Fashion – M A T E J K A

Forty Eight

Hello!

I have the most exciting news!!!

As most of you know by now, I’ve opened up quite a bit over the last couple of years about my personal struggles with Mental Illness. A huge catalyst of being able to do so has been Wear Your Label – an extraordinary, rapidly growing, Canadian company that fights back against the stigma of Mental Illness/Mental Health in pretty cool ways. Along with some stellar threads that showcase positive MH slogans, they also donate 10% of net profits to partner initiatives!

Their conscious clothing line has given me my own strength; it’s allowed me to take back ownership of myself and not just be seen as the obstacles I combat each day. It’s also introduced me to a safe community of people that I can look to if everything were to blow up in my face.

Having said that, I am SO SO SO incredibly excited to be able to share with you all that I’m “officially” a member of the WYL family!

I have been chosen to represent them as a Brand Ambassador for 2017!

My heart is exploding with joy, excitement, and gratitude at the phenomenal year I know lies ahead. This is a company I’ve deeply appreciated and supported, and I’m happier than a kid in a candy store to have this opportunity to further spread Mental Health Awareness with some really awesome people!

There will be some perks along the way, I promise — like this promo code!

If you want to help to break the stigma behind Mental Illness and promote healthy conversations about Mental Health, use code MAYETTE10 when you check out to save 10% on your order! Head on over to http://www.wearyourlabel.com and treat yo self…Or a friend or family member Share the love and spread the word!

I just want to say Thank You to everyone who has supported me, without judgement, who allow me to be me (in whatever that entails), and who continue to support me. I honestly can’t thank you enough, and I hope you’ll stay on this journey with me

Exciting things await this year so please stay tuned!

I can’t wait to generate conversation and hopefully spoil my Marshmallows along the way!

❤ xoxo
Mayette

#BellLetsTalk

Hi Marshmallows!

blt

It’s one of my favourite days of the year

Just a few years ago, I would have had a very different reaction for this day (hint: it wouldn’t have been excitement…). I would have done everything I could to spend the day like a hermit and avoid conversing at all costs. It’s a dark place to be in when even you’re afraid of your mental health struggles.

However, today is a different day and a different time; the further I come on my mental health journey, the easier it gets to talk about the obstacles I face and advocate for abolishing the stigma so others feel safe in sharing their stories, too.

So – #BellLetsTalk about how it’s OKAY to make noise about Mental Health. It’s OKAY to struggle and talk about those struggles. It’s OKAY to have bad days. It’s OKAY to give an honest answer when someone asks you, “So how are you REALLY doing?”.

Donning my #AnxietyAlliance tee proudly from @wearyourlabel to let others know that I’m anxious, too, and it’s a welcome and safe invitation to enter a conversation about it

All of us have hardships and struggles, and lately my anxiety has been a real big one for me. I’ve had crippling days; days where I can’t get out of bed, let alone even think about leaving my house. Days where I feel like I’m not good enough for anything. Days where it all just becomes so overwhelming. Days where I honestly think things will just never, ever start to get better. But they do, and they have. Had I known that reaching out for help and telling my story to someone sooner would have resulted in my healing beginning a lot sooner, I wouldn’t have suffered in silence for so long. My eyes were also opened to just how many incredible, supportive, loving people I had around me when I allowed the walls to fall and the dam to break, and I am so SO grateful for each and every one of them. I would not be able to so openly stand up and share my story today if not for them all. I may not even have been standing here at all. ALL my love and support right back. xoxo

And I want you to know, if you’re reading this and struggling, that it’s okay to not be okay and it’s okay to ask for help if you’re ready to take that step. You are valid, you are worthy, and you’re so NOT alone in your journey. Whether you realize or not, there is a community of warriors and of survivors that will take you by the hand and support you every step along the way.

It takes a lot, for a lot of people, to talk about what they have experienced or what they are going through, and so I just want to throw out a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has shared their story today. I’ve seen so many brave, inspiring stories full of strength on my News Feeds…far more than I’ve ever seen – and what an incredible sight, indeed.

Your openness, willingness, and trust is helping to pave this road so that those who have come before us, those who are with us, and those who will come after us will have a much smoother journey. From someone who has only recently taken the first steps toward the sunshine, that is something so amazing.

Today is not just for today. Let’s keep the conversations going for the next 364 days. Not all of us struggle with mental health obstacles, but we all have mental health to take care of.

All my love to all of you XOXO Never be too humble to reach out.

Forty Five

I have been waiting SO LONG to be able to share these photos…and though the wait may have felt long, it was definitely worth it. YES. SO MUCH YES.

I was lucky enough to get to spend this day with seven other beautiful women. We had an insane amount of fun creating 7 different Halloween ‘characters’ and bringing them to life. I won’t say much else, and I’ll just let the photos speak for themselves.

All photo credit goes to Jan Stolee Photography.

Forty Three

I’m just going to start this off by saying that I had the BEST NIGHT EVER last night.

Disclaimer: This post is going to be regarding Terri Clark’s Back to My Roots solo acoustic tour…what I thought, how I felt, what I experienced, what I wore – you know, basically everything there is in the hand basket.

Last night was a great night. I (as mentioned above) attended Terri Clark’s Back to My Roots solo acoustic tour – and it was honestly everything I thought it would be, and more.

My evening started off a little hectic. I was running late, rushing to get ready after work. I had requested Meet and Greet passes, and was confirmed for them, so I was as stressed as a balloon in a vice that I wouldn’t get there in time. I still had to travel to Calgary, find my way to the casino, AND find parking. Luckily, we made it! *phew*

Meet and Greets are always so fun, yet I always feel like I mess them up just by being my socially awkward self. THE PRESSURE.

This time, I was determined as ever to have it go smoothly. For the 20 minutes I had before I went into that little room, I went over and over and OVER what I was going to say in my head. As I got nearer and nearer to the meeting point, I started sweating more profusely (thank God I remembered deodorant), though I was still (shakily) confident that our exchange would go as planned….until it didn’t. LOL *sigh* As I walked up to greet her, the ladies behind me caught her eye (they obviously knew one another) and her excitement (sweet as it was, bless her heart) TOTALLY threw me off my game; everything I had planned to say disappeared from my mind like someone had hit Control-A-Delete. And, just as I’d feared, my socially awkward self came rearing forward to take control of the situation, and it ended in a pretty hilarious, yet cringe-worthy (on my end) exchange.

(Sorry, Ms Clark!)

PS – I wanted to tell you that your vest game is A++ lately, but you know, social anxiety…!

PSS: How cute is my mom?!

After completely embarrassing myself once again, I was happy to go and find my seat so I could immerse myself in the music and forget all about how badly I need to work on my social cues. I have to say, I’m pretty sure I ended up with one of the best seats in the house. Front row, almost centre. It don’t get better than that!

Now, I’ve been to a few of Terri Clark’s shows before, and they’re always a good time. She’s an enormously talented entertainer, both in song and in story…however, this particular show seemed different – in a great way. As it’s a solo acoustic tour, which means there’s no band and no fancy travelling along with her, it had an air of magic about it. Maybe it’s just me, but I felt like last night we got to experience the truest Terri behind the Award-Winning persona. It was hard NOT to have fun right along with her; the joy she was experiencing just radiated off the stage and into the audience like a mist. She, of course, sang her songs – as singers usually do (I was so happy to hear so many classics in the mix!), she made some beats (whilst we talked amongst ourselves), she had us all splitting a gut with her story telling (particularly in reference to those majestic Rocky Mountains), and I was both mesmerized and ready to spill out of my chair in laughter when she presented us with her John Anderson covers.

She touched us all by including “Smile” in her set list once again. Though she gracefully, and beautifully, sang her way through it, I can’t say the same for the rest of us. I’m not sure there was a dry eye in the house…and I couldn’t help but have been brought back to when Ms. Clark played at the Westerner Days in Red Deer in 2012. “Smile” was on the set list then, too, and I remember thinking, as she sang her heart out with tears streaming down her cheeks, “Now THAT is strength, grace and love.”

The night seemed to just fly…had it gone on until the wee hours of the morning, I would not have had a care in the world – even though I still had to travel home and work the next day. I didn’t get many photos, in part because I don’t want to be that annoying person who blocks the view with my phone the entire time, but also (and more importantly) I was just enjoying myself far too much, and remaining too firmly in the present to pay much mind to anything else other than what was unfolding in front of me.

I’ve been fortunate enough to see many concerts in my time so far, and I know I’ve probably said it before, but real talk: this show truly, genuinely, was the greatest show I’ve ever attended. It was raw, and it felt more like a giant get-together with your closest friends. Terri is SO funny, so goofy, and charming as hell. She’s a genuine soul, who delivers the whole authentic package, and who is so humble that I don’t even think her reflection acknowledges her fame. When asked what the best part of being a celebrity was, her response was simply, “I’m a celebrity?” … I mean, COME ON. If that doesn’t make you smile…

I’ve been a fan of Terri Clark’s for as long as I can remember…and I’ll remain a fan of hers until I’m old and grey and can’t remember anything anymore.

My advice to you is this:
if you love good, home-grown country, you need to snag yourself some tickets to this tour.
If you’re a TC fan already, then you’ll walk away an even bigger fan.
If you’re not, you definitely will be post show.

(and also, what is wrong with you?! How are you not already a fan?!)

(Rocking my new TC Logo Raglan Tee! EEEEEEEEEE…and puppy filter, because you know I’m obsessed)

Flashback Moment – I’ll never, ever, forget my very first M&G with Terri. I was 12, and I was obsessed with the colour green, as I recall. I literally wore a green turtleneck, with lime green eyeshadow packed onto my lids like icing on a cake, and my khaki green nylon purse from Wal-Mart. When I found out that I had to go in alone (my mom didn’t have a pass) I was so scared that I almost didn’t even go. I remember as I walked into the room and up to shake Terri’s hand (she must have smelled my fear), she immediately opened up with the warmest of hello’s and complimented profusely my lovely purse from Wally World. I was just this awkward little kid who didn’t know much what to say, but that experience has stayed with me all these years, and still puts a smile on my face 🙂 (Now if only I could find that old photo…)

❤

Now, as promised, what I wore:

(Please excuse the wrinkles in the backdrop. I don’t have a steamer and I wasn’t expecting to use it so soon! I’m such a professional… haha! But hey, I never promised or claimed to have my poop in a group. Please don’t judge me.)

BTW: This Raglan Tee is available here if you want one 🙂 It’s SO COMFY.

Forty Two

Trying to get back into the swing of things since my “birthday weekend” last weekend.
It was a total blast, BUT…. I wanted to blog my other outfit and I totally forgot to take good photos while in it (aside from the tipsy photos I got with HORRID lighting that make me look like a demon coming out of the depths…) — So… now that I’ve got my laundry complete, I’ll be shooting that outfit next. Better late than never, right?

ANYWAY.

On a positive note, I bought the MOST AWESOME shoes for myself ’cause you know, when it’s your birthday, you TREAT YO SELF. If you can’t afford to frost your ears, fingers or neck (like me), then you frost those feet instead! I feel like that’s a lot more practical, anyway.

Peep these babies from Skechers – seriously.

So. much. bling. So. much. sparkle. SO. MUCH. HAPPY.

Also, they’re called the Shiny Dancer? WELL OBVIOUSLY that fits the bill just perfectly!
(shout out to my 16 years of competitive dancing!)

The next pair I get is definitely going to be these – the Bright Idea – Elevated. I was really torn between these and the Shiny Dancers, but if the decision involves bling or no bling …the bling will ALWAYS win out with me.

Aaaand, my shirt came in! I was so excited to see a package on my step from Wear Your Label.

This is the “I ❤ Me” tee. It’s soft, and comfortable, and a daily reminder to love yourself – and I think that makes it just one of the best t-shirts out there.

As an extra perk, it’s also currently on sale 😉 … get it here !

Here’s a better view of these beauties for you:

It’s also Mani Monday!!! I decided to have some fun and try to do emoji nails LOL. As you can see, it turned out pretty hilariously. I thought I was using the smallest brush possible, but apparently I was NOT. It’s all good. They still look pretty sweet – from far away.

All the best to you for the rest of your week!

❤

Forty One

I am horrible at this blogging thing. lol
With Instagram, it’s so easy to just have access to everything at your fingertips.
(So if you have Instagram, follow me there! You’ll see me much more active on that platform – @thewardrobe_key 😉 )

*sigh*

Here’s an outfit that got lost in the archives from a few weeks back.
I was so excited to wear this – the weather had cooled off quite a bit previously, but from out of nowhere popped a warm fall day (much like today!) and I could actually go out with bare legs and not be cold! … I live for days like that living with Canadian winters.

Knit top: H&M
Denim dress: Garage Clothing
Boots: Guess
Bag: Dug up from the bottom of my closet (cir. I have no idea what year…)

I LOVE pairing baggy knits over, well, everything when the temps get cooler and the leaves start changing. /swoon

When you’re walking past the haters like:

Hope you lovelies had a wonderful weekend!

❤

Forty

Happy Birthday to Me
Happy Birthday to Me
Happy Birthday dear Old Bat
Happy Birthday to Me!!!

If you hadn’t guessed, today is my birthday 🙂
This post is Outfit #1 of Birthday Weekend shenanigans.

I went out for dinner last night with a few close people, and it was so lovely.
So many laughs, great food and good drinks!
Exactly what all birthdays should be made of.

I’ve been going on a bit of a spending binge lately (WHOOPS!), but on super random things…so when I paid my credit card balance I told myself, “NO MORE”.

And then I walked through Hudson’s Bay and saw this GORGEOUS Steve Madden bag, and that notion went right out the window.

It’s the epitome of boho chic. It’s got the textured leather, the fringe tassel, an incredible soft suede interior, AND to put the cherry on top of the already incredibly delicious cake – it has a beautifully embroidered guitar inspired shoulder strap.

WHAT!

#SorryNotSorry Louis, but I’ve begun an affair with Steve.

To keep the boho vibe of the bag intact, and ensuring it remained the star of the show, I complemented it with an all black ensemble and just a pop of colour with my shoes.

Dress from HM
Blazer from Dynamite
Shoes from Winners

A better look at the makeup look I created to go hand in hand with the outfit. Details on products used below:

Base:
Primed with Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer
Covered with MAC Studio Finish Concealer Duo in NW20/NC25
Set with bareMinerals Original SPF 25 mineral veil
Dusted with Rimmel Natural Bronzer in 022 Sun Bronze

Eyes:
Primed with Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Minor Sin
Shadows are –
E.L.F. Cosmetics in Mad for Matte palette
Sephora Colorful Matte in My Dear Nude
Sephora Colorful Shimmer in Sweet Dreams
Lined with Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Mad Max Brown

Brows:
Filled with Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz pencil in Medium Brown

I don’t know if any of you out there believe in the paranormal, orbs or anything like that … but I included the photo below (awkward as it is) because it has an orb right above my heart! ❤

Call me crazy, but I definitely believe in that “hullabaloo”, and found it comforting to think that one of my deceased loved ones had come to share my birthday with me 🙂

Have a fabulous weekend lovelies!

❤

Thirty Nine

It’s Friyay!

Do something today that makes you laugh, that gives you confidence, that makes you happy and feeling care-free.

It’s Friday. It’s been a long week. You deserve to celebrate surviving it. *clink*

Obsessed with styling this denim jacket from H&M lately. I love taking a dressed-down, casual look and pumping it up (literally).

Top – http://www.hm.com/ca/product/13938?article=13938-C
Pants – Walmart, ages ago. Seriously. Walmart.
Jacket – http://www.hm.com/us/product/47864?article=47864-A
Pumps – http://www.payless.com/womens-kailey-ankle-strap-pump/76003.html?dwvar_76003_color=gold#start=51

Don’t you just love the shine of a fresh colour? It’s my favourite!

Hair courtesy of the-bomb-dot-com: @hairbyjesseray ❤

SUPER excited for something fun coming up together this fall!

Have a splendid weekend lovelies! xo

❤

Thirty Eight

Supa fly.

I totally forgot to blog this look like 3 weeks ago. WHOOPS!

Casual date-night outfit for when we went to see the premiere of The Legend of Tarzan…which I thoroughly enjoyed!

Dress – HM
Boots – GUESS
Crossbody – Coach

I’m sorry that none of these items seem to be available anymore 😥

This ADORABLEEEE little heart floof from Winners. UGH.

❤

Thirty Seven

I’ve been MIA for a bit…and for good reason.

Thanks to my local country radio station, I spent last weekend at my FIRST EVER Big Valley Jamboree experience. It was magical. I can’t believe it was a week ago already.

I’ve heard so many things about BVJ over the years, but I’ve never been able to get out there myself. It really was the place to be if you’re anything like me, and have country music flowing through your veins instead of blood.

Seeing as how it was my first time to a music festival, I had no idea what to expect. I had won a weekend pass with a campsite, so everything was basically taken care of for me (cue choir of angels singing).

We ended up not being able to actually camp, which was somewhat of a bummer, but instead just drove in and out each day. Our campsite still got used (by us for daily parking, and by our neighbouring campers who also used it as an extra parking stall for guests – at our mentioning).

The festivities were totally worth all the travel, but MAN… I’m clearly a lot older than I think I am. The back-and-forth commuting, coupled with all of the activities and excitement of each day totally wiped me out. I slept for two solid days after the fact, and I seem to also have come down with a head cold type deal – probably from the scorching heat one day that turned to almost winter temperatures the next. (Welcome to Alberta!)

This year’s line-up was pretty awesome (as seen above, compliments of my obligatory concert tee – which I had to snag as evidence since I was too busy enjoying my time there to remember to take many pictures lol oops!)

Our seats turned out to be pretty stellar. We were right next to the sound booth, which meant there was no one to our right beside us (and plenty of space to get up and dance/wiggle around to see when people stood up). We also had a giant screen RIGHT next to us that was a lot easier to see the show from when the temperature dropped and I slowly turned into an ice cube (aka unable to move, affixed to my chair).

Though we initially were so excited for all of the Main Stage acts, I tucked into the Songwriters’ Workshop on our first afternoon to escape the ferocious heat.

Seriously. It felt like it was 50 degrees. My skin felt like it was on FIRE. At least it was the one day I remembered to wear sunscreen…

This series changed everything for me. I no longer felt rushed to see the acts on the Main Stage. Instead, I hurried to get to this little white tent on time each day. This itty bitty space with its cozy little stage totally blew me away. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this (as I wasn’t), it’s basically a jam sesh with 4 different artists/groups each session, twice a day. It’s them, their guitar (or other instrument), the mic and their superb talents. It’s raw, it’s genuine, it’s authentic. It’s where the magic truly happens.

I was so blown away by the incredible gift that every person had. It was mesmerizing to watch the artists feed off of each other, and join in to complement one another – like it had been planned and rehearsed that way all along. BUT IT WASN’T. I just. No words. NO WORDS. I wish you could have been there to experience it for yourself.

Photo above from Saturday’s 3:30 pm show.
Pictured left to right: Will Hebbes, Beverley Mahood, Bobby Cameron, JJ Shiplett, Bobby Wills, Alee.

Small, intimate venues are what I really live for. They are so much more personable, so much more relatable. They make you truly feel like you’re a part of the melody, of the lyrics, of the show.

I did catch a few of the big cats on the Main Stage: Aaron Goodvin, Jo Dee Messina, Gary Allan, Sam Hunt, Blake Shelton and Carrie Underwood. All of them were SO good. I love artists who tell stories, and there were some pretty awesome, pretty hilarious ones that went around.

I know a lot of people don’t like it when an artist talks the same amount they sing. I get it. However, I also appreciate when a person is willing to open up a piece of themselves to share with others, complete strangers. It’s brave, it’s admirable and I’d take 10 stories more if it meant I had to miss out on a couple more songs – any day.

Carrie Underwood, via jumbo tron beside our seats (cameo: port-a-potty LOL)

As fun as everything on site was, I had a lot more fun picking out what I was going to wear each day. Everyone knows that what you wear to a festival is almost as big a deal as the festival itself.

Day One

I was trying to whip out my best “country”… but it turned out a little more “outback” than I’d anticipated.

Note: I swapped boots in for the gladiator sandals that I originally wore (as they are cute but NOT practical for a day of walking…man, I had the worst blisters so I’m not recommending them lol). I also ruined my white crop that I was wearing (*sad face*), so I subbed in this black one to save going nudie for the photos. You’re welcome.

Top – H&M
Skirt – H&M (similar)
Boots – Dune London
Bandana – Dollar Store (WHAT)
Sunnies – Ricki’s
Hat – Zephyr

Day Two

I was feeling a little more ‘dressy’ on the second day so I decided to spice things up a little with this cute dress and sheer kimono. I (luckily) packed jeans and a tee just in case – it POURED rain almost the whole day and was so cold that I didn’t stay in my dress for very long at all.

Also, this was probably the first day in my entire life that I winged my liner on FLEEK. Appreciate. I was so happy I could have cried, but God forbid I cry that damn wing off!

Dress & Kimono – H&M (1 or 2 seasons ago)

Day Three

By the last day, I was exhausted and not willing to put in a whole lot of effort, to be honest. I threw on a comfortable outfit, and out the door I went. I don’t even think I brushed my hair until midway through the day (that’s how freaking tired I was…#WorthIt)

Cap – Nike
Jacket – H&M
Tank – DKNY
Pants – H&M
Shoes – Converse
Sunnies – Ricki’s

All in all, it was an awesome weekend, and a great first festival experience. The views driving home didn’t bother too much either 🙂 I never get tired of those Big Alberta Skies.

❤