Wrapper's Delight

Finding that perfect gift is always tricky. But finding the perfect present for a style maven? Now that's even trickier. She obsesses over blogs, she's an Insta-fanatic, and those shoes she wanted last month? Oh right, she already bought them. 
When it comes to fashion girls, we usually want less stuff, but better stuff. So one amazing luxe gift is almost always better than a lot of little things. But that doesn't mean you have to break your budget to thrill her on Christmas morning. Thoughtful little luxuries can check out for under $50 - it's all about knowing what to buy.
So what do you get the girl who has everything? Whether you're shopping for your bestie, sister or main bae, I've put together a Fashion Girl Gift Guide for Vaughan Mills that takes all the guesswork out of gifting your fave style queen. 
Um, off to shop for me someone special. I hope they still have my her size. 

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PRET-A-PARTY | Do Holiday Décor Like a Pro

via the Vaughan Mills Blog

Hosting a holiday party takes guts - whether it's an intimate little gathering, a family dinner or an epic bash, there's always loads of work to be done. You want your favourites to have fun, obviously. But you also want your place to look like magic. Once you've got your guest list, dinner menu and party playlist all figured out, it's time to turn your attention to decor. Luckily, you don't need a design degree, a big budget or even a massive amount of free time (what's that?) to make your house look like it's been decorated by a pro. Take a look at these 6 easy tricks to make your home shine extra bright this holiday season.

xx

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#TREATTHEHEAT with Vaughan Mills

The Vaughan Mills Jam Van via Vaughan_Mills on Instagram

I know Toronto's currently in Pan Am lockdown. And I've already personally experienced how much the current traffic sitch sucks. But it's totally worth your while to be downtown this week. I've teamed up with Vaughan Mills on another super fun project and am so excited to share it with you. The Vaughan Mills Fashion Truck will be all over downtown Toronto this week (July 13th-19th) and you do not want to miss it. 

If you spot the Vaughan Mills Fashion Truck come over and say hello - my perfect summer outfit's displayed on the truck (see below) alongside looks styled by Christian Confidential, Casie Stewart, Christella Says and Natalie Ast. Pick your favourite outfit or fashion find, then simply tweet #TreatTheHeat to get a free premium ice cream and a chance to win one of the luxe prizes we've handpicked from Vaughan Mills (aka Canada's premier outlet destination).

I found this gorgeous oversized Rebecca Minkoff Avery Tote at hr2, which you can win. Check it:

Ray-Ban Aviators, Nike Kobe X kicks and an amazeballs fringed bag from Rudsak are among the other coveted prizes to be won. 

HERE'S HOW TO WIN:

1) Follow @Vaughan_Mills on Twitter

2) Tweet us your favourite blogger fashion find w @Vaughan_Mills & #treattheheat

3) Enjoy a free ice cream treat on us

4) Stay tuned to Twitter for winner announcements

Aaaand, my outfit from Vaughan Mills:

White Floral Skirt, H&M, $60 | Neon Necklace, H&M, $10 | Tan Belt, BR Factory, $18 | Short-Sleeve Striped Non-Iron Blouse, BR Factory, $39 | Gold Chevron Bracelet, J.Crew, $14 | Round Sunglasses, Joe Fresh, $22 | Faux-Leather Bomber, Joe Fresh, $17 | Nine West Shootie, hr2, $98 | Pink Bracelet, Charming Charlie, $13

TOTAL - $291

Style | STREET SMART

Inspiration | New York x Paris, on a Friday, in the summer.

Why these pieces work together | When it comes to choosing between New York & Paris, I say - why choose? Blue, white & tan is a classic summer combo my inner Parisienne can’t help but love. But, then there’s my NY side - I love the way the cool black booties and faux leather moto add some street edge to this look. The best part? Each individual piece is a wardrobe booster in its own right. I’d wear this outfit to work on a Friday, then throw on the bomber & aviators and head straight for a chic little patio somewhere to bring on the weekend. In a word: #friyay.

 

See you soon at the Vaughan Mills Fashion Truck. Can't wait to #treattheheat w you! 

 

#WIN IT | The Ultimate Queen's Plate Experience with Vaughan Mills + Watch Our Queen's Plate 2015 Style Guide

A behind-the-scenes shot of us on shoot day.

Yup, we're total posers.

Have I told you about my new job? As the Official Stylist of Vaughan Mills, I knew I'd have the chance to get out from behind my computer screen, but styling one of summer's biggest fashion events? Now that's awesome. Since Vaughan Mills has teamed up with Woodbine Racetrack as the official Fashion Sponsor of the upcoming Queen's Plate, my first mission (and I chose to accept it) was styling Queen's Plate 2015. As the most historic horse race in North America and the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, this year marks the 156th running of the Queen's Plate, one of Canada's top sporting and fashion events. We don't get too many chances in Canada to really dress up so this event is my jam.

Since it's hard to know what to wear to such a high-stakes fashion affair, we put together a Queen's Plate Style Guide for outfit inspiration. The best part about Queen's Plate? Anything goes. Custom-made fascinators are welcome, but so are ballcaps, flower crowns and oversized wide-brim hats. From short & sweet dresses, to flowy maxis to chic jumpsuits, it's all about using your creativity to stand out. Men show up in classic suits and dapper bowties but on a really hot day, pastel shorts and blazers can be a winning combo, too.

Don't miss our Queen's Plate Style Guide below (styled and modelled by me and my cute husband, who does a mean Blue Steel btw), then make sure you visit in-mall from June 23rd-July 2nd for a chance to win The Ultimate Queen's Plate Experience including a $500 shopping spree, a one-on-one styling sesh with me and 2 VIP tickets to attend the Queen's Plate on July 5th. To enter the contest, take your photo at one of the Queen's Plate Style cut-outs located inside the Event Court and post it to your personal Instagram account using hashtag #VMStylesQP and #QP15, making sure to tag @vaughan_mills in it so we can see your pic. Visit http://bit.ly/1Boyl1C for full contest details. Oh, and be sure to tune into Breakfast Television on June 30th live from Woodbine where we'll be showing more pretty Queen's Plate looks.

Can't wait for the big day! See you at Queen's Plate!

EVERY DAY I'M SHUTTLING | My Day on the New Vaughan Mills Shopping Shuttle

A mini cardboard replica of the Vaughan Mills Shuttle Bus that's actually - wait for it - a Kleenex box! 

Mondays are usually a little rough. I mean, after a weekend of fun and frolic, it can be torture to dive right back into the work routine. Yesterday, though - yesterday was a different kind of Monday. As Official Stylist of Vaughan Mills (eek!), I was asked to come to Toronto to celebrate the 2015 launch of the Vaughan Mills Shopping Shuttle. If you read this blog, you'll know that my arm never needs to be twisted when it comes to shopping so obviously, I was in. 

I arrive at Union Station with two fellow Toronto blogettes - Samantha Kaszab of Worth the Jetlag & Amanda Cosco of Girl About Toronto and after receiving our wristbands, are escorted by a girl from the City Tours Attraction Desk to the shuttle bus parked just a few blocks away. As soon as we spot it, we are all totally blown away - the Vaughan Mills Shopping Shuttle is a floral tour de force, covered from head to taillights in a bold wash of pink, purple and blue flowers. Stun. Ning. 

We hop on board with a bus full of other giddy shoppers, ready for a day of fashion fun at Vaughan Mills. As the lucky Day 1 riders, we all find swag bags on our seats filled with shopping essentials - headphones, smartphone chargers, water, a pen & notepad (for shoe shopping lists, of course), and the cutest Kleenex box I've ever seen. I've been known to cry tears of joy while shopping so this is a very smart move on the part of the Vaughan Mills marketing team. Plus, we all score a Vaughan Mills gift card to help with our shopping. Yes!

The morning shuttle leaves at 10 am and only takes 20ish minutes to get to Vaughan Mills. We scour the shops and designer outlets (J.Crew, Aritzia, Banana Republic, Town Shoes, Lululemon and BCBG topped our must-visit lists), then settle in for a leisurely lunch (Aroma, anyone?) to refuel before an afternoon at the rest of the stores on our list (I pick up a few things at Ivivva for my daughter, H&M for my son, shorts for my husband at Joe Fresh, and even pick up a birthday present at LEGOLAND because Lego is awesome). Next, it's time to do some damage at HR2. I hone in on the sale racks and spot a classic white Pink Tartan shirtdress, normally $500 marked down to $119. Magic. 

At 3 pm, it's time to jump back on the shuttle. I pass out leis to everyone on the bus to celebrate a successful shopping day and then we all compare our scores. I'm tempted to go back in and pick up a pair of pumps a stylish 20-something found at Capezio but remind myself that the shuttle runs twice daily. I can always do this again tomorrow, right?

Whether you don't own a car, don't feel like dealing with traffic, or are just looking for a fun, FREE way to spend the day at Vaughan Mills, be sure to test-ride the Vaughan Mills Shopping Shuttle, running twice daily all summer long until Sept 30th - no reservations or pre-booking necessary (first-come, first-served so get there early to make sure you get a wristband). I live in Kitchener so plan on taking the VIA into Union Station with my kids, then riding the shuttle bus to Vaughan Mills for a day at LEGOLAND this summer. Oh and get this - for the first time ever, the shopping shuttle will be running during Christmas shopping season from Nov 23rd-Dec 23rd. Genius!

Can't wait to hear what you think of the new Vaughan Mills Shopping Shuttle. See you on board soon!

 

Flower power. 

Samantha and I in our synchronized shuttle poses. 

Shuttle stowaways. This shuttle's so posh, even the cargo hold is squeaky clean. 

This is my happy shopping face. 

No blogger trip is complete without a back-of-the-bus selfie. 

Amanda gets her shoe shopping on. 

Pink Tartan on clearance. This is my jam. 

Can't even with these mini shuttles. 

Shopping joy. 

Aloha. 

This shuttle makes all the other buses jealous. 

Swag bag spoils. Thanks Vaughan Mills!