Extra long weekend.

Costa Blanca top; Winners jeans; Forever 21 shoes

Finally I got the courage to wear my green pants to work last week! I figured casual Friday was a good place to start. I paired them with a light top to keep it simple and breezy in this crazy summer heat. The pop of fun came from my polkadot shoes. LOVE.

So guys, I'm taking an extended long weekend off from blogging. It's Canada Day weekend for us and I'm heading up to a cottage Saturday to Monday with a bunch of friends. To take a bit of a break, I'm starting my blog-less weekend on Friday. I will be without wifi over the weekend (likely) and won't be blogging (and probably not checking blogs), but I will definitely still be on twitter (yay for iPhones!). I shall be back on Tuesday to resume my regularly scheduled posting.

I hope everyone has an amazing weekend, a happy Thursday, and a happy Friday tomorrow :)

Two summer looks.

Two very different summer looks, and I love both of 'em.

Aztec and Neon by enterkelly featuring short shorts

Chambray and floral by enterkelly featuring a straw fedora

Which do you like best? 

Photo dilemmas.

Dynamite top; H&M pants; Spring shoes; Forever 21 necklace

I didn't realize how long the grass was until I saw these pictures played back. I didn't want to take pictures on the road today because my annoying neighbour across the street was mowing his lawn.  More specifically, the part that reaches the street. I'm pretty sure he knows when I take outfit photos and plans his mowing around it, because this is the 2nd time that's happened this week... I mean, I would probably be curious too if my neighbour came outside every day with a camera & tripod, took a few pictures of herself, and then went back inside. If I wasn't exposed to the world of style blogging, I would be 110% confused and curious.

Oh the fun dilemmas us style bloggers face...

A story about my cutoffs.

Today I'd like to share a little story with you. A story of how these shorts came to be...

Forever 21 top and shoes; American Eagle pants turned shorts

When I was 16, a cute boy had asked me out. I wanted new denim for the date, so I made a trip to American Eagle to buy my first AE jeans. The style was actually called "boyfriend", which I found pretty funny since I was buying them for a first date...Either way, they were my first AE jeans and were amazing. I give them credit for starting my undying love for AE's denim...

Over the years, these jeans have managed to stay in my wardrobe. Even when other jeans have passed their prime and been donated, I've kept my "boyfriend" jeans. Maybe it had to do with the fact my ex and I were able to make it over 5 years together and they were a keepsake from our first date. I had an emotional attachment to these jeans.

When we broke up late last year, I didn't want to part with these pants just yet. They had managed to stick with me for 5 long years and they still had some life left in them. So I updated them. I cut the legs off the pants and turned them into distressed denim shorts. And guess what? They're now my absolute favourite.

Coming up on 6 years in my closet, these denim babies have been through thick and thin with me. They're still holding on strong and hopefully it'll be another few years before we have to part for good.

Do you have anything in your closet that you've held onto forever? 

Mint & White.

H&M top; American Eagle white pants; Globo shoes; Forever 21 necklace

Sometimes I'm silly. I have a picture in mind of EXACTLY how I want to style a certain piece of clothing and I won't wear it with anything else until I get a chance to wear that outfit. That's why you haven't seen this mint top yet.

My lovely cousin, Line, gifted me this top. I was pretty excited to see it was a) mint and b) lace. Two things that I love and don't have enough of in my closet. Anyways. When I saw it I knew I had to pair it with my white pants. I don't know why it's taken this long but finally here it is. My mint top in all its glory, with white pants.

On the plus side, this outfit helped me beat the crazy humidiy/heat we've been having! Light colours keep me so much cooler on days like today. Good thing this humidity is breaking soon...

Hope everyone has a rockin' weekend!

Is it Friday yet?

Forever 21 blouse; Dynamite pants; Fossil watch

It's Thursday, but feels like Friday. I can't believe I have another two work days until the weekend. And then, I can't believe that in two weekends it's the long weekend. My next couple months are pretty filled with random social outings and little trips like camping or heading to a party with some good friends. I also got me some vacation time at the end of July/beginning of August. Because I'm on a contract and I'm new, my vacation is unpaid, but at least I'm entitled to 2 weeks off if I want it. And you know what? It's summer. And I want that time off. I want to sit in the sun for a whole week straight and not worry about a single thing.

On a side note, I feel like I look like sprinkles in this outfit. Bright and colourful.

Today's pet peeves.

Dynamite top; Forever 21 sweater; American Eagle pants; H&M flats

Two of my recently discovered pet peeves. Well, maybe not so recently discovered...:

Dress codes. As I've previously mentioned, my dress code at work is pretty relaxed. Even so, it's still not appropriate to go around in tank tops. I get that,100%. But on days when, with the humdity, it's +40 degrees C, it would be nice if that rule could be broken. I sweat like a crazy person in this sweater/cardigan all day. Mental note, wear a dress next time the weather is crazy-hot (aka tomorrow...).

Humidity. Yes, another weather-related pet peeve. But this one destroys hairstyles. Worse than his brother, the wind. I curled the ends this morning but by 10am they had all fallen out. Humidity, go away. I want my curls to stay. Thanks.

Do you have any clothing tips to stay cool on hot summer days? Or to fight humidity, the hair destroyer?

Satin tops & cropped pants.

Alfred Sung (via Zellers) top; Forever 21 pants; Spring shoes

Here's an outfit I wore to work. I haven't worn this top in about a year, but it's survived all of my closet clean-ups. I'm glad I've kept it, it's got its special moments. Also, there's nothing better than a pair of cropped dress-pants. I absolutely love this black pair that I got from Forever 21. They were affordable and actually wash nicely - a hit-or-miss quality when you buy from Forever 21. They're also high-waisted, which is pretty fun. I can get a bunch of different looks out of 'em.

These shoes came to me for my bridesmaid outfit at my best friend's wedding last September. I have to say they're some of the comfiest heels I own, and I probably wear them a hand-full of times a week at work. So to my friends who I argued with about buying them, I am sorry. You guys have wonderful taste in footwear and I don't know where I would be without them. :)

Happy Tuesday world!

Happiness.

Forever 21 maxi dress re-made as skirt, necklace, hat; American Eagle top

It's about to get serious up in here...

This weekend I finished reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. Initially I picked the book up because of it's pretty cover - yes, I judge books by covers. First impressions matter, kay? Then I read the summary and I was intrigued. Since I finished school in December, my life has gone through some pretty big changes. Over the past few months, I've been thinking about happiness and whether or not I was appreciating enough in my life.  Then I found this book, written by a woman who asked herself the very same questions and actually did something about it. She started a "Happiness Project".

The book was an inspiring read. Not everything applied to me - I'm not married and I don't have children - but I feel like I've learned a lot from her experiences. I've become much more aware of my negativity and criticisms. There are certain things I definitely take for granted and I'm trying to do more to appreciate them. Also, I tend to get easily annoyed and I'm realizing that it isn't good for me, or the people around me. I've also found a few pretty great quotes from the book:

• "Enjoy the fun of failure" 
• "One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy; one of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself"
• "The days are long, but the years are short" 

I'm sure this will be one of those books that I keep on my shelf and revisit when times are tough or I feel stuck in a rut. It's made me re-evaluate a number of areas of my life and I'm inspired to make some changes for myself.

What did you do this weekend? 

Friday = casual

Forever 21 top and necklace; American Eagle denim; Payless shoes

Just a quick, casual outfit for a Friday. I don't have too much to say except that I'm sad that I haven't been giving my leopard print shoes as much love as I should be this summer. That, my friends, will change.

Anyone have any fun plans for the weekend? I might hit up the beach again, just because it's supposed to be perfect weather. What 'bout you?!

Pink shoes.

 

Dynamite pants and blouse; Gap cardigan; Fossil watch; Forever 21 necklace; Spring shoes

So I bought pink shoes. These came into my possession that one day I broke my shopping ban... Oops.

In all fairness, Spring had a pair or shoes just like this last year, but in a coral colour. I was always upset that I didn't get my hands on a pair before they were sold out. They're even on my Pinterest "style" board from way back when. When I saw these, I knew it was my chance. I had to have them. I love them. So, naturally, I had to break the shopping ban. Was it worth it? Heck yes.

The only problem - they're a fabric exterior. Kind of like a canvas material? They get dirty easily, and although I've been very careful, the heels are getting dirty from driving... Anyone know how I can clean them? Would soap and water work? Ahhh I don't know what to do. Save me and my favourite shooooooeesssss!