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Entries in Real Life Runway (68)

Wednesday
Dec212016

MERRY & BRIGHT | 50 Fun Gifts For Everyone Left On Your List

Originally posted in The Fashion Scoop

I can't blame you for feeling overwhelmed by it all. I mean, December is always straight up manic - between making plans and hosting parties, grabbing gifts and doing good deeds, this time of year is all about stressing and hurrying and getting it done. But then, when all of that rushing is done, it's all about stopping. It's about pausing and relaxing and fa-la-laaing with your favourites. It's about crisp white days and silent nights. It's about spending time with the people we love. We forget about work and worries for awhile as we watch Clark Griswold light up the night (Joy to the Woooorld) and Kevin experiment with after-shave. We remember what it's like to feel like a kid again as we eagerly wait for Santa to arrive.

As we all learned from Dr. Seuss, we know that in Whoville at least, Christmas came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. We know Christmas doesn't come from a store. We all know it means just a little bit more. But still, you have to admit it - giving great gifts is FUN. Since you're probably a little bit busy right now, I put together a list of 50 fun gifts for everyone on your nice list so you can quickly grab your gifts and get to all the good stuff just a little bit sooner. Happy holidays - hope you're enjoying every manic minute! 

SEE THE GIFT GUIDE HERE...

 

Monday
Dec192016

GIVE JOY | Our Lovely Last-Minute Guide

via theofficialpandora on Instagram

Originally posted in The CLOSET

Whether you've finished all of your shopping or haven't even started yet, I'm not here to judge. After all, life is busy and December? Well, judging by my headache and ever-growing list of things to do/places to go/people to see, it's even busier. Since my job involves shopping and research, I love putting together gift guides each year. It's a win-win: I get to figure out what I'm buying everyone, I think of ideas to give people who ask what I want, and I get to share all of it with you in case you're super busy, too. 

These gifts are luxurious but come in all shapes and sizes for a wide range of holiday budgets.  My favourite thing to do when I can't afford to go it alone? Round up my family members or friends and go in on a bigger gift - strength in numbers, as they say. I found tech gifts and sweet gifts, fun gifts and fashionable, expected gifts and some not so much. Take a look and hopefully it will inspire you as you head out into the snow to pick up things for the ones you love. Good luck out there and remember, the best gift of all is you. And my daughter would argue a hoverboard...

SEE THE GUIDE HERE...

 

Monday
Oct312016

Chart Toppers | 35 Cozy Coats to Try On Now

via H&M

Originally posted in The CLOSET

If there's one thing I really love about fall, it's the fashion. And if I had to pick one part of fall fashion I love the most, it has to be outerwear. There is no greater fashion equalizer than a perfect cozy coat. I have literally worn my pyjamas to drop my kids off at school and I'm sure nobody had a clue. The trick? A banging black maxi coat, worn with oversized sunglasses and cool white Nike kicks. A good coat allows you to wear whatever you want underneath, ironed or not, and always look well dressed. Which kind of makes it the superhero of your fall wardrobe, don't you think?

This fall, there are so many toppers to get excited about. While the weather waffles, I'm stoked about the cute bombers and denim jackets in store. I'm especially loving the merlot and army green silky bombers for wearing solo over jeans, and the classic and extra-long denim jackets for wearing alone or layered under blazers and wool coats. Once the mercury dips (as it's bound to do one of these days), it's all about the statement oversized coat. A soft wool or wool blend coat in black, camel or navy is always classic, but then again, a cozy leopard print coat is tempting, too. From parkas to puffers to pretty shawl collars, you'll always be well dressed with the help of a great fall coat.

Ready to do a little pre-shop before you commit? Check out these 35 cute fall coats and get ready to cozy up...

READ MORE ....

 

Wednesday
Oct192016

Running in Heels | My ECCO Shape Obsession

The problems started when I bought my first pair of ECCO SHAPE boots last year. They were merlot ankle boots, with a high stacked heel and a pretty profile, but they felt like running shoes. So, more like platform running shoes, minus the Spice Girl vibes. Throughout these past 11 months, I've often reached for my other boots, attempted to feel the feels for my other heels, but at the last minute, I always grab my ECCO SHAPE boots. Here's the problem: I could wear flats for grocery store runs, for daily school pick-ups or for double daily dog walks. But I prefer heels. I just do. And now all of my other heels feel uncomfortable. They just do. 

So what makes them so comfortable you ask? As they say at ECCO, 'No modern woman wants to be held back by her footwear.' #truth. And so ECCO designed the SHAPE collection, offering cutting-edge, minimalist looks all stacked up on a magic heel. Each design has a foot bed which lowers the heel of the foot within the shank, allowing the 75 mm heel to 'grow' an extra 15 mm, ensuring ultimate comfort while still giving the illusion of a higher heel. The soft, supple leather moves naturally with every step (no breaking in required) and inside, the 'anatomical shank' offers complete support and cushioning. The collection features both solid and printed/textured heels and boots with a distinctively Scandinavian feel - simple, minimalist, but with a subtle edge. 

At the launch dinner for the ECCO SHAPE Fall '16 collection, models literally danced through the ROM in their ECCO heels. A ballet dancer performed pirouettes in her Mary-Janes while modern dancers did hours of ear-grazing dévelopées in their ECCO Shape ankle boots. Meanwhile, I sat and contemplated which shoes to add to my collection - hardcore waffling between a pair of navy snake print ankle boots and some amazing textured black midis. ECCO offered to buy the boots for me this time so I decided to stray from my usual black and go with the navy snake print, even though the heel was a bit lower than my merlot loves from last year. 

My ECCO SHAPE 35s arrived this week and I've fallen in love all over again. I've had 3 people stop me in 4 days at my neighbourhood coffee shop to compliment my boots. On the 4th day, I was the only customer in the shop, btw. My kids told me they like my fun boots. Even my husband, who has a vision impairment that doesn't allow him to notice new shoes or haircuts, noticed them and liked them without me having to ask. I'll wear them with jeans and leggings and dresses and skirts but because they're not a pair I'll likely wear errday, I'll alternate between those and my merlot boots from last year oh, and the black textured midis which I just bought - um, hold on a minute, credit card info, blah blah, address, confirm purchase - now. Worth every nickel (is this what we Canadians say now?)

Check out the new ECCO SHAPE collection in ECCO stores now or online here

  

Tuesday
Oct042016

STREET SMART | Vaughan Mills Welcomes WLKN to the 6

If you've never heard of Montreal brand WLKN, now's your time to get acquainted. The streetwear store has gained a massive following in Québec and has finally made its way to Ontario with its first GTA store at Vaughan Mills. See what I scored on opening day and get in-the-know about WLKN on the Vaughan Mills blog here...

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