These are some of my favourite non-clothing purchases of the year.

2018 Mitsubishi Mirage

So, yeah: I bought a car this year. Up until this summer, we have been a one-car family; while our Subaru Outback is a great family car, I didn’t particularly like driving it. I like small, compact cars because I feel I have a better sense of direction/space in them; parking an SUV is one of my worst nightmares. I don’t do much driving, especially in the winter, but I really missed the freedom of just being able to go places without having to worry about logistics … or parking stress. The Mirage was the right size (SMALL!), and offered the most value for my budget; I’m not a car person, so I was mostly concerned with having the basic comforts: AC, heated seats, back-up camera, etc., all of which came standard with the entry level package. Anyway, I love driving my little car and it’s definitely my favourite non-clothing purchase of the year, but this is one thing where your mileage may definitely vary – no pun intended – so don’t take this as any sort of testimonial.

Augustus the Fiddle Leaf Fig

2018 was also the year when I became a plant mom. It hasn’t always been easy, but Augustus is one of our success stories and my pride and joy. Fiddle leafs are notoriously finicky plants, so the fact that he looks to be thriving (we recently got the second set of new leaves) makes me incredibly happy. Auggie is also a very handsome fellow who makes a big impact on our living space; he’s even managed to make a fan out of my husband, who started off by calling him a “cabbage”.

Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner

I feel like I spent the first part of the year experimenting with my beauty routine, only to spend the last six months drastically simplifying it again as my interest in all things skincare began to wane again. I currently have it narrowed down to about 5-6 regular products (which might sound like a lot, but isn’t considering where I started) which seem to keep my skin happy. For my morning toner, I am still a fan of The Ordinary’s Lactic Acid 5% solution, but the company shenanigans (and constant shipping delays) have made me a bit leery of getting too reliant on it. Lately, I have been alternating between the Lactic Acid (working through my stockpile) and the Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner. I don’t feel like the latter is as astringent as the Lactic Acid, but it still works on the morning “slick” and it doesn’t make my skin angry. The best part is that I can Amazon Prime a large bottle for under $20 in less than 48 hours – instant gratification is the best kind of gratification.

Structube Miles Day Bed

We have been low-key remodelling our main floor all year, and while we are nowhere close to being finished yet, our living room is looking pretty nice. Swapping out my old IKEA half-shell chairs for this Structube bench/day bed really upped the style ante. I love the dark green velvet, and it works surprisingly well with all the other colour in the room. As a bonus, it’s also practical (can sit up to 3 people in a pinch) and comfortable (we have all been known to take turns reclining on it, but the kids are its biggest fans).

Cozy therapy Plush

I’m only somewhat joking when I say that my son is addicted to his cozy plush; he asks for it to be heated every night before he goes to bed, and he assures me that it really helps his sore muscles. Why does a 7-year old have so many sore muscles? I have no idea. Having borrowed it once or twice, I will say that this thing is pretty handy (and a nicer alternative than a water bottle, IMO) if, for example, you experience any aches and pains at certain times of the month. Ahem.

Jiffy ESTEAM handheld steamer

This thing was a game changer for me vis-à-vis clothes maintenance. I use it on all my thrifted finds, as well as to refresh clothes between washings/dry cleanings. And it does a good job of getting wrinkles out of most fabrics; it won’t deliver a perfectly crisp button-down shirt like an iron would, but then again – I don’t wear button-down shirts, crisp or otherwise. [My husband irons his own shirts, though he is a fan of the steamer as well.] But use with caution: I recently managed to give myself a first degree burn by getting too close to the steam. It’s much hotter than you would think.

[Side note: I applied my Dr. Jart Cicapair cream to the burn, and it has healed without any issues/scars.]

Anthropologie flower vases

I thrifted a lot of great home decor stuff this year, and while it’s hard to pick favourites, my three Anthropologie flower vases are probably at the top of the list. Two of them were older styles, which were actually thrifted not by me, but by my friend Jenn (Life Preloved) who passed them along to me. I also bought one of the new styles that came out at Anthropologie this fall, and it did take quite a bit of willpower not to buy more.

Books

Y’all know I love books, but as I was revisiting my mental list of books read in 2018, I couldn’t think of many that would pass the “favourites” threshold. I guess I read a lot of “okay but not memorable” books this year? I dunno, I could also be suffering from pre-holidays mental daze. In any case, here are some that I can still remember and recommend wholeheartedly:

– We Are Never Meeting In Real Life, Samantha Irby

– Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, J. D. Vance

– Champagne Supernova: Kate Moss, Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen and the 90s Renegades Who Remade Fashion, Maureen Callahan (a must-read for any Gen-Xer who loves fashion and gossip)

OK, your turn: what were your favourite things that you bought this year? And please, for the love of dog, send me your books reccs so I can start 2019 strong!

Faux Festive

It’s hard to feel festive when life is pelting you with lemons, but ‘tis the season of office Christmas parties, potlucks and gift exchanges, and the season won’t wait. Fake it till you make it, right? I wore a lot of red-hued clothing last week, and that seemed to help – if not my mood, then at least my efforts to blend in. [To be honest, it also seems to be the season for everyone to be cranky and stressed out at work, so I probably didn’t need to worry too much about my lack of joviality standing out.]

I hesitate to put this Cartonnier brick-coloured blazer into the “red” category, but since I don’t actually own a lot of truly red clothing, it gets a pass. The cut and colour work nicely with my Zero+Maria Cornejo dress, which I am always happy to wear. Speaking of which:

But also:

Pin One On and Carry On

Things did not improve as the week went on, so my next attempt at faking some (sartorial) cheer involved red AND a bit of bling. Overcompensating? Perhaps. It also involved a black cashmere turtleneck because why not wrap yourself in something soft and vaguely reminiscent of a safety blankie? Actually, I think the correct term is “comfort object”, but you know what I mean. Whatever we’re calling it, black turtlenecks are it for me. Don’t believe me?

Tell me, what’s your style “comfort object”?

It’s that time of year – time to share Best and Worst Of lists. Before I tackle outfits, I thought I would start with some of my best – or perhaps I should say “favourite” – purchases of 2018. And first of the first: clothing. This is ostensibly a style blog, after all. And true to my track record, there are plenty of options from which to pick.

I do try to be selective with what I buy, I truly do, but I am rarely as successful as I would like. Because the vast majority of my purchases come from local thrift stores — I bought, like, 8 new things this year (almost all of them being accessories) — it’s easy to rationalize most purchases, not matter how experimental in nature. Worst case scenario, if something doesn’t work out, I’m out $10 or less (and the piece is re-donated or gifted); more often than not, I can re-coup my money, or even make a small profit, by re-selling or consigning the item in question. I am pretty ruthless when it comes to getting rid of “failed experiments”, which means my closet is filled only with the things I truly like … and like a lot. So, like I said, getting a list of favourites down to a manageable length is a challenge. I mean, lookit: that $2,500 YSL blazer I thrifted for less than $15? It didn’t make the cut.

What did?

– Sarah Pacini leather vest ($80; consignment) – This has become my go-to piece when I want to add a bit of edge to an outfit. It’s a wonderfully versatile piece for layering, which is my current obsession.

– Ayrtight dress ($45, $0 with consignment credit; consignment) – This is everything I love in dress format – interesting draping, neutral colours, long hemline, natural fabrics, comfortable silhouette.

– Theory tie-waist blazer ($13; thrifted) – I have purchased a ton of great blazers this year (including several black ones), but this one is starting to stand out; the waist tie makes it interesting and can help change out the silhouette of the outfit.

– Dries Van Noten dress ($323, $0 with PayPal balance; eBay) – Beautiful dress by one of my favourite designers. Enough said. This hasn’t turned up on the blog yet, but I cannot wait to wear it.

– Antipast skirt ($6; thrifted) – This skirt is incredibly soft and floaty, and it makes me feel like a (goth) ballerina every time I wear it. I didn’t even know that was an aspiration of mine, but there you have it.

– Zero+Maria Cornejo dress ($12; thrifted) – One of the most elegant sack dresses I own. I love its architectural lines, and the very cool abstract pattern.

– Aritzia Cyprie sweater ($130; retail) – I adore the “tamarind” colour of this sweater, the slim-but-ever-so-slightly-slouchy style, and the overall luxe feeling. It makes me feel like a million bucks when I wear it.

– Aqua butterfly-embroidered leather jacket ($150; secondhand) – I love leather jackets, and I love butterflies. A butterfly-covered leather jacket? I mean, c’mon. This is SO my style alley, they might as well name it after me.

– Armani Collezioni dress ($35; thrifted) – It’s a glitter bomb, and extra AF … but in an understated kind of way. I feel like that describes my overall aesthetic pretty well.

– AllSaints ruffle neck blouse ($7; thrifted) – I am not a fan of ruffles (on myself) but this top is something special. It’s dramatic and has a vaguely Edwardian vibe that works well with some of my more goth-leaning pieces.

– Marc by Marc Jacobs metallic crossbody bag ($20; thrifted) – I’ll be honest, you guys: I use this bag about 90% of the time nowadays. I’ve completely fallen out of the habit of changing my bags to match my outfits. This one goes with almost anything I wear, and it’s the perfect size to wear both on its own, or with my commuting tote/backpack. I especially like the fact that I can wear it on the shoulder or cross-body.

– J. Crew cameo necklace ($8; thrifted) – Finding this necklace (after many years of lusting after it online) is still one of my fave thrifting stories. It’s beautiful, and quite versatile, and it makes me happy every time I wear it.

– Manolo Blahnik “Sedaraby” pumps ($12.50; thrifted) – Another favourite thrifting moment was finding these “Cinderella” pumps just in time for the holidays. They’re a classic style that I can wear with all my special occasion dresses for years to come.

– Anthropologie green resin earrings ($80, $0 with PayPal balance; retail) – These were a real splurge for me, but I have no regrets. I adore the malachite-like resin, and I love how simple yet elegant these are. The posts are a pain to put in for some reason, but I wear them as often as I can anyway.

I could go on, but I will stop here so as not to bore you to sleep … because I want you to tell me: what were your favourite purchases of the year? Any surprise winners – aka pieces that you didn’t expect to end up loving as much as you did? Tell all in the comments.