June baby bloggers; jumpsuit then & now

My name is Kelly, and I've hit my wall ("K" painted on a brick wall in St Annes, spied in an alley way on one of my last days in the town). Wall of exhaustion, endless packing and administrative minutia of moving country, and now wall of hacking coughs and sore throats, oozing green stuff and endless sneezes and sinus headache pains. But we're en route to our lovely new home in France, and the excitement is building.

A year ago in my B-day suit: a bit too thin, je pense.

Since we'll be traveling tomorrow, my B-day, I wanted to show you a jumpsuit I wore for my B-day last year, a B-day pressie, in fact. 

A year later: curvier.

One year later, you can see I've put on some curves. Sometimes I struggle with having put on a few pounds, but when I see these pics together, I think I look better in the latter one, and too thin in the first. BTW I'm wearing thrifted Clarks sandals (what else?) and a thrifted crochet-style bag with the outfit.

I love the back too.

I'm dedicating this post to the darling Reva, whose boho free-spirit, wonderfully creative and eternally spunky style continues to inspire and delight - who just happens to be celebrating her B-day on the 19 as well - Happy Birthday, girl! I'd also like to wish a Happy B-day Terri, who I believe is also celebrating this week and whose great sense of colour and ability to make classics look funky is another source of daily inspiration. Have a great day, you wonderful blogging ladies, and a wonderful few days to all! It may be a a few days before I post again. Hope every one is doing well. xo

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I want: striped shooties, but for now I'll settle for less

I don't often lust after NEW things, preferring to dig up even my foortwear in thrift and charity shops. But I saw these multi-colour striped shooties by United Nude in a Toronto shop a few years ago while doing my shopping column, and oh, how I wanted them. Then, just a few weeks ago while in Annecy, France scoping out an apartment with my hubby, I saw a young lady wearing a pair very similar to these (hubby even commented how neat they were) .... and my lust was reignited.

Remember: I will be traipsing over uneven cobblestone streets in Annecy on a daily basis, and I've dislocated the toes on my right foot so many times that I don't wear uncovered sandals anymore. I'll need a fashionable covered shoe option that will take me through most of the year and go with almost every thing to boot (literally!). This seems like the miracle shoe/boot, in my opin.

The first pair are an older colour, but it looks like the company releases new stripy hues every year. The "Fold" boot comes in a high (shown directly above), medium (shown in the first pic), low and more fashiony style heel. They're not cheap (around $230 or so US for the mid/high heeled versions), but you can dig around and find older styles on the Internet for much less (an option I am exploring at the mo).

Needless to say, I have to have them. But, to be fair, we're so busy now, and the cash outlay moving has been significant, so even though it's my B-day next week, I may have to hold off purchasing a pair, wah.

These open toe lace-up wedgie shooties by Chinese Laundry are pretty cool too - though not top of my list like United Nude. Still, I'm digging the 1970s vibe of the patchwork-inspired pattern and purple hues. They're a bit too high pour moi and I doubt they'll serve me well on cobblestone streets, alas.

I honestly can't remember where I found these so I am lacking attribution - sorry, will keep looking. If memory serves these booties were a wee bit more affordable. They have a slightly more ethnic look to them and they'd go so well with jeans and long skirts, sigh.

These flat striped booties from Asos are $58 US. Not my ultimate finito, but pretty cute in a desert bootie kind of way.

My short-term summer fix: these woven, multi-striped ballet flats by Lilley &Skinner (perched oh so artfully on a moving box) for 18 pounds. Toute les femmes in France wear ballet flats (they are not at all obsessed with high heels like we are in North America and even the UK), so I will fit right in!

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Pink pants, dressed up with thrifty finds

In my last post I showed you my newly thrifted pink linen pants by Planet, which I love (and which also look crooked here - I really hope it's the way I'm standing!). I dressed them up a little bit for today's post and Patti's Visible Monday. I love the pink and black combo in this entirely thrifted outfit. The knit Tristan sweater was thrifted in Canada (an exact replica, in a different colour, of the turquoise sweater that a nasty ex boyfriend did not return to me - last laugh on him!). The Clarks shoes were found in a charity shop here - have I mentioned how many amazing Clarks sandals I've bought in charity shops since moving to the UK?

My "new" hand-painted 1970s pendant-chain statement piece found on Etsy - love! It's multi-coloured so I can wear it with anything, but I do like how the pink picks up the pink in the pants.

The look was finished off by a wee tapestry bag I found for a few pounds in the SAME shop I found this carpet bag - how lucky is that? I love how the colours perfectly match my antique Persian carpet, which is peeping out to the right below the coffee table.

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Mon French Look

I may not be posting much in the next week or two as packing and moving are currently overwhelming my life! But I had to show you my French-inspired outfit a la charity shops.

In a word: linen.

Crisp linen blouse: found at a local charity shop. Designer linen scarf, found at Oxfam in Beaconsfield. Pink linen-blend pants by Planet - they`re my latest charity shop acquisition that I`m thrilled about, and only 5 pounds! (No, they are not lopsided, it`s just that I was leaning into my hip).

The leather cut-out sandals with real cork wedge: made in Spain and only a few pounds at a local charity shop.

I think the success of this outfit is largely in the details. The scarf, which I have tried to drape as artlessly as I could to imitate what I perceive as the French **deshabille** way of dressing, carelessly but oh so stylishly.

The pink leather messenger bag (made in France, aptly enough), picked up by my twin sis pour moi in France when she went last year.

The Olsen necklace pendant thrifted for a pound. I love the Robin`s Egg blue tone.

The Bibi belt cuff in the same blue hue, dug up at a fab pop-up shop & closing sale - love!!

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Me, when I wasn't packing & stressed out

I may be showing you old style pics of moi for the next few weeks as I am in packing hell at the mo and far from dress-up mode. I wish I felt as carefree as I look in this pic, snapped a couple summers ago in Toronto!

I'm wearing a thrifted French dress, a vintage belt, splurge item 1970s sunglasses, a designer necklace made of vintage goodies, and new sandals (note bandage on foot? That was when I broke my toes for the 50th time). I call this my Marilyn Monroe shot, tee hee.

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My new look, thanks to the Queen

I look like I have balloons growing out my head, but I had to show you the wig I donned (along with every one else in the bar) while celebrating the Queen's Jubilee last night (note: red, white and blue pendant from previous post not pictured here as I left it at home!).

The pointy hat isn't growing from my head, either. But the point is, all my new pals and my hubby were so amazed over how good this wig looked good on me that they were snapping pictures like mad. Frankly, I quite like it. I look so different! Hubby now wants me to grow my hair, lol!

Mmm. I had hair like this a few years ago, and I don`t recall hubby going bonkers about it at the time. Maybe it`s just the pretty colours. Maybe I`ll try it again, for a change. Or just buy a wig for some fun fun.

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God Save the Queen - or Wonder Woman?

Let me start with a disclaimer: First, I'm bagged so I look like a bag. Second, this hack-around outfit is in no way as fabulous as Shelley's Superhero Inspiration, but it was an attempt to both recreate the feel of Wonder Woman (my fave superhero of all time and one I dressed up like for a grade two costume pageant - why didn't I win?) AND also pay tribute to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee being celebrated this weekend, of course (Canada is a Commonwealth nation so we love the Queen too!).

I started with this crochet style sweater (the Brits call it a jumper, which always makes me laugh when my hubby says it as it sounds like he's talking about a dress to my Canadian ears) I picked up at a charity shop the other day. The jeans: 7 For All Mankind, scored at a charity shop. The pendant: a vintage Sarah Coventry beaut I rarely wear because of the colour scheme - but it's perfect for both Wonder Woman and the Queen!

Shelley def inspired me with the cuff bangles - I didn't have one as thick of hers, so I bundled two together. The thicker one I picked up at a thrift shop in Canada years ago; I think it's Mexican silver but I can't quite read the stamp. You may not believe this, but I've had the second one since I was in grade 10 (1985!) - it may have very well been my first piece of costume jewellery! It has always been like this, but I'm pretty sure there were stones glued into the circles. I haven't worn this bracelet in YEARS. Thanks, Shelley, for making me appreciate it again and for sending me down memory lane (pretty sure I dug it up at a church sale with my Dad)!

Now, if you REALLY want to see me as a Superhero, here's a pic of me from a few years ago dressed as thrifty Supergirl for Halloween at the office (wearing thrifted skorts, thrifted Italian suede boots, a vintage belt, and a thrifted cashmere cape - why didn't I win??). Look how teeny I am, sigh, I was this size until I got married in December - is it true that happy couples gain a bit of weight together? Yeeks. Supergirl to the rescue! But I digress - have a FAB weekend, whether you're celebrating the Jubilee or not! 

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