Personal

The Year in Review: 2020

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Can you believe this year is almost over? And what a year it has been! For me 2020 started off pretty slowly. I was very ill with a bout of food poisoning on January 1st, great way to start a new year right? It was a slow, cold and boring start to the year. I remember feeling de-motivated and like everyone else was going ahead with their plans but me. My mom encouraged me to set some goals and stay motivated.

Personal and Professional Achievements

I decided to set some professional goals for myself to help create some structure. I still decided to enrol in the CITP (Certified International Trade Professional) program at the Forum for International Trade Training. In order to earn this certification I would need to take 6 courses and pass 6 exams, after which I would have to submit my resume along with my experience in international trade.  In January when I signed up for this, it seemed daunting and never ending. I also decided I wanted to complete my PMP – Project Management Professional designation this year.

I finished the first course in my CITP when the pandemic hit. All my classes at Algonquin were to be taught remotely and it took a lot of adjustment to get used to teaching fully on zoom. The pandemic hit us harder than we expected in Canada, and the initial lockdown was both disheartening and depressing. I decided to make the most of this time and complete the rest of the 5 courses. Within the month of April I started and completed 4 courses to finish off my CITP designation. This was exhausting and I frankly don’t recommend trying to do 4 courses which are supposed to be 6 months each within a span of 4 weeks, however I’m glad I did it. I earned my CITP in June and I was really pleased with this achievement. I was also surprised and humbled to be featured by FITT in their CITP spotlight.

I was on the fence about studying for my PMP but decided to take it seriously and started studying in September. If any potential PMP test takers are reading this, yes, I did read the entire PMBOK! I completed a prep course in November and did countless practice exams from mid November to early December. I wrote my exam at home on December 14 through PMI’s online proctoring service PearsonVue and passed it on the first attempt! I was and am so thrilled about this! I had been wanting to take this exam since 2018 and this year I finally did it! P.S. I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have about the PMP exam, feel free to comment or email me 🙂

Blogging Progress

On the blog front I really focused on growing my following and creating more engaging content. The pandemic prompted me to shift my focus to more local brands in Ottawa. I was happy to collaborate with businesses such as Skuish Cookies, Oh My Honey, The East India Company, MC Laser and Hair and Buyers + Cellars to name a few. I am so pleased with the growth I’ve experienced on my blog and Instagram channels, I was able to reach and surpass my goal of 10K followers this year, which was a milestone for me. Thank you to everyone who supported me in this journey.

I also focused on more hospitality and lifestyle content and was fortunate to collaborate with The Fairmont Chateau Laurier, The Frontenac Club and The Fairmont Chateau Montebello. I was also thrilled to secure more fashion collaborations with international and local clothing brands such as Shein and Chicwish. Sashien and I did some his and hers style collaborations as well.

I didn’t travel as much this year due to the travel restrictions as a result of the pandemic however Sashien and I were able to take a trip to Florida in February prior to the lockdown. We were thankful to have been able to experience a little bit of warm weather before the shutdown.

Overall 2020 was not the write off everyone keeps calling it. Plans may have changed and we all needed to adjust but in the end life is what you make it. I decided to make the most of a rather unfortunate year and I’m even more motivated for 2021!

Looking ahead

I’ve got a lot more goals and plans in place for next year. I’m currently working on a capsule collection with none other than the Capsule Creator herself, Rebecca Rowe. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks! I’ll be posting about this on my Instagram page.

Sashien and I also have something exciting that we’ve been working on and we can’t wait to share it with all of you! I’ll be posting and sharing more about this project soon!

Fashion

My Favourite Neutrals for Fall

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It’s Fall y’all! I feel like I haven’t done a fashion or styling post in a while so here it is! Fall is here in full force and I couldn’t be happier to show off my Fall fashion.

This year I’ve noticed a shift away from the usual burgundies, greens and jewel tones we usually see in Fall fashion. An affinity for neutrals has definitely developed. I personally love neutrals as they’re so versatile and can be worn in any season. In this post I’ll be sharing some of my favourite neutral pieces for Fall.

Colour Block Coat

I picked up this colour block coat from Shein and it’s a great addition to my Fall wardrobe. I love the camel, black and white colours in this piece. It’s a great coat to wear with blue or black jeans. To put this neutral look together I paired it with a neutral taupe turtleneck from Dynamite along with some black jeans. To accessorize and elevate my outfit to a more polished look I added a belt from Gucci, some block heels (you can also wear booties with this) and one of my Tory Burch handbags

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Camel Sweater with White Jeans

Camel is a colour I’ve recently come to love. I wasn’t a fan of it before but I have converted! I love this oversized camel turtleneck, it’s cozy and chic. I always love wearing white so I paired it with some white jeans. This is one of my favourite neutral looks. It’s dressed down yet classy. In keeping with the camel look I added some matching booties and accessorized with an off-white Tory Burch handbag. The booties and bag really help tie this look together. This is a perfect outfit for running some weekend errands or grabbing a quick coffee with a friend.

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Faux Leather Crocodile Skirt

Faux leather is back again this Fall and although this may seem more of an edgier trend you can sport it in neutral colours. I found this midi skirt online at Chicwish. I’m not normally a fan of faux leather or crocodile print but I did like the colour and shape of this skirt. The crocodile detailing is subtle and the taupe colour really helps  soften the look of the faux leather. I styled this skirt by pairing it with an off-white turtleneck and some brown pumps. I added an off-white handbag. I wore this look to work as the skirt definitely lends itself to workwear.

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Dusty Pink Coat

Pink isn’t typically a colour we see in Fall coats but this one sure makes an impression. If you haven’t guessed already, pink IS my favourite colour. I love the gold button details on this coat and the removable faux fur collar. Throwing this on top of any outfit would definitely elevate your look. This would also work as a Spring coat.

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What colours do you prefer wearing in the Fall?