WEEKEND RECAP: IPHONE SNAPS

Good morning & apologies for the delay in the Weekend Snaps.  After editing these photos on Sunday night, I got so sick and have been bed ridden ever since.  I'm writing from bed, but actually able to function a little more today, which is a mass improvement from sleeping on and off all day on Monday.  

We had a great weekend, and headed up to Tremblant on Friday night for a getaway with friends.  We shared a cottage rental just outside the village and it was such a cute place!  We arrived late, had some drinks and chats, played Taboo and headed off to bed.

The next morning...

WEEKEND SHOPPING DEALS

BELL SLEEVE SWEATER -- ON SALE!

Happy Sunday ladies, we got home from our cottage ski weekend in Tremblant and have been hanging out all afternoon (you can probably still catch a mini recap on Instagram Stories).  We skied yesterday and the conditions were pretty good, so much warmer than the last few times which made it way nicer.  We debating going again today but decided to give the legs a rest since we are heading to Whistler in a few days!

I just got the sweater I'm wearing in the pic above last weekend and now it's half price!  *shakes fist*  Such a steal, super comfy & and comes in a stone blue colour as well.  Full outfit post coming soon.

RESPONDING TO YOUR FEEDBACK + WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT

I wanted to start off by saying thank you so much for all your amazing feedback and comments on the Reader Survey.  There was a ton of love, and I so appreciate and love you guys so much.  I was expecting a lot of of constructive criticism, to be honest, but it was a lot of helpful suggestions and great insight.

A huge thing that was mentioned by the majority was the desire for more personal posts.  I love sharing parts of life here, but like I've mentioned before, it can sometimes be hard to open up on the Internet.  However, I want to connect with you girls on a deeper level than just clothes and shoes, and so I will be sharing way more this year from beefing up the Weekend Snaps, to random daily happenings to vlogging everyday life and more. 

Your feedback has sparked excitement in me and I feel really motivated to create some fun posts moving forward, and I'm so grateful for the time you took to fill out the survey; it means a lot, and I appreciate every word you wrote.

With that, I wanted to answer some specific comments that came up frequently and share a little more of what 2017 has in store for us.

UNTRADITIONAL VALENTINE'S DAY STYLE

O U T F I T  D E T A I L S  :  FLORAL CARDIGAN -- ON SALE!  |  JOE FRESH CAMI (SIMILAR, SIMILAR)  |  NECKLACE  |  MEXX SKIRT (SIMILAR, LOVE THIS)  |  OVER THE KNEE BOOTS -- 50% OFF!  | VINTAGE CLUTCH

I'm one of those people who love Valentine's Day, and it doesn't have to be over the top, but just acknowledging it and doing something special for your sweetie is totally up my alley.  Marco feels a little differently, but he puts on a brave face for me!  

One thing you typically won't find me in for Valentine's Day is a tight red dress, but give me a leather skirt, or a flowy top and I'm in.  This outfit is a little off the beaten path, but it still works for the special day.  It's definitely date-night appropriate and this floral cardigan is such a stunning piece and now it's half price!  I had it on my wish list for Christmas and my parents got it for me, I was really excited when I opened it.  An alternative way to wear this would be to pair the cardigan over a little black dress--so simple but just adds a pop of interest.  

Another question I've gotten on this, 'What if I'm short?'  You can still wear a long piece like this; it's a total misconception that petite girls can't wear maxi styles.  The best way though, is to lengthen the look by pairing with heels--whether a pump or a tall boot, you want to elongate your leg for the best look.

SHOP THE POST

WEEKEND RECAP: IPHONE SNAPS

CAMERA

Good morning!  How is the start of your week going?  

I swear those weekends just go by too quickly, but I was super excited to see Sunday afternoon because Marco had been away for the week for work, and he returned home!  I made us a late lunch, we sat at the table and chatted about our weeks before he tucked into the football and I worked on the blog a bit.  It's so good to have him back home.

Otherwise, the weekend was pretty busy, so let's jump into the snaps!

WEEKEND SHOPPING DEALS

FAUX LEATHER MOTO -- ON SALE!

Happy Sunday ladies!  How is your weekend going?  I've been busy cleaning the condo today + relaxing afterwards, which has been a nice shift from the overall busy-ness of the last week.

There are so many great deals happening around the web, plus I'm sharing a few things I've picked up recently (some of which are already on sale!) so let's jump into the weekend deals...

FRIDAY FINDS

MARC JACOBS WALLET (SIMILAR)

TGIF!!  Yaaasss, we made it!  I'm so pumped for the weekend, I'm planning to take a trip to the post office to finally pick up a few items that have been waiting for about a month including these jeans & this sweater.  Stay tuned for outfits with those!  

The photo above is from lunch last week with a girlfriend, we hit up the new Pi-Rho Grill and it was amazing!  I'd never eaten there before and their mantra is 'farm to fork' and everything is fresh and delicious.  They specialize in bowls, and you can do vegetarian or pick from a variety of meats.  I can't wait to go back and enjoy another bowl.

Hope you have a great weekend and here are some fun links from around the web...

This was mesmerizing to watch.

Eyeing this swimsuit for vacation (also love this coverup).

100 years of brows.

My December favourites.

January playlist.

Two guys try helium infused beer.

This weekend in Ottawa:  Winter Night Market.

Get in my closet.

Hilarious impressions by Jamie Foxx (Marco and I were busting a gut!).

What to do if you don't feel like watching Trump's inauguration.

The best bras for small chested women.

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SNAPCHAT: ACOEST1984

WEEKEND CASUAL PARKA OUTFIT

O U T F I T  D E T A I L S  :  SANDOVA HAT (SIMILAR, BUDGET FRIENDLY)  |  PARKA FROM ITALY (SIMILAR, SIMILAR)  |  LONG SLEEVE THERMAL  |  CALIMAR FINGERLESS GLOVES (SIMILAR, DIFFERENT COLOUR BUT IDENTICAL)  |  DISTRESSED DENIM (SAME WASH, NOT DISTRESSED)  |  BOOTS  |  BAG

Hey ladies, today I'm sharing a classic weekend look for me, but a couple of ways I add pieces into a jeans-and-tee combo to elevate it.  I love dressing down on the weekends, and you'll almost always find me in flats during the day, out running errands, meeting with friends or grabbing a bite with Marco.  

I've had these Dr. Martens for a year now (got them during my trip to Tampa this time last year) and love them.  I am trying not to wear them too much in the snow right now, because I don't want to ruin them--and honestly, the grip on the bottom isn't really for snowy weather anyway.  That said, if you're going to jump on the Doc wagon, I have two small tips on how I like to wear them: Don't lace them all the way up & leave the laces undone; it gives an edgier, cool-girl vibe.

One other way to add interest: fingerless gloves--I like the black on black look, it blends into the coat but also adds a bit of style (and warmth) to an otherwise easy outfit.  And as my Grammy says, 'You can still text!'.  

SHOP THE POST

LAYERING WITH NEUTRALS + 5 TIPS

O U T F I T  D E T A I L S  :  BELL SLEEVE SWEATER (SIMILAR, BUDGET FRIENDLY)  |  CHUNKY SCARF -- OLD (SIMILAR)  |  F21 BAR CHOKER (SIMILAR)  |  SUEDE MOTO JACKET  |  DENIM (BUDGET FRIENDLY)  |  ALDO BOOTS -- OLD (SIMILAR, SIMILAR)  |  CELINE BAG

Happy hump day, girls, how is your week going?  

I definitely felt down on Monday, only to realize the next day, it was Blue Monday!  That day is legit.  I had completely forgotten, but I seriously felt like I got up on the wrong side of the bed.  I was in a mood all day, and couldn't shake it until I got home from work, and the gym and got into some video editing--which is usually my happy place.  

I wanted to share this look today because layering and how-to is something that came up several times in the Reader Survey--and I will do a full post dedicated to that later this week, answering specific comments you girls sent in--thank you.

SHOP THE LOOK

WEEKEND RECAP: IPHONE SNAPS

Good morning!  How was your weekend?  I was sharing a ton on IG stories and Snapchat--acoest1984--so if you follow along, you pretty much know everything I'm about to share, but let's jump into it anyway!

On Friday night we drove up to Tremblant to spend the night.  It's about a two hour drive, so it's nice to get that out of the way and then relax until we ski in the morning.  We headed up shortly after the dinner hour and our friend Pete came along with us.

READER SURVEY | LET'S IMPROVE TOGETHER

Happy weekend!  

One of my favourite things about the weekend is sleeping in.  If I could sleep in everyday, I would.  Not till a ridiculous hour, just till 9am or 10am... okay, maybe 11am every now and again.  I love to slowly get up, make a coffee and tuck into my favourite YouTube channels or read my favourite blogs.  Just savour that quiet morning, in my house coat and relax.  Then I'll usually dive into some work and create content for the blog before heading out for the day.

That said, lately I've been feeling a little blah, and after digging a little deeper, I'm feel like I don't really know what you girls want to see here.  I love sharing snaps of my life, outfits and fun stuff like that, but sometimes it's hard to know exactly what you're looking for without asking.

This month marks A.Co est. 1984's seventh year and there have been a lot of changes.  When I started blogging, it was about fashion, then it moved towards a more personal aspect of my life, keeping the fashion but adding more lifestyle.  I had always wanted to bring back the fashion side, and do feel like I've accomplished that since last April by bringing on a photographer.  I know you guys love the outfits too, but also love the personal insights into everyday real life. Admittedly, I had started to shy away from getting too personal as this space has grown because... well, sometimes people aren't the kindest and it can be hard to know where to draw the line.

We all know Instagram is a huge highlight reel of everyone's life, and I feel way more connected to you on here and Snapchat, simply because I can put words to the photos or get real with you when I'm cleaning my embarrassingly messy closet, or just hanging out without make-up on (but seriously, thank gawd for those filters).

Ultimately, I wanted to ask you what you want to see on the blog.  You're the ones that keep me going and blogging wouldn't be half the fun if I didn't have you, my online friends, to connect and chat with.  I'm hoping hearing your comments, suggestions and opinions will help spark the excitement back into me.  I want this to be a space you love to come check out each morning with your coffee, or  scroll through when you get a quick afternoon break.

If that's something that interests you, I'd love for you to fill out the survey below (linked here) and I look forward to reading your feedback and creating some brand new, awesome content for 2017!

THE SURVEY IS CLOSED BUT THE LINK ABOVE WILL STILL WORK

Updated:  RESPONDING TO YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE SURVEY

FRIDAY FINDS

TGIF!  The weekend is upon us and I'm stoked.  I had several things going on this week after work, and just when you think you have some down time, the calendar reminder pops up and there is something to do.  And although the weekend is looking a little full, I'm really looking forward to getting some snowboarding in, heading to Escape Manor and filming some really fun content for you guys.

It's been a while since I've done a Friday Finds post, where I share some fun links from around the web, so I'm bringing that back today to ease into the weekend.

Also, come back tomorrow as I'm sharing a fun little survey to help improve this space so we can all find it more useful and enjoyable.  Have a great one!

The most interesting video about social media today.

LOL.  #truth 

Just snagged these sunnies under $12 for an upcoming tropical vacation.

Let's groove.

American Eagle is having a huge sale right now.  Love this perfect cami & this drapey tee.

52 places to go in 2017.

Watched this documentary on minimalism this week & was a huge eye opener.

Loving these booties (I went down half a size).

What it costs women to be on The Bachelor.

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SNAPCHAT: ACOEST1984

WEEKEND RECAP: IPHONE SNAPS

SIMILAR HAT (ALSO LOVE THIS)  |  PARKA  |  HANDMADE MITTS (SIMILAR)

Good morning & happy Monday!  How was your weekend?  We got away to Mont. Tremblant on Friday night, and stayed at a cute Airbnb in the village.  If you follow along on Snapchat (acoest1984) or Insta Stories, you saw how freezing cold it was!

We got in around 8pm, dropped our gear inside and headed into the village for a late night dinner...

CASUAL COFFEE SHOP STYLE

O U T F I T  D E T A I L S  :  LONG SLEEVE TOP  |  NECKLACE  |  ZARA DENIM -- SOLD OUT (SIMILAR)  |  GOLDEN GOOSE SNEAKERS (BUDGET FRIENDLY)  |  BAG (BUDGET FRIENDLY)

Happy Friday!  The weekend is finally upon us and I could not be more excited.  What are your plans?  We are heading to Tremblant tonight, a ski village / resort just under two hours away, for the night and hitting the slopes tomorrow.  Then it's back to the city for my girlfriend's birthday dinner, which I'm uber excited for.  Hope you have a great weekend!

SHOP MY STYLE

A LOOK BACK AT 2016

WEEKEND RECAP: IPHONE SNAPS | NEW YEARS EVE 2017

SIMONS CARDIGAN (SIMILAR)  |  SEQUIN DRESS

Happy New Year!  How was your new years eve?  We went to our friend's place for a semi-formal attire party and had a great time; safe to say, Sunday was a complete write off.  More on the party later, let's jump into the snaps.

On Friday, I hit the gym and then went to the mall to poke around and get some quality me-time in.  I love shopping on my own when there is no time limit, it's a great way for me to recharge my batteries (in other ways that don't involve emerging myself in hours of YouTube videos).

I went to Simons and they had so many amazing sales.  If you saw my Snapchat--I'm acoest1984-- you saw how crazy the deals were!  This sequin dress is under $30 (i.e. less than half price) and the cardigan was around the same.  If you're in Ottawa, head over, I find the deals are better in person than online.  That said, I didn't purchase the dress but picked up a gorgeous bell sleeved top that I wore for NYE.  I can't find it online, but this one is similar.