In my first blog post back (FALL-ing Back (I’m Back!)), I’m pretty sure I mentioned how I’ve gotten back on my crochet bs. I’ve been crocheting away/to my heart’s content! I think what sparked it was mostly the fact that it’s starting to get cooler outside. Fall/winter is like, peak crochet season. I’ve got sweaters, scarves, balaclavas, and blankets on the agenda this year – I’m pumped!
The first piece I made after a crochet break/hiatus, is this black top with floral cut-outs. I don’t even know if I’m describing it correctly but I found this video on YouTube, and loved how it looked on the creator so I decided I’d make one too. Here’s the video if you’d like to try it yourself: https://youtu.be/wHF2vtsh3bE
I’ll be honest and tell you that some of the verbiage in this video made it hard to follow at first. But by replaying the video a couple of times and pausing to count her stitches and such, it became pretty easy. I started with one side of the top and noticed it seemed to fan out (I was definitely a little rusty). It was because I kept adding stitches, so don’t make the same mistake if you try this yourself! I also just realized that a crop top with cut-outs probably isn’t the smartest piece to make if I’m supposedly “preparing for cooler weather” lol, but c’est la vie.
Overall, I think this top was pretty easy to make. It required a front and back panel, tiny sleeves, and that was it! I’m really happy with how it turned out but if I were to do it again, I think I’d make it a little bigger. I had pictured it hanging off the body a bit more, and not as fitted as mine turned out. I still love it so maybe I’ll make another one in the future? In a different colour, for sure (I’m thinking light blue)!
Okay, on with the pics. Introducing: My-First-Crochet-Piece-In-A-Really-Long-Time/Black Floral Cut-Out Top!
A little backstory to these photos is that they were taken Thanksgiving weekend, I think. Or maybe the weekend before to celebrate my littlest sister’s 15th birthday. I had just finished crocheting the top the day before the event (hadn’t even sewn in my ends lol) and just had to wear it to this occasion (I don’t really know why). Then I made the birthday girl take pics of me. I mean, I took pics of her first, of course! She’s like a little me and planned these cute little birthday shots that I just have to insert here (she said I really made her vision come to life, nbd).
Everyone probably says this, but seeing my littlest sister turn 15 years-old really made me feel old-old. I love being her big sister in the city though. I’m going to try my best to have her come up more often. She’s getting to that age where she loves shopping, and who better to take her shopping than me?
Alright, I think that’s all I have to share today! Let me know if I should continue to share my crochet projects. I also liked throwing in some personal stuff. Which reminds me, and if anyone is wondering, I’m just about to finish my first week at Ref and it’s been so lovely and refreshing! Everyone I’ve encountered seems very genuine and sweet. Reformation really seems to value their people and invest a lot in them. The store manager has been training me directly and I admire that so much. I also want to purchase absolutely everything, but I’m going to be smart and maybe wait until after Christmas – we’ll see ha-ha! Overall, I’ve had a great start and I’m really looking forward to learning more and growing with this brand.
If there’s one thing I know for sure after 29 years of life, it’s that tacos are everything. I love them, and can’t live without them. It can be an Old El Paso taco kit, Taco Bell, or one of those authentic Mexican restaurants, food truck, etc. I’ve never met a taco I didn’t love. I kid you not, I’ve requested Taco Bell as a birthday gift one year. The love just runs that deep!
I’m honestly drooling at this pic. Do you have a favourite kind of taco? My go-to is a fish taco, or chicken!
Today’s post is more of an outfit post, or a spontaneous photoshoot at the top of a parking garage. My boyfriend and I went there to eat our tacos from this place in Kensington Market called “Pico de Gallo”. The tacos were so delicious, I still dream about them over a week later lol. Anyways, we were at the top of the parking garage because it just happened to have a gorgeous view of the CN Tower, and who doesn’t love dinner with a view? While we were up there, a couple was actually getting their engagement photos taken – they were so cute! Was this a sign/foreshadowing? I’m kidding, but them taking photos made us want to take photos, so here they are!
COAT – Free People SWEATER VEST – Ganni TROUSERS – Topshop BAG & SUNGLASSES- Thrifted SHOES – Zara JEWELRY – Mejuri & Pandora
OH! And before I go, I have GREAT news. Your girl got a job this week! I start next week. It’s a full-time position with Reformation. I’m overjoyed and so relieved to be having money coming in again. It’s terrible to say but money kind of controls everything, and there’s very little you can do without it. I’ve learned a lot this past month or so, and I’m going to go heavy on the saving. Lessons have been learned, and I’m going to be more prepared if this were to ever happen again. I’ve never not had a job since I was 15 years-old! You learn to appreciate a lot. Above all else, I believe that everything happens for a reason. I got to spend so much more time with my family (got to see more of my niece and nephew/watch them grow!), and that probably meant the most to me.
I’m also just happy to have somewhere to be/go again. I’ve missed dressing up every day! Y’all know I love fashion and style, and the creative me that loves to express herself through what she wears has been kind of neglected. With this new job, I can get dressed up and plan nice outfits (share them in a blog post *wink face*), and I’m so excited!
Now with this new gig, I might not have as much free time again. Of course once I start loving to blog again, I get a job and time to blog goes back to being sparse lol. Love how that happens. I’ll make it work though! I honestly feel so happy typing this up right now. It feels good and I won’t let go of that. I’d like to post twice a week, but you’ll for sure hear from me weekly!
I hope you’re all having a great week. Enjoy your weekend!
Hello, hello :)) Tiny has returned, and I’m ready (honestly, more than ready) to just “fall back” into the swing of things! I’ve missed writing!!!
Did you think I’d never come back? Thought I disappeared for good? I certainly had a moment where I did. I can’t believe I’ve gone 7 months without blogging. That’s absolutely 0 blogging since April – but here I am! I don’t even know where to begin to explain my absence. What have I been up to all this time? Let me start off by answering simply: life. A lot of huge changes have happened to me within the last 7 months: my boyfriend of 5 years broke up with me, I quit my job, started a new job (that I hated), got fired from said job, and now I’m moving out of an apartment that I’ve lived in for 6 years to live with a guy I’m pretty sure is my soulmate. There’s a lot I could elaborate on but I’m going to leave it at that for now. Doesn’t life work in the strangest of ways? Yes, I’m stressed beyond belief about my income right now, but I have the bestest partner to help me through it. I also have my amazing friends and family. Speaking of my family, it’s growing so fast!!! This weekend my sister’s first baby turns 2?! Where has the time gone? My brother and his girlfriend are also planning on telling our mom that they’re expecting their first baby (I told you that we’re growing!) Last weekend, my oldest and bestest friend GOT MARRIED. She has a husband now. I can’t believe we’re at the age where we’re going to start saying these things – it’s crazy.
That’s basically what I’ve been up to in a nutshell. Despite all the things that I have to be stressed about right now, I’m surprisingly feeling better than okay. I’m truly happy. With the perfect group of people in my life, I know I’m going to be fine. And that’s why I feel good enough to write again, and to be open and honest about where I’ve been. I’ve started crocheting again (blog posts coming soon), and I’m reading more (book reviews coming soon). I had lost myself but now I’m back, and better than ever.
My littlest sister came to visit to celebrate her 15th birthday with me not too long ago (Thanksgiving weekend). So aside from a general life update, I thought I’d share some seasonally appropriate pictures that she took of me lol. It’s not exactly fall if you didn’t get any pictures with the falling/changing leaves, am I right?
I know this post was a little short and sweet. I thought I’d do something a little simpler, just to dip my toes back in before coming back with all the content I have planned. It also just felt right to come back with a bit of an explanation instead of posting a book review or an outfit post as if I hadn’t disappeared for 7 months (lol).
I hope you all understand, and I hope you’re all doing well! Let me know your life updates from the last 7 months in the comment section below. I’d love to read them.
I’m back! And it’s April, so HAPPY APRIL! Another month has gone by which means I have another set of favourites to share with you. My sister had her second baby, the Oscars happened so I was watching a lot of movies all month, I read some of the best books I’ve read in a really long time, and I think I’m starting to love getting dressed again? It sounds funny because a lot of people that know me would probably find it hard to believe that I ever stopped loving getting dressed. But recently, I’ve been planning outfits and getting excited about what I’m going to wear. I’ve also been taking a lot of mirror selfies of my outfits at work, which I haven’t done in a really long time. Maybe it’s the weather getting warmer? I think it might also have to do with the fact that we’re sort of seeing an end to the pandemic now? *knocks on wood* Before it felt like I was getting dressed for the sake of getting dressed, and that’s not me. I know we’re sick and tired of talking about the pandemic but it’s affected so many. I’ve lost the energy to express myself and I’ve lost sight of what makes me happy/makes me feel good. Fashion makes me happy. Writing these posts makes me happy. I think a lot of us, like myself, just continued to do things out of habit. And I think I’ve finally realized why I love certain things and why I continue to do them. It feels good!
Anyways, despite a busy month, I do remember a few things that I loved most throughout the month of March. I think that if I’m missing anything, I’m sure I’ll mention them in a future monthly favourites post. And if I can’t remember them now, did I really love them that much anyway?
Here are my March favourites!
1. Brown EVERYTHING – This was not planned, but I don’t really think I plan my favourites. Becoming obsessed with the colour brown was just very unexpected. I gravitated towards a lot of brown this past month and I don’t know why. I got two brown leather jackets, brown trousers, and even when shopping, I noticed that everything I picked up/preferred was chocolate brown. Like right now I’m thinking, chocolate brown nail polish? What I think I love about the colour brown is that it’s a great alternative for black and white. It’s a new option if you wanna stay neutral. I don’t know how long this brown phase is going to last (I’m thinking probably throughout this transition to spring/summer), but I’m here for it. What do you think of wearing brown this season? Part of me thinks it also reminds people of poo lol.
2. Bridgerton: Season 2 – I would have binged all of this the day it came out (Friday, March 25th), but my sister and I decided to wait and watch it together when I came to visit. I LOVE this show. I will say that I preferred Daphne’s story over Anthony’s (there’s just no one like Simon, am I right?), but the whole production is what I love most. The costumes, the music and the set design is absolutely mesmerizing! Like, those big houses and the way their interiors are decorated are absolutely stunning. I kind of wish I lived to experience that period. The way that society worked is kind of bonkers. Women 100% should have had more rights. But if we were to eliminate all of the problematic societal norms, I think everything seemed so much more romantic, whimsical, and beautiful. Everything was so romanticized. But maybe it’s all a facade? I have some second thoughts now lol. Let’s just say, on a surface level perspective, the show is gorgeous. I can’t wait for season 3! I’m going to need to read the third book of the series ASAP. I think it might be Eloise’s love story that’s next – exciting!
Oh look! I’m wearing more brown lol
3. Crochet pieces that I made this month: Leg Warmers + Cat Beanie – I’m honestly really enjoying having crochet projects completed monthly. It’s so rewarding! This past month I made my very first pair of leg warmers! They’re pink, chunky, and so warm. I’m obsessed with how cute they look. I’m pretty happy that they’re trending again. I don’t know how long I have until it’s too warm to wear them, but I’m very much tempted to make some in every colour. I also completed this striped beanie with cat ears. It was so fun to make and I got some cute selfies while wearing it so if I never wear it again, at least there’s that. I also think temperatures are getting warm enough to no longer need a beanie. I’ll probably just save it for next winter. Also: I’m way too excited not to mention my current project so I’m just going to quickly say that I’m making a BLANKET!!! There’s this crochet blanket that was seen on an episode or two of Euphoria that I saw someone recreate on TikTok, and I was instantly inspired. It’s going to be so much work but I think it’s going to keep me busy throughout April. Hopefully I’ll finish it and share it with you next month!
4. The Inheritance Games: Book 1 & 2 by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – I don’t know if this is going to be posted before or after my book review, but man oh man, you need to read these. I read them so fast because I literally couldn’t put them down! I would pick up these books any chance I could get. It’s been so long since I’ve found a series that makes me want to come home from work, make a tea, and sit on the couch and read until 2AM. It’s one of my favourite things to do and there’s really nothing like it. It’s hard to explain the feeling of being so wrapped up in a story unless you’ve experienced it yourself. Has this ever happened to you? It happened to me with both of these books and I don’t want to wait until August for the 3rd one! Thinking about it actually makes me sad lol. I won’t tell you too much plot-wise, but if you like Cinderella stories with puzzles, mystery, romance, and 4 handsome boys with brains and a sense of humour, grab these books now.
5. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood – Normally, I have one book in a monthly favourites post, but here I am with three! I had such amazing luck with reading material this past month that I’m worried it’s downhill from here. What if nothing can top these ones? I must read more and find out! Send me your recommendations, please! To explain briefly, this book was about a romance between a student and a professor. They’re both in the medical field. It’s a fake relationship turned into something much, much more. I know it sounds cheesy, but I haven’t read anything like it. I enjoyed it so much. It also got a little steamy at parts so don’t say I didn’t warn ya lol.
6. Eloise Jordan Johnson (MY ONE MONTH-OLD NIECE) – I met my niece last week and she’s PRECIOUS. I don’t even think precious is enough to describe her. She’s an angel! I’m so excited for us to have another little girl in the family, and to watch her grow. When I went back to my hometown to visit my family and help my sister with her two kids, I felt like it was something that I needed. I was there for 6 days and being surrounded by them, and having my niece and nephew keeping me (very) busy was really good for me. Family is important and being with them simply reminds me that I have so much to be grateful for. My little niece and nephew are the cutest kids. I do get baby fever whenever I’m around them. They’re so sweet and pure. They fill my heart with joy. I most definitely have biggest soft spot for them because I literally can’t say no ha-ha – they’re just too cute! But my sister is so lucky to have such blessings, and I hope that when I’m ready to have children that I get just as lucky.
7. The 94th Academy Awards/Oscars – As much as I was disappointed in the Oscars this year (very few of the nominations truly wow’d me tbh), it still remains one of my favourite annual events. I love movies, as most of you all know, and it’s so fun to see all my favourite actors and actresses get dressed up and recognized for their hard work. This year was so controversial with all the Will Smith and Chris Rock business. I’m not going to get into it because I feel like the rest of the internet has said enough. I really hope that we just learn and be better going forward, and hopefully next year is better. Regardless of what happens, the Oscars will always be something special to me. Did any of you watch? I am so happy that CODA won Best Picture! That movie made me sob.
8. Freshii – This is a last-minute addition to the favourites list because as I’m writing this, I’m craving a Pangoa bowl from Freshii. I’ve bought a few on my break at work last month, and I also had one while I stayed with my sister (my tiny hometown just got a Freshii, it’s actually crazy lol). I don’t know why I love them so much. I think they’re just fresh (at Freshii? Who knew lol)? They beat the cans of soup that I normally eat at work for lunch, that’s for sure. I always add chicken to my Pangoa bowl because it’s more filling for me. If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend it! I also just love photographing it, is that weird? I appreciate all the pretty colours!
Another month for the books! Official farewell to March 2022! I can’t believe how fast the year is going by. Only a few more months and my birthday month will be here! Is it too early to be excited? I don’t have anything planned yet, but I know I can always expect the best things in June. Comment down below and tell me your favourite month of the year!
I’m back, and with a more recent outfit post! Spring is officially here!!! These photos were taken over the weekend and although we’re expected to get some snow within the next week, I’m definitely in a spring-y mood. I’m super excited to shed some layers and to start wearing ALL THE COLOURS. But let’s be real, I wear a fair amount of colour already. I just don’t want to wear a coat that hides it anymore!
Today’s outfit was taken in the rain. These are my first rainy day outfit photos, ever. I usually admit defeat when it rains because it’s so miserable out to even bother. But for some reason, I felt it was worth a shot over the weekend. My boyfriend is one of those weirdos that loves the rain. To him a rainy day is the perfect day, so he didn’t need any convincing to go out and take photos of me. I’m actually pretty happy with the way these turned out with all things considered. I think that the umbrella is kind of a cute prop as well? Who knew!
If I’m being 100% honest, the reason I was so willing to go outside in the wet and muddy terrain was because of this skirt that I’m wearing. I recently purchased this denim maxi skirt from Poshmark and I’m absolutely obsessed with it. I felt compelled to take photos and share it with you/the internet. It’s so early 2000s. It was listed as “vintage” and it’s by the brand “Manager”. I’m not familiar with the brand but I am truly curious (and will probably do some research after this) to find out if it is in fact vintage.
Here’s the look!
(Not sponsored by Fulton umbrellas 😉)
I paired this denim skirt with my green sorbet (for some reason this seems like the right word to describe it?) -coloured polo that I just recently got from work ie. Free People. I love the colour of it and I think it will be worn a lot within the next couple of months as we get closer and closer to summer (my favourite season, ever!!!). The jacket and belt are thrifted pieces. The jacket is from Danier and I got it at The Salvation Army Thrift Store for $24. The belt was definitely less than $10 and from Talize. My necklace is by the designer Chopova Lowena. I bought this necklace two years ago as a birthday gift for myself, and I’ve been wearing it so much lately! Chunky silver pieces are very popular right now and I’m enjoying resurfacing some of my old silver pieces. This necklace is very special to me because I spent probably the most amount of money I’ve ever spent on a necklace. For many reasons it’s a treasure of mine and I don’t plan to stop wearing it anytime soon! I actually have my eye on maybe another silver chunky piece for my birthday this year? After wearing this Chopova Lowena piece, I’m realizing how wearable silver is. The majority of my jewelry is gold so I wouldn’t mind another silver piece, but we’ll see!
For shoes, I’m wearing my trusty Vagabonds. These are the Tara boots that have been through it all. I honestly think these boots are a pair I would buy again. Once my current pair falls apart, I’ll have to get another. I’m attached and they’ve become such a staple. They go with everything, they give me the height I need, and they’re unbelievably comfortable. They’re not the most affordable boots but I promise you that they’re worth it.
The purse I’m wearing is none other than one of my Nunoo bags from my collection of Nunoo bags. I really do have an obsession with them. I’ve been in love with everything they make for years now. I have my eye on at least two new styles. Maybe more birthday gifts from myself ha-ha? If you haven’t heard of this brand from Denmark, I totally suggest checking them out! I’ll leave the link to their website here. The bag that I’m wearing with this outfit is their Helena bag. I got it from Urban Outfitters. It’s made of green recycled canvas which is pretty cool. I love this shade of green and it’s going to be a popular colour throughout spring/summer this year.
I think that’s everything for this outfit. I believe I’ve covered it all? If there’s ever anything that I’ve left out in an outfit post and you’d like to know more about it, let me know in the comment section! I try to cover it all but there’s a chance I may forget something, or leave it out because I feel like I’ve talked about it so much already in my previous posts.
Also: Can we take a moment to process that next week is the end of March?! March went by just as fast as February, or is it just me?
OH!
And next week I’m FINALLY meeting my niece! I’m so excited to hold her! I’m staying with my sister for about 5 days, so I’m not sure if I’ll have the time to upload a new post next week. We’ll see if I can write something before I go. I’m in the middle of writing another book review that I’m super excited to share with you. I wanted to have it uploaded before this one but there’s just so much I have to say. I really, really enjoyed it. I feel like I say this in every book review, but this book made me remember why I love reading. It has been such a long time since I’ve stayed up sitting on my couch until 2AM reading a book (and eating snacks lol). There’s nothing like it. If there’s one book/series you have to read this year, it’s this one. I will reveal the title in my next post – stay tuned!
That’s it, that’s all! I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your week! I hope to be back here soon. When I return from my sister’s, I’ll be sure to have lots to share. I have a lot of March favourites, some more outfits, and crochet projects that I’ve completed + some that I’m working on! Lots of stuff!
Toronto is in this weird in-between stage where the weather wants to be spring, but it’s still very much winter. The sun is out for longer and we’re hitting positive temperatures, but the snow isn’t going anywhere. What I’m trying to get at is that it’s very hard to dress right now. The only thing I can do is wear layers and in today’s post, it’s nothing if not that. I feel like I’ve got layers on layers on layers here, and you’ll soon find out why.
This outfit began with a simple midi skirt that I’ve had for years. It’s ribbed, knitted, and super cozy. I’ve been obsessed with brown lately so to pair with the skirt, I gravitated towards this brown plaid button down that my boyfriend got me for Christmas. It’s from Durumi (the Korean boutique on Queen St. West that I talk about ALL THE TIME). It’s a very lightweight button down. It definitely wasn’t warm enough and to be honest, a little plain for me. So I added this Free People/FP Movement hoodie that I got in 2019. It kind of reminds me of Obi-Wan. Why? I don’t really know how to explain it. I think if you’re a Star Wars fan, you might catch my drift? Or maybe you won’t lol. Anyways, I was happy with those layers!
But then I realized that with snow still on the ground, I really can’t leave the house without a coat or jacket (duh). So I pulled this jacket that I thrifted from Talize, and ba-da bing, ba-da boom. My outfit:
I can understand how this outfit could be confusing to a lot of people, but I genuinely like it! I also want to make it known that Fashion Month had just started during the time that I was putting this outfit together. I was feeling inspired. I had looked at some fresh street style inspiration days prior so the creative juices were flowing! I added a pop of colour because I noticed pops of colour EVERYWHERE. I chose orange but I saw a lot of green, Barbie pink, and blue. Still might do a trends post! Let me know if you’d wanna see it!
The shoes I wore were the boots that I talked about in my last post. They were a February favourite. They’re the “Brooks Chelsea Boots” from Free People. I included a link in that blog post if you want to check them out!
The final piece to this look were my sunglasses that I got from Bailey Nelson. I haven’t worn them much but they’re new, and I got my prescription lenses added to them! What a whole new world! Wearing sunglasses with a prescription is an ultimate game-changer. I got these in the fall so I haven’t been able to wear them during the summer yet. I’m a little worried because I don’t know if I’m going to be able to wear the collection of cheap ones that I have here at home. They just won’t feel the same! Maybe I need to get contacts? The idea of contacts kind of scares me tbh. I start to think about them sliding to the back of my eyeball by mistake, and I get a full body chill. Creepy. What if I forget to take them out? What if they dry out my eyes and my eyes shrivel up like raisins? I’m being dramatic but this is exactly why I haven’t gotten contacts.
There’s my little outfit post for you! I kept it light (despite all the “layers” lol) because I don’t really have much to update you on. In a few weeks, I’ll be visiting my sister to help her with my NEW BABY NIECE. I’m an aunt again! She was born on March 3rd, 2022. I can’t wait to meet her! Her name is Eloise and she’s the cutest little bean. When I’m back from my visit, I’ll be sure to share some photos!
Happy March! We’ve started a new month and that means it’s time for a new set of favourites! If you’re new to my blog, welcome! And something I love to blog about are the things that I’ve been loving monthly. At the start of a new month, I like to share the things that I discovered or rediscovered and enjoyed most during the past month. Today I’ll be sharing everything I loved throughout the month of February. I’ve got quite a few exciting things to share. It’s always interesting to remember how short February is. To be honest, it was a little difficult coming up with a decent amount of favourites. February kind of flew by for me. Did it fly by for you? We’re already in our third month of the year!
Anyways, here are my February faves!
1. Smoothies – My roommate left me her Magic Bullet even though I’ve never made my own smoothies before lol. So I thought that since it’s here, why not try it? This will come as no surprise but for the past month I’ve been making all different kinds of smoothies, and I’ve been LOVING it. It’s funny because when I love something, I kind of love the crap out of it. Basically, until I get absolutely sick of smoothies, I can guarantee you that I will have one almost every day. Got any smoothie recipes that I should try? I’ve just been buying a mix of frozen fruit, and adding a combination of the following: bananas, Greek yogurt, and oat milk. I thought about protein powders but I have no idea where to start. I’m not really looking to gain anything either than something healthy and delicious!
2. People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry – I reviewed this book in my last post. If you read that, you know how much I enjoyed reading this book, and how much I highly recommend it! It’s probably my favourite book that I’ve read so far this year. It was just everything I needed. I think one of my absolute favourite genres when it comes to books is romance. It might have been how I started loving books to begin with! Actually, I don’t think there was much romance in Junie B. Jones novels lol. All I’m trying to say is that this book came to me at the right time, and maybe that’s why I loved it so much. If you’re looking for a good book to make you love love again, try this one!
3. Crochet Flowers – Henri Purnell is someone I recently discovered on YouTube. I think his video where he crochets a bouquet of flowers just popped up on my home page! If you want to watch it, I’ll link it here: Crochet Flower Bouquet by Henri Purnell I now follow him on Instagram and love everything that he crochets. I’ve never been that crazy for flowers because I don’t like that they die so quickly. I just take photos of them whenever I go on walks ha-ha. It seems like a waste of money to me! Why buy an expensive bouquet of flowers only to watch them sit in a vase and die throughout the week? I mean, if you have the money to spend, I guess it’s a different story. Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that crocheting these flowers in February really solved all my problems. I have a little flower arrangement that’s never going to die! How great is that?! They’re really easy to make. All you need is wire, yarn, a glue gun, and basic crochet skills.
4. Poshmark – When I post this, it will be the day before I share some exciting news. You’re hearing it here first: I’ve partnered with Poshmark Canada!!! They reached out to me wanting to partner and I was more than happy to. I was able to pick a few pieces that I wanted off their app and style them in a Reel that like I said, will be up and ready to watch tomorrow. I can’t wait for you to see it! I managed to pick up 4 great pieces that I’m excited to style in a number of different ways. When I was browsing the Poshmark app for these pieces to style, I didn’t realize how much fun it could be to basically thrift online. You all know how much I love thrifting. This has made it a whole other ball game. I’m OBSESSED. I have so many other pieces saved on Poshmark to buy later. I found a ton of amazing vintage pieces. I also posted a lot of clothes from my own wardrobe to sell. I really think that I’m going to be using Poshmark to sell old pieces, and then use that money to buy the pieces on my Poshmark wish list. This way I feel like I’m not even losing money! If you would like $15 off your first Poshmark purchase, use my code “tinyintoronto”! Click here for $15 off!
5. Granny Square Balaclava – February was fashion month. It’s probably one of the most exciting months for me. I can’t attend any of the shows but I’m satisfied with just browsing the street style online. The outfits are always so fun and creative. They inspire me to mix up my wardrobe and try new things. I can’t begin to explain to you how much I enjoy it – I love it so much! There were a couple of photos of this one woman that I didn’t recognize at NYFW. She was wearing a balaclava made with crocheted black and white granny squares. It looked absolutely amazing so obviously, I recreated it. Here are the photos of this mystery woman (if you know her, let me know! I’d love to see her Instagram ha-ha):
It’s starting to get warmer and rainy here in Toronto, so I don’t know how long I have to wear the one I made. I guess there’s always next year. Here is the balaclava I made myself:
A blog post of me wearing it is coming soon!
6. Oscar Nom: King Richard – I feel like I’ve already told you that I watch as many Oscar nominations as possible before the actual award show. This year the Oscars will be live on March 27, 2022. I’ve been pretty good at tackling my list so far. There are a few that I might have to watch in theatres. God, when was the last time I watched a movie in a theatre? I honestly can’t even remember! Anyways, King Richard was one that stood out to me last month. It’s about Venus and Serena Williams’ father, and how the girls got to where they are today. It was so well done. I loved it. I hope Will Smith gets an Oscar for his role.
7. Knits – I asked my boyfriend if he noticed me wearing anything more than usual when I was trying to put together my list of February favourites. He said, “You’ve been wearing a lot of knits lately.” He is not wrong. February, or I guess winter this year in general, has been much colder than I remember. I’ve been layering as much as I can, but I think something I’ve kept gravitating towards is my collection of knit sweaters. They really are just really great pieces for winter. They absolutely do keep you warm (they’re not just for aesthetics lol). I purchased this beautiful blue knit sweater from work last month, and wore it on Valentine’s Day. I am so in love with it. It’s such a pretty cable knit sweater. It’s called the “Dream Cable Crewneck Sweater” and I got it in the colour “Blue Parrot”. It comes in 6 different colours! If you’d like to take a look, I’ll link it here: Dream Cable Crewneck Sweater
8. Free People “Brooks Chelsea Boots” – With the way winter has been, I needed to find some better boots. Yes, it’s freezing cold. But it’s also been snowing a crazy amount. I had a literal snow day this year (I had to stay home from work)! I have not seen this much snow since I was a little-er girl! There were snowbanks taller than me! I mean, it’s probably not saying much since I’m tiny, but they were HUGE snowbanks. I knew I needed some different boots. If not proper winter boots, something with tread. That’s when I remembered that Free People gifted me the “Brooks Chelsea Boots” in December. I sprayed them with some of that leather protectant stuff and I’ve been wearing them almost every day since. They’re not the warmest, but they get me from point A to point B without falling on my face.
There you have it! Another monthly favourites post of 2022! I hope you enjoyed this batch of faves and if you did, let me know if you try to crochet some flowers or watch King Richard, etc. I would love to discuss them :))
I feel like I need to begin by sharing how this all came about. This whole idea just hit me one day while I was at work. Has this ever happened to you? It was kind of like one of those “eureka!” moments. Anyways, if you’ve worked retail before, you’ll understand how dead it is this time of year. I think our busiest time of year begins after Thanksgiving or around Black Friday, and then ends December 31st. January and February are just painfully slow months. It’s a ghost town. We’ve been going a little crazy trying to find things to keep us busy, but there’s only so much that we can do. I’m the kind of person that always has to be doing something or I feel like time is being wasted. So in these types of scenarios, I just put my brain to work. Valentine’s Day was coming up and I needed a new crochet project. I also wanted to create something cute and original to share on my Instagram. One of my co-workers was working on a balaclava made of granny squares and that inspired me to want to make something out of granny squares as well. That’s when it hit me: granny squares with hearts in the center!!! How romantic! Now I didn’t want another balaclava and I had just finished making my skinny rainbow scarf, so I decided to make the obvious (for a bag-obsessed queen): a tote bag.
I don’t think you’ll find someone as obsessed with bags as I am. If I had all the money in the world, I’d have so many bags. I mean, I already have a lot of bags. But I would most definitely have all the bags I’ve ever dreamed of! I’d have a room just for all of my purses!!! (I’m getting all giddy just thinking about it ha-ha) One thing that I love about crocheting is that it allows me to create my own bags. I never thought I’d be able to make my own, but I’ve made 3 different designs already! When planning my “love tote”, I was already confident that I have the skills to make whatever I put my mind to. So I took the closest piece of paper that I could find while I was at work (because I didn’t wanna lose my idea/vision), and I drew some ideas with our coloured permanent markers. (I just want to quickly add that I’m a hard worker (not a slacker!), love my job, and this didn’t take more than 10min – I promise! Zero customers were ignored during this process lol!) Here’s how it turned out:
There are clearly a few combinations that I tried out. I knew I wanted pink, blue and yellow together, but I didn’t know how I wanted to execute it. I chose these colours based off of the street style photos that I saved from Copenhagen Fashion Week. I love how colourful they are in Copenhagen. It’s 100% my favourite week. They’re much more creative and experimental there. I find it so inspiring. Here are the photos that solidified my colour choice:
Aren’t they beautiful? I think it has to do with everything that we’ve gone through in terms of the pandemic that has made us loosen up when it comes to self expression. I think it made some of us get to know ourselves a bit more and realize that life is too short to live by certain fashion rules. Express yourself! Wear what makes you happy! Don’t wear black, wear colour! It’s just something I’ve come to notice and appreciate a lot lately. I think most fashion trends you’ll see this year will definitely express that. When doing some research, a lot of trends that were forecasted came from many different decades. You’re going to see an absolute mix of everything. Take what you love from each decade and mash it all together! For real though.
I’ll save the trend talk for another day. Let’s get back to my love tote. I made this bag in less than two days. I was so determined and inspired. I really wanted to bring one of those drawings to life. I had to learn how to crochet a heart and I’ll be honest, that almost did it for me. Like, I was ready to call it quits after trying a few times. It was so hard! And part of me was doubting that my hearts were even looking like hearts. But the more I looked at it, and the more I practiced, I got the hang of it. It finally looked like a heart, so I made 10 of them.
After all the squares were complete, it was pretty much done. I just had to attach them all together, make side panels, then attach some handles! I tried to make pink and yellow hearts at first, but the yellow yarn was a tad thicker than the pink and the blue. I was worried that with thicker yarn, the squares wouldn’t be uniform. So I put the yellow yarn aside, and just used the pink and blue. Little did I know, the yellow yarn was just what I needed for the handles. Thick yarn is probably better because it’s sturdier (I was also running out of the other colours so I had few options lol). I think yellow is just a great contrast as well. I’m really happy with that decision. Anyways, without further ado, I introduce to you… MY LOVE TOTE :))
Now I know the final result doesn’t look exactly like my original sketch, but I’m super happy with the way it turned out. I took so many photos of her. You’ll probably notice a missing charm on the final product. The crochet heart charm is still an idea I’m flirting with, and I think I’ll probably end up adding one later. It’s basically two of those hearts sewn together and stuffed with Poly-fil. If you could choose a colour for a dangly crochet heart charm on my love tote, what would you choose? Pink? Yellow? Maybe red? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section!
I’ve also been thinking about sharing my process with you! Would you like to see my process when making a crochet project? I always take pictures after I complete a step, so I think it’d be fun to actually lay it all out in a blog post for you. Maybe it can even help you make one of your own? It’s just a thought but I would obviously love your feedback.
Alright. That’s it, that’s all! I hope you’re all having a wonderful weekend. I’ll be spending it thrift shopping! I’m so excited because this will be the first thrift trip of the year. If I find some goodies, I’ll be sure to come back with a haul ;))
So I didn’t get to upload anything new last week, and I feel horrible. Honestly, last week got a little out of control! But I mean “out of control” in like, a good way. I’m working with another brand that I’m super excited to share with you. Also, this year’s Oscar nominations came out and I don’t know if you know this about me, but I love movies. The Oscars are a big deal for me. Iappreciate a good red carpet and I know award shows are a little controversial in general, but the Oscars themselves excite me! They hit different, you know? I enjoy writing down a list of movies that are nominated. I appreciate a good movie and if these are the best of the best of the last year, then I’m 1000% interested! If I can’t watch all of them, I at least try to watch all of the movies nominated for “Best Picture”. Some of the movies I’m most excited to watch are: King Richard, Dune, The Power Of The Dog, The Lost Daughter, and many more! How do you feel about award shows? Have you seen any of these movies? Do you have any movie recommendations for me?!!
Today’s post is an easy one. I have another outfit to share. Actually, I think I have another crochet project to share as well! This whole outfit was styled around this skinny crochet scarf I finished a couple of weeks ago. I had been wanting to make one of these skinny rainbow scarves for a long time, and I’m absolutely obsessed with the way it turned out! I used different weights of yarn in different colours and I think it looks so unique. It’s also a super easy crochet project for beginners. If you want to try crocheting for the first time, I highly recommend trying a scarf!
To pair with my new scarf, I decided to have fun with it and wear one of my favourite blazers in my closet. It’s thrifted but it fits me surprisingly well. I purchased it from a Value Village almost 3 years ago and I love it to pieces. I love the neutral pattern because it goes with everything. I love the length of it. I think it hits me at the perfect spot. I probably paid a maximum of $20 for it, maybe even $15. I encourage you to try thrifting first! You can find so much that you’re looking for at the thrift store. I haven’t thrifted yet this year but my best friends and I have set a date to hit 3 separate stores in the next week or so. Be sure to stay tuned for that! I’m going to go nuts for spring/summer pieces and I think I might do a haul of some sort, either on my blog or on Instagram. Please follow @tinyintoronto if you haven’t yet!
Underneath my blazer I wore another thrifted piece. It’s a woven/kind-of-crochet beige long sleeve from either Talize or Value Village (tbh I can’t remember). I love that it laces up in the front. I think this top was only $7 and it’s by a brand called “Kimchi Blue”. I think they sell it at Urban Outfitters. For bottoms, I’m wearing my grey trousers from Topshop Petite. I will not go on about my undying love with Topshop Petite again, I promise. All I’m going to say is that I am obsessed with these pants and if anything were to happen to them, I’d be heart broken. They go with everything, and fit like a dream!
The shoes I’m wearing are old sneakers that I ordered from SSense. They’re by Adidas, and I’m shocked that I’ve kept them in such decent condition for this long. If I need a nice white running shoe, I’d have to say that this is my go-to pair. The bag I’m wearing is a Nunoo bag. I haven’t talked about Nunoo in a long time. I’m still very much obsessed with the brand. It’s from Denmark and they make beautiful bags for a more affordable price. I mean, they’re still at least $100 but they’re great quality and I think the next best thing to one from a high-end designer label. That might be a stretch, but they definitely do it for me.
I’ve been wearing a lot of the same jewelry lately. I feel like I’m always looking for a signature piece. Currently, I’ve been really interested in initial necklaces. I know I have a few already, but I’m looking for something more permanent. I’m finding that the ones I’m getting are fading quickly (but that might be because I only spent $50). Now that I know that I will wear a necklace with my initial on it a lot, I think it might be worth the investment. I’m considering it as a birthday gift for myself? But I also want furniture, so maybe not lol. Anyways, I’m just flirting with the idea! We’ll see! The green/jade-looking hoops are from Free People, and I think that complete’s this outfit.
I want to apologize for being absent. I can’t believe it’s been two weeks since my last post! I do feel like I’ve failed in some way but I should have known that this was going to happen. There will be a week or two where I just can’t sit down and bang out a blog post. That’s life, I guess. All I can say is that I’ll try to make up for it this week and try to stay consistent again going forward! I’m pretty impressed with how I’ve been so far though. I feel like I’ve already posted way more than last year.
Thank you for your patience. I hope you didn’t miss me too much last week. I still have a ton of content that I want to share on here. The question is just, when? There really isn’t enough time in a day, a week, or a month. I’ve got another book review in the works. I have so many outfits to share. There’s a lot of style inspiration that I got from Copenhagen and New York Fashion Week this month that would be fun to share as well. There’s this new partnership/collaboration that I’m working on, too! That will be shared sometime in March for sure. Actually, speaking of March, soon it’s going to be a new month and I’ll have another monthly favourites post to write on top of all of this! I’ve got so much content to write!!!
There’s just something exciting and fun about sharing my favourite things with you. I think these posts have to be my *favourite*. I’m really glad I thought to start this up again for 2022. How about you? Do you like them as much as I do? I like them because they’re fun to look back on, and they’re great for referencing. Maybe in a couple of months from now I’ll look back and ask myself, “When did I get hooked on IKEA cookies? When did this obsession start?” And then I’ll go back to this post and know it was January!
I’ve got a little bit of everything to share with you today. There’s food, a bit of an apartment update, a show, books, and more! So let’s get into it, shall we?
My room is still a work in progress, but look at my cozy bed!
1. My Bed – One of the fortunate things about having your old roommate move in with her boyfriend is that she no longer needs her bed, because they can share his. I bought her old bed off of her. When my mom and littlest sister came to visit, my mom cleaned the mattress for me and we bought fresh linens, pillows, etc.! Let me remind y’all that I had been sleeping on a twin bed that I’ve had since college, and I graduated from college approximately 6 years ago. I’m scared to do the math in case it’s been longer. Ugh, I’m all of a sudden feeling old. Anyways, I’ve been cramped in a twin bed for as long as I can remember. My roommate had a double bed so this is a complete upgrade for me. Sleeping in a full/double is a whole different lifestyle! I get excited to go to bed! Being 4’11”, I now have SO MUCH SPACE. And I bought some really good pillows from IKEA, too. It’s so cozy and I feel like a queen.
2. Insecure on Crave – My best friends Julie and Jericho had been talking about this show called “Insecure” for a couple of months now, and I had never really gotten around to it. I wasn’t committed to anything (aside from Euphoria and And Just Like That) this month, so I thought this was the perfect time to start it. I finished ALL 5 SEASONS in like, 2-3 weeks. The episodes aren’t very long but I honestly couldn’t be stopped. I loved this show so much. It was one of those shows where you were like, “Okay, just one more!” And by the time you were okay with taking a break, it was 2AM. These kinds of shows are always the best. I have to admit that I wasn’t impressed with the series finale because I feel like there were a lot of unanswered questions, but I guess that’s okay. Julie, Jericho and I are hoping there might be a movie in the making. If you haven’t heard of Insecure, I highly recommend it. Jericho kind of said it perfectly: “It’s exactly what I needed to watch as I’m going into my 30s.”
Here’s the bag of the moment and me posing with her for my partnership with Free People.
3. We The Free Soho Convertible Sling from Free People – Can backpacks be cool again? I always think of myself in high school when I think about wearing a backpack. I got this green leather one sent to me from Free People and it doesn’t look like your stereotypical backpack at all (which I kind of love/appreciate). I think if I’m ever going to wear a backpack, it has to look like a purse. The functionality of a backpack is probably incomparable. You can carry so much more and it’s all on your back. You also have your arms free to do as they please. I feel like this isn’t news because it isn’t. I just rediscovered backpacks and I’m loving it lol. I want another one that’s a bit bigger so I can fit my lunch and take it to work. Is this a sign that I’m getting older? Am I sliding into my “uncool” stage of life? It just seems more practical to be carrying one nice big leather backpack instead of a purse and a tote bag to work every day. A leather bag also lasts longer and looks better with age! Am I trying to justify another bag purchase? You betcha.
4. These Violent Delights Duet by Chloe Gong – My last blog post is a book review on these two novels so I won’t say much more about them. This duet is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet in Shanghai in the 1920s. It’s super interesting and original (which is surprising because it’s a retelling). Think Romeo and Juliette with a side of monsters? They’re the first two books Chloe Gong’s ever published, and they’re great! I recommend them. They’re definitely my favourite books that I read this month. If you like a little bit of mystery, romance, historical fiction, and fantasy, these are perfect for you.
My little works of art ❤
5. Crochet (balaclava, miniskirt & scarf) – Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I crocheted quite a lot this past month. I’ve got my groove back! They were smaller projects because I find them a lot more rewarding. I like that instant gratification. If I crochet a sweater, it might take the entire month and I don’t know if I’m ready for that. This month I crocheted a balaclava, a miniskirt, and a skinny scarf. These are all pieces that I have had on my list of things that I want to crochet for a really long time. I’m so happy I finished them! The balaclava is probably the piece I’m most impressed by. I honestly can’t believe I made it. It could be because the yarn is so pretty. It was a Christmas gift and I now see how much of a difference the quality of your yarn can make. The miniskirt is something I’m dying to actually wear in public, but it’s been like -30 degrees outside so I don’t think that’s happening anytime soon. Miniskirts are going to be huge this year. *Micro* miniskirts are reemerging as well, and I don’t know how I feel about that. The skinny scarf that I made is something inspired by all these photos I saw on Instagram. Mine looks more handmade but I think I love it more because of that. It’s one of a kind! I love that I’m crocheting a lot again and I can’t wait to see what I make in February.
These photos do not do these cookies justice!
6. Cookies from IKEA – I never really gave IKEA’s food/snacks/whatever a thought because I was ignorant. They’re so cheap! How can they be any good? Boy, was I ever wrong. I got two sleeves of cookies from IKEA out of curiosity. I ended up trying to make them last for as long as I could, and now they’re gone and I’ve been dreaming of them since. I want more!!! I don’t drive so I don’t go often. Ever since the pandemic started, unnecessary bus or subway trips seem silly. Like, I only take the bus or subway to get to work or visit my boyfriend. Because of this I made a pact with my boyfriend that whenever one of us goes to IKEA (we both just recently got our own places), we have to pick up some cookies. They’re SO YUMMY. I got these Ginger Thins With Almonds & Biscuits With Almonds. I’m going to sound like an old lady but they taste BOMB with a cup of tea. I might be a grandmother at heart but these cookies are *chef’s kiss*, I kid you not. If you’re my friend and you’re reading this, please pick me up some IKEA cookies when you go? I’m obsessed!!! I think I have an obsessive personality and I have fully latched on to IKEA cookies. We’ll see how long this lasts until I’m sick of them lol.
They not look cute, but they all tasted pretty good!
7. Cooking(?!) – At the beginning of the year, or the beginning of this past month, I made a list of resolutions. Cooking was on that list and I am proud to say that I have stayed true to my word! I know that there are 11 months left to the year, so who knows how long I’ll be able to keep this up, but I’ve been COOKING! I’ve also been kind of baking? Who am I? If you know me, I hated cooking and baking. It seemed like a waste of time to me. I really felt like I could be doing so many other things than taking the time to make a nice meal for myself. It turns out that it’s nice to make a nice meal for yourself lol. I really like it and I find it rewarding knowing that I made it all by myself. I haven’t done anything extravagant but I’m making baby steps, and that’s a lot compared to where I was at last year. I made my first roast in my slow cooker, spaghetti and meatballs, chocolate cake in my rice cooker (yes, my rice cooker), and pancakes from scratch (I ran out of boxed pancake mix and had no other choice)! Like I said, nothing jaw-dropping. I’m ready to start branching out in February. I also catch myself looking at recipes for fun now??? Hello??? Again, maybe I’m getting old. She’s turning 29 this year and all these changes are happening! It’s only January and I’m not sure if I’m going to even recognize myself by December. Am I having an early mid-life crisis? Is this what this is?
Okay, so there you have it! That was everything I loved and enjoyed during the month of January. I really can’t complain much about 2022 so far. How about you? What did you love last month? Share with me some of your favourite things in the comment section!
Tiny In Toronto 