I'm so frustrated with our Vancouver summer. We keep getting glimpses of high temperatures, blue skies, and sunshine... only to have it covered with gray and cold winds a few hours later! Most people I've talked to have no optimism in their voices when we speak about the summer weather, in face a few even commented "I doubt we'll even get a Summer." How sad! The environmentalist in me wants to rant and rave about why this is our doing, but this is not the place for it. :) I'll keep my fingers crossed for a brighter future in Canada in more ways than one!! Let's get on with what this post is really about... ;)

Thrifting Tips

{Photo by Tinou Bao}
7. Know Your Fabrics
This is a subject that I need to take more time to study. I know many fashionistas that can tell a fabric simply by touch, and that is a skill that can come in handy while doing a quick thrift! Determining the value of an item largely depends on the material it is made of. This also helps determine how "high maintenence" an item is going to be. Will you have to take it to the dry cleaners or can you wash it at home? Does it wrinkle quickly, or can you pack it and take it with you without needing an iron? Things like this help me decide whether I really "need" an item, especially if it's similar to something I already own. I have a fabric swatch book from fashion school, so I like to keep that on hand to identify obscure vintage items. You can make your own swatch book by collecting small samples from the discount bin at fabric stores. Just cut a small square of the fabric, and tape or glue it to a page with the description and content next to it. Whenever you need to identify a fabric for washing or stain removal you'll have a handy reference guide! You can also put stain removal tips next to your fabric swatches in your sample book for even easier guidance!

8. If All Else Fails, Use Fabric Dye!
Have you tried absolutely everything to get that pesky stain our of your favourite skirt or pair of jeans? When all else fails and the item is destined for the donate bin, why not try dying it first? This is a great way to experiment with fabric dyes and different effects, plus you can give items a completely different look! If the fabric is a light colour, try pastel dip dyes on lighter stains, or go big and dye it a midnight blue or black! If you're dealing with a dark fabric, dry using bleach to achieve a dying effect (make sure to be careful and wear gloves!), or splatter it across to camoflouge the stain!


{Photo by Inger Maaike}

Thrifting Rescue 101

If you're a visual learner (like myself) then reading all that text above about dying is well and good, but you might be a bit confused still on how it's all done. Because I am at the mercy of my iphone for photos right now (I am saving up for a new camera!!) I've sourced some videos from youtube for you to demonstrate! Want to dip dye the fabric freely by hand with multiple colours? Try this video from Otis College. Would you rather have a measurement to go by to get an ombre look with one colour? Check out this DIY ombre shirt tutorial!

Thrifty Finds

This is a new section I plan to feature every Thursday! Have you found a vintage or thrifty item we need to see? E-mail us at pirateandlilac AT gmail.com!

Maxi Skirts from Etsy


{Vintage 1960s Maxi Skirt, $38.00}

{Vintage 1980s Sheer Black Skirt, $48.00 }

{Vintage 1980s Raulph Lauren Maxi, $38.00}

Only 2 Days Left in June's Giveaway!!

{Photo by Amy Moss}

One of the main questions I hear frequently is "Can Bikram Yoga help me lose weight?", or "Can Bikram Yoga help me gain weight or muscle?" Honestly, I have nothing to go by except the books I've read from Bikram himself, as well as the results I've seen working at BYV (which are numerous, don't get me wrong)... but I want to be able to speak from my own experience. That's when the Bikram Paleo Challenge was born!

The Challenge

{Photo by tiarescott}

We will be dedicating the month of July to our Bikram Yoga practice, as well as eating a nutritious Paleo diet. We'll both be logging our calories to ensure we are eating enough, but not too much at the same time! I want to try to lose as much weight as possible, so I will be attempting 5 days at least a week of yoga. Cam wants to maintain and even gain weight as well as muscle so he will be practicing 3 or more times per week. Obviously the more the better, but we have to be realistic with our daily time constraints factored in. Every Wednesday we will both "weigh in", and post the results for everyone to see. We'll also be concentrating on a different pose every week, posting tips, what we find difficult about the pose, and progression from week to week.

We're also excited to announce we will be giving away a class card from BYV! Every Wednesday you'll have a chance to gain a new entry into the contest! Last day for entries will be July 31st. Winner will be drawn (at random by myself and some help from random.org) August 1st, 2012. We will announce the winner August 1st, so make sure you leave a VALID e-mail address when you enter so we can get in touch with you!! Check back July 1st, 2012 for the official rules and first chance to enter to win!!

The short term goal for this project is the month of July, but my long term goal is to hit my goal weight by my birthday! (A little over 4 months from now!)

We will be zeroing out our weight loss counters to ensure the count is for the month of July only. Make sure to check back every Wednesday for our progress!

If you live in the Vancouver, BC area, and have never been to the BYV studios, your first class is free!! Click here to sign up for your first free class or visit their website by clicking below! We'd really appreciate it if you write you heard about BYV from Pirate + Lilac! :)



* I do not get paid whatsoever for mentioning BYV or Bikram yoga. I enjoy the practice, and also want to show what maintaining a regular practice can do for your health.

I was eyeing a pair of spiked heels a few weeks ago and didn't buy them (I figured that I could thrift a pair of plain heels and just spike them myself... Still on my list of DIY projects for the future). Now everywhere I turn, I see different versions of spiked shoes of all shapes and sizes. Here are a few of my favourites:

What do you think of this trend? Would you rock any of the shoes above?

June Giveaway!!

Only 3 more days to enter our June Giveaway!! We're giving away an outfit of your choice as a preview to our shop opening on July 15th! Click below for more information.

{Photo by Cameron ♥}

Is our perception of beauty only from modern and cultural influence?

I watched this video this morning and found it fascinating. What do you think?



I'm so excited to get more involved with posts about my yoga practice. Next week we'll be diving deeper into the actual poses, and start an exciting new challenge!

Hopefully wherever you are, your weather is a bit better than ours in Vancouver... (if you read my post yesterday, let's just say the weather light switch is definitely off today!) If you're in Vancouver, I feel your summer frustration! Have an amazing weekend everyone!

Our contest is only open a little while longer, so make sure to enter while you can!!