I love, love, love autobiographies. It fulfills that creepy part of me that wants to peek in all of my neighbour's windows while they sleep and look in people's bathroom drawers at dinner parties. I especially love books written by women I admire. They inspire me, make me think a little harder about my goals in life and what I want to do. If you still haven't found a gift for a cool gal or guy in your life, stop by your local bookstore and pick one (or all) of the following titles up. But seriously, just get these for yourself. GIFT YOURSELF. Do it all the time and then every day is Christmas and then every day is AWESOME! They can also be ordered online at most major retailers, such as Indigo, Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Check it!
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?
By yo girl Mindy Kaling
Mindy actually makes my heart dance and sing Broadway show tunes. She is HILARIOUS and so is her book. She addresses the insecurity that hugs the edges of teen-dom so eloquently and yet gently, with great hilarity. She also discusses other great topics like her childhood and working her way through her babysitting client's pizza.
Bossypants
By Tina Fey
If I was into sketch comedy and improv (and I like to think I would be if I had any relatable sense of humour), Tina would be one of my idols. She is unflinchingly direct in this book, detailing her experiences in a straight up, tell it to your face, kinda way. I once watched this bit she did with Amy Poehler, where she made a vagina with her palms and talked through it. I nearly peed myself!
Yes Please
By Amy Poehler
Recently released, I received this book for Christmas from a sweet pal of mine. It's funny without being indulgently self deprecating, inspiring and slickly packaged in smooth paper with funny pictures of Amy in various wigs and beards. So good. She gives insights to life working on SNL, the startup of the Upright Citizens Brigade and how damn hard it is to make it in comedy, especially as a women.
#GirlBoss
By Sophia Amoruse
Admittedly, I haven't yet read this one, but it's on my list. It's the story of how Sophia rose from life on the streets to become the founder and CEO of the kickass clothing brand Nasty Gal. If her clothing is any indication, this book is going to be totally mind blowing.
Just Kids
By Patti Smith
This is an elegantly written memoir that details Patti's relationship with the artist Robert Mapplethorpe. It's beautifully written, to say the least. I read this book on the PEI beach a few years back, when I was 14 I think, and I distinctly remember stopping for a few minutes and just breathing. It's one of those books I will carry with me when I move out of my family home and forward in my life. I highly recommend it.
I hope you get a chance to read this books, and all the many others written by inspiring women (and men) out there today. Happy holidays all!
The holidays are steadily approaching, carrying with them the weight of end of term exams, summatives, crazy family get togethers, and of course - Christmas shopping. As we grow older, Christmas loses some of it's mystic, it's magic - but it still holds that inexorable pull over us. It says forget all these grey days that came before and all those grey days that will come after; savour this brief and imperfect respite. Savour it even though you don't know how you feel about such an extravagant example of consumerism, about the fact that Christmas - a religious event singular to one religion - takes prevalence over all other religious holidays, about the size of your budget, about all this goddamn wrapping paper going straight to the landfill. Avoid those stupid-ass gift guides like they're the plague - you don't need a glossy magazine to characterize your family and friends into 'sporty' and 'glam'. Just love. Give gifts because you want to, not because you have to. Give openly and freely things that may not seem all that special but truly are - your complete attention, for example, or pancakes (recipe coming next week!) on a blurry weekday morning, a spontaneous dance party, a hug and a kiss and a push-hair-off-the-face and a wide smile and a big, genuine I LOVE YOU.
Don't let your Christmas, or whatever holiday you celebrate, be reduced to wrapping paper and cries of 'next one!'. Take this chance to breathe, to love, and to give fully of yourself. Admittedly, this post does come a little early, but I wanted to get this off my chest. This season my goal is to be open - arms wide spread, face uplifted, spine like an oak tree, to take care of myself and those whom I love and know, and those I don't.
I don't mean to put down Christmas or the hype that surrounds it. I love Christmas movies, gingerbread men, the whole schtick. But I do not love the want-want-want vibe it gives off from time to time and the pressure it lays across our backs. Ya feel?
Now lets make some motherfucking cookies.
Let's discuss cookies for a bit, shall we? These ones are pretty good. Nutty and chocolaty and if you're lucky (or if you eat enough!) you get a bite of chocolate and a bite of hazelnut together and ahhh it's like Nutella. But it's kinda better for you.
They take a little longer than your average joe of a cookie (but that average joe is boooooring compared to these fellas) and the ingredients, admittedly, run a little costly and sound like an SNL spoof of a yogi's grocery list, but you know what, it is most certainly that time of year so go ahead and treat yo'self!! This cookies are too delish not to be tried. Share them with your neighbours, your kids, your friends, or just keep 'em for yourself. Considering the fact that I just had three for lunch, I am in no position to judge!
Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups whole spelt flour (or whole wheat, or white)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)
1/4 cup olive or canola oil
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (yeah b, a whole tablespoon!)
1/2 cup chocolate chippers
3/4 cup toasted hazelnuts
Instructions:
1. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl, wet in the other. (leave out chocolate chips and nuts)
2. Whisk together wet ingredients until fully incorporated, then pour into dry ingredients. Stir well and don't be alarmed - dough will appear super wet. DO NOT ADD MORE FLOUR. DON'T DO IT.
3. Stick your bowl in the fridge and let it chillax for 15 - 20 minutes.
4. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350.
5. Then toast your nut buddies and chop 'em up into bite sized like pieces.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat and set aside.
7. Remove dough from fridge (should be nice and thickened) and stir in chippers and nuts.
8. Grab about two tablespoons worth of dough and roll it into balls. Press it down slightly.
9. Bake 15 minutes, careful to avoid burning the bottoms. If they look a little under done in the middle, don't freak out. They'll firm up when cooled.
10. Eat! Enjoy!
As this late fall weather becomes steadily unfriendlier, I find myself spending much more time indoors, swaddled in my Dad's old sweaters and thick socks. I make oatmeal with whole rolled oats, relishing the warmth off a bubbling pot of cinnamon scented breakfast. There's a meditative aspect to taking time for yourself in the morning, to waking up slowly and carefully. To chilly extremities and fog rising over your backyard garden; over the rivers and trees. This is the time of year I love, not too hot, not too cold. Crisp. Clean. A time for fresh starts and fresh faces. New Years Eve has never held the same significance to me as these cool few days between fall and winter, this seasonal shift. Change is, quite literally, in the air. For once, I welcome it.
Photo by M. Kelly
These, friends, are not your classic vegan date square. They don't have those wacky chunks of orange rind floating around in there, nor do they call for half a jar of coconut oil (gosh dang expensive, pals), or agonizing hours cutting solid fats into oats. Well, maybe that's an overstatement, but when if you're anything like us, if you want a date square (or food in general), you wanted it five minutes ago. Whatever the weather may be in your corner of the world, I hope you give these a go.
Photo by M.Kelly
Ingredients:
Filling:
1 cup medjool dates
Zest of 1 small lemon
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Crust:
2.5 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup of applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 tablespoon coconut oil
pinch of salt
Crumble Topping:
1 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup walnuts (or nut/see of your choice)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons flour
pinch of salt
Directions!
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Toss 2 cups worth of oats into your food processor and blend until powdery. Then add applesauce, vanilla, maple syrup, and salt. Pulse until combined.
3. Remove from motor base, take out blade, and stir in remaining 1/2 cup oats to blended mixture. The dough should be pretty firm.
4. Place the dough into a greased brownie pan (mine was 8"x8") and press firmly down. Using slightly damp fingers works well here. You want it to be as compact as possible, so as to minimize crumbly bases (ugh).
5. Now, without bothering to clean your processor, pulse all filling ingredients together until a chunky paste forms. If dates ball up into a giant clump, add a tablespoon or two of warm water, until they become more of a malleable paste. Spread this paste over your base with a spatula, as evenly as possible.
6. Then, again don't even clean it, dump your crumble topping ingredients into your processor. Pulse into they've broken down into pinky-fingernail size ish chunks, though some variety is always great.
7. Scatter over top of your date paste! If there are any leftover topping bits left (I had a small handful), make a yourself a lil cookie! Shape it into a wee ball, flatten slightly with your palm, and bake for 10 - 12 mins.
8. Now slide your completed crumble bars into the oven. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until top is lightly golden and aromatic. 9. Enjoy! **This recipe was inspired by Sarah Britton at www.mynewroots.org! Her site is absolutely lovely. Check it out!**
This life post will just be me bitching about all of my teen angst emotions. So if you, oh non-existent reader, do not care for my badass girl rant, I would suggest skipping over this little part. Ok? Ok.
OH LIFE.
If Life had a body, I would torch it. Really.
It's like, aghhh. The feels. WHY DO I FEEL SO MUCH?! I mean, why couldn't humans have evolved with an on/off switch for emotions? Though I suppose humans would become like, mindless, cold-hearted robots who kill people for sport. So maybe not. But still, I digress (did I even use that word right? I can't even make myself care right now).
1. WHY IS IT SO HARD TO FIND A POET BOYFRIEND WHO DRESSES CUTE AND HAS DARK HAIR, LIKES CATS AND IS RESPECTFUL TO WOMEN? AMONG OTHER THINGS?
Like, common'. It shouldn't be this hard. I've lost so much hope for my high school love life, I now console myself by saying: just wait until University. You will meet scads of boys who are what you're looking for and find yourself involved in whirlwind romances and passionate relationships with artist boyfriends who conveniently all have killer bods, nice teeth and dark hair. They will also lavish you in cute gifts of kittens and pricey lingerie.
In the meantime, I'm stuck watching countless cheesy movies, reading too many terrible trashy romance novels and obsessing over John Keats and Johnny Depp (I have a John thing ok?!) while eating stale Birthday Cake Oreos and the box of Honey Nut Cheerios I keep hidden under my bed. All while occasionally crying.
I mean, I always come out of these movies/books/whatever feeling needy, in the sense that I feel lonely and decide I need someone to make me feel wanted. And at that point, I'm already happy crying/ sad crying about the epic romance I just witnessed and then I really start to get crazy. Like, I've gotten so wrapped up in tv romances, I've almost vomited (Buffy the Vampire Slayer had me going). Factor in the sad eating of Oreos, which I end up just feeling guilty about later, and you have a weird wet teary mess of a gal who is just like FUCK, WHERE IS MY PERFECT DUDE?! Which is totally unrealistic and very damaging to future relationships, because we always have this perfect person in mind and it's impossible for anyone to hold up to that image. Not to say that having standards isn't good. It's super good! No one should settle for less than the best for themselves. BUT. Nobody's perfect (a little Hannah Montana for you there) and measuring up possible love interests to these imaginary dream people can only result in disaster. Anyways. I just can't find no one to loooovvveeee meeeeeeee.
2. WHY DO I ALWAYS FEEL SO HUGE AND HOW IS IT THAT I WENT FROM BEING SLIM TO CHUNKY OVER THE COURSE OF A SUMMER AND ALL OF MY SHARP EDGES ARE COVERED UP WITH LOVE HANDLES AND LAYERS OF SOFT TISSUE AND FAT?!
Pretty self-explanatory, I just don't even wanna talk about this right now, really. I just wanna wake up one morning and go to the mirror and realize I have magically transformed into Winona Ryder or Ellen Page or Kate Moss or whatever gorgeous/feisty/rad, boob-less, twig figure I wanna be. But more on this another time.
3. WHY DOES THE IDEA OF GROWING UP MAKE ME START TO CRY AND HOW AM I GOING TO SURVIVE WITHOUT MY BEST FRIENDS AND WHEN I GET SCARED IN UNIVERSITY WHO'S BED WILL I CRAWL INTO WHEN MY MUM'S A MILLION MILES AWAY?!
Bleh. If I even write about this right now I might cry. I think it's safe to assume my period's also coming, because could I be any more emotional? No, I really couldn't.
I don't really know how to end this. I think I feel better. My eyes are getting all tired and it's almost like I can feel little men dancing on my eyelids. It's nice, and I know I'll have a cosy sleep now.
Unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others
Cosmo
a combining form meaning "world," "universe," used in the formation of compound words........ it may mean "outer space," "space travel," or "cosmic ray"
Dew
moisturecondensedfromthe atmosphere,especiallyatnight, anddepositedintheform of small dropsuponanycool surface
Efflorescence
the state of flowering
Epiphany
the manifestation of a supernatural or divine reality
ay moment of great or sudden revelation
Lagoon
an area of shallow water separated from the sea by low sandy dunes
Lilt
light, tripping or rhythmic manner
Dawn
the first appearance of daylight in the morning
Hush
stillness; silence
Lucid
characterized by clear perception or understanding; rational or sane
Phosphorescence
the property of being luminous at temperatures below incandescence, as from the slow oxidation in the case of phosphorus or after exposure to light or other radiation
Bloom
state of blooming; buds opening
Tween
between 10 and 12 years of age, considered too old to be a child and too young to be a teenager
Chakra
(in yoga) any of the seven major energy centers in the body
Dream
a succession of images, thoughts or emotions passing through the mind during sleep
Haze
a grouping in the atmosphere of very fine, widely dispersed, solid or liquid particles that give the air an opalescent appearance that subdues colours
Opalescent
having a milky iridescence
Mellifluous
sweetly or smoothly flowing; sweet-sounding
Azure
a light, purplish shade of blue, like that of a clear and unclouded sky
Velvet
a luxurious fabric of silk, nylon or rayon, with a thick, soft outer layer
Let's just start off by saying that Winona Ryder is Queen. Sorry, Beyoncé, but I'm making you take the back seat here. On my blog, Winona reigns, and there ain't nothing you can do about it.
Winona Ryder has won the hearts of people everywhere. She is spunky, cool, petite yet ferocious, and just the raddest person to walk the earth. She has been in many movies directed by my favourite director Tim Burton and played some of the most entertaining and weird characters.
1. Susanna Kaysen in Girl, Interrupted
Pretty much, the movie starts out with Winona trying to kill herself due to past relationships that have been majorly abusive, which lands her in a mental hospital for the next 18 months. This film was set in the 1960's, when even though depression and other mental health problems were recognized, the way in which they were dealt with weren't as nice or accepting.
In Girl, Interrupted Winona plays opposite Angelina Jolie, her crazy renegade best friend in the hospital. Angelina's character isn't very nice, although she somehow makes you like her, kindof, until she gets downright creepy. But there are moments when you smile a bit, because for some odd reason although you're watching the kind of movie that makes you feel a bit weird in the pit of your stomach, there are beautiful moments of clarity and a peacefulness that will make you appreciate Winona and Angelina a little bit more. Likeeee the scene where Winona and Angelina sing Downtown (like the best song ever) to a friend locked up in solitary:
2. Veronica Sawyer in Heathers
Ah, Veronica. How can you forget Veronica Sawyer, when she's the only one out of her popular friend crowd the Heathers? In Heathers (which is written by Daniel Waters, brother to the director of Mean Girls, Mark Waters), Winona half-heartedly tries to be a part of the "in crowd" until one day she meets this guy (isn't that always how it starts) named J.D. who teaches her a better way to dominate the school. By killing the popular kids. DUN DUN DUUUUNNNHH. (And let me tell you, he is so hot, for, ya know, a PSYCHO KILLER).
I gotta say, this movie is amazing! It pretty much takes the concept of how the popularity contest that is high school fucks you up, makes it blood thirsty and adds the best mean girl crowd possible into the bunch. Then, you get seriously obsessed with the fucked up relationship between Veronica and J.D. (like, what normal people get turned on from killing people), when really, it's just plain messed. One of my favourite scenes occurs when Veronica is freaking out because she's realizing that J.D. is actually kindof creepy (wow, didn't see that one coming) when she accidentally burns her palm on the cigarette lighter in the car and J.D. lights his cigarette with her hand. Very hot.
This is all good stuff, but did I forget to mention the super cute 80's outfits they wear, which have a sort of Clueless vibe, AND the best, most amazing, QUEEN BEE QUOTES EVER. Which you should always try to apply to everyday life:
Heather Chandler: “Did you have a brain tumor for breakfast?”
Heather Chandler: “Fuck me gently with a chainsaw. Do I look like Mother Teresa?”
Veronica: “What’s the up-chuck factor on that?
Veronica: “You know what I want, babe?”
J.D.: “What?” Veronica: “Cool guys like you out of my life.”
Veronica: “What is your damage, Heather?”
Heather Duke: “Veronica, why are you pulling my dick?”
Veronica: “I say we just grow up, be adults and die.”
The Heathers gang: from left, Winona Ryder, Kim Walker, Lisanne Falk and Shannen Doherty. Photograph: 20th Century Fox/Rex Features
3. Kim Boggs in Edward Scissorhands
I could probably talk about this movie forever, since it's one of my favourites and has my husband Johnny Depp in it. BUT. I will let you figure out the magic of this movie yourself.
I will tell you however: Johnny Depp plays a gentle young man that strangely has scissors for hands, who is found all by himself in his creepy mansion at the top of a perfectly cookie-cutter, pastel coloured town (which is actually more creepy to me then the mansion) after his master dies. He soon finds himself adopted into the nice little family of the Avalon lady (or whatever makeup brand) who found him alone. He quickly falls in love with the daughter, and hilarity and GREAT SADNESS ensues. Sigh. The most beautiful scene in this movie happens when Edward makes it snow for Kim, something she's always wanted to see. BRB CRYING.
(ALSO JUST A LIL PS, JOHNNY DEPP AND WINONA DATED, WHICH IS LIKE, MY DREAM COME TRUE, AND UGH, I JUST, I LOVE THEM SO MUCH, WHAT IS LIFE)
4. Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! THIS MOVIE ROCKS. Halloween is my favourite season/holiday/thing, and this movie (and TheAddams Family, of course, because Wednesday is my BFF and inspiration) is an October must. Its got nice ghosts, bad ghosts, crazy dance numbers, weird alternate dead universes, crazy parents, a quirky teen named Lydia Deetz who hates everyone and everything, especially her crazy parents, and Tim burton as director. What could be better? Nothing. Well, maybe Lydia's wardrobe....
Plot: Poor couple wakes up, realize they're dead, their house is being moved into and reno-ed. They decide to do some scaring so they can have their house back, except, they're actually not that good at being scary. They end up turning to a baaaaddd ghost of a dude named Beetlejuice, who they hire to scare away the Deetz family. Did I forget to mention Lydia can see all the ghosties? Well, she, being awesome, become friends with them and tries to help them out, like a good pal would. The rest of the movie is crazyness.
This week, I have watched the Banana Boat clip about five billion times:
And listened to this song every morning as I get ready for school about EIGHTY BILLION times:
YOUR BUTT NEEDS TO BE SHAKING RIGHT NOW.
All in all, I think we can see that Noni (Winona, for all of you who aren't down with the lingo) is the Queen of Darkness to end all Queens. There is no competition. There is no debate. Winona rules. Case closed. I am in love.
!MY PHONE CASE EVERYONE!
(which you can buy at: this etsy)
Hey! My name is Kate, fellow vegan and best friend of Cami. I've gotten super into cooking and baking since switching up my diet and have started developing my own recipes. Here we'd love to share some of them and hope you give them a go!
By M. Kelly
This recipe here is something in heavy rotation around our group of friends and my house. It even got the stamp of approval from our ultimately picky friend! I like to eat this bread warm, with almond butter or tahini or just plain. With winter approaching, this kind of treat is perfect to have around. It's in the colder weather that I find myself reaching for sweeter, stickier snacks, and this fits the bill perfectly. We hope you'll enjoy it as much as we do!
By M. Kelly
The Ultimate Vegan Banana Bread
Wet Ingredients:
3 overripe bananas, mashed
1 cup of unsweetened, unflavoured non-dairy milk
Dry Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, 1 cup spelt (alternatively, use white or gluten free)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup chopped pumpkin seeds (plus a tbsp for topping)
2/3 cup chopped and pitted dates
Clues:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Dig out a loaf pan and grease it with any vegan butter you have on hand. Alternatively, feel free to use coconut oil or even regular butter, if you aren’t avoiding animal products.
2. Chop dates, almonds and pumpkin seeds roughly but thoroughly.
3. Mash bananas until they turn into a lovely gooey paste and place into a large bowl. Whisk in milk.
4. Stir in baking powder and baking soda.
5. Stir in flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
6. Finally, add dates, almonds, and seeds. Stir once or twice to combine, but don’t overdo it!
7. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and slide it into the oven.
8. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is a gorgeous golden brown and springy
TIPS!
- if you only have two bananas, feel free to replace one with 1/3 cup of olive oil
- flours are pretty variable here, just be careful not to use all regular whole wheat (it'll be hella dense) - though all whole wheat pastry flour is okay, as it's lighter
- these could also be slipped into a muffin tin and turned into lil muffins! Or mini muffins!
- the add-ins are totally up for interpretation; add hazelnuts and chocolate chips for something a little more decadent, sunflower seeds to replace almonds for a nut-free bread, etc, etc.
Just realized I missed yesterday's nice quote/thought, so decided I would instead leave you today with a poem I'm using as part of a project in my literary arts class (I go to an arts high school, I'm in the writing program). I just love it.
It's been a while since I've posted (sorry), though I've been ridiculously busy this past week breaking down and slowly disintegrating. But really, this has been a shitty week. Hopefully, after this long weekend, I will be feeling mentally and physically rested and back to my old cheery self.
This past month I have felt overly terrible than I usually do, which is saying something. I've been having extreme stomach issues, which is usually normal for me, but these have been crazy bad. The pain I was feeling was so extreme that I started crying at school. I had to get a blood test (my first ever, which made me cry too, since I have a needle thing, like passing out needle thing) which was terrible. The whole situation has been a huge pain in my ass, which I did not need, since I've also had a horrid week at school. IT'S JUST BEEN ONE OF THOSE WEEKS, I TELL YA. So when I got my blood results back saying I have a fucking parasite in my large intestine, you can tell I was less than pleased. And apparently I might've had it for three years? Just peachy. Now I have to take the world's largest pills ever three times a day so I can kill this thing and finally feel better. Sigh.
All in all, my life has turned to shit. Really, it has. I've also been feeling mentally down, about my weight and stuff, which is a whole episode on its own. BUT. but. Let's not stay on the negative, but look towards the positive. Friday, to pick myself up, I woke up early, put on an outfit that made me feel fab, and did what any person who's feeling down should do. I WENT SHOPPING. And it was so nice! My friends and I had a shopping therapy day, which I usually don't do too often, just because I'm trying to save up my work money for University. Yet, after my week of badness, I decided that splurging was what I needed to do. So I did.
AND HEY GUESS WHAT I GOT.......
EEK major excitement! It is actually such a cute sweater, and I'm so happy I decided to buy it, since as you know I've been wanting it for a while. I got some other stuff as well, which is all nice. I finally got a thinner belt from American Apparel, which I have been seriously needing. Then I just bought some pins for my button collection from this cool place called The Drake General Store and just some other shirts from Zara and Urban Outfitters. Thank god that UO was having an additional 50% of from their sale section.
Then my friends and I went to this really nice restaurant we like to go to downtown called the Peace Garden. It's just really calming and mostly all of their stuff is vegan, which is nice for me. I got this squash soup, agh, so good! Now I've made myself hungry thinking about it....
All in all, it was a really nice day, and after shopping from 9 am till 2 pm, I was comfortably exhausted and ready for a nice nap (which I totally took). I was just so frazzled going into this thanksgiving weekend, but spending time with my friends and just goofing around made me feel way better, for sure.
I think now I'm going to go watch Sleeping Beauty and curl up with my lil kitty. Be prepared later this weekend for a Vegan Pumpkin Pie recipe! Yuuummmm :)
Have a good Thansgiving and long weekend (to my fellow Canadians) and to everyone else, remember to just go with the flow and if you can't, go shopping instead. ▫️
This truism is by Jenny Holzer, of whom I am a big fan. She displays her truisms all over the world in creative ways and I'll definitely be posting more of hers on Mondays to come! ▫️
I love it. I love the rain, the constant grey skies, the smell, everything. There's a reason it's my favourite season.
With all of these fall favourites on my mind, I thought it was high time I started up my beauty and fashion section on this blog. So today, I am giving to you, my fall favourites/fall wish list.
1.A cute n' warm sweater
I think by now we all know this is a fall wardrobe staple by now. Especially if you live in Canada like I do, it gets cold pretty fast, and having cute sweaters handy to throw on are a must for the season. I also just tend to get cold really easily (I blame my mum's genes), so sweaters are my best friend this time of year. Paired with a super cute scarf or what have you, ugh, the amount of cosy-ness that will be experienced is making me totally pumped!
Right now I'm totally coveting this sweater from American Apparel:
(It just looks so frackin cozy)
2. A rain jacket that doesn't make me feel like I'm wearing ugly
Ok, what is it with rain jackets and being fucking ugly? I'm sorry, but come oooonnnn. All I'm asking for here is something super adorable yet functional. I've found that if you find a rain jacket that's not the colour of puke green or neon orange (even writing the word neon orange makes me cringe), it's not very waterproof. Sigh. How am I supposed to brave the beautiful rain of fall without a rain jacket? I need to look like a windswept rain goddess, not a drowned rat. This is why these jackets are so slammin'; they are pretty much my saviours:
(This girl makes some of my favourite clothing, the link to her etsy is in the sidebar under links n other stuff I think)
(urbanoutfitters.com)
I realize you're thinking, didn't you just say rain jackets were so dull? Why would I choose this black one? WELL LET ME TELL YOU. I tried this on in Boston, and it is one of the classiest, most flattering rain jackets of all time. And I love black. So it works, ok?
(lazyoaf.com)
Agh! I actually adore lazy oaf. It doesn't help that it's Australian. And that it's on the opposite side of the world from where I am. And that shipping sucks because hello, expensive. But I still can't help loving it! They tend to do a lot of colabs with other companies, and this summer they did the cutest line of Garfield inspired clothing, I could've died. Anyways, this rain jacket is the bomb. Plus I love those duck umbrellas, which you can actually also get at American Apparel, conveniently!
3. A good pair of boots
Personally, I'm covered in this area. I wear my Doc Martens all through the fall, winter and spring. They are my warrior boots and can survive through pretty much any weather, while still making me look badass. I'd say that's a pretty rad buy. But I do know I've been dreaming of the day I'll own a pair of Hunter rain boots. Ah, what a dream. Something like this:
Or this:
Or even these cute short ones:
would do me just fine! One day....
4. A good lip balm and hand moisturizer
Not necessarily fashion, but I think part of looking good is feeling good, not to mention no one likes chapped lips and cracked knuckles.
Now I don't know about you, but I've started getting severely cracked knuckles in the winter (wow mum, thanks again for your awesome genes!) and it's starts when fall rolls around. Personally, I use The Body Shop "Hemp Hand Protector" which is all organic and fair trade, which is always a nice little added bonus. Plus the fact that I'm pretty much using weed hand moisturizer...
( yes, the tube looks weird, it's because it has been lovingly and obsessively used)
I also adore all of the eos lip balms. I think they're super cute, easy to apply, work amazingly well and always manage to taste so so good. My favourites are the ones from my Alice in Wonderland collection (blueberry, strawberry and vanilla) though the other day a friend of mine had vanilla chai and it smelt SO MAGICAL. They truly are an evolution of smooth.
So, I hope you've found this helpful. Or entertaining. Or maybe none of these. But even if you didn't like it, you can expect more fashion and beauty posts in the future (sorry, I like 'em, so you'll have to live). All I can say is, I hope you feel prepared for my favourite season! Cos it really is the best, and you should enjoy it, cosy and all. ▫️
Sometimes a guy friend will want something from my backpack, and I'll vaguely gesture towards a pocket. And then I realize that's where my tampons are chillin out. For me, I'm always caught between feeling embarrassed and just being like 'fuck it' if a guy sees my tampons. WHY IS THIS?! Honestly, I wish I could be like 'fuck it' all the time! I would take a launch canon to school and just shoot tampons at people like we're at a sports game. "You get a tampon! And you get a tampon! And you, and you!! Whee!" Except it's not like that. For some reason, periods are looked at as one big taboo (they used to think girls n their periods were a sign of witchcraft n satan's possession). Except hello. BEING FERTILE IS AWESOME! Why shouldn't periods be celebrated? Why can't tampons and pads be ok to talk about in public (whatever my friends n I do anyways), without weird stares?
Mind you, Kotex definitely brought a new level to the whole game when they came out with their line of super cool period supplies and commercials that essentially said fuck you to everyone who thought a girls period was all about pms and chocolate cravings. I do know personally my favourite brand is playtex sport, because surprise, you don't have to wear them just while doing sports. And so you're mega comfy all day.
Here are some of the funniest commercials ever, for this brand called HelloFlo that sends girls care packages when their time of the month comes. The first one is about a girl having her "first moon party" when her mum catches her faking her period, while the second is about a girl who becomes the "camp gyno" when she's the only one who's gotten her period at camp. Both of the girls are super spunky and definitely not ashamed about their periods!
I guess I just try to go with the flow (ha get it, ok bad joke). If a guy sees my tampon, so be it. Sometimes, one will fall out of your locker at school, or you'll realize like I did that you have a tampon bookmark in your math textbook you had forgotten about (Cami situation), but it's all ok. Just strut like the goddess you know you are and the next time a guy sees your tampon, just smile and say "fuck ya I menstruate, what of it" like you're the baddest of them all. ▫️
I'm hiding deep in the jungleeee (aka Marshall's while waiting for mum) :
I like fake plants, plants, plants !
And honestly, this is how I spend my money, on fake plants. No wonder I'm poor. I also have a bunch of real plants in my room too. I don't know what it is but it makes my room seem airier and nicer. I've got a bonsai, 4 cactuses, and a regular ole fairy plant. I'm also growing a Venus fly trap, so fucking excited! I'd feel so witchy and Wednesday Addams-esque (my idol). I'll name it Toothy or something, heh. So rad! ▫️
I'm just going to say, there is nothing as satisfying as wearing a matching bra and underwear. I feel SO FUCKING FABULOUS, like Fergie drinking champagne, Beyoncé just being Beyoncé, Cleopatra wearing her jewels and cat eyes, being all minxy with Marcanthony, when I wear a matching set. Today, I'm wearing a black lace bralette and lil black undies, and I gotta say, I could rule the world today. I just could. ▫️
Am I the only person who has problems with peeing at school when other people are in the bathroom? There are only two situations where I don't have a heart attack in the bathroom while peeing:
1. When there are so many people in there you can't hear me peeing. Taps running, girls giggling, toilets flushing; I'm cool.
2. When I'm the only one in the bathroom. QUEEN OF THA TOILETS. DATS ME.
But no. Usually, I do not get to be this lucky. Instead I get stuck in what I like to call CAMI SITUATIONS. From now on, there will be regular "Cami situations" posts. Because me being me, my life is one big situation. Anyways...
Usually what really happens is I walk into the bathroom, only to find a girl crying or sitting on the toilet in silence. If I attempt to pee, it either doesn't come to me (there's just not the right ambience!) or it will only come and go, so it sounds like I have a peeing defect (of course). If I decide not to pee, I'll just stand there and stare at myself despondently. Oh, how I wish I could pee. But I can't. Because I'm weird.
So here we are, my first blog post, about me peeing. I hope if anyone stumbles across my blog, they find this funny, or relatable, or both. Maybe even comment? Or maybe not. But whatevah.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?
Bossypants
Yes Please
#GirlBoss
