Style Challenge: Tartan Top Two Ways

carmen:

Fremont (Seattle) has several unique boutiques. Jean and I saw this pretty plaid shirt in the window. The fabric is soft and drapes nicely. These tops are so unique: a blend of shirt and blouse!

Originally posted on jeanofalltrades:

You might be aware that my mom loves it when we dress alike. I happen to not like wearing the same thing as someone else. She started the habit when I was too young to know better. Now, I do it only occasionally–just to indulge her. Personally, I like having my own style and take on things.

Thankfully, during her recent visit we came to a compromise. A style challenge!

Blouses: Bliss Seattle
Pants: Lucky and Hue
Boots: Cri de Coeur and MIA
Necklaces: Thrifted and Fremont Sunday Market

This shirt caught our eyes because it’s such a unique cut. My mom focused on the blue in the top and paired it with dark denim leggings. The flowy top balances the skinny pants nicely.

The wrap-style front and shirt-tails added a feminine flair to what might otherwise be a regular plaid shirt. The white running through it…

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The Long, Cold Winter

You know it’s wickedly cold when Niagara Falls freezes over! It’s a spectacular sight (actually, it isn’t completely frozen and the water still flows underneath). Bitter cold temperatures haven’t kept the tourists away, so there’s plenty of photos to view on the Internet. I still hope to see it, before they thaw as temperatures start to rise.

Here’s how the front porch looked just before I left for Seattle in January. Great packing snow!

Now you can barely see the Muskoka chairs.

Colourful winter coats, worn with pretty scarves, help to cheer me and keep me warm on these subzero winter days. Red always brightens my mood and I wear a different scarf every time.

Timeless houndstooth and other bold patterns makes a coat look stylish and impressive. This one is from a thrift shop and cost $20.

Of course, every woman needs a black coat too; goes with all my wild patterned leggings and colourful, printed skinnie jeans.

Pretty pink and florals worn during dreary winter months gives me hope that spring will return. This coat is washable faux suede with a faux fur trim. My earmuffs are a gift from my cousin when she came to visit in October, perfect to keep my ears toasty warm today.

 The snow today is too powdery for making snowballs. Knit scarf and gloves are from Reitmans and my faux suede boots are from Payless.

My father told me these encouraging German words.

Es geht alles vorüber, es geht alles vorbei.

Nach jedem Winter, folgt wieder ein Mai.

Everything will pass, everything will be over,

After every winter, comes again another May.

Vegan Dinner at Cambridge Mill with DVF

What a special birthday I enjoyed: dinner at the elegant Cambridge Mill Restaurant, sitting at a table overlooking the Grand River, ambiance and wearing my mom’s original Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress from the 70s. Genuine vintage.

This timeless dress actually belongs to my daughter Jean now and she let me borrow it so I could wear it for my birthday. Thank you so much Jean! <3

It feels magical to wear this gorgeous dress that my mom once wore, she was such an elegant lady with fabulous style. Being sentimental, tangible items bring memories alive and ever present. I wore two of her rings.

It’s like being in an enchanted castle.

I’m so glad many restaurants have vegetarian and vegan options, I had a scrumptious chickpea burger and delicious salad.

Dining while enjoying a feast for the eyes is a tasty experience!

The view from the window was spectacular, even though the frigid river was covered with a blanket of ice and snow.

This restaurant looks like an old mill transformed into a luxurious castle. The photos below are from their website.

 Click Jean’s photo below to read her story of when she met Diane Von Furstenberg.

 Linking with Visible Monday and Fun Fashion Friday

I LOVE HEARTS

I don’t do winter very well, so decorating for Christmas and Valentine’s Day is fun and brightens up dreary, bitter-cold winter days and long, dark winter nights. We leave our Christmas tree up all January until I start decorating for Valentine’s. My birthday is in February so I wear my heart on my sleeve. <3

It was love at first sight when I saw this red top–from Reitmans– with black lace hearts motif. Hearts are my trademark: partly since I was born in February and also because I love romance. <3

My black lace choker looks good with it.

I decorate with hearts, candles and mini lights all year ’round because love is always in style. <3

Suzanne has a flare for decorating and I just LOVE the way she decorated her mantel for February.

 

I’m joining the fashion party at Patti’s

Purple Passion

Growing up one of my favourite colours was purple. Any shade from pastel lavender and lilac, to deep purple. In my teens, my room was painted lavender; curtains and bedspread were vibrant shades of purple.

Perhaps I was inspired by Nino Tempo and April Stevens with their hit song in 1963 DEEP PURPLE (originally written by Peter DeRose as a piano composition, published in 1933, with lyrics added in 1938 by Mitchell Parish).

(Click pic and listen to this romantic song)

When the deep purple falls over sleepy garden walls

And the stars begin to twinkle in the sky

In the mist of a memory you wander back to me

Breathing my name with a sigh…

At Christmastime I bought a new purple shirt at Reitmans. It is made with two different fabrics: a silky one and sheer chiffon. It’s synthetic, but ever so soft and comfortable. Photos were taken at one of the centres where I work by Pauline, my dance student.

This shirt is one of 12 tops I’ve bought since fall. You’d think I’d have enough but I couldn’t resist buying 4 more tops on my trip to Seattle in January. Now I think I better take a break from my shopping spree–at least until spring–and earn some more money!

I even have a purple bra …  

How much do you love purple?

a. LOVE IT ♥ ♥ ♥

b. Like it ♥ ♥

c. Like it a little ♥

d. don’t like it

I know at least two bloggers who love it: Joni and Melinda.

I can’t resist lace, always makes me feel feminine.

♥ carmen

Style Challenge: Ladies in Blue

This is a top I bought in December at The Hudson Bay Co; I immediately tried it on, bought it and wore it. Cool top for my dance classes and I love the Navajo inspired print with fringes on the hem.

I went back to buy another one as a gift for Jean as soon as I booked my flight reservation for Seattle. I was so glad they still had one left (her size!).

I like dressing alike but Jean rolls her eyes and can’t understand my obsession with it. We have similar taste (as well as very different tastes at times) so she came up with the idea how to style something different ways. We have done this before with our red dresses we got at the Swap Shop in Florida. LADIES IN RED

Jean styled her top with faded, boot-cut jeans and taupe boots.

 

 I styled my top with dark denim skinnies and black faux leather knee-high boots.

 Same top but a different look. Jean still won’t go out with me dressed like this, but at least it’s a good way to show different possibilities and getting more millage out of our clothes.

Now I need a pair of faded blue jeans. These ones are capris.

Did you ever dress like your mom or daughter, or have any of the same clothes?

♥ carmen

It’s time for VISIBLE MONDAY at Patti’s!

Wrap dress styled for summer and winter

One of the things I love about NYC–well, actually any city–is shopping. There’s always something to find that I haven’t seen where I live, like this cute wrap dress from Bebenoir in Harlem. This photo was taken a few blocks from the shop on the steps of a charming old brownstone in August.

These days in January, I’m enjoying Seattle and browsing through shops and boutiques. I can only buy as much as I can pack in my little carry-on suitcase, but it’s a good thing most of the clothes I brought are going into the clothing exchange that my daughter Jean is hosting on Saturday. I’m so excited!

This dress is not going into the exchange. I can wear it all through the seasons, especially here in Seattle with days as mild as April. I added a black lace camisole, black tights, booties and can also wear a coral cardigan to keep warm.

It has three quarter length sleeves (as in the first photo) but they got pulled up from my coat and I didn’t notice till I saw the photos.

I love the south-west colours and I wear either turquoise or coral (colour) jewellery. I made this necklace with round coral coloured beads and small silver beads.

I also wear it with a turquoise necklace I made (left) and I brought some beads to make a necklace while I’m here. I’m still working on it (right) and will have it finished before I go back home.

Do you enjoy making things? What projects are you working on?

♥ carmen

Join Dawn Lucy’s first FASHION FUN FRIDAY link up!

Sunny in Seattle

What a gorgeous day in January: sun shining, blues skies, green grass and so many green bushes and trees that it looks like springtime! I’ve even seen blossoms.

Perfect day for riding the gigantic Seattle Great Wheel, with a spectacular view of Seattle and Puget Sound.

It’s not always so sunny at this time of year, so Jean and I took advantage of it and explored Pike Place and some of the nearby shops. It was mild enough that I saw women with bare legs and sandals. That is unheard of in winter where I come from.

I wore my new mod inspired tunic that I bought for this trip.

I often buy something and wear it home.

A great 60s style that I can wear with my peace sign pendent I bought this summer in NYC at the Brooklyn Flea Market.

The view of Seattle and Puget Sound from the top of the Ferris Wheel is spectacular! We went around five times!

Do you like Ferris Wheels?

This one is my favourite!

♥ carmen

Linking up with TBT for more fashion fun

Ready, pack … GO!

Getting ready for a trip … packing my suitcase.

Going tomorrow!

My new cape will be perfect for milder temperatures in Seattle. I’m going to visit my daughter and experience my first ever clothing exchange! Jean has invited all her friends and I’m so excited to meet them.

This is my traveling outfit, my new top that I bought at Reitmans in December. I got a bit very carried away with buying tops recently, it’s not my fault that there are so many beautiful clothes on sale! Red booties from the 80s once belonged to Jean.

The black velvet roses caught my eye, I love the different textures of this top, with black chiffon fabric sewn on the hem making it look like it’s layered with a blouse.

 These booties are faux suede, with laces and gray knitted cuffs.

 Which booties should I wear–red or black?

♥ carmen

Linking up with Patti’s Visible Monday

Happy Anniversary

My youngest son and his wife celebrated their first wedding anniversary on January 1st. They decided to get married on the anniversary of when they started dating and that way they would always have fireworks to celebrate. My son will never be one of those husbands who forgets when their anniversary is, pretty clever!

It was a romantic, simple wedding. I wore a high low skirt with a lace blouse.

I don’t like buying an outfit I can only wear once, I have worn it to dances and the sheer fabric makes it perfect for summer. Memories of warm, summer days, just what I need on this cold day in January.

 

Anyone thinking of getting married, please watch this before you invest in rings …

August Gerstner Company

“Wearing beautiful and precious jewellery is a privilege we are allowed to enjoy. We do not want this to happen at the expense of others.”

 This is where my son bought their rings; ethical and quality jewellery from Germany.

♥ carmen