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 :) 

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?

Houndstooth Tweed // New In

Remember when I mentioned my intention to get a wireless remote so I could take my own photos more frequently? Well, that has yet to happen. Instead, when faced with both rain & lack of photographer today, I decided to be "resourceful". AKA stack of books on my bistro table (who needs a tripod anyways...), self-timer.... you get the picture. Not my most glorious of photographic moments, but I really wanted to share my new Houndstooth Tweed Pleated Skirt with you!


New pieces seem to slowly trickle into my wardrobe, rather than quickly pile up via shopping sprees. I have to give credit to one of my co-workers for this fabulous find. She pointed me in the direction of Zara after work last night & a whopping $12 later this cute skirt was added to my closet. I decided to pair it with one of my older turtle-neck dresses; the tulle bottom gives the skirt a little more body. A key charm pinned onto one of the pockets; gold chain necklace doubled as a bracelet; & my peep-toe Steve Madden pumps which have certainly seen their day. 

What do you think of my latest piece? :)

I was wearing:

Houndstooth Tweed skirt - Zara

Turtleneck dress with tulle bottom - Forever 21 (old)

Multi-strand chain (as bracelet) - Forever 21 (old)

Peep-toe Heels - Steve Madden (old)

Leather, Lace, & Lunch Dates

What a lovely day I've had thus far! Mid-morning I met up my one of my favourite fashionistas for lunch & a little wander. Being limited to downtown we went to one of my favourite restaurants, Gorilla Food, for some raw vegan delicacies. After we consumed far too much (skipping dessert was absolutely out of the question), we headed to The Bay for a little look around.

Our main destination was the Topshop capsule & 'The Room', both of which opened in September. Although small, Topshop had some cute pieces I'll definitely be going back for. As for The Room... !!! We were both 'oohing & awing' non-stop at the new collections in all their vibrant glory. I particularly fell in love with the Brian Atwood Resort Collection colour-block pumps & this teal Furla candy bag (one of which has been on my wish-list since last year). There was also an Erdem trench & dress which were love at first sight. And don't even get me started on all the tangerine! It was absolutely everywhere & I was pretty much in raptures... just ask Kris haha :) 

Once we were able to tear ourselves away we had a little run-in with a flock of seagulls intent on stealing Kris's leftovers. A few photos later Kris was off to work, & I to home. All in all, a delightful start to my day off! 

Jungle Coleslaw & Pesto Veggie Burger... unbelievably delicious

Dearest Kris! Don't you just love her duo-tone Steve Madden bag? :)

This was cute... until he snatched it 30 seconds later & hoards of his comrades swarmed in around us

After the seagull incident all following photos feature me dying of laughter or grinning cheesily (this being the latter)

Believe it or not, these Lita's are my go-to shoes for hiking around downtown. I know they're sky-high, but the platform makes them pretty comfortable. Not to mention, the multiple comments I receive each time pretty much makes my day :)

I was wearing:

Military coat - Zara

Leather shorts - Vila via ASOS

Lace top - American Apparel

Bandeau - Garage

Necklace - Vintage

Bag - H&M

Kitten Lita's - Jeffrey Campbell

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 

My 1st Blog Award

I always love receiving comments from LA-based blogger 'Dreaming en Francais'... so I can't tell you how happy I was yesterday to see that she chose me as one of 5 recipients of the Liebster Blog Award! Liebster in German (oh look it's almost like i'm studying! ;) means dearest, beloved, or favourite. Essentially this award is targeted toward blogs with under 200 followers, in order to bring attention to new & growing blogs.

The rules are pretty straight-forward:

1. Thank the person who shared this award with you

2. Link back to the blogger who awarded you

3. Copy & paste the blog award onto your blog

4. Spread the love by choosing your 5 blog picks

5. Let them know you chose them by leaving a comment on their blog

There are so many blogs I adore, & wish I could name them all; but in no particular order, these are 5 blogs which I read daily & would love to draw more attention to:

Top 5 Blog Picks:

1. LellaVictoria

2. V's Style

3. Jenaly Enns - In My Dreams

4. Style Lounge

5. The Fox Tattoo

Once again, a huge thank you to Dreaming en Francais - as well as all my other lovely readers who put a smile on my face each & every day. It's such a huge compliment to know what I'm writing & wearing doesn't go unnoticed. Thanks for all the love & feedback <3 

Molten Gold & Rain

A recent personal trend I've noticed: I seem to gravitate toward velvet on rainy days. So when I came to terms that my day off was to be a distinctly wet one, out came the velvet. The particular piece I chose was the Club Monaco amber velvet skirt I received for Christmas. It reminds me of molten gold. I paired it with two items I purchased last year in Halifax: my golden leaf necklace & grey shoulder cut-out top. I love the silkiness of the top, the unique shoulder detail, & the rich texture of the skirt. 


In terms of light & photo quality I'll be the first to admit that these are far from my favourites. But I promised you an outfit photo, & unfortunately this is all the rain allowed for! I've been wanting to share more outfits with you but between time conflicts & weather mishaps it just hasn't been a possibility as of late. Rather than simply hope for improvements I've been thinking about getting a wireless remote so I'll be able to take my own photos. Not sure how it'll work out but it's certainly worth a try! Do any of you take your photos this way? I'd love some feedback/suggestions :)

I was wearing:

Grey cut-out top - Lush (via Envy)

Amber velvet skirt - Club Monaco

Gold Leaf Necklace - Girly Peepshow Boutique

Hammered Ring - Forever 21

Paloma wedges - Dolce Vita

Pinterest

When my mom of all people sent me an invite the other day I knew I was sadly behind the times. So in my very limited spare time (aka trying to procrastinate studying German) I created a Pinterest account.

As I'm sure many of you are aware, Pinterest is yet another social media platform which allows you to save & share ('pin') photos you find inspiring. I know I personally have at least a dozen folders on my desktop with photos I've seen & loved; with Pinterest I can keep them organized in one place by categorizing them onto various 'boards'.

If you haven't succumbed yet I warn you: it's terribly addictive! And if you do already have a Pinterest account please leave your username in the comments below for me to follow you! If you'd like to follow me you can find me right here :)

Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend - I'll have a new outfit post to share with you tomorrow! <3

Jennyfleur Loves // New In

I came home beaming this morning. Having made the decision to brave the cold, I headed to Jennyfleur Loves... boutique in Yaletown to check out their Stockroom Sale. I've been meaning to visit this eclectic boutique for months now, having heard so much positive feedback. Mother-daughter duo Jennifer & Shaughnessy were so genuine & an absolute delight to talk to, albeit briefly. In a city full of big brand stores with monotonous layouts & salesgirls who take pleasure in making you feel invisible, it was so refreshing to browse their tiny shop with unique pieces covering every possible surface. 


Obviously the shopping experience wasn't all that left me smiling. I found 3 amazing pieces at the most incredible prices! Karen Walker Number Six round sunglasses in tortoise with purple tinted lenses (here); vibrant red DV Dolce Vita shorts with black skinny belt; & a peachy blush tone blouse with polka dots & cut-out shoulder detail by Moon Collection. They also carry many other great brands such as Wildfox, UNIF, Maison Scotch & Jeffrey Campbell. I can't wait to see what beauties they will have for Spring/Summer! And for the time being, I'm seriously contemplating going back for their Rumi boots...


If you're in the Vancouver area I highly recommend stopping by Jennyfleur Loves... - their Stockroom Sale (with everything up to 70% off!) is going on today through Saturday. You can also find them on Facebook & Twitter.

What do you think of my latest wardrobe additions? :) 

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 

One for One

The past few days here in Vancouver have been exceptionally beautiful. The sun has been shining non-stop & everyone has been outside soaking it up. For me, yesterday was absolutely perfect - the kind of day you feel so glad to be alive. Along with two lovely ladies I had a delightful vegan lunch at the Naam, strolled along the Seawall, & got lost wandering around Stanley Park (photos below). Today, unfortunately, has been quite the opposite. I've been home sick... staring longingly at the sunshine & envious of everyone enjoying it. So here I am in bed, with my favourite fluorescent orange tunic (above) to brighten things up. As such, I unfortunately don't have a new look of the day post to share with you guys today but stay tuned & I'll conjure something up for you! Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed my day :)

How is your weekend going? 

<3

Transparency & Florals

I've never experienced a winter without snow. I think that's why, with all this sunshine & +8 temperatures, I'm overcompensating with florals this season. My brain is a little confused & doesn't quite understand that it is in fact January. At any rate, I'm not complaining. I'm not the worlds biggest fan of 6+ months of snow, but I sure do enjoy a good floral maxi. Oh and yes, I was listening to Stevie Nicks this morning. That may have had something to do with it. 

Each of these pieces are oldies, more or less so. This floral fairytale of a skirt was acquired almost 6 years ago in Chinatown, NYC. The ruffle-laden purple top is from ASOS; a Christmas present from last year. The JC's are a left-over from the summer months & the necklace is a vintage piece from my grandmother. 

This poor guy got cut off, but I like it anyways!

Note excessive goosebumps haha

Floral transparent maxi - Chinatown, NYC

Purple ruffle top - ASOS

Nude suede Foxy platforms - Jeffrey Campbell

Peach costume necklace - Vintage

Have a lovely weekend everyone! :) 

Woodland in the City

Without further ado, here is the look I told you about yesterday! I absolutely love this faux fur vest I got from Zara during Boxing Day sales & was quite excited to do a 'look of the day' shoot with it. I've got a million combinations for it rolling around my head so you can probably expect to see it again sooner or later. It makes me feel like a cosy little bear when I wear it, which is probably what provoked me to pair it with a rich forest green & the owl necklace. A simple look for a simple day - and hey, it certainly kept me warm! :)

In terms of footwear, I know you're as sick of my small collection as I am. Before moving here this past September I had a closet dedicated solely to my shoes; but sadly only a few pairs would cram into my suitcase limit. Hopefully 2012 will bring me many beautiful new pairs (I have a very strong inclination towards these at the moment :)

Life is all work & rain at the moment, but I'm feeling peculiarly optimistic in spite of it all. What kind of start is your week off to? And please, let me know what you think of this look! <3 

I was wearing:

Faux fur vest - Zara

Winter green batwing jumper - ASOS

Tiered black skirt - Aritzia (old)

Owl necklace - Sale bin somewhere!

Paloma wedges - Dolce Vita