This ain't your ordinary band uniform

One thing I disliked most about being in the orchestra group in middle school was the mandatory uniform that we had to wear during performances.  I mean, it wasn't even a real uniform- we were just required to wear a white dress shirt over black pants/skirt.  I really didn't think there was any way to make that look good. I tried finding conservatively unique shirts or adding jewelry, but it didn't really work. After I quit orchestra (I played the violin), I never wore a plain white blouse again.

Now all of a sudden, I want to flock to those plain pieces again.  Sure, they're not paired with black pants, but there's nothing dorky about these looks.  There's something really crisp and simple about these looks that hold professionalism in a chic refinement.  It's a wonder what the addition of pockets, rolled sleeves, and shirt lengths can do.

Images via zara.com

City girl goes country

I call it the "Elle Woods bag".  It's girly, it's pink, and with the right outfit, it has a hint of professionalism.  Gotta say, I originally did not like this bag.  I mean, it was cute, but it wasn't me.  I personally wouldn't have bought the bag, but my mom has a eye for these kinds of things.  As an added plus, the bag was on sale from $65 to $30.  But that didn't convince me.  Still, it was such a good find, my mom was basically at the point of bugging either me or my sister to get the bag.

And good thing she's persistent, because we did go back to take one last look at the bag. To make a long story short, we walked out of there with the bag for $23 and no tax. Yeah, the bag's cute and all, but I think I like it more because of my ability to haggle down the price!

Oh, and don't mind that my hat's a little crinkled. That's been sitting at the back of my mom's closet for a while. Come to think of it, I think my mom picked out every piece in this outfit. Actually, at least I picked the belt out on my own...

 

What I'm wearing:
-Blue sundress
-Grey knit vest from Joe Fresh
-Tan wedges from Joe Fresh
-Pink bag

10 wishes for 20

With exactly two weeks until my 20th birthday, I thought it would be a good time to compile a wishlist for awesome friends and family to make their joys of shopping for my gift easier.  The list consists of both items that I dare not even expect, and little items that are slightly less expensive that would put a smile on my face.

1 Canon Rebel T1i DSLR
2 Macarons- everyone's been raving about them, I just gotta try one!
3 A pair of high waisted shorts in a funky, vibrant colour
4 A satchel in a neutral tone
5 Bow tie? Yes, please!
6 Floral shorts
7 Gold heart pendant necklace, preferably mid-length
8 Something lacey and/or with a peter pan collar- they're so adorable!
9 Funky, chunky wedges, or bold statement heels of some sort
10 Nude platform heels

And I also have one last wish. A goal, if you will. 
I'm aiming for an even 200 followers by August 9th.
Ambitious? Yes.  Do-able? With your help!

The siren screams at half past 10

Along with my new found love for vintage necklaces comes my love for pendant watches.  I suppose it's that old charm that resembles a classic pocket watch, but in the stylishness and functionality of a necklace.

And continuing on with our time theme, we get our title ('the siren screams at half past 10'), which are lyrics from Change Your Mind by The Killers.  Okay, so that's the only lyric in the song that has to do with time.  Still a great song with a catchy tune, nonetheless.  I first heard this song as I was browsing in a store.  I noted down those lyrics so I would remember to search it up when I got home. 

Based on other The Killers songs that made it big, this should've been one of them. I mean, "You had a boyfriend, who looked like a girlfriend..." What's that all about?

Lazy Sunday

It's just one of those gorgeous days where it's beautifully sunny, there's a comforting breeze, and you just don't feel like being productive.  Sure, you could laze around the patio in an oversized t-shirt and shorts, but it's just as easy to do it in style.

1 2 3 4

A simple romper, cute wedges, and sweet sunnies are the go-to pieces for relaxed days like this.  Fast fashion & effortless chic indeed.  Throw in a pop of colour in a bag if you plan to head out, and you're set! Who says fashion has to be complicated?

Enjoy the beach, patio, park, cafe, or wherever you may be!

How to: Dress for work in a heatwave

So I'm not sure about where you are in the world, but here along most of the eastern seaboard, it is a scorcher! 35 degrees Celsius/100 degrees Fahrenheit?? I am not used to these temperatures. Staying cool has definitely been a hard task.

What have we learned from this past week of record-breaking heats? Wear loose-fitted clothing.  Avoid dark colours.  But really, aside from that, there's not much else one can do.  I think I've exhausted my wardrobe trying to find something appropriate to wear to work while trying to keep cool, which is an additional obstacle in the heat. Midi-skirts and shirts made of light materials? Yes, please.  The same should be applied to shorts for the workplace- keep the length reasonable.  And if you do opt for a tank or halter, I'd bring a cardigan or pashmina to the office, especially if you have air conditioning on full blast.

But folks, there's also one more thing to keep in mind- do keep it classy.  I know it's hot, but I'm really not interested in seeing excessive cleavage or the bottom of a butt cheek.

Instead, opt for cute numbers that will maximize coolness without being trashy:

  Don't forget the sunscreen.  Those UV rays are terribly strong!

Hol(e)y staircase

In a previous post, I said that I broke my favourite pair of sunnies. Well, thanks to my handy roommate, those sunnies have been resurrected!  Naturally, I had to take some photos with them, right?

Walking in heels tends to be problematic enough.  I don't know about you, but I seem to stumble more in short heels and wedges than I do in tall slingbacks.  Now try walking on a few flights of outdoor stairs that resemble grates.  So that means with every step, my heel falls through the step and it feels like I'm about to fall.  I deserve a badge for mastering those stairs- it's a skill, I tell you!

What I'm wearing:
-Light pink bubble skirt
-Grey top
-Silver heels
-Sunglasses from Charlotte Russe
-Bag from Costa Blanca

Unconventional souvenir

When most people go to Disney World, they'll buy a stuffed animal, a set of Mickey ears, or a t-shirt.  I, on the other hand, decide to get something totally unrelated to Disney.  In Epcot, along the side of the road, was a small vendor that sold personalized rings.  This was around 6 years ago, so I think it's safe to call this my first piece of jewelry (other than earrings) that I wore just about every day. It's just a simple silver band that I can wear with basically any outfit and other rings.  This got me into wearing other rings too, since my finger would feel naked without something on it, I turned to other rings to fill that void.

Now if this isn't adding a little personalization to your style, I don't know what is.

Melodic bird songs

By 'melodic bird songs', I don't mean chirping and all that fun stuff (especially not in reference to crows and seagulls, those are just annoying!).  For this Music Monday, I give you a song with 'bird' in the title, accompanied by a dose of my new love for birdcage necklaces.

Is there not something so delicately beautiful about birdcage jewelry, particularly necklaces?  Especially if you look at the intricacy of some with little bird figures perched within the cage.  I'm usually a fan of silver jewelry, but this is one piece that I simply adore in a rustic bronze or gold.  This would be quite an ideal piece to any vintage collection.

And for the song of the day (Flightless Bird, American Mouth by Iron & Wine), it came on the internet radio while I was looking out the window on a sunny day while my heart was kinda heavy.  Honestly, I don't even think I had a reason to feel sad, but I was listening to slow songs that kind of put you in that kind of a mood.  It's quite a beautiful tune though- even though I was majorly turned off when I found out it came from the Twilight soundtrack.  Oh well, at least they got something right.  (Do note that I've never watched or read it- I just have an unreasonable dislike for it based on the commercials and millions of funny fans)

And speaking of little birdies, I tweet. My tweets are a hoot. 
...Okay, no more bad bird jokes.
Just give me follow on Twitter!

She paints me blue

I'm not quite sure what I accidentally clicked, but I found myself on the colour trend page from ASOS.  I think we know by now that brights are in this season, but it's nice to see it in a trend report with specific shades now and again.  I've always been quite a fan of this royal blue.  Ever since I saw it on the colour of a Beanie Baby (go 90s kids!).  I don't own anything in this shade, but I've been on the hunt.  There's a certain nautical elegance about it, no?

And yes, those are two different shades of blue, but they're both equally as lovely. I'm more of a fan of the brighter, electric blue (the top two pictures) because of its gorgeous vibrancy.

Not even looking at the colour now, these pieces are great trends of the season themselves.  Jumpsuits, high-waisted pants, and sheers, oh my!  I think the only trend from this set that I have in my closet though are high-waisted pants, but in boring black.  Shopping trips are needed! 

To blow a paycheck, again!

And welcome to another exciting segment of 'To Blow A Paycheck"! This paycheck was slightly less than the last one, so we have less hypothetical spending money to work with. But hey, who's complaining. To refresh your memory, I'm listing items that I would want to spend my whole paycheck on. But do note that I barely spend a dime (unless you count bills, rent, & tuition).

1.  Nikon D3100
2.  Ivory crop lace halter blouse
3.  Fab headband set
4.  F6811 sunglasses
5.  dear creatures- women's hannah dress
6.  Mohawk black moccasin fringe ankle boots
7.  Coral triple peter pan collar top
8. Moto white letter print hotpants

Who said that all my items I'd blow my paycheck on had to be fashion based? I totally want an SLR camera so I can ask people to take street style photos and not seem weird. Seriously, there's something mildly creepy about doing that with a point-and-shoot.

And if I spent money on all these items, I would have $0.74 left from my paycheck.

Waiting on a different story

If you've read my blog enough or know me in person, you'd know that I like to stretch my dollar as far as I can.  Firstly, this skirt's a dress.  I wore it maybe twice.  Bought it around 4 years ago and didn't really know how to style it properly.  Why buy a skirt you don't know how to style?  Because it was under $10.

The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) comes to Toronto every August and I've been going every year with my family for about as long as I can remember.  In recent years, we've been finding a new motivation to go.  Do we go for the rides, games, performances, food, etc? Well, that's all dandy, but we go for the shopping. A few stores do an end of season clearance where their stock is sold at the venue.  This is where I stock up on the basics.  Things like 3 for $15 shirts? Yes please.

 

 

Wearing skirts as dresses is my new favourite.  Not only do I get good use out of it as a skirt, but I get even more now that I wear them as summer dresses.  And I save money by not buying actual summer dresses.

What I wore:
-Blue printed dress (skirt)
-Tan wedges from Joe Fresh
-Black double buckle belt from mom's closet
-White cardigan from mom's closet

Nah, I never win

A while back, I won this darling necklace from Maycie, who actually made this herself.  This simple crystal necklace goes great as a minimalist accessory, especially when I want a faint boho/tribal touch.  She's also been kind enough to give me a blog award.  Thank you again for both!  Facts about me can be found in between photos of the necklace.

By the way, do check out her blog, because I truly love it.  Not only does she have great style, lovely photos, and interesting writing, but she manages to do it all with kids!

1.  I haven't owned proper running shoes since I was 11. 

2.  My middle name is Mandy.
3.  I was named after an Archie comic character and a Barry Manilow song. Go parents. 
4.  I dislike unrefrigerated bottled water- I think it tastes like bottle. 
5.  I dislike when my food mixes together- vegetables, please do not touch the chicken! 
6.  I drink juice straight out of the carton more than I use a glass.
7.  If you ask me what time it is and I look at a watch, I'll tend to say "20 after" because I never look at the hour hand- I know it's 20 minutes after *something*. 

Answer the following questions:

Your favourite colour - Green
Your favourite song -  Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard. Reminds me of being young and stupid. Or the beach.
Favourite Dessert - This waffle dessert that comes with green tea ice cream, cookies & cream ice cream, and chocolate.
When your're upset, you - Blast my metalcore music and rant in my journal
Your favourite pet - I've only had one pet- my beta fish. Yeah, he was pretty cool for a fish.
Biggest fear - Snakes.
Best feature - I'm gonna go with my hair.
Everyday attitude - Sarcastic.
What is perfection - That moment when you realize that things are better than you expected.
Guilty Pleasure - It's a tossup between 90s pop music (à la Backstreet Boys) and Seinfeld.

And I'm passing this award onto my newest favourite blogs:
-Classy & Fabulous
-Velvet Codeine
-Walking on a Dream
-Are you dressing up or dressing down