Dare To Be February 2017

Dare To be

february 2017

We live and love over and over again

Table of

CONTENTS Valentines DIYs

4

Style Guide

8

Cocktail Corner

10

Twenties Love

12

Heart-Break Party

22

Source: (Cover) Puck Loomans @ New York Models by Anouk Morgan, (Top to Bottom) Tjaša Džafić via Instagram @tjasha, TheyAllHateUs, lloydtheabstrac © Life Under Scope,

DARE TO BE

VALENTINES DA

5

AY DIYS Whether you’re planning to spend the day with that special someone, a group of friends, or flying solo – Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to get your hands a little dirty with a fun DIY project.

Here are a couple projects that will sure to add that sweet touch to any gift or party Decor.

1. BALLOON HEART BACK� DROP It’s basically the same idea as a balloon arch, but in the shape of a

heart. The creative features are completely up to you and customizable based on your personal tastes. This DIY is particularly great for a photo attach each heart wall! to a twig. Go crazy: the more leaf Source: The House hearts, the better!

That Lars Built/ Then just put the Photography: Jestwigs in a decorasica Peterson tive vase or pitcher.

You can even add 2. BRANCH TREE little plastic birds for that added All you really need cuteness factor. are some branches and a ton of little Source: The House cut out hearts That Lars Built/ made up of scrapPhotography by book paper. Take Elise Lauren | pieces of decoraCrafting by Brittany tive strings and

Jepsen 3. WE’RE A PER� FECT MATCH VALENTINES You’ll need mini match box party favours for this one – which will probably require you to do a little Online shopping. You can also just buy regular match boxes and empty them.

Cover them in the

DARE TO BE

Do all things with love and joy in your heart

paper of your choice and write on the front! Then, all you’ll need to do is get a pack of Strawberry Pocky Sticks, and cut them to fit.

Source: Say Yes 4. WHITE CHOCOLATE MARSH� MALLOW POPCORN BALLS Ingredients: 14 cups popcorn- popped according to directions 16 ounce bag of mini marshmallows

7

6 Tablespoons of butter 1 cup white chocolate chips or 1/2 cup valentine’s themed sprinkles Directions: In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat.

Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Add

in white chocolates.

Remove from heat and stir until smooth. Add popcorn and gently stir until evenly coated. Pour out onto a cookie sheet.

Sprinkle on half of the sprinkles. Using buttered hands, form popcorn into one balls for mini bites or two inch ball for regular

size. Add additional sprinkles as necessary to each ball to make pretty. Let set until cooled.

Source: Jenny Raulli of Bloom Designs for iHeart Naptime

STYLE GUIDE

9

2

3

5

6 7

4

1

8 13

12

9

11 10

1. Yoins High neckline dress, 19 CAD 2. Modli Jupe de Abby 3/4 Sleeve Blazer, 51 CAD 3. J Crew Beaded Tassel Earrings, 53 CAD 4. CLUSE Dial Watch, 79 CAD 5. Topshop Tent Dress,

110 CAD 6. Romwe Pom Pom Earings, 5.24 CAD 7. River Island Batwing Sleeve Top, 68 CAD 8. River Island Knee Length Pencil Skirt, 79 CAD 9. Colette Hayman Colour

Block Bag, 40 CAD 10. ALDO Platform Stiletto, 105 CAD 11. Karl Lagerfeld Round Toe Flat, 130 CAD 12. Steve Madden Ankle Wrap Sandals, 130 CAD 13. Karen Millen Handbag Purse, 72 CAD

10

Did Someone Say

Cocktails?

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRY MARTINI Ingredients 1½ oz Godiva Chocolate liqueur 1½ oz White Creme de Cacao ½ oz Stoli Strasberi vodka 2½ oz cream Directions Take chilled cocktail glass and spin with chocolate. Pour liqueur, vodka, creme de cacao, and h&h in a shaker full of ice. Shake once and pour into glass. Garnish with strawberries and chocolate syrup.

Source: Key Ingredient CHERUB’S CUP COCKTAIL Ingredients 1 part St. Germain elderflower liqueur 2 parts vodka or Gin 3/4 part fresh lemon juice 1 part muddled strawberry Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine

DARE TO BE Directions In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add chopped strawberries and muddle. Add all ingredients aside from the RosĂŠ Sparkling Wine and shake vigorously until well chilled. Strain into cocktail glasses filled with ice and top with a splash of Brut RosĂŠ Sparkling Wine. Garnish with a strawberry or a festive stir stick.

Source: Style Me Pretty LOVE POTION #9 MARTINI (Triple Berry Martini) Ingredients 1 cup pomegranate juice 3 ounces (2 shot glasses) strawberry vodka

3 ounces (2 shot glasses) Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur 2 small chunks dry ice (optional) 2 strawberries cut into hearts, for garnish (optional) Directions In a cocktail shaker, combine the pomegranate juice, vodka, and Chambord. Shake to combine. Place 1 chunk dry ice into the bottom of each glass. Pour the martini over the very small pieces of dry ice. Garnish with skewered strawberry hearts if desired.

Wait 5-10 minutes for the dry ice to dissolve before drinking.

Source: The Cookie Rookie

DARE TO BE

Twenties Love

By: Iman Mounib

Study Break Romance

Love and Dating in 2017 from 3 stages of life

D

ating as a student can be tricky. You have readings, assignments and sometimes a part-time job, and just life in general. There are 5 tips that my girlfriends and I have learned over the years from many good and bad dates:

personal life that works for you! Manage your time well between the two – the more you have going on in your life, the more you’ll be productive and forced to manage your time better.

If you don’t have the option of finishing early, sometimes a library date can be sweet (and 1: Keep School as Your productive). During lunch, Number One Priority! snack and dinner breaks go around the city to a nice place School should be your focus to eat (if your campus is in the during your college years. Find city) or find anywhere else to a balance of your school and grab a bite and talk. It might

13

not fit everyone’s tastes, but if you and your potential BAE can have fun working towards that GPA: your future together would be #relationship goals!

2: Get Yourself Out There

Of course, there are the

men you meet in class and on campus-- this is the easiest way to meet guys. If that’s not your thing: go to a bar! I would suggest going when there are karaoke nights or live music nights: the selection of men tend to be better than men that are just hanging out at the bar.

Just be yourself and the guys that are interested will make their attraction known (for the most part)!

3: Be Careful Who You Choose to Date If you choose to date a guy from your lecture, and

14

somehow things go sour between you two – remember that you don’t have the option of ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Sure, you can try to avoid him, but you can’t do that completely.

It’s not to say that you should avoid dating someone that you are going to be seeing regularly. Make sure you pick a guy that seems like he would be mature, if you two don’t work out.

Most importantly, ensure that you also handle things in a kind and classy way.

4: Don’t Date For the Wrong Reasons

Get Cute and Take Advantage of Your 20s! times, but usually it means you need to build a better relationship with yourself.

Instead, use this as an opportunity to try new things.

Take a salsa, yoga class or join a local running group.

Learn to be comfortable on your own, enjoy your own solitude and build your confidence and you’ll know when it’s the right time and if he’s the guy to date.

You shouldn’t date someone unless you really want to and feel ready! Don’t just date because all your friends are and you feel a bit lonely. 5: Enjoy Yourself We all feel lonely some-

Be open to new experiences, being venerable and accepting the idea of love. Be okay with the risk of being hurt and understand that in life you cannot stop yourself from being in pain.

So, might as well enjoy the good moments and know you will get through the bad ones – like you have before.

So, get cute and take advantage of your 20s!

Source: Oscar Wylee Eyewear via @oscarwylee on Instagram

DARE TO BE

Juggling Life and Almost Love The Post Graduate Relationship

By: Nadia Dewji uate, you have to find alternative venues. I have found the best luck at work, parties, etc. but also at activities I enjoy. For example, I like coffee shops; I find them relaxing and motivating. You would be surprised by the amount of people I meet! The key to finding a match is to go out and do what interests you. Not only will your man have the same There is also a need to find hobbies as you, but you will the perfect man. Where do be doing what you love! you meet him and once you do, how do you know if he’s However, as perfect as that sounds, the reality is it can “the one?” be hard to go out. Going out takes planned time and monWhere Art Thou? ey. However, if being in a relaIt’s kind of hard to find a man tionship is important to you, now that you’re not in univer- you will make it your priority. sity. In university, you were Remember, it’s not that you surrounded by people and don’t have time, it’s more like, exposed to so many social “is it worth my time”? Find a gatherings. I mean, the FOMO way to manage your time. Go (Fear of Missing Out) was real out, have fun, and most importantly be you. Do what you in university…

Now that you’re a post-grad- love and everything else will So, you have just graduated from university and stepped into the, “real world”. All those years of anticipation have finally come and you think to yourself: what does it mean to be an adult? Well for starters, you have to get a job so you can start your career and let’s not forget about those wonderful student loans (Yikes).

17

“ Be the greatest Version of yourself, and focus on you!”

follow, including your match! I mean, we spend our whole life searching for the one and let’s be honest here, you are Is he ‘the one’? in your early 20’s, do you Is he the one you will in- even know who you are? If troduce to your parents? you are anything like me, my Should you move in togeth- career is very important to er? Wait, is he even the one? me and it outweighs love – Will he have your babies? at least at this point in my life.

Wow… too fast? OK good.

Always remember that you In my opinion, it probably is. have more time and you

don’t have to rush into anything. Take your time, if he is the one, he will be there for you. Just keep going and if he isn’t the one or doesn’t treat you right, it’s OK – end it. You are in charge of your own life. Everything always works out in the end!

DARE TO BE

Love, among other things

Why dating while managing your career isn’t as bad as you Think

By: Raquiya G.

V

years. Life was changing, I was alentine’s day is two days scared, and I clung to the reaway ; I’m not quite sure how lationship because it brought I’ll be spending it. Probably me a sense of security. working. I’m turning 30 in November and I still haven’t Fast forward, I’m a 29-year-old brought “the one” home to lawyer who is learning how to meet my parents. So, the only balance my love life with my milestone they currently cling career . One of the benefits to is the fact that I managed to of dating at this age is that I am become a lawyer! established and more secure While my career is intact, I think… I’m still navigating the dating world in my late-20s.

In my early-20s, I spent a considerable amount of time in school and even more time in toxic relationships. By the age of 24, I had completed two undergrad degrees and I was moving away for law school. I set off still clinging to the hopes of maintaining my relationship with my then boyfriend of two

with who I am as a woman. I know who I am and I know what I want. I’ve traveled solo, lived on my own, and focused on my career as a means of cultivating my growth. I view past relationships as life lessons. In fact, the biggest, most important, lesson I have learned while dating in my 20s is that you teach people how to treat you. There is a point in life where you realize that

“You teach people how to treat you ”

Raquiya G. is a lawyer by trade & the Lead Stylist/Editor-in-Chief of the Style Blog Strictly Legal Fashionista.

Photo Credits: Eric Isadas (@eklektikvisuals)

20

you need to focus on yourself ed in spending time to develop and remove any person who the relationship doesn’t add value to your life .

So my advice to you, if you’re Armed with this newfound juggling a busy career, in your knowledge, I’m a lot more con- late 20s, and still dating… take fident and more open to meet- your time, there’s no rush! First ing and growing with a partner and foremost, work on yourat this stage of my life. Not just self and establish your identity a boyfriend, but a life partner! before you can connect with a So while being a lawyer is fan- partner. Second, your career tastic… and crazy demanding, I will always be there, so chill… you’ll make Partner and get had to learn how to make dating a priority. When that corner office. But if findtalking with my girlfriends, I ing love is important for you at noticed that as career driv- this stage, then make it a prioren women, we all fell into the ity along with your career. I get same trap—there was a point that dating apps aren’t for evbetween school and profes- eryone, so it’s not your thing, sional life where we weren’t grab a couple of colleagues willing to sacrifice our time and go out for drinks… meet for love. But, the great thing new people and be social! about achieving one goal is Love is out there for your takthat it puts into prospective ing; you just have to be ready what really matters. Now to receive it. when I date, I find myself attracting men who are equally xoRaquiya G. established and more interest-

DARE TO BE

DARE TO BE

Not Feeling The Love?

HAVE AN ANTI-VALENTINES DAY PARTY

You can throw a ‘Galantines’ or ‘Heart Break’ Party. Gather together your closest friends and a few bottles of wine.

You can sit around, watch a few sappy movies and play board games. You can also get a little creative with the entertainment: play 20 ques-

Source: RowHouse14 Etsy

Source: jenniferthurstonwrite

If you don’t have a hot date for the holiday of love – have no fear!

No need to mope around because that guy never texted you back, or that relationship didn’t work out!

It’s all about perspective. Make some lemonade with those lemons. It is a holiday after all – get to partying!

23

Source: Aww Sam

Source: Studio DIY

tions or a game that allows your group to really let loose and chat.

Go all out and have fun with it. Put up decorations or even make some of your own DIY decor.

There are tons of tutorials out there to make your heartbreak party ‘lit’! Put up some broken heart balloons, make sassy themed food, and don’t forget the wine!

Source: Studio DIY