Mint and Cheese

I took a few pictures today with my new camera remote.
While last in Toronto, my friend Ben and I

went shopping. Kensington Market has the most exciting and fresh things to offer. From vintage finds, to activist rallies, to organic fair trade pieces, to exotic cheese. It definitely isn't the smell that draws you in, but the excitment of choosing one of the hundreds of cheeses they have at Cheese Magic. I l♥ve this area: Sitting around and watching people go in and out of Hot Box Cafe (usually very slowly), talking to Swedish fellows who wear matching denim jackets and trousers (and shoes.), and deciding whether or not to spend the extra $2.75 and streetcar it to Bloor because you're in really motherfreaking uncomfortable.....pretty flats or walk because you get to feel so tall in Chinatown.

I got this vintage dress (a la mid-50's) at Bungalow. Fits like a glove and it's next to flawless! The raw mint colour screams summer garden party and lemonade spritzers by the pool. I feel delicate in it. It's cute.

dress | bungalow vintage
cream belt | vintage

I am the princess of Magnolia.

Magnolias are said to be closely linked with beauty and perseverance, and the best is it's association with nobility. aw yeah. Royalty flowa's. I totally think magnolias are just the prettiest things ever and make me feel so regal. Does it makes sense if I think they're classy? No, it doesn't, maybe more like elegant,...no you can't really call a flower elegant either. We'll stick with pretty. It's like they really are from a far away place though(a magical kingdom?), outshining and out-prettying the evergreens and maples it shares the yard with. Despite the gross bed of brown flower remnants it later leaves, the pretty pink blooms are definitely worth the later gross factor.

And at springtide, when the apple-blossoms
brush the burnished bosom of the dove,
Two young lovers lying in an orchard would
have read the story of our love;

Would have read the legend of my passion,
known the bitter secret of my heart,
Kissed as we have kissed, but never parted as
we two are fated now to part.

- Oscar Wilde, Flower of Love.

I'm going to wear something pink tonight.

Polywhore

Totally just got blog-featured on Polyvore! Crazy!

http://blog.polyvore.com/

This is bad. (I was doing great for so long, having put p-vore on the backburner for at least the first couple weeks of the summer.) It's like dangling a carrot, or maybe in this case, a Christian Louboutin heel, right in front of me, right before I start my new job. It's only going to further propel my already deteriorating affinity for schoolwork and um, work in general. I have had this love affair with polyvore for about a year now. I'm doing okay, not great, but okay. Every day gets easier. In the beginning, I was spending, 2, 5, 7, 16 hours straight on it, pairing shoes with cute jumpers...then it became backgrounds matched with each earring and every accessory. That was when I knew I had a problem. I couldn't focus anymore.
But, I'm on the road to recovery and though I still struggle in exam season, sometimes hitting 10 to 15 sets a day, I've got a lotta hope.

E-dreaming

Ancient imaginations.... by richelllllllle featuring Nina shoes

I love this outfit .... In my e-dreaming, I get repeatedly frustrated because I'll make a pretty outfit in cyberspace, and zen I caaan't have eet. If only I could own such a beautiful blouse! If only it wasn't $630.00. Bollux.

"The peacock preened itself on the lawn..."

Preen. About a year and 3/4 ago, I discovered Preen. There is a great chance you haven't heard of it - Despite it's 10 year age and general awesomeness, it hasn't quite knocked on haute couture's door (and subsequently, hasn't become a common name)...until recently.
Specifically, I really, really like their take on 'clothing cut outs'. So many designers do it wrong in my opinion; slashing what looks like a lion attack into a shirt or tearing holes where one shouldn't be exposing skin. Preen more often than not uses a light sheer material (I'm full-out guessing a marquisette kind of fabric?) to underlay the feminine cuts into the dress, adding just a touch of softness and mystery to an otherwise, sexual piece. Though the raunchy-line is brushed up against from time to time, they focus on emphasizing silhouettes rather than showing cleav and badonkadonk. [I will soon post pictures of what I'm talking about, they really, really do it well!] The designers are Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi; they both (I'm pretty sure both) hail from Great Britain and it's only been in the last two years that they've touched the western continents. I find it bewildering that these two started their design resume by, in a way, 'recycling' clothing; they made an effort to reconstruct and deconstruct old and new garments in their early years. As much as I find this rather wonderful, it's neat to see how they've grown over the past decade and come to own and manage gaggles of stores internationally. I have to say, there has always been something that I have just adored about the name. I love the definitions I've found and as a result, how much more wicked the name gets...
preen:
–verb
a)(of animals, esp. birds) to trim or dress (feathers) with the beak or tongue: The peacock preened itself on the lawn.
b) to dress (oneself) carefully or smartly; primp: The king preened himself in his elaborate ceremonial robes.
c) to take pride or satisfaction in oneself; gloat: He preened himself on having been graduated with honors.

From the clean lines and classic styles they create, Bregazzi and Thornton -who are a real-life couple! aw!- keep chic up-to-date. What I mean by that is, they manage to never let blacks, whites, creams, and beiges get old or matronly. Progressively getting more and more sophisticated, there is always a stunning and ageless look that repeatedly saves each piece from, in my opinion, ever going out of date! As much as I love colour blocking and having an exciting palette in my closet, my ultimate love and trust belongs to the neutrals. They are always safe -not boring!- safe and classy: that's my favourite part, the class. Wearing fitted, high waisted, black pencil skirts paired with cream or white blouses tucked in 'just-so', is what unconsciously but, automatically pops into my head when considering prestige. I can't help it! It's smart.
These two are way cool and spend literally 24/7 with each other: planning, designing, negotiating and claim to never fight. I think that is beyond the coolest thing. Being able to work sanely with the love of your life? Awesome. (Sidenote: I'll quickly mention that during New York Fashion week, Justin shipped out to NYC to cover them for the first time overseas last year whilst Thea stayed on the homestead to have their baby! That's hardcore. Best part for me is that he is quoted saying - "It's such a strange feeling to know this will be the first show ever without Thea there on that day."= blissfully gliding over the fact he isn't going to be present for the birth of his first child and that it's apparently more significant for him to be alone at a fashion show! Hilarious.) Last year, they also launched "Preen Line", an extension of their title narrowing in on their more rock-chic looks....I'm nottt as big of a fan, but they seem really excited about it! So, I'll refrain from further judgment until the next collection! I love that with the flagship collection, I am drawn to the line's neutral colours and femine angles, but always end up falling in love with one of their surprise pieces; This year for me it is their cut-out, kind-of persimmon orange, token dress here and have always loved their sweetheart rose sundress that dates back to Spring 2006. Always full of surprises Thea and Justin,...you sneaky rascals.

At some point, I'll definitely be highlighting their menswear line, cause it's sickkkk.

Something old, something (re)new(ed), something borrowed, something....green?

Mixing the wonderfulness of accessories and all things pretty with that of environmental consciousness. ...Without having to weave purses of eucalyptus leaves or fashion recycled bottle caps for rings, I've sorta found you truly can enjoy sparkley things and oo-la-la-ness in earth conserving ways ~ I am not a poser and will not pretend I do enough for the environment. However, I like the world. And recently, I have been realizing I should show it I like it...a lot more than I have been; in the words of Diana Ross, love is give and take. At this wicked site, it gives you a handful of really great ideas of how to tackle the whole being-pretty-and-smart deal. Reuse, reuse, reuse. Vintage: I especially enjoy the idea of finding new old-finds or remodeling an item you already have and challenging yourself into using it in a different way. Par exemple! I revamped an old riding jacket I had from my yesteryear by buying a mere 6 gold ornated buttons....I replaced the worn silver clips with these and wa-BAm, it genuinely looked new. (Another joy of mine, finding something you forgot was yours: yessssss.)

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/fashion-accessories/top-fashion-accessories-tips.html

This is Planet Green: I regularly look at this site...it offers simple suggestions and new "takes" on how to approach a suffering world and make little (or big) changes. They partner with NGO's to develop a web of communication through this common theme of environmental maintenance....What I really appreciate is their realism and very 'everyday' sort of reflections, nothing too unattainable. Just "motivating individuals to take action when it comes to improving the environmental status of our planet."

I am a hoarder. I hoard. I have also been (unfairly) called a pack rat. I can't give things away and it's something I'm working on. I applaud you who can. I always hold the dim, but blithe prospect that a certain questionable item will, at some point, become cute again. No matter what anyone says, fashion is cyclic. What once was fashionable, has the undeniable possibility of making a resurgence (despite the formidable qualities windbreakers, banana clips and shoulder padding currently have in your eyes, they will one day join the 'vintage-cute' circles, not yet, definitely not yet, but one day.). Hence my fear of giving something away that may once again be fabulous! (Joy #311: proclaiming something is vintage when really, it doesn't quite make the old-enough mark - still stuck in the Thrift store purgatory - but it's justified by it's cuteness.) As I'm always unwelcomely reminded by my boyfriend in any moment of shopping weakness or quotidian conversation, it's a "recession", I am offended. My retort being, "Precisely why I must keep my old clothes and invest in my longterm future by buying new pieces." That's what I call planning ahead. Recession-shmesession.

A is for Accessories.