Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Reading Radar

With the first month of classes finished and the colder weather on its way, what could be better then sitting down with a pumpkin spice latte, your cozy fall clothes and a new book?  I was recently in a Toronto Chapters and I quickly found myself walking up to the check out with an assortment of books-- both new titles and old.  If you have read any of them already, let me know what you thought! Enjoy.

Wild: Oprah's recent book club book.

Bond Girl:  It is just like The Devil Wears Prada, just on Wall street..


The Best of Me: I just finished this one.  If you are a huge Nicholas Sparks fan like me, you will enjoy this one.

The Happiness Project:  The title alone is enough to make me want to read it.

Last Letter from your Lover: A sophisticated double love story spanning 40 years.



Rules of Civility: Set in 1937 New York, a lower class girl meets a Wall Street banker who introduces her to the world of upper class.

Happy Reading! 

  

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Better late then never

Well, after a very painfully long hiatus, I am finally back and ready to write. And what better timing than now with Summer eagerly around the corner. Of course, as per my usual blog posts, I am going to share with all of you some of my summer essentials and must haves! Enjoy.


1. Neon Essentials


Whether it's a heel, a girly clutch, or an eye catching bright pink blazer, no summer wardrobe should be absent of this season's loudest and funnest trend. I have picked up a few summer dresses and accessories in an assortment of neon shades, so all I need is some sun!








2. Playful Pastels


Pastels are great for summer, especially when you are rocking a tan.  Try a pair of pastel skinnis, or even a fun summer dress.  I grabbed a pair of sky blue skinnis and a mint dress from HM and I absolutely love them!






3.  Fun Prints


Whether its a lengthy maxi dress, or a pair of cute high waisted shorts, implement some fun patterns and prints into your summer collection.  I settled for a few printed rompers which will be perfect for a upcoming BBQ or outdoor concert.





4. Lace, Lace and more LACE


Lace has been a growing trend for a little while now, but why not continue rocking it into the summer months?  During a past trip to Seattle, I grabbed a quarter sleeve lace dress which looks awesome when paired with a coral blazer.  Lace can definitely be worn from day to night, when accessorized accordingly!




Thursday, March 8, 2012

and the winner is...

Hello lovelies, sorry for the delay in announcing the winner of my Lemon Sweet Jewelry giveaway! Well the big news is here, the winner is..... drummroll pleaaaaasee........ based on random.org, The Posh Daisy blog! Please keep an eye on your inbox so I can notify you! Thank you so much everyone!



And not to worry, there will be a new giveaway up for grabs in the next week or so!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Rimpy Sahota

Last summer, while interning with Vancouver Fashion Week, I was fortunate enough to interview and meet a talented, local designer named Rimpy Sahota. The first thing I noticed about Rimpy was her grace, elegance, charm and beauty.  She was so kind and warm and we have managed to keep in-touch ever since.These characteristics are easily apparent in Rimpy's personal fashion collection, Aorta.  Rimpy's collection is flourishing and her career is taking off.  As a aspiring, young and local designer I needed to share her talent, inspirations and passions with the world.




Rimpy’s inspiration to design came from her mother, who constructed garments from scratch when Rimpy was a child and Rimpy would sit and watch her for days at a time.  Before entering the world of fashion design, Rimpy attended university for five years and majored in both Accounting and Finance. Rimpy worked for a large firm as an auditor but found she was always looking at the clock, wanting something more out of her career. This led Rimpy to designing.  She aspires to design beautiful collections for classy women who have a fine taste for beauty.  Her collection Aorta comes from metamorphosis of love, survival and independence. It is these three words that Rimpy believes every woman can relate to. Aorta is based upon that fact that I want women to feel beautiful in their own skin.  Every woman, no matter age, color, shapes; every woman is beautiful. Rimpy’s designs and the free flowing fabrics which she uses are those which every woman will feel beautiful in.


Rimpy has been designing clothing since she was a little girl. When she was five years old, she would cut holes of out of her mother’s scarves and created chiffon dresses for her dolls. Rimpy believes that the beauty of fashion is something I strongly feel that someone is born with. You either are obsessed with it or do not care for it. Some say it is “fashion” but I believe it is having a keen eye for beauty and the beauty which lies in how a garment can make someone love themselves.  Rimpy looks up to some pretty memorable designers and finds inspiration from Karl Lagerfeld, Eli Saab, Sarah Burton and Givenchy, I enjoy the femininity and story which is told in each of their collections.  



Since meeting Rimpy, she has already held her own personal fashion show and her business is still continuing to prosper.  Keep your eyes on Rimpy, she is going to continue to amaze the fashion industry and take it by storm.




Rimpy and two of her beautiful models after her 2011 collection show


For more information check out Rimpy's collection at aortabyrimpy.com

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Spring Essentials

I am currently sitting in a small Starbucks, located near my university and I cant help but feel slightly annoyed that their is a mixture of rain and snow currently falling on the other side of the window.  As much as I love snow and as a true Vancouverite I should be used to the rain, I am just really looking forward to Spring and dressing in accordance to the warmer weather.  With that being said, I wanted to share some of my must have items for Spring 2012!
Spring Essentials

Spring Essentials by ainssmith featuring heeled sandals


1.  Lace dress
2.  Platform heel
3. Silk blouse
4. Colorful cross-body Bag
5.  Neon skinnies
6. Trench coat
7. Peplum top
8. Floral skirt
9. Maxi skirt
10. Moto jacket

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

My Boyfriends Back..

I am definitely a skinny jeans enthusiast, but when the warmer spring weather rolls around, I like to change it up a bit and bring out my favorite pair of boyfriend jeans.  They are so comfortable and when styled accordingly, they can complete a great outfit.So bring your favorite pair of blue jeans out of their hiding place and style away!




  
boyfriend jeans

Monday, February 27, 2012

My First Giveaway!!

Hello my beautiful readers:) I hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable weekend and hopefully found time to catch the Oscars! My myyy there were some stunning gowns, everyone looked incredible.  To get this week started off right, I am pleased to announce my first giveaway!  My giveaway is with the fabulous jewelry line Lemon Sweet Jewelry, created by Leslie Matheney, a local jewelry designer from Vancouver, WA.  Leslie designs simple, pretty, everyday pieces, the kind you want to put on and not take off.  Leslie has been creating and designing jewelry and other objects since she was a little girl.  It became a hobby, but it has now led to a full fledged business venture!






Here are some of my favorite pieces!  I love how they are all so delicate and charming.  Definitely pieces I could wear everyday!


Here's what you need to do to enter...


1. Become a fan of Your Daily Fix on Facebook and while you are checking out the Facebook page,  repost   and share the giveaway and say how much you love Lemon Sweet Jewelry and Your Daily Fix! 
2.  Become a fan of Lemon Sweet on Facebook and say hello!
3. Check out Lemon Sweet Jewelry's shop on Etsy and see what items catch your attention
4.  Comment on this post, say hello and share what item it is that you love, that you have either followed via Twitter, Facebook and Google Connect and leave your e-mail so I can contact you if you`re the lucky winner!


    
Want to gain another entry?! Start following Your Daily Fix on Twitter or Google Connect and you'll have a second entry to the draw!


The draw for the lucky recipient of the Lemon Sweet Jewelry piece will be this Friday- March 2nd! Goodluck!!!! 
-xoxo Ainsley

Ps. If you are interested in purchasing additional items off of Leslie's Etsy site and you have liked her page on Facebook, you can enter the discount code "facebookfan" to receive and additional 10% off!


Friday, February 24, 2012

Friday Favorites!

I can`t believe that it is Friday already... where did this week go!! Well this was an exciting week for Your Daily Fix! We have now reached 100+ Facebook fans and I could honestly not be happier, it is so encouraging to see that people enjoy what I have to share! So thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!! I have some pretty exciting giveaways lined up that I am sure you all will love, so please stay tuned!  The first giveaway will begin this coming Monday! As always, here are some of my favorite inspirations, photos and images that I have collected throughout the week! Have a fabulous weekend everyone:)

Favorite look for spring

Favorite Spring Clutch 
Favorite Workout Inspiration

Favorite Image

Favorite Makeup

Favorite Shoe Combo




Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Fitness February: Interview with the amazing Kelly Campbell!

So as promised, I was able to get in touch with a friend who is not just beautiful on the inside and the outside, she is a hard working chick, who has more than a thing or two to share with everyone about working hard and seeing results in the gym. Kelly has already competed in a figure competition before and placed second in bikini tall and qualified for BC's and soon to be in another one this year! Kelly's passion and hard-work has definitely  paid off and she is hands-down my workout inspiration!

So with my whole "Fitness Feb" plan, I knew I had to ask Kelly some questions that were not only of importance to me, but to other females as well.  Meet Kelly everyone!


1.  What is your favorite form of cardio exercise?

-I'd have to go with the step mill.  I'd be lying if I said it was my favorite, but it's definitely the most effective!

2.  What is your favorite post workout snack or meal?

-Protein! Protein! Protein! I like to get my protein intake from food rather than a shake or supplements.  I often prepare a post-workout meal before going to the gym so that it's ready for me when I'm home. (The worst is being hungry and having to force yourself to take the time to make something healthy).  So getting back to your question.. I love Cajun chicken.  When I'm training, my diet is very restricted so I love finding things with lots of flavor.  I'll cook up a bunch and prepare meals for the next day or two.



3.  Who do you most look up to, or who inspires you?

- My mom is the 'the suit lady' a well known fitness/bikini seamstress and designs custom suits for a good majority of the competitors.  I was inspired by all the beautiful, strong and fit women I'd see coming to my house daily for fittings.  I also look up to a lot of Bikini pro's.  They're all so determined and seem so positive.  It takes a lot of self discipline and you have REALLY want it!
 

4.  Do you prefer to work out alone or with a partner?

-I don't mind either, depending on the partner.  Having someone to workout with who pushes you and wants a good workout too definitely makes a leg day and 45 minutes on the step mill more enjoyable!  You can feed off one-another's energy and keep it fun.

5.  What is your favorite area to work out?

- I love a killer glute exercise! Just like every other girl constantly wanting to tone and improve their butt! My favorite would have to be glute kick-backs.  You hook one ankle up to a set of cables while your other foot is firmly planted on a platform.  Then you hold onto the bar in front of you, lean forward and kick your leg back.  It works wonders!

6.  What is your favorite work out mix or song to keep you focused and motivated?

- I love anything upbeat and listen to a lot of RAC mix's.  Right now on my "GTL" mix, I've got a lot of David Guetta, Calving Harris and Rihanna's Talk that Talk album.  I also love Flo Rida's new song featuring Sia- Wild one.


7.  If you could offer anyone working out or getting more into fitness, what advice would you give them?

- I would say don't get discouraged.  Stick with it and YOU WILL see changes and begin to love it.  I feel that girls, especially, want to see a difference in a week and turn negative when they don't see results instantly.  You have to be patient and trust that what you're doing is working and it will pay off.  Just keep pushing yourself and stay positive.  I used to remind myself that time is going by whether I go to the gym and eat healthy, or not.  Everyone has had that summer where they wished they had jumped on the 'healthy bandwagon' a few months earlier.  Now is that time!  Do it this year!

8.  What are some of your favorite healthy meal choices?

-I mentioned earlier how much I love Cajun chicken mostly because it's so flavorful. I have to admit, having a healthy diet can be painfully repetitive and plain so I'm constantly trying new things and switching up my meals.  I recently started eating Sushi.  Its the perfect `fast-food' fix when your`re on the go and SO healthy and affordable too.

9.  How did it feel performing in a fitness competition?

-Competing in a fitness show was amazing and felt empowering.  I loved it! My goal was to simply compete and feel confident on stage.  After training for 4 months prior to the show, being on stage and accomplishing my initial goal was so satisfying.  I ended up taking 2nd in bikini tall and qualified for BC`s.

10.  What was your favorite part about competing?

-I love having things to work towards and this was definitely a challenge.  Nothing feels better than accomplishing a goal you have set for yourself.  There were times along the way when I`d get discouraged and when I finally got on stage I was so proud of myself for sticking with it.  I just felt SO good!

I can`t wait to compete again this June and when I feel myself getting down, I just think back to how I felt on stage last year.  What it took to get there and how it was all worth it.




Aside from getting ready to start preparing for her up and coming competition in June, Kelly is also in an online competition for Fitness Gurls Magazine for their Miss Bikini Gurl, to find the world`s hottest bikini model! Help Kell out and give her your vote!! You can vote every hour every day of the week!!

If you have any other questions you would like Kelly to answer, post them below and I`ll have Kelly answer them for you!!

Lust List..

Happy Monday everyone! This morning as I was walking out to my car to head to work, I noticed that my mom's spring flowers were starting to grow!  This was exciting because I immediately started thinking about Spring and then Summer as well of course.  With the warmer months around the corner, I thought I would share some of my Spring must haves!  Enjoy:)






Friday, February 17, 2012

Friday Favorites

Well this work week has come to an end.. so lets bring on the weekend! I had reading break this week, so I planned on doing some homework, running errands, gyming, shopping.. those sort of things, but I actually ended up working almost every day! I shouldn't complain though, more money in the bank to spend on new Spring items! Whether you are taking it easy, or dancing the night away, have a fabulous weekend!

Favorite Details


Favorite Look


Favorite Laugh

Favorite Quote


Favorite Beach Dress


Favorite Wedding Dress


Favorite Versatile Hair


Favorite New York Fashion Week dress


Favorite Place.. Cozy Bedroom



I was definitely into dresses this week! I need to get some sunshine in my life!