Fashion – Page 3

Costa Nova.

“Color is a power which directly influences the soul.” – Wassily Kandinsky

While researching for our trip to Portugal, I came across photographs of quirky and boldly coloured houses that for obvious reasons caught my eye. Located in Costa Nova, an island near the city of Averio near the Atlantic coast, the houses were originally built and painted by local fishermen. Fast forward to today, and many of these houses can be rented as vacation homes. Rather than stay in Costa Nova, Brandon and I stopped for a very brief visit to see in person what I saw so many times online. The houses are so bright and cheery, and are almost candy-like. If my wardrobe could be made into an exterior of a house, this would be it. Though I do love black, I also love being surrounded by so much colour!

Dress: JOA. Hat: Treasure & Bond. Sunglasses: Ray Ban. Bag: Louis Vuitton. Shoes: DLG. Earrings: Le Magasin Général du Vieux-Montréal (also available here). Watch: Chanel. Lips: MAC Russian Red.

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Fashion, Travel

Fairy Tale Sintra.

“There are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds.” – Gilbert K. Chesterton

One of my favourite places to visit while travelling are castles. I love to imagine what it would be like to live in such extravagant places, and with each unique one I see, I continue to be in awe at the meticulous details. Only a 45 minute train ride from Lisbon is the town of Sintra, which is filled with castles, palaces, and mansions. When we arrived to the town, I was shocked it was so cold. Not only that, but as we made our way up the hill to Pena Palace, it was foggy and misting. At first I was a bit disappointed because I was not dressed warm enough, and also because we wouldn’t be able to take pictures of the apparently glorious views due to the fog being so thick. After a few minutes of wandering, this disappointment changed. The misty fog made the palace grounds so much more atmospheric, and made the experience feel almost magical. It was, however, terrifying for me walking the walls of the Castle of the Moors, because we were so high up and there was zero visibility! It was certainly a memorable experience!

Dress: Showpo. Shoes: Sam Edelman. Hat: Treasure & Bond. Sunglasses: Ray Ban. Bag: Clare V. Tassel: MISA. Watch: Chanel. Earrings: Baublebar. Bracelet: Souvenir from Croatia. Lips: MAC Chili.

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Fashion, Travel

A Day in Obidos

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Rick Steves was definitely correct asserting that Obidos is the prettiest town in Portugal, but possibly the least authentic. Even though this was true, it didn’t stop me and Brandon from enjoying its beautiful scenery. Obidos is a medieval town encircled by castle walls and is filled with beautiful flowers at every turn. As we walked through the town, which is rather small, there were so many stunning blooms and photo ops that needed to be taken advantage of. The best views of the town were seen walking the castle walls, which came at no cost. Obidos is a perfect little town to spend the day wandering its streets and admiring its beauty. Just don’t forget a shot of ginja!

Dress: Forever 21. Shoes: DLG. Sunglasses: Le Specs. Bag: Clare V. Tassel: Clare V (sold out, similar here). Watch: Chanel. Earrings: My Beloved Crafts. Bracelet: Madewell. Lips: Marc Jacobs Infamous.

Fashion, Travel

Lovely Lisbon.

“But a city is more than a place in space, it is a drama in time.” – Patrick Geddes

From our recent trip to Portugal, Lisbon was definitely one of my favourite cities we visited. Honestly, it was a lot grittier than I expected, especially with all the graffiti. But this did not deter me from enjoying the city’s atmosphere; it actually made me love it even more. I found Lisbon to be very authentic. It’s not catered to tourists, though it does have many sites worth seeing. The restaurants and food certainly did not disappoint, and neither did the nightlife. At the end of our stay, both Brandon and I felt that there’s so much more to Lisbon that we didn’t get to see, and I think that’s a great measure of how well we both like a city.

Dress: Abercrombie & Fitch. Hat: Treasure & Bond. Sunglasses: Le Specs. Bag: Clare V. Tassel: MISA. Shoes: Sam Edelman. Earrings: My Beloved Crafts. Bracelet: Madewell. Lips: MAC Chili.

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Fashion

Heat wave.

“Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.” – William S. Burroughs

Ah, summer vacation. It’s the best time to relax, unwind, travel, and plan ahead for the upcoming school year. After some incredibly hot days in my non-air conditioned classroom, it feels good to just enjoy the summer without the thought of melting to death. So what exactly are my plans for July and August? First and foremost, my husband and I will be celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary by travelling to Portugal for a little over two weeks. When we come back home, we will be spending sometime with family and friends. As I previously mentioned, I’ll also be doing some lesson planning as I have a new course I’ll be teaching in September. The summer months are really a time for me to self reflect and enjoy my life, and I’m so grateful that I’m able to do so.

Matching set: Showpo. Bag: Nannacay. Shoes: Sam Edelman. Sunglasses: Le Specs. Earrings: Souvenir from Croatia. Watch: Chanel. Bracelet: Madewell. Lips: Colorpop Trust Me.

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Fashion

Pretty in pink.

“I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.” – Maya Angelou

I know that I have said it before, but I love how I live in such close proximity to Detroit, which is definitely one of the coolest cities in the midwest, and maybe the whole United States. But something I’m not sure I mentioned is how I also love living in Canada. When I was younger, I wanted to leave Windsor because I thought it was boring and uninspiring. I hear the same sentiments from my high school students today. But the older I got, the more I came to appreciate the city I was born and raised in. Windsor has its flaws (as does any city), but I love how multicultural it is, and how it’s small enough to know a lot of people. Recently I’ve even met some awesome local girl bosses doing amazing things for our city, and this made me very proud to be part of such a supportive community. So when I’m on the riverfront I certainly don’t look over to Detroit wishing I lived there, but consider myself lucky to have the view and to call Windsor my home.

Dress: Abercombie & Fitch. Bag: Mansur Gavriel. Shoes: Aldo. Sunglasses: Le Specs. Earrings: Forever 21. Bracelet: Wanderlust & Co (old, simliar here). Watch: Chanel. Lips: Marc Jacobs Infamous.

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Fashion

Flower power.

“Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.” – Hans Christian Andersen

In the past I avoided midi dresses. For the most part, I felt they made me appear even shorter than I am because of the length. Slowly I have been warming up to this trend, and it’s because most midis end up being maxi dresses on me. Maxi dresses happen to be an even more challenging fit on my 5’1″ frame, and often alternations are necessary. I’d like to dub the best lengths for me to be “midaxi” as they are shorter than a maxi, longer than a midi. What drew me to this particular “midaxi” dress was its bold sunflower pattern. It’s both playful and elegant, and can be dressed up or down. Oh, and it has pockets, which is always an added bonus.

What is your preferred dress length? Be sure to share in the comments below!