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!

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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.

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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.  (╯°□°)╯( ┻━┻