week (List is short but I was tooo busy to browse around):

An arsty way to make use of Hipstamatic prints on your IPhone.

 When I want a break from the kitchen and restaurant I click here.

Eric Cahan's sunset photography is kind of amazing.

I want to live here please.

Thursday Recipe: Greek Salad

You will need:

2 peppers, diced

1 cucumber, diced

1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved

½ onion diced really small (you don’t want big chunks)

Kalamata olives, halved and depited

Feta (preferably a big chunk that you will cut into cubes)

1 lemon

Olive oil

Italian herbs

Here’s what you’ll do:

1.       In a big mixing bowl add: peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, olives and feta.

2.       Drop some olive oil, the squeeze of one lemon, Italian herbs and mix .

3.       Let sit for 20 minutes at room temperature and be prepared for a succulent salad!

Sunshine On A Rainy Day

On this rainy day here in Vancouver, I'm secretly wishing everyday of my life looked like this..

{Kling Shop photoshoot. Snapshots by Antonella Arismendi}

Montreal UpComing Events

For you lucky ladies in Montreal, upcoming or happening as we speak events {Secretly wishing I were there}:

Festival Mode & Design de Montreal

Where: Corner McGill & Ste-Catherine
When: August 3-August 6 2011
What: Shopping booths from coveted local designers, race in heels for charity, shows and much more!

Annual Side Walk Sale

Where: Multiple locations for July as follows;

Beaudry Metro: July 14-July 25 2011

Guy Metro: July 16-17 2011

Place D'Armes: July 20-July 24 2011

What: Stores putting out items at more than 50%

Denis Gagnon Summer Sale

Where: Boutique Denis Gagnon170B St-Paul W.
When: Right now! So hurry! Until no more in stock

What: Designer Denis Gagnon offers up to 75% on selected items from his store. We like love.

This will be a weekly post about sales or/and upcoming events. Enjoy!