160/ BEYOND THE INSTAGRAM

Social media can be very misleading sometimes. Take the day that these pictures were taken for example. My friends and I planned on going to a fair that was happening down the street from my house. We went out to dinner beforehand, the dinner wasn't the best and we were sitting on the patio even though it was cold outside and we were all freezing. But of course we had to take Snaps of us sipping sangria like we were having the time of our lives. After dinner we headed to the fair where Laura and I took these pictures. We went in with the intention of staying for awhile, grabbing some treats and going on some rides but it just didn't work out. The fair, of course, was child sized and the probability of us even fitting on the rides was slim to none. We did, however, buy a bucket of donuts. After we ate our donuts and snapped some pictures, we went home.

We still had a really good time and we were laughing about everything as it happened but a lightbulb sort of went off in my head after. If you were to view any of my social media from that day it would have looked like we were having the time of our lives even though almost nothing went right behind the scenes. I try to display my most authentic self on my social media accounts but sometimes I slip up and I don't realize what I'm doing. There's often a thin line between reality and what we put out there in the social world. Even if you try your best to be conscious about what you're putting out there, it isn't always 100% real. It's almost impossible to be 100% real.

I try my best to post pictures of me without makeup or of Snapchats of me doing mundane things, but it's still just a highlights reel. Even though I'm fairly confident in myself and my sometimes boring life, I would never post pictures of me at my worst. Yes, I'll post filterless makeup free pictures, but only when my skin or hair is cooperating that day. Yes, I'll post pictures of my bedroom and videos of my friends being goofy, but that's after I cleaned up my space or chose the exact right moment to hit record. I would never post raw pictures of me at my worst. You'll never see a sleepless night or a picture during or after a breakdown on any of my social media. (Tweets and the odd Tumblr post are the exception)

I'm not writing this to expose myself or anybody else - I'm just writing this to tell people to take everything with a grain of salt. Like most things in life, you don't really know the whole story. Social media has a way of making things look flawless, fun and sometimes it can make the person on the other end (the person viewing these posts) feel like they're missing out. That feeling is totally understandable, it's something that everyone goes through now and then, but it's important to take a step back and to remember that there's more than meets the eye.

JACKET/ Michel Studio (similar) TOP/ Forever 21+ (similar) SKIRT/ JCPenney (similar)

HANDBAG/ Rebecca Minkoff SHOES/ Nike (similar)

Photos by Laura Kidd

NINETY-SIX/ winter wear

The temperature in Ottawa is finally dipping below zero and I'm one of the weird ones who actually enjoys it. I'll probably regret saying that when January/February rolls around but for now I'm loving the cold. 

This coat is virtually ancient and I've actually replaced it with a newer model *wipes away tear*. We've had some good times together and it's help me battle through the coldest of winter days but it has rips in the lining and I'm not sure if it will last the entire season. The new coat I bought is virtually the same, just with minor differences. I'm sure I'll introduce it on the blog sooner or later. For now this jacket is reserved for warmer winter days and whenever I feel like taking a trip down memory lane.

I can't get enough of my Nike Roshe Runs. I know I'm going to have to trade these in for a pair of winter boots once the snow comes but I'll wear them every second I can until then.

SUNGLASSES/ Aldo SCARF/ Burberry COAT/ Addition Elle

JEANS/ Forever 21+ BAG/ Zara SHOES/ Nike 

Bag and scarf were purchased via consignment
Photos by Suzanne Waugh

NINETY-FIVE/ outlet

Last Thursday was spent roaming around town with Aurelia. We had originally planned on making a trip down to Montreal to wait in line overnight on St. Catherine's Street in line for the Alexander Wang x H&M debut but we had a change of heart last minute. We decided to grab some breakfast at Baker Street Cafe, check out the new 'Tanger' outlet mall in Kanata and just run errands all over town.

In all honesty, we didn't have the highest hopes for the outlet mall. If we did, we would have been really disappointed. Although the stores were pretty well stocked, the prices didn't reflect those of typical outlet stores. The prices were virtually the same as mall prices, but we did leave with more than a few goodies nonetheless. My favourite part of the entire shopping trip was stepping foot into Hot Topic. Aurelia and I were laughing the entire time and discussing how our sixteen-year-old scene kid selves would have died for this kind of store so close to home. I almost left with a 'My Chemical Romance' tee but unfortunately they were out of my size. I'll be checking back soon though!

My best finds were a pair of Nike Roshe Runs (found in the kids department, heeey) and a pair of burgundy booties from Shelly's London. My favourite piece that Aurelia picked up were a killer pair of windowpane patterned pants from JCrew that I'm sure will be showcased on her blog sometime in the near future.

Since I knew we would be spending the day shopping and running errands, I dressed for the occasion. I broke out my favourite distressed jeans from Forever 21 that I haven't had the chance to wear in forever and my favourite top and kimono. I pretty much live in this oversized plaid scarf and easy to wear slip ons at the moment. I really love simple, comfortable outfits that I really don't have to put that much thought into.

TOP/ via Goodwill SCARF&KIMONO&JEANS/ Forever 21
HANDBAG/ 3.1 Phillip Lim WATCH/ Michael Kors
SHOES/ via Winners

Photos by Aurelia Cerquozzi and myself

FORTY-SEVEN/ riri woo and nikes too

I think it's safe to say that I'm addicted to wearing a strict uniform of black and white with a pop of colour on my lips. I have been wearing red lipstick almost daily as of lately and I'm alternating between Raspberry by Joe Fresh (more of a purpely red) and RiRi Woo by MAC (pictured below). Both colours have an extremely matte finish and they're both absolutely phenomenal. It's weird for me to wear red lipstick this often, seeing as pink is my usual, but ever since receiving my RiRi Woo lipstick I've felt the need to wear this shade more often. Sometimes change can be good.

But with all that being said, my shoes are actually my favourite part of this outfit. I found them by chance at Winners and I freaked out in the middle of the store. I used to have the biggest collection of sneakers, especially high top ones, back in high school and I've been dying to get my current collection back to its former glory. It's becoming increasingly more difficult to find a unique looking pair of sneakers, that aren't wedges, so I knew I couldn't let these get away from me. Also, they're black and white... how could I say no?

DRESS/ Forever 21 SUNGLASSES/ Ray-Ban LEGGINGS/ New Look SHOES/ Nike ACCESSORIES/ Various VEST/ American Apparel (DIY from jacket)

* All photos were taken by Laura Kidd.