Winter Textures

While the below freezing temperatures here in Newfoundland really make me want to curl up & hibernate in bed, the show must go on. I stubbornly refuse to dress practically; no snow boots or bland bundling for me. Thankfully today the sun is shining gorgeously so I was able to get away with some mild layering, infused with a variety of winter-appropriate textures.

This amber yellow feather vest from Club Monaco was one of my early Christmas presents to myself (last seen here). It's unbelievably warm & cosy. Every time I wear it I've come to expect random people petting me haha. Velvet was something I was tiring of in the Spring weather of Vancouver; but snowy Newfoundland has revived my interest a little. It is the perfect Winter texture afterall. The third texture I incorporated into this look is lace (Vero Moda lace-back cardigan), for some added feminity. Granny-style grey lace-up boots, jewelled owl pendant, & wayfarer sunnies complete this simple Wintery look.

To make the most of this gorgeous day Mom & I are going for a drive down the coast, to my favourite place in the world - Bottle Cove. The scenery there is stunning in both Winter & Summer; so expect lots of photos tomorrow :)

I was wearing:

Feather vest - Club Monaco

Lace-back cardigan - Vero Moda

Navy velvet skirt - American Apparel

Grey silky tee - Lush (old)

Grey lace-up boots - Forever 21 (old)

You're the boss applesauce.

As in a supreme effort to prove me wrong, Spring hit Vancouver today. No rain, no grey skies; just beautiful sunshine & warmth. It was the first day I've seen folks out with bare legs & arms since October & it was lovely :) As for your comments on my rainy day musings, all I have to say is you are all too cute! I loved your feedback & have to conclude that most of us live with the idea that the grass is always greener on the other side (myself included). I grumble over the rain, my mother calls me ranting about the 4 feet of snow & cold back home, & those of you in places like Australia & California really feel they'd like some cooler temperatures for a change. No doubt we'll find ourselves the perfect climate some day ;)

Weather aside, today was my last day off work for a while & I attempted to be as productive as possible. I dropped some long overdue items off at the dry cleaners (cringing at the price; I could have had a new blazer for that!), shopped my way through Lush & Sephora, & picked up some wholesome groceries. All while enjoying the sunshine & calling my mom every 15 minutes for mini chats :) This outfit is what you would have found me in, though I honestly overdressed for the temperature. Partially inspired by excessive Camera Obscura listening, partially by the general awesomeness of my Karen Walker sunnies. Velvet sleeves & maxi skirts & kitten litas - oh my! 

I was wearing:

Faux Fur vest - Zara

Wine velvet dress - American Apparel

White accordion pleat maxi - American Apparel

Number 6 Tortoise Round Sunnies - Karen Walker (via Jennyfleur Loves)

Gold leaf necklace - Girly Peepshow Boutique

Kitten Lita - Jeffrey Campbell

Molten Gold & Rain

A recent personal trend I've noticed: I seem to gravitate toward velvet on rainy days. So when I came to terms that my day off was to be a distinctly wet one, out came the velvet. The particular piece I chose was the Club Monaco amber velvet skirt I received for Christmas. It reminds me of molten gold. I paired it with two items I purchased last year in Halifax: my golden leaf necklace & grey shoulder cut-out top. I love the silkiness of the top, the unique shoulder detail, & the rich texture of the skirt. 


In terms of light & photo quality I'll be the first to admit that these are far from my favourites. But I promised you an outfit photo, & unfortunately this is all the rain allowed for! I've been wanting to share more outfits with you but between time conflicts & weather mishaps it just hasn't been a possibility as of late. Rather than simply hope for improvements I've been thinking about getting a wireless remote so I'll be able to take my own photos. Not sure how it'll work out but it's certainly worth a try! Do any of you take your photos this way? I'd love some feedback/suggestions :)

I was wearing:

Grey cut-out top - Lush (via Envy)

Amber velvet skirt - Club Monaco

Gold Leaf Necklace - Girly Peepshow Boutique

Hammered Ring - Forever 21

Paloma wedges - Dolce Vita

Velvet & Leo

This look was quickly put together as something to wear to work on a rainy day. I love the richness of the navy velvet skirt paired with this vintage white shirt. For a little pop of pattern I added the leopard print peep-toe wedges. When it comes to outfits like these which are a little on the plain side, it's the details that always count. In this case, I just love the buttons & ruching details on the shirt, as well as the multi-strand chain necklace. Let me know what you think! 

I know my balcony isn't the most picturesque of backdrops, but it just has to do on rainy days! And now I'm rushing off to work as per usual, for what promises to be a busy sale day. Wishing you a fabulous day & thank you so much for reading! <3 

I was wearing:

White shirt - vintage, Ports International

Navy velvet skirt - American Apparel

Leopard print wedges - Forever 21

Multi-chain necklace - Forever 21

A New Year

Happy 2012 everyone! I hope everyone had a fabulous New Year's Eve & a relaxing day today. I myself worked both days, but had a lovely time nonetheless. It was so nice to see some of my favourite people at work again, revel in everyone's New Years giddiness, & wear my new velvet dress. 


Along with each new year comes the mandatory list of resolutions. Last year I wrote a somewhat over-ambitious list of 100+ resolutions from the grandiose to the miniscule. Long lost, I don't how many of those resolutions I actually fulfilled; but this year I'm starting small & sharing them with you so I'll have a little more motivation. Besides the usual 'keep in better touch with friends', 'exercise more', & 'just be happy' here are my 5 main goals for 2012:

1. Stop biting my nails

I attempt this one every year, but so far have only managed a few months without crumbling. It's a terrible habit, but 2012 is the year! Pretty manicure inspiration required. 

2. Finish my school courses by April.

Which means procrastinating less & being much more productive than I have been lately. German & Microbiology I will conquer you. 

3. Save money & travel more. 

Although it may mean a reduction in my wardrobe budget, I hold travel higher than anything else - & this year I'm looking forward to a long & delightful trip (perhaps even a relocation!)

4. Take better care of my skin & hair.

I'm the queen of falling asleep with my makeup on. No more! I'm also going to spend more time experimenting with my makeup & hair. I'll let you know how it goes ;) 

5. Evolve my blog.

For me this means gaining more of you lovely followers, posting more often, & hopefully working on some collaborations. I'm really looking forward to the future growth of this site & sharing my year with you!

I'd love to know what resolutions you've made for 2012 so please let me know! I have the next 3 days off so you can expect several new outfit posts this week (oh look, #5 ;). Until then, have a fantastic evening everyone! <3 

Christmas Cheer // New In

I hope each & every one of you had a fantastic Christmas - here are some bits & pieces of mine :)

Christmas doggies :)

Delicious tofurkey! 

And here are some of the lovely little gifts I received:

                                                   

A Zara faux fur vest I've had my eye on for awhile - can't wait to wear this one!

So much velvet! 

This was the first Christmas away from my family, so there were many changes & admittedly, much homesickness. I called my Mom about 10 times, & skyped with my entire family; so that certainly helped. All the same, I did have a lovely time. So much delicious vegan food, delightful gifts, & (at my demand) plenty of christmas movies :) 

Tomorrow is our last day in Ottawa; then back to Vancouver & 'real life'. Between obligations & cold weather we have been very poor tourists in this city, so tomorrow I am really hoping for a solid day of exploring downtown & the Parliament buildings. 

For now however, I'm off to curl up with a blanket & a good movie. Have a wonderful evening! <3 

A little inspiration

With 5 long days in a row of work behind me I am one exhausted girl! I'm really looking forward to my next 2 days off, & am starting tonight with some relaxing classic movies like Casablanca, Sabrina, & The African Queen - delightful! :) As per the usual fatigued mind, inspiration is key. So I'd like to share with you, my lovely readers, some photos which have been particularly inspiring to me recently! 

Ankle cuffs - probably my favourite trend right now! This photo via Tuula Vintage.

The stunning Kristina of Kayture.  

Via Stockholm Streetstyle

Gorgeous details by Paula of Apple Blosson and The City.

Velvet wedges I'd just about die for....

How brilliant is this polka dot dress?! One of many lovely looks by Daniella of LellaVictoria.

Precisely my dream hair, a la Valentino.

More striking polka dots adorn this unqiue Stella McCartney jumpsuit. Worn by Valentina of Factory Style.

And that's that! What has been inspiring you lately & where have you found it? Please share, I'd love to know! :)

They build buildings so tall these days

Sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in the hustle & bustle of everyday life. The past few days of non-stop work, & (shameful) neglect of proper sleep/nutrition have left me exhausted & a little out of it. Thankfully my work is wonderfully understanding & I was able to go home sick from work today. 


What ensued was some much-needed wholesome food (delicious delicacies from Gorilla Food raw vegan cafe), some fresh air on a beautiful day, & some well-appointed laughter from seeing the latest Muppets movie. We also quickly popped into the quaintest used bookstore I've ever seen, MacLeod's (on the corner of Richards & West Pender). The very definition of organized chaos, this place is my idea of heaven - books floor to ceiling; shelves upon shelves; random stacks higher than me, just threatening to topple at any given moment…. delightful! 

Now I'm home & happily preparing for bed before 9pm. Thank goodness for the littlest things that make you feel so much better. 

I was wearing:

Military-style jacket - Zara

Peach cropped sweater - Vintage

Navy velvet skirt - American Apparel (new)

Lace-up oxfords - F21

Earmuffs - Burberry

Bag - H&M

It feels so good to finally get a new post in, however fashion-less it may seem. I've got some lovely new things to show you over the next few days & am also looking forward to getting in several outfit photoshoots - stay tuned :)

<3 Shawna

I AM DOWNTOWN

Tonight we braved the rain to attend the 'I Am Downtown' shopping + fashion event at the Pacific Centre, here in downtown Vancouver. 


As you can see from the advertisement below, the event included a fashion show within the shopping centre. I absolutely loved all the pieces shown - so much glitter, sequin, & velvet! The outfits were basically comprised of designers & labels housed at the Pacific Centre, including: Michael Kors, Max Mara, Aritzia, Browns, Hugo Boss, Stuart Weitzman, Club Monaco, Judith & Charles, Mexx, Harry Rosen, Nine West, Sears, & Ann Louise Jewellers. The only negative aspect was not being able to easily identify the designers of each & every piece (unfortunate if you've got precise shopping on the mind).


Anyways, I've got a bunch of fashion show photo's for you below. All were taken by the wonderfully obliging Matt Walker, so I could better focus on the stuff at hand (& he's about 150x better than me anyways). 


Hope you enjoy & please let me know what your favourite pieces are! 

This one was unfortunately slightly blurred, but I had to show you this gorgeous cardi/wrap sweater!

Oh hello bag that I really, really want. 

Stuart Weitzman heels

Pretty much need this coat.

One of my absolute favourites of the night - Velvet blazer, velvet pants, sheer blouse.... so fabulous.

Going on a mission tomorrow to find this blazer! 

Club Monaco velvet skirt.

Stunning statement necklace & earrings by Ann Louise Jewellers.

So much sparkle... 

My other favourite of the evening - the black sequin jumpsuit! Completely enamoured with this one...

And that is that! Hope you all have a wonderful evening :)