Do you ever read a tweet or a line in an article and go, “Whoa, that’s something.” The words you just read make you pause, literally and figuratively. I am so thankful that thoughts can push me way, way back and entice me to rethink what I thought I knew

To celebrate my birthday (Thanks for the push, Mom), I am using less words to express myself. Shocking, I know. Please enjoy this silly chart, a true expression of my business school education, to decipher - once and for all - what you would ideally wear on your birthday.

If your idea of fun includes wearing a full snowsuit over your clothes and having to layer in double-digit items, this weather is for you. If not, well, buckle in until the next Chinook arrives. On the one hand I do love the winter snow. It makes our city quite picturesque. On the other hand it’s a pain to get around in.

Parties that ring in the new year can get a bit overwhelming. All that built up expectation and plans and romance and whatnot. It's a lot. I love New Years parties but every few years I tend to switch it up and head to the mountain. All that fresh air and exercise clears the mind and ensures deep sleep come night. The healing powers of powder, aprés ski, and hot tubs… ahhhhh. I want to grab my gear and hit the road.

Before we welcome the last official long weekend of summer, eek, it’s time for the annual MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) style review. There’s nothing like a sticky New York City evening to remind you what’s hot about summer and in music. This year's production was similar to past years: messy camera cuts, click-bait promotions, and naked “fashion.” Same, same aside I did however notice a shift. This year was totally dominated by women in entertainment. Giddy up!

On my most recent trip to Las Vegas something stood out to me in a way I had never noticed before. This is a city that can be described as the best and the worst of western, specifically American, culture. Anything goes. It is the least judgmental place I’ve been. You can do almost anything here as long as you have the cash. To bring my point home, you’ve likely heard the city’s slogan, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”

For most of us, the face we are born with is the face we have for life. I was born with a serious face. What does a serious face look like? Well my version of it manifests like so: strong brow bones with angular brows; sharp, defined nose and jaw line; and maybe the most influential feature, my down-turned slim lipped mouth. Likely if I had any one of these features one its own it may not have such a severe effect. But I do. More simply put, I am in possession of a resting bitch face (RBF).

While many Calgarians were at Folk Fest this past weekend I was at the Pennywise and Danzig concert at MacEwan Hall. I could talk about Folk Fest but to save everyone time, I won’t. It’s basically Coachella-Lite from a style perspective. Rather, I’d like to focus on what the punk and metal community wear; it’s back to black.

Now that I am in the swing of my annual nuptial season (three down, two to go) I was curious as to what people spend on wedding fashion. Not only what the couple and their wedding party will spend, but the guests too. As I have no first-hand bridal experience, I went digging.

Self-expression through clothing, or lack thereof, is a huge element to the party. One of the ways to self-love, acceptance and exploration is through the clothing they wear. Look no further than the parades to see bright colours, sequins and sparkle galore. Not everyone is sartorially flamboyant – and that’s okay too. It appears to me that people embrace whatever version of oneself you’d like to share that day. Good for you. There are no rules except love. Especially for Pride, I say, wear whatever you feel good in. Whether it’s hot pants, bedazzled wings, or jeans and a T; you shimmy, shake and sway to whatever drum beat your heart desires. Just be you.

The thing that most stands out, for me, are the way each of the characters keep or fight their individuality through how they wear and style their clothes. Their personal style both in prison and the clothes worn in the flashbacks help tell each person’s story. It’s fascinating. I am surprised that orange, tan, white and heather grey uniforms can appear so different.

I pride myself on getting a stylish deal. I also pride myself on having quality-crafted items in my wardrobe for years and years. So it should not be a surprise that often the two statements are more mutually exclusive than the Venn diagram of closet awesomeness I was hoping for. I want to have the cake and eat it too. So being a somewhat rational person on a self-propelled journey of enlightenment, I decided to weigh the pros and cons of fast fashion.