Cory Monteith

I was saddened to learn this past weekend that the talented Cory Monteith had passed away.  When I first saw the Twitter messages I hoped that it was just a hoax.  Only too soon did the British Columbia authorities confirm the sad reality.  Glee is a show I watch every week and the story lines with Rachel and Fin are always my favourite.  I can't imagine watching this show without Cory's story lines.  

Even more so, I can't imagine what Leah Michelle, Cory's real life Rachel Berry, must be going through right now.  They were both so young and their story was just beginning...so many experiences that will never be lived.

I wanted to dedicate this post to Cory Monteith, his unforgettable body of work as an actor and his kind soul.  May you rest in piece Cory and never again feel the pain you felt in life.

Tina

Brojanica, A Prayer Bracelet

If you know, or have seen, an Orthodox individual wearing a Brojanica (a.k.a. prayer bracelet) you have likely either asked yourself, or them...what this unique bracelet, usually worn on their left hand represents.  "Brojanica" is the Serbian Orthodox name for the prayer bracelet.  I myself wear a Brojanica on my left hand and get asked about it often, so I thought I would share the story and purpose of the Brojanica with you all.

I came across a good rendition of the story behind the Brojanica on the 33 Knots website and I wanted to share it with you.  Here it is...

The story

"These bracelets come with a great story that people just love. Here’s how the story goes. A very very long time ago there was a monk that was amongst the first to wander into the desert to spread the word of the Lord. This monk came up with the idea to use a rope to count his prayers. For every prayer he recited he made a knot.

Everything was just fine until one day during his prayer he got a vision of the Devil, which threw the monk out of concentration. The monk was surprised to see that the knots he made were mysteriously untied.

The monk tried to pray again, but every time he got the same vision with the same result. But the brave monk was not to give up so easily. He kept on trying, but every passing day it got worse, the poor monk got very exhausted and it seemed the Devil would have his victory.

Thankfully Archangel Gabriel came to the rescue. Gabriel appeared in the monks dreams and showed him how to tie a special knot that vanquishes the Devil. The very next day the monk started to pray and to tie the special knot that consist of 7 small interlocking crosses. The Devil appeared again, but when he tried to untie the knots the special bond of the knots repelled him back to hell.

This brave humble monk stood his ground and kept on going even in his darkest hours. Ultimately claiming victory over evil. We all know this legendary monk. He was Saint Anthony the Great.

So now you know who invented the prayer rope bracelets and necklaces we all still use today.

Well, it’s no wonder that these bracelets and necklaces are so extremely popular."

The Brojanica can take many forms, it can be worn as a bracelet, a necklace or even a key chain.  The bracelets and necklaces come in both adult and children sizes.  The Brojanica is made from a specific type of rope and costs of 33 knots with a cross in the centre.   

Although the Brojanica has a religious purpose, it has has become a fashion accessory as well.  Celebrities have been wearing Rosary-inspired jewelry for a long time, and the Brojanica has followed suit. 

David Beckham

While I'm glad to see that the Brojanica is gaining more mainstream popularity, I believe  that it is important what it represents as well.  I wear my Brojanica as a reminder of where I came from and where I want to go in life.  It's also nice to know that it's close to me at times when I need a little extra 'help'.  While the Brojanice looks pretty and can definitely be used an an eye catching accessory  it is important not to treat it as just any old piece of jewellery. 

Novak Djokovic wearing a black Brojanica.

Selena Gomez wearing a bright green Brojanica.

Have you got your Brojanica?

XOXO

Tina

New Sephora Nail Polish Collection

After having acrylic nails for about 5 years straight, I recently decided to take a break from the acrylics and give my nails a little break.  I like experimenting with different colours and nail effects.  That's why I was so happy to find out that Sephora will be launching their very own line of nail polishes consisting of over 200 different colours! (No, this is not a typo).  Formula X, the new collection, will be hitting stores September 2013.  The line will consist of both nail polishes and nail treatments.  The polishes will retail anywhere between $10 and $12.50, while nail treatments will be priced at $14.

Formula X will include every colour, shade and effect you could think of.  There is something here for everyone. The collection consists of a "Colours" group which will consist of 94 classic colours and all the nail effects you could think of.

This collection will also include nail treatments such as an erasing goof pen, quick dry products, cuticle oil, etc.

Due to the size of this collection, Sephora will stop selling certain collection(s) of nail polish that it currently carries.  They would not, however, say which one(s).

Check back in September following the debut of Formula X for an update and a product review.

My Style: Stampede Denim

Add caption

Shirt (Bodysuit): Bebe

Jeans: Guess

Shoes: Coach

Hand Bag: Louise Vuitton

My Wedding Style

Since summer is upon us...finally... and since that means wedding season is also in high swing, I thought I would share my bridal look and essentials with you.

I got married in July of 2010 and my wedding day went off without a hitch!  That's not to say that I was not worried about things going wrong...just a little bit.

I had my hair done by the amazing girls of Sapphire Studio MUA.  They gave a look that was beautiful and classic with a modern touch.  If you are looking to have your hair, makeup and Mehndi done, you MUST give these girls a call.  Their work is one of a kind and will definitely turn heads.

I purchased the hair accessory from a company in China.

I decided to do my makeup myself.  I didn't want to look too over done.  I wanted to look like I 'normally' look.  I did a simple look for my eyes, and then wore red lipstick for a bit of drama.

My dress was a ball gown style dress with a pick-up feel on the bottom.  It was simple yet dramatic.  I loved it.  The bodice had just enough detailing, without being over the top.  I purchased my dress from Ethos is Calgary.

I wore a cathedral style veil which I think pulled my entire look together.  This style of veils retails for approximately $500.00.  I was able to find a designer in China, who sells their wedding fashions through ebay.  I paid $50.00 for my veil, plus shipping.  I was nervous as to whether or not the veil would be of good quality, but it was perfect in every way.

As for my shoes, I wanted to have a shoe that would pop every time I walked, and in pictures.  Because our wedding color was red, I decided to go with red shoes.  I bought these little gems at Town Shoes.

For the flowers, I wanted a classic bouquet of red roses.  The bridesmaids had bouquets of white lilies (my fave flower).  

Our three tiered cake was red and VERY yummy!  Each layer was a different flavor.  We used Cakes With Attitude to do our cake.  They did a great job!

For our photographer, we used Quantum Images Inc.  Julie and her team did an amazing job!  They spent the entire day with us, and we had a blast taking pictures with them all day.  They made us feel very comfortable.  If you are looking for an amazing photographer who will be more like a friend than simply a vendor you hired, give them a call.  Most of the pictures in this post were taken by Quantum Images.

The videographer we used was Dream Day Video Production.  They did a great job on the day of the wedding, and they also spent the entire day with us.  It was nice that they were there for the entire day, so we didn't need to rush through our reception to get all the essentials out of the way to ensure they could take the pictures.  However, when it came time to picking up the DVDs, we did experience some minor issues. Overall, they did a good job, but I would not use them again.

My handsome groom, and the rest of the wedding party guys all wore suits by Moores.  My hubby and the groomsmen all wore white suits with red vests and red ties.

My bridesmaids wore red dresses.  As you can see, they did not wear the exact same dress.  I wanted each of the girls to be comfortable in their dresses and I wanted the dress to really compliment their individual styles.

Our wedding day was a day we will never forget.  We had a blast celebrating our love with our friends and family.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post, it's definitely the most personal post I've ever done.  Thank you for taking the time to read this.

XOXO

T.

Rihanna for River Island Winter 2013 Sneak Peak

Rihanna, alongside designer Adam Selam, is preparing to unleash a new collection for River Island.  While both Rihanna and Selam remain tight lipped on exactly what we can expect from the fashion house and pop icon this time around, he has said that the process this time around was more relaxing.  They drew inspirations from locations from around the globe and sport uniforms, among others.  Because both Adam and RiRi grew up in warm climates (California and Barbados), creating essential winter pieces posed a challenge for the budding designers.

A sneak-peak video has been released to promote the new collection.  Take a look...

The collection will be available in stores September 12, 2013.

Check out the looks from Rihanna's firs River Island Collection here.

XOXO

Tina 

New Shoedazzle Purchases

I FINALLY received my new Shoedazzle shoes in the mail last week.  YAY!

My boots came just in time for Stampede.  I will be posting some Stampede looks throughout the week, so make sure you check those out.

Now, without further adieu, here are my latest Shoedazzle purchases...

The Carina

The Dori

If you would like to check out my other Shoedazzle posts, click here and here .

XOXO 

Tina