Easter Sunday

My second one this season- I've fallen in love with the maxi dress. And who can pass up a cute and comfortable dress for $30? That's what I love about H&M- you can pick up seasonal staples without really having to pry open the piggy bank.

Easter weekend we had dinner with B's family Saturday evening and my family Sunday. These photos were snapped by B outside in my parents' backyard.

The Outfit

• Military shirt: Mango (Toronto, June '10)
• Maxi dress: H&M (Moncton, April '11)
• Belt: H&M (Toronto, Sept '10)
• Necklace: Banana Republic (Freeport, Nov '10)
• Sandals: Steve Madden- The Urban Shoe Myth (SJ, Apr '11)
• Headband: Splurge (Halifax, Fall '09)

Hope the Easter bunny found your all!

P.S. Stay tuned- I have an exciting giveaway coming up beginning of next week!  

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military profile...

For ladies who caught onto the military and utilitarian trends this past fall, you'll be happy to know that they continue to be right-on trend for spring! You'll be able to mix your olives and khakis, your pocketed shirts and skinny cargo pants with lighter layers once the cold weather ceases and the snow starts to melt!

I love the versatility of this snap-up military green top I got from Mango last spring...depending on what I choose to pair it with, it's been suited for all seasons!

The Outfit

• Military shirt: Mango (Toronto, June '10)
• Tank top: Abercrombie (Bangor, Nov '09)
• Pants: Ricki's (SJ, Dec '09)
• Shoes: Nine West (Freeport, Nov '10)
• Belt: American Eagle (SJ, 6-7 yrs ago)
• Necklace: Swarovski (gifted from B, Feb '10)

Again, I apologize that you are staring at my living room wall again! These pictures were from last week. As I mentioned earlier this week, I'm making it my mission to seek out new backdrops where I can still seek shelter from the elements!

baby it's cold outside...

I don't think I've ever paired this top with bottoms other than a pair of leggings- just because of it's long, loose fitting nature. I try to fit loose tops with form fitting bottoms, just to have some shape to the ensemble. But since I've got a number of outfits left in the remix of 30 days, I am going to have to try something other than the usual formula to strength 30 items into 30 outfits!

That's one good point to this challenge I've been embarking on with 336 other bloggers that Kendi Skeen of Kendi Everyday started and arranged. The challenge of making your items stretch in your imagination and coming up with other combos and outfits that you may not have put together before: stretching outside the usual and still being stylish!

The Outfit

(Faux) leather jacket- La Classe Couture- Winners (Toronto, Sept '10)

Top- 03 Everly- Pseudio (SJ, Oct '10) 

Black leggings- TNA- Aritzia (Toronto, Sept '08)

Booties- Aldo (Toronto, Sept '10)

Belt- Le Chateau (Halifax, Nov '07)
Long-sleeve tee- H&M (Toronto, Sept '10)
Necklace- Anne Marie Chagnon (Montreal, June '09)


The first...well, second...snow this season (the first occured very late on Halloween night and melted as the sun came up) I grabbed my camera and tripod, deciding it would be a good idea to catch the flurries in my outfit photo. I feel this outfit lacks a little creativity...perhaps a belt, but it was just one of those days where I needed to be out of the house quickly and the top priority I required of my outfit was comfort- my job often has me sitting on the floor, climbing under things; so really, a restricting outfit in anyway isn't practical. I wished I could wear more dresses and skirts day to day, but for the same reasons that doesn't really work out either! (Hence while I wittled my selection down to just one dress for my 30 items).

The Outfit

Military shirt- Mango (Toronto, June '10)

T-shirt- American Eagle (SJ, Oct '10)

Cords- American Eagle (

Shoes- Aldo (Halifax, Sept '10)

Necklace- Charm Diamond Center (gifted from B, May '10)

Can't believe this marks the last day on November! Since the Holidays draw closer, Ive converted my shopping wishlist (see the tabs at the top of the page) into my Christmas wish list!

utilitarian garden...

This week has been a busy blogging week- I've been trying to play catch up on my 30 for 30 posts, fighting a heavy chest and head cold, and meanwhile there's a lot of current fashionable happenings to cover! This has lead me to double up on blogging to cover all my current interests as well as posting  for Kendi's 30 for 30 fashion challenge I've been participating in.

Oh, and by the way, you should really check out some of my fellow remixers! (I plan to eventually do a post showcasing my favourite fellow remixers somewhere along this 30 outfit journey...it's on the long list of great blog post ideas I have been jotting down.)

For this outfit, I took a floral print summer dress and paired it with a military shirt, boots and tights to make it more seasonally appropriate. I wore this outfit Monday for a day of work and to attend the Customer Appreciation Event at Reflections Day Spa that evening.

The Outfit

Dress- Mango (Toronto, June '10)

Military shirt- Mango (Toronto, June '10)

Pantyhose- Winners (SJ, Winter '10)

Boots- Aldo (gifted from parents, Dec '09)

Belt- Eddie Bauer (Moncton, Aug '06)

Long gold necklace- Banana Republic (New Hampshire- Nov '10)

Short gold necklace- Swarovski (gifted from Ben, Feb '10)

Coat- Soia & Kyo- Envy (Halifax, Nov '08)

Tonight I'm excited for Je Suis Prest Boutique's Holiday Fashion Party at The Canterbury Lounge! The event starts at 7pm and will include a preview of the store's new holiday mechandise via fashion show. I will especially be on the look out for pretty potential dresses for upcomming holiday parties! If you were lucky enough to secure a ticket to this sold-out event, I will see you tonight!

If you haven't already entered to win, check out my giveaway below featuring a beautiful necklace from Darling Dilemma!

sparkle and shine...

I love clothing that has texture to it, be it studs, feathers, faux fur, ruching, ruffles, sequins...anything that adds a little richness and a little glam to an outfit. Saturday night I put on a tank that gleamed with metallic sparkle- I was feeling a little festive. B & I headed uptown to hang out and have a few drinks with Joel and his roomate Matt. So where you see me standing is the boys' kitchen. My outfit shots are technically incomplete since I forgot to put my shoes back on (oops)- I was wearing my Aldo black wedge booties, but in these shots they are still sitting by the door...

The Outfit

Sequined tank- Mango (Toronto, May '09)

Black jeggings- Guess- Pseudio (SJ, Dec '09)

Grey blazer- R&W Co. (SJ, May '10)

Black purse- Coach (Toronto, Sept '10)

Since the sequined top was bold in it's own right, I went with a minimalist approach to accessories: an onyx pair of studs. I did my eye make-up in glittery bronze and copper shades to coordinate with the hues of the metallic tank. 

I ended my night with a bowl of ice cream and an episode of The Rachel Zoe Project on my laptop before bed. I'm not sure how I've been so far behind, but I love (ok, I'm obsessed with) this show. Rachel Zoe has been added to my list of definite inspirations. 

beach n' bbq...

Last Saturday was the perfect beach day. A bunch of us went down to New River for the sand sculpture contest, which mainly involved just lying out on the beach and getting some sun. Later that afternoon we headed back to the house to prep for a big BBQ. After a lazy day on the beach, I picked a comfortable dress and fancied it up with accessories. A few hot dogs and blueberry beers later, we headed uptown to a party and then around the corner to finish our night at good old O'Learys. The party was in a courtyard and an empty apartment was open for people to use the loo. In the almost empty apartment there were a few random props for photos opts...

The Outfit

Floral dress- Mango (Toronto, June '10)

Beige sweater- American Eagle (Spring '09)

Braided belt- Eddie Bauer (Moncton, 4 yrs ago)

Flower necklace- Aldo Accessories (Toronto, June '10)

Brown wedges- Aldo (Spring '10)

You can see in the first picture I have a bottle of Moosehead green in hand. Yesterday I heard on the radio that Moosehead had their new blackberry beer out (which I mistakenly thought wasn't in stores until next week) and I happened to be driving by the liquor store and so I dropped by to grab a case! In my opinion it's really good- and likely my beverage of choice for this summer!

Right now I'm blogging from my hotel in Montreal. Myself and a few friends are in the city to see Lady Gaga Monday night! In the meantime we'll be exploring Montreal and, of course, doing some shopping!

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)

spa day...

Last Saturday morning Kristen and I got up and hit the subway and then street car to meet up with her friend Yen for a spa session at Body Blitz (a women-only spa) on Adelaide Street West in downtown Toronto. It was my first ever actual spa experience! We relaxed and cycled through their therapeutic waters (they even bring healthy beverages in to you!) before going for full-hour massages. I guess I didn't know what I was missing out on before...because it was a really relaxing experience and the perfect way to start a Saturday morning!

The Outfit:

Floral dress- Mango (the day before in the Eaton Center)

Braided belt- Eddie Bauer (Moncton, 4 yrs ago)

Gladiator sandals- Sam Edelman (Montreal, June '09)

Sunglasses- Michael Kors- TJ Maxx (New Hampshire, April '09)

Bag- Guess- Walsh Luggage (Feb '09)

I felt a little silly wearing my sunglasses in the subway at Ossington Station, while we waited for the next train, but I stuck them on my face to do as celebrities do in transit before they've done their make-up for the day (or least that's what I've read, haha). Clearly there's no point in getting dolled up when you're only going to put on your bathing suit (or in the case as some women do, your birthday suit- such is why I mentioned it being a women-only facility...) and jumping into a pool.

Once we were detoxified, replenished, and turned into putty...Kristen and I were off to get our nails done- a manicure for me and a touch up for her. The finished product:

OPI shade Green-wich Village for moi

Kristen's perfect gel nails

(and if you look close enough.. can see the pretty diamond she bought herself?)

We then headed North? (I don't know my city directions unless I have a compass...or I can see the little map of stations on the subway...) to a Second Nature Boutique, a second hand designer shop that was recommended to me by Nadine (manager of our lovely SJ Envy). 

It was a fun experience shifting through designer clothing and shoes that were still expensive, but much more affordable! I first found a pair of Chanel flats that I was really excited about, but to my dismay, although they said they were my size, didn't fit...

(but then they turned out to be posers- I saw the tag said "Chanel look")

But then I picked up a pair of Stuart Weitzman robin's egg blue pumps that fit like Cinderella's glass slipper. There wasn't one scratch on the sole- these babies had never been worn and were only a fraction of the price the would have originally cost!

We left the store, with me swinging a pink bag with my new blue shoes, my great find of the day!