Wow, what a great vacation! Cameron + I just arrived back from Alberta a few days ago, refreshed, inspired, and of course happy to see Pirate! Having a place to go with family to relax for a week is such a blessing, and I am so thankful for the amazing people that are in my life. We stayed up until 2am the night before we left getting our pleasure craft licenses, and you better believe we took full advantage (even during a windy day when the chop had me getting 5 feet of air... and the bruises to prove it...)! I haven't had that much fun and relaxation in a long long time. Of course there were a few rough nights sleep wise, but having insomnia does that to you sometimes. Luckily I could sleep in!!

Our whole week was basically spent eating, on the lake, or doing dishes! I did sneak in a Bikram yoga session outside, which was a new experience, and I had to get my standing bow on the dock! :)

I love my family dearly, but I am also happy to be home. I feel ready to take on this weeks post with new enthusiasm and inspiration. Thank you all for being so patient during our week off, I promise it will pay off! We have a lot of giveaways ending mid September, so be sure to check out our Giveaway Update and sign on before it's too late!!

On our trip in to the cabin, we had to stop in Vulcan for some photos!







How was your week? Comment below, facebook, or twitter

Pirate has decided that considering she is in the title of my blog, she should have her own cat-agory. I will happily oblige, so Saturdays will now be dubbed "Caturday" and devoted to the cutest little furry monster that has taken over my heart and my house! :)


Being a ham for the camera!

Photo by Cameron ♥

Photo by Cameron ♥

{Photo by Christopher}

9. Buy Only What You Love!!
This used to be a really hard rule for me to follow, but as my budget has gotten tighter, my choices in thrift stores are definitely getting pickier. I know it's annoying lugging a million things to the dressing room with you, but if you have a chance, try on as many things as you can. Fit should be a very important factor when narrowing down your choices. If it fits well, is in good condition, and you can HONESTLY put it into your wardrobe and wear it with multiple outfits, then keep it with you as a consideration. If it does not meet those standards, or you're not in love with it, just leave it. There are so many thrift stores, and I promise you'll kick yourself if it sits in your closet for months unworn.

10. Keep An Open Mind
My favourite finds are sometimes a bit odd by themselves, but when put cohesively in an outfit look fantastic! Keep an eye out for one of a kind vintage items that you know will work well with what you already have. Did you find a dress with an amazing pattern, but you'd rather wear it as a skirt? A few snips with some scissors, some elastic, and a sewing machine, and you've got yourself a new fabulous one of a kind item!

Thrifting Rescue 101

{Photo via Honestlywtf}

Updating Old Pieces
There are many times I've gone through my closet and found something that may still fit, but is a few years old and maybe just completely off trend. Sometimes the item is just really boring, or I haven't found a way to incorporate it into my wardrobe. For items like this, I recommend a little out of the box thinking. Here's what I do to update pieces and get my DIY brainstorm on:

1. Take a photo of the item and print it out multiple times. Sometimes I only take a photo of the front if I don't think I'll be doing much to the back, or vice versa. Also if I assume I'll be dying it a different colour, I'll print the photo in greyscale so I can colour over it in pencil crayon and imagine the possibilities! (Use both sides and try to recycle your paper!!)
2. Go through magazines and your favourite blogs and gather inspiration of your favourite looks that incorporate the type of item you took a photo of (if you took a photo of a maxi skirt, look for styles with maxi skirts).
3. Use the photos of your item and the inspiration you collected to think of ways to make your item appear more current. Consider dying it a different colour, distressing or fixing, taking in or letting out, adding accessories like studs, buttons, or sequins, bleaching, taking off sleeves or adding sleeves, cutting length off or rehemming, etc. Be creative and go wild! I promise there's usually a way to achieve what you want, it just takes some thinking and a bit of research, but you can easily save many items this way that would otherwise sit in the back of your closet. I'm working on a DIY with a few mini skirts I just don't wear anymore. Stay tuned!!