pink plaid and new rules

shirt-thrifted; skirt-Smart Set; flats-Payless; purse-vintage; bracelets-selfmade; watch-gifted; ring-XXI

Growing up I went through several 'style stages' (if you can call them that when you're 5 or 8 years old): I was into frills, pinks, and anything flower-y until about age 8, when I entered my 'tomboy' period where I pretty much lived in t-shirts and leggings (super classy, I know). I probably didn't wear or own anything pink for the next 6 years; then that awkward high school age kicked in where I had all sorts of rules as to what I swore I'd never wear (and yet I fashioned myself some random accessories that seemed very cool, such as a paper belt made out of comic strips....yeah...i've shared too much now!) most of which I've broken a million times since then.

The moral of this little story: if my 8 year old self saw me in this outfit, she wouldn't believe her eyes ;)...and that's probably a good thing.

pretty things

rings-XXI, vintage, and gifted; bracelets-self made using this tutorial; clutch-Calvin Klein; scarf-vintage

Sometimes when I spend pretty much the whole day in my comfy/but not really stylish 'lounge-wear' I like to put together things that look pretty; as sort of a way to get dressed up without actually doing it. It's a sham, really. ;)

Lately I've been kind of intrigued by the whole mixing metals trend. I'll admit, I'm very much new to the idea, and I generally admire people who can wear all sorts of metallics and look like it's no big deal. I know I'm suppose to think of metallics as neutrals, and neutrals can be mixed all kinds of ways, but I guess this is just taking me a little longer to get used to. So, on a quite Sunday afternoon, I stepped outside my comfort zone (a big achievement for a Sunday afternoon...considering it's usually when I take a leisurely nap) and mixed a bunch of my favorite metals with a few other accessories that seemingly fit the theme of 'pretty things' ;)

thoughts?

Etsy Shop Launch-ADEYA

Have you had your eye on one of the handmade necklaces you've seen me wear? Well, if so, today's your lucky day because a whole bunch of them just went up for sale! :)... and if not, I still invite you to check out my Etsy shop and let your little eye wander!

Everything in my shop is handmade by yours truly, and each piece is completely one of a kind (some incorporate vintage beads and buttons that I wouldn't be able to find if I tried). I want them to find a new home and a lovely owner soon, so I've priced them quite fairly (if I do say so myself) with nothing exceeding $30 USD! Shipping costs vary, but there's always a deal when you get more then one item ;)

If you have any questions or request, please let me know in the comments, or through email via Etsy!

OH! and one last thing- to kick off this little launch, I figured a giveaway was well deserved! To all of you lovely people that stop by here and occasionally even leave me a comment or two, I know a give away isn't going to express just how much you all mean to me, but to one lucky person, it just might ;) Details will be revealed next week!

Hope you all have an awesome weekend!

trip + puppy love

Recently, my bf and devoted photographer, and I took a trip to our Canadian hometown (I indicate Canadian, because we were both originally from different hometowns in different countries, but this is the little town where we met and it still feels like home). We used to take long walks on the beach (online dating profiles have ruined that activity, haven't they?!), and just hang out by the lake whenever we could. Naturally, we went there again, and this time took some outfit pictures; times have changed a little.

One of the highlight of our walk was seeing the super adorable, cutest, most bear-like puppy ever! It might sounds a bit strange, but when I was a kid I used to really want a pet bear, but I thought living in an apartment wouldn't suffice (like that would be the only problem with the scenario). When I first saw a Chao Chao, I thought it was just the cutest thing alive, since it's a dog but really resembles a fluffy bear=perfect combination!
Anyways, we took some pics of the puppy before it lost interest in us and trotted away; and the last photo is of me mimicking how I would hold it if it was mine.

top-?? via Winners
jeans-Forever 21
belt-Tommy Hilfiger
boots- Steve Madden
necklace-handmade
purse- Fair Lady

another person's treasure

On one of my recent thrift store trips, I took my precious time and went though nearly all the black tops in the store. I might be the only one, but I always find the black section of the store to be particularly uninviting, and just difficult to sort through; hence why I feel I accomplished something by finding this pretty top! One of the coolest things about thrifting is finding that one item that someone gave up, for whatever reason, and you treat it as a treasure of some sort!

At first I thought the pattern was cool (kinda reminded me of what the sides of my notes looks like); then I felt it's velvety texture and thought that was pretty neat; and lastly, saw the label said 100% silk, and knew it was a go!

top- thrifted (maybe vintage; has a really old school tag)
jeans-Forever 21
boots- Steve Madden
necklace-handmade
belt-Tommy Hilfiger

Feel free to share your favorite parts of thrifting! (And even links to pictures/posts about them!)

post white-out

After the white out challenge, I decided to transition slowly back into...other colors. Can't be rushed with these things, you know?

I recently made this cluster necklace as a way of compensating for loosing one of my favorite bib necklaces, and I'm pretty happy with the turn out. I really enjoyed making it, so I'm thinking about making a few more and perhaps posting them on my etsy account. Any suggestions as to what colors I should do?

top-Henna (best fitting t-shirts in the whole world!!!)

skirt- Suzy Shier

tights- Anne Klein

boots- Steve Madden

necklace-handmade

around my home

To change things up a bit, I thought I'd share some pics of my home and the little bits of spring creeping in! ( I made the flowers following a tutorial I came across a while ago, and cannot find again for the life of me! So, if any of you recognize these, pls post a link in the comments to the original DIY tutorial! )

The feathers I put out as a bit of a joke (there was a themed party in the mix, is all I'll say) and they kinda stuck around. I don't know what is it about them, but they cheer me up and make me want to draw feathers all the time (seriously, you look into my economics notes...all you'll find is drawings of feathers...and paisley designs)

And lastly, my bird cage/ jewelry display! I saw it and feel in love; I saw its price tag and knew i had to have it; and then i had to face several confused faces who'd ask me why I have a bird cage without a bird (it boggles the mind!) and that's how it became a jewelry stand! It's actually perfect for my bib necklaces because the curvature keeps the shape intact. Pretty AND practical- SOLD!

Hope you're enjoying spring wherever you are :)

green with envy

Forgot to post this outfit, from when spring made a grand return...for a week. Good thing I didn't pack away my winter coats, because apparently spring's shady on its commitments in the Great White North (aka Canada). There's one thing I'll never get used to...windchill is the other!

trench-Suzy Shier
sweater-vintage (maybe handmade...there's no tags)
pants-Forever 21
shoes-Gido
necklaces- gifted & thrifted

p.s.- I apologize for being a bit of negative nancy...I'll blame it on my persistent cold

blown away

This is one of the warmest, comfiest outfits ever! The vest was hand knit by a very talented lady, following the design of a vest my great-grandmother knit a good.. 40 years ago. I actually asked my great g-ma to show me how to knit this myself, but her instructions were basically : " oh, this is soo easy, you just....$#^#&^#%#9&"...right. So I had to settle for someone else attempting to re-create it, and I was blown away by the result!

I was also nearly blown away when this random gusty wind came around and made me question my choice of this tunic.

vest-hand knit
tunic-Joe Fresh
leggings-??
socks-??
shoes- Gido
bangles- vintage & handmade

28/30-versatility

I love me some versatile pieces. Take this scarf for example, it's cashmere, it's a pretty color, and it's long enough to wrap around 4 times! But the awesomeness doesn't end there, oh no! I could even transform it into what I like to call-a scarf vest! Now, while I take no credit for this clever invention, I do think it's really clever and you should all try it (except those of you who are already enjoying warm enough weather that you can avoid needing a scarf...I envy you a little bit...a little bit).

top-H&M

pants-?? via Winners
boots-Franco Sarto
scarf- MEXX
belt-thrifted
bag-made by me
earrings- from Italy
sunglasses-Roots

Oh, and if you're thinking "gee, stripes again", yes, I'm always up for stripes, and congrats on being observant! ;)

Made by Me

When I need a break from...anything really, I usually make jewelry (and in most cases, necklaces). It's just one of those things that relaxes me and never causes me an ounce of stress!
This little necklace was pretty easy to make, and I'm actually quite happy with the turn out!

I'm even contemplating putting it up on my Etsy shop...thoughts?

Style Matters: Made At Home (part 2)

Here's some more awesomeness from the Made At Home show!


First up are a few of the felt creations that stood out to me. Believe me, there were a lot, A LOT of felt pieces, and most of them were pretty cool; unfortunately these three are the only good pictures I managed to snap as I walked by.

The ottomans were actually really comfy; but I did overhear a conversation about how would one have to keep them clean (seeing as wiping them down wouldn't work!) and I thought that was a good question to consider.
The do look fun though!

I love coasters (so much so that some friends actually make fun of me for it). They're so practical and nowadays there's so many cool-looking ones out there. These felt ones for example, simple, useful, and subtly rugged; what's not to love?!

How great are those colors together?! I loved this little set-up! Also, what looks like dots on the blanket are actually aunts--adorable, I know!

Another cool part-the cardboard ottoman!

These were just too cool to pass up. I think they'd make for interesting art in a kitchen/casual dining area because of their unique design and simple display. I especially admired the cut outs in some of them!

That's all for now, but I still have a few more cool things to share sometime soon!
In the meantime, which ones are your favorites so far?

all images taken at the Made At Home show