Introducing, part 2

 I was going to write a rant about why I hate Oscar/award show fashion, but I decided that instead of venting my cynicism and grumpy mood, that I would just leave it be. This year I was abnormally anti-Oscars. I blame it on my bloglovin' feed being full of about 150+ Oscar fashion recaps and best/worst dressed lists. And of course every single publication will do at LEAST one Oscar feature.

So instead I'm going to do something MUCH more positive: unveil my Regular Reads! I have previously posted my favourite local (Edmonton) blogs, these are my favourite non-Edmonton blogs. Enjoy!

A Cup of Style Originally started by Lucy, this features the fun style of Lucy and her sister Nicole. Both girls are in their late teens/early 20s, and have a fun sense of style.

Blonde Bedhead Andrea has a fun and sassy wardrobe, and she has incredible long curly hair. I only wish mine looked that nice when it's long. She writes funny and relatable posts, and keeps a perfect balance of detail and privacy.

Cupcakes and Cashmere Emily's blog is very successful, and there's no questioning why! She posts a combination of divine recipes and beautiful outfits.

De Lune Claire has a edgier sense of style, but always remains classy. Plus, I'm kinda in love with her paint-splatter Tory Burch jeans.

eat.sleep.wear. Kim's sense of style is perfection, in my opinion. I love almost every outfit post.

Girl and Closet Veronika has some of the loveliest dresses, and she layers like a pro! Bonus points: her gorgeous lipstick.

Just Take a Bow Sarah has a quirky and creative sense of style, and an awesome sense of humour. I almost always get a chuckle out of her posts. Plus, she proudly embraces her nerdy side!

keiko lynn I want her closet! And I love that she loves to experiment with makeup! Yay!

The Daybook Another wildy successful blogger, Sydney's biggest strength is her ability to make people feel like they are a part of her life. A recent mom, she somehow makes motherhood look so fashionable. Points for being the most fashionable expecting mother EVER.

What Would a Nerd Wear Tania is a grad student studying literature, and she posts outfits that are PERFECT for school. Stylish, yet still appropriate for the classroom.

final fashion Danielle Meder's blog is a well-written look at fashion trend theory. My favourite thing is her Click Click feature, she finds the most fascinating articles online! Bonus points: her paper dolls are incredible.

ALSO:
By an unfortunate oversight, I accidentally forgot to put in The Ordinary Peoples into the Local Lovelies category. They're fabulous!

Introducing my Local Lovelies

During my study breaks, I've been working on giving my blog a subtle facelift, including adding some tabs at the top, centring the title, and most importantly adding a blogroll. Today, I am pleased to reveal the first part of the list- my favourite local bloggers!

The Dummunist Manifesto for Commies Heather is a writer of searing poetry that stays with you. Even if you aren't typically a fan of poetry, give it a try. (She's also one of my best friends, and one of the wisest young women I know!)

ChelseyAdel Chelsey blogs about her life, her art, photography, and whatever inspires her. She is also one of my favourite photographers to work with!

Erika Luckert A fellow student in the English program at the U of A, Erika is a talented writer and is incredibly involved in the community. Her play, Guernica, was performed at this year's NextFest and received great praise!

MasterMaq Mack D. Male writes a fabulous local blog, and is my go to source for anything Edmonton. Seriously. If it's happening in Edmonton, it's probably on there.

Marie a la Mode Marie is local fashion blogger, and one of the sweetest ladies I've ever met. Plus, she has a wonderful sense of style.

The Pretty Secrets Sandy has a fabulous sense of style, striking the perfect balance between trends and her signature "witchay" style. Bonus: she always has pictures from some seriously cool local music events.

Happy Valentine's Day!

via

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I can only do a super short post today, I am swamped with schoolwork. However, I wanted to share some absolutely adorable Valentine's Day things I've found around the internet.

First, do you remember when you were little, and Valentine's Day meant going to school and swapping cheesy cards and little candies, and having fun and caring about the people around you? If you're one of those people who hates the commercialism and pressure that often comes with Valentine's Day, or if you're single this year, remember how fun it was in elementary. Further reading, this delightful post from the Thought Catalog (which is a fabulous blog, by the way).

Now on to things that are more exciting. And have more pink. And red. And hearts. And sparkles!

Two adorable local bloggers, Kastles and Adventures in Fashion, put together a sweet little Valentine's tea party video. Precious!

The Beauty Department posted two fun manicure tutorials with a Valentine's theme. I am in love with the second one, but I have no time or patience. (There's a reason I stick with solid colour manicures!)

Lastly, another video. This one is from V magazine and is glamourous and sultry. Ow-ow!

Hope you all have a fun Valentine's Day!

GoodReads

Karl Lagerfeld's library, shot by The Selby

This morning I discovered GoodReads, and I LOVE IT. Actually I'm kinda addicted already. I've been looking for a way to keep track of books I want to read, discover new ones, and keep track of the many books I have read, so when I heard about it, I signed up without a second thought.

And then I had the little browser window winking at me temptingly during my entire Geology of the Solar System lecture. I would like to have it known that I'm very proud of myself for resisting the temptation to create oodles of book lists, and instead paid attention to the lecture on Mercury's geography. (And bonus points for not screaming at the horrifically annoying girls who sat behind us, but that's a story for another day.)

Earlier this evening, I discovered that there is a GoodReads iPhone app and that, my friends, sealed the deal.

If you're interested in seeing what I read, here's my GoodReads profile: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7656289-danielle

I'm off to rate more books!

PS. On the topic of books, have you read this adorable little piece on why to date a girl who reads?

I'm still awkward and awesome

Back in the summer I was doing regular Awkward and Awesome Thursdays, as inspired by The Daybook. Although I haven't done one in ages, I think there's no time like the present to bring back a fun feature.

This is a random picture of my dog, Charlotte. I didn't have 

any pictures that really related to anything, so cute puppy picture!

Awkward:
- I made my mom dinner, and made roasted carrots as one of the sides. I made a quarter of the recipe, but accidentally used salt for a half. After enthusiastically telling my mom about these FABULOUS carrots, I was mortified to realize that the salt was more than a little overpowering.
- Crazy mood swings. One minute I'm happy, the next I'm standing in front of the kitchen sink crying (in no way related to the carrots).
- Finding out the hard way that the Salter Reading Room (sort of like a miniature reserve library for the English Department) is closed on Thursdays. And then trying, with no luck to find some obscure chapters from academic books online. And, of course, a fellow classmate had already signed out the copies of the books from the library.
- Asking a friend/classmate if he would like to go for a coffee. I think he's avoiding me now. It was only a COFFEE, not a marriage proposal!

Awesome:
- Coffee time with one of my best friends. Girl talk!
- Getting to watch a movie in my Geology of the Solar System class. It was even an entertaining one too!
- This bizarre weather means I'm still wearing flats with no socks, and I don't really need mittens!
- The Edmonton Mediacamp conference is on Saturday, and I am very, very excited!