Chantel Simmons

I had to go back to work today at the college where I teach magazine editing. My initial thought, as I walked through the underground to the subway, past dozens of dark, closed shops, was: this is unfair! It’s still a holiday. I need to holiday it up! But I’ve had about 42 days off or so, so I couldn’t really give myself any sympathy. The thing is, going back to work when no one else is back to work is a nice way to ease into things. It feels kind of like a free day, a chance to get things done, a headstart on everyone else’s first day back tomorrow. Kind of like when you take a day off in the middle of the week and everyone else is still working. Maybe it’s not exactly the same thing, but that’s what I told myself and by the time I got to the office, I believed it.

***

I wanted to spend the day implementing some of my goals for the year, one of which was, to get more done. This actually goes hand in hand with getting more organized because you can’t get more done if you can’t find what you need to get done, and that comes down to organization. I wanted to do this at home, but I wasn’t at home, and I decided, if my office was more organized, it would be more inspiring, and that would trickle over to my home life. Besides, I was at the office, and I figured I might as well get started.

***

The key to achieving all those new year’s resolutions is to make them small, real goals. You can’t just say “I’m going to be more organized” (by the way, not an original resolution as it’s apparently one of the Top 10 most popular New Year’s Resolutions) because how do you define that? You don’t. It’s like saying “Lose 10 pounds.” How are you going to do that without a plan? You have to stop eating cookies. Cold turkey. (You should also stop eating cold turkey if you tend to overindulge in the big bird.) Just like you can’t just be more organized. You have to organize something. Like the piles of magazines on your desk.

***

If you want to organize the piles of magazines, you need to be inspired to organize them. Like with these magazine files. Who wouldn’t want to put their magazines away if they had pretty magazine files like these?

(photo courtesy of Design*Sponge)

***

As I was filing the latest issue of Style at Home, I realized it’s a larger format.

Same height but wider. Have you seen it? It’s only an inch but it seemed like so much more until I got out my tape measure to compare. I don’t love it, but I get it. For a design magazine, you want big, beautiful layouts, gorgeous, inspiring spreads. It’s all about the images. And the competition is larger-format, too. But it’s harder to handle.  I still like the magazine though, particularly the “Orderly Conduct” organizing ideas feature. Inspiring.

When writing the story of your life, don’t let anyone else hold the pen. (Or your iPad, if that’s how you roll.)

The girls at Rock-it Promo did a roundup of all the Media, Darlings’ first albums — including mine. Musical nostalgia at its best and a perfect way to round up the year. What was your first album? Or cassette? Or…as in the case of some Media, Darling younglings, first CD (am I seriously that old?!).

from the little rein-cat.

Why does every holiday survival guide involve eating celery before you leave the house, having white wine spritzers and standing in the room that isn’t where the buffet table is?

Let’s be honest. No one eats celery before they go to a party. Why would you? The whole point of going to a party is to stand really really close to the buffet table so you can get first dibs on the nanaimo bars & gingerbread men. Anyway, why aren’t we focusing on what’s important: how to wear that cute pair of sparkly heels without feeling like your feet are on fire because you only wear them once a year? Isn’t that more fun to focus on than the five pounds you think you need to lose?

This is why Friday on The Marilyn Denis Show I’ll be talking about the beauty products you need to survive the holidays. You can watch it at 10 am EST or online, then head to my blog on TheKit.ca Monday for a rundown of all the products you need to add to your Boxing Day shopping list.

I did the show with my favourite person in the world to do the show with — makeup artist Elise Tremblay. Elise and I go back to our Sweetspot.ca days, where we’d have bake-offs, like the time I made these popcorn cupcakes…

But Elise’s spaghetti & meatball cupcakes totally took the (cup)cake.

The best part of doing a show with Elise is that she is full of fashion surprises (remember the skirt neckwarmer?).

Yesterday, while we were getting changed to do the second show (since we did two shows back to back),  she said to me: “Sequined leather jacket or feathers on my shoulder?” Um…is there any question when feathers on your shoulders is an option?

She made this feathery epaulette, which clips on to any top. But of course she did. You can buy it on Etsy.

She also wore these boots, which she got in the best kept secret of a shoe store in Bobcaygeon. The best part about these boots: they have their own accessories. Necklaces for your boots. Why not?

I need to talk about my own fashion obsession from this show: this top, from Marshall’s, which has a whole story of its own. You can’t quite tell from the photo, but it has two of my top requirements for any blouse: it has a bow and it has a puff sleeve. And little horses. Who doesn’t love little horses thrown in for good measure?  I first fell in love with this top when I saw Leeanne at Tips Nail Bar wearing it a few weeks ago while she was doing my nails. She knew it was love at first sight when I saw it on her, so being the uber-sweet sensation that she is, she said she’d go back to Marshall’s to get me one. But they were sold out. I thought all hopes of owning this top were lost unless I stole it from Leeanne in her sleep, but then, the other day, I randomly found it at Winners. I would’ve paid a lot of money for this blouse, but I didn’t have to. It was $14. Hurry, there may be a few left, but you may have to fight me for it at the rack. I’ve accumulated a waiting list. May the best girl win.