this is london...

Weekend before last I was in Toronto spending time with two of my favourite ladies. Saturday night Kristen threw a going away party pot luck style since this would be one of their last weekends in TO...her and Jan are moving across the pond to London this month! (I'm excited for her but also sad to have her move further away!) We had drinks and then were off in cabs downtown to dance the night away and had a great time at the bar This Is London.

The Outfit

Black sheer blouse- H&M (Moncton, August '10)

Pink skirt- H&M (Toronto, June '10)

Necklace- H&M (Toronto, December '08)

Shoes- Aldo (Toronto, December '09)

Headband- Silver Daisy Designs (SJ, Sept '10)

bounty at the bay...

Sunday, we shopped the 3rd floor of the Bay at Dundas Square in downtown Toronto. Many a beautiful things were spotted, many of which were a bit out of my price range. According to my BFF Kristen, the Bay had been recently remodeled to offer a upscale display of hot designers on their 3rd floor.

One section was dedicated to one of my favourite labels (also found on the racks of Je Suis Prest at home), Free People. I love the beautiful patterns, soft materials, and bohemian style.

Then there was Halston Heritage, for which Sarah Jessica Parker is the Creative Advisor for. The clothing had a very Carrie Bradshaw feeling to them.

(The shiny wall catches my reflection!)

Layouts were designated for Rachel Roy's Signature and Rachel lines. The Rachel Roy Signature line has many beautiful luxe items, but they come with a heftier price tag.

Rachel Roy's RACHEL line is a bit more affordable. There were many items I would have loved to take home with me!

I absolutely love this scripted blouse!

I eventually decided to go without the blouse, but I realized I could hook hangers to my new Coach purse and still shop hands free!

Sarah browsing BCBG's racks...

As you go further back on the 3rd floor, the lines become a bit more affordable. There was also a section was designated to Bench apparel...

Esprit

Guess

Calvin Klein

Me trying on a funky hair band that was originally over $100 in price!

We even found Pink Tartan!

And then there is a section called The Room featuring designer items that would all easily be over $500. Needless to say, we didn't bother torturing ourselves! haha.

fall transitions...

I don't know about you, but once the fall breeze started to blow, I stood in front of my closet and felt bored of what I saw. From the earlier pre-fall days I was flipping through my typical stack of fashion magazines, making my wish list and checking it twice! However, I'm a gal on a budget (until B wins the millions). Mixing some of my summer neutrals with sweaters and tights have allowed me to wear them into the fall. I've been slowly adding new items to my wardrobe to spice up outfits I already have and make them current.

This weekend I was in Toronto with two of my most favourite ladies- one of which is moving to London (England) within a month! I tend to go a little shop crazy on my trips to the big city, but I managed to control myself this time, I even managed to put a few items back on the shelves. But that doesn't mean I didn't bring home some amazing finds! These photos are from our shopping on Bloor West on Saturday afternoon (in tomorrow's posts I'll show you what's actually in those bags).

The Outfit:

• 
  
  Sweater- American Eagle (SJ, 1-2 yrs ago)
• 
  
  Brownish grey dress- lovelygirl- Twisted Muse (Halifax, July '10)
• 
  
  Brown belt- Eddie Bauer (Moncton, August '06)
• 
  
  Olive green pantyhose- American Apparel (Halifax, Sept '10)
• 
  
  Brown oxfords- Aldo (Halifax, Sept '10)
• 
  
  Purse- Guess- Walsh Lugguage (SJ, Feb '09) 

I have to admit, I paid almost $20 for those tights. American Apparel, although I do like their retro, funky pieces, can be pricey. Barb of blogblogblog let me know that at We Love Colours you can score a larger variety for less. I've been eyeing their knee highs to transition some of my dresses and skirts into fall.

quest for the green shoes...

Last Sunday, Kristen and I headed out to browse shops on Bloor Street West in search of a pair of green shoes I could wear for my wedding (see previous post) and any other beautiful finds that might cross our path.

 

The Outfit

1. 
   
   Green military shirt- Mango (2 days prior in the Eaton Center)
2. 
   
   Braided belt- Eddie Bauer (Moncton, 4 yrs ago)
3. 
   
   Skinny jeans- Nissi jeans- Pseudio (Spring '10)
4. 
   
   Sandals- Clarks- Winners (Spring '10)
5. 
   
   Sunglasses- Michael Kors- TJ Maxx (April '09)

So the last picture shows one small problem I encountered last weekend- a cold. I had a hard time speaking and my voice varied from sounding like an elderly woman who's just smoked 2 packs, from a creepy whisper, to a raspy version of my former self. But I wasn't going to let that slow me down- I carried cough syrup and Advil cold & sinus around like they were my best buddies. I'm still suffering from said cold but at least I don't sound nearly as awful!

Our first stop was to H&M. I have to hand it to this store- this is a great place to buy trendy pieces without breaking the bank. Most of the time I splurge on tops and dresses- because they tend to be the pieces that make an outfit for me and finding the perfect fit in a pair of pants might be more of a challenge. I decided that I had already bought enough new clothing to cover my upper half and today was strictly about covering the bottom half! I scored at H&M with 3 pairs of shorts for only $20 each, and 2 cute skirts (one of which was only $15). 

As for the shoe search, this venture wasn't successful this time around but I will keep looking! And I wanted to thank everyone who sent me links to green shoes already- I so appreciate the help! I haven't found anything that quite fits what I'm looking for, but I've got 12 months to go! Please do send any other suggestions my way if you happen to wander across something that might fit the bill!

Here are the lovely shoes we did encounter that afternoon in the shoe section of Holt Renfrew!

Hello Jimmy Choo!

Darling Dior!

Pretty in Prada!

Glam Miu Mius!

(Yes, I am attracted to shiny objects...)

I know we all recognize these shoes!

Carrie's wedding shoes from the 1st Sex and the City movie!

I dream of owning a pair of Manolos...

Aw, Lovely Louboutins!

(from his wedding collection)

more martinis....

So in Toronto last weekend (I did say I'd have a lot of material for the week!), after a day of spa treatments, manicure/nail treatment, and some resale designer shopping...Kristen and I headed back to her apartment for dinner and to get ready for a girls' night out. That evening we hit up Eat My Martini for drinks with some other ladies. 

This is their oversized martini menu....one side of it, that is. 

They only serve over 130 martinis...no big deal or anything..

Click here to view a sample of their menu (unless you're in

reach of a magnifying glass to read the picture above...)

Bar Interior

Hard Candy Martini

Chocolate Factory Martini

Mango flavoured Martini

Kristen & I at Eat My Martini

The Look:

Lace print dress- American Apparel (Halifax, April '10)

Flower necklace- Aldo Acessories (Eaton Centre, the day before)

Yellow clutch- Coach (gift from Kristen)

Black studded shoes- Aldo (Toronto, Dec '10)

We then headed out to meet others and end the night with dancing at LoKi Lounge.