Funny Friday: For Us Gals

A little Friday humour for the ladies... 

Have a great long weekend!!!

Looks of the Week

It's only Thursday but a few outfits this week have stolen my heart!

 Although in my real life I might not wear Sandra Bullock's Alex Perry dress, I sure do love it! I like the orange and pink colour block with the unexpected green around her waist. She looks fabulous in it. Next up, Ali Larter in a gorgeous Marchesa that I would gladly wear to a wedding! So pretty and I like how she accents the look with those dark cobalt/violet shoes. And last but not least, Jamie Chung in my most favourite outfit of them all! I would wear this to work, to an event, to... ANYWHERE! Just about any season too! Now is the time when my brain starts thinking about transitional pieces....

What do you think of these outfits?

Wednesday Wisdom

2013 MTV VMAs

Last night was the MTV VMAs. As is the story with most awards shows I did not watch it. This morning I did check out a couple videos to do with some of the highlights... like what on earth was Miley doing?!?!?!

Anyway, this post is of course about the fashion! I love any MTV awards because of how fun and free the fashion is. It really was all over the place this year but I seemed especially drawn to anything classic, elegant, with a sexy twist. From there my top 3 were easy to choose:

 It doesn't get more classic than navy and black, it doesn't get more elegant than gowns, and it doesn't get more sexy than Selena's revealing panel, Naya's cutouts, and Taylor's plunging top. I love all three of these looks. Selena Gomez has been wowing a lot in looks like this lately and I must say I'm rather impressed with how she doesn't go overboard or make it tasteless. Naya Rivera has always done subtle sexiness so well. And Taylor Swift, I've said it before that I'm not much of a fan, but I love this departure from her regular style. 

Who were your standouts from last night?

Looks of the Week

This week was apparently all about the forever-classic little black dress, accompanied by simple styling:

Is there anything better than a little black dress? So many cuts and styles, so many ways to make it interesting with little details. But at the end of the day, it's so classic. Who's your fave? I'd have to say Taylor Swift or Jamie Chung I think. 

Although it's still summer and these all pass for summertime looks, they also make me not so afraid of fall... :)

Color Run 2013: Montreal

I did it again, first one of the year: The Color Run!

Once again I made my way to Montreal to do the Happiest 5K on the Planet with my friend who lives in the city. It was so much fun! It was better than last year because last year it was held in October and was more than a little chilly. This time it was a clear, warm, sunny morning - could not have been more ideal. It was definitely busier than last year - the craze is catching on! The whole weekend was great. After the run we did a little bit of shopping and had a great meal on a cute patio downtown. 

Now, until the next one... I highly recommend it!

***Originally this post was intended for Monday or Tuesday, but I've been under the weather since I woke up Sunday morning with a funny feeling throat. I was hoping it was just because I breathed in a bunch of the powdered colour, but no such luck, it was a good 'ol fashioned cold! 

So many runners! Some prematurely throwing their colour as you see, haha!

This picture doesn't do the ground justice but everywhere you walk the ground is like artwork with all the random colour!

Fitness Friday: Resistance

I have not done a Fitness Friday post in some time! I blame the summer for that, as I've just not been blogging as much in general! Inspired by another Harley Pasternak blog post, I really wanted to share the information I learned about the importance of resistance training. 

So to start at the beginning we already know how important diet and exercise is to simulate and

maintain weight loss. When I say exercise it's important to note that it takes more than just aerobic excercise, but also resistance exercise that is needed to get a lean, fit, and healthy body. 

When I think of resistance I think of weights. That isn't wrong but there are so many more exercises like yoga and Pilates that are in that category as well! Basically anything to do with weight, including your own body weight. When I think of resistance I also think of bulking up. So many people fear bulking up with the more intense weight resistance training so it's good to point out that our bodies won't just do that. It takes A LOT (a lot a lot) of additional calories in combination with heavy duty training to do that. Phew!

Now, on to the 3 reasons you should resistance train:

1. You'll be more likely to stick to your diet. I thought that this was REALLY interesting. Resistance training burns calories and boosts our metabolism and doesn't leave us starving at the end, whereas sometimes after a heavy cardio session, people feel starved and eat whatever they can right away.  
2. You'll lose up to 40% more fat. Cardio might burn more calories than resistance training, but the secret here is that unlike cardio, with a resistance workout you continue to burn calories long after you're done. Also resistance training is all about building muscle which increases your metabolism.
3. You'll be more productive. Did you know that resistance training keeps our brains sharp? I did not. There are studies that showed doing regular resistance training can result in improved cognitive function in the form of better verbal reasoning, attention span, and memory. Another study showed an improvement in productivity and performance, as well as (maybe not as surprising) improved general mood and interpersonal skills. 

And there you have it! Some things you might have already known, but also probably something you didn't! I don't know about you but I find understanding the benefits of something can really motivate me to get at it!

Happy Friday!

Love It or Leave It: Palm Trees

The inspiration

Do you ever find yourself dreaming about beaches and palm trees? I do. Would you ever translate a bit of that dream into reality by wearing said palm trees?

It's not necessarily NEW but palm trees seem to be a hot graphic on clothing. We saw floral everything come into style (jeans, blazers, skirts, dresses), and we've also seen various landscapes or other prints pop up (like animals, not animal prints, but prints of animals), so why not palm trees? I'm not against a crazy print but more often than not I tend to let other people sport them as opposed to rocking them myself. Palm trees though? This one I am drawn to. For me it's a definite love. It provides very specific imagery that really does transport me. Whether overlaid onto a "sunny" bright backdrop, or a warmer "sunset" backdrop I feel like the colours accompanying the print are usually quite stunning as well. 

I've stumbled across some beautiful examples of this print but it wasn't until I saw it make it's way to the red (blue) carpet at the People's choice awards that I decided to post about it:

Although not my favourite outfits, I love the print! It's just fun and pretty to me. Here are some more examples I've stumbled across recently:

What do you think of wearing palm trees? Love it or leave it? 

Revenge Wears Prada

I recently finished the book "Revenge Wears Prada" by Lauren Weisberger. In case you've not heard of it and can't tell by the title, it's the sequel to the best selling "The Devil Wears Prada" - which was of course adapted into a 2006 (2006? that long ago???) film of the same name. I read The Devil Wears Prada before the film came out and I loved it. When I saw the film, although small (but expected) changes were made, I loved it too and really felt it did the book justice! Since then Lauren Weisberger has written several books (Everyone Worth Knowing, Chasing Harry Winston, Last Night at Chateau Marmont) which I've all really enjoyed a lot! She's probably my current fave chick-lit author of the moment. That's why I am more than a little disappointed with this latest book. I did not really like it. Any of it. 

Aside from the book itself, there are a few reasons that could further explain why I didn't like it. First, I've read SO many really intelligent, FANTASTIC books lately that perhaps shifting gears to a fluffy chick-lit was easier said than done. Next, perhaps when I read the original book (7 years ago? Really???) I enjoyed it but have since outgrown the story. I will admit I saw the movie not that long ago and enjoyed it so very much... still. One of my issues also was that the history of Andy (the main character aka Anne Hathaway in the movie) was not as I remembered it - maybe again, because of the movie.

Although I think those are good reasons, I think they're more like excuses and I think plain and simple, the book just wasn't that good (but you can keep those reasons/excuses in mind while reading my review). I did not find Andy to be likeable and I can't think of a bigger flaw a book can have than having a main character that isn't likeable! I found her very immature, dramatic, non-sensible, selfish, and for a "smart girl", not all that smart. I found myself getting frustrated with her a fair amount. I also thought the plot in general was a bit weak. I'm not really sure how to summarize it even. The summary on the book is essentially that 10 years have gone by since the first story, and Andy and (old Miranda assistant) Emily have started their own magazine: a wedding magazine called the Plunge. Also that Andy is engaged to marry a handsome, successful man. But on the day of her wedding she finds a letter that has "crushing implications" and "Andy realizes that nothing—not her husband, nor her beloved career—is as it seems." Prior to reading that book that all sounded so exciting, but now I recognize that it sounds too dramatic. It took so long for any story to develop, grow, and be resolved. The ending was also strange and abrupt. Everything seemed to happen in the last 2 chapters. 

So in conclusion (if you didn't guess), I would NOT recommend this read unfortunately. I was ready to love it and I really didn't. Sadly I was most happy when I finished reading it because it was over...oh well, you can't win 'em all!

On to the next! I picked up the rather large read of Stephen King's "Under the Dome". I don't think I've ever read any of his books before (just seen the movies) but I've heard nothing but good and interesting things about this one so I'm pretty excited!

Looks of the Week

This weeks favourite looks were both from yesterday - first up, Rachel McAdams in a Roksanda Ilincic gown at her movie premiere in London. When I first saw it I thought "WOW". I did take me a beat to decide whether that was good wow or bad wow. Good wow won! It's just a dressy dress is all so it's not anything you or I would likely wear, but I rather enjoy looking at it and think it's stunning! I'm in love with white first off. Then we have the iridescent belt (which wait until fall, it's gonna be HOT!), and a really cool and subtle touch of colour on the back. I think she looks great.

WAY over on the other side of the fashion (and colour) spectrum we have Keri Russel in a more modest black ensemble that is totally wearable for the everyday girl! I definitely the all black look as it's very chic, but then you can play with it as she does with the lace back. I'd wear it in a second!

Now, there actually was a LOT of awesome this week so I'm including two more looks of the week via Kerry Washington and her Giambattista Valli mini, and Amanda Seyfried with her racer back Gucci mini. Both fun and flirty, and styled well (simplicity is key) I thought they were 2 summer looks worth including.

I LOVE BROCCOLI!

As a kid I was the weirdo that love LOVE loved broccoli! I'm not sure if it was my Gramma's cheese sauce (actually I'm sure it was my Gramma's cheese sauce) but I longed for it, enjoyed it immensely, and would often return for seconds of just it. As an adult of course I've not lost my love of broccoli, especially the steamed-with-cheese variety!

With this in mind, when I stumbled across a recipe for "Broccoli Cheese Bites" I could not resist giving them a go! They looked delicious and easy enough to make - and they were both. Because it was kind of an experiment to see if they were any good, I made them just for me and had a bunch leftover. I took a few to work the next day and microwaved them for a light healthy lunch - they were just as good then too which was awesome! I could definitely see making them as a side sometime or just the way I did, to take to work. 

I followed the original recipe almost exactly except for a few modifications with the ingredients - I steamed broccoli florets instead of buying frozen, and I used shredded part-skim mozzarella instead of cheddar cheese. Also they called for seasoned Italian breadcrumbs, which I couldn't find, so I made due with regular ones. The ingredients are:

• I steamed up and chopped a full (500g) bag of broccoli florets
• 1 1/2 cups of shredded part-skim mozzarella
• 3 eggs
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup of breadcrumbs

From there all you do is mix the ingredients well, make small patties with your hands, place them on a baking sheet, bake at 375 for 30 minutes flipping once - voila! Super easy and super delicious, and with the part-skim cheese modification, not half bad for you either!

Forgiveness

I think most people can agree (or at least agree it's been said) that the simple things in life can be the best and most important. I think that also applies to actions, where the most simple action can mean the most. I also think it can reflect on the type of person one is. 

There is no doubt in my mind that forgiveness is important. I really like this quote because I absolutely believe that forgiveness is an attribute of the strong! Forgiveness is not easy, but it is important to be happy. It is an attribute that can bring a person peace and allow you to move forward.

Conversely, I think that the ability to apologize speaks volumes about a person. Isn't it funny how something as simple as genuinely apologizing can be so difficult for so many people. Some people do it because they have to, some people apologize sarcastically or in an insincere way, but there is something special about that real life "sorry". So whether forgiveness or apology, I think both are attributes of the strong, and both are important to lead the happiest of lives.

I almost feel like these could easily go with the 15 Things to Give Up to Be Happy post... :)

Osheaga

As I mentioned Friday, this past weekend was a holiday weekend. The highlight was definitely on Sunday when a friend and I went up to Montreal for a music festival called Osheaga. It's a HUGE 3-day festival. I had never been and although it's 3 days we decided just to go for the Sunday as our main goal was to see Mumford and Sons. Being a festival of course we got to see so many other great artists including The Lumineers (who were AMAZING)! It was awesome. 

When we got there we had about 20 minutes of torrential downpours to deal with (we caved and bought ponchos) but after that, it was pretty much sun and blue skies! Touring around was fun because there were just so many stages really spread out, so many vendors and other cool areas. There was also a really cool Chill Zone overlooking the water where we spent some time before Mumford and Sons just hanging out and ended up making use of our ponchos once again, but as blankets to sit on (or lie on as seen below). We just had a blast. Then Mumford and Sons. WOW. They were so incredible. Better than I hoped. I want to see them again immediately! The talent. The music. I swear I was in a trance the entire concert! It was a dream come true...

Here are just a few pics that I took:

There was a really cool area where they had random works of art like this

Hugging one of the giant mascots

Lumineers

Thank goodness for the poncho!

Mumford and Sons

Mumford and Sons confetti finale - too cool!

If you are anywhere near Montreal, and like festivals, I'd definitely recommend Osheaga! I will return I have no doubt.

Blurred Lines...

Just like he did with Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas", Jimmy Fallon did a version of "Blurred Lines with Robin Thicke and the Roots, and classroom instruments! I love it. And I love LOVE love the song. But who doesn't? It IS the song of the summer.

This weekend is a long weekend in Canada, and although I've taken vacation days to give myself long weekends the last few weekends I am VERY much looking forward to this one! I'm going to a music festival in Montreal on Sunday and I can't wait. Happy Friday all!

BINGO!

Happy first day of August! Can you believe it's come already? I had a very different post planned for today but I wanted to quickly share my evening last night. Basically, I got "BINGO"!

I went to drive-in BINGO with my mom (her first time) and we had a blast! It's such a fun, creative thing that the nearby country fair grounds does for fundraising every July. It's exactly what it sounds like: you drive your car up to the field, either stay in your car or pull out a blanket or chairs to sit on, and play bingo. They also have a BBQ and assorted pies that they sell there too. It's pretty cool. 

Last night was the last one of the summer and the only one I've made it too all year - well what do you know, I won the last game of the night! I couldn't believe it - so fun! Also, you know you're a grown up when: you talk about how with the winnings you're going to buy bed-side tables, hahaha!