I feel that I have been neglecting my blog and I have, but with good reason.

My lovely better half is finally cleared to go back to work after a bad leg break. It's been nearly 5 months that he has been home with very little range of movement! There were times I wanted to break his other leg but looking back I'm glad I didn't. Even though we have been waiting a long time for him to be able to get back to work it still is bitter sweet. He left Tuesday, Oct 4th for Fort Nelson, BC. He works out there as a transport truck driver hauling oil rig related things. It'll be nice to finally have some money in the bank and a nice savings to go with it but it's gonna be a long cold winter here with out him. So for the past couple of weeks I have even given up my workout regime in order to bank as many hours with him as possible!

However, I have found just a few minutes to blog today and get you up to speed on what I'm currently dealing with. We are in the process of potty training M. For any parent at this stage of the game you can understand what I'm going through. I have to say that potty training is my most hated task of parenting, yet the most exciting one. Each day you can go from cleaning up accidents to cheering and jumping up and down because the pee actually made it into the potty. You try rewards, the excitement of big girl panties, sitting on the bathroom floor reading books, and refilling the sippy cup while she waits on the potty all in an effort to get her to just GO! She loves the process. She loves getting completely undressed (because she couldn't possibly think about sitting on the potty with her shirt on and pants at her feet). She loves pretending to pee (even makes the sounds). She especially loves taking mounds of toilet paper off the roll to "wipe" with. Last but not least she loves trying to flush the toilet (seeing as she can't quite manage this yet she gets mad and frustrated and refuses to leave the bathroom until you've flushed the toilet for her even though she never even peed).Oh the joys of potty training. I think the worst part is that, as a mom who takes pride in dressing M well everyday, potty training means a lot of pant less days. It's been noted that Lady Gaga has been one to go pant less on many occasions. It's kind of her trademark. For M and I it's a matter of not ruining a million pairs of pants with accidents. It's gotten to the point where there are days when M wants nothing to do with her pants. What's an outfit without it's bottom half? Beats me! In all honesty this doesn't cause me to loose sleep or really effect me but it's just a funny stage of parent/toddlerhood that we are currently dealing with.
Just goes to show that even self claimed Fashionistas have their fair share of fashion dilemmas!

I'll be sure to get more posts up in the next couple of weeks. Please bare with me!
XO
Amber

Red- va va voom- lips

On a recent trip to Sephora with one of my bestie Kathleen and her sister Bernelle I decided to do something a little crazy. Let's keep in mind that crazy, for me, is the equivalent to Kim Kardashian being spotted eatting ice cream two days in a row. I brought up the prospect of trying red lipstick to my gal pals. I even went as far as to suggest we get an associate to show us how to do it correctly on our own lips (I know I'm living on the edge). I knew there had to be a process and I was right. She began by teaching us how to pick out the correct shade of red. For Bernelle and my skin colour we couldn't go too dark, like a burgundy red, or too light, like a pinky red. Next was the application. Easy enough as long as you have a steady hand. Then it was time for lip liner. Stay with the same shade. It can be beneficial to apply this after the lipstick so you can even out any imperfections caused when applying your lip colour. Voila! C'est magnifique! You are now looking like a diva! Truth is we really did look good. What made it even sweeter was when the associate stated that it's a huge fall trend. SOLD! We decided to take the plunge and purchase our new red lips. However, being a mom on the go, I just couldn't see the practicality in doing more than one quick application and out the door I go. I needed an all in one red lip makeover rather than a lipstick and liner process. After searching through our other sultry options in the Sephora brand section, we found a lip stain that did the trick. It was a reasonable $14. I love the Sephora store and brand especially. It's fairly inexpensive for the quality of product you get. I've been around the block a few times to know that this is a good price. Head into your local department store and you will find many similar options but for prices much higher. Side note: I'm also madly in love with their liquid eye liner, it's amazing (trust me, I've gone through so many other inferior brands). After my lips were done M, who waited patiently, was quite amused by mommy's new lips and constantly wanted to examine them. The general consensus is that they are a go!

By sharing my adventures I thought I'd try and spark a few of you to be daring and try wearing the red lip trend this Fall. It can be a fantastic chic addition to an outfit and make you feel flirty and fashionable. You can wear it out for a casual coffee break with a friend or a fancy date night with your other half. It's super versitile. If you aren't convinced yet check out the four page spread in the September issue of InStyle magazine. It's a great how-to guide that features everything from picking the right shade to choosing the finish that is right for you and even a who's who of celebs sporting perfectly red pouts.

So go on and find your inner va-va voom and go paint the town (and your lips) RED!

Xo
Amber

My Sweet Singer

Some of you, who have befriended me via facebook, have probably noticed I've been refinishing my Grandmother's old Singer sewing machine. It was in pretty rough shape. It had been sitting outside exposed to the elements for a few months before I rescued it and gave it some TLC. I am so proud of how far it has come. This in turn makes me wonder... just how far has it come? What has it created? What could it create?

The old Singer may have never taken part in creating designer duds but it must have helped clothe my family at some point. It guided gentle hands in a labour of love,  fixed what had been torn, and maybe even breathed new life into an old garment. I wish I could say I  have some articles that were sewn by it but that is just wishful thinking.

I am nonetheless very excited that a peice of my history now sits in my home. It will be mine until I share it and pass it along to M who I hope will love it dearly. If I ever get it in working condition and learn to sew (no judgement please) then I will share with you my creations. Until that miraculous day it will just look like a million bucks in my front hall for all to see. This mama is so proud!

xo
Amber

'Big Sexy' fashion?

I've recently been introduced to this new three-part series on TLC, Big Sexy. It features five plus sized women in New York City trying to make it in the fashion world. We get a snapshot of what their every day life is like being 'big girls' and the struggles that come with. However, they embrace their curves and have no over-powering desire to change their voluptuous bodies. During one of the episodes one of the ladies makes a powerful statement: "Fashion is for everyone." This got me thinking... should designers cater to every size even if it's plus size and in turn potentially supporting, at times, an unhealthy way of life?

Yes, I too believe that fashion is for everyone. After all we all have to get up and get dressed in the morning. We all seek to look and feel great in the clothes we wear. Trying to shop for stylish pieces that fit and suit my body type has, at times, been challenging. This is coming from someone who has had to wear plus size clothes at certain points in my life. I can certainly feel for the women of Big Sexy. Especially when they attend a fashion show during New York Fashion Week and are disappointed that none of the designers are showcasing clothing modelled by plus size ladies. I too would feel as though the body image of the models that I'm seeing on the runway is highly unattainable. There were moments in the show where I could really relate to the ladies. The major difference being that I want to loose weight and am not okay with being plus size. I love my curves and don't want to loose all of them, but I'd also like to feel 110% good in my body. This can be hard, especially after have babies. Even if I was at my ideal weight I still wouldn't be able to feel great in clothes that were designed with the 'stick thin' in mind. I know that the smaller sized body is preferred to showcase a designers collection but can this look send the wrong message at times. The designers may not be showing plus size models in plus sized clothing but they are showing women who are at the very opposite end of the spectrum. These ladies could be deemed too skinny and also unhealthy.

I think at the end of the day a designer will never be able to make everyone happy. I also believe that if  someone chooses to start a fashion line they really need to focus on one specific size group of people and that way they can avoid a lot of grief. Not everyone needs to shop in every store equally but there should be different stores with different styles and tastes for people of all shapes and sizes.  Let's also keep in mind that just because someone is plus size doesn't mean they are totally unhealthy and same for those whom are slender. So if ever in your life time you get the opportunity to see a runway show let's keep the judgements on the fashion and not the models. Fashion is for everyone....to enjoy!


xo
Amber

Celeb Trends: Embrace or Erase from your mind

I love keeping up on the latest trends and seeing what the celebrities are sporting these days. This is probably what fuels my magazine addiction. I recently picked up the September issue of People Style Watch. On page 136 they highlight a Celeb Trend that I am so torn about I needed to post it to see what you all thought.

Tie Neck Blouses.

On one hand I'm thinking "Grandma, Grandma, Grandma". Then on the other hand I'm thinking "Elegant, feminine.... maybe one of those things that you see on the rack and think 'ew' but then your best friend convinces you to try it on and you look like a million bucks so you treat her to a grande, non-fat, no whip something or other from Starbucks to thank her for pushing your fashion boundries to new levels!" So maybe I should be my own best friend and give it a fair try.

My eyes wander to the bottom of the page which has a section that lets us 'average joes' know where we can find the look in varying price ranges. The only one that tickles my fancy is the style from H & M. My reasons being that it's the most inexpensive and I have an iPhone app for H & M that gives me the occasional discount coupon. I am, after all, a diva on a dime.  I venture into the mall the next day to take the plunge and try on what hopefully isn't a disaster. I search the store for the same style blouse. I stumble upon the closest thing to the tie-neck as I could. It was a nude coloured blouse with the same draping however the height of the tie and thickness of the tie were slightly off. I thought I've give it a try none the less. On my way to the change room I picked up a similar coloured tank for underneath, as the blouse was sheer. As I looked in the mirror at my take on the celeb trend I thought "Hmm this isn't half bad looking". My second thought was " This is super comfortable". I looked effortlessly put together and felt so comfortable that I could wear this look out with M or out to dinner. I popped on a cool blazer and I was sold!

I think the key to celeb trends is taking from them what works for you and make it your own. I'm still not sure if I could pull off the exact same look as the ladies in the picture on the left but I found something similar that worked for me. Overall, it's fun trying new things and finding out something new about your style. I highly recommend taking the plunge and breaking down your fashion boundries.

Xo
Amber