Highlights of 2014

Image Credit: Gabriel Santiago

Hi there! I thought it'd be a good idea to wrap up 2014 the way I did with 2013 by writing a round-up post of my highlights of the year. I think everyone came into 2014 hoping that it'd be their year, and while I'm not quite sure if I'd label the past 364 days that way, they were 364 pretty freaking fantastic days, and I don't doubt that today will be just as great.

My New Year's Resolutions

Image Credit: Jeff Sheldon

Hi there! While 2014 was quite an unexpected and quite a wonderful year for me, there are still quite a few things I'd like to change about myself to make 2015 even better. I think everyone has something they aren't 110% happy with in their life that they would like to be 110% happy with, hence we make resolutions. Yes, sometimes, a lot of the times, they don't work out like you hoped, but it doesn't hurt to make some.

I'm taking a different approach to goal setting this year by making lots of small goals and every month, I'll set 3-5 goals and try to accomplish them. We'll see how this all turns out. I'll definitely be taking you all along for the ride.

Merry Christmas!

Hi there! I just wanted to pop in a wish you guys a very merry Christmas, or if you don't celebrate it, a very happy holiday season. Honestly, I intended this post to be a heck of a lot longer and more detailed, but I've been really sick for the past week or so (the illness acting up especially acting up as we approached Christmas), so I've just been sleeping all day to be completely honest.

I also wanted to say a huge thank you for sticking around through thick and thin this year as you motivate me to just keep on writing and blogging. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I'll be back for a bit longer tomorrow to talk to you more about how I celebrated Christmas, but for now, I hope that you take a bit of time offline the next few days to just enjoy with your family because that's something that's really important, I'd say.

I love you. :)

Thank you so much for reading!

- J

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Fashion Tips that Just Don't Work for Canadians

Image Credit: Ali Inay

Hi there! If you read blogs (which I'm assuming you do if you're reading this right now!) or watch YouTube videos, you know that around this time of the year, there are a bunch of tips on how to bundle up for the cold weather. Some of them, however, just aren't enough for us Canadians here up north.

No offense was intended to any other bloggers, of course. I just thought I'd try something a bit different. Oh, and if you combine a bunch of these tips (save for a few exceptions), you might be able to survive out in the harsh Canadian winter, or anywhere else that's frigid during this time of the year and will remain this way for the next two and a half months.

Sunday Funday: December 21/14

Image Credit: Samuel Zeller

Hi there! Just so you know, this is going to be the second last Sunday Funday of 2014. The thought of 2015 being just around the corner freaks me out just a smitch. For some reason, I feel a bit more relaxed and prepared about it even though it really just hit me that twenty FIFTEEN is nearly here. I'm a strange child.

I haven't written a Sunday Funday in a really long time, it feels like. It also feels like I've said that somewhat recently. Oops. Apologies are in order, of course for the flakiness of my online presence. I'm not even sure what's been up with me lately besides the usual "I've been busy" which I really don't want to reiterate, but being a better blogger in 2015 is one of my big goals for the upcoming year. So rest assured - I know I've been bad.

Holiday Party-Ready Outfits

Hi there! Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, or whatever it may be, surely you'll want to dress up and get into the spirit of things. I don't know about you, but there aren't that many opportunities for me to dress up in my daily life, so whenever I get a chance to get a little bit more dolled up, I'll take it in a heartbeat.

With your favourite red lipstick and sparkly eyeshadow, pair them any of these three outfits and you're going to be holiday party gold. 

Interview With Adaora Keke from l'Artiste

Hi there! Recently, I interviewed Adaora Keke from the fashion and music blog l'Artiste and inquired her about her holiday fashion habits amongst other things! She's such a lovely girl and runs a fabulous blog, so you should go check her out right here (and read the interview below as well!) Fun fact, we were actually friends and went to the same school back around 2nd to 4th grade, so it was really cool to get back in touch with her when high school came around.

She also interviewed me for her blog, so you can go check here that out as well if you're curious to know what I said.

My Winter Break To-Do List

Image Credit: Universal Pops via Flickr CC

Hi there! Tomorrow is my last day of school before the break (thank God) and I couldn't be more stoked about it. If you couldn't already tell by the lack of blog posts, I've been super busy lately and have gotten into the nasty habit of taking naps and not getting enough sleep. It's just been a good couple months in terms of what I've been doing, but not so great when it comes to what I haven't been doing (ie. sleeping and blogging).

I thought that it'd be fun to tell you a bit about what I'm planning to do this break and catch you guys up on what's been going on (kind of) since I haven't done a Sunday Funday in ages. I'll do a super quick round-up of the list and what I actually managed to accomplish in the Sunday Funday going up on the 4th, so stay tuned for that.

What I'm Giving For Christmas 2014

Hi there! I don't quite know where my brain was when I was taking these photos, but it was clearly not with me as I forgot to take a few photos of things I got people before I gave them away. Real smooth, eh?

Since there are so many gift guides out there (and I've made a few myself), I thought I'd try something a bit different and show you exactly what I'm giving my loved ones this Christmas. HOWEVER, if your name is Akila, Danielle, James, Lauren, Marianna, Lucy, Kitty, or Kate (you know who you are), please feel free to ignore this post and NOT read it and spoil my fun and your surprise until the 19th.

Thanks guys. :)

Change.

Hi there! I'm feeling especially motivated today, so I thought I'd take advantage of that and give you guys a little spiel about what's been on my mind for the past few days/weeks because I've missed a few Sunday Fundays and just posts in general and I really miss talking to you.

Oh, and I have no idea in which direction this post is going and it might be totally rambly (hence being categorised in "Rambles") but I hope that you'll bear with me. :)

December's Big Five

Image Credit: Drriss & Marrionn via PhotoPin CC

Hi there! I missed last month's, but that won't happen again for basically the most exciting month of the year... December! There are so many exciting and wonderful things happening this month that I'm super stoked about. I mean, the atmosphere itself at the start of December is enough to get me pumped for the thirty days to come before we ring in 2015.

10 Things that Made Me Happy: November

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Hi there! I started a new series in September called "10 Things that Made Me Happy" which is pretty self-explanatory. Basically, I just listed 10 things that brightened up my day and brought me some joy in a certain month... but I only did it for September, so I thought I'd bring it back again today. Keep reading if you want to know what's been, well, making me happy!

Holiday Gift Guide: Secret Santa Edition (Under $18)

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Hi there! While giving is lovely during the holiday season, it can also be very pricey and can take a toll on your wallet. There are always those people that you want to get a gift for, but don't have much money to spend on them. That's why I thought it'd be helpful to share some of my ideas for cute little gifts that you can get your friends that won't break the bank. These gifts will also be a bit more gender-friendly compared to my previous one that was just for her. Of course, there will be some gits that only girls will probably enjoy, but there are also a few bits for him as well.

Enjoy!

Quick Tips for Black Friday Shopping

Image Credit: Magalie L'abbe

Hi there! It's a tradition for me every year since fifth or sixth grade, I believe, to go to the States and do some Black Friday shopping. Since we're crazy Canadians, we usually leave our place at around 8 pm, give or take a bit, and head over there in time for midnight or so and shop for a, uh, few hours.

Since Black Friday is nearly here and I have quite a few years of experience, I thought I'd share with you some tips to help make your shopping experience just a bit better.

Sunday Funday: November 23/14

Hi there! This week has been insane. I feel like I've used that word or variations of that word to describe my week nearly every freaking week, but if I had to pick one week that has been the absolute craziest, it would be this past one.

Keep reading to find out what I've been up to!

Style Diary: New Obsession

Hi there! The snow's quite a big difference from when you last saw me, eh? Winter came a bit earlier this year where I live, but the snow everywhere is just so pretty that I don't quite mind.

I somehow managed to drag my brother out of the house in the cold (even if it was just for a mere two minutes) to take some photos of me for this Style Diary. It was pretty darn cold but I'm really happy with how these turned out. Plus, I'm pretty sure this is your first glimpse of me in full-on snow ever which is pretty exciting.

How to: Pick Yourself Up From a Failure

Image Credit: Dia via Flickr CC

Hi there! Failure is something that we all face at one point or another, whether it's a big let-down or a milder one. Failure can really mess you up if you can't get yourself into the right mentality to get out of that situation. 

Everyone has faced failure before and I know how hard it can be, which is why I decided to put together this post all about how to get yourself out of the rut. Enjoy!

Holiday Gift Guide 2014: Gifts for Her

Image Credit: Kevin Dooley via PhotoPin CC

Hi there! It's that time of year again. Yep, you guessed it - holiday season! Every year, I get really pumped about how it's all super festive and how I can buy people really nice gifts and make them happy. Late-November/December has been the major highlight of my year ever since I started making some money, and this year is no different.

Since I'm so stoked about the holidays, like last year, I'll be doing my very best to inject some inspiration into your brain for when you're out shopping for gifts for your loved ones.

Sunday Funday: 8 Things I Learned While on Hiatus

Image Credit: Chloe Hague. via PhotoPin CC

Hi there! It feels like it's been so long since I last opened up Blogger and sat down to write something. Probably because it has. I won't even go back to see when my last post was because then I'll feel all kinds of guilty and I'm just not in the mood for that.

I'm sorry that I've been away for a bit, but I'm going to keep the excuses to a minimum here. Of course, I've been away because I've been so busy and today is going to be my busiest day yet (and I have NO IDEA how I'm going to handle it). However, after this whole little wave, I should be good for another, err, week before Christmas cardmaking starts and I die in a whole sea of cardstock.

Today, I thought I'd do a little spin on my usual Sunday Funday and share with you what I've learned over these few weeks.

Where Have I Been? (+ a little surprise discount!)

Image via Taylor Swift Tumblr

Hi there! Gosh, even those two words feel so foreign to type out. It's been a week now that I haven't posted? Shame on me. That's seven days too long. If it wasn't already clear, I've been kind of busy to say the least. This past week has been complete insanity and it's a miracle that I've somehow pulled through and am somewhat together.

I figured that since I was away for what has felt like ages, I should probably fill you guys in on what exactly has been going on with me. It's going to basically be a recap of my week, so if you're not interested in that but are interested in the surprise little discount at the end, go ahead and scroll down. I don't mind. :)

Response to Independent's Zoella-Bashing Article

Hi there! Wednesday night, after all the craziness of everything that happened (if you don't know what I'm talking about, here's some clarification), I was scrolling through Twitter one last time before drifting off when I stumbled upon some tweets from Zoe (better known as Zoella on YouTube) about some article on the UK's Independent. Naturally curious, I went to check out the article and wasn't very happy at all once I was done with it. Go read for yourself if you haven't already.

As you may already know, I'm a big fan of Zoe and always feel so much better after watching her videos. She shows herself as being such a happy and positive person, but also very down-to-earth. Her radiance is infectious and that's what I love about her.

Maybe you'll see this response to the article as biased because I am such a big fan of hers, but you know what? That article doesn't belong on such site as it was very thinly veiled bullying. For the most part, I find that newspapers and their websites do a decent job of maintaining some kind of subjectivity but this offered anything but.

5 Pumpkin Recipes To Try

Image Credit: Thomas Hawk via PhotoPin CC

Hi there! Before I start today's post, I thought it'd be important to mention something that will mark my country's history forever. If you didn't already know, here's an article to brief you, but in short, a shooter came to the country's capital and shot and murdered a soldier who was guarding the War Memorial, He then proceeded to Parliament (out government buildings), but was fortunately put to a stop there before he could do anyone else any serious harm.

Nothing like this ever really happens in Canada so it came as a surprise to us all and freaked us all out. But my emotions at the time are nowhere near as important as the actions that the police took to stop this man and for that I'm so grateful and proud. It's truly awful how Cpl. Nathan Cirillo was killed in his uniform that he wore proudly as he served our country and he died a hero, really.

I feel like my words here will never be able to express how I feel about all of this and the thanks that everyone involved in stopping this awful event from getting anyway worse, but I've done my best.

Anyway, for those of you who came to read about what pumpkin recipes you should try out, keep on reading!

Looks for Less: Cara Delevingne

Image Credit: @caradelevingne

Hi there! Cara Delevingne can be a bit... out there, but that's what we all love about her. Her style's definitely no exception and I'm kind of in love with it. I've been a fan of hers ever since she hit the scene a while back and am still very much obsessed with her style. With my obsession naturally comes a post recreating my favourite looks from her, so let's get into it!

Current Love: Colourful Ombré Hair

Image via Anjay's Blog

Hi there! Something that I've been wanting to do with my hair for a while now is dyeing it. I remember that when I was younger, I told my mom that I'd never, ever want to dye my hair for a reason unknown to my future self. It's funny how that completely changed in eighth grade when I got this burning itch to add some colour to my black mane.

Not that there's anything wrong with black hair, of course. 

I think it was one of my friends who introduced me to the whole dip dye thing back then and I really, really liked it. I never thought I'd be that girl with some crazy bold colour running through her hair, but I guess I will/might be. That love for the whole dip dye thing eventually transformed into a desire for ombré hair, which I find looks a bit more sophisticated.

Sunday Funday: October 19/14

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Hi there! This week has kind of been exhausting and insane, but somehow, I'm still really pumped to tackle the rest of this whole year and what's to come. I find that there's always so much in your life that you can get down about and can make you miserable and sometimes, it's not a good idea to ignore them, but you can also choose to ignore the right ones and choose to get excited for the good things in life, no matter how small or big. 

Maybe my way of thinking will change in the next year or later on, something that's quite probable, but this is what's working for me right now.

Style Diary: Cadillacs in Our Dreams

Hi there! Super sorry for putting this up on freaking Sunday instead of Friday as promised. I'm double-posting today so don't you worry, you're getting your full load of posts courtesy of yours truly this week. Hope you enjoy this Style Diary and the Sunday Funday will be up at 6:30 pm EST!

3 Easy Harajuku Girl Hallowe'en Costumes

Image Credit: Wally Gobetz via Flickr

Hi there! Last year I did a post sharing some tips and ideas compiled in a broad list of costume ideas for Hallowe'en, but this year, I thought I'd focus on one that's caught my eye which are Harajuku girls! Ever since I got one Gwen Stefani's (I believe, don't quote me on that) Harajuku fragrances in Baby, I became really fascinated with how crazy awesome their outfits are.

Of course, some - actually, a lot - of the stuff can be hard to get your hands on, so I tried to pick pieces that are either already in your closet or easily accessible at any clothing store. Enjoy!

New Posting Schedule (and I Mean it This Time)

Image Credit: Shandilee-Cox via Flickr

Hi there! If you've been a loyal follower for a while (and for that I thank you), you would know that my posting schedule is erratic and irregular to say the least. I keep saying that I'll change it, but I keep making unrealistic goals for myself and that's just not good. It makes me feel like crap and leaves you expecting more out of me and I don't want that to happen.

Over the weekend, I've come up with a posting schedule that I think will serve as a compromise for my ideal dream of posting everyday and what I'm actually able to handle. I'll be posting five times a week, so everyday except for Tuesday and Saturday which will basically be my days off. Sundays, you'll get your usual Sunday Funday, Monday could be anything from a DIY to a ramble, Wednesdays strictly fashion-related, Thursdays are for life stuff, and Friday will be a Style Diary. 

Of course, this week will be a bit different in terms of what content appears on what day, but for the most part, this will be the format. I hope that you'll stick around!

Oh, and thank you so, so, so much for all the support that you've given me despite my unpredictability. I love you all.

Thank you so much for reading!

- J

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A Little Too Nice

Image Credit: Unsplash via Pixabay

Hi there! First off, to all you Canadians out there, a huge happy Thanksgiving to you! It’s a bit odd that our Thanksgiving is so early in the fall months, but I guess it’s never too early to be grateful. I also just wanted to say a huge thank you to all of you who have been reading and following this blog through all of my craziness and through my erratic posting schedule. It means a lot to me that you’re all a part of my life and I hope that reading my blog everyday (or however often you read it) brings you as much joy as it does to me when I write it.

Speaking of thanks, today, I wanted to talk to you about this one teacher I have.  He’s new at my school this year and I’d say that he’s about 50 years old. I have him as both a French and a history teacher and overall, he’s a really nice guy. But the thing, is with teenagers, we can’t seem to accept extremes and whenever someone is a bit too something, we call them out on it and spin that certain character trait in the complete opposite direction.

Oh, is she too peppy and cheerful? She must be doing for reasons x and y. Is he is really mean and cold (but just so happens to be good-looking)? He is so cool. You get the gist.

Sunday Funday: October 12/14

Hi there! I guess it was Tuesday this past week that I made the decision to just not blog all week because it was just all getting too stressful. It was a good thing I did that because I really needed the breather to focus on school and all the other things I’ve decided to dedicate my time. This week, I realised that school really is super duper important. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those kids who slacks when it comes to school work and doesn’t value her education, but freshman year was a lot easier and more of a review of Grade 8 with some new information. I can’t get the same grades I did last year by putting in the same amount of effort because that’s just not going to happen.

Something big that like officially happened this week that I’ve been keeping from you for ages, well, like a month, is how I got a job! I went to a job fair early in September just when school was starting and somehow landed myself a job at 15 when most places were looking for 16 year olds. I had my orientation on Tuesday and did my first training session on the floor and working with customers Thursday until late and it was pretty cool. I’m working at Boathouse and I’m pretty darn excited.

A Heads Up

Hi there! I just wanted to pop in and let you guys know (instead of leaving you hanging like I do a bit too often) that I'll be taking a break until Thursday when I'll be back with more posts. I need to take a breather and a step back to just get my creative mojo back, not to mention that I'll be insanely busy this week. 

I hope you guys understand and I'll see you back here soon!

Thank you so much for reading!

- J

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Sunday Funday: October 5/14

Image Credit: martinak15 via Flickr

Hi there! I’m pretty sure that I say this every single week, or nearly every single week, but if I were to describe the past seven days in one word, it’d be busy. Freaking busy. Actually, make that two words, busy and exhausting. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore being busy and that good kind of stress that makes you feel accomplished at the end of the day, but I learned this week that I can’t deal with the kind of busy where I don’t sleep enough, don’t work out enough (once a week is just… no), and don’t eat well enough. It just became this cycle of feeling gross and gross and gross. A handful of exciting things happened, but I absolutely despised that gross feeling that I had that week and a half. (You can insert a mental image of me shivering with disgust right here.)

My biggest day this week was definitely Tuesday. I had a math test that morning, my club/magazine meeting at lunch, and then a history presentation right after lunch. Plus, I had to tutor after school, so my schedule was packed to the max. I was super stressed on Monday because I was worried that I’d just, well, die, but it ended up going super duper well. Actually, I can’t quite say that yet considering that I haven’t gotten my test back yet, but I think I did pretty well for that and the magazine meeting was actually really productive and I can’t wait to move forward with it. We’re doing a winter issue and one for every season (I know, I make it sound like there are so many when there aren’t), so I’m just a bit stressed about getting it all done, but I’ve done loads of planning this weekend already, so I think I should be alright. I’ll just let out a big long sigh of relief around mid-November.

Style Diary: Leather, Spikes, and Everything Nice

Hi there! Sorry that this is getting put up so late. I just had a complete drain of energy this week and lost motivation to do a lot due to my sleep deprivation. It was all good up until Tuesday and it went downhill from there. What I decide to wear really is often an accurate depiction of my mood for the day and I dress for who I want to be and what I need to be for the day, hence my slightly, err, moody outfit. I guess that's what you could call that, aha.

Thursday's Lovely Links: October 2/14

Image Credit: derRenner via Pixabay

Hi there! I've done loads of reading lately and have curated a pretty good collection of links that I think you should check out because they are a) really funny, b) really helpful, or c) really life changing. I think a good blog post or video should be at least one of those things (really inspirational counts in both b) and c) in my opinion) or else what's the point, you know?

Keep reading if you'd like some really funny, really helpful, and really life changing links to brighten up your day!

October's Big Five

Image Credit: Teo via Flickr

Hi there! Isn’t it great how it so happens to be the first day of the month that I’m posting this? I’m pretty proud of how that worked out. There are a million thoughts racing through my mind right now due to the excitement of the start of October and one of them is how the hell is it already October? Like, where the hell is 2014 going? I know I say that like every month and you might get sick of me hearing me say it, but come on, I can’t possibly be the only one whose mind is just a bit blown right now.

Let’s open our arms big and wide and welcome the season of spiced pumpkin and cozy sweaters and get into what you should be getting pumped for this month.

Fashion Month S/S 2015 Favourites

Hi there! I know that some of you fashion nerds who are reading this right now are thinking something along the lines of "But wait J. Fashion Month isn't over yet. There are still x days left of Paris to go." Yes, yes I am aware. It just so happens that I a) got over-excited and b) this happened to be the only time it would've been able to fit somewhat nicely into my schedule. So I apologise for having missed Chanel and a few other big names.

I wasn't able to keep up with the shows in "real time" or anything close to it as I just whizzed through about maybe 30 collections in the span of a couple hours just now, but holy crap was it an amazing couple of hours. There are just so many beautiful and innovative collections and it's incredible to see fresh ideas being brought to the table every season. Just great, great stuff that has been drooling.

I didn't want to turn this into some huge photo reel, so I narrowed it down to five collections that I'm just so obsessed with and I think you should be obsessed with too. Enjoy!

The Imposter Syndrome & Self-Doubt: A Response to Rookie's "You Can't Fake Real"

Image Credit: benralexander via Pixabay

Hi there! As a blogger, I read tons and tons of blog posts. I might not comment on as many as I should, but I do read a lot of them. Maybe if you aren’t a blogger, you do too, and can relate to this, as well.

When I saw You Can't Fake Real from Rookie in my Bloglovin’ feed, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I thought that the post would be more about something like high school girls being fake and how we should all be ourselves or something like that, but never did I expect to relate so much to a post. Ever. This is a big thing to say, but I’m pretty sure this has become my favourite article ever on the internet.

Sunday Funday: September 28/14

Image Credit: foerstemann via Pixabay

Hi there! We're nearing the end of yet another month and as usual, I can't believe that it's already been yet another month. I feel like I just started school like last week, but I didn't because it's been like, four. Insanity, very much like this past week.

If you've been following for a while, you probably know that I get way less sleep than what I should be getting every night, and this week was another one of those really bad weeks in terms of sleep. There was one day, actually two where I just went home with the intention of getting loads done, but just ended up passing out for about 15 minutes on the couch because I was so exhausted. Not good, J, really not good.

10 Things that Make Me Happy in September

Hi there! Today, I thought I’d start a new column here on SG about things that make me happy. I first got inspired to do this when I saw Gerry from Floral and Freckled write about it. I thought it’d be a really cool thing to do once every month.

This will be the equivalent of a monthly favourites, I guess, but it won’t have as much of a “I love this, I love that” vibe as those do and will solely focus on things that me, well, happy. Since happiness is my number one priority, I try to always be more positive, appreciate the little things (and the big), and try not to let anything get me down. I hope that these monthly posts will inspire some of you to take on a more positive outlook to your life.

Treasure Hunt: September

Image Credit: Elle

Hi there! We're nearing the end of another month (crazy, isn't it?), so that means another Treasure Hunt post is in order! This month was all about the fall transition pieces as we officially leave summer behind and step into the colder months. Keep reading to see what this month's hidden gems were!

Wardrobe Favourite: September's Trusty Topshop Bucket Bag

Hi there! “Wardrobe Favourite” is a new column I’m starting that is pretty self-explanatory. Every month, I’ll share with you one thing I’ve just been obsessed with all month. In my weekly outfit posts, I try my best to change things up and put together outfits you haven’t seen before, so you usually don’t get to see the things I’ve been loving, so hopefully these posts will do a better job of showcasing those favourites.

This month, my favourite isn’t actually a clothing piece, but a black and white bucket bag that my friend got for me from Topshop when he was in Vancouver. If you’ve seen bucket bags previously, you’ll agree that the shape is pretty much standard. This one’s got a nice full tassel made of a similar material as the bag and a strap around the top that kind of closes the bag in a way. I don't know about you, but I absolutely despise it when bags have tassels that are limp little things. A little bit of extra material goes a long way, for sure. There’s also a nice thick strap so I can wear the bag either on one shoulder or crossbody, plus it’s all adjustable.

Basically perfect.

Sunday Funday: September 21/14

Image Credit: protographer23 via Flickr

Hi there! So remember how I was telling you about my not-so-great week last week? Well, things have taken a complete 180 and are really, really great now. Despite the weather being colder than ever (but randomly warmed up yesterday), I'm starting to feel really good and comfortable in school again and it's just... really great.

I've also been really busy and I just realised this week how many things I've put on my plate. I guess the fact that school has just started and I haven't been completely swamped with homework yet is giving me the illusion that I will be able to handle it all fine, but to be completely realistic, that's probably not possible. Gosh, wish me luck guys. I'll so need it.

How to: Be Less of a (Crazy) Perfectionist

Image Credit: Trey Ratcliff via Flickr

Hi there! I've called myself a perfectionist for the longest time and if asked, I'll still call myself one. Whenever I do something, I like it to be perfect and to showcase the best of my abilities, but that desire often came with a mountain of stress and a byotchy attitude that just isn't good for anyone.

In the past year, I've told myself something and did others that helped relieve that stress and all in all simply become less of a perfectionist. But don't confuse being less of a perfectionist with slacking off and being lazy - they aren't the same thing. You can (or at least I believe you still can) strive to do you best while being a bit less hardcore and perfectionistic about it, and I'm about to share with you how.

Style Diary: Last Taste of Summer

Hi there! I apologise that this is up a bit late and that I missed like two posts this week, but I've been a busy bee as always. My time-management skills will have to be put into overdrive from now until summer, so I'm crossing my fingers that things will go a bit more smoothly blogging-wise from now on.

I had a pretty darn amazing week at school these past few days, especially compared to my very eh second week of school. Loads happened, but of course, if you've been around for a while, you'll find out exactly what those things are on Sunday. It's an extremely rare case that I'll miss a Sunday Funday, so you can always tune in then to find out what I've been up to, but I've been busy, that's for sure.

Thursday's Lovely Links: September 18/14

Image Credit: photo credit: Jenny Downing via PhotoPin CC

Hi there! Another two weeks have passed and that means two weeks spent reading some really awesome blogs. I've been getting into reading more blogs and I think it has a lot to do with Twitter which I've become a pretty avid user of and the links to posts I'll find on there. (P.S. If you haven't already, you can follow me @StyleGeneris)

Keep reading for my favourite posts from the past two weeks!

DIY: Gold Polka Dot Walls

Hi there! For the longest time, I had little flower stencils on my wall that just screamed little girl's room which is pretty typical considering that I was six when my parents and I painted my bedroom walls. Now, as a 15 year old, I obviously grew out of those and wanted something a bit different and more grown up, and again, for the longest time, I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do with my walls to cover them up.

Then, one day, I think I was looking at the Kate Spade stationery when I got the idea to cover the flowers up with gold polka dots. Thankfully, the DIY worked out and now every time I look at my bedroom walls, it looks like Kate Spade which makes me really happy, so I thought I'd share with you how to do this to your own walls!

Sunday Funday: September 14/14

Hi there! It almost feels foreign to be sitting here writing again because I've been away from the whole blogging thing for about a week now. I'd prewritten a few posts to go up this week and figured that I'd write the rest as the week went by, but I just got swamped with a massive history "quiz" (what kind of a quiz is ten pages long anyway) and other work, so I just couldn't keep up with it. Something did happen this week which I won't go into detail about, but it made me realise that I do have to invest more time in school, so if I randomly stop posting for a few days, please bear with my erratic schedule. I'm just working on school stuff and I'll be back once I get things together as it's my main priority at the moment.

Lots and lots has happened this week and I'm crazy excited to tell you all about it. The only thing I'm not so crazy excited about right now is how freaking cold it is right now in Canada. The temperature is hovering dangerously close to 0 degrees and I'm wrapped up in layers upon layers of fabric and blankets to keep warm at the moment. 

And it's not even halfway through September. So not fair Canada, so not fair.

Birthday Goodies 2014

Image Credit: Mae Noelle via Flickr

Hi there! I asked you guys a couple of weeks ago if you'd be interested in seeing what I got for my birthday this year and I got an affirmative response, so I figured that it'd be a good idea to do so, even if it is exactly a month after my birthday.

First as a disclaimer, I'm not bragging about anything that I got at all, I just wanted to share with all of you what my amazing friends gave me on my special day. I'm so blessed and lucky to have the friends and family that I do and I really do feel like the luckiest girl.

Ultimate Fall Essentials

Image Credit: Billy Wilson via Flickr

Hi there! Inspired by Raise.com, I figured that since it's very nearly fall, it'd be a good idea to share with you my fall essentials for this year.

Raise.com is a website where you can sell or buy gift cards for a discount. We all get gift cards to places sometimes that we don’t actually shop at very often and they end up wasting away in our wallets, so I really love how Raise.com gives you a chance to both get rid of unwanted gift cards and buy them at a discounted price.

For all the essentials I’ll be mentioning, you can buy gift cards from the site to get whatever it is you’re looking for at a lower price. I’ll also be including links for each one to some stores at which you can purchase these items for your benefit as well!

So let’s get into it.