Hot pink cure-all

When she's got the winter blahs because Annecy is perpetually grey in the winter (mountain weather?), what's a gal to do?

If it's super mild, which it thankfully has been most of the winter and def was last week when hubby snapped this shot, well, she goes out to frolic in the snow (translation: went on a grocery run) wearing her NEW previously-loved wool colour-block cape (courtesy of Etsy).

Bright colours are a tonic for the blahs, I find, and I was so thrilled with this cape (especially since it was on sale and super inexpensive for what it is) that I threw it on when really I should have worn a longer coat to protect me from the wet snow, which melted the next day, yay!

The cape is by a company called Coloratura, which started in Boston, USA in the 1980s but has since moved to Pennsylvania. It specializes these days in artisanal-made capes with a bit of a Native vibe, which look very different from the one I have, a thick blanket-like 100% wool open cape that I can phwing oh so artlessly over my shoulder and pretend I'm glamourous when really I'm starting to waddle like a duck. I just love the little pointy hood too; it makes me feel like a little gnome.

I don't wear the colour much, but ever since discovering a nubbly crayon of a certain hue in the crayon box when I was a kid, hot pink - and yes, neon pink too - has been an emotionally-charged colour for me, and always happy happy happy.

I found this 1980s wool dress, with batwing sleeves and floppy funnel neck, on Etsy as well - in fact it's from the same seller as the cape, and it was a screaming deal. Not sure if I'll show you the look **sans** thrifted Windsmoor coat as I look rather like a pink blob in it at the mo, but it's cozy and satisfies my hunger for brights.

I'm wearing it with a vintage Kangol angora hat gifted to me by a vintage pal, my thrifted Kenneth Cole Reaction boots, my new "Pippi Longstocking" striped wooly tights, and a vintage 1980s statement piece necklace made of multi-hued Lucite-like chunks.

Ok, let's throw in the beat-up leather purse I found a few weeks ago at the thrift shop in town, which had a **braderie** outside that day, meaning everything on the table was a Euro each (!) - finally, I found something for a Euro in France!! It was fun to rummage; I found a few things, another purse and some clothing for bebe, which I'll show you another time (the lovely all-wool men's scarf underneath, which I'm using as a table runner, was found at the same shop this weekend for .75 centimes).

On the subject of France, my French lessons have taken a back seat these last few weeks to intensive baby research (cribs or bassinets which meet European standards, trying to find out what the hell those standards are etc). I realized last night after a particularly late Internet session that I'm just a week or two from the beginning of my third trimester, and we've done next to nothing planning-wise - AK!

Back to the pink: I've had this sheeny quilted silk down-filled Hilary Radley jacket (which I bought new but on sale) for years. I tried to give it away to a homeless woman I used to talk with all the time in Toronto years ago, but sadly I couldn't find her. In the end it suits the alpine life in Annecy, and the jolt of my fave happy shade cheers me when all I see is a sea of black coats on the streets. It also matches my face, which has recently broken out in dry, red blotches - mind, if that's the only pregnancy complaint I have, I'm doing well!

You can see I've fully internalized the alpine style ethic with my new fur hat. I thought the studs jazzed it up, and it was a screaming 50 percent off (but still not a deal by any means ... we're in Annecy, afterall). Though it's not minus 20 degrees C like it is in my hometown in Canada, I still find it cold here - perhaps it's the damp mountain air? - so this hat makes a real difference, especially on my daily lakeside ambles. Hubby has one too, a totally different style, but I still fear, with his new lace-up boots that are similar to my new Uggs, that we may start looking like one of those couples that wear the same thing - scary!!

Let's banish that disturbing thought. It's been snowing all day today - the first major snowstorm where there are several feet of the white stuff on the ground - so I'll leave you with some lovely shots from around the lake on my walk today, whose icy bleak beauty rather counter the pink parade. How all the snow makes me think of Ottawa, Canada! This is the wee man-made island on the lake, which is a bird sanctuary, I'm told.

Mammoth droopy willow beside the lake in the Jardins de L'Europe, a lovely English-style landscape garden park filled huge trees of every type.

Looking from the gardens over the Pont D'Amour to the other side.

I'm joining all the lovely ladies at Patti's Visible Monday, because, amidst this greyness, my pink surely stands out! Like me, Patti is wearing a gorg hue in her post today, and a sweater dress to boot. And if you're groovin on the hot pink, I must credit my muse for today, Sarah, whose stroke-able hot pink velvet wiggle skirt egged me on to do this post (though, alas, I will never look so hot in MY pink!).

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Packages pour moi et bebe

Lest you think I've run off to film Sultana Bran commercials, I'm here to show you some lovely gifties that have been posted to me since I made my baby announcement. A talented blogger who preferred to stay anonymous sent me a package with this pretty blue wool jumper inside (yup, all you UK folk, in Canada a jumper is something like this or a one-piece pantsuit. What you call a jumper, we call a sweater).

There's lots of room to grow here thanks to a handy adjustable strap at the back. I thought it would look funky if I stuck to the blue theme, so I wore it with blue tights and turtleneck (polo neck in the UK? I love these differences), and my thrifted Kenneth Cole Reaction booties. A handmade statement piece necklace finished off the look. Love!

The same blogger sent me a pretty sleeveless black dress that will do wonderfully for the summer and post-baby, which isn't pictured here as it was difficult to photograph, and this beautiful hardcover book, Flea Market Baby, which features inspiring photos of all the creative baby things you can do with second-hand flea market finds. I used to have coffee table books galore featuring thrifty decor ideas, and boy, do I regret getting rid of them. I was so touched by this package, from a blogger I hardly know - I am so hanging on to my maternity stuff so I can pass the goodies and the good Karma forward!

Speaking of terrific ladies, the indomitable Curtise also sent me a package, containing, among other things, this beaut of a floral knit tunic/dress that I've been all but living in lately. That style dame nailed it with this baby - it's just so very ME. I'm wearing it with leggings and a necklace found at a Vide Grenier for a couple bucks, but I also wore it as a dress with sassy crochet tights.

She also sent this summery top that, again, will be perfect for spring and post-baby. Isn't it swish? It'll rock with everything from leggings to a black skirt. And on that subject, Curtise also sent me a black knit skirt, which is perfectly fitting into my pregnancy wardrobe philosophy, but, like the black dress, it didn't photograph well, so you'll have to trust in its marvelousness.

I just love the card Curtise sent - and she was so right, there were plenty of butterfly-like movements going on in my belly at that time, which have now turned to perceptible kicks!

Last but not least, my wonderful twin sis, Kendra, sent me this Kimono-style maternity top that I'll be sporting once the warmer weather comes. Like Curtise's top, I think it could also do as a nursing top. I can't find a lot of nursing clothing here, so I'm making the (perhaps mistaken) assumption that French women just pull their boob out of their top to nurse. I would have no problem doing that if I had to.

Kendra is an art and graphics design prof in Toronto, and has been a practising and showing artist since she was in her early 20s, if not before - you can check out her amazing drawings, paintings and other renderings on the blog portion of her website, gadzala.com. Needless to say, I was thrilled to receive this book. I thought it was such a creative idea to turn a sketchbook into a book, and, since the tome chronicles her family's life in addition to showcasing her talents, I wanted one.

Guess whose wedding flowers she featured in the book?

Sis also sent me, upon request, a Dollar Store liquid eyeliner, the same kind I used to buy at the end of my street in Toronto. Makeup here is VERY expensive - try 18 Euros for a lipstick or a mascara ... that's 24 Canuck bucks, epps!

Thanks to all you lovelies for sending me such gorgeous, thoughtful gifties that will be so used and enjoyed. I'm linking up to Lakota's Ta-dah! Tuesday because I think these items are definitely Ta-dah! worthy! And special thanks to Jill, who has kindly featured the dress that you all loved so much, from a few posts ago, in her How I Wear My Date Night Look post today!

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Ancient thermal springs and 90s velvet

Another eventful and busy week! On the pregnancy front, we went to a few appointments, sussed out different places to give birth (hospital vs. clinic), chose the place where I'll give birth, and met with a midwife or **sage-femme** to start the ball rolling on our baby education! 

Also saw the new Tarantino flic in ENGLISH in Annecy (a rare thing to find Original Version English-speaking films here), and received eight boxes of Sultana (or Raison) Bran from a Brit expat mail-order company in the post. The French don't seem to be as obsessed with fibre as are other nations, and hey, a pregnant chick needs her fibre, doncha know! Also went to a **braderie** with a gal pal on the weekend and scored some super cute stuff for a Euro each - will show you soon!

Yesterday hubby and I discovered a town near us that we've never been to, Aix les Bain, an old Roman town known for its thermal sulfur springs (**bain** = bath). In the centre of town stands an old Roman arch dedicated to some old emperor's family or something.

It's a wonderful spot that we'd consider moving to if we stay in this part of the world - smaller than Annecy, but cosier, somehow (and cheaper, by the looks of it). It's warmer as the altitude is lower, but it's still surrounded by the foothills of the Alpes. Like Annecy, it sports a lake right alongside the town.

The Romans enjoyed the thermal springs here, and in the 18th century a spa was erected over one of the main thermal springs in the form of this building, which I think is a government building now. The city became  known as a major wellness spot for the likes of Queen Victoria, Napoleon Bonaparte's Josephine, and many others in the well-heeled set. There are still water spas there today.

After meeting our pals at a Thai resto on the lake (YES! The first Thai resto we've found in this region! We are so becoming regulars as it was amazing!), we took a walk along the lake. It was 10 degrees and lovely.

I'm wearing another 1990s velvet grunge frock purchased from Etsy for a song. It has a high waist and lots of room and is rather tent-like (will be good for later), so I've accessorized it with a blingy velvet vintage belt to accentuate what remains of my waist. The cashmere cardi was a gift; comfy crochet tights and boots were bought new (tip: the crochet or fishnet tights never run, I swear - they truly can last years as this pair has!).

Here's a close-up of the pretty pattern. Jeez, I had my hair cut a few weeks ago and already it looks like a mop. They say your hair grows more quickly when pregnant, mmm.

Bump view. We will def be going back to this town soon, so I hope to take more and better pics of what's on offering there. It's a really pretty place.

Off to buy a French verb book. Have made it to only one class this week, but I did speak French mostly with the sage-femme. I have loads of maternity gifties sent my way from fellow thrifty style blogger pals that I will be showing you very soon! Hope every one has been having a great week - I see a lot of posts I want to catch up with!

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Wrap me in knit dresses, new and old

Taken about a month ago:
1980s knit dress, Etsy; thrifted leather booties from store in France; vintage Sarah Coventry pendant.

It's been a busy few weeks; hubby's had close to a month off, with the exception of a few days, so we've been doing a lot of running around, not to mention plenty of nesting. Yesterday after lunch with fellow expat pals at a local Chinese buffet (it reminded us of home - we're all getting a little sick of the melted cheese and potatoes that comprise the local resto fare), we bought an all-terrain stroller (necessary in Annecy's old town and for jaunts around the lake) and saved 500 Euros, good thrifty shoppers that we are!

At 23 weeks, I'm entering my six month of pregnancy - wow, so hard to fathom, even now. I am living in large tights and knit dresses as I'm finding them the most comfortable for my slowly-expanding girth. My strategy is to find frocks I can wear during and post-pregnancy. I found the funky (acrylic) knit dress above on Etsy, and I love the colours. It's a bit large, so I figure I can wear it for a quite a while.

Yesterday: new fitted knit dress, very apres-ski methinks!

This fitted knit frock, on the other hand, was purchased new for 50% off last week. Sales in France happen only twice a year, in mid-January and June, and when they start, there's heaps of stock and everything sells out quickly. I sure wouldn't have paid 59 Euros for an acrylic dress (mind, it feels like wool), but for 29 and change, I snapped up this baby, the last one on the rack.

I've been living in it all week as it feels great on, but also to get a bang out of my buck before I outgrow it. It's a size small and I have a feeling that the high waistband may be too much before long (though it's proving to be quite flattering at the mo).

I'm wearing it with a fur collar from the local thrift shop; gloves, boots and toque purchased new; and a sterling puffy heart pendant I've had since the 1990s.

Here's the bump view. The little guy is doing a lot of moving these days, which is such a lovely feeling. Forgot to snap a back view, which is too bad as there's a different and equally funky pattern on the upper part of the dress.

Next up: this 1970s cowl-neck dress I recently bought on Etsy. Like the others, it's acrylic, but it feels like the softest of jerseys. And can you see what comprises the pattern? Iguanas! Love!

I'm wearing the fabulous belt that came with it higher than my actual waist level, for comfort's sake. The sparkly cross earrings are also carryovers from the early 1990s, when I worked in a jewellery shop.

Sans belt, I look like I have no waist, which is pretty much true these days. No matter. I won't be able to comfortably wear the belt for long, so I may as well accept it. If the iguanas don't mind, I don't either.

I went to my third French class today and struggled - really struggled - through the grammar parts. They put me in level three, which I think may be too advanced for me so I may try the level down tomorrow. I'm all for being challenged - indeed, that's preferable - but I was at sea today. Everyone knew their verb tenses but 'lil (or not so little) 'ole me! So I'm off to hit the books. Too bad all the verbs I was made to memorize in high school (which I now see wasn't the worst strategy - how else can you learn them?) have slipped away ....

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Show and Tell: odds n ends you haven't seen

Aside from showing you what I look like with a goofy grin and a tree spouting out of my head, I've dedicated this post to all the thrifty stuff I haven't shown you - and that I had better feature before the pics get really out-of-date or before I can't wear certain pieces anymore. Like this long black wool-cashmere French-made double-breasted coat I thrifted at the one thrift shop in Annecy - I can hardly do up the buttons now so I will soon be moving onto my vintage swing coats, yay!

The lush teal and sparkly handmade mohair sweater I have underneath is one of the few pieces I've owned since my teens - my Mom bought it for me in the tiny and lovely town of Perth, Ontario, Canada, and I haul it out every year for Christmas. Bag, boots, and maternity skirt: all thrifted, while new hat and gloves were purchased for less than $5 at dollar store or end-of-the-line places.

In fact, the thrift shop in Annecy where those boots, French designer handbag and coat were bought is becoming my own personal haven for leather accessories. Check out these hardly-worn patent leather lace-ups by Benetton, snatched up for 8 Euros!

Or this super cute 1970s brownish-rust leather clutch with long chain handle, 3 Euros.

It went perfectly with this 1970s rust knit dress, thrifted in Toronto before I moved away and snapped on me over a month ago, when my bump was only just emerging. Worn with my thrifted Kenneth Cole Reaction booties, a cheapie cashmere-blend cardi from the local market and a cheapie boho scarf from the "Fete" day in Annecy in December. I feel semi-guilty about these new, cheapie purchases as the sweater will fall apart in no time, but I loved the scarf so much I bought the same one in a different colour - the excess!

I know: this bag thing is getting out of control. But could you resist this classic style brown leather purse, only slightly beat up, by Swiss maker Bally, 8 Euros?

This pretty 1990s velvet and silk scarf priced at 3 Euros was actually given to me by the ladies at the shop. While shopping there one rainy day in the fall, a customer stole my brand new and very large umbrella I had left by the door in the umbrella pot (they're in every shop in France). I told the lady at the cash and she gave me an old umbrella dug out of the back room so I could get home. When I returned the umbrella with thanks, I bought croissants and other goodies from the boulangerie near us. So they gave me this scarf, which I was going to buy anyway. Swell, huh?

This tapestry change purse, bought earlier in the fall, has a slight granny-feel to it, but its inner bohemian-ness shone out too much for me to resist, especially for a couple Euros.

At the monthly antique market in Annecy a few months ago, I found this gorg brass ring with humungous pink glass centre (which, come to think of it, is similar in colour to the Edwardian-style piece I showed you in my last post). I thought it was pretty unique, semi-rustic yet sculptural, and I'm drawn to contradictions like that.

I think that's it for my bibs and bobs! Jeepers it's too late for this preggo - I started a French class today and I am super pumped, so maybe being a student again has kept me going today! Nightie night!

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Steampunk, Annie Hall,1990s Grunge, Anne of Green Gables look

Hubby swears he'll never go out with me if I wear this emerald green chenille hat I thrifted for 3 Euros at the dingiest and most depressing of thrift shops in Annecy, a first-time (and last-time) visit on my part (and definitely on his). But I loved the hat; the chenille, and the way I turned it up, reminds me so much of the 1990s and how we used to dress 'way back' then.

Anyone having a (bad?) flashback? I can also wear the bring down for a floppy 1970s crossed with a Great Gatsby look.

I'm channeling my inner Holly Hobby/Pippi Longstocking/Anne of Green Gables/Annie Hall look with today's outfit, but the look is comprised of mostly all 1990s pieces, like the thrifted lace-up boots that have made an appearance many times before on this blog. The dress, a recent Etsy acquisition, is the exact label (All That Jazz) and style I used to wear in the early-to-mid 1990s - in fact I had two dresses in this style, with short sleeves, that I loved and wore the hell out of (why, why did I get rid of them?). You can't see the wooly brown and black mottled stripe-like tights I'm wearing, but they're Pippi to a tee.

It's the perfect preggo dress, what with its tent-like shape and clippy-thing at the back (remember those? Love!), which will also transition seamlessly into a post-pregnancy and eventually an 'I have my body back' frock. I loved this simple style then, and I love it now. The vibrant colours are right up my alley too (whereas the ones I had in the past would be a little too water-coloury for my current taste).

I can even steampunk it out a bit with a cashmere cardi and a vintage carpet and embroidery purse. Thanks to my darling and oh-so-patient hubby for taking these pics.

I accessorized with a fave thrift find, a gold-filled Edwardian-style chain pendant with a pretty piece of fuchsia cut glass. I found it at good 'ole Value Village in Toronto at a 50 percent off sale, for under $10 CAD. I think it kinda adds to the Steampunk look.

Speaking of bling, I actually managed to drag hubbie into several thrift shops this week (and he actually bought a few things!! But that's another post), and in one, I found these brownish-maroon beads for a few Euros. I'm not normally a bead type person - I think they look rather old-fashioned around the neck; either that or just plain cheap, if the beads are cheap, that is - but I loved the colour and the (what appears to be brass) details, and also the way the light hits and reflects off the beads. I can't tell if they're wooden or plastic, or another substance like bakelite, but they struck me as unusual.

I also dug up this this Modernist-Space Age steel pendant with amazing orange centre for 2.50 Euros at the same shop, an even more incredible find considering the costume bling at French thrift shops is generally crap. It doesn't have a stamp but I know a lot of these pieces come from Sheffield in the UK, a steel town.

I became obsessed with pieces such as this after finding this baby in a UK charity shop for a pound. They're all over Etsy and aren't horribly priced at all, but nothing beats a thrift shop find!

Linking to all the stylish chicas at Patti's Visible Monday.

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Magenta Monday

Happy New Year to you, and a most heartfelt thanks for all your kind wishes, comments and emails about our happy news. Today I thought I'd show you yet another purple coat I thrifted in Toronto (scroll a few posts down if you missed my purple chenille vintage coat), and decided to hang onto when I moved overseas. The label says ZIM and I don't know the fibre content for sure as it's in Chinese, methinks, but the coat is definitely a wool-cashmere blend, very soft and plushy and showing no signs of wear. It has a belt but I prefer to keep it open - the weather's warm enough in Annecy to stroll around like this!

Aside from the sassy crochet tights, which are uber comfy on the leg but which my expanding waist won't be able to handle much longer, this outfit is entirely thrifted. The Teenflo skirt is a pre-preggo skirt I don't think I'll be able to squish into anymore. It was loose when I bought it and I used to wear it low-slung on my hips. Now it's around my waist to accommodate my belly.

Outfit deets:
Magenta ZIM wool-cashmere coat, thrifted in Toronto for under $20
Teenflo brown velvet skirt with tie-dye pattern, thrifted as part of a suit in Toronto
Wool turtleneck, made in Paris, thrifted for about $4 CAD at Stretch Thrift, Toronto
FAVE (now beat up) wedgie leather Kenneth Cole Reaction boots, $49.99 at Value Village in Canada (worth the splurge)
Distressed leather bag, handmade by SAS in the United States, Etsy, $40 US
Vintage 1970s "Rafael" brass/glass pendant chain, FREE (worth maybe $200 CAD?), from a friend - designed and made by Canadian Modernist jewellery designer (and engineer) Rafael Alfandary
Brown leather gloves, thrifted somewhere for next-to-nothing.

You may remember the maching blazer to the skirt, which I showed you in the fall. I never wear the two together as I think it's too much, but on their own they make fab separates to mix and match according to my whim. They can keep each other company for the next 8-12 months as they slumber away in my closet, unworn, in the hopes of being reborn when I get my figure back.

I'll leave you with a view of the mountains shot overlooking the canal that leads to Lac Annecy, taken at dusk the other night. Thoughts and prayers are going out to Sarah today in Australia, hoping for the best with the wildfires that are raging there.

Linking up to Patti's Visible Monday.

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