OOTD - Pink October

Did you know that 67 women in Canada will be diagnosed with breast cancer today alone? How scary is that number? The good news is that the national survival rate for breast cancer is increasing.  Eventho its great that survival rate has gone up it still means too many women are diagnosed with breast cancer which turns their lives upside down; The dream would be to create a future without breast cancer.

That is why I have decided to participate in the Pink October 2015 put by Glamulet. Pink Limited Edition Charms were created to support the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign. For every set of charms added to the cart, 50% is donated to a charitable organization.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and what better time to wear all the pink in my closet then now.

Dress: Laundry via Floc Boutique

Shoes: Valentino

Purse: Kate Spade

 

Thank you so very much for supporting me and Pink October! Every dollar counts and you will help fund innovative and ground-breaking breast cancer research and programs.

This post was sponsored by Glamulet.com and BrandBacker.

Thank you for supporting brands that support LetterstoLALAland.

 

Top 5 Things To Do For Halloween!

I love dressing up and going to parties, any excuse to get creative is a good one. Even if you don't love dressing up, you can still have fun and enjoy Halloween. Here are some things to check out this year in Edmonton, and if your not from here i'm sure you can find similar things in your neighbourhood.

1. Deadmonton House- A haunted house located in downtown Edmonton. It's deemed a 12+ event so it must be scary!

2.  Murder at The Juice Joint- This is an 18+ party, it's a swanky speakeasy run by Rosie Marie take a step back in time to the 1920s when prohibition just passed and organized crime was on the rise. It's a murder mystery night. There are quite a few going on around the city but this is the one that really jumped out at me.

3.  Zombie Apocalypse Simulation- This is like being in the TV show the Walking Dead, and who doesn't want to live out their fantasy!

4. Spooktackluar Adult Only- This is a party where you step back in time, there are different addmission packages, some include admission plus extras like a tour through town and a movie screening.

5. Scary Nasty- This is an improv special, if your looking for something different I would check it out.

If none of these appeal to you, you can always do a club/pub crawl party those are always fun and a great way to meet people. Scream and Halloween Howler are the two big ones here in Edmonton.

What are your plans for Halloween?

How to create a budget

One thing they didn’t teach us in school is how to best take care of our finances; so being an adult and having to figure stuff like budgets, mortgages, buying your first car is stressful. Many of us cringe when we hear the word 'budget'...Mainly because it is stressful and time consuming; making a budget is one thing but sticking to it is a whole other issue. Yes, creating a budget is a lot of work, but the benefits outweigh the amount of work by providing you with a peace of mind.

So what is a Budget? Budget according to the dictionary is an estimate of income and expenditure for a set period of time. A budget helps you see more clearly how much money you receive, and how much you spend and save. It helps you set spending limits and live within your means. It helps you find ways to get rid of your debts, reduce costs and have more money for things that are important to you.

To get started: pull your last three months pay-stubs and last three months bank and credit card statements.  The first step in budgeting is to determine how your net income (money you get after your taxes have been paid) measures up against all your expenses and discretionary spending. Using your previous bank statements fill out a "past budget" to see where you money goes.

Depending of what you budget of past 3 months shows you will need to set some goals; whether they are building your savings or paying debt off you will need to put your goals into writing short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals based on your needs, wants, and dreams in life.

Once you have your goals, adjust you expenses and prepare a new budget that will include your new financial goals.

I use this budget calculator all the time. Yes, its lengthy but it breaks down everything. I have used mint , but you are providing all your banking information to a third party which can be scary. All financial institutions will have a version of a calculator on their website or printed booklets you can pick up at your branch (images shown above are budget books from Servus Credit Union).  I have a budget worksheet that works well and you don't have to share your information online, or actually write it out, if you are interested please email me at letterstoLALAland@gmail.com and I will be more than happy to send it to you.

What do you do to keep your budget on track?

OOTD - Shades of black

Over and over again I say "I will do my best not to wear only black" but that turns out to be way more challenging than I though it would be. I wore this to work yesterday, as that seems to be my go to work color, but I did add a pop of blue... that counts right?

skirt: Lululemon

sweater: J crew

purse: Kate Spade

shoes: Mango

 

Can you wear too much black?

Fall Trends 2015

2015 is flying by. today September 23rd, is the first day of fall but with pumpkin spice lattes, rain boots and leaves changing September already felt like autumn. It’s not just leaves and temperatures changing, fashion trends are making a switch as well.

images via Elle & Google

Here are few fall trends I am loving and will be trying …

 

Plaid! It’s everywhere and is on everything, from coats to dresses to area rugs. I love that plaid is versatile and since red plaid is a big trend I can’t wait to incorporate it into my wardrobe.

Bling! I am completely a girly girl and love all things shiney.  Many brands at NYFW have made a return to very feminine, sparkly jewelry, like the brooches and the big earrings.

Shades of grey! I love grey and its everywhere this season. NYFW featured many monochromatic grey outfits and I love them. From suits, to jackets, to nail polish, grey is the it color this season.

High-waist everything! This is very much making a comeback and I am excited. Not only is it flattering but since I am fast approaching my 30’s low raise waist is no longer working.

Ponchos and vests! Every time I think ponchos, I think of “Ugly Betty” but poncho style jackets and sweaters are big this season. Vests are another trend that shows up often. Both are fashion’s solution for how to wear a comfy blanket in public or dress like you don’t care but you are edgy.

What trends are you looking forward to this season?

Travel Diary: Seattle

Couple months ago, two friends and I took a road trip to Seattle. First, let me say, I absolutely loved Seattle; there is so much to do and see. If you are flying there great, if you are driving from Alberta, I would highly recommend you take the Jasper way (not Calgary) the drive itself is beautiful and  there is way less traffic. Driving in Seattle is interesting… I highly recommending getting a GPS as there is a lot of one way streets and a lot of turns to make; also research where to park as it can cost upwards of 40US for few hours. Staying downtown is expensive anytime, but if you are staying downtown you can walk to most attractions in a very short time. We purchased the city pass, which I would recommend, it not only saves you money but give you an unofficial guide of things to see in Seattle. (saves you about 50% comparing if you were to pay for each attraction individually).  

  

Things to do:

Seattle Harbor Tour – We took a Argosy guided tour. It took an hour and was a great introduction to Seattle. The guide goes over fun facts and important architecture which I thought was great.

Seattle Aquarium – Great facility and perfect for families with kids. It is a research facility so there is no acts/performances, and the experience is educational.

Space Needle – Amazing view of the city. This is part of the city pass, but you have to reserve your time slot in order to get to the top. The line is busy (we waited about 50 minutes to get on an elevator to get to the top and about 45 minutes to get back down). If you are scared of heights- worst part of it the elevator ride and the fact the platform is on top of a revolving restaurant so just remember to breath and you will be fine.) The city pass includes two visits within 24 hours so you can go once during the day and once at night.

EMP Museum –  This was probably one of my favorite attractions we visited; it was also part of the city pass. The museum features six different exhibits and they are all done well. It took us about 3 hours or so to get through all of them. It is fun for all ages and the audio guide  is available.

Pike Place Market – The market is huge and I would recommend making a day of it.  From handmade items, book stores, to fresh food and fruits it offers everything. First ever Starbucks is at Pike Place, (line was huge), along with amazing restaurants and bakeries.

Please to eat:

Sarajevo Lounge – call me bias but if you can get good Bosnian food anywhere other than Bosnia you have to go eat there. Comfortable and relaxed atmosphere with good service and delicious food.

Pike Place Chowder -  the line was insane but from everything we heard this is a must eat place if you are visiting Pike Place Market

OOTD - Hearts and jeans

Anyone else have a bad case of Mondays’ today? No, Just me? I am not sure if it’s the colder autumn weather or lack of sleep but today has me wishing I stayed in bed and slept the day away. My work has a fairly strict dress code so I was excited that today was jeans day. I paired my favorite pair of jeans which this comfy heart shape printed shirt.  Today is international day of peace so wearing hearts seemed fitting.

 

jeans: Joe Fresh

shirt: Reitmans

boots: Sam Edleman (similar here)

purse: H&M

Fall Nail Polish Trends

Perfectly manicured nails are one of the easiest ways to feel put together and are an accessory to any outfit. Zahra is one of the editors here and always has a perfect manicure and trendy colors. Fall is approaching and we are rounding up our favorite fall nail polish colors.

Here are four nail polish colors to try this fall:

Burberry Cadet Green No. 206 || Essie School of hard rocks

=Green and grey are everywhere this fall. They are subtle but edgy and pair well with many other colors.

Dior Mirage || Essie Chery,Chery

Gel nail-polishes are great; they last longer and are a great alternative to getting your nails done at a salon. Purple and pink tones never go out of style; they a feminine but very powerful.

My nails have been grey for couple weeks now and I love it. What are your go to colors this fall? 

Farmacy hydrating coconut gel mask

Kale and coconut are all the rage; from food, to home remedies to beauty coconut and kale are everywhere. Farmacy, a new skincare brand launching in Sephora, and their website farmacybeauty.com

I had a chance to try their Hydrating Coconut Gel Masks. The mask is very easy to use and smooth to touch. Coconut gel provides intensive hydration and restores the skin’s balance. Next the bio-cellulose sheet releases its complex of components to provide the skin’s surface layers with a penetrating surge of active ingredients.I looked a little scary with it on but my skin felt soft and the was gel cooling while I had the mask on. Once I took it off my skin felt smooth and my skin tone was even. 

I would highly recommend it to everyone- apparently coconut and kale do wonders.

 

This post was sponsored by Farmacy.

Thank you for supporting brands that support LetterstoLALAland.

OOTD - casual plaid

This past weekend the weather was nearly perfect; in high twenties with just enough wind to make it comfortable.I had to make most of it by wearing shorts. Shorts are easy to transition into fall, I paired my favourite jeans shorts from Garage with this plaid shirt while running some errands. How do you  style shorts for fall?

shorts: Garage

shoes & purse: Winners

shirt: 

plaid button up: Army and Navy

sunglasses: Chanel

Fall must have jackets

As much as I dread fall and colder temperature I am always excited about fall trends. Any new reason to shop is a good reason…Right? Amy, one of the editors here, and I are looking for new jackets this fall. There are so many styles, colors and prices vary so much that we had to round up our favorites.

Here is what make our fall jackets must have list:

Bano eeMee Alston jacket

Grey is everywhere this fall and we love it. Bano eeMee is an amazing designer from Alberta, we happened to catch his last fashion show in Edmonton and we obsessed with quality and style of his jackets.

Bano eeMee Bergen

I know, two jackets by the same designer BUT they are so awesome we couldn't choose.

Zara hand made coat

Wool coats are easy to transition to winter and this Zara coat is comfortable and versatile. I love the buttons and its shape.

Via Spiga coat at Nordstrom

Plaid and cape/poncho style are huge thing this fall and this coat combines all of that. I love that its grey-white as you can use it all year and it can we work with any other color.

 

What are some of your favourite coats this fall?

Fall Must Watch TV- According To Me

As the weather starts to cool down and summer fades away, the one silver linning is the Fall TV line up. The shows we already love return with new episodes and we get to find a new favourite! I have watched the previews and these are the shows I will be checking out.

  

Angel From Hell (CBS) Premieres: Thursday November 6

Jane Lynch stars in this comedy as a guaradian angel. I love Jane Lynch, she is so funny I can't wait to see if this show is worth watching.

Best Time Ever With Neil Patrick Harris (NBC) Premieres: Tuesday September 15

NPH is hilarious, if you couldn't tell my favourite type of show is comedy (becuase who doesn't love to laugh!) This is a variety show so it has everything from comedy skits to mini game shows, to celebraty apperances.

Blindspot (NBC) Premieres: Monday September 21

This show looks interesting a girl covered in tattoos who has no memory of how she got them. A mystery where an FBI agent follows the clues hidden in her tattoos to uncover her identity and a greater conspiracy.

Limitless (CBS) Premieres: Tuesday September 22

I put this one on the list solely because of Bradley Cooper he's not the star of the show but he does reprise his character from the movie. This show if you haven't seen the movie is about a pill that lets you unlock the full potential of your  brain. Let's hope it's good enough to keep Bradley (yes we are on a first name basis) on the air.

The Player (NBC) Premieres: Thursday September 24

This show looks interesting it's about a former military operative who now works security in Las Vegas, he is drawn into a high stakes game where wealthy men bet on his ability to stop crime before they happen. While the premise is messed up, it still looks interesting.

  

Quantico (ABC) Premieres: Sunday September 29

So I am not gonna lie the only reason I chose this show is because it has Priyanka Chopra in it. I love that Bollywood actresses are now able to tranistion over to Hollywood. If you don't know what Bollywood is just click on it and check it out. I think it has something to do with the FBI and training. Either way check it out and let me know what you think.

Wicked City (ABC) Premieres: Tuesday October 27

This show stars Ed Westwick aka Chuck Bass so it's a must watch. I loved Dexter so this show seems right up my alley it's very morbid from the description. It's about a detective chasing down coupled -up serial killers. Oh also this is set in the past so prepare for some sweet wardrobe.

What are your must watch Fall Premieres? What shows do you think I should check out that didn't make the list?

Stay tuned because I will be doing a review of my picks later on!

How To: Get The Fake Lash Look With Mascara

 

Experimenting with make- up is one of my favourite things. I've tried fake lashes and while I love how they look, they are way too high maintenance. I have tried a lot of different techniques and finally found one that works. Using just mascara I discovered a way to make real lashes look fake. You can use any mascara you want, my go to is a volumizing formula like Gosh. If however you like a less clumpy look then I would suggest Benefit or L'Oreal Paris.

 

Step 1: Apply the mascara to the tops of your lashes. Distribute the product evenly to the inner corner of your eye to the middle then reinsert to get more product. Finish off the top lashes from the middle to the ends. If the ends of your lashes are really long pull your eye and using the wand vertically apply the mascara.

 

Step 2: Apply the mascara to the bottom of your lashes, make sure you go from root to tip. Wiggle the wand from side to side as you go up the length of your lashes. As you did earlier, for the hard to get end lashes pull your your eyelid and apply the mascara vertically.

Step 3: The final step is to apply mascara to your bottom lashes. I apply one coat, but that is just preference. You can apply two if you like.

 

Step 4: Use make-up remover or lotion on a Q tip to clean up any mascara that may have gotten on your eye lids. When I first started doing this technique I had a lot of mascara to clean up so don't worry if you do too. 

What do you guys think of this method? Did it work for you? Do you have any tips or tricks you'd like to share?