I have seen so many things in the past few weeks, I think my brain is still overwhelmed from it all. I have a lot of little thoughts to share.

• VEGAS! I’ve just edited the pictures from the first leg of our travels, and I have gone from being on the fence about the place, to deciding I would totally love to go back again! It was exhausting, but soooo much fun. (The picture is from a hidden goldfish-filled atrium at the gorgeous Wynn Hotel and Casino.)
• VANCOUVER! I’ve been there before, but with family doing various touristy things, but (as I’ve often said) I just don’t care about stupid old mountains and ocean. They’re pretty and all, but they’re just not life changing. But this time, the pace of life there, the friends we have, the friends we made, the trout lake farmers market, the brunch at Cafe Medina, the organic shops on Commercial Drive, the friendly bus drivers, the proximity to so many amazing places (Bellingham, Japan, Hawaii, California, Oregon) , the nighttime Catan games… Those were all pretty life changing for me.
• I want to purge my apartment of all extraneous things, and am trying to spend a little while each day de-cluttering.  We enjoyed Vancouver so much that it made me really want to lighten my load so that if the opportunity ever arose, we could just pick up and move – there, or to anywhere really.
• I always try to find locally made jewelery when I travel, and have come up empty on my last few trips, unfortunately. But as we were leaving, the lovely and amazing friends we stayed with mentioned Pyrrha. I took a look at their stuff when I got home, and fell in LOVE. I want this necklace. Real bad.

(via Pedlars UK)

Well, where have I been? Who do I think I am, exactly, abandoning my blog for weeks at at time?

Well, I think I’m falling in love with working in the Art Department on film sets. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, ever since I realized that all that pretty stuff in the background of movies and TV doesn’t just appear magically, but has to be carefully chosen (or made from scratch!) and placed there by designers.

And recently, I’ve gotten the opportunity to help out on some sets, and it has been awesome! Creative, and hectic, and so much on-the-spot problem solving. I love it!

But… the (truly) long hours don’t leave a lot of time for blogging.

And if I’m not on set I’m up at the cottage, and soon I’ll be leaving to go on vacation with Liam soooooo… Sorry, friends, family and fans, things aren’t going to be getting much better anytime soon.

In the meantime though…

I love everything Pedlars UK has to offer, and always have. I make it habit to check their online shop once in a while and drool over the merchandise, dreaming of it one day being mine, all mine Too bad shipping from England is so expensive.

But now I’m working, so maybe I’ll be able to afford some choice pieces for myself!

I always love all their housewares, but right now I am particularly digging their curated clothing selection.

The trend these days is actually an anti-trend – the focus is on eternally lasting, classic, traditional, domestically made pieces.

The stuff at Pedlars is spot on, from these shiny silver hunter boots I adore, or their Guernsey fisherman’s sweaters, their selection of Cambridge satchels (I’ve already talked about how much I love those) and their gorgeous, custom designed brown leather brogues with tweed (gasp!) lining. I want it all.

(via YELLOW OWL WORKSHOP)

This cloisonne necklace seems like it must have been made just for me! It is lovely, lovely, lovely!

(via marcinema on Flickr)

Sorry people, I’ve been lazy and busy. But here’s a lovely little snap of the annual Governor’s Island Jazz Age Picnic in NYC.

Doesn’t it look positively dreamy? Someday, I’ll go. In the meantime, I am planning my own little picnic in my own little backyard.

(via somethings hiding in here on flickr)

Liam has a white collar job now, so he gets to dress up to go work, which we are both enjoying. He’s been hunting for bowties, specifically, but are they ever hard to find!

I would buy him one of each of these! They are so very pretty! I especially love the colours in the fat-striped, linen one.

(via Saint James)

There is pretty much nothing I love more in the world than the French nautical look. I own way too many horizontally striped tops.

But I didn’t realise there was actually an original company (Saint James) that still makes the same sweaters as worn by turn-of-the-century french seamen.

So now a Saint James Breton style sweater is going to the top of my wish list. They are a little dear, so it will probably stay at the top of my wish list for a while, but they are so classic and well made, I bet it would be worth the expense.

(via Put This On)

For some reason, I have been of recent far more attracted to discussions of men’s fashions than women’s.

There is far more tradition to the way a man dresses. Far more comfort,  quality and thought.

I think I’m finding that men’s fashion is more about functional and beautiful design, where women’s fashion is about fickle and artificial trends.

I am definitely the kind of person who is more drawn to design over trends. Classic style, over momentary cachet.

White cotton t-shirts. Navy pea-coats. Tweed jackets with leather elbow patches. Oxfords. That sort of thing.

So, I highly recommend the blog Put This On. It is an in-depth look at the intricacies of dressing like a grown up male. This is an example of a particularly good post.

The author espouses some pretty strict rules for dressing sometimes, and I don’t agree with him all the time, but like many things in the design world (typography certainly comes to mind) they are good rules to keep in mind when beginning on a journey to bettering yourself (sartorially). Once you understand the rules, you can go ahead and break them.

I just wish there were a female equivalent.

(via kate spade)

I was never terribly interested in the handbags themselves, but I have always loved the branding of Kate Spade. When they launched their clothing line a year or two ago, I began to love them even more. Oh, to be rich enough to afford it, though!

I think the line is perfectly edited – everything co-ordinates and works together as a whole. This season bright, jewel-toned colours are mixed and matched expertly with a vintage, sixties silhouettes, which is pumped up by a whimsical touch of naive patterns and estate-jewelery-style embellishments.

Thankfully, I think it’s a look that can be recreated with basics and vintage pieces from elsewhere. Although you have to be careful – there’s a fine line in between suburban housewife and Spade’s freewheeling, bohemian socialite. It’s easy to accidentally fall on the soccer mom side of things.

(via TOMS)
I really love these espadrille style wedges from TOMS. I just bought the cutest dress from Anthropologie for upcoming summer barbecues and weddings, and I think these might be just the ticket to go with them.

But… Did I mention TOMS makes environmentally AND ethically sound products? Yeah, they do. So that’s just more reasons to run out and find them.

red and white polka dot wellies

(via Cath Kidston)

These wellies are the archetypes of rubber boot perfection, in my mind.

I had a pair just like them when I was about four. My Australian cousins, visiting from afar, brought them to traverse the wet and cold wilds of Canada. They left them behind for me.

I have been searching for the perfect adult sized pair ever since, but every time I find them, they are far too expensive :(

custom tea dress

(via Sohomode@Etsy)

Tea dresses are the kinda thing you wear to a garden or tea parties. A girl doesn’t get nearly enough invitations to go to either of those these days.

We had a lovely tea party for our wedding shower last year, but because our funds were low I decided to wear a dress I already owned. I got complements, and looked cute (despite the humidity not complying with my hair!). But I would have loved to have worn one of these custom creations instead!

Tiger Lily Moccasin in concrete

(via darlingtonia@etsy)

Aren’t these the most darling little shoesies?

I think the moment I realised you could buy handmade shoes, SHOES! on Etsy, was the moment Etsy really rocked/changed my world.

Road Trippin’

(via small magazine | spring 10)

Yet more evidence for my “little girls get the best clothes” theory? Small Magazine. I could take so much wardrobe inspiration from it’s pages it frightens me a little – what does it say about me that I want to dress more like a preternaturally stylish child?

So long as I never cross over into Rachel Berry territory, I think I’ll be okay.

homemade swimsuits

(via angry chicken)

Amy @ angry chicken took a crack at making her own versions of the vintage style childrens swimsuits she (and then I) posted about earlier.

The results are amazing! Although I have to say, making your own swimsuit from scratch sounds more than a little wacky and daunting (which kinda just makes me want to do it even more).

miu miu collar diy

(via fieldguided)

You have to love it when somebody figures out how to craftily re-create couture on a budget.

Last seen on  a certain famous 14 year old fashonista, the miu miu printed colllar is getting some serious attention. Anabela of fieldguided figured out how to recreate it perfectly on a thriftstore budget (and I do prefer the kitties to the naked ladies – but that’s to be expected). 

(via Oh Joy!)

I haven’t really worn rings (other than my wedding ring) in a decade or so. But there was a period during highschool where I loved them – but only if they clunky, chunky and plastic. Something about them just made me happy – and still kinda does.

These are totally the modern, upscale version of the glow-in-the-dark versions I wore in grade nine, and some of the gemstones embedded in them are REAL.  They’re more wearable art than jewelery, but they are awfully wearable.

dreamy coloured satchels

(via Cambridge Satchel Company)

I’m kinda super sad I didn’t know about this company earlier. Like, say, 2 years ago when I was searching for THE PERFECT BAG.

Because this is kinda it.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, I love my Moop Bag.

And frankly, nothing could replace the place in my heart currently taken by the gorgeous sky-blue-leather and brown-speckled-resin Orla Kiely darling I got in Paris.

But these little satchels… They are perfect. Classic and classy and British and well-designed and sturdy and reasonably priced and in Super! Fun! Colours!

Whew…

custom 808s and heartbreak Nike dunks

(via Brass Monki Shop)

Maybe I’m a little bit of a Kanye Apologist. He might be completely out of hand insane.

But.

He still makes good music.

And he’s got GREAT style.

For those two reasons I give him a pass (although it helps that I pretty much ignore everything he says and does outside of these realms).

So these shoes? I would wear them. They’re too pretty not to be worn. Just look at the things! Pretty.

Hot Dogs!

(via Shirt.Woot)

I love Lucy Knisley. I already own (and love) her cheese t-shirt. Why don’t I own this yet?

posy necklace

(via nest pretty things)

I have spent a while staring at this necklace, coming up with ways to re-create it on my own. It is almost too ridiculously pretty-pretty, I feel it might look a little silly worn with all but the most minimalist of outfits.