Beauty / Heatless Waves

February 6, 20157 Comments

Continuing on with showing you guys my go-to hairstyles, these heatless waves are my most go-to hairstyle as it’s probably one of the easiest things you can do to make your straight hairs a little more interesting. This hairstyle may seem like a sort of “duh” hairstyle, but I honestly would have never thought of it if it wasn’t for my best friend (hi Kristen!) who used to braid her hair and leave it in over-night or for extended periods of time only to take the braid out and have these amazing waves (her hair is seriously the best). At the time I had quite short hair and was unable to braid it, so I made note for my future long hairs that this would be how I would get excellent waves with the littlest amount of effort (at the time I had been using a hair straightener to create waves), and now if I’m not ragging my hair at night, it’s in a braid. So here we go! Quick, easy, simple, but effective.FIRST STEP: Braid your hair…yes, that’s it. I like to do a side braid, but only because I have a real, real hard time doing a braid down the back of my head…but if you’re a magical human who can braid your hair from any angle, well go to town my dear friend. You are far more talented than I.Make use of said braid by doing stupid things with it.SECOND STEP: As with my previous tutorial, I sleep with my braid in at night so that when I wake up my hair is very nearly ready to go – probably the simplest of all steps, unless you have a hard time sleeping at night, but even so, that makes no difference to your beautiful hairs.THIRD STEP: In the morning I will sometimes hairspray the braid to ensure my waves stay wavy throughout the day, and like I do with my rags, I will use my blow dryer on my hair briefly, which also helps maintain your wavy babies – make sure to let your hair cool after you use the blow dryer.FOURTH STEP: Once I’ve taken my braid out and given my hair a wee brush, I often backcomb my hair so I have a bit more volume – my hair is quite thick and thus heavy, and so it can sort of just floop on my head like a giant shapeless mop.Ta-da! Easy peasy! I will note my waves could have been a bit better – if you don’t wash your hair for a few days and braid your hair every night, your waves, obviously, will be even more prominent.

Let me know if you guys are enjoying these tutorials. I’m thinking of including my daily makeup routine and other makeup/hair fun. Do you prefer written/picture tutorials like this, or are you more likely to watch a youtube video?

Giveaway / Meraki Vintage

February 4, 2015February 4, 201510 Comments

It’s no secret I’m a vintage negligee, lingerie and loungewear enthusiast, so when Nikki of Meraki Vintage sent me this adorable powder pink dressing gown to add to my already booming collection, I was over the moon. While these garments may feel rather impractical in that their purpose is mostly to remain indoors (I have styled a nightgown for outdoor wear though), they are still pieces that feel very important in my closet. Wearing something at home that feels both pretty and comfortable is a must for me. I’m a homebody through and through, and I often feel no desire to get dressed in my outdoor garb if I’m just going to be sitting around the house all day, so these pieces are the perfect option that make me feel less like a frumpy lazy butt, and more like an adorable lazy butt.

Meraki Vintage is filled with pieces that span the 50s-90s, with a penchant for fun and colourful prints, which I absolutely adore. It’s a shop filled to the brim with varying styles for most anyone. I had an awfully hard time trying to pick just one piece since so many of them called to me. Lucky for you today I’m hosting a giveaway with Meraki Vintage! One of you could win $25 to her shop so you too can have an equally difficult (but actually fun) time picking from the assortment of loveliness!

How to enter:

Check out Meraki Vintage, and comment below with a link to your favourite item (don’t forget to leave your email)
For an extra entry follow @merakivintage on instagram and favourite her shop on etsy (and please let me know that in the comments below)

*giveaway runs until Tuesday, Feb 10th. The winner will be contacted on Wednesday, Feb 11th.

Belle Vie / 32

February 3, 20154 Comments

1. Our spider plant is dying…I think. Also please ignore it’s ugly pot, it needs to be re-potted into something more aesthetically pleasing. Any tips for keeping a healthy and happy spider plant? Ryan has quite a green thumb, but this lil baby seems unhappy, still. Also, our Brennan Michael candle is still going strong, and seriously, it smells amazing, get yourself one!
2. We have been looking after Ryan’s family dog Beans for the last month. Watching her and Gus play is actually so hilarious.
3. There aren’t many details about my apartment that I truly enjoy, but I love the mirror and light fixture in our bathroom.
4. Hey, there’s me, in the mirror!
5. My go-to breakfast of late – greek yogurt, fruits, fruits, fruits and flax seeds (also I aint no food photographer, this is real life peeps)
6. Beans needs constant attention and steals all the socks!

Give me your eyes, I need sunshine

February 2, 20159 Comments

For a little while I felt like I had lost myself with taking my outfit photos, specifically when it came to taking outdoor shots. It started to become an okay let’s just get this done situation (probably because it’s been so cold), and I really started to feel like the quality of my images had suffered, and ultimately, didn’t feel like me. For one reason or another – and I think I have said this before – the actual feeling and artistry of the images I share is just as important to me as showcasing the outfit, maybe even more so. I mean, I’m not saying I’m making waves in the blogging world or even producing the best possible photographs (I’m still a newbie) or doing something that different or new, but it’s incredibly important to me to stay true to who I am. I’ll probably never be one of those bloggers that enjoys taking my outfit photos in front of a solid backdrop, which is strange, because some of my favorite bloggers do just that and I love it. I think it all comes down to my personality type, I have a hard time letting anything just be simple. Everything I do, in all aspects of my life, needs to feel important, and full of passion and creativity, and I am almost never satisfied (and clearly I am incredibly dramatic. get over yourself Alex!). I guess it goes without saying (but I will say it) that my brain (and my life, to be honest) has been in a tumultuous state of sorts lately. But taking these photographs and being able to share them with you feels incredibly therapeutic because these images feel the most like me out of any photographs I have taken in a long while. They remind me that even if my world feels like it’s falling apart, I can create something beautiful all by myself that makes me feel good, and it’s as simple as that.

Blouse: vintage via Public Butter
Skirt: vintage via Common Sort
Tights: old pair of ballet tights
Boots: Samantha Pleet x Wolverine

Into It, Intimates / Toru & Naoko

January 31, 2015January 31, 20152 Comments

Etsy is such a wonderful place to come across new-to-me handmade labels. In my search for new lingerie designers I could share with you I came across Toru & Naoko, an intimates brand designed and owned by Camila, an Argentinean now living in Chile. She has such a wonderful ability to take classic, vintage-inspired looks and add interesting design details that it almost pains me that they are undergarments, and not outer-garments. But this is how I always feel about lingerie. My favourite articles of clothing to own/wear are always the ones that feel inappropriate to wear in public – lingerie, dressing gowns etc. I guess it works out nicely that I’m mostly an introverted homebody and thus have many an opportunity to give my much loved intimates their time to shine.