Colour Died.

Okay, so as of late I have been obsessed with a number of things – blanket scarves – candles – home decor – and B L A C K.  Yes, that is correct black - and thus the title of this post. I suppose as the leaves have fallen and weather gets colder, I do away with some of the warm fall hues for all black everything… The last few posts and outfits I have put together have been all black – with maybe a pop of colour (simply to avoid looking satanic). Anyways, I actually don’t mind – where personal style is concerned, I am a firm believer in mood dressing. Okay, mood dressing isn’t actually a concept but it should be; what I mean by it is dressing however you feel. I have never been one to pre-plan outfits or sift through my closet weeks before a convention or special event. Now I understand packing may force you to be a tad more conscious where planning is concerned, but aside from that, I really just play around in my closet. That is my understanding of personal style – it should never be over thought, it is after allyour style. Style should be a reflection of you and how you feel in that moment. Confession: sometimes I like to play dress-up in my closet but guess what, 9/10 I never end up wearing the looks I put together – simply because that’s how I was feeling then. 

I don’t know – call me crazy but as the great DVF would say “style should be effortless” 

the B O L D & the beautiful

Hi Beauties, 

This post is a tad overdue; these photos were taken last Sunday - it's Sunday now...life. But I kept it simple and paired this black leather skirt with a black textured scuba top and a pair of wine patent pumps. As plain as it may appear - I think this outfit sums up my style quite well - never too flashy and always classy. Besides that, I am wearing two of my favourite colours - black - which is just a given and w i n e also commonly referred to as o x b l o o d if you keep up with the trendy under-culture of the young. 

Last year during my mother's wedding shower we played some ice breaker games and - we all had the task of describing the person to our right with a colour representation. A tad presumptuous when you don't know everyone as much as you should - but a fun game nonetheless. The colour attributed to me was wine - a deep red confident colour. My girl described me as an individual who was not flashy or overbearing - yet a presence that was noticed. It was honestly so perfect. I have held onto that since then. This is how I want to be described in all aspects of my life. I may not be the brightest star in the room at all times - but I shine just bright enough to keep you wondering. Conceptually this example can be used in many different ways - especially where work and dedication are concerned. In a world of 6 0 seconds of fame - consistency and faithfulness are praised. 

Just call me the silent wonder...

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Okay,  so I have been a bit of a delinquent where the blog is concerned. Last week was incredibly busy - catching up with friends and family. My church celebrated "All Nations Sunday" which is an opportunity to celebrate and pay homage to all the various cultures we represent. Typically I rep my Jamaican culture proudly - while I was not born there my mother and family made sure that I experienced many of the cultural norms and ways. This year was different, just days after a soldier was shot at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, Canada [five minutes from my work] I felt it was only right to represent my Canadian Heritage. Ottawa, the city formerly known to be 'the city that fun forgot' is typically quiet and easy going - when catastrophe struck it was remarkable to see how resilient and caring people were in the midst of crisis. 

I have never been prouder to say I AM CANADIAN. 

d e l i n q u e n c y

Hi Beauties, 

I am not even going to address my look of delinquence aside from saying - it was friday and I do what I wauuunts'. I took my classless self over to Westboro, Ottawa for some Friday night eats and treats with my girl. Back at TRIO Bistro and Lounge I got an open faced Pear and Brie sandwich with a Walnut Pesto Spread - I also tried their Albacore Tuna which was quite yummy as well. And of course we can't forget the virgin mojito - done just right. We rounded off the night with cupcakes from The Cupcake Lounge.  As for the little photo shoot... well may I redirect you to Cindy Lauper's popular tune - GIRLS- THEY WANNA HAVE FUN...

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all that glitters is not G O L D

Hello Beauties, 

Thursday is one of my most favourite days of the week - I think it peaks the anticipation for the weekend. I have always said - Thursday, I anticipate Friday and the weekend that it precedes; however, by the time friday actually rolls around - I AM DONE. Like, do not speak to me on a Friday afternoon because 9 out of 10 I will punch you in the face. Okay, perhaps a bit of an exaggeration as I actually can't swing a punch to save my life... but you get the gist. Anyways - today is indeed Thursday and thereby I am happy. 

I have not been writing as much as I would like to in posts, and while the personal style posts are great - I have so many thoughts I wish to voice. So this post is dedicated to just that - t h o u g h t s. 

Last Saturday I attended an event at the Ottawa Convention Centre - 613 Night Market hosted by Prive  - and if you are from Ottawa and have not heard of it, well you are living under a rock; and I admonish you to come from under it... It was a seamlessly organized event where local vendor and restauranteurs had the opportunity to showcase their artistry. There was everything from handmade jewelry to gluten free cookies. Being the food enthusiast that I am - naturally, I went for the food. 

[I am going to apologize right now for the lack of photos I took in the interest of taking in the evening]  First I sampled a coconut curry shrimp dish over jasmine rice. Then it was off to Auntie Thelma's for my very first jerked tofu tart! [not entirely sure what it is with me an jerked tofu these days! I just had jerked tofu tacos at SIDEDOOR contemporary kitchen] It was not bad actually. Next we popped over to a local caterer for a shrimp and salmon cake - it was quite nice and the appeal was the no filler added factor. I also sampled a few pieces of cold, yet yummy sushi pizza from KINKI - an Asian Fusion restaurant in the Byward Market [Ottawa]. I have heard about it - but never been - I am definitely excited to make them a pitstop on my informal Ottawa Foodie Tour. [Speaking of which I tried a couple great places in Westboro last week - post to come!] After trying out KINKI my sweet tooth was beginning to kick in and it was time for a cupcake from The Button and the Bee. I tried a matcha green tea cupcake and it was incredible! So moist and flavourful - one of my favourite cupcakes in Ottawa by far! 

So that pretty much summed up the food tour! It was a great evening with friends and food. Fortunately the night did not end there. As we were leaving the Convention Centre I persuaded my friends to take some photos for me - for the blog of course.  Turns out they were really bad photographers so what I got was photos of my laughing hysterically at their antics. Really, I wouldn't have it any other way. After as we sat chatting we discussed how much things have changed over the past decade - everything from kids cartoons and toys to the presence of social media in our society. Of course the pressing social media concerns led to deeper discussion on its implications on our society. 

We spoke to the notion that social media has given young people a great platform - which is proving to be quite dangerous. With examples like Kylie Jenner and Sophia Ritchie - young people are forced out of innocence in efforts to keep up with the grown and independent template of the 2014 teen. Now, I am not saying such examples are solely to blame for this - as teenagers have been losing their innocence or so to speak for as long as I have been alive; but it is important to recognize and address the various factors that attribute to this loss of innocence. Now because these - kids really, think they are grown they begin to act like they are grown and beyond that - expect you to now treat them like they are grown. So while the little buggers are clever - they're not the wisest set, and rightly so - they have only been on the planet for 13-19 years! That's my biggest issue with the teenager and social media equation - they feel as though they know more than they actually do. With sensationalized posts, tweets and instagrams all of them with a hundred likes and follows - everyone tells them they actually do know a thing or two. Again, I am not suggesting that we put tape on the mouths of teenagers and rip it off for the 20th birthday - because voicing their opinions is much apart of development but where is the sense of humility? If we know it all - can do it all - and can be it all - what do we need? Further, who do we need? 

Now this goes out to all of us social media users both young and... painfully old. I think it touches younger folk more however - as they find themselves on a journey toward self-actualization. We have begun to use social media as a mask - only showcasing the very best in our lives. While I understand the inclination to share things that excite us - I feel like many glorify their lives through posts when the reality is quite the contrary. Captions are great - they give us the opportunity to contextualize our photos - the trouble is we can come up with any caption we so choose. I have seen examples where people post photos practically skipping in the streets and making overly done declarations supposed camaraderie and I have also been in the same room with those same people - and have observed that they have no idea how to communicate with each other. But I never would have seen that through social media - I only saw the glam. So what's the issue? You are there scrolling through and see glam-glam-glam-glam and begin to question what you are doing with your life. Why aren't I married? Where's my new car? Why don't I have this - that and the third. We have been consumed by g l a m.  So I am writing this post to remind someone that - all that glitters is not gold -  

Not everything people put out is a great as it would appear and at best - it's only a small capture of a life. At the end of the day - enjoy your life - the life that you've been given. Don't get caught up with everyone's gold-plated life. 

Live your own life - because it is golden.

N A T U R E ' S . B E A U T Y

Hi Beauties, 

So a few weeks back I shared some of the things I love most about fall. I made reference to fall candles - and Cayenne Caramel is totes lit while I type [they bring me to my happy place] - I also made reference to the fall scenery particularly in the Gatineau Hills. My family and I took to the Luskville Falls for a vigorous hike and stunning view.  I recently started a '30 before 30' list - and I can now say 'Go on a real hike' can now be crossed off my list. We all had such a great sense of accomplishment - I love setting goals and going out to achieve them. The world has so many beautiful things to offer; and many of them can be found in our own backyard! Here is a little of what we saw. 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Sunday

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I love faux fur - especially in the fall! I paired my faux fur vest with a mustard scuba stretch dress for a fun fall outfit!

I wore laser cut leather lace-up booties as they flowed well with the funky feel of the ensemble. Since my dress was plain I loved revving up my outfit with my fur and leather statement pieces.  Sometimes print can be a great way to spice up a plain outfit but I have always loved textures! I just find it adds so much personality and dimension to an outfit. 

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Outfit Details:

Dress: Dynamite
Vest: Forever21
Shoes: Call it Spring
Bag: Kate Spade NY