Friday Favorites 07.20.12

 

dark blue Old Navy Rockstar jeans, white Target v-neck, tan F21 moccasins

I've been absolutely in love with my new jeans. These are the Rock Star jeans from Old Navy.

 I never invest in jeans so I'm always used to the poor quality of Forever21 jeans that stretch out after 30 mins. Even though these aren't Levi's or True Religion, they fit me like a glove! 

I'm a whopping 5"1, but these skinny jeans make me feel taller and curvier in the right places. The fit around the waist and hip is so amazing that I love pairing these jeans with fitted tshirts. I've always worn looser tops to hide my muffin top.

  I picked up this bad boy at Forever21 in Florida. I usually never wear totes in the summer but I'm making an exception for this one. It reminds me of a tote I found in Urban Outfitters, but bigger and less expensive :) 

 My beagle Copper is one of my favorites for this week! I missed her so much while I was away. Even though she annoys me a lot and is super needy, she's my little baby :P 

She can smell peanut butter being opened in her sleep and looks like Dobby the elf when she gets excited :) 

My good ol' razor comb. 

I got this in Vancouver almost 5 years ago and have been cutting my own bangs ever since. Cutting my side swept bangs used to take 20 mins with scissors, now it takes less than 5 mins with a razor comb.

It's a favorite for this week because I used it to save my hair! My hair is at an awkward length between my shoulders and my boobs and also has no more layers in it. I used my razor comb to thin out my hair and give me some more short choppy layers. Usually I would only trust my haircut to my favorite stylist, but I desperately want to grow out my hair. So in this case I get to trim the top and leave the bottom to look longer :)

I also have nothing on my wishlist for this week because of all the shopping I did in Florida :)

Love,

Michelle

Florida Bound - Outfits, Hauls & Food

 

(cloudy view from our parking garage)

 

This past week I've been in the Fort Lauderdale area of Florida with my boyfriend :) I was suppose to ask him to do some outfit photos for me, but with the heat I didn't bother with hair or makeup once :P I wanted to share some photos of the trip though, which includes some outfit pictures and of course food! (Isn't that the reason we all love traveling? ;D)

  

(real technique brush set, nyx HD foundation, small stephen king haul, F21 studded loafers)

 

(H&M skater dress, brown skinny belt)

The outfit I wore when I was dragged to PF Changs by my boyfriend. I know he has a better taste in Chinese food but he really wanted to try it there. I can say I was the only Asian person in the entire restaurant including the staff -_- 

 

AHHH...tanning :) I absolutely love to tan and swim. We only had one full day of sun, so we hit up the beach and the pool. I was addicted to the sun that day, I didn't want to leave the pool until the sun was completely behind our condo building. But of course, along with a deep tan you have to protect your skin! 

 (Hot pink bandeau bikini top - Old Navy, HW bikini bottoms -OneStopPlus)

Oh damn, my first fatkini picture! This was my favorite swimsuit and I felt amazing in it. Last year I wore athletic shorts and a tank top to the pool and beach so this was a huge jump for me (but oh so worth it). No more sagging wet clothing or awkward tan lines :)

 (Mexican sampler dish from Orale, Mozzarella di Bufula from Piola) 

 

 (my nerdy boyfriend :) and my pastrami sandwich)

 

 

(White Vneck - Target, Denim Shorts - Thrifted)

This outfit was my favorite type to rock in florida: white tops with light wash denim shorts.

 

(Bandeau anchor dress - ASOS)

Not my favorite picture, but this was the only night we went anywhere remotely fancy. 

Hope you guys enjoyed!!

Love,

Michelle 

DIY Ombre Denim Shorts

I'm so happy that I finally got a chance to make these, I thought it was something I put off all summer. I've always loved everyone else's DIY ombre shorts but was too scared they would be too flashy for me, but what the hell right?! 

The tutorial I used is from Wild Flower's Blog. She also shows how she studs them in the cutest and safest way :) 

The shorts I used are thrifted and were originally jeans. I decided to cut them into cut offs instead of cuffing them. I forgot to take pictures of this process, but it was also my first time so it took me a few tries to slowly cut off inch by inch to make it the perfect length. 

To prep for the ombreing, I got an old (clean) bucket and poured 3/4 bottle of Clorox bleach and filled it tap water to raise it. I don't think you need to make exact measurements, you just have to watch it carefully to watch the bleaching. If you can, do this outside because the fumes can be horrendous.

So I just dunked them in and figured out how high I wanted them to bleach. I set alarms on my phone to check on them every 15 mins and I believe I left them in there for a total of 50 mins?

I did try and bleach the very bottom more to get a full ombre effect, but I forgot the bleach on the top is still processing even though its not directly in the bleach. 

Copper knows to stay away from the stinky bleach :)

After I was satisfied with the coloring, I filled my sink with 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 water and soaked the shorts in there. It apparently stops the bleaching process, I wouldn't skip this step. I left the shorts in there for 10 mins max. 

I threw the shorts into the washer right after (then dried them) and this is how it came out! I didn't want it to be so white, so next time I'll definitely leave them in for only 30 mins. I really love how the back came out as well. 

I also realized the shorts are too big, I'm pretty bad at picking out sizes at thrift stores (they even had the same pair in one size smaller). I think this is a trial pair, even though I can still wear them out. I also want to experiment with studding them as well :D 

Making these shorts were also super cheap, the price of the jeans and bleach came up to $6 :D 

I've been a DIY manic lately, so see you guys in the next one!

Love,

Michelle

P.S. You can buy a pair of DIY-ed ombre shorts at our shop!

Amanda's Friday Favourites - July 13, 2012

Oooooh, guys it's Friday the 13th. Creepy. Every-Other-Friday is now my favourite day of the week because I get to be shamelessly materialistic. :)

TRESemme's No Frizz Shine Spray

This stuff will detangle any horror my wavy giant hair will throw at it. I don't even have anything else to elaborate on. This shine spray has made my hair manageable. I'd recommend this product to anyone with thick, hard-to-manage hair, especially if you're worried about damage due to the breakage that comes with brushing.

 

ASOS Floral Print Backpack 

I feel like I should live up to my half of the blog's namesake more often. Plus, this adorable ASOS knapsack is half price right now (!) for around $30 CDN. I love that it's detailed with brown leather, and how bright the colours are. I can pretend I'm carrying a camera or art supplies and not lunch, and supplementary lunch.

 Face Coffee Mugs (via UncommonGoods)

I figure naming inanimate objects is only a few steps below actually personifying them, and so these face mugs seem like the logical next step in my mild descent into madness. On top of that, I don't even live in my own place yet, and I already have a growing collection of mugs with mustaches, circus bears, and President Obama. And, hi, they hold your snack and keep your cookies warm! The marvels of modern science!

Heart to Art Top (via ModCloth)

I feel like the cut-out look is very hard to pull off, but when it's done right it looks so sweet that my heart wants to melt! (Haha, get it?! Heart?!) I'm really happy the sleeveless button-down silhouette is really in this year since it gives me another option for work wear while still letting me feel like a pretty female. Plus, with its navy blue colour and red piping, I'll be channeling my inner sailor. Michelle would be so proud!

Custom Handmade iPhone Cases (via alec8211 on Etsy)

I recently made the big step up from my BlackBerry Bold to the iPhone 4S. Admittedly, the BlackBerry does have its issues, but I do miss it the way you miss your drunk uncle once your parents cut off communication. It really did handle emails like no other!

iPhones, however, have an endless litany of pretty case options. I've spent more time than I'd care to admit browsing handmade cases on Etsy for my baby. His name's Mortimer IV, by the way. My phone I mean. He follows a very proud lineage of Apple products that have fallen before him (quite literally, on sidewalks and roller coasters and stairwells).

Happy weekend amigos! I'm off to have a jam-packed day of hanging out with my mother, watching TLC's wedding line-up, and then hanging out with my mother and my grandmother.

Maternally yours,

Amanda

Sweet Sweet Sailor

I think you guys knew this was coming... a nautical inspired outfit (surprised?). Even though I love anything nautical, I still want to spread some diversity across my half of the blog. But I do have to get back to my roots and dress up as a sailor in an unconventional way. 

This is an outfit I would love to wear out because it's kind of sexy but also represents my cute style. Sadly, I put this on so I could take pictures with Amanda in her backyard. The most interaction we had was being buffet food for the swarm of mosquitos (and when a dragonfly bumped into me). But if my social life really was kickin', I would be rocking an outfit like this. 

The top I'm wearing is actually a crop top! It's a shirt that typically wouldn't fit me (but thank god for cotton right?) so I have to make it look like it's tucked into something. The cut of the tank top isn't what I'm usually comfortable with, but I will do anything for a sailor inspired top. 

The tights were definitely not needed for this outfit, but I'm still trying to experiment with layering (accessories) and not always going for the bare minimum. 

Outfit Details

Sailor Crop Top - Forever21 (Large)

Black Skater Skirt - ASOS Curve (UK22)

Mock Sock Tights - eBay (2XL)

Black Brogues - Forever21

Navy Hair Bow - American Apparel 

See you on the high seas!

Love,

Michelle

I Dream of Catching Denim

 

Michelle and I were bored and thought - Hey, let's take outfit pictures at night! It'll look so cool! And shortly thereafter, the mosquitoes took us alive, so please ignore the lack of variety in these photos. I also apologize to my neighbours who dealt with my shrieks after seeing a mosquito land on my hand - I don't do nature well.

A thrifting pro-tip that I swear by is taking the time to sift through the racks upon racks of t-shirt, particularly the men's section. While the majority are t-shirts from old fundraising events, and others don't seem like they should have ever been made, you'll find some gems, like some of Michelle's awesome finds, or this dream catcher t-shirt. It's a tourist shirt from Banff, Alberta (or so it says). I cut the high crew-neck, sleeves (not shown), and shortened the bottom.

Speaking of thrifting though, my greatest t-shirt find would be when I unearthed an enormous blue t-shirt that read "Herb's 90th Birthday!". Every time I wear it to do my stats homework or eat lunch, I feel like I'm raising a metaphorical glass to good ol' Herb. We hardly knew ya! Oh yeah, blog post.

  

I used to never wear bracelets, because I feel like they make me jangle when I all I want to do is type or make a sandwich. I've been trying it out again, though. My Aunt came to visit from the Middle East, and brought me a whole bunch of jewelry under the pretense - "I know you like strange and weird things, Amanda." I'm hoping there was a language barrier in there.


Strangely and/or weirdly yours,
Amanda

Outfit Details:
Chambray Shirt - H&M
T-Shirt - Value Village (modified)
Shorts - Gap
Shoes - Soft Moc
Earrings - Pearls (H&M), Skulls (Etsy via lightenme)
Bracelets - Etsy (same shop as above), Value Village, Middle East

Michelle's Friday Favorites 07.06.12

So I realized...am I making "Friday Favorites" a wish list? or things I've personally favorited out of my own collection? I decided I'll do both!

Full Dark, No Stars - Chapters 

This book isn't AMAZING, but it did want me to get back into reading. I used to read so much as a kid/teenager but somehow lost my way (damn you internet -shakes fist-). Luckily this book is divided into four creepy ass short stories, so it was great for my attention span. This book was on sale and I knew Stephen King is a great author. I seem to be drawn to sick, crazy and sadistic themes. This is a result of watching too much Criminal Minds and not enough Gossip Girl. I'm definitely going to pick up more of his work before my trip to Florida :D 

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream - Shoppers Drugmart

MY HOLY GRAIL RIGHT HERE. I don't think I've ever said that about ANY product, and I've only used it for 2 weeks? I'm a sucker for "new innovative" products from drugstore brands, so I picked this up even thought I've had my eye on the smashbox one (that's $40 more than this one).

I truly don't think that the North American BB creams are anything like the real Asian BB creams. I think they're just slightly better versions of tinted moisturizers. So I don't love this one as a BB cream, it is just amazing as a light weight summer foundation. It's amazing on my oily skin, I usually apply it with my fingers and no powder. It lasts most of the day and I look fresh and not super made up. The SPF 30 is also amazing! It doesn't leave me feeling cakey (which is why I usually avoid traditional tinted moisturizers). This also hasn't broken me out, if anything my skin texture is much better this month :D I also got mine in Medium/Dark which is technically too dark for me, but since it's so light weight I feel like one shade darker adds a bit more coverage.

Secret Window, Secret Garden - Chapters

I plan on picking this up to read on my trip to Florida. Sadly, I've already watched the movie version starring Johnny Depp. I usually don't like doing that but I think it would be good since I'm not fully back into reading and might have a hard time concentrating on it. I can say I loved the movie, so I'm hoping the book will blow my mind :D

Strapless Dress in Ditsy Print - ASOS

Sigh, another ASOS dress I don't think I'll be owning anytime soon. This bad boy is on sale right now, but still not at a price I can convince myself with ($59 CAD). I know it'll go lower next season but can I take that risk? Looking at this cutesy number makes me want to twirl around and feel pretty like those tampon ads.