Can you feel it? It's Spring... almost.

Welcome back,

Over the past week, I have been trying to put together an unusual event for my course. I'm still finding a few issues I have to deal with despite having handed in my proposal. In fact, I was making changes right up until last night. It's ok because I know this is going to be one of those things that is ever changing and will probably need to be updated and reworked as time goes on. I do not mind, I feel like it's a real passion project and I'm excited to get started on it.

As a result, fashion and self-care have really been on the back burner. To rectify that, I'm going to treat myself to a night of gaming. I recently started to replay an N64 classic (that's Nintendo 64 for those of you who might not know) and I'm missing my consoles and lazy nights.

Since Spring is coming up really soon, I would recommend hitting up some winter stock clearance. There are an abundance of shoes on sale right now at townshoes.ca I actually bought myself two sneakers and a pair of strappy sandals for the warmer months. Now, I'm just waiting to wear them while trying to survive school. January and February have always been hard on me.

Here is a photo of my family's dog, he is like me, waiting for Spring.

In the dead of Winter

Hey kids,

Mid-February is the worst. It's cold, it's windy, it's dry outside, and your hair is permanently frizzy from all the layers of knitwear you've draped yourself in. Also, the sun is only out for so long. It is truly awful.

We come close to the breaking point at this time because everything seems just to suck. Taxes come due, students are inevitably assigned homework for the "break" and chances are a groundhog told you there's one more month of this to go. Whooo Hooo...
If you're anything like me, double up your homework with self-care. Below I'll share with you what me and some of my friends do. Please feel free to give me some tips because I've had dry lips for two weeks now.

Before we go forward, please note I personally have oily blemish prone skin so what works for me might not always work for someone with dryer skin.

Hair:
This one is easy, but requires patience and some trial and error. Last year, I stopped using shampoos with Sulfates, it really made a huge difference. The cons are that I had to wash my long hair more often, and it took me a while to figure out which brand would work best for me. I also had to deal with some temperamental hair while my scalp was adjusting to the change. Overall I think it was worth it, I find my hair shiny and soft and uniform.

A tip for using conditioner, leave it in for a few minutes and rinse it out with cold water, this seals the cuticle.

I also tend to use a tiny bit of oil on the ends of my hair, and I blow dry as little as possible. When you dry, try using a clean t-shirt, there are fewer fibers to pull on the cuticles. Another method I've recently heard about it is leaving the hair wrapped and undisturbed until dry.

You can also take the oil, heat it up a bit and apply it to the hair before you wash for a total root to tip treatment.

Skin:
Avoid hot showers, this actually strips your skin of moisture, but you probably already knew that.

Take baths with a bit of olive oil, oatmeal or baking soda into them to help the body retain moisture. (Thanks for the tip Kiran)

Use lotions, the unscented kinds, if you read the ingredients label you will probably see alcohol as an ingredient. Alcohol dries out the skin so avoid it. Go one step further put some generously on your hands and feet before sleeping. Put on knit socks and those thin dollar store gloves to help retain the moisture while opening up the pores with added heat.

Face:
I sometimes substitute make-up remover with olive oil. Yes, you read that right. I do it because it adds hydration, but the molecules in olive oil are too big to clog pores. It doesn't hurt that it's cheaper than most brands.
There's also an egg mask you can do that I like. To do that, you break an egg and separate the white from the yolk, put a layer of egg white on your face and let it dry completely. Wash it off and do the same with the yolk. My skin always feels softer and more balanced after I do this. Just note that you won't need to use the entire egg so you can separate enough to fill a tablespoon and prepare the rest. I make scrambled eggs.

Adding honey to your face masks can also help if you have breakouts.

Above all drink plenty of water. Can't stress that one enough and I'm guilty of not doing it, I'm paying for that with my chapped lips.

I hope you found something here useful. If you know any remedies, please feel free to share them here!

Take care!

An Ode to LeChateau

Hello everyone,

This week I'm going to be writing a bit of a story about my relationship with Le Chateau.

When I was a little girl, I would spend the weekends with my aunt, uncle, and grandma. My aunt read magazines full of beautiful, graceful women who posed in gardens and beautiful rooms. I would sit along side her and flip through the glossy pages with perfectly decorated rooms and beautifully laid out images. They looked so put together; I idealized them. I couldn't wait until I was old enough to wear those clothes.

Their house always had the radio playing somewhere in the house. I sometimes remember sitting by myself upstairs listening to music while drawing. I'd hear club music (MC Mario's Mix Down, anyone?). I thought the music was so cool, and it was. The music was so different compared to the Celine Dion and folk music I heard at home. My parents were trying to figure out their life in Canada.

Enter puberty. I was listening to a mish-mash of music and looking at a lot of fashion magazines. One day, close to my 13th (I think) birthday, my aunt sat me down and told me.

"You're getting older and I can't buy you things without worrying if you'll like them or not."

My aunt would always dote on me and my brother because she didn't have any kids of her own, she took gifting occasions pretty seriously. The solution to her problem was to take me shopping and have me choose my own clothes.

We went to Polo Park Shopping Center and walking up to the Le Chateau I could hear that baseline.

*baseline noises that I can't figure out how to spell, so think of something like a person who is beatboxing, but very simply*

What was this magical place? I was intrigued by the blue lights and the rows and rows of clothes seen from just outside the glass doors, so we went inside.

Did anyone remember the girls' section Junior Girl? THAT WAS MY JAM. For a while, I was buying everything from there. It was just so different from the kid's clothes and my brothers hand-me-downs I was so used to wearing. It was also the closest I'd be able to get to the outfits in the magazines. Yes, Junior Girl was my jam. I remember my aunt bought me a maroon knit suit and I wore that everywhere, even with the zip up blazer, oh yes I did.

One year for Christmas I received a pair of heavy satin pants with a tie up closure, it was very Britney Spears. I wore those pants with a pale pink knit sweater for grade 7 picture-day. My grade 8 grad dress was from there too. I wasn't feeling the tooth fairy looking satin dresses that seemed to wrinkle as soon as they touched your body. I opted for a black large floral patterned halter dress with an asymmetrical hemline and slit, purchased at Le Chateau.

Practically every birthday I would get a party shirt and a pair of jeans. I would almost only wear jeans from Le Chateau. They fit me the best. My first suits came from Le Chateau, I still have my favourite, it was a boot cut pant with a beautifully structured jacket made of black fabric with a damask print embossed. Thankfully, I remained (for the most part) the same size and can still wear it every now and again.

I couldn't imagine what it would be like to no longer have this Canadian fashion powerhouse sitting in my local mall. This store shaped my style, and it remains a big part of my growth into adulthood. I hope that this store survives while the American brands continue to expand their businesses here. Le Chateau is essential to the Canadian fashion industry and I really don't want it to disappear.


Have a good weekend.