take me out

it's been a busy couple days in our cluttered little apartment.

I'm trying to sort through problems with my mail, my taxes, and my credit card all at once. nothing overly drastic, mostly just inconvenient. I may tell you about it when I am better able to keep my eye lids fully open...

for now, just a quick outfit post. haven't done one of those in a while. :)

I got the cute hair style from Naomi of Rockstar Diaries. I discovered their cute family blog recently and I can't get enough! they're adorable.
the hair is really easy, too; just twist two pigtails, then pin at the top of your head!

dress- forever21 // jacket- zara // tights- american apparel // shoes- topshop 

this was my day off, so I wanted to take full advantage and wear something nice...even though I had nothing to do. I did little things around the apartment till hubs got home, then was able to persuade him to dinner and a movie. it was one of those rare occasions where you go somewhere simply because you dressed up.

oh, and the movie was awesome. Crazy Stupid Love. no really, it was great! not what I expected at all, and really, really funny (two reallys!). watch it and see. 

now I need to go to bed. xo

playing: all hands on a grain of sand- Amelia Curran

so much to say

my final vacation post! seems like forever ago now, that Brando and I embarked on our cross-continent heatwave. it also seems like that's all I've been talking about here for a while! not to worry, there won't be another vacation for a long while... sad face. we were planning on going to Greece but our budget is kind of non-existent anymore.

ANYWAYS. here are my cherished last photos of Marrakesh, after the jump...

oops, I did it again

I've been a bit of a blog slacker the last couple days, but in my defence it was kind of a rough week. nothing a good pizza-fest and hundreds of Boy Meets World reruns couldn't fix. I promise, back to regularly-scheduled programming tomorrow.

for now, I did find a new shopping site for you to visit! it's called A Wear, and it's brand based in Ireland, but they ship internationally (not to Canada though- sorry homies). they have some really nice stuff at reasonable prices, and from what I gather if you use the code "LOOK2011" at the checkout you get 20% off. so it's worth a look, anyways!

here are a few items I found that I really like... especially the black booties... winter is nearly upon us in northern Scotland and I have no black boots!

I hope the code still works if you guys decide to try it out!
catch ya later.
♥

playing: break even- the script

desert rose

so our third day in Marrakesh was a black hole of discomfort and unusual bodily functions. and no, I don't mean the honeymoon kind. I was sick. obviously that is not a part of the trip I wish to share in detail with you all, but it is worth mentioning because it FOILED MY PLAN.

Brando and I were signed on to do an overnight trek in the Sahara desert- I know, awesome. we would join our fellow travellers in a mini-roadtrip, during which we would stop by the site of a movie scene from Gladiator (one of my all-time favourite movies, might I add), followed by a journey by camel caravan into the Saharan dunes where we would sleep under the desert stars.

sounds fantastic, yes?

that's why I was so bummed we had to miss it. BUT all was not lost. when I was feeling better the next day, one of the guys who worked at the hostel arranged a cab for me and Brando to go to the outskirts of the city for a little camel ride of our own. so I got my desert experience after all. yay!

(along the way our guide made these little flowers out of balm branches! and gave us fruit he picked. no ides what it was, but it was yummy.)

tunic- monsoon // leggings- new look // shoes- toms

how cute is the baby camel?? camels are so cool. they're tall and indifferent and make funny noises.

I'm obsessed with my toms, btw. there's an autumn-y tweed pair that I am dying to buy. 

aaaand with that I'm off to watch the season premiere of Glee! because apparently I'm one of those people now. but if I ever start referring to myself as a "gleek" you have my permission to send me hate mail. 

love love!

playing: throw away your television- red hot chilli peppers

gone to the birds

sometimes my little, uneventful life seems so busy.

I didn't find the time to do my second Marrakesh post yesterday, but I was determined to do it today! however it is now very late indeed so there won't be much writing to accompany the photos as my brain seems to think it needs to be sleeping...

don't worry, there are a zillion more photos and better descriptions to come. this is mostly an outfit post, with lots of storks...

going to Badi Palace! // the entrance // giant stork nest

our second day of Marrakesh adventures brought us to the amazing Badi Palace. while it is a palace, it's nothing like Bahia, which you saw in this post; Badi is the remnants of what was once called "the incomparable palace." now it's basically ruins inhabited by the city's stork population. it is really cool.

in the courtyard // stork gatekeeper // courtyard again, better view // the pool // ditto // etc., etc... // a fearless duck- this is not zoomed in at all.

there are underground tunnels you can explore, and steps to the top of the wall where you're at eye-level with the storks. their nests are huge, and there are SO MANY. there are ducks too, and we also made a kitty friend. she (I say she, but I don't know- it seemed to have an indeterminable feminine quality...) was so friendly and cute and followed us around for a long time. we were carrying our water in a plastic bag, so that's probably what she was after (cats love bags), but we still thought it was cute.

kitty comes to visit // a new friend :) // relaxing by the pool... // stork lane // me + the birds // Marrakesh, from slightly above! // rare photo together ♥

the view was really great too. probably the only place in the medina where you can kind of see a cityscape. (fyi- "medina" is just what they call the old part of town). it looks the way I'd always pictured it; earthy red, rooftop terraces, the occasional palm tree... plus a few satellite dishes!

dress- vintage fr. missing pieces on etsy // bag- shop in the souks! // sandals- h&m 

don't you just love this bag?! I didn't do much shopping on the trip, but a Moroccan leather bag was a must-have. I saw this one the first time we were in the souks and just had to have it! luckily we managed to find the shop again- no small feat when it's impossible not to get lost every ten steps. anyway, it has coins from different countries on it, and the centre stone contains rose petals. awesome, right??

right!

ok time for me to go to bed. 

goodnight! 

playing: battlefield- Jordin Sparks

diamonds on the inside

I don't really consider myself to be a "trendy" person. I never really pay too much attention to what's "in"  and don't stop wearing something just because it's "out." more often I'm actually deterred from specific trends because every single person on the street seems to be dressed the same. 

that being said, what I like about this decade in fashion is that it seems that trends are more inspirational suggestions than strict style rules. anything really does go! I remember in middle school when to wear skinny or high-waisted jeans would mean certain social mortification. now you can wear skinnies, boot-cuts, high-waist, low-rise, even wide-leg is getting popular again. and that's just pants. styles from all different eras show up in magazines and shops. if I've learned anything from talking to nostalgic old ladies in fitting rooms, everything in fashion comes back around. 

my point is, trends are more fun lately. and there are some fall trends that I'm particularly enjoying. since the majority are inspired by fashion from the 60s and 70s, you can find their vintage counterparts in second hand or thrift shops. 

so here are some trendy pieces I really like, and vintage versions you can easily find on Etsy. I definitely don't claim to be an expert on the subject of what's "in," but this is just a fun way to show how you can get previously-loved pieces that are as stylish as they are unique (and often economical)!

Topshop has about a million adorable sweaters that I'm dying for, and this polar bear one is near the top of the list. Etsy is giving them a run for their money; just type ski sweaters into the search bar and there are tons of cute, quirky knits! 

70s is making a big comeback this fall, and an iconic boho dress is essential. I covet pretty much any dress from Monsoon, but there are some beauties on Etsy that are the real deal.

this Zara coat looks much more chic in person, trust me. I've never been overly into the mod look, but there's something so sophisticated about monochrome and clean lines.

these Jeffrey Campbell beauts are ahhh-mazing, and fringe is such a fun detail. if you're looking for the same vibe at a fraction of the price, vintage boots are on-trend with original flare! these cobalt blue pair are especially awesome (and good for colour blocking...)

this is a case where the vintage version is more expensive then the new one. but if you're in it for the uniqueness of the piece or the economical & ethical benefits of buying used clothing, the point still stands! also, there are plenty of options out there, this blazer just happened to be one I liked the most. 

always trendy, depending on who you ask! animal print is apparently really "in" this season; snakeskin (which I can only handle is small, accessory-sized doses) and evidently dalmatian (surprise!) are big. I personally fell in love with these leopard shoes from Zara. and because leopard's been a popular print for so long, you can find it at almost any vintage shop.

bold prints were big on the runway, specifically in the Milly collection, which I absolutely love. the bright colours and interesting shapes are very retro-chic. 

note: some prices were converted from GBP, so they might not be exact. all shops for the vintage items can be found on Etsy using the search bar.

thanks for reading! more on Marrakesh tomorrow. 

oh, and there are just a couple items up in my shop. I renamed it to what, loosely translated, means "little closet" in French. sounded more cute and vintage-y. more stuff will be going up very soon. 

later!

ps. it really bugs me that I spelled "kitschy" wrong, but not enough to re-make the collage. not right now, anyways. but I am aware of the mistake and apologize. :) nevermind.

playing: the ballad of mona lisa- panic! at the disco

a whole new world

after Barcelona Brando and I took the party to Marrakesh, Morocco. it's somewhere I've always wanted to go; exotic and beautiful and totally different from anywhere else I've ever been. kind of like being in Aladdin... a lot like that, actually. that's what makes it so awesome. I kept picturing that scene where Jasmine sneaks out of the palace and goes to the marketplace, and the vendors are like "sugar dates! sugar dates and fiiigs! sugar dates and PISTACHIOS!!!"

near the square // getting lost in the souks // me + a chameleon! // kitty. they're everywhere in the old city // orange tree // Brando in the window

we spent the first day exploring the markets and souks around jemaa el fna ("the big square"), which was a culture shock in itself. I've been to Africa before, but it was nothing like this. everyone's a salesman, haha. and a tricky one. the souks are overwhelming- if you even slow down to look at a shop someone bombards you with greetings and invitations to "come look, good price, just to look." they're also really crowded and full of beautiful and interesting things. everything is so colourful, from the glass lanterns and the jewellery, to the pyramid mounds of spices. 

one guy who was particularly nice to us had two pet chameleons hanging out in his shop! he let us hold them. I bought some solid perfume from him- amber and rose. that's another thing; the souks are full of intense aromas. 

Brando + both chameleons! // the rest are from Bahia Palace

we also made our way to Palace Bahia, which is still used as a royal residence sometimes. it's beautifully and ornately decorated in Moroccan tiles and carvings. everything was so pretty and detailed!

all inside Bahia Palace

it was hot enough to melt yer face off. the rest of the trip we realized the common- and most logical- thing to do was go back and chill at the riad (hostel) during the hottest part of the day. which was a nice vacation in itself; we met lots of lovely fellow travellers and everyone hung out together in the afternoons. we also met the four awesome turtles that lived at the riad and roamed about freely on the roof terrace! the is the little guy...

me + the "wee one" // snacking on something...so cute! // from the palace // on the street near our riad // I am so in love with this dress from monsoon!

after the sun goes down it's the perfect temperature for exploring. and conveniently, the night market is just as exciting as the day! 

gorgeous lanterns in the souks // the night market

many more photos from Marrakesh to come later! such a fascinating place. 

♥

playing: leave you in the morning- Chris Kirby