It’s almost the long weekend and I’m so excited! Time to relax and be a bum. When I’m not caring too much about my outfit, I usually wear something like this. Boyfriend jeans, black v-neck t-shirt, and straw fedora all from Joe Fresh; paired with white canvas shoes from Wal-Mart ($8) and a basic grey cardigan from some random store for $12. I plan on hitting the beach, reading, and catching up with friends and familia. What are you up to? JD
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Last Thursday night, Julie and I made our way over to Lifford Wine Agency’s Boys Night Out – a major fundraising event in support of prostate cancer research. Boys Night Out offers tastings from some of Toronto’s best restaurants as well as some of the best wines on the market. We were there for work related purposes but would recommend attending next years event. By “recommend” I mean “ladies get out there”! The ratio of men to women was probably 15:1. My dress is Rachel Rachel Roy. I purchased at this event which The Bay had back in March – I could not resist the colour. Patent gladiators are from Aldo and purse is Marc by Marc Jacobs. CM
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C’est moi, staying as cool as possible in this cotton sun-dress. It was a seven dollar purchase made years ago at the Gap in Banff. I will admit that the price tag has left me to somewhat neglect the dress. I feel nothing to lay in the grass wearing it, drag it around the hot and sticky city or throw it into cycle after cycle in aggressive washing machines. Despite this, it has held up amazingly well and continues to impress. I just feel oh so pretty whenever I wear it and love how the skirts sways when I walk. Happy Monday. CM
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I found this dress at H&M this season for $29! Everyone thinks it’s a top and skirt, but it’s definitely a dress. The purse was borrowed from CM and it’s a cute little bag from Cole Haan (sample sale). My shoes are a recent purchase from Winners – they are Chinese Laundry and were $79. I love that they’re sky-high and believe it or not – they’re comfortable! JD
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My wardrobe is all over the place with the move so my mornings are spent rummaging through piles of clothing and random boxes desperately trying to get things together. It would be so much easier to buy everything new, but that wouldn’t really be budget-friendly. I decided to go for an almost fully monochromatic look with my Joe Fresh grey jeans ($19), shirt from Jacob ($30), and Zara blazer ($89). I have gotten a lot of wear out of this blazer so I don’t feel bad that it came to a hundo. I paired this ensemble with a skinny belt from Joe Fresh ($9), a pair of shoes I bought SEVEN years ago for $19. These puppies went in the garbage right after I took this photo – they just had to go. And my favourite part of the look is my grandmother’s purse that she bought and used only once – for my parent’s wedding. It’s in perfect condition and I love it. JD
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We took a stroll through the beautiful U of T campus for these shots and got stuck in a tunnel of wind under the archway. I wore my blush tone skirt from H&M and paired it with this shirt dress top also from H&M. I wore it once as a dress here but I think I like it as a top better now. My moto-inspired jacket is from H&M too! Wow 3 items from one store…didn’t do that on purpose. Lace-up booties are from Spring shoes ($29) and chain necklaces are from my mom and grandma’s collections. Oh and I don’t know if you can see the buttons on my sleeves but those are button covers I got at a thrift store in Port Colborne. Gotta love random finds. JD
The wind crept up on me!
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Sunday afternoon was spent over brunch at Czehoski on Queen West. I never know how to spell Czehoski when I’m texting someone to meet me there…but I know you pronounce it cha-hos-key. The two piece band played fab jazz music while we ate eggs benny and sipped caesars. I’m actually not a fan of caesars but everyone else seems to live for them. My friend Shab was wearing a darling little outfit, and when she confirmed it was budget friendly I immediately snapped her picture for SDP. Her floral frock came from Forever 21 for $18, jacket was from a clothing swap, shoes were $7 from a vintage store, and her purse was a gift. I think the floral dress could also be worn sans leggings on a hot day with a pair of chunky heels or wedges for sleek body-con look. Good shopping Shabba! JD
I love these shoes!
Great bow detail on the back
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Sometimes I like wearing a full outfit of the same colour. I found this top at a vintage yard sale off Queen street – it was just $5! My pants are from Zara, belt is from a clothing swap party and lace-up booties are from Spring shoes. Hope you are enjoying this weather! JD
Hello readers, friends and lovers. I am been MIA all week as I have been on a much needed vacation in Florida. This margarita fishbowl started my week that I have been enjoying with my boyfriend, sister and her boyfriend in the sunshine state of Florida. I am wearing my H&M Garden collection dress that was purchased back in the spring for $20. Hope everyone is well :) CM
Since we started this blog, it has forced me to evaluate my current wardrobe and what I actually make use of. I have cleared out my closets at least 3 times this season yet I still manage to hoard. Often I will decide to break out certain items (out of the darkness from the back of the closet) and wear them just to learn that I should have trashed them long ago. Case in point: these hideous shoes. Yes, I bought them at a good price…but that was 5 years ago and clearly my only excuses at this point. Seriously, what was I thinking?! My blog posts have also taught me that I need to practice using self tanner on my legs on a regular basis. Case in point: my legs in these pics! They make the shoes look that much worse. Now I know.
Anyhow, I am feeling the rest of this outfit. Lipstick is Prescriptive’s Classic Red Cream. The blazer is from Zara on Bloor and dress is from Forever 21 on Yonge for $24. Bracelet is from H&M for $4 and necklace is an oldie from Annex at Masonville Mall in London. Do any of you ladies remember that store? CM
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The colour combination of red and yellow is a bit bold…kind of like ketchup and mustard. I normally wouldn’t marry the two but I was inspired by an outfit I saw in Anthropologie’s look book (which is always amazing by the way). It’s liberating to wear an outfit that doesn’t contain any trace of black or grey.
I bought this top from Winners a while back and it’s one of those tops that I don’t wear often, but I know better than to get rid of it. This yellow skirt is from Zara and I really like the crisp shape – it instantly gives a polished look. My belt is from the GAP and it’s one of my all time favourites. Vintage sunglasses were my grandfather’s, and my jazz booties are from Spring shoes. Wearing this outfit has got me in the mood for street meat! For those of you that don’t know, Toronto is home to countless hot dog stands throughout the city and the dogs are amazing! I’ll let you know how my first dog of the season is….excited for lunch. Happy summer days ahead! JD
PS – here is just one of the many street meat hubs in the city. I wonder how many there actually are….
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It was incredibly nice out yesterday that we had to find some shade to take these pictures because it was so bright! I love this weather!!!! I scored this dress from H&M for just $19! I think it will be a great summer staple. I paired it with lace floral tights from Aldo, my charm necklace ($7) and jazz booties ($29) from Spring shoes. My sunglasses ($20)are from Red Pegasus on College street. Next time I’m going to wear this dress with bare legs, open toe brown shoes, and a brown belt. The weather man says it’s supposed to be 28 degrees today!! I’m going to take a lap around the park on my lunch break. Enjoy your day! JD
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There are so many cliché images out there of New York, Paris, and London. Poster stores, framing stores, Homesense, Target, Winners, you name it. Although these three cities are amazing, I’d rather hang images of the city I live and breathe on my apartment walls, not somewhere that I have been a just handful of times. That’s why Christine and I were attracted to the exhibit entitled Toronto by Adam Shax at Lakeview Restaurant, as part of the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival. When I moved into my latest apartment, I decided I wanted to buy images of Toronto to hang above my couch, but did you know they are next to impossible to find? You can’t buy them anywhere – which made me want them even more. I ended up purchasing old Toronto images from the Toronto Star online, but they are not nearly the same as what we saw here….
Lakeview Restaurant, Dundas West
Massy Hall, Victoria Street
Lula Lounge, Dundas West
Velvet Underground, Queen West
The images were so vibrant, colourful and glowing! They look so animated and almost like illustrations…if you weren’t familiar with the venues in real life. Massy Hall looks so elegant, Lula Lounge screams colour, and I’m actually shocked at how good the Velvet Underground looks. I walk by it weekly and it’s not one of my favourite places because of its dingy and dirty vibe, but Shax manages to make it look beautiful. Impressive.
I wore a mix of vintage and new finds. My classic Levis red tab jean jacket and purse were both thrifted gifts from BFF for my birthday. It’s pretty cool to have a friend that knows what vintage things you like. Striped tights are from H&M, Jazz booties are from Spring Shoes, and my floral dress came from a clothing swap party. How many photo exhibits have you hit this month? Take a closer look around, there are amazing photos everywhere for the month of May!
Interesting Facts: 1) Lakeview Restaurant is open 24 hrs a day to satisfy your late night hunger pangs. And 2) there were many scenes filmed at Lakeview for the movie Hairspray with John Travolta! JD
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Can I just say I love open jacket weather? Yes, we’ve had a few wonky days here and there but overall we can’t complain because its been pretty dang nice. And that’s a bold statement coming from my mouth because I am Queen cold. I get shivers just thinking about wind and chilliness.
This is my classic trench from Zara and I think it was a fantastic find. So far it has proven to remain timeless and in good condition, but one day I would like to own a classic Burberry trench. Not because of the name, but because I expect the material and fit to be impeccable and last a lifetime. My scarf was a gift from my ma.
My jeans are by Rich & Skinny (gift), shirt is by Hugo Boss (sample sale), belt is from a clothing swap ($0), grey blazer is from Zara ($89), and jazz booties are from Spring Shoes ($29). I got them at the Duff. Always great finds there. This grey blazer is turning out to be a staple of mine as well. I have worn it so many ways and the I like that it can go from work to night, or dressy to casual, and above all – it’s comfortable! A lot more comfortable than a regular blazer. Keepin’ it real on a Tuesday. JD
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I wanted to take on a nautical theme with this navy dress from H&M. Purchased recently at H&M for $30, I paired it with my striped boyfriend blazer found at a Toronto stylists yard sale for $20. (We will let you know whenever we hear of upcoming yard sales.) The broach came with the jacket and is a permanent fixture – bonus! The shoes (sigh) are my absolute favorite pair at the moment. I saw them online at Aldo for $40 and purchased them right away. Tights are by Hue found at Anthropology on Yorkville Ave. for $4. CM
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I love the whole cropped pants look. Especially high waist, pleated pants! Another one of my “so ugly, it’s pretty” theories. I think everyone should expose their ankles this Spring because it’s just such a great look. Yes my ankles are so white they are pink, but I still dig it. I especially love when guys wear cropped pants or denim….alas, only if they can pull it off. My blazer is from Costa Blanca ($50), cropped pants are from Zara ($54), white dress shirt is by Hugo Boss (sample sale!), belt is from a clothing swap ($0), and Jazz booties are from Spring Shoes ($29). The day was warm with a comforting breeze and it was the first day I left the house without a jacket! Joy! However the rain came in like crazy at the end of the day just as I left the office for a photography exhibit…but the Grey Goose martinis kept me dry…more on the exhibit to come, stay tuned…JD
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Things were all fine and dandy at The Ceili Cottage until…the wind changed and the camp fire smoke blew right into my eyes! And here we thought blogging was all fun and games – this is dangerous stuff! Last weekend, while hanging out in the East end, I wore a Liz Claiborne blazer that was an old Christmas gift from my Mom; a striped turtle neck dress from Zara on Bloor for $20; belt, Costa Blanca on Bloor belt for $6; Silks stockings; Roots messenger and H&M on Bloor lace-up boots.
And you caught me without my nails painted.
Love detailing like this. CM
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Roses on my desk
Rose belt
Le full outfit
I acquired these lovely roses from a recent work event and they’ve been sitting pretty on my desk for the past few days. It’s funny how colourful flowers just make you smile. I guess it’s a girl thing.
They inspired me to bust out my purple rose belt ($10) that I got from a random accessories store on Yonge street called Glamourous Place. My sea-foam coloured top is from Zara ($19), and polka dot skort ($5) is from a clothing yard sale I went to at Queen and Dovercourt on the weekend. They had ton of great vintage and brand new items all under $10. My charm necklace is from Spring shoes and it was on sale for $7. Lace-up booties are from Spring shoes as well for $29. I’m still not brave enough for bare legs so I wore my black fishnets. Have you ditched your tights yet? JD
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Not gonna lie – I was hung over in these pictures so my Joe Fresh fedora was well worth the $10 to hide my eyes. This dress is also from Joe Fresh and feels a bit on the nurse/candy-striper side if not styled properly. I couldn’t resist buying it for $24 because it’s a perfect work dress or perfect to throw on when you don’t know what to wear. Paired with basic black leggings from Winners, a black belt, Joe Fresh gingham scarf, and my trusty jazz shoes, I think this look did the trick of making me appear put together when I was actually dying for my bed and cozy joggers. JD
For dinner the other night, I was in the mood to wear my yellow check shirt by HUGO (BOSS Red Label). I bought it at a sample sale for $45 and often call it my ugly-pretty shirt. It’s kind of boxy and ugly, but at the same time I like it. I think tucked in is the way to go with this one, otherwise it would just look like a square box.
My jeans are by Rich & Skinny (gift), and braided belt is from H&M ($19). I bought it a size too big so I could tie it like that. Necklace is a newbie from Forever 21 ($11). I love my ugly-pretty top. JD
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I’ve mentioned before that my favourite kind of day is to go for a laid back brunch followed by some vintage shopping. But when I’m not gallivanting in the big city, another one of my all time favourite days is to hang out on the beach in the laid back city of PoCo. Here I am sitting on a rock wearing my Joe Fresh white denim pants ($19), jazz shoes from Century 21 ($30), moto jacket from H&M, Angelo Damiano aviators, along with a random red bag I found in my parent’s basement. My scarf is Joe Fresh too ($12). You can’t exactly tell but the scarf has an exploded gingham print going on. The material is fantabulous, as per usual.
PoCo is short for Port Colborne and it’s nestled right along Lake Erie in Niagara. It’s quiet, not much goes on, but it was the best place to grow up and it’s really pretty. A few highlights of Port Colborne are 1) the beach 2) the old school Dairy Queen and 3) the shrinking mill. Those who know, know. BTW- someone has got to re-do the shrinking mill video on YouTube. LOL.
Another thing I love is taking a random day off during the week. Best ever! I took a day off this week to spend some QT (quality time) with one of my oldest besties, Jennie, because a few days later she moved to Europe! This polka dot top is from H&M and I love the puffed out shoulders. Subtle but definitely there.
Jennie and I pretending we’re 9 years old again. We’ve been friends since forever and we basically call each other on speed dial at least 4x a day. Going to miss you JR!! Thank goodness for Skype.
PS – this is the Dairy Queen! Walk up window and all. I will be devastated if they tear it down one day. I’ll start a Facebook protest. JD
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After a big Easter dinner, I decided I needed to walk it off. It was so nice and sunny all day but the sun was going down as I approached the Quarry by my parents house in Niagara. So pretty.
I often get called little red riding hood when I wear this sweater coat. It’s so comfortable and I picked it up for $20! I think it could pass for Club Monaco but it’s really from Urban Planet - I wasn’t going to tell you that! One of those really rare finds.
My childhood friend Julia and I used to fish in this Quarry. We would put hot dogs on the end of our fishing line. Who does that?
I think this looks like something Bob Ross would paint. I used to love watching him on The Joy of painting. So peaceful. He used to say “Happy Trees” as he painted. HAHA
I used to be terrified to walk over these train tracks. You can’t tell from the picture, but this part of the tracks goes over the water and the gaps between the wood are wide enough that your leg could go through. I’m not scared anymore :) JD
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The Joe Fresh FW10 fashion show for LG Fashion week in Toronto was a definite crowd pleaser. We dig the fact that the Joe show is amazing season after season because it proves you don’t need big bucks to look fab. It’s all about the power of style, how you wear it, own it, and live it. Joe and his team not only know clothes, but how to put on a stellar show. From the models, to the music, to the overall vibe. We loved it.
Plus size fashion model Crystal Renn opened the show in a military shirt $29, urban shorts $39 – a la Sloane Petersen, and leather front zip boots $89. Her face looked very androgynous. Strong. Fierce. Gorgeous.
The first thing we noticed was the hair. Each head was styled in a low slung pony tail with a GIANT MANE! We mean HUGE! Words that came to mind were “Horse, Mane and Tail, and those have to be extensions” WE LOVE BIG HAIR!!!
How fun are these gloves? And the hat tops the look off. Chiffon trim polo $39, fur gloves $16, tweed skirt $39, leather front zip boots $89. We like her milky cream skin. Fresh.
Amazing leopard coat $84 – reminds us of something we saw at Top Shop this past Fall. Love.
We’re thinking about cutting holes in the tops of our Russian hats next winter to wrap around our necks, if these sell out fast. Faux fur collar $19, rib crew $29, ponte skirt $29, desert boots $59. Must purchase desert boots. Ah!
Holy hair! What a strong look. He must be using Mane and Tail too. We noticed a lot of amazing red heads on the runway. Faux fur pea coat $99, button down shirt $29, wool slim pant $49, leather brogues $59.
How’s this for comfy chic? Tuxedo blazer $59, white cotton shirt $19, capri sweat pant $29, desert boots $59.
Colour! Mohair scarf $29, bow shirt $29, mohair skirt $59, leather front zip boots $89.
The visionary. Mr. Joe Mimran. Bravo! Now put faux fur, mohair, and cozy clothes outta your mind till September…that’s when you should start stalking the stores. JD
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We were happy to attend the Joe Fresh Fall/Winter 2010 fashion show last night as part of LG Fashion Week! The Joe show is one of the most coveted of Toronto Fashion Week because it’s fun, functional, and Joe just knows. We especially wanted to attend this show because their pieces are of good quality and always budget friendly – two things we can’t resist.
We have so much to say about the collection and runway shots to share, but that will be part 2 of our Joe Knows post. Here are a few shots of us before the show….
I opted to wear my ballet shoe coloured dress from H&M for the occasion because it’s fun and fancy free. Wearing it as the full dress is a bit much and makes me look like a 6-year-old ballerina, so I toned it down with a basic grey t-shirt from Joe Fresh, my H&M moto jacket, lace tights from Club Monaco, and giant earrings from a street vendor in Soho, NY. JD
In Joe spirit I wore my pink, acid-washed Joe Fresh jeans that were $19. Shirt was $14 from Winners and jacket is from Zara. My gold clutch was a $4 vintage purchase from the George Brown College store when I was there as a Fashion student. Shoes were a $40 Zara purchase on sale, necklace is Forever 21. I’ve recently developed an obsession for Nars lipstick – specifically their semi-mattes. Here, I am wearing Funny Face. CM
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JD’s Fresh! or at least trying to be in my Zara trench coat.
Taking a pretend stroll and loving the weather in my ultra comfy basic black heels from Feet First. A wise $99 investment for lasting in heels 10 hours a day.
Leg kick!
Something caught my eye in the distance…
Parachute day! I used to love parachute days in elementary school….how fun was running under a brightly coloured piece of material? So simple. So fresh.
This skirt from Joe Fresh ($19) is an amazing anchor piece and gives me the freedom to wear it a million different ways. That’s key in building your wardrobe. If you can wear it a ton of different ways – buy it! My nautical inspired top is from H&M; scarf is from the Port Colborne Thrift Store ($2); belt came from a clothing swap party($0); and these sunglasses are my vintage Angelo Damiano aviators. I wanted to buy the new Joe Fresh trench coat this season because it was just a classic, perfect trench in an amazing quality fabric for just $59! insane. But I picked up the wrong size to try on and when I went back to the rack (one minute later) the size I needed was gone! You gotta be fast with Joe. People are die hards and they steal everything the second it lands in store. What’s your favourite Joe Fresh find?
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SevenDollarPants
