I'm Back!

So after over a month of being MIA, I'm finally back, and will be making a conscious effort to post regularly! In my defense, the past month has been crazy busy, and I honestly haven't had a whole lot of free time to just sit and write! The good news is that from now on, I'll only have one job instead of two, which means more time to write! However, that being said, having one less job also means one less source of income, so...yeah, it's definitely a bitter-sweet kind of thing. 

Anyway, I suppose I'll start off by saying that Ryan and I are officially settled in our apartment and couldn't be happier living downtown! I'm loving the way our place is taking shape and even though it's still a bit of a work in progress, I'm quite content with the way it's going so far. 

We did encounter a mini disaster of sorts when we tried to stain our IKEA dining table and chairs. I'm getting over it though, since I have since purchased a navy tablecloth to hide the mess! Essentially, we bought the wrong kind of wood stain, and instead of creating a beautifully rich walnut color, the paint turned out very streaky and formed horrible globs everywhere. I know, I know...those of you with experience are telling me "you should have used X paint or Y paint" and "you should be sanding it between coats". Trust me, I spent far longer than I would have liked, researching all of this stuff! With the price we paid for the table and chairs, and with how the paint turned out, it's really just more economical to cover it all up for now..at least until we're ready to tackle the problem again! 

In other non-decor related news, something that Ryan and I have both been enjoying in our down time, is the convenience of being able to walk three blocks to our local dog park! Rocky absolutely loves it, and it's nice because he gets to meet lots of other dogs and get plenty of exercise running around off-leash! He's even been lucky enough to be at the dog park at the same time as his old buddy Bane, a two year old mastiff, who was at the Humane Society with Rocky at the same time that he was. Ryan and I had even seriously considered adopting Bane, that is, until Rocky cemented his place in our hearts! 

I don't want to ramble, so I'll end here for now, with the promise that I'll have more posts this week! I hope you all have a fun (and safe!) Halloween! 

Classic Icons

Today's post is all about my personal favorite classic icons! I certainly wasn't around when these ladies were in their prime, but from what I know and have seen of them in films, they are all incredible women with a distinct individuality that has helped garner them the title of "classic icon". 

In this day and age, I can't think of too many female figures in the public eye that I can see being revered as "iconic" in the years to come. Okay, so maybe there are a few current entertainers who might come to be considered "icons" in the years to come, but not necessarily for their achievements or talent. Instead, it seems that many of the most famous entertainers these days are measured by how outrageous or shameless they can be. 

A large part of what I admire about the women I consider to be "classic icons" is that they were feminine, refined, and graceful, yet also bold and unconventional. They were unique and self-assured. Something many women (including myself) sometimes struggle with.

Grace Kelly

1929-1982

American film actress who married Prince Rainier III of Monaco, and became a real-life princess.


Select films: Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, Dial M for Murder.




Brigitte Bardot

1934- present

French film actress, singer, and fashion model, as well as animal rights activist.

Select films: Contempt, Viva Maria.





Audrey Hepburn

1929-1993

British film actress and humanitarian who was also a renown fashion icon.

Select films: My Fair Lady, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Roman Holiday. 





Sophia Loren

1934- present

Italian film actress and beauty icon.

Select films: Houseboat, That Kind of Woman, It Started in Naples.

Updates!

So I know I've been absent from posting lately, but there has certainly been a lot going on these past few weeks, and it doesn't show any signs of letting up for awhile! It's been the good kind of busy though, with lots of exciting new changes and things to celebrate (wedding shower)! If you've been reading my blog regularly, you'll know that Ryan and I will be moving at the end of September, so we've been pretty preoccupied with that lately. We've been in three different apartments in the past two years, so we are definitely ready to settle in to our new apartment for at least a couple of years! 

Ryan also started his fall term of school recently, so his schedule changed from what we were used to all summer. Luckily, his school schedule isn't too crazy, so the transition hasn't been too overwhelming (yet)! I recently got a second job at JCrew so I'm really excited about that! I've been a big fan of JCrew since long before it came to Canada so I'm really looking forward to building a career with the brand! 

And finally, on Friday, September 18th, we did something that I honestly hadn't planned on doing for at least another year...

WE GOT A DOG!

His name is Rocky and he's amazing! I am already so in love, and Ryan can certainly testify that I've turned into a bit of a mamma bear when it comes to our new doggy! 

He's a German Shepard / Siberian Husky mix and he's a very handsome fellow! We got him from the Ottawa Humane Society and couldn't be happier! He's about 3 years old and has a great temperament from what we've noticed so far. We saw his ad posted on Thursday and when he quickly was marked as 'adoption pending', I was very upset and worried. Luckily, we got a call from the Humane Society on Friday, saying the first person who had him on hold hadn't picked him up, so that afternoon, Ryan went to get him! 

We've been on quite a few long walks these past few days and it's been wonderful! We're really looking forward to being able to take him to the dog park and for long walks along the canal once we move downtown! 

Welcome to the family Rocky! 

Wedding Weekend Activities

Good morning! I hope everyone had a nice weekend! Despite the rain here in Ottawa, I had an amazing weekend, which centered around wedding related activities on both Saturday and Sunday. The weekend kicked off with my wedding shower, followed by the Wedding Palace Bridal Show in Ottawa on Sunday, where Ryan and I picked up lots of goody bags and signed up for plenty of contests!

The spread! Beautiful and delicious!

After moving some furniture in preparation for our move at the end of the month, I headed to Kingston with my mother-in-law, her sister, and their mum to attend my wedding shower. Even though driving conditions weren't ideal, it was a really fun car ride, both to and from Kingston!

My mum planned the event for weeks and put so much love and attention into every little detail! We arrived right on time and headed into my parents house to join the party. The spread was fantastic and the house was perfectly decorated for the shower. I had such a wonderful time chatting and catching up with everyone in attendance. There were plenty of fun wedding shower games and prizes to be won, and everyone had a really great time! 

Cutting the cake!

The party was such a whirl of excitement that it felt like it all went by so quickly! The cake was beautiful but with everything else going on, I barely had the chance to have more than two bites of it! 

Beautiful women: My mum, aunt Rebecca, and aunt Linda

I tried to spend a bit of time with each guest, and it was so lovely to be able to see so many wonderful people. I am so appreciative of everyone's love and support! It's so easy for life to get in the way and make it difficult to spend time with family and friends, so being able to see so many people, some of whom I hadn't seen in years, was a really special treat!  

Oldest and dearest friends! Me and Jen!

Thank you to everyone who came to the wedding shower, and also to those who were unable to make it but still sent their love! I am so grateful to have such incredible family and friends and I love you all dearly! I will cherish these memories (and your insightful wedding advice!) for many years to come!

Fall 2015 Makeup Trends

This fall, it's looking like things will be going the classic route when it comes to makeup trends. Think berry-stained and red lips, simple black liner, and warm blushed cheeks.

In terms of fashion, a 70's revival is taking place across the fashion world this season, which translates to simple, effortless makeup looks. I'm going to be completely honest right now and admit that I am not a huge fan of 70's style. Of course, there are some elements that I do like, but overall I find it tends to lack the femininity and structure I enjoy I typically enjoy in fashion.   

Lips

Rich, dark hues in berry and red shades are perfect for fall. 

Suggested lipsticks and stains:

* MAC Lipstick in Diva $20.00 

* NARS Audacious Lipstick in Charlotte $32.00 

* Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry $11.00

* Josie Maran Lip Stain & Shine in Berry Bliss $22.00





Eyes

Sweeps of black liner accentuate and define eyes for a classic look.

Suggested eyeliners: 

* Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Liner in Black Ink $25.00

* Revlon ColorStay Liquid Liner in Black $8.00

* Tarte Skinny SmolderEYES Amazonian Clay Liner in Onyx $19.00







Cheeks 


Create a soft flush with warm shades of pink blush.

Suggested blush:

* Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Natural Beauty $28.00

* Revlon Powder Blush in Haute Pink $12.00

* Dior Diorblush Cheek Stick in Cosmopolite Rosewood $34.00