Five in Five - Part 2

Before going off to my vacation I got some new products that I have loved so much that I will definitely be using throughout the year.

The first one is Garnier's BB cream. For those of you are unaware of this new phenomenon, it is the break-through product of the year. It is basically a tinted moisturizer on drugs! :-) It has all kinds of added benefits as well as it moisturizes really well. 

I have had some really bad acne issues in the past and now I have some acne scars. I used to have to cover them with concealers and heavy foundations. But with BB cream, I don't feel like I have to use to many different products to cover blemishes and scars. It has become a staple in my everyday make-up routine. Love it!!!

http://www.garnier.ca/_en/_ca/skincare/sc-nutritioniste-skin-renew/miracle-skin-perfector.htm

The second product is not really a product. It is more of a colour! I feel in love with all things CORAL this summer. You may have noticed this colour everywhere, in shoes, purses, jewellery and make-up as well. I chose to go the make-up route  to experiment a little and also to add some colour punch to make make -up drawer. I ended up at the MAC counter, as that is usually my go-to place when I want to add some colour to my face. 

I ended up getting "Peachkeen" in blush and "Ravishing" in Creamsheen lipstick. Love them both!! I love how they are both fairly sheer and I can add some more colour to give it a more heavy look. 

They say coral is a universally flattering colour so I would definitely recommend it. 

On a side note, I also recommend "Gouda Gouda Two Shoes" from OPI,  if you are wanting to try out the coral colour.

http://www.maccosmetics.com/index.tmpl

Not my nails in case you were wondering

Speaking of OPI, summer is always such a great time to shoes off those toes in your sandals and peep-toes shoes. Over the years I have collected so many OPI nail polishes that I absolutely adore. My most favourite has to be "Malaga Wine" which is a deep red and a good classic to fall back on when in doubt. Again, it is a great way for me to experiment with different colours. 

http://www.opi.com/

The last product I want to recommend is actually a cheat! I have recommended this before but I want to just emphasize again how great it is. I ran out during my trip and it was the one thing I missed the most when doing my daily moisturizing. It is No.7 Beauty Serum. No.7 is a brand out of the UK and available there at Boots. 

Beauty serums are like a booster for whatever you put on afterwards. So if you put the serum first and then some moisturizer, the serum will make the moisturizer even more effective and you thereby use less product and get more bang for your buck, while looking fantastic...:-)

You may have to go hunting for it. In Canada, it is available at most Shoppers Drug Mart, 

http://www.ca.boots.com/

My last recommendation is a complete indulgence. I got mine as a gift from a friend and I would recommend you doing the same for a friend who is desperate need for a treat.

It is Victoria Secrets creams and lotions!! They are rich and so fragrant and such a treat every now and again. Normally, I am not too keen on anything that is so fragrant and strong. But on days that have been long and end with a nice warm bath, it is nice to indulge in something thick and creamy and relaxing.

http://www.victoriassecret.com/beauty/lotions-and-creams

That's it for now folks!! I would love to hear about your new discoveries over the summer. Or some even that we should be staying away from??

Until next time!!

Five in Five - Part 1

I had so much fun over the summer. I got to reconnect with some old friends, make some new ones and as always I took bundles and bundles of pictures. One of my favourite thing this summer was to use my Instagram app!!

For those of you not familiar with Instagram, it is an app you can download for free onto most smart phones, iPhones and Androids alike. You can take pictures with it and then add your own personal touches to the image by adding different filters. You can then go ahead and share your image with the rest of the Instagram Universe. You also have the option of sharing the pictures on Facebook and Twitter.

I have so much fun with this app and here are five of my favourite images from this summer.
Enjoy!!

Self-professed Queen Bee

First all my sincerest apologies for not being present for so long. I just came back from an extended holiday from Denmark. Here we spent three glorious months with my family and friends. It has been a great trip filled with fun, self-realizations and of course my boys!!

I stumbled upon on this blog post today by Natural Mommies about being a mother of boys. Boy, can I relate!! After spending three months away from home, I truly do realize that boys are from Mars and are looking for ways to go back!! :-)

I can't speak for other mothers and their boys. But my boys are honestly not too bad. I have my moments (days!) of yelling and constantly repeating myself. There are days where I feel like I should just record my instructions and reminders and put them on repeat on the speakers. (pet peeve: repeating myself!)
But after a long trip with them, I do realize that they are good listeners, they are good friends, they are sensitive to others and their needs and they are polite. I am not quite sure how that happened. Shafique and I must have been doing something right!

Check out the blog post I mentioned. http://naturalmommie.com/2012/09/for-moms-of-boys-speaking-their-language/
I would love to hear what your thoughts are as well. How is your son different than your daughter? What would you change about them or yourself to function better as a family?

Thanks for tuning in and I will try to better about updating my blog.

And still the journey continues... Broken Boy Chronicles part III

And you would think that after all this time of having no new posts or any new updates, my boring life just continued onwards with nothing exciting to tell.
Not so at all!! Broken Boy is still broken and we are still on the journey of trying to adjust around a child with a broken limb.

A few weeks back we went in for a cast change. We went from the large cast, from the toes to the hip, to a walking cast which is from below the knee cap and to the toes. His ankle was straighten  to a more flexed position so he could walk better. The primary reason for this is so the knee can get a chance to adjust and get used to some pressure and same with the ankle. It is a slow progression to walking without a cast.

It may look like he is about to kick Margo's head off
but that  was not the case!

We were lucky to get some really sweet people at the Orthopaedic clinic at ACH. Margo was the sweetest lady who removed the old cast and put on the new one. Broken Boy was super sweet and so very patient. He asked all the right questions and was ever so helpful.

Walking was interesting the first few days. At first he refused to walk at all! I was actually getting concerned. But considering that he had been off his leg for more than 5 weeks, the knee was quite stiff and as was the foot. My son is fearless! So it was honestly tough seeing him so hesitant and reluctant to do something that so simple. After a week or so of feeling his way around and a lot of encouragement from his brothers, he took his first few steps by himself.

Broken Boy being very sweet with Margo

Go away old cast

Asking and listening, nice when they do that for people
 who are not parenting them

Now with the steps comes a little more independence, which was very nice for me....well because we all know that this whole journey was about ME!! ... (just kidding..it is only a little about me...) :-) . It was nice to not run up and down all the time and it was really nice to get back into our routine. His doctor encouraged us to send him back to school and so off he went to preschool. It was adorable the attention he got from his friends and they were all very curious as to what kind of "break dance" he did....LOL!!

We still have to be super careful with his leg still because he seems to think that he is cured and this new cast is his forever. Boy, will be disappointed next week!! The cast should come off next week and then a life full of "please don't break your leg, ever!!"

This is from the last time we went to the clinic. As you can see
there is a drastic change.

This is the x-ray from the day of the fracture.
It was NASTY!!!

Chronicles Of Broken Boy - The journey continues

So all jokes aside, having a little boy at home with a broken leg is not as much fun as some might think. It's not like we are just chillaxing all day and then go to bed; just to get up and start all over again.
For my energy filled bundle of joy, it has been difficult and very painful. He has been a trooper about the whole thing. The first few days were very painful and uncomfortable for him and we had to give him Advil and Codeine to keep him comfortable. Believe me, I don't take that lightly.

After the initial shock of my child breaking his leg by merely dancing on the floor (not jumping off anything), and after the first week of getting comfortable and adjusting to his broken leg, there was the question of entertaining him. I wasn't much for letting him watching TV day in and day out. So I honestly had to become very crafty and I started doing some research online as well.

There are some great resources out there for kids and it's just about finding them. One blog I really liked was http://www.travelsavvymom.com/. She has some great tips for entertaining kids on long trips. I know it is slightly ironic that with my son's broken leg, we will not be travelling any where any day soon but nevertheless I enjoyed her tips. One of the posts was on music for kids that wouldn't drive you up the wall.  Broken Boy loves music and this was a good one to have playing in the background for him when he was colouring or doing puzzles.
http://www.travelsavvymom.com/blog/family-travel/itunes-playlist-for-kids/

I have always really enjoyed reading to my kids and like most mums with more kids and less time, that has gone down the drain! So with a staionary child, it was the ideal activity to return to. So we have been reading a lot. There are the classic Dr.Seuss books like "Green Eggs and Ham", "Cat in The Hat" and "The Places You Will Go" and also "Curious George goes to the hospital" is a good one, considering the situation. A new series out that my little one really likes is "Scaredy Squirrel". It is brilliant and just the right note of sarcasm and funny.













Once he was a little better, we did bake a cake as well. That was a little tricky as he couldn't stand up. So we dragged out his old high chair and he was able to "help". That was fun as well, esp. the licking of the bowl.

And yes, when all else failed, I did resort to electronics like the Nintendo DS and the iPod. As far as the Nintendo was concerned, there a lot of games out there that are age appropriate for him and it was a life save for me when I have go clean up. The iPod is also great and there are some great apps out there that are educational as well as fun for that age. You can Google them or you can check out the App Store in iTunes for Educational apps.

iPod to the rescue while Mama cooks!

And yes, when all else failed, the TV is a great sanity saver...coz there is only so much Dr. Seuss, puzzles and baking a mum can do...:-)

The Chronicles of Broken Boy

Once upon a time there was a little boy. He was a little boy who had a lot of energy and his mother was usually tearing out her hair in the wake of his destruction. She wasn't quite sane and let's be honest, sanity, how much do we need it and is it like "beauty"...in the skull of the beholder?? (hmm..more on this at a later time)

Anyway, one day this little boy had a friend come over and he was so excited!! He had been waiting all day and was practising his latest dance move. The door bell rang and Little Friend and his mother came over. The boy was super excited by now! If only we had harnessed that energy for good...(tsk tsk stk)...

The song starts blaring, the boy takes his starting position and off he went. The dance moves that came one after another and we were mesmerized! (not really, but we indulged him...hehe)
** DRAMATIC MUSIC STARTS **
And that's when it happened...that's when bones were bent, ankles were twisted and the little boy broke his leg!!!

After looking over his ankle and leg, his little play date was sent home (we will reschedule for a follow up performance), and we went off to the Children's Hospital.

After some time and x-rays, we find out that the little boy has a SPIRAL TIBIA FRACTURE. I have that highlighted because it's a big deal. Either way the little boy has now been dubbed BROKEN BOY!!!And this is chapter one of how we are surviving 6-8 weeks in a cast and what feels like solitary confinement!!

NEXT CHAPTER: How to entertain Broken Boy without the use of the TV.

Simple and Elegant Every Day Looks With Stella & Dot

One of the most common things I hear from women at trunk shows or outside of trunk shows is "I am not really a jewelry person" or "I have lots of pieces but I never know which piece to pick in a hurry".

I want to shake these ladies and tell them.."STOP BEING SCARED OF YOUR JEWELRY BOX!". Your jewelry pieces are your friend and they are an individual statement of who you are as a person and what you are attracted to. 

Whether you are into large statement pieces to dress up a simple jeans and t-shirt look, or smaller elegant pieces to put the final touches on your elegant evening look, it is all about you and what you want to present to the world outside.

I want to show some simple necklaces today that you can wear at ANY time. They are all on trend with what's going on today. 

One major trend in accessories these days is ROSE GOLD! It is an universally flattering metal. Here it is represented in the Sidewinder necklace. There is a rose gold plated brass serpent with Czech crystals on a  delicate rose gold brass chain. Both the serpent and the rose gold are quite trendy and goes with EVERYTHING! This piece is from the new Spring Collection and to finish the look, there are matching earrings and a ring available. Also the Rhea Bangles are the perfect finish! http://shop.stelladot.com/style/b2c_en_ca/shop/necklaces/delicates/n288rg.html

This is one of my favourite pieces! It is so simple and cute! It is one of the Maya Brenner pieces that we carry. It is an ideal layering piece and can look equally elegant just by itself. I have worn this with some of my elaborate Pakistani outfits and with a simple shirt and jeans as well. http://shop.stelladot.com/style/b2c_en_ca/shop/necklaces/delicates/everafter.html

In the new Spring 2012 Collection, they have now made it available in silver as well. In the look books Stella & Dot has suggested it layered with the On the Mark Necklace, which is a super cute way of layering the two necklaces.

The Together Forever is one of my go-to pieces. It is so simple and so elegant. I love love love the mixture of gold and silver. There are no longer rules about what you can wear with what. It is all about YOUR personal style and what works for you at any given day. This particular piece also looks good layered or worn by itself. I personally prefer it by itself. http://shop.stelladot.com/style/b2c_en_ca/shop/necklaces/delicates/together-forever-necklace.html

The Glint Flower CZ Necklace is definitely the one piece in the delicate necklace line that has the most bling to it. It is the perfect sparkle factor to a simple everyday look or to the little black dress look. Again perfect with my Pakistani outfits as well as any other Western look that I am aiming for. To finish the look, I recommend the Glint Flower Earrings.http://shop.stelladot.com/style/b2c_en_ca/shop/necklaces/delicates/glint-flower-cz-necklace.html

There are no rules as to when or what jewelry piece to wear at an given time. It is all an extension of yourself.

Experiment and share with me which simple elegant piece is your favourite. How do you add simple elegance to your wardrobe??

Have a fantastic Sunday!

Another day with Stella & Dot

The Spring 2012 Collection from Stella & Dot is here and this is how I am wearing some of the pieces today.

Serenity Small Drop Stone Earrings in Aqua

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idblGwK9W-Q&feature=youtu.be

For more beautiful pieces you can check out my website, http://www.stelladot.com/ayisha and for more styling tips check out my Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/stelladot.ayisha.

Stella & Dot's Spring 2012 Collection is here!

So before we even start on how I had said I would blog more often, I have a perfectly good excuse, the Spring 2012 Collection from Stella & Dot launched!!

I have been waiting to get my fingers on the new pieces and that's what I was waiting for. I am planning some videos over the next week, so keep an eye out!

This new collection is all about BOLD colours and Urban Chicness. These are pieces that are on trend with what's going to be hitting the shelves for Spring/Summer 2012.

The best part is always waiting for the delivery van!

And I love that they are thanking ME, when in fact it is the other way around!!

!

The Stackable Gem Ring. I love the luxurious look to this one along with the different  stones that are set askew.

The Odyssey Ring in Turquoise. It is also available in Labrodite and it is adjustable. So one size fits all!!

The Midnight Bloom Ring. I love this one! It has a very vintage feel to it  as well as little bits of clear crystal sparkle in between the black epoxy stones.

The Stevie Necklace. I will be honest and tell you that I only ordered this one because I knew quite a few of my customers would die for this one. However, I didn't expect to love it so much myself. I am not really a "fringe" girl but like so many other times, Stella & Dot has made me a converter. The detail on the top and lightness of the actual piece is bound to make a winner out of this one.
 

The new MoonDance Bracelet layered here with my other favourites, The Hematite Wrap Bracelet and the Double Wrap  Leather Bracelet in Brown. Love love love this look and love the hammered beads in this one. It is an updated version of our Soiree Bracelets which were so popular. 



So here it is people, a short review of some of my favourite pieces from the new Spring Collection 2012. I have much more to tell about this new Collection. So keep an eye out. I would love to hear from you all. Which ring did you like the most??
Until we meet again.....

My new "photography" obsession

First of all let me start off by wishing you a fantastic 2012!! May this be the year we all get closer to our goals and a place of peace and content.

I have set some goals myself and one of them includes this blog. I have so much to share and so much to learn from everyone. I have really enjoyed the past year's posts and feedback and hope to continue. So here's to this blog and to all of you!

For the first post of the year I would love to share my latest obsession, photography apps!!! I acquired an iPod Touch early 2011 and along came a world of apps, free apps, great apps and some not so great apps. The photography apps have been the best ones yet.

I love how easy they are to use and how creative you can be with them. The filters are amazing and the end results are something you can be proud of. The accessibility is fantastic. You will never miss another great moment with your kids and other "Kodak" moments.

I have shared some images that I have taken over the year on this blog. But what I did was, I put a slide show together with all the images I took with my phone and my iPod Touch.

Here is a look at that video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJdKULnWcoU


Here is more about the apps I have used:

Instagr.am was the first one I downloaded. It is an free app from the App Store. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find it for my HTC phone so I am not sure if it is available on the Android Market. Do let me know if I am wrong.
Anyway, this is a great one! You can share your pictures instantly with other people using the same app. You can invite your friends and also upload them instantly to Facebook and Twitter. The filters you can use are so much fun and very easy to use. (the photo of the mug is one my favourite one that I have taken with Instagr.am)
http://instagr.am/





The next free one I downloaded to my iPod and my HTC phone was the RetroCamera. I love how easy this was as well but also the variety of "cameras" is a lot of fun to use. The different cameras are just a variation to the filters in Instagram but you can also take Black & Whites which is also nice. The other thing that is great with this one is that you can find it on Android Market as well as in the App Store. (The next few images I took using RetroCamera)
http://www.androidzoom.com/android_applications/photography/retro-camera_gvcf.html

The first app that I paid for was the Hipstamatic app. It cost $1.99 so by no means did I not make my mortgage payment. Every now and again new filters and films are made available for free so it makes up for itself in the long run. It is a slightly bit more complicated to use than the other ones I have mentioned. There is a variety of filters you can use in combination with different film rolls and flash bulbs. Each item has a different feature and when used in different combinations, give different results. Confused?? I get it...but it's a lot of fun to play around with.
The only negative thing is that it tends to crash for some unknown reason. So make sure to update it when the updates are available.
http://hipstamatic.com/

Through Hipstamatic, I was introduced to IncrediBooth. This is again one of the apps you have to pay for. Again, not something that breaks your bank but these things do add up. Also there are some great free apps as well to make up for all this.
This one however, is fantastic and so much fun to use!! It works like an old-fashioned photo booth and takes four pictures in a row. It's a lot of fun to use with your kids, for your kids to use with their firneds and honestly, I always take it out at my girly evenings. You can use four different filters with different effects. You can upgrade as well for more filters and different kinds of booths. I just saw a "Bedazzled" add on that I have my eye on.
http://incredibooth.com/

All in all, these are a lot of fun to use and share. It's a great way to be creative and you can also get most of these prints printed for your walls and to share with friends and family.

I know this post was longer than most but I had lots to share...:-) I would love to hear which photography apps you enjoy using. What apps are your favourite??

Until we meet again....