Guess Who's Back

Shorts One Teaspoon, top H&M, bag Rebecca Minkoff, wedges Aldo (old), sunglasses Spring or Aldo, gold bracelet Alex & Ani, bead/charm bracelet Joe Fresh

Hello my dears! I am back. At least partially. I have received numerous inquiries and emails asking me if I had stopped blogging. I had stopped. It actually started with me taking a break around Christmas holidays. As it is for everyone else, this time of year is crazy busy for me, and juggling between my work, home, friends, family and blog, became quite a task. Photographing outfits in the winter in Canada, is also a work in itself. Being able to catch enough light, avoid a blizzard, etc, it has become very hard to accomplish. I decided to take a break for a month and dedicate it to my personal life. I also decided to turn off all social media. And what started off as a temporary time out, became a little journey of self discovery.

First few days were quite difficult for me, not being constantly tuned into social media and the blog. Very quickly did I realize how addicted I had become. I had actually never been big on social media, not even as a teenager. I always figured that if there was anything I wanted to share with my friends, I’d rather do it in person, over drinks or a coffee. I never needed to keep everyone aware of what I did every second of the day. Nor did I ever consider that everything that comes out of my mouth, is a pure genius and absolutely needed to be shared with everyone. But, having a blog meant being connected to all of the social networks. After a month of being in “rehab”, I realized how much calmer and happier I was. I learned that being tuned into the online world from AM to night, made me somewhat enxious. I was also always worried about not being able to respond to everyone on Twitter, email, blog, Instagram, etc.

This time also gave me time to reflect on my blog. I remembered why I actually started to blog. I have been a huge fan of fashion blogs for many years before I actually got the courage to start my own. What I loved about them is that the bloggers shared ideas and gave inspiration on how to get the most out of your wardrobe. Yes, they did inform us of the fashion trends for new seasons and give us updates on fashion weeks. But, what I loved about them the most is that they were intended for us, average Joe, with average incomes and regular lives. Not to say that our lives are not fun or interesting. Quite the opposite. I find regular people’s lives very interesting, deep and real. We all dream and get to live out our dreams little by little. But we also have to go to work, take public transportation, walk outside in the winter, run after our kids, spend time in casual setting with our families, work in an office where you never know how the temperature is going to be, and so on. We’re not always in front of cameras waiting to attend a high profile event.  I loved that fashion blogs used to cater to that crowd. However, I am finding lately more and more, all bloggers are promoting the same bag, the same brand, the same desert, and so on. A lot of the blogs I used to follow, which used to promote more accessible and budget friendly brands, are now promoting more and more designer items. And don’t get me wrong, I am the first one to go nuts over designer items. I love my designer shoes and a few designer bags I have. I also however work in a financial industry, and know to control my urges and stay within my budget (for the most part LOL). I understand that bloggers earn their incomes by promoting brands that approach them. However, I just wish they still had more of their original authenticity rather than appear more and more like a fashion magazine.

Some of my still favourite blogs have stayed just that, my favourite, because they have stayed true to themselves. These women wear accessible clothes and for the most part, splurge on designer items when it comes to their shoes and bags. One in particular that I am fond of is Lovely Pepa. I love her style because it’s actually what she wears when she is out and about. You may have noticed that us bloggers share some outfits that are beautiful, but not necessarily practical. I can specifically relate when it comes to winters in Canada. I did my best to share with you what I actually wore on a specific day, but looking back, I also shared quite a few outfits that are not the best suited for the day to day life, or our climate.

Due to these reasons, and a few others, which I will not mention as this post is already very long, I debated whether to continue blogging. I was leaning more towards quitting, but then I changed my mind, and only recently. I received a lot of good feedback from people that follow my blog and those who know me. They helped me get back the courage and the will, to start blogging again. Though I have decided to do it differently this time around. I have decided to post blogs only when I have something to share and talk about. I also will only post when I have had time to photograph my outfit. I will not make it a chore or a job, but rather a pleasure. I do have a busy life and a busy job which I love. I also love spending time with people that surround me, and have realized that no matter what, I am not ready to jeopardize that time with them for anything. I chose not to be tuned into social media when I am with them. I have also turned off all social media except for Instagram. I really love Instagram as I am a visual person. Picture speaks sometimes louder than words. I will be posting outfits here on the site when taken with professional camera, but those who follow me on Instagram, know that I also share my outfits there, less formally of course. This blog from now on will just be my creative outlet. It is meant for me and those who like following it, with all its good and bad sides. You can follow me on Bloglovin and get notified once I have posted something new. It may be weekly or it may be monthly. If you are interested to follow me on this journey, come aboard!

So today’s outfit was photographed with my Iphone.I was on my way to a salsa festival in Toronto, and this is what I wore. This is also the moment I had made up my mind to start blogging so I decided to photograph just what I wore then. Comfortable wedges for a few hours of walking and dancing (and eating), shorts for the hot weather and this gorgeous H&M top for some flare.

Thank you my dears for checking in and taking the time to read!

Aleksandra <3