Happy Belated

July 14, 2014November 11, 2014Leave a comment

The past few days have been pretty amazing. Friday I spent the day styling the one and only Audrey Kitching which was sort-of insane and it’s kind of hard to believe it actually happened. I took plenty of photos from the day and shoot, so I’ll talk more about that later. These photos are from Saturday, which was my 26th birthday. Ryan and I had brunch at one of my favourite spots, Rustic Cosmo, or as Meaghan’s boyfriend Nick calls it, The Rusty Combo (don’t ask), and then headed to Toronto Island to relax in the sun listening to garage rock and sipping much-too-sweet alcoholic beverages. Ryan took these photos of me at Ward’s Island – my sort-of dream spot if I could afford to live here, and if anyone would actually give up their home. The houses have a wonderfully cottage-y feel and you would never know that just a ferry ride away is crazy ol’ Toronto. After the island we went to Hogtown Vegan, and if you are ever visiting Toronto and like crazy cool vegan food, this is the spot. It’s vegan comfort food, and honestly makes you wonder why you ever ate meat in the first place. The night finished off with drinks at Geraldine’s, a new-ish 1920’s themed bar in Parkdale, (super pricey, but totally worth it) and then to Pharmacy, and like the name insinuates was once a pharmacy, also in Parkdale, but is now a quaint bar where you always run into a familiar face. It was a great day and night. There were a lot of people missing that I wished could have shared my birthday with me, but it seems a ton of my closest friends reside all around the globe now (cries!!). On Sunday I had brunch with Meaghan and Ryan, and Meaghan bought me a jade plant from Crown Flora, which I have yet to name (Ryan also bought me a cactus, who needs a name. suggestions are welcome). I spent the rest of the day cleaning my apartment that looked like a clothes bomb had exploded everywhere (i hate unpacking after shoots) and re-watching Short Term 12, bawling my eyes out (i love a good cry) cause it’s so good and so sad!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend as well! Today I am off work and am going to start prepping things for my upcoming Larkspur lookbook. It kept getting pushed back due to other shoots I was styling, but it is finally happening in the next couple weeks, so stay tuned.

*photos by Ryan

Dress worn as shirt: H&M
Shorts: TLO
Hat: vintage via a wee shop in MTL
Shoes: thirfted Giorgio Armani

Three Wise Monkeys

June 17, 2014November 11, 20141 Comment

I don’t talk about dance much on here, for whatever reason. It’s a huge part of my life, however. I’ve been dancing since I was 3 yrs old, and when most kids were hanging out with their friends after school and on weekends, I was at the dance studio, in the classes I had every night and rehearsing the many, many competitive dance routines I was in each year. Dance has been the most consistent thing in my life – I’ve just always been doing it. I’m not sure I’ve ever really mentioned what it is exactly that I do. I started training quite young in ballet – which I’ve posted about before – that’s where it all began. I’m trained in ballet, jazz, lyrical, tap, hip hop and contemporary. My main and most loved style is contemporary, but since moving to Toronto several years ago, I do a lot of hip hop, which I guess is my other main style. I’m trying to figure out a way to incorporate my dance things into this space. I’m in the very very beginning stages of starting a new project with a dear friend who I have been dancing with for several years now. It’s something I’m really excited about, and will be something I can share with all of you since it will be mostly “web-based”. Dance is very much my art, and I keep it very close to my heart, but I think I want to open up a bit and allow others into that world (not just those very close to me).

These photos are from a piece I was in called ‘Three Wise Monkeys’, choreographed by my amazing friend and dance mama, Shameka Blake, and danced with two really truly amazing & inspiring dancers, Alvin Collantes and Chantelle Mostacho. Photographs by E.S. Cheah.

Not a Daywalker

June 16, 2014November 11, 2014Leave a comment

Last week I found a great spot to take pictures, similar to a secret garden, but I assume it eventually gets filled with water to become a pond, so I’m not sure for how long I can use this space. Another notable thing about these photos is that I wore my hair up! Just last week I talked about how I always wear my hair the same, so I thought I’d try something new. I quite like it. It will be a nice style for when the weather becomes really hot, and my hair loves to stick to my neck and forehead. This will be short and sweet today because I got an awful sunburn yesterday and I’m feeling very under the weather. A lot of red painful skin and I’m pretty sure I’m dehydrated. The woes of being a ginger. I’m usually very good at remembering sunscreen, because within 5 minutes of being in the sun I can turn into a lobster. But I forgot, and now I am a crustacean.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend. I’m going to slowly make my way to the drug store to get some aloe, because our little aloe plant has helped a wee bit, but we don’t want to kill her. I need an industrial sized bottle I think, much more than what little miss aloe can provide. I’m also planning on updating the shop this week. Something I have been having difficulty doing. Having stock in a shop and online has become difficult. I never quite know what I should add to the shop, and what should go online, so I’ve kind of just been avoiding restocking online. But I photographed some new stuff to add, so it just needs some washing and measuring. I’ll be in bed all day today, so it seems like the perfect time to do just that.

Shorteralls & Blouse: vintage via Common Sort
Socks: H&M
Shoes: thrifted
Lipstick: Trop Chaud by Mac

The Trees They Grow So High

March 3, 2014November 11, 20141 Comment

I’ve been trying to make more time for creative endeavors recently. This bleak winter has not been kind to my creative mind and I feel I’ve been a bit lazy for some time now — a whole lot of ideas, and not a lot of follow through. It’s hard to stay motivated when not much around you feels very inspiring. But I’ve got some exciting things in the works which has got me feeling positive again. I want this space to be wholly me and not just posts that fill in the gaps when I don’t have something of my own to share (although I do love supporting the amazing designers, artists and brands that I share). I’ve been rethinking the blog’s image, and the content I share. Maybe a name change? Or maybe it’s not ready for that just yet. I definitely want to introduce a little more uniformity to it. When Meg and I started this blog we had a weekly routine of posts we would share, but it got lost in translation over time. This space has changed so much since then. It is only me and my voice now, so it makes sense I leave some things behind, keep the idea of reoccuring content, but with more of my own original ideas. As most things are, it’s a work in progress. But I do hope you continue to follow along and this space can continue to grow in a positive way.

Negligee: vintage via Public Butter
Rings: from my Mother

Succulent City

February 3, 2014November 11, 20142 Comments

Happy Monday morning friends! I have recovered from my tonsil illness, and am feeling quite healthy. I had an appointment with a specialist and will be getting these babies removed, although a date has not been set yet. Surgery feels a little frightening, but I don’t think I can continue getting tonsillitis several times a year. It is worth whatever little risk is involved with surgery if it will ensure I no longer get this sick.

I was starting to feel truly cooped up over the past week, so Meaghan and I decided to head to Allan Gardens Conservatory on Saturday to see living greenery (since all greenery is dead in the natural world of Toronto right now) and snap some shots for my blog, and The Vacant North. Winter can feel endless and truly uninspiring sometimes, so this was a much needed excursion, and girly time.

I wore one of my favourite dresses given to me by my pal Danielle, and then added this rust skirt (which is in the shop!!!) over top. Getting dressed in this cold weather has started to feel like a chore, and I find myself going back to the same outfit over and over, but sometimes if you have the time (and a boyfriend you can pester about what to wear) an outfit you never even considered just pops out at you and you are left pleasantly surprised.

I hope you all have a safe, warm and lovely Monday!

*photos by Meaghan