think pink

On Wednesdays We Wear Pink

October 26, 2016October 20, 2016 by Alyssa Garrison

You’ve heard me complain about the lack of colour here in Toronto many a time, so you can imagine the thrill I felt upon learning Crown Flora (a super dreamy local plant shop) decided to paint their entire massive Parkdale storefront pink!

Conveniently I’d just so happened to pick up an amazing strappy slip dress from while in LA that perfectly matched Toronto’s newest destination photo wall, so I got all dolled up and took to the Parkdale hot spot!

Paired with over-the-knee boots from ALDO (a new staple in my wardrobe), a perfect plain white tee, and the ultimate team jacket from Bow and Drape, this rosy transitional outfit was just the thing to lift my spirits re: the gloomy weather we’ve been having.

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Dress Up

Ballet, All Day

October 4, 2016October 4, 2016 by Alyssa Garrison

First off, happy World Ballet Day!

Was anyone else super obsessed with Centre Stage growing up? There was something about the horrible acting and amazing choreography that really hit a nerve with me, but try as I might I was never really able to master the art of dancing – especially ballet.

I recently re-discovered my love for ballerina twirling at Extension Method (more on that in our #RAOPfunfitness post), and though I’m still by no means the most graceful person in the class, I find myself inspired by point shoes, leotards, and velvet hair ribbons more than ever before.

Inspired by my new ballet class schedule, I put together a little “ballerina off-duty” look inspired by none other than Centre Stage, the cheesy movie that started it all. Complete with classic , my new favourite denim jacket from CONVEY, and a blush silk dress from Maccs, I was ready to go from the barre to the bar (or something like that!)

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Dear Diary Dress Up Oh so Pretty Sips, Sweets & Snacks

RAOP Picks // September Edition

September 19, 2016October 25, 2016 by Alyssa Garrison

It’s been a big month of growth, change, and most of all figuring out what really truly makes me happy, which means picking out my favourites was easier than usual because I’d already really broken it down. Writing, readings, good music, tea, and candles are truly staples when it comes to making my heart happy, and each item on this list plays into that main end goal.

A word of caution- a few of these items were special treasures that I picked up in LA and cannot be purchased online. For this, I am deeply sorry, but sometimes the best things are those that you can only scoop up in a certain place at a certain time.

And no, the colour scheme wasn’t on purpose… that’s just what my life looks like!

The Happiness Planner //

Writing a diary has always been important to me, but for years I’ve let the habit slip away, letting busyness stand in my way. When I spotted the Happiness Planner at Anthropologie about a month ago I was totally smitten, but it took me awhile to get started on filling it in simply because the whole exercise really makes you think, and it’s hard! Can’t wait to track my progress over the next 100 days.

Playster //

Books, movies and music all in one place? Yes please! I’m always looking for in-office playlists, and this is the perfect hands off approach to keeping things lively without having to think about it too much. Plus, it’s a great way to take books along when I travel without adding any weight! Get a free 90-day trial with code “Pastel90” (active until Sept.27th only!)

Lolli and Pops //

If you haven’t met Lolli and Pops yet, you’re in for a treat- literally! This confectionary company makes the prettiest chocolate bars, truffles and sweets you ever did see. Current office favourites: the Ice Cream Shoppe Truffle Set and S’mores Bar.

Circle back to the part about music above! I love listening to tunes everywhere I go, but often the fuss of getting tangled in my purse or dog leash while wearing headphones stops me from putting them on. Sudio changed all that with their sleek wireless pink and rose gold design, and I’m pretty much constantly dancing now that I own these babies!

Negarin //

It’s very difficult to find good pastel clothing in this day and age, but Negarin does us proud with their enchanting cuts, silky fabrics, and fantastic milky colour scheme (no matter what the season).

Alfred Tea //

With a tea-related post on here almost every single week, I’m sure you can imagine just HOW much I freaked out walking into Alfred Tea Room. I started off ordering a rose coconut milk bubble tea and left with armfuls of merchandise and bags of tea (including lollipops with flower seeds in the sticks!) If I lived in LA, I’d live here every day.

My mom always told me I like boy smells, so it makes sense that this epic candle brand comprised of more “masculine” scents has stolen my heart. Also, that packaging!

Sips, Sweets & Snacks

Smarties Confetti Pink Popcorn

July 15, 2016July 11, 2016 by Alyssa Garrison

When it comes to movie night, we’re all about the snacks. After all, what good is a fun chick flick without some truly great snacks to laugh over? Why cry in Pride and Prejudice if you can’t catch your tears with a bowl of ice cream?

When Smarties posed Team RAOP the question “How do you Smarties”, the answer was obvious- while we movie night of course! We got our colourful creative juices flowing in the kitchen, and in the end came up with a bright pink and purple Smarties confetti popcorn recipe that promises to make your movie night so much more FUN!

Scroll down for our wild recipe!

Ingredients //

Smarties
Sprinkles
Unsalted plain Popcorn
Pink chocolate melting wafers (ours are from Bulk Barn)

Recipe //

1. First, pop your popcorn however you wish! Set aside in a large bowl.

2. In a double boiler, melt 1/4 of a cup of chocolate wafers, stirring frequently. Once the chocolate is liquid you can slowly add it to your popcorn bowl tossing as you go. Quickly while the chocolate is still hot add as many sprinkles and smarties as you like and toss again.

3. We used a pink and purple as our theme but the rainbow possibilities are endless!

This post was sponsored, but all opinions are my own. To inquire about sponsored posts, please email jess@shineinfluencers.com

Get Creative

A Pastel Painting Project

June 11, 2016June 13, 2016 by Alyssa Garrison

This post is brought to you by BEHR®. Colour that’s True to Hue. via Mode Media Canada. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of BEHR.

I’ve mentioned my lack of craftiness many times in the past, but until now I’ve failed to mention where my biggest weakness lies: painting. I am crazy impatient, as in, if I want something, I want it RIGHT NOW. This works in my favour in many different situations that I come across, but painting projects are not one of them.

I love adding colour to my space in any way possible, but when it comes to painting my walls I really avoid it at all costs. I really hate filling, priming, and waiting for layers to dry, and with all the many coats of paint it usually takes to cover one wall, I often just can’t justify the time a project will take.

As part of my #RAOPSpringClean, I’m trying to deal with a bunch of home improvement projects that have been nagging me since Jo and I moved into #ThePastelPalace last November. This daunting list includes sprucing up our bathroom situation, investing in a new vacuum to get control over all the pet hair, doing a pastel patio makeover, and painting some smaller details around the house fun colours- starting with my closet doors.

I’m blessed to have not one but TWO massive closets in my bedroom, but for some reason the doors are just all wrong. Not only do they not match the walls, but they also don’t match each other, and don’t even get me started on the boring black metal handles. As soon as I settled into my bedroom it became clear the closet doors definitely needed a magical makeover, and what better time than Spring to get it done?

To make this project a bit more quick and easy I went with BEHR MARQUEE® Interior Paint & Primer- not only does this stuff cover in one-coat** in over 1,000 hues (so many pinks!) but you can also use their ColourSmart by BEHR® App to save time and energy planning out your projects. Basically this app lets you test out colours in different rooms, plots how much paint you’ll need for the space you’re covering, and you can use the camera feature to colour match items in your space! With adorable paint names like “Lucky Clover”, “Apricot Freeze” and “Fresh Watermelon” we had a lot of fun “colour-sourcing” The Pastel Palace before heading to The Home Depot® (where it’s exclusively sold) to examine real life swatches.

We ended up going with “Stolen Kiss” for the closet doors, a delicate shade of delicate milky ballet pink that would fit nicely with the rest of my bedroom decor. With one quick layer they were totally covered, and a switch from boring black knobs to the prettiest Anthropologie pink glass hardware really completed the project!

Maybe painting isn’t so bad after all- what should we colour up next?!

Find your true hue with ColourSmart by BEHR® http://www.behr.com/consumer_ca/colors/paint

Want to try out test some of the adorable colours yourself? Leave a comment* below sharing which BEHR MARQUEE colour you want to use in your house for a chance to win a $100 gift card to The Home Depot. Choose your colour from here!

*Open to Canada only, excludes Quebec. Giveaway ends on Friday June 17, 2016 at 11:59 pm EST. Prize is (1) $100 The Home Depot Gift Card. The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email via Mode Media and will have 48 hours to reply back before a new winner is selected. Mode Media will contact the sponsor regarding your prize(s). The sponsors, in most cases, are shipping their items to you directly. Please allow 6 weeks for your prize to arrive. If you have not received it after the 6 week mark, please contact Mode Media. Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are in no way associated with this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Mode Media has the right to terminate giveaway at any time. By providing your information in this form, you are providing your information to Mode Media. They will not share or sell information and will use any information only for the purpose of contacting the winner. Void where prohibited.

**Limitations apply. One-coat hide excludes ULTRA PURE WHITE®, colours outside of the MARQUEE Interior One-Coat Colour Collection and all other colours that have not been selected as one-coat hide from other BEHR palettes. Not valid when painting over uncoated, porous or repaired interior surfaces; over woods that contain tannins such as redwood or cedar; or when painting over heavy stains, which may require spot priming, multiple coats, and/or longer dry time.