oh happy days

Skirt, Shoes & Necklace- Thrifted; Jacket- Gifted (from my Mum); Top- Spoof (Boutique in Toronto); Nail Polish- Storm by Joe Fresh

After yesterday's aggravations, the mood gods took pity on me and gave me a happy day.  Sure, I still worked longer hours than I would have liked to and I had to skip my workout because e-mails were calling my name but here are some of the things that made me smile today:

- Mr. Marley has really embraced the outdoors (after 7 years of being indoor only) and after getting micro-chipped and collared he is now foot loose and fancy free and will prowl the neighbourhood for hours on end, only returning home for food (and I like to think cuddles as well!)

- My man and I spent date night at a vegan cooking class entitled Let Food be thy Medicine (through Credible Edibles), and made roasted broccoli with Brazil nut pesto, 'cream' of mushroom soup, sunflower seed and pinto been loaf & red velvet cake made from beets, apple sauce and cocoa. Mmm Mmm!

-Upon noticing my sock bun, one of the cooking class participants asked if I was Tinfoil Tiaras because she recognized the hairstyle from my twitter account and says she follows along and has made note of different restaurants I tweet about (how cool is that!)

- And drumroll please... thanks to all your support I am a finalist for the Place d'Orleans vlogger search!!! I will be participating in the live shop off and haul video on Sunday where they'll  provide us with $200 in mall gift cards and we'll have 3 hours to shop the stores and then share our finds.  The vlogger winner will be announced at this time, wish me luck!

Today I'm linking up to Coffee & Cardigan's Thrifter Thursday My abstract dotted skirt is a find that I thrifted for $2 at a Salvation Army sale and I embellished these second-hand shoes by hot-gluing vintage earrings to them!

no name

Blazer (worn like this), Skirt, Ring & Belt- Thrifted; Tank- Gap; Tights- Forever 21; Shoes- Suzy Shier; Bracelet- Zellers; Earrings- Castellammare Designs 

Today is a lacking in creativity kind of day, hence the no name title.  Or maybe it's not so much that I'm lacking in creativity but instead my day's worth of creativity was poured into the styling of this outfit.  Yeah let's stick with the latter.

What can I say- it's just been one of those days.  Broken printer, late bus, unhealthy lunch, 11 hour work day & unruly hair.  Ah well that's what tomorrows are for, to try again!

vote for me!

Pants: Jacob- $15.00
Vest: Smart Set- $8.99
Tank: The Bay- $6.49
Earrings: Spring- $5.99
Heels: Spring- $22.99
{Bracelet- Thrifted; Headband- Sash from Jacob dress}

 When I visit shopping malls, I still keep my cheap & cheerful mantra and seek out great deals (just like when thrifting except the selection and fit of retail clothing is way better!)  My whole outfit today is from Place d'Orleans shopping centre and cost less than $60 from head to toe! 

I would be thrilled if you would vote for me to be Place d'Orleans fashion vlogger so I can show others how to shop retail on a budget (and still look like a million bucks!)

You can watch my video & vote for me over here! Simply click vote and then a message will appear in the top left hand corner of your screen, prompting you to enter your Facebook log-in and authorizing the application and then presto bingo you have successfully cast your vote!

If I win the contest I'll share my victory by holding a special giveaway on my blog. Thank you so much for your support!

Hidden Treasures

Attention all benevolent bargainistas!

Some of you may know that I work full-time with Dress for Success Ottawa as the Manager of Programs.  Dress for Success is an international charity (located in over 120 cities worldwide) that provides disadvantaged women with career clothing and the skills to boost their confidence and succeed both personally and professionally.  On Saturday September 15th from 10am-2pm, we are opening our boutique doors to the public to shop our overstock merchandise.  All profits will go towards Dress for Success Ottawa operations so that we can continue to enrich the lives of our clients.

We are clearing out seasonal and overstock merchandise to make room for more donations this fall!

 Join us for our overstock sale. All items are priced to sell.
See what hidden gems you can uncover

    Saturday, September 15^th from 10 am to 2 pm

Dress for Success Ottawa boutique
1339 Wellington Street West (corner of Ross Avenue).
 Basement entrance from the back parking lot.

                                           

Please bring your own shopping bags to take home your treasures.

* All profits will go toward Dress for Success Ottawa National

Capital Region operations. Only cash will be accepted.

Thank you for your support and see you at the Boutique!

Curious about what we're selling? Here's a sneak peak of some of my favourite pieces:

Et pour la pièce de résistance , a Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress (size 6).  I envision some rock, paper, scissor battles over this one!

If you have any questions about the Hidden Treasures sale or the work that Dress for Success Ottawa does, feel free to e-mail me at emily@dressforsuccessottawa.ca 

Hope to see you there!

in denial

Dress- Gifted; Cardigan, Necklace & Shoes- Thrifted; Ring- Sears

In two weeks time it is officially fall but for now I'm living in my bubble of denial where the sunny days are long and warm.  I'm going to continue wearing white, pastels & open toed shoes until the weather forces me to change my wardrobe.  There's something about bare legs, light sweaters and visible toes that makes me smile just a little bit wider.  The weather forecasters have said that we can expect warmer than usual fall temperatues this year in Ottawa so I'm not hauling out the boots & jackets just yet! Sorry fall, it's not your fault, your coloured leaves and crisp air aren't the problem, it's your successor Mr. Canadian Winter that I truly despise.  And I suppose poor autumn that your presence just reminds me that the worst is yet to come!





Are you dreading or looking forward to fall?

Nooks & Crannies

We've been in our new house for just over a month now and although many of the walls (and a couple of rooms) are still bare, I've started to decorate the nooks & crannies so that the space feels lived in and personal.

 {Japanese fukumen wrestler sake dishes which were thrifted and then gifted from my Mum.}

 {WWI and WWII framed prints set the stage for my vintage inspired kitchen.} 



{Decor magazines, a Buddha head, a vintage scarf & framed magazine cut-outs rest on top of an antique trunk.} 



{The beginnings of my clothes room, a small space in the attic that is being transformed by a track system and a very patient man.} 



{Seaside themed master bathroom.} 



{A few of my favourite shoes waiting patiently in the upstairs hall for the clothes room to be set up so they can be properly displayed.}

{A vintage cookie tin; some of my favourite recipe books & a charming 1957 Chiquita Bananas ad that makes me smile every time I walk by it.}



 {After years of sleeping on brightly coloured bedding, I decided it was time for simplicity and serenity and chose this white set embellished with satin ribbons and silver sequins.}

 {These little guys guard over Marley & Mama Sita's kitty room.}

 {An antique tray; mango rum from St. Kitts & thrifted glassware rest on top of the dining room bar cart} 

How do you decorate your nooks & crannies?

...Pssst Ottawa fashionistas, don't forget to enter the Place d'Orleans fashion vlogger contest!

Place d'Orleans Vlogger Search

This past Friday night I had the pleasure of attending an event alongside 9 other fabulous Ottawa style bloggers at Place d'Orléans shopping centre. As official ambassadors for their fashion vlogger contest we were able to preview the experience to share with our readers and encourage you to enter! 

I should be called Toothy Tiaras because I was having so much fun at the event, my cheeks hurt from smiling so much! We started the evening with a professional makeover and then selected a suit-clan male model to act as our personal shopper/purse holder for the evening (a service I could certainly get used to!) The shopping spree was followed by DIY crafts, delicious snacks and then we shot an individual video to share our Place d'Orléans finds with you!

Intrigued? If you're in the Ottawa area and want to enter the vlogger contest, all you have to do is shop at Place d'Orléans before September 9th and share your purchases at their in-mall vlogger studio. The winner will receive $300 in Place d'Orléans gift cards per month for a 6 month vlogging contract.  Visit the Place d'Orléans vlogger contest Facebook page for all the nitty gritty. 

I'm nosy and want to watch your vlog so leave a comment below with a link to your video entry and you could win a $50 gift card for Place d'Orléans!