And The Leopard Went To Ottawa

Snowy Ottawa!

   As my time in Canada is going faster than I can handle it was definitely time to explore some other parts of the country! So the first stop this weekend was Ottawa. Every day started with a nice hot chocolate as it is still pretty chilly here, regardless of the fact it is now March!

   Going round the parliament is apparently the main tourist thing to do so that was the first stop of the day!

Leopard Fur Coat/£25/New Look
Pug Scarf/*Gift*/Dorothy Perkins
" Joni" Blue Jeans/£34/Topshop
Sunglasses/£2.50/Peacocks

   Then we went to the Byward Market where I was treated to a new dream catcher for my car! I resisted one of the miniature llamas but they were so cute!

   I found this amazing interior design store called EQ3 which is like a super stylish version of Ikea. As my bell alarm has finally died I managed to convince my parents to get me another one! It's the only thing that wakes me up in the mornings, especially when I have 8am class!

Inside EQ3

   We then found this massive bookstore called "Chapters" and it had the best fashion book collection I've ever seen, it was hard to resist some of the Lagerfeld books but my luggage allowance is definitely being used for as much clothing as possible!

    I also found a little taste of home, a Scottish pub! Unfortunately we'd already had lunch but I could definitely have managed some haggis or fish & chips!

   As we were leaving Ottawa I spotted a dog park with some amazing graffiti so stopped to take a few pics! One of my definite highlights of Canada is that dogs wear little socks to keep their paws warm, making them 10 times cuter!!

   I treated myself to a souvenir from Humber College which I was wearing on my trip! It's white so I'll have to be careful. I have a bad habit of tinging things orange with my fake tan but so far it's still white! It's super comfy and will be so nice to wear at home! I'll have a post about my next stop on the trip soon!

And The Leopard Got Adopted!

The Big Nickel!

   In Canada they have a holiday called "Family Day Weekend" so that people get some time to see their families! Unfortunately for me my family are a bit far away at the moment, but luckily my friend Alex and her family adopted me for the weekend and took me to their amazing house in Sudbury! I got shown all the main attractions such as the big nickel! This picture doesn't even do it justice, it is HUGE!

   We spent most of the two days standing out on  a frozen lake! Alex's family have an ice hut so you can shelter in there to keep warm or heat yourself up with some snowmobiling! 

Alex with the ice hut!

Keeping warm with my leopard fur!

Sunset & Snow Mobiles

   The evenings were spent eating amazing home cooked food, drinking tasty cocktails and playing with Alex's array of adorable animals!

Making some Bahama mamas!

Maggie, who is still a puppy!

Zoe was a bit tired out by the end of the weekend!

Coco!

   The end of the night was taken up with a game called "Pishnook" where you have to flick counters into the center of a board. However, after a few glasses of wine and cocktails combined with my acrylic nails I was definitely not winning many rounds!

Pishnook!

    I had an amazing weekend and can't say thank you enough to Alex and her family for taking me in and making me feel so welcome! I've heard it's amazing there in Summer so I'll have to make another visit when the snow melts!

And The Leopard Got Snowed In!

My Building: The Fashion Institute

   After 15cm of snow falling on Toronto today I think it can definitely be classed as a snow day which means not braving it outside unless absolutely necessary! So far I've only stepped outside once today and that was to run across to 7/11 for some much needed study snacks! My Hunters proved their worth on the way there as the snow was almost up to my knees in places!

Black Patent Wellies/£89/Schuh
Leopard Print Trousers/£42/Topshop

Mesh Detail T-shirt/£8.50/Forever 21

   I'm starting to get the hang of this camera! Check the blurred background and focus foreground in this shot, I am no longer an aperture amateur! This top was an absolute bargain and I've already worn it both during the day for class and at night for a girls night out! It's super comfy and because it's black it literally goes with anything! 

/From Left/
Statement Necklace/£5/Primark
Snakeskin Print T-shirt Dress/£5/H&M
Gold Detail Pumps/£25/Topshop
Rottweiler Jumper/£17.95/Forever 21
Black Leggings/£2.50/Sears
Colour Block T-Shirt/£10/Topshop
Printed Bodycon Skirt/£8/Forever 21
Holographic Pumps/£11/Urban Outfitters

   So here are the latest additions to my wardrobe! My only defense it that I've not bought anything overly heavy so my luggage allowance shouldn't suffer too badly! This dress was something I was going to end up with eventually, whether I was in Canada or Scotland! I had eyed it up a few times back home but never actually committed to buying it, so when I saw it on sale for $5 in the Eaton Centre I couldn't resist it any longer!

    The colour block t-shirt is definitely going to be on trend for Spring/Summer so it was an investment piece, especially as it was in the Topshop sale! It is so comfy and has a really nice zip detailing at the back and although I've only worn it a handful of times I've already received quite a few compliments on it! The skirt also has a nice zip detail which runs down the back of the entire skirt, I'll have to watch myself on nights out though!

   This jumper has a really cool detail with the studded neck, which is a nice change for me as I usually wear my jumpers with statement necklaces. The rottweiler design is a take off from Givenchy and I've been looking for a good copy for a long time! Although the design is different from the Givenchy original it still has the same idea which any fellow fashionistas would recognise!

Co-Ord Style Dress/£13/Forever 21

   This dress has been my favourite purchase so far! I spotted it a few times in Forever 21 and finally gave in and tried it on! I've yet to wear it so I think I'll save it for something special! I love the zip at the back and the way it connects the skirt and the top makes this piece definitely look more than £13! It has a lovely sixties print and for me you can't go wrong with anything sixties style, it never really goes out of fashion!

Selfie!

  So that's all my latest purchases from Canada, and with SAAS coming in tomorrow and my trip to New York getting closer I'm sure these won't be my last! 

   I am absolutely loving it here and I'm yet to get properly homesick! I do miss my little car a lot though, and there's been a few hangovers where Irn Bru would definitely have improved my mood!

  Before I left so many people told me "you won't want to come home!" and I never thought I'd say it but I could actually stay here for a lot longer than 3 months! Everyone has been so lovely and welcoming and it'll be sad coming home where no one thinks my accent is cool! Family day is in a few weeks and my friend Alexandra has kindly adopted me for the weekend so I'll have a blog post about that coming in the near future! 

And The Leopard Looked At Wardrobe Staples

1/Leopard Fur Coat/£25/New Look
2/Checkerboard Handbag/£80/Aldo
3/Swimming Medal/Family Heirloom
4/Nude Lipstick in "Rouge Shine"/£10/Sephora
5/Nike Blazers/£80/Office
6/Tortoiseshell Watch/£259/Michael Kors
7/Stiletto Nails/£20-£60/Nail Salons

   For those of you who aren't as down with the fashion lingo as your average fashion student, a wardrobe staple is something that defines your style. It is the items you wear and replace religiously. It is the key pieces that you work the rest of your wardrobe choices around. And for me, it is the things that will always be timeless classics.

   My first wardrobe staple of course had to be leopard print! I have had the same leopard fur coat from New Look for 4 years and it is still going strong! It is the perfect length, colour, fit...everything! It has proved well against the Canadian climate so far so it is definitely earning its moneys worth! It looks great over a dress for a classy night out with the girls but also looks equally good walking to class! It is a perfect example of a wardrobe staple as you won't often see me without it on!

   This handbag was definitely love at first sight! I was in New York with my Mum and as per usual I had ran waaaaay over budget already, but after some convincing my Mum was kind enough to lend me some money towards it! This is one of those handbags that will last me a good few years. It has a cool contemporary look that will never completely fade as a trend and it makes any outfit look ten times more stylish. This is definitely one of the pieces that I had a very emotional goodbye with when I left for Canada!

   Every day I get asked what this medal is! My Grandad gave it to me a long time ago and I've been wearing it everyday for about 4 years now. I absolutely love it because it is so different and has such a strong sentimental value for me. It is a beautiful piece that attracts a lot of attention and people are always interested to know what it is and its story. This is a wardrobe staple I can't ever see myself not wearing, I hate not having it on even if it's just for one night so I can wear a statement necklace!

   Nude lipstick is my favourite make up staple! I have tried a vast array of lipstick colours over the years but I always end up back at nude eventually! This Sephora lipstick is one of my absolute favourites as it has a glossy sheen without being sticky like a lip gloss! Wearing a nude lipstick allows me to wear much heavier make up on my eyes so I usually wear it day or night!

   Before last Summer I rarely wore trainers. I had one pair of VERY worn out converse and I only really wore them in the Summer anyway. But when I got a job with GAP I realized I need some shoes that would go well with jeans as that was a key part of the uniform. At the time everyone had blazers and I don't like to follow the crowd too closely when it comes to fashion so when I found these I fell in love! They were totally different to the basic blazer colours and they are so comfy! They literally go with anything and I often wear them on nights out and still look dressy enough!

   This watch is probably the most expensive thing I own. It took a lot of time to decide which watch I wanted when I went to Ernest Jones and classic me, I picked the most expensive one in the shop! But it is definitely an investment piece, even though I've already cracked it once it has been repaired and now looks as good as new! I would say it is definitely more of a fashion accessory than a time piece for me!

   My final wardrobe staple is stiletto nails. I actually feel happier when my nails are done! I've found a place in Toronto that does acrylic stiletto nails for $20! So I will be posting plenty of nail designs on Instagram over the coming months! You can have so much fun with fake nails and follow the trends by wearing the latest seasons colour! I've opted for neon pink and glitter on my accent nail for just now, totally Barbie but I love them!

   Wardrobe staples are an important part of anyone's wardrobe and it's such a good way to define your own personal style. I don't think I'll be changing mine anytime soon!

    

And The Leopard Went Downtown

Downtown Toronto

   Now that I've settled in a bit I thought it was time to explore Toronto properly! It's an amazing city, and even if it is a bit cold sometimes (-20 degrees!!) it makes a nice change of scenery from Aberdeen and Glasgow!

Me & Sophie outside the Eaton Centre!

   Our first stop was obviously going to be the massive shopping mall right in the heart of downtown! They have so many stores here that we don't have the luxury of having back home: Sephora, Victoria's Secret, American Eagle Outfitters and Juicy Couture just to name a few of my favourites! And with the exchange rate being so favorable to tourists here it has been a challenge to reign in my shopping habits!

PINK by Victoria's Secret

A Beautiful Michael Kors Store!

Visual Display inside Sephora

Being the ultimate fashion tourists!

   After a VERY restrained shopping trip around the Eaton Centre we went to Urban Outfitters where my shopping temptation could resist no more! I found these beautiful holographic pumps with a very on trend silver ankle bar and at $20 (£11 roughly!) it would have been a crime against fashion bargains to say no!

You can never have too many pairs of shoes!

   Although they are very pretty they are going to take a lot of breaking in so I've been wearing them to class (regardless of the snow, you can't wear wellies everyday!) which is a nice 5 minute walk to ease them into one day being comfortable!

Textured Top/£15/Topshop
Skull Necklace/£9/Topshop

   Sophie & I have both received a lot of compliments for our style here as we tend to stand out from the average Canadian! I've had this necklace for a while now but I still love it as much as when I first bought it. It adds a bit of edginess to any outfit, especially something like this white t-shirt! It's little things like this that are making us more unique in a fairly casual city. It's so interesting to see how fashion is perceived in Toronto and how different the trends are here compared to the UK. I'll be posting soon about my new purchases that won against my shopping resistance! I'll worry about my luggage allowance nearer the time...

And The Leopard Went To Canada

   So here is the first of many pictures of my new adventure! After a 7 hour flight I touched down in Toronto and stepped out into minus 20! Luckily, I have a good collection of fur coats and leopard print thermals so I should manage to keep warm, even when it's colder than Mars here sometimes!

Black Patent Wellies/£85/Schuh
Leopard Fur Wellie Socks/£30/Schuh

   These Hunter wellies are already proving themselves to be an absolute essential over here! I am like Bambi on ice and snow so I needed something with grip, and so far so good! The wellie socks keep me nice and warm and the leopard fur manages to make even wellies look glam!

Lake Ontario

   This is me and Sophie, the other exchange student from Robert Gordon University, in front of Lake Ontario. The lake had actually started to freeze at the edges because it has been so cold here! It was amazing to see though and it's only a five minute walk from our campus!

Lake Shore Boulevard

   The campus and halls of residence are on Lake Shore Boulevard and it is an amazing area, it's so different to Aberdeen! There is a tram (called street cars here) that runs right outside the campus that can take you straight into downtown Toronto. I've not been to downtown during the day yet but will definitely be there soon to check out the malls! 

   I will have a post up soon with some of my new Canadian purchases, not sure how my luggage allowance will cope but I couldn't resist!