Above you can see me mixing silver and gold, black and white and a hit of red. It’s always nice to have a pop of colour when you’re wearing back and white!

This “finishing off the look” can be the most challenging for most, but I assure you if you read my post; The Accessory Basics Every Woman Should Own, you will have a great head start. Don’t be shy when experimenting with accessories too. I always recommend being bold with your outfit add-on’s. Accessories are the easiest and cheapest way to update your wardrobe! So go out and buy that scarf in this Spring’s hottest new colour, cobalt blue or neon orange!

Follow me on Facebook for more tips and tricks on how to complete your wardrobe.

As much as it still feels like Winter, believe it or not Spring is only 48 days away! March 20th brings us fresh new life, longer days, and crisp air in our lungs! What does Spring mean to you? Is it time for you to start planting your garden? Do you go out and revamp your wardrobe? Does the change in season’s bring a fresh start for you? Here are a few images that inspire happy thoughts of Spring for me:

Does Spring excite you? What comes to mind when you think of Spring? For more continued inspirations, take a look and follow me on Pinterest.

Your accessories can make or break your outfit. They’re the icing on the cake; you can’t finish your outfit without accessories. Did you know that there are a few outfit add-on’s that should every women should own? Below is a list of 13 Accessory Basics Every Women Should Own and rotate into her everyday wardrobe.

1. A Brown Belt

2. Black Braided Skinny Belt

3. Black and Brown flats

4. Black pumps

5. Black and Brown boots

6. A black scarf

7. A printed scarf

8. A short silver and a short gold necklace

9. A long silver and a long gold necklace

10. A Black and a Brown Purse

11. Opaque black tights

12. Clear nail polish and red nail polish

13. Your favorite pair of sunglasses

I recommend that all ladies try own most of these items. They wont ever go out of style if you keep them simple, so spend a little extra on quality. If you’re purchasing trendy items I recommend not spending too much, because you never know how long you’re actually going to wear them.

Want more fashion tips? Follow Black is the New Black on Facebook! 

The Golden Globe Awards aired last night, and the ladies of comedy; Amy Poehler and Tina Fey stole the show. With their brilliant one liners and feminine charms they totally wooed the audience. So much so, I hope to see them hosting again!

Now lets take a look at some of my looks from last night’s red carpet:

Here are three of my favorite ladies rocking flashy black dresses. Nicole Kidman’s dress was quite stunning on live TV, it certainly accentuated her tiny waist. I love the shape of Selma Hayek’s sequin number and Helen Mirrian; she’s like a good bottle of wine and just keeps getting better with age!

White was a popular choice on the red carpet this year. I think one of my favorite looks was Hayden Panettiere’s beautifully soft Cavalli dress. Jennifer Lopez always stuns, and this lovely delicate lace dress was no exception. The biggest surprise for me came from Michelle Dockery from Downton Abbey. A very bold yet simple statement gown by Alexandre Vauthier. Quite different from what we usually see her in on Downton!

I have to say, my best dressed lady at the Golden Globe Awards was Jennifer Lawrence, who also took home the award for Best Actress in a Comedy:

This beautiful Dior Haute Couture gown accentuated Jennifer’s curves in all the right places. Her hair looked soft and feminine and that silver clutch is killer! Anyone else super excited for the new Hunger Games?!

The most best dressed couple goes to Jon Hamm and his gorgeous girl, Jennifer Westfeldt:

The biggest and boldest choice of the night goes to none other than Lucy Liu:

I think this is a dress that you either love or hate. I personally LOVED this Carolina Herrera gown. The shape and the colours were so pretty! The only reason she didn’t beat out Jennifer Lawrence for my best dressed was because of that hair. Love braids, but this one was a little to distracting and messy for this dress.

Who did you think was best dressed at the golden globe awards? Did you have a favorite moment? I loved Jodie Foster’s emotional speech. Pretty sure she had everyone in tears. What about Adele, seriously could she be any cuter? And I must say, Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell almost stole the show with this awesome presenting speech:

If you love reading posts like these, take a few min and follow me on Facebook. When I’m not blogging, I post quick tips and tricks on my page just for my Facebook followers!

I want to live here: 

A little encouragement: 

Beautiful make-up: 

Love this indoor space:

Style crush:             

Hair crush:   

I want to curl up here: 

Road Trip anyone? 

Anyone else excited for season 2 of Girls? I’ve got a major girl crush on Lena Dunham right now:

As you can see from the picture above, I am spending Christmas with my family in Manitoba, freezing my butt off! I’ve lost my thick winter skin since moving to Vancouver! We are having a great Christmas so far! I look forward to sharing more fashionable tips and tricks with you in the New Year!

The holidays are fast approaching and I’m curious what YOU, my readers and fashion stars like to wear! Head over to Facebook right now and put in your votes, and Happy Holidays!

Have you been a die-hard Gossip Girl fan from the beginning? When Dan first laid eyes on Serena at the train station, when Blair realized Serena was with Nate behind her back, when Jenny hardly wore any make-up, when whats-her-face Vanessa still existed?! They were so young 6 years ago, and we grew up along with them.

I can’t decide what I am going to be missing the most, the magnetic chemistry of Chuck and Blair, Serena’s fashion, Dan’s jaw line and ever changing hairstyle, or all the surprise guest appearances by people from Rachel Zoe to Florence and The Machine…

If you haven’t watched the GG finale yet stop here, SPOILER ALERT!

What did you think of the finale? Was it every thing you had hoped for? I kinda wished that it was a full 2 hour episode. Even though it was lovely to see the cast chat about their characters, and hear to Ed Westwick talk in his real voice, 2 hours would have been nice. But I’ll take what I can get.

Did you predict who Gossip Girl was? My money was on Jenny, but Dan totally makes sense. Dan is the writer and all! And what did we think of TWO weddings within one hour? I must say, Chuck and Blair didn’t hold a candle to Dan and Serena; FOR ONCE!

Not sure how I feel about Chuck and Blair having a little 4-year-old running around, (did you picture them having kids?) seeing Jack and Georgina get cozy, and realizing that it took Dan and Serena that long to tie the knot. The “cutsy” happily ever after ending took me a bit off guard. I mean, I’m glad they wrapped everything up in a nice little bow, but what’s Gossip Girl without a little shock and drama?

Did anyone else think that kiss was a little weak for Chuck and Blair? Also, NO ONE should wear a baby blue and white tux. Not even Chuck. However, Blair looked absolutely stunning in Elie Saab!

Now Dan, when he entered the room in that killer suit with his hair slicked back, WOW. Than Serena, in typical fashion, comes out in a borderline “too flashy” wedding dress; another WOW. Did anyone else think it’s a little bitter-sweet these two aren’t together in real life anymore? (Not that I’m not happy for Blake and Ryan)

So now I’m not sure what is going to fill my Monday night with teen drama? I feel the need to clarify, I am no longer a teenager but something about this New York fantasy world of drama has always appealed to me. (Sex in the City anyone?) I’m trying the show Revenge on for size; the Hampton’s are close to New York right? I’m curious what Carrie Diaries is going to be like. The trailers look terrible, I’m going to hope it’s not!

Will you too be grieving the loss of Gossip Girl? What will you miss the most? Who will you miss the most?

XOXO Gossip Girl

Holiday Season is officially upon us. Do you need some ideas for what to get the food enthusiast in your life? I’ve created a list of 12 ideas to get you started on your Christmas shopping.

I like to add a bit of a personal touch when giving gifts, and there are lots of fun ideas that you can add to your foodie-friend’s present. I’d suggest adding a recipe card with your favorite creation, fill a mason jar with the dry ingredients for hot chocolate or soup, or go the extra mile and get your foodie’s family to write down all their traditional recipes and create an extra special recipe book.

My last tip is to try to shop local. I’m in Vancouver, BC and there are tons of great shops for food enthusiasts along Main Street, on South Granville and in Gastown. Don’t forget, it’s always great to support your local Canadian retailer!

If you like this post, please take the time to like my page on Facebook. I’ll be posting more gift ideas throughout the month of December!

Quick Tip: If you’re living in Vancouver, you can buy your own Make Cheese kit at the Got Craft? market at the Croatian Cultural Center December 8 & 9!

I’m always on the hunt for great jeans. With denim being such staple in my wardrobe and I’m sure your’s too, I think they should be trendy, comfortable and affordable. When I go shopping here in Vancouver, I have a few staple stores that I head to when looking for jeans.

1. Top Shop

Top Shop’s denim ranges from $60-$90, which is a very fair price for denim. At The Bay, in downtown Vancouver, the Top Shop store is located in the basement, and their denim is nicely organized in one section of the store. They have a ton of different colours, their skinny jeans are actually skinny no matter what the waist size, (being curvy, I find a lot of denim makers think the larger the hip the fatter the legs, which makes for more of a straight leg than a skinny leg!) and they have great stretch with lots of different rise options. If you’re looking for high-rise jeans, this is the place to go!

2. H&M

H&M is great when you are on a budget. Their denim ranges from $20-$60. At that price, you can’t go wrong! They have lots of trendy styles, and a variety of different fits. The main disadvantage when denim shopping at H&M is customer service. Trying denim is like trying on bras, you don’t want to be constantly running in and out of the change room hunting for your size, that is the job of the sales person! However, the reason H&M keep their costs that low, is partially because you are paying for something to be mass-produced with minimal sales costs. So, just be prepared to hunt down styles on your own when at H&M. I’d also suggest bringing all the sizes you think you might need into the changing room with you, just so you don’t have to keep running all over the store while trying on.

3. Urban Outfitters

Urban Outfitters in the place to go for high fashion, trendy jeans. They do not carry a ton of basics. But that’s not really their specialty! Their in-store brand, BDG ranges from $40-$70. They also carry other brands like Cheep Monday, Levi’s and Silence & Noise. What I like about Urban Outfitters is that I know I can find styles that I see in magazines. They’re really on top of trends. The only issue for I’ve noticed with their BDG denim is the fact that the fit isn’t consistent. Some washes have less stretch but are still labelled to have the same fit. Ultimately, Urban Outfitters is a great first stop since they have such a huge selection with a wide range of fits and styles!

Here are a few final tips when denim shopping:

• When trying on denim, always ask the sales associates if they stretch out. Most denim these days has spandex in it, which is great, but often can lead to stretching up to 1-2 full sizes! If it has a large percentage of stretch, (look at the label, anything above 3% is pretty high) then try to go down a size.
• Always fit your denim to the widest part of your body. If that’s your booty, then make sure you invest in a good, cute belt, as I’m sure you’ve experienced a bit of gaping at the waist. Also, try different rises, as this may help eleviate the gaping problem!
• If you have any insecurities about your stomach, or you just don’t like pulling up your pants all day long, you should consider buying a higher rise. You don’t HAVE to tuck your shirt in with this style to get the benefits of your denim holding everything in for you! Although, it does look pretty cute with a tucked in top!
• As soon as you purchase, walk your new pair over to your nearest tailor. All shopping malls have a tailor! The chances of your denim being the perfect length are very rare. You want your jeans to graze the floor when barefoot.
• Consider how skinny the calves are, and how you want to wear this pair. Do you want to tuck them into a cute pair of boots? Then make sure they stay skinny all they way to the ankle. No one likes uncomfortable bunching inside their boots!
• Right now, skinny jeans, vintage flares and straight leg boyfriend jeans are in style. If you are still wearing your mid-rinse boot cut jeans, please donate them! EVERYONE can wear skinny jeans, you just have to find the pair that’s right for you, and style it with the perfect top! See my previous post here for more details and here, for styling tips.

Where do you like to shop for jeans? Have you ever dared to purchase a pair online? If you want more shopping tips and ideas please take the time to follow me on Twitter!