Sequin jacket? Identify, Winners
Silk blouse? Kensie, The Bay ($8...final clearance)
Silk pants? Jeremy Laing, Holt's Last Call
Embroidered velvet clutch? thrifted
Patent pumps? Taryn Rose, Winners
Earrings? gifted
Head band? from my wedding...not a tiara.

Went to a gala yesterday...you know, just scoot over to a gala on a weeknight, that's how I roll. It was fun; great food, a little bit of networking, a few pomegranate martinis... I was planning to debut my incredible Elie Tahari one shoulder dress but I got burnt across my shoulders, despite the copious amounts of sunscreen I applied. Nothing unclasses a nice dress faster than a bad tanline. It's a bit homewrecker chic...
Wore my Jeremy Laing menswear trousers instead. They are just black pants but something about the cut and the 'too long to be short but too short to be long' hem gives them some swagger. Or maybe that's just me swaggering because I got them on super sale for $18, down from $560. Seriously $560. I mean they are silk, nicely finished and lined but that's a little steep... Hence the discount rack? Jeremy Laing spoke at our fourth year final show and he was a little critical of the Canadian fashion market. Good encouragement to a graduating class, eh? I do like his stuff though.

One more picture to show the sequins on my jacket and my pretty baby boy, Stella (oops!). He went missing that night ( I hate the fact that we let him out but he's an alleycat and his heart is still in the streets) and I couldn't sleep all night worrying about him. Thankfully, he came back the next day. My heart can't take too many scares like that...

Grrr... I still feel like I'm struggling to get good clear pictures up. It's hard if you're not computer smrt. Click to enlarge for details I guess...

Lost and Found

Jacket? Zara
Dress? Rebecca Taylor, Holt's Last Call
Shoes? Steve Madden, DSW
Brooch? Found in a parking lot!!! No stones missing!
Rings? Winners and wedding rings

I got this Rebecca Taylor dress at Last Call from the '80% off the last price' section. That rack is my favourite place on earth! Somewhere between the absolutely crazy, soiled or sadly damaged clothing there are treasures. Final price for this $450+ dress? $35!!! Patheticly enough I was horrendously broke at the time, so I had to spread that $35 between debit and credit and skip lunch. Yes, my priorities are straight... Don't worry, my finances are fine now, no need to start a special collection... I even have $2 in savings!

Beautiful Bridesmaids

Yesterday we went shopping for bridesmaids dresses for 'L' s wedding. I thought it would be as painful as running into a brick wall face first but it was actually OK. It got a little crazy in the afternoon as the stores were packed (what recession?), apparently it's prom season, so it was a cyclone of candy-coloured polyester... Thankfully, we had already made a lot of decisions by then.

Bridesmaid dress shopping can be tedious, especially when there are different body types, ages and tastes involved. 'L' made it pretty easy, buy a black dress that you really like. 3 of the 4 girls got dresses, a success. I got a dress that is much more traditional than I usually wear but it's quite pretty and flattering. The best part is that, while it has a open neckline, there are little shoulder caps, so I can wear this dress in the Catholic church without a shawl. I completely understand the occasional necessity for shawls, I'm just glad I could do without. Boo to shawls...

Oh, bridesmaid dresses... For my wedding (two and a half years ago already!) I also wanted my bridesmaids to get a dress that they loved. I love clothing and prioritize it in my budget (what budget?), so I just wanted my ladies to treat themselves and feel pretty. It had to be cocktail length and in a soft colour but the rest was up to them. I think they looked pretty awesome, surprisingly they all looked coordinated.

Funny story. The fact that they looked so coordinated was actually a bit of fluke. 'M', the beautiful, tall bridesmaid (second from right) had a olive green and pink Betsey Johnson dress picked out, but her cat ate a huge chunk of the hem... seriously. She got it fixed but the hem had to be taken up and it ended up falling at a rather awkward place. She called me the morning of the wedding, before she came over to get our hair did and tearfully asked if she could wear a paisley dress instead, since the new hemline bugged her so much. Being the chill bride that I was (or just distracted... why was it freezing cold in August?...grrr...), I said do what you want. The paisley dress ended up having the colours from the other girls dresses and so everything worked out just fine. More than just fine; it worked fabulously. Getting a little emotional looking at the wedding pictures, these are some of my favourite people... xoxox

Back to School Cool

Silk/cotton blouse? Kensie, The Bay
Jeans? Diesel, Winners
Ring? gifted

First day of class... I wore my glasses to look s.m.r.t.. Just a night course but one should still dress to impress. I didn't really love high school but this could be fun. I wanna rule the school like Regina from Mean Girls before she eats all those protein bars. Just kidding... I figured I'd look nice for the first class before I start coming to class straight from work and all sweaty and dirty...

You're My Sunshine After the Rain

Jacket? Danier
Tee? Mossimo, Target
Jeans? Destroyed Sevens, Winners
Boots? Charles David, thrifted
Purse? gifted (by my guidance...)
Earrings? Farmer's market

This bright tee on a very rainy day had boy band lyrics running through my head (hence the title). I love the neutral browns with the bright pops of colour. These boots came from a Winnepeg VV years ago and they have been in storage in my bermuda triangle basement for a while. I've tried unsuccessfully to find them back a few times. Yesterday, I made a deal with myself; I wouldn't leave the basment til I found them. Since the basement is dark and slightly scary, the search was on and I found them within 5 minutes. Yeah to reunions!!! They must be a few years old but the height and leather strapping around the boots make them very current. Oddly enough, they seem more comfortable this time around too...

Still Jumping for Joy!

Some people can sing, some people can play basketball, some people can fix cars and some people can make Jello. Not I. I can shop,

Went across the border this weekend with some friends to get them 'stretchy pants' (dual function; for pregnancy and turkey eating). I scored huge. Thankfully everyone did very well so I didn't have to try and hide my good fortune; I still don't think I've stopped smiling. Stocked up on a crapload of summer basics but my biggest finds were at the Saks outlet. I got a Elie Tahari one-shoulder dress that was originally $600, for $35. It's blue and silk chiffon and gorgeous and nothing is wrong with it and it fits just right. I have an event to wear it to next week, so you'll see it I'm sure... AND I got a silk jersey Diane von Furstenberg dress that was originally $300, for $15!!! It's colourful and comfy and casual and has pockets and a low cross strap back and it fits just right. I have a little sneak peak below. I can't wait until it is hot outside and I'm sipping sangria in my DvF. I got skills... they're multiplying...

Just a little tip for the local readers (all seven-ish of you, I love you all!). Check out the Superstore along the QEW in Grimsby, for the Joe Fresh collection. The JF baby collection is sold in more local stores but I think this is the only one nearby with the complete (?) adult collection too. Just our luck, the Grimsby population is not prone to trying new looks, so that leaves a lot of choice. For example, there is a full, blue silk skirt selling for $29 but I know it'll never go and so I'll wait... I know I bitch about the lack of selection at the local h&m and about not having a Zara nearby but I'll gladly go without them for the selection I get at my local Winners and Joe Fresh.

Oh ya. And Joe Fresh just came out with a make-up line. I got a new lipgloss and it is popping!

Bottom two images from www.joe.ca

Golf Etiquette

We worked beside a golf course today and since it's the first ridiculously nice day of the year, the greens were packed. I saw a lot of argyle and pleated front pants. Everyone looks so neat and put together. The Williams sisters brought down all the stereotypical dressing in tennis but no one has done the same for golf.
Well... until I stepped unto the golf course. I look back on these pictures from work tournaments last year and giggle. Technically, I followed all the rules of the course we were at that specific day (left: closed toe shoes, collared shirt, right: collared shirt, no running shoes, no jeans) but I still had to wear it my way. I do not have a lot of collared shirts or casual pants that are not denim or even closed-toe flats in my closet, so I just had to made it work. Shorty shorts, leopard print runners, cords and wellies... I'm doing for golf what the Williams sisters did for tennis. Except for the athletic ability part, it took me eight tries before I could tee off the first hole.

Project Runway Finale Party!

On 'E' Tiered dress? ?, Winners

Patterned tights? Winners?

Shoes? BCBG, Winners

Sparkle cuff? h&m

On me Pleated skirt? h&m

Silk top? Liz Claiborne, Winners

Tights? ?

Booties? Maxstudio, Winners

Jewelled bracelets? thrifted and from a craft lady at the CNE

Velvet clutch? thrifted

Me and my sister from another mister, 'E' , went to a party to celebrate Jessica Biffi being in the final three on Project Runway Canada (www.globaltv.com). I went to university with Jessica and it's been really fun to watch her make it all the way through the show. It was the final episode last night, which featured all the finalists' runway shows and it was also Jessica's birthday, so there was plenty of reasons to throw down. Me and 'E' both had to work early the next morning, so we were rather restrained in celebrating but it was still nice to support.

Things didn't start off so well. A police chase had the highway shutdown and what is normally a 45 minute drive, became a two hour test of patience. We arrived late at the party. The show had already started but thankfully we caught all three runway collections. Quick recap...

Jason- His collection was awkward. His black and gold sequined collection did not do Hamilton proud...

Sunny- Classy and very well executed. As always.

Jessica- The inspiration for her collection was 1930's glamour meets hiphop swagger. A good collection with some outstanding pieces.

Sunny won, I can't wait to see what he does for the Canadian fashion scene. Jessica placed a solid second. And as they say on playgrounds everywhere 'First is worst, second is best...'. Kidding... I'm just supporting my girl Jessica.

My favourite moment of the night was midway Jessica's collection when a flowing ,printed dress came down the runway. The room just burst into instant applause because the gown was so beautiful. I'm sending Jess my measurements right now... It was just a nice moment and a great testament to Jessica's skill.

I can't believe it's been almost three years since we graduated. At least she has something interesting to say when the dreaded 'what have you been up to?' question comes up.

The 'Jessica is a famous tv star' cake!

And finally, to end the night, a stopover at the ever classy McD's. Got some food to keep us awake on the drive home. Turns out that the sound of me setting off my car alarm twice in a row is a good way to stay awake too. Just one of those nights... Thanks 'E' for coming with me even though you had to work at 7am!!! You're a trooper!

Oh Schnitzel!

This weekend, after a very successful fitting and Winners excursion with 'L', Matt and I went for supper at The Black Forest Inn (http://www.blackforestinn.ca/). Everyone must have been craving schnitzel this weekend because it was packed. People were playing cards waiting for a table. For $40, Matt and I both had a drink and a huge supper. Seriously, it was a lot of food, we rolled home...

The experience at the Black Forest Inn taught me two lessons.

Lesson 1. Being a polygamist makes your life more difficult.

Matt and I were told we would have to wait at least 40 minutes for a table. However, because we were only a party of two, they found a spot for us within 25 minutes. We were paying our bill, when a group of four, who had been waiting before we even came in, was finally seated. So, take only your favourite wife along because the wait is intense.

Lesson 2. Traditional German clothing is very figure friendly!

Most of the waitresses wore the traditional dirndl. These dresses disguise wobbly bits under full skirts and aprons, while nipping in below the bust and giving the girls a boost. Stacey and Clinton, take note! Dirndls (no idea what the plural is) are so much prettier then the orange bootie shorts and super-duty nylons worn by the waitresses at a certain family restaurant, Hooters. No wonder the wait was so long for a table at the Black Forest Inn.

www.buzzle.com

Ok, fine, the waitresses weren't quite this blonde and the necklines much more modest but you get the idea...

Second Chance

Jacket? Apricori, Winners

Tee? Joe Fresh, pj section

Skirt? Lux, Urban Outfitters

Belt? inherited

Booties? Maxstudio, Winners

Leather clutch? Hilary Radley, StyleSense

Ring? gifted

I know the rule of thumb is; if you haven't worn it for a year, donate it. I'm glad this skirt was never donated. I got it years ago and though I loved it, I never really wore it in a way that I was satisfied with. Hence, it was rarely worn. I feel like today, it finally looks right. The jacket and booties give the decidedly feminine skirt a harder edge and this $6 pj shirt may be my new favourite thing. I will be buying more of those. Just happy this skirt never quite made the consignment pile...

Beauty is Pain

Vest? thrifted

Tee? American Apparel

Jeans, Sevens, Winners

Shoes? Steve Madden, DSW

Studded bangle? Urban Outfitters

Hat? Calvin Klein

These shoes have little studs on them and the ones on the baby toes gets super painful. After I wore them standing up for three straight hours (not even a pee break, I hovered), I was ready to cry. However, when I was ready to go home, three friends that I hadn't seen in a while showed up. I could hardly make good conversation so I jumped in a cab, went home and switched shoes. I came back a new woman, ready to hear all about what they've been up to. I'll definitely wear these pretties again but there will either have to be seating or vodka to ease the pain...

Matt in his Birthday Suit!

You sickos...

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stop...

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scrolling...

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down!

Tweed jacket? Winners
Pansy shirt? Winners

Matt always called this shirt his tulip shirt until a waitress at Cheers in Boston told him they were pansies. Too bad, tulip sounded better...

Happy Birthday Matt!
I pretended to forget his birthday in the morning when he left for work but I had arranged for my brother to put a fancy hockey stick and card in his truck the night before. That is romance! Because I love him!

Updates

Sorry, no pics with this blog. I'm kinda stuck in this 'I feel like it should be spring but I'm cold and uninspired' phase. Oh ya, and my roots are killing me, back to blonde on Saturday. Yeah, Barbie time!

Just thought I'd give a few little updates on previous posts. In Trippin', I wrote about my and 'S's adventure to Target. She got the bling Erickson Beamon ring and reported to me that it broke within two days. Boo to crap quality. On the bright side, she now has a Christmas ornament...

In Hungover, I went a little bananas at the Winners end of season sale and I felt kinda sick with guilt. I vowed to stop shopping in March, except for vintage... How did I do? Well, I'd say I got a C+, which is good in a 'I'm not going Ivy league but I'll be fine' kinda way. I got two huge hauls at Talize (does not count; vintage), a pair of shoes (I had US money left and I didn't want to lose when I switched it back...), a t-shirt and tank (super cheap, for layering), a necklace (cheap too) and those Erickson Beamon earrings (limited time offer). Most importantly, I only went into Winners once, to get a baby gift. I'm proud.

In Don't Mess with the Zohan, I went shopping with my buddy 'L' for a mother-of-the-bride outfit for her mama and we got super bad service in high-end stores. 'L' unleashed her fury and sent scathing emails to Holt's and Andrews. Andrew's apologized and said the employee (who apparently never had a complaint in 10 years) was so embarrassed that she offered to resign. 'L' wrote back saying that was a little dramatic, she just wanted to remind them of the laws of customer service and no thanks to an invite for a do-over. Holt's responded too. They offered an apology, a personal shopper, free lunch at their cafe, valet service, 25% off and a pleasant shopping experience. Because they were merely tactless, not downright rude, this offer was accepted. Hopefully, 'L's mom gets such a lovely dress that she outshines her daughter. Actually, hopefully not, since I'm making 'L's dress and it better be fabulous!

Back to School

Shirt? Ralph Lauren, thrifted

Skirt? Joe Fresh, hemmed up

Belt? Fossil, consignment trade-in

High Socks? Hue, The Bay

Boots? Cole Haan, thrifted

I liked this outfit. I especially love the vibrant colour of the blue up against the warm browns. The blue looks kinda faded in the sunlight but it's much prettier.
But, as I said, I liked this outfit until I saw the pictures and I realized I could pass as a fat extra on the Gossip Girl school set. Perhaps I shouldn't have worn this outfit until my knees had seen a little bit of sunshine again. A lesson learned...

Hmmmm... maybe I am being a tad hard on myself, I just looked at the pics again and I do still like it. I guess I was shocked at my vanilla ice knees.

OPINION: The Jumpsuit

Image from www.gofugyourself.com

For years I have been vehemently opposed to jumpsuits and the blame for this falls mostly on Alicia Keys' shoulders, or, should I say, camel toe... A few years back Ms. Keys consistently wore the one piece, and the sight of her thighs and crotch tightly showcased in jersey was enough to turn me off jumpers for good. Or so I thought...

However, the new crop of jumpers and playsuits are much more flattering and sweet. They are loose and casual and look hot with strappy sandals or ankle twisting high heels. One of my biggest shopping regrets has been that I left the most perfect Jeremy Laing jumper at Last Call this past fall. I was saving my money for a black bomber and when that didn't happen, I went back but it was gone. Still breaks my heart a little...

Images from www.asos.com

Verdict? I want one... now. The jumper can be a little hard to wear on some body types but if one stays away from accentuating anatomy that should not be accentuated, all will be OK.

Don't Mess with the Zohan...

My university friend, L, is getting married in October and I am privileged to be her bridesmaid. We went shopping today to get her mom a mother-of-the-bride outfit. These m.o.b. dresses are kinda tricky, we were trying to stay away from polyester tackiness and get her a nice, long dress that is age-appropriate and still makes her feel pretty hot. First stop was Holt's. When we asked for some assistance, L's mom got the up and down and was told that it might be difficult to find a dress because the biggest they sell is size 12. Now, L's mom is a petite lady, who's a size 10 after a double cheeseburger, but that saleslady (who coincidentally was at least a size 16) made her feel like a whale. Good on you Holt's. We had money burning in our pockets and it stayed there.

After we went to Hazelton lanes and ended up in the store, Andrews. Yes, regularly we do not shop at Hazelton lanes, I realize it is above our 'social standing'. However, L's mom had a very good budget and was willing to splurge on feeling special. Most stores were a little snotty (it was my roots...), I don't really care... you're the worker, I'm the wife... be polite. Anyways, this place Andrews looked promising, the most promising of the day. We had one dress picked out to try on and L came over with a very classic but gorgeous navy dress in order to convince her mom to consider navy. We were talking about the dress when a sales lady came over, grabbed the dress from L's hands, said it was a size six, that the designer cut small and it would never fit. She then turned around and showed it to the slim customer she was serving. What? Now if you know L, you know she is not one to mince words and does not hold back. L looked at the sales snot and said 'Did that just happen?'. L then reemed her out for being rude in front of the other customer and we did an angry march out to the sound of fervent apologies. L sent a very angry email to head office and she will get a response, she always does... Haha, I just remember now that her complaints once got an offensive gym trainer fired once.

I'll admit it, I'm a snob but not when it comes to customer service. When I worked at Tim Hortons back in the day, I served every coffee with a smile, even to the lady with the Suzy Shier bell sleeves. Besides, the recession is hitting the luxury market hard, so treat every customer like they are your best customer, because they may be your last...

See my Vest, Gorilla Chest...

Vest? Endangered Chinchilla... or just quality faux fur, thrifted from the Talize haul

Plaid shirt? Ralph Lauren, thrifted from the Talize haul too!

Jeans? Paige, Boutique Olivia

Boots? Kenneth Cole, Winners

Purse? Claudia Firenze, Winners

Earrings? Erickson Beamon for Target

Ring? gifted

This purse has been gone for a long time and is finally home again. I took it to get dry cleaned (suede attracts so much dirt) and the dry cleaners had to send it out for a month. I have no idea where this purse went to be cleaned, so I sent a note with it to tell whoever handled it be careful with it, as it is my baby. It worked, they did a good job.

Anyways, it was gone for a month on a Europe trip or something and when it returned, I didn't have the money to pick it up. So, the purse stayed a while longer until I had $45 to pick it up. That's right, $45!!!! It felt like I finally raised the money to bail my kid out of jail, hopefully this will be the only time I have that feeling.