Mirror, Mirror

(Vintage leather bomber that certainly came home with me.)

I'm not much of an app user. I get a little overwhelmed with all the possibilities. I mean, I have a few that I love but for the most part, I keep it simple. Then Beaucoo asked me to testdrive their new app and despite being an app slacker, I said yes in a second. That's because the Beaucoo app is something I do anyways, it just takes my habits to the next level.
To put it very simply, Beaucoo is like an Instagram feed of change room pictures.
I take pictures in the change room all the time when I am shopping, so uploading to Beaucoo was just a fun way to share them. As I strive to shop smarter, it's nice to have evidence of what I tried on in order to make purchasing decisions later. I personally like to step back and re-evaluate whether an item would be a good fit for my life and wardrobe or whether I just want to buy an item to fill that momentary desire to just. buy. something.
Because Beaucoo is a community based app, you share your pictures and clothing reviews. It's handy to find people with similar body types and sizing and it's also handy to share information on current collections available in-store. For example, I loved a certain pair of pants at the Gap on the hanger but once I tried them on, they felt really flimsy and almost see-through. When I uploaded the picture of the pants, I also shared that information. Because sharing is caring.
Beaucoo is super easy and useful, but let's be honest, it's also just entertaining. It's fun to get a little glimpse at what others are bringing into the change room and to peek in at their shopping habits.

Also entertaining? The fact that I often do a head tilt when taking selfies... It's called The Lean and it gets progressively worse as evidenced below..

Get yourself the new Beaucoo app and follow me!

(Full disclosure: while this post and the opinions expressed are 100% mine, I was given a gift certificate as compensation in order to test drive the app.)

The Day Before Cheap Candy

Dress? Vintage Scassi, Antique Avenue Jacket? Costa Blanca (leather here or faux here)Boots? Aldo

 Clutch and bracelet? Thrifted

And just like that, it's Halloween. I'm going to say it... time flies.
I wish I could impress you all with some crazy, clever costume but we are typically very lazy in our Halloween celebrations. We went to a Halloween party this weekend and things were kinda last minute (how I roll...) so I filled up a Tim Hortons travel mug and put on the viking helmet I just had lying around in the attic. No big deal.

Honestly we more celebrate the Day-after-Halloween, than Halloween itself. Obviously, this is 100% due to discounted candy. Every year I tell myself that this is the year that I won't get stomach pains off excessive Reese's and every year... it happens again. It's like an awesome but painful tradition. And even when I avoid buying the candy, Matt will proudly come home with the post Halloween loot. He lets me know he loves me with cheap, mini Wonderbars and those molasses candies in orange wrappers.
I know almost everyone hates those chewy candies but I just love them... myself and the grandmothers in the world...

Tour Guide

Pants? Maison Scotch Shirt? Joe Fresh (bleached and sequined) Jacket? Ralph Lauren, thrifted 

Boots? Joe Fresh (similar here) Chest smushing hug? c/o me

I had hoped to take some out-of-town friends out for a hike along the Hamilton escarpment this weekend, but the weather wasn't looking fantastic and we went for a tour of Dundurn castle instead. Earlier this year, I went on this same tour with my dad, so I was pretty much thinking I didn't have to listen because I'm already an expert. Turns out I learned a lot of new information this time around too. However, with two tours under my belt, I do think I now officially know everything and I will be offering unauthorized, off-hours guided tours at a discounted price. We'll tour around the outside of the locked building at night and I will show you Iphone pictures of the inside rooms and tell you interesting historical facts.
I think this idea has potential...

The most interesting thing I learned this time was that ladies went swimming in giant flannel (yes, flannel!) dresses in the summer. They would also hire a coach to park along the water and block others from seeing them as the frolicked in flannel. I think that's messed up... If I'm going to the beach, I want everyone to see me in my tattoo style Ed Hardy bathing suit...

*Thanks to Pauly from photo280 for taking some outfit snaps after the tour. I  do think the first picture needs some hound dogs photoshopped in... 

Shine On

I found a good way to ignore reality and escape your problems.
Sew sparkly crap unto your stuff.

I've been admiring this shirt from Maison Scotch for a while now... So, I decided to do my own thing and bleach out a Joe Fresh shirt and sew on some sequins instead. I have the one side left to embellish but it will be done this weekend. Mark my words. Because the sooner this shirt enters my rotation of wardrobe basics, the better.
Yeah, it's taken a couple hours... But there is something oddly relaxing about hand beading. I don't knit or crochet but I imagine the feeling is a little similar?

There are many other ways I could have spent those hours besides sewing on sequins but, my mind is calmer and my shirt is sparklier. Win. Win.

Have a wonderful weekend! May it be sparkly and bright.