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38 Halloween Costume Ideas For Women That Don't Suck
Don't want to be a sexy judge or a brain surgeon babe for halloween? Me neither. Check out my list of awesome things you can dress up as this halloween, that can be as sexy or not sexy as you like.
Don't want to be a sexy judge or a brain surgeon babe for halloween? Me neither. Check out my list of awesome things you can dress up as this halloween, that can be as sexy or not sexy as you like.
Awesome Real Life Women
You May Also Like: 10 Vegan Halloween Candy Options
Fictional Characters that Rock
Make A Statement
See something that sparks your creativity? Great! Be sure to tag me (@elizabethturn) and use the hashtag #VeganFeministHalloween so I can see all of your amazing costumes!
Until next time,
Did I miss any costume ideas that rock? Let me know in the comments below!
How To Minimize Your Belongings Using the KonMari Method!
I am very new to the concept of a capsule wardrobe, but am absolutely loving the experience of living with one over the last thirteen days. Just in case this is your first time hearing of it, let me explain. The idea is to reduce your wardrobe to a small, well thought out collection of pieces that can be mixed and matched to create many outfits. I first learned of this idea from the Un-Fancy blog, so I am loosely following her instructions in my capsule attempt. (By the way, If you've never been to Caroline's blog, Un-Fancy, go now. I'll wait.)
I am very new to the concept of a capsule wardrobe, but am absolutely loving the experience of living with one over the last thirteen days. Just in case this is your first time hearing of it, let me explain. The idea is to reduce your wardrobe to a small, well thought out collection of pieces that can be mixed and matched to create many outfits. I first learned of this idea from the Un-Fancy blog, so I am loosely following her instructions in my capsule attempt. (By the way, If you've never been to Caroline's blog, Un-Fancy, go now. I'll wait.)
Back? Great! Let's continue...
Before choosing any items for my capsule wardrobe I wanted to go through all of my clothing and discard about 50%, minimum. I was inspired by reading The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.
If you haven't read this yet, you should. It's allowed me to finally get rid of things I've been carting around for years. If you're interested, read my review of the book here!
Using the method described in Kondo's book, I met my goal and allocated approximately 50% of my belongings to be donated, sold, or thrown out. With a newly halved closet, it was time to try my hand at capsuling (probably not a word, but I'm using it anyway.) I tried to look at my remaining clothing objectively, as if I were looking at items in a store and not my clothes with their multitudes of associations and sentimental connections. I wanted to create a minimal wardrobe of clothing that was comfortable, fashionable, versatile, and suited my body. Interested in the result? Go check out my Fall Capsule Wardrobe!
But how exactly did I minimize my clothing 50%? And what about all of the other crap that always seems to gather in my house?
Here is a recap of the KonMari method summary I wrote for my post: Living With Less: A Review of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up & How To Declutter the KonMari Way! in a super pretty and pin-able graphic! (You're welcome.)
Just like Marie suggested, I began with clothing and continued from there. I came across this book at the perfect time, just before I moved into a new house and got all of my things out of a storage container! As I unpacked I sorted into categories, and then I went through one category at a time. It was glorious: I sorted and discarded before I ever put one item away in my new home! I realize that not all of you will be lucky enough to have a move coincide with your desire to declutter, and that you may even see that as undesirable (since you need to transport all of the items you'll just be discarding when you get to your destination), so I suggest choosing the room with the most open floor area and making that your sorting room for the next couple of days. Let your family know what you're doing, and assure them the mess won't last long!
Putting Your Belongings Away
Once you've discarded, how do you organize? Marie has a whole host of awesome tips and tricks in her book, but the following are my favourites!
And there you have it, the simple ways you can minimize and organize your belongings for good. Are you going to pick up Marie's book and give it a read? It just might change your life!
Until next time,
ave you used the KonMari method? Tell me about it in the comments!
![Christmas Gift Guide 2016 [ vegan | minimalist | sustainable ]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5564e9d4e4b0750ee3a65382/1480561426047-4JYD7ZTPOYZXWI1N0KS4/ChristmasGiftGuide2016SQUARE.jpg)
There Is No Excuse Not To Vote
On Wednesday this week I voted in the advanced polls of the 2015 Canadian federal election. Less than 3 hours later I overheard a conversation between three 20-somethings discussing why they won't be voting in this election, and I just about exploded. Let me say this clearly and right up front:
There is no excuse not to vote. None.
You may think you have an excuse, but you don't. Let me show you why. And then get your butt over to your local Elections Canada polling station and do your civic duty, goddamnit!
(For all of the Americans out there, don't think this doesn't apply to you. You have 13 months to go before you're up!)
On Wednesday this week I voted in the advanced polls of the 2015 Canadian federal election. Less than 3 hours later I overheard a conversation between three 20-somethings discussing why they won't be voting in this election, and I just about exploded. Let me say this clearly and right up front:
There is no excuse not to vote. None.
You may think you have an excuse, but you don't. Let me show you why. And then get your butt over to your local Elections Canada polling station and do your civic duty, goddamnit!
(For all of the Americans out there, don't think this doesn't apply to you. You have 13 months to go before you're up!)
Excuse #1 I haven't followed the election/I'm not educated on the parties' policies.
While I respect your desire to make an informed decision, if your lack of knowledge is paralyzing you to the point that it prevents you from making any choice at all, you're taking it too far. You can NEVER have all of the facts. All you can do is your best to learn about the leaders, their parties, and the candidates in your riding and then make the best choice for you.
Want to learn about each party's platforms? Read here.
Want to find out which riding you're in to find your candidates and learn about them? Enter your postal code here.
Want to hear the leaders speak about their policies and beliefs? Watch debates here, and here, and here, and interviews here.
Excuse #2 My vote doesn't matter.
Every vote matters. Every. Single. One. One vote can win or lose a riding, and one riding can win or lose an election. Your vote matters. Every vote is weighed equally, and we need the honest votes of every eligible Canadian citizen to end up with a government that is representative of our population and wants and needs as a country. Don't just throw away your wonderful privilege to have your say in how your country is governed.
Want a better voting system than the current "past the post" model? Vote for one of the parties that promise to change it (all parties with the exception of Stephen Harper's Conservatives).
Early voting is open until October 13th at 6pm. Go make your voice heard!
Excuse #3 There is no good option.
If you don't vote, you can't complain about the outcome of the election. YOU have the chance to influence who will lead our country for the next four years. and while you may not agree wholeheartedly with each party's politics, you do have a responsibility to make the choice you believe is best. Even if you feel it is a choice of the lesser of three (five) evils. That's just another way to say the best choice. And don't you want the best possible party and person to lead our country?
Excuse #4 I don't have time/Voting is a hassle.
Do you know what else is a hassle? Living in a country that is going down the drain due to poor leadership. Do you know what else eats into your busy schedule? Going to jail because you demand to have the right to vote (*cough cough* women in the 1910s).
Voting is an incredibly fast process. You confirm your identity and address, you fill in your ballot, you go home. You maybe have to wait in line for a couple of minutes. This is not an epic adventure we're talking about here, this isn't the hobbit, ok? This is an in and out procedure. Pen on paper. Just get it done. (If you have time to stop at Starbucks before class you have time to vote on the way home, just sayin'.)
Excuse #5 I can't decide.
Fair. It can be hard to make up your mind about such an important choice. But do you know what? All of the best decisions are hard to make. This is one of those decisions. This is the time to put all of your weight into it and come through. Not to sound too dramatic, but your country needs you. Literally.
Excuse #6 It's too hard to balance party politics with leaders and local candidates.
It's also too hard to resist eating all of the grapes in my fridge. Tell someone who cares. Do your research and make your choice.
Really need help? That's completely fine. Check out these quizzes to figure out how you align with each party: ISideWith.com or Vote Compass. Or, if you're feeling really crazy, both!
Excuse #7 I'm boycotting because...
No. This flawed logic drives me mental. If you have a strong belief about a topic it is SO IMPORTANT that you vote for the candidate who can lead the country in the direction. Not voting does nothing. No one gets a notification on their phone letting them know that you didn't vote because you want a, b, and c. No one gets any message at all. When you vote you are saying without a doubt that THIS is the person you want to represent you in your riding, and further, that THIS is the party you want to represent you on the world's stage. Why not take the opportunity to chose someone who aligns with your beliefs or is at least most likely to see your point of view? The way to influence change is to be part of the political process.
Doing nothing gets you nothing. This is no excuse.
Excuse #8 I don't care.
You should care. You really should. Our democratic system may be flawed, but at least we have one. You should be thanking your lucky stars you weren't born in Cuba, or Syria, or North Korea, or the countless other places in countless other times in which you couldn't have had your say regardless of if you cared. In Canada, our government WANTS to know what you think. And you're just going to throw it away? Talk about disrespecting the millions of people who never had the chance to influence their government, have their say, or vote.
Voting in this election may be the most important thing you do all year. Don't let October 19th pass you by.
Until next time,
Are you going to vote on October 19th?
Fall Capsule Wardrobe
It's finally here! This is literally the most excited I have been for October in my entire life. Like I mentioned in my How To Build A Capsule Wardrobe post (which you should read, by the way), I have been looking forward to creating a capsule wardrobe for about 6 months. The process of dreaming, curating, and photographing my new, minimal, fall wardrobe has been so much fun. I can't wait to show you which pieces I decided on!
It's finally here! This is literally the most excited I have been for October in my entire life. Like I mentioned in my How To Build A Capsule Wardrobe post (which you should read, by the way), I have been looking forward to creating a capsule wardrobe for about 6 months. The process of dreaming, curating, and photographing my new, minimal, fall wardrobe has been so much fun. I can't wait to show you which pieces I decided on!
By the way, if you want to see the outfits I put together using my capsule items be sure to follow me on Instagram (@elizabethturn). I will be posting my outfits everyday so that you can see a real life example of how a capsule wardrobe actually works in day to day life.
Ok. Enough rambling. Without further ado, my Fall Capsule Wardrobe!
As you can see, I'm a big fan of the black and white look. (You'd know this already if you followed me on instagram!) I'm not big on colour or pattern, and that's why my wardrobe has very little of both. I am partial to plaid, however, and decided to include a plaid shirt for a bit of traditional fall flavour (and for those casual days at the pumpkin patch!) The great thing about a wardrobe mostly made up of black and white is that everything goes with everything else so easily, giving me endless combination possibilities over the next 3 months!
I'm sure you're wondering about a couple of the pieces and where I bought them, so I'll share all of that information for you. But first, a little disclaimer. As I am an ethical vegan, I do not endorse purchasing any items made from or by animals. A couple of these pieces I purchased before my transition to veganism, and are therefore not in line with my current beliefs. If you are interested in my take on wearing products made from or by animals as a vegan, and why I continue to wear some of my old pieces, check out the post HERE. For full transparency I will list the store where I purchased each item, but I will not link to items containing animal products. Rather, I will link to a similar item made with vegan materials. I hope you understand why I am choosing to do this and appreciate the time I've put into this post for you! Some of the items were given to me or I purchased long enough ago that they are no longer available. In those cases I will link to something similar, or the same item in a different colour!
TOPS (18)
- white cami - aritzia
- white tank - similar
- white deep v blouse - similar
- white button down - anthropologie
- white collarless blouse - similar
- grey cropped tank - brandy melville
- grey hooded cardigan - similar
- grey & black baseball tee - aritzia
- black & grey reversible cami - similar
- black sleeveless swing blouse - zara
- black sleeveless v neck blouse - aritzia
- black t-shirt - aritzia
- black deep v blouse - similar
- black long sleeve top - aritzia
- black cardigan - similar
- black pullover sweater - similar
- chambray shirt - similar
- red plaid shirt - gap
BOTTOMS (9)
- black skinny jeans - american eagle
- black trousers - zara
- black zippered leggings - zara
- black vegan leather pants - similar
- black track pants - gap
- black maxi skirt - brandy melville
- dark green jeans - similar
- blue ripped jeans - similar
- blue jeans - anthropologie
DRESSES (2)
OUTERWEAR (4)
- black blazer - similar
- black vegan leather moto jacket - similar
- black coat - aritzia - similar - similar - similar
- olive military jacket - aritzia
SHOES (7)
And there you have it, my first ever capsule wardrobe! I am so excited to work within this framework to build all of my outfits until the end of 2015. As you can see, the capsule doesn't include accessories, special occasion wear, or workout wear. I will be committing to no new purchases until the end of December, when I will be planning my winter capsule. Check out my Style and Capsule Pinterest boards to see what I'm loving for winter!
I hope you've enjoyed getting a look into my closet and that you'll consider giving a capsule wardrobe a try! If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know in the comments. I love hearing from you and want to foster a fun and interactive community here on Plant Based Bride :)
Until next time,
Don't forget to follow me on instagram to see my outfits and sign up for the Plant Based Bride newsletter for weekly updates about the blog (form at the bottom of this page)!