Sunday Sunny Sunday

My claw footed cup makes tea drinking so much more fun.

I've been trying to get over a sore throat, which means lots of tea (starbucks passion tea, above. so delish) and spending time resting, writing, listening to music, and drawing pictures. 

Really diggin' this Alabama Shakes album "Boys & Girls" recently. Can Brittany Howard sing, or can Brittany Howard SING?! The grit and soul instilled in her music is breathtaking, and reminiscent of Janis Joplin.

Alabama Shakes - You Ain't Alone

This girl started out looking kind of like Serena Van Der Woodsen from Gossip Girl, and ended up looking like a barbie doll. I think its the eyes.

It's a gorgeous day out today, which means strolling the neighbourhood, live music at the cafe, and a long overdue dinner date with some old girlfriends.


Alabama Shakes - Be Mine

Sunday (happy, awesome, beautiful, gorgeous, spectacular) Sunny Sunday!

Manicure (un)Monday: Lapiz of Luxury

Despite not even coming remotely close to matching my pedicure, Lapiz of Luxury - one of my newer Essie's - is quickly approaching my short list for favourite spring nails colours.

The hue is a nice medium between a bright purple/lilac (which is usually obnoxious, let's be honest) and a slate blue grey with a touch of periwinkle. The Essie website describes it oficially as "a dreamy ocean blue" which I don't feel is very accurate at all. Their words do sound ever so ethereal though, so I'll go with it and vomit a few rainbows with the person who writes the descriptions for these jars of paint.

Just so it's clear - the colour isn't really close to any ocean I have ever seen, swam in, surfed on top of, or tanned in front of. "Dreamy ocean blue" reads more as a turquoise greenish - aqua, for lack of a better term - than dusty periwinkle. Not to mention, the colour is called "Lapis of luxury" on the bottle, and "Lapiz of luxury" on the website which is careless, to put it simply.. but I digress.

Without being too in-your-face bright, this shade gives that extra pop of colour necessary for darker neutrals, and grey colour palettes. For lighter colour palettes it adds a nice bubbly spring touch without overpowering the lighter shades in your outfit. It is fun, but subtle enough that you won't look like you had a manicure party with your baby niece while wearing it. At the same time, the hue is just off the beaten path enough that people notice it - but don't start the "my nails were that colour last week" smirk that your co-workers just love flashing around the office, no doubt.

While bright pinks, reds, and oranges usually dominate the spring polish market - and making it's comeback this year, bright yellow, quelle surprise - a purpley colour like this is refreshing. Pat yourself on the back, Essie, you've made a wonderful polish shade and should be proud. Different story about the misleading website colour descriptions and naming inconsistency. You win some you lose some - and they nailed it where it matters, boy did they ever.

Frock Stomp the Lucite

Soko - First Love Never Die

Sometimes all you need is a trip down memory lane to find that random inspiring moment. A song, a moment, a sensation - it's virtually unknown what it is that will push you over the edge. Spoonfuls of framboise, warmth and sunshine, lemonade, flouncy frocks, and pure bliss. If you need me, I'll be out playing in the yard.. but don't leave a message, come join me instead. Swish

{H&M Denim Jacket / Gentlefawn Avian Print Frock from Tabula Rasa / Partial lucite peep toe wedge by Chloé}

Return of the bird dress, bare leggin' it like it's summer time already. I really like this dress, so many layers, which ties directly in with the bird print. The layers are quite feathery and drapey, so with each step you are fluttering by. I blogged about when I got it first here, let me say that since then there have been far too many frocks from Tabula Rasa that are well wicked. The TR spring party is this Saturday, which I am sure will be nothing short of amazing. I will most likely be wearing a nice little lipstick red number (lets hope my size is still there!) and twirling around like a poppy in the breeze, so come down and dance with me amongst the magic and pretty things at the shop.
 

I was lucky enough to snag these Chloé shoes earlier this month and am still relatively intrigued by them. The heel is a chunky wedge with a small cut out, but the back of it is made of clear lucite. Lucite heels have been making a comeback recently (really though.. were they ever 'in' - aside from stripper heels?). I find that this shoe is interesting enough to make people do a double take when you walk by in them, but classic enough that you could get away with wearing them in a lot of different situations in the summer time. Sometimes the light catches them juuuust right and they look like liquid platinum, nice bonus.
 

The leather is like butter and the heel is sturdy, not to mention they are gorgeous. 

Check aaaand mate.

 

Princess Peacock

It was warm yesterday, so I charged up some tunes and went for a bare legged evening stroll. SO happy I got these Shakuhachi shorts, they are definitely a summer closet favourite of mine. 

To depict my walk time, enter: grainy filtered photo.

{Shakuhachi Shorts {also in this post}, Free People Top, H&M Jacket, Bag (barely in photo) Alexander Wang "Marion".}

I drew a peacock dress lady. She is missing her hands, but I quite like her anyways. I bet that dress would be a lot of fun to twirl around in. Feathers, everywhere.

I spent the better part of last night wandering around my beach stomping grounds, listening to tunes, and trying to hone in on my drawing skills. Peacock was one of many little ladies that graced the pages of my sketchbook, and I like the way her feathery skirt turned out. I don't draw often, but it's something I enjoy and would like to get better at. Maybe I'll colour her next.. but let's not get carried away.

This song is beautiful, and took over my sound system for a long while along with a few others that I tweeted. Have a listen. 

Johnny Cash & Rosanne Cash - September When It Comes

What a lovely way to spend an evening.

<3

For the love of Lita

You all know the Jeffery Campbell Lita by now. If you don't, continue reading and you will.

{Jeffrey Campbell Lita in black distressed leather. image via solestruck}

There she is, folks. The shoe that is still sweeping the nation, one closet at a time. Lita.

After stalking the popular shoe online for weeks, I finally pulled the trigger and bought a pair in plain black. This was a year ago, and I have never looked back since that oh so fateful day April 21st, 2011. I tend to gravitate towards weird impractical "novelty" shoes for the most part. Bizarre shaped heels, brightly coloured vinyl, and that wonderful new leather smell always provide me with big smiles and happiness. When I finally unboxed my Litas and removed them from their papery sheath, I was so giddy from the excitment that I strapped them on immediately and started stomping around like a baby dinosaur. Lita started a Jeffrey Campbell shoestorm that is tough to keep up with and since Lita I have gotten some other JC babies - Alexa as well as Tardy. However, Lita remains a shoe closet favourite of mine through thick and thin.

{action jules - meet action litas, you'll get along juuuuuust fine}

Aside from their wicked military-esque (tres Jules) look, one of the main reasons I love my Litas is because they are super easy to walk in and have laces that accomodate my wide monster feet. I always enjoy the reaction I get after telling people that my Litas are my "safe shoes" because it usually involves many blank stares alongside a general WTF? facial expression. Well, I am happy to say that my safe shoes have made such an impact along with your WTF stares and dynamite comments about how killer my shoes are, that I have decided to get another pair of Litas or possibly their summer counterpart, Foxy. Actually, I decided this a while ago, but I am telling you now. So now you know, the cat is - how you say - "le out of le bag". Mama wants a new pair of JC kicks.

However, with my awesome decision making skills (sarcasm alert: not really), I think it will be tough choosing a new colour for my twin Litas (or other JC beauts) to add to my hoard collection. Suggestions welcome and appreciated. Hop on over to Solestruck or Nastygal and gawk at the colours for a while, I do it often.

Most of all, I love my Litas because they are living proof that "safe shoes" doesn't have to mean Uggs or Birkenstocks. My safe shoes are fierce, and that is why I love them.

<3

Summery Cheerfulness for the Teeny Tiny Orchid Farmer

Well, If the leafs can apologize for never making the playoffs, I guess I should also apologize for not blogging in a while. I love and appreciate each and every one of you who reads my banter about fashion, life, music, and all those other things that swirl around in my cranium. It makes me smile really big when I get comments on my posts, or when readers tweet at me just to chit chat, and the last thing I want people to think is that I don't care or.. well, worse.

A friend made me read a passage of a book the other day about finding your calling in life. Essentially, it made me take a step back and re-evaluate certain things like why I blog, and what I want to do next. Above all, it was a hypothetical slap in the face. Although he is smart (probably smarter than most, which is why it doesnt surprise me that he noticed and made strides to say something about it), I seemed so blatantly lost to him that he handed me a book, watched and waited as I read it.. which leads me to believe that if he can see that im slipping, everyone else probably can too. I will find my calling, and it will take time, but it will happen now probably sooner than a few days ago thanks to a couple cliche but helpful moments spent reading a book on a bus ride. I actually found a PDF of the book if was from and will read the rest of it after I burn through Post Office. So thanks for that, no really, I mean it.


There's something about the sunshine and the energy of the summer that makes me feel so much happier and better about everything. So many thought provoking conversations this week struck some interesting streams of conciousness that I posted over on tumblrella, and I think that is why I am now so anxious about the warmth arriving sooner rather than later. Needless to say, I am super excited about this coming summer because I have a feeling it is going to be nothing short of amazing. With summer right about the corner, the weather patterns in Toronto are starting to frustrate me with their senile-like confusion as to whether it is spring or winter on any given day. To get my head out of reality, and into planning for when baby sun decides to co-operate, I've been focusing on things that bring me summery cheerfulness and joy while the clock ticks away until summertime.


Whenever I feel like I am lacking inspiration, I go for a stroll, listen to some music, and clear my head. Wandering is a comforting feeling for me, and it doesnt hurt to see things like vintage cars and old friends while walking around in the sunshine. During recent adventures, I found myself a couple new flowery friends to tow around, as well as a nice haul of new Essie colours. Can't wait to try marbling them. More on that later with next monday's manicure post. I'll have the marbling photo tutorial done, so come back and see it then.

Nothing like satisfying your summer nostalgia with pretty flowers and colourful nails. I am going to become a teeny tiny orchid farmer and farm teeny tiny bebe orchids, it's official. All I need is one of those cute farmer hats. Right Bech?




How else do I plan to quench my craving for sunshine and summer bliss? Well, I have crafted a list (because people craft lists) of things that I would like to accomplish before summer smacks the nape of my neck in its oh so glorious sunlight.It is currently a work in progress, but check back soon because I will definitely be posting it in all of its glorious list glory. /eartoearsmileface

Part of the book passage I mentioned at the beginning of this post talked about not leaving what it is you are doing now, but instead changing focus towards the things you do best instead. The problem is, I do alot of things well, which clouds my vision as to what it is that I do best. So in hopes of narrowing that focus down to a few interests or activities that I "do best," much exploring is in order.

If you walk far enough, you'll find ice cream... Or heaps of kitschy things.

and who knows, maybe i'll make a wrong turn and find my calling somewhere along the way.

Word up, ice cream monster Jules face c: