I was pretty darn excited to stumble across the CNE while it was being set up for the annual carnival/exhibition/fun starting Aug. 21st. I assumed you would not be allowed on the grounds during this time, but after noticing the gate wide open, families at the playground nearby and people just passing through to get from A to B, I quickly realized I could actually photograph there without trespassing and with little disturbance. I have photographed at the CNE before, but this was while it was already well underway, and every shot was filled with people in the background; carnivals are always so pretty to shoot at, but it’s hard to make it seem like no one is around (which is only really a problem if you are a fashion blogger). It felt so special to be able to wander and photograph in what felt like an abandoned carnival, getting to see the structures sitting humbly before they are flashing their bright lights, with people waiting in anticipation and the buzzing of delight (or fear) heard all around. I’m unsure when they will be closing the grounds to the public (without a pass), but I’m hoping I can pop by again sometime this week as I only wandered a small area of the park, and I’d love to see more of the park in all it’s quiet, colourful glory.
Dress worn as shirt: H&M (old)
Skirt: thrifted
Scarf: vintage
Pink & aqua rings c/o Pastel Dress Party
Shoes: H&M (old)
Category: My Outfits
Outfit: Wet Hot Canadian Summer
Has anyone else watched the Netflix series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day Of Camp?! It is a prequel to the movie Wet Hot American Summer, which is one of my all-time favourites and holds a dear place in my heart (there are a lot of comedic movies and shows that hold a dear place in my heart because I would watch them with Kristen and cry laugh at everything and then we would constantly make jokes about them, even still to this day). So you can imagine my excitement when I turned on Netflix and was like “WHAT IS THIS?!?!”. I watched all 8 episodes in one sitting because I could not stop and it must have really got burned into my brain because after I shot these and sat down to colour correct them, I noticed how reminiscent this styling was of the movie and show; likely an outfit that Elizabeth Banks’ character would wear. Although the movie is based in 1981, the style of this time still identifies as 70s and hadn’t quite made it’s way to the awful 80s style we all know. It fits right in to this 70s obsession I am having lately, which I really don’t feel like I’m purposely doing, but I guess when the 70s is very on trend in fashion, and you watch shows based in the 70s (okay, close to it) and you listen to Fleetwood Mac non-stop, it is inevitable that your own style will reflect that.
Let me know if you watched the show because I love talking about funny shit. Also, let me know in the comments below what your favourite style era is.
Blouse: Larkspur Vintage
Jeans: H&M (similar)
Shoes: thrifted
Outfit / Muumuu Madness
In the summer, there is probably nothing comfier than a light-weight maxi dress; it feels like leaving the house in a nightgown. If you are a gal like me (or heck, even a guy) who likes wearing dresses the majority of the time, it’s perfect for those warm, yet windy days so no undie flashes occur, or for times sat in the park, so again, we have no concern about our underthings. This particular vintage number caught my eye for the pattern and colours, and while it read size large on the tag, I felt as though that was not the true sizing, so I gave it a whirl regardless and it fit just the way I wanted; a little form fitting, but still quite loose and airy. I lovingly call this dress my muumuu, which I supposed is not a traditional muumuu at all, but The Simpsons sort of made muumuus a joke for me, so anything long and loose immediately becomes a muumuu in my eyes (how many times can I say muumuu in one sentence?!) The other reason I’m particularly fond of this guy – if I’m being totally candid and honest here – is I’ve been feeling a little self-conscious about my body lately, which is really and truly a new feeling for me (maybe I’ll write a more lengthy post about that at some point), so this dress is the type that feels nice to wear on days when your silly thoughts and negative self-image are getting the best of you.
Dress: vintage via Public Butter
Shoes: Bass (old)
Sunglasses: Philistine
Hair clip: vintage
Outfit / Snap Decisions
Getting these photos proved to be an incredibly trying experience. As you know (or maybe you don’t), I shoot most of my own outfit photos, which is time I truly enjoy; it allows me to have some alone time, get creative, practise my photography skills and explore new parts of my city (sometimes). I have a lot of go-to spots that I shoot at, which you may have noticed by now. These spots generally have little people around because even though I have been doing this for a long while, it is still awkward to have people watch you photograph yourself. On this particular day I had planned to go to one of my usual spots, but silly me, forgetting it was the Caribbean Carnival Parade (aka Caribana), the exact location I was shooting at was filled with Caribana goers; there was just no way I would find a secluded, quiet spot in that area. I had to make a snap decision (pun not intended) about where I wanted to shoot, because I refused to head home without photos in hand (or in camera). The traffic in the city this day was so congested, it was absolute chaos. What normally takes me about 1.5hrs to shoot (that includes travel time), ended up being closer to 4hrs because public transit was moving at a snails pace. Once I finally reached High Park, it was a lovely time of day, but the mosquitos were well out and feasting on me pretty insanely, and I now have a strange lump on my underarm that I assume came from this day, but it’s hard to say. Not my favourite day of shooting, but you can’t win ’em all. Thank goodness I had one of my breeziest dresses on and a big hat because it was a pretty hot day, and I found myself outside for far longer than expected, so you can imagine the sweat droplets covering every inch of my body (lovely visual for you), which would have been far worse had a chosen to wear a less breathable article of clothing.
Dress c/o Larmoni
Hat: Shop Ruche (similar)
Shoes: Bass (old)
Outfit / Indoor Picnic
Note: I’m feeling rather chatty today, so this post might be all over this place. But who doesn’t like a good chat every once in awhile?!
It’s been quite awhile since I’ve shot inside my home, mostly because I try to shoot outdoors as much as I can in the warmer months – for obvious reasons – but also because the natural light is only truly viable for a few hours a day. However (I think I mentioned this on instagram), Ryan got me studio lights for my birthday, so I’m now able to shoot indoors any time of day. I mostly wanted them for my beauty posts, but I figured I’d give them a whurl for an indoor outfit post and I’m quite happy with the results. I know nothing will truly beat natural light, but I have to say, if you’ve been thinking about getting studio lights, do it; it has really made my life so much easier (in terms of photography, not like in terms of life).
Gus has a way of always ensuring he is in a shot when I shoot indoors. He’s pretty much glued to me at all times when I am home, so I guess it makes sense that he would find his way into frame. As you can see, he is doing well (I guess you can’t really see that, but he is). He seems pretty much recovered from surgery and I’m not half as stressed about anything happening to him as I was. His walk is still kind of awkward; he loses his balance often, but he can walk, so that’s all I wanted. In a way, it kind of adds to Gus’ sweetness; he’s deaf and now a wobbly little freak…I don’t think he could get any more lovable at this point.
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As for what I’m wearing, I’ve been living in these jeans. I know right?! Weird. To be honest, not so much recently because it has been brutally hot, but before these last few weeks I had been wearing them constantly. When I received this gingham, off the shoulder peplum top, I knew it would pair splendidly with my flared jeans…as most tops do, actually. The top originally had little straps going over the shoulders, but honestly, they felt kind of useless and looked awkward as they wouldn’t sit properly on my shoulders, so I chopped them off and am much more pleased with this top now. I think this is the one and only off the shoulder item I own, and I kind of love it. The only issue that comes to mind is lifting your arms without everything becoming bunched and weird…do people just not move their arms when they wear off the shoulder? Is there some trick I don’t know about? I’m really interested to know.
Top c/o Larmoni
Jeans: H&M (old)
Hair ribbon: just a scrap ribbon (so fancy!)
okay andie 
