The Arthur

While walking along College street this weekend, I came across an adorable little store called The Arthur.  They sell antique home decor and unique vintage items that encapsulate little pieces of history.  They opened an online store a year ago and the College street shop opened a month ago.  I just loved it.  It reminded me of The Drake General Store, but much more authentic….and more affordable.  If you’re looking for cute home accents but aren’t the best at antiquing — this is a great place to start.  Check it out at 550 College st (at Euclid).  JD

On the walk back, I fed my summer nostalgia soul by jumping through every sprinkler I came across. The best.

Outfit details:
Jean shorts – Levis 501 from Club Monaco
T-shirt – H&M
Sunglasses – Cheap Monday
Canvas shoes – Payless

Market Price

I found this fun skirt at a vintage market in Belgium last summer for the market price of 4 euro!  Definitely one of my best finds to date.  The vibrant coral colour and crisp pleats pleasantly remind me of a lamp shade from the 80s.

I paired my market skirt with a lovely silk blouse I picked up from H&M last week.  It’s very billowy and exactly what I was looking for.
My navy blazer is from Zara and it’s that soft jersey material that makes it comfortable to wear all day long.

Lace-up booties are from Spring and grey socks are from Legs Beautiful. JD

Here Comes The Sun

I spent Thanksgiving day with my family in Niagara and what a great day it was.  I have lots to be thankful for but three things that stood out were:
1) The outrageously gorgeous weather!
2) The fun I had playing with my adorable little cousins, and
3) The great finds I snatched from my Aunt’s overwhelmingly awesome closet (more on that in a second).

I’ve worn this floral dress before here, but this time I added a few layers because of the change in season.
Floral dress and tights are from H&M; army green jacket is from Esprit; grey cardigan is from Liquidation World; flat boots are by Steve Madden; and my purse is one of the great finds from my Aunt’s closet.  Isn’t it great?  Who needs a thrift store when you have an Aunt that saved everything dating back to the early 70’s?  I took about 5 great items that I’ll be showing you in my upcoming outfit posts.  I hope you had a great Thanksgiving too!  JD

Zebra Purse

I walked out my door the other day and this woman was setting up a small table of vintage accessories to sell.  Two purses caught my eye within seconds and when she said $5 each – I said “I’ll take both of them please.”  And off I trotted to the grocery store with an extra bounce in my step.  The purse shown here is leather and zebra fur and it reminds me of the Deena & Ozzy Pony purse from Urban Outfitters.  The other purse is a small leather messenger style, and I’ll show that in a later post.  I’m also wearing a skirt as a dress from Club Monaco with a Forever 21 belt and a vintage necklace I got from a market in Belgium.  Are you going to incorporate animal print to your Fall wardrobe?  JD

I Spy With My Little Eye

After The Stills concert, CM & I stumbled upon a very old and very cool jalopy of a truck in the Distillery District – perfect backdrop for my military green dress.  I got this last week at Winners on Bloor for $50.  It’s actually by the same brand as this dress here.  I like that military green is a big colour for fall because my eyes are a hazel-greenish colour and I’ve been meaning to buy something in this shade for a while.  If you’re tired you’re supposed to wear something similar to your eyes to make you look un-tired.  I think it works too.
My perforated high heel shoes are by Dollhouse also from Winners on Bloor, and my necklace came from a vintage market in Belgium for 4 euro.  The dad-like Casio watch I’m wearing is from a little boutique found in Le Marais quarter of Paris.  I originally spotted it at Collette for double the price — glad I didn’t make an impulse purchase there.  When it gets a little colder I’ll wear this dress with polka dot tights and a leather jacket.  JD

PS – click here to listen to one of my favourite songs – Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes.

Ruffles And Roses

I wore this outfit to a big party once with cowboy boots and giant hair – it was sort of a saloon girl look.  I’ve been waiting to bust it out again but in a tamer way.  I found this double crinoline tutu at a vintage store called Flashback in Kensington Market for $35.  They have a ton of these fun skirts in all sorts of colours.  I paired it with a black tank from Jacob, a rose belt from Glamourous Place on Yonge street, and high heel booties by Dollhouse from Winners.  Christine and I are going to the Scissor Sisters concert next week so maybe I’ll wear it.  I don’t know – it’s between this or something leathery or neon or spandex.  Stay tuned!  JD

Chocolate Covered Brussels

Belgium is best known for its chocolate, so it was natural that we spent a few hours in the Grand Sablon neighbourhood in Brussels where all the finest chocolate shops are found.  We visited Pierre Marcolini, Whitamer, Godiva, Leonidas, and Neuhaus to name a few.  Luckily I didn’t drop my delicous truffle over my new cream top.  I found this top at a vintage store in Gent for 4 euro!  I paired it with my Rich & Skinny dark jeans, gold necklace from Aldo Accessories, and my straw fedora from Joe Fresh ($10).  I think I have been eating too much chocolate on this trip, but when in Rome right? JD

 

Blush Baby

We took a stroll through the beautiful U of T campus for these shots and got stuck in a tunnel of wind under the archway. I wore my blush tone skirt from H&M and paired it with this shirt dress top also from H&M. I wore it once as a dress here but I think I like it as a top better now. My moto-inspired jacket is from H&M too! Wow 3 items from one store…didn’t do that on purpose. Lace-up booties are from Spring shoes ($29) and chain necklaces are from my mom and grandma’s collections. Oh and I don’t know if you can see the buttons on my sleeves but those are button covers I got at a thrift store in Port Colborne. Gotta love random finds. JD

The wind crept up on me!