Happy Birthday to ME!

My first semester is DONE and I’ve got myself a 3.26 GPA.  Some definite room for improvement there, but on account of being out of school for nearly a decade then jumping into the end of year 2 of university, not to mention not really knowing how to write a proper research essay (I wrote 4 but still don’t get it), the stress of being apart from my handsome man and not really knowing when we’ll be living in the same province again, I would say I did pretty well!

So I had a four day weekend to celebrate my accomplishment before jumping into a new semester today on my 32nd birthday.  I spent 2 of the days desperately running errands that had been neglected, making phone calls to realtors and phone companies and charity organizations, getting a police background check for my next volunteer position and working.  The two days after that were spent at the tulip festival in Laconner with my parents and family friends, at hot yoga, the sugarlime jewelry show and brunch following at Hart House in Burnaby and a little family party at home.  The weekend was lovely!

This morning, my actual birthday, I woke up to drizzling rain but didn’t care because for the next 3 weeks I have a (fairly) early morning statistics class for about 4 hours a day.  The class is supposed to be brutal, and I’m excited for the challenge.  We wasted no time getting into it, and I have homework already!  I also started my (somewhat) online human kinetics class.  We have a lab once a week, and I’m crossing my fingers for a dodgeball game!!!  This afternoon my mom took me to our nail place to get pedicures.  Mine is coral, which should please my sister in law who swears it’s my fave colour.  Maybe she’s right, THIS season 😉

It was a good birthday all in all, and if my dreamboat could have been here it would have been darn near perfect!!!  Here’s to 32, I know it’s going to be a fabulous year!

Pink Spring jeans!

It’s a gorgeous day and I have a final!!!!  Ah well, I’m going to knock it out of the park wearing these cute deep pink jeans!  What are YOU doing today???

Jean shirt: H&M

Lace tank: Aritzia

Cuff: Aldo

Bag: Aldo

Jeans: Army & Navy

Shoes: Zig Zag

From the Archives: My Advintage

 

This is a post written in my other blog dated  May 14, 2011…hope you like it!

My advintage

Lately I’ve been getting more and more into vintage.  Mr. Dreamy has an old sedan delivery parked in our backyard in Devon, which I initially fought on the basis that it’s trashy, but I actually kind of like looking at a cool old car when I take our puppy out to pee.  We go to antique malls for fun just to look (or to see what I’ve sold, as of last week), and always end up finding a little treasure and taking it home.  I’ve been wearing some authentically 50′s and 60′s dresses as well, and don’t mind the relative discomfort (they had no lycra, and every pretty fabric was itchy) because I know this dress has a history, beyond being made by a poor mom in Thailand.  I love wearing history, even if it means I have to be careful getting out of my car. 

Last night Mr. Dreamy and I were watching Memoirs of a Geisha.  We’d both read the book (seriously, he read the book.  And he’s straight.  How’d I get so lucky?!?)  but he’d never seen the movie.  I’d seen it twice.  A new thought struck me last night though, as I was watching the scene where the narrator is describing the pain of being a Geisha.  Sleeping, standing, not eating, it’s all painful when you’re moulding yourself into the image of beauty.  Today, we tend to think of that as ridiculous and cruel.  We also prefer to make our children obese over obedient.  It’s the pendulum swing.  So my thought: maybe it’s the pain of doing what it takes to be beautiful that made people a little more disciplined and less entitled many years ago.  If you go back far enough, even men used to wear girdles…and they weren’t nearly as fat as we are now.  How could they be?  They didn’t have cars or microwave dinners.

Don’t get me wrong, I love living in the times we’re in.  We have opportunity, technology, and cupcakes.  What I think we’re missing however, is pain.  We’ve gotten rid of most of the physical pain that used to be necesary for just being part of society.  In doing so, we’ve created a much bigger pain called “low tolerance”, and that’s the stuff that screws up lives.  If something sucks, quit it.  Because nothing has ever hurt me before, I bail when anything hurts at all.  And I am speaking personally, this is a big problem for me.  Witness my divorce and multiple (I have to be in the 20′s now) jobs. 

So maybe this is just me, but I somehow doubt it.  If I go for a walk today in my town, I’ll no doubt see people wandering around in pajamas, guts hanging out, with “easy” read: hideous haircuts, and I can only guess how many years they’ve been on the welfare.  These are merely symptoms of a larger problem of not experiencing pain.  These people are on one end of the spectrum, and on the other side we find the Kardashians.  Why are you famous, Kardashians?  I know your Dad defended OJ Simpson, so he had to have gone to Law School for that.  Ok, he was famous for a reason.  But why are YOU famous?  Did you do anything?  Do you currently do anything?  I don’t care who you’re dating, I want to know exactly why I have to see you on every trashy magazine when I go to get groceries.  Back in the day, celebrities used to do stuff, like sing or act or dance.  They used to have talent.  Now they have boobs and rich parents.  My point?  I love vintage, because it takes me back to a time when everyday life was a little harder, a little more earned, and people took care every day.  Ladies dressed up.  Men opened doors.  Stars were actual stars.  Surrounding myself with old things reminds me that I feel better taking care every day.  And yes, I need a bit of daily pain.

Note: Spanx for whale-boned corsets remains the best trade in history.

Buy these shoes Here

Buy this dress HERE

Red dress has got that SWING

Last day with my hubby, so we went downtown for brunch with my sister and her boyfriend, then out for ice cream at Menchies.  Life is hard, right?  It was so nice being out and about, and I can’t wait until we’re living in the same place permanently!!!  To give him a last image of me as a springy, feminine, happy lady, I donned a Spring dress from my vintage shop along with some new killer nine west sandals I scored last weekend on a shopping trip to the states.  Just TRY staying away for long, honey 😉

Nude sunglasses: Old Navy

Dress: Trulie Vintage, buy it Here

Scarf: Thrifted

Jean Jacket: Gap, also seen Here

Bracelets: bought on vacation in Mexico, Thrifted

Sandals: Nine West

Rainy days are for Cupcakes

My honey is here visiting me for one more day, and since it’s raining out, what better way to spend a late morning than at my favourite cupcake and lunch place, Tracycakes???  We had a great lunch and shared a Lovely Lavender Cupcake, one of my favourites!  We then went outside and snapped a few pics.  Since the dreamboat is leaving again for awhile, he got a me a tall tripod to make my blogging a bit easier…what a sweetheart, right?  Love him!

Happy Rain day, everyone!

Trench: Jacob

Scarf: My Mom’s closet

Tunic: Smart Set

Jeggings: HUE

Shoes: Winners

The dress to wear for a Spring Day Date

Spring is here!  The sun is out, the flowers are blooming, and my hubby is in town.  Life isn’t just good, but great!  After taking him with me to school, sitting in on a class and handing in my last paper, I was free to enjoy the day with my dreamboat!  We headed into Fort Langley, where I work a couple of times a week, where many antique stores and ice cream parlours live, and where they film the show “Once Upon a Time”.  We browsed antiques, ate in a diner, and walked hand-in-hand down the street.  Bliss!

It was a little chilly despite the sun being out, so I opted for a black dress (his fave) with a jean jacket (my fave), bamboo scarf and taupe boots.  I added some bracelets and sunglasses to complete my ensemble.  What do you think?

Dress: Thrifted

Jacket: Gap

Scarf: Indigo

Boots: Winners

Bracelets: Thrifted

Simple Trench, BIG impact

Happy Hump Day!  (I can’t believe I wrote that) It’s the last week of school, my hubby arrives tonight for a visit, and all is well with the world!  I chose my pink trench today  to stay cozy and tell the world that I’m EXCITED!!!!!

Trench: Jacob

Scarf: Chapters

Striped Top: Banana Republic Factory

Skinnies: Old Navy

Patent Peeptoes: Winners

Clutch: Payless Shoes

~Happy Wednesday Everyone!!!

Happy Easter (after a long week)!

What a week!  I had three research  papers and a presentation due this week, so it’s been crazy ’round here!  I’ve had no time to post, but have managed to squeeze in a few pictures here and there. Today is Easter, and we’re sitting down to pulled turkey sandwiches.   I thought I’d post these to account for the past week anyway, so…Enjoy!

So how was your week?

March: a pictorial review

March is over!  It went really fast, too.  I spent it writing, working, spending time with family, chillin with my dog, going to class and of course, finding those little treasures to reveal in my blogs.  I have a few papers due this week and then the dreamboat comes for a visit!!!  Pretty excited for that, so in a way it’s not terrible that time has passed quickly ❤

I also want to note that in pictures it looks like I wore headbands every day in march.  Maybe I did, and maybe that’s awesome?  I’m not sure.  Anyway…

The weather’s had a tough time making up it’s mind this month.

Working at Tracycakes in Fort Langley a day or two a week.  Cupcakes…:)

I spend lots of time on this lil pink lady every day.

I read this book.  And the next one, and I’m almost done the next one.  I’m saving the movie for date night!

Dinner with my niece and nephew!

Stella started sleeping like this, with her head on the floor.  It’s weird, but she seems ok in the morning.

A beautiful day at the swamp.

Walkies!

And that was my March!  How was yours, what did you do or see?

I want to wear spring dresses NOW!

But it’s a little too cold.  So, what to do?  For me, adding tights or boots with cozy socks and a scarf makes spring/summer dresses warm, and still functional.  Here are two looks to try:

Dress: Joe Fresh

Cardigan: Thrifted

Scarf: Smart Set

Tights: Modcloth

Shoes: Thrifted

Dress: H&M

Denim shirt: H&M

Scarf: Indigo/Chapters

Socks: H&M

Boots: Winners