Good/Bad Day

Bad - Didn't know I had to be up for 5am this morning to go to a meeting until 11pm last night, after I got home from the bar
Good - Said meeting went really well and was very productive
Bad - Didn't get much cleaning done yesterday, so the place is a mess
Good - Did very well on a test with a fairly low average
Bad - Ripped a big hole in my socks on the way in from taking pictures
Good - Was given a stylish blogger award by GretchTM!!!

 

Skirt: Moon
Shirt: Joe Fresh
Socks: American Apparel
Shoes: Payless Shoe Source

Now about this award!
Thank you so much to GretchTM! I'm so very flattered to have been chosen.

The rules of this award: Thank and link back to who gave you this award, share 8 things about yourself, pass it along to 8 blogs that you recently discovered and enjoy, and leave those bloggers a message telling them about their reward.

8 Things About Myself:
1. I'm pretty tall - somewhere around 5'8.5"-5'9", which is why my skirts are so short.
2. I have a very large cat.
3. I enjoy hiking and am a nature enthusiast.
4. I'm very very clumsy.
5. There is a jug of beer fermenting in my closet.
6. I love both board and video games.
7. I'm currently a student, but with luck should land an environmental consulting job within the month.
8. I'm not a morning person.

8 Stylish Bloggers:
1. Fake Empire
2. Flying a Kite
3. Kitsune-kun
4. Like Spinning Plates
5. Tres Fly
6. elle VOX
7. Steffy's Pros and Cons
8. Anglamark

Quality Time

Lately I've been stretching myself a little thin with various commitments, mainly school and knitting. This semester I have a series of very long days and a lot of project work, so coupled with my desire to get this scarf business up and running, all I ever do lately is come home and do homework or sleep or knit. On top of all of this, I've also been spending an hour or so a day looking for/applying to jobs. Even though I live with Cale, these commitments of mine are taking up so much time that I rarely ever see him anymore. The times we do see each other are generally just spent having dinner and watching something until I fall asleep. Tonight I'm spending some quality time with him - we're going out for beer at our local watering hole. It should be quite nice.

Skirt: Forever 21
Sweater: H&M
Tights: McGregor
Tank Top: American Apparel
Shoes: Ardene (if I remember correctly)

Hello Sailor

As you can see, the snow is still here, though it is going away very slowly. All of this bad weather and the fact that it's almost April are making me nostalgic for days of past summers. For the last four summers I've had the most amazing job working on boats, predominantly taking water and sediment samples. Since this is my last year of school I am not eligible to go back this summer for another student work term. Lately I've been feeling so nostalgic for those days - typically you work 4 hour shifts twice a day and have the rest of your time as free time. The times that you are working generally aren't even a straight 4 hours of work - typically you're traveling for at least 1-2 hours of your shift. The only catches are that there is no internet (generally), the TV can cut out from time to time (lack of signal) and you're away from home for weeks at a time. I don't miss being away from home, but I do really miss my carefree days on the ship, knitting in between sampling stations and reading on the deck, basking in the sun. Today's outfit is sort of a throwback to those days. While I would have never been able to get away with wearing something like this on the boat (too many older men, too few women, too much dirty work), I still really enjoy this dress and it does remind me of summers past.

Dress: Thrifted (from LiveJournal)
Tights: McGregor
Sweater: H&M

Lazy Saturday

Today is a lazy Saturday for me - my plans consist of homework and errands. To liven things up, I decided to try milkmaid braids, courtesy of The Clothes Horse, and got a compliment on them! I was so surprised and flattered. It's amazing how something so simple can look so great. Clothes-wise today I wanted something very comfortable yet warm (still -4C here) so I mixed some of my favourite pieces - the gingham dress from last week and my first and only handknit sweater. The sweater is 100% bulky (really thick) wool, so I'd wager to say it's the warmest thing I own. What are you doing on this lazy cold Saturday?

 

Dress: H&M

Tights: American Apparel

Sweater: handknit Owls in Cascade Ecological Wool

Snowstorm

Thank you to everyone who commented on the last post!! It was invaluable to get such wonderful feedback from you all. I'm still working on some things before the shop can go up and I'm hoping to get them done before the weekend ends. In other news, I received my replacement camera so I can get back to doing outfit posts! It is still a point and shoot, but the quality seems slightly better. Also, you'll notice the snow in my pictures - on Tuesday night/Wednesday, southern Ontario and the Midwest of the USA (I believe) got a huge dump of snow. Unfortunately the snow doesn't seem to be going anywhere - it has been below zero ever since and doesn't look like it will be warming up any time soon. So much for spring!

Skirt: American Apparel
Shirt: Bluenotes

Tights: McGregor

Secret

 Thank you all for your kind comments about the camera! It is very much appreciated. I do have another camera, but it happens to be a manual SLR so there are some logistical problems with using it for daily outfit posts. It did get some use this weekend, however, for a semi-secret reason. For the last month or so I have been diligently making stock for a store I've been wanting to get off the ground for a while  now. This past weekend there was finally the weather (and the stock) to permit some store photos to be taken and I am so excited, I just have to share. I have some more shots I need (other scarves, other configurations) as well as some other housecleaning type things to do, so it'll be at least a week or so until the shop is up and running. I can't wait, though! I'm so excited! Any feedback would be appreciated.

Dress: thrifted (but label says it's fro H&M)
Sweater: Urban Outfitters
Tights: McGregor
Belt: Forever 21
Scarves: Oak Savanna!

Disaster!

During yesterday's photo session, a very untimely disaster occurred. I am fairly shy so I take these pictures alone with the self-timer function. Since I don't have a tripod, I have to improvise with surfaces, handles or whatever will let the camera stay stable and be in a good position to take a photo. Yesterday when I reached to grab my camera from its position, I somehow got caught in the strap and ended up dropping the camera and breaking it. I nearly cried. This wasn't just any camera either, a friend had so generously given it to me no less than a month ago, and I so carelessly dropped and broke it. After many conversations with Cale about how this is the worst thing to have happened, I told my mom what happened and she offered to loan me the money to get a cheap replacement of acceptable quality. It's no DSLR, but it's something! So unfortunately I have no other pictures for today's outfit.

Dress: Metro (in Hamilton)
Tights: DIM
Sweater: Urban Outfitters
Shoes: Payless Shoe Source

Strange Week

This past week has been very strange with respect to traffic. I attend school in a city about 55km or so away from where I live and unfortunately there is no viable public transit option, so I drive about 1.5-2 hours per day getting to and from school. Generally things run smoothly, with minor accidents here and there, but the highway has been closed twice now this week. On Tuesday evening, I was lucky enough to drive by this accident before the rubberneckers set in (the highway was closed going westbound, while I was going eastbound). Today, I felt that traffic was going slower than normal, but I just assumed it was volume. I was very wrong - there is currently a massive fire beside the highway and it is closed in both directions. What a crazy week!

Dress: Forever 21
Belt: Forever 21
Socks: American Apparel
Sweater: H&M

Bicycles

Today is the first day in a while that it has been both sunny and warm, getting all the way up to 12C. The warmth must have prompted a reflex to get out the bike and go for a ride, as I saw many people riding along the country highway on my way home today. I have a bike, but I don't tend to ever use it. I'm a chicken with respect to riding and refuse to do trails or city streets. Despite that, seeing the joy that riding brought all the cyclists today made me want to get out my old rusted bike and take it for a spin.

Skirt: American Apparel
Sweater: H&M
Tank: American Apparel
Tights: unknown - got them sometime in high school and recently unearthed them
Locket: gift from Cale

Knitting

I love knitting. My mom taught me how when I was about 8 or 9, but I promptly forgot the hobby and continued on in my life. In my first year of university, about 5 years ago, I picked up the needles again and have been knitting ever since. Over time, I've gone through various phases of knitting certain items - first it was mittens, then hats, then socks and now lacey kerchief scarves. I'm especially proud of being able to come up with new patterns for these kerchiefs; it is so satisfying to knit up something that you visualized and have it work out well. I was lucky enough to find a lovely group of ladies who also enjoy knitting to share a weekly knitting night with at a local bar and that night happens to be tonight! My current work in progress is featured below. I know it looks like a pile of yarn barf right now, but I can assure you that when it is finished it will be a beautiful French-inspired kerchief.

Today's outfit is very simple, but one of my favourites. I love this dress because it is so simple to throw on, yet looks very flattering. The dress reminds me of something a housewife in the 1950s would wear, which gives it a lady-like quality.

Dress: H&M
Tights: McGregor
Sweater: Urban Outfitters
Shoes: Payless Shoe Source

An Extra Hour

Yesterday was the dreaded spring daylight savings day, where most of North America lost an hour by moving the clocks ahead. I must say, I was not a happy camper when I found out that I woke up at 11am yesterday (adjusted time), but I am regretting all of the ill will today. The extra sunlight is wonderful and very welcome after a long day at school. Everything seems so much better when it doesn't become nighttime until at least 7pm. Today's dress was referred to as "that librarian dress" by Cale and I must say, he is quite correct and I didn't even notice it until he said something. Seeing as I wore this dress to a professional meeting this morning, I am very happy it gives off the responsible-librarian impression. If you look closely, I am also wearing a yellow hair clip to match my bow.

Dress: Calvin Klein
Sweater: Urban Outfitters
Pantyhose: Dim

Persistent Gray

It has been absolutely impossible to take pictures the last few days! It has been raining nonstop and unfortunately my apartment does not have great lighting, so inside pictures were out of the question. The rain finally let up somewhat today and I was able to get some outfit shots. This evening is the monthly art crawl in my city, where almost an entire street is open with some sort of exhibit or musical show. I'm going for the first time tonight! I get to share the experience with some lovely ladies from school who are so very excited to go, so it should be a very good time.

Dress: Local Asian Import Store (brand unknown)
Cardigan: H&M
Tights: McGregor
Boots: Canadian Tire (for $17!!)

The Sun and the Snow

 

The snow and frigid temperatures have remained, but signs of warmer weather are here! There are more birds present each day and the persistence of the sun is very reassuring, albeit annoying while taking pictures. Today is my long day at school so I had the pleasure of taking pictures today on the campus, which has two ponds and a large number of trees. When everything is in bloom, the campus is a lovely site and a very welcoming place to be. I can't wait until the trees start blooming, the ponds thaw and the ducks and geese return.

Skirt: American Apparel

Shirt: thrifted, Value Village

Socks: American Apparel

Sweater: Urban Outfitters

Jacket: Le Chateau

Scarf: handknit Clapotis in Elann Peruvian Sierra Aran, Italian Plum

Spring is Near

 

Lately the weather has been all over the place, from 10C to -19C within the span of a few days. Over the weekend it rained, then snowed, then the snow melted and turned to ice with the deep freeze last night. I'm trying to be optimistic about the temperature fluctuations by dressing for how I think the weather should be, not how the weather actually is. Today I had a business casual meeting, so I brightened up my serious-business skirt with the not-so-serious pink flower shirt to encourage warmer weather. 

Skirt: Moon

Shirt: Joe Fresh

Socks: American Apparel

Sweater: Urban Outfitters

Kerchief: handknit Ishbel in Socks that Rock Lightweight Branwen