Tory Burch opens May 4th at Yorkdale, Toronto

Another great score for Yorkdale Mall - and fashionistas in the GTA - is the opening of the Tory Burch store this Friday May 4th, 2012.

Tory opened her first store in NYC (naturally) in 2004 and has gained a cult following (celebs like Beyonce, Oprah and Reese Witherspoon) ever since.  That first Store almost completely sold out of everything it had - the first day!  Tory's style is preppy-meets-modern-boho.  Her clothes, accessories, shoes and handbags all have those little details and fine embellishments that make something truly special.  Think of what you'd want to wear if you were lucky enough to be vacationing in The Hampton's at Kelly Ripa's place, or on a yacht in the Mediterranean with Jay-Z and Beyonce, or even your best friend's baby shower or backyard bbq.  Trust me - you'll find the perfect outfit for all those occasions at Tory Burch.  And if you can afford the prices, please do me a favour and buy a few things for me while you're there.  Thanks!

One of her best known items is the Reva ballet flat (named after her mother) - a few years ago you couldn't swing your Birkin bag without hitting someone wearing them.  (sidenote: I really wish I had a Birkin bag).  I'd name something after my mother too if she had dated Marlon Brando and Steve McQueen! 

Born in Philly, she's one of a few truly American designers, and very generous with her charitable pursuits.  Personally I love following her love life, as she's dated the likes of Lance Armstrong and is always seen at the best New York parties.  A cool lady, and a very cool line I wish I could fill my closet with.

Need a new super-cute coin purse?

I didn't realize I could shop at the Gift Shop for the Art Gallery of Ontario without actually going there.  Which is great, since I hate trying to park in that neighborhood.  I used to live up the street, and believe me, it's no picnic.

I digress...the point of this post is to show you one of a zillion cool products you can find at the AGO's gift shop: the Pochibi silicone change purse!  Cute, stylish, teeny and easy to clean, it has a handy carabiner to clip onto your purse, belt, whatever, and who can resist the bright colours!

Check out the coin purse and more (art prints, jewelry, books & more) at their online gift shop!

Need New Shoes? Trade-in at Joelle's for big savings!

Try This: the Mixology app

I love the Mixology app.  Not only can you find the recipes for almost 8000 drinks, you can avoid a trip to the liquor store by entering the ingredients you DO have in your liquor cabinet, and letting Mixology tell you all the drinks you can make with what you already have!  Genius.  Lots of other features such as sharing recipes with friends on social media, bartender tips & tricks, and a random recipe generator make it both useful and fun.  Grab it for your iPhone, Android, or Windows device.

Anthropologie Oakville Grand Opening April 27th

It's beautiful, it's huge, and it's here!  Anthropologie officially has its Grand Opening tomorrow - April 27th - in Oakville, Ontario at 159 Lakeshore Rd East.

Full of unique, bohemian-inspired clothing, home decor, books and accessories, Anthropologie is a fabulous place to shop for eclectic additions to your wardrobe, home, and gift arsenal.  This is the place to shop if you love it when people ask you "where did you get that?", which happens to me every time I wear something I have purchased there.  It's one of those places where you never have to worry that you'll see someone wearing the same thing, because everything they sell is just SO original.  Jewelry, initaled mugs, denim, feminine dresses, table linens...it's all here and it's all fabulous!

Taking over a beautiful old bank on Lakeshore (in Oakville's beautiful downtown) and turning it into a 2-storey mecca of beautiful things, you'll appreciate the architecture as well as the merchandise.

From what I've heard, the store hours tomorrow are shortened, but regular store hours will be Monday-Wednesday 10 am-6 pm, Thursday 10 am-8 pm, Friday 10 am-7 pm, Saturday 10 am-6 pm, and Sunday 11 am-7 pm.  The telephone number for Anthropologie Oakville is 905-815-8220.

Very Cool Art for Book Lovers

Want your Ideal Bookshelf immortalized in print?

If you're an avid reader, this is a beautiful way to express your love of books.  Pick your favourite titles, and have artist Jane Mount paint the spines to show your 'ideal bookshelf'!  What better way to combine art and literature?  Imagine creating one of all your child's favourites for their bedroom wall! 

The pricetag is a little steep on a custom work (hundreds of $), so if you're on a budget, you can grab a fabulous ready-made print in the $30 range!  I love the one above - all Fashion titles - how amazing for a stylish boutique owner or your favourite fashionista!   Great gift idea as there are many themes (by author, topic, even cookbooks!) as well as a lovely way to treat yourself to something special too.

Diapers, Wipes & Free Delivery from Walmart.ca

I remember many a cold rainy day, sitting at home on maternity leave, pulling the very last diaper from the drawer and absolutely dreading the thought of heading out to buy more.  Bundling up the baby, warming up the car, lugging the baby (still in the carseat) into the store, waiting in a checkout line, the ordeal of loading up the car in the parking lot...it was all just too much for my sleep-deprived state to handle.  I also remember trying to find a way to order diapers online at a good price, and giving up quite quickly since there wasn't one.  Well...now there is.  Walmart.ca now offers diapers, wipes, and all things "baby" delivered right to your Canadian door - with free shipping no less!  With their frequent sales, ordering online is an excellent option to get in the habit of doing, as you can easily stock up at amazing prices and be sure you never run out again!

Your Quick Intro Guide to Pinterest

So many people are talking about Pinterest this year, I thought I'd offer you a little crash course into what it's all about and why you might be interested.  I set up my account about a year ago, and have loved it ever since.

Pinterest is a very visual pinboard-style social photo sharing site for sharing Creative Ideas.  If you love crafts, DIY projects, fashion, inspiring quotes, recipes and decorating ideas, trust me: you will LOVE Pinterest.  Each time I log on, I am overwhelmed by hundreds of projects I want to try, all of which are cool and original and far more interesting than anything Martha Stewart has come up with lately. 

Set up an account, and name your 'boards' (think of them as a series of virtual corkboards) so you have categories that make sense to you, like "Stylish Outfits" or "Recipes" or "DIY Projects".  Browse through other people's boards (there are zillions), and when you see something you like, you "repin" it to one of your own category boards.  It's actually a really great way to store up a bunch of things to reference later when you need them.  I love not having to print out recipes all the time because I know I can just go back to my Pinterest account later and find the ones I have pinned quite easily.   Some of my faves are ideas like these below.

Outdoor Fence Herb Jars

Painted Cans Wall Storage

If you're a business owner, this is a great site to post your coolest products in kind of a catalogue-style way, and have people engage with you in a far more social and visual way than you have before.  It's also far easier to update than a formal website with control panels and webmasters, streamlining some of your efforts to share photos with your clientele.  If you want more of the details on getting set up, visit the Pinterest Help Page.

Adorable Kitchen Menu Planner

Admittedly, it can be a total black hole when it comes to sucking you in for long periods of time.  There are truly too many amazing ideas to browse through, so my advice to the masses is this: set a time limit.  Browse for 5 or 10 minutes, repin some stuff, and then go on with your day.  You can also connect your account to facebook and twitter to be able to share the cool things you like with other friends, but I caution you in doing this as you can easily clutter your friends' newsfeeds and annoy them beyond belief. 

Hope you find that helpful!  I highly recommend it to fuel your creative fires.  I guarantee you'll be making things in no time!

Outfit Idea: Bright Dress + White Denim

Take this dress from Smart Set (only $45) and pair it with white flip flops, add a white or gold metallic belt and white denim jacket (like this $35 one from Old Navy) and you've got a totally hot outfit for summer well under $100!

Great for lunch out with the girls, dinner with your guy, or a backyard bbq!

Try This: Painted Flower Pots in Pretty Pastels

Who knew masonry paint could be so pretty?  Grab some from your local hardware store, and you can have your garden looking far more stylish this year!

The added bonus, in my opinion, is that when the flower buds fall off your annuals - as they inevitably do - and there's nothing but lush green leaves left, you're still left with a pop of colour thanks to these pretty pots.

FYI, even though it's only April,  you can still fill those pots with colourful pansies and not have to worry about frosty nights.  Those hardy blooms will survive almost anything!

More instructions on the painted-pots thanks to Chatelaine!   Happy Spring!

Love nailpolish? This site is for you.

Thank you Pinterest - not for sucking me in like a black hole and making me spend another hour I can't spare tonight as you always do - I'm delighted and infuriated about that as always - but for leading me to this crazy and amazing nailpolish website. 

The Nail Network is full of amazing ideas on how to make your nails into art, and clearly authored by a very passionate blogger.  You want to know about the latest trends in nail polish - you really don't need to look further than this site.  I think I'm going to have to try some of this spring's latest pastel shades.  The trick will be finding the right outfit to somehow compliment the nails and yet not compete with them...

Just had to share. 

Enjoy!

Try this: Peacock Parade

Kenneth Cole Celebrity Stripe Tote

Designer and contemporary brands at up to 80% off.

That's a line you'll usually hear from somewhere like Winners, or newly-opened Marshall's locations in Canada (fyi: both chains are owned by the same company).  If you don't mind busy parking lots and digging through countless racks to find a "gem", then by all means, those Stores are for you!  A friend recently turned me on to Winners in Oakville (at Dorval) and I have to admit, their designer racks do have some impressive finds like Pink Tartan and See by Chloe. 

If you prefer your designer shopping to be a little less work, try The Peacock Parade.  The site is theoretically the same as Beyond The Rack, but it's Canadian - something that always wins in my book.  Shipping and Returns are free in Canada, and at times you'll find brands like Prada, Alexander McQueen, Missoni, BCBG and more.  Today you can find this Kenneth Cole tote for $69, marked down from $109. 

Whatever your method of scoring deals, congrats on making the effort to avoid "full price" and saving your extra pennies for a rainy day!