Monday Mantra + Floral and Stripes

I’ve been blogging for a while now, but in so many ways I feel like I am just starting. Two weeks ago I made the decision to move from WordPress.com to self-hosting with WordPress.org. This switch has allowed me more control over my blog and it has also allowed me to start places ads on my blog as a way to start making some money. I’ve also set up a schedule for my blog, which I am trying to stick to. The scariest part for me, was publicly sharing my blog with my friends and family. When I started this blog, I didn’t tell anyone – for months! When I did start telling people, I only told my mother, and that was because she would see me taking the photos. I finally made the switch to publicizing my blog on my Facebook page only in October. There were many reasons why I didn’t share it sooner, but the main reason was that I wasn’t ready. I wanted to keep this blog as far removed from the personal me who had been injured in an accident until I was comfortable sharing that side of my life.

So now that my blog is more public, I am trying to learn anything and everything I can in order to improve and become a better blogger. I appreciate any bit of constructive feedback that comes my way. I need all the tips I can get!! Starting in January, I am going to really focus on my photography skills and I am looking into signing up for some workshops around the Toronto area.

I love mixing prints! I used to never mix my prints before and now I am doing it all the time!! I love the visual impact that it gives to your outfits. I did a series of mixing prints for beginners (Click here, here and here) before so today I am just going to talk about this outfit.

I picked up this floral sweater from Dynamite in the beginning of the year and what I like about it is that it can be dressed down with jeans, but it also works just as well with a skirt. It’s made out of sweatshirt material so it is super cozy and warm. The floral pattern means that it doesn’t look like your typical sweatshirt. Which is why it looks so perfect paired with a striped blazer! This blazer (also from Dynamite) is made of a thick material which keeps you warm on the colder fall days. I’ve also worn it in the summer to ward off the chill from the a/c. For this look, I wanted to show how a blazer could be worn for a more comfortable/casual look. By pairing it with a sweater, and adding faux suede leggings and riding boots, you get a comfortable casual chic look that can be worn anywhere. We’ve already celebrated Thanksgiving here in Canada, but this look would be perfect for anyone celebrating Thanksgiving this week!

Thanks for reading!!

Charlene xoxo