Hi. I’m Melissa. I design and illustrate for a living and am technically based out of Toronto but right now, on Tuesday, Jan 10th 2017, I reside in Nara, Japan. 

I’m only here for a short time so my apartment is cosy but limited as I have to re-think how and if I should purchase something that I may not be able to take back with me to Canada. As such, I’ve grown wary and tired of shopping for clothes and having to pick outfits simply to get to work gets stressful. I’m not a hoarder or a compulsive shopper by a long shot, but after mulling over the concept and aesthetics of a mindful and minimalist lifestyle, I’ve decided I’m going to start making small changes. 

This is not a drastic change for me, it’s been sometime coming. I was raised with very little in a very tiny one bedroom apartment with 2 other siblings. We ate on the floor and slept on the floor. We legitimately did not have a dining table until I turned 14. Many changes came and went in my life and in my mid-twenties, I decided to ditch meat to get some semblance of control and awareness in my life which was a spiralling mess of angst. Since then, I’ve been taking slow steps to regaining myself as a person.

This is my documentation while trying to live more with less, to leave a lighter footprint on this earth and to create a space and a life for myself that I like and look forward to.

If you care to know, I’m a stumpy 5'4 inch asian lady at 69kgs. It’s not easy finding clothes for me that don’t scream “AMERICAN APPAREL” and it has taken my years to actually understand what my body works with. Victoria’s Secret and its croonies are liars; not all boobs are like the ones that are on the model. I don’t have a ‘style’ nor do I care to be a fashionista. My wardrobe requirements are cuteness (in form), comfort (in function) and affordability (not made of money). 

xo