Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Shop: Share the Wealth - Banana Republic 40% off one item sale
Wednesdays in September means 40% one full price item at Banana Republic. I know this because I have a flyer sitting on my desk that has 4 perforated promo coupons (one for every Wednesday of the month) as well as an email in my inbox with a ridiculously tempting online promo code. If you haven't received the email or flyer and want it, I can forward mine. Share the wealth. The cost is that I want to know what was bought so I can have a vicarious shoppers high from a great sale purchase (Yes, it's that bad). Is anyone taking advantage of the weekly Wednesday sales?
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Shop: Sattva Pants by Lululemon
Its day 2 (of the no shopping diet) and before I even left the house this morning I saw something that I wanted to buy. My inbox contained Lululemon's latest newsletter, which had pics of these brand new lovelies:
About a year ago I bought 2 pairs (in heather midnight and flint) of Saturday pants from J. crew. Up until then I wasn't very interested in owning sweats, but online pictures of these ones really sold me. That's when my addiction began and I found myself dropping into Lululemon stores hoping to score more sweats. Jeans these days are so restrictive, they don't lend well to curling up on the couch and I can't seem to get my head around wearing pyjamas within minutes of returning home from work.
I was adverse to sweats in general for the longest time, which I attribute to being a child of the 80's (oh the trauma!!). Even though I am a total convert with regarding to wearing sweats at home, I have caveats. I am not a fan of writing across my ass, a la Juicy or Joshua Perets. I don't think letters scrawled across my butt do me any favours. Secondly, wearing velour or terry track suit out on the town including restaurants, is in my opinion, gauche. No matter how expensive it is or what jewellery you pair it with, it's still a sweatsuit! I'm a little late in the game to be ranting about this since this style is not as rampant as it use to be. It was this very trend that kept me from even trying sweats; seeing the Phat and Juicy army on the streets of Montreal really turned me off the look.
But in the comfort of my own home (and any type of car or air travel!) I love me some sweat pants. I know many men (women too probably) cringe at the thought of this, it doesn't exactly exude sexiness. I've seen more than a few references in pop culture hinting that when a woman gets into her comfy sweats, there's no chance for sexy time. But I say nay! Not so! Especially with the flattering choices of pants that J. crew, LuLu and other stores have these days. Gone are the days of the old school sweat pant offenders: no camel toe, no parachute hips, no flat ass, no cinched cuffs that sit too high on your ankles! Uhh, that wasn't just me, right? Look at these pants and tell me you don't want a lazy Saturday on the couch in these?
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| Photo courtesy of Lululemon |
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| Photo courtesy of Lululemon |
About a year ago I bought 2 pairs (in heather midnight and flint) of Saturday pants from J. crew. Up until then I wasn't very interested in owning sweats, but online pictures of these ones really sold me. That's when my addiction began and I found myself dropping into Lululemon stores hoping to score more sweats. Jeans these days are so restrictive, they don't lend well to curling up on the couch and I can't seem to get my head around wearing pyjamas within minutes of returning home from work.
I was adverse to sweats in general for the longest time, which I attribute to being a child of the 80's (oh the trauma!!). Even though I am a total convert with regarding to wearing sweats at home, I have caveats. I am not a fan of writing across my ass, a la Juicy or Joshua Perets. I don't think letters scrawled across my butt do me any favours. Secondly, wearing velour or terry track suit out on the town including restaurants, is in my opinion, gauche. No matter how expensive it is or what jewellery you pair it with, it's still a sweatsuit! I'm a little late in the game to be ranting about this since this style is not as rampant as it use to be. It was this very trend that kept me from even trying sweats; seeing the Phat and Juicy army on the streets of Montreal really turned me off the look.
But in the comfort of my own home (and any type of car or air travel!) I love me some sweat pants. I know many men (women too probably) cringe at the thought of this, it doesn't exactly exude sexiness. I've seen more than a few references in pop culture hinting that when a woman gets into her comfy sweats, there's no chance for sexy time. But I say nay! Not so! Especially with the flattering choices of pants that J. crew, LuLu and other stores have these days. Gone are the days of the old school sweat pant offenders: no camel toe, no parachute hips, no flat ass, no cinched cuffs that sit too high on your ankles! Uhh, that wasn't just me, right? Look at these pants and tell me you don't want a lazy Saturday on the couch in these?
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| Photo Courtesy of J. Crew |
Monday, September 10, 2012
Shop: A temporary hiatus; otherwise know as a test of willpower
They say that 'all good things must come to an end'. In my case, it's more like a temporary hiatus brought about by insufficient funds. I am referring to my shopping habits. Post-divorce, I went a little crazy with my spending habits. I indulged. A lot. I would like to say I was simply being frivolous but in reality, it was more like irresponsible.
As a result of all this excess spending, I find that my tastes have changed. I'm no longer happy with the mid range priced items like Nine West or Gap. I know that these are nice brands, but instead I have indulged myself with the more costly Kate Spade, Marc Jacobs, etc. I realize I can't (or don't want to) afford these beauties at full retail, so I do my fair share of scavenging, but even discounted Marc Jacobs is more expensive than the average Michael Kors. My every day purses are much higher quality than they use to be, as are my gym clothes, my shoes, my make up...the list goes on. J. Crew was once a treat, but these days almost every outfit I have for work includes at least one piece from their collection. I have spoiled myself and have now set the bar too high. Not to mention the fact that I have a tendency to double up on items that I like, leaving me with 5 different bottles of toner, 3 identical shirts in different colours, etc. The thrill of a new acquisition has dulled and shopper's remorse has increased. For shame!
I know, I know...third world problems. I'm spoiled and fortunate, I know it. But this type of spending goes against everything my family instilled in me when I was growing up, and I do feel guilty. They were always afraid of unforeseen changes and sung the praises of saving every penny. I don't subscribe to this mentality like I use to, I've seen too many people pass away over the years (with untouched nest eggs) to 'never put out the good china'. There's a great chapter on this concept in 'The Happiness Project' by Gretchen Rubin which really hit home for me. But I think I need to find the right equilibrium, I lost it somewhere between eBay and Winners. Don't get me wrong, it's nothing I can't recover from but it's probably a good idea to rein it in.
Soooo, all that to say, I'm going to start a little experiment and I intend to blog about it so that I feel bad when I cheat. No shopping until after Christmas. A little over 3 months. wince...whine...sigh... I will use this time to set a budget/strategy for my future shopping habits. I have even set some ground rules so my boyfriend doesn't mock me relentlessly when I agonize over one purchase or another.
1. No clothes, No shoes, No purses, No accessories, No Jewellery, No Make Up, Fragrance & Body Products (unless needed for hygiene purposes ex. tooth brush, deodorant, etc.)
2. No Cook Books, David's Tea (tea must only be part of grocery orders) or magazines that I am not currently subscribed to already.
3. No cute artifacts: ex. stuffed animals or otherwise useless toys that I often bring home for no other reason than 'it's CUTE!!!!!. Likely sources: Urban Outfitters, MultiMags, Chapters, etc
4. Allowed: Services such as Yoga memberships, reasonable book purchases for book clubs, golf fees, food & wine
Not sure if I'm missing anything. Any suggestions? I'm allowing myself one exception, as I am going away for a weekend and had already planned on getting a few things that I cannot normally buy in Canada. I'll try and be reasonable. *ahem* Also, spending on others for Christmas is an obvious exception although it will likely be the greatest source of temptation during my 3 month diet.
Any bets? Let's call this Day 1.
As a result of all this excess spending, I find that my tastes have changed. I'm no longer happy with the mid range priced items like Nine West or Gap. I know that these are nice brands, but instead I have indulged myself with the more costly Kate Spade, Marc Jacobs, etc. I realize I can't (or don't want to) afford these beauties at full retail, so I do my fair share of scavenging, but even discounted Marc Jacobs is more expensive than the average Michael Kors. My every day purses are much higher quality than they use to be, as are my gym clothes, my shoes, my make up...the list goes on. J. Crew was once a treat, but these days almost every outfit I have for work includes at least one piece from their collection. I have spoiled myself and have now set the bar too high. Not to mention the fact that I have a tendency to double up on items that I like, leaving me with 5 different bottles of toner, 3 identical shirts in different colours, etc. The thrill of a new acquisition has dulled and shopper's remorse has increased. For shame!
I know, I know...third world problems. I'm spoiled and fortunate, I know it. But this type of spending goes against everything my family instilled in me when I was growing up, and I do feel guilty. They were always afraid of unforeseen changes and sung the praises of saving every penny. I don't subscribe to this mentality like I use to, I've seen too many people pass away over the years (with untouched nest eggs) to 'never put out the good china'. There's a great chapter on this concept in 'The Happiness Project' by Gretchen Rubin which really hit home for me. But I think I need to find the right equilibrium, I lost it somewhere between eBay and Winners. Don't get me wrong, it's nothing I can't recover from but it's probably a good idea to rein it in.
Soooo, all that to say, I'm going to start a little experiment and I intend to blog about it so that I feel bad when I cheat. No shopping until after Christmas. A little over 3 months. wince...whine...sigh... I will use this time to set a budget/strategy for my future shopping habits. I have even set some ground rules so my boyfriend doesn't mock me relentlessly when I agonize over one purchase or another.
1. No clothes, No shoes, No purses, No accessories, No Jewellery, No Make Up, Fragrance & Body Products (unless needed for hygiene purposes ex. tooth brush, deodorant, etc.)
2. No Cook Books, David's Tea (tea must only be part of grocery orders) or magazines that I am not currently subscribed to already.
3. No cute artifacts: ex. stuffed animals or otherwise useless toys that I often bring home for no other reason than 'it's CUTE!!!!!. Likely sources: Urban Outfitters, MultiMags, Chapters, etc
4. Allowed: Services such as Yoga memberships, reasonable book purchases for book clubs, golf fees, food & wine
Not sure if I'm missing anything. Any suggestions? I'm allowing myself one exception, as I am going away for a weekend and had already planned on getting a few things that I cannot normally buy in Canada. I'll try and be reasonable. *ahem* Also, spending on others for Christmas is an obvious exception although it will likely be the greatest source of temptation during my 3 month diet.
Any bets? Let's call this Day 1.
Style: Logic, Women & Haircuts Follow Up
I was sooooo close to just asking my stylist to go for it. I think she probably sensed my indecisiveness and opted for a middle ground; a choppy bob. It's cute; I'm really liking the results. It can be polished for work or choppy/edgy for play. It flatters my hair colour, and takes minutes to blow dry into a nice shape. I have yet to play with my flat iron or curling iron but I'm looking forward to seeing the results. The only negative is this wave I get on my right side caused by my habit of tucking my hair behind my ear. Once my bangs grow back in, we'll look at trying a new shape, maybe even that crop/long bang style I loved so much. Even though I didn't go for a really short cut, I was amazed by how much of my hair was on the floor when all was said and done. I know that I often yearn for the security of a longer hairstyle (specifically 5-6 weeks after my cut) but I never feel quite as stylish as I do with a fresh new short haircut!
Friday, September 7, 2012
Style: Logic, Women & Haircuts
It's haircut day. I visit the world's most awesome hair stylist every 6-8 weeks, and on the eve of said haircut day, I often contemplate chopping it all off. Again. Which is completely contradictory to my frequent laments during weeks 5-8, when I state that I simply must keep growing it out. I find myself arguing that long hair is easier for sports, for fast styling (because it requires no styling), for accepting the odd shape of my head. I should grow it out, I have good hair for long, straight styles. I have been growing it out for the last 3 years, progressing from cropped to short bob, to lob, etc. It's the most effort someone can put into something that requires no effort at all.
But then I saw pictures of Miley Cyrus's awesome new rocker crop. And I experienced short hair envy. Then the clincher...one day ago Rihanna chopped all of her hair off again for the MTV Video awards. And its damn gorgeous. Major short hair envy!! I blame my indecision on two things: 1. I don't normally reinforce stereotypes but I think its genetic, aren't all women a bit illogical when it comes to hair? 2. the haircut in this photo. I LOVED it and it makes me want to do something drastic. Decisions, decisions.....and a few short hours to decide!
But then I saw pictures of Miley Cyrus's awesome new rocker crop. And I experienced short hair envy. Then the clincher...one day ago Rihanna chopped all of her hair off again for the MTV Video awards. And its damn gorgeous. Major short hair envy!! I blame my indecision on two things: 1. I don't normally reinforce stereotypes but I think its genetic, aren't all women a bit illogical when it comes to hair? 2. the haircut in this photo. I LOVED it and it makes me want to do something drastic. Decisions, decisions.....and a few short hours to decide!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Eat: And on that note....
Oh, and by the way, is this list of 101 Best sandwiches in New York enough of a reason to want to move to NYC? This could be my 'Julie & Julia' moment, except I gain 30 pounds and develop a hernia eating 101 sandwiches in as many days. I would want Rene Zellweger to play me just so she has to gain weight again....
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| http://newyork.grubstreet.com/ |
Eat: Tasty, Tasty Cubans (Review)
To begin, I must declare ... I love sandwiches. If the term sandwichophile exists, it applies to me. I am perpetually on the hunt for my next favourite sandwich, and I guarantee that if you are present when I find something new and exciting, you will witness a happy food dance like none other.
Last year, during my first visit to New York City in over 15 years, I was luck enough to tryout a few amazing restaurants. One of them was a pretty average appearing Cuban restaurant called Guantanamera. I had never tried a Cuban sandwich but faced with an authentic Cuban restaurant, I had to give it a try. I must confess, it was (foodie) life altering!
Now, there is a lot of debate about what goes into a Cuban sandwich. I can attest that during my search for a Cuban sandwich recipe, the ingredients varied greatly. Mayo or no mayo. Roast pork or deli sliced pork? Cuban bread or dinner roll? etc., etc., etc. Guantanamera's Sandwich Cubano is described as a classic pressed Cuban sandwich of roast pork, swiss cheese, pickles and mustard. What it really is, from a taste perspective, is this wonderful amalgamation of hot, cold, chewy, gooey, tangy and fatty perfection. Sandwich Nirvana.
I was back in NYC this past weekend. Leading up to the visit, I repeatedly requested that we go back to Guantanamera for that sandwich. My level of persistence must have been eye roll inducing. Thousands of world class restaurants at my disposal and all I wanted was this sandwich! I got my way; we stopped there on our last day for lunch before we left town. I worried it would not live up to my nostalgia but it was perfect. The only hitch was the nasty hangover I was battling from the night before (also well worth it). My stomach was not being very agreeable and I could not bring myself to eat the whole thing!!! I was devastated!! I was not going to waste this unicorn of a sandwich! I doggie bagged that bad boy all the way back to Montreal. That's right, half a Cuban was smuggled in our car, over the border, into Canada. And when I had the second half yesterday, standing over the sink in a shame inducing snarf-fest of happy dance/foodgasm moans, I was just as in love with it. Makes me regret not smuggling a few more Cubans back with me into Canada!
Last year, during my first visit to New York City in over 15 years, I was luck enough to tryout a few amazing restaurants. One of them was a pretty average appearing Cuban restaurant called Guantanamera. I had never tried a Cuban sandwich but faced with an authentic Cuban restaurant, I had to give it a try. I must confess, it was (foodie) life altering!
Now, there is a lot of debate about what goes into a Cuban sandwich. I can attest that during my search for a Cuban sandwich recipe, the ingredients varied greatly. Mayo or no mayo. Roast pork or deli sliced pork? Cuban bread or dinner roll? etc., etc., etc. Guantanamera's Sandwich Cubano is described as a classic pressed Cuban sandwich of roast pork, swiss cheese, pickles and mustard. What it really is, from a taste perspective, is this wonderful amalgamation of hot, cold, chewy, gooey, tangy and fatty perfection. Sandwich Nirvana.
I was back in NYC this past weekend. Leading up to the visit, I repeatedly requested that we go back to Guantanamera for that sandwich. My level of persistence must have been eye roll inducing. Thousands of world class restaurants at my disposal and all I wanted was this sandwich! I got my way; we stopped there on our last day for lunch before we left town. I worried it would not live up to my nostalgia but it was perfect. The only hitch was the nasty hangover I was battling from the night before (also well worth it). My stomach was not being very agreeable and I could not bring myself to eat the whole thing!!! I was devastated!! I was not going to waste this unicorn of a sandwich! I doggie bagged that bad boy all the way back to Montreal. That's right, half a Cuban was smuggled in our car, over the border, into Canada. And when I had the second half yesterday, standing over the sink in a shame inducing snarf-fest of happy dance/foodgasm moans, I was just as in love with it. Makes me regret not smuggling a few more Cubans back with me into Canada!
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| Cubano Sandwich @ Guantanamera |
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