One Week, One Romper

I know, I know. Two posts about goals masquerading as fashion posts in a row. This is the easiest thing I have to talk about right now! No research involved. No reading and linking and all that. Just some thoughts, and a few edited photos. Yes please. Connecting over slooooow fashion. Mmhmm.

Taking both this and the dress as a whole, I can see so many secondhand pieces that I love. Or pieces I have had for a long time and continue to get a lot of use from. I realize that secondhand is difficult for a lot of folks, and in some cases is becoming inaccessible due to the popularity of thrifting pushing up prices. I am still a firm believer in a minimal closet, with or without thrifted pieces. That ray of sunshine yellow sweater at the bottom is "fast fashion", but I have been eyeing similar pieces and it felt like a good fit. And come on! It's so sunshiney!

Anyhoo...hope you find some inspiration here!

This was another easy one for me, and way more fun than that dress. What do you have in your closet that you can wear over and over (and over) again?

xo, Lisa

FURTHER READING

Gotta love a 10x10 Challenge
This is one of my favourite fashion posts ever
I've been doing this type of challenge for ages: "One Dress Five Ways"
Plato's Closet Strathcona is a great local consignment store
My 2020 Guiding Word (because (most) everything link back to the foundation)

One Dress, One Week

This all started with one of those"this time last year" summaries in my Google photos dashboard. The photo is me looking cute in a black t-shirt dress and red jacket that I hadn't worn in forever. So I went looking through the basement clothing racks to see if I could resurrect the look - and yes! The dress hadn't quite made it to the donate pile yet!

Monday morning came, and this cute outfit came back. And it was then that I remembered an old favourite activity - wear the same dress every day for a whole week.

So...here was last week.

FEEL CUTE, FEEL ACTIVATED, FEEL SPACE

My Dudes. Sometimes I cannot even do simple things without my Guiding Word jumping up and smacking me in the face. I mean, this is a free dress that I got while volunteering at a clothing swap. And here we are tying it back to my fricken goals for the year. Hot. Damn. Y'all thought you were getting a fashion post!

I feel cute, cause I'm cute. I feel activated because I'm finally in a position where I am comfortable with my tiny closet filled with secondhand pieces. And I feel space because having a small wardrobe means less time getting dressed, less rushing in the mornings.

BUT I ALSO FEEL SO OVER THIS DRESS

Goals aren't the only thing getting an examination with this dress. I only made it five days with this challenge, because I realized that I am over this dress. I am over the saggy tights. And always having to tug on the bottom of the dress to cover my bum when I stand up or get out of the car. I love the monochrome, but I'm not married to black. This dress is going in the donate bin and the tights in the garbage. I'm over it. I learned my lesson and now I can move on and through.

And I've already started planning how to fill this "hole" in my closet. While understanding that the hole is imaginary and I definitely will not be walking around naked because I have other clothes "Karen" get off my back!

CLOSET HOLES ARE IMAGINARY

I am always suspicious of bloggers and instagrammers who've given themselves the "slow fashion" epithet justifying purchase after purchase by using the phrase "I'm just filling a hole." Here's the secret.

The hole is imaginary. It's made up.

Y'all have SO MANY CLOTHES don't try and bullshit me with the whole "while I do have a pair of brown heeled booties I did up a spreadsheet to prove that I needed a pair of fur-lined brown heeled booties to FILL A HOLE", mmkay? Please. This ain't my first sustainable wardrobe rodeo.

For me it's less about a self-made hole, and more about refining & reducing my closet, making MORE out of less. And being truly intentional and reflective about my choices.

This includes considering how long the garment will last, and how many times I will be able to wear it.

This includes considering how the garment was made and by who. Like, were they paid a living wage? Because a $2 t-shirt means slave labour, don't @ me.

This includes considering what the garment is made of. Cotton is terrible for pesticide and water use, but organic cotton is also terrible. Linen is yay. Microplastics are boooooo.

This includes considering the cost, and if I can afford it, or if I can make due without.

And this is just the start of the conversation.

My muscle memory still has me buying without thinking twice sometimes. It's a hard habit to break. Weeks like this help. Posts and chats like this help. Unsubscribing from all the shopping newsletters help. Lists help.

THE FIRST RULE OF A SUSTAINABLE WARDROBE

I thought I would end with a great tip on starting to build a sustainable, ethical, "slow", minimal wardrobe.

1) Stop buying so much shit.

That's it, that's the tip. You're welcome.

Now I'm going to be over here over thinking my purchase of a red linen jumpsuit to match my favourite sneakers. Y'know. To fill that hole or whatever.

FURTHER READING

I most recently wrote about Values-based Budgeting here
Gotta love a 10x10 Challenge
This is one of my favourite fashion posts ever
I've been doing this type of challenge for ages: "One Dress Five Ways"
Plato's Closet Strathcona is a great local consignment store
My 2020 Guiding Word (because (most) everything link back to the foundation)

xo
Lis

Adventures in Sobriety - Going to a Gala

I have never posted about the gala on my blog. For the past five Octobers I have been working my butt off to submit entries in our local home builder association's Awards of Excellence. And every March we celebrate at the Gala.

This was my first year of no drinking at a Gala. It was ...boring, exhausting, long, frustrating, tense, anxiety-inducing...it was all these feelings that normally would have been squashed down in favour of the reckless abandon of another gin & tonic.

I'm not going to say that I was grateful for the boring parts, but we still managed to have fun!

I rented an outfit this year, and I have never felt more beautiful or comfortable in my own skin. Sparkly gold jumpsuits are (apparently) my jam.

My gratitude for this man right here - joining me on all of my adventures with love, support and a smile - know no bounds.

Every day that I don't reach for a beer I am so proud of myself. And knowing that in all of this growth that I am doing, this best self I am trying to achieve I haven't lost the essence of who I am...is priceless.

Once a dork, always a dork.

FURTHER READING
My first post on My Year (at least) of Sobriety
I rented my sparkly jumpsuit from The Fitzroy, and I highly recommend it.
I used to participate in a link-up hosted by a group of bloggers across North America called "What to Wear". It's a bit of a blast from the past, but you can see those posts here. Remember Lisa with red hair? The internet does!

xo

Winter 10 x 10 Challenge

Well, that's another 10x10 Challenge in the books for me. I welcome any and all opportunities to dive a little deeper into my limited closet, and "dabble" in having a Capsule Wardrobe.

I used all 10 of my pieces, and had no outfit repeats, or cheats (which is apparently a thing according to Instagram). There is nothing exciting or ground breaking about my outfits or my pieces, but I've learned that that isn't the point of this exercise for me. The point is...what is the point?

The POINT IS 

• I am acting on my passion to have a sustainable closet;
• to be content with my limited pieces;
• to figure out how to wear pieces I'm not sure about (ahem beige sweater);
• to introduce some cognitive ease into my mornings.

There is no struggle, no second guessing (other than that damn beige sweater) or getting sick of clothes. Which is saying a lot when you are "limited" to only 10 pieces. But I put limited in quotations because I never felt limited. I felt liberated.

Let me tell you, my work mornings are shit. I wake up before my alarm goes at 5:30 am, and then lay in bed and am surprised and cranky when I finally get up at 6:30 am and now I'm rushing to find food and brush my teeth and it's just a damn circus. Doing this 10x10 Challenge saves my limited sanity every morning. Not having to THINK about what to wear? Yes please thank you I want more of this!

THOUGHTS

• Every piece was worn at least twice, except for my skirt and blazer
• I actually like that beige sweater!
• I maybe don't like the brownish one as much as I thought
• Otherwise, all of these pieces are keepers
• Those pleather leggings are my closet workhorse
• The plaid shirt was a surprise favourite under my best blue dress
• Black jeans are the best idea
• Mostly neutrals plus a fun pattern makes this easy

In conclusion, I love and live for this shit SO DAMN MUCH. I feel like 2018 is the year I finally take the plunge and purposefully create a capsule wardrobe. I know I keep talking about it, but I feel like I am almost there and these little narrow focus challenges help me recharge my small closet and get closer to and more comfortable with that goal.

I have learned a lot through this challenge, and am excited to spread the word and dive even deeper into the world of sustainable fashion.

FURTHER READING
Not Ladylike - Winter #10x10 Challenge
Not Ladylike - Fall #10x10 Challenge 1st Half
Not Ladylike - Fall 10x10 Challenge Last Half
Apartment Therapy - I'm Starting a "No-Shopping-For-Clothes" Year and It's Healing My Soul

Winter 10 x 10 Challenge

It's time for another 10x10 Challenge! The first one I joined in on last fall was super successful, and I was excited to see the chatter and build up online this past week. The #10x10friends community is very inspiring. The winter challenge technically started on Friday, but I was still on the fence about my 10th piece, so I didn't have this post ready to go. Until now!

What is a 10x10 Challenge?
The gal behind Style Bee created the 10x10 Challenge in 2015 while she was doing a "shopping fast". No shopping means you have to get creative with what you already have, and this challenge is just the tool to help you do that. I myself have made a goal to buy no new clothes this year, so I have a feeling that I will be jumping in feet first with whatever minimalist fashion challenge I can find!

The basic guidelines are as follows:
1. Choose 10 items from your current closet
2. Wear only these items for 10 days
3. Create 10 unique outfits from these 10 pieces!

My Challenge
I thrifted two sweaters after Christmas, and while one of them is becoming a fast favourite, the other one feels like an impulse purchase. By including both of them in the challenge this time around, I hope to really get comfortable with how they fit into my closet.

I am not including my exercise gear, outer wear, pajamas, jewelry, shoes, or other accessories in my 10 items.

The Pieces
Here are the items from my closet I have selected for this 10x10 challenge!

Top Left: Reversible Shawl/Vest - Value Village
Top Right: Black blazer - Value Village
Bottom Left: Grey cardigan - Joe Fresh via Value Village
Bottom Right: Army green tee - via Splurge

Top Left: Plaid tunic - Joe Fresh
Top Right: Off-white sweater - Value Village
Bottom Left: Pleather leggings - Joe Fresh
Bottom Right: Reversible Black/Print skirt - Joe Fresh

Top Right: Black denim - Jessica Simpson via Value Village with Unbelts belt in Cappuccino

Right: Midi length, navy blue sleeveless dress - Value Village (vintage)

I will be posting my full outfits daily on my Instagram, and every few days on the blog. I am curious to see what I will learn this time, and which piece(s) & outfits will end up being my favourites. Or which ones end up being your favourites!

FURTHER READING

Not Ladylike - Fall 10x10 Challenge Second Half

Not Ladylike - Fall 10x10 Challenge First Half

Style Bee - 10x10 Challenge

Brass Clothing - The Purpose of a Capsule Wardrobe 

UnFancy - Fall Remix Wrap Up

Fashion in September

Hello! Here are some clothes I wore in September! Pieces from my 10x10 Challenge are still gong strong, and I have starting adding in other favourites from my closet.

A combination of new and thrifted items shown here, tending towards the new. I still struggle with paying $300 for a shirt (!!), so I am starting with buying less as opposed to buying ethical. Which isn't ideal, but that's where my budget is these days. These are pieces that I wear all the time, so I am still making the most of their lifespan. And when they need to be replaced, perhaps I will be able to afford a more sustainable option. Until then, I'm going to rock hard in this floral blazer.

For the Edmonton Comic Expo this year I decided to do a cosplay! This was a big deal for me! I assumed that no one would recognize my costume, but I was still excited about dressing up. Two people thought I was Rosie the Riveter, but I was a different Rosie. I don't read a lot of comics, but I really love and appreciate Lumberjanes, so it only made sense to play the role of my favourite Camp Counselor.

This is an image from the comic book. I think I did a pretty damn good job thanks to a quick stop at Value Village for a plaid shirt and the perfect polka dot headscarf! I'll have to bring an ax next time. ;-)


I am trying to figure out how I want to write about fashion. It is something I am passionate about in that I think we need to get SMARTER about where and how we buy our clothes, and how we curate our closet. I want to redefine "fashion blogger" and I want to share my passion for sustainable fashion, capsule wardrobes, and the like. I am still working on this, and I am excited to explore this idea further. Nobody reads these damn posts anyway - except my Dad & Nadine - so what does it matter?!

Until then...
xo

10 x 10 Challenge - Last Half

And we're done!

This project was really exciting! For such a little thing, I was so pumped everyday to get dressed and try something new with some of my most-loved and most-worn items in my closet.

Enjoy Outfits Six through Ten!

I am posting this about 5 days after I finished, and I still find myself reaching for these 10 items over and over again. I mean, after I washed them! HA!

I have SO MANY THOUGHTS about this project and I want to do up a proper post in the next couple of days sharing what I learned, and my future in the Capsule Wardrobe business. I can already see so many positives coming from this Challenge, and I don't want to lose that momentum.

Until then...

To see Outfits one through five, click here.

For a complete list - with pictures! - of all of the pieces, check out this post.

xo

10 x 10 Challenge - Halfway Point

It seems silly to do a "Halfway Point" post for a fashion challenge that only lasts 10 days, but most of the fashion bloggers who take on this challenge do a post a day with their outfits. I take ONE PHOTO per outfit (maybe two if the first one was a dud), because my "Instagram Husband" is myself plus some household item to prop up my phone on a flat surface. I don't have enough pics - nor do I want to - to fill a blog post each day of this challenge. That is a whole separate challenge that I did not sign up for.

Anyhoo, I've got Outfits one through five posted below, with notes about which pieces I am wearing in each. "Six-Nine-Ten" for example. For a complete list - with pictures! - of all of the pieces, check out this post.

I'm learning...
- That I really love [most of] the clothes in my closet
- It is tough to pick 10 items of clothing that you can wear to work and to play
- There is only one item that I chose that I would swap out for something else (not that I know what the replacement item would have been...)
- I am so OVER the trend to have new clothes all the damn time
- I still struggle with buying higher quality (more expensive) pieces that will last longer, especially when I have some fast fashion pieces that have lasted for years

As I post this, I am currently on Day Eight of the Challenge, and I am not running out of steam. In fact, I think I might go a couple of days over because I haven't exhausted all of the outfit options in my 10 pieces!

This is a very exciting challenge, and I can't wait to write my official wrap-up post!

xo

Fashion - 10x10 Challenge

I have finally decided to dip my toe into the world of Capsule Wardrobes. I will be starting a 10x10 Challenge today! September came just too darn fast, and I need a fun project to lose myself in for a little bit.

What is a 10x10 Challenge?
The gal behind Style Bee created the 10x10 Challenge in 2015 while she was doing a "shopping fast". No shopping means you have to get creative with what you already have, and this challenge is just the tool to help you do that.

The basic guidelines are as follows:
1. Choose 10 items from your current closet
2. Wear only these items for 10 days
3. Create 10 unique outfits from these 10 pieces!

My Challenge
I am going to pick 10 pieces that (I hope) will work for both work and weekends. I hope we don't have a heat wave, because I didn't include any shorts!

I am not including my exercise gear, pajamas (or "lounge wear" as they call it these days!), jewelry, shoes, or other accessories in my 10 items.

The Pieces
Here are the items from my closet I have selected for my first 10x10 challenge!

Top Left: Reversible Shawl/Vest - secondhand
Top Right: Pineapple tank - Joe Fresh
Bottom Left: Vera Vera dress (on sale now!)
Bottom Right: Midi length, sleeveless dress - Joe Fresh

Top Left: Star Wars sweatshirt - secondhand
Top Right: Jessica Simpson black denim - Value Village
Bottom Left: Beep Boop tee - Threadless
Bottom Right: Reversible Black/Print skirt - Joe Fresh

Top Left: Reversible Black/Print skirt - Joe Fresh
Top Right: Grey blazer with pleather details - H&M
Bottom Left: White blousy tank - RW & Co.

I am already excited about this project! I naturally find myself sticking to only a few items in my closet, so I am hoping it won't be too hard to purposefully limit myself to "just" 10 items. The above items are some of my go-to favourites, that I wear all the damn time anyway!

If you want to play along, HOORAY! I will be posting on Instagram using the hashtag #sonotladylike10x10. I would love to see your pieces and outfits. We can help keep each other on track!

xo


Further Reading:
Style Bee 10 x 10 Challenge
The Purpose of a Capsule Wardrobe by Brass Clothing
Build a Capsule with Cladwell & Un-fancy
Unfancy Summer Capsule Wrapup

Forgotten Fashion Blogger

I have been tagging my fashionable IG photos lately with #fashionblogger only to realize that it's been ages since I actually blogged about clothes. (It was May...check it out here!) So let's try to remedy this with a little mashup of summer looks!

These outfits feature some of my go-to pieces:
- Grey blazer
- Reversible skirt
- New green pants
- New white blousy shirt
- Fanny Pack (from Later Co.)
- Greenish midi dress
- Weird shawl vest

I find that working from a very limited selection of pieces that I love makes me feel less anxious and rushed in the mornings, and I have far fewer instances of standing in front of my closet thinking "I have nothing to wear".

Frees up my brain to think of more important things.

Like donuts.

And decided what my arms should be doing when I take these photos...

xo


p.s. I have a fun Fashion Challenge planned for the first 10 days of September. If you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen some hints last week! That is, you should follow me on Instagram!

Fashion - Country Wedding

My "sister-in-law" Jessica re-launched her clothing company this spring. All designed and made in Canada. The dresses and rompers in the "Capsule Collection" are so beautiful, and such a high quality. But I had to wait until they went on sale to buy one...and then I couldn't decide, so I went with one of my favourite colours.

The sizing is a bit weird. I am wearing an 8. I do not wear a size 8 in anything, and yet this seems almost too big. I guess oversized is in right now or something? I still love it, but it is taking some getting used to, as this is not a style I usually wear.

Her: Dress: Vera Vero; Shawl: Green Bean ReLoved; Sandals: Everlane (discontinued); Hat: Splurge & Co (Lethbridge); Necklace: Les Arts Plastiques; Glasses: Lenscrafters
Him: Shirt: H&M; Pilsner belt buckle: old; Jeans: Marks Work Warehouse; Cap: Flannel Foxes (Edmonton); Shades: Rayban; Bow tie: Offal Goods (Edmonton)

We clean up so damn good.

Now, we couldn't have a wedding fashion photo shoot without some funny outtakes!

L: It took Lucas many tries to get this "totally spontaneous" photobomb.
R: Jacob is dabbing and Sean is being a zombie (??) because he doesn't know how to dab.

Getting back into fashion blogging...

xo

Fat/Fit Diaries - Magic Vest

First things first. I haven't weighed myself in many (many years). At least 6 years I think. I don't care how much I weigh, and I don't think that particular metric ever helped me:

a) Feel good about myself

b) Find inspiration or motivation to "eat healthy", or exercise, or "lose weight" or blah-blah-blah

In fact, I think weighing myself was a huge barrier to feeling positive about my body, being inspired and motivated to be healthy and to think about what I was doing (or not doing) that might impact my mental and physical health over the long run.

Gaining one or two pounds - which can happen when you go camping, or eat a piece of cake, or have a few beers with dinner all of which are things I do often - sent me into a spiral of guilt, and shame, and negative thoughts.

So I put the scale away. And I started to lose weight. And I had precious extra bars in my mental and physical energy reserves to spend on positive things.

And I started to pay attention to how I felt, how my clothes looked and felt on my body, my energy levels, and my mood. Those were better indicators of my overall health than any numbers on a scale could ever give me.

But that doesn't mean I gave up more tangible metrics when I gave up the scale.

You see, I have this vest.

I like this vest. It was a triumphant second hand purchase many years ago. And it looks good, I look good in it! And you can wear vests open without buttoning them up, so that's how I wore it. It didn't matter that I couldn't button it up, because it still looked good!

But on my "skinniest" days, I could button it up...all the way up. What an energy boost I would get on those days! Magic!

But the true magic in the vest, was that even on the days I couldn't button it up, I still felt good!

I haven't been able to button it up for at least a year, but I did the other day. So I knew that I was back on track. But, I mean, I knew it already because I have been feeling better, more energetic, more positive and happy. And at the moment I finished buttoning up that last button, all those other feelings were more important.

But I don't need this vest anymore. I have moved past it, just like I moved past needing to see those numbers on the scale.

So I donated it to Value Village last week.

I had a moment of panic this morning when I saw how damn fine I looked in the first photo, wearing my snazzy Magic Vest. But I got over it.

It is, after all, just a vest.

xo

Writer's Note: My attitude toward weight loss, exercise, eating healthy, and all of the talk and terms that come with that has evolved over the years. Society tells us that if we lose weight we are doing things right (and conversely, if we are fat, we are doing things wrong), and some of my previous posts might have seemed to supported those beliefs. I don't think anyone's worth is defined by the size of the clothes they wear. I also know that some people find a lot of inspiration and motivation in checking the numbers on a scale, so I don't want to diminish that. I just want to put it out there that there are other ways to feel good about yourself without buying into the "thin = happy" rhetoric.

Tell A Story - Fashion Revolution Week

In honour of Fashion Revolution Week 2017 – April 24 through 30 – I thought I would do up a little post about how I try to incorporate the purpose of this week into my everyday!

But first, a little history!

Fashion Revolution Week began in response to the collapse of a Bangladesh clothing factory in April 2013 that killed 1138 people and injured many more. The workers knew the building was unsafe, but didn't know how to speak out and were afraid that in doing so they would lose their jobs. The awareness of HOW our clothing is made is meant to encourage people to ask their favourite brands "who made my clothes?"

I like to take it a little farther, and reflect further on "ethical fashion"...what it means to me, why it's important, and how I incorporate it into my closet.

REPAIR

I hate throwing out a perfectly good pair of {anything} if all that's wrong is a simple hole. I can fix holes. I have a pair of jeans that are literally the best jeans I have ever owned. I thrifted them, and I can't find new ones anywhere. I have patched them as best I can, and will continue doing so until they are 100% patch if necessary. And I'm no seamstress.

If you aren't confident in your own sewing skills to mend your clothes - example, I can't figure out how to "take in" any of my too big clothes - consider finding a good tailor! They aren't as expensive as you would think. OR you can check out a local "Repair-A-Thon". There is even one happening this weekend in my neck of the woods! For more info on the Change of Clothes event happening on Saturday April 29, click here!

THRIFT

This is my favourite way to be more mindful in my shopping habits, and stick to my (teensy) budget! While it is best to support independent thrift stores in your community, access is not always possible, so the Goodwills and Value Villages of the world make do. I will never let anyone make me feel guilty about shopping at Value Village because they are “for profit”, but I don't shop at Salvation Army because of their troubling anti-gay history.

I have a love/hate relationship with thrifting though, which you can read about in this post.

SUPPORT ETHICAL BRANDS

When you do have to buy new, try and support an ethical brand. Even better if they are a local, ethical brand!

Now, just because a brand says they’re ethical, doesn’t mean it isn’t just a buzz word to help them sell more t-shirts, so do your research! And just because a brand is "local" doesn't mean they are ethical either. I like Everlane because they break down all the background noise in the fashion industry, listing the factory and location their clothes are made in, and how much each item costs to produce. And they have been doing this for years, before many (any) other brands were doing it.

Something that I continue to think about is the affordability of ethical fashion. Most ethical fashion I find online sells items that are out of my price range. I can’t even imagine how marginalized folks who care about these issues are supposed to support ethical brands when a coat or dress can cost as much as a month’s worth of rent! I applaud members of the fashion industry who are working not only to make their clothes more ethical, but also who are working on making them available to more people.

Remember that the best way to bring ethics into your fashion is to BUY LESS!

Do you have any tips or tricks on how you try to be more ethical/mindful of what makes it into your closet?

Once these next couple of months calm down for me, I have committed to trying a 10x10 or capsule wardrobe for the summer. Essentially, you choose a limited number of items from your closet to wear on a regular basis, put the rest away, and see what happens! Over the past 5 years or so, I have been trying to better curate my closet, being more mindful of things I buy. I think that this is the next step in aligning my values with my reality!

xo

Further Reading:

Fashion Revolution Week's main web presence
Poppy Barley Facebook Page > scroll down a bit to watch the panel they hosted the other day on Fashion Revolution Week!
Change of Clothes
Fashion Revolution Week YEG (on IG)

Fat/Fit Diaries - Body & Mind Positivity

'i love myself'
the
quietest.
simplest.
most powerful.
revolution.
ever.

-ism

by Nayyirah Waheed

I have been getting really pissed off by the "body positivity" messages I've been reading online lately. Women who represent the traditional perception of "beauty" - thin, white, long hair, symmetrical features, professional-looking makeup, cis, able-bodied, can afford nice clothes and personal trainers - telling me to "love my body" no matter what it looks like. Fuck off! What the hell do you know?

But what the hell do I know about what the hell they know?

I am mad that they dominate the conversation around body positivity, but I am still learning how to turn my anger into something productive. That's a big, hard lesson.

I want to read and learn via people with marginilized identities who are trying to change the world. I want to fill the hole that I see and feel in these "body positivity" mommy blogs that still only represent privileged white women.

I don't know how I am going to do that. But I am going to start by continuing to diversify my reading. It always comes back to reading for me. All. Ways.

I actually really love myself and my body, and I am not ashamed to say that here. But that is not the beginning or the end of this story.

Anyhoo, I took these photos because I thought I looked cuuuute, and sometimes it's just as simple as that.
- I decided that pink pearls were totes appropriate for "Easter" Dinner at my Dad's house.
- Braiding my hair gives me an arm cramp, but it is worth it every time because: A) I look cuuute, and B) I can get away without washing my hair for one more day!
- These jeans didn't fit me last year, but they fit again, so that's something for me to feel good about.
- This is one of the few moments this weekend when it wasn't snowing.

xo

Further Reading:
9 Signs Your Body Positivity Could Be More Open-Minded
Weighting to be Seen: Being Fat, Black & Invisible in Body Positivity
Your Fat Stigma is Racist

2016 - In Looks

Hey folks. I have learned over the years - especially those years I as a "fashion blogger" - that people enjoy looking at pictures of other people wearing clothes.

Now, I'm no professional or anything. I don't have a tripod, or a real camera, or a team of stylists behind the images.

I just stick my phone on the nearest flat surface, set the timer, and hope for the best. And I am usually very satisfied with the results!

Why do I do this, you ask? Some (old dudes) might say I am a narcissist who just wants the accolades. But mostly I do it for two reasons:

1) It really helps me SEE MYSELF. Not only my body, and what clothes I like or look good in, but it helps me understand and visualize my identity.

2) Women see one kind of body in magazines which usually never looks like their body, and this is a huge factor about why the diet industry makes a kagillion dollars a year, and I think that's bullshit. So I want to show women that there are other bodies out there that are doing cool things, and living life, while looking damn awesome and being chubby or whatever.

So here is my Year In Looks showing off some of my favourite outfits from 2016.

Legs! // These leggings were the best investment BFF ever made

I wish this dress fit over my boobs better // I am a (dorky) wizard

Nasty Woman #imwithher // Canadian Tuxedo

Fave new patterned dress// Fave old patterned dress

BFM + Leopard print // Same skirt! Love reversible shit

(This skirt might be one of my best purchases of 2016, even though it's not my proudest moment.)

Birthday suit // RAD in sequins

This dress on repeat // This dress on repeat

Things I learned this year:

1) Sneakers go with everything.

2) I am really totally okay with having a small wardrobe.

3) I wear a lot of blue.

4) Sewing sequins on a shirt is ridiculous and also gorgeous

5) More flowy vests please

6) I am a damn fine babe

Here's to another year of being fabulous.

xo