Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Chic & Powerful

Clearly I cannot get enough of these heels! It was my fist time wearing them to work so I had to make sure that even though the height of the heel screamed "sex kitten" the rest of my outfit said "let's get down to business!" I think I managed to balance the two, and everyone commented on how pretty they are and how long they make my legs look :)



beads - Spring (Spring 2010)
blouse - Jacob (Summer 2010)
trousers - Mexx (Summer 2010)
heels - Aldo (Summer 2010)

Monday, August 30, 2010

Mustard & Truffles

Did you know there was a Zara in Ottawa? Yeah, me neither until recently. It's like HEAVEN, no lie. I'm in love with both their range of styles AND prices. They have somethign for every taste and budget. I was very good this time and spent under $50 purchasing only a lace tee and cardigan, but I think I may have found my new favorite place to shop.

cardigan - Zara (2010)
necklace - Smart Set (2010)
blouse - Dynamite (gift 2009)
pants - Dynamite (2007)
flats - Urban Planet (2009)

Sunday, August 29, 2010

In My Shoes: Steve Madden Peep-Toe Wedge




These shoes were the first "big name" shoes I'd ever bought. I'd never even owned a pair of Aldo shoes before this! I remember them being $90 and slightly freaking out at the incredibly high price, but I was in love, and it was meant to be. I deemed them a birthday present to myself (a trend I would continue in future years) and brought these babies home with me from Montreal.
Imagine my dismay when in the months to come everyone from Spring to Walmart had knocked them off and I could have bought them for a mere $20.
They've definitely stood the test of time though. After 4 years of continuous wear the only visible damage is a couple of cracks in the patent leather. And they're SO comfy!


Outfits They've Been Worn With...

Friday, August 27, 2010

I'm Gonna Party Like It's My Birthday

It's My Birthday!
And because of this I think I deserve that crown :)





top- Old Navy (2010)
skirt - Pay It Forward Dress
belt - Vintage (mine since 2010)
heels - Spring (2010)

So this is how I chose to style the pay it forward dress! I couldn't resist turning it into a skirt, the flounce just demanded it. I'm also not usually one for mixing too many colors, but I decided that with a new year comes change, so I should branch out a little bit in terms of my personal style.
I planned on doing a collage of the ways it had been styled so far, but picnik decided it didn't want to work, so I'll be editing this post later.

If you're interested in receiving this dress next drop me a line @ mtalia(at)hotmail.com! We want this baby to travel the world!

EDIT:


Here's the side-by-side as promised!
Be sure to visit both Kiki and Megan!
I can't wait to see what the next lovely lady does!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

You Can Never Have Too Many Shoes!


I think I went a little overboard with the shoe purchases this summer, but I forgive myself. I absolutely love every pair, especially these new nude heels. I've been coveting a pair all summer long and eventually caved and purchased a pair from Aldo. Sadly they were not on sale, but I've been scouring all summer long and haven't been able to find a single pair that were, so I dubbed them my birthday present to myself! That's okay though, they're seasonless and neutral enough to go with everything I think. So hopefully they get a lot of wear.

tank - Dynamite (2010)
cardigan - Smart Set (2010)
jeans - Garage (2008)
heels - Aldo (2010)
necklace - Thrifted (2009)

sweater - Dynamite (2010)
belt - Thrifted (2009)
pants - Dynamite (2007)
flats - Steve Madden (2009)

Once again I played with picnik. I love the effects you can use for FREE! I don't know why I ever wasted so much time with Photoshop. I may even go back and put together a lovely collage for my 30 for 30.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

That 70's Post & Some Lovely Lace


More procrastinating while at work... I'm quite good at that!
I couldn't help but pair this blouse with my high waisted pants. It reminded me of something Laurie would wear on That 70's Show, and I love me some retro styling. All it's lacking is a more obnoxious pair of platforms.
blouse - Joe (handed down from my aunt)
jeans - Dynamite (2008)
wedges - Chinese Laundry (2010)
bracelet - Juicy Couture (2008)

chandelier necklace - Thrifted (2009)
blouse - Suzy Shier (2010)
skirt - Dynamite (2010)
heels - Spring (2010)


Of course I had to pick up something lace for this season. I've seen it everywhere and I love the romanticism of it. Se delicate and flirty!
I also love that Milo wandered into this photoshoot. He gets quite nosy when I start snapping pictures... or really when I'm doing anythign that does not involve him. Cats have such personality.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

So I'm a Little Behind...


Another day, another dollar. Well at least I have the blogosphere to entertain me!
So you're going to have outfit overload for the next couple days. During the 30 for 30 I got a little behind in my posting and and now I still have outfits from last week that I never shared! So these are both older photos, but still good!
I just got these fabulous new heels from Spring and I had to incorporate them into an outfit right away. I'm not sure if they're work appropriate... maybe with pants or my cropped trousers? What do you think?
I love my job but in some ways I hate how it limits my creativity when I'm getting dressed... I have a few things that are definitely iffy in terms of appropriateness... and I don't want anyone to give me any sideways glances just yet.

cardigan - Urban Planet (2009)
tee - H&M (2009)
bf jeans - Guess (2010)
heels - Spring (2010)

tee - Dynamite (2010)
pencil skirt - Smart Set (2010)
necklace - Smart Set (2009)
flats - Dune (Thrifted 2009)

I've had this pair of flats for a while now, but I don't bring them out too often. They're made of pony hair so they're kind of delicate... that and they sometimes make farting noises when I walk lol.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Shopaholic? Me? Pshhhh


I'm realizing that I'm starting to become a little bit of a blogger addict! My blog roll is absolutely massive, and if I find myself with a few minutes of downtime I'm checking to see who has updated! Not that it's entirely a bad thing I guess, but it always gives me the itch to go shopping, which is NOT a good thing. I've been 3 times in the last week, but I'm telling myself that it's okay seeing as how I got a few birthday presents early so I have a little extra cash to spend. I also talked J into letting me pick out my own present so I'll have quite a few exciting new things debuting on the blog soon!

tee - made by me (2010)
trousers - Mexx (2010)
heels - Spring (2007)

So these are my new trousers!! Aren't they awesome? They're so freaking comfy and look amazing with a pair of heels - and I have tons of those!
Also, can we tell that I've recently discovered picnik? Yeah I know... I'm a little late to jump on that bandwagon! But better late than never! Especially when you don't have photoshop skills like me!

In My Shoes: BCBG Suede Heels

I've decided to start this new feature, that will be pretty sporadic in posting, because I absolutely LOVE my shoe collection. While not every single pair has a brand name or a crazy design, they're all equally loved and were chosen for a reason, so I would love to share my extensive collection with you!
First Up....


I bought these shoes while shopping with J's mother down in Texas. Oh how I envy their department stores!
I saw this pair and instantly fell in love with the button details and how long they made my legs look. While they're not the easiest things in the world to walk in, I still like to bring them out for special occasions.

Outfits they've been worn with...

Saturday, August 21, 2010

A Girly Floral


Clearly my shopping ban was a huge failure...

dress - Smart Set (2010)
belt - Dynamite (2008)
heels - Spring (2007)

I wore this dress last weekend for a dinner date with J. I've debated wearing it to work, but I'm not 100% sure if it's work appropriate? Maybe with a blazer? Hmm I don't know... any other suggestions? I'd thought about a legging but that seems even less work appropriate to me. I don't just want to stuff it in the back of my closet all winter though. I love the pattern and was pretty impressed that I picked it out while shopping alone, considering I'm usually a neutrals kind of girl. Oh how blogging has made me branch out!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Hmm, Should I or Shouldn't I?


To Perm of Not To Perm? That is indeed the question that's been on my mind lately. There's just something so easy and carefree about big bouncy curls. It really is just scrunch and go in the mornings... oh how I miss that. I really wasn't a fan of my last cut, I just can't DO anything with it! And I don't know what's wrong with my hair lately, but it always seems greasy by the end of the day... a problem I never had in super-dry Peterborough. *sigh* definitely something to consider.

Anyways, as always, onto the outfit!

tee - Urban Planet (2010)
skirt - Dynamite (2010)
belt - Dynamite (2010)
shoes - F21 (2007)

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Work Wear & My Fashion Identity


It's been a slow week here at work. While I love my job, I'm increasingly finding the tasks easier with practice and it takes me far less time to complete them than when I started. I have so much down time now I've started following an insane number of blogs, and have started putting outfits together in my head and subsequently down on paper. The list is insanely long I can't wait to get dressed in the mornings now!
I love that I have to dress in a "professional" manner and think I'm finally starting to carve out "my personal style." I'm gravitating more towards tailored and classic pieces now, with the odd girly, and fun piece thrown in.

tee - Smart Set (2010)
belt - Dynamite (2009)
skirt - Thrifted (2009)
heels - Spring (2006)


We also have a giveaway winner!

Congrats ShyGirl! I'll be contacting you soon for your info!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Last 2 for the Capsule!

Finally, my last 2 capsule outfits!

TWENTY-NINE:

THIRTY!


Now that I'm officially done and can look back and reflect, I would just like to say that I am WELL AWARE that i chose some very BORING pieces. A plain grey tee? TWO black cardigans? What was I thinking? One of them was never even worn.... I did do pretty well on not having similar items create similar outfits... but if I were to do it again (and I'm sure I will come the colder months!) I will definitely take more time in selecting pieces that are a little more interesting.
I was also pretty sad when I realized I only included two skirts and not a single dress, especially considering my childhood love of all things girly has recently been rekindled.
Ah well, live and learn.

Anyways, in my daily blog stalking I happened about Already Pretty's post on Wardrobe Cycling and decided that I too should make a list of under utilized items and create outfits based around those. My closet is over stuffed, so I definitely don't need to shop, just rediscover lovers-past. Not only is it a way to cure my late night boredom, but the thought of making a list makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

Don't forget about the Giveaway!

Sunday, August 15, 2010

new items...

New Items Added to the Shop or Swap.
French Connection, Miss Sixty, and More...

26-27-28


Clearly my posting skills sucked for some time considering I've been doing photo dumps for the last couple of posts! I'll eventually get better at this whole blogging routine... we hope!
Anyhoo, the bf has gotten a butt-load of gift cards from his new job to make his wardrobe more "business-y". Am I jealous? Very much so, yes. but I have gotten to go shopping three times this week, (which he usually complains to me about), and have gotten to pick out some bad-ass ties and dress shoes. AND on these multiple excursions I finally found a pair of trousers (which I've been coveting for MONTHS!) that are super flattering and were an amazing price, ($40 marked down from $130!). Score? I think so.
So as you could probably guess, I can't wait to debut them on here... and patience is not one of my strong suits. But until then.....

TWENTY-SIX:
7 + 13 + 26
belt - Dynamite (2008)

TWENTY-SEVEN:
10 + 15 + 25
belt - Great Aunt's (mine since 2009)
bangle - Dynamite (2007)

TWENTY-EIGHT:
who loves her new shoes? this girl.
3 + 18 + 22
sunnies - Flea Market (2009)
shoes - Coach (2010)


And once again.... DON'T FORGET TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY!

Saturday, August 14, 2010

23-24-25


We're almost done! Hopefully I'll be done posting my capsule challenge by the end of the weekend and we can venture into more exciting territories!

TWENTY-THREE:
2 + 15 + 23 + 27
belt - Costa Blanca (2006)

TWENTY-FOUR:

TWENTY-FIVE:
4 + 14
shoes - Coach (2010)

I know these shoes weren't part of my 30 for 30, but I never did end up wearing #28 (the gladiators. I attempted to wear them once and even MORE beading fell off of them. I think it's time for them to be retired for good. These colorful beauties are super comfortable and cost me a whole $30. I love Winners. When you actually have time to sift through things and spend a little time looking, it's a gold mine. They were more than half off the Winner's price, which is already a severe discount from what they would normally cost. Does anyone else feel incredibly guilty when they pay full price for things? I always feel as if I should be spending the money on something more responsible.

Don't forget to enter my Juicy Couture Giveaway!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

20-21-22


*sigh* I'm so far behind everyone else in this challenge. I'd say I'm surprised, but I'm really not.
So a few quick outfits before I go make some dinner. I don't cook often, but daaamn its good when I do. Yum, pasta carbonara!

TWENTY:
4 +26
belt - Dynamite (2009)

TWENTY-ONE:

8 + 16 +24
Chandelier necklace - Thrifted (2009)

TWENTY-TWO:

belt - Dynamite (2010)
flower - Spring (2010)