Outfit Post: Target

Outfit

Sweater: Target

Camo skinny jeans: Target, these are reversible! Other option is a faded back.

Purse: Nine West, purchased in NYC a few years ago

Heels: picked these up in Costa Rica while on a work trip. I don't wear these nearly enough, they are super comfortable!

Last Friday I had to get some work done on my car that required several hours at the dealership in Orleans (suburb of Ottawa). So while that was being done I had a shuttle take me to Place D'Orleans (local Mall) where I finally visited my first Canadian Target store. I had some luck in the clothing department but here are my overall impressions of the Canadian Target:

The good

• Clean, bright store with friendly staff
• New clothing lines to browse
• I bought my first Up and Up product (Target's own line of beauty and household items). It was a lotion equivalent to Aveeno and so far I really like it.
• They have an in-store Starbucks (Yay)
• Loved the shoe selection and the prices were reasonable

The bad

• Prices are not comparable to the US stores. Though I am somewhat pleased with what I paid I expected better pricing on most items.
• Out of stock on almost everything! Like the shelves were almost bare in some sections of the store. The clothing department was also rather bare with limited sizes.

Overall I liked shopping at Target but I expected to LOVE it for some reason. I am loving the above outfit that I got there. The sweater was $20 and the reversible jeans were $34.99; I know I will get a lot of wear out of both of these items so I am happy!

Because the Ottawa Target was out of so many sizes, while I was in Kingston over Thanksgiving weekend I made a trip to their Target to see if I would have better luck. I was shocked at how much better the store was stocked! In Kingston of all places -Kingston is a much smaller town than Ottawa for my non local readers. So I was able to get a really pretty green blouse for work that I had my eye on in Ottawa and I bought black ankle booties that I will feature in an upcoming post. I also bought two soft v-neck T-shirts (can't have too many of those) and a white tank.

Have you been to the Target Stores in Ottawa yet? What did you think of them?

Hope everyone has a safe and relaxing weekend!

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Thanksgiving Weekend Recap

This weekend was Thanksgiving here in Canada where we get together to have a big Turkey dinner and give thanks for all that we are grateful for in our lives. I traveled to Kingston to spend the Holiday with my Mom and I was very grateful for the beautiful weather we had.

Here is a quick recap of my long weekend:

 On Saturday morning my Mom and I met a friend of her's and her dog for a long walk along the water. There's a hidden gem in Kingston behind the DuPont plant -of all places - to enjoy the lovely view across Lake Ontario and is a great place to let your dog frolic to it's heart's content.

 Panoramic shot of the beach.

 We ran into various dog walkers and the dogs all played together and had tons of fun while we chatted. That first almost wolf-like looking dog in the above pic was a rescue from 13 years ago and she was happy, healthy and lovely. Makes me want to have a rescue pup as well!

You know you are in Canada when you see random Inukshuks. I love seeing these!

My Mom's friend's dog, Danny. He's the same breed as Toto from the Wizard of Oz, a Cairn Terrier. What a happy little fella!

This is a distant picture taken of a lady who has swam in the lake from May to October every day for 13 years! She might have been in her 60's and looked incredible by the way....

Old stone BBQ

And now on to the food!

 I had back-to-back Turkey dinners to attend this year so I was making an effort to eat really clean and healthy before the feasts. This is roasted red pepper hummus my Mom made and some veggies for lunch.

Sunday morning breakfast was multigrain french toast. Indulging can still be nutritious! These were homemade and AH-MAZING!

Turkey Dinner at my Mom's: green beans sauteed with butter and almonds, roasted sweet potatoes with brown sugar, cranberry stuffing, turkey breast, some onions that were roasted with the turkey thrown on top and mashed potatoes with gravy. This was as good as it looked.

I didn't get any pictures of dinner #2, mostly because I was busy sort of co-hosting with my Roommate for about 14 people. But it was just as delicious! I zipped to the washroom during the evening and all I could hear were people laughing, talking loudly and just having a fabulous time. Sure sign that your company enjoyed themselves ;-)

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving! 

Love,

MelMac oxoxoxo


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OOTD Collage

Outfit

Tights: Lysee

Top: Le Chateau

Boots: Nine West

Purse: Nine West

Jacket: Agent 99 (Kingston, seen here and here)

Necklace: Unknown, I've had it forever!

iPhone case: Otter Box Camo AP Defender Series

How's everyone's week going? This upcoming Monday is the Canadian Thanksgiving and I will be headed to Kingston to spend the weekend with my Mom and enjoy her fabulous cooking. I've always really loved Thanksgiving because it is a Holiday that is just about spending time with Friends & Family while enjoying a belt busting meal then taking a nap. No presents, no pressure - my kind of Holiday.

Speaking of belt busting, these Lysee leggings that I have on today are the perfect option to wear for Thanksgiving. They have a high-waisted tummy control and are super comfy so you can eat until you burst and not have to undo your pants. Wearing skinny jeans during a big meal is not how I roll :-) 

Lysee tights aren't cheap - mine were $80 CDN, bought online last year - but they have worn really well, are thick and haven't lost their shape. You can dress them up with a nice top or sweater, add some boots and you are good to go. 

What are your plans for the weekend, Thanksgiving or otherwise?

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Outfit: Mix & Match Prints

For those of you that are Pinterest'ers, I am sure you have come across Pins that show an outfit where contrasting prints are put together beautifully. I love Pinning those outfits because it looks so effortless and not too "matchy-matchy". However to actually put a mix and match pattern together can be a little tricky. You want to choose prints that would work without looking like you were dressed by a 2 year old. This being said, mixing prints can add fresh new options to your existing wardrobe and though it may seem out of your comfort zone at first, this can be a fun way to be creative with your clothes.

Here are a few guidelines to help you try out a mix & match print ensemble:

1) Make sure there is a anchor color - what I mean by this is having a color that ties the prints together. Like black does here:

Blazer: Le Chateau

Shirt: Urban Behavior

Pants: Dynamite

Necklace: Ardene (seen here)

2) You can mix similar prints (e.g. large dots with small dots) - this is a good option to ease into the mix and match thing. I love this look here (notice the anchor colors, yellow and black):

Photo source: bellanaija.com

3) Don't go too crazy - You still want to look put together, not sloppy. Don't go from one extreme to the other (see Jesse J below). It helps if your outfit is structured and not a flowy top with a flowy skirt for example. 

Sorry SJP, flowy paired with flowy is a NO:

Photo source: glamour.com

Sorry Jesse J, no anchor color to tie these two patterns together. Come to think of it, I don't think even a "like color" could save a flannel and leopard combo!

Photo source: dailymail.co.uk

4) Stripes are a good neutral for matching prints, you can pair strips with animal print, geometric or floral.

Photo source: ttovogueorbust.com

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My VIP Night at Place D'Orleans

I am so excited to share with my readers a fantastic opportunity I had to participate in the Place D'Orleans VIP Night that raised money and donations for a wonderful cause, Dress for Success this past Saturday. Place D'Orleans is a local mall in Ottawa that held this incredibly well executed event  where you could buy tickets to enter into a draw to win:

• A Custom closet from Decorleans 
• A $2500 Place d’Orléans shopping spree
• Personal shopping service

I don't know a girl that wouldn't love a chance to win that Grand Prize! Attendees also received SWAG bags that were packed with all kinds of goodies. You could also bid in a silent auction on tons of great clothing donated from several stores in PDO. There were yummy appetizers being passed around and the Cosmopolitans were flowing throughout the night. All proceeds went to Dress for Success, a charity that clothes women in need with appropriate interview attire to help them gain employment. 

My friend and blogger for Place D'Orleans, A.Co Est. 1984, needed local bloggers to participate in a Shoe Fashion show for this event and asked me to take part. Me, a model? Ummmmm.... ok I thought. Let's do this! I couldn't say no to this kind of opportunity and to help out a good cause. 

Here' s a look at #MYVIPNIGHT at Place D'Orleans....

 I was pleasantly surprised to receive this amazing swag bag filled with coupons and goodies. There are perks to being a shoe model! ;-)

Grace from 613style.com and Sarah from Be Healthy Be Beautiful fueling up with some yummy appetizers before the show. Those are my kind of models, they EAT!

 View of the TV set up that showed the Twitter pictures of those using #MYVIPNIGHT throughout the even. Great idea!

Things are getting underway.... There was a great turn out which added to some nerves. Yikes!

Amanda, who did such an amazing job hosting this event, doing a run-through with her best friend and fellow shoe model, Sarah. Amanda also styled all of the mannequins and chose all of our shoes for the show. 

 My first pair of boots, Cognac booties from Pegabo. I LOVED these! Like, I wanted to run-off-the-stage-not-stop-until-I got-home loved them. Don't worry, I gave them back (reluctantly) ;-)

 My second pair, Guess high tops with a leopard print and gold zipper detail. I loved these as well. They were so cute and really comfortable.

A shot of a model with these cute leopard flats from the Bay. Do you see a trend appearing here? Leopard was a popping up all over the show including Amanda's dress (see below) from Alfred Sung.

 Cosmos anyone? These tasted as good as they looked.

 Amanda and I before the show. 

Sweater: Kohl's

Skirt: Dynamite (new)

Booties: Pegabo

Necklace: Ardene

 Mouth watering sweets table.

Amanda's gracious camera man for the evening.

Photo credit: 613style.com

All of our lovely models from the show, including our host, posing with some fun photo booth accessories. The VIP Night was a great success and as you can tell, we all had a great time!

And here's what my Fashion Show debut looked like....Yikes!

Aaaaaannddd I didn't fall on my face! Seriously, that was my worst fear and I was so nervous before going on. Not sure if you can see my heavy breathing before I walked on stage. Terrified! But after my first walk, my nerves settled and I really enjoyed being part of this event. I feel truly honored to have been asked to take part.

The drive is still on for the month of October at Place D'Orleans so if you have clothing that meets the criteria for donating to Dress for Success, please drop off your donations at Guest Services and receive a $5 Gift Card.

I will have more from this event in up coming posts so stayed tuned. Thank you A.Co, Place D'Orleans and Dress for Success for a great night!

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Eat Here Before You Die: Culinary Conspiracy (Ottawa)

Is it just me or have most of my recent posts been about food? My waistline would agree with that statement! My apologies to my readers who aren't interested in where to eat but I have to share this little treasure located right here in Ottawa called Culinary Conspiracy.

Culinary Conspiracy (great name by the way) is actually a catering company who also offers eat-in and take out orders to accommodate a lunch crowd. Smart! My co-workers and I had been referred to try this place for lunch based on a high recommendation by another co-worker who has frequented CC on several occasions. Let me tell you, they did not disappoint and lived up to the hype we had been dished (pun intended).

Located right around the corner from our office on at 855 Industrial Ave in Ottawa, Ontario (sorry my non-Ottawa readers!) this place looks unassuming from the outside but once entering, it is an open, modern, bright and clean first impression. You can see the open kitchen right at the back and there's a bar to eat-in if you so wish. They can't accommodate a huge eat-in lunch crowd so go early if you can. At the front of the shop they have their in-house Ketchup, BBQ sauce, Seasonal Soups and Pasta sauce for sale; all homemade. Their lunch menu offers, sandwiches, burgers, soups and salads; all very reasonably priced. Fancy coffee is also available; Americanos, Lattes, Cappuccinos etc...

I ordered a smoked Turkey Sandwich ($7) and a side of Homemade Chips ($2) that also came with a small side of coleslaw. I can't tell you how many Turkey sandwiches I have eaten in my lifetime but this one was the BEST I have had in recent memory. I will let the pictures speak for themselves for the moment...

That's right, that's real smoked turkey you are seeing there. Not just breast meat either, real dark meat thickly sliced and smoked - like the real deal smoked. Topped with lettuce, tomato, pickle and mayo nestled between multigrain bread, toasted to perfection; I think you can see why this sandwich won it's way straight to my heart!

These homemade chips were a kettle cooked style and they were crispy, salty (but not too salty) and complimented the sandwich beautifully. All of this food for $9 and the portion size was so big that I couldn't finish the other half of my sandwich - -  that NEVER happens to me.

Culinary Conspiracy believes in creating homemade gourmet food made from fresh and more importantly real ingredients and I can attest to that being a true statement. They will also tailor to meet dietary needs such as vegan or gluten free. If their catering is anything like their eat-in meals, then I would definitely have them cater my next event. They can cater me making my bed in the morning for that matter!

If you need to cater any event (min for ten people) or if you want to try a new spot for lunch that serves a great sandwiches and soups made from fresh gourmet ingredients AND is affordable, Culinary Conspiracy is a conspiracy you will want to be entangled in. 


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Food Post: Apple Cider Pork Chops with Butternut Squash

With Fall being officially here comes the opportunity to make some of my favorite comfort food. Those meals that are warm and satisfying where all you want to do after you eat is curl up on the couch with a blankie blanket and watch a movie.

This past Sunday I was craving a Fall meal so I looked through my "Eat" Pinterest Board and found a recipe for Apple Cider Pork Chops that I thought would suit my needs. Apple Cider just screams Fall and to pair with this dish I chose Butternut Squash, which I absolutely love.... Perfect! This meal sounds fancy but it is really easy, just a matter of throwing everything in a couple of pans and the squash bakes in the oven while you are preparing the pork. 

*I made a few revisions to the original recipe that turned out really well.

Here's what you will need:

• 4 bone-in pork loin chops
• 1–2 tablespoons fresh sage chopped, according to preference
• 1 pound apples, cored and sliced in ¼-inch slices (you can peel the apples if you wish but I like the skin on)
• *4 tablespoons butter
• *1 tsp ground nutmeg
• *1 tsp ground cloves
• *1 tsp dried sage
• *6-7 whole cloves
• *5-6 tablespoons brown sugar
• *4 cups cup apple cider (buy the real stuff)
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper, to taste
• Two packages of pre-chopped butternut squash (I am lazy but by all means, you can use 1 whole squash to de-seed and cut into chucks)
• 2-3 tablespoons Olive oil (EVOO works too)

What you'll do:

• I marinated my bone in pork chops in about 3 cups of apple cider with the whole cloves thrown in and a little ground pepper for about 3-4 hours before hand.
• Preheat your oven to 400 F. On a baking sheet spread out the chopped butternut squash and drizzle with Olive oil until coated. Give the squash a toss with your hands to make sure it is coated evenly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and throw it in the oven for 30 mins. So easy!
• In a large sauté pan or cast iron skillet, melt 2 Tbsp of butter over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Add the nutmeg, ground cloves and dried sage to the bubbling butter. Pat the pork chops dry on both sides. Add the meat and cook for 3–5 minutes, or until browned. Turn and cook the other side until browned and the pork is ALMOST cooked through (you will cook it through later!). Turn off the heat remove the pork chops and let them rest on a plate covered.
• In another skillet melt the remaining 2 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add 3 Tbsp brown sugar to the butter and cook for 1 minute, or until it begins to melt. Add the apples and sauté over medium heat until the apples are browned and tender. This should take about 10–15 minutes.
• Take the squash out of the oven and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp brown sugar. Place back in the oven for about 5 mins under broil.
• In the pan that the pork chops were cooked in, add the remaining apple cider and cook over medium heat until the liquid is reduced by about half. Add the cream, bring to a boil and allow it to bubble for a few minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened. Sprinkle with fresh sage and season with salt and pepper if desired. Add your almost cooked pork chops to the sauce (make sure you add in all those juices to the sauce, great flavor!) and allow them to cook for 1-2 more mins until done.
• By the time your Apple Cider Pork Chops are done, your squash should be ready. If serving immediately, spoon the caramelized apples on top of the pork in the pan. Alternatively, you can pass the apples separately at the table and portion them out directly on the dinner plates. Make sure you get some of the sauce that your pork cooked in on the plate as well. To. Die. For!

Now that I have typed out this recipe, it looks like it's a lot of work. But I didn't think so when making this meal. It's not the type of meal that you can step away from but really it is just frying ingredients in a pan, the oven does the work for you with the squash and then you just combine everything at the end so it's not as bad as it looks, I promise you!

It tasted rich and hearty, sweet and savory - everything that you would want in a Fall meal. I totally forgot how much I love sage too; such a unique tasting herb that compliments pork so beautifully. The ONLY thing that I would change next time is I wouldn't use bone in pork chops. I would use pork tenderloin cut into medallions. I just like it better for a pork dish, chops I find a little tough. My Roomies LOVED how this recipe turned out, they said it is what you would hope your meal tasted like when ordering from a restaurant.

I am so SO sad to say that the picture I took of the finished product turned out blurry! It didn't appear that way when I took it but that's iPhone photography for you!

Here are "stock" photos of the finished product that actually do look the way this dish turned out.

I hope you try this one out, you won't be sorry. Please ask any questions in the comments below.

Happy cooking!

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Outfit Post: Jeans & T-Shirt

As much as I like to get dressed up in pretty shirts, dresses and skirts, there's nothing like wearing jeans and a simple t-shirt. It's easy, it's comfortable and you can dress it up with a few accessories and out the door you go.

 Jacket: Agent 99 in Downtown Kingston 

T-Shirt: Urban Outfitters

Tank underneath: American Eagle

Jeans: Jessica Simpson Kiss Me Jeggings

Shoes: Novellino

Necklace: Ardene (new)

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Who Works it Better?

With the recent hoopla surrounding Britney Spears' latest single release and her over-the-top Vegas show announcement I have to offer my readers another less poppy, more edgy alternative to Britney's "Work Bitch".

Now don't get me wrong, I loves me some Britney and I especially love that she seems to be keeping her s**t together since she went berserk in 2007 - 2008. I also don't mind her newest single, it's catchy, upbeat and I like the message in it. Basically if you want the finer things in life, you better work for them! These kids today (yes, I just said that!) seem like they think they are entitled to drive an expensive car, live in a big house and go on lavish vacations. Well you CAN have those things, but you have to work for them. 

However, an up and coming artist that I recently discovered, Iggy Azalea, has an even better single called Work about her struggles to get where she is today. I can't stop listening to this up-tempo song with it's infectious chorus and the video shows that twerking can be sexy rather than skanky - hear that Miley?

See for yourself:

Cable Knit Pencil Skirt

This weekend was super hectic and I feel like could have used several additional weekends to recover. It was my Roomie/Bestie's Birthday and we cooked up a storm for 10 guests for her B-Day dinner on Saturday. 

We bought two filet roasts from Costco, cut them up into steaks, marinated them in BBQ sauce and added some Hawaiian Salt to them just before they hit the grill. We created a Baked Potato Station with chives, Gruyere, Blue & Cheddar Cheese, real bacon bits and sour cream. I also made Caesar Salad dressing from scratch and we had Caramel Salted cupcakes for dessert. Needless to say, it was a meal to remember!

The Potato Station - it was a HIT!

Me helping with the clean up

Shirt: Dynamite - seen here and here

As a thank you for all of my efforts - mostly cooking related - my Roomie picked up a really cute cable knit skirt from Joe Fresh as a gift. Who gives someone a gift on THEIR Birthday weekend? Well apparently she does and that's why she's my BFF!

So how can you style a cable knit skirt with out looking like a doughty Grandma? Pick a contrasting top in a bright color to offset the traditional look of the skirt.