Style

I really never thought that I’d add racoons to a growing list of animals I greatly fear, but such is the case since our day at Lighthouse Park.  Alex and I set off for West Van early in the morning a few Fridays ago, with our cameras and a few outfits in tow.  The morning had been quite overcast and the sun broke through just as we reached the stunning rock formations at the water.  It was my second time soaking in the views from the water at Lighthouse Park and I was, once again, blown away by its beauty.  Feeling inspired by our surroundings, we began photographing our first looks on the large middle rock.  Our things were stored in between two rock formations and dangerously close to the water’s edge.  To our complete surprise, we had the beach to ourselves for the first few hours that day, with only some boaters and paddle boarders waving from the water.  That was, until I changed out of this casual look into a much fancier floor length dress.

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Shopping for swimwear used to be my worst nightmare.  The only ‘local’ store that even semi catered to my body shape was one that my mom had stumbled upon and about 40 minutes from home.  I remember being a teen, and feeling confused as to why I had to travel so far just to purchase a suit that could accommodate my bust.  And thinking back, they didn’t even necessarily have the most flattering styles for me.  It wasn’t until the high waist bikini bottom became a trend that I FINALLY felt comfortable in swimsuits.  With my natural waistline being the smallest point, wearing bottoms that fit snug on my hips was your basic recipe for muffin top.

Once I started finding bikini tops that came in DD+ sizing, it was another challenge altogether sourcing anything unique!  After years of frustration, I’ve finally found a couple go-to online stores that offer on-trend bathing suits at reasonable prices – thank goodness!  My beach game has majorly stepped up and I feel more comfortable than ever by the water.  Below is this exact suit from ASOS (I stalk their fuller bust bathing suit options daily), don’t you love the unique cut?  The striped fabric is classic, but the cutout and underwire feature make it a real standout!  Be sure to also scroll to the bottom of this post, where I’ve linked some of my favourite online swimwear styles!

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I am currently knee deep in THE most exciting activity…organizing and backing up my files!  I’m a real party animal.  But seriously, I have been avoiding this activity for half the year and basically living my life at maximum storage.  When I want to upload new things, I have to delete old photos/video files, which is no way to live, people!  I’ve already organized and purged items in real life, now it’s time to do the same for my computer.  I swear it helps clear space in my mind as well, it’s incredibly cleansing and though tedious and slightly boring, it really is satisfying.

As for this cute little outfit, I was feeling spendy and craving some good ol’ online shopping a while back (just kidding, I feel that way most days).  Immediately drawn to the cut of this flared dress, I trusted the sizing information and ordered it a size up.  As it goes for online shopping, the fit is perfect, but it somehow arrived without the fabric belt?  It’s not necessarily a make or break, but it definitely would be even cuter if it had the matching belt to go with it!  Otherwise, I’m quite happy with this frock, and it has proven to be a go-to for summer gatherings.  Plus, it covered me up enough/has the right shape to make me comfortable wearing my hair up on those extra hot days!

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Happy Friday, my loves!  What a glorious weekend it’s going to be!

Did you catch my McArthurGlen Vancouver takeover on Instagram this week?!  If not, you should hop on over to their IG and give them a big follow!  That way, you can check out all the looks I styled up for them, as well as a chance to WIN a $100 gift card to do some designer outlet shopping!

I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to check out McArthurGlen Designer Outlet yet, but it really is such a fun experience.  The entire place has a very European feel and is basically an Instagram dream!  I’ve had a lot of success avoiding crowds by heading there first thing in the morning, and on a clear day, the planes fly RIGHT over you to the YVR landing spot across the road.  And I mean RIGHT over you, to the point where it kind of feels like they might land on you.  It’s scary, exciting, and unique all at the same time.  Besides the atmosphere, I really enjoy the stores at McArthurGlen Vancouver as well!  It was truly a great experience tapping into that fashion stylist brain again and picking out 4 summer looks for the IG takeover!

Below are a two of my favourite looks.  All items and prices were found at McArthurGlen last week, so availability is not guaranteed. Which I guess is kind of the beauty of outlet shopping!  Anyway, if they’re already gone, or you’re not based here, I also included the online links to these pieces.  Which outfit was your favourite?!

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Back in the spring, all I wanted was a summer dress that mimicked the grown up boho/beachy look that I am so crazy about in home decor.  I just wanted to match our apartment a little bit?  I don’t have a dog or a kid, so this oddly makes the most sense.  I stumbled upon this h&m beauty via Instagram and just HAD to have it.  Yes, it’s really pretty, but turns out, it’s not quite what I’d wanted.  Now that I’m not in the moment of impulse purchase, I have browsed similar styles online that have the tassel tie detail and some who also have embroidery and I slightly regret things.  I think my biggest problem with this one I ended up with is how tight it is in the top on me and the fact that they opted for a puffy sleeve.  It makes me feel more like I’m on my way to yodel than to enjoy a summer’s day at the beach.  You live and you learn though, and this one is still cute, I just don’t think I’ll be wearing it as much as I’d hoped.  Lucky for you, I found improved versions of this dress online, which I’ve linked here below.  Sometimes, I need a reminder that just because a dress seemed to look great on IG, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily going to work for me!

SHOP SIMILAR STYLES HERE:

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I was just browsing ASOS for white dresses for Diner en Blanc and was incredibly impressed with their selection!  Couldn’t believe how many options there were for under $125 CAD.  Below are just a few of my favourites, hover over the image and click the black square icon to link to each dress.  These fresh white frocks are perfect for brides to be, an all-white attire themed event, or hey, just because!  Which one is your favourite?  I’m honestly minutes away from just going for it and ordering the one in the bottom right!  Happy Shopping xo

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This outfit screams fall (and a slight attitude, but I blame that on the sunglasses).  Which, might seem strange in the middle of summertime, it’s not quite so here in Vancouver.  We’ve had non stop chilly, overcast days that feel much more like October than July.  I haven’t minded though, I quite like autumn and a bit of rain.  The heat and uninterrupted sunshine always comes back again (in fact, it’s already here).  I’m sure we can all use our imagination with this look, because if you ditch the leather jacket and swap out the booties for sandals, it’s still a functional summer ensemble.  Actually, this might be the perfect seasonal transition outfit.  Is it too early to be posting this? Andddd now I’m questioning everything!  Oh well, enough small talk about the weather.

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At the moment, our ground floor apartment has an amazing west facing view of…the building next to us.  Not quite that rooftop cityscape I’ve always dreamed of, that’s for sure.  I’ve already decided that our next place is going to have so much natural light and a killer view.  Oh, and a fireplace.  Turns out, I might have to win the lottery for us to ever be able to afford to move!

Even though I’ve been enjoying the process of redecorating our current one bedroom apartment, I still look at the MLS every day for a potential 2 bedroom spot.  If you’re not from here, the Vancouver/Lower Mainland market has gone absolutely insane!  Prices are sky high and 2/3 bedroom places are tough to come by.  Which, is why I’m not quite sure why I torture myself by checking it daily?!  I suppose  it’s fun to imagine finding a deal and renovating.  I’m a dreamer, what can I say?  I do hope to be able to remain in beautiful Vancouver and raise a family here.  Might have to mean adjusting expectations and thinking outside the box, but we’ll do what we can to stay.

PS If you’re not following me on Twitter, then you definitely should consider it.  Tomorrow I have THE most amazing/hilarious giveaway of all time.  Not to hype it up too much, but you’re going to love it.

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Happy 4th, friends!  Hope you’re having an awesome day.  Personally, this long weekend was much needed and the best way to unofficially welcome the summer. Unfortunately, I spent Canada Day doubled over in pain due to a food sensitivity.  I’ve had stomach issues my entire life and finally decided that it was most likely eggs.  I LOVE eggs and being a lifelong vegetarian, they were an absolute staple in my diet.   Since cutting them out at the beginning of this year though, I’d yet to experience any sort of tummy issues.  That was, until I made cookies Thursday evening, using the 2 eggs the recipe required.  Not thinking it was a big deal, I may or may not have eaten a ton of cookies (they were small, okay?) and paid for it big time on Friday.  Not an ideal holiday, but luckily felt great the rest of the weekend and found the perfect balance of hanging out with friends, relaxing, cleaning the apartment, eating barbecued foods, and enjoying the beach.  Ooh, and we found some vegan (and just regular) waffles in the city that are a MUST try!  Will be sure to write a full report soon.

I was thinking about it the other day, and I haven’t owned a safari dress in quite a few years, but I forgot the ease and wearability that comes with.  I love that you can just throw it on and it’s such a neutral, blank slate.  I only wish that I’d steamed this Joe Fresh number before photographing it – and that I didn’t stuff my face with cookies!  But hey, you can’t win them all, can you?!

GET THE LOOK:

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