Rhapsody

...dress.

!!! So good, right?! This was another piece given to me by my boss as we sorted through things for the store. It has a matching jacket. I will never wear them together. But as standalone pieces, they're so amazing!!

I wore my plaid jacket over the dress, because lately I feel weird if I don't have a bit of pattern-mixing going on ;) I wore this yellow t-shirt under the dress, and forest green tights and a burgundy beret, to highlight the colours in the paisley print on the skirt!

I absolutely cannot wait for summer, so I can wear this dress by itself! Although I do like the effect with the shirt under it :D Sooo versatile, my favourite!

My dark green scarf and brown granny booties finished off the look. I felt very artsy-Parisienne in this look :D 

Rhapsody: a disconnected series of sentences or statements composed under excitement, and without dependence or natural connection. (from http://onlinedictionary.datasegment.com/word/rhapsody)
That pretty muchs sums up this outfit! Haha! Definitely "composed under excitement," and probably to some, paisley and plaid or t-shirts and long dresses have no "natural connection" ;)

I bet you're thinking, "there's no way that dress could get any better." Think again: it has pockets!

So yesterday I hit the "40 follower" mark! Actually, 41 :D Hello new friends! I'm so happy to see you!

Bloop bloop bloop. Time for more schoolwork! Hope everyone is having a great day!

Dress: vintage, gift from boss

T-shirt: Dynamite, hand-me-down from friend

Tights: Joe Fresh Style

Boots: Spring

Beret: vintage, thrifted from Bargains at the Bridge

Jacket: vintage, thrifted from Hazel's

Scarf: thrifted from Hazel's

Happy dressing!

Mitzi xo

Twisted Stripes

I decided to take a different approach to my beloved stripes with this outfit!

This is one of my "cached" outfits, drawn often in the margins of my class notes but never actually worn. It was because I didn't have the right tights! I played with the idea of wearing my grey vertical-striped tights with it, but it seemed like too much of an extra colour. Then I got these tights from H&M! Yesss.

I love that the stripes are similar in width to the bands of the plaid, and also the same width as the tuxedo-shirt-ish ribbons on the t-shirt! 

I've been noticing a severe lack of this red blazer in my outfits, but it's hard to wear under coats. It was finally warm enough (for a day) to wear just a blazer and cardigan as outerwear! I've also figured out that if you leave the house at the last possible second so you have to run-walk to class or work, then you don't get cold from the exertion ;) Awesome!

Run-walk: jerky quick-walking with lots of arm movement and awkwardness, accompanied by huffing and puffing and amusement of leisurely strolling onlookers. Even more effective in heels.

Of course I wore my delicious oxford heels, because I felt very schoolgirl-ish and I don't have flat black oxfords ;) I actually just remembered grey ones that I have! Hmm, good thing the snow is gone so I can wear lots of different shoes that haven't seen daylight in months :D

I had to bobby-pin my hair behind my ears, because it was doing MAJORLY uncooperative things. Usually I just go with bedhead or wear a hat. Well, in this case the hat didn't help. It was doing this gross pear-shaped thing, bleeeeh! It's at the length now where I have to decide whether to cut it again or let it grow. Decisions, decisions!

After I put on these tights, I noticed that I'd twisted one leg around... but then I thought, it looks like a candy cane! Yum! 

Oh yeah. Close-up of t-shirt! So pretty, right? Ignore the wrinkliness, t-shirt ironing is a bit much for me! (I never iron anything, shhh)

I guess I should go take a crack at one of the six essays that I have to write over the next two weeks. Blahhhh I just want to sketch outfits!! Hahaha.

 New reward system for finishing essays: working on the assignments in the back of my favourite of the books I bought! Fashion Design Course by Steven Faerm, most awesome and fascinating book ever. Drool.

 Blazer: vintage, thrifted from Hazel's

T-shirt: Gap, hand-me-up from sister

Skirt: thrifted from Frenchy's

Cardigan: Suzy Shier

Tights: H&M

Beret: vintage, thrifted from Value Village

Shoes: gift from boss

Happy dressing!

Mitzi xo

On a Clear Day, You Can See Forever

Don’t you love days that begin grey but then become warm and sunny? This was one of those days! The sky was cloudy and it looked like it could rain at any moment, but then the sun broke through and the snowbanks kept melting. Yay!

I’ve been really inspired by the pairing of stripes and florals I’ve been seeing lately, in particular Carina of BadTasteToast’s look in I'm Feeling Good! I added this pale purple scarf that I got from the Tenement Museum in New York City, and these little brown booties that are quickly becoming my go-to flat footwear! I wore my turquoise corduroy jacket for some added colour and texture.

Haha, I look like a grumpy doll in that one!

I got some books in the mail on Friday about the basics of fashion design, and they're so exciting! Bad timing kind of, because all I want to do is pore over them. Unfortunately, I have a ton of marking and essay writing to do! Oh well, haha. I guess I can use them as a treat! It sure beats rewarding myself with new shoes!
I'm really excited to start using the books, because they all have neat exercises in them. One is to draw all outfits that you wear as well as ones other people wear that inspire you, to get a feel for how to draw all the different shapes. Eeee so fun!!! It's neat having increased knowledge of the names of different stitches, cuffs, closures, etc. I was reading a magazine today, and instead of just glancing at the ads, I found myself examining each one and looking at the construction of the garments! Ahhh I love it.

Don't the leathers of this little purse and these booties match perfectly?! So exciting. This purse was a love-at-first-sight deal when it came into the shop I manage, but somehow I restrained myself for a long time...until someone almost bought it. They changed their mind at the last second, but it was the push I needed to know that it had to be mine! It reminds me of a saddle bag for some reason :)

The brown belt ties the bag and shoes in too. For a while there I didn't care much about matching shoes and belts (and purses, when I carry them), but it's growing on me!

Isn't the uneven, zig-zaggy texture of the scarf awesome? This is only the second time I've worn it, but it's going to be a great Spring/Summer piece. I didn't post the other outfit because I look super scary-angry in all of the pictures, haha!

Yay for no-jackets weather! It's coming. Just because we had a snowstorm on Friday doesn't mean it won't get warm really soon!I have some great warmer-weather outfits bouncing around in my head, and I can't wait to wear them. I was going to wear one on Friday, but I checked the weather network and it said it was -11C. Boo. And then it started snowing when I left the house! That would have been uncomfortable, haha :P

 

This is going to be another intensely busy week! It's the second-to-last week of classes, and all the essays I have to do are becoming a reality. I completely wasted today, but I needed to! My brain needed to relax a bit before I plunge into using it hard for the next two weeks ;)

 

Tomorrow is good ol' Monday. Are you ready? Haha... I hope it's sunny, that should make it easier to get up ;)

Corduroy jacket: 725 Originals, from Wal-Mart (10 years ago)

Striped sweater: Express, thrifted from Frenchy's

Floral skirt: vintage, thrifted from Bargains at the Bridge

Beret: Bizou Accessories, thrifted from Value Village

Sunglasses: Aldo

Scarf: The Tenement Museum in NYC

Purse: thrifted from Hazel's

Belt: thrifted from The Salvation Army

Boots: vintage, thrifted from Hazel's

Tights: old and baggy, thrown in garbage

Happy dressing!
Mitzi xo

But she lived!

I was devastated to hear of Elizabeth Taylor’s passing yesterday. On the radio this morning, they played a clip of her response to the question, “what would you have your tombstone say?” At first she replied “Here lies Liz, who lived.” But then she changed her mind, purring "actually, I hate the nickname Liz. Have it say “here lies Elizabeth. She hated being called Liz, but she lived!” Awesome. She’ll be missed!

This outfit is almost entirely un-thrifted! Very unusual for me. I got this dress recently at H&M. I’m glad they were out of my size in the black and white version, because it made me try on this nude and black or navy (it’s really hard to tell) one! I have a feeling I’ll be wearing this guy a lot. I bought these red tights on the same shopping trip. I’m so glad to have finally found some! I’ve been wanting red tights since Autumn :D

I threw on my black cardi because it wasn’t quite warm enough for just the jacket, and then added my red wooden beads as an afterthought (they’re the thrifted part, haha)! 

 I wore my trusty black booties. Or shooties? I’m not sure how I feel about that mishmash word of “bootie” and “shoe.” Hmm. What do you think?

Tonight after work I'm going to the airport to pick up my dad! He was in Ontario for the past week visiting family. It was my Grandma's 85th birthday! Wow! I'm glad he's coming home, I've been buying coffee in the morning because I get up too late to make it myself. I know, so lazy. But I can't make it through the day without my coffee! Haha ;)

I felt kind of beatnik-y in this outfit! Yay. I would have driven it home with a beret, but sometimes they need to rest! Poor guys, I never let them rest ;) And yes, I do personify all my clothing and accessories! I used to do the same thing with my toys when I was little. I felt bad if some didn't get played with enough, and sometimes I'd get mad at my favourite ones for hogging all of my attention! Haha, I was a complicated child.

Oooh tomorrow I'm going to start on a skirt with my sewing teacher! Ahhhh I am so excited. Can't wait to show it to you guys! It won't be for a few weeks at least, haha. Now a shoulder-vogue pose to send you off:

Striped dress: H&M

Cardigan: Suzy Shier

Tights: Secret, from Wal-Mart

Necklace: thrifted from Hazel's

Pashmina: le chateau

Faux-leather jacket: Suzy Shier

Booties: Spring

Sunglasses: H&M

Happy dressing!

Mitzi xo

Come Josephine, in my Flying Machine

And it's up she goes, up she goes!

As you may remember, sometimes I like to play “dress up” when I get ready in the morning. Today I was an aviator! 

 This light yellow-and-blue striped sweater was one of my birthday purchases, and I knew I wanted to wear it with these pants for a sort of 40s vibe. When I put them on I was stuck for what else to wear, until I decided on the skinny belt, which led to the shoes… which are sky-high! I had it: I’d wear a long cozy scarf, my silver leather jacket, and my aviator shades and look like a pilot ;) I added this leather purse because it looks pilot-y to me!

I always get this song stuck in my head, and it immediately reminds me of Titanic. Love! Cutest scene ever. One night my boyfriend and I stayed up all night walking around the city we lived in, and watched the sun come up from the “bow” of a ship-shaped playground on the waterfront, and we were all corny and reenacted that scene! 

Oh right, the shoes:

Top Model is on tonight! I'm so excited, I hope I can actually catch it on TV instead of having to wait for it to go on YouTube, haha! Do you watch it? Who is/are your favourites? I love little cutie Brittany, and I thought Kasia rocked it last week. I like Alexandria at first, but holy moly, that girl needs to learn to trust other people. On the other hand though, as with all reality shows, I wonder what they edit out in favour of emphasizing her bad character traits... I bet there are hours of unused footage with her and the other girsl getting along swimmingly. Who knows?

I hope everyone is having an awesome Wednesday! Only two more sleeps 'til Friday! Haha ;)

Striped sweater: Land's End, thrifted from Value Village

Pants: vintage, thrifted from Frenchy's

Skinny studded belt: thrifted from Hazel's

Lace-up platform heels: Spring

Cable-knit scarf: thrifted from the Salvation Army

Faux-leather jacket: Suzy Shier

Aviator sunglasses: H&M

Leather purse: thrifted from Value Village

Happy dressing!

Mitzi xo

Update: my look got into the Style Gallery on Chictopia!! So exciting! I've only had two looks get in before this, and those were back in October/ November.