What was once ruined and unwearable, is new again!

2 years ago, I was really hooked on the GAP's broken-in khakis - I loved the fit and comfort, and the casual cool vibe it gave off. Some materials and color were even office appropriate so I purchased 4 pairs. They are now on my 'do not buy' list because I can see myself getting them in every single available color and material. 

My favourite pair was in a beautiful pale blue color called Sandstorm, that I only got to wear 8 times before tragedy struck. I got a stain on it and for some reason, I decided to try to get it out with bleach. Why? You ask - I don't know. Not only did I use bleach, but I haphazardly applied it and obviously my pant ended up with bleached out splotches all over it. To this day, I still wonder what was going on in my head. 

My beloved

I was devastated. I kept it in my closet and desperately attempted to make outfits with them so they would hide the bleach stains. I debated back and forth about whether to get rid of them or keep them and dye them a different color. It saddened me to think about dyeing them since the color itself was why I loved them so much. So there they sat for more than a year, when finally I decided to just go for it. 

What color, I wasn't sure, but the first step was to bleach them and prepare it for possibilities. 

The blank canvas

The eventual color I chose was a beautiful purple, and with the help of my husband, now have a pretty amazing 'new' pair of pants that I know will fit me great. I can't wait to break them out and make new outfits with it!

New love!

After 3 packs of RIT dye

My favourite things from our 'KOREA, curated February 2016 discovery box'

I was really excited to receive our first ever, subscription box from KOREA, curated. I've been following a number of subscription boxes on Instagram and chose something that both my husband and myself can enjoy. My next subscription box may be a girls only thing, shh ;) 

Simple detail, but I  love that the box isn't taped.
It's packed in another box with all the ugly shipping details and when you open it, just leaves a very clean box. 

I did a reveal post when we received it, as well as an unboxing video that you can check out here (my first youtube reveal of anything), and here are some of my favourite things from the February 2016 box. 

This cell phone charm - I love it because it says 'luck' in Chinese, and I am Chinese, so you know... ALSO, an added plus for me is that I'm a bit obsessed with gold hardware on my bags lately, so if I don't put it on my phone, I can always hang it from my bags.

I also like the packaging for it - a simple, slim, black box that slides out. Again, I love packaging designs.

Cuteness! Preettty self-explanatory there.
Also, socks are something I don't like to buy, so to get free cute socks, is awesomeness

Spicy instant noodles and aaaamaaaazing candy. The candy is soooooo gooood

This is what the spicy noodles look like.I can eat pretty spicy and like to get my hands on pretty much any kind of spicy instant noodles. This, was good. The spicy doesn't start immediately, but slowly builds up as you keep eating. Then, before you know it, your lips start to get numb and burn, and you can start feeling it in your insides. I chased it down with my usual beer of choice - Kronenbourg Blanc 1664. I don't recommend it if you're used to having heart burn and the like.

February comings and goings

Wow, I actually had quite a few items come in this month, but fear not, every single item was a 'love it' piece and I have been wearing them non-stop. 

Comings - 6

• Red Banana Republic sweater with side zip - I actually bought this for Chinese New Year since it's traditional to wear something red to celebrate and start the year off
• Navy Banana Republic sleeveless top - I love navy and find the color is a great base for me to build outfits around and this was super comfortable, a great length to act as a layering piece or on it's own, and also just really basic looking which I like
• Raspberry Banana Republic cardigan - love the color of this, and against navy, it just looks so good. A great pop of color to add to my wardrobe and a very easy cardigan to wear. 
• Pair of casual pants with zip detailing from Banana Republic - these are just super cool and I'm obsessed with zippers lately so these were great, and they were petite so the length was perfect to wear with flats and heels. Just fantastic and sooo comfortable to the point where I don't even feel like I'm wearing pants haha. 
• Gray sweatpants, also with zipper details, and yup, you guessed it, from Banana Republic - I was thrilled to find these and they up my lounge wear by 200%
• Orange satchel from Lauren by Ralph Lauren - I finally broke my bag ban and succumbed to this beauty. It was love at first sight and I've used it every day for work. I even go the extra mile to carry a separate tote to fit my laptop and other things in, just to carry her. 

Current budget left over for this year - approximately $700

February goings - 1

• I sold my Coach Poppy Madras bag to start my 'let go of 10 items' goal from my bag and wallet collection =)

My favourite wardrobe additions in 2015

I think out of all the additions that came into my closet in 2015, my favourites were my: 

• pre-loved Cole Haan Johanna ankle boots;
• Townshoe Loafers;
• Nine West taupe wedges;
• Marc by Marc Jacobs backpack;
• Coach leopard print double-zip wallet my husband gave me;
• Banana Republic ivory and leopard skinny belts;
• all my items from LOFT;
• Franco Sarto peep-to flats;
• Banana Republic cobalt drape pants;
• Banana Republic black and white color-block dress;
• Banana Republic light colored, striped, color-block sweater; and
• Banana Republic black sleeveless top (so simple, but so perfect)

First wardrobe addition of 2016! - Lou & Grey Mix-up Cardigan

Here's my first wardrobe addition of 2016 =) And it was a gift from my parents! =D

Lou & Grey Mix-up Cardigan

I love this cardigan - it has the colors that I chose to build my color capsule around and it is soooo cozy, like a giant hug. I absolutely love it. My parents bought it for me while they were helping me kill time, waiting for my car to be serviced. Even though I'm an adult now, they still spoil me <3

I wore it on my recent trip to Vegas and it was perfect for the cool weather they were having, jumping in and out of cabs and between hotels. When I was inside, it was just right and didn't leave me too warm. I would have been too cold at night if I were to walk the strip, but during the day, with the sun out, it wasn't too bad, and when I got a little chilly, I just wrapped it around myself and it really was cozy.

I found my perfect backpack!!!

For the entire year to-date I have not purchased a single bag or wallet - that has been a major goal of mine for years. This may hold my things, but it's not a bag! ;)

I was on the look out for a backpack this year, but had very specific criteria for it. I wanted it to be light weight, reasonably priced, good quality, water-resistant/repellent, stylish, and a good size for my height. And bonus, I love the dark hardware. 

I finally found it yesterday at Nordstrom. Not only was it on sale, but there was also an additional 25% off (I think it was due to Black Friday?). It was originally priced at $198, and I got it for approximately $85 including tax. 

I'm so excited to use it on the weekends and on my upcoming trips to Las Vegas and Korea. 

Marc by Marc Jacobs Printed Crosby Quilt Backpack

Measurements
Height: 16.5in / 42cm
Length: 15.25in / 39cm
Depth: 5in / 13cm

A want doesn't always have to mean a purchase

My love for fashion began with my love of bags. I've spent years trying to reel back my purchases and I have managed to go without buying a single bag in 2015, to-date. I am, however, currently debating a bag in my head - the Celine trapeze bag.

(picture not my own)

I'm NOT going to splurge on this bag because I have other financial obligations this year, but I can't get this bag out of my head. (Nope, I will never put my financial well-being in jeopardy for the love of fashion - no matter how tempting something might be).

That said though, even if I had a money tree, I would still be in this great debate, and here's why: I KNOW this bag is NOT for me. Having only a single TOP strap AND a flap closure is just asking me to get frustrated and never use the bag again. From a practical side, I know I will never spend that amount of money on it. For pure enjoyment reasons though, I still want it, thus, my thoughts on alternative options - (1) purchase it used, (2) find a less expensive version (and I don't, nor ever, mean a fake version) so that I don't have to worry if I don't use it, or (3) don't buy it, or any similar looking one at all, knowing I wouldn't use it that often. 

Buying it used is still expensive, and my objection to the purchase of a less expensive alternative is the compromise in quality. I found similar options at Zara, (and I really, really like them) but even at a very reasonable price point of $59.99, for what I consider a 'trend' bag in my wardrobe, I still couldn't overlook the quality - I've highlighted areas to show where there are already creases and scuffs. (Just because something is less expensive, doesn't mean I want to sacrifice any points on quality). 

 

That leaves me with the third option of not buying it, or any version of it, at all. It's the best decision I can currently make. I might come across one in the future where I can live with its price and quality, Celine, or not, but for now, I'll just have to try to forget about it.

Surprise favourites

Have you ever made a purchase that didn't seem like anything special at the time, but ended up being an unexpected favourite piece? I know my goal is to be making well, thought-out purchases that I love, but sometimes, I just need a shirt.

Then this shirt becomes something I can't part with!

Take for example, this sweater I bought at the Banana Republic outlet - I was looking for a light weight, long sleeved sweater, in light colors so that I could wear across different seasons; this top wasn't meant to be worn for work (I don't have enough tops to wear for the weekends) so I wanted it to be more casually fitted. 

When I first grabbed the shirt I wasn't sure about the stripes or colors but I gave it a shot because I was desperate for casual tops. I tried it on and I still wasn't sure - I wanted a casual fit but after wearing fitted sweaters for so long for work, I wasn't as used to it any more, and the sweater is actually 3 colors (ivory and the stripes are gray and light pink) and I thought it would be hard to match. I bought it anyway. 

The first time I wore it, I paired it with blue, ankle crop jeans, and as simple as that is, it made me fall in love with the top. I don't know why, but I have been wearing it at every opportunity I have. 

White skinny jeans look amazing with it! And even though I bought it to wear outside of the office, it looks great for a business casual outfit with my light slim leg trousers.

Not everything loved has to cost an arm and a leg

I am currently preparing myself to let go of two very beloved pieces from my wardrobe. They've both served me well and have helped to complete many outfits. While I generally feel OK with paying a little more for wardrobe staples in hopes they will last longer, it doesn't mean I don't appreciate the ones that I do find, at a low price point. That said, I wish these did cost more so that they would have had a chance to last me longer (I love good deals but there is some truth behind getting what you pay for).

First up, is my J. Crew tunic - I love this item because I have a  lot of trouble fitting into button-up tops. They are either too tight across the chest, too wide along the shoulder, or too loose or tight over-all. I was drawn to this because it fit throughout and because of the lack of buttons, it didn't have any parts prone to gaping open. From afar it looks OK. but upon closer inspection, you can tell that the material is slowly starting to pill and thin out, and the colors are starting to cross into each other; not to mention, at the cuffs, they have torn from the shirt - on both sides! Yes, I could sew them back in, but I'm not a master seamstress, and the cost to get it professionally done would probably cost more than the shirt itself. The cost of this shirt was USD $13.99, bought in December 2013 from the outlet store. I didn't get into a lot of detail in tracking my purchases until 2014 so I can't tell you the exact cost per wear, but I can tell you that I wore it enough times that my mom has told me that, that's all she sees me wearing. From memory, I can tell you I've worn it at least 5 times in the last couple of months, which for reference is already $2.80 per wear, and let's say I wore it a minimum of 5 times in 2014, that's already $1.40 per wear ... you see what I'm getting at.

 

Second on my list is one of my favourite dresses - my black sheath dress. I found this unexpectedly at Target in September 2014, originally CAD $29.99, on sale for CAD $14.99. It fit me perfectly and to my delight, even has pockets!! I was able to track my wear on this item and wore it 7 times in the remainder of 2014, and 12 times in 2015, to-date. My cost per wear on this is 79 cents! I love this dress but unfortunately the quality really isn't there - it is stretching out and attracting too much lint to de-lint and is pilling. I'm sad to let this go but I can't wear it to work having it look the way it does. In my opinion, with its pockets, this is the perfect style of a black sheath dress for me and doubt I will be able to find its replacement any time soon, if at all.

I love buying only favourites but it's really hard to let them go when the time comes because they were just that perfect for me. I've enjoyed wearing these pieces and will remember them fondly. Farewell.

It's getting cooler now! Which means UGGs weather!

One of the best thing about cooler weather is that I get to break out my UGGs. For years I was against this trend, even when I lived in Toronto and walked every where, every day. I thought they were f-ugly to say the least and couldn't describe the distaste I felt for them. 

When I moved back to Vancouver, oddly, I felt colder than ever because of the damp weather and since I still commuted daily, I begrudgingly tried them, and the second my feet touched the soft woolly lining, I was in love. 

So much so, that I wrote a haiku about them. 

Just 'cuz I love them, I still think they're f'ugly - but perhaps in a cute way now ;)

My gray ones are wearing out but I was lucky enough that my mom gave me her brand new ones in tan =D 

"When one door closes, another door opens... "

"... but we so often look so long and regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us." - Alexander Graham Bell

He's right. 

It took me a long time to let go of my Cole Haans (and to be honest, ever since they have been sitting in the donations bag, I have had to hold myself back from putting them back into my collection) but this weekend, I was able to justify bringing a new pair of shoes into my collection (one-in, one-out rule!) and have found new love and a new summer wardrobe staple.

Behold - my new Franco Sarto Venezia flats!!! 

 

I bought these on Saturday on a way to a party because the sandals I was wearing at the time were really cutting into me (the fate of that one will have to be decided at a later time) and I happen to be at the mall picking up some last minute things and thought I would just check to see if they have something more comfortable for a low price. I found these beauties for a great price - $39.99 and couldn't past them up. They are so comfortable and a great shade of gray (maybe taupe?) to be a definite wardrobe staple for me. I couldn't ask for more. 

This is my first venture into Franco Sarto shoes (I've heard great things before) and definitely would want to look into this as a go-to brand (I'm very brand loyal, if you haven't noticed already).

The sentimental box

Lately I've been reading a number of organizing articles and of course, hooked on youtube videos discussing the KonMari method. I don't recall where I heard this from, but someone had shared that they keep a box separately for sentimental wardrobe items. 

As many have suggested, keeping seasonal items completely separate and packed up when it's not the right season is a great way to keep focused on what you need instead of getting distracted by your gazillion winter scarves in the middle of summer, no matter how unlikely you will reach for them. It's just one more less thing to process and dismiss. 

Similarly, I had a few items in my wardrobe that I no longer wear but hold great sentimental value - my dad's vintage hoodies (still in amazing condition, and I was wearing them well into my young adult years), my university logo-ed sweatpants, or the shirt I was wearing when I first met my husband (the Batman Tshirt really caught his eye haha).  When they were mixed in with my regular wardrobe, I would sometimes think about wearing them and then debate over it (despite knowing I won't), thus wasting my time and brain power - now, they are tucked away in the top shelf of my closet in a cute box and it makes me smile to know they are there, but also keeps me from even thinking twice about them when putting together an outfit. Less is more. 

Make sure to keep the box small and manageable, or there really is no point. And here, is where I found the KonMari folding methods to be excellent to fit all the items. 

Do any of you have a sentimental box? What's in it? 

3 piece #ootd

This outfit came about because a number of us that are part of an online community of bag lovers, decided that we would use red bags last weekend. Behold, my Michael Kors red hobo (the factory version - I had the boutique version but sold it as I love this version much more). 

Since I can't seem to get enough of the H&M basic dresses I bought earlier in the month, I paired my bag with my navy dress. I usually play it pretty safe with shoes, going with neutral colors, but I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to wear my red American Eagle cork wedges that I purchased several seasons ago from Payless Shoes, but rarely wear. 

It's a very simple outfit but it's exactly why I love it - it's comfortable and easy to wear. I think the mixture of the navy and the height of the wedges makes it a little bit dressier. I'm happy to have discovered this combination, and would definitely wear it for date nights and casual Fridays at the office. Another plus is that it doesn't even make me feel like it's a lot of effort to put together!

New favourite wardrobe staple!

Last week I decided to return a couple of items that I had purchased in February from H&M. After more than 2 months, they still had their tags on them, so staying true to my resolution, I knew they had to go. I took a small hit with their exchange policy - after 30 days, even with receipt, you receive store credit for the current selling price, but felt relieved that they were out of my closet.

I took a stroll through the store and came across their basic dresses (with pockets!) and purchased one in navy and one in orange. I also purchased a orange striped sweatshirt for $10 - I'm currently quite attracted to orange.

One of my best purchases EVER - immediately after I got home, I changed for dinner and I decided to wear the orange one. I love this thing. I didn't get a chance to dress it up too much as I was running late, but I have already worn this item 3 times since I purchased it, in totally different settings - dinner, taking an afternoon stroll, and going to a casual meeting on the weekend. 

an H &M Basic

Here are the 3 outfits I've made with it so far - 

Dinner, casual stroll, weekend

Excitement! - new favourite outfit and accessory!

I thought Mimmy made a really good point in her post comment about the 'odd man out' - "I think I was actually trying to pair it with things that worked against it." This really spoke to me and she had mentioned she decided to pair her piece with neutrals and let the piece speak for itself. 

Here is that same sweater again - 

(Rosie Neira)

And taking into account Mimmy's words, yesterday, I decided to wear it as the showcase piece and made this outfit with it - 

(Banana Republic, GAP, Rosie Neira, Cole Haan, Coach, Pearson & Brown)

I wish I had taken a photo with the outfit on because the colors look way better together, but this is a new favourite outfit I discovered; it uses my color capsule and a 'odd man out' piece to form a decent outfit, but then is taken to a non-boring level by my shoes and scarf. 

(The more I look at it, this cardigan seems to be a shade of gray with some green undertone ... ya, I still have no idea about its color, sigh...)

Now, let me talk about this scarf - I received it from my mom's latest trip to Asia and it's actually landscape. I don't know if you can tell from the photo but it's mountains and a body of water. I don't know too much about it other than it's silk and by Pearson & Brown - if any one has more info on this brand, I'd love to hear about it! It's beautiful and oh sooooooo soft. It's fast becoming one of my favourite items. 

(Pearson & Brown silk scarf; sorry for the poor photo quality, I used my phone camera to do the pano)

The yellow played off of my shoes and the green picked up the undertones of my cardigan. And since I left everything else neutral, both the scarf and cardigan got to stand out. So, thanks Mimmy, for giving me the idea to let the 'odd man out' shine, and also to the girls on TpF for all the talk about scarves lately that gave me the idea to pull this out. 

A few of my favourite things - sheep wool slippers

As the weather gets cooler, there is nothing I look forward to more than coming home and cozying up in these - my sheep wool slippers! I received these last year from my lovely mother-in-law (she lives in Nova Scotia so she certainly knows a thing or two about keeping warm!) and they are one of my favourite things - they keep me so warm and are so nice to walk in, especially on hardwood. These are one of the first things I bring out when the temperature starts to drop. 

For those interested, mine were made from the Lismore Sheep Farm Wool Shop - http://www.lismoresheepfarmwoolshop.com/ -- located in beautiful Pictou County, Nova Scotia.

A few of my favourite things - Gin Gins

I love ginger and I was so happy to discover these - Gins Gins! I really recommend them to people who are prone to tummy aches, or love the taste of ginger.  They are really soothing and delicious! I have seen a drink form of this when I was in Hawaii, but I prefer these - a heads-up, they are very chewy. 

Using the things I love

I don't know about you, but I used to hoard the things I love and never use them because I was 'saving' them for 'something special,' or just worried about them getting ruined. They were not necessarily the most expensive items, (in fact, some of these items I got for amazing prices and considered them to be 'trophy items'), but I just felt the need to preserve them. I would take them out once in a while and admire them and then put them carefully away.

I know it seems like there's no point in buying something if you're not going to use it, and people say that "things are meant to be used",  but for me it really wasn't - when I was a child I would 'collect' things and never use them and as I got older, this habit followed me. I thought it was because I liked to collect things but I realized that there was actually an emotional/mental roadblock I couldn't overcome.

When I began to adopt and practice a minimalist lifestyle, I began to purge my belongings, and realized that if I was to keep the things I loved but never use them, I would have to keep more than I needed or wanted to have. This wasn't something I wanted as the intent was to do with less and be happy with what I owned - I might as well have been leaving my happiness on a shelf, or hidden away in a drawer. 

Last year I worked really hard to start using the things I love and learned to enjoy them instead of stressing about them. I started slow, taking some items out for an hour at a time, and then eventually for a day, etc. I began to really enjoy using them and now can say that I am regularly using the majority of my things. I'm still working on a few pieces but I've made vast improvements. 

I would say that using the things I love is a personal goal of mine and to further give me the push I need to continue to do so, I really stress to myself the value of an item, hence, why I track a lot of my expenditures and how often I use things.

Do any of you ever save your things?

A few of my favourite things - Adidas multi-color plaid high-tops

I love sneakers. They were something I collected in my university days but have stopped, and have since donated many pairs since I can't possibly wear them all, and found them to be taking up too much space. 

As an adult, I did buy one pair and they are my absolute favourite. They are so cheerful looking and comfortable - I would wear them every day if I could =)

A few of my favourite things - Tiffany & Co. Locks bangle

This was a beautiful (and lovely surprise) Valentine's gift from my now-husband in 2009 and he actually opened my eyes to bangles.