the not so secret secret

dear blogging world. in case you didn't know, i am living a very lovely life as a single lady :)
no real crushes, no real search for a boyfriend. cuz i've finally figured out that looking high and low is only going to get me frustrated!! now this doesn't mean that if a handsome man comes along and attempts to sweep me off my feet that i'm gonna shove the broom in his face.... nah nah, ladies, it just means i'm not going to let being single stop me from grabbing that broom by the handle and focusing on other more important things!! for example... hobbies!!
i have noticed recently that i have gotten so caught up searching that i've forgotten to enjoy life! i'll put makeup on in the morning and put on pretty clothes just because i want to impress the menly men. but that stops now. i'm going to get up tomorrow, paint my face and clothe my body with pretty things because i am confident in myself. i look pretty for the sake of  looking pretty and feeling great!

ok now enough of this pep talky stuff. in my new sense of confidence, i've decided to reveal a now not-so-secret secret.  i have decided to dig through my brain and make a list of the guys whom i find attractive. BUT because i'm still workin on this whole confidence thing, i'm gonna be a five year old and just give their first and last initials.. if you wanna know one of their names, or if you think one is you, feel free to ask! :) (i also don't really wanna put names on the internet. for privacy reasons) but anyways!! hah without any more delay! tada!!

JS.
JC.
LP.
AJ.
BM.
BA.
JJ.
SD.
CS.
RH.
CH.
NS.
WJ.
JB.

Now these are not guys i have crushes on... remember i said no crushes :) i just find these individuals very good looking. simply put! can you name em all? i doubt it! :)

later gators

video overload

just enjoy. that is all.

love this song...

and here are a few more. just for fun. cuz im in the mood.

<3 another classic

and just a nice treat. in case you needed a laugh!!

and my fave song this week.

happy sunday!!! :)

OP overload.... hahaha oops 11-17

so remember the days when i posted outfits on a regular basis??? well ive continued to take pictures, in fact i've even evolved to posting them on instagram in collages!! (there is a link on the side if you want to follow me ;)) but ANYWAYS, i decided it was way past 'about time' for me to get caught up.... haha so bear with me and these multiple pictures of myself, but i just gotta get 'er done!! :) :)

k so the first six photos were taken in Ontario, and from my camera, so they are like the older ones. everything else was taken with my phone

OUTFIT 1

top:XXI, leggings:Costco??, belt:XXI, sandals:Joe

earrings:XXI

face shot?? meh, it was on the camera.. hah

OUTFIT 2

top:XXI, skirt:XXI (LOVE THIS SKIRT)

heels:Walmart

earrings:XXI

OUTFIT 3

skirt:XXI, shoes:XXI. earrings:XXI, clutch(top right):Bentley bracelets:Walmart

OUTFIT 4

top:Garage, Shoes:thrifted, earrings:Ardene

OUTFIT 5

rings:XXI, belt:Ardene, shoes:thrifted!!!

grey pencil skirt and peach top are not easily seen but they were both purchased at smaller boutiques

OUTFIT 6

shirt(same as the peach one above but grey):small boutique store, bracelets:Walmart, skirt:same store as shirt, shoes:Sirens

OUTFIT 7

shirt:Bluenotes, skirt(same as in outfit 5):smaller boutique, earrings:thrifted, shoes:ordered online!! 

(shoes purchased here. came to about 35 after shipping)

so there you have it!!! seven outfits in one.... jeesh... hah i will try to be better with these i promise!!
also please do give me feedback :) its great to hear from any and all of you!!

later days mi amgos :D

i put the value in value village.....

so i have wanted to do a post like this for a while. no its not a haul, its a tips and tricks post :) if you know me well enough you know that i LOVE shopping at value village, and most would say i have mastered the art of doing so. its not really all that easy. so i am going to share with you what goes on inside my head as i shop for bargains in vv boutique!! :)
TIP 1)
so first things first, unless you have to, i dont suggest you go in looking for something specific, 9 times outta 10 you wont find it. i go in with an open mind, sort of picturing the items i already have in my closet, and search for items that might pair well with what i have.
TIP 2) leave yourself a good chunk of time in the store if you want to get some good shopping done. i can spend two hours in that store, easy. but thats because i have learnt to be thorough and patient when i shop.
TIP 3)
so then there's exactly that, be thorough and give yourself time to find the good stuff. i have tricks for each item of clothing you shop for, so lets go into detail
3.1 casual tops- when shopping through the knit tees and blouses in your local value village there are two things you need to pay attention to when pulling back EVERY ITEM (yes, trust me if you do it right it really doesnt take that long) you need to pay attention to FABRIC and COLOR. why those two?? well when you are looking at a shirt on the rack, without even touching it yet, you can see the color, and whether or not it has been over worn and washed too many times. while you sift through the clothes you should pay attention to the way the fabric feels between your fingers. chances are if you dont like the way it feels between your fingers, you wont like the way it fits either. another thing i find useful is to pay attention to brand names. some names like gap, xxi, american eagle, you name it, just dont look good on the hanger, so if you love the brand name, try it on anyways, all you have to lose is a few seconds in the change room, and all you have to gain is a cute new top at a GREAT price.
3.2 jeans- ok so when i shop for jeans i always go from the end where i can see the but pocket first, if that makes sense. the but pocket is just about the most important thing you can gather from a hanging pair of jeans. the next important thing is the wash and then the stretchiness. if you have a smaller but, you dont necessarily want bigger pockets, but i do suggest you look for pockets with a bit more glam. if you have a pretty average sized but, youre safe going with pretty much whatever. if you have a larger but like me, try to stay away from pockets with too much glam, it can over emphasize the part of your body that speaks for itself. when looking for wash and stretchiness, its really just preference. i prefer darker washed jeans with just a TAD of stretch. (also word to the wise, DO NOT BUY POCKET-LESS JEANS... unless its for some destiny's child costume, those have absolutely no business being on ANYBODY's bum. no. just no.
3.3 hoodies/sweaters- ok so hoodies are really up to you, but personally i am really picky when it comes to hoodies, cuz if theyre not a good brand i find they twist and wash funny. so if i can, i go with a lulu lemon or american eagle hoodie. they do tend to be more expensive, but like i said this is really just personal, since hoodies are a little looser fitting, the fabric is less important. :)
3.4 shoes- when shopping in a thrift store like this, always shop your size, and a size above or below your size, because often times sizes are very wrong.
3.5 purses..?- hahathis isnt really a section, and its very rare one actually finds a good purse at a second hand store, but remember when looking at clutches or pleather purses, dont be afraid to get crafty. i found this nude clutch once in a thrift store for like a buck and thought "those ugly white stripes can be fixed with some spray paint and painters tape :) so i painted em gold!! and here's what i got :)

yay!!! so i guess now its on to the change room section of the tips. and these apply to all stores... haha
TIP 4) if it doesnt fit over your shoulders or hips, DONT FORCE IT.... you will get stuck..... hah not cool.
TIP 5) if you dont like it in the store, dont buy it, you will regret it. (unless its like one or two bucks and can easily be recycled, then youre safe.
TIP 6) if youre like me and tend to find lower cut pieces at value village, i suggest you bring a neutral under shirt and maybe some leggings or spandex or something for items that are a bit more sheer. and if you have found an item that would look better with a belt, then find a belt similar to one you have at home, or even look for a new belt, there can be some good finds in there!!!

and thats pretty much it for the tips!! hah if i think of something else i will update the post, but for now thats it!!

OOH and here are the nails i told you guys about before, except the reinforcements didnt work very well because the neon is a cheap nail polish and takes forever to dry so it was hard to peel off the sticker. i free handed it and they turned out SO GOOD! see for yourself :)

and yes it is just nail polish, no gel or acrylic :)

and thats it for today :) later guys!!!!

beach body

saw this and had to share.. haha isn't it ironic

so for those of you who are all insecure about your beach bodies, take a gander, gurl you fiiiiiine

later gators :)

OP9

another outfit post. this one's from today

top: garage, pants: thrifted, belt: ardene

shoes: XXI (sorry about the blur)

earrings: XXI, bracelets: XXI, walmart, thrifteds (top to bottom)

the fountains were on in the square today :) so pretty

i love my job.

ps. have you ever stood out in the pouring rain and just enjoyed the moment? if not i suggest you do. (preferably when its warm out to reduce the risk of getting sick ;))

well thats all guys!! later :P

OP8

alrighty were on to today's outfit... hah. and i was totally wearing makeup for these too.... but you cant see my face. hah oh well

half tee: modest is hottest, dress: thrifted :) (and its a size 6!! yay!)

shoes: XXI (remember the post i wrote when i first bought these?? hah yea i still love them)

earrings: ardene's

and a close up of the back of the dress. ( i seriously love this, its so pretty)

aaalrighty then, so now its time to tell you a story about my commute on saturday... haha stay tuned :)

OP7

not a lot of spunk to this outfit hah it was a pretty gloomy day out so i decided to throw in a little neon (oh and im wearing my new pants bought specifically because i lost weight, YAY)

shirt: walmart, cardigan: zellers, skinnies: XXI

the flatts :) from ardene's

i cant count how many times i got comments on this outfit... hah 'you look like a lemon drop' 'your shoes make me happy' (that last one was from the CSA on the GO train that day hah there will be a post on that one dont you worry!!) now on to today's outfit.. haha sundayyyyy

OP6

alrighty numero dos.... hah i think this must've been friday.

tank top: stitches, half tee: modest is hottest, shorts: XXI

two necklaces... haha feather necklace: walmart, ritzy gold necklace: superstore (joe fresh)

earrings: ardene's

and this is what the back of the tank top looks like. i love this shirt :)

and these are the shoes i wore. hah these are so old (hence the crack in the toes). also walmart

haha ALRIGHTY NEEEEEXT

OP5

k guys im sorry i havent been posting lately... hah but i have about five to do so bear with me here. four outfits and a story of my trip to work on saturday. let's start with the outfits!!

again im sorry for the no makeup thing... hah whatever you're over it. shirt jacket and shorts are thrifted, and belt is from walmart

ok there are three necklaces here. the beaded one i do believe is from ardene, the yes/no is think is from american eagle, and the large orange one is something i threw together from stuff i got at michaels. (I <3 MICHAELS)

and these were the sandals i wore. also walmart :)

hah you get a lot of stuff from there when you spend most of your time checking people's items through a till...

okay on to the next outfit!! haha i cant even remember what day this was.... thursday maybe? sure we'll go with that... hah

Something New

hey y'all!! so today i got a special package in the mail from my good friend Leslie!! she's such a sweetheart and she introduced me to this new skin system called skincerity! and so i agreed to try it out for her and post about it on my blog! i am soooo excited to get started with this! :) WARNING! THIS POST CONTAINS GROSS IMAGES OF MY BAD SKIN... hah.

i got it!! excited!!! :)

this is what my kit came with. the bottle, a washcloth, and a pamphlet briefly explaining the rules and instructions. (its so simple.. seriously. you just roll)

let's git rollinnnnnn

forehead wrinkles. i have had these for as long as i can remember.. they're in my genes. let's hope this works!! :)

the back of my arm. this is also a genetic thing with me. the backs of my arms are really dry and bumpy. so maybe this will help that too! (yes you CAN use it anywhere on your skin)

all rolled up and ready to get some shut eye :)

here's her contact info if you want to learn more about this stuff! i will be posting updates on how my skin looks and all that jazz so stay posted!! :)

OP4

alrighty. this is what i wore on sunday :) sorry these posts have been slower as of late. i'm only prioritizing :)

dress: thrifted(originally etcetera)

close up of the belt: walmart. (sorry for the blur)

ps. don't you just love the print on this dress!? i do!

earrings <3: thrifted and refashioned (had pendants hanging off of them.. TA-KEEEEE)

the boots i wore with it :). also walmart.

so that's my outfit post :) enjoy ang <3. 

and remember any suggestions can be made in the comments, i love comments!! :)

OP3

k guys sorry this took so long i have been pretty busy lately. so this is what i wore to work on thursday. casual with a slight nautical twist :) (this time i had enough time to put on makeup for you guys)

red top: gap, lace top: modest is hottest, skinnies: walmart

earrings: XXI, bracelets: walmart, XXI, XXI, mexico :) (shout out to my gurl beeeeeanz)

aaaaand my shoes :) thrifted!

sorry guys. just been one of those weeks. and i don't even have my schedule for next week so i have to call in tomorrow and figure that all out.

on a positive note i think i have dropped another pant size. all of my pants are really loose on me. and they all used to be decently tight. the real test will be if my pink skinnies are loose.. haha those have always been my tightest pair. we'll see! hopefully all of this walking is paying off. about forty minutes each day i have a shift. not bad!

well, on to the next post of the night. there will be a few.. haha

OP2

alright :) outfit post number two!! :) please pardon the bare face, i was in a rush to get to work so i did it on the train.. haha not easy.

top: ardene, pants: XXI

earrings: thrifted, bracelets: XXI XXI thrifted

my crochet flats <3 thrifted. (i realize i forgot to take a picture of my shoes yesterday.. haha oops, they were just plain brown gladiator sandals from walmart :)

so now i am going to share with you my purchases of the day :) i got to work and had some time to spare so i accessorized!! here is what i got. and all under 12 dollars!

i love this ring.. its too cute.

ive been looking for earrings to go with the pants i wore today, and these are them :) and i saw the anchors and couldn't resist!! for under 5 bucks each who would!?

and before i scurry off i have some cool news!! two of my friends got called to the toronto canada mission and are reporting to the mtc on august 29th!! sick deal! :) and while were on the topic of missionaries i wanna say i saw about six of them working dundas square on my way to work and almost went to hug them i was so excited!! haha then i realized they cant hug girls. good call maddie :)

well anyways!! see you guys next time for another outfit! probably tomorrow.oh and ps. im going to canada's wonderland on friday. nbd. :)