FAVORITES: September '13

Happy autumn, all!

This year has been pretty kick-ass so far, and the first month of school has flown right by! Here are some things that made the time ultra great:

Fashion / Beauty:

The fashion/beauty section is a little small this month. I haven't gotten much, well I have, but not anything super noteworthy. Except for these few things.

So, I'd say in the middle of the month, I received my very first Unif purchase! I'm so glad I not only 

a) waited for the perfect camo jacket/didn't give into the cheap ones at Urban that didn't fit me right and

 b) waited to splurge on Unif when it was something I knew I would wear the shit out of. 

I absolutely, positively, 100% LOVE this jacket. Everything from the cut to the print to the material is divine. I've been wearing it more than any of my other jackets, that's for sure! To my surprise, I haven't seen many people with it. So that's kind of good. But yes! L O V E. (although it really sucks that it went down to 70$ after I payed 120$ for it.. umph)

Another thing that happened around that time, is that I CHOPPED ALL OF MY HAIR OFF! Well, not all of it, but a damn good amount! I honestly have never felt so free. I still love it. Although it's much trickier to leave natural than long hair, it feels healthier, and is a lot more manageable. I feel pretty sophisticated now as well. One of the better decisions I've made in the past few weeks, for sure!

Music / TV:

After watching Corinne Bailey Rae's episode of Live From The Artists Den, I knew I wouldn't stop listening to her album 'The Sea' for a while. The entire thing is just phenomenal. It's chill, it's sexy, it's sophisticated, it's ahhhhh. It was a pleasant surprise as well considering I thought all she had to offer was Put Your Records On from childhood singalong times. I WAS SO WRONG. I still can't turn it off. In fact, I'm listening to 'The Sea' as I write this. Hot.

Along with that, another pleasant surprise was that Arcade Fire is back in action with a new album, 'Reflektor', set to release at the end of October. The album-titled single dropped a few weeks ago, and that's another one I cannot seem to turn off! I've become a major lover of modern disco. This song is the definition of it, but of course with the classic AF sound. So. Perfect. Although it's almost 8 minutes long, I stay engaged the entire time. I'd even go on to say that the end is my favorite part! Give it a listen, it's fantastic. 

Misc:

Now this is where I've got a buttload of stuff to share. 

Making my weekly stop by David's Tea, I decided to drop into Coles to purchase Leandra Medine's new book. As per usual, they didn't have what I went in for. Usually, I would freak out internally, and then leave the store to get some poutine to raise my spirits, but not this time. I walked by a shelf, and on that shelf was what would be my new favorite series: The Carrie Diaries. Maybe it was fate that Man Repeller wasn't available at that location, because this couldn't have come at a better time. I'm a senior in high school, so is Carrie, we match. It's awesome. Can you say perfect timing? Still blows me away. Not to mention I still have yet to delve into the whole Sex And The City empire. I've been wanting too, but haven't really had the time to search the depths of the sea for episodes online let alone travel to the bookstore to search around for the first book in the series. I love it. 

Next on the list would be my favorite drinks. 

I think it goes without saying David's Tea is a major favorite, right? Hahaha. I won't even go there again. You all know the drill by now, I'm sure. 

A newer favorite drink I have would be Twisted Tea. It's an iced tea flavoured malt beer. Cheap. Tastes good. That's all I really have to say about it!

 At the beginning of the month, I had read a post from Lauren Rose about high school and what not, and I was super inspired to take my senior year and all of the experiences I encounter and make them into an art project in the form of a journal. I guess you could say it's turned into a collection of sorts. It's already loaded, and I can't wait until the whole thing is filled so I can make a volume 2. 

Lastly, I've included Celia of Ceedling on Youtube as well as her blog. Her, the writers of Rookie and Lauren Rose have both really opened my eyes as to what feminism really is, and kind of took my scaredy-cat feelings about following feminism and threw them in the garbage. They've taken the sometimes radical practice and made it something that's understandable and respectable for younger girls to really support/pay attention to. Their posts and talks and whatever else really make sense to me, and have given me a new perspective on women's rights/what it is to be a gal. Which is nice, because at this time it seems to be a prominent topic in many of my classes this semester. Thanks guys!! You all rock!!

I hope you all are enjoying your cozy time. Maybe try a few of these out and leave me a comment on what you think about these things/what you think I should try! I'd really like this to be a two way thang, where I show you all what I'm enjoying, and you also show me what you've been lovin' so I can try it! :)

Later days, 

Jaime

LINKS (Click to explore!!):

Fashion/Beauty

Unif x UO 'Tiger Yell' jacket

Music/TV

Corinne Bailey Rae

I'd do it all again

Closer

Love's on it's way

Paris nights/New York mornings

Diving for hearts

Arcade Fire

Reflektor

Misc.

Lauren's post: Surviving High school 101

Ceedling on Youtube

Ceedling on blogspot

(LIFE)STYLE: A Bunch Of Fangirling Over David's Tea's Fall Collection

Mmmmmmm

So in lieu of watching a good movie, buying myself a Longchamps bag or indulging in a good piece of cheesecake (or 5..), I bought myself David's Tea as a reward for keeping myself on track so far this year in all my classes. I know it's only the second week, but this isn't only about not dropping the ball so far, it's a reminder that I need to keep it up. Usually by this time I'm already procrastinating getting all of my work done and getting into the annual winter slump that seriously drags me down so badly every. single. year. 

So yeah. This is basically going to act like a small treat to keep me motivated and goal oriented for senior year, along with a mixture of other things I accumulate over the months ahead. 

You know, like when I have 3 assignments due, I'll get them done by making a list, and each time I check one off, I can indulge in a cup of warmth and comfort that is this collection of teas. 

To talk about the teas themselves more, I've really only tasted 3 of them so far. The other two I have yet to open. 

When I went into the store with Makayla and Denys (mes amis), last week, we were approached upon entering about if we liked pistachios or not. We all love pistachios. So Andrew, the sunny David's Tea employee went back to rustle us up a sample of Pistachio Cream, which is a mulberry leaf tea. I wasn't expecting it too be all that good for some reason, but was I ever wrong! 

I don't know why I continuously doubt David's Tea, because it consistently proves me wrong. 

The second one I tried was the Pumpkin Chai black tea. Man, what a treat! It's like a liquid hug for your insides. Everything you dream of when you picture autumn is what this tea embodies perfectly. We were meant to be. I give it a 2000/10 ^_^

I then went for Mom's Apple Pie green tea. Which is a very simple tea, but yet again, SO GOOD. I'm a sucker for anything apple/cinnamon flavoured, so I really took a liking to this one. 

Along with those ones, there are two others included: Cocoberry and Sugar and Spice. I can't wait to try them!

Aside from the actual tea, I purchased some vanilla flavoured agave syrup. Best. decision. ever. If you're not a big fan of using honey to sweeten your drinks/food, and you'd like a more natural alternative to plain sugar, this would certainly serve you well! They carry other flavours like blueberry and raspberry along with just plain with no flavouring, however I thought the vanilla would compliment the teas that I purchased this time wonderfully. 

The employee who took my payment said she uses it on her pancakes too! I may have to use that idea.. Sounds scrumptious!

Anyway, I've managed to write more on a 5 tea sample collection than I've been able to on many other things. You all should totally go try some! It's SO worth it.

Be kind, 

Jaime

FAVORITES: August '13

School is just around the corner,

so I figured I'd get this done before my free time becomes scarce.

^^Here's a collage of all of this things I've been killin' this month so far^^

Fashion / Beauty:

For my beauty pick of the month, I really didn't have to think twice about including my Wen cleansing conditioner. I purchased this stuff while visiting Chaz Dean Studio during my roady to California. The receptionist recommended I get the Lavender one after taking a look at my gnarly-ass frizz-fest of a head of hair. I think the bleaching that was required to get my hair pink did quite a number on the health of my hair. But after even just one wash, I noticed a difference in how knotty my hair gets, and of course the feel of it as well. I can certainly say I recommend this product to anyone who's looking for a new haircare routine to replace an old and somewhat useless one. 

For the fashion portion, I have chosen two of my (always) favorite online sources for style ideas and news, I guess you could say. 

Numero uno would be the blog The Man Repeller. This is Leandra Medine's fashion blog. It's the best combination of humor and useful information. I often read this on my phone during long drives, or when I wake up in the morning and don't feel like getting out of bed for a few more hours. So basically every morning.

For the second, this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows me well. CLOTHES ENCOUNTERS' JENN IM. I've been following Clothes Encounters on YouTube since it was still the dynamic duo. Although many complain about how they want the old channel back, I think Jenn has turned it into an incredible place for ladies to turn to for quick, and to the point fashion tips and ideas, presented in a fresh and well-spoken way. No matter how many years have gone by, I still find myself getting excited whenever I see a new video has been posted. Again, I'll provide a link to the channel down at the bottom and you can get right to exploring!

Music / TV:

SO, FINALLY Washed Out's new album 'Paracosm' has been released, and I couldn't be more content with how it turned out. I've always been a massive fan of Ernest Greene's creations, and this album just blew me away. I really love how he added in things like the bongos, and children's laughter. The sound that this album takes on is a little less futuristic and a little more nostalgic, but all together I think it was a genius choice to have made on his part. I seriously haven't stopped listening to it since I bought it off of iTunes. Seriously, give it a listen. You will not regret it.

I've also been really loving the toronto-based band Alvvays, who opened for the Wintersleep show I attended in Nova Scotia a few weeks back. Their sound is a sort of spacey, jumbled, nostalgic feel like Washed Out's, but the two are a lot different. The lead vocals are so innocent sounding, so the contrast between the sound of the instruments and the vocals actually mesh really well together as far as my musical taste goes. I guess they're kind of like a pop-ish mix between Best Coast, Beach House and Metric. They only have four songs on Soundcloud, but I just listen to them repeatedly. 

A series I really jumped right into was Skins. The UK version of course. The craziness this show has to offer is a little incomprehensible at times, but in a good way. I finished all of the seasons on Netflix, but have yet to get to the other seasons that are unfortunately not on there. One thing, though, about the series that I had to get used to was the generation changes. It's kind of annoying when you get so used to one set of characters and the stories that go along with them, watch 8 or 9 episodes, and then have it completely switched out for a new group on you, leaving you only to wonder what happened to the others. After I got over that hill, watching it was a breeze. It's a great show for teenagers, I mean, if you don't mind the barely-there censorship. The storyline never fails to surprise me! I won't give away any details as to how the storyline goes, so you'll just have to watch it yourself! Very good series. 

Lastly, I watched the film Kick Ass on Netflix just two nights ago. I'm not usually drawn to super hero movies, but this one was stellar. I'd have to say my favorite character would be Hit-Girl, played by  a young Chloe Moretz (in the photo above). Basically, it's an action/comedy about a young outcast who takes it upon himself to become a neighbourhood super hero, helping out people in need. He then encounters two other (much more intense) super heros, the father and daughter duo, who later get into a lot more trouble then helping a lost cat off a billboard. I'd like to see the second movie, that just so happens to have come out in theatres yesterday.

Misc:

Lately, I've been trying to get back into the swing of things with regard to my fitness routine and eating habits. Before I went on my second trip, I was good as gold, but all of the cooking and lazing around on my trip kind of put a wrench in that progress. So, like many people, I really couldn't imagine life without a good pair of sneakers. The ones I have are Reebok Ziglites in blue, black and green. I've been using these sneakers for a good 6 months after buying them last year and never putting them to use. I'm really happy with the fit, and how they feel as I'm running. There's a space under the heel of them, and I think it acts as a pressure reliever or something. I don't know anything about running shoes, but it seems to help! Highly recommended sneaker.

Along with the sneakers, I've been trying to get my eating habits back on track, i.e not eating so many unhealthy foods, stopping my snacking so frequently, and so on. Greek yogurt has been on everyone's radar lately, and I think Danone's Oikos makes a mean snack. It seems to fill me up just enough to get me to stop thinking about being hungry, not to mention it's a healthier alternative to say, a bag of chips or a chocolate bar. My favorite kind, as of late, would be the key lime flavored one. It tastes like more of a dessert than just a yogurt. 

To finish off this post, I just had to include David's Tea. I seriously thought this was just a trend/myth, but oh was I ever wrong! We just got a David's Tea in the mall downtown, so I took a swing by, and ended up falling in love. The tea itself is well worth the money you spend on all the accessories you have to buy to properly make it. Makayla got me the Pink Passionfruit tea from the limited summertime collection. I seem to be drawn to more fruity teas. But this one was phenomenal. A++.

And there you have it. This month's favorites. Try some of them out, and maybe get back to me on it!

Rock on, 

Jaime

LINKS (click them to explore!!!):

Fashion / Beauty: 

Wen Haircare 

The Man Repeller
Clothes Encounters

Music: 

Washed out's 'Paracosm'
Great Escape
All I know
Weightless
Pull You Down

Alvvays
Soundcloud

Misc:

Reebok Ziglites
David's Tea