Black and orange isn't just for Halloween

Sweater: Razzle Dazzle via Marshalls

Tank: H&M

Hat: Forever 21

Bracelets: River Island

Rings: Peoples Jewellers

Leggings: American Apparel

Two posts in one day? I suppose this says how much of a social life I have... Well, this morning I was up at the crack of dawn and went to check out the new Marshalls. I wouldn't say it is amazing or anything, but I have no doubt I'll frequent the store all summer long as the prices were decent and the selection is better than any other store we have around here. I picked up two sweaters, including the one above. The other is a calf-length long sleeved cardigan by Cynthia Rowley. I'm sure it'll pop up in an outfit post soon enough because I looove it.

Tonight I am off to Bridgehead for a little coffee delight and then plan on spending the evening with my husband watching a movie or two. I look forward to the summer time when it's lighter out longer so I can actually go for an evening stroll without fear of being stolen or freezing to death. :)

As I write this, I've got my pup in my lap and am trying my hardest not to fall asleep as my bed is the comfiest spot in the world. The husband has run out to the grocery store and to sneakily pick up wrapping paper to wrap my birthday gifts (I turn 22 on Tues). He's the cutest wrapper.

What are you getting up to this weekend?

 

Ona, two, three, four...

I don't even think I need to type anything for you to appreciate how remarkable this Ona camera bag is. It's beautiful... and I'd love to have it even as a purse, let alone as a beautiful leather bag that functions as a purse while cleverly concealing and toting about my camera and all its accessories.

One more moment. I'm going to worship this image a little longer.

Okay, moving on. This very early morning I am off to the grand opening of the new Marshalls (I'm slightly obsessed and have now probably built up the idea of the store to be much more than it will actually be) and then to meet my friend KA for some coffee aka soy chai tea lattes. I'm really happy it's finally the weekend and I can have some time to focus on the blog and plan some very exciting posts for April and May! OH, and there's the giveaway too. I will be posting ALL the details this week, so stay tuned!

Not too much to say today as nothing out of the ordinary has happened as of late. I'm hoping the weather, and lighting, continues so that I can continue posting more and more outfit photos!

Enjoy your weekend <3 !

My picks from Ruche: Modern Vintage

1. Morning Sunshine Dress

2. Contessa Cat Eye Glasses by A.J. Morgan

3. Arboretum Tulip-Back Blouse

4. Misty Eyed Lace Dress

5. Amazon Sights Bangle Set

6. Onya Wedge by DV Dolce Vita

I was just recently introduced to Ruche by a Twitter friend of mine. I decided to showcase some of my top picks from their "New Arrivals" and can't stop looking at the collage and imagining all the ways I'd wear each piece! Unfortunately, I am still sitting around waiting for my tax refund to arrive so I won't be making many purchases between now and then - but I'll be keeping a serious eye on this store's website as they've taken a seat next to ModCloth in my mind... and I do love ModCloth. Ruche, however, is a teensy bit classier and elegant - whereas MC tends to cater a tad more to the hipster.

Today is pyjama day at my work as we're raising some money for the Humane Society. We can wear pyjamas all day long just so long as we donate at least $2. That's a small price to pay for the ultimate in comfort andto participate in a great cause. I do love the animals :). Needless to say, you won't be seeing an outfit post today as I plan on going full out grunge and wearing my red plaid pyjama bottoms and slippers.

This weekend I plan on going to the grand opening of Marshall's and meeting up with KA for coffee. Nothing too much planned aside from that, which isn't so bad as doing two things in one Saturday is something of a milestone for me. Let's just say I really enjoy sleeping in and watching hours and hours of my favourite cancelled TV shows on weekends. Oh, and blogging of course! Happy Friday, everyone!

March through Instagram

1. Enjoying some Earl Grey tea at Milestones with my husband and sister 2. My baby, Cole! 3. Cole enjoying his pillow bed (my pillow) 4. Looking out at the city lights from my living room window 5. Trying on my Banjo & Matilda silk maxi skirt 6. Having lunch at the park 7. Sipping on a Caesar at O'Connors Pub 8. Wearing my Pree Brulee Glazed Mint ring (won it in a give away!) 9. Feeling girly in my new frilly ASOS socks 10. Outfit posting 11. Night at the hotel with the in-laws, Smarties were involved 12. Wearing my new Secret pinstriped pantyhose (PR sample) 13. Sally Hansen Salon Effects 14. Pretty Little Liars season finale 15. A lovely note from Banjo & Matilda's Lizzie 16. Driving in the sunshine 17. The necklace I won from February Girl's blog giveaway 18. Sipping on gin and tonic (at work, to boot) 19. Trying on my gorgeous cashmere cardigan from B&M 20. Sporting natural makeup for a weekend stroll with the in laws

March was a month full of lots of work, family visits, and up and down weather. I'm looking forward to April coming - aside from the spring showers that come with it! I changed up my Instagram display a little since last month and am much happier with this layout. Do you ever look back through photos and feel like you did a lot more than you recall doing? Life looks pretty fabulous in photos!

How to wear a crop top with shorts: a "how to style"

1. Knitted Lace Pointelle Crop

2. Rivets peep Black Wedge-soled Sandal

3. Pieces Filane Necklace 
4. ASOS Watch With Neon Pink Patent Strap
5. MOTO High Waist Space Hotpants

Long sleeved crop tops. High waist print shorts. Does it get better than that? I love this outfit. I started this "how to style" by matching the top with a black semi-metallic pleated skirt but then thought, "hey, that's been done... a billion times" and then stumbled across these too cool shorts. And, yes, obviously this look has been done before as well by most people in the 90s except for me as I was a child but that doesn't make me love it any less.

As I wait for the arrival of my tax refund, I can't help but to obsessively look through Topshop, ASOS, InLoveWithFashion, Etsy, American Apparel and many other sites, pining over pieces I'd love to wear right now. All five of the above pieces, but mostly the shorts and top, have been added to my ever growing and totally unrealistic spring wardrobe wish list.

Anyways, let me know how you like this "how to style" post! Are you as obsessed with crop tops right now as I am? If you're one of my lovely European readers, I don't blame you for laughing and thinking "that's so two years ago" as that's always the case for us poor fashion deprived North Americans. But, hey, better late than never - right?

Reversible sweaters and foggy weather

 Sweater: American Apparel

Tank Top: Target

Jeans: Hollister Co.

Rings: Aldo Accessories and Peoples Jewellers

Earrings: Swarovski

Glasses: Ray-Ban via Framesdirect.com

I cannot believe, yet again, it's Sunday afternoon. Weekends are going by way too fast as of late and I am just not ready for Monday. sdifsdifsdfnsdf

This is what I wore to brunch this morning with my husband and sister. I had eggs benedict today with goat cheese, avocado salsa, hard poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. So yummy! I'm now feeling really full and think I may just, finally, have my shower and do another hot oil and deep conditioning treatment following this post. :) I look sort of slobby, I know, but I couldn't bare the thought of washing my hair first thing in the morning as I've been feeling a little congested and think I may have a head cold. :( I'd honestly rather have the flu than have a cold, because at least with the flu you know there's an end in sight and you can just take all of your meds and sleep for 48 hours. With a cold, you're so congested and stuffy you can't even fall asleep to begin with and they can carry on for weeks at a time. Awful!

Yesterday I went and saw The Hunger Games in AVX (a new type of theatre room with reclining leather seats, state-of-the-art surround sound system and a much larger screen) and let me tell you... the movie did not disappoint. I have not read any of the books and went into the movie only having read a little about it on Wikipedia (and obviously watching the trailer 100+ times). My reasoning is this: if I read the books before seeing the movie(s), I'm often disappointed with how the characters are portrayed. The last time this happened was Harry Potter, back when I was something like 10 or 11 years old. I pictured Harry, Ron, and Hermoine a certain way and had difficulty wrapping my head around the movie characters because they looked nothing like the characters in my head. So, come Twilight time, I made sure I saw the first movie and THEN read all of the books. That way, I can create a consistent image of the characters both in my head and while watching the movies. Totally crazy, I know, but it works for me. lol!

I'm not sure how I feel about ripped jeans at this point. I used to really like them, but then hated the thought of them all last year, and am sort of making my way back towards being a fan again. What do you think?

Daisy dukes and chunky knits

Top: H&M
Cardigan: Abercrombie & Fitch

Shorts: American Eagle
Necklace: ? from Rikochet Resale
 Earrings: Swarovski
Socks: ASOS

Hello! I totally didn't end up wearing this today, but was in the summer mood and wanted to see how my crop top looked with last year's high waist jean shorts! Spoiler alert: love it. I wore these jean shorts with black tights, black boots, and a black chunky knit cropped sweater today and liked the outfit. I got taunted with "who wears short shorts" a couple of times, but you really can't get away with wearing anything out of the norm without getting a comment thrown at you in this city. That is, unless you wear a grey blanket and call it a pant suit.

The Hunger Games comes out tonight and I am SO excited. I'm not heading to the theatre this evening because it's going to be complete insanity, but am seriously considering dropping in for an afternoon screening tomorrow or Sunday. I can't wait to see the movie and, although I'd love to see it for my birthday, there's no way I can wait 2 weeks.

In hair news, I've been doing hot oil treatments AND using the L'Oréal Re-Nutrition Deep Moisture Mask 1-2 times a week (whenever I wash my hair) and I'm really noticing an improvement in my hair's condition. At the beginning of March I went into a salon to go "ombre" and was sorrily disappointed in how dark they made the top half of my head - and the fact the stylist didn't blend it at all - but didn't notice this 'til I washed and styled my own hair a day or two after the appointment. Isn't that how it always goes? I went back and had them put highlights through the dark, but this visit didn't end much better as my hair was a tad dry and I experienced some breakage. Augh. My goal now is to get my hair back to tip top healthy shape before doing anything else to it, and then eventually either have the blending corrected or just go back to all blonde at my regular and favourite salon back home, PH Spa.

What are you getting up to this weekend? I plan on (possibly) checking out The Hunger Games, hanging out with a friend, and enjoying my time away from the office and at home with my pup! I can't decide if this week flew by or if it was one of the longest I've had in a while. Ah well, it's Friday!

PS If anyone is feeling super generous and stumbled across $47 on the street today, feel free to order this gorgeous moon necklace and send it to me.  Mostly kidding.

Not a sock bun

Top: Forever 21
Skirt: Old Navy

Stockings: Secret Legwear*

Sandals: Aldo Shoes

 Bracelet: H&M

Earrings: Swarovski

Rings: Peoples Jewellers

Today is supposed to be the last day of this week with nice weather. After this, it's back down to near zero and freezing temps for the weekend - unfortunately. On the bright side, however, there's a brand spanking new episode of The Vampire Diaries this evening and I cannot wait until 7pm! I've got to rush out and pick up some groceries after work and then, after my favourite shows in the world, I plan on soaking my super dry hair in a hot oil treatment to repair it from being a teensy bit over processed.

This outfit was really fun to wear and I got loads of compliments on the skirt. It's super girly and light but has bold coloured flowers and can be matched with a bunch of different tops. Plus, it was super cheap and I needed a skirt before my Vegas trip last summer so voila - this was it!

Bit of a short post tonight, as I don't have anything too exciting to share at the moment. I'm planning a trip home for Easter long weekend and am looking forward to that, aside from the 7 hour drive. It's worth it, though. :)

Sorry not having more to say! Have a good night!

Sunflower sundresses and stick on nails

Dress: H&M
Cardigan: H&M

Stockings: Secret Legwear*
Nails: Sally Hansen
 Earrings: Swarovski
Bracelets: River Island
Rings: Pree Brulee and Peoples Jewellers

Good evening! I promised there would be an outfit post today - it was just a matter of finding the time to get it all uploaded. I'd like to start off by saying I do realize my nails match absolutely nothing I'm wearing. I bought the kaleidoscope pattern from Sally Hansen's Salon Effects and was way too eager to get them onto my nails!

I'm sort of tired tonight, so I'm looking forward to waste the night away in front of the TV and enjoy some Salt & Vinegar chips. Today was busy at work (this whole week has been busy) but I'm glad tomorrow is Thursday. That means the weekend is almost here and I'll have more time to spend on the blog and catching up on sleep. :)

The above dress is one of the only yellow articles of clothing I have. It's super short, so I always have to wear some form of tights with it and feel much more comfortable layering a long, bulky cardigan over top. I always flash my bum to at least one person while wearing it. Augh. Sorry Cassie hehe The cardigan is actually a gift my then-boyfriend-now-husband brought me back in 2007 when he was in New York City for a college design trip. I've kept it ever since not only because I can't throw away a single thing he buys me (pathetic and sort of sick, I know) but also because I love it and it's never really gone out of style. After I snapped these shots, I ended up taking the Pree Brulee ring off as it was a little too chunky for wearing to work and typing all day would have been extremely difficult.

Today was another super warm day but I've heard we're going to get cold weather again as early as Friday. The heat wave was nice while it lasted, at least! I'm sure my outfit posts for next week will be all wintery clothes once again. Boo. On a completely unrelated note, I'm incredibly excited that The Hunger Games comes out on Friday. I'm supposed to go see it for my birthday but I have the sneaking suspicion I'll end up seeing it this weekend as I won't be able to wait.  Are you going to see it, too?!

Batiste dry shampoo: tropical

I hate washing my hair. I hate getting shampoo in my eyes, not washing all the conditioner out, and holding a blow dryer above my head for 10-15 minutes only to have to plug in my straightener and style my hair. It's an exhausting regime and I do it as little as I can manage... which still somehow feels more often than I'd like. My name is Katelyn and I'm a dry-shampoo addict.

To give you an idea of an average week in the life of my hair, here's my weekly routine:

• Sunday Evening - wash hair
• Monday - wear hair mostly straight, maybe pinned up a little bit
• Tuesday - wear hair curly (done with straightener or my cheapo Conair curling iron)
• Wednesday - wear hair loose and wavy (do nothing aside from spritz some non-aerosol hair spray over my hair in the morning)
• Wednesday Evening - wash hair
• Thursday - wear hair mostly straight
• Friday - wear hair curly
• Saturday - wear hair loose and wavy
• Sunday - wear hair in a bun on the top of my head

It goes without saying dry shampoo is a must-have in my life. After trying many, like Klorane and TRESemme I arrived at Batiste

Klorane, for those of you who don't know, isn't all that bad but doesn't soak up much "oil". The product comes out of the can in a very fine mist, which is probably OK if you have super thin hair or are looking to clean just your bangs after work before you head out, but it didn't quite do the trick for me. TRESemme is horrible and feels like gum in your hair. I tried to pawn the bottle off to my husband after one use (he's also a dry shampoo fan) and even he couldn't deal with the stickiness of the product. Batiste is the best I've found thus far - aside from my favourite powder dry shampoo from Cake Beauty (the company whose products you'll be able to win in my April giveaway).

Batiste is easy to use and pretty affordable. If I grab a can from the drug store, it's usually about $8 or so. Once in a while a can turns up at a beauty depot or Winners/Homesense/Marshalls for $4-$6. To use, you just brush out your hair, spritz a little all over, and then run your hands through your hair or brush it again to distribute the product evenly throughout. It's best if you apply it while you hold your head upside down so the product can really reach your crown and roots well. Personally, I like to opt for the Tropical scent as the original is a little noticeable and the Rose scent is way too strong for my liking.

Do you use dry shampoo? If so, which is your fave? If not... you're really missing out! Click the following for your proper Batiste sites!

Batiste UK
Batiste Canada
Batiste USA

Silks, crop tops & banjos

Top: H&M

Skirt: Banjo & Matilda*
Necklace: ? from Rikochet Resale
 Earrings: Swarovski
Bracelet: JewelMint* and Etsy
Rings: Peoples Jewellers
 

This beautiful silk skirt (Riviera Maxi Skirt to be exact) above was sent to me by Lizzie at Australian company, Banjo & Matilda. I cannot wait to slide on sandals and take a stroll in the summer sun after slathering on SPF50 obviously and wear this skirt. It's so beautiful and the easiest item to dress up or down. It's going to be in my wardrobe for a long, long time. 

Today, I'm back to the grind and heading into work shortly. I had a crazy busy weekend but had a blast trying out new restaurants and visiting with the in laws. It was so hot yesterday I had to set up our air conditioner (21 degrees on March 17th? That's a record high for that date) which was strange to do so early in the year, but 100% necessary. I couldn't imagine washing my hair and busting out the blow dryer in the warm, mugginess that was my apartment yesterday afternoon.

This week, I've got lots of posts lined up for you and am looking forward to a week full of new episodes of all my favourite shows - so you can expect a ton of tweets as well. I had a great time chatting on #bbloggers yesterday and discovered a bunch of new, awesome blogs. It's going to be great checking out a bunch of new blogs aside from my regular reads. The one downside is that more blogs means more cravings to shop for spring clothing... but I'll do my best to hold back for a little while longer! Every year, when I buy things early, the best things come out a few weeks later and I really regret buying the first round of clothes!

If you have a blog, leave your link in a comment so I can check it out!

Shredded Sundays

Tank: Guess Jeans

Top: Forever 21
Necklace: ? from Rikochet Resale
Jeggings: H&M
 Earrings: Pagoda
Bracelets: River Island and Etsy
Rings: Peoples Jewellers
Shoes: Aldo Shoes
 

I'm back inside from a yummy brunch at Arc The Hotel downtown. I plan on spending the day doing lots of laundry, a little cleaning, and wrapping my hair in a deep conditioning treatment for almost a solid hour (my hair is so dry after having two hair appointments so close together... I'm tempted to never go to a salon ever again as I'm almost never 100% satisfied and it's way too expensive). On top of that, I also plan on enjoying an episode of Desperate Housewives, Eastbound & Down, and Life's Too Short. I can't believe tomorrow morning will be Monday.... how I wish there was one more day to the weekend!

The above outfit is not a favourite of mine, but I really like the wrinkled print on the jeggings and the shredded top. I don't often wear jeans, as I'm not a particular fan of pants. I'd live in skirts and long dresses if I could. I also love leggings, but have a long torso so it's difficult to find long enough shirts to ensure full bum coverage. As we learned from Mean Girls, leggings are not pants and your bum must be fully covered.

I didn't end up popping into American Apparel this weekend and I'm sort of glad I didn't. I remembered I still have to send in a cheque to pay for my new iPhone. Dun dun dun. I really shouldn't shop too much before I get my tax return anyways I suppose. Why, oh, why are there so many adorable spring clothes right now?!?!  

I hope you all had a great weekend! I was super busy with the in laws and running around town to different restaurants for brunches and suppers. It was lots of fun and I'm super tired. Perhaps I can sneak in an afternoon nap during laundry today...

Buttons, studs & ivory sheers

Top: Lulus.com*

  Cardigan: H&M
Skirt: Jacob
Stockings: Secret Legwear*
Earrings: Swarovski
Watch: Michael Kors
Rings: Peoples Jewellers
  Shoes: Aldo Shoes

I'm about to run out to lunch and street shopping with the in laws, but wanted to get a post up before I left. This is what I'm wearing today because - get this - it's going to be a sweltering 15 degrees. I realize that's anything but sweltering, but it's sure warmer than the weather we've been experiencing lately and I can't wait to start wearing thinner stockings.

I love white stockings, socks, pantyhose (hate that word), and even leggings. It's not always easy to match them to the proper outfit, but I wear them any chance I get. They're probably my favourite part about this outfit aside from the shoes which are my top pick pair out of the bunch I've got right now. There is something so classically feminine about white stockings and black shoes. That, or I'm pining for my kindergarten days with white frilly socks and black patent maryjane childrens flats.

While shopping today, I am going to pop into American Apparel even though I find them incredibly overpriced and a tad overrated. Once in a while I find an awesome piece (like this reversible sweater that I swear I wear all the time) and it's worth a drop-in just for the off chance something is sitting there waiting for me with a reasonable price. We plan on grabbing burgers for lunch, so I'll opt for the veggie burger with thick cut fries!

Two more things! I forgot to let you all know my FAQ page is finally done and is up there on the tabs menu for you to explore. I tried to answer the questions I've been emailed and tweeted the best I can without getting ridiculously into detail.Also, it's been confirmed I'll be giving away some sweet products from Cake Beauty in April. Stay tuned, follow me on Twitter, and then enter for your chance to bathe in heavenly bliss.

Anyways, I hopefully will get to post again tomorrow but if not - I'll be back to normal come Monday. Enjoy your weekend, everyone!