Smart Stripes

Blazer + Necklace: Smart Set Sequin Tank: Joe Fresh Jeans: Old Navy (Sweetheart) Shoes: Dolce Vita Glasses: Love

I headed back to this spot for today's photos. It looks significantly different, mainly because the water surrounding the wharf is frozen over and the fishing boats and lobster traps have been put away for the winter. What's funny is, in my last outfit post in this location I was also wearing stripes, although in dress form. Speaking of which, this new striped blazer is quite literally the most comfortable blazer I have ever had. I snapped it up at Smart Set as soon as I saw it and couldn't be happier. I predict that come summer, it will be one of my mainstays as I picture wearing it with various summer dresses, and over tanks of all kinds.

Also new in this photo? This pair of glasses from Clearly Contacts. Normally I prefer to wear contacts, but lately I've been expanding my horizons with some new styles of glasses to change up my look a bit. I finally took a leap I'd been considering for a while and went for the big, nerdy frames (aka birth control glasses - thanks to MR.) and although this pair probably won't be for everyday wear, they are super fun for a change! I was exchanging a tweet or two just the other day with Alicia, a lovely (and similarly spectacle-sporting) lady about how nice it is that glasses seem to be so trendy lately with such a great variety of styles. It makes life easier for those of us who actually have to wear them all the time to have more options to choose from!

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Great Minds

Dress + Belt: Gap Leggings + Boots: Joe Fresh Sunglasses: 3.1 Phillip Lim Bag: Coach Necklace: Smart Set 

I bought this striped number at the Gap in Saint John this past fall when I was over visiting my best friend Holly. Only once I got home did I realize that unbeknownst to me, my sister Rosalyn had gone to the Charlottetown store and gotten the exact same dress - which was surprising since we generally have quite different tastes when it comes to clothing! But in this case it appears great minds had indeed thought alike. We may just have to stage a "Who Wore it Best?" post at some point. Rose, consider yourself warned.

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Karen Walker Sunglass Love

In my humble opinion, Karen Walker is the reigning queen of fantastic eyewear. Specifically? Sunglasses. Although I have yet to add one of her amazing pairs to my relatively small collection, I am once again finding myself coveting not one but many of her fabulous frames. I am especially loving the latest lookbook, featuring not only impeccable sunglass-style but also the incredible and inspiring ladies made famous by Ari Seth Cohen's fantastic blog, Advanced Style. It makes for one of the most winning combination I've seen in ages.

Photos via KarenWalkerEyewear.com

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F/W 2013

Left to right: Alice & Olivia, Duro Olowu, Gucci

From New York to Milan (and Paris soon to follow), the styles gracing the runways for Fall and Winter 2013 have been impressive to say the least. From beautiful prints, bright colours, neutral palettes, from femininity to tailored looks, from rich textures, to fabulous accessories, there is so much inspiration for those of use with a passion for fashion and style for the coming year.

I personally have enjoyed so many of the collections, and loved look after look, so to catalog my favourites here would most likely be more than slightly excessive. If however, you're interested in sharing my perspective on the F/W 2013 runways, please do feel free to take a look at my "Fall 2013 Runway" board on Pinterest, and let me know what you think!

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Music Monday: Amour than Amis

On this Music Monday I wanted to share the new video by Two Hours Traffic - one of my favourite PEI bands - for their song "Amour than Amis" (especially since they're releasing their new album Foolish Blood tomorrow!).  It's a fantastic and really catchy song, and I look forward to hearing it performed in person when I head to their concert in Charlottetown on Friday - be sure to say hi if you're there too! And if you're not an Islander like me, they're touring Canada and the US so check out their show dates if you like what you hear! 

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NYFW Illustrated

I was so excited to see that one of my favourite Fashion Illustrators (and fellow Canadian!) Danielle Meder of Final Fashion was illustrating shows at New York Fashion Week for Fiftythree using their sketching app. I am proud to say I own a gorgeous piece of art by Danielle (which I love) - and I think her illustrated renditions of the fashion from the New York runways are equally inspiring. Case in point? Her stunning sketch of an Alexander Wang (second to last image) audience member. I would put that on my wall in a heartbeat. I always feel a sense of pride when I see Canadian names doing great things in fashion, so of course I had to share. Check out the rest of the illustrations from this project at WWD on Paper.

Illustrations by Danielle Meder, Photos via WWD on Paper

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My Bookish Valentine

If I had a real, actual Valentine this year, you can bet that these adorably bookish cards would most definitely be what he'd end up with. As it stands, I'm sharing the Valentine's day love with all of you instead! Hope you are having a wonderful, happy, romantic day, no matter your relationship status!

Happy Valentine's Day!

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Everything in Black and White

Coat: Land's End Sweater, Bracelet, Boots, Sunnies: Joe Fresh Skirt: Ruche Bag: Smart Set 

Taking advantage of the mild day, I stepped outside this afternoon to snap a few photos of a skirt from Ruche in one of my favourite prints - houndstooth! I actually have a coat from Soia & Kyo in houndstooth as well as similarly printed Sorels, but for obvious reasons I considered it best not to combine every single houndstooth printed item I own in one ensemble. I got these sunglasses on sale at Joe a couple of weeks ago, and I love them! The cat-eye shape is consistently one of my very favourites and I know these will be in near constant rotation come sunnier spring and summer days.

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Floral Tee

Cardigan: Joe Fresh (old) Tee: Joe Fresh Jeans: Old Navy

Maybe I'll be the only style blogger to admit it, but I don't get dressed up every day. Case in point? These are the glimpses at today's outfit that I was able to snap while the sweet niece I was looking after was off having a snooze. Perhaps not very exciting, this simple tee, cardigan, and skinny jeans; but more often than not, some iteration of this combination is my go-to outfit, especially when on babysitting duty.

On this dreary winter day, I was happy to at least inject some springy floral colour into my standby ensemble with this new Joe Fresh tee - they have so many fantastic prints this season that I am seriously excited about, and have me dreaming of warm spring days. Speaking of warmer days, I'm hoping to get out this week for some more properly stylish snaps now that the temperature has warmed up a little and the blustering snow has stopped (at least for the moment), so keep an eye out! 

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Valentine's Day Three Ways

Dress: Modcloth Earrings: Betsey Johnson Clutch: Lulu Guinness Shoes: Robert Clergerie Polish: Deborah Lippmann

I must admit, I always do get caught up in the fun of holidays throughout the year, and Valentine's day is no exception. Since it's coming up so soon, I thought I'd put together three Valentine-inspired ensembles to suit a few different possible Valentine's day outings. First up? Formal evening. If you're going to a fancy dinner, party or dance, a long red dress with gold accents would be my pick. And to embrace the holiday to the fullest? You can't go wrong with a selection of love-themed accessories - I especially love the Betsey Johnson earrings that make some adorably cheeky suggestions.

Scarf: Comptoir des Cotonniers Dress: Modcloth Earrings: Jennifer Meyer Bag: Coach
Tights: Gerbe Glasses: Derek Cardigan Booties: Seychelles Polish: Essie Sand Tropez

If your ideal Valentine's day involves an afternoon spent sharing a favourite book and a warm cup of coffee with a loved one, I for one love this cozy burgundy turtleneck dress from Modcloth. Paired with tights, booties, a cozy scarf and a touch of Valentine-appropriate heart shaped earrings, it makes for the perfect casual-chic look for a romantic afternoon out.

Tee: Wildfox Couture Jeans Old Navy Rings: Topshop Sweater: Wildfox Couture
Polish: Deborah Lippmann Shoes: J. Crew Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs

Or, perhaps you're in the same boat I am for Valentine's day:  spending it solo (or at least, sans beau).  I personally don't plan to moon about wishing for a handsome gentleman to come a-calling. Instead, I plan to hang out with some fellow single ladies for an evening of good chats and definitely a little ice cream. I picked a cat-printed tee, a heart sweater and a pop of festive red for a bag. Best accessory in this ensemble? The aptly named "Single Ladies" polish from Deborah Lippmann.

Will you be celebrating Valentine's day? And what do you plan to wear? Let me know in the comments!

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Valentino Couture

Couture for me is all about magic. Knowing there are literally hundreds of hours of work in each garment that walks the runway, but getting caught up in the dream as it unfolds before you. Valentino is a house that consistently does that, for me, at least every time they present a couture collection, and their most recent offering is no exception.

I spent ages looking at every single look, then at the photographs of beauty and most importantly, the detail. It's only when you see the details closer up that you realize how truly amazing the artists who create them are, even those for whom the sole responsibility is hand-rolling piping (seen beautifully on the red dress close-up). It's about making the dream a reality - and making it seem effortless. My very favourite? A Valentino signature, the red dress with sheer long sleeves.  If I was styling an actress for the Oscar red carpet? This would be first on my list of gowns to suggest. So incredibly lovely.

All photos via Style.com

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Music Monday: People I Love

This past weekend marked the wrap-up of the Music PEI festivities. Many great island bands and musicians were nominated for awards and there were concerts galore (although the one I'd hoped to go to sold out before I could get tickets = sad) which proves people wrong who say nothing happens on PEI in the winter.. but I digress. I thought it only right to share the winner of the video of the year for this instalment of Music Monday (you may see the other nominees in upcoming posts!), People I Love by English Words, filmed and directed by seriously talented Island filmmaker Millefiore Clarkes. I love this video partly because of the great song, but also because of how perfectly it illustrates the life and fun of summers spent and enjoyed on PEI - so great. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

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Foolproof Nail Art: Heart Accent

Since Valentine's day is approaching in the coming weeks, I thought it might be fun to try a love-themed manicure to get into the spirit of things. However, since I'm admittedly not a pro where nail-art is concerned, I thought I'd try something simple I saw on pinterest a while back - a heart accent nail. If you have a nail art pen, this is seriously the easiest thing ever.

Want to try your own? Here's what I did in a few easy steps:

1. Apply your favourite base coat. (I use one by Essie that doubles as top coat = winning). Dry.

2. Paint on your shade of choice - since it's Valentine's day, I'd recommend something pink or red (I went with Coral from Joe Fresh). Allow to dry. If needed, repeat.

3. With a nail art pen (my trusty Sally Hansen pen is my favourite), outline a heart on your ring finger and fill it in. I'll admit that I only did my right hand, although I think both would look better. Unfortunately, I am not ambidextrous enough to make a satisfactory looking heart on my left hand.

4. Once dry, apply a top coat and dry. This is a key step since otherwise the polish from the nail art pen may rub off.

5. Admire your handiwork.

If you decide to give this mani a go, I'd love to see your results! Share them with me on instagram, twitter or facebook!

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