5 Trends I’m Eyeing This Spring

While Spring hasn’t quite reached us here in Newfoundland, I officially refuse to wear my big winter jacket, scrape my car or shovel anymore. I’ve been living vicariously through bloggers I follow on Instagram who live in warmer climates to get me excited about the warmer weather that is (hopefully!) to come.

Over the past few months, I’ve been trying very hard to strategically shop. I’m focusing on buying things I either really need (a pair of classic, black skinny jeans or new work clothes) or buying something I know is totally amazing and is a great price (a super cute green bomber jacket). I especially love shopping for the Spring and Summer seasons so I’m starting to think about some pieces I want to invest in over the next few months. The top 5 trends I’m eyeing for Spring are below, with some inspiration I’ve found online!

• Overly Detailed Blouses

I’ve noticed online and in stores that overly detailed blouses have caught my eye. I love how brands are mixing bolder prints with bell sleeves, big bows/ties and embroidery, ruffles and layers etc.  The mix of details becomes eye-catching and clashes in a way that totally works.

This one from Nordstrom has a wrap with a bow, a subtle print and then the layered bell sleeve.

This one from Shopbop has a bold color, with big ruffles and a one-sided strap.

I love the clash of pattern in this one from Zara with the huge tie in the middle.

• Classic Leather Jacket

I wouldn’t call this a new trend by any means, but I feel like this is a staple and I’m on the hunt for a black leather jacket that can be used for anything and everything.

This one from Zara looks cool and comfortable. Easily paired with jeans for casual weekend outfits, but could also be layered over light, summer dresses.

This one from Nordstrom is the perfect contrast between oversized and structured.

• Off the Shoulder Tops

I love the bell sleeves and how this one looks fairy-like and light.

This one is one of my favourites with the pin stripe print. It’s simple and still looks put together.

I love everything about this one. The colors, the fit and the fact that it’s ribbed sweater material.

• Mules

These are from Spring and I can just see how versatile and easy these would be to throw on with any outfit.

I love these, but probably not for our climate here on the east coast. The pop of colour is perfect and they are great for summer days and nights.

These come in a variety of patterns and colors and while they’re flat I love how they have a similar look to the classic Gucci loafer.

• Delicate Jewelry

This delicate choker is perfect and versatile.

I love the simplicity of these gold hoops. I’ve always been a fan of yellow gold jewelry, and a great pair of delicate hoops is something I’m definitely looking for.

This bracelet comes in rose gold, yellow gold and silver.

 

What are some of the trends you are eyeing this Spring??

xoxo

-Rena

 

Burrito Bowl Bar Birthday

For my sister’s 25th birthday, my mom and I decided to put together a Mexican themed party for her and some of her close friends. Every year her birthday celebrations fall on St. Patrick’s day weekend. I’ve never been one to really celebrate St. Paddy’s day (outside of the year I celebrated in Ireland!) so this was a great way to make the best of the weekend, and still avoid the crazy crowds and lineups that were happening downtown.  We wanted to make it extra special, so we were set on providing guests with a full spread (drinks/apps + a main + dessert).

We brainstormed a few different ideas for what type of meal we could do. We wanted something fun and delicious but also something that wouldn’t require too much prep work as we were feeding around 25 people. I came up with the idea of making our own burrito bowl bar so we could let guests take as much or as little as they wanted and really it was only the protein we had to prepare (besides chopping all the additional toppings). We went ahead and found an awesome burrito chicken recipe and a beef recipe. For toppings we had diced peppers, crushed doritos, shredded lettuce, chilies, corn, beans, cheese and salsa, sour cream and guacamole. For dessert, my aunt has always made me and my sister her signature confetti birthday cake with vanilla icing and sprinkles. I wanted to add a little something that kept with the Mexican theme we were going for, but wouldn’t take away from the cake. I decided to attempt this churro ball recipe. I definitely wouldn’t call myself an experienced baker, so during the process they turned into churro bites as I’m not quite sure how to make them keep their round shape (any tips are greatly appreciated!). However, I served them with warmed Nutella and they were a hit 🙂

We went to Party City for most of the decorations. What we decided on brought just the right amount of “tackiness” to the evening.

The cutest little pink flamingo lights.

Homemade red-wine sangria to start.

I wasn’t able to get a picture of the full-spread on the table because it was instantly crowded with guests who we’re patiently waiting to dig in 🙂

The finished product!

Time for dessert!

The birthday girl and her cake 🙂

I would definitely go with the idea of a burrito bowl bar for a party again! It was relatively easy and was a huge hit with the guests. Let me know if you have any other great entertainment ideas or meal ideas for feeding a larger crowd 🙂

xox

-Rena

 

 

 

 

The Birkenstock Comeback

As we transitioned into Summer this year I came to notice that Birkenstocks were making a comeback and people were actually styling them in ways that I found to be very cute and practical. For the last few years I had always considered them to be “the ugly sandal”, however recently I have had a change of heart towards them. I decided it was time to get on board with the Birkenstock sandal and went out and purchased myself a pair. I was tempted by the new rose gold style or some other fun pattern (see here), but decided that it was best to choose a more neutral, practical colour so I decided on the matte black. After living in Vancouver for almost a year, I was constantly on the lookout for cute, comfortable shoes, that I knew I could walk a fair distance in. I did a lot of walking in my general commute so comfortable shoes were always important, which was only more incentive for me to embrace the comeback of the Birkenstock.

Below I have highlighted my 4 favourite ways for styling the Birkenstock sandal (images via Pinterest).

1. Paired with a sweet, summer dress.

2. Skinny Jeans and a basic tee for a more casual look.

3. With a long, flowy maxi dress.

4. With overalls and an oversized sweater as a perfect transition into fall.

It’s safe to say that since I’ve made my purchase I’ve 100% changed my opinion on the sandal. They are comfortable, practical and can look very cute in the Spring, Summer and Fall seasons. I would highly recommend them to anyone! One thing to keep in mind is they do take a little while to break in so it’s best not to buy them right before you go on vacation. Give yourself a week or two to break them in before you decide to spend an entire day walking around in them in a foreign city 🙂

How do you guys feel about the Birkenstock sandal? I’m always looking for new ways to style mine 🙂

xoxo
-Rena

Pop of Red

I’ve always been a big fan of colour. In interior design, in what I wear, in my food, in everything! I remember when I was twelve years old I found a bedspread I liked at IKEA and my parents were letting me choose the colours I wanted to paint my room (big mistake!). I decided I wanted two walls aqua blue, one wall lime green and one wall a darker aqua. How do you even sleep in a room that bright?! I loved it at the time, but thinking back on it, it definitely wasn’t a wise choice for my bedroom.

In terms of fashion, over the last few years I’ve found it difficult because I had so much colour in my closet, putting outfits together was proving to be a challenge. I started focusing more on basics that I could add colour to easily to make my wardrobe a little more wearable. Things like various washes in jeans (dark, light and everything in between), jean jackets, black jeans, black faux leather jackets, and basic tees (black, white and grey). These pieces make it easier for me to add colour to my outfits without it being overbearing like my room was in 2002.

You may recognize this outfit as it was from my semi-recent day trip to Seattle. I knew it was going to be a beautiful, sunny day so it was the perfect opportunity to break out this red-coral top (similar here) I purchased last summer at Pull & Bear in France. I love the  lace detail and cutwork along the neckline and the way it hangs off the body. It wasn’t quite warm enough to wear it without a jacket so I paired it with my faux leather jacket and my light wash jeans and converse (we did a ton of walking this day!). I like the contrast between the feminine details of the blouse and edginess of the jacket, all while remaining comfortable and fun.

Me and my gigantic cup of chocolate and vanilla twist frozen yogurt! We finished off the day with this and I couldn’t of been happier 🙂

Do you like to incorporate colour into your wardrobe or do you prefer to focus on neutrals?

xoxo

-Rena

Beach Vibes and Stripes

A few weeks ago myself and my girlfriend took advantage of a beautiful spring sunset at one of the beaches in West Vancouver for a photoshoot. It wasn’t exactly hot out but it was really sunny all day and the perfect Spring evening once the sun went down. We topped off the night by treating ourselves to dinner at Burgoo (one of my favourite comfort food spots in Van for sure!).

Featured here are my leather leggings (see here) (they’re just that good!) and paired with a top I spotted at the Banana Republic outlet a few weeks ago. This style of top is something I’ve seen a lot of in stores recently and I’m really liking it. It’s a longer style top (almost dress length) but has slits down the sides. I would pair mine with leggings or jeans and love how flowy and fun they are. You could also through a faux leather jacket or jean jacket over top of this. I kept this outfit simple and finished it it off with plain black flats (similar here) and some delicate gold jewelry.

All smiles for the sunshine and delicious food we were about to eat 🙂

As per usual, life is keeping me busy. I recently took 2 weeks off to spend some time at home in Newfoundland, but am looking forward to getting back into my routine. New outfits coming soon so stay tuned!

xoxo

-Rena

Homemade Energy Protein Bites

As I mentioned in my previous post, for me to stay on track with eating (mostly) healthy, it is essential that I have good snacks on hand. These are a favourite of mine because they are filling, delicious and take all of 10 minutes to make. There is a ton of recipes online for similar ones but I never really follow a strict recipe for these because it’s pretty hard to screw it up. I typically follow some form of my own recipe below:

1 cup oats (quick oats)
1/2 cup peanut butter or almond butter (whichever you prefer!)
1/4 cup honey
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (sometimes I melt them before mixing everything together)
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1 tsp vanilla

1 or 2 full scoops of protein powder (usually something vanilla or chocolate flavour works best)

A sprinkle of cinnamon

Mix everything together in a bowl. Form into balls and place on a tray/pan then put in the freezer for an hour or so. I usually keep them in the freezer and take them out a few minutes before I want to eat them. They stay better this way, but you can leave them in the cupboard or fridge if you prefer 🙂

The finished product! So easy and simple, I promise if you try them they will be a staple snack for you too.

xoxo

-Rena

Stripes and Leather

I remember when I first decided I wanted to get a women’s Ralph Lauren button up blouse. I had borrowed my mom’s blue and white striped shirt one day back in university and once I put it on I knew it was going to be a staple in my closet. It’s one of those shirts that can be casual, work appropriate or even dressy. It’s ideal for a Saturday running errands but pair it with a black pencil skirt and some jewelry and it’s perfect for the office. It’s classic and versatile which is everything I love.

I finally bought my own a few years ago when I was in Hawaii at the Ralph Lauren store. For this look I paired the blouse with my vegan leather leggings (which I first posted about here) and my converse. I was going for a more casual vibe as it was a sunny Saturday and I was out grabbing coffee with a girlfriend.

It was so sunny that it proved to be difficult to see the blue and white stripes of my blouse through photos. I’ve attached the link for the blouse here for those of you interested in getting a better look 🙂

As per usual, my life has been pretty hectic the last few weeks. I’m finishing up my third semester (one more to go!) next week and then am heading home to St. John’s, NL for some much needed relaxation. I’m hoping to get a little more creative with my outfit combinations over the next few posts so stay tuned 🙂

Is there any particular style or trend you would like to see? Let me know!

xoxo

-Rena

Healthy Banana Muffins

I’m definitely a snacker when it comes to eating during the day. I love most snacks, but especially love snacks that are more on the unhealthy side (kettle chips are a serious weakness!). While I do enjoy fruit or veggies, sometimes I just need something with a little more substance for snacking. For me to keep healthy, it’s essential that I have healthy snacks on hand so I don’t find myself munching on chips or candy in-between meals.

I came across this recipe on Pinterest, which is where I find recipes for most things these days and it’s been a huge hit. My boyfriend and friends have tried them and all request the recipe so they can make them at home themselves. These muffins have no added sugar, so they are great to have in-between meals or even to have for breakfast with some fruit and Greek yogurt. They are full of flavour and not too dry which I love. I like to add some berries, dark chocolate chips and a scoop of protein powder to mine as it gives them a little sweetness and they keep me full for longer with the added protein.

Some of my other favourite healthy snacks include roasted chickpeas, homemade energy bites and kale chips! Recipes coming soon 🙂 What snacks do you like to keep on hand? I’m always looking for new ideas!

xoxo

-Rena

The Boyfriend Jean

I am only becoming more obsessed with the “boyfriend” trend that has emerged over the last few years. The boyfriend jean, the boyfriend top, the boyfriend jacket. They all offer a certain level of comfort while still remaining stylish and chic. I recently purchased a new denim jacket that was a boyfriend fit from Levi’s and I can already tell it’s going to be one of my wardrobe favourites. These boyfriend jeans I got several years ago from H&M and they are the perfect fit. I like to pair my boyfriend pieces with something a little more girly and feminine to balance out the outfit. I paired these jeans with with a fuchsia peplum strapless top and my leather jacket. I topped it off with a pair of black patent leather pointed toe heels. This look is idyllic for date night or an evening out with friends. It’s also great for when the weather changes and you can start shifting away from heavy coats and sweaters and transition into light leather and denim jackets to pair with your outfit.

Outfit Deals

Boyfriend Denim from H&M (similar here)

Peplum Strapless Top – originally bought from Century 21 in New York (similar here)

Faux Leather Jacket from Dynamite (similar here and see previous post here)

Black Patent Leather Pointed Heels from Aldo (similar here)

What is your favourite way to wear your boyfriend pieces? I’m always looking for new ideas to spruce up my outfit combinations!

xoxo

-Rena

Seattle in 12 Hours!

I realized early last week that Friday was a holiday, meaning I would have another day off in addition to my normal Thursdays free from work and school. I had mentioned to a few of the girls in my class that we could rent a car and drive down to Seattle just for the day. I figured if we hit the road early enough we could spend the majority of the day there, plus the weather was forecasted to be fantastic so we could enjoy the drive there and back.

I had heard a lot of great things about Seattle, and being so close in Vancouver it’s an opportunity I wanted to take advantage of while living here. The day started out great! We left the airport around 8:30am thinking we could make it there by around 12:30pm. I figured the line up at the border would be long, given it was Easter weekend but I didn’t expect to spend an hour and a half waiting in traffic. Just when we thought we turned the corner where we could see the gates we would hit another huge line of traffic. Either way, we made the best of it, got out of the car to take some pictures and waited patiently for our turn to come. As soon as we crossed the border, we hit up the tiniest little coffee shop in Blaine, Washington to fuel up on caffeine to help us survive our 12-hour day ahead. From there, while the traffic was still hectic, we made our way to downtown Seattle by around 1:30pm. We knew we wanted to visit the first Starbucks ever, check out Pike Place Market, explore the Waterfront and then end the day with some pictures at Kerry Park. Luckily, most of the items on our to-do list were in the downtown area so once we found parking we could get everywhere by foot.

It was a beautiful day, about 17 degrees celsius, which was fantastic! We walked around the market, and got to check out the vendors and all they had to offer. From fresh fish to jewelry to lotions and soaps, the market had an amazing selection of items. We found a restaurant just above the market to sit down and have a nice lunch. We then decided to walk down to the Waterfront and take in some sun and a break from the crowds of people at the market. As we were about the leave downtown and drive to Kerry Park we found this ice cream shop that was serving frozen yoghurt soft serve. We each got the twist, and it was heavenly. We ended the day by taking a short drive up to Kerry Park to check out the skyline. The view was breathtaking and totally worth the drive from downtown. We got the entire Seattle skyline. We enjoyed our ice cream while taking in the view and then decided we should head back. We had a beautiful view of the sunset on our drive back and the line up at the border wasn’t nearly as long as it was in the morning.

The border between the U.S and Canada.

Blaine, Washington.

The cutest little coffee shop on the side of the road just after the border.

First ever Starbucks.

Seattle Waterfront.

Fresh crab cakes for lunch.

Touristing around downtown.

View of downtown from the Waterfront.

Seattle Great Wheel.

Shy Giant Ice Cream and Frozen Yoghurt in the Pike Place Market.

Chocolate and Vanilla twist.

The perfect view of the Seattle skyline.

Although it made for a long day, the trip was so worth it. While I would have loved to be home in Newfoundland with my family, our day trip to Seattle was definitely a nice alternative. I hope you all had a great long Easter Weekend! I’d love to hear the special things you did to celebrate with friends and family?

xoxo

-Rena