Holiday Nails with China Glaze

Thanks to Nail Polish Canada, I can finally try out the China Glaze nail polish. The verdict? Amazing! This gorgeous "Dash of Dazzle" set makes a perfect gift and gets your nails ready for the holidays. From left to right, the colours are Mingle With Kringle, Bells Will be Blinging, and So Blue Withbout You.

The gold "Mingle With Kringle" is absolutely stunning so I got inspired to do a holiday look with a snowflake accent nail. I applied two generous coats of polish and did the nail art using a toothpick! How are you getting your nails ready for the holidays?

Black Friday at Pacific Centre

Canadians are joining in on the Black Friday fun and kicking off the holiday season! Pacific Centre has some great activities planned for this ultimate shopping day so before you run off to wait in line at the border, come check out Pacific Centre's Black Friday sales and have a little fun while you shop! You could win some amazing giftcards for your holiday shopping - there are tons of prizes and giftcards to be won! I'll be involved in styling one of the "Right Price" mannequins. The closest guess to exactly how much the outfit costs will win a $100 gift card!

The Fun Details:
Black Friday at Pacific Centre
November 29, 2013
Extended Mall hours: 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 pm
Numerous retailers will be having Black Friday offers and special discounts

*The first 100 shoppers at Guest Services will receive a $10 giftcard!

Black Friday Photo Station
- Capture the moment at the Black Friday photo station! Share your photo on Twitter @pacificcentre with #BlackFridayPics for your chance to win a $100 shopping spree!

Garment Bag Giveaway
- 200 exclusive Black Friday garment bags. Over 100 Prizes to be won. "Un-zip” the garment bag for your chance to win gift cards, special promotions and more! All proceeds go to Coast Mental Health. Everyone will receive a custom garment bag for their donation.

The Right Price Contest
- Submit your guess of how much the entire outfit on the mannequins cost. All five mannequins feature clothing exclusively from Pacific Centre retailers. The most accurate guess for each mannequin will receive a $100 shopping spree!

Refreshment Station in Centre Court
- Treats and beverages will be served throughout the day - a perfect break from shopping!

Beauty Station
- Stop by the Dunsmuir Court (by La Senza) for glitz and glamour on Black Friday. Pamper yourself with complimentary hair styling, nail painting, and scented skin products.

Twitter Contest
- Keep your eye out for the Twitter Contest! Follow @pacificcentre for ways to win!

A Week in Toronto

Joe Fresh blouse, Alice & Olivia skirt, Marc Andrew coat, Tory Burch flats, Michael Kors bag

A week in Toronto just isn't long enough! I love the city and am looking into a possible move to the east coast next year.  From the Distillery District to Kensington Market, we did a some touring and enjoyed exploring the city's great spots for food, drinks, and entertainment. The best part? I got the chance to see some of my favourite people over there.  Here are some snippets from the trip!

{Exploring the Distillery District }

{Dinner at El Catrin}

{With my love at the Distillery District }

{Our friend's amazing custom suit and shirt store: SurMesur)


{Relaxing at the pool}


{Beautiful salt water pool at the hotel}


{Out with one of my bestest}


{Rainbow cake at Wanda's Pie in the Sky - Kensington Market}


{One of many beautiful sightings of the CN Tower}


{Toronto skyline by night}

Sweater Season

Banana Republic sweater, Zara leggings, Franco Sarto boots, Chanel 2.55 bag, Joe Fresh necklace

We have had an exceptionally beautiful (and dry!) fall season in Vancouver this year and I'm so grateful to have all of this beauty in my backyard.  This is also why J and I will always make time to enjoy the colours of fall, no matter how busy life gets. I love this sweater season and found a new love for sweater jackets. I have been especially drawn to them, as opposed to layering a jacket over thin sweaters, for the sheer convenience! This Banana Republic knit has a tweed jacket look with beautiful layers of mustard, grey, and black. It's thick, well constructed, and can definitely keep you warm enough to leave those jackets and coats at home!

Black and Gold

Banana Republic sequin sweater, Joe Fresh leopard skirt, Tory Burch ballet flats, Michael Kors bag

To say I love this Michael Kors "Selma" satchel would be a gross understatement. I LOVE everything about this bag. It's the perfect size and structure for both work and play. The quality saffiano leather is indestructible and the multiple inner compartments and sturdy bottom literally hold my entire life.  The best part? It comes with a strap to wear as a shoulder or cross-body bag. On the black and gold trend, I also recently invested in a pair of incredibly comfortable Tory Burch ballet flats. They practically had my name written all over it! These "Caroline" flats save my feet from all the walking in the city and give them the well-deserved break from heels.

Happy November, everyone.  I hope you're enjoying the last bit of this beautiful fall season!

J.Crew opens in Vancouver

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the J.Crew opening party in Vancouver.  It was lovely to get a first look at the brand new store before it officially opened to the public the following day on April 25th.  The beautifully decorated 2-floor store displayed their fresh and colourful current spring/summer collection.  The design geniuses behind the brand were in presence: Tom Mora, head of women’s design and Frank Muytjens, head of men’s design.  They mingled with a room full of Vancouver's most stylish media and fashion crowd. It was so great to see some familiar faces and I'm glad I got to catch up with Lisa from Solo Lisa. It looks like I'll be a regular at this store as I'm already looking forward to my next visit!

J.Crew
1088 Robson St.
Vancouver BC V6E 1A7
(604) 684-2367

AT MISS SIXTY BUTIQUE

Tory Burch tweed dress, YSL tribute sandals, H&M Necklace

In case you missed it, the “I AM DOWNTOWN Shopping Night” event at Pacific Centre was a blast! Great sales, giveaways, and a spectacular fashion show were just some of the highlights. I loved seeing everyone dressed to impress while getting their cards punched at the retail locations and the smiles on those shoppers' faces when I handed out some SHOP! giftcards.  I have to admit though, I'm incredibly envious of the lucky lady who won the $1000 shopping spree!  It was a lot of fun putting on a short fashion seminar at MISS SIXTY during the event. Thank you so much to those of you who came out to see me and thanks to Pacific Centre for inviting me to speak! The clothes at MISS SIXTY speak for themselves but I'm glad I got to share some of my favourite pieces from the season as well as my shopping/styling tips with everyone there.  Plus, it was the perfect occasion to wear this pink and magenta tweed dress from Tory Burch. Don't worry if you didn't catch the event this time because it's put on annually. I'm personally looking forward to the next one already!

BC Derby & Best Dressed at Hastings Racecourse

BC Derby, one of the biggest days in horse racing, took place last month at Hastings Racecourse. From serious betters to casual spectators, the event attracted a crowd of impeccably dressed ladies and gentlemen. I was honoured to be a part of the excitement as a judge for the 2nd annual BC's Best Dressed contest. Let's just say it was a difficult task choosing only two winners out of over a hundred fabulous contestants. In the end, we crowned a lady in a gorgeous green dress and a gentleman in a top hat and tailcoat as BC's Best Dressed for 2013. The prize? Amazing $500 gift certificates to Jack & Jill Clothing and Baracos + Brand! If you missed out this time, be sure to check it out next year in September!

Embellished

J.Crew sweater, Oak + Fort leggings, Charlotte Olympia shoes, LOVECOCO pearl and chain bracelet

Who needs a necklace when you have a sweater that comes embellished? I love fall and this sweater weather but this time of the year also seems to be the busiest. That's what makes this jewel toned, fully embellished J.Crew sweater so appealing. You can throw it on and forget about accessories. To balance this rather "complicated" top, I wore a simple pair of leather leggings from Oak + Fort. This local Vancouver brand along with sister company Loft 82 are great for simple yet unique designs. To complete the look, I wore my new Charlotte Olympia Monacoco Linen pumps purchased from an unbelievable sale at The Bay! I love a pair of classic cap-toe pumps and these sky-high beauties will be treasured for years to come.