I am going to write an in-depth post about my Calgary shopping adventures next week, but — spoiler alert — it was a bit of a mixed bag. I ended up having some of the best luck at Winners (where we went mostly because my husband was looking for jeans), although my purchases were skincare related, not clothes. I’d forgotten how much random fun Winners can be!

Thayers Witch Hazel Toner (with Lavender)

I currently use the Rose version of this every other morning as a toner, and I love it. It’s super gentle and freshens up my skin post-sleep nicely. I usually buy it on Amazon for about $17, so at $10.99 this was a good deal. The lavender scent is lovely too.

Hempz Body Cream

I had my nails done the week before and once again commented on the hand cream that my nail tech uses at the end – it’s Hempz. It smells so good, and it’s a nice cream. Not, like, Sol De Janeiro nice, but pretty damn good. So when I spotted this, I decided to grab some to have at home. It was $16.99, and the bottle will probably last quite a while. This is a different scent (coconut watermelon) which I don’t love as much as the one my nail tech has (something with peppermint, I think) but it seems to be a hit with my husband – bonus, because it means more foot rubs in my future.

Manna Kadar Body Scrub

You may remember that I got a similar scrub in my last FabFitFun box. Well, it turns out, I really enjoyed it. I’m almost done with my original jar, and have been wanting to replace it. I’m not willing to spend $20+ on this luxury, but $5.99? Heck yeah. I bought 2 tubs because I go through them pretty quickly. This Sea Minerals version is smoother, less crunchy than the Champagne Charcoal one I got in my FFF box, but it feels and smells lovely. I have to say, since I’ve started using these scrubs, my skin is noticeably softer and with fewer dry patches.

Alba Botanica Mango Conditioner

My current conditioner (Joico) is running out and I decided to give this a go. My SIL uses Alba products, and I remember trying some once when I was staying over. They smell so good! Because they’re sulfate free, they don’t lather a lot, which bothers me with shampoos (I know, I know) but not with conditioners. This was $6.99, and that kind of pricing is why I always buy my hair products at Winners (shampoo, conditioner, hairspray); I’m not loyal at any particular brand, and I just want good quality for drugstore prices.

Nuxe Moisturizer

Do I need another moisturizer? Not really. But I’ve heard a lot about this brand and I know it’s typically quite pricey, so I couldn’t resist checking this out for $10.

This is how it ends, friends.

And you know what? I am okay with it. I am ready to let go.

Going into the last episode of the series, I expected to be disappointed. Already, season 8 provided plenty of disappointment with its insistence on abandoning good story-telling in favour of breakneck speed and empty spectacle. I had read the spoilers/leaks, which confirmed that the show would not be ending in any one of the ways I had imagined, and that its ending was very much in line with the rest of the season; it required a lot more build-up to feel authentic than the show was willing to invest.

As a result, I watched episode 6 with a lot of detachment. The only times I felt emotionally engaged were watching Drogon mourn his mom (RIP, Dany) and Ghost reuniting with his dad (and finally getting his much-deserved petting). But, funny thing. The more I think about the ending, and try to imagine how GRRM himself might have arrived at it, the less I hate it. Don’t get me wrong; the show did a sh*t job of selling it and the writers deserve all the outraged reactions they’re getting. But I am starting to see how it maybe makes sense in the context of the world that GRRM built. Written properly, this might actually have been the beautiful, bittersweet story we were all promised.

But that is not the story we currently have, so for now let’s talk about what we did get … and how little sense it all made.

• I covered my distaste for the Dany-goes-mad plot line last week. The finale did nothing to bolster this story, so it still feels like the show did a complete character assassination in 3 episodes. Yes, there was always foreshadowing that this might be Dany’s ultimate path; but until about 3 episodes ago, she was presented to us as a heroine, as someone for whom to root. Can you blame those fans who did, and continue to root for her? It doesn’t make them toxic fans; to me, it means that the writers failed to make their writing emotionally connect. It’s legitimate to say: look, just because Dany is a woman doesn’t mean that she can’t be a tyrant. But you have to show us that; you have to make us believe it, in our hearts. The fact that you have to rely, at the eleventh hour, on a bunch of (male) characters explaining to us how mad she is … well, it means that you haven’t done your job properly.
• Jon acted completely out of character. Again, the only context we had for his decision was a short conversation with Tyrion and an even briefer one with Arya. And, bam, he’s ready to kill the supposed love of his life. Just like that. Show me 2 seasons of Dany slowly succumbing to blood lust, and Jon agonizing over his divided loyalties. Make me believe he’s in love with her AND afraid of her. Make me believe he’s feeling something, anything.
• The aftermath of Dany’s murder makes no sense. Dany was a queen by lineage (arguably) but mostly by conquest. Jon has a better claim to the throne by lineage; having killed the conqueror, he should automatically have been king. No?! Am I taking crazy pills? The Unsullied have no authority in Westeros except whatever authority Dany gave them. I suppose Grey Worm could have killed Jon as a matter of personal revenge, but to arrest him?! WTF? I can understand getting to the eventual council-to-decide-the-next-king plot line via Jon refusing to accept the throne but this was just dumb. Also dumb was the exile-to-the-Night-Watch business. First, this was unnecessary. If the issue was appeasing the Unsullied long enough to get them out of Westeros, then the order could have been rescinded immediately upon their departure; it’s not like they’re coming back, right? Second, the Night Watch has no purpose anymore, so if it still exists let’s just call it what it is: a gulag for undesirables. I’m actually not mad that Jon ended up going North; it’s where he can be happiest, I think, and that’s fine. The last scene made it look like he’s going north of the Wall with the wildlings – abandoning his post?!? – which is even better. Maybe he’ll run into another feisty redhead while he’s there.
• Bran as king is … sure, whatever. In principle, the idea that the kings of Westeros are now going to be selected by committee (of nobles, of course) is kind of interesting. It’s like a cross between an oligarchy and a very embryonic form of representative government. Baby steps. But has the show established just how long Bran-not-Bran is going to live? The last Three Eyed Raven was centuries old, no? Is Bran going to be king forever?
• The independent North is cool and all but I can’t believe that no one objected. Both Dorne and the Iron Islands have a history of not wanting to bend the knee, but they didn’t say a peep when Sansa was all “love you brother, but I’m outies”. I also have to wonder whether Sansa will go all Elizabeth I (as the visuals of her coronation would suggest) or whether she will take steps to continue the Stark dynasty of the north. Speaking of which, little Robin Arryn was all *surprise!* grown up and glowed-up, no?
• Don’t get me started on Bronn as Lord of Highgarden/Master of Coin. No, seriously, please don’t.
• On the other hand, Brienne as head of the Kingsguard and Davos as Master of Ships warmed my heart. And Pod is Ser Podrick now! All of this is fan servicey as hell, but I’ll take it.

Overall, the theme of the show – if there is one – seems to have been: plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. The game of thrones goes on.

Spring to Summer

The weather has been all over the place lately; sometimes it feels like summer, sometimes it … doesn’t. I’m not complaining, for once, because this year I realized that as much as I am a summer person in spirit, I prefer spring/fall when it comes to sartorial matters. Layers, you guys. I love me some layers.

But when the weather can’t make up its mind about which season it is, you have to get creative with the hybrid combinations. In this case: sweater on top, summer skirt & sandals on the bottom. This rainbow stripe sweater always makes me happy, and the skirt is a compliment magnet. I’m not mad about it.

Notes: Gap sweater (thrifted, $5); Floreat skirt (thrifted, $12), Madewell shoes (thrifted, $8.50); Rebecca Minkoff bag (thrifted, $10)

Camel, Take Two

Still loving this cashmere camel coat; it feels like the right amount of luxe to dress up what are, essentially, fancy leggings. I’ve been dealing with IBS-related symptoms for the last month or so, which has made me prioritize comfort; jeans can be a challenge some days, and on weekends it’s nice to have another option. With a polished but still relaxed/loose-fitting top half of the outfit, this looks quite nice even with minimal effort.

Notes: Jil Sander coat (thrifted, $10); Equipment shirt (thrifted and gifted); Line sweater (thrifted, $8.50); Iris Setlakwe leggings (thrifted, $9.50); Coach bag (thrifted, $30); AGL shoes (thrifted, $10).

Midnight Floral

This Ted Baker-esque print caught my eye immediately; turns out the dress is Pink Tartan, which is a Canadian mid-level designer brand. Based on the quality, I think this might be some kind of diffusion line; the quality is not as great as the items I’ve tried at Holt Renfrew before. Because the fabric is a rather odd, plasticky-feeling polyester (like raincoat material), I layered this over a silk slip-like dress for extra comfort. It worked out well, and reminded me that I should look into buying a proper slip one of these days.

That being said, the aesthetic is very nice. It’s the kind of dress that never fails to get compliments. Still, I don’t think this is my style. The cut is classic and flattering, but it feels wrong for my avatars. I enjoyed taking this particular risk on a pretty dress, but it’s not going be a keeper for me, so I’m gonna try to find it another home.

Notes: Pink Tartan dress (thrifted, $18); J. Crew shoes (thrifted, $10).

Eclectic Casual

I wore this outfit on one of our warmest days this year, and I’m not gonna lie: it was fun. There’s nothing like some good Sleeve Drama, and this kimono-inspired topper has lots of it. Please admire my restraint in not posting a dozen photos of my twirling/tilting-at-windmills attempts. It might seem weird to wear pants on a warm day, but (a) I can’t do shorts anymore, and (b) these are the softest linen and comfy as heck. They also have a cool, shimmering texture which is hard to capture; the fabric looks a bit like a moth wing, especially in sunlight.

Notes: Postmark top (thrifted, $7); Floreat topper (secondhand, $26); Lida Baday pants (thrifted, $4.50); Stella & Dot necklace (thrifted, $5); Indigo Rd shoes (thrifted, $10).