Somebody That I Used To Know

Somebody That I Used To Know- Gotye (how gooood is this song?!)

So it's finally here, the end of my early twenties. 

Gah! 

My poor Hundred list- I'm definitely leaving it all to crunch time! Looks like I'll be taking 2015 off and just globe trotting the entire time. Aww shucks, sounds rough, right? 

And even though I wore this outfit a full week before my birthday I felt that the sparkle and slight "dance costume" feel of it was appropriate for my birthday post! Unless you really don't give a hoot, your birthday is one of the few times you can get away with wearing sequins before 10 am...

ah, who am I kidding? Sequins are too much fun to be left only for after brunch. Introduce them to your croissants tomorrow! 

Navy Wool Cardigan- Gap, Black Lace Blouse- Wilfred (similar), Sequin Shorts- Borrowed from Cee (similar), Mauve Tights- Marks & Spencer, Grey Suede Heels- Nine West (similar)

I'm still on the fence about the mixing of textures in this outfit- sequin shorts, lace top, wool sweater. When the idea popped in my head it was immediate love, however, looking at the photos I think the lace and sequins are too similarly busy, hmm... back to the drawing board I guess!

I'm an avid believer in the Live and Learn motto, naturally! 

love & birthday kisses

xxx

Good Life

Good Life- OneRepublic

Last weekend Cee of Coco and Vera hosted a lovely little birthday and swap party, how perfect is that? 

A group of my favourite Vancouver bloggers came and we caught up, ate cake (home made by Cee's wonderful husband!) and picked out some new goodies to style. 

Plus she handed out little tiaras that were just so much fun!

The September birthday babies, Jen, me and Cee!

Poses in the park!

L-R Alicia, Lynn, Cee, Alex, Jen, me, Veronika, Cara

Outfit: Red Sweater (similar) and Gold Necklace- Joe Fresh, Floral Skirt (similar) and Bracelets- Le Chateau, Oxford Heels- Mellow Yellow (France), Belt- Vintage

Camel heels galore!

Photo credits to the patient husbands Ian and David

And I just want to say a big thank you for bearing with my absence these past few weeks! I still haven't worked out this new routine and homework is just piling up, then when you're the hugest klutz in the world and spill water on your beloved laptop you end up losing your day-off to wringing your fingers at the Genius Bar.

But I promise that I will be replying and checking in with all your lovely blogs soon, it's breaking my heart that it's been so long already! 

love

xxx

The Writer

The Writer- Ellie Goulding

I'm quite in love with these clothes swaps that we've been having over here in Vancouver. It gives you a chance to try on a style that you'd always admired, but could never justify jumping off the deep end for. 

Take this gorgeous velvet blazer. I've always been a sucker for textures, J Crew and classic styles (I don't know why I hadn't leapt before...) so when Cee pulled out this beauty I bounded across the room and happily gave it a new temporary home! 

Luckily fall eventually did arrive so I pulled on a few layers, my skinny cafe trousers and wiggled around my apartment like an extra from Mad Men.

Oh, don't even pretend you've never done that! 

Green Velvet Blazer- Cee's (similar), Leopard Print Cardigan- Ricki's (similar), Black Skinny's- H&M (similar), Nude Heels- Aldo, Gold Necklace- Joe Fresh, Brown Belt- Vintage

Luckily some of the lovely Vancouver bloggers got together for a swap, cupcakes and a chat this past weekend (pretty photos to come!) 

So I have some new goodies to dress up and can't wait to try out a few new styles.

I hope you all had awesome weekends too!

love

xxx

Loose Ends

Loose Ends- Imogen Heap

Looking back at these photos, which were taken a few weeks ago in sunny August, makes me remember being calm and relaxed. Right now I'm doing that sneaky blogging thing (where I'm still in my pj's, hair in a bun and a big cup of coffee glued to my hands) feeling anything but relaxed.

But I do feel excited!

 I'm loving my classes (hello, Typography!), Fall has arrived in Vancouver (hello, Pumpkin Spice Latte!), and I have some awesome things happening in these next few days (hello, dance class!). So, while my routine has yet to be sorted out, I'm revelling in this new chapter.

Grey Sparkle Slouch Sweater- H&M (similar here), Tutu Skirt- Cee's (similar), Black Wedges- Gap, Turquoise Ring- Aldo (similar), Bracelets- Le Chateau

And what better way to kick off a new chapter than with a style that's slightly new? I love this tutu skirt and while my first instinct was to pair it with a button up, such as here, this slouchy knit makes it look more rebellious. The play on texture is also something that I just can't get enough of lately!

love

xxx

Oh Fortune

Oh Fortune- Dan Mangan

This is the shirt that you got a preview of in the swap photos, the one that I did not think I could pull off  as I usually feel overwhelmed in tops that can also be used to steal watermelons. But the beading is beautiful and the fabric is slightly dupioni silk-ish so I had to give it a whirl. Plus, it's a swap item. It's hardly like I'm out of pocket for going out of my comfort zone! So a big thank you to the lovely Mina for sharing this beauty with me!

And what would you know? Throw a skinny belt on it (look! I have a waist!) and some high-waisted wool shorts, along with my favourite glasses, and I felt pretty gamine and, dare I say, French! 

Beaded Blouse- Mina, Black Wool Shorts- H&M, Wedge Espadrilles- Gap, Black Belt- Vintage, Faux Bans- Superstore/DIY

Aaaaand I just had to add in this last shot as it looks like I'm about to board a boat or something... Ahoy Captain? 

You're welcome for the giggle! :) 

So now I'm off to scoot over a few provinces and visit the pretty prairies for a week, it's my first time back since moving to BC in January and I'm quite excited! A lot has changed since then and I'm thrilled to be able to catch up with some of my nearest and dearest for real!

Bon voyage!

xxx

Half of Something Else

Half of Something Else- The Airborne Toxic Event

What does one wear when it's sweltering hot and they don't have a/c? Since I have a couple neighbours who are a little too close for the answer to be a bathing suit, I threw on the little sundress that I borrowed from the ever-lovely Cara over at A Fashion Love Affair and was very content! 

Last weekend was a nice little blur of hikes, reading, wandering the city and cooking tasty foods... basically I'm soaking up my summer freedom as much as I can before drowning in homework, essays and GPA stress come September! 

Navajo Print Dress- Swapped with Cara, Belt and Watch- Thrifted, Wood Sandals- Pierre Hardy for Gap, Clutch- Old Navy, Assorted Bracelets

And to continue on this lovely little relaxation trip, I'm heading out after work tonight to meet up with some of my favourite Vancouver bloggers for dinner. I'm so excited for the evening of chats, food and fashion with these pretty ladies!  

love

xxx

I Hear the Bells

I Hear the Bells- Mike Doughty

Man, I feel like a woman!

(Yes, I do intend to start every post with an iconic line from 90's music. You're welcome.)

I've been crushing on a tutu skirt since I was 5*, so when Cee brought out this little beauty at the swap I pretty much leapt over the table to grab it. And since it's been in my hands I've found countless loveable outfits to wear it with. 

*Seriously. Imagine my 5 year old disappointment when I found out that ballet classes don't automatically mean tutus. 

Blue Button Up- Zara, Tutu Skirt- Courtesy of Cee!, Grey Suede Heels- Nine West, Pink Necklace- FXXI, Gold Bracelets- Le Chateau, Turquoise Ring- Aldo

After much deliberation I decided to take photos of the skirt with my favourite blouse, putting a very "me" spin on this swap item. I also twisted it around, something about a bow at the small of the back makes me smile and feel supremely girly! 

love

xxx

Swell Swaps!

(L-R Cara, Mina, Jen, Me, Cee)
How adorable are all of these ladies?
I felt so bad showing up at Cee's little Parisian flat for our second Blogger Swap being such a ball of tiredness. I'd just spent 5 1/2 hours in a hot car driving back from the Okanagan, hence the low key hair and flip flops. But I wasn't about to miss out on this fun and I'm so glad I didn't!

Cee, of Coco & Vera, and her adorable fella are the sweetest couple who graciously hosted the swap again. This time we had Cara of A Fashion Love Affair, Mina of Faboulista and Jen of Her Waise Choice. There was a ton of fashion talk, clothes swapping and blog talks- and again I left feeling so excited and inspired! There's nothing like meeting up with like-minded people who also happen to be crazy nice!
(photos courtesy of Cee's husband)

Showing vintage finds! 

Deciding if this blouse reads as "I just stole a watermelon" on me or cute and swingy (verdicts still out, but you'll see it in an upcoming post and can weigh in!) 

As I was just bumming around for the day I didn't grab actual outfit shots, but my dad did snap this photo while we were out for brunch at Silverstar in Vernon. I'm loving the versatility of this lace blouse, paired with cut off shorts it's super casual but with a cute skirt it goes quite high brow!

love

xxx

Comeback Kid

Comeback Kid- Brett Dennen

It has just been gorgeous here! Beach bumming and cute little dresses have been necessities, especially when they're as cute as this little one that I borrowed from the lovely Veronika over at Girl & Closet at the last blogger swap. 

I love that she last wore it on her blog back in March, when Vancouver was quite a bit colder. She added a lace shirt underneath, tights, flats... and looked utterly adorable! I had fun playing off the flower colours in it and added bright happy heels, poppy lips and (my current staple) wrap and sequin bracelets! 

Dress- Borrowed from Veronika, Yellow Heels and Taupe Belt- Aldo, Various Bracelets- Club Monaco, Le Chateau, H&M, DIY

I actually wore this outfit last Sunday for an evening at English Bay, and despite almost getting a soccer ball kicked at my head (thankfully it hit my shoulder and I got to pretend to be cool/co-ordinated) (sarcasm*) the evening was pretty fun. And the dress was perfect for it, swapping is kinda awesome- I highly recommend trying it out with your friends! 

love

xxx