Blogging Break.

I'm going to be taking a little break from blogging. Little because it shouldn't be too long - in fact, I'll be back next month. The reason is because I'm living in a little bit of a chaotic transition stage right now. I don't have my own place; many of my things are packed away in boxes; I'm still getting used to my new life here in Vancouver; I'm working, volunteering, and trying to finish a Master's degree; and I'm just plain lacking on time. I plan on taking this month to take lots of photos of all the things I love to do/eat/wear/buy to get ahead on future posts, because right now I just don't have the time to do all that! See you soon, friends! xo Caroline

Pattern Mixing.

This is my version of a little bit of pattern mixing. I scored this J. Crew striped shirt about a month ago for only $10 and fell in love with it right away. It's the perfect layering piece. In fact, all stripes are! These pants are also a new addition to my wardrobe. I love the feel and quality of them and they are beyond comfortable. Stripes + tweed is my new favourite combo!!

RIP Amanda Todd.

Photo taken from this Facebook page

Wow. Last night I watched the news and found out that local teen Amanda Todd committed suicide on Wednesday as a result of being repeatedly bullied, teased, made fun of, marginalized, dismissed, dehumanized, alienated, and surely much more. Her story speaks to me not only because I, like she, once felt completely alone and misunderstood (and stupid, ugly, and worthless, among other things), but also because it reveals the degree to which patriarchal attitudes are still around today. What I mean to say is that it's not necessarily just the individual 'bullies' that I blame (girl or boy) but rather it's the naturalized ideas about girls (as sex objects, for example) that the 'bullies' are conveying that I blame. And I go to bed at night and I wonder why the hell more people don't see a problem with these ideas. Don't speak up about them. Don't want to understand, aren't open to understanding, they're transparency, their historical and social construction, their falseness.

Traditions.

Everyone seems to be posting about apple picking these days, and now so am I! Jimmy and I went to an apple orchard/pumpkin patch on Saturday to pick up some festive treats for Thanksgiving, including apples for an apple pie I made for our Sunday turkey dinner. I was WAY over dressed for our outing (a sweater, boots, and pants + mid-day sun beating down on me) so, unfortunately, we didn't last long amongst the trees. But it was fun nonetheless! It has now become kind of a tradition for us (thanks to my pushing, let's be honest), which makes me realize how much the little things in life matter to me - apple picking and pumpkin choosing, for example, and even mundane activities such as home-made apple pie and intimate chit chat. I don't know, I guess the more and more I adjust to "adult" life, the more and more I realize how precious life is ... which is both scary and relieving.

Happy Thanksgiving.

The Flea Market.

I went to a local flea market last Sunday and it was such an adventure! When I first arrived I was so overwhelmed with the amount of used, new, antique, and vintage items but the feeling turned out to be a nice change. You should have seen me; I was rushing about from booth to booth trying to make sure I got a good look at everything. I didn't want to miss even one deal! Luckily, Jimmy was there to capture my movements on camera.

Black & Navy.

One of my favourite colour combinations is black and navy. Perhaps because for so long I thought I couldn't mix the two, though I'm not sure why. Now that I've begun to experiment with fashion more, I feel more confident about doing it. I wore this fancy-ish number two weekends ago when Jimmy took me out for a belated Birthday dinner (if you remember, I wasn't with him on my actual Birthday). We went to a restaurant in Kitsilano called the Kitsilano Daily Kitchen and tried their 6-course "culinary adventure." It was delicious and so much fun! We didn't know what any of the 6 courses would be when they came out so it was very exciting - and I got to try a variety of new foods, which is always fun for me.

New In: Cashmere Sweater.