Thursday, never looking back

So Monday was a little exciting here in the big city. After work I started walking home and ended up ducking into a building to escape a rather dramatic rain storm. Turns out Toronto received 90mm of rain in 2 hours. The average rainfall for the month of July is usually 75mm. Unfortunately I left the windows of my apartment open and had a wee bit of water to deal with when I got home. Then I lost power for about 24 hours and wasn't able to deal with the water in my carpet. Today I got home and my apartment smells like a swamp.

The worst part was almost all of my shoes were stored under my bed in fabric storage cases. Many were soaked and I have yet to determine the full extent of the damage. Hopefully they will be ok.

Here's what I wore on Monday before the drenching.

July 8

Dress: Lilikoi from Chartreuse Style (last worn here)
Shoes: Fluevog Swordfish | Postmodern Slushy (apparently sold out!)

I bought these shoes my second day living in Toronto and this is the second time I've worn them. The first time was out for drinks with a former coworker from Halifax.

I'm glad I got them when I did since they aren't on the Fluevog website anymore.

They're pretty comfortable though they did rub a bit on my right ankle. I just slapped a bandaid on and carried on with my day.

Luckily I wasn't wearing these during the extreme deluge.

I didn't take any pictures on Tuesday or Wednesday since I was looking less than camera ready.


























July 11

T-shirt: Club Monaco (last worn here)
Skirt: Twig and Hottie in Vancouver (last worn here)
Shoes: Aldo

These shoes were thrown in the garbage when I got home. I'd only worn them about 4 times and a lot of the glittery bits from them had fallen off. Plus they made my feet sweat terribly. Life's too short to wear crappy shoes.

I love this skirt but it wrinkles easily. It has a nice drape though.

A new pair of shoes was waiting for me when I got home so throwing these ones out wasn't such a hardship.

Tomorrow is Friday! I'm in love!

Catching up

Sorry for the radio silence. I've been enjoying living in the city and spending more time outside of my apartment than inside. This is probably a good thing since my apartment is in a basement so it's not exactly bright. It's great for sleeping but not so great for the Vitamin D acquisition.

Although this was a short week, it was a busy one. Not just with work but with the socialization which is good since I tend to be a hermit if I'm not forced to interact with people.

Here's Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday's outfits. I skipped Thursday since I was totally uncomfortable all day.

May 21

Cardigan: Club Monaco (last worn here)
T-shirt: Joe Fresh (worn a lot)
Skirt: Smoking Lily (last worn here)
Shoes: Fluevog Mini | Gorgeous (last worn here)

Pretty nondescript and totally serviceable. Jersey t-shirt, jersey skirt,

I feel a little bit guilty about wearing Joe Fresh ever since the Bangladesh clothing factory collapse. Such a terrible tragedy where so many people died in the aid of making cheap clothing for those of us in North  America. I haven't shopped at Joe Fresh or any of the other companies that were linked to that terrible event in quite a while. Now that I'm in Toronto I've been trying to shop at store that sell locally made items. They might cost more but I know I'm supporting my community.

Some people asked to see a close up of the necklace that I mentioned here.

I love it! My sister really knows me. :)






























May 22

On Wednesday, I wore this. <Chandler Bing> Could I BE any more stripey?</Chandler Bing>

Jacket: The Gap (hangs head in shame)
Shirt: Melissa Bolduc from Fresh Collective (last worn here)
Skirt: Melissa Bolduc from Fresh Collective
Shoes: Vivienne Westwood for Melissa (last worn here)


I wore these shoes because it was supposed to rain. It did a little bit but not much when I was outside.

Maybe I should recreate this with some similarly stripey shoes?

Look! There's a stripey underskirt! Yes, I'm so matchy matchy!

I've bought a few things from Fresh Collective since I moved to Toronto.  I walk past it's Queen Street store twice a day so it's quite enticing to just pop in. I must put blinders on!


























May 24

Dress: Bitter Root Vintage on etsy (last worn here)
Boots: Fluevog Hope | Desire (last worn here)

Today I had to brief my new Deputy Minister on some stuff and then we had a lunch to say goodbye to a coworker and then cake for a coworker birthday. Lots of socializing. That can be too much for a "highly sensitive person". 

I'm very used to briefing senior officials so I wasn't too worried about that. However I ended up on quite the sugar high after the birthday cake.  WHOOOOOO!!!!!!!

I like that I work with more people in my new job than I did in my old job. Everyone is pretty awesome too. It's really helping me leave my hermit lifestyle behind.

I'm currently watching the Ottawa-Pittsburgh hockey game. I'm conflicted because I kinda want Ottawa to win so a Canadian team will still be in the playoffs but I like Pittsburgh because Sidney Crosby is from Nova Scotia. Realistically I should say "Go Pittsburgh" but in my heart I want Ottawa to win.

Happy Weekend everyone!

When you feel my heat, Look into my eyes

I didn't really feel like blogging on Friday so this is a delayed outfit post. First thing though, Shelley let me know what the Vintage Show TO blog posted a picture of us from the Vintage Clothing Show we went to last weekend. It's a pretty good shot of us. :)

I decided to go casual on Friday, or as casual as I can go.

T-shirt: Club Monaco (last worn here)
Jeans: Trapper Jane (last worn here)
Socks: from Durumi and Chocolate Shoes
Shoes: Fluevog Gateways | Brandenburg Light (last worn here)

Lacy socks! I was a little cold since the weather here has been topsy turvy. One day it will be 21C and then next it will be snowing.  It snowed yesterday and this is how I felt about it.
















I guess it shouldn't surprise me. Spring is always volatile in Canada. I remember in 1997 it snowed on my birthday, in the middle of May.

On Friday I picked up the keys to my new place. I still do not have a firm date for when my stuff will be arriving but it was loaded onto a truck on Friday. Here's hoping it's before Wednesday.

I went in yesterday and measured and tried to visualize my stuff in the space. Really it will just be shoes here, shoes there, shoes EVERYWHERE.

Here's some pictures of the space.

This is the "bedroom". It's really a bachelor but there's a movable wall that the previous tenant moved into a very awkward spot. I'll have the movers move it more closely to that pole.

This is the walk in closet. I might need to install another bar to accommodate my clothes.

This is the kitchen space as seen from the stairs that lead down into the apartment. The stove is tiny but I'm pretty sure I could cook a turkey in it. The window there makes it bright but I'm going to need a few more lamps than the 2 I have packed with my stuff. It's a gas stove too which I am luckily used to since my parents have one.

That's the movable wall. I think I'm going to put my TV in that little alcove part and move that wall back and get a couch for this space. I have a coffee table and a few storage unit thingies so I'm going to wait until all my stuff arrives before buying anything.

It's not much but it's mine.

Blue fly

Last night my friend came over and helped me pack up the items from my kitchen that I'll be moving. We finished in 1 hour. o_O  She used to move a lot in her life so she apparently retained the skills of efficient packing. We used ever inch of space in the boxes. She's offered to help me as much as she can. I wonder what she can do with my shoes.

Cardigan: Club Monaco (last worn here)
Top: Anthropologie (also last worn in the above link)
Skirt: Smoking Lily (last worn here)
Boots: from Las Vegas (last worn here)

I thought I had lost this blouse. I haven't seen it since I was in Ottawa in November or December. I found it yesterday when I was going through my clothes. YAY!

These tights look blue in this photo but they are really a bright teal. I thought they gave this outfit a bit more interest than wearing grey or black. 

I'm off work on Monday so only 4 more days of photos in front of these doors!

I pull my shirt off and pray

Today was the last time I will wear this shirt.

Blouse: Club Monaco (last worn here)
Belt: All Saints (last worn here)
Skirt: Luna Luz from Crimson and Clover (last worn here)
Shoes: Fluevog Presence | Impel (last worn here)

I had to throw this blouse out because it was ripped. I got it at Club Monaco last year on sale so I got a lot of use out of it for the price.

I'll have to try to find another cream blouse t replace this one.

This is the second wearing of this skirt that I got from Crimson and Clover. I like that it's so adjustable though I'm not sure what I would be like if I didn't tie up the ties that make it all bunchy at the bottom

Ok, that's it! Not much more to say. It was a regular Monday.

Dance into the fire

I think I've mentioned before that took ballet lessons when I was a kid. I started at one dance studio and when I got older I switched to a school that was more ballet focused. The instructor was kind of mean though and we suffered some humiliation and abuse from her. She was probably dishing out what she was given when she was a dancer. I ended up quitting because of it but the whole dancer aesthetic is still very appealing to me.

Maybe that's why I liked this skirt when I bought it. I've had it over over a year and this is the first time I've worn it - maybe because it's too "dancer" and not "bureaucrat", not that that's really stopped me before.

T-shirt: Club Monaco (last worn here)
Skirt: Twig and Hottie in Vancouver
Shoes: Vivienne Westwood for Melissa (last worn here)

This is a little more make-up than I would usually wear on a Saturday morning and I wish I could say I'm going to a party or something all WHOOOOO! but I'm not. In fact I had no plans until about 15 minutes ago when my neighbours asked if I wanted to go to the animal shelter with them this afternoon.  It's the shelter where the dear departed Jetta came from so I'm concerned I'll come home with another furry friend.

What, isn't this outfit appropriate for a few hours of playing with kitties and doggies? Who cares! It makes me feel pretty.

The back is my favourite part of this shirt. Probably because my back is my favourite part of me.

I'm dealing with an unplanned shoe "capsule" right now so you're going to see a lot of reruns until I get my shoes back.

B-side, solid gold

I decided to not stay away to long since this blog and being part of the "outfit blogger" community makes me happy.

My Gold Shoes of Awesomeness finally arrived and though the weather has been cooling off quickly here, today was warm enough to wear them.

The shoes are a wee bit big but after the previous mix-up I wasn't going to bother returning them. They're fine.

 My coworker started calling me The Flash when he saw these and then played this song.

Look at me wearing "white" after Labour Day.

Shirt: Joe Fresh
Belt: All Saints
Skirt: Club Monaco (last worn here)
Shoes: Gold Dot from Solestruck

Today's bling. Last week I got a package from Sheila and it included this fabulous ring. I love it!

The bracelet was a gift from a coworker and the necklace I got on Etsy.

Cherry ice cream smile

Last night I was having difficulty sleeping because it was so hot and humid. I also couldn't turn off my brain and for some unknown reason I started thinking about when I was in Junior High in 1983-85 and my home town got an Eaton Centre. A new MALL!

My friends and I went to check out the NEW MALL and do what 13 year olds do, which thankfully I can't remember, and see what fabulous new stores were in the mall that we wouldn't be shopping in because we didn't have any money.

It was then that I discovered my new love - Le Chateau. Le Chateau had such unique and edgy clothing! So different from the clothes I'd been getting at Sears. Specifically I fell in love with a pair of teal, balloony pants with suspenders and a mustard yellow blouse that was HUGE. (It was the 80s - everything was huge.)

I wore the hell out of the pants - in fact my Grade 7 and Grade 8 photos were taken in them. I loved the blouse which I wore with a brooch at the neck and with my yellow eyeshadow - until someone made fun of me. Being 14, of course I let that bother me. And that led to my changing my way of dressing to conform with the masses. The preppy years. Layering a sweater over an oxford shirt over a polo shirt over a turtleneck. Bass Weejuns penny loafers. Pegged jeans.

And that's about when I fell asleep.

The point of this ramble is that it wasn't until recently that I have felt comfortable enough to "be myself" when deciding what to wear. Sounds corny but it's mostly true.

That being said, look! I totally copied Sheila and bought the same skirt as her.

Cardigan: Pretty Things Boutique (last worn here)
Shirt: Smart Set
Belt: Lut Boutique
Skirt: Club Monaco
Shoes: Anna Sui for Hush Puppies (last worn here)

I was at the mall the other night to pick up a package and I found myself making a beeline to Club Monaco where I found this skirt on extreme markdown.

Sheila wore her's so fabulously that I couldn't resist.

I seem to always where these shoes with my polka dot cardigan. They seem like a natural fit.

Devil with a brown dress on

I'm writing this blog having had a drinky or two so I can't be responsible for what I say or don't say.

Necklace: Fireworks Gallery
Sweater: Club Monaco
Dress: from Lisbon, Portugal
Shoes: Bamboo from Winners (last worn here)

There's a lot more green in this dress than you might first think. That's why I wore the ACID green shoes.

In 2008, B and I went on a trans-Atlantic repositioning cruise with some friends. It was going from Florida to Barcelona and was Über-cheap. We embarked in Florida, stopped in Bermuda and then spend 7 days at sea crossing the Atlantic and then arrived in Lisbon. It was in Lisbon that we were told that one of the stabilizers had broken and the Portuguese port authority wouldn't let the ship leave until it was fixed. Consequently (ooo...big word), all ports of call were cancelled and the ship would just be heading directly to Barcelona once it was fixed.

B and I decided to disembark at that time, leaving our friends behind. We stayed at a great hotel called Pestana Palace and spent 3 days discovering the city.  This dress reminds me of those days.

It has sequins on the top, which you can't see. Sparkly!

Here's what you couldn't see - my new pincushion ring! B bought it for me yesterday at a local store run by our friend Pam, called Put Me On. Don't worry, I only stuck the needles in for demonstration purposes.

I didn't ramble too much...nighty night!

Box Full O'Honey

Bees!!

Ok, not Oprah giving away bees. Bees on my dress.

Blouse: Club Monaco (last worn here)
Dress: Dress: local designer from Dress Me Up (last worn here)
Belt: from H&M pants
Necklace: gift from China
Shoes: Fluevog Rivers | Yavari

Shiny dress is shiny!

I'm looking longingly at something. It looks like I should have a thought bubble over my head with ice cream, chocolate and Duran Duran in it.

My coworker called this print "Napoleonic". I didn't know that there was a connection between Napoleon and bees but I can see similarity.



Beeeees!!!!!

I knew I had another pair of sandals, I just couldn't find them. I searched my house and finally found them under the bed.

Yay for finding shoes!







Speaking of bees and Duran Duran

Imperfections

On Wednesday I went for a pedicure complements of my friend S who gave me a gift certificate for my birthday way back in May.

Whenever I get a pedicure, I always get my nails painted red. What can I say, I like the classics.

As you can see, my feet are not symmetrical. Everyone has their imperfections. One of mine is that I have a rather large bunion on my right foot. I used to have one on the left foot but when I was 18 I had surgery to remove it.

Both of my grandmothers had them so since bunions are mostly genetic, I have them to thank for this particular irregularity. I also took ballet and jazz dancing lessons off and on when I was a kid, both of which require very form fitting, tight shoes. That may have exacerbated the problem to the point when it was so painful that I couldn't even stand to wear socks. In Canada, one cannot go barefoot very often.

The surgery itself wasn't that bad but the healing was terrible for an 18 year old girl in her last term of high school. (As an aside, in Ontario we used to have Grade 13 so I was actually 19 when I graduated.)

I had a cast on my foot that only covered from the ankle to the toes and I was on crutches for 4-6 weeks. It was a fiberglass cast so I hacked away at the sucker until I had unwrapped about half of it.

I mostly don't let the bunion get in the way of my shoe obsession. I can cram that sucker into just about anything but the shoes I wore yesterday are just now starting to give me difficulty. That makes me sad. I guess I'll have to start paying attention to Barking Dog Shoes' suggestions for bunions. I actually have one pair that Kirsten mentions  - the Fluevog Maholos.

I do have a cute freckle on my foot though.

Today I was wearing my Pucci shoes which gave me no trouble at all.

Scarf: Came with a ball of yarn I bought from Knitivity
Sweater: Club Monaco
Dress: Smoking Lily (last worn here)
Leggings: Red Boots Design
Shoes: Pucci from Crimson and Clover (last worn here)
Watch: From the Metropolitan Museum of Art via Value Village

These shoes are so comfortable - I can't believe someone gave them up. My gain though!

I got this dress in Vancouver and I like how the print sort of matches my tattoo.  It also has POCKETS so it really is a perfect dress.

These leggings have a secret - Lucky Cats on the back! They're gold screen print but they look nice with the yellow shoes. Very complementary.

Happy weekend everyone!

Stripes and ruffles

I wore almost this exact same outfit in May. Well, I wore the same top and skirt (and cardigan, not shown) - today I wore different shoes and accessories.

Shirt: Club Monaco
Skirt: ModCloth
Shoes: Fluevog Operettas | Malibran (last worn here)

The shoes make this a little dressier than the thong sandals.

I was wearing a cardigan with this but I took it off for the photos. I think that people should just assume that I'm wearing a cardigan at the office.

Here's why I was wearing a cardigan - the shirt has a bit of a scoop back which can be a little chilly when you're in an air conditioned office.

I took a picture of my jewellery today. My coworker bought me this bracelet today. The skull earrings and the necklace are by Missy Industry. The smaller ring is my wedding band and the larger ring is a ring my husband gave me for our 10th anniversary.

Skulls and ruffles. Skuffles!

I'm so ready for the weekend.

Red carpet massacre, Don't want to hassle you

I was totally out of it today. I ended up missing my bus home and when I did get on the bus I missed my stop and had to walk home four extra blocks. Now my husband and I are doing the "what do you want for dinner" dance that ultimately results in us ordering pizza. (yep, just ordered it.)

Blouse: Club Monaco
Dress: Pretty Things Boutique
Shoes: Tn_29 - gravitypope.com

The weather is still really cool here so I've solidly returned to tights. Red tights though which make me happy.

I was walking through my office building's lobby today and some woman gave me the stink eye like you wouldn't believe. Weird! Maybe she doesn't like red?

And since it's after the 24th of May, white shoes! Not that I subscribe to all of those fashion "rules".

Speaking of fashion rules, I've been reading some of those websites that like to tell women over 40 what they should and shouldn't wear. Here is one of the gems of wisdom:

Avoid wearing outfits that are too colorful because at a certain age wearing too many bold colors simply won't do. It will make you look like you are trying to look young and you will only get the opposite effect.

Guess I failed that tip, eh?  

Love me, Trapper Jane

I gots me another new dress.

Sweater: Club Monaco
Dress: Trapper Jane from Love, Me Boutique
Shoes: Fluevog Presence Hi | Desmond

It has pockets...

And is twirly and tartany.

What more can a girl want?

It was a cold day today. Only 8C so out came the tights and a sweater. I probably would have been comfortable in a wool dress.

I hope we get some more warm weather soon.

And the droning engine throbs in time with your beating heart

I bought this dress last year and for some unfathomable reason today was the first day I've worn it. What is wrong with me?

Sweater: Club Monaco
Dress: Heartbreaker Fashion from Pretty Things Boutique
Belt: from another dress
Shoes: ASOS

And by happy accident, my shoes and this belt from another dress match the colour of the birds on the dress perfectly.

My co-worker, who is a fellow eBay addict and fan of the fashion, said to me "Today's outfit is a home run. Sometimes your outfit is a base hit or a double, but today you hit it out of the park." I'm not a baseball fan but I appreciate the analogy.

I wore my ASOS shoes again today (last worn here). I first ordered these a few months ago and for some stupid reason I ordered them in the UK3 instead of UK5. I just returned them but I kept thinking about them so I finally gave in and ordered them again.

My tattoo looks nice with this dress what with its bird and similar foliage motif.

(What the heck am I doing with my hand in this picture?)

And a big SHOUT OUT to Megan Mae for her under the desk photo! This makes 4!