Thursday, January 27, 2011

Nella Bella Sample Sale on Friday











For all you ladies who are just obsessed with purses and bags like I am.



--- Tanya G

Monday, January 24, 2011

Muscle Mondays: Motivation to Work Out!!!










January 2011 is almost finished. Have you stuck to your resolution to work out more? I know I have been slacking, and yes I have been finding every single excuse in the book to use. No time. Too tired. I didn't wake up. Every excuse I can think of to not workout I have used. But NO more. Seriously.

I have come up with some tips to motivate myself and all of you to stick to your exercise goals.


1. Get a gym buddy. This is probably the best motivation.

2. Write everything in a notebook. Write what you ate, how much you worked out.

3. Reward yourself. NOT with food, but by a hair cut, or a manicure, or a trip! I do not believe in punishing yourself completely. If you are going to work out hard, you have to play hard. So give yourself a reward when you hit a certain weight or if you have been hitting your working out days per month.


4. Make it a priority. Working out should be your time away from everything, work, family, cellphone, stress. Make it like a mini sweating vacation that lets you have time to think to yourself. AND book it in your calendar, that way you know you won't miss it.


5. Read Blogs/Forums/Magazines. I like reading blogs and success stories about people who lost a huge amount of weight, or who are into running and losing weight. It really shows that this losing weight thing is not just you doing it and you can really learn from their mistakes.  I enjoy reading blogs about people who are into running, or losing weight. It can show the ups and downs they go through, and you can learn from their experiences.

6. Have fun! If you have been reading our Muscle Monday posts here at What's Fabulous you will notice that we are all about having fun. Seriously, why would you work out if it isn't fun?




Do you have any tips for exercising??

--- Tanya G

Friday, January 21, 2011

Fashion Friday: What Colours Suit your Complexion?









When shopping alone I find myself looking for the right colour first and foremost to suit my complexion which in this case is C. After doing some research I discovered it's not that hard. Just take a look at some of these celebs and their distinguishing features that help them look their best.

First determine your skin tone...

A:

Pale white, olive, or dark skin; brunette; dark colored eyes; Asian or African.

B:

Blue or pink undertones; pale or pink skin; naturally blond or brunette; light coloured eyes.

C:

Golden undertones; redhead or brunette; golden brown eyes.

D:

Golden undertones; creamy white or peach skin; strawberry red hair; freckles; coloured eyes.

Now choose clothes to flatter your skin tone...

Category A should wear colors that are sharp, stark and clear. White, black, navy blue, red and shocking pink all go well this type of complexion. For lighter colors, wear icy tones rather than pastels. Avoid subdued tones like beige, orange and gold.


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Category B should choose pastels and soft neutrals with rose and blue undertones. Lavender, plum, rose-brown and soft blue suit well while black and orange do not.



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Category C should select colors with golden undertones, like camel, beige, orange, gold and dark brown. Avoid colors with blue tones, like navy.



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Category D can wear warm colors like camel, peach, golden yellow and golden brown. Avoid dark, dull colors.


Happy shopping!

--Eleni M

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Tasty Thursday: Going Bananas for Bananas!








I wanted to share some recipies I thought you all may enjoy today. These tasty recipes are easy to make and fabulous for anytime of the year. One of the best parts is that you probably have the ingredients right there in your kitchen.




Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:

3/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 sliced bananas
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup ice
1 1/2 cups vanilla yogurt

Directions:

Pour the ingredients into a blender in the following order. Gradually increase the blending speed and blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour the drink into a chilled or cordial glass.
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Banana Bread

Ingredients:

2 eggs.
1 ¼ cups of sifted flour.
1 cup of sugar.
¾ cup of mashed very ripe banana.
½ cup of shortening.
1 teaspoon of vanilla.
¾ teaspoon of baking soda.
½ teaspoon of salt.

Directions:

Cream the shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs and beat thoroughly. Stir in the banana and the vanilla. Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the mixture. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 30 minutes.
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Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar.
1/3 cup all purpose flour or 3 tablespoon cornstarch.
1/4 teaspoon salt.
2 cups milk.
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten.
2 tablespoon butter.
1 teaspoon vanilla.
One 9-inch baked pastry shell.

Meringue

Leftover egg whites
1 1/4 cups of whole milk or half-and-half.
2 tablespoons butter.
2 teaspoons maple syrup.
1 teaspoon cinnamon.
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg.
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger.
9 inch pie pan filled with your favorite crust.

Directions:
Combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Add milk gradually. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until bubbly. Cook and stir an additional 2 minutes and remove from burner.

Stir small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks, immediately add egg yolk mixture to hot mixture and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Add butter and vanilla and stir until smooth. Slice 3-4 bananas into the cooled baked pastry shell. Top with pudding mixture and spread meringue (if desired) on top of the pie. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cool.

Enjoy!!

--Eleni M.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

What's Hot Wednesdays: Black Swan

Hey readers,
Two nights ago, I went to go watch Black Swan. Black Swan stars Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel. If you haven't watched Black Swan yet, you are really missing out. it is a great thriller and is getting lots of buzz for The Oscars. 


Storyline:
A ballet dancer (Nina) wins the lead in "Swan Lake" and is perfect for the role of the delicate White Swan, but slowly loses her mind as she becomes more and more like the evil twin sister of the White Swan, the Black Swan. Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Mila Kunis), who impresses the artistic director as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the fits the Black Swan. The two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side - a recklessness that threatens to destroy her. 

 

 I'm going to watch it again tonight. Ladies go out and watch it! Men its okay for you to watch it as well, I saw plenty of men watching this movie in the theater. Here are some movie times for this week!!!


--- Tanya G

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Celebrity Fashion At The Golden Globes













The Golden Globes that occurred Sunday, still has everyone talking. Here at What's Fabulous we are talking about the great fashion. Here are some great and some not so great styles from this Sunday's broadcast. Tanya's commentary and all! Tell us what you think?? Who was your favourite?? Who should have won??



Amy Adams looked stunning in her Marchesa dress.

Angelina Jolie went for a bold, sassy green number, instead of her usual black. She wore Versace and Brad looked scrumptious and wore Tom Ford.



Gabourey Sidibe wore a full sequined purple dress by Marc Bouwer.


Halle Berry in Nina Ricci. How does she do it? She looks younger every year!!!

Helena Bonham Carter wore Vivienne Westwood. What more is there to say?



January Jones wore Atelier Versace.


Jennifer Lopez and her man, Marc Anthony looked so cute together. Jen wore a Zuhair Murad gown. She looked flawless.



 Julianne Hough went solo, and didn't even chat with her boyfriend Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet. She wore Marchesa.


 Megan Fox squeezed into this stunning Armani dress. And her husband Brian Austin Greene looked very good as well.


 Natalie Portman was glowing as such a beautiful pregnant mommy, and this dress was no exception. She wore Viktor & Rolf.  



Olivia Wilde in Marchesa. Hands down one of my favourite dresses of the night. I want one!!



Sandra Bullock in Jenny Packham. She looks so young, I wonder what her secret is!!!


Scarlett Johansson in Elie Saab. In my opinion, not such a hit.


Eva Longoria in Zac Posen. Tony Parker eat your heart out! She looks breathtaking.


--- Tanya G


Tuning Tuesday: OMG Drake Meets Florence for a Collabo!!!










My two favorite artists are collaborating and I am sooo excited!!!
In London, England, on January 7, 2011, Florence went to see Drake perform where Drake is said to have approached her to ask if she'd sing with him.
Both 24, the two sung the part recorded by Alicia Keys' in the track 'Fireworks', from Drake's debut, 'Thank Me Later'. Rumours are spreading like Florence’s wild fire red hair that they will indeed write a track together.
Drake and Florence originally met at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) in Los Angeles in 2010 and have stayed in contact since.
Florence is presently writing her second album (which I’m so excited for).
What are some artist collaborations you would like to see??
--Eleni M

What's Fabulous: The Group E Love Mixtape













The GROUP E LOVE Mixtape is the first of a collection of mixtapes. This mixtape is hosted by DJ Starting From Scratch and has a tons of artists on it, including Jully Black, Ray Robinson, Kardi, Saukrates and bunch of other artists. With up to 60 songs this mixtape has a little bit of everything for everyone. Download it at Nadine Hope and join the Facebook group for information of upcoming mixtapes.


--- Tanya G


(Thanks Nadine for filming this)

Monday, January 17, 2011

Muscle Monday: Why Martial Arts is a Growing Trend for All











According to Wikipedia there are close to 250 types of Martial Arts worldwide, some of which are used in boot camps, personal training workout plans, private studios or on DVD's you can watch in your very own home. Which ever you decide, the payoff for all that torment can be huge!

While the fitness industry continues to take a stab out of implementing martial arts into their regime, it is no doubt a great way to get over a hump if you are in a plateau, get cuts and get ripped or just drop a lot of fat.

Not to mention-you learn how to defend yourself and that is something worth learning no matter how old, guy or girl ;).

Get your fitness on and find something fun that you can easily break a sweat and drop those unwanted inches.



--Eleni M

Friday, January 14, 2011

Fashion Fridays: What Trends Will Be Hot For 2011?










It is very hard to plan the year ahead, but looking at many magazines and reading many articles I have come up with a list of the hot trends for 2011.

10) Bright Colours- 2010 was all about minimal. Being in a ressecion we wore alot of neutral colours and did not really go out and buy things that were out of the box. (I know I didn't). 2011 will be about neon for the year. So break out the 80's windbreakers and lets get styling.



9) Mini Backbacks- The 90's are coming back, and in full force. It holds everything and makes you look super chic. So head over to stores like H &MUrban Outfitters and Forever 21 and you will find a whole bunch of these there. Thrift stores are having a hard time keeping these on the shelves.


8) Slip-Ons- Slip on sneakers are the answer to those casual outings. TOMS are a great alternative to heels and are also part of a great cause. You can even get them in all different colours and prints. Make sure to get a pair for springtime.




7) Desert Chic- Every year there is some sort of a `theme` for the year. Past couple of years it was the military or the safari inspired look, this spring it is Desert Chic. Browns, taupe, blacks, and neutrals are the perfect look. However instead of linen ensembles and big loud prints (and there still will be some), fashion is going towards the geometric approach- think the 60s.





6) The 70s- The 70s are coming back and really in full force. This spring and summer look for bright colours, bold patterns and a wardrobe that looks like you walked out of the 70s. With lots of retro prints, beads, patterened knee socks and yes pigtails- summer 2011 looks like it will be fun and colourful.




5) Slicked Back- I personally love wild and curly hair because it screams personality but for the spring and summer of 2011 models are walking the runways with slick, sleek-looking hair. So start up the straightening iron once again, and grab some straightening serum and enjoy.





4) Pleated Trousers- Last year these were popular, and this year it will be the same. High-waisted pleated ankle trousers are still going strong. And they look so hot with heels. Try it out with some neon colours and slicked back hair.







3) Emma Watson- Emma Watson is deemed to be the ìt` girl of 2011. Since cemeting herself as an icon, 2011 looks like it will be another great year for her. With the great pixie cut that won everyone`s attention and her glowing skin at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows premiere you can expect her to get more attention for her take on the trends. Emma Watson is like the everyday girl.



2) Socks
Socks and heels were hot in the spring of 2010 so do not think it will get out of style. With the spring coming right around the corner try to incorporate some ankle, knee and thigh high socks.




1) Skins- Skins is a new talked about show about some British teens. However MTV has done a US version of this, which could be pretty terrible but it doesn`t mean the fashion will be terrible. From the trailer, it seems like this UK knock off will rival Gossip Girl in the fashion world. By the end of this year expect many trends from this television show.






What other trends do you think will be fashionable in 2011? Leave some comments and let me know.




--- Tanya G

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Tasty Thursdays: Chicken Tacos











Hey readers, I'm getting better at this cooking thing... finally! Here is the recipe for the Chicken Tacos I made the other night. It is truly scrumptious.

Ingredients

- 2 plum tomatoes, cored
- 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
- 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, minced
- 2 teaspoons lime juice, plus lime wedges for garnish
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 6 small corn tortillas, heated

Preparation
- Heat a medium skillet over high heat until very hot
- Add tomatoes and cook until brown on all sides
- Cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze to throw out the seeds
- Cut chicken into 1 inch chunks and sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Add 1 teaspoon oil to the pan and heat until hot.
- Add chicken and cook until it is browned
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil
- Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened
- Add garlic and jalapeno and cook
- Add lime juice, the chicken and tomatoes and cook all together
- Stir in cilantro and scallions
- Place in the tortilla wraps and serve with lime wedges and some salsa on the side (if wanted)

ENJOY!!!!!
These are delicious, make sure you share...



--- Tanya G

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

What's Hot Wednesdays: Victoria's Secret 2011 Swimsuit Line











Forget about the cold that is outside, and our snow covered cars. The Victoria Secret 2011 Swimwear Line is here to heat you up. This year will be their sexiest swimwear collection yet. It will include metallic, cut-outs nd rubber styles. So if you want to be funky, or just plain and conservative in swimwear,there are a ot of styles to choose from. The cover girl of this year's catalogue is Candice Swanepoel in a metallic gold bikini. Work it girl!!!

The catalogue was shot on the sandy and soothing beaches in Anguilla and St. Barts. Adriana Lima, Miranda Kerr and a whole bunch of other beauties are also pictured in the catalogue.Visit Victoria Secret's Official Website to get your shopping started (or finished) .






















Here are a couple of my favourite styles:





^^^ This one is one of my favourites. Now I need to start the P90x Challenge to get toned enough for it. 









--- Tanya G