Typically, Boxing Day here in Canada was the one day where sales would be a huge blow out. This year though, I feel like sales have started since the week before Black Friday and just haven't stopped. I hardly blink at ads promoting "70% off!" anymore (especially because so many of them have that cursed "up to" disclaimer added. Then I browse the items and find most of the items have a 5% discount and there's only a few 70% off items. WHAT GIVES?!) I feel like all these sales have made me become more immune to them. Even my beloved Modcloth. I remember 2 years ago, EVERY TIME Modcloth had a promotion, whether it was a coupon code, a random sale, some kind of gift bag, whatever, I'd find money to participate. Because they were more infrequent. Of course, I love how often stuff happens because now I always feel like I'm getting a deal. However, there's no way I could participate every time Modcloth runs a promo. I'd be buying something nearly everyday! Pretty much all my past orders have had a coupon attached, were Stylish Surprises or were marked down 50-70%. Can't ask for more than that!

Anyways, I shall make this quick, quick because I need to go to bed so I can go to part three of Christmas dinner tomorrow! I already attended part one at my parents' house and part two at Logan's parents' house but now we have dinner with extended family. I realize some more sales will probably drop tomorrow but ah well. I will be eating turkey dinner and being all festive and stuff!

I'll also give you a lil update on my Christmas prezzies. Several items I received early but I shall still mention them. I got my handy camera tripod, a subscription renewal to BUST magazine, advertising space on Scathingly Brilliant, some gift cards to Chapters (book store), some random trivia books, Style Me Vintage - Weddings (even though I never plan on getting married. Just all the pics inside were so beautiful!), Coin a Phase Wallet, Get Your Filament Necklace (both from Modcloth), a purple leather agenda, a Dear Creatures romper (currently on route to me), a grey beret, a black circle scarf and some black gloves.

Now onto the sales! (Click on the picture to be brought to the sale page.)

Anthropologie

ASOS

Eva Franco

Forever 21

Lace Affair



Modcloth

Oasap

Pinup Girl Clothing

Sanrio

Shabby Apple
(the coupon codes are 25off, 50off and 100off if you can't read them! Expires Dec. 30th)

 
Storenvy (note - the discount doesn't show up until you click on the item)

Tobi
(code MERRYXMAS50)

Urban Outfitters

Unique Vintage

And because I love doing it, here are some of my picks.

1) Anthropologie 2) ASOS 3) Eva Franco 4) Forever 21 5) Lace Affair 6) OASAP 7) Sanrio
8) Shabby Apple 9) Storenvy 10) Tobi 11) Urban Outfitters 12) Unique Vintage

Phew! That was a HTML heavy post! That was my first time experimenting with hyper-linking so here's hoping everything worked! Hope you all had a merry Christmas! I shall continue to celebrate mine!

Head Start on New Year's Resolutions

Another feature I want to start doing regularly is posting my monthly goals on the first of the month (and checking in on how I did on last month's!) Unfortunately, I didn't do so good but hey, that's the purpose of accountability right? I have to fess up!

Okay, so let's re-cap last month's goals (although to be honest, I didn't post that frequently this month. You could scroll down a little bit and see for yourself. But I will address that in my goals later!)

1) Whiten my teeth with at-home whitening solution. This sounds terrible, but they are so stained from drinking diet Coke, I've been using some PicMonkey magic in my pics so they don't look as bad. If all works out okay, I will have some real before and after shots for you.

Result - Not sure how to call this one. The instructions said to do it weekly and I did it probably every 4 days at first (because I kept losing track of when I did it so I kept doing it whenever my teeth felt gritty. The baking soda would scrub them clean. Then the last 2 weeks, I hardly did it at all.) I do think I saw some improvement (you can check out the before and after pics for yourself, although I think the lighting had some effect on how yellow they look) but my teeth feel weird, like they are somehow weaker after this experiment. Probably going to consult with my dentist before continuing!

2) Take the stairs at my apartment whenever I'm not carrying a load of bags (I often have groceries or overnight bags.) I figure if I do this, I may not need any other exercise - I live on the 16th floor of my building!
Result - not the greatest. I had my dog at the apartment about 10 days out of the month and taking the stairs was absolutely not an option. Other than that, I hardly left my apartment (full hibernation mode!) and when I did, I often  had bags (as earlier mentioned.) I took the stairs probably 5 times total.

3) Clean my house. Maybe I'll update later with some pics. Because it's so scary, it's worth documenting.
Result - sort of? I technically did clean my house. I'm not one of those people who clean day to day. I do it in one fell swoop. It was so bad, I enlisted my mom's help. We cleaned for 6 hours and we still weren't able to finish. When she left, I kept plugging away at it for about an hour a day for the next 3 days. It still was never finished and I was never able to take "after" pics. I took some "before" pics though. Sad thing is, it's probably even dirtier right now.

4) Buy one thing from Etsy, one really unique thing instead of always running to Modcloth as my go-to.
Result - ha! I did this one. Quite easily. Probably because it had to do with shopping. I bought that Lolita necklace I posted about, plus these Grumpy Cat and  Nyan Cat earrings, and this custom engraved business card holder (which was actually in my gift picks on Scathingly Brilliant's blog!)

5) Visit actual vintage and thrift shops for Treasure Tuesday to take pics!
Result - success! But only once. And I hardly took any pics because it was so busy. You can see some of what I purchased in this post.

6) Carry camera in purse to photograph life's little adventures. I do have the camera in my purse all the time, but it never comes out, haha.
Result - meh... fail. Hardly any pics taken. Although the camera is always with me.

7) Start cooking things using my oven and my stove. I'm terrified of fire/heat and this will be a big one if I accomplish this goal!
Result - technically at the beginning of the month, my mom did have me cook some garlic shrimp at her house and made me use the oven. Since then, I've reverted back to being utterly afraid and eating pudding and cereal if my boyfriend isn't around to cook for me.

8) Eat less pizza. I literally ate it 4 times this week. I ate it right before composing this entry.
Result - fail, fail, fail. I think I ate it even more.

9) Keep applying in banner swaps, but invest in one big time ad-space that will hopefully drive traffic to the site!
Result - pretty successful! I invested in ad space on Kate Gabrielle's blog over at Scathingly Brilliant and I'm enjoying the traffic it's bringing my way.

10) Renew library card so I can have books for Factoid Friday FOR FREE!!!!
Result - success! I took a huge stack of books out (plus bought 7 magazines for a quarter each) so that was a great trip I made. Only problem is that I've read all the books and need to return them... but I haven't made Factoid Fridays about each book yet. So basically I have to make a fact summary about each book before I can bring them back. Yay, it's like homework!

For December, I'd like to continue with these goals (except maybe minus the Etsy one! Need to lay off the shopping) but I also added a few goals.

1) Type up facts from those library books like I mentioned
2) Finish sorting through and uploading items to my Trend Trunk profile (yay money!)
3) Start using apple cider vinegar for all my health and beauty needs (I have a bottle in my fridge just waiting to be used!)
4) Start going to the bar more frequently. I know that sounds bad, but I don't drink. It's a social thing and I've been incredibly anti-social and isolating myself. I've been a total recluse lately. The difference between my blog and others is that other people go out and do things. For instance, there was a local fashion show that I could have gone to, taken photos to show what was going on in the local fashion scene and networked with people but I didn't bother. Also, this isn't related to the bar, but the Santa Clause parade was just outside my building the other day. I could hear the music, and I just stayed huddled inside. I need to get out! See people! I dragged my butt out last night so I'm hoping I can keep the momentum going.
5) Write blog posts more frequently, ideally 3 times a week or more. No more of this "10 posts a month" stuff!

If you're anything like me, having pretty journals, agendas and other stationery makes getting organized and motivated easier. Here are my top picks (more on the expensive side since it is Splurgy Sunday.)

Clockwise from left
2014 Medium Agenda Calendar - Etsy - GirlinGirlStudio - $38.50
Campo Marzio Filigree Fountain Pen - Kate's Paperie - $27.50
Hidden Pencil Notebooks - MoMa Store - $14.95
Knock Knock Sticky Notepads - Amazon - $11.75
Calligraphy Set - Victorian Trading Co - $29.95
Listography 2014 Weekly Calendar - Urban Outfitters - $15.99 (P.S. I love the Listography books! I have nearly all of them. OCD list maker here!)
Vintage Ruler Folders - Indigo - $16.00
2014 Planner - Etsy -StephanieCreekmur - $50.00

Here's to a great month! 

Lots of Love for Luck Be a Lady Dresses

Chilly weather makes me cry. Maybe not literally but whenever I have to encounter it, I whine and moan and kick up a fuss. I'm back to baby-sitting my doggy (my mom is out of town for a conference and my dad is not good at taking care of things) so I have to go out every few hours to let him outside. And it's effing cold! The sun was actually shining today and I was debating heading outside for a photoshoot. It was really pretty with all the leaves. But then the wind would kick up and I could feel the chill to my bones, even with my huge parka and hoodie and sweater layering. I don't know how well that would go with just modeling a dress outside! Needless to say, I ended up going back upstairs to nap (aka hibernate) and am going to try for a photoshoot tomorrow (these photos are from before Halloween, before the rain and all the coldness.) However, for tomorrow's planned photoshoot, I might utilize my apartment building's library facilities. I had used them before when I took a photoshoot for a Modcloth review contest. It's not glamorous by any means, but I foresee it being my location of choice for most of this winter. My apartment is too cramped and usually too dirty for pics!

This is the last of the batch of the photos my mom helped me out on. And yes, totally busted, Hallowe'en decorations in the back. But I already admitted when they were taken, heh.

My parents bought this dress for me during the Modcloth Black Friday sale last year (it's the Luck Be a Lady Dress in Equine. It was discontinued forever but it's back on the site, although still sold out. Maybe it will be re-stocked?) I'm not a big fan of brown but I love the little belt details and I love the fit and flare. And HORSIES!

Cuff also won in this post and this post

Shoes also worn in this post

I decided to re-create this outfit for the blog after wearing it out to the bar and a lot of people really liking it. I think it's cute but not my favourite. Like I said, I don't really like brown! I did take a few pics of that night because I meant to post them for Shenanigans Saturday (which has gone the way of crickets lately - not because I don't go out but because I forget to take pics!) I will post those pics here, since they are semi-related.

I love these earrings. They were from this website called titanicjewels.com that I bought when I was around 14. These are the "strolling" earrings Rose wore in the movie Titanic. I also own the "dinner", "jump", "breakfast" and Madeline Astor's dinner earrings.

I got this coat off a swap group (although I did pay for it) and it's the perfect little topper! I've been wearing it with everything, even my casual clothes. Love, love, love.

Outfit Details

Dress - Luck Be a Lady in Equine - Modcloth

Shoes - Poetic License ("Tease" is the style)

Coat - Time After Time Wool Mix Coat - Miss Patina

Earrings - Titanic earrings that came out around the time of the movie. However I found this pair on Etsy

Headband - Ardenes
Purse - Winners

Cuff - vintage - similar one on Etsy

And since this is Wardrobe Wednesday, the name of the game is I usually say something I want more of in my closet. Ta da! I want more Luck Be the Lady dresses. They are so awesome. The flare of them is fantastic. When I went out that Saturday night, I went to talk to my friend in the DJ booth and when I stepped out, it just poofed up all around me. Not in an obscene way, but like I floated down. They are just so feminine and pretty! 

My pick out of the current Lady Luck Dresses list is the Luck Be a Lady Dress in Avian. I think it's super pretty and just really pops! The quality of these dresses is really great and at $74.99, I think I might have to collect them all. To see the others, check out Modcloth.

I love Modcloth, but I also love eBay. I'm going to be on a quest to find the discontinued ones. Look how pretty they all are!

That's all for me! Any items you own in multiple patterns or colours? Anything in your daily routine you've had to do differently now that winter has rolled around?

 If you'd like to see all my best looks from the season, check out my wardrobe wrap up post!

Talk soon!

My Top 5 Holiday Gift Picks From my 5 Favourite Stores, All For Under $25!

I don't know about you, but I start choosing what I want for Christmas early. I would also shop for gifts early if I bought anyone gifts (my family never really expects gifts from me and my friends and I don't exchange gifts either so I get off pretty easy) but I know if I DID shop for gifts, I'd want to start early so one paycheck wouldn't suffer the brunt of it all. I did a little scouring of the webs and picked a few items I'd like for Christmas. You know. If I hadn't already spent my allotted amount.

Modcloth

As you know, Modcloth is my favourite online store. Scratch that, my favourite store of anything... actually, let's just make it easy and say it's my favourite thing. In general. Right now, they are having 20% off all gifts (for 24 hours only!) I would totally do all my Christmas shopping there, if you know, I did that sort of thing.

1) Notable Adventures Message Globe - $15 (on sale today for $12)

2) What Did I Buy Today? - $13 (on sale today for $10)

3) Contain Your Excitement Coffee Canister - $15 (on sale today for $12)

4) Plan's Best Friend Weekly Planner in Chat - $15 (on sale today for $12)

5) Holding Pattern Makeup Bag - $24 (on sale today for $19)

Unique Vintage

I've been on a huge kick of all things map, globe and postage related. Which is ironic since I never travel. You may notice that many of my picks are related to that! I even got this pretty journal from Modcloth to write all my blogging stuff in. It's a shame that it's being ruined by my chicken scratch.

1) The Travel Range World Gift Wrap - $1

2) Clear London Union Jack Cityscape Umbrella - $20

3) Silicone Rabbit Whisk - $10

4) Pan Am Blue Passport Cover - $20

5) White Airmail Mighty Wallet

Unique Vintage is also having a sitewide, Veteran's Day Sale! Just use discount code VETS15.

Plastic Land

1) Jane Austen Magnet Set - $16

2) Shooting Stars Stud Earrings - $11

3) Magic Wand Salt & Pepper Shakers - $15

4) Kitchen Magician Knife Sharpener - $16

5) Lovestruck Lolita Sunglasses - $12

I'm really into the Lolita glasses. I can't believe I don't have a pair yet. It's my favourite book and one of my favourite movies. The other day, I made a goal to buy one thing off Etsy and it was this necklace. Cute right?

Forever 21

1) Parisian Shopper's Tote - $1.80

2) Hanger Charm Necklace - $1.80

3) Smart Cat Crew Socks - $2.50

4) Lollipop Hair Elastic Set - $4.80

5) Lacquered French Bulldog Tweezers - $1.80

Ahhh! I can't believe they have those socks. It's such a rip off of the Louche kitty. I already have the sweater, and also the pillow, earrings and a cross stitch a friend made me. I definitely need these too, don't ya think?

The ponytail lollipop is more a gift I'd get for somebody else. Because I no longer have any hair. But it's pretty darn cute, right? Also, on an unrelated note, maybe I just don't go to the Forever 21 website enough, but I didn't realize how cheap it was. I literally went through 60 pages of accessories that were under $6! Holy geez.

Sanrio

1) Hello Kitty Musical Jewelry Chest: Melody - $20

2) Little Twins Star Storage Box: Constellation - $18

3) Hello Kitty Coin Bank: Melody - $8

4) Hello Kitty 7.5" Flat Plush: Gingerbread - $10

5) My Melody Street Sticky Notes: Dress Up - $3.25

On the other end of the spectrum, I'd forgotten how expensive Hello Kitty stuff was. Sad, considering this used to be the equivalent of what Modcloth is to me now (as in, spending every last dollar on it.) Finding products to fit in my under $25 category was quite tricky and I had to pull almost all of these items from the sale section. They had BOOKMARKS that were originally priced at $18! Glad I jumped that ship!

Anyways, sorry for no outfit posts. I am baby-sitting my parent's dog (well he is my dog too, but he lives with my parents.) He is bunking with me in my apartment right now and enjoying not having any stairs in the place. He is an old man, 14 years old, deaf and blind. He is enjoying all the smells downtown has to offer and is totally cool with my place being a little dirty.

That's all for me! Talk soon!