Scarf + Festival + Sneaker = My Outfit Inspiration

This Monday I'm heading to the thriving metropolis that is Toronto (it's pretty much the most happening city Canada's got) and while I'm there I'll be going to the Canadian International Documentary Festival. So pumped! My sis-in-law who lives there had the smart idea that we should check it out while I'm visiting and is going to get us tickets to see: Laura.  I'm so excited to see a doc about my namesake who lives like a modern day Holly Golightly - worlds are colliding people!

So, naturally I'm already planning what I'm going to wear 

*husband inserts eye-roll here*.

I decided I'm definitely packing my new skull scarf  for the trip so why not rock that at the doc fest!?  

Here's what I came up with:

I love that this top brings out the colour of the flowers in the scarf.

scarf & top: gifts! (I have lovely friends)

jeans: Reitmans

I got my scarf tying inspiration from, where else, MaiTai's Picture Book.

Here's the link to the how-to video: asymmetrical shoulder wrap

To finish the look, and let me romp around the city in style, are these little "Coralee" Rockport sneakers I bought today.

A dear friend of mine gave me a gift certificate to Manchester Shoes (I told you I have lovely friends) and immediately I knew these were what I wanted to use it on. I had seen them featured as the Shoe of the Week on their blog.  These sneakers are a light gray leather, super comfy, and are way more 'me' than an athletic looking sneaker.  Plus, they have a removable foot bed so my orthopedic insoles fit in them!! The The Coralee fills a gap in my shoe wardrobe and I can see myself getting a lot of wear out of them.

 I think this will be a great outfit for walking around the city and taking in a documentary because I 

 feel like it's a little more chic than a t-shirt and jeans typically are.  Love that adding a scarf with a giant skull elevates an outfit :) Now I just have to nail down what I'm wearing for the rest of the week. 

How do you pack...bare minimum or as much as you can? I like packing a bunch of options because I never know what mood I'll be in! That said, I try to plan a cohesive colour pallet so that everything matches (or at least coordinates) with everything else.

Interweb Shout Outs

A little linky love to share around the nets of the interwebs:

New blogger and Chanel devoté gives some etsy love: Crafty4Coco

direct etsy listing

CraftFail: I just discovered this blog and it's hilarious! A new favourite. The blog features epic DIY fails from the blogosphere.

the pintester

The Flog: The Flog is a weekly video blog on the website Geek & Sundry. It features actress Felicia Day (Eureka, The Guild) and she's adorable.  I want to be her best friend.

www.geekandsundry.com

Catalog Living: this blog gives us "a glimpse into the exciting lives of the people living in your catalogs".

Some favourites: 

see post

see post

What sites are you browsing lately?

Tuna Melts a la Dad

Tonight hubby and I enjoyed tuna melts for supper, but not just any tuna melts...I made the kind my dad made when I was a kid.  I decided to take some pictures and share the tuna fun!

First steps to yummy goodness:

preheat oven to 450

in a small pot combine 1 can of cream of celery soup, 1 can tuna (drained), 1/4 cup frozen peas, and 1/2 soup can of milk, some pepper & Cayenne pepper to taste. 

Heat this mixture until nice and warm and frozen peas are cooked.

In the meantime, shred some of your favourite cheese for the tops of the melts.

Now, the fun part...what really makes this 'a la Dad"

Get out your muffin tins and grease them.

Squish a (very lightly toasted) piece of bread in each hole of the muffin tin:

 like this!

Next, spoon the tuna mixture into the bread cups

and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake them in the oven for about 5 minutes.  You just want the cheese to be melty and the bread points to be a little crunchy.

Then enjoy and reminisce about your childhood...ok, maybe that's just when I eat them.

Give it a whirl sometime.  Kids really like making the break cups, plus they are fun to eat! 

Tute Tuesdays

peek-a-boo skulls

It's not that I'm pro-skull or anti-skull in fashion...

I suppose I'm skull neutral...while finding them kind of interesting...

Take this scarf for instance:

I think it's pretty, almost dainty, with it's blue and purple flowers.

You'd never expect that hiding in those folds is a giant skull,

with even more little skulls scattered throughout.

 But, fold it and wrap a stretchy, pearl, dollar store bracelet around it and you'd never know.

I actually wore my skull scarf to church today!

skirt: mexx, thrifted

t-shirt: joe fresh

cardigan: Active

scarf: Fraas, gift

Friday afternoon I was in one of my favourite stores chatting with the owner about a promotion going on where I work and I noticed this scarf on the bottom shelf of a display. "Are those skulls?" I asked.  Now, this store is what most people would consider an 'old lady store'.  Most of her clients are more mature, but I always find lovely, classic pieces there!  I digress. 

Skull motifs are not something I'd expect to find in this shop. 

What do you think...would you wear skulls?

This post is linked up to Visible Monday on 

Not Dead Yet Style

Celeb Style on a Budget (pet edition)

Can't afford to tote your furry friend around in a Louis Vuitton like our pal Jessica Simpson here?

Easy!

Choose a tiny 'tea cup' breed, like this terrier here, and simply re-purpose your happy meal box!

(photo:ebay classified ad)

Done and Done.

You're welcome

Wedding Planner - I'm in Heaven

A close friend of mine is getting married this August!

I've known her since elementary school and I'm over the moon for her!

Last weekend I went with her and her family while she tried on wedding dresses.  It was so much fun.  I'd never gone with a friend to choose a dress before.  I think it was the 4th dress she tried that we all fell in love with!  I can't post a picture so her man doesn't stumble upon them!  Wedding dresses are top secret don't you know!

She has asked me to be her unofficial wedding planner and of course I'm all over it!   

 

She loves pansies so we're thinking of delicate little centerpieces of floating pansy blossoms

Her colours are dark, rich purple and white. 

I love the different heights of this arrangement

I wonder if the groom would wear feathers?

Helping her plan her wedding just makes me want to get married all over again!

I asked hubby if we could renew our vows on our 5th anniversary (this September) and he said no.

I really can't blame him - he knows I just want to wear a pretty dress and go somewhere warm

Next week the bride and I are going shopping for wedding shoes and jewelry! 

I'm in Heaven

Polka Dot Fashionista

This past Thursday the uptown core of my city hosted a little event called Fashion Forward.  It was inspired by NY Fashion Week and stores go all out to do events, demos, live mannequins and mini fashion shows - usually with champagne and treats.  Kick off starts in the atrium of the mall where I work, the first 100 people get goody bags that contain samples or coupons from participating merchants, everyone gets a map of the stores and what they are doing and off you go to shop until you drop!  At 9pm there is an after party at a local club.

So, what does one wear to be in an event called Fashion Forward?  I decided to stick with what is know as The Colour Codes of Chanel and wear black and white.  

Here I am at the makeup counter wearing a floor length skirt that my hubby bought me last Christmas.  I love any excuse to wear it!!

My shoes were the new Born sandals I just got - this was their debut.

http://www.bornshoes.com/
This is my third pair of shoes by this brand and I'm hooked for life.  They are well made, comfortable, and need NO to time to break-in!  I can just put them on right out of the box and wear them for an 8 hour shift at work! Amazing!

This necklace is just a cheapie bit of costume jewelry that I jazzed up with a flower.  I bought the flower at the dollar store, cut off the stem and glued a folded piece of felt to the back.  Then, I glued 3 faux pearls to the center.  I threaded the necklace through the folded felt on the back of the flower, et voila!  This was my little ode to Chanel as her favourite flower was the white Camilla - this looks kinda like a Camilla, right? 

This post is part of Visible Monday.

Go check it out at Not Dead Yet Style

netflix: a love affair

This past week two eventful things happened - hubby had to go away for work and then I got the flu (it's no fair when your sick AND alone!).  These 2 events led me to fall in love with my netflix account all over again.  Nothing passes the time like a good movie.  I started by looking at the movies it suggested for me and gave them a whirl!

Bottle Shock. 2008

This is a great film (set in 1976) based on the true story of how Napa Valley wines came to be world famous and break the "French wines are the only good wines" rule.  Plus, Alan Rickman is in it - need I say more?

Fitzwilly. 1967

This delightful little romp is everything you want from a Dick Van Dyke movie (except I, personally, could have stood for a musical number or two)  He is the head butler for an eccentric older woman who thinks she's incredibly wealthy, but didn't actually inherit a penny when her father died years ago.  Fitzwilliam heads an elaborate team of good hearted con-men who scheme to keep Miss Vicky in the lifestyle to which she's accustomed.  Of course a feisty young woman enters the scene and threatens everything.

Then on to  Bill Cunningham New York. 2010

A documentary about noted fashion (and street fashion) photographer Bill Cunningham.

I was struck by what a humble life he lives  - for a man that photographs celebrities and fashion shows and has two columns in the New York Times.  

The Honey Pot. 1967

This was the first let-down of the bunch.  While I love Rex Harrison and was mesmerized by seeing such a young Maggie Smith it really was painfully slow moving.  I skipped along a few scenes at a time and the ending was actually good, but I just couldn't (and wouldn't recommend) watching it fully from beginning to end.  Sorry Rex.

Pajama Party. 1964

this is the goofiest, cheesiest '60s' movie ever!

It's all about teenagers, most of them look like they are in their 30s, and a martin that comes from Mars to prepare for an invasion.  Oh, and there's a big pajama party, oh, and it's a musical, oh, and the characters have names like 'Go-Go' and 'Big Lunk'.  

Watching this under the influence of cold and flu medication is advised.

what movies do you like when you're sick and alone?

any favourites you'd recommend?

*all photos from www.imdb.com