Madewell never disappoints. Time to start saving towards my spring wardrobe!

photos courtesy of Refinery 29 via Fashionista

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We’ve all been there – especially in the winter, the prospect of working out can seem fairly daunting and unappealing. But no matter how busy you are, these nine tips might inspire you to get back into your fitness groove.

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I’ve loved Meg Fee’s blog for awhile now – she always seems to post the most profound, moving, raw slices of life I’ve found out there. And this quote is, among many other things, truly brilliant.

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This New York Times list of “46 Places to Go in 2013″ has me packing my suitcase and digging out my passport already. I wish.

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14 wonderful words with no English equivalent. **Foreign language swoon**

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I’m in love with these adorable winter-themed, oversized tee – and it’s currently on sale at Modcloth.

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I cried during the trailer for this movie. But “The Impossible” was one of the most beautiful, uplifting things I’ve seen all year, also mildly horrifying that it was so under-publicized in the U.S.

Sushi Restaurants NYC — New York’s Best Japanese Food.

When I saw this photo on Refinery 29′s website, it definitely caught my eye. Apparently, wearing “flat” makeup is over. This trend includes playing with new textures such as fabrics, jewels, and anything else that catches your eye. “It’s a cool, literal way to blend fashion and beauty…”- R29.
What do you think of this trend? Would you wear it? Let me know!

Caitlin
xoxo

Click here to view more photos, and to read the full article.
Photo from Refinery 29, and MCV photo.

photo cred | Refinery 29

Los Angeles brand Wildfox is hitting 2013 with the best lookbook I’ve seen yet. This model has got the Cher Horowitz look down to a point and it totally goes without saying, but I love their tribute to the 90′s classic! To view the entire lookbook, click here to view on Refinery 29.

Streeeetch your worries away during a hot yin yoga class.

I can think of no lovelier way to end a work week with a wind-down class like yin yoga. I decided to take my first-ever yin yoga class post-work at Yoga Public, as I found I tend to prefer classes where poses are held vs. the super flow-y types where form is often sacrificed for speed/movement (I still do the latter anyway).

I was quite surprised to discover a) the class is mega popular as it was packed full when I wandered down to the 38C-heated room minutes before class started b) it’s a super slow down of your typical yoga class. As the class was only 45 minutes, it seemed to fly by super fast. Basically it was savasana, back twists, the butterfly leg pose with a neck drop, supported back bridge, another pose where sort of you sit on your knees w/toes curled under (INTENSE), then a straight knee sit followed by more savasana.

I encountered a major yoga fail moment when I kept falling asleep at the end. My body felt like jelly after being in the warm room and holding the stretches for so long…it was so nice and relaxing. It wasn’t challenging in a boot camp kick-your-ass sense, but I definitely had trouble following the breath, not falling asleep and checking my mind from wandering. I guess that’s why I need to “practice!” Bonus: I didn’t get super sweaty due to the nature of the exercise! This is the type of class I’d drop in for stress or tension relief or as a complement to my regular flexibility practice, but I couldn’t just do yin yoga alone and feel like it was enough to take care of my strength building/cardio needs.

Later in the evening I went on a skate date with my fiance to the newly expanded duck pond at Assiniboine Park. I haven’t gone since they expanded the duck pond or added the new washroom area with the cozy fireplace. While the scenery was gorgeous, I didn’t like how dark it felt while skating on the pond. I also bailed walking through the giant piles of snow leading to the rink. I think a bit of grooming in the area and some proper lighting would make it way better. The evening got me excited for a return to the River Trail at The Forks! We will definitely be hitting that up soon for some entertaining cardio exercise and pretty scenery.

Before I sign off, here’s a great article from Refinery 29 (one of my favourite websites) re: tips from fitness gurus on how to keep New Year’s resolution fitness goals.

As my first post of 2013 a cliché New Year’s resolutions post. I know it’s lame, but hopefully it will help me stick to them. I normally don’t make any resolutions, but I thought this year would be a perfect time to start.

1. Spend at least ten minutes a day, by myself with no technological distractions to unwind and relax from my day.

2. Write a blog post at least 5 times per week. I have been slacking a bit with the holiday season, but I really wanted to be able to spend time with my family and then was vacationing for NYE in Denver with no computer which was lovely. (I’ll be writing a post about my trip soon!)

3. Give back to my community. Being a part of Imerman Angels’ Professionals Board will help me do so, but hopefully I can do even more.

4. Visit all 13 restaurants from this list of 2012′s top Chicago restos – here.

5. Create as many memories with my friends and family as possible and make my own memory jar to reflect on them next NYE.

Now how are we going to stick to all of our New Year’s resolutions? Here are some great tips from LaurenConrad.com To Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Last.

New Year’s Eve:

I spent my New Year’s Eve snowboarding in the mountains in Denver (as seen by my picture above) and my night with this hot date at a delicious Italian cafe called Cafe Colore.  Snowboarding was absolutely amazing and the mountains were just gorgeous. Everything we had at the restaurant was absolutely delicious, from traditional Italian lasagna to a Goat Cheese Linguine. The whole day was perfect! I hope everyone had a great NYE themselves.

Here’s a quick breakdown of my outfit from the night:

Dress: Macy’s – Pink Rose

Shoes: DSW – Lulu Townsend

Earrings: Forever 21

Hair Inspiration: Blake Lively

Hope everyone has a happy and healthy new year! Let’s make it a great one.

XO Victoria

…from Kate Moss’ makeup artist, to boot.

Looking for the perfect liner? We’re currently drawing with this little love and so far things are going quite well.

photo cred | Alexander Wang

It’s always pretty exciting when a designer you recognize dives into something a little bit different than the norm. Whether it’s a capsule collection, Target collaboration, etc. as consumers we like to be in the know for what our favorite designers are planning next. By now, Alexander Wang has become a household name. Of course his collections are ones to be admired, but who could ever forget his darling little niece?! Aside from those two things, he has now decided to venture into home decor and summer accessories and if you didn’t know his name was tied to it in the first place, the collection literally SCREAMS Alexander Wang.

Everything is in signature Wang black.

Check out the rest of the collection here.

sweater clip: diy / shirt: max mara / skirt: from ny / tights: from hk / shoes: jeffrey campbell / bag: ysl / clips: diy / rings: durumi, house of harlow, marc by marc jacobs

Have you guys been to any interesting pop-up shops recently?

Last week I along with blogger pals Kimberlee and Laura attended Tinseltown, a shopping event hosted by Refinery 29 that featured some really cool brands. The companies featured allowed for a variety of  gift ideas for all of the different people in your life. They had everything from jewelry to fashion scarves and clothes to gifts for the entertainer all the way down to even the littlest of  fashionistas.

I really liked the company WOOL And The GANG who make super cool DIY  kits that allow you to create your own pieces made out of beautiful Peruvian yarn. You can also buy gorgeous ready to wear pieces too!

Gorgeous Scarves from YARNZ

Super bad ass necklaces  from Lulu Frost (above) and a dope bracelet from Bing Bang (below) 

More gorgeous pieces from Lulu Frost Jewelry

Fun gift items for the gal/guy who loves to drank and entertain guests!

Super soft buttery leather goods. Yum!

The  little baby clothes were beyond adorable!

Laura and I loved how sharp the bartenders were dressed. They were serving up cocktails all night. The spiked cider was delish!

This instaprint machine was working hard printing out instgram pics tagged with #refinery29 and #tinseltown all night long. I thought it was so damn cool!

Here is a pic of me and my boo Kim that printed out!

So are you done holiday shopping?!

I have a few more gifts to go! If you still need ideas don’t forget to check out our Gift Guide!

p.s. Sorry for the inferior quality pics. I left my camera battery at home (doh!) and had to snap pics with my iPhone.

xx

Nicole

Follow Me On: Instagram + Bloglovin + Twitter + Facebook

Refinery 29 covers the storied past of the fabled little black dress.  It’s versatile and a staple in almost every woman’s wardrobe.

In response to the recent investigative report from Greenpeace on toxic offenders in the fashion industry, Zara, one of the biggest offenders has committed to becoming toxic free.

Speaking of toxic brands named by Greenpeace in that investigative report, H&M may be on their bad list but their clothing recycling initiative which starts in February may help.

American Giant claims to make the best hoodie in the world and surprisingly it’s pretty affordable, high quality and made in the States. A former industrial designer for Apple puts the same care and attention into making this as he did when working for Apple.

Dov Charney, CEO of the troubled American Apparel is being charged with choking an employee.  There really is just nothing to like about this guy, at all.

Good news, plus sized brides, there’s a bridal boutique online that now caters to you and uses actual plus-sized models to show off the dresses.  And the prices are pretty decent, you can get a gown for less than a $1000.

I’m loving this limited-edition Bill Cunningham illustrated t-shirt from Refinery 29 (and there’s another of Grace Coddington, too!).

I’m so on board with this new movement to include real looking women in clothes that you want us women to buy. I’m sure everyone can agree with me when I say, these magazines will be so much more intriguing to pick up and read now!

Which do you prefer: models with curves or models who might slip through a subway grate? For me, the answer is “both.” But it’s time we gave real women and young women some inspiration and let me know that they don’t have to be a size 2 to be beautiful. And you better get familiar with it since 2013 is set to feature even more voluptuous foxes than ever before!

Check out the top 10 plus size models out there right now…

Lizzie Miller

In 2009, Lizzie Miller posed nude for Glamour and produced an editorial that had the entire women’s fashion world abuzz. The untouched photos showed Lizzie posing for a story about feeling comfortable in your skin, and the responses to her normal looking belly flooded in to Glamour and started a miniature body image revolution that’s going strong but still has a ways to go. Lizzie’s found steady work since this now infamous photo that, according to Glamour, gave them pause at only using super skinny women.

Kaela Humphries

Kris Humphries is already associated with a certain curvy woman, but Kaela Humphries now makes two. The sister to the NBA superstar recently signed with Ford Models, and has already landed a gig in the lookbook for eloquii. Apparently she was briefly on an episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians and Kim was too busy to chill with her or something, but what matters is this mixed-race beauty will now be in front of the cameras more than ever.

Nadia Aboulhosn

Nadia Aboulhosn first came to prominence when she won American Apparel’s XL Model Search in 2011. The half-Lebanese Florida native quickly proved that she’s more than just a pretty face. Besides modeling, Nadia also maintains a widely-read blog that has been profiled on Lucky, The New York Times, and Refinery29.

Fluvia Lacerda

She is known as the the “plus-size Gisele Bündchen” and not just because they share the same homeland. Fluvia Lacerda is the plus-size model who’s set to bust out of her native Brazil and quickly take over the world. Already have been featured in Vogue Italia in July 2012 and the February 2012 issue of Bust be excited for what 2013 has in store for Fluvia.

Ashley Graham

Ashley Graham made headlines when a commercial she starred in was banned for showing too much skin. The Lane Bryant commercial was not allowed to air before 8pm, which of course made it only more tantalizing. Besides being too racy for the airwaves, Ashley has also been featured in Vogue and Glamour,and was the face of several Levi’s campaigns.

Candice Huffine

Along with Tara Lynn and Robyn Tawley, Candice Huffine was one of the three women featured on the June 2011 issue of Vogue Italia for their Curvy Issue. Besides Glamour’s untouched photos of Lizzie Miller, this was probably the next biggest step in bringing plus sized models to the forefront of the industry. After this groundbreaking cover, Candice went on to model in W, V Magazine, and German Vogue, and also scored the cover of the Fall 2012 issue of i-D.

Anansa Sims

Anansa Sims was born with all the right genetics in place: her mother, was a supermodel who was the first African-American model on the cover of American Vogue  in 1974. As one of the most successful plus sized models, Anansa walked the Lane Bryant show in 2011, was in the September 2011 issue of Glamour, and has been included in national campaigns for Vassarette, Kohl’s, Kmart and Forever 21.

Tara Lynn

As one of the gorgeous women in Vogue Italia’s famous June 2011 plus size editorial spread, Tara Lynn is one of the premiere plus size models that’s basking in the spotlight. The curvy brunette used to deal with body image issues when she was younger, but now she’s laughing at all the skinny haters after appearing in an H&M 2012 campaign.

Marquita Pring

Marquita Pring was another one of the beautiful ladies featured on the famous cover of Vogue Italia in June 2011. She shocked the world when she revealed that she actually adds padding to increase her size. Well it’s certainly working for her, since she was featured in a Levi’s ad campaign in 2011 and walked the 2010 Jean Paul Gaultier runway show in Paris.

Robyn Lawley

Robyn Lawley is the hottest plus size model out there, and arguably the most successful. She was one of the three models on the June 2011 issue of Vogue Italia, was the first plus size model to appear in a Ralph Lauren campaign in 2012, was featured on the May 2012 cover of France’s Marie Claire, and was the first plus size model to appear in Vogue Australia. Which is a way of saying that the industry agrees with us on how bangin’ she is.

Hail to the “curves”!