This time last year I was going through a lot of changes – My ex and I broke up, I moved out of our place and I was temporarily living in my friends spare bedroom waiting to move into my new place. While all of that sounds pretty shit, it really wasn’t so bad. There were so many things that felt like a fresh start and a chance to make things better and different for myself. Now I am sat here, after almost a year, on a couch I bought for myself only a few weeks ago (ya, finally!), in an apartment filled with things I love, and I can’t help but feel content. While the bad was right bad, which at times felt insurmountable, I remember believing there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Yes, that over-used, cheese saying, but those were the perfect words for it. I felt trapped for awhile, unsure of what was the right decision, but I knew that on the other side of this mess, that when I did find a way out, there would be a little bit more light each day.
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I’m not going to pretend things are all hunky dory (what am I 80?) everyday, because they aren’t, but I have a whole lot to be thankful for everyday. So it’s fitting that today is Canadian Thanksgiving, seems like the right day to be counting the things in my life that are shiny and bright and give me light, each and everyday.
What are you thankful for?
-WHAT I WORE-
Top: CS | Trousers c/o Miss Patina | Shoes: Dr. Martens | Backpack: vintage Liz Claiborne via CS
in miss patina
Having a deaf dog does have it’s share of challenges; it’s far harder to train a deaf dog, eye contact and hand signals are your only form of communication, and being unable to call to them when they are out of sight can be a bit annoying, if not kind of stressful. Honestly, it’s never been that much of a problem in my life. There are not many instances where I wish Gus could hear, the only ones are when we are spending a great deal of time outdoors, he’s off leash and I need to keep on an eye on him in case his nose leads him astray. He’s never been the type of dog to run away off leash – I trust him wholly in that respect – but his sense of smell leads him to wander and that’s when I wish he was able to hear. So naturally, I have never actually done outfit photos on my own with Gus and I. Any time Gus has been featured with me in photos, it’s because someone else has taken them. When I’m taking my own outfit photos, I’m pretty focused on what I’m doing, so having Gus wandering around me off-leash and sniffing his surroundings while my attention is elsewhere seems pretty unsafe for him. But my relationship with Gus has changed quite a bit since his back surgery and since being left to look after him on my own. I bring Gus with me to a lot more places now so he’s never alone for too long and since he’s a bit slower than he used to be because his back legs aren’t in the best shape, I’m less worried about him getting too far ahead of me off leash. Building a bond with a dog can take awhile, I think. Gus and I were bonded pretty quickly, mostly in the sense that he knew I was his person and he wanted to be around me all the time, but it definitely took awhile for Gus to understand what I expected of him and for me to learn his little quirks and what situations he is good or bad in. All this to say, a year ago, I probably wouldn’t have tried to take photos with just Gus and I, but it felt right this time around, and my intuition didn’t steer me wrong. He stuck by me most of the time, and if I did notice him wandering off it was pretty easy to catch up to him and bring him back. I feel lucky to have such a funny and easy going dog. Obviously everyone is biased when it comes to their dog, but I really believe I got pretty damn lucky when this little cloud showed up in my life.
Pinafore: 
okay andie 