Rain, Rain Go Away

I'm still obsessed with nude and blush colored dresses and this one from Chicwish is super cute! Unfortunately this color seems to be out of stock, but don't fret it also comes in black. How cute is the subtle bow pattern and the mix of pleats in the skirt? Adorable right! 

Dress (here in black) | Heels | Jacket | Bag | Umbrella | Lips | Earrings

See some other nude and blush dresses I love:

Lake Side Engagement Session

Being that its Throwback Thursday, I thought that I would finally share the beautiful engagement session that Christian and I did Vancouver based photographer Luke Liable. Having shared a couple pics from our wedding in November, some of you may have seen that we got married at the Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler, and that I wore a gorgeous custom long sleeve lace gown. I really wanted this session to echo wedding aesthetic, but in a much more casual way. I choose to wear a pretty long sleeve lace top, a white silk midi skirt and the most beautiful floral crown made by our amazing florist in the colors that I had chosen for my wedding arrangements. Christian, my now husband, wore a version of what he wears often. The end result of this shoot was a perfect foreshadowing of our big day- which I can’t wait to share with you as well!

Outfit Details: Similar Top / Skirt / Similar Heels

Floral Crown: Celsia Floral

Makeup: Jasmine Hoffman

Hair: Cara Christensen

Photography: Luke Liable

Love, Light & Caffeine

The weekend is over and that calls for a major dose of caffeine to get me through what is going to be a long January Monday.  Even though Mondays can be a bit challenging there is nothing that makes me happier then heels, a pretty skirt and a great cappuccino. What helps you get through Monday?

A big thanks to Citizen Watch for sponsoring this post and brightening up my day!
Light plays an important part in all our lives, whether literal or figurative. Coffee, my husband and our fur baby are the lights in my life! How do you all get the #MostOutOfLight? Let @CitizenWatchCanada and I know!

xo Ally

Glasses c/o / Skirt (version under $25) / Booties / Top / Watch c/o / Bangles / Necklace / Lips / Nails

#NoHairSelfie in Support of World Cancer Day

As a blogger, I take a fair amount of pictures, and even more selfies. Today I'm taking a pic of myself with no hair to help raise awareness to a cause that is very near and dear to my heart.

This February 4 is the first-ever global digital fundraising campaign supporting World Cancer Day. #NoHairSelfie is going global! We are rallying people around the world to raise funds and highlight progress in cancer research. Did you know that year alone, 15 million people were diagnosed with cancer worldwide. In only 15 years, this number will skyrocket to 22 million - that’s an increase of 54%

It’s super easy to participate and raise funds whether you actually go for the clean
shave, the soft fuzzy look, or do it virtually with the #NoHairSelfie app, which is super easy to use! So show your support and raise awareness!

When you participate in the #NoHairSelfie campaign, the funds you raise go directly to critical research and help increase the chance of survivorship. So take a selfie for a great cause - you can try the app here.

This blog post was sponsored by the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation but the opinions are completely my own based on my experience

Ask Ally: Skin Care

I get a lot of questions via email and on social media so I thought that I would start answering them on my blog as some of the answers are a little too long for an instagram response. Today I’m going to be chatting a bit about my skin care and how it relates to my diet and lifestyle. If you have any questions for me please send them to me

Like most of you, my skin totally changes between the seasons. I also have the added problem of having super sensitive skin and blemish prone skin. In addition to that sometimes my skin can be totally fine with a product an then out of the blue get irritated by it, so I am constantly trying out new products to see what works works.

 After our wedding, because of the holidays and because I was feeling super indulgent, I really went to town on sugar, carbs, caffeine and processed foods. This month of not thinking about what I put in my body totally  showed on my face and also when I tried to fit into my jeans (eek). 

As my long term readers know, I kicked, sugar, wheat, processed food and started eating a clean diet a few years ago. Before that I ate a lot of processed ‘low fat’ foods and for the life of me, despite working out I just couldn’t lose a pound, read more about my journey and 50 pound weight loss here.

For the last 3 weeks, I’ve cut all the bad stuff out and have been drinking way more water, tea, and of course eating totally clean and my glow is coming back. That said I also follow a great skin care regimen, and never ever sleep with my makeup on or workout with my makeup on.

Here are a list of my must have products; while you don't need all of them, these are my recommendations 

1. Clarisonic 'Mia' -  I use this bad boy almost daily! I especially love it when my skin is feeling a little dry and dull, because I have sensitive skin I like to use it with the gentle brush head, but there are a ton of options so you can customize it to suit your skin needs 

2.  Peter Thomas Roth - Anti-Aging Cleansing Gel  - I tried this product as a free sample from Sephora and was blown away by how much I like it, I alternate between this one and the Philosophy Purity Cleanser.

3. Nars Eye Make-up Remover - I love mascara and eyeliner and under eye concealer and this one takes it all off! It also doesn't irritate my eyes or dry them out.

4. Kate Sommerville 'NourishHydrating Firming Mist' - I just recently started using this and now I'm hooked, I use it after I cleanse, but before I moisturize, it helps my skin really soak in my moisturizer - a must have for sure!  

5. Ole Henriksen Sugar Scrub - the very very best scrub I have ever used! I use it about once a week, not only does your face look and feel amazing after, but it smells like heaven!             

6.  Charlotte Tilbury Moisturizer - while it is a touch pricey, I have to say that it’s totally worth it, I've been using it for a few months and I've noticed a huge difference

7. Shiseido Intensive Eye Cream - I suffer from some pretty bad under eye dark circles, so I have developed a really big addiction to eye creams. I use this one at night religiously and I love it! A little goes a super super long way.

8. Kate Somerville Dark Circle Corrective Eye Cream - This is the eye cream that I use for daytime and its amazing! So amazing that I can drastically decrease the amount of concealer needed to brighten my eyes.

      

Lace-Up Knit

I love all kinds of heels, but for everyday when I'm running around doing chores and things I often tend to reach for a cute pair of ankle booties. I literally have dozens of pairs, some flat and some with heels, and some comfy and some not so much. I have to honestly stay these ones, even with their 3inch heel, are amazingly comfortable! So much so that I've worn then to work, to walk my dog, shopping, to brunch and pretty much everywhere for the last week or so - and that's really saying something. I wanted to be cozy today so I paired this cute booties with one of my fav knit dresses - which I can say is a major style steal at under $25 - seriously! 

Also don't forget that you can get 15% off  at www.danielwellington.com, until February 15th with code 'gumbootglam' 

Booties c/o / Dress / Bag / Sunnies / Watch c/o / Lips 

Rose Quartz

It’s finally Friday after what has been a super long week. Post-holiday exhaustion is definitely a thing for me, but nothing quite improves my mood quite like a cute outfit. I bought this cute little skirt last summer at J.Crew but thought it would still be perfect for a January day if paired with the right pieces. Instead of black tights, I added some black suede over-the-knee boots, so that I wouldn't freeze my tush off. I’ve also been looking for a reason to wear this bell-sleeved top for a while now, bell sleeves will continue to be a big trend in 2016, but if you aren’t sold on it 100% then I suggest getting one that isn’t too pricey, like this one, I also love the tie in the middle version below, for those of you that are feeling daring! 

Similar Skirt / Top / Boots / Sunnies / Necklace / Lips / Nails

xo Ally