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[bc_video video_id="6299275463001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] WHITE BUTTON-UP SHIRT I have never purchased a brand new white button-up! As a teenager, I used to dip into my dad’s closet, shout out to JR, and then as an adult, I’ve always thrifted them. Trends within a white dress shirt change too over time, and the variety of white shirts at thrift stores is never ending. Tip: Look for fun collars, flared, un-flared shirts, and don’t forget to look through both menswear and womenswear Diy: Brighten your white shirt with vinegar! In a basin filled with water and a cup of vinegar, let your shirt soak for a few hours. You’ll never have to use bleach again! BLAZERS The quality and cost factor is the number one reason I will always buy a blazer second-hand. A really good quality blazer can run you hundreds of– if not thousands of dollars. And of course you can always find a cheaper fast fashion version, but that’s not going to last you very long– and it’ll make the planet very unhappy. Tip: My number 1 rule for blazers is to start with the men’s section. Don’t be afraid of the two-piece suits; I’ve got some fun things we can do with the pants– we can talk about that another time, but don’t let the two-piece deter you from a perfect blazer. A great way to tell a quality blazer is the material, knowing what a wool blazer feels like, looking for natural materials in the tag. A great quality blazer will always be lined. If there’s no lining, that’s a flag that this isn’t a quality piece. Diy: A great way to freshen up the blazer, so no one knows you bought it second hand is to 1 hide the price tag, unlike me, I keep tags on EVERYTHING, and 2, swap the buttons. Changing the buttons on a blazer can change the entire look of it. Take the blazer to a tailor and have it fitted to your body. Or not, right now we’re still that oversized 80’s blazer/boyfriend blazer look, so you’re perfectly on trend. DENIM JACKET I really hate to say it, but they don’t make denim like they used to. I will tell you, that’s the sign of good denim, be it jeans or a jacket. I can touch denim, eyes closed and tell you how old it is. Tip: You want to look for stiff, heavy denim. That’s a jacket that’ll last you a long time, and wear it well. You also want to make sure you look at the stitching on the jacket itself, look at/under armpits, and around the buttons to see if the seams are intact. Typically on jeans, you’ll find rivets which are meant to hold together and support high traffic creasing and bending in the jeans. In a denim jacket, you want to look for rivets and the condition of the seams. Typically you’ll find rivets on the pockets, holding seams in place so that they won’t fall apart over time with use. And if you’re seeing weakened or unraveling seams, know that the quality just might not be there. Diy: An excellent DIY for denim jackets is to find a kids denim jacket and cut the sleeves off to create a cool denim vest! I know these were all the rage in the 90s because I wore them all the time, just saying! (B roll and Jules is wearing one- I think) BAGS/CLUTCHES I love a big oversized bag; I’m always running around with my kids, dog, and diy tools. I need something that can take a beating, something I won’t feel guilty about scratching up a little. They’re great to buy second-hand because they’re usually worn in nicely, and the fixes are usually minor. Let’s be honest, how often do you use a clutch in everyday life? I will always thrift a clutch because I know it’ll be an effective cost-per-use value. Tip: When it comes to mending a leather bag, or bags in general– know that this is a whole other beast and can run expensive. The machines used to sew purses are very different, which adds to the cost. SO when you’re looking at bags, keep an eye out for tears and rips–these will be expensive to repair. Of course, you can always go the route of visible mending and make the tears look intentional. Diy: To help restore the shine to a leather bag,remember that we want to keep our leather moisturized. So first, we’ll take a slightly damp cloth and wipe away any debris along the surface. Then we’re going to take some olive oil or baby oil, and a q-tip and gently work the oil into the scratches. Use a tea towel to target the whole bag. And a quick tip for stubborn zippers, apply some olive oil and let that baby rip! Saving the planet, and saving some money at the same time!

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THE THEME Let’s kick it off with themes! This is always a great way to start planning. Once you have the theme, the rest can fall into place easily. This year, the boho/rustic theme is quite popular, along with the animal/jungle theme! What’s great about this is that it’s gender-neutral, if that’s what you’re going for or if you already know the sex of the baby and wants to splash certain colours, you can add those details in easily. Here’s a fun-fact: In 1918, stores were advertising pink for boys and blue for girls. THE PHOTO WALL Who doesn’t love taking photos and who doesn’t love posting them? This is a must-have at your shower. It’s just a lot of fun and a great opportunity to keep and share those memories. The photo wall can be done in so many ways, to reflect your personality and theme! There are even DIY photo walls that look very upscale. They come to you printed as murals, on canvas or on vinyl. There are affordable options at Wayfair Canada or Amazon Canada. If you want to go over the top because why not? 2020 brought along balloon trends, where people were making huge garlands for their backdrops and décor! This trend is still going strong. We have one there in studio for you Tracy. What do you think? I love it too. I want to thank Knots and Blooms for our beautiful photo wall today. This is their speciality. A lot of people don’t know this, but most balloons are biodegradable, as biodegradable as a leaf, in fact and sustainable. If you want to keep it simple and just have a photo booth, these are great options too and never go out of style! PARTY FAVOURS  We love getting party favours from showers but for 2022, I want us to keep the following in mind. Is it useful? Does it apply to all guests? Not all of your guests will have kids. We really have to be mindful of this. With sustainability and usefulness in mind, I love this party favour from Whitney Linen. They are a luxury fashion and lifestyle brand, centred around linen, which is one of the most durable fabrics in the world. They have collections for women, men and the home! For example, hosts can customize a Whitney Linen tote bag or an embroidered set of napkins! The tote is made with 100% linen and can be customized with the attendee’s initials in any colour of their choice (pre-ordered)! The embroidered napkins can be personalized with a monogram or a symbol representing the baby shower in the corner or you can make it big on one side, whatever you like. If you keep it on one side, the guest has the option of which side they’d like to showcase. Most baby showers are likely to be done in spring / summer, when they weather is nicer and we can be outdoors. Another gift idea is partnering with Chosen Designs, a great BIPOC brand. I love their sunglasses! Sunglasses are a gift that everyone loves and Chosen Designs has selections for both women and men! Hosts can offer a table with a variety of sunglasses laid out and guests can pick and choose what they want. Kind of like a gifting suite that celebrities tend to experience at events. GAMES Let’s be honest, most people don’t enjoy the traditional games that are at baby showers, so I thought of taking it a step further. Instead of a game, let’s give them an experience. For example, Kandl, which is a candle company and also, houses candle-making classes, could be a great element to add to your baby shower. Here’s how it works: Kandl sends lab kits for you and your guests, to your venue, they run the lab experience in-person with their experts, on your day and everyone just follows along. It’s so much fun and in my opinion, you can never have too many candles. Participants can choose and create their own fragrances, labels and vessels (this is something that they can choose, prior to the shower). Or, if you prefer, you can choose everything and have a distinct look and smell to go along with your shower. VIRTUAL ASPECT I wanted to add one virtual aspect, just in case, because we always need a plan B, as we are still navigating through this pandemic. Recently, I attended an in-person event with You and I Paint, when it was permitted and I loved it, even though I am the most terrible artist! You & I Paint, when you do it virtually, sends your guests everything: all items that you need to paint your masterpiece, as well as wine and chocolates. Of course, you can customize your kit for the guests and make it more tailored to your theme. What I love about this is that the painting is challenging enough that you’re not bored but also, easy enough that you can actually do it and it ends up looking beautiful!