closed: dreaming in pink boutique

My lovely sponsor, Dreaming in Pink Boutique, is offering one lucky reader a $50 gift certificate to their shop. I have my eye on the above maxi dress... just add strappy sandals and a leather tote. Total summer perfection, right?! I'm equally smitten with this stripey number too. Best of luck everyone! xo

Enter to win:

1. Like via facebook & pinterest

2. Leave a comment letting me know you've entered
(one comment only, please!)

Giveaway is open from now until May 7th, 2014, and open to all readers. Good luck, everyone!! UPDATE, the winner of the giveaway is Kemi from the blog, Beauty Style Growth. Yay!!

green, green, everywhere!

Yay, my boots! I thought I'd take these beauties out for one more spin before the weather gets too warm. I'll be mighty sad to pack them away, but then again, I have so many adorable sandals calling my name. I'm currently obsessed with these & these. Also, bangs. Currently mine are long & uncooperative, so, I've started pinning them back. However, I'm thinking blunt bangs again. Thoughts?! Other than that, I've spent the last few days designing and coding a blog for one of my dearest friends. I'm so excited she's starting her own!! I'm having a hoot designing it and I'm considering offering up my blog design services in the next few months. I'll be sure to share once it's up & running! xo

shop the post:

Jacket: Forever 21 (similar)
Top: Anthropologie
Jeans: Zara (similar)
Necklace: my shop (and on sale)
Boots: Aldo Shoes (similar)

my handmade jewelry is back + now shipping internationally!

Left to right: Olivia, Elodie, Sunny Days, Clover (now available in 16, 17, or 18 inches for easy layering!)

Hello friends. I'm excited to share I've been busy making jewelry again and it's available for purchase via my online shop. All of the pieces are either sterling silver or 14k gold-fill, perfect for layering and meant for everyday wear. I still plan on working with other vendors & artists, but one of my goals is to take the shop in a more handmade direction. It's something I'm passionate about, and so, I'd like the store to reflect that. Lastly, I'm happy to announce we're finally shipping internationally too. Yay!! xo

PS - Stay up to date with new products + sales via my shop's instagram: xoveronikashop

Spring Thus Far

Hello, hope everyone enjoyed an amazing Easter long weekend. Ours was pretty great. We had Martin's brother visiting us from Victoria, enjoyed soooo much good food and attended what was probably my favourite Easter service to date. Needless to say, with all the hustle & bustle, outfit photos did not happen. So today I thought I'd pop in and share a few of my favourite photos from our spring thus far. No doubt about it, better weather is a major game changer... we're feeling pretty shiny and new over here! xo

My Hair Care Routine

One of my top asked questions is what do I do to keep my hair shiny and healthy looking? A few years ago, it definitley came effortlessly to me but in the last year-ish it's something I've had to work at a little more. Dealing with auto-immune and malabsorption issues means I don't get all my needed vitamins. Um, which sucks. But thankfully there's a bevy of awesome products that can help you fake it 'till you make it! ;) So, with that said, here's my hair routine...



STEP ONE: Shampoo and condition. I'm not picky about my shampoo, I use whatever is lying around, but I love a good conditioner. And the one I'm currently using, Herbal Essences Moroccan My Shine, is awesome. It's made a huge difference, and leaves my hair feeling & looking incredibly silky. Honestly, it's like a new head of hair. Sold! Plus, the price can't be beat!

STEP TWO: I spray on a little bit of my TIGI S Factor Seriously Straight on towel-dried hair. It detangles, moisturizes, helps fight frizz and keeps my hair from turning all wavy & crazy until my next shampoo. Perfect for girls with blunt bangs, which I'm thinking of doing again. We'll see.

STEP THREE: After a quick blow-dry, I straighten my hair using my NP Group Ceramic Flat Iron. It has ceramic plates and uses negative ion technology, both of which leave my hair smooth and silky. I've used other high quality straighteners and this one is miles apart. I definitely recommend it.

STEP FOUR: Refresh wine glass. Haha yes, spa nights always lead to a few glasses of wine. For my final step, I apply a dime sized amount of Morrocon oil to dry hair. I know most people use it on wet hair but I like to use it to tame any flyaways and condition my hair, especially my ends.

► Lastly, once a month I use Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment. I started using it last year after my hair was getting pretty damaged, and it saved my hair! I apply it in the morning, pop my hair in a top-knot (perks of working from home) and then rinse in the evening. Have any hair questions? Leave them here or tweet me! xo

pops of orange

Martin & I have been livin' it up over here. Without a doubt, the sun makes us very, very happy people. Pier dates, so much ice-cream and long drives with our windows rolled way down. So far, this spring has been darn fine! And, a big thank you to my pal & fellow personal style blogger Amy for letting me pick out a dress from her shop. I'm smitten with this Dear Creatures beauty, plus she's extra rad because she's offering you guys a 30% discount as well. Just use code: bytheshore (offer expires: April 22, 2014)

Happiest Tuesday, guys!! Hope your week is off to a solid start, and you're feeling extra inspired by all this sun & beauty! xo

shop the post:

Jacket: H&M (similar)
Dress: c/o Poppy (use code: bytheshore for 30% off)
Shoes: Zara (similar)

Four On Friday

Lamp, Soaps, Planters, Earrings

Or in this case, four on Saturday! ;) Today is shaping up to be a fab day... it's incredibly warm outside and I can't wait to hit our local village for some coffee & people watching as well as market shopping. I also with much excitement finally added my handmade jewelry to the shop this week, and a sale section. Yay! Wishing you guys a terrific weekend, and I hope you enjoy these lovely Etsy treasures that have my heart skipping a beat! xo

Sponsor Spotlight: Jaqard Styling Community

Today I'm excitedly popping in to share a new app with you guys, thanks to my wonderful sponsor Jaqard styling community. You know that moment when you buy a pair of pants or a top, but then you're completely stumped on how to style it? I'm thinking yes! I know I've been there one too many times. Enter Jaqard, not only can you browse and select items and turn them into outfits, but you can also ask the community for feedback and help styling your item. Pretty fab, right?!

Plus, the whole process is super simple. Just take a photo of your item, then ask the community for their feedback. It could be anything from wondering how to style your pants for a night out, or what shoes may work best. Before you know it, budding stylists will curate fabulous suggestions from an extensive catalogue which is built into the app. Done and done!

You can nab yours  here. It's free to download but currently not available in Canada. Hopefully soon, though! Be sure to let me know what you think. Have a great day, guys! xo

put a statment necklace on it

Hello, hello! Has it really been two weeks since my last outfit post? Well that just zipped right by, didn't it?! The past two weeks have been wonderful though, the sun has been shining bright for us + I've been busy designing new jewelry for my shop. Today, I'm excitedly teaming up with the lovely folks from Total Betty Society and styling their gorgeous Diane Necklace. They're also kindly offering you guys a 25% off discount with code: SHORE25. Yay! I'm crushing hard on their Blue My Mind Necklace (so boho fabulous) and the Double Trouble Necklace - the perfect layering piece!

Have a great week everyone! What's on the radar?! I'm gearing up for a very busy & social week: meetings, girlfriends, cocktails... and hopefully squeezing in time to hang with my man and fur fam!! xo

shop the post:

Weekend Stroll Jacket: XO Veronika (my shop + ON SALE)
Tank: Forever 21
Diane Necklace: c/o Total Betty Society
Bardot Spiral Bangle: Stella & Dot
Jeans: Zara (similar + great price)
Heels: Aldo Shoes (similar)

Weekly wrap up

I thought it'd be fun to wrap up my week and keep you guys up to date with my happenings. Firstly, let me say the weather has been unbelievable, spring has definitley sprung and the fur babies & I have been living outside. This week I planted flowers on the patio and spent time spring cleaning. I love the feeling of a fresh start!

This week, I also launched a huge sale for my shop. Up to 70% off and I've been busy in my home studio making several new handmade jewelry pieces as well. I have tons planned for the store and I can't wait to share it with you. It's my goal to focus on more handmade items and I plan to work with a few local designers as well!

Photos from our week: 1) Planting flowers. I did several bulb plants + white hydrangeas. 2) This pictures says it all, no? Scout is one happy little guy! 3) Celebrating spring with freshly painted toes and feeling sandal ready. 4) Evenings spent down by the ocean with my pooch & hubby... on this particular night we also did a bit of seal watching!



Favourites from around the web:
1) Did you see? My dear friend Tieka was featured on the Ruche blog. My favourite ruchette by far!
2) I took part in Jenny Highsmith's series pursue your dreams and loved sharing my thoughts.
3) This interview with Sarah Jessica Parker. Plus seriously, isn't her home magnificent?!
4) Are you guys as obsessed with hey natalie jean as I am? Such a soulful & beautiful writer!
5) My newest instagram obsession, daily puppy! If you aren't already hooked, you've been warned.
 
Inspired by: Health & fitness. I haven't been feeling my best lately. My health issues (auto-immune) are on a rampage, leaving me wiped and sick. But, I'm making my health a priority and trying to get as much exercise as I can. Baby steps. I've committed to 20 minutes of exercise each morning. I either do yoga, a power walk, or hit the gym. We're lucky to have two awesome ones in our building. Easy & convenient. Done! 

Personal goals: Take more risks. It can be scary being a business owner, but I'm trying to remind myself to take bigger risks and have more faith. I have big goals for my shop this year and I need to learn to not sensor or edit myself. The same is true of blogging. Sometimes, I shy away from writing content because I'm worried people won't like it or I'll lose followers. Simply no, existing under false pressure is not the way to happiness. So friends, dreams, let's do this!

This post was inspired by the lovely Savannah of Maiedae 

My shop's having a HUGE sale!

I'm excited to announce my shop's having a fabulous sale. Up to 70% off, pretty major right?! I'm making room for new inventory and thought a little spring blow-out sale was the perfect way to celebrate the warmer weather. So, put a little spring pep in your step and nab a fun accessory for your wardrobe. Please note, quantities are limited and selling down fast, so don't wait!

And... happy April 1st, has anyone played any fun pranks?!