Just a few vacation photos...

Well, I didn't end up wearing anything fabulous in China (due to my brother being such a grouch!  seriously...) but here are a few pictures that I think are kind of worth posting - some are to show you a single item I'm wearing, some are for sheer cuteness, and some are for humour!

My little niece, Rachel, watching the pandas at the zoo (and the man there is my brother).  I adore her baby hat with the big polka-dotted pink bow.  My friend says this photo reminds him of the Mirror of Erised in the first Harry Potter book.  I see his point.

My brother, my niece, and I at the zoo.  I love my own polka dot dress and my boater hat, both of which I purchased for practically nothing in Beijing.  I don't love how whoever took the photo AMPUTATED OUR FEET.  This is my pet peeve in all photographs, as it is just so unflattering to legs, generally makes a photo look worse, and ruins an outfit by not showing the shoes.

Too bad about the photo quality (indoor, no flash) but this is a fashionable toddler, I tell you!  She's already demonstrated an interest in my shoe collection.

I have terrible eyesight and wear glasses or contacts all the time - here we had just gotten off the plane and I was wearing the glasses for easy napping.  It's hard to see here, but I adore the cropped black pants I'm wearing.  Too bad about the foot amputation again.

My sister-in-law, Fiona.  My hair is doing its humidity-curling thing again, shame.  This pink top did not make it back to Canada - actually, I brought a whole bunch of clothes that were worn out already and I did not bring them home.

Feel free to laugh at my expense!  These surgical masks are used by many people in China for various reasons - in this case, I was wearing one because it was a windy day and there was sand blowing around.  For extra fashion points, I borrowed my sister-in-law's mother's jacket (it was chillier than it looks) and my horrible 4-years-old jeans from high school.  Don't worry, they didn't come home with me!

Not so buttoned up

Something I have heard about myself, personality-wise, is that I'm "buttoned-up" and I have actually never seen it as something bad.  That said, I decided to translate the phrase into clothing and unbutton a bit.

I stopped liking the spaghetti-strap tank top a couple of years ago, and now it reminds me too much of my 16-year-old self.  My collection of them now serves usually to wear under low-cut tops to make them more modest.  Hence, the unbuttoned button-down top instead of a cardigan.  It's 32 degrees!  And my hair is doing that humidity thing where it curls and my bangs look horrible.  Yay!

 I'm counting this as a shoe challenge: these flat canvas Mary Janes cost $9 at Urban Outfitters and are ridiculously comfortable in addition to being adorable.  They are quickly becoming my easiest-wearing shoes of the summer!

I'm back!

Back from China!  I said I would try to post while I was gone, but I didn't realize that you can't access any Google blogs there (same thing with facebook, causing me to depend upon my hotmail account a lot more than normal).  Communism ftw, eh?  But my outfits were generally thoroughly uninspired anyway, including me spending a lot of time in my brother's huge sweater, so no loss to the fashion blogging community!  Since I got home on Tuesday, the weather has been pretty obliging and I've been wearing some of my favourite dresses, but unfortunately my camera also broke while I was there and so I've resorted to the Macbook Photobooth for these.  Actually it's my sister's computer, mine is at the Apple Store for repairs.  Trust technology to let you down all at once.  But fortunately they are doing all the repairs for free, and the camera was pretty old and cheap anyway.  Still I'm broke at the moment...

Anyway without further ado:

I'm pretty delighted with how this outfit turned out.  It started with the skirt, the only below-the-knee length skirt I own.  I was forced to wear it (first time ever) because this morning I attended a traditional Roman Catholic Mass, in Latin with the priest facing away from the congregation and where women cover their hair with a veil and must cover from knees to collarbones.  I got away with the collarbones by keeping on my coat, it looked really dowdy and frumpy but flattering apparel is not really the point there.  I was also wearing frumpier shoes.  These kitten heel flip flops are Shoe Challenge #14 and I'm glad to save them now while I have my still pedicure from China :)

 I raided my Mom's closet for this top.  I was actually looking for hangers when this jumped out at me.  Sorry Mom, I have fallen in love!  And the flower belt is from China, another of my new loves.

Hot pink lipstick is something I used to wear when I was 15 and I got a bit of criticism for it, usually from boys my age, but I didn't listen to them.  I've never gotten a positive male response for lipstick of any colour, but who says style is for the enjoyment of men?  I'm delighted that bright lipstick is currently in style!  :D

I know I'm now rambling about this outfit but I'm just THAT EXCITED!!  My absolute favourite thing is the hair, another trick I learned in China.  It actually takes no more than three minutes, two elastics, and two or three bobby pins!  Yay!

Anyway, the bottom line (literally, this actually IS the bottom line!) is that I am now absolutely thrilled with an outfit built around what I previously considered the frumpiest skirt in my closet!  :D :D :D

Easter Weekend, and kicking off the sunblock season!

I know I haven't been posting here regularly!  I've just finished my exams and then was very busy with Easter.  Between Good Friday and today, I've spent about 6 hours in Church.  I am a firm Roman Catholic, and I do like Mass and find it inspiring and comforting in a lot of ways, but I must say after this weekend I'm all churched out.

So I guess it's sort of good (I feel bad for saying this) that on Tuesday I'll be heading to China, where there are just no Catholic churches and attendance is not an option.  Why am I going there?  My brother lives there with his wife and their beee-eautiful baby girl, Rachel.  I'm so excited to see them all!  I'll try to keep up my posting while I'm there, but I'm afraid my outfits won't normally be very much fun, my brother disapproves of "flashy" dressing and since I don't get to see him all the time I try to avoid fights.

Anyway, the point of this is to show my Easter outfits!  The first one here is from last night's Easter Vigil Mass, and I also wore it to cast my ballot for the Canadian election:

 This dress is Isaac Mizrahi for Target, so already a bargain, but I went two better and found it in a thift shop, AND on 50% off day.  So it was about $5.  Win!  Also: it's the start of sunblock season!  I use a moisturizer with sunblock year-round, but in the summer I go a little crazy.  Tanning is not only unhealthy, but for me it's just plain impossible.  I burn like crazy!  Good thing I've learned to embrace my paleness.

And on Easter Sunday itself, I thought I'd go a bit brighter and busted out the first of my sundresses.  Needed a cardigan for Mass, of course, but I'm so excited that it's finally warm enough to even consider getting out the thin cotton things.

 Maybe the outfit could have used a belt...I'm not sure what colour though.  Black or brown might be too harsh against the girly floral.

Shoeper Shoe Challenge #13!  I've actually worn these before, also to Sunday Mass, but this is the first time they lasted the whole day as part of the outfit.  Somehow I never wear these anywhere except Church, maybe it's because they're so ladylike?

Shoe Challenge #12

It's a warm day so I'm wearing lace!  I'm pleased that it's "in fashion" this season. I don't typically follow fashion trends, other than the most macro-level ones (shape of jeans, skirt lengths, etc) but I am generally pleased to note that something I would wear anyway is also fashionable at the moment.

As you may recall I've been having a bit of a crisis because taking photos of my outfits has alerted me to the fact that most of my skirts are shorter than I was really aware of.  This one I found in the kids' section of a thrift store (cheaper than cheap!).  It fits fine at the waist although it's a slight struggle to pull it over my hips, and it does count as a miniskirt on me.  I think the length is balanced out by wearing it with flats: I'll save my heels for longer skirts or pants.

I'm afraid my life is very boring at the moment.  This outfit is only for studying and a casual dinner out with several friends later on.  I promise, it gets more exciting!  In fact, I have a hard time studying because in two weeks exactly I'm going to China to see my brother, sister-in-law, and niece for three weeks, after that to New Jersey to visit my relatives, and then to France for my summer course!  How can I focus on American politics with such a wonderful line-up ahead of me?

I know I've already posted about the happy face nails, but they're really winning nails as far as I'm concerned!

These are some winning nails

I don't think I'm the first person to do this, but:

I definitely needed some exam-time cheering up!  Yellow nail polish and a black permanent marker!  The left hand drawing can be a bit tricky but I don't think I did a terrible job and really the little things always make me happy.  :D  For anyone else in the middle of exams, my sympathies!  Good luck, virtual friends!

Political rally, and Shoeper Challenge #11

I know it's Frocking Friday and I'm in a skirt, but a) it's my newest thrift store acquisition (along with a black skirt and a white lace skirt, both of which I adore, ahem) and b) I was going to an occasion that a dress seemed OTT for.

Now it's not my intention to make this a political blog but if I'm going to show you the day's outfit and events, it's already clear that I'm putting my support behind the current Conservative Prime Minister, Mr. Stephen Harper, for our coming federal election.  Today I attended a rally with my dad and my friend John in my area and even got a photo with Prime Minister Harper! I will post it when John sends it to me.  The event was very exciting, especially to see so many TV personalities present.  I always encourage people my age to get engaged in politics, whichever party or candidate they choose to support, even if it's no more than reading a newspaper and casting a ballot.  So many young people (and older people too, for that matter) are disillusioned with politicians but my view is that it's always better to participate and potentially have some control over the game than to just give up altogether.

 The blue badge shows my support for the Conservative candidate in my constituency.

These are Shoes #11, something like a combination between Oxfords and Mary Janes?  I wore them to death in Mexico before Christmas, so much that as soon as I got home I bought a second pair for later!  They already show how much I love them, so good thing about it too, and for something like $17, I won't complain.  They are super comfortable, versatile and match-with-anything, and yet interesting.  I love them!