My Picks for Top 5 Best Dressed at the Oscars!!

If you're anything like me, you cannot wait for Oscar night.  I love listening to the interviews, seeing the dresses and of course competing against my family and tallying up correct votes/guesses of who's going to win in which category (all while gorging ourselves might I add!)

Here are my top 5 fave outfits on the Red Carpet!

#1- Mila Kunis..by far!!! I love the colour, I love the way the dress fits and flatters her figured and I love the lace around her bust. Flawless!

#2-Jennifer Lawrence: If you saw Winter's Bone, I'm sure you had no idea that she looked anything like she did on the red carpet..WOW ! She was gorgeous even as the rough-and-tumble tomboy in her film but in this gorgeous, fitted red dress she was just astounding.

It was simple but so extraordinarily glamorous!!

#3-Reese Witherspoon: I loved her dress which was just a perfect black and white combo, especially for the red carpet.  The deep back was a unique touch and a nice way to bring a statement to a fairly low-key dress. I also really loved her hair and makeup.  She looked so fresh and young. 

#4- I really, really loved Kate Blanchette's dress.  I loved the mustard color beading with the grayish-lavendar dress color.  It was such a unique combo and her short hair was the perfectly styled to help pull it off without taking away or adding too much to the dress.  My boyfriend said the round part in the center of her dress reminded him of a carebear though! Overall, I really love the boxy, futuristic shoulders with the flowy bottom portion.  Gorgeous!

#5-For me it was a tie between Celine Dion and Scarlett Johanson. I loved Celine's tight fitting number and Scarlett's dress color combined with the exposed back and lace.

Is it just me or does Celine always look amazing? And she just had twins, what like 5 months ago? Insane.

DIY Artwork Using Old Calendar Pages

So I was at Chapter early last year and saw an old Calendar that had just expired.  It was with 12 photos of Audrey Hepburn and they were really gorgeous black and white photographs so I decided to pick it up (it was only $4) becase I figured I could use it for something.  I ended up deciding to frame them. After my sister saw this she wanted the calendar too so I ended up picking her one up as well.  Then when she went out of town, my mum decided to re-do her room(my mom loves little room makeovers). 

We picked out two cream 23x23 inch square frames which included matts, and then cut the photographs out of the calendar.  We then just placed them in the frame and voila! Instant art!

 

Imagine these pictures on a pop of wall color! They would stand out really nicely!

The one below is my favorite one of Audrey, it's a photo I had never seen before and she looks like she's so happy.  I plan on framing this one eventually when I move out.

An alternative way to frame these would be to buy an album frame (you can get them at Michael's Arts & Crafts for around $12) and frame them that way if you want a more simple line.

This is just a really good way of creating artwork on a budget, or turning your favourite calendar photos into wall-art! Enjoy!

Spring Break Baby!

SO! I have reading week this week..woohoo! A week off. Err, not really.  I dont have any classes this week (aside from my one online class).  While everyone else is going far away to some hot beaches to drink and tan, I am staying home :( I have to work and had to pick up more hours at my business placement this week.  However, it is nice to have some extra time to get things done. I just went through my closet, donated some clothing, cleaned up and organized.  I also plan on fixing some clothing that has been sitting in my closet, waiting to be repaired before I can wear them again!

I don't know about any of you, but I HATE to waste so I am very careful to fix or mend things that I know I can still get some use out of.  There are too many consumers out there that waste, waste, waste and add I try not to be one of them.

Anyways, hopefully some of you are on break too and can finally catch up on anything you haven't had time to do!!

Some Tips on how to successfully sell clothing on Ebay

I don't know if any of you are like me in this sense but for a long time I would buy a ton of clothing that I "loved", which I would never wear and so it would end up sitting in my closet for months and never get worn.  I eventually would do a closet clear out but did not want to just discard/donate these clothes that still had the tag attached or that had just been worn once.  So about 3 years ago I decided to give Ebay a go.  Over time I got really good at targeting those Ebayers who I thought would enjoy my clothing.  Here are my top 5 tips for anyone who is looking to successfully get rid of some clothing on Ebay:

1.) The TITLE of you listing is the most important.  If you are selling, say, a really gorgeous blouse from Anthropologie that you bought for whatever price it is important that you use certain key words like "Urban", "Bohemian", "Vintage" and other such terms in order to target those individuals who would likely buy from that store.  People who are looking for that type of clothing are more likely to search for these terms as opposed to "blue blouse".  You are not allowed to put titles of stores in your listing if your item is not from there, this is called key word spamming. BUT you can use words that are descriptors that resemble the store such as "Urban" or you can use words that would target the audience you think would be most likely to buy your item.  A lot of people make the error of putting "cute!" or something like "gorgeous pink top" but no one is going to actually search for a "cute top", they would most likely type "Chloe pink blouse" or something of the sort. 

2.) Item Condition.  Do NOT list anything that has stains, holes or marks.  People do not want to buy these things.  I once purchased a blouse that was listed as "gently used" only to receive it and notice that under each arm was a yellow sweat stain! How disgusting is that? The only exception to this rule (in my opinion, obviously) is if it is a very high-end item that is new and has a damage that is easily repairable.  Such a top with a loose seam that can be easily repaired or a stain in an unnoticeable area.  Some sellers on Ebay sell high end merchandise for ridiculously cheap because they can get it from the manufacturer at a discount and then pass that discount on to you!

3.) Photos.  Some people think that listing an item for $50 is justifiable with only one photo of the item.  This is silly.  Make sure you have at least 3 photos so that the people who do come across your item get the best idea of what your item actually looks like.  This will prevent them from getting something they don't expect and thus leaving you with positive feedback.

4.)Shipping.  In order to entice buyers, make sure you are charging shipping costs at their actual rate.  A lot of sellers try to make money by upping the shipping and therefore profiting on this as well as on the sale of their item (which is against Ebay policy, but hard to prove).  Charging $25 for shipping when it only costs $7 will reduce the amount of bids placed on your item for sure.  And for those who do follow through and pay, they will likely leave you a bad rating for expensive charges.  Also, make sure you send out your items within a reasonable 1-3 day period so your buyer gets it A.S.A.P.  Buyers get restless very easily! (If you are unsure what to charge for shipping you can take it to your nearest post office and have it weighed to get a general idea).

5.Paypal.  In order to make your sales as seamless as possible and to get the maximum number of people to bid on your item you really need paypal.  People are skeptical about giving their card out over the internet (rightly so) and Paypal allows them to feel safe.  It also give you a place to keep money securely online and then make purchases with that money, or transfer it to your bank account if you so choose.

I hope this was helpful to anyone who is interested! Let me know if you have any other questions, I'd be happy to answer! xox

My Celebrity Style Icon

I was just looking through my saved photos of "looks I like" (I don't know if you do this but if I see an outfit I love or a piece of jewelry I like and want to make myself, I save it on my computer) and I noticed that a lot of the photos are of Hillary Duff.  I don't know what it is about her but her style is absolutely my favourite, I don't think I've ever seen her in an outfit that I wouldn't personally wear (at least within the last 2-3 years, not in her Disney days!)

For one, she does the dressed up look well, whether she's wearing a pant suit or a dress.  She always looks tasteful and on trend and always wears really interesting cuts, fabrics or unique patterns.

She also always seems to rock one of my favourite looks: the super casual leggings, tee and scarf look.  This style can go wrong on so many different levels, but she always looks casual and cute at the same time..just the right amount of "I don't really care" without being sloppy.

I also think I gravitate towards her looks because she's similar to me in that I wear a lot of neutral/earthy colors, but then do a strong pop of color in a shoe, scarf of some kind of really bold accessory.  I absolutely love the above look with the bright yellow shoe, so cute!!

Whether she's going to the gym, going to an event or just getting coffee, she always looks fabulous. I love her!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope everyone has a great day.  I know Valentine's Day tends to be that day that makes all the happy people happier, and all the lonely people lonelier.  I hope that even if you don't believe in or celebrate Valentines Day, or you dont have a "special someone" that you at least have some chocolate to treat yourself!!  I am planning on spending tonight at the gym! HA! SOOO ramantic right? NOT.  But I have the night off so that's what I'm gonna do!

How I spent my Saturday..yes it involves shopping

My Boyfriend and I spent the day downtown on Saturday.  I hadn't intended to spend any money but of course that didn't happen.  However, my boyfriend decided to treat me and did buy me two absolutely gorgeous tops from Zara which I am in LOVE with.

The one on the left is a really nice royal blue blouse with gold accent buttons and a military type design on the shoulders.  Unfortunately I have a terribly old camera that does no justice to this blouse, but I can assure you it is fantastic-it's a really bold royal blue, not a dark blue! It really reminds me of something Kourtney Kardashian would wear. She's always wearing gorgeous blouses and tunics that I just adore.

The other blue top is a pretty sleeveless chiffon in a dark navy with a little tie in the front. I got it for the summer for work since it would look great with some white shorts and bold, gold jewelry.

Finally, I bought a skirt and a scarf from H&M.  They were both really great deals in my opinion.  The skirt is a really nice beigy/pink and black striped mini and it was only $6.95! That's a steal and it's just a really versatile piece in my opinion.

The scarf was $14.95 and it's a really nice green color. It can be worn multiple ways which I love, and it's really nice and thin so it can be worn throughout most seasons.

It looks a bit different in the picture but in person it doesn't have so much of a sheen to it..it's more a flat color.  It's really nice and earthy!



So yes, I did spend money that I shouldn't have BUT I have been a very good and frugal girl so this was my treat! ha!