Maybe it’s the refreshing feeling Spring brings, but I’ve been on a bit of a beauty/houseware kick lately. It seems I am getting more excited about buying makeup and skin/hair care products rather than clothes, and organizing/cleaning my home and welcoming cute wares into our abode. So I thought I’d share a few things I picked up recently.

I recently picked up Kiehl’s creamy eye treatment with avocado from the Kiehl’s store in Yorkdale Mall (a big ol’ mall in Toronto). I have a tough time justifying a more expensive purchase for a skincare product if I haven’t heard a recommendation or haven’t tried it myself (ie, a sample), but I had heard some good things about this eye cream, and I was looking for an under eye treatment product, so I picked this up and I love it. It may be a little pricey, but it will last a long while, so, well worth the money in the end. I’ve only been using it a few days now, so I don’t have much to report, but I do love using it as a morning product. The avocado sort of helps wake me up, and it’s a nice base for my under eye concealer.

Value Village is one of my favourite places to find houseware goodies. Sometimes there is absolute shit, and other times there are some real gems. This time I found some gems in the way of 4 little colourful bowls and this adorable teapot/kettle hybrid. I actually don’t know what it is (which is embarassing), the wooden handle confuses me. I originally thought it was a kettle, but then when I got home I thought maybe it’s a teapot. To be honest, it’s making me feel like an idiot that I don’t know what it is. Someone, if you know, please enlighten me! LOL
A new makeup bag!! I had been using the same disgusting (read: old) makeup bag for quite a long while. So while I was waiting for a prescription at the drug store to be ready, I walked over to H&M for a wee browse. Now I don’t really like many of the clothes in H&M, at least, not the way I used to, but I do get quite excited about their accessories and this makeup bag immediately caught my eye because of, you guessed it, pink! There isn’t much to it, just a zipper and the inside, but it’s pink, it’s clean and it’s new, so I’m a happy camper.
While Ryan and I were in Yorkdale Mall, we also headed into Bath and Body Works to pick up some wallflower fragrances because our home was starting to smell of big stinky dog breath (ie, Beans). Bath and Body Works is a dangerous place for me – scents and candles everywhere! This body wash/bath foam immediately caught my eye. I swear, anything that says stress relief I’m like a moth to a flame. If you know me on a personal level, then you know how stressed out I can become (I sometimes talk about it on here), so anything that says it will help with stress, even if it is a stupid gimmick, I’m usually intrigued by. This body wash is with eucalyptus and spearmint, which sounds like soothing properties. I’ve used it a few times now and so has Ryan, and we both quite like it.
You might be shocked to know that I really don’t use any products in my hair, like at all. I shampoo and condition, and that’s it. But when I was in MTL, Kristen had the Fructis Marvelous Oil in her cabinet, so after I washed my hair I gave it a go and the silky difference in my hair was so apparent I knew when I got back to Toronto I had to buy it. And buy it I did. I also picked up Fructis Triple Nutrition Double Care which I spray on my hair while it’s damp and it helps with tangles. The downside to having long hair is it tangles so easily, like dreadlocks style. I’m loving both these products. The oil helps my hair dry faster and leaves it feeling silky and the spray helps to make brushing my hair a less painful experience.
Candles!! Bath and Body Works has amazing smelling candles. I really like the Lemon Mint Leaf one and Ryan liked the Eucalyptus Mint, so I got one of each.
There is a vintage/antique shop called Ransack The Universe really close to our home, and the last few weekends we have walked passed it on our way to get donuts and coffee from TBC Vegan Bakery. They usually have some furniture strategically placed outside on the sidewalk so as to force you to look at all the neat stuff they have without even having to go inside. Well, each time I walked passed I noticed a little light blush pink end table that so perfectly matched the colour of my kitchen table. So after about the 4th time of seeing it, I finally gave in and headed to the shop on Monday to see if it was still for sale. And now here it is, looking lovely as ever in my livingroom. I’m especially excited about it because our livingroom is very “Ryan”, which is fine, but it’s nice having some girlyness added to it.
I actually picked up this perfume oil while I was in MTL 3 weeks ago. My usual scent is Daisy by Marc Jacobs, but I ran out of it and I’m looking to get a Chloe perfume next, but when Kristen and I were browsing a shop (which I can’t remember the name of now) we found these perfume oils by Dot & Lil and I fell in love with the vanilla scent. I’ve never used a perfume oil before, but I quite like it. It seems longer lasting and I can also get whiffs of myself throughout the day, which I like. It’s also an added bonus that this perfume oil can be used in a diffuser in the home, so you could also have your home smelling of delicious vanilla – double whammy of goodness.
Tag: H&M
It’s what’s on the outside…
Until very recently, it felt like I hadn’t been thrifting in ages. I used to thrift at least once a week for my shop, but I’ve sort of put shop updates on the back-burner for a bit while I try to find a better schedule for photographing items and figuring out the overall aesthetic of my shop – do I use a dress form? do I continue modelling the items? should I just hang them?…I digress…all this to say, my thrift store hiatus ended recently because in preparation for a new designers first lookbook I styled and modelled for this past weekend, I headed to a few thrift shops last week to pick up some accessories for the shoot, and of course I found myself getting side tracked and looking for things I’d like to purchase for myself (I’m so bad for this). Sometimes you go thrifting and come away with nothing, and other times it feels like a gold mine. This time around it was a gold mine. I found this vintage houndstooth coat and these shoes (not very weather appropriate, but we weren’t going far and they matched my tights…so sue me) for what felt like mere pennies. It may seem silly to be buying coats this late in the winter game, but I almost never ever say no to a coat if I love it, no matter the season. I truly believe when you live in a climate like this, where it’s cold more often than not, one can never have too many coat options. Since my coat normally covers my outfit, I’d like for my outer layer to speak for itself and reflect my personal style as best it can…and wearing the same thing everyday gets boring, so, coats!!!
What items can you never say no to? What articles of clothing feel like essentials where you live?
*photos by Ryan









Coat: thrifted vintage
Sweater, hat, purse, tights: H&M
Skirt: Common Sort
Blouse: vintage via Penny Arcade
Shoes & scarf: thrifted
The Life of a Dress
I have such a hard time feeling okay about buying clothes that are not vintage or thrifted (this excludes independent designers). I’m not sure why – maybe they just don’t feel special…maybe I don’t like the idea of fast fashion – whatever it is, I actually feel like I have something against new clothes. Recently Forever 21 opened a location really close to my house and I thought, “okay, cool, I can take a peek, maybe they’ll have some cute things.” But the second I tried them on, I didn’t want any of them. It just didn’t feel like me. But say I were to find that same item in a thrift store and I liked it, I would probably buy it. Maybe hunting for clothes is part of my love for vintage and thrifting.
So it’s odd for me to say, but the only thing that is vintage in this entire look is my hat. This dress may look vintage – what with it’s 50s shape and fun novelty print – but it is indeed new. And it had me wondering…will I love this dress? Why shouldn’t I love this dress? I mean, when I saw it online, I fell for it almost immediately. But as soon as I knew a ton of others could purchase it, or that it doesn’t have an interesting past, it’s like my brain tried to sabotage my initial like for this dress, as if it was less special because it hadn’t been worn by another. But I’m glad I do own it. I am very fond of this dress. I no longer have any dresses with this silhouette in my closet – I sold all my 50s dresses with a similar silhouette long ago because I’m not really a 50s kind of girl (usually). But the length of this dress feels very 60s and it can act as a pinafore, which we all know I love. It may not have a history, but I’m the first home along it’s journey. I hope one day it will make some others girls happy. After all, all those vintage clothes I love so much now started out as new.
Hold do you feel about buying new vs old? Do you even care? I’d love to hear.












Dress c/o Larmoni
Blouse: H&M (old)
Socks: UO
Hat: vintage via Common Sort
Boots: Samantha Pleet x Wolverine
A New Year
Happy New Year dear friends! So I’m a bit irked right now…I had written a whole post talking about some good and bad things that happened in 2014, but my computer malfunctioned and the whole thing got deleted, which has never happened before (!!!), so I guess it was a sign. Maybe those words were not mean’t to be seen…maybe all those things were mean’t so stay with 2014, in the past. I guess all I will say is that I’m glad to see 2014 go. It was not the best year of my life. I saw tragedy and illness and lost something very dear to me…the sort of things that would understandably make you feel like the year was kind-of a bummer. But, there was quite a lot of good too and I have this blog to thank for that, so I shouldn’t give 2014 such a bad rap. This little corner of the internet has opened many doors for me that would have never happened 2 years (it’s been that long!?) ago. Even without the successes I’ve had with and because of this space, I’d still continue blogging because it has given me things I value tremendously. I’m very thankful for this space, and for those of you who have been here from the start, and those of you that are new here. In this new year I’d love to get to know some of you guys. I know I follow a ton of bloggers and never comment…just sort of a silent reader. But if you felt so inclined, it would be cool if you commented and let me know who you are, or told me a little bit about yourself, or even just a simple hello…anything really. I’m quite excited to see what this new year has in store and I hope you guys will be here to share and follow along.
Holly Jolly
I thought since Christmas is right around the corner I’d put together a little holiday-inspired outfit. I feel like Mrs. Claus or a little elf, which is fun and fitting for the season. I likely won’t be wearing this outfit for the holidays, though. I don’t normally wear something that feels over the top Christmasy (red and white is just so obvious). Last year I had a lovely white chiffon dress and the year before it was a velvet emerald green shift dress. I’ve got, I think, the most perfect dress for the holidays this year, although I’ve had this dress since last February so I’ve become a little less enamored by it. I’ve got some Christmas shopping to do this evening, so I’m sure you’ll find me in one of my favorite vintage shops in between present-buying to see if I can find something I love. Vintage shops are the best place to find holiday dresses…you never know what you will come across and it’s usually bloody amazing.








Blouse: H&M
Beaded shirt c/o Ellen Face Vintage
Skirt: thirfted
Belt: thrifted
Tights: UO
Beret: vintage
Shoes: Seychelles















