OOTD - I'm Thanking The Kardashians

I'm thanking the Kardashians - seriously! Before you roll your eyes, hear me out. Growing up I have always had a larger tushie and have never liked it.  I coveted the bodies of my friends with thin legs and tiny hips and wondered how I could achieve this for myself. Obviously you're born with what you're born with so any diet, slimming clothing or shaping under garment couldn't hide the fact that mama had some junk in her trunk.

Enter the Kardashians. Sure they're over-saturating, obnoxious, and their rise to fame is of questionable nature - but the girls have booties, and they're not afraid to flaunt them.  They've proven to mainstream media, with it's celebration of too-thin bodies that it's okay for women to have some curves.

So how does this relate to me?  When I first tried on this adorable, form fitting midi dress from Dynamite, my gut reaction was to retreat since it showed off all of my curves. Then, as I was critically staring at myself in the mirror, I had another thought: "this dress kind of gives you a Kardashian butt - and this one is real." Well say no more, that was enough for me to throw on a pair of sunnies, my favourite kicks and strut out of the condo while whistling Destiny's Childs' "Bootylicious."

Dress - c/o Dynamite, Shoes - c/o Cole Haan, Bag - Chloe Drew

These Cole Haan GrandPro Tennis Sneakers are some of my favourite shoes in my closet. I love their understated silhouette with the subtle taupe detail in the back - plus, the fact that they're super comfy is a huge plus!  Wearing these running shoes always takes me back to Paris, where both men and women seemed to live in their low-cut tennis sneakers.

What do you guys think?  Is it ridiculous to thank the Kardashians for being comfortable with your body type, or can you relate?  Let me know!

xo Joëlle
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OOTD - Floral Jumpsuit

Happy Friday - we made it!  I don't know about you guys, but these weeks have been very long.  It may be because Brian and I are heading out for another state-side adventure after Labour Day, to Charleston, South Caroline and New York City. The weeks leading up to travel always drag, but I could not be more excited for some time away.  Nothing like a change of scenery to really invigorate you and re-focus your mind.

Anyways, back to the outfit! I've been having a love-affair with rompers lately and this floral jumpsuit is no exception.  I love the flutter detail on the top, and the fact that the pants are culottes. The fact that this romper is a bit more conservative with the longer legs makes it much more day-time appropriate. I'm getting a seventies vibe from this entire outfit and to be honest, I don't hate it.

Jumpsuit + Choker - c/o Vici, Shoes - c/o Vince Camuto, Bag - Chloé

What do you guys think?  Are you into the one-piece suits as much as I am? What as been a stand-out style for you this summer?  Let me know!

xo Joëlle

OOTD - Grey Floral Romper

Do you ever come across an item of clothing that seems to be love at first sight? I had that loving feeling with this grey floral romper from Vici.  The gorgeous floral print set against a medium grey fabric is so unique and I knew that it had to be mine.  Paired with a pair of lace-up sandals and my favourite summer saddle bag (my treasured Chloe Drew), and I'm ready to hit the town - or at least do something a little more glamorous then hang out in an alley in Toronto taking photos.

Romper + choker - c/o VICI, Shoes - c/o Vince Camuto, Bag - Chloé

What do you guys think?  Have you ever had a 'love at first sight' moment with a piece of clothing? Let me know!

xo Joëlle

OOTD - The Perfect Jeans For Fall With hr2

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes it's what goes on behind the scenes that really tells a story. Take these photos for example; Brian and I (well more me, let's be honest) thought that it would be cool to snap a few pictures by the Toronto waterfront with the gorgeous skyline. Simple, right? After fighting through downtown traffic, getting trampled by hoards of club-goers (this spot is by Cabana, one of Toronto's most popular day-clubs) and nearly being blown away by the wind, we were over it. I think the expression on my face says it all. Thankfully I had my new Hudson jeans that I got from hr2 to keep me comfortable through the whole ordeal.

I was asked to come into hr2, an outlet for the high-end luxury department store Holt Renfrew, to pick out a pair of jeans. You guys know that I'm not typically a pants person - plus being petite means that jeans are a bit of a nightmare for me, so I was skeptical that I would find anything.  Little did I know that I would actually have a hard time choosing between pairs!  The selection of denim for Fall at hr2 is amazing, and the staff were so helpful which is nice to see for a high-end retailer. I finally settled on these black Hudson jeans with some cool knee-details. Regular over $350.00 CDN, these jeans were marked down to $95.00, which would allow me to keep my record of never paying over $100.00 for jeans. I may turn into a denim-head yet, and I'll definitely be looking to hr2 to help build my collection.

Jeans - Hudson Denim c/o hr2, Shirt - c/o SIWY denim, Shoes - c/o Vince Camuto
Scarf - Aritzia

What do you guys think? Are you a jeans-girl, or do you prefer dresses? Have you ever had a photoshoot that has turned into a comedy of errors?  Let me know!

xo Joëlle

OOTD + 5 Bucket List Items To-Do Before Summer Ends

With the days getting shorter and retailers stocked up with fall clothing, it can be easy to lose sight of the fact that we still have plenty more of summer left to celebrate and memorable moments to create!  I'm all for making the most out of the hot days that we have left, and plan on milking every last bit of summer!  In the interest of celebrating the season, here are 5 bucket list items I plan on doing before summer ends.

Skirt + Hat - Forever 21, Crop Top - Zara, Shoes - c/o Vince Camuto

1. Have a Late-Summer Picnic

Just because we're mid-August, doesn't mean that I'm done with picnics.  There is something so serene about grabbing your BFF, partner or some girlfriends and laying out a blanket in the park for a picnic.  Bonus points for picnicking a little later on in the day - shorter daylight hours means that you have a high chance of catching a summer sunset. Gorgeous!

2. Hit The Beach

Summer tends to fly by in the blink of an eye, and I for one have not yet been to a sandy beach - not even once! Before autumn rolls around I'm making it a priority to hit up a city beach, bikini and towel in-hand, for a fun day. My favourites to visit in Toronto are Sugar Beach or HTO Park, or if I'm feeling up for a drive then I love Sandbanks Provincial Park in Picton, Ontario.  City beach or not, I'm definitely going to feel some sand on my toes before the summer is up.

3. Bike For Pleasure

Although Toronto is very much a bike-cultured city, there is nothing quite like a summer bike ride. Before fall arrives I intend on blocking out a few hours to devote to a leisurely bike ride, without running any errands along the way. For those of us who are intimidated riding on city streets (me), I take my bicycle down to the Toronto waterfront for a beautiful (and traffic-free) ride.

4. Make An Effort To Use Our Balcony

Oh city life - so many of us live in condos with balconies and never seem to use them.  I for one definitely don't take full advantage of our little balcony oasis in the summer, and often regret not doing so in the winter. For the remainder of the summer, I plan on using my balcony at least once per day; whether it be to enjoy my morning coffee or for a relaxing patio dinner.

5. Catching More Summer Concerts

For those of you who follow me on Snapchat (username: lapetitenoob), you would see that I have been absolutely loving going to outdoor summer concerts this season.  Not wanting to this to end, I will definitely be adding more summer shows at the Molson Canadian Amphitheater to the agenda before the season is over - and I will be doing so with American Express Canada and Amex Invites. Not only do you get to breeze past the massive lineups that inevitably occur with outdoor music venues, but you also gain access to the Amex Lounge which is a slice of heaven on a hot summer day.  My last experience with Amex Invites saw me shaking my bon bon front row with Mr. 305 himself - Pitbull, where I was wearing this exact outfit! The evening was right in the middle of one of Toronto's most brutal heatwaves, but the cranberry soda waters at the Amex Lounge kept me cool all night long. It was a night that I will remember forever, and I'm so excited for all the other memories that are yet to be created this summer with Amex Invites.

Even though summer’s winding down, I also learned that Amex Invites opens the doors to upcoming events all year around from last fall’s Hunger Games movie screening to a live Dave Matthew Bands show. So whether you’re a music fan or theatre buff, Amex Invites has such fun and diverse events that can keep you entertained all year long.

What do you guys think?  Do you have any items to add to this end-of-summer bucket list? What was the last outdoor concert that you attended?  Let me know!

xo Joëlle

Thank you American Express Canada for my memorable moments.  This post was sponsored by Amex Canada.  The views and opinions expressed in this post however, are purely my own.

OOTD - Burgundy Platform Sandals

That dreaded F-word again: Fall.  Not that the weather in Toronto would give any indication that a change of season is on it's way, but I've been in an autumn state of mind.  A change of seasons is always the trickiest time in terms of dress, so what I like to do is to take familiar summer outfits and just switch out a few pieces for darker coloured items.  For example, a black t-shirt and choker can completely transform the look of white culottes; and can we talk about these shoes?  The platform on these burgundy beauties not only gives a retro-feeling, but also makes them incredibly comfortable to walk in.  If this is what we can expect from Le Chateau footwear for fall then I'm excited!

Culottes - Aritzia, Top - Dynamite (old)
Shoes - c/o Le Chateau, Bag - Chanel via Love That Bag

You spotted it: the cutest little Chanel mini.  Remember my post on how to purchase pre-loved Chanel? Since that blog post I couldn't get the iconic handbags out of my mind. Well the ladies at Love That Bag really came through (again) and I picked up this black patent Chanel rectangular mini with silver hardware - nearly impossible to find in-store and at a fraction of the retail price!  You guys, my days of purchasing designer handbags in-store may be over.  I'm hooked!

What do you guys think?  Are you into mixing summer staples with cooler-weather classics? Are you excited for fall, or still basking in the heat of summer?  Let me know!

xo Joëlle

Update: I'm Blonde!

Nothing anything different? Yes I've taken the plunge and have gone from a brownish-ombré to full-on platinum hair!  This will be old news for most of you that follow me on Instagram, but I thought that I would devote a proper blog post to explain why I took such a drastic hair change.

I was approached by Garnier to film a video for their Olia ammonia free hair colour, to show people that you can change your hair without a ton of damage.  I agonized over participating or not, but in the end I decided to go for it because I really needed a change.  Don't get me wrong, I loved my old hair and hair colour - but after having the same cut, colour and style for over 3 years I felt like I was in a bit of a rut and needed to do something drastic.  Cutting my hair was out of the question (I'm that girl that cries after a hair cut) so going blonde was the answer!

Do I love it?  To be honest, I'm still trying to get used to it so that's a hard question to answer - but what I do love 100% is the change and shake-up this crazy hair has had on my everyday life. It's incredible how something so little can affect you, and I feel so re-inspired creatively. Even my personal style has shifted, and I find myself gravitating towards more edgier pieces as opposed to the ultra-feminine look I was comfortable with before.

So in the end I've learned that change is a good thing, and can be just what the doctor ordered when you're feeling sluggish and in a rut.  I'm not sure how long I'll keep the whole-head of platinum hair, but I'm definitely enjoying it while it's here - at least until I can get a good root going!

What do you guys think?  Have you ever done something drastic to your appearance?  What was the result?  What are your thoughts on change? Let me know!

Have a great weekend,

xo Joëlle

OOTD - The Perfect Dress

My dress collection is out of control - there really isn't any other way to describe it!  As much as I try to stock up on separates my heart is always with dresses and when I saw this pale greyish-blue lace dress from Zara, I had to have it. The midi length is such a nice alternative to my typical mini-dresses, and it much more forgiving.  Paired with my new favourite summer sandals, and I'm ready for pre-fall!

Dress - Zara, Shoes - c/o Vince Camuto, Bag - Chloé 

What do you guys think?  Are you into the midi length, or do you prefer the mini dresses?  Let me know!

xo Joëlle

Blogger Pool Party

What happens when you put together 4 bloggers, some amazing local products and a pool?  Blogger pool party, of course!  When Gabriella of Pastels and Pastries invited us to her stunning backyard oasis, we couldn't say no; we had the BEST day doing what we love doing most - styling products, taking outfit photos, all while eating, drink and floating in the amazing pool.  Bloggers, amirite?

We couldn't have done everything alone.  The amazing donut and flamingo pool floats that you see?  Those can be found at Chapters Indigo, and let me tell you - there's nothing more luxurious than floating around, drink in hand, in an adorable pool float. It was enough to make these Toronto girls feel like we were in Palm Springs.

Whats a pool party without refreshments? Poolside drinks were made with fresh, cold pressed juice by The Fix & Co.  Honestly, I am typically not one for cold-pressed juices but the smooth and slightly sweet mix that we were provided with was amazing.  I had never thought about mixing a cocktail with cold-pressed, healthy juice but they turned out amazing!  Balance, right?  Speaking of balance, we also enjoyed some healthy popsicles from the same juice shop.  When things taste so good, it's easy to forget that they're healthy!

Can we talk about those adorable sugar cookies? The Dessert Lady hooked us up big time with the most incredible poolside sweet treats that actually tasted as good as they look!

Recognize the other ladies in the shoot?  You guys know Gabriella of Pastels and Pastries and Eleni of Bijuleni, but meet Jacki of Something About That! I'm always so humbled to be around these beautiful and creative ladies.  Definitely be sure to check out their blogs for your weekly dose of inspiration and beauty!

What do you guys think?  Have you ever held a pool party?  What are your pool party essentials?  Let me know!

xo Joëlle

Thank you so much to Chapters Indigo, The Fix & Co and The Dessert Lady for making our day so much fun!
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