Weekend wish list

Happy Friday!

Now that fall is here, there are so many things that I am coveting in the store windows along Bloor Street. I have been walking by these boots every day for the past month.  Some days, I can be seen standing in front of the Louis Vuitton window just staring in at them.  I think they are fantastic.
Here are some other items that are on my current wish list. You may see a bit of a pattern here.  Faux fur and pastel pink.  I love injecting pastel colour into my fall wardrobe and decor because it is unexpected and it adds a soft touch to all the browns, navy and burgundy that are traditional fall colours.  And of course, all things faux fur are just so cozy, you can’t help but want to cuddle up with it on a cold fall day.

1. Melly Nubuck leather mini, Danier

2. Fabric by Anna Maria Horner, Harts Fabric – this would make a pretty throw pillow for my daughter’s new room.

3. Nate Berkus faux fur stool, Target – Sadly, I can’t find one at any Target store in Canada.

4. Fall mums – so pretty!

5. Faux fur neck warmer, similar here at Banana Republic – my colleagues and I need to wear these in our office when they won’t turn on the heat because it is not yet winter.

6. Vintage swing drawer handles, Etsy Firstfinds – these are being ordered for my daughter’s newly painted antique dresser.

7. Pink pearls, Etsy – so classic.

8. Wool drape coat, Banana Republic – so very “Olivia Pope”.

9. Sofa bed, Ikea – I want to buy this sofa from Ikea for the kids playroom. It pulls out so they can have sleepovers.  I doubt my husband will go for the pink, but maybe the grey?

Happy fall weekend everyone!

Fashion Friday – Gap Cords

We had a DIY family photo shoot the other day.  The weather was chilly but gorgeous.  We set up our camera on the tri-pod, set the timer and snapped away.  It was tough to get going and get everyone in place, but once the kids knew that a bag of timbits was up for grabs, they were very cooperative in showing their pearly whites to the camera.

We have hired photographers before, but always find it fun to take our own pictures too.  Even if you snap 30, you are bound to get 2 or 3 good ones.  I knew that even if we didn’t get any, we would have a lot of good laughs together.

We dressed in our new Gap clothes for these fall selfies:

Not always easy to get 4 people into position, especially when one must, absolutely stand beside mom

Fun in the leaves!

And we got one!

Boys

And the girl who just does her own thing.  These gorgeous little polka dot runners from the Gap lasted about 30 minutes before she stepped in dog poop. Those are the kinds of things that happen when you’re two 🙂

I am loving the fall styles at Gap right now.  The Bloor Street store is fantastic!  A couple of weeks ago they had a pop up sale with 40% your entire purchase. I love me a good sale!

What we’re wearing:
me: Gap denim jacket*, Gap always skinny cords, pink flamingo tank from Smart Set, boots from the Bay
hubby: Gap cords, Gap hoodie and Gap shirt
son: Gap straight jeans and Gap cream long sleeve shirt
daughter: Gap legging cord and shoes, Target cardigan, Levi’s denim jacket

*I have had this since I was a teenager – for almost 2 decades.  I think it has held up pretty well and I love the way that it still looks. So classic – everyone should own one of these!

Fashion Friday

I’ve been shopping at Jacob since I was in grade 9. They have always been great for basic and affordable wardrobe staples and lots of really special pieces too.  The company has had its share of ups and downs over the years and each time, seem to keep themselves afloat.

For those of you who don’t know, Jacob Inc. filed for bankruptcy in the spring and since then, have been closing stores across Canada. Recently, I read that they were granted extended creditor protection, which could allow them to relaunch and keep some of their stores open.  Fingers crossed!  If they can make a come back, it would be fantastic. I must own 100’s of things from this store from over the years.  It would truly be the end of a clothing era for me 😦

If you’re looking for cardigans, pencil skirts, cute summer dresses, or a cozy fall sweater, head over to the Bloor Street location ASAP. The bottom floor is full of older stock and off-season items.  I saw a box of belts the last time I was there for $5!

This is one of my favourite Jacob dresses.  I have it in two other colours, but the navy is by far the most versatile and easy to style.  I wear it in the winter, spring, summer and fall. Tights, boots and a blazer in the winter and heels in the summer time.

Happy shopping and Happy Friday!

Dress: Jacob – from a couple of years ago, similar at J.Crew
Shoes and necklace: Banana Republic, Ivie Sandal
Bracelet: Stella & Dot, Jackie Link bracelet

 

Ms. Brooks

Today, my friend Kim and I attended the WOI Luncheon with Canadian business executive, Bonnie Brooks.  She was fantastic to listen to.  Love that voice!  The room was full of women, both young and old, mostly wearing summer dresses and blazers, with lots of high buns on their heads and fun heels on their feet.

One of the things that Bonnie Brooks spoke about was Work-Life “Blend”, not Work-Life “Balance”, which I think is interesting. The women in the crowd were nodding and tweeting away as she talked about some of the struggles that women face in the working world today.  Balancing careers, marriages, children and hobbies is not always easy. She said women do all the same things that guys do. We deliver the same results that they can, only we have pressure to raise our families and juggle a career. We also have pressure to look good while we do it (especially in her industry). She talked about sitting beside Christian Louboutin at an event in Paris, shortly after her foot surgery.  She felt self- conscious when he noticed the sensible footwear that she was wearing. I would have thought the same thing that she did.  Sometimes it is the smallest things that make us stress when there are so much more important things to be thinking about.

She also raised a good point that women probably say too much. We talk A LOT.  She gave us the advice to really think about what you are going to say to someone when doing business and always say less.  She joked: “why do men date younger women? Because they have shorter stories.”  The crowd loved that one J

In honour of Ms. Brooks, I wore one of my favourite dresses to her event – my DVF sheath dress from where else?  The Bay!

 

 

A spring coat for everyone

My first ever fashion post…

I love spring coats. I love spring coats that aren’t black. I love finding things in coats that I wore last year. I recently cleaned out our basement closet which houses the off-season coats in our home. In the pockets, I found some money, a subway token and most importantly, my lost house key!

I believe that a great coat is so important to your wardrobe. You can be wearing the most frumpiest of outfits and pull it all together (or simply cover it up) with a great coat. I say if you have some extra dough, definitely spend it on outerwear.

I walk by the Burberry store every morning on my way to the office. Right now, they are featuring camel trench coats for both men and women in the window. One day I will own one of these. Did you know that you can go on the Burberry website and custom design your very own trench? You can choose the inside fabric, outside fabric, sleeves, buttons…how great is that?

Here are some of my favourite coats for spring…

A classic camel trench. This trench coat will never go out of style:

A leather bomber in any colour. I love the versatility of a leather bomber. They are easy to wear with jeans on the weekend or with skirts to work during the week. I can wear them with heels or my converse. During one of my annual Shopaholics Weekend trips to PA, I once bought three on the first day. Before 11am.

I own a coat just like this from Mexx. I love the pop of colour. Change up the colour of the scarf you wear with it and I think this colour could be flattering on just about anyone.

This one is inspired by my colleague, Ashleigh. She has this gorgeous orange trench that she just started wearing to the office. She pairs it with a khaki green scarf. So lovely for spring!

I love turning over my closets for each season. There are always a couple of items that I find which I had forgotten about since the previous year. It feels like Christmas morning!