Me Day

A few hours on my own in the mall, and I definitely know how to spend them!

I'm pretty average in the make-up skills department. I love getting my make-up done by a pro and soaking up tips on how to use makeup to make it look natural. I especially need help in the foundation and concealer department since I've been using these more lately (thanks spotty skin). 

I had my face done at Sephora Halifax last weekend (free with my upgrade to VIB status), and I really loved my make-up artist Mary's skills. I have my eye on the few of the products she used, but I'm making a vow to myself to use more of what I have in my stick now before buying any more. I really liked the Urban Decay finishing spray. It made my skin look really fresh. My eyes were done with the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani palette.

Before leaving Sephora, I was sure to spritz myself with some perfume - Atelier Cologne Mandarine Glaciale. Usually, I visit the store during the week and I can't wear perfume to work. I haven't smelled the new CK2 yet, but I'm curious to!

After Sephora, I hit up the Aritzia sale (oops, I did again) and will be sharing a couple of new things I bought in a few weeks when I do my shopping budget post.

DAVIDsTEA was my next stop, to stock up on a few new teas to help get me through my 30 Days to Wellness (more on that in a later post). I picked up The Glow, Serenity Now, and Cinnimon Rooibos Chai (caffeine free).

Details

Vest: Club Monaco

Sweater: Old Navy

Hat: H&M

Pants: Uniqlo

Necklace: Stella & Dot

Bracelet: Gift

Boots: Town Shoes

All of that was accomplished in under two hours! A perfect amount of time to feel like I had a bit of a "Me Day".

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Sunday Right Now 03.15.15

Reading: I started Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet on the plane to Vegas in October. I keep reading chunks of it, putting it down, and then picking it up again. Last week, I finished Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whitmore which was a really interesting read - part college girl book, part mystery.
Writing: Not much besides blog posts.
Clicking: Recaps of Fashion Month, Browns.ca (do I need new rainboots?), my friend's photography site - www.brettlocke.com
Seeing: Lots of birthday goodies I have to put away! Yesterday was my special day, and I was lucky enough to spend it with family who spoiled me with gifts and chocolate sea salt caramel cake! I'll recap the clothing-related gifts in a later post. Some other gifts I got were an idea board for a future custom closet, a wine glass holder for the tub, and DAVIDsTEA in White Nectarine.

What's left of the birthday cake. I can stretch this all week....

Smelling: My Nestle Pure Life sparkling raspberry lime water
Hearing: The Social in the background. R is at a hockey game.
Watching: I'm partway through season two of Hart of Dixie, which I love! I have The Royals set to record tonight - hopefully it will be good. I'll probably watch Dancing with the Stars tomorrow night. Competitors of interest for me are Rumer Willis and Chris Soules.
Feeling: Full! Just had some chicken stir fry and birthday cake.
Wearing: Beaver Canoe track pants, a tee shirt, a hoodie, aaaaand Tory Burch flats (because I can't wear them outside now, can I?)

I can make this a thing, right?

Anticipating: Friday! First day of official spring (haha) and my first Burger Week outing with my former co-workers. There will be many Burger Week stories to come, I hope! Balanced with Piyo of course!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

True to You

R and I headed to downtown Halifax several hours before the Pride Parade started. We had a task at hand (wedding band shopping) and weren't planning on staying around for the parade, but certainly got a taste of the vibe in the city. So many people in such fun colours! Then there was me in my neutral outfit. Ho hum. However, I was happy with what I was wearing, and isn't the whole idea of pride being true to who you are?

Details

Vest: Vero Moda via Envy

Tank: Banana Republic

Shorts and belt: Joe Fresh

Sandals: Topshop

Bracelet: Stella & Dot

Necklace: Forever 21

Bag and scarf: Coach

Sunnies: D&G

In case you're wondering what's in the tumbler, it was Magic Dragon from DavidsTea. Yummy!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Currently 01.12.14

It's a lazy Sunday following a big rain and windstorm last night. It was so loud! I'm surprised that there isn't more debris around the neighbourhood. Most of the snow is gone, which makes things look kind of blah. I'll take advantage of the thaw by wearing some skirts to work this week... and I will try my best to get a work outfit blog post. I never want to drag out the tripod after a long day, but I need to start.


Reading: I'm in the middle of reading a book on my Kobo - Twenty-Six by Leo McKay Jr.It's set in Nova Scotia and was inspired in part by the Westray mine explosion of 1992. I was thirteen at the time of the disaster, so I still remember the events, but they have a teenage spin on them. 

Amazon

Writing: I've been working on our wedding website on theknot.com (285 days to go!)

Listening: To constant football commentators (why do they have to yell all the time?) Is it almost time for the Superbowl? Red Hot Chili Peppers are playing half-time so I will be doubly excited for end of the season and listening to my favorite band.

Thinking: I'm going to have a hard time finding wedding shoes. I need something pretty but not boring, with kitten heels. Please, Nine West, create me something.

Smelling: Glitter and Gold tea from DAVIDsTEA. It's my favorite lately.

DAVIDsTEA

Wishing: We had a housekeeper. Not looking forward to cleaning today. My weekly big clean somehow got switched from Thursdays to Sundays over the holidays and I need to switch it back.

Wearing: Honestly. Pyjamas. Joe Fresh to be exact.

Loving: My Vitamin C products from The Body Shop. I don't think my face has ever been softer. The microdermabrasion is not exactly comfortable but I love the results! The skin boost is amazing as a primer. 

The Body Shop

Wanting: A good few hours at Forever 21. Just might be happening this week! I love the look of this long white sweater to wear with leggings. 

Forever 21

Needing: To get back into a real workout routine. Just as soon as all the Christmas decorations get removed from the gym room. T25 it is!
Watching: Too much TV lately! I'm watching the second to last season of Desperate Housewives on Netflix and Six Feet Under (re-watching Season One).

Feeling:Kind of blah today. I had a migraine last night and still feeling the aftereffects.

Clicking: Blogs, theknot.com, and wedding invite sites. We're still trying to decide if we're going to do paper or e-invites. I think we'll get at least a few paper invites done for keepsakes.

I'm linked up today, click below to see

That's what's new with me lately! Thanks for reading!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

September Sun

Saturday was a lovely day for having an afternoon in downtown Halifax with my mom. We had some wedding dress fun at Chester & Felicity, browsed the grand opening at Mills Halifax, and had lunch at Your Father's Mustache. I picked up some DAVIDsTEA to take home - Organic Buttered Rum and Mom's Apple Pie - both are great!

I was a bit hot in this sweater as it warmed up to an unseasonable 24 degrees.

Details

Sweater and socks: Club Monaco

Skirt: Gap

Scarf: Mexx

Handbag: 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target

Booties: Call it Spring

Sunnies: Coach

What do you think of the fun socks? I've picked up five pair of bright or patterned socks lately and I love wearing them with booties. 

XOXO

Glitterary Girl

Novel Tea: Part 16

For those of you who follow the blog for its (small yet occasionally present) literary component you'll like this post. I haven't shared my latest reading in far too long.

I cycle through times when I read a ton and times when I read not so much. For about a year after I finished university, I didn't want to read anything but magazines because I finally didn't have to read. I'm in one of those times again where I'm not reading as much. If I have some spare time, I'm more likely to catch up on some DVR, read blogs, or pick up a magazine. I know I'll soon circle around to voracious novel consumption again, but for now I won't force it.

I'll share with you two of the four books I've read since the holidays.

Kin by Lesley Crewe was a book I purchased at Word on the Street back in September. Lesley was kind enough to sign my copy and have a short chat with me about persevering with my novel. Lesley told me I was to read Kin myself first, then share it with my family members as we have roots in Cape Breton and this book is saturated with Cape Breton-isms. So far, mom and I have read it and we both enjoyed it very much. It's a novel that focuses on characterization, and by the time you finish the story, you feel as though you know the people you've just read about. Highly recommended and laugh out loud funny in parts, but be sure to have some Kleenex handy too!

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks was one of those books that I couldn't put down. Once I hit a certain part, I was itching to figure out what would happen next. The movie was good, but if you read the book, you'll notice some changes they made to the movie that make it less twisty and satisfying than the novel. Unfortunately, the printed version doesn't have Josh Duhamel, so if you haven't dipped into Safe Haven yet, read it first, then see the movie.

DAVIDsTEA has their spring collection out! I was happy to see Daydreamer -a favorite of mine from last year. So far I've tried Pom Tango and Coconut Oolong. Both are amazing, but I caution not to oversteep or use too hot water for Coconut Oolong as it "burns" easily. When brewed properly it is so sweet. I really love the oolongs. Yesterday I made a quick trip to the mall and couldn't resist picking up a cup of iced Big Apple - a great thirst quencher!

I'm not an on-line shopper generally (except books) BUT that may change soon. Zara now has an on-line store for Canada with free shipping over $50 and free returns. My two main reasons for not shopping on-line (shipping and returns) are not an issue. I saw this dress and died a little.

I'm really into the black and white look for spring/summer and this dress has  faux leather accents - another one of my loves! Also the back panel is black allowing me to sit in all sorts of things (ketchup! mud! cheesie dust!) without ruining the dress. It's hard to tell by the photo, but I think the white on the front is the faux leather part.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Unnatural

I'm linking up with longdistanceloving and talking about two things that are unnatural:

1) This vest (and I love it).
2) This lighting (and I hate it).

I miss summertime.... when it stays light outside past 4:30 p.m and pictures are much more fun.

Details:

Vest: Zara Kids (San Francisco)

Sweater: Kensie (Moments, Truro)

Shirt: Kersh (Moments, Truro)

Jeans: Guess (Moments, Truro)

Boots: Call it Spring (Halifax)

Bracelets: Macy's (San Francisco)

Bag: Coach (Edmonton)

I wore this for a day of very productive shopping.... for someone other than me! Shocking, I know. I was asked to help someone pick out a holiday party outfit, boots, jeans, and casual clothes. It was a great success! She got everything she was looking for. Thanks for the fun afternoon J... and for the Big Apple iced tea from DAVIDsTEA!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Novel-Tea: Part 15

Happy Hump Day!

Isn't November a fabulous month for reading? Holiday season isn't quite upon us yet, and it's too cold to be doing a whole lot outdoors -the perfect opportunity to curl up on the couch with a good book. Keep reading to find out one of my recent favorites!


I get a lot of my outfit inspiration from other bloggers. I really love the look of a blazer and a white shirt, but it's not the kind of thing I often feel like wearing. The occasions when I do should be immortalized in a photo.

Details:

Blazer- Ann Taylor (Wrenthem)

Shirt: Smart Set (Toronto)

Jeans: 7 For All Mankind (Century 21 kids section, NYC)

Necklace: Joe Fresh (Halifax)

Bracelet: Suzy Shier (Truro)

Watch: Guess (Vancouver)

Shoes: DV Dolce Vita (Macy's, San Francisco)

When I was in San Francisco I had a fantasy of buying Frye boots, but I didn't see a pair I fell in love with. These shoes were love at first sight! I really wanted a cap toe flat and I like the stud detail.


Vanilla Orchid is a recent release from DAVIDsTEA, and I love how delicate the flavour is. It's a sweet oolong and a pleasant break from the in-your-face tastes I usually go for.


I enjoyed reading Where We Belong while sipping on my Vanilla Orchid. I always look forward to a new read by Emily Giffin. She's the author that (in my dreams) I'd love to be compared to someday. Her books flow so well, and while the endings are expected, the journey there is always a surprise.

Where We Belong is a story told from the perspective of two people- a woman who chose to give her child for adoption and the eighteen year old daughter who finds her biological mom.




Have you read anything fantastic lately? Keep the recommendations coming!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Novel-Tea: Part 14

I finally read another book that I've been meaning to read for years: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. There's something about reading a book that immerses you in another culture that's totally fascinating.

Source

Lily is a young girl growing up in rural China, back when foot binding was a normal thing to do. I had this naive idea that foot binding was just wearing really small shoes so they suffocated the feet to the point where they just didn't have room to grow. Not so much. Brutal practice. Don't Google it (sorry Jenn, I know you warned me).

I highly recommend this book, especially if you liked Memoirs of a Geisha or other books that look at historical cultural issues but also have amazing character development.

Organic Persian Apple by DAVIDsTEA reminds me of an apple cider without the spice. It's one if the new teas from their fall line. I tried it because I love Big Apple so much... and I still like Big Apple more.

Warning: Yes there are pistachios in the tea and they look very enticing sitting in the bottom of your steeper when you've drained the tea. Don't eat them. Trust me. They've absorbed a lot of green tea and you will spit them out.

You have no idea how excited I am for San Francisco! We leave in nine days, and I am just bursting to go shopping. I have a huge reasonable list of items to look for saved in my phone and a new LBD is near the top. I found this one on-line from bebe:

Source

Sorry it's so small.... when I tried to make the picture bigger, it was all grainy. Trust me, it's super cute. It's actually on sale now, and I bet it will be gone before I get my hands on it. There are only two left on the website. Sigh.

Hope all my Canadian readers are having a great Thanksgiving weekend!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Novel-Tea: Part 12

Sometimes I'm slow to start books that it seems everyone else finished ages ago.

Dear John is one of those books - even the movie has been out forever...and I haven't seen it yet. Book before movie... ALWAYS.



Source

In true Nicholas Sparks' fashion, the story was quick and easy to read, involved falling in love, and flowed well with respect to both pacing and tears.

My tea of the day is the one that made me fall in love with DAVIDsTEA last year, when I thought I hated tea. This is Butterfly Jasmine. The leaves unfurl into a butterfly shape as it steeps!

The tea leaves are rolled up to look like little cocoons.

The steam fogged up my lens and by the time I snapped the shot, the magical moment was over.

Butterfly jasmine is delicious iced with a little agave nectar.

I found SUCH an appropriate dress to pair with the tea.



Source

This dress was created by Seattle designer Luly Yang. Art in the form of fashion!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Novel-Tea: Part 11

All Fall Down is a captivating story about a young girl, Sunny, who flees a cult - transitioning from the only life she's known into the scary world of the blemished (average people).

I really enjoyed this book.

Notice how I always enjoy books? That's because I only mention the ones I like on my blog. Being a writer, I imagine how sad it would be to stumble upon a bad review, so if I have nothing nice to say, I say nothing!

Source

It kept me guessing how things would turn out for Sunny and her kids. The end wasn't what I expected, and I liked the unpredictability of it.

I'm pretty excited about my DAVIDsTEA review. Bamboozled is so sweet smelling that when I put my nose near the bag, I can almost taste it. It's another one of those teas that's great hot or cold. I've been putting my tea in the steeper with cold water and letting it steep in the fridge overnight. I can't deal with hot tea in the summer.

Big pineapple chunk at 12 o;clock

My tea party dress is from one of my favorite stylish stars - Lauren Conrad. This is from her Paper Crown line. The cut of this dress looks like it would be very flattering.

Source

I've been lazy lately with sending in queries for my book. At last count, I've submitted 21 query e-mails and received ten "no thanks" responses. I know I should send in more queries, but the idea of shelving it and writing a new book is tempting. I can't really focus on starting something new until I've done everything I can with Losing My Anchor, but when is the point where I stop trying? I'm also toying with the idea of approaching local publishers.

Have you read anything great lately?

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Novel-Tea: Part 10

I left my Kobo in the box for 3 weeks before I started it up. I wanted one.... but I think a part of me was resistant to actually use it. I thought I'd miss holding a real book and turning the pages.

Now that I've read a few books on it, I can't believe I was so stubborn.

I love my Kobo.

Pretty pink cover! A Kobo Touch in black is inside.

It takes me less time to read on the Kobo. I've set the size of the type to medium, meaning there are fewer words on the page. For someone who gets distracted as easily as I do, this means less time trying to find the last line I read before my mind drifted elsewhere.

I was late to read The Secret Daughter. I was enthralled with the story from start to finish and it's one of the books that will stick with me for a long time. It didn't end how I expected it to, but it was still satisfying.

Read this if you haven't yet!

My tea of the moment is Organic Blueberry Jam by DAVIDsTEA. This stuff is soooo scented that it makes my whole kitchen smell like blueberries every time I open the bag. I hope they keep this one around!

I decided to find a dress that fit the blueberry theme, so I found this one worn by the lovely Lauren Conrad. Such a flattering shape and the color is stunning!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Novel-Tea: Part 8

The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon was a good read. It's written from a multiple character perspective and tells the story of what happens after two residents who are in love escape from an instituation.... one is found and returns, and the other stays on the run. It spans several decades and the ending is one that made me smile! It's evident the author did a ton of research for this book and that always impresses me.

The tea I chose for today's post is a simple one. A single ingredient - organic peppermint leaves. Meet Peppermint Amour by DAVIDsTEA.

It's lovely hot or iced and only takes 30 seconds to steep, so a good pick if you're in a rush.

Funny how things turn out.... this was originally intended to be a blog mainly about books, but it's taken on a life of it's own and can best be described as a fashion blog. So, to satisfy all the fashionistas who read it, here's what I'd wear if I were to have a tea party.



www.anthropologie.com



www.anthropologie.com

Thank you very much for all the amazing comments and follows... I've been welcomed so warmly to the blogging community and I'm very grateful :)

Catch me on Twitter @jennifermerlin

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

Novel-Tea: Part 4

This isn't a novel, so I know it's going against my novel-tea rules. What it is - a freaking funny and eclectic jumble of musings from my favorite talk show host ever. Ellen!

I love her show, and when I was unemployed for several months last year trying to finish my novel, almost every day I'd watch her show in the morning from 10-11 and then write. Now that I've joined the workforce again, I DVR her. I love her dancing, pranks, and surprises.... especially when she helps those who are facing troubled times.

I've never paid attention to who I hear in my head when I read. Throughout this book, I heard Ellen's voice, like she was reading the book to me. It was a nice distraction from hearing my own voice, which is how I normally read. I don't make up voices in my head unless I KNOW the voice. Speaking of...was anyone else soooo relieved to finally hear the first time someone said "Hermione" in the Harry Potter movies? Did anyone else call her Her-me-own?

Did you find that last paragraph annoying? If so, you might not like this book, because it's written as if someone crawled inside Ellen's head with a computer and just started typing the contents in random order. It's all over the place, but I really liked it, and I think most people would. It made me laugh out loud more than a few times.

I wanted to pick a tea that was bright and uplifting to match Ellen's spirit. I needed some black tea for when I require a caffeine boost. Lately I've been tending towards herbals and rooibos which are sans caffeine.

Meet Paridise Found from DavidsTea.

It's so pretty!

I've only had it hot, but can't wait to try it iced.

The color on my nails is OPI -  Hopelessly in Love.

The weather in Halifax was CRAZY HOT this week. We had two glorious days that shattered all temperature records. Do you know what I feel compelled to do when I'm faced with 27 degree weather in March?

Buy something summery.

So I did.

American Eagle skinny jeans

However, it's now back to normal here (cold).... so stay tuned for the next heat wave to see how I incorporate colored denim into my wardrobe. Thanks for the tease Mother Nature.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl