sunlight, sun bright...

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I'm so relieved to finally see nicer weather so that I can back outside to shoot my outfit photos! Though, I might add, the temperature could be a little warmer. I ascended the hill that Fort Howe sits on top of the other day and I can tell you it was a particularly windy day! The gusts kept blowing my tripod and camera over so that I would have to leap forward and grab the tripod before it hit the ground. Needless to say, it took a while before I got some good shots!

The Outfit

• Brown top: Joe Fresh (SJ, Dec '10)
• Green top: Joe Fresh (giveaway prize, Mar '11)
• Trousers: ASOS (ordered online, Jan '11)
• Belt: Michael Kors- TJ Maxx (New Hampshire, Apr '09)
• Animal print flats: Nine West (Freeport, Nov '10)
• Feather earrings: Little Burgundy (Montreal, June '10)

Thank you to everyone who has voted on yesterday's post to help me choose my green wedding shoes! If you didn't already have the opportunity to, I'd love to here your opinion. Click here to vote for your favourite from the 3 I've narrowed it down to! I'll be counting the votes until Sunday night and let you know which shoe was most popular on Monday!

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wedding shoes!

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With my wedding 66 days away, my next big task is to choose the shoes. Last week I picked up my wedding dress from Lockhart's Weddings & Special Occasions in Sussex. Our primary colour for the wedding is is an emerald/shamrock green, which is to be the colour of the bridesmaids' dresses and the groomsmen's ties/pocket squares. I wanted to find a way to encorporate green into my outfit too, so why not on my feet? Thank you so much to those who sent me links with shoe suggestions: your help was very much appreciated!

It's great that I won't have to have my dress hemmed but I'm only limited to roughly 2 inches of heel in my chosen shoe otherwise the gown will lift off the ground! I'd really appreciate your help in deciding which shoes to wear the day of my wedding from my top 3 picks:

Photo: Infinity Shoes

Photo: Zappos

Photo: Bluefly

Please name your pick for which shoe I should wear on my wedding day by leaving a comment below! I'll be taking a tally from today until Sunday night. I'll report the most popular shoe recommendation on Monday!

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blogiversary!

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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!

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Coach Wish-List...

Since last fall I've been addicted to the crossbody bag. Now I've become so accustomed to being hands-free when I go out with friends or go shopping, that I could just never go back to any other type of purse. My deep obsession with the crossbody bag started with my purchase of a black leather Kristin hobo purse from Coach.

I was tortured by my pledge to not shop for lent when an invite showed up in my mailbox to receive 25% off Coach...I did browse the Coach website to fawn over my favourite bags, but managed to hold my ground and sadly let such a fanatastic deal slip away... 

  Kristin leather hobo in colours champagne (left) and pale pink (right)

Kristin leather hobo in peony (left) and aegean (right).

Kristin leather large wristlet in pale pink (left) and champagne (right).

Kristin leather crossbody in white mist (left) and the satchel in pale pink (right).

Of all Coach's handbag lines, the Kristin collection is my absolute favourite with the smooth leather, clean cut lines, and sleek hardware. I already own 2 pieces from Coach's Kristin line- a hobo purse and a wristlet. I look forward to having a little extra change in my pocket to be swinging one of these fresh spring colours from my arm!

Which of Coach's bags are your favourite? Even if it's not from Coach like my wish-list, what do you have your eye on for a summer bag?

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coffee dates...

As you can see, these outfit shots were taken before the snow melted...thank goodness it's gone! It's almost like an ugly memory to see it in the background for this post! This outfit I wore on a typical Saturday morning: heading uptown and grabbing coffee at Starbucks. That's what you'll find me doing most Saturdays, despite the time of year!

The Outfit

• Sweater: American Eagle (SJ, Sept '09)
• Tank: Jack- Je Suis Prest Boutique (SJ, Feb '11)
• Jeggings: Guess- Envy (SJ, Dec '10)
• Boots- Aldo (gifted from parents, Dec ;09)
• Purse: Fossil- Manchester Shoe Salon (gifted from B, Dec '10)
• Necklace: Aldo (Toronto, June '10) 

These boots along with my black ones have been my footwear MVPs this winter- they keep my feet warm and dry and can be dressed up or down so easily! As much as I love my boots, I'm happy to start wearing more of my other shoes again. Socks are really only a seasonal item for me...once it's warm enough, I tuck them in my drawer and leave 'em there until the weather gets cold again. I've already been wear flats and no socks...so happy to finally see Spring!

I think I wore this particular outfit the day a bunch of us sipped on lattes and divied up our group We Love Colors order. Coffee dates are the friendly meet and greets that frequent my schedule. You know you might be at Starbucks a little often when they remember your order at more than one location...

 

summer shoes...

Giving up shopping for lent has been a tough venture, but I'm still hanging in strong 13 days in. Naturally, just because I cannot shop, doesn't mean my wish list has stopped growing...

In the last year or two, I remember flipping through a copy of Harper's Bazaar to see that espadrilles were being delcared "out" in the world of fashion. But we're all aware of how cyclic fashion really is. Re-invent the wheel: make it a edgier, colour it a new hue, give it a new angle. I remember being more or less indifferent to the passing of the woven wedge sandal at the time,  but like some styles, this is one that grew on me this time around. Partically with my developed interest in chunky shoes, platforms, and wedges.

Friday afternoon, I made a visit to The Urban Shoe Myth to scope out Shelley's latest selection. I fell in love with these Steve Madden espadrilles, now officially on my list of must-haves following my shopping fast!

From what I can see online, in-store, and in magazines, espadrilles didn't make it far out of reach before they came back in full force! I forsee them being a huge summer trend and I'm wanting to wear those Steve Maddens despite the fact that the ground is still frozen! Most popular footwear labels have been adding the woven wedge espadrilles to their spring/summer lines. Sam Edelman, Nine West, and Dolce Vita are just a few to embrace the traditionally Spanish shoe that dates back to at least the 16th century. Mind you, the originated as a flat shoe with a rope sole and canvas covering over the feet, worn by men and women. Here's a few picks of the modern, bohemian wedge version that I am loving:

Espadrilles by MaritimeShopaholic

What is the shoe type that you look forward to wearing this summer?

four leaf formal...

Weekend before last, B and I headed up to Fredericton to join some of our friends in attending the annual Four Leaf Formal. Being the 5th year for the event, the formal was hosted at the ballroom of the Delta Fredericton and proceeds were donated to Chrohns and Colitis research. Always hosted in downtown Fredericton around St. Patrick's Day, funds raised in previous years have always been donated to important health research, with over $3000 donated last year toward colon cancer research.

My lovely ladies: (L to R): me, Jess, Jenny, Christine

The Outfit

• Dress- Fumblin' Foe (Toronto, Sept '08)
• Pantyhose- American Apparel (Halifax, Winter '07)
• Shoes- Steve Madden- The Urban Shoe Myth (SJ, Mar '11)
• Necklace- Swarovski (gifted from B, Feb '10)
• Bracelet- Banana Republic (Freeport, Nov '10)

In previous years I've always used the event as an excuse to buy a new dress, but this year I decided I should probably choose one from my...uh...already overflowing closet. I have no shortage of green dresses (given it's my favourite colour), so I was all set!

 

With these heels I'm newly obsessed with from The Urban Shoe Myth, I lingered near 6'0" (I'm normally only 5'7")! Haha, I like feeling like a giant! 

blue peacock...

Last Friday, I sat across the table from Patience Cole at Starbucks, chatting about style and hair accessories. It's always awesome to meet an entrepreneurial woman in Saint John who is passionate about what she does- and I've had the pleasure of meeting many within the last year!

Patience creates unique hairpieces and started her own business, Band Geek, a couple of years ago. Patience's face lights up as she talks about her work and pursuing a career she loves. She uses non-typical and creative materials to create her headbands, sold at local stores in KV as well as her online Etsy Store. Patience kindly made me the headband featured with the outfit below- she created the piece by getting ideas from the outfit posts of my blog.   

The Outfit

• Head band- c/o Band Geek (Feb '11)
• Top- Kensie- Je Suis Prest Boutique (SJ, Dec '09)
• Leggings- C'est Moi- Je Suis Prest Boutique (SJ, Nov '10)
• Boots- Aldo (gifted from my parents, Dec '09)
• Necklace- Splurge (Halifax, May '08)

Her latest project involves helping to raise funds towards the rescue and relief efforts in Japan. Taking inspiration from Japanese prints, fashions, and fabrics, for every headband she sells from this collection, $1 will go to help those in Japan who have lost so much. Be sure to check out Band Geek's current selection of head bands and hair accessories and stay tuned for Patience's Japanese styled pieces. 

Writing this blog over the past year as given the opportunity to meet so many great people, Patience being one of them! I especially love meeting creatives in the city with a mutual interest in fashion and style.