Spring Has Sprung: The Essentials

It has been so beautiful in my city for the past couple of weeks! Although we’ve been revisited by an occasional snowfall, I feel like it’s safe to say that spring has finally sprung! To celebrate, I thought I’d share with all of you a couple of sunny, flowery, and practical products for the season from some of my favourite stores. What better way to ring in the spring with a little bit of online shopping? Especially if you live in a city like mine — with a five (sometimes almost six) month winter, it eventually becomes a sort of necessity to start ushering the spring into your wardrobe/home before it’s quite ready to reveal itself outside!1. Rubber Boots
I actually just bought my first pair of rain boots and I can’t believe it took me so long! I love them so much – jumping in puddles without having to worry about wet feet is the best. I personally own Hunters but I went shopping with a friend recently and saw these Steven Madden Riding Boots – we immediately fell in love with the buckles and red detailing.

2. Sunnies
I love Free People sunnies, especially these ones! Not only do they have a relatively wide selection of unique and fashionable sunglasses, but they’re also really reasonably priced.

3. FloralFloralFloral
What says spring better than flowers? Floral may not be groundbreaking in regards to spring fashion, but it’s definitely one of my favourite seasonal trends. One floral item is all you need to bring some sunshine into your outfit — I especially love this kimono from Urban Outfitters!

4. Umbrella
This Hunter umbrella is not only practical for rainy spring weather — it’s pretty cute too!

5. Statement Ring
Actually a staple for any season, but it’s spring so treat yourself to something new and unique! I love this one from Urban Outfitters.

6. Light-Weight Scarf
It’s finally time to pack up those thick knit scarves and trade them in for something more warm-weather appropriate! I love this one from Aritzia — it’s light-weight and oversized. Aritzia scarves may be a bit pricey but from my experience, the quality is always worth it!

7. Vases
I think that the loveliest way to bring spring into your home is to fill it with colourful, pretty flowers. But you’ll need something equally as pretty to put those flowers in! There’s a huge selection of beautiful vintage and home-made vases on Etsy — my favourite are these painted wooden ones that come in a set of three!

8. A Good Book
With spring comes the closing of another school year for us university students. For some, that means wanting to avoid all printed word for the entirety of the summer. For others, that means being able to set down those textbooks and read whatever it is your heart desires. If you enjoy YA Fiction as much as I do, I suggest you try reading John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars. It’s an incredibly smart and beautiful story — John Green is one of my favourite writers (actually, people). The movie adaptation is also set to be released in June! The screenplay was written by Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber (500 Days of Summer), scored by Bright Eyes, and is starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort — I am SO excited.

Happy Spring, everyone!

| alex

Valentines Day 2014: Some Lovely Quotes

I feel like I may have had a different opinion of this holiday a couple of years ago, but I actually really love Valentine’s Day! I love all the pink and all the flowers and all the stuff with hearts all over them; I love the gift-giving and unique date nights and mood-lighting; I love the chocolate. However, I know that this day is not everybody’s cup of tea. So although this post is Valentine’s Day themed and it is about love, I wanted to make sure it consisted of more than just romantic love. No matter what day of the year it is, it’s always important to take some time to celebrate and express love for the important people in your life. So whether you’re spending the day with your other half, best friend[s], or flying solo, here are some quotes to warm your heart and to inspire:

Love your other half

“I wish I had a thousand words for love, but all that comes to mind is the way you move against me while you sleep and there are no words for that.” – Brian Andreas

“I’ve been told that people in the army do more by 7:00 a.m. than I do in an entire day. But if I wake up at 6:59 a.m. and turn to you to trace the outline of your lips with mine, I will have done enough and killed no one in the process.” – Shane Koyczan

“I fell in love with her courage, her sincerity, and her flaming self respect. And it’s these things I’d believe in, even if the whole world indulged in wild suspicions that she wasn’t all she should be. I love her and it is the beginning of everything.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

“You will shimmy your way through decades together. […] It won’t always be an easy life, but it will be a life of dancing on tabletops and too-strong margaritas, of embarrassing-the-kid kisses and quiet afternoons with no words, no sounds other than the crinkle of pages he will turn in the book you’re both reading while nesting on the couch.” – Cody Gohl

“I’m going to be honest, I’m not a love poet. But if I was to wake up tomorrow morning and decide that I really wanted to write about love, I swear that my first poem… it would be about you. About how I loved you the same way that I learned how to ride a bike: scared, but reckless – with no training wheels or elbow pads so that my scars could tell the story of how I fell for you.” – Rudy Francisco

Love your best friend[s]

“The most important thing in life is your family. There are days you love them, and others you don’t, but in the end they’re the people you always come home to. Sometimes it’s the family you’re born into, and sometimes it’s the one you make for yourself.” – Candice Bushnell

“We’re best friends because you make me feel less alone in this psycho, flaky world. It’s amazing how often you can feel disconnected from people. It’s amazing how many people can betray you, or fail to understand the words that are coming out of your mouth. When I see you, it’s a burst of reassurance that I’m not the only one who looks at the world this way. There’s someone else. And that someone is you.” – Ryan O’Connell

“Growing apart doesn’t change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled. I’m glad for that.” – Ally Condie

“Thank you for doing all the things a real best friend does; for letting me sob into your shoulder when I need to and handing me the flask when there aren’t any more words. Thank you for always knowing who I am and reminding me of that when I forget.” – Mila Jaroniec

“I think if I’ve learned anything about friendship, it’s to hang in, stay connected, fight for them, and let them fight for you. Don’t walk away, don’t be distracted, don’t be too busy or tired, don’t take them for granted. Friends are part of the glue that holds life and faith together. Powerful stuff.” – Jon Katz

Love yourself

“There are days I drop words of comfort on myself like falling leaves & remember that it is enough to be taken care of by my self.” – Brian Andreas

“People often say that ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’ and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder. This empowers us to find beauty in places where others have not dared to look, including inside ourselves.” – Salma Hayek

“You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.” – Max Ehrmann

“I was once afraid of people saying, ‘Who does she think she is?’ Now I have the courage to stand up and say, ‘This is who I am.'” – Oprah

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Siddhartha Gautam

“I am so beautiful, sometimes people weep when they see me. And it has nothing to do with what I look like really, it is just that I gave myself the power to say that I am beautiful, and if I could do that, maybe there is hope for them too. And the great divide between the beautiful and the ugly will cease to be. Because we are all what we choose.” – Margaret Cho

Happy Valentine’s (& House of Cards Season 2) Day Everyone!!

| alex

Valentine’s Day 2014: Last Minute Gift Ideas

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and between studying, going to work, and developing a personal relationship with Netflix, some of us may be feeling a little unprepared for the holiday. What really makes this day special, if you do happen to celebrate it, is spending time with someone (or people) you love. We’ve all heard shaming of the Hallmark holiday and know the dangers of materialism, but I’m also not ashamed to admit that I love gift swapping! So whether you’re buying for your boyfriend, girlfriend, or best friend, here’s a last-minute gift guide for those of you who enjoy a little gift-giving just as much as I do!

For The Ladies:

1. Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Camera | Black’s | $100
   I actually have this one myself and I absolutely love it! It’s cute, compact, easy to use, and you can even put it to use throughout your Valentine’s date night! (It’s also available in 4 other colours at Urban Outfitters if you’re willing to pay a little extra!)
2. Heart and Arrow Pendant | Fossil | $30
   I love Fossil jewellery because it’s relatively inexpensive but doesn’t look it! The arrow adds a bit of sparkle to the piece and the rose gold toned heart makes the gift a bit more Valentine’s themed!
3. 100 Reasons to Love Ryan Gosling by Joanna Benecke | Chapters | $15
   This makes a perfect gift for that Ryan-Gosling-obsessed friend of yours (so like, basically all of them). Not that we need convincing, but this book is full of photos, quotes, and facts that “provide scientifically irrefutable evidence of exactly why Ryan is so damn loveable.”
4. Our Q & A a Day | Anthropologie | $17
   This is a journal that has a question for the two of you to answer every day for three years and what you end up with is a sort of time capsule of your relationship! A lovely gift idea for sentimental significant others!
5. Good Morning Beautiful & Good Morning Handsome Mugs | Chapters | $10 each
   Perfect for those couples who love their coffee & tea! These mugs would make a cute little addition to your breakfasts in bed and cozy nights by the fire!

For The Gentlemen:

• The Sentry Leather Nixon Watch | Nixon | $150
  A nice watch always makes for a lovely gift and I especially like this White Sentry one by Nixon. The brown leather and white face keep it both classic and simple. There are also 12 other colours to choose from so there’s a little something for everyone with this watch!
• The New York Times 36 Hours: 150 Weekends in the USA and Canada | Chapters | $40
  This is a perfect gift if the two of you love/aspire to travel together! The great part about this book is that you don’t even need to set aside real vacation time to put it to use! It contains 150 weekend trips in the US and Canada designed to make your two-night stay full of adventure! (Personalize this gift by using little sticky notes to mark the trips that you think your significant other would love the most!)
• Reclaimed Wood Gallery Frame | Anthropologie | $20-$68
  Whether you buy one or all, these frames make for a beautiful and classic addition to any room! Insert your favourite photo of the two of you and write a little love note on the back of it for a more romantic feel!
• SEGA Genesis Portable Gamer | Urban Outfitters | $60
  I don’t have the portable gamer, but I do have the full console version and I love it! It’s small, light-weight, and comes with built-in games! It makes a great gift for your nostalgic and/or gamer significant other and it makes for a fun date night activity as well!
  
• Navy Wool Herringbone Tie | Topman | $18
  This makes a nice gift for the significant other who loves his ties (maybe even for the one who doesn’t really have any)! Topshop has inexpensive, good-looking, and well-made ties and I especially love this one both for the colour and texture!

I hope this gave you lil’ procrastinators at least some ideas for Valentine’s Day! Best of luck!

| alex