Alannah Batchellor

Outfits Of The Week

I know I usually post these on Sundays, but I worked all weekend and couldn’t find the time or energy to get this blog up before today. I hope you guys understand! We could maybe look at the positive side and say that maybe this can make your Monday a little better? I’m happy because I have the day off today! I have a ton of fun stuff to work on for you guys and I can’t wait to share it!!!

I’m hoping that all of you are having a great start to your work week. Now here are the outfits that I wore last week!

Outfit #1: I didn’t actually wear this outfit at the very beginning of the week but I thought I’d just get this look out of the way lol. Before you say it, NO I AM NOT NAKED. I AM WEARING TANNED/ORANGE FREE PEOPLE LEGGINGS. I posted this look on Instagram and got so many messages saying, “OMG! I honestly thought you were naked!” Never have I had so much talk about my legs, it was weird ha-ha. Anyways, I’m trying to fully clear the air here (I’ve also taken the photo down), this isn’t the colour of my legs. I didn’t go to work without any pants on. I was trying something different by incorporating our activewear into my everyday look. I really liked this colour! I’m probably going to wear them again. Maybe it’ll be after I get back from the Dominican Republic and then ya’ll can really say that I look naked!!! Anyways, I paired with these leggings a white t-shirt and my yellow TOPSHOP crewneck sweater with the word “soulmate” across the front because I liked the colours together. I added my New Balance sneakers that I got for Christmas, some white tube socks, and then threw on my favourite thrifted blazer. The tube socks make it very 80s. I kinda love it. I also kinda love how the blazer makes it all less ‘sporty’ (because we all know I’m allergic to exercise). This kind of inspires me to want to go to the gym though. I also feel like maybe I’ve put on some Winter weight and that might not look cute on vacay. Anyone wanna recommend a cheap gym membership?

Outfit #2: I’ve worn this outfit before but I never documented it! I really wanted to wear it again because I think it’s so different, and kinda cool. I really love these cream pleather shorts from Urban Outfitters. I paired them with black tights because “Winter”. I wore my NB sneakers again, and put on my BFF sweater from Free People. I have a serious attraction to this shade of blue lately. Maybe just the colour blue in general? I love the minty blue colours right now and I think it’s because I’m excited for Spring!!! It’s gotten a little milder outside but we probably haven’t seen the end of the snow. To finish my look, I added my favourite “The Heathers Scrunchie” from Twentyseven (@twentyseventoronto) and my En Route tiered pearl circle earrings (this isn’t what they’re called but I forgot the name of them). Check out their Instagram: @enroutejewelry_!

Outfit #3: So simple but easily the chic-est and my most favourite outfit of last week! I love how put-together I look! It’s a very “girl next door” kind of vibe. It’s also very 60s-70s with the Jamie Flare jeans from TOPSHOP. The polo shirt is from Forever21 forever ago (RIP F21!!!). The belt I’m wearing is this really unique and perfectly fitting piece that my friend Ayla picked up for me during one of her thrift trips! You guys are going to meet her in my upcoming vlog so keep an eye out for that! You can also follow her on Instagram: @saylad! I wore another thrift find that you guys are very familiar with and that’s my favourite pair of cowboy boots from Talize. I also wore a THIRD thrift find and probably a thrift find that I haven’t been this excited about since the cowboy boots TBH. It’s this Mat and Nat bag!! It’s honestly the greatest thing. I love the shape. I love the studs. I love the colour. I love how worn it looks. I haven’t stopped wearing it since I got it! Even if it doesn’t quite go with an outfit, I’ve been wearing it anyway. I just feel so good wearing it! We all need pieces like this in our wardrobe!

Outfit #4: I think I felt very western last week? I’ve probably had weeks wear I’ve worn my cowboy boots more but here they are again! My boyfriend also thinks my new thrifted bag seems very western-y. What do you think? Maybe I’m turning into a real cowgirl lol? For this outfit, I wore my Editor jeans from TOPSHOP. All my jeans are usually from TOPSHOP because they carry my length. I have a small 28inch inseam that I can find specifically in their Petite section. Check it out if you’re a shorty like me! For a top with these jeans, I wore this henley from Free People. I always mix up the name of it. It has the word “girls” in the name. It should be easy to find! I love this colour orange way more than I thought I would. It’s a really nice fitted shirt and I highly recommend it to everyone. It flatters every body type, I’m not even kidding! To complete this look, I added an extra layer with the Bonfire Cardi from Free People. I actually saved my money for this piece. Pieces at Free People are expensive even with my discount. I kept an eye on this last cardigan in a size extra-small for like two full weeks and it managed to stay there! I think it was meant to be :))

Outfit #5: I thought I needed to balance this batch with a more girly and feminine outfit. I think for this outfit I subconsciously channeled my inner Blair Waldorf lol. I wore this puffy velvet headband that I purchased for $5 on Amazon (quite the steal if I do say so myself!) We have similar headbands at Free People that are priced at $34!!! I wore this cropped sweater from Free People that I absolutely love and want to pair with everything. I wore it underneath my Emma Roberts dress! Do you guys remember this dress? I bought it online from TOPSHOP after seeing Emma Roberts pose with their monthly Belletrist (@belletrist on IG) book! For those of you that don’t know, Belletrist is Emma Roberts and her friend Karah Preiss’ book club that I follow! Their pick for the month of January is Creatures by Chrissy Van Meter! You should pick it up! I know that it’s very close to February but I’m picking up a copy that I have on hold at my local library tomorrow, so we can read it together! For the rest of this look, I added black tights and my black patent combat boots from TOPSHOP. I added a lot of gold accents with these beautiful pieces that I received from Mejuri (@mejuri). They asked me to collaborate and I’m working on a cute little Instagram post for them today! Follow @tinyintoronto on Instagram if you’d like to see it!!!

That’s everything from me for now! I have a lot of fun content for YouTube, Instagram, and here on my blog coming up so stay tuned! I wanted to have enough content set up and ready before I go on my vacation! Let me know if there’s anything you want to see while I’m away in the comment section below! I’m thinking maybe an “Outfits Of The Week” YouTube or IGTV video? Let me know your thoughts!

Until next time,

– Tiny ❤

2020 New Year’s Resolutions

We’re about three weeks into the year 2020. So, how does everyone feel?! Is your year going well so far? I would have to say that I’m quite happy with how things are going for me! I don’t want to jinx anything but I’ve felt super productive and in good spirits since January 1st. I know that nothing lasts forever but I’m enjoying it while it lasts. I’ve just recently booked a vacation to the Dominican Republic for next month! I’m excited to get some sun. Winter here in Toronto has started to get intolerable. I’m excited to have time to relax, sit on a beach, and read. Anyways, all in all, I think things are going well! I have quite the list of goals that I would like to achieve this year. I think fulfilling these new year resolutions will also be a great way to start this new DECADE. I can’t believe that by the end of these next 10 years, I’ll be almost 40! What?! It’s scary! This is going to be huge!!! I might be married by the end of this? I might have KIDS?! Holy moly… let’s move on to my resolutions, shall we?

1. Take better care of my skin/create a beauty routine – I think this is an easy but more expensive resolution. If I wanna take better care of my skin, I feel like I’m going to have to add a few more steps to my skincare routine. This means that I have to buy more skincare products and I think that might start to add up ($$$). Honestly, this is why I’ve kept it simple for so long! I really don’t want to take my skin for granted though. I need to treat it better. I would like a night cream and an eye cream. Maybe a serum? Where’s a good place to start? I might have to do more research on this stuff but if you guys have any tips, I’d love to read them in the comment section below!

2. Drink more water – This is one that is going to be on my list of new year resolutions forever. I think I could always drink more water. I probably managed to drink more water last year because water is cheap lol. But I really have no excuse to not drink more water than I do. I have been without a reusable water bottle for a couple of months now. It’s a long story but I think I’m going to start there. I need to get my hands on a new reusable water bottle. Once I have obtained said water bottle, I’d like to drink four of them a day! Am I ambitious when it comes to my water intake? Maybe? Probably? But I’ll keep ya’ll updated!

3. Travel somewhere on my bucket list – The list is huge so I won’t be sharing that just yet. However, I think if I were to pick two destinations that I would absolutely HAVE to visit before I die, it’d be Japan and France. They’re just places I’m always dreaming about! I can’t explain it. I just have a huge curiosity about life in those countries. I have this feeling that they’re amazing and an absolute dream come true. If I can control my spending habits, I think I’m going to set aside some money specifically for travelling so that I can make my dreams come true some day. I know that if I’m going to go to either of these places this year, it might have to be in September or some time after. Here’s to hoping this actually happens!!!

4. Work on my mental health – I don’t really share this with many people but I have pretty bad anxiety. I worry and overthink a lot. I worry about a lot of things that are beyond my control and I don’t know how to stop it. Sometimes when I’m worrying, I get really emotional and things start to snowball and typically get worse and worse. At times I don’t want to leave my bed. It gets a little out of control and I would really like to have better control of it. Like I don’t want to let it get the best of me, so I’m going to do what I can to tell myself that worrying isn’t going to change anything. It’s not worth it! I shouldn’t let it ruin my days. If you guys have tips on how to handle anxiety, please let me know. Telling yourself that there’s nothing to worry about and believing it are two separate things, and I’m going to do my best to work on that this year. If something’s going to happen, it’s going to happen whether I worry about it or not. So I might as well be happy and relax, right?

5. Get a new bed – As embarrassing as it is to admit, I am still sleeping on the same IKEA bed that I bought while I was in college. It’s been like, 6 years? I’ve been sleeping on a twin bed for over 6 years, guys. I think as a woman turning 27 this year, maybe I should buy myself a queen bed? Or at least a double? If you could see the condition that my current bed is in, you’d be shocked. The head board is no longer attached. Having my boyfriend (that’s really tall!) stay over is the worst because I feel terrible making him share such a small bed with me. I need a big girl bed! NEW BED 2020. I’m going to make it happen ASAP (after my trip to Dominican lol)!

6. Be smarter with my money; save more, spend less, and think ahead – I’m awful with my money. I’ll admit it. I have a terrible spending habit and I’m not great at prioritizing the necessities. I have a lot of stuff I don’t need so I’m going to make sure that I stick to buying less each month. I also want to make sure that I’m contributing to my savings account monthly. I’m realizing that most of the stuff I love is the stuff I spend less on. I also find myself going back to a lot of pieces that I’ve had for years. I don’t need anything else! I know I’m talking the talk and need to walk the walk or whatever, but I really do want to try to save my money for more important things. For example: travelling! Or any other experience that is worth as much as an expensive handbag! I also still have school debt that I need to pay off so I think this resolution would benefit me in a lot of ways.

7. Read 30 books – I feel like this isn’t a surprise to those of you that know me. I’ve been giving myself yearly goals in regards to how many books I’d like to read throughout the year, and last year I read 20. It’s the same amount of books that I read the year before so I really, really would like to read more than 20 this year. I’m specifically aiming for 30 books? I think an extra 10 books would be very satisfying for me lol. As a side note, I’d like to try my best not to give up on books that don’t interest me right away. I’d like to try harder to push through them because I think I can learn a lot from books I can’t relate to. I need to push myself when it comes to broadening my perspective and my interests.

8. More self-love – I’m really hard on myself. Growing up my mom was pretty strict with me. It was hard to get her approval/”be good enough”. I know she just wanted the best for me but it’s made me really critical of myself in almost every way. I’m always aiming for that 10/10 in everything I do. I get really down when I make a mistake. The mistake could be an actual mistake, like forgetting or losing something, or it could be something like the way I reacted to something. I’ll get mad or disappointed with myself for getting upset or being mean. I need to realize that it’s okay to have emotions. It’s okay to not be happy or positive all the time. Sometimes I won’t get it right and that’s okay. It’s an opportunity to learn and to grow, and for the most part, I think I’m proud of who I am. So this year I’m going to love every bit of myself.

9. YouTube Channel/editing skills/more content – I’m actually loving creating videos. It’s so rewarding and fun to put together these memories and have a place to share them! I’m trying to be consistent with either recording a video for YouTube or posting a little one on IGTV. I want to keep practicing because I know that once I’ve created enough videos, I’ll be more comfortable to experiment! I can maybe invest in a better editing software? I’d like to work on more blog posts as well. I’m a little annoyed with my Instagram and how it’s outfit picture after outfit picture in either my bedroom mirror or one at work. I mean, I guess it’s kind of my brand? I just would like to do something different and more creative. It’s not the end of the world but I’d like some better quality photos mixed in there as well, if possible. I think in general, I just want to have more fun with this stuff and create more of a variety of content.

10. Get a driver’s license – Yes, I don’t drive. Yes, I don’t even have my G1 license. I’m surprisingly not as embarrassed as I used to be. In the small town I’m from, it’s the way of life. It’s the only way you’re going to go anywhere! If you don’t have your license, you must be staying at home and rotting away. Mind you, I am partially doing that here in the city anyway lol. But all the methods of transportation here make it so unnecessary to have a license or a car. I’ve been putting off getting a license forever because I just haven’t had the need for it anymore. As I get older and start to look more towards my future, I do think a license would be very beneficial in the long run. It’s just good to have and I might as well just get it over with.

Alright, there you have it! Thank you for reading my 2020 New Year’s Resolutions. I’d love to read what you guys would like to accomplish this year! Again, if you have any tips or tricks for me, I’d love to read those as well! Leave a comment below!

Until next time,

– Tiny ❤

Outfits Of The Week

Happy Sunday! I know it’s a bit later in the day, but better late than never! Welcome back to another “Outfits Of The Week” post! I think if I were to describe last week’s outfits in one word it’d be “cozy”. I think comfort was unexpectedly the key component to all of these outfits. Like chill vibes? It’s definitely not what I’m used to but maybe this is me evolving? Maybe this is what Free People is doing to me?! I’m not mad about it! There are definitely bits of each outfit that still stay true to me.

Here’s what I wore last week!

Outfit #1: Once a month, Free People hosts a yoga event on a Sunday. Sometimes (and this is what happened to me this month) you get scheduled an opening shift the day of and have the choice to participate. I had never done yoga before so I thought, “why not?!” I actually quite liked it. It was nice to just lay there and listen to my breathing. It was peaceful. I’m not used to calming my mind so it was refreshing to be able to do that. It also made me realize that I really do think way too much. I think my brain is constantly in overdrive. I think I’ll go to the one next month as well! After doing yoga, I figured I’d wanna be comfy and keep my “zen” lol. So I packed a comfy outfit to change into and this is what I wore! I chose to wear comfy (but still chic) sweatpants from Durumi (@thedurumi). I kept my sports bra because it’s from Free People (and I didn’t sweat!) and threw my Jojo pullover sweater on top (which is also from Free People). I wore Free People socks (who am I? You’d think I work there or something ha-ha) with the New Balance sneakers my boyfriend got me for Christmas. Then I added The Heathers scrunchie from Twentyseven (@twentyseventoronto) and my dumpling bag from SHEIN.

Outfit #2: Kept it cozy with baggy jeans and an oversized crew neck sweater. These jeans are TOPSHOP’s “Crop” jeans. I’m not sure if they carry them in-store anymore but they’re probably my favourite pair of jeans that I own right now. The crew neck sweater is one that I thrifted while visiting Montréal last summer. It’s B.U.M. EQUIPMENT. Do you guys remember this brand while growing up in the 90s? I was overwhelmed with nostalgia when I saw it so I had to buy it lol. For shoes, I wore the same New Balance sneakers and for a bag, I wore this new thrift find that I’m absolutely IN LOVE with. I recently went thrift shopping with some friends that I’ve met while working at Free People and it was so much fun! There is going to be a vlog of that trip so stay tuned! Make sure you’re subscribed to me on YouTube! Anyways, I bought this bag while I was at Value Village with them and I’m so happy that I did. I love the western vibe. I love the colour. I think the shape is trendy right now. It’s perfect.

Outfit #3: Even though I’m no longer working at TOPSHOP, I still browse their website here and there. I was there for 5 years! I obviously love the brand and their clothes. While I was perusing the website one day I noticed they were having some serious markdowns. Then I noticed that this dress that I had been keeping an eye on for a really, really long time finally went down to $20!! I figured it was fate so I bought it, and look how cute it is! I love how I can throw this piece on and have it speak for itself. I literally don’t have to do anything else to this outfit but add a bag and some shoes. I added the same thrifted bag and threw on my black thrifted cowboy boots and that’s it!

Outfit #4: I totally forgot about this pleather jacket until I saw it everywhere on Instagram the week prior. I was like, “I have something so similar, why am I not wearing it?!!” It’s so cool. I mean, I feel pretty cool in it. Underneath I wore these check trousers from TOPSHOP and a sheer black turtleneck with my Adidas sneakers to be “cozy”. I also wore the thrifted bag (again). What I love most about this outfit is how it let’s my new favourite necklace stand out. This is the “Tarot Sun Necklace” from Mejuri and I probably talked about it in my last post but I thought I’d mention it again. I am so in love with it and I feel like it’s a part of me now!

Outfit #5: My favourite outfit of the week! And it’s still my favourite even though my boyfriend said I looked like a stoner on top and a cowboy on the bottom. *rolls eyes* I really loved this look!!! I love when I discover a different look that I love. I got this new “Ruby jacket” from Free People for 50% off and had to wear it the very next day. It’s so lovely. It’s this olive colour, kinda moldy-looking lol. I love it. It has this texture that makes it look well-loved so I think it’s only going to look greater once it really is well-loved! The quality of this jacket is amazing and I can’t wait to wear it at night during the summer with a cute dress or some cut-off shorts. I’m honestly squealing with excitement!!! I can’t wait for summer. It can come any day now. Anyways, for the rest of this outfit, I wore my Iron Maiden graphic t-shirt with my knitted midi skirt and my black cowboy boots. For accessories, I wore the same thrifted bag (duh) and a beanie for once! This beanie I got from Durumi and I think they have such a great selection right now! Check out their Instagram or visit them downtown on Queen Street West!

That concludes the second “Outfits Of The Week” post of 2020! I hope you guys are enjoying these. If you’d like to see something different, please let me know!

Until next time!

– Tiny ❤

Outfits Of The Week

Hey! Welcome to the first “Outfits Of The Week” post of 2020! I’m going to be honest and say that I’ve had better weeks in terms of outfits. But like, we’ve got a whole year for improvement so I’m not worried at all. I like a little room for improvement :))

Here’s what I wore last week!

(Side note: I’ve decided that I’m going to try my best to post last week’s outfits every Sunday so that they stay more relevant! I usually give myself a whole extra week to get the post up but I think that’s too late! We’re just gonna try it and see how it goes! Let me know what you think in the comment section!!!)

Outfit #1: I got new sneakers, can you tell?!! My boyfriend got me these New Balance sneakers for Christmas and I’m absolutely obsessed with them! He admitted that he had tried searching for a version for men with his friend and I found that quite funny. But honestly, I don’t blame them because they’re so cool! I had to have a cool outfit to go with my cool new sneakers (especially on my first day wearing them), so I wore this patterned midi skirt from TOPSHOP with a plain white t-shirt and my favourite charcoal cardigan (both are also from TOPSHOP). I wanted to keep it pretty neutral because I really wanted my sneakers to stand out. I added a bit of colour with my burgundy tights. I think they looked really good in contrast with my sneakers. I wore my dumpling bag because it matches my sneakers. And to top it all off, I added my black beret!

Outfit #2: This is an outfit I probably won’t repeat again. I just didn’t feel like me while wearing it. I tried it and wasn’t sure about it. By the time I decided that it wasn’t me, it was already time to head out the door for work lol. I don’t know what it is about this outfit. Maybe I can’t wear skinny jeans anymore? Maybe they just can’t be worn with my new sneakers? I just feel like this outfit is a whole “miss” but I know this happens sometimes! Even to the best of us! What I threw together was this blue sweater from TOPSHOP that I’ve loved for a few years now. I paired it with my coated Jamie jeans from TOPSHOP. They’re coated with something that makes them look like leather. I then added my sneakers and thought it looked pretty basic. Trust me, I have nothing against looking simple. It just isn’t me! I tried to sift through my closet for something different/extra, pulled out this blazer and then bolted to catch my train. It wasn’t my wisest decision but it is what it is.

Outfit #3: I LOVE this dress. I had to have it the moment we received it at Free People. I knew it was going to fit me just by looking at it and it made me super excited. Most of the pieces are oversized at Free People and I can’t really pull them off. When there’s a unique piece that will actually fit me properly, I tend to freak out. This dress is made out of a really lightweight crinkle material that I think will transition well into the Spring and Summer. I like that I have the option to dress it up as well as the option to dress it down. It’s really great! I’m super happy with it! I also got some great feedback on Instagram. One of my friends said I looked like Harry Styles should write songs about me! I cried. I’m so in love with him that I’m going to his concert with my roommate in July! To accessorize this dress, I wore my black puffy velvet headband and my Marc Jacobs Snapshot bag. For shoes, I wore my patent combat boots from TOPSHOP.

Outfit #4: Another one of my favourite outfits of the week! I always underestimate the power of a fab graphic t-shirt. This one is more than fab because it’s Ariana Grande! I’m a big fan of her if you don’t already know. She’s a super talented and super gorgeous human being. With this oversized Ariana Grande graphic T-shirt from TOPMAN, I paired my Mom jeans from TOPSHOP and my favourite (and only) pair of brown cowboy boots that I thrifted from Talize about 2 years ago. I also wore my Chloe bag and this cute teddy baseball cap from Durumi (@thedurumi).

Outfit #5: When I work on Saturdays, I usually like to end the week wearing something cozy and casual. I know to expect it to be busy so wearing a dress usually isn’t my go-to. I prefer something easier to run around in! I wore another graphic t-shirt from TOPSHOP but this one has Fleetwood Mac on it. I wore my $15 Straight jeans from TOPSHOP. As an extra layer, I also wore this corduroy button down shirt that’s also from TOPSHOP. I wore my Christmas sneakers for some colour and finally, my dumpling bag! Oh! And I tied my hair with one of Free People’s super scrunchies! I can’t forget that lol.

Did you guys notice the little pendant necklace I wore with all of my outfits this week? I got a Mejuri (@mejuri) “Sun Necklace” and I absolutely LOVE IT. They’re a jewelry brand based in a Toronto that has asked me to collaborate with them! I’m currently waiting on a little gift to arrive! I’m so excited to share it with you. I can’t even believe that I have a collaboration in the works!!! Keep your eyes peeled for more! ;))

Alright, that’s it from me for today! I hope you liked my first outfits post of the year. I can’t wait to see what this year brings in regards to my style and taste! Who knows what I’ll wear ha-ha!

Until next time!

– Tiny ❤

Books I Read in 2019

Another year, another bunch of books read! I am sad to say that I didn’t quite reach the goal that I had set for myself last year. In 2018, I read 20 books and I really, really wanted to read 30 for the following year. Unfortunately, I read 20 (again) during the year 2019. THIS YEAR HOWEVER, I WILL read 30 books! I plan on having a great start. I have a bunch of books that I’ve just recently picked up from the library that I am super excited to read so the books are there, I just need to make the time to read them! (*UPDATE*: I’ve already finished one!!!)

Here’s a photo of the list of books that I completed this year. As you can see, I kinda wrote the same book twice. It was kind of upsetting to realize I had actually read less than I thought I did lol – oops! But what I realized was that there were quite a few books that I started but never completed. When I think about those books, I’m kind of upset that I gave up on them but they must not have held my attention very well. So what you should take from these 20 books is that they must have been pretty darn good because I had no trouble finishing them/getting through them!

Here’s a photo of the books that I enjoyed reading the most this past year. There are a few that I couldn’t include in this photo because I borrowed them for the library. A few books that I’d like to add to this photo are:

– What Red Was by Rosie Price

– The 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

– Normal People by Sally Rooney

All of the books I read last year are worth reading! If you haven’t read any of them, I recommend that you do! I learned a lot from every single one and I think that’s more than you can ask for. If you have any recommendations for me, I would absolutely LOVE that! I love talking books. I love trying new ones. I honestly have an ongoing list of books that I love adding to. I hope you’ve enjoyed this post. Please like it if you enjoy book content as much as I do!

Happy New Year! Happy first post of 2020!

Until next time!

– Tiny ❤

Book Review: “Normal People” by Sally Rooney

I am writing at 1AM because I just finished a book that’s making me feel all different types of ways. “Normal People” by Sally Rooney was a trip and a half, lemme tell ya! I really, really, really enjoyed reading this book and if life didn’t get in the way, I wouldn’t have put this book down until I finished it! Like some of the reviews on the back said, this book is wildly insightful. I know that for some people, fiction is a lot harder to relate to. But like all the books I’ve read, “Normal People” taught me something. It shared the importance of a child’s upbringing and how your past can shape your present!

The story surrounds Connell and Marianne and their evolving relationship. They’re two unlikely friends that meet in high school due to unusual circumstances. Connell, is really intelligent and liked by everyone at school. However, unlike most of the other students that attend his school, he doesn’t have much money. His mother is a single parent and works as the cleaning lady of Marianne’s household. Marianne is not as charismatic and likeable as Connell. Although she has money, she is kind of an enigma at her high school and everyone seems to find her weird. She’s also really smart though. Her and Connor are the top two of their class.

One day, Connell comes a bit earlier to pick up his mother from work at Marianne’s house. He spends some time with Marianne while waiting and finds himself attracted to her. Scared of what his friends might think, he keeps it to himself and continues to come earlier to see Marianne/get to know her. They end up hooking up and it becomes this huge arrangement where none of them want to fully admit their feelings but it’s obvious that they have a special connection. Connell doesn’t want to ruin his reputation at school and Marianne could care less because she doesn’t even have one. It works for a period of time. For a long period, actually. Because of his feelings for Marianne and her influence on him, Connell and Marianne end up attending the same college/university. There’s a lot of drama that happens between them and there’s a lot of “on again, off again” action. Their communication with one another sucks. No one says what they really feel. They both have very different lives at home (Marianne’s family is verbally and physically abusive towards her), and they both are trying to figure out who they are and what they want in life. The only real thing that is constant is their love for one another and I’m going to leave the story at that.

However, I think if you do read this, I should warn you that you might get a little frustrated while reading. I found myself smacking my forehead a couple of times because to the reader, it’s so obvious that they should be together. Without each other they’re lost! I was constantly rooting for them to finally get together and have an actual relationship but something always happened or got in the way. Like I said earlier, this was a trip.

If you don’t want to be yanked around, I promise you that I still enjoyed reading this book so much! It was worth it! I learned that communication is so important. I also learned that everyone is dealing with something. No one is perfect. Everyone’s got something going on behind closed doors so don’t ever think you have someone fully figured out. And whatever’s going on behind those closed doors has, in some way, made them who they are. People are complicated so don’t be ignorant and don’t judge.

If you decide to pick up this novel and read it, let me know what you think!

Until next time!

– Tiny ❤

Outfits Of The Week

Another week comes to a close! I hope you’re all having a great weekend so far, and I hope you have most of your Christmas shopping done! I, unfortunately, have a lot more shopping to do but I think I’ll get on it tomorrow. I’m here to share with you the usual Saturday blog content: what I wore last week. Like I said in my last “Outfits Of The Week” post, I got some goodies here to share! I feel like I’m becoming more experimental again? I always say things like this and I don’t even think you guys can tell lol. Anyways, I felt more creative this week and I think you’ll notice (maybe) a tiny a bit. My current style inspiration is really coming to light with these outfits and it makes me really excited to share that post with you next week! Now let’s take a look at last week’s outfits!

Outfit #1: This outfit is something I didn’t have to think too much about. I am pretty sure this is a go-to Monday look. Just a shirt and jeans with some cute accessories and I’m good to go! For this particular outfit, I chose an oversized striped dress shirt and my favourite black distressed Straight jeans. They’re both from TOPSHOP. For accessories, I wore my beige beret from TOPSHOP, my black cowboy boots that I thrifted in Montreal, and a new addition to my handbag fam: my dumpling bag! I ordered this online from SHEIN (@sheinofficial on Instagram), and I am absolutely impressed by them. I definitely recommend making an order! I had a very low expectation on the quality and the service. I thought that since it was less than $30 it’d feel cheap and I thought that since it was coming from Hong Kong, it’d probably take almost a month to get to me. That was not the case! I received my package in less than two weeks!!! I also have been getting a ton of compliments on it and I think the material is pretty good for how much I paid for it. All in all, I am very happy with my lil’ dumpling!

Outfit #2: I know I’m still in my twenties, but lately I’ve been dressing like I’m fifty. This old lady/prairie dress is a prime example. My boyfriend actually said that I look like I carry Werther’s Original candies in my purse and you know what, that’s okay with me! If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll recognize this dress from the Summer. I really wanted to wear it so I styled it for Winter! This dress is from TOPSHOP and to make it look warmer/more Fall/Winter appropriate, I added my charcoal cardigan, some tights, and my black cowboy boots. I’m starting to realize that my cowboy boots are probably the closest thing I have to Winter boots and maybe that’s a problem? They don’t really have that much grip but I’m loving how cute they look with almost every outfit! If you guys know of any cute Winter boots, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I beg you. I know it’s just going to get colder here in Canada and I won’t be able to get away with wearing just cowboy boots for much longer. For the rest of this outfit, I brought my dumpling bag again, I wore a headband I ordered off of Amazon for $5, and I wore some cute polka dot patterned earrings that I got from TOPSHOP a while ago.

Outfit #3: Ah, one of my favourite outfits of the week and it was put together while in a time crunch! I was running behind. I normally have an idea of what I want to wear the night before but I never got to thinking about it, and therefore I was absolutely clueless the following morning. Something I suggest we all have in our closets is a cute matching set. I think it looks like you tried but you didn’t! I’m wearing a skirt and matching top from TOPSHOP. It’s kind of woven/knitted so it’s pretty appropriate for the season. The top is however sleeveless, so I added my favourite thrifted blazer and I loved it. The outfit looks so polished and put together. I felt like once I added my “The Heathers” scrunchie from Twentyseven (@twentyseventoronto), I kind of dressed like Princess Diana? Or someone ready to give riding lessons? Maybe she wouldn’t have done it in a midi skirt but I’m sure you get the point! I added some tights, my Prada-inspired boots from TOPSHOP, and that lil’ dumpling.

Outfit #4: I forgot how much I love this top! I love this outfit! This is a gingham blouse that I got during my early years at TOPSHOP. My boyfriend actually got it for me before we even started dating, so it’s got a bit of sentimental value as well. I’m a sucker for gingham. There’s a brown gingham bucket hat at work right now and it’s taking all of my strength not to buy it because I have to focus on my Christmas shopping. With my gingham blouse, I wore my grey “Editor” jeans from TOPSHOP with once again, my cowboy boots (but brown ones this time). They were thrifted from Talize in Mississauga. I wore these gold chunky earrings from TOPSHOP to make the look a little less country-esque. I think I was going for a glam cowgirl? TBH I just thought my outfit needed some sparkle! The finish the look, I let my little dumpling bag accompany me to work, yet again.

Outfit #5: This is the final outfit and actually the first outfit I wore last week! It was Sunday and I was off work. This is what I wore to brunch and then to watch Frozen 2 with my best friend! Frozen 2 was amazing btw. I cried. On my days off, and this day in particular because there was a little snow storm, I like to dress comfy. I wore jeans and an oversized sweater that I thrifted. The jeans are the “Wide Crop” style from TOPSHOP. My boots are from a couple years ago. They’re from Little Burgundy! They’re super comfy and I love that they have a zipper all the way up the front because it makes them super easy to take on and off. My winter hat is from Durumi (@thedurumi). It’s just a standard black fuzzy toque. Last but not least, I think it’s okay to say that I officially wore my dumpling bag 5/7 days last week. I told you I love it, did I not? (I think this lil’ guy is 100% going to be part of my December favourites lol)

There you have it! Those are last week’s outfits and I hope you liked them! Come back next Saturday to see what I wore this past week! They were some of my absolute favourites as well (and I’m not just saying that)!!!

Until next time!

– Tiny ❤