I think this is more of a reminder for myself than anyone else. 

It is my least favourite time of the year right now, exam time. I don't know if I have ever expressed this on my blog, but exams are definitely not my strong suit. So I am constantly giving myself pep talks and trying to help myself chill out about them, because I tend to blow them way out of proportion.

When it comes to school and studying I am a master procrastinator, so right now I am literally focusing on pushing past each hour of studying to get to Wednesday, and then after that, just a few more days will be left till my final exam on Monday afternoon. 

It's not the end of the world, and you're going to have to get past it anyway, so you might as well try to do the best you can.

The Daily

I woke up this morning and decided I would start doing outfit posts again, just because I love styling, and I would love to share my style with the blogosphere.
So today I introduce to you The Daily, a post that will include no more than two images, focusing on the styling of one piece of clothing. Contrary to what its name suggests, I am aiming to produce these posts 2-3 times a week to see how it goes, and then perhaps make it an actual daily.

Going in to my fourth winter, I think I've finally found my groove in regards to feeling good about what I'm wearing and not freezing to death. I bought this coat in England in 2011 and I've only now begun to wear it, but notice the peplum that blew up in early 2012? The coat is by Oasis, I couldn't find it on the website but there are several other amazing styles.

My Imaginary Appartment

It is one of my favourite things to do when I'm upset-- walk about home stores and pick out items for the apartment that I don't have. I don't understand what it is about kitchen utensils that I won't ever use. So for today's post I have gathered some of the things that made my heart go pitter-patter, like these great wine glasses with the extra long stem--a la Scandal-- and some adornments for my wall.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

I had to include this flat design I found on IKEA when I was looking for ways to set up a studio apartment. With a studio it is so difficult to separate sleeping space from living space, especially if you don't have much space to work with. I loved how they used the shelving unit and a bit of fabric as a separation, the open closet is also a huge attraction, I love having  my clothes displayed nicely, and easy to access.

Image IKEA.com

New Art: Sally King Benedict

I came across this living room on The Aestate and was just blown away by the abstraction above the fireplace. After a bit of digging I got the name of the artist.
Sally King Benedict , and I just adore her style of painting, from the strokes of the her bizarre faces to the subtle but strong palettes.
I think that it is particularly difficult to paint abstractly, though not from a technical standpoint, but just on a level that allows more than yourself to understand the beauty and emotion that is your art.

Images: SallyKingBenedict.com, TheAestate.com

On the Cheap: The Cocoon Coat

I cannot for the life of me understand why someone would spend $300 on something they could get for $40…on sale..that look the same. OK. That's a lie, I can completely understand when you're talking about fabrication, construction, quality, but as a student who is sometimes--not that often---struggling, I just don't know where these bloggers are getting their dollars from because I am not seeing the same returns.

I saw this coat at Old Navy during one of my de-stressing prowls through Eaton Centre, and then a couple days later it kept popping up on my blog rolls' feed, so I clicked through to find out it was a strikingly similar version from J. Crew.

 Sooo $40.50 on Old Navy's website or $400 from J. Crews'?

 Precisely.

J. Crew Stadium Cloth Cocoon Coat- $400

Women's Solid Blanket Coat- $41.50

Images Old Navy, J. Crew.

The Art of Procrastination.

It really is an art.

Going through my reading list over the weekend I found a great article in HeartIFB.com about why it's sometimes good to procrastinate. And I thought well, what great vindication I have right here regarding my sometimes lazy ways, especially when it comes to my homework.

So as I sit in the library now, I have taken a few minutes out of my laborious evening to write this post. Granted the only reason I am sitting in the library at 9 pm is because instead of doing my work when I was supposed to last week, I found more interesting things to do with my time... like live.

I gotta leave you with this video that aptly covers the basics of wasting time. However, it may only be safe to follow this behaviour when you don't have any looming deadlines.

Sourced heartifb.com, youtube.com

I saw this quote and just had to post it because of how undeniably true it has become. Within in my generation, and even more so the generation after mine, we have come to expect instant gratification in every aspect of our lives--from the internet when loading a page--and I can attest to this because Blogger is taking forever to load!!--to success in all our endeavours. 

This is a little reminder that for anything you want, you have to work, not wish -- and to get off your ass, and go after your dreams.

On The Ones: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

I have been listening to this pair unknowingly for the last four months and literally didn't realize until 3 minutes ago. They are the artists behind the song Can't hold Us, which plays religiously in the store I work at, and every time I hear it, I think the singer is John Legend. I now know it isn't, and I was so darn shocked to find out who it was.

Now I've been adding to my new library of music, and I've got to say I really enjoyed this album of theirs, The Heist. It definitely has to do with the fact that the songs have a story and meaning to them as opposed to rap and hip-hop that has recently been bombarding the airwaves with their bitch i'm rich and I get my money mantras.

I am not opposed to having/getting money as my mantra at all, my issue is having to hear about all the monies these people are getting, and throwing away. :)

Have listen and let me know how you feel about them!

Ain't nobody messing wit' my clique: Haute Couture

Here's a fun fact: only 2% of the population of the world can actually afford haute couture. That's probably because the going rate of a piece from a couture collection can go from $25 000 into the millions.
They are more so a work of art showcased on a body than actual clothing, and are one-of-a kind, hand cut, hand sewed, hand beaded, with the most precise of hands, in the best atelier's in the world, using materials that can cost as more than a car.

Alexis Mabille Spring 2013 Couture

Armani Prive Spring 2013 Couture

Giambattista Valli Spring 2013 Couture

Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2013 Couture

Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2013 Couture

Ulyana Sergeenko Spring 2013 Couture

Valentino Spring 2013 Couture

Zuhair Murad Fall 2013 Couture

Just as hard as it is to own couture, you better believe it's as difficult to get on the list of names, now totalling sixteen, to become a recognized couturier. The exclusivity that lies within haute couture is the kind that we as humans are constantly struggling for, and rarely achieving.

Woman.

Yesterday I went to the Royal Ontario Museum to see the Mesopotamia exhibit, but managed to get a few more in, including Genesis-- a photography exhibit by Sabastião Salgado. The entire point of Salgado's collection of photographs was to capture cultures of the world that still hold true to the traditions of their past, and parts of the world that remain untouched by evolution.

Out of the entire exhibit this one image completely captivated me. It made me comprehend in an instant the effect photography can have on the world. The power and grace that lies within this woman's expression, but more importantly her posture and the strength with which she holds herself up, made me want to fly to Namibia just to shake her hand.

She should be the poster woman for the women of the world.

Saturday's still are Fabulous

Alright, though I was a little hard on the debut collection of Kate Spade's lower priced line Saturday, I've got to eat my words, because boy, do I love their Fall line.

Come September I'll have been in Canada three years, this will be my fourth winter. And i'm excited for this winter because I feel like I'll finally be able to say my dressing game will be on par with the summer season. My first winter hit me hard, I felt for the first time what -26° and understood very clearly what a windchill meant, so my concern was warmth and warmth only.

Alas the second and third winters met me being in a school for fashion, which was where I wanted to be, so I had to try ah thing as I would refer to it in Guyanese vernacular and began wearing tights and dresses, etc-- and I realized it wasn't that bad.

So what all that chatter was leading up to is simple, if I could look like anything this Fall, a lot of it would lie within this collection. The super wide leather belts, the mix of uptown taste and the polished sporty look. Love!

Viewers if you have any great suggestions about attractive and warm wear please give me that information ASAP!

On the Ones: Jhené Aiko

I stopped listening to music for some time. Come to think of it I stopped doing a lot of stuff...but back to the point of this post.
Yesterday I was on YouTube making myself a little playlist to re-educate myself on music and I came across this amazing RnB singer Jhené Aiko. I listened to her mixtape Sailing Souls and I truly couldn't help but listen to it again. I'm so happy to have found her because I am very partial to music from an older time--Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Nina Simone-- so the soul that's dripping from Jhené's voice, I just drink it up.

Jhene Aiko for Complex Magazine

Have a listen to this song, For My Brother, that she wrote and recorded for her brother before he lost his battle with brain cancer.

I hope you enjoy her voice as much as I did.

Werk.

I saw this today in an article I was reading and it really, really made sense to me. Hard work is key to everything you want and everything you will achieve.

So let's have an update, blogosphere. This year so far has proved to be extremely trying, but also very good to me. I finished school and graduated, so I am extremely proud of that. My last semester was difficult for different reasons, sometimes I didn't want to get out of bed--for reasons other than unfinished assignments ;). But everything that was painful was a blessing in disguise, and now i'm quite happy as I am here. I'm having the time of my life with my family-- especially on my little escapade to NYC, and I feel as though more things are falling into place as they should.

I can hardly believe it's August tomorrow! In September I will be moving on to University to do Business Management, however I do think I'll be changing next fall to Creative Industries. I only found out about it last week so it's too late to change now, but just reading about it makes me extremely excited to go back to school and learn all sorts of new things-- my gut says its the right way to go!

That's about all.

New Art: Hayden Williams Fashion Illustration

Talent is unavoidable. There isn't a place you can go and not be inspired and in awe of peoples work. I came across this young man on Instagram, and just can't get enough of his illustrations. Hayden Williams is a British Designer & Fashion Illustrator, and at the ripe age of 21 has caught the eye of the industry-- from VOGUE to Naomi Campbell.

There is a certain realism that comes with fashion sketches, and it attaches itself to the creative flair of the designer, making it as though everything that is drawn can just as easily come to life. That is a lot of the magic that these illustrations bring.

Hayden Williams Haute Couture FW13 collection

'Strut Like Naomi"

'A Class of His Own'

'Blush Beauty'

'Getting Ready'

 I have such great admiration for talent like this. They are great reminders of why I love this industry.

Images Courtesy of Hayden Williams Illustrations

Brooke Cook's: Herb & Aged Cheddar Popcorn

I would have labeled this post Gourmet Popcorn, but I felt that may have been a little misleading, as I am the only person who felt it was gourmet ( so far!). With that aside, you need to plan yourselves a little movie, or date-night in and pull out a pot, because this popcorn is what's up!
I used to buy it at Kernel's, then they stopped making it--so I had to take desperate measures and cook up my own.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 Cup Popcorn Kernels
• 1 tbs Canola Oil
• 1/3 cup Grated Aged Cheddar
• 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme 
• 1/2 tsp Cracked Black Pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbs of melted butter
• 1 paper bag

1. It's so easy, just follow the instructions on the bottle of kernels to pop.

 2. Add the melted butter, cheese, crushed thyme, salt and black pepper to the paper bag, along with the popcorn and shake.

3. Enjoy!

Let me know in the comments below if you tried this!