A Change Would Do You Good

I have been neglecting my poor little blog big time lately. There has just been so much going on so quickly that I can barely keep up myself, let alone keep you guys filled in. So, I deemed it an appropriate time to put my blog through a little revamping and rebranding. Don't worry, the fashion stuff will stick around (couldn't kick the fashionista out of me even if I wanted to) but the direction will change a bit to better reflect what is going on in my life.

Change can be a really, really scary thing. One of the biggest lessons I have learned in my 20 odd years on this planet is how to adapt to it. Change is going to happen no matter what, regardless of whether you run from it or embrace it, so why not just go with the flow? You can't conquer anything that you don't accept, right?

So on the subject, I'm interested to know how often do you change? How often do you update your blog, website etc, or rebrand? Have you gone through a makeover of any kind recently? What have been your results? (a.k.a what do I have to look forward to?)

Fill me in! And stay tuned to find out what changes I will be implementing, in both my life and my blog. It's exciting, it's scary, which also means it should be interesting.

Here's to hoping those changes will do me good! 

Nails & New Business

Oh hey blog! How you been? I've kind of neglecting you lately, I'm so sorry about that...I've been busy...I know that's what they all say, but its true I swear!

So, where the heck have I been? Well, I'm in the works of starting my own business, a PR agency entitled Bowda PR, Communications & Consulting, which has been eating up most of my time! So much so that I haven't blogged in FAR too long.

In the midst of all the hustle and bustle I did manage to find some time to make it out to the Koku Nail Bar grand opening event last Thursday evening at St. Laurent Centre.  First of all, let me just tell you how much I appreciated the location. As an Orleans dweller, I have a love-hate relationship with my 'burb. It is literally in the middle of nowhere and all of these events that happen downtown Ottawa are not overly feasible for me to attend. But St. Laurent, St. Laurent is actually on my way home and probably my most visited mall. And now I had a perfect excuse to drop by.

Koku Nail Bar is a new venture in salon services. They offer express mani pedis right in the middle of the mall, making it perfect for that working girl/mom/student on the go. With a team consisting of Mr. Fadi Ghaby and Marilou Moles, better known as 20 York Street behind this new venture, I had no doubt this was going to be an event worth attending. Their highlighted service is an express mani that costs 11$ and also only 11 minutes. I don't know about you but I don't know of any salon in the city, let alone the province that offers prices or services to match that.

I'll let you in on a little secret, I actually visited the Koku Nail Bar before the big event. I wanted to see what I was in for! One Friday night my friend Katherine and myself decided for a little weekend pampering and hit up Koku Nail Bar. Our experience? It was in fact only 11 minutes and 11$ and the lovely ladies behind the nails were just fabulous! Lisa Holden has to be one of the best nail artists, or as her twitter profile boasts, "nail tech extraordinair". Lisa, I can confirm that that title is nothing short of the truth!

On the big opening night Lisa  worked her magic on my nails yet again and even provided me with some oh-so appropriate nail art for my new business, Bowda. Check out my Bowda bows below!

Overall the event was a fabulous success. I even won a gift card for a full mani! And I never win anything, so maybe my luck has improved by Koku. I saw some new faces, and beloved old ones, and as with every event here in Ottawa, was able to put a few more faces to twitter handles.

Oh and the best part? The event wasn't just for ladies, oh no, men can get their mani on as well! Just ask one Nick Bachusky, he certainly did. We tried to convince to settle for a hot pink but he regrettably refused. If you ask me I think he is just saving it for his next trip.

Thank you again Marilou, Fadi, Lisa and all of the Koku team for the fab evening, awesome Bowda nails and the great experience! I will defintley be back, and not just because I have a gift certificate.

If you want to check out all the fun look up the hashtag #locoaboutkoku. There was no shortage of tweets or instagramming that evening so enjoy!

#GoBillings = Go Shopping!

If you have been anywhere near Twitter or Instagram over the past few days, then this hashtag probably rings a bell. The little local mall, Billings Bridge, has literally taken over the social networks this week with their Instagram contest and party. This afternoon I dropped by Billings for the first time ever to join in on the fun.

Upon arriving I was greeting by the lovely Samantha of Starfish Events, where she proceeded to snap a few pics with me and even allow me the honour of being interviewed about myself and my blog, so stay tuned for that. At the festivities were tasty treats for your sweet tooth (my favourite kinds...cookies and candy), a deejay pumping the beats and an Instagram wall filled with the photos from the contest. Billings did an awesome job of making us normal folk feel like minor celebrities for a day, with our handicraft up on display awaiting our autographs.

Before I proceed with spilling the details of my shopping haul, I'll let you in on a little secret. One of the best perks of Billings? Free Wifi! Oh yes. This is a cherished item for our generation, and sadly isn't given out very often. The perks of this? I am actually bringing this blog post to you live from Billings' adorable little food court. Nothing like on the spot reporting, eh? I am constantly baffled by the beauties of technology these days. Call me fuddy duddy but back in my youthful days this was most definitely not possible, let alone a "thing".

Alright, alright, so what did I buy? I settled on two statement necklaces from Le Chateau, a pair of coral polka dot jeans from Smart Set (on sale for 25$) and well, underwear was on for 3/10$ at La Senza so naturally I couldn't turn that down!

Another perk, running into Emily of Tinfoil Tiaras! She snagged some fantastic necklaces I was eyeing over at Smart Set, but thanks to her suggestion I decided to mozy on over to Le Chateau where I found some other stunning statement necklaces. Check out her blog to see what she found at Billings, she is an accessory addict so expect many pretty pieces (and check out her clothing room, it is to die for!)

Did you guys attend? What do you think of my finds? What is your favourite store at Billings? The contest runs until Sunday so you still have a few hours to get snapping!

Out with the old, in with the Instagram!

This Saturday I'm going to a party and I want you to come with me. Yes, you! And you. Even you over there in the corner. It is kind of a unique type of party, but you will love it, I swear. It is actually an Instagram party, my first ever surprisingly, considering I am such an addict. I do love Instagram. And when I say love Instagram I mean I love Instagram. It is my latest and greatest addiction and I don't think it is going anywhere anytime soon. I mean, it is absolutely brilliant. The only thing I really do on Facebook is scroll through the pictures anyways, so I was beyond pleased to discover this fabulous new app that was solely for photos (with flattering filters to make you look extra fabulous). Billings Bridge is clearly way ahead of the game and picked up on this trend. They have created an Instagram contest to go along with the party, all you need to do to enter is snap 10 of your favourite spots and shots around the 613 area with the hashtag #GoBillings between May 22nd and May 26th. Don't forget to make sure that at least one of those pics is in front of your preferred Billings store! (They need to know where you will want to shop if you win the big prize, naturally!)

So what exactly is up for grabs if you do happen to be deemed "Ottawa's Greatest Mobile Photographer"? Um, bragging rights obviously! Other than that, you will also receive your very own Instagram Art Gallery showcasing your fabulous photos at Billings Bridge, as well as a feature in Metro all about you, $500 worth of photo products from photography experts Black's and last but most definitely not least, $500 gift card to Billings Bridge to shop at that favourite store of yours.

From snapping to spinning to swag, the party is going down this Saturday, May 25th at Billings Bridge and is entitled "Spin to Win. In the centre court of the shopping centre there will be a wheel that you will, clearly, spin and voila, win some swag. I personally am a sucker for free stuff. They say the best things in life are free, don't they?

Don't forget to Instagram your pics around town, you have until Sunday! Being the addict I am, I will definitely be following the #GoBillings hashtag and I look forward to stalking your amazing shots! This will actually be my first time visiting Billings Bridge and I am so excited (and slightly stressed for my wallet) to discover another shopping centre in the NCR. If you stop by on Saturday feel free to tweet me, I am always welcome to the idea of a new shopping buddy!

Now, get out there and get snapping. Like I even need another excuse to Instagram...but I will gladly take it! (Thanks Billings!)

Va Va Vintage - Ottawa Vintage Clothing Show

Just as spring finally began to sprung here in the 613, the city also preps for one of my most  favourite events held in our national capital, The Ottawa Vintage Clothing Show. Vintage, clothing, and my city ALL in the same sentence? Yes please!

There is just something about vintage clothing. That "je ne sais quoi", a certain va va voom factor that can't be acquired through modern day attire. Maybe it has to do with the fact that each unique item holds its own sassy story, or that that particular piece has stood the test of time. Whatever it is about vintage, I adore it. I also think it has something to do with fit. Vintage clothes are made for a woman's figure, which is not so much the case in 2013. I have curves, many of them actually and I love that vintage clothing allows me to embrace them, rather then curse them like current garments make me do. Viva la va va voom curves! 

Last season was my first time attending. Myself and a bunch of other fabulous fashion bloggers got together for brunch (some of them it was my first time actually meeting in person, its so great to finally be able to put a face to a twitter handle!) and afterwards we hit up the vintage show to see what stylish scores we could dig up. I personally found a great Burberry bag for a steal of a price. I am very, very pleased to announce that this year we are continuing the tradition. We are holding our bloggers brunch in the morn, will eat some breaky and indulge in a mimosa or two, and then hit up the show!

Check out my pics from last season! Burberry Bag, Bloggers Brunch, Emily, Laura & Marcia at the show

Now that I can (kind of) call myself a vintage show veteran, here are a few tips if you plan on attending: 

Wear your eyewear! If you need glasses or contacts, wear them when you go to the show! Vintage clothing is usually all about the details and you don't want to miss a single one. 

Bring cash $$$! Many vendors only accept cash, and the last thing you want to do is have to run out of the show and miss precious vintage scouring time, plus you don't want to deal with ATM fees! Better to save your hard earned dough for your vintage finds!

Layer up!  And dress comfortably. Raiding the racks among hundreds of other vintage hungry women is almost an extreme sport. Come prepared for the battle, and for "in the moment" try ones. Leggings are a good layering piece that works with shirts, dresses, anything!

Cut your coupons! If you thought the Vintage Show couldn't get more wonderful, you are so very wrong my friend. They offer a two dollar off coupon that they will send you via email a few days before the show here: Discount Coupon. They really have thought of everything. 

My last comment (before the show, don't worry I will have plenty more to say afterwards) is a huge kudos to the organizers for listening to the people. Today the Vintage Show's Facebook page posted a location change, and the reasons behind it are due to an overwhelming response from attendees about a few issues. The Vintage Show took it all in with ears wide open, and not only listened but delivered.  Last year the sun was a huge issue (we may not encounter this problem this year) and you almost needed sunglasses just to view the vendors. Heck, I was almost to the point of buying a pair just to be able to see what was going on. Also, the vendors booths were very crammed. There was not a lot of space to search and rescue pieces, and many people (myself included) just simple skipped booths to avoid the crowd. The organizers have addressed and acknowledged BOTH of these issues and are  giving the people what they want. Awesome customer service if you ask me. I cannot wait to see these improvements as well as all the show has to offer. 

So, all I have left to say is...will I see you there? If you see myself or any of the other bloggers attending feel free to come up and say hi and show us the treasures you found at the show! The show is this Sunday, April 28th.

You can find the show on Twitter: @613vintageshow and don't forget to use the hashtag #OVSfind!

H&M's Flower Power

For someone who calls them-self a fashion blogger, I don't do many outfit or OOTD posts. Maybe I can chalk it up to the winter and usually not wearing outfits worthy of photographing, or not having a tripod (or boyfriend around) to take pics. Whatever the reason, today I decided to give it a shot. It is finally starting to warm up outside, my boyfriend is visiting (a.k.a playing photographer) and I had a class presentation this morning so I had every excuse in the book to dress up. Oh, AND I had a new pair of pants. These are my very first pair of patterned pants. Last spring I invested in my first ever pair of pastel pants, and thought I would give be adventurous again this spring. Spring is for new things, right? Printed pants have always terrified me, even more than pastel ones. I feel like its just a magnifying glass on the worst parts of my body. I think these pants worked relatively well because 1) the print isn't too big or too small and 2) the black background makes it a little more neural. I picked up these pants, the bow bangle and the black t shirt with lace detail at H&M in Quebec City over the Easter weekend, which brings me to the second point of this blog post...

H&M IS COMING TO OTTAWA! YES IT IS TRUE!

This morning Bayshore shopping mall confirmed that an H&M will be opening in fall of 2013 and all I can say is it is about time! 

Are you excited about the new H&M in our nation's capital? What do you think of my printed pants?

Mad for Mad Men

Is anyone else as excited as I am for tonight's premiere of Mad men? I feel like season 5 ended ages ago and I have just been here waiting in limbo for my weekly Don Draper fix. Tonight's 2 hour special has me EXTRA excited, I mean its a full 2 hours! Its like a Mad Men movie! If I wasn't so lazy or drowned in schoolwork I probably would have organized a themed party, full with outfits straight out of the 60s and cocktails, well just straight. Instead, I will probably be curled up on my couch with the boyfriend in sweats and attempting to make our 1 bottle of wine last the full 2 hours. Challenge accepted.

Here are a few teaser pics to last you the agonizing 5 hours until the show starts.

Will you be watching tonight? What are your predictions?

Does Don get silly this season?