bel espirit

LOVING this cute ensemble from Anthropologie. 

The scent of fresh earth and flowers surrounds her senses; the gentle breeze tousles her hair as she sip lemonade out of a pink straw. Innocence manifested... all with a hint of je ne sais quoi. 

oh the weather outside is frightful....

... but you can still look delightful. The holiday season has passed, but that hasn't stopped the blustery wind and snow from coming our way. In fact, we had an unusually balmy Christmas and New Years. Our first major snowstorm on January 3rd in this neck of the woods is better than normal, so I'm not complaining (even after just spending an hour outside shovelling). I basically rolled out of bed with my fuzzy hair, glasses and comfy clothes and threw on mitts, a hat, boots and a coat. But because I live in town, I had to see many people whilst outside *and when I say many, I mean like a car every few seconds and people walking by me upclose. So, this got me thinking, how does one pull off a cute wintery warm look without a) looking like an abominable snowman, and b) freezing your a$$ off?

Fur or faux-fur always looks chic. This lady effortlessly masters layering to stay cozy. 

This quilted coat looks toasty, and her chunky knit scarf keeps her neck warm.  If she zipped up her coat, she would stay W-A-R-M! 

These coats utilize fur around the neck to stay warm as well, and negates the need for a scarf. Notice the belt to emphasize her waist? That's one of my favourite tricks to look chic and feminine while staying warm. 

I adore the colour scheme of these coats. She looks chic and warm! In my experience, unless there is a sheet of ice, there's no excuse to not wear a boot with a heel. It elongates your leg and also puts you a few inches above the snow! 

It's not hard to look cute and stay warm during the winter months. As long as you find the perfect coat (preferably belted) and pick cute accessories (hat, mittens/gloves, boots, and an array of scarves) you'll be WCW (winter-chic-warm). Yes, I just made up that acronym.

{sources 1, 2, 3, 4}

road trip recap

I had a blast road trippin' it up at St. Jacobs with my mom and sister yesterday. We went out for lunch, did a ton of shopping and saw some cool scenery and weather! Not only was it a great girl's day out, but I managed to cross off two items off my 12 Before 2012 list! I visited a flea/antique market (TONS of inspiration there) and I crossed off the clothing items I wanted to purchase. A successful day if you ask me!

What we wore.

We stopped in a furniture store and they had the most awe-inspiring displays and items. If only I had more money...

My dream bedroom. One day it will be mine.

A unique corkboard/whiteboard find at the antique store. I thought this would be a great DIY idea, and it could probably be done for way under $75. 

Of course we had to have num-nums. A strawberry and cream cheese roll up. Delish.

I think I did some really smart shopping. We went to an outlet mall, and I was able to get my winter coat for less than half price! A gorgeous black wool peacoat was originally $185, and marked down to $69.99. Of course I nabbed that up, along with a turquoise short sleeved sweater (for $15), and a great pair of statement earrings (for $1.99)! The clerk was even shocked at the low prices- talk about self-gratification! I also bought a structured jacket, a "pleather" jacket, a large clutch, new watch, 2 sweaters, and a professional yet fun laptop bag.... which I will share with you later. The day ended with a tornado warning, and my mom, sister and I spent the evening in our basement. A fairly eventful day!