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!

Stupid Things

Sometimes, I do stupid things. Like spend an entire lovely warm Sunday afternoon indoors doing my taxes. And then nearly sprain my wrist punching my mattress in frustration over said taxes. And then wandering around aimlessly as the sun goes down because I can't just let a whole gorgeous day go by and somehow wind up with a mini Grand-Marnier white chocolate cheesecake in my possession. And then go home and cut my bangs ridunculously short. A final stupid thing with which to end my day.

Dress - Gift from Heather

Belt - Ardene's

Tights - We Love Colours in Ivory

Shoes - Payless

These are my bangs before I cut them ridiculously short, for the record. I won't be able to wear this dress again any time soon; the zip on it died on the day I took these photos. I'll eventually get it replaced, but knowing me, it's going to be a good long time before I get around to acquiring a replacement zipper and bringing it to someone who will change it for me.

If the print of this dress looks familiar, that's because you've seen it before, back when I wore it as a blouse with a skirt over top. I suppose it works out that the dress is unwearable; I need to replace a button on the skirt I like to pair it with as well. My mending pile is growing awkwardly tall again and I'm going to have to attack it sometime soon.

I had a really lovely weekend - apart from the whole tax thing - and spent most of Saturday with friends and family. I got some animal-related tasks done and out of the way too, which was good. I'm keeping very busy lately, and it makes the days go by so quickly. Right now I'm just looking forward to taking my final driving test on Tuesday next week. Once that's done, I can apply to my city's car-share program and hopefully, by then end of May, have access to a vehicle again. I hope you're all having a good Monday. Cheers!

Frumpus

I wore this last Friday, an outfit created in a spurt of frustration and annoyance. I am realizing how very few non-maxi anythings I actually own. Nearly every single one of my skirts is a long prairie maxi. It makes it rather difficult to get dressed for work without looking like I should be frolicking in a field of flowers. So I do things like this: hike up my skirt to my armpits and wear it as a midi-skirt under a messily-knotted baggy button-down. 'Cause somehow that made sense at the time.

Button-down - Thrifted from Value Village

Skirt - Thrifted from the Salvation Army

Wool tights - Fanxy Sox

Shoes - Spring

You can see the skirt styled as it's intended, in maxi form, in this outfit from back in August. I actually wear the skirt a lot, but for some reason thought I'd posted it far more recently. Clearly I need to keep tabs on my own past outfits. This is one I won't be repeating, although I will probably attempt something of the same with a few other skirts and shirts eventually.

I am finding so many uses for this mustard blouse, I hadn't realized it would be so versatile. I'd never even noticed that this skirt had so much mustard in the print until I saw it next to the shirt in my closet. I may have shrunk the shirt a smidgen in the wash though; the sleeves feel shorter than I remember, but ah well! As the day progressed, the skirt waist slid down my back and I wound up with a bit of a fish-tail affect going on. I actually quite liked it, especially when walking around with the skirt swishing around my legs.

I don't want to say too much (I'd rather not jinx myself) but I think I may have found someone special. Of course by now I know I get over-excited, and wind up wallowing in disappointment nearly every single time I feel this way but... I see no reason to stop hoping. Actually, I think now is the best time to hope for these things, because I'm more and more aware of how lucky I've been recently. The past few months have gifted me with many new people to love and friends to grow close to and I can finally say I am happy. I like to think it's because I've been trying so hard to give to others - love, friendship, tenderness, an open ear - that the world is just giving back. I guess I'll just have to keep on lovin' and givin' even more to thank the world for the gifts I'm getting! I hope you're all having a lovely week so far. Cheers!

Glow Worm

This bright yellow sweater really does have an inner glow. Sadly it didn't come across in the photos (seriously, it is actually even brighter in real life). I love my yellow sweater so much though! If it looks familiar for some reason, I was wearing it in the photo with my giant fat cat. The only downside is that it's very thick and very warm, so I can only wear it on particularly cold days, and when I know I will be in cold places.

Sweater - Thrifted from Value Village

Skirt - Yard Sale

Booties - Thrifted from the Salvation Army
Earrings - Friend-to-friend hand me down

Pardon my goofy grin above; the cat was doing something dorky and then the camera beeped at me. The last time I wore this skirt on the blog was way back in May of 2011. I'm pretty certain I've worn it a few times since then, but this low-wear of many of my items is why I really need to do some closet-purging. (Yes, I've still yet to do it, it is painful and I am avoiding it like the plague.)

The funny thing about this skirt is that it's labelled a Medium, but there's enough room for it to be an Extra Large and then some. It has no elastic at all, and I need to hold it up with my elbows as I pull the drawstrings taught or it literally just falls to the ground haha. It's great for hanging off my hip bones in the summer though, and has great movement.

I've given myself the goal of early nights and early mornings this weekend, to try and maximize the amount of things I get done. I've been naturally waking around 9am on weekends lately though, and am comfortable with considering that sleeping in. Am I turning into a true adult now that I appreciate and aim to utilize mornings? Haha... It's just too bad a lot of the things I like doing on weekends involve late nights. Or accidentally turn into late nights

It looks like I'll be attending that crystal bowl performance by myself this evening. I'm trying to build new friendships, but it seems my efforts dash aimlessly upon most people as waves do on rocks. I feel a lot like a child sometimes; nervous, timid, filled with an intense, overwhelming desire to explore and share and be happy and make friends. But most people just give me their glossed-over stranger-smile and fade away, like my bumbling-yet-well-meaning attempts are not worth their time. It's difficult when all your good intentions and desires are treated so cheaply.

I know now not to linger or bother with people who can't bother with me, but it's still frustrating. I'm very grateful for the ever-strengthening circle of family I have around me now, but the love I share with them just drives home to me how badly I want a close circle of friends to love and trust too. I have wonderful friends like Kirsten and Omar who I've learned SO much from, about being kind and curious and tender and loving and what good people are really like, and I need MORE of those people! Too bad it's so hard to root them out from the bad apples...

My weekend is going to be absolutely jam packed with activity, and I cannot wait for the work day to be over so I can get properly started on things. I hope you all have a super groovy weekend too. Cheers!

Over The Rainbow

This outfit felt so marvelously me. The top is actually a dress, another sent to me by the wonderful (soon to be mama!) Heather over at Moonshine Junkyard. I'm surprised I haven't posted photos of this dress sooner, because I've worn it nearly once a week since receiving it. As you can see, the print is rather intense though, so of course logically a bright blue skirt came to mind when I wanted to tone things down haha...

Vintage dress (as blouse) - Gift from Heather

Skirt - Thrifted from the Salvation Army

Tights - Fancy Sox

Shoes - Payless

I've had this skirt for ages but it's another I've rarely worn until recently. I love the colour and the way it moves, but I have to safety pin the gaps between some of the buttons and the colour doesn't mesh with most of my wardrobe. Apparently the skirt has found its style-buddy though, and is now secure in my closet.

I imagine some people would probably choose not to wear this vintage dress. Not because of the print or that it's old or anything, but it has a light barn scent to it. Kind of like old hay and the memory of cattle. I've washed it half a dozen times myself, but once I have it on and it warms up a bit, I can still smell it. Personally, I do not mind at all, I have a few other vintage items that have the same smell. So it sat in a barn or a farmhouse for a while, that just means it's had less wear and will last me even longer!

I'm trying to gather some people together to join me Friday for a live solo musical performance on crystal bowls, accompanied by paiste gongs, a santoor and vibraphone. I mentioned it to some of the ladies in my belly dance class last evening and I think at least one person will be willing. My life feels so full and bustling lately. I'm rarely home in the evenings or even on the weekend anymore. I feel bad about leaving my cat alone so much. He gets to hang out with me all of this evening though, since I've got creature-cage cleaning on the agenda.

Even though I do often feel like I'm running everywhere at a thousand miles an hour to get things done and see all the folks I want to see, I am very thankful. I'm making new friendships, strengthening ones I should have given more attention to long ago, and learning so much about myself in my daily explorations. Things aren't perfect, but that's okay, I'm too busy to notice. Cheers!

Mustard and Fries

I can't be the only one who eats french fries with mustard, right? I used to do that a lot in high school especially, to keep other people from stealing my fries haha... My current favourite mustard thing is this blouse, which I thrifted last Sunday. It had shoulders pads, but I quickly snipped those out. I've been seeing bloggers wearing mustard-everything for ages now. I'd never been super drawn to it but when this shirt appeared for $5, I couldn't argue. I could however, forgo ironing out all the wrinkles, because gravity eventually does that for me.

Blouse - Thrifted from Value Village

Skirt - Thrifted from the Salvation Army

Belt - Ardene's

Tights - Christmas gift

Heels - Lulu's

This outfit feels very early-80's to me. Like I should be running around some old school typewriter-filled office, chasing after my boss with a stack of papers and a coffee. I really love how the bright colour of my skirt looks with the mustard though. Trust me to choose, of all colours possible to pair with mustard, a bright violet.

The above photos prove how bad I am at taking photographs with true colours, and at editing said photos. I don't know what I did to that close up shot but that is definitely not the skirt's true colour. I'm glad I took the photos the night before though, because when I put these tights on again the next day, there were two significantly-sized holes in one leg. Which is weird since I'd never even worn them before trying them on the night before. Ah well!

One of my friends had a pile of jewelery she was trying to give away and I picked up these and another pair of earrings. I'll probably be trying to give away some stuff soon too, or maybe re-sell. I plan on going through my closet and dresser this weekend, including trying everything on to make certain it still fits. I know a lot of my dresses are probably way too big for me now, but I'm really not looking forward to the reality of parting with some of my vintage beauties.

I'm so very happy it's Friday. I plan on spending most of the weekend at home, doing nice relaxing home things. This has been a crazy busy month in general for me. I'm looking forward to baking some mushroom-dill muffins, and finally getting my closet in order. I hope you all have a great weekend too. Cheers!

Flippant

I am resigned to there always being a flippy cowlick in my bangs. Try as I might, they resist my every attempt at flip-reversal and stubbornly sit there defiantly curling out and away. Ah well... at least it keeps my left eye clear of hair!

Lynx-fang earrings - Purchased from Aranea Designs on Etsy
Necklace - Won from Anika Burke
Top - Old Navy boxing week sale $6

Skirt - Thrifted from Value Village

Shoes - Payless

I'm rather surprised it's taken me this long to post photos of this skirt. I thrifted it quite a while back and I wear it nearly once a week. It's actually one of my favourites now just because of its flow and how it moves. It has lots of flounce! If it's the weekend and I find myself stumped as to what to wear, I often reach for this skirt and a simple comfy top.



These cost me $30 and finally filled the black high-heel gap I had in my wardrobe. I've got a pair of low black wedges but I needed a good ridiculously high tottering pair too! And these fit the bill perfectly, and for a decent price. I just can't justify spending tons of money on shoes anymore. (I'd rather spend it on delectable cheeses, or craft supplies!)

I want to buy used/thrifted or handmade when it comes to what I wear. As much as I may want some of the gorgeous tops, skirts and dresses I see in so many online shops... And as often as I put them in my virtual shopping carts, I just can't do it. I cannot part with my money for those things when I know I can go to the thrift store and (if I'm lucky) find something comparable - or something completely unexpected - that will bring me as much pleasure for way less money.

Of course I'm wearing a new top in these photos, but I only paid $6 for it, which is comparable to a thrift store. I'm totally comfortable shelling out a considerable sum when the item is of high quality though. If I know I'm paying $200 for something that I will still own 5 years from now (my rational on buying expensive winter boots) I can deal with that. But my mall-shopping days are done, methinks.

It's snowing like mad again here, calling for a good 10cm/3" of snow just today. Which is too bad because they just finished clearing the roads and sidewalks near my apartment. I can't wait for Spring! I hope you all have a good Tuesday. Cheers!

The Last

As the title says, these are the last photos of me before I had my bangs. I really like how this sweater is practically the same green as in the skirt. I have to be careful when thrifting though, otherwise my entire wardrobe would be some variation of that shade. It's like my natural instinct is to collect clothes that let me camouflage into the underbrush haha...

Sweater - Thrifted from Value Village

Skirt - Thrifted from the Salvation Army

Tights - We Love Colours

Shoes - Spring

I look forward to the day I can take outfit photos outside again. I hate these indoor shots. The quality is bad, the lighting is bad... bad! I miss natural sunlight, and not worrying about the flash making my tights glow. The only real advantage is the lack of wind. Can't wait for winter to be over and it's barely begun, sigh.

These next two photos are from an outfit that never really happened. But how do I have photos, you ask? Well I picked it all out the night before and tried it on to see if it worked. I decided I liked it, took some shots... And then the next day I wound up staying home sick and the outfit was never actually worn. Which is a good thing because I don't really like it anymore. But here it is anyway!

This week feels interminably long again. I have a thousand things to do in the evenings and it seems like I've never got time to do everything that needs doing. I wind up in bed later than I like most nights just so I can actually have the time to unwind and breathe.

I really want to go through my closet and dresser. I want to empty all my kitchen cupboards and reorganize those. I have a huge pile of small-mending that needs doing. Things I need a big chunk of time to sit down and devote myself to before I feel comfortable getting into them. I'll need to have a home-weekend and get all this done sometime.

I realized yesterday that my apartment lease ends in April, and that means I can move again. And I don't have to stay in Ottawa. Winter always makes me want to run away, but every time I get the urge, it's always stronger. I really love living in the city, but I miss the country. I want a simple life. Simple isn't easy, but it seems a lot better than this. Anyway! I hope you all have a good Wednesday. Cheers!

Wearing Love

Behold! My bangs! In their full banging glory! My hair is really light and whispy though, so most of the time they're usually flying about as I walk around. But ah well! I dig 'em. I'm even sooort of starting to become fond of the flippy cowlick thing it's got going on sometimes.

Capelet - Gift

Long sleeve top - Old Navy

Dress - Thrifted from Value Village

Flats - Ardene's

Before I say anything else though, I must speak of this capelet! It was made by hand especially for me by my grandfather's wife, Jane. She gifted it to me not long before Christmas. I actually wore this outfit on the Friday I spent with them before New Years, and I've been wearing it a lot around the house. It's so light and soft and snuggly and I love it ever so much.

I can't believe how lucky I was to find this dress! It has the prettiest detail at the gathering point, a sturdy crocheted circle. I just wish I'd thought to take a close-up photo. Another time!

The hairdresser convinced me to add some layers into my hair, and I'm happy I trusted her! I cut a good 4 inches off the back. I really love my long hair, but it had been getting a little too long for me, at least without doing anything to it. I'll be more attentive in my hair-care as it lengthens time this.

I'm having friends over for a sort of potluck brunch on Saturday, which I'm really looking forward to. Our friend Phil is bringing his lady-friend with him and it'll be my first time meeting her, which should be fun. I love meeting new people, especially when I get to feed them tasty foods to help win them over heehee.

It's too bad two of my friends are vegan, and another can't eat gluten. It makes feeding the group a wee bit complicated. Hence the potluck factor, so I'm not completely responsible if anybody starves hah. (Like I'd let that happen, psh!)

Tomorrow I'm going over to my old room mate's place to have dinner with he and his fiance. I find it rather amusing, but I'm realizing that most people with whom I spend my time are at least in their 30's. Mark and Helen are both in their late 30's, and I'm very good friends with a lovely divorced lady in her 40's. And other than 2 of my friends on Saturday, the rest of our gang is all 30 and up.

I really like surrounding myself with smart, experienced people though, and I guess that's part of why my friendships gravitate towards the more mature. I get a little lost in the conversations sometimes, but I usually also walk away with some new knowledge. And what's the point of a relationship if nobody shares or gains anything, right?

It feels like it should be Thursday. Somehow. All the shortened weeks I had over the holidays have me feeling a little kerfuffled. I hope you all have a groovy Tuesday. Cheers!

Plaid to Meet You!

Happy Monday everyone, I hope your week is starting off well! I had a really fantastic weekend filled with mad dancing, baking, cooking, crafting, thrifting, friends and fun. This was definitely one of my better weekends recently for sure. I thrifted some really great stuff on Saturday, including the yellowest sweater ever, which you will eventually get to see. That and I snagged a thick wool coat, knee length, for just $15! I'd been seeing a lot of them in mall shops, but they were all woefully thin and cheaply made and they all had ridiculous price tags. Thrift store to the rescue!

Red top - Gift from mom, garage sale

Skirt - Thrifted from the Salvation Army

Shoes - Spring

I've had this skirt a little over a year now, but when I originally purchased it, I was considerably heavier and quite a few sizes bigger. When the cold weather rolled around this year, I discovered most of my warm skirts were way too big. After successfully taking in the first skirt, I set to work on this one. I'm quite happy with how it turned out! It fits me better than ever now.

I really love doing my makeup like this but I always feels like it's too much for work. But that's probably just because I work with 40-somethings who show up wearing sweatpants, cheap t-shirts and last night's Cheetos residue. *shudders* And I work in a professional environment!

I'm still frustratingly battling ants in my apartment. You'd think by mid-December the little boogers would be securely hidden deep down in their subterranean ant-lair but I guess my apartment is more appealing. It's not horrible, but to give you an example... I cleaned my tree frogs' terrarium yesterday, emptied it out completely and put in fresh water and bark bits. Not two hours later? Ants crawling around everywhere inside it! They had a little highway going. I put down some poison and they swarmed it, and a few hours later there weren't any ants again but holy crow. Pain in the butt!

Thankfully they seem more interested in exploring the vast expanses of my shower than getting into my baked treats so I can't complain about them too much. Hopefully come spring the problem won't worsen. Anywho, I hope you all have a lovely Monday! Cheers!

Happy Summer Solstice!

Hello everyone! I hope you're all having a wonderful first day of summer and longest day of the year. I took the day off work and went out into Gatineau Park with my friend Becky for a hike and a swim.

Our first stop was at Pink Lake, to hike the trail around it. It was a beautiful day, warm and sunny. I never get tired of this lake, I could hike around it a thousand times.

I was so happy when we heard a garter snake slithering his way through the leaves on the side of the path. Of course I had to pick him up and say hello.

And did you notice? I am wearing shorts. Yup. Not a skirt, not a dress, but shorts. This is the first time I have willingly worn shorts out in public like this in a very long time. The last time I wore shorts, I had leggings on underneath, and I haven't been bare-legged-with-shorts in years. The closest to that has been wearing my romper, but that looks more like a skirt than anything.

I'll admit the shorts come from Walmart, but I've been searching in thrift stores for ages for shorts like these and that's difficult. So when I found these, I bought 3 pairs in different colours.

After hiking around the lake, we drove to Meech Lake and had a nice swim. There's nothing better than swimming in a cool lake on a hot summer day. Then we picnic'd on pasta salad and berry lemon iced tea before heading home.

It was a lovely day, and I could not have asked for better. Did any of you do anything special today? I hope you're all having a good week. Cheers!