You'd better find somebody to love.

Ahhh, winter. The thought of it gives me chills of delight already. I really must be hungry for a change in weather because Canadians don't usually wish for cold weather. Proof I am nuts. But really, I look at that picture of Agathe and wish I was a lumberjack deep inside a forest with only a red plaid coat and a chainsaw to protect me. Then I remember that my winter coat is black, my winter boots are black and pretty much any other winter accoutrement I own is black. Winter pretty much turns me into a goth. Which is better than jean shorts, in my opinion. (So sick of jean shorts!) Perhaps a trip to Marks Work Warehouse (or is it 'Wearhouse'?) is in order...

P.S.: Writing this from my laptop in a hotel room. Move-in is tommorrow. I feel queasy.

Movin' Out

I found some pretty epic 'basics' while thrifting on the weekend - more specifically this grey jersey skirt (skort!), grey pea-coat/sweater article with large buttons and the perfect granny cardigan (not pictured). For some unexplained reason, the grey pea-coat/sweater thingy reminds me a lot of my idol Mary, so that's probably why I bought it.

As some of you may know, I'm moving out this week. That phrase always makes me think of the Billy Joel song and then I have the uncontrollable urge to sing "heart atack-ack-ack-ack, you oughta know by now" at the top of my lungs. That being something I will most likely be doing quite often this week. But what I really mean to say is that at the moment my mind is more on packing (among other important things) than blogging. So sayanora for now, until I settle in to life on the big campus.

Another Inspirational Lady of the Past

If you thought Beck Hansen was hot, you should check out his mom Bibbe. In her heyday, she was sort of in with the Andy Warhol scene except way younger than most of its participants - she was only 13 when she was in her first Warhol movie! I know Edie gets all the credit, but Bibbe was just as awesome. She was a teenage rebel who hung out with Jack Kerouac’s daughter and patron of the early San Francisco/L.A. punk scene. In the ‘90s she started her own band called Black Fag! Required reading on Bibbe can be found here.


For the folks who wanted more Bibbe pictures, here you go! The first picture of Bibbe and Edie Segwick is my favourite - scanned from i-D magazine. It displays perfectly how young and fresh she was compared to Edie, who definitely wasn't old but was being destroyed by drugs at the time.

Picnic in a Playsuit. What a tool.

The weather here in this little corner of the world has been incredibly rainy all summer long. Perhaps that is why I wish so badly for Fall? The forecast today was for rain but things appear to be looking up - hooray! What better way to take back a lost summer than a picnic and a colourful outfit?

Yes, this is about as colourful as I get.
Vintage Batman shirt - Kensington Market, $20.
"Romper/Playsuit/Weird Suspender-Shorts" - American Apparel, $40.
Banana Yellow Converse - Christmas Gift from 3 years ago.

I'm watching Jeopardy right now.

I confess, I am a floral-phobic. I have no problem with looking feminine, its just that pink and loud floral prints seem to trigger an automatic allergic reaction. But I’ve seen so many pictures of people loking wonderful in florals that I really wanted to try the look out. (Pics from Teen Vogue and Closet Bug.)


I got this floral shirt (can you even see the flowers?) at the $3 bag sale – it isn’t something I would normally buy, but it was cheap enough to take a risk with. To be honest, it’s a total “frumpy mom” shirt, but doesn’t look half bad with a high-waisted skirt and knee socks.

Yes, I am rather enjoying this newfound venture into florals. (Actually, I do own this dress so I’m not quite a floral virgin…But the flowers are so small it barely counts as being ‘floral’, right?)

Only Served 19 Years of My Time

Here I am, putting those perfect t-straps into action. I love them! Haven't found the courage to wear the wedges out in public yet, though. They're so...towering. Definitely going to take some getting used to. This glen plaid skirt has been my favourite item of clothing to wear throughout the entire summer. I've convinced myself it matches (or mismatches) impeccably with everything I own?

Score, the Minor Threat t-shirt I ordered from Interpunk finally came in the yesterday. I wore this to the office just to see if there were any closet punk fans holed up in there - shucks, I guess not. But I love it anyways - it was only $20 and I can pretty much hear Ian MacKaye screaming everytime I look at it. Out of step with the worlllllld!

Oh and mega-thanks to all my lovely commenters! I did indeed get new glasses frames. Quite a nice change after wearing frameless all these years. They're plum colour, Burberry and have little pyramid studs on the side. I really wanted D&G leopard print glasses, but these looked much better and remind me of Enid/Ghost World. Bonus!

Guilty

I dressed like a total fancy-pants in Toronto on the weekend. Never underestimate how much fun it is to the ‘overdressed one’ in a crowd of people! I got the dress at the recent St. Vincent’s bag sale, and it was a crepe monstrosity before I hacked at least ½ of the fabric off. I removed the sleeves, hemmed it into a mini and cut out the massive shoulder pads - only to find a second set of tiny shoulder pads underneath! (I left the tiny shoulder pads in.)

While shopping, I practiced the art of restraint but could not resist these two pairs of shoes. At liquidation price, both pairs only cost me $40! The wooden platforms are so Chloe, no?

Take the Money and Run

It rains every day here, but I have only recently noticed a slight drop in temperature. Though its still summer, but I was able to wear tights for the first time this week without getting heatstroke. This boring black ensemble had to transition me from work to a small dinner party and did its job rather nicely. Sorry about the blurry photo - they're all the rage, really.

Ummm, hooray - Casual Friday!
You've probably seen all of these pieces before: San Jose Sharks shirt, crochet vest, purrrrrfect t-straps.

As puurrrfect as those t-straps look, they smell like they've been used as an ashtray in somebody's mouse poop-filled trailer for 30 years. Good thing I wore socks.

Shopping in the city tommorrow with best best best friend.

Burning Down the House

So because of all the hype over this 'Snapshot Contest', I found myself browsing around on Teen Vogue's website. Teen Vogue is usually one of my monthly reads - even though the articles aren't really thoughtful I like their alphabetical trend forecasts. So all in all, I discovered this 'Girl of the Week' feature they have (Wendy is this week's muse!) and found some pretty hip-looking folks while browsing through.
I adore leopard print. In fact, I kind of have a similar coat!

She is pretty much the anonymous version of Chloe Sevigny. Which is a good thing...

I can't tell if the outfit is anything special, but I'm just enjoying how cute the picture is. Old newspapers make a really neat background. I should remember this as a cheap-ass wallpaper option when I start renting a hovel.

Inspirational Ladies of the Past

Peggy Guggenheim: Definitely had a thing for eccentric eyewear. She’s badass.

Penelope Tree: Might actually be the most attractive model of all time. Even more so than Kate Moss! Penelope’s face is so unique and lovely, not to mention she’s a wicked dresser. I love what she wore to Truman Capote’s Black and White Ball.




Grace Slick: I know nothing about Jefferson Airplane, but I heard ‘Somebody to Love’ on the radio the other day, and was completely arrested by her voice. Stopped dead in my tracks, I did a little research and discovered she was quite the stylish/beautiful femme as well!

Juvenile Product of the Working Class

The age old question: Converse or Vans? The answer: Neither, buy these Simple shoes. I bought them because they're eco-friendly and I don't have a pair of quality sneakers that isn't made of canvas. Ahh yes, and the 50% off sticker didn't hurt.

Yesterday was the epic St. Vincent's bag sale. If you ever get the chance - go. You can fill a shopping bag for $3 and with the amount of stuff you can fit in there, each piece ends up costing around 25 cents. I got a ton of items that need altering before they can be displayed but my absolute favourite thrift find was this zip-up plaid jumper. I think it was a school uniform in a past life and I freaking love it.

I have wanted a pair of high-waisted shorts for a while, so it was a pleasant surprise to see this mega-1980s pair on the rack. The black crochet vest was also from the bag sale - I had seen it at the store before but waited for today to make my move.

Jelly shoes can be hit or miss, but the circumstances were right: They're silver, cheap and fit perfectly in my bag.

Now I'm off to sew frantically for the rest of the day and pack more things in boxes for my big move. (Yes, University.) Sometimes I can be organized to the point of anality...

Oh yes. Today is the last day to vote for me in the Reporter Search that I am going to lose. Sad but true - at least I have no delusions.

24 Days Until Lift-Off

Lately I have been most inspired by reading other's peoples blogs and this "luxe grunge" oxymoron-look that everyone is touting for this Fall. (Did anyone else notice how Sept. Teen Vogue mentioned Bikini Kill twice?)

Its just amazing how stylish these regular, non-celebrity people are! People like Lulu, Wendy and Karla inspire me to dress up a little more from day to day - and have got me hankering for a chunky pair of heels really really badly.

The best look for Fall (for me, as a student who requires comfort at a key part of my dressing routine) involves a plaid flannel shirt, loose fitting trousers (though I still love skinnies, these are a nice substitute to godawful wide-leg bell bottoms) and worn-in brown leather shoes. I've metioned it before, but I have a massive shoe-crush on any brown leather footwear. They're classier than sneakers and easier than heels. Of course I have a huge shoe crush on heels too - these are just a bit more practical for me.

Dorothy Says: There's No Place Like Home

I have always suspected that I was an 80 year old trapped in an 18 year old’s body, but that old lady (let’s call her Dorothy) has really been manifesting herself a lot more in my daily activities. With zero social interaction over the long weekend and a broken-down car, I am cooped up in my house and have taken to devouring Margaret Atwood novels and pulling weeds from the garden. This computer is my only escape.

Since I am pretty much the living embodiment of the nutty Little Edie from Grey Gardens right now, I need some fabulous heels to compliment my infringing social awkwardness. Yes, I think these heeled brogues will do. I tried on a pair with a similar heel at Aldo last week, and it was a pleasant surprise to discover that they were actually rather comfortable and fun to walk in. Chunky heels are awesome, spindly heels can go die in a hole of Tom Ford. Or something like that.

Do you think little Edie would’ve been into the whole ‘Patrick Robinson=Head designer at Gap?’ I think so. When I saw this page in Teen Vogue, I gasped and immediately made a mental (and physical) note to buy thermal socks at the next possible opportunity.

Finally, this is kind of irrelevant but I love Elton John. Praise that little sequined man for being so darn amazing! I could listen to ‘Your Song’ for hours. And I really want this t-shirt (SO NOT Little Edie) but the Ebay seller might as well cut off my right arm than have me pay $50 for a t-shirt.

Okay, I am done ranting.

Someone Save My Life Tonight

I have finally found them - the perfect shoes. I actually had a dream about vintage brown leather t-straps a couple nights ago, so I swear it must have been "thrift fate". They remind me of everything I love about Liebemarlene and the Snail and the Cyclops, and all the other internet vintage-purveyors that I am hopelessly inspired by. This one's for you!

In other news, does anyone else constantly try (and fail) in attempts to define their style? In magazines they always ask "how would you describe your style?" I am forever trying to reconcile my music tastes with my clothing tastes. I mean, you could look at this picture and never guess that my music tastes run towards the Minor Threat/Black Flag/Bikini Kill side of the spectrum. As much I would like to be the 'rock chick', I'm just much too feminine for that. The best I can come up with is "dishevelled librarian." How would YOU describe your style?

Oh yeah, and don't forget the SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION.

'Administrative Support/Summer Student'

Has everybody been voting daily? I hope so.
Here is a sampling of this week's outfits brought to you in part by Corporate Canada. To be honest, nobody actually cares what I wear but its best to keep up some semblance of "presentable" when you're the new kid on the block. Hence the houndtooth jacket, which I adore.

Houndstooth Jacket - free from Swap Meet
Black Top - $10, H&M
Black Pants - Present from K.
Crappy red shoes - I've had these for ages, so no idea.


This was today's "casual friday" outfit. I pretty much live for casual friday because of that little extra bit of self-expression you're allowed. I might wear the same clothes on a regular weekday, but not with sneakers!

Ruffly turqoise tank - $4, Old Navy
Plaid Skirt - St. Vincent's $3 bag sale
Brown Western belt - From when I was 10...
Sneakers - $5, Value Village

I've learned my lesson - outfit pictures should always be taken outside with no flash. Preferably with a massive country backyard in the background.