The words ‘strapless wedding dress’ have been repeating over and over again in my head lately. I need to get my act together and tone my arms and get rid of that flabby bit at the armpit (wth is that garbage?!). Meray of My Reward Fitness worked with Alexandra of To Vogue Or Bust and I last week to bring you a great upper body workout! These six moves will help tone up and bring definition to your arms, as well as your back and shoulders. I admittedly couldn’t move my arms after we filmed this workout, but I also have the upper body strength of a spaghetti noodle. Mmm…spaghetti. Seriously though, I have done this routine on ‘arms’ day at the gym twice since our session with Meray and can definitely feel the difference. Can’t wait to get stronger!
I really think you’ll LOVE this one. It’s great for all fitness levels and can be done at home, at the gym, or even outdoors. Be sure to watch the video below and sign up for the #2015STRONG Newsletter for a printable PDF of this workout that you can bring to the gym with you (I open the pdf on my phone or iPad at the gym to stay paperless). Enjoy and happy Friday xo
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As of next week, we are exactly 5 months away from THE big day – finally! Jeez, we’ve been engaged for a year and a half and I kind of feel like we’ve been planning this wedding for a lifetime. I mean, the last time I updated you on our wedding planning was December 2013! I’m pretty sure that in a small way, once August rolls around we’ll be thinking let’s get this event over with already!
I’ve been trying for a few months to write this post and articulate my feelings about wedding planning. I think that ultimately, I have a love/hate relationship with it (let’s go ahead and cross wedding planner of the list of future careers). There are really tough decisions to make and I’m not exactly the most decisive person around. Plenty of times, I’ve felt completely overwhelmed and just avoided answering pertinent questions, because I just.can’t.deal. Our guest list still haunts us. As warm and inclusive people, we would LOVE to invite everyone we have ever met. Here in reality though, we’ve had to make some difficult calls. People warned us of this, but I really don’t think that you can grasp this concept until you’re staring at a spreadsheet, arguing about whether or not Uncle Bob can bring a date and who gets bumped if he does.
It’s not all stress though. We honestly have some of the BEST vendors on board with us and they have helped make this a fairly positive experience. I think (just decided this right now because I’m kind of only thinking about the wedding lately) I’m going to do a fun series on the blog leading up to August. Can’t wait to introduce you to some of these amazing vendors and to share the rest of this planning experience with you. Especially since we’re on fun things like decor, wedding party attire, and honeymoon planning right now!
Our wedding planning advice for the moment is to stay united as a team and fight for your vision. There will be compromises that must be made with people at times, but it’s so important to make sure the day remains a reflection of you two! xo
Whew! What a week. I’m honestly surprised that we survived it. Last Monday night, Adam and I had JUST booked our honeymoon flights and were just hanging out watching some Bachelor. All of a sudden, we heard a strange water dripping noise in our kitchen. We both looked at each other in confusion, when I noticed water running down our living room wall and realized I could hear water pouring upstairs. “Go run upstairs and tell them to turn their water off!” I yelled frantically. Adam did as I suggested, but our efforts for the next little while were useless. Just minutes later, our apartment was flooding. We spent three hours cleaning all the water up and then went to bed completely exhausted. First thing in the morning, Adam went to the office and called our insurance company. They were at our building right away and we spent the first half of Tuesday with contractors, etc. We went from an 8 am assessment of drying with fans but we would possibly need new floors, to a 2 pm diagnosis of new floors, ceiling, ripping out the kitchen, and the wall where the bulk of the water was. Oh, and that we’d have to pack our things for an estimated 4-8 weeks of work and move to a new place by the NEXT DAY. That sure was a panic. We were able to extend that to Thursday and by Friday we were completely out of our apartment. The insurance company packs, moves, and stores the rest of your place, which is helpful. In just one week, our old apartment is completely empty. The kicker? Our neighbour was doing some DIY plumbing and didn’t turn the water off beforehand. Let this be a lesson for all of us. Do NOT attempt to do your own plumbing, especially if you’re inexperienced. Also, this is a reminder to you to make sure you have home insurance. We would have been completely screwed if we didn’t have it.
Reflecting on last week, this whole ordeal was a big test for Adam and I. We hadn’t (thankfully) ever been through a crisis together and though things were already at high stress levels with the wedding just over 5 months away, we somehow kept it together. We did what we could to work as a team and we managed to avoid any fights. Nothing would have been the same without the help of our friends and family though. My goodness, people offered us meals and a place to stay. Adam’s brother and girlfriend helped us move, my parents helped us pack the fridge and pantry contents and graciously took in a bunch of our items to store. It has honestly been overwhelming.
We’re seeing the positive in this as much as we can. We’re now living downtown, which we’d never have the chance to do otherwise. We’re getting new floors and some new paint. Also, we always talk about not wanting to fall into routine and this has most definitely shaken us out of our comfort zones. Everything happens for a reason. We’re just going to chalk this up to a story that we’ll one day look back on and laugh. Yes, one day we’ll laugh about this 🙂
The Details // Blouse, LOFT Blazer, Vintage Denim, Mavi Wide Calf Over The Knee Boots, INC from Macy’s (black / cognac) Glasses, Bailey Nelson Camel Overcoat, TOPSHOP / similar Watch, Marc by Marc Jacobs
I don’t know if you believe in ‘meant to be’, but you must know that fate brought these over the knee boots and I together. On my quick 48 hour trip to NYC, I popped by Macy’s in a sleep deprived haze and happened to wander up to the shoe floor. The vastness of the Macy’s on 34th Street is only magnified during sale season. I aimlessly tried on a few of styles in the clearance section and then finally emerged and continued onto their current displays. Right there, amongst the INC footwear, I saw these beautiful cognac over the knee boots. They had the most glorious little sign attached to them: available in wide calf. This is something I never see here at home. Thank you, Macy’s and INC for thinking of us gals with calves that don’t fit into the standard boot circumference! I snapped these beauties up on sale, nonetheless, and proudly wore them out that evening. I especially adore the OTK silhouette, it’s a little sexier than a below the knee style and even slightly more flattering and comfier. Anyway, just thought I’d provide you with that tale. You know, just in case your Tuesday was missing a boot love story. Hope you’re all having an amazing day xo
Just call me Rizzo! This pretty pink jacket was something that I impulse purchased in Paris a couple years ago. It was their big summer sale days and it was unseasonably cold in the city. I, twist my arm, basically HAD to buy a jacket out of pure necessity to stay warm. Anyway, sometimes I manage to buy things sooner than I’m ready for them and I really haven’t started wearing this jacket until recently. Which always felt like such a waste, as this poor Parisian number sat in my closet for so long. This isn’t even the first time that this has happened either. It’s like I’m forecasting what I’ll need in my closet a few years away! I’m super thankful for it now though and it goes perfectly with my new black ripped skinnies. A little femme, a little edge – very Pink Ladies!
Also, Gung Hay Fat Choy/Happy Chinese New Year to you all 🙂
They say that it’s the most important meal of the day and I simply cannot argue that logic. A healthy, nutrient filled start seems to really set the tone for the entire day. I’m not exactly what you’d call a morning person, so I’m always on the lookout for new breakfast ideas, especially ones that require little effort before my first cup of coffee! Thanks to Alexandra from To Vogue Or Bust, this quick and easy raspberry overnight oats recipe has been my favourite addition to the a.m. routine.
Raspberry Overnight Oats (makes 1 serving)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup gluten-free steel cut oats
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp chia seeds
Directions:
Mash up frozen raspberries and maple syrup with a spoon at bottom of mason jar. Pour chia seeds over top followed by steel cut oats. Finally, pour almond milk on top and seal shut! Leave in fridge over night and in the morning, give it a quick stir to combine flavours or enjoy it parfait-style.
Still hungry? You MUST visit To Vogue Or Bust today for her next level Poached Egg on Avo Toast recipe! Plus, we have both power breakfast recipes in video form, be sure to watch it here:
Floral Skirt, Barefoot Contessa Pumps, Nine West / similar Necklace, J.Crew Bracelet, J.Crew Pendulum Earrings, Lover’s Tempo Sunglasses, Le Chateau Purse, RACHEL by Rachel Roy / similar
The week should always start out with a bright and sunny outfit like this one! I’m a sucker for pattern mixing, especially when it involved another lovely pairing like a crop top and skirt! These Barefoot Contessa pieces go together like peanut butter and jelly (mmm pb&j…) and are going to be wardrobe staples come spring. Or, right now because it’s basically spring here in Vancouver (sorry East Coast).
I’m sure you’re all emerging from a post-Valentine’s Day chocolate coma (no? just me?) and feeling a bit foggy this morning. I am also battling a delightful common cold, so caffeine and daytime cold pills are certainly my friend today. Adam and I spent V-Day on the island for a nice stay at Oswego, a romantic dinner at The Clay Pigeon and then a very overdue visit with his grandma yesterday before catching the ferry back. Then, to end a really great weekend, I went to see 50 Shades Of Grey with a couple girlfriends. The reviews were terrible and yes there are a few boundary pushing scenes, but honestly we had so much fun giggling together in the theatre and my crush on Jamie Dornan remains intact. I would have much preferred him with his beard and Irish accent, but we can’t have it all. We collectively thought that Dakota Johnson was the real standout though! She took a character that I found completely annoying in the book and turned her into someone quite charming and actually kind of funny. It was such a fun girl’s night and we all loved the movie for being exactly what we thought it would be. Let’s hope they make a sequel soon so I can run into Jamie Dornan here in town while they film 😉
There was so much we loved about our first trip to Kauai. For a family vacation with grown children (according to numbers, not necessarily our attitudes, right Tav?) it was absolutely the right island for us. Far less chaotic than Oahu and even quieter than Maui, Kauai is a beautiful and relatively untouched island. It’s full of lush greenery (it’s where they filmed the Jurrasic Park) and absolutely breathtaking beaches. Everything on the island is fairly close by, with plenty of day adventures just a short drive away. We stayed in a house we found on VRBO that was in Poipu, which I cannot recommend enough. When they say it’s the sunniest part of the island, they aren’t kidding. It’s like Poipu has a forcefield against rain clouds – it’s kind of magical. The location is also within walking distance to Shipwreck and Poipu beaches, as well as great shopping and some amazing restaurants. We had one meal at Red Salt that we all still think about and obsess over!
Though we spent most of our two weeks relaxing, we did manage to venture out and see some of the island. There was so much we didn’t even manage to get to! Darn it all, looks like we’ll just have to head back to Kauai again soon 😉
Hike the Kalalau Trail
The day we went to the trail was slightly confusing. Typical family dynamics, my dad had in mind that we were going on this hike he saw in a brochure and the rest of us had no idea what this entailed. I thought we were just doing a short hike to a beach and almost didn’t bring my runners. It was about an hour and a half drive from Poipu and parking wasn’t the easiest, but definitely not impossible. I had my long mermaid hair down with NO hair elastic and my bathing suit on with a cotton romper over top (I felt like those ill-pepared people in flip flops and jeans on the Grouse Grind that everyone judges). At least I had those runners because this was quite the hike! We got up to the 1/2 mile mark, which doesn’t sound far but in the heat it was actually a great workout and provided stunning views like the one above. Serious hikers are able to go much further, but I can’t advise anyone on that – we barely made it a fraction of the way. Still, an activity that the whole family can enjoy as long as you’re prepared for a thirty minute uphill climb and decent.
Be A Beach Bum at Hanalei Bay
After that hike, we earned an afternoon of rest and relaxing on the North Shore. Hanalei Bay was certainly easy on the eyes and actually quite scarcely populated while we were there. It was nice for us to grab lunch in the area and check out a new spot to laze around before we headed back south, stopping at some viewpoint and the lighthouse on the way to complete this day trip.
Explore Waimea Canyon
They call it the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, so of course we had to go see it! We allowed a half day for this adventure and the driving warnings are quite intense, but we didn’t find anything too dizzying or difficult. Once you’ve done the road to Hana in Maui, everything else is a piece of cake! There are quite a few viewpoints once you reach the canyon, so it’s nice to stop and get some fresh air at the top. Each viewing spot was uniquely gorgeous and I’m glad we opted to visit them all. This is something that cannot possibly be described, you absolutely must experience it for yourself!
Snorkel and Turtle Watch at Poipu Beach
We spent the majority of our time at Poipu Beach. It was walking distance to our rental home and had lots of action during the day and jaw dropping sunsets in the evenings. If you’re into snorkelling, it’s quite busy but there are definitely lots of Honu sightings. The waves were great for boogie boarding and there was plenty of food and shave ice nearby. You’ll see lots of footage of Poipu beach in the video below.
A Portrait Session with Emily Helen Photography
As a thank you to my parents for bringing us along on this trip, I organized for us all to get some professional photos on the beach. I was so happy we found the BEST in Kauai, thank goodness for Emily Helen Photography. She was able to meet us near our accommodations at Shipwreck beach for a 30 minute sunset mini session (the exact amount of time we can all stay focused and relatively presentable). The photos are incredible and allowed me to take the pressure off us taking forced family photos during our entire vacation. It was one of our favourite moments from the trip and provided us with lovely imagery that captured that. Thank you again, Emily!Photos barely do everything justice, so I also spent the flight home making a little highlight video of our trip. You’ll see a lot of what is mentioned above, as well as some spots I didn’t even get to mention like Glass Beach and the Spouting Horn. Unfortunately, YouTube somehow messed up my editing a little bit (note to self, never opt to ‘fix shaking’ by a program like YouTube) but you can just ignore those bits. I must warn you though, this might make you want to book a trip to Kauai riiiight now!
I’m all about infusing a little spring into my outfits. I love the silhouette of this blouse, as the triple layered fabric and hi-low length are incredibly forgiving. The large blush pink pattern made for the perfect way to sneak a little floral into my look and paired excellently with my fav polka dot trousers. It was even warm enough to expose some ankle (ooh la la) and a light faux leather jacket. Now, all I want to do is run to the local florist for some fresh blooms. Peony season is on the way, can you even handle it? Simply cannot wait!
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