Style – M A T E J K A

Lust For Life

Proclaiming to love yourself in this world is seen as brave, as courageous, as rebellious.

In a world that profits from your self-loathing, saying a big ‘Fuck You!’ to the people that perpetuate this hatred within you is seen as incredible…and I find that so disturbing.

I am not brave or courageous for loving myself.
I am not defying the odds, or society.
It is not heroic to love the flesh that you inhabit; it’s human.

Just tonight as I was waiting in line with my groceries, I glanced over and saw a reader’s digest style magazine, and every single cover line was about women shedding 2 pounds, 4 pounds, 10 pounds QUICK! I literally flipped it the bird, and I know it was a superfluous act, but it felt SO. DAMN. GOOD.

1 year ago, I would never have seen it that way.
1 year ago, I would have snuck that trash onto the belt hidden amongst the rest of my purchases.
1 year ago, I would have felt immense shame within myself seeing those bold-font reminders that I am taking up too much space in this world.

Today is a different story.
Not every day is easy but – this day, this hour, this minute, this precious fucking second, I can stand exposed in front of glass coated with metal amalgam and admire what is reflected back at me.

I can gaze at it with soft eyes that carry love instead of hated.
I can caress each curve, each line, each bit of abundance with compassion and pride.
I can move and twirl and bounce, and watch with joy and childlike whimsy.

It has taken me so long to stand here today. I am tired – literally fatigued – at the notion of having to wake up every day and despise this shell that affords me so much on this Earth. I simply refuse to do it any longer.

To love yourself allows your mind to truly be free.
To be free of invasive thoughts that steal the light of day.
To be free to see the stars that twinkle against the velvet night sky.
To be free to breathe in every molecule of oxygen so deeply that you taste the pine on the trees.
To be free to live with lust and valiance.
To be free to drink in the magic of the world that surrounds you.

I will not allow others to police my body any longer.
I will not allow others to impose rules upon my autonomy.
I will not allow others to cripple me within my own soul.
I will not allow archaic, misogynistic views of female nudity to remove my power.

I am here.
I am evolving.
I have worked hard to peel back the layers that have been plastered unwillingly onto me to keep me ‘sheltered’ and ‘compliant’.
I don’t want to be sheltered, and I will never be compliant.

I will own my womanhood.
I will own the divine beauty that resides in my soul.
I will own the flesh that houses every speck of dust within me.
I will own this life, and all that I am gifted by it.
I will shower with gratitude those who see my true light, and I will walk away from those who don’t.

And I will not apologize for any of it any longer.

“‘Cause we’re the masters of our own fate
We’re the captains of our own souls
So there’s no need for us to hesitate
We’re all alone, let’s take control…”

I am beholden to empowering, inspiring women like Jan Stolee (who is credited for the breathtaking photos below).

Without whom, I would not carry such meaningful conversation regarding change, allowing growth, and coming into yourself.
Without whom, I would be unable to (literally) see the spike in my confidence through her lens.
Without whom, I would still be ashamed of my uncovered skin – instead of being gifted the vision of the true beauty that a woman’s body holds.

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

Forty Six

Hello Marshmallows!

It’s 2017! A whole new year!

I’ve been thinking about doing a New Year post for, well, precisely 9 days now.

As New Years posts go, they generally include some kind of “New Year Resolution”…though, I’ve tried really hard this year to not have anything specific, or anything written in stone. As history would show, I don’t have the best luck with them. Generally when I would profess any kind of resolution in the past, it wouldn’t actually end anywhere other than my own misery and disappointment. In light of this fact, I’ve decided this year to throw any and all promises of doing out the window, and allow myself the space to just do.

Resolutions are usually always about “new year, new me”, but I don’t need to be a “new me”. I don’t want to be, either. Instead, I want to simply look back on how much stronger I am, how much I’ve grown, and the things I’ve actually accomplished without obligation. Instead, I want to look forward to how much I have to gain, how many possibilities are out there to grab hold of, and concentrate on becoming a better version of yesterday’s self.

In expressing that, I also decided that this was the perfect timing to throw all caution to the wind and start living my life FOR ME.

Which is why I did this:

Yep! I took a HUGE leap of faith and just did it.
#PinkHairDontCare *insert sassy emoji girl here*
(thanks to my amazing stylist, Jesse! ❤ ❤ ❤ )

My Christmas gift to myself was to do something I’ve wanted to do for years but never actually had the cajones to do. I’d been too afraid of what people would say, or how people would react, that I was always able to talk myself out of doing something that I really wanted because of someone else – or a few someone elses. Isn’t that how it always goes?

(Can we just take a moment to acknowledge how CRAZY that sounds when you say it out loud?!)

I can’t even express how freeing and magical it feels to throw everyone else’s opinions out the window. I’m finally allowing it all to be on MY terms now – how it should have been all along. No more second guessing my own happiness for the thoughts of others and the fear of what that might bring. No more allowing anyone else to dictate how my story should and will be written.

People will forever have opinions about you. People will always judge you.
For anything, for everything.

Forget the haters and do whatever the hell you want. THEIR OPINIONS DON’T MATTER. You do. Your opinions matter. Your happiness matters the most.

It’s been almost 2 weeks now that I’ve had pink hair, and the only regret I have is that I didn’t do it sooner. Every single time I see it in the mirror, I can’t help but smile and giggle. It makes me SO HAPPY, and it’s brought me a level of confidence that I wasn’t sure would ever exist.

For the first time in almost 30 years (that’s a LONG FRIGGING TIME PEOPLE), I finally – truly – feel more like the me that was meant to be in this body than ever. I don’t care if people think I’m weird, or different, or too “out there”, or “not conservative enough”. It doesn’t matter. Whether people love my hair, or whether people hate my hair – it makes absolutely no difference to me because I adore it, and that’s the bottom line. Being “normal” is far over-rated (what is normal, anyway?), and life is utterly too short to not have fun.

On a related note, I suppose the same can be said about myself in general. Somehow with my fuschia locks, I am newly entitled to this freedom to just BE ME – whatever that actually looks like. I’ve thought a lot about this blog and what I want it to look like, and I’ve realized that I’ve been lying to myself this whole time. I’ve been trying to fit myself into this pre-constructed mould of what I SHOULD look like in the blogging world. Instead of writing about and sharing the things that bring me joy completely, I’ve been neglectful and resentful because I feel like I can’t keep par.

Fashion is one of the things that I am passionate about, but there are SO MANY OTHERS from all different facets, excluding the fashion world. I’ve decided that I’m going to turn the focus from this being an exclusive blog about fashion to a blog just simply about me – and whatever that entails. Whether that be mental health, or what I wore to the movies, or the newest adventure I’ve been on. It’s not going to have a specific topic focus. It’s going to be messy, a little all over the map, and have some kinks and quirks that I will not iron out. It’s going to be “everything but the kitchen sink”, so-to-speak – and that’s just how it should be because that’s just how I am; a little bit of everything.

So … I have absolutely no idea what this means going forward, but I’m hoping that I will be able to once again find the jubilation in writing, and in creating. Whether you like me, whether you hate me, or whether you simply just tolerate me – it makes not much of a difference. This is a journey I’ve begun – to start living and doing – for me, and no one else. But, if you’re on this journey with me, regardless … thank you. I’m looking forward to what will unfold.

❤

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 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.

❤

It’s Friyay!

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

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

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