Venice gets a queen

a quick how-doya-do from sunny Venezia!

we've been basking in the gorgeous scenery and the sweltering heat. I want to move here and be a gondolier.

new life goal!

also the pizza is amazeballs.
later!
♥

don't you forget about me!

hey there pals!

soooo I'm on a bit of a blogging hiatus again. I had a couple sick days last week and I didn't get around to posting, and now... well, now I'm in Venice. drinking wine from a plastic cup at a camp site while Brando sucks on a cigar like a boss. 

see?

Brando and I are having one last European jaunt before we book it back to Canada as fast as we can go. since it was such a short time period from my last vacation to this one, I really didn't have enough time to organize scheduled posts or guest bloggers... I hope you can forgive me. I'll try and post little sneak peeks throughout the weeks while we're away. and I promise I'll have SO MUCH to talk about when I get back.

please don't forget I exist. :)

have a fantabulous day, all.
lots of love!
♥

I like suspended disbelief, I like to spend the day in bed

know what's fun? sleep. sleep and relaxation and mexican food and more sleep.
hence my lack of blog posting.

I'm working on editing the thousands of holiday pictures so I can get some real content up on here before I take off again!
but more on that later.

...for now, a little outfit post and few notes that have nothing to do with my vacation!

- I've read two books in the past week or so; Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood, and Amsterdam by Ian McEwan. the former is one of the best books I've ever read. the latter, I was not impressed with. in fact I didn't like it at all. McEwan's writing style can be tedious at the best of times, but this book didn't have enough redeeming qualities to compensate for that fact and the bizarre premise. and I usually really like him!
but Oryx & Crake is phenomenal and Margaret Atwood is basically a literary goddess. read it. seriously.

- I have begun a tenuous love affair with colourful jeans. I am now in possession of a purple pair, a mint pair, a black tie-dye pair, a yellow pair, and am currently lusting after a pair of h&m that combines leopard print with kelly green. they're wonderfully tacky! (delightfully, even?)

- I am having unstoppable cravings for boeuf bourguignon. it's a delicious French dish that Julia Child loved. anyways I guess that has a little to do with my vacation but more to do with the fact that I'm hungry...

sweater + shorts- h&m // tights + bow- american apparel // shoes- new look

- my faith in the film industry has been (at least temporarily) restored this summer. not only was The Avengers one of the best things to have ever happened to me personally, but The Amazing Spider-Man lived up to it's name, and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World was a pleasant surprise. and I am seriously pumped to see Brave, The Bourne Legacy, The Great Gatsby, Django Unchained, and about a dozen others coming out in the next few months. film may once again topple tv in claiming the throne to my heart.

- and The Dark Knight Rises deserved it's own point. I'm going to see it asap. oh. my. GOD.

and that's all for now.
happy weekending, everybody!
love love.

playing: last call- Amelia Curran

how long gone

well, long time no see, bloggers!

I have been back from my family vacation for four days now, and I will sheepishly admit that I have been avoiding the computer. I have so much blogging to catch up on, it's a little overwhelming! but I'm excited to share photos and stories from my travels with you, and to see what everyone has been up to while I was away. so I will persevere!

first and foremost, I would like to say a big ginormous thank you to my guest bloggers, Jen, Meanz, Mel, Hattie, Caitlin, Kyla, Kaitlin, and Brandon. I'm so thrilled and honoured to have such lovely and talented people support my funny little blog! every post was wonderful, and I appreciate them so much. you guys are the BEST!

(don't you guys agree? aren't they the best? now let's all get together and convince Caitlin to start a blog, because I feel like she would be infinitely better at it than me!)

now, just a little sneak peek at my travel photos before I fall asleep on my computer and have to clean the drool off of my keyboard in the morning... not a pleasant task, I assure you.

1. saw the Queen... twice. 
2. classic London lolz.
3. Olympic London
4. we're so good at jump pictures...
5. inside Notre Dame
6. lofty views

catch you on the flip side.
the flip side in this case, being tomorrow...
aren't you glad to have me back with all my wise and winsome ways?

♥

playing: the bad in each other - feist

I'll be so alone without you, maybe you'll be lonesome too

Fair Morrow Blogland,

well, the little lady is away again. Seems that I've been spending a lot of time alone in dreary Aberdeen. I thought you folks might be interested in how I spend my time whilst Sarah is galavanting around Europe. This may be terribly boring to you all, I'm very sorry about that. I keep thinking that I would do an outfit post for you, but who am I kidding - hobo chic has yet to become a trend. I've also let myself go since Sarah has been gone, I look like a caveman with all this beard and hair.

This is what Sarah gets to come home to, lucky girl right?

Don't pity her to much though, she is, after all, having the time of her life travelling with her family; and I can make myself look half-way decent before she gets back.

Right, so back to the original focus of my post, how I've been spending my time. It would be great to say constructively, but that's a bit of a pipe-dream. Here are some of the things I've done/am doing to pass the lonely hours.

1. Clean

This is probably one of the only useful things I did in Sarah's absence, I only wish I had a camera around to document the evidence (Sarah has it with her). Sarah will tell you herself that while her and her family were back in Aberdeen for a brief interlude that the house was immaculate. Vacuumed, mopped, tidied, dusted, the whole gamut. I did things that were on my list for ages - things I've been telling Sarah, "Yeah, I'll do that tomorrow," for about 3 months.

2. Drink an obscene amount of coffee

To be fair I do this when Sarah is around too, but it escalates to a point where I could give David Grohl a run for his money, see video below for reference.

3. Play guitar

Channelling my inner Grohl with my coffee addiction I've decided to start playing guitar again - not that I've ever really stopped, but I've mostly just been playing the same old things over and over. I'm currently relearning classical gas, and this is how I look when doing such a thing.

4. Drink myself sick.... 

A normal person would drink themselves into oblivion with something like beer, or vodka - not me. I drank an entire litre of strawberry milk in about 20 minutes, followed the very next day by a litre of chocolate milk. I do not learn from past experiences it seems. This is something I used to do when Sarah and I were first dating. I'd buy a 2 litre carton and finish it within a few hours.  I LOVE MILK. I do not recommend that any of you do this, your tummy will hate you.

5. Experiment with food

I've been known to try a few food experiments - all of which I think are delicious. Sarah and my friends, however, do not. While I'm alone I get to do this because I don't have to worry about feeding someone else. Chocolatey eggs anyone?

Well that's about it, aside from the boring stuff like university work and sitting. Who doesn't like a good sit though? Anyway folks, as we would say in Newfoundland, "dat's how she goes b'y"

The Art of Moving

Moving |ˈmo͞oviNG|

noun

a change of place, position, or state: she made a sudden move toward me | his eyes followed her every move | the country's move to independence | a career move.

• a change of house or business premises.

• an action that initiates or advances a process or plan: my next move is to talk to Matthew.

• a maneuver in a sport or game.

• a change of position of a piece in a board game: that move will put your king in check.

• a player's turn to make such a change: it's your move.

I grew up in the airline industry and many of my family members have been in the military at some time or another, so to say moving is in my blood would be an understatement. I've moved a lot, both with my family and without them. I moved across the United States four times in 1 calendar year. I've got this down pat. When I moved to Scotland, it was the first time (on my own) I put an ocean on the list of crossings I'd have to make to get to my final destination, but the same theories and lessons still proved to be helpful. So, in light of Sarah and Brandon's upcoming move back to North America, as well as my own, I've decided to compile a short tutorial on the Art of Moving.

• Don't start super early, but don't leave it until the last minute either. Usually, a two-week head start will be a good amount of time to get your material life sorted. If you have an established adult life or fall under the "pack rat" category, I recommend starting with bits and pieces three to four weeks before your scheduled move.

• You'll need to sort through things a couple times to really make the whole packing and unpacking process less stressful. The first time should be a pretty basic and quick sort (keep, donate/ebay, garbage). The second run through should see your things in the keep pile getting sorted into categories based on when you will need them as you unpack (right away & first week, later). Then, from there, you can pack according to your style of packing. I am über organized when I pack because I hate unpacking and want to make it as easy on myself as possible. When I pack, I pack according to where the things will generally belong at the destination (kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, office). It makes it easier to work on individual rooms in the new destination and make quicker progress with the unpacking process. I won't scare you with how detail oriented I get sometimes with the individual area boxes.

• Unless you are absolutely positive you can make the move in one trip with your car, get a moving van or truck. There is nothing more annoying than cramming the car full, rearing and ready to move your life and then realizing you have to come back and do it all over again. I'm famous for calling up one of my best friends and asking to use his big snowmobile trailer to move my stuff.

• Don't forget to bring or purchase food and drink for the first wave of unpacking. It's near impossible to think straight when you're hungry or thirsty.

• Remember, you don't have to pack and unpack everything all at once. Pace yourself.

The OCD/anally tidy part of me has lots of other little tips, but to be honest, I think they might overwhelm or confuse the not-so-regular movers and shakers of this readership. And besides, part of the thrill of moving is starting a new life your way.

Happy Moving!

you've got a friend in pennsylvania

Greetings from PA!

It's Kyla from Blue Collar Catwalk popping in while Sarah is off gallivanting in amazing places with amazing people!

I think we're officially in the dog days of summer, and the temperatures were hot hot hot this week, which leaves be wanting to wear the drapiest, airiest pieces I can find.  Incidentally, this makes for two extra wide-leg pants posts in a row for you guys!  Palazzos for the win!

I've gotten lots of questions on wearing such a bold cut when you're short and/or curvy.  Here's a few tips to pulling it off:

1. Highlight your waist: I am both short and curvy, so highlighting my waist is a must if I don't want to look like I'm being eaten by pretty pants.

2. Remember proportions:  My legs are on the shorter side, so I prefer wide-leg pants to be a slighter higher rise, so that my legs look longer than they may actually be.  Same for the top - I try to go with a slightly shorter cut to balance things out.

3.  Find balance with shapes:  I prefer a more slim-fitting top with these pants, though a floaty version like this worked because it's a short cut.

4.  CONFIDENCE! Hold your head high and love what you're wearing.  That's really all anyone is going to notice anyway!

come on down to the mermaid cafe, and I will buy you a bottle of wine

Hello Dear Bloggers,
My name is Caitlin, or as my friends call me, Caitlin. Har har. Just a little humour before I get into the serious topic of what I wore the other day. I'm not a blogger (yet?) myself, but some of you may recognize me from Sarah's travel posts. She was kind enough to let me follow her around soaking up her awesomeness and Europe, alike. In fact, she's been kind enough to let me follow her around soaking up her awesomeness for years now.  I live in fear that one day she'll turn around and see my tall and disheveled, sasquatch looking self, and shoo me away with a stick. Not really though... I'm not that afraid of sticks. Well Dear Bloggers, let's move on. Business time. I know all of you at home are sitting on the edge of your seats thinking, "What did this stalker of Sarah wear most recently?" Calm down, blogger. It's cool. HERE WE GO:

Ahhhh but you still can't see the outfit! I'm hiding! what a tease...

Ok here we are for realzies! Standing on some rundlerock and all!

Top: A store in Montreal's Eaton Centre where everything is 10.99
Pants: Mango, Germany
Belt: Off a dress from Mango
Shoes: Spring, a billion years ago
Tank top (really a slip with a built in bra): Marilynn Monroe Brand, Winners


I wasn't sure about this outfit at first. I was worried that it was a little too Dorothy from the Golden Girls. It received mixed reactions from my audience- my grandparents, two aunts and an uncle. But finally it was given a thumbs up by the most important person; my mom. I'm so in love with these pants I think I may end up marrying them instead of Jason Segel, as is my current life plan. Being tall it's rare that I find things that are suppose to be long fit me well in length. I bought these pants while Sarah and I were in Germany, shopping on a rather cold rainy day. It took us a few pairs and sizes on me to figure out where the waist was suppose to sit and we decided this pair was best. I love that I can wear them with a little bit of a heel. And they really just want to make me dance around like a wild women. If only I had a nearby beach to dance on with Jason Segel.
I love the top too. I bought it from this store in Montreal where everything is 10.99 but you can't try anything on. I sadly also bought a dress in the same colour that only part of me (the non-thigh part, if you're curious, dear blogger) could fit in. I normally wear the top with a tight pencil skirt so that it gives some flow to an otherwise slim fit outfit. But I loved the two colours together so much in this outfit and I felt very 1920's, especially with the fingerwave-like ripple in my hair.
I'm currently living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada wear I was born and bred (just like the cows you may or may not eat!). I went out to visit my Grandparents in Canmore, Alberta, about an hour away from Calgary, for the weekend and that's where these pictures were taken. My lovely mother was my photographer, and this is my grandparents backyard. It's a gorgeous town, just outside of Banff National Park and I think if you're thinking of doing any travel in Canada it's a definite must see.
I followed Sarah (Sasquatch stalker again) in titling this post after a song. It's a lyric from Joni Mitchell's Carey. Joni Mitchell is a fellow Albertan and is wonderful. She's great to listen to while driving, especially through the mountains like I did for this weekend. And I feel like if Jason Segel and I are dancing on a beach, whilst I wear my pants, Carey would be a good song to do it too.
Ok what else. Pants- check. Dancing on a beach with the future Mr. Caitlin- check. Joni Mitchell- check.
Hmmm. That might be all that's important for my guest post, Dear Bloggers. I hope you've enjoyed my guest post for Sarah, although I know you must be eager to get her back. She knows how not to make orange pants into a fantasy beach scenario. Or at least she hides it better.  I want to thank Sarah for letting me write a post! I promise she will be back in all her glory and I can't wait to read about her latest travels.

Au Revior, Dear Bloggers,
xoxo Caitlintron

Happy american? day

Hello Ocean in your bedroom readers, and Sarah K. admirers, I'm back doing another guest post for Sarah. My name is Hattie and I love to blog about life's adventures. My day job is a jewellery designer near Toronto, Ontario. 

Dress: Vintage, Value Village

Shoes: Billabong

Belt: Vintage, Value Village

Necklace: For Sale in my online store

Here's some random things about me...some are delicious, some are intense, some are neat and some are just plain ridiculous!

1. my favourite snack is ice cream drizzled in maple syrup with a sprinkling of chocolate chips

2. My two year lung-iversary is tomorrow (I had a double lung transplant at the age of 22, due to Cystic Fibrosis)

3. I run a jewellery business, hand designing one of a kind items using new and vintage pieces, since I was 15 years old. You can see my online shop here.

4. In my younger years, I thought American's independence day, was like our Canada day...and in front to my american cousin said "Happy America Day!" 

I hope for all the Canadian readers, your Canada day long weekend was great! Such hot hot heat we've been having. Nothing like spending it up north in Cottage country. For all the American readers out there, Happy Independence day! Any plans for the special day?
Check out my style blog here.

An Upcycled Beauty!

Hello friends,

My name is Melanie and I’ve been invited by Sarah to guest post on her lovely blog while she is away. Sarah and I have known each other for a lot of years. We attended university together in the beautiful city of St. John’s, Newfoundland. We took English classes together, were member of the same campus society, traveled to Malawi together, and even tied for the coveted “Gucci Award” for most fashionable girl (remember that Sarah? Hahaha). I’m very excited to be posting for Sarah, I always enjoy reading her style posts. She is very talented. Reading her blog was the push I needed to start blogging myself. My little corner of the blogging world is called Peddlin' Ideas n' Wares. I blog about everything from plus size fashion to DIY projects. Actually this post is about one of my latest DIY projects, an upcycled jewelry box. I found this lovely piece at a yardsale (I’m an admitted yardsale- aholic) for the low low cost of five dollars. I passed on the piece at first because the color did not match that of my bedroom. Later I reconsidered, and thought this would be an excellent DIY project for my next blog post. Also, my jewelry collection had grown and needed a new home. Hope you enjoy my post and if you like what you see/read scroll on over to Peddlin' Ideas n' Wares and check out some more of my DIY projects.



DIY Deets:

The supplies I used for this project were a can of spray paint; the color is “Bahama Sky”, sand paper, and a piece of cardstock.

I started out with removing the glass and photo portion of the piece. Then gave it a light sanding and cleaned the box.

Next I started to spray paint it with several coats until there was no trace of the cherry wood left.

After I achieved the color I wanted, I found a matching piece of cardstock and inserted that into the photo sections, rather than use photos. I chose a fun piece of paper with peacock feathers on it. The blues in the paper worked perfectly with the blues and browns in my room.

I added these baskets to hold my smaller jewelry, like rings and earrings. They fit perfectly; I was worried they would be too big.

The total project cost me around twenty dollars, five for the jewelry box, six for supplies, and nine for the baskets. Add to that a little elbow grease and you got yourself a great upcycled jewelry box for little cost. I’m pleased with how it turned out and so is my jewelry! Thanks again for reading!

Melanie.

P.S. Hey Sarah, hope you're enjoying your family and your trip!

SOTD (Song of the day):

What the water gave me by: Florence + The Machine

A Thought To Make You Smile:

The consuming smell, sounds, taste, and feel of the ocean’s waves.