My Month of July

I took pictures of some stuff I did (mostly) in Montreal during the month of July, so this post is a bit of a photodump filled with good memories.

July 1 & 2

My friend and I went to the Festival international de Jazz de Montréal. The event takes place every summer, but it was my first time attending. I'm not naturally drawn to such events, especially in hot, humid temperatures, but I was willing to try something new and was kinda curious about it.

We each picked an artist we wanted to see, and I chose Ron Artis II. I discovered him while browsing the festival's program and liked his music. The songs I listened to had a bluesy, folk-like vibe.

The stage where the show took place

We arrived two hours early to make sure we had a good spot. My friend had seen the massive crowds on social media, and I had seen the huge turnout at Angine de Poitrine's show the weekend before. Granted, Ron Artis II is not the phenomenon that AdP currently is, but still; better to be early than stuck behind lots of people.

We walked around the festival grounds for a while. The organizers were handing out free water bottles, which was welcome because it was really hot and humid.

Another show happening right next to us while

we were waiting for ours

More people gathering around the stage

Ron Artis II

I really liked his first song "Silent Whispers". He's incredibly talented, his guitar skills are impressive and he also played the piano. Before starting a song, he would explain its signification and themes, which made the performance more meaningful.

He seems like a genuinely kind person. We saw him chatting with people while prepping the stage beforehand, and he interacted a lot with the crowd during the show. At one point, he even stepped off the stage to play acoustic songs right among the audience, including "We Are Not Machines".

After the show, I was hungry and bought a poutine. I wasn't a fan of the orange sauce, it gave the poutine a sweet taste and I prefer it saltier, but it was still good.

The next day, we went to see a group called The Free Label.

Unfortunately, it started raining as soon as we arrived. Everyone rushed back into the metro station people (including us) had just come from, creating a huge bottleneck. It was loud, crowded and humid.

We went outside with our umbrellas to flee the chaos. I was hoping the rain would slow down, but it only intensified.

Then the rain turned into a downpour with thunder. It lasted a good while, the shows were delayed for about an hour.

We found a narrow roofed structure to take shelter under, but it wasn't fully waterproof, so we still had to keep our umbrellas open. And for some reason, my socks got completely wet and dirty.

Oh em gee, couldn't wait to get home and change my socks.

After the rain stopped, the sky began to clear and people

walked back towards the stage for the show.

The Free Label

I was pleasantly surprised by the group. I didn't expect to enjoy it that much. Their music has a bit of a disco flair and is really energetic. Every member was talented, and the one playing the saxophone was especially good at engaging with the crowd. They were dancing while playing, which was impressive.

I also liked that the show took place later in the evening, because we got to see the stage lights in full effect, and it looked amazing.

I had a great time at the festival and wouldn't mind going back next year. It was my first time attending a music concert, and feeling the music vibrate through my body was quite an experience. My eardrums would probably say "not too often" though lol.

July 3

My mom came to visit and treated me to a place she had been wanting to try for a long time: Sandwicherie Sue on Beaubien St.

We both ordered the "Poulet Trésor" spring rolls, which contain grilled chicken and vermicelli among other ingredients.

They were delicious. They came with a peanut sauce that wasn't overpowering at all, but complemented the spring rolls perfectly.

They're a bit tricky to eat, though. At first, I dipped the roll into the sauce, but after the first bite everything started falling apart. I found it easier to hold the cup and let the sauce drizzle over the roll instead.

July 16

I tried a recipe in my multi cooker, the "Smokey Bear Casserole".

It has ground beef, green beans and Pillsbury crescent rolls. I struggle with getting the quantities right since I like to double the recipes. I think I added too many green beans and/or too many crescent rolls (despite following the doubled measurements).

The taste isn't bad. If I make it again, I'll cut the green beans into smaller pieces (didn't think of that the first time since I dumped them in frozen) and I'll use only one package of crescent rolls.

July 19

While walking downtown, I ran into the Festival Juste pour rire. It also happened to be the FIFA World Cup final, and there were big screens showing the match. BTS was performing during the halftime show when I passed by.

July 20

Taking Rose for a walk in my hometown. So cute.

My mom also cut my hair. They had gotten pretty long and were becoming a hassle to take care of. I don't know how I used to have them knee-length.

They were a bit above my belly button (my pants are high-waisted).

I think they're still pretty long lol

A couple of days later, my parents came to visit and I asked my mom to cut my hair even shorter. It feels really nice to sit on a chair without having to lift my hair up.

July 25

I went to a café with my mom and ate a bacon & olive scone that was so good I wanted to attempt making a batch myself. I followed this recipe from kurumicooks and it turned out to be a success, I would say.

I doubled the recipe, which gave me 18 scones.

They're soft and the bottom is lightly toasted, yum. I used bacon crumbles but I think it would taste better with real chopped bacon (I just didn't want to make a mess in my kitchen).

July 30

I went to see the movie The Leader. I've always been intrigued by cults and first heard of Heaven's Gate through the podcast Red Thread. I didn't know there had been a movie adaptation of it.

The movie was really good and so were the actors. There were even "funny" moments (some of them being absurdly funny) which I didn't expect.

The screening was part of the Festival international de films Fantasia. I also saw The Mutation and China Mosaic, and will go see The Specials tomorrow.

July 31

I made another recipe in my multi cooker, the "Kansas Casserole".

I like rice dishes and I found this recipe delicious. Idk if it's because I shredded the carrots a little too much (I used my Vitamix), but the texture is quite smooth. The recipe asks to add grated cheese at the end, but I didn't because I liked it as is.

Liz Lisa Double Lace-Up Tops

A (long) while ago, I bought these lovely tops from Liz Lisa's international website. (Their official name in Japanese is ダブルスピンドルカットトップス.)

I like the square yoke in the front, giving them a Victorian-inspired look. They also remind me of my Liz Lisa Lace Yoke Frill OP, a piece I fell in love with right away.

I love the ribbon's colour, it is a soft grey-blue.

I just find it strange that the blue one has pearls on the collar,

while the pink one doesn't.

I like the pattern with the fabric and the fact

that it's not so see-through.

I removed the three bows on the front as well as the charms on each sleeve's. It looked too much on me. I like it way better like this.

Ending the post with this cute picture with Rose.

Retro Skirts and Preppy One-Piece

Let's start with two Fi.n.t pieces I bought while browsing Mercari.

First is this beautiful blue-purple skirt. I had been loooking for this skirt for a long time.

I briefly talked about it in this post when I mentioned the 31 Sons de mode striped top I had bought. This was almost six years ago! I can't believe it took me that long to find the skirt. I actually saw it a few times (I can count the number of times on my fingers), but it was either sold out, the condition was quite used/damaged, or the price was exorbitant.

As for the striped top I had bought in 2020 and was planning on pairing with the skirt, well, I don't have the top anymore... I wore it so many times and it looked used, so I donated it. I kinda regret parting with it now that I have the skirt, but it's okay. I have other tops I can pair it with.

When the skirt arrived, I noticed that right in the front was a faint big brown-ish stain with a smaller one. I washed the skirt once, but the stains where still visible under clear lighting. I then sprayed Shout on them and let it macerate some time, and after another wash, the stains were thankfully gone. Phew!

· · · · · · · · · · ·

Next also from Fi.n.t is this red check OP.

I had been looking for such a piece ever since I sold my Bobon21 red check OP, as it was too short for my liking. I liked the waist belt on this one, and of course, the preppy red check pattern.

I'll be honest, it's not as cute as Bobon21's OP, but I feel like adding something to the front (like a bow or a few buttons) would already make it much cuter!

I'm wearing a plain blouse in this pic, but I'm sure one

with a statement collar would look even better.

The belt sits a little high on the waist and the length is shorter than I expected, but the OP still fits nicely overall. Before buying it, I wasn't sure how the fit would turn out. I had hoped to find more try-on pictures online, but it seems to be an older piece from the brand.

· · · · · · · · · · ·

A few weeks later, I found this gorgeous black skirt from Dressterior, a newly discovered brand.

Sorry, the skirt wasn't ironed.

I first saw the skirt in this picture from Pinterest. I initially saved it on my phone because of the socks that I really liked (I'm getting tired of my frilly bobby socks), but I began to like the skirt more and more as well.

When I found out the brand's name, I immediately checked the website to see if it was listed, but it wasn't in their products (anymore). I still got to see how their sizing works and saw that they offer different skirt sizes.

I was conflicted because there was only one of these skirts up for sale on Mercari, but it was a size 36, and the smallest the brand has is a 34. I was hesitating because usually I dress the smallest, though in Japan, I can be a medium (e.g., I've always worn a medium size in shoes as of now, and for the brand Ching's closet, I wear a size S and not XS).

I'm pretty happy I still went with it, because the waist fits perfectly. Actually, I wouldn't be comfortable wearing a thick sweater with it, so it's certainly not too small. I think I got a bit lucky though, and it was still a risky purchase.

The skirt had to be shortened because it was too long, but that wasn't a big deal.

The fit is so-so. I was a bit disappointed because it didn't look as good on me as it did on the girl from Pinterest. I'm not sure whether it's because the skirt was shortened, or maybe it's just the way it was ironed. The hem looks curved instead of straight.  (╯°□°)╯( ┻━┻

Preppy & Retro Fall Haul

In honor of fall coming, here's a haul I should've posted one year ago but didn't get to, oops. It includes clothes from Fi.n.t and ManusMachina (Ching's closet and Literary Novels).

Because I'll be making some remarks about it, I want to mention right away that I had a colour analysis session a few months before this haul. This was something I had wanted for a while because I was tired of wearing mostly muted colours and wanted to venture into more colourful choices that would still suit me. I've bought lots of clothing in the past and realized – after never wearing some pieces – that I actually didn't like how they looked on me, which sadly ended up being a waste of money.

I was told I am a True Winter, so jewel colours fit me best. (BTW this is my only palette; I don't have a secondary one.) This notably means that yellow looks bad on me, which wasn't shoking, but I was surprised to learn that ivory is also to avoid (actually, anything with the slightest yellow hue) and that clear white is the way to go! I had to let that sink in for a moment because ivory was/is one of my favourite colours. I'll still make exceptions because I think ivory looks so cute and is such an easy colour to pair with other pieces.

Let's start with the clothes from Fi.n.t.

Retro checked one-piece
Heleneミニチェックワンピース/F i.n.t

I loved the preppy look of this piece the moment I saw it.

It was also available in a brownish colour, but after learning that I'm a True Winter, it was clear that the black and white version was the better choice.

Previously tried to take a knee‑length pic,

which explains the messed‑up knees…

There's a lot of potential for it to look even cuter if you accessorize it nicely instead of leaving it plain like I did. But I find the waist a little too loose. Since there's no shirring, it would've been nice for Fi.n.t to include a belt – or at the very least some belt loops – so we could cinch it as much as we want.

The underarms fit is also not the best (feels tight), but I guess that's bound to happen when you buy one size.

Purple rib-knit cardigan
アートローズプリント釦リブニットカーディガン/an another angelus

I like how cardigans make my outfits look more put-together, and I'm always happy to find short waist cardigans to wear with a skirt.

This one was an interesting addition to my wardrobe since I don't own any cardigans in this colour, and (I believe) it fits within the True Winter palette.

The waist isn't as tight as I would like it to be, but I still really like it.

Side lace-up skirt
サイドレースアップミニスカート/F i.n.t

This sukapan had been in the new arrivals for a good while – maybe all summer? I can’t quite remember. I really liked the length and the bows on each side, but I found the price too high for what it was.

After some time, I saw it was on sale, so I bought it in lavender and blue-gray.

It's super cute with the bows, and on top of that, it has shorts underneath.

Now onto the clothes I bought on the platform ManusMachina, specifically from the brands Ching's closet and Literary Novels.

Vintage-inspired red plaid skirt
明治モダンなヴィンテージ格子縞スカート

I absolutely love the clothes from Ching's closet. I would buy like 99 % of their stock. However, it's quite expensive, which has always stopped me from giving in to the temptation of buying from their store. (I did, however, buy a grey pleated skirt a while ago – the one pictured with the purple cardigan in this post! –, but I got it secondhand.)

This was a skirt I had seen at least a year before I bought it (back in September 2024), but I couldn’t justify the price at the time. I finally decided to get it since I had liked it for long enough.

At the time of writing this post, the skirt is still available and can be found here.

I think the colour and pattern is gorgeous.

I'm so used to having shirring at the back of my skirts, and this one doesn't have any (like a true vintage-inspired skirt, I guess). 😞 I'm finding it impractical since I have tops of different thicknesses.

And because the waist is a bit loose, combined with the weight and thickness of the skirt, it gives a "heavy" look and drags me down. Even when I wear heels, it's clear that the skirt is a bit too long.

I plan on going to the seamstress to fix this. Ideally, I’d like the skirt shortened to a length similar to my skirts from Mia Mix, and I'd prefer shirring to be added as well. To be honest, I didn't wear the skirt at all last fall because these details annoyed me so much.

Vintage-inspired light pink embroidered dress
桜色の刺繍ヘップバーンワンピース

This dress is also from Ching's closet. I first saw it while I was purchasing the skirt, and I had been searching forever for a (vintage or vintage inspired) light pink dress, so I couldn't pass this one up.

It's more of a summer item, but since I bought it at the same time as the other stuff, I'll talk about it here.

The dress can be found here, but it's currently sold out, at least for now. :/

The embroidery is very beautiful. I was a bit worried that the pictures were filtered and that the dress might actually be Pepto-Bismol pink, but it truly is light pink. ♡ Also, it really looks like an authentic vintage piece, maybe except for the bow at the collar.

Well, it doesn't look that great on me, though the fact that the dress is so creased doesn't help lol.

Ching's closet usually offers different sizes, and for the two skirts I own, I went with S since the XS waist feels too tight. But I don't know, maybe I should have chosen a size XS for the dress.

The dress in itself is very well-made. I will try to make it work!

Vintage-inspired blue plaid skirt set with matching sweater
藍茶色の格子縞レトロスカートとハイネックセーター

This skirt and sweater set is from Literary Novels. (The sweater is shown below.)

It was my first time buying from this brand. While waiting for it to arrive, I was a bit skeptical about the quality, especially since it was sold as a set, which felt a little too good to be true.

The skirt is a little less thick than the one from Ching's closet, but I have the same issues with the waist and the length, so I plan on going to the seamstress for this one too.

I like the cut of the sweater – how the sleeves and upper chest

are oversized, but it becomes tighter at the waist.

I love the colours, it's different than what I usually wear. Without having done a colour analysis, I probably wouldn't have bought this set – especially online since I couldn't try it on first.

This brings me to the end of this post by saying that I am so happy I finally know my colours. It makes shopping much more efficient and helps prevent me from making bad decisions and wasting money.

I chose most of the pieces in this haul based on my colour palette. For the Fi.nt checked OP, since both colours looked great on the models, I know that if I hadn't done my colour analysis, I would have hesitated for a long time and might have ended up going for the brown version.

I'm aware I don't have to follow my palette strictly (fortunately, cuz that would become quite exhausting), but just being conscious of it now makes shopping more pleasant and less indecisive. I also appreciate knowing what looks best on me in terms of jewellery, makeup and hair colour.