Champagne, Roses & Tulle for Your Valentine's / Galentine's Plans

Your Valentine's or Galentine's Day plans call for a rose cocktail and a hot 'fit!

Roses are always a quintessential part of any Valentine's Day, so I wanted to create a quick and easy cocktail incorporating the flavour of roses. Truth be told, I love all floral flavours like rose and lavender. I know they're not everyone's favourite - some think florals taste soapy, but if you are one of those people like me that do love florals in your food or drink, I think you'll really like what I've whipped up! 

Rose champagne cocktail:

• 4oz Vranken Pommery POP Rosé Champagne (I've visited Pommery's champagne house in Reims, France, and it was an incredible experience! And I just love these mini bottles the have, which come in both blue and pink).
• Top with Fentimans Rose Lemonade.
• Add a splash of rose water, if you really love rose flavour like me! We found some at our local Persian market.
• Garnish with a rose petal, speared with a cocktail pick (I got mine here from Amazon).

I think a coupe glass is perfect for a champagne cocktail like this one. I found my gold rim coupe glasses from Indigo years ago, but here's a similar set if you're looking to add some to your bar. I also like these vintage-looking ones from Indigo as well. Pair your cocktail with some pink macarons, and you've got a nice treat to celebrate in style!

Now for the outfit. Lace is always associated with Valentine's Day, but I think sheer tulle can also be just as hot. As an example, have you seen those super-trendy Gucci tulle gloves?? They exude a classy sexiness. Well as much as I'd love to drop $800 on a pair of those luxe Gucci gloves, that just wasn't in my budget for this Valentine's Day, so instead I found this gorgeous polka dot tulle top (similar to a swiss dot look) from SheIn! The best part: it's just $10! It also comes in pink and red - how appropriate for the occasion. I've also linked some other similar tops and dresses below.

What are your Valentine's or Galentine's Plans this year? You can let me know in the comments below!

Here are some of my top affordable picks for sheer tulle polka dot tops and dresses, including the top I'm wearing! For reference, I'm wearing a size medium.

Happy Styling!

~ Britta

A Quality Summer Cocktail Dress

 Well, I wish I could say I got more use out of this dress this summer, but with COVID, there hasn't been a lot of opportunities to dress up! I had to postpone my 30th birthday in July due to rain (boo! in July??), but went out for drinks to H Tasting Lounge (one of my favourite places for a cocktail in Vancouver) that evening and had a chance to rock this dress. It really is a showstopper.

The price of a Ted Baker dress really isn't cheap, but this is one item you'll understand the price when you feel the garment. The material is so thick and luxurious! And the hardware - the zipper on the back and the straps - both are emblazoned with Ted Baker and have a feeling of quality and luxury to them. But let's be honest, I still wouldn't pay full price for a Ted Baker dress. I picked this one up at the Ted Baker Warehouse Sale for a fraction of the cost. BUT I also noticed this dress in a different print is currently on sale for half price if you're looking for a deal too! It's so nice to have a really good quality cocktail dress in your arsenal (even if you'll need to wait until next summer to wear it!). 

This dress was giving me major 50/60's vibes, hence the fun cat-eye sunglasses and white pumps. I've also become a big flamingo-obsessed since last summer, and love, love, love this flamingo clutch I found at Old Navy! It's out of stock, but I linked up one I found on Poshmark below. All I can say is there will be lots more flamingo stuff to come in my wardrobe! Give me all the Palm Springs vibes!!!

Dress - Ted Baker (from the Ted Baker Warehouse Sale) | Sunglasses - Target | Purse - Old Navy (here's one on Poshmark!) | Lipstick - NYX Liquid Suede in Pink Lust (from London Drugs) | Heels - H&M (thrifted via Value Village)

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Palm Springs Style

 No, don't worry I didn't take a forbidden flight to Palm Springs in the midst of a pandemic! I've been holding onto these photos since last spring! I've still been wearing this outfit a bunch at home this summer. It's the perfect thing to wear when riding my bike to patio drinks. The paperbag-waist gingham shorts are so comfortable, and the top is nice and light on a hot summer day (not to mention the yellow is fun and sunny!). And the little ties on the top are just so cute, and make the straps fully adjustable, as a bonus.

I've also been wearing these braided white mules to death this summer! They are my absolute all-time favourite summer shoe. Why, you ask? They're a good step up from sandals - they just look a little more refined. But they're still easy to slip in and out of if you're at the beach, etc. They're also really comfortable. I wish I had bought 2 pairs!! Unfortunately, they're out of stock on JustFab now, but I've linked up a similar pair below.

The photos below were taken at The Shops at 1345 and Shop(pe) Ice Cream & Shop - definitely two stops I'm glad we made while in Palm Springs. The Shops at 1345 had so many great local vendors under one roof, all with a unique range of products from cute little trinkets to beautiful home decor. And Shop(pe) not only had some awesome ice cream flavours, but a great little gift shop with all kinds of fun gift and souvenirs, like pool floats and tropical cocktail kits (complete with mini umbrellas and palm leaf stir sticks!). I look forward to going back once it's OK to travel again! Until then, I'll just keep rocking my Palm Springs outfits closer to home...

Shirt - SheIn (almost identical one here) | Shorts - Zara (thrifted via Salvation Army) (similar) | Purse - SheIn (similar) | Earrings - Target (similar) | Sunglasses - Target | Shoes - JustFab (similar)

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Outfit Inspiration: Easter Pastels

Well, I wish I could say I'd be wearing this outfit out for Easter this weekend, but no. Easter will be spent on the couch this year. For the record, these photos were actually from last year (notice the shorter hair!), as I realized they never did make it to the blog here for some reason. I still absolutely love how colourful and pastel-y this outfit is (it definitely puts a smile on my face!), so I figured it was still definitely worth sharing. And with Easter this weekend, pastels seemed more than appropriate.

I've actually worn these pastel blue trousers to Easter brunch a few times in the past. Would you believe they're just from Forever 21?? I love a good pair of statement pants, and have an obsession for wide leg trousers especially. I bought these ones years ago, but I found a few similar pairs online - in plus size, and high waisted. I wish I could share a link to this adorable macaron blouse too, but sadly, I can't find anything similar in stock online! But...I think a simple white blouse would also look great with a pair of pastel pants like these. Just pair it with a pastel pink lip and you'll be set to go! Even if you're just celebrating Easter from your couch...

As for Easter-themed celebrations, I'm thinking it may be a waffles and mimosas kind of day. We usually do a waffle brunch with the family on Easter. Since we're stuck at home this year, just me and the bf, I also thought I might do a little adult Easter egg hunt (I've searched for some jumbo fillable Easter eggs that might fit mini bottles of alcohol)! I'd fill them with chocolate, but let's be honest, I've already eaten two big bags of Mini Eggs by myself as a quarantine snack here. I'm going to have to hide the eggs really well though, considering we live in a very tiny apartment! What are your plans for a self-isolated Easter?

Blouse - Winners | Pants - Forever 21 (similar) | Purse - Kate Spade (similar)

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

The 'It' Skirt: Silk & Snakeskin

One of the biggest 'it' clothing items last year was the leopard silk skirt. It was pretty much on every blogger's feed at some point or another, whether it was with sky-high heels or bright white sneakers. The blogger community proved how versatile a silky mid-length skirt could be. When I spotted this silky (it's actually satin, not silk) snakeskin skirt on SheIn for only $15, I thought hey, maybe this can be this year's iteration of the leopard silk skirt!

I do love the versatility of it, and thought I'd wear it for my last afternoon tea date with LegalLee Blonde a couple months back. I wanted a chic but cozy vibe, as the wear was still pretty cold, so I paired it with an oversized (read: men's) cashmere sweater that I thrifted from Value Village ages ago. By the way, seriously, if you've always wanted a cashmere sweater, just drop by your local thrift store, I've found so many high quality cashmere sweaters while thrifting! To top things off, I thought I'd wear my pearl hair clips (also from SheIn, and only $4!!) and my favourite Kam Dhillon Park Avenue glasses from Clearly.

Most importantly, you're probably wondering...where did we go for such an adorable and delectable afternoon tea? Our favourite spot in Vancouver, Neverland Tea! They have the absolute best savoury and sweet offerings (in regular, vegan or gluten-free!) for a reasonable price, and their teas are fantastic too. I love that they make every pot of tea fresh (not simply adding water when you run out), and they have a huge variety of teas. I recommend the Heavenly Cream. Oh and did I mention, the shop is absolutely adorably decorated? It's worth popping in for some tea if you're ever in the area! I know for now though, we're staying home to stay, so if you still want to try them out from home, they're offering takeout services and delivery within Vancouver!

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta