Top 5 Non-Traditional Engagement Rings

Whether you are in a committed relationship moving toward marriage or you're single, as women we tend to look at all the things that have to do with weddings. Pinterest has taken this obsession to a whole new level, you can now make a board with your dream wedding in no time at all. I often fall down the Pinterest hole, my latest adventure was looking at engagement rings. I may or may not have sent my boyfriend a couple hints (more like spammed him with 20 rings in 20 minutes). I really enjoyed the non-traditional rings though, I didn't realize there were so many options.

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Coloured Diamond Rings

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Stone Rings




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Alternative Gemstone Rings

 

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Unique Shaped

What is your dream engagement ring?

 

 

 

OOTD - Shades of White

Living in Alberta, you learn the art of layering; my work building is freezing one minute and way too hot the next. I've been favoring this 3 piece layering formula of a wide leg pant, long dress shirt, and a simple sweater. Keeping with the monochromatic color palette for a clean and elegant outfit I finished the look with beige accessories. This look made me feel pulled-together for a day of work and blog meetings.

This wide pant is actually a romper I worn here before, but it felt like a waste not to make more use out of it.

 

romper: Tobi

shirt: Club Monaco

sweater: Zara

purse: Kate Spade

OOTD - Mint Condition

Off the shoulder was everything backin this summer; while I am not 100% sure I am in love with #OTS swimwear and rompers, and good off the shoulder top goes a long way. I like that this top is light which makes it perfect for hot summer days. I paired it with white jeans and neutral accessories.  What do you guys think of the #OTS style?

shirt: Le Chateau

jeans: Zara

shoes: Hudson's Bay

purse: Ivanaka Trump via Saks Fifth Avenue 

5 Ski Hills to Visit In Alberta

We live where there is a lot of snow, and this means winter sports. Because we may hate the cold, but we might as well make the best of it. We love road trips so finding the best ski hills in Alberta was one of the things we wanted to do this Winter. Here are the top 5 hills in Alberta.

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Marmot Basin- This mountain is one of the best kept secrets, located in beautiful Jasper National Park. It doesn't see the volume of visitors that Banff and Lake Louise see. Winter in Jasper is actually considered the "off season", meaning hotel accomodations are discounted. Day lift tickets start at about $85, but if you really want more bang for your buck then I would suggest "Jasper in January" a special event that sees ticket prices and accommodations discounted. 

Sunshine Village- Known as Banff's "other" mountain, I chose this because it is less frequented then the better known Lake Louise. If you don't have an aversion for a lot of people then check out Lake Louise. If you are like me then check out Sunshine Village you will not be disappointed. A day pass goes for about $98. 

Sunshine Village in Banff National Park Gondola and Chairlift Package - $35.04 Enjoy 360 degree views of the Canadian Rocky Mountain as you ride an 8-passenger gondola and take in the breathtaking views of Banff National Park. Continue on up the mountain and ride the Mount Standish Chairlift that will take you to the Standish Viewpoint Platform. Experience your surroundings from the highest sightseeing elevation in the Banff and Lake Louise area at 7,875ft  (2,400m). Stroll along the paths to get closer views of the three high-alpine lakes and jaw dropping view of Mt. Assiniboine, "the Matterhorn of the Canadian Rockies".

Misery Mountain- In Peace River Valley is Misery Mountain, this place is great if you are on a budget. Adult lift passes are only $26 and lift, lesson, and rental packages are only $52.43 this is great if you are a beginner as other resorts charge a lot more for lessons alone. They also have Five-dollar Fridays where you can ski for just $5!

Nakiska- Home to the 1988 Winter Olympics, and located in Kananaskis. Not only is the mountain worth it but the drive down is beautiful, the scenery is jaw-dropping. Nakiska offers 3 lifts and 64 marked runs. You can feel what the Olympic teams felt racing down the mountains. A day pass is about $70.

Castle Mountain- If you have a bit of a daredevil streak then this mountain is for you. It is one of the few places that has Cat Skiing. Their Powder Stagecoach will meet you and take you up Mount Haig to access your personal powder lines. Can you imagine skiing where no one else has been? Fresh, untouched powder! It sounds amazing, it's about $350 per person but if skiing is your thing then this adventure just might be worth the money.

Jasper National Park Tour: Maligne Valley, Medicine Lake and Spirit Island - $57.57 Discover Jasper National Park’s spectacular Maligne Valley on a 6-hour adventure with an expert guide. During stops at Maligne Canyon, Medicine Lake and Maligne Lake, you’ll look for wildlife and learn about the human and natural history in this part of the Canadian Rockies. You’ll see stunning scenery throughout the day and have plenty of opportunities to take photos and short walks. At Maligne Lake, choose to take a boat cruise to Spirit Island or a guided hike along the lakeshore.

What is your favorite ski hill? Where should we head to next?

OOTD - Skirt and OTK Boots

A mini skirt paired with thigh high suede boots is one of my favorite fall and winter combinations. Combining different textures and style is also one of my favorite duos. So taking all of that I combined this mini skirt with a simple print t-shirt and OTK boots. The skirt has tassels on it and fairly feminine, and with a tucked in t-shirt very so flattering on most body types. What do you guys think of this OOTD?

skirt: Winners

boots: Steve Madden

shirt: Believe Fit

jacket: Bano eeMe

purse: Chanel

Vegas Prep Playlist

Two out of three of us are in Vegas, RIGHT NOW. Probably hittin up some club with some wicked DJ spinning tracks. Like previously mentioned in the Music of the Month post, we prep our music library for our trips as much as we prep out packing lists. So here's La La Land's Vegas Playlist for you to enjoy!

Make it Bun Dem By Skrillex and Damian "Jr Gong" Marley

Dum Dee Dum By Keys N Krates

Animals by Martin Garrix

Bun Up The Dance By Dillon Frances and Skrillex

This Is What You Came For By Calvin Harris ft Rihanna

Lightning Strikes By Steve Aoki

Make My Love Go By Jay Sean and Sean Paul (DJ Antoine remix)

Five More Hours By Deorro

Like That By Bassjackers

Bulletproof By La Roux (Tiborg remix)

2017: Resolutions

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I've never been much for resolutions in the past - particularly staying away from the fitness/diet ones. I like to fail regularly at staying healthy, not just in January and February. Previous resolutions were to learn the violin - still working on that one; go to 5 concerts in a year - I've managed to keep that going for a few years actually.

This year; try to be more positive!

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I want to stop complaining about the little stuff that really just doesn't matter. The more we verbalize our thoughts, the more prominent they become in our lives. Therefore, banish the bad and preach the positive!

Also focusing on the things I can change, Serenity Prayer style. Let go of what I can't. Ya know? Nothing too challenging but could have a great outcome!

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Happy New Year!

7 Places to Visit in 2017!

At Letters to LA LA land we love to travel and since the blog was started we have put together a list (or lists) of place to visit many times. In 2017 Rio was a huge destination and Canada got lots of recognition as a destination to travel to. In 2017 we plan to venture a little further and sometimes off the beaten path. We rounded up 7 places to visit in 2017 that are not the usual travel-to suspects:

 

Stromboli Island, Sicily, Italy

Italy is always a good idea, trust me! However, venturing a little bit of the main stream places in Italy and you will end up on this beautiful island that is referred as "the Light house of the Mediterranean". 

 

The Yasawa Islands, Fiji

 16 Islands spread over 56 miles of glorious snow white sand beaches and breath taking scenery. These island hopping is amazing because of the scenery and snorkeling in perfectly clear lagoons is why the islands made our list.

 

Havana, Cuba

I know what you are thinking, like how many times can this girl talk about Cuba?

BUT,  hear me out, Havana is beautiful, the architecture and history are fascinating, drinks are cheap, food is great and energy of the city will make feel alive again.

 

Dades Valley, Morocco

Morocco, like Italy, is always worth the visit. Dades Valley is a little bit of the beaten dessert part. Roads leading to the valley are adventure on its own, but the valley is intimate filled breathtaking architecture of homes filled into the hills.

 

Lopud Island, Croatia

Not to be confused with Lopud beach, which is nice too. The island is less than 5 KM long and it offer beautiful sandy beaches, quiet sport perfect for reading, intimate restaurant and awesome ice-cream (true and tested).

 

Etosha National Park, Namibia

Etosha National Park is a protected area in northern Namibia. Its a home to 144 species of mammals and 300 species of birds.

 

Western Cape, South Africa

The Western Cape is a South African province with coasts bordering the Indian and Atlantic oceans. The Garden Route is on the edge of the Indian ocean, filled with dolphins, penguins and migrating whales. You can watch the whales from the land or boat if you want the up and close kind of experience.

 

What places are you going to travel to in 2017?

 

*all photos were gathered via Google images or my personal photos.

 



OOTD - All Dressed Up

I bought this breezy silky blouse at Simons while back, and it has been so versatile. I have worn it with jeans, dress pants and with skirts. Today I decided to ticket it in, instead of wearing it the same all the time. Basic leather skirt and breezy blouses are not only  for summer, but transitioning this pretty blouse into winter has been easy.

skirt: Kate Spade

shirt: Simons

shoes: Gravity Pope

jacket: Bano eeMee

purse: Chloe

TV/Movies- 5 Oscar Nominated Movies

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It's award season and with that comes great fashion, but let's not forget the real reason they are all there Movies! Best actor, best actress, and the caveatted best picture award will be given out. Here are the top 5 oscar nominated movies for best picture that are worth watching. 

La La Land- This movie has Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in it, and I love both of them. The movie is about a jazz pianist who falls for an aspiring actress in Los Angeles. I watched the trailer and loved it.

Loving- The story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple, whose challenge of their anti-miscegenation arrest for their marriage in Virginia led to a legal battle that would end at the US Supreme Court. This is an amazing true story, I still can't believe it used to be illegal to be in an interracial marriage. 

Hidden Figures- This movie is based on a true story about a team of African-American women provide NASA with important mathematical data needed to launch the program's first successful space mission. As you can probably tell I love inspiring true stories and this one looks really good. 

Lion-  Dev Patel was amazing in Slum Dog Millionaire and I am so happy he is back doing an interesting movie.  The movie is about a five-year-old Indian boy gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia; 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.

Live by Night- I may have picked this movie because I know its one I can watch with my boyfriend. We have been watching a lot of the show Moonshiners and this movie reminds me of that. It's about a group of Boston-bred gangsters set up shop in balmy Florida during the Prohibition era, facing off against the competition and the Ku Klux Klan. I can look past the fact that Ben Affleck is in it and only because the trailer looked good. 

What Movie do you hope wins? Which nominated films will you be watching?

OOTD - Little Black Skirt

When I dress in neutrals, I often go all out all-black or head-to-toe grey because  I love a monochrome look. It makes a statement, looks elegant and without looking too over-the-top. For this outfit, I took the I combined a black skirt and a black top. The textures are different which add depth to an outfit so it not just another all black outfit. This skirt is so fun, and perfect for dancing.   

skirt: Winners

shirt: Joe Fresh

jacket: Noisy May

purse: Chanel

shoes: