Double Leopard

So, here’s the medium-long story: I thrifted this Anthro skirt a while ago, taking something of a gamble on the size which didn’t quite pan out. Rather than try to squeeze myself into it, I decided to sell it. Except it didn’t sell. I was tidying up my basement recently and setting aside stuff for donation, when I saw the skirt and decided to give it another try. Maybe the stars were aligned; maybe my lunch that day was a little lighter. Whatever the reason, the skirt seemed to fit better. So I decided to give styling it a whirl. And I don’t know what came over me, but the first thing I grabbed was this Phillip Lim x Target blazer. The colours match, and the prints are similar, albeit different scales. It’s so wrong, yet somehow it works just right. This outfit has me excited for the possibilities of this skirt.

Waisted

I know you will all get sick of this belt soon enough, but for now, it’s my favourite accessory. It transforms everything and makes every outfit a little bit more interesting.

Pattern Play

On IG, I called this outfit my Joan of Arc/Joan Holloway mash-up, and I stand by that. This skirt skews a little too “traditional pencil skirt” for my taste — I wish it were longer — so I am looking for ways to make it more intriguing (to me). Pairing it with a futuristic print helps.

A Colourful Display

I have been eyeing this dress online for years, but never pulled the trigger. Then, when I finally spotted it at the thrift store, I had some reservations; it’s made from that kind of soft, drapey jersey that hugs every curve and bump and I’m not interested in wearing Spanx. I ended up getting it because I love the colour-blocking and you know what? I’m glad I did. The cut of the dress (particularly the top overlay part) is very forgiving, so my bumps have nothing to worry about. It’s a soft, comfy dress you can just throw on and go, and I think it will be a summer staple.

Cupcake Chic

Yes, friends, I finally managed to track down the cream version of my H&M tulle dress. It’s the same, yet not. The vibe is totally different, and I’m glad to have both. I will say that the sizing is a bit of a wild card; my black dress is an XL, and this cream one is a S. They both fit, with varying degrees of extra room. What I prefer about the XL is that it’s longer, on me, and has extra skirt volume. I don’t hate the length of the Small, but as always, wish it were mid-calf. But all that aside, I love this dress and I love it paired with this Anthro cardigan which I rescued from my pile of unsolds. Now I have to figure out if the cardigan is a one-outfit pony, or if I can make it work with other pieces in my closet.

Chartreuse By Any Other Name

This vintage Louben vest was a bit of a thrift fail; I eyeballed the size and knew it would be a tight fit, but I was way off. It’s practically a child-size vest. I can’t come close to buttoning it up. But … there is a silver lining. Left open, it can better showcase the base layer — here, my scarf-print Marni top. I do love this chartreuse colour (it feels fresh and offers lots of combo-pairing potential) so I’m going to keep the vest and play around with it some more. The accessories here were also on point:

Graphic x 2

I found this Icone top and Zara skirt separately; the fact that they look like a coordinating set is pure serendipity, but I simply had to wear them together for that reason. Paired with these Ash sneakers (my faves), this is a no-fail combo.

April Flowers

This Zara dress was an impulse buy on Poshmark, but I think I can say with confidence that it’s a winner. I love how vibrant and cheerful the floral print is; pink is a recent obsession of mine. I also love the cut, especially the full skirt and midi length. It’s on the cusp of being retro, without going full 50s housewife. I will definitely play around with the styling more in the future, but for now, I wanted to wear the dress “as is” (so to speak) the better to showcase its appeal.

My latest creative efforts have been somewhat more scattered and infrequent than usual, but I’ve been trying to do a little bit, here and there, whenever possible. I have taken to calling it my “colour therapy”: having lots of colour around me helps to cheer me up, so whether it’s interior design, or clothing, or my art projects, that’s what I’m craving lately.

I’ve got a few more jewelry pieces under my belt. Sourcing of stones remains my biggest challenge, but I did find some smaller labradorites to play around with.

The Phoenix necklace: two loose labradorites, plus some stones salvaged from an old Stella & Dot necklace. This is one of my favourite pieces.

The Leto necklace: raw rose quartz. It’s not as heavy as it looks, and it’s quite versatile.

The Dido necklace: labradorite plus an old copper pendant (love the verdigris!)

The Daisy necklace – hard to capture its fire, but here is a close-up:

And this is the Cleopatra necklace. It’s my second attempt at an “evil eye” motif, and I’m quite happy with how it turned out.

Last but not least, the Clio ring.

I also dabbled briefly with some acrylics – craving that extra burst of colour:

I have a few more pieces on the easel, but nothing that feels finished yet. Sometimes, you have to sit with a piece for a while. Learning to sit with things, and give them their own time, has a been a big lesson for me over the last year or so.

Last but not least, I also tackled a couple of embroidery projects.

I started this one a few years ago, and finally got around to finishing it. Can you guess who it’s supposed to be?

I’m calling this one the “Easter Moon” – it came out a little more pastel-bright than I had originally envisioned, but I do love how punchy it is.

I would love to hear about your creative projects or plans you’re cooking up. And, as always, happy crafting!

Maximalism To The Max

There is a *lot* happening here, I acknowledge that. But, like … I think it works? Here’s what happened. I thrifted this Anthro brand skirt a while back; I liked the wild (no pun intended) pattern mix, the length, and the overall swishiness. I took a risk on sizing, hoping it would fit – my waist is the slimmest part of my body, so I usually have more leeway there. When I got home, I realized that it was a bit more snug than I had hoped. So I threw it up for sale. Fast forward a couple of months; the skirt hasn’t sold and I’m trying to clear out my basement storage a bit so I decide to give it another whirl. It’s still snug but feels doable, so I start to experiment a little with possible outfits. A crop top was a given (don’t want to have to tuck anything in and further reduce the available waist circumference) but I wasn’t sure about a topper … until I remembered this Phillip Lim x Target thin blazer that I thrifted recently (it’s really more like a pyjama top, cut like a slouchy blazer). The colours worked perfectly together, and the print was similar albeit on a different scale. And I LOVE how it turned out! It’s a lot to take in, but in a good way, I think.

And the accessories:

Restraint, I Remember Her

And here’s proof that I can still do a more subdued outfit, if need be. Need here is, of course, subjective but it’s nice to know I still have some variety in my repertoire. Though, come to think of it, I *have* been using this belt an awful lot lately as an outfit finishing piece. It’s just SO good for that! Here, the top and skirt would have worked just fine alone together, but the belt makes the outfit a bit special.

A Desert Palette

It wasn’t exactly intentional, but I think this ended up as a very southwestern-inspired palette – terracota, goldenrod, and sky blue. It makes me miss the desert, and think fondly of future trips to Arizona (here’s hoping!). All of it, I need not add, inspired by the graphic tee which, naturally, I had to buy because CACTI! And speaking of which:

Aqua, Green and Brown

It may not sound especially exciting, but I love this colour triad. I started this outfit with just the skirt and sweater, and it looked fine. But then, inspired by some of the more creative maximalist accounts on my IG feed, I decided to up the ante with a third piece – the vest. While it does perhaps take a little away from the drama of the sweater sleeves, I think it adds a nice twist to the outfit as a whole. And the accessories: