Tea & Topaz

I can't believe it's the end of May already. Hopefully the summer weather will be here soon! Here's what I've been loving during May. This month's list is as random as usual. 1. New Balance SuperLight/SuperFresh 895V2 Walking Shoe : I'm definitely not a sneaker kind of girl. It's been years since I last owned a pair, but I bought these New Balance 895V2 sneakers a few weeks ago in preparation for the Shape Up Challenge , and I love them! They are perfect for walking or running. $89.99 at newbalance.com 2. White Noise Lite App : Sometimes I have a lot of trouble falling asleep at night. I stumbled upon this free app in the Apple App Store and I can't believe how quickly it puts me to sleep! There are a selection of soothing sounds to choose from such as crashing waves, thunder and a ticking grandfather clock. Free, available for iPhone and Android 3. Revlon Lip Butter in Sorbet : Lately I've been turning to this bright cool-toned p

This is the first post in my Shape Up Challenge series Lately, one of my best friends and I have been eating out too much, skipping our workouts and just generally feeling sluggish. With the summer coming up, we decided to do a Shape Up Challenge during the month of June in order to get back on track. I thought it would be fun to open up our challenge to you too! It's so much easier to shape up when there are others to both motivate and challenge you.  During June, at least one post a week will be committed to the Shape Up Challenge. I will be posting tips, workouts and healthy recipes. To start it off, here's what the Shape Up Challenge is all about: Aim to take at least 10,000 steps a day Mix up your workouts with a combination of cardio and strength training/toning  Aim to workout four to five times a week Eat real food and limit processed food as much as possible. Focus on eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy

It's been awhile since I've included any celebrity street style looks in this series, so this week, that's all I'm going to feature. Here are my favourites from the past week: 1. Kate Hudson Kate wore a black pencil skirt and white t-shirt while out in New York City. She finished off her look with mustard yellow Louboutins.  (Source) 2. Jessica Chastain Jessica looked lovely as she stepped out in Cannes wearing a DVF wrap dress, white pointy toe pumps and white sunglasses.  (Source) 3. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Rosie wore skinny jeans, a cropped blazer and booties as she waited to catch a flight.  (Source)

I just recently returned from a 10 day trip to Scotland. We flew to Glasgow where we rented a car and drove to Luss, Oban, Stirling, Edinburgh and back to Glasgow. We took a ferry from Oban to the Isle of Mull where we visited Tobermory, an adorable village with a population of 700, Craignure and Duart Castle. The highlands and the countryside are absolutely beautiful with stunning views. Glasgow, the fourth largest city in the UK, has fabulous restaurants and shopping, and is home to some very interesting historic sites. Stiring and Edinburgh are small to mid size cities that are full of beautiful architecture, and have so much to do. Luss, Oban and Tobermory are charming, picturesque villages by the seaside. I definitely would love to return to Scotland someday. Today I wanted to share with you some photos from my vacation.  Luss Luss Oban Oban Tobermory Tobermory Outside Duart Castle Outside Duart Castle Stirling Edinburgh

I am currently on vacation so there will be no Looks of the Week this week. I hope you enjoy this post instead! Looks of the Week will be back next Sunday! Today I wanted to share with you this amazing gluten-free brownie recipe. I like that it's actually pretty healthy, but doesn't taste healthy. It contains quinoa, which is high in protein and fibre, and cocoa powder, which is rich in antioxidants. It's also quite low in sugar for a brownie recipe, and it makes the fudgiest, gooiest brownies. It's not my recipe, but it is too good not to share! Gluten-Free Brownies From President's Choice 1/2 cup quinoa 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup cocoa powder 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 cup milk 2 tbsp canola oil (you can substitute coconut oil) 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8-inch square metal cake pan with cooking spray. In small saucepan, bring 1-1/2 cups water to a boil. Stir in quinoa. Reduce heat to low and si

Not long ago, I received a trial size of Tarte Maracuja Oil , which is passion fruit seed oil. The trial size lasted me for about two weeks, and I just recently ran out. Today I wanted to share my thoughts about this product as well as compare it to coconut oil, which I have been using as a facial moisturizer for about four months now . Pros: 1. I definitely noticed an improvement in my skin when I used Tarte Maracuja Oil. It was brighter and softer. My skin did get a little oily midday (more so when compared to coconut oil), but that is usual for me.  2. It absorbs into the skin much faster than coconut oil. Cons: 1. This stuff is veryyyy expensive with 3.4 oz costing $90! In comparison, a 860 ml jar of organic virgin coconut oil is about $20. I've been trying to find a generic passion fruit seed oil online, but so far I haven't had much luck. 2. There are tons of complaints online about the packaging, which is a bottle with a dropper. I don't love th

1. Emmy Rossum Emmy looked stunning in a gorgeous Carolina Herrera floral gown.  (Source) 2. Jessica Pare \ Jessica looked lovely in a black and white strapless Michael Kors gown, which she paired with a black clutch and diamond jewellery.  (Source) 3. Victoria Beckham Victoria looked amazing in a simple white strapless gown from her own collection. She accessorized with a pearl bracelet and diamond drop earrings.  (Source)

We've been having terrible weather so far this spring in Ontario. For most of April and so far May, it's been under 10 degrees. As a result, I've been wearing pretty much the same thing I wore during the fall and winter - blazers, sweaters, jeans and skinny pants. Since it's too cold to break out my spring outfits, I've taken to Pinterest to get my fix. Today I wanted to share with you some of my favourite spring looks that I've found on Pinterest . (Source) (Source) (Source) (Source) (Source) (Source) (Source) (Source) (Source) (Source)

1. Hailee Steinfeld Hailee wore Valentino for her red carpet appearance during the last night of the Tribeca Film Festival.  (Source) 2. Mindy Kaling Mindy looked fab in pink at a Hulu event in New York City. Her top and skirt were by Finders Keepers, which she paired with Nicholas Kirkwood pumps.  (Source) 3. Kourtney Kardashian It's been quite a while since I've featured a non-red carpet look, but Kourtney looks great in head-to-toe white, which I love for spring.  (Source)