Becoming me.

When there’s a lot I want to say in a blog post, I get overwhelmed. The more information I want to put down, the more intimidated I get to write it down. I’ve been sitting on these photos for a few weeks and I feel like a part of the delay in posting them was me putting off writing about them. I often ‘fantasize’ about getting rid of the writing in my blog, and only posting photos and links. I tell myself that this will ease my procrastinating about the blog, and in turn I will be more willing to post and increase my output. Every time I have this particular fantasy, I think about a yoga quote, “the places where you have the most resistance are actually the places that are going to be the areas of the greatest liberation.” I won’t deny it’s immediately perceived hokey-ness…but I also can’t deny it’s truth. It’s here in the writing where I struggle the most, but it’s also where I find such satisfying achievements. Sure, the blog is a great motivator for improving my photography and to push my fashion creativity, but these things do no scare me as much as putting myself and thoughts out there in writing. And if I didn’t feel the need to get personal beyond the images, then that would be fine too and I wouldn’t…but when I look at these pictures, I have so much I want to say about them. A small, nagging, doubting voice in my head whispers, “people don’t come here to listen to you wax poetic about something as silly as fashion” but it’s more than that and that’s what I really want to share. 

First, the new hair! What do you think? I LOVE IT! So, happy I pulled the trigger at the hair dressers. I was super nervous, my heart was pounding while I sat in the chair with all the bleach on my hair. I couldn’t be happier though. I really wanted it done before my birthday. It was kind of a celebration of the more confident person that I am becoming, and I really wanted it to show on such a milestone occasion. Birthdays are such great times to reflect on your past and get excited about the future. I have never felt as good as I do at this time in my life. I contribute it to a combination of better physical and mental health, largely aided by a daily yoga practice (or so I think). It’s fun to look back (in life and on the blog) and see how far I’ve come, but what’s more exciting is to look to the future and to anticipate where this upward trend will take me. I hope it will see me mastering more of my yoga and photography. Which leads me to the second thing I wish to share, I got a new camera lens for my birthday. It was a gift from family members, and I couldn’t be more thankful. Not only for such a generous gift, but more importantly for the show of love and encouragement towards my passion for photography. It’s such a great feeling when loved ones encourage your passion and growth. I loved how the photos turned out with the new lens and I can't wait to shoot more blogs and pictures with it. 

Well this blog has been a little long winded, so if you made it this far… thank you! And now for the super cute birthday outfit I rocked! PS. the cashier at Sephora said I looked, “hipster…but you know…in a good way.” I laughed because I had the exact same thought when I looked at myself in the mirror that morning. All joking aside, I am in love with this hat - hipster or not. I saw it at Dynamite and I allllllmost walked out without it. Thankfully, I had a moment where I told myself I would probably regret it if I didn’t get it. Oh man, I was so right. 

Hat: Dynamite (on sale!). Top: Forever21 (also on sale!). Jean shorts: Opening Ceremony (thrifted) (similar). Shoes: Spring (similar). Purse: vintage (thrifted)(similar). Sunglasses: Urban Planet (cute).

A case for thrifting.

The evolution of this blog post is a bit long winded, but here it goes...it all started with a jacket. Not just any jacket, an adorable cropped denim, moto jacket that I scored for $15 at a local consignment store, Unika. I styled a cute look (see below) around the jacket, and it turned out even better than I had hoped. I was so happy I had pulled the trigger and bought the jacket, and that got me thinking about the reasons why I bought it and what helps me decide when to get pieces when I am thrift shopping. Sometimes thrifting can be overwhelming, there are so many clothes..how do you choose what will actually benefit your wardrobe? I have a few go to tips that help me find and decide what pieces to buy, and I thought I would share them with you guys :) But first, the outfit! I paired the cropped jacket with a high waisted white lace skirt, and it begged for this graphic striped cropped sweater. Something about the sweater made me crave a bold pink lip - such an easy way to make a statement with your makeup. The white, perforated purse had the same cute summer vibe, so it was a perfect addition and then I went for casual comfort in my shoe choice with a neutral leather flat sandal. I loved the result, it's fun and fresh and easy to wear.

Classic Pieces: not a necessity, but I think you get the most bang for your buck with classic pieces, simply because they could be in your wardrobe forever. A blazer, denim jacket, a trench coat - these sort of things will stand the test of time. The denim moto jacket I am wearing in this post, the inspiration for this whole idea, is a perfect example. A moto jacket will always have some place in fashion. It’s iconic. The fact that this one was in denim just gave it a little twist that I loved. And it was 15 dollars, people. Hello.

See with your hands: That sounds totally cheese, but what I am trying to say is…quality clothes will be made with quality fabric and I believe that you can feel the difference. I will touch the clothes on the rack as I scan through. It’s like a little game - when I feel like an item is quality, I check the tag and if it’s a more expensive brand…I win :p This very technique picked me out a gorgeous grey Aritzia wool sweater for $3 and a silk Alice + Olivia dress for $7. 

Shop outside your “size”: Never, I repeat, never shop only in your known size section! For me personally this is most obvious in the jean section. In different brands, my size can fluctuate wildly, from 25-28. In my experience, vintage clothing is usually a size larger than what I would wear currently (ie. I am usually a dress size 2, in something vintage…maybe a 6?)

Patience, my friend, patience. Thrifting is not quite as easy as strolling into a store at the mall: there isn’t multiple sizes in the same piece, not every piece is on trend, you might not find anything you like. Thrifting does involve extra effort - extra time and patience, but when you find that great piece…it’s like winning an exciting treasure hunt!

Do your homework: know the trends before you head out shopping. Unlike stores at the mall, the stuff coming into the thrift store isn't all the latest and greatest and you will need to know what you're looking for as you sort through the masses.

Value Village has a great page on tips for all different aspects of thrifting, from furniture thrifting to how to clean vintage clothing. 

Hope these tips help! Happy thrifting!!

Denim moto jacket: American Eagle (thrifted from Unika) (similar). Striped cropped sweater: Forever 21 (old) (cute). White midi skirt: Forever21 (old) (cute). Tan sandals: Aldo (old) (similar). Purse: Indigo Chapters (on sale!). Sunglasses: Winners (old) (cute). Lips: Wet 'n' Wild in Dollhouse Pink.

Vested Interests

The sun is peaking out here and there in my part of the world, but it's still pretty chilly out. Not only were all these light layers weather appropriate but they were super comfy and cute...obviously. I love finding new ways of wearing this trench vest. Seriously, it's one of my favourite items of clothing. To any ladies looking to mix up their wardrobe, I highly suggest something along this line. It's only one piece and it will change up your entire wardrobe - such a great return for a little investment. It'll be a great layering piece as we come into spring. Oh man, I am so excited for spring. I've been reading all the spring issues of the style magazines and I feel so inspired! I am ready to wear dresses and sandals again, who's with me?!

Trench vest: Forever21 (old) (cute). Turtleneck: Forever21 (old) (similar). Pants: Forever21 (old)  (cute). Shoes: Converse All-stars. Bag: Indigo (old) (similar). Necklace: Joe Fresh (old) (similar)

Doin' what we love.

Warning: image heavy blog post ahead. Haha. I couldn't help it! I had the amazing opportunity of being shot by a photographer I am also very lucky to call a close friend. Her name is Sasha Moir, she's a brilliantly friendly and warm person who has a huge passion for photography - a person after my own heart. Please check her out on instagram @sashamoirphotography! I have never shot a blog post with anyone beside my blog husband (hehe, you know...like a instagram husband), so I was a bit nervous...for like 2 seconds, and then Sasha put me totally at ease. I think it helped that I wore a dress I knew she liked, from a previous photo. We shot in a favourite location for both of us - Fort Langley. It's got a quaint charm, and is so photogenic! Blake and I had our engagement photos done here :) Back to the outfit! So, I chose the dress because I knew Sasha liked it, but I decided to layer it with a denim button down to do something different from the last time I wore it. I belted it, to give me a waistline, and when I had the shirt all buttoned up, it was just screaming for this necklace. It added a kinda western bohemian feel that I am totally digging at the moment. The fringe boots and brown faux leather backpack just added to the carefree feel, and I added the sweater at the last minute, but it was the perfect choice. I love the pattern of the sweater against the floral of the dress. Overall, I was really happy with the outfit, but these photos really bring it to life!

Dress: H&M (similar). Denim button up: H&M (old) (similar). Boots: GoJane. Backpack: Winners (old) (similar + similar). Coat: Hand-me-down (authentic + similar). Hat: Sirens (old) (similar). Necklace: Dynamite (old) (similar). 

Art of the mix.

Nothing makes me happier than mixing prints, and really pulling them off. I know I pulled this one off when my husband looked at me and said, in shock, "That weirdly works". I feel like I earned a real fashionista badge of honour when I mixed plaid with leopard and stripes! This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I sure love it. Another thing I am in love with...my new hair! I've never been this blonde before, it's fun. I love it with the dark root, and also with the darker brows. It looks great with a red lip - my fave!

Jacket: J.Crew (old) (also cute). Dress: Alfred Sung (omg soooooo old, we're talking 8 years) (similar). Striped mock neck: H&M (similar + similar). Shoes: Forever21 (old) (very cute). Purse: Kate Spade (similar). Faux fur keychain: Dynamite (similar).