My Christmas Holidays

Last year, my family and I spent Christmas in New York and I shared some bits of my trip here. Looking back, these were great memories for my blog, so I decided to do the same this year even though we didn't go anywhere and relaxed at home.

P.S. Some pictures were taken with my phone that has a crappy camera, so I apologize in advance for the quality of some.

December 22nd

My sister and I went to Magog to walk and do some window-shopping downtown. On our way, we stopped at La Fabrique de Bagels Café Noir since my sister wanted to buy sesame bagels. Other than bagels, there's a cute little bakery inside. The atmosphere was quite festive for the holidays.

Downtown, the sidewalks were really slippery which we didn't expect. 

We stopped at Alessa Trattoria to eat a pizza and enjoy some warmth. We chose the Capricciosa which has cheese, tomatoes, olives, artichokes, basil and, I believe, ham. It was okay, but the crust is probably one of the best I've eaten in my life. It has a "grilled" taste to it and the texture is very light.

December 24th

On Christmas Eve, my family and I went to church in the late afternoon.

I was a bit hesitant to take pictures inside of the church, but the church service had not yet started and I wanted to show its architecture. We basically never go to church except on Christmas Eve, so I took the opportunity to snap a few pics discretely at that moment. The reason why I wanted to post pictures of the church here is that I've always liked the inside of it, the colours and especially the work on the ceiling. I don't know anything about castles, but the interior reminds me of one or another major monuments.

We can only see one on the wall in the above picture, but if I remember well, each "wall sculpture" depicts the crucifixion of Jesus. There are also on the other side of the wall, but I really can't remember if they illustrate the same event or a new story.

After church, time to eat... or so we thought. I had a dish I wanted to make, but because I wasn't advanced enough in the preparation, I made everything last minute which delayed the time we actually sat down to eat. Oops.

I made smoked salmon, cream cheese & beets tortilla rollups by Marilou (Trois fois par jour). In my hastiness, I forgot to look at the recipe picture and ended up making very thin layers of cream cheese and beets with not-so-thin slices of smoked salmon. This made the rollups taste mostly smoked salmon and nothing else. It was alright, but nothing amazing.

The following morning, the juice (of the beets/smoked salmon?) had started to impregnate the tortillas which gave them a very particular texture. It was like chewing something wet and juicy. It wasn't nice, but the taste was still okay. IMO, this dish should be eaten on the same day that it is prepared. I'm still happy to have given it a try, though.

The rollups the following day, with better lighting and cut in smaller bites

That evening, there was also cheese fondue, sausage rolls and cold meats. I mostly ate sausage rolls and my rollups. I found there was too much kirsch in the cheese fondue for my taste.

My sister had bought a yule log from Les Vraies Richesses.

It is so good. The white part is like milk and vanilla mousse with berries and soft chocolate cake inside. It's probably the best yule log I've ever eaten. It's very light, not overly sweet and goes down well after a heavier meal.

December 25th

Chicken, stuffing and mashed potatoes: Our Christmas meal.

There were also carrots and cranberry jelly (we call it atocas here), but I'm not a fan of these...

The stuffing was incredibly good. There wasn't any celery because my mom didn't have any, but it was still savoury.

I had a stuffing crave a few weeks ago and bought two boxes of Stove Top stuffing after watching videos of it on YouTube. Both flavours were chicken, one being lower in sodium.

I was, however, disappointed. I don't like the dehydrated vegetables (reminds me I always throw them out when I cook instant noodles) and the food tastes too much like chemicals and has too many spices (there are boxed foods that don't taste too chemical to me, such as mashed potatoes).

So when I ate my mom's homemade stuffing, it tasted like heaven compared to Stove Top. Just my personal opinion. I asked my mother the recipe so I can make it at my apartment.

December 29th

Delicious onion soup. I think it's the second time I've posted a picture of onion soup on my blog, but it's probably my favourite soup and meals. I always eat yummy and comforting homemade food when I return home.

December 31st

My sister had invited us for supper for New Year's Eve (she had also invited us last year and I had planned on blogging about it but didn't which I regret now.)

Our main dish was filet mignon with oven-baked carrots. The meat had been covered in salty spices (I forgot the flavour) and it had made a sort of grilled crust on the surface. It tasted amazing.
For dessert, we ate a Chocolat Favoris yule log my mother had bought. It tasted good, but it was way too rich and heavy after our meal.

January 1st

My father helps a friend with his sugar shack and brought us to visit it (it's a small sugar shack where they collect, produce and sell maple syrup, but it isn't "opened" to visitors.)

I absolutely love this picture. It looks like a painting.

On our way to the shack where the maple syrup is collected and produced

I don't know if it's clear in the picture above, but the snow was quite deep and there was no proper "path". It was thus tough to walk in such deep snow and after five minutes, I was already a bit fed up. Normally, the walk to the shack takes about an hour, but in these conditions, you could reasonably add 30 minutes. Fortunately, we walked like this for about 30 minutes; it was planned that my father would join us in the Argo to take us faster to the place.

Sadly, my Motorola froze during the walk due to the cold. I had to turn to my Huawei which takes pictures of lesser quality (but doesn't do that bad outside, at least).

We can hear the water flows when we come across these small streams.

It's really soothing.

Very generally, to my understanding, the maple water is collected through a hole in the tree and circulates in these small tubes connected to other trees (also with holes), and eventually to a bigger tube, everything going down a slope (gravity is necessary for the water to flow down). The big tube heads to a big container (shaped in a tunnel) that can be connected to another container to begin the transformation into maple syrup.

I had only seen maple syrup being collected in a metal bucket through a hole in the tree before, so it was interesting to see another method. However, the process wasn't clear at times, especially since the sugar season (saison des sucres) comes in a while, so the tubes weren't "in work" yet and some things still needed to be added.

It would've been a good picture had my hand not been in front of the camera.

I like how it goes darker in the middle and the contrast with the white snow.

Between those moments shared here, I also went to thrift shops with my mom, drove around town to see the Christmas decorations, played card games, watched movies, did nothing in particular, and other things.
I'm now back in Montreal and my Christmas holidays are pretty much over. It was pleasant and I really liked spending time with my family, although I didn't fully regain the sleep I had wished to retrieve during the holidays. Stress is pretty much the reason why, but anyway. For this year 2020, some of my personal goals are to develop my style and my interests, pursue my hair growth and set aside more money than in 2019, notably but not exclusively by being more reasonable in my purchases.

Tops from Fi.n.t

I've been wearing midi skirts almost every day now (except when it's been raining or snowing—the rain/winter boots really don't look good with my skirts). This has allowed me to make some learnings as well as to define more the style I wanted to go for.

In terms of "discoveries", I found wearing a skirt is overall much more comfortable than pants, especially when you're sitting for long periods of time (eg. at work). Although that seems like silly evidence, I hadn't realized it (or had forgotten it since I had rarely worn skirts for repeated and long periods of time since high school).

I also recognized that blouses, in particular, do not stay well tucked in skirts (I guess their light and soft fabric makes them easily slip out.) That's unfortunate because blouses more than any other kinds of tops look better when neatly tucked in. So when I'm wearing a blouse with a skirt, I just know that I'll end up constantly having to fix it throughout the day, even if I raised my arms just a little. Not practical.

Finally, because I'm a short person (156 cm) wearing midi skirts, I need a rather tight-fitting top to avoid the skirt look unflattering and the outfit making me look shorter. I like 3/4 sleeves top the best. That doesn't mean I'm ruling out shirts that don't fit these criteria. Shorter ones that cut a little above the waist (instead of the hips) can look good even if they're a bit loose.

Btw, don't take these last remarks as genuine fashion advice, cuz I really don't know if they are legit. They're just deductions I've made for my body personally by trying on and wearing clothes.

Around the same time these realizations were sprouting, I was casually looking for tops to wear with my skirts. I thought that it would be fairly easy to find nice and simple tight-fitting tops in stores near me. However, since my purchase of the 3/4 sleeve blue top at Mia Mix, I hadn't found any other similar tops. Maybe it didn't help that winter was coming, thus prompting the release of fall and winter apparel (it was thick wool sweaters mania in every store). I got tired of this dryness one day of November and made an order with Japonica Market. I bought tops on Mercari and Fi.n.t's outlet store. The tops in the outlet were 50% off.

Mercari

Lavender Embroidered Blouse | ラベンダー刺繍シャツブラウス/an another angelus

I know I just mentioned that I thought blouses were not practical for their habit to elope from the skirt waistband, but I've always wanted this blouse since its release this summer. I briefly mentioned it in August, but I was mostly interested in getting it in purple. But with time, I came to like the white one almost as much as the purple one... I would have still bought the blouse in purple first been given the occasion, but the first one I bumped into at a reasonable price was the white one.

Closeup of the pretty embroidery

I believe that the fabric is polyester, though definitely not chiffon. This makes the blouse less sheer, so I appreciate it. 

I found two little stains (they were hard to capture on camera, it didn't really focus on the stains):

If you can't spot the stain in the picture above,

look at the picture below and try to relocate it in the pic above...

I admit that the stains look very small, but they do become more visible depending on the lighting. Also, they were hard to capture with the camera. I think and hope that these will go away in the washing machine. It's quite annoying since this is a white/ivory blouse which makes these little stains stick out more.

Apart from that, the condition of the blouse is excellent. The previous owner stated she had only worn the blouse one time. I'm happy with this purchase.

Beige sweater | F&A ヨーク刺繍ボウタイニットプルオーバー

I'm not sure which collection of Fi.n.t this sweater is from. I liked its bow the minute I saw it (thicker sweaters with bow collars are pretty uncommon.) I also thought the flower pattern around the collar was a nice detail. The sweater also exists with blue flowers, but I preferred purple coloured flowers and thought they would look better with the rest of my clothes.

There's a little thread snag inside the sweater

What the snag looks like from the exterior (it's in the back).

Not really bothered by it, just hoping it won't get worse...

The condition of the sweater is really good. This kind of fabric seems fragile and inclined to snags, but I was surprised to see that it was almost perfect.

Fi.n.t Outlet

Scarf-collar top | タイ付きカットトップス/an another angelus

I was tempted by this top more because it was on sale, although I did like its collar and sleeves. I would've liked to buy the one in white with black polka dots—I don't have this pattern in my wardrobe and I feel it would look cute with any solid coloured skirt—but it was sold out. Therefore I went for this ivory cream colourway.

This isn't the kind of piece I like to go out of my way to buy online, but I'm still somewhat pleased to have gotten it (the odds of finding it in a physical store were pretty much zero.)

The collar is different from the other shirts I own and the loose ends are sewn to the top. I didn't expect that last thing but was pretty happy about it because I won't have to worry about the wind and replacing them every now and then during the day.

Sailor top | レーススカーフ衿テレコT/F i.n.t

(Clothing tags aren't there cuz I had already worn the top before taking this pic)

This top reunites some of my favourites clothing features: rib-knit fabric, shorter sleeves and a (sailor) knot tying at the front. The back also isn't a typical sailor "square" shaped collar which I prefer.

I had been thinking about buying this top since August, but I thought it was a bit expensive. It eventually went on sale, but I still waited a couple of months before buying it.

Other than the price, I also had hesitations about the sailor knot. I had seen lots of staff modelling the top and it wasn't rare for the knot to not look good at all. It looked small, poorly knotted, and we could easily see the collar under the lace. I came to think that this was the kind of knot/bow that only looks nice in stock pictures and is impossible to recreate in real life.

However, now that I've worn it, I find it extremely quick and easy to make a nice-looking knot that stays perfect for the whole day. I thought I'd have to fix it continuously. Definitely happy to have given this top a shot despite my initial doubts.

The lace is really pretty

I also LOVE this top in black, but I've been trying to avoid dark and black colours since they so easily attract lint... I've had a lot of black shirts in the past and they always got really linty. Not only it became an annoying chore having to use the lint-roller on them after each wash, but some lint would just never really go away.

Lace collar top | オフショルレーステレコT/an another angelus

I've had a soft spot for this top when I first saw it paired with the fruit skirt released in the S2019 collection:

source

Such beautiful skirts, amazing colours and prints... I want them both... I've been waiting for their prices to go down on online flea markets, though nothing is really moving and they're quite rare to come by... But anyway, to get back to what I was saying, I liked the plum colour of the top and the lace V-shape collar. Plus, the sleeves obviously. While waiting to pair it with the fruit skirt, I knew it was possible to pair it with skirts I already own.

The lace isn't completely see-through which I like

I've worn it one time and it fits well! But I noticed that the clothing label inside the shirt rubs against my skin (on the left side of my waist/hip) and makes it itchy. It's not the washing label (which is usually satin-like), it's a woven tag, the one that usually goes at the top of the back. I have no idea why they decided to put it there, but if I don't get used to it, I might have to cut it (and I don't really like cutting woven labels.)

Also, I unfortunately stretched the left side of the lace collar a bit. I have this habit of wrapping my hair as a scarf around my neck (I can do one "complete" wrap.) Throughout the day, I noticed that the loose end (that was on the left) was always sliding in the collar to get inside my top (what a perv). Now, this side of the collar won't stay as flat as the other side, although thank God it's not that apparent. Still, I've had my lesson and I'll be careful when wearing this top next time.

***

All in all, I'm really satisfied with the tops I purchased. Now that I've bought more stuff from Fi.n.t (and wore some of their stuff for some months now), I can confidently say that the quality of their clothing is excellent. The fabric doesn't feel thin and cheap. I was particularly impressed by the "thickness" of the blouse because I thought it would be more transparent and chiffon-like, such as the usual blouses sold in physical stores. Regarding the tops from the outlet, I'm aware that outlets are known for selling generally lower quality items, but I can't really see how the pieces I got are of inferior quality.

Fi.n.t also gave me this tote bag ("Jules" is the name of their F2019 collection):

It's cute, but the handles are a bit too short for me (I like to wear a tote bag over my shoulder and I think it looks a bit tight under the armpit?) It's not a big deal... but then someone at work is named Jule and he's a man, so I do feel a bit uncomfortable if he sees me with that tote bag at work... or anyone... because frankly, "Jules" is solely a guy's name here, at least when pronounced in French. There may be a few girls named Jules, but I've yet to meet one.

HOWEVER, after making a quick search to check if Fi.n.t's official collection name was called "Jules" or "A Girl Called Jules", I found out that there's actually a movie "A Girl Called Jules". And by reading again Fi.n.t's Fall 2019 collection description, the pieces are inspired by the outfits in this movie. Ah. I understand the description much better now (I blame my lack of curiosity then.) I guess that the name "Jules" is pronounced in English rather than in French (I've been pronouncing it in French since the beginning.) It seems more plausible that a girl is called Jules (pronounced in English). Well that's great news, because it means I won't have to feel embarrassed to strut my tote bag to work and in public.

Retro & Preppy Haul

Whew. It's been hard to settle on a title as this haul consists of two Fi.n.t skirts from Mercari, two skirts from Mia Mix, a min plume belt from Mercari and two sweaters from mille fille closet. All kinds of items from different brands and shops bought (or received if ordered online) in September and October.

Let's start with the skirts... (ง •▿•)ว

Fi.n.t

Red check skirt ベルト付きチェックタックスカート/F&A

The check of this skirt gives me authentic vintage vibes. It's a knee-length skirt and though I'm not a fan of this length, I loved the pattern so much I paid no heed to the thought.

The previous owner stated that the fabric of the skirt was fuzzy. Although there's indeed some fuzz, I don't really mind. Part of it is probably because I was expecting it (thanks to the seller's honesty) and because I always thought the skirt would inevitably become fuzzy over time from being washed (fabric seems prone to fuzz).

Two things that bother me a little:

• The belt buckle doesn't have any pin to ensure the skirt remains secured around the waist, so the skirt always feels a bit loose. I would have brushed it off if the skirt was tight enough without the belt, but it's not the case.
• There's no "loop" on the belt, so I have to weirdly tuck the leftover part in the belt by crossing it under or over it. I don't think it's ugly, but having it pass through a belt loop would have given a neater look.

This skirt also exists in the green colourway, and I was even thinking of buying it instead of the red one at the start. Despite still planning on buying it (I love the pattern!), it's not a priority right now.

Black check/grid skirt ハンドペイントギンガムチェックスカート/an another angelus

This skirt also reminds me of an authentic 1940s vintage piece. I liked the unperfect, hand-drawn looking grid pattern and thought the skirt would go well with any colour.

I received it in September, but I haven't worn it yet... I tried to pair it with a couple of tops, but something always seemed a bit off in the overall outfit. For someone that thought it would look good with anything... anyway, that's fine, I still like it a lot and I'm convinced I'll find something great to pair it with.

Mia Mix

Brown x beige check skirt

At that point, you may have realized that I love checks and plaids. I'm always open to adding such patterns to my wardrobe. So without surprise, I saw this skirt and thought it would make a nice autumn/winter piece.

The fabric isn't wool nor tweed, but it feels a bit thicker than polyester. It's also a tiny itchy—not enough to be uncomfortable, thankfully.

The store had other lovely check skirts, but the waist was (way) too large for me. I was quite surprised because Asian sizes usually run small. This skirt is also a bit loose, but I liked it and knew I wouldn't get such a skirt for this price elsewhere, including on the Internet.

I decided I'd bring it to a seamstress to reduce the waist. In the meantime, I wear a belt with the skirt to make it tighter. It's not the best solution (the skirt still tends to drop at the back), but it does the job temporarily.

Grey x blue check skirt

This skirt is the same model as the previous one, but in grey and blue.

I really like the texture and the subtle pattern of both skirts. Although the fabric feels thin and a little cheap, it doesn't look like it when you have it on.

Close-up to see the blue better

I saw this skirt after trying on the previous skirt, and since I didn't want to go back to the changing room, I just compared this skirt's waist with the brown x beige to see if they were the same... Since they seemed so, I bought the skirt without trying it.
When I tried the skirt properly at home, I found the waist was much larger than the brown x beige... it's still salvageable though, the waist will just have to be more altered I guess.

min plume

Velour black bow belt

I was so happy when I spotted this belt on Mercari (in the rare times I was window-shopping min plume stuff). I had lost all hope of finding it when a couple of months ago, I had searched for it and had ultimately decided to throw in the towel because they had all been bought already years or months ago.

The condition of the belt is superb and I'm satisfied with the price I paid. Although I had found a bunch of bow belts on eBay, none stood up to min plume's.

mille fille closet

White and blue sweaters

A couple of months ago I blogged about a mille fille closet sweater acquired in pink from Fril. Well, after ordering it but before receiving it, I saw the same sweater 50 % off on mille fille closet's website. I couldn't resist and bought it in the two other colourways, white and blue. This was risky as I hadn't received the pink sweater yet (thus didn't know if it'd fit me or not), but I was 99.9 % sure of liking it.

The above picture doesn't show the splendour of the design, but it's so pretty. I usually find flaws in every clothing piece I own/buy, but there's nothing I would have done differently about this sweater. And all three fit perfectly. ✨

They also gave me a cute bag. The handles are black satin ribbons.