France at Global Fest 2013

 Hello summer! I swear it's just the sun making me this pale. Globalfest has finally started and I headed down today to see France's show. It's the first time France has competed in the fireworks competition, and they did wonderfully! Check out below to see a few of the fireworks, the different cultural pavilions, and my outfit.

 Supposedly long earrings will make your face appear longer.... Mine is still amazingly round.

 A sweater is definitely needed if you're heading for fireworks. It can get pretty chilly by the time they start (but then again, I'm always cold anyways). Truthfully, I should have worn a different top and then layered the sweater over it, as I was sweating on the walk over to the park, 12 blocks away.

 I'm so sad, I lost my midi ring sometime when I was packing my folding chairs away once the fireworks were done! I felt it fall off, but I couldn't find it anywhere on the ground. =(

 Globalfest is not only a fireworks festival, but also a place to learn about different cultures. They had Middle Eastern, Spanish and South American dancers on Sunday at the different pavilions. The colours on this dress are gorgeous. Perfect for summer.

Some belly dancers to represent the Middle East.

 From South America. Look at the gorgeous details on these outfits!

 France's show was amazing. How spectacular is this cascading fall of fireworks.

 These ones reminded me of baby's breath flowers, although I don't know if that's on purpose or not. They were shown during a really pretty, delicate song.

Mocha Chocalata ya ya, Creole lady Marmalade. The fireworks are always set to music, and I loved France's selection. Two of the songs were from Moulin Rouge, one of my favourite musicals/movies, while the rest were a few nice pop songs and pretty instrumentals. I need to find the playlist somewhere.

H&M sweater

Suzy Shier Shorts
Franco Sarto shoes

Material Girl earrings

Michael Kors watch (old) (similar here)

Urban Outfitters midi ring

Korean Inspired

 Hi everyone. Sorry about the short hiatus, it's been a bit of a hectic week with work and life. I did manage to drop by Zara (okay, I always drop by Zara because I work beside it), and pick up a few new pieces that I'm loving at the moment. One was this lovely blouse, and the other was a ruffled pencil skirt, which I can't wait to feature. I have no idea where I'll wear though. It's a bit too business-y for school, but I'm sure I'll manage something. 

There's a ton of new tops and skirts I want still.... Ugh, I'm going broke thanks to Zara...

 Pairing this blouse with a pair of shorts reminded me of when I was in Korea last summer. The girls dress beautifully and I love their style. I try to emulate it a bit while I'm in Canada since it's different from what you usually see here (although every girl dresses really, really similarly over there).

 I adore this blouse. I was looking for a geometric top to pair with my jeans, and I think I may have found the perfect one. Everything else I've seen didn't quite work out - the pattern was either too large or too small, and just looked awkward on me.

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Zara top

Shorts from Korea (similar here)

Spring shoes (similar here)

Sundresses and Sunday Baking

I couldn't ignore the beautiful weather earlier in the afternoon. Sun was shining, birds were singing, etc, etc. It's been a hectic weekend for me, as I had two parties to attend and bake for Saturday night, along with brunch this morning.

 What better way to celebrate the nice weather than in a sundress? They're super easy to just slip on and go, like an automatic I look nice and know it outfit. Perfect for busy days and weekends.

 I adore this hat. It was a gift from a friend, who thought it would compliment my girlier style perfectly. Needless to say, she was definitely right.

These are actually grape vines growing along my deck. The grapes themselves are meant for wine (they're super tiny with a ton of seeds), but my family uses them to make jelly. They make the best grape jelly ever (considering I won't eat grape jelly from the store - homemade only!).

 I baked kremes the other day for the first party I attended. It's a traditional Hungarian dessert I've just learned to make this summer, and since my friend is Hungarian, how better to celebrate his birthday. If you want to see the finished product, I've posted it plenty of times on Instagram (@ahrieru) since I've first made it.

 The second party received chocolate chip cookies. I prefer mine soft and chewy, and thankfully, so do most of my friends. I have no idea how to make harder (crunchier?) ones.

 Sundresses are also super easy to bake in and the perfect way to keep cool when you're by a hot oven.

Et voila!

Forever21 dress

H&M hat (similar here)

Franco Sarto wedges (similar here)

Take Two

Yea! Take two for the floral blazer. In reality, I was just cold enough to wear jeans and wanted something to jazz them up a bit. Ankle zippers are no longer enough it seems.

In all honesty, I have a lot of difficulty styling jeans to my taste. Every thing I seem to try ends up so... not quite me. Maybe I just don't know what my particular denim style is yet? I'll have to experiment more. 

What I have learned is that when I'm wearing jeans, a jacket really makes the outfit for me. Otherwise I resort to a t-shirt and heels. A bit drab still. I don't think I pull it off as well as others.

How do you guys like to style your denim?

 I'm still in love with these bright blue sandals from Zara. Can't wear them enough!

 How to get me to buy jeans? Make them black, high-waisted and with zippers on the ankle. Zippers around the side pockets are also great!

I love this necklace although I don't remember where it's from. My mom got it for me for Christmas though. As a general rule, I try to keep my jewelry simple and delicate. I think it's easier to layer that way.

Urban Outfitters blazer

PINK t-shirt

J Brand jeans (similar here)

Zara sandals (similar here)

Aline Weber for Rebecca Minkoff Fall 2013 Campaign

Photo Credit: Fashion Gone Rogue

Love the Rebecca Minkoff fall 2013 campaign. The bags are gorgeous (I'm loving the iridescent blue) and the lines! Oh God, the lines! Everything is so clean, yet feminine, bags, clothes, what have you! I can't get enough.

Eat your heart out.

Sun Showers

Hope you all had a good long weekend (or those of you who live in Canada)!

Since the majority of my friends seemed to have gone camping this weekend, I decided to wear another super easy outfit that I'd have taken with me had I been travelling. Not camping though, I don't camp, and so far, no one has been able to convince me otherwise. 

 I'll do a full post on what I pack travelling when I actually travel again, but here's a few tips. Small purses are best and wallets are best. You don't want to carry around a lot that might be pick-pocketed. I'm also a big believer in travelling light, so this little purse fits easily in a carry-on bag (I usually use a much larger purse in rder to have variety). This one also has a chain strap, you a pick-pocket won't be able to cut your purse away from you.

 Don't forget to pick clothes that are easy to layer in order to adjust to the different temperatures and weather

 I love asymmetrical pieces. This top is from Korea and so easy to pair with shorts or a mini skirt. I wear it all the time! It's chiffon, so it's definitely a suitable piece to travel with as it's light, folds super tiny, and is easy to layer.

 Having fun by myself (thank goodness, considering mini skirts aren't really playground friendly).

 I'm in love with the idea of midi rings... except that they have a tendency to fall off of me no matter what. I just ball my hands in fists to prevent that. All good, right?

And an outtake for you all. Can you guess why?

Top: Shirt from Korea

Bottom: H&M skirt

Accessories: Fossil sunglasses, Aldo sandals, Urban Outfitters midi ring, CoutuKitsch necklace

Bag: Spring

A Few of My Favourite Things

This is a culmination of all the things I wanted for the past year. Black wedge booties. Check. Botkier Lucy. Check. Michael Kors watch. Check. Lace. Check.

I love how all my favourite pieces just manage to come together. I guess that's what's great about liking relatively basic pieces.

What are your guys' favourite tried and true pieces?

In love with this watch my mom got me for Christmas. Funny story, my mom and I exchanged credit cards and bought our own gifts.

I'm still pairing this long necklace with all my t-shirts. I can't wait to get a few more to play around with and layer!

I don't know why this photo is so blurry now. And to think, it was grainy the first time I added it. The original looked fine though, but re-sizing and cropping it did something weird.

H&M denim shirt (similar here and here)

H&M lace skirt (old) (similar here)

Steve Madden wedge booties (old) (similar here)

Botkier bag

ASOS necklace (similar here)

CoutuKitsch Y necklace

Michael Kors watch (similar here)

Rain Rain Go Away

Calgary weather, you're such a pain. One minute you're perfectly sunny, the next, and I'm soaked. Oh well, that's what umbrellas and trench coats are for.

I love this old Coach umbrella I picked up at the outlet a few years ago. It definitely brightens up any rainy day.

These studded flats from Steven Madden turn the dress into something more casual to be worn errand running (considering that's what I was doing before hand). They're pretty comfortable, despite being a half size too big. Can't resist a sale.

Closeup of my new necklace from ASOS. Shipping is so quick from them! unless of course customs decides to take your package hostage. Mine was late by a week, but it's finally here! Along with a new dress! 

How do you adjust your wardrobe for random weather?

Dress: Urban Outfitters

Jacket: Guess (old) (similar here)

Shoes: Steven Madden (similar here)

Accessories: ASOS necklace (similar here), Coach umbrella, Michael Kors watch (similar here)

August Wishings

Photo Credit: http://www.hellobc.com

It's nearly that time of year... school is about to start in a month. I wasn't pleased that I spent my entire summer in Calgary either. I haven't for a solid three years. Oh well, at least I'll be able to visit Vancouver and Seattle right before heading to school.

So here's a list of things needed to prepare me sartorially for what will hopefully be an easy semester. Anything else I should pick up while I'm travelling?

3.1 Philip Lim Pashli in Cobalt

I could have added another two purses to the list, but I held back and just chose my favourites here. As you all probably know, I'm still obsessed with blue.

If Barney's has this while I'm in Seattle, I don't think I'll be able to resist picking it up. Otherwise, I couldn't really be bothered to order it online since I'm so picky with my blue hues, and I might be disappointed.

Botkier Honore Crossbody in Wine

 I've also had an off and on love affair with purple hues! And a constant love for the Botkier Honore crossbody. I just love the shape so much (it comes in a blue, but... I didn't like it when I think the shape is a bit of a statement already).

Cheap Monday Sunglasses

I'm aiming to focus on broadening my wardrobe with a few more basics, and a lot more statement pieces! I'm in love with cat eyed sunglasses, and these Cheap Monday ones are awesome. 

Anarchy Street Bar Necklace

This is a simple necklace (that's constantly sold out!), but I usually prefer simple jewelry so that I can layer them a bit more.

Nasty Gal Concho Hat

Finally, after a Dior collection a few years back, felt hats scream fall to me. Not only that, but they turn a simple outfit into something much more put together (and they go with a lot of what I already wear). Power of accessorizing well, I guess.

What do you guys need for the next month going into the school year?