New York Haul Look 1.

        I am proud to say that, after losing all four shoots with the loss of my phone, I have finally completed re-shooting them all for my New York Haul Looks. As I have mentioned before, I went to New York at the end of August before my semester started. I went shopping and, of course, did lots of thrifting. I went a little ham, and ended up with approximately 4 looks that work together and, of course, will be amazing additions to my closet. I sorted them into four outfits to show each piece off, and show how they can be styled together. Every second day I will upload a new look, and thus will be my mini series- my New York Haul. Be sure to check back in and check them out!

        Here we have our look numero uno. I bought these wicked thigh high books at a popular thrift store in New York called Buffalo Exchange. I also got my new favourite jacket there- this black denim one. The long, loose t-shirt is from another second hand store in New York that we visited. This look is giving me "Yeezy on one hell of a budget" vibes. Throwing on this lace-up choker choker completed the look for me. To me, this outfit will be perfect for when I want to go out in the winter time, and I don't want to be cold, but I still want to feel like I'm sort of stunting. 

        These thigh highs are the closest I have ever found to fitting my legs. As soon as I tried them on and saw that they stay up on their own, I knew I had to get them.

Boots: Thrifted 

Denim Jacket: Thrifted 

T-shirt: Thrifted 

Jeans: American Eagle

Choker: H&M

Birthday Haul

        As you may have guessed, last week I turned 21! I went out for dinner with some friends, family, and loved ones (to Cactus Club which has my two favourite things- butternut squash ravioli and frosés), and then we headed downtown for some drinks and dancing! It was an absolutely splendid evening and I couldn't be more thankful.

        For my birthday, I was extremely fortunate to have not only the company of so many loved ones, but also received many generous gifts that I wanted to share! By no means is this meant to come across as a way of bragging, I just know that I am extremely nosey when it comes to what other people receive and I figured that some of you may share that curiosity. 

        Firstly is this gorgeous backpack, which was the main gift my boyfriend gave me. I am absolutely ecstatic. This faux leather Matt & Nat backpack fits my laptop perfectly, and I cannot wait to carry this around campus when September rolls around! This was from Little Burgundy. 

        And here are the other items he generously gifted me, which were a black bralette from Aritzia, some cool marble-pattered leggings from Forever 21, and the perfect brown liquid lipstick, Bow N Arrow, by Kat Von D!      

        Here we have an adorable, decorative plate and gorgeous cardholder gifted to me by my Aunt! She has always known my style, and new that little plate would go well in my bedroom.

        I am absolutely obsessed with these two items right here, gifted to me by my cousin and my sister's girlfriend! Firstly, of course, who doesn't love macrons? They're from the best place in Vancouver- Thomas Haas. I would definitely recommend going there for some pastries and tea! And the book, Fashion Victims by Alison Matthews David, is brilliant. It consists of my two favourite things- fashion and morbidity. Essentially the book goes into detail how humans from all cultures have historically suffered in the name of fashion. From lead in makeup, to poisonous dyes, to why "mad hatters" became "mad" (spoiler alert, it was the mercury they worked with). I can't wait to sit down and dive into the horror and disbelief of this book!

        Lastly, here are two extremely special gifts. One, of course, being the phone gifted to me by my parents! My old phone was 16 GB and my parents were able to upgrade to a 32 GB one. I am very grateful! And, of course, the beautiful mules. These were a birthday gift to myself, and now are the only pair of shoes I own in this style! I got them for sale at Browns Shoes and they fit perfectly. I am going to New York in less then two weeks and my goal has been to wear them whenever I can to break them in! They are super soft and comfortable so I think this is definitely a possibility.

        Overall I am super happy and extremely grateful for the gifts I received this birthday! 21 is a special one, especially since I'll be going to New York soon. I can't wait to rock, style, eat, read, and obsessively use all of these items! And I especially can't wait for the givers of these gifts birthdays' to come around so I can reciprocate their generosity! 

POWER TO NOBODY

Song of the day: Losing Grip by Avril Lavigne

        After two and a half months of waiting, my fishnet ankle socks have finally come in the mail! I would complain that it took this long, but in all honesty I ordered them from China with free shipping so I don't really know what I was expecting. 

        I am super excited to style these socks, and although this outfit is a bit more Avril Lavigne than it is Amy at Vagabond Youth as I would hope, I still can't pass up this tank and the overall feel that this look is giving me.

        This hand-painted "POWER TO NO ONE" shirt was handed down to me by my father (one of three in total that he's given me) and it comes with  great story. 

        In the early 80's when my dad first moved down to Vancouver, he was taking his clothes out of a dryer at a laundromat and noticed this tank was among his load, presumably something that the person before him left behind. Being the rock and roll punk that he was, my dad kept it, and it quickly became a wardrobe essential for him. One day a couple years later, he was at the Commodore Ballroom (all Vancouverites will know this venue) for a concert and someone pointed to his shirt and asked where he got it. When my dad told him the story of he found it, the man told him that he had painted that a few years ago and that it "Looks good!" on him. He then gave my dad a hug and walked away, leaving my dad slightly dazed and confused.

        Being the artistic pessimist that I am, I love this shirt for its statement and artistry. On the back you can see that a man's face was hand-painted on, with with bricks in the glasses' reflection that, to me, resembles imagery from Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall. My parent's and I are not quite 100% sure who the man is supposed to be. Regardless- with the current global political climate, this shirt makes me smile and admittedly fuels my hate fire. I'm joking!- sort of.

        These shorts have sadly met the end of their road- for me at least. Throughout high school these shorts were my summer staple, but not they are just too small. So I decided to wear them for one last hurrah in a look, and then donate to someone who will hopefully love them as much as I did.

        How "Let Go" (2002) is this look and pose though. Back in the day I was Avril Lavigne's #1 fan, and in all honesty that little girl is still in me. Start playing any of her songs from her first three albums and I'll start singing along. So even though this look is perhaps slightly questionable, I still can't help but have a soft-spot for it because it just brings me back to the day I wore mesh gloves and big black boots, just like my "rocker girl" idol.

Shirt: Who knows!

Shorts: Thrifted

Socks: eBay 

Sneakers: Converse

Choker: Thrifted