A is for Accessorize

Accessories are a girl's best friend! One of the lovely ladies I work with said to me the other day "Linds, you always wear so much color" (true fact), "I wish I could wear color, it just doesn't suit me" (FALSE fact). My motto is "everyone can wear color". Nothing makes a dreary Monday better than a lovely yellow dress, or a coral trench coat. A pop of color really says something about you, and I think everyone should step away from the black, especially for spring.

I know not everyone wants to walk around looking like a cartoon character, so you can easily add a pop of color and sparkle to your everyday look with a great pair of earrings, or a fun ring.  I think accessories make an outfit a 10, so I though I'd share what I've been accessorizing with this week to give you some inspiration.  (Honestly though, try some color in your wardrobe. It'll make your world a better place).

Monday

Earrings: Aldo

Sunglasses: DLR (Westdale) 

Necklace: White Elephant, by Stone & Honey. (Also available online here)

Tuesday

Earrings: Le Chateau (people mistake them for vintage all the time)

Necklace: Same as Monday. (It's new and I'm obsessed with it.)

Wednesday

Sunglasses: DLR

Bracelet: Thrifted in London (UK! Woo!)

Necklace: Victoire (From the 2011 Field Trip Pop Up Shop in Hamilton )

Thursday

Earrings: Birthday present from Jana (from Pure)

Bracelets: Recycled glass bead bracelets, present from Rich. From the Distillery District Market, Toronto.

Friday

Earrings: DLR 

Bracelets: Another present from Jana. Because she has amazing taste. (They say "believe in yourself" and "L'amour" which I think is "love always").

Saturday*

Pink Bow (top left): Aldo

Sparkle Flower: Present from my mom

Beige Sparkle Band: Aldo

Lace tie (bottom left): Thrifted

Black Flower Clip: Birthday present made by the fabulous Natalie Rose

Yellow Hair Pin: White Elephant

Red Hair Pin: Ardens (So shameful, but true).

*Ok, I didn't really wear ALL of these hair things on Saturday, but I wanted to include hairbands as accessory options and this picture was so pretty

Sunday

This is a very special accessory, and while I don't usually believe in "special occasion" jewelry, this kind of falls into that category. On Mother's Day I visited my maternal grandmother, and she gave me this necklace as a gift. It used to be her mother's, and it is so special to me to have this. 

So go forth, and accessorize! Be bold, make a statement! Take pictures and share them with me.
[Craving some more accessory goodness? The lovely Jane of White Elephant posted about some they just got into the store today. WHAT A COINCIDENCE.  Check out her awesome poses here.]
I think this accessory goodness may be a new recurring feature here on At Ten Paces. Love it.

(This post made me realize that a ton of my jewelry- costly and not- have been presents, and that makes them even more special and awesome.)

Doors Open Hamilton 2012

This past weekend was Doors Open Hamilton 2012.  "The Doors Open program seeks to celebrate, educate and inform citizens and visitors of the importance of the architectural, cultural and historical sites in Hamilton by allowing visitors free access to properties that are either not usually open to the public, or would normally charge an entrance fee. Many locations organize guided tours, displays and activities to enrich the visitor experience." (Taken from Doors Open website).

This year featured over 50 sites throughout all of Hamilton and there were over 25,000 reported visits for all the sites across both days.  It's an amazing event in Hamilton and you get to see some amazing buildings you pass everyday, but up close and personal.
On Sunday, Rich and I made a beeline straight for Auchmar House.  We spend a lot of time over there, and I've posted about it before.  I was so excited to see inside, and Auchmar didn't let me down.  

From the minute we stepped inside, I couldn't look around fast enough. The inside of this house is even more beautiful than the outside.  I can only begin to imagine what Auchmar would have been like in its heyday. 

We saw the library, with it's amazing shuttered bay windows and the beautiful fireplace. There are over 20 fireplaces in Auchmar!

Some amazing details from the original design, such as the bathroom tiles (note: that blood-like stain was not on the tiles when I took this photo. Hmm. Spooky.), some original wallpaper (the palm pattern at the top of the photo) and the beautiful window panes.

Check out these closets! I just imagined hanging beautiful dresses in the white one.

I love checking out the Dovecote when we walk around the grounds. I've never seen this picture of what is was like originally, and this picture is pretty darn awesome. 

Being inside Auchmar was truly a treat, I couldn't have been more excited. We checked out the Mountain Trail School House Museum, and the Go Station Museum as well, and they were both a great look into the history of Hamilton.  I'll do another post later this week about them.  
Thank you SO SO SO MUCH to all the volunteers who made this amazing Hamilton event happen. Seeing inside Auchmar is something I've waited to do for so long, and it really meant so much to me. Not to get all gushy, sorry, but it couldn't have happen without all those fabulous people.


Did you check out any other great sites on Door Open? I'd love suggestions of other places to see next year.  I'm thinking about volunteering at Auchmar next year too.  


Hamilton Heritage Foundation is an organization formed in 1977 that looks to preserve our local heritage and historical buildings.  They have formed a Community Restoration Project for Auchmar in which they will match, dollar for dollar, the contributions of the community up to $25,000 for the preservation of Auchmar House.  Imagine what they could do with $50,000! Please help preserve Auchmar (or any Hamilton building you love) and donate if you can.

Doggie Baking

This isn't a recipe post, it's more of an activity post that happens to contain baking. Baking for dogs! I decided it would be fun to spend some time making some dog treats for Hunter and Iris. It's much more wallet friendly, and I know exactly what they are getting. No scary, random, unpronounceable ingredients.  I made 3 types, chicken and honey, beef and vegetarian. They all turned out really well, although some of the dough wasn't cookie cutter friendly, which I was sad about because I bought some adorable Martha Stewart Doggie Bone Cookie Cutters. That Martha, she thinks of everything.
 They are Hunter, Iris and Zooey approved for now and I'm testing them out on some lovely Hamilton dog owners. So if all goes well, I'm going to start making them for sale!

These cookie cutters couldn't be any cuter!

All natural, healthy ingredients. And some baking tunes.

Mix number one. Beef. Mmm, doesn't it look delicious?

Beef treats, finished. 

Mix number two. Chicken and honey.

This dough rolled out so nicely and was fun to cut into bone shapes.

Cooked and ready to roll.

Waiting for tummies.

Aren't they pretty? Don't you just want to taste one? 

Let me know if you need any treats for your furry friends. I'd be happy to oblige. 

Spring Trends #2: Hair and Makeup

This is a follow up post to my spring wardrobe trends post.  After a whole winter's worth of pale skin and frizzy hair I love to have a little bit of fun with my look when the weather starts to turn nice.
Being "trendy" with your hair and makeup is a bit more tricky than when it comes to your clothes, because hair and makeup on the runway tends to get a bit wackadoo.  And if a "hot" lipstick or eyeshadow color doesn't look good with your skin tone, there's not too much you can do to change that.
I've tried to pick a few trends for this spring that anyone can pull off, and that I think are especially fun and easy!

The soft pony! Easy, no fuss hair is my speciality. I have zero hair skills.  All I can do is wear my hair down?straight or up in a pony/bun. So when I see that a "messy bun" or a pony tail-do is in, it's right up my alley. All you need to do for these glamourous and simple ponytails is comb out your hair (it doesn't even have to be clean!), tie it with an elastic, give it a quick douse of hairspray and you're good to go! Add a piece of ribbon or leather around the elastic for a bit more oomph.

I love a statement lip. I think there is nothing finer than a hot lipstick color and a swoop of liner. That said, bold lipstick is so hard to pull off in a hot Canadian summer, where your lipstick is more likely to end up smeared all over your face at the first sign on humidity.  Lets stick to light gloss in the summer ladies. So spring is our last chance to do an awesome statement lipstick.
I am not lipstick expert, so I will not try to give you a tutorial on application. Google it, there's tons of great ones out there. BUT, I will say, invest in liner. I've seen what lipstick bleeds look like and it's not pretty.

Orange is huge for Spring 2012, and I'm digging it, but I know you're all thinking "Orange? Really?". But orange can be awesome, and the right shade can work on pale skin and dark skin alike.  Seriously though, this is what the girls at the makeup counters are for! They are pros.  Show up, tell them what you're looking for and they will steer you in the right direction.
If all else fails, get some orange nails and you'll be set.

I left my favorite for last! Liner and lashes! Hurray! Nothing amps up your look like some serious lashes, and doll lashes are in for spring.  I know fake lashes can be a little intimidating, but with a bit of patience and practice you'll easily get the hang of it.  And if you don't, you can go to the mall and pay someone to put them on. They give your eyes some serious bang for their buck.  And a 60s liner is in right now too, one of the most flattering eye-makeup looks, in my opinion. Winged liner can open up your eyes and make them look huge (hence the "doll" reference).

Hopefully you'll find a trend here that you can hop on board with! Let me know if you try and love (or hate!) any of these looks, and what you'll be trying for Spring!

Spring Trends

Spring is finally upon us and I love getting out of big bulky coats and boots and being able to dress nicely again! This spring is my favorite in recent memory, it's been so beautiful in Hamilton.  So many blossoms and green as far as the eye can see.  It's also the most fun I've had with spring trends in ages.  All the neon and bold pattern is right up my alley.  I feel like a magpie when I'm out shopping, I just want to pile on the color and sparkles!

I'm a firm believer in doing what works for you, with a pinch of trendy thrown in for good measure.  I know we've all heard this before, but if it doesn't suit you, don't wear it just because it's "in". Wear what you love, what makes you happy and what makes you feel like your best you!
Here are some of this spring's trends that I'm all about and trying to work into my wardrobe.

Sorbets are huge this season, it's a great way to get some color into your outfit without going over the top.  I've seen a ton of sorbet accessories too, so if you're the kind of person who loves a neutral, you can add color with a fun clutch or shoe.

Color blocking has been big for a while now. I know it's a bit much, especially if you're not usually someone who wears a lot of color.  But you should try it! I promise you won't look crazy. Don't be afraid of color.

Rose gold has long been a favorite of mine. As we know, I am gaga for pink, but I just think rose gold is so beautiful. It's just different enough to stand out, while still being a classy neutral.
I was at the mall the other day and there is rose gold EVERYWHERE when just a few months ago it was hard to find. It makes my life when something I already love becomes so easy to get your hands on. (I can't afford any of this Tiffany jewelry I included, it is NOT easy to get your hands on. It is just so pretty I had to!).

This post got much longer than I had intended, I was going to include hair and makeup trends too. Oh well, I'll do another post for all of that fun business.  I hope this will inspire you to try something new, fashion wise.  Do what works for you and always have fun with your wardrobe.
Let me know what trends you are trying for spring.