Affordable luxury at The Aveda Institute

I hope you're all enjoying your long weekend? I'm luxuriating in doing almost nothing except things that I love and that relax me....making good food, reading in bed, taking the dogs for walks and watching TV show marathons (currently Damages and White Collar). Oh yeah, and celebrating our 1st anniversary! Thanks for all your well wishes!

Last week, I had the immense pleasure of visiting Winnipeg's newly opened Aveda Institute. The kind folks at Aveda invited me down to tour the facilities and enjoy a little hair pampering. I wanted to share that experience with you, in case you are looking for a little pampering of your own at incredible prices (hint...haircuts for $15? Yes please!).

Located in the historic Ashdown Warehouse in the Exchange District, the Institute is spacious, warm, welcoming and smells ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! At the heart of it, the Aveda Institute is a hair and beauty training school, both for new stylists and those looking to expand their training. It's also the first Aveda retail store in Manitoba, selling all of their organic, plant-based beauty products. And finally, it's a salon - a place where Aveda students can fine-tune their craft on real-life clients for a fraction of the usual price.

But don't worry, as team leader and resident 'mother hen' Nan shared with me...your appointment will take a little longer than usual because student stylists are consulting with educators each step of your appointment. You're treated to a head and neck massage or a hand massage, delicious Aveda products are used on you and your stylist is there to make you happy - learning to listen to and interact with clients is just as important as the cut and style itself.

After browsing the gorgeous space and inspiring decor (while trying not to buy every product on the shelves!), I settled in for my treatment. 

My stylist Michelle was young, fashionable and friendly. She talked me through my wants (a few warm highlights in the front to hide colour growth) and needs (a trim and a blending of my growing-out bangs), while I managed to snap a few shots of her in action!

And...the end result! I love how the natural highlights blend with my existing colour and the cut is easy to style and healthy.

Thanks so much Michelle, Nan, Kelsey at Aveda Canada and the whole team over at The Aveda Institute here in Winnipeg. It was a wonderful way to unwind and get the special treatment after a long day! Something we all deserve :)

In case you're wondering, haircuts start at just 15 bucks while highlights start at 35 bucks, a great way to maintain your style while on a budget! The prices go up depending on the experience level of your stylist or educator. To make an appointment for a treatment, call 204-452-7380 or visit the entire service menu and prices online. My sister and I have already planned to get our next cuts together at the Aveda Institute and grab lunch in the Exchange afterwards.

How about you friends? What's your salon regime? Do you stick to a stylist or do you like to change it up?


**The Aveda Institute provided complimentary hair services to me, but all images and opinions in this post are my own.

Easy Summer Updo

Happy Friday friends! Are you looking forward to the weekend as much as I am?

I'm having the girls out to the condo in Gimli this weekend for some R & R and I can't wait! I've said this before but the hardest thing about moving back to Manitoba was losing my network of amazing girlfriends (miss you Dani, Carrie, Laureen and Jess!). But here we are 5 years later and I've settled comfortably into a little group of just as amazing gals. I'm so excited to hang out and have girl talk and eat and swim and just be girly girls.

Speaking of being a girly girl, I love having long hair but I'm a bit lazy when it comes to actually 'doing it'. We've had a wicked heat wave all summer, which has meant getting that hair off my neck as much as possible. So I love finding easy updo's that look like more work than they actually are...like this one from The Beauty Department. This is my go-to site for hair inspiration - I have 3 in the wings to try.

 

The step-by-step tutorial is super easy to follow and even though their version was more dressy - I thought it worked well mussed up a bit. Check out the tutorial for full details but basically all you're doing is a high ponytail, leaving out a chunk of hair, then making a bun and braiding the chunk to pin around it. What do you think?

How do you survive hot summers with your hair friends? Would love to hear your tips and tricks!

This is what 30 degrees looks like...

It's hot, hot, hot here! +30 hot! Which means I am wilting like a sad flower, my clothes are sticky and clingy and all I could think about all day was slipping into a t-shirt and shorts and getting my hair off my neck.  That's why no outfit post for you today...

But I'm not complaining, I'm actually daydreaming of the upcoming long weekend. I took Monday off so it's going to be four sweet days of down time. We're getting our Gimli condo back from the renters and there are some chores that need to be done. But that doesn't mean we're not going to go boating and sunbathing and swimming in the lake - yipee!

Also on my weekend list to stay cool:
-popsicles
-reading Mercy by Jodi Picoult
-playing with Gus in the cool grass
-taking my first full dip in the water  (first time is always the toughest!!)
-maybe sneaking in a little 'Lenore road trip' to Grand Forks on Friday...yes, I'm addicted now!

How's things where you are?  Are you savouring summer's scorching days?

What's your favourite way to beat the heat friends?

Hairstyle Icon

When J was working out of town last week, I downloaded season 1 and 2 of The City. I know, I know, realtity TV will eat your brain but I love a little fluff on my downtime and I especially love fluff about big cities, fashion design and magazines (my childhood dream was to be a mag editor!).

Plus I find cutie and clothing designer Whitney Port very likeable amongst all the bee-atchy reality gals (she has a cool blog you should check out!).  And she's my new hairstyle icon! I love love all the cute, whimsical ways she styles her long straight hair and I've been drawing inspiration from them all week!

Like these simple side twists...

{image via}

 Or the one-side twist...

 The twisty low pony...

 

The high bun...

The messy hairband...

The hairband and high bun combo...

 

The half-updo french braid...

And today's style, the low twist (Super easy to do this morning and I think it's a keeper for me! ).

{images via}

Who's your hairstyle icon friends? Who's picture are you always ripping out of a magazine to bring to your stylist?

I've been pondering my wedding hairstyle...any recommendations on up vs. down?

Have a lovely day my friends!

Thursday Blog Share: Love Maegan

Happy Thursday friends! Are you looking forward to the weekend as much as I am? So I stumbled across another blog that has super fantastic hair tutorials! It's called Love Maegan and she's a California style blogger (self-described Valley Girl!) with a wardrobe to die for (think designer names!). She regularly posts on style, hair, home and anything chic and lovely...

 (image via love maegan}

I especially love this tutorial on the side braided updo (she tucks everything under for a romantic look) I left it mine more of a downdo with the braid out for a slightly more relaxed look. Here's my first shot at it, I think it turned out good...a little tricky braid sideways but such a pretty stye for my 'dirty hair day'!

{my images taken with Picture Show app}

Have you found any good hair tutorials lately friends? Please share! I'm always looking for new ones...

The cake has arrived!

As promised, here are a few pics of my new Whippycake hair accessory. It arrived on Thursday and I couldn't wait to wear it on Friday! My style is 'Finicky' from the Petit Fleur collection and you can find it here. It came with an alligator clip and I also got a metal hairband to attach it to. I decided to wear it clipped into a loose bun and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out! Now I'm wondering what the heck I was so nervous about...on a side note, I ordered the mini version and i'm glad I did - the full size would have been a bit much for me.

Charity from work has ordered one too and I can't wait to see it! I'll be sure to share it in an upcoming Agency Style Peek.

Are you having a good weekend? J and Gus were away all week on a job so we're having a nice quiet weekend catching up, relaxing and getting the BBQ going! Yes, that means it's finally getting warm here and I am SO HAPPY. Winter can really get to you after a while. Last night I had my Spurge night with the girls and once again, I was reminded how great girlfriends are to have in your life...I'm still getting to know these gals (since I've only been in Winnipeg for a couple of years) but they are so awesome, I hope we end up being lifelong friends.

Have a great weekend friends!

34 going on 21...

Happy Sunday friends! How's your weekend going? J and Gus left today for Saskatchewan to do flooring job and visit J's sister, so I'm home all by my lonesome. I was feeling a little blue, a little bored and yes, a little lonely. So I decided to fix myself up with the best remedy I know...retail therapy! 

Forever 21 just opened yesterday in our little town and it's a pretty big deal. I know I'm not 21, far from it, but I decided to brave the crowds to check out some cute accessories and see what's what. In order to feel worthy of grand store opening, I needed grand store opening hair...without having to wash it! (you know I hate that on the weekends!) So I decided to try a new hair tutorial recommended by lovely reader Rebecca of A Daily Something  for the messy high SJP bun - check it out here! Fancy shmancy for a Sunday, dontcha' think? I felt very glamourous towering over the tweens at Forever 21.

So about that, I was definitely one of the older gals there (other than moms) but I was reassured to see a few other thirtysomething faces in the crowd! And then, my world literally exploded when I saw that Forever 21 had a plus size section (I'm normally a 14-16 so I can usually get away with regular sizing but Forever 21 wants to knock my self esteem down a notch - thanks...). 

Eureka! I tried to wipe the giddy smile off my face as I dove into the racks of $27 dresses. So awesome! I killed my feet and back waiting in ultra long change room and check out lines, but I'm happy to have found some adorable summer dresses at amazing prices. They're a little bold for me, but I love the and their vivid prints so I'm just going to have to suck up my nervousness and enjoy wearing them!  

Here's a peek at my score:

Have you started spring shopping yet? What's on your wish list friends?

Hair, Hair, Everywhere...

My hair adventures continue...

 One thing I hate to do is wash my hair everyday. Especially on the weekend! But I don't like how it feels down. So I continue my quest for easy yet pretty ways to put it up. Today I had to run some business errands so I needed to look professional, but still me. So I tried something new.  I love the hair tutorials over at Cup of Jo. She recently posted this one for three twisted buns and it really is an easy one. Basically it's three sections twisted into little buns so it ends up looking like mini cinnamon buns.

J has been calling me Princess Leia all day...

Do like the guidance of hair tutorials? Or do you prefer to experiment on your own?

Have a lovely weekend friends!