Pink & Green...

What's white and pink and green all over? Well, me, apparently... But looking like a total watermelon is a small price to pay to the summer Gods, am I right? So keep the sunshine coming, and I'll stand in front of every bright green wall I can find! I know, I know, I'm such an altruist...

Happy Thursday, lovelies! xx

Outfit details: sequinned top- Forever 21; mullet skirt- Forever 21; neon satchel- Target (borrowed from Kastles); sandals- Michael Kors; necklaces- Forever 21 & Loft 82; bracelets- H&M, Blue Vanilla & Forever 21; watch- Michael Kors; tribal ring- Forever 21

Wardrobe Wednesday...

I can't get enough of these sunnies lately... I don't know if it's the colours, styles or what, but I'm all about them, all the time. It's come to the point where I just want to buy more and more varieties, until my bag is brimming with eyewear options for every mood and occasion... Take these Forever 21 sunnies (above) that I bought last week for example � the colour is phenom, and I love the rounded, vintage shape. Plus they were super cheap  ($6.80!), which is always fine by me. Similarly, I have mad love for my H&M Against AIDS Zach Morris-inspired shades (can you blame me?!) as well as my trusty Karen Walkers, so I'll spare you the additional sunglass-related gushing and just quit while I'm ahead...

Happy Wednesday, love bugs! xx

 

Cropped...

I'm kinda a big fan of crop tops, especially when they hail from decades past... Nothing beats an original (sorry, American Apparel), so scouring the racks of my local Value Village becomes something of an olympic sport where crop tops are concerned. This one was a prized-find last summer, when I scooped it up for only a couple of dollars in Victoria. And with the weather being as lovely as it currently is, I couldn't think of a better item to thrown on with shorts... Let the sun shine. xx

Outfit details: crop top- thrifted; shorts- H&M; wedges- Spring; clutch- American Apparel; necklaces- Forever 21 & Loft 82; watch- Michael Kors; bracelets- vintage & House of Harlow; cross ring- Forever 21

Fancy Fine...

Good morning, lovelies! Today is already shaping up to be one of those days where I struggle to keep up with my scary-long to-do list, so this post is going to be short and sweet... In fact, I'll just leave you with this weekend's humble realization: I'm officially obsessed with trousers. I've worn them before, but it took me a while to officially get on board (what can I say, I like dresses!). But now I'm here and I'm loving it... Thoughts? You guys are waaay cooler than me so you probably reached this conclusion eons ago, but hey, better late than never, right?

Outfit details: blazer- H&M; sequinned top- Forever 21; navy trousers- Forever 21; patent flats- Sam Edelman; necklaces- Les Arts Plastiques & Loft 82; ring- Forever 21; watch- Michael Kors; bracelet- House of Harlow

Blush Tones...

Happy Friday, lovelies! I hope everyone has a nice, relaxing weekend! xx

Outfit details: lace top & polka dot dress- Forever 21; necklace- Bang Bang Bijoux & Loft 82; oxfords- Aldo; glasses- Gucci

Impeccable Planning

When I was in Paris recently I made a special trip up to Monmartre to go back to Metal Pointu's, the jewelry shop I fell in love with during my last trip. My purpose was to get one of the chunky, statement necklaces that I had seen the last time I was there. This one is just perfect, having enough thickness and heft to feel and look substantial, but not so much as to overwhelm my slender neck and narrow shoulders. While I was there I also picked up another ring to go with the one I already had. I really love how the two pieces complement one another.

A couple of days later during the trip, I was wearing my new necklace with one of the dresses I had packed. My friend/coworker who I was traveling with remarked at how perfectly the necklace went with my dress. I said, "Well of course they go together, I packed this dress knowing I would be going to that shop to buy a necklace to go with it!" He thought that was going just a bit too far for fashion, but I thought it was simply impeccable planning.

Vest: Cotelac
Top: Max Studio
Pants: Cynthia Steffe
Sandals: Michael Kors
Jewelry: Metal Pointu's

Deserted Island Essentials...

If, knock on wood, I should find myself stranded on a lonely deserted island someday, I would pray for an unlimited supply of ice cream, the company of my mister, a magical Internet connection (obvi) and my trusty cosmetics bag... Hey, a girl's got to look her best, right? And if the deserted island Gods would be kind enough to send some toothpaste my way, well, that would be ace. But back to business: we're talking beauty essentials here, people!

For me, nothing beats smooth skin and a defined eye, so you can imagine where my beauty allegiance lies, but a classic red lip and mani are pretty sweet as well... So without further ado, here's what I would hope to have in a Gilligan's Island-type situation:

1. Aveeno Active Naturals sunscreen (gotta practice safe sun!)
2. Sephora Collection Eye Liner
3. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Powder (no shiny t-zone for this island dweller!)
4. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation
5. CoverGirl LashBlast Mascara (in this case, I'm thinking waterproof...)
6. MAC lipstick in 'Lady Bug'
7. Butter London nail polish in 'Come to Bed Red' (oh baby!)
8. The almighty Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 (it's magical)

What would you wish for if you were stranded on a deserted island? Spill! xx

Wardrobe Wednesday // Instagram Edition

I love shopping as much as the next girl, but I've been trying to cutback a bit this month as a bit of a personal challenge... Now I know you must be thinking 'Wow, she must really hate herself,' but I assure you, I do not... I just wanted to try my hand at reducing my clothing consumption while making more out of what I already have. And although I've picked up a couple things here and there (see my Forever 21 jewelry haul above!), it feels pretty darn good saving money for a change... Go figure.

So for this week's Wardrobe Wednesday I thought it best to focus on some cherished accessories and my new favourite store, with only minimal attention paid (no pun!) to new purchases... I must be turning a new leaf or something! xx

Clockwise from top: Clothing & amazing oxfords from Loft 82; skull bracelet from H&M Against AIDS (so cute!); a few of my fave lip colours from Joe Fresh, Revlon & Sephora; a super old nail polish DIY on old H&M rings; my House of Harlow bangle and new Forever 21 bracelet; my latest jewelry haul from Forever 21; a nail polish DIY I did for the Edmonton Journal

Surprise

I've been waiting ages to wear this dress. I found it for $9 at the thrift store, brand new with tags, just as we were heading into winter. Since this color is really only suitable for warmer weather, it lurked in my closet packed away with all the rest of the summery stuff that I boxed up to make room for my sweaters and wool skirts. I had pretty much forgotten about it in fact, so it was a nice surprise to open up the box and find a brand new dress waiting for me.

Cardigan: Anthropologie
Necklace: Dana LeBlanc Designs
Dress: Calvin Klein
Shoes: BC Footwear
Bag: Coccinelle

eShakti Giveaway!

Hello lovelies! The wonderful people at eShakti offered to give one lucky reader an item of their choice, which can be custom sized and styled if you should so desire... How sweet is that?! And just in time for summer, I might add (wink wink). Simply visit their shop and let me know in the comments what you would choose if you won, then be sure to follow eShakti on Facebook and Pinterest... And be sure to spread the word via Facebook or Twitter for additional entries! Contest closes May  31... Good luck!! xx

Past Meets Present...

Well hello there, lovelies! And happy long weekend Monday... If you're reading this, I'm probably driving home from Calgary, where I spent a lovely weekend catching up with family. Well, at  least past Vickie hopes so... You'll have to confirm that with future Vickie after the weekend's over ;)

Hope everyone had a fab weekend! xx

Outfit details: denim jacket- Forever 21; dress- Michael Kors; pumps- Zara; neon bag- Cambridge Satchel; necklaces- Forever 21, Pamela Love, Little Pancakes, Loft 82; ring- Michael Kors

Inspiration || Pastels

Now I don't know about you guys, but I've gone completely gaga over pastels this year... And if you don't believe me, just check out my Pinterest account � it's literally bursting with the stuff! I'm not really sure what's come over me, but I just want to layer myself in soft, girlie hues while I paint my nails in the candy colours I relished in when I was 12... I guess trends really are cyclical, huh?

Happy Friday, love bugs! xx

Image credits: Pilimichelle; Urbanxchange; Musee des Pontan; Home Life; Pshiiit

Light Bright...

Bonjour! I thought I would go for a little in-your-face colour blocking today to brighten things up... You likey? I hadn't worn this dress in a while, and this blazer has been the apple of my eye since I bought it a few weeks ago, so pairing the two felt like a no-brainer... After all, the brighter the better, right? Tah for now, darlings! xx

Outfit details: dress & blazer- Forever 21; pumps- Zara; clutch- vintage YSL; belt- thrifted; necklace- Forever 21

Wardrobe Wednesday...

Believe it or not, but sometimes I get more enjoyment from buying cute little accessories than full-on outfits... I don't know what it is, but there's a certain promise that comes from scouting the perfect scarf or a pop-of-colour-packed belt � Like you've cleverly found a way to stretch your wardrobe and spice up those tired-old tops and dresses... And for someone who's now on a self-imposed shopping ban (I know, crazy right?!), that's pretty darn appealing. xx

Image details: printed scarf and patent coral belt� both Loft 82

Strasbourg and Paris Sights

As promised, here are some photos from the France portion of my trip. I'll start off with a few from Strasbourg.

You can't visit Strasbourg without taking a look at the magnificent cathedral, which is so large and imposing it can be seen for miles around.

 The west side of the cathedral is built in the late Gothic style.

 It's impossible to even fit the whole building into a single frame.

 Here's the other side of the cathedral, which is in the Romanesque style.

 A quaint little square near the cathedral, with lots of the German style timber-framed buildings that are common in Strasbourg. And a giant boulder. I'm guessing it was too much trouble to move it, so they just built around it. That's what I'd do anyway.

The next stop on the trip was Paris, where I was lucky enough to meet up with the fabulous D�j� Pseu of Une Femme d'un Certain Age. This was the second time we happened to both be in Paris at the same time, so I figured it was a sign that we ought to meet. Sadly I did not take pictures, which is actually ok because to me that just means we were enjoying our conversation.

You've all seen pictures of the usual Paris sights before, so I'll share a few of the details that stood out. 

The spectacular interior of the Palais Garnier Opera house, with its beautiful Beaux-Arts detailing. On the left is the grand staircase, and on the right is the foyer.

Inside the theater is a modern ceiling by Marc Chagall, and a bronze and crystal chandelier that weighs an impressive 7 tons.

Here's the only other outfit photo I got while I was traveling.

I love how it looks like this guy is squeezing the fish really hard to make it spit water. Another statue looks like he's playing air guitar with his fish.

Another fish; this one on the Pont Alexandre. Grotesque and beautiful.

Suits of armor on the windows of Les Invalides.

 Incredible craftsmanship on these old cannons; also at Les Invalides.

OK, you've seen this structure before, but I thought it looked pretty cool with its head buried in the fog.

Creepy gargoyles on Notre Dame.

Offsetting the creepiness, thousands of locks on the nearby Love Bridge.

That's it for my travel photos! I hope you enjoyed reliving a little of my trip with me. I'll get back to my regular outfit posting in a couple days.