love your life;

song of the day: teenage love affair, alicia keys

this is one of those mornings where i don't feel like doing this. this has actually been an awesome week until i got in the way of it. have you ever looked back on something that's happened and realized you were a saboteur to your own happiness? i'm really bad in the whole boys department, and i mean really bad. i assume things aren't going to work out, and even when i want them too, i kind of drive them that way in the first place. i hope that makes sense, i know i'm being vague.

i used to hate it when my mom said it. but i really do think it's all about having the right attitude. i believe positivity attracts positive things. if i go around expecting all my relationships to fail, that's exactly what will happen. my cynicism about love sometimes does me in. hopefully it's not too late to undo what's been done. i press on. with the 10 things that are making me terribly happy today.

1. first dates (?) and all the butterflies that go with them
2. walking around downtown
3. the smell of new clothes
4. getting a text message that makes you laugh out loud
5. best friends who'll give you advice
6. concert singing: that half song, half scream that can fill an arena and make your skin goose bump a bit
7. girl's nights (i've had three this week)
8. celebrity sightings
9. buttercream frosting
10. the realization that things can always change

phew! could only come up with 6 for a while there. okay. i hope your monday is treating you well! i'm off to go compile by expenses/make new budget for the month. boo. wish me luck with that one! and then i've got to catch up on commenting on all your lovely blogs! sorry i'm so behind.

-B.

photo from here.

best of; august 24-28

heyhey! since i missed last week, i'm throwing in the best ofs that should have been. so enjoy those! check out...

♥ the eleven punctuation marks that give your text messages hidden meanings. funny read.

♥ a review of bandslam and a critique of its marketing scheme that's actually enough to convince me to want to see it.

♥ 12 beauty secrets that really work from stylebakery.

♥ glamour presented 3 surprise fat burning foods last week.

♥ carmindy, from TLC's what not to wear, shares some date night makeup ideas.

♥ lifehacker presents some tricks to "macgyver" your way out of everyday situations. mullet not required.

♥ and! check out this pdf of pantone's fall colour. pantone is THE colour authority when it comes to fashion. i'm loving honey yellow and iron.

♥ lemondrop had this fantastic list of things that are funny but true. i had a laugh. example: "if carmen san diego and waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible."

♥ the budget fashionista lists a bunch of sites where you can score free stuff!

what interesting reads did you find this week? link me up!
have a good weekend!

-B.

how to; create a lookbook

song of the day: natural woman, aretha franklin

in the fashion world, a lookbook is almost like a catalogue, meant to show off a product line. but you can create your own to track your own personal style. you can catalog it in hard copy (a 3-ring binder works best) or online (using a program like evernote). if you've been reading this blog, i'm sure you've heard me mention lookbooks before. i keep all my style ideas on my computer cause that works best for me. it's a complete mishmash of things, but i love it.

here are a few good things to keep in a lookbook.

your aesthetic affirmation: let the very defintion of your style set the tone of your book.
your inspiration: clip pictures of inspiration from ANYWHERE you can find it. it doesn't even necessarily have to be pictures of people in clothes. check my random list of inspiration from the other day.
your style muses: it's a good idea to keep track of the celebrity looks that inspire you. and not just clothes, hair and makeup ideas as well. when you've got the pictures all set out, look at what the pictures have in common and try to emulate it.
your own pictures: one those days where you think "man i look good" snap a picture to remember it for later. then look for trends, note what works.
your own outfit ideas: anytime a new wardrobe combo comes to you, jot it down for later! i always have outfit ideas scrawled in the margins of my homework. (just don't write it on the back of a test, those take a while to get back.)

and it doesn't have to be all pictures either. copy and paste your how tos and things. but really, organize it any way you want. the idea is that you have a place to keep everything straight and so it's easier for you to get dressed in the morning. i've found that, having a place to keep my ideas and things has cut my morning prep time in half.

that's all! have a happy weekend!
lovelovelove.
-B.

photo from here.

top ten; summer soundtrack

taking a style break and just sharing the songs that have meant the most to me this summer.

1. You Are Mine, Charlotte O'Connor.
2. Catch Me, Demi Lovato.
3. Desert Song, Hillsongs.
4. Fallin' for You, Colbie Callait.
5. Mansard Roof, Vampire Weekend.
6. I Gotta Feeling, Black Eyed Peas
(I heard it everyhwere and STILL didn't get sick of it. Amazing!)
7. World War III, Jonas Brothers
8. You Are For Me, Kari Jobe
9. If It Kills Me, Jason Mraz
10. You Belong With Me, Taylor Swift.

you make my dreams come true?
phew! that was hard to cram into just ten!
so for you, what songs'll mark the summer of '09?

current obsession; aesthetic affirmation

when it comes to defining your style, i think it's a good idea to have a sentence or two like a style mission statement or as megan over at charade called it, an aesthetic affirmation: a phrase that sums up your overall aesthetic look, something that fully captures your style no matter what the season/what things are in style. think of it as a mantra to redirect your fashion choices.

megan summed hers up like this: "cute with an edge, comfy and laidback, yet feminine, cropped cardigans, nipped waits, gold illuminations and muled hues set against gold locks."

but it's hard for me to just pull that out of the blue. then i got a second wind of inspiration from a over at the glamours grad student. her approach was to find the statement you want your wardrobe to make and work from there. this exercise is a lot easier to do.

if i really stop and think about it, i want my wardrobe to scream: pretty, smart, cool and daring.

i think those are the main things. i'm not one of those girls who needs to be hot you know? i think the pretty factor is acheived with bright colours, feminine shapes, and natural makeup. smart, to me, means clothes that fit well. this means no bunching up, no "making things work" with safety pins, and having no buttons missing or bra straps showing. i'll need to work on that one. for me, cool is anything with leather, studs, zips and rips. in moderation of course. i hope a "dog the bounty hunter" image isn't coming to mind. think of... someone elle would be in their street chich category. someone who's not always gunning for fashion perfection and in doing so achieves it anyway, know what i mean? and as for daring? it was one of the first things i wrote down, but it took a long while for me to figure out what i mean. i think somedays my look is a little TOO put together, and i want to be more spontaneous with my choices sometimes. particularly in the makeup department.

even though the manhattanite in the photo (via elle street chic) manages to acheive all of this at once (aren't her shoes amazing?) i don't think i could. i think a more reasonable goal now, is to have every item i incorporate into my wardrobe accomplish at least two of these words. i'm still working on a real statement, but hopefully this'll redirect my fashion choices in the fall.

if your wardrobe could talk, what 4 words would it say about you?

that's it for me, but don't forget to check out the posts by megan and A. and check out charade's posts on dream style, it's good stuff.

xoxo
-B.

catalogue; autumn inspiration

for autumn, i'm currently being inspired by:

nude lips, full skirts, gossip girl re-runs, wine red and deep purple, long legs and longer lines the eighties, scarlett (an butt-kicking, name-taking character from the old g.i. joe cartoons), leather, ruffles, and zippers, studs, gilded eyes, hardwood flooring, hugging everyone in sight, bronze, nights by the fire, diane kruger and her flawless, dewy skin, lace, old books, demi lovato, door steps, pool tables, marching bands, truffles, vampire weekend, forest green, denim, imperfection, ballerina rockers, frye boots, pearls, glitter, sequins, blue eyes, thunderstorms, toronto sounds, freshly shaved legs, high ceilings, smudged eyeliner, and bedhead.

and i feel this will result in:

the search for a military jacket in my price range, forest green nailpolish (i've got my eye on the "aragon tomorrow" shade from OPI's espana collection), distressed jeans, any shirt with stud/zipper detailing, hitting more high notes than ever before.

what's inspiring you?

lovely pics from here, here, here and here.

thoughts; style evolution

song of the day: smile, lily allen

as i was prepping to write all these articles about style, i got thinking about how my style has changed. when did you first start buying your own clothes? in jr. high i kind of bought a few things here and there but i think i really started buying all my own clothes in high school and i think that's where my real style evolution begins. to sum up my style: "anything on sale." other than a few babysitting gigs, i didn't have a job through most of high school. so my fashion choices were really limited. truly, i don't think i paid more than $20 for anything the whole time. i will say this right now, i was not a fashionable kid. back then, i didn't care about clothes that much.

i was going through all of the old photos i could find. what i found, is that i was too embarassed to put any of them up here. i think my high school style had two real periods. for most of grade 9 and 10, the last dregs of what i call the chubby period, a typical B outfit would be: a striped polo, worn over a long sleeve top, with flared jeans. (no they weren't popular at the time but yes, i still wore them) it was all about comfort. although, it has ALWAYS been about jeans. i think i've only owned one pair of sweatpants my entire life. i did have a lot of cool accesories though. interesting quirky pieces eithered borrowed or bought and i wish i hadn't lost most of them now. i had these rainbow star earrings that led me to meet one of my BEST friends. the end of grade 10 also marked a mini-goth phase punctuated by a LOT black nail polish and a bad attitude. SO glad i grew out of that.

by grade 11 and 12 i think the main word to describe my style was cute. i wore a lot of graphic tees with silly sayings or cute pictures. my short torso meant i could buy clothes from the kids department so i had a whole range of places to buy them from. there were a lot of skirts and sneakers involved. i remember in the winters i'd wear my scarves indoors, before it was popular to do so. i got a lot of strange looks. there was this grey zipper hoodie i had that i carried with me EVERYWHERE. i kept sewing the holes up cause i didn't have the good sense to throw it away and buy another one. but it really did match with everything.

since university 2 years ago, i've really toned things down. ditched the cutesy graphic tees for simpler pieces. traded hoodies and sweaters for cardigans of all shapes and sizes. i still LOVE jeans, although i tend to favour a skinny fit now. there have only been MORE scarves and a lot of dangly necklaces. oh! and i finally started using makeup. it sounds small, but those few changes have made all the difference in the world.

now that i'm at the end of it, i highly reccomend you track your own style evolution, it's so interesting seeing where you've come from to get a better sense of where you're going. i like the idea that i'm pressing onward to stylish, one blog post at a time.

what were your wardrobe staples/signature items from the past and how are they different now?

got the photo from here.

je t'aime;

heyhey! here's all the stuff i bought from buffalo. i may have gone a little overboard given my recent financial situation. but i press on. and i take pictures and show you all the stuff i bought.

1. princeton tee, charlotte russe, $8. hope y'all took advantage of the scratch and save weekend they had going on! it took five bucks off this t-shirt. good good stuff.
2. skinny jeans, aeropostale, $20. admittedly, NOT a necessity, but i like starting the year off with a fresh pair of jeans.
3. pens and pencils, $1.50. my loyalties with bic.
4. black flats, target, $13. simple! for school.
5. print scarves, pac sun, $8. i'm a big fan of the buy one get one deal.
6. colour club nailpolish in "wild child," errr some random place, $6. direct cosmetic warehouse or something? they had TONS of nail polish lines. i know i said i wouldn't, but i went a little crazy in there. this crazy green is on my nails right now.
revlon ultimate colourstay lipstick in "#1 nude," walmart, $9. i was looking for an amazing nude and finally found it. i'll have to upload a pic soon.
7. necklace, forever21, $7.
8. hoodie, hollister, $30. i know. PLEASE begin planning my grey intervention. i wouldn't even consider it a power colour, but i can't stop buying it!
9. nailpolish, direct cosmetic warehouse, $6 for the whole set. i LOVE the colours here. the purple is the same colour of popsicles, v. summer.
10. 8 subject-notebook, target, $7. yes EIGHT subjects. fellow stationary-addicts take note, it DOES exist.
11. grey cardigan, american eagle via marshall's, $15. i wanted this sweater when it was in AE stores last year but dragged my feet about purchasing it, i was so happy to find it o'er the weekend.
12. pink v-neck, forever21, $5. finally! a break from the grey rut! my sister convinced me to buy this pink shirt and i actually really like it.

i'm proud to admit that because i paid off some of my visa before i left, i'm not any more in debt now than i was before. okay, proud is putting is putting it a bit too far. but it's certainly better than nothing! so look out for this stuff in future outfit posts coming soon. did you buy anything over the weekend? any great deals you'd like to share?

love your life;

hello dolls! and a happy monday to you! even though i way overspent i had a fabulous weekend shopping with my family and chiling at the youth group pool party.

1. making my mom laugh
2. playing with the bubbles in hot tubs
3. butter pecan syrup
4. hugs from my friend A - she's the best!
5. that feeling you get when you finally, really, truly, let something go
6. when my dad takes the day off to spend it with my sister and i
7. the cheesecake factory- they have a new red velvet cheescake and i almost died it was that good.
8. finding the last of the item you want on sale and in your size
9. buying school supplies =P
10. realizing how much a summer has changed you

this week a lot of the posts are going to be about redefining/ re-affirming your style. so i begin the morning/week with some sage advice from dolce and gabbana:

"don't ever forget to be yourself. there is nothing less attractive than someone who's trying too hard. the most important thing is to feel comfortable with yourself and your look. that's as true for makeup as it is for an evening gown."

photo credit.

how to; find your power colour

(song of the day: TBD)

morning! something stuck out to me about indiana's amazing interview from the other day. she said that "yellow" is her power colour and that got me thinking, what's mine? today i'm going to try and find it. it seems that colours are mostly grouped into warm and cool.

you're probably a warm complexion if: dark brown, black, deep red, reddish or golden brown hair; brown or green eyes; olive, beige, golden skin (or skin which tans easily).

and you'll look best in: red (with warm undertones such as tomato red), peach, orange, golden yellow, golden brown, olive green with gold jewelry.

you're probably a cool complexion if: blonde, light to medium brown hair; light green, hazel, or blue eyes, fair or pale skin (or skin that burns easily)

and you'll look best in: red (with blue undertones such as cherry red) pink, blue, teal, turquoise, purple, mint green with silver jewelry.

these aren't hard and steady rules. it's best if you go test it out for yourself. stand in front of your mirror in a well lit place and hold up your first test colour. take note of a few things. does it flatten your appearance? does it make dark areas on your face stand out even more? does it make you look tired? does it stand out more than you? then it's probably a colour you want to avoid.

but it's definitely working for you if it shows off your eyes, lifts your complexion, or gives you a radiant glow.

but, as i've always said, i think FEELING good as just as important as looking it. go with your gut! cause i mean, if i had to choose? i'd say white is my power colour. i think half the fun of wearing it is knowing i have to carry myself better so i won't spill on it. you're going to need to keep your power colour in mind when you're (back to school) shopping. what's your power colour? any other tips on how to find one?

just a quick update here...

• my budget is coming along okay. my family has been VERY unsupportive in my latest endevaor as they are taking me on a three-day shopping trip this weekend. what i've done, is paid off as much as my VISA as i can and compiled a list of the 5 things i actually NEED. and that's all i'll be allowed to buy. wish me luck with this one, cause you know how i get around Forever21/Delia's.
  
  
• everything will be back to schedule on monday! as i am a student, "back to school" issues, fashion/beauty and other wise, will be the focus in the next two weeks. i hope that's okay! it'll include things like school-year resolutions, redefining your sense of style, better ways to get things done, and my favourite picks for new tv shows. hopefully there'll be something for everyone. if there's anything you'd like to see let me know! and for those of you in the same boat, i'd love to answer your BTS questions/queries. leave it in a comment or email your question to sunshower.style@gmail.com!
  

i've got to get packing. see you monday!
B.

je t'aime;

song of the day: you make my dreams come true, hall & oates



i haven't seen 500 days of summer yet, but this is enough to make me want to.

quick tip;

fake a matte finish on your nails by running a nail buffer or chamois cloth over them

style profile; indiana adams

hey there! i'm super excited to present today's style profile, indiana adams of adored austin. she's an actress and writer from austin, texas with an interest in fashion and home furnishing. her blog has just launched but i'm already in love. she's got a fabulous wardrobe and great style! not only in fashion, but in writing too. i love her outfits and videos. here's what she had to say about her blog:

i am so excited that my blog is doing so well and has a very loyal readership even though i just started it up in the beginning of july. i have no idea why this is, but my guess is it's because i write exactly like i talk to my best friends, which means i don't shy away from being funny or even poking fun at myself from time to time. i think fashion is often ridiculous and outlandish, so it's important to me that i talk about those things, too (besides "hey, look what i wore today!"). my video posts seem to be pretty popular, too, and i think it's either because 1) not a lot of fashion bloggers are doing a lot of video posts, and 2) my dog is in some of the videos, and he's freaking awesome

who/what inspires your style... i am most moved by nostalgia. nostalgia is my favorite emotion! i love things that have a special connection to my childhood, my grandmother, and seymour, indiana (the town i grew up in). that means i really like the 80's, tulle, gaudy costume jewelry, and casual farmer style.

fave beauty products... origins clover blush, clinique high impact, black mascara and water

5 guests at your fantasy dinner party... abe lincoln because he's my presidential crush. why? well, because he's tall, likes to read, and grew up in the midwest. he's pretty much the male version of myself. nicole richie because i think she'd be hilarious the entire time and she'd be dressed like the boho queen i want to be one day. my middle school arch nemesis, so i could be like, "look how awesome i am! famous people have dinner with me!" a genie who would be so excited that i invited him over to dinner that he would give me three wishes with no strings attached. my husband because it'd be weird to have a dinner party without him! plus i like to recap events with him at the end of the day, and it'd just be sooo much easier if he were there and knew exactly what I'm talking about!

your favourite purse, and the one thing that's always in it... i always, always, always carry a giant purse because it has to hold my massive digital camera, my sash of business cards, a notebook, and my brick of a phone. my favorite purse is my mom's 1980's gucci bucket tote which she had in her (gasp!) throw away pile last summer. as long as i can remember, my mom had used that tote as her daily purse. (editor's note: i'm still waiting for confirmation on this, but i think it's the one picture at right.)

as for the thing i can't live without? you know those people who are constantly tinkering around with their phone? yeah, that's me.

fave fashion decade... oh, man. don't make me choose my favorite fashion decade, because i just can't without having an aneurysm! i love the sweet, simple mod dressed from the 60's, the bohemian style flowy tops of the 70's, the menswear inspired stuff of the 80's, and the floral prints from the early 90's. since we can wear all of these on any given day, i'd say so far, this decade is my favorite. cop out answer? yes.

fave piece from your wardrobe... my grandmother was having a yard sale a year or so ago in which she was selling most of her to-die-for costume jewelry from the 60's and 70's. i bartered some mcdonald's gift certificates for an amazing silver owl necklace that i remember playing dress-up with when i was a kid.

when you were a kid, you wanted to be... i could never decide what i wanted to be as a kid: a waitress (yes, big aspirations, I know), an actress, a lawyer, a rockette...i wanted to do it all!

favourite colours to wear... bright, sunshiney yellow is my power color. every time i wear it, i feel invincible and exuberant!

you're most likely to splurge... did you know that it's possible to spend $150 at goodwill in less than 30 minutes? well, it is. i do that. kinda a lot.

she's also got some parting fashion/style advice for you dear readers!

1) fit is everything. a cheap pair of jeans will look like magic if the fit is spot on, and
2) if you're dealing with limited closet space (like i am) don't buy things unless you love them, and don't keep things unless you still love them, and lastly
3) don't wear things that showcase the top of your butt crack or things that ride up into your lady crack. i can't think of any fashion circumstance where this is okay.

i think she's just hilarious! be sure to keep checking up on her blog! i know i will =)

love your life;

song of the day: have you ever really loved a woman, bryan adams

random as it is? that song has been stuck in my head ALL weekend long. and this was a super long weekend too! between work and weddings, churching it up, hanging with friends, i've been crazy busy! i'm super tired and i might be getting a bit sick. anyway, before we get on with the list, check out this quotation from one of my favourite bloggers, gala darling:

"i think one of the best ways to get excited about your life is to take stock of the things in it which are already magnificent, fabulous & delightful! if you do it regularly, it starts to become a way of thinking — you feel that your life is already full of glory & wonder, rather than lacking. it’s one of the best ways i know to start feeling real happiness."




so here we go, 10 things to love terribly.

1. birthday parties that get off alright! (i'd like to say a HUGE HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my bestie R! i love you babe!)
2. when father's cry (A's dad lost it while giving his toast at her wedding but it was probably the sweetest thing i'd ever seen)
3. dancing down the aisles at the supermarket
4. looking out from the stage and seeing the faces of people you love
5. getting my bank/visa statement (for once, it's low! woohoo!)
6. being surprised at your own spontanaeity/courage
7. getting the list of my school textbooks (i'm actually really excited about this year!)
8. ticking off that last item on your list
9. the way your legs feel after you've just shaved them
10. the spinach cheese dip at kelsey's, and a table full of people to share it with

you know what i'm not loving? mosquite bites! but i'm not going to think about that right now. i am SO excited for you to read this week's style profile. coming up in a bit!

stay tuned!

i know it has nothing to do with anything, but i absolutely LOVE that picture!
thanks so much monjori!

best of; august 10 - 14

(song of the night: falling over me, demi lovato)

since i'm at a wedding all day tomorrow i figured i may as well post my best ofs tonight! enjoy, and as always, i'd love to see what cyber-treasures you found this week! comment and or email me!

♥ this week i found a whole slew of things i'd like to add to my book list. scott schuman's book comes out august 18th. WhoWhatWear also has a book now available for relase. and then nina garcia has another book coming out in september! admittedly, i have yet to read the one hundred, but i read the little black book of stlye. good stuff!

♥ i am seriously considering turning to maghound for my magazine fix. for $4.95 a month you get to choose any 3 magazines from a huge list of popular publications. maybe you feel like glamour, elle and vogue one month and then seventeen, glamour and cosmo the next? maghound let's you swap. they've got tons more options as well. if not for this budget i tell you...

♥ temptalia shows you 5 ways to wear bright pink.

♥ according to a new study, the average woman will spend 16 months of her life crying. in disbelief? so was i?

♥ i've got a confession to make. i used to be horribly, terribly addicted to perezhilton.com, it's weird, cause i can't say i like the guy all that much? but i got such satisfacation, peeling through those pink pages for hours on end. ahhh, memories. but just when i thought i was safe, he launches cocoperez. pretty much the same stuff but with a bigger focus on fashion. i fear.

♥ i think yes and yes is the best blog i found this week. i love sarah's ideas for "cheap thrills."

♥ in local news, i found out that there are two more bath and body works locations coming to missisauga. i know if you're reading from the states that doesn't even qualify as news, but they've only just started coming here in the last year. i'm excited! my bottle of sweat pea shower gel is running out.

♥ finally, lemondrop rhymes off their list of the worst pop-culture boyfriends. funny stuff.

enjoy your weekend, wherever you are!

lovelovelove.
B.

how to; bright lips

happy friday! i hope you're having a good day. i know i wrote about it last week, but i still found myself falling into the mindset that august is "just the month until school starts." and don't get me wrong, i'm excited about school! but i keep finding myself kind of just waiitng in stasis, for september. so i'm making it my goal to do something exciting with the next two (or so) weeks. here are 3 of my favourite summer things to do.

1. go outside. nothing says summer more than hopping outside. i'm out there whenever i can. it's been raining alot, so heading outside has become even more exciting. i tend to do a lot of my internship work out on my back porch before it gets too warm.

2. summer is also the perfect time to save on summer clothes! stores are busy trying to clear out summer stock to get ready for fall. pick up tanks and tees on the cheap! and then come up with places to where them!

3. experiment with a new look. i've been doing this a little lately. i'm thinking in the next couple of weeks i'm going to go over my style affirmation for the next year. i'll post that up later. but ahh! there i go! thinking about the fall again! here's an idea!

summer is an awesome time to rock your bright makeup. i do have to watch out cause superbright ones can seem to harsh on dark skin tones. (i tend to wear only deep reds and berry shades) but i have a new favourite! my go-to for bold lips is cool watermelon from maybelline. it's not TOO bright? and it's also got spf 15. you really need to find a bright that works for you.

and there are a few tricks to making bright lips stay all day long. first? exfoliate. then, dab on a nongreasy lip balm ten to twenty minutes before applying the colour. blot the balm, and take your time applying the colour carefully. finally, dust lightly with a translucent powder and you should be good to go! excuse the mussy hair, but that pick's of me at the end of the day! still looking bright! that's all for now!

-xoxo
B.

thoughts; more to love

i'm afraid i've finally caved. after long years of abhorring any type of reality tv, i've finally gotten hooked. i don't know what it is. the lack of good summer programming on major networks, my budget (i have been staying home a fair bit more these days), or maybe i've finally just gotten bored enough to watch. either way, i wouldn't miss an episode of more to love if you paid me.

it's pretty much the bachelor, but for a plus-sized man and a house full of plus-sized women. i'm not saying i approve of the show because i kind of feel they exploit the whole plus size/low self esteem issue. but, and i am so ashamed to admit this, but i'm kind of addicted. i've never watched a show like this before -i'm more of a cartoons, CSI or sci-fi kind of girl- and i've actually learned a lot. how weird is that? to start...

○beauty isn't about size. this seems like such a no-brainer. but watching the show only reaffirmed it for me. a lot of the girls in the house are truly, geuninely gorgeous. the ones i consider "ugly" are the girls who do crazy things for attention, go around badmouthing everybody else. beauty, for me, boils down to integrity. but on the aesthetic side of things? it's all about a great smile and clothes that fit and flatter you.

○obsession is NOT attractive on anyone. in fact, it just makes you look plummm crazy. don't leave notes on people's bedroom doors. don't tell them that you're falling for them a few days after meeting them. (cough *kristian* cough)

○this kind of goes hand in hand, but there is nothing as unattractive as trying too hard.

○i've learned alot about "the perfect man." he is never worth stabbing people in the back for. he is not dating other girls while he's dating me. and he ISN'T the perfect man if he doesn't love me back.

○i've learned i could NEVER be on a game show like this. i'm way too nice and i fall way too hard.

○one surfire way to bomb a date: talking too much (danielle, anyone?)

○on the plus side, i feel a little better about things. i'm always scared when i like someone and begin to pursure it that i'm going too far. but i feel like watching the show has given me a more accurate view of what that looks like. but on the reverse: it's made me doubt when i have a connection with someone. cause usually the girl who says "we have a connection" goes home.

○ and lastly, i've learned boys don't know what's good for them. cause lauren should have gone home on the first day =P

please tell me i'm not the only one watching this =P or the only one who glean's life lessons from television.

anyway, some updates from my life as of late. i thought gi joe was fabulous! it definitely helped that i spent the last week prepping by watching the old school cartoons. i really liked it. also, we're 12 days in and i can count the number of purchases i've made this month on one hand! go me!

xoxo
-B.

je t'aime;

i know i'm like a day late, but i just finished watching the teen choice awards. you know me, i haven't met an award show i didn't like. and there were two stand out stars for me. emma roberts was lovely in monique lhullier. i love that she let the built-in statement necklace be the focus of the outfit. the the LWD was simple and classic. same with her hair. and i love the fresh-faced makeup with the touch of winged eyeliner. (click either picture to enlarge)

my second favourite was selena gomez! i'm usually not a fan of hers. but i loved what she wore. the asymmetrical dress was a v. mature look. (i'm still tracking down who made it). her hair and makeup choices were awesome also.

and you know what i really didn't like? miley cyrus. i have NEVER been a fan of hers and the nose ring/biker shorts/stripper pole combo only confirms what i already knew. anyway, did you watch? who would you pick for best dressed?

all photos courtesy of justjared.

current obsession; plaid

after a two week hiatus, i finally stepped into a mall the other day. i didn't buy anything mind you, but i couldn't help but notice that the mall had EXPLODED with plaid. it's everywhere. it's always been one of my favourite patterns, but i'm excited that it's going to be a big trend for fall.

one general thought for wearing plaid is that less it more. let it be the loudest piece of your outfit. generally, avoid wearing it with any other prints.

plaid isn't just for preps and lumberjacks. there are so many ways to wear a simple tunic like this! you can slip it over leggings, jeans, skirts or shorts.

toughen it up, with a leather jacket or layers of oversized metallic accesories, studded jewelry or biker boots.

soften it up with pearls or a glam clutch, or adding a cardigan in a contrastning colour. also, you can make a plaid button down feel more western by tying it up and pairing it wiht a skirt.

plaid accesories are also v. cool! switch things up by adding a scarf,

i've settled on adding one plaid piece for fall, but i haven't quite decided which one i want yet.
check this tunic from charlotte russe, retails for about $25 CAD.

lovelovelove
-B.

love your life;

so i'm kicking off this week with a new list of the ten things that make me terribly happy.

1. colouring, it's very relaxing!
2. homemade cannelloni & pomegranate italian soda
3. people who believe in you when you don't
4. getting lost on your way home
5. watching my old high school musical on tape with a friend
6. getting packages in the mail
7. old-school gi joe cartoons
8. sneaking into my sister's bed to stay up and talk
9. thunderstorms-as long as i'm inside while they happen
10. being carried. when you're on the taller side, this happens less and less, but i'm happiest when my feet don't touch the ground.



just loving the life i've got, anyway i can. how are you loving yours?
xoxo
-B

best of; august 3-7

song of the day: you are for me, kari jobe

happy saturday! sorry i haven't written much, but i really did have a fabulous time at the conference. i find it crazy when you think you've heard a story a million times, and then someone comes along and spins it completely around into something completely new. this whole week kinda been like that. randomly, a lot of old things feel new again. i hope you had a good one! here are the best ofs for this week!

♥ i love when people can turn a positive into a negative. check out 7 reason's it's awesome your stressed via seeinggood.com

♥ A over at the glamorous grad studnet talks style inspirations.

♥ to no one's surprise, a canadian study found that how much you eat depends on who you're eating with. it's SO true.

♥ hey fellow writers-i know you're out there-check out copyblogger's 73 ways to become a better writer. this really helped me when i got stuck with my novel this week.

♥ you've heard me rave about daisy by marc jacobs, finally lola daisy's older sister perfume is coming out this month. given my budget and all i will just have to wait and hope someone buys me a bottle.

♥ karen over at the makeup and beauty blog linked over to this awesome post with 10 tricks for making amazing playlists.

♥ i realized i have like, 3 friends L and, 2 J friends and 2 friends R so if you've been following my blog, it must get pretty confusing. but! one L and one R have blogs now! and they are truly lovely. i am continuously in awe of my friends!


that's it for me! later my lovelies!

je t'aime;

song of the day: our song, taylor swift

today, i'm loving revlon's posh pink nail polish (featured in the picture at left). especially on my skin tone, it's like a perfect barbie pink. my friend J came over and we did a spa day, as i suggested the other day. it was great, cause i got a pedicure in a fun new colour for no money. woohoo!

apologies as i'll be a little preoccupied with this conference i'm attending for the next two days. back with some real stuff soon!

-xoxo.

top ten; august/september movies

i cannot lie. these type posts are among my favourite. movies are big to me. i'm one of those people that loves to be there on opening night, jostling elbows for seats and holding places in line. getting their early, and giving your flats enough time to really adhere to the soda-sticky floor. but then again, i'm kinda weird. hahaha. money permitting, here's what i'll be lining up for in the next two months in order of my most anticipated.

august.

» gi joe (august 7)
the 10-year old boy inside me can not WAIT for this movie. and the 19-year old girl inside of me really likes channing tatum. it's win win really. in my mind, i kind of hope it lives up to the grander of tranformers the first.

» bandslam (august 14)
it's about a group of misfits who band together (literally) to compete in their school's battle of the bands. before the v-hudge factor had me boycotting this one, but the trailers won me over. i'm a sucker for your textbook awkward geek hero.

» paper heart (limited release, august 14)
i love charlyne yi! she's so cute and so funny. in the film, she travels the country to make a documentary about love.

» julie and julia (august 7)
one things for sure this movie will make me REALLY hungry. i love amy adams, and meryl streep and eating, so this movie's pretty much a done deal for me. it looks so cute!


september.

» cloudy with a chance of meatballs. (september 18)
this movie would sway me over on voice cast alone. bill hader, andy samberg, neil patrick harris, anna faris AND mr. t! not to mention, it was one of my favourite books when i was a kid. i'm excited =)


» fame (september 25)
if you know me, you know i'm a sucker for a good musical. remakes make me a little iffy, but so far i've only heard good things about the new cast. i'm really excited to see the movie.



» the invention of lying. (september 25)
ricky gervais is all over this film. he wrote, directed and stars in this movie about a world that has never heard of lying. gervais's character, a writer, takes advantage of the situation. the trailer for it looks so funny! it also stars jason bateman, tina fey and a whole bunch of other comedians i love. so i'm excited for this one too.

» surrogates (september 25)
when i first saw the trailer in the movie theatre i remember being extremely creeped out. but it's one of those movies that's actually been playing on my mind. it's got me so curious i actually think i might brave it and go see it. the story takes place in a futuristic world where people interact through robots (the surrogates) but when the people behind the surrogates begin being murdered, a cop (bruce willis!) has to leave his home and investigate. looks creepy but good!

» the september issue (september 11)
tons of fashion websites and blogs alike are all aflutter about this documentary about how anna wintor (vogue's editor-in-chief) puts together one of the biggest issue of the magazine. the hype has me intrigued.

» coco before chanel (september 25)
and from those sames blogs and sites, i've heard alot about this biopic about coco chanel. audrey tatou has the title role and she is TOO cute. i'll probs check this one out.

haha. as usual, my movie taste is ALL over the place. what what about you? what are you most excited for?

-xoxo.

weekly resolve; make the most of august

this is a goal i'll be working toward all month. it's always been a pet peeve of mine how those of use going back to school write august off before it's even begun. yes there are back to school commercials on tv already, but that doesn't mean summer's over. my sister is the prime example of this, some days she's actually mopey at the prospect of going to school. and it's still nearly 30 days away! i'm going to use august to cram in as much hanging as i can and to work on my driving. i haven't driven much since my little accident, but i'm determined to get back into the saddle - err...driver's seat. there are tons of things to look forward to this month: another friend's wedding, a birthday party, the possibility of last minute vacations and summer camp. and who knows what else might turn up? what are you doing this august?

love your life;

song of the day: you are mine, charlotte o'connor

g' morning! i'm switching things up a little bit today. just testing it out. let me know what you think. i stumbled across a collection of lists over at rockstar diaries that feature the 10 things that make people happy. so this morning i'm rhyming off ten things that make me terribly happy right now. it was a little hard to come up with, but i think i got it.

1. full-contact scrabble games
2. the smell of old books
3. making plans
4. pink cream blush
5. writing out on my porch, when it's sunny enough to do so
6. movie trailers
7. catching up
8. freshly painted fingernails
9. the smell of a rising red velvet cake
10. countdowns, and the associated notion that something good is coming

and i should add saving money to this list. i didn't wait for a fresh start to make good on last week's resolve, and i think it's been going along really well. that's it for me! hope you're loving your life lately!

-lovelovelove.

CUTE photo from Rowena R.

best ofs; july 27-31

song of the day: fallin for you, colbie callait

happy august to you! this week i FINALLY had time to go through my wardrobe. (you remember when i wrote about the importance of a finely whittled wardrobe). i enlisted my sister to help me and even though it hurt a bit i got rid of THREE full garbage bags of clothes. i'm donating them to charity next week, of course. it's cool now, because the clothes i have left (and there are still plenty) are a much better reflection of my personal style. pat on the back for b!

you know what else was cool? i wrote about somebody once told me last week, and the owner/head photographer for the site emailed me in thanks! so cool! i'm thinking about making my own submission to the site but i'm not sure what to say yet.

and thanks for bearing with all the changes that have been going around here. i've been playing around with things until i get them just the way i want them. anyway! sorry for the delay, here are the best ofs for the week.

♥ a recent study found that women, throughout generations are becoming increasingly attractive. woohooo!

♥ the frisky put together a 30-day guide to breaking up, the break up bible as they called it. i was tracking it the whole month of july. the suggestions are good for single girls too, full of ways to rediscover yourself and to relax.

♥ this week i found out the the sophie kinsella, writer of the shopoholic books had been writing under a pseudonym. i feel like i found out santa's not real! i understand why writer's use pen names but hate when i find them out. her real name's madeline wickham. has anyone read of her books? i'll make a point to rent one next time i'm at the library. wickham/kinsella, whoever she is, also has a new book that was just released 2 weeks ago. i want to check that out too.

♥ glamour posted some cute twitter pick up lines.

♥ a phsyical therapist discusses how to survive high heels, heavy bags and other accesories without injury or at eye4style.

♥ best personal fashion blog i stumbled upon this week: fashion CHALET.

that's all for now. i've gotta go find something in my new (clutter-free!) closet to wear to church tomorrow. enjoy the rest of the weekend my lovelies!