Why I can't get into health food trends

It seems like every other week a new super food is introduced to our collective vocabulary. Everyone who is anyone is eating it, juicing it, and doing everything else with it you could think of. Restaurants like Fresh are all the rage, and everyone is eating vegetarian, raw, vegan or a combination of the three.





Me? I can't get into it. Why? As childish and possibly naive as this sounds... I just don't like the taste of them. As much as I wish I loved raw, leafy greens, quinoa and tofu, I just don't. Rice? Give me more. Roasted chicken? I'd eat it everyday. Cooked green beens? That's like, my favourite thing.

With every healthy lifestyle blog on the internet focusing on these new, trendy veggies, I sometimes start to feel like I'll just never be a healthy person. I like carbs way too much, and I'm way to traditional in my meal choices. And bread? Don't even get me started on bread. But, I'd like to think that I can still pursue a healthy diet without throwing kale and acai berries into everything I eat.

Everything with moderation right? I'm no nutritionist but I think as long as 50% of what you're eating is nutritious veggies, and you have a moderate amount of protein, and maybe a few carbs everyday, you're doing fine.

But what do you think? Do you jump on the health food band wagon? If so, what are your tips for incorporating new things into a more traditional diet (I'm asking for a friend)?


Until next time,

Health Kick

I don't know about you, but for me, the spring time has this way of making me feel like I need to get in shape. (Maybe it's the dresses or bikinis... maybe its that spending time outside and NOT on Netflix takes up more physical energy... who knows?) Not only that, but coming out of a full year away from home at university has sent my eating habits way out of whack. (Freshman fifteen, anyone?)





And so, I recently re-committed myself to improving my health. This week, my challenge to myself has been to exercise for a full hour everyday. (And also cut down on unhealthy food consumption. For example pop has been 86'd from my snack diet). But because I have a long commute and full work day, I've decided to attempt a more spread out schedule, including fitness every morning and cardio every evening. See my full schedule below:

I'll let you know if I can pull through with this workout regime this week, and if I can make it, then ideally I'll continue it throughout the summer. Are you doing anything to get fit this summer? Perhaps recovering from a fall and winter season spent with a less-than-ideal diet? Let me know in the comments, and we can get through this together.

Until next time,

Fresh Spring Beauty Essentials

Spring always seems to bring about the same trends in beauty... pastels, peaches and glowy skin. And as much as I like to keep things fresh, I end up coming back to the old faithfuls. So today, I wanted to share with you some of my favourite products for spring (that you'll never stop loving).





1. Benefit's Posie Balm
This line of lightly coloured lip balms came out last spring, and I snatched up this shade right away. I'e never stopped loving it- it has the perfect amount of sheer colour and hydration, and like many Benefit products, it smells amazing. Definitely a spring must-have.

2. Tarte's 12 Hour Amazonian Clay Blush in Captivating 
These blushes are cult classics- everyone in the beauty community seems to be totally obsessed (myself included). And this particular shade happens to be perfect for spring, its pinky and corally in all the right ways.

3. MAC's Mineralized Skin Finish Natural in Soft n' Gentle
Again, another HUGE cult classic. But it's just so hard to let go of it! It gives such a nice and natural sheen, just apply to the cheek bones, the bridge of the nose and the cupid's bow and BAM! - perfectly glowy skin, no perspiration required.

I hope these suggestions were helpful and that you're all having a great day. Isn't it good to be back? I feel good to be back online again and hopefully you'll be seeing me again on Wednesday as well!

Until then,

Life of an Intern

As I've mentioned in previous posts and videos, I'm a intern this summer! I'm not sure I want to entirely disclose all the details about where I work, etc, but I still want to share as much of my experience as I can.





I started work on May 4, 2015. My commute to downtown is about one hour and ten minutes. So I leave around 8:30 and I don't get home until 6:30... so it's been feeling like long days. Overall my experience with being a big city has been less surprising and exciting than I expected it to. Don't get me wrong, I think its great. But maybe I hyped it up a bit too much? Let's just say its probably more fun if you have friends around to enjoy it with.


The work itself has been fine, as well. Similar to my experience with the city, its alright, but not as exciting or as surprising as I had previously thought. It has certainly been challenging too. Warning for any other bloggers and possible future interns: people will not always like your writing. Most times they won't. And it can be really hard to adjust from doing creative writing solely for yourself, to doing it as a job. Writers block is a lot more common when you know someone will be judging what you write.

As for my time off, I've mostly been hanging out where I'm staying, with my boyfriend's grandmother. Which is great- we get along really well, and I always have someone to play Scrabble with.

I'll be back next week with some beauty related posts, and I hope to keep you updated with how my summer is going. Feel free to let me know how your summer is going in the comments!

Until then,

My Return to the Online World

So, it's been a while. I have unfortunately left this blog vacant for far too long (has it really been more than three weeks?) and I apologize greatly for that. Stuff has really been going crazy in my life since I posted my April fashion blog favourites, including leaving school and moving to Toronto for the summer (!!). But, now that I am getting more settled in my new life as a fashion intern (more on that later) I feel able to return to blogging at a somewhat normal pace.






But, I have some new plans for this blog. Which will only really be sorted out as I start to execute them. Brainstorming ideas recently has led me to thinking about a possible new side project, as well as redefining the goal of this blog. I feel like I've been a little scattered with my posts in the past few months, and I really want to hone in on the vibe that I want. So you can expect some changes coming in the next while (hopefully).



Until then, I want to update you more on what's been going on in my life, including, as I said before, becoming a fashion intern! I'll be letting you know what's up with that more in a later post. So, you can expect to see me again on Friday, as usual.

I hope you all have been well in my absence, and I can't wait to see each other again more frequently.

Until then,

Fashion Blog Favourites: April!

This month has been an amazing four weeks of good weather, finishing off school, and some brilliant new fashion trends. Here's a look at the blogs I've been loving in April! 

1. Allison Anderson 

Although not technically a blogger by trade, I must mention her beauty videos, because I have been loving them so much! This month on her Youtube channel, she hosted a week of spring cleaning themed videos which were so helpful for me when going through some of old things! I totally recommend her channel and her blog, even the most mundane favourites videos are beautifully shot and captivating to watch.

2.  World of Wanderlust 

I have been totally lusting after the content of this blog all month. With the warm weather coming on, traveling becomes more and more tempting. With food, beauty, lifestyle and travel posts, this blog is a one stop shop for any blogger looking for beautiful photography and great tips. You should definitely check it out!



So those are the blogs I've been loving this past month! Just as an administrative note, I will be absent from the blog for the next week, resuming posting again in May. I'm moving out of residence to home, and then back out again for my summer job. So the next few weeks are going to be quite busy. I appreciate your patience, and when I'm back, I'll hopefully have updates about my summer plans!


Until next time,

How To: Stay Motivated During Exams

If you're in university like me, then you will soon be entering everyone's favourite part of the year: exam time! Sometimes (okay, let's be honest - always) it's hard to stay motived while studying. It's finally starting to get warm outside, and all you want is for summer vacation to start. But what you need is to keep studying for the next couple weeks. So without further ado, here is how you can do that. How to: stay motivated during exam period!





1. Make Lists!

My most effective way to stay organized and on time is to take lists. I always like to start the day with a detailed list set out of what I need to accomplish. This way, you have attainable goals to work towards. If you start off with a few smaller tasks, and work up to the bigger ones, they will feel more attainable and you will stay motivated. (The main note here is to make sure your list is attainable, setting a too-long list will just end with you disappointed, even if you did accomplish a lot)

2. Set "study hours"

Once classes end and we're all in full on study mode, its hard to know when to study, and when to go outside and play that game of volleyball with friends... So, at the beginning of each day, set specific times when you will study, and when you will take a break. This way, when you are taking a break, you won't feel guilty about it, because you've budgeted for that time. If you want to go the extra mile, combine your lists with your study schedule, so you know exactly what has to get done for each period of time, and you can more accurately judge your process.

3. Use brightly coloured pens

Maybe this is just a personal preference, but I always find reading and writing more fun when there is colours involved. In addition to this, I really like to make my notes as visually appealing as possible. Although I wouldn't exactly call myself a visual learner, I love good design and nice layouts. So, if you make your notes like that, then you won't mind reading them as much! Plus, just writing out those notes is studying in itself.

4. Study outside

If its warm enough (and not too windy) then studying outside can be the perfect balance of relaxing and working. Just be careful you don't get too distracted!

5. Take breaks

The final, and probably one of the most important rules is: take breaks. We all need to study as much as we can, but sometimes your brain just needs a rest. Your studying will be more effective if you're not totally brain dead and exhausted of reading while you're doing it. So try to take short scheduled breaks every few hours, and you can return to the books refreshed.

So, those are my five tips for staying on track this exam season! If you're in school, let me know in the comments how exams are going for you... and if you're not in school... lucky you! Ahaha

Until next time,

Earth Day: Eco Friendly Fashion & Beauty Ideas!

In honour of Earth day, I decided to throw together a list of my favourite environmentally friendly beauty and fashion alternatives. Enjoy! 

Makeup & Beauty 

Eco-tools - This is a great company that is totally cruelty free, and makes their brushes with bamboo handles.

Lush - Lush is a well known bath and body company, but did you know all of their products are hand made? And environmentally sustainable?

Bert's Bees - A classic lip balm choice. But they also make hair and skin products. They have a strong commitment to all natural products and sustainability.

Fashion 

Thrift - My number one suggestion for eco-friendly, ethical fashion is always thrift. Often buying ethical, new clothes can be way out of most of our budgets. Check out this TedTalk by designer Jessi Arrington about how she never buys anything new!

 

But if thrift isn't your thing, you can check out this post on the Notepasser about sustainable fashion companies you can support!

So those are all of my eco-friendly beauty and fashion suggestions for you today! Sustaining our environment is so important- if our Earth isn't happy and healthy, none of us will be either! I encourage to to take this Earth day to reflect on your own impacts on the environment, and consider taking some of my suggestions! 

Best Fashion Instagrams! Spring 2015

The following are my absolute favourite Instagram accounts for fashion this Spring. If you're looking for new inspiration, look no further than below the "read more"!




1. Eugenie Grey

Otherwise known as Feral Creature, Eugenie is constantly posting amazing #OOTD photos, as well as lots of other visual inspiration for your to scroll through! 

2. Irene Kim

Ireneisgood, or Irene Kim, has a great collection of fashion and travel related posts. And impressive pink hair!

3. WhoWhatWear

Definitely an essential follow for anyone on Instagram interesting in fashion. Full stop. 

4. Angie

Also known as 2sisters_angie, this account is fashion + (cute x 100). Angie's daughter Mayhem and her creative fashion projects are posted regularly to this Insta account. (Expert Tip: Watch out for award shows! That's when all of the best crative dress projects are posted!)

5. Aimee Song

Beloved fashion blogger Song of Style also has a rad Instagram account! Definitely a must follow for any fashion blogger.

How To Get Into Graphic Design: MUST KNOW TIPS!

As you might be able to tell from the rest of my blog, graphic design is something that I am really interested in. Of course, I'm no professional, and I'm not in school for design, but I thought as an amateur, and someone who does graphic design for fun, I could give you a couple tips on how to get in to graphic design on that level. So, if you're looking for a new hobby, or to spruce up your blog a little bit, then read on!

1. How To Videos

Youtube is full of cool DIY videos, and other design related videos that can give you a ton of inspiration. My number one recommendation is Karen Kavett, who has a full set of informational videos on graphic design which can be very helpful!

2. Read Magazines!

Reading magazines has been one of the most helpful things for me to get design inspiration, and to start understanding eye flow, and other graphic design principles. To put it shortly, professional designers at magazines know what they're doing. If you observe their designs, you can learn what good design is. Magazines I would especially recommend for fashion bloggers are Vogue, Fashion (if you're Canadian), and Nylon! 

3. Get Photoshop

I know it can be expensive, but seriously, this is one of the most valuable tools. You can get Photoshop elements for a lower price, but with the same functionality a beginner would need. Also, if you're learning, there are so many great tutorials online of how to do specific things in photoshop. You just have to Google everything!

4. Use Polyvore!

This one is a special tip for anyone running a fashion blog. If you really can't afford Photoshop, you can sign up for Polyvore for free. If you've ever wondered how I make posts like these, this is it! 

5. Use Pinterest!

As for design inspiration, Pinterest is a must! Just search "design inspiration" in Pinterest, and browse to your hearts content! But, if you want a bit more direction than that, then check out my colours & inspiration Pinterest board or my Design & Typography board! 

6. Experiment, experiment, experiment!

Even with all of these tips, you really just need to learn by doing. So, go make a Polyvore account, or get Photoshop if you can, and just make things! 

That's all of the tips I have for you today. Thanks so much for reading! Let me know below what your graphic design tips are, if you're into it. If not, let me know why you want to learn about graphic design! 

Until next time, 

One Item Outfit Inspiration!

Lately I've been playing around with different outfit combinations, and I've realized that one of the best ways to get inspired is to start with one piece, and work from there. So, here are a few examples of how you can use one simple piece to inspire an entire outfit!

Outfit # 1

Outfit #2

Outfit #3