Baby It's Cold Outside

Is it weird that I'm wanting to listen to Christmas music already? I've done quite a bit of window shopping and every store has their Christmas displays out and are playing Christmas tunes over their sound systems. I was in Chapters yesterday and I saw that Starbucks has introduced their Christmas cups already! :)

Want to know one of my favourite parts of having chilly weather? Guys in coats! I'm now starting to see it everywhere. I think it is so important to have a good fall/winter coat that fits with your personality and that isn't meant for the ski slopes. When I walk down the street I think the first thing I look at is a guy's coat, and then their face, hahaha. Bonus points if they have a nice scarf too, heehee. Is any one else with me on this one?

Photo: Hypebeast

Hello September!

Gosh, can you believe that it's September already? It felt like the summer went by in a wink. If you've been following my blog for a while, you'll know that I have a deep love for Autumn, the coloured and crunchy leaves, the crisp air, I'm far too excited for it! The weather right now is starting to get a lot colder and this morning I found myself burying my cold hands into the pockets of my blazer because it was so chilly. I actually wished that I had worn mittens this morning!

In other news, I'm starting my last semester of my undergrad tomorrow and its both exciting and bittersweet. I can't believe that I've been in school for so long. At times, my undergrad felt as if it dragged on so slowly, but at the same time, it went by so fast.

I Follow Rivers

I've been such a terrible blogger lately. What has it been, two weeks since my last post? Brutal! I've been in such a busy mode the past two weeks that this month has flown by so quickly. After returning from my friend's cottage (which was amazing to put it simply) I've been giving my room an overhaul with new paint, a new layout and doing a hoarder binge, hahaha. I promise to post pictures when I've organized everything and when it doesn't look like a disaster area. I also went to a Blue Jay's game in Toronto on Sunday, which was an amazing experience, but it was a little sad that the Jay's lost :(

Can you believe that its September tomorrow? In preparation for the new school year, I've accomplished a bit of clothes shopping. I'm thinking of doing somewhat of a clothing haul. Would any of you be interested in something like that?

Photo:  Sully Sullivan

Ohh Boy// Mad Men

It was just tonight that I was directed to Banana Republic's new Mad Men inspired fall collection. Eeek, the pieces are to die for! Now for all us Mad Men fans, we can actually look the part! According to Fashionista, the collection was a collaboration between Mad Men's costume designer Janie Bryant and is scheduled to be released sometime in August. What do you think about the line? Here are a few of my favourites:

New Moon

Boy, this weekend has just flown by. My family managed to cram in three turkey dinners in this weekend, although the last two weren't really planned, it was more of a "hey, we have a crapload of turkey left that we need to get rid of", so it was a family filled weekend. On Sunday I went apple picking with some family and it was a blast, it was such a cheesy activity, but I love that kind of stuff. The apple orchards were huge and stretched so high above our heads. Here are a few photos from the weekend. 

I'm getting up bright and early tomorrow to head back to school. It's so funny, because I'll be back home in less than two weeks for reading week. It seems that even though September seemed a little slow, in a way it went so fast. Gosh, it feels like sometimes life seems to go by so slowly, but then you'll look back and be surprised how fast it went. Does anyone else get this feeling? Before I know it, it'll be Christmas.

The Past and Pending

Happy Autumn everyone! I'm so excited to finally be in the fall season now. There is so much to do in the next little while before the winter hits us with snowflakes and twinkling lights. To celebrate, I'll be making Butternut Squash soup and spending my evening in class. I promise a real blog post is soon to come!

weheartit

O My Heart

Today is just one of those inside days where you can cozy up in a blanket and watch the world reinvent itself through the rain. Where sidewalks are swept clean of dirt and cigarette butts, and that earthy smell arises from the ground.  I honestly live for these days. Often in life things can be so hectic and unpredictable, and we need one of those rainy days to relax and recharge ourselves. A perfect day to sleep in and watch a movie.

For dinner I made maple-roasted chicken with sweet potatoes. It was delish. The first meal that felt home cooked. I added cubes of butternut squash to add some flavour and it complimented everything perfectly. Recipe compliments of RealSimple. I saved half of it for dinner tomorrow, and I'll probably end up making more, y'know, since I have like 3/4 of butternut squash left. Maybe I should tackle butternut squash soup? Nom.

I'm Good, I'm Gone

Well, tomorrow is almost upon us. It's time to make the trip back to Ottawa for the new school year. One more year and then I'll be done. Done. Urgh, it's time to go back to packing. For some reason, I find it hard to believe that I'll be leaving at 10:00am, I barely have anything packed. Time to put my headphones in and get to work. With my room in Ottawa striped bare of clothing and items, I'll be able to make it all nice and tidy and maybe even post pictures of it. Until then, here's a pretty picture.

Photographer Jeff Wall. I love this photo, it's magic.

Heirloom

Tomorrow is September! Even though the fall season doesn't technically start until September 21st, I'm calling an official change of seasons starting tomorrow :) To jump start the soon arrival of cooler weather, blustery winds, crackling leaves and rainy streets, I decided to throw together a to-do list for the fall season of all the things I want to accomplish in the coming months (with some helpful inspiration from Listmaker Collective, I might add!):

1. Spend an entire day outside: I know it's tempting to cozy up on the couch with blankets and hot chocolate, but spending a whole day outside, even though it doesn't seem difficult, it's actually quite challenging. I can imagine swinging on swings, taking strolls through the park, and grabbing hot cocoa from a coffee shop.

2. Wake up early to go to the local market to stock up on fruits and veggies: Maybe even browse cute boutiques in the area as well.

3. Bake an apple pie: With said fruits that were bought at the local market! I've never made a pie from scratch before, so this season is the perfect time to test out my culinary skills.

4. Carve a pumpkin: need I say more?

5. Open up the windows at night so you can bundle up under the covers: this is one of the ideas from Listmaker Collective. I don't know what it is about the cold, but I can sleep so comfortably when I can bundle underneath my duvet.

Photo: weheartit

Possibility

This week has been a scorcher in terms of the weather, so hot and humid. It's almost unbelievable that tomorrow will be September. September. I'll be moving back to Ottawa on Saturday morning and will start packing all of the things I've accumulated over the summer back into the car on my four hour journey back to Ottawa. A few days ago, when the weather wasn't so sticky, I went for a little walk outside to clear my head and get some photos of the beautiful scenery near my house.

I don't know why, but moving back and forth seems to stress me out a bit. Maybe because I'm not that into "change" or because I'm uncertain of what will happen once I pack my bags, but it sometimes has this unusual effect on me. I'm excited to start my final year and see all of my lovely friends, so this feeling will shake off once I'm all settled, it always does. Anyway, here are a few pictures that I took that I think are pretty.

I Am Not a Robot

I went to the dentist today to get the remainder of my fillings done, and I've promised myself that those are my last ones I'm going to endure. Which means keeping on top of my flossing so my pearly whites don't have to suffer anymore from being poked and prodded. My mouth was feeling really funny and I couldn't talk properly, so I took a picture with my webcam of what my face looked like. Enjoy me in all my glory!

Like I've mentioned probably a million times before, but I'm so excited for fall to begin. It seems like all of the maple trees are turning red and orange, the weather is starting to dip and it's actually starting to get chilly outside. I can't believe this year is my last year of university. In some ways it's gone so fast, and in others it feels long and drawn out. I think this year is going to fly by, so I'm going to make the most of it and enjoy myself.

Photo: weheartit

Tidal

We all know that when summer comes around the corner, everyone scrambles for their brightest colours to stand out, and fall is more of a season playing with the understated colours like grey and taupe, which is super stylish when paired with rich colours like plum and burnt orange and red.

In preparation for the fall, I did a little window shopping at Old Navy via their website and pretty much fell in love with every item for the fall season. After looking through everything, I scooted on over to Polyvore and created a little collage of the type of look I'm going for this fall. While I'm not necessarily going to purchase all of these items, I'd like to keep my wardrobe in this style.

This bag and scarf really stood out to me, the bag having the feeling of an animal print and the scarf a delicate floral pattern that isn't too overpowering. I love the purple ring, the red bead earrings and the chandelier style earrings, they feel feminine and are each standout pieces. Everyone knows that plaid and breton stripes are timeless and fit in perfectly for any season. Love.

Animal

I've always had an affinity towards boots of all kinds, from wellies to equestrians and fashionable military boots, but I've never really explored the uncharted territory of high heels. I have two pairs of mid-low heels that are pretty comfortable to walk in, but they don't really have the fierce effect from a pair of real heels. And let's face it, walking into a club wearing a pair of flats doesn't feel very special at all. 

After browsing through Spring's website, I came up with a few options that I'm thinking about getting. Let me know which one I should choose:

This pair of black pumps is pretty simple, but very versatile. It's definitely something I could wear for a variety of occasions, it isn't limited to just to a girls night out.

I'm pretty drawn to wedges as well. A few months ago I tried on a pair of black peep-toe wedges and silently squealed to myself at how awesome they looked and I was surprised how comfortable they were. I regret not buying them, so a pair like this could definitely make me and my feet happy.

I'm not sure how I feel about this pair of booties, but a bootie's versatility in terms of weather conditions is a big plus for me. Also, does it not look super comfortable to wear? I'm torn between these three beauties so I'm going to take a while to mull over which ones to consider purchasing, so any input would be appreciated.

Also, I'm half-way through watching Twilight Eclipse and I'm in love with the make-up. A beauty post might follow when I'm done watching it.

Symphonies

This week I've been severely lacking on my blog updates, but tomorrow and this week I promise you some great posts of what I've been up to and what's been on my mind lately. Until then, here's something pretty to look at:

Photo: weheartit

The Dog Days Are Over

I'm pretty terrible with the lack of blog posts this week, but I've been super busy with no internet to browse Chictopia or my new favourite website Lookbook. I recently applied to become a member and I just love how much outfit inspiration there is and how anyone from around the globe can contribute. 

Anyways, how crazy is it that summer is almost at an end? The past few days have been a mixture of overcast skies, cool winds and rain, which gets me pretty excited for autumn. 

Photo: weheartit

Before summer ends though, I really want to see Eat Pray Love with Julia Roberts. It seems like one of those movies that makes you want to travel to distant lands and breathe in a different way of life. I kind of want to read the book first though! Maybe I'll look out for it the next time I'm in Chapters.

Firsts

I bought my first Elle magazine yesterday. Normally I'm pretty opposed when it comes to high fashion magazines, but I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the magazine after purchasing it. I don't know what it was, probably MTV's portrayal of Elle with Erin and Olivia from The City. After looking through some of the faux fur pieces from Chanel's Fall 2010 collection, I was a bit surprised, but some pieces actually look quite elegant. I've only flipped through half of the magazine and I'm saving it because the rest of it looks impressive. 

(Star Wars flashback?)

Photos: style.com

Satellite

Okay, I may be getting ahead of myself here, but I've been dying to share my slight obsession with Hunter Boots. After eyeing a few photographs of Kate Moss wearing the adorable footwear, I've decided that I must come to owning a pair for the sake of my poor feet which always get wet trudging to class through the snow covered sidewalks. Luckily for me, I'll be getting a bus pass this year, but I'd still like to get a pair of green wellies, so no slushy puddle is off limits.  Apparently, the Queen of England owns a pair as well :)

Photo: weheartit

Healing Begins

I went browsing around Chapters with my friend, with Starbucks drinks in tow. I like to look through the books on display and came across a few books that I would have loved to sit down and read, but I didn't allow myself to buy anything, because I already have a few books that I bought and haven't read yet. 

As I was driving home, I noticed how fall it was outside. The skies were swirling with dark grey clouds and the sun was shining on the other side of the sky, lighting up the yellow fields. As I drove along my road, I noticed bits of tree leaves turning orange. It was beautiful and it made me so happy. Anyways, here are some photos that I think are pretty.

Frosted window from LivingEtc

This bed looks so cozy, I just want to jump into it. From weheartit

Currently Coveting

I stumbled upon a really awesome website called Polyvore that allows anyone to search through clothing, jewelery and makeup to piece together an outfit that they want to create into a neatly organized collage. I tested out the website and here's the first outfit I created. I really love the boots in this photo, they're definitely something I would buy, and they look so roomy and comfortable. The eyeshadow is by Smashbox, also known as my favourite brand of makeup ever! The green and dark plum colour are so elegant.

North of Light's End

It's July 2nd and the weather these past few days has been a bit chilly (around 17 degrees celsius) and its bringing me back to my love of the fall and winter seasons. I'm not really a summer person, anything higher than 25 degrees celsius is definitely too warm for me! Since I'm a lover of the cooler seasons, I thought I would compile a few things that are inspiring me at the moment and what I'm looking forward to once autumn is upon us again!

Photo: lookbook.nu

I love the combination of colours in this photo. I always had this strange aversion to mustard yellow, but the way it's balanced out with the dusty rose colour of her cardigan makes this outfit a beautiful combination.

Photo: weheartit

Photo: weheartit

How pretty is this hairstyle by the way? It looks like a combination of inverted/dutch braiding and hair curling and it looks like the ends were tucked underneath the braid. I think a lot of people try to perfect the art of french braiding, making them look neat and clean, but the effect becomes so much softer and ethereal when its messy like the photo above. I like to think I'm pretty good at doing braids, but it's going to take a bit of time for my hair to grow longer, when I can really experiment with them again.