Versace x H&M

H&M windows decked out in bright & shiny Versace.

Line-up for non-bracelet folks around noon - thankfully we were at the very front of the line! 

Darling Kris who suffered through the cold with me - brave soul...

Finally! What's in the bag??? 

A vibrant pink belt that fits like a charm! I'm excited to dress up some LBD's with this one :) 

As per usual, nothing went according to plan with my intentions for the Versace x H&M event today. I had intended to head to the Pacific Centre bright & early as the store was opening at 8 AM - until I got wind of the fact that bracelets had been passed out & were long gone as of 8 PM last night. Not overly impressed that this process wasn't publicized, as I gladly would have waited for one last night had I know. Regardless, I figured as of 10 AM the general public would have their turn & I would be good to go. Boy was I wrong.... 

We braved the freezing cold for a solid 3 hours in line, with Kris & I taking intermittent turns inside the shopping centre to warm up. There were definitely points when I questioned if it was worth it, or whether I should just head home. One thing I love about line-ups however, is the people you tend to meet & the conversations you end up having. As chance should have it I ended up next to a lovely fashion blogger, Becky, who is also from the east coast & instantly won me over with her recognition of my X-Ring. So with good company & anticipation of the treasures waiting inside, 3 hours passed fairly quickly.

When it was clear that the list of bracelet-shoppers had exhausted, you could see a definite change in everyone's spirits. Each person in the first group grinned like cheshire cats, plotting out their strategies once inside. Finally inside, we were informed that we had a measly 5 minutes to shop. Chaos reigned, people grabbing everything possible. Overwhelmed, I noticed the few clothing pieces I had actually liked from the collection were gone (the black + gold ones; the prints were a bit too garish for my taste), as was the pendant necklace. But at the end of the day, I'm completely satisfied with my 2 newest acquisitions! So with shiny Versace bags in hand, Kris & I headed out for brunch at The Templeton. A solid Saturday if I do say so myself :)

Did any of you brave the weather & line-ups for a chance at owning some Versace x H&M? If so I'd love to hear what treasures you were lucky enough to get! :)

<3 Shawna

Dots at Dusk

My signature mischievous look caught on camera haha

 I was wearing:

Turquoise bamboo scoop top - Nasty Gal (different colour here)

Polka dot skirt - United Colors of Benetton

Glitter ballet flats - Spring

Lipstick - Elizabeth Arden, Pink Vibrations

As promised, here are some photos from yesterday! Due to the rain we had a little impromptu photoshoot on our highly picturesque balcony just before supper. I really apologize for the lighting; I just can't believe how early it gets dark outside!

This morning I woke up to the teeniest little blanket of snow in our back yard & you can imagine my excitement. I grabbed the camera immediately to insure documentation of this wondrous weather event. It certainly helps me feel that much more festive (not that I had the slightest trouble beforehand haha :)
Tonight I have a ladies dinner to attend, so for the rest of the day I will probably be in the kitchen (I'm thinking vegan pumpkin muffins with walnuts & coleslaw with creamy avocado dressing mmm).

Tomorrow morning will be another early one, as the H&M x Versace collection is released in North America & one of the 3 Canadian stores housing it happens to be a 10 minute walk away :) It opens at 8 AM so I'm trying to gauge the best time to head there. I've heard the European releases were madness; what do you all think? I'll let you all know how it goes :)

<3 Wishing you all a wonderful day!

And then the rain came

1. Watching the rain on our balcony + sneak peek of outfit photoshoot to be posted tomorrow. 

2. Noel Nog - delicious Christmasy goodness a la vegan 

3. New books arrived in mail - yay!

4. My lovely new silk scarf from Banana Republic (today's acquisition) 

I sleepily went off to work this morning at 5:30 AM, quelled by the prospect of sunshine & after-work adventures. Unfortunately by the time I reached home at 1 PM the rain began & hasn't stopped since. So it turned into a quiet day at home, gloating over my newest item (the gorgeous gem-printed silk scarf seen above), enjoying far too much Noel Nog, & just relaxing. It was actually quite nice, however I am hoping for some productivity & pleasant weather tomorrow morning!

We also managed to get in a quick photoshoot before the sun went down. Albeit a dusky set of photos, they'll be posted tomorrow here & on lookbook so stay tuned :)

Thank you for reading! <3 

I AM DOWNTOWN

Tonight we braved the rain to attend the 'I Am Downtown' shopping + fashion event at the Pacific Centre, here in downtown Vancouver. 


As you can see from the advertisement below, the event included a fashion show within the shopping centre. I absolutely loved all the pieces shown - so much glitter, sequin, & velvet! The outfits were basically comprised of designers & labels housed at the Pacific Centre, including: Michael Kors, Max Mara, Aritzia, Browns, Hugo Boss, Stuart Weitzman, Club Monaco, Judith & Charles, Mexx, Harry Rosen, Nine West, Sears, & Ann Louise Jewellers. The only negative aspect was not being able to easily identify the designers of each & every piece (unfortunate if you've got precise shopping on the mind).


Anyways, I've got a bunch of fashion show photo's for you below. All were taken by the wonderfully obliging Matt Walker, so I could better focus on the stuff at hand (& he's about 150x better than me anyways). 


Hope you enjoy & please let me know what your favourite pieces are! 

This one was unfortunately slightly blurred, but I had to show you this gorgeous cardi/wrap sweater!

Oh hello bag that I really, really want. 

Stuart Weitzman heels

Pretty much need this coat.

One of my absolute favourites of the night - Velvet blazer, velvet pants, sheer blouse.... so fabulous.

Going on a mission tomorrow to find this blazer! 

Club Monaco velvet skirt.

Stunning statement necklace & earrings by Ann Louise Jewellers.

So much sparkle... 

My other favourite of the evening - the black sequin jumpsuit! Completely enamoured with this one...

And that is that! Hope you all have a wonderful evening :)

What's In My Bag?

   

The bag: my dear 14" Cambridge Satchel in fluorescent pink, with my initials embossed in gold! Every time I wear this thing people stop me in the street just to comment. Pretty amusing, pretty bright.

My beloved Blackberry 

Comb, bobby pins, & my work name tag, on top of the most important thing of all - my Planner! I prefer to write things out rather than put it in my blackberry. I actually would not be able to function without this thing, so it obviously comes with me everywhere. 

My favourite lipgloss in the cutest little floral ball; a USB drive for those 'just in case' times; & a lucky penny... it's a little weird I guess, but I keep one in all my bags (& suitcases when travelling) for good luck haha :) 

The best moisturizer ever (Cosmetic Lad, Lush) & a lipstick, which I always have on hand in some colour or another. This particular one is Elizabeth Arden, Fiesta. 

My handy dandy Ray Ban glasses, without which I would not be able to survive. I shamefully don't wear them as often as I'm supposed to (that being all the time...oops). They are super fun though, & I love them dearly!

My favourite wallet: It's a Matt & Nat item with pyramid stud detailing. Matt & Nat is an amazing Canadian line of vegan & eco-friendly handbags & wallets - if you haven't heard of them definitely check them out! 

My neon yellow makeup pouch from H&M + my basic retouching makeup: L'Oreal Paris True Match foundation in N2 Classic Ivory; Bonnebell eyeliner in Black Ink; & Garnier Nutritioniste Anti-Dark Circle Roller.

Organic trail mix... I go literally nowhere without a bag of this on hand.

My cute bejewelled compact mirror & a pair of earrings I always keep in my bag just in case I forget to put in a pair before leaving home. 

And this is the gorgeous weather I woke up to this morning :)

So there you have it - that is what's in my bag! This was actually a pretty fun post to create, so hopefully you guys enjoyed it as well :) After a very hectic few days at work, I have the next 4 days off & am pretty excited as you can imagine! I'm really looking forward to getting in several outfit photoshoots, & spicing up the blog a little.

I really want to thank all you lovely readers for taking the time to read my blog. Please feel free to comment & leave your own personal blog address, as I visit each & every one. And if you enjoy my blog please consider following on Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin' :) 

<3 Shawna