high socks

inappropriate footwear

2012-02-18T15:40:00.000-08:00

old navy dress, gifted hat, thrifted angora sweater, rose ring, etienne aigner belt and doc martens, joe fresh pineapple nail colour

I wouldn't recommend wearing little shoes like this in February in Prince Edward Island. It's very slushy! and slippery. I was so tired of wearing Doc Martens though. So tired! I wonder if fashion bloggers in warmer climates realize how good they have it, that they don't have to organize every outfit around their own good pair of winter boots? Must be nice...

pssst it may be obvious from the quality of these photos, but I got a new (to me!) DSLR! It's a used Canon 20D I practically stole. Trying to take these photos with my old Canon S5IS in this light would have been a mess. And now I can finally take a photo of my black cat that doesn't look like a big black blob with eyes. LOOK AT THOSE LIDDLE FEATURES what a cutie eh?

valentime

2012-02-14T09:57:00.000-08:00

elcipse pencil skirt, old navy cardigan, hand-me-down ruffled cardigan, hue tights, thrifted doc martens and cross stitch locket necklace

Happy Valentines Day! I've mentioned this before but I am all for any holiday that involves eating candy. I even like those stupid chalky conversation hearts. Fax me.

Aside from picking up a bunch of discounted candy tomorrow, I'm also going to be getting my eyes checked for the first time in an embarrassingly long time. This means I can finally get new glasses! I've had my Vivienne Westwood frames for 3 years and as nice as they are I'm a little sick of them after having them on my face every single waking moment since I got them. Clearly Contacts is doing one of their free pair offers which is intriguing, but when I did the virtual try-on feature this happened.

I can't work with this!!

fruits of my labour

2012-02-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

One dishcloth with a wonky corner

One beer coaster

So far crocheting has been way easier than I expected! I only swore a few times...

rain day

2012-02-11T14:17:00.000-08:00

old navy dress, thrifted sweater, christian dior tights and doc martens

Sometime this morning I decided I really wanted to start CROCHETING. For some reason. So I bought a hook and some yarn and I guess I'll try to start crocheting tonight. Hopefully I don't get frustrated immediately and keep up with it enough to make a granny square afghan.

source

venus in whatevers

2012-02-09T11:02:00.000-08:00

thrifted black lace dress, belt and doc martens, vintage fur collar from etsy, joe fresh cardigan, tights and socks

When I first mentioned buying this vintage fox fur collar from Etsy I was faced with a lot of "why"s or sad faces or simply photos of foxes frolicking among flowers. I don't feel bad about wearing the fur of an animal that died 30 years ago, in a farm that more than likely doesn't exist anymore, and supporting a small businessperson in the process. Would it be better if it was thrown away or boxed up in an attic unworn? I don't have any qualms about wearing it.

stomp

2012-02-06T10:17:00.000-08:00

joe fresh top, thrifted skirt and boots, gifted hat

Verdict on my new thrifted boots: awesome. They keep my feet super warm and dry and they keep me from slipping all over the place. They look alright too. I wonder why they don't make boots like this anymore. Lately I find there's no middle ground between leather riding boots with slick soles and Sorels. It's obviously possible to make boots that are winter-proof AND half-stylish, I wonder why no one's cashing in on it.

recent thrifts

2012-02-04T13:19:00.000-08:00

a big heavy ring that looks like a big ol' chain

a tiny deer family

i like the gradiated effect on this glass.

the fur collar just came from etsy, and i thrifted the globe. i deduced to be made in 1975. every time i see a world map i like to see what they think pei looks like

oh.

i needed something to save room on my kitchen table/desk. i'm into the scalloped detail around the edge of this tray.

some seriously warm wool mittens that people keep calling oven mitts :c these are handmade!

and the most boring but most important thrift of the season - new boots! these are made in canada, lined in shearling, and the leather is waterproof and salt-resistant! just what i needed.

groundhog day

2012-02-02T08:51:00.000-08:00

everything thrifted! except for the fleece-lined leggings

I'm (obviously) loving this belt-tucking thing I've been doing lately. It makes my outfits feel a little more casual, essential when I'm wearing Docs everyday. Also trying to summon Spring with a buttery yellow top and mint skirt. What did the groundhogs say about Spring? Is it soon? I hope so.

oh! and if you're wondering about that bag, it's a vintage Air Canada bag! It's so neat. I saw one on ModCloth's vintage section a few months ago.

yukon parka

2012-02-01T13:32:00.000-08:00

Behold my Yukon Parka, the warmest coat I've ever owned.

The funniest part is the flowers. Florals are kind of a spring motif but I wouldn't be caught dead wearing this coat in anything warmer than -5C weather.

flashback

2012-02-01T09:55:00.000-08:00

old navy sweater, thrifted plaid dress, etienne aigner belt, and doc martens

This is the first dress I ever thrifted! If you have been stalking me on the internet for 4 years you may remember this dress, from this outfit:

It was one of my first submissions to wardrobe_remix, the flickr group that I credit for sparking my interest in fashion. Most of the things I acquired during that discovery phase have been donated away by now but this dress stays. Maybe I've kept it around for the sentimental value. Or maybe I just like plaid dresses with pointy collars.

mixed

2012-01-31T08:51:00.000-08:00

thrifted floral blouse doc martens, and avon bow necklace, old navy rock star jeggings,

If you were getting bored of the same background in every photo, TRUST ME, you were not alone! I hated it more than anyone! Experimenting with stacking furniture to make new makeshift tripods. This was achieved with two books, stacked on a footstool, stacked on a bench. Maybe I should just get an actual tripod...

This blouse looks to be handmade and it's one of my favourite thrifted articles. The two floral prints are perfect for each other!

dark paradise

2012-01-27T15:33:00.000-08:00

thrifted peter pan blouse, leopard print sweater and doc martens, old navy rockstar jeggings

This is that bow-front blouse from last week, sans bow, under one of my favorite sweaters. I'm pretty pumped about how versatile this little one dollar blouse is.

put a bunch of friggin birds on it

2012-01-26T08:47:00.000-08:00

second-hand h&m dress and gap sweater, joe fresh tights and socks, thrifted doc martens, coat, bag, and hat, tru value hardware scarf

This is my solution to a dress with a low neck, puffy sleeves, and top buttons that won't stay closed. The dress just doesn't work on its own but I love the print too much to get rid of it.

And hey, can I be really annoying and talk about the weather? Yesterday it felt like spring and when I was planning out this outfit I nearly chose REAL SHOES, but then I looked at the forecast and cried and went with my docs. The weather needs to stop playing games with my head and pick a temperature. Really, stop playing with my head, the fluctuations give me crazy headaches. ~:[

blur

2012-01-25T13:43:00.000-08:00

old navy rockstar jeggings, joe fresh top, thrifted doc martens and clip

I haven't mentioned this on the blog yet, but if you follow me on Twitter you'll know that I got braces last week and I won't stop whining about them. I've had them twice before, for a combined 8 years, but it seems I blocked out just how annoying and painful they are. Yesterday I got my wire tightened and since I was feeling very sore and VERY sorry for myself, I treated myself to a trip to Joe Fresh where I picked up this top. It felt a little plain on its own so I added a sweater clip to the collar. I like it, it makes me feel like a character from a CLAMP manga.

PS. Ignore the big blurry spot in these photos. I know that mentioning it is just going to make it even more noticeable, just... try to forget about it...

bow neck

2012-01-23T09:33:00.000-08:00

thrifted wool plaid dress, bow-neck blouse, christian dior belt, elephant ring, leather cat pin, cameo pin, doc martens; old navy cardigan; gifted totoro pin

My favourite thrift store closed a few weeks ago (RIP Froggies) but it has been bought and there was a $1 liquidation sale on the weekend. I didn't get a huge haul but I did get this bow-neck blouse. the actual shape and sleeves of it are totally awful and shapeless but the collar is perfect for peeking out from behind jumpers and sweaters. The bow is removable too, so I can have a simple peter pan collar peek out from those jumpers and sweaters if I do desire (and I do, of course).

housekeeping

2012-01-22T09:28:00.000-08:00

Having a blog is an excellent way to flex my design muscles! There are a few small changes to to blog today. New buttons, a little "about me" section, bloglovin' widget. And no more AdSense Ads! They cluttered the place up and didn't do me any good.

tumblr love

2012-01-19T15:46:00.000-08:00

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with tumblr but there are a few blogs that keep me checking my dashboard.

http://fehyesvintagemanga.tumblr.com
This is a huge collection of beautiful vintage manga illustrations, VERY well-tagged by genre and manga-ka.

http://fashioneasthalifax.tumblr.com
Maritime street fashion! This blog is still young but I expect great things from it

http://thedrewseum.tumblr.com/
What it sounds like - a museum of Drew Barrymore photos. I'm particularly fond of the ones from the 80s and 90s.

http://kitschyliving.tumblr.com/
Everything tacky and disgusting. Everything I LOVE in a tumblr.

And you can follow me!

until death

2012-01-18T08:45:00.000-08:00

thrifted skirt, necklace and doc martens, h&m t-shirt, joe fresh cardigan

I liberated this cardigan from my pile of clothes waiting to be donated. In the whirlwind of emptying my dresser drawers I thought I could live with just one leopard cardigan. What a fool I was! the longer one I own wouldn't have looked nearly as good with this outfit.

I also have a little tip today. It should be obvious by now that I thrift a lot, and we all know that you can't just find something you like at a thrift store and dig up your size. I actually can button this skirt, and walked around like that for a while, until I sneezed and thought I was going to die. Anyway. When you have a button closure like this that won't QUITE fit, all you need is an elastic. just loop it through the buttonhole as so and fasten the end to the button. Easy!

Now it doesn't look GREAT but button closures on the sides of skirts like this are usually going to be covered up by a cardigan or belt. You can do this with pants too, of course, and similarly cover it up with a belt or shirt. And the important thing here is that you can wear the clothes you want to wear and still be able to breathe properly.

winter time

2012-01-17T08:52:00.000-08:00

thrifted button down, sweater, and doc martens, old navy rock star jeggings, tie from a dress i thrifted, that i later donated, but kept the belt

I think we may have hit full-on winter in PEI so for me that means all Doc Martens, all the time. My mom cut me some very cozy insoles for them out of wool and they're kept my feet toasty on the coldest days. I'm sure this would probably look better with just DARLING little oxfords but it's about -10 degrees Celcius most days and I have some very important sheets of ice to walk on.

steal wool

2012-01-16T08:54:00.000-08:00

thrifted polo, skirt, belt, hat and doc martens, joe fresh cardigan

I was in Nova Scotia this weekend for my grandfather's 91st birthday party. On the way there we had a spare hour to go to both Louie's locations in Truro. While we were there my mom showed me this skirt, along with a couple others, to tell me how nice the wool was and how great they would be for her to cut up and use in rugs. So of course I stole them, tried them on, and bought them for myself. I'm sure they would have made beautiful rugs but I've been looking for full wool skirts like this for years! i couldn't help it! I got what was coming to me when we got to the next location and my sister snatched up a pair of Etienne Aigner chain loafers right from under my nose. I still made out with some great finds though, including this hat and vintage polo.

catch

2012-01-12T15:49:00.000-08:00

My jewellery was always inevitably ending up in piles on my dresser, so I thrifted this tray and egg cup for 99 cents apiece to give it a place to stay. I don't plan on ever using an egg cup for its intended purpose but it works pretty well as a ring catch! And it's so pretty to have little things out on display instead of hidden in a box, don't you think?

trays and all jewellery thrifted, except for goody heart hair barrette and gifted totoro pin

gold rose

2012-01-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

thrifted top, belt, shoes and avon ring, thrifted joe fresh skirt, old navy cardigan, shoppers drug mart fleece-lined tights, sparitual "mystic" nail colour

I slept through all my alarms this morning but still managed to get out the door in time. For the past year I've picked out all my clothes the night before, so getting dressed requires little to no thought other than making sure my clothes aren't inside out (still don't manage this sometimes). And something about having my nails freshly painted with a ring on my finger makes me feel put together no matter what. This is my absolute favourite ring that I got for 5 dollars (maybe? memory is foggy) at a self-described "giant" yard sale. Which happened to take place indoors in a rink. OK!

birthday suit

2012-01-04T08:46:00.000-08:00

american apparel t-shirt and skirt, le chateau tights, thrifted belt and shoes, handmade peter pan collar

For an embarrassingly long time I actually thought "birthday suit" meant a fancy outfit you wear on your birthday. So this is my "birthday suit" for my 23rd birthday today. I'm having a quite day, I'm working and going out for dinner this evening.

h&m coat, tru value hardware scarf (yep...), thrifted hat

witchy woman

2012-01-03T08:59:00.000-08:00

old navy dress, hue tights, thrifted shoes

This dress usually sits in my closet for extended periods because it's too witchy for me. Then I came close to pairing it with STRIPED TIGHTS along with these pointy shoes. Who am I? I switched out the tights last minute because it was going way too far for me. I'm really feeling the witchy look lately though. Lots of drapey black things, silver jewellery, fur... very not me! whoops.

thrifty new years

2012-01-01T08:30:00.000-08:00

thrifty, blurry, grainy new years. eep!

everything thrifted!

I had a pretty relaxed New Years Eve. I tweeted with the hashtag #electriccircus and two of my tweets showed up on TV during the return of Electric Circus on Much Music. Pretty exciting!

shoe luck

2011-12-31T12:04:00.001-08:00

I went on a very quick and dirty thrifting trip today and managed to snag a few weird pairs of shoes.

black lace up shoes with a small heel.

Oddly drawn to these! Weird moc/loafer with a wooden (looking) heel. I'm not sure how I'll make these work but I couldnt leave them behind

These zippy little laceups are BRIGHT. They may need to wait until spring before they get any use.

2011

2011-12-30T13:12:00.000-08:00

This blog is young so I can't do a real outfit roundup like a lot of my favourite blogs. Still, I have a LOT of iPhone snaps of my outfit throughout this year. I thought I'd share! These are in mostly chronological order, from January until this fall when I started to post outfits on this blog.

never grow up

2011-12-28T08:46:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great holiday season! I'm back to work after a relaxing 4-day weekend at my parents' house up east. While I was there I put in a request to my personal seamstress (mom) to see if she could help me out with a detachable peter pan collar. These sweet round collars are everywhere and a necklace-style one is an easy way to add one to any tops or dresses you have with a crew-style neckline.

the button on the front came from a tin of old buttons that came from my grandfather's house. I love sorting through old buttons! Lots of treasures to be found.

The collar in action. And a Christmas Tree!

shop your...

2011-12-20T08:51:00.000-08:00

thrifted top, belt, and necklace. (thrifted) joe fresh skirt. old navy cardigan. zellers boots.

Remember when "recessionista" was a word people thought was ok to say? and blogs and magazines told you to start THRIFTING! And SHOP YOUR CLOSET! I remember a particularly out of touch Teen Vogue article imploring girls to dig up the Chanel headbands our moms all have hiding in storage. Right.

I already have thrifting down, in my opinion (this peach top from Froggie's wouldn't be out of place at Madewell, right?) but I always thought shopping your own closet sounded dumb. Until I found this perfectly good skirt, which, despite never being worn, ended up in the bottom of a laundry hamper. It was originally a thrift find too, do I get double recessionista points?

this jerk is all over me when I try to take photos so here's an embarrassing photo in retaliation.

the season for stealing

2011-12-18T10:34:00.000-08:00

thrifted skirt, belt and bag, old navy top, joe fresh cardigan, zellers boots

I actually wore this yesterday for a family Christmas party. We did a Yankee swap, where you can pick a gift to unwrap or steal someone else's. If you've ever played this game before you know that it can get ruthless. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement, as evidenced by the fact that my dad now owns a remote control helicopter... I'm not sure how much that will get used in windy Eastern PEI. I walked away with some very delicious chocolate covered potato chips and this book.

no light

2011-12-15T15:17:00.000-08:00

Pyrex "Friendship" bowl

The short winter days really suck, huh? I dug out my whole Pyrex collection in order to take photos of it only to discover it was a totally pointless process, thanks to the lack of natural light. Perhaps you'll get a post of my very small, very mismatched collection on the weekend.

Hypocrite

2011-12-12T08:46:00.000-08:00

eshakti dress, hue tights, zellers booties, h&m coat and earmuffs

I usually take a little pride in the fact that almost everything I wear was found in PEI. So many people lament about the lack of good shops here, but it just takes a bit of digging (and thrifting!) to find a unique style for yourself. As nice as that sentiment is I have to say... I'm not really living up to it today. Oops.

The dress was ordered online during eShakti's Black Friday sale. You need to check out this site! You can order standard sizes or input your measurements and get a custom piece, for only a couple bucks. I ordered a standard size but was able to input my height, so my dress hits my knees instead of coming up way too short like most dresses I find in stores these days.

And the coat and earmuffs... from a weekend trip to New Brunswick. It's run of the mill for lots of people but I can't help but get a little excited when I hit up an H&M.

I need to ask, if I have any readers in similarly rural regions, what do you do? Make do with what's available, shop online, make a few big shopping trips a year? A healthy mix? Let me know!

mix

2011-12-10T16:26:00.001-08:00

New winter getup, thanks to a quick trip to H&M in Moncton

This plaid skirt feels like a big blanket!

Fish wall

Caught in a weather bomb

cat city

weather bomb

2011-12-08T16:14:00.001-08:00

thrifted jumper dress, blouse, and belt; zellers boots

I was on my way home at lunch today to eat/take outfit photos when I got caught in a weather bomb. Needless to say I didn't make it home. As a result, these photos are dark and grainy, thanks to having to take them when I finally got home at 8 o'clock. I really wanted to share this outfit!

The jumper dress and bird blouse are from Repeats. The great thing about Repeats is that they have a huge costume room, and in Charlottetown thrift store talk "costume" = awesome vintage. I was there so long that the woman working let me check out the overflowing costume racks in the back room. Unfortunately it's a little out of the way for me, since I don't have a car and don't find myself uptown too often, but it's always worth the trip.

hands in my pockets

2011-12-06T14:59:00.001-08:00

Yes, I still own and wear this American Apparel pocket skirt - big with fashion bloggers in 2008. And why not? It's not a fad anymore, in fact I don't think AA even sells it any more (ditched it for their new ~preppy Ralph Laren aesthetic~ I assume) but it remains a great basic.

american apparel skirt, old navy cardigan, thrifted shirt, doc martens and christian dior belt
I posted an outfit with a dark grey sister of this skirt to a fashion community a few years ago. A commenter told me to refrain from putting my hands in my pockets because it "changes the shape of the skirt." Into what shape? Into the shape of a skirt with hands in the pockets? It's still funny to me.

thrifted denim jacket, half-broken canon

meow

2011-12-05T08:41:00.001-08:00

dynamite skirt, thrifted blouse, joe fresh cardigan, zellers shoes, hue tights, thrifted necklace and etienne aigner belt, essie "lollipop" nail colour
My collection of leopard print clothing is out of control, to the point where some days I have to keep track of what I'm wearing and make sure I don't wear two pieces at the same time. Mixing it with red nails and gaudy gold jewellery is really pushing the tacky factor but if being tacky is wrong I'm not too sure I want to be right.

p.s. - can you see where the inspiration for my blog header came from?

something new

2011-12-03T14:17:00.001-08:00

A few things changed around since the last time I posted pictures of my made-over bedroom.

chai latte

2011-12-03T08:06:00.001-08:00

I came across this recipe on Pinterest (where else?) for instant chai latte mix. This would make an easy Christmas gift for co-workers and acquaintances. It would look especially cute packaged in a mason jar with a square of fabric on top, and my custom tag (see below) tied on with twine.

Ingredients
1 cup Nonfat Dry Milk Powder
1 cup Powdered Non-dairy Creamer
1 cup French Vanilla Flavored Powdered Non-dairy Creamer
1-½ cup White Sugar
2-½ cups Unsweetened Instant Tea
2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Allspice
1 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 teaspoon Ground Cloves
1 Tablespoon Ground Cardamom
½ teaspoons White Pepper

Instructions
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
In a blender or food processor, blend 1 cup at a time, until mixture is the consistency of fine powder.
Transfer the blended mix to a new bowl and continue processing the remainder of the ingredients until all of the mixture is finely ground.
Stir to recombine the processed ingredients.

To serve...

I uploaded a printable PDF here. It's 6 labels on an 8.5x11" sheet, with light grey lines for cut lines.

some day my prints will come

2011-11-30T08:34:00.001-08:00

... to a dedicated Etsy shop. But until I get that set up, I have some copies of this print available for a low low price of $10 each (+ any necessary postage) They're 8.5x11 on white or cream cardstock. I'm really happy with how they turned out!

bright white or cozy cream

breezy

2011-11-29T08:29:00.001-08:00

h&m dress, old navy cardigan, thrifted scarf & belt, zellers shoes

I have a really hard time putting away summer clothes when it gets chilly because I don't have much of a summer to wear them in. Perhaps wearing a light floral dress in late fall is "against the rules" but if I warm it up with a cardigan, scarf and tights, does it really matter?

swimmingly

2011-11-28T08:35:00.001-08:00

old navy sweater, eclipse skirt, zellers shoes, vintage castlecliffe necklace

This lucite fishbowl necklace always gets attention when I wear it. After some research I found out that it's a classic piece of costume jewelery, and while there are plenty available, they resell for considerably more than the 2 dollars I paid for it. I don't think I could part with though. Finding little thrills like this is what I love about thrifting!

winter shoe arsenal

2011-11-27T11:02:00.001-08:00

You know how being into fashion means you have to be a shoe person or a bag person? I'm NEITHER. I have a couple purses but none of them measure up to my vintage Dooney & Bourke that I use everyday. It has a carpet of old pennies and dimes and I fill it up with receipts and candy wrappers and that's the way I like it.

Shoes are even worse. I walk everywhere, I walk hard (some say I "clomp") and I completely ruin every pair of shoes I have. Yesterday I found myself in a Situation where my one of two pairs of shoes that are comfortable and not broken, well, broke. I stepped in a shallow puddle and my foot was soaked, I'm pretty sure that shouldn't happen. So I made a little pact with myself to spend a bit more money on shoes (taking away from what I spend on clothes & candy) so I have a collection that I can rotate. This will make them last longer than a couple months, and when a pair inevitably falls apart (I've come to terms with the fact that this will always happen) I'll have backup.

This winter I'm hoping these will serve me well

So in my "I have no shoes" panic yesterday, I went to Zellers-soon-to-be-Target where winter boots were 25% off. These are the first pair of heels I've bought in over two years(!!!) and they are COMFY. I finally have a pair of shoes to wear with dresses that look acceptable.

I saw these on Chelsea and totally coveted them. Also from Zellers. They make a fine replacement for my brown ankle boots (may they rest in peace) and they passed the coziness test - I wore them to watch the Santa Claus parade.

... and the classic. These are vintage 8-eye Doc Martens, made in England, I got them from a yard sale for 20 bucks. These are awesome to trudge through snow and slush with. And I have faith that they're heavy-duty enough to hold up for many winters to come.

One thing I feel like I'm missing is a pair of really high boots for those days when the sidewalks aren't plowed yet. A pair of rubber boots with insulation maybe? Any tips? What kind of boots do you depend on during long, miserable, Canadian winters?

uh...

2011-11-26T18:39:00.001-08:00

you don't know, that's okay

2011-11-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

I got a nice little all-in-one printer on a steep discount with my laptop a month ago but just set it up now. Why don't printers come with the necessary cords you need set them up? Anyway. This is the first time in my life (!) I've had access to a scanner for my personal use and it's pretty exciting! I christened it by scanning a couple paintings from the past couple months.

Editing that last one threw this song into my head and now it's stuck there. I can't say I'm mad about it.

candy apple

2011-11-20T10:12:00.000-08:00

Remember the Kijiji chairs I posted about? these ones?

I love them but I don't love the rusty old metal legs. So...

Much better, huh? I only did one since it was starting to rain. And it turns out spraypaint fumes don't make you feel too hot when you have a hangover. Who knew?

november time

2011-11-17T13:57:00.000-08:00

Nice hiatus IDIOT! Not a whole lot to post about in the past few weeks but I did do a couple half-interesting things. Like, I dyed my hair! red! INTENSE red!

A few months ago I found this beautiful fabric at Value Village. I handed it off to my personal seamstress (my mom) and it turned out to be the perfect size to turn into a set of curtains for my living room window and closet.

I'm not too pleased about my futon though. I realize the custom slipcover makes it like, the Cadillac of futons, but it's been sat on and slept on and cat-haired on for so long I think it needs to be retired. Besides, as hard as you try, there's just no way to make a futon look chic or sophisticated. I've been cruising Kijiji constantly but can't find anything perfect. In PEI, at least. I have a destructive habit of searching "retro" in cities I don't live in just to see what I'm missing out on.

what do you mean people aren't just giving these away on the side of the road???

All that searching had it's perks though, since I refresh the Kijiji iPhone app CONSTANTLY through the day I managed to stake my claim on these Eames-style molded chairs almost as soon as they popped up!

please note: the kitty

what's new pussycat

2011-10-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

I've gotta admit, my motivation for finding a Halloween costume every year fizzled out when I stopped trick or treating. I'm not a huge fan of scary movies or costumes but I love candy so much, I suffer through it.

I cobbled this vague costume together with stuff I already had and some felt triangles taped to a headband. It's more... inspired by cats than an actual costume. Oh well! Having to come up with a costume is worth it for the heavily discounted candy on November 1st.

oh deer

2011-10-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

I went to Value Village yesterday to check out their Halloween section, only to find they had NO cat ears! What am I supposed to be for Halloween now, something that requires effort? The trip wasn't wasted however, as I picked up these perfectly kitschy salt and pepper shakers.

dusty

2011-10-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

striped top and boots: thrifted, cargo pants: joe fresh, open jacket: dynamite

Right before I took this photo I cut my thumb BAD with a butter knife. This is what happens when you have a full time job and have to* feed yourself and write a blog post on your lunch break.

*blogging: a need.

hop

2011-10-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

old navy dress, active cardigan, joe fresh socks, scarf HANDMADE (!) by Lillian, thrifted sweater clip, shoes and coat

this coat is without a doubt the best thing I've ever thrifted. It was ten dollars at a Value Village 2 years ago. Wool and cashmere. Light enough to throw on but it's kept me warm on some very cold winter days. Everyone needs a cute little red coat like mine.

take it as it comes

2011-10-23T12:50:00.001-07:00

how perfect is this video?

Vivian Girls - Take It As It Comes [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO] from Polyvinyl Record Co. on Vimeo.

everything i saw

2011-10-23T12:19:00.001-07:00

I found this j.crew dress, with tags on, for 15 measly dollars at Value Village.

Apparently, it was from a 2007 Spring collection. I'm amazed that this was hanging in someone's closet completely unworn for almost five years!

j.crew dress, h&m belt, joe fresh socks, very old thrifted shoes

It is a "Spring" dress but I can't wait that long to wear it. Switching out the bow for this tasselled belt and adding some cozy socks does the trick.

sparkle

2011-10-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

Now, I love my iPhone, but I have to say, as convenient as taking a quick snap in the office bathroom is, it does not make for attractive blogging.

top: joe fresh, skirt: dynamite, belt: thrifted. not pictured: black tights, socks, thrifted boots. taking a photo is POINTLESS you've all seen them.

on my "to get" list: a cheap entry-level DSLR (Kijiji?) and shoes that aren't the brown leather vintage boots I wear literally every day.

how to fashion blog

2011-10-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

yeah... i think i need to invest in one of these

fall back

2011-10-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

my favourite boots on a wet fall day

I know this blog has been pretty sparsely updated from the beginning, but it completely dropped off the past few months since my laptop broke. I'm back with a new one and plan on updating it a lot more from now on. I missed it!

mix 2

2011-06-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

Another post with a mix of photos from the past couple weeks. I've actually gotten a few compliments on my photos here, which is pretty neat because all my photos are taken with an iPhone 4! It's amazing that my phone can take pictures that might pass as "real" photographs.

If you're in Charlottetown I highly recommend checking out the Daniel Brenan Brickhouse! It's housed in the building formerly known as Off Broadway/42nd Street on Sydney Street. I got 3 pulled pork sliders with jalapeno cream and a side of mac and cheese, it was amazing! They also bring out the drink menu on an iPad. Fancy eh.

Pretty dog, being pretty at Sobeys

I got really crafty when I was on vacation a few weeks ago and made a mobile out of paper and a stick I found in the yard.

Charlottetown, from the Victoria Park boardwalk, on a stormy day that ended in sun.

I always walk by a house with these amazing wall gardens. I've heard they've started selling custom ones! So cool, if I had an outdoor wall to call my own I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

These are all photos of my bathroom I've been tinkering with. No full shots unfortunately as my bathroom is too small to even take a picture of.

My favourite shoes. Sitting around in Rochford Square (the best square) today on my sunny day off.

little ladies

2011-06-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Some postcard-sized pieces i've been working. Mostly watercolour, a couple coloured pencil.

home

2011-06-01T07:20:00.000-07:00

people say home is where the heart is or where your cat is or where your husband is but i find this sentiment much more relatable

ps: i've been getting WAY into pinterest lately. it's such an easy way to organize anything you find inspiration. my craft board and food board get a lot of action! follow me:
http://pinterest.com/crumbumb/pins/
if you want an invite, drop me an email and i'll send one over.

bunting love

2011-05-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that i'm a fan of these banners. In my home:

if i were to really analyze why i love buntings so much i think it would probably be because of the town i grew up in. vinyl buntings were strung across the street at the start of every summer and stayed up until the fall. they were a sign that summer was finally here, like lupins or the last day of school

but i don't need an excuse to love buntings. they make the spaces they're in look like a playful celebration, who wouldn't want that?

http://fermlivingshop.com/collections/kitchen/products/bowl

i made a couple today. i've been toying around with the idea of making buntings that say ridiculous things (like "butt"). they're not quite where i want them yet, but they're getting their. i'm really feeling the skinny triangles in these ones.

mix

2011-04-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

some photos from the past week/easter

thrifted handmade blouse

making buntings with an onlooker

b.a. johnston on good friday eve. moments after this he lit fireworks and ran off shirtless into the night.

fancy easter treat bags made my mother, filled with "what they had left at the souris pharmasave."

i copied the cherry blossom girl for easter nails

and wore a 75cent yard sale dress

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a little trick

2011-04-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

the thing about my apartment is that it's very, very narrow. exactly 6'11'' wide. at no point does it get any thinner or any wider. i've been willing to let this annoying detail slide because of the other things i love about this place (cheap rent, great location, hardwood floors, good light, etc) but i'm making an effort this year to get the most out of this little space and use it to my advantage. my first example is the bedroom.

before:

i figured that getting my bed on a 90 degree would free up a lot of space. unfortunately that headboard made it about 2 inches too long to fit, and it's a loadbearing headboard. with some help from my mom we managed to take the headboard off, and put blocks under that side of the bed, and turn it around without crushing any fingers.

my second idea for making the space look bigger is one i'm quite proud of. if i put two long curtains on either side of my window, i could create the look of a larger window, which in turn creates the look of a larger room. it's a simple trick with big results.

of course i took this opportunity to do as much i could to redecorate the whole space. i got new new bedding (the floral i had before would have looked so horrible with the curtains) and a new dresser.

(ps thank you to everyone who commented on my last entry/started following my blog/etc. this blog is going to continue to be about diy projects, thrifting, fun stuff like that. all the support inspires me!)

april 12

2011-04-12T11:21:00.001-07:00

i've been half-heartedly looking for a new dresser for months, and as always it took complaining to get any results.

after being OVERWHELMED with respsonses i ended up with one free old dresser! but wait...

i had this can of spraypaint leftover from an experiment to see if i could paint over glazed ceramic (i can't).

(normally i would have a lot more room on the deck to craft on but my neighbours decided to build some kind of bar. ok.)

when the paint dried i took the drawers in and re-painted the knobs white with some acrylic paint.

2011-03-30T07:00:00.001-07:00

testin