My First Kimono

Top: Plato's Closet (Baluoke)

Kimono: Eight Sixty from Revolve {dress, pants, shirt dress, top, tank}

Shorts: Sirens

Flower Crown: Stitches {similar}

Yes, I know, this is my first ever kimono I'm a little late to the party. I've always liked the look and idea of a kimono but have never been able to find one I liked. Whether it was pattern, shape or price, something always turned me off. Finally I found this gorgeous one at Plato's Closet.  The colors on this one are so pretty together and it almost reminds me of a water color design. Another thing I really like is the fit. This one is a size large and I'm happy it was large because it's got that oversized feel and I'm not sure how much I would like it if it were small and shorter or more fitted. Not to mention it was only $12 at Plato's and retails for nearly $100. I couldn't find the kimono (must be sold old) but I found all the pieces in the Eight Sixty collection in this pattern. They are all so gorgeous! 

My shirt is another find from Plato's Closet. Fun fact: this shirt is actually supposed to be a dress. I had purchased it believing it was a dress I could wear with this kimono. It was in the medium dress section & the tag read medium so why bother trying on? Once I got home I realized why change rooms exists. I noticed the original retail tag was still attached and that it was in Chinese language and cringed. If you've ever bought clothing from an Asian store then you know it fits no one! The "dress" didn't even cover my bum and it's supposed to be worn off the shoulders ! Luckily it looks just as cute as a fitted shirt :) 

Royal Blue & Cut-outs

Dress: Sirens

Heels: Charlotte Russe -sold out-

Necklace: Forever21

Watch: Geneva 

The pictures are a bit dark and the head lights from the cars are screwing up the lighting but at least you can appreciate the outfit. Unfortunately Sirens doesn't have a website so I can't show you the dress but hopefully you can see the lace cut out details on the waist and neckline. I also love this shade of blue on me! 

This was our view while dining at The Keg! The people with window seats were the luckiest. I'm not going to lie, I felt pretty fabulous at this restaurant. It was on the 9th floor of one of the tallest hotels (with amazing window walls all around) and they had free valet parking! 

B&W Sunflowers

 Top: Gojane -sold out-  also styled here

Maxi Skirt: Plato's Closet {similar} recently styled here

Hat: Brandy Melville -sold out-{similar}also styled here

Necklace: Forever21

Are you getting tired of this skirt yet? The possibilities are endless. 

Tomboy Meets Classic

Wife Beater Tank: Bluenotes {similar}

Blazer: Urban Behaviour -old-

Pants: Young & Faded (Nordstrom) thrifted from Plato's {cheaper option}

Heels: Dailylook

First off, these pictures came out huge & I apologize! 

This week we took a mini vacation/date night to Niagara Falls with a little help from 

Groupon. We got a one night stay in Hotel Ramada, 4 wine tours & tastings, a tour of the Chocolate F/X factory (above), $15 to IHOP, $30 to The Keg, and $20 to the Outback Restaurant. Did I mention it was only $79 + tax? If you are interested in our deal, it's still available here! P.S. The Ramada Hotel was excellent, they gave us a free upgrade to a Jacuzzi Suite room :) 

These photo's were taken outside the Chocolate F/X factory. We got to see how they make chocolate (starting from the harvesting of cocoa fruit, right down to moulding and packaging) then we got to taste it. We sampled a chocolate covered strawberry and some ice wine truffles. Needless to say, it was amazing.

Now onto the outfit...I love mixing tom boy pieces with classic girly pieces. The way these pants contrast with these heels is awesome! This style of heel is so flattering on everyone, I can't stop looking at my feet when I wear these. They make feet look pretty. Also, I could have easily gone without the blazer and next time I probably will.

DIY Weed Killer

Let me just start by saying this recipe was the answer to my prayers! The weeds in my yard just sprung one day and won't go away. Coco enjoys the backyard and tends to graze grass like a cow so there's no way I cold use a chemical weed killer. This recipe is pet friendly! [disclaimer: pet friendly does not mean feed it to your pets, but if your dog happens to lick it, that's alright]

1. Empty Spray Bottle

2. 1G White Vinegar

3. 1/2 cup of Salt

4. Liquid Dish Soap

Pour salt into empty spray bottle. Fill the rest of the bottle up with the vinegar. This container of vinegar was just enough to fill the entire spray bottle.  Then add a squirt of dish soap. Mix it all together.  You need to do this on a hot day so the weeds can get dried out, it probably won't work if you've got rain in the forecast. Saturate the weeds to DEATH! I used the entire bottle on my small backyard, don't be shy. 

Here's a few picture of my out-of-control weeds!

Spray away! Or get your boyfriend to do it...

AFTER A FEW DAYS IN THE HOT SUN

Here's the aftermath....

So it definitely shriveled them down to nothing. Looks much better now especially in the cracks between patio stones. However, now I have a backyard full of dead weeds. I'm not sure if I should pull them all now because I don't want fresh new ones to grow. Anyone with experience have any recommendations? 

Repeat Offenders

Denim Vest: Forever21 -old- also styled here

Tank: basic white tank

Skirt: Plato's Closet {similar}

Sandals; Volcom also styled here & here

Bracelet: Forever21 -old-

Necklace: Forever21{similar} also styled here

Everything in this outfit is a repeat offender for me this summer. I literally wear these sandals all the time. They are my quick go to footwear. Super comfy, stylish and easy to pair with most things. Maxi skirts are awesome for summer. Very lightweight and easy to just throw on. And depending how you feel you can easily dress up or down.  

What are some of your summer repeat offenders? 

DIY Projects

DIY Polaroid Clothesline

This project is my favourite and love that I can forever redesign it. I have chosen to display my #OOTD photos from Instagram on here but you can display whatever photos you like.  I just thumb-tacked some twine string in a straight line. TIP: make the string taut because once you add the clothespins it sags a lot, so any slack will make it sag too much. I bought a bag of basic wooden clothespins from the dollar store to attach the pictures. It's that simple! 

The website I used to create the polaroid effect is called Picmonkey. I just saved my already edited Instagram photos to my computer then uploaded them to this free online program. Once you upload your photo, choose the frame effect section. Then choose Polaroid Frame. It automatically fades the photo and rotates it. You can play with the level of fade and rotation if you like. I made all mine straight and lightened the fading a little bit. Once your done just save the image. Now, to print them the size of polaroids I resized my images to 2.4 inches width, and let the length adjust on its own. 

The clothes line is currently not full but as time goes on I will post more of my #OOTD on the line. 

DIY Shadowbox

This is a very simple project to do. I wasn't overly pleased with how it turned out and debated just tossing it. I got my inspiration from this Pinterest post (shocking). The only reason I don't like it is because my white glitter kinda glistens green. I have a lot of fake lashes hanging around and I don't use them so I decided to make this instead. All you need to do is glue a couple sets of lashes to a white piece of paper then insert it into a shadowbox. This one is from the dollar store, $2. I spray painted it black then sprinkled what was supposed to be white glitter on the wet paint.  Once it dries your good to go. I recommend testing out your glitter first so you don't get green like I did ! The one on Pinterest is much nicer, are we surprised?

DIY Wall Decor

I love these wall art pictures. It was obviously so simple and it's fun to choose quotes and pictures that fit your theme.  I chose my favourite fashion/beauty quotes and images to display. You can search for inspiration on Google or Pinterest just by searching "_____ quotes". I got these frames from the dollar store at $3 each. It's a bit expensive because it adds up, especially if you frame the entire room like I did. You can chose a much cheaper frame too but I like how large these ones were, and the picture is sunken back almost like a shadowbox and I really liked that style.

DIY Skirt Hangers

I ran into a dilemma when I was transferring all my clothes from drawers onto the rack. I didn't want to have to buy 20+ skirt/pant hangers because for some reason they were $3/each at the dollar store, or 3/$10 at Walmart. I'm trying to do this room on a budget! So I went to the dollar store to create my own. I was ecstatic when I found these girly plastic clothes pins. I was a bit worried they wouldn't be strong enough to hold up shorts especially denim. I bought them anyways and with two clothespin on each hanger the garments aren't going anywhere! Instead of having to pay $60+ for pant hangers I made my own with a $3 bag of clothespins!

Other Tricks

I got the hot pink flower for Christmas from Anthony's mom and it's a neat way to hang up your scarves. You just simply loop your scarves through the holes and voila. The black one is from the dollar store and it's designed to hang belts but I used it to hang up my basic tank tops and wife beaters.  It's a great space saver and also hanger saver. 

You can use bright printed and patterned boxes to store miscellaneous stuff to avoid clutter. I have a bunch of tights stored in this one. I just tucked it underneath one of the garment racks.

My Dressing Room

Hello Everyone!

I have been so eager to post this and share with you my project I have been working on for about a month. I can fully blame Pinterest for sparking this idea to me and have dreamt about it since I moved out on my own. We happen to have a spare bedroom now in our townhouse and Anthony gave me the green light to convert it into my own little paradise.

So, without further adieu, I present to you....MY DRESSING ROOM

My Vanity

This handy little hot tool holder is from Amazon {similar}. It's a great invention,...you can leave your tools resting in the holders while they heat up and once your done just unplug and leave them hanging to cool down.

I want to put something on the backdrop of the desk. Perhaps a mirror or a picture/poster. It looks too bare at this point. 

All these awesome acrylic organization containers are just from the dollar store! A perfect way to display all my lip products, pencils, palettes and brushes. They have different styles to display all your makeup.  And of course I have my laptop for blogging, makeup/hair tutorials, and outfit inspo. 

My shoe rack is a little sad. Ideally,  I would have liked to display them all on floating shelves, or even individually in a cubic shelf but I have little space and didn't want to drill into these walls. There is a good chance I will upgrade the shoe rack situation in the future.

"The Closet"

Eeeee, isn't this just a beautiful sight? I love walking into this room and seeing all my pieces out in the open. It makes it super easy to see everything you have and offers great opportunity to put together outfits. No more forgotten wardrobe pieces! The two clothing racks I have are from Walmart, they are super sturdy and can clearly hold a lot of weight. I loveee that they are two tiered so I can fit pants and skirts on one rack without all the wasted lower space. Plus they are super affordable!

DIY 

I will show you how I made the photo's hanging on my wall. It's a very simple and inexpensive way to decorate the room and leave a big impact.

DIY

This DIY polaroid clothesline is one of my favourite DIY projects ever! It was also super easy and fun to do! As time goes on I will continue to fill up the line with more pictures. AND you don't need a polaroid camera to achieve this - I will show you how!

Jewelry Organization

Once upon a time I had a very pretty unique jewelry tree that my dad built for me where I elegantly hung all my jewelry. Unfortunately I also have a very mischievous, nice-thing-ruiner cat named Mae West who thought it would be fun to jump on said tree. Needless to say, it all came crashing down and many of the tree branches broke, and the frame that held it together. so I had to create something else. Now, I am not nearly as talented as my dad so I got this thread organizer from Michaels instead. I just hang all my necklaces off the pegs. It's not the easiest way to see all the pendants and styles but it works for me. I also got these two (once was three) bracelet display racks. I keep all my bracelets, anklets and watches on the top and the bottoms have little dishes where I store my earrings and rings. There's a tiny little heart shaped box in the back (you might see it hidden among the bracelets) where I keep all my belly button rings.  I am still currently brain storming a better way to display my perfumes but for now they are just laid out on this wooden palette that matches the colour of the thread stand. Hey, if you have any ideas I'm open to suggestions!

Stay tuned for a blog post where I will show you how I created some of the DIY stuff in this room!

Check out my Pinterest board for some inspiration

    

Triple Threat: Neon, Sequins and Geometric

       

Top: Gojane {similar}

Skirt: Express 

Booties: Forever21

       

       

The lighting in these photos just don't do this skirt justice. The first picture is a close up I took to try and capture the neon green and how nicely it pops next to the black. This neon green color is one that is showing up in my wardrobe a lot this summer. I have a few other pieces in this color that I am sure I will be sharing soon. It seems to be the color that I am attracted to this season.  And of course I am wearing my favorite new booties from Forever21. They perfectly match the taupe base color of the skirt. As my mother would say - how serendipitous!