Little Woman by Little Lake

Although I love being in the city and can’t imagine myself permanently living in a small town again, it’s always nice to go home. I’m from a small town and visit my family whenever there’s a birthday or a holiday. We went to my sister’s to have an Easter dinner together (she has started a family close to our home town) and it was so nice to be with them. So nice that I actually cried in the car on my way back to the city. I needed to see my family. They remind me of what’s important and they’re the people I’m most comfortable being myself around. They’re everything to me. As the oldest of four kids, I also feel responsible for my siblings and feel bad that I don’t see them enough to properly look after them.

Long story short, it was nice to be home and I wish I could see them more often. My littlest sister is 13 years-old and getting so big. She has a BOYFRIEND now and I still haven’t fully processed it. I’m not ready! And I don’t want my little baby sister to get her heart broken! With a positivity rate of 11% here in Ontario, we’re in another full lockdown so now I can’t see them as much as I would like to. This free time would be perfect spent with them but police are stopping people and checking IDs to see if you’re out of your “zone” (or something like that). But enough with the heavy stuff. I try to keep this space negativity-free. Easter was the best. It’s so nice to be out in the country. I never appreciated it when I lived there but there are so many beautiful places to see outdoors. These photos that I’m sharing with you are by “Little Lake”. It’s really close to where my sister lives and we went there to take in the view, and to take some photos. My brother went there to do a little fishing. It was so nice!

It was just a chill Saturday so I wore my comfy overalls. This black pair of overalls is my absolute favourite. I wear them at least once a week. I’m sure y’all have seen them in a previous post. They’re from Free People and they’re called the “Ziggy Overalls”. They come in lots of different colours (I also have them in green). And I think they also have a striped pair! It’s in blue and white stripes and perfect for summer – nautical vibes! Underneath these overalls, I wore this top that I never expected to wear as much as I do. It’s not normally my style but it goes with a lot in my wardrobe. I’ve worn it with my snake print trousers, with bike shorts, and now underneath overalls. I haven’t worn it with jeans yet but that’d be super cute, too. It’s from last year so I don’t think you can find it at Free People anymore, but there are so many tops like it. It’s kind of a classic Free People silhouette. I think it’s called a “puff sleeve blouse”. Honestly, if you look at the blouses on Free People’s website, you won’t have trouble finding something similar.

The shoes I wore are these sandals that I picked up at Zara. I do not recommend them. They hurt my feet. I think they’re too heavy. They were $30 or $40 and I wish I could return them, but I’ve worn them so it’s too late. When I say that they’re heavy, it’s like the sole or something is made out of heavy plastic or rubber? It puts a lot of pressure on the spot between my toes and so it hurts to walk. I don’t know if I’m explaining that correctly but I hope you know what I mean. They’re just not practical. I like the style but they’re not comfortable at all. Maybe I need to break them in? Have you ever had to break in flip flops lol? I thought these were going to be my summer sandals but it looks like I’m still on the hunt. I’m open to recommendations in the comments!

I think you’ve seen all of these accessories before. The jewelry is mostly BonBonWhims. I’m wearing the rings that I’ve talked about time and time again. These earrings are new additions to my BonBonWhims collections and they’re so cute. They’re these little gold hoops with charms that are coated in coloured enamel. One side is a pink heart and the other is a pop can tab! I actually saw Kylie Jenner wearing this green pop can tab earring and thought it was so cool. I ordered it right way. Yes, I admit that I was influenced. You probably won’t be surprised when I tell you that I’ve just recently placed another order with BonBonWhims. I ordered her “Ling Bling” ring, which Clare created so that 50% of the proceeds could go towards AAPI Women Lead, Stop AAPI Hate, The Asian-American Legal Defence Fund and the families that lost their loved ones in the Atlanta shooting. As a Filipino/Canadian, I have witnessed racism towards my Filipino mother. We grew up in a small town with mostly white people. I know I’m not American but everyone is important. And not only do I absolutely love Clare’s design, but I love that my money is supporting diversity and inclusion. #STOPASIANHATE

TOP – Free People
OVERALLS – Free People
SANDALS – Zara
BAG – Nunoo
SUNGLASSES – Free People
JEWELRY – BonBonWhims

As I’m finishing up this post, I’m just realizing that we’re approaching the end of April already. Where has the time gone?! We’ve made it to May and unfortunately we’re still living in a global pandemic. I think I’m going to have another lockdown birthday this year. It’s a little hard to process but I think the only thing I can hope for is that next year we’ll be in a different and better position globally. Hopefully all of us will be vaccinated? Although it’s taking way longer than we had expected, I’m just grateful that I’ve remained safe and healthy so far. And I hope that you’re all safe and healthy, too!

Sending all my love,

– Tiny ❤

Feeling Mint

Happy weekend! Lately, and especially this week, I’ve felt so drained even though I’ve been in lockdown and doing absolutely nothing. I think it has to be the weather. The sun really affects my mood (most of y’all already know this) and I haven’t seen the sun in like, a week? Maybe even two? The sun has come out here and there but we haven’t had a nice day in what feels like FOREVER. “April showers” have been in full effect. Lots of clouds as well. We even got snow the other day. I’m honestly just ready for “May’s flowers” already.

Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that I hope you can forgive me because I don’t have fresh content for you. Nothing “minty fresh”, you know? (See what I did there?) These photos that I’m sharing with you today are from a month ago. But despite them being a month old, I still very much love this outfit. AND I’m still very much loving mint. Or is it pastel green? Either way, I can’t get enough of it and it won’t be the last time you see me wearing it.

I think I wanna begin with this shirt/jacket. I think people call it a “shacket”? Not sure how I feel about the term but I think it is what it is. It’s this corduroy button-up shirt in mint and can be worn as a jacket. It’s from Free People and I have a feeling most of you won’t be surprised by that ha-ha. It was a return at work and y’all usually know how this goes for me. Cute things just keep getting returned, I’m falling in love with them, and then you see them on my blog. It’s just how it goes! But I’m completely in love with this top. I have worn it so much and I keep gravitating towards it to the point where I don’t want to wash it. Is that TMI?

With my new favourite shirt, I wore my trousers from TOPSHOP. All of my trousers/bottoms are from TOPSHOP. I think I’ve made that pretty known but if you’re new here, TOPSHOP’s Petite section has made my life so much easier. They have pants that are the perfect length for me! I’ve been buying them for I want to say… 5 years now? Unfortunately, if you haven’t heard the news already, they’ve declared bankruptcy and have been bought by ASOS. From what I’m seeing online, I think they’re completely clearing out all of TOPSHOP’s product. This means I don’t know where I’m going to get my bottoms anymore!!! Where am I going to get perfect pants for my little legs?! I guess that’s another problem for another day. If you have any suggestions though, I’m all ears.

Underneath the “shacket”, I wore this cream cropped mock neck sweater. I love this as a layering piece. I usually wear it under pinafores or overalls but I really like how I wore it underneath my new shirt. I’m kind of impressed I thought of it lol. The shoes I’m wearing are my trusty white high-top Converse sneakers. I always have a pair of these in my wardrobe. Last year was the year I got a replacement pair and I’m pretty sure I won’t need another new pair for a couple of years. Converse Chuck Taylor’s are probably my favourite type of sneakers, ever.

The accessories are my favourite part and that’s why I always leave them for last. For this outfit, I added a new Etsy purchase. I got this beautiful headscarf in this minty plaid print. I’m in love with it! I wasn’t sure whether or not I was going to participate in the comeback of this Y2K trend. But I wore it back then and loved it, and now I still love it. This won’t be the last time you see me wearing a headscarf! The bag I’m wearing is from OMW or @omwbags on Instagram. I’ve talked about this brand before. I’m super tempted to buy another one of Olivia’s bags in a larger size. This brand is based in Vancouver and I highly recommend it. The quality is great and they’re handmade using vintage, dead stock or upcycled fabrics!

I’ve been wearing a lot of fun jewelry lately. I’m so obsessed with all these pieces I’ve added to my collection. If you read my last post, I’ve also started making my own jewelry! The rings I’m wearing are my favourite and I talked about them in my last post. Head on over there to know more. All I’m going to say is that they’re from BonBonWhims and I’m obsessed. The powder blue donut ring is from @neonafternoon on Instagram. Holli’s so lovely and used to be one of my clients when I was a Personal Shopper at Topshop. Her rings are so cute. They’re brass rings covered in enamel! She’s sold out on a bunch at the moment but she’s restocking really soon. The gold necklaces are from VibeSzn. They have a variety of necklaces that are perfect for that layering look. The gold hoops are from Mejuri and they’re my favourite pair of hoops that I own. And finally, these sunglasses were $2 at Talize! They’re the best pair of thrifted sunglasses, ever.

HEADSCARF – Etsy

CROPPED SWEATER – Free People

“SHACKET” – Free People

TROUSERS – Topshop

SNEAKERS – Converse

BAG – OMW Bags

SUNGLASSES – Thrifted

JEWELRY – Mejuri, VibeSzn, BonBonWhims and Neon Afternoon

That’s about it from me! I hope you’re all having a wonderful weekend so far. It’s supposed to be a bit sunnier these next couple of days and I’m sure you can imagine how excited I am. I CAN’T WAIT.

Stay safe!

– Tiny ❤

A Li’l Matchy-Matchy

I’m super excited to share today’s outfit with y’all! Based on the feedback that I got on Instagram, I think a lot of my friends were big fans of this outfit as well. This was my Easter outfit. I think the pastel colours made it more than appropriate. I honestly was tempted to get some bunny ears. I think it would have been absolutely perfect.

The story of this matching argyle set starts with me going through a bin of returns at work one day, and then squealing quite loudly and unnecessarily. I was not expecting to see something so freaking cute! I ran straight to the fitting room and tried it on. It was love at first sight, lemme tell ya. And omg, THE FIT. It fit just how I’d hoped it would!!! Then and there, I knew it had to be mine.

(Ok but honestly, am I the only one that talks about clothes this way lol?)

What I love most about a matching set is that you’re really buying at least 3 outfits. Them together as a set. Jeans with the top portion. Or a t-shirt with the bottom half. You can’t go wrong and I think you really get your money’s worth. I would totally recommend adding a matching set to your wardrobe. I personally wouldn’t mind another! This particular set, like I said, was from work or A.K.A. Free People. Unfortunately, I was not able to find it on the website because it went to sale and it looks like it has sold out. These kinds of sets are everywhere now though. I’m sure there’s something similar out there. I actually wouldn’t mind one that’s more summer appropriate.

For the rest of the outfit, I wore the sweater/top part of the set as a cardigan, and added an old t-shirt from TOPSHOP underneath. This t-shirt has been in my wardrobe for a while now (at least two years). I loved how the colour matched the purple in the argyle print really well (matcha-matchy?). I also added these knee-high nylons/stockings from Amazon. They’re by Calvin Klein. I thought they looked really cool with my loafers. You know the ones. Those Zara ones that I just can’t get enough of. Also, part of me thinks I’m not supposed to be showing these stockings like knee-high socks. I think they’re just supposed to peak out underneath the hem of a dress or something. My grandmother used to wear them, I’m pretty sure? But they’re worn this way too, right? It’s a thing? I don’t know, but it looks fine to me!

The accessories I chose were pretty simple (as simple as I can get lol). I chose my black Lin bag from Nunoo. I wore Mejuri hoop earrings. I added thrifted sunglasses. Layered my pearl necklace from Amazon with a couple of gold necklaces that I ordered from VibeSzn. The gold and silver rings are also from Mejuri. And last but not least, I had to wear my rings from BonBonWhims. I LOVE THEM. Guys, literally OBSESSED. Clare, the talented woman behind the brand, is getting so much recognition for her beautiful work. I don’t even know her that well, just through engagement on Instagram, but I’m so proud! Some pretty well-known individuals have been seen wearing her stuff and it’s crazy because her pieces are so affordable! Like her stuff is just that cute. You have to have everything. I’ll leave you the website here: http://www.bonbonwhims.com

MATCHING SET – Free People

T-SHIRT – Topshop

KNEE-HIGH STOCKINGS – Calvin Klein on Amazon

LOAFERS – Zara

BAG – Nunoo

SUNGLASSES – Thrifted

JEWELRY – Mejuri, VibeSzn, Amazon, and BonBonWhims

I don’t want to say too much too soon, but my sister and I have been discussing maybe making our own beaded jewelry and selling the pieces on Etsy? Is that something you guys would purchase? The idea/concept is in the very early stages. I’m not sure what we’re doing yet. But with her on maternity leave and me being in lockdown/not working as much, why not? We have the time and have a ton of fun making them together, what is there to lose? If there are any beaded jewelry pieces that you’ve been loving recently, please share some inspo! We’re currently working on some pieces made out of seed beads so stay tuned for more!

I hope you’re all safe and well xx

– Tiny ❤

Bucket Hat #78139

Let’s be honest. Do I need another bucket hat? No. Am I going to buy and make more bucket hats? Probably! Where do y’all stand with hats? Do you like them? Are you as obsessed with them as I am? I made this bucket hat a couple of weeks ago and just had to wear it right away. I actually planned this whole look around it. #dork

I will one day count all the bucket hats that I have but for my own sake, I think it might be better if I just don’t know lol. If you’re interested in crocheted bucket hats, don’t you dare buy one! I mean, if the material is hard to find or not available at your local yarn store, then fine. I actually want this crocheted bucket hat that I saw online, and the yarn looks like straw. I haven’t been able to find it so I might just buy it. But you can seriously make these yourself! Trust me! It’s super easy. I followed a 15min YouTube video. If I can do it, you most definitely can do it.

For this look, I wore some basic pieces so that this hat would really pop/steal the show. The t-shirt that I’m wearing is this really easy and breathable t-shirt from Free People. I actually love it. I don’t have to iron it and that’s a huge bonus for me. I also like that it’s not white-white, and more off-white/beige. The leather jacket that I’m wearing is one from Danier Leather that was gifted to me by a friend. She also gave me this green one and I’m so in love with them. I’m so happy that it’s starting to get warmer so I can wear them more often. The jeans that I’m wearing are from TOPSHOP ages ago. I think they’re the “Straight” fit. They’re uniquely distressed. They kind of look like someone chewed the bottoms of them, and I love that. I was honestly surprised that these still fit! I think there’s a bit more elastic in these jeans than my others so I think that’s why they were so forgiving. Anyways, that makes THREE pairs of jeans that I can wear now lol.

The shoes that I’m wearing are those loafers that I got lucky with from Zara. I’ve been wearing them like crazy. I think I need some more white socks to wear with them. I have only two pairs of white frilly socks and based on the amount of times I’ve wanted to wear these loafers and have not had clean white frilly socks to wear with them, I think I need to buy more. I’m actually not wearing socks in these photos here at all (ew!). The bag I’m wearing is like the only black bag I own. It’s another Nunoo, I know you’re not surprised. It’s their “Lin” bag and I think it’s perfect for running errands or even for going out (whenever that’ll be)!

HAT – made by yours truly

JACKET – Danier (gifted)

T-SHIRT – Free People

JEANS – TOPSHOP

SHOES – Zara

RINGS – BonBonWhims

BAG – Nunoo

Side note: If my boyfriend is reading this, I don’t thank you enough for taking photos of me. Your patience and kindness means the world to me, and I appreciate you more than anything and everything.

It’s more work than what it looks like to take photos. If you’re a content creator, don’t forget to tell your photographer or partner you appreciate them!

Hope you’re all safe and well,

– Tiny ❤

Lockdown 3.0

So as of Thursday this week, all of Ontario has gone into its third full lockdown. Can’t say I’m all that “jazzed” about it (see what I did there?), but I can’t lie and say that I don’t appreciate the time I’ll have for blogging, crocheting, reading, etc. It’s a little bittersweet. Yes, I was getting used to working full-time again. But I was also losing touch with all my hobbies and just the things I do that make me happy. It was getting really tough. How in the world did I manage to do it before?

What’s also been tough is watching the Toronto Raptors continue to lose games! It’s been a difficult season for them and they’re still my number one team (despite the t-shirt that I’m wearing in today’s outfit photos). Are any of you basketball fans? Do you have a favourite team? I think my top three are Raps, Blazers, and Jazz. I’ve been watching basketball for like 2 years now and I blame my boyfriend. It’s all he does so I’ve kind of been forced to know all things basketball. But this leads me to today’s post! I’m wearing this sick vintage t-shirt that I had originally found and purchased for my boyfriend, but he didn’t like the fit. It’s from a boutique on Queen Street West called, “Mama Loves You Vintage“. I was so stoked when I found it. Between you and me, I kind of wanted it for myself anyway so it all worked out.

For the rest of the outfit, I decided to get really Y2K with it. I wore these fabulous flared trousers/pants from TOPSHOP Petite. They’re in a zebra print, and I’m so glad that I snagged these when I did because I want to keep them for as long as they’ll fit me. Underneath the vintage basketball graphic t-shirt, I wore this long sleeved shirt from TOPSHOP. It’s just this white shirt with lettuce trim. I love it for layering. The shoes I chose were these platform boots that you guys know I’m obsessed with. Been in love with them since I got them and honestly, I can’t say enough good things about Vagabond Shoemakers. I’m looking into getting some sandals for the summer by them. They’re so comfy and they offer my size (size 5). They’re a reliable brand and I plan to stay loyal.

The accessories are also really early 2000s-inspired. I guess mainly the hat that I chose is? Bucket hats, baby. I can’t get enough! The collection is growing, growing, growing. I don’t think I can stop. This one you’ve probably seen before if you’ve been following my blog for a bit. It’s another Kangol. It’s orange. This was when I first started watching Emily In Paris and she wore that pink (or was it green?) Kangol bucket hat in one of the episodes. I was influenced, I admit it. I think this candy-coloured plastic/resin jewelry trend is kind of from the early 2000s too, no? But I obviously wore my BonBonWhims rings (again). Haven’t taken them off really. They’re like glued to my fingers and I’m not mad about it. Finally, the bag I chose is the same one that I wore in my last post. My bestie named “Pearl” (’cause she looks like a clam, but the style of this bag on their website is called “Saki”) from Nunoo. Got my eye on another Nunoo bag and have somehow managed to have some self restraint. How long will it last? Probably not long at all. The love is real.

HAT – Kangol at Free People

LONG SLEEVE SHIRT – TOPSHOP

VINTAGE T-SHIRT – Mama Loves You Vintage

TROUSERS – TOPSHOP Petite

BOOTS – Vagabond Shoemakers (the “Tara” boots)

RINGS – BonBonWhims and Mejuri

BAG – Nunoo

I’ve got so much content to share with y’all. It’s been so backed up since I’ve been back at work. We’ve taken many outfit photos that I can’t wait to share on here. If you want a sneak peek, you can follow me on Instagram: @tinyintoronto!

I hope you’re all holding up okay with this new lockdown. I know it’s frustrating because it feels like this is never going to end. I’m trying to tell myself to appreciate this time to myself and make the most of it because this will *hopefully* be the last lockdown that we’ll have. When all is said and done, I’m pretty sure I’m going to be begging for time off.

Stay safe, friends!

– Tiny ❤

Tripod Test: A Series

I always see these girls on Instagram talking about taking their tripods outside with them and getting their content, and their photos turn out SO WELL. It seemed pretty straight-forward. I have a remote that connects to my phone via Bluetooth so I thought that would also make things a little easier. All I have to do is set up a tripod with my iPhone/camera, pose in some way, click the button on the remote, and there ya have it! Sounds like a piece of cake, right? This is obviously only how I imagined it would be. It didn’t turn out that way at all.

The tripod was not on level ground. It was really windy. My phone had some focusing issues and it was really hard to not make it obvious that I had a remote in my hand! It was a hot mess. I definitely need some practice. Or if any of you have some tips and tricks, please let me know. I need all the help I can get! It was such a sad attempt lol.

I also had a father and son playing basketball a few metres away, so that was awkward. I probably looked absolutely ridiculous because I was clearly confused and had no idea what I was doing while still trying my best to look cute for camera lol. Luckily, I still managed to get some photos! They’re shot really close. I think you can tell I’m freezing, but I’ll let you tell me what you think in the comment section below.

Here’s the “tripod test”:

The look was based on me just wanting to bust out my spring/summer dresses. I think I was an eager beaver because like I said, I was freezing. For the outfit, I wore this oatmeal-coloured turtleneck from TOPSHOP years ago. On top, I wore this lime green/yellow-y floral print dress that I got from TOPSHOP Petite last year. It’s not only one of the cutest dresses in my wardrobe but it’s the perfect length. I LOVE TOPSHOP PETITE. It breaks my heart that TOPSHOP went bankrupt and that I’ll no longer be able to buy their pieces. It’s still such a shock. I worked for TOPSHOP for 5 years!!! Does anyone know where I can get similar pieces? Some trendy and affordable petite clothing? I’m kind of lost now.

For the rest of the outfit, I just have accessories. You guys know how much I love my accessories! This look needed a hat so I chose this baseball cap that I thrifted. It’s such a comfortable hat. I love that it’s denim. I don’t know what “Carnival” means but that’s kind of cool? I wore my pearls from Amazon. I think by saying they’re from Amazon you know they’re not real lol. I wore my BonBonWhims rings (duh). I’m still very much obsessed. And last but not least, a “Tiny In Toronto look” would not be complete without a Nunoo bag. This one is “Pearl” because she looks like a pastel blue clam.

HAT – Thrifted

TURTLENECK – TOPSHOP

DRESS – TOPSHOP Petite

BAG – Nunoo

NECKLACES – Amazon

That’s it! That’s the look. I hope you liked my little “tripod test”. I definitely plan on working on my technique/skills (or lack there of). Again, if you do this, please teach me your ways. I guess I should probably find level ground to start off with. But like, how do I get my phone to focus? And is it better to just use a self timer than a clicker/remote? I need answers!!!

I hope you’re all safe and well. The number of cases that we have in Ontario is getting scarier by the day. It looks like we might go into a full lockdown again and I’m not sure how I feel. If you’re feeling similar, know that you’re not alone! We’re in this together. Vaccines are slowwwwly getting distributed but at least they’re getting distributed! We’ll get there, we just have to stay positive.

Until next time,

– Tiny ❤

Crochet Headscarf or Headless Chicken?

Hey everyone! Just want to take a second to welcome all the new followers on here. I really appreciate you and it makes me so happy that you enjoy reading what I have to say (even though it’s mostly nonsense lol). One of the things I love to do is to write. Whether I’m good at it or not is another story. This is just a creative outlet for me and I’m super grateful you guys enjoy what I’m sharing, so thank you.

Now can we talk about this photo?

Please tell me you see what I see, because I know it’s a crochet headscarf but these colours and the way it’s laying there… I also see a headless chicken LOL.

I love these little crochet projects that I’ve been doing lately. I’ve made a neck warmer, a headscarf and just recently, my second bucket hat! These smaller projects can be completed in a day and are as easily rewarding. Since I’m back at work full-time now, I don’t have free time like I used to. So starting a bigger project just doesn’t seem as exciting at this point. It’ll take me way too long to complete. I only get two days off a week and I have a ton of other hobbies that I have to keep up with as well (like this blog)! I mean, now that I’m thinking about it, I have our new podcast, my Instagram, this blog, reading/book club, crocheting, knitting, and jewelry-making that I want to accomplish on my days off. As well as spending time with my boyfriend and catching up with friends and family! It’s a whole lot. If we want to go even further, I also have to get groceries, clean the apartment and do laundry. There just isn’t enough time in a day! I seriously don’t know how I did all of this before the pandemic.

Anyways, we’re all just trying to do our best, right? It’s been tough and we have to go easy on ourselves. I wish I wasn’t so good at putting unnecessary pressure on myself, but I’m working on it!

So crochet headscarf or headless chicken?

It would be funny if these next few photos were of me with a headless chicken on my head. But lucky for me, they’re not! I honestly LOVE the headscarf trend for this upcoming season. I ordered another one off of Etsy that I can’t wait to share with y’all. It’s in that muted green colour that everyone’s wearing? Kinda minty? I love green SO MUCH right now. And you can probably tell just from the colour of the sweater I’m wearing! I thrifted this Chap’s sweater a couple of years ago. This year-long pandemic has made me lose all sense of time. Everything feels like forever ago. I just remember thrifting it and I know for certain that I haven’t gone thrifting in the longest time.

With this sweater, I just wore a pair of jeans. I honestly can’t remember what pair I wore. It has to be one of the two pairs that fit me right now lol. They have to be either my wide-legs from Topshop or my Levi “Balloon” jeans. The jewellery pieces are from Amazon, En Route Jewelry, and Mejuri. And I think that’s it for this look!

HEADSCARF – by yours truly

SWEATER – Thrifted

JEANS – Topshop or Levis (sorry lol)

NECKLACE – Amazon

EARRINGS – En Route Jewelry

If I haven’t mentioned this on my blog already, the beaded phone strap is also by me! Super easy and super fun! If you have lots of beads lying around the house, you should make one!

Again, thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I appreciate it a lot.

I hope you’re all safe and well! Xx

– Tiny ❤

Channeling My High School Self

I don’t know about you, but I went to a Catholic high school. And whenever I put on a pleated miniskirt, I’m immediately transported to my high school years when I wore that god awful pleated plaid miniskirt with a polo and knee socks (don’t ask me how long ago this was lol). If I can find you a decent photo of me in high school, I’ll insert it here:

However, like most of us I’m sure, this pandemic has made me super nostalgic. I do *slightly* miss the uniform, so I decided to play dress-up! Here are some photos of me styling this black pleated miniskirt that I got from Aritzia a couple of years ago. I’m actually surprised it still fit.

With this skirt, I added knee socks (obviously). It wouldn’t be a high school throwback without the knee socks for me. I think they’re a very old pair from Topshop. I also wore a plain white t-shirt from Topshop and added a thrifted sweater vest overtop (I thought this was pretty collegiate/preppy). And then to add some “spice”, I wore this bucket hat that I’m clearly obsessed with because I think I’ve worn it a lot lately. It definitely would have been confiscated in high school though. We weren’t allowed to wear hats. This bucket hat is from Free People but by the brand Kangol. I’ve talked about this brand before but all you need to know is that I have a TON of their hats, and I love them.

For accessories, I added a few pieces that y’all haven’t seen in a while. I wore my precious Chopova Lowena necklace that I got for my birthday last year. She was a pretty penny (and one of the best birthday gifts ever) and I’m really excited to start wearing her again throughout this spring/summer season. I also wore these safety pin earrings that I got a few years ago (I think?). It was when En Route Jewelry (@enroutejewelry) first collaborated with @bestdressed. I forget when that was but I was one of those people that placed an order the same day the collection was released. I still wear them often and they still look like new. I highly recommend these earrings if they’re still available! The colourful rings that I’m wearing are my latest obsession. I mean, I obsess over things pretty easily so take that as you wish lol. But I’M SUPER OBSESSED with these rings from BonBonWhims (@thebonbonwhimsclub). I want to order more. I’m trying to be good but to be completely honest and transparent with y’all, I have earrings on the way (I think I may have already told you this lol). Claire’s stuff is SO FUN and 100% the vibe I want for spring/summer. I will probably order more rings eventually. If you haven’t had a chance to check out her stuff, here’s a link to the website: https://bonbonwhims.com

The shoes that I chose to wear are those loafers that I picked up from Zara. They’re definitely something similar to what I wore in high school, but these are way cooler. If you don’t know the story behind these shoes, they were practically meant to be. I rarely find shoes from Zara in a size 5 and this style of loafer was exactly what I was looking for. I kind of want a white pair now so I’m keeping my eyes peeled on the Zara website to see if I’ll get lucky again. What do you guys think of the loafer trend?!

HAT – Kangol at Free People

T-SHIRT – Topshop

SWEATER VEST – Thrifted

SKIRT – Aritzia

KNEE SOCKS – Topshop

SHOES – Zara

NECKLACE – Chopova Lowena

COLOURFUL RINGS – BonBonWhims

Would I ever wear this outfit outside of my bedroom? I don’t really know. I think my little sister (she’s in grade 8) might appreciate this look, but I don’t know if I feel comfortable walking around like this. Am I trying to look much younger than my actual age? Do you ever think about things like this? I THINKKKK I’d get rid of the knee socks. Some white frilly socks would completely change the look and feel of this outfit for me LOL. What do y’all think?

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Happy Friday!

– Tiny ❤

Spring is here!!!

I think by now those of you that read my blog know that I’m a fan of colour. I wear bold colours and prints all year long but somehow in spring it hits a little different. Maybe it’s because the sun is out more often? Maybe it’s because it seems more acceptable in the spring (not that I really care)?

I’m crazy excited to start wearing the brightest colours in my wardrobe, and I decided to kick things off with this outfit that I’m sharing with you today. I think I picked almost every colour of the rainbow for this one lol. I’ve probably mentioned this bag that I’m wearing in one of my previous posts but it’s a recent addition to my collection and it just *screams* spring. It’s from a vintage store in Montréal called “Singulier MTL” or @singuliermtl on Instagram. I’ve tried to wear it with more winter-y pieces and it just doesn’t work. I love the bag and I love it even more now for making me pull out all my brighter colours. Goodbye, winter clothes! You’re going to the back of my closet!

For this look I wore these pants that I got last year that I absolutely love. They’re from Topshop Petite because that’s basically where I get all of my pants. I love this cream/beige colour because it completely lightens up the outfit. On top, I wore this t-shirt that I’ve had from Topshop for the longest time. It’s purple and has this cool outline of a woman’s face. I dig it a lot. I think I’ve gotten so much wear out of it. I remember taking it with me to the Philippines, and that was like three years ago. As a layering piece, I added this blue cardigan from Free People. My favourite colour is blue, as we all found out it one of my previous posts, so I just couldn’t say no to this sweater when I saw it. It’s a BEAUTIFUL shade of blue! I really don’t think these photos even do it justice.

The shoes and accessories that I chose for this outfit are the bag that I’ve already mentioned, a fuzzy bucket hat from Durumi, and my checkered slip-on Vans. I also layered a couple of pearl necklaces because if you can’t tell, I’m IN LOVE with pearl accessories right now. I have no idea why I love pearls so much. I feel like it’s always been this way, even as a child. I think it’s just come out in full force now that I’m older. Pearls go with everything (at least I think so). They’re neutral and dress up any boring ol’ outfit. I just feel like you can’t go wrong with them!

HAT – Durumi

CARDIGAN – Free People

T-SHIRT – Topshop

PANTS – Topshop Petite

SNEAKERS – Vans

BAG – Singulier MTL

This past weekend was absolutely beautiful. Sunshine on Friday, Saturday, AND Sunday and the temperatures were 10-12 degrees! I am so excited for it to just keep getting warmer. I love the sun and I love the warmth. My Filipino side just THRIVES in the spring/summer and I can’t wait. You guys don’t even know lol.

I hope you had a chance to enjoy the weather wherever you are. Hopefully it’s as nice as it was here, if not nicer!

Have a great rest of your week!

– Tiny ❤

THE BOOKS OFFICE PODCAST

I can’t believe I haven’t had time to share this with y’all sooner! I may have mentioned it in a previous blog post but I’d like to officially introduce this project that Julia and I have worked so very hard on: The Books Office Podcast

Julia has been a friend of mine for a while now. We first met when I was a Personal Shopper at Topshop. She was one of my clients that I really connected with. When I left, we stayed in touch and have been friends ever since! Something we’ve really bonded over is BOOKS, and we’re even in a book club together. One of the few things I get most excited for is book club every month and Julia runs it herself. Earlier in the year she approached me with this fabulous idea of starting a podcast together. We would also talk during our book club meetings about what we were currently watching on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Disney+, etc. And she came up with this amazing idea of starting a podcast based on books and their movie or TV show adaptations! We had also just finished watching Bridgerton and had recently found out that it was a book series, so that’s where it all began!

This past Monday we uploaded our THIRD episode. I honestly can’t believe we’ve already shared 3 episodes of our podcast to the public – it’s crazy! But the feedback we’ve gotten has been wonderful and I would love for y’all to check it out. Our first episode is obviously about Bridgerton by Julia Quinn. In every episode, we read the book and watch the TV show or movie, then review and compare them. At the end, we answer the question: Was the book actually better? Before the podcast, we had always assumed that the book was always better. Now we’re doing the research through each episode we create and it’s so much fun. We tell each other after each episode recording that we wish this was our job. And maybe one day it might be?

Anyways, I would love if you’d give our podcast a listen! You can follow us on Instagram: @thebooksofficepod If you’ve read or watched Firefly Lane or The Queen’s Gambit, you should give our other episodes a listen, too!

I’ll leave a link to our podcast here: https://anchor.fm/the-books-office-podcast

You should be able to listen to it wherever you listen to your podcasts!

ALSO, I want to shoutout Julia’s boyfriend, Alex, for doing all the tech-y/editing a tuff for us! We wouldn’t have done any of this without him! He makes each episode sound SO GOOD. He also made our jingle himself! If you need anything like that, message him on IG: @fuchsanator

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you have a great weekend!

– Tiny ❤