WEST COAST - BEST COAST

scenic serious side portrait painting shot.

Well hello friends, it has been a while! I have been a busy bee lately and haven't really had much time to keep up on here. Recently however, I got the chance to gallivant in the forest with some of my buds while rocking gear from local brand, Coastalized Apparel. This shirt says it all and is only the beginning of what's to come. The day was captured by my wicked photographer friend Fernando who is worth an insta-follow here. He also coaxed me off that high up tree we were balancing on to get those epic forest shots. Note to self: don't wear grip-less chucks when climbing trees on a mountain.

Stay tuned for Coastalized Apparel here.

P.S. we are not models.

Fallen Flowers:

This past weekend I went to a friend's beautiful fall wedding at Cecil Green Park at the University of British Columbia. I wore a vintage 1970's Wayne Clark wrap dress from none other than my mama's closet. Decided to alter the dress to suit me and I have to say it was a dream to wear. Can't say I will ever look as stunning as my mom did in it in that last photo but thanks to her influences our fashion sense will always strike a bit of resemblance. Oh also, I caught the bouquet...

Off the Beaten Path:

Off the Beaten Path: Fall '14

photographer: zhamak fullad

model: emily verhulst

styling/creative direction: yours truly

wondering, wandering, searching for the way,

confined by the walls and structures of today.

something inside was telling her, "this is not where you are meant to be,

you are not like the others, you were meant to be free".

through the trees she discovered the light and let it shine on her true face,

deep down she knew, she was meant to stray, this was her place. 

off the beaten path.

Happy New Year Everyone! 

My Block:

In celebration of Canada's birth I thought it best to pay homage to my place of birth with this cut up Toronto Blue Jays tank.  Even though I'm easy living out on the west coast I haven't lost my city girl edge and this outfit blends the two vibes effortlessly.  I thrifted these Lucky Brand boyfriend jeans and distressed them to give them more of an updated look and they have quickly become my new go-to.  By throwing on some sleek heels and a coined necklace the look gets a little more dressy while remaining relaxed, pulling it all together.  West Coast chill and East Coast thrill, who says you can't be both?

(tshirt: Jays Shop Toronto, necklace: h&m, Lucky Brand Jeans and bracelet: Value Village, heels: Topshop)

Against the Grain:

Ohh soooo trendy I am.  Hair half up, snake skin print, dressy sweatpants, and platform sandals.  Trendy is such a sensitive word. I mean there's one thing being on point and then there's another following trends just because someone said so.  I think it's cool to be influenced by trends but not to the point that it alters your own sense of personal style.  How I put this look together was definitely influenced by what's hot for S/S 14 but at the same time I stuck to what works for me.  Those pants fit my body quite flatteringly and they don't hang off me giving me that baggy bum look that can happen with harem/sweatpants style pants. The sandals I found at Value Village. When I came across them I had another pair in my hand that were similar but a bit more extreme.  It came down to knowing which ones I could actually see myself wearing everyday and I'm happy I listened to my gut.  I went with what was stylish while maintaining my own personal style and dressing for my body type.  So go ahead and be trendy but follow your own patterns.  

(shirt and sandals: VV Boutique, necklace: forever 21, pants: Istanbul, Turkey, bracelet: my mama's closet)

Tequila Sunrise:

Well I've just gotten back from an incredible trip to Mexico and when I say "just" I really mean 2 weeks ago.. soooo maybe it took me a while to get back to reality.  What can I say, it was a beautiful time celebrating a beautiful couple with lots of tequila, sun, good eats, love and laughter.  Dined at an award winning Iron Chef restaurant one night, swam with the tropical fishies and stingrays another day and now I can even add Professional Photographer to my resume (captured the "I Do" kiss pictured above).  Fashion was not forgotten either, especially the beautiful bride Dominique, who looked stunning on her big day.  She wore a classic romantic style sweetheart fit and flare ivory dress with a wrist hook at the back of her train that she swept around gracefully during the first dance and that umbrella we found on the resort rooftop rounded out the tropic vintage feel.   When the sun set down she switched into her party dress that played up on her love for peacocks with a feathery skirt and bedazzled purple bustier, she was an absolute queen.

On that note...

Arriba, Abajo, Al Centro, Pa Dentro.

Thank you for the memories and cheers to many more!

(Professional photos courtesy of http://www.tiptopphoto.ca/)