Just Peachy

Not a whole lot to say today, but at least I've got an outfit to show you. If I hadn't slept so late - again - maybe I'd have more tasty food photos to share too, but I'm slowly turning nocturnal. Waking up at noon really puts a wrench in food-related productivity for me.

 Sweater - Thrifted from Value Village

Tank top - Fairweather

Pants - Thrifted from Value Village

Mocassins - Sears

I might get ambitious a little later and whip up a batch of croissants dough, to shape tomorrow, but we'll see. Putting on a full face of makeup is accomplishment enough for this lazy Sunday. I foresee plenty of hot coffee and an afternoon of gaming and not much else today.

These photos were taken in my newly set up living room. I have a lot of knickknacks and strange collectibles and tons of stuff up on the walls. It may seem a little overwhelming to some, but this is what feels like home to me and I wouldn't have it any other way. I hope you all had a good weekend. Cheers!

Braided

It's windy out today, and instead of just sticking my hair up in a bun like I tend to do, I gave myself braided pig tails. They tend to make me feel childish but I like 'em anyway. Just as how I like things with garish patterns and bright colours. Whoever owned this top before me - it was actually probably a dress - hacked off the bottom of it a little unevenly but that doesn't stop me wearing it.

Top - Thrifted from Value Village

Jeggings - Hue, from Fancy Sox

Leather Boots - Thrifted from Value Village

I've been on a roll with outfits this last little while... I'm not exactly certain what's brought this about but I hope it keeps up. Now I have to pack up the wee baby gecko that was in one of my recent posts to bring it to the pet store. It's the last baby from the last clutch hatched out from my breeding crested gecko pair. I separated the adults last summer though so no new babies this year.

That's definitely a good thing because I don't need to deal with incubating eggs or itty witty babies while moving, that's for certain. No matter how cute the wee things are when they're fresh from the egg. I'll have to keep a tight reign on myself once I have moved though, because I'll have more space for critters in my next home. I just have to keep reminding myself that my currents beasties are still getting bigger and are going to require more room in the eventual future. But anyway, I hope you're having a good day. Cheers!

Earthy

I didn't actually leave my apartment wearing this, but I thrifted these corduroy pants yesterday and I just had to wear them. I now officially own two pairs of pants! Is this some sort of slow pants revolution? Mayhaps, mayhaps... I feel very 70's in this outfit though, I think it's the high-waisted pants and the earth tones that do it.

Top - Thrifted from Value Village

Pants - Thrifted from Value Village

Moccasins - Sears

Necklace - Made by me

Once again I haven't got much to say. I'm in limbo now, waiting for many things to pass. Mostly I'm looking forward to finally moving back home. I'll still be sad to leave here, but I really hate waiting for changes too. Once I start something, I like having it done yesterday, if you know what I mean.

My makeup will be a tad excessive for going in to work this evening but eh, I have fun playing around with different colours and shades. Half the time I feel like I make myself look like I've got a black eye but sometimes it works out haha. I hope you're all having a good week. Cheers!

Spread Thin

I'm working two jobs now - part-time at the restaurant and full time in the pastry department of a bakery - and so my spare time is spread pretty thin. As is my sanity. I'm still not exactly certain what I'm doing with myself or where my life is going or what's going on. I'm still settling into the bakery and I'm not certain whether or not I'm actually going to enjoy it there.

Top - Thrifted from Value Village

Jeggings - Fancy Sox, by Hue

Shoes - Thrifted from Value Village

The work isn't what worries me, but the people. A lot of folks seem to be leaving recently, and most people I talk to haven't been there more than 6 months, even those in 'senior' positions, which is a little worrying. Especially since my first shift was pretty rocky, spent with the crankiest woman I've met in a long time. I've already had issues with management and I'm very wary. I really hope it all works out and that people don't ruin what seemed like it would be my dream job. It all just makes me doubly appreciative of the great crew I work with at the restaurant. I hope you're doing good and the month has treated you well. Cheers!

Love All The Trees

Earlier this month I went for a walk through the Arboretum by Dow's Lake to take some photos of the changing trees. I was still a bit early in the season to really catch the trees in their full splendor, but it was a lovely sight nonetheless. And as much as I dislike winter, there's nothing like a crisp fall afternoon with the sun shining down!

Neck warmer - Gift from Anne

Jacket - Thrifted from Value Village

Jeggings - Fancy Sox

Moccassins - Sears, Hush Puppies

I didn't feel like carting my tripod with me all the way there so that explains why my outfit photos are still being taken on my boring old terrace. At least the maple tree behind me is sort of starting to change over! I've had this jacket a little over a year now, and I'm still so happy to have thrifted it. It's perfect for the nippier days and the cooler nights.

I'm going to head out for a little evening stroll with my good friend Tina soon - it's great now that she's living nearby again - to enjoy another lovely clear night. There's barely a breeze and the sky is void of clouds so the moon - even less than full - is shining its light down on everything. The yellow and orange leaves look so otherworldly in their moon-glow. I hope you're all having a lovely week so far! Cheers!

Pants Again

I must have hit my head or something because I've actually started wearing pants again. This pair is the first pair of real pants that I have bought myself (jeggings don't count) in years now. I'm still not exactly sure how to pick pants out, or how they're supposed to fit, so that's a bit awkward but I think I'm managing.

Jacket - Thrifted from Value Village

Sweater - Thrifted from Value Village

Pants - Thrifted from Value Village

Mocassins - Sears, Hush Puppies

I wanted to find a light fall jacket for myself and I scored great at the VV with this one. While I love wearing my leather jacket, sometimes I want something that isn't so dark. This is perfect until it starts getting seriously cold again. Speaking of which, I can hardly believe it's already October! Seems I say that every time another month rolls around but still. This year just flew by for me so far and I know the rest of it probably will too.

In a week I finally start my pastry classes at the Cordon Bleu. I'm still kind of shocked that this is really happening. It probably won't really sink in until I'm in uniform and standing in front of my kitchen station. It's a forty five minute walk one way though, so at least I'll be getting plenty of exercise to make up for all the tasty things I'll be baking up and eating.

 

I also started belly dancing again. Last week was our first dance class of the season after summer break. Unfortunately I still don't know whether or not I'll be able to continue until I get my school schedule next week. Otherwise I've been laying low and sticking around the home place for the most part, taking long walks on the nice days just because walking feels good. I hope you're all doing well. Cheers!

Characters

Do I look like myself? I felt like myself when I wore this. Other than being a little self-conscious about the whole pants thing. It's still taking some getting used to for me. I love cool autumn weather for being able to wear my leather jacket and hoodie together, so snuggly and comfy.

Leather Jacket - Danier

Hoodie - Fairweather

AC/DC shirt - Very Old

Jeggings - Hue

Boots - Thrifted from Value Village

I haven't really got much else to say about all this. It's nothing new for me, just echoes of a style and way of life long past. But I'm forever evolving and changing and I think this might be the New Era of the Pant. You'll see :P Cheers!

Zounds!

This outfit surprised even me. I wore it to go to the Orchid show with my friends and it took about two minutes before one of them exclaimed... "Hey, Célynne's wearing pants!" The only reason I was comfortable like this (and I still felt rather naked) was because my blouse covered most of what bothers me being seen. Also is it just me or do the people who make jeggings assume we are all 6 feet tall? Because these are a size Small and I've still got oodles of material pooling around my ankles and knees.

 

Blouse - Purchased from Cookies and Crème Vintage on Etsy

Belt - Déjà New consignment shop in Ottawa

Jeggings - Hue

Shoes - Hush Puppies from Sears

My weekend was a whirlwind. I attended a friend's baby shower on Saturday. It was the first time our girl group had been together in its entirety in years (well, our 6th musketeer is out in Alberta!) and it amazed me how much we had changed and yet stayed the same. One friend brought along her seven (!) year old daughter and it blew my mind once again that my friends are parents and wives and husbands. I keep forgetting we're adults.

 
I'd be lying if I said seeing these things - marriages and babies - happening in the lives of my friends didn't make me sad. While I am overjoyed that these wonderful people are achieving these happy points in their lives, I'm also mourning them a little. Anybody who's had friends have kids knows what I'm talking about. No matter how hard you and they try, it's always going to be different, and very much so.

 

It's everything from having less time and less money, to new priorities and new people. Parents spend a lot of time with other parents. Because us single folks can only take so much diaper-talk and I gather parents can only take so much of hearing about the life they can't live anymore. I'm okay with their choices and where their lives take them - their life is theirs to live after all - but I'll miss the way things used to be nonetheless.

I knew 2012 was going to hold a lot of changes for me - felt it true in my bones - but I never thought I would be going through such an intense personal transformation again. Imagine sitting in front of a huge pile of building blocks, with the task of building who you want to be, but without clear plans on how to do it. (Maybe your snot-nosed cousin tore up the instructions?) You work your way up, only to realize you made a mistake, or you don't like something, or you get a better idea. It's a fluid work in progress with more than one outcome and none of them need to be final. Right now, I'm taking blocks down, turning them around in my hands, and trying to imagine the next thing I want to build with them.

 

There have been a few false starts and I haven't built up much further than my personal foundations, but at least those are solid and dependable now. My structure will have a dependable base upon which to be built, and that gives everything I put into this a better chance of success. I'm also learning to trade building blocks with others, for parts we each might need. Yeah, I'm really digging this metaphor! I hope it makes some sort of sense haha... Anyway, I hope you all had a great weekend and that your Monday is going well. Cheers! 

Bare Essentials

In this post, I am going bare! Err... well, bare faced. I didn't wear an ounce of makeup on Sunday, and you know, I actually think I look not too bad. I hadn't been planning on actually going out in public when I got dressed that day (which I think is pretty apparent), but I wound up spending hours running around from store to store, and then going out for wings with a friend that evening. For a split second I contemplated putting makeup on since I'd be at a restaurant and all, but then decided eh, screw it. And I'm cool with it.

Top - Hand-me-down

Gaucho pants - Thrifted from the Salvation Army

Sandals - Thrifted from Value Village

I have very dark circles under my eyes. Whether I'm tired or not it makes no difference, so I usually try and cover that up with well, coverup. None of that here though! I might look like I haven't slept for 48 hours or like someone's been giving me Irish Kisses but ah well, t'is my face.

For some reason all the side-shots I took made it look like my breasts were horrifically lop-sided so this was the best I could do in that regard hah. I was trying to show how these are in fact pants but they're so loose and flowy it's hard to tell. Actually, the friend I went to dinner with had thought I was wearing a skirt straight until after dinner haha...

I last wore these back in December and this was another one of those cases where an item fits quite differently. These used to sit much higher up on my waist, but now my waist is smaller and down they went. They're hitting a funny spot on my calf now which isn't too flattering though. I'm contemplating hemming them up to my knees perhaps, but I don't know if that would ruin the whole gaucho pants thing.

I've managed to take outfit shots 3 days in a row now which is surprising for me, hopefully I can keep this up and get some more tonight. I'm so busy at the moment though, leaving in less than two weeks for Alberta and visiting my parents for the Canada Day long weekend and all sorts of other things. I can't wait for it all to be done so I can just relax!

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

There's a Giveaway! And a feature!

Not from me, but from Lori at No More Sweatpants! Go check out her blog, she's an awesome momma of some adorable boys, and she's got a great sense of style and a wonderful personality.

I am still sick as a dog, but considering there seems to be a snowpocalypse outside my window, maybe it's not such a bad thing I'm not well enough to go out! I am bored out of my mind however. I've been watching Cinderella in my jammies, eating some oatmeal with brown sugar and blueberries. Hopefully I feel better soon, I'm sick of being sick!

And due to this sickness, no outfit photos today. But, in their place, I'm going to do another Etsy feature! This time instead of random favourites from various shops, I'm going to feature one shop in particular, and all my favourite pieces from their collection. I'm talking about Cocoricooo!

A group of friends and family from Thailand, all the clothing sold by Cocoricooo is handmade and designed by them. The prices are more than reasonable for handmade, original and unique pieces like what they make and sell!

I'm particularly fond of their unique pants, seen above. I actually hate wearing pants, but I would love to own either of the above pairs. They're almost like skirts with attached leggings, and can be worn in so many different ways and styles. Definitely fantastic designs. And then you have more traditionally designed pants like the next two, that still have their own unique style and flair, and again resembling skirts. I'd be tempted to wear them! And that says a lot coming from the chick who boycotts pants! ;)

And then... this absolutely amazing dress! This next dress just takes my breath away, and I fully plan on purchasing one at some point within the next few months. It's just so lovely and feminine, evoking feelings of Greek goddesses and female power deep within.

Most of their designs are available in mulitple colours (the dress above comes in a rainbow of colours to choose from!) and this wonderful group of Thai fashion enthusiasts are always coming out with new pieces. I definitely urge you to check out their Etsy shop.

Hope you're all having a good Wednesday, cheers!