Lady Shoes

As it remains in the minuses here, I'mma continue posting old outfit pics. I'm not so jazzed about taking photos inside, but unfortunately Canada often calls for that. I think later on this week I'll throw down about my parka (it's super excellent) to keep with the ever-so-wintry theme of my environs.

Until that time though, here's a lil' outfit I wore to a friend's birthday back in October. The pictures were taken by my roommate.

Loved loved loved this peacock feather belt, but all the feathers have since fallen off.

I feel a little silly about this posey-posey, but isn't our apartment nice? Haha

I think until I can get into the swing of things, I'll be posting photos from my travels/adventures of the past (well, over a) year mixed with nice outfits I was wearing at the time. Hmm, I feel a little vain, but I love reading all the blogues, so I wanna try a crack at them myself too!

Dress: American Apparel
Belt: Urban Outfitters (sale)
Cardigan: My Grandmother's
Purse: H&M
Shoes: Thrifted

Dream Sequence B

I had an incredibly vivid dream about being back in Bristol and Berlin last night, so I thought I'd throw up a few of my favourite shots of Berlin (she hasn't been featured here yet) to tide myself over till I get to go back.

The Brandenburg Gate

The Berliner Dom

The Reichstag

The Berlin Wall

The French Church (and our awesome tour guide)

Honestly one of the coolest cities I've ever been to. In the dream it was like I had returned, and was walking around, absolutely beaming to get to see this awesome place again.

Your friend Lina

Just Give'r Eh?

Kay, so, since spring of last year, I have been a firm follower of a couple personal style blogs. Most of my favourites have come from the Delightful Dozen, including Julie from Orchid Grey, Tieka from Selective Potential, and Maria from Lulu Letty. I absolutely love the way these gals dress, the niceness and support that comes from fashion blogging, and the fun and joy of seeing real clothing on real people in real places. Much better than a magazine in my opinion.

For ages I've been saying that I'd like to try my hand at it, not cause I think my own style needs to be all over the internet. I feel instead like if I put up some personal stuff on here, it'll keep me from wearing the same thing all the time (AA dress, anyone?) and keep me on track with the exercise and the weight watching etc.

In the fall I tried my hand at a photo shoot with my (actually a model) cousin, and have done it again a few times with the help of my lovely roommate. She is super complementary all the time on my clothiers, and if it weren't for her, I probably wouldn't give this the ol' college try. But since some people have been so nice, now the rest of you must be subjected!

Welp, here goes nothing. A few shots from Thanksgiving Weekend in my parents' backyard and the glory that is Ontario fall.

Dress: American Apparel
Sweater: Thrifted (aaaages ago, recently resurrected)
Neclace: Forever 21 (my cousin's)
Tights: Who knows?
Loafers: Zellers (also ages ago)

This is one of my go-to outfits (I'm wearing the sweater as we speak, with some different black clothes underneath). I still wear it in the winter, just with two pairs of tights. Probably would do in the summer too, with no tights. See? I'm in a rut. Time to play!

Your friend Lina

This Charming Man

I have had just the nicest weekend, exactly the sort of thing the younger me thought the cooler older me would be doing at this point in her life. I'm probably not as cool as I hoped I would be, but if I can keep this sort of weekend as my norm then I'll be well on my way.

It started out on Thursday with an unexpected night of boozing with my favourite history buddies turning into a luxurious evening of getting to know each other even better. Why is this only happening in my last semester? Better late than never, and it's definitely going to leave me with excellent memories of what McGill can be.

On Friday I moved into my cousins apartment for the day (both her roomies and mine are gone for the weekend). We made a dinner of red-wine sauteed peppers stuffed into portobello mushrooms, and then went back to the same history buddy's place for a party, where many a pleasant person was met. The cous and I trekked back through the cold cold Montreal streets (we had to stop a few times in banks etc to warm up) for a sleepover of only the best familial proportions.

We woke up late on Saturday and spent the day doing homework, loving Harry Potter (I'm pretty sure she's the only person in my immediate circle who likes Daniel Radcliffe best, like me), and cooking and eating. I then left in the evening for a final drink with one of my best gals before she heads off on exchange to the Netherlands on Monday. It's so fun to be able to relate exactly to her anxieties (not that anxieties are fun but. . .). She and her boyfriend (who's also on exchange at the moment) are both going through the exact same stuff that I did when I was about to leave and got there, and it just makes me sooo nostalgic for those feelings and nostalgic for the experiences that are to come for them, just like they did for me! I think Bristol nostalgia is really going to be the focus of this blog from now on. . . it just pervades every essence of my being, so how can it not?

Today I slept in (cause, you know, I deserve it), and have spent the day reading new blogs and listening to new music. I am now a firm convert of Lulu Letty. Whilst perusing I've been listening to Trampled by Turtles (my brother just introduced me to them and few people rock harder on banjos and violins, I can tell you) and Bombay Bicycle Club. I know I'm late to the scene with BBC, but they are super great you guys.

I also like the real BBC a lot this weekend too. Few things are as lovely on a Sunday morning as finding your favourite YouTube channel has uploaded a new QI XL.

I guess I am a girl of simple pleasures, and few weekends have been as simply pleasurable as this. I hope yours was lovely too!

Love,

Your friend Lina

Twist and Shout

Much baking, much applying, much HP audiobooks read by Stephen Fry, much organising of strands.

I finished up my circle scarf the other night, got all my wrapping done tonight, and then tried out the Orchid Grey heidi braids. I'm not too too sure about these on myself, but I love love love them on her. I'm a devoted follower of quite a few style blogs (mostly from the Delightful Dozen), and Julie at Orchid Grey has never been knocked off the plinth of favourite. Her hair is kinda like mine, and since she always wears it so well, I thought I might give one or two of her styles a try. Not to sure if I have the gumption to wear these out of the house yet (yet all over the internet is ok? Be reasonable.), but they're fun to try nonetheless.


A little too Alpen? A little too frauline? Or good to go for a season of big scarves and thus long hair up?

I've got lots of Christmas parties this week, and I can't wait for them to begin! Don't you just love the season? Definitely my favourite time of year.

Happy Holidays,

Your friend Lina

Christmas Projects

Also known as: I'm scared of grad school applications

Home for the holidays and knitting up a storm. And by that I mean I want a knitted circle scarf, but as we don't ask for presents in this household (always more fun than getting what you've demanded of your relations beforehand) and I have no monies, knitting at a mild pace while watching old Amstell Never Mind the Buzzcocks. I'm a bum and just chilling at home catching up on some much needed sleeping-in, doing some Christmas baking, and seeing old neighbourhood friends, so this adds to the cozyness of the season and the month off from McGill.

Speaking of which, I'm also in the process of grad school applications and I'm terrified of everything. This is SUCH a big decision, and even though I'm sure I know what I want to do, it's scary to envision grad school as the next step in what will ostensibly be known as my life. I'm going for a more practical, less academic sort of degree, so it's odd to think of it as job training. I never thought of university in that way; my Dad was sure to teach us while we were young that college is for job training, university is for exploring. I've held that true to myself during my degree, but the prospect of being a wage-earner rather than tuition-spender is creeping up on me.

Then comes the decision where to go. There are about four schools in Canada and the same number in England that I am considering. The two that I'm most interested in are in Ottawa and my other home town of Bristol. If I could go to either of those (all the scholarships please!) WHAT a freaking decision that will be. Do I start to properly build my life in Canada or England? I honestly could go either way, if money weren't a factor. I'm going to apply for lots of CAD and GBP, so hopefully that won't have to figure into my decision because I would love to be blessed enough to never have to ask What If? or have any regrets fueled by budget.

All this being if I get in at all.

That's even scarier.

Nonetheless Happy Holidays à tous! I'm off to make date pinwheels at my mother's request!

Love,

Your friend Lina

PS: I got a MacBook for my birthday (and Christmas, and Easter, and Graduation, and Wedding. . . ) so not only do you get to see my soon-to-be scarf, but you get to see it glowing as well!

Been Listening All the Night Long

Feeling better about everything now. Family and Flynn can fix everything. And I'll be seeing Dylan today! The heartfelt homeland isn't that far away sometimes. . . .


Love,

Your friend Lina