Category Archives: Personal Style

Valentine’s Day Birthday, Part I

Posted on February 11, 2015February 12, 2015 by Melissa Harrison

I think this will be the best year of my life. We’re only two weeks into February — one week away from my 27th birthday — and the hubs and I already have big things coming together for 2015. My husband is moments away from inheriting a cottage in Northern Ontario that has been in his family since the 1920’s (don’t get the wrong idea, it’s a money-pit) with intentions of rescuing it from back tax limbo and restoring it to it’s former charm and I achieved a big goal of seeing something I made in a for-real, brick-and-mortar shop window when Craft Arts Market opened up a few blocks from my house, just to name a couple. When I was a child, I always thought 27 was the best age a person could be. I felt it so strongly that the feeling alone has survived in my memory far longer than the reason why I felt it. I can’t believe I’m finally here. I think it’s time to plan the celebrations.

$Building a Backdrop \\ Sophster-Toaster$

With a birthday that always seems to land on the same weekend as Valentine’s Day, I don’t think I’m ever had a birthday party colour scheme other than red, pink and white or a theme other than today is also Valentine’s Day. This year, I’m branching out. I’ve chosen pink, orange and gold as my decoration colours and the theme of … birthday party. Alright, I’m not great at themes.

I’ve spent the last two weeks making my invitations and decorations, and planning food, drinks and furniture arrangement. For the most part, I’m treading in unfamiliar waters and choosing nondescript seasonal decorations and food ideas over festive ones. However, there is one tradition, started by my mother, that I have never gone a year without and have decided to continue, with restraint: there will be one heart…

$Heart Backdrop \\ Sophster-Toaster$

… and I’m making it a big one. (Find the DIY I used to make the backdrop here.)

$Building a Heart Backdrop \\ Sophster-Toaster$

$Valentine's Date Outfit \\ Sophster-Toaster$ $Bow Tie \\ Sophster-Toaster$ $Valentine's Day Outfit \\ Sophster-Toaster$ $Poetic Licence Heel \\ Sophster-Toaster$

Dress: Modcloth // Bow Tie: Sophster-Toaster // Tights: H&M // Socks: The Green Room (old) // Shoes: Modcloth (old) // Hair Clip: H&M (old) // Earrings: Modcloth (old) // Bracelet: Sweet Auburn Studio

Chair is Ikea.

Winter Layering: The Trick to Keeping Warm

Posted on January 30, 2015January 30, 2015 by Melissa Harrison

Growing up, I always hated winter. My brother and I really only got new clothing at back to school time. My mother, wanting to beat the rush, maintained a tradition of taking us shopping in mid-August, just before stores put all the fall and winter stuff out for the back to school crowd. She set an equal and very strict budget for my brother and I; enough to buy two or three high quality and much needed items… or about ten terrible, flimsy things that might just be enough to get us through the year. Obviously, I choose quantity over quality. I bought things that had been reduced in price more than once since they first arrived in the spring and summer seasons. Every year I brought home bags of tank tops, thin t-shirts, ankle socks, Capris, cropped sweat shirts and open-toed shoes… that I wasn’t allowed to start wearing until September. This led to me shivered my way through the next five to six months of winter storms in a sliver of the province known as The Snow Belt.

Now that I’ve grown up and realized that I can literally buy warmth, I spend my money more wisely. I buy well made items that will last several winters, collecting them slowly, year by year. I buy wool, cotton and polyester for layering. I couldn’t find a thick, long sleeve flannel shirt in the women’s section, so I bought one from the men’s. I buy winter dresses and skirts, knee socks, knit tights and thick stockings. I’m well on my way to owning a respectable range of cute and cozy sweaters. I’m starting to enjoy winter.

Yesterday evening, I layered up and the husband and I took a walk through the park.

$Winter Layering \\ Sophster-Toaster$

I moved to an area of the province with an opposing microclimate, -3°C in January is downright balmy to this Snow Belt expat.

$Winter Layering \\ Sophster-Toaster$

I wore cotton undergarments, a polyester slip, nylon stockings + garter belt, a cotton cardigan, a wool skirt and a wool/polyester blend coat. I like to layer with a mix of natural and synthetic fabrics in the winter. Natural fabrics like cotton and wool feel warm to the touch and are good for wicking away sweat to keep you dry, but they can also be quite permeable to body heat and cold wind, especially cotton. Polyester is light and doesn’t breath, making it good for locking heat close to the skin.

$Winter Layering \\ Sophster-Toaster$ $Winter Layering \\ Sophster-Toaster$

Cardigan: H&M (old) // Skirt: ModCloth // Stockings: ModCloth //Shoes: ModCloth // Coat: Old Navy (old) // Gloves: ModCloth (old) // Bag: ModCloth // Jewellery: gifts // Hair Bow: Sophster-Toaster

Afterwards, we walked to the pub for a pint of oatmeal stout and some sweet potato fries with sriracha mayo to warm up. He let me double dip.

January Romance

Posted on January 7, 2015January 7, 2015 by Melissa Harrison

Winter has finally arrived in southern Ontario. Everyone is returning to work from their warm, wet, spring-like Christmas vacation with a frost-covered windshield and blisteringly cold and windy commute. It’s around this time of year, as Valentine’s Day approaches, that my husband and I mark the sudden surge of pink and red hearts, candy and cards in stores with one of us excitedly announcing that my birthday must be soon. This year, that day came earlier than ever before: January 2nd. (I also received a pair of Valentine’s Day socks from my mom for Christmas). Although I find this a little ridiculous, I can’t help but get excited for that one time of year where all my heart print belongings become relevant.

This morning, after recently watching Mad Men for the first time (I know, I don’t know what took me so long either), I decided to try pin curling my naturally wavy hair before photographing a cold weather outfit.

Yes, that is long underwear. Yes, I had to answer the door and talk to the gas metre woman looking like this.

My hair takes hours to dry on its own and holds a curl very well so I decided not to wet it before curling. I left the pins in while I ate breakfast and hoped for the best.

The results weren’t exactly January Jones, but for how long it took me to pin curl (~10 min.), I think it’s definitely something worth practising.

Sweater: ModCloth // Top: BoatHouse // Pants: ModCloth //Boots: Bakers

Overbooked Day to Night

Posted on December 17, 2014January 1, 2015 by Melissa Harrison

I find it so hard to dress for this time of year. There are so many things to do and so many obligations and expectations to meet – both those I look forward to and those I don’t – that choosing an outfit for all the things I’ll do in a day can seem impossible. The last thing I need to add to an over-packed schedule is extra loads of laundry, but choosing a tree from a slushy parking lot, getting it home and decorated in the same thing you plan to wear out to dinner with your friends can be inconvenient in its own ways. The best compromise is to pick one or two key items to dress down for day then up for night.

With this in mind, I styled my new Vixen Skirt two ways with a day to night switch. Then I quickly tucked it into my personal clothing collection.