(Little) Black (Dress) Friday

It's been a while since I've written a post, let alone a fashion one, so what better time to do so than on the shopping holiday du jour (literally) Black Friday?

I have mixed emotions about Black Friday. Emotions that range on extremities, actually.  It's a deadly combination of two of the things I feel strongest about…amazing deals and aggravating crowds. I'm sure you can figure out which I love and which I loathe. Therefore Black Friday is somewhat of an emotional roller coaster for me.

This year I stumbled upon the perfect plan, accidentally. I found myself in the mall on Thursday evening, where all of the pre-Black Friday sales (basically just the actual sales starting early) were happening. Same deals, empty mall? Don't mind if I do!

What did I get? Well, I managed to get not one, but two LBDs. One can never have too many, right? Wrong. I do have too many, and a heck of a lot more than two too many. I did, however, justify these purchases.

This LBD that borders on conservative is from Dynamite, and I justified it because 1) it is such a classic design that can easily take me from day to night, work to weekend, 2) it fits me like a glove. Not to toot my own horn but I daresay it fits me better than the model in the photo (god bless curves). The reason I do have so many LBDs is because this is usually such a problem. None fit perfectly, and if you lose or gain 5 pounds all goes to hell. This one surprisingly fits not one, but all of my curves, and it's stretchy to boot (thus ensuring it'll fit even with the 5 pound fluctuation). 

This second dress is from Forever 21, and well, it was 9 bucks. 

I'm thinking it'll be my holiday party staple this year. 

Two LBDs, two different styles. How many LBDs do you think are too many? 

On a completely unrelated note, the word nerd in me came out in full force this pre-Black Friday. (Black Thursday?) I had bought one of these mugs a few weeks back, and have been coveting the rest ever since. Yesterday they had a fateful #B3G4 (buy 3 get 4) sale and well, I caved. 

I'm a sucker for a good quote and a good cup o' tea, so it's no wonder temptation struck and did it ever strike hard. I felt like each and every single one of these mugs spoke to me. I now own 5 of these bad boys and it is ridiculous how happy they make me. One was even fit for the Eternal Optimist with a quote of "The glass is always half full". 

We couldn't of said it better. Happy shopping!

Lots of Luv for Tulum

Ever had so much to say that you don't even know where to begin? That 's what I've been experiencing as of late...I've been here in Mexico for almost one month now and it has been a whirlwind since the get go. So instead of trying to sum up everything and anything that I've experienced thus far, I'll first give a rundown of my "vacation" in Tulum. (Some may argue that my entire time here is a vacation, I would respond with a "enjoy the cold weather, suckers!")

Upon arriving in Mexico on September 1st, the plan was to take a quick, much needed vacation. I spent two nights and three days there and although it wasn't my first time visiting, I have to admit I fell in love with this oasis all over again.

Tulum is one of my absolute favourite places in the Yucatan Peninsula for multiple reasons:

1. It's not too touristy. Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and even Riviera Maya have become way too overpopulated with gringos tourists and spring breakers for my taste. Being in Cancun/Playa del Carmen is pretty much the same as being in Miami, and no, I did not choose to visit good ol' US of A, I chose to visit Mexico. Everything in Cancun is in USD for pete's sake! We are in Mexico, try pesos. The beaches are overcrowded, everything is americanized and it's just not the type of vacation I'm looking for, personally.

2. And the tourists that are there are a different type of tourist.  You won't find the obnoxious americans, or rambunctious college kids in Tulum. What you will find are the hippies, the yogis, the Europeans, the calm, cool and collected tourists that are seeking an authentic and tranquil experience. In my opinion, it's great company to be in and I have met at least one insanely interesting person each time I've went.

3. The closest thing to virgin beaches you are going to get. Any beach that was any where near being a virgin beach has been commercialized and cut up (think Playa del Carmen). In Tulum you simply feel like you could possibly be among the first people there, I am so thankful that they have preserved it to this standard.

Although I could gush for days on how enamoured I am with Tulum, those are my without a doubt the top reasons for my infatuation.  The hotel we stayed at was called Luv Tulum, and I loved it.  It was one of many of the cabaña type hotels in the area. I loved the ecologocial style of the whole place, even though it was a little bit of adjustment to how I usually live. For example, there was barely any light to be found past 8pm, anywhere.  The website even warns "Please note that the hotel's use of low voltage electricity forbids the use of electric hair styling equipment." Goodbye curling iron, helloooo afro. It had approximately 10 rooms and a lovely little restaurant/hang out spot with panoramic views of the ocean. 

It wasn't the ideal climate while we were there, but honestly I didn't mind. September is the rainy/stormy season and boy, did Mother Nature ever rear her ugly head. One evening it was so rough I thought the top was literally going to fly off of our cabaña. That didn't happen but it did rain hard enough to go straight through it and create large puddles in our room, which was rather inconvenient. The best of the storm was the lightening. Experiencing this weather on the ocean brings it to a whole new level. One evening there was no rain, just constant lightening high in the sky over the ocean, that filled the entire surrounding area with an amazing rainbow coloured light show. Not only was it gorgeous, it definitely helped with that whole "no light after 8pm" thing. 

Despite the cloudy weather, Mother Nature did leave me with a nasty surprise The morning after leaving Tulum I woke up with one of the most painful, intense sunburns I have ever had. I'm talking lobster red, hurts to wear clothing burn. I couldn't go out in public for my first week in Mexico, let's just leave it at that. Always wear your sunscreen kids, especially if you are a ghastly white Canadian! 

A few snapshots of lovely Tulum 

                                   

A Different Kind of September

For me, September usually equals a new school year, (hopefully) new clothes, and the coming of the autumn season.

This September holds a different set of cards for me. I will not be returning to school, I will, gasp, finally be graduating. About time, eh? With the closing of one lengthy, diverse experience comes the beginning of a new one.  Although it may not be an academic adventure, I will be embarking on a different kind of quest this September.

Instead of breaking out my cozy sweaters and necessary knits in preparation for the transitional weather, this September 1st I will be heading to the land of eternal summer, a.k.a Merida, Yucatan, Mexico for an undetermined period of time.

Why, you ask? Simply put, because I can.

For the first time in my almost twenty five years on this planet I will be free educational constraints. For the first time I can do whatever  I want, versus what I assume that I need. And what I want, for the time being, is simply that. I want time.

I will be back in Canada for my convocation in November, for a few weeks. Don't ask me the dates because I don't know yet.  Maybe you think its careless, I prefer carefree. Not that I am free of cares, but I am free to do what I want when I want, and that my friends, is a glorious thing.

Ya, now that I'm graduating I could settle into a comfy, predictable government job. But instead of seeing oppression, I see opportunity. I quite literally have nothing holding me back. No student loans, no mortgage payments, heck, I don't even have a car. My largest and longest running responsibility and commitment has been my cell phone bill, and I hate to break it to you Telus, but after these 6 roller coaster years of our relationship I think it's about time we see other people.

So, as my life takes a turn for the uncertain, as does my blog. Of course the element of fashion will remain, you couldn't remove it if you tried. But my blog will now focus more-so on my experiences living, playing and working as a Canadian in the beautiful colonial city of Merida, Mexico.

Stay tuned for tales of tacos, tamales and tardiness. Nos vemos en Mexico!

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!)