April Snaps

1. Braid from the back

2. Gorgeous snow-capped mountains as far at the eye can see

3. Vegan mini vanilla cupcakes decorated simply for Spring

4. Zen curled up in my bed while I sift through party dresses

5. Organized chaos on my bureau top

6. Slowly but surely infusing my closet with colour

Today's scheduled exam was post-poned so I thought I'd take this as an opportunity to quickly share some random photos from the past couple of weeks. The past few days have been absolutely gorgeous here. The snow is almost completely melted, & rising to a pleasant 21°C,  yesterday was the hottest April 17th in recorded Newfoundland history (as the radio informed me all of 5 times). Besides the glorious sunshine, I've slid back into my daily running routine beautifully, had a delightful day at the Spa (where I ran into my Auntie who was lovely enough to treat me!), & gotten in enough studying to call myself semi-productive. I also received a highly covetable item in the mail, which I'll share with you in my next post :)

With my flight leaving at an ungodly hour Friday morning, my current 'To Do Before I Go' list is mountains high. I'll undoubtedly leave the packing to the very last minute. Later today I'll be entertaining one of my loveliest friends, who I haven't seen since last Summer. Although one afternoon isn't nearly enough time, I'm sure to cram in more life chatter than you can imagine. I'll also be making us a vegan gluten-free Avocado Pesto Pasta for sup (which I only mention because it is the worlds most amazing dish & you absolutely have to try it :)

Thanks for reading! <3 

Newness & Change

Finally something new! I know it has only been a few days since I last posted, but it has seemed an eternity to me. I've got some recent purchases to show you & some 'life updates' to share! First off, some new additions to my wardrobe/beauty/book collection:

My new neon yellow pencil skirt from ASOS which I'm completely enamoured with - can't wait to show you the outfit I have planned for it! :)

Sephora is a rabbit hole. Seriously. I stopped by this morning on my way to a coffee date & ended up getting a few items. The Dior Rosy Glow blush you may recognize from my 'Beauty Edition' post last week. The visiting Dior rep who did my make-up used this on me & I've been lusting over it ever since. Today I finally gave in & picked it up. It's 001 Petal & although it looks like a scary bright pink, it's formulated to blend with any skin tone. I also got a Bobbi Brown concealer/corrector to aid in the ongoing battle against my dark under-eye circles. 'Porcelain Peach' is the colour I went with.

Then I decided my lips needed some loving too. So I picked up this amazing new lip exfoliant by Bite. It smells & tastes amazing; like wild cherry. I've read good reviews so I'm excited to try this one out. I then chose the Too Faced Lip Insurance lip primer because keeping my lipstick on & decent looking is always a challenge for me. I decided to pick this product up after reading this lovely post by Tess.

Post-Sephora I stopped by the drugstore, as I had some credit to spend from points accumulated. I needed a new facial exfoliant so I picked up this one from Soap & Glory, which I've heard good things about. I also picked up this Revlon lip stain upon a friend's recommendation. I just tried it out & am not sure how I feel about the colour, as it's a little too plain. I think it'll be perfect for quick & easy use on busy days though. 

And finally, new books! (so not fashion related but the arrival of new books makes me incredibly happy. I've mentioned before that I have a slight obsession with travel guides... well Rick Steves' books are my favourites... his dry sense of humour suits me to a tee)

Hello new favourite hairstyle! I've always adored the fishtail braid but shamefully never learned how to do one. Fortunately I discovered a great how-to video through L is for Lois' blog last week. I've done my hair like this the past 4 out of 5 days hehe. Although I'm pretty slow at it, & still in the 'practice makes perfect' stage, it's a great idea for other-wise bad hair days or busy days out & about. And I must say I've gotten so many compliments on it!

And now, the big-ish news. I'll actually be leaving Vancouver this coming Tuesday (so soon I know!). I'll be spending the next 2 months with my family on the other side of the country. Not only can you expect a big change of scenery, but a definite change in clothes as my mother informs me they are in the midst of several feet of snow. I'm not a fan of the snow & cold at all & to be honest I'm on a huge summer clothes, summer colours kick at the moment. It'll be interesting to see how I cope with the climate change. 

I've also been trying to cram in as much eating out as possible. Whatever picturesque points Newfoundland may score, shawna-friendly dining is not one of them. I've already said goodbye to my favourite burrito place folks, & intend to visit as many of my favourite restaurants as possible over the next few days. A little shopping on the side may also be in order.... though with the prospect of 3 overweight suitcases this may not be the smartest move on my part. 

In the meantime, I have one day of work left & a tonne of goodbye visits to fit in. Coffee dates, strolls, rushed farewells at work. I'm not very good at articulating emotional goodbyes though... I always like to believe I'll cross paths with the people that matter at some point in the future. I am feeling a little blue about leaving Vancouver, but as I always believe, everything happens for a reason. It'll be nice to be around my family, to have my mom baby me for awhile, & to see my favourite rambunctious 3 year old again. It'll be a good opportunity for me to actually focus on my German coursework. I'll also have more time to blog & take photos as I won't be working. See, there is always a silver lining! :)

Hope you all have the loveliest of weekends :) Mine will certainly be a busy one! 

What's Inspiring Me Lately...

A miscellaneous handful of the things which have been inspiring my mood & style lately:

Dreaming of London, first & foremost

Colourful nails & lips

Simple, organized, white spaces

Clashing patterns - this floral & polkadot combination is one of my favourites

Simple & very me. My next tattoo, just don't know where to put it yet - suggestions?

Desperately wanting to fill my closet with blue pieces to create an all-blue look

Spring brights, patterns, & faux fur

Sunshine & big sunnies - I'm lusting for these Prada Baroque pair in particular...

Braided to perfection

A cosy work space 

Bright pink lips

Images via Pinterest, Tumblr, Fashion Squad, Jak & Jil, Nobody Knows Marc, & Miss Pandora

Before settling down to a night of study I intend to enjoy this gorgeous sunshiney day to the fullest. I'm going to pick out the cutest, brightest outfit I can find, put on my Elizabeth Arden hot pink lipstick, & shop, explore, & photograph the city to my heart's delight! Have a wonderful day everyone :)

Braids, Bags, & Holiday Parties

Hello freedom! My first day off after a 9-day-in-a-row stint at work was still a little stressful, but I did have some fun :) I woke up bright & early to visit Blo in Yaletown. Cara was an absolute doll & braided my hair to perfection! Unfortunately after a day of running around downtown it's looking a little haggard, but nothing that can't be fixed for tonight! Tonight being our unofficial BR staff holiday party, I was going for something a little different (gosh I wish I could [french] braid myself!). I was pleased with the result; though admittedly it was a little too pricey. One of the things I miss most about having my Mom around is her obligingly braiding my hair at my every whim hehe. 

Post-Blo I took a delightful trip to Michael Kors. As mentioned in my last post this year's 'Christmas present to myself' is to be a nice new bag. I had intended to visit Holt Renfrew for  a little look-see, but to be honest the salesgirls there are just too snobby. It's a stressful experience even going in there, because no matter how dressed-to-the-nines I may be, they still ignore me. Thankfully, the girls at MK were more than obliging & went through purse by purse with me to make sure I made the right choice. 

So what bag is inside the bag? Sadly I'm keeping you all in suspense until tomorrow - I'm in a bit of a rush to get ready for tonight; but I promise that I'll share some more photos with you in the morning! :)

Tomorrow we leave for Ottawa for a 2 week holiday. Usually I'm the queen of packing, but I've been so busy with work lately that I haven't even taken out my suitcase. In other words, tomorrow morning is going to be incredibly hectic...

So off I go, to doll up my little black dress & hit the city with my dear work friends. Hope you all have a fabulous Friday night as well! <3