What I Wore: March 2016 Work Capsule

March was the month of the never-ending hearing and the never-ending cold from hell (last tally: 5 family members down, each one with his or her own secondary infection requiring antibiotics). You might think that would be the beginning and end of it, but March also had some highlights. I read some good books (including this month’s book club selection), caught up on some excellent entertainment (including BBC’s Zen), spent some quality time with family and friends, and still managed — somehow! — to finish my second book. Gresham Park, a mid-century gothic novel, is available now!! You can buy it HERE (US), HERE (Canada), and HERE (UK). (Or not. Totally up to you. But I am really, ridiculously proud of this book, so I hope you give it a try. And if you do, drop me a line and let me know what you think.)

Also, I wore some clothes. Go figure.

one, two, three
one, two, three
four, five, six
four, five, six
seven, eight, nine
seven, eight, nine
ten, eleven, twelve
ten, eleven, twelve
thirteen, fourteen, fifteen
thirteen, fourteen, fifteen
sixteen, seventeen, eighteen
sixteen, seventeen, eighteen
nineteen, twenty, twenty one
nineteen, twenty, twenty one

There were a lot of really fun outfits happening this month, so picking faves is a bit difficult. If pressed, I’d probably go with #5, 13, 14, 17 and 18 — but only if absolutely necessary. The only outfit I didn’t love was #1, and it served as a lesson in not pushing to make a piece work at all costs; that blazer was a poorly thought-out impulse buy (contrary to what one might think, most of my impulse buys involve some degree of strategic thinking) and I shouldn’t have bothered trying to prove otherwise to myself. It was re-donated shortly after its first and only wear.

Hope March treated you all well — and here’s to a fun, but hopefully less overwhelming, April.

Getting Sherlocked

Cardigan & shoes, J. Crew; top, James Perse; pants, Anthropologie (thrifted); bag, Mulberry
Cardigan & shoes, J. Crew; top, James Perse; pants, Anthropologie (thrifted); bag, Chanel

Let me relieve your (likely) confusion right now, and tell you that the title is a reference to the Sherlock Holmes exhibit I saw recently at the Telus World of Science … wearing this outfit, natch. Before I spam you with photos of the exhibit — so, so cool — lets talk a little bit about the clothes.

These Cartonnier pants were a total gamble. They’re so far outside my comfort zone, I may need a passport to wear them. (Ba-dum-tish) However, since I thrifted them for $6, I figured it was a gamble worth taking. I did have to invest an extra $20 to have them hemmed, but I still think I came out ahead. While this silhouette will never be my go-to, I can see myself wearing these pants every now and then. They’re a nice wool fabric, and lined, and they fit quite well for being high waisted and all.

self-made pin
self-made pin

I paired them with my yellow cardigan, because I’m all about yellow at the moment as you know, and added a homemade pansy pin because why not.

feeling sunny
feeling sunny
getting ready to be Sherlocked
getting ready to be Sherlocked
bag detail
bag detail

Ok, on to the interesting stuff. I highly recommend going to check out the Sherlock Holmes exhibit if you’re in Edmonton. It offers a little bit of everything — biographical background about Arthur Conan Doyle and his inspiration for Sherlock, historical info about the Sherlockian era and I’m particular its forensic science, and stuff about all the various incarnations of the most famous of private detectives in media over the last 100+ years. There is also a murder mystery to solve! I would say that the exhibit is geared more to adults, but older kids might enjoy it too. Definitely not the under 5 crowd, in my opinion. Here’s a whack of photos — the exhibit is beautifully set up, and I could hardly do it justice.

Carriage from RDJ Sherlock movies
Carriage from RDJ Sherlock movies
beautiful creepy crawlies
beautiful creepy crawlies
Baker Street interior
Baker Street interior
Watson's desk
Watson’s desk
amazing attention to detail
amazing attention to detail
of course, the violin
of course, the violin
Sherlock's desk
Sherlock’s desk
one more for the road
one more for the road

The Amazing Cardi-Dress

Dress, Joseph Ribkoff (thrifted); shoes, J. Crew (thrifted); bag, Mulberry (via eBay)
Dress, Joseph Ribkoff (thrifted); shoes, J. Crew (thrifted); bag, Mulberry (via eBay)

I don’t know what the technical name for this kind of dress might be, but it’s always going to be a cardi-dress in my books. It’s basically an outfit-in-one. And a blank canvas to boot, perfect for showcasing accessories. Case in point:

Necklace, Banana Republic; earrings, J. Crew Factory
Necklace, Banana Republic; earrings, J. Crew Factory

This BR necklace might be a bit “much” for a regular day of work, but with a plain outfit, it’s almost passable. I got a lot of compliments on it in any case, and for $20, I’m calling it a great buy. The earrings are from the JC Factory store, but they match some of the iridescent stones in the necklace, making them look almost like a set. Since they were a recent gift from my better half (thanks, honey), I couldn’t resist wearing them as well. The more bling, the better — according to my inner magpie.

It's a cardigan! It's a dress! It's a ... cardi-dress!
It’s a cardigan! It’s a dress! It’s a … cardi-dress!
blingy!
blingy!