Too much rushing.

Tan henley: thrifted, J. Crew
Striped skirt: thrifted
Blue beaded necklace: estate sale
Blue scarf: gifted
Black heels: Seychelles

I love this skirt (so much!), but I find it very difficult to style. I don't have any tops that really match the colours, so I find myself wearing it with either my one and only chartreuse tee or something black. While I do like the deep teal tights with this skirt, the tan shirt made everything look drab (which is a shame, because that shirt is usually quite pretty).

Plus, my hair didn't want to behave, so I was feeling insecure about most everything from the waist up. Here's hoping next week is better, fashion-wise. Perhaps the 30 for 30 will help me get my butt into gear?

To the maxi.

Blue maxi dress: thrifted, Old Navy
Red cardigan: thrifted
Blue scarf: gifted
Granny boots: Rieker
Grey socks: the dollar store (in the mens' section. I have no shame).

This was another solid... meh. Not a good week for fashion. :P
Very comfy though.

Making it work

Mustard yellow top: thrifted
Black pencil skirt: Joe Fresh
Orange patterned pashmina: gifted
Grey tights: Joe Fresh
Black heels: Seychelles

When I saw this shirt, I swooned. My parents oh-so-kindly (and subconsciously?!) picked up on my cravings for mustard yellow and ruffles and thrifted them for me. However, once on, the shirt didn't look... right. The ruffles made it hang oddly off my chest and the arm length just... wasn't right.

I was planning on chopping the sleeves and belting it, but this morning I grabbed it in a hurry, hoping the waist-cinching from my pencil skirt would be enough. It... sorta was? I'm still not sure how I feel about this shirt. Does it need alteration before I'll wear it again...? We shall see.
I was totally rocking that orange pashmina though. It looked great. And so did my legs, if I do say so myself.

{psst! check it out! the underside of the scarf magically matches my tights!}

Asianoiserie, or: "It's like wearing four blankets. At once."

Red patterned dress: thrifted, H&M

Black tank: H&M

Black knit thigh-highs: not sure

Black leggings: Sears

Amber necklace and gold necklace: kiosk in a mall somewhere, estate sale

Jade earrings, Roxy watch, and black rose ring: gifted, all from my parents

Underneath it all: Banana Republic nude cami, Joe Fresh sweater tights (it's really cold out there, guys)

I've loved kimonos since I was in junior high and dreamed of wearing one to my high school prom. By the time my prom came, I knew a bit more about cultural appropriation and preferred to thrift for a dress that I would only wear once besides, so I wore a handmade dress I found at the thrift store two weeks before my prom (I'd had another dress, but this one was prettier). The love of kimonos stayed, though. I still regret passing up a beautiful shirt with furisode-style sleeves that I tried on at the thrift store back in my awkward teen years.

This dress is reminiscent of a kimono, though it might look almost passable with an obi-style belt. I was also in the mood for other Asian influences, thus the jade earrings and amber necklace. The orange scarf might be too much, but I like the mix of patterns and I was cold today.

(detail shot)

Now, you might be wondering: "Meg, yesterday it was minus 33 out, and today you're wearing a DRESS? Does that seem right to you?". And yes, dear reader, it does. Because I have a giant coat. And I could care less that it's not the prettiest thing ever, because dang it, I like my limbs better when they're not frozen off.
And it's comfy to boot! Score. :)

Way. Too. Cold.

Black embellished tee: thrifted

Pink cardigan: thrifted, Calvin Klein

Jeans: Gap Long and Lean (from 5 years ago)
Green earrings: Le Chateau

Black boots: gifted, Alfred Sung

So, a bit of advice. You might want to make sure you check the forecast on days when it's minus 33 Celsius outside (that's 7 Fahrenheit for you Americans out there), so that you actually put on longjohns, your warmest coat and hat, and at least one extra sweater.

Don't do what I did: wake up late, throw on clothes, run out door, and nearly freeze to death on the walk to work. My legs were so numb that it felt like I was already wearing longjohns... consider my lesson learned.

polished, yet cosy

Black jersey dress: Joe Fresh
Pink cardigan: consignmented, Calvin Klein
Pink scarf: thrifted
Burgundy tights: gifted, Joe Fresh
Black flats: Joe Fresh
Silver shell necklace: H&M
Silver earrings: gifted

Want to look polished at work, but still be comfortable sitting at a desk all day? I've come up with a (not at all) scientific formula that cannot fail:
1. Take one draped jersey dress.
2. Add one semi-structured cardigan.
3. Add accessories as you see fit (I put on earrings, a necklace, and a scarf).
4. Put it on, and hurry up! You're going to be late for work!
I'm a genius.

saloon ballerina

White sweater: thrifted
Wide black belt: thrifted
Black peasant skirt: gifted
Black sweater tights: Joe Fresh
Black knitted thigh-highs: not sure

Embarassing confession time: I have a lot of trouble posing for all these outfit photos. All the practise I've been getting lately sure helps, but I spend a lot of time in front of the camera feeling unsure of myself.

You may have noticed that these indoor shots often feature my headphones. That's because the tunes loosen me up. I may not sing along (lest someone hears), but when things get awkward and I have no clue what to do with myself, I just dance for the camera.

Luckily for me, this skirt BEGS for movement, and I don't think I've ever been prouder of my outfit photos. Even if my outfit makes me look like a ballerina who wound up in a saloon.

70s-esque pattern-mixing

Orange patterned cowlneck: thrifted, Banana Republic

Striped cardigan: thrifted

Short black a-line skirt: thrifted, J. Crew

Black sweater tights: Joe Fresh

Black knit thigh-highs: not sure (a Japanese company, I think?)

I wanted to wear something cozy and cute for an ice-skating date. Unfortunately, we had to postpone said date because the outdoor rink was closed due to rain. I would have changed out of my outfit, since my lower half was outfitted specifically for skating (as embarassing as it is to admit it, I may have spent a fair bit of time planning this outfit in the days before...) but I would have been late for work.

I wasn't really feeling the pattern-mixing here. Though the colour proportions were about right, things felt… busy. Oh well.

skinny pants at work: part 2

Nautical tee: Joe Fresh
Red cardigan: thrifted, Delia*s
Black skinny pants: Banana Republic
Rope necklace: gifted
Lucky Chinese coin necklace: somewhere in Toronto's Dundas St. Chinatown (they have more than one, you see)
Brown wedge heel boots: gifted by my mom

The butt-covering properties of my tops made me feel better about wearing those skinny black pants. Nautical tops are a favorite item of mine, too. I felt totally okay in this.

I might not be able to layer chunky mixed metal necklaces like I've seen some of my favorite fashion bloggers do (mostly because I don't own enough chunky metal necklaces), but I was proud of my (admittedly meeker) attempt.

skinny pants at work: part 1

yes, these were taken in the washroom at my office. desperate times...

Grey sweater: thrifted

Black skinny pants: Banana Republic

Beaded shell necklace: gifted

High-heeled ankle boots: gifted by my mom, Rieker

These skinny black pants were my second-to-last purchase of 2010. I remember this because on New Years' Eve, I went to the mall in search of Gap's denim legging jeans, on sale. I couldn't contemplate spending 2011 denim-legging-less (shopping ban!), especially since I had tried on said denim leggings on a previous trip to the Gap and was deeply smitten.

I hadn't accounted for post-holiday sales, though. The Gap was PACKED with people, and the only legging jeans in my size had stirrups. I hate stirrups. They're so uncomfortable! :(

I found myself walking into Banana Republic, chatting with fabulous salespeople and walking out with skinny black pants. They were not quite what I'd dreamed of, but still cute and probably more work-appropriate.

When I got them home, though, there was a problem. I own two long-haired cats. Even though it is the dead of winter, they shed. They love lying on clothes. Sometimes, while cooking, I find cat hair on my dishes.

I should not have been surprised that in order to wear these pants, I have to spend 10 minutes with a roll of packing tape (my lint roller can't compete), picking off all the hair. Even then, there's still some, but enough of it is gone that I look about as covered in cat hair as usual.

Of course, there's also the peril of looking too casual. I am pretty afraid of these pants, even though my office doesn't have a dress code (many of my my coworkers wear jeans on any day of the week). I was afraid they were too tight. Too revealing. Too casual. But I wore them anyway, and my supervisor didn't tell me not to wear them again. I think they pass muster.

Though the sweater was also a bit casual, I think the necklace, boots and makeup kept me from looking sloppy.

How do you wear your skinny pants to work?

blue dress in a snowstorm.

Navy maxi dress: thrifted, Old Navy

Orange fair isle cardigan: thrifted

Long black coat: thrifted, Larry Levine Designs

High-heeled ankle boots: gifted by my mom, Rieker

The epitome of "too cold for outfit pictures". I was scouting for a place to take photos, but has to settle for the exterior of my office, because the wind was just ridiculous and I was afraid of having my freshly-applied non-weaterproof mascara run all over my face (yes, I apply my makeup on my lunch break, because I wake up too late to do it in the morning at home. I'm a lazy weirdo).

It's a shame you can't really see my outfit (except for my pretty, blowing scarf), because it was adorable. The blue maxi dress is thrifted Old Navy maternity (yeah, Old Navy is really too cheap to be worth thrifting, but it was so cute!). There's an orange sweater under there with some fair-isle designs, too. I rather like blue with orange lately...

The granny boots were given to me by my mom while I was home for Christmas. Even though she likes them and wore them often enough, she insisted that I take them. She was convinced that I didn't have enough boots… Thanks, Mom! :)

watercolour.

Dress: thrifted, Merona for Target

Blue scarf: gifted
Lavender tights: H&M
Black coat: thrifted, Larry Levine Design
Brown boots: gifted
Nail polish: OPI

I was actually a bit hesitant to buy this dress. It reminded of 80's bathroom wallpaper, but I liked how work-appropriate, yet still sassy, it was. Knowing that the skirt length is currently fashionable helped, too. Seeing the Target label sealed the deal. Such pretty clothes at Target… but I'm hundreds of kilometres from any of them… le sigh.

It was still too cold for outfit pictures, thus the coat.

impressionist.

It was way too cold for outfit pictures. Let's just call these guys artistic and leave it at that, okay? ;)

Blog recommendation: Kat's Food Blog

After the holidays, I'd been feeling less than enthused about the SCD. I've fallen into a bit of a rut. After seeing all the tempting foods I'm missing out on, it's hard to stay positive and upbeat. I'm so far away from trying any kind of flour, and I want a sandwich so, so badly.

While searching for a recipe this morning, however, I stumbled upon Kat's Food Blog. Kat has been on the SCD for a few years now to combat celiac disease. Though she is following a diet that is very different and much more advanced compared to my own, I was still able to find lots of interesting recipes to try and a lot of interesting information on health and nutrition.

Whether you're on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet or just interested in nutrition, go and take a look!

Quick and dirty recipe: SCD banana nut pudding

{image source}

I first discovered this easy, easy recipe on pecanbread.com. I'm semi-following their "stages" program as I slowly transition myself onto the "full" SCD diet, complete with raw veggies and nut flours (I'm not quite there yet). Luckily for me, they have a recipe section that's sorted by stage, and it was here I discovered banana nut pudding when I was introducing nut butter.

Banana nut pudding is basically:

SCD yogurt

Nut butter

Honey to taste

Banana

All mixed together in a bowl and eaten. I eat it with almond butter, light on the honey (some people prefer a more generous portion), and with a whole ripe banana mashed in. Chill for an hour or so and enjoy.

Possible variations:

I bet this would taste wonderfully rich with cashew butter. Another way to add richness would be by using a yogurt made with cream instead of milk.

Nix the banana altogether. I saw this variation on Renegade Foodie using crême fraîche instead of yogurt.

You could also replace the banana with other fruits, like berries.

Try nut butters and fruits that go well together. Almonds are friends with raspberries and apricots, macadamias favour tropical fruits such as mango or pineapple, and rich cashews need something lighter, like a pear or applesauce. I've tried cherry with almond, but it needed some honey. I think next time I'd try a cherry sauce instead.

More advanced SCDers could add coconut and chopped nuts to the mix. A pina colada nut pudding with pineapple, coconut, and macadmaias sounds pretty tasty to me.

I've tried freezing the pudding once, but that messed up the texture of the yogurt. It might work if you mixed it up in the food processor after freezing, like in SCD banana ice cream, but I haven't tried it.