Tea & Topaz

This week's post is all about street style. While I love red carpet looks, they're not so easy for us non-celebrities to emulate. Here are my favourite looks of the week: 1. Emmy Rossum Emmy wore black shorts and a red knit top while out in Hollywood. She finished her casual look with ankle cuff sandals, sunglasses and a watch.  (Source) 2. Kourtney Kardashian Kourtney stepped out in L.A. in one of my favourite summer trends. She wore a magenta romper and nude heels, and carried a colourful tribal handbag.  (Source) 3. Olivia Palermo Olivia was spotted in New York in a summery white dress, which she belted around her waist. Apparently she may have gotten married in this dress . She completed her look with sunglasses, snakeskin print flats and a fringe handbag.  (Source)

This is the fifth post in my Shape Up Challenge series It's almost the end of June, which means that this is the last post in my Shape Up Challenge series . If you took part, I hope you are feeling great and are ready for the summer! For my last post in this series, I'm sharing some healthy snack ideas. If you are anything like me, you have no problem with sticking to eating healthy meals, but it's the snacking that always gets you. The best way to make a satisfying snack is to make sure that it contains a mix of protein, healthy carbs and healthy fats. Below are some of my favourite snacks! Hummus and Veggies The veggies contain healthy carbs, while the hummus provides you with protein and healthy fats. Whole Grain Crackers with Natural Peanut Butter You can also try other nut butters, hummus or even mashed avocado. Make sure your crackers contain 100% whole grains though! Plain Yogurt with Fruit and Walnuts or Almonds The yogurt co

A little over a year ago, I moved into my first apartment. I had lived on my own for several years before this, but always with roommates and the apartments I lived in were always very "student-like." I was tired of those living arrangements, love interior decorating and wanted a place I was proud of, so I decided to move into my current place. I started from scratch apart from a few pieces my parents gave me as they were also moving at the same time and downsizing. I still consider my home a work in progress, but today I am sharing a few tips for furnishing an apartment on a budget and sharing some pictures of my apartment. 1. Do your research : I headed out to buy furniture and decor for my apartment with a colour palette in mind. The problem was that none of the stores I shopped at had anything in those colours. Definitely do your research beforehand so you don't have to make some quick decisions while you are out shopping. Lots of websites let you check the inventor

1. Lily Donaldson Lily walked the red carpet at the Fragrance Awards in a sheer black top, pencil skirt and pointed toe heels. She kept her hair and makeup simple, and accessorized with gold hoop earrings.  (Source) 2. Kiernan Shipka Kiernan attended the Much Music Video Awards in an embellished pink strapless dress and metallic sandals.  (Source) 3. Margot Robbie Margot attended the One for the Boys Charity Ball wearing a Vionnet sleeveless top and skirt. She finished off her look with Casadei sandals and a clutch.  (Source)

This is the fourth post in my Shape Up Challenge series We're more than half way through June which means the Shape Up Challenge is soon coming to an end! It's easy to stick to your workouts and healthy eating in the beginning, but for some of us it gets more difficult a few weeks in. I'm sharing some tips for staying motivated today in case any of you are in need of some motivation! (Source) Schedule a time to workout : I find that it's so much easier to stick to my workout routine if I schedule a consistent time to exercise. When I do this, exercise becomes a natural part of my daily routine. If I skip a workout, I really miss it!  Workout with a friend : Some people love to workout but others hate it. If you are in the latter group, schedule a workout with a friend. You won't believe how fast your workout will go by! Change up your workouts : Doing the same workout day after day can get boring. Switching up your workouts and trying a variety of

Now that it's almost summer, I thought I'd share my summer to-do list. What's on your list? Take a trip to Centre Island Road trip to the East Coast Make homemade popsicles Hit up the patios Furnish my balcony and start a flower and herb garden Try out some new restaurants during Summerlicious Have a dinner party Relax at the pool Have a picnic Visit Sunnyside Beach

1. Leighton Meester Leighton looked lovely at the Tony Awards in a white Antonio Berardi dress, Jimmy Choo heels and a Emm Kuo clutch.  (Source) 2. Victoria Beckham Victoria was spotted at JFK Airport looking chic in a printed pencil skirt and stripped shirt. She completed her look with nude pointed toe heels and wayfarers.  (Source) 3. Zoey Deutch Zoey attended the Max Mara and W Magazine Women in Film Cocktail Party looking super sophisticated in a Sportmax black peplum top, skinny cropped pant and heels.  (Source)

This is the third post in my Shape Up Challenge series Drinking enough water is so important! Lots of us mistake dehydration for hunger, which can lead to weight gain. It is recommended that we drink 2 litres of water each day. I don't have any problem drinking that much water, but I know it's not so easy for some of us. Today I'm sharing some ideas for flavouring water with fruit and herbs that I found on Pinterest . Simply add a handful of fruit and a sprig or two of herbs to a pitcher of water, and let the flavours meld for a couple of hours. Hopefully it will get you drinking more water! Water Infused with Cucumber, Lime and Mint (Source) Water Infused with Orange (Source) Water Infused with Watermelon and Basil (Source) Water Infused with Raspberry, Kiwi and Lime (Source) Water Infused with Ginger, Basil and Grapefruit (Source) Water Infused with Strawberries, Blueberries and Cucumber (Source) Water Infuse

Have you ever thought about what's in the products you use everyday? I certainly didn't, until about a year ago. If you've read any of the posts in my natural beauty series , you know that I've been trying to make my skin care routine more natural and environmentally friendly. Everything from skin care to shampoo to hand soap to dish soap to laundry detergent is made with chemicals that have been linked to both disrupting the endocrine system and causing cancer. The EU has banned or regulated over 1,300 ingredients used in personal care products. Here in North America, we are much more lenient. The FDA has banned only 11 ingredients, while Health Canada's list of banned ingredients is only slightly longer!  (Source)  As well, terms such as "green," "eco-friendly" and "pure" are often meaningless as they aren't regulated and are often only used to market products. For example, the majority of Green Works products receive a grade of F

1. Joan Smalls Joan wore a navy Prabal Gurung gown with a front cut out and thigh-high slit. She completed the look with metallic sandals.  (Source) 2. Greta Gerwig Greta chose an orange gown by Zac Posen.  (Source) 3. Liya Kebede Liya wore a white Wes Gordon blouse and pattern-front skirt. She finished her look with ankle strap sandals and an envelope clutch.   (Source)

This is the second post in my Shape Up Challenge series When I feel like I want to try a new workout, I head to YouTube. There are tons of free fitness videos available there from pilates to strength training to dance. Today I wanted to share some of my favourites with you. 1. Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred - Level 1 This is a challenging workout that combines strength training and cardio. You will definitely be feeling this workout the next morning. 2. Fitness Blender Barre Workout Barre classes combine ballet and pilates. This one can be easily done at home since all you need is a chair and hand-held weights.  3. Core and Quads Yoga This 20 minute Vinyasa yoga workout focuses on the core and quads. This video screams 1990s but the workout definitely isn't outdated. This is one of the best ab workouts on YouTube and it is under 10 minutes long!

A couple weekends ago, I got to participate in Doors Open Toronto at Humber College as an alumni of the Humber fashion program. If you are unfamiliar with Doors Open , it is an event that takes place in cities across Ontario in which historically significant buildings open up their doors to the public. We set up an amazing vintage fashion exhibit at the Fashion Institute under the direction of Professor Wayne McLennan. The exhibit featured both men's and women's fashions from the 1890s to the 1970s. Everything was donated by Robert Wain, a collector from the Kitchener-Waterloo area. He has such an incredible collection of vintage apparel and accessories, and he is so knowledgeable about each and every piece. This was the first year the Fashion Institute participated in Doors Open, and we could not have asked for a better turnout. It was so great to take part as our exhibit was so well received by the community. Today I wanted to share some pictures of our exhibit with you!

1. Emily Blunt Emily looked lovely at the London premiere of Edge of Tomorrow in a printed Osman dress and pink suede pumps.  (Source) 2. Allison Williams Allison wore an ombre blue Nonoo dress to a Samsung event in Hollywood. She paired her dress with blue Louboutins, pulled back her hair and kept her makeup looking natural.  (Source) 3. Taylor Schilling Taylor attended a photocall for Orange is the New Black in a black knit dress by Vionnet and Casadei cap-toe pumps.  (Source)