InstaLove: Peeps Magazine

This Saturday past, inspired by a magazine haul video that I had recently watched on YouTube, I headed to Chapters on Kenmount Road with the goal of purchasing a magazine publication I had never read before. My mission was a success because I discovered Peeps Magazine and I love it so much that I thought I would share it with all of you!

What first drew me to Peeps was the cover, I know, I know, we were raised not to judge a book by it's cover but this is a magazine so it's ok. Simple yet eye-catching, this magazine just looked cool and its tagline, "Tracking cultural shifts around the world", instantly peaked my interest. I also liked that Peeps had a smaller format than that of a regular magazine and that it was printed on heavier paper so it felt substantial in my hand. I'm not going to lie, the fact that it was Issue 01 was attractive to me as well, because I liked the idea that I was discovering it before anyone else.

Indie magazines are really having a moment and Peeps founder, Greg Salmela, decided to get in while the trend is hot. Ten years ago Greg became interested in the practical value of anthropology in branding, communication and design. In his reading and investigation of anthropology, he discovered that there was a tremendous amount of fascinating knowledge that would never see the light of day outside of academic and professional circles. Greg was inspired to repackage the academic insight of social researchers as accessible narrative for the general public, and from that inspiration Peeps was born. Greg has largely self-funded the creation and printing of Issue 01 and is currently trying to crowd source funding to print Issue 02.  

Peeps is a publication that was designed and written with love which, as a reader, you can feel. If you're looking for something different from your usual magazine reading material, and if original stories about people and culture appeal to you, I highly recommend that you check out Peeps. 

Website: http://peepsforum.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeepsForum
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peepsmagazine/

InstaLove: Annex Vintage

I was first told about Annex Vintage from a MC regular during a conversation about our mutual love of 90's fashion and their Instagram accounts quickly became one of my favourites.

Annex Vintage is a vintage clothing shop in Montreal's Mile End district. They stock a lot of 90's vintage as well as classic vintage, but everything is hand-picked to reflect current trends. Annex Vintage is also big on supporting local and carries a lot of artisan products made in Montreal.      

I love Annex Vintage's feed because it's bright, airy and beautiful to look at while also being filled with unique outfits and really cool, quirky items like Frida Khalo key chains, asthma puffer pins, marble notebooks and "Feminist with a To-Do List" pencils.

I would highly recommend Annex Vintage to anyone who loves 90's fashion, one-of-a-kind pieces and a beautifully curated feed by people who love what they do. 

If you're in Montreal, you can find Annex Vintage at: 

56 St-Viateur Ouest 
Montreal, Quebec 
H2T 2K8 

If you're not, you can find them on Instagram, Tumblr and Facebook. 

Until tomorrow MC babes,

-D.

Insta Love for Emily Schuman

  When we write these Insta Love posts, we try to bring a variety to the table- DIY, food, fashion, lifestyle... all of our favorite things. Emily Schuman has mastered bringing all of these things plus more to her very own table called Cashmere and Cupcakes. 

 

  Chances are, you have seen the around. We love Emily's Instagram for the gorgeous eats, killer style and her sweet Baby Sloan.  Scroll through her pictures and you'll find yourself inspired to switch up your throw pillows, paint your nails and make a snack. You'll then be addicted to her feed and find yourself exploring her blog. Trust me, you'll need some time. As a fairly new follower I can spend a good hour a day reading back over her past blogs. I love that she has her posts put into "Series", and contributes to each series individually. I also love that while Emily is the main contributor, she has lots of guest writers including one of my foodie faves, Gaby from "What is Gaby Cooking?". (Check out the white chocolate sprinkle popcorn. Seriously).

 I find myself trying to space the blog posts out, and opening each one is a like a tiny Christmas present you can't wait to unwrap. Apparently bingeing if my thing- Netflix series, blogposts, YouTube videos. Lucky for me there's lots to catch up on with Cupcakes and Cashmere starting back in 2008. 

  Schuman describes her blog as "More than a blog, Cupcakes and Cashmere is a mantra and aesthetic that celebrates the little pleasures in life". She is so passionate about what she does, and the more you read about her and from her, you know this girl truly adores her life- and we adore watching. 

  The only thing we like more than a good blog, is a good success story. Emily is killing it right now with a clothing line with ShopBop, a brand new bedding and lighting line exclusively at Nordstrom, and countless other cool collaborations and events.

  Now, I need an iced coffee and a snack.
  M-L xx

Shop Cupcakes and Cashmere:
https://www.shopbop.com/cupcakes-cashmere

Instagram: @emilyschuman
Blog: http://cupcakesandcashmere.com

Check out her blog for links to Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and more! 

InstaLove: Don't Forget to Sparkle

Today's InstaLove post goes out to Megan Warren, another fellow Newfoundlander and MC babe. Megan started her blog, Don't Forget to Sparkle, a little over a year ago and we've followed her since day one! We love her, we love her style and we definitely love creeping her very pretty Instagram feed. 

We also love that Megan features local businesses on her blog fairly regularly because we're all about supporting and shopping local! We highly recommend that you guys give this girl a follow because everyone could use a little more sparkle in their life!

You can find Megan on Instagram and also on her blog

Have a great day babes and hopefully we'll see you back again tomorrow for a new InstaLove post <3

-D.

InstaLove: Jessika Petten

Hello and happy hump day MC babes! We promised in our InstaLove post on Thursday of last week that we would be doing a post about Jana's sister, Jess, in the near future and the near future has arrived!

Jess, like Jana, is a fellow newfie and dear friend of ours who does amazing hair and make-up looks on Instagram. The easiest way to describe her is a magical unicorn in human form and describing the face art that she creates does not do it justice, so I'll just show you a few pictures instead:

This look was created around the lipstick which is appropriately named 'Alien'

This is a candy heart look she created for Valentines Day this year

This look was inspired by the release of Melt Cosmetics' new neon stack   

This is just a random magical creation

This winter wonderland look was created with homemade snowflake stencils and an airbrush

This masterpiece was inspired by a Dear Rouge band poster Jess saw at their concert venue in Montreal 

See what I mean? There is so much truth behind the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" because I'm not sure I could even string together more than two words to describe these looks. Usually I'm just speechless, with my mouth open catching flies, while I go through her Instagram feed. 

When Jess isn't busy creating works of art on her face, or travelling the world, she is busy with one of her many business ventures including: Best Kind Bakeshoppe (a bake shop that creates incredible cupcakes and other sweet treats), Retro & Rebel (vintage/second hand clothing from around the world), part-time hairstyling, and modelling for Figgyduff Dory (her sister's Newfoundland inspired line of clothing and apparel) and us. If you're ever wondering who is in our promo pics, either on our website or on our social media accounts, it's always Jess or Jana.

Jess in our Summer 2015 promo on the left & our Spring 2016 promo on the right

So, if you like insanely cool face art (aka make up looks), travel pics, tattoos, cupcakes and fun, you really need to give this girl a follow. 

Here is a breakdown of everything Jess does and the Instagram accounts where you can find her:

Figgyduff Dory

Retro & Rebel

BestKind Bakeshoppe

Jess' personal Instagram  

xoxo

-D.

InstaLove: Margaret Zhang

If you aren't familiar with the name Margaret Zhang, consider this your introduction because at the young age of 23, she has already established herself as fashion's do-it-all it girl. Zhang is the writer, stylist, photographer and creative director behind influential Australian blog Shine by Three which she started in 2009. Since then, Zhang has worked with global brands like UNIQLO, Swarovski, Yeezy, Clinique, Louis Vuitton, Marie Claire and Harper's Bazaar in a wide range of content and consulting capacities. Her work has even been recognized as shaping the international fashion industry by the Business of Fashion BoF500 Index, and ELLE Magazine's Best Digital Influencer of the Year Award. Furthermore, when she isn't jet setting around the world shooting editorials and attending fashions weeks, Zhang is studying to complete her Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws at The University of Sydney-which I find is one of the most impressive things about her.

I discovered Margaret over a year ago from a Spring edit that she did for Glamour Magazine and I've been obsessed with her IG feed ever since. In my personal opinion, she has the coolest, most interesting pictures on the app and what I love even more about them is that she takes them all herself! Most bloggers have an intern, assistant or friend who follows them around taking cute "candid" shots, but Margaret just uses a tripod and the self timer on her camera.

Another thing I love about Margaret is that even though she has become such a huge influencer in the fashion world, she is still a normal 23 year-old who jokes about being a nerd (she is a maths genius) and about how her parents still don't really understand what she does (her dad thinks that she runs an online store and frequently asks "How's the stock moving?") which makes her totally relatable and endearing.

If you're a fan of just absolutely beautiful and unique photography, awesome style, world-class flay lays, pictures of food and exotic locations with the occasional editorial shot, this account is for you.  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margaret__zhang/
Website: http://shinebythree.com/

- D.

Post Travel Skin! Gross!

Since landing my dream gig as a clothing buyer for an independent boutique 5 years ago, I have spent an abnormal amount of time in the sky. Airports often equal delays, sleeping in places other than beds, eating like a broke college kid and usually being dehydrated. 4 or 5 years ago this would not have affected me. 

I would buckle for a sweet from Fat Witch Bakery.

I would trade in my clean Newfoundland air for that sweet, sweet, NYC smog.

Schwarma from 1 of 500 Halal trucks was eating well, and sleep, well. This city never sleeps! 

But then something weird happened at 27.  I would check in to my hotel after a long day buying for the shop and melt into the bed. I could sleep on a train station floor.  I had a mini freakout. What was happening to the girl who got through post secondary on 2 hours sleep, diet pepsi and wishes and dreams? I have tons of energy! I am a BOUNCY person...

Well, it turned out i'm still a bouncy person. Thank God. I just need to take a chill pill and go to sleep in my California king. Now I needed cushy. Big king sized beds. Good sheets. Frequent showers. All to maintain my bounce. This is all manageable, but time lines don't change, and the work is just as demanding. Something has to give to make these trips a success! Unfortunately, it's always my skin that suffers. I am fresh off the plane from a 5 day buying trip that included hotel changes, multiple layovers, delays, and not enough water drinking. Basically I came home feeling exhausted, fulfilled and about as cuddly as a geriatric crocodile. 

What? I'm still always so lovely, and glowy, and gorgeous you say? Well, let's talk about these little beauty buggers that help bring that bounce to the epidermis.

                                         

The first thing I have to do when I get through the door is shower. And it's not in and out. It's hot, long, and I sometimes fall asleep standing up. I tend to keep my make up light, to non existent when I travel. While I feel more glam wearing it, I cannot be that cruel to my skin in the NYC humid months. I certainly do not fly while wearing makeup. If you must, concealer and mascara and lip balm is where you should draw the line. Airplane air is so harsh on the skin, you want to let it breath. 

Garnier Micellar Water (Shopper's Drug Mart, $11.99). Glorified water in a bottle that deserves all the glory, and maybe a Hallelujah chorus. With one cotton pad this stuff takes anything and everything off in one sweep. I'm choosy about what goes on this skin. It's gentle, and does not cause breakouts. Even though I was makeup free, I repeated this process and managed to blacken two cotton pads. Yes, the air is that gross. Into the warm, warm shower I go. 

After shampoo I step out, and slather a thick layer of Canada's own Mask of Magnaminty from Lush Cosmetics ($13.95) all over my face. While my conditioner is setting, so does my mask. I thoroughly enjoy using this mask in the shower. The mint aroma adds a gorgeous feel to the shower. Scrub it off. Scrub off the dirt. Scrub off the city!

I finish up my shower and towel my hair. Post shower treatment is my favorite. I give my face the full order of facial care desert with fellow small business Tval's Rich and Dreamy ($20.00). This moisturizer takes it time to set in, but leaves the face soft and touchable with no gummy, sticky, after feel. I've just cleaned my face 89 times. I don't need sticky. 

Lastly, for the total body treatment I am in love with Victoria's Secret Coconut Milk Body Butter ($22). I lather that from head to toe, and curl up with a good book while Miss Victoria works her magic. My favourite compliment from my husband is when he rubs my arm and says "your skin's always so soft!". Go away, crocodile. He isn't talking to you! 

So that's what i've managed to improve when it comes to abusing the body when we travel. Pay more for the sweet bed, don't cake your face, rejuvenate your skin when you get home. Next on the to do list- up the water intake, and spend less money while travelling!

Yeah right. Just kidding about the money.

Interested in more of my travel adventures, beauty tips, and product reviews? Stay tuned. I'll be here every Friday and Sunday to help you out. After all, i'm more then just a clotheshorse.

Love and light, 

M-L x

InstaLove: Figgyduff Dory

Figgyduff Dory is an apparel and accessories line created by our friend, and fellow Newfie, Janalynn Petten. If you're looking to show your Newfie pride, confuse people on the mainland, or find a gift for someone who lives out of province, look no further! From thrifted plaids screen printed with Newfie slang like "You Got Me Drove" and "I Dies at You", to NL anchor beanies and longliner print infinity scarves, Jana is always creating new and hilarious designs inspired by our unique and beautiful province.   

Jana wearing the Anchor Republic Print Infinity Scarf & the NL Anchor Ladies Muscle Tank from her newest collection

Jess & Jana both wearing "You Got Me Drove" Army Jackets

Candy Hearts T-Shirt & Tank Top and "Some Sweet" beanie from the Love is Some Sweet collection 

If you're interested in buying one (or multiple) FDD pieces you can find them online at figgyduffdory.com or at the Some Good Market (details on their Facebook Page). However, if you're in town, pop on down to our shop at 183B Duckworth Street because we carry Figgyduff Dory as well!

Figgyduff Dory is just one of the many business ventures that Jana has on the go. If you're interested in keeping up with all of her adventures you can follow her personal Instagram and check out her blog that she shares with her sister Jess (who we'll do a separate InstaLove post about in the near future). 

For all things Figgyduff Dory:

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

Online shop

-D.

InstaLove: We Wore What

We Wore What is one of my absolute favourite Instagram accounts to creep because, to me, Danielle's style is just ultimate goals and I get a lot of inspiration from her beautifully curated feed. 

Danielle is a native New Yorker who started WWW about four years ago when she was a student at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology). WWW was created to provide a daily dose of outfit inspiration from every corner of NYC, but has since evolved from a street style blog into her personal style blog and fashion diary. Now, with the addition of blog posts about interior design (#HomeWoreWhat), men's wear (#HeWoreWhat), travel (#WeWentWhere) and food (#WeAteWhat) over the past six months, WWW is evolving again into more of a lifestyle brand. In the fashion industry relevance is key to survival because people have such short attention spans, so the constant evolution of WWW is something that I find very attractive as reader because it keeps things interesting.  

Going back to Instagram, what differentiates Danielle from the thousands (and thousands) of other fashion/lifestyle bloggers is that 99% of the time she hides her face in the pictures she posts. This is because she believes that too often consumers focus on the person modelling the clothes and not on the clothes themselves, so by hiding her face (usually with the help of her trademark Saint Laurent aviators) she is putting the clothing in the spotlight. Love!

If you like style with an edge, great footwear and adorable French bulldogs named Bleecker, or if you're just in need of some outfit inspiration, WWW is the account for you!

You can find her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pintrest, Snapchat and on her blog. 

-D.

InstaLove: RosieLondoner

Rosie is a Fashion & Lifestyle blogger based in London, England. She was the very first blogger that I really started to follow religiously because her writing style made me feel like we were friends chatting over a cuppa or a casual cocktail and because I could pretend I was in exotic places with her like the Maldives and Morocco.

If you like puns (sometimes good, sometimes bad), designers like Chanel, YSL and Mulberry, beautiful travel photos, delicious recipes and cute dogs then you need to follow Rosie. You can find her on Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter and on her website.

Also, if you're interested in blogging, she has written a great guide for how to get started which you can check out here.

-D.

InstaLove: Theasvintage

Happy FRIYAY!!! M-L here. We are having SO MUCH FUN with our daily InsaLoves. If you were to get on my computer and check out what I am looking at and lusting over, you would find a lot of 70's vibes and easy to wear pieces. I feel like this is my time when it comes to vintage fashion- I adore blouses that hang and flow, while remaining feminine and pretty.  Oversize short dresses, maxi skirts, denim and scarves are among some of my style staples.  Today I am delighted to introduce you to Thea's Vintage. Thea's is out of Stockholm, Sweden. It is an online shop that ships worldwide and offers a gorgeous array of vintage and consciously and ethically made clothing. Check out some of my tops picks for purchase here: www.theasvintage.com

                                                                 BLOMMIG HAORI

LILA KUTCHI AFGHANI KLÄNNING

GRÖN INDISK SILKES SJAL

Thea's Instagram is just brilliant. It is like sweet, sweet candy to my eyes. The colors, the vibe, the and style evoke such a pleasant feeling as I scroll through. Wondering who Thea is? The store pug. I mean, come ON! 

Find them at #theasvintage

All the love!

InstaLove: Shop State of Grace

State of Grace is a premium loungewear line that was founded and designed by two friends from Vancouver, B. C. who wanted to create clothing for life's less graceful moments. State of Grace sells tank tops, joggers, sweatshirts and accessories all printed with hilarious quotes like "Quitting life and becoming Gigi Hadid", "My mood is food", "What would Kylie do?" and "My dog is cooler than you", just to name a few.

If you like pizza, wine, netflix and have an inappropriate sense of humour, you need State of Grace in your life.  

Instagram: @shopstateofgrace

Website: shopstateofgrace.com

Designer Showcase: Balenciaga

We have a serious Balenciaga crush going on at MC at the moment. We see Balenciaga bags during our buying trips every now and then but, when we went to NYC last month we hit the jackpot, (meaning we landed four of these highly coveted bags!) which is why we decided to feature the brand in our Designer Showcase this week. 

Balenciaga is a European luxury fashion house that creates ready-to-wear collections for men and women. The brand was founded in 1919 by Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972) and defined many of the greatest movements in fashion from the 1930s to the 1960s.

Today, the brand is most famous for its line of motorcycle purses which come in every size, shape and color you could ever want (and some you didn't even know you wanted).

Balenciaga bags are so highly coveted because they are made from the softest, thinest, and most lightweight leather available. These bags feel like buttah but don't let that fool you, these babies are extremely durable. Also, every bag has a unique appearance; you'll find different lines, wrinkles, folds and smooth spots in the leather of each purse which means that no two bags are identical. One final fun fact about these gorgeous bags is that each one comes with an attached compact mirror.

Check out the link below for a blog post that sums up why this brand is a personal favourite of MC owner, and self-proclaimed bag addict, MLT. Her favourite reason: girly, but tough!

http://www.purseblog.com/balenciaga/5-reasons-why-everyone-should-own-a-balenciaga-bag/

Purses we scored in NYC last month (left to right): Matrix Parachute bag in Vert Fonce, Matelasse Quilted Bowling Bag in Ivory, Le Dix Motorcycle Lariat bag in Ivory, Large Motorcycle City bag in Black.

Designer Showcase: Rag & Bone

Rag & Bone was created in 2002 by two British expats, Marcus Wainwright and David Neville, because they couldn't seem to find a decent pair of jeans in New York, where they were living at the time. The influence of both countries can be seen in the way each Rag & Bone piece melds classic British tailoring with an edgy yet understated New York aesthetic.

Since 2002, the two men have grown Rag & Bone into a global brand that embodies easy chic and effortless cool. Even the celebrities love it! Everyone from Kendall Jenner and Kate Moss to Jessica Alba and Kate Bosworth can be spotted wearing pieces from the brand’s collections - if a celebrity is wearing a hat, there is a good chance it’s Rag & Bone.

Also, as a consumer, it’s great to know that each piece of Rag & Bone’s clothing, shoes and accessories collections is impeccably crafted from the finest materials available and approached from a form of function design standpoint – so you know you’re going to be getting the best bang for your buck!  

Today rag & bone operates 20 stores worldwide along with its e-commerce site at www.rag-bone.com and has won many prestigious awards including the 2007 Swarovski Award for emerging talent in Menswear, and the 2010 Council of Fashion Designers of America (CDFA) Menswear Designers of the Year.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the label is named after the English “rag and bone” man who collected unwanted items.

Today's InstaLove: Ally Valentine

Happy Hump Day, Citizens! Are you addicted to Instagram? Us too. Mostly, we love looking at style posts. "Outfit of the day" (#ootd) posts bring so much inspiration- how does this person wear their oversized scarves?  Boyfriend jeans? Mini backpacks? Or in Ally Valentine's case, her vintage Louis Vuitton bags and Chanel accessories.





Ally Valentine has been a social media favourite of mine for several years now. It started with finding her YouTube channel when I was researching a pre loved handbag. I have since gone back to the beginning and watched all of her videos, and I now follow all of her social media outlets. What I really love about Ally is that she is queen at wearing high end pieces in an achievable way. Not only does girl work hard, she has many videos explaining the purchasing process of a high end item, things to consider, how to save- and what to sacrifice. She thinks long and hard about investing in true blue pieces, and all things "Trendy" are shopped from places like Zara, Topshop, JCrew, etc. She knows how to throw together something old, with something new. Something high end, with something inexpensive.  I personally love her mostly neutral palette with pops of color and interesting detail. I feel like I can really relate to her style because she too tends to reach for a classic feminine style, and will occasionally rock her look out with a spiked Louboutin or 90's inspired kicks.

We love Ally. We want to be like Ally. Follow Ally.

Instagram: missallyv
YouTube: Ally Valentine
Blog: allyvalentine.co.uk

A demain, my tiny clotheshorses !
M-L