Sunshine Stroll

It seems like Friday really was Winter's last hurrah. It's been a beauty of a weekend, with sunshine to make up for the minimally warm temperatures. Mom & I went out this morning for a little post-errand stroll, which was enjoyable if not great for photos. The sun was so bright it really makes my skin appear ghastly white. Nonetheless I've been all smiles all day.

It was one of those mornings where you stare blankly at your closet for a solid hour. Time-pressed & in pure frustration, I finally went with my cognac leather shorts, paired with a relatively ancient printed trapeze top (tucked in). Stella & Dot earrings, H&M bangle, H&M x Versace medallion bracelet, Karen Walker Number Six sunnies, & my black Michael Kors ballet flats. Et voila :)

I've another exam coming up this week, so hopefully I'm able to tear myself away from sunshiney outings long enough to cram. I'm just getting back into my running routine & it feels so good I'm finding it hard to sit still for long. I've also been on a huge cooking kick (used this Chef Chloe recipe for vegan Mexicali Sliders today & I highly recommend trying it!).

That's all for now. Hope you've all had a fabulous weekend & thanks for reading! :)

I was wearing:

Belted leather shorts - Vila, via ASOS

Purple printed top - Le Chateau (2006)

Chantilly Lace earrings - Stella & Dot

Cream + Gold Bangle - H&M

Number Six Sunnies - Karen Walker

Gold Medallion bracelet - Versace x H&M

Ballet Flats - Michael Kors

April Flowers

Slowly but surely the snow here in NL is melting & the temperature increasing. Unfortunately that was not the case on Easter Sunday, when my festive outfit (centred around a peach chiffon dress) was considered too weather-inappropriate to be borne. Perhaps May will better suit it, & it shall end up here on the blog after all.


This morning before my German lessons, I decided to photograph the outfit I did wear for Easter: florals to make up for the lack of actual flowers blooming; my faux fur Gorilla jacket to keep me toasty warm & add some texture. Paired with an old pair of salmon-coloured Zara trousers, brown/black crossbody bag, Michael Kors ballet flats, & accessorized simply with my Michael Kors Gold Chronograph watch. Comfortable, but still stylish; & perfect for a family supper.


My Easter comprised of a too-early morning (I was childishly excited for Easter treats), then an afternoon of cooking/baking some vegan dishes with dear Mom. In the evening we had a family supper of 17 crammed around a long-but-not-long-enough table, while entertainment was provided by my favourite inexhaustible 3 year old singing Christmas carols & "playing Halloween" (her self-appointed "costume" being my Gorilla jacket). On the whole, the day was nice & simple. 


This week I'm back to my vigorous study schedule, trying to cram in as much as possible before heading off to Nova Scotia next week. As long as the weather cooperates I'll get in a few more outfit shoots before I go. Until then, I'd love to know what you think of this look! Your heart-felt comments are what keeps this blog going after all :)

I was wearing:

Floral blouse - Zara

Trousers - Zara (old)

Faux fur jacket - Banana Republic

Ballet Flats - Michael Kors

Gold Chronograph Watch - Michael Kors

A Hint of Spring

Yes, I wore a crop top in -7°C weather. My mental processes must be baffling. That being said, the sun was shining it's brightest so how could I resist? (Also resulting in a majority of squinty-eyed photos). Instead of going with an overall bright look this morning I decided to infuse a basic/neutral outfit with small hints of Spring colour (pastel yellow satchel; a peachy orange lip). Heather grey & pastel yellow have always been one of my favourite colour combinations, especially for Spring transition looks. 

This look is also chock full of super affordable pieces; the only exception being my Michael Kors ballet flats. H&M satchel & bangle, Joe Fresh printed skirt, & an old F21 crop top with lace cap sleeves (although I no longer shop at F21 for ethical reasons, I must admit I do love this little basic top; particularly for casual summer days... which today is sadly not), & vintage locket necklace. My hair was a tad messy, in pretty much the same wavy state as when I woke up, with a quick spritz of hair spray (I call it my "I'm pretending it's summer & I'm going to the beach & I don't care" hair ;)

It's hard to believe today is April 1st. I wish Mother Nature would say "Just kidding!" & make it Spring/Summer already. That being said there is something about the first of the month that always makes me feel so optimistic & refreshed. I'm about 2 week's ahead of my scheduled "To Do List", off to Nova Scotia in 3 weeks time, & looking forward to other lovely things coming my way (Prada sunnies, JC wedges, & some upcoming travels being among them). Life is pretty good :)

Hope you are all off to a wonderful beginning of April as well! 

As always, thank you so much for reading <3 

I was wearing:

Pastel Yellow Satchel - H&M

Heather grey crop top - F21 (old)

B&W pencil skirt - Joe Fresh (old)

Ballet flats - Michael Kors

Bangle - H&M

 Necklace - Vintage

Spring in Winterland

I'm so envious of seemingly everyone else in the world who isn't living in the midst of Winter this March 25th. I woke up this morning with an enthusiastic plan to take a nice Spring outfit photo. That's when I noticed it was a complete blizzard outside. Fortunately it cleared up this afternoon so I braved the below freezing temperature & attempted to create a Spring-esque look that was still somewhat weather appropriate (don't let the silly smile fool you; I was beyond freezing). 

Bright colours were an obvious choice, pairing red with fluorescent orange (layered over a cream lace bodysuit). My House of Holland suspender tights were a clear necessity, so I chose black lace up boots & a black vintage cross-body bag to tie things together. Otherwise I accessorized fairly plainly, with a cream + gold bangle from H&M & my Chantilly Lace earrings by Stella & Dot. 

I have two exams coming up this Tuesday & Wednesday so you can expect something new the second those are out of the way. Until then I'll be attaching myself wholly to my text books & language CDs... oh the excitement ;)

Hope you've all had a wonderful weekend - thank you so much for reading! 

I was wearing:

Red belted shorts - Dolce Vita

Orange fluoro oversized tee - H&M (old)

Cream lace bodysuit - American Apparel (here)

Suspender tights - House of Holland

Chantilly Lace earrings - c/o Stella & Dot (here)

Lace-up boots - F21 (old)

Cream & Gold bangle - H&M

Cross-body bag - Vintage

Frühlingszeit

Sunshine, melting snow, Camera Obscura, Springtime: Pretty much the main things which influenced this outfit of mine from yesterday. It made for the perfect opportunity to wear my new orange batwing jumper c/o OASAP which I received last week. I was looking for some interesting contrasts so I paired it with blues & red. You've seen these blue pleated palazzo pants once before (here), but I have to say it again: these are so much fun. Especially on a windy day like yesterday; they're blowing every which way & I can't help but smile over them. Definitely need to find a second pair of these soon. 


Despite the fact that our house is still in the heart of winter, I wore my peep-toe Foxy platforms; deeming it safer uptown where there was significantly less snow. Accessory-wise I wore 2 vintage necklaces + red rosette stud earrings passed down from my Grandmother, & a printed navy clutch with wooden handle. I bought this clutch when I was fifteen for $5 at Old Navy... & this is actually the first time I've ever used it believe it or not. I'm not quite sure how to describe, or sum up the outfit style, but I can tell you I loved it. Definitely put me in the mood for Springtime/Frühlingszeit (been working on my German all week; my head is a mess of vocabulary & a headache of foreign pronunciations)!


As lovely as yesterday's brilliant sunshine was, it was not exactly conducive to great photography. So while it looks like I did godawful things with the saturation/exposure, seriously just blame the sun (what you see is unedited; fixing these was beyond my skill haha). And if you're wondering why I look cold, it's because I was cold freezing. Wish I could teleport to a warmer climate right about now! One more month...

I was wearing:

Orange Batwing top - c/o OASAP (here)

Blue pleated palazzo pants - ASOS (old)

Navy patterned Clutch - Old Navy (old)

Necklaces - Vintage

Rosette Earrings - Vintage

Nude suede Foxy Platform - Jeffrey Campbell

Sneak Peek // Seagulls

Just wanted to quickly share a sneak peek of the outfit we shot today. It was only -3 & the sun was shining brightly so I wanted to incorporate some colour into a Spring transition look. I'm wearing my new orange batwing top c/o OASAP which I already love to pieces. We drove in circles around the city looking for the perfect location, but ended up on the waterfront, with the seagulls as our only audience. 

More photos to come tomorrow so stay tuned :)

Spring Things

Floral pussybow blouse, Zara

In a winter world you have to get your Spring fix somewhere. For me, it's these lovely bright & pastel pieces, purchased on my last day in Vancouver.

A pastel yellow mini satchel, H&M 

Multi-colour statement necklace, Zara

Pastel purple trousers from H&M which I love to pieces! Skinny bottoms with zipper detail too :) 

And this straight-cut pocket detail which I adore as well!

There was another item bought with this set, a pretty cream & gold bangle from H&M. It's currently missing in action sadly. I figured it might simply be lost in the depths of my multiple suitcases, but I was rather disheartened after today's unpacking marathon. I've still a couple cases to go through, so fingers crossed it shows up. 

So those are my lovely new Spring items! Now my only challenge is to incorporate these pretty pastels & florals into a winter appropriate look which also keeps me warm. As long as the gorgeous sunshine continues to cooperate I'll be getting in a photo shoot tomorrow, so stay tuned :)

***One last camera-related note: Many of you have asked me about the camera I generally use. Prior to my last post (aka Vancouver time) all my photos have been taken with a Nikon D7000 (which I love to pieces). For the next couple of months I'll be borrowing my Mom's Canon Rebel T2i. Admittedly I'm a Nikon girl & I have a bit of an aversion to this new Canon; however I do have a tonne of lenses to play with, so it should be a great learning experience none the less! 

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 :)

Spring|Summer '12 Wish List

While I will grudgingly admit a closet full of statement pieces does not a wardrobe make, I can't help but fall in love time & time again. The vibrant colours, unique designs, & beautiful fabrications are just a delight to behold. An approaching season & prospective new wardrobe is always exciting. As per usual my wish list for this coming season is rather extensive, so I've decided to share with you just a small portion of it - neatly categorized for your viewing purposes into Bags/Shoes & Beauty/Accessories! ;)

SS'12 - Bags & Shoes by shawnahynes featuring party shoes

Notice any trends? ;) My love for satchels has been ongoing for quite awhile now. Add to that a little colour-blocking here, a little plastic there & you've pretty much covered off my SS'12 bag wish list. My shoe lusts are much the same. I'm loving brightly coloured footwear; particularly neon + neutral combinations like the Jil Sander brogues. My other latest shoe obsession is the ankle strap - this cute detail will definitely be a determining factor in regard to which shoes enter my closet first this season. 

Beauty & Accessories Wishlist SS12 by shawnahynes featuring chain jewelry

Next up is Beauty! Admittedly I've never been huge on beauty product shopping, but my interest is certainly becoming more keen this season. Of the products above the only one I've used is the Lush 'Big' shampoo (which I swear by, by the way). All the others I've read good reviews on, & am looking forward to trying out soon. I'd love to hear recommendations from any of you beauty bloggers reading this! If any of you can suggest a good brand of foundation I'd be particularly delighted as finding a decent one for my pale & dreadfully dry skin has become a bit of a nightmare. 


Last but not least is my whittled down accessories wish list. Aside from wanting brightly coloured belts, earrings, & bracelets galore the major item I want to infuse my closet with is the statement necklace. My number one choice? The hand-painted crystal necklace by Spike The Punch - in any colour I can possibly get my hands on! Coveted by style bloggers, these beauties are seriously difficult to come by (the last set available sold out in 4 minutes). I swear I've been stalking their Etsy shop. Hopefully with a little persistence & positive thinking one of these will come my way soon! 


And there you have it: a little insight into the items & trends I am most looking forward to for Spring/Summer 2012. Thoughts, comments? What items are on your wish list this season?

Spring Musings // Nail Inspiration

Some nail colours I'm dying to put into action this Spring + a little bedside reading for sick day numéro deux

You'd think waking up to vehement snow flurries (in Vancouver of all places) would put a damper on my Spring enthusiasm. Well as it turns out, that's hardly the case. I can't get Spring/Summer off my mind! I've been dreaming of bright neon beauties, colour blocking, & wavy beach hair all day from the comfort of my cosy bed (perks of a sick day). I'm so excited to start planning & assembling my new Spring wardrobe. 

I'm also excited to actually have nails to paint lovely bright colours this season. As you may recall one of my New Year's resolutions was to finally stop biting my nails. At the moment it's not going the greatest so I thought a little 'Nail Inspiration' was in order. When it comes to nail art I admittedly lean more toward the plain jane side of things. Here are some simple nail looks that I admire: 

Images via Tumblr, Cupcakes & Cashmere, & Glitter Guide

What are your thoughts on the Spring 2012 line of Chanel polishes (April, May, June - seen here)? As added motivation I think I'll treat myself once my nails get a little better! :)

Have a fabulous evening! <3