Inspired by Mint Chocolate- yum!

Morning, all! Typing straight from my sister's laptop in a residence! :) It's the first week of August and you know what that means, right? Probs not, haha, but it's Animethon Season! Don't know if you recall my post from last year about Animethon! A post this year shall be airing! :)

Anyway, this outfit was from a couple of days ago and didn't make it on the blog as quick as I had planned for it to. This outfit reminds of mint chocolate- black, brown, and green- yum!! Haha! Oh, right, and the cherry red on top! :D 

I think crop-tops are best paired with high-waist (or in my case, I suppose, something that looks high-waist)! I don't think patterns clashing are a complicated mess, not if the colours are bold enough to outweigh the patterns! Tidying it up with a brown leather shoulder bag which brings the outfit to a more organized end, haha. 

These shoes are from Aldo- I'm loving the newest trend of sporty sandals- they are so chic and effortless, plus they feel oh-so-comfortable! I also love the glitter on my sandals! The only worry I have is that the straps on the sandals seems similar to sand paper.. ah, but all for the good price of roughly $30. 

Outfit Details: 

Top: H&M

Skirt: American Eagle

Shoes: Aldo

Necklace: vintage

Bag: Marco Polo

Sunnies: Target

Do you have any outfits inspired by any type of food? :P

Let's name some, haha! 

Much love,

Nicole

Summer OOTD ! & First-Year University Reflection!

Ello ello! So I said I would be back and here I am, haha (yeah, like 1 month later.. ;_;)! 

Well, anyway, the uni life post that I was promising is here! HERE!  I actually don't have that strong urge anymore to post about this topic in particular because of my poor memory...

But as most cliches have it- the show must go on! *sits up straight*

The outfit for today- a light cotton blue shirt, feeling cool under the blazing sun! Adding some pops of orange to the outfit with my bag and these heels! ;)

Don't forget sun glasses during the summer- they help protect your eyes from the terrible UV rays; too important: if there is something you must take away from today's post, it is to wear sunglasses- even during the winter because of snow (you can get blinded by the sharp white colour if you stare at it too long)! 

What were your thoughts before you went into university? 
To be honest, it didn't quite hit me that I was departing to eastern Canada until 2 nights before my flight to London, Ontario. I was laying in bed, going to sleep, and I was like, oh my... in two more nights I'll lying in a dorm in an unknown place with a roommate. I actually started panicking really hard and tried to do mental preparation, which I suppose did help- my transition was actually not too bad; I was absorbing everything splurging my way! I did break down when I was heading back to school after I went home for Christmas break. Anyway, I didn't give much thought about it, and I think it was mainly because I was avoiding the topic of going somewhere else by myself (well, my Mom came with me to help prepare, but that was it), while everyone else I knew basically stayed in town for their career or life, whatnot.

Expectations:
Truth be told, I suppose I did for maybe some split seconds, think I'd magically transform into this super outgoing person with a million new friends, having a great time, living the college life! 
Reality? I guess not.. haha.. ended up studying some Friday nights while the party music upstairs start booming at roughly 10pm. 
Mostly, I was hoping to continue to be involved within campus and to make sure my life was balanced with school, socializing, and all that, while being happy and healthy. 

Did you meet your expectations for university?
Maybe I could have if I specified my goals and actually aimed at them, coming up with plans and more. I definitely enjoyed the experience, even though there were lots of downs and ups- if I stayed in town, I wouldn't have cultivated this new mindset I have fostered which opened me up. I am so incredibly blessed to have this experience (though not yet excited or ready for school again in September, haha). In the end, just go with the flow! Everything seemingly worked out fine and I have learned a lot.

Tie a knot on the ends of the shirt for an edgier, more nonchalant feel! 

Any tips?

• Get your butt out of your comfort zone! Join a club and go to sessions, even by yourself, if nobody wants to do it with you. You get to meet some great people, have a great time, and you will feel fulfilled/feel that your university experience is at least worthwhile with this activity! 
• Balance your life! University isn't just about studying- as said above, maybe join a club, make a club, get a job for the experience (and extra cash should help with your tuition, no?), and do something different, something you would normally not do! Why not study abroad? Consider things you would normally not think about!
• Prepare... for the unexpected! There are times when a door will close- you were rejected for a position, you don't do as well as you expect in school, or if your relationships are getting weak. Embrace these "down-times"- when a door closes, more doors open: more opportunities and space for improvements. Don't stop.. believing!

I might sound super positive, like I totally nailed all of these, but nope! There were times when I missed an opportunity, I was afraid to take the leap, but I won't regret it, rather I'll embrace the chance for me to reflect and learn!

Until next time! :) I hope you are all enjoying your summer! 
What lessons have you learned from this year? 
Any reflections or thoughts you'd like to share? I got my ears open for you! Leave your blurb below!

Orange is the New Black

Now before you get on ahead with that title.. no.. I didn't watch the TV series yet although I heard many compliments about it~ heheh... but that's sort of where I'm deriving the title of this outfit from!

I don't have much orange clothes now that I think of it.. NEW SHOPPING MOTIVE!! (Just kidding, haha- I need to start saving for school too!!) Anyway.. the weather is so so hot today (and a bit humid)- it felt nearly like the warm, humid weather in Hawaii when I took a stroll down here in the evening! Loved the feeling.. gosh, how I miss Hawai!! 

Oh my gosh.. I love this setting so much!! Perfect shooting location for more outfits! Con is that my photographer (aka my sister(s)) didn't have a fun trip here walking! Oh, look.. I'm wearing my "walking shoes"! 

What I'm wearing: Top from China | Shorts from China | Hat from China | Roots Bag | Clarks Shoes

This light thin cardigan was absolutely perfect for the cooling evening! I honestly don't remember where it's from! :P but today was too hot to wear the cardigan! It's probably above 38 degrees Celsius including humidity!! Well, I love hot more than cold, so I'm going to embrace this weather while I can (crazy me, huh)?! ^^ *flips sticky hair in air* (I'm debating what sorts of short hairstyles should I go for as I have extremely thick hair!) 

Until next time!! Have a great day!

-Nicole 

Crop it with a Skirt

Eek, I can't believe I found a crop top from my Mom's old collection!! Haha, I actually remember seeing some pictures of my Mom rocking it when she was younger... she's still stylish! :P Anyway, I'm wearing this black crop top with a lace skirt, plus a denim jacket for the extra structured denim touch- quite a basic, easy outfit to put together if I do say so myself.. it should be great for school. 

And, I did quite a bit of shopping the other day, and I thought I'd like to share my haul! 

There was a sale in La Senza- these bras were only roughly $9 each- down from around $30-$35 each! 

1/3 of the shoes I bought- it was on sale for $29.99! 

A look from the front/side :) 

2/3 of the shoes I bought: the brand of this is Clarke, and I bought it in sears for $69, down from $109! I know it might not look really in style, but this I'm calling this my "walking shoes"- I know I can walk in this for a whole day without my feet hurting from it! It's so comfortable.;) 

 The third pair of shoes is not yet in my hands- I actually spotted it in Aldo, but my size was not in stock. I'm usually a size 7 to 8, but since I decided that pair of shoes would be great for winter, I sized up just in case I wore thick socks for the shoes; so, I ordered a size 8 and it should arrive within 3-6 business days! Can't wait to see and wear them!! Anyway, I can say that this shopping haul from yesterday was pretty successful, though still quite a bit pricy! 

Did you do any recent shopping hauls? Share them with me so I won't feel bad splurging so much, haha!!
Until next time~ have an amazing day!

Plaid and Edgy with a Touch of Moon

Hi everyone! Today I opted in for an edgier, cool look with the tie-waist flannel. I can remember back in elementary when we'd have our spring jackets around our waist just so life would be easier during recess when we start getting warm. What a coincidence that Olivia of HerNameWasCelebration blogged about this recently, too- do check out her post on the That Jacket Tying Thing for a more feminine look on this trend and for our share of elementary days! ;) 

This moon phases tank top was bought a few months ago for five dollars from Winners! I remember buying this bag from Aritzia around four years ago- everyone was wearing it and I don't know what part of it I fell in love. So, when it went on sale for roughly 50% off, I bought it for almost $25 and so far, I've only used it as a "travel bag", aka a personal carry-on when riding the plane. It's really spacious but a downside might just be that it's heavy and you might easily (though not intentionally) bonk people's heads with it! Nonetheless, I think owning at least one of these sorts of large bags are also an advantage to a closet, too, right? 

Outfit Details:

Moon Tank Top: Winners

Plaid Shirt: Abercrombie & Fitch / Hollister (forgot- will update!) 

Denim Shorts: Urban Planet

Bag: Aritzia

Watch: vintage

Shoes: vintage

Grainy Day | Aztec and Denim

Hi everyone! 

These past few weeks have been as hot and warm as ever, and considering the fact that we have eight months of snow here, we should cherish it; however, the hot weather has been harming mother nature- there were six wild fires ignited across our province so far during the past week! Perfect timing for the wind to come and blow those dust particles and the smell of smoke into our city... I was holding my breathe as I got these photos taken by my lovely sister! Tip #1: try to avoid the outside world as much as possible; tip #2: close windows and doors to avoid the odour and dust. Don't get me wrong- it's not deadly or anything- it's similar to that day when those trucks come and dust the roads! So these grainy days should be over soon! 

Anyway, here I am, sporting this used to feel quite baggy on me, but not so much anymore (Thank you, Grandma and Momma for the food and care!) aztec sweater with this denim skort, here in my backyard (do excuse the soil and debris by my apple tree). This sweater was bought around a year ago, when I went crazy online shopping, haha. I can control myself quite well nowadays, I'd say. I added my old watch I've been wearing since probably seventh or eighth grade and a pair of black flats with some studs on! I honestly can't believe I'm wearing a sweater in the summer... but today was quite a windy, cool day! 

Outfit Details:
Sweater: www.dresslink.com
Skorts, flats, watch, bag: forgot/old

Is the weather doing you any good wherever you are? No sweater for summer, I'm guessing? :P