Tuesday's OOTW - Military

Know what’s better than owning a Phillip Lim 3.1 purse from the Target collection? Getting one for free! I won my purse from a blog giveaway. I don’t win stuff very often, so you can tell I’m pretty stoked. I’m also pretty happy about my brand new eight dollar skinny jeans from Old Navy. They have a black stripe up the leg on each side (which I think is uniform-like), so I thought I’d team them up with my military jacket. Underneath my jacket is an interesting top I found at Forever 21. The shoulder jewels add that extra punch that a grey sweatshirt material top normally wouldn’t have.

Where am I in Edmonton this time? I’m at Government House which is located on the Alberta Museum property. Here’s some info about Government House:

Jacket $25 Old Navy (similar) // Shirt $12 Forever 21 (Couldn’t find anything similar but would be a simple DIY. Buy a grey tank top and sew or glue jewels on the shoulders.) // Rhinestone Bracelet $1 eBay // Silver & Black Bracelet $5 Smart Set (similar) // Spiked Bracelet $4 eBay (similar) // Purse (free from giveaway at Evelina’s Fashion Cafe blog) (similar) // Jeans Old Navy (in stores now) // Booties $20 WALMART (similar)

 

Monday's Meme

The Ten Step Closet Purge

(Photo from the internet)

Spring is finally here on the prairies! I think we have finally seen the last of the white stuff. My indicator of spring is when my husband takes off my winter tires I see the birds returning and nesting in the tree in my front yard.

Being that spring is supposed to be a time of renewal and rebirth, I thought I would incorporate some change into my life. I started with my closet as there were tons of things I no longer wore. Nine garbage bags of clothes, purses, and shoes to give away later, I cannot believe I did it! Admission: coming from a poor family I am a hoarder. I hold onto things thinking that I will wear them again or for sentimental reasons. The good news for you is that if I can do it so can you! First I thought of something I could do for myself once this job was completed to motivate me. I chose getting a massage which I’m going for today! Choose something for yourself. Choose it now – I’ll wait.

Got it chosen? Good! Now let me tell walk you through the ten steps:

1. Find a place where you would like to donate the clothes that are in good shape but you no longer want. I am taking mine to our church’s garage sale to raise money for our parish. After the sale the leftovers are going to St. Vincent de Paul.
2. Grab a garbage bag for those clothes that are too worn, stained etc. to donate and be ready to throw stuff away.
3. Make a pile for items you’d like to sell on eBay, Kijiji, Trend Trunk etc.
4. Grab one box for items you no longer wish to keep in your closet, but wish to store for sentimental reasons. Choose wisely as you’re only allowed one box for this.
5. Have a bag for recycling just in case something needs to be recycled.
6. Make a pile for anything that needs to be taken to a tailor to be altered, mended, etc.
7. Make a pile for anything you are unsure about to try on. This will most likely give you an answer as to whether or not it needs to go.
8. Have a bag for special items that you’d like to give to a family member, friend, etc. My Mom gets excited when I’m cleaning out my closet.
9. Now go through each item in your closet with this saying in the back of your mind, “If I were shopping today would I buy this now?” If not, out it goes! Be very honest here.
10. Finish the job! Try the things on from your unsure pile and assign them to piles, take the donated things to the donation centre, throw the garbage items out, sell the for sale items, put away your sentimental box, recycle the recycled things, take the stuff that needs tailoring to the tailor, and give the bag to that family member/friend.

And we’re done! Now make sure you celebrate by doing whatever you promised yourself at the start that you would do. Hope this has helped you to tame that wild closet.

We’re super excited to have this post featured on Links à la Mode: The IFB Weekly Roundup! Check out these other fabulous bloggers as well!

Summer is Coming

For those of us who love summer… getting ready for the vacations, the travel, the cut-off shorts… is almost just as fun as the actual summer months. This week we have a fantastic roundup of everything you need to know to get ready for summer. Purging your closet, getting festival ready, getting your nails all done and so much more. So grab your iced coffee and cozy up, these links are fantastic!

Links à la Mode: The IFB Weekly Roundup

• Adorned in Armor: #GIRLPROBS: Beauty is Pain
• A La Modest: Boulevard of Chic: Baltimore’s First Fashion Truck Event
• A Tale of Two Shoes: DIY Gold Leaf Nails
• Attire Club: An Introduction to Fashion Ideology
• Clothes but Not Quite: The 10-Step Closet Purge
• Head2Heels: The 6 Types of Shoes You Really Need
• Inspirations & Celebrations: What NOT to Wear to Travel
• Marie Trepanier: Blogging: Friend or Foe?
• Miss Monet: Mean Girls 10 Years Later
• Nothing2Wear Novello: You’ve Got Mail: Beauty Box Subscriptions
• Pupuren: Giraffe in the Woods
• Racheeng: DIY Boyfriend Shorts
• Save Spend Splurge: Men Are Rich If They Wear Sweatpants But Women Are Slobs
• Sealed With a Loving Kiss: History of Red Nail Polish
• Signature Toscie: Festival Fashion Inspiration
• Stilettos & Tequila: #BLOGGYTWEETS Recap: 6 Bloggers Share Their Story
• Style Curated: Q&A With Designer, Ann Lee
• Style Vanity: What Is It Like To Get A Major Haircut?
• Trend Survivor: Trend Posting: Let’s Lace It
• We Are Ready Made: Simone Rocha: Perspex and Circumstance

SPONSOR: East Dane Sale Salvatore, C of H Man, Maxi Dresses, & Belts, SoulCycle, Men’s Raybans, 11Paris, Svensson, Yumi Kim, DWP & thom browne

Want to be featured in Links à la Mode?

1. Read the clarified rules and submit your links on this page: Links à la Mode.
2. The top 20 links with the most votes will be selected.
3. If your link was selected and you need this week’s code, visit this page: Links à la Mode Code.

 

Winner For Our Recent Giveaway!

So, who won this gorgeous one-of-a-kind bronze necklace and earring set?

The lucky winner is: Mai Tran! Congratulations! I will be sending you an email to get your mailing address to ship out your jewelry.

And for all my Edmonton friends, stay dry if you can because it’s pouring out there.

 

Tueday's OOTW - Shoe Betcha!

Well the weather has been holding up quite nicely so here’s another installment of local shooting in Edmonton. I was asking my husband for a really cool place to shoot that wasn’t too far away from our house. He had the great suggestion of taking the photos in front of the giant clogs at Southgate Transit Centre. It sure is handy to be married to a bus driver because he knows the city so well. The location also brought back happy memories of almost six years ago where near the giant clogs (they weren’t created yet) we shot some of our wedding photos with Tim pushing me around in a shopping cart in the Safeway parking lot.

When I was grumpy while we were dating, Tim would always say, “That’s it! I’m returning you to the frozen turkey section in Safeway!” He looks rather pleased with himself in this photo. Side note: The cup holder also worked great as a bouquet holder.

For my Outfit Of The Week, I wanted to break out some florals and colour. The winter has been a long one and I’m going to be taking advantage of any warm weather that comes my way. I love the small bits of coral in the pattern of the pants so I thought I’d bring it out more with coral shoes and a purse. I also love different shades of blues together so I threw on my favourite cobalt blazer over my teal shirt which I am wearing backwards because I found the buttons on it too distracting with my necklace. The blazer kept me warm because it was a bit windy (check out my messy hair). Are you ready for spring and summer?

Sunglasses ??? (similar) // Necklace $2 eBay (similar) // Purse $30 Reitmans (similar) // Blazer $35 Reitmans (similar)  // Shirt $10 Ricki’s (similar) // Pants $12 Forever 21 (similar) // Shoes $25 Call It Spring (similar)

 

Monday's Meme

What's Your Personal Style? Part II

Two Thursdays ago I put up a quiz from Nothing To Wear? A 5-Step Cure For The Common Closet by Jesse Garza and Joe Lupo to help you determine your personal style. (You can check out Part I here.) So let’s see which style (or style combination) you are: Classic, Chic, Whimsical, Bohemian, Avant-garde, or a combination ie. Classic/Chic.

Here’s the answer key:

1. a) Chic  b) Classic  c) Bohemian  d) Whimsical  e) Avant-garde
2. a) Whimsical  b) Bohemian  c) Chic  d) Classic  e) Avant-garde
3. a) Bohemian  b) Whimsical  c) Chic  d) Avant-garde  e) Classic
4. a) Chic  b) Classic  c) Bohemian  d) Avant-garde  e) Whimsical
5. a) Avant-garde  b) Classic  c) Chic  e) Bohemian  e) Whimsical
6. a) Classic  b) Bohemian  c) Whimsical  d) Avant-garde  e) Chic
7. a) Chic  b) Bohemian  c) Whimsical  d) Avant-garde  e) Classic
8. a) Avant-garde  b) Classic  c) Whimsical  d) Bohemian  e) Chic

Add up your results. Is there one particular style that is dominant over all the others? If so, that is your personal style. If you are tied with two styles, then you’re both. Or you could be a combination of two styles. For example, if you have three marks for Classic and two marks for Chic, then you’d be Classic/Chic – mostly Classic and a bit Chic.

Now I will describe each style and give you some style icon examples:

Classic

Simple, clean, conservative, neat,  and traditonal; a timeless look because the sihouette and colours rarely change. Always ladylike, classic garments are often tailored. Clothes are of excellent quality. Basic colours like navy, charcoal, black, and white.

Icons: Laura Bush, Katharine Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Diane Sawyer, Princess Diana (earlier years), Renée Zellweger

Chic

This style is defined by a powerful look and sharp lines that seem to come together in an effortless way. It is often monochromatic and combined with bold accessories. Uses some timeless pieces combined with a hint of current pieces to make the look unique. Always up on the latest trends, but not a slve to them.

Icons: Halle Berry, Catherine Deneuve, Audrey Hepburn, Carolina Herrera, Nicole Kidman, Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis

Whimsical

This playful style appears to be “thrown together” but is actually a thoughtful combination of colours and patterns. The wearer is often young at heart and the look is sometimes ethereal and romantic. The look can change depending on the wearer’s outing from contemporary to flirtatious and sexy, to retro, but always playful and fun.

Icons: Mischa Barton, Sofia Coppola, Kirsten Dunst, Betsey Johnson, Vanessa Paradis, Gwen Stefani

Bohemian

Relaxed, lived-in, hippy or funky, incorporating offbeat accessories and usually lots of denim or suede. A relaxed look with an emphasis on natural fabrics and earth tones, this style evolved from the hippie look of the 1960s and early 1970s.

Icons: Kate Hudson, Jade Jagger, Ali MacGraw, Sienna Miller, Kate Moss, Stevie Nicks, Joss Stone

Avant-garde

This is an ultramodern style that uses fashion as an extension of the wearer’s creativity. It often seeks to make a dramatic statement. Typically, the foundation for this wardrobe is black. Often chooses an asymmetrical hemline or something unconventional like wearing a tuxedo pantsuit to a cocktail party. The avant-garde mantra is, “I’m different – I’m not a fashion victim.”

Icons: Björk, Cate Blanchett, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Diane Keaton, Annie Lennox

Hope this helps everyone to learn more about themselves and narrow down your choices on your next shopping trip!

Have you...

… entered our giveaway yet? If not you should do it soon because it ends Wednesday, April 16th at Midnight Mountain Standard Time. Enter here to win a cute earring and necklace set made by me. The necklace fits over your head and is adjustable so you can have the shoe hanging down as much or as little as you please. What’s extra special is that I have made no other pieces like these at the moment so they are truly one-of-a-kind! The photos simply don’t do them justice. Both pieces are a lovely bronze gold.

Good luck!

Tuesday's OOTW - Yeg Rocks!

I have been having heath challenges since January and last week I was not doing well so no blogging for me. But I’m back now and ready to rock!

For a long time I have been meaning to do some photo shoots of my Outfit Of The Week in various Edmonton locations, but poor health and weather has kept me from doing so – up until now!

Last night I had the pleasure of attending The Steve Miller Band at Rexall Place with my husband. Edmonton has a reputation as a festival city, but it’s also a concert city as well. Each year we get many great music artists visiting from Bruno Mars to the Eagles. Steve Miller is now seventy years old, but he sounds like he always has and put on a good show. Before the concert I managed to squeeze in a photo shoot for my Outfit Of The Week.

To give a nod to the 70’s vibe, I added a faded jean jacket and fringed purse – both of which are in style now. To add some fun, I chose a comic book inspired sweatshirt and some cobalt heels for that extra pop of colour. I had purchased the black harem pants from eBay a year ago and never got around to wearing them. So glad I did because now they are popular this season. I highly recommend them for comfort and for giving you an excuse to wear your coolest heels!

Earrings iheartaccessories $10 (similar) // Denim Jacket WALMART $25 (similar) // Sweatshirt eBay $30 (similar) // Purse H&M $20 (similar) // Pants eBay $20 (similar) // Shoes Reitmans $28 (similar)

My serious rocker look.

Time to head in for the concert!

People are arriving.

With my Bug.

Time to rock!

What a fun time! What did you do Monday night?

 

Monday's Meme

Joelle has been sick this past week. She was sporting the homeless hair style all week! Arf!