One of Spring 2015’s basics as you could see on the runways, is unusual, out of this world animal prints!
Animal prints were big last year as well, so I bet a lot of you have some great animal print pieces already. Although you might notice last years pieces were different types of print. Spots and stripes, whereas now they have crabs and jellyfish prints (according to popsugar).
Image from Popsugar
I haven’t snagged anything like it yet but will be keeping an eye out for something that speaks to my style. One of my favourite animal print clothing, has to be the zebra coat from Zara. The double z in my wardrobe. It’s different and light to wear. Great for spring or early fall weather.
It’s Thursday and you know what that means (on Twitter and Instagram at least)… Throwback Thursday! I like being different and thinking outside of the box, especially for party themes. I was really excited when I found a few ladies online, who shared their Alice in Wonderland themed bridal showers. All of a sudden, I didn’t feel so silly for choosing it as my theme. You still get a few people looking at you puzzled, like “whaaa? Alice in Wonderland? So, do you like, dress up as a rabbit?” Haha. That was the best response I got.
I compiled an album of images from my google search for ideas and inspiration. Here are some of them:
Tea cups, flowers & decor
Cake & Sweets Table Ideas
Dress inspiration
As soon as I knew my theme, I was on a look out for everything that could work for decor. It isn’t hard to pull off this theme, especially around spring time when you have faux flowers, rabbits and green everywhere! I was fortunate enough when one day I got off the street car, at the wrong stop and accidentally found a tea shop that had dedicated their entire window display to Alice in Wonderland. They had tea pots, topsy turvy decor, clocks and more.
The store wasn’t open at the time, so I went back later. If you’re in Toronto you MUST check out this store for any of your high tea events; Pippins Tea Company on Queen Street West.
One of the items that I was SO in love with at this store was their tea cup clock. Kind of looked like this (Note: It’s not the size of an average wall clock, approx. 25 inches length and width):
The price tag was a bit much to be used only for the bridal shower and at the time not knowing where I would put it didn’t justify the purchase. One day though, I may hunt this piece down for a room dedicated to where my ladies and I can have our afternoon tea or even look into making this my DIY project.
The ladies who own and/or work at Pippins Tea Company are incredible! As soon as I told them the theme of my bridal shower they were giving me lots of ideas, tips and helped me out with letting me rent a large hot water dispenser for the event and gave me Alice In Wonderland boxes for free! (The boxes were used to put the prizes inside for the games we played.)
I bought all of my tea supplies and decor from Pippins. Best find ever!
Pippins Tea Company: Key hole centerpiece
TIP: To give height to my centrepieces I added some books wrapped in colourful tissue paper. We did a poor job in wrapping them because we were last minute with this idea but it did the trick.
I got a styrofoam ball from Michaels and put these faux green grass pieces all around the top half and placed it on top of the pot.
TIP: If you can find a half ball, that would be so much better. The white part of the ball kept peeking through whenever a guest would brush their arm or hand against the top. A half would stay put and not move as much.
We left some of the loose tea we bought from Pippins Tea Company open and some already packed into tea bags for guests. Leaving it open allowed our guests to smell how amazing the tea was. It was hard picking only two flavours since they have SO many at their shop.
TIP: Label your teas. We forgot!
I used many different sets of tea cups for the event, just like the actual movie and story when all the characters in Alice in Wonderland are sitting around the tea table, notice how each one has a different cup/saucer?
I added a few other little Alice in Wonderland touches to the table decor. Clock, playing cards, rabbits and colourful food plates for the lunch that was served. If you choose to do this theme you could always just do high tea foods like sandwiches, croissants etc, however, I always like to do lunch as well. The lunch wasn’t part of the theme at all. I picked what the majority of my guests would love to eat, a fusion of Italian and Indian food.
I was bursting with excitement when my bridesmaids surprised me with an Alice in Wonderland themed cake, cookies, cupcakes and cake pops! What darlings to organize the very best themed sweets table I’ve ever set my eyes on. (Thank you loves!)
For the takeaways, I made these Alice in Wonderland themed gift bags THAT had AN EYE SHADOW, EYELINER SET WITH LIP GLOSS. THESE BAGS ARE REALLY EASY TO MAKE.
Takeaways
You need:
white gift bags black and Red construction paper hole puncher black ribbon red tissue paper
Directions:
Cut out hearts and clubs out of the black and red construction paper. Put aside. Punch holes into the hearts and clubs as seen in above picture and do the same for the white gift bags. Weave the black ribbon through the hearts/clubs (make sure the ribbon only shows behind the shapes) and then through the gift bag. Tie in back. Fill the bags with the tissue paper and gifts. Voila!
To bring this entire event to full circle I had to play the part by wearing a rabbit outfit wearing a blue dress like Alice does in her story. At first I looked everywhere for a blue dress and I found one but it wouldn’t come in time from Dubai for my bridal shower. So I got permission from the designer to have something like it made here in Toronto.
alice in wonderland dress
I found a seamstress on Queen Street who I read in an article had done many dresses for different stars who would come to Toronto for shows. Kingi from Peach Berserk took my design and created it beautifully. I was on a time constraint otherwise there were a few things I would’ve asked to have fixed but otherwise it was perfect!
When was the last time you went to a mall? Did you happen to go inside Sephora? How about Tory Burch?
I uploaded my first shopping haul last night and I’m going to be completely honest with my readers. I was super nervous! Now that it’s over and out there on the world wide web, I wish I had done this when I was a busy bee being a professional make-up artist, entrepreneur and going to all those awesome beauty and fashion events. But you know what, it really is never too late!
It’s about time I crawled out of my safe zone and did something that involves all of my talents. Technology, beauty, fashion, social media and marketing, to mention a few. Feels weird even saying that, but a good pat on your back once in awhile feels good.
Here’s the video:
Stay humble and thank you so much for watching! xo
Mothers Day, the weather was beautiful and the city was alive with events galore!
I had a baseball game to attend with friends from IBM and GNC later in the afternoon, so I planned to surprise her with flowers and cake first. I got to the door and just as I was adjusting my purse to knock on the door, my mom opens the door, on her way out to run some errands. I was caught off guard so I barely made it to saying..“Su su su SURPRISE!”
My mom’s reaction, shocked, “Oh wow!! How did you get here?!”
I love moments like this. When everything lines up beautifully, to bring a smile to someone’s face.
I immediately noticed her outfit and guided her back into the house, telling her she needs to get ready for her special day! Moms are always busy taking care and doing things for others that frequently they forget themselves. It’s their children, family and friends’ job to remind them to either look after themselves or to just do it for them. That’s love.
After some giggles and catch up time with my family and a moment to enjoy this perfect pre-game snack..
I made my way to the Rogers Center.
On this lovely day every women who attended the game received a pink rose, to mark Mother’s Day! They also had a section where they were giving free manicures, pedicures and more.
We had seats in the TD Comfort Clubhouse area and I enjoyed taking a break and moving to seats in the dining area for lunch. We could still see the field from our table. The lunch was great! The desserts were impeccable. They had s’mores bread pudding (insert drool)
Close to the end of the game a ball came flying towards our section, and as much as I would love to say I caught it (so cliché) it fell into our section and no one had any idea where it rolled too. So I checked under my seat and there it was! Rolled and stopped right under me. Meant to be!
After the game I made my way back to my mama’s place, spent time with our family and then was on my way, bearing gifts, to see my other mom (my mother in-law). Whom I love so much with all my heart!
Share your Mother’s Day story in the comments below :”)
Blazer – H&M (Made from recycled water bottles)
Tank – Forever 21
Jeans – ONLY (Bought in Egypt)
Shoes – Tory Burch Spring 2014
Purse/Satchel – French Connection
Necklace – Handmade from Varadero, Cuba
If a picture can create awareness to my thousands of followers, then why not?
I recently posted an OOTD, which you can see here and I found it fitting to do an OOTN (Outfit Of The Night). Everyone’s seen the dolled up side of my style, well here’s my alternative style. Sporty Chic.
“What’s Sporty Chic?” you ask.
Simple, to start with you’ll need either a fitted casual sporty shirt or pants. Tracking pants or stretchy skinnies are popular ones. I went with stretchy skinnies. These pants are the most comfortable pants I own.
The top I chose for my ootn was picked out for me by beautiful Sami at Blk Sheep Clothing. An awesome boutique that carries more then 50 designer brands. I love this place and can’t wait to go back again!
Next, you want to match your clothes but not everything. Here I matched the colour of my fringe purse with my shoes.
Which brings me to shoes. For a sporty chic look you don’t want athletic sport shoes, you want something more trendy or with a high front. Converse works great as well.
It’s a Friday night and I just came home from my full time job. First thing I want to do is get into something that isn’t a blazer. I bet all of you working ladies can relate.
You make dinner and realize you’re missing something. In my case, I put on some kicks and went on a mission to find it.
Story changes here to something more important. Ever since I read the story about the young girls being kidnapped and sold into slavery, I’ve been meaning to find an opportunity to create awareness to my social media followers. If you have an influential stand anywhere, using it for good just makes all of the hard work you put into getting there, worth it. I love my followers and I’m grateful for every comment, like and follow I receive. I hope for more so that when I do posts like this, it resonates with not thousands but millions of people.
I’d like to clear the air about this comment that was made by a man claiming to be Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, that CNN had posted in this article.
“I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah,”
“There is a market for selling humans. Allah says I should sell. He commands me to sell. I will sell women. I sell women,” he continued, according to a CNN translation from the local Hausa language.
This is preposterous! Allah does not say to sell girls. Anyone who is Muslim or has done any of their own deep research of this religion will know how modesty and respect for women is highly important in Islam. I quote the opinion of Arsalan Iftikhar, special to CNN.
“They must have also missed the numerous times that the Prophet Muhammad categorically stated during his life that women or children were never to be harmed under any situation.”
Do your research everyone and find the truth for yourselves.
I stand by and respect our future generation of young women who stand for their human rights and my heart and prayers go out to the missing Nigerian school girls.
Jacket – BeBe
Top – Blk Sheep Clothing – Designer: CHRLDR
Pants – FCUK
Shoes – Nike Force Sky High
Purse – H&M
I love spending time downtown. There’s never a dull moment. So much to do, so much to see.
One of my favourite places is the new pedestrian bridge, Puente de Luz. This bridge connects the CityPlace condos with a short cut to popular streets like King and Queen St. Where you can pretty much find anything.
I often shy away from wearing everything white. It’s so easy to get your whites dirty if you’re walking everywhere. Which makes it even more special when you do choose this look. There’s something risky and pristine about this style. When shopping for whites, make sure you test the clothing for transparency. Do the light and hand test. Ask to see it outside or put your hand behind the fabric. If you already own items that are too see through, don’t worry. Wear a neutral or white tank top underneath the blouse or layer some tanks like I did. I love layering! For pants, it’s best you test them out first.
Wearing everything white with pops of colour in accessories or shoes, brings more attention to them. For an example, take a canvas and splash 1 or 2 colours of paint on it. They stand out right? Add any more colour and it’s just a colourful painting. Avoid wearing white shoes and go for metallics, brights or nude. I chose pastel and soft colours to go with my white ootd (outfit of the day). During the day I like to go for more neutral or pastel colours and flats! Unless I’m going to an event or in the evening when I need to bring out the gems and metallic heels.
At the end of every winter, we tuck away the heavy duty boots and replace them with our dainty heels and twinkle toe flats.
I had so much fun putting together my first Monday Minute this week to feature the type of shoes everyone will be wearing this Spring. Here are my picks:
1. BCBG Metallic Pumps – These pumps will take any of your low key outfits and add that extra needed pizzazz.
2. Khussa Flats – A style of South Asian handcrafted shoes made in India and Pakistan. My sister got me these awesome flats from her trip to Lahore, Pakistan. These shoes have delicate and intricate thread embroidery. In the days of Kings and Queens, these shoes were heavily embroidered in real gold and silver. Nowadays, they’re made with materials that make them affordable for everyone to purchase.
3. Charles & Keith Flats – Purchased at the City Stars Mall, the largest mall in Cairo, Egypt.
4/5. Nine West/Steve Madden Wedge – I got these in California and it was one of my favourite purchases during that trip. Wedge’s are the most comfortable in the heels category. Especially if there’s a platform in the front for balance.
6. Mango heels – The ankle buckle adds structure to this delicate heel and can be easily dressed with your simplest to your most dolled up outfits.
It’s a beautiful day outside, so it’s only fitting to share a few of my favorite pieces for this season. Some of these items I just couldn’t wait and went out to buy them, so you’ll see them in my upcoming ootd’s (outfit of the day) on Instagram.
1. A perfect pastel satchel. This one is from French Connection and I love the spacious inner compartment!
2. The tea length skirt. Mini, midi and maxi have a great new member. I’m going gaga over this modest trend. The hem hits just above the ankle.
3. Spring studs. Floral is back, so get a nice floral pair.
4. Beach ready Tory Burch espadrille flats.
5. Nautical stripes. No matter what your personal style, stripes will surely fit into your spring wardrobe effortlessly.
6. Guerlain Meteorites Powder.
7. The Clutch.
8. Bold sunnies. If you don’t have a bold pair already, be on the look out for a killer pair. I can’t wait to rock these Prada sunnies.
9. Metallics. We saw this trend in FW2013 and it’s been adorned since. These BCBG pumps make for a great statement heel.
10. Get bold orange lips! I love this YSL Tangy Mandarin color.
11. Wide-leg pants made a strong comeback this season. Flooding the runways in collections from Michael Kors to Ferragamo. Pair this style with a feminine blouse or bold blazer to get this season’s posh tailored look. Think, Victoria Beckham.
Keep these colors in mind when you’re out and about, shopping for your Spring wardrobe:
If you had to make a Spring 2014 Mix, what songs would you include?
Stacks with necklaces, stacks with bracelets and even rings! Is it just another trend or a choice of style? If you ask me, it’s always been a personal preference for those who love the look of stacked jewelry. Lately it’s been trending and seen everywhere from magazines, social platforms and even on the red carpet.
Here’s the quick cheat sheet of how to stack your accessories without looking like Mr.T :
When you’re layering your rings, keep in mind that stacking your rings doesn’t work if you wear every ring you own. Also, if you plan to wear a chunky or cocktail ring, make sure you have polished nails; especially since they can bring more attention to your hands.
1. Pick a metal and stay within that theme.
2. Make a statement with a chunky ring and a small simple one on your pinky.
3. Wear your cocktail ring with your more dressy outfits.
4. More than 1 statement ring on each hand? Do it! Just make sure you match them up either by metal or colors. They have to flow together in some kind of way.
5. For a more electric look, pair a statement ring with a midi ring (a smaller band that is worn above the knuckle) and a pinky ring.
What if you have a wedding/engagement ring? Can you still stack? Absolutely! Work around your ring but place any statement rings on your other hands fingers.
There are two different techniques of stacking necklaces that have really stood out to me. One is the casual, everyday stack and then there’s the statement stack.
Casual Everyday Stack: You pick out minimum 3, no more then 5 thin chained necklaces and put them on in layers.
Each one is worn like a step, shortest to longest. You can change the step usually by clasping in the necklace at different points. This technique is easy and fun! You might want to apply the same rules as we did with stacking rings. Staying within the same metals, simple thin chains etc.
Statement Stack: There are so many variations of statement stacking. See below for some examples
via DylanLex
On the red carpet:
Keep it fun and if you like, apply some of the same guidelines from ring stacking. Just try to avoid looking like the 8 year old you, who just finished raiding her mother’s closet and put everything on in sight.
I did a poll on my Twitter account to see how many of you thought there was a right way to stack or if it’s all a fluke! Here are the results:
I believe there is no right or wrong way. Your style is unique to yourself. You can wear what you want, the way you want. If you wear it with confidence, others will notice and before you know it, you’re a trend setter.
This post is a set of guidelines from a variety of fashion experts and tips of my own. Tried and tested, with many compliments. Whose to say you must follow these ways. If you like the suggestions; try it, tweak it and make it your own.
How do you stack? I want to read all about it! Share your tips below.
