Moody Monday OOTD

Been so long since I did an outfit post that I barely remember where to start!
Canadian weather is unpredictable & spiteful at best. Combine that with a post Christmas funk & you get a moody blogger.

Sometimes the best cure for the blues is a splash of lipstick, a delicious latte made by your favorite barista in the world & a great date.

Our local coffee house & a Piece O'Cake cupcake!

I found this maxi skirt (fashioned as a dress today) at Winner's in late summer but was iffy about it. When mid fall came & the price was $7 I decided to splurge & see what I could make of it. My favorite solution...

Apparently cold weather makes me scowl?
I hate winter.

Forever 21 accesories

Paired up with my brand new Rieker winter boots, picked up at Boutique Zekara during their winter blow out sale with my saved up gift certificate I am finally prepared for the icy streets/sidewalks/parking lots of Saint John. For too long I've been teetering over ice, used to Ontario winters. The ice & often frigid winds in my new home is something I finally feel ready for (as we close in on February!!).

You might remember these boots made an appearance on the runway with me. I fell for them that night & have been dreaming of them since. So glad these wool lined beauties are now mine!

Guess I'm back on the blogger bandwagon now!

Stay Fabulous!

Fall Fabulous, Forever 21 OOTD

Blouse; Reitmans. Vest; Torrid. Jeggings & shoes; Forever 21

This week I've spent more time driving to work than actually working so I needed outfits that would come out still looking good after being seatbelted in.  Luckily my Forever 21 order arrived just in time!

These shots are from a favorite New Brunswick town, St. Andrews. In the summer it is bustling with tourists, locals & those of us locals on day trips. Come autumn though the town becomes quiet again, and I might just like it even more... 

Love my fabulous leopard flats!!

The streets are quiet & traffic moves by slow & unhurried. The boardwalk & shops uncrowded & I can see everything I want to see...

And of course outfit photos can be taken without strange looks, which is always a bonus.

Hair tip? When in the wind, go for the 'messy' look...

These Forever 21+ jeggings are fabulous! So fabulous (at $13.50!!!!) that I might have bought 4 pairs.... expect plenty of jegging sightings in the blog future.

Since I love my province & this little town, I thought I would leave you this; Rick Mercer's recent visit here to whale watch!

In case you missed Friday's post, I am having my first giveaway in honor of my Birthday! Make sure to enter before the 11th for your chance to win!

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.....

Esthetically Fabulous!

Excuse the egotistical sounding post title but I swear it will make poetic sense momentarily.

Since moving to New Brunswick I've been on the hunt for a local stylist/salon that has got what it takes.  I'm not THAT picky... I just want a shade of blonde that isn't yellow or brassy (or as I learned today - a cool blonde). I've had one turn it yellow & pretend there wasn't anything wrong with it & one who tried to dye my hair blonde instead of bleaching - leaving a huge line

where my old & new colours met. 

 I had heard of Essential Esthetics from my friend & fellow blogger Barb but hadn't made it in there until today.

Today I met Marissa.

Totally adorable, totally fabulous Marissa.

OK it is a phone picture but I thought I'd throw it in for fun!!

Anyways, I have been having a few days of feeling unattractive & over a week of bad hair days but Marissa fixed me right up!

She did up my colour, giving me a fabulous shade of blonde that I adore & a richer dark underneath.  She also gave me some spot on bangs!

If you haven't checked out Essential Esthetics on Union Street yet - you need to.

The ladies are super friendly & know their stuff!

Make up, nails, hair, waxing, relaxation massage, teeth whitening; they've got you covered!

I felt awesome after my appointment (photographic evidence)!



Dress; George

Oh, & by the way - how cute is this dress? I bought it 2 years ago wore it once but pulled it out again this summer & am loving it!

Full of Sea Air

We took to the sea today!

I'm preparing for my son to leave for his first sleep away camp by soaking up as much mother/son time as I can before his departure on Sunday.

The week has been filled with ice cream, camp shopping, delicious breakfasts & today, our first trip of the season to one of our favorite places - Irving Nature Park.

When moving to Saint John a year ago we would spend several days a week combing the beach, wandering the forest & taking millions of photos. Above is one of my professional photos, taken on one of the adventures.

It was amazing to get back to the park today, sit by the ocean with my boy & enjoy the amazing weather.  It was the perfect day for our first trip down.

Top; Torrid, Skirt; Winners, Sunglasses; RayBans, Necklace; Etsy, Shoes; Birkenstocks

It is pretty hard to spend much time thinking about outfits, hair & makeup when you are rushing to the shore in weather like this, so I kept it simple.

This necklace is several years old & a purchase from Etsy. I thought it was the right choice for today...

My son is trying his hand at photography these days too



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!



Rambling Rose

My recent road trip from Saint John, New Brunswick to Toronto, Ontario wasn't exactly made up of outfit photos or even prime wardrobe choices (comfort over style when driving 10 hours a day!) but my son snapped these fun instagram pics & I thought I'd share them since it is raining out today. 

Wearing some Reitman's denim (which were always too short so have become capris now...) with an Old Navy tee & Walmart bolero. I'm hugely against Walmart's plus size line for their ill fit, bad sizing & cheap quality... but when seeing this colour bolero at $18 I just couldn't resist! Other's I have been eyeing at Addition Elle have been around the $50 mark & pretty much only available in black, white & red.

Birkenstocks & pink toes by OPI

Just a little pink on this grey east coast day...

OOTD; Toronto Edition

On the corner of Queen & Augusta, Toronto June '11

As I have now mentioned (several times) I just returned from a trip to Ontario. It rained most of my holiday but on my last day, in Toronto for my shopping spree, the sun was blazing & I was thrilled (although slightly hungover)! My friend snapped a couple pictures of my outfit & I thought I would share the (somewhat disheveled) results.



tunic top from evans (love the ruffles & sequin details)
pewter leggings from voluptuous



Steve Madden bag from StyleSense



Right before I hit the salon for much better hair... I promise!

Alright, I look grouchy but I promise you I wasn't... in fact I was having a marvellous time. This whole 'pose for the camera' thing is new to me, so I'll have to get in some more practice! 

*On a side note sadly Dom has decided to part ways with the FoF blog and focus on her other ventures (and trust me when I say she has plenty of them!). Have no fear though, I will continue on & already have several featured writers lined up for time-to-time posts!