promises like pie crust

“They used to call me anal girl…I was very neat and organized.”

2012-02-09T18:29:00.001-05:00

I’m not naturally neat and organized, but I have some very anal tendencies. I make a lot of lists. I fold my sweaters like this (my sister showed me and it works so much better than stacking them!). I looove organizing stores (I get very, very excited when I go to The Container Store – we don’t have them here).

But this is the best: I keep an ongoing Google document titled “Outfits”, which is, unsurprisingly, a list of possible outfit combinations. I’ll pop it open and add new outfits as I think of them or as I’m inspired by blogs, magazine photos, and even people I see in my office or on the street.

It’s pretty anal, but it helps me with a few things (and here comes a list):

I make sure to wear everything in my closet.
I shop my closet instead of buying new clothes to make new outfits when I get bored with the usual combinations.
I can see where there are a few holes in my wardrobe (like the conspicuous lack of LBD).
Most importantly, I’m never stumped for an outfit.

I’m not a very spontaneous and creative person. Fashion doesn’t really come easily to me, it’s always something I’ve had to work with. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve stood in front of my closet and thought “I have nothing to wear!” when that’s clearly not true, given how much I’ve shopped in the past. Very rarely I’ll have a momentary stroke of genius and put something together on the spot, but more often than not I’ll get easily overwhelmed by all the choices and I end up putting together fairly basic outfits, usually involving black. Like this one.

Anthro Luxe Reunion Top (Lil) | Anthro Alluring Sway Skirt (Cartonnier) | J.Crew Jenna’s Cardigan | Wolford Satin Opaque tights | Michael Kors heels

There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s easy, it’s effortless, there’s visual interest in the details of the pieces themselves, and it’s perfectly appropriate for work. I like it. It’s just that I might wear it every week if I didn’t actually put in the time and effort to think of other ones.

Anthropologie catalogue: February 2012

2012-02-05T08:35:00.001-05:00

I really liked the January catalogue, even if I couldn’t tell what the clothes look like. This one is just….meh. Hoping for a better March.

February 2012 – washed denim buttondown, field of vision skirt, gravitation pull wedges.

ruffled oska dress, scalloped perimeter belt, black-tie kitten heels – I can't do socks with heels, I just can't. It's so not me.

manipur palazzos, plica sandals – so palazzo pants are back? I don't know how I feel about that. This is a cool shot though.

pieced column dress, nola braid heels – I love Bailey 44.

split frame shades, ruffled ainsley dress, nola braid heels – nice, but…meh. I’m not compelled.

greenfynch settee – love the colours

woven placita sandals, rika heels, reduct wedges, autlan heels; molten spectrum knobs, fourth course knobs

grafton chair, umbra coffee table

pinched dots glasses, experimental sketches dinnerware

kivi weges, naja cutout wedges, muted turns wedge, shibori stacked wedges

pavo feather necklace, spirea shirtdress; gilt jumonia necklace, sagisio blouse, pilcro stet denim roll-ups, tulia cuff

lila-dotted trench, dipped dots tote; framercy shades, whitewashed trench – I’m not convinced Anthro does spy very well.

field biology maxi dress, rika heels; field biology blouse, bent stripes asymmetric skirt, rika heels – hippy, dippy, trippy

Starting the month with teal

2012-02-01T21:39:00.001-05:00

Banana Republic twist-front top | Matsu necklace | Anthro Liquid Acres skirt (Maeve) | Wolford Velvet Opaque Tights in Ivy | Miz Mooz Felicity Pump

Teal makes me happy, so I think I’m starting the month on the right foot. January was kinda sucktastic, so I’m hoping that the rest of my year goes better than that.

Ok, January wasn’t that bad. The work situation messed with my head a lot, and I did a fair bit of binge/comfort eating, because of it, but I didn’t break all my New Year’s resolutions after the first two weeks. I did well with shopping, and I put down my iPad and read two books (Lunch in Paris, which I admit I read only because I saw it Anthropologie, and The Help). The exercise and eating didn’t go so well, but I’m a work in progress. Also, I think I should have resolved to not be so hard on myself when I don’t stick to my goals exactly. It doesn’t make me a failure. So, I’ll resolve to do that now.

January shopping

2012-01-30T10:57:00.000-05:00

My 2012 shopping pledge has been remarkably easy so far! Yes, it’s only been one month. Baby steps. We’ll see how things go later this year.

Had it not been for this pledge, I would have hit the stores hard in the past few weeks. It’s been a tough time for me, everything has been very unsettling with all the work drama going on, and my coping mechanism is generally to go shopping “to take the edge off things.” Not so. I’ve been comfort eating instead, but that’s another issue for another time.

Also, this month may not be the best indication of how the year will go, because of the new items I picked up when I was in Boston over Christmas. I went a little nuts in December, which spawned this whole “I must cut back!” phase.

Anyway, I have bought my January item, and it’s not even very exciting:

lululemon Wunder Under Pant

I call this a necessary purchase, because it’s time I stopped buying those American Apparel leggings that rip along the inside thigh within two months. Lululemon isn’t cheap, but if these are anything like the Groove Pant I’ve had since 2004, I’ll save a ton of money in the long run. Also a bonus that I can wear these in my casual weekend life and actually exercise in them, if I were so inclined to exercise, but that’s also another issue for another time.

So it’s only been a few weeks, but I think there’s been a change in my shopping habits. No more mindless shopping. No more buying something because it’s “good enough” and “yeah, I’ll probably wear it.” Now I always have in the back of my mind that I’m only buying one thing, so it better be something good. No, it better be something GREAT.

But even though it’s going well, I’m now wondering if I should have tacked on some more rules to this resolution. Or maybe thought it through a little more. The purpose and the spirit of this exercise is to spend less money and accumulate fewer things. So it’s not within the spirit of my goal if I buy one thing that’s $500+ (like, say, these Louboutins). Maybe a budget limit would be better, like $200 total, but then I could go out and buy 10 $20 pieces at H&M and that’s not within the spirit of the goal either. And what about the small things? I also bought a 5-pack of grey socks ($13) and a new pair of wool gloves ($11) this month but I didn’t count them, should I?

As usual, I think I’m overthinking things. I’ll stop now and go have some chocolate to calm down.

Review: HANAair Professional Hair Dryer

2012-01-27T10:04:00.000-05:00

This is my sad tale of hair woe.

I have a lot of of fine, somewhat wavy (but not in a manageable way), prone-to-frizziness long hair. I’m completely hair incompetent. I can’t braid my own hair to save my life, and I never wear my hair in a ponytail because that’s “hard”—I can never get it smooth enough, or messy enough to look purposefully dishevelled, I just end up looking like I don’t know how to put my hair in a ponytail. My idea of hairstyling is putting my hair through a straightening iron. But I started to care more about my hair last year, when I bought a styling wand and started to curl/wave it.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been testing the heck out of the HANAair Professional Hair Dryer, thanks to Brian from Misikko (an online store specializing in blow dryers, flat irons, and curling irons of all brands, basically all your hair needs) who sent me one to review.

As usual from Misikko, the box came packed with extras. Seriously, it was like a clown car of hair products—I kept unpacking, and I kept finding more goodies.

The dryer is in their somewhere, under the sleepshade, eyelash curler, nail files, hand sanitizers, HANA Shine Shield, and full-size Paul Mitchell shampoo and conditioner. Oh, and the stuffed monkey.

I’ve been testing the heck out of the dryer for the past few weeks, in all different scenarios: on wet hair straight out of the shower, on hair that’s been air-dried first, on the medium setting, on the high setting, with the concentrator nozzle, without the nozzle, etc. It’s a good weight (feels heavy out of the box, but quite comfortable while actually using it), with plenty of options for heat and speed.

There’s still a little frizz, but I think that’s due to my incompetent blowout rather than the dryer itself. (I’m sure if I learned to master these steps, I’d get better results.) Still, my hair felt very soft, silky, and healthy, with much less frizz than I was getting before, and much faster than any other dryer I’ve used. During the week, I wash and dry my hair at night, and if I spend the time doing a good blowout, I can sleep on it and just run a brush through my hair in morning, or I just blast my whole head dry in 3 minutes before I go to bed and then spend 2 minutes with the flat iron in the morning. I’ve been raving and raving about it to anyone who would listen, definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a premium hair dryer and willing to pay a higher price. (Read other blogger reviews here, here, here, here,here, and here.) I’m really impressed with Misikko as a company too, so much so that I’m planning to buy a HANA Professional Flat Iron as soon as my budget allows it (I’m sure I could cut that 2 minutes down to 1 with it).

Oh, and the monkey? He found a good home at my friend’s office.

glass half empty

2012-01-26T20:04:00.001-05:00

Sometimes it’s a struggle for me to see the bright side of things, and this week has definitely been a “glass half empty” kind of week. My coworkers have commented that I seem really bummed out, and yep, that about sums it up. Doesn’t help that I haven’t been sleeping well. It’s really really hard to stay positive when all you want to do is crawl back into bed and sleep forever.

But at least my outfit today is okay? Or is it? I don’t even know anymore.

Anthropologie Volante Tee (Deletta) | Anthro Sumukhwa Skirt (Maeve) | Wolford Satin Opaque tights | Michael Kors heels

TFGIF tomorrow.

ice cream, NOW

2012-01-20T20:44:00.001-05:00

I’ve had the kind of week that would end with an entire bottle of wine, if I were a drinker. Since I’m not, it’ll be ice cream, and lots of it.

Anthro Slung-Sash Tee (Bailey 44) | J.Crew Jenna’s Cardigan | Anthro Goban Pencil Skirt (Maeve) | Wolford Satin Opaque Tights | Michael Kors heels

I need to work on the lighting; you can’t see the pattern on this skirt at all. Also, not my best hair day.

But that’s not the reason for drowning my sorrows. My manager (former manager, really) was laid off on Wednesday and when it happened I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach. You never want to see that even when you don’t like the person, but it’s worse when it’s someone you like and respect. He was a great manager, there’s no schadenfreude here at all. He’ll be fine, though. It just really sucks. More sugar, please.

Blowing my own horn

2012-01-16T17:36:00.001-05:00

The end of the year/beginning of a new year means performance reviews at work, and I sat down to have mine with my now-former manager last week. Nobody likes doing reviews (the process is so long and drawn-out), but there is value in them, particularly in the sitting down with the boss and talking about how things went. And it did reinforce something I already knew about myself: I am not very good at self-promotion. I scored myself low on my self-review, and my manager kept asking me why I didn’t score myself higher. Part of it is that I don’t want to get shot down, but mostly I don’t want to seem like I have a swelled head. Personally, I despise arrogant, cocky people, even if they do have the goods to back it up (but a lot of them don’t).

I’ve said this before, but I’m totally a girl of contradictions. I aim for modesty in my life…but here I am, with a personal style blog where I take pictures of myself and put them up on the interwebs.

Nobody really knows about it, because I am afraid that friends and colleagues will think I’m incredibly vain and I’m all “LOOK AT ME! I’M SO PRETTY!” because that’s not who I am. It’s hard to reconcile…but I’m going to keep taking pictures of myself and blogging anyway.

And as for self-promotion at work…I know I have to get better at that, because if I don’t blow my own horn, no one else will.

Anthropologie catalogue: January 2012

2012-01-13T09:41:00.000-05:00

January 2012 – cropped cable pullover, dappled sea blouse, AG leopard leggings – I’d love to be on a deserted beach somewhere right now. It doesn’t even have to be hot. Sweater and jeans weather like this would be fine.

tie-front buttondown, blue rainier cami – "and when I lay with you, I could stay there, close my eyes, feel you here forever, you and me together nothing gets better."

patched heather hoodie, blue rainier shorts; curved stripes dolman, stand-in slip – I don’t really know what the clothes really look like from these shots

slim bubble wrap vase, glebrook bed, cockatoo duveet cover, flutter sheet set, bowled over lamp base, linen ladder curtains; badminton maxi chemise

scuffed stripes pullover, pleated optic palazzos, canvassed cork wedges, awash rug, illusion bench – oh hey, that’s Victoria’s Secret model Behati Prinsloo.

crushed rose mini-dress; crepe myrtle shirtdress, tortoise cirque belt

pink cottage blouse, tortoise cirque belt, citizens of humanity fusion wide-legs, diamond-sliced wedges; breezed crochet pullover, kudzu skirt

en pointe flats; pulled tides wedges, diamond-sliced wedges; tied-shoulder tank, yarn plumes skirt; tufted dots sweater, longtail tee, current/elliott stiletto crops; tape yarn pullover; square gradients tote, grass court dress

cropped cable pullover, dappled sea blouse, AG leopard leggings

bike lane dress, scalloped perimeter belt

industrial stitching floor lamp, hidalgo bed, camille duvet cover, camille sheet set; sundown crochet maxi dress, diamond-slice wedges, cordoba bench

gilded raffia necklace, pleated optic maxi dress

cropped keyhole cardigan, dried larkspur skirt, camille duvet cover, camille sheet set

chiffon swing dress – lots of lying in bed in this catalogue…I like it.

crest-cut wedges, pierina bow pumps

Black and… white?

2012-01-11T21:13:00.001-05:00

I wear a lot of black. The staples in my closet a black sleeveless top, a black pencil skirt (I have two, actually), black tights, and a black cardigan. But white is not a colour I wear often.

Club Monaco dress | J.Crew Jenna’s cardigan | Wolford Satin Opaque tights | Michael Kors heels

I don’t have any rules about wearing white in the winter or anything like that (although I do tend to feel a bit “bridal” in all white), I’m just clumsy and I can’t keep anything white clean. Black is so much more forgiving for a spaz like me.

Keep calm, and carry on.

2012-01-09T21:55:00.001-05:00

I’m already putting my motto to good use this year, and it’s only January 9.

Or in my case, maybe it should be “keep calm and wear a nice outfit.”

(Note: couple of new pieces here, but new to the blog, not new to me this month. I bought the skirt a while ago and haven’t worn it yet, and the shoes are also from a while ago but just haven’t been worn in pictures. I’m still committed to my one-item-a-month shopping pledge.)

My boss dropped a bombshell on me last week: I’m no longer on his team, I’m moving over to a new team, and I’m going to be doing something new. I’m pretty sure my jaw hit the floor and my eyes got as big as saucers. Wha??

Good news: I still have a job. He was quick to assure me of that. Also good news: my new boss is the nicest guy in the world, or so everyone tells me. But it’s all very uncertain (I don’t even know what my new role is) and it’s not something I particularly wanted – I’ve only been in this job for 7 months, I really liked what I was doing, and now it’s like they’ve pulled the rug out from under me (side note – how many clichés can I fit into one post? or parenthesis?). I don’t deal well with change at the best of times, even when it’s change I’ve initiated (I come to the change and think “why did I want this??”), and this is out of left field (ooh, there’s another one). I’m putting on a brave front – “I’m not going to go with the flow, it’s going to be great, it’ll be great to do something new” – but really I’m freaking out a little. No, a lot. I hate not knowing what’s going to happen, and I always think that it’s going to be something bad. Who knows, maybe it will be great.

2012: pretty good year?

2012-01-03T19:34:00.001-05:00

I don’t think 2012 has gotten off to the best start for me. New Year’s Eve was a bust; after dinner I broke out into hives (nothing too serious, but still) followed by stomach cramps and a headache, and when I lay down I fell asleep and slept through midnight, then woke up the next morning with back, shoulder, and neck pain. I think I’m okay now, two days later (though I am suffering from post-holiday, back-to-work blues), but it wasn’t an auspicious start to my year! I’m hoping that it can only get better from here.

That’s my motto for 2012. Not that I’m expecting a personal equivalent of WWII, knock on wood.

I am one of those people who make New Year’s Resolutions every year and then promptly forget about them by January 21. But I still make them every year. And I don’t know, things feel different this year (let’s see, I’m not sick, depressed, or feeling hopeless in my job, for a start), I feel positive about my chances for lasting change in my life. I’m up for a challenge!

In 2012, I will:

Be financially responsible. I am terrible with money, I am not a natural saver and budgets are a mystery to me. A year without shopping is unrealistic for me, so my plan is to put away the plastic (cash only) and limit myself to one item a month (much like Dea). This is a tough one for a spender like me, but I’m pretty excited about it. I think I’ve come to a point of closet saturation and I don’t really need anything else, so that one item will have to be something I love. I really hope that when I look back again on December 31, 2012, I’ve kept this resolution, even if it’s the only one.
Exercise at least once a week. It doesn’t have to be in the gym. Walking 5km (just over 3 miles) home from work counts.
Be tidier and eliminate clutter. I think shopping less will definitely help with that.
Cook/eat at home at least four times a week. Leftovers count. I actually think this one will be the toughest, because as much as I love to eat, I don’t actually like to cook.
Put the iPad down and read more. I always say my M.A. in English Literature killed my love of reading, but I graduated almost 10 years ago (June 2002). That’s not an excuse anymore. It’s terrible that it took me 6 months to finish one book (actually, I was only halfway through after 6 months when I decided I had to finish it before the end of the year, and read the second half in two days). I’m hoping for at least one book a month. Rereads count. It’s only January 3 and I’m 3/4 of the way through my first book of the year, so I have high hopes for this one!

And the less tangible stuff that I aspire to…

via

I’m really looking forward to this year.

So that was 2011

2011-12-31T17:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday when we were leaving at 11:30a.m. (hooray for leaving early on a Friday before a long weekend), my coworker said, “Only one more day to go in 2011! From January 1, this year was just crap.” I looked at him and asked, “Didn’t you get married in January?” He backtracked and said “Well, there were some definite high points, but on a whole, 2011 sucked.”

When I look back on 2011, I see the opposite. 2011 was fantastic, with a few low points. Especially compared to 2010, this was a freaking awesome year.

The low points first:

The first three months of the year at my previous job, they were some of the most horrible months in my working career. When I look back now, I can see that this job was causing me so much stress I got sick from it.
Losing my job (well, not technically, my contract ended, but there was always the option to renew it) just when we’d bought our condo.
Still some family drama that caused me a lot of stress in November.
Weight gain – not much, but enough to notice. Too much damn ice cream.
A few too many shopping mistakes and regrets, and a bit too much shopping as a whole. My usual goal of shopping more consciously and responsibly didn’t exactly pan out.

Now all the good stuff:

Becoming a homeowner for the first time. Will and I closed on our uptown Toronto condo on February 9, and it’s been great since. We love our place, no regrets.
Being on vacation for 6 weeks when I was unemployed. I didn’t think it was a such a good thing at first, but in the end, it was what I needed. I was able to “detox” from my old job, relax, and get my health back in order. What have I said about crisitunity? I did wear an awful lot of elastic waistbands though.
Getting my new job in the same company. It’s been amazing. Of course, there are still days when I don’t want to go to work, but those days are few and far between. My boss is great, my coworkers are great, and I’m very happy. As much as I said in my previous job that “it’s just a job,” I spend most of my waking hours at work, so if it sucks, it’ll inevitably spill over into the rest of my life.
Feeling better again. I spent most of 2010 with health problems, but I’ve been much, much better this year. If I make it through today, I’ll have made it through 2011 without ending up in the hospital with an asthma attack (my last bad attack was June 2010). It doesn’t sound like that much of an accomplishment, but I was hospitalized twice in 2010. Small victories are still victories.
Going to NYC for the first time in 5 years. It was nice to be back after a long break.
As usual, spending great time with family and friends. Will and I have been together for 12-1/2 years and still going strong, even if he does hate sharing a bed with me after sleeping in his own bed for almost two weeks at his parents’ house in BC. :)

Like most people, I spend too much time dwelling on the negative. I think things like “yes, I have a good job, but it’s still an entry-level job.” “Yes, I’m a homeowner, but it’s just a tiny condo.” I’m tired of the buts. So I think my overall goal for 2012 is to focus on the positive and leave those nagging tiresome buts behind. Let’s see if I stick to that!

Will and I are planning to spend New Year’s Eve pretty much the same as we did last year, a nice dinner at home and then out to the movies (we’ll probably see Tintin). So I’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, all the best in 2012, and thanks for reading my little blog!

xo
Rachel

Best of 2011: Outfits

2011-12-30T20:27:00.001-05:00

A year in outfits again already? I hate to trot out an overused cliché, but time really does fly. Here’s my top 11 for 2011.

L: Aggressively ruffled. Still a favourite sweater, I was wearing that outfit today.
R: Older Anthro: I picked up this Lithe top from Roxy. Unfortunately, I wasn’t into Anthropologie when they were carrying Lithe, so I missed out on some great pieces.

L: An example of making something work. I do love this outfit, but this dress was also a regret purchase of 2011 (it’s a little short, even for me).
R: Getting reacquainted with an old dress. I’ve had this striped Club Monaco dress for three and a half years, and I really don’t wear it enough.

L: Orange and blue – a colour combination that was the cause of an argument with a friend. I still say it works.
R: My first outfit for summer 30 for 30, and my go-to dress for the summer.

Still one of my favourite dresses, part of my summer 30 for 30.

Same skirt and top is the same anyway, calling this a tie to sneak an extra outfit in. I picked up the Winged Victory Top from Roxy too, and it’s a favourite in my closet now.

L: The elephants! It’s a great dress and I’m happy I picked it up.
R: Thanks to Bailey 44, it doesn’t get easier than this.

…and here's fall

It’s a very different set than last year's, but there are still two repeats. Things change, some things stay the same. Curious to see what 2012 will look like!

Best of 2011: Bought

2011-12-29T21:41:00.001-05:00

I always say this: I can’t believe it’s [insert holiday/time of year here] already. So I can’t believe it’s the end of 2011 already. It’s a time for reflection on the past twelve months and a time to look ahead to the coming year, and to eat as much ice cream as possible before New Year’s Resolutions kick in (at least for the first two weeks of January).

I say every year that the coming year will be a year of restraint, but it never quite works out that way. I shopped a fair bit in 2011; here are my top 12 (because I couldn’t keep to just 10) favourites, in no particular order.

1. Anthropologie Liquid Acres Skirt (Tabitha)

I bought this skirt during my personal shopping experience at Anthropologie at Rockefeller Center, in August. I’m surprised at how versatile it is and how many different outfits can be made with it. It’s the kind of piece I go to Anthro for; a classic piece with an interesting/slightly quirky print that still works well with the rest of my wardrobe.

2. Anthropologie Sumukhwa Skirt (Maeve)

I snagged this on sale a while back, but I haven’t posted any outfits with it yet. I love the colour combination and the print. It was one of the those pieces that I felt really strongly about; it was a must-have for me. Again, one of the pieces I go to Anthro for.

3. Tory Burch Reva Ballet Flats

I just picked these up on my Christmas trip to Boston, but they’re definitely a favourite, a can’t-go-wrong/wear-til-they-fall-apart shoe.

4. Miss Sixty Tracy Shoes

Not very practical, but definitely fabulous.

5. Anthropologie Cirque A-Line

I agonized about whether I was too old to buy this dress, but in the end I’m really glad I did, even if I don’t wear it very much.

6. Anthropologie Bette Cardigan (Sparrow)

I love cardigans; this was a good one.

7. Anthropologie Verdant Slip Dress

It was the perfect summer dress for me.

8. Club Monaco Celia Skirt

For those days when all I wanted was to wear leggings or yoga pants and I couldn’t. Bonus points that it’s cute too!

9. Club Monaco Misty Top

Knits are a staple in my closet, and this is a very flattering one.

10. Banana Republic Ruched top

(with Matsu aventurine necklace, Club Monaco Celia Skirt, Wolford Satin Opaque tights, and Michael Kors heels)
My new favourite top. I’ll be wearing it a lot this winter.

11. T3 Single Pass Whirl

I’m so hair-incompetent, but this has given me a whole new set of hair options!

12. Apple iPad 2

I love love love my iPad. I was initially planning to buy a new laptop after Will spilled beer on my keyboard, but this is so much better.

Bonus: My uptown Toronto condo.
Definitely the most expensive and most important purchase this year. No buyer’s remorse here!

Christmas photos

2011-12-27T22:32:00.001-05:00

I learned an important lesson on the flight home from Boston: never drink a litre of water before boarding the plane, even if you use the bathroom before you board, because you’ll have to go again and the pilot may not turn off the seatbelt sign for 15 minutes after the plane has taken off, never mind the time sitting on the plane and taxiing to take off. That was brutal. As soon as the seatbelt sign went off I made a mad dash for the bathroom. Afterwards was the best feeling in the world, much like Homer after he drank too much crab juice.

Anyway, aside from that brutal 25 minutes, my vacation was great! Christmas in Boston with my family was crazy, but at the same time relaxing. Lots of good food, some shopping, and lots of time with the family Basset Hound. She features prominently in my pictures of the holiday (apologies for the mix of iPhone, iPad, and Lumix DMC-TZ5 photos).

She’s just arrived after a 9-hour car ride from Ottawa and of course all she wants is food.

My dad feeding her breakfast (home-cooked, my mom is her personal chef).

Our dinner of prime rib roast (served rare), mashed potato and kale, and arugula salad with pomegranate seeds and clementine slices. I don’t usually eat read meat, but this was an exception. It was so good, but my stomach was a little confused.

On Christmas Day, my sister and I made gluten-free ninjabread (gingerbread ninja men).

For Christmas, we always have roast goose instead of turkey. My mom debones it and stuffs it with a combination of sticky rice and wild rice.

We had it with mashed sweet potatoes, sautéed red cabbage, and a cranberry-orange-ginger sauce (the only thing I made). It was with delicious.

After dinner, I sat on the floor in a food coma and Abby cuddled up to me.

And fell asleep. I wanted to go upstairs to Skype with Will, but that would have disturbed the princess.

Shameless.

But so cute.

There are no pics of me because I spent the entire weekend in slouchy, comfortable clothes and I was in no mood to be photographed. The dog gets all the glory; she’s lucky she’s photogenic.

To my sister's home for the holidays

2011-12-21T20:03:00.001-05:00

Nothing clothes-related today, but just a quick post to note that I have been a rather sporadic blogger lately, and my New Year's Resolution #1 is to be a more consistent blogger in 2012.

I'm currently sitting in the lounge at Billy Bishop Airport waiting for my flight to Boston to spend Christmas with my sister and her husband. The flight has been delayed due to foggy conditions in both cities, but it just means I've been able to take advantage of the "executive" lounge with free wifi, almonds, cookies, tea, and coffee. All air travel should be this civilized.

That stem belongs to the CN Tower; it's so foggy downtown that the top of it has disappeared. Not exactly the white Christmas you'd hope for, but tomorrow is going to be gorgeous in Cambridge so I'm going to be spending as much time outside as possible.

I'll likely be MIA until I come back to Toronto next week, so wishing everyone a very safe, healthy, and happy holiday season.

Rachel

as sparkly as it gets

2011-12-14T18:18:00.001-05:00

I love my wardrobe, but with this month’s EBEW challenge, I threw open my closet doors and went “Huh, no sparkles.” I love anything sparkly, but apparently not on my body.

So this is the best I could do, and I swear there are sequins on this dress.

Anthropologie Sub-Continent Dress (Floreat) | J.Crew Jenna’s Cardigan | Hilary Druxman necklace | Wolford Satin Opaque tights | Michael Kors heels | Home Depot two-foot artificial Christmas tree, Charlie Brown style (I live in a condo, everything has to be on a smaller scale)

See, there are the sequins. On the belt. They’re just not that sparkly, but a lot of sparkle doesn’t really fit into my lifestyle. I need to find a really fabulous holiday party to go to first.

All I want for Christmas is to be reimbursed.

2011-12-11T13:45:00.000-05:00

So this pretty much sums up what Christmas is like for me and my siblings now:

via

My sister and I sent our brother and sister-in-law a Kitchenaid stand mixer, but we told them about it advance because I need the UPC code for a mail-in rebate (that sounds awful when I write it, but they understand, and they also appreciated receiving it early because my sister-in-law has 3 dozen Christmas cookies to make for a Christmas exchange). My sister told me to remind her to write me a cheque, but I said, “Enh, just keep your half and that’s my Christmas present to you.” It’s pretty much like that for my friends too; one friend told me her sister-in-law wanted a hat from Club Monaco, and she could just reimburse her for it.

It’s not like that with my 3-1/2-year-old nephew though. It’s full-on Christmas and we make sure it’s pretty damn awesome for him.

When people ask me what I want for Christmas, I have a hard time thinking of anything because I generally buy myself what I want during the year, and I don’t like to ask people for things. But if I were this year, this is what I’d want.

Anthropologie Fringed Lace Top, by TT

It’s simple black, but the lace and the back detail make it special.

Anthro Curvy Chrysanthemum Vase

It’s one of my favourite colour combos.

J Brand 811 Mid-rise Skinny Leg in Riviera Blue

They’re pants and I don’t usually wear pants, but they’re teal and therefore awesome. Also much cheaper in the U.S.; I tried them on at Aritizia where they were CAD$215 plus 13% tax.

J Brand 811 Mid-Rise Skinny Leg in Navy

Yes, these are the ones Kate Middleton wore on her Canadian tour, so I’m jumping on a bandwagon here. But they’re really awesome jeans.

Fossil Sheila Dress

This dress caught my eye from Kendi’s lookbook. It looks like a really cute piece to dress up or down, and it’s teal. There is a pattern here. I also really, really want this model’s hair. I might take her hair instead of the dress. Maybe.

Rebecca Minkoff striped pouch set

If only they weren’t out of stock everywhere. I blame Lisa for this want, but of course in the nicest way.

Anthropologie catalogue: December 2011

2011-12-09T10:05:00.000-05:00

My love for Anthropologie may be waning slightly. I think it’s still my favourite store, but I may be a little over-saturated, and lately there hasn’t been very much that’s been catching my eye.

Even so, I still love their catalogues, and probably always will, even if I don’t want to buy anything from them.

pintucked plaid buttondown, tinsel cropped halter, skinny stone cuff, accordant bracelets, metallic maxi skirt

heikki blouse, gauzy mint maxi, emeraldine oxford heels

golfo de paria necklace, swirled stitches pullover, gauzy mint maxi – gorgeous colour

blanched & buckled cardigan, even flurry dress, sweaterknit ankle boots, scaled floro satchel

cold wave scarf necklaces, purl-wise pullover, petrified cuff, gilded jacquard crops, steeplechase ankle boots – I totally wish I could pull off shiny brocade pants

faux fur necker, hildesay sweater, anchored boatneck, nolana skirt, opaque tights, mirrorball clogs – nothing says winter like thick grey tights

rock & stones necklace, velvet trimmings blouse, pleated ponte skirt, solid socks, piled prism t-straps

easton cropped peacoat, anchored boatneck, clipped cities skirt, solid socks, mirrorball clogs, stitched stripes tote

a real hoot canister, wise ol' canister, biotroph cookie jar, wide-eyed cookie jar, anjou cookie jar – I love these!

willowherb rolling pin, milk bottle measuring cups, painted amaaryllis butter dish, painted amaryllis spoon rest, southwestern striped canisters, zesty measuring spoons, farmer's market baskets, willowherb muffin pan, painted amaryllis measuring cups

valise journals, banderole pencil set, obliging bird clip, saturated readers, madurodam colored pencils – I wish I were an artist and could justify buying stuff like this.

trinket & treasure candlesticks ($398 each!) – so insane, and yet so awesome

azemmour serving bowl, kinetic stencil mug, la woof plate, papillons plate, pomme plate, qui plate

anemone mezzo vase, pansy petite vase, rose of sharon grand vase, curvy chrysanthemum vase – love all of these

homegrown monogram mugs, farmer's market baskets

It’s beginning to look a little like Christmas

2011-12-08T18:41:00.001-05:00

I'm firmly against Christmas decorations in November, but it's a week into December so I'm ready now. I'm usually a Christmas Grinch because I just don't have good memories of Christmas growing up, but I think it's time to put that behind me, for Will's sake. I don't want to always be a grump around the holidays. To put me in the Christmas spirit, we went out and bought two two-foot Christmas trees and some silver and blue decorations. It's a little Charlie Brown-ish, but it's working! Pretty soon I'll be doing some Christmas baking and playing Christmas music around the clock. Will is all for the baking, but he draws the line at carols.

Now, just for a little snow (I might get punched for saying this), and it'll really look like Christmas.

It's been a little too long since I've posted, I've been working really long hours while feeling a little under the weather, so all I do when I get home is watch TV and go to bed. I've also been feeling a little fat and unattractive lately (that's a subject for a whole other post, or twelve), which isn't conducive to creating interesting outfits (there's been a lot of black and grey lately) or picture taking. This is one of the few I've taken recently:

Club Monaco Misty Top | Club Monaco necklace | Anthropologie Aniseed Skirt (Eva Franco) | Wolford Tights | Michael Kors heels

I'm already thinking ahead to New Year's resolutions, so one of them should probably be to post less sporadically.

Mrs. Penguin

2011-11-26T07:48:00.001-05:00

My friend and I joke that Will is a penguin because he's always warm and rarely gets the indoor temperature cool enough for his liking. If I'm complaining that it's too cold, he's perfectly comfortable. It's 68 degrees inside our condo and he's sleeping with only a thin sheet, while I'm all cuddled up under several quilts. One morning he opened the window after I got up, and when I went back into the bedroom to get dressed it was so cold I really was expecting a bunch of penguins to be hanging out with him in there. Or a couple of puffins. We are in the northern hemisphere after all.

By extension, I'm Mrs. Penguin, and it's somewhat apt. I don't like it as cold as he does, but I've always preferred the cold (well, cool) to the hot. I love this time of year. I'd much rather be slightly cold than boiling hot.

I know it's November. But I'm refusing to accept it and stubbornly hanging on to my fall jacket (it's the Cream Confection Jacket, of course I will) as long as I can. I've seen people in full winter gear already, but I'm sorry, it's not cold enough for Canada Goose jackets yet. It was gorgeous double-digit (C) weather on Friday!

But ok, I may be dressed a bit seasonally-inappropriate today.

Aritzia T. Babaton Jolie Blouse | Club Monaco Celia Skirt | Hilary Druxman necklace | Michael Kors heels

I am wearing very sheer tights à la Kate Middleton, but it's not really a fall outfit. If I keep this up, I’m gonna freeze in January.

All in my head

2011-11-23T21:58:00.001-05:00

One thing (out of many) that I find frustrating in my life is that I love food (loooove) and I have multiple food allergies, of multiple degrees. On my must-avoid-cuz-I-get-hives-or-possibly-worse list are peanuts, shellfish, and coconut. On my I-really-should-avoid-but-I-won't-die list: wheat (that's a tough one), eggs, dairy, strawberries, tomatoes, and corn. It's tough. I carry an Epi-pen and Benadryl at all times. I'm not perfect, but I don't have a death wish.

Today, I had a cup of Alpine Punch tea from DAVIDsTEA, started to feel a little itchiness in my mouth, checked the ingredients on the label, found nothing to be concerned about, checked the website, found out the tea contains coconut which is not on the label, went WTF?, poured the rest of the cup out, had a Benadryl, and emailed customer service.

I normally hate to make a fuss about my allergies. Not everyone is understanding; some people still think allergies are "all in your head" and a sign of weakness (like my friend's mom who keeps trying to feed me shrimp, or this poor woman's aunt). Or at the opposite extreme, they think all food is going to kill me (like my mom). But in this case I checked the label and asked the in-store staff before I bought, so I did all that I could, and I felt I should say something about it.

Customer service called me, apologized, came up with some lame excuse about there not being enough room on the label to list all ingredients (um, maybe they'd have room if they edited the ridiculous story about Swiss furry little men with long beards), said they're in the process of changing all their labels to include full lists of ingredients, and promised I could exchange huge offending tea with something non-allergenic.

So anyway, perhaps a few lessons learned here. I can never be too careful, and I shouldn't be afraid to speak up.

And since this is primarily a personal style blog, here's what I was wearing when this happened today.

Muppet style

2011-11-16T17:47:00.001-05:00

Miss Piggy may be a pig and a puppet, but she has great style.

She’s the face of a mini MAC collection, Miss Piggy for MAC, available online.

She looks good in diamonds..

She’s not afraid to eat doughnuts.

She can channel Anna Wintour.

She rocks leopard-print gloves and looks less than impressed with Ryan Seacrest.

She has an entourage to help her look fabulous.

She knows how to flip her hair.

She does glam red-carpet to perfection.

She has a softer side.

(All photos from Flare.com)

The first movie Will and I went to see together was Muppets From Space, 12-1/2 years ago, so they do have a little sentimental value to me. Looking forward to the new Muppets movie! :)

I’m ok when everything is not ok.

2011-11-13T08:49:00.001-05:00

If I keep saying that over and over again, it’ll be true, right?

I had a pretty lousy week, more family drama that I unwillingly keep getting sucked into. I just wish everyone would just work out their shit without dumping it on me; I have enough of my own to deal with, thank you very much. My cold also got worse and I spent most of the week at home with a box of Kleenex, trying to get some work done at the same time. I finally made it out of the house yesterday for a walk and some window-shopping. Shopping always makes me feel better.

Club Monaco striped knit top| Roots organic cotton leggings | Anthro Cream Confection Jacket (Idra) | Geox Boots | Marc by Marc Jacobs Hillier Hobo

The knit top and leggings are my “going out” version of pyjamas. So comfy, yet acceptable. And after being condo-bound for a few days, it was really nice to put on “real” clothes and get some fresh air.

I wandered up to the Club Monaco in my neighbourhood to browse and I ended up trying a few things on:

Nell Leopard Dress – This is not something I’d ever wear, but I kinda like it. I’m wearing a size M and it’s a little loose, I would have liked to size down but no S left. The other downside was that the fabric was a little scratchy. There is a silk short-sleeved version that I need to try on next.

This is it without the belt, probably better with the belt.

Misty Top, size M & Gwyneth Long skirt, size 8 – the photo doesn’t show it well, but this is an insanely flattering faux-wrap top that I snapped up because it’s so insanely flattering.

I love the skirt, it’s a perfect shade of metallic grey, but it’s on my “think about it list” because I’m not sure how “me” it is. It also seems a bit fancy for me, but this is a great example of dressing it down. I’m definitely thinking about it.

Anthropologie catalogue: November 2011

2011-11-12T08:22:00.001-05:00

I’m a little late with my roundup of the latest catalogue, but I won’t miss a chance to gush over some gorgeous photos.

November 2011 – Christmas is right around the corner, so better start shopping!

atacama cropped cardi, quite a spectacle necklace, gracia dress, opaque tights, bold strokes satchel, tegu platforms

ice amulet necklace, light posy shrug, flared & cabled sweater dress, opaque tights, tegu platforms

embroidered mirabillis dress, bintage scarf corset belt, fishbone tights, tegu platforms

limited edition rickshaw ($2,200 + $300 s/h) – not sure who would actually need/want this?

balanced fizz mobile ($798 + $75 s/h) – love

neo-houndstooth coat, hewn cosmos necklace, fluted ponte dress, opaque tights, tegu platforms

condesa breakfast bowls, condesa breakfast mugs, wavering glasses – bright colours make me happy

clareta chandeliers, airy sparkle cardigan, beaded stripe shell, hand-dyed pleated skirt, opaque tights, tegu platforms – inspiration for colour mixing

roshan chandeliers, shaggy wanderings cardi, eyelet peplum blouse, AG stevie, fairisle clog boots

split diamonds shift; scrunched leather gloves, opaque tights, hearted mary-janes; jeweled nymphs cardi, brocade paisley dress, cuzco clutch, opaque tights, tegu platforms – curious about both dresses, need to try them both on

charms

azulito champagne coupes, azulito dessert coupes, curious deciduous side plates – love this colour palette

setting suns clutch, cuzco clutch, elena clutch

vintage books boxed set ($2175)

ivictrolas – these make me laugh and I think I need one for that reason

kiddies! – I love those boots, do they come in my size?

owlet hat – this is so cute I can’t stand it

sea story sailboat ornament, vintage glass narwhal ornament, octopus ornament, glass walrus ornament

oronaments – pretty

snow globes

furrowed eyelets cowlneck, suniva belt, iamb wide-legs, buckled paddock boots

plumose cardigan, fenestella tee, textured smoke belt, gauzy wide-legs

soi pompom necklace ($468??), flared & cabled sweater dress, dusted tights, knotted buckle booties – I think I’d like to be wherever she is.

Colourful legs

2011-11-08T15:48:00.001-05:00

I love colourful tights, but I struggle with them. I don’t know how to wear them without looking like I got dressed in the dark, so I usually end up wearing them with all black. Or I just go the easy route and go with black, grey, or nude.

So today I tried to step out of my comfort zone and try colour with colour. And I don’t mean the red nose because of this nasty cold I started.

Anthro Oak Apple Dress (Moulinette Soeurs) | Mexx cardigan | Wolford Velvet Opaque tights in Ivy | Michael Kors heels

I don’t know though. A bit too matchy-matchy with the cardigan?

fill in the blank Friday

2011-11-04T21:45:00.001-04:00

It’s been a rough week. I’m toasting the end of it with a sugar-free blackberry-raspberry popsicle. (I live on the wild side.)

I’m way too exhausted to come up with a post on my own, so I’m joining in on fill in the blank Friday.

My favourite thing about this week is Will being back home from vacation. The fact he brought me salted caramel chocolate truffles and Wolford tights from London is pretty great too. My second-favourite thing this week was my half-price haircut on Tuesday.
Colder weather makes me happy that I’m not sweating anymore, but anxious that even colder weather is coming soon. I love fall, not that keen on winter.
Three things that make me terribly happy of late are peppermint and lemongrass tea, Elle Macpherson Intimates bras, and gluten-free bread that actually tastes good.
If I could only wear one kind of shoe for the rest of my life, I’d choose a classic round-toe high-heeled pump.
My personality type is ISFJ. I’m an introvert and terribly shy, but apparently I fake it really well because people don’t believe me when I tell them that.
I have a serious problem resisting anything with salted caramel.
My favourite colour to wear is blue. And black and grey.

Anthropologie Cream Confection Jacket (Idra) | Anthro Alluring Sway Skirt (Cartonnier) | Wolford Velvet Opaque Tights in Ivy | Michael Kors shoes

random photos, the last part

2011-10-30T16:36:00.000-04:00

The water fountain outside the Summerhill LCBO.

one of my patented pictures of nothing. I have no idea what this is, but it’s kinda cool and abstract.

What I saw on the TV in the elevator at work, at 7:50 in the morning.

Owl cushions in the window at Potato Skins.

Bailey 44’s Tiered Stripes Dress shows that I actually have a small waist, but also a tummy and wide hips.

Head to toe in teal! The top is too low-cut though, and as much as I love the teal cords, I ain’t paying $196 for them.

This bulldog on the subway is named Lizzie.

What I wore out last Saturday: Soïa & Kyo jacket from 2007, leggings, and Hunter boots.

Is there anything more disgusting and delicious than poutine?

These macarons at nadège were too sweet and tasted the same. I couldn’t tell the difference between the salted caramel and the vanilla. I may not have the most sophisticated palate, but my taste buds aren’t dead. They’re pretty though.

random photos, part two

2011-10-28T17:24:00.000-04:00

The Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, my hometown.

A view of the National Art Gallery from behind the Parliament buildings. I absolutely love living in Toronto and I don’t want to move back to Ottawa, but it’s just so much prettier there.

Looking across to Gatineau and the Museum of Civilization

Blurry fried chicken from The Stockyards.

They do good burgers too.

A corgi on the street.

I love this skirt.

Butterfly, butterfly, flutter into the sky.

In the window of a furniture store in Rosedale.

Flowers on Thanksgiving weekend, when it was +30C.

Abby wanting love and attention, as usual.

Anthropologie catalogue: October 2009

2011-10-28T09:21:00.000-04:00

Every week I take a look back at past Anthropologie catalogues and what I loved from then. (Thanks to Natalie for posting all the links.) I used to think that it’s impossible to find these pieces again, but thanks to Roxy’s trade market and eBay, anything is possible.

October 2009 – so it’s been almost two years since I fell head-over-heels for Anthro. Fitting that I end this look-back feature (I've looked back at roughly four years of catalogues in the past year) with this one.

merry days necklace, lolland sweater dress, speckled tights, sweater-cuffed booties

recollections dress

fall frock sweatercoat, ethereal racerback shift, striped tights, corsage booties

drenched helenium tee – I wish I’d bought this. I’ve been looking for one on and off since the summer, but haven’t had much luck.

paint-by-numbers dessert plates – love

swirled glue bowls – really love

whirling ruffles sweater dress

plaza cardigan – I love all the ruffles. I love this cardigan, even if I don’t wear it very often.

fields of gold dress

wind-rippled tee – I love this shot, and I love this top (I bought it in teal)

crop patterns dress, country air scarf

awkward & awesome Thursday: hanging in there

2011-10-27T21:59:00.001-04:00

Another awkward & awesome Thursday means that tomorrow is Friday. And that is truly the most awesome thing.

Awkward:

I had planned a road trip to Montreal this weekend with a friend (specifically to go to Au Pied de Cochon), but we had to cancel because she’s having some problems with her knee that she has to take care of. Which is, of course, much much more important than going on a trip. We’ll go some other time.
I’m ready for Will to come home, at first I liked having the condo to myself, now it’s just lonely.
There’s a reason I’m feeling blue these past few days: PMS!
I’m craving junk food like crazy.
I think my outfit today might be a bit of a miss. This damn blouse needs some help, but I’m determined (perhaps foolishly) to make it work.

Anthro Hip-Cinched Blouse (Maeve) | J.Crew Jenna’s Cardigan | Anthro Alluring Sway Skirt (Cartonnier) | Wolford Satin Opaque tights | Michael Kors heels

Awesome:

Like I said, tomorrow’s Friday.
My parents are driving to Toronto to take an early (and cheap) flight to Panama on Saturday morning, and they’re stopping to have dinner with me tomorrow night. There was a time when I didn’t like to see them so much. Now I make the most of any time we have together.
Will is buying me tights from the Wolford Boutique in London, because they’re so much cheaper there than they are here.
I may not be thrilled about my outfit, but I like my hair today.

When I get sad I stop being sad and be awesome instead

2011-10-26T20:03:00.001-04:00

Word of wisdom courtesy of Barney Stinson! Oh, if it were only that easy.

But I hope I was I little more awesome today with my outfit.

Anthropologie Splashed Palette Dress (Moulinette Soeurs) | J.Crew Jenna’s Cardigan | Hilary Druxman necklace | Wolford Satin Opaque tights | Michael Kors heels

To stop being sad, I should probably stop listening to Adele’s “Someone Like You.”

It’s beautiful (and I love her, she’s adorable), but it’s not exactly uplifting. Depressing music always makes me feel better though.

almost rosey

2011-10-25T21:59:00.001-04:00

I’m slipping into a bit of a funk again, and trying desperately not to. It happens sometimes when I spend too much time alone; while I love time to myself, I also get into my own head a little too much, and it’s not always pretty in there. I’m putting on my best happy mask at work, but that’s exhausting in itself. Still, fake it til you make it, right?

Anthro Cirque A-Line (Porridge) | J.Crew Jenna’s Cardigan | Hilary Druxman necklace | Wolford Satin Opaque tights | Michael Kors heels

I’m literally slipping into black, but I hope the fun elephant print makes up for that.

random photos, part one

2011-10-24T22:39:00.001-04:00

So the camera phone on the iPhone 3GS isn’t brilliant, but I still love having a camera with me at all times. Those random pictures start piling up pretty quick, and most of them are garbage. But here are a few that I thought were worth sharing. Obviously, this post will be very picture-heavy.

A spring mannequin at Club Monaco, snapped back in April. I wish I’d tried on that skirt.

A Great Dane at the bank. Doesn’t seem too big? The owner is average height.

A tangle of my jewellery on the granite countertop.

Downtown Toronto early on a July morning.

the lobby in my condo building, pretty swank, but those chairs are darn comfortable

Tried on the Verdant Slip Dress in the blue colourway back in August, but never posted it. Like the leggings? Me too, I was too lazy to take them off. I think I prefer the blue to the original green, but I didn’t buy the blue because I can’t justify owning both of them. And don’t get me wrong, I still love the green.

Cupcakes with teal frosting at my friend’s Stella & Dot trunk show.

I love this clock. I can’t remember what furniture store I was in (not Restoration Hardware, although it’s in the same style), but it’s somewhere on King East.

At another furniture store on King East. This is so tacky it almost comes back around to awesome.

This got me thinking about an aqua and red colour combination.

And here I am, in the original Verdant Slip Dress, bloated after too much dim sum. I didn’t like this chair. See how the cushion is coming out? It wasn’t comfortable.

My nephew. Love his orange sweater!

Anthropologie catalogue: October 2008

2011-10-21T08:51:00.000-04:00

October 2008

margeaux hat, into-the-woods dress, oxara booties – should she be wearing this in Iceland (I'm assuming that's where this catalogue was shot, but I couldn't confirm it online)

cairn bolero, rismal sweetheart tee, scatter & sow trousers; chilled sunburst scarf, inland moor v-neck, AG angel cords

frefaxi cowlneck, dawn's frost dress, hewn earth boots – this is the epitome of fall to me

ruffled plume coat, sprawling gloves, lichen bag, rubide booties – that’s more what you should be wearing when you’re hanging out around glaciers

heimaey blouse, rolling hills skirt, jumbled crochet tights, sea & fog flats

bespoke buttondown, barley sugar cardigan, rolling hills skirt, himmin heels; eastern ice shift, lunar puzzle mary-janes

flow & current coat, elding slip dress, glacial skimmers

shadegrown shell, laki trousers; formations sweatercoat, travessia dress, cottongrass t-straps

saxifrage dress, rubide booties, kantha scarf

knotty pine cardigan, heimaey blouse, hillside vista skirt, cottongrass t-straps – I want this whole outfit

on my own…but just for a little while

2011-10-20T21:19:00.001-04:00

“Husbands and wives should have separate interests, cultivate different sets of friends and not impose on the other. You can’t spend a lifetime breathing down each other’s necks. We are very, very different people and yet somehow we fed off those varied differences and instead of separating us, it has made the whole bond a lot stronger.” - Paul Newman

BHLDN posted this quote on Facebook today, with a link to some great photos of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Will left on vacation last night (he’s visiting a friend from university in Frankfurt but also going on jaunts to Copenhagen, Istanbul, and various places around Germany, wherever he can reach by rail pass in a day); I’ve been left to my own devices until October 30, but I think I’ll be just fine. It’s very important for both of us to have time to ourselves, so I’ll be enjoying having the condo to myself while he’s in Europe. People keep asking me why I didn’t go like there’s something TERRIBLY WRONG with that. I just say I don’t think we need to be attached at the hip all the time, and that’s healthy.

I’m taking tomorrow off so it’ll be comfy clothes all weekend (let’s hear it for elastic waistbands), but here’s a “real” outfit I wore to work this week.

I initially thought that this skirt would be hard to wear because of the pattern, but with all the colours, it’s an easy remix. I’m looking forward to wearing it a lot this fall.

what I fancy

2011-10-17T20:55:00.001-04:00

Anthro Instant Classic Tee, Stripes (Bailey 44) | Anthro Acting Out Skirt (Cartonnier) | Matsu necklace | Miss Sixty Tracy Shoes

Bailey 44 is a brand I came across in my pre-Anthropologie days, and it’s a brand I keep coming back to, despite the high cost for what are essentially cotton basics. Yes, this is just a thin cotton striped T-shirt. Maybe it’s just in my head, maybe it’s just my brand snobbery talking, but I’m pretty sure that a cheap thin cotton striped T-shirt would not look this good on me. I don’t know how they do it, but I don’t want them to stop.

Antho puts it best in their brand spotlight feature:

I have a few Bailey 44 pieces, including the Daily Gathering Dress, which is my LGD (little grey dress). And then there’s the Slung Sash Tee (which I keep wanting to call the Sash Slung Tee).

I love the detail, the colour, and the fabric. It didn’t hurt how great it looks on Roxy too. I have tried it on and I didn’t find it to be work-inappropriate, but that’s just me (I’ve seen a LOT of cleavage at my office). It’s a basic with a twist, exactly what I look for. This will probably come home with me soon.

Anthropologie catalogue: October 2007

2011-10-14T17:56:00.001-04:00

October 2007 – the first half of October 2011 was actually warm enough to wear this.

shimmering mary janes, city beautiful flats, embroidered tweed slip-ons, brocade ballerinas – so many gorgeous ballet flats

gold tone loafers, crownhall jacket, concourse heels, whisper of trees mary janes – I love the strap on those mary janes and the green tights

piazza peony blouse, lace medallions skirt, two-town mary janes – I WANT that blouse

reflections necklace, marguerite medallion, eleven teardrops – I love jewellery

violetta cutout heels – and red heels

champagne cocktail dress, big-night-out slingbacks

tandie boots

It’s surprisingly easy being green

2011-10-13T19:43:00.001-04:00

I was going to do an awkward and awesome post today, but for one, I forgot it was Thursday today. That’s what happens when it’s a four-day week. Second, I don’t feel like the awkward today. And that’s good. I’ve been in a bit of a funk over the past few weeks (not sure why, it just happens sometimes), eaten too much ice cream and put on some weight, but I'm slowly starting to pull myself together. I feel more like myself again.

And apparently, myself is green. I must be channelling Sarah. ;)

Anthro Hip-Cinched Blouse (Maeve) | J.Crew featherweight cashmere cardigan in heather algae | Anthro Acting Out Skirt (Cartonnier) | Miss Sixty Tracy shoes

I look slightly demented in these pictures, yes? I really need to work on taking good pictures again, but you know, sometimes it just happens easily, and sometimes it takes 25 photos and this is the best I get.

bare-legged in October

2011-10-12T18:04:00.001-04:00

I should start keeping track; I don’t remember when I couldn’t go bare-legged anymore last year. But it seems late this year, I don’t remember a Canadian Thanksgiving weekend that got to 30C. It wasn’t exactly turkey weather, but we managed.

As lovely as the warm weather this weekend was (Will and I went to Port Credit to walk along the lake shore and enjoy the sunshine—it was almost too hot, even), I’m still wondering where the heck fall is. Sure, we’ve had tastes of it (like on October 1 for Nuit Blanche, the all-night arts festival in Toronto, when we froze our asses off—why couldn’t it have been 30C then?), but summer is lingering. Thanks, global warming. I shouldn’t be complaining, because soon enough we’ll be knee-deep in snowdrifts and complaining about that, but I’m Canadian, that’s what I do.

And in the meantime, I’ll wear my favourite summer shoes (I don’t wear them in the winter, I’m not comfortable wearing open-toed shoes with tights, I’m never sure if that’s a fashion faux-pas or not), and look like a deer in headlights. I was desperately trying not to blink.

Jacob sleeveless top | J.Crew Jenna’s cardigan | tsunami designs necklace | Jacob pencil skirt | Bos & Co heels

Anthropologie catalogue: Fall 2006

2011-10-07T07:35:00.000-04:00

Fall 2006

frankie a-line, twinkle slippers – easy on-the-go outfit

street scene slingbacks, funnelneck cardigan, smart aleck skirt, pop shop blouse; bookworm boots; keyhole tunic, corduroy highwaters – I don’t know if I could pull them off, but those green boots are gorgeous

scoopneck in blue, miss congeniality boots – I like the Siamese cat

drama queen boots – a little Dr. Seuss-like?

west end blouse, cropped blacksmith pants – I wish I didn’t have giant hips so I could pull off pants like this

brushwood boots, paddington peeptoes – those boots are crazy, and the plaid peeptoes are pretty awesome

new wave sweater dress, mystere slims, brushwood boots – I like, but I don’t think I could pull them off

various shelves and a tree growing out of the wheat penny carryall

various prints, cleo chair

striped sweater leggings, linnaeus booties – Alice in Wonderland

portrait jacket, blue cult elite trousers, ephemera flats

Sweatsuit alternative

2011-10-06T20:13:00.001-04:00

In recent years, my quest to develop my personal style has led me to do a lot of research. By research, I mean watching a lot of “What Not To Wear” and reading various books on fashion/personal style, including Trinny and Susannah’s What You Wear Can Change Your Life and The Survival Guide, Clinton and Stacy’s Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That’s Right for Your Body, Nina Garcia’s The Little Black Book of Style and Tim Gunn’s A Guide To Quality, Taste & Style. Sometimes I ended up being more confused than when I started; I got bogged down in “rules.” Eventually I learned to take everything I read as a guide and not as gospel. I still don’t own a lot of pieces that are on the “top ten essential items” lists (basic dress pants, a blazer, and a button-down shirt, for instance), and I don’t think my wardrobe is going to fall apart tomorrow.

I think Tim Gunn’s book is my favourite, especially if you read it in his voice—his top ten essential items list is pretty spot-on for me, actually. I take his advice on the sweatsuit alternative to heart:

“There is something appealing about pretending we live lives that require prim little suits during the day and only the most challenging vintage Balenciaga by night. Even if that is your life, isn’t it safe to assume that every so often you just need to be comfortable and enjoy some easy, unrestricted movement?”

It was a sweatsuit week for me. I had a cold and a sprained wrist and I did not feel like getting dressed; I could have happily worn yoga pants or leggings to work all week. But I didn’t, because I have a little black stretchy-knit elastic-waistband pencil skirt that I picked up form Club Monaco a few weeks ago. I’ve worn it for the past four days.

This is a recycled outfit, just with a different skirt, tights, and shoes. Not only did I not want to get dressed, I didn’t want to have to think about putting together new interesting outfits either. It also looked a lot better a few months ago; I’ve definitely put on weight (working to stop that now). They’re not the most flattering pictures in the world, but it’s how I looked this week.

But on the upside, I’m not wearing the bandage anymore, and my wrist feels a lot better.

Anthropologie catalogue: October 2011

2011-10-05T20:49:00.001-04:00

I always look forward to the beginning of the month and a new Anthro catalogue. But oh dear, it’s another one that hasn’t captured my interest. Some gorgeous photos, but I’m not buying anything.

Also, I was a little mind-boggled by the price on some items (for some reason more so this month than in previous months), so fair warning, lots of exclamation points ahead.

October 2007 – popham peacoat, veiled alder dress, pointelle sweater tights, athabaskan booties ($448!!!)

sweaterknit strand, vinalhaven cardigan, button belted dress, pointelle sweater tights, letterhead wedges ($498!!!); harrington cowlneck, pin gleam belt, consonant wide-legs, red heron heels – I think I like the setting more than the clothes.

dromedary dress, threaded bangle ($238!!!), pointelle sweater tights, bow buckled flats – I like the colours, and the setting again (I love the trunk), but I would not wear a dress with camels on it.

to autumn hat ($348!!!!), ruffled demi turtleneck, tsuga skirt, dusted tights, athabaskan booties – I like the overall effect, even if it is a bit pumpkin. I would never pay that much for a hat though.

veiled alder dress, threaded bangle, opaque tights – this dress is lovely. It seems a little bridal to me though.

ruched marigold coat, AG denim leggings, blackwatch slingbacks ($348!!!) – the shoes are really cute, even for that price.

penobscot poncho ($348!!!), ruled boatneck, AG denim leggings, cabled socks ($148!!!) – I love this photo and if I ever went fishing I would totally wear this.

hallowell cowlneck, tarpan buttondown, goban pencil skirt – okay I lied, I would buy this skirt, but in black.

welkin dotted scarf, multiburst sweater dress, buckled paddock boots; neo-jacquard pullow, iamb wide-legs

soft chevrons pullover, monhegan wide-legs – I love this shot

welkin dotted scarf, melba dress, opaque tights; in clouds blouse, snaffle belt, gamay sweater skirt, athabaskan booties – love the bright colours.

cropped fairisle pullover, artful layering tank, effortless corduroy skirt, praline cuff; strung coins necklace, frosted boucle pullover, monhegan wide-legs – I want to be wherever they are.

belted plaid cape, glimmer graph shell, colloquium trousers, athabaskan booties; molded metals necklace, unconditional osier dress, dusted tights – I like, but I find the colour palette a bit too dull.

umbered houndstooth coat – it’s $298, so it may be worthy of !!!!, but a higher price for a coat doesn’t seem to mind-boggle me as much. A good coat costs money.

bow buckle flats – love

melded metals necklace, fragmented earth bib necklace, sky stacks necklace – love

cotswold bench ottoman, landscape ($1698!!) – I know Anthro furniture is expensive. I love this and would buy it if I won the lottery tomorrow. Too bad I don’t play.

pinched corners mugs, pinched corners tea bowls; seawater espresso mugs, seawater tall espresso mugs, least resistance tea pot; twisting koi candelabra ($598!!), experimental glaze platter, experimental glaze side plate, experimental glaze dinner plate, twisting koi taper holder – I love these photos.

sure footed base ($498!!), celluloid dream base ($498!!), 8mm lamp ensemble ($598!!), industrial stitching base ($328!!) – again, if I won the lottery tomorrow…

adscript chair ($980!), olmo chair ($980!), hathor armchair ($2400!) – I’m a sucker for anything teal.

Anthropologie catalogue: September 2009

2011-09-30T09:45:00.000-04:00

September 2009

millbrook cardigan, dark & slender denim skirt – sexy secretary in the woods with an old Ford

ruffled firelight cardigan, southern flight blous, season span shorts, crossway heels

strewn leaves blouse, wilhelm booties, brimming button heels

southern flight blouse, chart-the-course belt, twilt skirt, cross your t-straps

bubbly cardigan, cavorting canines dress – I love dogs, but I don’t need them on my dress

rimpled tee – is it just me or does she look a bit like Juliana Margulies?\

painted lotus dress, striped tights – this dress has as lot going on, but I like the print and colours

peeping plaid blouse, wrapped-in-ruffles jacket, plaid petals skirt – almost as cute as the Cream Confection Jacket

gathered allysum dress, rhombus belt, opaque tights, stacked strap booties

monochromatic corset dress, opaque tights, plum-lacquered heels

color-drenched dress, gumshoe sweater coat – love the sweater coat

birling ruffle coat, monochromatic corset dress, opaque tights, plum-lacquered heels

awkward & awesome Thursday: end-of-September catch-up edition

2011-09-29T22:59:00.001-04:00

Catch-up, not ketchup. I have a backlog of warmer-weather outfits to post before the weather finally turns cold (starting to cool down today, but not quite yet) and they become inappropriate for the weather.

awkward:

I sprained my right wrist yesterday lifting one of those 18L water-cooler bottles of water. I’ve lifted them dozens of times before, but this time I moved awkwardly (so this was literally awkward) and twisted it. It hurts like a mofo and I have limited mobility, but I can still type and use my mouse, so I can still work (darn). And blog. I’m wearing a tensor bandage and icing and popping Advil, but it was definitely one of those damnit moments. I really should have waited for Will to come home from basketball to lift it for me.
I think I’ve become a certified sugar addict. I’ve never eaten so much ice cream in my life, and I can’t stop. It’s not good, and not just because I’ve started to put on weight.
I wore a new top today and almost fell out of it several times.

Anthropologie Hip-Cinched Blouse (Maeve) | Hilary Druxman necklace | Club Monaco Celia Skirt | Miss Sixty Tracy shoes

I love this top even though it’s getting really bad reviews, I love the colour and the polka dots and the bow at the hip, but the cowlneck is very wide and low. Must remember to wear a cami underneath to avoid a wardrobe malfunction like that again.)

awesome:

Even with a sprained wrist, I can still curl my hair. I have my priorities.
I had a last-minute dinner with work friends (from my old job) I haven’t hung out with in a while.
After catching up with them over dinner, I realized how lucky I am that I no longer have a job that makes me want to slit my wrists when I get up in the morning.
I’m loving my iPad for watching new TV shows on-demand on the network apps. I’ve never watched so much new season TV in my life. So far I’ve watched New Girl (I kinda feel that it’s trying a bit too hard to be so cute and quirky, but I like Zooey Deschanel, and it has made me laugh out loud a few times), Ringer (I like Sarah Michelle Gellar, so that’s why I’m watching), Revenge (it’s so soapy and melodramatic but I enjoyed it), The Playboy Club (terrible but I might watch again for the train-wreck value, but I probably won’t waste my time), Charlie’s Angels (horrific and I definitely won’t watch again), Pan Am (the uniforms are cute and it was actually quite watchable), 2 Broke Girls (I enjoy making fun of hipsters too), and A Gifted Man (I’ve always liked Patrick Wilson and Jennifer Ehle, but the premise is pretty silly).

And now, the late summer outfit catch-up. As much as I want the cooler weather, I will miss bare legs and summer shoes!

Jacob sleeveless top | J.Crew featherweight cashmere cardigan in Heather Algae | Hilary Druxman necklace | Anthro Liquid Acres Skirt (Tabitha) | Miss Sixty Tracy shoes

Anthropologie Pezza Dress (Deletta) | J.Crew Jenna’s Cardigan | Ayala Bar necklace | Miss Sixty Tracy shoes

Jacob sleeveless top | Anthropologie cardigan (Bordeaux) | Ayala Bar necklace | Club Monaco Celia Skirt | Bos & Co heels

Anthropologie Spotlights Tank (Ric Rac) | J.Crew featherweight cashmere cardgian in heather algae | Club Monaco Celia skirt | Michael Kors heels

Pale September

2011-09-28T21:43:00.001-04:00

“Pale September, I wore the time like a dress that year
The autumn days swung soft around me, like cotton on my skin” – Fiona Apple

I love fall. Cool temperatures, bright-coloured leaves, hot chocolate, Wolford tights, my Cream Confection Jacket. But I just have one question: Where the hell is it?

Yesterday I wore this…

Anthropologie Network Dress (Velvet) | Hilary Druxman necklace | Miss Sixty Tracy shoes

…and came home a disgusting, sweaty mess. It’s the end of September, and I’m still melting.

It’s been really warm over the past two weeks, and up until yesterday I had been enjoying not wearing tights and still wearing summer shoes, but now I’ve had it. I want cold weather now. I’ll regret saying that in a few months, but that’s what I want now.

Anthropologie catalogue: September 2008

2011-09-23T09:17:00.000-04:00

September 2008 – this is a gorgeous catalogue full of gorgeous fall clothes

contoured cardigan, alloy strapless dress, buttondown heels – gorgeous colours

antique gold coat, softshape dress, smart houndstooth purse, pewter mary-janes

grand central cowlneck, pinstriped slims, sweetheart loafers

well-forged dress, geode's bounty necklace – I can’t really see the necklace, but it looks like something I’d want. And the dress is gorgeous.

rippled jade shirtdress, nosegay tights, pewter mary-janes – LOVE!

sunflower sweatercoat, blithe plume blouse, point-to-point straight-legs, wheat sheaf ballerinas, astral song satchel

contoured cardigan, gouache blouse, pinstriped slims

jayne sofa, spectrum petal pillow, osaka patchwork pillow, telly ottomans – I adore all the rich colours

hedgerow bedding, osaka rug – I love orange

gilded catskins shift; scarf-tied cardigan, sailor button wide-legs; fruit moon dress; crackling air duffle coat, daysleeper mini; late season peacoat, skinny striped turtleneck, AG angel cords

sea of stalks sweater, swallow's twitter cardigan, indian summer blouse

magic hour boots, mammatus bowler bag, turnlock knee boots, red delicious boots

stitched aster cloche, foliage wrap blouse, scatter & sow trousers; celery tweed jacket, glinting petals skirt; maturing sun coat, scythe blouse, ruffled pencil skirt; tousled scarf, preserves party dress; afghan sweatercoat, autumn cultivar cowlneck

Thoughts

2011-09-18T17:42:00.000-04:00

As a Canadian, I understand the frustration of being an Anthropologie lover in Canada. I even wrote a guest post about the Canadian Anthro experience in Roxy’s blog last summer. There are only 5 stores in 4 cities (two in Toronto, one in Edmonton, one in Calgary, and one recently-opened in Vancouver), prices are higher here, and shopping online can be painfully expensive. I’m very very fortunate that my sister lives in Boston and has no problem with me using her as a post office to save some money. Some people are not so lucky.

In the aftermath, many bloggers that I read regularly are thinking about why they blog, why they love Anthro, and why/how they spend their money on clothes. I’m doing the same. I’m a little late in writing about it (I spent the weekend with my family in Ottawa, and I actually composed most of this post while on the Porter flight home), but I wanted to think about it and form my own thoughts first. I’m basically coming around to one point. As Lisa put it very succinctly, it’s not about Anthro, or shopping, or shopaholism, or finances, it’s about scamming. I’m not saying that it’s not worthwhile to try to understand why she did this, but in the end, would I care why a mugger stole my wallet? No, I would just want my wallet back and the perpetrator arrested.

But in the spirit of being introspective, here are some thoughts:

I blog about clothes and shopping because I love clothes and shopping. There’s a lot more to be than that, but it’s what I choose to write about.
Anthropologie is my go-to store because it has the clothes that fit my current style and aesthetic. As I get older and my style changes, that might change.
I read blogs about Anthro and fashion in general because it’s fun. See the Diana Vreeland quote on the sidebar of my blog: “Fashion must be the most intoxicating release from the banality of the world”.
I won’t pretend that I haven't been tempted by things because I've seen them on other blogs. Or that I buy things at full price. Or that I'm a shopaholic who regularly puts wants before needs and whips out the credit card a little more than I should.
I'm absolutely terrible with money and I'm useless at budgeting, but it's something I constantly work on; every day I try to make better choices. Some days I'm successful, some days I'm not. But I always try to be aware that I'm responsible for my own choices and actions. I'm not going to blame anyone for my shopping habits, least of all blogs I read. I don't have to read them. So when I hear something along the lines of "this blog made me spend more money" I think, really? The blog MADE you buy that dress/shirt/skirt/purse? It actually went into your head and compelled you to do it? Ok, if you say so.
It’s really none of my business how people pay for their clothes. I personally don’t think any blogger has to justify themselves to anyone.
I’ve been saying for a few months that I need to be on a shopping embargo for a while, so maybe this is the catalyst that spurs me to cut back.

And now I’m exhausted, so I think I’ll go curl up for a while. Like this.

Anthropologie catalogue: September 2007

2011-09-16T09:50:00.000-04:00

September 2007

laurel run dress, woodcutter sweater coat, scene-stealing t-straps – love the dress

evening post tie-back; duetina sweater, tonal widelegs; beautiful pairings pullover, tiered corduory skirt – love the red top and the grey cardigan

picture postcard dress, scene-stealing t-straps

clockwise from top: forward thinking boots, high stepper boots, keepsake boots, chocolate stout riding boots – I kinda want the green boot

metallic wedge loafers, brainstorm bag, groundbreaking peep-toes, contrast stitch ankle booties – loafers/oxfords aren’t really my style, but I could go for them in a metallic

old chap boots, memory lane boots, picture book boots, generational boots – I’d love a purple boot..

jane sofa, naive tropical; astrid chair, snapdragon; astrid chair, passiflora – love the bold prints

scoopneck hoodie, savoy floral dress, orchard t-straps – love all the purple/pink

stellaflora dress, scene-stealing t-straps; bloused sweater coat, four-legged minidress – love both looks

painted mosaic handbag, charmed mary janes; a-line culottes, shirttail booties; bespoke heels – the bespoke heels are gorgeous!

wildflower kimono blouse – LOVE

semiprecious overcoat, savoy flora dress – I love the colour combination

orchard t-straps – mmm, purple patent shoes

and when the stars align…

2011-09-15T10:40:00.000-04:00

You know those girls who always look put together? Perfect outfit, every single hair in place? Yeah, I’m not one of those girls. I have to work really really hard at a polished appearance. It takes time and effort. And a lot of checking to make sure I don’t have toilet paper stuck to my shoe. Honestly, there are some days when it’s amazing that I put together a semi-decent outfit.

And then there are some days when everything comes together so easily. Outfit works on the first try, hair didn’t take two hours and actually looks pretty good (this from a hair-incompetent girl!), makeup was easy, etc.

Anthro Winged Victory Top (Fei) | Club Monaco cardigan | Hilary Druxman necklace | Jacob pencil skirt | Bos & Co heels

This was one of those days! I need more of them.

Leave me out with the waste, this is not what I do

2011-09-14T17:28:00.000-04:00

This dress reminds me of Damien Rice's song "9 Crimes".

Anthro Cirque A-Line Dress (Porridge) | Club Monaco cardigan | Hilary Druxman necklace | Miss Sixty Tracy shoes

It should really remind of of the song “Elephant”, which is on the album 9 along with “9 Crimes”. But no, my brain and its associations are completely ridiculous sometimes.

(If you look really really hard, you can kinda see the CN Tower in the distance behind me. It’s that blurry spike right next to the bow.)

I had a mini-crisis earlier this summer partly sparked by this dress. I loved it, I loved the fun elephant print, but I had a panic attack that I was too old for a dress with elephants all over it. Then I snapped out of it, smacked myself in the face (metaphorically speaking), and bought the damn dress when I was in NYC last month.

And then it sat in my closet unworn because I wasn’t sure if it were everyday-appropriate, or if it needed some kind of party or event. Again, I snapped out of it, smacked myself in the face (literally this time), and wore it to work today. And I’d wear it again.

This was actually the same day. At the last minute before I left for work, after I took these photos, I decided to swap out the summery cardigan for a long-sleeved one and flats. It’s not summer out there anymore.

Ok, now is it the end of the summer?

2011-09-13T09:43:00.000-04:00

I’m a big fan of consistency. So this time of year drives me a little crazy, mostly because I don’t know how to dress. Is it hot? Is it cold? Is it summer? Is it time for fall? I’m like this in the spring too. Clearly I need to work on the transition time of year when it comes to dressing myself.

I thought summer was over last week, but it’s hot and humid again until tomorrow, so I’ll take advantage of it.

Anthro Oak Apple Dress (Moulinette Soeurs) | Anthro Anadyomene Cardi (Rosie Neira) | Hilary Druxman necklace | Miss Sixty Tracy shoes

This is actually a dress I wear throughout the year, despite its thin fabric. So maybe I’m not as bad at transitioning as I thought I was.

10 years

2011-09-11T10:01:00.000-04:00

I was just about to post a typical, light-hearted entry with an outfit or reviews from my recent trips to Anthropologie, and then I turned on the TV and remembered what day it is today.

Like most people, I remember where I was 10 years ago when I heard about the attacks in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. I was 23 years old and I was starting grad school, still living at home with my parents outside of Ottawa. I was on the computer that morning chatting online with a friend from Toronto, who was working downtown that day. All of a sudden she typed, turn on the TV, a plane just hit the World Trade Centre. I did and I watched for a while, but it was confusion at that point and no one knew exactly what had happened. I turned off the TV and went about my morning business, getting ready for school and so on. I turned the TV on again a few hours later and learned that the other tower had been struck and both of them had come down by this point. I called my parents over and we watched the TV in shock for a while. I’d been to New York City for the first time in 1997 and I’d fallen in love with the city, and my heart was broken.

The week before, I’d been hospitalized because of a severe asthma attack, so later that day, I had to go back to the hospital for some follow-up breathing tests. The TVs were on in the waiting room and scenes of the planes hitting the towers and the towers collapsing kept replaying. The respiratory tech administering my tests told me to breathe as though it were any normal day…but of course, not like that day.

I visited NYC less than a year later, in June 2002. My mom and I stayed downtown, not far from the WTC site. I happened to be the only one on a boat cruise around Lower Manhattan (everyone else got on the one stopping at Ellis Island), so I had my own private tour and sat chatting with the tour guide for the entire time, listening to his recollections of that day. I also stood and looked at the WTC site, and found it incredibly eerie. It was difficult to be there.

10 years later, I’m 33 now and I think I just accept the changes that have happened in the world because of 9/11.

Last month, I went to NYC and stayed in a hotel right at the WTC. We had a view of the construction going on at the site.

So as I was watching the memorial on TV this morning, I decided it’s not the time for me to be posting about fashion or shopping. I’ll be back to my light-hearted, mostly frivolous self tomorrow, but today is a day to pause and remember.

Anthropologie catalogue: Fall Dressing 2006

2011-09-09T09:20:00.000-04:00

Fall Dressing 2006 – 5 years ago, but still pieces I would totally wear

leaf sheath, etched pumps - I'm not a fan of knee socks and heels, but this dress is beautiful

newroom jumper, etched pumps – I’m also not really a fan of dresses over leggings and flats, but this is a cute dress

skybox dress, printed ink sweetheart

passementerie dress – fancy

concrete jungle dress, masthead belt, brixton bangle – this is kinda awesome

sugarhouse overcoat, take-a-hike a-line, roundabout booties – love the hot pink print

oliver street overcoat, high-watt belt, pearly white duffel, nickel loafers

skylight dress – pretty

skyline platforms – the toy cars are a nice touch

skyline platforms – even better!

awkward & awesome Thursday: my legs only go up to here

2011-09-08T21:01:00.001-04:00

It’s been a hectic week. I’m way behind on all things blog-related: reading, commenting, and posting my own. Hoping to catch up this weekend. Oh wait, is that something that’s awkward? It was only meant to be something of a preamble.

Awkward:

I’ve spent the past two days in a work environment with a girl who is absolutely gorgeous. She’s one of those girls who is always perfectly put together, she’s blonde and blue-eyed, she’s tall and fit and she has legs that go on forever, and if that weren’t enough, she has a lovely plummy English accent to top it all off. She’s a trainer, and she’s certainly kept the attention of all the men in the room. It’s made me feel just a tad insecure and inadequate, and I may have eaten most of a tub of ice cream the other day.
I started to put away some of my summer clothes. That always signals the end of summer to me.
I think I wore one of my favourite summer dresses for the last time this year (over the long weekend, before it got cold):

Anthropologie Height of Summer Dress (Maeve) | Club Monaco cardigan | turquoise necklace made by me | Rockport wedges

Awesome:

I may not be a tall, blue-eyed, leggy blonde – in fact, as a short, slightly dumpy Asian, I’m practically the complete opposite – but damnit, there’s nothing wrong with me.
I made the Labour Day weekend an extra-long weekend by taking last Friday off. It was my first paid vacation day in four years (I’d been on contract before finally going permanent full-time in May). It was awesome and weird…I kept thinking, you mean I’m not working, and I’m getting paid?? I didn’t do much that day though. I got my hair cut, cleaned my condo, and ate pizza.
I spent an hour at Anthropologie after work trying on new clothes. How could that not be awesome?

fancy feet (making it work)

2011-09-03T11:10:00.000-04:00

Anthro Pezza Dress (Deletta) | Club Monaco cardigan | turquoise necklace made by me | BRKR-X by M by Michael Kors sandals

I bought these silver sandals on a whim, because I’m a magpie and I’m drawn to anything shiny. Then I got them home and realized that they’re a little on the “clubby” side. I never go out to clubs, so I vowed to make them daytime- and work-appropriate by wearing them with flowy knit dresses. If I’d left them in my closet as party shoes only, I would have never worn them, and that would be a shame.

These are the shiniest shoes I own, and they’re also the noisiest. There are zippers up the back, and the zipper tabs jingle when I walk. You can hear me coming a mile away, so they’re not shoes to wear when I want to sneak up on someone.

Anthropologie catalogue: September 2011

2011-09-02T22:37:00.001-04:00

An Anthro-obsessed coworker of mine emailed me this week the minute the September catalogue was online to tell me how much she hated it. I don’t know if I’d go so far to say that I hate it, but it’s certainly not one of my favourites. Everything looks a little drab and unappealing to me; it’s certainly not a catalogue that has me rushing out to buy anything.

crewel paisley tee, stone maze bracelet, pilcro serif cords – this is a pretty top

cobalt flash fedora, cabled cocoon poncho, ruled boatneck, blazing stones cuff, high IQ corduroys, buckled triad booties; frozen city vest, dusk peony blouse, gem line ring, houndstooth collage pencil skirt, pointelle sweater tights, bowed lacerta mary-janes – I definitely like the embellishment on the horses, but the clothes really aren’t standing out in this shot.

stamped check cloche, frilled echelons peacoat, houndstooth collage pencil skirt – I love the colour of this coat, but double-breasted jackets are problematic for me.

retezat poncho, pilcro stet slim, outspread wings peep-toes – are ponchos back? These shoes are not my style, but I love the bright pop of teal.

limestone tablet side tables, blazon gleam pendants, plumen lightbulbs, margot armchair, abstract ikat pillow –I love the pop of blue

party animal wallpaper, italian campaign canopy bed, georgina duvet cover, exclamation point lamp, film reel end table, ikat shag rug, howell wingback – this is definitely bedding for a single girl. My guy would certainly never let me get away with bedding this girly.

Making a statement

2011-09-01T09:38:00.000-04:00

I love jewellery. I mean, LOVE it. But when I was going through my jewellery box for today’s prompt, I realized I don’t have a lot of really bold statement pieces. An oversight on my part, clearly. However, since discovering Anthropologie in all its detailed, embellished glory, I’ve been drawn to more simple jewellery because I don’t want my jewellery and clothes to compete. Also, I want to consider proportion – I’m short in stature, so I don’t want my jewellery to overwhelm me.

My favourite piece of jewellery is this Hilary Druxman necklace which I wear all the time (here, here, here, here, here, and here, for a start). It’s simple enough to wear with everything, but special enough for my tastes. It was quite pricey (all handmade, in sterling silver), but I’m sure my CPW (cost per wear) is practically nil by now. But I seem to be wearing it so much to the neglect of all others though.

So here’s an outfit with a bold necklace from Anthro.

Jacob sleeveless top (2006) | Club Monaco skirt (2009) | Anthro necklace | Miss Sixty Tracy shoes

Closeup:

And another.

My hair was also a big deal today (the closeups help because you can’t really see in the full-length shots above); inspired by Monday’s hair challenge, I bought a curling iron (actually a styling wand) and resolved to learn how to curl/wave my hair. This was my first attempt in 20 minutes this morning. Not too bad, if I do say so myself. I love how the 21 Day Challenge is just inspiring me all over the place.

The end of the summer

2011-08-31T17:42:00.001-04:00

The end of August always signals the end of the summer for me. It’s going to be pretty hot and humid in Toronto for the next few days, but that’s okay, because it’s summer’s last gasp and cooler temperatures will come soon enough. And along with that, the complaining about the cold.

With the end of the summer comes the end of 30 for 30:

#33: Anthro Winged Victory Top (Odille) | Anthro Anadyomene Cardigan | Hilary Druxman necklace | Jacob pencil skirt | Tory Burch Reva flats

I wanted to squeeze as much as possible out of my summer wardrobe (because let’s face it, summer is way too short), but I have to admit I got bored of the 30 pieces after I passed the 30^th outfit. Oh well, this is still 10% more outfits than originally required.

I also had the chance to try out this hair again, and I’m definitely more pleased with it this time around. Practice makes perfect.

I’m passing on the latest two days of the 21 Day Challenge in favour of finishing up 30 for 30. But it’s also because I don’t have anything left in my repair pile (been good about that lately), and honestly, I don’t own anything very menswear-inspired. I never thought of myself as an over-the-top girly girl, but apparently I am (no blazers, no button-down shirts, no pinstripes, no suspenders, no pants…). I’ll definitely be posting tomorrow with my take on statement jewellery.

I guess you go too far when pianos try to be guitars

2011-08-29T11:23:00.000-04:00

So here’s my tale of hair woe. I always had super-fine stick-straight hair, then somewhere along the line it got thick, wavy, and hard to manage. I’m hair inept, so having stick-straight hair was great, not much maintenance required, then I started using a flat iron (in addition to a blow dryer) on a regular basis. I’m trying to lay off the flat iron because I’m worried about damaging my hair, so I’m trying to work with the natural wave in my hair more. It actually hasn’t been too hard, I wash my hair before I go to bed, blow dry it, sleep on it, in the morning it’s crazy wavy, which I tame with a comb, my fingers, and a ton of Aveda Be Curly Style-Prep, and it turns out like this.

But then with the 21 Day Challenge prompt to try something new with your hair, I went too far and tried to make it even wavier, and that’s not a good idea for someone who’s hair inept.

Anthro Splashed Palette Dress (Moulinette Soeurs) | Anthro Anadyomene Cardigan (Rosie Neira) | Hilary Druxman necklace | Miss Sixty Tracy shoes

It didn’t work. Since I’m useless with curling irons/hot rollers and I try to be as low-maintenance as possible, I just threw my hair into a couple of braids and slept on them, resulting in flat on top and not so pretty kinks from my ears down. That sounds like a curly/straight version of a mullet – business on top but party at the ends! Not what I was going for.

But the least I can do is smile!

The title of this post comes from the song “Northern Lad” by Tori Amos, which has been one of my favourite songs since the first time I heard it, and probably will always be one of my favourite songs.

Inspired

2011-08-28T14:18:00.001-04:00

The primary reason I read style blogs and pore over Anthropologie catalogues is for inspiration. And yet, I’m terrible at drawing inspiration from what I see. No really, I suck. I have an extremely literal mind; when I see something I like, I have the urge to copy it exactly, and when it doesn’t look the same on me, I fall into despair. Okay, that’s an exaggeration. I get mildly discouraged and then I pledge to work on it.

So from the prompt to be a copycat, here are two outfits that I put together, inspired from the July and August Anthro catalogues.

Anthro Drape & Twist Tee (Postmark) | Anthro Aniseed Skirt (Eva Franco) | Aldo flats

Inspired by this look from the Anthro July 2011 catalogue:

And then this:

Banana Republic Top | Anthro Liquid Acres Skirt (Tabitha) | Anthro necklace | Miss Sixty Tracy shoes

Inspired by this look from the Anthro August 2011 catalogue:

I have to say, I’m still not convinced by the colour combination, but it was worth a try.

All I know is my gut says maybe.

2011-08-27T10:11:00.000-04:00

I’ve been all about bright colour this summer, but I’m a big fan of neutrals too. Today’s 21 Day Challenge prompt gave me the chance to tone it down a little. I even tried to keep my expression neutral.

Silk top bought at Queen West boutique Pho Pa (2009) | Anthro necklace | Jacob pencil skirt | Miss Sixty Tracy shoes

It’s a very small pop of colour with the necklace, but it’s there.

My hair is doing something funky in this photo, but I kinda like it.

So usually all my references are Simpsons-related, but this challenge immediately made me think of Futurama’s Neutral Planet, a grayish planet with capital city Neutropolis, led by the Neutral President, whose government’s motto is “Live Free or Don’t”. In the episode "Brannigan, Begin Again", the planet comes under attack, setting off a Beige Alert.

I know, I know, I’m secretly a big nerd.

Triple duty

2011-08-26T13:45:00.000-04:00

I love participating in other bloggers’ challenges, and I’m trying to catch up on the week, so this post is going to do triple duty. If I’d managed another 30 for 30 outfit in here, it would have been quadruple duty, but that’s just getting ridiculous.

A prompt to wear a dress or skirt isn’t really much of a challenge for me. I maintain a strict anti-pants philosophy (I don’t own a pair of dress pants), unless the pants are stretchy (leggings and yoga pants around the house), or it’s casual Friday and it’s not summer (skinny jeans). The challenge is choosing a dress to highlight.

So here’s one of my favourite dresses (but really, how can I choose?) that I’ve worn three times in the past week and a half, because I felt like it wasn’t getting enough love.

Anthropologie Daily Gathering Dress (Bailey 44) | J.Crew Featherweight Cashmere Cardigan in Heathered Algae | Anthro necklace | BRKR-X by M by Michael Kors sandals

I liked this combination so much that all I did was swap cardigans a few days later.

Anthropologie Daily Gathering Dress (Bailey 44) | Anthro Bette Cardigan (Sparrow) | Anthro necklace | BRKR-X by M by Michael Kors sandals

Anthropologie Daily Gathering Dress (Bailey 44) | J.Crew Featherweight cardigan | Anthro Oolite necklace | Bos & Co sandals

I’m really really tired in those last photos. Can you tell? Long week, TGIF.

I missed the Day One challenge, but hey, this is my three-times remix, outside my 30 for 30 too.

And despite my anti-pants stance, here’s me in pants, for the Day 12 jeans and t-shirt challenge.

Anthro Craft & Creation top (Deletta) | Mavi Super-skinny jeans | Bos & Co sandals

I haven’t worn jeans all summer, but I’m going to a baseball game after work (work team event) and I don’t feel like wearing a skirt to it. It feels weird. Anyway, if I’m ever going to do jeans and a t-shirt, this is how I do it.

Also, I’ve been following Amy's Purple Week, and I realized I don’t wear enough purple, so this is my contribution to it.

That makes three challenges, one post, and I’m exhausted. ;)

Anthropologie catalogue: August 2009

2011-08-26T09:29:00.000-04:00

August 2009 – the Sartorialist-style catalogue: real places, real people. Still skinny people though.

tessera necklace, texture study dress

boucle cape, flabellum blouse, joe's knit chelsea, ruched booties – so cute!

crushed petiole blouse, fluttering pencil skirt – love the ruffle detail on the skirt

herringbone wrap coat, giverny dress, opaque tights, barbera heels – I'd like to be wearing this in Paris right now.

mellifluous collar, water & roses dress, teardrop t-straps

havana sweater coat, narration booties, goldfish pillow, blazon gleam pendant

washed leather racer, emerald estuary tunic, joe's reed ankle cigarette, distant constellation boots – chic in New York.

buoyant chiffon blouse, precisely pleated pants, ruched booties – love the colour of the blouse

settling petals cardi, storm-of-shapes dress, olive oxford boots – I'll take the cardi and the dress please.

bustling avenue dress, sundrop heels

another man's treasure lamp – more of that exposed brick I love.

collected memories mirror, decker console table, redsmith dining chair

washed leather racer, sky bridge dress, narration booties – love the colour combination. The black booties seem a little heavy to me though.

buoyant chiffon blouse, mercurial crochet necklace, myriad sweater skirt, teardrop t-straps – I think of this look as London librarian.

pointe beau blazer, go-to chinos, sculpted oxfords; metallic zigzag scarf, diaphanous tunic, joe's knit chelsea, tawny acres boots – typical London rain...

again & again canister, measured time scale, digit spice jar, tea-for-one set, king-of-the-jungle jar – I love a pop of colour in the kitchen.

Closet Orphan

2011-08-25T13:38:00.000-04:00

I have a ton of closet orphans. I should really try remembering what I own before I go shopping again.

Banana Republic top (circa 2009) | Jacob pencil skirt | Hilary Druxman necklace | Rockport wedges

I love this top (this is only a slight variation of one of my favourite outfits of 2010), but I haven’t worn it all year. Poor neglected green top.

I rarely take pictures of myself from the side, because I sometimes end up looking pregnant. I’m definitely not, but with my natural tummy bulge and the weird pouf of this shirt, I could be mistaken for a few months along.

That’s better.

21 Day Challenge Day 9: Monochromatic (a little late to the party)

2011-08-24T19:23:00.001-04:00

I love a dressing challenge – as evidenced by the fact I’ve done 30 for 30 three times now – but unfortunately I’m a little late to Kayla’s 21 Day challenge. Lucky for me, there aren’t any rules about having to participate for all 21 days (and I’m usually a stickler for following rules), so I can join in now.

Anthropologie Drape & Twist Tee (Postmark) | Anthro Circle the Globe Skirt (Edme & Esyllte) | Tsunami Designs necklace | Tory Burch Reva flats

Blue is my favourite colour, so when I go monochromatic, it’s with blue. I’m not convinced by this outfit though, specifically the top. It made me feel thick around the middle (but let’s face it, this has been the summer of over-eating for me, so I am probably getting a little thick around the middle, thank God for elastic waistbands), and I felt like this all day:

(via)

Not that I have any problem with emphasizing my chest, but maybe not to the point of emulating Booberella. Sometimes I really think clothes look better on flatter chests.

Anyway, I’m disappointed I didn’t get my act together earlier in the the 21 Day Challenge, but oh well. Looking forward to participating in the rest of it.

Anthropologie catalogue: August 2008

2011-08-19T10:07:00.000-04:00

August 2008 – gorgeous catalogue, definitely one of my favourites

daybreak cardigan, subway stairs skirt, city siren heels – yellow and red always reminds me of McDonald’s, but I like it here

grand central cowlneck, dusk-blue suede belt, ruffled denim skirt – I love this outfit. I remember debating this skirt. I almost ordered it, then decided against it because it would have been too long on me.

silver lining jacket

townhouse pocketbook, stoplight satchel, patisserie park, day-to-day shoulderbag

street poet trench, stoa sweater skirt, five spot lace-ups

printing press sheath – complete over-stimulation with the books, but I love it

tick-tock cardigan – I almost ordered this too.

city dweller cardigan, studio space skirt – I love exposed brick

hudson & houston shirtdress, amity boots – exposed brick and books? yes please!

bethesda jersey tee – the model looks gorgeous

lafayette st sweatercoat

skyscrapers cardigan, riverside drive skirt

sunless skies shift, winged resin bangle

idlewild cardigan, lexington candy t-straps, city siren heels – love the red shoes

run-run-run sweater, by-starlight skirt

wave hill v-neck, fringed suede flats

in-vino-veritas dress

castellum top, chalkstripe trousers, art deco mary-janes

fresco landscape sheath

high city dress, obie booties

hanging gardens dress – so gorgeous

rockrose cardigan – I almost ordered this sweater too.

mcmanus grandfather cardi, pintucked organza skirt – love that teal paint!

tammany tweed jacket, mimetic corduroy jeans

peacock dinnerware

teddy darling cardigan

awkward & awesome Thursday: put down that ice cream

2011-08-18T22:11:00.001-04:00

Awkward:

Being lactose-intolerant and loving ice cream.
Pulling my groin slightly at the gym.
Overdoing it at the gym (I finally started using the gym in my building, 5 months after moving in – three floors up and I couldn’t be bothered before – but my tendency is to overdo it when I start again).
Feeling fat.
Being conflicted about the end of summer – I’m really looking forward to the cooler weather, but I don’t want to give up my summer clothes yet.
Having the hem of this dress fall down on me. I can fix it myself, but it’s still a pain.

#32: Anthropologie Reflecting Pool Dress (Moulinette Soeurs) | Club Monaco cardigan | Hilary Druxman necklace | Puma ballet flats

Awesome:

Having ice cream on a mid-afternoon break.
Still going with my 30 for 30 selection of clothes (I’ll stop at the end of September).
Going to the gym again – so I feel fat, I can’t just sit on the couch and feel sorry for myself, I gotta do something about it.
Owning a mandolin – it’s opened up a whole world of slicing possibilities for me!
Eating more vegetables.
Making sure my list has parallel structure – there, I’ve just revealed myself to be a grammar nerd.
Being a grammar nerd!

Personal shopping

2011-08-16T21:55:00.001-04:00

Whenever I go to NYC, I’m always slightly overwhelmed by all the things I want to do. Food, shopping, and the Met are always at the top of my list, but there’s so much more that I want to do, like theatre, other museums, concerts, Central Park, Brooklyn (did that this time), High Line Park. I’m always reminded of a (rather provincial) friend of mine when I’m planning my NYC visits; I was talking about going once and she turned to me and asked, completely seriously, “but what’s there to do in NYC?” I think I stared at her for a few minutes because I was so stunned, and then I decided, ok, I’m so not travelling with you. It’s not a city for everyone and I don’t think I could live there, but if there’s anything it’s going to be accused of, it’s not going to be the lack of things to do.

One of the things high on my to-do list for this trip was the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibit,but unfortunately I didn’t make it. I couldn’t battle the insane lineups in the heat on the last weekend (I heard the line was 400-500 people long and the police were called in for crowd control). I was disappointed, but I couldn’t do it.

Saturday morning, after we stuffed ourselves at Smorgasburg, we went to Brooklyn Flea. I’m not a huge fan of flea markets because I don’t like junk, but there were some cool things.

Like these typewriters:

Bring the typewriter back, I say.

Saturday afternoon, after stuffing ourselves at ssäm bar, my sister and I went to Anthropologie at Rockefeller Centre for our personal shopping appointment.

Two hours trying on clothes with the devoted attention of Julia, the lovely personal shopper who also looked fantastic in Tracy Reese's Tangerine Flicker Dress. Two hours is a long time to be trying on clothes, I was pretty exhausted by the end of it.

Some things I tried on:

Colorblocked Sweater Skirt by Girls From Savoy, size S, US$118

Electric Lights Dress by Leifsdottir, size 6, US$268.

Unknown Dress by Rutzou (and damnit, I can’t remember the size or the price!)

Two hours and only three pictures? Um, yeah. I should have taken more. And these are three pieces I didn’t buy. The Colorblocked Skirt was just “meh” (disappointing), the Leifsdottir Dress was a disaster (too tight on the hips, weirdly loose in the chest, felt like a glorified bathrobe—such a disappointment after seeing how great it looks on the model), and the unknown Rutzou dress just wasn’t me (and it fit kinda strange). Fun to try all of these on though.

In the end, I did buy the Cirque A-Line, the Splashed Palette Dress, and the Liquid Acres Skirt, but funny thing is, I picked all those out myself. So I should really be a personal shopper…for myself. Oh wait, I am! In hindsight, I’m not all that surprised; who knows me better than me? My sister had better luck with the things Julia brought her, probably because she’s fairly new to Anthropologie and doesn’t know most of the online catalogue inside out and backwards.

We were so exhausted after that, and the weekend was so hot that shopping wasn’t all that fun. We did Sunday afternoon in SoHo (Will bought some stuff at Puma and Nike), and I touched things at Kate Spade.

By this point, I was so hot I was melting, too damn sticky to be trying on clothes. I went into J.Crew and walked right out again because I couldn’t deal with it. Next time I visit NYC, it’ll definitely be in early spring or later fall, and I’ll be able to shop more then.

Go Food!

2011-08-13T08:05:00.001-04:00

I like my trips to have some sort of motto, theme, or theme song. A trip out to Southern California in October 2009 had Super Mario Brothers as the theme song, for some reason. During a roadtrip to Boston from Toronto with one of my best friends, I started singing HMS Pinafore as sung by Sideshow Bob in the Cape Feare episode (we got really bored by the end of that drive), so “Oh little buttercup, poor little buttercup'” became the theme song for that trip. Sadly, my NYC didn’t get a theme song, but it definitely did have a theme (food, of course), and a motto, Go Food! (which came late Sunday afternoon when my brother-in-law tried to text my sister that he got food, but with typing on an iPhone too quickly and having big fingers, it came out as Go food). It was definitely a Go Food! kind of weekend.

Smorgasburg in Williamsburg, with the Empire State Building in the background (and how cute is that little girl). It’s a flea market with nothing but food vendors, definitely my kind of thing. Not that cheap, but definitely fun and tasty. Our favourite thing was spicy ginger slushes from Kelvin Natural Slush. SO GOOD. We need some of those here.

This is false advertising. They didn’t rub us.

This stand spoke to me. Unfortunately they were just taking orders for whole ducks. But it was an indication of things to come later at Momofuku.

Will, Steve, and Aileen enjoying Vietnamese street food.

Black cherry and blackberry popsicle from people's pops. Real fruit puree, nothing artificial. It was hot, so something sweet and cold was very refreshing.

We also saw Jeffrey Steingarten there, but I won’t call it a celebrity sighting because he’s so not a celebrity . (If I’d seen Anthony Bourdain, it would have been a different story). He was wearing a suit jacket in the heat, and he was looking around as if he was waiting for someone to recognize him (foodies, come worship at my feet!). Nobody did.

momofuku ssäm bar – the famous pork buns. SO GOOD. I could have eaten five of those. I’m usually pretty good about being gluten free, but I eat wheat occasionally, when I think it’s worth it. This was worth it.

The rotisserie duck lunch. SO GOOD. Duck sausage wrapped in duck skin on rice, lettuce and mint, chive pancakes, picked carrots and daikon, and a ramekin of the duck drippings with ginger and scallion. SO GOOD. Did I say that already?

The duck sandwich. I didn’t try it, but I was told it was really really good.

We didn’t get a chance to try the other momofukus (we could have spent the entire weekend only eating at momofuku – I’d like to come back and go to Noodle Bar and reserve the fried chicken, and also try milk bar and má pêche), but I definitely recommend ssäm bar. I’ve heard there can be quite a lineup, but we were there at 2 pm on Saturday and we didn’t have to wait.

Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery at Rockerfeller Centre. I brought a package of bouchons back for my friend Michelle; last year we’d made them from the boxed mix from Williams & Sonoma and thought they were nothing special, so we wanted to know what the real things were like. We still thought they were nothing that special.

I had a giant caramel macaron and it was SO GOOD (are you noticing a secondary theme here?). It was $3.25, so I would have been highly disappointed if it hadn’t been SO GOOD.

Fried quail and waffles at brunch at Restaurant Marc Forgione. Marc Forgione is the newest Iron Chef, and my sister really wanted to try his restaurant. But it was only okay. Not SO GOOD. I would have rather gone back to ssäm bar, to be honest. My brother-in-law ran into Marc Forgione at Bloomingdale’s in SoHo later in the day; he should have told him that brunch was somewhat unsatisfactory.

We also went to Birreria at Mario Batali’s Eataly (beer, sausage, and sauerkraut on the rooftop with a great view) and il laboratorio del gelato (everyone raves about this place, but personally I think the gelato in Toronto is better), but sadly no more food photos.

I’m getting hungry just looking at these photos again. So I’m off to the kitchen, dreaming of pork buns but eating something else instead. Back tomorrow with the shopping post.

Anthropologie catalogue: August 2007

2011-08-12T09:29:00.000-04:00

August 2007 – time to start thinking about fall

color & light dress, crochet bauble necklace, shirttail booties

needlepoint peasant top – love the colour

carbonella sweater coat, chalkboard dress, love note booties

scenic dessert plates

hearthstone bedding

ruffled sweater coat, rain soaked dress – that sweater coat looks suspiciously like the Plaza Cardigan

chalkboard dress – seems a bit old-fashioned to me, but I like it

surplice pullover, leaf season skirt – back to school

fundamentals dress

black and white picture of Manhattan skyline

2011-08-10T22:07:00.001-04:00

In typical me and Will fashion, we didn’t take any pictures of ourselves on our quick weekend trip to NYC. But we did get a lot of pictures of the city.

One of the bonuses of being in Brooklyn is taking pictures of the skyline. It looks hazy because it was hazy. I usually don’t travel in the summer because it’s too hot an uncomfortable, but it was too cheap to pass up this opportunity, especially considering we hadn’t been to NYC in almost 5 years. That’s way too long. It was meltingly hot though; I wouldn’t go to NYC in August again.

Will isn’t convinced NYC is a pretty city, but I think it is.

Even this American Apparel building is attractive.

Next up: the food and shopping adventures!

just keep swimming

2011-08-10T08:41:00.001-04:00

Quick post here. I got back from NYC really late on Sunday night (Monday morning, really), and it’s been crazy busy at work since, but I do want to post some pictures and relive my culinary adventures soon. In the meantime, here’s another 30 for 30 outfit (I said I was going to keep going, so I am):

#31: Jacob sleeveless top | Anthro Anadyomene Cardigan (Rosie Neira) | Anthro Circle the Globe skirt (Edme & Esyllte) | Anthro necklace | Bos & Co heels

Anthropologie catalogue: August 2011

2011-08-05T10:48:00.000-04:00

It’s still hot hot hot out there, but it’s time to start thinking about fall.

august 2011 (eastward dress coat, refined scallops button up, ever-present satchel)

This is not one of my favourite catalogues this year. There are still some great shots and some gorgeous vibrant colours, but nothing has really jumped out at me.

forested blazer, wrap around blouse, shirr & pleat pencil skirt – too many patterns for my taste, but I like the colour combination

grand deco earrings, dots within blouse, liquid acres skirt – I definitely want that skirt

tangerine flicker dress, punctuation belt, forbidden stitch flats – love the orange with the blue/green shoes

balkhash shawl, gleaming pods belt, lavendar layers dress, wrapped cocoa heels – this hair is screaming “Road to Avonlea” to me

coiled teardrops necklace, checkered table cape, ajisai dress, spun scenes scarf, aim high heels

popped tiers necklace, bailong pullover, on air skirt, stacked strap heels

honami ceramic stools, nightbloom duvey cover, brigitta nightstand

boro stitch quilt, burgeoning paisley quilt, patchwork indigo quilt, arimatsu quilt – love all the blue tones

blooming bow flats

mapped flats, trinket flats, glasswork flats, bead illusion flats, scarf-topped skimmers, doily flounce flats, forbidden stitch flats, suen flats, chiffchaff flats – love the glasswork flats (top row, third from left)

tangerine flicker dress, ruffled ridges heels, diamond weave pullover, liquid acres skirt, satin swoops heels, puckered pocket blouse, punctuation belt, trousered bermudas, aim high heels

eat, shop, eat, shop; lather, rinse, repeat

2011-08-04T15:11:00.000-04:00

Will and I are going on a quick weekend trip to New York City to celebrate our birthdays/anniversary (our 12th was two weeks ago). My sister and her husband are coming from Boston to meet up with us, and our plans are to eat and shop, and eat and shop. And maybe some other things, but the main thing is to eat and shop.

Shopping:
The strong Canadian dollar (it’s worth more than the U.S. dollar right now) and the lower sales tax in NY means that shopping, even at full price, is much cheaper than shopping at home. I’m hoping to make an appointment with a personal shopper at Anthropologie, either at the Soho or Rockefeller Center locations, and I’m hoping to try these on, among other things:

Colorblocked Sweater Skirt (Girls From Savoy)

Liquid Acres Skirt (Tabitha)

I’m getting ready for fall.

I’m also planning to stock up on basics at J.Crew (pencil skirts, long-sleeved cotton T-shirts, cardigans), and browse all the designer stores in Soho that I can’t afford. I’ll pack light, but I expect my suitcase will be full on Sunday night.

Eating:
My sister and I have been planning where to eat for months, and it’s hard to choose.

Tomorrow night after we arrive, I’m taking Will to Birreria at Mario Batali’s Eataly.

Saturday morning, we’re going to Smorgasburg, the Brooklyn Flea Food Market.

Saturday lunch (if we haven’t eaten ourselves into a coma), we’re going to momofuku ssäm bar.

Saturday dinner is Fatty Cue in Brooklyn. I don’t think you can go wrong with a place that serves noodles with meat juices.

Sunday is a bit up in the air, but definitely a trip to popbar and possibly the Meatball Shop for some naked balls (yes, I’m twelve).

I’d planned my weekend around eating and shopping so I didn’t think I’d have time for much else (we’re only there for two days), but I decided I have to make time to go to the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibit at the Met. I was going to skip it, but this picture changed my mind.

The last day of the exhibit is Sunday, so I’d better be up early to avoid the crowds.

Unexpected colour combinations

2011-08-03T14:42:00.000-04:00

#30: Anthropologie Winged Victory Top (Odille) | Anthro Bette Cardigan (Sparrow) | Jacob pencil skirt | Miss Sixty Tracy shoes

My coworker Vesselina told me today that she loves my “unexpected” colour combinations, and that I’ve inspired her to experiment more with colour. I think this is the best compliment I’ve ever received. If I don’t watch it, my head is going to swell to gargantuan proportions!

The Winged Victory Top came with a yellow-green silk sash, but the minute I got it I started thinking of swapping out the sash for other colours to create more colour combinations. I bought two yards of teal ribbon from Mokuba on West Queen St West in Toronto to go with my orange cardi, and I definitely want to go back to get some more colours.

So this makes 30 outfits, but you know what, I’m not done yet. There are still more outfits left, so I’m going to keep going until summer is over or until I’m completely tapped out, whichever comes first.

Looking happy

2011-08-02T17:19:00.000-04:00

Today I went to visit my old coworkers at work, and again I was reminded of why I should thank my lucky stars every day that I no longer have that job and that I'm now in a job that makes me happy. Apparently it shows too; a coworker who I hadn't seen in three months told me I look great, discernibly happier and "fresher."

Compliments are great any time, but this in particular put me in a fantastic mood for the rest of the day. I'm glad it shows that I'm happier now, I certainly don't feel as beaten down as I used to and I feel so much lighter. I feel better too.

Then again, it could just be the dress.

#29: Anthropologie Verdant Slip Dress (Moulinette Soeurs) | J.Crew Featherweight Cashmere Cardigan in Heather Algae | Hilary Druxman necklace | Puma flats

Long weekend indulgences

2011-08-01T18:22:00.000-04:00

I'm generally a very self-indulgent person (I don't deny myself much), and this long weekend has certainly been an example of that.

Going off 30 for 30:

Anthropologie Gathering Tank (Deletta) | Aritzia miniskirt | old flip-flops

Gelato:
Vahlrona chocolate, Skor, and mint chocolate chip gelato from Hollywood Gelato

Cupcakes:

Aptly-named new makeup:

MAC Dark Indulgence Mineralize Eyeshadow (left) | MAC My Next Indulgence Big Bounce Shadow (right)

BBQing and hanging out on the rooftop terrace:

Sitting on the balcony watching the clouds:

Damn, it’s going to be hard to go back to work tomorrow.

make it easy, it’s not as heavy as it seems

2011-07-30T10:25:00.000-04:00

I never intended to be a sporadic blogger, but that seems to be the way it is these days. I work (some days longer than others), I come home, I stare at the TV in a stupor, and I go to sleep (or in my case this week, I sleep badly). I don’t seem to have the mental capacity for writing anything coherent lately, but I want to be able to balance work with my outside interests (blogging being one of them), and I want to feel somewhat creative again.

As usual, I’m probably making things harder for myself than they have to be. But I’m truly my mother’s daughter, I don’t know if I’d know what to do with myself if everything was just fine. (Working on that.)

Also, one day I will finish my summer 30 for 30.

#29: Anthro Pesisir Top (Fei) | J.Crew cardigan | Club Monaco skirt | Bos & Co. heels

I bought this top thinking I would only wear it with a pencil skirt. But in the spirit of 30 for 30, I threw it on with this A-line skirt, and hey, I think it works. Now, if I could only take off my summer gelato weight, I’d actually be able to breathe in it.

Anthropologie catalogue: July 2009

2011-07-29T10:22:00.000-04:00

July 2009 – very striking cover

rippled pool tank, honeyed peplum skirt; lilac ombre heels; quilted burbank bag – those shoes are gorgeous

ruffles-upon-ruffles tee; endless pleats cardigan, go-to chinos; climbing vines blouse, hushed hue bag – love the teal and mustard colour combo

geometric fields dress – very striking

fireglow bedding, forest canopy bed – tick tock, on the clock...

various wallpaper, rosette bedding, coiled garden quilt, calligraphy bed

golden plum cardi, edges & angles dress, sort-of-saddle shoes; fallen ruffle wrap, wisp-of-lace tank, origami pocket pleats – I love the shadows in these shots. the clothes are interesting too, even if the fallen ruffle wrap is something I'd never wear.

sweeping sleeves cardi, sketchwork tee, blushing ruffle skirt

delightfully askew blouse, tiered blueberry skirt, shoemaker's helper heels – I love asymmetrical pieces like these. I like things a little off-centre; it drives Will nuts.

black & bright dress, dulcet parfait slingbacks – pretty colourful dress

crimson cutout heels, gathered booties, teardrop t-straps, sundrop heels, framework booties, ruched booties

inverness trench, crewelwerk bag, lilac ombre heels – cheeky! I love all these pieces. The trench is gorgeous.

endless pleats cardigan, blueberry tier skirt, teardrop t-straps – adorable!

summer vs winter

2011-07-23T07:38:00.001-04:00

It’s a contentious issue, almost at Rabbit or Duck level. I advocate for winter over summer when I have this conversation with friends, but personally I’m conflicted. I love summer dresses. I love soaking up the sunshine on my balcony. I love open-toed shoes, pedicures, and even shaving my legs. But then it gets to 50 degrees (118F) with the humidex and I have to dress in business casual for a management-level training session, and I swing right back in favour of winter. I’d take snow, slush, and ice any day over that.

#28: Jacob sleeveless top | Jacob pencil skirt | Anthro Beribboned Buds Cardi (Tabitha) | Mimi & Marge necklace | Bos & Co heels

I didn’t look that great, and I definitely wasn’t happy.

Anthropologie catalogue: July 2008

2011-07-22T08:18:00.000-04:00

July 2008 – I love this catalogue. One of my favourites for sure.

quotidian dress, serpentine belt, flora fedora – I’ve never been a huge fan of chambray, but this is adorable.

paperie hat, hope & union jacket, sufi skirt, bookish tweed heels – love everything about this, even the hat. If I could pull it off, I would.

antiquarian dress, scalloped shrug – a little nightgown-ish, but still lovely

fabiane blouse, piscane sweater, sweet life skirt

on-a-wire cardigan, sailor button wide-legs – I love the shape of the cardigan with the silhouette of birds on a wire

guillemot dress

summer tanager dress, double-button sweatercoat – great colour combination

bubbled sweater tunic, horizon line corduroys, lipstick suede peep-toes – the bird on her knee really completes the look

dove's flight sweatercoat

plum perfect trench – LOVE

goldenrod shift, sun summer necklace – I really want the model’s hair

refined button-up, gilded plaid pencil skirt

crowned crane bedding

pompom toile ballerinas – always a sucker for cute ballet flats

i i e e e

2011-07-19T20:35:00.000-04:00

I’ve been at my job just over two months now, and now it’s getting serious. I wondered when that would happen. I’ve had an easy ride up until now, but now it’s longer hours and working all weekend to get something for the VP done. It’s crazy and I feel like I don’t have a moment to breathe, but you know what, I still love it.

#27: Anthro Climbing Cowlneck (Bordeaux) | Anthro necklace | Club Monaco skirt | Rockport wedges

It also means I come home and I don’t want to cook, so it’s ice cream and a Skor bar for dinner. But is that really so bad?

Haven’t given up

2011-07-17T14:20:00.000-04:00

This is the third time I’m doing 30 for 30, and I’ve noticed a distinct pattern: I’m really enthusiastic about it at first, then somewhere in the middle my interest starts to wane. I don’t think it’s really the case this time, because I love the pieces I picked this time. I’ve just been negligent in posting the outfits, I’ve only put up two (here and here) in the past two weeks. All this to explain why this will be a very long catch-up post – 9 outfits! – of what I’ve worn since July 1.

#18: Anthro Verdant Slip Dress (Moulinette Soeurs) | J.Crew cardigan | Hilary Druxman necklace | Miss Sixty Tracy shoes

I adore this dress, but have to say, not loving the purple cardigan with it, despite there being some purple in the dress.

#19: Anthro Diamond Lattice Dress (Moulinette Soeurs) | Anthro Anadyomene Cardi (Rosie Neira) | Anthro Backbone Belt | Hilary Druxman necklace | Miss Sixty Tracy shoes

The belt makes this dress reaaallly short. Wouldn’t be appropriate for most workplaces, just makes it for mine.

#20: Anthro Reflecting Pool Dress (Moulinette Soeurs) | J.Crew Featherweight cashmere cardigan in Dried Blossom | Hilary Druxman necklace | Miss Sixty Tracy shoes

I’m really loving slip dresses for summer…

#21: Anthro Winged Victory Top (Odille) | Gap cardigan | Hilary Druxman necklace Jacob pencil skirt | Tory Burch Reva flats

This is about as all-black as I get in the summer. I needed to be a bit more “professional” and “conservative” that day, this is about as conservative as I like to get.

#22: Jacob sleeveless top | Club Monaco skirt | Mimi & Marge necklace | Bos & Co heels

I normally don’t go sleeveless, but it’s getting hot. I really despise temperatures anywhere over 25C (77F), and it’s going to be 40C+ (100F+) all week with ridiculous humidity. I’m going to be hibernating indoors in the a/c. With a cardigan.

#23: Anthro Verdant Slip Dress (Moulinette Soeurs) | Anthro Bette cardigan (Sparrow) | Hilary Druxman necklace | Puma flats

I like this better, I think the orange is a better colour with this dress.

#24: Jacob sleeveless top | Anthro Bette Cardigan (Sparrow) | Antho Oolite necklace | Anthro Circle the Globe Skirt (Edme & Esyllte) | Feet First wedges

I’ve been all about dresses this summer, but I’d forgotten how much I love this skirt. It’s the perfect shade of teal for me, and I love it paired with orange.

#25: Anthro Marine Mural Dress (Nathalie Lété) | Anthro Beribboned Buds Cardi (Tabitha) | Tory Burch Reva flats

I’m trying to get as much wear out of this dress as possible this summer. I think the cardigan may be a bit too long though.

#26: Anthro Height of Summer Dress (Maeve) | Anthro Anadyomene cardigan (Rosie Neira) | Puma flats

Too monochromatic?

Phew, that was long, but I’m all caught up and ready to finish 30 for 30 this week. Or maybe go beyond? I still have ideas.

I love dresses

2011-07-15T15:32:00.000-04:00

This summer, I’ve been all about dresses. I don’t know what’s not to love about them, they’re easy, comfortable, and frankly, I can’t be bothered to wear two separate pieces of clothing.

So on my latest trips to Anthro, it’s been nothing but dresses.

Afterlight Dress by Moulinette Soeurs, C$178, size 6
I liked the look of this on the hanger, I love the colours and stripes, but it was a bit weird on. Surprisingly too big (I find Moulinette Soeurs usually TTS or slightly small), and too long. This length is just not flattering on me, I’d have to take it up to my knees to make it work, but I don’t like it enough for that.

Wavering Grid Dress by Deletta, C$188, size S
I liked the fit of this, the cinched-in waist and the V-neck, and the fabric is nice and soft. But again, too long, and I don’t think the colour does anything for me.

Dynamic Zigs Dress by plenty by Tracy Reese, C$188, size S
I really loved this dress and was very tempted by it. Love the zigzag pattern and the draped neckline. It’s also a very easy dress to pull over your head and go. I would definitely have it hemmed to my knees though, because again, the length isn’t flattering on me. It’s covering up my calves, after all.

Around the Maypole Dress by Girls from Savoy, C$188, size 4
Back to short dresses! This one is adorable. I love a cotton dress in the summer, and I don’t mind strapless because I’d just throw a cardigan over it and go to work. The only thing about this dress I don’t like is the straight neckline. It flattens my boobs and makes me look very square and muscular on top. Or maybe it’s just this picture. I’d have to try it on again to decide.

Cirque A-Line by Porridge, C$188, size 6
So here’s the dress that made me start pondering appropriate-ness and my age. I missed out on the Sing Sweetly Party Dress, so I was happy to catch this one in store. (Besides, I like elephants better than birds anyway.) It’s so adorable! And it fits so well! I’m even fine with the yellow sash! So I think I’m going to get over my age complex and get it.

Anthropologie catalogue: July 2007

2011-07-15T08:58:00.000-04:00

July 2007 – 4 years ago, seems like forever.

grass shadow dress – looks like fall

saguaro rose dress

crinkled chiffon a-line

changing colors swing coat – definitely fall

foothills dress, redrock slingbacks – love the combination of green dress and red shoes here

honey bear shakers, philodendron bowl, double happiness teapot, inside out bowls, melon flower dinnerware, honeycomb tray