Olive & Ivy: a lifestyle, fashion & design blog

it's raining it's pouring

2013-05-23T06:30:00.000-07:00

I've found a new way to not hate rain so much: get awesome rain boots. How simple is that? Functional and fashionable all in one. I was recently given the opportunity to work with Joules and I definitely went running straight for the ladies rain boots in amidst this sporadically rainy weather Vancouver is always having.

Who came up with the rain boots being a fancy thing idea? I don't know, but they are genius. I recently wore these rain boots to a Mother's Day family function and even the MEN commented on my boots. Granted, the comments were something along the lines of ".....are those gum boots?" and "those are fancy gumboots" and "do you ride horses?", but come on people- we know men don't notice clothes like, ever. All of the women in my family were raving over them (nevermind my mom who was talking about my "fancy rain boots" for weeks after I got them, haha).

By the way, those black things in the above pictures are coals or something. Not poo. It totally looks like poo. And totally looks like I'm looking/smiling at poo (all class all the time here on Olive & Ivy).

Oh oh, check out the bows on the back. These are legitimately as classy as rain boots are ever going to get. Love. Also, that cute little Italian-made bag of leather goodness is from Gusti Leder. If you are into leather handbags (that means quality, my friends!) then you should definitely check out Gusti Leder. This little bag is so sturdy and perfect for going out to bars or clubs as it's so tiny you don't feel it even hanging off you yet you have somewhere to put your ID and phone! So handy.

Check out my premature wrinkles. Don't raise your eyebrows to see better, kids... just get glasses.

Let's take a look at my rain boots in all their glory...

rain boots c/o Joules // Kiki La'Rue leopard tunic
Lululemon leggings // handbag c/o Gusti Leder

flowers on my pants

2013-05-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have never got more compliments on a piece of clothing in my life as when I wear these floral leggings c/o StyleLately. This is one hundred percent truth that I speak right now. Even GUYS would say "I like your pants". And when do guys ever notice clothing? I actually wore these leggings two weekends in a row (because I work at a kids' camp where I always have to wear camp clothes, I only get to dress up on weekends) because I loved them that much. So basically, you can call these my "feel-good pants".

floral leggings c/o StyleLately // Ardene handbag (similar) // F21 boots (similar)
CityGirlCreations scarf // Kiki La'Rue top // Sirens cardigan (similar)

If you are looking to add some super cute, trendy and affordable pieces to your wardrobe for summer, be sure to check out StyleLately. Their selection does not disappoint! PS - they have tons of cute jewelry if you are into the whole building an arm party thing (which I definitely am!).

What piece of clothing do you get the most compliments on?

giveaways for youuuu

2013-05-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Giveaway #1: I'm part of Rekita's (from Her & Nicole) group giveaway this month, and I thought some of my readers would like to enter too! It's over $150 worth of prizes from Old Navy, Starbucks, Amazon, Target, Forever21, my own design shop and more, so enjoy!

These lovely ladies are giving away...

Nicole from Pharr Away | $15 Starbucks Giftcard

Amber from Classy Ever After | $10 Forever 21 Gift Card

Carissa from Lillies & Silk | $25 Old Navy Gift Card

Chelsea from Olive & Ivy | $15 Design Credit to Olive & Ivy Design

Amanda from Modern Hippie Momma | Love Bug Ad Space

Quana from Accidental Military Wife | $25 Amazon Gift Card

Lanaya from Raising Reagan | Premier Ad Space & $10 Amazon Gift Card

Ariana from Shopaholic Undercover | $25 Target Gift Card

Shanay from My Unique Girlz | Crochet Handband

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway #2: I'm also participating in Jessica from Girl Booklet's blogiversary giveaway. I have known this girl like ever since she started blogging, and she is the first person I ever did a blog design for! So of course I'd take part in her giveaway. You can win $150 Paypal cash ('cause who doesn't want some of that?), so get entering!

Thanks to...

1. Jenny: Dancin' With A Dolly 2. Angie: My So Called Chaos 3. Lanaya: Raising Reagan

4. Sarah: My Life In A Break Down 5. Chelsea: Olive and Ivy 6. Nykki: Nykki Talks Beauty

7. Amber: My Three Bittles 8. Elisa: Sammy's Fabulous Jewelry 9. Sybil: Peace It All Together

10. Ange: Hairspray And Highheels 11. Allie: The Gypsy Teacher 12. Melissa: In Her Boots

13. Lesley: By The Porchlight 14. Erica: Being Erica 15. Amy: Not Your Average Crazy

16. Chloe: Rainbows And Honeysuckle 17. Charlene: The Life Of LeeshaStarr

18. Chelsea: Sunny With A Chance Of Sprinkles 19. Dee: Boutique Sui Numeris

20. Jessica: Girl Booklet

a Rafflecopter giveaway

tinted moisturizer, bb cream, or foundation for summertime?

2013-05-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

Ah, summer – the season we look forward to all year long. Shedding our layers of knitwear from the winter season is always a good feeling, and feeling the sand on our toes couldn’t make us any happier. However, there are a couple of downsides to the sun-soaked season. Though we love the sun, we’re not so keen on the havoc it can cause to our skin. All that humidity is a nightmare for ladies with an oilier skin, and dry skin can become even drier from all the dehydration.

The summer season, then, definitely calls for a switch around in your make-up routine, and naturally, we’re starting with the base! Thankfully, Salons Direct have rounded up the benefits of the three most popular base products on the market today, and explained which one you should give you dewy, healthy looking skin all summer long.

The Cover-Up: Foundation

Foundation has been on the block for so long, it caters for absolutely everyone. Though it is a much more suitable base for the winter months thanks to its heavier coverage, that’s not to say you can’t continue with foundation during the summer months.

Foundation can be bought in a deluge of textures and levels of coverage now, so no need to channel your favourite masked character when applying! Always choose a finish that will suit your skin type, such as matte for oily ladies, and keep the application light. If you want to go a little heavier on the coverage, apply a couple of thin layers instead of one thick layer.

You might find that you need a different shade during the summer if you’re fake tanning a lot more, or catching the sun (remember your SPF!). It’s a good idea to shop for a winter and summer shade, and in the transitioning months you can mix both on the back of your hand to ease into the new season.

TOP TIP!

Apply your foundation of choice with your fingers during the warmer season – it’ll make for a much lighter and more natural application, and the product will melt seamlessly into your skin.

The Barely-There: Tinted Moisturiser

Tinted moisturiser is the summer season’s saviour base product, and the perfect choice if you’re jetting off somewhere hot as it’s usually packed with SPF. It both moisturises and boosts your colouring without feeling greasy or heavy, so if you were gifted with naturally flawless skin, celebrate it with a tinted moisturiser. Note that any pigmentation or blemishes won’t be covered as well by this product, but it will even out skin tone and create a radiant finish.

Tinted moisturiser is also a great way to prevent breakouts, as it doesn’t tend to clog pores and you can rock a seriously minimalist look. Unfortunately, the women most in-need of light coverage, as they are susceptible to nasty acne, are more likely to have scars and blemishes to hide, and so tinted moisturiser isn’t really an option for those who need it most.

Oily girls should immediately walk away from tinted moisturisers as this product is naturally unctuous. If you’re looking for a more natural look, BB creams are more suited to your skin type, but you’ll have to keep the loose powder on hand to dab at any problem areas.

TOP TIP!

Keep a tinted moisturiser in your bag for touch-ups on the go that don’t require the fuss of brushes. For evening, dust a powder on top to lengthen the staying power of your base.

The Skin Perfector: BB Creams

Popular in Korea, BB cream is said to have soothing and skin-regenerative properties, so if you’re looking for coverage that will heal any blemishes faster whilst giving you that elusive, natural glow, BB cream is a good option. This product was first developed in Germany to cater for people who’d undergone skin surgery and was promoted by Korean actresses as a must-have beauty item.

In terms of consistency, it’s somewhere between tinted moisturiser and foundation; a happy middle ground. BB cream is said to be a three-in-one wonder-product: primer, skincare, and foundation. So if you’re looking for a slightly lighter base that still has all the benefits of foundation, BB cream is the best option for you. Most BB creams usually offer up a slightly higher dose of SPF, too, which is great news for sun worshippers.

TOP TIP!

SPF has a tendency to create flashback in photos, so if you know you’re getting your picture taken, it might be best to stick to a base with a much lower SPF.

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This post has been contributed and sponsored by Salons Direct. What is your favorite skin base for summer?

feed your shoe addiction with shoedazzle

2013-05-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

What girl doesn't love shoes? Even if you would never be caught dead in heels, can you honestly say you wouldn't love a collection of gorgeous flats or sandals? I love shoes. I definitely don't wear heels all the time but I do love having a selection of shoes to choose from every time I get dressed in the morning! It's just another item of clothing that I can never get enough of.

That's where ShoeDazzle steps in (I'm so punny, I know).

ShoeDazzle is an online, personal-styling website, mainly for - you guessed it - shoes. And guess who their Chief Stylist is? None other than Rachel Zoe herself! Basically, you sign up on ShoeDazzle, take a quick photo-quiz which pretty much consists of you picking a few favorite pairs of shoes and ShoeDazzle comes back to you within 24 hours with some personalized picks for your "showroom" (where all your personalized picks are displayed). It's pretty awesome. The best part? You can buy shoes right off the site, and they are SO reasonably priced. I saw a few gorgeous pairs of boots on sale for like $13. How can you go wrong? It gets even better. If you make an order within 2 days of taking the style quiz, you get 25% off your first pair of shoes. That's a decent chunk of money to save!

Here are some of my personal favorites at the moment:

All of the above can currently be found on the ShoeDazzle website. Be sure to go check it out, sign up and see what your personalized picks are! Are you a shoe fanatic too?

please note: while this article is sponsored by ShoeDazzle, all thoughts and opinions remain my own.

i'm not fit but i like albion fit

2013-05-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was our community garage sale. I live in a tiny little town (well, my parents do and I stay there on weekends off from work) so they often do little community events like this. I didn't look like it was gonna be a scorcher out, so I put on my new longsleeve (with thumb-holes..love!!) top c/o Albion Fit and a pair of shorts. My super white legs clearly need some color, haha.

Once I was outside, it turned out to be super hot and muggy.. but guess who didn't need to change out of their longsleeve top? My Go Long Crew from Albion Fit is made as workout clothing as well as just for lounging, so this top was light and airy and I wasn't feeling like I needed to rip my clothes off and jump in the lake. It was perfect! Plus, thumb-holes... come on. They're awesome.

Selfie... just 'cause.

We tried to get Zoe to help advertise our garage sale but she wasn't doing the greatest job. She kept sneaking over to the neighbor's to try to get more dog treats from her.

She was a bit better at trying to be festive though. Good festive dog.

And if a picture of my festive dog isn't enough to make your day... I've also got a giveaway here today from Albion Fit for the same top that I'm wearing! We can be twins, woohoo! Oh and PS- if you just can't wait to win or something else has caught your eye on their website (like, pretty much everything in their large range of women's fitness and swimwear), use the code oliveivy15 to save $15 off your purchase of $50 or more. You can use that code until May 22, so act fast!

Personally, I'd get this.

The Sweet Stripe Full Zip

Or this!

Ebb and Flow Bandeau Top

a Rafflecopter giveaway

get your hop on!

2013-05-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

Today I'm participating in A Lovely Blog Hop with Rekita from Her & Nicole. I haven't done one of these in a long time, so bear with me. Let's get our hop on and find some new blogs to love!

Rules (Not really rules but a guide):

1. Follow your host and any co-hosts (if it applies).

I am Rekita @ Her&Nicole and I am the first linky.

Leave me a comment so I will know who to follow back.

Your Co-Hosts:

Chelsea from

Olive & Ivy

Amber from

Classy Ever After

2. Link it!

Link up your blog or anything else you find lovely. Share your family, fashion, food, crafts, or anything that you love this week. Please, please, please, share the love and include a link back to this blog hop.

3. Spread it!

This is a blog hop after all, so hop around! Visit other blogs and say Hi!

4. Grab it!

Grab the button and place it somewhere in your blog. Preferably in your blog post.

This is to help us promote this blog hop, believe me, the more the merrier! Or post the link somewhere in your blog.

5. Tweet it!

Please help me to promote this blog hop by sharing it to others.

So tweet it to show everyone where you link up on Thursdays!

6. The most important rule of them all, HAVE FUN BLOG HOPPING!

say it with a card

2013-05-15T11:21:00.001-07:00

I feel like women, and possibly even specifically women who are bloggers, are really getting into the whole cutesy way of saying "I love you/thankyou/you rock/congrats" with a card lately. Yeah I know, Christmas and birthday cards have been around forever. But I feel like we're all getting into the give-a-card-for-any-reason-just-because-it's-so-cute-looking thing. I sure am anyways!

Anyways, what I'm getting at is the crazy huge amount of Etsy shops that carry awesome cards in which I want one of each to send to all my friends and blogger friends on their special occasions or just for regular life. How fun is that? I'd love to get a pretty card in the mail, just because. One of these Etsy shops I am familiar with is Ferrever, run by the sweet and talented Raechel. She sells the most adorable cards, and I was lucky enough to win a few of them a few months ago from a giveaway.

Look at this hand stitching on the balloons. That is serious dedication to your craft my friends.

She also sells some really, really cute Mother's Day cards (stock up for next year) and beautiful wedding thankyou cards for the just married. Be sure to go check out Raechel's store!

fedoras

2013-05-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

A quickie outfit post from sunny New Zealand summer days.

fruits & passion yumyums

2013-05-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't like things that smell good? Okay well, I guess if you're allergic to scented things then you don't but that just sucks. My favorite smells are coconut, vanilla, watermelon, peach and grapefruit... in no particular order except for coconut which is my number one. I seriously love a delicious smelling bodywash or the perfect candle, but finding just the right scent that you're looking for can be SO hard sometimes! I have been on the hunt for a candle that smells like coconut - JUST plain ol' coconut - for the longest time. Nothing has been just perfect for me. So instead, I satisfy my yumyum smelly cravings with Fruits & Passion deliciousness.

Now we've all heard of The Body Shop and Bath & Body Works... but what about Fruits & Passion? They are hiding away some seriously good smelling stuff. I was sent a few products from their summer seasonal line (meaning they'll be available til around June or July, so get it while it's hot!) and I am loving them.

The Watermelon-Goij scented body wash and hand lotion just stunk of amazingness. I use the word stunk in it's most beautiful form there, just so you know. I am such a sucker for certain fruit fragrances and this hit the spot.

The hand lotion was really nice and not greasy at all. It absorbed pretty quickly and my hands reeked of watermelons. Again, I mean reeked in the most wonderful way. I want to reek all day of this stuff. You can find all that is yummy smelling in the Watermelon-Goji line here.

Fruits & Passion also sent me some products in the Pomelo-Granité line. Now if I'm being totally honest, I'm not 100% sure what a pomelo really is and I have no idea what granité means. But if I'm STILL being totally honest, it smells SO good. I love citrus scents, they are so light and refreshing and this definitely hits the spot. I once bought two pomelos because the name sounded like Pamela and they made me think of Pamela Anderson. Makes sense, right? They ended up being this like citrusy fruit kind of like a grapefruit but with a whole lot of spongey peel. Can someone clarify what the heck a pomelo is? Anyways, it smells great. And I think granité has something to do with sorbet and who doesn't like sorbet! Check out the Pomelo-Granité line here.

All in all, I am definitely loving these summer scents from Fruits & Passion and I would 100% would love to make a purchase to stock up on some more fruity goodness.

What are your favorite scents?

tribal print is my love

2013-05-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

I am super into tribal/aztec print anything right now. And I definitely like the whole cozy-boho-hipster-hippie vibe that you get from a big, baggy knit sweater....like this one, sent to me by the lovely Jackie at Lucky Seven Shop. Jackie recently quit her day job to work her Storenvy shop full time (yay- claps for her!!!), and believe me.. it's her calling. I love every. single. thing. in her store, foooor real. Literally, 99% of everything in that store is my style, and you best believe I want it all. This tribal print cardigan was just a taste of goodness from Lucky Seven Shop.

tribal cardigan // lace cami // jeans (similar) // boots (similar)

How do you like to rock tribal print?

my big 22 happy birthday giveaway!

2013-05-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't like to win some big cash money? I sure do. I recently turned 22 (can I get a holla for feeling super old now? gaaah!) and obviously the best way to celebrate is by throwing up some dollar bills. $230 dollar bills to be exact. Not actually throwing them up in the air for you to scramble and collect but throwing into a pile for you to win. Making sense? Nope. Enjoy!

$230 DOLLA BILLZ GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

how to style statement necklaces

2013-05-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today I have a guest post for you- WAIT, don't go anywhere, because this is one helpful post! This "how to" post is coming at you from Pearl & Butler, an online jewelry store full of pretties. I personally struggle with how to wear statement necklaces sometimes, so this is super helpful. Enjoy!

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With this season’s jewellery trends, do you dare to go big? Oversized necklaces are having a moment

this season. Forget dainty, spring trinkets – more is more this year. Let your necklace be the show-

stopping factor of your outfit.

The great thing about this trend is that it vamps up your everyday wear, making it appear more

special. If you’re in danger of getting bored of your wardrobe, buy some colourful, chunky

accessories and fall in love with it all over again.

Tribal Designs

ASOS tribal necklace

It seems like we’ve been surfing the tribal wave for a long time now, but this fashion trend makes us

so happy. Don’t be afraid to go bold and bohemian with your necklaces, whether they’re made of

plastic, wood, or glass. Whether 60’s hippie chick is your thing, or tribal American, experiment with

different ethnic styles.

Casual Chic

Addition-Elle enamel stone necklace

If you’re the kind of girl who falls back on jeans and t-shirts most days, accessorise with a multi-

stranded necklace or a large pendant that adds interest to an otherwise plain outfit. Zero effort for

maximum results – nobody likes a try-hard.

Get Semi-Precious

ModCloth treasured guest necklace

Look to nature, and she shall provide. Semi-precious stones are so hot right now, and they come in

an array of gorgeous colours. Turquoise, Onyx, Jade, and Amethyst are just some of the favourites at

the moment, so invest in semi-precious rocks that are both feminine and fierce.

Quick, Silver!

ASOS v link necklace

We hear that silver is the new gold at the moment, and in the fashion sphere, this pretty metal has

become increasingly popular with carved, chunky, silver beads. This is the new charm bracelet.

All That Glitters Is Gold

ModCloth striking statement necklace

That said, if you’re more of a gold gal, anything studded with precious stones is a serious must. Pair

with a stunning white dress for an Egyptian vibe.

Beach Babe

Lane Bryant 5-row shell necklace

Planning to head to the beach this summer? Stock up on your bulky shell necklaces. Get sea-inspired

and rock that coastal look. You could even make your own! That’s something to do while you’re

topping up your tan.

The LBD

ASOS curb chain triangle necklace

We love our LBDs, but sometimes they need that eye-grabbing factor. With the help of some

colourful beads or a large pendant, your LBD goes immediately from simple to glam.

A Warmer Winter

David Aubrey cabochon statement necklace

Mid-winter, there’s nothing that warms the cockles quite like a splash of colour. Fight the cold with a

string of multi-coloured beads! It’ll bring some life to those tired-looking winter outfits.

Pearls, Pearls, Pearls

ModCloth you go, pearl! necklace

Pearls are, if anything, the antithesis of gaudy and colourful jewellery, but they complement bright

precious stones like you wouldn’t believe. That’ll definitely update Grandmother’s pearls…

Match Chunk For Chunk

Pieces chunky chain necklace

You can tactically place your chunky jewellery for a statement look. You obviously don’t want to go

OTT on the thick beads, but one cleverly placed necklace, matched with an equally solid ring, really

ties an outfit together.

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Hopefully this was beneficial to some of you! I think the only way I ever find to style them that I feel comfortable in is in a pretty but simple, solid colored dress. How do you wear your statement necklaces? And what are your favorite kinds? Thank you to Pearl & Butler for this post.. be sure to go check out their store for pretty jewelry in all styles!

please note: this post was sponsored by Pearl & Butler. all image choices are my own.

small biz love affair ft. barnabas clothing

2013-05-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

You may or may not have seen the first round of Lauren from Pink on the Cheek and I's new project last month, but we're back in action with round two of this fabulousness. Check out last month's post and then continue on and take a look at this month's!

Each month, Lauren and I go on the hunt for amazing small businesses that provide quality products our readers will love, and we organize a "group review". We partner up with other bloggers that we are both friends and fans of and make sure they are set up with an item that is fitting for both them and their readers.. and then we have a big group post day of our reviews! The whole purpose of this project is to give a small business the huge amount of exposure it deserves.

I would assume by now, if you're still reading, that you're at least KIND OF dying to see who this month's small business is... so here we go!

This month we are working with Barnabas Clothing! Barnabas Clothing is an online store full of awesome clothes and accessories carrying positive messages. They believe that you should "live a life worth imitating" which I completely agree with. On top of the greatness that is their clothing, Barnabas selflessly donates 10% of all sales to Living Room International, a hospice and medical center for HIV/AIDS in western Kenya. That is a store worth shopping at.

Now, due to some craziness with my work-life, I wasn't able to be home and have photos taken for review in time for this post (darn you working 12 days in a row!), though I was personally able to see, feel, and try on the scarf when I first got it in the mail. Thankfully, I have a lovely mama who would be more than happy to raid my closet on a regular basis and so she will be making her modelling debut on my blog today (go mom, haha)!

Isn't she so cute... trying to do the same poses she sees me do, haha!

I loved the scarf from Barnabas (and so did mom). It is super easy to add to any outfit to add a little pattern and excitement, and obviously everyone looks good in a scarf! I love the nautical color scheme, and I love how my mom paired it with a flowy white top. The scarf is made out of a super soft material and is so comfy to wear- you know how sometimes you get a cute scarf but it's like wooly and itchy? This definitely isn't like that. It's light and is a perfect spring scarf for when the weather is getting warmer.

The whole nautical thing is definitely in right now, so I'd totally recommend checking out this scarf. If you are not a scarf person though, you can keep on keepin' on in this unisex anchor tank:

Or keep cozy in this not nautical but still really cute and a gorgeous color raglan sweater:

Overall, I'm a huge fan of Barnabas Clothing Co. The quality of the scarf I received was great and I seriously love it. And ladies, when a company gives 10% of all sales to such a good cause.... let's just say you can feel GOOD about your shopping addiction. And even better, you can take 20% off your order with the code BS2012-20. You're welcome.

Find Barnabas Clothing Co. here...

Store - Pinterest - Facebook - Twitter

And most importantly, don't forget to check out how the other bloggers found and styled their Barnabas Clothing pieces:

Go visit them!

Lauren from Pink on the Cheek

Whitney from I Wore Yoga Pants
Aunie from Aunie Sauce

We'd also love if you send out a quick Tweet to help promote these posts!

If you are a small business owner and would like to be part of
Small Biz Love Affair, please email us at smallbizloveaffair@gmail.com for more information.

sammydress review

2013-05-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Sammydress is an online wholesale retailer. You can buy things at dirt cheap prices because you are buying direct from the wholesaler and cutting out the middle man (which I have posted about before). I had a very positive experience with the item that Sammydress sent me for review.

I chose a long, chunky knit grey sweater. It is the perfect length for me to wear with leggings and is SO cozy. The material is super comfy soft and appears to be made well. I want to go on a major Sammydress shopping spree after receiving such a great piece from them!

You can find the sweater here if you'd like to purchase one for yourself! While you're there, I'd personally suggest checking out this striped tunic and this gorgeous dress.

I am definitely looking forward to making a purchase from Sammydress myself after reviewing such a great quality item that fits me perfectly. I would recommend you taking measurements of yourself and comparing it to each item's measurements before purchasing any items of clothing to make sure you get the correct size, though. A tiny bit of work for huge savings... I'll take it!

three things thursday

2013-05-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hello hello! Today I am linking up for Three Things Thursday with Myranda from Pretty Living PDX. When I found out that the topic this week was my three least favorite celebs, I knew I had to participate.

1. Julia Roberts

She is my number one least fave, FOR. SURE. I don't know what it is about this lady but I cannot handle watching anything that she's in! And for that matter, I'm not the hugest fan of her niece Emma Roberts because she reminds me of Julia...haha. #sorrynotsorry

2. Kirsten Dunst

I feel like she will make a lot of lists. Or maybe just mine. She is a long-time least fave! I feel like I always give her chances too, because she's sometimes cast in movies that I really want to watch, but I'm continually reminded how much I'm not a fan of her. However, to be totally honest, the first time ever that I didn't mind her was when she played the biznatch girl in Bachelorette even though it wasn't a great movie. I think it's because she wasn't playing some cutesy innocent role for once. And also she was acting alongside Rebel Wilson who I love so much so maybe it made me too happy to dislike her so much haha.

3. Kesha. Or Ke$ha. K3$ha? However you spell it.

I found it hard to pick a third least fave just then, because I really don't like the other two so they definitely come to mind first. This girl though, she can't sing and she is clearly a wanna-be Gaga. I don't even like Lady Gaga but I like her more than this girl. Every song sounds the same (just bad) and I can't handle. I change the radio everytime this girl is on it. Blaaaaah!

Special mention: Raven from That's So Raven.
Her acting is so cringe-worthy that I don't even know how she made it on any shows...ever!

And just because I can't leave this on such a sour note...

may calendar & happy birthday to me & the BDC

2013-05-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today I'm 22. That's cray cray. And old. No offense anyone who is older than me, haha...but seriously, the years are flying these days. In honor of my birthday, I have an awesome giveaway coming sometime in the next few days and I also made this fruitful calendar for you to enjoy. I'm using it, so you should too. ;)

Just click on the image to open it in full screen and then save that bad boy and set it as your desktop picture. Then post a picture of your fruity new desktop and tag me on Instagram (@chelseaoliviaxo) 'cause that's the cool thing to do these days. I'd also love if you pinned it, definitely! That'd be a nice birthday present to me ;)

While you're here, I'd also like to let you guys know about a new project I'm starting. It's going to take a few months to get it all together but I'm SO excited about it. I want to introduce you to.... The Blog Design Collective.

It is a work in progress but will be so dang awesome when it's done. It will be a huge collection of resources, tutorials, graphics and whatnot for people who want to design their own blogs AND for people who want to create a business out of their newfound hobby, just like I did. I am really, really excited to be able to help people this way because I have wished everyday for this kinda thing since I've started doing blog designs! I hope you guys will support me in this venture, and if you have any ideas or suggestions for it definitely let me know! Most importantly, it's going to cost a bit to get going as I will need to hire some people to write tutorials and create graphics for free use, so if you have even $5 or $10 to spare, I would love if you donated it to the project via the campaign on IndieGogo. It would really, really help and provide everyone with way more resources! Again, I'm so excited and I hope you all are too. WOOOOO!

finding time for life

2013-04-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

You know that saying about how you're supposed to "stop and smell the roses"? It sounds nice and all, but who the heck has time for that these days?

For me, an average day looks something like this: Wake up, peruse Facebook and Twitter for a while, go eat breakfast, teach kids to kayak for three hours, have lunch, check some emails, kayak for three more hours, be social with people that aren't my twelve year old kayaking kiddos for half an hour, eat dinner, attempt to do some design work without being distracted by a) boyfriend b) Twitter or c) reading blogs, somehow fit in hangout time with my boyfriend who is at this point getting angry at me for not paying him any attention, make the decision to finally go to bed but actually stay up for half an hour flicking through Twitter feeds in the dark and reading already read Facebook posts and then actually sleeping.

If you couldn't tell, I am pretty dang busy in a day, and that's without much of a social life, without much boyfriend time, without much time to work on my second job of design work... and don't even think about a hobby or going to bed early because there ain't time for that. I DON'T EVEN HAVE KIDS, PEOPLE. I don't know how moms do it!!!

Zoe has lots of time for extracurricular activities.

The point of all this? A kick in the butt to myself of how I need to manage my time better. There are so many things that I want to be doing, but the way I go about my day means I don't have time for any of it. As soon as I get on a computer and need to be productive, I find myself slipping off onto social media sites instead of getting design work or blog stuff done.

Who has tips? All you blogging ladies must have something to share with me... what is your secret? I have an Erin Condren planner but I find it almost TOO intense for me, so I am switching to another planner that I will be showing on the blog in the next few weeks hopefully. It's so pretty I can't NOT use it! I need to hold myself more accountable for time spent if Cole and I are potentially going to buy a house at the end of the year/beginning of next year, because at this point with doing design and blogging as a second job- time. is. money. Tips, anyone?

april julep box

2013-04-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

I'm getting a bit crazy and posting about my April Julep Maven box during the actual month of receiving instead of a month late. What a wild child I am. I loved my April box... just as much as I loved my March one. At this point, my subscription is going nowhere!

How the subscription works is that every month you choose a "style" of box to receive - the options are It Girl, Bombshell, Classic With a Twist, Boho Glam and Modern Beauty - and in your box will be products chosen based on that style. So far I have tried Boho Glam, It Girl and Bombshell and they have all been great. I basically change my style monthly based on the preview of what is in each box. The beauty of Julep is that their polishes are toxin-free. They like to call their polishes "4-free" because they do not contain four nasty ingredients that are often found in nailpolish.

For April, I chose the Bombshell box because I couldn't resist how bold the colors were. In the box, I got two polishes, a nail and cuticle serum and grape flavored rock candy (yum).

I gave this nail serum a try as soon as I pulled it out of the box. I had no polish on so I figured it was a good time to test it out. It has a little swiper brush on one end, and a twister on the other end to push the product out through the brush. All you have to do is swipe it onto your cuticles.

My cuticles/nails in general get pretty ew from working at camp week in and week out, so I am surprised to look down at my nails now and see them looking not too shabby. The serum definitely softened up my cuticles and made them look a bit healthier and not so dry. I imagine that this is more of a long-term use product to see super healthy cuticle results or whatever it's meant to produce, but for the short term I am pretty pleased. Plus, the swiper brush is cool.

Let's laugh for a second about how you can see my dog in a blur of the background behind the swiper brush. That is good photography if I ever saw it. I think she's even looking at you!

What I really chose the Bombshell box for this month, though, was the nailpolishes. I mean, look at those colors! They are bright and bold and exactly what I want to be wearing for spring. The raspberry color is called Janel, and the electric blue is Ally.

And here is a picture of the rock candy, which is obvs necessary.

I am loving my Bombshell box for April. Hopefully May is my best box yet, seeing as it's my birthday month... HOLLLLA! The cost of a monthly subscription is $20 and you generally receive two or three polishes and one of their other products (in the past I have received lip balms, nail files, cuticle serums, etc). The best part is that if you are not a subscriber already, you can get your first box free with the code FREEBOX. I would sincerely appreciate if you would sign up through this link if you are interested, and/or use this as your referral code when you sign up: 8456756 because I will receive referral points that I can use toward future purchases. So obviously I'd appreciate that!

Let me know if you sign up and what box you chose!

buying a house

2013-04-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

What is more equally scary and exciting? My mom threw out the idea a few weeks ago about Cole and I potentially purchasing a house. At first I brushed her off with a "HA! Like we could ever afford that" but after a couple weeks of contemplation it doesn't seem so crazy. Well, it does seem crazy, but good crazy.

Zoe is excited too.... clearly.

It's so exciting planning your future so concretely with someone you love. It's that big step into the real world, where you realize you can no longer milk the "young adult" title and you've graduated to the big kids club called "being an adult". Buying a house means that shiz is getting real around here.

I've rambled on before about how stoked I am to rent a place in Vancouver, but now that the idea is in my head that I could potentially be the owner of a Vancouver condo, renting is out of the question. Mortgages are scary, but so is paying more in rent per month than a mortgage would cost and not having the opportunity to save enough to eventually buy a house.

I know nothing about buying houses- let me get that out there. We have yet to go to the bank to discuss all of this, but until then I have done my fair share of research. This research tells me that we need to get our act together, quell our shopping/spending addictions and pinch pennies like we've never pinched them before (and we haven't really, so this will be interesting).

All in all, I am more excited for this than I have been for anything in a long time. The intense budgeting and saving starts now. Get your design orders in to help pay for my future home, haha. Every cent will add up to a new home and I can't wait!

Do you have any tips for saving for a home?

chelsea's bedroom tour

2013-04-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

I thought that for today's post I could give you guys a little sneak peek into my life... via a room that I spend a lot of time in - my bedroom! This could have been a really frightening post, however I cleaned my room today... just for you guys.

Let's start with the closet. It's my favorite part of my room because it houses the majority of my clothes. It's a bit of a tight squeeze because I have far too many things to hang but I DON'T CURR! I'm a bit of a clothes hoarder, although when I got home from New Zealand I went through everything and threw out two massive garbage bags full. It didn't seem to make much of a dent closet-wise though. Could be something to do with my Kiki La'Rue addiction...oops. I can legit see 8 KLR pieces just from this picture hahaha. #sorrynotsorry.

Onto the dresser, the massive piece of furniture that takes up more than half a wall, has a mirror the size of a small country and holds all my pretties and sparklies. The drawers are also home to my clothing pieces that I deem "unexciting" (simple tanks and tees, pants, some of Cole's clothes haha). I try to keep everything on top of my dresser looking pretty and organized because it just makes the whole room feel less cluttered.

On the left side of my dresser lives my three owlies. They are the cutest thing ever. I did a little swap with the lovely Tabetha of A Closet Intellectual for these, and they have become my absolute favorite things in my room. Their Anthropologie-esque feel and handmade beautificity (I am making up words right, left and center here, let's just go with it) are the perfect addition to my room. I'm not sure if Tabetha has an actual shop... but maybe you could buy some from her anyways? I don't know!!! Maybe I have one of a kind amazing owls that you'll have to live vicariously through me to have. Probably not though, haha.

Onto the prints I have shoved all up in my mirror. I love positive quotes, and I love good design work. These prints are a combination of both! I honestly couldn't tell you where this one is from, I won it in a giveaway a long time ago and really love it but cannot for the life of me remember who sent it. It's so pretty though.

I also won this custom print in a giveaway (along with a couple of other pretty ones that aren't displayed here) from Letters By Jane. She sells handmade cards and paper goods through her Etsy shop, and clearly has amazing calligraphy skills up for hire. Plus... the glitter on the corners? She just knows me.

All of my necklaces are hung on an antique lamp I have sitting on my dresser. It's the easiest way for me to keep everything together while still looking pretty and being semi-organized and accessible. Remember that Kiki La'Rue obsession I said I had? That orange statement necklace right there is a La'Rue Bib necklace and in hiding to the left are a pair of the Leopard Santorini earrings.

I keep all of my rings and arm party materials in a mug (wearing a super cute cozy that I totally can't remember where it's from). It's a bit overflowing but what can you do? I like bracelets too much! Featured up front is a tribal print Feral watch, and on the top there's a bit of a peek at a Chloe vs Tank mint leather wrap bracelet.

So much love in this cup. Ha.

As I said, I try to keep my dresser clean because it is a bit of a focal point just by sheer size and the big mirror. I try to keep a couple decorative items, like my owls and my 21st birthday photo frame, on there as well as the antique lamp that holds all of my jewelry. Other than that, there's a bottle of eos lotion (my fave!), my box of nailpolish, my Nook and a couple other random beauty products.

Last but not least, my bed. It's da. bomb. It's where I work, sleep, sometimes eat (guilty of late-night snacking to the max...hahah), etc. PS, that's my precious Mac. I love it more than everything in my room ;)

Hope you enjoyed!

i like cats

2013-04-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

I feel like it's common knowledge in blogland (and real life for that matter) that I am a crazy cat lady. If it involves cats, I'll be there or I'll have one. I am obsessed with Hello Kitty.. it's like a sixth sense. I spy Hello Kitty items in stores so quickly it's ridiculous. So when Wholeport contacted me to see if I wanted to work with them, it only took me one look at their site to spy some Hello Kitty and say yes.

Wholeport is an online shop for crafting/baking goods. It's pretty great. I'm not the craftiest person in the world, so I stuck to safe choices like Hello Kitty baking moulds. How awesome is that?!?! I can make muffin shaped Hello Kitties! Or heart shaped ones, those would be cool too.

The next obvious pick for me were rice moulds in the shape of cute fishies and bears. I could even make jello in these bad boys and eat fish-shaped jello. That would just be so great.

I'm laughing at myself right now. Anyone else would've made their product choices based on projects they wanted to do or even events they had planned (Wholeport sells plenty of party items like gift bags and cupcake wrappers), but me? I base my product choices on if they are cats or not. I chose these awesome cat pendants to make into necklaces for all my fellow cat lovers. I'm cray like that.

Anyways, if you need some super cheap crafting or baking supplies, be sure to check out Wholeport.

massive blogiversary giveaway

2013-04-22T21:39:00.000-07:00

My little blog turned one year this month. That is kind of awesome and also kind of scary that time flies so quickly! Olive & Ivy has definitely grown times a billion since the day it was born (can you say born about a blog? I'm going to). It has undergone a total rebrand and name change, been home to lots of fun stuff and has also become a great creative outlet for me. I love you, blog ;)

So to celebrate in true Chelsea fashion, let's have a huge giveaway...shall we? Be sure to enter for ALL FOUR prize packages, because otherwise you may be missing out on winning yourself some sweet, sweet prizes! My friends & sponsors are generous people!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

about that sponsorship...

2013-04-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

I hate when I pay good money for ad space on a blog and receive no traffic from them. It's super frustrating, especially when the ad supposedly comes with promotional tweets and giveaways and I'm never contacted about them or never see them actually being done. What I dislike even more though, is when MY blog is THAT blog.

I will admit that with my move back to Canada, I had become super busy and had stepped back from blogging a bit. With that, my sponsors took a hit- simply because I wasn't blogging as often, I wasn't as active on social media and so on. I tried to make up for this by offering another free month of ad space to some sponsors who had decided to sponsor me at this hectic time, but I soon realized this wasn't enough for future sponsors. At this point I have cut down my ad prices and with that, cut down what comes with them so people know EXACTLY what they're going to get.

So right now, my ads are sidebar only. But I am also at a point where I want to change that, because I've totally caught up on being back home after a year and a half, totally caught up on all the design work and blog-work I'd accumulated during the craziness of the move and just caught up on life in general. Chelsea's got her groove back (like Stella, obvs) and she's ready to dive headfirst into blogging again. I want to be a great blog to sponsor, but I need YOUR help in figuring out how to do so!

It would kind of be the best ever if you filled out the form below (answer any or all questions, totally okay to leave some blank if you want to!) or just leave any ideas/opinions/suggestions of what YOU like to get from someone you're sponsoring in the comments. Thanks so much my loves!

march julep box

2013-04-19T23:21:00.000-07:00

Yeah I'm ridiculously late on posting my March Julep box... so what? I basically live life a month behind on everything at this point, oops. I'm a busy bee.

Anyways, I have been so happy with my Julep Maven subscription thus far. How the subscription works is that every month you choose a "style" of box to receive - the options are It Girl, Bombshell, Classic With a Twist, Boho Glam and Modern Beauty - and in your box will be products chosen based on that style. So far I have tried Boho Glam, It Girl and Bombshell and they have all been great. I basically change my style monthly based on the preview of what is in each box. The beauty of Julep is that their polishes are toxin-free. They like to call their polishes "4-free" because they do not contain four nasty ingredients that are often found in nailpolish.

For my March box, I chose the It Girl box. In it, I got a strawberry mint lip balm which I can't find on their site but is AMAZING. It's seriously my favorite. It's a super soft balm, it goes on almost like a gloss but with zero sticky factor. It also has this really sheer pink tint that I love.

I also got three different polishes in pretty pastel colors. I clearly had bad lighting when I took this picture so the colors aren't super accurate or as gorgeous as in real life, but you get the idea. The lilac shade is Simone, the peachy-tangerine shade is Teri and the mint is Shenae.

I have only worn Shenae so far and the color is SO nice. I was a little worried because it's a shimmer polish which usually means super sheer but it's definitely not at all. I only put on one coat and it looked like two, and it had this very subtle shimmer to it. It's definitely one of my new favorites.

Boxes like these definitely convince me to continue my subscription every month. Plus, who doesn't like coming home to happy mail after a long day at work? The cost of a monthly subscription is $20 and you generally receive two or three polishes and one of their other products (in the past I have received lip balms, nail files, cuticle serums, etc). The best part is that if you are not a subscriber already, you can get your first box free with the code FREEBOX. I would sincerely appreciate if you would sign up through this link if you are interested, and/or use this as your referral code when you sign up: 8456756 because I will receive referral points that I can use toward future purchases. So obviously I'd appreciate that, haha.

So let me know if you sign up, and which box you're going with! I'm excited for my next month's box already! And my April one was also great... I'll be sharing that one soon. Hopefully in April sometime haha.