One of my favorite vintage blogs is Lottie Loves, run by Brit-turned-California super-mom Lottie. One regular feature of her blog is Finishing School, where she alphabetically runs through goals and post challenges for her followers to complete. Since I'm late to the game, I am going to start posting backwards from the latest, starting with O and then try to catch up. She posts them one a month so if I'm on the ball I will catch up in no time!

Your Challenge:

1. Write down three words you think describe your image now. 

2. Now write down three words you would like to use to describe your image. 

3. Now write down three things you love about the way you present yourself be it in terms of what you wear, how you act or what you do. If you can’t find three things then you have some work to do. 

4. Write down five things you can do to change your image to how you want it to be or further enhance those good bits of your present image. This bit is simple. It need only be a five point list. Make sure your aims are realistic and achievable in the next two weeks. Your list could look something like this:
A good manicure and pedicure
Style my hair daily
Wear more/some make up
Find and use that gorgeous handbag I’ve got stored somewhere.
Buy a beautiful winter coat (regardless of whether this is on your list or not I highly recommend a good winter coat. It is the staple of any winter wardrobe as it can cover a multitude of sins effortlessly and with style. Do aim to buy a coloured coat rather than a black one. Black is so oppresive and does nothing to lift your mood or confidence during these darker months) 

If you feel you’ve already covered the basics of your image over the course of the last few weeks think about what you need to do to step it up. Perhaps you need to introduce a regular exercise routine (image incorporates fitness too, a lazy or unhealthy person is always lower achieving), practise a hair tutorial, indulge in better make up, find a college course (stimulating the brain ALWAYS helps with image and identity, it’s part of how we percieve ourselves), there are many steps you can take towards self improvement from the simple to the more challenging that will improve your image.

First of all - so so so sorry for the delay! I've had a massively busy week that only promises to get busier *sigh* so my blogging has fallen a wee bit by the wayside.
On to today's challenge! I'm quite happy with my image and how I'm percieved, but there's always room for improvement.

Three words you think describe you now:
Erm, I'm bad at things like this. I like to think I'm well-put together, friendly & approachable and - most importantly - that I look like a real person!

Three words you would like to describe you:
I want to be seen as more involved and engaged with the world - particularly with politics - because I feel like I don't know as much as I should as a journalist. Overall I'd just like to seem smarter. I don't know if people perceive me as dumb, I'd just like to always continue learning.
I'd also like to be more environmentally friendly. I've started being really conscious of my excess wasting and am trying to curb that, but I'd like to get more into alternate modes of transportation, but it's hard to do in a spread-out, car-tailored city like Camrose.
I'd also like to be more fit and healthier. It's not like I'm always on my deathbed but a little exercise wouldn't kill me. I have started eating better, taking vitamins and drinking more water, so that's a start!


Three things you love about the way you present yourself:
I love that I can do my hair in vintage styles. I was never much of a hair-styler in high school (which is why I kept it pretty short) so I'm amazed that I've figured out how to curl it and put it up into victory rolls and other 'dos.

My first victory roll, huzzah!

I love the way I do my make-up - it isn't too much or too little. I find it to be subtle and suitable for all occasions.

My daily staples: tinted moisturizer, black liquid eyeliner and red lipstick!

 I also love how I dress.  I find that no matter the occasion, I always feel appropriately dressed and ready (image-wise) for whatever gets thrown my way. 

Hurrah for dresses! This one passed the photo-squat test.

Five things you can do to change your image:
Oh geeze I don't know if I can keep it just to five!
I'd like to wear more vintage clothing. Sometimes I feel like I'm not getting my style right and that it would be so much more authentic with a 40s skirt or blouse, even if it's paired with modern things. That said, I'm scared of buying vintage because if I wrecked it I'd never be able to forgive myself.

I'd also like to take better care of my nails. I'm always moisturizing my hands, but my cuticles are always cracked and my nails are always horribly short. I actually haven't painted my nails since I did the Finishing School: Nails post. Oops.


This isn't really anything major but I do need to get a haircut. My hair isn't super long, but is getting really thick and could use a little bit of shaping. There's one section that no matter how thin I make it seems to never curl properly. *pout*


My posture is still pretty bad, so I'd like to keep on trying to fix that. Damn you computers!

I'd like to learn more about local history and about vintage style in general. If I could spend all day every day reading our archives at the Canadian, I would. There's only 103 years to read, how long could it take?

OK I have a lot of work to do today and tomorrow so if I don't want to work overtime I better get cracking!

Toodles! xo