Ruffle, Lace and Stripes

Ugh.  We went to Costco after work to pick up milk - the chocolate milk is almost $2 less than at our local super-market.  To avoid a huge bill we have recently been buying only if something is a staple or on sale.  So today we got cereal and chicken, both on sale. 

The ugh part is that there were all sorts of food demos - I tried deli cuts on bread, havarti cheese, barbecue sauce on a chunk of hot dog, kettle corn, bear paw cookies etc etc.  By the time we were done I was sampled out, and in no mood for dinner.

Why don't they ever have sliced watermelon, or blueberries to sample?

Today's outfit is my New Year's skirt with a multi-fabric lace top, my witchy tights and a ruffle jacket.  I am not sure about the tights - a solid colour would've probably been better.

The scarf was a gwp - one year I was buying a long coat and my mom took me to a little store downtown.  They had exactly the coat I was looking for (I still wear it to this day) and when we bought it, my mom asked if there was a gift with purchase and lo and behold I was allowed to pick out a scarf!

Today I wore:

tuxedo tank ... old navy

lace top ... merona

skirt ... della spiga

tights ... CK?

shoes ... privo?

jacket ... tradition

scarf ... ? gift with purchase

Lace Curtain Top

This is a spur of the moment outfit - I wanted to wear the skirt - it's from Sears and I got it on sale last year I think but haven't worn it yet.  And I had a lace top found on the same trip as yesterday's disk necklace.  Big J hates it, but I am already thinking it will go with lots of stuff. 

I call it my lace curtain top because the material looks like something you would find on a curtain, only grey. It has an elastic waist and I think it might've been lovingly home-made since there are no tags.

The scarf was a last minute addition - I was on the train and my neck was cold and it just happened to be the scarf that was in my purse.  I think it turned out quite well - adds some colour to an otherwise monochrome outfit.  Had I styled it myself, conservative-dresser me would've done the matchy-matchy same colour thing and it would've looked less interesting.

For a couple of days now, I've been putting milk in my tea (instead of drinking it asian style with nothing) and I think it's causing me to bloat up.  I felt very tummy conscious today and am not sure if it was the skirt I wore or the tea.

Although I actually feel heavier than a few days ago, the good news is, due to the tummy bloat I weighed myself and am now down to 155 and a half pounds!  Yay!

A Bit of Red Lace

The main focus of this outfit is a hand-me-down top which I've had for over 10 years.  It's a cotton sweater which has short sleeves, so is not overly useful in our northern climate.  But, we are now in that sort of in-between weather so it is perfect.

It has a v-patterned piece down the front, so I hauled it out for the lace which is back in vogue.  It is also an orangey-red which looks a little more current than plain red.

The scarf is one of many that I got for a $ from a vintage shop which has since relocated; unfortunately they are no longer in the downtown area, so I can't pop in at lunchtime anymore.

The bracelet is from Big J's mom and are giant pearl beads with a sparkly flat bit.

The other news is now that summer is almost upon us, Big J and I are going to walk a lot more and we are trying to go on a high fibre, low fat diet. Perhaps I can lose another 5 pounds by summer's end!

Today's post is linking to:

• Visible Monday,  
• Monday Mingle,  
• Mannequin Monday

Lattice Lacing

I don't wear them very often but do have some skate shoes.  In summer when Big J and I go for long walks they are the perfect walking shoe: comfy, slightly more presentable than runners and a lot more stable - I'm constantly turning my ankle.

A great way to liven up your skate shoes or runners is to do a fancy lacing.  If you also buy a coordinating (or contrasting) shoe lace then your shoes can sport a cute look for little effort.

These are my skate shoes:

They originally came with white laces which I switched out for pink.  Then I laced them up lattice style et voila!

Lace Faux Cami

Today's is a Thrifty Thursday / mini-refashion post all in one.

I have a long maxi dress which is a staple on warm summer days. Unfortunately, the neckline is a touch low for me. It also buttons up the front and the buttons are just a tiny bit too far apart causing it to gape in front when sitting down.

Usually I safety pin the neck and also wear a turquoise tank under it, but that's not ideal because you get an extra layer - not so good for those super hot days. And turquoise doesn't really match the print on the dress.

Then one day my favourite notions store had small pieces of fancy lace on sale so I got one.  It was just a small piece so I cut it in two and used the scalloped edge for the neckline.  The remaining piece I turned on it's side and stitched it along both sides of the front et voila!

Now when I sit down, even if it gapes, you don't get that unsightly flash of flesh.  Sorry about the quality of this pic, try as I might, I could not get an unfuzzy shot. 

Tired Hands make for Fuzzy Fotos

The thrifty part is that you get the look of a luxe camisole for a couple of dollars.