Anticipation

There's nothing like seeing spring merchandise in stores to get you out of your post-holiday, mid-winter funk. Sure winter was nice at the beginning when the snow was first falling and there was Christmas and new year's to look forward to, as well as cozy days in front of the fire during your days off. But now the snow has turned into slush and the holidays have come and gone. 

But it's also too early to start wearing all the lighter fabrics and shorter skirts and dresses, since it's still pretty cold out. But there are ways you can incorporate these looks and pieces into your pre-spring wardrobe without freezing or looking like you shouldn't be wearing that for another few months.

A great tip is to add some bulk and chunkiness to a light-weight item you want to wear. For instance, you can wear a thicker cotton or wool turtleneck under a sleeveless or short-sleeve dress. You can wear a heavy denim or chambray shirt under a cropped tropical wool or linen sweater. Take this floral kimono from H&M (what could be more springy?) But throw on a heavy turtle neck or sweater underneath, like this one from Club Monaco. The leather accents also make the look more wintery.

Shorter skirts and dresses are easy to warm up, by just wearing a thick or knit tight under them. You can also throw on a cardigan or wool blazer on top, and you'll look and feel cozy while still showing off your latest spring find. A spring maxi or midi length skirt is also good because it's long enough that you don't need the tights to make it more weather-appropriate, so you can create that look by doing something warmer on the top. Add an ankle boot to the outfit for an on-trend, stylish look.

You can also wear a spring colour, pattern, or fabric now by pairing it with a fall or winter colour. Try a dress like this one from Zara with a forest green, cable-knit cardigan like this one from Top Shop. The cardigan adds the perfect amount of cozy to the look, and with a cable-knit tight will look perfect for the pre-spring season.

Girl's Day Out

Last Sunday the women on my mom's side of the family all celebrated my great aunt's 65th birthday together. The guest list consisted of my grandmother and her two sisters (my great aunts, one of whom it was her birthday celebration), my aunt (my mom's sister), my other aunt (my mom's sister-in-law) and her twin daughters (my cousins), and my sister, mom, and myself. It was all so lovely- the food was delicious, the atmosphere was light and fun, and it was a nice change of pace not having all the men there!

We started off with drinks and snacks, then headed to the dining room for lunch and then dessert. We ended the afternoon off by opening presents and sharing stories about family. It was the perfect day off from work, spent with the women of the family.

I decided to keep it simple with a white sleeveless blouse and emerald green textured pants. Since it's still January I decided to stay in a darker winter palette, but lately I've been feeling that spring is just around the corner (although now with the recent weather, I can't remember why), and so I decided to throw in a burst of cobalt blue in my shoes and purse. I also opted for a red lip, as that adds sophistication and style to any outfit.

Pants: Smart Set

Top: H&M
Necklace: Stella & Dot

Bracelet: H&M

Purse: Co-Lab via Capezio

Shoes: H&M

Lipstick: Cockney by MAC

Post-Holiday Workout Funk

A lot of people's New Year's resolutions include getting into shape- whether it involves going to the gym more, eating healthier, or just eating less (portion control is actually a great and very effective way to lose weight). But while this wasn't one of my resolutions this year, it's something I try to live by all year-round.

I am usually very good about going to the gym every week, but we all have those times where we just can't do it (usually when work, school, or our social lives are just kicking our asses and we have no time). This holiday break was one of those times for me (except it was mostly just laziness!). For times like those, here are some tips for staying in shape and working out in other ways.

Do workouts at home
If you just can't get to the gym for some reason (or you're too lazy, like me) there are things you can do at home so you don't wind up not doing any weights or physical activity that day. If you have a treadmill, elliptical, or another cardio machine at home, get on that! Even if you just do a couple sets of crunches or push-ups for 5 minutes, do it!

If the problem is that you have too much work to do to workout, you can work while you workout. I know I've done countless readings for school while doing cardio. It also makes you feel more accomplished that you got both of those things done. There's also these awesome treadmill desks you can get now, so doing work on the treadmill is more comfortable and you have more room.

Another great way to get some cardio into your day is to go for a bike ride or run/jog. You can go around your block, on a trail, or make up your own route, for as long or short a time as you like.
I personally find it a bit boring to run on a treadmill, but unfortunately I live in Canada where it's pretty much impossible to run outside in the winter, so I always take advantage of the weather and months where I can ride my bike or run outside.

It's always good to keep free weights at home. You can buy them pretty much anywhere, and they're cheap so it's not not worth it (if, let's say, you're already paying for a gym membership). You can do your own routines, or each months Cosmopolitan shows you how to do workouts at home. They show you routines with and without weights, so you can take your pick, but the one thing that's great about these workouts is that you can do them from home or at the gym, it doesn't matter.

(January (top) and February (bottom) 2014 issues of Cosmopolitan)

Don't snack (or snack healthy)

I know for me that when I'm just sitting at home watching tv in the family room or doing work at the dining room table, I tend to snack a lot since the kitchen is right there (I'm usually binge watching shows on Netflix). So if you can, try to avoid being in those rooms for long periods of time where you have easy access to the kitchen (try doing work or watching tv in your room or even basement).

But if you must, or just really want to be in those vicinities, try to keep healthier stuff in the kitchen to snack on during those times. Things like fruit or veggie trays have easy access for munching and are great to keep in the fridge. Especially since you're likely to be continuously reaching your hand in to grab more while you're just sitting on the couch with your mind somewhere else, and it's hard to keep track of how much you're eating.

How do you stay on track when you're crunched for time?

NYE 2014

Happy new year everyone!! This has been an amazing year for me, in all aspects of my life. I graduated university, completed two internships, started a fashion certificate program, and learned a lot about myself overall. I also started my blog. It has been so much fun and I want to thank everyone for all the support. I hope you all have enjoyed reading it as much as I have writing it!

I spent new year's eve with one of my favourite people in the world: my sister. She is my best friend and we always have the best times together and make the greatest memories, so there was no one i would have rather said goodbye to 2013 and ring in 2014 with than her.

We started out at Joey's for dinner, where we enjoyed drinks at delicious appetizers and dishes, and then headed over to Nathan Phillips Square for the countdown and new year's celebrations. It was a hell of a night, and I know it's going to be a hell of a year!

For my outfit I decided to stick with a classic black and white colour scheme and pearls, but throw in some sparkle  with this lace shirt.

(Shirt and blazer: H&M, Crop bustier: Dynamite, Necklaces: my mother)