OOTD + Lovelysally Giveaway!

Blouse: Forever 21 | Skirt: Lovelysally* | Heels: Ardene

Even though it's summer, I just can't part with my all-black outfits...

Now for the exciting bit! I'm hosting a giveaway on behalf of Lovelysally! Lovelysally is a, well, lovely online shop which sells amazing printed leggings, skirts, dresses, and swimsuits! They recently approached me about doing a giveaway and I thought it was a brilliant idea and thought you guys would think so as well!

The giveaway prize is any 1 item of your choice from Lovelysally's online shop! Leggings, a skirt, a dress, a swimsuit -- whichever you like best!

To enter:

1) Like Lovelysally's Facebook page 

2) Follow my blog via GFC

3) Leave a comment on this post to let me know you've entered

 The giveaway will be open for 10 days, it will end on on 29 June at 11.59pm, and it is open internationally! 

On 30 June, I will announce the winner of the giveaway (who will be chosen at random).

Good luck!

xxx

OOTD: Dotty

Leotard: Sirens | Skirt: eBay | Heels: Steve Madden

You know how when you put a certain outfit together, put it on, and just think 'this feels so me'? 

One of my favourite feelings, especially when you haven't experienced it for a while!

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Like Smoke

Cardigan: Sirens | Skirt: Lovelysally | Heels: Vintage | Lipstick: Racy Red/Avon

Hi lovelies! Sorry for being so absent lately, I've been super busy and ill with a bad head cold. 

I wore this outfit last week. I paired a new ivory cardigan I bought for $5 on sale at Sirens (!) with this Lovelysally skirt -- I love the print, I think it looks amazingly neat! I wasn't sure what shoes to wear, so I decided I'd go with this simple old pair of mum's heels. In retrospect, I think I went with a little-bit-too-dark lipstick, but these things do happen.

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Beauty | City Siren by China Glaze

Red is easily my go-to nail colour and lately I've been loving China Glaze's City Siren. I was given it last Christmas and while it's not exactly a seasonal spring/summer colour, it's my favourite red of the moment.

And a quick 'bonus' photo of my little indoor rose plant! If only the roses stayed in bloom for longer, most of them have sadly begun to wilt since taking this photo. That said, there are a few new buds that I'm hoping will stick it out. So, crossing my fingers for that!

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OOTD: Chambray

Dress: SheInside* | Heels: Ardene | Lipstick: Kiss of Life/Rimmel | Nail Polish: City Siren/China Glaze

I rarely go for loose-fitting pieces but I love this SheInside dress!

It's quite short, though, so I may need to wear a pair of little shorts underneath to make sure to avoid mishaps!

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OOTD: Stripes

 

Dress: Sirens | Heels: Steve Madden | Lipstick: Avon/Smitten Red

We had absolutely amazing weather for a few days a week or so ago, but sadly have reverted back to 12 degree temperatures and rain. On the bright side, it allows me the opportunity to get a bit more wear out of certain clothes that aren't exactly summer-appropriate...

I think I'd rather have the sun and 20 degree temperatures.

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Fashion Favourites | Casual Bags & Shoes

top row: jones bootmaker leather satchel, converse shoes, jones bootmaker tan leather saddle bag

bottom row: call it spring wedges, forever 21 faux leather bag, charlotte russe striped flats

While I always love dressing up (wearing heels to get groceries, anyone?), I do tend to see spring and summer as more casual-friendly seasons. I also cut back on my reliance on black clothes shoes bags  everything.

I'm loving all three of these pairs of casual shoes. I think the Call It Spring platform wedges are gorgeous and I love the cutout in the wedge, the Charlotte Russe striped flats would be perfect for a casual daytime outing (and I'm always loving the slightly nautically inspired look), and you can't go wrong with a pair of basic Converse shoes.

As for bags, tan and brown are two of my favourite colours for bags during the spring and summer. I find it a bit difficult to pair these colours with outfits in the winter, as my mainstay winter coat is rarely any colour other than black and I have a bit of an aversion to pairing browns and blacks in such a way. But in the summer, the coats are put away and you haven't got to worry about such things!

What are some of your favourite spring/summer specific styles?

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OOTD: Black, White, and Bold

Crop Top: Sirens | Skirt: Choies* | Heels: Aldo

Occasionally, I try something a little bold. Occasionally.

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Fashion Favourites | Sunglasses Obsession

Left (from top):  ASOS mint half-frames | Topshop coral half-frames | ASOS tortoiseshell cat-eyes |  Topshop jewelled cat-eyes

Right (from top): Tom Ford black cat-eyes/Smart Buy Glasses | Ray-Ban wayfarers | Miu Miu tortoiseshell sunglasses/Smart Buy Glasses | Miu Miu black sunglasses

One of my longest standing fashion obsessions have been sunglasses, I have become pickier over the years, but I'm still quite obsessed. They can be cute, cool, classic -- whatever your look, there's a pair that'll suit it. And they don't always have to be expensive, some of my favourite pairs have come in under $12 from online shops and cheap mall shops such as Ardene and Claire's!

I put together a little collection of some of my favourites from this season, from a few different shops, and organised them by putting the affordable choices on the left and the high end options (which, currently, I can only dream of! but they're still lovely to look at, no?) on the right. 

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OOTD: I ♡ The Rolling Stones

Rolling Stones T-shirt | Thrifted Shorts | Secret Black Tights | Aldo Heels

As a teen, I wore band shirts and graphic t-shirts a tonne. They were, safe to say, a mainstay in my wardrobe. As I've gotten older, my love for them has diminished quite a bit and most have been donated to thrift shops, but there was one, which I bought aged 14 at Zellers, I couldn't part with. If there's any band for which I'd make an exception to my 'no printed t-shirts' rule, it'd have to be the Stones.

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Spring Flowers III

It seems like I never know the proper names for flowers, but I've always called these 'peacocks', I'm really not sure why as they don't look like the flowers of the same name when I googled 'peacock flowers'. They're some of my favourites, regardless, because they're so delicate and pretty.

And I'm not certain of what type of daffodil this is, but it was all by itself and the only one I saw like it. I just think it's so unique looking and pretty!

This is one of my favourite types of daffodil, I love the two-toned ones! I like the ones with white petals and a bright orange centre, even more.

And finally, some forget-me-nots. These little babes grow like wildfire in our garden. So cute.

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She Said Yeah

Dress: Choies* | Belt: Sirens | Heels: Aldo

I'm not the biggest fan of intentionally deconstructed clothing. Big shocker, there, I know. I don't like purposely frayed knitted cardigans or t-shirts which have pre-torn holes in them, but occasionally something catches my eye and forces me to break my own rule. Case in point, this Choies dress with a cut out back. I generally love open backs, so the appeal of this dress was not lost on me. The only thing I think is a shame is that's still too cold here to wear a dress like this without a cardigan, which covers up the most interesting part of the garment.

I'm crossing my fingers for some warmer weather soon, as I'm getting antsy to break out my summer clothes and start shooting more photos outdoors. I mean, it's not as though I couldn't shoot outside now, it's just that I don't feel like freezing!

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Chicnova Goodies

round sunglasses, faux leather bag

Last month, I ordered a couple of things from Chicnova and recently received them. 

The first item was a pair of little round sunglasses, which actually look quite different in person than they did on the website, but truthfully I like how they look in person them even more! They remind me a bit of this adorable pink Stella McCartney pair.

The second item was a faux leather bag. I was a bit uncertain of how it would look in person, but it turned out that I absolutely adore it. It's very well made for the price and I love the style -- I've been looking for a briefcase-style bag for ages and couldn't find one I liked for a reasonable price until I came across this one!

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Monochrome Flowers

Shirt: Thrift Shop | Trousers: Sirens | Heels: Steve Madden

Ever since I got into thrift shopping years ago, some of my favourite clothes have come from thrift and second hand shops. This shirt is one of my favourite finds, not entirely recent as I've had it for about a year, but still one of my favourites. I think it goes nicely with a lot of things and is quite loose and comfortable without feeling frumpy. In this outfit, I paired it with two of my current go-to items, my Sirens trousers and Steve Madden heels, both of which you've probably seen plenty of times if you've visited my blog in the past!

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Fashion Favourites | Mid-Spring 2013

Bright red and formfitting = in love. I tend to put away most of my bright colours during the winter, but as soon as spring arrives, I can't wait to break out the fun colours that, I think, meld so well with the bright sunny days and vibrant flowers blooming in gardens! A bodycon dress such as this one would be ideal to wear on those cool spring days that linger before warmer weather comes.

It seems like forever that we've been waiting for latest film adaptation of  The Great Gatsby, doesn't it? I love the book, and am so looking forward to the film as the trailers look visually amazing. And with Carey Mulligan, who plays Daisy Buchanan in the film, covering Vogue, I've got Gatsby-inspired fashion on my mind. While browsing online shops, I came upon these gorgeous heels from Goddiva. It may be just me, but something about the art deco gold design on these heels just made me think of a modern day Daisy Buchanan.

For the past few months I've been seeing strappy heels such as these ones from Charlotte Russe everywhere. I love nude heels, but can never find the right shade of nude/beige that looks nice with my skin tone. Still, I love the look of these.

As a rule, I don't love horizontal stripes, but I do think horizontal stripes on the right piece can look incredible. And this River Island is one of those 'right' pieces. With a scoop neck and low-cut back, in my opinion, this is a perfect example of a effortlessly sexy casual spring dress.

Finally, I've been ambivalent about wedges in the past. I have a few pairs, mostly old, which I tend to wear only when I'm going somewhere grassy and don't want to sink into the grass in heels or wear flats. I've actually come to associate my old Aldo wedges with our provincial legislature, as I've worn them to so many ceremonies (of the Remembrance Day and Throne Speech ceremony variety) and protests (usually of the environmental variety). And stepped in someone's gum nearly every time. That aside, I couldn't exactly wear these wedges on uneven surfaces but I could think other plenty of flat surfaces on which I could wear them.

What are some of your favourite spring trends this year?

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You play the vamp, I play the killer

Top: Sirens | Skirt: Vivilli* | Tights: Silks | Heels: Suzy Shier

I've always felt like burgundy is an autumn/winter colour, but I wanted to wear this skirt one day last week and decided to see if I could make a spring appropriate look with it. Black is my go-to colour, but I knew pairing something black would make it look only more wintry. As I was looking through my drawers I noticed a little crop top I recently bought from Sirens, which incidentally had a small amount of burgundy in its floral print. I'd never really thought seafoam green would go nicely with a burgundy, but I guess we do learn something new every day!

P.S. The title of this post is from the Stones' 1974 song If You Really Want to Be My Friend, which I am obsessed with it at the moment. You know when you've had an album for ages and then suddenly discover a song you had previously sort of ignored and realise how much you like it?

Exactly that.

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