Monday, September 8, 2014

September Goals


My favourite month is finally here! Yeah you heard me. Speaking out on my love of this time of year, loud and proud. I refuse to be ashamed of the fact that I am a basic white girl who is in love with Autumn. For me, September means the start of school, my birthday, changing leaves, crisp fresh air, back to school shopping, cozy sweaters, the smell of books, pumpkin errythang, long drives, yummy lattes and tea, the cutest outfits- just EVERYTHING GOOD IN THIS LIFE, DO YOU HEAR ME? My goals for this month are pretty straightforward:
  • Manage my time well, and balance school and placement with some social activities, blogging, and going to a local yoga studio.
  • Speaking of school, I want to really kick some ass with my assignments and my placement. I would like to complete all of my assignments to the best of my ability at school, and be my best possible teacher self on placement.
  • Figure out the school layout and where all my classes are. Ugh.
  • Be smart with my money *cough government loan cough lol I haven't had real money since August lol cough*
  • Keep my apartment as adorable and comfortable as possible, especially since it isn't entirely what I was expecting. I still want to make it my comfy place.
  • Make hella Skype dates and texts and email chains with Mike, my mom, and my home friends a huge priority.
  • Still have fun in North Bay despite missing all my favourite people, and continue making new friends :)
  • Have safe travels to and fro North Bay and the Soo when I go on placement! I will be highway driving by myself more than I ever have before and it's a little bit intimidating!
  • Have tons of fun with Laur when I am back in the Soo since she and Josh leave for England on the 11th!
  • EMBRACE FALL ♥ ♥ ♥ That one is so easy :)

Excited for this month, boys and girls, the future has some lovely things in store *girl sticking out hand emoji*... (Blogger should integrate emojis. That would be good of Blogger.)

Sunday, August 31, 2014

August Snapshots


This August was easily the busiest month of my life. For real you guys. I ended my time at a job I've had for two and a half years, I traveled to Florida, fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting Hogwarts and Diagon Alley, then immediately came home and traveled to King City for a political event. I crammed in as many hang outs with friends as I possibly could, I moved cities into my own apartment for the first time, and I've started my Bachelor of Education at a new school. Whewf!

I had great intentions and so many amazing ideas for lovely posts this month, and none of them came to fruition. I'm really sad I didn't end up writing posts for our trip to Florida! The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was one of the most amazing places I have ever been. For real. And Mike and I had SUCH a lovely day date at Disney World.

I at least made a little collage to wrap up some key events of this month. It's the best I can do this time around.
  • Some lovely girlfriends and I got together for a wine night! It was after a very, very long day, and it was great to unwind. I'm happy I have such lovely friends in my life :)
  • Amanda got me into crossfit this month! We went to quite a few classes together, along with Laura and Morgan a few times. I also went on lots of runs. My little Maya, as it turns out, is not the best running companion.
  • I had my very last shift at Coles, and my coworkers threw me a going away party! It was sentimental but I'm so happy to be moving forward :)
  • My mom took Mike and I to Florida, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! I can't even begin to express how freaking amazing it was. I seriously felt like I was at Hogwarts/ Diagon Alley, and I entered severe fangirl mode. I spent so many sickles and knuts to stock up on wizarding treats and souvenirs ;)
  • My heart belongs at Howgarts ⚯͛ ♥
  • Mike and I had a day to ourselves in Florida, and park-hopped all of Disney World! It was hectic and busy, but we had such an amazing time.
  • Mike had a fancy political convention to attend in King City and I joined him :) We had a lovely weekend at super fancy conference centre with some lovely friends.
  • I got in as many friend hangouts as possible before I left for North Bay! I especially enjoyed my Island day trip with Amanda and my little friend Leland :)
  • I moved to North Bay! I started my program (which I absolutely LOVE), and have already formed a friendship with an awesome group of girls! I am living in a basement apartment all on my own which I have fully redecorated, and I can't wait to start my placement back in the Sault in a kindergarten class!

CRAY y'all. I'm hoping I will have more time for my little bloggy during the school year, but things are already so busy that it isn't looking great! Hopefully I can wedge out some time for myself though. I feel like a full-fledged adult now, and adulthood is all about getting your shit together and managing your time. So I'll give it my best shot.

Hope you all had as lovely a summer as I did! BRING ON AUTUMN :D :D :D

Friday, August 8, 2014

Florida Here We Come


Today, my mom, Mike, and I are leaving for Florida! After we had to cancel our cruise in February, we decided to reschedule a trip to Universal Studios this month instead. I've been a diehard Harry Potter fan for as long as I can remember, and I've definitely taken my mom along for the ride. We read most of the first few books together when I was growing up. Mike is a fan as well (although probably not as intense as I am), so we are SO STOKED to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Ermagersh I can't even describe my excitement. We will be spending two full days at Universal (HOGWARTS AND DIAGON ALLEY EEP), and then Mike and I are going to of off on our own to explore Disney World together for a day. Mike has never been before, so it's going to be really exciting!!

This month has already been so busy, and we have lots of fun things planned (this trip included), so I think it is just going to fly by! So many exciting things are happening right now, I hardly know how to react. BLARGH.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

A Chapter Closes

(tee: joe fresh | skirt: dress bought from lulu letty, turned into skirt | shoes: mod cloth | belt: forever 21 | necklace: american eagle | bracelet: h&m)

This week has been a pretty significant one for me... I had my last shift at Coles on Wednesday night since I'm leaving for school. A few days before, my coworkers threw me a going away party (See what I did with the title there? I'm done my bookstore job. Get it? Books, chapters, moo ha ha). I dressed up just a little bit for the event. I had a hard time thinking of the perfect outfit, but in the end I settled on a black tee and floral skirt. It felt like a good level of dressiness for an important dinner at a not-so-fancy venue.


The dinner was actually really nice. It was nice to have one last get-together with the people I've come to spend so much of my time with. The staff at Coles has changed so much since I first started, and most of the girls working there now are new, but I've still grown close with so many of them and made some really great friends.


The staff bought me such a cute gift (a Kate Spade agenda that we carry that I've been swooning over for a while now, and an adorable owl mug), and gave me the sweetest card. They all wrote me the loveliest messages, and it was so nice to be told that I was appreciated as an employee, coworker, and friend. My boss (who has had some moments of the crazies) also let me know that I've been one of her most dedicated employees and I would be the hardest to replace. It gave me a case of the teary eyes.


It feels so strange to be done at Coles... I don't think it's really hit me yet. I feel like I still work there. I've dedicated so much of the past two and a half years to that place, working overtime, nearly every day, doing long hours and late nights whenever I was asked to. And most of the time, I was happy to.

It sounds really silly to get so sentimental about a retail job, but that job was really important to me for so many reasons. For a long time, I considered it one of the best things to happen to me. It was a job I really loved, was really good at, flourished at, felt appreciated at, and I also made some really great friends. It was a great fit for me for a long time.

More recently, it's been a bit of a negative thing in my life. I've had my fair share of difficulties and stress due to certain events and people. It's lost a lot of the lustre for me, and I have felt taken advantage of more than a few times. Which I suppose is pretty common for those of us working minimum wage jobs through college. But it's been sad to be so jaded at a job I once loved.

I think that as much as this job grew to be a huge source of stress, I will really miss it. I'm going to miss the times it was a really fun environment. I will miss obsessively organizing books and products, the perfect balance of slow days and busy days, having a great discount on some of my favourite things, the good customers, and the friendships I made. I grew up a lot working there and I'm very grateful for the experience.

But I'm also incredibly happy to be moving on. That job wasn't going to take me anywhere, and I'm excited to move on to bigger and better things.

Aaaand I am sorry for all of these cliches... I am stuck in a sentimental vortex of cheesiness right now. I will be better tomorrow.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

The Only Drunkard

(tank: tj maxx | jeans: american eagle | shoes: ardene | necklace: smart set | earrings: aldo | bracelet: h&m)

The other night, I met up with Mike, Laur, and Em for a casual night of drinkies at Mike's place. We had a lovely and fun evening and it was so nice to get together for once since we always have conflicting schedules! We also had a speaker phone call with Mark to see how the army life is going. I somehow managed to be the only truly drunk person in the vicinity so that was mildly awful. I think because I met up with everyone after work and I managed to convince myself that I had a lot of catching up to do. But at least I had a good time EH?


I went shopping across the river with my Zia Daniela while she was in town and picked up this top! I really fell in love with it, but wasn't positive about how I felt when it was actually on. Such a dilemma. I do think it accentuates my hips a little more than I'd like, but I couldn't resist the pretty lace and I loved how silky it was. I also don't have very many dressy tank tops. So in the end, I think it was a good purchase! Plus I've actually worn it already as you can see, and it's happened too many times that I never end up wearing new clothes!


ANYWAY, that's all for today! Hope you are all having a lovely week :)

Friday, August 1, 2014

August Goals


I have been mildly afraid of August's arrival since the day I accepted my offer of admission at Nipissing. And now it's here. I'm really excited to go to school again and to live on my own for the first time, but obviously a mild freakout is also in order.

This month, I'm excited to:
  • Get my ducks all in order since I move at the end of the month! Eep! I need to get organized and packed and prepared.
  • Continue going to yoga classes as often as I can, try out cross fit, and go running and hiking and biking on the days that my wallet can't quite cover an expensive group exercise class.
  • Continue cooking healthy meals and experimenting with fun recipes from my oddly large collection of cookbooks (Seriously when did I collect so many cookbooks? I don't even really like cooking)
  • Enjoy my upcoming trip to Florida with my mom and Mike! I'm SOO excited to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter I could die. Also, try not to let my mother drive me bonkers while we spend five whole days together in another country. 
  • Have my last shift at Coles! And have a celebratory dinner with all my coworkers/ friends... I am hoping I won't get too emotional about leaving. 
  • Spend as much time as possible with Mike, my friends, and family before I leave.
  • Have an especially awesome celebration/goodbye for Laur because she is moving to England in September!
  • Have a smooth move to North Bay and start my program at Nipissing!!

Thursday, July 31, 2014

July Snapshots


Follow me on Instagram: @angelaremondi | @inventedromance

I had another busy month in July! I feel like I've been constantly on the move, despite having very few shifts. I unofficially finished my job at Bookstore #2, and handed in my notice at Coles. I'm easing into the no-work life and I have to say, I don't hate it. My bank account sure does though.  I've had some other big moments this month, too:
  • Mike and I travelled down to Sudbury for the Northern Lights Festival, and got to see Tokyo Police Club!
  • We spent the whole weekend in Sudbury browsing and having some nom noms.. travelling with this guy is some of the best stuff ever.
  • I also went camping with Mike at Pancake Bay! We started this camping tradition 3 years ago and have been loving it ever since :)
  • I bought a MacBook Pro for school! IT'S SO FUN :D and a huge improvement from my 6 year old Toshiba that had a crack down the screen, a broken cord, and sounded like an old engine.
  • Amanda, Alyssa and I had a fun night and went to Rotaryfest to ride on the scrambler and other such festivities.
  • Both my aunts came to visit from Hong Kong and Toronto and we did a whole bunch of fun stuff together! I also received a trip to Hong Kong as a graduation present from my Zia Nancy and I am so excited to visit her next year!! Simply cray.
  • My lovely friend Maria was in town and we went on an awesome hike together! We also got lost in the woods. It was mildly frightening. But mostly fun.
  • I've really gotten in the groove of doing lots of biking and hiking and running! It feels great to be so active and be out in the sun all the time. I am absolutely dreading winter's arrival and hope I don't become a lazy butt (Spoiler alert: I will most likely become a lazy butt)
  • Amanda and I have gone on lots of walks with Leland this month, and one day we even brought Maya! Keeping track of those two got crazy.
I also had some fun nights with my friends! Amanda, Laura, and I had a whole slew of charming little girls' nights. And I also had a fun night of drinking with Mike, Em, and Laur. It's so great to see my friends so much and I'm going to miss the poop out of them come September.

And now we've reached August. This is the month!! Never thought it would actually arrive. I've got big changes and big occasions and big trips coming full steam ahead and I'm not so positive I'm prepared. I guess we'll just see, won't we?

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Late Night Carnival

(top: garage | skirt: garage | shoes: steve madden | necklace: modcloth | bracelet: h&m | belt: forever 21)

I've had lots to keep me preoccupied these days, because my aunts were both just in town from Toronto and Hong Kong! We did lots of fun activities together, like get pedicures, browse downtown, go shopping (where I bought these cute Steve Madden shoes!), visit my Nonno, and go out for some ice cream and yummy dinners. Perhaps the most exciting part has been my graduation gift from my aunt from Hong Kong- I came back from the bathroom at dinner the other night, and she had left a card at my seat. When I opened it up, it said "Coupon- good for one round trip from Canada to Hong Kong!" I nearly peed myself and had a heart attack, I'M SO SHOCKED AND SO THRILLED!! I can't wait until I can go next summer once I'm done school!!


Anyway, back to the main point of this post. Last weekend also happened to be Rotaryfest in the Sault... every year the city comes alive with rides, concerts, and activities and vendors by the water. I didn't get much of a chance to check it out this year (they also didn't do a Second Stage which is normally my favourite aspect of the festival -_-), but I did join Alyssa and Amanda for a jaunt through all the activities one night. We ended up going on the Scrambler, which caused me to scream and nearly puke. I normally love and do well on rides and roller coasters but it was actually so scary!! Carnival rides are so rickety and I have such a hard time trusting them!! After that, we went on a fun little drive and chatted away the way we always do!!


For our little night together, I wore my favourite maxi skirt from Garage with a ballerina top! It's definitely one of my favourite outfits. It's so easy to wear, I feel elegant when I do, and it's SO comfortable and breezy. Every lady should own a few maxi skirts, they are simply an essential clothing item. I will not accept any other opinion hehe.


Hope you're all having a great summer and have had the chance to check out a festival or two!! I can't believe it's almost August. I say the same thing every month, but this year is really just flying on by, isn't it????? Blargh.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Apartment Wishlist: Entranceway

(1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8)

Most people probably don't make wishlists for an apartment entranceway. I get that. I totally get that. But I am someone who not only thinks a lot about the items they would like immediately beside their front door, but also someone who formulates a little collage featuring said items. And then blogs about it.

I think of entranceways as your immediate look into a person's home, and for that reason it can be pretty important! It's your first impression and can set the tone for the rest of your spaces. Why not fill it with adorable things?

I like the idea of keeping things organized right from the get go: a place to keep coats and hats, a tray to throw your keys in, and ample shelves for decorations, or whatever you may need to store by the door. I also love the little chalkboard sign to leave notes for any roommates or significant others that you may be sharing your space with :)

Not only is the entranceway your first glance into a home, it's the last thing you'll see on the way out, so why not set a reminder for all the important things facing you in the outside world? This doormat is the perfect reminder to make sure you have all of your important items on hand before you leave. I also love the "Adventure is Out There" print, as some encouragement to face whatever the world has to offer :)

Friday, July 18, 2014

Northern Lights Festival

(crop top: garage | skirt: urban outfitters | kimono: boathouse | flats: ardene | necklace: american eagle | bracelets: smart set | purse: aldo)

Earlier this month, Mike and I were super excited to attend a music festival in Sudbury, about three hours from home (also the city where my family is "from"- not including Italy- and lived for most of my life... kind of my second home). It's a festival held every year called Northern Lights Festival, and this is the second time Mike and I have gone together!

The first time we went was in the early days of our relationship, and we were so excited to see Joel Plasket and Yukon Blonde (two of our mutual favourites), among many other amazing artists. This year, we went mostly just to see Tokyo Police Club, another favourite band. We spent Friday at the festival, and explored cute shops in downtown Sudbury for the rest of the weekend. We had SUCH A BLAST and I hated having to return home! Classic. If only vacays could last forever AMIRITE.


I dressed light and breezy for the festival, since we were spending all day outside! This skirt from Urban Outfitters has been one of my favourites (and I also own it in black), but I really don't wear it enough! And I got a little balls-y and sported a crop top! I am generally not at all a crop top kind of person, but I thought it paired well with my high waisted skirt. I felt trendy but still covered up, which is key for me. I personally think that anyone can pull off trends that might seem risky if you pair it with the proper items! Go for it, gurlz *girl sticking out hand emoji*

I also made sure to layer my outfit with one of my kimonos, since it would be getting colder throughout the evening. WHAT CAN'T YOU WEAR KIMONOS WITH, I ASK YOU??? It ended up being the perfect outfit for the event... I felt comfortable, cool, and venue-appropriate. A winning combo.


We hadn't heard of most of the bands that played throughout the day (most were Sudbury local), but we were pretty impressed!! Sea Perry, and The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer caught our fancy in particular. Seriously guys, they were super talented and fun to listen to. Take a looksee at those linkies. Tokyo Police Club ended up being absolutely fantastic, obviously. Their show had tons of energy, everyone was dancing at the front of the stage, and we had such a great time.


I'm looking forward to next year :) This festival has become somewhat of a tradition for us, and I'm hoping I will have even more amazing bands to tell you about next July!!

Monday, July 14, 2014

Calm, Cool, Collected

(leather jacket: h&m | top: boathouse | leggings: garage | flats: ardene | necklace: modcloth | bracelet: h&m)

This has very much been one of my most-worn outfits this summer. Sadly, a jacket or sweater is required more often than not during this chilly summer. While I don't want to riddle my blog with weather talk, the fact that I am wearing a leather jacket in July cannot go unacknowledged. It's just too sad you guys.


But yes: I CANNOT GET ENOUGH of this breezy oversized tee! It has become such a staple in my closet, and is also making me more appreciative of the other tees that have laid untouched in my closet. I am a much lazier, more simple dresser in the summer. When I don't have layers to work with, my outfits become much more casual. While I love throwing on a cute sundress or skirt during the summer, my day-to-day uniform is often something along these lines. I have to say, as much as I LOVE summer, I'm a little bit excited for fall to come so I can get a little more creative with layers once more (plus I am totally that girl on instagram with the pumpkin spice latte whose favourite season is autumn... guilty as charged).


What are you guys feeling this summer? Has the hot weather made you turn to more simple outfits, or are you still getting creative with your wardrobe?

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Apartment Wishlist: Living Room

(1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14)

Here we have another apartment wish list!

These are all pipe dreams at this point, since my apartment next year doesn't even have a living room! But in the future, once I have an apartment that does have a living room, I might like something along these lines! I love neutrals and greys with pops of colour, and I like that this colour scheme isn't too girly. I also love the fun twists (like the paper deer head, perfect for a vegetarian like myself haha), and different patterns.

I think I must be a bit of a pillow fanatic. Anytime I browse around for house things, I am drawn to cute pillows with fun patterns or colours. I will probably throw dozens of pillows on my future couch and hopefully people will be able to actually fit their butts on my couches. I've already purchased this pillow in a light grey colour for my bedroom next year!

I have also been working on a few needlepoints to hang up and I'm pretty excited about it. This may or may not make me a grandma.

Monday, July 7, 2014

An Island Daytrip

(dress: h&m | chambray top: american eagle | belt: h&m | mocassins: minnetonka | necklace: american eagle | bracelets: smart set | bag: roots)

I'm really starting to suck at this whole blogging thing! To be fair, I have been a bushy beaver these days. I've had lots of figuring-stuff-out to do, in addition to trying to maintain a social life and work schedule. It looks so basic when I write it like that but I swear I have actually been busy. My big move is fast approaching and I hardly know how to handle myself!


The other weekend, when Mike and I had a few days all to ourselves, we took a trip to St. Joe's Island! I wore a pretty sundress but otherwise kept it pretty casual and adventure-ready. Mocassins and a chambray top were definitely ideal for a breezy and comfortable summer outfit.


And obviously I took a tourist photo in front of the giant loonie.


We drove around and took a look at all the pretty scenery, hit up the local stores, visited Fort St Joseph and the Marina, and had some Island noms & baked goods :) It was such a lovely summer day and we had a marvelous time. Days like these definitely make me wish that I lived in an eternal summertime and also that I never had to return to work. SIGH. Back to reality though EH GUYS?


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Wednesday, July 2, 2014

July Goals


It is simply freaking me out how quickly time is passing. JULY. JU-LY. Why is it that Winter drags on and refuses to leave and makes me a big old miserable mess, and Summer has to fly by quicker than I can fully appreciate it? Living in Northern Ontario is the pits.

I only have one full month of living in the Soo, and depending on when I *officially* decide to leave my job, just about a month left of work! I definitely have moving and nesting on the brain. Now that I have a place to live next year, and a fairly good idea of the way it looks as is, I've been planning how to make it my own little pretty home! That's definitely a priority this month, in addition tooooooo:

  • Finish making purchases and plans for my apartment next year! Get myself organized and excited and start packing.
  • I have lots of little crafts and projects planned, so I'm hoping to put a dent in all that jazz this month!
  • Enjoy the summer to its fullest potential. This upcoming month is set to include at least one music festival and one camping trip, and I'm sure many other as-yet-unplanned festivities! I want to have lots of fun with my friends and soak up the sun this month.
  • Which means not letting work cramp my style. I have one month left of part time retail misery! I want it to be a good one with minimal stress and minimal irritation. Fingers crossed.
  • If I could not eat like a pig and move my booty a couple of time this month then I will be an accomplished woman.

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