Going antiquing

A few weeks ago I managed to drag my better half to attend the Christie Antique Show again. This was my second time going; last year we went to the May show as well (you can check out my buys here) and I think it's safe to say it is officially my hobby. The show started at 8:00 a.m. and with an $8 cover charge I was free to roam the million square feet of antique goodness.

This year I was on a mission to find a vanity table for my wardrobe room. One of the many pros of moving out of your parent's house into your own crib is that you can decorate the whole place however your heart desires. One of my must-haves was a bedroom that I can turn into a walk in closet (stay tuned for fotos).

So with a $500 budget, we set out to find the perfect vanity table, with a mirror, of course. I came across a few that were 'OK', but nothing that I have been picturing in my head. I wanted one with a few drawers and a place for a chair. There were a lot of dressers with a built in mirror, but nothing I can put a stool or a chair at.

Then I found THE most stunning vanity EVER. It was HUGE. Drawers and a mirror, a place for a fabulous chair. All for the reasonable price of $3,496. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to raise our $500 budget. Now that I think of it, it was probably too large for my closet room anyways.

Then, as we were shimmying up one of the isles, I looked over at one of the booths we have yet to see (as it was a few isles over) and I saw the back of it. There she was. I bolted over to take a closer look and she was perfect! The booth owner must have sensed my interest as we came right over and offered me a "good price" for this. I said great, how good? Keeping in mind that everything else I remotely liked was between $300 and $699 (err, $3,496).

He said $150!

So I pretended to contemplate this purchase a little bit, already picturing where exactly I would put it at home.

"But if you really want it, you can have it for a hundred and a quarter."

SOLD!

But a vanity isn't complete without a fabulous piece of furniture to sit on. So after a bit more walking I found a perfect upholstered stool for $25 - but I got it for $20. Note to future antiquers: as the day nears the end, you can score some sweet deals because everyone wants to get rid of their stuff so they don't have to load it all back on the trucks.

The stool actually matches the Merlot on the walls and white in the baseboards perfectly. Check out the pictures below.

The Christie Antique Show comes to Dundas, Ontario twice a year. The next one is on September 11. And I'll be in there like swimwear!

Helllooooo summerrrr!

It's here! It's here! It's here!

After a ridiculously below par summer of 2009, I'm sure I'm not alone when I say bring on the heat! There is no better feeling than laying on the sand with sun on your skin. Unfortunately, tanning conditions aren't what they used to be when we were kids.

I remember going on vacation with my mom and my aunt and we would always hang out on the beach. My aunt had this black bikini with pink polka dots and all she did - all day and every day - was lather on baby oil and fry in the sun. She was darker than chocolate by the end of the vacation. I was always so envious of her tan - maybe that's why I now have a complex about my pastiness.

Nowadays, UV rays are stronger, cancer is more common and really - who wants leathery skin at the tender age of 40.

Before stepping out into the sun with your sunscreen in hand, make sure you check the UV report that's conveniently available on the Weather Network's website. We spend at least eight hours per day online, it's right at your finger tips. You have no excuse. Check it. Now.

This week I'm taking off for a much needed week at Le Cottage. I've stocked up on beach towels, tried on all my bikinis (thank God it's during the week and NO ONE will be there to see this), reading materials and sunscreen.

Hawaiian Tropic always reminds me of the good ol' days of worry-tanning, but until recently, their products were available in highest SPF of 4 (that I know of)... Now Hawaiian Tropic offers sun protection up to SPF 70, in cream and lotion form as well as the ever-popular oil (still only SPF 4), with UVB protection and moisturizing vitamin E and aloe. There is also a complete line of after-sun care. Because let's be reasonable here - true sun lovers can overdo it now and then.

LOVE.

Maria Sharapova is living young... and so should you

As I have recently embarked on my neverending quest to diminish my wrinkles, I've made it a point to stay hydrated all day and every day. It's so easy to forget about drinking enough water when life takes over your days - you're stuck at work with a million e-mails to answer, run errands, pick up groceries, look for new shoes. You know, the usual. Carrying a Klean Kanteen everywhere I go isn't always an easy solution. It's hard to find space in my bag for the essentials: BlackBerry, organizer (I'm very old school and still like to write things down... with a pen), a book for the daily commute, lip balm, etc. I would need a separate fanny pack just to house my 3 lb water container...

During one of my regular trips to Metro, I came across evian Les Petites - a 330 ml bottle designed to fit into a kid's lunch box. Lunch box - hand bag. Potato - potahto. Convenient, easy to refill if need be and keeps my hydrated.

And I'm not the only supporter of evian - three-time Grand Slam tennis champion Maria Sharapova just signed on to be the new face of youth for evian. “The idea of youth as a state of mind caught my attention. I took a great pleasure in revealing my ‘baby inside’ while modeling for these photographs with Nathaniel Goldberg,” said Sharapova. “I am a true evian® drinker and I really like this campaign as well as the idea behind it so it felt quite natural to join in.”

What a perfect match (no pun intended).

If you haven't seen the evian baby coaches video, what are you waiting for. In the meantime, read up on evian Live Young training here. If that doesn't give you a kick in the behind to get healthy, well... call Jillian Michaels.