Ava Grace's Closet: May 2012
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Thursday, May 31, 2012

Leftie

We've been watching Ava for a while now.
The way she colors. Holds a spoon when self-feeding.
She is definitely a leftie.

Did you know that only approximately 15% of the world population is? And that males are 2x more likely to be than females?
Or that lefties are more likely to be geniuses? 20% of MENSA members are.
I think she is too. 
Dress - Tommy Hilfiger
The likelihood of 2 righties (like my husband and I) having a left-handed child is only 2%. 
And we have two of 'em.
Since this sweet girl is a leftie as well.
Headband - Goody | Tank - Old Navy
I would say we won the leftie lottery.
Since 3 out of the last 5 U.S. president's (including Mr. Obama) are all lefties.
Too soon?

Do you have or are you a leftie? So curious.
Read more cool facts here.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

What I Wore : Skulls & Such

One thing I miss about work is casual Friday's.
Strictly for the fact that it seemed as though, the more casual people were dressed, the happier and more relaxed they were. 
A good t-shirt will do that for you too.


T-Shirt - h.i.p.Sunglasses Banana Republic | Necklace Stella + Dot | Cargo Pants American Eagle
Studded Shoes Pegabo
And that's what I'm wearing on Wednesday.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Annmarie Gianni :: A SkinCare Review

It's funny. My skin now, in my {ahem} more mature years, is world's better than it ever was. 
I owe it to a great dermatologist. If you don't have one, get one.
If you're in the Toronto area, I would be happy to pass along my doctor's info. He is so, so good.
With that said, most of the product's I use on a day to day basis are of the prescription {read: covered by drug plan} variety. Yes, I use a standard gentle cleanser but other than that, a good vitamin A, glycolic acid and hydroquinone product are my go-to's.

I have extremely sensitive skin so typically, I will only use products that are for acne prone.oily skin. I'm a tad paranoid although I must say, I never thought at this age I would still be concerned about breakouts, but, I am.
Recently, a representative from Annmarie Gianni Skin Care contacted me regarding trying out their products. I was hesitant because it is an organic line and usually, these contain a ton of natural and/or herbal products that don't mix well with my sensitive skin. 
I let them know this and as such, they sent out products that were targeted to my specific skin type.

I continued to use my regular cleanser but gave up the rest of my goodies for 10 days replacing them with Annmaries's products including:
ann
First and foremost, everything smelled incredible. A huge plus.
The honey coconut mask, which I used twice in the trial period, was seriously, natural enough to eat. It didn't go on feeling tight but rather kind of glowed. And I may or may not have licked my face. 
It came off easily and left my skin moisturized but not slick and feeling as soft as silk.

I gave up using a toner some time ago but always missed the fresh feeling it left me with.
The rosemary toning spray is no exception. It smelled lovely and left my skin feeling great and ready for the oil.
This scared me. A lot.
Oil on what I believe is oily skin? Different.
And fabulous. 
Not kidding.
I love it and may have added it to my daily regime. I did not get even a teeny tiny break out. Which is strange. For me. 
Even my husband commented on how great my skin was looking.
Which is strange. For him.

Did I mention I put him on a regime as well? 
Because I did. Except I physically had to wash his face with both the aloe herb facial cleanser followed by the neroli toning mist every evening.
And then he would layer on some of the same oil I was using.
He loved it. Not sure if he loved the products or the pampering, but either way, his skin looked really good. Refreshed.

You can find all of the above mentioned products and many more on their website.  A really great organic line at a price point that is more than reasonable for what you are getting.

Thank you to the team at Annmarie Gianni Skin Care for the opportunity.

Disclosure: I was provided with a sampling of products from Annmarie Gianni Skin Care at no charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own. 

Enter our eShakti giveaway here

Monday, May 28, 2012

The Luxe Box Arrives

So, I have been more than a little jealous envious of all the U.S. bloggers posting pictures of the goodies they have been receiving in their Birchbox each month. 
I'm not ashamed to admit it. 
I ogled pictures, read a ridiculous amount of reviews...and promptly put myself on the waiting list for our own Luxebox.
I received my first box (or rather boxes) late last week after receiving a confirmation of delivery email the day before.
Pretty impressive.
Goodies above included a few perfume samples (meh), 2 packages of Frederic Fekkai's hair product samples, a full-size Essie polish in a gorgeous, perfect.for.summer hue and a tube of Olay's wrinkle repair. 
The second box above (the white one) contained items for "bath and body". 
It contained a Venus razor (always welcome) and a second tube of Olay wrinkle repair (ditto).
My favorite item?
Definitely the Essie polish. 

I must say I giggled like a school girl when I received the boxes in the mail. It was not unlike the surprise bags you could purchase when we were kids. Never knowing what you might get.
Anyone remember those or am I showing my age again?


I'm giving this month's box a solid 10 for presentation. (loved the personalized sticker :: such a nice touch).
And a 6 for content only because I wouldn't call these samples "luxe" in any way other than the polish as mentioned above. Pretty sure you could pick up these fragrance and hair care samples at your local department or beauty specialty store. 


Let's see what next month's holds. 
Are you subscribing to a beauty box? What do you think of them?

Friday, May 25, 2012

Beach Bound

I am already thinking about what to bring down south for our upcoming summer vacation.
Here's what the baby girl and I need to fully enjoy long, lazy days at the beach. 

Beach Bound :: for mama


Beach Bound : for baby
To view item details for each of the above boards, follow me on Polvore.


Our little miss is obsessed with lip gloss.balm.stick as of late; particularly of the purple variety.
 I may need to stock up on these since she may or may not be eating them.

Linking up here and here.
Happy Weekend! 


Come enter our giveaway :: win an item of your choosing from eShakti.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

What That Baby Wore : A Girl in the Garden

There truly are days where you just need to stop and smell the roses.
Immerse yourself in the little things. And appreciate the beauty of all that surrounds us.
Yesterday was one of those days.


I think the prettiest flower in the bunch is the one all in pink.

On Ava:
Linen dress worn as top : Premaman
Leggings: Joe FRESH
Shoes: LelliKelly

Enter our eShakti giveaway here!


Tuesday, May 22, 2012

A Coffee Date

I've seen a lot of these around the blogosphere lately and thought it might be fun to play along.
I am a crazy coffee lover but funny enough, I didn't start drinking it until my late 20's. Before that, I really hated the taste. Even today, I take way too much cream and sugar. It is my one vice. Well, that and diet coke. 

If we sat down for coffee...

I would tell you that Isabella seems to be growing up right before my eyes. She was invited to a pool party on Saturday night and I was seriously worried about her getting into a bikini. She has the body of a woman. Scary. I have to constantly remind myself (and her daddy) to have faith in the fact that she has been raised well.

I would tell you that we've officially booked our summer vacation. And that I cannot wait. We'll be in West Palm Beach, Florida for 5 glorious weeks. Yes, I'm well aware of the fact that it is crazy hot. We love it. Living in Canada will do that to a person.


Ava has finally hit the dreaded terrible part of the two's. I kid you not, she whined the entire day yesterday. I'm chalking it up to growing pains.

My husband has been on a mission to get the house in order. I find we go in stages...for a while we will do all kinds of things and then not touch a thing for a long while. We had the patio stones in the back re-laid this week. And right this very minute, he is out buying flowers at Costco for the planters in the back. The pool should be open soon!

I would tell you that my big brother was here for dinner on Saturday night since my SIL was away with friends for the weekend. He looked so handsome. I kept asking if he had been on a hot date. And he kept saying that yes, he had...and that it was with a 72 year old gentleman earlier that day to play tennis. 
Touche.

We might chat about how great my shopping trip with Julian was this past Saturday..a little break and some one on one time with my boy. We got his hair cut, bought Ava a few things she has been needing and went to two toy stores. Not one, two. 
On the drive home he apologized for not wanting to go with me initially. And then told me it was "so fun".


I would also tell you that I got a new Kobo e-reader for Mother's Day and I am LOVING it. I would ask if you use one as well or if you still prefer a good old book? I think I may go back and forth. But honestly, have nowhere left to store them so thinking this is a really great solution.

Lastly, I might invite you to my Stella + Dot jewellery party next Thursday. Really, just an excuse to have a fun girls night in while simultaneously supporting one of my besties. Any suggestions on a fun signature cocktail? 

Let's do this again soon, m'kay?
And if you have your own coffee date post, be sure to include a link so I can check it out! 

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Mother's Day Photo Fail

I don't think I ask for much.
One little photo of the kids and I on Mother's Day every year.
I had this brilliant idea that it might be cute to do it out at the swing set and have them all sit on the rocket. 
You can see how this went.
It didn't take long for us to give up.
And it took even longer for my husband to realize that Isabella's face had a chain from the swing across it in almost every.single.photo
Still...it's all my babies and me. And we're happy.
Mission accomplished. Sort of.

See last year's fail here. We'll get there yet. 
Happy Long Weekend to my fellow Canadian friends!

Friday, May 18, 2012

Friday Fancies : Chambray

Chambray seems to work it's way out and then slowly back into my wardrobe every few years.
An almost classic. 
Fresh when paired with shades of mustard and persimmon.


Chambray

For full outfit details, follow me on Polyvore.


The weather promises to be beautiful this weekend.
Can't wait to enjoy it. 
Happy Friday.
Linking up with Long Distance Loving here.


Thursday, May 17, 2012

The Next Big Thing

My husband has this silly notion about our Ava.
Since neither of our other two are that taken with sports, he feels that she could make up for that. And in this thinking, has decided she may or may not be the next big thing in tennis.
Polo Top - Ralph Lauren
Pants - Ralph Lauren
Shoes - LelliKelly
"Where is he?"

These hands are definitely big enough to grip a racket. 

"Soccer may be more my thing?"
Ava and her coach aka Daddy
I was rather excited by the prospect of her one day following in her mama's footsteps and taking ballet. 
His response? "Dance? Forget dance. We'll buy her a tennis racket."
It's no wonder really.
We're croatian. Tennis is our religion.
And the leader of it may just be a member of my family.
My own coach aka the brother. Circa 1979.
So, how early is too early to start training?
I'm all in for moving to Florida. 

Linking up with Mama Loves Papa for Small Style.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Ava's Favourite Things

Play is the work of children. It's very serious stuff. - Bob Keeshan

It is almost as though a light goes off. At some point, Ava discovered that she could actually play with her toys rather than just try to eat them. 
And it really wasn't that long ago.
I find I am forever looking for that perfect toy, the one that will hold her interest for more than 5 minutes. And ideally, one that doesn't reside in my kitchen cupboards...or make up drawer...or...

Since turning the BIG "2", I am finding it's getting better and better.
Her favorites this week include:

The Ball

Really, any ball will do, but somehow, she enjoys it more when she actually takes it away from her brother and when it is almost bigger than she is. 

Ava's looks a tad different than this one but the concept is the same. This thing is f.u.n. and educational which I love. All of the v-tech toys are so well made. The V-Tech baby range is perfect for this age and really encourages interaction and rewards her for it. And of course, she claps for herself. Don't they all?

The Shopping Cart 
I wrote about our love for this $7.49 baby here and it still remains a toy she plays with almost daily.
She does her "laps" running from family room through living/dining and into kitchen about 4,000 times while simultaneously pushing the cart and laughing hysterically. She's quite the multi-tasker already.
She gets that from me. 

Dominoes

Yes, she is gifted. I kid. But wow, this little box provides me with at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted peace some days. She will pull every one out of the box, stuff them in her pockets, put them all back and start again.
Crazy fun I tell ya.


The Doll
The Carolle doll to be exact. The sweetest, perfect-sized, best smelling baby doll in the history of baby dolls. These dolls are so well made; don't even get me started on the available accessories. Isabella still has hers and she is just as beautiful all these years later.

What are your little one's playing with these days? Please share!
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of K & Co. All opinions expressed are strictly my own.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

On Mother's Day

On this, the year of my mother's 80th birthday, I've realized she is still stronger than I am; stronger than I may ever be. I can barely keep up with her.

My mother married the boy who would later become my father when she was just 23 and he a mere 19. They had my brother just a few years later; really just children themselves. My parents came to this country from Croatia via Germany when my brother was almost 12 years old making my mother 37. I could not imagine picking up and leaving everything I knew to move to an unknown country where I couldn't speak the language and knew only a handful of people.


Talk about courage. 
She hated it upon arrival. Like really hated it.
She always said their first goal was to save enough money to go back home.
It never happened.
Slowly but surely, they came to love their new country. The opportunities they had here would never have been available to them otherwise.
Coolest picture ever. Coolest pants ever. And apparently, a sale on white travel bags. 

My older brother Brian, a bubble and me in mama's belly
She was dreadfully sick with her first pregnancy twelve years earlier and hadn't planned on more children.
She had some kind of throat thing going on and oddly, the doctor recommended getting pregnant, saying that the change in hormones might help. Obviously, it didn't.

But here I am.

I inherited morning sickness from her. I, too, was ridiculously sick with each pregnancy. She would always tell me that she held half a grapefruit up to her face through most of the day to ward off that awful taste. If you experienced all day morning sickness, you know exactly what I mean. I never truly understood what she had gone through until I was pregnant myself.
My mom always worked. And kept the cleanest house known to man. Still does.
She irons jeans. Yup. She does.
But when I was born, she insisted on staying home. She had just been through too much in the years that she left my older brother with her own parents, while she and my father worked in Germany.
She walked me to school every day. I remember all of the other kids loving her. 
She was that mom.The one all of the kids loved. She still has that quality.
As I got older, I remember thinking she was so much older than the other moms.
And cooler. Way cooler.

I was bullied something awful in 5th grade.
And made myself physically sick because of it.
She knew something was up. Not sure how I ended up in a psychiatrist's office but I did; finally confessing the truth.
The very next day she marched right up to my bully.
You do not want to know what happened next. 
I was in a new school the following day.
There was no messing with me. Or more importantly, with my mama.

In the years that followed, we traveled to Europe yearly to spend summers with my maternal grandmother. This was my mom's only wish...to visit her own mom every year. So we went. Every year.
Life there was simple. 
Our time spent in a rustic house in a very small town.
It taught me a lot about what's important.
And to appreciate running water and an inside toilet. Totally separate story.
But know that I peed with chickens watching. Yes, yes I did.

My mom loves knitting, crocheting, cats and the cottage.
Not necessarily in that order.
And cooking. Or rather, feeding people.
She likes that a lot.
"Just eat" is her infamous slogan.
And feed you she will. Anytime. Anywhere.

It took me a lot of years to appreciate my mother.
She made me crazy on more than one occasion and I am sure I did the same to her.
But she is one of my favorite people.


The thought of losing her makes me cry instantaneously.
Mama the fashionista on the left, me with a goofy grin in Croatia in '81.
I love you mama.
Happy Mother's Day.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Friday Fancies :: Color Crush

I'm that girl.
The one that wears black, white, grey or a combination of these shades almost daily.
That said, I have dabbled in some color recently. And, I like it. 

Crushing on Color

I'm especially loving tonal color blocking. Red's with pink's and shades of watermelon.
Fresh when paired with a pale denim jacket and lots of gold accessories.
Can't wait till summer!
Happy Friday.