Outfit deets:

* Lori B dress (thrifted).

* Costa Blanca blazer which I've had for about a year now but haven't worn it on the blog.

* Smart Set cami (I own these in all colours of the rainbow because once upon a time I was obsessed with them).

* Diva Lounge wedges (you know I love these) which you've seen with white skinnies & two different white dresses.

* Accessories: F21 belt, H&M bangle, Foster Grant shades & Dollarama ring.

What are you doing for the weekend?  I'm hosting my sister's bridal shower on Sunday and have lots of last minute prep to do for that.  Otherwise, heading to the Katy Perry movie with some girlfriends tonight with some snacks and drinks afterwards.  A great kick start to the weekend.  Have a great one!

Outfit deets:

* Costa Blanca top (new & thrifted) which I have in white and seen with a black, lace (thrifted) pencil skirt.  I bought the white one many years ago in a size small.  This black one is an extra large.  The white one is far too tight for my liking (it looks pretty tight in these pictures, but I liked it like that, back then) now so I'm happy I found it in black as it's such a pretty top.  Smart Set cami underneath.

* Tribal skirt (thrifted) which I've worn twice already (love it) but this is the first time on here.

* Guess pumps (which you've seen a million times).

* Accessories: Emily Elizabeth Jewelery necklace, Joe Fresh bangle (gifted from my sister for my birthday), F21 bangles & Gucci shades.

Wednesday!  Hoorah!  Middle of the weekend closer than ever to the weekend.

This week has been kind of a slow week, and yet I feel so exhausted.  On Monday evening, my girl friend and I helped another friend start packing up her place (she's moving in a month) and she made us an amazing dinner.  Afterwards we indulged in The Bachelorette and strawberry shortcake.  While I've been hoping to get some sewing done, it just hasn't happened, but I have stayed on top of my dishes, which is pretty incredible (my nemesis).

This weekend is my sister's bridal shower and I couldn't be more excited.  It was a surprise, but unfortunately someone ruined it (doesn't that just make you so mad when that happens!?), however, it's still going to be an amazing day.  So between doing last minute prep for that, getting organized and enjoying the beautiful weather, well, I guess it's understandable that I could use some extra shut eye.  But, it's summer, and I always say, 'Who cares, it's summer!  We can sleep come winter!'  And it's true.  I want to make the  most of my summer, even if that means being a little more tired than normal as these are the best days of our lives and we should enjoy them!  

Have a wonderful day.  xo

 Ashley B jacket (last seen here), La Senza tank (last seen here), unknown suede skirt (thrifted), 

This post could have totally been titled, 'Thrifty Thursday', as I was sort of planning on starting to do , but instead I'm going to give you a list of five things I don't like.  Yes, don't like, you know, fashion-wise, for me of course, not necessarily you.

1.  Spaghetti straps... while I'm not opposed to them on other people, I have come to realize that this style does not work for me.  Not only is it inconvienent that you have to wear a strapless bra, it will make anyone who's not petite look large (and in charge).

2.  Cowl necks... I love cowl necks, I'm drawn to them, they look pretty, I enjoy them on others, but this has to stop.  I have enough cowl necks and I don't wear them.  I just don't.  There might be the odd one, but there are so many better necklines out there for me, I need to just step away from the cowl necks (even though they call me during stints at the mall).

3.  V-Necks... Too casual, can't get past it.  Same goes for a crew neck.  Give me a scoop or a boat and I'm golden.

4.  Ribbed tanks... no, no and no.  For girls (like me) that carry (extra) weight around their mid-section, ribbed tanks are not your friend.  They add bulk and no one wants to do that on purpose.

5.  Socks and sandals... there, I said it.  I just can't come to terms with this trend.  I always appreciate when other women courageously jump aboard a trend, or rock something out of the ordinary and really express their personal style, and even this I'm not opposed to... on others, but you will not see me adopting this trend... OTK socks and sandals, well, that's another story.

 

While I'm not a huge fan of 'theme' days on blogs, this is something I've been wanting to do for a while.  I absolutely love thrifting and started when we were planning our wedding.  I was on a super tight budget, but still wanted to shop.  I found I was getting the same 'thrill' in finding vintage/unique items at the thrift store, as I normally would at the mall, all on a much cheaper budget.  There are five thrift stores between our house and work, which makes for some excellent budget-friendly shopping (so long as you only buy things you love or need... not just for the sake of buying).  I've found so many great things in the last six months (yes, we planned our wedding in five months), what better way to showcase them?  Now that the wedding is over, you might think I'd head back to the mall, and yes, I have, but I still have a huge love for thrifting that I cannot give up and scoring something no one else will have, plus at a great price?  Can't beat it.

Onto the jacket.  Last year, about this time, the BFF and I were shopping (at the mall) and she found the most beautiful jacket.  It was the Soia & Kyo 'Cali', a brand we'd never heard of before, with a cool price of $400.  Beautiful, without a doubt, but with that beauty came a hefty pricetag.  Fast forward two months and her then-boyfriend surprised her for her birthday with the jacket (hint dropping works!).  Needless to say, since then, I might have scouted out the Soia & Kyo website and looked at their collections and drooled a little - they have some beautiful stuff.  To my surprise, while shopping at Winners a few weeks ago, I noticed they were carrying two styles of the brand, for a fraction of the price ($200).  Still, I didn't need another black jacket, so I passed them by, but noted what a great deal it was.  The next day, I popped into one of my (five) thrift stores and perused the rack.  You would not believe my utter shock and excitement when I pulled this Soia & Kyo jacket from the rack... in my size!  I zipped to the fitting room and the rest is history.  Oh I forgot, it was $13.   *insert happy dance here*

I came home and washed it immediately, which was a bitch.  Too cheap to dry clean it, and too lazy to hand wash it, I threw it in the wash and hoped for the best (and consoled myself by saying, 'If it doesn't turn out, oh well, it was only $13' - but I seriously would have been pretty upset).  The washing machine doesn't really like wool, and it took two extra, 'Spin & Drain' cycles, on top of the norm, to get it somewhat wringed out.  From there I had to wring it out myself and hang it over the laundry tub so it could drip dry.  Fortunately, all my efforts were not lost and I can't say I'm looking forward to winter, but this jacket will make it somewhat sweeter.