leather & lace

holla homies! long time no see!
you'll be happy to hear (at least, I was) that I finally have my computer back, and thus can begin, once again, to blog consistently.
sigh. so many interruptions. I really miss blogging! and I'm sad to have missed most of the autumn-y goodness in the blogosphere.

while I was on hiatus I received a guest post from very.co.uk, which is a shopping website based in the UK that I think is really great. disclaimer: this is a sponsored post that I did not write. but it is an article I approve of and a company that is reputable, so you should check it out!

I also did a little outfit photo shoot that was inspired by the post, so I hope you enjoy it. :)

. . .

Fashion embraces its dark side this season, with the trend defined by Victoriana-inspired necklines, sumptuous velvet, rich moiré silk, and a not-so-secret weakness for leather. The A/W 2012 catwalks were high on gothic glamour: silhouettes were sharp and clean, fabrics were glossy and sleek, and the overall look was polished… yet deeply decadent.

High-shine black leather stole the show, breaking free from its typical jackets and separates and transforming sleek gowns into something edgier and more versatile: think power-play rather than prissy.

One of the key features of this trend is that it lends itself to every style: Looking for a tough, structured outfit, or feel the need for something more ladylike? Leather can work its magic for both, giving you an elegant, goth-inspired look, with a serious dose of drama thrown in for good measure.

No outfit is complete without the make-up and accessories to match, and this season the mood is darkly glamorous. Be brave and team blood-red lipstick with a nude eye shadow, or alternatively line your lids with violet eye-paint to make a statement. Berry lip-stains with a minimalist base are a popular choice – define your features with graphite-lined eyes offset by a sheer balm, for a look that’s fiercely chic.

As for those all-important accessories, add ornate jewels to your war-paint: from glittering gemstone grips to pairing oversized pendants with
bold cocktail rings.

The delicate femininity of last season has been firmly stamped out, to the extent that even floral prints have undertaken a gothic revamp. Winter’s blooms – be they single stems or extravagant bouquets – have a sparkling, hyper-real quality. In rich, muted tones and spidery outlines, they hint at the ‘Trick or Treat’ festivities that lie just around the corner.

This season is all about dressing up to make your statement, especially after dark. And, if you’re looking to dress up (in a much more flamboyant sense) for Halloween this year, a visit to the Halloween store at Very.co.uk will help to transform you into your character of choice – plus, once you’ve picked out your costume, you can browse the latest trends in Very’s womenswear
section.

. . .

thanks for the post, Very! 
and tomorrow, readers, I return to my regularly scheduled programming. yay! come back soon.

I want candy

hi friends!

so while scrambling for content here in don't-know-where-my-life-is-going Land, I made the happy discovery that I had neglected a very generous guest post from the lovely Amberly Sara! she sent this to me while on my vacation (which as you may recall was cut short, hence the forgetting to post this) and it's a winner, so I wanted to share it with you. 

Sara is just the sweetest, this post is darling, and I'm so glad I found it again! thanks Sara. :)
enjoy... 

Hello Ocean in Your Bedroom Readers! My name is Sara and I am thrilled to be over here on a fellow Sarah's blog while she's on her last minute European Vacation with Brando! I adore all of their adventures and Sarah's fun vintage style, as well as all of the gorgeous photos! Look at me, posted up next to a brick decaying building... If only I ventured into a gorgeous sunlit park like Sarah does so perfectly.

For some reason all I want to wear this summer is longer lengths, despite the heat. I won this skirt from a giveaway from Kitsune-kun and wore it to a summer arts festival recently. Right before a light, short thunderstorm that day, I bought some cotton candy to take home to my boyfriend (who really loves Cotton Candy). When I walked up, the cotton candy boys said, "Why hello, Miss America!" and I told them, "It's Miss Cotton Candy, thank you very much."

Dress as a top - Old Navy, Skirt - Downeast Basics giveaway win, Wedges - Target

And them of course I love maxi skirts since you can hike them up over dresses! This dress from Old Navy is so soft, and I love its chambray feel, but it's a little on the short (and unusual drop-waist?) side, so layering a long skirt is perfect for prancing the in the wet rain at a free festival. 

This particular weekend I drove home to Indianapolis, Indiana to be with my family to discover the gender of my older sister's baby! She and her husband are having a baby boy, due in December! Christmas will be extra special this year :)  And as I was driving back home (8 hour drive through the flat, hot Midwest), I witnessed the a beautiful summer sunset and it reminded me of this skirt. I can't wait to wear it again, hopefully to a sunlit filled park, a la Sarah.

Safe and happy travels to Sarah and Brando! 

Can't wait to see (undoubtedly) gorgeous photos from your trip!

Love,

Amberly Sara

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"

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.

hi guys! 

while I'm off galavanting around London today, you can also check out my guest post over at JennifHsieh!
(it features the outfit pictured below...)

Jen has the most wonderful blog, and I'm super excited that I get to post for her.
and she'll be blogging here in just a couple days.
so head on over and take a peek!

♥