What’s better than having 2 pairs of shoes? Having 8. Tanya Heath Paris has come up with an ingenious design after years in France, where you can pop off the heel on a shoe and swap it out for another.
Are you a mom? On the go? Ha! (Trick question!) Code Vitesse is a Canadian designer with the goal of giving women the freedom to do as they please while remaining comfortable, yet stylish in their clothing. It’s awfully hard to find stylish and flattering back to work fashion. These versatile pieces are easy to pair up or down, and can help a busy mother easily transition from a work function to her kid’s play date.
Wrinkle free, cling-resistant and flowy, the Code Vitesse pieces allow moms to look polished in seconds. Just don’t forget the lipgloss as you run out the door!
I am horrible with money. I don’t like talking about it, negotiating or thinking about it. I come from a family who was fixated on saving and gifting money. Fights over who pays the bill at brunch and then the expectation of endless thank yous made me tempted to skip the meal in the first place. I know I’m an ostrich and want savings made simple, but really, I shouldn’t blame anyone but myself. I’m certainly not setting a good example for the kids with my avoidance.
I’ve decided to take part in the Family Financial Challenge and would love to encourage you to join me by sharing your own tips to save money throughout the month of February.
Here are what I’ll be focusing on each week:
• Week 1 – Cash, Cash, Cash
• Week 2 – Food
• Week 3 – Family
• Week 4 – Clothes
Financial guru Gail Vaz-Oxlade. will be participating in a Chatelaine Twitter Party on Thursday, February 6 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m EST. We’d love for you to join the conversation by tweeting to @GailVazOxlade and @Chatelaine using the hashtag #SavingMadeSimple with all of your questions. Learn more on Chatelaine!
So my goals? For this first week I’m focused on CASH to see where my money actually goes. (bites nails).
First I signed up on mymoneymychoices.com to begin the 23 step guide. By following the process I will examine your financial habits, understand where mymoney goes and set up financial goals. The tasks below are going to be painful but worth it!!
• I will set up my personal profile on mymoneymychoices.com
• I completed the first activity which includes a six month personal spending analysis, debt repayment plan, net worth statement and personal budget.
• After setting up my family budget, I will be living on CASH for the remainder of the month divided into jars.
• I will complete a spending journal and document every purchase, payment and credit coming into and out of your account for the next month.
I think I’d rather get a root canal. That is all.
Depending on how this all unfolds I may just be able to share some cool tips with you. Or at least share what I TRY to accomplish. Wish me luck!!!
So I have a confession to make, I’m a complete colour geek. In fact, when Pantone announced their colour of the year for 2014 I actually stayed up until 1am to catch the news. It’s sad but true. Thankfully I wasn’t disappointed because the colour they chose is gorgeous – Radiant Orchid.
“Radiant Orchid blooms with confidence and magical warmth that intrigues the eye and sparks the imagination. It is an expressive, creative and embracing purple – one that draws you in with it’s beguiling charm. A captivating harmony of fuchsia, purple, and pink undertones, Radiant Orchid emanates great joy, love and health.” – from the Pantone website.
Historically speaking Pantone’s colour of the year choices have made major impact on fashion, home decor, and even graphic design. (Remember Honeysuckle in 2011, and Emerald Green last year; Pantone called it). At the recent fashion previews for Spring 2014 Radiant Orchid was spotted on the runways at both Max Mara and Missoni, which almost guarantees it will trickle down to mass market fashions as well.
Personally I’m loving this new hue, it’s about time that we see something fresh and vibrant hit the fashion scene as opposed to the deep jewel tones and heavy makeup that has been popular for the last few seasons. A nice bonus; purple is one of the most universally flattering colours out there, so this really is a trend that everyone can participate in. If you have fair skin, lean towards cooler lilac based colours, and if your skin is darker pick a deep rich shade of orchid.
So what’s the best way to wear this new hue? If you are feeling bold you can wear it all-over, but I will probably lean towards a few statement pieces in Radiant Orchid. I’m already envisioning skinny jeans, with a light orchid coloured cardigan, and a cluster of vintage broaches (maybe a beehive too?). Or maybe I’ll get a nice cross-body bag in a deeper orchid shade and pair it with my spring/summer dresses. For me the key to participating in a trend is to balance my investment. A good bag will be with me for a long time so I can splurge, if I decide to go for Radiant Orchid pants though, I’ll probably get a budget friendly pair.
Not sure what shades play well with Radiant Orchid? You are safe working with navy, brown, or even a deep violet. If you want to create a real statement with your outfit consider pairing it with teal, turquoise, or last year’s favourite; emerald.
If you still aren’t convinced or ready to go all out with the trend, how about starting with your makeup? This is a great colour to wear on your lips or tips – in fact you might be able to do both for a polished monochrome look. However you style it, do give this trend a try, and then tweet us a pic – we’d love to see what you came up with!