July in pictures

I get overwhelmed with too many social media platforms, but it is more than a little bit strange that I’ve never been an avid user of Instagram until now. I take tons of pictures with my iPhone, but most just end up here. All that has changed! (It also probably means more pictures in the future)

July is Darth Maul // Anthro teacups // doggie looks like he’s in jail, but he’s just on the other side of the fence // sad beagle // good doggie // fetch! // see-through Target leggings, while I’m lying on the couch in my condo // Magnum Gold ice cream bars are kinda gross and plasticky tasting // another good doggie

clouds have swallowed the CN tower // I love grapefruit // rubber boots came in handy during the great Toronto downpour of summer 2013 // I take pictures of my feet by accident // is this a dog or a walking mop? // cute greeting card // I heart Canada too // fresh basil // my fancy books

MAC false eyelashes I’ll have to put on myself on Sunday // love // 14-year anniversary flowers from Will // mistakes // Kate Spade heels // display at the Kate Spade store in Yorkville // giant scoop of salted caramel ice cream in a chocolate waffle cone // beef and rice noodles in black bean sauce, my fave // Chinese hotpot rice, also my fave

And some full size pictures of the thunderstorm and aftermath on July 19.

The last one is my favourite.

Weekend catching up

Work has been insane again lately, I’m behind on everything, including reading blog posts on my feedly feed (I have hundreds to read), and my own sad blog. Life has been busy but good.

I am, however, looking forward to a break next week when Will and I go out to BC for his sister’s wedding on Aug 4. Then it’s a week of relaxing in Parksville, Victoria, and Vancouver. It will be nice to turn off my brain from work (somewhat, I will still have my Blackberry on for emergencies), and to get a change of scenery.

Of course, the important stuff: which dress should I wear to this beach wedding?

 

Left: Anthropologie Skyfall Dress (Burlapp, December 2009)
Right: Anthropologie Sub-Continent Dress (Floreat, Spring 2010)

I wish I could wear both, but an outfit change halfway through would just be silly.

inspiration board inspiration

I pin, and then I forget that I’ve pinned and I rarely go back and look for inspiration. Kayla’s most recent style challenge made me go and look and get inspired, and I’m afraid I went a little nuts.

The first one was quite literal:

source
J.Crew Vintage V-Neck T-Shirt // knockoff bubble necklace // Gap striped knit skirt // Cole Haan flats

And then after getting the literal out of my system, I could draw inspiration from non-outfit photos. I got called green on green on green by one of those street binder people looking for me to stop and talk to him, but it’s really more teal on turquoise on green, plus the teal iPhone case. It’s a little better without the cardigan (fuzzy pic though).

source
Anthropologie Height of Summer Dress (Maeve) // J.Crew featherweight cotton cardigan // J.Crew knockoff bubble necklace // Puma flats

This pic makes me want to eat mint chocolate ice cream. But it was also a good opportunity to wear something very light and pastel-y, which I don’t usually do. Ever, actually. I’m always wearing darker jewel tones.

source
Club Monaco T-shirt // Club Monaco mint statement necklace // Banana Republic pencil skirt // Miss Sixty heels

You look so fine

Classic Garbage, one of my favourite songs ever:

(Also, probably the theme song for Henry Cavill. What exactly is Man of Steel about anyway? He’s too distracting to follow any kind of plot.)

I’d also like to say that I looked so fine today, but that’s too vain/self-centred to actually say out loud, right? Screw that today. I put this on and felt great, so no hemming and hawing and saying “I think I look nice” or waiting for validation in the form of compliments.

Anthropologie Boreal Blear Tee (Weston Wear) // knockoff J. Crew necklace // J. Crew No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Retro Jade // Miss Sixty heels

To everyone who thinks that putting effort into how you look is frivolous and superficial: it’s not. This outfit made me feel great, happy and confident and energetic in a way I wouldn’t have felt wearing old sweats. It may just be clothes, but they make a difference.

Amateur blogging

I learned afterwards that there were quite a few “professional” Toronto fashion bloggers at the Anthropologie fashion show at Shops at Don Mills last week (Crazy Style Love, My Fash Avenue, Toronto Shopoholic, The Vault Files, One Chic Mom). That would explain why everyone seemed to know them and why a few had some crazy camera equipment with them. While I admire these women for turning their blogs into “careers” of sorts, here’s why I’ll never do that:

• I prefer to remain anonymous.
• Expensive camera equipment scares me.
• I’m really not that naturally fashionable. I just try really hard.
• I’m not very creative in my daily outfits.
• As such, I’m in no position to give anyone any fashion advice.
• I’m not looking to reach a lot of people, and I would still do this even if no one read it.*
• I’m not a model, I look like a moron in front of the camera.

Lately, I’ve been looking more and more like a moron in any real camera pictures I try to take, so they always end up deleted. Also blame iPhone for the lazy outfit photos, it’s just too easy to snap a mirror pic and go, and I can see what I look like before I take the picture. I will try to take more real photos at some point…but they won’t end up here if I keep looking terrible in them.

So for now, this is as good as it gets.

Jacob sleeveless top (2005? 2006?) // knockoff J. Crew bubble necklace // Anthro Circle the Globe Skirt (Edme & Esyllte 2010) // Puma flats

*I would still blog even if no one read it, but I’d just like to say I love love love LOVE that a few people do. It amazes me you’re interested in what I have to say and how I look. You guys are the best!

So much twee in one place

Last night I went to the Anthropologie summer fashion show at the Don Mills store.  I haven’t been into Anthro very much these past two years, but I got the email invite and thought, hey, why not. Maybe seeing some of the clothes on people will make me want them more. (Nope.)

I didn’t take any pictures because I was sitting in the wrong place for them, and honestly it wasn’t that memorable for me anyway. I thought a lot of the outfits were nothing special (and kinda ugly). The food wasn’t as twee as I expected either (no macarons and no cupcakes, what gives? cake pops aren’t twee enough). But my friend and I stuck around to browse and try some stuff on.

I tried on the Lasercut Fleur-De-Lys Sheath (Beguile by Byron Lars), at a whopping CAD$268, and the Annabel Dress (Girls from Savoy) at a more manageable but still-pricey-for-a-knit-dress CAD$118.

 

I love love love the skirt of the Fleur-De-Lys Sheath, but I hate hate hate HATE the top. I hate the colour, the shape, the lace, everything. I would love to cut off the top and just wear it as a skirt, but at that price, no.

The Annabel Dress is nice (it was my attempt at the high-low hem), but it’s too long and I don’t love it, so pass.

My friend ended up buying the Shadow Bloom Top. I went home empty-handed, but that’s fine, if I don’t love (and in this case, if I don’t love the whole dress), I don’t buy.