Catalogue Christmas

I'm home for Christmas!
Just a little background on that: I am originally from Toronto, but go to school in Ottawa. I come home maybe...three times during the school year. And everytime I do come back, there's always something different in my household.

In addition to a few other modifications, it was new decorations for the tree this year. No more of those art projects from kindergarten or colourful mismatched ornaments- that was all replaced with silver and gold. It's almost as if I walked into one of those catalogue showrooms where you're supposed to look but not touch.

I guess I'll have to rely on family for that classic feeling of 'home'.

xo A Talentless Mess

How to: be an efficient shopper

It's crunch time, folks. For you last minute shoppers, this time of the year can be super stressful. You have 2 days left until Christmas and only a few hours to complete your gift list. Are you going to make it on time? Follow these steps to maximize your time and make your shopping experience as effortless as possible.

1.) Look before you leap.
If you can, try to get an idea of what you're looking for. That means using your resources- online stores, newspaper ads, commercials, etc. You'll definitely save time if you're not wandering around aimlessly. When you know what you're looking for, you can plan for what shops to hit and which ones to avoid.

2.) Dress code in effect.
Ladies, those new heels may be cute, but now is not the time. Make sure you wear your walking shoes, because you're going to be doing a lot of it! Wearing good shoes helps your stamina because you won't be taking as many breaks or running out of energy because of sore feet.

If you plan to buy something for yourself, you might want to consider wearing clothes that are easy to change out of. I suggest something along the lines of cardigans and zip-ups.

3.) Map it out.
Have a sense of direction. Know what stores you need to hit/want to hit and where they are located. This way, you won't need to waste time by walking around in circles going back to stores you forgot to go to.

4.) Build some muscle.
If you have heavier items, you may want to consider buying them last so they don't weigh you down while you shop. However, you need to consider Step 3 (Map it out) and how to balance the two. If you don't mind walking around with heavier items, then by all means, go ahead. For those that haven't picked up a set of weights in a while, you may need to do some tweaking to Step 3 and go back to stores you've passed.

Bonus: Food and washroom breaks.
So for me personally, I like to eat and take washroom breaks before I head out to the mall so I don't waste time sitting around at the food court. You might want to consider eating beforehand anyway so you're well energized. Whether you decide to eat at the mall or beforehand, try to eat lighter so you don't feel sluggish from the food sitting in your gut as you hustle about.

With all this in mind, this should only be done when necessary. Otherwise, it does take the fun out of window shopping and looking at things you probably won't buy.

Happy holidays!
xo A Talentless Mess

Autumn monotone

As you can see from my previous post, it snowed over the weekend. Today was relatively mild, so it was one of those days where the streets were soggy and lined with slush. The sky remained grey for most of the day, and the wind just wouldn't quit. It was just one of "those days" where people just seemed to be going through the motions of the day aimlessly and out of routine. The colour and life of today seemed to melt away with the snow. I wasn't feeling too colourful either. Shades of brown and black were the best I could do. Though, I must admit, there's a certain eerie autumn charm about monotone outfit.

What I'm wearing:
-Brown faux leather jacket
-Tan sweater dress from Costa Blanca
-Faux fur vest from Costa Blanca
-Brown leather boots
-Black leggings

xo A Talentless Mess

Double digits are a treat

I absolutely adored the weather today. I didn't think I'd be able to go outside in short sleeves in late November, but today defied the odds. Unfortunately, it's supposed to be a high of -1 tomorrow. What contrast to the 15 degrees we were looking at today. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

What I'm wearing:
-Grey knit hat
-Faux fur vest from Costa Blanca
-Brown belt from Costa Blanca
-Maroon skirt from Forever 21
-Grey over-the-knee socks from Costa Blanca
-Brown suede booties from Forever 21

xo A Talentless Mess

Mourning the fall

I had a massive shopping spree last weekend. If I was unsure if I REALLY wanted the item, I bought it anyway so I could return it later, if anything. I think my plan backfired because I ended up wanting to keep everything I bought. When I say backfire, I mean that I want to return things. A buying rampage is nice, but it should only be done in modesty with a student budget.

Have you ever picked your outfit colours based on the weather?
Today was super gloomy, and I almost felt like I should be dressed in darker attire- as though I was mourning the weather. In midst of the rain, I let my fashion do the shining instead.

What I'm wearing:
-Tan and cream Costa Blanca shirt
-Army green shorts
-Grey over-the-knee socks
-Brown suede Forever 21 booties
-Black Urban Outfitters glasses

xo A Talentless Mess

Old for the young

One style that I've been interested in lately has been the grandma/grandpa look. In the past years, it seems like fashion has been focused on things that are form-fitting, almost painted onto skin even. It's nice to see that baggy sweaters and oversized clothes are considered chic now (with the right styling, of course). Comfortable fashion? I wouldn't have it any other way.

What I'm wearing:
-Navy/Cream striped cardigan from Costa Blanca
-Cream scarf from Costa Blanca
-Black glasses from Urban Outfitters
-Black skinny jeans from Bluenotes

xo A Talentless Mess

It's weird, but I like it

I know an outfit's good when it catches the eye of my roommate.
"It's weird. It's like an Asian outfit, but not really". Hopefully that managed to make some sense to you. If not, here's how it breaks down: I say that I want to balance the styles of New York, LA, and Hong Kong, so I guess this outfit exemplifies that. After trying to dissect what my roommate was thinking, we decided that it looks like something that might be seen in the streets of Hong Kong, but there are touches that make it more Western as well.



What I'm wearing:
-Dark olive green Sparkle and Fade cardigan from Urban Outfitters
-Lightweight tartan Forever 21 button-down shirt
-Brown suedette booties from Forever 21

xo A Talentless Mess

Unlocking the door to possibilities

After weeks of the door to my balcony being stuck, my roommate finally managed to open it. This means that I finally get to take outdoor pictures again! In celebration of that, I had to use the balcony- half an hour before I had class. Sure, I was a little late, but enjoying the outdoors was just marvelous.

What I'm wearing:
-Red hand-me-down cardigan
-Forever 21 blue button-down shirt
-Charlotte Russe faux suede boots

I'm beginning to simply adore the brightness that this red cardigan brings to almost any outfit. To think that I had it sitting in my closet unworn for years. I would only bring it out on Christmas to be festive. Otherwise, I thought it made me look old. Oh, high school me...

xo A Talentless Mess

Dollar equality

Dear American-based stores,

I would like to report that it has been months since the Canadian dollar has been (almost) at par with the American dollar, yet we still suffer from price inequity. Why must your online stores be so much more expensive in Canada? There is also the issue that online stores for the Canadian region tend to have less merchandise.

$24.80 Forever21.com

I stumbled upon this dress online and was ecstatic to have found something so lovely for such a reasonable price. There was a great sense of disappointment once I realized that I was, in fact, on the American Forever 21 site that does not ship to Canada. On the Canadian site, the prices are not only more expensive, but there is much less merchandise. Quite upsetting. It's times like these that make me wish I lived in the U.S.

xo A Talentless Mess

Cozy nerd

Midterms and papers may be a problem, but the weather can't stop me.



Gotta love the layered cozy look to go with nerd-chic.

What I'm wearing:
-Olive corduroy jacket
-Blue Hollister Hoodie
-Basic red t-shirt
-White Costa Blanca scarf
-Grey knit hat
-Black Urban Outfitters glasses

Note: I don't normally wear anything with huge logos plastered across the chest (or in this case, the sleeves too), but sometimes things just happen to slip into my wardrobe. They've all become layering pieces now.

xo A Talentless Mess