GOOD BUY | Johanna Ortiz x H&M

via H&M

Scroll down a few posts and you'll see my 2020 fashion pledges. Let it be known that I am inserting an addendum; one that seemed implied at the time but let's make it offish by adding it here:

7) WEAR IT OUT

Before I 'add to cart', I'll ask myself this question: will I wear this multiple times? Many sustainably-minded peeps subscribe to the '30 Wears' philosophy made famous by Livia Firth (Colin's wife), whereby if you don't see yourself wearing the piece 30 times over its lifetime, it's not worth the buy. I'm less of a strict rule follower so my take on it is that I ideally want to add things to my closet that will last for years (not months), and will look amazing for several different occasions and in multiple contexts.

At the H&M Spring 2020 Press Preview in Toronto last week, I fell head over kicks in love with the new Johanna Ortiz x H&M Collection. If you don't know Ortiz, then it's time you did; powerhouses like Michelle Obama and Beyoncé and style-setters like Olivia Palermo and Sienna Miller are all fans of the Colombian designer. Sadly, her designs have remained in my 'life goals' bucket since her full-priced line runs in the $2-3 K range. Ortiz's maximalist aesthetic manages to be bold yet timeless - and such a welcome change after so many years of basics. 

All of the racks on display at the H&M preview were beautiful, but I found myself camped out in the Johanna Ortiz x H&M section, fondling the beautiful fabrics, entranced by the vivid colours and smitten with the chic AF florals, doing some serious fashion math.

FASHION MATH

Cost of dress / 20 wears = approx $4 per wear. Less than a flat white? Done.

20 wears / 4 years = 5 occasions per year.  I have 1 vacay planned for June, at least 2 summer parties sure to happen, a grade 6 grad to attend and I'm sure my sister will want to borrow it at least once. Add weddings, family photoshoots, date nights, and work events to the mix and I'm golden. If I want to amortize it over 30 wears, I'll either consign it or simply book more vacations & enroll myself in some salsa lessons, which I've always wanted to do anyway. Everybody wins.

Cost of the sadness I'll experience if I miss out on a rare amazing designer collab = priceless.

I feel strongly about picking up one of the red palm print dresses (the ruffled one is insane), the B&W one-shoulder bather, and that white shirt dress. I've done fashion math on all 3 pieces and I think it's all highly justifiable, since the collection ranges from only $19.99 - $79.99 CAD. That's it. Uh, I KNOW. Some designer collabs feel watered down but I can tell you from getting handsy with the collection that the pieces feel decidedly luxe and totally legit. 

Click on the thumbnails below to check out the stunners for yourself. The Johanna Ortiz x H&M collection will be in select stores and online March 12th so mark your calendars and tell me what you end up buying. Hope you've enjoyed watching me wrestle with my fashion demons as much as I've enjoyed doing it ;)

Happy Tuesday, beauties! 

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BUY NOW, WEAR LATER | These 15 Affordable Fall Finds Will Prime Your Closet for the Season Ahead

via Dynamite

Originally posted in The Fashion Scoop

Shopping is a year-round sport. First there's the training - reading blogs, scrolling through Pinterest, browsing Instagram all count towards being a pro shopper. Then, there's the practicing; this is where window shopping comes in. You might not be ready to put down your credit card quite yet but you're almost there. And then, there's the main event, which of course is the shopping itself. We do this winter, spring, summer & fall, and like all truly great athletes, we never stop. There's always more to learn, there's always room to grow, and there's that ever-present goal to try to beat our own personal bests. 

Part of being a hall-of-fame-level shopper involves trying to justify our purchases by getting as much wear out of our finds as possible. In the middle of summer, this is when we really put our skills to the test. It's a bit late to shop for summer things (unless they're on sale in which case, we put on our game faces and hit that sales rack hard), and it's still a bit too hot to wear full fall wardrobes without the risk of injury - or at the very least the need to rehydrate. It's a dangerous sport but with all great risks come great rewards. These 15 fall finds will prime your closet for the season ahead and help you slay the fashion game while you're at it. Don't you just love a winning streak? Happy August - hope you're soaking up every last minute of summer xx

SEE MY 15 FALL PICKS HERE...

CANADA 150, EH? | These Fashionable Finds Will Make You Feel SO Canadian

via Roots

Originally posted in The CLOSET

Campfires. Gord Downie. Timmies. Pond hockey. Muskoka chairs. Loon calls. Bautista bat flips. Complaining about the weather. Saying sorry. A lot. Paleness. Patio parties. Backyard bbqs. Justin Trudeau doing push-ups.

We might all be different but there's something about being Canadian that unites us. We work hard but we play harder. We love fiercely, we're polite and we're kind - buuut we still like to cause some trouble because how else could we possibly get through 8 months of winter? We love our nature and we love our summers because we know that before too long, they're gone. We're far from perfect but we're working on it. Most of us have never seen a beaver. And most of us will find that last sentence funny. 

Unlike our American counterparts, our patriotism is a steady, quiet sort. While we love Canada, it's not the decal-your-car-in-Canadian-flags kinda love. But with Canada 150 just a few weeks away, this might be the year to get just a little bit loud. 

Rock maple-leaf hats & sweatshirts from Roots (one of our country's biggest retail success stories) or Made in Canada finds from Le Château. Try flirty dresses from stores that you didn't even know were Canadian or homegrown beauty products to help you embrace your short-lived summer glow. Pick up some new shoes from a Canadian fave (shout-out to ALDO) or treat yourself to a few things from Hudson's Bay.  Love this country as much as we do? Scroll below for some fashionable finds that will help you wear your heart on your sleeve this summer.

Happy 150th birthday Canada! We love you xx

SEE OUR CANADIAN FASHION FINDS HERE...

HOW WE ROLL | The Vaughan Mills Shopping Shuttle Returns

My shopping compadres: the lovely Momming Inc. ladies, Classy on the Run & The Curious Creature. 

As someone who likes to shop (a LOT), I've developed several coping strategies to make my shopping experiences as joyful as possible. My goals are always the same:

1) Find cute stuff

2) Score amazing deals I can brag about later

3) Buy cute stuff (see #1)

4) Feel happiness/elation/joy

5) Avoid stress to keep the happiness/elation/joy rolling (see #4)

I personally find things like parking, driving and 407 tolls take away significantly from my shopping joy. So, the Vaughan Mills shopping shuttle is my go-to. When VM announced that the shuttle was back for yet another year, I gave a little woot-woot and hopped on the GO from Kitchener to Toronto to celebrate the shuttle's summer launch.

I arrive at Union Station and head to 123 Front Street at 9:15 am to grab my shuttle wristband with fellow shopping enthusiasts Momming Inc., Classy on the Run & The Curious Creature (aka Trouble). We go by blogger aliases because we take shopping that seriously. Seriously. You can register for a shuttle wristband the morning of but they recommend you arrive around 8:30 to secure your spot. The coach usually fills up quickly because it's FREE (seriously) with free WiFi on board - Vaughan Mills is a bit of a trek if you're coming from downtown so the shuttle is a no-brainer. The shuttle holds 55 passengers and runs round-trip rides twice daily from Union Station to Vaughan Mills (full directions & details here).

After spilling half of my latte down the front of my shirt whilst talking a little too enthusiastically about pom-poms (again, seriously), the mom bloggers grabbed me some napkins, patted me down, and then we all hopped on board. The shuttle left promptly at 10 am and arrived at Vaughan Mills by 10:25 (!).  

I had several missions to accomplish by 3 pm so I had to focus. On my list: a few Sephora splurges, anything and everything with pom-poms and/or fringe, summer shoes (always shoes), and possibly a few things for my husband and kids because they're cute. I also had a styling session and video shoot booked with girl boss, Katie Zeppieri so had to be extra efficient. Luckily, Vaughan Mills makes shopping easy. I found my pom-poms at DSW and HR2, scored some adorable kids clothes at J.Crew Factory, did a little damage at Nine West Studio and Capezio and then splurged, as planned, at Sephora. Quick lunch at Aroma Espresso Bar (my fave), very pink styling sesh with Katie for Girl Talk Day, and then back on the shuttle for 3 pm. 

Looking for a quick, easy and fun way to get your summer shopping on? The Vaughan Mills Shopping Shuttle is officially rolling and operates from now until September 30th, returning Nov 24th - Dec 26th (shuttle doesn't operate Dec 25th) just in time for your Holiday shopping.  

See you on board! After all, I've already thought of a few more summer things I just might need ;)

Um, did somebody say FREE? 

Love, exciting and new, all aboard, we're expecting youuuuu....

I didn't get the memo. I made the memo. #matchy

Distractions...

Styling sesh with girl boss Katie Zeppieri...

A few of my fun scores...

MOM'S THE WORD | My Dream Mother's Day Brunch with Ann Taylor

1. Bandana Statement Earrings | 2. Pleated Block Print Skirt | 3. Square Fringe Scarf | 4. Foldover Straw Clutch | 5. Honor Suede Heeled Sandal | 6. Halter Midi Dress | 7. Wide Leg Marina Pant | 8. Seersucker Fluted Sleeve Top. 

I don't want anything for Mother's Day. Honestly, I don't. Oh, except for brunch. I would like brunch please. I know I'm lucky to be a mom and I wouldn't trade my littles for all of the brunches in the world. But still...when I scroll through my Insta feed every weekend and see my kidless friends drinking, laughing, eating their way through gorgeous brunch after brunch, I feel the FOMO. The more I say brunch, the more I want brunch. 

So, just now, it's been settled. Cute husband has booked us into our new local hotspot, The Walper Hotel, for Mother's Day tea. It's not brunch, because literally ALL of the brunch spots are already booked (naturally), but this is close. So now, I'm into outfit planning mode with a little help from Ann Taylor. 

The new collection is so on-point for spring and it absolutely screams 'Perfect Brunch/Tea Where Nothing Goes Wrong and Your Kids Don't Destroy the Place and You Actually Get to Finish Your Mimosa'. Doesn't it? The citrus hues (that yellow dress!) and the pretty blues will help me enjoy this Mother's Day in epic style with my favourite people in the world. In my dream, nobody is complaining and they are all wearing white with no blobs of strawberry jam in sight. Stop laughing, it's my dream. Check out Ann Taylor's lovely love letter to moms below. The days may be long but the time really is much too short. Happy Mother's Day x