Big Gulp

May 26, 2014November 11, 2014Leave a comment

So I have been quite ill for 2 weeks without really knowing it for the first week when I started to feel a tremendous amount of pain in my side. And while I feel very lucky to live in a country with free healthcare and receive benefits from my day job that help pay for medications etc, it sometimes makes me skeptical about our healthcare system and the way walk-in clinic doctors treat patients. I’m sure things would have been different had I my own doctor, but I’m sometimes bad at being an adult and never got around to doing that. However, this situation has made me realize the importance of finding my own doctor, as well as really taking care of myself. I like to think of most tough situations in life as a sign, or lesson in something I should consider more often. In this case, I’m working hard at not pushing myself too hard, not stressing myself out so much, and just leading a more relaxed, healthy lifestyle so all other things fall into place. I’m not sure who decided we had to rush through life each and every day, but I am and have been guilty of this for years. Our frame of mind effects more than just our moods, in this specific case, I think my frame of mind was the very reason I became ill. But, despite all this, and once a very kind and wonderful person helped me get the medication and treatment I needed, things started to feel much better, both mentally and physically. Ryan and I spent most of yesterday outside at Trinity Bellwoods Park, drinking Big Gulp (mine was actually just Dr. Pepper), taking pictures, chatting and wearing some new favorite pieces that make me feel perfectly 60s/70s flower power/go-go dancing/school girl/obnoxiously bright vibes. Thing are on the up, for sure, and I’m lucky to have such a handsome dude that makes me smile even when I’d rather be crying from pain.

*photos by Ryan

Blouse & skirt: Common Sort
Sunglasses: UO
Socks: H&M
Shoes: thrifted vintage
Big Gulp: 7/11

I hear the train a comin’

May 12, 2014November 11, 2014Leave a comment

As the weather warms it has become increasingly difficult to find places to shoot my outfits that are void of people or passer-bys. I’ve lived in 6 different homes in my 7 yrs of living in Toronto and I was wracking my brain of spots I knew of that would have little to no people (since I’m growing tired of the spots I usually shoot at). It’s probably because my best friend Kristen was in town this past weekend (yay!!!) that it got me thinking of the apartment/house we used to live in, and that I was reminded of the train tracks that are next to the house we shared together (yes, we did move into a place that had train tracks RIGHT next to it, and yes, the house did shake because this railway is used often!) It was the perfect spot. I chose not to shoot directly on the tracks because, as I said, they are used often and a few trains zoomed by me while I was shooting, so safety first kids. Anyway, I’m pretty excited to be able to wear my TLO shorts again, and to have no concern about my fingertips falling off while I adjust my camera settings. All is well in my world right now – the sun is shining, the parks are ready for my butt and beers (illegal), and I’ve got some exciting projects coming up. Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Blouse: H&M (a few years back)
Shorts: TLO remake shorts
Hat: vintage via Common Sort
Shoes: thrifted vintage
Socks: Target
Necklace: gift

In defense of selfies

April 7, 2014November 11, 20147 Comments

There are several positive things about the first truly warm day of the season. One, pretty well everyone is in a good mood. Two, bare legs! Three, rediscovering clothes that have been hidden for months. Four, realizing the coat, cardigan and scarf you wore on the walk to get produce is actually making you sweat. Five, bare legs!!! I was in very bright spirits for taking outfit pictures this weekend, not realizing that a HUGE number of people were also in very bright spirits and out walking on the first truly warm day of the year. Which brings me to my negative… my frequented spots for photo taking, the ones that have been void of people for months, are now filled with people. This scenario poses a problem for those of us who take our own photos (I’m assuming I can’t be the only one who feels this way) I avoid choosing locations where I know a lot of people will be when I am taking my own photos with a self-timer and tripod. Having people watch me take photos of myself makes me feel self-conscious, and sort of vain, even though having a personal style blog does not normally make me feel vain in the slightest. Had I had a friend taking these photos, I would not have felt awkward and strange at all. Sometimes I focus too much on what others could be thinking. In reality, I have no idea what they are thinking. My assumption is that it is entirely negative, but if I passed by someone taking photos of themselves would my first thought be negative? Definitely not. But I am entirely biased since I do this weekly. Maybe if I had zero insight into the world of taking, well, pretty much “selfies”, maybe my initial reaction would be different. However, I do not consider the photos I take “selfies”, and have a great disdain for the term. I dislike how that term has turned self-portraits into a negative, and we could deem anyone who takes photographs of themselves as self-obsessed. I enjoy playing around with my camera, choosing different outfits, locations, composition and movements to create a mood, and generally all I have is myself to work with. It’s more to me than simply showcasing myself, but with instagram and the internet, peoples view on the age-old style of photography has become very much skewed. Anyways, all in all, these photos are not what i wanted them to be. I let my mind get the best of me, and never really got into my normal groove.

Shirt: vintage dress worn as top via Common Sort
Skirt: Larkspur
Socks: Target
Shoes: Seychelles – no longer available, but can be found here
Coat: vintage via Gisela and Zoe vintage

Lady in Red

March 31, 2014November 11, 20141 Comment

I have mixed feelings about the colour red. I do like it, very much. But it can also feel like very much. I was pondering what things I own in red, and it seems – unless I’m overlooking something – that it is just a few pair of shoes (one pair is travelling in the mail as we speak. weeeee!) and one dress. I tend to steer away from anything that is a solid bright red. I like deep red wine colours, and i’ll happily buy a dress or skirt in a solid like that. But if it came in a traditional, sort-of fire engine red, I’ll likely pass on it, or not even look at it. I much prefer pops of red to the whole outfit revolving around it. Red is the one colour that really throws me. Does anyone else feel like this? It’s a colour that says “hey look at me!”, but sometimes thats the opposite of what we want. I have a pair of red velvet shoes from Topshop (they have been on the blog a couple times) and I am telling you, women and men alike (mostly men though) will stop me on the street to tell me how much they love those shoes. People (mostly men) really like red. There have been psychological studies done proving men feel amorous towards women wearing red. I feel like those shoes are walking examples of that (no pun intended). Generally, men will only stop me on the street to be creepy and weird, or a good old cat call in passing. It’s never really a “hey, I like your outfit” and continue on their way. But with the red shoes, it always feels like a genuine and innocent interaction. It’s fascinating really, what colours make people do or feel without us really knowing. Anyways, I like red shoes, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s a subconscious desire to be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.

Blouse: thrifted
Skirt: vintage via a store in Kensington Marker (i wish i could remember the name)
Bow tie: TLO
Hat: vintage via Common Sort
Socks: from my mom : )
Shoes: from Meaghan, probably thrifted
Belt: thrifted

Where we are, where we are

March 24, 2014November 11, 2014Leave a comment

Well I don’t know about you, but I had a very full weekend. My eyelids feel quite heavy this morning, and coffee may very well be my only saviour today (insert praying hands emoji). I cannot complain though, I much prefer busy to the boredom I feel when not much is going on. But does anyone else feel like everything always happens at once? Things can be very quiet one week, and the next I have dance, and Larkspur happenings, and events I should be attending, and tasks that have to get done – it really can feel quite overwhelming at times. However, I am very thankful for the loved ones who help me out in these times of madness. I’ve got some really wicked people on my side, and my heart feels very full because of that.

This kitchen table means a lot to me. I’ve had the people close to my heart sit on the other side of it and share their time with me. Whether it was over a bowl of home-made sangria, two wine glasses and good conversation, or eating (struggling to eat) dirt flavoured Bertie Botts (Harry Potter jelly beans) through bouts of laughter, or sharing a prepared breakfast with visiting friends who I miss almost daily – it has brought much joy into the times when the not much is happening. I cherish each of these moments, maybe more than the people who sat on the other side of it know. Tables and kitchens bring people together. They allow people to be present with each other. Whether it’s light-hearted conversation or in-depth, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that we do have good people who will sit on the other side and share the moments when you’ve got no where to be but here.