Denim skirt

I thrifted this denim skirt about a month ago and it was a long calf-length. I hadn't worn it yet, and decided I'd get more wear out of it if it were shorter. I cut it off above-the-knee and now it's my new favourite skirt. Yay for DIY!









Skirt - thrifted size 22W
Top - Old Navy size XXL
Tights - Addition Elle size 4X
Boots - Naturalizer size 11
Bracelets - Ten Thousand Villages
Watch - gifted
Turquoise ring - bought at a local made sale on campus
Blue ring - Penningtons
Scarf - a local boutrique in Dawson Creek
Nail polish - American Apparel 'Dynasty'

A nautical romance

This look feels a bit different than usual. Theses are actually the first pair of jeans that aren't skinny that I've worn in years. These are the pull-on jeans from Penningtons in a size 20. They fit exactly like yoga pants, and have faux pockets in the front with real pockets on the back. They're the most comfortable jeans I own, and also the chicest.

I decided to give this shirt, size XL from the Gap, one last chance before I donate it to the Salvation Army. I really love the nautical stripes, but don't love it overall. My biggest problem is that even though it fits loosely, the buttons gap like no tomorrow. I'll definitely be donating it, no matter how cute it may be.

I made this necklace last night and this afternoon from items around the house. I've officially named it "Mixed Metals Romantic Cluster Necklace." I'll be adding some more charms once I get more jump rings. I went through my craft basket and collection of unworn jewellery and sorted out things I could refashion into jewellery. My creative mind is overflowing, and this summer I'm looking forward to refashioning second-hand jewellery, learning to sew and knit, upcycling, DIY, crafting, etc.

I'm not a big fan of red lipstick with braces, but this outfit really felt like it needed red lips.

It's Spring! It's Official!

I love this outfit for mixing florals and stripes and navy and black. Happy Spring!

Skirt - thrifted shorts, DIYed into a skirt with a bit of hand-sewing, size 2X
Shirt - Old Navy, size XXL
Tights - Addition-Elle, size 3X
Shoes - thrifted, size 11
Button necklace - self-made
Fairy necklace - gifted

O-la-lala-OOTD

This evening I went to the mall (the largest mall in my city, in fact) with my older sister. I'll post my purchases tomorrow, but for now here's my outfit.







Shirt - Old Navy size XXL
Jeans - Old Navy size 18
Flats - Aldo size 11
Necklace - made and gifted by my sister
Purse - purchased from the Tin Box here in Edmonton (I think there are a few locations, but alas, no website)

Yes, I did take this picture in an old Navy fitting room. :)

My sister made this necklace for me for Christmas, she made the beads out of an oven-bake clay and then threaded them on this ribbon. It's so lovely, and the fact that she made it makes it extra special. I bought this purse a few days before Christmas, with Christmas money given to me by my aunt, and I cannot get enough. The colour is gorgeous, and it's the nicest faux-leather I've ever felt. It's so soft and not at all plasticy, I actually had to double check a few times and make sure it really wasn't leather.

Somethin' Fancy

I don't normally wear make up to school, but Tuesday morning I had an extra few minutes. It was nice to feel a bit fancy, especially after missing school the previous week.








As you can tell I have a very distinct line between the tops of my cheeks and my eyes. I'm trying to come to terms with the fact that they're not bags, simply the natural shape of my face. When I wear my glasses, which is nearly all the time, you can't tell so when I take them off I'm a bit overwhelmed. Oh well, who says a fat girl with distinct circles under her eyes can't be cute?

Accesories!





The scarf is thrifted and the guinea pig button/pin is self made (the image is from a textbook from 1972). As for the rest of the outfit: same giraffe swetashirt, same skinny ON jeans, and same black Aldo flats as always.

Why I Love DIY

I was going to start this post with a disclaimer, something along the lines of being a novice DIYer. But thinking about it, I realised this isn't the case. Some where along the way arts n' crafts done at Girl Guide camps tunred into DIY. Perhaps when I was a rebellious 14 year-old, hand sewing my jeans to be as tapered as possible and cutting and dying my hair myself every other weekend. DIY is a part of my life, whether I'm always aware of it or not.

After reading an article in the most recent issue of Shameless magazine, I've begun thinking about why I like DIY.

Diandre Jurkic-Walls says

DIY and crafts have always been a part of feminism and social action. Revolutionary movements aren't borne out of a "revolutions-for-dummies" manual and the tools aren't provided to us by the powers we want to revolt against.

Are making my own jewellery, or altering second hand clothes, really a revolutionary act? Maybe... but either way I think it is said best with

By doing so, we support an economy that resists consumer "culture."

I think my love of DIY is where my self-identity, and how I express said identity through my appearance, and politics cross over. I do not identify as femme, but I certainly am feminine. My clothing choices reflect that. But through DIY I am able to have the things I want in order to present the way I want, without buying into the beauty industry, an industry that I disagree with.

Why show love to an industry that shows no love to me?

DIY floral

Plus size options can often be dire, at best. Living in Canada, it seems like Addition-Elle and Penningtons are the only plus size stores out there
- and they're sister stores! Sure, there's online shopping, but plenty of stores don't ship to Canada and when they do, the shipping is grossly expensive. God forbid you have to return it (in which case you have just spent a gross amount of money to try an item on). So yes, being a young, well dressed fat girl in Canada can be tough. But it's not all bad! Welcome to the joys of thrift store hunting and DIY. I had been yearning for a high waisted patterned skirt all through the summer, when one day at Value Village while ravenously trying on everything (I had a lovely spend $100 get $50 off coupon that was not going to go to waste), I fell upon this skirt. Well, not this skirt exactly. See, once upon a time this skirt was a poor, depressing pair of high-waisted pleated shorts. But, I saw potential. I took out the seem that made them shorts, and then connected the two back seems and the two front seems together. I pinned them in a way I thought went with the shape of the dress, cut away a bit of extra fabric, and hand sewed the seems together. Ta-da! What's left is a comfortable skirt I have fun wearing, and a sense of pride that I can take ownership of my clothes and make things work for me.