Vanity Vice

I'VE MOVED BLOGS

I've rebranded + move my blog to Squarespace.

If you're wondering where I've been or why I haven't been posting, that's why. Please stop by my new blog and let me know your thoughts!

jblk.squarespace.com

Thank you to all my loyal readers.

Jodi

While cleaning out my IPhone this weekend I came across more images from my recent trip to Mexico. One thing I love about going away on a tropical vacation is being able to wear bright and colourful summer clothes + accessories. In years past, I've packed my entire summer wardrobe when going on vacation but I've since realized that I really only wear 1/3 of what I bring. This time I really tried to limit excess.

Limiting excess has become the golden rule of my life and the focus of 2014. It applies to what I buy, pack, eat, consume, read and watch. We live in a world where excess "stuff" has become the norm. I'm all about simplifying my life and this way of thinking helps in every area of my life.

In reality, I was heading to Mexico, not the South of France, what do I reeeeeally need to bring

Confession - so I did bring three pairs of sunglasses, which could be seen as excessive. BUT I did only bring a few pairs of shorts for the beach and an adorable reversible MAAJI bikini so that totally cut down what I brought...right?

A THANG FOR ALEXANDER WANG

I'm totally obsessed with Alexander Wang. I love his bags (I have two), his shoes + clothes. If I won the lottery today, one of my first stops would be to his Soho NY boutique to buy the whole store - 4 of everything (one of each piece for my friend too - duh). I love how he makes something like obnoxious gold studs, simple and classic. I was cleaning my closest today and found my AW rockie duffel (in oyster with pale gold studs) and I felt a rush of excitement for spring/summer. GAWD - I can't wait to wear it again.

That's all for now,

DYI OMBRE

So like I mentioned in a previous post - I've been dealing with a bad case of brassy orange hair due to a bright idea I had to lighten my hair. In my defence, I wasn't warned about the high probability of it turning orange. I've been complaining to everyone around me for months about my orange hair and either they all don't have a finely tuned eye for tones or they're all lying to spare my feelings.

I went to two different colorists, at two different salons to get the orange toned down but neither were successful. I decided I've had enough and wasn't prepared to spend any more of my precious resources on yet another failure.

I decided to take control, educate myself and fix the issue at hand. I watched HOURS of YouTube videos on how to create a balayage/ombre look. I researched the best drugstore brand hair color and got to work.

Here's the final product. It feels good to be a brunette again.

xo

J

A PLAYA DEL CARMEN WAY OF LIFE

A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I returned from a wonderful vacation in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It was our first time not staying on an all-inclusive resort. Resorts are great if you're looking for relaxation, convenience and all day access to a buffet but sometimes the food can become blah.

Food is pretty much my main focus in life - all day, every day. I'm always hungry and trying new restaurants is normally one of the main focuses of any trip I take.

We wanted to try something a bit different this time so we rented a condo near 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen and set out to explore the local culture and cuisine. Overall everything we ate was amazing, service was amazing and I was really surprised at how nice the restaurants were.

Here are a few pictures of meals that stood out to me in case you ever go to Playa Del Carmen:

1. We didn't actually eat at this place but I thought the bar stools were too cool not to take a picture.

2. This is a salad I had at Kool Beach Club. We rented a Cabana for the day and ate lunch by the ocean.

3. My favourite food in the world right now is ceviche. This was taken at a hole in the wall place called Los Aguachiles. It's considered a local hot spot, it was amazing.

4. The last image is a TO DIE FOR croissant from Chez Celine. Who knew Mexico offered authentic French food. This place was amazing. We ate breakfast here every day.

I'll share more pictures soon.

xo

MAKING THE BEST OF A BAD HAIR COLOR

Recently one of my besties asked me if I could help her with a headshot she needed for her new website launch. Of course I said yes because what's more fun then a photo shoot with your friend.

We rented professional lenses, brought in lighting, I did her makeup and styled her outfit, she looked awesome.

At first it was hard to achieve that natural shot we were looking for so we ended up moving the shoot from an upstairs office area to the front of the house. I literally stood outside in the freezing cold (-20) taking hundreds of shots of her to try and capture the perfect lighting. We finally got the amazing shot we needed.

Once we were done, I decided to see if I could get one of me as I'm in need of a new headshot. Unfortunately, I had been dealing with a bad hair color for a few weeks. I wanted a light brown but of course it turned out super brassy. The pictures above are okay but I don't feel like myself with this hair color. I think it's important to feel comfortable in your appearance and when you're not, it shows.

Eventually I will get a great headshot that represents my style and professionalism, but for now, I thought I'd share these photos because they captured how much fun we had.

GEOMETRIC SHAPES FOR THE MODERN HOSTESS

If I was insane and wanted to drop $300 for artisan-made solid brass origami bowls with polished brass exterior and contrasting matte interior, then I would definitely purchase this TO DIE FOR serving set from Pavilion.

For now, a girl can dream...