A Hint of Spring

To beat the cold weather blues, I brave the winter with skirts.  This photo was taken on an unusually warm day, hence the bare legs.  But, normally I would be wearing black tights to keep warm.  Although the skirt is for the fall season, it hints at spring with the floral print.  A season we are long waiting for.

Leather Jacket: GAP
Scarf: Smart Set (gift from friend)
Sweater & Skirt: Loft
Boots: Naturalizer
Necklace: Robert Lee Morris via The Bay

Hoping that the bitter cold passes soon... new pictures need to be taken.

Just a Touch of White

We took full advantage of that warm Saturday morning. So we took pictures of a few different outfits just in case we wouldn't get another chance to. I loved color growing up - the brighter, the better.  I thought that standing out and being different was really important (even if it wasn't so fashionable). As I got older and wiser, the more conservative I became. I no longer had a need to be loud and seen. Don't get me wrong, I still love color, but I learned to love my neutrals too. Black being one of them.

Hat & Scarf: Calvin Klein via Winners
Dress/Top: Calvin Klein via Winners
Watch: DKNY via Macy's
Tights: Nordstrom Rack
Boots: Naturalizer

I tend to shy away from animal print. For some strange reason I feel some what odd in it. It kind of sucks because I love it on other people and wish that I could wear it. Maybe I just haven't found the right print for me.  This dress/top is the closest thing I have, which isn't an animal print at all. Although, it still has the vibe of one. Because the print is in black & gray, it doesn't feel overly exaggerated. It actually feels more like a neutral. Hence the reason I feel comfortable wearing it.

Just a touch of white...

Good morning Saturday... First Attempt

We have been blessed the last few weekends with much warmer weather. Last Saturday, my friend and I attempted my first photo shoot.  I am not one to shy away from a camera, but having to pose is a completely different story. It was quite a nerve-wracking experience to tell you the truth.  All I could think was, "Am I doing this right, are the pictures gonna turn out, do I look okay?" So, I'm glad that the photographer is a good friend of mine who I am comfortable with.  And I think he did an amazing job. Although it was scary, it was a lot of fun and I look forward to the next shoot.

Top: Banana Republic

Jeans: DKNY Skinny's via Winners

Watch: Michael Kors via Macy's

Necklace: Robert Lee Morris via The Bay

Shoes: Naturalizer 

Color blocking was definitely one of my favorite trends of 2013 and I hope it gets carried forward to this year. I love the way that the navy and red compliment each other. The gold detailing on the sleeves is an added bonus which i tried to draw out with the accessories.

This is one of my most favorite tops in my closet and so are the jeans.  I love these jeans because they are a mid-rise style  and hug in the right places. I've grown out of the low-rise generation and these don't feel like "mommy" jeans either. Winners is a great place to shop and lucky for me this is the 3rd year that they've been carried.

I hope everyone had an awesome Saturday.  Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Biggest Loser

As previously described, I am gym loving.  Which was true for about 95% of 2013.  I say ninety-five percent because as the holidays got closer the shopaholic side of me kicked in.  You were more likely to find me at the mall, picking out gifts rather than breaking a sweat at the gym.  But the holidays are now long gone and it's time to get my butt into gear.

Along with writing a blog, another goal I had was to lose some weight and be healthier for 2014.  Once or twice a year a group of friends and I embark on a Biggest Loser competition - this year is no different.  And what a perfect time to start.  I'd like to use the blog to share my progress.

My Fitness Goals

-lose 10 to 12 lbs

-tone my arms

-increase upper body strength
-fulfill a 60 minute Moksha practice once a week
-attend LesMills Combat class offered by Goodlife at least twice a week

-run 2 or 3 times a week, each being at least 3 miles, slowly increasing my mileage as the months pass

Our competition ends on April 19th, which gives me about 3 months to lose the weight.  I have also made a commitment to run the Toronto Half-Marathon on May 4th, which allows for four months of training.  For those of you who don't know, a half-marathon is 13.1 miles or 21.1 kilometers long.  Training is quite difficult where I'm from as the winter season can sometimes be unbearably cold and the roads, sidewalks or trails are covered with snow.  The treadmill will have to do for now.  As most runners would agree though, there is nothing like hitting the pavement.

I am not the biggest fan of gym selfies, but I may post a work-out outfit or two.  Until then.

-Kristine

One of very few selfies taken while running the streets

First to 100 Miles competition with my running partner

Nike Lunar Glides in semi-neon orange

Eight Sixteen K

Hi, my name is Kristine and I am a first time blogger.  I have made blogging one of my new year resolutions so here I am.  Some of you may wonder why I have named my blog 816K... I am a gym-loving, shopaholic lab geek.  I work in the field of science 8 hours of the day.  And for the other 16?  Well, I'm either at the gym or shopping my hearts desire.

I started to follow fashion blogs almost a year ago and I'm glad I did.  I think it's a great way to express ones individualism and interpretation of style.  A few key lessons I've learned are that quality will win over quantity, versatility in pieces is a must and that the right fit doesn't only look good, but feels great.

Fashion: the prevailing style or custom, as in dress or behavior
Style: the way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed

My goal is to share what I have learned, my individualism and my interpretation of style through photos.