Outfit of the Day: Pair a border print sleeveless shirt-dress with a bold woven belt. Hair in a chignon and some great earrings. Unexpected pairings bring unexpectedly awesome outfits.
A Fine Tangle by jc-alison featuring short shorts
I got myself a new skirt for fall: below the knee, black, high waisted,…with suspenders. I am excited. It’s rare that I find a piece that I love, that I’m not sure I can pull off. Today’s pairing: bordeaux sleeveless turtleneck, boots and statement necklace. Wish me luck.
My relatively new purse just busted its hardware, to my surprise… and I’ve been considering an appropriate replacement. A good bag, at $160, isn’t ‘cheap’ and I could reasonably expect it to last more than a few months. Right? So, on with the new and the next. What should I get?
And will it go with my hand-me-down silk blouse with circle appliques in mauve, plum and pale violet, with shell buttons? Today I paired it with dark denim, some clunky boots and a delicate necklace. Warm and cozy with my nubby oatmeal cardigan coat.
Every Sunday I go to dance. I head downtown to run errands and then check in at the studio. On a good day, we go out after a sweaty class to share a drink and catch up. For an all day walk-around, you need something you can throw on over your tights and yoga top… but you should definitely be ready for the unexpected… or even a perfectly planned post-class dance party.
I used to live adjacent to the Royal Ontario Museum and often, on my way home from classes at U of T, wandered along the Bloor Street strip to eye the clothes that tuition kept out of range. I would look at the sale racks and find treasures that were just within my budget. It’s been years since I’ve lived there, and so much has changed.
The Royal Ontario Museum at Bloor and Avenue Road, Toronto
The ROM; my old neighbourhood.
I live in a new neighbourhood and now I’m able, more often, to afford the treats that catch my eye (being employed full-time will help in that department). Still a budget conscious girl, I watch and I wait. I’m getting good at knowing what I really need and what indulgences will truly satisfy.
One of my favourite old haunts was Club Monaco, but it’s been years since I’ve been inside one of their stores. Recently I set foot in the flagship store and, be still my heart… it is more beautiful than I remembered. They’ve updated the store, the line and – if I could be made into a liquid – I’d happily let myself be poured into any number of their store vignettes, clothes, couch, pillows and all. Preferably, ease me into the size 2 samples of sumptuous knits, tailored dresses, add a great bag, and then hit Ctrl + a few times.
Club Monaco welcomes you.
Every turn holds a well-curated feast for the eyes.
From the pendant light to the semi-gloss dark walls, mosaic floors and fresh greenery, they know how to make you feel aspirational.
A favourite handbag.
Come sit. Come get dressed. Come enjoy the fire. Come imagine your life in a couch like these, in boots like these, in a dress like this, in a store like this.
Raw wood pillars are display worthy in and of themselves, tall boots, glass, tufted couches, and everything but a crackling fire…
Fashion parade. Neutrals draw attention to the simplicity and timelessness of the pieces. Modern, but classic.
From floor to ceiling, the palette is cohesive.
I’ll take one light fixture, one top and one table.
Poufs. In case you had trouble picking between the pale leather jacket and the cashmere sweater.
They know how to do a visual display. I feel calmer even as my heart races.
Into the lower level, accessories and a gallery wall make the space feel like a really cool loft, rather than a cleverly, calculated feat of visual merchandising.
I want to live here.
Quirky art and perfectly chosen separates.
Miaow.
It must be said that I didn’t buy anything this day, but I did have a very strong urge to rearrange my furniture and hang some artwork.
Do you find inspiration for your home in your favourite clothing stores?
Heading out for a morning of grocery shopping and then to play with my nieces. Later, fish tacos, beer and cooking up a storm with my wife’s family. Comfort and kid-friendly clothes are a must.
I’m on the lookout for a new black purse; must be small, cross body and have well-zipped compartments for ID, money, etc. It will be our new ‘going out dancing bag’ – for hands-free shakin’ on the dance floor.
Suggestions?
It’s a new season, officially. It seems like the time is just flying. A few short months ago, I joined WordPress and started blogging about life, love and fashion. Then, just as the crisp temperatures started to creep in, signalling Fall’s arrival, I got a lovely note; I was lucky enough to be nominated for a Liebster Award! I’d like to send out a huge thank you to Autumn Updates (https://autumnupdates.wordpress.com/), you should check out her frank, on-point observations about the world – she has a really fresh perspective!
It’s really touching to see/hear that the blog I started for myself (to allow me a place to indulge in things outside my work life) has been a positive, fun, informative place for others. I love writing and definitely love fashion. I do these things for me, but if someone else finds pleasure in them, it makes things all the better. Accordingly, I love to see others who write because they love it – for the release, for the humour, for the sadness, the questions, the angst, the inspiration. And I never met a fashion collage I didn’t love.
For more on the award rules and my answers to Autumn Updates’ questions, read on!
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So first, the rules for the Liebster Award are:
1. Once nominated make a post to thank and link the person that nominated you.
2. Include the Liebster award sticker award somewhere in your post.
3. Nominate 5 – 10 other bloggers who have 200 followers or less that you think are worthy of this award. Let them know you have nominated them by commenting on one of their posts. You can nominate the person who tagged you.
4. Answer the questions by the person that nominated you, and create questions of your own for your nominees.
5. Copy these rules onto your post.
My questions and answers for the ‘mini Q & A’ are:
I love having a personal goal that no one but me holds me accountable for. I wanted to write more. I wanted to put pen to paper (or at least fingers to keyboard) and find a place to visually and verbally express myself. I have so much to be thankful for and in life we sometimes get bogged down by what isn’t going right; here I find myself feeling immensely grateful – for the privilege of having a life where enough things are going right that I have happy things to write about – and when things are going poorly, I can channel it; writing helps me work through my feelings.
2. When you’re sad, what do you do to cheer yourself up?
I eat cinnamon buns. I drink wine. I make videos of our cats with my wife. I call my mom. I dance.
3. If you could be any Disney character, who would you be and why?
Ariel from The Little Mermaid, because I can seriously rock red locks, I love to sing and I definitely have thing-a-ma-bobs a-plenty.
Little Mermaid?
4. Where in the world do you want to visit?
I have traveled a great deal and would love to revisit Brazil. I left pieces of my heart there. I have a list of places my wife and I want to travel to: Portugal, Iceland, Thailand, Peru, Australia… One day we’ll get to all of them.
Até logo, Brasil! Estou com saudades de voce!
5. What is your Starbucks order?
London Fog, Chai Latte, Vanilla Latte or… most likely a regular old coffee from anywhere… with almond milk.
6. What advice would you give to your younger self?
Keep doing what you do. It has been amazing reconnecting with old friends and acquaintances from high school and realizing that the way we perceived ourselves is often clouded by the fear that we will be judged. I conveyed a confidence that was pretty compelling, but felt like a bit of an impostor – constantly doubting and striving. I wish I had known, like I know now, retrospectively, that being a bit of a free-spirit and a bleeding heart, but being a hard-ass when it came to standing up for what I believe in and being willing to fight the good fight (especially where social justice is concerned) was something that would get me respect later in life. Respecting myself and my judgement, to try and do what I believed was right, even if it was hard, is something I’d push myself to keep doing. Lastly: keep holding out for love. She is right around the corner!
Big kisses to you, my amazing wife!
Big thank you to you, Autumn Updates. I appreciate the love!
I would like to nominate:
& the questions for my nominees are:
I cannot wait to hear about all your amazing ideas. I enjoy reading and learning from you. Cheers to a great community! Thanks again to Autumn Updates, and best of luck in life and blogging!
Sincerely,
A
I am squeezing the last beautiful drops of our warm weather before Canada’s bitter winter comes and really kicks my butt. I am enjoying the days of high waist culottes and summery lace tops, crochet vests and jewellery that reminds me of our travels to Santorini. I won’t give in yet, despite knowing that by Halloween there might be snow on the ground.
Stay tuned for some awesome updates, coming soon… and not just in the wardrobe department.
There will be a special shout out to AutumnUpdates and some news.
How are you holding on to Summer, or is Autumn on your mind … and more than just because I mentioned a sweet blogger by that name?
While organizing the basement I came across a box with the label “Letters From My Love”. It contains all the correspondence between my grandmother and grandfather during WWII. Unfolding the yellowed paper and seeing their words to one another on the page is real romance, right before my eyes.
I am a sucker for a good romance. Whether it’s “The Notebook” or a Rifle Paper Co. patterned dress, in the same print as the notebook that my wife and I used as a guestbook and then as the ‘Year One Of Our Marriage’ journal… a little flowers never hurt, to add a touch of rose-hued nostalgia to the scene. I was thrilled when I found a Rifle Paper Co. dress in exactly the pattern of our notebook. I plan to wear it with a sweetly patterned coral, cap sleeve cardigan, a carousel necklace (from yyzimports.ca, pictured above) and a vintage piece of my Nana’s, costume jewellery at its finest. I will be in bloom – and loving it.
Rifle Paper Co.
The Dress. Rifle Paper Co.
A sweet vignette; I imagine that this is what life looks like in a sweetly patterned dress.
It is. Truly.
StyleSaVie 