Attack of the Office Chair

The office environment can be hostile to one's wardrobe. I've had to have shoes re-heeled due to office-chairing myself around my carpeted cubicle. Today, my chair almost ate my pants. They're rather long and flawy (necessitating high wedges) and I kept getting them caught in the wheels.

Details

Pants: Forever 21

Shirt and scarf: Gap

Bag and jacket: Old Navy

Shoes: Target

Bracelets: Gift/Stella & Dot

Sunnies: Guess

This was the first time I wore my new "soft pants" which is what I've decided to call them. I was quite comfortable all day, much like wearing PJ's! I could get used to these.

Have you bought a pair of soft pants yet?

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

In Defiance

I don't care how cold it is - June is almost here and I will wear skirts! Even if my legs are full of goosebumps. Even if the north wind threatens to blow my skirt over my head. Even if I can't feel my feet (ok, that might be due to a combination of the low temperature and super-high heels).

I can't express how much I miss my laptop/camera combo.

Details

Shirt: J Crew

Skirt: 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target

Heels: Aldo

Necklace: H&M

Clutch: Coach

At this rate, spring will arrive in September and we might spend Halloween on the beach.

Send some warm my way if you have any to spare!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

The Sunday Currently 05/25/14

This weekend was spent doing a mixture of socializing and domesticating. Between Swiffers and scrubbing, I attended a two-month-post-wedding party for one of my friends who was brave enough to wear her beautiful wedding dress while running around with salads and burgers for her guests. 

Reading: I just finished The Fault in our Stars, which was a really good read although maybe not quite as great as the hype. I've moved on to Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy to see how Bridget fares in her 50's (really? was it that long ago that I read the first book?). I've also been borrowing back-issues of various magazines from the library - Glamour, Martha Stewart Weddings, Style at Home.

Writing: Not much in terms of blog posts. I go through periods where I'm uninspired, but I always come out of them. 

Listening: I'm in a cranky mood today, so I put on Songza's The World of Calvin Harris, which has yet to fail in bringing me out of a bad mood. I have to book the DJ for the wedding, but if I had my wish, Calvin Harris would do the party. 

Thinking: Constantly about how to adapt my life to my new Invisalign braces. The first two days, my mouth was a bit sore, but that has subsided. Now, I'm just left with how to fit them into my day to day life. For those of you who don't know, Invisalign braces are a series of clear trays that you wear 22 hours per day that gradually move your teeth into the proper place. I already had braces when I was 18, but my teeth have shifted since then. I was really noticing one of my front teeth rotating, and with the wedding coming up, I knew I'd regret it if I wasn't happy with my smile for the big day. Every time you eat, you have to brush and floss before re-inserting the trays. I'll catch myself trying to snack while making supper, or going to drink something that isn't plain water (which is all you can drink with the trays in). I have to remember to take the case with me everywhere!

Smelling: My Dove Dry Shampoo and The Body Shop Cocoa Butter

Hoping: I've been getting up earlier on weekdays to work out, which I am quite proud of because I've never had the motivation to do that. I hope I stick to it because it is so nice to come home from work and not have to worry about fitting a work out into the evening.

Wearing: Black jeggings, a cardigan, and slippers.

Loving: My Bubba Keg which keeps my boring water nice and cold

Wanting: Spring... even though it's almost summer. I put away a lot of my pants for the winter as I know I'll be wearing lots of skirts this summer. It has rarely been warm enough to wear skirts! 

Needing: To finish this post and head out to the grocery store. I need ingredients to make Mexican lasagna tonight. I also desperately need a new laptop so I can stop taking my blog photos on my phone. (edited to note: I posted this post-lasagna... which was so freaking good)

Feeling: Cranky, as I said before. I need to turn on Songza again.

Clicking: WhoWhatWear, Pinterest for home decor ideas.

I'm linked up with siddathornton today. Pop over to see what the other bloggers are doing on this Sunday in May.

XOXO

Glitterary Girl

Bare Toes

This might the the latest spring yet for sandals! I hate having cold feet so I can't stand being bare-toed before the weather warms up.

Details

Cardiagan: Vero Moda

Jeans and Bracelet: Joe Fresh

Tank: Smart Set

Sandals: Topshop

Necklace: Stella & Dot

Sunnies: Gap Factory Store

This was the first time I wore these new sandals from Topshop and they treated me well for a few hours at the mall. I'm loving black and white ensembles for the spring. They're so easy to mix and match! What are your go-to colours for spring this year?

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Tuesday Treasures: Finishing Products for Hair

Hi Blog Readers!

It's been quite some time since I've done a Tuesday Treasures post. These posts are a way for us to find out about what others are using for products. The more people who participate, the more products that will be discovered! Share your favourite here, and if you're looking for a new favourite, you just might find one!

Today, I want to know what you're using for a finishing product on your hair. Many finishing products are in the form of sprays, serums, or creams. I don't care if it's high end or from the discount bin!

For about five years now, I've been using the same finishing product. I used to have to stock up in the States, but now that Canada has Target, I can find it here!

Pick your treasure: What's YOUR favourite finishing product for hair?

My pick: Fekkai Glossing Cream

I've never actually bought the full size tube as the little tubes last me forever (like a year) and they are so easy to travel with. Target Canada sells the small tubes for $8 and the large ones for $25. This product works great on straight locks, curls or waves. I first came upon this in NYC and I've not strayed since!

Comment on this post to share your treasure or pop over to Glitterary Girl on Facebook! Thanks for participating!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

The Scuba Skirt

If it's possible to fall in love with fabric, I have. This skirt is made of a material that I can only liken to a wetsuit. It's stretchy, comfortable, and kind of supportive. I want to stand with good posture while wearing it. I also love the built-in pattern mixing (florals x stripes)

Details

Skirt: Banana Republic

Blazer: Ann Taylor

Tank: H&M

Bag: Coach

Shoes: Call it Spring

Necklace: Tiffany & Co

I decided to crop my head off. I do that every now and then. It wasn't sunny but it was "brightly foggy" (yes, that exists in Nova Scotia) and I didn't have sunglasses with me. I wore this to Mothers' Day brunch last weekend, which was amazing. We go to the Best Western Chocolate Lake every year and it's always a great time.

Did you do anything fun for Mothers' Day?

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Wedding Wednesday: The Reception Venue

It's a bit difficult to choose a reception venue when you're not sure how many people are going to be there! Our RSVP date is set for July 1st, but we expect there will be at least a few people that join along in the last few months before the wedding. We wanted to make sure we had a space that was big enough!

Knowing we weren't going to be making a trip to Vegas to check out the venues, we went with a place that had amazing reviews. Hundreds of couples can't be wrong,  right?

Our reception venue is Maggiano's which is located in the Fashion Show Mall (how appropriate for me...)

Maggiano's is an Italian family restaurant that has a number of private reception rooms. We've decided to rent three rooms that can be transformed into one large space with a balcony. We haven't decided on decorations yet, but I'm thinking we are going to stick with minimal decor as I really don't want to have much to worry about for the wedding besides showing up and having a good time!

I'm very excited for the reception as the reviews of Maggiano's are fantastic. We have a family-style dinner, which is where we pick several dishes and they bring them to the tables and place them in the middle so people can serve themselves. It will be hard to narrow down the choices as everything on the menu looks delicious!

A little over five months to go!

Do you have any tips for me on menu-choosing or easy decor?

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Frap Happy

May flowers? Not here in Nova Scotia. The most exciting thing to happen here this month (in my opinion) is Frappucino Happy Hour at Starbucks.  Grande non fat Vanilla Bean please with a bit o' whip. I'm so sad it's over - they need to have it more often!

Details

Shirt: Winners 

Jeans: Guess

Sneakers: Peter Pilotto for Target

Scarf: Gap Factory

Sunnies: Guess via TJ Maxx 

Necklace: Stella & Dot

So the lack of high quality photos lately are due to the fact that my laptop has died, and my Canon camera software is not on R's computer. All of my photos lately are courtesy of my HTC phone, and I won't likely be using my good camera until I spring for my own laptop.

I have so much love for these sneakers. I hesitated as they are very very bright in real life, but they are so comfy and they make me happy when I look at them.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Fun Dress on Repeat

Our trip to Vancouver was centred around the marriage of our friends Andrew and Stephen. Their ceremony was held in a beautiful location in Gastown and the reception was down the street at Parliament Interiors. My lack of photos from the event is sad - the grooms were having far too great of a time to be worried about pausing for photos (which is exactly how it should be).

Details

Dress: Peter Pilotto for Target (last seen here)

Cardigan: Vero Moda via Envy

Shoes: BCBGeneration

Bracelets: Stella and Dot

Clutch: Coach

Walking to the ceremony in the drizzle did not do wonders for my hair, eh? I'm glad I didn't spend money on a blowout (which I was heavily considering) as I'm sure it would have fallen flat in minutes.

I'm linking with My Fridays Fancies for a floral theme today.

Have a wonderful weekend!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

My Monthly Purchases: April 2014 Part 2

Yes, I bought so much this month that I divided it into two posts! Part 1 was purchases that I bought with birthday money and gift cards I had received (thank you!)

Part 2 is the "out of pocket" money I spent. I promise this post is shorter than part 1!

Skirt: H&M
Discounted from $20 to $15 (I used a $5 H&M Conscious coupon, read about this program here)
I have a black pencil skirt and a black fitted mini skirt, but I wanted another one that could be dressed up or down. It's listed for $30 on-line, not sure why. I bought mine in-store in Vancouver.

Cardigan: Zara
Regular Price $43
If you are petite and small-framed, check out Zara's boys section for boyfriend-styled blazers and cardigans! This one is so soft and comfy, and I know I'm going to wear it until it falls apart.

Shirt: Old Navy 
Discounted from $28 to $15
I have blue chambray in two colors, and grey is a great alternative! In case you haven't noticed, grey goes with almost everything. When searching for this item on-line, I realized this is in fact a men's shirt. I bought it in the women's section.... and I don't care. The last oxford shirt I bought from Club Monaco was from the guys' section.  The pockets should have clued me in!

Tee: Old Navy
Free with Supercash in combination with the shirt above. Spend $25 and get $10 off.
There's not that much at Old Navy right now that interests me, so I decided to play it safe and get a plain white tee. It can never hurt to have a few in different styles in one's closet.

Pants: Forever 21
Regular price: $30
These were a little out of my comfort zone, but I fell in love with a pair of wide legged pants at Topshop that did NOT work with my body. This pair was the closest I could find to that look. I need to wear them with wedge sandals or heels because of the length, but the vertical panels (this must be too wide to be called a stripe...) make my legs look crazy long Truth being, they are actually crazy short.

Shoes: DKNY via Marshall's
Discounted from $75 to $40
Marshall's opened a few weeks ago and I made a visit on day three after opening. The selection was picked over as the crowds were insane, but I nabbed these cute flats.

Value of items: $214
Price I paid: $143
I saved 33%.

That leaves me with $357 to spend for this season. I'm going to see if I can stay well under budget, considering all I bought with my birthday money.

Thanks for reading!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

My Monthly Purchases: April 2014 Part 1

Brace yourselves for a lengthy read. I decided to do my monthly budget in two posts, starting with the free stuff. My goal is to spend under $500 per season on clothing/shoes. Each season is three months long.

Birthday money, combined with a trip to Vancouver, made for a busy shopping month.

I'll start off with all of the free stuff. These items do not count towards my budget.

Sneakers: Converse via The Bay
Discounted from $65 to $42
I have been aching for these sneakers since I saw them on-line earlier this year. I ordered these and the rose-gold metallic ones. I told myself I was only allowed to keep one pair and these were the winner. It was actually an easy choice as the rose-gold ones weren't that pretty in real life.

Navy bucket bag: Old Navy (no longer available on-line but they are still in store as of last week)
Discounted from $30 to $17.50
I really wanted a bucket bag, but didn't want to pay a lot for one as I'm saving my "bag budget" for a new black handbag when we go to Vegas. This was a perfect choice to make me feel like I have a new spring bag, without spending a lot. The (fake) leather looks surprisingly supple.

Sneakers: Peter Pilotto for Target
Discounted from $30 to $9

Slip on sneaks are having a moment right now and these are certainly a fun version. Once it gets a bit warmer, I'll style them with my chambray dress. I wore these to the mall on the weekend and three people stopped me to ask me where I got them.

Scarves: Gap (no longer available on-line)
Discounted from $65 to $12 for both.
I couldn't pass these up. One is a winter snood, powder blue and heavy knit. The other one is an oatmeal infinity scarf with neon orange stripes.

Tee: Smart Set (no longer available on-line)
Discounted from $29 to $11
One can never have enough simple black shirts. This one has faux leather sleeves and the material is nice and thick. Worn here.

Tee: Smart Set
Discounted from $25 to $7.50
Cardigan: H&M
Regular price: $18
I love lightweight cardigans, especially at the office. This tee was one of my picks for the Opposites Attract feature I did for Halifax Shopping Centre. Graphic tees are always a favourite of mine as they can be dressed up or down. See how I styled these new buys on the streets of Vancouver recently.

Shirt: Joe Fresh (no longer available on-line)
Discounted from $29 to $15
A slightly sheer animal print blouse with various blue shades. I think this will look great with denim or navy dress pants. I'm also excited to see how it looks with the below jeans.

Jeans: Joe Fresh
Discounted from $19 to $10
I've been looking for comfortable white denim for a long time. White denim can be scary if the cut or stretch factor is off, but these were flattering... and ten bucks!

Belt: Joe Fresh (no longer available on-line)
Discounted from $25 to $3
Fun animal print belt for a steal!

Top: Joe Fresh
Regular price $19
I love lacy tops in neutral colors. I have a much heavier sweater that is the same shade and I wear it a lot on summer nights.

Top: J Crew
Discounted from $128 to $18
This is a girly shirt with contrasting sporty stripes down the arms, reminiscent of Adidas jackets from days gone by.

I used part of my birthday money on a fabulous experience at the Bay in Vancouver. Topshop at the Bay has a FREE personal shopping service! R and I were in there getting him some new things for the wedding we attended, and I decided to come back the next day for some pampering. My stylist was Kenneth, and he was really fun and very quickly got a sense of my style. He had about eight outfits pulled for me when I arrived, and I had large private dressing area to myself for the appointment. It was really fun to try on the things he chose for me, and I came away with three key pieces that I love! If you're in Toronto or Vancouver, I HIGHLY recommend this service. Topshop can be really overwhelming and it's a great way to zone in. I could have bought so much more - really had to restrain myself.

Pants: Topshop
Regular price $72
I told Kenneth I wanted "dressy track pants" and he knew exactly what I was looking for. These are high-waisted, have a strong waistband that stays put, and I can alter where they hit length-wise with the elastic ankle.

Sandals: Topshop
Regular price: $50
OK, I have a hard time believing these are only $50. They are classy, have a really cute turn-lock closure, and the heel height is perfect for work or play.

Skirt: Topshop
Regular price: $44
I couldn't leave this, it was far too fun. I'm on a hunt for a powder blue top to wear with it, but it looks great with black, white, grey, and pink too.

Not a fan of the shoes they paired this skirt with...

See, I told you this was an extensive read! Watch for part two later this week where I'll share what I spent of my own money... not much more, I promise.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Rebel Without a Jacket

Does anyone else hate dragging a jacket around while shopping? It's just one more layer to slow a girl down in the dressing room. My last day in Vancouver, I was determined to be productive. I was heading to the Joe Fresh stand-alone store which is such a treat compared to my usual grocery store Joe experience. I admit, I was a wee bit chilly.

Details

Cardigan: H&M (current)

Shirt: Smart Set (on sale!)

Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Shoes: BCBGeneration via Winners

Bag: Coach

Bracelets: Stella & Dot

Necklace: Tiffany & Co

Earrings: Gift

When I find a cardigan I like at H&M, I buy it. My most-loved and most-reached-for cardigans usually come from there. This Smart Set shirt was one of my choices for the Opposites Attract feature I did for Halifax Shopping Centre a few months ago, so of course I nabbed it when it went on sale!

Have a fabulous weekend!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl