Dressing for Saint Valentine

With Valentine’s Day on our doorsteps, I thought I would share with you what I was planning on wearing. On Valentine’s day, we are going for dinner with my parents, my sister and a family friend at our favourite Indian restaurant, Le Taj.

As with every special occasion, I spent some time thinking about what I would wear. Is the the time for the sequinned skirt? Is all black appropriate? Should I focus on eyes or lips when doing my makeup? Do I have to wear red? How will I do my hair? Maybe I’ll paint my nails…

Jacket – Smart Set
Brooch – Vintage
Skirt – Dynamite
Shoes – Aldo
Bracelet – Ralph Lauren

This photo didn’t turn out exactly as I had planned, but you can definitely get the idea. On Friday, I’ll share a picture of me actually wearing it! How exciting!

This is actually one of my favourite outfits, and I think it’s because I finally get to wear the little black jacket I bought ages ago. I find that it’s an extremely boxy jacket, and not uber flattering in most situations. It’s amazing what doing up the front can do (as you will see on Friday!) Sadly, I won’t actually to be wearing heels since the weather outside is atrocious. Instead, I’ll be pulling on my winter boots. Darned!

Robin and I actually celebrated our Valentine’s Day on Monday evening. Imagine Lady & the Tramp, re-enacted. In your living room. Yep – Robin made spaghetti and meatballs, picked up a bottle of wine and lit so many candles that our apartment was a fire risk. I have the say, the meatballs were absolutely delicious. Robin made them himself, and I’ll be sharing the recipe soon. Mhmm!

As you can see, Robin also picked up some flowers! On his way home, he said that many people were smiling at him, and one person even honked and gave him the thumbs up!

Robin also picked us up a pet cactus (photo to come!) whom I named George. He’s currently residing on my bedside table, but I am thinking of moving him to my desk because there is much more sunlight.

We often have “date nights” at home. Sometimes we’ll stay in our pyjamas and watch movies, something we’ll get dressed up and buy a (cheap) bottle of wine. I love when we get dressed up because it gives us both a chance to wear our fancy clothes. I hardly ever get the chance to wear heels (especially in Canadian winters), but our date nights are the perfect opportunity. On Monday I opted for my royal blue Calvin Klein sheath dress with black heels. It was a very lovely Valentines.

It’s Shoe O’clock

I am in love with mid-heels. They are infinitely more comfortable than high heels, yet still look very classy. They seem to be becoming more and more popular (which means there are more choices!). Here are a few of my current favourites.

Clockwise from top:

Red and Beige Bow Mid Heel Court Shoes, $10
Tasmin Classic Pump, $295
Stuart Weitzman Tuxbow Pump, $170
Toe-Tapping Attitude Heel, $32.99
Leather Kitten Heel Shoe, $100
Heart for the Hills Pump, $42.99
Park Avenue Rose Pointed Toe Pump, $148
Seattle Pointed Heels, $44
Navy Zip Shoe Boots, $32

I had a blast making this collage. I love finding cute shoes! My favourite are the Park Avenue Rose heels from C. Wonder. Gorgeous!

P.S. You should also check out their Be Mine section.

Superbowl Style

I think it’s pretty obvious that I don’t take pictures of every outfit I wear. I do often only take pictures of outfits that I’m particularly fond of, ones that I think are either inspiring or just look very nice. But not today!

Today I am going to share with you what I wore to a Superbowl Party. (I know – that is so last week!)

Usually my parents host a Superbowl party and my mom makes her delicious chili, but my sister recently moved into a gorgeous flat in Montreal, and she offered to host it. I’m not really interested in the Superbowl, but I am most definitely interested in the chili and the atmosphere.

Superbowl parties are synonymous with food. Lots of food. In that case, stretchy pants are a must. I opted for a plain, dark pair of jeans. I also decided to wear a comfy, casual top from Tommy Hilfiger (you could buy a similar one here).

Most of the time at our Superbowl parties, I have a ton of homework to do. I’ll usually either sit on the floor or curl up on the couch. In my sisters flat, there wasn’t enough room for that, so I settled down at the dining room table. I was able to catch up on some readings for my East Asian Art class amidst the yells from the couch.

As you can see, I kept my makeup clean and simple, and opted for simple diamond stud earrings.

The Fur Collar

In the last few months of winter, I find myself getting very bored with my wardrobe. There’s only so many hat-scarf-gloves combinations. It means I work on making my “inside wardrobe” that much more awesome.

Maria L. / Anouska Proetta Brandon / Cheetah is the New Black / these days

Fur is one of the best accessories for the fall and winter months. Fur symbolizes royalty, so why not cover yourself in it? Though, on the other hand, maybe not. I bought a fur coat from Forever XXI three years ago that I have only managed to wear twice…

Fur collars adds elegance and glamour to an outfit – so you should definitely think of picking one up! I almost bought one in December from Chicnova (it was only $17!) but Robin talked me out of it – he didn’t think I’d wear it.

If you’re interested in getting a fur collar, two of my (affordable) favourites are from Accessorize and Chicwish.

Go my pretties – shop your hearts out!

(and please let me know what you think of this sort of post!)

Be Chic(nova)

I always get nervous when I order from a store for the first time. You just never know, right?

Well, I won a giveaway in December from Jessy Dust (thanks again, doll!) It is actually the first giveaway I’ve ever won, so I was super excited. I squealed a little. A lot. Anyways, the giveaway was for a store I didn’t know named Chicnova.

I had trouble choosing what to order. Though I loved a lot of their clothes, the majority of them are one size and considering I’m slightly larger than average, it is definitely not a safe bet!

I took a look through the accessories section and fell in love with just about everything. Talk about gorgeous scarves! Yep, that’s right, I ordered a scarf. Well, a snood to be a bit more precise.

I made my order near the end of December and received it yesterday. I also ordered a pair of earrings, but they either got lost en route or are coming in a separate package. The first thing to note is that delivery (at least to Canada) took around a month. If you’re not in a rush, then you are good to go. An added bonus is that Chicnova is very decently priced.

I’m pretty picky when it comes to scarves, so I was a little nervous about ordering this one without even having touched it. Luckily, it all worked out. I am in love with this snood. I mean, it smells a little like my basement, but it is so comfortable and versatile.

Robin and I had a lot of fun taking the pictures. I tend to get extremely awkward and make a lot of faces at the camera (see below), but we managed to get a few decent photos.

I don’t know what it is about this photo, but I absolutely love it.

Back to Chicnova – I’ve compiled a list of my favourites items under $30. Go on girl, treat yourself.

Candy Color Shoulder Bag, $21.50
Green Fleck Knitted Snood, $29.40
Vintage Owl Ear Studs, $9.90
Vintage Elastic Waist Skirt in Velour, $29.40
Check Print Button Chain Vest, $29.40
Patent Yellow Wallet, $23.40

If you don’t shop, this face will haunt you.

I’m just kidding.