In my suitcase...

If you're like me, you overpack ALL the time.

 

And it's not that I lack practice: I've been dating long-distance for almost 3 years now and I'm a pro when it comes to navigating airport terminals and swiftly flying though security. But blame it on the good old FOMO, I always want a gazillion options just in case the opportunity of my life pops up and I don't have the perfect thing to wear. I'm afraid to be overdressed, but I'm scared s***less of being underdressed.

 

My boyfriend always makes fun of me because I have a piece of outerwear for every shift of 5 degrees of temperature. And here, it goes from -30 Celsius to + 30 Celsius, so that makes a lot of jackets (and, of course,  I need ALL of them).

 

I have improved a little over time and I found out that what helps the most is knowing what you're going to do during your vacation (didn't work out well for my 2-month trip though).

 

This weekend, I'm visiting my boyfriend in Boston and I plan to:

 

1- Go out on a boat

2- Go to a Red Sox game

3- Go to a (fancy but not too much) dinner date

 

I guess that doesn't leave me much time to do anything else, so I'll refuse any red carpet invitation anyways! I'll be able to bring the tiniest suitcase I have ever packed (yes, I'm also bringing underwear and a toothbrush... and jewelry, and a book, and a camera...)!

 

1. For a day at the beach: a light drop-waist dress (one of my favorite fall trends, eeek!), a cute flower bikini and, of course, boat shoes (you don't want to fall off the boat).

2. For the baseball game: one last chance to wear your denim cut-offs, a much needed hat (in the bleachers, the sun can be harsh), and, of course, the baseball shirt. Complete the look with white Chuck Taylors!

3. For the date night: while on a date, I like to be sexy and edgy without overdoing it. A nice grungy flower dress with a leather jacket and my favorite Jeffrey Campbell cutout boots make for a perfect outfit (they are sooo comfy). I would bring knee-high socks just in case it's chilly (plus, guys love 'em).

All the details are here!

Where are you headed for the long Labor Day weekend?

WednesDate

Nothing is easier than a girly, classic black and white outfit for a mid-week date. Red lipstick and gold accents add a subtle glamorous kick to the look without saying "I tried too hard". 

He better not make you wait!!! (Or you'll have to use the tassels on the bag!)

Blazer: Simons, Skirt: American Apparel, Shirt: Zara (Sold Out, similar here), Shoes: Everything at Little Burgundy (on sale!), Necklace and clutch (H&M, similar necklace Here), Earrings: Simons

Current Obsession: Metallic Shoes

I've always loved to dress to impress. But this fall, minimalist outfits are on trend. In every fashion blog women are wearing head-to-toe monochromatic outfits and neutrals.

 

Of course, bold prints are in too (I feel like lately everything is on trend at the same time!). But with a wardrobe full of prints, you can easily get overwhelmed and start dreaming of flowers, stripes and polka dots running after you and everything becomes hard to match.

 

You need simple outfits, and one of the best ways to add some ooomph! to an otherwise ordinary look is to add metallic shoes. I am totally obsessed with metallic oxfords (and I love the heels, too!).

 

I have always been and will stay forever a golden girl. My skin being more yellow than pink, silver does not complement my complexion. But with shoes, who cares! Your feet are way too far from your face to require some matching with your skin tone anyways! Finally I can experiment with silver!

 

Here are my favorite picks, from silver to gold and from flats to high heels!

Details  here

Like simple silver or gold jewelry, metallic shoes go with virtually anything and can dress up the most destroyed jeans on the planet (even with flats). So fear not, my friend, and jump in the trend!

 

         Picture found here: On High Heels                        Picture found here: A Love is Blind

      (funny that she's actually wearing flats)

 

 

I would totally pair any of those sleek, shiny shoes with an equally mirrory statement necklace!

So what do you think? Would you wear shiny shoes this fall?

POP OF NEON

Like I said in a previous post, I hate office clothes. I find them boring, so I try to spend the smallest amount of my shopping budget on them. I have good basics, and adding a bright/fun accessory can have a huge impact on...well... the impact of your outfit. And you don't need to buy 200$ J Crew neckaces (as much as I like them, I can't buy them). Both of the necklaces I'm wearing are from H&M so they are under 30$.

Add a key piece for fall 2013 like a (faux) leather pencil skirt to show you've done your homework. And hot pink lipstick just for fun!

 

Necklace: H&M, T-shirt: H&M, Skirt: Vero Moda at Simons, Bag: Matt + Nat

I did not wear this next look for work yet, but I think I know how to pull it off: with a tweed jacket, some sleek black ankle boots and yet again, a statement necklace that looks fancy but really isn't!

 

 

(sorry for some blurry pics, I was in a hurry before going out for dinner!)

Dress: Gap, Jacket: H&M, Necklace: H&M, boots: Jeffrey Campbell (I'll show them more in an upcoming post) here

And for those who wondered, I did finish my 10k! :) 

RUNNING PRETTY

I've never been exactly the athletic type.

I don't have two left feet and can do okay in most sports, but every time I wanted to start running I gave up after 15-20 minutes and wouldn't try again for a whole year. Back then, I thought every person I saw jogging on the street was an athlete. I couldn't possibly imagine being one of them.

And then some witch cast a spell on me I found what works for me. It happened about a year and a half ago and I've been running at least 3 times a week since then. I still can't believe it now.

I thought today was a pretty good occasion to share with you a few of the things that made me a tremendous long-distance runner  that helped me stick to running because I will be running my first 10K race this Sunday! And you know what works for me? Try to guess...

Pretty clothes (again)! And an imaginary friend called Nike+ Running :)

So here are a few of my favorite summer running gear (I live in Canada so don't expect me to wear shorts in winter, I kinda got attached to my legs over the years and don't want to lose them).

I own this tank top in a different color and it is truly amazing. They say it has anti-odor properties and I tested it (shhh!). I actually ran 3 times in the t-shirt made with the same fabric before washing it and it smelled NOTHING! (Ew, I know, but I did it for you guys I was very busy that week). Find it here. They also have a shorter version for petites!

Lululemon racer shorts: they are so cute! Love how the opening on the leg is not centered.

Lululemon speed shorts (this color is sold out in most sizes but they restock frequently). I don't own them but they are apparently the best running shorts out there according to reviews!

I'm really sorry (not sorry) I only suggest lululemon clothes but I have two very good reasons for that:

1- It's a Canadian brand (pretty rare for sports apparel) and we're very nice people.

2- There are NO other brands (that I know of) that make such cool designs and have such a wonderful and sexy fit. It really boosts your confidence. You actually even believe you've become more toned even if nothing changed :)

I promise this post is not sponsored (I wish!).

I just got bangs (kind of) recently and this saves my life. It's got tiny anti-slip dots that makes it stay put even with my tiny head (which contains a huge brain of course). Here (only 12$!).

This is a screen shot of my Ipod with Nike+ running.

Nah kidding I have never ran more than about 5 miles ;). Available on the Apple Store. I know there are tons of other similar apps. This is what helped me the most because I can see my progression and I hear cheers from people who like my "running status" on Facebook!

I do not have an armband because all my awesome lululemon bottoms have pockets where I put my keys and Ipod but if I ever needed one I would get this one here.

These are the shoes I've been using since last spring. They are the perfect compromise between very minimal shoes and huge shoes with tons of support. Bonus: they look great! They tend to run a tad small. On sale here(a real steal!) 

I noticed the bright shoes trend is slowly dying and the black running shoes is coming back strong, so here's a good black alternative:

Snag it on sale here.

The only advice I can give to people who want to start running is do what you can. There will always be people who run twice as far or twice as fast as you do. Everybody is different and what's important is that your run makes you feel good physically and about yourself. Even if you progress really slowly, it's better than not doing anything. And you ARE allowed to reward yourself with a little shopping session now and then ;)

P.S. Wish me luck! I hope I can run the whole 10k :) (And look like this while I run)

Plaid Guilty

I have been browsing around pinterest for a while and I must admit I'm really into the 90's/grunge revival trend. Maybe it's because I was just a little too young to try it myself back then, but still admired the teenagers who were so cool with their plaid shirts, chuck taylors and yin yang necklaces.

Some looks are a little too much for me (but this girl still pulls it off):

 (photo found on pinterest)

Going all the way to ripped tights would be way too far from my style and when following a trend, you don't want to look like you're wearing a costume... which can happen with edgier styles like grunge. I decided to follow the trend in a softer manner.  There's something rebellious about grunge so we tried to give a transgression feel to this photoshoot. Enjoy!

Shirt H&M (old), Shoes Converse Browns, Shorts Urban Outfitters (can't put UO link because not accessible in Quebec), purse H&M, Sunglasses Pangea (in-store, Nashville), Rings + ear cuff UO, Shirt UO. 

SUMMER DON'T LEAVE

 If you fly over the province of Quebec, you will notice thousands of tiny blue dots behind every house. We have very short summers but we all have swimming pools. It may be surprising to people from the South. But it was also surprising to me, when I first visited my boyfriend in Nashville, that most people there don't own pools. I guess summer is so short here, we want to make the most of it. I spotted some colored leaves in the trees this week and I wanted to yell: "Summer! Don't leave yet!" So as most bloggers have been posting about fall lately, I'm posting one of my last summer looks!

I got lucky and got an exclusive shooting with my friend Camille Brunelle for this one. It was so much fun! And those pants are just incredibly comfy!
Pants: MinkPink, top: American Apparel Shoes: Zara, Necklace: Maison Scotch, Midi rings: Urban Outfitters (still available but I can't put UO links because their website is not accessible in my province), Sunglasses: Prada, Watch and Charm Bracelet: Fossil, Bracelet: Alex and Ani