Back To School Essentials

Hey Lovlies! 

Its that time of year again... time to go back to school shopping to get the fall 'must haves' to make every outfit street style ready.
This fall it is all about the heavy layers and textures, these 6 essentials piece together a great look, or incorporated individually into any look will take a plain t shirt into fall 2013 ready!

1. BCBG Quilted Moto Jacket || 141.17

2. J. Crew Goodwinn tote || 320.00

3. Topshop Greta Lace Top || 75.00

4. Vanessa Bruno Chunky-Knit Sweater || 555.00

5. Steve Madden Cinch Boot || 150.00

6. Current/Elliott Soho Zipped Stiletto Jeans || 380.00

ilonaxxx

DIY: split heart art - simple prints

I find I am always looking for small pieces of art to hang up in my room, however they always cost a small fortune. I decided to give it a go myself with a couple diy materials I had around the house.

This Diy takes minutes, and can be done while your sitting outside catching the last sun rays of summer!

What you need:

Paint - Acrylic or left over house paint

2 Canvas' (square size) - I used two wooden blocks I got from Michaels for $1!

Cup of water

Sponge Brush - 1-2 inch wide

Paint Brush- for fixing up design

I chose the colour plum a nice dark, warm shade I thought would go well with the furniture in my room.

Lay your canvas' side by side how you want them to hang in your. Sketch your design out in pencil so you know what will fall on each canvas.

 

Pour the paint out and mix to ensure it is not watery and an equal consistency.

Go over the sketch with the paint- using the sponge brush. This doesn't have to be perfect its just a base.

Get the thinner brush and touch up any areas you want a thicker line, darker colour or a better shape. Make sure you don't have a dog around to push your arm.... then your stuck with a much wider line then you wanted (I might be speaking from experience!)

Once it looks how you want, put it up in the perfect spot in your room. There you have it some new art in less then 10 minutes!

ilonaxxx

Fall Trend: Punk

As we all know all good fashion trends recycle. First introduced in the 1970's made popular by designers like Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren the styles of metal hardware, recycled materials, DIY's and graphic images were commonly known as Punk. 

More recently seen in Vogue, an updated punk look has been used in styling with the layers of tartan print, black and white and torn clothing. As well as on the runway for Fall 2013 punk makeup and hairstyles were popular to see to minimize the appearance of lady like collections.

Vogue May 2013

The Met has also taken on the trend of punk showcasing the exhibit this summer the "London Look" versus the "New York Look" when it came to punk in the 1970's.

Diy Hardware Versace - Met Gallery

Diy Destroy - Met Gallery

To take on this falls trends without fully committing yourself to punk start with subtle, versatile pieces. 

1. The first must have is a leather jacket like this Topshop Shrunken Biker Jacket . Its a perfect piece to put on top of a flowy dress or play punk with some fitted skinnies, converses and a mixed fabric top.

2. A simple pencil skirt can become less office appropriate worn with a distressed tee like Distressed DJ Heroin Tee or pair a tartan print top like Topshop Tartan Tee with an aline skirt and ankle boots.

3. Mix things up and layer a lady like sheer blouse with a printed mini like Zara Checkered Mini Skirt or pair it with the Topshop Leather Denim Mix Kilt for a twist of the black classic skirt.

4. Play it safe by layering punk inspired jewellery with any outfit you put together, whether you put them with leather and plaid or accessorize your favourite t shirt dress and flats. Look for heavy hardware and mismatched pieces like House of Harlow 1960 Earrings and Adia Kibur Mix Metal Necklace or ones that resemble diy projects or make your own jewelry with safety pins, bolts and studs. 

ilonaxxx

New York City Day 1 & 2

Day One: Finally arrived in New York ready to begin the day of sight seeing

A quick lunch break in a hidden burger shop

A quick stop in times square, I have never seen so many people in one spot!

On top of Top of the Rocks to see the NYC skyline

Had to try the Magnum ice cream in NYC to compare to Toronto's - the poppy seeds and pretzels were defiantly worth it

we then took a visit inside New York Library

Day Two: 9/11 memorial and Brooklyn

A trip to Brooklyn - we attempted to walk across the bridge but got caught in the rain 1/3 of the way there... nothing was going to stop us from trying Grimaldi's Pizzeria under the bridge

Times Square round 2, eating dinner consisted of ice cream and chips!

 

ilonaxxx

Colour: Black and White

Hey Lovlies!

One of this season's hottest colour combinations is the classic black and white. A traditional colour combo has been seen everywhere from kaleidoscope prints on dresses to the perfect smokers loafers. These colours are easy to add into any wardrobe and style type, try a mix of the biker jacket for a punk look or add it in a circle skirt for a fun girly look. Play with the prints and the proportions/ locations of the colours.

1. Michael Kors Large Miranda Quilted Side Tote || 1295.00

2. Urban Outfitters assorted pillows || 40.00

3. May28th 1:19pm Watch || 40.00

4. Dolce Vita Giya Loafer || 133.93

5. Wilfred Colonne Dress || 82.50 (sale)

ilonaxxx

New York City Bound!

Hey lovlies!

I am kind of just a little excited to be going to New York for the first time (okay maybe a little over excited!) Limiting myself to packing only the essentials so I have plenty of room for shopping in my carry on was fun. Having to pre plan what I was going to wear to ensure I wasn't going to take stuff that would just take up space, and making outfits that easily transitioned to night with a change of top or some added accessories was important to do so.

As I am going with my family, we are doing a lot of the typical touristy stuff which I can't complain about because I've never seen it before anyway! But much of my outfits consist of casual combinations and flat shoes to accommodate all the walking we will be doing.

1. Philosophy Happy Travels Set || 32.00
All your travel beauty essentials in travel size make everything that much more convenient. Don't forget that for liquids you can only take so much on the plane so these little bottles of everything you love are ideal and they help you save extra space for your shopping! 
2. Rebecca Minkoff Mini 5-Zip || 195.00
Having the hands free cross body bag makes everything easier. The multi zips allow you to strategically place everything for accessibility to prevent you digging through your bag for your phone to get that perfect picture!
3. Madewell Roll Sleeve Colour Block Tee || 45.00
This basic tee is something you can wear with everything, an outfit malfunction (we all have those days where we decide to hate everything we own) or you want to wear that new skirt you just bought!
4. Zara Bird Print Dress || 80.00
This simple t shirt dress can be worn during the day, hair in a top knot with some sandals and then easily worn for the evening curl the hair and put on some red lips will have you ready for the night life.
5. Steve Madden Reader Sandal || 40.00 (sale)
With all the walking you should expect to be doing a flat, comfortable sandal is a must have. Having it in a neutral colour will allow you to wear it with most of your outfit options making them more versatile.

ilonaxxx