Vote

If you live in Canada, you’re aware there’s an upcoming Federal Election. Here’s one thing you should know about Andrea and Jen, we love to vote. We love democracy and the whole process of electing a new leader. And it’s important to note that last sentence, as we very much love electing a new Prime Minister. New. Prime Minister. That’s one small takeaways of this post.

This extra special Friday blog post is all about why you should vote. And we’re not about to tell you who to vote for, but we will drop mad hints about who not to vote for (*cough*Conservatives*cough*).

Voter turnout over the past couple years has been sad across every level – Federal, Provincial, Municipal – and we don’t get it. Only 61% of Canadians voted in the last Federal election and it’s pathetic. It literally takes half an hour (at most!) to check a name off on a piece of paper at your local elementary school. You owe it to yourself, all Canadians, future generations and every person who has lived in this country to go do your civic duty.

Ok, rant over.

To help make the process easier, we have resources. Who doesn’t love resources!? Hopefully this will help you decide who to cast your vote for as well as help you get your shit together to make voting day as easy as possible. 

• First off, mark your calendar for October 19^th. That is Election Day and you have between 7am and 7pm to do it. Wake up half an hour early if you need to do this before work.
• Fun fact! Under the Canada Elections Act, all employees who are eligible to vote are entitled to have three (3) consecutive hours free from employment during voting hours on Election Day. That means if you ask for it, your company can change your shift/give you time off to make sure you have sufficient time to vote.
• If you’re a keener and want to vote early, guess why this was posted on a Friday? That’s right, it’s Friday October 9^th and it’s when advance polls open. You can also vote on the 10^th, 11^th and 12^th. You have no excuse for being too busy.
• Where do you vote? Who’s in your riding? We got you covered, boo. Go here for all that info: http://www.elections.ca/scripts/vis/FindED?L=e&PAGEID=20
• Need to register? Did you move? Go here: https://ereg.elections.ca/CWelcome.aspx
• Don’t forget your ID. Here’s everything you need: http://elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=stu&dir=id&document=index&lang=e
• No idea who to vote for? That’s cool, take 15 minutes on this site to see who your values align with: https://canada.isidewith.com/political-quiz
• And we can’t recommend this next site enough. Because a lot of ridings are pretty much a lockdown for some parties, others are still very much in the air. http://www.strategicvoting.ca/ helps you use your vote strategically to get ridings away from the Conservatives. You may need to switch your alliance from NDP to Liberal, or vice versa, but you have our permission to flip flop as needed. The reason why we’ve had Harper in power for so long is because the votes between Liberals and NDP are often split, meaning Conservatives win ridings because Canada can’t just make it easy and have a two party system like our friends in the US.
  

Ok, now that you know how to vote and who to vote for you might be wondering why you need to vote. And while it’s kinda concerning you’re not voting just because we told you to so here’s a top 10 list of reason why you should vote:

1. You can’t complain about the government if you don’t vote. And who doesn’t love to complain about the government? What will you talk about with coworkers or in grocery store line-ups if you don’t give yourself this right?
2. People fought for you to vote. People continue to fight for this right. If you’re a woman, think about how hard your foremothers fought for you to be recognized even as a person, not to mention your right to vote.
3. Because you should care, this is our future. Not only should you be voting, you should be making an educated vote. Read about the candidates, find out their positions and make an educated decision. Health care, arts education, tuition prices, amateur sports-funding, etc. Decide what you care about and vote accordingly.
4. You’re young. Prove people wrong when they say young people don’t vote. In fact less and less people are voting so it’s not just the problem with youth. But the more people who vote, the better chance we have for a government to be in power that is indicative of what the citizens want. If they want more of the same, so be it. Just don’t make this election turnout even lower than the last.
5. Someone else will. We get it, you’re busy or you don’t see the point. You probably have a million reasons not to vote, but you know who will vote… the people have the time. The unemployed. The elderly. The people who may or may not have the same political views as you.
6. Negate a vote. People won’t always vote the same way as you, your vote negates their vote. Take the power away from those people!
7. Send a message. So your party doesn’t get in power, you’ll be sending a message to those in power that the other party have something to offer. While they’re not always receptive to your message, if enough of us make noise the better chance we have for change. 
8. “I voted” stickers are the coolest fashion accessory.
9. It’s easy. Just show up at your voting place with your identification and if you still live in your childhood riding you might even get to check out your school gym. Marvel at how big you used to think it was! If you’re telling me that you’re not intelligent enough to show up with your ID and make a tick beside your choice, then I have no idea what benefit you find from this mega-intelligent and witty blog.
10. People are dying for this right. You see that? It’s bolded. Because if you read nothing else on this list you have to know that people around the world are literally giving their lives so that the people of their countries can vote. You think this government is a regime? You think you’re too busy to vote or you don’t think it’s important enough? Tell that to the millions of people who would die to have your right.

Want your own photo that proclaims you will vote? Go to VoteNation.ca

What is your reason for voting? Anything to add to our list?

Fall

FINALLY. WE MADE IT.

Today marks the first day of autumn, and I for one am pretty damn happy about it. I’ve made no secret about it on this blog, I am not a fan of the summer months so this change of season is welcomed with open arms.

To celebrate, I want to share a love list specifically geared towards fall. Love lists are something I do from time to time to celebrate the little things in life that I love and make me happy. They help remind you to stop stressing about stupid stuff and focus on the awesome. Since fall is one of my great loves, why not celebrate what’s to love?

• Sweaters. There’s nothing better than being cozy and warm in a sweater.
• Boots. I bought two pairs of booties so far this past month, lets see how many more I can add to my collection.
• Honeycrisp apples. If you’ve never had one, this is your only mission this autumn. Life. Changing.
• Butternut squash. So I said this before, but I love it. I try to find new recipes weekly to explore with this ingredient.
• Rain. Spoken like a true Vancouverite, I love the rain. Sure it gets annoying when it’s been raining 30 days straight and your hair is constantly frizzy, but something about the sound of rain and the sight of it out my windows makes me feel at peace.

• Books. I don’t know why, I feel so guilty staying in and reading in the summer. But oh man, is there anything better than a good book and a cup of tea as it pours outside?
• New clothes. I never grew out of the idea that you get new clothes in the fall, you then have to wait the first few weeks of September for it to cool down so you can break them out. I bought this poncho at The Gap a few weeks back and I’m so excited to break it out.
•  The fact that I have never had a Pumpkin Spice Latte. It’s my own personal protest against the man or something (when in reality I love Starbucks).
• Soups. I made this lasagna soup from Skinnytaste yesterday, it’s legit the best comfort food that’s pretty low in calories and you make so much that you have leftovers for multiple work lunches.

• Fall colours. From the leaves and their beautiful changing colours to the jewel tones in clothing.
• Dark nail polish. I can’t wear dark polishes in the summer, I don’t know why. Ruby reds, black, dark purples and navy blue are permanent fixtures on my nails in the fall/winter.
• The chill in the air. I can say for a fact that there is absolutely nothing better than a crisp sunny fall morning, your breath hangs in the air and it smells like halloween is coming. Just add a park full of fallen leaves to kick your feet in and you’ve described heaven, my friend.

What would you add to your own fall love list?

My end of the summer regrets

Summer is almost over. Can I get an amen?

For me, I tolerate summer until I can get into fall because it’s my favourite season. Fall fashion is the best there is (I’m all about the boots and sweater life) and the weather is pretty perfect… being a born and raised Vancouverite, I don’t even mind the rain. A crisp fall day where it’s still sunny, but still has a chill in the air is perfect for stomping through crackle-y fallen leaves (#basicbitch #Idontcare).

My fall uniform

This summer, like every summer, I set out with the best intentions to enjoy the season. It’s not as if I hate summer, it’s just that I hate being sweaty and my hair does not take kindly to the humidity. And sleeping is a bitch too, I prefer a million blankets and duvets on my body as it shivers because I refuse to close the window, even when it’s -5 degrees out (Celsius, join the rest of the world on the metric system America).

And this summer, just like every summer, I failed at my intentions. Here’s a few of the things I wanted to do this summer, but didn’t…

Swim

This weekend was rainy and windy and stormy in Vancouver… it was perfect. On Saturday I just wanted to stay at home with my books and some bad movies, drinking coffee all day before transitioning over to wine at night (or more realistically, late afternoon). In the morning, I went into my drawer to pull out a pair of sweatpants that had been neglected all summer and found another neglected item of clothing, the cute bathing suit you see above that I bought from Forever 21 in June with every intention of using it. I forgot all about it! It sat alongside another one I bought from ModCloth that I used a few times. But I could count on one hand the amount of times I spent in a body of water this summer and it made me sad. I love swimming and pools, but I only swam in lakes/the Pacific Ocean a few times and hit up no pools.

Bard on the Beach

Every summer I vow to see a play at Bard on the Beach. It’s a Vancouver summer tradition to have various works of Shakespeare performed in Vanier Park, which has spectacular views of the the ocean. I have yet to go, mostly because my friends have already been and don’t seem to want to go again. This should probably be a sign, but I just want to feel cultured. Also, the Bard on the Beach founder (Christopher Gaze) received an honorary degree from UBC at the same convocation when I graduated, I should probably check in and see how my fellow alumni are doing.

Go Camping

I camped all the time as a kid, but I haven’t been in a shamefully long time. I wanted to go this summer, or at least some kind of vacation. That never happened, but bonus points for me because I did book a week off work in anticipation of this happening. I then cancelled the time off two days before when I realized I wouldn’t be going anywhere.

Drinks on the patio

To be fair, I drank a good amount. And many of those times it was on a patio, I just wish I did more of this. My shift at work ends at primetime for leaving work to go get some beverages, but I didn’t take advantage of this enough (which would’ve been at least 1-2 times a week).

Beaches

Question: Guess which one of these was taken this summer? Answer: None

Vancouver thrives in the summer. This place is beautiful all year round, but summertime is our time to shine. We have so many beaches and beautiful sunsets, I rarely spent time at any of them. Last year I took approximately 1 million photos of various Vancouver sunsets, this year I took maybe one or two from random spots nowhere near the ocean.

Leave your Summer 2015 to-do list regrets and incomplete action items in the comments. 

A change is gonna come

You may have noticed a bit of a change around here. Aside from a super sweet upgrade to the look of the site (so clean!) we’ve also made a bit of a directional change.

 

It was Thursday night when we finally admitted to ourselves that maybe we’re not fashion bloggers after all. We actually had discussed this for some time now, but it was Lilly’s disdain for white socks and Birkenstocks sealed the deal.

We’re not going anywhere, it’s just that we’re being honest with ourselves and what we’re doing here. Which is handing out questionable advice, a lot of opinions and some legit home shit… especially food.

We hope you enjoy!

We regret everything

We apologize in advance for any of you who choose to watch this video in which we briefly explain where the name for the website came from.

Jen wants to apologize that she did not do her hair, Andrea sprung this on her as she walked into her apartment.

But by all means please go ahead and enjoy the peony placement.

And I am…

Allow me to formally introduce myself, I am Andrea, or Annie. I am a student studying English Language at UBC, and working towards being an elementary school teacher. I am also the loving owner to a ridiculous dog named Lilly (in the melancholy photo below). Now here is my responses to some questions that Jen has sent over to me.Favourite piece/type of clothing:
My favourite type of clothes is dresses. I love to wear dresses, and a favourite of mine is pictured up top. I got it on sale on ASOS last year. They carry so many clothes that I would love to wear, and feel great about wearing.

Least favourite fashion trend:
My least favourite fashion trend. Well, this is a pickle. I do have a tendency to fall prey to fashion trends, especially the most questionable. I say this while wearing Arizona Birkenstocks. As far as least favourite trends, overalls. But ask me again next year, I will likely be wearing them. I was vehemently against Birkenstocks last year.

Favourite outfit you’ve ever worn:
My favourite outfit I ever wore, thats a tough one. I feel my absolute best wearing a pair of jeans, flats and a great top. But my favourite outfit would have to be my high school graduation outfit. I got a budget for everything needed for grad, including a couple dresses, a couple pairs of shoes, hair, the whole deal. I decided to bust the whole budget on a pair of shoes, and settled on a pair of Manolo Blahniks. The amount remaining was $50.00, so I bought a dress from the maternity section of H&M and called it a day. Proudest DIY moment:
I am not nearly as much of a DIY goddess as Jen, I am more of a cook and baker. I recently made a garland for a friends birthday and it turned out pretty excellent! I am having another party next week, and am planning on crafting up some interesting decorations. Best recipe I make:
The best recipe. Hmmm, I make a kick ass caesar salad and it is likely the best thing I make. I also am working towards mastering a bolognese. My mom makes a killer one, and even though I use the same recipe, it doesn’t turn out quite the same.

Where you can typically find me on the weekend:
I can usually be found in the library on weekends. Reluctantly. Otherwise, likely getting drinks at a restaurant. I love drinks, which transitions perfectly into the next question.

The drink you should buy me if you ever see me in the bar:
WINE. All of the wine. But for a real drink, whiskey sour please!

Three completely random things about me:

• I rewarded myself for finishing exams by allowing myself to clean my bathroom. Thoroughly. It was great.
• I am a big fan of the oxford comma, and other unnecessary punctuation.
• I drink milk out of the jug. Don’t tell my roommate.

 

Hello, my name is…

Hi y’all – I guess it’s time for me to introduce myself. I’m Jen, a sarcastic, honest, and stubborn lady living in Vancouver and trying to figure out what life holds for me.

In order to get to know us better, we figured we could answer a few questions about the most important things in life. Check out my answers below.

Favourite piece/type of clothing:
I love a onesie. Others might refer to them as jumpsuits or playsuits, but I like onesie. Even if it immediately reminds you of the outfit you were brought home from the hospital in. It’s the simplicity of being able to pull one piece out of your closet and having pants and top all right there. 

Least favourite fashion trend:
I will never be able to get behind a peplum. Between that and ruffles, there’s just too much unnecessary fabric that is doing nothing to flatter any body type. There’s one exception to this and that was me as a child, because I was clearly killing these looks.

Also, young people need to stop dying their hair grey.

Favourite outfit you’ve ever worn:
I can’t say this is my favourite ever, but I do love this dress and the accompanying belt. It was a steal that I found at JCPenney after being dragged in the store because I never find anything in there. It was for a wedding last summer and it was so comfortable and fun to dance in. Plus I do love me a maxi dress. Please enjoy me wearing it in a rare (grainy) selfie.

Proudest DIY moment:
I recently repainted my kitchen table and chairs. I swear, I nearly cried after finally finishing it. The whole thing took almost two weeks, I was painting a coat after work and doing all the work in my kitchen and living room. The original paint colour was this forest green on the legs and the wood tabletop was a mahogany colour.

Best recipe I make:
I can’t really claim these as my own, I can follow a recipe well but I’m not that creative in the kitchen when it comes to making my own stuff. I do make a pretty good butternut squash risotto and spaghetti carbonara.  

Where you can typically find me on the weekend:
Usually starting another home project that I regret starting two days later. Chapters is my happy place so tend to make a stop there every few weeks, I can spend hours in there and come away with books that will sit on my shelf for months before I get around to reading it. Usually by mid-afternoon or the evening I’ll be socializing over drinks, preferably on a patio. 

The drink you should buy me if you ever see me in the bar:
You can never go wrong with wine. And like Annie I like a whiskey sour. I’ll also take a vodka soda. If I’m being honest, I wont turn down much in the way of a free drink, except maybe beer.  

Three completely random things about me:

• I cannot stand mismatched socks. You need to reexamine your life if you can’t even get your damn socks organized
• I love a sunset, but I can’t recall the last time I saw the sunrise. My bed is much more preferable. Also, I LOVE sleep. I’m pretty much an expert.
• Solo kitchen dance parties are the best way to brighten up a bad day. Two songs that’ll always get me moving are Toto by Africa and Shake it off by Taylor Swift.

Hello

Andrea (l) & Jen (r)

As two funny girls from Vancouver with a passion for well-priced fashion, we’re bringing some much-needed irony to the world of fashion blogging.

If the picture to the left (to the left) doesn’t make it clear, we don’t necessarily fit the mold of the typical fashion blogger. It took some time for us to figure out where to buy clothes that look good at a reasonable price, so we want to share our shallow pool of knowledge with you.

Be forewarned, we’re all about Converse sneakers instead of heels. Messy top knots instead of perfectly tousled waves.

We consider ourselves the antithesis of goop. We’ll try to throw some kale in a smoothie every once and awhile, but we don’t pretend to like it. The only thing we love more than wine is food, so we will share every delicious creation we concoct with you.

Because we are on a budget, and we love to live in beautiful spaces we try to do the best we can with what we have and make it lovely. We typically start DIY adventures in order to procrastinate other things we need to do (such as cleaning the bathroom – Jen) and we’ll share the results, good or bad, with you.

And full disclosure, we can’t be held accountable for what’s written here, because most of it will be typed after a few glasses of wine.

You can reach us at therillgirls@therillgirls.com