gift guide for her

By now most people are full into their holiday shopping (I've even heard a select few say they are actually finished!) I actually haven't even started. Well compared to the last few years, this might have me concerned, I remember as a student I used to leave my Christmas shopping until after exams, not even making my list prior to the 20th.

I am always committed to getting my friends and family gifts that I know they will love and use. The most important thing to me is getting something I know they will appreciate. I've been out browsing the shops in Saint John over the last few weeks, and here's my suggestions on where to shop for the women in your life!

Uptown Saint John 

Shoes

Depending on your budget and who you're buying for, no girl is going to turn down a beautiful pair of shoes. Support local, purchase quality, and consider a classic pair of pumps or flats from The Urban Shoe Myth (King Street) or Manchester Shoe Salon (Market Square). If you're not sure of her footwear tastes or what she has in her closet, a gift certificate to use towards a new pair of shoes or a quality wallet is never a poor choice. It's common to hear gift cards are impersonal, but I don't agree. A generic gift that she may or may not like is impersonal, but if you provide her with a little credit towards something she really likes, that will be greatly appreciated. And for a cute pair of comfortable Toms, I believe Je Suis Prest Boutique may still have some in stock!

Clothing

If you know her size or clothing preferences, there are many uptown boutiques to consider shopping. If you know her favourite store, a gift card is an option in this department too. Je Suis Prest Boutique (Brunswick Square) and Envy (Market Square) cater to a crowd of early 20s to 40s, depending on her personal style. If you know she shops at Je Suis Prest Boutique, be sure to ask the Prest girls if she has a shopping list there- they actually keep a list of their customers favourites to make holiday shopping easier! Kiera and Joy make a point to get to know their customers' tastes and give honest feedback so asking their option is always a great lead. For a girl in her teens to mid-20s I'd recommend checking out Pseudio (Brunswick Square). For the mature woman, try Collectables and Colwell's- it may be a little more expensive, but you can't go wrong with good quality. I'd say Silver Daisy (King Street) falls somewhere in between, serving unique and stylish clothing for girls in their 20s and 30s.

Accessories

Accessories are always a great affordable choice for a gift. Baubles (Brunswick Square) and Silver Daisy Designs (King Street) are my favourite go-to locations for pretty earrings, necklaces, or bracelets.

Cosmetics 

Make-up choices like a lip gloss or nail polish are always fun gift ideas as well. Visit the girls at Perfumes Plus (Brunswick Square) and get them to help you pick out a fragrance, Chanel product, or OPI nail polish for the giftee. Did you know that aside from Halifax, this is the only location you can purchase Chanel products? Though you may not be able to afford a Chanel suit or vintage purse, the cosmetics lines is much more accessible price-wise. Their nail polish is my absolute favourite for quality and wear.

Purses

Get her a new purse from Je Suis Prest Boutique (Brunswick Square), Silver Daisy Designs (King Street), or Walsh Luggage (Market Square). For a modern shoulder or crossbody bag visit JSP or for a fun party clutch, try Silver Daisy. For something classic and long-term, try popping into Walsh Luggage.

Home Decor

If you think she'd appreciate something for the home, I'd recommend Decor 8 (Brunswick Square), English Butler (Brunswick Square) and Handworks (King Street). Especially if you don't know the inside of her closet as well. chances are you've gotten a better look at her living room or kitchen. A beautiful piece of pottery (Handworks), a unique kitchen tool (Decor 8), fun cocktail glasses (Decor 8), or a Yankee candle (English Butler) are always great choices.  

Hair and Spa 

If you think she'd enjoy being pampered and doesn't spend enough time on herself, try purchasing a treatment or spa service from Element5 (Market Square) or Perfumes Plus (Brunswick Square). You could also browse Element5's selection of Aveda products for a great quality shampoo and conditioner. Speaking of hair care products, you could also try Hairacy's (Brunswick Square) selection of Redken products.

What I like about shopping uptown in general is that these locally owned shops give much better service. They are interested and invested in their customers' wants and needs, so asking their opinions might help point you in the right direction. Familiarizing yourself with the uptown is a great personal shopping experience and you're supporting local! Remember, when in doubt, choosing to purchase a gift certificate from a store you know she likes to shop at is never a fail.

Also, if you haven't seen it yet, check out the blog post I wrote last week for the Brunswick Square blog featuring the top 5 reasons for shopping at  the Uptown shopping centre.

and they all fall down...

It was about time I caught some of the scenery our climate is famous for in my photos. Reds, yellows, oranges- it's like the trees are ablaze! To me it's a bittersweet moment: beautiful and picturesque, but also a forewarning that soon they'll fall, the snow will come and I will need to put on my hat and mittens! (I really prefer the seasons where I don't have to wear a thick coat...) I take it for granted I guess, but if I moved down south, guaranteed I'd miss the annual spectacle where mother nature is just showing off.

The Outfit

Ruffled cardigan- Kensie- Je Suis Prest Boutique (SJ, Feb '10)

Leggings- TNA (Toronto, May '09)

Top- 03 Everly- Pseudio (SJ, Oct '10)

Booties- Aldo (Toronto, Sept '10)

Chain belt- Baubles (SJ, Spring '08)

Necklace- Anne Marie Chagnon (Montreal, June '09)

You'll also notice I actually wore my glasses during the photoshoot. Typically I only wear them on days when I'll be starring at the computer screen for prolonged periods or if I'm just at home relaxing. Today was just one of those days where my eyes needed a break.

mid-birthday night's dream

I mentioned a while back that Ben bought me two lovely dresses from Je Suis Prest as my birthday gift a few weeks ago. First was the birthday cake dress, and second was a black cotton Numph dress. I wore this black dress with lace-like overlay on my actual birthday when we went out to dinner at Churchstreet with friends. This comfy dress is versatile enough to be worn with tights or bare-legged; with heels or flats. One of my favourite things about this piece is the pockets!

The Outfit

1. 
   
   Black dress- Numph- Je Suis Prest Boutique (July '10)
2. 
   
   Jewelled flats- Nine West (Montreal June '10)
3. 
   
   Red purse- Guess- Winners (Toronto Sept '08)
4. 
   
   Feathered hair piece- Baubles (April '10)
5. 
   
   High heel necklace- Dogeared- Je Suis Prest Boutique (April '10)
6. 
   
   Crown necklace- Dogeared- gift from co-workers (May '10)

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belated birthdays...

A couple of my very good friends have spent their brithdays in various countries in the last month. One of them, Katie, was recently traipsing across Europe, and when she got back across the Atlantic, we went out to celebrate her belated birthday. But I have to say, spending your actual birthday in Rome wouldn't be half bad either!

Last Friday a group of us girls went to Bourbon Quarter for drinks and desserts, followed by glasses of wine at Happinez. It was also about time to take my Stuart Weitzman pumps out for an evening!

The Outfit:

1. 
   
   Blue tank- Free People- Je Suis Prest Boutique (March '10)
2. 
   
   Grey tank- RW & Co. (Sept '08)
3. 
   
   Black skirt- American Apparel (Feb '10)
4. 
   
   Shoes- Stuart Weitzman- Second Nature (Toronto, June '10)
5. 
   
   Longer necklace- H&M (Toronto, Dec '08)
6. 
   
   Heart necklace- Swarovski (Gift from Ben, May '08)
7. 
   
   Hair piece- Baubles (April '10)

friendly friday

One thing I do like about shopping uptown in locally owned stores and boutiques as compared to the experience in a chain, mall, or box store is the service. I don't know if it was just the sunshine or the onset of the weekend but when I went shopping Friday afternoon everyone in Brunswick Square and Market Square seemed to be in a great mood and very friendly! I received excellent service and everyone was very customer focused! (Have you felt in the mall or in a bigger store that you have to play eyeball war to catch a salesperson's attention, or search between racks to see if they actually exist?)

I grabbed a tall non-fat no foam carmel machiatto from Starbucks and then headed into Je Suis Prest, where I was greeted by Kiera and Joy, always looking so cute and stylish! I had been reading in Harper's Bazaar online that one of the upcoming summer trends was loose-fitting pants, which I wasn't buying into until I saw Kiera sporting a pair of menswear inspired pants and she was totally pulling off the look! (I now wish I had asked her to take a photo of her outfit..)

I was loving the new Free People clothing (which I may need to make another trip back in to browse through again), but was giving the sale racks a lot of attention on this visit. I found a BB Dakota tan blazer on sale for $27.00 (reduced from $110)! I've been adopting a love of stylish blazers lately- especially well tailored ones that aren't full sleeve, so that you can neatly roll the sleeve above the elbow- I have one in grey, but very tempted to purchase one in white (which is a very in colour for the summer). It's a great way to dress up many outfits. I was told this blazer is a copy of one put out by Dolce & Gabbana.

Here's me sporting the coat the next day:

Back to Friday- I paid a visit to Walsh Luggage. The sales lady was very friendly and talkative- and we share our mutual love for clothing shopping uptown, haha. She also mentioned the Spring Fling event on Wednesday (which I picked up a ticket for today!) and said that it will even feature clothing from Envy (which isn't opening for almost another 2 weeks), so great way to get a sneak peek.

I made a quick stop over in Baubles on my way back through Brunswick Square. The lady there was also very attentive and friendly. She even complimented me on my shoes! (Actually, I think I may have had a few people tell me they liked my shoes :) ) Although they are pretty and perfect for spring, I had to agree with her, they fall into the 2 hour wear category! (And I may have had to switch to black flats when I went grocery shopping after this...)

Yellow & white patent leather pumps- Aldo

I love them and they matched my Coach clutch so perfectly!

Later that evening, I got dressed up in my new American Apparel dress that I bought last weekend, slipped on a pair of nude heels and then Ben and I headed over for a few drinks at Shauna's place, followed by appetizers and bevies at Churchill's and dancing at O'Learys!

What:

Lace print nylon dress in black and blush- American Apparel (Halifax, last weekend)

Beige patent leather heels- Aldo (Halifax, 2 yrs ago)

High heel necklace- Dogeared- Je Suis Prest

Key necklace- Charm Diamond Center (that evening- on sale for only $19, marked down from $39)- which is an immitation of Tiffany & Co.'s keys.

browse about (part 2)...

When the weekend rolled around, Katie and I scheduled a coffee and shopping date for last Saturday. We sipped on beverages at Starbucks in Brunswick Square (mine, the usual, a tall non-fat, no foam carmel machiatto and Katie, a mocha frappicino). After we had caught up on the latest news and happenings from the past week, we browsed the shops of Brunswick Square and the City Market.

Baubles
I always thought of the store to be more for the conservative woman, but turns out I was wrong. The selection of scarves, hats, accessories, jewelry, and hair pieces would fit a wide variety of tastes. (I swear the pictures don't do the merchandise justice, so if you haven't been there in a while, pay them a visit!) I fell in love with one of the many jeweled items in one glass case, a gorgeous over-sized broach:

Beautiful chunky and colourful necklaces, fine scarves, flowered hair pieces, and detailed hats- right up my style alley!

I was instantly drawn to this head piece (circled above) and had to make the purchase:

Also spotted were headbands with pretty features:

Hats with sophisticated character:

Since recently watching Coco Avant Chanel I've been inspired by stylish hats in early 1900: broadbrimmed and trimmed with decor, and by the end of the first decade, the smaller, drooping brims and deep crowns. Although the hats don't depict those specifically of that era (but later into the century) I have made it a style goal to incorporate a hat into a soon-in-the-future outfit! 

J&R

Another shop that I recommend checking out, if you haven't recently would be J&R. Cute shoes, purses, scarves. I have my eye on a brown and orange Louis Vuitton scarf that I'm suspecting is obviously faux, but attractive non-the-less.

 

Je Suis Prest Boutique

Then of course, an uptown shopping trip wouldn't be complete without a trip to Je Suis Prest! I had my eye out for dresses for Chamila, but of course I was shopping for me too! Check out the beautiful new spring dresses Kiera has in stock! If I could, I would have adopted them all into my wardrobe:

Seafoam green BB Dakota sophisticated dress with a fun, flirty peplum around the waist! Someone told me they thought of me when they saw this dress, and I can't say it won't be mine someday soon if I'm lucky to still find this on the rack again (because I can see it being very popular!) This beauty was found caught my eye displayed in the front window that day.

Lively floral pattern from BB Dakota:

I got a few popular votes on this one!

Perfect for summer is this fresh white lace overlay and scalloped hem Jack BB Dakota dress!

Sigh...in love with this one too.

Loving the details and the back on the orange and grey pin-stripe Covet number (unique dress!) of their Spring 2010 line:

Fell in love with this gorgeous gold & brown S'NOB dress:

Pretty pretty striped wrap-around S'NOB dress:

The purchase I decided on was the Dena tube dress from Lost

Heart the turquoise and how the revealing back of this dress.

Which I then wore that evening out to Alley Gria and O'Learys.

While I waited for Katie to try on a few more outfits in the shop, I sat down in front of the dressing room and flipped through Marie Claire

Pseudio

At Pseudio, I admired the Bench merchadise they had, and eyed the Guess jeans. When I came across the Nissi Jeans on sale for $39.99, I had to try them on!

Amazing fit! My new favourites.

Cowell's

We browsed through the shop. Here's a peek at the beautiful pieces we saw in store:

Beckwith & Co.

We then had to pay a visit to one of my favourite accessory shops found deep in the market.

Marianne carries pieces from one of my most favourite jewelry designers: Anne Marie Chagnon

This weekend I'm off to Halifax to visit friends- and I'll be sure to bring my camera with me!