Thursday, October 30, 2014

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween! This time of year definitely tops my list of favourites.
I'm not a lover of horror films, I'm no fan of guts and gore, and I tend to
shy away from anything remotely spooky, but yet I can't get enough of
Halloween.  I do, however, eat large quantities of candy and happily get
my arms gooey from carving pumpkins while watching themed movies
- Hocus Pocus anyone? Unfortunately there won't be any dressing up
for me this year, so instead I opted for the graveyard at the end of my
street and black and white photos. Having an appreciation for history,
it was interesting to walk and see the tombstones, some were from
the 1800's. I find in North America there is a tendency to destroy
the old and create new. Aged buildings with decorative style are
replaced with the plain and industrial. Walking through a graveyard
is like walking through history. I've been noticing that cemeteries in
rural areas are smaller, made of generations of families. This particular
one was surrounded by birch trees in the yard of a deserted church that
overlooks a river. It was a quiet and beautiful place - very bewitching.
Outfit:
All items thrifted 

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

The Call of the Cape

Belonging to the generation who was raised on Disney movies, it
surprises me that not every girl dons a dreamy cape on a daily basis.
This is one item I need more of in my closet. It's hard not to feel
polished or magical (those words can be used interchangeably, no?)
when wearing a cape. This particular one makes me think of Sherlock
Holmes - the original of course.  All I'm missing is the deerstalker
cap and a pipe. I wish I could say that it's not cold enough for a
wool cape, but that would be a fib. I've brought all my herbs inside
and now my kitchen smells of sweet lavender.  Our hot breath can
be seen in the chilly mornings and I find my hands seeking the
warmth from my hot cup of coffee.  No never-ending fall this
year - birthday wishes never come true....
Outfit:
Thrifted // Cape
Jacob // Sweater
Thrifted // Jeans
Le Chateau // Boots

Monday, October 27, 2014

A New Furry Friend


Everybody, meet the newest member to our household! Her name at
the moment is undecided, we are thinking Kiyoko or Kaliko (Kah-
lee-koh). Although we have Kobe, I got him when I lived alone at
the age of 20. We think of him as our dog of course, but it was a
nice experience to pick out a cat together. We got her from the local
SPCA, which I recommend to anyone looking for a furry friend. It
was really saddening to see cage after cage, rooms full of neglected
animals who, like all of us, just want love and care. As much as I
wanted to give a new life to an older cat, the thought on cats and
dogs is that if one is a baby then they're more likely to be the best of
friends. There were some really young, extremely adorable kittens,
but our hearts were set on this six month old beaut. A kitten definitely
adds some energy to our home, running about wildly as if being
chased! I've heard before that animals adopted from shelters are
almost extra affectionate because of their appreciation - I would
have to say I agree! She follows us everywhere and all she wants
to do is cuddle, even with the dog. If you have a pet, please do
tell! I would love to hear about your non-human friend! 
Outfit:
Thrifted // Hat
Thrifted // Top
Thrifted // Belt
Thrifted // Skirt
Joe Fresh // Tights
Thrifted // Boots

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Confessions of a Wanna-be Wallflower

Hello, everybody. I'm Samantha and I'm an introvert. With the
connotations that go along with this word one would think it were
a bad thing. At first I fought it and then I went with it. I can still hear
in my head the tone in which my mother says my sister is such a social
butterfly. I enjoy social activities, but coincidentally my favourite
hobbies tend to involve doing something alone (sewing, gardening,
reading, yoga, DIY projects).  In high school, introverts aren't given
much of a choice, which probably explains some of the teenage
moodiness. There is less of this forced-socialization in university
- sororities and fraternities aside - and things begin to look up for
us introverts.  After university was difficult. I'm sure like many
others out there, it came as a bit of a surprise that it wasn't so easy to
land that dream job with that piece of paper you had earned confirming
your ability to learn that cost so much to get. I went back to waiting
tables and when serving groups of four or more, I stumbled on
everyday speech when I normally have no problem talking.
What if Baby wants to be in the corner?! 

All of this mumble jumble has to do with my new position
as a newspaper columnist. When I imagined myself writing, I
imagined myself, alone, typing away on the keyboard.  Well,
when I was little I imagined a pen and paper, but the times
have changed, haven't they? I didn't picture other people, I pictured
myself with just my thoughts, ideas, and whatever my imagination
could muster. Having a column that revolves around my new
community puts me out of my shell, there is the need for interaction.
It can be a bit scary sometimes to talk to strangers and having to be
the one to introduce themselves first.  I need to listen to the stories
of the locals and immerse myself in my new surroundings - that
doesn't happen if I hide at the back and keep to myself. Sometimes
you got to do what you don't want to do to get what you want.
This is one of those times.
Outfit:
Thrifted: Cardigan
Thrifted: Plaid Shirt
Thrifted: Shorts
JoeFresh: Tights
Thrifted: Moccasins

Monday, October 20, 2014

To Rake or Not to Rake


The trees in my yard have just a few tenacious leaves left on their
branches. A terrible windstorm swept through our area a few days
ago and the end result is naked trees. A yard blanketed with leaves
is such a beautiful sight, I plan to keep it like this for some time.
While I do like to keep my yard clean and tidy, I wasn't overly
concerned with mowing my lawn and I'm not overly concerned
with raking the leaves. Not everyone holds this easygoing attitude,
I got a lot of "when are you going to mow that jungle" comments
in the summer. It wasn't that I was lazy and didn't want to mow my
lawn, but receiving comments didn't make me want to mow the
lawn any more than before.  It may come across as a stubborn
stance, but my mind turns to thoughts of conformity. Mowing or
raking because of fear of being ostracized or called out by my
neighbours would be conforming. Now, if I mowed or raked due
to my own desire to have a manicured lawn, well then, that would
not be conforming. 

I remember reading about this study done on conformity in my
psychology textbook back in university.  The test subject would
be with a group of people who were in on the study. A question
was asked with a very obvious correct answer.  The group would
all answer incorrectly, much to the surprise of the test subject.
The larger the group, and therefore a larger amount of people
answering incorrectly, the more likely it was that the test subject
would also answer incorrectly. People have a tendency to conform
even when they know they are right. On a good note though, even
if just one person from the group answers with the correct response,
the test subject is more likely to not conform to the wrong answer
and instead answers correctly. Wasn't a very brave test group, I say.

And apparently it's better for your lawn if you don't take all the
leaves up. That seems to make a whole lot of sense too when you
consider the world seems to take care of herself quite fine without
humans touching this and that. And this is what happens when you
let your thoughts run wild. All this has much to do with nothing. 
Thrifted: Dress
Thrifted: Vest
Thrifted: Belt
Thrifted: Moccasins 

Friday, October 17, 2014

Pumpkin A-Plenty


The other day I had my very first trip to a pumpkin patch. Yes, I
thought it was absurd I haven't been before too! I mean, it's almost a rite
of passage for us fashion bloggers, no? Wink wink, nudge nudge. Paul
and I took a drive to a place called Hank's Farm during the middle of
the week and ended up having the entire field to ourselves. It made for
a perfect autumn day strolling up and down the rows of bright orange
pumpkins. The air was warm and cool, the clouds played with the sun,
and we saw this season's first flock of geese flying south. I've lived in
an apartment for the last 9 years, so I may have gone a little overboard
on decorating my new house for autumn. There are pumpkins placed
on every step, in every corner, and on shelves. Hank's was selling old
corn stalks, so we picked up a few of those - to go with the bale of hay
of course. I got fall chrysanthemums and picked pine cones off the
ground to put in glass vases with autumn-scented candles. I feel most
comfortable and grounded when surrounded by nature, so why not
bring nature indoors with me? How have you been celebrating fall?
Outfit
Thrifted: Wool Hat
Handmade (by a friend): Scarf
Thrifted: Dress
Some downtown Ottawa
Boutique:  Tights
Garage Sale: Bracelet
Thrifted: Ring
Thrifted: Boots
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