5 Star Fitness Challenge

When me and Anthony joined our gym at the end of Jan (how stereotypical, I know) we also signed up for our gyms 12 week fitness transformation challenge. That included 12 weeks of weigh-ins and meal diary logging. On day one our trainer took down our measurements and body fat percentage. Apparently, we were supposed to get "before" photos taken as well but no one told us! That was a major bummer when they called us to take our "after" photos and we had no "before" to compare.  

Body Fat Percentage:  23%  20%

Weight in LBs:  149   140 

So starting today (3 months in) I am going to take my official "before" photos. Even though I've been at it for 3 months I am sure not a whole lot has really changed, I certainly can't tell. But these photos will be useful for me down the road at the 6 month or 1 year mark when I want to see if there's any progress. I got Anthony to take these awkward photos for me and I am going to share with - hopefully - no judgement. And at milestones I will update with my progress. 

Honestly I am so happy with myself for sticking out for 3 months already. I am feeling very motivated almost on a daily basis. Having a break day is just as good! I know 3 months doesn't seem like a long time but my track record is not very good at all. The best part about being active (besides feeling great, duh) is the athletic fashion!

Can I have all this?

Need some motivation? Try creating a Pinterest board for inspiration, check out mine for ideas!

Spring Dress Round-up

Flower Painting Cut Out Skater Dress from Gojane  $56.00 $42.02  

 Belted Striped Skater Dress from Windsor  $37.90 $27 

Starting Now Shift Dress from Tobi  $89.62 $62.89 

(+ 50% off your order right now with code: APRILSHWR) 

Backless Chiffon Maxi Dress from Dailylook $54.99

Prism Gemstone Woven Dress from Love Culture $34.95

Cut Out Side Cap Sleeve Knot Dress from Boohoo $10

Which one is your favorite? What styles and patterns are you going to wearing this Spring? A spring dress doesn't necessarily have to be a spring color. I chose the light grey cut out dress with pops of spring color accessories in mind. A neon pink clutch, or a pair of floral pumps!

Burger Review: Turtle Jacks

Apple & Brie Muskoka Grillhouse Burger

$14.99

The Expectation:

The Reality:

"Brushed with apple butter and topped with brie cheese and julienned apples. Finished with Dijon mustard, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and red onion."

Presentation ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Taste⭐⭐⭐

Comments: The image on the menu made us want to try this burger so bad, and once receiving it I still felt the same.  Apples & brie cheese on a burger sounded so gourmet. Anthony had a hard time with the taste of this burger. It almost tasted like bug spray. I say it was the Dijon mustard (because I don't like that stuff) but he is convinced it's just the combination of flavours that comes out wrong. What a bummer because it's such a pretty burger! 

Review by: Anthony

In The City

Top: Forever21 {similar}

Skirt: Plato's Closet {similar}

Dog Tag Necklace: Stitches

Choker: Brandy Melville

Bracelets: Gifts

This past weekend Anthony & I went to Windsor to visit our close friend.  On our way out to lunch we walked pass the water front park and I figured it would make for some nice photos with downtown Detroit in the background. It was a gorgeous day out but a little bit windy! I'm glad I was able to get a good spring outfit in this weekend because we are expecting rain and storms until Friday :( 

Minimalist With A Twist

           
  click photos to enlarge

V Neck: Target

Belt: Armani Exchange -old-

Floral Jeans: Sirens

Anne Michelle Heels: Dailylook

Can minimalist looks have a twist? When does it become not minimalist anymore? I love the idea of styling a t-shirt with a pair of classy heels such as these. This outfit would so much more crisp & awesome if I had worn it with a pair of white skinny jeans. The black heels and a black belt break up the overpowering whites for that perfect minimalist look.

Plato's Closet Haul

This week we went shopping at Plato's Closet again! This time I sold some of my used clothing to the store ($38 worth) and put it towards our purchases today. You know what they say...One mans trash is another mans treasure. 

Lululemon Skort   reg 58.00  $25.00

The very first item I spotted in store was this awesome athletic skort by Lululemon! First of all, the pattern is so cute and summery my eyes were drawn right in. Upon further examination I was pleased to find it was Lululemon and that it was this super adorable skirt. Then I discovered the built in running shorts. Jackpot! Now I can look super cute while running and not flash the entire world. FYI the ruffles are on the back of the skort.

Under Armour Wind Breaker $20.00

Lightweight athletic jackets or wind breakers have become my new favourite thing, especially with the warmer weather upon us. This is perfect when going to the gym each morning when it's still not quiet warm out but not wanting to wear my winter coat. It looks great with a pair of  athletic leggings and my runners. Not to mention super comfortable and flattering. I couldn't find a reference price on this one because it's probably from last year but I'm guessing it's close to $100 retail.

Billabong Beach Pants reg $48.00 $16.00

These pants are perhaps my favourite find. While browsing through pinterest lately I saw a spring outfit that I just adored and it involved a pair of these palazzo pants. I was thinking where the heck will I find a pair of those? Luckily enough just two days later I stumbled upon these. They actually had a couple pairs to choose from but I liked this pattern best. Tip: since the material is so lightweight and thin, lighter colours/patterns are see through! 

Black Maxi Skirt $8.00

A black maxi skirt is a staple item that I'm honestly surprised I don't already own. I have one that is black & white striped however. I knew going into the store that I wanted one and knew they'd have one in some variety. This style is exactly the one I wanted because its the same style and "build' and - TBH, brand - as my other two maxi's which I love. Not sure on a retail price for this but I'm guessing $12.00 so not much of a steal here but still something I really wanted!

Sheer Neon Blouse $4.00

This blouse was on clearance at Plato's (Clearance on already cheap prices - I know!) I got it for 50% off.  When I saw this I had an outfit idea in mind so you should except to see a style post for it within the next week. It's such a simple cute top. The back has a cut out screen as well, perfect for displaying laced bralettes or caged tops. Neon pops of colour are a huge trend this spring especially when paired with neutrals.

Nike $18.00 / Adidas Men's Superstar 2 reg $110.00 $20.00 / Under Armour Sandals $6.00

These are 3 pairs of shoes that Anthony purchased for himself.  He will soon have a larger shoe collection than me! He got some amazing deals on these items. I don't have reference prices for the Nike's or UA but the Adidas were like 90% off. Need I say more?!

Dessert Accessories

Alright, I just have to share my newest obsession with you. Dessert & food inspired jewelry! It's all made from polymer clay and super precise design. I just want to eat them & wear them at the same time. 

These ones are from Bakery Charms and they offer free shipping to us & international with minimum purchase! They also offer a monthly subscription service for $20/month. I would love to receive cute little dessert jewelry surprises once every month. This website has unique items like dust plugs and even features holiday specific foods.

 Chocolate Chip Cookie Earrings / Cherry Cheesecake Necklace / Marshmellow Cake Necklace /  Stack of Pancakes Necklace

These next ones are from an Etsy store called My Mini Munchies. They have some really realistic foods like tacos, croissants and the ones I've pictured below. 

Fruit Loops Necklace / PB & J Keychains / Mocha Frap Earrings / Pizza Earrings 

The last shop I am sharing with you is Cherry Dot Sweet Treats. I cannot explain my obsession with these Cheez It cufflinks. It literally make me want to eat Cheez Its.  This store has a big selection and a lot of best friend keychains. Super cute!

Tea Cup Ring / Cheez It Cufflinks / BF Bagel Necklaces / Lemon Bar Necklace

Well, if that didn't make you hungry you have will power! I need to learn how to make these ASAP. In the meantime, I will be buying a couple of these myself :) What ones are your favorites?

Boyfriend Jeans & Cats

click pictures to enlarge

Cat Crop Top: Urban Planet
Boyfriend Jeans: Hollister color s/o
Sandals: Birkenstock
Belt: Forever21

Today I learnt a lesson. There is a reason why women wear boyfriend jeans with strappy heels...its because the jeans make you look super short! I made a mistake of wearing flat soled sandals with this. We were just out BBQ-ing so no one saw (hehe). Sidenote: I am not ashamed of my birks, I live in these things. I was trying to go for casual comfy without wearing leggings or sweats. I also learned that I need to position my face away from the sun because there is far too much squint going on.  On a better note, its finally spring-like here! It was ~20'C out yesterday and today, the rest  of the week is following suit.

Burger Review: Kelsey's

The 'somewhat' BIG WHAT Stuffed Burger

$14.99

The Expectation:

The Reality:

"We realized somewhat was an understatement. The BIG WHAT includes double stacked 4 oz. sirloin patties, double-smoked bacon, goat cheese, caramelized onions, apple butter barbecue sauce, crispy onion strings and chipotle mayo on a toasted pretzel bun."

Presentation:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Taste:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Comments: Really big & filling burger. The apple butter barbecue sauce really complimented both the caramelized & crispy onions. On a second bite you can really taste the goat cheese in the middle and it was amazing. Really good combination of flavours here. Our picture isn't the best but the presentation was pretty close except the lettuce on ours is out of control! Downside: The pretzel bun was kind of tough to bite through. 

Why do 'somewhat' when you can do big what!

Review by: Anthony

Spring Embellishments

V Neck Tee: Target

Embellished Vest: Forever21 -old- {other option}

Jeggings: Urban Planet -old-

Necklace: Forever21

Another Spring inspired Easter outfit....I wore this the day my family and I celebrated Easter. Again, it is very casual and comfy but works perfectly well for the occasion. Not to mention these pants are super comfy. They are a cotton jegging and feel just like I'm wearing yoga pants or fitted pajama bottoms. What more could you ask for on a day when you stuff yourself silly with food & desserts? My favorite part about this outfit is the little jewel embellishments on the breast pockets of this vest. It adds such a girly touch to an otherwise masculine piece. A trend I love to wear is a statement necklace with a plain t-shirt. You can find a lot of great statement necklaces for under $10 that look like they are worth a lot more.  What trends are you loving for Spring?

OOTD: Easter Mint

Tank: Hollister

Jeans: Forever21

Shoes: Chuck Taylor Classics 

Necklace: Forever21 {similar}

Belt: Ardenes

On Friday we celebrated Easter with Anthony's family. My outfit was totally spring inspired from the color palette to the cuffed jeans and tank top. I had to wear a cardigan to keep from getting cold, we still had snow! I love how laid back and casual this outfit is and right now I am loving whites & pastels.

Happy Easter 

DIY: Watercolor Mugs

On Easter me and my mom made watercolored mugs instead of painted eggs! This craft is great because it's something you can use year round and it's super easy. 

 Materials:

Nail Polish

Blank Mugs

Tooth Picks

Large Container

Warm Water

Paper Towel

Optional: Top Coat Spray Paint

Step One: Place drops of nail polish colours of your choice into container with luke warm water. Layer on as many colours are you like. Let the colours spread out enough to cover the surface area of one side of the mug (eyeball estimate this). Tip: You need to be a bit speedy with this step or use warmer water because if it cools down you won't be able to mix them to create the water colour effect.

Step Two: Use the tooth pick to mix the colours together to create the "marble" effect. Gently pull from the outer ring to towards the centre. You can even swirl the centre to get a swirl effect. Have fun with it and create the designs that you like! Tip: If the nail polish catches on your tooth pick and comes off the water, your water is too cold! Clear it out and start again with warmer water.

Step Three: Dip your mug into the water on top of your nail polish design and lift! Tip: You might want to wear gloves because sometimes I got nail polish design on the back of my hand. 

Step Four: Repeat step one, two and three on the other side.

Step Five: Use a paper towel to DAB off water droplets. DO NOT rub! Leave to dry for about 4 hours. 

Step Six: If you notice any imperfections that you don't like, or if you got some nail polish on the inside you can always use nail polish remover to clean it up. I did not. Also optional, you can spray them with a top coat spray paint.  Tip: If you don't do this, I would recommend gentle hand washing only.

Let me know if you try this out! It's actually super easy and so rewarding. They come out looking so pretty. We used Easter pastel colours but you could use any combinations you like. I can't wait to make more and try to get more creative with them.

See My Vest

click pictures to enlarge

Long Sleeve: Forever21

Leather Vest: Platos Closet (UK2LA)

Jeans: Bluenotes -old-

Suede Booties: Forever21

It's wing night at the Fireside Grill back home so myself and a friend went out for wings and beer to catch up!  My vest is from the store Plato's Closet. I have talked about this store in a previous post. It's a second hand store for current on trend items and brands. You can get some amazing deals up to 75% off of things you would see in the mall right now!  They will even buy your trendy clothes from you when you feel like doing a closet purge. There are a few locations scattered across ontario. If you have one in your town you should check it out.  Go to their website to see. Each store also has their own Instagram page where they post some new popular items coming in. I am obsessed with shopping here.

The Perfect Spring Sandal

It's still too cold to even consider wearing a open toe heel, let alone a sandal. But now is the perfect time to shop around for a pair! All the stores are/already have released a lot of their spring items because most of the world is not freezing still *crying silently* In my opinion, the shoe to have this spring is a warm brown colored platform heel or wedge with thick straps. This color is so versatile and you can pretty much pair it with any outfit. It's time to stray away from classic black footwear!

Here are a few affordable options:

 1.Peep This Chunky Heels  29.90 sale 24.47                      

2. Wrap It Up Platform Heels   36.00 sale 28.77

3. Strappy Faux Leather Wedge Sandals  29.90 

 4. Three Band Espadrille Wedge Sandals  35.99

5. Dollhouse Laser Cut-Out & Scalloped Wedges  37.99

XOXO D ❆