The Easy Backdrop

Although it's not a big blank stone wall (which we really should have built on our house considering the blog, eh?), the back deck is a decent and really easy place for outfit shots. Plus, I have my own built in wind machine for no cost! Seriously, the windiest place I have ever lived. 

Details

Black top: H&M

Striped top and vest :Joe Fresh

Jeans: Joe's Jeans

Boots: Aldo

Scarf: American Apparel

I'm getting ready for a hair appointment and want to make a bit of a change. I'm thinking sombre (darker blond to light blond). Any other ideas?

Enjoy the weekend! We made it through January (Canadians understand...)!


XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Wedding Wednesday: Around Caesar's

We've been married for over three months now! I'm trickling the photos out, but the long process is actually nice - makes for more time to relive the memories!

Caesar's Palace has a lot of nice spots for wedding photos. If a couple decided not to do a photo tour of the strip, there were certainly lots of options right on site. We had about a half hour between the end of our time in the garden and when our limo was meeting us to take us on the photo tour.

All photos by Bently & Wilson. 

By the pool

Staircase by the Augustus Tower check-in

Taking the plunge!

We appreciated the moments we got to sit down!

Next time I'll post on our transportation for the day and the first bit of our photo tour.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Fiddling

If my skin tone looks a little off in these photos, it's because I have been fiddling with R's iPhone camera. I'm finding a lot of my photos lately have been lacking in definition (not sure if that's the right word). Like my shirt is indistinguishable from my pants unless I fiddle with the color settings. 

I wore this casual outfit to my friend's baby shower on the weekend. I usually go all girly to showers, but I opted for comfy for the cold January day. 

Details

Sweater: Forever 21

Shirt: H&M

Jeans: Calvin Klein

Hat: Le Chateau

Sneakers: Converse

Bag: Gift (unknown)

Earrings: Tory Burch

Necklace: Gift (Swarovski)

In Halifax, we're bracing for a major winter storm tomorrow. I see scarves, boots, and hats in my near future. Stay safe everyone!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Sunday Right Now: 01.25.15

Reading: Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham. I've been on quite the kick of reading funny books.  I have to burn through this one as its a library rapid read. Before Lena's, I read Everything is Perfect When You're a Liar by Kelly Oxford. Between funnies, I'm battling through Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, which I started on the plane to Vegas and have been reading in small chunks ever since. I don't mind having a few books on the go. When I was a kid, I seemed to always be reading two or three at a time. Worked then, works now.

Writing: To-do lists and grocery lists. We're well settled into the house, but the closet organization could be better. I'm having a staycation next month and want to make sure I have a list of all the things I want to accomplish (you can be sure that list includes watching The Social in real time instead of DVR, drinking several chai lattes while blogging/reading, and shopping downtown). This weekend, I'm trying to cook for the week ahead. Last night I made a chicken stew and tonight I'm making pork tenderloin.

Clicking: I've been bad at keeping up with my favorite blogs lately. I've not done any on-line shopping, but always seem to be browsing on Zara and Banana Republic. I'm still way more comfortable with the in-store experience. Cutest spring dress below!

ZARA

 Seeing: Green golf course out the window. It looks so much nicer green than white... hurry up spring.

Smelling: The delightful scent of Pineapple Orange Raspberry juice that I picked up yesterday in the produce section of the grocery store. The glass is empty now - time to move on to Pom Springs tea from DAVIDS.

Hearing: Various bangs and smashes from the basement. R is working on something electrical which is a bit alarming.

Feeling: Content. Relaxed. Ready to take on the day.

Wearing: Fuzzy leopard print robe and slippers.

Anticipating: Next week I get a sneak peek of the Halifax Shopping Centre renovations. Looking forward to hearing their plans for layout and new retailers.

Hope your Sunday is spent in a wonderful way!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

She Said Brrrrrr

Is it June yet? 

Loving the easy backdrop. Not loving the sketchy lighting (so much for golden hour...)

Loving the sun. Not loving the wind.

I think there will be less love/hate once it gets warm. 

Details

Sweater: Joe Fresh

Jeans and hat: Gap

Tank: Smart Set

Snood: American Eagle Outfitters

Boots: Call it Spring

These got buried at the bottom of my denim pile. I forgot how comfortable they are.


XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Goodbye Target Canada

The big retail news the week was the decision by Target to close all of its Canadian stores. As a frequent and enthusiastic Target shopper, I was really sad to hear this. I feel sad for the employees who will be out of work and disappointed at the waste of money and resources used to overhaul spaces that, here is Halifax, were only operational for 16 months.

I'm aware that Target Canada was not readily accepted by a lot of shoppers, and I'm not sure why. Some of the reasons I've heard is that the shelves weren't stocked, there weren't enough people to help on the floor, and the prices weren't as good as in the States.

I estimate I visit Target about three times per month, so I have a fairly good idea of how the store normally looks and operates. I admit, the first few weeks the store was open, I noticed the shelves weren't fully stocked. Not a smart move by Target, but once the initial rush of the grand opening was over, I generally always found what I wanted was in stock. I wonder if there were some people who only visited Target once, shortly after the opening buzz, and decided not to return for that reason. I always thought there were a lot of employees around to ask if you needed help finding anything, and they were always very friendly.

As for the prices, I've yet to see a store come to Canada (except Coach) and offer the same prices in the Canadian stores as the States. Of course the prices aren't as good - but neither is Forever 21 and we've seemed to accept that store just fine. I almost bought a jacket in Vegas at Forever 21, but decided against it as it would have taken up a lot of room in my luggage. When I got home and scoped it out at F21 here, by the time I factored in the tax, I would have been spending about $25 more on the exact same product. Guess who didn't buy the jacket?

Besides the really cool stuff they have in the home decor section (bye bye Nate Berkus), they have a huge selection of make-up and hair products. I'll be stocking up on my Frederik Fekkai (the only place I've found it in this country). Their stationary department was amazing too! They have an entire wall of boxed thank you cards and invitations, the cutest gift bags, and really unique greeting cards.

Bought these this week! So cute and only $12.99 each. About 7 inches tall.

Our door mat. $14.99 

The worst part about Target closing (for me) is that we won't be able to access the designer collaborations. I lived and breathed for these. Some of my very favourite items in my closet are from Target collabs. I will sorely miss showing up at the store for the 8:00 AM launch of these lines. I never really understood why Canadians didn't spring on these collections like people in the States do.

One of the five 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target items I bought. My favourite line!

Dress: Peter Pilotto for Target

Dress: Sarah Stevenson for Target (a Canadian designer!)

In addition to Target closing, other Canadian stores have left (or are leaving soon). Sad goodbyes go out to Mexx, Smart Set, and Jacob.

I'll miss you, Target Canada. Sniff sniff.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Guest Post: The Hemline by Eclipse

Stop on over to The Hemline by Canadian fashion retailer Eclipse to check out my guest post! Thanks Eclipse for the opportunity to share my fashion predictions for 2015. The questions were really fun to answer! What do I think about trends, prints, and a gal's must-have item?

Click here to see the post.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Wedding Wednesday: Photos in Juno Garden

After our long and drawn out ceremony (just kidding, it was nine minutes and perfect!) it was a great relief to feel like the more formal part of the day was done. We had Juno Garden at Caesar's Palace for a very short time - about a half hour after the ceremony - so we had to be pretty quick at getting the photos done. 

With my mom and dad

With R's mom and dad

We were incredibly lucky to have so many family and friends be able to join us. In total we had 60 guests from all over Canada and the States.  There were many important people who couldn't be there, but we tried to focus on the fact that we had a really great turn out for a destination wedding, and our guests got along so well!

Our wedding guests

Happily ever after. 

Coming up in the next few weeks will be photos from our limo tour of various spots on the Vegas strip and the reception. Check out my earlier posts on the ceremony, getting ready, and the walk to the garden.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

My 2014 Shopping Budget Review

In 2014, I approached my shopping budget a little differently. I used to give myself a monthly budget, but I found it restricting when it came to buying more expensive items. I found myself buying more quantity of less expensive stuff and the quality was suffering.

Partway through the year, I decided to go with a quarterly budget, which I still summarized every month. My budget was $500 per quarter, which allowed me to buy pricier items without going over my monthly budget.

I allow myself to carry over any money that is left at the end of one quarter into the next quarter. This includes any money that is left over at the end of a year.

I don't count clothing/money I get as gifts (or gift card money) in my budget. I had birthday money this year that I chose to spend in Vancouver on clothes. So I actually had more than $2000 in spending if you count gifts. I don't count things like PJ's, socks, bras, etc as well because these are necessities and really don't count towards evolving my personal style.

If I ever make any money on clothing (e.g consignment) I would put it towards my budget as well. I hope to sell a few leather jackets this year.

For 2014, I came in $25 under budget, which will roll forward to 2015, giving me a clothing budget for this year of $2025.

Since I've been budgeting, I find I am so much more careful with what I buy. I really analyze items to make sure they make sense in my wardrobe. Trying to picture at least three ways to style something with my current wardrobe before I buy it helps.

My top picks for 2014 are the five items that I bought that I think have had the most use or the potential to be used for years to come.

1.Top Shop black sandals I bought in Vancouver. I wore these so much last summer and they were really comfortable. They weren't on sale, but at $50, so well worth the price and then some.

2. Banana Republic black dress. OK, I've only worn this once, but it has the potential to be in my wardrobe for a really long time. With the leather detail it is truly a "me" dress.  Fabulous buy at $50.

3. Converse black leather Jack Purcell's. I am sooooo glad my mom convinced me to buy these in Vegas. I've worn them a lot and they go with way more things than my black canvas ones. When I go to a Converse outlet, I can't help but buy another pair. Some people collect stamps. I collect Chucks. Such a steal at $24.

Wearing the dress and shoes here. 

4. American Eagle jeans. At $7.50 I've worn these so much that they're down to a quarter per wear I'm sure. These are the perfect length, rise, and fit. They are my "go-to" jeans for sure.... especially now when I'm feeling the effects holiday over-indulgence and squeezing into my lower rise jeans is kinda painful.

Jeans and shoes worn here.

5. Nine West red handbag. This was actually a gift from the Nine West store at Mic Mac Mall. In truth, I like it better than my Kate Spade bag for functionality. The outer pocket fits my phone which is so convenient.

Have I inspired you to stick to a budget for the new year? It really helps to curb impulse buys and makes you take a good hard look at what your wardrobe actually needs.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

My Monthly Purchases: December 2014

Here are my clothing purchases for the last month of 2014! It was really quiet shopping month, style-wise. I bought some non-clothing stuff after Christmas from Sephora. Seriously, Sephora is the funnest place on Black Friday and Boxing Day. I'll review some of the stuff I purchased soon.

Skirt: Dynamite
Discounted from $30 to $8
The lighting in the store made this seem really thin and and potentially see-through, but once I got it home in normal lighting it was fine. I can see myself wearing this year-round. I love the zipper details. I wore this on Christmas Eve.

Vest: Club Monaco
Discounted from $198 to $80
My current faux fur vest needs replacing. It's too short, hitting me in the wrong spot and creating (highlighting?) unflattering bulges. We can't have that, can we. This version is sleek and a good 6 inches longer. It's also dressier. I haven't worn it yet, but I will soon! The website says it's black, but it's actually a really dark green. Gotta love Club sales. The day I bought it, all sale was an extra 50% off.

Bag: Smart Set (no photo and no longer available on-line)
Discounted from $30 to $9
I needed a new bag for taking stuff back and forth to work. My books/magazines and snacks don't fit in my handbag. I was using a navy blue Body Shop tote, but I needed something a little classier. I have a really nice Kenneth Cole bag too but it's too nice to sit on the floor at work, so I save that for when I take the computer to Starbucks to blog (and I always put it on a chair).

Vest: Gap (no photo and no longer available on-line)
Discounted from $70 to $12.50
This was sitting all alone, the only size left - a denim vest smushed between some full-sleeved denim jackets. I really wanted a denim vest last summer but didn't find one for a good price. It's a medium-wash and slightly distressed. Should look fabulous layered over a sundress in the spring.

That is it for December! I also bought a pair of boots from Aldo, but ended up returning them.

Value of Items: $328
What I Paid: $110

I saved 66%

I under-spent this quarter by $25, which will roll forward to next quarter.

Next week, I'll calculate how I did with my spending for the year and share some of my favourite purchases.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Toasty Fingers

I don't know where you live, but where I live it's SO cold. Until now, winter was kind. Recently the temperature took a nosedive, and it's just not smart to try going out without all your parts covered, including the hands.

I browsed on-line for some cute options and here's what I found.

Toasty Fingers by jennifer-merlin featuring a sequin glove

Zara gray glove, 30 CAD / Topshop bear mitten, 36 CAD / Michael Kors lined glove, 79 CAD / Kate Spade sequin glove, 64 CAD / Coach horse glove, 69 CAD

From classy to quirky, I can see myself wearing all of the styles above. My wardrobe's most-worn pair are soft black leather mittens I've had for probably ten years (I can't believe I've not lost them...) I'd like to add a pair of leather gloves to the mix at some point. My hands are hard to buy for as they're small.

Stay warm!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

New Traditions

The holiday season came and went really quickly! This was a year for change for R and I as we tweaked some of our lifelong Christmas traditions to create some new customs of our own. There was still a lot of family time involved, but there was also more "us" time, as we spent Christmas eve and morning together - a first for us even though this was our fifth Christmas as a couple.

Apologies for horrific lighting... the good camera was "all the way upstairs". The full-length photos were so shadowy I couldn't even bear to post them. I wore this on Christmas Eve.

Details

Top: Joe Fresh

Skirt: Dynamite

Booties: c/o Nine West

Tights: American Apparel

Bracelet: Banana Republic

Did you have any changes to your usual holiday this year?

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Favourites of 2014

I'm not one for making resolutions. I prefer to call them goals, or to be even more forgiving, predictions. A lot of my goals for this year involve becoming more organized. I predict a lot of lists!

In terms of style, 2014 brought me a giant closet. A closet where I can now see exactly how much clothing I have. It's a lot, and I don't love some of what's in there. I'm not the type of person to have a carefully curated closet, but I can work to let go of stuff that isn't getting worn. Admittedly a lot of the stuff I'm not wearing is stuff that was bought not because I loved it, but because it was on sale and moderately appealing.

I skimmed through my old posts to find a few of my favourite looks from 2014.

Picking favourites like this isn't easy, but it helps me to zone in on what I should be buying. I obviously gravitate towards certain shades for my basic looks. When I'm going somewhere special the colors come out, but day-to-day I feel most myself in black, grey, white, and other neutrals.

I need to remember that while that fuchsia sweater looks pretty on the shelf, I'm not going to grab for it as much as the black one... so buy the black one.

Do you have any style goals for the new year?

XOXO
Glitterary Girl