My 10 Autumn Essentials

ITS THE SECOND DAY OF AUTUMN YAYAYAYAYAYAY. Autumn is definitely my second favourite season (right next to summer) because of all the cute trends and the fact that it's sweater and hot chocolate weather. Soooo... I decided to share some of the items that I must have during the Fall season! Here it goessss....

❦ NUMBER 1: BLAZERS ❦

This blazer, from H &M,  is my newest purchase this fall season and is probably my favourite piece of clothing at the moment. The dark wine colour is a very "autumn-y" (if that's a word) and also can be matched with a variety of colours (black, white, pink, grey, etc.). It's perfect to throw on when the weather is getting cooler, but not cold enough for a jacket. A nice blazer can also make any outfit automatically more dressy, which is useful for job interviews, picture day, etc. I find blazers an essential piece in a girl's fall closet. 

❦ NUMBER 2: KNIT BEANIES❦

This pale pink knit beanie I'm wearing is from Ardene. It's actually a very warm beanie, which is useful because I live in Canada where it can be pretty cold during the fall time. I also love the mini silver detailings in the wool of this knit beanie. When late October and November rolls around, I love pairing different knit beanies with a peacoat and a scarf. It keeps me warm and looks super cute.

❦ NUMBER 3: LEGGINGS + BOOTS COMBINATION❦

The boots I'm wearing in the photo above are from Aldo and the grey leggings are from Costco (the same ones in my Europe Post). Leggings and tights are essential in my fall wardrobe because sometimes, I still like being girly and wearing dresses, so leggings/tights keep me warm. Leggings also can be paired extremely well with oversized sweaters. I always wear my leggings with a pair of boots as well because, well, it's just the perfect combination. My Aldo boots are my favourite because the colour matches pretty much any colour bottoms I own and are the perfect height as well.

❦ NUMBER 4: SWEATERS ❦

What's everyone's favourite thing about autumn? ITS SWEATER WEATHER WOOHOOOO. I'm not going to lie..... my closet is full of sweaters. It's probably what I wear most in Fall and Winter. I especially love oversized sweaters which I can pair (as stated above) with leggings and skinny jeans. My favourite oversized sweater is in the photo above. It's a plain white one with lace detailing from American Eagle. It's on the thinner side so I wear it more often during the fall season rather than in the winter. 

❦ NUMBER 5: INFINITY SCARVES ❦

Infinity scarves are cute all year round and are probably the type of scarves I wear the most often. When Autumn comes around however, it's time to take out your warmer infinity scarves. Jenny, my sister, is modelling a super cute black infinity scarf in the photo above. Black is a great colour for an infinity scarf because you can wear it literally with any outfit and it will look amazing. I also love wearing infinity scarves so that they peak out from under my coat; it makes a cute outfit and also keeps you very warm. 

❦ NUMBER 6: DARKER NAIL POLISHES ❦

Autumn is here so it's time to put away your pale, pastel nail polishes and time to take out your deeper coloured ones! Currently I am wearing O.P.I nail polish in the colour of Blue my Mind (hahaha the name is so punny). I love O.P.I because the finished product is very polished and shiny. However, don't forget your clear coat at the end because O.P.I does chip easily. This colour is a deeper colour then what I usually wear but is still bright and fun. I'm a very pastel person so I don't like jumping into extremely dark nail polishes right away. However, I do recommend going a little darker than me, even don't be afraid to try black! 

❦ NUMBER 7: BUTTON-UP CHIFFON TOPS❦

Stores usually sell chiffon tops in the Summer but by all means, don't stop wearing them in the fall! I actually find myself wearing chiffon tops more in the fall season. This chiffon top is from Forever 21 and is a plain white colour with mini studs on the collar. Pay attention to the collars of chiffon tops because they can look super cute peaking out from sweaters! I'm definitely planning on wearing this top with sweaters a lot! Also, because this top is long-sleeved, you can also wear it over tank tops to make a summery outfit more fall-like.

❦ NUMBER 8: WARM CARDIGANS❦

Sorry for the awkward pose haha. The cardigan I'm wearing is from Urban Outfitters. LOOK HOW COSY AND WARM IT LOOKS. I'm always so obsessed with warm cardigans in the fall time and I buy A TON. They just look so nice on top of outfits and keep you extra warm. Most cardigans in the fall time are oversized so once again, those leggings come in handy! I personally like cardigans more than hoodies, which a lot of people wear during the fall-time,  because they look more girly and dressy. 

❦ NUMBER 9: FALL SCENTED CANDLES ❦

This is a new candle I bought at Ikea the other day and get this: IT'S CINNAMON SCENTED!!!!! Cinnamon just reminds me of apple cider and beaver tails (if you're Canadian then you know how yummy beaver tails are!!). This will make my room smell like autumn (YES THAT IS POSSIBLE), and also give it a warmer vibe which will help me feel warmer on cold days. Candles are just perfection in general though so if you don't have one in your room, GET ONEE!! (:

❦ NUMBER 10: PEACOAT ❦

Last but not least, it's my baby. My peacoat. Now look, I know you see a lot of middle-aged women wearing these; but seriously, if you find the right one, you will love it forever and ever. This super cute white peacoat is from Guess and I actually got it as a gift a couple of years ago. And yes, I'm still wearing it!!!!!! If you're Canadian then peacoats will keep you nice and warm in late October and November when the days start getting chilly! The material Guess used for this coat is such good quality and is seriously my warmest fall coat ever.

SO THAT IS ALL THE ESSENTIALS I HAVE FOR THE AUTUMN SEASON! I hope you enjoyed the post and if you did, please leave a comment about any suggestions or any ideas for future posts! Also, I would love you a lot if you became a follower of this blog, or my bloglovin'. SEE YOU NEXT SUNDAY GUYS, LOVE YOU LOTS. XX

Europe Trip | Paris, Rome & Venice

I have never been to Europe in my life before, so I was ecstatic a couple of months ago when my parents announced that we were travelling to Europe in August. So here I am, with senior year already starting to stress me out, getting back into the school mode. But I wanted to write this blog post and give some fashion/food/attractions recommendations, and at the same time reminisce about my lovely trip.

☼ FIRST STOP: PARIS ☼ 

~Outfits~

My tip for those people who have trouble squishing everything into their suitcase before going on a trip,is bringing a few essentials that can be worn repetitively. (especially if your hotel(s) has laundry services). For example, you will see leggings, my pink cardigan, and my favourite pair of high-waisted shorts be worn constantly in these photos. Then, I just had fun packing as many different tops as I could.

Day 1: Panda Top from Forever 21 (The print is just so adorable), Grey Leggings from Costco (I used to stay away from buying clothes there because it looked unappealing, but they actually have the best deals for wardrobe essentials like leggings, camisoles, etc.)

Day 2: Red Bandeau from Dynamite, Just Chill Tank Top from Forever 21 (I love this top because it's oversized and looks great with leggings. It's also a high-low top which I love.), Black Leggings from Costco

Day 3: Dress from American Eagle (I have way too many dresses from AE but the blue ombre was just too perfect to resist.), Pink Cardigan from Forever 21 (my go to cardigan, you'll see me wear this in almost every photo), Sandals from Aldo (my favourite pair of sandals ever)

Day 4: Floral Top From American Eagle (I love how it's sheer and flowy.), White Shorts from American Eagle (I love the cutout pattern of these shorts), Cardigan, again.

~Food~

Angelina is a must visit while in Paris. It is probably the best cafe/pastry shop you will ever eat at in your life. First of all, their speciality is their hot chocolate, which was the richest, creamiest, most delicious hot chocolate I have ever tasted. The macaroons are also a must eat because let's face it, how can you go to Paris without trying a French Macaroon? The caramel is my personal favourite but strawberry is the most popular flavour!

~Attractions~

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND VISITING THE LOUVRE WHEN IN PARIS. I personally enjoyed it even more than the Eiffel Tower. Even if you are not a museum person, the architecture is simply beautiful. Also, if you visit, I encourage you to join a tour group because all the history in the museum and of the masterpieces inside is absolutely insane. It was also extremely cool to get up close to the original Mona Lisa painting. 

☼ SECOND STOP: ROME ☼ 

~Outfits~

Rome (well, Italy in general) is EXTREMELY hot during the summer so I recommend bringing a lot of shorts/dresses.

Day 1: High-Waisted Shorts from Garage (You'll see a lot of these shorts as well), Crop Top from Forever 21 (works well with the shorts haha)

Day 2: Dress from American Eagle (I find the colour of this dress so classy.)

Day 3: Maxi Dress from Uniqlo (This was bought in Japan by my dad. GOOD CHOICE DADDY!), CARDIGAN AGAIN LOL

Day 4: Dress from Forever 21 CHINA (This is probably my all time favourite dress. I bought it when I visited China last summer and it goes super well with my skin tone. I'm also absolutely in love with the ruffles.)

~Food~

Italian food has always been one of my favourite foods in the world so imagine how excited I was to arrive at Italy and seeing all the cute little cafes. I found it a way better experience sitting outside a little authentic cafe than in a busy restaurant. Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce and Basil is so simple yet so delicious. The basil adds such a nice touch and it just tastes different than what you would normally eat in America. Bruschetta is also one of my favourites to get as an appetizer in Italy. And of course, calling all ice cream lovers like myself, getting gelatos at little street-side stores are a must. BEST ICE CREAM EVER.

~Attractions~

Sightseeing Ancient Rome is not exactly an attraction, but it was definitely what I enjoyed doing most. Yes it was intriguing to visit the Colosseum and the Pantheon, but just looking at it all from afar was breathtaking. Look at the beauty that is Ancient Rome. All the architecture and the beautiful Italian sky. It's just all surreal.

☼ LAST STOP: VENICE ☼ 

~Outfits~

Woops sorry for the big, unclear photos. I only stayed two days in Venice so the photos got blown up bigger than they should have. Anyways, the days we were at Venice were extremely comfortable because it had just rain so the temperature was at around 25 degrees Celsius. Normally Venice is VERY hot so we were lucky. Again, I recommend packing your shorts and dresses for Venice.

Day 1: Top from Winners (It's not a place I normally shop but occasionally you can find some great deals!). High-Waisted Shorts and Pink Cardigan again.

Day 2: Crop Tank Top from Forever 21 (One of my favourite tops of this summer. There's a cute heart pattern on it and the blue is such a bright and fun colour.),  High-Waisted Shorts and Pink Cardigan again.

My sunglasses in both these photos are from Aldo.

~Food~

When eating in Venice, I would recommend going to the cute little cafes right beside the water. It is truly an amazing view and Italian cafes always have the best food. I ate Frankfurter Sausage Pizza (because who goes to Italy and doesn't eat pizza), as well as Tiramisu yumyumyum. Tiramisu is definitely my favourite Italian dessert next to gelato. 

~Attractions~

And finally, yes they're overpriced, yes they're touristy but gondola rides in Venice are a must. It's the best way to experience the many beautiful water roads in Venice and is in general just really relaxing. If you're lucky, you might pass by a gondola with a singer (if they're on your boat you have to tip them so i wouldn't recommend it). Also, just spend time in Venice walking all its streets - which isn't hard at all because Venice is a tiny city. 

THANK YOU GUYS FOR READING ALL ABOUT MY AMAZING TRIP THIS SUMMER! (: I hope you found my recommendations and tips helpful and if you are planning on going to Europe in the future, I wish you an amazing trip. You're going to love it, I promise! Also, I am now committed to updating every Sunday so feel free to pester me if I don't haha. 

Biking Trip | Downtown Ottawa

Woohoo first blog post! So I basically started this blog because every year, being the lazy person I am, I waste my summer break away by spending countless hours on Tumblr and watching TV. I created this blog so that hopefully, it will motivate me to go out and gain some amazing experiences instead of staying at home and being lazy.

So to start the summer off, I went on a biking trip all the way to Downtown Ottawa with my sister, Jenny, and my dad on June 30th. It was around a 2 hour bike ride there (well, for me that is, as I am probably the most unfit person you will ever meet). Below is a photo of my bike. Nothing special; its from Costco haha. ;) However, I am in love with the colour.

The biking routes to go downtown are amazing because they provide you with such beautiful views of the city. The Ottawa River is especially beautiful and proves to be a great place to take a break in the middle of a long bike ride. A cute place that we passed by is a segment of the river that contains many sculptures created by balancing rocks found in the river on top of each other.

When we reached downtown we were once again met with an amazing view of the river and Parliament Hill. In photo, taken by Jenny, I am standing with my dad. And if you were wondering (which you probably weren't seeing as you can hardly see me closely), my lace shorts are from American Eagle and I'm wearing pink Converse high tops.

After we reached Parliament Hill, we met with my mom downtown and went for lunch at Lone Star (FAJITAS YUMMM) and went shopping at Rideau Centre. Of course, we had to bike home (another 2 hours) after this fun afternoon out in downtown, so I was completely exhausted when I finally arrived home. I am proud to say I made it back alive, but I'm pretty sure my sore leg muscles will be bothering me for the remainder of my week. Despite how tiring the trip was, I'm glad to be exercising and staying fit, especially after being glued to my desk for a school year.