Thursday, March 28, 2013

Friday Favourites - March 29, 2013

Yay! My first Friday Favourites in a while! Let me show you all the fruits of my hardcore Internet lurking and procrastination. I have to be honest - dressing up and clothing shopping has been touchy for me lately, so I hope you'll enjoy the fun things I've been watching/doing/nom-ing.

Favourite YouTuber of the Moment: The Readables
I stumbled onto this adorable YouTube channel on a late night of bored scrolling. Priscilla is personable and charming in her videos, and her love of reading and talking about books really comes through. Plus I mostly sit and envy her massive book collection and ability to prioritize things in her life to actually read from said massive collection.

Fortune Cookie Soap - Soap Box 
I first heard about Fortune Cookie Soap while watching a video by icallitambrosia's (better known on Tumblr as 87daysbefore) unboxing video for the Spring Soap Box. The soap boxes are sent once per season, and are filled with various bath and body products with quirky names and awesome smells. They ship internationally, and each box also includes a $10 voucher for future purchases.
My favourites from the Spring box I received a few weeks ago are the robin's egg shaped "Birds and the Bees" Bath Fizzy and the "I Wet My Plants" spray lotion. Plus I just like getting fun stuff in the mail.

Zucchini Noodles and Meatballs (via Nom Nom Paleo)
I am a sucker for spaghetti and meatballs - living in a predominantly Italian neighbourhood for most of my life has really had a role in influencing my tastebuds. Anywho, I've been trying to creatively slip more veggies into my meals, and this looks delicious! I'm also excited to try a cauliflower crust pizza that I stumbled on while browsing Closet Cooking. I may or may not be obsessed with food blogs. 

I want these to wear with dresses in spring. Why are the size 10s sold out in creme. They also come in black but the creme is so dainty and the spikes make them seem all badass. Ahhhhhh.

And because I can't resist a good pun, I want to buy this and all the other stuff from this lovely Etsy shop - think faux taxidermy, cast iron, ceramics and paper products.

For those celebrating - have a happy and safe Easter this Sunday! For those not celebrating, enjoy the long weekend and discount chocolate come Monday morning.

Love,
Amanda

Monday, March 25, 2013

My Favourite Thrifts - Room Decor

I know a lot of other lovely ladies and gents in the blogging community are already well-aware of the unique joy that comes with thrifting. Every time I walk into a Goodwill or Value Village, I feel like a kid on an Easter egg hunt, minus the post-chocolate-sugar crash. Over the past couple of months, I've acquired a lot weird/really awesome stuff to decorate my room after it was re-painted from green and pink (think Maybelline mascara bottle) to its current demure beige. I was originally going for a mature look, but then realized that I'm still 22 and still live at home with my parents, who have always thought I was a bit off. Regardless, I'd love to share some of my favourites with all of you.

The "Itty-Bitty-Kitty-Committee"
I'm pretty impressed with myself, in that I've trained my boyfriend to be a lean, mean, thrifting machine and spot things I'd like when we're shopping together. He even knows my preferred department order (start with the shoes and bags, move to novelties, books, and house decor...) I am his sensei and he my thrifitng grasshopper. Anyways, he spotted this amazing, stuffed cat pillow that currently resides on my bedroom floor. The Committee already crept up in the background of other posts, like Michelle's most recent outfit post. It's adorable and just ridiculous enough that I'm still enamoured with them. We're still working out names for each cat, but I think Matt's leaning for all the dwarves from The Hobbit (though personally, I hope we skip Thorin, because he's a bit of a moody princess at times, just saying).

Three (of I think and original five) Elephant Stacking Dolls
My obsession with stacking dolls began when I visited Ellis Island in New York two summers ago and bought my first lovely set of five, handmade pieces. Since then, I've been lucky enough to acquire a few more used sets that I can't wait to show off in a future post. I bought this set even though it was incomplete because I love that they're elephants and still in great shape!

 Bunny Tea Mug with Lid
I was so stoked to have my regular evening Chai tea in this badboy the night I got home but found it couldn't really stand-up to boiling water (and now has a small crack in the side - sad forever). I still so do not regret the $2.00 I spent! I'm currently using it to store a lovely gift from Matt, featuring tiny scrolls of paper full of lovely little messages for when I need a pick-me-up. Plus it's just so happy - look at its wee smiling face. Tee hee.

Wicker Picnic Basket
There's usually an abundance of old wicker/woodwork stuff at most thrift stores and I've found them to be the perfect storage tools, as opposed to less glamorous tupperware. I use this large box to store my collection of classy lounge footwear (read: worn out slippers).

Stained-Glass Candle Holder
This candle-holder gives me a reason to use the bajillion tea-light pack I bought at Ikea on a whim some time ago. I love the colours, which can actually be eerily calming during a middle-of-the-night exam prep extravaganza. I'd love to have a full-out candelabra, but I don't really trust myself with things like fire or responsibility.

What are you favourite thrifitng treasures? I'd love to know!

Happy Monday! 
Amanda :)


Friday, March 22, 2013

My Spring/Summer Wishlist

As you guys may have noticed, Amanda and I have been absent from the blog. School and life have caught up to us, and we haven't even been able to hang out with each other! We're both really excited for summer so we can dedicate more time to the blog.

But I've also been keeping a wish list for this spring and summer! So this will be a bit different from the usual Friday Favorites.




#1 OMBRE

This is seriously #1 on my list! I had an ombre 2 years ago but I tried to DIY it and I damaged my hair so severely. I ended up having to chop my hair off after a few months. This time I'm going to do it right! (Professionally of course). I'm also thinking about keeping my front bangs this summer so I really love how the combo looks on Lea Michele. I'm trying really hard not to get it done before school ends (it will be my reward/motivation!)








#2 ASOS Curve Paisley Dress

I think I may have posted this on a FF, but I actually purchased it this time. I've never been into paisley print, but I've noticed it's making its way back in stores! I love the green color thats woven into the print.

This is on my wishlist because I'm so excited to wear it on the cruise vacation in August, and my brother's engagement party next month! This dress is also out of my comfort zone because I'm not used to wearing such a bold print. But this summer is all about stepping out for me!



#3 TATTOO

I know this isn't a usual topic on our blog, but it is on my spring/summer wishlist! I would really like a new tattoo, but I'm still unsure of what and where. I've always loved flower tattoos with a strong outline and minimal coloring on the inside. I love these ones the most, the first one I found on tumblr and the second one is from katethisiswhatido. I love her blog and style! 




#4 NIKON ONE
With my trip coming up, I've really been coveting this camera. It costs an arm and a leg though, so I'm slowly saving up!



#5 ASOS Curve One Shoulder Drape Dress

This dress is super simple, a fitten body con dress with a chiffon drape over it. I'm hoping I can choose which arm is exposed. Anyways, I'm excited to wear this to an upcoming summer wedding and on Captain's Night on the cruise. I think it would look amazing with tall black wedges and an ombre. 


#6 HERSCHEL BACKPACK

I wanted this backpack in September (for school) but its not very convenient because of the lack of compartments. I did promise myself I would buy it this summer for when I travel. I think it would make me look like quite the backpacker (HA NOT REALLY)


#7 COTTAGE VACATION

Amanda, Tobi (Our other bff) and I have decided to finally plan something this summer, and booked a cottage vacation! In Ontario there are so many places that you can drive to and rent a cozy cottage and get away from everything. 

This picture isn't where we're staying (I just needed a visual for you guys), but we found a super cute cottage on a lake. This trip is what's motivating to get through the next 6 weeks of school. I can't wait to be laying out on a sunny dock with my best friends. We're all hoping for hot weather so we can bust out some really cute swimsuits! 

Thursday, March 21, 2013

When Life Gets In The Way

"It's not already the end of March" she said clutching the sleeve of her Snuggie, rocking slowly. "But I haven't done anything..."

I'm really disappointed blogging here went the way of most things I enjoy (and by "way", I mean thrown off in a fit of stress-induced, dramatic getting-my-priorities-straight routine). My inner perfectionist exacerbates this, so that if I don't post for a week or two, there's no point and I'm just awful at this and I'll never post again. But I'll save the rest for therapy.

Regardless, I've loved having a tiny piece of the Internet to call home, and am still weirded out and excited by the fact that someone, out there in the world, is reading my thoughts and looking at the outfits I've put together. And in most cases, I'm not even forcing them to read it!

Here's some of the fun things I've been up to:

Watching every episode of "The Mindy Project" in unreasonable four hour bursts.


Mindy Kaling is a goddess and I am so jealous of her entire wardrobe on the show. I think she's officially been added to my Fictional-TV-Character-Girl-Crush list, alongside 2 Broke Girls' Max Black, Seinfeld's Elaine Benis, and Daria (being animated is only a barrier if we decide it is). 

Went to Cuba for a week with my family and took a lot of unflattering pictures and gained a lot of unflattering tan lines (cursed tankinis!). Below is a picture of me holding something I'm pretty sure was alive...
Cuba was so lovely. And the fact that it's the first day of spring and it's snowing here makes looking at these pictures extra depressing, so moving on.

I turned 22. Twenty Two. Still so weird. Michelle and Tobi came over and brought me treats, and we spent the afternoon being general douchebags.
 This is our awkward family portrait. We're a multi-cultural family.

 Michelle brought over delicious cakes which were gone in, like, 5 minutes.

My boyfriend, Matt, took me out for dinner to a fancy-ass steak place. This is the only picture I took because I felt so sad taking selfies with my DSLR as businessmen looked on. I promise I was happier than this!

Got some lovely gifts from the best friends too, including this initial necklace from ASOS. I can't wait to pair it with basic t-shirts for spring. 
Shopping around for Matt's birthday.
I bought him a classic black tie from the Etsy shop TieObsessed, with a customized back label (including lightning bolts and his gamer name) - so that he can be at work or a fancy wedding, and still feel epic and silly. Because who wants to be an actual responsible adult.

Hopefully I'll be back soon enough.

-Amanda