OOTW and a big thanks!

Happy weekend everyone!

I hope you all had a great week and can enjoy some rest and relaxation this weekend. I've been busy trying to get stuff set up for our move into our new place. I have to say I'm kind of sad to be leaving my mom's house. It was nice having extra hands to help out with M. However, Cory's home now and he's my partner in crime against the terrible twos. 

I wanted to share with you my OOTW. It was a simple chiffon blouse paired with skinny dress pants. I threw on a cognac coloured belt with a cute bow detail and a pair of wedged loafers. I wore this to a job fair that asked for business casual attire. I felt comfortable yet put together. I've also worn this blouse with a dark denim for a more casual look. It's a piece that can be dressed up or down.

Blouse- Suzy Sheir

Belt-Dynamite

Pants-Dynamite

Shoes- Spring

I also wanted to say thank-you to all of you who read my blog on the regular. I really appreciate your support and kind words. I probably would have given up if it weren't for the encouragement!

So thank-you.

XO

Amber

High-low Spring

I can't help but notice that the world around me is getting ready for spring. As I drove around running errands today I saw signs boasting opening dates for Garden Centres and Ice Cream Dairy Bars. It was just a friendly reminder that the weather will be changing soon and so will our wardrobes.

I love finding  new trends and popular colours for the upcoming spring fashion season. One trend that I've noticed in both the clothing stores and the blogging world is the high-low hemline. When spring comes around I start to lean towards wearing cute flowing dresses. They are simple, comfortable and fun to wear. Now clothing companies are trying out the high-low hemline, giving ordinary dresses a fresh new look.

FOREVER 21

Jacquard Chiffon Peasant Dress

CAD $35.80

Pairing a long necklace or fun belt with a spring dress can turn a plain outfit into one you could wear out to dinner with friends or your spouse. It's easy to take these looks from day to night. Plus this new hemline adds for more visual appeal.

FOREVER 21

Billowy Layered Dress

USD $29.80

Bloomingdales (online)Michael Stars Dress- Alba Colour Block Maxi Dress

CAD 193.46

I especially love the new take on the maxi dress. This is my normal go-to outfit on a spring or summers day when I'm shopping or hanging out by the pool at my mom's. Now, with the high-low hemline, you can show off an amazing pair of wedges or cute sandals that were hidden beneath your dress before. As a mom on the go I look for simple pieces that I can throw on, without giving it too much thought, and look effortlessly put together. A flowing maxi was a favourite of mine when I was pregnant with M because it was so comfortable and easy to wear. Now I wear them on days when we are out and about or just going to the park.  I think they are a true spring/summer wardrobe staple.

When you are out shopping for some new clothes for the warmer weather don't forget about this fun hem-line. Also try looking for dresses with  bright colours or that use colour blocking. It's sure to make getting dressed a breeze this season.

XO
Amber

OOTW, recent purchase and date night

Happy weekend everyone!

I hope everyone is looking forward to the weekend and the plans you might have.

I wanted to share with you my OOTW (Outfit of the Week). Most fashion bloggers do an OOTD (day) but I have a toddler and there just isn't time for that...yet. I hope one day I'll have the time to start doing OOTD. I actually wore this outfit out on the date Cory and I had (more about that below).

Blazer: Urban Planet

Shirt: Dynamite

Jeans: Guess

Shoes: Spring

My recent purchase was yesterday while shopping with M and Cory. We ventured into Winners and I found the most amazing mirrored box. I've been wanting something like this for a while. I was wanting a peice like this to put my more precious jewelery in i.e tennis bracelet, my diamond studs etc. I think it's so pretty and girly.

Last but not least, last night was date night. Cory and I had not been out for an actual date in a very long time. It was nice to take a few hours for ourselves and try not to talk about M or the daily struggles of life. We had dinner out and went for a drive down the Niagara Parkway to see the million dollar house we were going to buy if we won the lottery last night (one can dream).

So far my weekend is looking pretty good. We are planning on taking M to see the new Dr. Seuss movie- The Lorax. Fingers crossed we have some free time and that she likes it!

 

XO

Amber

Here's the 411

So many of you have messaged me about my current situation. I know my previous post was about how we have decided to remain in Ontario. I now have to add that..... Cory's home! Cory came back from British Columbia last week and I can say with much relief that he is here for good. We have promised each other that we will never do the long distance thing again. It is so emotionally draining on one's relationship. It's even more difficult when you throw a child in the mix. M is over the moon that she has her daddy back. As for me, I'm equally happy but now comes the hard work. Trying to find a place for my family to live. We are still staying at the Holiday Inn, aka mom's house. It's cramped and loud and not my home. It's amazing of them to be so hospitable and let us crash here until we get on our feet. I am beyond thankful. Even though they throw around the phrase "my house is your house" I can't help but feel that it's not my home and it's not my space. We are, however, trying to make the best of it!
Cory had a job offer here in Ontario prior to up and leaving No Mans Land, BC. I am working on getting back to work after having a year off with my best girl, M. I cannot wait until we have a routine and balance back to our lives.
I am so happy that my little family is back together. It should have been this way all along.

Note: at the time I wrote this post I hadn't found a place to live. Well this week we did and we will be in before the end of the month. I look forward to a new beginning!

XO
Amber

So blessed

I have the best friends in the world.

I know everyone probably thinks that and if it's true then you are all lucky! They say if you have at least one really good friend that it's better than having 100 friends.

Yesterday I was out for coffee with Kathleen, my maid of honor and one of my best friends. While thumbing through magazines we were surprised by our mutual friend, Kimberly.  The three of us walked through the bookstore, attached to the coffee shop, and discussed the latest developments in our lives. We then stumbled upon some amazing bracelets. There were three colours: grey, purple and green. Each colour of bracelet had a inspirational word on it. We thought they were so cute and suited us perfectly. Kim jumped at the chance to use her gift card to purchase all three, one for each of us. I took the grey one that says blessed on the little silver plate which connects the strings together. Kathleen took the green one- lucky (her favourite colour), Kimberly took purple- fierce.  I love my new bracelet and it looks so cute paired with the tennis bracelet Cory bought me for Christmas.

Thank you Miss Kimberly for being my friend. I am so blessed to have you and Kathleen in my life!

XO

Amber

Getting my blogger butt in shape

I have been absent from here and I hate that. I believe the reason for that is my lack of exercise.

I am a person who needs to exercise in order to be happy. It greatly affects my mood for the better. As some of you know, I was a regular at the gym. I would frequent it at least 5 days a week. Just before Christmas, Cory and I decided that I'd move out East to live with his Mom in order to save some money. It was at that time I decided to quit the gym. I thought I wouldn’t have time to pack and keep up with my workout regime.  Well, the plan to move changed. I still had to pack everything up and store it but the cross country trek was off. We've decided to stay in Ontario with my mom because we are finally planning our long awaited wedding. June 2nd, 2012 we tie the knot. Along with a wedding comes the many meetings, the dress fittings and bridal showers. Due to all that I need to get done in the next few months it was best for us to stay put and plan away. Everyone is pleased with my decision to a) get married and b) stay in Ontario. I am also quite content to not have to pack up life and move out East. However, I am not content with my lack of exercise because of all this commotion. I decided in the past two weeks to start finding things I can do outside of the gym to stay fit and save money. My first and most loved workout is Hot Vinyasa Flow yoga. This yoga class is focused on increasing flexibility and getting rid of toxins. To assist in this the instructor has the room set at 100 degrees. I believe this is the most wonderful thing to participate in. I love how the heat loosens up muscles and really helps me get into the poses. It makes me feel so strong and powerful afterwards. I especially love doing hot yoga at Yoga by Sarah on Thursday nights when they have a charity drop-in class. Most drop-in classes are $17.00 but the charity classes are a pay what you can class. Proceeds are donated to a local charity. It’s a cheap and fun way to get an amazing workout and also help out the local community. The class starts at 8:30pm and lasts an hour. I suggest going early because it fills up quick, it’s just THAT good! (http://www.yogabysarah.com/)

I am also trying out new workouts at home. I purchased a Jillian Michael's DVD about weight training to shed pounds. It focuses on the use of Kettle Bells and the effectiveness they have at toning muscles and scorching calories. I bought it for a whopping $8.00 at Wal-Mart. I know not everyone is aware of what a kettle bell is or what it entails. This DVD is great for beginners as it starts you off easy with level one and as you get better and stronger you can proceed to level two. I purchased my kettle bell at Winners for the low price of $16.99 (they are around 25-45 at Wal-Mart, depending on size/weight). It is a 15lb weight but I would suggest a 10lb for those just starting out. Jillian also suggests using a dumb bell if you aren’t quite sold on the kettle bell. Since I already have to take in my wedding dress significantly I thought I would just try and tone up my body, especially my ‘wave goodbye’ arms. I can already feel all my muscles being awakened and whipped into shape after only two workouts.

Lastly, I love to run. Running and I have a special bond. There is nothing liking hitting the pavement for a jog. The energizing feeling you get when your heart and feet are working together to push you that extra mile is out of this world. Running is the best workout as it fires up so many muscles  and allows for total body fat burning. I know running can be intimidating but like most things it takes time and you need to learn how to do it properly. I can now go for 7 km at a time and hope to push that up to 10 km this summer. I started off not even being able to run for two minutes. I began by doing interval training. So basically you’d walk for 5 min, run for 2 minutes. Slowly I would increase my run time and lower my walk time. I didn’t become a runner overnight but it is now something I couldn’t live without. I still do some interval training, especially if I only have 20 minutes to get in a workout. Interval training allows your heart rate to peak and fall, which in turn spikes your metabolism and keeps it working at a faster rate for a longer period of time, resulting in a mega calorie burn. If one person ran intervals and the other just ran at a steady pace the person who ran intervals would burn more calories over the course of the day than the person who ran steady. Thinking about taking up running? I suggest investing in a really great pair of RUNNING shoes (not cross trainers), trust me your shins, legs and feet with thank you. Also take it slow and work your way up. Set a goal like a 5km run 3 months from now. Running is so empowering, I love it!

So I am hoping that with the increase in endorphin releasing activities I’m doing that I will be in a better mood and more motivated to do other things I love like blogging about my upcoming nuptials

XO
Amber

3 days of happiness

Hello all!

I know I haven't blogged yet this month but I assure you it's for a good reason (blog to come regarding my absenteeism). I am excited for this weekend and thought I'd share my plans with you all.

Saturday will be a lazy, go-at-my-own-pace day. I love those days because I hate being rushed and

on-a-time-sensitive schedule. Sure I have errands to run and things to do but I can do it all whenever I want. 

Sunday my mom is off work and that's always nice. I love spending time with my mom and M. Sunday night I am headed to my dear friend, Mrs. F's, house for the season 2 premier of Khloe and Lamar. Khloe is my favourite Kardashian and I believe the most real. I am obsessed and, after all, who doesn't have one or two guilty pleasures also known as reality television.

Monday is Family Day. I hope most of you aren't working and can actually spend it with your families. I know I will be. M and I, along with my mom, will be heading to White Meadow Farms to have their amazing pancake breakfast. Also partaking in the food frenzy are my cousins Alicia, Janice, and Alicia's daughter B. After that, M and I will be baking up a storm making cupcakes. I'm hoping to convince Alicia to join in the fun. I don't think that will be hard considering she initially sparked my love of cupcake making.

All in all I have high hopes for this family filled weekend of fun! I hope everyone else enjoys some much needed rest and relaxation with the fam.

** On a side note, I recently signed up for Pinterest. I'm addicted already and it's only day 2. Follow me: http://pinterest.com/infinitelove44

Happy Weekend!

XO Amber