Madonna

I did something really fun Monday night... I went to Madonna!

My company bought a box for the event, and not only that, but we could bring a guest! I thought that was incredibly cool and kudos to my work for doing that. So I got tickets for me and a friend and we headed out to Madonna.  

The opening act was Paul Oakenfold who is a great DJ and totally up my alley! I thought he really got the crowd going and set the tone for a party atmosphere. Next up, Madonna. She's a legend. You can't help but love her, and sing, and dance to her. I didn't really know her new stuff but it was easy enough to catch on. She also played enough old songs to get everyone excited. The show was pretty great. So much going on. Dancing, lights, props, you name it. It was a great concert! There were definitely some undertones of Britney and Lady Gaga in her concert which I thought was funny. Who's copying who? :)

The Stage

The only not so great thing was that the time on the tickets said 8pm. The opening act started at 9:30. She started at 10:30. That's a big long lull! Word quickly spread that this is what she's been doing on this tour. Keeping in mind this was a Monday night, there were quite a few displeased people as you can imagine. When she did finally come out everyone seemed to be forgiving enough and rocked out to her show.

Overall, I am glad I went, mainly for the fact that she really is a legend, and I don't know if there will be another chance to see her again. 

Style Icon: Victoria Beckham

I know I'm Captain Obvious with this selection, but come on, Victoria Beckham IS style! Plus, it's New York Fashion week, so what better time to honour this fashionista/designer?

Starting out her celebrity status as Posh Spice of the Spice Girls, she definitely demonstrated a simplistic chic style right off the bat. You would usually see her in black mini dresses and simple black strappy stilettos. Fast forward to today, she's built and empire. She is brand. 

From her jeans, to perfume(s), to her own fashion label, this girl seems to be able to do anything in this industry and it will turn to gold. I love her style because she is always so pulled together and polished. She takes that "you can never be overdressed" saying to heart - and I love it! Whether in a dress or jeans, her sky high heels are a constant. 

The only accessory I think she's missing sometimes is a smile. It's hilarious and she does make fun of it herself, but you don't tend to see her with a big grin. Not sure if anyone watched that short reality show from when the Beckham's moved to America, but she smiles all the time. She's definitely a funny and happy girl, her lack of smile is simply a part of the persona she built and she's sticking to it. 

As a final note, in the off chance you're not familiar her fashion line, all her outfits below are from her own label. Genius and gorgeous. Maybe I should put "own a Victoria Beckham dress" on my bucket list... 

Victoria's polished style

Warning: there will likely be future posts having to do with Victoria Beckham. I can't get enough!

Nothing is Impossible

With this in mind, let's take on the week like nobody's business - happy Monday!

A Beautiful Thing...

Kellie Pickler. I know her as the cute country singer who started on American Idol and carried on to be successful in her own right. I also think she is just as sweet as can be after seeing her interviewed on Ellen. Right now, she might be my favourite celebrity, and one of my favourtie people in general. 

Summer & Kellie

On Wednesday I saw an article about Kellie Pickler shaving her head - shaving her long blonde gorgeous locks - in support of her best friend who is battling cancer. I found this story, or rather this act, to be extremely powerful. Very moving.  

That is friendship. That is love.

Her friend, Summer Holt Miller, (who is 36 and was diagnosed in June) said, “If this compels even one person to change their mentality toward waiting until the age of 40 for their mammogram, then it will be worth it.” 

I hope this story makes you smile, makes you think, and makes you not take a single thing for granted.

Save Your Brain, Don't Complain!

I think it is safe to assume that there is someone in each of our lives who complains a lot, or never stops complaining, and they probably annoy you from time to time. What I bet you didn’t know, is that they are turning your brain to mush… actually!

A recent tweet I came across sent me to an article that discusses how listening to complainers is bad for your brain; that this exposure to negativity actually affects your brain function. Weird right? But also kind of makes sense.  Whenever I’m around a negative person, or see a negative comment on social media, I definitely have an adverse reaction. I am not a fan of negativity. Isn’t it a waste of energy? That being said, we all have the odd bad day or bad luck, but those are exceptions, whereas some people appear to CREATE a bad day out of a seemingly common situation. 

So back to the article, in studies done on brain activity using different stimuli, the brain was found to act like a muscle and “if you’re pinned in a corner for too long listening to someone being negative, you’re more likely to behave that way as well.” Yes, this makes sense. It’s hard to be happy when someone else just keeps raining on the parade of life. Another interesting finding was that complaining, whether in person or on TV, can even make you dumb. It apparently peels away neurons in the brain’s hippocampus (yup, hippocampus!) which is “the part of your brain you need for problem solving… basically, it turns your brain to mush.” 

Another thing worth noting is that there is a difference between a complaining and something constructive, like feedback that may be negative. People who complain aren’t necessarily looking for a solution. You can go ahead and ask them “so what are you going to do about it” and they might answer with a blank stare (or more complaining). 

I am a lucky girl in that I don’t really have many “complainers” in my life. I know this is a conscious decision on my part. I definitely distance myself from them.  As I said before we ALL have our bad days but we do something about it, or at least change our mindset. What’s not normal is the resistance to do so. 

If you’re stuck with someone who is just complaining for the sake of complaining, and isn’t looking to fix it, the article suggests that you distance yourself. Or drink some wine to protect your brain from what they’re saying… oh wait, that’s my suggestion. Let’s all remember whatever challenges come our way, LIFE IS GOOD. 

Monkey See, Monkey (try to) Do

Is it just me, or is nail art huge nowadays? It seems to be everywhere I look. When I say nail art, I am referring to multicolour nails, intricate patterns on nails, embellishments creating a 3D nail - basically anything other than one solid colour.

On TV the other day, I saw a beauty segment where the host went to a nail salon and got a different design on each nail. One nail had very tiny beads glued to it, another had a black and white check pattern, and so on. Although I wasn't necessarily taken with any of her designs, I did start to think a little more about trying something myself. Enter: Pinterest. I saw a cute design that involved a neutral base and a glitter overlay. I figured something simple like that would be a good start for me (I like colours but didn't want to start with anything crazy).

The inspiration on the left and my handiwork on the right.

For my base I used the OPI colour At First Sight. I applied my usual two coats and let it dry fully (like 12 hours). Then I took a piece of regular tape and laid it diagonally across my nail, choosing to cover the cuticle as was done in the picture I was working from. I then did two coats on the exposed area, one after the other, on each nail and removed the tape pretty much right away. I worried if I let it dry too much the tape would take some of the polish with it. I did a quick clear coat over the whole nail and - VOILA!

Overall I'm quite happy with the result! A very subtle first foray into the world of nail art. Have you tried any designs or embellishments on your nails?

Shoe Study = Shoe Revelations

Last week on the radio, I heard about a study that said men don’t notice when women wear heels. I went online in search of this study and didn’t find anything that was recent, but did see a Huffington Post study from 2010 that came to the very same conclusion. The idea that men don’t notice women in heels (versus flats) had me outraged – I mean, OF COURSE THEY DO! But I am a woman after all, and the whole “He’s Just Not That Into You” premise is about how women can sometimes believe what they want to believe about men, and make up excuses too. 

After coming to that rational realization I started thinking… does it even matter? Do I care if a man notices my heels or at the fact that I'm not in flats? Let’s be honest, it would be nice, but overall my answer is no. My shoes are for me. Maybe I care a little bit about my female friends. Even a bit for strangers/general public (compliments from strangers actually happen a fair amount, especially when I’m rocking a bold colour). Men kind of fall at the bottom of my list (not that it's a long list) of who I have in mind when I wear a pair of hot new heels. 

So then I further broke down my love of shoes and why they are so important to me: picture wearing a favourite pair of skinny jeans, a basic loose white t-shirt, and a wicked pair of bright or strappy heels. BAM! Your casual outfit is now on a whole other level! A good pair of heels are the ultimate accessory. And I can feel unstoppable in them. What else matters?

Disclaimer: With all this talk about heels I feel like I should mention that I totally do wear flats and love them, but sometimes nothing is better then great pair of heels :)