The Object of My Affection

This dress, from vendor Emma Paige Designs, is the dress of my dreams, the dress that was sadly too small, is the dress that stole my heart at the Ottawa Vintage Clothing Show. Mint condition vintage Albert Nipon, this quickly snapped phone photo cannot even begin to do it justice. It was glorious in person. The fabric was beautiful and the colours vibrant and lovely.  Of course, it was rather expensive for what I could afford, and even if it had been within the reach of my modest pocketbook, it was not my size. Although I almost had myself convinced to purchase it, if only to hang it on my wall and enjoy as simply a thing of beauty.

I visited it lovingly many times throughout our visit to the show, and when my friend Catherine and I would get separated, she quickly figured out that she could probably find me somewhere in the vicinity of the loveliness of this dress.

It was the kind of dress that had me envisioning the kinds of adventures we might have together. Worn with bare feet, and a pink silk scarf in my hair, wandering along the white sand beaches of PEI with an ice cream cone in hand. Pairing it with leather sandals and a jean jacket to go to the Byward market in late spring and summer for fresh fruit. I pictured myself in this dress wearing jingling golden bangles and sipping a glass of white wine at a garden party. Suffice to say, it was love, pure and simple. But alas, unrequited. I hope this beauty will find a truly happy home.

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Ottawa Vintage Clothing Show

Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of spending the morning with my friend and fellow librarian Catherine at the Ottawa Vintage Clothing Show. It was a treasure trove of gorgeous dresses, tiny shoes (for my sasquatch feet at least), silk scarves, fancy hats, and bits and baubles of all kinds. We spent a happy couple of hours perusing the wares of the various sellers in attendance (some much more well curated than others, finding all sorts of beauties. I think one of my favourite parts of the show was simply people watching - checking out the stylish ensembles of fellow showgoers (Victory rolls and 50's dresses abounded) and hearing the gasps of delight as pre-loved pieces were matched with their new owners. I wished I had brought my proper camera instead of merely my phone (please forgive the poorer photo quality) for the purposes of capturing some of the stylish showgoers, but I think even then I probably would've been too shy to approach any of them.

The green sparkly dress, above, was one of my favourite pieces overall. It wasn't my size, of course, so I did the next best thing and snapped a photo of it. I turned to look at some other garments on display from the same vendor, and turned back around to see that it had been eagerly snapped up, hopefully on its way to a happy new home. There was yet another dress that stole my heart, but I didn't include a picture of it here, because it was so glorious as to merit its own post (coming soon). There were many other beauties, including one beautiful but sad blue dress that had been tried on by too keen an attendee only to get rather severely damaged. A cautionary tale.

I didn't end up purchasing anything, but it was a fantastic event filled with innumerable unique items, and all in all, a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning.

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Spring Potpourri

Blazer & Tank: Smart Set Jeans: Forever 21 Boots: Joe Fresh Necklace: Baublebar Bag: Kate Spade

Thankfully the snow in Ottawa is finally melting, my friend Joe and I took these pictures on a mild yet still wintry day, considering we were officially into "spring". Aside from my dark denim, I kept this look pretty monochrome with only the white spring potpourri bib necklace and the white strap of my bag breaking it up. I love colour, but if I am honest the vast majority of my wardrobe falls into navy, black or white. Looking forward to breaking that pattern once true spring weather finally arrives.

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Moto Green

Jacket: Smart Set Satin Tee: Forever 21 Jeans: Forever 21 Boots: Joe Fresh

I picked up this green faux-leather moto-style jacket from Smart Set for a song when there was a sale on a sale on a sale. It hasn't really yet been warm enough to pull it out of the closet for actual every day wear, but for a quick runaround blog shoot on a sunny afternoon it wasn't too bad. I look forward to styling it in a variety of ways. Feminine pieces are more my sartorial comfort zone, but I what I love about this jacket is that it gives an outfit a hint of edge without taking it too far, too soon. Baby steps.

Thanks to Joe for snapping these photos for me!

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Chateau Lookout

Dress, Cardigan and Boots: Joe Fresh Tights: We Love Colors Wristlet: Coach

This weekend in Ottawa it was a balmy minus eight - a beautiful day in comparison to the ones we've had! My best guy pal Joe was kind enough to stand in as my intrepid photographer, and we headed down behind the Chateau Laurier to capture the wintry view of Parliament and Gatineau, over across the river. For each of these photos there were at least ten where I was laughing hysterically or making a funny face because we were joking around and being ridiculous. Definitely more fun than shooting blog post photos by myself with a tripod, let me tell you. 

This dress is relatively new to my closet, and at a mere $9.99 was a total bargain. Add to it a (librarian staple!) cardigan for $6.99, opaque tightsand a pair of well-loved boots and this was essentially a brand new outfit for less than $20.00. Budget friendly fashion = winning. And of course, with a relatively monochromatic black-and-white look, a pop of bright pink lip colour is a must. Schiap, natch.

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Heart of the City

My friend Catherine and I spent Friday evening wandering through the shops of downtown Ottawa, and of course one of our stops was local favourite, Magpie Jewellery. Catherine told me about an "Ottawa Necklace", made by local jeweller Lissa Bowie, which has a pendant in the shape of the city's outline. But it also looks a little bit like a heart, am I right? In any case, my love for the city that has become my second home, in combination with the fantastic sale going on at Magpie convinced me to snap one up on the spot. 

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JB x JB: La Laverie

Photography JOEL BEDFORD Styling JUSTYNA BARANIECKI Hair & Make Up SOPHIE PARROT Model EVE @DULCEDO {Green Sequin Dress ZARUCCI}

Joel and Justyna are a pretty unstoppable duo - pro photographer and stylist respectively, based here in Ottawa. They continously make beautiful and inspiring images that consistently blow me away. This editorial shot in Montreal is no different. I love the intense colours and luxe feeling of the beautiful garments and accessories juxtaposed with the rather humdrum backdrop of a laundromat. And a pug in a scarf? Everyone loves a pug in a great scarf. Come on.

See the rest of their beautiful images here.

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Fresh Style

*Photos by my lovely roommate Esther

This dark chambray shirt from Joe Fresh is one of my favourites. It's an old favourite that I've had for a couple of years, and I love wearing it any number of ways - it's super easy to dress up or down. Today I decided to pair it with this skirt (currently on super sale), and my favourite little black leather ankle boots, also from Joe. Clearly fresh style has overtaken my wardrobe.

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Sunday Snaps v. 9

In the gorgeous Chateau Laurier for our MP dinner

Hanging with Sir John A at the airport while waiting for students to arrive

A warm welcome for our group at the Senate!

The Peace Tower!

I treated myself to Valentina by Valentino. New signature scent!

The War Memorial

I arrived home to a box full of goodies - my winnings from the Saltscapes photo contest!

Taken this morning, Easter Sunday on my way into the service!

Signs of spring - the geese are back!

I'm back in action after two weeks in Ottawa. Volunteering with Forum is something I love, but it is so intensive and jam-packed with activities that I barely get time to rest let alone blog, so I have been been admittedly lax the past couple of weeks. Excuses, excuses, I know.

Being back in the nation's capital was fantastically fun, I got to see old friends and make new ones, and spend two weeks watching youth from across Canada grow so much as they learned about how our government works = awesome. So the post-Forum exhaustion I am recovering from now is so worth it! In any case, these snaps give you a sneak peek into what I was up to over the last little while. Want to see more? Check out my instagram here.

Wintry Inspiration

When I saw this photograph of Justyna by Joel Bedford I actually gasped. It is so beautiful, and it completely encapsulates my vision of perfect wintry beauty. Justyna is a stylist extraordinaire (in addition to being an absolute beauty), and Joel is an incredibly talented photographer. I've been lucky enough to have had the privilege to be on set for shoots with Justyna and Joel a couple of times, and believe me when I say that when these two join forces they're seriously unstoppable. Jamie and Kevin, look out. 

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Music Monday: Loon Choir

I am so excited to share today's tune with you. It all started when I was working in Ottawa, and one of my wonderful co-workers  Kathleen told me about a band she had just joined as violinist, subsequently inviting me to attend a show. Now, when friends introduce me to new music (and especially bands they are actually in!) I often feel I have to tread carefully, on the off chance that I don't like it but still have to try to be diplomatic enough not to offend their musical sensibilities after the fact. 

Bearing this in mind, I went with a couple of friends (Hi Jill & Norm!) to show support by checking out Loon Choir's performance and guess what? We had a seriously fantastic time! The members of Loon Choir certainly know how to put on a great live show - the three of us went from standing awkwardly with the rest of the quiet crowd to dancing up a storm as soon as Loon Choir started playing some of their fabulous tunes.  Fortunately for me, I was able to tell Kathleen the next day how thoroughly and enthusiastically all three of us enjoyed their performance.

Self-described as indie-rock/art-pop, I can attest that as a 7 piece band (with everything from synth to violin) Loon Choir definitely has a unique and eclectic sound, with catchy melodies and poetic lyrics. Pretty much everything I could ask for, and absolutely worth a listen. Luckily they've just released a new album, Fire Poems (Get it here), and have been playing shows all over Ontario to promote it, including a performance at Ottawa's Bluesfest. My hope? That they'll be hitting up the east coast, and soon! It's been far too long since I've attended one of their shows, and I can't wait to hear the songs from the new album live.

If you're looking for something fresh, unique and seriously special, give Loon Choir a listen. You won't be disappointed, I promise!

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Reading in the Afternoon

Photography Joel Bedford; Styling: Justyna; Models Paige, Hope (MIM), Chelsea (MIM); Make up and Hair: Noah 

I simply had to share this editorial by shot by Joel and styled by Justyna for the Ottawa Citizen's Style Magazine - firstly because of my admiration for their considerable talent, but also because, as you know, I love any combination of books and great style. Justyna styled this shoot using solely vintage or thrift-able (think Value Village) items, and I have to say, she proved without a doubt that great style doesn't have to be expensive! I'd wear any of these looks any day. If you want to check out the rest of this beautiful spread, head over to Justyna's blog, Chameleonic - you won't be disappointed!

I don't know about you, but I am definitely feeling inspired to dress up with friends for an afternoon of reading and relaxation. Sounds like a perfect summery afternoon to me!

One Last Look

This morning I fly out of Ottawa, heading home to Prince Edward Island for good! Although I very much look forward to seeing the ocean, spending time with family and starting an exciting new job, as well as a possible Maritime blogger meet-up, I am leaving behind a lot here in Ottawa.

There's a wonderful group of friends, an amazingly lovely group of co-workers, a beautiful library (see my snaps above taken when working at our main branch last Thursday night!) and a wonderful city full of great activities to say good-bye to, but there will be lots of reunions with my family and friends back home, so the departure is bittersweet.

More good news? My next post will be coming to you live from Prince Edward Island!

Dress to Kill

As soon as I saw this stunning editorial (via Fashion Gone Rogue) I had to share. Shot for Dress to Kill's winter issue by Max Abadian, it features Ottawa-based model, Herieth Paul (who you may remember me posting about here). 

I am always delighted to see this hometown girl featured anywhere from the runways in Ottawa, Toronto, or New York City to editorials and more - She is a total beauty whose star is most definitely still on the rise.

Check out the rest of this flawless editorial here.

Ottawa Style by JB & JB

It isn't all that often that I post editorial images here on the blog, but this is one I have to share. The titular "JB & JB" are, in fact, the talented team (and power couple): Justyna B of Chameleonic and Joel Bedford. They were the Stylist/Art Director and Photographer (respectively) behind these shots.

They are regular contributors to the Ottawa Citizen's Style magazine - and it's easy to see why. These two are seriously talented (not to mention ridiculously nice), and I had the privilege of watching them work first-hand as I helped out on a couple of the shoots (by helping, I mean standing around doing odds and ends meanwhile being majorly impressed at the expertise of the two pros in action around me).

Justyna wrote the feature article for the Ottawa Citizen's Style magazine profiling the top models coming out of Ottawa's gencies, along with developing the accompanying editorial, featuring these same guys and gals in a variety of Ottawa locales. The above shot was taken in a local restaurant, and is from the first of two shoots I was present for. (You may note the lovely Herieth Paul standing out in this bunch - this girl is seriously a pro).

This very last shot was taken on the picturesque terrace of the Chateau Laurier. I must admit I am just a wee bit proud because my contribution to this photo is actually visible! When one too many models arrived to the shoot, an emergency outfit run was needed. I ran home, grabbed my beloved Michael Kors dress, and hurried back where Justyna expertly clipped the model into the dress (tent-sized on the model's teensy frame) and finished her off with a belt. The lovely lady sporting my frock by Mr. Kors is on the far right of the group at left.

It was definitely a great learning experience for me working with these two on this project. We had fabulous models and settings to work with, but I will say that Justyna and Joel seemed to me to be the real stars since they brought it all together to make for a pretty fantastic result. Thanks for having me along you two!