T.G.I.F.

A selfie I took today on Instagram

It's Friday and it finally feels like summer! Don't you just love weekends? Speaking of, why am I working at 5:30 on a Friday? Nope, can't think of a very good reason either. Oh, except I did want to share my latest scores: mirrored aviators from the men's section at Joe Fresh, a cool red necklace from H&M and a pretty navy dress from Smart Set. Love! You can't see the shoes but I'll leave those until next week. I could go on and on...

Hope you have the best weekend!

xx

Good Things Come in Threes

Printed Long Sleeve Blouse in Turquoise, Red and Blue, $39 each, Smart Set

Perforated Oxford in Oslo Gray, Yellow and Camel, $69.95 per pair, Gap 

Women's Stripe Rash Guard in Navy, Frosted Lilac and Positano Blue, $90 each, J.Crew

From a very early age, my mom taught me the value of threes.  Her style math boiled down to this: even = bad, odd = good.  Just for kicks, I would often offer to set the table if we were having dinner guests and would purposely put two candles in two candle-holders in the middle of the table.  Even if she was at the opposite end of the house, my mom could instantly sense the dissonance.  She'd beeline it to the dining room and stand in the doorway, a look of confusion, discomfort even, crossing her lovely face.  Out came the third candle holder, a little 45 degree turn to the right (to give the arrangement a certain je-ne-sais-quoi) and balance was restored. Ahhh..that's better.  Call it Granny's Mantel, matchy-matchy or classic feng shui but I have to admit that I feel the same way.  Good things always come in threes, don't you think? Hmmm...does this mean I should buy 3 of each?

A New York Minute with Smart Set

Big yellow taxis in the heart of NYC

It isn't often that you get offered a flight to New York for the day, and in my case, 'not often' means never. And so, when Smart Set asked me and Johanna (aka rlr mini) to fly to NY to check out their Summer '13 campaign shoot, we immediately replied, 'Mais, oui!'.  Here's a little recap of our super fun New York minute on set with Smart Set:

5:20 am - Alarm bell rings.  Johanna and I get everything 'did', then rush out the door into the -20 chill.

6:01 am - Parked at YYZ, through the gate, and we wait.

8:29 am - Flight supposed to leave but something is amiss.  Our suspicions are confirmed when the pilot announces that the plane's 'computer' is 'broken'.  I'm not an engineer but methinks this sounds unsafe.

10:04 am - Pilot finally announces that unfortunately we will have to find a new flight.  Seriously?! Does he know that we were supposed to be in NY at 11? Luckily a fellow Toronto blogger, also en route to NYC, has this travel thing all figured out.   She calls us, already on board another plane mind you, and chirpily instructs us to bust it to the new gate for the 10:15 flight. We sneak our way past a crowd of fellow frustrees and manage to flirt our way onto the plane. Phew. #sistapower

11:59 am - In New York!! Eek. A black Lincoln picks us up and whisks us off to the heart of Chelsea. We head into ROOT Drive-In Studios where the shoot is already in full swing.  Models, photographers and about 30 other 'crew' scurry about the busy set. Catered lunch is laid out while boys in distressed jeans and girls in black leggings dig into the Perrier and crudités.  

12:00am - 1:14 pm - We are ushered behind a black curtain where we get a sneak peek at the brand new collection, guided by Smart Set's gorgeous Eugenia.  She explains the brand's key trends, from preppy bright resort tunics (v. Tory Burch), to tailored blazers paired with matching cropped pants, to easy, breezy dresses. Johanna falls in love with a pair of printed pants.  I am smitten with the lightweight knits.  The re-branding efforts are obvious; everything looks decidedly fresh, modern and quite honestly, far more fashion-forward than I would have expected from Smart Set.  

1:30  2:15 - We walk to local trattoria, La Bottega, for lunch (it's attached to the super cool Maritime Hotel.) Wood-fired pizzas, pastas and salads are served up by a woman who looks like Halle Berry.  We chat with the Smart Set team and the other bloggers who've been invited to the shoot - Élodie Laetitia Parthenay of Hello Elo, a Parisienne transplant who now lives in Montreal, and Casie Stewart, Toronto's digital darling and social media consultant.  Pretty pumped to be in their company. 

2:22 - Back at the shoot, we snap loads of pics of the models in full-on campaign mode.  The girls dance to mad tunes in bright dresses and playful shorts and look perfectly ready for summer.  We discover how models actually achieve that windblown look - it involves fans AND treadmills.  And you thought being a model was easy...

3:00 - Jo and I are ready for our close-up, intimated but strangely turned on by the boom mike and video crew.  Eugenia asks us questions about our favourite pieces from the collection (love the neon rubber bracelets, tunics, summer dresses, printed pants), our favourite spring trends (graphic stripes), and how we plan on incorporating the Smart Set pieces into our wardrobes this summer; I can think of a million ways, and it's not just because I'm feeling swayed by the wining/dining ;)

4:00 pm - Black Lincoln has returned to whisk us back to the airport.  Traffic is surprisingly good so we get to LaGuardia in record time :(

5:30 pm - Take off time.  Jo and I realize we went to NYC without spending a single penny. Never, ever thought that was possible. We cry a little about not having time to shop (not even one store! sniff) but vow to make up for it next time. Oh yes, we will make up for it. 

7:15 pm - Back in Toronto. I drop off Jo at her house, pick up my mom (who has so generously offered to watch the kidlets), drop her off in Kitchener, and drive back home to London in a semi-comatose state.

11:00 pm - Kiss my babies, back in bed.  Was it only just a dream?

We loved our NY minute and can't wait to shop the new collection once it hits stores. Thanks for the fun Smart Set.  Can't wait to do it all again (hint, hint ;)) x

The art direction board at the photo shoot

How to Flirt with a Photographer 101

Photographer: "That's right ladies. Big smiles"

Camera Guy: Yup. Best. Job. Ever.  

Johanna and I wait for our close-up with Smart Set's Eugenia Dourakis 

Click on the thumbnails below for our day played out in pics:

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Let's Dance

Image courtesy Vogue

Originally posted in The CLOSET

No matter how routiney or predictable we become, there's something about the end of the year that inspires us to believe; We believe we can get out of that massive rut, that we can tranform into that person we've always wanted to become, that we can change for the better. After a week-long binge-fest, I've already made some mental resolutions that I hope to keep, though I know that every year, sometime around January 13th, I'll likely slip back into at least a few old habits.

Regardless, a girl can always dream - and in my laid-back holiday state, as I lie here happily ensonced on my couch, watching piles of movies with my kids and trying to muster up the effort to hit the toboggan hill, I've already dreamt up some stellar New Year's Eve outfits. I figure by the time the 31st rolls around, I'll be very ready to toss aside my well-worn pajama pants and get back into my heels to kick in the brand new year. Here's to wishing and hoping and for all of us, a truly wonderful 2013.

xo sarah

 

Totally Shady

Brilliant shades of blue, bordeaux and bright mustard from Nanette Lepore Fall 2012

Originally posted in The Fashion Scoop

It's funny but every fall I do the exact same thing. Sometime right around now, when the mornings are just starting to feel crisp and the leaves are gradually leaving the trees (is that why they call them leaves?), I find myself doing the fall change-up. I'll pack away all of my bright summer dresses, skirts & tees and shove them into an empty closet in our guest room. The more I pack, the darker my closet gets as yellow, pink and orange make way for loads of grey sweaters and black pants. Um, depressing much?

There's absolutely no reason (especially now!) to live in a black hole for 6 months of the year. I've slowly been building up my colour arsenal and this year, I'm happy to report that my fall/winter wardrobe is equally as exciting as my spring & summer stuff. I can't tell you how much more inspiring it is, especially on a cold, grey day, to have shades of rich yellow, bright reds and deep greens to get me going in the morning. This season, I'm obsessed with bordeaux and mustard and can't wait to work them into my look (see below for cool new ways to wear them).

Since I've been on a bright binge for a few years now, I'm actually equally stoked about the black on black trend for fall - great news for colour-phobes, and perfect for those days when you need a colour detox. The key to keeping it interesting? Try mixing and matching loads of textures - pair a great chunky knit with a pair of leather leggings, shiny patent black boots and a bright red lip. Or, pair your black with either deep navy or bright cobalt blue for a dose of Parisian chic.

Happy Friday!  Is it bad that all I want to do this weekend is shop? x

TRY: BLACK & BLUE

ATTITUDE Jay Manuel Peplum Top, $24.88, Sears 

TRY: MUSTARD & TAUPE

Floral Crepe Pencil Skirt - Petites, $64, Cleo

TRY: BLACK ON BLACK 

Mallia for Danier Wool & Cashmere Coat with Leather Piping, $749, Danier

TRY: BORDEAUX & PINK

Bar Stripe Cardigan, $15, Aeropostale