Injecting Some Spring Into My Wardrobe

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Floral Dress – H&M | Suede Over the Knee Boots – Forever 21 {Sold out – Similar} | Purse – Chanel

 
 

While I realize it’s not quite spring yet (especially since snow has been falling around here this week), I still think it’s time to inject a little bit of spring into my wardrobe! Just a few short months ago I was so excited to layer sweaters, vests, scarves and jackets, but now I’d give anything to wear just one of those layers.

I’m starting to think about what my spring wardrobe will look like, and one of the main staples will be floral patterns. This dress is from H&M, and it’s the perfect transition piece between winter and spring because the dress has longer sleeves and a great lining to keep me warm, but bright flowers to bring some colour and a hint of spring to the outfit.

I’m also starting to wear more white and shades of nude to brighten up my wardrobe a for the season change. I’m not ready for shorts and miniskirts yet, but until it’s warm enough I’m going to start bringing more floral pattern’s into my outfits as the months get warmer.

Have you noticed that many stores are starting to bring out their bathing suits, beach cover-up’s and sandals into the floor? It’s a sign that spring break is coming, and it reminds me that I can start thinking about putting those heavy sweaters away very soon!

What are you doing to get ready for spring when it comes to your wardrobe? Or are you not thinking about it at all? Let me know in the comments!

 
 

Xoxo Mandy

 
 

Keeping Warm with Du North Designs

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Sweater – Du North | Leggings – Du North {similar} | Boots – Call it Spring | Bag – Louis Vuitton

 
 

This past week was absolutely freezing, and so keeping warm has been a top priority when I’ve been heading out the door lately. Sometimes it’s difficult to look great while avoiding frostbite! I love the way this Du North Hot Pink Selfie Cardigan looks, feels, and they way it drapes! It’s perfect to wear with leggings because it covers everything that needs to be covered (because contrary to popular opinion, I believe that leggings are not pants!), and I love the print! The bonus was that it was very warm to wear on an extremely cold weekend.

The leggings I’m wearing are also from Du North, and I really liked the faux leather patch above the knees to makes these leggings a bit more interesting.

Du North Designs is based out of Alberta, and they have clothing that is both affordable and stylish. My favourite combination! They have a huge selection of leggings in all kinds of patterns, and they also have a selection of tops, sweaters, accessories, maternity and plus size clothing, and a range of children’s clothing.

I paired the outfit with my new ankle booties from Call it Spring, and one of my classic Louis Vuitton Speedy bags to complete the look.

The only thing missing? Milder temperatures! This sweater really was keeping me warm in those negative temperatures luckily, but I think I’m ready for the temperatures to get slightly warmer!

Have a great week everyone!

Xoxo Mandy

 
 

Our Foyer Makeover

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My husband and I can’t agree on anything easily when it comes to home décor. We haven’t actually decorated our whole house yet, and we have lived there for almost 5 years. We have actually redecorated some rooms more than once, and some we just can’t agree on so absolutely nothing has happened in them décor-wise.

I think that because it takes us so long to make decisions, we end up redecorating in the meantime! Our front foyer was decorated once when we moved in, then we were selected to be in a makeover feature in Style at Home Magazine where they redecorated a few rooms in our home including our front foyer, and now our tastes have changed again and here we are again with a new room!

You can take a look at our old front foyer in these photos below!
 
 

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We loved the way our old foyer looked, but decided we needed a change so we collaborated on ideas for what to do. Collaboration is actually code for “it took us many months to agree on everything”, but the good news is we are still happily married and our foyer is complete!

The old foyer had a light blue paint, so we decided to lighten it up with a grey called The Plaza by CIL (50GY 72/012). Not only did it have the perfect name (we decided to paint around the time I was heading to New York and I had The Plaza Hotel on my mind!), but I really liked how it brightened up the hallway.

Thank goodness my husband is a handy guy! He is great at taking antique pieces and refinishing them into something fresh and new. We picked up the hall table at a barn and were told it was made in the 1920’s. I loved the detail on it, so I asked my hubby to sand it and paint it black with CIL’s Smart3 for Furniture and Cabinets.

Next up we needed a sturdy bench for our toddler to get his shoes on in the morning before we head out the door, so we picked up this great bench at Bouclair. It fit the wall we placed it on perfectly, and it’s a solid bench that doesn’t move or shake at all.

I LOVE Homesense as you will clearly be able to see once I tell you where the rest of the foyer’s look came from! It didn’t take one trip to Homesense – probably 7 or 8 before I put together everything else I was looking for.

We picked up this rug at Homesense and I LOVE it! If they had two I would of bought it in case this one gets destroyed as this is a high-traffic area. The pattern is really fun and different. The frames on the table, the faux antler, and the tray are all from Homesense.

I picked up these great mirrors from Homesense for only $39.99 each which was great deal because mirrors can be so expensive! The pillow on the bench was also from – you guessed it! – Homesense for only $29.99.

These stools are my favourite part of the room. I saw them at Homesense, went home to think about them, then ran back to the store around 8:30pm where I found another couple sitting on them! Luckily there were four in total, so I politely waited until they decided which two they would take. I gently suggested the other two I didn’t want, and I went home a happy girl.
 
 
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The heads on the wall were all purchased from Homesense, but a couple had hooks on them, and they were all different colours of silver or brass. My husband cut off the hooks and painted them all silver except one that he painted in an aqua colour. Every room in our house has one piece that is aqua, so we decided to choose one of the heads to be that colour.

Existing items in the room included the light fixture (from – you guessed it – Homesense) and the windowpane which was brought in by the Style at Home team which we love as a divider between the foyer and the living room.

I truly didn’t realize how much Homesense was actually in this room until I started writing. I thought I had curated everything from different stores, but the majority ended up being from Saturday morning trips to Homesense with the family in tow, and a Starbucks in hand. Actually I would be a pretty easy person to stalk because I’ve just realized this is my Saturday morning routine, so if you are looking for me because I borrowed a sweater from you or something you can catch up with me there.

What do you think of our foyer makeover? Do I need more to fill the room up, or have I decorated it with just enough pieces? Let me know in the comments – suggestions are welcomed!

 
 

Xoxo Mandy

 
 

Finding a Valentine’s Day Outfit on a Budget

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias

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Valentine’s Day can be stressful for plenty of reasons, but one of them shouldn’t be your outfit! Whether you have a casual day planned or a big night out, wanting to look a little more special than usual is a priority for most people.

Looking great doesn’t need to cost a lot, so I’ve put together a few tips for finding a great Valentine’s Day outfit on a budget, and I put together an outfit using my tips.

First of all, choose your retailer wisely. If you read the blog often, you know I’m a big fan of Forever 21. They have a huge selection, everything is always very trendy and stylish, and the price point is perfect for an outfit on a tight budget.

Red is the signature colour of Valentine’s Day, so I made of point of wanting red accessories. Purchasing a red outfit would be lovely, but if you are on a budget it may not be the best choice. It’s harder to find occasions to wear red, so purchasing a red dress may not be the best investment.

Instead I think purchasing red accessories will keep the Valentine’s Day theme in mind when putting together an outfit, and those accessories can be more easily repurposed into everyday wear.

When I was at Forever 21 I went straight to the themed section near the registers full of Valentine’s Day wear. I picked up some amazing red suede lace up pointed flats that I know I will wear over and over again ($39.90), and an adorable red clutch with the words “Love” embossed in gold ($7.90).

 
 

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I wanted an outfit that was dressy for an evening out, but something that I could wear over and over again and wasn’t just for Valentine’s Day. I decided to pick a blush pink shift dress that was perfect for Valentine’s Day because it was pink, and the price was very affordable at $29.90.

I found this dress with the new spring arrivals at the store, and it will be perfect for wearing over and over with different accessories to create other looks.
 
 
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To finish off my Valentine’s Day look on a budget I needed a statement necklace, and since I tried to save money on this look I decided to dig through my current jewlery collection to find something to complete the look.

I ended up finding a romantic lace-look bib necklace that I’m not sure I even wore before in my closet. Since the rest of the look was new, it seemed like everything was new including the necklace (bonus!), and I saved money along the way.
 
 
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What are your tips for finding a Valentine’s Day outfit on a budget? Let me know in the comments if you have any tricks for shopping with a budget in mind.

 
 

Xoxo Mandy

 
 

Easy Weekend Outfit

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Crepe Fringe Top – Banana Republic | Ripped Jeans – American Eagle Outfitters | Suede Lace Up Shoes – Kate & Mel Town Shoes | Handbag – Gucci
 

 

Here’s the thing – I’m not a quitter. I don’t like to give up or give in, so if I’m committed to something I go all the way. For example if I were really into a certain trend like, say fringe, I would really really give it my all.

Does that explain why so many of my style posts over the last 6 months may or may not involve some sort of fringe? Probably. I’m a girl obsessed it seems.

This Banana Republic Crepe Fringe Top is one of my new favourite pieces. I bought a petite medium so it’s a little oversized, but I liked that about it. It’s not too structured so I wasn’t too concerned with a perfect fit. I’ve had a thing for AEO jeans as of late because they have the best distressed denim! Once you wash their jeans a few times they look like they have frayed naturally.

I am in love with these new suede heels with a lace up front and a cute (you guessed it!) fringe detail on the laces. They are surprisingly comfy, although I will have to check the weather for rain before I leave the house when I wear them because of the suede. They are perfect to wear this year because of the lace up shoe trend, plus tassels will be hot again this season. They are the perfect shoe for 2016!

I hope you are having a great week!

 

 
Xoxo Mandy