Finds...

Today marks 30 days until my annual SKI BUNNY WEEKEND with some girlfriends.  I await this weekend each winter as it seems to be the only thing I enjoy about the later part of Winter.  I am currently ready for Spring and chirping birds, but with Bunny weekend as we endearingly call it on the horizon, I pull down the toque and the boots up and charge thru!

Now I may be a skier (it is making a come back I tell  ya ;) ) deep in my heart I am always jealous of the amazing fashions that snowboarder ladies have that us skiers don't have.  And not to mention they can walk in their boots!! hahaha  So when Burton paired up with Manitobah Mukluks and designed a snowboarding mukluk my jealously soared again! hahaha

So BOARD BUNNIES, add these to your hillside essentials this winter, and make the rest of us waiting in line with you at the chair lift green with envy!  With the tradition of mukluks and Burton behind the boot you know it will be top notch!  I bet you may even board better! lol

To purchase them online go to {manitobah.ca} for $279 CAD.

Event Clothing... Golden Globed 2014

Here we are.. first blog post of 2014... a long time coming....

So before getting into all the little things happening with me, or the things I would like to GRIPE about, or the MUST HAVE FINDS we shall begin with a bang, GOLDEN GLOBE red carpet review!!!

Drum roll please... and we are off!

Alison Williams in Alexander McQueen was boring for me.  She has an incredible body and has worn some great pieces so this was just boring and safe for me.  It is TV's biggest night, bring out the big guns.  Side note, GIRLS is back and I am BEYOND happy about it!

Amber Heard, WOW... stunning!  That midnight blue was radiant.  Now granted you may be looking at this picture and thinking I am smoking something but perhaps this wasn't the most flattering angle, but va va voom!

Aubrey Plaza did what I love, took a chance in Oscar de la Renta!  Purple, lilac and pink, so fresh!  Also, this is the first sighting of the trend of the night, the modified hem line showing the shoes.  Aside from being pregnant this was the top trend of the carpet.

And speaking of pregnant and hemlines, Drew Barrymore in Monique Lhuiller.  It is not my favorite but could have been a lot worse.  Let's just say she wears that pregnant glow amazingly well.

My girl, Jennifer Lawrence in Dior.  Sadly this was not thrilling.  This girl has way my sartorial class than most and this dress was average.  It is already being mocked all over the internet with duvets and electrical tape.  I am hoping she played this down so her Oscar dress will seem UNREAL.  Fingers crossed.

Ever the classic Julia Roberts in Dolce and Gabbana.  Effortless and timeless is what this look was.  Ageless perhaps.  Her makeup was fantastic, a nice dark eye.

Julianna Margulies in Andrew Gn knocked my socks off.  The proportions and the deep V, thumbs up!

Julie Bowen in Carolina Herrera left me perplexed.  This is when a tiny petite girl gets her proportions wrong.  The sleeves were too big for her frame, but A++ for the colours and the velvet.  Stunning dress just maybe not for her.

Newlywed funny gal Kaley Cuoco in this printed Rani Zakhem was a beautiful sight!  I loved it, classic feminine beauty with a twist.  Also look closely she did a great GREEN eye makeup that brought out the subtly hues of the dress. 

Kate Beckinsale in Zuhair Murad proving she is still the sex pot with the mostest.  Fun fact!  The zipper in the dress broke in the limo and she was late on arrival to the carpet and she had to be sewn into this super tight dress... imagine what happens when she has to pee...lol

Pregnant Kerry Washington in a custom Balenciaga was gorgeous.  She let the bump to do all the talking!

IT girl Lena Dunham in the amazingly bright Zac Posen is her stepping up her carpet game!  The corset work on Posen's dresses are magical, and it worked its magic on her curves.  She is getting hit hard in the press with thumbs down but I really do/did like it.

Proving the peplum is here to stay Leslie Mann wore Dolce and Gabbana and she wore it well.  Always a lady she is.

Melissa McCarthy in her own design left me going.. ugh why!  Love her, love her choices 90% of the time but this dress was too much fabric for me.  Just felt she could have done better than a graduation gown with a fancy drapey scarf.

My new obsession Downton Abbey's Michelle Dockery in Oscar de la Renta.  The colour was too muted for me but the dress flatters her sooo well.  *trend alert

Resse Witherspoon is a sporty femme fatale in this dress.  This Calvin Klein dress colour is a stand out.

Sandra Bullock in Prabal Gurung is in my top picks.  It was just so different! *trend alert

Sofia Vergara in Zac Posen was meh.  However, that necklace, I die!  The necklace canceled out my lack luster appeal of the dress.

At first glance I thought Tina Fey's dress was a flamingo pattern and I was THRILLED, cause how awesome would that be.  Then I noticed it was flowers, boo ..lol  But really, great dress!

Zooey Deschanel in Oscar de la Renta gets major major fashion props for making a crop top acceptable for black tie fare.  Hello who does that!  Love this girl!  *trend alert

Elizabeth Moss in J Mendal was amazing!  This is in my very top favorites.  Sexy, feminine, daring and yet that cranberry colour is so classic.  Hands down a winner for sure!  *trend alert

Now Emma Watson in Dior is getting mixed reviews.  This twenty year old pushed the envelope and I LOVED it!  How daring yet classic is this apron dress with pants!  She makes me want to rip the back out of a dress and rock this all summer long!  I would totally suggest this outfit for a wedding guest this Summer... knock out.

SHOCKINGLY not getting much attention is Lizzy Caplan in Emillio Pucci.  The lines of the gold beading is an amazing silhouette.

Ok, confession time.  I have no clue who this is, or what she is wearing, but that blue is gorgeous!  Makes me think my closet needs more robins egg blue in it!  *trend alert

 

Lupita Nyong'o  in Ralph Lauren.  Although she looked amazing, that skin, all I thoguht is Gwenyth did it before.

Margot Robbie in Oscar de le Renta was breathtaking.  Something about emerald green and white is always amazing.  Loved her shoes!  Oh ps, you HAVE to go see Wolf on Wall Street, it is vulgar and long but 100% amazing!

IF I am ever pregnant I want to be completely in cased in green sequins.  I am officially jealous of a pregnant lady! Oliva Munn made everyone green with envy in this Gucci dress.

Rashida Jones in this super unique Fatso Puglisi dress made me realize that no matter the event her personality will shine.  An unusual choice but it works!

Well I think that post went well... the 2014 Friends in my Closet blogging has begun!!!  Hope you liked my picks, if you did or didn't leave a comment below!  Chat on Facebook and Tweet me!!!

Love you all, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Finds...

Here in Canada when I see fingerless gloves or palm warmers as some may call the, I roll my eyes and think, HELLO it is cold here, why the heck do you even bother to sell them.  I NEED my fingers covered!!  I don't want them to fall off!  Clearly.
Then my next thought is I wish they were practical cause they are always so pretty.  Case in point the ones below from {ASOS}.

So while perusing the web like I do, I stumbled upon this picture, and like a mack-truck it hit me; pair them with leather gloves!!! 

Now for those of you who do this already, congrats you are officially way smarter and way cooler than me.  But for the rest of us that thought fingerless gloves was something we would never do, LOOK how stylish they can be when paired with our leather gloves!

Voila!  My lifetime HATE and ANGER towards fingerless gloves is solved!  Next problem, trying not to purchase every pair of fingerless gloves I will come in contact with going forward.

The internet can be a beautiful thing when you can solve a lifetime Canadian problem in one picture.  lol  Now that might be overkill, but seriously it opened up a whole new world for me..lol

Happy pairing ladies!

Styling...

{ModCloth} came to me a week back and asked me to style their {CoachTourDress} any which way I wanted, how perfect!  Bonus, it is a competition!  If you haven't heard of the online retailer, RUN to their site now!  They have amazing pieces and in sizes 2-32!  Ladies you cannot go wrong!

Since it is the Holiday season and all of our social calenders are booked up, I thought this would be the perfect way to take what is a seemingly casual black dress and then style it two ways.  Since we all have a simple yet casual black dress we do not need to buy a fancy one just for an occasion.

The first look is easy.. pair some bold burgundy heels and a matching bag.  The earrings jazz it up.  It is sexy sophisticated without being over the top.

Second look is all about pizzazz!  This would be for the holiday party that is most definitely fancier.  Adding some great booties and a clutch that is to die for is a perfect statement.

Pair both looks with tights since that always gives a good base to a dress this time of year.  All the times below are from the {ModCloth} site too, so it is one stop shopping for any type of event.

Hope you like my styling head over to {Polyvore} if you do and hit LIKE.... I do want to win ;)

{Polyvore}

Personal...

Tomorrow marks my one year anniversary of my introduction into the sport of Crossfit and what a year it has been!

Last Nov I was stuck in the boring gym routine when I had the thought to get a personal trainer?  Would that make me more efficient?  Would it make me more accountable?  Would I like going to the gym more?  I pondered that for a while, and then I saw on Facebook that an old childhood friend was now doing personal training from her home.  I grabbed my sister and committed the next 8 weeks to training with Stephanie at her house.  Why not I thought, what do I have to lose in trying something new.

Stephanie’s style of training was ‘HIT… High Intensity Training’ and boy was it!  I had entered this new world where you lift heavy and then work your ass of in a short span.  In that first session in the ‘red room of pain’ as dubbed by one of her other clients, I had worked out harder than I had in the past year at the gym.  I WAS HOOKED. 

Steph trained me and she trained me hard.  I had a mind shift, I no longer had the goals I came to her with.  My goal was to become master the techniques of the moves we were doing so I could lift heavier weight.  Strong became my goal!  I just wanted to get stronger!  I became obsessed with Crossfit, constantly youtube’ing workouts, telling everyone I knew about ‘this insane workout’ I do.  I had finally found something I was passionate about since figure skating, a whopping 12 years post retirement.

I had considered myself strong before, but that was thrown out the door as I recognized how much stronger I could become.  Steph always encouraged me, ‘just a little bit more, you got this” was uttered more and more, and sure enough, heavier lifts I could do, I could jump rope longer, even double under it.  I was getting back to the stamina of my former National Figure Skating strength. 

Well, when those 8 weeks were finished, and I turned around and went back, and haven’t looked back! 

After a few months I needed MORE, I eventually got up the ‘courage’ to enter a box.  I knew I could do it, but working out with others in this way scared the s**t out of me.  I knew my skills, but I knew they would be better, I had check my ego at the door and enter because I loved it and moreover I needed it, I craved it.  After some trial and error I found my home at Crossfit Guelph.  Now to say that since joining in the spring has been great I would be lying, Crossfit is tough, it depletes me multiple times a week; however, I leave filled to the brim with accomplishment.  I read in an article once that said Crossfit is ‘communal suffering’ and that would be a great way to describe it. Being at Crossfit Guelph I have improved tenfold.  Things I couldn’t dream out doing I have succeeded at, that old adage, practice makes perfect explains this. Lol

I have become a part of a community of crossfitters, we are own breed.  I have been thru 5 workout partners that prove it is not for everyone, but it is for me, and I can’t imagine working out any other way EVER again.  This is it, I am a lifer.  At Stephanie’s and at Crossfit Guelph is where I belong.  It is where I am encouraged, it is where I am broken and rebuilt and rebuilt stronger.

Thursday will be the one year with the sport of Crossfit but most importantly it is also the one year anniversary of celebrating Thursday’s at 6:30pm with Stephanie.  I owe her more than she knows!  Because of her I found a new lease on life in terms of finding something I am passionate about.  She has taught me I can always push that little extra even when I think I have nothing in the tank.  Steph has made my confidence brighter and because of that my outlook on life and everything has shifted. 

Stephanie, I cannot thank you enough for following your passion to become a trainer.  You have inspired me, and you will continue to inspire others.  

Thank you for one of the best years of my life!  I look forward to more accomplishments with you and cheers to another year!

_Carlie

Steph spotting my bench press

Killing It! hahaha

 

Event Clothing...

This 'event clothing' post is a little differnet, this one is all about the amazing event I am hosting this coming Saturday; CONSIGN YOUR CURVES!!!

As you frequent readers know I have attended {BIG DEAL Toronto} over the past two Summers and have been able to make some money off the resale of my closet.  Thing is, I am not from Toronto but Guelph, so thought it was time that I brought this style of event to my neck of the woods.  Guelph as a small city is under-serviced in plus size consignment and this is a perfect way for myself and other tri-cities fashionistas to open up their cloests to other ladies!

I was thrilled when fashion friends, {Karyn}, {Erica}, {Jessica}, {Sheena} and {Melissa} got on board and wanted to sell their clothes too!  I was so flattered to have these ladies support me; Truly humbled.

If you are reading this and your are outside of Canada, or heck even outside of Ontario I am sorry you cannot attend... but! If you are around these parts, have access to public transit you must come out!!!  If not only to shop and meet these iconic plus size ladies in person!

I woke up this AM to see my local paper had done an article on me and the event, click {here} to read it!

I will wait with baited breathe to actually see how this event goes on Saturday, but by the current buzz it will be one not to miss!!!! And, of course a post next week to show and tell you how it went!

For those that read the newspaper article and came to check out my blog, thank you for stopping by!!
I hope that you come back again to see what I have to say!

Find the event {here} on Facebook!!!

** rack rentals are closed **

Styling...

In just seven days my best friend Cindy and I are heading out on our '30th Birthday' trip!  Yes our birthdays were in April, but we needed just the right time to head away.  We are checking out New Orleans and Washington, DC, we are both pretty pumped!!!

Now a constant struggle is what to wear while on a plane.  Yes the comfy lulu's or the trackers are always a great comfy choice however I always want to put my best foot forward, and sometimes wearing an outfit on the plane eases on packing.  And {Tim Gunn} says we must dress up, so I guess we MUST!

Below are a variety of outfits I could wear, and like I said earlier will also double for sight seeing outfits.  I am leaning towards to the far right, sweater tank option.  Layering is key for planes since you never know if you will be freezing or boiling.

What are your thoughts?  Do you dress up for flights?  Is the art of airport fashion dead?
Love to hear your opinion!