DOWNTOWN DAY

Sweater Dress: H&M (find it here)

Bangle: Homemade (find the tutorial here)

Sandals: Monastiraki Flea Market, Athens (find a similar pair here)

Bag: Marche aux Puces Clignancourt, Paris (find a similar one here)

Watch: Couturier, Tissot (find it here)

Hi everyone :) This week I went on my Adventure Thursday a day early because my shifts got switched around at work, so we had a Wednesday adventure instead. This week I decided to go downtown and visit my sister for the day. I really miss the days when we were little and we got to spend the whole summer playing together and having fun - now that we're 'grown ups' who live in different cities, it seems like we hardly have time to visit.

Since the day was overcast and a little cooler than the scorching summer days that we've been having recently, I decided to wear my new H&M sweater dress. The material is so light that it's suitable for warm summer days, but it will also transition well into winter and fall with a pair of tights and some boots. I love versatile clothing that you can pretty much wear all year long by adding/removing layers! Since the dress is quite short, I paired it with a pair of flat sandals. When you are styling short skirts, it's important to focus on proportion. You want to balance out the length of the skirt with the material, fit and style. For example, the long sleeves and loose cut of this dress are a great way to keep it from being hoochy. 

The Danforth

 Libretto

 Zoe and Dave <3

 Zoe at the restaurant

 Me at the restaurant :)

After meeting my sister at her house, we took the subway to the Greek part of Toronto known as the Danforth. Oddly enough, we were actually headed for an Italian restaurant called Libretto. My sister recently started a new job at a competing pizza joint - both restaurants specialize in authentic Neapolitan pizza - so we decided to check out the opposition lol. We ordered a traditional Margherita pizza and then a funky eggplant one as well. Yummy! It was so delicious, I would definitely suggest having lunch there if you are in the area.

After lunch, Zoe and I met up with her boyfriend Dave and headed over to the Eatons Centre for some shopping. We had planned to walk through the lovely outdoor shops downtown and enjoy the summer weather, but the rain foiled our plans and we headed for the mall :) I ended up buying a new loose powder from Makeup Forever to try out, as well as a necklace from Forever 21. It was sooo lovely to get to relax and spend the day with my sister. Can't wait to do it again!

What's your summer adventure?
Talk soon,
Vi

SNAPSHOT INSPIRATION

Hi everyone :) I haven't done a Snapshot Inspiration post in a while, so I thought that I'd share this great snap of my friend Alex. I took this picture a couple of weeks ago when we were downtown and I just love her outfit. Isn't that saturated orange colour amazing! It's so rich and bright, I just want to eat it lol.

I also really like the attention to detail in this outfit. All of the little elements - the string bracelets, the statement necklace, the shiny lace-up shoes - all come together for such a polished look. Well played, my friend, well played. To see more of Alex's style, click here.

Look out for a post and pics of this week's Adventure Thursday on Friday.
Talk soon,
Vi

OUTFIT OF THE DAY

Tank: Garage Clothing (find a similar one here)

 Jeans: Levi's Curve ID (find them here)

Necklace (Long): My mom's vintage belt (find a similar one here)

Necklace (Short): DIY with two pendants (find a similar one here)

Sandals: Monastiraki Flea Market, Athens (find a similar pair here)

Ring: Monastiraki Flea Market, Athens (find a similar pair here)

Glasses: Fendi (find them here)

Hi everyone! I hope that you all had a nice weekend :) Saturday after work I went out for dinner and a movie (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World - mostly depressing, slightly romantic) with my friends and I wanted to wear something casual but interesting. I really like this outfit because it has the simplicity of a tank top and jeans, but lots of little elements of detail and interest in the accessories.

Since my mom's away on vacation, I've been taking full advantage of her closet ;) I really like the loose fit and heathered texture of this tank; it also has a great racerback cut. Since it was a little cool outside, I paired it with my favourite pair of black Levi's jeans. I would definitely recommend the Levi's Curve ID line to anyone looking for great pair of jeans! They are super flattering and forgiving. Anytime I need a little confidence boost or if I'm having a self-conscious moment, I reach for these puppies. I even went back and bought the same pair in navy!

To spice up this look, I piled on the accessories. Since I had actually remembered to paint my toenails for once, I wore my trusty leather sandals. I was so happy to finally find a pair that I both loved and that fit my feet properly. Since I have amniotic band syndrome on my hands and feet, I can't wear any shoes with a toe thong - it's so hard to find cute sandals without that little piece of fabric! I came across these leather sandals in the Monastiraki flea market in Athens. It's this massive market in the middle of the city that has stalls selling everything from olive oil to fridge magnets to costume jewelery! Speaking of which, I also got my black and silver ring on the same shopping trip. It was in a little stall full of costume jewelery and it turns my finger all sorts of green, but I love it anyways. Bonus feature: it was only two euros.

The long chain necklace in this picture is actually my mom's belt from the 1980s (I think I've mentioned this before on the blog, so sorry if I've just repeated myself). I really love how it looks as a necklace, but it's also cute as a waist belt over a dress. The smaller necklace is actually two pendants that I combined myself. I bought a cheap heart pendant necklace from Forever 21 and then added a tiny evil eye pendant that I bought during the summer from - you guessed it! - the Monastiraki market. It's a great (and cost-effective) way to personalize your jewelery. Last but not least, I wore my Fendi glasses because they help me see :)

Talk soon,
Vi

CASA LOMA

Hi everyone! Yesterday was our second official 'Adventure Thursday' (click here to find out about my new summer mission) and my friend Alex and I decided to visit Casa Loma. For those of you who aren't familiar with the city, Casa Loma is a castle in Toronto that was built during the early 20th century by one of the country's richest men. Unfortunately, building castles is an expensive business and poor Mr. Pellatt went broke a couple of years after its completion. Now the castle and its beautiful gardens are open to the public.

Dress: Guess (find a similar one here)

Sandals: Monastiraki Flea Market, Athens (find a similar pair here)

Bag: Marche aux Puces Clignancourt, Paris (find a similar one here)

Sunglasses: Original Wayfarer, Ray Ban (find them here)

Watch: Couturier, Tissot (find it here)

Belt: My dad's closet (find a similar one here)

This week, the temperatures in Toronto and the surrounding area have been record-breaking and yesterday was no exception. To beat the heat, Alex and I both opted for flowy summer dresses. I wore my black v-neck dress from Guess and the leather sandals that I bought in Athens last summer. When in doubt, you can never go wrong with a little black dress. I added a bit of visual interest to my outfit with my Tissot watch and a braided leather belt that I borrowed from my dad's closet. As usual, I carried my trusty leather satchel. I have a whole collection of cute purses just sitting in my closet waiting to be used, but I always end up reaching for the same bag. I've been taking it with me everywhere for the past two years and it's been rained on and spilled on and dragged through all sorts of situations. I can't help but feel naked without it!

After grabbing our tickets, we started to make our way through the floors. I can't believe that you can get married in the castle - what a pretty location! One of my favourite parts of the house was the tower. The view of Toronto was so stunning and there was this really cool middle level that was full of wooden support beams. It looked like the inside of a ship or something. I also really enjoyed the observatory, but mostly because it had a lovely view of the gardens. After we finished looking around the house, Alex and I made our way outside. The gardens definitely took the cake! They were so lush and green - at least something was benefiting from the heat wave :)

I'm so glad that we chose Casa Loma for our Adventure Thursday! Sometimes when you live somewhere for a long time, you forget to go and visit all of the cool things nearby. It's important to play the tourist in your own town so that you can experience all of the local attractions! I've lived just outside of Toronto for my entire life and I'd never once been to Casa Loma - how silly is that?! It reminded me of all the cool estates and castles that you come across in Europe :)

What adventures are you guys up to this summer? Give me a shout in the comments and let me know!
To read about last Thursday's adventure, click here. 
Talk soon,
Vi

OUTFIT OF THE DAY

Shorts: H&M (find a similar one here)

Shirt: Joe Fresh (find a similar one here)

Bag: Marche aux Puces Clignancourt, Paris (find a similar one here)

Necklace: H&M (find a similar one here)

Watch: Couturier, Tissot (find it here)

Shoes: Payless Shoes (find them here)

Hi everyone! Happy belated Father's Day to all the daddies out there :) This is the outfit that I wore last Thursday when I went downtown to have dinner with my friends. In case you were wondering - yes, I did do a mid-day wardrobe change lol. The outfit that I featured in Friday's post was what I wore during the daytime, but it had cooled off significantly by the evening so I switched my tank top for a long-sleeved shirt.

I really love the look of a slightly oversized button-down. It seems so relaxed and effortless compared to a more fitted, workplace-appropriate version. Try tucking your shirt into your pants or shorts so that you don't completely lose the line of your figure. This tip is especially helpful if you have a larger bust (keeps you from having the dreaded shelf-boob issue).

Another thing that I love about this outfit is that all of the pieces go together without really matching. The shirt and shorts are in the same colour family and both act as pseudo-neutrals against the bright necklace. Even my sparkly gold shoes seem to compliment the metallic accents in the necklace without being too matchy-matchy. I think that it also helps that the shorts and shirt are made from similar materials; it keeps the outfit from slipping into Helena Bonham Carter territory (girlfriend is bold with texture!)

I had such a lovely time with my friends this past Thursday that I think I'm going to try to do 'Adventure Thursdays' this summer to spice up my boring, work-filled weeks. It's important to keep things interesting - like a weekly staycation :) I think this week's mission is going to be Casa Loma.

Talk soon,
Vi

AT HOME WITH ... DANIELA

One of my favourite things about Garance Dore's blog (check it out here) is that she photographs people in their own homes. Something about being in your element makes you more relaxed and more natural. The same feeling seems to translate into people's 'at home' style. When people are at home, they dress in whatever makes them feel most comfortable and beautiful. The effect of outside influences like events, locations and other people is dulled and you can really experience their personal style. 

I took this picture of my friend Daniela this past weekend after a lovely dinner at her house. Not only does the decor in her living room seem to reflect her unique and elegant style, but the photos capture her the way that I always think of her: laughing and engaged in conversation. Side note: love those wedges! To see more pictures of Daniela's style, click here and here.

Talk soon,

Vi

SUMMER ADVENTURES

Tank Top: Gap (find it here)

Shorts: H&M (find a similar one here)

Bag: Marche aux Puces Clignancourt, Paris (find a similar one here)

Watch: Couturier, Tissot (find it here)

Scarf: H&M (find a similar one here)

Hi everyone! Yesterday was my first day off in two weeks, so I headed out for an adventure in the city with my two friends, Alyssa and Lauren. I had such a lovely day and it was so rejuvenating to get away from work (I'm working at an outdoor restaurant for the summer before I head back to school) and spend the day doing fun things with my friends. I honestly went back today with such an improved attitude (is that too obnoxiously new-age positive?) This was also my first day trying out my new camera - I upgraded to a Nikon D3100 - so the picture quality on my blog should be much better from now on!

As you can see from the picture of me squinting in the sun, I wore my new H&M shorts and a white tank top. I really love the classic feel of this outfit. It's almost outback-y (I'm fairly positive that I just made that word up) with the green-khaki colours and the leather accessories. I also wore my favourite leather sandals that I bought last summer from the Monasktiraki flea market in Athens, but I forgot to take a picture of them. 

We started off our afternoon by driving into the Shops at Don Mills, which is this little shopping district in northern Toronto. It's very carefully groomed and manicured, so you feel like you're walking into a posh little neighbourhood. My friend Lauren suggested that we try an Italian restaurant called Fabbrica and the food was soooo amazing! I had the most delicious potato pizza with bacon, asiago and green onions on it. Yummy!

After lunch we walked through the shops and enjoyed the sun. It was such a lovely day outside, I couldn't believe our luck! We visited a bunch of stores and drooled over the chunky rose-gold Michael Kors watches, before heading over to the gelato store for a treat :)

Wishing you summer fun and great friends!
Talk soon,
Vi

THE PERFECT POUT

Hi everyone! I hope that you are having a great week :) I'm working on a fun post for Friday, but I thought that I'd share this great new product that I tried in the meantime. If you haven't already tried Revlon's ColorBurst Lip Butter, then I would definitely recommend it. It's the perfect tinted lib balm. No muss, no fuss, just a lightly-coloured moisturizing formula. I was a little hesitant at first because I find that tinted lip balms tend to make your lips look flaky - almost like the colour is getting stuck in the dry skin on your lips (yuck!) - but this lip butter doesn't do that at all.

Before I tried this I used Nivea's Pearly Shine stick as my go-to tinted lip balm, but Revlon's ColorBurst comes in a much wider range of colours and it's completely smell and tasteless (Nivea's lip balm has a weird aftertaste). Look how pretty and shimmery the colour is above! I bought a super-neutral colour that I can slap on everyday while I'm at work, but they also have a selection of bolder colours too.

Wishing you moisturized, kissable lips!
Talk soon,
Vi

OUTFIT OF THE DAY

 

Top: Suzy Shier (find it here)

Shorts: H&M (find a similar one here)

Earrings: Aldo (find a similar one here)

Bangles: Christmas gift (find a similar one here)

Shoes: (find them here)

Hi all :) I hope that you guys are having a great weekend. This is the outfit that I wore yesterday afternoon when I got home from work. I love getting home from work and changing out of my frumpy uniform into cute clothes - it's such a good feeling lol!

I bought this top, shorts and shoes a couple of days ago when I went on a mini shopping spree. I was looking for a summery top that I could dress up or down depending on the occasion and I definitely think that I found it. I usually don't love the quality of the clothes at Suzy Shier, so I was surprised when I saw this shirt in the window. I love the embroidery and ribbons; it has such a sunny, bohemian feel to it. Another great thing about this top is that the lining is shorter than the overlay. Long tops that fall more than four or five inches below your hips can sometimes shorten your leg, making your torso look unnaturally long and your legs look too short. However, the translucent overlay in this particular tank top gives you that flowy look without loosing the line of your leg. Perfect!

I'm also really loving these olive-khaki shorts from H&M. They fit so comfortably and are perfect for this summer's safari trend. I'm thinking that I may wear this outfit with sandals and my Indiana Jones sun hat to Osheaga (kind of like the Canadian Coachella, but with less celebrities) in August. Last but not least, I accessorized with my new sparkly gold flats and some gold jewelery.

Talk soon,
Vi

SPARKLY SHOES

Some days after a long day of hard work in the hot sun, all you need is a little retail therapy. Bought these babies today from Payless Shoes for only $19 (find them here)! They remind of the Dorothy's sparkly heels from the Wizard of Oz. I can't wait to wear them!

Talk soon,
Vi

REVIEW: PUR MINERALS GET A LITTLE

Hi everyone :) I don't know about you, but I have vacation fever. I've been working like crazy at my summer job (which is why I haven't been able to post in a whole week - yikes!) and I'm spending my days dreaming about the beach. But just because you're stuck in a summertime rut doesn't mean that you have to look like it! Spice up your staycation with the awesome Get A Little self-tanner from Pur Minerals (find it here).

As you all know my skin is very sensitive to the sun, so natural tanning (or tanning beds for that matter) is out of the question. If you want to protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays but still have a summery glow, this is definitely the tanner for you. Unlike other tanning creams and foams, Get A Little doesn't contain chemical dyes or formaldehyde. Side note: How gross is it that some tanners use the same chemical to colour your skin as your high-school science teacher used to pickle fetal pigs *shudder*. Pur Minerals' tanner is also 100% paraben-free!

____________________

Colour: One of my biggest pet peeves is when people have noticeably fake tans. So many self tanners turn your skin orange or leave a dark residue around your hairline and elbows, but Get A Little leaves you with a beautiful light brown 'tan'. I've used this product at least a dozen times and I've never had any trouble with the colouring. It's also quite easy to control the darkness of your fake tan - just apply it anywhere from one to three days in a row.
Score out of 10: 10

Application: Like all self tanners, applying Get A Little takes a bit of practice. Always exfoliate your entire body before applying a tanner. For the best results, pay extra attention to your feet, elbows and knees so that the colour doesn't concentrate in those regions. Then all you have to do is rub the tanner into your skin as if you were using lotion. In fact, the formula is quite moisturizing, so it won't leave your skin feeling dry or flaky. If you follow the instructions carefully and rub the self tanner into your skin thoroughly, you won't have any streaks :) The only time that I got a streaky tan using Get A Little was when I rushed the application and didn't take the time to really rub it in properly. Another great thing about this product is that it doesn't rub off on your clothes and bedsheets. I have a white duvet and white sheets (dangerous, I know) and I've never had any problems with colour transfer.
Score out of 10: 10

Scent: Okay, here's the kicker. It doesn't smell very good. It doesn't smell bad...but it doesn't smell good either. Don't get me wrong, compared to other self tanners - which tend to smell like rat poison - Get A Little smells awesome. But it still smells like a self tanner. Thankfully the smell doesn't linger on your clothes or bedsheets and, once you shower, the smell completely disappears.
Score out of 10: 7

Total Score: 27 out of 30 - 90%
Wishing you sun and relaxation!
Talk soon,
Vi