today

days like today are so invigorating...

i slept in

enjoyed my morning coffee instead of guzzling it for caffeine

dance partied for one while getting dressed

lunch with a bestie i haven't seen in months

refreshing conversation & hugs

promises for more weekly hangouts

a really good workout

a light dinner

a hot bath

a big refreshing glass of water

a cup of my favourite tea

writing christmas cards early

& now mikey is jamming upstairs for an acoustic set he's playing in december and they kind of sound really lovely, it's very relaxing (& a bit of a nice change from the usual jamming that goes on upstairs)

yes, today was nice indeed.

blog thoughts

is it weird that i feel like i can be more 'myself' on twitter & instagram then i can on my blog. why is that i wonder, it's not like there's any less followers so i have to edit what i'm saying or anything, it's not like there's someone reading my blog who i can't be 100% honest with, i guess maybe because it's public...twitter i have a private profile so i could limit who follows me (i usually don't though) & same with instagram. i generally accept people's requests unless it's a company i care nothing about, or it's someone with the profile 'follow me & i'll follow you back' (i hate that shit) does anyone else feel this way...it's weird to me, and i don't really understand why?

i'd like to be more honest on my blog, not that i'm being dishonest with what i post, i've never been a blogger who posts about something because someone gave me something so i have to post about it, or i'm being paid to, or any of those kinds of things. i've always blogged about what i like, who i like and people/companies i support, and that's the truth. i'm a casual blogger, this isn't my full-time or even part-time job. it's not a job at all, it's a hobby and i definitely feel like you can tell the difference between bloggers who are paid to and bloggers who do it for a hobby [i feel like someone is going to have something to say about that, but say away!]

it's weird though. i mean, for the most part you want to post nice things, right? you don't want to post about the shit that's happening in your life because you don't want to bring your readers down...truth is, they probably have enough shit in their life that they don't want to read about your shit on top of it. is blogging a place to escape? do we want sugar coated lives & pretty photos to escape from the shit? i don't know, because to be honest i feel like the blogs i really LOVE reading (not just peruse through & get nothing out of) are the ones who post random thoughts, or post about real life things, something worthwhile. these don't really exist much though, do they? i mean for the most part the blogs in my feed are pretty people who wear pretty clothes [like 90%], cute families, people who have etsy shops i like, people i know in real life [& therefore actually care about...in real life] people who i admire for one reason or another, and people who actually have something interesting to say.

maybe it's time to clean out my blog feed. i wonder how many blogs i'd really have left though...and if i do use blogging as a bit of an escape then maybe i like seeing these pretty people in pretty clothes & these cute families i hope to have one like someday. ugh, can you tell i'm having a blog-life crisis? i don't think i'll stop blogging, i really do enjoy it, i guess i'm just kind of re-evaluating and deciding what i want out of blogging & what i want my blog to be for, ya know? i like sharing these kinds of thoughts with you guys...i generally get really awesome feedback and i like knowing how you guys feel about something. feelings aren't ever really talked about in the blog world, people usually just surpass those topics and stick with the ones people want to see/hear about.

i guess it goes back to this post as well. also this rant was somewhat inspired by this post which i liked...a lot.

also, this is not saying i'm never going to post outfit posts because they don't have some deep meaning, i like fashion-- it's a part of my life & i enjoy it sooo i'll blog about it. i don't really know what i'm saying here [at all...nice one carly] i guess what i'm saying is, i will continue to post about things i love and maybe add in some more 'me' every now and again, some real life stuff, some thoughts and more wordy posts. i feel like i'm at a pretty interesting time in my life, mid twenties, feeling a little lost and having a lot of thoughts swirling around in my brain -- so maybe you'll just be seeing more of that, who knows!

pwef...what the hell just happened

an open letter to instagram

dear instagram,

when we first met i thought you were pretty cool, sneaking into other people's lives at any given moment and giving me a peek at what they were doing. i thought that was sweet, i've always been a little nosy and you my friend are the nosiest of them all so we got along swimmingly. 

then things started getting serious, we started hanging out every day, multiple times a day...

we hang when i'm painting my nails (which we all know is a LOT!)

we hang out when i'm getting dressed

we go for drinks

we hangout at work

...and after work

sometimes we even hang out in bed

i'd say things are getting pretty serious.

you're the last thing i see before i go to bed & the first thing i see when i wake up in the morning. it's safe to say that...i love you instagram, and i don't care who knows it!

love, carly

etsy faves: comfy cozies

these wool mittens recycled from a sweater are the cutest things + they're fleece lined cause there's nothing worse than a cute pair of knit mitts that the wind goes right through! so many cute patterns & colours in this shop!

also from the same shop...hand warmers, genius! heat them up in the microwave and then put them in your pocket to keep your hands warm on your walk! such a cute idea.

this braided cowl is so cute, love this idea! she also sells adorable knitted ornaments too. 

i love this embellished headband, cozy & cute!

tiff of that girl crochet has listed the custom scarf she made me in her shop (for those who have commented saying they want one!) i still cannot get over the fact that it's under $40 & her shipping is sofreakingcheap!

this strays from the knit theme happening here but it does not change the fact that IWANTITSOBADLYITHURTS! this jacket is amazing & it's on my christmas wish list fo sho...

outfit post x2: black friday weekend

outfit details:

toque - thrifted

button down - levis

boots - cougar via save our soles

i wore this today for the final day of our black friday sales at the store. i'm glad i wore something comfy as it was pretty crazy! i am in love love love with my new cougar boots. they're the 'pillow boot' and they're truly called that for a reason, i was comfy all day long & aren't they adorable? i love them so much! they'll be my winter boot this year, plus they're a canadian company which is always nice to support. we sell them at save our soles & you can get yours online, we can be twinsies!  

 it was a busy busy weekend but everyone seemed to be in the holiday spirit & were having a good time shopping so that always makes work more fun! plus it snowed today so people were excited and feeling the christmas spirit - one month today!! i need to get my shopping done, time is flying by & i'm only about halfway done.

outfit details:

button down - h&m

high waisted pants - levis (& are the BEST!)

boots - steve madden via save our soles

toque - obey

bueno ring - bueno bueno

i hope you guys are cool with the toque & curls look because it's seriously going to be happening on my head for the next 4-6 months as i'm growing out my bangs and it's the only thing that keeps them off my face, plus it's cold out there!

i pretty much just wore levis all weekend long, first day my top, second day my pants...they're one of my favourite brands and i'm stoked to get a pair of their high waisted denim soon! is anyone with me on the high-waisted-or-bust train? it's all i can wear. whenever i wear low-mid waist i'm always yanking at them all day, which is not a good look!

how was your weekend? snag any awesome black friday sales? i worked all weekend so didn't have time to shop in stores, but i did manage to snag the pair of loafers i've been eyeing from sam edelman since i first saw them...last pair, in my size, on sale - it was meant to be!

gift idea: strozzi

i love strozzi jewelry, that's a well known fact. on any given day i'm usually wearing one of the great rings that she's sent me! i checked her shop recently & found some gorgeous new designs that i loved & wanted to share.

for the lace lovers:

for all the cat lovers:

for the geometric lovers:

for the christmas lovers:

she is one of my favourite sponsors because her craftsmanship is high quality & her fun personality is reflected in her designs! her rings don't turn your fingers green or tarnish at all (& i never remove rings when washing my hands) they're seriously some of the best & most unique rings i've ever had a chance to own! i honestly think strozzi jewelry would make a great gift for any gal on your christmas list!

you can see other posts ft. this lovely lady here, here & here

actually the best weekend

this weekend i travelled to toronto to stay with my cousin eryn and her boyfriend peter and i had a fantastic time! i love visiting with her because we're pretty much the same person; we have so much common & have the best chats! plus we like all the same stuff so shopping together is pretty much perfect. she's got herself a really great guy & that makes me happy! 

so friday night we went to go see of monsters & men. they were amazing! they sound exactly like they do on their album which is always impressive, and their music is just so happy & fun that it was a great atmosphere! we met katia for a brief moment, real life blog friends now! you can see her post on the show which includes a possessed photo of myself & eryn haha we blame her flash. she stayed after the show and happened to meet the band which is pretty rad! anyway ya, the show was wicked! i'd go see them again in a heartbeat ♥ & i love them even more now. it's always good seeing a band live and realizing yup, that's actually how they sound live, not just an over-produced record, you know?

 we went shopping on saturday and hit up some really great spots including this  one vintage shop called public butter. we actually were in the area to go to a different one, which turned out to be a big let down, then saw this as we were walking back & holy moly i was so glad we went in. basically everything i'm loving right now was $20. i got some awesome pieces & some great christmas gifts! i will definitely be going back to this place...hell, i'd travel to toronto strictly FOR this place, yup - that awesome! saturday night we went for all you can eat sushi (so good!!) then to this great bar around the corner from her place called 3030 & it was so fun! they had a swing band playing & we made new friends & played trivial pursuit & stayed awake til 4am chatting & laughing - such a good time!

sunday my bestie aly happened to be in toronto for a wedding. it was SO great to see her as i totally wasn't expecting to and even though it's only been 3 months since we last saw each other, i had no idea when she was going to be home next so it was a great little surprise visit. holy hell though it made me miss her that much more & it really breaks my heart that we'll probably never live in the same province again...but on the positive side, i will always have a friend to visit in beautiful british columbia & that ain't so bad!

we were at the drake hotel for lunch & they have an awesome little photobooth so of course we took some fun photos & i'm so glad we did!

  her sister joey was there too (& her fam!) and it was so nice to see them all too as it had definitely been a few years, and jojo is like my little sister, i love her to bits!! aren't they the best looking sisters you've ever seen?

overall it was really the best weekend i've had in a long time. as much as i love peterborough, it's always great to get away from things for a little while & clear your head. spending time with family & best friends is pretty incredible, throw in a concert, some really wonderful chats & great shopping and hot damn, i'd say that's a pretty perfect little weekend right there!

outfit post: spring in november

outfit details:

tunic/dress - army surplus store

boots - 'bennder' by steve madden via S.O.S [the store i manage]

jacket - obey via a clothing swap

necklace - rose & anchor via tango

the day i wore this it was 17 degrees and so mild and spring-like, the following day we had flurries and now it's back to being typical chilly mid-november weather. no complaints here though because i love bundling up in layers and boots and scarves. i must admit, it was a delightful little break from the cold for a few days though.

one of these days i'll get back to taking real photos again for these outfit posts [i've been saying this for months] but it's just so convenient when i can make a little collage on the diptic app through instagram then upload it here. poor DSLR, getting little love since i got an iphone.

tonight i'm heading to toronto to visit and stay with my cousin erin for the weekend. you may know her better as red food colouring i'm excited as i always enjoy and cherish the time that we get to spend together & this time it's the whole weekend! plus her boyfriend pete is a gem & makes me laugh a lot (& is a good cook) so their place is really love to stay. we're going to see of monsters & men tonight & i can't wait to dance & sing along, i love them! tomorrow we're going to do some shopping & go for drinks saturday night, then sunday i'm meeting up with my bestie aly for lunch who is in town from B.C for a wedding. so it's going to be a great weekend indeed!

also, my pal des of so fawned is city line's featured blogger this month which is pretty amazing as they're kind of a big deal in canada. if you read the article, you may notice a familiar name in her 'favourite blog reads' i'm honoured! 

taking a moment

i took this photo earlier today when i was in bobcaygeon. my mum was at a dentists appointment & so i wandered around the cute little town, got a coffee, purchased some christmas gifts & yummy candles & then sat by the water and enjoyed the silent, still day. the water was so calm, it looked like one of those portraits where you can flip it and you couldn't tell which way was the right way. there were church bells going off and it was a lovely moment, one those deep-breath-in-i'm-thankful-to-be-alive moments, ya know? 

i've been at my parents place on the water [their home now] last night & today and it's been lovely. i can truly relax here. plus my parents are awesome and they're always great to chat & have some drinks with. we went in the hot tub and looked at the stars and it was just lovely. i'm heading back home tonight, have a couple days of work then i'm off for the weekend to toronto, woo!

on blogging & why people care

this blog post has been writing itself in my head for well, probably a couple of years now...at least in the last year for sure as i've gotten more & more into blogging & what it's all about & as my number of followers somehow seems to increase. if you're a blogger, do you ever ask yourself "why do people care?" and if you're a blog reader, let me ask you "why do you care?" those questions may come off strangely, but i genuinely want to know...why do you care?

i remember my dad saying the same thing to me [& not in a rude way but more or less in a 'non blogging generation' way as he just doesn't really get blogging] and primarily he doesn't get why people care...why 670 people are following my blog and why they care about what i have to say and to be honest, i often ask myself the same question. i started this blog as a way to gather my thoughts but also because i had just moved somewhere new and i wanted to collect my new experiences in one place and have an outlet to do so...plus 'blogging' has always been in my blood i guess as i also had a livejournal account when i was younger [oh what i wouldn't give to go back and read that now] 

but...i'm not an overly exciting person, i don't take really awesome photos, i don't have fascinating outfits or a cool etsy shop to promote, i don't really write anything too riveting, i don't have a really cute kid that you want to see photos of, i don't make crafts or do any interesting DIYs [this is a list based on the blogs i tend to follow] i really am just a normal girl. i go to work, i hang out with friends but most of the time you can find me at home with my boyfriend watching netflix or reading a book, and that's all. for some odd reason 670 people care about that. it's crazy isn't it?! some days i forget that people even read this and then i get some comments here and there or someone mentions my blog [heaven forbid!] IRL [in real life] and i remember, oh ya...people do read this and for some reason people care to read about my little, ordinary life. it's bizarre. the blogging world really is bizarre when you boil it down. to people who don't blog or read blogs, they don't get what it's all about and that's okay because as i've said, most of the time i don't either. so i guess what it boils down to is why do i blog...

i blog to document my life

i blog because it's faster than keeping a journal

i blog because i think it will be really neat to look back on some day

i blog because i like the sense of community

i blog because i enjoy 'meeting' people from all over the world

i blog because i [for whatever reason] care about these bloggers that i 'follow' and read on a regular basis 

i blog because it's a fun hobby

& i guess the main reason i blog is because i enjoy it

if i didn't enjoy it anymore, or if i one day out grow it, i'll stop...but for now, i'll continue to blog. i'll continue to enjoy this awesome little community that we have and share and i'll continue to keep caring about the blogs that i religiously follow because for some reason, this is how i want to spend my time.

so...why do you blog?
and if you're a reader, why do you care?
[again, i mean this is in the most honest & loving way and i hope it doesn't come off as rude, i just genuinely want to know!] i guess a better question would be, why do you read my blog?

phil collins & sparkles.

today was a glorious day. not only was it 17 degrees out (holy sheee-it!) but i also had the day off. unfortunately (or fortunately, i'm not sure) i slept in til noon & it's pitch black by 5PM so i really only had a few hours of daylight but i sure enjoyed it. ran some errands & got groceries, came home, made coffee, nail painted, blog read, record listened, it's been superb! did i ever tell you that my wonderful parents gave me their amazing record collection many months ago annnd it's the best? today i listened to neil young, phil collins & boston, some of my favourites! i think face value by phil baby [that's what my mums always called him] is one of my favourite records of all time, it's just so damn good...plus i grew up listening to phil collins as my parents played him a lot.

 neil young has been in my apartment, true story. we used to have a guitar shop below our apartment, that just recently went out of business, and neil young was in our apartment and smoked a joint in our loft, yup. cool shit.

this happened. whoa!

lately all i want is sparkly everything. i blame it on early christmas spirit, or...something, but i want glittery things all the damn time!

this weekend my girlfriend megg had a psychic party and we all had readings done which was a ton of fun! i didn't really hear anything too crazy but it was still a really great time and some of the other girls had some pretty crazy stuff said which was neat. we went out dancing afterwards which was a great time, but lead to a nasty hangover on saturday and i worked a 12hr day, oi. getting old sucks ya know? 2 day hangovers are the worst. 
"i'm never drinking again"

 alright time to make some dinner & have a glass of wine [...that lasted long] 

looking for a fun read? i highly recommend miss carmen of cheeky cheeky. this post was funny & sassy & amazing & i love her. also don't forget to enter the giveaway for your own custom crocheted infinity scarf!

share the love.

some links to posts in blog world i am loving lately!

you guys by now should know how much of a positive impact and influence my really great friend julie ross is on my life. i recently came up with an acronym (WWJRD?) to ask myself when i'm in a bad mood...you might think i'm kidding, but i'm totally not. she's my happiness guru, no lie! she wrote this great little post on ways to instantly cheer up & i think it's fantastic! & so is she. 

i really loved this post that savannah of maie dae did on keeping promises to yourself. she makes a lot of great points!

jenny's post on the effects of hurricane sandy in here town was so scary. i can't imagine ever experiencing something like this and am so thankful that i will probably never have to living in ontario. jenny is an artist and is donating money from her shop sales to this cause. you can use coupon code XONEWJERSEY to receive 20% off as well. 

i am loving these photos of alexz from bird trouble's sneak peek of her new lookbook. i can't wait to see the whole thing!

the prettiest chairs you'll ever see

does anyone have a spare 4 or 5 grand so i can buy one of these amazing pieces from vintage renewal please?

that girl crochet GIVEAWAY!

last week i did a post on my scarf obsession, namely my that girl crochet scarves. i love them, i really & truly do. tiffany has been kind enough to offer up another custom infinity scarf from her shop that girl crochet 

you'll be entering to win your choice of colour in this scarf:

this scarf is valued at $28 & there's like a hundred colours you get to choose from if you win! 

to enter

[3 easy ways. leave 1 comment for each entry]

♥ follow tiffany's blog

♥ follow tiffany on twitter & tweet about the giveaway. include @missteacups & @tiffintattoos [must do both for this entry]

♥ tell me your favourite item/colour from tiffany's shop

& that's it! everyone is welcome to enter, you can do 1 entry or all 3 to up your chances of winning. good luck! the winner will be chosen at random on nov. 15th! 

things that are making me happy lately

...we all know i love painting my nails...but lately i've been keeping it pretty plain, with just one sparkly accent nail. this silver glitter (beyond cozy by essie) is my new favourite. the grey/off-white is faded putty by nubar

...coffee makes me happy. so do days off. both were happening on this day!

...babies in halloween costumes. specifically this baby, as he's my absolute favourite. spending time with him makes me the happiest! i'm babysitting him tonight & i'm pretty pumped! cute story: last time i was babysitting he was smiling & giggling as he was falling asleep in my arms...i know!! heart melting.

what is making you happy lately?

keep calm & make some goals

lately i've really been enjoying quiet time. me time. this usually includes drinking tea, painting my nails, reading a book, listening to records, and relaaaaxing. i'm getting better at relaxing you guys, and trust me it's taken 26 years for me to figure this one out...you wouldn't think it would be so hard, but it totally can be. i can never fully turn off my brain (i don't know many women that can, really) but when it starts to get crazy up there, i'm learning how to calm myself down & letting myself be and this is great.

i have some november goals...and seeing as i have a blog and therefore an outlet to share such goals, i thought hell why not?! i like lists. lists are good. and so are goals.

+ more quiet time. you need it, girlfriend.

+ 3x per week workouts. you want this, you really do.

+ christmas is a busy time but especially when you work in retail & a sports bar that hosts a lot of parties. start christmas shopping/possibly get it finished this month. if you can do this i'll be really proud of you.

+ listen to more apparat. you love this album and it helps you relax.

+ start knitting again/possibly take a class at the yarn shop downtown. knitting is a great thing to keep your hands busy instead of snacking late at night when you're not even hungry, dumb dumb.

+ spend more 'no tv/no phones' time with mikey. life's more fun this way.

+ wear more of the clothes that are in my closet instead of putting on a variation of the same outfit every damn day. you have a shit ton of clothes...you're silly not to wear them. 

alright, there we have it...november in a goals list. did you set november goals for yourself? share links in the comments. for some weird reason i love reading peoples goals, and adding new ones for myself.

& because it's kind of funny (or so i thought) a totally attractive friday-night-in kind of outfit post, unlike most:

tee - belonged to my grandpa

track pants - bluenotes

hello kitty socks - H&M kids section

slippers - laurentien chief

sweater - amazing...thrifted it tonight & am really stoked on it!

oh ya, and today it snowed...a couple of times.

etsy faves: rings

this double finger ring is beyond amazing!

this ring is so cute...so are a lot of the other items in this shop!

this tiny claw knuckle ring is too cute. don't you think? it's like a little birdy hug...or...something...

i love the simplicity of this open circle ring. there's something very calming & simplistic about it, which i adore.

i'm certain i have shared this gorgeous ring before but it's not on my finger yet so i'm sharing it again ;)

these spiral rings are simple but unique. this shop has a ton of lovely pieces in it!

& this is a cuff, but it's so gorgeous i had to include it! i love love love native american style jewelry. i'm pretty sure it will always be my favourite.

so as you can see [& are probably already aware of] rings are kind of my thing. they are my go-to accessory & i usually have at least 6 on at any given time. what's your accessory vice?