A couple of my favourite stills from the campaign, view more in the gallery below.

Are you ready to enter to win the Ultimate Field Trip VIP Experience or what? Click HERE to enter now.

Holy moly I am SO excited to share this amazing giveaway with everyone!! For what could be the best giveaway in GracieCarroll.com history (so far), I’ve teamed up with Topshop Canada to send one lucky reader to the Arts & Crafts Field Trip Music Festival on Saturday June 8th with 2 VIP passes AND a $500 gift certificate from Topshop to get decked out in the ultimate festival look! Are you dying yet? I am! Because there is honestly nothing better in life than rubbing shoulders with rockstars and getting to go shopping for free, let me tell you.

What’s the Arts & Crafts Field Trip? To celebrate their 10th anniversary as one of the world’s leading indie music labels, A&C is throwing a big ol’ music party featuring performances by Broken Social Scene, Feist, Bloc Party, Timber Timbre, Zeus and many more. For full show line up and details, check out the festival website here.

Ready to enter? Find out how below:

ps. this will basically be you at the festival.

The Goods: 2 VIP passes to Field Trip and a $500 Topshop Gift Card to put together your festival look with a personal shopper!

To Enter: 

1) FOLLOW @GracieCarroll and @Topshop_Canada on Twitter

2) TWEET “The ultimate FIELD TRIP VIP experience & a $500 GC from @Topshop_Canada!? Amaze! Find out how to enter at http://graciecarroll.com/?p=6583 and RT!”

To Double Your Entry:

3) FOLLOW @GracieCarroll and @TopshopCanada on Instagram

4) INSTAGRAM the above flyer with the caption “Hope I win @GracieCarroll‘s ultimate giveaway: FIELD TRIP VIP experience & a $500 GC from @Topshop_Canada!”

To Triple Your Entry:

5) LIKE GracieCarroll.com on Facebook

Finally: 

You MUST COMMENT HERE once complete, providing a relevant email address (privately) so we can contact you! Contest ends on May 31st, 2013 at 11:59 EST. Open to Ontario residents only, must be 19+.

GOOD LUCK Y’ALL!!

After last night’s heartbreaking loss for the Leafs (do we even care about hockey on here?) some of you may be in need of a little… retail therapy. I for one am always “in need” of retail therapy, and to me this tragic missed opportunity is also a glorious one to make yourself feel better by acquiring new fabulous things.

In exciting news, I’ve teamed up with Mendocino – alongside some of my favourite fashion bloggers in the city – to share ‘My Mendocino Moment’ in their store windows this month. That’s right, Mendocino my way will be featured on a mannequin in their store windows – woohoo! Can you guys guess what My Mendocino Moment might look like? Here’s a hint: one of the key pieces is hiding in their lookbook images below.

This Thursday evening Mendocino will be hosting the #MyMendoMoment launch party at their Eaton Centre location and we want YOU to be there!  Only one lucky reader will have the chance to attend this exclusive event along with their guest, and enjoy a $100 gift card to splurge at the store plus a 25% discount offered that night only. Are you ready to enter this giveaway or what? Find out how below!

The Goods: Win an exclusive invite for you and a guest to attend the launch of #MyMendoMoment at Mendocino‘s Eaton Centre location this Thursday evening. PLUS enjoy 25% off purchases throughout the event and a $100 gift card to spend.

To Enter: LIKE GracieCarroll.com on Facebook, FOLLOW @GracieCarroll on Twitter and Instagram, TWEET “I heart @GracieCarroll and @MendocinoTO! Please RT to help me win a #MyMendoMoment VIP invite and $100 gift card!! http://graciecarroll.com/?p=6568“

To Double Your Entry: Instagram one of the black and white lookbook images (above) with the caption “I think this @MendocinoTO *insert item* is a @GracieCarroll moment. LIKE to help me win a #MyMendoMoment VIP invite and $100 gift card from GracieCarroll.com“

Be sure to COMMENT once complete, providing a relevant email address so that I can contact you! (please note you do not have to leave your email publicly!)

*contest will close this Wednesday at midnight and winner will be contacted first thing Thursday morning! Please note that this giveaway is only open to winners based in Toronto*

Good Luck!!

Sitting inside Queen West’s Lebel & Crowe hardly feels like being inside a typical salon. Instead, you feel right at home and as if you’re hanging out inside your coolest friend’s amazing apartment. Beach House drifts out of the speakers, while (extra score) this friend washes your hair and chops off split ends while simultaneously indulging in all the latest gossip.

Of course upon my first visit I was only meeting Emily Lebel and Jesse Crowe for the first time, but this is exactly how comfortable I felt as soon as I walked up the stairs and into their second-storey abode. Basically, I never wanted to leave. After receiving a fabulous cut from Emily, I had a snoop around the salon and got her to tell me everything about Lebel & Crowe:

On Their Space:

We share our second floor space with Mary who owns Eye Love Brow & Beauty Bar. I met Mary as a client where I worked before opening Lebel & Crowe, and soon became a client of Mary’s which is how I saw this amazing space. At the time Mary was only using the front half of the second floor, and so I suggested the possibility of sharing with another business. A few months later and Lebel & Crowe moved in! We love sharing the space with Mary (who is incredible at what she does) because it allows all of our clients to go between businesses and we always have great brows! We also love how bright our space is, as well as our amazing location, that never seems too far for anyone to come to.

On Their Decor:

Our decor philosophy is quite relaxed and organic. We have slowly curated each piece in the shop, mostly through vintage/antique shops in the city, and some sweet friends have gifted us a couple of treasures as well. We love our two huge hand crafted cork boards we made for the shop. Currently we are showcasing friends/clients of the shop’s artwork, photos, paintings, and portraits. A new spring/summer showcase is coming very soon! Overall, the space is like our living room – comfortable and relaxed, and we always welcome visitors stopping in.

On Their Clientele:

Our typical clients are local friends within our west end community. Mostly, artists, musicians, fashionistas, and pretty much everyone in between. Basically anyone who just wants to sit, have a beer, and hang while getting their haircut. We honestly love our clients, and try to make each person’s experience their own.

On Their Location:

Our location is very central, close to Trinity Bellwoods park and right on Queen West. It’s the ultimate! We find it’s pretty convenient for almost everyone coming from all areas of the city, which is a complete bonus. We also love that Lebel & Crowe is tucked up on the second floor and in the back with enormous windows to keep our space nice and bright. We like being known, but not being right in the thick of the Queen West action. We are also surrounded by amazing shopping, food, music, and bars. So again, the ultimate.

On Their Products:

Lebel & Crowe carries Kevin Murphy Products. Originally a session stylist from Australia, his line of products was designed to work and do what they claim to. The line isn’t full of “extra” products, which tend to confuse consumers. There is a product for everyone that will work just the way you want, for a decent price. A good summertime product is Hair Resort Spray or gel, it gives a salty texture and hold to help give your locks the perfect beach hair. The line also offers Easy Rider, an anti-frizz cream, and Young Again a treatment oil that helps repair and soften crispy sun bleached ends. We love Kevin Murphy because his products work well, are affordable, and have amazing packaging!

On Warmer Weather Hair:

Spring and summer means brighter, lighter hair. We love bringing in golden hues to give our clients beautiful beach hair, then trimming all the ends and bringing in some shape so our clients can wash and go. It’s also very trendy right now to ombré the mid shafts and ends of long haired ladies, basically lightening the ends to look carefree and undone. We are also totally into bringing in fun bright/pastel colors to add an extra punch of fun. For the dudes, short and simple is generally always best for summer. A nice fade goes a long way, with a nice part and a bit of product you’ll be catching the ladies in no time.

On Their Favourite Neighbours:

If you were to make a day out around the salon (post haircut of course) there is so much to do! We would start with a delicious coffee at The White Squirrel, then saunter over to Rotate This for some musical finds. Post music shopping we would recommend spiking your energy with a delicious treat from Dufflet - we highly recommend their cupcakes! Then hop across the street and find yourself the perfect pair of jeans at Dutil, they have an enormous selection of amazing jeans. Now that you’ll have the perfect jeans cross the street and head over to Charlie, an amazing boutique filled with beautiful Canadian designer finds. Post shopping you’ll need a break so head over to Trinity Bellwoods, pick a bench and play our favorite sport: people watching. Once rested, end your adventure at Maverick Wine Bar, for perfectly paired food and wine, all packaged together at a great price. And voila, you’ve just experienced the Queen West “best of” by Lebel & Crowe.

Here’s a shot of Emily and me post morning haircut, tea time and chit chat! Aka the best morning ever, thank you Level & Crowe!!

Ps. did you see their hand embroidered porn pillow? Do you need any other reason to visit Queen West’s coolest salon? I don’t think so!

For more information on Lebel & Crowe, or to book an appointment, click HERE. 

Beyonce’s recent campaign for H&M has left many of us thinking: how the eff did she get her post-baby bod to look like that!? For me, my main concern is that my body looks nothing like this even pre any baby, ever. It’s no secret that Bey is a master of her art, and, as we saw in her documentary she dances her little heart out for many long hours a day. But for the rest of us who aren’t on tour with personal trainers and choreographers dancing for hours a day, we’re generally left stumped when it comes to achieving a trim and toned (but still curvy!) physique like Beyonce’s. For some extremely important and urgent (hello, summer showed up yesterday) tips on how to get Beyoncified for the beach, I called upon personal trainer and nutritionist extraordinaire, Jessica Morris, to provide us with a guide for what to eat, and what to do at the gym, to amp up our own Bey bods this summer!

THE BOOTY-FUL BEYONCE DIET AND EXERCISE

BREAKFAST: Nutrient-dense smoothie
1 Scoop Vega One Vanilla powder
1 Cup mixed berries
1-2 C Unsweetened Almond/Coconut Milk
1 handful of spinach

Enjoy this with a cup of green tea for yerbe mate for a morning boost!

Exercise Tip for a Booty-Full Booty
Squats and lunges are you best friend! If you’re looking to add on more booty, you’ve got to add on more weight! Try holding a weighted bar on your back or two dumbbells in your hand when performing your squats and lunges.
If you don’t have access to weights, focus on adding a few extra reps!

LUNCH: Quinoa Salad
3/4C Quinoa
Mixed Greens (unlimited)
Mixed fresh veggies of your choice (cucumber, celery, carrot, zucchini)
Sprinkle 1-2 tbsp raw hemp seeds

Basic Vinaigrette:
1 Part balsamic vinegar
2 Parts Hemp/Flax/Olive Oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice
1 Garlic clove

Exercise Tip for Killer Abs
Try playing around with your basic plank! In plant position try pivoting from side to side working your obliques—then—pivot forward (pushing your weight up towards your shoulders) then down towards your toes.

SIMPLE SNACK:
Pick your favourite fruit (such as an apple) and pair it with your favourite nut/seed butter ( I love almond butter!)

Exercise Tip for Flab-less Arms
Push-ups and tricep dips are your best friends!
Try alternating your push-ups in two different positions:
1. Target your chest by placing your hands slightly wider than your shoulders
2. Target your triceps by placing hands closer that shoulder-width!

Tricep Dips:
Find a stable table or chair and with palms facing down, fingers hanging off the edge, straighten your legs and keep your butt near the (table/chair) and slowly release your body down and push it back up (bending your arms to a 90 degree angle and then straighten and you lift yourself up.)

DINNER:
White fish or Bean Medley
Roasted kale and sweet potatoes
Sliced avocado

Late Night Snack: Protein Pudding

1 Scoop of Vega Performance Protein in Chocolate

1 cup of water (play around with consistency you may desire is thicker or thinner pudding)
Add 1-2 drops of stevia (if desired)
Mix
Sprinkle with your favorite nut/seed (I like adding chocolate covered Savi Seeds because they are the highest source of omega 3s!)

Pre-Bed Breathing Technique:
Take 10 deep belly expanding inhales though your nose, and exhale through your mouth.

This will put you in a very relaxed state before bed. Sweet dreams!

Thank you for making us booty-ful Jess!!

Attention vintage lovers in Toronto! Tonight is THE night your shopping dreams come true thanks to Vintage Crawl Toronto‘s much-anticipated third season return! Can’t think of anything better than vintage shopping across the city and partying at the same time? Me neither, which is why I highly recommend you drop everything this evening to get crawling instead. What do you need to crawl? Hmm, a glam outfit, fabulous (and somewhat practical) shoes for walking, a few reusable totes, cold hard cash or any of your non-maxed-out credit cards (however you like to roll), and your favourite shopping buddies.

28 of the city’s best vintage stores are participating this year, including some of my personal favourites: Pretty Freedom, Life of Manek, House of Vintage, Penny Arcade, and I Miss You Vintage (on Ossington). With so many one-of-a-kind gems up for grabs, I cannot guarantee that I won’t push, shove, or distract you with something sparkly, to get my hands on total treasures. I kid! (kind of.)

Now, to get us all even more super excited, let’s take a look through Life of Manek‘s newly released SS13 lookbook. The beautiful vintage Leonard Paris shift dress directly below is a prime example of one of the pieces I’ll be sprinting for tonight. See you out there!

all images from Life of Manek‘s SS13 Lookbook

Vintage Crawl Toronto will be taking place from 7pm-midnight TONIGHT, for full details click HERE!

Love it? Hate it? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

When the summer weather finally rolls in, I almost instantly revert to my favourite day-to-day look of a pair of vintage Levi’s shorts and a loose silk tank. Not a far cry from winter’s comfy dark blue jeans with a cashmere sweater. Although I don’t need much of an excuse to wear denim, National Denim Day is, to me, always a reason to “dress up” my denim, even though for most it might be a chance to dress “down” at work.

For the second year in a row I’ve partnered with Bluenotes to help spread the word about their fantastic charitable efforts. Did you know that since 1997 Bluenotes has helped raise more than $1.5 million in support of Kids Help Phone? Until recently, neither did I, and it’s nice to know there are still companies out there that lend out a helping hand for the greater good, not just for show. This coming Tuesday is the CURE Foundation’s annual National Denim Day, and for the week of May 13th-19th, Bluenotes will be donating $1 for every denim purchase sold nationwide, both online and in-store.

You might be scanning my outfit right now trying to spot which piece is from Bluenotes. Surprisingly, the striped wonders, which retail for a mere $20, are considered a “denim” piece during the week of National Denim Day. In fact, denim purchases include all mens and women’s blue, fashion and coloured denim, giving you full pick of their best selection!

Here I’ve played up the “blue” aspect of National Denim Day by wearing my favourite denim top by local designer, Leilanni. To sharpen up the look I pulled things together with this hot pink jacket from Ann Taylor. How much do you love the scalloped edging? While it is reminiscent of one of my favourite Chloe collections, I love that it’s in a colour that’s far more fierce than a pastel. Paired with a simple and chic kitten sandal that are also from Ann, this is my ideal way to wear denim to work; especially in support of National Denim Day.

What I Wore: Pink jacket and kittle heel sandals from Ann Taylor, striped jeans from Bluenotes, denim sleeveless blouse by Leilanni, sunglasses by Celine, bag by 3.1 Phillip Lim.

Get The Look:  ASOS leggings in stripe print by ASOS, T classic blouse by Alexander Wang, peaked lapel blazer by  Alexander McQueen, two-tone leather ancient Greek sandals from Net-a-Porter, D-frame acetate sunglasses by Linda Farrow. 

I first “met” Elodie aka Parisian blogger Lady Moriarty back when I was living in London. She would often leave comments on my blog (at the time) London Snog, and used to say it was her go-to for a slice of London life from Paris. Months later when I hopped onto the Eurostar for a long weekend to visit a friend, we decided to meet up in person. Although Elodie states below that she doesn’t drink, I definitely remember our rendez-vous involving a few glasses of vin, although maybe that was just me. It’s all a bit foggy!

This girl is a badass style blogger and absolutely obsessed with vintage. She’s really the one to go to for the best vintage shopping tips in Paris, which is her City Guide to Paris is here today, take it away Elodie!

City Guide: Lady Moriarty’s Paris

Where to Eat :

Breakfast: I can’t say for breakfast, because it’s always at home, it’s a very french thing : chocolate, croissants or “tartines” with butter and jam and orange juice. But my place is a great place for having breakfast!

Lunch: Oh mon Cake. I love this place, eveything is homemade, salty cakes, pies and muffins, cookies or cupcakes. my favourite is the lavender-white chocolate cookie and a big hot milk with marshmallows. For us French, it’s very…exotic!

Dinner: I love Le Bistrot Populaire, a restaurant of traditional meals, perfection ! I love the poulet rôti (roasted chicken, right ?) and the owners are adorable and nice. Perfect place!

Where to Drink :

Well I can almost say that I don’t drink. So, I don’t have a place to drink. But I go to shows a lot, and in Paris, there are a lot of great places for good movies and, well, drinks!

My favourite place is Le Trianon, you can see pretty hype bands in a beautiful theatre, I love this place. I also love Le Point Ephemere, it’s a place to party, listen to bands, have drinks and lunch or dinner. I’ve had my last new year’s eve there, it was MADNESS !

Where to Shop :

Well, Gracie knows that I’m a huge vintage-thrifted clothes fan, so my good places are : Le Squat Vintage, Vintage Story 66 (I love everything there, not a lot of accessories but the dresses are fun and in “good shape”) and of course Guerrisol, it’s a chain of thrifted clothes, very cheap most of the times and you have to be patient, but I’ve found my best pieces there.

Colette: everybody knows it’s the only place in Paris that sells Charlotte Olympia shoes (ha ha) sometimes a little bit too “show off,” but good books, sound and pieces by Opening Ceremony, special editions by famous creators. Everything is so expensive, but it’s a delight for the eyes!

Bird On The Wire : a perfect little pink shop, onwed by a charming couple. It is now a very famous place, always full of people, but there are a lot of funny gadgets and dreamy necklaces, stuff for the home, etc. I love it.

Where to…Buy Books!

Saint Michel is one of my favourite places in Paris : old theatres, and Boulinier ! You can buy any kind of books, vinyl and others for a very cheap price. I’m very into books, so I’m always looking for them there. Most of the times, they’re old and cost something like 1 euro, I adore this place, it’s like Treasure Island for me.

Have you got any favourite spots in Paris you’d like to share? Comment and let us know!

As the warmer months roll in, the time for all that is girly and pretty arrives. Spring is a season when sun dresses are pulled out of storage, and flirty crops, tempting cut out designs and seductive sheer fabrics find a place in one’s everyday wardrobe.

From this season’s black and white trends to feminine ruffles that whisper romantic strolls through Paris in May, we’ve rounded up our favourites trends  from the international runways to keep you stylish on through Summer.

It seems we’ve finally run out of every possibly optic shockingly bright colour to use because this season’s hottest colours are not colours at all. Black and white, paired together in every way possible, dominated the SS13 season’s catwalks. It almost seemed as if Beetlejuice was pinned to every designers inspiration board, ranging from Marc Jacobs to Victoria Beckham. For those with black-dominated wardrobe, revel in your good luck this season. For those without, stock up on a few staple pieces that will keep you on trend this season with a little mix and matching, and make for go-to pieces all the seasons after Spring/Summer.

Have you ever been so hot that you’ve asked yourself: “How do I get dressed while simultaneously maintaining a feeling of not wearing any clothes?” Well, this season you won’t have to worry because theres not much to wear. Slip on a bra and knickers, overlaid with a sheer slip and voila! You will practically be in a head-to-toe Erdem look, straight off the runway.

Leave it to the likes of Rodarte and 3.1 Phillip Lim to make wearing a quilt look cool. Have you ever wanted to cut up your grandma’s quilt and drape it on yourself so badly? I doubt it (accept for maybe when looking for a little warmth and comfort during the winter months), but still, it is one of the season’s coolest looks — one we’ll certainly be trying on ourselves this Spring.

In contrast to the menswear-inspired looks hot on this season’s runway (see below), the girly girls of the world need not fear. Exaggerated peplums were seen at Burberry, while tiers of ruffles were seen at Prabal Gurung. Those looking to stay away from appearing too “sweet” should try incorporating accessories that are a bit more “fierce” to give this particular look a rock and roll edge.

There’s something powerful about a man in a suit, and something even more powerful about a woman in a sleekly tailored menswear-inspired suit like those seen on the SS13 runway of Dries Van Noten. This season, the femme fatale finds potency in blazers and trousers rather than the usual dress and heels. Oversized and loose, androgyny is taking over the workplace and fashion scene alike.

The sun is out and it’s time to break out vintage band shirts and surf brands like Echo Park Surf Squad with the graphic tee topping this season’s hottest trends. Nuance is the ticket to chic here: ditch the jeans and converse, and base this look around a loose tee tucked into a feminine skirt paired with wedges.

(feature as seen in FILLER Magazine)

Tonight in Toronto: everyone’s favourite public closet raid returns with super stylin’ hubby and wife team, Rick and Charlie, filling a gallery full of goods for you to rifle through. Not familiar with this cool couple? Here’s a brief bio provided by the hubby himself:

“Charlie won a scholarship to MIT for inventing the clothing carpet. A technique which by leaving your clothes in piles all over the ground keeps your feet from ever touching the floor. Its saved literally millions of eskimos from severe foot discomfort.

Rick likes donuts and lots of other stuff.

 They both dropped out of high school but since have been living indoors without ever paying rent so whatever.”

From host Natasha Singh‘s sneak peek pictures, it looks like these two have will have some pretty sweet goods on offer!

and here they are pre-celebrating your attendance!

Find full details on tonight’s opening party HERE

Love it? Hate it? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!