I broke one of my shopping rules for this outfit, but it was totally worth it. The rule is to never buy a piece that I can’t easily mix and match to create at least 3-4 outfits with pieces already in my closet. Off the top of my head, I can think of maybe 2 outfits I can make with this skirt. Maybe. But, really, only this one counts. I love this beanstalk print top, and when I saw the matching skirt at the consignment store – new with tags for $15 – I couldn’t resist completing the set. Insta-dress, for the win!

In unsolicited updates news, I’m still loving my YSL Muse II. It’s probably the most versatile bag in my collection, colour and shape-wise. The functionality is still not ideal, but I’m used to it by now. I’m forever worried about damaging the soft nubuck leather, but apart from that – true love, I tell ya.

P.S. Happy (early) Canada Day, peeps!

This outfit was mostly unintentional. I was originally planning to wear it with my blush pink cardigan, but that seemed too similar to the colour scheme I had tried before with this dress. Next I tried, in succession, a black and a navy blazer, but both seemed too dark and heavy for this dress. Running out of options – and, more importantly, time – I threw on this seersucker-ish number, and hoped for the best.

The necklace was another not-really-matching option, and the bag and shoes … well, they’re both patent leather so at least they have that in common. With all that said, the final result was not flames-coming-out-of-the-side-of-my-face terrible. So, hurray for small miracles.

I seem to have a fatal attraction for colourful muumuus, which should be all you need to know to understand why I had to buy this Etro tunic. It was only $50. I had to. It looks like the sort of thing a Real Housewife would wear to the beach on St. Barths – or wherever nouveau riche ladies with aspirations of Bravo TV fame vacation – so I have no idea where I might wear it. I mean, does “summer weekend in Edmonton” count? For what it’s worth, I wore it to go on a bookstore-and-sushi date with my husband.

It was pretty awesome. I refrained from buying dubious literature (as an incentive to continue writing my own dubious literature – I need all the encouragement I can get) in favour of something that might actually, well, help me write better. Maybe. We’ll find out next year. In the meantime, here’s another photo of my fawncy Italian silk muumuu.