10 reasons why I'm excited for the holidays

Hat - New Scotland//Coat - Miss Sixty

1.  Allll those yummy treats 
2.  Seeing my friends and family that come home from away :)
3.  Late night drives to look at all of the colourful lights
4.  Cooked Ham. Weakness.
5.  The turkey pies my dad makes
6.  Watching my family open their presents
7.  Holiday movies
8.  Having time to do crafts, try new recipes, and read *things that aren't in text books*
9.  Helping my mom decorate
10. A reason to wear glitter & sequins

the wooly mammoth vest makes an appearance

Pants - Joe Fresh//Top - Joe Fresh//Faux fur vest - BB Dakota//Watch - Nixon//Necklace - Ardene//Scarf - nabbed from mom's closet//booties - Dolce Vita

The now infamous ikea monkey (wearing a shearling coat) story that resulted from last week inspired me to put together a somewhat 'animalistic' outfit of my own.  Mine's more wooly mammoth than primate, though.  Okay so really, I just wanted an
excuse to wear this fur vest.  This thing is ridiculous and I absolutely love it.  How could you not love something when wearing it makes your boyfriend say things like "can I take a picture of you? And then a picture of the cat?  ..I want to see the family resemblance".  Or, " can you just do this for me?" *imitates Michael Cera's friend acting like a cat in Superbad*.  Apparently he thinks this vest makes me resemble a feline.. Or "yep that outfit sure is.. Original!" - could've been a politician in another life, that one.

study break

one lonesome duckie!

Sweater - Winners//Skirt - Forever 21//Booties - Dolce Vita via Winners//Necklace - Ardene//Watch - Nixon//Jacket - Kohls//Belt - Unknown

Well the snow is almost gone (for now) but it seems the cold temperatures are here to stay.  Yesterday I surfaced from behind a two foot high pile of textbooks, notes, calculators, etc. to go for a brisk walk around the park.  My boyfriend snapped these shots while we were there.  It has to be said: the one with the leather jacket thrown nonchalantly over the shoulder was his idea - I can't take credit for that much cheesiness ;)
Good luck to those writing finals!!

a moment from the checkout line

Sweater and Collar - Attitude by Jay Manuel (Sears)//Skirt - Dollhouse//Booties - Fioni//Coat - Unknown

Recently my dad and I stopped into the grocery store to pick up a few things.  We were waiting in line at the checkout when I wandered off to have a quick look at the Joe Fresh section (one of the great benefits of living in Canada).  When I came back there was a Crunchie bar waiting to be checked in with the rest of the groceries.  My dad looked at me with an astonished look on his face.. "You won't believe what happened; The bar LEAPED off the rack and onto the conveyor belt!"  Dad turned away for a moment and when he looked back there were two crunchie bars waiting to be checked in.  Like father like daughter.  And anything to satisfy a sweet tooth.

baby, it's cold outside

Jeans - Volcom//Sweater - H&M//Boots - Steve Madden//Fingerless Gloves - Gap//Scarf - Mom's closet//Coat - Kensie//Purse - Unknown store in Frankfurt//Headband - Aldo

With the unseasonably warm temperatures we've been experiencing over the last few weeks I almost had myself fooled into believing winter had been postponed.  This week, however, a cold and snowy weather blast quickly brought me back to reality.  At this time of the year I’m still early in the 'enjoying snow and it's beauty' phase.  For me the world never feels more peaceful than when snow keeps people off the roads and snowflakes are floating down in front of street lights at night.  Talk to me in March when I’m complaining about salt stained boots, walking in slush, and perma-cold feet.

But right now, it’s beautiful.

This is what I wore on a cold walk in the park with my love (after which we quickly went off to get hot beverages to warm our hands)!  

Have a great weekend!

girl with the fuchsia tights

Turtleneck - Joe Fresh//Skirt - Envy//Tights - Hue//Shoes - Madden Girl//Necklace - Claire's

This outfit was inspired by Sydney of The Daybook as seen here - isn't it great when you see an outfit you like and you already own the clothing items to recreate the look?  
I hope you had a great weekend! x

black, white and red

Tights and Scarf - Winners//Booties - Dolce Vita via Winners//Shorts and Earrings - Forever 21//Button-Up Shirt - Joe Fresh//Sweater - Urban Planet//Watch - Nixon//Bracelet - Aldo//Coat - DKNY via Model Citizens

First off, please excuse my coat being covered in cat hairs... she wants everyone to know I’m hers.  Moving on: this is the second outfit I’m posting with coloured tights.  I went with red tights to have as the focus of an otherwise completely neutral and basic outfit.  In fact, just between you and me, a few hours before this photo was taken I wasn't wearing a turtleneck sweater on top of the white button up shirt but... nutella on toast cravings happen.  And when one occurs in conjunction with a white shirt, a mess ensues.

the week of coloured tights

Skirt - Thrifted//Chambray Shirt and Thermal - Forever 21//Oxford Flats - Wanted Shoes//Tights - Joe Fresh//Necklace - Mexx (old)

I'm declaring this the week of coloured tights!  Totally official.  And, just in case you were wondering, no it doesn't matter that it's being started halfway through the week!

I appreciate how coloured tights look on people in pictures (case in point: my Pinterest), however in the past I have had qualms about how they would look on me.  That changes this week!  I'm going to try and post a couple of outfits throughout the rest of the week that each feature a pair of tights in different hues.  I think coloured tights are a nice way to brighten up winter outfits, and given the drop in temperatures this week and seeing snow flurries yesterday, I think this is a good time to incorporate these into some outfits.

For this particular outfit I chose a chambray button up shirt along with a black velvet skirt because I enjoy mixing different textures as well as the colour combination of blue, black, and burgundy (or oxblood, or maroon - however you want to label it).  Velvet is such a cold weather fabric and I hope to get lots of wear out of this skirt this season.  I added a grey thermal shirt underneath the chambray because today was quite chilly and wore some flat oxford shoes because I had several errands to run and these are quite comfortable!  Do you like the look of coloured tights?  Have a great week! :)

for the love of flannel

fist pumpin' like a champ. awkward

Flannel - Vans//Skirt - Dollhouse//Necklace, Ring and Blazer - Forever 21//Shoes - Madden Girl

Flannel button-up shirts used to be a beloved staple in my casual fall/winter wardrobe - but that was when I had long hair.  Back then, these shirts could easily be thrown on and layered for a cozy, casual cold weather look.  Since cutting my hair short, however, I find this way of wearing flannels to be a little too... er, masculine on me.  For that reason this section of my closet has gone largely unworn this season.  That is until I went out to supper with some friends a few days ago and realized how much I missed wearing flannel in the fall.  Since then I've been determined to wear these shirts again in a way that better suits my new hairstyle.  Adding some feminine touches, such as a pink lipstick, necklace, pleated skirt and heels has made this look wearable for me again and I'm looking forward to trying out other ways to wear these shirts in future outfits.

leopard print & leather

Blouse, pants, hat and bag - Winners//Scarf - Primark//Coat - Unknown (old)//Booties - Crown Vintage

 The past few days have been quite uneventful and the highlight has been the ever-changing weather; it was bitterly cold and windy one day yet sunny, warm and spring-like the next!  Unfortunately I came down with a cold and spent the majority of the long weekend trying to sleep it off, or eating soup and drinking cappuccinos while awake.  I also happened to see Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom".  I know his movies aren't everyone's piece of cake but I did enjoy his movie "The Darjeeling Limited" and absolutely loved "Fantastic Mr. Fox" (based on the book by Roald Dahl) so I had high expectations for his newest movie - and it did not disappoint :).  It is about a young boy and girl who fall in love and try to run away together.  Also, Bob Balaban plays the cutest old weatherman I've ever seen.  Have you seen it? x

falling for fur

Last year my wardrobe wish list included the perfect faux fur vest.  This year the search is on for a fun fur collar, scarf, snood, or stole.  Whichever you prefer, adding a faux fur accessory is a great way to top off an otherwise incomplete outfit or simply add some extra warmth (and, inadvertently, glam ;)).  There are many styles to choose from, whether you are partial to a solid colour or print.  Those above are some of my favourite options.  If you're looking for some inspiration on how to incorporate fur accessories into your outfits you can check out my newest pinterest board here.

Starting from girl on the right, clockwise:

1//2//3//4//5//6//7//8

uk beauty wishlist

One of the things I enjoy most while traveling in another country is looking at the different products and brands that it has (does that make me weird?  Whatever, I'm down with it).  I can never resist popping in to some local shops to have a look at the products they have to offer that differ from what's available at home.  The last time I was in the UK was when I visited London a few years ago.  As I was backpacking and toting everything along with me it didn't allow me much shopping room. However, if I travel again to the UK (and bring along a large suitcase ;)) this is what I am interested in picking up:

Alpha-H

• Liquid Gold

Butter London

• Nail Polish

Collection 2000

• Lasting Perfection Concealer

Hydraluron

• Moisture Booster

Jo Malone

• Fragrances

Max Factor

• Mascaras (As mentioned by Lisa Eldridge)
• Miracle Touch Creamy Blush

MUA (Make Up Academy)

• 12 shade eyeshadow palette in Heaven & Earth
• 12 shade eyeshadow palette in Undressed

Nails Inc.

• Nail Polish

Natural Collection

• Blusher in Peach Melba (As recommended by EssieButton here)

Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman

• Core Collection, Blush Brush and Powder Brush

Sleek

• Blush Trio in Lace
• Eyeshadow Palette in Au Naturel
• Face Contour Kit in Light

Does anyone else make travel wish lists?  I can't be the only one out there.  Do share :)

checking off the to-do list

Lace tank - Winners//Chambray Shirt - Forever 21//Cardigan - Joe Fresh//Pants - J.Crew//Necklace - Le Chateau//Booties - Dolce Vita (Winners)//Ring - Velvet Snow Accessories

Have you ever had one of those days when, in a short amount of time, you get things done from your to do list that you've been putting off or have simply not been able to do for some reason or other for what feels like AGES, and suddenly they're done and crossed off the list and you feel like... Well.  On to other things???  That's about how I feel right now.  So I'm just going to take a moment to appreciate getting things done.

....and now we're back.

trying to eat healthier and stuff

Blouse - Thrifted (Liz Claiborne)//Sweater - H&M//Skirt - Thrifted (Le Chateau)//Shoes & Earrings - Forever 21

Lately I've been making more of a conscious effort to eat healthier, which has culminated in me buying a bag of broccoli - a veggie I don't even like - from Costco.  It is most definitely bulk size.  I've been eating some every day since I bought it and have still hardly made a dent.  So if anyone knows of any good recipes that call for lots of broccoli... or celery... or mushrooms.. Send 'em my way! But not those that call for tomatoes.. Because I already ate those :)

one thing about wellies

Shirt - Joe Fresh//Sweater - Winners//Necklace - H&M//Pants - Uniqlo//Boots - Hunter//Jacket - Simons

Today I was having some trouble deciding whether or not I should wear wellies (hashtag firstworldproblems).  On one hand, it had rained overnight and the ground was still damp.  On the other, the sun was coming out and didn't look like it planned on bailing anytime soon.  In the end I chose my wellies.  See, the thing about wellies (that sets them apart from my other boots) is that they don't limit the possibilities of where I can walk.  Do I love my black suede boots?  Absolutely.  Can I wear them walking through the muddy grass?  Not if I want to be able to continue wearing them.  My wellies, however, allow me to be a little more carefree on the walk to class/work/anywhere.  It doesn't matter if I step in it in these things.  So I'm taking the shortcut through the puddles.  My wellies have my back ;)

life of mammals

Day: 

Sweater - dkny//Jeans - Levis//Circle Scarf - Winners//Booties - Crown Vintage

& Night 

+ faux leather jacket - T.J. Maxx//Boots - Steve Madden

One day last week my boyfriend and I were eating lunch and watching Life of Mammals (can I just say I love David Attenborough's voice?!  I find it so relaxing).  We were watching the segment about cats where a cheetah sneaks up on and hunts a zebra without it knowing when we looked down and realized our cat had stealthily snuck up and was licking the remaining mayonnaise from my plate.  Kitty had something to prove!  It's not just the big cats you guys.

fall friday

Collared Shirt - Forever 21//Sweater - Thrifted (J. Crew)//Necklace - Claire's//Pants - J. Brand//Blazer - Target//Booties - Crown Vintage

Today was the quintessential autumn day.  Sunshine with crisp cool air, crunchy leaves of red and orange.  What other way to spend it than wandering around the downtown until remembering you parked at a meter and by now it has likely run out?  So of course after class I headed down to grab a coffee and check out some shops... and somehow I ended up eating delicious pizza with my favourite guy.

Did you enjoy your Friday?

Happy weekend!

this weekend

Blazer - Gap//Shirt - American Eagle (thrifted)//Pants - Uniqlo//Necklace and Ring - Forever 21//Moccasins - Steve Madden

This past weekend was kind of awesome, for several reasons...

Having a massage appointment that made me feel SO much better!  Hello sitting comfortably again.

Discovering the goodness known as eggs Benedict.  How have I not known about this until now??

A (self) manicure that has lasted 3 days sans chip - thank you OPI top coat.

My boyfriend renting The Hunger Games movie for us to watch and him loving it and looking up the release date for the second and making me tell him all about the second book.  

Also, he took me out for STEAKS (nom) and then surprised me with tickets for us to go see The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which he knew I really wanted to see but didn't think was coming here due to its limited release (and it was such an awesome movie)!  

I hope your weekend was equally wonderful :)

Happy Monday everybody, here's a song for you to hopefully start your week off right. I'm off to attempt a new chili recipe.