pink lemonade margaritas...

Sometimes nothing is better than a Saturday night with your girl friends. Doing your make-up together, sipping on wine or cocktails, and laughing at each other's stories. I've had a lot of fun the last two weekends, having the opportunity to hit the town with some of my favourites.

Pink lemonade + skinny girl margarita= one tasty drink!

I need this Urban Decay palette Katie has.

Arm party!

I never really go anywhere without my camera.

We ended the night with an appetizer and socializing at Britt's pub.

The Outfit  Dress: Jack BB Dakota (Je Suis Prest Boutique) | Wedges: Aldo | Tights: Walmart

Belt: Eddie Bauer | Cuff bracelet: Esquared (Silver Daisy Designs) | Bangles: Aldo | Necklace: H&M

Sweater: Press (Je Suis Prest Boutique)

Find it online: dress, shoes, similar belt, similar necklace, similar cardigan, make-up palette

How was your weekend? My weekend was a blast- double date with friends at a local sushi spot on Friday, the Urban Glam party (featuring new holiday wear from Je Suis Prest Boutique and The Urban Shoe Myth) followed by dancing at the Canterbury, and then coffee and browsing the Christmas flea market yesterday. It's funny how the weekends are supposed to be our down time from the week- but I like to pack mine with as much time with friends as possible!

Stay tuned! Tomorrow the photos from the Urban Glam party will be up on my blog and the Facebook page. Thanks to the girls at Je Suis Prest, Urban Shoe Myth, and Design 4 Space for an amazing time! The added bonus is that proceeds from the evening went to a great cause: The Coverdale Centre, a drop-in centre for women in Saint John providing shelter and case management services to assist in addictions, mental health issues, employment and affordable housing.

3 trends: 1 outfit...

Earlier this week I wore this outfit to have my photo taken by Kâté, a photographer with the Telegraph Journal. I had fun eyeing the beautiful shoes in The Urban Shoe Myth while peering through their shelving, with Kâté on the other side with her camera. (From my understanding the photo is to included along side of an upcoming article about how retail in Saint John is changing.) 

Afterwards, I stole away to a quiet Uptown street where I could take out fit photos in a low-traffic area.

The Outfit   Black Blazer c/o Boa Apparel Inc | Brown top- Joe Fresh | Bracelets: Aldo

Sheer print top: BB Dakota (Je Suis Prest Boutique) | Jeans: 7 for all Mankind (Envy)

Shoes (similar): Steve Madden (The Urban Shoe Myth)

In this outfit I combined a few of my favourite trends for all: mixing black and browns, sporting animal prints, and mixing metals (gold and silver). What have been your favourite fall trends to experiment with?


And just before you go, I was wondering if I could ask you a quick favour?

I'm running a short survey just to get feedback on how I can improve my blog and learn a little more about the preferences of my readers. If you have a few moments, l would really appreciate it if you could answer some quick questions, even if this is your first visit! Participation and all answers are anonymous. Please click below to participate:

Maritime Shopaholic Reader Survey

floral & fur...

If there's one thing I've learned in the last (almost) 2 years of reading (and writing) fashion and style blogs, it's that being stylish doesn't always have a guaranteed or straight-forward recipe for success. Knowing your body and what you can pull off is an important aspect, but experimenting with different layers, textures, and colour combinations can be a fun exploration because in fashion, sometimes anything goes! (But it doesn't always.)

I've expanded my own personal style from the "shirt + pants + shoes = outfit" formula. I've learned layering pieces and accessorizing is a way to add interest or sophistication to an outfit. I've also learned that sometimes with outfit experimentation comes a hit or a miss.

This fall I've been inspired by other bloggers to up my efforts at finding new and interesting ways of combining and layering different textures.

The Outfit  Skirt (Old Navy) | Top (Jack BB Dakota, Je Suis Prest Boutique)

Sweater (American Eagle) | Necklace (Banana Republic) | Tights c/o We Love Colors

Boots (Born, The Urban Shoe Myth) | Beret (H&M) | Bracelet (Aldo)

I have to say, this beige sweater has been an all-time favourite and go-to of mine over the last few years. It's a nice neutral colour and, well, I love anything with a hood!

I can't believe that the holidays are closing in on us! Although I'm not over-eager enough to have pulled out the Christmas decor just yet, I have started planning what events and parties I'm going to attend. First up: the Urban Glam holiday party hosted by Je Suis Prest Boutique, The Urban Shoe Myth, and Design 4 Space this coming Saturday night (after having a peek at the Santa Claus Parade of course)! 

Will I be seeing you at this Saint John fashion event?

wedding by the sea...

Last weekend B and I headed down to St. Andrews by-the-Sea for his cousin's wedding. Talk about beautiful settings for any event, especially nuptials, this adorable sea side town hosts charming houses with character along streets with copious greenery; a street full of cute little shops right up against the ocean; opportunities for whale watching; an awesome marine research centre (with aquarium, touch pool, and an up close visit with seals!); and a gorgeous historic resort (that may be haunted). I spent a lot of time in the summers of my childhood visiting this town. So an opportunity to get an extra visit to St. Andrews before  the winter, combined with a celebration: sounds like a pretty good Saturday to me!  

The Outfit  Dress (Pink Martini, Je Suis Prest) | Necklace (Aldo) | Belt (Old Navy) | 

Glitter tights (gifted) | Shoes (Guess, Manchester Shoes) | Purse (Coach) | Coat (Soia & Kyo, Envy)

Just this past weekend, I went the opposite way on the map to meet up with friends in Moncton for a wine fair. Sipping vino, laughing with friends, and just hanging out in our hotel room at the casino made for an excellent weekend!

urban jungle...

Sometimes it can be fairly difficult to find an obscure location to shoot outfit photos that's for sure! I managed to tuck away in a corner uptown- with it being noon, the sun was too bright and there were lots of people out and about on their lunch hour! I've gotten the hang of choosing the best physical settings and natural lighting for my photos, but I still have so much to learn about the potential of owning an SLR!

This dress was a BB Dakota pick from Shopbop after winning Jessica's blog giveaway a few months ago.

The Outfit Dress (BB Dakota- Shopbop) | Tights (American Apparel) | Top (Joe Fresh)

Booties (Michael Kors- The Urban Shoe Myth) | Necklace (Aldo) | Bag (Coach)

And I was lucky enough to have Barb pick me up these tights from American Apparel during her vacation in Halifax a few weeks ago. (Thanks again my friend!) I'd have to say for opaque tights, American Apparel are my favourite. They lean on the more pricey side of things, but they general stay intact if you don't swipe and snag them with rings (like I tend to do...)

Coloured tights are always a fall must-have on my list! I've managed to gather a good collection- all that is missing is mustard and camel! What are your favourite colours for tights/pantyhose?

Pssst. I have three giveaways coming up on the blog soon!

Have a great weekend everyone!

colonel mustard...

It seems a lot of my fall purchases have incidently been from the brand Pink Martini (they're a Canadian label!)- this sweater being one of those items. I'd have to say this wrap knit cardigan is easily winning out for my favourite sweater right now. I love this mustard colour that seems to be going with anything in my wardrobe lately- it definitely tops my list of favourite fall colours.

The Outfit  Sweater (Pink Martini- Je Suis Prest) | Shoes (Aldo) | Blouse (Mink Pink- Je Suis Prest) Purse (Fossil- Manchester Shoes) | Necklace (Maison Scotch- Envy) | Earrings (Joe Fresh)- similar 

Jeans (7 for All Mankind- Envy) 

I can't believe it's Thursday already! This week has flown by- which is just fine by me since I have plans I've been really looking forward to! I'm heading to Moncton this weekend to visit my sister and attend the wine fair with some of my very lovely girl friends (who are travelling from over from Fredericton and Halifax). My weekend is going to be all about catching up, laughing over inside jokes, and sipping some wine- can't wait!

What's your plans for the weekend? 

last call for knee socks!

I feel a little like I below on a mountain top with braids or yodelling in this outfit, but sometimes it's a little fun when your outfit takes on a bit of character (without looking like a costume). I think this is officially the last time you'll see these shorts before spring. I've tucked a few more things away in my seasonal bin downstairs and it's almost time to lug up the heavier coats and boots! After all, I'm pretty sure I spotted frost on my car's wind shield this morning (from the warmth of my living room of course- one benefit of having your office at home).

Click the links below to see where you can the find these items online.

The Outfit  Vest: H&M | Blouse: H&M (similiar) | Shorts: Old Navy  

Socks: American Apparel (similar) | Bracelet: ESquared- Silver Daisy Designs

Necklace: Aldo Accessories | Booties: Michael Kors- The Urban Shoe Myth

Yesterday, one of the local radio stations was talking about taking bets on when we'll have the first snowfall (of at least 1cm- gross.) Last year it was right after Halloween. Starting to think about snow has meet thinking of ideas of how to capture interesting outfit photos without resorting to my living room wall as the back drop. 

Any good suggestions for interesting locations sheltered or indoors once the dreaded winter hits?

I'd love to hear your suggestions for keeping it interesting down below in the comments! Also, just feel free to say hi. :)