It's amazing how as a blogger even if you're behind by one or two posts it feels like the most horrible betrayal of your readers - am I right?


All that to say, I'm sorry over the past few weeks I've become more and more MIA in the blogging world. As you know if you've been reading my blog for a while, I started a new job in August. I never really gave details into what I would be doing, and since a lot of you in my Reader Survey said you'd like to hear a little big more about regular daily life, I thought I'd give you a little background/update.

In my new role I'm in charge of running the social media program and strategy for national food/beverage company. It's been so fun to be able to use my knowledge and creativity to help guide and provide content to regional sites across the country, but it's a bit ironic how much focusing on social media all day at work has taken a toll on my own personal use! I'm a one woman team in new territory for the company so it's also been incredibly challenging, stressful and time consuming. I'm writing this post at nearly 1 AM after getting home from work at 10 PM, and I've been feeling burnt out and exhausted. I can't tell you how many times recently I've woken up with all the lights on because I've just conked out as soon as I sat down!

I've also been away from home most weekends, and am preparing for the visit of my university roommate, who moved across the country two years ago, for the next two weeks which I am so excited for!

Blogging has taken the back seat to life over the past few weeks and I'm sorry! I really have missed it and can't wait for when things should settle down a bit in the next two weeks when I can get back into the groove of things. In the meantime, Snapchat (@tvibblog) is the place to be if you want to chat or see more of what I get up to on the daily. I love being able to see what's going on in my blogging pals lives even if it is only in 10 second increments, so leave me your usernames below if we're not already Snap buddies!


Are you feeling the fall time busyness lately? Tell me, what's going on in your life?

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It's hard to imagine that I've been blogging for two years - two years! I've learned so much and "met" so many amazing ladies in the blogging community, and I am so thankful for every one of you! I thought I'd do a little roundup of some of my favourite posts over the past year in celebration of TVIB's second blogiversary, and find out what you'd like to see in this space in the future!

Fashion

This past year I really fell in love with putting up outfit posts. I have to give Jana and Maegen a special shout-out for The Creative Closet which helped me break out of my shell and experiment a bit more with the clothes in my closet. I loved cohosting, especially when it involved getting my sparkle on for the holidays!

The fall and spring are my favourite times of the year because you can go to town with your accessories and layers without having to worry about extreme temperatures. This outfit may have reminded me of Carmen Sandeigo but it's been one I've repeated so many times since!

Last but not least, this skirt is still a regular feature in my work wardrobe for fall, but summer date night outfit tops my list of favourite fair weather outfits!

Beauty

I still to this day use my DIY Natural Brush Cleanser recipe for spot cleaning my brushes, and it has been one of my most shared/viewed posts of all time! A few simple, multi-purpose ingredients and your brushes will be clean as a whistle. 

I've had so much fun so far with my Colour Story series so far, but Purple was definitely a highlight for me since it pushed me out of my comfort zone to try something new that I ended up loving! Don't worry, more of these posts are coming down the pipeline for some fun fall colours!

Isn't that such a bummer when you spend your hard earned cash on something that don't work out for you? Well I put together a post on 5 ways to put bad products to good use, and a lot of you seemed to love it too! Would you be interested in a part two?

Thank you so much to all of you you have stuck with me for the past year, and welcome to any new readers! I'd love to know what you would like to see in the future of this blog - so if you could take a few minutes to fill out the survey below I would so appreciate it!

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Notice anything different? Since my second blogiversary has just passed (more on that later this week) I decided it was about time to give this blog a bit of a mobile-friendly makeover. I've been working on the design for a few months and not everything transferred over exactly as planned, so bear with me - it may take a couple of days for me to iron out the last couple of kinks! 
Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming...

Dress: Forever 21 {exact} | Scarf: Aldo Accessories {similar} | Sunglasses: H&M {similar}
Bracelet: eBay {similar} | Shoes: Winners {similar}

This time of the year is full of so much colour, I sometimes like to take it back a notch and settle into the subtle tones of a monochromatic look. I picked up this sweater dress recently because it is one of those pieces I can see myself wearing all year round. The fabric and pattern are easy, comfortable, and great for layering, but the fit makes it simple to dress up or down depending on the occasion. For thanksgiving dinner this weekend I kept it simple with an oversized scarf, oxford booties and a little bit of sparkle -  a few of my favourite things!
What have you added to your wardrobe this fall?
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It's been a hot minute since I did a nail post, so I thought with the changing of the seasons I would get some inspiration from all the deep colours and textures of fall! This manicure is super simple, but definitely still makes a statement.

L-R: Essie Bahama Mama | Wet N Wild Matte Topcoat | Revlon Plum Seduction

Since I'm all about simple nail art that packs a punch, the only tool needed outside of your nail colours is tape! I use painters tape specifically because it is less sticky and less likely to disturb the polish underneath.

The more opaque the polishes that you use the better, since the colour blocking requires at least three different layers of polish. Start with the lightest shade as a base and allow it to dry completely. Using the painters tape create any sort of shape that you prefer then paint over with the darker shade. Remove the tape before the polish has started to dry for crisp, clean lines. Wait for it to dry and top with a matte topcoat for a suede finish!

Are you into matte nails?

P.S. I'm over on Miss in the Midwest today sharing some of my favourite lipsticks for fall - hop on over to Karly's blog to see my picks for this season!

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October 1st? How did that happen? I feel like this year is just flying, but everyone always says that so let's move on. I missed out on my favourites last month, so this is a combination of what I've been loving over the past two months!

Z Palette | I bought my first Z Palette back in June and I've been loving it ever since! Not only has it helped me keep my depotted shadows front and center, it's also been great for all the short trips I've been making over the past few months to hold basically all my powder products. I love that I can cut down on the bulky packaging and streamline my storage!

Revlon Naked Skin Powder | I've had this powder for over a year, but because it's a little dark for my skin tone and the bulky packaging made it difficult to transport it never really got much use. This past month when sorting through my makeup I picked it back up, depotted it and fell in love. The texture and finish it gives the skin is so smooth, it seriously is like bare skin - but better. It's perfect for using on the perimeter of my face to bring some warmth and dimension and hold on to that summer glow just a little while longer.

Skindinavia Makeup Setting Spray | I've raved about this product before, but over the past two months I've been using it every single day. We actually had our hottest days of the year at the end of August and beginning of September, and this stuff would keep my makeup locked for my long days at the office and any activities I was doing in the evening without needing to touch up. 

Sephora Instant Nail Polish Remover | PEOPLE. This stuff is magic. I always went for cheap nail polish remover from the drug store because I didn't think paying more would get me any different results. Oh was I wrong. This isn't even that expensive ($11 CAD) but it can remove the polish from both hands in under a minute, doesn't dry out my cuticles, and actually smells really nice! I did a quick demo on Snapchat this morning (tvibblog) if you want to see it in action!

Sephora Wink-It Felt Liner in Cup of Joe | I talked a few months ago about my disappointment in the Stila Stay All Day brown liner, so after that dried up I went on a hunt to find a new deep, cool brown liquid liner that I could wear daily. I picked up this one and the colour and staying power is spot on! I do sometimes notice a tiny bit of transferring to my upper lid, but I've still been wearing it every day for that quick cat eye that I've fallen back in love with.

Meta Grip Bobby Pins | This may seem a bit strange, but bobby pins have made SUCH a difference in my hair recently. I've given up using regular hair ties when putting up my hair at night, and have been using bobby pins to give myself a big loose top right before bed. The result: my fine, curly, frizzy hair in the morning looks like this. Not bad right?! Full voluminous curls with no kinks!

What have you been loving this month?

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