Ahhh, my favourite part of my closet … or any closet, for that matter.
Bags, baby.
Honestly, I could talk about my bags, and how they came into my life, for days … but I’ll spare you. If you’re curious about how my collection has changed in the last 2-3 years, read this first. Then come back, and look at some pretty pictures.
1) Louis Vuitton Alma ($700); Louis Vuitton Dentelle Speedy ($400); 3) Mulberry Bayswater ($525); 4) Mulbery Fitzrovia (chocolate brown, $319)1) MbMJ Totally Turnlock Aidan ($105); 2) MbMJ Totally Turnlock Teri ($167); 3) MbMJ Totally Turnlock Magazine Bag ($90); 4) MbMJ Totally Turnlock Magazine Bag ($125)1) Marc Jacobs Stella (swap); 2) Marc Jacobs Courtney ($83); 3) Longchamps Le Pliage Shopping Tote (gift); 4) Longchamps Le Pliage Shopping Tote (gift)1) Rebecca Minkoff MAC (gift); 2) Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC ($165); 3) Kate Spade Gold Coast Elizabeth ($80); 4) Rebecca Minkoff MAC clutch (gift)1) Vintage Coach ($45); 2) Vintage Coach ($40); 3) Gap clutch ($12); 4) mbMJ Posh Turnlock Convertible Clutch ($35)
Not pictured: Chanel vintage double flap (seen here ); YSL Besace satchel (seen here, I’m debating whether to sell or not); Tory Burch Norah satchel (seen here, selling); Coach vintage Court bag (seen here, selling); Arcadia tote (seen here).
Tunic, Free People (via consignment); leggings, maternity?; shoes, J. Crew Factory; bag, MbMJ (via Adrien)
My usual style leans more towards the preppy side than the boho, but this tunic intrigued me. And, because it was cheap, I decided to allow myself to be intrigued into buying it. I’m happy I did because I kinda seriously love it.
windy!
It’s very floofy and tent-like, but what points it loses in the figure-flattery category, it more than makes up in comfort. I have no idea whether it’s supposed to be a tunic or a dress, but I decided to err on the side of not showing my 34-year old butt. What I’m most pumped about, though, is pairing it with my moto boots this fall. NOT THAT I’M WISHING FOR FALL. Nope, not at all. As excited as I am by the remixing possibilities, I am more than happy to postpone them indefinitely. Hear that, Mother Nature?
Don’t run off just yet, I have a quick review for you. I was in Old Navy last week, and this super cute striped dress caught my eye. I love the subtle fit ‘n flare silhouette (bonus sleeves!), so I had to try it on in a few colorways. Cue the changing room selfies.
Awesome, so-so, pass
As you can tell, they all fit slightly differently. My favourite, the red/black colorway, fit the best and had the nicest hand-feel. The black fit the worst (more on that in a minute), and its fabric felt the cheapest to the touch. It made me look … lumpy. I’m not that lumpy. I have no idea how this is possible, given that we’re talking about the same dress, made out of the (supposedly) same material. Speaking of poor fit, what the hell is going on with the black:
Insta-belly, if that’s a feature you enjoy in your dresses (but seriously, wtf?)
For reference, I’m wearing my usual Old Navy size (small, but obviously fits large). Unlike a lot of similarly cut dresses, the waist of this one didn’t sit super high on me. Also, it’s a nice length (just slightly above the knee on me, and I’m 5’7). Definitely give the red/black version a try if a striped dress is on your shopping list. It’s currently $32, but I’d wait for a sale.
Shorts, J. Crew Factory; top, Anthropologie (via eBay); sandals & necklace, Old Navy; bag, MbMJ (via eBay)
Our family summer vacation this year was a staycation. Edmonton is a pretty cool place to hang in the summer, so this wasn’t as depressing as it would have been if we were talking about our mid-winter vacation. The kids like need to stay busy, so we cooked up a week’s worth of local adventures to keep them entertained.
One of our stops was the Edmonton Zoo. My last visit was about 7 years ago, and it wasn’t much to write home about, so my expectations were low. And they got blown out of the water! The city has done a tremendous job of expanding and modernizing the zoo, and making it very kid-friendly.
Urban Farm @ Edmonton Zoo
The boy loved the urban farm, although he spent most of his time there running away from any animals that got too close … only to start following them around as soon as they walked away. If this is in any way a window into his future dating strategies, his teenage years should be interesting.
We even had a little celebrity sighting when we spotted Lucy the elephant take her morning stroll. Lucy became famous a few years ago, after being at the centre of a court battle between PETA and the city.
Miss Lucy the elephant
The zoo is full of cute animals but, really, it’s all about these gingers for this lady:
Dat face thoo hai, is it time to get up?nope!
Call me biased, but they are the cutest, ever, period. Well, this little guy’s pretty cute too:
Arctic exhibit … now with extra local flavour
All in all, a really fun morning adventure. If you’re looking for ways to keep the kidlets entertained this summer, definitely give the Edmonton Zoo a try.
Non-photo bombed
Stay tuned for more staycation adventures. And a few more shorts outfits, because holy heatwave, Batman!
