Pink skies in morning...

Pink skies in morning... by mllemelanie featuring h&m blazer

I bought this colourful skirt from Old Navy awhile back for some ridiculous sale price like $5, but needed to get it hemmed because skirts that hit just below the knee on me make me look frumpy and shorter than I already am. I hemmed mine to just above the knee and wore it with blue flats to work and got so many compliments. I am in love with the bright colours this spring - bright pink, cobalt blue, and tangerine orange all together? Why the heck not??

Smart is sexy

I inherited some clothes from my grandmother awhile back when she passed away. Somethings I have kept, but worn very little because I just couldn't figure out how to wear them. One of these items is a full length a-line plaid skirt - mine is green with navy & yellow accents, but this was the closest image I could find.

I decided to pull it out again a little while ago and try to style it - a simple white button up and a black belt seemed to do the trick  The shirt allows the skirt to stay as the central focus but the belt grounds it all and keeps the skirt from being overwhelming .... why had I not thought of this before?? 

I am so eccstatic that I finally found a way to wear this awesome skirt... and as a bonus, I totally feel like a sexy librarian when I wear this outfit. ;)

Smart is sexy by mllemelanie featuring a leather clutch

p.s. I don't actually own that awesome clutch that looks like a book... but I totally want one now!

One tunic, Three ways

A little while back I picked up a fantastic white tuxedo tunic at one of my favourite consignment shops - Front & Company on Main St. At first I thought it might be a little over priced at $30 - I mean it IS used afterall. But since I bought it, I have worn it so many times and in so many different situations that it has earned it's price tag several times over. 

These are just a few of the ways that it can be worn - for a night out, for work, or for a casual weekend outfit. The possibilities really are endless!

One of the best parts, is that my tuxedo tunic actually has french cuffs, which means I get to raid my husband's cuff link collection! (When I am going more casual I just roll the cuffs up).

Walkin' After Midnight by mllemelanie featuring slimming pants

Delux Tux by mllemelanie featuring long feather earrings


 

Hello Birdie by mllemelanie featuring striped pants

You are my sunshine

I bought this awesome yellow paperbag style skirt at Forever 21 a few months back because I have been trying to incorperate more yellow into my wardrobe (quite successfully actually!). But figuring out how to wear this skirt was tougher than I thought. It seems yellow on the bottom is tougher to wear than yellow on the top.
I was inspired by pinterest when I saw several "pins" featuring yellow and grey as a colour combo. I loved the way the grey balanced the yellow as a neutral, and avoided the "bumble bee vibe" that black and yellow creates. It was so much easier to then add other colours once the grey top and tights grounded the outift. When I put the outfit on I also immediately started singing "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are grey!"
For the record, I don't actually own a cardigan as cute as this one (the one I wore was just plain white), but I will definitely be looking for one now!

You are my sunshine by mllemelanie featuring grey tights

Jet Setter

I have been trying to find the perfect travel outfit for years - something that is comfortable but stylish. I mean really there is no reason for the "tacky tourist" these days! I always dress in layers because you never know what you will get - indoors or out, and I always, always, always bring a pashmina. They make for a great blanket on the plane, and yet take up zero precious bag space because you can simply throw it around your neck for transporting. Airport security is always a challenge, so I try to wear as little metal jewellry as possible, stick to pants that don't require a belt, and wear shoes that slip on and off easily.
A bag that can be worn across your shoulder is also great because it frees up your hands for boarding passes and passports. This bag is a Miche bag and if you haven't discovered them yet, you need to! It is a brilliantly designed purse with an inner bag, and interchangeable outer shells and straps. They are especially great for traveling because rather than wasting suitcase space on different purses or having to settle on just one purse for the whole trip, the Miche shells lie flat in the suitcase and take up virtually no space. They also come in a huge assortment of adorable shells, shapes and sizes. I love my Miche!

Jet Setter by mllemelanie featuring striped tops

Stars & Stripes

I'm Canadian so I obviously don't celebrate the 4th of July, but if I did, this is totally what I would wear! I got some cute red Calvin Klein capri jeans on a recent trip to Las Vegas. I also picked up an adorable navy blue star printed cardigan from H&M and a navy striped t-shirt. When I looked at them all together, it was clear that the Americana vibe in Vegas had rubbed off on my shopping choices. 

And I do have to admit, Americans, you have a flag that can truly inspire fashion (more so than any other country's flag I think)!

Stars & Stripes by mllemelanie featuring sparkle jewelry

Cape Diem

Sometime back I got this awesome purple sweater cape from Anthropologie at a ridiculous sale price (I think I paid about $30 when the original pricetag read $200). I am an avid sale shopper who just waits for someone to ask me where I got an item so that I can tell them what a great deal I got! I think it is important to understand that style isn't about how much you spend or what brand names you buy - it is about being yourself and feeling good in what you wear, no matter if it is currently "in style" or not. Find what works for you - and you find a great deal, Seize the Sale!

Sadly I packed away this sweater (and the rest of my fall/winter wardrobe) yesterday to make room for my spring/summer wardrobe - even though it isn't fully spring here yet, I needed the change. But I know that I will be so excited come the fall to pull this beauty back out again!

Cape Diem by mllemelanie featuring leather gloves

Birds of a Feather

Last weekend while shopping with my mom, I picked up an adorable bird blouse very similar to this one from H&M (mine has short sleeves, and no buttons or ties). I also got this awesome cobalt blue blazer. I am so in love with bright colours right now, and have clearly established a jewel toned colour palette for spring. I love how the colours play so well with either black or brown, accent gold jewelery, and can be piled one colour on top of the other without looking outrageous. Bring on the colour! (And spring... pretty please)

Birds of a Feather by mllemelanie featuring skinny jeans

Family Jewels

This past weekend, my mother was in town visiting, and as she is my best shopping companion, we braved the crowds and hit the mall! I got this awesome mustard yellow shirt at Old Navy for $5! Seriously. (I also got a turquoise one). I often have a hard time remembering to buy basics (like t-shirts, camis, etc) because they aren't the things that catch my eye when I am out shopping. But when basics are as fun as these, how can I resist? And I am just dying to wear it with my cobalt jeans. Spring must be on it's way cause I am craving colour!

 

Family Jewels by mllemelanie featuring denim skinny jeans

Flora the love of a party

For my 30th birthday a few years back, my husband bought me this adorable Betsey Johnson dress from ModCloth. I have dreamed of owning a Betsey Johnson dress for a very long time, so this was a big deal! It has since become my go-to party dress. I love how it is just as easy to wear it in the winter and in the summer. The black grounds it and makes it not too bright for winter, the heavier material means that it still looks good layered with tights and a cardigan, yet in warmer months it has enough interest and style to stand on it's own with minimal accesories.
 

This is the fall/winter version of how I like to wear this dress.

 

  

My 30th birthday (which is in December)

Flora the love of a party by mllemelanie

Ships Ahoy!

Last summer we went to France for our honeymoon. We spent a few days in Paris, then a week in the south of France. While we were there I scored an adorable cobalt blue pleated skirt (the one I have has a lace overlay). It is now one of my favourite skirts, though I wear it sparingly since it does stand out whenever I do. This outfit is inspired by what I first paired this skirt with while on our vacation (I'm one of those "I just can't wait to wear it as soon as I get it" people).
Here is a photo of me in that outfit on our balcony in the south.

 And here is my Polyvore interpretation:

Ships Ahoy! by mllemelanie

Bow ties are cool!

Men have it so easy... a nice button up shirt, a tie and a good pair of shoes and they are ready to go! So I figured, why can't we steal a little wisdom and style from our handsome other halves and be comfy and classy at the same time?
Inspired by Dr. Who (a combo of the tenth and eleventh Doctors).

Bow ties are cool! by mllemelanie featuring cuffed jeans

Peacock Strut

When I got a new pair of cobalt blue skinny jeans, I had no idea how the heck I was going to wear them! This is what I ended up with. Though the shoes I have (which I couldn't find online) have three straps across the top - one that is turquoise, one that is green and one that is brown.

Peacock Strut by mllemelanie featuring trapeze tops

La Vie en Rose

My second submission to ModCloth's "Style it & Win it" contest.

La Vie en Rose by mllemelanie featuring checkered tights

Love in the Library

My first submission to ModCloth's  "Style it & Win it" contest.

We had to work only from a collection of ModCloth clothes that they had selected, and design an outfit around the adorable pink lace dress. First place winner gets a ModCloth giftcard and the pink dress (3 runners up also get a gift card). *fingers crossed* ;)

Love in the Library by mllemelanie featuring a zip wallet

Button cardig

Bienvenue!

I have been holding onto this domain name for awhile now, pondering the possibility of keeping a small style blog, but it never really came to be. That is, until I was introduced to Polyvore through the ModCloth "Style it & Win it" contest. And suddenly a whole new world opened up to me!
I had tried taking photos of outfits that I liked in the hopes that I would remember them when I wanted to wear them again. But a lack of decent places to take pictures, the usual morning rush, and lack of motivation made that idea futile. But the a-freakin'-mazing Polyvore site has opened up a whole new way for me to keep track of outfits and stay inspired with the clothes that I have (and not always feel the need to go out and buy more when I am feeling uninspired).
So here, I hope to continue to build and develop my own personal style (I am all about individuality!), find new ideas from others, and maybe even inspire a few other people to find their style.
Happy reading and happy styling :)