What I wore on RelieF - IX

This week my outfit for my segment on RelieF was planned around one thing, and one thing only: a Blackjam cuff.  Sometimes bling should be the focus of an outfit, especially when it's this gorgeous.  Meet the woman behind such brilliance: Jennifer Morris one of the Fresh Collective's designers.

Blackjam Cuff - OOAK @ Roncy Location $300

This piece is so much more than a cuff, it's a collage of reclaimed vintage materials, filled with intricate details, exquisite beading inspired by ancient techniques and of course, love. No kidding. Only loving hands can create such beauty. 

I thought that to make it stand out, a black jumper by Nude Clothes, beautiful dangling amber earrings by Nicole Boudreau, and a simple camel belt would be best. I also happened to have this big thrifted ring kicking around, so I threw it in.

Earrings by Nicole Boudreau
Sterling silver and amber $30

Dress by Nude Clothes $169

We all tend to wear black outfits more than we should but sometimes it's just fitting, and a black jumper can be a staple in any wardrobe.  Think of the possibilities!  Here are just a few basics.

For my segment on RelieF, I ended up pairing the dress with a simple black shirt because it looked dressier...  

You can see my segment here

http://relief.tv/videos/1100012447 go to min. 39'40"

but really Fresh Collective is presently packed with wonderful and locally designed spring options.  It's crazy how a different top, some groovy bling and a cardi can totally change a little black dress!  See for yourself...

Blouse by Kabuki $89

Necklace by Sugar Rush $62



Earrings by Sugar Rush $32 for a set of 3

Cardigan by Fresh Baked Goods

So what could you reinvent today?  Any little black dress in need of some groovy bling or other fun accessories?  Have fun :)!

A big thanks to Sam & Rachel for sharing their styling talents with me and snapping some shots!

Travelling with kids? Cool souvenirs and collections ideas!



March break is fast approaching and if you're venturing somewhere with your family it's a good time to start or continue family traditions to create lasting memories.  Why bother?  Simply because it's fun, it can be free, and as our family has discovered: it becomes important over time.  Small objects and collections can be fantastic keepsakes and will bring back warm memories for years to come.  Each family member can have his/her own collection or it can be done together.

Here's a visual board of some souvenir ideas to collect over time and some great ways to keep them and display them (which is also important!).  What I love most about this idea is that we don't really need to travel far to record fun experiences.  It's a matter of finding what works for each person or family.  Feel free to add to the board or leave a comment here or on my FB page. 

When we travel, I love the idea of getting local traditional toys, rocks, postcards, and tiny sand bottles but there's so much more that can be done to remember a special experience and/or place!  Click on the link to see my Pinterest idea board.

Click here to view

Our family has a couple of travelling traditions, we collect one small rock (or seashell or whatever else is interesting!) during each holiday.  We then add it to our bird's nest.  This bird was a wedding gift to mon homme and I years ago, and the idea of making it a family travels'  keepsake came nicely written on a card with warm wishes of fun future adventures.  How special is that?  It has become one of our must cherished possessions, and always will be.  

Lovely steel bird by Jean-Pierre Schoss
from Dog Bite Steel. 

Another tradition for us is writing personal journals - they're kind of mandatory in our family.  A new journal for every trip.  They have also been kept and cherished.  Sometimes individual entrees are shared (road trips are perfect for that!) and I can honestly say that some of our kid's observations have become priceless memories and fantastic insights into their worlds.  I also love making photo-albums.  My rule of thumb is no more than 25 shots per holiday, ideally 15 in a big format.  The editing process can be long (from 1000 to 15?  Yap! :S) but really, there's no need to immortalize in a book tons of images (you can keep those in your computer).  In my experience shorter albums get revisited more often. 

Now... how about your family?  Any special traditions you'd like to share?  Please feel free to do so! Happy Break everyone!

The Blushing Maple - Spring Collection Sneak Peek!!

Here's a sneak peek into the first bit of The Blushing Maple's amazing Spring collection just delivered to the Fresh Collective (Roncesvalles location).  Look at the details and colour combinations on the t-shirt, a brilliant combination of reclaimed and new materials!  They come in S, M, L and are all unique.  I hear there's also a limited edition of unique white t-shirts about to come in, and I can't wait to see those!

Then check out one of the new skirts... I just love it! They come in a perfect taupy-brown and a grey-blue (also available in S, M, L), a must have for the spring and summer to come - but I bet we could make these wonderful skirts work right thru the fall too! Look at the beautiful leather (reclaimed) belt at the front of the skirt!  It looks amazing!

Here's a winning spring shopping equation...
Easy to wear + easy to pair up with everything + super comfortable = my kind of outfit and money well spent. If it happens to be made locally, then you've got it made. 

For extra sweet inspiration, download the new Fresh Collective 'Look Book', by clicking here. Well done The Blushing Maple! Can't wait to see what will be coming into the stores next!  I'm starting to create a Spring/Summer pin board on Pinterest, you can have a peek here.   What are you thinking of adding to your wardrobe this spring?  Bon vendredi, tout le monde!

Visual Guide to Convalescence Gifts - Cadeaux de convalescence

I'm developing another lovesession, and it's called Pinterest! If you're not familiar with it, it's a website that lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web and easily create pin boards. It's a fantastic way to identify, group, and pin images and ideas. I'm all over it!  It's a dream come true for visual people like me. You can see what I've been up to by clicking on the red Pinterest button right at the top of my Home page. If you like what you see on the boards, you can also follow progress.

Here's a visual guide to convalescence gifts.  You can enlarge the board by clicking on the link.  These gifts are for adults, but I'll work on one for kids. The sky is really the limit when it comes to gifting! 

 Click here http://pinterest.com/vsp/convalescence-gifts/

Hopefully these images will inspire you if you are wondering what to get a friend or relative stuck in the hospital or sick at home. If you'd like to read more about this subject you can go here.  Otherwise, happy pinning!

What I wore on RelieF - Fresh Collective VIII



http://relief.tv/videos/1100012435 go to 46'15"

This week on RelieF I wore the Cleo Dress in red by Spruce. Isn't it darling?  The double-tone design around the neck and waist are beautiful.  I just love it.  The Cleo is comfortable and, as everything else I wear, totally versatile.  When I look at this dress I think 'Fresh', I think 'Elegant and Easy to wear'.  Perfect for work, perfect for play.  Thanks, for making real clothes for real women, Tricia!  It's got my name written all over it!  It's available at Fresh Collective in red and blue!  $165

I wore the dress with black boots, black tights, and a polka dot cardigan 'cause yes, we might be having the best winter in the history of Toronto but my Latino bones get chilled quickly!  Bottom line is this dress easily works with anything!  Jackets (jean or otherwise), cardigans (sky's the limit here), and I'm thinking a silk scarf (vintage or not) around the neck would look pretty clever too. Boots, flats, sandals... It'd be hard to mess up your look, I'm telling you.   And here's what to do with the cardigan when you want to show off the dress...;)

 Nada mal, as I like to say!

Now on to the bling we go...

These yummy Ooak earrings are by Curious Oddities and sell for $20 also at Fresh Collective. I've worn Curious Oddities earrings before on the show (scroll down), such great work! 

The beautiful ring and the two identical bracelets are by Sugar Rush. I love the vintagy feel they have! The ring is called Vintage Parts $25 and the bracelets are $35/each -40%, you do the math! Only two left @ Roncy, so hurry!

I know our local designers have been working hard so there's tons of new creations coming into each Fresh Collective store every day!  Now is the time to start planning your Spring wardrobe, so let's get going!  Warm and sunny weather is just around the corner, and that just gets me excited!  What about you?  Do you have spring in mind?

Sugar Rush Earrings
Chandelier parts, made in brass and copper $26
Some are still available @ Roncy

Curious Oddities
Citrine stone drop earrings 

Scouting for lovely Valentine's Day gifts at Scout

Heading to Scout is nothing if not the ultimate self-control ordeal for moi. 

All green, all canadian made, all lovely, all hand-picked. 

Even the cards are perfectly selected.

This one was too delicious to pass...

Pretty much says it all on Valentine's Day, doesn't it?

Now if you happen to be one of the guys (or gals) out there on a

very last minute mission to avert the typical Valentine's Day Disaster

or

 if you happen to be the better half of the above mentioned 70%,

here are my favourite picks and hopefully some inspiration

from the ever so lovely Leah's and her shop Scout on Roncy.

Feel free to spread the love and share!!

So here we go: Lovely picks for Valentine's

(but keep in mind anniversaries, hot dates, b.days, you name it!)

Forget diamonds, I'll settle for a bag!  Love this one!!

You know about my lovesession with lists...

saw these gorgeous books and my knees went weak!

The 'love listography' is perfect, the illustrations inside are funny too.

I once heard that Vanilla is one of the only scents men smell and recognise.

I can tell you this is true for mon homme, dirty diapers certainly never got his attention.

But I bet this lovely natural soy candle will! 

There are these lovely cushions and bags with this exact same print,

 and other Canadian references which I totally heart, bien-sûr!

And last but not least....

There are these lovely pocket watch necklaces.  They even open!

But...

They're not for me!

I only need one, well maybe not.  And I'm afraid I already got it (oops).

As I said, being in Scout is an exhausting self-control ordeal.

Sometimes, I win... this time I lost.

Oh, well! 

Happy Valentine's to you all!

Tomorrow on RelieF-TFO... it's all about your laundry dirty secrets, and some tricks on how to save time and money while doing it!!!

Cupid's Workshop A.K.A Sweetpea's

You've heard of Santa's workshop, right? Sure.

What about Cupid's workshop? ... 

Well, as it turns out it does exist and it's right on Roncesvalles Avenue. 

 Don't believe me?

I've got proof, it's hidden within Sweetpea's walls...

and boy was it ever busy today!

Clearly, Valentine's Day is alive and well!  And that's a good thing.

We're free to make of these Hallmark holidays whatever we want. 

I personally wouldn't pass on anything Valentine's entails, except maybe dinning out. 

A designated day to remind us to slow down and plan some time à deux?  Yes, please.

If you're interested in avoiding clichés and could use some ideas, click on the following link http://bit.ly/wjcC9K to hear my CBC segment on Le Boréal Express, it's all about Cupidon.

Understanding French might come in handy though.

Back to the workshop....

 Gorgeous bouquets lined-up and ready to go (and this is a very small sample!).

Here's Wade working on individual orders, and Sara probably bringing in some more. 

  Back in the store, the place was buzzing... new orders coming in, love notes being written and I even got to hear some of the wisest love advice ever, courtesy of the staff. 

Three words for you, Sweetpea's ladies: Write a book!

So having said all this, if you haven't thought of a thing for your Valentine, technically speaking you still have time to avert the ever so typical PVD (Pathetic Valentine's Disaster). 

So my last words to you are: RUN. 

Avoid disappointing and enjoy getting lucky.

Unless of course you'd like to be getting this card...

I'll stick to the bouquets, the sweet words, the chocolates, and mon homme. 

Thank you very much.