Year in Review

 

One more day left in 2011!  I started TwentyySomething this past summer and in these few short months, I'm overwhelmed (and shocked) by the number of hits.  Thanks so much to everyone for their support and hopefully we'll welcome even more readers, so tell your friends!  To recount this past year, I've listed my top ten favourite trends of 2011 (and they're not in any particular order).  Enjoy and happy new year!

1.  Sequins & Glitter (a girly girl's dream)
2.  Silk Blouses
3.  Leopard Print
4.  Colour Blocking
5.  Nail Art
6.  Bright Hues
7.  Stacked Bracelets
8.  Menswear Watches
9.  Kate Middleton (she's not exactly a trend but she's trendy... so it counts lol)
10.  Coloured Denim

What were your 2011 favourites? 

*Disclaimer: The above images were not taken by me and by no means mine.

One More to Go

Hey guys,

I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas!  One more holiday to go and then we have the January slump (which I'm actually looking forward to because I'm all holiday-ed out).  Sooo... this was my holiday sweater, not much of an ugly sweater huh?  It's so cute and comfy that even though it was ridiculously hot in my house, I refused to take it off.  Oh the sacrifices we make in the name of fashion.

Oh and for the first time ever on my blog, I would like to introduce *drumroll* the boyfriend!!  Even though we've been dating for so long, this was the first Christmas we spent together so it was super special!  You guys will be seeing some more of him in the new year but for now, you can check him out at http://makingthatpaper.blogspot.com/

fair isle sweater} $10 Stitches
white tank} $5 H&M
grey tank} $3 Bluenotes
leggings} $2.50 Bluenotes
booties} $30 Zellers
necklace} free from American Eagle Outfitters (b/c of $10 off card)

Ho Ho Ho

Merry Christmas everyone! I've been listening to the Glee Christmas album since Halloween and now the time is finally here! I love holidays, for the past week I've been wearing my reindeer ears around the house but I think my family is planning an intervention to get me to take them off.

Btw, I was also the first person in my family to get all their christmas shopping done. And I have multiple gifts for my family (did I also mention that I love shopping). Christmas shopping is my favorite because it's guilt free. I can buy whatever I want because it's for someone else. So suddenly, I'm not overspending or indulging, I'm being generous and thoughtful... and if they happen not to like the present or if's not the right size, I'm happy to keep it for myself. Hehe.

Aside from all the glitter, hustle and bustle of Christmas, it is all about family. I'm so excited about spending time with my ever expanding family (we have a new addition this year, my new brother-in-law) and I'm super excited about sitting down and enjoying Christmas dinner. I hope all of you out there have a great holiday with the one's you love.

Getting Festive

Sorry for going AWOL lately, but I'm officially back and trying to be more consistent. I'm totally behind on my christmas shopping this year because it just hasn't been feeling like Christmas. This week, it was +12 degrees celsius! It is December isn't it? So to help me get into the christmas mood, I've been listening to christmas music and I painted my nails a festive-y (I know thats not a word) colour. The stripes are super easy if you've got a steady hand and I was so surprised by the number of compliments I got!

Cyber Monday

Sorry I've been AWOL lately, I've been working on my final paper for one of my classes. 5000 words is a lot of papers... who knew? Now I've only got the editing to do and then I'm done with that course (thank goodness). I've also been at work a lot, how do people have a social life when they work full time?

Admist all my madness, I have spent quite a bit of time shopping. Here in Canada I felt the black friday deals weren't that great and today with the cyber monday deals, I'm not too impressed. I find that it's harder to find deals when you know everyone else is shopping too. I love going to malls that very few people frequent because that's where everything is marked down and all of the good sizes are left. Shopping is a science. You have to consider the demographics of the area and that tells you if they're more likely to carry your size. If the demographic is completely opposite to you (eg. most of the people in the area is large and you're small, then that's a mall that you want to go to). So there you go, now you know my secret, tell all your friends.

top} $9 Winners
skinny jeans} $2.50 Stitches
heels} $3 Walmart
white purse} gift from my sister from a trip to paris

Do It All Again

This Friday was girls night. There's nothing better than gathering the girls up and chatting away. I think we spent almost 4 hours at Starbucks sipping our venti caramel brule lattes and peppermint mochas. We usually have activities planned and all but my favourite outings are ones where we can all sit down and talk/gossip.

So I guess the lesson this week is:

Have your own friends.

While it's great to share friends and have other couples to double date with (I love double dating), it's also important to have friends outside of the relationship. When Friday night rolls around and your significant other is busy, it's nice to have other people to hang out with. They're also handy when you get sick of your partner (but that never happens, right?)

This also goes along with last week's topic of doing your own thing and having your own hobbies. Many often lose their individualism when they're in a relationship. Having your own friends lets you just be you while not being constantly be attached to someone else.

So gather your friends and enjoy your night on the town.

Happy Friday!

Makeshift

Lately, my boyfriend and I are tightening our belts because he is on a budget (check out his blog here). So of course, we're trying to save money on dates. But one thing that I can't compromise on is my sweet tooth. Instead of getting dessert at the restaurant or going to an ice cream parlour, we just picked up some Ben & Jerry's and ate it in the park. It was kind of our impromptu mini picnic. Who knew being cheap can also be romantic?

Miss Independent

Do your own thing.

You've all probably heard this one before. It's important to have interests outside of your relationship, blah blah blah. But the reason why people say it so often is because it's true.

Having hobbies benefits the relationship but most importantly, it's beneficial to you. When you have your own thing to do, you aren't constantly fixated on your relationship. For me, having different interests makes me feel like more of an individual. Having been in a relationship for so long, you start to fuse into one person and people outside of the relationship see you as a package deal. By doing my own thing and having something else to focus on just makes me feel like I'm my own person again.

Being more independent makes you more attractive and having hobbies make you interesting. And honestly, the whole motivation behind this blog was because I wanted to start doing something in my spare time. Of course, there were also many other factors but this was one of them.

While some dependence is necessary in order for a relationship to work, having your own interests can be empowering. It shows that you're an individual who is actively choosing to be in the relationship.

Have a great weekend!

Pressed

In case you haven't read my previous post, I'm a romantic. So of course, I love dates because I love the whole idea behind it; getting to spend time together and being all fancy s'mancy. While McDonalds is my boyfriend's idea of a romantic date, I would prefer a smaller, quieter restaurant.

It's so much fun to pick a random place to try out and that's kind of what I did for this panini shop. I've been passing by it for 2 years on my way to school so it was nice to actually go in and try it out. The panini's were so delicious and I love the atmosphere, I can't wait to go back there again!

Go to http://www.mangiacake.ca/ and try it out yourself

Romance is in the Air

I'm a romantic, so of course, reading this story made me cry. The story's about a couple who had been together for 72 years who died one hour apart from each other. In today's world where people get divored 72 days after an extravagant wedding (ahem, Ms. Kardashian), it's nice to hear stories about lasting love.

I'm sure this couple, like all others, probably had their ups and downs but the point is that they were together for so long and if they hadn't been in a car accident, they would still be together. When you hear about the high divorce rates and you see all these celebrities separating in the media, it's discouraging. It makes you wonder if it's even possible for two people to be together forever.

The problem with a lot of couples is that they rush into things. They get married because they feel their biological clock ticking, they think they should be taking the next step, or that it's something fun to do. Whatever happened to taking the time to find that special someone, getting to know them inside out and falling in love? Or are we all falling in love too easily?

Whatever it is, it's great to hear stories about couples who are commited to each other and commited to being with one another. I hope you all like this story too!

My favourite thing about fall is taking my boots out of the closet and giving them some fresh air. It's so strange, every summer I miss wearing warm sweaters and boots but every winter I miss my skirts and flip flops. Why do we always want what we can't have?

But one thing I always love are weekends (and lucky for me, mine already started). I have a long weekend this week because I worked an extra shift last week. Yay, what should I do this weekend?

black tee} $3.00 Smart Set
skirt} $12 Club Monaco
boots} $10 from a small boutique
scarf} $2 Ardene

Trick or Treat

Hey Everyone,

Happy Halloween! I think halloween's one of my favourite holidays because it's all about having fun. You get to dress up and pretend to be someone or something else and there's candy everywhere. I hope you all had an awesome night and try to pace yourselves with the sweets!

ps.. sorry about the picture quality (my ipod was the only thing handy at the moment). Btw, they're candy corn inspired sugar cookies with royal icing, yummm.

Green Eyed Monster

Don't be jealous.

While it's hard to not be jealous at all, it is possible to control that jealousy. Sometimes a bit of jealousy can be a good thing (depending on the way it's interpreted). Jealousy can be a sign that your significant other cares about you, for example, he gets jealous when you go out for lunch with a close guy friend. But, a lot of the time, jealousy will get you into hot water. When you get too jealous your partner will start questioning your trust in him/her. And the last thing you want is for your partner to question your trust.

Although it's hard, you have to learn to control that green-eyed monster so that it doesn't start ruining your relationship. Try to focus on the positive and trust your partner's actions and decisions.

Another issue is being jealous of your partner. Luckily for me, I rarely get that feeling (which is great because I'm naturally a competitive person). While a bit of competition can be healthy, being jealous of your partner really hinders your relationship because you're never truly happy for his/her achievements. You'll always want to be better or have more than your partner and that will result in a toxic relationship. So like I said before, stay focused on the positives, try to be happy for each other's achievements. As a couple, share victories and loses.

Have a great Friday!

Cappuccino

I got this polish over the summer but I haven't tried it until recently because I felt it was more of an autumn shade. When I bought it I was expecting more of a beige shade so this is actually darker than I expected. I thought it was too chocolatey but I was too lazy to take the polish off. Turns out that people really liked the colour, I got complemented on it twice in the same day! I was shocked, and now I'm actually liking the colour more and more.

I also really like Sally Hansen polishes because they stay on longer. I'm working in a hospital so I wash my hands numerous times a day. The polish lasted a whole week without chipping (which is pretty amazing). Whats your favourite brand of polish?

Sally Hansen New Lengths Ceramics in Cappuccino

Needed: Self-Control

So obviously, these pics weren't from today because today was wet, gloomy and cold. The complete opposite of this outfit (which is why I'm posting it to help cheer me up). I went shopping again yesterday and bought even more stuff. This shopping thing isn't really good for be considering I don't have a job or any income and all. But I couldn't turn down a sale... you guys don't blame me right? I'll post my purchases later on in the week (because I'm so proud of the deals I found!)

orange tee} $4.00 Gap
skinny jeans} $15 Garage
heels} $3.00 Walmart
shell necklace} $3.33 Ardene
belt} $4.00 Garage

Plastic

So I was reading a blog yesterday with this picture. Its basically saying that a model needs this much plastic surgery to look like Barbie and even though it is surgically possible, we shouldn't be doing it. When I started reading this story, I like the idea behind it, it makes the notion of trying to look like barbie seem ridiculous. Everyone, even models have their imperfections and instead of trying to change them, we should be embracing them.

The part that made me really sad was that a 15 year old girl saw this photo and thought "if a girl as pretty as that has to change so much to be perfect, it made me wonder how much more I’d have to change." It's so terrible to have young girls thinking like that, it leaves me speechless.

I keep thinking about this story and it makes me want to take action. I want to encourage girls to feel good about themselves and stop comparing themselves to other girls. Everyone has their flaws and insecurities. Instead of trying to mould ourselves into this cookie-cutter view of what's beautiful, we should accepting of ourselves and of each other.

Keep your chin up girls!

Get Serious

There comes a point in every relationship where you need to ask the serious questions. Questions like, do you see a future for us, would you want to move in, get married, have kids. The toughest part is knowing when to ask those questions and how to go about it without freaking him/her out.

If you've only been dating for a month or a few months, it may be too early. But every relationship is different and if you feel yourself constantly wondering about these questions, then it might be a good idea to find out the answers. First thing I would do is casually bring up the topic. For example, if a friend is getting married, you can bring up the topic of marriage and see how he reacts.

If being discrete doesn't work, then just ask the question. Be straight up and ask for an honest answer. The worst is for one person to want something more out of the relationship than the other person is willing to offer. If you're looking for a commitment and he doesn't ever want to get married, then you should find out so you can decide whether or not you want to leave. There's no point in being in a relationship that isn't heading in the direction that you want it to go. And if he says he never wants to get married, chances are, he's not going to change his mind, so don't keep wasting your time.

When a couple has a serious conversation about their future, it takes the relationship to a whole other level. It solidifies your bond and it tells you both that you're both wanting the same things and you both want to head in the same direction.

For me, it makes me feel more secure because I'm not worried about whether or not I'm wasting my time. Even if things don't work out, it would be for a different reason. I would at least be able to walk out of the relationship knowing that I wasn't afraid to ask important questions. So grab your significant other, sit down and have a chat.

Have a great Friday guys!

Giving Thanks

First off, sorry about the quality of these photos, I know they're bad. I forgot my camera (as usual) so we had to settle with my boyfriend's iPhone. He usally doesn't take my pics for me so I must say, not bad for a first-timer.

Secondly, happy thanksgiving to all my Canadian readers! I hope you're all stuffed full of turkey and enjoying your food comas. My favourite part of dinner is always dessert and I think I ate a whole pumpkin pie by myself! I can't help it, it's so delicious!

So this year like most years, I'm thankful for the health of my loving family and friends, my wonderfully supportive boyfriend, and the new addition to this list, I'm thankful for all of you who follow/read/comment on my blog. What are you guys thankful for this year?

brown tote} $10 Urban Behaviour
boots} borrowed from my sister
blazer} gift from my boyfriend
shirt & belt} $20 Winners
leggings} $2 Costa Blanca

Update

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Hey guys,

Remember to follow me on Bloglovin!

Have an awesome weekend!

Talk it Out

Communicate.

A common theme I’ve found in failed relationships was the lack of communication. In the past, I kept all my pet peeves a secret. Any time he did something that bothered me or upset me, I would bottle it inside. Over time, the anger and frustration grew and I would begin to get irritated at the slightest things. Not talking about what bothered me made me miserable and I just wasn’t happy. Then my boyfriend and I made a pact to be completely honest with each other and we decided to communicate more.

But being honest with each other isn’t the only key to successful communication. You need to know when to say something and you need to know the right thing to say, or the right way to say it. Sometimes it’s just inappropriate to say certain things at certain times. For example, if she’s telling you how fat and self-conscious she’s feeling, don’t say “oh and those jeans don’t help you either.” In those cases, your honesty isn’t appreciated and will only get you in hot water. But, if it’s true that those jeans really don’t do her justice, there’s a better way to go about telling her that. You could pick another item she has in her closet that you like and tell her she looks hot in it. That way, you help boost her confidence and you get her out of those ill-fitting jeans.

In relationships, I think a lot of problems could be solved through communication. If he says something that I don’t agree with, we talk it out, we both present our points and we try to reason with each other. Talking about your issues help both of you see where the other person is coming from. Sometimes there are issues that no matter how much you talk it through, it can’t be solved but if there’s a chance that things could work out, then why not try?

Increasing our communication has done wonders for my relationship. I feel like we have a greater understanding of each other. Talking though our disagreements shows me his thought process and helps me to appreciate where he’s coming from. I really believe that the key to the success of my relationship has been our ongoing communication and honesty.

Sorry Can't Talk

Hey guys,

Sorry about the lack of posts. I'll put one up tomorrow, I promise. For now, I gotta get back to TV. I've been waiting all week for this season opener. I don't know what's going on with me, I'm watching hockey and my boyfriend isn't here? huh? Lol. But I got a good feeling about this team, we're gonna make it to the playoffs this year, I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Rain Drops

It's rainy and gloomy outside and just to make matters worse... it's freezing! I miss the warm summer days already and we're only a week or two into fall. So to remind me of summer, I was looking through some of the wedding pics again, of course, I don't have the photographer's pictures yet. If you know anything about my sister and my brother-in-law, it's that they're super slow at getting things done. So I wait.

For the wedding, my sister and I made all of the flower arrangements and bouquets a night or two before the wedding. As you see, the roses are really big because the moment we started making the bouquets the roses really started blossoming. We did all our work in the basement and kept the flowers in the cold room to try to preserve them but it was really humid that weekend. Either way, I think it turned out fine and the flowers actually look nicer when they're in full bloom.

If you have the time and you don't care for something too elaborate, I would definitely recommend doing your own flowers, it saves you a fortune.

Buttered

So last week I was craving Indian food and being the amateur chef that I am, I went to the grocery store to buy butter chicken sauce mix. I followed the instructions step by step and the sauce was surprisingly good! Even my boyfriend liked and he usually hates my cooking.

I also went shopping over the weekend and got some great finds at GAP and Old Navy. I'm not sure of the sale is still on (although I think it might be so hurry in!). GAP has an additional 50% off of all sale merchandise and Old Navy has 40% off all sale merchandise. I didn't really find much at Old Navy but I got super soft, comfy tees at Gap for around $4 and I got a silk skirt for $5! The skirt's a bit big on me (I never understood, why are GAP's sizes larger than other stores). The skirt was a size zero and it was still pretty loose on me but I just had to have it cause well, it's a silk skirt for $5, how could I say no?

After much deliberation, I have decided that I really want a pink blazer. I was sooo close to picking one up at H&M but they didn't have my size! I guess I'm not the only girl out there who's on the quest to looking chic.

Runners

So I know I've been AWOL and I know I was supposed to post a relationship 101 yesterday but I can explain... actually not really. I should have been posting. No excuses. Butttt.. I was out with friends and then I was working and experimenting with living on my own and before I knew it the week was over. But no excuses right?

I'm still waiting for my sister to get back from her honeymoon so I can get pics of the wedding from the photographer. These pics are just snapshots from my dad's camera but I really want to see the professional pics!

Making the aisle runner was actually really simple. As this was my second sister to get married, this is the second aisle runner that I've made and I think the first one I ever made actually turned out better but it's too late for that now.

I purchased the white aisle runner from Michael's, it was $40 but I had a 50% off coupon so I got it for $20! Then I used regular acrylic paint to do the design and names. Easy peasy.

Reality Check

Be Realistic.

I'm a hopeless romantic, or well, I was. Romantic gestures are much appreciated but I'm no longer expecting prince charming on his white horse to come scoop me up and save the day. When my boyfriend and I first started dating in high school, I was expecting flowers and gifts all the time. I thought, "if he loves me, then he'll want to get me gifts." This kind of thinking is what prevents your relationships from working. This expectation just isn't realistic.

I know people who will rule out a guy if he's not willing to follow her commands but having an attitude like that will only leave you lonely and bitter. Before dumping him, think to yourself whether or not your demand is feasible and determine if you're willing to compromise. For example, I have a friend who asked her boyfriend to write her essay for her and he said no. But realistically, you can't get mad at someone for not doing something that you don't even want to do.

It's also unrealistic to have a long list of characteristics or qualities you're looking for in a partner. You need to evaluate what's really important to you and base your search on those core values. The more open minded you are, the easier it is for you to find your match. If family is a huge factor in your life, then find someone who shares those values with you. Don't rule out a person because he/she is too tall, too short, doesn't have enough money, or doesn't wear designer labels. All of these qualities are superficial and they can keep you from finding someone who you'll really love and care about.

Basically, if you find someone who you love and loves you back, someone who cares for you and treats you well, then try to make your relationship work. Don't let an unrealistic fantasy stop you from pursuing a relationship.

EBEW: Green Jeans

So, work has been insane and it's consuming my life. The problem for commuters is that it takes so much time out of your day. My life is basically busing, working and sleeping. (I know, so exciting..). But here's something crazy, my sister convinced me to go to the park in sky high heels for "editorial" pictures... I'm not really sure what that means but I love the pics!

tank} $3 Bluenotes
jeans} $2.50 Bluenotes
heels} $3 Walmart
clutch} $14 Nine West

Heels & Lace

Alrighty guys, I'm officially back! This past week has been so crazy, after the wedding we went for so many dinners to thank out of town guests and on Tuesday, I went back to school! I'm currently completing a co-op term and call me lazy, but working 8 hours a day is definitely something I'm not used to. What makes it harder is that I'm on my feet for the full 8 hours so it's gonna take some time to get used to. The good news is, since my schedule is becoming more regular, I can post more often!

By the way, I know I promised pictures from the wedding, but we're waiting for them from the photographer so I'll post as soon as we get them!

top} $10 gift from my mom
skirt} $2 Urban Behaviour
black pumps} $30 Nine West

The Making

Hey guys,

Just wanted to share a video I found online:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZCwVje-mNs&feature=player_embedded

It's the making of a Marc Jacobs bag, the amount of detail and craftmanship that goes into it is amazing, check it out!

Busy Bee

Hey guys,

I'm so sorry for not posting as often as I'd like to. The wedding is this Saturday so we've got a lot of last minute details to take care of. The DIY projects are looking great, everything is slowly coming together and I can't wait to see what the final product looks like.

Since I've been so busy, I haven't had time to really bake anything. I purchased all the ingredients for macarons but it doesn't seem like I'll have any time to make it. But I found this super easy recipe for an egg custard pie. It was so quick and the pie came out light and fluffy. I would however, suggest cooking the pie crust a bit before pouring in the mixture to bake.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/egg-custard-pie-iv/detail.aspx

Enjoy!

Drama Queen

Don’t be overdramatic.

We all like to think of ourselves as level-headed, calm and collected but sometimes we can be a bit overdramatic (by a bit, I mean a lot). So, one of important keys to a lasting relationship is to not be overdramatic. I will admit, sometimes, it gets you what you want. For example, telling your boyfriend how much you love that purse/shoes/dress/whatever and how you’ll just die without it, may push him to get it for you for a special occasion. But, most of the time, it just annoys him.

From what I’ve learned, if you make a big deal about everything, then nothing is a big deal. It’s like the boy who cried wolf. Being overdramatic makes small situations seem like big problems and if it happens enough, you could send him running. Most guys are looking for girls who are drama free (sorry ladies, they just don’t thrive on gossip and conflicts like we do). So, if you’re being too overdramatic, he’s gonna freak out. Even if he decides to stay, he’s not gonna be happy with your behavior. When there’s really a problem that bothers you, he’s not going to take it seriously because he’ll think you’re just overdramatic again. To prevent this from happening, try to stay level-headed, calm and collected. Don’t freak out about everything and don’t be a drama queen.

Maid of Honour Duties

The wedding is less than a week and a half away!!!! Yikes!! I've been so busy trying to put all the details together, we're going to do all of the flower arrangements and bouquets by ourselves so there's still plenty more work to do as the date draws closer. I'm so excited about the DIY wedding ideas, I can't wait to tell you guys all about it and show you the pictures!

I just wrote my maid of honour speech today and I hope its good. I'm struggling with the flow of the speech but hopefully I'll be able to work out the kinks when I edit. Thankfully public speaking isn't a huge fear of mine, so at least I don't have to worry about that. What I'm more worried about is whether or not the audience will think I'm funny. I want them to laugh and cry after hearing my speech. Are my hopes too high?

dress} gift from my mom... she got it for $10!
purse} found in a box of my mom's old stuff
shoes} $7 Wal-mart
bracelet} Betsey Johnson borrowed from my sister

Orange You Happy

While summer's winding down, I'm currently in denial phase so I painted my nails a happy shade of orange to keep the summer vibe going. We went to see an outdoor concert last night and it was cold! Luckily I brought a jacket but at times like this, I wish I lived further down south so I could bask in the sunshine all year round. But, for now, I'll stick to the nail polish.

I actually really like this brand for nail polish, usually polish on my fingernails don't last for more than a week but this one last for a week and a half before I got bored with the colour and decided to change it up. I definitely recommend it if you're looking for a durable polish at a low cost!

I'm wearing Wet N' Wild, Wild Shine polish in Sunny Side Up } $1 Wal-mart