LUXE VS. LESS | The 10 Most-Wanted Gifts for Her

via HudsonsBay on Instagram

Originally posted in The CLOSET

With gift-giving season in full swing, I keep running into men and women with one thing in common: they have no idea what to buy the women in their life. Women, it turns out, are not always so easy to spoil. I could tell my husband I want makeup for Christmas but he compares Sephora to that time he asked me to go to the hardware store to buy him wood screws. I walked in all confident and, 45 minutes later - after wandering through the aisles, lost, alone, with no Wi-Fi or cell phone reception and a decidedly unhelpful summer student who also knew nothing about screws - left with a bag of nails. I thought they were screws. And why are there 7,000 kinds of screws in the first place? And no, it is not the same thing as nailpolish. We NEED all the colours. 

And so, I consulted my friends, fellow bloggers and female family members to see what everyone is secretly wishing for this year. This guide is personal, as all guides are, but with luxe vs. less options, I hope it helps you in your hunt. And I'm not gonna lie, I also secretly hope this will make it through cyberspace onto the screens of my loved ones, just in case anyone happens to want to get me the Sunday Riley Power Couple Duo. It's at Sephora. And, in case you need a little help when you get there, either ask a Sephora Expert or come back here - last time I checked, they have Wi-Fi ;)

SEE OUR MOST-WANTED GIFT PICKS HERE...

Running in Heels | My ECCO Shape Obsession

The problems started when I bought my first pair of ECCO SHAPE boots last year. They were merlot ankle boots, with a high stacked heel and a pretty profile, but they felt like running shoes. So, more like platform running shoes, minus the Spice Girl vibes. Throughout these past 11 months, I've often reached for my other boots, attempted to feel the feels for my other heels, but at the last minute, I always grab my ECCO SHAPE boots. Here's the problem: I could wear flats for grocery store runs, for daily school pick-ups or for double daily dog walks. But I prefer heels. I just do. And now all of my other heels feel uncomfortable. They just do. 

So what makes them so comfortable you ask? As they say at ECCO, 'No modern woman wants to be held back by her footwear.' #truth. And so ECCO designed the SHAPE collection, offering cutting-edge, minimalist looks all stacked up on a magic heel. Each design has a foot bed which lowers the heel of the foot within the shank, allowing the 75 mm heel to 'grow' an extra 15 mm, ensuring ultimate comfort while still giving the illusion of a higher heel. The soft, supple leather moves naturally with every step (no breaking in required) and inside, the 'anatomical shank' offers complete support and cushioning. The collection features both solid and printed/textured heels and boots with a distinctively Scandinavian feel - simple, minimalist, but with a subtle edge. 

At the launch dinner for the ECCO SHAPE Fall '16 collection, models literally danced through the ROM in their ECCO heels. A ballet dancer performed pirouettes in her Mary-Janes while modern dancers did hours of ear-grazing dévelopées in their ECCO Shape ankle boots. Meanwhile, I sat and contemplated which shoes to add to my collection - hardcore waffling between a pair of navy snake print ankle boots and some amazing textured black midis. ECCO offered to buy the boots for me this time so I decided to stray from my usual black and go with the navy snake print, even though the heel was a bit lower than my merlot loves from last year. 

My ECCO SHAPE 35s arrived this week and I've fallen in love all over again. I've had 3 people stop me in 4 days at my neighbourhood coffee shop to compliment my boots. On the 4th day, I was the only customer in the shop, btw. My kids told me they like my fun boots. Even my husband, who has a vision impairment that doesn't allow him to notice new shoes or haircuts, noticed them and liked them without me having to ask. I'll wear them with jeans and leggings and dresses and skirts but because they're not a pair I'll likely wear errday, I'll alternate between those and my merlot boots from last year oh, and the black textured midis which I just bought - um, hold on a minute, credit card info, blah blah, address, confirm purchase - now. Worth every nickel (is this what we Canadians say now?)

Check out the new ECCO SHAPE collection in ECCO stores now or online here. 

  

WEEKEND FEELS | Where We Give Thanks for a Comfy Weekend Wardrobe

via H&M on Instagram

Originally posted in The CLOSET

It's a well-documented fact that the way you dress affects the way you act. All polished up in your tailored business suit? Looking like a boss is half the battle for a killer presentation. Found sick new hi-tops for your Wednesday night adult hip-hop class? Don't hurt yourself with all that swagger. When it comes to weekends, dressing comfy is meant to put you in the right frame of mind - a chill wardrobe after all, can't help but set you up for having a chill attitude.

Whether you're entertaining your loud family for a big Thanksgiving dinner, are heading to a place where someone else is doing the cooking for you (lucky!) or have nothing but take-out and Netflix on the agenda, these stylishly comfy pieces will put you in a perfectly chill frame of mind for the long weekend ahead. 

Happy Thanksgiving, lovelies. But first, let's shop...

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SHOE LOVE | See What I Scored at Canada's Largest DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse

When I heard that I’d been invited to shop Canada’s largest shoe store (I repeat: Canada’s LARGEST SHOE STORE), I cleared my calendar, hooked my kids up with a babysitter, and prepped myself. I can handle shoes. In fact, I’ve handled them my whole life. But the new 26,000 sq. ft. DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse at Vaughan Mills, loaded with shoes, boots and accessories, was beyond anything I’ve ever shopped. That’s 20,000 pairs of shoes at up to 40% off suggested retail prices. And a blogger with next to no self control around shoes. I’m in so much trouble. 

Head to the Vaughan Mills blog to see what I ended up taking home. Hint: they're tall, dark and gooorgeous...

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FALL '16 FASHION | 5 Fall Trends You'll Want to Start Wearing Now

Gorgeous girl Teegan Williams via Instagram

Originally posted in The CLOSET

When it comes to fashion, there's no season more exciting than fall. While the cooler weather and return to routine can be tough little pills to swallow, the promise of a new wardrobe makes it all totally bearable. Scoff. A new wardrobe you say? Um girl, I can't afford a whole new wardrobe you say? Keep reading. Updating your wardrobe for the new season is a lot less spendy than you might imagine. If you're armed with the basics (and if you've been reading this blog for awhile, you've got those covered), all you need to do is add a few key new-season updates into the mix. 

This fall, I've fallen hard for 5 pretty updates that I plan on wearing starting, um, now...

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