141/ NO COMPLAINTS

This blog post is super delayed. These pictures were taken a couple of weeks ago when I visited Toronto with my best friends, Laura and Lisa.

I'm not even really sure what to say about that trip. Laura was off doing white tantric yoga the day that these photos were taken and Lisa and I had the day to explore the city. Our friend that we were staying with, Jessie, had to work to the better part of the day so he gave us instructions on where to go and how to get there. Lisa and I thought we were going to have a relaxing day in the city, but things never really go as planned.

It didn't really end up being that dramatic. Just frustrating. Basically the subway was down between a few stops (obviously where we needed it) and the shuttle buses that the TTC supplied were what I picture hell to be like. We ended up spending a big chunk of the day walking. I'm thankful that I was smart enough to wear a pair of shorts under my skirt to prevent chaffing, and although my shoes were comfortable, I did end up with a few blisters.

But whatever, that's life. Things never go as planned but I think we made the best out of our situation. If our biggest complaint that day was the amount of walking that we had to do, I see that as a victory. Last time I went to Toronto I came home with a concussion that messed up my life for a few months, this time I came home with a few blisters. No complaints.

TOP/ Forever 21+ SKIRT/ Thrifted (no brand) BAG/ Milly

SHOES/ Converse

Photos by Lisa Kidd

140/ ROAD TRIP ESSENTIALS

I spent last weekend in Toronto and this is what I wore on the car ride there.

I have been on my fair share of road trips; I have fond memories of driving to the east coast with my parents when I was a child and I've made the trek out to Alberta a couple of times as well. That's not even to mention the countless times that I've traveled to upstate New York with my mother and Montreal/Toronto with my friends. With that being said, road trips are definitely not for the faint of heart.

There's a lot of nothing. And waiting. And siting. And staring out of car windows. And coffee. Lots of coffee. And things can go wrong... things can go very wrong.

My best advice? Make sure you're on the trip with people that can turn any event into an exciting one. For me, that means my best friends. The drive to Toronto from Ottawa isn't a very long stretch (only about 5hrs in total) but that can seem like eternity if you're with the wrong people.

Here's another tip: WEAR. COMFORTABLE. CLOTHES. I don't care who you are - if you're uncomfortable for a long period of time it will 100% show up in your attitude and no one wants to be stuck in a car for several hours with someone who's in a foul mood. 

For this trip I decided to wear my favourite black skinny jeans with a ridiculously high waist, a flowy sleeveless blouse and my favourite denim moto jacket from Eileen Fisher. I felt chic but I was also at ease the entire drive. I'm also that disgusting person who likes to take their shoes off in a car so I went for a pair of sandals that I could remove on the sly when no one was paying attention. #sorrynotsorry

The colourful bag from Milly that I brought with me is a bit deceiving; it looks tiny on the outside but fits everything you need and more. My purse essentials while on a trip? Hand cream and lip balm. I dry out like a raisin and I need to be constantly moisturizing. Identification is always a good thing to have on your person as well and I always always always try to carry cash with me for unexpected expenses. Sunglasses are a necessity too - you can fall asleep when the driver isn't playing Beyonce and no one's the wiser. Also they're good to keep the sun out of your eyes or whatever.

JACKET/ Eileen Fisher TOP/ H&M+ JEANS/ Forever 21+ (diy raw hem)

BAG/ Milly SHOES/ Birkenstock SUNGLASSES/ Ardene

Photos by Laura Kidd