Outfit - Summer afternoon

So speak kind to a stranger 

Cause you'll never know

It just might be an angel 

Knockin' at your door 

Knockin' at your door
And I'm waiting on an angel 

And I know it won't be long

To find myself a resting place

In my angel's arms

In my angel's arms
Waiting on an angel 

One to carry me home

Hope you come to see me soon

Cause I don't want to go alone
I don't want to go alone 

Don't want to go
I don't want to go alone
-- WAITING ON AN ANGEL - BEN HARPER

Here is a quick outfit post on a nice sunny afternoon.

I accessorized with a watch, belt, and headband.

My new waitressing job is really hard on my body.  I need a job in fashion, soon.

Almost done my degree! 

Time to go serve nachos and food. Sigh!

Coach purse

Zara flats

HM top

Guess skirt

HM headband (seen in previous posts)

American Apparel headband
Marciano watch

Kisses!

Xo Veronica

Balenciaga love

And any man who knows a thing knows, he knows not a damn, damn thing at all,
And everytime I felt the hurt and I felt the givin' gettin' me up off the wall,
I'm just gonna take a minute and let it ride,
I'm just gonna take a minute and let it breeze,
I'm just gonna take a minute and let it ride,
I'm just gonna take a minute and let it breeze,

How did Mandela get the will to surpass the everyday,
When injustice had him caged and trapped in every way,
How did Ghandi ever withstand the hunger strikes and all,
Didn't do it to gain power or money if I recall

- TAKE A MINUTE -- K'NAAN

I was in the Holt Renfrew where I saw a whole wall full of bags I have been lusting over for quite some time.  After a closer look I realized that I do not love them as much as I thought I would.  If you had 2000$ to spend on a purse, (or around 1500 Euros) which purse would you buy?

  

Neckpiece:  Gift

Dress:  Winners

Sweater:  Zara

Socks:  Calvin Klein

Xo Veronica

Always what you can't have

I left your house this morning about a quarter after nine
coulda been the Willie Nelson coulda been the wine
when I left your house this morning
it was a little after nine
it was in Bobcaygeon I saw the constellations
reveal themselves one star at a time

Drove back to town this morning with working on my mind
I thought of maybe quitting
thought of leaving it behind
went back to bed this morning
and as I'm pulling down the blind
the sky was dull and hypothetical
and falling one cloud at a time

That night in Toronto with its checkerboard floors
riding on horseback and keeping order restored
til the men they couldn't hang
stepped to the mic and sang
and their voices rang with that Aryan twang
-- BOBCAYGEON - THE TRAGICALLY HIP 

 I was thinking about love and how it can really liberate your soul and make you feel the most alive you have ever been before.  Why is it, then, that people always seem to migrate towards the unobtainable?  If you are short, you want to be tall.  If you're pale (like me) you probably lust after a tan, people with curly hair usually straighten it where millions of perms happen every year to make straight hair curly.
In my opinion the secret to happiness is to be content with every moment and every gift this life has blessed you with.  If you are lucky to find love, embrace it, appreciate it, and cherish it; because it can touch your life in a special way and offer you the possibility to enhance the life of someone else that you really care about.  If something is lost, or broken, let it go and do not dwell on what you can not change.  A positive attitude is what causes true happiness and feeling bliss in every moment and situation.


In a completely opposite tone, I made funky photos of myself in a class learning Photoshop last year.  I've gotten a lot better at it since then but I thought I'd show my version of myself tanned, with dark hair.  There is also an image of my face that I blended into a girl DJ with a larger chest.  These are things I have wanted to change about myself in the past but have accepted by now.

There is also a quick outfit snap in my front yard as well as a close up on a purse and necklace.

Original photograph taken by Ryan Thomas

This was one of my first experiments on photoshop.  I can make my hair look darker a different way now that works better but I had a lot of fun playing with my makeup and skin!  My eyes are also really dark here.

I played with the Liquify tool here to change my face to look like a porcelain doll. 

Avatar!  I didn't have the best luck with my teacher's tutorial so I mostly did my own thing here.

Morphed my face onto another girl's body!  I have always wanted bigger breasts but I still love mine.

Outside in my front yard!
Wearing:
Skirt - Le Chateau (about 8 years old)
Tanktop - Forever 21
Heels - Zara
Purse - BCBG

Small purse but it holds just about all the essentials.  Got it on sale at Winners, it used to have tassels on the side but I thought they were too long so I cut them off.  I like tassels to an extent what do you guys think?

 Close up of the necklace!  My dad got it for me in Montreal from a Japanese jewelry designer.

Thank you so much for reading!
Your sweet comments make my day :)
XXo Veronica

Purses, beauty, inspiration & Alexander Wang

In times like these
In times like those
What will be will be
And so it goes
And it always goes on and on...
On and on it goes

And there has always been laughing, crying, birth, and dying
Boys and girls with hearts that take and give and break
And heal and grow and recreate and raise and nurture
But then hurt from time to time like these
And times like those
And what will be will be
And so it goes


And there will always be stop and go and fast and slow
Action, reaction, sticks and stones and broken bones
Those for peace and those for war
And god bless these ones, not those ones
But these ones made times like these
And times like those
What will be will be
And so it goes
And it always goes on and on...
On and on it goes


But somehow I know it won't be the same
Somehow I know it will never be the same.

- TIMES LIKE THESE -- JACK JOHNSON

As promised here are my new purses.  The smaller one was a gift from my father and the bigger one I picked up 60% off at Holt Renfrew.  The lady told me they weren't going to carry the brand anymore since it is available in outlets and no longer "exclusive".  I hate how generic Coach is but they do make some damn cute stuff, and I casually reminded the lady how there were Burberry outlets as well.  She looked appalled.  I also picked up a giant tote at Winners; it seems sturdy and very versatile.  I have also picked up a few beauty items recently I thought I would share with you because they are all great finds! 

  New Coach!  Comes with two different straps, keychains and tons of pockets.  I find my stuff is really easy to find and the leather is really durable!

Other mini Coach clutch.  It is bigger than my other two, would probably hold a wallet along with your keys, cell phone and obvious lipgloss or other makeup necessity.  Coach is really going with their namesake theme, I really think the little carriages are cute!

Giant tote from Winners on sale for 24$.  It would hold my laptop come fall!

Some make up goodies I would insist you try!
MAC bronzer in Golden

BADgal lash

PUR brow wax and powder

GOSH lipstick in Darling

CHANCE by Chanel (Eau Fraiche)

MAC blush in Dollymux

Blurry picture with my kitty Xena!

Skirt:  American Apparel

Top:  SPOOF

Watch:  Marciano

Now to showcase just a few outfits from one of my favourite lines for fall.  Alexander Wang has done a great job with dark colours, suits, structure, and the soft warm materials make me almost feel prepared for the colder weather...NOT!!!!!  The pictures are from style.com and you can go there to check out the full line as well as all the fall shows.

Absolutely stuning!  I would probably switch up the shoes but everything from the tailoring and structure to the materials and colour of this jacket and entire outfit is gorgeous and just the perfect mix of masculine and feminine.

Another perfectly tailored outfit.  The sunglasses are funky but I think I would wear them!  Gorgeous colour and interesting shape.

Wang experimented with shiny patterns as well as velvet in many of his outfits.  Tons of the pieces could easily become wardrobe staples and the structuring is brilliant in each item.  Love this line!

Thanks for all the love and comments!

If you have any questions you can e-mail me:

vward@uoguelph.ca

Xo Veronica

Travel blog - Alberta

Your sweet moon beam,
The smell of you in 
Every single dream I dream...
I knew when we collided,
You're the one I have decided
Is one of my kind
- HEY SOUL SISTA -- TRAIN

 I love traveling even if it is within my own country.  Canada has a beautiful variety of climates as well as culture, scenery, and nightlife. I feel like I need more rest and relaxation to make up for all the drinks and late nights I had in Alberta.  I have a ton of pictures from my trip so I'm going to make this writing part short and sweet.  I have until Thursday off work so I plan on doing a bunch of beauty and inspiration based posts.  I was the most excited for Calgary but I only ended up there for one night because it was hailing; we didn't get to see the rodeo or do the club crawl.  I visited with my dad which was awesome, but stayed mostly in Alberta's capital city of Edmonton.  I brought mostly skirts shorts and sandals and was shocked when the weather dipped down to single digits.  Back home in Toronto it is beach weather for sure!  Although I miss my best friend Natalie and Alberta a lot.  I did a little shopping but I will post the items later as well as my two new COACH purses!  Without further adieu, photos from my trip.

My best friend!  I was so happy to see her; she made me wear this dress because it was "retro" and the club we went to was called Vinyl and had a bit of a disco feel.

I didn't bring my Rebel inside the club but here is one photo taken with my phone of a porn star shooter. 

The next morning we went to West Edmonton Mall which is actually the largest mall I've ever seen, you can barely get through one of four quadrants in a day.  There are several water parks, a theme park, an amusement park, a skating rink, and a club.  There is much more to see and do although I imagine there are several malls like this in the United States.

Getting ready! 
Skirt:  Zara
Necklace and earrings:  Natalie's
Top:  Jacob
Glasses:  Gucci
Shoes:  Spring

We went to Denny's for breakfast where we waited 45 minutes for food, it came to the table cold.  I am a server so I hate complaining but I definitely was not going to eat it so we told the owner, left the server a tip and left and went to Starbucks where they serve a delicious breakfast sandwich all day and it always comes out piping hot in only a couple minutes.  Mmmmmm!

Shopping at West Edmonton Mall.  Natalie's bag is Louis Vuitton.

Natalie snapped this photo of me in the H&M which is coincidentally also where I got the bag I'm holding.

  If you look carefully in one of the mirrors you can see someone tubing in the lazy river.  Oh my.

Booster juice!  I am not sure which countries have these smoothies but they are six dollars or so and basically constitute a fruit and yogurt meal plus powder with vitamins of your choice.

Natalie's uncle was having a birthday shindig one night I was there so we stopped by for an hour or so.
We did a lot of driving between Edmonton and Calgary so here are a couple scenic photos I took as well as some photos taken in her uncle's backyard.

Heels and pants:  Zara
Sweater:  BCBG
Pouch:  Gucci

Here are a few more photos from the one night we went out in Calgary and another night in Edmonton.

 Dress:  Guess
Shoes:  H&M
Aviators:  Ray ban
Clutch:  Steve Madden

Mmmm...Starbucks!  Love Natalie's leggings as well.

Out for dinner at an Indian buffet which had private rooms with curtains!  An awesome experience.

In Calgary, borrowed this cowboy hat from my daddy I found it in his truck!

Out for drinks with friends in Calgary!  Had a great trip and can't wait to go back.

Stay tuned for more posts this week.
Xoxoxo
Veronica

Travel blog - Ottawa

Everyone's so cynical
And says that love won't last
Think about your future
Stop living in the past
Time's not standing still
So stop looking through those tinted glasses

Sweathearts together
We've only just begun
Sweathearts together
So glad I've found someone
Sweethearts forever
Two hearts together as one
As one

But love is never easy
It's never silky smooth
There's always something tempting
In the wilderness of youth
But I will stay right by your side
The truth will out, you'll realize

--SWEETHEARTS TOGETHER - THE ROLLING STONES

For North America this weekend is all about taking some time off to enjoy the weather with family and people who are close to you.  Since my birthday lines up nicely between Independence and Canada Day, there is no better place to celebrate than in my capital city of Ottawa.

I came here on my 19th birthday and my big brother has always been very generous with his place and taking very good care of me while I am there while ensuring I have a great time.  This year I brought my younger brother and I got to take care of him (literally, he had a couple drinks and they didn't end well...) but aside from that, my weekend was full of amazing scenery, fashion, and more importantly people!  I am off to Calgary this upcoming weekend as well, which is west of my province.  Enjoy some pictures from my trip!

The camera didn't make it out once there was a drink in my system, I was too worried.  We went to a few clubs and bars, there seems to exist every type of venue you could imagine but it is more relaxed of a scene than Toronto.  Quite a nice variety of night life and nowhere takes too far to walk!  We took a day trip to the beach where you could actually dip into the water, I took some pictures on my phone but I really didn't want to bring the Rebel so excuse the poor quality of the pictures near the end.

Walking out the door to the airport, my poster is of Robert Deniro can anyone remember the movie?

Leaving Toronto Island Airport on Porter airlines!  It was sunny and hot and a beautiful day for flying.

In Ottawa waiting for my brother to come!  I decided to take a few pictures like the tourist that I am, in my own country!

My brother took everyone to an amazing dinner on Saturday night at an Italian place in the market.  It had an award for best wine list in Canada!

 At my brother's apartment having drinks with my girlfriend Tara before dinner!

My older brother and I getting ready before heading out to the market.

The bar.  I wonder if the bartender gets confused, I probably would!

Candid shot of my brother and his girlfriend looking over the menu and impressive wine list.

This was also candid!  Enjoying my lychee and cranberry martini.

Apple crumble dessert, blowing out the candle and making a wish!

Outside the restaurant before dinner, I wanted a picture with this pink Mini Cooper.  So cute!

 One of the gifts from my brother, a pretty Pravda bottle of vodka.

A few presents!  Cannon rebel (I was holding my camera, and I got some accessories given to me as well!)   Chanel purfume, MAC gift card, jewelery & stand, a super cute card with a pug.

Me and my girlfriend on the beach; the weather could not have been more perfect.

Gorgeous sunset.  I was sad to leave!  Amazing trip and I'm looking forward to Calgary on Friday!  I really did not do much shopping because I am holding out for my trip next weekend!  I got a bikini for 11$ from Sirens to go to the beach with but you can't really see it in my pictures.

First dress:  H&M
Second dress:  Urban behaviour
Blazer & knee socks:  H&M
Black strappy shoes:  Fergie
Sunglasses:  Gucci

Hope everyone had an amazing long weekend! 

Much love!
Veronica