Like Mother Like Daughter

Today was the first day that M wandered into her room and came out with an entire outfit that she picked out, all by herself. Usually it's a shirt here or a shoe there but this time she had a complete ensemble. The next task was trying to get it all on by herself. She no longer wants my help to do most things, especially getting dressed. After a small tantrum and convincing her to let me help she was dressed. The end result was something that made me proud. An outfit that actually made sense and looked good. She decided to strut her stuff for me and I managed to capture a few snap shots. What a little diva!

Xo
Amber

Repost: Recession Proofing Your Closet This Fall

I realize Fall is but a distant memory as we truck on into winter. However, this post from The Budget Fashionista is a must read if you are trying to stay fashionable on a tight budget.
Enjoy!
Repost: Recession Proofing Your Closet This Fall

Sparkle and Shine It's Christmas Time

I would not be the self proclaimed fashionista that I am if, while making my holiday to do list, I forgot to jot down 'Find a great holiday outfit'. Yes, I have been totally consumed with what to buy for my loved ones and especially M. Like many of you I've searched the internet for a great hoilday recipe to 'wow' my friends and family with. And of course I have carefully wrapped each and every present. For me though, I put as much effort into those things as I do choosing my holiday wardrobe. What would the holidays be without a little sparkle or the best shade of red for your attire. As a mom, I also carefully pick out a Christmas outfit for M, as most mothers do. When you walk through any department store it isn't hard to notice that having a great hoilday ensemble starts as early as 3 months of age.  Children's perfect plaid prints and just a touch of faux fur call out to mothers and grandmothers alike. So why should us grown ups put our style aside and forget about ourselves? We can have our cake and eat it too. Our children can be dapper and we can be dazzling, all at the same time.

I realize that contemplating spending any amount of money on ourselves can be daunting but I never said you needed to buy a whole new outfit for the holidays. You can be surprised what you might already have in your closet that you can work with. It may only take buying a simple accessory or tank to breath new life into older pieces.

Take the very trendy sequined tank. I know most women have a plain tank in their closets but let's kick it up a notch and add that sparkle I was talking about. Chose the tank in a colour you love, I'm totally into gold this season. Pair it with a dark washed skinny jean or my fave, black skinny dress pants (Dynamite stores). Throw on a black blazer and your best black boot and voila!

Do you have a simple LBD (little black dress) that you love to show off every chance you get? Slip on a shoe with some sparkle and feel more festive instantly!

Heading to a cocktail party? Find the best and biggest ring to wear on your finger. It'll be sure to start some conversation as you hold your martini or wine glass and mingle.

Whatever your style you can always find room in your closet, and wallet, for one special holiday piece that will make you feel beautiful and confident. Yes, you are the mom who will stand in line for that must have toy, spend sleepless nights wrapping gifts with love, and finish off Christmas eve by watching holiday favourites and eating homemade chocolate chip cookies. However, you can also be the mom who spends an extra 5 minutes getting ready so she can look as put together as her toddler. I know I'll try my best but M always outshines me and that's ok too!

Have a safe and happy Christmas season with the ones you love. Find your inner fashionista and turn some heads!  

XO

Amber

Inside a woman's closet

Every woman has a closet. Some are small, some are shared and some are bigger than your first apartment.

Every closet has a history. Every closet has a story. There is more to them than what meets the eye.

My closet is one that I take great pride in. I enjoy keeping it organized. I've used methods of organization such as sorting by colour or by category. I tend to go through my closet at least once a month. I look at what I don't wear anymore and either donate, throw out or send it to a friend. I may have a different method of organizing and maintaining my closet than other women but some areas of our closets are very similar.
We all have common items in our closets. They may not be the same style or colour or size but they have a common bond. There is the section in our closets that we keep the jeans we used to fit in before the 'I dos'. There might even be the wedding dress we keep to show our daughters and at times it's a reminder of a different shape we used to be. I know some of you have those amazing outfits that you rocked on a night out with the girls. Those outfits are now something you keep to remind you of how great those times were. Those nights are now replaced with homework help and lullabies. We all have those items hanging in the far back of the closet that are no longer trendy. Yet we keep them because they might just make a comeback and when they do, we might still be young enough to sport them. There are the random shirts, skirts and dresses that have the tags hanging hopelessly from them because you couldn't pass up such a good deal. We all know there's bound to be an occasion when you'll need to wear them, one day. Keepsake college wear and concert T's take up their own spot in our closets and our memories. We could never consider tossing them. After all they represent a first kiss, first drink, or first arrest (just kidding about the last one). I'm sure you can all relate.

I think it's fair to say that if I walked into any closet, of anyone reading this, I could quickly get an idea of who you are and where you've been. Our clothes say a lot about us. When we carefully select each piece of an outfit from our closet, we are deciding what we want the world to think about us. Our closets house a huge part of our lives and command a level of respect.

....but then again that's just me and my love affair with fashion talking.

XO
Amber

Dear Children Clothing Designers....

I have a love-hate relationship with you.
Do any of you actually have children yourselves?
Have you ever tried to dress a child in some of the things you create?
Why must you pull me in with your cute prints and must have styles?
I might have been fooled once by your tricks. You cannot fool me twice. I am far too practical of a mother to buy an adorable shirt or perfect pair of jeans without examining it's functionality closely.
You frustrate me!
Sincerely,
This fashion forward and pissed off MOM!

I can imagine I am not the only mother who has bought an article of clothing, brought it home, washed it and then attempted to dress your little wriggle worm in it. You fidget with zippers and try to figure why there is a button on a pair of pants that does absolutely nothing. You then proceed to curse the brand who manufactured it. You don't dare tell your spouse that you've wasted more money on clothing that your child 'had' to have. Not to mention the pricey hair colour you'll need to buy for yourself in order to cover the new grey hairs you've gained from the exhausting ten minute dressing session.

M may only be 2 but I've gained enough experience with dressing her that I can quickly look at a shirt or pants or shoes and tell whether or not it's practical. As a mom, time is of the essence. The more time you spend on a simple task such as getting them dressed in the morning or bundled up to head outdoors, the less time you'll have for other things. Such as the most sacred, 'Me' time.

I recently stumbled upon this issue while shopping for winter boots for M. Within the first 10 seconds of pulling on the pom pom that was attached to the zipper on the boots I knew I was in trouble. The pom pom broke off and the the zipper just wouldn't zip! My patience, as well as M's, was coming to an end. In the end I settled for my second choice. A velcro design that went on and off smoothly and something M could easily learn to put on and fasten up herself. Both options were from the same clothing line, Joe Fresh, and at the same price point. I liked both pairs equally but one would cause me to have chest pains and the other wouldn't. I think the decision was a no brainer.

As much as I love shopping for M and love fashion, I will never sacrifice practicality for anything! Ok that's a lie, a girls gotta have a great pair of 5 inch heels.

XO
Amber

Mommy 'Mom'ments

First and foremost I am feeling like the worst blogger in the world right now because my blog has taken a back seat to my life. Since my fiance has left for British Columbia I thought I'd have more time to sit down and write about being a mom/fashionista. I was horribly mistaken. I am currently acting as a single mother, even though I am not. It's a lot of work being the only one doing everything (small pity party). However, this blog is not about me and my sob story. It is about a fellow mommy and dear friend of mine whom I'd like to introduce as Supermom.

Supermom, aka T, has been in my life for a few years now. Our friendship did not begin in the land of diapers, bottles, and late night feedings but in a land of waste management and garbage disposal as co-workers. I had the pleasure of knowing T for a fair bit of time before we became moms. You can bet everyone at our office had major speculations when I announced I was pregnant and T was having much of the same symptoms as I was. I hope I didn't blow her cover! We went through our pregnancies swapping knowledge, advice and the obvious worries and concerns about our upcoming deliveries. It was nice to have a belly buddy to chat with everyday. Now we are both 'stay at home mom's' for the time being and have daughters two weeks apart. T also has a new gorgeous baby girl whom is fast approaching 6 months. She is also one of many on my fiances team who are trying to convince me to have another baby (I'm almost there!). Along with being one of the best moms I know, she is also a fellow blogger. T makes both look effortless. Her blogs official title is "Mommy Momments" (link below). I am among many who wait patiently for her magic hands to create another compelling post. Her blog entries can make me laugh, cry, think ' I'm not so alone ', laugh so hard that I cry and everything in between. It's her way of sharing what she knows, admitting what she doesn't and capturing moments of her daughters lives. If there are any moms out there who feel like they are alone and no one else gets what they are going through, think again! Check out T's blog and you will breath a sigh of relief knowing that even a Supermom can get a snag in her cape from time to time.

http://mommysmomments.wordpress.com/

XO
Amber