New Obsession: Sid Dickens Memory Blocks

As some of you know, I moved into a brand new house last winter with my finacee. If you have ever bought brand new before, you know that the house comes very plain! No curtains, no paint, no nothing. It is basically like buying a doll house, and you have to put all the finishing touches on it yourself. While some people may enjoy this, I find it a hastle because you have to start everything from scratch. And starting from scratch usually involves a lot of money!
Needless to say, we still have a lot of interior decorating to do!

For the longest time, we have been trying to find a large painting to fit our dining room wall. It is big, empty and looks sad. It's been tough trying to find the perfect piece of art to hang up....until now!

Last week, while I was visiting the lovely Unionville, Ontario, I popped into a chic home décor store to have a browse around. I noticed at the back of the store, they had a mural of beautiful ceramic tiles made by the name of Sid Dickens. I was immediately drawn to them due to their unique character and lovely, eye catching designs.

These ceramic tiles are called memory blocks. They are small rectangular shaped pieces that are collectibles made right in Vancouver, BC. If you have a collection put together on a wall, they look fancy and beautiful. Each piece has a specific meaning or story behind it which I find really interesting.

I didn't purchase any memory blocks  while in Unionville, but I did grab a catalogue sheet of all their latest tiles to peruse at home. When I visited the website over the weekend, I was instantly hooked and decided that we would have a Sid Dickens Memory Block mural on our large empty wall!

The fun part about these blocks is that they are meant to be collected. (They are rather expensive so buying a whole lot of them at once would be a bit ridiculous). They don't sell them in many stores, but you can purchase them easily on the company website or search for local retailers near by.

I was able to find a store that carries the collection at a home décor store in Newmarket, Ontario called Eqionoxx. Today after I went to the gym I went to check them out. I was in love with the mural they had created behind the cash register and simply couldn't resist buying my first piece.

There are many that I like, but my first block had to be the "Pierrot" cat, simply because it reminds me of my little feline, Felix. The "story" written behind the block also made me chuckle because it is Felix to a tee:

I am but a fool

playing only for your love.
Spare me your applause,
kind madam;
One caress will be enough

 

So this is the first block for my mural collection! I can't wait to get our next one. I will definitely be adding these to my wedding registry wish-list.

If you are looking for some unique decorating fun, check out the Sid Dickens website.

Happy Black Friday, Shoppers!

Happy Black Friday to all you shopaholics out there!!
Even though this is an American event, retailers across Canada have jumped on this gold-mine tradition and are offering their own sales to encourage shoppers to stay north of the border.
Tonight I will be working my part time retail job, and am anxious to see how busy we get. I know we already had a door crasher event that ended at 2pm, so I probably won’t get a huge rush, but it should still be steady.

From now until Christmas, expect the malls to be jammed solid with frantic shoppers.
Since I didn’t really have a chance to go out and shop, I decided to reward myself with a little pre-Christmas gift from Pandora – the exclusive 2012 Black Friday Charm!!
I heard about this charm a few months ago, it was a big secret on what the charm was going to look like this year. Each year Pandora releases an exclusive Black Friday charm that are only distributed in limited quantities in the USA.

I was disappointed thinking that if I wanted the secret charm, I would have to go to the states to pick it up, and who knows if it would still be available! So this morning I called the Pandora shop by my work to see if they carried the exclusive Black Friday charm and to my surprise they did! I told them I would be over on lunch to pick it up.

When I got to Pandora, the store was busy as usual. And low and behold was the display case of the Black Friday charm. The charm itself is adorable. It actually looks similar to the gift charm (which I already have from my birthday gift from my cousins). But it is a bit bigger and is lined with red and gold trim and has a tiny Pandora gift tag on top. It is very nice and well worth the $65 price tag.
When it was finally my turn with the sales lady, she said she only had one charm in the box left and that it was mine! Hurrah! She mentioned that the store only received 55 of these charms in total, and more than half are already gone! I felt very lucky to have a fresh one in the box and not having to take one off the display case.

I think it is the most beautiful piece and I am so happy I have it as part of my collection. Merry Early Christmas to me!!

Reitmans - Half Off Clearance Sale!

Last week was a bad week of shopping for me, and by bad I mean, good for my wardrobe, bad for my wallet. There were just so many things I wanted, and when those sales are on, I am credit card happy!

Last week while Eric played his new Call of Duty game for 5 hours, I went on his Ipad to peruse the Reitmans website at their half off clearance sale.  I love shopping at Reitmans, not only are their clothes great for work and every day wear, but they have a petite line which is perfect for me.  Their pants are one of the only places I can find a decent pair. They also carry their regular and plus size lines. This makes shopping easy for all shapes and sizes.

So I was super excited to see their clearance section on further reduction by 50%! Sweet score! There were pages upon pages of items up for grabs, but since a lot of people took advantage of this sale, sizes were limited. I guess this was sort of a good thing for me, or else I would have ended up buying everything!

After selecting a bunch of items, I went through my selections again and took out what I didn’t really need. Below were the items I orderd:

¾ Length Black Blazer – This was from the petite line and fit me perfectly. It has a bit of spandex material in it which makes it stretch a little. This will look great over any tees or tanks and I can dress it up or down depending on where I am going. I thought this was a steal at only $19.99, regularly $60.00!

Black and White Elbow Sleeved Striped Top – I thought this was super cute because it is long and I can wear with my favourite garment – leggings! The pattern was really appealing and was only $13.99, regularly $34.00.

¾ Sleeve Cowl Neck Top – I am actually wearing this right now. I just love how cozy it is and the colour is great for the holiday season. It has a nice cut and is also from the petite line so fits my body nicely. $14.99 and regularly $40.00.

 

 Purple Lace Trim Tank – For $6.99 how could I resist? This piece is great to wear under a blazer or cardigan. I love the rich colour and the lace. Original price - $20.00.

 

The Original Comfort Pant – As I mentioned before, Reitmans is one of the only stores I buy my pants and I am usually only one of 2 sizes there, depending on the style. Looks like I didn’t read correctly online, because I thought I ordered petite, but I actually ordered these in regular. They are beautiful, but way too big on me. Thankfully I can return them to the store or ship them back for free. I think I am going to go to the store and see if I can find another pair in my size, because I love how nice they are. For $14.99, and regular price of $36.00, I was sad that I didn’t order the right size.

 

I was happy how fast the order came in. It took about a week and it all came nicely folded in a packed bag. The refund and exchange policy is very easy and hassle free. If you want to return, you can send them an email and they will send you a free shipping sticker to send everything back. Or you can visit your closest store and process the return there. You have 30 days with receipt and unworn merchandise. Pretty standard. I would definitely order online from Reitmans again. I think their 50% off clearance items sale is over now, but they still have a sale section with items for 30% off the clearance price, which is still good. Click here to search for some finds!

I am pretty new to online clothes shopping because I used to always be afraid that things would look different in person than on the internet (like online dating! Yikes!) But if you know the brand well and how their clothes fit on you, then I think ordering online is a safe bet.  Especially now with the holidays approaching, it would be nice to see how long I can go without having to step into a mall! (I doubt it will be long!)

Do you do your clothes shopping online? Or do you prefer going to the store in person to make your purchases?

Avon Maven!

A few weeks ago I found an Avon catalogue at the edge of my driveway and took it inside for some browsing. I have never ordered from Avon before, but I have heard good things about some of their beauty products.

If you’ve ever ordered from Avon before, I am sure you probably get excited and a bit overwhelmed with all the selection they have. It’s almost like being in the drugstore, except you don’t have sales associates looking at you like an idiot when you are pacing up and down the aisles trying to make a purchasing decision.

Anyways, I needed a few items so I thought; why not try a few Avon products just to see what they are like. I felt like I was creating my own Glossy Box kit, so fun and exciting! After a couple browses through the catalogues, I finally decided on the following items:

 

Berry Berry Nice Red Lipstick – I have been looking for a nice bright red lipstick for the holiday season and when I saw the colour on the model in the catalogue I thought it looked nice and ordered that same colour she was wearing , Berry Nice. It is very bright and I like it a lot. Red lips are very classy and I can’t believe I never take the time to put on a coloured pout. It will be perfect to wear for those holidays parties coming in the next few weeks.

 

Avon Illuminating Face Perfector Primer – In the past I have used many primers – Cover FX, Smashbox, The BodyShop Mattifying Lotion and they all do a good job at prepping my face for makeup. This one is pretty good and it also has an SPF 15 in it which is a bonus. I like the way it glides on my face and gives a bit of a glow. I would definitely try this one again.

 

Hand it Over Handcream Set by Mark – With the colder weather, I find my hands get very dry and I needed some new creams. I actually bought this set of 3 by Mark to give one to my boyfriend since his hands are worse than mine, but he didn’t like the feminine scents. (Vanilla Cream, Plum Berry and Jasmine Petal)  I was impressed with the size of these creams, I was expecting them to be super small, but they are pretty decent and they smell amazing. All 3 for $8 were a great deal. They are perfect to slip into your purse.

I bought a few other items like a scarf and lip balms as well, just because I couldn’t resist.

 

The lip balms weren’t as good as I thought. The one had some colour to it, but when you apply it on, it is really cakey and dries my lips. I definitely wouldn’t buy that one again.  

 

So for those of you who have never ordered through Avon before, all you have to do is call or email the Avon sales rep who has their name and contact info tacked onto the back of the catalogue and let them know what you want to order. (It is usually someone who lives in your neighbourhood). Then, once the order is placed, the Avon representative will let you know when your order arrives and arranges for a good time to meet or drop off your products. Just note that Avon accepts cash only, so if you place an order, make sure to put the cash aside.

My cat, Felix loves when the Avon lady brings us products!

 

I received my order this past Saturday and was so excited. It reminded me of getting a Glossy Box, all my items were packaged in this nice big brown grocery bag, with my order receipt inside.

I loved opening everything up, even though I already knew what I was getting. There was even a nice little freebie in there of some body lotion and spray which was a nice surprise. Maybe it was some sort of first time customer special? Or maybe I get free stuff all the time! I will have to let you know on my next order…which will probably be real soon since I just ran out of foundation and bronzer, and Avon has an amazing deal on their foundation makeup.

Free!

 

I like Avon at this time of year because there are about 5 different catalogues in circulation right now….oh the choices!! It really is like shopping, but without all the sales pressure. There are also a lot of great deals in there right now for the Christmas season that I fully intend to take advantage of, like buy 1 get 1 or 2 for the price of one type. I will let you know when my next order comes in and I will review those items as well.

Have you ever ordered through Avon? What are some of your favourite beauty products?

Michelle Tote by Tory Burch - Wanted!

Happy Santa Clause Parade Sunday!!
This weekend marks the beginning of the holiday season as most cities and towns welcome the holidays with their annual Santa Clause parade. There was one here in Bradford last night, but I was working and couldn’t make it. But I did drive by some of the floats which looked amazing and bright J It really put me into the holiday spirit.

In my last post I listed some tips for shopping during the Christmas season and how to get the best deals. Now this post is all about YOU!! What do YOU want for Christmas?! Do you regularly buy yourself something or only spend on others? I think my strategy is more of a “one for you, one for me” type. It is very difficult for me to shop for my friends and family when I end up also wanting the awesome gifts I just bought. Sigh! What’s a shopaholic girl to do!?

I just read over Oprah’s list of Favourite Things for 2012 and I wish I hadn’t because there is one item on the list that is absolutely to die for and way out of my price range. Are you ready?! Close your eyes or exit the screen if you don’t want to be tempted either…don’t say I didn’t warn you!
But here it is:
The Metallic Michelle Tote in Pink by Tory Burch.

Isn’t it the most beautiful tote bag you have ever seen? It also comes in silver, but if you know me at all, you know that pink is my colour!! (And I don’t care if I am 26 years old, pink will always be my favourite!)

I like this bag for many reasons, besides the fact that it’s pink. I like that it is a tote because it gives you more room to put your belongings. My purse is an abyss of random junk, so a tote would be ideal for me. This bag is also made of leather (well for the price I would hope so)! It is metallic, so it really stands out but also looks very elegant at the same time. All in all, I think this is the ultimate purse and definitely at the top of my wish list this year. The only negative for me about this bag….the price! At a whopping $395 I don’t think this is in my budget, and even if I could afford it I would feel silly spending so much money on a bag. But I love it so much; I think I am having one of those moments when an item speaks to you. If there is a Santa out there, I am letting him know now that this would be a great addition under my Christmas tree this year!

Since it seems like this bag is only available for purchase on the Tory Burch website, I guess trying to find a cheaper one is not really in the cards, but if you see a replica or something similar out there, please let me know. Or if the item goes on sale after Christmas, that may also be an option for me! OR maybe, just maybe, if the bag won’t shuttup and keeps talking to me, I may just be so inclined to purchase, MAYBE!

What are your “favourite things” this year? Are you going to be buying yourself any gifts?

Holiday Gear Up!

Hello friends, sorry I have not posted in a while, school work and an extra part time job on the weekends have been occupying most of my time.

And with the holidays coming up, I thought it would be appropriate to have a post dedicated to smart shopping!

Every year is the same story with me, I end up shopping early and patting myself on the back when I am done before everyone else. But then December rolls around and the stores suddenly come out with even cooler items that I already purchased! So then I end up buying those as well, and end up overspending on gifts.

So this year, I am trying a different approach…the look before buying approach. I know it sounds crazy, but if we all just took our time browsing and getting ideas instead of jumping on the first few items we see, we will save a ton and give a better gift in the long run.

Here is my list of helpful hints when heading out for gifts this season:

1)      Search online.

This time of year, plenty of retailers showcase all their Christmas specials online. There is even special free shipping if your order reaches a certain amount, or maybe even free for any dollar amount you spend. This is a great place to start getting ideas without being harassed and pressured by sales people in the mall. That way, if you decide you want to have a look at the items in person, you will already know what you are looking for when you head into the store.

2)      Giftpacks

I love when all the stores put all their great products into giftpacks! This makes it super easy to just grab and go without wrapping. A lot of stores like The Body Shop, Lush and Bath and Body Works will do this. What a great way to save on wrapping! Their wrap jobs are better than mine anyway!

3)      2 for 1

If you can avoid paying full price for anything, that is the best strategy. Most stores will offer 2 for 1 specials, or buy 1 get 1 free. Take full advantage of these deals and tackle two birds with one stone! And if you have no one to give the extra item too, why not treat yourself?

4)      Generic Gifts

I like stocking up on generic gifts if they are on sale. Items like body wash, lipgloss, gloves and scarves make great gifts for anyone on your list. So if you see them on sale, grab and go!

5)      Re-gifting

You are at the office holiday party, and your secret santa gets you something you don’t think you will ever use. Go ahead and regift it! Save your money and pass along the goods. It’s the thought that counts right?

6)      Have Fun

Shopping during the holidays gets really stressful and overwhelming, but at the end of the day, your giftee won’t care what you got them, as long as it’s something that looks nice and packaged. So don’t stress too much and think of it as more of a scavenger hunt game than a pressed for time obstacle course!!

 
Happy Shopping!!

Falling Ahead!

Good grief, summer is already over and it's been a while since my last post (sorry!) I have been quite lazy these days. Maybe it is the change of weather, the days are getting shorter and the lack of sun makes me want to sleep forever.
I forgot to do a review for my August Glossy Box but again, this month wasn't the greatest. The only noteworthy item I got was a Sebastian Potion 9 Lite hair treatment styler. It's a super small bottle that apparently retails for $20.95! It works pretty good and doesn't make my hair feel heavy of residue.
Honestly, when it comes to my everyday beauty routine I keep it pretty basic...and quick! I would much rather spend those extra few minutes in bed in the morning than fuss with my face or hair.

With the change of season, I always feel like I need to do something new and fresh! This past weekend I emptied out half my closet and attended a clothing swap party with a few girlfriends.We do this a few times a year and always have a good time. With more room in my closet, I feel like any off the cuff purchases can now be justified. I bought a few key pieces the other week when I was in the states. I think these are all must haves for any girl's Fall wardrobe...

1) A good pair of boots
Whether you are looking for a comfy Ugg type or a long legged leather, one good pair of boots that you will wear almost daily is a good investment. I bought a nice long, flat grey pair by Candie's at Kohl's for $70. They aren't real leather but they look fabulous and if I take care of them, should last me a few seasons.

2) Long Sweaters
Perfect to wear over a pair of leggings with your new boots. Long sweaters are my answer to everyday comfort and for days that I just don't feel like wearing pants! (Fat days)!  They also look super sleek and stylish when paired with a nice scarf.

3) Long sleeved tees
I actually bought a bunch of these from Walmart for a great price. They are comfortable and cozy and can be worn alone or under a jacket or vest.

4) Flats
A nice pair of flats on those warmer autumn days. Super cute if you find a pair with bows or other sorts of embellishment on them.

5) Heavy sweaters
I grabbed a few bulkier pullover type sweaters to wear over tee shirts and even long sleeved shirts. They are perfect for days when you don't feel like wearing a bulky jacket.

6) Denim
A nice pair of dark denim really makes for a put together, fashionable look.

7) Leather jacket
A hot piece that pulls together any outfit. A classic black or soft brown makes for a nice Fall look.

8) Purse
Put those bright, summery light purses away and upgrade to a more sophisticated and subtle purse. Even though we aren't going back to school, a new bag is always fun to get this time of year :)

9) Fall scent
A change up of scent may be appropriate with the change of season. Less flowery smells and more musky are appropriate for Fall.

10) Halloween Scene
Don't forget to start your search for the perfect Halloween costume!! It may be September, but you don't want to be crammed inside a costume store, the week before Halloween and all they have left is an XL bubmle bee outfit. Get out there and get creative!!! It's the day of the year that you get to be someone you are not!

What items are you buying this Fall?
Are you going out for Halloween this year?