I do a good job of staying positive and living life to the fullest and all that stuff, but sometimes you can’t help but fall into a funk. The winter blues have gotten the best of me, and I find myself day dreaming of my next sunny escape. I’d like to go to Bali, Thailand or Croatia. I’m craving serious beach time – it’s my utopia. But for now I’ll have to look at pictures of past holidays because a trip isn’t in my near future plans. Here are a few shots that make me happy. And to everyone taking off to a beach soon, have fun and I’ll pretend I don’t hate you. JD
The Great Ocean Road – Melbourne, Australia
The Amalfi Coast – Positano, Italy
Hollywood, California (this day was ridiculously hot! I loved it)
After months of waiting, Robyn arrived in Toronto to commence her North American tour. Toronto boy, Diamond Rings, opened the show at that Sound Academy setting the tone for a pop-rifiic (yes, I like to make up words) night. For those you of who don’t know (or who think of her 1995 hit, ‘Show Me Love‘), we must inform you that Robyn has taken over the pop scene. Get out of the way Britney, (yes I said it!), Robyn is my favorite pop star…Period. Playing everything from ‘Konichiwa Bitches’ to ‘With Every Heartbeat’ to ‘Dancing on My Own‘, Robyn killed it with her impromptu choreography in her red spandex pants. As Wednesday’s show was a rescheduled date from her being ill back in September, we hope she can squeeze in another Toronto date before the end of this tour – because we can’t wait to see her again.
Do you like my new purse? My Yorkville office at Bay and Bloor is accompanied by some great retail real estate. Any walk that I happen to take allows me to lustfully view the latest and best in designer fashions – mostly through the window. Sometimes, I get suckered in, and it gets me into trouble. Like with this Sonia Rykiel sequined lip purse. It is 100% me – red lips and sequins – so I couldn’t say “no”. A friend asked me what I planned on wearing the purse with. I gave her the most obvious answer, “With everything, everywhere.” CM
We had an exciting morning yesterday – we got to meet Essie Weingarten, the woman who created the internationally known, super fabulous nail polish, Essie. We acted as hand models for her appearance on Breakfast Television and got a sneak peek at her new Spring collection.
Essie is a lovely women with an elegant style and grace about her, with shiny silver hair and perfectly manicured nails (of course). She believes a woman’s greatest accessory is having her nails polished at all times, and we definitely agree with that. She gave us some great tips and inspired us to never have naked nails again.
Born and raised in Manhattan, Essie loved going to the salon with her mother to get her nails polished after her Saturday morning ballet class. As an adult, she decided she wanted to do her own thing, so she found a chemist who worked with her to create a long-lasting nail polish in remarkable colours. She gave the chemist fabrics and ribbons of extraordinary colours and he matched them up. She then took her collection of 12 colours to Las Vegas and turned her passion into an empire. Fast forward 29 years and Essie is found on the likes of Lady Gaga, Anna Wintour, and even Julie and Christine of Seven Dollar Pants. Our favourite shade of the moment is Sand Tropez – set to launch in a few weeks. JD & CM
I forgot about this skirt, and found it while organizing my closet a few days ago. The last time I wore it was here with my coral sweater. It’s my Mad Men inspired lady look, and it often gets mistaken for a dress. I bought it for $22 at Vintage Mix 1 on Ossington. One of my favourite vintage shops! My top is by Vero Moda from The Bay, and leather boots are by Cole Haan. I’m kinda cold just looking at these pics…now back to hibernation. JD
And for all you Steve Nicks fans, here is one of my favourite songs – Leather and Lace.
To continue with my favorite bloggers, next up is Alix of www.thecherryblossomgirl.com. Her impeccable Parisian style keeps me coming back for more along with thousands of her fans/followers. Her personal style mixes blacks and whites with neutrals and pastels and her backdrops make her blog posts look more like editorials from high fashion magazines. Enjoy.
Last night I went to The Great Hall on Queen West for a dueling Art Battle. Art Battle is an event that takes place every five weeks and is exactly as it sounds – artists battling each other with live competitive painting. Four artists compete for 20 minutes to paint whatever their little hearts desire, and then the crowd votes on their favourite one. By the third round, the two winners from rounds 1 and 2 compete against each other for a prize of $500. Not too shabby.
At the end, all of the paintings go up for auction, and they bring out cookies for everyone. I think the cookies were a one-off random thing, but I thought it was pretty funny. It’s a really cool event, you should definitely check it out next time. Visit artbattleto.com for more info. JD
Instead of sharing my daily outfit with you today I wanted to share with you one my favorite bloggers (I have a few!). Elin Kling is a Swedish fashion editor and television personality. She will soon be adding fashion designer to her list as she will be H&M’s first celebrity blogger designer. Sadly her pieces will only be sold in Sweden, but at least I have her blog to enjoy her personal style. You can find her here http://www.elinkling.net/ as well as this link http://www.elinkling.net/, which was the home of her site from 2007 through to January 2011.
I woke up on Sunday morning to the sun beaming through my curtains and onto my face, forcing my eyes to flicker a few times before officially waking up. As much as I wanted to sleep in, I couldn’t be mad at the sun. Instead I decided to seize the day with a long winter walk. I bundled up with a few layers and off I went to the lake for a 2 hour walk. Yes, 2 hours. It was -17 with the wind chill, but I was sweating walking through shin deep snow. It was a great workout and made me appreciate nature. I say all of this because of the sun. If it was overcast and dark, I wouldn’t have left my bed, or I’d walk around my apartment with my duvet hugging me like a giant cape. So I’d like to thank the sun for making my day a good one. JD
What I wore underneath my parka:
* Scuba hoodie by Lululemon (gift)
* Moto-leggings by Domino Jeans ($50)
* Technica Moon Boots from Big Foot on Queen West ($90 on sale)
* Vintage-inspired vest from Winners ($24)
* Pins on my vest from my Dad’s ski pin collection – read about it here.
I’ve been waiting to wear these heart printed Betsey Johnson tights for some time now. They have been paired with possibly my best thrifted find of 2010 – a $12 Topshop dress from VV Boutique, a Club Monaco leather jacket, sequined (SEQUINS!) beanie from Zara and shoes from Aldo. Oh, and I can’t forget about my lipstick, it is Tom Ford’s Cherry Lush.
I had been reading about the movie Blue Valentine since it’s release at Sundance Film Festival last year (January 2010). I tried to get tickets to see it during TIFF in September, but had no luck. So I was pretty happy that I finally got to see it on the weekend, as it was just released at Scotiabank Theatre downtown TO.
It’s about a contemporary married couple (Cindy and Dean) charting their evolution over a span of 6 years by cross-cutting between time periods.
I really don’t think this movie is the general public’s cup of tea, but I absolutely loved it. Don’t be fooled by the words “Valentine” and it’s tagline “a love story.” If you’re expecting rainbows, sunshine, and happy romance – don’t see it. If you are uncomfortable with depressing things like dogs dying, abortion, abuse, old age, broken hearts, etc. you might want to opt for Yogi Bear instead.
So why did I like it so much? First, the acting is ridiculously good. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are so believable it almost feels like you’re watching a documentary. Second, Ryan Gosling. Enough said. I also like the fact that the story is raw and not so perfect like most movies out there. It’s gritty and sad, but explores real-life issues (see paragraph above). I like that we see pieces of the story and not a clear beginning or end. I like that there’s no resolution and that you can interpret it in your own way imagining how the characters would continue. I dig a movie that gets you thinking like that. It has layers, like an onion. And last but not least, I absolutely adored one of the recurring songs they played. It’s called You and Me by Penny and the Quarters. J’ADORE! If you like a peeling of the onion type of movie, I definitely recommend it. JD
There’s nothing wrong with wearing the same outfit over and over. Sure it can get tedious, but if you find little ways to switch things up it won’t feel so monotonous….and then you’ll have more to splurge on something bigger….like that trip to Paris or Stockholm you’ve been day dreaming about.
I was loving my grey H&M cropped sweater so much I bought it in cream as well. Here’s the same outfit twice with a few minor adjustments.
* Black booties (Spring $29) instead of brown boots
* Maroon belt (Joe Fresh $14) instead of brown belt
* Vintage silk shirt in navy(Stylist yard sale $5)
* Skinny wool pants (Zara $52)
* Hair down vs. hair up changes it too
What city would you fly off to today if money wasn’t an issue? Pick just one! JD
The snow finally arrived in Toronto and I thought I would take the term ‘Winter-White’ to the extreme pairing white on white. This fur coat was a vintage purchase in London, Ontario for $30. It’s wide collar is in good 70′s fashion and I try to get as much wear out of the jacket throughout the winter. Kensington Market and Reflections (on Yonge Street) is the place to go in Toronto for vintage furs. Rabbit fur jackets start around $50 and from there the selection of furs, colours and silhouettes are endless. My lace dress is from Forever 21 and it was less than $30. Tights are by Secret and booties are from Spring.
My head to toe charcoal and black outfit was fitting for this non-sunny day last week. I know I said I was going to wear more colour this winter, but some days I don’t mind dressing in dark colours. I just have to be sure to switch it up to avoid the gloomy feeling.
* Chunky knit cardigan by Dex (from Winners)
* Silk shirt and belt from Joe Fresh
* Motorcycle leggings by Domino
* Headband from H&M
* Winter boots from Town Shoes
Yesterday one of our favourite bloggers Julia Seidl of Stylehog.com featured us in her Styleites column. We had a lot of fun choosing our favourite pieces of the moment, and got the post-holiday shopping urge kicking. Wait, it never went away. Our picks are below, but to see the link on her site click here. Cheers!
I have new favourite denim brand that I recently added to my wardrobe – Domino Jeans. They are Canadian designed (out of Montreal), well-made, and the price point is very reasonable ($100 to $150). Not bad at all. The fit is AMAZING and so far they have kept their shape. They are my jeans du jour and I’ll be showing them a lot worn in different ways. I am loving high-rise these days and the dark denim means I can dress them up or down.
I’m also wearing:
* Soft pink top from Jacob – on sale for $29
* Puffy shoulder cardigan from H&M ($34)
* Lace-up booties from H&M ($69)
* My grandma’s purse and my grandpa’s sunglasses
My only NYC regret was not taking back Steve Madden’s ANNIE booties. Luckily I found a similar pair from Aldo that (most importantly) give me the some height boost to my 5’3 frame. They most definitely ARE NOT snow friendly so the race to wear them is on. Hopefully the snow stays away much like it did last year. Skiers and snowboarders, stop complaining and head further north. You really don’t have to go that far – just let me wear my darn booties.
The rest of my outfit:
Jacket – Zara
Belt – Club Monaco
Headband – H&M Leggings – American Apparel
My search for the perfect Anorak lead me to this Vero Moda coat with great seasonal timing. My 2010 hunt was all disappointment upon the realization that the good Anoraks had sold out in my size or were simply too much moolah. On Boxing Day at Sherway Gardens, I was walking through The Bay and stumbled upon this Vero Moda jacket. My stumbling was followed by a “Eureka!” as it was the very last one and in my size. I ran to the cash to hear “$34 please”. “Double Eureka!”.
Hope everyone had a fabulous break. We did!! It was so great to meet up with old friends, see family, eat a whole lot more than we should have, and be away from the internet for a while. Sometimes, you just need a break right?
But now we’re back and ready to roll for 2011! Resolutions include: do more yoga, eat better, and adopt an “I don’t care” outlook when things get tough. It’s never worth it to get upset about things you can’t control, so it’s time to live in the moment more!
Here are a few shots of us on New Year’s Eve. Here’s to a New Year, Cheers!!
SevenDollarPants
