Details: Ace & Jig top (thrifted), Heritage House skirt (thrifted), Tabitha jacket (thrifted), Napoleoni shoes (thrifted), Stella & Max bag (Poshmark)

Thoughts: The idea behind this outfit was simple: throw all the rainbow coloured things together and see what comes out. The result was a winner for me.

Details: Primavera dress (thrifted), Wilfred sweater (thrifted), Noul coat (thrifted), Tommy Hilfiger bag (thrifted), Napoleoni shoes (thrifted)

Thoughts: This dress is such a 90s throwback in my eyes; it came with those little waist ties to tie around the back, which I promptly cut off. What I love most about it, apart from the silhouette, is the pattern — it reminds me of peonies. This was a simple outfit, but one which gave me strong “comfortable in my own skin” vibes. It’s probably utterly unmemorable for others, but a special one for me for that reason.

Details: Denim & Supply dress (Poshmark), Rafael Alfandary necklace (ebay), Club Monaco turtleneck (retail)

Thoughts: You can probably easily imagine the reasons why I got this dress. Mixed plaids, yes. Maxi length, yes. Bit of a prairie vibe, yes. And it does live up to my expectations except for one thing. The bust fits very very poorly. If I tighten the straps to make it fit, size-wise, then the cups sit way above my actual boobs. If I loosen the straps so that the cups sit roughly in line with my boobs, there is a lot of gaping. Sigh. So I will need to come up with innovative solutions to disguise this problem because I really do like the dress. First up: wearing a thin turtleneck underneath.

Details: J. Crew shirt (thrifted), Vince top (thrifted), Isabel Marant belt (thrifted), H&M pants (thrifted), Mackage jacket (thrifted), Ash sneakers (thrifted).

Thoughts: I am very pleased with how this outfit turned out; it’s low key, but feels very me. I have a stroke of inspiration to use the Vince knit tank top as a vest, and it worked out very well. The very baggy paperbag waist pants can accommodate a couple of layers tucked in, which is nice. The studded belt complements the studded sneakers, and it’s a nice touch of matchiness that I appreciate.

Details: J. Crew shirt (thrifted), vintage velvet vest (thrifted), On the Verge skirt (thrifted), Zara shoes (consignment), Obakki jacket (swap)

Thoughts: Just an experiment in making a short skirt work for me. I like how the outfit looked, though it didn’t feel very “me”.

Details: Rebel Sugar turtleneck (gift), Elizabeth & James vest (thrifted), Saint Laurent skirt (thrifted), St. John top (thrifted).

Thoughts: I kinda missed the season for wearing this wool skirt (one of my all time faves) but I managed to get in at least one outfit. And it was a good one — I liked the way the trompe l’oeil chains pair up with the plaid, it’s giving me McQueen vibes which is always a bonus.

Details: Ralph Lauren shirt (thrifted), Made by PJ coat (thrifted), Ines de la Fressange pants (thrifted), Emanuel belt (thrifted), J. Crew shoes (retail)

Thoughts: This outfit was the result of a random pairing — I thought the colours of the shirt and jacket would work well together, so I tried them, and they did. I built the rest of the outfit around it. The pants have some burgundy in them, so I thought they would be a good match. The result has a certain Jo March-on-the-prairie feel to it, which I am very much into (more on that next week).

Note: I changed the title of this series to hopefully clarify the intent. I have a lot on my mind, but this is a snapshot of the things that are inspiring my creative expression, be it in art, fashion, home decor, or other adventures.

One. Pastel rainbow nails

I love rainbows, that is a given. But pastel rainbows seem extra happy and uplifting, somehow. Adding them to my fingertips is like a daily reminder to smile. I recently did a gel manicure very similar to the photo, albeit sticking mostly to the cool side of the colour spectrum. Loving it.

Two. French country shabby chic

I don’t know if I am using an industry-approved term, but I have been very into what I call a “French country shabby chic” aesthetic for home decor, particularly fabrics. It’s basically all old fashioned florals (toile fabrics, especially) mixed with textured fabrics, against white furniture (perhaps slightly distressed, and not even intentionally because, well, kids). Fresh flowers (especially irises, roses, hydrangeas, and other equally lush blooms). White, billowing curtains. Lightness and airiness, mixed with some vintage charm. I’ve been thinking a lot about a quote from Nancy Mitford, who said something to the effect that “all lovely rooms are a little bit shabby”.

Three. Libraries

With the basement renovations well under way, I’ve had libraries on my mind a lot. We are adding 2 more walls of shelves in the basement, which will drastically increase the overall library capacity; and it means that our collection will need reorganization. This is one of my favourite things to do; I think it’s a throwback to my undergrad days when I worked as a page at one of my university’s libraries — still, to this day, one of my favourite jobs. I spent my working hours there re-shelving books and moving collections around to accommodate new additions. Being around books, and handling them (often picking out new reads along the way) is close to the perfect way to spend time, as far as I’m concerned. Anyway, for the reorganization project before me, the added benefit is that it will also involve some shelf styling — I am a big fan of using random decor items as book ends — so I have a lot of planning to do.

Four. Magnolia skies

We don’t have a lot of magnolia trees around here, which makes me sad. But I love seeing pictures posted by friends on social media. There is something so soothing about the delicate pink against a blue sky.

Five. 90s style

I recently acquired a large lot of vintage magazines (mostly from the late 80s and early 90s) and have spent many blissful hours engrossed in their pages. I am really enjoying rediscovering 90s style from my 40-something lens; I am able to buy all the things I coveted as a teen, and enjoy the fashion without the body hang-ups I used to have as a teen. The image above is of a Romeo Gigli outfit, which is such a throwback name to me; it’s also something that looks incredibly fresh and inspiring to me now, in 2022.

Details: Wilfred sweater, Gap skirt, Jil Sander jacket, Tignanello bag, Rafael Alfandary necklace

Thoughts: A friend was recently kind enough to gift me this vintage Gap skirt she thrifted in Calgary. It’s from the same collection as my blue triangle Gap skirt (which I wore not that long ago) and in fact the same design — just a different colourway. It’s also silk and heavenly to wear. Historically, I haven’t worn a lot of brown, but I am coming around to it, especially this sort of whiskey colour. I surprised myself by adding yellow as an accent (blue is my usual go-to pairing for brown) but was pleased with the result.

Details: J. Crew shirt and blazer, Comme des Garcons cardigan, L’Agence jeans, Ferragamo shoes, Dooney bag

Thoughts: I’ve worn the almost identical outfit before, years ago. It’s kind of a classic, really. Other than the cardigan, I think the pieces are all different — some old, some new. Speaking of old, I had planned to sell this J. Crew blazer, but it didn’t find any takers; in the meantime, my style has swung back around to tweed in a big way, so I’ve taken in back and very happy about it too. Style swings like this make me increasingly reluctant to part with good quality pieces anymore because it’s sometimes hard to know what I will want to rediscover and love again down the line; thrifting is getting increasingly difficult, so the days when replacing special pieces was relatively easy are long gone. But I struggle with my instinct to hold on to All The Things because space at my house is at a premium too. First world problems, I know.

Details: Bl_nk London top, Tabi skirt, Ferragamo shoes

Thoughts: I adore this blouse — it’s so unique! — but I struggle to style it. Had a brainwave, and decided to try it with this green plaid skirt. Loved the result. Red and green can have a tendency to look “Christmassy”, especially when plaid is involved, but I don’t think this does; the floral mixed pattern takes it into different direction.

Details: J. Crew shirt, St. John vest, H&M pants, Ferragamo shoes

Thoughts: I am obsessed with this St. John knit top I thrifted recently. The trompe l’oeil chains are wildly fun, and make this such a statement piece. I haven’t seen another one quite like it, but it’s giving me 90s Versace vibes. Rather than go full glam, I decided to something a little more in my current ballpark, and paired it with my current go-to pieces of white button up shirt and beige paperbag waist pants.

Details: Club Monaco turtleneck, Anthro skirt, Zara blazer, Chelsea Crew shoes, Dooney bag

Thoughts: I got this skirt at my last swap, or rather I should say I “rescued” it because nobody else wanted it and I liked it too much to see it go. It was actually a piece I had stalked on ebay a few years before, but which currently doesn’t quite work for me because of the length (I prefer longer skirts). This one is also quite snug. So it’s a stretch for me, no pun intended, in more ways than one. What I love is the fabric, so I kept the skirt with the vague notion that I might upcycle it down the line. Well, recently I was reorganizing my various stashes, and came across it and decided it was time to give it a proper try. I’ll be honest and say that I didn’t unreservedly love it — nothing will make me love knee-length pencil skirts right now — but I appreciated this outfit a lot. The colours and textures were lovely.

Details: J. Crew shirt, husband’s tie, Tabi vest, Gap jacket, Urban Outfitters pants, Everlane shoes

Thoughts: I like menswear-inspired outfits, but this was the most literal interpretation I’ve ever attempted. I just wanted to try wearing a tie, after seeing others on IG rocking the look. Plus, my husband has a huge collection of beautiful ties that I have always admired (I bought a lot of them, haha!). I don’t think it’s a look that would be a go-to for me, but it was fun to try.

Details: For Cynthia shirt, Tulip skirt, Denim & Supply jacket, BR belt, Chelsea Crew shoes

Thoughts: I am trying to pivot into summer style, although the weather hasn’t been cooperating very much. I’m hoping to take a page out of, what else, Ralph Lauren past collections and try a sort of romantic/boho/prairie aesthetic. Voluminous skirts and dresses, long dusters, chunky belts, patchwork everything. That’s the idea, anyway. This outfit is a baby step (vaguely) in that direction. I had planned to tuck in the shirt, but the eyelet hem was too bulky, so I left it out and belted over it instead … and I loved how that looked. It was a pleasant surprise and a reminder that it’s good to switch things up from time to time.