Five Laughs: Halloween Edition

Happy Halloween, everyone!!! Sorry for the complete lack of posts this past week...we're workin' on it! Hopefully we'll be able to catch up on things soon...but we hope you have had/are having a fantastic Halloween, and here are some festive laughs to enjoy!
(Also, looking back on our last Five Laughs, we just noticed that we'd posted some of the same laughs as the week before...oops! We've updated it with new ones though :-)

{Caramel onions disguised as apples...so evil...but so genius!}

Happy Birthday, Claudia Louise Susan Sunniva!!!!!

For those of you who don't know, there's actually a third sister in the equation - her name is Claudia, and she's 18 today!!! Or actually, it may have been yesterday...seeing as she's in New Zealand right now. We hope she's having/has had an absolute blast, and we are counting down the days (25) til she's back home again so we can celebrate in style. And we're really looking forward to her joining us at Ali & Vic! She's super stylish, pretty, smart, funny, kind, and cool, so you're gonna love her presence on the blog. But we will need a new name...so suggestions are most welcome :-)

In honour of Claud's 18th birthday, here are 18 pics featuring the princess herself. Enjoy!

{Baby Coya - such a little angel!}

{She even helps with dishes!}

{And she loves her sisters...}

{...except maybe not here}

{She's good at being a rockstar with the cousins in Ireland...}

{...and she's great at being a triplet}

{She loves Christmas...}

{...and she's very kind to dogs}

{Even when life gets rough...}

{...she can always turn on that smile!}

{She's proud of her Albertan roots...}

{...and her Irish ones, too}

{She's the best person to go for coffee with...}

{...and she's glamorous as hell}

{She always looks fab at grads, be it Vicky's...}

{...or her own}

{And she knows how to rock a white dress - whether at her Holy Communion in 2002...}

{...or her grad, 10 years later}

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CLAUDIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We love you.

Five Laughs

Hello again, guys! We're trying to get on track with posts, so bear with us. Is anyone else feeling totally, utterly, and completely swamped with work, midterms, life in general?! Ahhh, this week has been tough. But here are some laughs for y'all to enjoy, and keep tuned for the very special post we have planned for tomorrow...

{Now this is our kinda studying...eat a gummy bear for every few lines you read!!}

Star Style: Capricorn

Any Capricorn ladies out there? If so, you're in luck, because it's time for your edition of Star Style! If you feel you're not a true Capricorn, it may be because you have other stuff going on in your chart that's more prominent; you may find yourself identifying more with Sagittarius (which comes before your sign) or Aquarius (which comes after). Check it out by typing in your date of birth details at http://ephemeris.com/ephemeris.php. But if you find yourself identifying with the typical characteristics of the goat, then proceed and enjoy our style picks for you!

CAPRICORN (22 December - 19 January)
Symbol: The Goat
Element: Earth
Colour: Brown, green, grey, navy. 
Gem: Garnet, snowflake obsidian, black onyx.
Flower: Pansy, cornflower, snowdrop, carnation.
Traits: Hardworking, ambitious, patient, persevering, and responsible, but can be too materialistic, serious, and hard on yourself.
Your Style: You have a very classic, elegant style, and favour quality over quantity when it comes to clothes - you'd rather invest in a few expensive pieces than lots of cheap ones.

FAMOUS CAPRICORNS

{Kate Bosworth}                           {Kate Moss}                            {Kate Middleton}

{Zooey Deschanel}                            {Sienna Miller}                             {January Jones}

{Kristin Cavallari}                             {Pixie Lott}                            {Nina Dobrev}

{Christy Turlington}                                 {Michelle Obama}                         {Gemma Arterton}

TOP 10 STYLE PICKS FOR CAPRICORNS

1. Trench Coat: A classic trench coat is eternally chic, so invest in the best one your budget will allow. 

Burberry coat - net-a-porter.com

2. Chic Hat: A simple hat, like this floppy burgundy one, adds instant sophistication to your outfit. 

French Connection floppy hat - asos.com

3. Cashmere Jumper: You love luxurious materials, and cashmere is about as luxe  and snuggly as it gets.

Joseph long sleeve shirt - flannelsfashion.com

4. Little Black Dress: Understated elegance is your thing, and a classic black dress with gorgeous detailing like this one is right up your alley.

RED Valentino black dress - stylebop.com

5. Jo Malone Perfume: All of Jo Malone's scents are heavenly, and their classy cream-and-black design and sleek bottle appeals to Capricorns' love for minimalist chic. 

Jo Malone™ Amber & Lavender Cologne (3.4 oz.) - nordstrom.com

6. Garnet Jewellery: Most Capricorns prefer discreet jewellery to anything too ostentatious, so these delicate garnet earrings are a perfect way of acknowledging your birthstone.

Alexis Bittar chandelier earrings - alexisbittar.com

7. Black Skinny Jeans: You will wear these to death, as they look cool no matter what you pair them with. 

Proenza Schouler skinny jeans - net-a-porter.com

8. Black Heels: Classic black heels (preferably with that flash of red sole, be it real or not ;) will never let you down, and should be invested in accordingly.

Christian louboutin heels - net-a-porter.com

9. Classic Handbag: A sleek leather satchel (be it an Alexa or something a tad more affordable) never goes out of style and only gets better with age.

Mulberry oversized bag - mytheresa.com

10. Green Nail Polish: Green is one of your lucky colours, but if you're not a fan of it in terms of clothing, you can always test it out on your nails. This rich jade colour is sophisticated yet unexpected, and a perfect complement to autumn hues.

Opi nail polish - nelly.com

Images:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capricorn_(astrology)
http://prmillar.blogspot.ca/2011/02/kate-bosworth.html
http://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/kate-moss/
http://www.wewomen.ca/lifestyle/royal-family-tree-british-royal-family-d38156c472579.html
http://ilookgoodtoday-jamie.blogspot.ca/2011/11/girl-crush-zooey-deschanel.html
http://hbowatch.com/sienna-miller-to-star-in-hbo-alfred-hitchcock-film/
http://blindgossip.com/?p=28974
http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrities/kristin-cavallari
http://www.sugarscape.com/node/405208/sugared
http://sookiestackhouse.com/?cat=177
http://runinfinity.com/2011/10/celebrities-at-2011-new-york-city-marathon-christy-turlington-burns.html
http://www.mimifroufrou.com/beautyandthesalamander/2009/04/michelle_obama_wax_replica_unv.html
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/news/?a=21551

Thursday Travels: Rome

Yes, yes, we know it's Sunday and we're posting a Thursday Travels instalment...but as noted in Five Laughs, it's been a hectic week and we're a bit behind! Sorry. This week's post is on Rome, which we unanimously loved. (Vicky loves it more than Paris, but Ali's on the fence - they both have such charm). What Rome has going for it is a better climate; although the sky looks a bit overcast in our pictures, the two days we were there were beautifully warm. This was really appreciated in the evenings, which were balmy enough to make strolling around and eating outside after sunset so enjoyable. And the sunset on our first night was gorgeous! Again, our pictures don't do it justice, but the city was bathed in this rich golden light that illuminated the ruins as the day came to a close. Così bella!

{Sunset ruins}

{More ruins}

{The Pantheon - ancient Roman temple to the gods}

{Alternate view, featuring Becky!}

{Dining al fresco}

{Spanish Steps}

{Sun-dappled Colosseum}

{Roman post office - so confusing & time-wasting! All we wanted to do was send a postcard, but to do so we had to take a ticket and wait...and wait....}

{There was nothing for it but to take pictures and pretend we were having a grand old time}

{All that waiting earned us a much-needed lunch break}

{And then it was time to officially leave Italy for a bit and hit up Vatican City!}

{Ciao, Roma! We wish to come back and visit real soon :-)} 

Shop Spotlight: Part 2

Background: Founded in 1977 by the Silverman brothers in Pittsburgh, this mall staple now has over 900 stores, primarily in North America.
Where: Canada, US, Middle East, Asia, Russia & Poland
Price Range: $$
Pros: Not that much more expensive than other young demographic, big-name clothing brands, but offers a nicer shopping experience and better-quality clothes.
Cons: Some of their stuff can be a bit bland and "young" (ie., anything with their logo prominently displayed).
Great For: Casual wear - jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, pretty dresses & skirts. 
Not So Great For: Unique pieces; anything too formal.


Background: Founded in LA in 1981; renowned for its ad campaigns featuring supermodels.
Where: Worldwide, but its 484 stores are primarily in North America.
Price Range: $$$
Pros: Flirtatious, trendy clothes.
Cons: Some of their stuff can look a bit "cheap" despite the fact that they're pretty pricey.
Great For: Form-fitting dresses, watches, stylish outerwear.
Not So Great For: Conservative workwear; classic basics.


Background: Founded in Sheffield, England, in 1964, this British retailer now has over 440 stores in 33 countries. 
Where: UK, Ireland, mainland Europe, South America, South East Asia, Australia & New Zealand
Price Range: $$$
Pros: Trendy yet quirky clothes.
Cons: A bit on the pricey side; clothes are not long-lasting. 
Great For: Interesting, bang-on-trend pieces; good jewellery & accessories. 
Not So Great For: Basic, neutral pieces; wardrobe staples. 

Images:
http://www.bgr.com/2010/07/08/american-eagle-offers-a-free-smartphone-for-trying-on-a-pair-of-jeans/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guess_(clothing)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topshop

Five Laughs

Sorry that this week's blog posts are so behind schedule - between sickness and work, uni and sketchy internet, it's been tough! But hopefully next week will go a bit more smoothly. These past few days have been so rainy and grim here in Victoria; on the one hand it's exciting being able to break out the rainboots and winter coats again, but the constantly grey sky is kinda gloomy. If you're feeling a bit under the weather, too, hopefully these laughs will cheer you up!