urban rancher...

I'm always trying different looks and remixing items from my closet- but aside from the visual appeal of an outfit, the most important factor is always comfort! It may not be fancy or appropriate for a cocktail party, but I can go out for a coffee date with a friend or curl up on my couch and type up a blog post wearing this ensemble.

A year ago when I took on 30 for 30 challenge posed by Kendi Everyday I learned that it's how you mix and match elements and how you accessorize that can make your wardrobe go further- it's not actually dependent on how many items are hanging in your closet. Essentially, the accessorizes (hat, scarf, necklace, earrings, bracelets, belt..) can totally change the vibe of an outfit and making sure you combine at least 3 items (i.e. top + vest + bottoms or dress + belt + coloured tights + statement necklace) in an ensemble that can bring an outfit from plain to stylish.

The Outfit  Shearling vest (Gentle Fawn, Je Suis Prest) | Jeggings (Guess, Envy) 

Shirt (similiar): Joe Fresh | Boots: Born- Urban Shoe Myth

Bracelet (ESquared, Silver Daisy Designs)

This shearling vest from Je Suis Prest Boutique has to be one of my favourite versatile items to remix. And speaking of Je Suis Prest, if you're local, have you heard about their Urban Glam Party coming up on Saturday, November 19? They're pairing up with The Urban Shoe Myth (and Design 4 Space) to showcase Saint John's exciting fashions and shoes for the upcoming holidays all while supporting a great cause in the Coverdale Centre for Women. Tickets go on sale for $30 today- and I anticipate they'll be sold out very soon because I do believe the max number is 150! Hop into Je Suis Prest Boutique or The Urban Shoe Myth to get your tickets ASAP! 

Will I be seeing you at the Urban Glam Party?

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!

Sex & the City...

I wore this outfit to Silver Daisy's Sex & the City themed fashion show fundraiser a little over a week ago. My originally planned outfit didn't work out as planned, so I threw this ensemble together in record time. I remember the time when it was a faux pas to mix black and brown, black and blue and especially black and navy. Truly a thing of the past-  there seems to be an almost "anything goes" in fashion- what matters is how you style it and having it come together tastefully!

The Outfit  Dress: Valerie Dumaine- Black Dog Boutique (SJ, July '11) | Belt: Old Navy (SJ, Aug '11)

Tights: gifted from Barb | Shoes (similar): Guess- Manchester Shoe Salon (SJ, Oct '11)

Clutch: Kate Spade (ordered online, July '11) | Bangles: Aldo (Moncton, Aug '11)

Check out my photos from the event here:

• Photo album: Silver Daisy SATC Soiree

Thanks to Kate for snapping my photos!

labour day wedding...

Tweet

So what to do when you have a closet full of dresses but none seem to do the trick..? Go shopping of course! I've been trying to keep "just because I want to" shopping trips to a minimum as of lately to ensure I can afford my must-have list for Fall. Yet, despite the fact that I have plenty of dresses, all seemed too casual, didn't fit, wrong season, white (eek) or were just too serious (black). Also, here brought forth an opportunity to add that something burgundy from my fall wish-list... 

 

 

 

The Outfit

• Dress: Pink Martini- Je Suis Prest Boutique (SJ, Sept '11)
• Belt: Old Navy (SJ, Aug '11)
• Sandals: Guess- Manchester Shoe Salon (SJ, Feb '09)
• Necklace- Splurge (Halifax, Spring '08)
• Bracelet- Le Chateau (Halifax, Fall '07)

Whoa, does the natural light ever bright out the pale in me! I assure you, I haven't been hiding in a cave all summer as my complexion might suggest.

This was an outfit I wore to my friend Kate's wedding this past weekend outside in the Rothesay Commons- gorgeous location and I'm so glad our tempermental climate decided to cooperate for her that day! She looked absolutely gorgeous- there's just something about friends in white dresses that makes me a little misty eyed. (This was also the first wedding I've attended where I didn't have to get up to catch that bouquet at the reception.) 

 

Thanks to Joy for helping me pick out this dress the night before!

 

 

Tweet

lesson learned...

Tweet

With a 25% off discount to Coach burning a hole in my pocket, I gave into a little retail therapy amongst all the wedding planning. My sister decided to go in on the order and we were both a little shocked in how much we had to pay for duty and shipping! Despite their US origins, it would be nice to not have to pay so much for a package coming from our neighbouring country. (I've spent less on goods coming from the UK!) It's also hard to anticipate additional costs from duty and taxes and it seems most of the good stores we're going to order online are across the border. 

   

The Outfit 

• Purse: Coach (ordered online, May '11)
• Jeggings: Guess- Envy (SJ, Dec '10)
• Floral tank: Free People- Je Suis Prest Boutique (SJ, May '11)
• Cardigan: American Eagle (SJ, Sept '08)
• Necklace: Aldo Accessories (Toronto, June '10)
• Belt: French Connection (Toronto, June '10)
• Sandals: Steve Madden- The Urban Shoe Myth (SJ, April '11)
• Sunglasses: Michael Kors- TJ Maxx (New Hampshire, April '09)

However, I did later learn that I could have called the Coach store in Halifax and have them ship me the purse from their store for less...oh why didn'tI know this beforehand?  Despite the duty costs, I do love my new draw-string cross-body. (Once you go crossbody you never go back!) And we still saved more than a few pretty pennies with the discount. Now that it's all said and done with, I try to look on the bright side and pass on this little piece of knowledge so that someone else might benefit from my learning experience!

 

And speaking of savings- you could save yourself a $100 on a new pair of shoes if you've entered The Urban Shoe Myth Giveaway! Do it now! For those of you who already have, stayed tuned- tomorrow I'm going to tell you how you can get a couple more entries- even if you've already maxed out all the previous opportunities!

 

 

Tweet

Minimalist...

Minimalism focuses on the most fundamental features of something: be it a piece of art, design, literature, or just simplying one's life. It can also apply to fashion and an outfit. In the case of my outfit in this post, I choose to go with little accessories. It's always about quality over quantity. There are times when I feel more dainty pieces are appropriate: especially with a bold print or a textured garment.

When it comes to jewelry, my go to is always a statement necklace to give an outfit some pop. But not wanting to over do it, that's also why I am a studs girl when it comes to earrings. If I wear my hair down, long or detailed earrings can just get lost in that big mop!

But I love features such as these earrings I'm sporting in the photos below. They sort of stand on their own within the casual outfit I wore that day.

The Outfit

• Button-up: Numph- Peepshow Boutique (Halifax, Spring '08)
• T-shirt: American Eagle (SJ, Oct '10)
• Jeggings: Guess- Envy (SJ, Dec '10)
• Flats: Aldo (Ordered online, May '10)
• Feather earrings: Little Burgundy (Montreal, June '10)

So, what are your thoughts on minimalism? Do you like to keep it simple or create a more complex outfit? I wouldn't describe my style as minimalistic on a regular basis, but sometimes there are times where more isn't necessarily better.

Tweet

i love coco...

...is what my Maison Scotch t-shirt reads. This is what broke the straw off the camel's back and caused me to spoil my shopping fast. (So I guess it's fair to say it was more of a shopping diet...) Maison Scotch is a new favourite brand of mine (found within the confines of Envy), with their cute t-shirts, button-ups, and blazers- each having a unique, quirky add-on to the piece (whether it be a necklace, handkerchief pocket square, or bow tie). In this case, my Chanel lovin' tee came with the dandelion necklace that hangs around my neck in the photos below.

Finally, my hair is long enough that I can pull it into a ponytail or a bun without stick a million bobby pins into my scalp. I'm really only growing it out for the purpose of a wedding day updo- only to have it chopped off again. When it get's this long, it's harder to hold a curl, and becomes a big mass that just gets in my face, therefore I spend most of my time wearing it up. Keeping it shorter makes me accountable for actually styling my hair and not defaulting to the easy way out. This look I like to call my ballerina hair-do. Keep in mind that I'm neither graceful nor did my ballet training extend past the age of 4.

The Outfit

T-shirt: Maison Scotch- Envy (SJ, Apr '11)

Cardigan: Kensie- Je Suis Prest Boutique (SJ, Dec '09)

Jeggings: Guess- Envy (SJ, Dec '10)

Flats: Blowfish- Little Burgundy (Toronto, May '09)

Purse: Fossil- Manchester (gifted from B, Dec '10)

Loitering outside the bottom entrance of the Alehouse, this outfit I wore on a wedding-errand Saturday with B. We had just embarked on an early supper, having visited floral designer Sandra Miller to pick out and plan flowers for the wedding and completed the task of registering at Decor8 in Brunswick Square (we also registered at Sears). Tuesday afternoon we head out to Rothesay to round out our wedding registries with PGal's Closet!  



Tweet

blogiversary!

Tweet

So today, March 28, marks one year (and 253 posts) since I started this blog! While I feel like I've been doing this for so much longer, at the same time, the last year has gone by so quickly! I started my blog as a form of self expression based on my personal style and only expected a small number of people who knew me might occasionally read it. Now with anywhere from 250-450 visitors a day, I'm extremely flattered you all take the time to read my posts!

I thought about dressing up or wearing fancy heels for my anniversary post, but it's been such a busy week and I just went with the flow: which is typically the way I design and publish my posts to this blog. About a week ago, I received word that I had won the Joe Fresh giveaway most recently hosted by Rebecca of Along The Shore. The green scarf was a part of that package I received later last week and I decided to wear it as a part of the casual outfit I put on yesterday to run typical Sunday afternoon errands with B. (Thanks Rebecca!)

I chose this back drop for a bit of a symbolic reason: as I mentioned in my Saint John Cut post, the city has played a significant role in my blog over the past year. This blog is based on the expression of my personal style but also about what's going on and what I've been doing in our country's oldest city. When I was in my late teens/early twenties, I couldn't wait to move on and see the world. And now, honestly (in an interesting turn of events) I'm exactly where I want to be.

Saint John may be small, but it's got culture and charm: there's always something happening. It's small enough that you feel like you know everybody, but large enough that you're always meeting new people. There's a real sense of community here: and it's one I enjoy being apart of.

The Outfit

• Sweater: H&M (Toronto, Sept '10)
• Scarf: Joe Fresh (giveaway prize, Mar '11)
• Jeggings: Guess- Envy (SJ, Dec '10)
• Shoes: Born- Style Sense (Toronto, Sept '08)

I want to thank you for the support over the last year: you've all been wonderful and I could never have forseen the type of reception I've gotten. I appreciate your comments, your "likes", and your follows. This is just the beginning because I have even bigger and better things coming up for you guys!

Tweet