A Fashionista's Dream: Daily Grand $50,000 Shopping Spree

If you've been following Vancouver Vogue for a while now, you know I love to share great fashion deals with you. After all, dressing well doesn't have to cost a fortune. Thrifting is one way to do that...another is to win yourself a shopping spree! If you live in British Columbia, keep your eyes trained right here, because I have some VERY important info on how you could win a $50,000 shopping spree!

So here's the deal: Daily Grand is a national lottery game that offers two unique top prizes: $1,000 a day for life, and $25,000 a year for life (and in case you're wondering, they actually mean for the rest of your life!). That would be pretty grand, wouldn't it?

Now here's where you want to listen up, fashionistas! BCLC wants to give people who are 19 years and older a chance to imagine and experience living grand with a $50,000 Daily Grand Shopping Spree Contest. If you win the contest, you'll have four hours at Metropolis at Metrotown mall to spend that 50 grand on October 28th. My mind is already racing with all the things I would buy!! It just so happens fall is coming up, so I know my fall wardrobe would be 100% covered.

I know you want to get in on this fabulousness, so here's where you can enter for a chance to win this crazy massive shopping spree: www.DailyGrandContest.com. Make sure to get those entries in by October 1^st!

But even if you don't win the grand prize, don't despair, because Metrotown shoppers like yourself will also have a chance to win secondary prizes on October 28th at Metrotown (which includes four $5,000 gift cards!!). Even $5,000 would go a long way to nailing your new fall wardrobe.

Stay tuned, because I'll have another blog post coming up in October where I'll be sharing what I would buy on a small shopping spree. I'll talk shopping strategy, and when and where to choose between quantity vs. quality – that way you’ll be all set strategy-wise for your own shopping spree if you win!

Can you even imagine having $50,000 to spend on a shopping spree?? What would be the first thing you would buy?

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta








Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by BCLC

Target x Who What Wear: The Summer Statement Dress

I love a good statement dress. It doesn't have to be a ball gown or a cocktail dress to make a statement - it can be something you can wear any day - as long as it turns heads!

I found this gorgeous ruffle wrap dress while on a girl's day trip to Seattle. We didn't do a ton of clothing shopping - mostly food eating - but we did pop into Ross Dress for Less and Target. Being from Canada, we need to cross the border to get a chance to shop these fine retail establishments (sadly Target Canada had a very short lived time here before pulling out). It actually kind of funny watching us shop in Target. You'd think we'd never been in a store before. We get all giddy walking up and down the aisles, picking out flavours of candy we don't get back at home, ogling over home decor, and piling clothes into our buggies to try on.

While browsing the clothing section, I spotted a clothing collaboration with online fashion publication Who What Wear. The collaboration had all kinds of pretty pieces, but this particular Target x Who What Wear ruffle wrap dress caught my eye. It was long - something I wouldn't usually go for in the middle of summer, but the ruffles along the trim were such a sweet detail. That and the bow tied across the waist. And then I noticed the sleeves: petal-like bell sleeves, how cute!

A dress like this is great to have in your arsenal during the summer. It's a bit more exciting that your average cotton sundress, making it an excellent choice for patio parties and the like. On the day we shot this look, I walked across downtown on my way home and was surprised to receive compliments from 3 separate people on this dress. It really is something unique! It was quite a scorcher that day, but the wrap-style of the dress billowed a bit in the wind, keeping me nice and cool (not to mention giving an awesome 'walking down the runway' look!).

I've linked the exact dress down at the bottom of this post, as well as a few other similar ones in case you're looking for this dress in a shorter style.

Dress - Target x Who What Wear | Hat - Forever 21 | Bracelet - c/o Nobis & Grey | Necklace - c/o Nobis & Grey | Heels - Just Fab

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

The Shoes I Wear When I'm Not Wearing Heels

Heels are wonderful. They give us that extra boost of height, add length to our legs, give us a killer strut, and take any outfit from casual to chic. I love my heels. But here's the thing, we know they're not always comfortable, and for lots of daily activities, they're just not the best choice.

I was out this past Friday for a friend's birthday; we went out for the evening, danced and were out late. And I wore heels the whole night. The next day, I woke up to realize that two of my toes were partially numb!! Having never experienced this before, I was mildly terrified, and turned to the internet of course to self-diagnose..turns out it's a pretty common symptom of wearing heels for extended periods of time. Pretty crazy, that most women have just accepted this as a bi-product of wearing heels. The reason this has never happened to me before is that I'm usually pretty good about bringing flats along with me to change into later in the evening, or I stash some sneakers in my car so I can change to drive (especially important when driving standard like my car).

Anyways, all to say, it's a small reminder to treat your feet well, and while I'm not swearing off heels anytime soon, it's certainly a good idea to have some comfortable footwear on-hand. SKYE Footwear, a Vancouver-based brand recently offered to let me try out The Lons, their loafer-sneaker, and they have become my go-to for casual days or for switching out of heels part way through the day. The 'modern mariner' style of The Lons looks great with anything from jeans to joggers, and personally from someone who is not a big fan of running shoes, these have become the bridge to athleisure footwear for me. A few years ago, I wouldn't have been caught dead on the streets of Vancouver in 'athleisure'-wear, but this chic take on the sneaker is definitely my style. And seriously, they're contoured perfectly to my feet and feel like I'm walking on clouds.

PLUS, the other awesome thing about SKYE Footwear is that they are sustainable! (and you know here at Vancouver Vogue, eco-friendly brands are our fave!) All their shoes and packaging products are designed to be minimum-use, are animal-free, and every effort is made to be biodegradable and recyclable - helping to reduce their carbon footprint. The shoe's uppers are made of man-made materials, which have a lower carbon impact than natural materials, and the SKYE impact + rebound insole and outsole are 100% biodegradable! The SKYE Foam outsole is also 100% recyclable.

Below I'm showing you how I style my pair of The Lons - they're perfect for my more casual days running around town. You can check out this Instagram post for another styled outfit featuring The Lons as well!

If you're loving these sneakers as much as I am, you can snatch yourself a pair with the code vancouver_vogueSKYE for 15% off!

Sweatshirt - Brunette the Label | Jeans - Simons | Sunglasses - Ilymix via JewelryBean | Shoes - c/o SKYE Footwear 

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Disclaimer: SKYE Footwear provided the shoes featured in this post for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

The Must-Have Spring Blouse

There are some clear trends this spring when it comes to shirts: off-the-shoulder, bell-sleeves, and tie-sleeves couldn't be hotter right now. Some people aren't crazy about off-the-shoulder tops because they can be somewhat uncomfortable, and bell-sleeves can be a bit too over-the-top for some. Of all three trends, the tie-sleeves is definitely the easiest to wear, which is why I wanted to share this particular style with you today.

I wanted to share with you where I got this particular tie-blouse, because let me tell you, it's not somewhere I ever would have gone looking for this shirt! I was recently at a shopping event for Coquitlam Centre hosted by some blogger friends Bree of The Urban Umbrella and Krystin Tysire of Girl in Betsy. They had curated some awesome capsule collections which were on display for everyone to peruse, featuring clothing and accessories found at stores in the Coquitlam Centre mall! There were quite a few cute items that caught my eye, including an adorable pink rain coat and my favourite Brunette the Label sweatshirts (I need the 'Blonde' sweatshirt in my life). Turns out, all those items just happened to be from Below the Belt! Do any of you remember Below the Belt?? I remember it being a popular store for teens back in the late 90's and early 2000's, but haven't really heard of it since then. I certainly never thought of them as a place to go for on-trend styles for a mid-20-something like me.

I ended up going to Below the Belt after the event, to check out the rest of what the store had, and that's when I found this sweet blouse with the ties! It even has a row of buttons down the back for extra detail. It pairs great with jeans for a more casual vibe like you'll see below, or you can dress it up for work with dress pants and pumps.

So the next time you're at the mall, and if there's a Below the Belt on the directory, give it a browse! They might just surprise you.

PS. I've been wearing these sunglasses for three weeks straight - aren't they cool?? I love that they're 100% mirrored, and the wire frame is pretty eye-catching. I've been seeing them all over Instagram since I got them. If you want your own pair of Double Crossbar Metal Pantos Aviator Sunglasses, you can use the code vogue20 for 20% off at Ilymix!

Shirt - Below the Belt | Sunglasses - Ilymix | Necklace - c/o Nobis & Grey | Jeans - Rachel Roy via Winners | Purse - Gap (thrifted via Value Village) | Shoes - Adidas Stan Smith (via Need Supply)

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Girl Power!

I'm so excited to share with you a special feature in Mint to Inspire's Create Magazine, with fellow blogger Elizabeth of The Style Saver! By the way - if you're not familiar with Elizabeth's blog, you really need to check it out - she's an avid thrifter like I am, so if you enjoy reading Vancouver Vogue, then I think you'll love her blog too! Anway, in the article, we're rocking shirts from Vancouver brand Joti's Label, talking about what 'fearless' and 'girl power' mean to us. Joti, owner of Joti's Label says "FEARLESS is all about facing your fears and GRL PWR is about supporting one another and working together to make a bigger difference and change."

Now more than ever, it's important for women and girls to support each other, to help build each other's self-esteem and stand up for the things that are important to us, like equal pay and breaking through the glass ceiling, among others. Let's foster a female community that supports and empowers!

I have to say, I've always been really impressed by the blogging community in Vancouver. I've really never run into any issues - everyone has always been welcoming and incredibly supportive. I remember a friend asking me once, if I felt threatened by other bloggers in the same niche. I was surprised by the question, because it seemed such an obvious answer - of course not! I love having bloggers and friends who are in similar niches, who I can collaborate with and turn to when I have an industry question. It sure feels a whole lot better to support and celebrate each other's growth than constantly be looking over the fence and comparing yourself to your detriment.

See the full issue of Create Magazine below, as well as a peek at photos from the shoot. I'd love to hear what 'fearless' and 'girl power' mean to you - leave a note in the comments below.

[ Photography by Sparkle & White ]

My outfit: Shirt - Joti's Label | Pants - Target | Necklace - Olive & Piper | Heels - Zara (thrifted via Salvation Army)

Elizabeth's outfit: Jacket - thrifted via Value Village | Sweatshirt - Joti's Label | Bag - thrifted via Value Village | Skirt - Uniqlo | Shoes - Clark (via Gravity Pope)

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Travel Style Diary: Einsiedeln, Switzerland

The next stop on our Eurotrip was Switzerland – specifically Einsiedeln, a tiny town about an hour outside of Zurich. I have family there, and it was a nice relief after Florence to have a more home-y feel. It was definitely a shock to the body though – we went from 25 degrees Celsius in Florence to now just 4 degrees in Einsiedeln. We were definitely up in the mountains now! Good thing I packed some cozy blanket scarves, my favourite bejewelled toque, and some warm coats.

The first day, we explored the Kloster, a world-famous monastery, and walked up the rolling green hills behind the Kloster to get a better view of the town. I bundled up in my winter accessories, but because it was super sunny, I figured I could get away with a midi bodycon dress underneath and not be too cold. The inside of the Kloster really is a sight to be seen: picture the grandest church you can imagine, and it’s even more grand than that. Around the back, you can walk by their resident horses in their stables, and then wander up the grassy hill that snakes up and around to give a view of all of Einsiedeln. Along the way, we said hello to the local cows, all wearing their signature Swiss cowbells, ringing away!

Our stay included a solid dose of Swiss food, from beer, pretzels and weisswurst, to a cheese-tasting night – all courtesy of my welcoming family! Their Einsiedler beer is a must-try (it’s nice and light), as well as my other favourite Swiss drinks: Kafe Schnapps and Schumli Pflumli. If you’re ever in Switzerland, you really must order a Schumli Pflumli (pronounced like Shoomly Floomly), just to say the name. It’s utterly hilarious sounding, and if you’re familiar with the Swedish Chef from The Muppets, just picture yourself saying it in his voice. Oh and it’s delicious! It's a combination of sugar, coffee and plum schnapps (or plum brandy, as that's all I could find when I got back to Canada - don't fret though, it tastes exactly the same!). Perfect as an après ski drink to warm you up.

We also took a trip up a local mountain to do some hiking, walk their massive suspension bridge, and channel our inner adrenaline junkie on their summer taboggan. The taboggan shoots down a metal track, with a metal lever on the taboggan to control the speed. Unlike most rides in North America, the brake is clearly not a suggestion but a necessity, as we learned pretty quick. That thing sure flies!

It’s on to Zurich, Switzerland in my next post, stay tuned for it next Monday.

Jacket - Zara (similar) | Scarf - c/o Nobis & Grey | Hat - Aldo (similar) | Necklace - c/o Nobis & Grey | Dress - Forever 21 (similar) | Purse - Florence Leather Market | Shoes - Adidas Stan Smith

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta