Posts by melaniexeinalem | melaniexeinalem

Say More With Less | Daniel Wellington Watches

October 1, 2014 11:50 am , Leave a Comment , Melanie Dudek

{My Classic Sheffield Watch c/o Daniel Wellington watches.}

For a while now, I’ve been coming across Daniel Wellington watches on Pinterest. I was drawn to the minimal details and simplicity of the design and fell in LOVE.

{The Classic Sheffield Watch}

I wear my Classic Sheffield all the time. The black leather strap, white face and rose gold finish are so simple, but it really makes a big statement. (I’ve had so many compliments on it!) It was really tough to choose between the black or brown strap, but I chose black since I am a sucker for anything black and white and I’m glad I did because I can wear it with just about anything. It’s my favourite accessory in rotation right now. Someone also mentioned to me that upside down, DW spells MD which is kind of perfect since those are my initials!

{The Classic Bristol Lady Watch}

If you are in love with this watch as much as I am, you can get %15 off all products at danielwellington.com/us until October 31st using the discount code: “melaniexeinalem”

Daniel Wellington offers worldwide shipping so the promo code can be applied wherever you live!

<<<Shop the look>>>

Follow @danielwellingtonwatches on their Instagram account or on Facebook for more gorgeous shots of their watches.

Posted in: Fashion, Watches , Tagged: Classic Bristol Lady Watch, Classic Sheffield Watch, Daniel Wellington, Minimal Watches

melaniexeinalem is now lovelyisms

October 1, 2014 11:42 am , Leave a Comment , Melanie Dudek

I’ve been toying with the idea of changing my blog name for a while now. The original name, “melaniexeinalem” was a mouthful, so I’ve decided that from now on it will go by the name “Lovelyisms”

Please bear with me as I make the transition, but for now enjoy the new header makeover and stay tuned for a new post coming soon… Thanks for reading!

-Melanie xox

Posted in: Blogging

Aloha, Beach Body

August 30, 2014 8:02 pm , Leave a Comment , Melanie Dudek

Something that I haven’t mentioned before on the blog is that I am engaged. My fiancé Josh popped the question in Australia at Thala Beach Lodge at a romantic picnic on the beach. I could only picture exotic places when deciding on a wedding location, so we set our hearts on Hawaii and are now in the midst of planning a destination wedding. The date has not been set yet, and there is still a lot to do, but we’re trying to take our time and enjoy the process.
One big thing I managed to check off my to do list so far was to find a dress. At my very first dress appointment at Kleinfeld’s I found the dress. After celebration champagne, the seamstress came in and took my measurements for ordering the dress. She told me that I was between sizes and she recommended for my frame that I go with the size smaller. I trusted her and went with the size down but now TALK ABOUT PRESSURE. Like most brides I was already planning to do some more work outs to tone up before the wedding date, but now I have a real reason to do it – so I’ll actually be able to fit into my dress!

Enroute to the Great Barrier Reef ^^View from our Quicksilver Cruises tour in Australia heading out to the Great Barrier Reef^^

Aside from fitting into my wedding dress, I really feel like I owe it to myself to treat my body better. Part of my plan to get fit is to start going to the gym more often at GoodLife Fitness. It’s not easy for me to make the effort to get to the gym at first, but once I start going often, it becomes addictive. My biggest goal is to slim down a size or two and tone up so that I won’t feel nervous when it’s time to hit the beach in Hawaii! Of course my first logical step when I decided to hit the gym again was to go out and get a new workout outfit!

^^Shirt: Run: Swiftly Tech Racerback by Lululemon | Pants: Studiolux Capri by Under Armour^^

<<<Shop the look>>>

Wish me luck as I try to stick to my fitness plan and try out the yoga class at GoodLife Fitness this week! And stay tuned as I share my progress and share my favourite smoothie recipe in an upcoming post!

This post is written in partnership with GoodLife Fitness as part of the GoodLife Fitness Ambassador Program.

Posted in: Fitness , Tagged: Fitness, GoodLife Fitness

My Life in Pixels // July

August 25, 2014 11:04 pm , Leave a Comment , Melanie Dudek

July flew by! I wish I had taken more photos but this is all I captured on my iPhone.
The month started with a busy work schedule including a photo shoot in the Distillery District.
There was a quick stop to Balzac’s Coffee Roasters before the shoot – hello, most gorgeous coffee shop EVER. (That chandelier!!….) This month I also did a little weekend trip to the St. Lawrence market to grab some cheese and had to stop to snap a pic of this dreamy flat iron building.
I am dying to know what it looks like inside, and especially dying to have a seat in one of those beautiful corner windows. July also featured a massage at the Old Mill Inn and Spa for my birthday (a sweet present from Josh). I injured my knee (don’t ask how, I have no clue), and I haven’t been able to wear heels for a few weeks because of my knee pain (only thing I can wear that doesn’t hurt are flip flops), and the masseur was able to make the pain stop for a few hours which was the best gift I could have asked for! (Can’t wait until my knee is better so I can wear heels again though!)
This amazing book arrived all the way from Ottawa from my bestie for my birthday. She knows me so well! I read it cover to cover in one sitting (which is saying a lot for someone like me that can take a few months to finish one book!). Sophia – you’re a babe! Everybody – read this book!
The highlight of my month was my surprise birthday party. Josh planned out a double date night that served as a cover for coming back to our place afterwards, where the surprise happened. It was a New York themed birthday complete with subway stop signs and Broadway musical posters posted around the apartment, a signature drink (Manhattan’s of course), and little cut-out Statue of Liberty cupcake toppers that were so adorable! (Which he made himself! – how cute is that!?). After a few of those Manhattan’s I forgot to take photos – which may have been a good thing! Thank you Josh for making my birthday so special! xo

July, you have always been my favourite month, and this month was no exception!

Posted in: Life in Pixels , Tagged: Balzac's Coffee Roasters, Distillery District, Girl Boss, Gooderham & Worts Building, Gooderham Flat Iron Building, Old Mill Inn & Spa, Sophia Amoruso, St. Lawrence Market, Toronto

My Life in Pixels // June

July 18, 2014 5:06 am , Leave a Comment , Melanie Dudek

June was a great start to summer so far!
We were invited to visit a friend’s gorgeous family cottage in Muskoka at Lake Rosseau. It was so beautiful there!

If I could live on a lake or ocean, I would be on a boat everyday. It’s so nice to float around with the sound of waves lapping against the sides of the boat.
This month we also went to a TV on the Radio concert. Their set was amazing. I was with a group of people that were big fans too so that made the show even more fun. This was my first time seeing them live so I was totally pumped. If you’ve ever listened to TV on the Radio, you know that their sound is hard to pin down. They are sort of a meld of indie, electronic, art pop. I started listening to them back in college, so hearing them play live was brought back memories of walking through campus at Western blaring ‘Young Liars’ and ‘Staring at the Sun.’I hope next time they are here they play a longer show!

Hey June, you’ve been fun!

Posted in: Life in Pixels , Tagged: Cottage Life, Lake Rosseau, Muskoka, TV on the Radio

My Life in Pixels // May

June 20, 2014 5:35 am , Leave a Comment , Melanie Dudek

May was a pretty fun little month.

At the first signs of spring I stopped at one of many flower markets on Bloor Street to pick up some of my favs – gerbera daisies and tulips.

We moved into a new apartment…with a FIREPLACE! It doesn’t work, but I love that we now have a mantel and when we finally get some art, (one of these days, I swear) it will probably find it’s way above that fireplace.

I was part of a Pinterest event this month that included a weekend stay at the Four Seasons in Yorkville. The hotel was so luxurious, I felt like a celebrity…which reminds me, Nick Carter casually walked by me in the lobby with his body guard. I personally wish it was Justin Timberlake, but one boy band member was nice, I guess! FYI I wanted to take that bed home with me. It was SO comfortable and that plus the complete pitch black black out remote controlled curtains made my stay here feel like heaven.

The event also brought me to this adorable little place on Wellington Street. If you haven’t been, brunch at Le Sélect Bistro in Toronto is such a great place to meet up with friends in a gorgeous setting.

It’s the perfect spot to feel like you are escaping the city on a little Parisian trip.The ambience has a bit of a french feel to it and the food is sooo good.

I’ll let my food pics speak for themselves…

That weekend the french chic theme continued when we went to dinner at Biff’s Bistro of Oliver and Bonachini fame and were seated in the Red Room.

It’s another gorgeous spot where the food was great, but it was the decor was what truly made the place for me. I love red rooms. I think red gives so much drama and decadence to a space, and this colour is the perfect shade.

And that ceiling!

Of course, I also made time to do some spring shopping on Queen Street; my favourite area of Toronto. Every time I walk past Queen and Spadina I feel nostalgic. Having lived at this intersection for a few years, and then King and Spadina for a few more, this area of the downtown core or, “my two block radius” as I used to call it, has a way of triggering a lot of old memories whenever I am in the neighbourhood. I love this city.

One of the treasures I found on my hunt at Morba – this gem of a doll house. How cute is this little mod dream home? I wish I was small enough to fit inside! I would never leave.

Posted in: Life in Pixels , Tagged: Biff's Bistro, Food, Four Seasons Hotel, Gerbera Daisies, Le Sélect Bistro, Mod Doll House, Morba, Oliver and Bonacini, Queen and Spadina, Queen Street, Red Room, Toronto, Tulips, Yorkville

My Life In Pixels // April

April 21, 2014 5:25 am , Leave a Comment , melaniexeinalem

These past few weeks I haven’t had much time to focus on writing for my blog, but a picture is worth a thousand words right? Here’s a little update on my life lately, according to my iPhone.

My first time going to Balzac’s in Yorkville was just as lovely as I imagined. The Distillery District location is still on my must-visit list.

A snapshot from the Corsage Project that I volunteered with this past month. Great cause and being surrounded by sequins and silk gowns is never not fun!

I had a chance to visit the Google offices with my job a few weeks ago – it was just as cool as I imagined, especially this Android made of rubiks cubes.

Chalk board graffiti at the Learning Labs, where I had a chance to hear Spencer Baim, Chief Strategic Officer of VICE MEDIA and the founder of VIRTUE, VICE’S in-house creative agency speak.

Posted in: Life in Pixels

Chocolate Covered Pastel Oreos

April 18, 2014 3:03 am , Leave a Comment , Melanie Dudek

A while back, I came across this image of pastel coloured Oreos on Pinterest. After doing a Google search to find out they weren’t real, I decided to attempt to make my own! I love chocolate covered anything, and the thought of pastel coloured Oreos seemed like a fun touch. These chocolate covered cookies require very few ingredients and take just a few minutes to prepare!

What You Will Need:

Oreos (1 package…or as many as you will eat!)
White chocolate melts
Coloured chocolate melts (any colour you like)

Instructions:

All you need to do is melt the chocolate and dip the Oreos. I mixed white chocolate melts in with the coloured ones to get lighter hues, but it you want stronger colours, you can leave the white chocolate melts out of the recipe. It helps to place the Oreo on a fork and dunk it into the chocolate, using a spoon to pour more chocolate over the Oreo, for full coverage. Once dipped, place the Oreo on a wax paper lined baking tray. When the tray is full, stick it in the fridge for the chocolate to set – and that’s it! I keep my finished cookies in the fridge to keep them fresh, but they don’t last long!

Try making these fun pastel coloured Oreos yourself and let me know how they turn out!

Posted in: Recipes

Casetagram Giveaway (Closed)

March 23, 2014 11:19 am , 16 Comments , Melanie Dudek

When Casetagram approached me about doing a giveaway here on my blog, the moment I checked out their site, I was pumped to try it out. Using the Casetagram site or app, you can use your Instagram and Facebook photos to make your own personalized phone case! After getting a chance to make one, I am absolutely in love with how it turned out! The whole process was quick and easy, and it shipped quickly – I’d absolutely make another one!

Now for the fun news!…

Win Your Own Personalized Casetagram Phone Case!

Casetagram is giving away a case to a lucky winner who will get to design their own dream phone case!

To Enter:

Leave a comment below saying “I want to enter the Casetagram Giveaway!”

Or…

Instagram a photo you would put on your phone case to @casetagram using the hashtag #iwantaphotocase

The winner will be randomly selected on May 3rd!

Good Luck!

Posted in: Giveaway , Tagged: Casetagram Giveaway

Show Some Love

February 9, 2014 9:02 pm , Leave a Comment , Melanie Dudek

Valentine’s Day gets a lot of hate for a day that’s supposed to be about love. It’s easy to hate on February the 14th and argue that love should be shown everyday of the year, but how many of us really take a moment to celebrate the all of ones we love everyday? I’m not just talking about your significant other, but your girlfriends and sisters, too. I’m on board with dedicating a day to remind the ladies close to me that I love ‘em (and eating a ton of chocolate in the process); are you? So here’s to grand gestures of friendship, and celebrating one of the most beautiful things in life – LOVE, in all it’s forms.