Dress Code: RED

So you've been invited to 143rd Birthday celebration, and the dress code is red. I am sure I am not the only one in this situation. Canada Day is tomorrow and my friend Annie is having a red BBQ. Red Meat, Red Drinks, Red Lipstick and of course Red Clothing. I've got the drinks, I've got the lipstick, I even have red nail polish, but it is the red clothing that I am lacking. Aside from a solemn red tank top, I don't have any red in my wardrobe. Why not add a little bit of red to my closet in honour of Canada? If you are looking for a little Canada Day inspiration, here are some great red pieces at a variety of price points!

1. Tibi Embroidered Romper- $194- www.shopbop.com

2.  Jersey Knicker Playsuit- $44- www.topshop.com

3. Studded Tunic- $23.80- www.canada.forever21.com

4. Asymmetric Ruffle Dress- $90- www.topshop.com

5. Roots Canada T-shirts- $34- www.roots.com

Designer Impulse

As promised, part two of my photo shoot with Jon...

A designer impulse. It isn't often that I get the I have to walk away with this now feeling. Okay, that is a lie, but normally I can curb it and say,  forget about it for now. Last Sunday was not one of those times. And this dress was just one of the items I walked away with.  It's no secret how much I love Rachel Roy. Her pieces always seem to fit perfectly and I can always justify the purchase by dreaming up more than one way to wear her pieces and make them into multiple outfits. However, there was no justification needed when I was told that even the new arrivals in the Rachel Rachel Roy section were 30% off. I knew from the second I took this (and a few others) into the fitting room, I'd be walking away with it. And clearly I did... what can I say, you can't always control your impulses!

Some Old, Some New

Somewhere out there, there is a dream world where all online "wishlist's" are granted... I know it exists, I just haven't found it yet. Until I stumble upon that alternate universe, I will continue to imagine what my closet would look like if my wish list magically arrived on my doorstep every morning.

Tonight, I am not being entirely unrealistic. I've paired a maxi dress from The Row with my own thrifted 3.1 Phillip Lim denim jacket. Personally, I think it is key when you find a beautiful (and expensive) item in store or online to think of what you would pair it with that you already own. A lot of the time you'll realize you already have a piece similar that you can get by with... or on the other hand if you start dreaming up an entire wardrobe that you don't already have to go with your latest must have find, it's a good sign you should leave it behind.

But hey, no one ever said it was wrong to window shop, so until we find this magical, alternate universe- we can continue dreaming... after all that is part of the wonder of the world of fashion.

1. The Row Lawling Jersey Maxi Dress- $395- Net-a-Porter.com

2. Thrifted 3.1 Phillip Lim Denim Jacket-$60- True Blue Vintage (Toronto)

3. Twisted Rhinstone and Mixed Chain Necklace-$28- Urban Outfitters

4. Kelsi Dagger Covered Heel Sandal-$88- Urbanoutfitters.com

The Most Perfect LBD

My uber talented friend Jon Simonassi asked me to pose for his porfolio, below are a few shots from our photo shoot! Come back tomorrow for the second half of the pictures!

(I'm not an angry person I promise! Jon and I just had a Lost moment... an odd stone structure in the middle of the forest, it has to be supernatural!)

When Jon asked me to pose for some photos for him, I immediately wanted to shoot some of the pictures in this dress. I've briefly mentioned this piece before, it was the first Rachel Roy piece that I bought when her line first arrived in Canada. It has to be the best little black dress I have ever bought. I originally wore this dress to the 2010 Genie Awards (the Canadian Oscars) but didn't have any fabulous shots in it- so here's thanking Jon for capturing the beauty of this fabulous LBD!

Make sure you check Jon's work out here.

Romper+Florals= ❤

This romper has to be one of my favourite pieces in my closet, unfortunately I bought it online in the wrong size. This is a risk you take when buying anything online, but that risk seems to increase when buying a jumpsuit or romper. I usually have good luck with online purchases but every now and then it just doesn't work out. In this case, I am about an inch and half too tall for the length of it. It's sad because this beautiful item has been sitting in my closet for months, until now. I brought it out once as my first "Before and After" post. I love the colour and the pattern too much to let it go to waste! With the help of my mom (the expert sewer... I'm still learning) this romper will be transformed into something wonderful! Keep coming back to see what it turns into!

Photos By: Anna Tsoulogiannis

 

Hot Hot Stripes

Today was a double outfit kind of day. The kind where you go to work knowing just how cold the office will be with air conditioning so you wear a jacket, which you immediately regret when you leave the office for the day and walk into a wall of hot, humid air. But, after a long week of work and lousy weather the heat was a welcome change, as was hanging out poolside for the afternoon.

My second outfit of the day included two of my favourite  things, black and white stripes and turquoise. I have had to make a conscious effort to stop buying both as my closest is beginning to resemble that of a well dressed jailbird. The best part of this look is that the tank and skirt were under $10 (CND) together regular price!

Tank Top- $2.50-canada.forever21.com

Skirt- $6.95- H&M

Beaded Warrior Necklace- Forever 21

Scallop Lace Sandal- Urban Outfitters

Bracelet- Unknown- belonged to my Grandmother



Photos By Anna Tsoulogiannis

 

Wishing for Wedges

There was once a time that platform wedges scared me. When I thought of platform wedges I automatically thought of the Spice Girls. In reality that shouldn't have scared me, I should have felt a warm feeling of nostalgia. Those platform Candies were just the beginning of what would eventually become deep and ever growing love for shoes.

Right now, I am dying for a pair of Finsk Wedges (#1), they are like architecture for your feet. The design is incredible and they come in a multitude of fabulous colours. There is only one problem- finding the European brand in Canada is nearly impossible. In life and in fashion I have learned that you have to compromise, so I have compiled a list of fabulous wedges at a variety of price points. We can't have everything, but we can certainly wish!

1.Finsk Wedges-- www.Finsk.com

2.Jeffery Campbell Peep Toe Wedge- $128-- www.urbanoutfitters.com

3.Mimosa (who can resist a shoe named after a champagne beverage?)-$198- www.brownsshoes.com

4.Jeffery Campbell Canvas Wedge- $125- www.needsupply.com

5.Yuki Spring Shoes- $29.99 (on sale)- www.my springshoes.com

Where Were You When The Earthquake Hit?

Earthquakes aren't exactly commonplace here in Toronto. In fact just this morning I was telling a co-worker that the only natural disasters I fear are Tornadoes... my reasoning? We don't really get earthquakes here, we live no where close to a fault line. And then just hours later, what will become known as the great earthquake of 2010 hit. Okay, I am being dramatic, we are lucky- compared to the extreme damage caused by other Earthquakes this year, this was literally nothing. Anyways, the point is for years to come people will be asking where you were on the eve of the G20 Summit when the Earthquake hit Toronto. Well my friends, I was in the mall. Yup, that's right- I didn't feel the quake because I was trying on Yoga pants. How embarrassing.

Aside from not feeling the earthquake- Lululemon had a pretty decent sale on, so if you are in need of a workout wardrobe update, I suggest going to peruse the selection. Below is what I will be wearing at my next yoga class!

Now you tell me, where were you when the Earthquake hit?

If It Were Spring Again...

Well, we are one day into Summer and I am already wishing it was Spring again. It is one of those rainy days in Toronto where all you want to do is curl up in something cozy and hide from the rain. Unfortunately, it is just a bit too warm to do that! Being a typical Canadian, I am already wishing away the warm weather. If it were about 10 degrees cooler I would definitely be wearing this outfit. These pictures were taken back in March by a very talented photographer from Toronto, Stacey Kinkaid... at the time these were taken I was probably wishing it was 10 degrees warmer- the weather God's can never get it quite right, can they?

Faux Fur Vest- H&M

Jean Jacket- My mom's old GAP jacket

Pants- Leg Candy

Gold Shoes- Aldo

Black Over the Knee Boots- Steve Madden

 

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to my Daddy! Here we are doing what we do best, emailing each other while sitting side by side!

The day's activities consisted of coffee and pictures! Iced Soy Latte from Crema on Bloor St-- Best coffee in Toronto by FAR!

If there are two things that you have learned about me so far, it is probably that I love coffee and I love Rachel Roy, both of which played a major part in my day today! I spent my day relaxing with my Mom and Dad celebrating father's day. A little coffee, a little food and lots of pictures. It was pretty much the perfect afternoon in the city. That and the Bay had a bunch of Rachel Rachel Roy stuff on sale today... picked up a couple of things! I am doing a photo shoot with a friend tomorrow, stay tuned for pictures, I will likely be wearing one of the new Rachel pieces! (My obsession with her line might be going too far!)

Top- Forever 21

Shorts- Forever 21

Purse- Danier Leather

Sandals- Spring Shoes