weekend sparkles

it’s a long weekend here in canada and ours is jam packed! tomorrow, i’m attending a dinner party in honour of jamie oliver’s food revolution day geared at sparking conversations about real food and inspire people to take steps towards a healthier lifestyle. i’ll divulge what i made to take with me on monday! enjoy your weekend, and why not treat yourself to some fresh flowers to celebrate spring – guaranteed to brighten up your space and make you feel HAPPY! x

how to tease your hair… this is a great tutorial and is exactly the same as my technique

stay organized in the kitchen with these fantastic tips

inspiration from ‘who what wear’ on styling your spring wardrobe

this homemade party favour is not only useful, but thoughtful and memorable

fashion friday: current fashion obsessions

i’ve always wondered what my favourite fashion bloggers are obsessing over and now thanks to ‘currently obsessed’, we can keep track of the most current fashionable finds! i’ve recently joined in on the fun, and you can stalk my fashion faves at currently obsessed.

i can tell you that you’ll finds plenty of my favourite things: black, shoes, bags and GOLD galore at all different pricepoints. so, stalk me here!

 

the switch: the neon satchel

getting a trend for less is such a score. i bought the much coveted cambridge neon pink satchel a few months back (it’s sold out most places right now but it’s always being restocked). this cheaper version is a pretty good dupe… and it’s 1/3 the price!

cambridge neon satchel // material addict neon satchel

oh, and by the way, i’ve received some great submissions from my readers for the spring fashion feature – if you haven’t sent yours in yet, get it in today and i’ll put it up on the site! details here!

delightful summer recipes

one of my favourite things about summer is the abundance of fresh and colourful food – i head to the farmers market every weekend in search of organic berries, tomatoes and the like. these are recipes i can’t wait to try this summer – how amazing would that watermelon frosty be on a hot summer day? nothing better i’d say! well, maybe i spoke too soon; how ridiculously cute is that popsicle champagne idea above? to find the recipe for each, click on the photo.

check out my catalog of beautiful food over on pinterest – it’s guaranteed to inspire you to try something new and different!

it’s monday: instagram sparkles

i hope everyone enjoyed their weekend as much as i did! we had our first patio drinks with my mom and some friends to celebrate mother’s day – isn’t spending time on a patio (preferably with a drink) one of the best parts of spring and summer? see you tmrw with a round up of some recipes i’m dying to try this season. x

grey on grey on grey – an apple laptop match! // the beginnings of the mother’s day brunch spread // a fab fashion find at h&m for $10 // ava loves her spring walks // evidence of a delish lemon cocktail on a patio // luxurious chocolate covered grapes accented with gold foil at epic expo this weekend

follow along on instagram here
keep up with my tweets here!

weekend sparkles

happy mother’s day to all of you lovely, selfless ladies out there! i’m so lucky to have a wonderful mother, and like many of you, think she’s the BEST one there is. this weekend, as mentioned, i’ll be hosting a full brunch for both families to celebrate – i’ll let you know how it turns out!

if you’re in vancouver, stop by the EPIC expo – it’s a trade show that focuses on conscious consumer lifestyles featuring the latest trends in fashion, food, health, beauty, home & garden, recreation, and transportation. i’ll be over in the epicurean corner on saturday with erin ireland sampling her delicious, artisan and to die for banana bread – so stop by and say hi if you’ll be there, too? (we’ll be in bright yellow – can’t miss us!)

in the meantime, enjoy these links i’m loving this week x

is pony hair really made from ponies and other fashion mysteries solved

a small bedroom doesn’t mean less style; great inspiration here!

10 salads for under $50 in total – love this

really dying to make this grapefruit cocktail

fashion friday: vampy lips

this week brought the annual met ball and the celebs were out in full force showcasing their bold looks.

i noticed a fashion trend happening in makeup: the vampy lip! an odd choice for spring one might think, but it could be a sophisticated look when paired with clean, luminous skin, a dash of bronzer, and lots of lashes. avoid heavy eyeshadow and overdoing the contouring with these dark lips to keep from looking dated or too goth. what do you think – would you ever wear these dramatic lips?

mac lipstick in cyber or diva // nars lipstick in fast ride

p.s: these eye brightening tricks i posted this week would look great with these dark and moody lips!

oh, and don’t forget to submit your favourite personal style look before may 15th – deets here

how to: the tricks to bigger and brighter eyes

are your eyes feeling dull and tired? let’s turn that around with a few simple makeup artist tricks that i use on each and every satisfied client.

is there something specific you’d like to see in a video tutorial? drop me a line, and your suggestion could be featured!

did you like this post? why not treat my social buttons below like a tip jar and share or leave a comment? x

calling all fashionistas: spring fashion submissions

are you building your spring wardrobe and want to show off your favourite look? your style could be featured in a showcase of the best personal style from ladies of all shapes and sizes in the looks that make them feel their best. it’s a great opportunity to not only show off your style, but your fashion and lifestyle blog!

here’s how it works:

send in two photos of your look to thesparkleblog@gmail.com along with the outfit details including where you found each item, your name, age and blog (if you have one); i’ll pick 6-8 submissions to feature in an upcoming blog post.

please submit your looks by may 15th, 2012.

can’t wait to see what you are all rocking this spring! x

mother’s day gift guide

mother’s day is all about spoiling your favourite person – mom! don’t buy her something useful, it’s all about getting her that luxurious item mom wouldn’t spoil herself with – a case of her fave wine, a nespresso machine (total splurge!), a magazine subscription or cozy cashmere blanket. it’s not complete without a mushy card that shows how much you appreciate her – that’s always my mom’s favourite part of any gift and i know it’s a winner if it makes her cry. take your mom out for a day of her favourite things: a stop at a coffee shop for a magazine catch up, a matinee movie (with popcorn, of course!) and a nice lunch or dinner at a spot she favours? ideal day spending quality time i’d say!

i’m lucky to have my mom here for mothers’ day and will be hosting a fancy brunch for the special day at my place for both our families. any menu ideas are welcome!

ipad case // cashmere blend throw // crystal studs // spanish red wine // nespresso // o magazine subscription // lovely perfume // aveda hand cream