Departures & Arrivals: Volume 4 - HFX to VRA

1. sun & palms everywhere
2. nerd alert: game of thrones = read of the week
3. ebay find: marc jacobs tote for beach essentials
4. best mojito ever created - fresh mint grew everywhere simply for this purpose!
5. handsome hubby chill-axing on our catamaran tour of Cayo Blanco
6. savior from burning to a crisp
7. beautiful foliage on the resort
8. sunset like no other
9. touring Varadero
10: hen party on the catamaran
11: the happy couple - love u guys! xo

Later, Chicas!

Hola Preciosas!

I'm officially off to Cuba with the Hubby!

Back in a week fresh as a daisy.

Blog soon,

xo Libby

Get Nailed or Be Judged

Hi everyone!
I'm excited that Libs asked me to guest blog this week. Everyone has a style/beauty obsession and below is a description of mine. 
Hope you enjoy the read. 
@suz_hali 
p.s. In case you're curious, today I am wearing Red My Fortune by O.P.I.


I judge women who have bad nails. There, I said it. I am baffled when I see ladies with awful nails. Chipped, stained, bare, and dry nails. Style is all in the details. And while you may be sporting the latest handbag and pumps; one look at your nails and your style credibility goes down the drain.  Plus, aside from pure visual appeal, manicures maintain moisture and cleanliness in the hands.

It may seem like a tall order to upkeep. But after many years of obsessing and seeking the best products for nails, I have found six essentials to keep my nails and hands looking like they should.

1. First is Gehwol protective nail and skin oil. The company describes it as a product that effectively protects against fungal infections and the nails and skin regains its elasticity and beauty. And, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

2. Next item is the one and only Nail Envy by O.P.I. Two coats of this on your bare nails and it will help them grow longer and stronger. 

3. The best tool for the application of any color is a proper double ended professional grade metal cuticle pusher. They are much more accurate for polish clean up than orange sticks and will last much longer. Shown above is the Tweezerman version which is a bit on the pricey side.  You can, however, find many different styles and sizes for under $10 at most local beauty supply stores. 

4. Everyone should also own a good emery board. The one that makes the list is the Six Different Surfaces to Shape and Shine Nails also by Tweezerman. It has a lifetime guarantee. Enough said.

5. If there is one colour you should own, it would be Bubble Bath by O.P.I. It is the little black dress of nail polish colors.

6. And finally, the shiny finish: Creative Nail Design Super Shiney High Gloss Top Coat. It’s a mouth-full and boy it does wonders.

There. That’s it. That’s all you need!

As for time? I usually paint my nails in the evening, giving them as much time to dry as possible, then wait until morning to apply a top coat. This will ensure a smudge and wrinkle free finish.  Any minor lines that develop over the evening will magically disappear with one swipe of a topcoat! I have, however, been known to sneak a topcoat fix in my office as well: the key to extending the life of any manicure is a reapplication of topcoat every two or three days.

Call me crazy but I refuse to be judged by own worst enemy: moi.

the 100

shades: joe fresh // lips: stila "giggle" // t: forever 21 // chambray blazer: club monaco (sold out but info here) // jeans: gap // shoes: aldo // nail polish: essie "lapis of luxury" // clutch: anne taylor (similar)

Look at me, all "chatty patty". I have something else to say today!! 

I just had to comment on this vintage style rolling stones t I picked up at forever 21.  I have read (and would highly recommend) all of Nina Garcia's style books but particularly liked "The 100".  It is not only good for a personal collection but it makes such a great gift idea too! 

In the book Nina does an amazing job of highlighting the 100 items every girl should own and proves that a girl really only needs these 100 pieces, no more, no less. One such item is a "concert tee". So here it is! My concert tee! .... and i have to say that after purposely scoping it  out based on Nina's advice, i wear it all the time.

And in some further / exciting news I am heading to Cuba at the end of this week until the end of the month.  In order to give me a bit of extra time to prep, I am handing you, my dear readers, over into the good hands of my fashion partner in crime who will be attempting a post for me as a guest blogger later on this week.  We shall call her Suzie D for the purposes of this blog.  Miss D puts the ass-in-class and is basically my fashion idol. 

Later Chicas!

score.

t: joe fresh // belt: asos // pants: DVF via Foreign Affair // shoes: aldo // bag: tory burch // watch: michael kors // neon bracelets: random street vendor in Paris  // braided bracelets: h&m // nails: OPI "polar bare".

I don't normally write much commentary but this post is deserving for two reasons.

Firstly, the pants. The DVF spring 2011 ready to wear collection (full collection here) was one of my absolute faves over the past few years. More specifically these pants caught my eye (not to mention they were worn by Canada's own Tara Gill in the show! :D  ) So you can imagine how i literally jumped for joy when i found them at Foreign Affair this fall on MAJOR sale. I think I may have paid $60 for them. So they are a size to big, who cares ;) SCORE!!

Secondly, as noted in these pics I could not stand to do one more post from my back deck. There are so many potentially gorgeous locations to take photos here in Halifax but work / weather gets in the way every time! I found these pictures so funny - the contrast of me being so excited about wearing "straight off the runway" pieces with the backdrop of my front yard that makes me look like I am shooting from a treehouse.  Greg and I just bought our house in the fall and this is actually one of the things i love about it.  We are right in the city but it is in a very mature subdivision (ie note the brook in our front yard behind me in the first pic!) with lots of houses built in the 60's that have been fully renovated.  

Either way I am sure you can all understand my excitement in finding these trousers!!! What is your biggest closet SCORE??

wear your vegetables

shades: joe fresh // jacket: all saints spitalfields "feathers" // vest: old navy // t: gap // jeans: banana republic // shoes: j crew // bag: michael kors

possibilities

shades: american eagle // turtleneck & shorts: joe fresh // jacket: banana republic // belt: jcrew // bag: rebecca minkoff // shoes: aldo

reality

glasses: versace // lips: stila "giggle" // jacket & belt: old navy // sweater: banana republic // pants: rw&Co // shoes: badgley mischka // bag: michael kors // nails: essie "lollipop" and joe fresh "wave" //  bracelets: tiffany&co, club monaco, random flea market find in Bermuda from my Papa :) and alex&ani

there, that's better....

shirt: jcrew // jacket: banana republic // belt: joe fresh // jeans: gap // shoes: aldo (similar) // clutch: unknown via winners (similar) // nails: essie "lollipop" & joe fresh "wave" 

after 6 months of hair detox, i've happily gone back to my (not-so-natural) roots ;)

Departures & Arrivals: Volume 3 - YHZ to JFK

1 -  few little purchases from the trip: banana sweater // some new mascara // alex & ani bracelet
2 - the ass end of a gargantuan grass bunny being constructed in Rockefeller Plaza for Easter
3 - gorgeous weather on Park Ave on the way home from the last meeting of the trip
4 - early morning run on lex
5 - late night polish shopping at Duane reade
6 - free time = dangerous ;)
8 - contemplated one of the gorg new spring 2012 jcrew bangles
9 - opted instead for snagging a catalog and calling it quits early on a shopping mission in favor of some light reading and vino in my room.

monday / tuesday

monday: shades: joe fresh // t: gap // jacket & skirt: old navy

tuesday: glasses: versace // necklaces': smartset & forever 21 // dress: unknown via winners (similar) // jacket: h&m (old) // bag: michael kors

will be YHZ to JFK for the rest of the week... catch y'all on the flipside! :)

xo, Libby

on being human

shades & shoes: joe fresh // shirt: gap // pants: jcrew minnie // bag: rebecca minkoff // watch: michael kors