Wear it how you wish but the must have shoe for Summer 2010 is the trendy hight top sandal, sure to keep you cool through even the hottest Summer months. With a gladiator inspiration these sandals offer a hybrid of the sexy gladiator structure with a chunkier overall feel that gives a bold effect to the foot. High top sandals come in a variety of colors, materials and styles – Be sure to ride this heatwave of a style and take advantage of the fact that you are in prime sandal picking season so be sure to shop early & enjoy the Summer in style.

June is the perfect month for gaining more clarity in your life – Why not embark on a detox adventure and move into the Summer with grace and energy? Just the thought of detoxifying can be a scary thought for some people, but the fact of the matter is that a detox doesn’t have to be extreme or about denying yourself the enjoyment of life, in fact it’s quite the opposite. The immensely positive results that one can gain from detoxifying your life – mind, body and soul – can be a profoundly moving experience, that is if you are open to having one. Allow yourself to start off small and move towards attaining goals that both make you feel good and suit your lifestyle.

A simple way to detox your surroundings is to de-clutter, if you haven’t started your Spring cleaning please be advised that it’s nearing Summer! Removing unwanted items from your home can have a seriously positive impact on your overall psyche and allows room for new things to come your way, and let’s face it putting on some good music and spending an afternoon organizing has a zen effect in itself. Second way to detox is to embark on a physical detoxification by removing as many toxins from your food/drinks as possible for a period of time that allows your body to take a mini holiday. You may want to start a detox by switching over to raw vegan foods for a few days and gauge how you feel – if after those few days you are feeling wonderful (which is almost a guarantee that you will) then you may consider extending it or moving on to something more intensive and healing such as juice feasting or fasting. Finally take a look inside yourself and detox your emotional self as well (conveniently enough as you physically detox the emotional side seems to follow suit) and allow your old emotions, fears and anxiety’s to be dealt with rather then holding them in. Many people believe that our cellular memory extends deeper then just a nutritional level but rather that our cells hold emotional memory as well. There are many interesting accounts of people releasing years of pent up feeling that they may have experienced over 30/40 years ago during their detoxification period.

Enrich yourself and you will enrich everyone around you – this is truly a gift that we each posess but the key is that we must each give it to ourselves, noone can do it for you. If you are one of those people that feels fear when you think of detoxing then just consider all of the benefits you will gain from feeling mental clarity, clearer skin, enhanced energy, emotionally sound, confident, weight loss etc. the list of benefits goes on. Remember to start small and to be kind to yourself, show patience with this process and you will be destined to succeed.

To your detox journey - have a great June everyone,

Andrea

Lovely May is in the air and although we may

 have started the month with less than optimal

weather here in Calgary, people are

becoming noticeably lighter in their step, color

choices as well as what they’re wearing. I am

becoming inspired by all of the fabulous

Spring fashions that are lined up on racks like

flowers, ready to be picked. After having an

off the chart busy April, I have to say that May will be centred around rest, relaxation and relationships.

May seems to be the perfect month for this triple R combo, and I urge all of you reading this to think

about how you can enhance all of these areas in your own life. Have you let your sleep patterns slide?

Can you remember the last time you read a book on the couch with a cup of tea to forget the world

outside? And when was the last time you made it a point to authentically connect with the people in

your life that are most important to you? Make May the month that this all happens for you – let it

recharge your batteries and offer you a new view on life. Sometimes the greatest things we can do to

evoke change in our life is to take a moment to breathe and reflect on where we are at in the moment.

 Love those around you who love you the most, including yourself – Relax and allow your mind and

body to heal from the constant pressure life can put on us – Allow yourself to rest, sleep is natures

perfect healer and is entirely under rated.

Here’s to your happiness, health and vitality – Live beautifully inside and out!

Andrea

Happy April! This month I want you to focus on your 

truth, your ability to be honest and find out how

willing you are to honor your thoughts & feelings in

life. When you become honest with yourself, you

unlock an incredible power within that has the ability

to transform your life into an amazingly congruent

and authentic place to be. In the world of makeovers

there is a lot of honesty that each person has to face

about themselves before they embark on such an

event. If you aren’t able to see where you currently

are then how will you ever know where you need to

get to? If you are feeling down on yourself with low self esteem you need to firstly address those

feelings and only then start to look at what will help you change those feelings into something more

optimal. If you feel as though you aren’t dressing yourself in the way that you desire to, then you need

to consider what has lead you to begin dressing this way in the first place. The answers are always

within your past experiences – If you know that you need a makeover begin by investigating when

these initial feelings began for you. Was it a specific time in your life? Was there an event that caused

it? Or do you feel as though you are not worthy enough to obtain all of the things that you’d like to have

in life? Be honest with yourself, unfortunately women tend to put themselves last and by doing so they

don’t honor their true feelings that they experience in life. This April be transparent with yourself,

begin to embrace the real you, the raw you, and you will be amazed at how free and refreshed you

will feel – The perfect way to kick start Spring!

I haven’t been overly impressed with a lot of the

trends popping up for this Spring 2010, but I have

to say the cut off jean shorts with opaque tights

and ankle boots, boots or heels is really striking

me as a fantastic new way to wear all of our most

favorite items. This is a great way to dress up a

casual item like jean shorts and offers a sultry

boho inspired look that most women will be able to

pull off wonderfully. The key will be what you do

with your top – Follow Katie Holmes inspiration

and layer some basics or go for a more laid back

approach with a baggy blouse tucked in with a

loose vest or boy- friend blazer. Bottom line

choose jean shorts that are on trend and rustic

looking, do not go for a clean cut pair of shorts this

look is highly driven by the ‘worn-out’ details of the

cut off shorts. Stick to opaque black tights and

finish it off with your favorite pair of ankle boots

for a super chic, of the moment look.

It’s March and it truly never fails to be the month that makes you say

“Where did February go??”. It’s the type of month that makes you feel

the most gratitude towards anything sunny and colorful and fresh.

March is the month of new starts, renewing energy and resolutions

to live more fully engaged with everything around you. I think that

as we inch towards the first day of spring on March 21st we need to

become more aware of what we truly want to be doing in life. I don’t

mean with our hair or dating, but with our lives. What resounds from

within you? What dreams have you left untouched? What have you

always wanted to do but find yourself putting it on the proverbial back

burner? We can all stay small because we think it’s the safest route to

take, and note the word think here, but more often than not the most

strength and knowledge we gain are from within those times where we weren’t quite comfortable with what

we were doing. Think of your own past experiences in regards to past risks that you have turned into your

most proud and successful moments. Think of how empowered you felt accomplishing that goal and think

about how many more exciting opportunities await you within your own life. The only thing that stops you

from accomplishing your goals or becoming happier, thinner, better relation-ships etc. is you and your own

mind set. You can put down positive thinking, but in the end the most successful people around the globe

have utilized this very powerful tool and have been rewarded great things because of it. What mind-frame

are you in? Do you feel as though people don’t give you enough love, attention, respect etc? Then start by

giving out more of these things first, and you will reap the rewards of positive thinking. Do you feel as though

you never catch a lucky break? Start living your life as though you are the luckiest human alive and you will

reap the many rewards of positive intentions. If you are feeling as though the world is against you and

nobody cares – Then begin to assess all of those small things that you have in your life right now, that you

are incredibly grateful to have. This will begin to unleash the power of a positive mind-frame, and yes…we

all have the ability to have a positive mind-frame. Be bold, brave and powerful this March – Focus on all of the

amazing things around you and begin to trust in the idea that you are here to do great things.

           ~Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.~ Taro Gold

I adore many a musical fashion idol, but if  I had to choose only one then there is no

competition in my mind – For innovative, classy, gorgeous and fun style I look to

the Queen of fashion herself Miss Gwen Stefani! Her L.A.M.B line is edgy, modern and

always on trend – She is truly a renegade of unique and individual fashion that is versatile

and wearable in everyday life. As she states in this clip she has an abundance of collective

inspirations and she is not afraid to push the boundaries in fashion. She is a fabulous

example of living true to yourself, and proves that ones image can speak volumes on who

they are and what they stand for. Her line L.A.M.B has evolved from quirky modern to a

more sophisticated trendy and her Spring 2010 lineup is nothing short then a fashionista’s

dream. So take some inspiration from Miss Stefani and be fearless when it comes to style-

There would be no fashion movements without a few fashion mistakes along the way.

The new bag du jour’ goes by the name of the cross-body bag, and although this was also on-trend a year ago you will find that the style & size elements have changed. The new and improved 2010 version of the cross-body bag is over-sized and reminiscent of the classic ‘messenger’ style that we all love so much. This look is highly complementary with the sporty look that is dominating this Seasons runway style. It’s the perfect way to finish off your casual look and add a no-fuss approach to your day to day activities, because lets face it – having both hands free while your bag stays put on your shoulder is a much deserved break that we women can all appreciate. Find this bag in patterns, quality leathers, various colors and styles of straps. If you are new to the cross- body movement then it would be in your best interest to start with a basic color (dark brown, black or charcoal) and build from there. This will be the go-to bag for the 2010 Spring and Summer seasons. Find this look in fashion forward stores everywhere and enjoy the hands free approach to bags – So cross your heart and vow to give your shoulder a much needed break with the new and improved cross-body bags of the season.

Go wild with the animal inspired trendy accessories that can be spotted everywhere. Choose from eagle talons, feathers, owls, turtles, snakes or horses to stay right on trend this Spring 2010. This style is very playful and can allow you to make a unique fashion statement on even the plainest of outfits. Try not to go overboard with the whole ‘animal’ theme, choose one or at most two items that will tie together your outfit. Believe me, if you start adding snake bracelets, earrings, necklaces and broaches all at once, you may turn this trend from chic to freak before you know it. Choose pieces that resonate with you and have fun with the various colors and styles that you can choose from. My favorite find is a large frog pendant that makes every outfit, whether casual or dressy, look fantastically accessorized. Allow your animalistic side to shine with this hot Spring 2010 trend ~ Go wild with accessories!