How to Look Stylish in the Canadian Winter

The most basic answer is: don't.

Unless you drive, or take a cab everywhere, and spend literally seconds outside between car and destination.

Functionality is everything. That means the big, mostly shapeless parkas, the chunky boots that keep your feet on the ground and not over your shoulders, the hats that smoosh your curls, and the extra moisturizer that leaves you a little shiny (it's either that or patchy, red, and dry).

Ok - that's about as cynical as I get, and I always reach my highest point of cynicism in the winter. It's at its worst at this time after the holidays. When the colder weather doesn't signal the imminent arrival of celebration and having fun with loved ones. When all the cold signals is imminent days where you refuse to go outside if you don't have to, but then feel socially isolated and frustrated and rage-y with cabin fever.

I do try to feel a little stylish underneath the multitude of layers required to stay warm and dry. I also have a bright red parka and a bright red hat because I tried to veer away from all-black everything. It's a good way to avoid being hit by cars in this crazy city, but it's also a bit intense sometimes, walking around feeling like a big ol' pylon.

I've been trying to hone in to my real/truest style, too. Yes - I was part of the hoards of privileged people with too much clothing (a luxury) who got inspired by Marie Kondo's TV show (even though I didn't like the show) and gave my closet a purge. I tried to hone in to what type of clothing makes me feel GOOD when it's on me, as opposed to me just liking the piece in itself. Sparking joy in different ways, I guess you could say. Since that, I've been Bunz trading like a mad woman and have made some really wonderful trades. I gave a pair of jeans and a vintage guess skirt for a pair of barely used, off-white converse. I traded an un-worn bathing suit for some really cool earrings. I traded with a girl I had known in highschool but never connected with, and we discovered we were both really passionate about sustainability. Bunzing is helping me feel positive about the connections that are possible in this city, even in the freezing cold.

Ok - I'm digressing. Here are some fun tips for not feeling like a soggy burrito for all of winter:

~ Mix up your accessories: this means, switch up your hats, wear a pin on your hat, switch up your scarf, wear fun socks.

~ Don't be afraid of colour: Sure, in wearing light pants or coloured pants you risk sloppy road slush stains. But that doesn't mean you have to subscribe to all-black everything in an increasingly colourless season. Be the colour you want to see in the world.

~ Wear nice underwear: at least you'll look spicy underneath all the layers! Maybe you'll be the only person to know, but that's all that matters.

~View layering as both function AND style: play with your layers! Wear a colourful sweater under a jumpsuit, wear textured tights under cropped pants. These will keep you warm and keep things interesting.

Ok, that's it for my pseudo-helpful-tip-list-but-mostly-a-rant-about-winter!

How do YOU stay feeling stylish in weather that's bogging you down?


xxK

5 Thrifting Tips: Halloween Costume Shopping

I  really LOVE Halloween. I love dressing up, I love planning my costume and finding exactly the right pieces for it. I love carving pumpkins and decorating the front yard/house for the night. I love going to parties and seeing other peoples' costumes and getting into character. I EVEN love social media the next day - to see what creative costumes people came up with the night before. It is such a fun time - how often do you get to dress up and look super silly and wild and be in public where no one cares? It's so freeing and fun.

I have all this love for Halloween yet my most favourite part is dressing up. Coming up with a costume is one of the best parts of my year, and I always try to go all-out! That being said, some pre-made cosutmes are just too repetitive and expensive for me. So I usually make my own out of DIY and thrifted goodies!

Here are my tried and true tips to thrifting for Halloween!

1. Know what you're looking for.
What is your costume? What items do you need for it? It will really help to know your costume beforehand. If you walk into a thrift store without knowing what you want to be, or without knowing what you need for your costume, it can get super overwhelming and you might get a new idea with every cool piece of clothing you pull off the rack. ("Oh! With this dress I could be a witch - but with this jacket I could be a lizard, or maybe a magical dragon? But maybe I still want to be a bumble bee....") Ask yourself what you're focusing on: texture? colour? structure? type of clothing? and start looking within those categories.

For example: This halloween, I ran through the thrift store looking for MINT coloured clothes. The only specific type I needed was a blazer. When it came to bottoms though? I just pulled out any and every mint thing I could find.

2. Use your creative thinking.
Can you pull off your costume in either pants, a skirt, or a dress, so long as it's the right colour? Can you layer tops to get your desired effect? Maybe there are accessories you can add (or make!) to add that extra touch if you've only been able to find half-appropriate costume pieces at the thrift store. Can that belt or scarf work as a headband or cross-body sash instead? Maybe that weird purse can be used as a hat, or that old flag can be used as a cape! On Halloween, nothing is as it seems! And by that I mean not every item has to be used as it was initially intended. ;)

3. Think with an 'editing' mind.
This really ties in with creative thinking! If you find a t-shirt that has the right colour but might need a stripe, you could add it yourself with fabric paint from the dollar store. Or maybe you find the perfect skirt but it is too long/big - Google how to do a basic alteration! It doesn't have to be perfect - since it's Halloween. I have always been big on DIY for Halloween and most often add alterations to the pieces I find. One year, I thrifted a giant pink sweater, spray painted cotton balls, glued them to the sweater, wore a pink afro wig (which I also spray painted) and BAM! I was cotton candy.

4. Try to buy what you would wear everyday, too.
I was very happy this year to buy pieces I will most likely wear on a day-to-day basis too! To be fair, it depends on the costume whether that's possible. But it is always really nice when you are buying something to know you'll get more than one night's wear out of it.

5. Go crazy!
This is your time to buy items you normally wouldn't! Buy that ridiculous faux fur coat you've always secretly wanted but never could justify to yourself. Make it part of your costume, and then make it part of your everyday wardrobe too. Halloween is a really good time for crazy, and it's always fun to shake things up and add a little bit of crazy to your life - isn't it? ;)

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Are you a Halloween enthusiast too? What are you dressing up as this year?!

xo

5 Thrifting Tips: Finding the Best Treasures

Finding the best treasures in a thrift or vintage shop is not always easy because, in all honesty, a lot of what you find secondhand has been given away/gotten rid of for a reason. Not to mention you have to really work to find things your size or things without stains and rips or missing buttons. But there is a way, and it's not that hard!

Here are my 5 tips and tricks to help you find the very best items when you go thrifting!

1. Know what you want and what you like. Are you in need of t-shirts, sweaters, or pants? Thrift shops can be overwhelming since every single piece is unique and there is so much to sift through. Knowing what you're looking for narrows the search and helps you focus. This holds true for colour, pattern, style, etc. If I'm looking for all-black-everything, I will let my eyes tell me what items to pull out and look at first, given that they are black. Same goes for wanting to spice things up and try on patterns or bright colour!  

2. But don't be afraid to try something out of your comfort zone. Knowing what you want and like is a helpful starting point - but if you're hoping to find some gems, sometimes they'll be outside of what you want. If something on another rack catches your eye (maybe because it's that yellow colour you've been loving lately, or it has a pattern you've never seen before), take a peek! Even if it's something you never thought you'd wear! You may just stumble upon a new favourite.

3. Try things on. Sometimes garments seem a little sub par and unexciting on the hanger, but make you feel like you've hit the jackpot when you try it on and it fits you just so and makes you feel like 5 million bucks! (This tip is recurring, it's also on my  5 Tips for Avoiding being Duped and Disappointed when thrifting list!)

4. Take the time to do it. Thrifting isn't like walking into H&M and knowing exactly which section caters to you (Basics? Business apparel? Or the section that appeals to your inner teeny bopper?). Some thrift stores will have categorization, usually based on what they have in stock at that moment. But it takes time and patience to go through the varied clothing items. So if you want to find the good stuff, you have to take the time and energy to do it, and it is most definitely one of those "it's worth it" activities.

5. Don't get discouraged. As a frequent, somewhat obsessive thrifter, I've experienced almost as many off days as I have had fabulous days. There are times where a store simply does not have anything that suits me. It's all contingent on so many factors; who has donated or sold their clothes to the store that week, who has already come in and scooped up all the good stuff, how I'm feeling that day, what my tastes are that week, what I want that week.... etc. But that's just the nature of the thrift-game, and for every day you find nothing, you will have a day or two where you basically want to buy the whole store.

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Are you interested in thrifting? Check out these other posts for more tips to help you maximize your thrifting potential!
- 5 Thrifting Tips: Avoid being Duped and Disappointed
- 4 Thrifting Tips: Finding Workplace Clothes


What is YOUR very best thrifted or vintage find? 
Fun fact: one of my best finds is the sweater in the picture for this post. The part with the pattern, anyway. I bought it years ago and my parents even joke that it's my "signature sweater"!

xo

4 Thrifting Tips: Finding Workplace Clothes

As I've mentioned before, I've been applying for jobs, some of which have business-casual environments. I felt great on my very first interview - wearing some nice clothes I already owned, feeling fabulous and grown up. But then I got a second interview and - AHH - what was I going to wear? They'd already seen my one good outfit. Well, shit. If I could barely make it through 2 interviews how would I manage if I got the job? Time to go shopping!

I thought this would be one of the hardest parts of my Year of Thrift challenge yet. I usually find comfy casual cool clothing at my favourite thrifty haunts. I've been determined though, not to fall off the wagon for the sake of convenience (because that's the whole damn point of this challenge isn't it.) So I went out, and I bought a total of 3 pants and 3 tops that I can mix and match and all go together and I feel absolutely ready to take on the business-casual workplace!

So how did I go about getting (nice) thrifted business casual clothing?

1. Mix it up - Go to higher end consignment/designer second hand shops.
There are a ton of independently run small businesses that cater directly to this kind of need! I found all sorts of fabulously priced designer goodies and brands that are normally way out of my price range, all because I went to stores that I knew wouldn't be re-selling your teenage sister's impulse H&M purchases. (Which I normally would go to.) Instead they re-sell your fabulous fashionable aunt's garments from last season, that totally work for you for this season ;)

2. Bring along someone who knows their business wear & designer goods.
This was important for me since, I've never truly worked in a business environment before. Sure, I have as a summer student, but at that point in time it was a little more relaxed since I wouldn't be around very long. My step mom joined me in my thrifting adventure this time (Thanks!) and she was able to tell me if something 1. fit properly, 2. was appropriate, 3. was worth a little splurge or not, given the brand name.

3. Fight your "Ooh Shiny!" impulses.
When I go to thrift shops, I generally tend towards the unusual patterns, funky colours, and overall unique items. Why? That's part of why I love thrifting; the unexpected exciting finds. This time around I made sure to fight that impulse and focus on classic, mixable items, and ones that were still "me" but also professional looking.  
Key word: Classics. Black and/or tan trousers, neutral blouses/tops, a simple black handbag, etc.

4. Shop the Sales.
For me, designer second hand shops can still be far out of budget, especially if I want a whole set of clothing. I splurged on one pair of pants (vintage Prada!) but that was the only item I payed full price for. The rest I bought from the sale section, or from a store that was having a 50% everything sale! Look online for when stores have their sales, and keep an eye out for sales sections everywhere you go!

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What is your best business-casual/fancy second hand find?


xo

My 5 Go-To Resources for Inspiration!

One of my favourite parts of the internet and blogging community is the plethora of available inspiration and resources. There is an endless amount of inspiring content, really, but sometimes it's good to have something to fall back on in case you're having trouble finding something on any particular day. I think this is especially important for those of us figuring out our own paths in life, especially if it's a creative path!

Here are my top 5 go-to's for those days where I need an extra push forward!

1) Be Your Own Muse
"Be Your Own Muse is a community of creators, entrepreneurs, change-makers and world-shakers." Using a Q&A format, the two editors of this inspiring blog, Kinsey and Sarah, speak with their selection of fabulous 'Muses' to find out more about what they do and what makes them tick! There are some great stories and thoughts on there that I found resonated with me and made me want to kick myself in gear.

2) Jenny Purr's "Make it Happen" Podcasts
Jen has some fantastic (fairly) new podcasts on her blog, aimed towards entrepreneurs and bloggers with big dreams. They are really fun to listen to - I've never had much luck getting into podcasts, but I have really enjoyed putting these on and listening to them as I edit photos for work or paint for fun. Topics range from Successful Blogging for your Creative Business to Authentically Building Trust Online.  Give it a listen!

3) The What's Underneath Project by Stylelikeu
The What's Underneath Project is a really cool series of interview videos with individuals who strip down - physically and emotionally- and share their journeys with us. There is so much fantastic content about identity, figuring things out, embracing yourself, and personal style. It's got some really touching points and they frequently release little bits on their instagram account, which I follow and love!

4) Rad Girl Rad Gig by Kaelah Bee
Though not too frequent, this series on Kaelah's blog is a really fun one to read through. The posts are fascinating little insights into the unique jobs/careers/hobbies of some rad ladies - as the title suggests! It's so fun to see what kinds of jobs are out there that you've maybe never even heard of.

5) Cocorrina's The Freelance Life series
Last but not least, Corina's fabulous Freelance Life series! Sometimes more of an honest post about regarding freelance work, sometimes helpful tips and tricks; the series is a really fun, motivating thing to read as a freelancer or aspiring freelancer. Corina designed the branding for House of Ell, so it's really fun to read her insights on her own process, too, which I can vouch for - it's awesome, and it's awesome to read about too! Not to mention the fabulous graphics she comes up for each post - this lady is endlessly talented!

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 Where do you go to for inspiration for creativity, business knowledge, or otherwise? 

xo

11 Tips for Thrifty Traveling!

Traveling is expensive - there is no doubt about it. But, if you make it a priority to go and see the world and are smart with your money, it is more than do-able on a budget! Today I thought I would share the tricks I learned on my trip. Some were 'you live and you learn' type of lessons (oops) and others were accidental discoveries (yay)!

1. Make meals at home. Don't have a kitchen? Buying pre-made food at the local supermarket is still cheaper than going out to restaurants for every meal. We intentionally tried to get Airbnb's with functional kitchens so we could cook as often as possible! Extra tip: Buy snacks for the plane/train/bus at the supermarket too, much cheaper than buying at the airport or station!

2. Find free museum days! Or reduced price days. The best is when these fall on a rainy day and you can escape to a museum for the afternoon, for free!

(We stumbled upon the Ny Carlsberg Gylptoteket in Copenhagen on a rainy Tuesday. When we went to the ticket booth, we were told there was a 100% discount that day! Score! We spent the entire afternoon there checking out the vast sculpture collection & beautiful building!)

3. Bring a reusable water bottle! Fill it up, remember to bring it out with you. Water is not often free while traveling, even at restaurants. I used a Platypus 'hydration pack' which flattens nicely when it isn't full, and the plastic is all BPA free and good and stuff. This also cuts down on disposable water bottle waste, which is a bonus!

4. Take public transit (and walk!) everywhere that you can. Both are fantastic ways to see more of the city and discover things you might not have before! It's also kind of fun to check out another city's public transit system and compare with your own back home ;)

(Taking a double decker bus for the first time in Edinburgh!)

5. Give up your ideas of 'luxury', it's OK if the bed is squeeky and the jacuzzi is right next to the fridge. Sometimes the best deal is the best idea - so long as the place is clean, bug free, and functional, which, if you read reviews, is easy to figure out. Which brings me to the next point:

6. Always read the worst reviews. For restaurants, attractions, and places to stay! Usually they are more telling than the positive ones (and sometimes you just find something really outrageous and funny from a negative nancy). The negative reviews often tell you whether the prices were fair, too.

7. Don't go shopping. Straight up. There's no need for it if you're traveling on a budget and your hope is to see more of the world. I found most stores around the world are the same anyway. H&M in Europe won't be that different from H&M back home!

8. Get as much cash as you can back home, and pay with credit when you can. I was charged a 5$ fee every time I needed to take out cash. No fun!

9. Try to give up your daily habits (*cough* coffee *cough*). It'll be easier, as not every hostel or Airbnb has coffee. It's also cheaper and saves you time if you don't need to find a cafe for your coffee every morning (I only sort of managed to do this...).

10. Find free fun. Sometimes sitting in the park with an icecream and enjoying a sunny day, almost falling asleep in the grass, and people watching makes for a better memory than lining up for hours at the theme park or paying tons of money for an over-packed tourist attraction.

(Hanging out by the Seine in Paris on a sunny afternoon with a baguette to snack on! Ps. This outfit? Entirely second hand! Woo!)

11. Stand up for yourself. Do not let yourself be ripped off by people preying on tourists. Negotiate terms of payment with taxi drivers before you get in the car. Don't fall into tourist traps, speak up and walk away if you feel someone is trying to scam you.

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These are my best 11 tips, tried and tested! I hope they are helpful for you if you are dreaming of traveling on a budget anytime in the future.

What are your best thrifty, budget-friendly travel tips?

xo

5 Thrifting Tips: Avoid Being Duped and Disappointed

When I tell people about my thrifty adventures, I quite often get stories in response. Stories of various thrifting misadventures; of a dress someone brought home once that brought awful moths with it, of someone thinking they were purchasing a unique designer piece and discovering upon closer examination that it was a complete phoney.  For anyone who hasn't much thrifting experience, there's a lot of unnecessary fear floating around it.

I thought I'd share my 5 tips that make the experience less daunting and the disappointment less imminent!

1. Check the tags. This is the big one. What brand is it? Is the item over priced considering? I see that all the time, cheap clothes priced more expensively than they would be in the original store. That and H&M or other similar clothing being passed off as vintage. Under certain definitions I suppose it could be, but, that's not usually what I'm looking for at vintage shops. What material does it say on the tag? Is it a material that looks like silk and is being priced as silk, but isn't actually? On a less scheme-y note, it's also good to check the tags to see if the item can be easily washed or if it will need regular dry cleaning.

2. INSPECT CLOSELY. And I mean closely. Check all the seams and lining for rips, buttons and bits for missing closures, for moth holes and armpit stains. Also be sure there are no pests! Most thrift stores are pretty good about bed bug and moth issues, but you can never be too sure.

3. Don't be fooled by language. Beware of words like "authentic" or "unique" and of other terms used to catch your attention and sell the item for more than it's worth. They can be plastered on so easily, even if they're not

4. Smell it. Yea, seriously. Make sure it's not got a stink you will never get out.

5. Try it on! And be realistic about whether or not you'll actually 'take it in' or 'switch the buttons', or if it'll just sit in your closet untouched for a few months before you donate it back again.

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I'm curious - do you have any thrifting horror stories? My worst was a little vest that I thought was so cool and unique! Until I saw it on three other girls in the next week, and found out it was from Zara, currently! AH!

xo

A Case of the January Slumps & How to Beat it!

In winter I become a bear.

I bulk up, adding on layers. Some in the form of soft sweaters and knit scarves, others in the form of cookies and chocolate and creamy creamy lattes. Especially after Christmas. I slow down and everything feels a little bit heavier (another side effect of the cookies and chocolate and creamy creamy lattes). It's like I go into hibernation, as much as it is possible to hibernate as an engaged human being in today's hustle-bustle never-stop mode of living.

I watch TV for hours on end because it's too cold to go outside. I sleep because the sun goes down so early it tricks me into thinking it's night time. I choose a lazy night at home instead of trekking out into the snow and wind to meet friends at a bar downtown, an hour away. The problem is, these things end up making me feel more sluggish, less productive, and generally way way ickier.

January is also back-to-school, or back-to-work, and the unfortunate come down after the holiday season. I mean really, after New Years what is there to look forward to? Summer? Yea. Basically.

Ahhhh winter, my good ol' energy-sucking friend that just keeps coming back.

So, instead of moping about the inevitable downsides of an inevitable season, I'm making some conscious changes to my habits to try and break myself out of the January Slumps!


1. Feed Your Mind - You know how everyone says it's so important to eat all the right things to balance all the things in your body and feel awesome? I think the same goes for your mind, not just your body. I feel like crap after sitting and mindlessly marathoning a TV show alone in my basement. But I feel great and invigorated if I focus on a really great book for a few hours instead. Right now I'm reading Gone Girl! And maybe I don't want to wander around in the cold from bar to bar or to shop with friends, but the Art Gallery is warm and dry, and also totally full of inspiration that gets my wheels turning and makes me want to make something when I get home! Feeding my mind makes me feel a little more full and capable of things, instead of like a lazy potato that can't get anything done.

2. Make Something - It can be hard to force yourself out of an uninspired phase, but as soon as you do feel a jolt of energy, jump on it! Harness it! Make a thing, even if it's a dumb little thing. Or make that painting idea you've always had, try that weaving DIY you've seen all over the net lately. Not the creative type? Make a meal, a really nice new one instead of the easy go-to's you have every other night. Yesterday I tired my hand at making this shakshuka recipe for lunch. It's a North-African dish that I saw someone post on instagram, and decided it would be a fun thing to try out! Plus my family really appreciated me cooking for them - bonus points for me!!

3. Clean Something -  I can't be the only one whose room gets a little too messy whenever I'm stressed out by school or can't quite get off my butt to get things done! In the last little bit I have actually left some of my crap ON MY BED when I went to sleep. I didn't even bother taking it off the bed. Now that's just embarrassing. I always feel better when I do my laundry, fold and put away all my clothes, and clean up all my left over holiday crap that hasn't been put away yet. So clean your closet, your room, your dishes, your laundry, etc. and make some room for good feelings instead (Excuse the cheese.)


Do you have a case of the January slumps too? What typically works to help you beat it?
xo


ps. what do you think of my little bear illustration? I'm playing around with doodling on my phone, I kinda like it!

Cleaning out your Closet: 5 Tips & Tricks

Spending time around the blogosphere this time of year is really funny to me. The endless lists of top 5 this-or-that to let go of in the new year, 10 bad habits to break this year, 7 green smoothies to add to your New Year cleanse! Etc. etc.

In some ways I love it - because I think it's always a good thing to aspire to improve. The reason I personally don't click on many of those posts? The un-realistic side of it all, knowing I have my own way of working towards my own goals. Yet here I am throwing another of these posts into the mix! I wanted to share this because I think that these ideas on how to clean out your sartorial excess are good for any time of year, and these tips and tricks are effective, quick, and easy to accomplish!

1. Invite a friend! My personal favourite way of going through my closet? Inviting a friend or family member to help out! Sure, doesn't sound like the most exciting thing to invite someone to ("Hey you, come help me clean my closet, it'll be a bonafide BLAST!!") but adding in the incentive of letting them have their pick from what you don't keep is definitely a bonus. Make it an opportunity to spend time together, and treat them to dinner or lunch afterwards too!


2. Use a pretty ribbon. The whole "how often do you actually wear this" technique has never worked for me, because I save certain pieces for special occasions, events, in case of interviews, etc. I also just don't keep track of what I do and don't wear very often. However, this idea shared on A Beautiful Mess of using a ribbon tied to where you hang your clothes to help you keep an eye on what you do wear makes total sense! I don't hang all my clothes, but it would totally work for my dresses and blouses that I do hang!


3. Get rid of what doesn't fit. It sounds simple, but it's not necessarily something we accept and I think it's my number one issue within my closet! I often tell myself 'I can wear this if I belt it', but I don't always feel like wearing a belt. Or the good ol' 'I'll alter it to make it fit!'. I don't really have time for that, and seeing as sewing isn't my top hobby, when I do have time I'll do something else. These clothes get forgotten in my 'sew later' pile and end up at the bottom of my closet in a bag, never used.


4. Capsule Wardrobe. Have you heard of this Capsule Wardrobe trend? If you think you're up for a more drastic and structured closet-cleanse, this might be for you! I really like the idea of it, but I don't know if I could peraonally follow such a structure for my clothing. But maybe I'm just being a big wimp!


5. Take it easy. No stress! Don't pressure yourself to get rid of your clothes if you don't feel you want to. If you're happy with the rainbow of patterns and array of accessories you have - keep them! Minimalism is 'in' right now, so it's easy to try and fit yourself into it. Maybe you'll become a less-is-more type in the future, maybe you won't! Some days I ravage through my closet and get rid of half of it, but the other 360 or so days of the year I can't be bothered. It's aaaaallll good!


Bonus trick: If you take a picture of your closet (like I did for this post) you will definitely feel like doin' some re-organizing and folding!

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For further reading, I really liked these posts from some of my favourite bloggers about changing up their wardrobes:
- Bridget Anne from Deer Circus always writes beautifully, even about purging her closet!
- I've always admired Carly's style, and love her views on clothing which you can read HERE!


What are your favourite tricks for closet purges?!
xo