Let's Go To The EX pt. 1: The Flower Competition

Last weekend, Ephraim and I went to The Ex, a.k.a. the CNE, a.k.a. the Canadian National Exhibition.  Think of it as a massive carnival, taking place for the last two weeks of August, every summer.  I (and many) think of it as an excuse to eat "all the fried things", and take a turn on some intensely overpriced rides.  You know, good clean family fun.  The CNE is more than just a carnival, with Dog and Horse shows, Acrobatic displays, food and tchotchke vendors from around the world, and one of my favourites, the floral competitions.  It also tends to be one of the only quiet areas of the CNE, so it's a perfect spot to relax a moment, enjoy the air conditioning, and take gratuitous photos of beautiful flowers.

Who am I to refuse? Enjoy the gratuitous pretty.

This first place arrangement incorporated my favourites of the winning flowers.  Plus, it's in my favourite colour scheme! I told Ephraim to feel free to think along these lines next time he wants to buy me flowers... haha, yeah, right!

After spending all that time walking through the competition, and going through my photos afterward, I feel it's really confirmed for me that when we do manage to clear a sunny patch in Ephraim's front yard, I'd really love to plant some Dahlias.  They're so gorgeous, and come in amazing sherbert-like colours!  At least, that's where my mind goes.  Straight to rainbow sherbert from Baskin Robins...perhaps the only food vendor I did NOT see at the EX.  But the food building is another story, saved for another day!

--Erin

Colour Your World

Last weekend was our first real glimpse of spring.  With a crisp breeze and a constant struggle between sunshine and grey skies, it's finally beginning to look like April out there! And though my daffodils at home are taking their sweet time to poke their heads from the ground, I am getting so excited for plants to start springing up! My home has been greener than ever, as my roommate is a plant lover as well.  I haven't had a lot of luck this past year at keeping plants alive, as I keep going to and from Toronto a lot, but now that I have flexibility as to when I come and go thanks to Gertrude, my trusty Volkswagen Golf, I feel more confidant to keep adding to my little garden.  A trip to a local plant nursery had to be made! It's still early in the season, so none of the small stock caught my eye (well, except for the bleeding hearts, I may have to go back for one!) but I had to take pictures of all the beautiful colours.  I just can't wait for it to LOOK like spring!!

I told Ephraim I wanted to live in a world as purple as the little flowers in that first photo, and you know what, I stand by that ridiculous statement.  Take me away to purple plains.

--Erin

OOTD: Leather Satchel and Nautical Stripe Boat Shoes

THE DEETS:

Floral Button Up: Vintage, free

Navy Painter Tee: J Crew

Mustard Cropped Pants: Anthropologie

Striped Boat Shoes: Target

Watch Necklace: Antique, gift from Ephraim

"Hive Mind" Brooch: Premonitory Dreams

Leather Satchel: Aude Bags

Ephraim gave me this necklace for my birthday last year.  Though I've never been big into gold coloured jewelry, this necklace made me reconsider that bias.  Though I still lean heavily toward silver as a preference, the gold colour of this necklace (not to speak of the enamel flower detail on the back) goes so nicely with some other things in my closet.  Of course, the piece is beautiful on its own: I love that it looks like a locket, but is in fact a watch! It's so nice to hear it ticking away when you wear it.  

This leather bag is actually Ephraim's, but he was nice enough to let me borrow it to walk around the One of a Kind Show.  When it comes time to finally buy myself a nice camera bag, the cross body strap is going to be a very important feature for me.  I simply can't lug around a camera for hours in a shoulder bag, yet I keep only packing a shoulder bag for Toronto! It'll click in my brain eventually, and until then, there's this sweet little messenger bag for me to borrow (by force).  I even told Ephraim, when he picked up the bag at the One of a Kind Show last year, that if he didn't buy the bag, I would! But then, I was the one shopping for a bow tie for themselves at the show :p.  I didn't pick one up, but Handsome & Lace had the most amazing spread of ties, bow ties, pocket squares; and I have a weakness for men's accessories! A sweet bow tie may make its way to my birthday list, yet.

--Erin

OOTD: Floral and Mint

This week, after inheriting a bunch of new clothes, I took the time to go through everything in my closet.  I set aside the clothes I was prepared to donate, the clothes that needed some TLC (most notably stain removal - my Bubba had great taste but sloppy eating habits) and the clothes I hadn't gotten around to laundering yet.  Among that last pile was a heap of floral vintage I had scored from work (along with the pieces featured here and here and plenty of others), including this jacket and dress.  Though the pieces aren't a set, the mint in the dress is so similar to the mint in the jacket, that they simply had to be worn together.  I'm fairly certain that the dress was a bridesmaid's dress (the donor had mentioned many of the items were from special occasions and only worn once), and hell, if she couldn't get more wear out of the items, I sure will!

 The Deets:

Floral Jacket: Vintage, Free

Mint Dress: Vintage, Free

Tights: Anthropologie ($5.  Sale room, you my best fraaaan)

Black Riding Boots: Value Village 

Black Snakeskin Belt: Hand-Me-Down

The "Grayed Jade" (14-6011), "African Violet" (16-3520) and "Tender Shoots" (14-0446) in jacket are three of Pantone's colours of the season, so for 45 year old items I scored for free, I sure am looking on trend! On a sidenote, I went shopping for paint chips this weekend, and paint colour names are just the most ridiculous thing ever.  "Tender Shoots"? Seriously? But I digress, back to the outfit!!  Paired with a black snakeskin belt I inherited from my grandmother, and my favourite black riding boots, I balanced that springy feeling with the warmth I need for these not-quite-springy feeling days.  I definitely look forward to busting this combo out as the days warm up, though the polyester is going to limit that somewhat!! I just can't abide by feeling like I am wearing a plastic bag.  Even if it's floral.

--Erin

OOTD: Green Horn-Knit (Sweater)

I am terrible about forgetting things.  Clothing items are the worst.  I forget them at Ephraim's house, or perhaps more often, forget them at my own house... when I need them for a weekend in Toronto.  So goes the story of how I came to borrow this sweater of Ephraim's (and kinda fell in love with it).  Last weekend turned out to be a lot colder than I expected, and I managed not to pack anything nice and cozy for going out at night.  I asked Ephraim for a sweater to borrow, not thinking that his stuff was bound to be very manly, or very large (except for his awesome new J Crew cardigan which fits me perfectly, but it was his birthday, and he was wearing it, and I can't steal the cardi off his back even if it's so comfy), so when he handed me this sweater, I was skeptical to say the least.  It wasn't until I had it on with a bit of red lipstick that I decided I was just going to rock that oversized sweater, Keiko Lynn style.  I mean, shit, homegirl would look great in a paper bag, but she does know how to wear her boyfriend's clothes.  I mean it doesn't hurt that this sweater went great with the vintage shirt I has brought with me.  Clothing Kismet.  

Speaking of the shirt, this was another sweet find from that big donation the theatre couldn't use.  The shirt was made by an offshoot of Lady Manhattan, based in Toronto.  I know this not just from the label, but from the fact that the shirt was still in its plastic sleeve.  That bad boy still had the pins and a sheet of tissue paper in it.  I almost felt bad to unwrap it, but clothes are made to be worn.  And I will wear the everloving crap out of this shirt until it dies.

So say we all.

THE DEETS:

Sweater: Ephraim's, handmade by his Mother (aaawwww!!)

Shirt: Vintage, Lady Manhattan (free.  booyah)

Pants: Anthropologie

Ankle Boots: Vintage. (remixed)

Ring: Vintage, Forum Antiques

Do you have any clothing items you can't wait to get the "chance" to "borrow" (see: short term theft) from a loved one? 

--Erin

O.O.T.D: Wallpaper Pants

I've been wanting a pair of floral printed jeans since I saw Keiko Lynn rocking them some months ago.  I'd often see the Anthropologie floral jeans all the who's who of the blogosphere seemed to own, but failed to submit myself to the hefty price tag.  

Turns out Bluenotes makes something pretty similar for $20.  Sure, they're not as well made, but how likely are floral jeans to become a staple in my wardrobe for years to come? Yeah, $20 novelty pants for the win. 
I unabashedly love this cardigan I got on the same shopping trip.  Elbow patches have been a love of mine for some time, and I'm enjoying seeing them come into use not only in menswear but in women's too! Finally.  Love it.

The Deets:

Scarf: Hand-me-down

T-Shirt: Target

Cardigan: H&M

Floral Jeans: Bluenotes

Moccasins: Minnetonka

--Erin

Life As Of Late: Working Holiday and Faking It Till You Make It

Ephraim has bought me more flowers than I've received my whole life over! And certainly they are the most beautiful bouquets

My vacation from work is slowly coming to a close, and I can hardly believe it.  Where have the weeks gone? For that matter, how am I going to finish reading these plays?! I'm going to have to turn to hypnopaedic methods to cram the last few in! Or, you know, lazy mornings while I'm in Quebec next weekend.  Ephraim tends to be a later riser than me, and sometimes I take this as a good excuse to stay in bed and snooze and cuddle, but other mornings I just want to GO GO GO.  Instead, I will READ READ READ and SIP SIP SIP some tea.

Actually that sounds pretty heavenly.  If I were a day timer kind of person, I would write that down in my daily itinerary. 

Congratulatory flowers to celebrate the opening of my first realized design for The Shaw Festival

I'm just finding it so difficult to believe that I'm about to begin my second season at The Shaw Festival.  I always hoped to be there for another season (or two!), but it doesn't quite feel like a reality yet.  None of my life feels that real right now, and maybe that's because things are running pretty smoothly for a change.  I've gotten pretty used to living from one disaster to the next, so this smooth sailing has got me on my toes; does something terrible lay in wait around the corner? Or did my hard work pay off (or did I just get really lucky??).  

I'm excited for the challenges and growth this next season will bring, and am particularly pumped to get started on model building straight away when I return.  Maquette building has been the area in which I grew the most in the last year, and I constantly surprised myself with my ability to achieve realistic and proportional model furniture and rooms at such a small scale (1/2" = 1').  There are so many skills I want to develop in my time at the Shaw, and the faith they have in me never ceases to both comfort and alarm me.  I'm faking my way through so much.  But maybe that's just what the whole game is.   

I've also been invited to my old University to talk to the first year theatre students about my life after York University, as part of a panel of alumni.  I remember idolizing Jeff Churchill of Jitterbug Boy Original Footwear (where I was lucky enough to work for a short time) from the instant he walked on stage when I attended the same lecture in first year.  I leaned over to my best friend and said "that guy.  I want to be that guy.  Look how cool his shoes are!".  Then we learned that he had hand crafted those shoes himself.  How can I possibly be as inspiring as him? How can the university hold my career path in the same ball park, let alone the same auditorium? I don't feel that I'm there yet, and I certainly have a long way to go till I "make it". But I really hope this is telling of the things to come.

O.O.T.D: Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

Howdy Folks!

I picked up this amazing swing coat in Kensington Market a couple weeks ago, and I am just...so in love with it my boyfriend should be concerned.  It's just so perfect in every way.  Fits perfectly, was lovingly handmade, is REVERSABLE (and lined in flawless yellow dupioni silk!!), and the shop owner gave it to me for half price.
Tax free.
And I never even made a coherent offer.

Destiny, dudes.  This swing coat was my destiny.

The Deets:

Sunglasses: Vintage, Cabaret

Clip on Earrings: Thrifted

Scarf: Hand-me-down 

Pin: Hand-me-down

Jacket: Vintage, Exile

Jeans: Anthropologie

White Leather Booties: Vintage

Purse: Inherited (Check out its makeover HERE)

Ah, more glorious glorious hand-me-downs! Lisa wrote all about her love of hand-me-downs (which I share, I mean, awesome free stuff? yeah!), you can check it out (and the cute outfit too!) HERE!

To be honest, I only wore this outfit to the corner store to buy some ice cream, haha! It was a quiet day, what can I do?

--Erin