It's all in the colours

The first time I posted an outfit with this top, I paired it with a dark brown skirt. It looks so different with this white skirt instead. I really like how easily I can switch things up by just using a different colour. I'll have to try with tan and green next.

Top - Thrifted from Value Village

Skirt - Fairweather

Sandals - Lulus.com

In keeping with my weird polish habits, my toes are currently yellow and green. Why? Why not! Although I figure soon enough I'll switch over to orange and black, to be in the Halloween spirit.



I picked up some fuzzy leopard print pajamas as my zombie costume for the Zombie Walk in two weekends. So far I've been... home-reno zombie, then an office worker zombie the year after, and a lady-in-white zombie last year. This year I'm a zombie in PJ's! It's going to be so fun, I can't wait.

Is there anything weird or spooky you do around Halloween? The Zombie Walk is pretty much my "thing" for the season. That thing I look forward to attending next year the minute it's over this year. I haven't decided yet if I'll bother carving any pumpkins... but having at least one for Halloween night is always a good idea. Anyway, I hope you're all having a good week. Cheers!

Back in Black

I know, where did all the colour go? Black used to be a staple in my wardrobe, and now I rarely wear it at all. My necklace got to shine here again. I love it so much. Too bad it's so fragile, I've already had to glue petals back on three times now, argh! Now I remember why I'm always hesitant to own anything fragile.

Tank top - Fairweather 

Skirt - Saan's 

Sandals - Thrifted 

Necklace - Gift, made by Lisa Burkin on Etsy 

Please ignore my crooked skirt. The hem isn't off, I'm just apparently wearing it rather lopsided and didn't notice while taking the photos. Woops? I love milk-maid braids for my long hair, but they are a pain to keep pinned up if I happen to have recently washed my hair. My locks are thin and and wispy and they slip out of a bobby pin's grip way too easily. You can't tell from afar, but it's actually a garish mess of very obvious pins up there.

 

It didn't exactly turn out very well, but my big toes were an attempt at crazy colour leopard print. My toes have just been getting whackier and whackier as the year progresses. At least I've gotten over my nail polish not always matching my outfits, heh. (Not to mention, what kind of outfit would match these toes?!)

 

I'm going out for a sushi with my friend Erin this evening, which will be nice since I haven't seen her in a few weeks. I'm just super excited for Friday though, as I've finally figured out how to get myself out to the Toronto Zoo. I was supposed to go with a group, but that fell through, and since I can't afford the hotel room I was going to have to call off the zoo part of the trip.

A friend of mine lives nearby though (well, a lot closer than I do) and I'll be able to crash on their couch over Friday night. So I get to go to the zoo, go to the reptile expo like I'd initially wanted, plus spending time with a friend I rarely see. So all is well and right with the world!

I hope you're all having a groovy Tuesday. Cheers!

Better than Diamonds

Maybe I'm crazy, but when it comes to jewelery, I'd rather something unique and nature-inspired than a diamond any day. Yes, diamonds are pretty. But they're also ridiculously expensive (which would make me paranoid about losing the darn things), not to mention there are just-as-pretty replicas at much more affordable prices. Either way, natural stones, wood, flora inspired designs, shells, feathers... these are the things that attract me.

So as you can imagine, I was thrilled when my lovely boyfriend gifted me this real orchid necklace! It has beautiful fresh water pearls and green turquoise with little gold spacers. Love! The best part, is that back in January someone (my boyfriend, unbeknownst to me) had purchased it, and I'd even posted about it, saying how I was sad I'd missed out heh. Mine after all!

Dress - Thrifted from Value Village

Sandals - Thrifted from Value Village

Belt - Gift from Heather
Purse - Thrifted from Value Village

Necklace - Gift from boyfriend, purchased from Lisa Burkin on Etsy

This adorable white dress and cute straw bag are new thrift-finds from last Friday. I tried on about a bizzilion clothing items, only coming away with a few in the end, but they were real gems. I adore this dress, and only wish I'd had it earlier in the summer!

I went a little nutty with the nail polish colours again. It wasn't enough to have alternating coloured toes, oh no, I had to go alternating colours on my big-toe nails too hah. And if I look a little oddly-coloured, these photos were taken on the tail-end of a not-too-bad sun burn, so I was still rather pink.

I'm actually wearing this necklace again today. I am taking any excuse in the slightest to wear this baby. I loved it already when I saw it for sale, but I love it even more now that it was a gift from my man. And it means more to me than if he'd just gone out and bought some shiny diamond trinket, that's for sure! Cheers!

Electric Ladyland

This has got to be one of my favourite summer outfits. It's bright, and colourful, and cheery! What else can I ask for in an outfit than butterflies and crazy colours? I don't wear the belt if I'm just bumming around the house, but I feel it's kind of necessary to make it at least slightly office-appropriate. It's definitely not something I'd wear to a meeting!

Tee - Thrifted from Value Village

Skirt - Thrifted from Value Village

Shoes - Fairweather

Belt - Ardene's

I was a bit miffed to realize yesterday that less people actually READ my blog than just look at the photos. The reason I bring this up is that not just one, but two people complimented me on my "skirt" yesterday. I was wearing pants. I listed "gaucho pants" in the items and even mentioned someone thinking it was a skirt at first and... Eh. I just think it's rude not to read the post entirely. Especially when you leave a comment that pretty much proves you didn't read it. Ah well.

I'm pretty bummed out today. I'd mentioned before how my friend Becky (with whom I went hiking on the Solstice) is leaving Ottawa. Last night we went out for dinner one last time and said our goodbyes. I had been sad about this already, but when I found out she most likely wouldn't be making it out to Motion Notion next month, I was crushed.

I'd been so looking forward to seeing her one last time out there, and spending some magical friend festival time together. I'm really more distressed about all this than I thought I would be. She's a very dear friend and I will miss her deeply.

On a less sad note, at least my toes are cheerful! Bright orange and green. They make me think of happy little pumpkins. I might wind up bringing my nail polish with me out to Alberta, I do believe I'm currently too addicted to painted nails not to. And apparently my pinkie toes are now escaping these shoes, hm.

I forgot my food at home today, and I am so hungry without my morning snacks. I hope I can make it back home, eat, and get back to work in time without also getting caught in any rain. It certainly doesn't look too nice outside. But I refuse to buy disgusting, greasy, over-priced takeout. Or to wait 20 minutes in a line to buy said takeout. It takes less time to walk home!

Anyhow, I hope you're all having a good Wednesday. Cheers!

Nails and Noodles

I suppose in theory posting a photo of my toes and then also talking about food is probably not the best subject combination. But since I have no outfit photos for the moment, my toes will just have to do. The hot pink is as it should be, but that other colour is actually metallic purple. My camera decided to make it look electric blue like my other polish. Crazy toe-nails ahoy!

As for the noodle reference in my title, well really I meant pasta. But 'pasta' does not alliterate very well and so noodles was the way to go. Because I made some tasty pasta salad on Sunday and I have to share its goodness.

If this looks suspiciously familiar to you, it's because I actually posted a photo of the exact same dish in this post a few days ago. I knew I wanted to make a batch of something that could be eaten cold and that would last me several days so I could be lazy, and this pasta salad was perfect. (I did wind up using rice wine vinegar instead of white wine vinegar like the recipe calls for but it still tasted awesome!)

I also cooked up a small batch of these tasty lemon-garlic roasted shrimps. I quartered the recipe though, because I knew I was the only one who'd be eating any and a girl can only eat so many shrimp! My own version came out not too bad, if I do say so myself. The shrimp certainly tasted heavenly and I'm definitely going to be making this dish again. Quick and easy, it has my approval!

The weather is being rather persnickety today. It was supposed to be partly cloudy and rather warm, but instead it's overcast, misty and uncomfortably chill out there. The first day of summer may have lived up to my expectations yesterday but this is not a summery day at all.

I miiight be going to a charity concert tonight, but I work at 8am tomorrow and a 9pm show is not conducive to my getting enough sleep. Then again, my friend Becky invited me and she's leaving in about a week so it would be ridiculous of me not to go just so I can be not-tired tomorrow, right? I hope you're all having a good Wednesday. Cheers!

Friend Friday - Summer Trends

Happy Friday everyone! This week actually went by quite quickly, which I am very happy about. The only bummer is that friends and I were supposed to go hiking tomorrow, but now it's calling for lots of rain, boo! Hopefully we can figure out something else to do. But yes, since it's Friday, it's time for FBFF. This week, the topic is this summer's trends and which are our top favourites.

I'll just go ahead now and say - like I did in my last FBFF post about seasonal trends - that I really don't pay all that much attention to trends. If I see a ton of bloggers wearing something similar, I just safely assume it is probably a trend and roll with what I like. New trend rule! Whatever style or item makes you happy this summer, are this summer's trends. Voilà!

The White Dress

Crazy Nails

The Colourful Maxi

The Espadrilles

FIN

Technically I was supposed to name five but for the life of me I couldn't come up with a 5th one that wasn't really broad like "bright colours" or "boho style" so four it shall be. Almost all the photos here are from my Pinterest, still addicted, probably will be forever. And before I end things... is not this wicker-horse purse the most amazing thing ever?!

I hope you all have a super great weekend! Cheers!