I love living in a place that has real seasons.  As much as the thought of living in California or Florida tempts me sometimes (like when it’s pouring rain, or when I’m bored), I don’t think I could ever leave Canada because of the season changes every few months.  It definitely makes dressing more interesting, you never get too comfortable in a particular idea or outfit because as soon as you do, it changes!  Where I’m from it rains a lot, and where I’ve been living for the past year and a half the winters are long and there’s snow.  I’ve had to change my work wardrobe a little, increase my coat collection.  It’s actually pretty fun!  Here are some things I’m loving right now for a cold snowy winter.  Picture walking the dog along trails in the snow-covered woods, cozying up to a fire with your sweetheart, and just being out and about and dressed for the cold outside as well as the warm shops.  This season is a challenge, and I LOVE a challenge!

I’m loving leggings in boots these days, it’s so clean looking, and actually clean.  The thing about snow is, it gets dirty, so your pants do as well.  Boots are easy to wipe of at the end of the day!  These boots I got in a shop in Naples, Italy.  They’re a perfect muddy grey, and the wedge heel and slouchiness are just brilliant.  The red pea coat with fur collar is vintage, and will be listed on my etsy shop shortly.

I’m really into boot cuffs lately, and these ones I found on etsy for $30.00 are perfect for adding a little warmth and interest to the boots over tights look.  The cool thing about cuffs is they go over the boots mostly, not taking up precious calf space inside the boots.  Being the posessor of some curvy calfs, I need all the room I can get!

I’m loving long cozy sweater over the tights this season, and belting them like this really shows off your shape!  Pumkin Sweater from Modcloth, $69.99

It feels so good to add fur to a suit jacket collar, cardigan, or dress.  As long as the fabric is thick enough (too thin will look disproportionate), you can do anything that looks good to you!  I found this collar at the antique mall for about $15.00.  The boots are nine west from Town Shoes, $45.00 pretty affordable because I bought them in the summer.  Here are some more collars from etsy that I love:

Another fur collar!  This coat is from the 40′s, and I absolutely adore it.  I found it at Goodwill when I was looking for dresses.  It’s perfect to pair with dresses for work, because I don’t like when coats don’t completely cover dress hems.  The boots are Miz Mooz, laced and very high (to the knee) from Town Shoes.  This outfit is a little dressed up, but I couldn’t be more comfortbale or cozy warm.

The perfect dress under warm coats in winter!  There are no fussy details to get crumpled under a heavy coat, and the shape and colour are interesting enough not to have to add anything bulky.  This dress with some black tights would look so stylish yet comfortable.  From Modcloth, $49.99

This Past weekend, Katlyn and I headed out in the cold for an antiquing adventure!  She was looking for props for her photography business, I was looking for pretty things that make me smile.  We both found what we were looking for and then some!  These are some of our pictures of that day.

Katlyn’s ready with her starbucks and her basket.  In the first few minutes she found a cool old tin bucket.

Coffee is very very important for this activity.  I found this little blue velvet hat from the 40′s and couldn’t resist: totally bought it.

This hat was hung on the wall and loked like a boob.  We thought that was awesome.

One of the prettiest booths there, I love the little party light “fire” happening in the fireplace surround.  Katlyn had to go in and check everything out.

I thought this Mickey Mouse top hat was the cools.  I didn’t notice at the time that I matched the chairs though.

A few of the things I think about lately when I’m supposed to be working.

This is a black coral necklace I just bought from etsy.  When I went to Cuba a few years ago, I brought back some black coral jewelry and wore it allllll the time.  Then one day, I lost all my best jewelry while travelling.  So sad   I’ve basically replaced most of it, except for this.  I’m going to wear this necklace with girly floral dresses and soft blouses to offset the feminine vibe with something hard and black, but still natural: black coral.  So excited!!!

These are Miz Mooz Solis boots.  I bought these the other day.  I was looking for Caramel-coloured boots (an obsession of mine for years), but found these instead.  I love the lace-ups (not real), the heel, and the Edwardian vibe.  These will be good with pants and a cape and thicker skirts and dresses, especially on days where I have to stand or walk a lot because they’re heaven inside.

Confession time: I’m short, but have big hands and feet.  Not big compared to NBA players, but big for my stature.  I don’t think about my feet too much (except when I wish I could fit into tiny adorable vintage shoes, sigh!), but my hands make me self-conscious.  They’re nicely shaped, but…large.  It occured to me recently that what nude heels do for my leg length, nude nail colour could do for my hands.  So I asked my nail tech to get some nude gel, and by my next appointment she should have it.  In the meantime, I’ve painted my mid-length rounded-pointy nails with a nude polish and am LOVING it.  Also, they go with everything!

I love going to Europe and seeing so many people on bikes.  The cool thing is, women don’t dress sporty there so it’s dresses or chic pants and even heels: on bicycles!  I love it, it’s so inspiring for my own aesthetic.  The following are some of my pictures from my trip to Italy.  You can find as much inspiration in the bicycles themselves as the people who ride them.

Black and caramel coloured; a classic colour combination for clothes as well as a bike!  This one was chained up next to a club.

Me with an adorable pink bike chained to a street sign.  I love that objects there are beautiful even when they’re rusty, old and used.

This mint green is so delicious…and the seat really lends to the shabby look

Florence, Italy: picking up the kids from school.  Note her nude heels and the boys’ uniforms.

Fact #1: I live in a cold climate.

Fact #2: It’s difficult to look elegant when it’s snowy freezing outside.

Given these things, I have struggled for the past couple of years that I’ve been here to work out a cold weather style solution for my everyday activities.  Work, for example, is tough because I do outside sales.  So I have to be ready to move and go see customers all day, but also look good when I’m in having an indoor meeting.   I think I’ve finally found a workable solution though, and here it is:

***Ignore the kitchen renos, please!  We’re almost done

I start with a solid coloured shift dress, add a colourful belt, tights and a cardigan.  I can wear boots (stilletto is fine, I’m not traipsing through fields or anything), a nice necklace (this black bead necklace is from the antique mall), and my soft black and grey leopard coat.  It’s quilted inside and the warmest thing I own.  Cute, too!  I will also be wearing leather gloves today and can add a black pashmina as needed.  Voila!  Warm and toasty, cute and stylish.  Bring on the -20!

(not really though.  If you’re reading this, Edmonton weather, save the -20 for after I’ve moved.)

Now that Thanksgiving and Halloween are over, my thoughts have turned to Christmas parties.  My brain works like that: the year is broken down into events where fantastic outfits are required.  What I wear to a given event is a combination of a little planning and a lot of of the moment inspirations from the books I’m reading (right now it’s I <3 your style), what I’m watching (a lot of period and stylized movied like Miss Petigrew Lives for a Day, DeLovely, and Penelope), and what I’m seeing around me in stores and on people.  I had a hair appointment last night, and my salon is right next to Anthropologie…oh boy.  I went in for a peek not really expecting to find anything (that’s when I find something, every time), and spotted the most amazing and lovely shrug.  Now Anthropologie is not the cheapest store, so I left it and went and got my hair done.  I spent the almost 3 hour hair appointment thinking about the shrug and mentally pairing it with work essentials and party wear.  By the time my hair was done, I knew I had to have it!  Since a lot of my dresses and other pieces cost $20 or less, I thought it made total sense to get a pricier piece to pair with those things.  I still do, actually.  So here’s the shrug, and some outfits I think I’ll be pairing it with this season.  Happy work bonus to ME!

Christmas Party Dazzler:

 This bolero…

 on top of this perfect satin Audrey Hepburn dress

 finished with THE most glorious pair of 40′s shoes!

Or for work:

  The magic bolero…

topping off a simple yet perfect work look.  Bring some style to the office!

And finally, for the weekend:

 Our friendly bolero…

 paired with basic jeans (skinny don’t work on me, I need a flare) and t-shirt or sweater.  Laid-back chic perfect for shopping, brunching, or anything cool and laid back not at the home depot.

I haven’t written a blog in far too long, and for that I apologize.  I was in Italy for 2 weeks on vacation (a sort of honeymoon I guess, only my parents were there as well so not really), and before that I was on a business trip for a week in Fort McMurray, it was the oil and gas trade show and there were wayyyyy too many people there that week so our internet connection was terrible.  Before that I was getting ready for the biz trip and Europe, and this past week I’ve been recovering.  We tore apart our hideous kitchen before we left so that my brother in law could come in and put up the cabinets while we were gone.  It’s on it’s way to looking good, but we still have no countertops or sink, and linoleum was ripped up so the floor is bare and kind of gluey.  The only appliances we have now are a microwave and a blender, which are doing the trick so far but I can see us getting tired of this situation pretty quickly.  I give it to the end of the month

And so, while vintage has been heavily on my mind, it has not been in the tips of my fingers for a little while, so no blogs have appeared.  I’m unsure of where to begin now, there’s so much to discuss.  Italian style would be great to blog about; I always come back from Europe with a new spin on my own style.  This trip made me think of flats in a whole new way, and also enticed me to be a little bit more experimental with shapes in my wardrobe.  The women there were typically very slim and frowned a lot, and dressed very femininely, even while riding their bikes and vespas, which I loved.

I could blog about the recent amazing coats I’ve found while on the prowl in my local vintage and second-hand haunts.  I’m not sure if I’m on a lucky streak or just living in a place where people don’t know what they’re giving away, but I’ve found some amazing cold-weather fashions in the past 2 months that make me want it to start snowing a lot sooner that I normally would.

I could also write about the home fashions I’m loving right now; we’re coming into the cold part of the year where we typically spend more time cozied up at home; what beter time to add special touches to your rooms that’ll make you smile as you settle down in your favourite chair with a good book?

I will blog about all these things, to be sure.  For now though, let me simply wish you and yours a very happy thanksgiving.  I am thankful for you, dear reader, and for everyone who designs, makes, and appreciates beautiful things.  Whithout you, the world would be a cold and colourless place.  Happy feasting!

In the interest of transparency and…interest, I knew I’d have to share these at some point.  I figure since I’m pretty well at the height of disorder (I hope), that today would be the day.

Ever since I moved into this house, we’ve been renovating it.  It was built in 1977, the same year as my husband, hereby referred to as Mr. Dreamy.  It’s not big and it’s not small.  It is by no means architecturally interesting, but it holds a certain charm for me.  Maybe because when I first came over, I hadn’t even started dating Mr. Dreamy officially, and he ushered me into this squeaky clean painfully decorated bachelor pad.  We watched a movie on his 80′s furniture and I made him dinner in his hideous kitchen.  We had our first kiss in the living room.  Clearly, I have some great memories here

Since then we’ve been painting, replacing the flooring, re-modeling the bathroom (pics soon!), replacing windows…he’s even crawled into the attic to replace all the insulation.  This house has been in a constant state of chaos since I moved in.  Soon we’re having the kitchen re-done with new cabinets, countertops, paint, flooring and backsplash.  After that it’s mouldings, the guestroom, a few tweeks and we’re done!  Until that time, it’s painful.  My dresses are everywhere, there are mannequins and dressforms that sometimes cause people to yelp because they’re mistaken for people, the kitchen table is in the living room…well, here are some pictures to give you a better idea.  If your house is even a little more orderly than this, you have my permission to use these pictures to make yourself feel better about your life.  For now

 My current home office: the kitchen table which has now found a home in the living room.  Note the dresses and skirts resting comfortably on the couch and bench, and hanging on the bookshelf.  Also note the duvet airing out on the chairs by the window in the first picture, because little Miss Stella (last picture) decided to pee on it the other night just before bed.  Aww

 Here’s the kitchen, clearly in desperate need of a make-under.  The house was a rental before Mr. Dreamy bought it, and the previous tennants obviously thought the orange and brown A&W style decor was tres chic.  I however, do not think of it as chic, but more as a large needle that pokes me in the eye every time I walk in the front door.  Yes, sadly, this is the view on entry.  I’m currently using the open space to take some dress pitures with my mannequin. She will be displaced shortly when the wall sanding begins.  Last picture: Stella can always be found under something, chewing something.  This is her toy, so she didn’t get yelled at for this.

And here’s me, in the bathroom that’s almost done.  I still need new towels, but after that I’ll give you a full picture tour.  Mr. Dreamy worked very hard on this, and I think he did a bang-up job!

I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve been watching the September Issue too much or the impending fall and winter seasons, but I’m really into dressing stuff up with fur collars lately.  I found detachable ones (above) on etsy that are super cool, all affordable, and can really dress up a cardigan, dress or plain coat.  The first one is kind of shawl collar, the second would go perfectly with a v-neck, and the third is purple-hued for a little extra something.  Most of these in vintage are lined in satin, so they slip nicely over whatever you put them on!

Then there’s the fur-trimmed suits.  Oh man, I’ve been eyeing this grey one for over a month now.  They look so perfectly ladylike and glamorous at the same time.  I’m looking for one with fur on the bottom of the skirt, but so far no luck.

Coats are the classic fur-trimmed item.  You could do a swing coat like in the first picture, a bold red one like on the second picture, or a classic belted trench like in the third.

Some style inspirations:

There, I said it.  I like you (at least for now) and I don’t care who knows it.  I want all of you that I can get; I want to stay in with you, I want to go out with you…I just want you.

MUSTARD COLOURED EVERYTHING.  I don’t even know why.  I never liked you before, but I’m drawn to you now like a moth to a mustard-coloured lightbulb.  I want you in cardigans, shoes, bags and even dresses.  Silk tops!  Oh my.  I love the way you make teal, purple and grey look.  I love your warmth.  You will be mine in so many ways this season…

THICK NON-STRETCHY BELTS.  I want to put you over dresses, coats, and work tops.  You make me look good, and I like that about you!  I love how you look good all the way around, not just in the front.  I like you in black, red, white, beige, and whatever other colour you want to throw at me.  I sometime use your skinny cousins, but don’t be jealous!  I always come back to you.

INTERESTING MARY-JANES.  I used to judge you for your plainness, and you reminded me too much of elementary school.  But now I see how you’re really just retro and misunderstood, and have been misused and designed poorly by shoe designers who didn’t understand you.  You’re actually very thoughtful, and very sexy.  Sexy in your complexity, one could say.  You make my feet look like they travelled in a DeLorean back to 1944, and that’s important to me.

LONG COATS.  You and I have been together a long time, and it just keeps getting better.  I like it when you surprise me with a bright colour or some unexpected detail.  You keep me warm and safe, you make me look chic.  You complete me.

So that’s it, I confessed.  I will be stalking these items like a champion all Fall…what’s on YOUR crush list?