ON THE RUN

On the night of Wednesday, July 9th many girls and guys could be seen walking the streets of downtown Toronto. The girls in shirts with phrases like "flawless" and "I woke up like this", headbands baring words "surfboard" and "bow down". The guys were seen in shirts saying "Tom Ford" and "99 Problems". So where were these people headed? They were making their way to the Rogers Center (formerly known as the Sky Dome) which is normally home to the Toronto Blue Jays. On July 9th, however, it was home to screaming fans bowing down to Queen Bey and Hova. Beyonce and Jay-Z have finally given the fans what they wanted and made Toronto the 6th stop on their 16 city, first-ever, tour together. 

The On The Run tour is a spin off of the song "Part II (On the Run)" by Jay-Z which features Beyonce. It also has origins from their first ever song together "03 Bonnie and Clyde". In May of this year the couple released a fake movie trailed titled "RUN" to give the fans a taste of what to expect for their concert. The trailer left fans dying to watch this movie, which starred several familiar faces. Fans even went to the extent of petitioning for it to be made into a movie. Even though this will not be happening, I must admit the concert was OUTSTANDING. Or should I say FLAWLESS. I was never a devoted fan to Beyonce, but I am a huge fan of Jay-Z. The couple did an amazing job, and I would go see it again and again. 

So here's a RUN-down. The couple finally came out on stage, about 45 mins late, to a stadium of anxious & screaming fans to the sound of Bonnie and Clyde. Behind them on the jumbo screen was a video compilation of clips filmed from their RUN trailer. In tune with the theme of their tour, there was a outlaw criminal aspect to the atmosphere and stage / lighting design.

The couple had a 42-song set list (for a full set list click here), with crowd favourites of each artist's solo songs, and collaborations they have made together. Both artists did a combination of both their older and newer hits; which didn't disappoint the fans. Beyonce with "Single Ladies" and "Partition" and Jay-Z with "Dirt Of Your Shoulder" and "Clique". Some of my favourite songs the two performed together were "Crazy In Love" and of course "Drunk In Love".

I loved the way they shared the stage, letting each have their turn in the center. Beyonce would sing a few of her songs with Jay-Z chiming in in the end, followed by the two singing a song together. Beyonce would exit and give the stage to her hubby where he would spit his rhymes that had me and my friends jamming out. This continued for the remainder of the 2 and a half hours, my only complaint being that there wasn't more. Queen Bey and Hova ended the concert singing Young Forever and Halo (with Jay mouthing the words). Mr & Mrs.Carter walked out center stage, hand in hand, all smiles with several video clips of the two and their beautiful daughter Blue Ivy. 

What I loved just as much as the music was the incredible wardrobe the two donned. Beyonce in several bodycons, leotards and even a beautiful ivory wedding dress! Like always- she showed us how flawless her body is. Jay-Z wore a number of T-shirts, gold chains, hats and a striking white suit in the end. 

So what did my friends & and I wear?

Left (Me, C)

Outfit: top- Forever 21, shorts- Forever 21, cardigan-express

Accessories: necklace- Forever 21, earrings- Heritage 1981, bracelets (not pictured)- various gold ones that I layered

Shoes (not pictured): black Michael Kors sandals

Center

Outfit: top-Urban Planet , shorts-Garage Clothing, cardigan- Aritzia

Accessories: silver hoop earrings, pandora bracelet (not pictured)

Shoes (not pictured): beige Archer sandals by Dolce Vita

Right

Outfit: navy blue and black leopard print romper from Top Shop

Accessories: earrings- tory burch, statement necklace, knuckle rings and black and gold clutch

Shoes (not pictured): orange/gold sandals- Spring

Beyonce may seem perfect ladies but just remember...

*we do not take credit for any of these photos

Sweater Weather

          No matter what state or province you live in, it's that time of year where looking fashionable and staying warm is sometimes a hard thing to pull off. The frigid winter temperatures can make even the most fashion forward thinker, think twice about changing out of sweatpants and that perfect oversized hoodie. Well have no fear! We're here with loads of sweaters that can keep you stylish and toasty; Just throw one of these lovelies over a pair of leggings, jeans, or printed tights and slip on some boots and you're winter ready.

          Whether you're into the oversized pullover look or printed open cardigans are more your forte, there are so many options on the market you can't go wrong. Nowadays when it comes to sweater trends- it's the bigger the better- but there are also classic styles with a twist (see the embellished shoulders and cool collars pictured). If you love any of the sweaters featured in this post, be sure to check out stores like Forever 21, Aritzia, H&M, TopShop, Brandy Melville, Garage, Cotton On, and Amazon.com to amp up your winter style.

*Photos courtesy of many lovely retailers. 

Blue Mountain

So I went on a little weekend getaway with my best friend to a ski resort village called Blue Mountain in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada. Obviously since it's summer we weren't skiing, but in the summer time the resorts are still up and running, the village is buzzing with life and entertainment, and the hot tub is open 24/7. We went for some much needed  R&R. This was my second time going and I've got to say I'm absolutely in love with this place. The village is so cute, it's got a great vibe and there are so many dining options! And we may have a cocktail or two... or ten. Even though it's summer there is still so much to do there! My favourite place to go to when I'm there is "Crock a Doodle", they have a bunch of cool pottery there that you can paint. It's a great way to feel like a kid again. We also went paddle boating, and went on a very romantical horse drawn carriage ride. My favourite thing to eat by far has to be beaver tails (it's a Canadian thing) you can't buy them everywhere in Canada but they do sell them at Blue Mountain so I love to get them. SO GOOD! Our spot of the weekend though was this little resto lounge called Twist Wine and Martini Bar. When I see the word wine I'm pretty much sold. They had such a nice patio with cabana's, it was perfect! The best thing I had there though was their cheese and meat plate... drool. If you haven't tried goat brie cheese I highly recommend you try it, it will change your life.

Outfit #1

Gray TNA v-neck from Aritzia

Denim Vest from Forever 21

Printed skirt from J

Outfit #2

Black sleeveless button down top from Garage

Mint green chiffon maxi skirt from Forever 21

Silver geometric necklace from Forever 21

On Campus Fashion

          My Fall Semester is finally over, after a long 3 months of hard work I can finally get back to regularly blogging on FTMH. While walking around campus the one thing I'm always looking at is what people are wearing and looking at all the new trends. From September to December I could see how the Summer Trends slowly fell into the Autumn trends and how those became Winter trends. There are few strings that tie the seasons together and this post will give you the inside scoop......

Pants

          In the summertime coloured pants in bright colours and pale pastels were a huge hit. Well that trend is still in for the Fall/Winter Season, but just darker and warmer colours. The most common colours I've seen around campus are maroon, army green, khaki, dark orange, and brown. I personally love all these colours for the Fall and think they look great on everyone. 

 



Jackets & Coats

          As Summer ended, the leaves started to change and the wind started to stroll in we had to start putting on our jackets. For the Autumn my favourite is my leather jacket, and apparently I wasn't the only one. Leather jackets along with denim jackets were a huge hit. However, I did start seeing a new jacket, the trooper jacket. The most common colours I saw in the trooper jacket were in army green, camel brown, and khaki. I really love these jackets and honestly wish I had one of my own. They have hoods which are great because we were getting hit with A LOT of rain, we can thank Sandy for that.

          Fall has steadily turned in Winter and so the leaves have disappeared and the winds have started getting stronger; Man it's freaking cold as hell and I live in Canada, so you can just imagine how cold it is. The most popular winter coats here up north are the Aritzia (popular high end Canadian store that is slowly making its way to the US) parkas and jackets by TNA. A popular Aritiza product is the peacoat, with available styles by Wilfred and Talula. Also in the past few years the Canada Goose Jackets has become a staple in lots of wardrobes as it's incredibly warm- it's almost unreal.

Footwear

          Popular shoes in the earlier crisp days of Fall were Toms, Sperry Topsiders (popular among guys as well), oxfords, flats, and moccasins. But as it started getting colder, boots became the more appropriate form of footwear. From combat boots to knee highs there are so many different types of boots out there to choose from. As Sandy started raining on us Hunters and Tretorn rain boots became a favourite for many girls. Walking around on campus without rainboots is a very unpleasant experience, trust me. As it started getting even colder and exam season started rolling in most girls were just looking for comfort and what best to turn to then our Uggs. That is one boot that I honestly think will not go out of trend. 

Accessories

          Some of the most popular Fall/Winter accessories that will never go out of style are infiniti scarves, headwraps, hats, and gloves. These are my favourite winter accessories because they actually keep you warm! Another popular favourite are the Talula mittens from Aritzia which are lined with fleece and are super warm. Check these out and don't forget to tell us: What are you wearing to keep you warm & in style?