#puppylove

My last post was MID-JUNE?!  But so much has happened since then!

Toronto had yet another earthquake (WTH!?), Jack Layton lost his battle with cancer (RIP), and I got a puppy from the Kawartha Lakes Humane Society (www.hskl.com).  One of these things is not like the other....

But I have to tell you...even the earthquake, our second in as many years, didn't shake up my world as much as this charming canine.  And as my dear friend Sheila said, she certainly knows her angles.

My time is at a premium, and essentially my only online time is during business hours [hi boss!]...so I will likely continue to be scarce.  That said, I HAD to come back and show you my gorgeous new sidekick!

Internets, meet Eason (after stunningly beautiful fitness model, Jamie Eason!)

 Oh, those baby blues still get me every time!

 ...Work it!

 Proud new Mama, with my baby outside of the shelter.

HUGE shoutout to Janis of www.kaleidoscopephotography.com who's "What a Dog Contest" produced these "aww"-worthy shots...

 ...I want about 100000000 more!  Pictures.  OK, and puppies.

Could she be any more gorgeous? (And could I possibly post any more pictures? ...I think so!)

Lashing Out

This post is LONG overdue!  Not only have I not been posting regularly to the blog, but I have been meaning to open your eyes to the world of lash extensions for AGES.

It all started with a Groupon.  That's right.  I was a faithful mascara-wearer until I opened my e-mail that one fateful day, and discovered a coupon for lash extensions for something crazy like $35.

I went, got them done, and was IN LOVE.  Honestly, as a ginger-blonde, I'm lucky if it looks like I have lashes when I have mascara on, let alone without.  So these were a GODSEND.  I WISH I'd known enough to take 'before' pictures!  Suddenly, I was waking up with gorgeous, movie star lashes.  I don't think I wore ANY makeup for the first month.  A little moisturizer with SPF 30 and I was good to go!

I've done everything from the more natural look, to the "um-did-you-see-Mandy-she-has-tranny-lashes" look, and love them all.  Lots of options depending on what you want to achieve and what your budget is!

So in an attempt to make all of your beautiful lives that much more beautiful, I must SHAMELESSLY plug CHICLASH ( www.chiclash.com ), and it's lovely owner, Susan!  Susan is extremely talented, a total chatterbox, super stylish - AND she sincerely cares about the quality of the products that she uses.  We talked quite at length about the adhesive that she researched extensively before opening her salon, so that she could ensure that her clients were receiving a long-lasting, and much safer, gentler solution.  A little pricey? Certainly.  But they last a LONG time (4-6 weeks, mine have lasted even longer after past applications), and they're beautiful.

You can check out the BRAND-SPANKIN'-NEW salon at the website above, and see my 'after' pictures below - but you really need to go, get a set, and let her work speak for itself.  Like, REALLY REALLY. 

If you need me, I'll be shopping for some under-eye wrinkle cream!!!

Mandy
xo

What's in YOUR closet?

On my drive to work this morning, I heard an interview with a woman scorn'd...her boyfriend cheated on her, so she broke up with him, changed the locks, and offered that a friend could come and get his stuff for him.  When he told her that he didn't want the stuff she'd bought him, she took to the internets!

Making lemonade out of lemons (and from the sounds of it, adding a little wine for good measure), she and a girlfriend snapped some pictures of her wearing some of his clothes, and not a whole lot else - then posted them on eBay to auction off the dastardly dude's duds.  She's got her own site, and is still posting pics and auctioning off his stuff piece by piece.  I. LOVE.

Frankly, I think the girl is onto something.  I've sent her a message, because I've got some serious ideas of my own, and I think it could be HUGE.

Check it out (SOOOO NSFW!) @ www.myexboyfriendscloset.com


Hell hath no fury...........


xo
Mandy

Exam Inspiration

Hi! I'm in the middle of exams, and editorials like this are getting me through. I know, weird. Non, my degree is nothing fashion related, nor creative in any way. Maybe that's why I yearn for stunning phots while I'm waxing poetic about the political situation of the international community...

These photos are from VogueJapan, formerly VogueNippon, edited by Anna Della Russo. Who... if youre unfamiliar with her vibe, you really must spend five minutes on google. Shes going to be in Toronto soon with Tommy Ton from JacknJill, and I will give up my first born to be there. Too much?

xox

S

images fashiongonerogue

Black and Navy Conundrum

Hi!

Pretty much my attitude towards general questions is that anything can be done. The subcategory of that 'anything' is that it has to be done well to fit your various categories, like figure, personal style, occasion appropriateness, etc.

So Amanda's quandary of black and navy, can it be done? OF COURSE! Anything is possible in the world of fashion. It just takes some maneuvering to ensure that it's done well. I don't favour a matchy matchy look, and tend not to approve of 'faux pas' rules like matching your belt, purse and shoes to ensure you look good. Please don't do this.

Here we have Mr Pitt and Angie-Jo sporting a couples answer to black and navy. As you can see their use of greys and browns pairs them up quite nicely.

Mixing black and navy together has been relevant for a few years now. If you're going to work it, now's your time! I would suggest a pop of a vibrant colour to distract and add to your look. Some sharp red, or cobalt blue (which it seems Amanda has done) or even canary yellow would zing things together fabulously and would distract from an ever apparent blend of black and navy, while adding in a personal touch.

Good luck with your ensemble, Amanda!

xox
S

images fabsugar, thefashionpolice

Matchy-Matchy

It is time, once again my dear friends, that I call on you for your advice.

Much like when buying a new suite of living room furniture, I continuously struggle with the concept of the "matchy-matchy" when I am tapped to attend an event in tandem with my oh-so-handsome (and oh-so-hard-to-fit-in-a-suit) boyfriend.

My friend Marissa and Shawn are finally tying the knot.  It seems that the exciting event has crept up on me far too quickly, and I'm struggling to find the perfect outfit.  As the day-of acting wedding planner/coordinator, I feel most comfortable wearing pants, for those occasions where I need to get down on my knees to fluff a dress or climb a ladder to fix a faulty chandelier.  BUT this is the first wedding that I've been responsible for where I'm actually an invited guest as well!

After two days of laboriously searching, we managed to find a gorgeous suit for my man: a dark navy Calvin Klein Slim-Fit suit.  Thank the fashion gods!  Being the colour-freak that he is, my boyfriend has elected to wear a COBALT blue button down, and a GOLD tie.  I love that boy.

I managed to find a super sexy pair of cobalt blue sky-high heels to wear as a nod to his ensemble...

 

HELLO.

But now my issue is this:  I was planning to wear the black jumpsuit that I ordered from www.asos.com late last week (that I didn't tell Sheila about!)- assuming it arrives in time.

But it's BLACK.  And his suit is NAVY.  Dark enough navy that I had originally thought it black.  Am I wrong to think that we need to MATCH vs. Coordinate?  Can I rock the black and cobalt, while he does Navy and Cobalt?

Such a dilemma....

xo

Mandy

Hello!

Just wanted to pass along a photo from a shoot I did about a month ago.

I posted a few more on my personal blog. I dont want to take over Amandas space with my own stuff!

xox
S

http://www.sheilamcelreastylist.blospot.com/