Fast Forward to Fall- Part One

As sad as I am to see summer soon coming to an end, I am equally as thrilled to welcome Autumn.  I seriously adore all things fall, from the colourful leaves, Halloween, pumpkin flavoured
EVERYTHING, and most of all...the fashion! I openly embrace the crisp fall weather because it means transitioning my closet from sundresses and cutoffs to cosy sweaters, fun tights and rich colours.  Everything I have been seeing in magazines, online etc...from New York Fall Fashion Week, looks incredible and I can't wait to see the stores filling up with all that to-die-for runway inspiration!  Here are some of my favourite fall 2012 catwalk trends that are sure to be all the hype this coming season.

Black & Blue:  The Hottest new colour combo

{Ohne Titel}

 {DKNY}

Winter White: Head to Toe

{Cushnie et Ochs}

{Derek Lam}

Wine Colours: burgundy, oxblood, scarlet

{Rag & Bone}

{Nanette Lepore}

Ladylike Leather

{Michael Kors}

{Derek Lam}

Modern Military

{Victoria Beckham}

{Victoria Beckham}

Novel Knits:

{Balenciaga}

{Proenza Schouler}

Hunter/ Fisher

{Rodarte}

{Michael Kors}

Global Aristocrat

{Sophie Theallet}

{Rag & Bone}

Tweed:

{Tory Burch}

{Tory Burch}

Here are a few of the other runway trends from New York fashion week that I am not such a fan of:

Waxy Finish:

 {Fendi}

Renaissance:

 {Dolce & Gabanna}

Colourful Fur:

 

 {Peter Som}

More Fall Fashion Trends:

Floral and lace (together, and yes, still!)

Floral from head to toe

Lace dresses (with sleeves)

Over sized knit sweaters and coats

Blanket stripes

Bomber jackets

Embroidery

Fur accents

Wide crop pants

Reptile Skin

Sheer

Animal sweaters

Collars

Black & Jewels

Velvet

Printed pants

Come back soon for the latest takes on fall shoes and fall beauty! Plus, ways to take these awesome fall trends from runway to real way!





Weekend Highlights

This weekend was probably one of the most relaxing weekends I've had in awhile. It wasn't relaxing because I lounged around or took it easy, but mainly because I put off all my homework, put away the cell phone and just enjoyed every second of each day. I love having no important plans and just letting the day lead the way without any real commitments. Here are some highlights of my weekend.

{Giovanni's happy smile as he enjoys rides at the fair}

{Kelly Pickler concert}

{Fair food- deep fried Oreo's}

{My new very dark hair color}

{Enjoying time at the park followed by an afternoon at the pool}

{Campfire with friends}

{Buying myself a brand new laptop}

{ Going for one of my favourite meals- Bibimbop and a Hite}



Tomato & Feta Open Faced Sandwiches

There is something comforting about this sandwich. It takes me back to my childhood, and racing home from school at lunch to find a yummy meal awaiting me. Toasted tomato sandwiches and a bowl of chicken noodle soup being one of my favourite childhood lunches. I love the idea of turning classic foods into something more sophisticated. I saw this sandwich on the cover of this month's issue of Bon Appetit. The picture showed it with Heirloom tomatoes, but I did not have any on hand, so I just used regular hot house tomatoes.

1) Toast thick slices of bread
2) Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil
3) Layer tomatoes and feta cheese
4) Drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil
5) Season with salt and pepper
6) Sprinkle on fresh thyme

How to: Wear a Cropped Bustier

Wearing a cropped shirt can be very cute if it is on the right body, styled the right way and of course in the right context. It is a super adorable trend, however it is pretty tricky to get right because it can very easily look trashy rather than trendy. A lot of girls stay far away from these tops for this exact reason, but there are ways to do it right and that is exactly what I am going to show you!

I put together 3 examples of how to rock a cropped bustier the proper way...

Example 1:

Wear with a high waisted maxi skirt. The main goal when wearing a cropped top is to show only a tiny little bit of tummy. If you can see your whole stomach you are 1) wearing a bralet not a crop top and 2) not wearing the right bottoms. Your skirt should be above your belly button.

Example 2:

Wear with a high waisted tube skirt. Also, if you are going to wear a solid colored top then pair it with patterned bottoms and vice versa. Wearing a solid color draws more attention to your skin whereas wearing a pattern draws more attention to the piece itself, and in this case you don't want to draw more attention to your skin by wearing two solid pieces.

Example 3:

Wear with high waisted shorts. Again, high waisted...always high waisted. It is a little trickier pairing a crop top with high waisted shorts, because it really depends on the fit of the short. Avoid shorts that are too tight; stick with a looser pair. Also try and avoid jean shorts, even if they do have a high waist. It looks better to pair a baggy crop top with jean cutoffs, rather than pairing them with a bustier.

So there are a few ways to wear a cropped bustier top. Remember, you can always add a  cardigan if you feel like covering up a bit more. I hope I inspired you to try out fun trend!

Guilty Pleasures

Lately, I have been indulging. A little too much. I am not one to spend a lot of time worrying about what I eat. Don't get me wrong, I eat a lot of healthy food! However, I do not stress about it and as long as I feel great then I think I am doing pretty good. I know what foods are the healthiest and I definitely incorporate them into my life on a daily basis. But...I also enjoy,(without stressing about it) food that may not be the healthiest because,well,life is too short to not indulge when you want to. I would rather live my life enjoying whatever I want, rather than sticking to some sort of joyless meal plan. There are some things I never eat/drink though, but not many! I do not drink pop! I don't eat fast food (e.g. McDonald's, burger king, etc...) unless it is a once in a blue moon thing, but it is very rare! And I don't eat a lot of packaged things, either. Most meals I eat at home, I have made myself.

Here are some things I have enjoyed thoroughly (with only a hint of guilt) in the past little while.



{Homemade Maple Bacon Pancakes)

I just make basic pancakes, but add crumbled bacon to the batter, then top with pure maple syrup and more crumbled bacon.



{The Cheesy Griller Sandwich & French Fries at Flip}

I was recently there and had the 5 am Farmer Salad, the second time around I had to try this.

{Chilli Fries at a local pub}

because...how could I pass that up?

{Homemade Chocolate Covered Bananas with Coconut & Peanuts}

A childhood favorite

{Candy Bacon & Chocolate Dipped Chips}

 Unexpected snacks to lay out for guests to munch on, great with beer!

DIY- Cherry Exfoliating Face & Body Scrub

What you need:

1/2-1 cup of granulated organic sugar (sloughs off dead skin cells)

1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil (very hydrating and will not clog pores!)

4 Tbsp of pure organic honey (a natural antioxidant, helps rejuvenate and refresh the skin, helps with acne, and binds ingredients together)

1/4 cup of fresh cherries, minced (a natural antioxidant and helps even out skin tone)

Measure out your sugar, honey and extra virgin olive oil

Mix above ingrediants in a clean tupperware container

* You can leave the scrub like this if you prefer and keep it for up to 1 month (don't keep in fridge). Use 1-2 times per week on body and/or face



Take seeds out of cherries, then mince cherries with a knife or a food processor

Add cherries to your sugar, honey and evoo mixture and stir well

Finished Cherry Exfoliating Face & Body Scrub!

How easy was that?!

This recipe is enough for your whole body, just rub it on in a circular motion paying extra attention to areas where skin is rougher. Like I mentioned before, you can keep this scrub for up to 1 month in a container before it has the cherries. If you are adding the cherries, use it as a one time use and make a fresh batch the next time you do it.

This is a super easy and inexpensive way to keep your skin and face feeling soft and looking bright! Plus it is all natural and you know exactly what you are putting on your skin! 



Wedding Style

Do you have any weddings to go to this summer? Maybe a few?

I put together some outfit ideas that are very appropriate and ADORABLE if you are attending a wedding. I hope you can find some inspiration in these fun and stylish looks!

Here are 3 different "wedding guest" looks:

*All collages are my own designs