As a Canadian girl who loves to be outdoors and does a lot of skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing in the winter to keep active, I need boots that can keep me warm and dry and that are also durable enough to live up to my adventurous lifestyle. That's why I love SOREL.
SOREL was founded in Canada in 1962 and it has since become popular all over the world. I think SOREL's popularity is due in large part to the fact that its products are fashion-forward while also being very practical. I've had many winter boots over the years that look nice but as soon as the snow touches them, the material gets soaking wet, causing my feet to become wet and cold. Likewise I've had rubber boots that keep the water out, but don't look very appealing. SOREL however, combines fancy materials and craftsmanship with insulated waterproof rubber or suede to create a unique boot that I can feel stylish and confident in while also staying warm and dry.
With my birthday and Christmas both soon approaching, I have a couple of SOREL products on my wish list.
I'm loving the Conquest Carly Short Boot (bonus points since it has my name!) I like how versatile this boot is. It's great for both Fall and Winter conditions. These can be worn while doing errands around town but they also have some traction so I can wear them to the slopes! The Conquest Carly comes in a number of styles and colours so there's sure to be something to suit everyone. Plus, who wouldn't want to wear the same boot as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire!? Unfortunately, my choice of colour, Autumn Bronze, is sold out online. So I've been running around trying to find a store with these in stock in my size. If anyone knows where I can find these in the Toronto area pleeeeease let me know!
Also on my wish list is the Nakiska Slide Slipper in Dark Earth Curry, or Incense. The wool lining paired with the outer suede makes these slippers perfect for staying cozy and stylish all year round.
My boyfriend has been hinting that he needs some new slippers as well. I love the men's Falcon Ridge Slipper in Marsh or Bark. Who knows, maybe there will be a pair waiting for Matt under the tree this year!
What's your favourite SOREL product? Will you be sporting them this winter?
"It is about the contrast of putting things together in a way you couldn't imagine."
The anticipation is over... 'Isabel Marant Pour H&M' hits stores today!
Isabel Marant is a Parisian fashion designer who focuses primarily on women's fashion. However, in her collaboration with the Swedish retailer, H&M, she has included both a men's and a kid's line as well. It is this versatility that has me really excited for this collection!
My personal style is fairly plain and simple, so I'm loving some of the basic pieces from the women's line. But it is the knitwear in the men's collection that really catches my eye!
"Style, for me, is all about personality. I think self-confidence and being at ease with oneself is a good definition of it."
Isabel has suggested that we women shouldn't limit ourselves strictly to the feminine pieces. Since this venture into menswear is a one-off for the designer, I say you might as well explore it while you have the chance! While all the women's clothing is getting snatched up, why not make a dash for the men's section and pick up a few unique additions for your winter wardrobe? Fashion is all about experimentation; boundaries are meant to be crossed. So why not try something new? Worst case scenario, if you end up not liking the style, just wrap up the clothing and give it to your boyfriend/brother/dad for Christmas. Two birds, one stone!
"I'd say that styling is an individual effort. Everybody can interpret things in their own way."
Here are a few of my favourite pieces from both the women's and men's collections:
What are your favourite pieces? Are you willing to try out the men's fashion?
*Available in select stores and online at www.hm.com
I just wanted to apologize to all my lovely readers for not having written a post in the past month or so. To be honest, my life has been quite hectic but also extremely boring at the same time. My summer was pretty uneventful and so I haven't had much to blog about. But I've also been struggling with some personal issues so I just took a bit of 'me' time to sort myself out.
This time off has also allowed me to decide what direction I want this blog to head in. For the past year I've been really confused with all aspects of my life and I've kind of been jumping around from interest to interest but not really focusing on anything that makes me truly happy. I think it's good to try different things, that's the only way you'll know if you like something. That been said, I've found recently that after a lot of uncertainty, I've finally started getting back in touch with what is important to me in life. For me, that is experiences.
Now, you might be asking what I mean by experiences?
Like many women, I like fashion. I like to express my personality through the way I dress. But unlike many women, I don't obsess over this. I'm not a fashionista, I don't follow what's in trend, I just dress appropriately for the occasion, wear what I feel comfortable in, and if there's a day that I really can't be bothered to get all done up, than I'm perfectly happy to just chill out in my sweats. Likewise, when it comes to make up, I love it and I hate it. I like to splurge on expensive make up every now and then, I like to get all dolled up from time-to-time. But again, unlike many women, I don't obsess over this and I am quite content to leave the house without any make up on. This past summer I've completely embraced my natural beauty. I've only worn make up a handful of times and it's actually surprised me how comfortable I've felt without it on.
So, although this was originally established as a 'fashion, beauty, and lifestyle' blog, I have decided that I will be focusing mainly on the lifestyle aspect of it because that is what I am most interested in. I get more joy in life by spending my time outside, experiencing the world and doing as many activities and trying as many new things as possible, as opposed to spending all my time in front of the mirror. I like to travel, and bake, and explore; that's what's most important to me. So while this blog will of course still include fashion and beauty related posts, it will focus mainly on the happenings of my life; giving you many recipes to try, music reviews, and events and experiences that I enjoy that I think may be of interest to everyone else as well.
A couple of weeks ago my best friend Broghan and myself took a trip to the Byward Market in Ottawa. We both used to live in Ottawa during university so the Byward Market is certainly one of my favourite places to be in the summer. I unfortunately forgot my camera so I regret having no photos of the Market itself to share with you (next time I'll be sure to have my camera with me!) But if you've never been I definitely suggest you go.
Situated in downtown Ottawa, right across the street from the Rideau Centre, the Byward Market is filled with stalls selling fresh produce, Canadian souvenirs, homemade arts and crafts, loads of maple syrup and other maple goodies, and of course Beavertails! You're not a true Canadian if you've never had a Beavertail. You've not lived, if you've never had a Beavertail! Beavertails are just deep fried pastries with different toppings - my favourite is the classic cinnamon and sugar but I'm also a fan of the Killaloe Sunrise, which is just the cinnamon and sugar with a bit of lemon squeezed on top.
But...this post is unfortunately not about Beavertails.
One of my favourite stalls in the market is Jammy Yang's Rice Engraving stall. This man is unbelievable. He can literally paint anything you want on a tiny grain of rice! He's even been featured in Ripley's Believe It Or Not for a crazy detailed piece he painted. I can't explain the image, you'll have to look him up and see for yourself, but it's so intricate you need a magnifying glass to see it.
I absolutely love these necklaces, this is the 3rd one I've bought from Jammy.There are a number of designs you can choose from to have engraved on your grain of rice, or you can make it more personal by creating your own. I got my name on one side and then a pretty pink flower on the other (thanks Broghan for letting me steal your flower design). The rice is then put into a capsule (different shapes and sizes are available) which is then filled with a clear liquid and attached to a black necklace cord (I wanted mine to look a little more dainty so when I got home I took it off the black cord and put it on a spare gold chain I had laying around).
For only $15, these necklaces are perfect to buy as a little treat to yourself, a gift for someone you love, as bff necklaces, or as I have done in the past, as couple necklaces for you and your significant other.
If you're interested, I suggest you check out the Byward Market, or you can email Jammy at: jammy.engraver@sympatico.ca
Do you love rice necklaces as much as I do? Do you have one? What design do you have on yours?
Last week my sister and I decided to take a mid-week, 3 day camping trip before she started back at work. The weather called for thunderstorms for the duration of our trip, but luckily we were blessed with temperatures above 30 degrees. We went to Arrowhead Provincial Park in Huntsville and spent our days hiking a bunch of trails in Arrowhead and Algonquin and discovering some waterfalls.
As soon as I heard 'hiking', I knew exactly what to wear! These denim overalls (known as 'dungarees' if you're from the UK) were the perfect hiking companion. They're so comfortable and flexible and paired with a crop top form Primark meant I got a nice breeze to my midriff so I didn't over-heat while spending the day walking in the scorching sun.
What I love most about these overalls is how they bring out my inner child. I just felt so young and carefree while wearing them. It brought back memories of me splashing in puddles as a little kid.
My favourite part of this outfit though has to be this adorable fox backpack from Little Odd Forest. Although a little on the pricey side, it's well worth it. It's fairly big so it fit everything I brought along for my trip very nicely (towel, bikini, sunscreen, bug spray, water bottle, snacks, camera). It also has a built in laptop holder which makes this cute little guy a perfect friend for school.
"As we drive along this road called life, occasionally a gal will find herself a little lost. And when that happens, I guess she has to let go of the coulda, woulda, shoulda, buckle up, and just keep going." -- Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and the City).
Like so many before me, and probably those who come after me as well, my passion for writing and fashion stems from none other than the beautiful Carrie Bradshaw. Despite being only a character on our TV screens, Carrie was just the right balance between real life and fiction.
No doubt there are just as many of you out there who don't approve of Sex and the City as there are devoted fans, but not to worry! This blog is not about Carrie and her friends, as that story has already been told. Having spent the last week watching every episode from season one straight through 'til the end merely gave me the inspiration to pick up my pen again and start writing. The idea seems so simple, but after years and years of writing nothing but essays and exams all revolving around the legal system, I forgot what pure joy I got from writing just for myself.
So here it goes. A fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog, likely speckled with other tid bits that reflect me and my personality. I hope you enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoy writing it.
