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Alicia

Style

NYE Outfit Ideas

December 29, 2014
NYE Outfit Ideas 2014

The Details // Photos by Alex
Feather Dress, Bootlegger
Shell Blouse, Club Monaco
Headband, Barefoot Contessa
Shoes, WINNERS
Bracelet, J.Crew

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NYE Outfit Ideas

NYE Outfit Ideas Details

Instead of spending money on a brand new sparkly dress, Alexandra and I wanted to put together a New Years outfit from our very own closets.  Taking pieces that we’ve already worn, we repurposed them into something shiny and new!  One of my favourite ways to achieve this is through layering, and when it comes to evening wear, it’s all about thinking slightly outside of the box.  I love that Alex reinvented an old sequin frock by putting a skirt over top.  Similarly, I made this old feathered dress feel new again by piling on a black shell blouse.  I will definitely be wearing this on NYE too, it just screams party time!

What are your New Years Eve plans?

Life

A Last Minute Holiday Party

December 27, 2014
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The Details //
Photography by Ainsley Rose
Styling and Concept by Alexandra Grant
Party Supplies, Taffete Designs
Cozy Cabin Socks, Roots
Monogram Mugs, Chapters
Chocolate Cookies, Oh She Glows Recipe

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And by party, I mean there was just two of us there.  That totally constitutes a party if there’s loud Christmas music and some sugar filled lattes, right?  I mean, it’s a heck of a lot more exciting than my usual Friday night, so I’m cool with calling it a party.
My friend Alex and I decided to throw together an impromptu holiday soiree using what we had already around the house.  She does an awesome job of breaking down the details here, if you’d like to read more.  I can certainly tell you, that some previously ordered and stowed away Taffete party supplies came in very handy.  I always have wrapping tools and paper straws around for this exact reason!  I also keep little gift ideas around like nail polishes and stationary.  My purchasing of paper products is actually a slight addiction, so I don’t know if I should really be promoting it, but come on, can one REALLY have too many notebooks? (the answer is no…)
Alexandra also blew my mind with these One Bowl Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies from Oh She Glows.  They’re nut free and gluten free and actually almost okay for you, but still taste heavenly and definitely satisfy any chocolate cravings.  She whipped them up in no time and they were THE perfect treat.  We brewed some lattes with her Nespresso and honestly, it was the ideal low key, but still festive gift exchange set up!  Thanks so much to Ainsley for joining us and snapping a few pics.  Hope you all had an amazing holiday with friends and family full of love and laughter xo
Style

Daytime Holiday Sparkle

December 24, 2014
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The Details //
Striped Sequin Dress, Zumel and Co.
Black Tights, Hue
Black ‘Samba’ Boots, Miz Mooz
Assorted Bracelets, Olive + Piper
Bag, Urban Outfitters
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The moment I saw this dress, I was 100% determined to make it mine.  Luckily, it fit and looked okay, otherwise this post would have been a pretty weird one.  It has been my go-to for a little daytime sparkle and I wore it to a family party last weekend.  I mean, it has pockets, so I could basically live in it.

Ugh you guys, I’m kind of freaking out because it’s Christmas Eve and I’ve NEVER been this behind on my shopping.  I am super last minute, it’s just ridiculous.  It’s going to be an embarrassment being that person who’s power shopping tomorrow at 1 pm, scrambling to pick up anything that works.  I hate being that person.  Once the shopping and wrapping is over with though, I’ve got a day and a half of pure Christmas fun as a reward.  Adam and I are doing the usual balancing act that happens on December 25th for most couples, but I am really looking forward to spending time with family and having a little wine-induced relaxation!  Happy Christmas Eve, my darlings xo

Style

Papyrus Holiday Giveaway

December 23, 2014
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It’s no secret that I love Papyrus.  I basically refuse to buy any other brand of greeting cards because no one else can even compare.  My holiday wishes have come true, because Papyrus now has two locations in Vancouver!  Just entire stores full of Papyrus amazingness.  Spoiler alert!  Things are about to get gifty around here.
I can’t just keep the excitement to myself, it’s Christmas – I must share the love!  This is why you can enter to WIN this darling little black and white collection of Papyrus goodies that I hand picked myself at the store!  Includes an amazing LePen (basically you should enter to win just for this pen alone), a Kate Spade ampersand notebook, a box of thank you notecards (not actually the one pictured, but I only had so much to work with), fancy hand soap, and a deliciously scented Niquea.D candle.  This way, you can have super clean hands while you write some notes by candlelight.  Genius, right?  It’s all very Jane Austen, this could be the beginning of a best selling novel!
To Enter:
1) LIKE Alicia Fashionista on Facebook
2) Comment on this post (or on FB) that you did so and how I can contact you
That’s it!  There are a few requirements/things to note below including the fact that you need to live close by to enter so that I can give you the prize in person and you can see my gift wrapping skills in real life.
Contest open to Lower Mainland residents only and ends Wednesday, December 24th, 2014 at 11:59 pm PST.  Winner will be chosen at random and contacted shortly after. Good luck!

P.S. Sorry about the terrible candle photoshopping.  It’s all you can see now, right?  Ugh, sorry for pointing it out too!
Beauty

How To Achieve Hollywood Glam Curls

December 21, 2014
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I’ve always wanted to know how to vary my usual daytime curl and try something a little more glam for the holidays.  Thankfully my amazing friends (and Capital Q Creative client) at TRiM Hair Salon were here to help!  Not only did talented hair stylist Amy do a much needed chop, she even showed me how to achieve red carpet worthy curls!
What you’ll definitely need:
Two Kevin Murphy Medium Hair Curlers
Salon Curl Hair Clips
What you could also use:
AVEDA Phomollient Styling Foam
AVEDA Light Elements Smoothing Fluid

AVEDA Brilliant Finishing Gloss

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1. Towel dry that gorgeous mane of yours and and spray the AVEDA volumizing tonic around the hairline and everywhere at the root and parting line (approx. 8-10 sprays)

2. Take two pumps of AVEDA Phomollient foam and rake it through each side.  Then one more pump, rub into your hands, and scrunch into the root.

3. Flip your hair upside down and blow try underneath to give those roots some life (tossle/shaking at the roots).  Then blow dry everything else as you would normally, going off the face and smoothing out the ends with a paddle brush.

4. Then, we must find your Hollywood Glam part.  Aiming for a deeper side part (pupil to the crown) but totally up to your personal preference.

5. Section the top of the head to the top of the ear and clip together on both sides, as seen below.

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6. The hair at the back is really simple, we just need to curl the ends.  Work in small sections, and if you have frizzy hair like I do, you have the option of smoothing out the hair from the root and then curling the ends.
7. Once the back section is done, brush that out and leave the curled ends in your Kevin murphy curler(s) to chill while you figure out the front sections.

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8. Next, we must curl the triangle section (on the side with less hair) horizontally and set it with a hair clip (or bobby pin).  I required three curls/hair clips with my giant mufasa mane.

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9.  We make a small triangle at the very front for two curlers.  These are the most important, as they make the dramatic statement wave at the front.  For the best hold, I’d spray first with hairspray and brush out before curling each section.  Pin in place like you did in step eight.

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10. Just one section left!  Curl the rest of that section horizontally, just as your did on the other side.  Always curling away from the face, and set those as well.

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11. By now, it should look a little something like this:

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12. Let the clips/pins/whatever you’re using, set the curls for a bit.  Once everything has cooled down, carefully take each one out one by one.  It’ll look a bit like the below photo.
13.  Then, we must brush everything out with a large bristle brush as much as you’d like.  Don’t be scared about the curls being too tight, they will relax.
14.  Add some high shine syrum for good measure and there you have it!

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Thanks again to Amy and Sarah for this fun collab.  Be sure to keep up with TRiM Hair Salon on Instagram, Facebook, and even Twitter!  Plus, check out the sweet curly hair tutorial I shot and edited for them.  Enjoy, and let me know if you’re able to achieve those Hollywood Glam Curls this holiday season!

Style

Holiday Statement Dress

December 18, 2014
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The Details //
Burgundy Bombshell Dress, Barefoot Contessa
Sparkly Peep-Toe Pumps, Barefoot Contessa

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Having curves, especially a larger bust, often leads me to automatically choose conservative options.  I noticed recently that most of my fancier frocks are ‘cute’ and to be quite honest, rather ordinary.  This year though, as I’m now in my *cough* late twenties *cough* and becoming even more comfortable in my skin, I decided to go BOLD.  It’s no longer my prerogative to hide my curves or apologize for showing them off.

  My pal Jen and I went straight to Barefoot Contessa (my favourite local boutique) to find something to wear to our upcoming Christmas parties.  In search of a not so boring option, I found this stunner.  I would normally skip over anything in a store that would produce even the slightest bit of cleavage or that is too tight fitting, but this time around, I decided not to care.  I rocked this gorgeous number to Adam’s Christmas party and felt like an absolute bombshell.  And you know what?  No regrets!

Am I the only girl with curve that feels this way?  That I need to hide my figure as to not “offend” those around me?  We need to change this mindset – now who’s with me?!

P.S. Barefoot Contessa still has this dress in a navy colour, in case any of you local bombshells are interested! xoxo

Style

Just Golden

December 17, 2014
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The Details // Photos by Alex
Blouse, Club Monaco (on sale too!)
Skirt, Zumel and Co / similar
Faux Leather Jacket, Joe Fresh
Beanie, Joe Fresh
Sunglasses, Le Chateau
Shoes, Shelley’s London
Bag, Phillip Lim for Target
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I know that I’ve already told you that the past few weeks have been absolutely nutty, but let me tell you, the madness continues.  It’s as though the craziness grows and gains momentum like a tornado, collecting more insanity as it moves along a destructive path.  But hey, I’d pick being too busy than being bored ANY day!  That being said, this packed schedule has sure made the holidays a different experience than usual.  It’s like my retail days all over again, sans the angry Christmas shoppers, of course.  I don’t say any of this to complain, it’s more that this is all that I can think about.  Plus, I need a place to unload, even if it’s only in a paragraph, the clutter that has been bouncing around in my head!  Hopefully I’ll be able to share more details soon, just finalizing a bunch of things right now.

Are you obsessed with the lighting in these photos, or what?  We happened to catch the last of the sunlight downtown and couldn’t pass up on this golden opportunity.  That Alexandra, so talented!  She had to meet me at the Joe Fresh store because I’d basically ran there when I saw this post.  I knew that I needed this toque in my life, and searched until I found it, the last one in store and everything.  Alex then convinced me to wear it with my already all black ensemble and it was definitely the right call.

Alright, I’m going to dive back into the craziness, but I have two great holiday posts coming your way in the next few days – stay tuuuuuned!

Style

Weekend Essentials

December 12, 2014
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The Details //
Sweater, Noul (old)
Long Rain Coat, Massimo Dutti
Denim, Mavi
Vionic ‘Sydney Driver’ Flats, Shoes On Fourth
‘Cady’ Gold Wrap Bracelet, Jamie for Stella and Dot
Rouge Gourmand Velours ‘Red Velvet’ Lipstick, Lise Watier
Manicure, CND Vinylux
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After my tumble a few weeks back, I knew that I needed to make smarter choices when it comes to footwear.  Segue into these Vionic Sydney Driver Flats.  They are actually…*drumroll please*… orthotics!  That’s right, I’m secretly an old lady who just wants comfy shoes to bop around the city in!  And now, I can live the undercover life of comfort that I’ve always dreamed of, because no one knows that these adorable flats are actually orthotics.  Well, except now all of you do – darn!  I couldn’t keep this hidden forever though, these shoes would make the perfect gift for a fellow woman on the go!  Or for yourself, because this time of year is definitely also about treating yo self.

Since this week has been super nuts, I’ll likely continue this running around all weekend.  I’ve barely even started Christmas shopping and everyone around keeps generously offering up a countdown until the big day.  Just 13 more, in case you hadn’t heard yet today.  That’s okay, I’m sure I’ll get my life together in a few short days. Yeah, that definitely sounds like a attainable and realistic goal to me.

Happy Weekend, you filthy animals!
P.S. That’s a Home Alone reference, in case you were temporarily insulted.

Style

Link Love

December 11, 2014
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Photograph by my friends Shari + Mike

I recently met the gorgeous/talented Samantha and am now super obsessed with Batalash  Beauty
Was incredibly honoured to get a mention in this Westender article

Can’t stop, won’t stop listening to Shaky Graves
Gearing up for a program with My Reward Fitness and excited/terrified all at the same time
If you missed the Clearly Contacts Holiday Styling Event, here’s a few highlights

Heck yes I just picked up these bad boys for my growing shoe collection

Current blog crush goes out to these babes because I met them the other day and it turns out that we’re neighbours AND they’ re even cooler than I thought