Blogging over coffee

Good morning everyone! Is the pie already finished?

We took a first stab at the leftovers this morning, since we celebrated Thanksgiving last night. The house is a mess, with dirty plates and toys everywhere, and the baby did not let me sleep (again) last night. I took a shower this morning, but I did not have the time yet to dry my hair.

I think I deserve a break, don't you agree? Coffee, blogging, and Black Friday deals (here are my highlights, in case you missed them yesterday in all the excitement) -- here I come!

Black Friday for Canadians

Hello everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!

I know, I know. Thanksgiving was yesterday. Probably now you are strategizing about what to do with those leftovers while you are shopping for Black Friday deals (once a multitasker, always a multitasker -- remember this movie?). Forgive me for the confusion, but didn't Black Friday deals start yesterday? And didn't at least a few American stores stay open until late to lure customers in?

On this side of the border, no turkey has been eaten - yet. As I write, I am plotting a five course meal for six adults and four kids, which will be happening later today. (Yesterday was a school night, so we had to postpone our celebrations). Meanwhile, I am sorting through the 60-something emails that have poured into my Inbox about "Black Friday" deals for Canadians.

Don't get overexcited. It may be called Black Friday, but in practice it is far from it (remember this post?). Nonetheless, there are a few deals around that could help you jumpstart that holiday gift list. Here is my roundup of the best ones.

Lacoste offers 30% off throughout  the weekend, although the selection is quite thin.

Staples has a two-days sale when you can save big on iPads (up to 70$ on an iPad mini) and MacBook Air (up to 200$) -- a great deal since Apple products rarely go on sale.

Zara Canada offers up to 50% off a good selection of items for the whole family.

Mochico, my new favorite stop for shoewear, offers up to 50% off on everything in store. 

mytheresa offers free standard shipping until today at 12:59 CST. That's a saving of almost 100$, if you crave for some European flare that is otherwise expensive to get shipped to Canada.

Less exciting sales: Holt Renfrew's Black Friday event -- because the items included in the sale are as few as always; Joe Fresh Buy-One-Get-One-Fifty-Percent-Off, which is available in selected stores only (full list here); GAP 40 percent off (use code CFRIDAY), which ends today -- because honestly it is a deal that comes around about once a month anyway; and The Bay's "incredible sales" -- because 25$ off 150$ spent is not even 20% off.

Jeans, her own

Hello everyone! How fast did you shed the baby weight?

I gained 40 pounds during my last pregnancy (there, I said it). I was huge. HUGE. I thought I was never going to lose it. 

Bit by bit I rebuilt my closet from the ground up (in case you missed it, here is my journey through post-pregnancy style). I bought jeans and pants, in gradually smaller sizes. Last time I checked I was down to a size 29. This is when I remembered of two pairs of my old jeans that I never liked because they fit too lose then -- read: pre-second baby.

Not only it turns out now they fit. They are now my two favorite pairs. And I am building my holiday outfits around that waxed metallic number by Mother.

Love the place you shop: Mochico

UPDATE: Mochico has moved to 4945 Sherbrooke Street in October 2014.


Hello everyone! Do you know Mochico?

Last year, Nicholas Hoare Books, our Shop Around The Corner (aka one of our neighbourood beloved, historical bookstores) closed. A few weeks ago, Mochico took its place on Greene Street. I am glad it turned out to be a great store, which the whole neighbourhood needed desperately, because it has made the loss a bit more bearable (and, honestly, there is only so  much bad customer service and limited stock that one can take -- I am looking at you, Tony Shoes).

The store decor is similar to the one of the boutique on Avenue Laurier (pictured above via Belle), which opened last year. It is the brand and style selection that I LOVE though. It spans from Michael Kors to Sam Edelman to UGG boots and more. Surprisingly for Westmount, it is affordable.

Today I took advantage of the last day of their opening sale, and scored a pair of everyday Pajar boots and a pair of Ash sneakers (who knew that three-inches heels could be so comfortable?). The promotion ended today, but I was told to wait for another one coming on Thursday. I know I will be back...

P.S. More great places to shop in the Montreal area here.

Mind the GAP

Hello everyone! Have you shopped at GAP lately?

You may remember I am a big fan of their jeans. For FW13, I stocked up on the latest incarnation of GAP legging jeans, the coated biker legging jeans. Wouldn't you know? To discover GAP most recent line of outerwear was a surprise. On the hunt for a grey coat, I stumbled upon this double-breasted wool peacoat. The trench cut is clean, the Italian-made wool fabric soft and luxurious (you would never guess at this price point), and the attention to details is unexpected (the coat is fully lined, and the inside buttons are red - love).

I am trying GAP cashmere next.

Birthday at the Museum

Hello everyone! Do you normally celebrate your kids' birthdays at home or at a different venue?

Last weekend we celebrated my son's seventh birthday at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. It was the first time we did not hold his birthday party at home, but with a number of invitees close to 15 and a baby at home, it was the only possible choice.

Not that I minded. A kids' birthday party with no work required on my part and no cleanup? Count me in. As I am writing after the fact, I wonder why we did not start doing it sooner :)

Anyway, my son worried about how to top last year's Jedi training or the magician who entertained our most recent family party. We also wanted a venue art-oriented more than sports-oriented. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts was the answer to our needs. We had already been really happy about its summer camp, which my son attended a couple of years ago. The Museum staff worked with us to find the best activity to fit my son's tastes, and organized everything from the activities to the cutting of the cake (that's pretty much the only thing we had to bring).

Totally recommended if you live in Montreal!


Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
1380 Sherbrooke Street
Montreal, QC H3G 1J5
514-285-2000 (option 3)

Should I stay or should I go?

Hello everyone! Are you planning to shop the Isabel Marant for H&M collection in a couple of days?

My calendar has been marked for a while for the launch of this collection, but for almost as long I have been ambivalent about it.

Sleep deprived me: The quality could be poor. The cuts difficult to wear. Remember last year's Maison Martin Margiela. It is not worth to forego a few hours of precious sleep to go and queue up at the crack of dawn. (This year the stores will open their door at 8 am, rather than at 10 am like previous years, so showing up at 6:30am and hoping for some luck is not an option).

Fashionista me: That grey coat is the answer to my obsession (who cares it is not coat season anymore around here). I also need the boots and the embellished jacket, period.

Guess who won.

When a coat does not do it anymore

Hello everyone! Is it still coat season around where you live?

Last week we have crossed into the winter Twilight zone (so to speak). My Mediterranean roots clash against the habit of some hard-core Canadian women who wear a heavy coat through most of the winter. For me, coats are now officially out.

This year I can fit again into my beloved Cube, as well as into my lighter Aspesi puffer. This circumstance fills me with happiness. But. This picture of Celine's FW13 ad campaign has been hunting me. The perfect balance between the coat's oversized shape and the handbag's refined structure. The sublime pairing of white and tan.

Even if it would be weather-appropriate, I cannot afford the coat (duh). I gave up the hunt for the perfect grey coat, and purchased a white puffer instead. I have a baby, am I crazy?

Unpacking CPW

Hello everyone! Have you ever justified a big purchase by telling yourself it was a good investment?

I am all for buying good quality fashion. For me, designer clothing almost always trumps Zara and H&M when the price of the latter is above 100$. Next year, I know I will wonder why did I ever spent 300$ on that Zara coat with no resell value. In contrast, the Max Mara wrap coat I bought three years ago is now the latest fashion (thanks Kim Kardashian). If, and when, I ever get bored with it, I can consign it and get good money in return. 

Resell value is a down-the-line concept that is not attractive to most people though. As prices have kept increasing (especially for "statement" items such as shoes and handbags), magazines and editors alike have rather begun pushing cost-per-wear. 

I thought back about it while I was reading Jo Baker's latest novel. "There could be no wearing of clothes without their laundering." Alias: even that Prada sweater you paid over two grands for will be victim to wear and tear. If in your head you had paid only 62$ per wear to show it off two times a week during four winter months, think again. That means you are spending almost 500$ a month to always wear the same sweater -- even when it will start piling.

Photo: Fashion Magazine.

Love the place you shop, somewhat: Joe Fresh

Hello everyone! Do you know Joe Fresh?

Let me start from the beginning. A couple of years ago, when I read that Joe Fresh opened its first US store on Madison Avenue, my first thought was: "Have I been missing out?". Joe Fresh is, after all, a Canadian label. Up to that point, I knew it as the clothing corner in Loblaws, where I had scored some great thermal underwear for my son a few years prior during an exploratory trip when the brand launched. Nothing else had felt at all inspiring.

On this side of the border, Joe Fresh can now be found within Maxi supermarkets as well as Loblaws. It is a sad, sad place to shop. Think the forgotten corner of a run-down Target. (The "boutique" at Jean Talon market is nicer, but do not expect white interiors and Rothko wall art as, I am told, in the latest store that has opened in NYC.)

Joe Fresh's editing is among the best though. I am staring at their latest newsletter and I am almost convinced that their latest arrivals are indeed runway worthy. As I am rebuilding my closet on a budget, I thus decided to give a try to the brand's cashmere sweaters you have surely come across in Joe Fresh's FW13 ad campaign. I was hoping in a Uniqlo-like experience -- cheap cashmere of great quality. When it arrived in the mail (because, as it turns out, Joe Fresh's cashmere sweaters are sold only online), I fell in love with my pale grey bounty. So soft. No signs of piling even after a full day of wearing. I could envision my fall uniform as a combination of GAP 1969 jeans and Joe Fresh cashmere sweaters.

One wash later, I have to come to terms with the fact that I overpaid. The sweater reconfirmed my initial impression of Joe Fresh: the price-quality ratio of most of its items (including kids' clothing) is not advantageous to the consumer. I doubt I'll buy a second sweater, although I am tempted by their current offer. If you are willing to give it a try, you can take 20$ off your purchase of 100$or more until November 10.

P.S. More great places to shop in the Montreal area here.

What did you wear to welcome trick-or-treaters?

Hello everyone and happy Friday! Did you have a great Halloween?

Our baby boy is too young to go out trick-or-treating, so I stayed at home with him while my husband took out my older son. My witch costume remained in the closet yet another year. I did the ultra-simple Catwoman look (yes, my husband was dressed up like Batman...), with a headband and the smoky eye look that is so fashionable this season (full review here). 

Do you wear a full costume even if you just stay at home as I did? I'd love to hear.

FW13 trends | Are you smoking?

Hello everyone! Are you trying the smokey eye this season?

Alexa Chung and her famous eye makeup are popping up in the beauty section of every magazine. I love to freshen up my makeup for Fall, so I decided to give it a try. 

I headed straight for Bobbi Brown at Holt Renfrew, where you can try on the new Smokey Eye Collection. It looked great, and it seemed relatively simple to apply, but I found it was a bit much for an everyday look (I am kind of a fresh face kind of gal, and who has more than 5 minutes in the morning anyway?) Most importantly, it seems that post-pregnancy my eyes have become ultra-sensitive. Even the Dior makeup I invested in last winter now gives me headaches when I put it on. My freshly applied Bobbi Brown makeup had the same effect. No go.

That catapulted me in the land of hypoallergenic eye makeup, which, let me tell you, is an awfully small place. Aside from Clinique, at my local Pharmaprix I found only Marcelle and Almay as viable options. Only plus point here is the price. I got Almay's smoky eye kit for less than 30$, whereas Bobbi Brown's one would have set me back 150$. 

I tried the look yesterday evening for Halloween, and I was quite pleased with the result. The eyeshadow and the pencil have a subtle glimmer that is quite nice, especially under artificial lighting. A few hours later, the pencil had melted a bit though. I am hoping that I can still apply my Dior one without problems...

The king is naked and the queen is barefeet

Hello everyone! Did you shop The Outnet's secret Louboutin sale?

It happened a few days ago. It was deemed secret and you had to register well in advance to have a chance to be included. I signed up and waited. Since it was a secret, it had to be GOOD, I thought. Wrong. As much as The Outnet's anniversary sales (last year it was the 2$ sale), which generally sell out and crash the site in minutes, this one had nothing special. Nothing. It was a small selection of uneventful styles. I love you The Outnet, but your sales are not your strong point.