Curvy Purple Sweater

When my brother was little, one of his favourite colours was purple; today, it is one of my favourite colours.  It's been getting colder, and I've been wanting to wear this sweater for a while, so today was a good day.

What caught my eye in addition to the colour was the curviness of the lines.  The shawl collar also has scalloped lettuce trim edges.

It's really soft too and light.  There's just one giant button in the middle to hold it closed.

I like how it opens up to highlight the waist area - although I didn't have any special belt or anything to show.  I teamed it with the grey skirt so as not to look overly dark.

I also really like the sleeves - they are super long and stick out from my coat sleeves, which I think looks more modern than when they don't.

today i wore:

l/s t-shirt ... kenneth cole

curvy sweater ...striking

grey skirt ... kenneth cole

nubby tights ... calvin klein

shoes ... privo?

+ "silk feeling polyester" scarf !

Wanko ?!?

Today is Take Your Kid to Work day, so my younger son accompanied me to work.  The company arranged some activities and then for part of the day he followed or job-shadowed me.

I wore this WANKO jacket - don't you just love the name?  But mostly open for most of the day.

What does my son think of my work?  Boring.


I missed yesterday's post due to being super busy but here are some pics:

As you can see, I'm trying out Melanie's "bra" look - it was purely by accident as I wanted to wear the tube skirt up - to avoid the thickness around the waist.

Again, apologies for the photos - but at least I (just now) think I've figured out why - we'll know tomorrow.

today i wore:

pyramid top ... fancy lady

scarf ... ?

jacket ... wanko

skirt ... reitmans

bamboo tights ... ?

yesterday i wore:

t-shirt ... joe fresh

"bra top" ... mango

tube skirt ... jessica

drapey cardigan ... lsw

tights ... dollar store

Houndstooth and Oxfords

The hvac is back to normal, so I ventured out in a skirt again.  Just to be on the safe side I wore my houndstooth sweater-jacket which is thick and cozy.

Terri's Plaidurday post in which she wore her oxfords reminded me of mine so the shoe question was solved.  I was a little hesitant due to the heels, but went for it anyway.  

My doubts were not entirely unfounded - I did a lot of standing in the afternoon. 
It was meet the teachers day at school, so I took half a day off.  It was more organized this year; we didn't have to book appointment times.  The teachers were all seated in alphabetical order at desks around the room and the parents queued up by the ones they wanted to talk to.  It was great because you could look around to see which teachers had a long lineup and go visit with another in the meantime.

I'm always impressed with the teachers' passion for their students and the subjects they teach.

As it gets darker and wetter out, I'm looking for indoor places for the photos. Today I'm trying out a "take the photo on the stairs" pic - but am not entirely pleased.  But you can see that at least our home has corners of sunny mediterranean yellow even if it is cold and miserable outside.

today i wore:

turquoise t-shirt ... kenneth cole

houndstooth cardigan ... ?

scarf ... from the mercadillo

tube waist skirt ... jessica

tights ... secret

oxfords ... naturalizer

Tube UnFolded

Usually we have motivational speakers or business leaders at our employee meetings; today we had an improv comic.  It was just the thing to cheer us up. He had us in fits of laughter.  Afterwards, we had a socializer - normally I don't attend, but as we are wrapping up business, I decided to give it a try.  Good idea - there were wonderful appies and we all traded job-hunting tips. 

I tried something new with my tube-waist skirt today.  Normally I wear it folded over but today I pulled the tube waist all the way up and did not cover it up. 

I wore it with my ruffly tank over top  and it almost looks like a dress. 

I've been wearing low heels for a while now - being a little hesitant to try a higher heel due to the bone thing. 

So, today it was the Spanish army boots.  They are really great boots for wet weather.  You can step in a puddle and they'll keep your feet dry.  Even the tongue is connected to the boot so there are no actual  openings except at the top.

today i wore:

t-shirt ... ?

ruffly tank ... hamilton

cardigan ... foglie rosse

tube waist skirt ... jessica

cable tights ... dollar store

spanish army boots

Bubbly Top Again

Well, it's been a long week; a few more co-workers have quit and I expect that there will be more resignations in the next few weeks.  But at least the weather is giving us a break.

Dressing was a bit of a rush this morning.  I slept through about half an hour of radio talk show so there was only time for a quick shower and jeans.  I contemplated wearing a longer pair, but had a lot of to and fro-ing today so opted for something shorter so I wouldn't have to wear heels.

Plus, I had a doctor's appointment in the afternoon - the podiatrist.  So, happy day, sort of.  It turns out I have two broken bones in my foot which might be the source of the pain.  We will probably know by next week what remedies I'll have.  So at least I don't have arthritis, diabetes or gout or anything serious like that.

Today I wore:

bubbly top ... fancy lady

cardigan ... foglie rosse

scarf ... ???

jeans ... gasoline

boots ... from spain

Vet Visit

We took the doggies to the vet today for their shots; they were all excited because they thought it was walk-time - until we got into the car.  Good thing today's outfit was relatively dog-proof except for the nylons.

I've been using my bright yellow purse that I got back in May so today's outfit grew from that. 

Wilting in the Heat ...

I picked the skirt first because it had bits of yellow, then the dark t-shirt.  It looked a bit weird even with a belt so I threw on a short-sleeved greenish yellow cardigan overtop. 

I'm not sure what I don't like about this outfit, maybe the combination of darks and lights?  Co-workers liked it though, so maybe I know nothing.

Today I wore:

dark green t-shirt ... Joe Fresh

greenish-yellow s/s cardigan ... no labels

green floral flounce skirt ... Jennifer Moore
scarf ... ???

shoes ... prive

NetGirl Flounce ReVisit

I love it when a blogger is able to restyle a piece and it looks completely different - I don't have that talent and everytime I repeat a clothing item, it looks almost the same as the last time.

So it is with today's look.  I wore my NetGirl skirt again for some summer cool.  Everytime I wear this skirt, I love it more.

Where is that cord snaking to?

This time I wore a sleeveless peach tee and a cardigan overtop.  The tee is a lowish v-neck so I buttoned the top button on the cardigan and filled in the area with my alphabet peach scarf.

It went up to 32 degrees C (~ 90F) and felt a bit hotter due to our relatively high humidity here in Lotusland (57% today) but what with air conditioning and an inactive day, I didn't notice the heat at all.

You might wonder why our white doggie has been making an appearance in a few posts.  He is always inserting himself into the photos, so I finally decided to leave him be rather than cropping him out.

Today I wore:

sleeveless v-neck peach t-shirt ... Zara Basics

elbow sleeve peach cardigan ... George

peach alphabet scarf ... EFAD

flounced skirt ... NetGirl

shoes ... BareTraps

Spanish Influence - Another Go

Today seemed like a good day to wear the other scarf which my Mom sent me.  This one is a peachy-red colour with black dots.  The dots almost look dark grey or brown.

I am trying to stay away from blacks and browns when it's super sunny out, so went for the taupey-khaki tube-waist skirt.

I am not sure if I like these tube-waist skirts anymore.  They are very comfy on, and the pockets are handy but I always have a thick-waisted look when I wear them.

I layered the scarf over the big disk pendant necklace and added a big plastic flower for my hair to complete the look.

I think today's Spanish inspired look is a bit better than the one from last Thursday - thick waist or no, but I am not sure if I like the non-matchiness of the colours.

Today I wore:

dark taupe tank top, Costco

orangey-red cardigan, Sears

taupe tube-waist skirt, Sears

Peack and Black Dotty Scarf, Tentazioni Barcelona

Burgundy loafers, Spain

Wild Not Paisley Print

We went comparison shopping yesterday at the Costco in the states to see what the price difference was south of the border. 

I was quite surprised at the huge variety of goods and foods.  With the exception of a few Canadian products, most of the items were at least a dollar or two less than at our local Costco.

For example, there was a package of undies which are normally ~ $12 up here and they were regular $9, on sale for $6! So I bought a pack.  Big J found socks, for about the same price difference.

Even things like yogourt were cheaper - about a $1 less for 24 containers which were each slightly bigger than the containers up here.

I'm quite the bargoon hunter, so what with the gas savings - 3.69/gallon vs 1.34/litre (1 gallon = 3.7 litres, so 1.34 x 3.7 = 4.9 when you convert to gallons!), we will probably make the occasional shopping run as it is quite worth our while, and it makes for a nice excursion.

So on to today's outfit.  Another bargoon.  The skirt is from that batch of $8 skirts I bought - this one is a wild floral print - I think of it as paisley, but I don't think there is any paisley in the print.

It has those upside down triangle insets - godets, which make for swishy-ness when walking.  It's an ideal skirt for summer - longer so you can go bare-legged without being overly exposed. 

I wore it with an orange t-shirt, a light ivory cardigan and my red and turqouise necklace.  I am also trying out those footlet things which are like nylons for your feet only.  They are okay, but not quite as nice as complete nylons for protecting against friction.

Today I wore:

Orange t-shirt - Zara

Ivory Cardigan - Bitten

Floral Print Skirt - Coldwater Creek

Pointy Shoes - Payless

Necklace - local designer

Today, I'm linking up to:

• Visible Monday
• Watch What I'm Wearing
• Monday Mingle at BonBon Rose Girls

Big Disk

It's amazing how the clothing we wear is so attuned to how we feel, what we see and of course the weather.  I've been feeling cold even indoors so decided to go with my taupe cardi again.

I wore it with one of those stretchy tops that look like they are made of little pyramids all joined together.  These tops start off tiny - about the size of a three-year-old's shirt.  This one, although new, was quite stretched out so it was only $3; I've never worn it much previously perhaps because I usually tried it with all dark colours and it just did not work.

I think the taupe cardi lightens it up though, so it looks okay.  I also wore a new to me necklace that I found on the weekend.  It was $5 which seemed a bit steep, but I liked the big disk thing - it reminds me of a jade necklace except that the colour's all wrong.  I really should try waiting for the 50% off sales for these impulse buys, but then they wouldn't really be impulse buys would they? 

It wasn't warm enough to doff the cardi until I got home, but here is what it looks like without the sweater.

I was off to visit clients again, so finished with some sturdy shoes.

Three Necklaces

Aarrgh! It's cold again, or at least in the morning.

The plan was to wear all creamy ivory colours today, but the day started out grey and threatening.  So I switched in taupe in order to be able to wear a cardi and dark shoes.

The skirt is one I got a few years ago for $7 at Winners (the Canadian TJ Maxx).  Anything under $9 for a new skirt is a pretty good price methinks.

Not sure if this look is a bit too busy in the front but I like the self-belt on the skirt - it covers all sorts of unsightly bulges.

And if you have to take off your sweater, there is still something of interest to catch the eye.  The tee was only $3 at the liquidators and I always regret not buying all the colours.  They had red, pink and black also.  It's just a standard collared tee with some gathering at the front plaquet, but is soft comfy and great for when you want something other than a crew neck.

Not sure if I went overboard on the necklaces - three this time, but I think it looks okay:

And they all kind of match, colour-wise anyway don't you think?

Polka Dotty Butterflies

Finally a relatively hot day!  I'd actually hauled out thicker clothing the night before, the usual thick black tights, layers and such but woke up to bright sunshine so switched out to something a little cooler.

This dress is yet another Sears outlet item which must have been priced incorrectly when I bought it.  I got it quite a while ago and yet saw one in the outlet for about $5 more just recently. The print almost looks like butterflies ...

It's a bit thick looking in the photo because my slip was too long so I wore it strapless dress style.  I actually tried wearing it normally with the lace showing, but it just looked like the slip was too long - perhaps if it had been pink or orange instead of dark blue ...

The strange thing about this dress is that it has a weird tie on the side.  Really not sure what it's for - definitely not for holding the dress together.  I am considering cutting it.

I threw on a scarf too - I very rarely step outside sans scarf, it's like other women with lipstick.  I wore another dollar store necklace - you never know if it's going to be too hot and you have to remove the scarf.

I hope these dollar store jewellery items are safe - they probably are not, but at least I don't chew on them.

I also wore my blue cardigan again in case it got cold.

Does it look like a cape?

Last winter, I wore this dress with thick black tights - you would think such a minor change would scarcely be noticeable, but it looks 100% better with the white tights. 

Brights for a Grey Day

Cold, later warm, rainy, muggy all good words for today's weather.  Today's Everybody Everywear theme is Neon and I'm kicking myself for having just donated my Mango neon green asymmetrical tee.  I'd had it for years and really only wore it maybe twice.

So instead, I went for blue and hope that it is neon-y enough to qualify:

See the bug-whacker?  I hate bugs.

I wore a sweater tank with another tank under it - don't like to look overly bare at work, and covered it with my usual blue cardigan.  The scarf is an ombré-ish one and is another find from the mercadillo in Spain.  It was only €2 which I think is quite a good buy.

 

The sweater tank has sparkly bits which was the main reason I bought it years ago from Sears.  It's a little hard to see:

I like the frilly bits on the scarf too.

My boots are getting to be a little uncomfortable.  The innards are going - so might have to make me some insoles again!

Taupe, Red and a Safety Pin

The weather outside is still autumnal so another fall outfit today (in June!). This cardigan is another buy from the Spanish market.  I had been looking for a long time for something in this colour, and when I spotted it, instantly got it without thought to price.   

It's a very neutral taupe colour which goes with everything.  I am trying to introduce more contrasts into my wardrobe so wore it with my orangey-red French shirt instead of a taupey coloured top.  The scarf is also from the market and doesn't really go, but doesn't clash either:

I would've normally worn lighter-coloured tights, but the ones I had were a bit too light for the weather so I subbed in a pair that had a pattern with some lighter coloured lines.

It was the first time I wore the cardigan and when I took off the tags, noticed that the safety pin was very unusual:

Have you seen anything like it? Here it is open:

It may not be anything special, but I like uncommon things, so will probably keep it - at least for a while, pack-rat that I am.

Blue, Peach and a Tapestry Bag

Today was a jeans day again since it was council meeting day.  I am liking jeans less and less since starting blogging - what looks good in the morning just does not look good in a photo - or it might be that I just haven't found the right style for my shape. Or my shape is just not the right style for jeans!

This combination of blue and peach is not a normal one for me.  Not sure if the scarf ties it all together or not.

But, today's post is really about this nice bag that I found.  Actually Big J found it - he knew I was looking for a bag like this, and brought it to my attention.

It is a big overnighter bag in a blue tapesty print.  It was only $4 in an animal hospital store.  I assume other than overhead, all the profit goes to the animals since there were about 4 or 5 people with "volunteer" name tags.

Here is a closeup of the bag:

The other thing I'm trying out is the watermark - I am always afraid of someone using my pics as an example of what not to wear!  What d'ya think?  Overkill?  Should I transparentize it a bit more? Does it get in the way?  I thought of putting it in a corner, but thought it could be cropped.

Today, I'm linking to Visible Monday, Monday Mingle and Thrifter's Anonymous