Get Creative

Halloween is definitely not high on my list of favourite holidays and generally I don’t put a whole lot of work into my look for the occasion, but this year I had an idea so fun that I couldn’t help but go all-out.

Baby, I’m a firework!

There’s nothing better than a light-up outfit, and though I’m not a DIY queen by any means it struck me that a firework costume wouldn’t be overly complicated with the right supplies. I have a weird obsession with LED Fibre Optics – you know, those stringy lights that you get for parades at Disneyland and such? I was brainstorming ways to work them into my holiday decor this year when the idea to cover a dress in them clicked. A few weeks later and I found my team in front of a sequinned black dress with glitter tights, boots, and enough lights to brighten the night!

Scroll down for instructions to make your own light-up-look!

Supplies //

Women’s Sequin V-Neck Long Sleeve Dress
Glue gun
Glue sticks
Set of 10 LED Fiber Optic Lights
tinsel or foil streamers
Women’s Sparkle Tight
Glitter!

DIY Instructions //

Estimated crafting time – 30 mins
Skill level – Beginner

Start with a simple black sequin dress, we used this Women’s Sequin V-Neck Long Sleeve Dress. We also sourced all kinds of fun fibre optic lights from amazon like these Set of 10 LED Fiber Optic Lights

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Lay the lights out on the front of the dress in an even pattern, with scissors cut small horizontal slits into the dress, just enough to fit the lighting bases through. Using a glue gun, glue the base of the lights to the inside of the dress, allowing the fibre to come through the hole. Make sure to leave the switch free from glue and accessible from the inside We left two lights aside to clip-into my hair.

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You can use any kind of tinsel or foil streamer you’d like, we took apart party blowers! Using the glue gun, glue tinsel behind each light you’ve placed and close up the ‘incision’ with glue. Continue to glue on the steamers all over the front, shoulders, and along the back of the neck. Top your look off with as much rainbow glitter as you’d like and you’re ready to shine bright like a firework!

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Here’s our full list of firework costume supplies:

Women’s Sequin V-Neck Long Sleeve Dress
Set of 10 LED Fiber Optic Lights
Light Up Fibre Optic Headband
Women’s Sparkle Tight
Rainbow Blendable Hair Color Sticks
Rainbow Highlighter Powder

Dear Diary

I complain about winter lasting too long every year, but even I can’t deny the magic of that feeling when the temperature first drops. The thing is, Summer and sunshine is by far my favourite, but they do tend to go hand-in-hand with a certain level of guilt about staying indoors. Though cabin fever will eventually strike, for now it feels good to have a reason to cuddle up and get cozy instead of sucking up every second outside.

Tea Time //

Warm drinks are without a doubt one of my favourite things about cooler weather, and since coffee seems to stoke my anxiety if I drink too much, I tend to stick to tea. Last Fall we had the pleasure of collaborating with Sloane Fine Tea Merchants on a custom blend exclusively for Shop RAOP. With soft floral notes of lavender, rose, and the fruit-loop flavour of bergamot, it’s a truly dreamy black tea that we suggest you serve with milk and honey! Shop it here. We also highly recommend the dreamy SMEG Electric Kettle – Pastel Pink to elevate your tea time!

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Cozy Clothing //

Working from home gives us the unique opportunity to wear pyjamas all day long if we want to, and though I find getting dressed up generally leads to more productivity, sometimes you have those days where you just have to stay cozy! This Mae Short Sleeve PJ Set is just what the doctor ordered – affordable, easy to wash, and the softest fabric ever! I’m also completely obsessed with heated slippers (yes, that’s a thing) and when I saw Narwhal Heated Slippers I simply couldn’t resist.

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Self Care //

Tis’ the season for upping your self-care game, and Saturday Skin has landed in Canada just in time. Created by the scientists at CHAUM, an iconic wellness centre with a network of 15 hospitals and 27 research labs in Seoul, Korea, this brand is much more than pretty packaging. Keep your skin soft and prevent damage all winter long with their advanced formulas! We’re currently loving the and .

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Home Sweet Home //

If you’re going to hibernate, you need to make sure your den (erm, apartment) is ready for the shift. Blankets, books, and fun activities are all absolutely key to making it through the cold times. I like to think of Fall as the season of letting go, and though I haven’t been in school for years I always start a new day planner in September. No one does planners better than Ban.do, and their newest Ban.do 2017-18 Monthly Agenda makes scheduling and goal setting SO FUN.

A good blanket of some sort is also key, like this Handmade Giant Chunky Merino Wool Knit Throw – how great does the knit look in my CB2 living room setup?

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Baby Light my Fire //

There’s no such thing as too many candles. Ever. Last winter we burned through an average of 1 candle a week, and though I have much better central heating I’m assuming this year’s count won’t be too far off, so it’s best to stock up! Amazon is filled with ALL of the options, including Tocca Candles and this gorgeous Paddywax Tobacco and Vanilla Candle

I also find myself super drawn to the smokey warmth of incense this year. I first found Cinnamon Projects wandering Silverlake while living in
California this past winter, and their scents totally swooned me. If you want to smell a range you can order the series here, best paired with their stupidly beautiful new mineral + brass burners (rose quartz is obviously our fave!)

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Shop our favourites on Amazon!

FallFavesAmazon copy

1. Mae Short Sleeve PJ Set
2. Paddywax Tobacco and Vanilla Candle
3.Clear Quartz Cluster
4.Handmade Giant Chunky Merino Wool Knit Throw
5. Narwhal Heated Slippers
6. Ban.do 2017-18 Monthly Agenda
7. Pink Matte Zippo

Dear Diary

It’s funny how things come and go with time – time and priorities shift, and though something your passionate about may be top of mind for awhile, it’s all to easy to let good habits slip. In my case, I’m always struggling to make time for running, cooking, and music.

Growing up music was everything to me – I’d spend hours making playlists and scouring websites to put together the ultimate mixes. As time passed I started to slip, and soon I found myself listening to the same 5 albums on repeat simply because I didn’t have the energy to find something new.

With the shift of seasons I’ve been trying really hard to make some personal shifts in my daily life, and over the past couple weeks I’ve been diving back into music. I always loved record shopping, adding to my fairly extensive vinyl collection, so I hit some of my favourite local shops to see what was new!

The conclusion – I am SO happy I have started to “soundtrack” my life again! I’m back to building playlists, collecting vinyl, buying tickets to shows, and hunting down hard to find records online. That’s where Amazon comes in! I’m pleased to announce I’m now a member of the Amazon.ca Associate Program, which means you can expect fun shoppable monthly posts from me, including seasonal playlists!

We’ll be officially kicking off my new music series next month, but for now I wanted to share a handful of records I’m listening to right now:

La La Land Soundtrack
The XX – I See You
Aidan Knight – Small Reveal
Milk & Bone – Little Mourning

and of course we’re always loving our cute Crosley Record Player!

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Outfit Credits:
from Revolve
Birdies slippers

by Bing Bang