Tag: fashion

Reasons to Love September

manda_faromeiro

Hello Everyone! I have been meaning to write another blog for weeks now; I didn’t intend to go so long between posts but August brought about some changes (good ones) that had me a bit preoccupied getting geared up for September. I will begin by saying that I’ve always looked forward to September for many reasons and with most of my life being spent as a student, or as an adult working in an educational environment, it’s truly the mark of new beginnings, new chances and new opportunities. This blog is dedicated to discussing some of the reasons I love September.

Fall is Coming
Yes, Summer isn’t officially over until September 21st, but in my mind, once the Toronto’s CNE rolls into town, the countdown to summer is over. This event, which happens at the end of August every year, coupled with the fact that school starts in September for students, signals to me the end of summer and the beginning of the best season ever, Fall. In Canada, our seasons are unpredictable, but the moment the temperatures drop below 20 degrees celsius and you can feel that crisp cool air in the morning, Fall is here! Bust out the layers, sweater weather is here – which means that jacket weather is ALSO here! If you’ve read my fashion blog post, you know this is a very treasured component of my life- bahaha. Fall fashion has to be the best of any season. It’s not just the colours, but the fall pieces are unlike any other season- apart from jackets there are always new sweaters, long sleeve shirts, oh and how about all the plaid? In all seriousness though, Fall is the most beautiful season in my opinion for many reasons. Not only is it comfortable and cozy outside, you’re not freezing and you’re not sweating or uncomfortably hot, but it’s also the most beautiful season; the changing colours of the trees, as well as the vivid natural colours we see with pumpkins, apples, squash etc. Thus, September means the beginning of such an exquisite season!

New Beginnings & Opportunities
As I mentioned above, September for me has very much involved the starting of another school year, whether it is as a student or as an educator, and this September is no different. For the first time in forever, I thought that this September wasn’t going to involve a “back to school” experience for me, as I had no plans to be involved with a career in education. I recently resigned from my position as an Academic Mentor and Tutor with the company I had worked with for three years, and was planning to take some time away from education. This changed in the middle of August as I was offered an opportunity to work for Georgian College in their Testing Services. So, September was once again going to symbolize new beginnings and opportunities, and moments of learning and growth. I’ve always considered September to be very similar to January; in the way that many strive for a “new year, new opportunities” attitude, September is my January. I’m not big on new year’s resolutions, but when September rolls around, I’ve always been mindful to try new things and embrace the change. I find that September often marks new changes for others in my life, whether it be new jobs or careers or modifications to work responsibilities, changes in hobbies, moving to new homes or apartments, or even other life events like engagements, weddings or expanding one’s family or preparing for such events. September has always been a month of new beginnings, changes, and opportunities, and it makes me glad.

Survivor
Yeah, I am totally dedicating a section of my blog post about Survivor because if you didn’t already know, I’m a HUGE fan of Survivor; I haven’t missed a single episode since 2000 when it debuted and I’ve watched all the seasons at least twice if not five or six times. September always marks the beginning of a new season of Survivor, and it truly is exciting! I love Survivor for many reasons, but mostly I love seeing the challenges, whether brand new challenges or twists on old favourites, or classic ones, it’s always fun watching the tribes compete for immunity. I look forward to seeing the new strategic game play and personalities that will be gracing my television every Wednesday night until the middle of December.

Surely I’ve forgotten to include some of the wonderful things, so let me know what you like about September or what it means to you! As always, thanks for reading my blog and staying interested in my thoughts.

These are a Few of My Favourite Things: 90s Edition

manda_faromeiro

The release of the live action Lion King movie this past week really had me thinking about all the things I loved while growing up in the era of the original Lion King film. There are many things that set the 90s apart from other decades, but as I’ve learned the older I get, what is old will someday be cool again, at least for a little while. I thought it would be fun to talk about some of my favourite things from the 90s.

Movies & Television
As a young child in the 90s, there are many shows and movies I remember holding a special place in my heart and a semi-permanent home in my VCR. Of course, the 90s were a great time for Disney films: The Lion King, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Hercules, Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, and The Mighty Ducks just to name a few. Apart from Disney, there were also a number of movies I really loved growing up: Jurassic Park, Home Alone, TMNT, Dumb and Dumber, Space Jam, and Mrs. Doubtfire. Whether these films are special because of their nostalgic value, or if they are just really damn good, just thinking about them brings me joy. When I think of these films, I reflect on what emotions they evoke and the people I remember watching them with. Whether it be hanging out with my brothers watching Dumb and Dumber for the twelfth time, singing along to Just Around the Riverbend with my cousin, watching Home Alone at Christmas with my family, or acting out the fight scenes in TMNT, these films never fail to put me a good mood!

Just like film, there were many great television shows in the 90s that are iconic and special to me. I grew up watching The Simpsons, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Seinfeld, Full House, The X-Files, Saved by the Bell, Family Matters, Home Improvement, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Doug, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Frasier, Power Rangers, Magic School Bus, Married with Children – wow I really feel like I am forgetting some – television in the 90s was epic! Thanks to services like Netflix, it’s easier than ever nowadays to reminisce and rewatch all of your favourite shows from the past. I remember coming home after a long day of school, playing outside, and finishing homework to watching some of these great shows after dinner. Of course, I cannot forget Saturday morning cartoons! Ohhh the memories!

Fun & Games
Growing up in the 90s was a blast, much because of all the awesome toys, games and gadgets. Who can forget Sega Genesis and Sega Game Gear, Nintendo 64, Skip-Its, Super Soakers and NERF, Barbies and Polly Pockets; just to name a few. How about in gym class when the teacher let you play on those scooters? EPIC! Or when it was a Friday afternoon and you had some time to kill before dismissal so you played Heads Up-7-Up. Are you feeling nostalgic yet? I think it’s a safe bet that if you were a kid or pre-teen in the 90s you surely remember playing MASH with your friends. Lucky for me, I didn’t end up living in that Shack with Kevin from the Backstreet Boys…

Food
When I think about some of my favourite childhood foods and snacks I cannot help but laugh to myself because there were definitely some weird things that you clearly would only eat as a kid. Dunkaroos, Gushers, Warheads, Ring Pops, Pixie Sticks – what a rush! Remember how awesome it was when you went to a birthday party and got some of these wicked treats in your lootbag? In our house it was a treat when you got to have a Pizza Pocket, or even Jos Louis, or cereals like Fruity Pebbles and French Toast Crunch. Now I know that many of these things are still available in the grocery store now, but for me, they really symbolize growing up in the 90s.

Fashion
There is a part of me that wishes I was a teenager in the 90s so that I could have had more “creative” control in regards to my wardrobe. What I absolutely loved about the 90s was how much neon colours took over! As someone who adores colourful things, neon coloured clothing and accessories are my favourite. Some other 90s iconic fashion pieces were scrunchies, overalls, bomber jackets, and platform sneakers. You bet you can find most of these items in my closet today- and that brings me a lot of joy! When I think about fashion in the 90s I immediately think about The Spice Girls because I idolized everything about those fabulous girls. I recall begging to get some platform shoes and when I got a pair, I couldn’t walk around as casually as Scary Spice, but boy did I practice! Even if some of these fashion pieces weren’t back in style, you’d still likely find me wearing them nowadays anyway.

What decade is iconic for you? Are there things you loved about the 90s that I forgot to mention above? What are your favourite things from the 90s? I’d love to read your comments!

My First Fashion Themed Blog Post

manda_faromeiro

I never thought I’d see the day when I would write a blog about fashion. One thing that I have always loved about having my own personal style is how people can look at an article of clothing or an accessory and think, “Oh Yeah! That is totally something Amanda would wear!” It is flattering when people see something and think of you, especially because style and fashion isn’t something I ever thought long and hard about defining for myself. I always believed that if you liked something then you should just wear it.

Growing up, I had many different fashion phases. Most notably, I certainly went through a skater phase and punk rock phase (without the multi-coloured hair), and also a sporty phase. At the moment, I never considered these to be phases because they simply paralleled my interests. Once upon a time, I used to skateboard, just like I was quite athletic and very into sports; specifically basketball. I also went through a dressy/professional phase, well before I was a professional. It sounds strange to word it that way but it’s true. I really enjoyed collared shirts, dress pants, ties, and the like. There was a time where I didn’t own a single pair of jeans for about 10 years… only dress pants and shorts made up my lower-body wardrobe. Fascinating…

Like fashion should be, my fashion was simply an expression of my tastes, likes, and interests. Looking back, what interests me the most is seeing how many of my “fashion phases” overlapped each other and now that I am an adult (or so I am told because I’ve levelled up past my 20s) I see elements of these phases coming out in my closet; I love it! As I’ve mentioned before, confidence is not something I ever really lacked, so choosing clothes was always a fun process for me because I never really thought about following fashion rules or styles. Again, If I liked something, I bought it and coordinated into the other pieces of clothing I had in my closet.

When I think about my own style and tastes, I think about the articles that I am most drawn towards. If I think about what is most consistent for me, it’s simple: shoes & sunglasses. There is nothing more satisfying than when you find a killer pair of shoes and an awesome pair of shades. I can say with confidence that these are the two articles of clothing/fashion that I am most well known for having many of and for consistently wearing the most.

This year, I added a new article to this list. This year I became obsessed with jackets. Oh, it’s true, it’s damn true. Something about jackets really spoke to me this year, and I can’t pinpoint the moment it happened, but next thing I knew I had about 6 new jackets in my closet when I realized that I was officially obsessed. Just like shoes and sunglasses, jackets are a beloved article of fashion for me – and writing this blog made me realize why. These three articles of fashion speak to me because of their versatility. All of these items can be dressed up or dressed down, and add that extra flair to any outfit; at least that’s how I feel about them! If fashion is supposed to make a statement, that’s just what these three articles of fashion do for me.

What I love about my own style is that it pulls from a variety of influences; whether it be pop culture, a particular decade, or simply what speaks to me when I see it hanging on a rack. I can’t speak to what is super trendy or in style, but I do know what I like. I hope that whatever your style, you truly own it and continue to love how you look & feel in it because honestly, that is what fashion should really be about.

The beautiful thing about fashion is that it’s always evolving, changing yet being reborn again. Who would have thought that we’d be so happy for bright colours and neon to come back in style? Or is that just me?

What articles of fashion (clothing or accessories) are your go-to pieces? What do you feel most confident in? Where do you draw your fashion influences from?