January’s issue of Harper’s Bazaar was full of amazing ideas on how to revive and revamp yourself this coming year.My favorites are the easy pick-me-up products that are budget-friendly and fabulous.

• Pump Up Polish

Imitate the high impact nails at Rag & Bone by modernizing your manicure with a new nail lacquer.

• Fake Great Skin

The quickest way to get perfect skin is to apply foundation with the Tempu Airbrush Makeup System.

• Shape Your Brows

A good brow shaping can rejuvenate your face. Go to a pro to find the arch and thickness that suits you best.

• Paint Your Pout

Break free of your rosy-plum gloss and try a pretty shimmer lipstick to brighten your face.

• Tailor Your Own Scent

A custom fragrance is a modern, affordable luxury that shows off your individual style. Many beauty boutiques now offer this service.

• Boost Your Smile

Who doesn’t feel more confident when her teeth are whiter? A bright smile also makes you look younger.

• Get Sexy, Shiny Hair

Wish you could have perfect strands right out of the shower? Ask your salon about the Brazilian Blowout, a new keratin treatment that smooths, adds softness, and eliminates frizz for months

At times the smallest things make the largest difference…. Enjoy yourself and be fabulous!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Until the next post… toodles !!!

With Christmas Eve slowly passing by and New Year’s just around the corner…your fabulous self will be attending countless holiday parties. However, it is important to keep in mind that a wonderful party is half the work of the hostess and the other half is up to the guest ( you!)  In order to be a fabulous guest you “need to understand the unstated rules of behavior. A little attention to such things as table manners and party-guest decorum might seem old-fashioned, but when you know how to eat your soup and oysters without ruining your clothing, when you can elegantly negotiate demanding dinner-party conversation, it will pay off times over.”

How to be a perfect guest:

• RSVP immediately.
• Always greet the hostess and thank her for the invitation.
• Offer to help out the hostess.
• Do not get too flirty.
• Do not smoke inside.
• Try not to be the first or last to leave the party.
• Send a thank you  note or e-mail after the event. It is a very cute way to say thank you!
• Bring a gift with you. How about giving some lovely soap or hand cream in beautiful packaging ( check out our Mor cosmetic line for ideas) or maybe a plant in a pot, macaroons or a must-read book.

• If you spilled a drink or broke something, offer to pay for the cleaning or mending.
• If you forgot someone’s name, apologize immediately but not dramatically.
• Wait until everyone is seated before starting to eat.
• Rest you fork and knife between bites so you do not rush your food.
• Try not to leave food on your plate, as this could offend you hostess.
• For more tips and tricks check out : Tiffany’s Table Manners for Teenagers by Walther Hoving ( available at Liv for $22); Occasions and Manners by Kate Spade ( available at Liv for $30).

How to be the most stylish guest:

• Black tie: “You are to become a butterfly.Wear bold colors, wear fabulous jewelry, wear anything that helps you make a statement and an entrance.”
• Cocktail attire: ” This means a short dress.Pull out that fabulous short dress, your killer high heels, your funkier jewelry. Big cocktail rings are made for this dress code.
• Dressy Casual: ” This means pants are okay but no jeans. Fun tops are great, but don’t do a T-shirt.
• Casual: “It means anything goes. But not for you. Someone is extending an invitation to you, to make the effort. Have fun with it.”
• For more tips and tricks check out: The Little Black Book of Style by Nina Garcia (available at Liv for $25.99);  Style by Kate Spade (available at Liv for $30); The Lucky Guide to Mastering Any Style by Kim France and Andrea Linett ( available at Liv$33).

HAVE A TON OF FUN AND REMEMBER TO BE FABULOUS!!!!

Until the next post…toodles!!!

Sources: how to live like a lady by sarah tomczak; the little black book of style by nina garcia.

If you usually attend our Annual Holiday Party, you know that we always do a Holiday Give Away. We are so excited to announce the winner of this year’s raffle: Joyce Chan! We hope she enjoys her Edmoure Ralph necklace as much as we do! Happy Holidays!

The holiday spirit is in the air….

It’s been one party after another! Liv is definitely in a holiday mood. This past weekend we officially kicked off the season with our annual shopping party. We had live carolers, hot coco & sweets and lots of great deals on clothes! As a special gift for those who attended, we gave out complimentary Edmoure Ralph earrings. It was an awesome event!

Lots of friends and family joined in on the fun, including some of our very biggest fans, Luke and Jessie Cardinal:

Wishing everyone happy holiday shopping! If you need help finding that perfect gift, be sure to check out Liv’s Holiday Gift Guide for fabulous ideas. And we’re still offering great discounts on clothing right through January!  Ho ho ho…

Until the next post!!!

The other night Liv by Au Lit co-hosted along with Danielle of Final Fashion a fabulous private soirée for fashion bloggers, stylists and writers. It was an evening of schmoozing, great music, wine and cupcakes… all set in the beautiful environment of LIV by Au Lit!

For the Love of Fashion.

When darlings of the fashion world meet, great styles comes along as a treat. Each and every lady was dressed to perfection. Here’s a quick glance at some of the ladies captured.

They call it shoe-porn for a reason…

Thank you to the ladies for making this evening fabulous and fun!!!

• Danielle Meder of Final Fashion
• Briony Smith and Danah Abdulla of blogTO
• Rea McNamara of EYE WEEKLY and Metro
• Emma Yardley of Canadian Living
• Johanne Durocher and Rachel of Fashion In Motion
• Jennifer Campbell of FASHION Magazine
• Gail McInnes
• Anita Clarke of I want – I got
• Jen Tse
• Linda Gaylard
• Nathalie Atkinson and Elyse of National Post
• Ashley Bartlett of She Does the City
• Afiya Francisco of The Style House
• Stefania Yarhi of Textstyles
• Tricia Campbell
• Renee Williams of Yahoo Canada Life
• Eden Spodek of Bargainista
• Kimberly Lyn of The Soul of my

Cheers to the fabulous event and to many more to come! Including this Saturday’s “Silver and Gold” Holiday Party!!!

Until the next post!!!

Source: lilita blog

Only two weeks left to our Semi-Annual White Sale. You’ll find incredible discounts at all our three locations, Au Lit Fine Linens, Au Lit Outlet and LIV by Au Lit. Up to 50% off on end-of-season bedding lines, clothing, furniture and accessories. Our expert sales associates will help you to find whatever you may be looking for this month. REMEMBER THE SALE ENDS AUGUST 31ST!

First, my apologies for not having posted in…can’t even remember how long. My excuse is being seven and a half months pregnant and perpetually exhausted at night. We’ve also been crazy busy preparing for our big birthday event, which happened today.
The weather was glorious, the vibe even better, and we had tons of people all day! The change rooms were still full at 6pm. It was so exciting to feel that momentum, especially after all our hard work transforming the store.
Kudos to Julie, my right hand girl, who worked her butt off through the excruciating pain of having her wisdom teeth out only last week. With a mouth full of cloves and cotton balls, she put her heart into the entire event, sometimes crying through the pain! I am so blessed to have her, and all my fantastic staff. What a team…
So here is a look at some of the new summer merchandising at LIV and some snippets from the day:

Great job, Jule! What a trooper

How stunning is this bed?

No, I'm not expecting twins

DJ Robbie's Number One Fan

Customers enjoying a latte at the new coffee bar

LIV turned one last Saturday!
It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year since our grand opening…Time sure flies when you’re launching a new lifestyle concept store during a major recession. I can tell you it’s been inspiring, fun, challenging, at times frightening, and above all, one of the most exciting projects I’ve ever undertaken.

I can’t wait to embark on our second year. We’ve got so many great ideas, plans, events and creative projects in the works! Let’s start with the first big event, which is our one year birthday bash!

Please mark this down on your calendar: we will be celebrating our first anniversary on Saturday June 6th with some really special festivities throughout the weekend. First we’ll be having a big sale that weekend, with all new clothing collections, furniture and linens starting at 20% off. We’ll also be having our first ever jewelry trunk show with Biko, our favourite Toronto jewelry designer, and then all the great stuff you’ve come to expect at a LIV event – Dj Robbie, cupcakes and free lattes at our newly opened coffee bar, and a chance to win a luxury swag bag (which usually includes denim, clothing, jewelry, linens, bath products and whatever surprises we decide to throw in!)

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday June 6th!

Carol whippin' up a capuccino at our new coffee bar

Waiting in style for his girlfriend to finish shopping

Just want to let everyone know that Au Lit Fine Linens and LIV are having their semi-annual pillow & duvet sale. All pillows, duvets, and featherbeds are 25% off throughout the month of April. Check out www.aulitfinelinens.com for prices and information.

Stock up for spring!

Last weekend we had an amazing holiday event to officially kick off the season. I know it’s a bit early – there was some groaning whenever our DJ played a xmas tune – but we wanted the party to coincide with the launch of our holiday clothing collections and the first unveiling of our winter merchandising. Julie B. and the entire Liv team did a fantastic job transforming the store into a winter wonderland. It’s very exciting to see my vision come to life. We’ve been planning ‘Holiday at Liv’ since the summer!

It doesn’t seem so long ago that Julie and I were sitting around the house in Maine (more on that later), choosing the Robert Frost poem which was our inspiration for the window and sketching all the vignettes. And now here we are!

All that to say the event was a smashing success! We sold tons of clothing. When I first opened Liv - with equal parts furniture, linens, accessories and clothing – my philosophy was that the customers would tell us what they wanted and that would be the direction we would go. Well, the people have spoken! You clearly want more clothes! So it shall be. If you’ve been to Liv a few times, you’ve probably noticed the clothing department growing and expanding in all directions, and that’s because we are listening to you! You can still expect to see linens and French furniture in our store - we are Au Lit after all – but we will continue to edit and fine-tune our products as we continue to listen to your feedback. 

For now, welcome to my blog and welcome to my life! 
(Who the bleep is Joanna anyway, you might be wondering? Stay tuned…)

Welcome to LIV

Julie B. - Assistant Creative Director Extraordinaire

Lovely Aliya

DJ Robbie + Moose