This week, my raison d'etre brought me to Liberty Village and a brand new store called Vocado . Open for just over a month, the boutique, owned by Emily Dobbie, is an intimate space and a must-stop shop for anyone who's interested in style or fashion.

I'm not exactly a fashionista. That term, at least in my mind, is reserved for that rare breed of person who has no problem picking up, "this old thing?" or whatever "wasn't dirty" and throwing it together to create a jaw-droppingly unique outfit. And no matter how much I try (for example, my very short stint at Ryerson 's School of Fashion), or dare to dream (wouldn't it be awesome if I was on, like, Project Runway !?), I never will be.

This is why I've started to accept my fate and have begun turning to fashionable friends and trendy store owners for help. My mission? To find a style that reflects me (whoever I am) and the way I view life. (I know... lofty goals.)

From the minimalist look of the store (the white walls, large windows and central wooden pillars), to the window display, Vocado is pretty much everything I've been looking for in a boutique.

There are the Hunter boots ($132) and the multicoloured tank by LnE ($149, a label from Montreal), as well as the I-can't-stop-thinking-about-it blue and white short-sleeve sweater by Majolie ($164). There are the cigarette jeans by J Brand ($240) and then the awesome leather clutches ($120-$150) scattered throughout the store. There's even an amazingly cute bikini from Destineau ($220), which, if I were in better shape, I'd actually try on. And I'm pretty much in love with the BB Dakota skirts and dresses ($55-$100).

It's all very California/Vancouver cool, mixed in with some hip and modern influences. I ask Emily what she did before opening the store (because surely someone this stylish and with this must fashion sense must have some sort of training). "I was an accountant," she said, smiling back at me (wearing one of those effortlessly chic outfits I mentioned above). Turns out, Emily left the 9-5 to pursue what is very clearly a god-given talent (the envy of my every day existence). I laugh shaking my head in disbelief. "Want to be my personal stylist?" I ask. Emily just laughs. Little does she know, I'm really quite serious.

Writing and photos by Sarah Kelsey