Grownup Girl

So I know I've been a little late on the posting but it is because I have just moved into my university residence and life here is crazy! Seriously...this is my first spare moment all week. Above are photos taken of me just before I went out for a final group dinner with all of my friends from home. I will miss them dearly but the people here are fantastic! Wish me luck in dorm life. I will be posting soon! :)

P.S. The dress is vintage, tights are from Zara, shoes are from Winners, and jacket is vintage (dress and jacket both courtesy of my mom!)

Fancy Feet

Who knew that Winners, the massive and often generic retailer was secretly a wonderfully untapped shoe oasis? I was browsing there the other day when I came across these lovely cut out booties and could not get enough of them! I think that they will be absolutely perfect for running from class to class! Ah, a victorious purchase with no buyer's remorse.

P.S. I got a little "carrie"d away with the editing and ended up playing around with some filters and adding a quotation for the second image. I know it's a little lame but I mean, it's Sex and the City!

What to Wear...Anywhere!

Fashion books, blogs, advice columns, magazines have become so common in today's society that they can often seem overwhelming. At times it is often difficult to choose, or even to know where to start looking! I have many criteria for what I think constitutes an excellent fashion blog, and the ladies behind the creation of whowhatwear.com, a celebrity style blog, have followed these rules to a 'T'. Lately they released a namesake book which I purchased immediately and am pleased to say is absolutely fantastic! I haven't read the entire thing yet (the Harry Potter series has bewitched me I'm afraid!), but what I have read has been wonderfully timeless, helpful, realistic, and inspiring. It provides insights on how to dress for your body type, finding inspiration, dressing for various events, developing a personal style, etc. A great guidebook that will last you for years to come!

I would recommend ordering online at shopbop.com. The book is priced very reasonably at $18.95, the service was excellent, shipping was free, and I had my book within 2 days of ordering! Best of all if you are unhappy with your order you can return or exchange it! Happy reading :)

A Week in Review

Random flowers!

My reading material for the week...what a fantastic book! I cannot wait to start number 6 :)

This image embodies the spirit of summer for me!

A canoe ride with mom (I actually detest canoes!...kayaks are fine though)

Ben, my faithful travel buddy.

My dog Teddy seeking some shade under a chair...he celebrated his 7th birthday at the cottage!

With Sarah, (wo)man's best friend.

"We're home!"

As you can see I've finally gotten around to posting some images from the cottage. This week is really hectic as I am getting ready to move into school. This means meeting with all my friends to say goodbye and the dreaded packing! Who knew it would be so difficult? Of course I have been doing things and will try to keep you posted amidst the craziness that is my life right now. I hope everyone is taking advantage of the last slivers of summer...I know I am! :)

Back in Black

As you can see, I have made my return from the cottage today! I took a fair amount of photos (including the National Geographic-esque) one above...I will get back into normal posting mode ASAP. Hope you all had lovely weeks!

Nature Girl

During this upcoming week I will be staying true to my Canadian heritage and cottaging in the great outdoors. Bear with me as I don't post...I will be back soon. In the meantime, I have left behind some food for thought. I have become completely obsessed with this piece...it's so simple yet so clever! How did I never think of that?

A 'Little' Piece of Advice

I am currently in the midst of organising my shoe collection (a surprisingly entertaining chore), but couldn't help popping on briefly to share my favourite new artist! Her name (ironically) is "Little Boots", due to her petite stature. And, well, she rocks! I first discovered her in the June 2009 issue of British VOGUE, and continued to read about her in NYLON many times over. Inspired I checked out her myspace and cannot get enough of it! I had a lot of difficulty picking a photo for this post because there were numerous awesome ones to choose from, however I settled upon this graphic image featuring the songstress as a brunette (no personal bias here!) As I return to my shoes I advise you to download this girl's music ASAP before she ends up on everyone's radar!

Check out "Little Boots" myspace page here: http://www.myspace.com/littleboots

She also has tracks available on itunes!

Leather Legs

Faux Leather Vest - Urban Outfitters, Bangle - Vintage,

T-shirt Dress - Urban Outfitters, Belt - Old Navy

Leather Leggings - Aritzia, Shoes - B2

Yesterday I went out in the above ensemble. The leggings are new (see yesterday's post) and I simply couldn't wait to try them out! I am still completely obsessed with these high heels...I need to show my other pairs some love! As you can see I had a little bit of fun with photoshop and enhanced both of these pictures by removing the colour from the backgrounds and then using the "film grain" filter which resulted in a blockier effect. Sometimes a girl gets tired of looking at suburbia in the ordinary way!

Falling for Fall

As much as I love love love the summertime, I cannot help but long for Fall (aka. my favourite season to dress for). I went shopping a few days ago with my mother...who better to give an honest opinion? And made some really great purchases! I realize that the colour pallette is a little monotone, but I assure you that this was not intentional and I do not plan to give up on colour in the near future! What I bought is as follows:

1. Leather Leggings - Aritzia
2. Sandals - Stoneridge (I really hope that's the right name!)
3. Suede Chain Bag - Zara
4. Biker Jacket - Zara
5. Canvas Dress - Vena Cava for the Gap (I was so excited when I spotted this!)
6. Suede Boots - Aldo

Best (Coat)Dressed

As I am starting my career at fashion school in the fall it only makes sense that I maintain my sewing skills (not to mention I enjoy it!) With this in mind I bring you my latest creation. Is it a coat? Is it a dress? Actually, it's a coatdress! It can be worn as a coverup or alone as I have done in the above photos. I constructed this dress using a vintage Vogue pattern which I found for the most reasonable price of $5.99 in the "do not reorder" bin! I got a little crafty and used a very unique fabric which actually holds it's place if you bunch it up (see the bow) but will flatten out back to its natural form in seconds from a single touch (brilliant!) Wearing it makes me feel like a true lady of the past...puts a little Audrey Hepburn in my step one might say. I think it would also look nice in a really colourful embroidered brocade fabric. Oh well...time to move onto my next project!

P.S. I have included a photo of my lizard Fred who I referenced in my last post. Isn't he wonderful? My friends think he's a pet only a parent could love...

Put A Little Pride In Your Step

Strangely enough, I was in fact collecting material for this blog while not posting. Case in point: today's post. A couple of weeks ago I attended the annual Pride Parade in downtown Toronto which is an exciting blitz of colour and charisma. I tried to document the day to my best ability however the crowds made it hard to get the amazing technicolour photographs that I had envisioned!
I took a sneaky shot of what I was wearing in the Urban Outfitters changeroom! In retrospect I wish I had been more colourful but this outfit seemed to make sense for long walks on the rainy streets! [Jeans: AE, Jacket: Winners, Bag: Old Navy]

One man just had a family of lizards lying out on the street! I think this one could be a distant cousin of my very own lizard, Fred!

His tragic death will be mourned for years to come.

A fantastically festive shop window courtesy of American Apparel!

Sadly, this was the best shot of the parade that I got!

A trendy couple. Yes, I did feel a little bit creepy photographing them without their knowledge.

So it's a little R-Rated and slightly offensive to some, but I couldn't help posting this hilarious and lighthearted t-shirt.

As you can see it was a fun day and I will surely be attending next year (I'll go early so that I can get better photographs!) I am now off to perhaps finish a dress which I have been working on for far too long!

C'est Magnifique!

Top: Joe Fresh Style, Purse: Vintage,

Belt: Old Navy, Skirt and Flats: Urban Outfitters

While I must admit that I was not a huge fan of Paris, I was hugely inspired by French dressing this morning! Mother and I decided to take a trip to the mall, and I thought that a combination of easy separates would be most suitable for such an occasion. Note my neon green nail polish (couldn't help but sneak it into the first shot!) According to various publications...including Vogue, neon nails are a huge summer trend. My advice? Apply neon to either the fingers or toes (both can seem excessive!)

P.S. I can't help but laugh at the second picture as I was fighting against the baby oil that had crept into my eyes! That'll teach me...