Lighten Up

My hair hasn't been this light for a few years. I forgot how fun it is to go super blond!

Does anyone find when you lighten your hair, your eyes need to be defined more? I keep piling on mascara...

Details:

Shirt: American Apparel (Vancouver)

Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters (Halifax)

Scarf: Gap (Halifax)

Sneakers: Converse (Margolians, Truro)

Necklace: Forever 21 (LA)

I'm shocked at how much I love my colored denim. I'm hesitant to buy other colors (even though I really really want them....) because I'm not sure if the trend is going to last more than one season. Hmmm.... I also said that about skinny jeans and they've stood the test of time. Do you think colored denim will stay on trend next year?

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Novel-Tea: Part 6

Chick-lit mixed with chattering teeth? Not a combo I've encountered often!


666 Park Avenue is a novel written by Gabriella Pierce.

The colors on the cover match my bedroom decor, so I looked stylish while reading it in bed.


The story is about a twenty-something girl who finds out her fiance's family is magical.... and she has something they want. It has some darkness to satisfy the Twilight fans and a bit of Big Apple shopping to satisfy the Sex and the City peeps. Overall it was enjoyable!


Turns out, it's going to be made into an ABC TV series soon. Only thing is.... the description of the show doesn't really match the book. I'll have to stay tuned to find out if it's worth watching.


And since I'm talking about magical things.... Fantasy Island is one of my favorite teas from DavidsTea! It is soooooo good. It's a black tea (perfect for the morning when you need some help waking up) with raspberry and coconut. It reminds me of black raspberry cheesecake ice cream. If you aren't sold on tea yet, this might be the one that hooks you.

As far as my own novel goes, I've sent out 11 query letters and had a total of 4 "no thank-you's". I'll keep on trying!


XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Day for the Ducks

It's been a rainy week.

Cute raingear makes these dreary days a little more tolerable.

Details:

Umbrella: Gift

Raincoat: Lole (The Trail Shop, Halifax)

Rainboots: Kamik (The Shoe Company, Halifax)

Pants: lululemon (Toronto)

The umbrella is cute but it bugs me... it has city names all over it.... but they're upside down when I'm holding the umbrella. Weird. I've seen people tilt their heads at an odd angle when we're waiting for a walk light and I silently apologize.

Sunday was Earth Day. I received an e-mail from Sephora, encouraging me to bring in an empty cosmetics container (for recycling) in exchange for a full size Origins moisturizer. Um... OKAY!

On nails: Sally Hansen Hard as Nail Xtreme Wear in Turquoise, dotted with Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in Black and OPI Banana Bandanna

I didn't mean to match my nails to the tube....

The moisturizer makes my face really soft and smells sooooo nice. It retails for $55.

The flower is from the market.

XOXO

Glitterary Girl

The Mane Event

Hair. The accessory you wear every day.

Ladies, don't feel guilty about spending money on your locks! It doesn't matter if you've been hitting the gym like crazy, or you're wearing a fabulous new outfit, or just had your make-up done by a pro. If you don't like your hair, you're not going to be satisfied.

I admit, I don't love my hair. Who does? Oh right... Blake Lively probably does.



I wish my hair grew faster, was as thick as it used to be (ok, maybe not quite so thick... I kinda like that it no longer takes 30 minutes to blow-dry), and didn't have 45 cowlicks along my hair-line. Those suckers make bangs a no-no (although I had them until 2002, I really shouldn't have).

Generally, I'm not very loyal to products. I like to try out new stuff too much. I'll share with you some products that I've re-purchased, which means they work really well for me or I would've strayed.

Shampoo/Conditioner/ Leave in Treatment:

Redken Extreme. Recommended to me by the lovely Karrie, who happens to be not only a dear friend of mine but the best hairdresser ever. I've been using these since last summer when my hair was in serious crisis mode. I think these products were the only thing that saved me from shaving my head and starting over.

Dry Shampoo:

I used to be one of those people who washed and styled my hair every day. Imagine! I shampoo usually every second day (sometimes three if I'm lucky). On the off-days, I sometimes use dry shampoo to give it some oomph if it looks flat. I've tried Ojan, which worked well but the spray can kept breaking and it was pricy. I've also tried Tresemme, which was ok, but made my hair sticky.

My dry shampoo of choice is Got 2b. The only thing I'd change is how strongly scented it is. Given that so many places are scent-free, you'd think the product people would take a hint.


Curly Hair Products:

This is my hair with no heat appliance intervention. The photo is a year old and my hair isn't as thick anymore. It's more of a wavy/beachy curl than a true curl. I actually lose my curls if I cut my hair too short, which is the opposite of how curly hair is supposed to behave.

Right now, I'm using these products for my au natural look.

I wrap it in a towel for 10 minutes, then comb it out and put a bit of the Aveda treatment in. Then I use the gel, flip my head over, and scrunch a bit.

I'm getting my hair cut and foiled this week- yay! I love fresh color.

Does anyone have an opinion on those clampless curling wands? I kinda want one.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Bare Stems and Aussie Baubles

Paddy's Market in Sydney is a shopper's dream. Row upon row of vendors selling uggs, koala magnets, kangaroo jerky, and tons of handmade jewelry.

This necklace caught my eye so I snatched it up for around $12.

The day I bought it was a few weeks before Christmas in 2005, and I was leaving Australia in a few days. I remember it being insanely hot outside and how strange it was to see a city full of people dressed in full-on summer fashions and yet all the store front windows decorated with Christmas trees.

While the weather in Halifax today certainly wasn't sweltering, it was sunny and sort-of warm. A good temperature for wearing a skirt..... as long as the arms were covered up!

Details:

Jacket: Danier (Halifax)

T-Shirt: Smart Set (Halifax)

Skirt: Forever 21 (Toronto)

Necklace: Paddy's Market (Sydney, Australia)

Shoes: Franco Sarto (Toronto)

R and I, along with both sets of our parents, are checking out the Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market tomorrow morning. I can almost taste the cupcake already....

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Style Spotlight: Miranda Kerr

Miranda Kerr seems to have a good thing going. She's got dimples, a cute kid, a hot hubby, and wears giant wings down a runway for Victoria's Secret every year. Her street style is hot too.

I have a soft spot for all things Australian, having lived there for a year in 2005. Of course, I needed to know exactly where Miranda grew up, so I could see if I had been there (I haven't). She's a small town girl from Gunnedah, 475 km from Sydney.

Miranda has a way of making neutrals stand out (it may have something to do with her mile-long legs). I like how she uses simple pices to create chic looks. I could easily re-create similar outfits with current items in my closet.

Ok, ok... so I don't own black leather shorts. But I have short black dressy ones that won't stick to my legs when it's hot.

Ok, Miranda. You may be breaking my fashion rule here. Are those leggings? Somehow I don't think your shirt is long enough to cover your derriere. Leggings are not pants. I don't care how nice your bum looks, there should be another layer over it. I will forgive you, considering you're wearing stripes (love 'em) and have intensified my longing for a new black blazer.

Hey! I love hats too!

This looks like an airport. I bet she used that huge scarf as a blanket on the plane. I do the same thing with my Circle Scarves from American Apparel. Every girl should have one, I swear.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

The Outfit Post that Almost Wasn't

Disclaimer: Almost no effort was taken in the creation of this outfit.


This photo was taken on Sunday, and I wasn't even going to do an outfit post, but it was such a nice day....


Outfit would be yawn-city without the pops of pink, right?

Details:

Shirt: Lucky Brand (Toronto)

Jeans: American Eagle (Halifax)

Scarf: The late and great Margolians (Truro)

Bracelet: A booth on the main drag at Huntington Beach, California

Sneakers: Converse (Las Vegas)

Earrings: What on Earth (Dartmouth)

Necklace: Forever 21 (LA)

I saw a picture in a magazine of black nails with gold sparkle tips, so I decided to try purple nails with turquoise tips. Next time, I'd do a narrower strip of sparkle.

XOXO

Glitterary Girl

Cold Canadian Channeling Coachella

I'm insanely jealous of all those lucky folks who are at Coachella this weekend in California. I couldn't exactly put together what I would wear to the real Coachella, or I would've been too cold. Instead, I decided to put together a "what I could wear to Coachella if it happened here and in a slightly warmer month than April" outfit.

If you saw what disaster the wind was whipping my hair into, you'd understand why I cropped my head off.

Details:

Cardigan: Old Navy Outlet (Las Vegas)

Necklace: Market in Cuba

Brown Tank: Zara (Toronto)

Coloured Tank: Abercrombie and Fitch (hand-me-up from younger cousin)

Pants: Lucky Brand (Toronto)

Shoes: Miz Mooz from Town Shoes (Toronto)

Close up of necklace. Gotta love $2 Cuban handmade pieces.

Leaf details on shoes. I find Miz Mooz soooo comfy.

I'm very excited to see all of the fashion posts on Coachella that will be circulating in the weeks ahead.  Maybe I'll get to go someday.....

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

What's in my Bag?

I got an amazing deal on this Coach bag in Edmonton. It was three years ago when I was there on a shopping trip... I mean, work conference...

I did go to the conference (promise), but any time I wasn't there, I was at West Edmonton Mall.

My chocolate leather Zoe bag was half price! Yay!

I actually had three bags in my hand, and the salesgirl had to help me choose. She said something that I'll always remember...

When you have a leather and a fabric bag to choose from.... buy the leather. It'll last longer and almost always look classier.

Isn't she pretty?

Pink lining!

Now take a peek at some of the things inside....

On nails: China Glaze - Westside Warrior

This is a tiny Clinique bag that is just big enough to hold a mini Bath and Body Works hand sanitizer, bobby pins, hair ties, lip balm, bandaids, and...

Mini hair clips. I usually need these when I do my hair with natural curls. The front section always gets fuzzy when it fully dries, so I pin it back with one or two of these.

A souvenier from Paris. I bought it in a little train station gift shop. It flips open to a double mirror. I love the color and the silver Eiffel Tower.

This is the yummiest lip gloss ever!! I got it in LA at Bath and Body Works. I've yet to find this particular flavour in Canada... It's got a strong mint and butterscotch smell and deposits a clear shimmer on your lips. Slightly sticky but not thick and goopy. Makes your lips tingle with 25% peppermint oil.

Last but not least... my keychain. A stylish former co-worker (she always had the BEST ponytail ties) gave me this last year when I left my job to move to Vancouver (then I moved back - long story). It's Coach and it's SO ME. One of those things I probably would never indulge in myself, but it made a perfect gift.

I left out a bunch of things, such as gum, a lint roller, dental floss, and my wallet. My goal is to buy a new wallet.... not because I don't like my current one, but I'm getting bored of it. A girl's gotta have a fun place to keep the Visa, right?

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Novel-Tea: Part 5

I've Got Your Number is the newest novel by one of the queens of chick-lit, Sophie Kinsella. Everyone has heard of the Shopaholic books, right? She penned those.

One night last week, I snuggled into bed with the book, happy to dive into what I knew would be a very entertaining read. Twenty minutes later, I was in a panic, and slammed the book shut.

My novel-baby, Losing My Anchor, is the story of a physiotherapist named Penny.

Ms. Kinsella's book is a story of a physiotherapist named Poppy.

Well, darn.

Before I deleted my book from my laptop, R calmed me down by reminding me that there are countless novels with doctors or lawyers or sales clerks as the main character. So, I guess it's possible for there to be two books about young female physios with relationship woes out there.

Thankfully, there weren't many other similarities between Poppy and Penny. Distaster averted.

I loved the book. Yes, it was predictable in the main vein. Yes, Poppy reminded me of most of Ms. Kinsella's other protagonists. But it was predictable in an comfortable, easy-read way - not a boring way. If you're a chick-lit fan, check it out.

One of DavidsTea's spring collection goodies is called Strawberry Ginger. It's an herbal tea - no caffeine and very refreshing. The taste is great hot or iced.

I'm a picky girl when it comes to perfume, and I actually don't get to wear it very much because I work at a hospital. I have a habit of ripping fragrance samples out of magazines and then finding a big wrinkled pile of them every year or so when I clean out my junk drawer.

To me, Escada sounds too grown-up. Considering my favorite perfume is Vera Wang Princess, I don't exactly consider my fragrance taste sophisticated.

I was surprised at how much I love the fruity scent of Escada Sexy Graffiti!

Look at that girl on the sample baord! She's city chic and cool, not snooty and mature.

The perfume has raspberry, strawberry, grapefruit, lily of the valley, violet, red peony, vanilla, and cashmere wood. Hmmm... sounds good enough to eat!

R and I saw American Reunion on the weekend. If you're an American Pie fan , it's worth the watch. The humour in this one is slightly less gross-out than the original. You have to wait til the end to see The Shermanator but he does make an appearance.

Love the comparison

XOXO

Glitterary Girl

The Easter Crow

Me: "I wonder if the Easter Bunny found us?"
R: "I dunno."

A few minutes pass.

(Suspicious scraping sound coming from somewhere nearby).

Me: "What's that noise?"
R: "I think there's something on the roof."
Me: "THE EASTER BUNNY!"

Both of us jump up and run to the window. There is snow (Yes, snow. We woke up on Easter morning to the ground covered. Boo.) flying off the roof and the sound of little feet.

Turns out, it wasn't the Easter Bunny. It was a crow that was angry that his food stash in our rain gutter got buried.

Details:

Cardigan: Dynamite (Halifax)

Jeans: American Eagle (Halifax)

Shoes: Miz Mooz (Toronto)

Bag: Coach chocolate leather Zoe (Edmonton)

Scarf: Old Navy (Halifax)

Headband: H&M (Toronto)

White T-shirt that you can't see: American Apparel (Halifax)

Gold earrings: gift

 

I hope everyone had a nice Easter and a good chocolate fix!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Black, White, and Red Hot

As a book fanatic, when asked the question of what famous person I'd like to meet the most, you'd think I'd answer Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, or the like.

Nope.

My answer?

See, he's an author. I'm redeemed.

My love for Red Hot Chili Peppers started in Florida, age 13, on vacation. Back then, music caught on much faster in the USA than here in Canada. Under the Bridge was #1, and I hadn't heard it until then.

When I came home, I bought the album Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik (from Columbia House, of course) and re-did my bedroom in red, white, and black to match the album cover.

I saw them on their Stadium Arcadium tour in Quebec City in 2006, and it was so amazing. Hands down the best concert I've ever been to.

In thirty days, I get to see them again! R and I are heading to Boston to see them at the TD Gardens on their I'm With You tour.

In anticipation of this glorious event, I thought I'd put together an outfit to match my bedroom circa 1992.

Details:

Leather jacket: Danier (Halifax)

Scarf: Costa Blanca (Dartmouth)

Shirt: Anthropologie (Toronto)

Pants: Smart Set (Halifax)

Boots: Le Chateau (Halifax)

Sunglasses: D&G (Sunglass Hut, Dartmouth)

Necklace: Tiffany & Co. (gift)

Close-up of the leather jacket's texture.

Good thing it's still a month from the concert.... it'll take me that long to figure out what to wear.

XOXO

Glitterary Girl



Reality TV for the Style Stalker

Fashion Star is such a fun show.

If you haven't watched it yet (and really, you should), the show is about aspiring fashion designers who have a design challenge every week. Elle MacPherson hosts. The contestants are mentored by John Varvatos, Jessica Simpson, and one of my personal style icons, Nicole Richie. And I love her for more than the fact that her dad taught me how to... party, karamu, fiesta, forever....

Awww

The mentors give the contestants opinions on their creations as they are being developed. The contestants can listen to the mentors' advice or not.

The contestants have their fashions for the week displayed in a runway show. There are three buyers (Macy's, Saks 5th Ave, and H&M) who have the opportunity to place bids on the outfits. If an item is wanted by two buyers, they can do a bidding war.

If a contestant gets a bid, they are safe from elimination. If they don't get a bid, they may be kicked off the show. At the end, the mentors can choose one of the people on the chopping block to be saved, and the buyers are the ones who decide which one gets the boot.


The styles that were bought are available on-line right after the show, or in stores the next day.



I adore Nicole's style. She's a small girl who can pull off many things petite girls often shy away from, like big patterns (see the yellow gown above), maxi dresses, and she manages to not get lost in flowy fabrics.

 Edgy but feminine.

She toughens up a girly dress with a heavy chain bag and structured jacket.

With Sparrow. Balancing tight bottoms with volume on top.

This looks great as is, or could be more casual with flat boots. Love the hat.

Who's your style icon?


XOXO
Glitterary Girl