I Do: Saying Yes to Pre-Loved Gowns for a Cause

This weekend while I was touring St. Jacobs, Ontario with some lady friends, I had the privilege of stumbling across a bridal store that was unlike any bridal store I've been to or seen (since there have been several weddings in the family in the past year or two, I've seen my fair share - if I never see another episode of 

Say Yes to The Dress again, I won't complain.)

Gina's Closet located in the heart of this small town, is more than just a bridal store. 

It's a bridal store with a good cause.

Gina's Closet accepts previously loved wedding gowns from women in the region which are sold at a reduced price to new brides. The best part is that all the proceeds are then donated to Cancer Charities

 in the Waterloo Region (you read that right - all proceeds!)

There are two rooms to the store - one filled with vintage wedding gowns and veils and the other filled with the modern pre-loved gowns (you can guess which room I liked better).

 I saw a lot of full sleeved 80s gems, long sleeved 70s beauties and even several empire waisted 60s pretties. The modern room also had a wide selection of unique choices for today's bride. 

Each room was accentuated with little vintage touches - antique gloves and handbags and other bridal knick knacks for a memorable day. The prices were also very affordable - most of the dresses I saw were

 in the $100 - $300 range. For a dress you'll only wear once, I consider this a steal!
 I was also impressed with the lady that was working when we visited. She seemed very knowledgeable about the stock and was very friendly - even knowing we were just browsing.

To make the day even sweeter, some of the bridal gowns even come with messages

 from their previous owners. It just makes the shopping experience that much

 more personal - a note from one bride to another for such a special day.

If you happen to be in the area and looking for a dress, I highly recommend checking Gina's Closet out! 

Not only would you be doing good for the environment and saving money by shopping

 pre-loved gowns, but you'd be supporting those battling cancer in the KW area.

To find out more check out Gina's Closet's on Facebook.

Happy shopping!

xoxo

Brittany

Some Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape

I've got something I want to admit that often gets me into trouble:

I always try to see the best in people.

I can have experienced disappointment again and again from someone, but I always seem to have this ridiculous belief that at some point they'll learn their lesson and things will get better.

(Bottomless well of hope over here.)

However I think it's me that needs to learn a lesson.

Recently I've been kicking myself over another failed relationship.

I wallowed in those oh-so-familiar feelings that I know you've had before too at some point.

Maybe if I had been prettier. Or smarter. Or funnier.

Maybe if I had cared more, or cared less.

I obsessed over everything we'd done and  went over every conversation

 in my mind to try and figure out what went wrong. 

Where I went wrong. 

We do this every time someone lets us down, but what we often fail to realize, 

is that we are often only a tiny part of the problem. 

In fact, when someone treats us poorly it often has absolutely nothing to do with us.

I'm not saying that only one person in a relationship or a friendship is at fault when people disagree.

Each person involved contributes in some way. 

However too often when somebody hurts us, it's not because there was something wrong

 with us necessarily, but because there's some kind of issue(s) going on with them.

There's some insecurity in their heads or doubt in their hearts that makes it impossible for them

to open up and love someone else (platonically, or otherwise).

When I look at my past romantic relationships as a collective, and even several friendships,

 I can almost pinpoint exactly why they ended. In all cases, each relationship held instances of human selfishness and ego. Sometimes me and sometimes them, which kept love from growing.

When we're selfish, we stand in our own way of true happiness.

We don't really see people as themselves - but rather we see what they can do for us. 

We develop relationships based on what we can attain from another person.

Our relationships therefore become superficial - like a marketplace for trading goods.

Only too often, the exchange of goods isn't equal and eventually, someone gets hurt.

You can't change people.

You can't make them see the good in you, or the potential in themselves. 

You can only love them and hope that at some point, they will learn to love the right way.

You can only hope that they will learn to see value in themselves 

so that they can see true value in other people.

 This is what true and fulfilling love is.

There's no room for selfishness in love.

Don't let your self-worth suffer because of someone else's self-worth issues.

You can't save them. They have to save themselves.

When someone hurts us, we always blame ourselves,
but I don't think you should ever have to blame yourself for having a big heart, or being open to people.

 Yes, you make the choice to include them in your life, but you can also choose to let these people go.

 Sometimes it's best to love these people from a distance.

 It's not your responsibility to sacrifice your love and happiness for theirs.

We need to get out of the mindset that we're the ones to blame when people hurt us.

Whether it's a significant other, a family member, a friend or even a stranger on the street.

We need to stop worrying about what we might have done wrong, 

and instead try to understand why somebody might feel the need to treat another person this way.

Who has hurt them that has influenced this behaviour?

What did they experience that made them treat someone else poorly?

We never know what battles someone is facing beneath the surface or what scars they are hiding.

This does not excuse their behaviour - it can only help you understand them and forgive them.

Forgive them, because you love yourself and forgive yourself for your part of the situation.

With forgiveness, comes peace. With forgiveness, comes love.

xoxo

Brittany

#OOTD: Go Your Own Way

An outfit fit for a day of wandering downtown, sipping on coffee 

& people watching at the local cafe.

Here's a little #ootd that I threw together for an laid back day cruisin' downtown Toronto.

Featuring the most flattering pair of 70s style jeans (actually from the 1990s)

 and my new favourite travel bag which matches just about everything in my closet.

Seriously, this bag is amazing! 

You would not believe the storage space and amount of pockets. 

I've even used it as an overnight bag before and it works great.

(Yes, I travel very light - only the essentials of course!)

I also threw in one of my new favourite books. It's a travel sized collection of short stories featuring Edger Allan Poe, Winston Churchhill, Katherine Mansfield and many others. It's a great book to carry on transit when I don't have enough time to really delve into a novel but want to be reading. 

90s does 70s darkwash midrise jeans - $8 from Salvation Army

Camel coloured cross-body travel bag - $8 from Value Village

Indian inspired peasant blouse - $4 from Salvation Army

1955 copy of The Open Road - $4 from Value Village

Lucky Brand aviator sunglasses - $20 from Winners

Bangle bracelets - a gift

I paired this with a messy side braid and my brown Saltwater Sandals and I was good to go!

xoxo 

Brittany

Beauty in the Breakdown

I recently found myself trying to describe the concept of Wabi Sabi to a friend.

If you haven't heard about it before, Wabi Sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in the flawed, fleeting, aged and decaying. It's generally an idea used to describe nature, but is also a lifestyle and way of thinking. It's about minimalism, authenticity and contentment. 

It's the belief that there can be beauty in everything. 

We've been conditioned to believe that flaws take away the value of something. 

Like a chipped tea cup. 

Like jeans with a rip in them.

Like the extra weight around our middles or the blemish on our chins.

Or even our awkward personalities.

We throw away the sheets that have a stain or the cookies that didn't turn out "just right".

We try to hide our insecurities under makeup and clothes or behind a screen.

We hold back on expressing our feelings or ideas because we're afraid they won't fit in with the ideal.

Because we've been taught that in order to be beautiful something has to be perfect.

This is a lie.

Flaws give us character. Individuality. They set us apart.

Flaws are experience and experience means you're alive, which in itself is beautiful.

The lines and creases in the old mans face aren't ugly. 

They're the scars of laughter and experience.

The stretch marks and scars on the lady who just had a baby aren't ugly.

They're proof that she created life.

That sweater that you just save for camping because it's worn and stained.

It holds memories because you've lived in it.

It's lovely to live in a house that's always clean and perfect.

It's lovely to always be dressed to perfection and looking flawless.

It's lovely to have the latest phone/car/computer etc.

But it's also lovely to live in a house that's lived in.

With a dirty mug on the counter from last night's coffee and hair on your pants from 

the dog rubbing against your leg. 

It's lovely to wear that pair of jeans that are dirty from painting the bedroom and from sitting

 on the grass at summer festivals.

It's lovely to read the old books because you love the smell and the little notes written 

in the corner from a previous owner.

This is what wabi-sabi is. Finding that beauty in the breakdown.

It's okay to be flawed. It's okay to be undone. It's okay if nothing lasts forever. 

"There's a crack in everything, 

that's how the light gets in".

(Leonard Cohen)

xoxo

Brittany

Rainy Day Reads: Vintage Edition

These are some of my top vintage classics that I've been collecting over the years.

Rainy, summer days. 

The kind of mornings that were made for staying in bed a few extra minutes and listening to the sound of the raindrops pitter-pattering on the outside world and for sitting on porches and

 holding hands with your significant other (or cat!).

The kind of evenings that were made for staring out the window and watching the lightning 

light up the sky or listening to the thunder roll over the hills.

The kind of days that were made for curling up on the couch with a warm mug of tea and a good book.

 A few minutes to escape to another world.

I suppose you may think I'm romanticizing the weather a little bit, but I'm an optimist.

 While I do miss the sun, I think a rainy day is a great time to reflect and renew. 

What better way to do this than by delving into another time and place by reading.

There are a ton of great books out there, but today I'm sharing my list of favourite classics with you. You've probably read a few in an English class - or even seen movie adaptions ;) 

Reading List: Vintage Edition

1) The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway 

(Pictured - I found this 1954 copy at City Lights Bookstore in London, ON for $6)

Bullfights, love triangles and 1920s European culture. What more could you want?

I find Hemingway's writing style to be very direct. He doesn't use too much embellishment but his stories are very good and his descriptions make me feel like I'm right on a Parisian street (no complaining about that one). 

I'd love to read A Moveable Feast once I find the right (vintage) copy! 

NOTE: I also recommend reading this to yourself in the voice of Hemingway from Woody Allen's 

Midnight in Paris (amazing film). I sort of have the hots for his character -  no judgement! 

2) Tender is the Night, Scott Fitzgerald 

(Pictured - I found this 1962 copy at Value Village for about $5)

Fitzgerald's books are fantastic reads. His writing style is just beautiful - poetic but not too heavy. This book in particular is a romanticized yet realistic portrayal of a young girls first love and all the after effects from her affair with a married man. I remember reading this last year during my complicated relationship (See previous post) and reading and re-reading lines from this book that seemed to really understand how I felt and were said in such a lovely way.

“They were still in the happier stage of love. They were full of brave illusions about each other, tremendous illusions, so that the communion of self with self seemed to be on a plane where no other human relations mattered. They both seemed to have arrived there with an extraordinary innocence as though a series of pure accidents had driven them together, so many accidents that at last they were forced to conclude that they were for each other. They had arrived with clean hands, or so it seemed, after no traffic with the merely curious and clandestine.”

Beautiful, right?? 

3) Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë

(Pictured - I found this 1944 copy at Thrift & Gift in Elmira, ON for about $5)

This book really makes me think of rainy days. I think of fog rolling over the English countryside, sitting by fireplaces and of course the melancholy tone adds to this perfect rainy day tale. 

Jane Eyre is a beautiful story about a woman trying to achieve equality, find love

 and overcome suppression in a Victorian world. One could even argue for the time it was written,  

that is has some feminist undertones - which I love!

“Jane, be still; don't struggle so like a wild, frantic bird, that is rending its own plumage in its desperation." 

"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being, with an independent will; which I now exert to leave you.” 

4) The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde

This novel is about art and morality - two things that I spend a lot of time contemplating over.

 It is highly philosophical and over the years has received great criticism for its lack of morality and homosexual undertones (the scandal!). The recent film version with Colin Firth is a pretty accurate and enjoyable capture of the story - if you'd prefer that route ;)

  “There is no such thing as a good influence. Because to influence a person is to give him one's own soul. He does not think his natural thoughts, or burn with his natural passions. His virtures are not real to him. His sins, if there are such thing as sins, are borrowed. He becomes an echo of someone else's music, an actor of a part that has not been written for him.”  

5) Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte

I'm going to come clean on this one. I read this one several years ago because of...Twilight. 

It was written as Bella's favourite book and so I watched the 1939 film version (great accompaniment to the book) and read the book and voila! This one's a real heart jerker.

 Just the fact alone that Heathcliff asks his lost love to haunt him until he's dead so she can remain with him in some way...already balling my eyes out. 

“Be with me always - take any form - drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I can not live without my life! I can not live without my soul!”

6) As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner

This novel can be a little hard to keep up with as it is narrated by many different characters but it's an interesting book to read. I can remember reading this one back in high school for a book report and it's always stuck in my mind. The characters are strange and realistically portrayed and the plot varies from emotional to dark comedy. The teen version of me also found the idea of carrying a corpse across the town rather

 morbidly entertaining (yeah, I was once that kid). 

“The sun, an hour above the horizon, is poised like a bloody egg upon a crest of thunderheads; the light has turned copper: in the eye portentous, in the nose sulfurous, smelling of lightning.”

7) The Wordsworth Reader

(Pictured - 1933 copy, received as a gift)

A friend introduced me to Wordsworth when she gave me this book. It's a collection of poems and a great travelling companion due to its size. Because Wordsworth uses older English, it can require some re-reading in order to understand but it's a pleasant collection to read out-and-about! 

This one's a favourite of mine before bed:

To Sleep 
"A flock of sheep that leisurely pass by, One after one; the sound of rain, and bees Murmuring; the fall of rivers, winds and seas, Smooth fields, white sheets of water, and pure sky; I have thought of all by turns, and yet do lie Sleepless! and soon the small birds' melodies Must hear, first uttered from my orchard trees; And the first cuckoo's melancholy cry. Even thus last night, and two nights more, I lay, And could not win thee, Sleep! by any stealth; So do not let me wear tonight away; Without Thee what is all the morning's wealth? Come, blessed barrier between day and day, Dear mother of fresh thoughts and joyous health!"

8) Frankenstein, Mary Shelley

This is an easy enough read for even classic literature beginners and there are many enjoyable movie adaptions out there as well! (My favourite being the one with Robert De Niro).

It's full of madness, death and murder with themes of religion vs. science and nature vs. nurture

 - a true classic horror story. What I love about Frankenstein is that it doesn't lay out good and evil in white and black like some novels - there are times when you pity the scientist and other times where you pity the monster. It's all shades of gray which I think makes it more believable. 

"Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust? God, in pity, made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very resemblance. Satan had his companions, fellow devils, to admire and encourage him, but I am solitary and abhorred."

Like I said, there are a ton of great books out there but these are just a few of my favourite classics. Do you have a favourite classic novel or author that you've read lately? Comment below!

xoxo 

Brittany

P.S. Please keep an eye out for a pre-1950s copy of A Moveable Feast (Hemingway) and The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald) for me ;) Happy rainy day reading!