November Favourites

November Favourites blog post cover

Before this blog goes in full blown Christmas mode, indulge in my November favourites for trendy fall/winter fashion finds, cozy home decor for the holidays, new music you need to hear and two juicy shows that will have you hooked from the first episode!

Fashion

Let’s start this off with two fashion must-haves for your late fall/early winter wardrobe!

 

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* Shackets *

EXACT: Check Shacket, Boohoo, $52.80 // SIMILAR: Keelee Jacket Blue, Princess Polly, $114; Houston Shacket in Khaki Camo, Garage, $54.95

Shackets (“shirt jackets”) are the new it jacket and they’re the perfect solution for wanting to wear a flannel in the colder months while keeping yourself warm and cozy. To get multiple outfits out of one jacket, I recommend wearing it undone with a thermal long-sleeve underneath, or pairing it with your fave plain-coloured sweater as temperatures start to drop.

Girl wearing UGG Winter Boots
(Photo courtesy of tradesy.com)

* UGG Boots *

Adirondack III Boot, UGG, $295 // Yose Fluff, UGG, $195

You’ve likely seen UGG slippers taking over your Instagram feed since the start of stay-at-home orders. In addition to their classic styles, you may be surprised to know UGG also sells a wide selection of traditional winter boots — a wise pick for our unpredictable Canadian winters! The Adirondack boot pictured above is a top seller, temperature rated to -32˚C, while the Yose Fluff (my fave!) keeps your feet toasty — and gives you the on-trend look — for less. 💸

Home Decor

Why wait until December to make your space as festive as possible?!

Small flocked Christmas tree with jute base from Indigo

* Small Tree with Jute Base *

Available from Indigo for $34.50

Decked out with stunningly realistic flocked branches, this 24″ tree is perfect for a table centrepiece or small space in your room. Stay tuned to my Instagram to see how I decorate mine!

Hockey Moose ornament from Indigo, featuring a moose fitted with an oversized red and white jersey with a hockey stick and skates

* Hockey Moose Ornament *

Available from Indigo for $14.50

I already know this will be the best ornament on my tree. It doesn’t get much cuter, or more Canadian, than a stuffed moose with a hockey stick! He just needs a double double from Tim Hortons to cement his citizenship. 🇨🇦

Wool-sock stripe print throw blanket from Simons

* Wool-Sock Stripe Throw *

Available from Simons for $45

Once your tree is up, maximize the Christmas vibes with an oversized blanket for your bed or couch — perfect for nights in watching holiday movies. As you can imagine, it was love at first sight with this wool-sock printed throw from Simons. Grab a pair of equally-cozy striped wool socks to complete the best matching set you could possibly own!

Music

Ahead of having your Christmas playlist on repeat 24/7, press play on my picks for the best new music of the month!

* Plastic Hearts by Miley Cyrus (Album) *

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve heard a record with no skips, but Miss Miley brought all the heat for her new ’70s and ’80s pop-rock inspired album, Plastic Hearts. Announced in August alongside the release of lead single “Midnight Sky,” this long-awaited album is Miley’s first full-length release since 2017 and follows 2019’s She Is Coming, which ended up being a stand-alone EP from the scrapped She Is Miley Cyrus project. I’m holding out hope we can see some of these tracks performed live in 2021, especially the powerhouse collab with Dua Lipa, “Prisoner.” (P.S. If 2020 has brought us anything positive, it’s been the amount and quality of these catchy female collabs — from Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B, to Dua and Miley, to Bebe Rexha and Doja Cat. Give it to me, ladies! 🔥)

Must-listen tracks: “Plastic Hearts” (a solid title track!), “Night Crawling” featuring Billy Idol (this was made for being in the pit at a concert jamming out), and “Prisoner” with Dua Lipa (watch the music video above!)

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Playlist: May finds & faves

May finds & faves playlist cover - Angela McLean

Can we just take a minute to appreciate all of the incredible new music that came out this month? One of my favourite Canadian artists Felix Cartal dropped his new album ‘Next Season’ (more on that in our interview coming out soon!), Clean Bandit released their long-awaited single with Demi Lovato, Shawn Mendes released his near-perfect third album and that’s just scratching the surface.

Though I’ve loved the new music, I’ve also put some of my favourite bright, spring-summer tracks back into my playlists.

Scroll down for this month’s ‘finds & faves’ playlist and some of the must-listens.

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Playlist: March finds & faves

March finds & faves playlist cover - Angela McLean

March is a month of transition, so it’s understandable that this month’s playlist has a little bit of everything. Here in Toronto, the weather can’t decide whether it wants to stick with the bitter chill of winter or the welcome warmth and sunshine of spring. Likewise, at school, I’m bouncing from assignment to assignment, with every short burst of down time interrupted by panic mode.

I need music for every mood. You know what that means: Get ready for some great variety!

Scroll down for this month’s full ‘finds & faves’ playlist and some must-listen tracks.

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NEW MUSIC FRIDAY: Songs to Get You Stoked for Summer

Moog For Love - Disclosure cover art

With new music releases moving from Mondays to Fridays, it’s about time my monthly playlists move to Fridays as well. Plus, is there really any better way to kick off the weekend?

This Monday, June 20, is the first day of summer, which means it’s officially time to stock up on summer music. Luckily, the past few weeks have been filled with tons of new releases from all our favourite artists like Shawn Mendes, Ariana Grande and Nick Jonas.

For this beautiful month of June, I have pulled together 13 of my new favourite songs into one handy about-to-be-on-repeat playlist. Before you listen to it in full, preview five tunes that I guarantee will be stuck in your head after just one listen.

“Treat You Better” by Shawn Mendes

For music lovers like me here in Toronto, the iHeartRadio MMVAs serve as the official kickoff to summer party. Our favourite Toronto-area singer Shawn Mendes knows that, and released this awesome track just in time to perform it for the first time on live television at the MMVAs this Sunday, June 19. Excited is an understatement.

“All In My Head (Flex)” by Fifth Harmony featuring Fetty Wap

Everything about Fifth Harmony’s new single screams SUMMER! It’s light and upbeat, fun and flirty and an all-around bop. The follow-up to their smash “Work from Home,” this track will be all that’s in your head this summer.

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The 2015 JUNO Awards Slam Into Hamilton

The 2015 JUNO Awards logo

Once a year, The JUNO Awards bring a star-studded spectacle to one lucky Canadian city. This past weekend (March 15), it was Hamilton, Ontario that saw artists such as Shawn Mendes, MAGIC!, The Weeknd and Kiesza take the stage at FirstOntario Centre to crown a new batch of Canadian talent and entertain the crowd with amazing performances. Although many of the awards were handed out in advance at The JUNO Gala Dinner and Awards, the main show was not one to be missed!

Hedley frontman and JUNOs host Jacob Hoggard. (photo via much.ca)
Hedley frontman and JUNOs host Jacob Hoggard. (photo via much.ca)

This year’s JUNO host Jacob Hoggard opened the show with his Hedley bandmates performing their hit single, “Anything”. The performance, complete with pyrotechnics, was so hot it actually set off the venue’s fire alarm!

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