Lululemon Seawheeze Half Marathon Shorts

I finally, finally got my lululemon seawheeze half marathon shorts this week.  Apparently lululemon shipped them using fedex, who attempted delivery way back on May 23rd but neglected to leave a delivery notice card.  Unfortunately, I couldn't complain until June 15th (according to the seawheeze website).  After changing my address to my work address, I finally received them.  I haven't seen any detailed posts about the shorts, so I thought I'd share a few pictures.

Here's the front:

Here's the back:

As you can kind of see, they retail for $54.00, which sort of justifies the $128 half marathon registration fee.  Although the pattern is a bit childish, I think it's cute.

One thing that I haven't seen mentioned on any blogs is the adorable images on the inside of the waistband.  My camera is really old, but I did my best to capture some of the pictures.

They're cute little pictures of trees, bridges, runners, and the seawheeze logo.  Nice touch, Lululemon!

Here's a few photos of the shorts on, because it's not nearly as fun to see the shorts on a table.

The shorts are much shorter than something I would normally wear on a run.  Also, I think they make me look hippier than I actually am.  That being said, they were "free", so I'm not going to complain too much.  In the photos, I'm wearing the Push UR Limits tank and a pink pirouette headband.  If you don't have a pirouette headband and have long hair like myself, go buy one!  They're amazing for runs, because they don't move around and keep your hair in check.

Well, I am off to pick up my run package for the Scotiabank Half Marathon tomorrow morning.  I ran 20.65 km two Sundays ago in under 2 hours and felt great.  Hopefully that means my finishing time will be much shorter than my prediction of 2 hours 30 minutes.  This is my first half marathon, so I'm really nervous, but excited at the same time.

Is anyone else out there running the Lululemon Seawheeze Half Marathon? 

How To Dress For Work in the Summer

Dressing for the office when the sun starts to shine can be a nightmare – especially if you work in an office environment or a research lab (where long pants and closed toed shoes are mandatory).

When the temperature begins to rise, there are a number of hazards that can threaten and complicate a woman’s wardrobe choices. Sweat marks, swollen feet and the temptation to show more skin than what's appropriate at work are some examples.

If your work place is relaxed and casual, you’re in luck. But for those of us who are expected to look professional all year round, here are some tricks to keep you feeling cool even when it's hot and humid outside.

Loose fabrics, such as linen and chiffon, are brilliant, allowing you to cover up without feeling the heat. Take inspiration from the Loose Women ladies who love a little linen jacket – the perfect chic cover-up on warm spring and summer days. Try one in a pastel shade for an on-trend seasonal look, with three-quarter length sleeves for a cool, casual feel.  I practically live in cardigans in the summer, and have colors ranging from light pink to forest green in my closet to match with any outfit.

A pencil skirt with a loose chiffon top will help you keep you cool and smart. Keep colors neutral if you work somewhere corporate, but if you can get away with a bit of color wear something bright and summery.

Walking to work in heels on a hot day can be very unpleasant, so travel to work in sandals to keep your feet cool and comfortable. Change into your heels once you’re at your desk.  This advice also works if you have to wear closed toed shoes.  I recommend wearing sandals to work and changing into sneakers once you arrive.  

Sweat marks on clothing are the worst! Grey is not a great color to opt for in the summer, as it advertises any sweat on your clothing.  Breathable fabrics like chiffon, linen and thin cotton will be best. Steer clear of silky materials in the heat. Store a silk top in your bag instead, and change into it come home time for a great day-to-night transformation.

Wide leg trousers are perfect for the summer too, as they are stylish, chic, and totally breathable. Linen trousers are great for the office as they look smart and are comfortable. But they’re also suited to more casual work places too. Pair them with chic heels for a sleek daytime look, and with a cute camisole for instant post-work glamour. 

I hope these summer tips help you out!

Wedding Hair!

I'm back!  I finally submitted my final term paper on Tuesday night, which means I'm back in business!  I've missed the blogging world. 

I thought I'd start off with a quick post about my wedding hair.  If you remember, I'm getting married in a few months!  I decided to book a hair stylist that will come to the wedding hotel in the morning.  That way, I don't have to a) find a hair salon that will be open at 8 am on a Sunday (on a long weekend to boot!) and b) have to transport 2 bridesmaids + my mom to said hair salon.

I wanted my hair to be down, because when I wear it up it feels too much like I'm about to do research or work out.  Also, my hair is super thick (think like a horse's tail) when it's up in a ponytail.  I can only imagine how much hair spray would have to go into it to make it stay.  It would probably be a pile of concrete, which would be a nightmare to comb out the next morning.  I also wanted my hair to be curled, because if I was just straightening it I might as well do it myself. 

On a side note, if you have super thick hair and need a product that will help you style your hair and dry it in a manageable time, try Aveda smooth infusion style-prep smoother.  I guarantee you that it works, and is well worth the money.  Check out the reviews here.

Okay, back to my hair.  I had my hair trial with the stylist, and she did an amazing job.  Mind you, there is a lot of back-combing that will hold in my super amazing veil (that I picked out and put on hold before I found the dress, thank goodness it matched!). 

I absolutely love it!  I can't believe my wedding is only a few months away.  It's all so exciting!

So I dropped off the face of the Earth...

Dear readers,

I'm terribly sorry I haven't posted in a long time.  Graduate school became much more of a time suck than I ever could have imagined, which has taken a significant toll on my Yelp reviews, Twitter, Facebook status updates, and most importantly, this blog.  I am very poor at time management, especially when I'm stressed out and balancing assignments/exams/wedding planning/volunteer obligations.  It is not fair to you readers.

I have one major exam on Tuesday, and then my schedule should calm down a bit.  Until then, please check out my Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/fashionchemist/) and look here for more posts very soon.  Please keep following, I promise it will be worthwhile!

Sincerely,

Martina

Wedding Dress Shopping

I know, I know, I've been a terrible blogger.  But, now I have more exciting things to post about!  One of my lovely bridesmaids took me wedding dress shopping, and I thought I'd share some of the dresses I tried on.  Now, my fiance reads this blog so I can't post about what kind of dresses I like (I don't want to spoil the style of dress I'm thinking about), but I can definitely post about the not so pretty dresses.  I really wish I had taken photos, but I don't think you can do that? 

I know a lot of girls were excited about the Twilight wedding dress, and have even been faking engagements to try it on.  I haven't seen Breaking Dawn Part 1, bu I decided to try on the infamous dress for kicks, mostly. 

If you are short, small in the bust, and require a bra, this dress will NOT work for you.  It was the only dress I looked absolutely atrocious in.  Really girls, Kristen Stewart has a very special figure for this dress that 99% of the population does not have.  Don't do it!

I was really, really excited to try on some of the Disney Princess wedding dresses by Alfred Angelo.  The bridal shop we went to only had the Cinderella and Snow White dresses, so I tried on both.

Here is Cinderella's dress.  I tried this on, and it is really quite lovely and sparkly, but for my wedding I want something a little bit different. 

Here is Snow White's.  It's very cute and whimsical aka not my style at all.

I really wish they had the Ariel, Belle, or Sleeping Beauty dresses, because I would have loved to try them on.

I ended up painting my nails "Yodel Me On My Cell" by OPI the night before I tried on dresses.  Now, originally I was going to paint my nails a stereotypical light pink for my wedding.  Now I'm not so sure, the nail color really popped against the white dresses.  Maybe I should consider a bright pink instead of subtle?

Now on to something that horrified me a little bit.  I was looking at garters, and I noticed that there was a huge selection with "Prom 2012" and "Grad 2012" written on a ribbon in rhinestones.  Now, garters are really pretty, and really I have no idea what color or style I'm going to choose for my wedding.  However, is it really necessary for 17 year old girls to be wearing a garter to their prom?  It's just asking for trouble, really.

What I Read On The Internet

I would like to apologize, once again, for being MIA from this blog.  Somehow the life transition from working to graduate school did not go smoothly.  In fact, I would say it went quite poorly.  But I'm back, everybody!  I have lots to update (even more since I never did write the posts I promised), but I'm going to start updating slowly.  Thank you to all of my followers who didn't abandon me while I've been neglecting to post, well, anything. 

So, let's start with the websites that I was actually keeping up with on my blogging hiatus.

Give Me Back My Five Bucks - This is probably the only money blog I read.  I can't really recall how I discovered it.  It's about a girl who was in a ridiculous amount of debt, worked super hard to get out of it, and is now giving great money advice in Vancouver. 

Rocket Shoes - I found this blog because the writer wrote a post on A Day in the Life of the Modern San Franciscan, which made me laugh.  I just like the mix tapes the writer posts along with every blog entry.

The Frenemy - I really wish I was real life friends with this girl. She just sounds awesome.  Words won't do it justice.

1000 Awesome Things - Why buy the books when you can read it online for free?  At the very least, the blog posts will make you smile.

Thought Catalog - A smattering of really interesting (and true) observations about life.  There's something for everyone!


Celebitchy - My first choice for celebrity gossip. 

Lainey Gossip - My second choice for celebrity gossip.  She's even based on Vancouver!

Television Without Pity - I go here if I missed an episode of a popular show, or if I want to see what the fuss is about with a show without actually watching it (*coughGleecough*).

I also follow a few Blogger blogs, which you can see from my profile.

So, that's where I waste time on the internet.  I guess we can also count Facebook and Yelp.  I'm kind of over Twitter (though I envy people who post 10+ times a day).  I guess I don't think I'm that interesting?

Why I've Been MIA

Okay, I am officially a bad blogger.  After the whole Anthro ordeal I sort of stopped checking out a lot of blogs for a few weeks.  I unfortunately didn't post anything new on my end either.  I really want to elaborate on a lot of these topics, but here's a quick update on what's been happening with me.

First off, I got engaged!!! My wonderful boyfriend now fiance proposed last Monday at the Rose Gardens on campus.  I didn't expect it at all, and it honestly hasn't sunk in yet.  We're planning to have the wedding next year, but for now I'll post the one thing every girl probably wants to see, which is the ring!

It's absolutely stunning in person.

He also bought me the most gorgeous pink roses.  They lasted so long! 

If you follow me on Yelp at all, you'll notice that I finally got my shiny Elite '11 badge!  This just goes to show that if you put the effort in, write quality reviews, and interact with other yelper's you can become Elite too!  I went to my first event last night with my fiance, and it was really fun!  We met lots of great people, and I hope I can attend another Elite event soon :)

I've been super busy with graduate school.  Between being a TA, my involvement in two committee's, and my courses, I've been jam packed busy.  I didn't realize how much work being the secretary of the chemistry graduate student society was, and I can definitely handle it, but it was a bit of a wake-up call.  I have to give a presentation on a research article in one of my classes next week, which is a bit scary, but I'm sure it will go fine.

So yeah, I feel really bad that I'm not blogging more.  I do have lots to write about, I just haven't had time to write it all out.  Please bear with me followers!  I promise I'll write more posts!