November in pictures

November is kinda a dreary month (didn’t help that I had a cold for two weeks), so it’s good that it flew by. As time tends to do on me.

the books I read while I was sick: My Berlin Kitchen // Maman's Homesick Pie // Paris in Love // I carried a box of Kleenex around for three weeks // pomegranates, my favourite fruit // Remembrance Day cupcakes // Movember cupcakes // Santa’s been imbibing too much // workday fruit

my nephew // J.Crew socks // my nephew in his Spiderman costume // Wait? what’s that? // sleeping nephew // Abby the Basset Hound // cold walk // November roses // happy snowman

Bring on December, I'm ready! I want the snow (but only the pretty, fluffy snow please), the holiday baking (I'm sugar-free and gluten-free until the weekend before Christmas, when all bets are off), and the general good Christmas cheer. I've been in the Christmas spirit thanks to Cee Lo Green and the Muppets:

Also, it's only 25 days until the Les Miserables movie comes out:

I was a musical theatre geek about 15 years ago and I cannot wait to see this. I will be there on Christmas Day.

Elementary inspiration

I don’t think that Elementary is very good. I hate to compare it BBC’s Sherlock, but it’s inevitable and unfortunately Elementary falls short. If I can guess the “twist” before it’s revealed, then it’s not much of a twist, because I switch my brain off when I’m watching TV. It’s TV, why should I think? Anyway, I still watch Elementary, because hello, Jonny Lee Miller.

I also found some unexpected fashion inspiration in Lucy Liu as Joan Watson.

Me:

Club Monaco T-shirt // Hilary Druxman necklace // Club Monaco silk chiffon skirt (2010) // Wolford Satin Opaque tights // Michael Kors heels

Lucy Liu:

From episode 5, season 1, “Lesser Evils” (first aired November 1, 2012).

I haaate tucking shirts in (just one of my many quirks, it’s uncomfortable and emphasizes my tummy bulge), so I like how her top is left loose over her skirt. I also like how she inspired me to pluck this Club Monaco skirt out of my giveaway pile and give it another go.

Jonny Lee Miller:

I had to throw those in. I mean, he is the reason I watch.

Hope all my American friends had a great Thanksgiving, even though we all know the real (Canadian) Thanksgiving already happened in October. ;) Now, on to Black Friday!

Lately, I’ve been…

…making gluten-free dumplings that look bad but taste pretty good. Still working on making a good filling though.

…trying to get over a bloody cold that has lingered for over a week.

…looking forward to seeing Skyfall (I’m a Daniel Craig fan, that man wears a suit so well...). I should wear my Skyfall Dress to go see it, but I don’t think I will.

…wearing my knockoff J.Crew turquoise bubble necklace too much. I’m thinking of other colours, pink and red and maybe orange.

Anthro Boreal Blear Tee (Weston wear) // Banana Republic camisole (old – 2006, I think) & Anthro cardigan
Banana Republic twist-front top // Club Monaco Faye Striped Top

(Seriously, it goes with everything. I could wear it almost every day, with (almost) everything I own. It makes an old outfit seem new again. But not new enough to warrant a full-size photo.

…catching up on season 2 of New Girl on demand. The latest episode (Menzies, season 2 episode 7, aired Nov 13) made me literally LOL. I still think Jess is the most uninteresting character, but the guys are awesome.

…giggling over this video. Is it wrong that I thought one of the cartoon people cut in half looks like a grapefruit and that made me want a grapefruit?

The Truth About Style

I think I've been having a crisis of style lately. I've been thinking I'm not nearly stylish/fashionable enough to warrant having a blog where I take pictures of myself. I've said this before, that style doesn't come naturally to me, it's something I have to work hard at and I struggle at, and therefore it doesn't feel very effortless to me.

I picked up Stacy London’s book The Truth About Style, not necessarily because I was looking for answers to my style dilemma, but because I like style books (even when they confuse me). I found the book itself a little annoying (but I also find Stacy London a little annoying too) and not all that helpful, but there were a couple of a quotes that I took to heart:

“Style, unlike fashion, is personal. It’s about the individual.”

“Dress for yourself and what suits your lifestyle, and you will always look good.”

“Style is about enhancing who you are, and not attempting to look like someone you’ll never be.”

“Style thrives when you do. It succeeds when you are the best version of yourself, not a poor version of someone else’s ideal.”

“Our clothes, like it or not, give other people insight into who we are. To take control of the message, you have to know yourself, and dress accordingly.”

Amen.

As much as I’ve said before that I wear what I love, I’m actually highly suggestible and I often want to look like other people. My problem is also that I like a lot of very different styles, my tastes are not limited to one in particular. It’d be a whole lot easier if I knew my style was 100% J.Crew prepster or Zooey Deschanel wannabe or rock chick or super-trendy, not bits from here and there.

Anyway, I need to stop thinking about dressing myself as a struggle, because then it becomes a struggle. I need to see it as an evolution and a challenge, and something I should stop overthinking and have fun with.

(Still, it kinda sucks that I’m in my thirties and I’m still trying to figure it out.)

Jacob sleeveless top // Anthro cardi // knockoff J.Crew bubble necklace // Anthro Alluring Sway Skirt (Cartonnier) // Wolford Velvet Opaque tights // Michael Kors shoes

It’s not super-exciting, but it works for me, it worked for that day at work, and I felt pretty good, so what else matters?

Lunch at Anthropologie

The Yorkville Anthro is about a 10-minute walk from my office, so I’ve been known to go there on my lunch break. I haven’t been recently, but I went to pick up one of these to use as a pencil holder at my desk, and to be inspired.

Llamas and rabbits instead of bison.

I’m not ready for Christmas yet, but the rabbit with a backpack scaling the shelf made me giggle.

I love these sketches on the wall.

I love this tulle skirt and the combination with the denim skirt. I would never ever wear it myself, but I love it.

This is on my desk at work. I didn’t like the “R” mug so I took the next letter.

While I was there, I also checked out the new Free People store across the street. Cool store, but it’s not really my thing.

I bark at pants.

photo via Dog Shaming

Oh, the troubled, antagonistic relationship I have with pants. I wish we could just be friends! I imagine myself in skinny jeans looking like this or this or this (like they’re “supposed” to), but I have these things called hips, so instead I look like this: WIDE.

J.Crew vintage cotton V-neck tee in heather graphite // knockoff J.Crew bubble necklace // J Brand 901 jean legging // Tory Burch Reva flats

Okay, it’s not as awful as I think it is in my head. I try to look at photos of myself objectively, but really, how objective can I be?

J.Crew vintage V-neck tee in heather graphite // J.Crew long merino cardigan // knockoff J.Crew bubble necklace // AG Stevie jeans in turquoise // Tory Burch Reva flats

I ended up returning these AG Stevie jeans. I love how they look in the product shot (but the model doesn't have my hips, so go figure), but I'm not crazy about them on me. And the colour is more green than the turquoise/teal I wanted. So they're not worth it for the price, sadly.

I keep trying pants, I want to love pants, but pants don't love me back. I’m just not a pants girl. At least skirts still love me.

Breakfast at Anthropologie

I’ve fallen out of love with Anthropologie this year, but I’m not willing to cut all ties yet. I haven’t been in store since the beginning of September, so yesterday I revived my Saturday morning ritual of grocery shopping followed by a visit to the Shops at Don Mills location as soon as it opens. I was followed by a parade of Zooey Deschanel wannabes (sorry, I can’t help snarking) who were training for the new Yorkdale Mall store (opening November 16).

(As an aside, I’ve also stopped perusing the website regularly, because I haate the model shots and I’m not a fan of the new layout. But that’s just me.)

It’s November, so that means Christmas decorations are starting to go up. This papier-mâché bison standing in snow is the first thing you see when you enter the store.

Sparkly holiday wear and jewellery:

I love the housewares section:

(I also love charcuterie.)

But as for the clothes…I wasn’t inspired to try anything on, except for the Puckered Placket Turtleneck, which is nice basic with a twist, and also an opportunity for me wear something else other than v-neck or low-neck tops (I’m a self-confessed skank girl with boobs).

 

I remember a time when I wanted on to try everything in the store, but I haven’t felt like that for a while. It’s a combination of my tastes changing and Anthro’s aesthetic changing. I find it a little disappointing, but my wallet definitely does not.

Rain boots

Hello November, please bring a little more sunshine. And some good news and help to everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Soïa & Kyo trench // Club Monaco scarf // Anthro Aniseed Skirt (Eva Franco) // Wolford tights // Marc by Marc Jacobs Hillier Hobo // Hunter Original Short Rubber Boots in black