135/ RUNWAY FOR HOPE

This blog post is a bit delayed, even for me. I'd like to offer so sort of reasoning but the truth is life just gets in the way sometimes. I'm trying to be better.

About a week and a half ago I had the honour of attending Runway For Hope. I love me a good fashion show but this one was extra special because my best friend, Laura of The Fashion Kidd, was walking in it! Her sister, Lisa, and I were so proud to see her making her runway debut.

For my outfit of the night I decided to go with a dark red tutu that I had picked up in Florida this past January paired with a slogan tee from Stay Home Club. I love the contrast between the traditionally feminine tutu skirt and the self-deprecating graphic tee.

TOP/ Stay Home Club SKIRT/ Freckles SHOES/ Cute to the Core 

CLUTCH/ Secondhand NECKLACE/ H&M WATCH/ Seiko

Outfit photo by Lisa Kidd

133/ SATURDAZE

We're seventeen days into 2016 and this is my first official post of the year. #bloggingfail

This is an outfit that I wore out last night with my best friend, Laura. Our original plan was to go to a Drake themed night that they were holding at a local bar. We drove by, saw the huge line up, and then started discussing what else we could do. We ended up grabbing drinks at a small Greek restaurant in Little Italy. We had a great time chatting about our next adventures while sipping on sage and basil flavoured cocktails. 

I scored this red satiny bomber jacket off of eBay a couple of years ago and I've been in love with in ever since. I go in phases with wearing it but it is something that's always on my mind. I love how Versace-esque it is and it's a great length and fit. It's something that generates a lot of attention and I believe that it pairs well with an otherwise all black ensemble - so that's exactly what I did.

I threw the bomber jacket on top of my favourite dress from Forever 21+. This dress is a life saver! I adore wearing it on nights where I want to look good but don't have the time or energy to put together a killer outfit. I've worn it on many occasions; it's a very versatile piece that looks different almost every time I wear it.

JACKET/ via eBay DRESS/ Forever 21+ LEGGINGS/ ASOS Curve 

BOOTS/ H&M BAG/ Old Navy

Photos by Laura Kidd and editing done by me

NINETY-ONE/ a fever you can't sweat out

Truth be told, the pictures below were taken in July. I almost wore this outfit out to a friend's birthday (at a disco themed night called 'fever' at a local bar) but I frantically changed right after these photos were taken. Why? Because I hated how I looked. When I looked at these pictures on Laura's camera, I felt sick. I hated how I looked in the top and I didn't feel like my usual confident self. It was definitely a moment of weakness but that's something we all fall victim to sometimes.

Looking back, changing my outfit wasn't the best option. I truly loved this look, I just didn't like how it looked on me at the time. Instead I went with a basic dress and I felt boring the entire night. I should have let my personality shine through, I should have remained strong... but I let my insecurities win.

In general, I'm not typically the person who worries if something is flattering or not but it does happen from time to time. I used to beat myself up over it when it would happen, but I've come that those moments of doubt are okay and that they're human.

When I look back on these pictures, I don't see what I saw that day. I see someone who is confident, strong and fierce. I'll have to make it a point to wear this outfit out on a different day and I will rock it with every ounce of strength that I know I have.

TOP/ Brand Unknown (thrifted) LEGGINGS/ American Apparel 

BAG/ H&M SHOES/ New Look

Photos by Laura Kidd

NINETY/ girls night

Last Friday my friends Laura, Lisa, Aurelia and I decided to treat ourselves to a little girls night out. It wasn't anything too extreme or wild but we had a blast just lounging and chatting. We went for drinks and tapas at a spot down in Little Italy called The Moon Room. I had a champagne/gin based cocktail (which was to die for) and we shared bacon wrapped olives, some candied pecans and a cheese platter - all of which were out of this world. I loved how tiny and intimate the place was and the staff was extremely knowledgeable of everything on the menu.

The plan for me that day was to go to work, shop around with Aurelia, get ready at Laura's, go do drinks and eventually sleep over at Laura's place (I live pretty far to go home and get ready after work) so I was living out of a backpack for that day and the next. I assembled my bag in a mad dash that morning (as per usual) but I have to say, I loved what I ended up wearing. I'm basically a cartoon character in the sense that you can find me repeating outfits 90% of the time. In fact, I've blogged essentially this exact outfit before but I'm a firm believer in "if it's not broken, don't fix it". This outfit is as reliable to me as an old friend and I also believe that every one needs that one fool proof outfit that they can throw on and feel fabulous in a pinch!

BLAZER/ via Burlington Coat Factory DRESS/ Forever 21+ 

LEGGINGS/ American Apparel BOOTS/ Forever 21 (borrowed from Laura) 

BAG/ Zara (via consignment) WATCH/ Michael Kors (via consignment)

Photos by Laura Kidd and myself

SIXTY/ cheers to new beginnings

September was such a stressful month for me and I'm so glad that it is finally over. It was so stressful in fact that I have officially dubbed October as my 'month of new beginnings'. Out with the old, in with the new / what happened in September, stays in September / kill them with kindness - these are things that I keep repeating over and over in my head until it seems like second nature.

So far October is looking pretty promising. Keeping in tune with the whole 'new beginnings' motif, this past weekend Laura and I went to our good friend's wedding reception. It took everything in me not to burst into tears when we first saw the bride - she looked like a princess. Her strapless dress was nothing short of perfect, her shoes were white Converse-esque that donned her new last name in silver rhinestones and she even wore a tiara. Laura and I had a blast dancing, eating and toasting to the newlyweds. I wish them a world of happiness and a wonderful life together. Cheers to new beginnings!

Getting ready for the reception was an absolute nightmare though; I just about tore apart my closet trying to find something perfect to wear. I was under the impression that you weren't supposed to wear black to a wedding (I don't go to very many of them, okay!) so I was trying to find an alternative. Thanks to my family, specifically my sister-in-law, I decided to wear black anyway and decided on this outfit. Looking back, I couldn't be happier with the outcome. The pictures don't really do this jacket justice, the fit is just divine and the colour combination is something that dreams are made of. I decided on flats vs heels because I'm totally a flats girl, and I decided to wear my hair up for the first time in what seems like forever.

BLAZER/ Burlington Coat Factory (not sure of the brand) DRESS/ Forever 21+
SHOES/ No Angel (thrifted) BAG/ 3.1 Phillip Lim x Target ACCESSORIES/ Various

* Photo credit: Laura Kidd