My Funny Valentine

 

A special Valentine's wish to all my readers!

May love in any and all of it's forms find you today.

 

XO Em

 

 

We Love Color tights

Darling Dilemma necklace

Sweet Cherry - Cherry Velvet review

If you have been following my blog for a little while you will already know that I love the Canadian company Cherry Velvet and their truly adorable dresses!


Inspired by retro & pin up designs the British Columbia based, plus sized fashion boast to 'Juice up your curves' and every experience I've had has followed through with that claim!
When looking last year for a dress to wear to my younger brother's wedding I was pulled out of my dread with the delight of discovering this company. My black and white damask dress was a hit& has served me well at other occasions over the past year... with coloured tights & cardigans changing up the look.

When the ladies at Cherry Velvet suggested sending me one of their new styles to try out I was tickled pink (or teal in this case)!   
They chose a teal polka dot Brigitte dress for me. My previous Cherry Velvet dress was in a 1X so I requested the same time this time.

The fit of this dress is very similar to my other one but a shorter hemline, a knotted back and I found the fitted  baby-doll type cut to be higher.. or the chest area to be smaller, I'm not sure which but either way I find this cut the tiniest bit small on my chest. With the right push up bra I was ready to rock it though!

This is a fabulous little summer dress that can be dressed up with the right shoes and jewelry or kept simple and summery to enjoy the boardwalk. I fell somewhere in between with some Darling Dilemma skull jewelry and white flats.

                                                                                                                                                                  I happen to have the perfect matching  nail polish for this dress, China Glaze's 'For Audrey'. I get blissfully delighted about perfect coordination. I'm nerdy like that.
  

Overall I'm thrilled with my Cherry Velvet dresses! The 'Brigitte' feels like a more casual summer alternative to my previous dress with it's cute high waist and short length (but keep in mind... I am 6ft tall!), as well as all the fun summery patterns it comes in.

 

Lil Summer Somethin'

Lil bit from my etsy shop; Darling Dilemma 

Lil bit giddy 

 Lil bit of summer fun

 Lil bit sweet

 

 Lil bit sexy

 Lil bit tipsy

 Lil bit fun

 Lil bit o'freckles

 Lil bit of me

Lil bit fabulous

OOTD Out of Africa

When I stumbled upon this linen skirt in a Winner's up in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia (one always stumbles onto things in Winner's, never finds) I knew it was making the trip back home with me.

I've had a fashion crush on long linen skirts most of my fashion life & I can only guess it steams from the impression one movie made on my youth romantic heart.

Out of Africa

 

Truth is I can never look at a long linen skirt or natural flowy blouse without calling to mind a safari visual! I won't dissect this long standing love affair to figure out if it was Meryl Streep & her fashion or Robert Redford's ruggedness that made the impression.

I'm just going to enjoy my new skirt.

skirt; winner's, tee; old navy

necklace; Darling Dilemma

*also take note that this OOTD finally incorporates 2 things I said I was going to try out... the maxi & a high waisted skirt. I'm not lying when I tell you this was the first time I tucked a top into a bottom since high school.....

Oh Canada! OOTD

I miss my part of Canada today, my Utopia.  Seriously - that is the name of the village I lived & yes, I do think it is rather perfect.
What I don't miss are the crowds on holidays though! Today we were actually able to park, walk, & attend several different Canada Day events, watch the parade & bump into people we knew. These things always felt slightly impossible with the insane crowds back home.  There is something truly wonderful about living in a small city that is big on personality.


Man I live in a great part of a great country....



Top; Torrid, Skirt; Winners, Watch; Urban Outfitters, Sunglasses; Ray Bans

A few things about asking your significant other to snap your photos for you... although it isn't nearly as socially awkward as throwing up a tripod in the middle of a busy street, he will apparently not tell you when you are squinting or put up with multiple poses.  You will in fact get only two pictures & they will pretty much be the same thing.
Good thing he is adorable & I love him so.


purchased at Urban Outfitters in Toronto this spring



Zoya matte nail polish in Mitzi, Paul Frank iPhone case

Three cool things in one photo.
This ring was made by a jeweler back home in Ontario (whose name I don't know & I don't think she is still designing).  It reads 'To Thine Own Self Be True'. It is probably one of my most treasured possessions.

So my husband thinks this nail polish looks like I painted my nails with whiteout & highlighter. And yes I took this picture, sitting in my car while he was pumping gas.

Earrings; Forever21, Necklace; Darling Dilemma, Sunglasses; RayBan



Aaaaahhh look at that zombie girl in the bottom left hand corner!!
I love these wooden sculptures that are all over uptown but that girl just freaks me out!