What are you doing for New Years?

Wishing everyone a fantastic {and safe} New Years Eve! What are you doing New Years Eve?!*

JewelMint & ShoeMint

I'm so tempted to purchase products off these sites...but I'm worried that the quality will not be the greatest. A few blogs I read rave about it! Have any of you bought shoes or jewelry off these sites?!  Let me know if you loved it or not!*

JewelMint

ShoeMint

Christmas in the Rockies

As I mentioned in older posts, we couldn't afford to fly home for Christmas this year, so we decided to start  new traditions! Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day in the mountains! This might have possibly been one of the best Christmas's I've ever had! There's nothing more Chrismas like driving into Banff National Park and being greeted by a snow storm,  moose and deer all around us and a beautiful chalet with a wood burning fireplace!

Christmas Eve

 

Christmas Eve

Christmas Table

Cloth Napkins - $10/ four Gluckstein Home
Beaded Napkin Rings - $2.99 each  Gluckstein Home

White Placemats - $12 each Urban Barn

Mistletoe Sangria and Bacon Wrapped Turkey

Chrsitmas Day & Banff

we must have been good this year!

Buffalo Mountain Lodge, Tunnel Mountain

Main Lodge

Wood burning

A white Christmas from our window

delicious 5 course Christmas dinner

Beef Tenderloin and Gnoochi

Homemade Ice-cream



Boxing Day

Morning Hike

Arctic Parka: $400 North Face

Boots: $170 Sorel

Banff Springs Hotel - Ice Rink!

Banff Springs Hotel lobby Christmas Tree!

Happy Boxing Day!

I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas {and that Santa was good to you of course!} We just got back from Banff! We spent Christmas Day and most of today in the National Park! We stayed at a resort called Buffalo Mountain Lodge {here} and {here}. It was amazing! Wood burning fireplace, deer right outside our window and SNOW!!!!! I couldn't wait to share some photos with you {more to come later!} for now, here's a few photos of what we woke up to this morning!*

Buffalo Mountain Lodge, Tunnel Mountain

Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas Eve!  I hope you all have a wonderful and magical Christmas!*

12 Days of Favorites*: Day 1

Clothing Swap Parties

One woman's junk, is another woman's treasure!  My girlfriends and I started having clothing swap parties a few years ago. It was an amazing chance to a) get rid of clothes we had for years {and obviously never wore} b) to swipe pieces from each other that we love and secretly always admired c) to donate what we didn't swap/want anymore to the local women's shelter and d) it was an amazing excuse to get together and have some fun! The most recent swap was my going away party the week before I moved to Calgary. I basically purged my room of everything I didn't think was necessary/important to bring, invited the girls over for Caesars and food and basically let them loose on all my stuff! I made them all promise to not let me take a thing from their piles {and with much self-control...I didn't!}. It's amazing the hilarious items that end up at these swaps, clothes always surface that either or mother's wore or we wore and thought were 'cool' in middle school! Trying them on again is always the best part of the night!*

{stuff...stuff...stuff...}

{costumes}

{80's chic!}

{mix n' match}

{remember these bad boys!?}

12 Days of Favorites*: Day 2

Michael Kors Shoes

Steve Madden shoes and boots use to be my go to brand. I find they fit true to size, they have great styles to choose from and are fairly affordable.  But then I purchased my first pair of MICHAEL by Michael Kors pumps {seen here and here}! From day one these shoes have been so comfortable. I've have never got a blister or sore foot from wearing them, the leather is so soft it basically molds to your foot and they aren't difficult to walk in. {I find Steve Madden shoes give you blisters for awhile and are terribly difficult to walk in, depending on the style}. So...since I had such a wonderful experience with my first pair of Kors pumps...I couldn't resist these and these! {the flats did give me a tiny blister at first on my heel} Brown's Shoes is currently havning a Michael Kors sale! So if you have any extra Christmas money left over and need a quality pump for work or play I highly suggest you make your way to Browns!*

 MICHAEL Michael Kors Pump: $150

MICHAEL Michael Kors Rhine Stone Pump: $98

MICHAEL Michael Kors Quilted Flat; $120

12 Days of Favorites*: Day 3

Croc Hair Straightener

I have gone through about 3 flat irons since I left the trusty clothes iron behind me {you know you did it too!}I believe my first hair straightener was a Conair that broke within 6 months, then I got a Babybliss, which I really liked, but it broke pretty often and the warenty always covered it for a new one but it didn't seem worth it. So finally, two Christmas's ago I got a new one. Orginally I wanted a CHI. But I used my mom's for awhile and didn't like how you couldn't control the temperature on it. The sales girl at Trade Secrets suggested the Croc Flat Iron. The temperature was adjustable {up tp 430 degrees}, it has turbolon coated plates, you can straighten your air when it's still damp and most importantly it has an automatic shut off {very important, I am prone to leaving my on... eeek!}. I like the larger plates, because my hair is so long and thick; so I chose the AV-CROC with 1 1/2" plates with the swivel cord and silver body. I'm pretty sure this flat iron is indistructable since I have dropped it countless times on the floor {and yes...in the toilet} and it still works perfectly! It's by far THE BEST flat iron I've ever used, and it was pretty much half the price of a CHI. I believe I got it on sale for $160! If your in the market, you should take a look at this product!*

AV-Croc Flat Iron: $160

12 Days of Favorites*: Day 4

Crochet Boot Slippers aka Afghan Sox

I LOVE my Afghan Sox! I'm on my 3rd pair and still loving them! Their so warm and cozy and perfect for wearing around the apartment. They have a leather sole sewn on the bottom so your able to wear them outside or to run down to the laundry room! I normally wear mine so often that the sole ends up falling off! I got my first pair at an 'around the world' store in Haliburton, Ontario call Bwana John's, my second pair were from Pink (Victoria Secret) similar to these but not as UGG like! And I recently received my third pair from my friend as a going away present!  The more 'stylish' type are available at places like Victoria Secret or La Senza, but if you want the more 'rugged' style their typically available at more oganic earthy stores, it's one of those things you kind of have to keep an eye out for!*

Afghan Sox: $16.99 Bwana John's

12 Days of Favorites*: Day 5

Makeup

As I mentioned in my Skin Care Post {here} I have had a lot of problems finding hypoallergenic makeup that doesn't irritate my skin. I posted about the foundation and concealer I use, but I didn't mention my favorite eye shadows, eye liners and mascaras! I use these products everyday {when I go out at night I swap out the eyeliner and eye shadows for something more dramatic}. I love the Quo liquid liner. The tip is perfectly pointed and not flimsy so drawing a straight line is fairly easy. I started using primer for my eye lashes in high school. I find the mascara goes on easier, and your lashes don't look clumpy and the primer keeps them healthy. I use to use those 2 in 1 mascara tubes, but I prefer the M.A.C Prep and Prime. When it comes to mascara I never buy expensive department store brands like Estee Lauder, Chanel or Dior. I just go to Shoppers Drug Mart and buy whatever is on sale!  During one of those sales, I found and fell in love with Maybelline, The Falsies Volume Express mascara. The wand is curved so it adds curl to your lashes {I hate eyelash curlers} and it also adds dramatic length! I'm also partial to M.A.C eye shadows, I find they apply easily and blending them to get different looks is so easy! The pots last a long time and are fairly inexpensive for the amount you get! I'm quickly running out of everything so I hope Santa puts a few things in my stocking!*

M.A.C Prep + Prime Lash : $15 M.A.C

M.A.C Eye Shadows: $15/1.5g M.A.C

QUO Liquid Liner: $8 Shoppers Drug Mart

The Falsies Volume Expess: $10 Shoppers Drug Mart

12 Days of Favorites*: Day 6

Homemade Pizza and Pizza Dough

I hate to say it, but pizza is one of my favorite food {next to perogies}. I could eat it every day, all day! After discovering how easy it is to make pizza dough, it has become one of our favorite go to - quick weekday meals! {We loosly follow Jamie Olivers pizza dough recipe found here or in his Jame at Home Cook Book}. Adding different ingredients such as, thyme, basil or cornmeal to the dough allows your pizza to taste deliciously different every time you make it! This past Monday we made caramelized onion pizza dough and topped it with fresh veggies, mozzarella cheese and fresh Italian sausage....it was delicious! What's your favorite homemade pizza recipe?*

12 Days of Favorites*: Day 7

Nail Polish

Everytime I walk by a salon or make-up store I can't resist going in and decorating my fingers with at least 5 or 6 different colours at a time!  I pretty much always end up buying 1 or 2 {I can't help it!} I think I'm addicted {my collection is nearing the 50 mark}. I think painting your nails is such an easy way to add something to your everyday outfits and I also find it a relaxing "me time" activity to do when I'm bored on a Sunday afternoon, watching T-V or talking on the phone! My favorite brands are OPI for Sephora and Essie. I find they apply very easily and evenly and also dry fairly quickly {I also love using the OPI quick drying drops seen on my blog here and available here}!*

12 Days of Favorites*: Day 8

Summer!

I know, I know we aren't even half way through winter yet, but summer is my favorite season! Always has and always will be! Don't you find everything seems so simple in the summer? As soon as that first warm day arrives everyones winter stress and bad attitudes go right out the window! Everyone is all of a sudden outside bike riding, walking their dogs eatting on patios {patios are also my one of my favorite things, but I will bunch it all in here}. In Ontario I lived 45 minutes away from the beach. I know it seems far, but we use to drive there every day off we had; and sometimes even before or after work. It's always my goal to not miss a perfect beach day! Long weekends at the cottage are also amazing {I always wished my parents had bought a cottage}. All of your best friends in one spot, eatting, drinking, swimming, bon-fires...life can't get any better during those few short months! My best childhood memories, and adult memories are from the summer; summer camp, road trips, camping....here are a few photos from past summers!*

{Algonquin Park Camping}

{CN Tower View from the Molson Amphitheater} 

{Atlantic Ocean}

{Fisher's Island, NY}

{Tubing in Muskoka!}

{Isabella Beach, Fishers Island, NY}

{Friends}

{Sm'ores yummm}

{Pool side picnic}

12 Days of Favorites*: Day 9

Caesars

Everyone who knows me well knows my favorite drink of all time is a Caesar {for my American readers, similar to a Bloody Mary}. My friends even turned my going away clothing swap party into a Caesar party! I can honestly say I have tried a Caesar at every restaurant I have been to in the past 3-4 years. So far the best one I have had was on my recent trip to Vancouver {here}. We went to a restaurant called Rodney's Oyster House, located in Yaletown. Here they serve 3 types of drinks: wine, beer and Caesars, I had to try it! It wasn't your classic Caesar with a celery salt rim and celery garnish, it was much more rustic. Served in a huge pint glass with a jumbo shrimp garnish and crushed ice, this Caesar had 2 shots of vodka, hot horseradish and Clamto juice. It.Was.Delicious! If you're ever at Rodney's {in Toronto or Vancouver} order it!*

Rodney's Oyster House, Vancouver

Milestones, Whistler

12 Days of Favorites*: Day 10

Window Shopping

I love window shopping! {specifically at stores I can't afford shopping at!} I use to go to Bloor Street in Toronto just to look at the window displays! I love seeing all the beautiful clothes and accessories and how the store has chosen to display them, picking out what I like and what I don't like, guessing the prices is always a fun {yet despressing} game! So far my favorite window shopping experience was when I was in NYC last summer! Walking up and down 5th and Madison Avenues too us hours! Bergdorf Goodman's window displays were amazing! {I wish I could see their holiday displays!} I'm not sure what it is, but looking at all the amazing pieces and the story the window is telling is calming and very enjoyable for me! Here are a few photos I took in NYC of the displays I loved {and of me trying on a very expensive dress, just for fun!} Are you a window shopper?!*

{Saks 5th Avenue}

{Saks 5th Avenue}

{Saks 5th Avenue}

{Bergdorf Goodman}

{Bergdorf Goodman}

{White Feather Dress: on sale for $850}