Eat nothing...

Christmas is winding down around here and things are finally getting back to normal after an über busy December. Normally I'd be kinda lamenting the fact that Christmas is over but I'm still looking forward to a few more family get togethers after New Years.  Yes more food and wine.

Question: how is one supposed to lose 10 lbs by January 6th when the fattening food won't go away?

  (Why the seasonally inappropriate quest for rapid weight loss you ask, we haven't even hit New Years yet?)
 Its because Mama and Husband are off to Vegas the first week of January and while we're there my plan is to find some serious dealz shopping for clothes, clothes and more clothes. 

 However I've apparently (over the last month) managed to eat a third of my total body weight in Ferrero Rocher, cheese and red wine. 

Obviously one solution is to maintain the December status quo and just continue eating, but then walk the Vegas Strip and shop till my legs fall off, thus burning off the extra el-bees that have recently decided to call my muffin top "home." 

Or I could pull a Bethenny Frankel and "Taste everything, Eat Nothing."

{What does that mean? Like literally eat nothing at all?  Well she did shed all her baby weight in 3 weeks...}

Let's keep it real here. I shall continue to eat, and I'll in all likelihood not drop 10 pounds by January 6th. However the elliptical trainer and me are gonna be on a first name basis. Hopefully?

What is your plan for the post holiday slim-down?

These are a few of my favorite things...

I was tagged by the super lovely Marie, at Marie a la mode to talk a bit about the things I'm currently loving.

Easily done, in fact I had a hard time narrowing it down to only a top five.

My 5 current loves

My Samsung Galaxy Tab. Like an iPad but smaller and even more awesome. It's a tablet that supports Flash, fits in your hand, has a front and rear facing camera, its Android powered, it's preloaded with Kobo eReader and best of all it's like a tiny computer you can take anywhere (we put a SIM card in it too.) 

I'm kissing my laptop goodbye! 

e.l.f cosmetics- (eyes, lips, face)  I'm completely into this line of ridiculously affordable makeup. Sadly it's only available here in Canada at Winners (and sometimes Zellers) and online. The prices are amazing and the quality is just as good.  Most products sell from 3-10 dollars. Crazy!

 Dolman tops, whether it's with a bat wing or angel wing sleeve, v-neck or cowl neck, there's just something so flattering and easy to wear about this style of shirt. Fitted at the bottom but loose at the arm- it's perfection.

Brunette hair colour. Yup, I'm in love with brown hair (regular readers will be tired of hearing about this once again.) After years of being honey blonde I'm totally into dark chestnut brown hair. It's rich and natural and I wish I would have gone back to my "real" colour a long time ago had I known that I'd love it so much.

Large American Retailers- ok, this one might seem a bit strange but I really do love U.S. based retail/drug/department stores that we don't have here in Canada. While we do have just about every major store or chain here there are some we don't have (like Target).  Shopping in the States makes me feel like a kid in a candy store.

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5 Questions

1. Fave Makeup Brand?

OR

For years it was MAC all the way, but lately I've been really liking NARS as well.

2. Fave Clothing Brand?

This is another tough question. I (also) really like Forever 21, Michael Kors, Jacob, INC and even Old Navy. 

3. Your indispensable makeup product ?

This question is almost impossible to answer. (I really feel "naked" going out without foundation, liner, mascara and lipstick.) But I'm going to go with this pen style eye liner. It's way easier to use than classic liquid liner because of the pen style precision tip. It gives a smooth dark line that you can easily make thick or thin.

4. What country would you like to visit and why?

I'd love to visit Prague in the Czech Republic. It's one of the few European cities I haven't been to and I've heard its gorgeous. It's definitely on my list of must-see world destinations. 

5. What is that last concert you've been to?

Ok, don't get judgey on me. BritBrit is one of my favorite hot messes and she does put on a good show. What's sad is that I really haven't been to any other decent shows in well over a year. Mama needs to get out more?

Time to tag these lovely ladies:

Sara from Sara in Le Petit Village

DeefromCG at Champagne Blonde

Her Majesty, Mrs. Dixon from The Doll House

TILTE from Things I like to Eat (...and other Nonsense)

Heather from Forever in blue jeans

Hotpants from Handbags & Handguns

Over The Knee Knockout

Over the knee boots are definitely not a look that just anyone can pull off. Sure, if you're of Kardashian descent it's almost mandatory to be walking around in a pair while in NYC/Miami/LA (or anywhere else a 'Dash' clothing store has popped up.)  But for the rest of the ordinary world unless you've got a fierce look and long legs, the OTK boots are likely a no-go.

Or so I thought. After a quick trip to Winners to pick up more discounted Christmas chocolates (who would pay full price for Lindt chocolates?), I somehow came home with a pair. They're tall, bold and fabulous. Perfect with leggings, skinny jeans, or if you're really brave, a short dress (that won't be a look I'll be rocking, I know my limitations...)  

It's a fine line between looking hot and looking like you're wearing Hip Waders. I really hope these say "let's go out for drinks and not, let's go fly fishing..."

GUESS "Revenge" Over The Knee Boots

I'm liking how Kourtney and Kim are wearing their OTK boots. Keeping their tops and jackets simple and neutral.

So would you wear boots this high, or are they borderline Julia Roberts (everyones fave hooker) in Pretty Woman?

P.S. Have you seen the Kardashians latest Christmas card photo for 2010?  This family is seriously one of a kind.  Does this say "Merry Christmas from our family to yours?"

Tidings of Great Joy...

I'm going to tell you a bit about my tidings of great joy. The cosmetic gods decided to answer my materialistic and superficial prayers (real prayers are reserved for the Guy Upstairs only...I don't throw my prayers around willy-nilly.) And they gifted me with a phone call from Sephora to say that my Urban Decay Naked Palette had finally arrived *cue celestial chorus of angels singing*, and that I needed to get my derrière over there to pick it up before they gave it to some other biznatch who coveted it more than me (as if that was possible.)

Behold the much hyped, much reviewed, much desired item of cosmetic genius and mastery.

I've been stalking this little beauty at Sephora for months and of course it's always sold out. It's sold out everywhere. Always. But not for me. Not anymore.

via

I won't bother swatching or reviewing this palette. It's only been done by 1000 other beauty bloggers 1000 other times. Let's just say it's amazing. 

Eye-shadow-nirvana. 

If they're ever back in stock you should most definitely grab one. (Only a few come available at a time, some b.s. about a supply issue on one of the main ingredients it's made with.) Maybe it's all just a master plan by Urban Decay to create a frenzy around their newest product. Not available you say?...that just makes me want it even more. It's simple psychology yo...

It comes with a small bottle of the ubiquitous Urban Decay Primer Potion (to de-oilify your lids), and a double ended black and brown 24/7 liner. Could this get any better? No.

Is the Urban Decay Naked Palette on your wish List? If not it should be...Mama says so! 

Tacky Christmas lights, fat little trees and purple sparkle

It's Christmas time all up in here! And while our outdoor Christmas lights are about as classy as the Griswolds, my kids think I'm an electrical engineering genius with this "display" of lights. 

Moving inside I"ll bore amaze you with our indoor decor. Honestly I'd like to do so much more with the house but Kid # 2 is at an age of pure destruction. He's just so excited by the lights and ornaments that he wants to touch (and break) everything. I'll give our poor tree a week before he pulls the whole thing down onto himself...

 That's one fat little tree, but he's real! 

On the weekend we got our drink on at a pre-Christmas house partay.  These pics were taken way later in the night after much wine/scotch/rum/vodka had been consumed...

 Green party cups mean drink up!

Mama in purple sequins

We love wine. As always.

 Since almost everyone at the party was Greek Canadian it quickly turned into a basement dance party. Who dances in a basement? We all do apparently...

Basement pole dance...

After shots of Ouzo, shirts were being unbutton. Husband decides to rock out on a pink guitar and it seemed awesomely cool at the time...  The picture obviously proves otherwise!

Tuxedo deluxe

So you're going out and you plan on wearing your cutest new strapless dress. But wait, it's December and you remember it's freezing ass outside (at least where I live it is...)  So how do you cover up a bit and attempt to stay warm-ish while still looking amazing?   

Pashminas?- boring.  Bolero style shrug?- old news. 

  Tux jackets are the perfect way to coverup while adding a bit of structure and style. Last winter I was really loving my cropped tux jacket, but this season I'm all about a regular length tuxedo jacket. The masculine silhouette of the jacket offsets the shortness of a dress while adding an extra kick of style. Lurve it.

{Is it really necessary to do 3 hours of pilates and yoga everyday to have legs like these?}

While cruising through my People Style Watch magazine I notice this American Eagle Tuxedo blazer. (American Eagle? yeah, who knew they'd carry something like this.)  So I grabbed this while shopping this week. It's the perfect length, has the right amount of structure and of course has a shiny lapel to add a pop of added glam. 

In the beginning of January I'll most definitely be rocking a tux jacket when we go out in Vegas.

What do you think about mixing a men's look with something flirty and fun like a short dress?