Sevens for Chinese New Year

 Happy Chinese New Year guys!!! It's officially the year of the horse, which means we get to rush forward like a stampede into a successful, exuberant year. How lucky! I'm a monkey, so major, life-changing events tend to happen in the horse year. We'll see how well that works out for me.

I wore my bright red jacket to ring in the new year festivities, mostly because a friend of mine saw it, and was like, "That's a new year's jacket." (I was complaining about not having riding boots to make a horse themed outfit). But hey, what better way to ring in the new year than with a super lucky colour. Let's hope it brings me lots of money and a real job once I graduate! It's also traditional to wear a new article of clothing, so you'll be seeing what I bought Monday.

I love this turquoise nail polish from Sally Hansen that I received from Influenster. It's "jaded" from the Complete Salon Manicure line, and it's the perfect lagoon colour (and we all know I love shades of blue).

 You know what's great about boyfriend jeans? You never have to worry about shrinking them in the wash (I'm pretty paranoid about it happening)! They are about one size too large though – if you want to buy the 7 For All Mankind Josefina, I recommend sizing down. I bought my regular size, but I'm gonna run these through a hot water wash to try and shrink them down. As they are now, they're nearly falling off my hips without a belt.

Top: Isabel Marant for H&M (similar here)
Jacket: Club Monaco (similar here, also loving this cropped style)
Bottom: 7 For All Mankind (darker shade here)
Shoes: Enzo Angiolini (similar here)
Accessories: Michael Kors watch (similar here), Juicy Couture bracelet, H&M rings (similar here)

Linked up with - Style Elixir - Perfectly Coutured - Penniless Socialite - The Life of the Party - Hunters of Happiness - Simply Just Lovely - Perfectly Coutured - Her & Nicole - Everyday Fashion and Finance - Simply Lulu Style -

Leather and Leopard

Happy Monday! The warm weather has finally ended (unfortunately) so I'm back to needing to wear jackets all the time. Okay, I wear jackets all the time anyways, since I freeze after about five minutes of being outdoors, whether it's summer or winter. 

The funny thing is, is that it's only ever my upper body that gets cold. As long as my chest and arms are bundled up, I can wear skirts with a pair of tights, or peep-toe shoes even in the cold weather. I try not to when it's -20ºC or less though – don't want my toes to fall off!

 I have a love/hate relationship with leopard print. On one hand, I associate it with something tacky teenagers would wear (Snooki anyone?). On the other, I've seen it been done so tastefully by so many people, and I just can't resist giving it a go. While I wouldn't buy a full leopard print jacket, I'm loving leopard accessories and shoes. These Enzo Angiolini heels are the perfect beginners item to try out the trend. I'm also in love with purses and clutches with a leopard print panel.

 This Joie t-shirt came in from my Boxing Day shopping. I was looking for the perfect grey, crewneck that wasn't a tight fit, and wasn't too dark or too light. It was a tough search, but the linen material sold me. I love linen tees as they're so breathable and light, not to mention perfectly drapey.

I love this Michael Kors watch so much – it's perfect for layering!

Top: Joie

Bottom: Wilfred Free (similar here and here)

Shoes: Enzo Angiolini

Accessories: Michael Kors watch, Juicy Couture and Marc Jacobs bracelets

Linked up with - DC Instyle - Style Elixir - The Life of the Party - Penniless Socialite - More Pieces of Me - Suburbs Mama - Hunters of Happiness - Simply Just Lovely - Perfectly Coutured - My Girlish Whims -

Friday's Fab Favorites Link Up

Style Elixir (follow here!) | Tangled Musings (follow here!) | Merriment & Grace (follow here!)

Happy  Friday everyone! I'm happy to tell you that I'm co-hosting the Friday's Fab Favourites link up this week with Style Elixir and Merriment & Grace. Be sure to link up and check out other bloggers!

Friday's Fab Favorites Link Up:

1. Please follow your Host Style Elixir (via Bloglovin' or Instagram) and your fabulous Co-Hosts... Tangled Musings (follow via Bloglovin') Merriment & Grace (follow via Bloglovin') 2. Link up anything... it could be one of your previous posts that you like, or a post about your favorite things! 3. Please include a link back to this post within your post (because it's such a nice thing to do!) 4. Now simply add your link below! We hope you all enjoy meeting other bloggers and discovering some new things. 5. If you would like to Co-Host Friday's Fab Favorites, email stylelixir@gmail.com for more details!

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Feel Good in Gold

Hello everyone! Hope you're having a lovely week.

Swish, swish...

I love this gold skirt with 3D floral details. I've worn it on the blog before, and have had it for the last three years or so. I'm super careful with it, as the fabric is delicate, and to be honest, the lining is falling apart slightly (nothing a bit of hand-sewing can't fix though).

While I wore this to a party over the weekend, it's definitely something I'd wear everyday to school, or hanging out with my girlfriends. My girls (and guys) will give me heck for being overdressed, while my mom will point out the sheer top, but I'm cool like that. And I don't care, I look and feel good. Because that's what dressing yourself is about, feeling good.

Top: Bluenotes (similar here)

Bottom: Forever21 (similar here, here, and here)

Shoes: Steve Madden (similar here)

Accessories: DIY, Juicy Couture bracelets, H&M rings

Linked up with - More Pieces of Me - Style Elixer - Suburbs Mama - The Mrs. and the Momma - Simply Lulu Style - 

Back to School Knits

The perfect shoes to play D&D and heading out to Peters' for milkshakes at midnight

Another semester has started and 9 am classes do not make for a very fashionable Arielle. With classes this early, I try to keep my hair, makeup, and outfits simple. A pair of dark, skinny jeans are my usual go-to with a sweater dress or tunic, but I wanted to switch things up a bit this year. 

I decided to take some inspiration from Aimee and Dani Song's Instagrams, and wrapped a plaid shirt around my waist to jazz up the ensemble a bit. Normally when I wear such a simple outfit (jeans and a sweater, or jeans and a t-shirt), I need to load up on accessories, but I simply can't think so early in the morning. The added layer adds a bit of interest with minimal effort, which made up for the lack of arm candy in my mind. 

Top: Urban Outfitters (similar here, here, and here), American Eagle (similar here and here)

Bottom: Genetic Denim (similar here)

Shoes: Christian Siriano for Payless (similar here)

Bag: From Korea (similar here and here)

Linked up with - DC Instyle - Everyday Fashion and Finance - The Life of the Party - Hunters of Happiness -

Skirts in the Winter

Happy Friday! Talk about warm weather... I was living in denim and knitwear for the last few weeks when it was -30ºC out and now it's 3ºC every day! Perfect weather for skirts, and after the cold snap, I feel like I don't even need to wear tights (I would totally regret that decision after 10 minutes or so though).

I love the motion this skirt allows for – the pleats swing so nicely in the wind... or when your doing some sort of jig on your driveway like me.

How cute is this Marc Jacobs bracelet? It's a little cat, with eyelashes! 

To take skirts into winter, I tend to pair them with heavy knits, black tights, and a pair of boots. These flat ones are perfect for making sure I don't slip and fall on the ice. On warmer days, I'm not opposed to subbing the tights in for thigh high socks or over the knee boots though. Both are perfect transition pieces for spring.

Top: H&M (similar here and here)

Bottom: American Eagle (similar here and here)

Shoes: Roberto Vianni (similar here and here)
Accessories: Marc Jacobs bracelet, Michael Kors watch

Linked up with - Style Elixir  - Good Enough to Read - Simply Just Lovely - Perfectly Coutured - My Girlish Whims - 

Yves Saint Laurent Movie

Is anyone else excited for the Yves Saint Laurent biopic?! It was just released in France on the 8th, and will hopefully be making its way to North America soon.

The movie features Pierre Niney as Saint Laurent, and oh my is he good looking. Did I mention the movie includes the iconic photos of Saint Laurent nude? Yea, I'm looking forward to it, anyone else?

 

Sunday Baking ~ Krémeš

Krémeš is another Hungarian dessert, literally meaning creamy in Hungarian. Basically, it's custard in between two sheets of puff pastry, similar to the french mille-feuille. There are different versions of it as well, often homemade krémeš uses a thicker, runnier, custard. However, the bakery version is light and fluffy. 

The krémeš from the Eastern European bakery in Calgary uses a very thick and rich custard rather than the light and fluffy one I enjoyed as a child and on my visits to Hungary. I've also seen versions where there is a rich custard layered with whipped cream in between pastry, as well as custard layered with jam and pastry, so there are multiple ways to get creative with this dessert.

Making the krémeš is very easy, and considerably less time consuming than gerbeaud. I used pre-bought frozen puff pastry sheets, rolled them out and baked them until golden. You can start making the custard as soon as you've thrown the pastry into the oven. 

*Note: I use a 9x13 pan and the custard fits in perfectly – not too much, not too little.

Ingredients:

2 sheets of puff pastry

2 cups milk

3 packages unflavoured gelatin

8 eggs, separated

4 egg whites

3/4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Optional: icing sugar

Directions:

Roll out the puff pastry and bake for 10 minutes at 350°F. You want to make them slightly larger than the dish you're using to hold this, as puff pastry will shrink a bit as it cooks.

Boil the milk with gelatin.

Mix the cornstarch with an equal amount of water. Add the sugar to this mixture.

When the milk is hot and gelatin dissolved, stir in the cornstarch mixture. The mixture should look like runny cream after a few minutes.

Add the vanilla to the egg yolks and lightly beat together. Add this to the milk and stir until a thick custard forms.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Use a metal bowl, egg whites beat best in metal, especially copper. You want to beat the egg whites until you can flip the bowl upside down without the egg whites moving around or falling out. I dare you to hold it upside down over your head.

Fold the egg whites into the custard.

Place a layer of puff pastry into a dish and put the custard/egg white mixture on top. Place the second sheet of pastry on top and dust with icing sugar if you want. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving so everything has a chance to firm up.

Linked up with - My Girlish Whims -

Little Red Jacket

Twirling

I need more necklaces to layer...

Some girls are addicted to shoes, others to purses... Me, I'm addicted to jackets...

Alright, I admit, that's a lie. In reality, I'm a sucker for any of the three aforementioned topics, as well as multiple others. I definitely found myself buying jackets more often this winter compared to shoes (which I really ought to buy more of, considering most of mine are open or peep toed). I've found myself wearing denim more often nowadays. I think my massive shopping for basic tops (sweaters, tees, etc.) has contributed to this. I've lacked basic tees for awhile now, and to compensate I've been living in skirts and dresses for the last year, possibly two. I'm slowly bringing denim back in, and with the multiple cold snaps (it's been the coldest winter Calgary has had for 20 years), I have to say, it's been the perfect time to drag them out. 

Coupled up with the tees and sweaters I've bought (and bracelets to layer with, since I feel very plain without arm swag or necklaces), was this Club Monaco jacket (I told you I was addicted). I went into Club Monaco looking for some skirts during Boxing Day and was about to leave empty handed when a sliver of red caught my eye. At first I walked by, telling myself I didn't need another jacket this year, but I couldn't ignore the colour – it's a bright tomato red, perfect for brightening up greyer days. Despite the vivid colour, this jacket isn't glaring or harsh on the eyes. It's gonna get a lot of love this winter and spring.

Jacket: Club Monaco (similar here, here and here)

Top: H&M (similar here)

Bottom: Joe's Jeans

Shoes: Aldo (similar here)

Accessories: From Korea, Fossil necklace

Linked up with - Penniless Socialite - Suburbs Mama - Perfectly Coutured - Simply Lulu Style - The Life of the Party - Style Elixer - Because Shanna Said So -

Sherlocked

 As many of you know, I'm obsessed with BBC's Sherlock. And Benedict Cumberbatch... and BBC.... I've already started watching it (BBC live streams it on their site), and needless to say, I'm fan-girling as usual. Sherlock's season 3 will be airing in Canada on PBS January 19th. To celebrate, I've put together a Sherlock inspired outfit.

Season 3 is starts on the 19th!

A long masculine jacket and scarf are key to Sherlock's look.

Sherlock would totally use this pinecone as a clue... right?

Jacket: Zara (similar here)
Top: Lady Dutch
Bottom: J Brand (similar here)
Shoes: Pegabo (similar here)

Linked up with - Penniless Socialite - More Pieces of Me - Everyday Fashion and Finance - Simply Just Lovely - Style Elixer -

Beads and Leather

Love this beaded collar. Normally I'm not a fan of beaded embellishments (I find they tend to look "busy") but this top from H&M was perfect. The beading is very subtle and doesn't get in the way of all my layered necklaces.

I am so in love with these leather pants. Leather adds instant edge to an otherwise ordinary outfit. I originally bought these to go with my lace peplum top. I'd been wanting a pair of leather pants since the summer, and found these at Aritzia early on. I knew I had to have them, but I held back since I didn't think anything in my closet would really go with. Turns out, after buying the peplum top and consequently these pants, nearly every top I own goes with them. 

Top: H&M (similar here and here)

Bottom: Wilfred Free (similar here and here)

Shoes: Steve Madden (similar here and here)

Accessories: CoutuKitsch necklace, ASOS necklace (similar here)

Linked up with - Simply Just Lovely - Everyday Fashion and Finance - Style Elixer - Penniless Socialite -

I Wear Blankets

This Anthropologie coat reminds me of a blanket, it's so cozy and warm. A lot of the time, I'm freezing even indoors, and I'll just take this jacket and and wrap it around me. This time, I added a belt to give it a little more definition around the waist and add a bit of sparkle (I'm still in the holiday mood). 

I also wore this coat travelling to and from parties on New Year's Eve. Good thing, considering we had a sudden mass snowfall, and my car ended up getting stuck in a drift by my friend's house as I was heading home. I had to shovel my way out with the help of the guys. I can definitely vouch that he mohair blend definitely keeps you warm though (if you remember, I was in a lace blouse).

Despite being an extra small, it's still quite large and roomy, perfect to layer thick sweaters underneath when the deep freeze and mass snowfall decides it's gonna hit again.

Coat: Anthropologie (old) (similar here, here, and here)

Bottom: J Brand

Shoes: Sam Edelman (suede ones here)

Bag: Danier (similar here)

Linked up with - Hunters of Happiness - Perfectly Coutured - My Girlish Whims - The Glossy 

Blonde -