My Favourite Outfits For Spring 2021!

April 25, 2021April 25, 202118 Comments

Hi friends!

Sooooo, a few weeks back I finally got around to ordering myself some new spring clothes. I won’t lie, it did feel a little weird — like, what even is in style anymore? Does anyone know? I’ll say this for certain — it definitely feels a lot more up to personal interpretation this year. I guess we have a little to go off of, with Influencers still posting — but without events (or even public socializing) over the last year, it’s pretty easy to feel at a loss or overwhelmed trying to narrow down exactly which clothes you’d want to buy this spring, especially with the promise of the world re-opening sometime soon.

After the last year, my aesthetic (and body) has changed a fair bit (I’m sure I’m not the only one who put on the COVID 15…right? We weren’t all just joking about that? Okay good). It’s been a bit rough, needing to replace staples that no longer fit and wanting some new spring clothes, as well as some new clothes that fit my style a little better than my spring style from two years ago now. (I just realized that was kind of the last time I seriously invested in new spring clothes now, because of COVID and my busy schedule this year, and it actually has me shook. Like I sat there for a minute processing that fact for at least a minute after I wrote that sentence because…….dang. Two years.).

Anyway, I decided to put in a little haul from both Zaful (for some quick and easy pieces) as well as NastyGal (for some longer-lasting denim staples and some extra, more stylized items). I’ve organized these pieces into a couple of specific outfits, rather than just buying random clothes to fit into my already-existing wardrobe. This way, if nothing else, it’ll be a little easier to figure out what to wear before going out (which has been one of my biggest struggles over the last few months. Sounds silly, but between how many of my clothes don’t fit and what does not matching — it takes a while to find something even decent to wear out). At the end of the day, there’s still considerable lockdowns here in Vancouver, so it’s not like I’ll be going out often anyway — I’d rather make a couple really great outfits count, rather than trying to re-expand my wardrobe into something with all sorts of options.

The following are a couple of my new fave outfits I’ve put together — both based on what seems to be in style, as well as what I personally love. Hopefully, if you’re also feeling a little lost over what clothes to even buy this spring, you’ll find something here you’ll love as much as I do!

Oversized Sweaters & Pleated Skirts

This has kind of been a look for a while now, but now that winter’s finally done, the weather is warm enough (and I finally have places to go) that I can finally wear this out. All you need to replicate this look is a baggy sweater, a pleated skirt and a collared shirt — so odds are, you’ll have at least 1/3 items for this ensemble in your closet already. This look is easy, comfy, and cute without feeling too dressy for an average day out. (In fact, I actually used to wear more a less this exact outfit out all the time back when I was eighteen — I wish I had some good photos of it, but unfortunately none of them are really blog-worthy. But collared shirts and pleated skirts were both totally my thing for a good few years, and it’s kind of mind-blowing to me that they’ve suddenly become popular now, seven years after I used to wear them all the time. Who would have thought?).

Little Dresses and Combat Boots

Honestly, I’m a pretty big fan of any mixing and matching between big and small items — big shoes, little dresses, big pants, little shirts — it’s all cute. However, I saw these cute, small-but flowy dresses worn with combat boots all over NastyGal when I was buying spring clothes off of their site, and I totally fell in love with the look. I feel like a lot of the outfits I wear sort of walk the line between being really cutesy and kind of edgy — so while this was a different take on the same kind of concept, it felt new and cool to me.

Butterfly Prints

This has been a hot trend for a while, but I finally caved in and got some for myself. I don’t always love the butterfly print trend — it can either come off as cool and 90’s or kind of tacky IMO — but I really liked this t-shirt dress so I decided to go for it. (Funny enough, I absolutely despise butterflies IRL, which is probably why I’m a little hot-and-cold on this trend. They creep me out. But I do like the butterfly ~vibe~, I guess. But seriously, flying bugs? Cute in theory, not in reality. Maybe that’s just me though).

Strawberry Dresses

Ever since the Strawberry Dress became the hottest thing on the internet last summer, I’ve wanted something strawberry print for myself. I would seriously spend the $500 on my own Strawberry Dress if I even had the slightest reason to, but sadly I can’t remember the last time I attended an event fancier than a Sunday brunch with my friends. As a happy medium, I grabbed this dress off of Zaful, which is way more brunch appropriate — but rest assured, if the original Strawberry Dress is still available by the next time I have enough reason to spend that much on a singular item of clothing, I’m totally buying it.

& As Always …Graphic Tees!

Anyone who knows me IRL or has been following me for a while knows that, especially since COVID hit, I more a less live in graphic tees — so while this isn’t a specifically spring style for me I guess, this is a new spring shirt. Plus, I’m looking forward to all the new ways I’ll find to style graphic tees this spring — such as with biker shorts, skirts or fishnets.

Happy Sunday, everyone! It’s crazy to believe April is almost over (I, myself, only realized how close we are to the end of the month just now as I was typing this. I can’t be the only one who’s internal timeline’s been messed up since March of last year, right?). It basically became summer overnight here in Vancouver, save for a couple more true and “springy” cooler rainy days — which it may sound crazy to say, but I’ve kind of been appreciating. I went out the other day for the world’s quickest trip to and from Michael’s to pick up some colour pencils and fineline markers I pre-ordered as a treat to myself after starting my Art-Stagram last week. Nice and easy, right? It was a short trip since Michael’s on Broadway is so close to the Skytrain. Or so I thought. Even wearing a short sleeve shirt and shorts (although, I will say it was perhaps my mistake for wearing all black), I was already sweltering by the time I made it to the store — by the time I got home (certainly no more than 30 minutes after I left) I felt like I was dying. I don’t have AC in my apartment, either, so cooling off took a fair bit of effort. It didn’t help that, on top of all that, my spring allergies went absolutely haywire (as in, I literally broke out in hives on my face). All that for some art supplies! I do love the pencils, though, so I guess it was worth the struggle.

How are you guys feeling about spring style this year? It definitely still feels like there’s a distinct popular style this year, while also feeling a lot more up to your own personal interpretation than ever. It’s going to be interesting to see how spending a year inside without events and socializing impacts fashion this year and going forward — it’s definitely going to be at least a little different. How are you guys adjusting to dressing up and going out more (unintentional Drake reference) now that we’re getting closer to the end of the pandemic? Are you excited about it, or feeling a little panicky? I won’t judge, either way — I definitely fall under both categories. If you have any particular styles you’re excited about this spring, drop a comment below and let me hear it! I’d love to hear other’s perspectives about what they’ve been loving this spring season.

Happy last week of April, friends! Let’s make it count!

Much love,

Meredith

Spring Self-Care Ideas!

April 11, 2021April 11, 202110 Comments

Hey friends!

Spring is here, and it’s time to shake off that seasonal depression and get back into our normal routines. This last winter was hard on all of us, I’m sure — between COVID lockdowns, the usual seasonal depression and all the other craziness in the world, it’s been a bit of a wild ride. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m personally ready to start feeling a little more normal again — although, I feel its going to take some work to get there.

One of my favourite ways to improve my mental health, or just my life in general, is to plan and take part in a little self-care. Personally, I’m of the belief that self care is more than just spa days and movie nights (although those both count as self-care as well, and I love both very much!). In my eyes, self care is anything that improves your life, really. However, I truly believe the best form of self-care is self-discipline. Holding yourself accountable, staying on top of things, and knowing when to take breaks are all important to living a healthy and balanced life. That being said, I’ve compiled a little spring-specific list of self care ideas ranging from healthy lifestyle choices, ways to keep yourself organized, to good old-fashioned ways to relax and unwind. That way, no matter what kind of self-care you’ve been needing in your life this spring, you’ll find something just for you on this list!

Go For A Walk

Maybe I’m a hypocrite for adding this one first, since people are always telling me to get out of my house and go for walks more but I opted to avoid doing so all winter long — until now! It can be kind of hard to motivate yourself to get up and head out when you’re feeling crappy (trust me, I know) but spring is such a beautiful (and short) season, so you might as well take advantage of it while you can! This year, since we’re all still locked in, it’s kind of easy to totally miss the whole season entirely if you don’t make a point of going outside and enjoying it — which happened to me last year. I’ve decided to promise myself I won’t miss it again (cherry blossom season is one of my favourites, after all — no point in missing out on it two years in a row!).

Have a Self-Date in the Park

This is another great way to take advantage of spring weather, even if you’re not feeling up for walking. Next time there’s a particularly nice and warm day where you live, go ahead and plan out a nice day out for yourself! Pack a blanket, some lunch, some fancy drinks such as tea, mocktails, cocktails or whatever it is you love, and activities and anything else you want to spend your day doing! If you’re really feeling like going all-out, you can even dress up a little or do some fancy makeup — you don’t get many opportunities to do either anymore since lockdowns began, so you might as well, right?

Treat Yourself to Some New Spring Clothes

One of the best forms of self-care is retail therapy, IMO. Not only does it feel great to have some new items to look forward to wearing out, but if you shop online it’s always great to have something to look forward to when your package arrives. I’m really looking forward to adding some new items to my wardrobe this spring, personally — it’s been a while since I felt really, truly nice when I’ve left the house honestly, as I never get to dress up much anymore. When I do, a lot of my clothes feel pretty old and tired — especially since a lot of them have gotten a little tighter over the last year. I can’t wait to get a couple nice, new outfits and hopefully get the chance to get all dressed up and feel my best for the first time in a while sometime soon. Of course, whatever you feel like treating yourself to is up to you — maybe its clothes, or perhaps it’s makeup, home decor, accessories, shoes, wigs — whatever it is you’ve been needing in your life!

Spring Clean Your Home

Yes, okay, I totally posted about this one last week — but it really is a great way to feel you’re getting a fresh start. Its a good way to reduce the stress of clutter, be productive — and it can be fun, too! If you’re in the mood to do a big clean out of your home, feel free to make a day of it — complete with a playlist, some snacks, and whatever else makes cleaning fun to you. And of course, feel free to check out my ultimate spring cleaning guide if you need a good idea of where to start!

Take Up A New Form Of Exercise

Working out is arguably one of the best things you can do for your mental health (and, obviously, your physical well-being) — but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to start. For those of us who’ve spent this winter being a little (or very) sedentary, or for others who are looking to switch things up, why not give a new workout a try? Depending on what COVID lockdowns are looking like in your city, you can get yourself a gym membership or take a couple classes somewhere local — or you can just try something new at home! Even if you don’t have in-person workout options right now, there’s plenty of instructional videos out there you can follow. Whether you’re hoping to try yoga, HIIT, Zumba, dance, calisthenics, or whatever comes to mind, you’ll be able to find a video to help you get started and shake up your regular (or non-existent, no judgement here) workout routine!

Try A New Hobby

What’s a skill you’ve been hoping to try your hand at, but haven’t gotten around to yet? Perhaps you’ve been looking to get into art, photography, writing, dancing, music, reading, baking, candle-making… who knows, really? If you’ve been thinking about trying something new and have been putting it off, no matter what your reason, this is your sign! Start it now. Why not? If you start today, you’ll have one day’s more experience than if you started tomorrow. Just go for it. (And if starting is a little daunting, you can always check out my post on Three Steps To Mastering Any Skill to help set you on the right path!).

Start Meditating

If meditating is something you haven’t tried out before, I’d totally recommend giving it a go. A lot of people don’t really see the point until they try it for themselves. It really does help to ground you, release anxiety and clear your mind. It may take a couple of tries to really get the hang of it, but I’d recommend keeping at it — what’s the harm, right? There’s endless guided meditation videos on Youtube, meditation apps, on Spotify, and more — so there’s no shortage of free resources, especially if you’re new to the practice!

Plan A Classic Self-Care Day

If you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed, why not take the day off? If you’re hoping to make the most of it, you can plan out a full day of relaxing activities that you know you’ll love. (After all, I’m sure I’m not the only one guilty of spending my days off lying around doing nothing if I don’t have ideas in mind). This is a classic option that’s always a great way to deal with built-up stress. If you don’t really know where to start, no worries! You can check out my previous Fall Self-Care Night Ideas, but I’m sure you already have an idea or two in mind of what you’d like to spend your next day off doing anyway!

Happy Sunday, everyone! I hope you’re all doing well and staying safe. The last few weeks have been a little rough — COVID restrictions have been a little on-again, off again — perhaps I was getting a bit ahead of myself, but I did think things were going to be a little more normal by now than they are. I’ve also been getting busier, though, so life is slowly returning to normal (finally, right?). Apart from that, life has just been continuing on as normal… sometimes I feel a little ramble-y around the ends of my posts, since I honestly never have too much news to share. I did, however, spend my entire week binge-reading Attack on Titan (as I was too impatient to wait a whole year to find out how the show ended, since it is my favourite) so I guess there’s that! Apart from that though, things are just about the same as always — but is that really a bad thing? It may not be exciting, but I guess it’s better to have things be boring than it is the have them be bad. At the end of the day, we have that to be thankful for, right?

Much love,

Meredith

My April Bullet Journal!

March 26, 2021March 28, 202144 Comments

Hello friends!

It’s the final few days of March, and April is finally just around the corner. The weather is warming up, the trees are blooming, the days are getting longer — and my life is getting busier. As Vancouver starts to, slowly, open back up, it’s beginning to seem like life may, actually, return to normal at some point — which is something that I’m, frankly, rather unprepared for. I’m so used to lockdown life at this point that I honestly can’t even imagine what “normal” life was like anymore — or how I’m going to return to it. It’ll be an adjustment, for sure, but as returning to a more regular life is on the inevitable horizon, I definitely think it’s worth trying to adjust slowly now, while I have the time, rather than forcing it all at once when I no longer have the option.

One way that I’m hoping to keep myself organized and on track is with my bullet journal. I’ve been having a bit of an on-again, off-again relationship with it since the start of 2021 — however, I can certainly say that I’m more on top of things when I keep up with using it regularly. I already keep an agenda for explicitly planning out what I’ll be doing each day, but my bullet journal goes above and beyond with keeping my life on track — especially since it can be tailored so specifically in any way I choose. While I use my agenda to schedule each of my days, my bullet journal helps me keep track of my mood, reminds me to stay on top of daily tasks such as working out and taking pills, plan my blog posts and keep all kinds of lists for all kinds of reasons.

This month, I’m expanding my journal even further and adding new segments, such as a page for brainstorming blog topic ideas — where I’ll write down every idea that comes to mind, whether I end up using it or not — and lists specifically for items I need to buy and what I need to do each week in terms of my job hunt. As well, I’m re-writing my daily schedule, with some slight changes, in hoping that writing it down will help me stick to it better. This way, by breaking down everything further, I’m hoping to make everything easier to track to ensure I’m staying on top of everything.

Mood Tracker

My mood tracker is one of my favourite parts of bullet journaling — not only does it help me to reflect on my day without expecting too much of myself (such as a full journal), but it allows me review how my mood has been cumulatively over time, so I am able to check in with myself and see trends that I may have otherwise missed. Rewriting the past is easy — we often dismiss things as being “not as bad as they seemed” or “better than they were”, but this way I can objectively reflect on how I’ve been doing, and not be swayed by how I’m currently feeling. I keep a list of nine colour-coded options for each days mood, ranging from “absolutely amazing” to “completely terrible”, as well as an option for days when I’m not exactly sure how I’m feeling, and days that are totally crazy where it kind of feels like a bomb has been dropped on your life (which, to be fair, I’ve only used once).

Habit Tracker

This is perhaps the most important aspect of my bullet journal — which I’m also going to be expanding on this month. Each night, as I fill out my tracker, I’m not only able to hold myself accountable for habits I wish to form (ie. exercising regularly), I’m able to cumulatively reflect on how often I’m being productive (ie. working on my blog) and remind myself to complete tasks before bed (such as taking my medications and vitamins). In the past, I only kept six trackers per each month, and sometimes I would switch it up depending on what was important to me that month. However, this time I’ll be tracking ten different habits to ensure I stay on top of everything that I need to.

April Daily Schedule

As I mentioned above, I’ll be reworking & rewriting my daily schedule at the start of this month to hopefully serve as a reminder to stick with it. I really don’t expect myself to follow it perfectly every day (or even any day), but rather I use it for a guideline to make sure I’m getting everything I need to done, sticking to habits I’m hoping to form and keeping a regular sleep and eating schedule.

April Goals

I keep a goal list, separate from my to-do list, to help inspire me to reach above and beyond each month. Rather than forcing myself to achieve all of these goals, they serve as a motivator to push myself to not just do what I have to, but go the extra bit further.

Blog Planner

This is where I keep track of what I’ll be posting on my blog each week. I’ve been trying to get ahead on my blog posts so I can have posts ready in advance and have at least a rough idea of what I’ll be posting each week — so when a post gets written down here, it’s all but final. I don’t write everything down too far in advance — you never know when random inspiration may strike — but for certain posts that I’m absolutely certain will be posted that on specific days, I keep track of them here so I know what’s done and what still needs doing.

Blog Brainstorm

This is something new I’m adding this month, that’ll allow me to keep track of rough ideas and deadlines without convoluting my official planner. This page is both for keeping track of all of my ideas — good and bad, since you never know what bad ideas may inspire your next good one — as well as a rough posting schedule for weeks that I haven’t set in stone yet. I’m hoping, by doing this, I’ll be able to feel more inspired, come up with more ideas (and actually remember them), as well as be able to utilize my planner in a more official way to keep track of finalized blog ideas.

To Do List

Each month, I keep a standard to-do list of everything I need to get done. I add to it as the month goes along, and when I have the opportunity to get something crossed off the list I transfer it over to my agenda to help me remember to complete it. This way, I have everything I need to get done written down in one place — rather than in random iPhone notes or on random paper lists — and as long as I write things down, I don’t have to worry about forgetting them (since I’m the queen of “I don’t need to write that down, I’ll remember it”. Spoiler alert: I never remember it. Figures.).

To Do List – Job Hunt and School Application Edition

Over the last month, I’ve been working with a career consultant (more on that later) to help me work out exactly what it is I want to do in life, and how to get there. Being a post-grad in a locked-down COVID world, I was having a lot of trouble finding any sort of job in my career path of choice, and honestly starting to question if it was really the right one for me. While I’m working with this consultant, I’m keeping a separate to-do list of things I need to get done specifically pertaining to job and school applications, even if they’re already in my agenda, just to ensure everything runs smoothly and nothing falls by the wayside).

Shopping List

As I mentioned above, I am absolutely the WORST about believing I’ll remember everything I need to get done in my head, not writing it down, and inevitably forgetting. In the past, I’ve written stuff down on all kinds of random lists with absolutely NO structure of any kind — which makes it easy to lose track of things. In the past, I’ve kind of mixed my “shopping list” in with my “to-do list”, but I feel it’ll be way more organized to keep them separate. This way, I can keep everything I need to go out and purchase in one place, and know exactly what it is I still need to buy.

TV Shows To Watch

Okay, so maybe TV shows I’m looking to binge isn’t the most important thing to keep track of, but whatever — I’m doing it anyways. Honestly, I already had a list (and multiple, in fact, in the past, that I re-wrote before completing) but I’m hoping that I’ll keep this list in order so I can go through and watch each show one-by-one until I make it to the end, before adding new shows to watch. (Shows that I keep up with week-to-week aren’t included, so this is purely a binge-watching list — hopefully keeping it more organized).

And that’s this month’s bullet journal! I’ve added a lot of changes this month, but I’m hoping they’ll have a positive impact and help me stay consistently motivated and organized for the upcoming month — especially since it’s going to be my busiest yet in 2021. Do you guys keep bullet journals of your own? What kinds of pages do you find work best for you? I’m always in search of new ideas and inspo, or ways to make my current pages more effective! Let me know in the comments what your bullet journal looks like, I’d love to hear it!

Happy Sunday, everyone, and happy last weekend of March! Spring is finally, officially here and the weather is only going to get better from here on out. Here’s to April, may it be a good month to all of us! 2021 may have started off a little rocky for some of us, but it’s never too late to turn it around. With a little effort and a little luck, hopefully April will be 2021’s best month yet.

Cheers,

Meredith

Sephora Haul: January Edition!

January 26, 2020January 26, 202017 Comments

Hey y’all!

Sooooo, I know I promised a post on my Lash Lift this week, but unfortunately on Tuesday I came down with a terrible case of the flu and I’m still recovering. I really wanted to ensure that I had bomb before and after pics for you guys — and since I’m due for a new lift, it seemed apt to post after I got them done again. So be sure to stay tuned for that post, which I’ll be sharing on Sunday the 9th instead! As well, apologies for posting this post late as well — this flu has really taken a toll on me and I haven’t had much energy to put towards anything at all this week.

However, just the other week I went to Sephora with my friend Erin and did a little haul — and I’ve decided to share with you guys! I’m really excited about all the products I got as almost all of them are new for me — and most of them I’ve been dying to try out for a while. So, without further ado, here’s a look at what I got!

New Nude Eyeshadow Palette by Huda Beauty

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, I don’t even have to tell you how much I love Huda Beauty’s eyeshadow palettes. I already own a number of her Obsessions palettes and many of them are some of my all-time favourites when it comes to eyeshadow. I’ve had my eye on this palette for a while — it just looks perfect for something that could be used to create everything from an everyday look to something much more dramatic. I’ve only gotten to test it out once, but it’s safe to say I’m already in love — these shadows live up to the Obsessions quality and blend seamlessly to create an elegant, stunning look. (Plus, it even comes with its own mini concealer for eyeshadow use!).