Every year, countries from around the world come to Ottawa to compete in the fireworks show, the Casino du Lac-Leamy Sound and Light competition. It’s a spectacular summer event with beautiful fireworks lighting up the sky paired with music. I remember when I was a little kid, waiting three hours in advance before a show to get the best viewing seats as my dad was the keen photographer in the family back then. Since then, I have joined the ranks of photography, and I love to challenge myself on these mini photoshoots I do with friends around the city.
For this shoot, the challenge was to get nice firework shots but with a subject in the foreground. It took a bit of fiddling but I think we managed a few great shots amidst a bunch of blurry trial and error ones. You can view the behind-the-scenes of our shoot below!
There are many locations to shoot from when viewing fireworks but my favourites are where you can see the light reflections in water. I think it provides great interest to the photos but also increase illumination which will be your friend when shooting in such low-light conditions. Read on for my tips on shooting fireworks and some of the final images!
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, right? Well I can’t afford real diamond chains but these diamante stand-ins are shining bright and catching the light giving this old bodysuit a new glo up!
I was first inspired by an image I saw of a singer wearing a similar item with dainty rhinestone straps and knew I had to try recreating the look! I love the subtle and dainty injection of glam to this basic outfit and you will definitely see me pairing this with a pair of nice high waisted jeans and calling the outfit done! No need to accessorize, these diamante straps will be all the bling you’ll need!
I’m trying something different… something a little bit new and unusual but I think it will help in sharing my DIYs with you! I’ve decided to launch a channel on Youtube for Deconstrut! I don’t have any video training so this will be quite the journey getting the grasp of shooting and composing videos!
For my very first video, I decided to do a tutorial on 3 super easy t-shirt transformations! A white tee is already very versatile on its own but its also a great base to build things on top of! I created all of these projects within an afternoon and there is no rule to say you can’t do these projects with other t-shirts, new or thrifted!
I used men’s Hanes T-shirts from here in a size Small.
TIME | 5mins – 30mins
COST | $
DIFFICULTY | easy
T-shirt Transformation #1: CROPPED TEE
T-shirt Transformation #2: OFF THE SHOULDER PEASANT TOP
Wearing DIY Back Bow Tie Cami Crop Top with Abercrombie Girlfriend denim shorts, Reebok Classics hightops, and Mejuri star choker.
Yes, it’s another bow styled top, and no, I am not sick of bows yet! But who doesn’t like how cute and sweet bows look? I made this crop top on a random Saturday at home and I think it’s my favourite summer top to date! Super cute and sweet, I used some scrap fabric I found at the Fabricland scrap bin so this mini top cost next to nothing! Sorry not sorry, but this is all you will see me wearing this summer!
Wearing: DIY shirred bow top, Mejuri Star Necklace, Zara jeans, vintage Moschino backpack and Adidas sneakers.
Summer time is here and with the warmer weather I was finally able to wear this cute DIY shirred top! I wanted to create this sweet shirred bow top after seeing similar ones circling around on Instagram last season. The bow straps give the sweetest girly vibes and provides this top with a unique twist to your standard crop top. I’ve paired it with jeans and sneakers to edge it up a bit but I think it could also look pretty sweet with a high-waisted midi skirt. Definitely going to be making this DIY in other colours! I’m thinking white or maybe even yellow next? Let me know what color I should do next in the comments! Onwards with the tutorial…
Lately I’ve been getting into photography and the whole Instagram game; and as a result I have not been as present on this platform as I should. As I’m creating more content for my feed, I’ve gone through so many awkward and embarrassing moments that I feel like I could share a plethora of Instagram vs Reality shots for you guys. The feeling of awkwardness still creeps up on me during most shoots but I’ve figured out some go to poses that will give you an awesome shot with minimizing some of the awkward-taco-ness. I wanted to share some of my photography posing tips in hopes that some of you will feel more comfortable in front of the camera!
So if you’re feeling mighty awkward in those Instagram photos, here are some go to tricks that I use and I promise you’ll look oh so good with these posing tips. (These tips are also good for photographers working with non-professional models, these are some tips you can use in helping them feel at ease…Hopefully!)
Definitely over the cold and the bulky nature of my winter jacket and I’m ready to shed all the layers and break out all the dresses and shorts to show some leg! In anticipation for summer I’ve been perusing the internet and falling in love with a lot of beachy summer wear and I thought I would share some of my favourite styles that may make their way into my closet this season! These are all projects with DIY potential, so vote on your favourites in the comments so I know which projects you guys would like to see!
Super in love with the design from Realisation, the ruffles are super cute and I love the star print. I’ve seen this style of dress a lot from Reformation as well and I can’t get enough of it. I love that it’s a wrap design which is flattering on everyone! The ruffles add the perfect amount of girlieness and help with extending the hem length so everything is a bit less risque! Definitely pinned to the top of my to do list for DIYs!
Tiny straps are making a comeback! I love the daintiness and these shoulder baring styles! I especially love the ones where they are self-tie for easy adjustment and the bow is a super cute touch! I think this could also look cool with thicker straps as well!
Tiny bows, long wraps, knotted details… give them all to me! I love this! It’s a new way of cinching that is super flattering on the waist and boob area. Definitely will be making a variation of this as it is super easy and forgiving if measurements aren’t exact! I think its a super flattering style to give the girls a lift in a cute cropped style or as the focal point of a dress.
1. Ark Bamboo Clutch Bag from Cult Gaia ($138), 2. Macrame bag by Staud ($677), 3. Hexagonal Crossbody Bag from Zara ($40), 4. Balaio Tasselled Woven Rattan Bag by Wai Wai
Macrame and natural bags
I love the natural looking bags. Materials like cord, raffia, and rattan with woven aspects and knotted details brings back casual beach side vibes. I think a pom pom beach bag is definitely on my list of DIYs! Can’t wait for the warmer weather to bring on more nautical and beachside vibes to my closet!
Don’t forget to comment your favourite trends and stay tuned for some awesome summer DIY projects!
Flying into Kelowna, I couldn’t contain my excitement as I saw white peaks through the clouds and I knew I was almost in the mountains. Coming from Eastern Ontario, where it’s fairly flat, the change in elevation and scenery was a breath of fresh air and brought on the anticipation of new places to discover and adventure. This was my first trip out west in the winter months to experience my first big snowboarding trip!
Last year I was unable to make it out due to a knee injury but this year I was determined to travel out west to see friends and to hit up the world renown slopes of British Columbia. To say the least, it did not disappoint. The week was filled with fun times laughing with friends and a lot of fresh powdery snow that we never seem to get back home. A week was more than enough time to take in all the views that Kelowna had to offer and maybe… just maybe… next year, I’ll be ready to hit up other famous mountains. Once you get the taste of that fresh powder you just can’t wait to go back.
Read on for some great spots to check out if you’re ever in Kelowna, British Columbia!
Winter is still blowing outside in full force with late winter snow hitting us daily, it gets a bit discouraging to get creative and to get ourselves motivated to be outdoors to shoot. But with the recent popularity of the #uglylocationchallenge created by Kelsey Maggart, the #michaelschallenge was born and it’s a perfect excuse to grab a few friends to try your hand at shooting in the arts and crafts store! You can briefly pretend that it’s actually spring and get your garden thumb ready for summer in the floral aisle.
Originally deemed the #hobbylobbychallenge, it quickly turned sour when Hobby Lobby’s didn’t want photographers entering their stores. Michael’s clearly saw this as an opportunity and in turn welcomed pro and amateur shooters to flock to their stores to try their hand at the newly minted #michaelschallenge. I had a blast doing this challenge and would recommend anyone who’s looking to practice their portrait photography to try this challenge out! The craft store has endless possibilities of colour and backdrops that you can get creative with. So grab some friends and head to your local Michael’s Arts and Crafts store to try this challenge out!
How do you think we did? Read on for more on the whole experience!
Wearing: DIY Teddy Coat, Heart Sweater from Simons (old), Mini Tiger Bag from Fashion Drug, Jeans from Zara (old), Boots from Zara, Hat from H&M (old), Mitts from Aritzia (similar).
After January, people say there’s only about 6 weeks of winter left but if you live where I do you know that you’re bound to get at least 2 months more of snow and chilly nights. To combat that I decided to make my own teddy coat to stay snuggly and cuddled for the remainder of this winter. The teddy coat trend has been super popular this winter season and all the styles I fell in love with were non-stop sold out so I decided to make my own. To say the least, this was the most complex DIY I’ve ever made and there were a lot of do and redo to create this teddy coat. But I am absolutely in love with the end result and you will be seeing me wearing this a lot more as we move away from the deep freeze and into a bit more warmer winter weather.
The teddy coat is definitely a milder winter weather type of a coat but it looks super cute and ultra fuzzy that everyone will want to cuddle you like a teddy bear! Perfect for those -10 winter snow days where everything looks like a winter wonderland. I created my own pattern for the teddy coat off of an older wool coat. I definitely could of used a bit more room in the arms as I did find my final piece was a bit too snug to fit a bulky sweater underneath. With that in mind, be sure to pick up some cuddly AF fabric from your local fabric store! I am absolutely in love with the faux fur fabric that I picked up from Fabricland (scored it on sale too!), any sort of faux fur material will do well with this style of coat, even a sherpa type fleece could work! The fuzzier the better to get those teddy bear vibes!
None the less, if you’re ready to take on the big teddy coat challenge please read on! I found it was easier to show you guys images of the pattern pieces and explain the steps in a more detailed manner than to show process pictures like I have previously done in other DIY projects. If you guys need more details just comment down below and I’ll try my best to show how it’s done!
TIME | 6+ hours
COST | $$
DIFFICULTY | very difficult, sewing skills required
