!!! 30 Day Style Challenge !!! ~ Day 5 ~ 50s Market Dress

So I'm doing well... 2 days in a row!! 

This is the outfit I wore yesterday when my mom took me out to lunch in the Byward Market.

It was a gorgeous day to be outside and to catch up!

We had chicken Caesar salads and strawberry daiquiris on the patio at 

the Aulde Dubliner

and they were yummy indeed :)

Then we perused the market where I picked up a ridiculous amount of food

(strawberries, rasberries, blueberries, carrots, potatoes, yellow beans and corn on the cob)

I have already eaten a good portion of it too!

This lovely blue dress is actually a vintage find, 50s era and cotton (two of the greatest things)

There's nothing better to wear on a hot summer day than a cotton dress :)

The hat is from forever 21 (and somehow goes with everything)

The belt is also a 50s era vintage.

It is stamped brown leather with awesome beading detail on the back.

I found it for a steal on etsy!

The sunglasses are from Aldo Accessories.... I think...and they also seem to go with everything!

Thats pretty much it!

Peace out.

!!! 30 Day Style Challenge !!! ~ Day 4 ~Minty Perfection

OK so.... clearly I have not been entirely on top of this posting every day thing...

But I am not giving up.

I am determined to finish this challenge!

I suppose I just had a rough week and was too tired 

(or more likely, too lazy) 

to document my outfits.

I am starting up again and this time I am really going to try to make it every day...

I swear!

So this is the outfit that I wore to our good friends Jamie and Jodi's wedding this past Saturday.

It was a beautiful wedding with great weather 

(although I'm sure the boys in tuxes might say it was a little toasty)

I LOVE this dress.

It was one of those special finds in which you think:

"Someone designed this dress especially for me??? 

How nice!!!"

It is a lovely aqua/mint colour.  

I ended up pairing it with some pale pink lace tights 

(that I found for only $4 at Walmart ;)

The dress itself I found at a store called Doree's Habit in Merrickville.

(I'm telling you, they have some great little boutiques!)

The blingy bow necklace is from 

Monsoon 

while we were in London on our honeymoon.

This was my best effort at twirling for the camera to illustrate the amazing movement that this dress gets with all of the scalloped layers.

I tried ;)

!!! 30 Day Style Challenge !!! ~ Day 3 ~ Print Mish Mash

So, I am now a day behind on posting for my challenge...

But yesterday just ending up being a weird day 

and when it was done I decided to face plant into my pillow rather than sit at my computer...

People were in funky moods...

I had an awkward argument with a cashier who thought that I gave her a $10 bill when I gave her a $20

Aaaaand to top it all off I had the unpleasant experience of being a witness to a car crash that involved a car hitting and killing a deer....

Yup.  Weird and exhausting day.

This is one of those weird outfits where I own two of the same shirt and skirt.

I bought the tank top from old navy ages ago for like 4 bucks and the medium ended up being a bit too big... so I bought a small too.

And the skirt is from forever 21.  I bought it to use as a skirt not for work but it was only $7.50 so I decided to buy one for work too.

You see, I teach childrens' art classes so I have to have a wardrobe dedicated exclusively to work because everything gets paint on it.

So two very affordable outfits.  One for work.  One for play.

The scarf and the earrings are two of my favourite accessories.

I bought the scarf from urban outfitters... maybe 4 years ago.

And the earrings were a gift from my talented friend and coworker Carla.

They are yellow leather feather earrings and I get compliments on them everywhere I go.

Check out her etsy store here:  Rattlebag

It's been recently cleared out, but more items for sale soon :)

Peace out.

!!! 30 Day Style Challenge !!! ~ Day 2 ~ Garage Grunge

OK 

So its day 2 of my 30 Day challenge and I am clearly a total coward... haha

I was all ready to go out and find a cool outdoor location...

 But I chickened out at the thought of people being able to watch me set up my tri-pod and take a bunch of awkward self pics.

Clearly I am not quite ready for a big girl shoot :(

SO

I ended up with the glamourous back drop of...

my garage.

This is my "Yup, this is my garage pic."

Thumbs up to being Nervous Nelly?

I found myself looking through my closet and thinking...

"I could wear this now, or I could save it for later in case something fun potentially comes up"

Since I was just bumming around today I didn't make too much of an effort to get "gussied up".

I do quite like this shirt though.

I got it from an etsy store called

Communitea Clothing

You should check them out.  They have lots of rad tees.

On a side note...

We have grass!!!!

Finally!!!

Yes, I realize that getting so excited about grass is nerdy.

But, hey, I'm embracing it :)

!!! 30 Day Style Challenge !!! ~Day 1~ Studio at Dusk...

It is officially day 1 of this challenge and it is a HOT one!

Unfortunately I was planning to start my outfit documentations with a nice outdoor location 

BUT

Alas, it had just rained so everything was mushy and muddy where I had wanted to go.

SO

I call this shoot...

"Studio at Dusk"

The sun was setting but still blinding...

You see the difference in this last photo which was taken after the sun finally ducked behind some houses...

I purchased this dress from an awesome little dress shop/art gallery in Merrickville called 

Anarchy Gallery

I love the kitschy floral pattern and the open back.

I basically wish I owned this shop and everything in it.

I recommend checking it out.

In fact, I just recommend checking out Merrickville and everything in it.

I predict living there someday. 

Day 1 = Complete

!!! 30 Day Style Challenge !!!

Hello All!

As you may know, my husband and I have recently purchased a home.  Because of this we are trying to budget as much as possible.  

This of course leads to a lack of $$$ for fun purchases like clothes :(

THIS MEANS

It has been hard not to buy clothes for myself recently, because if you know me then you know that I take pleasure in expressing myself through my personal style!

SO

In an effort to convince myself that I do not need to go out and buy new clothes to keep my style "fresh" as they say, I am assigning myself a personal challenge.

I call it:

THE 30 DAY STYLE CHALLENGE! 

allenge allenge allenge...

(in my head there is an echo when you say it ;)

These are the rules that I am making for myself:

1.  Each day I need to create a new outfit without wearing duplicates of any items of clothing. (and document it of course)

2.  Basics don't count (leggings, undergarments, etc.)

3.  As I work in a messy environment (teaching art), work clothes don't count.

BUT

When I get home I must create a new outfit for after work.

4. Footwear won't count as I (unlike a lot of women) don't own 30 pairs of shoes :)

Thats it!

Now, that may seem like a lot of exceptions but I think that it will be challenging none the less.

If I were to wear separates every day, that means I would have to pair 60 different items of clothing...

and I haven't actually counted... so I'm really hoping that I can actually pull this off.

(This is my closet.)

There are a couple reasons that I am challenging myself with this.

1.  So I don't shop (as previously stated)

2.  So that I am forced to rediscover items of clothing that I may have forgotten about

3.  Because it will be fun :)

4.  Lastly, to recommit myself to my blog.

For some reason I have been neglecting to post on a regular basis and I am not sure why.  I quite enjoy the process of sharing my inspiration with the world, but perhaps I have been lacking the inspiration... ?

With this challenge I will have to post my outfit every day.

(dresses section)

I am definitely not claiming to be some sort authority on fashion.

I am merely doing this as proof that I do, in fact, have something to wear ;)

Oh! and as a quick side note/hair update, I have recently made the switch from white blonde to pastel blueish purple fading to pink.

Check it out.

(indoor lighting)

(outdoor lighting)

I am quite happy with it.  I'm really hoping that the colour has staying power...

Hopefully the hair will help me feel more like myself if I end up being forced to wear something that I no longer identify with.

Hey, maybe this will end up being a cleansing experience.  

Maybe I will get rid of half my clothes.  

Who knows....