Thursday, February 21, 2013 at 4:10PM 
Envelope Clutches from Smart Set, $20 each
The Oscars are only a few short days away but I have another kind of envelope on my mind. These pop bright envelope clutches from Smart Set are a spring must-have at only $20 each, and will add a little whimsy to your spring wardrobe. And the winner of the cutest clutch goes to...
Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 8:48AM 
Big yellow taxis in the heart of NYC
It isn't often that you get offered a flight to New York for the day, and in my case, 'not often' means never. And so, when Smart Set asked me and Johanna (aka rlr mini) to fly to NY to check out their Summer '13 campaign shoot, we immediately replied, 'Mais, oui!'. Here's a little recap of our super fun New York minute on set with Smart Set:
5:20 am - Alarm bell rings. Johanna and I get everything 'did', then rush out the door into the -20 chill.
6:01 am - Parked at YYZ, through the gate, and we wait.
8:29 am - Flight supposed to leave but something is amiss. Our suspicions are confirmed when the pilot announces that the plane's 'computer' is 'broken'. I'm not an engineer but methinks this sounds unsafe.
10:04 am - Pilot finally announces that unfortunately we will have to find a new flight. Seriously?! Does he know that we were supposed to be in NY at 11? Luckily a fellow Toronto blogger, also en route to NYC, has this travel thing all figured out. She calls us, already on board another plane mind you, and chirpily instructs us to bust it to the new gate for the 10:15 flight. We sneak our way past a crowd of fellow frustrees and manage to flirt our way onto the plane. Phew. #sistapower
11:59 am - In New York!! Eek. A black Lincoln picks us up and whisks us off to the heart of Chelsea. We head into ROOT Drive-In Studios where the shoot is already in full swing. Models, photographers and about 30 other 'crew' scurry about the busy set. Catered lunch is laid out while boys in distressed jeans and girls in black leggings dig into the Perrier and crudités.
12:00am - 1:14 pm - We are ushered behind a black curtain where we get a sneak peek at the brand new collection, guided by Smart Set's gorgeous Eugenia. She explains the brand's key trends, from preppy bright resort tunics (v. Tory Burch), to tailored blazers paired with matching cropped pants, to easy, breezy dresses. Johanna falls in love with a pair of printed pants. I am smitten with the lightweight knits. The re-branding efforts are obvious; everything looks decidedly fresh, modern and quite honestly, far more fashion-forward than I would have expected from Smart Set.
1:30 2:15 - We walk to local trattoria, La Bottega, for lunch (it's attached to the super cool Maritime Hotel.) Wood-fired pizzas, pastas and salads are served up by a woman who looks like Halle Berry. We chat with the Smart Set team and the other bloggers who've been invited to the shoot - Élodie Laetitia Parthenay of Hello Elo, a Parisienne transplant who now lives in Montreal, and Casie Stewart, Toronto's digital darling and social media consultant. Pretty pumped to be in their company.
2:22 - Back at the shoot, we snap loads of pics of the models in full-on campaign mode. The girls dance to mad tunes in bright dresses and playful shorts and look perfectly ready for summer. We discover how models actually achieve that windblown look - it involves fans AND treadmills. And you thought being a model was easy...
3:00 - Jo and I are ready for our close-up, intimated but strangely turned on by the boom mike and video crew. Eugenia asks us questions about our favourite pieces from the collection (love the neon rubber bracelets, tunics, summer dresses, printed pants), our favourite spring trends (graphic stripes), and how we plan on incorporating the Smart Set pieces into our wardrobes this summer; I can think of a million ways, and it's not just because I'm feeling swayed by the wining/dining ;)
4:00 pm - Black Lincoln has returned to whisk us back to the airport. Traffic is surprisingly good so we get to LaGuardia in record time :(
5:30 pm - Take off time. Jo and I realize we went to NYC without spending a single penny. Never, ever thought that was possible. We cry a little about not having time to shop (not even one store! sniff) but vow to make up for it next time. Oh yes, we will make up for it.
7:15 pm - Back in Toronto. I drop off Jo at her house, pick up my mom (who has so generously offered to watch the kidlets), drop her off in Kitchener, and drive back home to London in a semi-comatose state.
11:00 pm - Kiss my babies, back in bed. Was it only just a dream?
We loved our NY minute and can't wait to shop the new collection once it hits stores. Thanks for the fun Smart Set. Can't wait to do it all again (hint, hint ;)) x
The art direction board at the photo shoot
How to Flirt with a Photographer 101
Photographer: "That's right ladies. Big smiles"
Camera Guy: Yup. Best. Job. Ever.
Johanna and I wait for our close-up with Smart Set's Eugenia Dourakis
Click on the thumbnails below for our day played out in pics: