When in Doubt, Layer

Yesterday was a prime example of how unpredictable the weather can be in a coastal city. Over the course of the day it was grey without rain, grey with, sunny, sun showers, windy, warm, cold... pretty much all over the place. So when I had to get dressed for a lunch date with the girls I decided layering was probably key. 


My base piece was a ditzy floral printed sundress, layered with a creme lace-back cardigan, & military-green Spring jacket I got in Ireland a couple of years ago. I added a couple colourful bracelets from H&M, as well as a a vintage patent cross-body bag. I chose my Dolce Vita shoes mainly because they're the only pair which doesn't irritate my wounded ankle (care of my newest JC's). Fortunately they also happened to match. 


It turned out to be a fairly versatile look as I also wore it later for a walk along the Seawall (which quickly turned into hiding from the rain beneath trees overlooking Burrard Bridge), and later still when I went out for supper. I brought it from day to evening by switching the jacket for a blazer & the bracelets for my gold Michael Kors watch. 

I was wearing:

Floral Sundress - Jasmine London (2010)

Military green jacket - Primark (2010)

Creme Lace Cardigan - Vero Moda

Black wedges - Dolce Vita

Bracelets - H&M

Bag - Vintage

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 

Never Ending Snow

Just when I thought the brink of Spring was upon us, it turned into a blizzard. An outfit of the day was out of the question, so I decided to embrace the weather, go outside in the snow, & pretend I'm about 5 years old. It's pretty perfect snow man / snow ball weather... not to mention a silly afternoon study break. Nothing says "safety first" like a pair of 5 inch platform heels (green suede; sadly they were enveloped in snow & unphotographed). Paired with my Soia & Kyo houndstooth coat & my oh so furry white mittens from H&M (acquired during the Versace for H&M event to prevent near frostbite). 

Headed out for a mother-daughter supper + movie date. Have a lovely weekend everyone, & here's hoping your current version of "Spring" isn't quite like this one! 

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

Ponies & Snow Flurries

At long last, I'm well & back on my feet again! The weather is also out in full force... wind & snow & ice & cold.... the whole nine yards. So while I couldn't get in a decent outfit photo shoot this morning, Mom was kind enough to snap a couple pictures on my way out the door; this time bundled sufficiently (having learned my lesson after last weeks poor preparation). As the title suggests, there are also ponies involved. While Vancouver "study breaks" extended to mini shopping trips, here they involve teasing my poor ponies with carrot treats in order to lure them into posing for photos. Fairly wholesome entertainment as you can imagine... cheaper too! ;) 

First things first though; what am I wearing? At the prospect of -10 this morning I chose the warmest coat I own: my houndstooth Soïa & Kyo beauty from a couple years back. It's a little too big for me which is why it's been in storage here in NL (also there was really no need during Vancouver's "winter"); but now it's out, weighs about a tonne, & is keeping me feeling warm & stylish at the same time. My favourite thing about Soïa & Kyo coats are the gorgeous & unique detailing. What drew me to this one in particular is the structured neckline, which can be either folded or funnelled; & the huge "hubcap" buttons, which are in actuality almost the size of my palm. I paired the coat with my favourite indigo jeans ("Legging" cut) from Banana Republic, brown lace-up boots borrowed from dear Mom, & my fluorescent pink Cambridge Satchel for a good dose of colour.   

Enveloped in snow flurries! 

"Hubcap" buttons

Lookie here! I'm wearing appropriate footwear for once ;)

Angel & Ginger, Christmas presents of my childhood & the funniest of creatures :)

Thank you for reading lovelies! Hope your week is off to a wonderful start! <3 

True Winter & Notions of 'Home'

First of all - my apologies for the terribly rushed last post! It was written at the airport so speedily that I instantly forgot what I wrote & worried over poor content & the possibility of grammar mistakes my entire flight. As far as I can tell I merely missed out on telling you half of what I wanted to, & used the word 'amazing' far too many times haha. 

But that was days ago. Today I'm settling in, unpacking things at a glacial pace & taking everything in. The snow, the familiar people & places, the prospect of this big change in general. Despite all efforts to stay positive, my second thoughts kicked in the minute I hit Toronto. The plane arrived in Newfoundland to a balmy - 24ºC.... how delightful! I've been in some state of freezing ever since, combating the cold with layering on as much clothing as possible (key example above). Kitten lita's unfortunately aren't the best of snow gear (key example below). Today was gorgeously sunny however, so my highly enthusiastic mom & I decided to drive about looking for photo op's. Unfortunately the roads were so bad & the snow banks so high that we didn't exactly get what we were looking for. Perhaps another day! 

I've been thinking a lot about the concept of 'home' recently. The city pictured above is the place I first called 'home' but I hesitate to apply that term to it now. It's been 5 years since I lived here permanently & 'home' has been between Nova Scotia, Ireland, & Vancouver; wherever I was living at the time. I've always considered myself a bit of a nomad & don't think I've found the perfect place quite yet. Maybe it doesn't even exist. The 'home' that's on my mind mostly is a quaint flat in London or Vienna. Hopefully it'll materialize sooner rather than later ;) 

For now I'm substituting the snow of NL for the rain of Vancouver; the winter scenery for the shopping; the basic foods for the organic ones. I'm missing the incredible people I left behind in Vancouver most of all. Hopefully I shall see them all again soon! Until then I'm taking comfort in a constantly filled fridge, my big cosy bed with fleece sheets, & a chauffeur + magically gas-refilling car ;) Last night I had a fabulous catch-up with an old friend over dinner & wine, & surprised my grandparents with a visit. Today I was treated to a dance performance by my favourite 3 year old & revelled in the adorable antics of my much-missed kitty. Things could be much worse! Tonight I intend to bake a delicious casserole, then curl up & watch the third season of Californication in bed. Hopefully tomorrow the jetlag will be over & I can get focused on my German coursework! I sense some serious productivity coming my way. After all what else is there to do on a glacial day?

Questioning my sanity for being outside in such cold! I layered my black military style coat with my faux fur vest (both from Zara) & paired it with my kitten lita's (my winter-worthy footwear being pretty limited... will definitely be investing in some new shoes asap!) & Karen Walker sunnies. Thick winter pants are also lacking in my wardrobe currently; so I settled on these ancient bellbottom pants. Hopefully this cold snap will end soon so I can brave the outside sans coat for photos!

Tomorrow I'll share my lovely new Spring purchases with you! 

Expect some serious contrast from the wintery photos above ;)

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! 

Bits & Pieces // New In

Commonly know as 'The Gorilla' amongst our BR staff, this amazingly fun piece is now part of my wardrobe! It's definitely a statement piece (seriously, wait until you see it on!) but I couldn't resist when I saw it on sale. My only qualm is the sleeve length is rather short & it falls just above the hip, which can make the body look rather wide. I'm honestly all smiles over it though & am so excited to wear it out & about. I'm not 100% sure how I'm going to style it yet - I would love any suggestions you may have! :)

A new replenishment pot of my favourite shampoo, "Big" by Lush Handmade Cosmetics & some sample conditioner ("Veganese") to test out! That's definitely one of my favourite things about shopping at Lush; they are so wonderful with samples & suggestions :) Have any of you tried these products?

A rather random shot of my upper closet, admittedly not in it's finest state. I do love how vibrant & colourful all my clothes look though! Do you see any familiar pieces? ;) This shot was taken with our oldie Nikon D100, which just got taken out & dusted off yesterday. I had quite the time trying to remember all it's functions & how to actually use them. Although I really adore it, I certainly know enough to be thankful for advancing technology! 

And finally, the fog rolling in just as I arrived home from work this evening. You can usually see the water & the mountains from our balcony, but this rare heavy fog was nice for a change :)

So a bit of a random post, but I just had to show you my new faux fur beauty. Hoping to get in a little photoshoot tomorrow before work, so check back soon!

You're the boss applesauce.

As in a supreme effort to prove me wrong, Spring hit Vancouver today. No rain, no grey skies; just beautiful sunshine & warmth. It was the first day I've seen folks out with bare legs & arms since October & it was lovely :) As for your comments on my rainy day musings, all I have to say is you are all too cute! I loved your feedback & have to conclude that most of us live with the idea that the grass is always greener on the other side (myself included). I grumble over the rain, my mother calls me ranting about the 4 feet of snow & cold back home, & those of you in places like Australia & California really feel they'd like some cooler temperatures for a change. No doubt we'll find ourselves the perfect climate some day ;)

Weather aside, today was my last day off work for a while & I attempted to be as productive as possible. I dropped some long overdue items off at the dry cleaners (cringing at the price; I could have had a new blazer for that!), shopped my way through Lush & Sephora, & picked up some wholesome groceries. All while enjoying the sunshine & calling my mom every 15 minutes for mini chats :) This outfit is what you would have found me in, though I honestly overdressed for the temperature. Partially inspired by excessive Camera Obscura listening, partially by the general awesomeness of my Karen Walker sunnies. Velvet sleeves & maxi skirts & kitten litas - oh my! 

I was wearing:

Faux Fur vest - Zara

Wine velvet dress - American Apparel

White accordion pleat maxi - American Apparel

Number 6 Tortoise Round Sunnies - Karen Walker (via Jennyfleur Loves)

Gold leaf necklace - Girly Peepshow Boutique

Kitten Lita - Jeffrey Campbell

The Rainy City

Let's face it: although it doesn't actually hit the top 10 list (those being reserved for more southerly origins) Vancouver is one of those legendary rainy cities. I can say with true conviction I've never seen rain like this. Because the rain we get here (which occurs 5 out of 7 days) comes at you hard, on an angle; making it virtually impossible to do a variety of things - one of these being to snap any decent picture, the other to make any solid plans. While the dear folks of Vancouver have adapted well to this climate (both in terms of fashion & lifestyle), I've still yet to come to terms with it. I shamefully trudged home, past Hermès & Louis Vuitton, with soaked hair; drenched pashmina wrapped around my head. Passing girls in their Hunter rainboots & matching umbrellas peered out at me smugly from the safety of their dry havens. Where was my umbrella you may ask? My boots? Both left behind at work of course.

But it wasn't all bad; actually quite the opposite. Although our plans to visit the Aquarium were rained out, I'm lucky to have such an obliging friend as Kris (& one with an umbrella might I add!). We ate lunch at a delightful Lebanese place called Nuba. Five minutes after we arrived the entire place was filled, & I can certainly see why. Fresh pineapple orange juice with ginger; wholesome red lentil soup; followed by what was probably the biggest/most filled falafel pita I've ever seen. I know I probably post about food too much, but being a nutrition student I just can't help myself - I sincerely love it. Post-lunch we went to The Descendants matinee. It was an unquestionably great film, & if you haven't yet seen it do yourself a favour & go! Last but not least, there's something to be said about crawling into a cosy warm bed after coming in from the rain. Curling up under a fluffy duvet after you've had a simple but lovely day with a friend. Rain or not, it can't get much better :) 

My not so great rain gear: Zara coat, Topshop shirt, American Apparel Skirt, H&M bag

P.S. Not sure how I neglected to mention it in my last post (because I was pretty estatic) but as of yesterday my blog has just surpassed 100 followers via GFC (& 24 on Bloglovin'). Big deal in my small world! Thank you so much to those of you who are following - your feedback means the world to me :) 

Quiet Mornings // New In

1. Catching up on Bloglovin' on a rainy morning. 448 posts to read? Completely normal.

2. Gluten-free pancakes with vegan chocolate chips, vanilla agave syrup, & frozen raspberries

3. My favourite mug; delightfully sarcastic, it was given to me by my Mom years ago. Everywhere I move or travel, this guy comes with me

4. New top from Zara. The top portion is a great rusty-brown, contrasted with a sheer mustard asymmetrical piece on bottom. It's a great basic. Don't you just love sales? :)

Something I cherish above all else is having quiet mornings to myself. I revel in the complete silence & prospect of doing whatever my heart desires. It's something I've always done. When I was a little girl I would wake up at 5am, tip toe to the kitchen to make a small snack, & read Jane Austen & Lucy Maud Montgomery for a few hours before the rest of the house came alive. These days aren't much different. I make a delicious vegan breakfast of some sort (which I always eat in bed), answer the emails which have piled up during the night, & then catch up on my blog reading or writing. No distracting music or TV, just quiet time to read & think. It's my personal way of achieving balance. 

Do you have any morning rituals or time set aside just for you? I'd love to know! I'd also like to do a little shout-out to those of you who have just started following! Don't worry, I've set aside time tonight to answer all your lovely comments :) For the time being, I'm getting ready & headed to work. Fingers crossed I'll have a new outfit post for you all tomorrow! Until then, have a fabulous day <3