Author: Alannah Batchellor

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween! I, personally, am not a Halloween fan. I’m sorry but I don’t like getting dressed up in a costume! You think that I would since I love fashion and adorning myself, but I don’t. It’s not how I like getting dressed up. I still hope those of you that love the holiday had a great one though! Today, I’m here to share with you another month’s favourites. Time’s going by fast folks. It’s November 1st! Christmas will soon be here!!? But let’s stress about Christmas during another blog post lol. Here are the things I loved during the month of October!

1. Lip products (Innisfree, Sunnies, Drunk Elephant) – It’s that time of year where my lips get dry more easily. It’s kind of a pain in the butt. Last month I invested in (because it was a lot for a lip balm) Drunk Elephant’s “Lippe Balm”. It’s made to “soothe and rescue” and baby, it does just that. I’m not going to lie, I’ve gone through two of these bad boys already. Originally, I stole it from my boyfriend. Then he bought me another one for Christmas last year. They are so hydrating and they don’t leave my lips feeling heavy. Do you know that feeling I’m talking about? It’s like you can feel the caked on product on your lips because you know if you don’t apply a good layer, it won’t actually work. This lip balm is lightweight no matter how many layers I put on, doesn’t make my lips look cloudy, and it works. 100% recommend. The other two products are used as lip stains because I also find that I look dead now that the sun is gone. I put a light coat of either one of these two products: Sunnies Lip Dip lip cream in the colour “terracotta” or Innisfree’s Vivid Cotton Ink in number 07 or 08 (I forget and the sticker is all ruined – I’m sorry!!). Both are great colours for Fall/Winter!

2. En Route Jewelry x @best.dressed earrings – I think I’ve talked about these already, or I’ve at least hyped them up a little in a few of my past posts. Now I’m here to fully introduce them! These are my new favourite earrings that I received in the mail last month. One of my favourite YouTubers, Ashley (@best.dressed), collaborated with En Route Jewelry. I’ve shopped from En Route Jewelry twice before and I have never been more happy with an online purchase. I love their earrings and I wear everything I’ve ever gotten from them on a regular basis. When I learned that the two of them got together and created a line of jewelry, I had a panic attack. I think I placed this order the same day it came out lol. When I first opened the package and saw these two pairs of earrings, my breath was taken away! They are so much prettier than I expected! I get compliments on both pairs ALL the time. The first pair is this cute and unique design. They’re gold safety pins with little pearls! I’ve worn this pair a little more than the other and I love how they look with all of my outfits. I’m really obsessed. The second pair is the baroque style earrings with the green little gems. They look like one of your grandmother’s heirlooms. They’re so beautiful. There are definitely more earrings and other pieces of jewelry in the collection that I would love to get my hands on. You guys should definitely check them out: http://www.enroutejewelry.com/collections/best.dressed

3. What Red Was by Rosie Price – I’m going to be posting a book review about this novel. Another book that really put me in someone else’s shoes. It gave me a lot of perspective and that’s one of the things I love most about reading. I love to learn and I will read anything that will give me perspective and a better understanding. The protagonist in this novel is sexually abused in her best friend’s home. The trauma that she goes through is completely awful, and I don’t think it’s even possible to fully understand unless you’ve been a victim yourself. It’s a very eye-opening story and it makes you realize that this happens more often than you think. It’s a great read and I think you all should read it. Again, I’ll have a book review on it in a few days!

4. Peaky Blinders – Season 5 came out on Netflix and I made it a mission to rewatch everything from the beginning, and I made my boyfriend do it with me! We haven’t quite made it to the latest season yet. However, rewatching it has been just as great as when I first watched it! This is my boyfriend’s first time and he loves it, too. I don’t know what it is about Cillian Murphy but he’s so great. I think it’s his brains. I’m super attracted to men with intelligence. He’s so smart and always a step ahead. He’s also got a great face. His brothers are hilarious. Their whole family dynamic is wonderful. I’ve only got great things to say! I love their little suits. The accents are lovely. I could go on but I want you all to watch it if you haven’t already!

5. Unbelievable – Clearly, I’ve been watching a lot of Netflix lately. Last month I also finished the first season of “Unbelievable”. It’s a series about sexual abuse victims and the detectives trying to solve this case of a serial sexual abuser. It’s a lot. Many of my friends messaged me when they saw that I was watching it and wondered how I could continue to watch it because they had to stop. It’s triggering. He ruined these girls lives. They were living in fear that he could come back at any time and do it again. They were also afraid that there were more of him out there. Why were they picked out of everyone? It’s a heavy show to watch but you guys know that I’ve been really into crime lately. I’m interested in the psychological aspect of it all. I wanted to know what this guy was thinking and why he thought it was okay to do this. He not only thought it was okay to do it once but multiple times! If you can handle this kind of content, I recommend watching it. There are a lot of sexual abuse victims out there and you need to understand that it really is happening a lot more often than you think. We need to do all that we can to help victims to have the courage to speak up.

6. Hair products – Again, with Winter fast approaching, everything starts to get dry faster. My lips and also the ends of my hair get so dry! I don’t want dry and brittle hair so I’ve invested in a moisture & shine cream and a round brush. I’m not sure what the round brush does, but I feel like it has something to do with how much shinier my hair looks. The moisture + shine cream that I bought is by R + Co and it was recommended by my hair stylist, Olivia, at Twentyseven (@twentyseventoronto). She’s the owner of this hair salon located on St. Clair West and she’s the best. Now that I’m using product on my hair, I’ve noticed that it does take a little longer to blow dry my hair now. I haven’t quite mastered how to dry my hair with this new brush either, but I’m learning lol. What I do know is that it’s worth it and my hair is feeling much softer and healthier!

8. Toronto Library card – I got a library card! Honestly, getting this free library card has changed my life. I don’t know why I hadn’t signed up for one sooner but I’m sure glad that I have one now. I can borrow up to 50 books from the library!!! The library closest to me is practically in my backyard so I’ve been constantly putting books on hold and picking them up whenever I can. It’s been thrilling and I’m so happy. It’s saving me so much money on books. I still want my own library one day but this way I’ll purchase books I absolutely love. If you live in Toronto and love reading books as much as I do, I highly, HIGHLY recommend you get a library card. It’s amazing.

9. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – Yes, ANOTHER show. There’s been so many good ones! I started watching “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” on Amazon Prime Video. It was one of those ones where I didn’t really have any sort of expectation. I really just needed something to watch so I decided to give it a shot during one of my days off. Little did I know that it was ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS I’VE EVER SEEN. I’m serious. It’s set in the late 50s and now I’m obsessed with that decade. Mrs. Maisel is a single mom trying to become the next big comedian. Back then, women weren’t seen on stage and making jokes. I love how she contributes to paving a new path for women. She’s the coolest and weirdest badass of a character. She’s also hilarious. Miriam Maisel also does everything with grace. She wears a black cocktail dress and a string of pearls (like Audrey Hepburn) while she’s telling her vulgar jokes and it’s amazing. It’s also not just her character that you fall in love with either. Her parents are hilarious and her manager is hilarious (The woman that played Mrs. Ungermeyer in The Lizzie McGuire Movie!!). My boyfriend came over while I was in the middle of watching the last few episodes and he was upset that he missed out on the rest. I think he might start watching it himself. I’m telling you, it’s that good. Not only that, it’s won a ton of Emmy awards! Please give this show a shot. If you don’t have Amazon Prime Video, I’m sure there’s somewhere you can stream it. It’s worth it, trust me.

10. The Heathers scrunchie – This was purchased because of Olivia as well. You can find this gorgeous oversized scrunchie at Twentyseven (@twentyseventoronto). She had given me a sample to try because she had not yet had a client with long hair try them on. When I tied my hair with it, my jaw completely dropped. It’s literally the hair accessory of my dreams!!! It was so effortless to put in my hair. I literally tied my hair like I would with any normal elastic but this made my hair look like a work of art! I bought the sample from her right then and there, and then I posted about it. I kind of felt bad because people were wanting them and they weren’t even ready to be sold yet, but I love it so much and I think everyone should get one of these little guys. For days when I don’t know what to do with my hair, I go to this scrunchie and feel instantly elevated. If you’d like one for yourself, you can visit their store or purchase one online. Just visit their instagram page @twentyseventoronto. They’re only $30! I might get another lol.

Alright, that’s another month gone and another set of favourites! I hope you guys enjoyed reading about what I loved most last month. I also hope you guys watch one of these shows or try some of these products for yourself! If you do, please let me know! I would love to hear about it :))

Until next time!

– Tiny ❤

I picked up this book because it was one of Belletrist’s (@belletrist) YA novel picks and I just needed a break from all these thrillers. I don’t even know how I managed to read three scary/thrilling novels in a row, but it happened. They were full of crime, drama, and suspense that kept me wanting more. I couldn’t help myself! “Permanent Record” by Mary H.K. Choi was the book I needed to switch it up. It was SO GOOD, guys. Honestly, why do we not bother with YA when we’re older? What’s wrong with it? Sometimes you just need to read something a little more lighthearted! Sometimes you’ll end up learning more than you expected, like I did!

Permanent Record is about this 20 year-old boy named Pablo. He works at a 24-hour organic foods store or a “bodega” (I’m still unfamiliar with this term lol, but that’s what they called it) and he usually works the overnight shift. Pablo was accepted to NYU but he didn’t have enough money saved to attend. He ended up dropping out because he also didn’t put enough effort, so now he’s working to *try* to pay off some serious credit card debt that the NYU situation put him in. He’s really trying to get back into NYU before his chance is completely ruined, but he can’t seem to find the motivation. Pablo is one of those guys that’s great at so many things but has no idea what he wants to do in life. He’s also pretty scared to fully commit to anything. His parents are concerned about him. His friends are concerned him. Mr. and Mrs. Kim, the owners of the bodega, are also concerned about him. Pablo’s just coasting and living with his head in the clouds. He’s in denial and does not want to face the reality that he needs to buckle down and do something more. One night (or morning, since it was 4AM) during his shift, Pablo is interrupted by a girl that he recognizes but doesn’t recognize – you know those ones? Her name is Leanna Smart. The two of them click and hit it off right away. They bond over their love for snacks and the weird but tasty snack combinations that they come up with. It’s kind of an art to Pablo. He has an Instagram dedicated to it. Leanna finds him refreshing, especially since he doesn’t recognize who she is right away. The Leanna Smart has been famous and successful since she was eight years old. Pablo had no idea he would soon be dating a superstar. You can find her face EVERYWHERE (billboards, radio, TV, etc.). It’s actually kind of concerning that he didn’t recognize her right away.

From then, it’s a whirlwind romance. They are absolutely crazy about each other, and Pablo is introduced to this lavish lifestyle that he can’t even believe. He can’t believe it so he doesn’t even bother to tell anyone in his life about her or what he’s been up to. He just takes off in her airplane and doesn’t tell anyone where he’s going! It’s not just the fact that he doesn’t want to do anything to ruin what seems like a dream to him, but Pablo also can’t say anything because he’s had to sign a NDA.

Now without basically telling you the entire story, Pablo and Leanna don’t work out. I know what you’re thinking. No happily ever after? But Pablo gets the push he needs! Although they don’t end up together, Pablo learns a lot from his experience with Leanna, and everything that happens after they break up. I learned a lot as well. I learned that life is about doing and not waiting. Everything also happens at its own pace. To be honest, this book came to me at the right time. I was confused and very distraught about not knowing what my calling is. Am I just going to work in retail forever? I know I can accomplish more. I know that I am capable of doing more, but it’s okay to not know what “more” is right now. This move to Free People has been what I needed to clear my head. I love customer service (as crazy as that sounds) and I love styling and shopping. I know that one day it will all click. There’s a higher calling and I know it will come to me when I’m ready!

It’s actually insane how I got this sort of epiphany from reading a YA novel like this. However, if you’re going through something similar, I strongly believe that you shouldn’t give up on yourself. Also, don’t expect anything to just happen right away! If it’s meant to be, it will be. And sometimes bad things happen, and you fail, and it hurts, but that’s life! Everything will get better, you just can’t give up on yourself. You. Are. Awesome.

Please check out this book if you’re looking for something new to read! Like I said, you can learn something! Why not YA? Don’t judge a book by it’s cover! ;))

Until next time,

– Tiny ❤

Alright, folks. This is a big deal. This is the last of the looks taken while working at TOPSHOP TOPMAN. My last week as a Personal Shopper for their brand. My last week with easy access to a full-length mirror. I mean, there are plenty of mirrors at Free People that I can use for outfit pictures but like, I’m not comfortable or sure of my boundaries yet. Am I allowed to take photos? Am I allowed to post them on Instagram and on my blog? Anyways *sniff*, here’s what I wore during my last week at TOPSHOP. Let’s all try not to cry (by “all”, I mean me).

Outfit #1: I was called a gangster librarian. I’ve been seeing these pullover sweater vests styled on Instagram lately so I thought I would try it out! Obviously I didn’t want to pay a lot so I decided to go looking for one at a thrift store! This sweater vest was $5 and I got it at Talize. To be honest, I think these sweater vests give me more of a grandpa vibe than a librarian vibe. I dig it, do you dig it?! To pair with my grandpa sweater, I wore a plain white t-shirt underneath and my washed black Editor jeans. The gangster part to this outfit is definitely the gold chains. I wore an initial necklace that I bought off of Amazon and my latest curbed chain necklace from Durumi on Queen St. West (@thedurumi). To finish the look, I added my “snakeskin” booties and my Gucci baby.

Outfit #2: I brought out my first beret of the season! If you’re new to my blog, you’ll soon find out that I love wearing berets during the Fall/Winter. I love hats in general but I love wearing berets. Maybe it’s because I’m DYING to go to Paris? It’s on my bucket list and I would LOVE to go sometime within the next couple of years. In an ideal world, hopefully next year? For the rest of the outfit, I wore a new favourite graphic t-shirt that says “Copenhagen” (I got it because I love Copenhagen Fashion Week lol), my gingham trousers, and my SSense/Adidas sneakers that I freaking love. I added some more accessories to complete this outfit. I added my beaded necklace that I made myself and the same initial necklace that I wore in the last outfit! For a bag, I wore my MJ snapshot camera bag.

Outfit #3: My favourite of the week! Would you believe me if I told you that I got this vest from TOPSHOP’s clearance section for $10?!! Well you better believe it! This is a real studded leather vest that was originally priced at $320, and I got it for $10. Is your mind blown or what?! As soon as I got it, I knew I had to wear it the next time I worked. I paired it this black pleated skirt that I was obsessed over from Aritzia. I spent more than I would normally spend on a skirt but I think this skirt will last me a lonnnng time. Underneath my new vest, I wore a fitted brown long-sleeved and acid washed shirt. And finally, I also wore the same curbed chain necklace from Durumi that I wore in “Outfit #1”, my thrifted cowboy boots, and my fluffy yellow bucket bag. WAIT – not “finally”! This is the day I debuted my new earrings from En Route!!! How could I forget these beautiful earrings?! These are these cute safety pin earrings designed by Ashley from @best.dressed on Instagram. She also has an amazing YouTube channel. I am a big fan of hers and when I found out that she collaborated with En Route, there was no question that I had to place an order.

Outfit #4: I’m looking a little like Frida here, don’t you think? I kinda love it. This is a headband from Zara that I think I wore during the previous week. I really like what it adds to any outfit. I feel so much more “fashion-forward” lol. I wore this pleated midi skirt that I almost forgot I had. I think I got it last year. I love the print of it and I think it’s going to be a timeless piece in my wardrobe. To wear with this skirt, I wore a simple black turtle neck and a recently purchased fluffy sweater/jacket. I love it so much. I love the colour of it. I think it’s so chic. I also love the texture it adds to my outfits. To finish this look, I added my black patent combat boots and some gold dangly earrings. The purse I wore was this small crossbody in a snake print. I took off the chain crossbody strap and carried it from it’s top handle. I think I have to say that this outfit is another one of my favourites.

Outfit #5: My “farewell” outfit. I think this is probably the best outfit I could have worn on such a day. Simple but professional. It also shows my style and how I’ve matured since the day I started at TOPSHOP TOPMAN five years ago. I wore my white Mom jeans from the Petite section, a black tank top and a check blazer. I added my curbed chain necklace and my initial necklace again, and I also wore the other pair of earrings that I got from En Route’s (@enroutejewelry_) latest collection! These are vintage-inspired earrings with a green stone/gem. I’ve been wanting earrings with a hint of emerald green for a really long time now and this pair does the job perfectly! Now all that’s left is the bag. For this look I chose my brown Rachel Green-inspired purse that I thrifted for $10.

That’s it! That’s the last week of outfits that I have to share from my Personal Shopping suite at TOPSHOP TOPMAN. This is an end to an era. I will miss that mirror almost as much as I’ll miss my co-workers and my clients. Like I said at the beginning of this post, I’m still trying to figure out how I can do the same thing while working at Free People. It’s been really stressing me out because I feel like I’ve been lacking content! I want to share my outfits and I’ve become so used to documenting them every single day that I feel like something big is missing. I’m going to figure it out, don’t worry!

Also: Before I go, I wanted to let you guys know that I paid attention to the poll and according to your votes, from now on I’ll be calling these posts “Outfits of the Week”! Thank you to anyone that voted and helped me decide. I appreciate it a lot 🙂

Until next time!

– Tiny ❤

Holy moly. Three months left of the year 2019. Am I the only one that finds this hard to believe? Where did the time go?!! We’re approaching Winter, which is also my least favourite time of year. It’s a terrible time for my health. Terrible time for outfit photos. Terrible time for commuting to work. I think it’s an all-around terrible time!

But do you know what wasn’t a terrible time? September! I watched a ton of great shows, got the cutest accessories, read some good books and saw Shawn Mendes in the flesh!! If you want to know more, keep reading! Here are my September favourites!

1. Green bags (?) lol – This wasn’t a planned favourite. Then again, none of them are! What I’m trying to say is that I subconsciously purchased/wore a weird amount of green bags last month. I don’t even know how to explain it. I do know that I am only showing two bags in the photo (there’s more, trust me!). But I like green and for some reason a green bag looked great with every outfit last month. I actually have my eyes on another green bag but she’s a pretty penny. Have you guys seen THE pillow bag by Marc Jacobs? I want it in the muted green colour if I can save the money and know where to find it. So far, the places that carry THE pillow bag don’t carry the colour I want. I’ve been really obsessed with Marc Jacobs all of a sudden. I also really like the quilted camera bag so I’m torn! But seriously, I love what he’s doing right now. His fashion show in New York was amazing! Hopefully I can get my hands on THE pillow bag in the colour I want so I can add to this green bag collection/obsession.

2. Crime shows and movies (Mindhunter, The Wire, When They See Us, True Detective) – My boyfriend and I got on this train of crime shows and only crime shows. I can’t quite remember how it all began because we’ve blown through so many! We enjoyed them so much. It’s quite interesting to see how the mind of a criminal works and what conditioned them to be the way they are. Surprisingly, and I doubt most of what I watched is accurate, most criminals seem to have mommy issues? Maybe I’m creating a generalization but if I wasn’t scared about the responsibility and pressure of being a mom, I sure am now! After watching all these shows, I also find myself really interested in human psychology. If you guys know any good books regarding human psychology, I would love to read them! I’m going to say that my most favourite show that we watched was Mindhunter. I was truly hooked on that show and was very adamant about us finishing it. I think the next season isn’t for a while and I’m quite upset about it. I’m listing The Wire here for the sake of my boyfriend because he truly loves it but I can’t say that I was as hooked. It progressed slowly for me. I feel bad because I fell asleep about 40% of the time we watched it. Maybe I didn’t give it a proper chance? Maybe I’ll go back to it? I’ve tried but I won’t say that I have completely given up on The Wire. Another show we love and haven’t finished yet is True Detective. The first season with Matthew McConaughey was so good. When They See Us was also really good, and made me super emotional. This is a movie on Netflix and I think everyone should watch it. If you guys know more crime shows or movies that you think we might like, please suggest them in the comment section below! I’d freaking love that.

3. En Route Jewelry (new earrings x2) – It’s official. I can say that I’m a full-on En Route Jewelry (@enroutejewelry_) addict. I made another order with them last month and I just received a second order the other day! I’m hooked! Their jewelry is so good! I love how fast they ship. I really feel like I’m getting more for what I’m paying for. I’ve been bouncing back and forth between wearing these two pairs of earrings for a month now and I can’t wait to add a few more to the rotation. The first pair are these dangly stars that I think are sooo cute. I love how they’re stars in different sizes and they don’t dangle too low. They’re dainty and adorable. The other pair is also dainty and very much adorable. They’re these clouds that have tiny chains dangling from them, and with colourful little diamanté’s! I can’t wait to wear the new pieces that I just received and share them with you guys! If any of you have thought about ordering with En Route but were afraid of the shipping or the quality and other concerning things, I definitely recommend them and think you should go for it! I know I’ll be making more orders in the near future.

4. ColourPop makeup – In September, I made my first ColourPop order! I recorded an unboxing video on IGTV if you want to check out my Instagram: @tinyintoronto! I’ve been only using these two eyeshadow palettes, the glitter, and the eyeliners since I got them. They’re so much fun and I’ve received so many compliments! If I’m going to give an honest review after using them, I have to say that I probably won’t purchase these eyeliners again. They kept breaking on me! For a decent application, I had to really press them on my lid and that lead them to just continuously snapping. I don’t think I have any colour but the green one that’s in good shape/ready to be used. The pot of glitter is lovely. My only thing about this product is that it’s really hard to evenly distribute the sparkles on my eyes. I think that’s just the case when you’re working with chunky glitter but I still found it a little annoying. I’ve learned to embrace it. Glitter on the lids is like your eyebrows, they’re not supposed to look exactly the same. Sisters not twins? Or is it cousins not sisters? You get what I mean, right? These eyeshadow palettes on the other hand, I do not regret at all. One has been more loved than the other because I find the colours more wearable and when I’m getting ready for work I don’t have to think as much. That’s the “California Love” palette. I think I’ve used almost all of the colours. I’m happy with the pigmentation of them. And I definitely will buy another eyeshadow palette from ColourPop, that’s for sure.

5. Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi – I’m still working on a review of this novel so I’m not going to say too much about it. Just know that I absolutely loved it! Reading this book was such a pleasure! I couldn’t put the book down! Sometimes you need a little young adult fiction, y’know? It was just really refreshing and actually gave me some insight! This book had me reflecting on my own life and how I want to grow. I’m super impressed that a book like this got me thinking. Like I said, sometimes you just need to read a little YA and I highly recommend you start with this book.

7. Shawn Mendes concert – One of my best friends, Meghan, messaged me before she went on a trip to Italy about going to the Shawn Mendes concert when she came back and obviously I couldn’t say no! Shawn Mendes. In the flesh. Up there on stage and singing with his real voice?! Sounds pretty freaking amazing to me!! It really was amazing though. It was such a good concert and I think it was the last show of his tour. Camila Cabello was there! I don’t really have much else to say. I’m never going to forget it. I think I need to see more artists live and in concert. I love the feeling I get when I’m there. It just makes me feel “alive”, you know? Concerts are an amazing experience and if I don’t get to go to another before the end of the year, I’m definitely going to make this a resolution for 2020.

8. Essie Fall collection – I got so lucky with this Essie collection. When a new collection is released or advertised on Instagram, I usually expect it to show up in my closest Shoppers Drug Mart a month later (at least). It was honestly less than a week after seeing it marketed on Instagram that I found it at Shoppers and all the colours were there this time! I didn’t want to go overboard because I do already own a lot of Essie nail polishes that are probably similar to some in this collection, so I got the colours that I think I don’t already have. I got a really cute and creamy yellow called “Hay There” and the perfect pumpkin orange called “On the Bright Cider“. Like always, when I find colours that I love, I usually rotate and wear the crap out of them for an entire month. These colours were no exception. If you can still find Essie’s Fall collection, I highly recommend you pick up the yellow! You think it’d require a million coats but it doesn’t, and I think it’s such a cute colour to wear in transition to Fall/Winter!

9. Fleabag – I was recommended to watch this show by my best friend Jericho. I also saw Ryan Reynolds tweet about how great it is. Then it was nominated for a bunch of Emmys (and won). I only heard good things about Fleabag so I thought I’d try it and get Amazon Prime Video. I’m telling you, I actually blew through the two seasons. It was so good and so funny. I just love how original it is! If you haven’t watched Fleabag yet and have been meaning to, I definitely think you should stop reading this blog post and watch it right now.

With that being said, I am concluding this blog post and I want you to know that the next few posts might be book reviews. Please stay tuned and get excited for that! I also have no clue how I am going to continue my “What I Wore Last Week” posts now that I don’t have a personal shopping suite/huge mirrors to work with every day. I have a full length mirror at home but I can’t find the perfect spot to place it without sharing all the clutter in my room! I may take a break this week and try to sort this out. I’ve been also thinking I might rename the series? Does “Outfits of the Week” sound better? Should I do a poll on Instagram? Help me!!! I’d love to know!

Until next time!

– Tiny ❤

Hey everyone! As promised, I’m here to update you on some big changes and what has been currently going on in my life. It’s quite a bit to unpack so I advise you make a coffee or tea, or something, and relax. Here we go.

I want to start by sharing some really tough news. It definitely has kept me away from creating content and from a lot of things in general lately. I had to say goodbye to one of my bestest friends almost two weeks ago. My dog that I’ve had since I was 10 years-old had to be put down. She had a heart condition and a really infected eye. The eye needed to be removed, there was no question about it. The surgery would have cost us $2,000. There obviously is no price on the amount of love that we have for Abby but we thought it would be best to put her down because with her heart condition, she may not have survived the surgery anyway. I never expected to hurt so much and to be so sad over a dog and to be honest, I’m not sure if I have the emotional strength to love and own a dog again. She was there for me through everything in the last 15 years. I felt like I could always depend on her to be there and pick me up when I’m down. She was a light in my life and I miss her so much. However, I know we did the right thing and I know it would have only gotten worse. I’ll always miss her but I think I’m finally starting to get back to focusing on everyday things. We ordered a mould with her paw print embedded in it, so we’ll always have a bit of Abby with us.

While this was going on, I also accepted a new position! I have a new job! It was such a difficult time trying to figure out what to do with Abby while also trying to figure out whether or not to accept this job offer. I have been with TOPSHOP TOPMAN since I was in college. I have been with the brand for 5 years and it became really comfortable being there. My position as Personal Shopper at Yorkdale was not fulfilling me in the way I wanted it to. There was no way for me to grow. I felt like I had stopped learning. Things were becoming stale and the job is really stressful. As a personal shopper, your responsibility is to create a clientele, a relationship with a bunch of different customers so that they keep coming back to shop with you. I also had really huge sales goals that I was struggling to meet. I lost the passion and I lost the reason I wanted to become a personal shopper to begin with. It just wasn’t fun anymore and I love styling. I love helping people put together outfits and I love when they leave confident and happy with their purchases. Although I was still doing that, I was always haunted by the fact that I had this huge sales goal and what I was doing wasn’t enough. To say that I gave up really upsets me, but I just feel like the job was demoralizing me as a whole. I was feeling like a failure and I feel like this new job creates growth and opportunity for me. I am happy to announce that I will be the Senior Stylist at Free People in the Eaton Centre! You can now shop with me downtown!! This position allows me to do the same thing I was doing at TOPSHOP TOPMAN but it doesn’t have the same amount of pressure. There’s also so many avenues to take with this job. I can become a part of management. I can consider visual merchandising. Free People is also one of three brands under the URBN Inc. company. I could also work for Urban Outfitters or Anthropology! Maybe I’ll work my way into a position in their head office? I’m feeling super optimistic and really happy with my choice. I’m really excited to work for Free People because I have always been in love with their aesthetic and their merchandise. Their products have always been outside of my budget but now I get a discount so I’m excited about that, too! Change is good. I feel like this move will open plenty of other doors for me. Just by being located downtown might even open some doors! The amount of traffic and the types of people that you can meet downtown Toronto are great! Who knows who I’ll meet! To everyone that I have met while working at TOPSHOP TOPMAN, thank you for contributing to my growth and to who I am today. Whether you’re a co-worker, a manager or a client, it was a pleasure working with you. I will always remember my time there but I am now moving on to bigger and better things.

Now that I have accepted a position that does not require me to basically run my own business, I feel like I have the capacity to work on more content! I was constantly stressing at TOPSHOP TOPMAN to find ways to make my sales goals, or ways to get clients to come back and shop some more, that I was too exhausted to be creative. I love to be creative and content creating has become one of my favourite things to do! Now that I’ll be styling at Free People with less pressure, I think I’m going to focus more on creating fresh and original content. I want to put more heart and soul into my blog, I want to be more consistent with posting new YouTube videos, and I want to partner with more brands! I also want to take more photos of my outfits. Hopefully I can get more comfortable and good at taking photos with a self timer. I’ve got a lot that I want to accomplish. This fresh start has made me very optimistic, happy and motivated to do more with my life! I just pray that I don’t get stuck feeling the same things I felt at TOPSHOP. But I don’t want to think negatively! I’m only hoping for the best!

I hope you enjoyed reading this post. I want you guys to know that you can’t grow when you’re comfortable! You only grow from uncomfortable situations and therefore I’m an advocate for trying new things. Don’t settle. If it doesn’t make you happy, why are you doing it? We only have one life so you gotta make the best of it, right?

Until next time!

– Tiny ❤

I’m a little late because of the long weekend, I’m sorry! Work got a little tiresome and absolutely crazy yesterday. Why do people think to go to the mall during a long weekend? Aren’t you all supposed to be with your families? Nonetheless, I didn’t forget about my weekly “What I Wore Last Week”! I’ve got five looks to share this week! A full week of looks so I’m just going to get right into it!

Outfit #1: I’m not sure if these are in proper order. I think they’re pretty close but I’ll go ahead and start with this first outfit in the top left corner. I did a lot of layering with this outfit because I had to compensate for the crop top that I’m wearing underneath. You see? This is what I dislike most about Fall. You have to worry about getting sick if you expose too much skin to the cold air. Do you ever worry about this in the Summer? No, you don’t. Anyways, on top of this white cropped t-shirt I wore an open striped button-down shirt. I really like this shirt because it gives me a thrifty/old school vibe. I’m pretty sure I got it on clearance. On top of this second shirt I wore my oversized denim jacket and for pants, I wore my black distressed Straight jeans. To keep it casual I added my slip-on Vans and my cute black nylon shoulder bag. Everything but the shoes are from TOPSHOP. For earrings, I wore my Hannah G-inspired hoops that look woven and cute.

Outfit #2: There’s something missing in this outfit but I’m not sure what. When I look at it, I think it needs a certain ingredient to bring it all together. Maybe a necklace? I can’t quite put my finger on it but I definitely want to make a second attempt with this look. I wore this sheer black turtleneck that I already think I’m going to be wearing a lot of this season. I’m actually making a mental note that I should probably buy another and maybe one in a different colour. On the bottom, I wore my picnic pants. I love how you can transition pants like these from Summer to Fall, and just by changing the colour you pair it with and making the top a long sleeve instead of a crop top! I wore my black patent combat boots for shoes and to keep me warm, I added this cute fluffy hoodie in a pretty cream colour! To accessorize, I wore these silver chainlink earrings and added my translucent tortoiseshell purse.

Outfit #3: This is one of my favourite looks of the week. I am obsessed with these pants. I can’t get enough of them. They are super flattering and I love that they were made in this cute burgundy corduroy material. I’m starting to see a lot of corduroy for this season and I have a plan to go thrifting for some more corduroy pieces. I’m also thinking about doing a post on how to style corduroy? Would you guys be interested in seeing that? Another thing I love about these pants are that they’re flares. I love the bottoms because I think they make me look taller? I mean, they kind of give that illusion, right? Again, I’m trying to practice my layering and see what works and what doesn’t. As of right now, I think everything looks great with a turtleneck! This means I gotta stock up! I don’t know if you can tell in this photo but I’m wearing this oatmeal coloured turtleneck with a ruffled trim. It’s super cute and I’ve gotten a lot of wear out of it. Overtop of it I wore this silk-like blouse in a mustard colour with black stripes. I love the way mustard compliments burgundy. I think it’s a more elevated take on the McDonald’s red and yellow combo lol. I thought my “snakeskin” booties matched well with the oatmeal turtleneck and to break it up a bit, I added this cream crossbody with a cute tortoiseshell chainlink strap. Everything is from TOPSHOP (again), including my earrings and my scrunchie.

Outfit #4: This is another one of my favourites this week!! I also am really digging the low pony. For this outfit, I tried to do a gray-on-gray thing (with a pop of colour). I wore this black body suit under a cardigan because I’m not as bold as Katie Holmes. I didn’t want to just wear my bra. And since I’m in Canada, I also didn’t want my boobs to fall off (even though there’s not much to lose). On the bottom, I wore these new check-print pants. I bought a matching blazer last year and they surprised me this year with matching pants in Petite! I had to grab them. I’m still debating on wearing the two of them together because the jacket is a little oversized and it seems like a heck of a lot of pattern. As a pop of colour, I wore my white booties and my yellow fuzzy bucket bag!

Outfit #5: Okay, three new favourite looks in one week?!! What is going on?! I’ve felt super inspired and refreshed lately. A lot will be explained in my “Life Update” that I’ll be posting on Tuesday (if everything works out as planned!). I’m feeling creative again. I’m feeling free again. I wore this leopard midi skirt with these cute slits. I think this makes the skirt way more flattering on a short person like me. I paired it with one of my favourite graphic t-shirts. It’s a pastel purple with a lady’s face embroidered on the front. Should I give her a name? I should probably give her a name. Let’s name her Dolores. On top of Dolores, I wore this cute lace-y bralette/cropped top. I’ve had this piece for a while and I am reminded every time I wear it of how cute it is and that I need to wear it more often. Underneath my skirt I wore these fishnet tights and for shoes, I obviously wore my cowboy boots. For a bag, I wore the same black nylon shoulder bag that I wore earlier in the week. In the last two outfits, I didn’t want to forget to mention that I’m wearing this cute new necklace! I went to Durumi (the little Korean boutique downtown that I love so much) and got this gold curbed chain necklace that I have been obsessed with ever since I saw it on their Instagram (@thedurumi). I honestly couldn’t stop thinking about it for weeks. A trip to Durumi is so out of my way but for this necklace, I had to.

That’s all for this week’s “What I Wore Last Week”! I hope you love these looks as much as I do! Stay tuned for a lot more content coming your way. I have a couple of book reviews that I’m working on, my “September Favourites” and like I previously mentioned, a “life update”!

Until then!

– Tiny ❤

It’s that time of the week again! I’m here to bring you the four (yes, four – I’m sorry!) looks that I wore last week! I only have four looks because I got really busy with work and kinda sorta forgot to take a photo of my outfit. Trust me, if I didn’t document it then it must not have been that great! Work at TOPSHOP TOPMAN has been pretty hectic for me lately. There’s a few changes going on that I’ll explain more in my “Life Update” but I feel like I haven’t had my two feet on the ground, or my head straight or whatever, in a really long time. Things are about to change though! Hopefully they’re for the better. But for now, here are those four looks/what I wore last week!

Outfit #1: Do you remember that blazer I thrifted in my IGTV video/“Thrift Haul”? This is that blazer! This is the huge blazer that I think a lot of people would think “uhh no, don’t do it”. I love how it looks oversized! I love the massive shoulders. I’m sure I’ll be over it in a couple of years but right now, I’m 100% here for it and I think it’s so on trend! I’ve also been using it as more of a jacket than a blazer and I love it overtop of other outfits. I think I made the right decision with this one, and I only spent like, $15! I really just wanted to show off the blazer so I paired it with a simple white button-up from UNIQLO and my BINX jeans from “My Favourite TOPSHOP Jeans” post that I wrote a while back. We no longer carry these but I plan on making these babies last as long as possible. The fit is SO GOOD. For accessories, I wore these purple dangly earrings for some colour. I added this cute pink baby tote from Aritzia for another pop of colour. And for texture, my “snakeskin” booties.

Outfit #2: This was a Wednesday. I forget where I heard it, but I think on Wednesday’s people wear pink? Lol totally kidding. Mean Girls Day was like two days ago!! These deep fuchsia/pink trousers and my pink Gucci sweater were such a good match. I can’t believe I never thought to wear them together before! I wore white boots to keep it interesting. I wore my peach crossbody bag to break up the pink a bit, and then layered some necklaces and was ready to go!

Outfit #3: Really wanted to wear my new cardigan but wanted to stay away from jeans. I thought it’d be too boring with jeans. Instead, I went with my green and white printed satin midi skirt! I toughened it up, made it less preppy and more casual with a plain white t-shirt underneath and my shiny combat boots! The headband is a new addition! I was in Zara and it called to me. I wore it around the store and even wore it on my way out! It was an instant connection. If I’m being honest, large and chunky headbands were seen a lot during Fashion Month (last month) and it kinda inspired this purchase.

Outfit #4: I’m trying my best to make my outfits look more Fall but I’m clearly in denial. Bright and pastel colours are still calling me but I wore my black cropped denim jacket to darken things up a bit. It made it more moody. More Fall (lol). Underneath this jacket I wore a fitted long sleeve in this acid washed brown and cream combo. For bottoms, I wore my yellow cropped wide leg jeans. They make me happy. They remind me of sunshine and Summer. I wore nude booties with heels that look like a hardwood floor and the same peachy/apricot-coloured crossbody to complete the look! I also want to note that my hair is in a ponytail. This is a rare occasion for me. My hair is getting out of control so I’ve been putting it up a lot lately. Don’t worry, I’ve book a hair appointment for next week!

Okay, folks! That’s it, that’s all! Again, I’m sorry for having only 4 outfits again. I feel sloppy and unorganized but like I said, it’s been hectic! Hopefully I can get an explanation/a life update posted within the next few days!

Until then!

– Tiny ❤