Sadsies

Oh my God! What a Gong show last night was. So I filmed a video that was inspired by A.Co on 50 Facts About Me. I then discovered that I had video editing software installed on my Windows Vista Laptop. YAY! How awesome is that?!

Once I finally got the hang of adding titles, transitions and trimming the video, I was on a serious roll and really proud of myself. The video was looking pretty darn good for a first try. Other than the fact that I said "Ummmm" like a hundred times and I have a lot of weird "on-camera" habits that I need to break, my first Vlog was really taking shape. 

Then things went south......

Windows Vista being the piece of crap that it is, repeatedly made my video editing crash. The sound would just go mute, then the screen would go black with only titles showing, then just black screen. AGH! I would have to restart all over again, and again....and AGAIN. Finally at midnight I just gave up. So I am so SAD that this video won't come to fruition and be posted today. The Vlog was a long video that was filmed in high quality and I just don't think that Windows Movie Maker could handle it.

So next time I try to film and edit a Vlog, I will make it a shorter lower quality video and hopefully that will prevent WMM from crashing again. If you have any tips for me, please leave them in the comments, I would totally appreciate it!

SO FRUSTRATING!

On the positive side I got to spend quality time with my God Daughter who is just shy of 15 months and THAT was the best part of my day. 

So I will sign off for now as I am leaving on a jet plane to Vancouver for a family visit tomorrow for 7 days. I will be taking a lot of pictures and will try some videos as well.

I will leave you with the last picture taken of my Sisters and I at a wedding a few years ago. Can't wait to see them!

Left to Right: Bonni, Angela, Me and Lolly (Laura Lee)

Take care MelMac'ers!

Not Meant to Blog Today... But I am anyways

I think that the Blogging Gods are trying to tell me something; I am not meant to blog today!

I had taken pictures last night when I got home from work for a post on my work outfit for that day (which I loved) and they all turned out blurry! I couldn't tell that from the camera's view finder when I had taken them but when I went to edit those pics today.... ALL BLURRY!

So rather than post sub-par pics I decided to ditch them.

Yesterday while at work I also scouted out a maybe perfect spot for some outdoor outfit pics using Google Earth. The previous spot I had found randomly is just too far away. This location looked private with good light and it was closer. So looking at Google Earth I am like "okay so turn left here, right here and the street is about there.... okay got it". While out for lunch today I drove to where I thought the spot was and I drove and drove and drove. Even got out the GPS and I still couldn't find it! AHHHHHH! 

So with that, I give up on my outfit posts for yesterday and today, it's just not meant to be. I will review where that location is more thoroughly and hopefully I can begin shooting my pictures there soon. I don't consider myself directionally challenged but finding this place is like trying to get into Narnia for crying out loud! LOL

Also, I would like to notify my readers that I will be traveling to Vancouver this Saturday for one week to visit my BC Family! I am super excited as I haven't seen them for a few years and I love returning to my home town of Vancouver where I was born and lived until I was 12.

That means I won't be posting next week. I was thinking about getting one of the many lovely bloggers that I admire to guest post for me during my absence but I didn't want to impose on any of these busy ladies. So there will be no new posts next week, but when I return I will have TONS and TONS to post about and I can't wait to show you how beautiful Vancouver is!

I am babysitting my God Daughter tonight so I hope that after the little munchkin has gone to bed that I can film my first Vlog! I was going to do a recap of my first Beauty Haul but I got inspired from A.Co to do a 50 Facts About Me Vlog so maybe I will do that instead. That will require some editing though so please bare with me as I am new to all of the video editing Vlogging stuff. I think it will be fun though!

That's all for now, sorry for the long ramble and the lack of posts but I will be back with vengeance, I promise!

Love,

MelMac XOXOXOXOX

Lace Dress

 Dress: Dynamite (old)

Heels: Aldo

Necklace: Dynamite

Anklet: Magpie

Just a quick outfit post taken Gorilla style this time. I forgot to bring my camera with me to shoot a quality photo so iPhone will have to do for today! What do you think of the anklet? I recently saw one of my favorite fashion bloggers, Sincerely Jules, wear one and I think this will be a come-back trend. I have two anklets that I wear sometimes, one gold and one silver (shown above) and I think they look really cute. I used to feel that anklets were a little too 80's looking or white-trashy but I am thinking they need a come back! Plus it's another cute piece of jewelry to wear :-)

First Haul Post: Beauty!

I have seen several "Haul" posts and videos on some of my favorite blogs but I never had the desire to post one myself. I feel like what I buy is pretty boring and why would anyone want to see that? But I like to view these Haul posts by other bloggers to see if there are any products I might like to try or to get inspired, so.....here we are. My first Haul post! Yay! I am hoping to do a video to accompany this as well later this week so stay tuned for that (that will also be a first for me, yikes!)

I have really toned down my shopping over the last few years, I used to spend way to much $$ on random trips to Shopper's Drug Mart to buy stuff I really don't need. Then it ends up cluttering my space and I LOATHE that. However, I had a ton of Shopper's Optimum points to use and there was a promotion this past weekend that if you used X amount of points, you got like $15 - $20 extra to spend. For those readers not from Canada, Optimum points are earned when buying products from Shopper's Drug Mart that you can accumulate to earn money towards buying more products; the more points, the more "free" $$ you have to spend.

So while in Kingston this past weekend visiting my Mom, I headed to Shopper's to spend my points to get things I really don't need. But it was for free so no guilt!

Here's what I got:

Revlon Lip Butter in Sugar Frosting; Bought this Lip Butter before but I didn't love the color, this shade is more me :-) It goes on smooth with pigment that you can actually see and it's moisturizing. Get's an 8/10 from me.

Olay Regenerist Resurfacing Night Elixir; I have used this before and liked the results but switched to a cheaper brand to save $$. Since this was freebie I will gladly use this again. It's a serum that exfoliates at night while you sleep giving your skin a blast of moisturizers and it get's a BEST rating from Paula Begoun! I give it a 9/10 right now but over extended use I am hoping this will help with my fine lines.

I have read countless reviews of this deep conditioning hair mask from Macadamia and wasn't sure if it would live up to the hype. I used it once this weekend and I wouldn't call it a miracle product but I definitely think that this works. I have naturally curly/wavy hair that I highlight every 9 weeks so it gets DRY and DULL looking. This hair mask made my hair feel softer, made it shiny and smells fantastic . It contains silicon  so that is what coats your hair to make it soft. It is pricey at $32 for this 500ml tub but most reviews say that it lasts a long time. That will be the deciding factor if I buy it again. Remember to only use hair masks once (max twice) a week, overuse will actually damage your hair! I give it a 8.5/10 as the product did work but I will need to wait and see if it lasts as long as reviewers claim it does to justify the price. I also don't know if I like the idea of my hair coated in silicon but it seems to work!

So there you have it, my first haul post! I hope to have a Vlog to accompany this post up by this Friday. It will give more of my thoughts on these products plus a couple of bonus products not included here. WARNING: I don't currently have video editing software (does anyone know of any free downloads?) so the Vlog will be rough and uncut! 

Product Review: Essie Nail Polish

Hi Everyone and Happy Friday! 

Like many of you lovely ladies, I love nail polish and having my nails neatly manicured is one of the small (but great) pleasures in life. It just looks....well, polished (pun intended!) Having tried just about every nail polish brand you can think of, one that I have never used is Essie. Being a Pinterest'er, I was always seeing Pins about Essie showing tons of the really fun colors they offer.

So while strolling through my local Shopper's Drug Mart I spotted a nice looking display of Essie Nail polish and oh look.... it's on sale! The price was regular $10, on sale for $3.95, I would be crazy to pass on a deal like that so with nothing to lose, I picked up a bottle of Essie A List; an opaque cream polish. According to the Essie website, this is an award winning product and has become a classic. 

I found that applying the polish was easy; the formula is on the thin side so that makes it easy to work with, especially when applying red which can get messy. The polish is creamy and seemed to set pretty quickly so you have to work a little fast, other wise you could get streaks. I applied two coats and that was enough to get the color where it needed to be. I didn't use a base coat but I did apply a top coat and in two days there have been zero chips. Not far enough in the wear to really see if this product is chip resistant but I have applied red nail polish before that has chipped the next day; top coat and all. I really like the color of this red, it is on the blue-ish side which I prefer to an orange tone. It is a true classic red that is shinny and will pop enough to get noticed. I have had several compliments on this color already and it's only been a couple of days. 

Overall I give this a 9 out of 10 only because the product performed the way I would expect it to but hasn't WOW'ed me. I would buy Essie again but probably only when it is on sale, $10 is too pricey when you can get a good polish for about $5.

Here are some Gorilla Shots of today's outfit where you can see that I am a little worse for wear, got into the sauce last night so I am at about 70% capacity today :-)

Dress: Le Chateau (old)

Shoes: Aldo (old)

Bracelet: Unknown (gift)

I hope you find this product review useful and if you are on Pinterest, follow me!

Eat Here Before You Die: Angeline's/ the Hubb in Bloomfield, Ontario

I have had hundreds of Burgers in my life: McDonald's, Burger King, Harvey's, A&W, White Spot (a fav), Five Guys, Johnny Rockets, excellent homemade burgers.....you name it, I ate it!

But I haven't had a Burger experience like the one I had on my recent trip to Prince Edward County. By happy accident, me and 3 girlfriends stayed in the Motel section of Angeline's Inn for a weekend away to tour local wineries and some gastronomical fair. Our first night there, we headed just across the parking lot to Angeline's in house restaurant called The Hubb Eatery and Lounge. The Hubb offers dishes that are made with local fresh ingredients served by a friendly, knowledgeable and laid back staff headed by Chef Elliot and his wife Sommelier Laura. 

Though the inside is tiny, it was decorated beautifully and simply. They have a large patio as well but it was chilly so we sat inside. The quaint atmosphere just begs you to sit down, have a great meal and relaaaaaaaaaaaax.

Photo Source: The Lemon Kitchen

The Menu offers so many unique options, from Mix and Match meat and cheeses to small plates of Beets or Tuna Crudo; you won't find any deep fried greasy zucchini sticks or nachos here.... and I LOVE that! As soon as I laid eyes on the menu, I thought "this is REAL food".

The Waiter (who was adorable and super attentive) brought us an amuse bouche to get our palate going, it was sweet melon with a cream sauce, divine! 

Next we ordered the Mix N' Match Cheese and Charcuterie of tiny pickles, Indian mustard and amazing local cheeses and meats. This had all the flavor you could ask for, sweet from the pickles, spicy meats and mustard, rich decadent cheese. To. Die. For!

Photo Source: www.angelines.ca

For my main course I got The Hubb Burger - hand ground beef, aged cheddar, onion marmalade, shaved lettuce, house made bun, Hubb sauce and baby spuds on the side. To make it even more luxurious I added bacon jam and fois grais. Yes, you read that right, fois grais on a burger; if that's wrong, I don't want to be right! It was juicy and the flavors are indescribably good. Meaty and rich with sweetness from the onion marmalade and the fois grais added an existential dimension that I have never had with another burger.  

The ketchup was homemade as well, it was spicy and way better than anything Heinz could come up with. Price - Burger alone $15, bacon jam $3 and fois gras $8.

You would think that I would have been laying-on-the-floor stuffed by now, and I was. But that didn't stop me from trying some of the incredible Pappardelle pasta with a creamy brown butter sauce that my girlfriend couldn't finish. It was like crack for a pasta lover! It was a Special so not on their regular menu, but oh my goodness it should be! (Sorry no pic of that, I was in a trance while eating it).

After one of the most memorable meals I have had, we waddled across the parking lot to finish the night outside hanging out at a table between our two rooms. The night was calm, we had full bellies of food and wine and we just sat back to watch the comings and goings of this lovely little piece of heaven in the County. It was the perfect ending to the perfect meal. 

As you can tell, my opinion of this restaurant is that I loved it, I recommend it and I will be back. 

A big thank you to the staff at Angeline's and the Hubb! You all are passionate and enjoy what you do....and it shows!

Tommy Hilfiger Dress

Happy Hump Day MelMac'ers! I wanted to start taking outdoor outfit pictures for the blog because I have a snazzy new Nikon camera that I am slowly learning to use properly. So I headed out on my lunch hour today to scout out a place to take said pictures with a cool back ground that would also offer privacy. Fellow bloggers, know what I am talking about; you don't want to be the weirdo talking selfies in plain view. 

So I drove, and I drove, then I drove some more.....then I hit a gravel road (I am now in the middle of nowhere if you can't tell), then I drove a little more to reach a dead end that was a parking lot for a hiking trail. Though not convenient this spot was private! So with bees buzzing around I managed to snap a few shots. Hope you like them!

This dress is a favorite of mine, I bought it at Tommy Hilfiger in the Trainyards (a box store plaza here in Ottawa). With the extreme heat we are experiencing, our office has declared that we can wear "Friday" attire for the remainder of the week to keep us comfortable. We do have A/C so I don't really know what the point is but I will take it! 

This dress is super comfortable and you can wear it endlessly -- for shopping, golfing or a casual day at work like me :-)

Before I went on my scouting adventure I stopped at my "go-to" salad bar for lunch, Farmboy which is also located in the Trainyards. 

How good does this look?

I used the Food setting on my camera for this shot

Let me know if you like this location for pictures in the comments below. I will continue scouting for a location that is closer to get to, but for now this spot is pretty and private. However, I can see getting to this location being an issue in the Winter months :-)

A Quick Out-the-Door Outfit for Summer

Yesterday I recapped my weekend of lazy sunbathing, a trip to the salon to get my hair did and a dinner out to Moxie's. I wanted to post my super easy and very affordable look that I threw on to go to the Spa where I get my hair cut and highlighted about every 9 weeks.

As we had incredibly HAWT weather in Ottawa this past weekend, most of my time was spent laying by the pool. To head to my hair appointment I wanted something comfortable and easy to wear so I turned to a bright yellow tank that I picked up at Wal-Mart a few weeks ago and my black Target skirt. To add a bit of style and interest I threw on a bracelet and some necklaces. Paired with some basic Flip Flops and VOILA! A super comfy and stylish outfit that cost a total of $48 all together, jewelry included though the bracelet was a gift so that was omitted from the price.

Top: Wal-Mart $8

Skirt: Target $12

Flip Flops: Fairweather $10 (on sale)

Necklaces: Ricki's ($10) & Dynamite ($8)

Bracelet: Unknown

Summer is Finally Here!

I know some of you may not agree with this but I LOVE this heat! I long for these types of hot humid days in the dead of winter when I am scrapping off my car, swearing all the while :)

I don't have too much to post about as the majority of the weekend I did this.....

LOL!

I did manage to peel myself away from sunbathing to go out for drinks and dinner with some girlfriends on Sunday evening. We headed to Moxie's in Orleans to celebrate a birthday. Moxie's is a chain restaurant in Canada that offers a chic funky atmosphere and a variety of apps and main dishes to choose from. It's a great place to go to for after work drinks.

 I will have to say I wasn't totally pleased with this visit to Moxie's. I get it.... people (men especially) don't really go there for the food. The waitresses are all gorgeous and that's the main attraction so you should know that going in. We had to send an entree back (burnt) and some wine (musky tasting) so that was a disappointment.

Even so, my meal was pretty decent. I ordered off their Summer Menu and got the Linguine Arrabiata With Pancetta & Lemon Mascarpone. The chorizo sausage added spice and the tomato-lemon undertone was a nice flavor. Mixing in the mascarpone made the dish creamy but still light tasting. Overall, about a 7 out of 10, I can make better pasta at home ;-)

Photo source: www.moxies.ca

I wanted something light to wear as it was so hot, too hot to sit outside even. So I went for this dress that I first wore on my trip to Prince Edward County. It's easy to throw on and very light. I had my hair cut & highlighted on the weekend so it was straight, which was hard to maintain with this humidity!

Dress: Vero Moda

Shoes: Aerosoles, seen here

Clutch: Le Chateau

Sunglasses: Coach

Necklace: Dynamite (seen too many times to mention!)

Overall, it was a pretty relaxing lazy Summer weekend. What did you get up to this weekend, how did you beat this heat? Would love to hear from you!

Love,

MelMac oxoxoxox

Biker Friday

Does anyone watch the TV show Sons of Anarchy? Or maybe your significant other does? It stars Katy Segal (aka Peg Bundy) and Ron Perlman as the Matriarch and Patriarch of the Biker Gang called the Sons of Anarchy (airs on FX). I've watched a few episodes of this show and it's a very intriguing portrail of the struggles and drama of life in a biker club. Watching this show got me thinking about the rugged style of bikers, how it has influenced fashion. We used to only see Bikers wearing leather jackets, chaps and big bulky biker boots; now biker style has seeped into the mainstream box stores that appear on every corner. For example, the below T-Shirt was a gift from my Roomie that she picked up at our local Giant Tiger. Biker chic at GT Boutique? Ummm..... okay! 

I personally love biker style, it's so free and dangerous looking. How can you not feel like a bad ass when you have on a leather jacket and biker boots? I don't know how bad ass I feel in a SOA T-Shirt from Giant Tiger, but in the Fall I would love to pair this T-Shirt with my faux leather jacket, skinny jeans and my flat riding boots or sexy high heels. Stay tuned for that!

Photo Source: www.stuffpoint.com

www.ashfootwear.co.uk

www.ca.allsaints.com

10 Ways to Maintain your Weight -- and why I hate the word "Skinny"

I hate the word "Skinny". Have you ever dropped a few pounds and had a girlfriend exclaim "Oh my God! You're so skinny!". Like it's a good thing to be skinny? And for the record, I have NEVER been skinny in my entire life. Skinny, for me, is a term reserved for under nourished Runway Models; not for us every-day-totally-normal-(but still super hot) gals.

I thought about how I hate this word when I came across the following list from the website Girls Guide To (a totally cool site btw). I wanted to share this list of 10 "lazy" ways to maintain your weight or even drop a pound or two. I wouldn't call it a list to stay Skinny. You won't look like this model by following the tips on this list, nor should you ever want to look like that. But these tips are a really good guideline for maintaining your ideal HEALTHY weight. On the Girls Guide To site these tips are called 10 Lazy Ways to Stay Skinny, but sorry GGT, that is an ugly term we don't use on Planet MelMac. These tips are also similar to what Weight Watchers advises it's clients to follow to lose and maintain weight, so that is why I am sharing them with you.

1. Don't deprive yourself

You really can enjoy all the foods you love. The key here is moderation, because no single food makes you gain weight. Instead, it’s all about the portion sizes you enjoy. 

2. Eat until you feel satisfied, not full
Even though it’s old-fashioned, this rule is actually very helpful: put down your fork between every bite. Not only will you savor your meal more, it will also help you realize when to stop eating before you feel bloated or too full. 

3. Make sure half your plate contains veggies
Vegetables are filled with fiber and water so they keep you fuller longer without filling you out. 

4. Stay hydrated
Did you know sometimes that feeling of hunger is actually just thirst? Make sure you’re getting your eight glasses of water a day to prevent that problem.  

5. Make sure your intake isn't top heavy
I’m super guilty of this one. But, if you restrict yourself all day, you’re much more likely to break down at night and overindulge. Combat those late night munchies by eating more substantially (but healthy) during the day. 

6. Don't eat in front of the TV
When you’re mindlessly snacking in front of the TV or computer, you’ll end up consuming more than you realize. If you must snack, do so away from the TV and choose fiber rich snacks like popcorn, fruit, or trail mix. 

7. Know that exercise isn't everything
Regular exercise is important, but going to the gym doesn't mean you should reward yourself with a monstrous dessert later on. Eating well, and not just exercise, will really determine whether you lose or gain weight. 

8. No eating after dinner
Calories give us energy and you don’t need energy to sleep. 

9. Don't eat out of the bag
When you’re snacking, and not in front of the TV, make sure you’re pouring an appropriate portion onto a plate or bowl. This way you can measure how much you’re consuming before you finish off an entire bag. 

10. No seconds
You really just don’t need them. That fullness feeling can take some time to settle in, so before you reach for another plate allow your body some time to digest. If you wait just 20 minutes, you’ll realize you really aren't that hungry. 

Finally....
To show you that these tips really do work, below is a comparison of me about 6 months ago and now. I lost weight not by working my ass off at the gym or following the latest and greatest diet fad, but by using those tips above and tracking what I ate. It works!

Just a Wednesday

Top: Dynamite, seen here

Skirt: RW (old)

Bracelets: Left - Ricki's Right - Unknown

Shoes (shown above): Nine West

Wedges in White

Just posting some very random pictures that I've taken trying to get used to my new camera. Also some shots of my find from Wal-Mart, a stripped neon top. Neon seems to be creeping on me lately?

Top: Wal-Mart, seen here

Capris: Le Chateau (old)

Shoes: Aerosoles (old)

*This was an end of the day picture so unfortunately you can see a look that I like to call, "5PM frump".

Neon and....Scallops?

Hi All! Kind of a weird Blog Title today but I didn't really know how else to summarize today's post :-)

So last night I made dinner for my Roomie and I wanted to share the recipe with you as it is tasty, received raved reviews and best of all, it's good for you!

This was originally a Weight Watcher's recipe that I tweaked a little but it is still Low-Cal so not to worry. If you like scallops you will love how these Pan Fried Spiced Scallops turn out.

What you'll need:

1 Bag of Scallops - Spend the money and buy the big fresh ones. For frozen, I think you can't beat Costco.
1/2 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Onion Powder
1/2 Tbsp Paprika
1 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
2 Tbsp Bread Crumbs (they can be Italian)
1/2 tsp Salt (sea salt is best but you don't need to use it)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp butter

What you'll do:

1) Take your defrosted scallops and pat them dry with a paper towel.
2) In a small bowl combine all of the spices and breadcrumbs, EXCEPT for the salt and place them on a small plate.
3) Take one of the scallops and gently roll it around in the spice/breadcrumb mixture until completely coated. Place coated scallop on a separate plate. Repeat this step with all of your remaining scallops.
4) On Med to Med-High heat, heat a non stick pan on your stove. Pour the Olive Oil and butter onto the pan and let the butter melt.
5) Place the scallops into the pan making sure not the crowd them. You may need to do two batches depending on how many scallops you have and the size of your pan.  If you place too many scallops in the pan they will not brown! Also do not touch the scallops once they are in the pan or that will cause them to steam rather than get crispy on the bottom.Check the heat and turn down if there's too much smoke.
6) After about 2 mins, peak at the bottom of your scallops, they should be golden brown. Flip all of the scallops in the pan to cook the other side for another minute or so.
7) Once the other sides are golden brown, remove scallops from the pan and place on a clean plate.
8) Sprinkle the salt over the scallops while they are steaming hot and enjoy!

We served the scallops with a favorite salad mixture called 7 Super Foods and a Wasabi Sour Cream sauce on the side. For the side sauce all you do is take about a 3/4 cup low fat or non-fat sour cream and mix in wasabi powder to taste -- add a little at a time and taste before you add more. If you dump a bunch of the powder in at once, WOOOOOOWWWEEEEE!

Here's the finished product! It's a light meal with BIG flavor; perfect for the Summer. You can also serve these golden little medallions of scallop heaven in a tortilla with the Wasabi Sour Cream sauce drizzled on top. With a nice glass of Pinot Grigio ....so YUM!

Here's a look at today's outfit and a Top that I picked up at...you guessed it, Wal-Mart!

 Top: American Apparel, shown here

Skirt: (New) Wal-Mart for $8 and they still have some in stock!

Flip-Flops: Fairweather, shown here

Look down from above

This is a top I picked up at Wal-Mart. I think it will look cute with some skinny jeans or a pencil skirt.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Love,

Melmac oxoxoxox