Yoga Deal for PPMeow! Followers

Since I’ve rediscovered how great the practice of yoga is for mind, body and spirit, I have noticed that despite its growth in popularity over the last year years, yoga sill intimidates people.

So I set up a PPMeow! poll asking: What would make YOU Try Yoga?

The results were as follows:

  1. An amazing Deal/Pricepoint  (36%+)
  2. If classes had modified poses/movements for larger bodies
  3. Other*  (This was a free-form field…sadly, nothing was entered /captured within)
  4. Location
  5. Not having to go alone

Keeping all of these results and feedback in mind PetitePlus, Meow! has teamed up with Jess & co. from Studio Blue Yoga & Fitness …and we’ve cooked up a special $30-for-5 yoga sessions just for my readers/followers!  PPM30 YogaDeal

This is a phenomenal deal – considering typically one yoga session is around $22!   We hoped that this price point would give you the courage and confidence to try out group exercise amongst a group of non-traditional yoga bodies, at a studio that’s easy to get to with supportive, playful classes.   Invite a friend to come along … at this price point invite two! 🙂

 

How the Deal Works:

  • The PPMeow! $30 Pass can only be purchased at  Studio Blue  location and is EXCLUSIVE to PPMeow! reader/follower.  Therefore, you’ll need PROVE it to them, i.e. Showing them on your phone/device that you’ve LIKE’d PPMeow’s Facebook Page.  WordPress followers … You will need to show them that you’re subscribed to my blog using your phone/device (might be easiest for y’all to LIKE the FB page too, if you haven’t already…*wink wink*).
  • The 5-sessions can be booked for whatever class you like, as your life allows! Use their schedule and class description to select the ones you like best. Try all of them.  Entirely up to you!
  • Once you have the pass, you’ll then be able to book via their online booking tool for the rest of your sessions – uber convenient!
  • The PPMeow! $30 Pass expires 90-days from its purchase date.  Limited one per person.

I’m often yoga-buddy-less, so if you wanna get your personal yoga journey started but are buddy-less also, I’d love to have you join me!    So far, the class that best works for me, my life and yoga goals is the Tuesday 6:30pm Foundations Flow – a beginner friendly and comprehensive class with a focus on anatomy. Includes Sun Salutations, Downward Dog flows and other fundamental postures that is suitable for all levels.

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Now gentlemen readers – know that YOU TOO can take advantage of this deal! Would love, love, love to have you participate.  Of course, the same above rules apply in order to get the PPMeow! $30 Deal.

Everyone’s fitness/yoga goals naturally will be unique to you.

My personal yoga goals are: to better my breathing through every movement, becoming more aware of what my body is telling me and focus on being more present in order to relax.

I’ve only been to a handful of yoga classes and already I can see how much yoga has improved my life in terms of sleeping better, feeling stronger, managing my anxiety and I want everyone to experience its benefits – especially my PPMeow! supporters!

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Note: Studio Blue’s First Class Free offer ends March 31st, 2014….. in case you wanted to check them out before purchasing the PPMeow! $30 Pass.

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#OOTD: Anchors Away!

 

I’ve gone overboard for Anchors!

You maybe remember me going on and on about this cutie red anchor sweater in a recent post20140304-172330.jpg

Well I found this fab lil’ navy pencil skirt with red anchor print from Old Navy too – it was on sale for $17 (Reg. #25…still a steal!).  I’ve already worn it so much, I just haven’t posted about it. So here I go!20140327-122158.jpg

Mostly I’ve worn this skirt in a more dressed down weekend look – like below with this lacy-back sweatshirt  I picked up on sale from Pennington’s around Boxing Day Sales time.

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Pennington’s MBLM line seems to size things very generously – I was very excited to find out that I was a size 0 in this sweatshirt that I had to Intsagram about it immediately from the change-room!

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To take this cutie-pie skirt to the office, I decided to mix patterns pairing the anchors with a collared blue pinstriped shirt (DressBarn ages ago).

I belted it and wore my red pumps (from Aldo) and my cherry accessory set to complete the office-day look.

I really love how it turned out!  What do you think?

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Have you LIKE’d the Petite Plus, Meow’s Facebook Page yet?

LIKE. Share. Tell A Friend, friend 🙂

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Why are People Afraid to Try Yoga?

20140326-111958.jpgI’ve only been to 3 Foundations Flow Yoga classes so far, having purchased a 5-class introductory package via GroupOn for this new studio located in my hood – Studio Blue Yoga & Fitness – and already I can see how much yoga has improved my life when it comes to sleeping, managing my anxiety and being more present.

I’ve noticed however, that many of my friends, colleagues and blog/FB page followers get uncomfortable whenever I suggest they try yoga.   Despite its growth in popularity over the past few years, yoga still intimidates people.

So – I wanna hear from you – my PPMeow! followers …What would make YOU Try Yoga?

Use the poll below and vote.  

 I really want to hear your feedback friends – as there’s something exciting brewing between PPMeow & Studio Blue….weeeee!  Stay tuned for that….as soon as I get results from this poll!

#TVS: Toronto Vintage Clothing Show

Toronto Vintage Society Toronto Vintage Clothing Show

The Toronto Vintage Society got a booth at last Sunday’s Toronto Vintage Clothing Show – a ONE day only event at the Metro Convention Center – North Building. The show is a fantastic opportunity to discover hand-picked vintage and retro clothing, accessories and jewellery from top independent vintage fashion vendors.  Vendors from Owen Sound, Montreal, East Garafraxa, Collingwood, Freelton, Kakabeka Falls, Ottawa, Hamilton, Straffordville and many others  – all under one roof!

The #TVS booth was our way to reach vintage lovers in the GTA. We were selling our “Make do and Mend” sewing kits (THE cutest things ever!), buttons and other fun like an iPad showcasing a photo side-show of all the fun-filled events TVS attended the previous year.  All TVS booth visitors were informed and encouraged to sign-up for our new website/blog, pay their TVS Meetup fees,  to oooh-and-ahhhh at each other’s purchases from other vendor booths…and of course singing the praises of all things Vintage!

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These cutie-pie kits were handmade by the fabulous TVS members who braved the sudden non-stop snow of yet another blizzard, the day after Toronto got a teaser +10 degree weather day.  With scissors, glue sticks, mason jars and other crafty necessities were toted and assembled, over gossiping, storytelling and beer.

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The TVS booth also had a raffle giving away this fab prize:  an amazing train case of vintage goodies in  TVS approved colour scheme …even a lil’ something for those dapper dudes: suspenders+cufflinks+tie combo!

Since I live closest to MTCC and have an elevator, I was tasked with carting all our supplies for our booth home and would be there bright and early, with Liz + her hubs + her car to set up.    Then we – TVS admin team – would simply rotate on manning our booth  whist the others could peruse all the goodies up for sale at the show and Facebook our finds through the Toronto Vintage Society page!

A few snaps of the TVS booth all set up and read to go:

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Truth be told, I don’t actually own too many genuine vintage outfits (or pieces of my own for that matter).  However, since hanging with the chicks of TVS I have been exposed to the world of “vintage inspired reproduction” dresses.  So my Outfit of the Day to represent and  man the TVS booth was this dress from Doll Factory by Damzels,  a rock ‘n’ roll retail shop on Roncesvalles.  (It may look familiar to you as I’ve previously posted about this dress.)    This easy-peasy-curvy-body-flattering dress has pockets which makes it that much easier to cart around an iPhone, money and other necessities like that without needing a purse.  Knowing the day was going to be busy with setting-up and running around, I went with flats instead heels for footwear.  Plus, I wanted to be able to quickly try on any fabulous-finds from booth to booth … heels do not help in making one nimble.

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I’m not as dedicated to vintage hair as some of my TVS sistas are, those who patiently created pin-curls and wrapped their hair overnight to create the glamorous  hairstyles of the beloved eras.   My baby fine hair just never wants to cooperate.  But I did manage to get a lil’ vintage-flare in my do for the clothing show.  Check out how HIGH I got the bump in my hair!  And it lasted all day….Hooray!

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Since there was a solid possy of four of us to man the TVS booth (me, Lisa, Larissa and Liz….ooooh L to the power of 3), there was lots of opportunities to check out some of the other vendor booths and do a little shopping myself.   

One of my immediate purchases was from Treasure Chicks Vintage from Pickering – these amazing ‘new vintage’ shoes.  This shop got 500 pairs of never-before-worn Celebrity shoes for sale friends, complete with their vintage shoeboxes – FYI.   I fell in love with these two-toned leather taupe nail-hammered heels the moment I set eyes on them (they fit small, I’m usually an 8.5 buuuut had to buy these in a size 10 for a comfortable fit) and this spectacular red scarf….which I immediately had them tie into my hair to add some MEOW to my #ootd!

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Now, this may come as a surprise to some of you reading….but I’m a bit of a diva!  I like NEW – so the idea of buying and wearing clothes someone else has worn half a CENTURY ago really needs to be special before I’m willing to spend my cold hard cash on it.  This being my first real vintage shopping experience, and being the nerd that I am, I did a bit of research before hand.  I found WikiHow’s tips helpful in this Top 10 list for How To Shop For Vintage.

Shopping for vintage plus size clothing is a challenge and a half – no doubt!  With all the many vendor booths to peruse, it was an overwhelming task – also, I learnt that I’m easily distracted by shiny/sparkly things – talk about sensory overload all day!   Some things I personally kept in mind when looking for clothing/items to buy were:

  • Odors and Stains … these are very iffy because they’ll probably have been on there for ages.  Scarves seemed to have this issue the most from what I saw.  I had to ask myself: Would it matter if you scrubbed at it but it didn’t come off? Is it so glaring as to render the piece unwearable?
  • Try on EVERYTHING!  I was surprised at the number of pieces I passed over because it “looked” too small, but upon trying on fit quite well.  If it doesn’t feel right or look good when you tried it on, then it probably isn’t the piece for you is the basic rule of thumb when shopping vintage clothing.  Sadly, the change room situation at MTCC wasn’t all that private – so I ended up trying on dresses OVERTOP of my dress.  Figured if it fit and looked good on me like that, it was def gonna look great when I wore it properly!  Silly? Maybe.  But that was my try-on technique for the day…and it worked out well.  (Ps: the pics of all the below were taken during a post-vintage-clothing-show Irene-fashion-shows as soon as I got home with all my haul).

Check out this long pink & brown floral 1940s day dress I scooped up from www.retrouver.biz  Notice the silver rhinestone ornament on the collar!  I really loved all the buttons down the front too, plus the thin shiny belt can totally be worn with other things in my closet.  It’s a bit long…so it will need a hem…so I managed to talk the price down to $25!

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Upon round two of vendor shopping, I found Barbra – an independent vintage dealer who doesn’t have a storefront proper, but has created a name for herself among many of the TVS members.  (Her Facebook page is  Booth 311 Roadshow Antiques Pickering.)   She put me into this lovely light green number.  Brand new! The fabric still felt stiff and unworn.  The only real giveaway to this dress being pre-loved was the belt holes – one was used more than all the others.  Although this dress is pretty simple, I really loved the pleated neckline with the large buttons down the front – and the length was perfect!

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The rest of my shopping consisted of accessories.  I picked up a delightful wicker purse (also from www.retrouver.biz)  and this fantastic black petit point 1960s purse and a giant cream brimmed hat (both from The Vintage Domain). 

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20140324-185315.jpg Check out how I combined a few of my pieces together with each dress.20140324-185323.jpg

Here are a few shots of the rest of my purchases from Primetime Antiques & Collectables:

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When I finally returned to the TVS booth – I found a swing dance party had broken out!  Oooooo! I can’t wait ’til it’s MY skirt that be a-twril with mad Lindy Hop skillz! Yup! With a Z!

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The rest of the afternoon was spent chatting up visitors who stopped by our booth and meeting some of the newer TVS members:

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Vintage clothing shopping is exciting and enjoyable so long as you come with a good attitude and patience.  Finding items that nobody else has is the biggest appeal for me, plus you’re being eco-friendly with the added thrill of bargaining for a deal.    

Here’s a summary shot of just the accessories that came home with me from the Toronto Vintage Clothing Show.  Can’t wait to do it all again this Fall! Weeeeeeeeeeee!

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#TVS: Electro Swing TO with Good Co.

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We were at it again folks – Toronto Vintage Society was invited to judge the Best Dressed at Electro Swing TO’s March event this past Friday!  And that meant I got to get all dressed up in 1920s inspired look to mingle with fabulously dressed people and dance the night away to big band electro swing vibes with my friend Liz, a fellow TVS member and blogger at The Vintage Inn.Toronto Vintage Society

Here’s all the pieces of my 1920s inspired look for Friday night’s Electro Swing party:

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I finally got a chance to see the remake of The Great Gatsby flick …. and totally fell in love with that glam and glitter of all the dresses and headpieces. 

In fact, I’ve been playing around to see how I could incorporate more headscarves into my wardrobe.  And then on one of “window shopping only” walks home from the office … I saw the most gorgeous headchain in the window of this little shop specializing in ladies accessories in the P.A.T.H. of Commerce Court downtown.  Needless to say it came home with me … and this Electro Swing party was the perfect reason to wear it…FINALLY!

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Richard aka MedicineMan, Revival Bar’s event organizer, met us at the door, we pow-wowed quickly about how the event would roll out, how the contest and prizing would work.  And then the fun began with Charleston lessons by Lindy Hop Revolution.   Believe it or not, I kicked up my heels pretty good for a first timer – I was lucky to have a strong lead partner.   

Check out Liz doing her thang.  Oooooo….. I can’t wait to start taking lessons!

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And so we mingled and schmoozed around the room with the fabulous attendees to chat up what  Toronto Vintage Society was all about and how they could join/get involved AND of course, tapping those who were on our short-list of BEST DRESSED for the night!  I even bumped into a few familiar faces I met at the last Electro Swing shindig 🙂

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Here are a few colloages of all the fun that was had …

20140322-151154.jpg Dashing Doll went to Loryn and Dapper Dude went to Teddy … both were winners of a $50 gift certificate from Doll Factors by Damzels! 

 goodcomusicGood Co. was the fantastic Electro Swing Band that came all the way from Seattle to party with us at Revival, keeping the crowd dancing with their own renditions of Macklemore’s hit and The Four Season’s “Beggin'” tune were my personal faves of the night!  Their performance ended with each member of the band climbing up onto the bar and toasting with shots – divinely outrageous! 

I was fortunate enough to bump into them in Revival’s green room as I was leaving and they were kind enough to take a few ‘Ellen-inspired’ selfies with me.  Weeeee!

Be sure to visit the Electo Swing TO’s FB page in the next few days, where professional shots of last night’s event can be found, taken by D.Tom … his camera & skills totally trumps my iPhone.  🙂20140322-151145.jpg

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How I got The Look:

Layered dress from DressBarn  + Black sueade Mary-Janes from Payless

Accessories: Black diamond cocktail ring from Jaipur, India; Necklace gift; Earrings from Swarovski; Headchain from…I forget the name of the shop (will find out and update soonest)

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Studio Blue Yoga

Since my BollyFuze classes ended in Fall, I’ve been missing group exercise. And with spring around the corner, I wanted to try something new.   So when I came across another GroupOn deal for yoga classes in my hood, thought I’d check it out.

Studio Blue Yoga

Studio Blue Yoga (located on Dundas St. West, just before Duffrin) conveniently has a their class schedule and descriptions available online, where you can BOOK your session.  And they offer their first class for FREE!  So before I cash in my GroupOn voucher, I could check them out  before committing.

I personally haven’t practiced yoga in nearly two years.  At one point I got pretty good with my breathing and balance work, and even got to be a pretty flexible girl.  But, two years is a looooong time  and this chick ain’t as bendy as she used to be.   I was super nervous to go back into the classroom with  a bunch of wafer thin bun-headed girls, wearing nothing but LuLuLemon pants and sport bras that matched with zero sweat on their perfectly manicured eyebrows and likely full make-up faces.  Meanwhile, I would be drenched in sweat gasping for air in the corner, whist doing my rendition of downward dog pose, or worse… I imagined.  blueyoga

I started to do some digging for reviews on this place.  Wanted to know what other people thought of the studio, the instructors, the clientele.  And I discovered that this studio was brand spankin’ new… 5-weeks old in fact.  Their  website is simple and friendly.  There I found the little helpful reminders section (see image above) that helped me shake that scardy-cat voice in the back of my head.   The location is amazing, walking distance from my place.  The classes offered variety and options on various days of the week.  And I didn’t have to commit cash until I tried it out first.  SOLD! I searched my storage unit for my lime green yoga mat and I booked my first class!

The complimentary class I chose was a Tuesday evening class called: Foundations Flow — A beginner friendly and comprehensive class with a focus on anatomy. Includes Sun Salutations, Downward Dog flows and other fundamental postures. Suitable for all levels.  I got to the studio a bit early in hopes to chat with the owner and checkout the space for this blog review.  The bright, welcoming logo painted directly onto their walls can be seen from across Dundas St West, which was much appreciated for this first-timer looking for the location. I was greeted by Jess, a yoga instructor and the owner of Studio Blue and she gave me a tour of the facilities and how everything worked … plus a mug of ginger tea.

 
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Once you’ve checked in and signed their health & safety waiver, there is a long hallway filled with original artwork that was all photographed in their fancy space.  Sliding pocket-doors lead you into a lovely large space that is toasty warm. 
The entire yoga studio space has been fitted with ceiling heaters that warm up the objects in the room, so much so that I mistakenly thought the floors were heated.  Patrons need to bring their own yoga mats, towels and bottles of water as none of that is provided there.  However, there are yoga blocks available to help support you if you need them – they came in super handy for me as I relearn how to perform all the yoga poses.  There’s even a raised stage area at the front of the room for the instructor of the class, which I thought was a brilliant idea.   
 
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Towards the back of the studio there are separate change rooms for men and women, complete with benches, cubbies for your stuff and showers within each.  Unisex washrooms and a water-fountain station to refill bottles are back there too.  Super handy and convenient for those of us rushing to class after work.
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The 75-min Tuesday night class was a mixed group of 6 people, where we focused on breathing and balance in our movements and poses.  Since we were a small, but mighty few we got to do some exercises against the wall that really allowed the body to stretch completely by way of a half-moon pose.  My balance and breathing needs a lot of work.  But by the end of the class I found myself seriously relaxed, my whole body felt like butta and  I  floated home in a peaceful yoga bubble.  I had the most sound sleep that night that I’ve had in a long time.  I think there’s something to this yoga thang! 
  
I’ve always had a hard time spending money on ‘name brand’ gym clothes – so most of what I wear when working out are tops that have been demoted from my regular wardrobe and yoga pants when on sale from various retailers.  Usually a Target or Wamart and occasionally a Reitmans or Old Navy. Here’s what I wore to my first yoga class at Studio Blue:
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Tops: demoted pink  button-up Tee from Old Navy, long-sleeve activewear from Puma (on sale at Winners)
Bottoms: Yogalife black capri pants from Reitmans
 
In hindsight, wearing a top with buttons for anything exercise related is a total no-no for me.  With all the different poses involved, twists and body movements those buttons did not want to say buttoned.  The ‘girls’ got in the way of some of the poses done while on the mat, to be expected.  Next time, I will have to consider wearing a tight-fitting tank  underneath instead, to avoid “t-shirt creep”.   
 
I loved the class!  I’m definitely cashing in my voucher and going again!  This time I might try one of their more high-energy classes…soooo many to choose from…excited!    If only there was a Cuddle Pose + nap time to end every class with…hummmm.   I’ll make that suggestion at my next class and see what I can do friends 😉 
 
How many of y’all practice Yoga?  How many of you have thought about it, but feel a little intimidated to try?  Share your thoughts and experiences with me in the ‘comments’…let’s start a discussion!

St. Paddy’s Day!

O’  St. Paddy’s Day!  An excuse to drink in excess and claim you’re Irish!  It’s great!  I’m a big fan of any excuse to drink beers in the afternoon or all day among friends, whilst the bar spontaneously breaks out into song and the occasional jig with fiddle solo.  In previous years, the shenanigans would begin by getting ourselves down to an Irish Pub for breakfast-brunch around 11am to secure fantastic seats/section for the rest of the day to comfortably letting the beers flow, as groups of friends and friends-of-friends joined our table-o-fun throughout the day.  See pics below of all previous shenanigans of St. Paddy’s of my past.

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So I was seriously bummed that St. Paddy’s Day fell on a Monday this year.  Plus, with nearly all my peeps coupled off, moved far, far away from the city, start having babies…trying to round-up the troops for early celebrations on the weekend wasn’t working out. 😦

But then a Facebook invite lifted my hopes: Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It: Retro Road Show’s St. Patty’s Bash @ The Dovercourt House!  80s/90s music with nominal cover charge and in my neighbourhood.  Perrrrfect! 

Now…what to wear?

I picked up this fabulous dress at an event in Guelph last summer called Consign Your Curves.  Where curvy women opened up their closets and sell their never/barely worn garments before hauling it all away to Goodwill or storage lockers abyss.  Sadly, in all the time I’ve owned this piece I haven’t found an opportunity to wear it….until THIS weekend, I thought!

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But that evening I didn’t feel it was GREEN enough.  In fact, I realized how little items of green I own.   Instead I ended up wearing 2-piece illusion dress (sheer green/black skirt) from Forever21+.  With a few green pre-cocktails at a friends place we headed to Dovercourt House where we danced between two floors of video dance party goodness.  There was even a photobooth with props…which we clearly enjoyed!

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Now, since Monday is really St. Paddy’s Day…I couldn’t attend meetings in the office without bringing a touch of the Irish with me 🙂    Originally I put together the below for an office appropriate St. Paddy’s approved Outfit of the Day. 

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Buuuuut, over the weekend when I was killing time before the Mirvish show: Arrabal at The Panasonic Theatre (a surprisingly good show told all in dance!),  I found myself in The Hudson Bay Company poking around the Dorothy Perkins section (my fav)… I discovered their UK clothing line called Billie & Blossom.  Typically UK sizes are about two sizes smaller than stated, i.e. a UK 16 is really a size 12/14 in Canadian sizes.  But this delightful butterfly patterned pleated coral dress seemed to fit as it should on moi at a UK18!   Plus, the sleeves were just right and I love the neckline.   And this morning I had-had-had to wear it instead… with my Kelly Green blazer, of course to give it a touch of the Irish! 🙂

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I had hoped to convince a bunch for Folleauges (friends who are colleagues) out for a few green beers after work today and maximize my outfit to double duty – nobody likes wasting a good outfit on an insignificant day.  But the afternoon had got away from me, and when I next looked up it was already after 5pm, Irish pubs near the office had line-ups growing since before 3pm and my office was a ghost-town.  Sigh.. 

How did you celebrate St. Paddy’s Day?  What did you wear?  Share in the comments section…or better yet, post pictures on the  Facebook page.  I’m dying to see what y’all got up to 🙂

xo, Irene

How I got The Look:

Saturday Night: Blue-green dress from Asos + Rocker-chick buckle&zlip booties from Aldo

Monday March 17 – Office Day: White-Pink-Orange dress from DressBarn (original choice); Butterfly patterned pleated coral dress by Billie&Blossom (Hudsons Bay Co). + Kelly Green blazer from INC, Hundson Bay Co. + Black leather pumps from Guess

Accessories: Earrings & necklace were both gifts from wayyy back & St. Paddy’s Day headband from Old Navy many many moons ago

#TVS: Rock-A-Billy Shake-Up!

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Last year upon finally jumping on the Mad Men bandwagon, discovering and falling in love with the Rockabilly/Vintage scene Toronto has to offer, the Toronto Vintage Society organized a meetup event last night’s one-night-only live music:  “Sweet 16th” installment of the Rock-A-Billy Shake-Up, at the Junction’s – 3030 (3030 Dundas St. West).

My friend Liz, a fellow TVS member and blogger of The Vintage Inn, has done a fabulous post about the bands of this event, click here to read all about it 🙂

TVS on FacebookSome of you may remember this cherry-bomb pin-up dress from a previous post.  I love this dress!  It was meant for an event like this!  I wore it with my rocker-chick buckle & zip booties (as winter does not want to leave Toronto yet), in hopes it would yield better results with the men-folk than it did the last time. Uggh!

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The plan was to meet grab dinner at 3030 with a few TVS members prior to the show.  The menu looked fantastic….plus it would give us a chance to giggle & catchup, whilst securing us a solid spot to enjoy the music for the rest of the night, winter coats and all. 😉

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Although the food items were all pretty delicious, the ordering system is very interesting.  Patrons must first acquire a seat, then go up to the crowded bar to try and nab a bartender’s attention, only then is a menu of food offerings shared with you (no menus at the table).  If you’re successful at this point you are given an order number on a stand, to put on your table and someone will search the venue for your little number and bring you your food.  Popcorn chicken, Blue cheese MacN’Cheese, Tostada of sorts and a plate of Bacon, were just a few of the items various people from our little possy ordered.

Also interesting is that their offerings of beers is different at both of the bars in this venue.  Soooo say you’re a fan of Mill St. Organic — and you happen to be sitting in the backroom where all the performances are, what you must do is order your appies at bar one, pay, and then walk yourself over to bar two through crowds of people to order your pint of choice.    Annoying? Yes..buuuuut it does allow a girl to strut all over the venue at least once to check out the crowd and for the crowd to admire your outfit 😉

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First up was a London, ON band called The Hi-Tones (above) – I totally fell in love with the lead singer’s sailor inspired dress!  I’m totally crushing on the nautical look these days – anchors away crazy!

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Since this was a #TVS event, I got to catchup with a bunch of members I haven’t seen since the Vintage Holiday Party, and even got to meet a few new members who recently joined this fabulous group.  I also got to meet a fan of Petite Plus, Meow!  She came up and introduced herself and sang prasies of my wee blog!  In fact, my post about shoes inspired her to run out and buy the exact same ones 🙂  My heart smiled all night with her compliments – thank you, thank you, thank you, lovely girl!

20140315-011901.jpgThere were a ton of folks from Toronto Lindy Hop in attendance, many of whom tore up the dance floor with fancy swing-spin and twirls and whirls.  Very impressive!  Think I’ve found my next ‘fun’ to fill the void that the lack of BollyFuze classes have left in my heart……stay tuned for more on that. 🙂

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I’ve been bombarded with work commitments this week and haven’t been able to blog as regularly as I like.  I’ve been so busy that I was considering working late instead of going out Friday night.  I’m soooo glad I attended – what a fantastic way to end the work week!  A big Thank You to Toronto Vintage Society to introducing me to such a fun scene…can’t wait for the next event! xo

Stella & Dot Giveaway + Top 10 Spring Must Haves (Part 2 of 3)

Reblogging this one especially for my WordPress followers – don’t want y’all to miss out on this Thank You contest I’m hosting. Just reached 100 Facebook LIKES! Would hate for you to miss out —- sooooo we’re keeping the contest open until Sunday, March 16th at NOON! You can’t win it you don’t play. Follow. Like. Share. Request. Win?! 🙂

PPMeow!

Hi friends!!!

It’s been officially three months since I began this wee curvy fashion & lifestyle blog.  I’m thrilled at how much action and traction it has been getting.  In fact, I’m nearly at the big 100 LIKES mark!!!  Thank you so much for your support, for reading, liking, commenting and following me … it means a lot!  ❤

And to celebrate —- once I’ve reached 100 followers, one lucky person is gonna WIN a fabulous piece of jewellery from Stella & Dot’s new Lookbook!!!

Now if you’re already been following, you’ve likely already read the previous Stella & Dot post (Part 1 of 3) and requested a fabulous Spring/Summer Lookbook from the stylish Amy Lazar Kleiman via all the built-in links from that post.   If that’s the case,  she already has your mailing address and it’ll be uber easy to send you your prize, if you happen to be the lucky winner 🙂

For those of…

View original post 623 more words

Stella & Dot Giveaway + Top 10 Spring Must Haves (Part 2 of 3)

Hi friends!!!

It’s been officially three months since I began this wee curvy fashion & lifestyle blog.  I’m thrilled at how much action and traction it has been getting.  In fact, I’m nearly at the big 100 LIKES mark!!!  Thank you so much for your support, for reading, liking, commenting and following me … it means a lot!  ❤

And to celebrate —- once I’ve reached 100 followers, one lucky person is gonna WIN a fabulous piece of jewellery from Stella & Dot’s new Lookbook!!!

Now if you’re already been following, you’ve likely already read the previous Stella & Dot post (Part 1 of 3) and requested a fabulous Spring/Summer Lookbook from the stylish Amy Lazar Kleiman via all the built-in links from that post.   If that’s the case,  she already has your mailing address and it’ll be uber easy to send you your prize, if you happen to be the lucky winner 🙂

For those of you who missed that post, not to fear it’s not too late to get yourself your very own FREE LOOKBOOK!

To be entered to Win the Stella & Dot Giveaway Prize…

  1. Follow Petite Plus, Meow! 
  2. LIKE this post
  3. SHARE this post OR a previous post from the blog you enjoyed reading
  4. Request a FREE Stella & Dot Lookbook (how else are we going to get your mailing address to send you your PRIZE?) 🙂

We’ve been alerted to some site interruptions. To be safe, email Amy your Lookbook request at: Amylazar@gmail.com

The lucky winner will be announced here and on Facebook (with the winner’s permission, of course)…once Petite Plus, Meow! has reached/surpassed 100 LIKES!  

Of all the Stella & Dot pieces I personally own and wear, the one that constantly gets me compliments without fail is the Medina Bib.   I’ve worn it in a few posts, as you can see from my photos below – this necklace is a fantastic statement piece dressing up just around any outfit you pair it with.  Each of the images below are linked to the specific blog post about each outfit, if  you’re interested 🙂

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Amy & I have tons of thoughts on what fabulous piece should be given away … so many great things to choose from this season!   Take a looksee at Amy’s  Top 10 Spring Must Haves below. 

Remember….LIKE, SHARE, and Request a Lookbook…..for your chance to WIN!

Trend Report by Stella & Dot Stylist Amy Lazar Kleiman

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Can you say, Hello Yellow! I say, if spring is going to take its sweet time, then we should just wear some sunshine instead! Grab and wrap a bright yellow scarf around ya or put on a pair of yellow earrings – like you’ll find in the Norah collection – to perk you up after this dreary winter.

Really, adding colour to any outfit will do and that’s one thing about Stella & Dot, there’s lots of colour to choose from!

The stunning Spring 2014 collection debuted in January, and I’m already loving the Elodie necklace – which I wear with a simple black top and it looks like I’m super stylish! I have also fallen hard for the gorgeous green Linden necklace, which looks AMAZING over a hot new colour for spring – MINT!

One of my favourite things about Stella &Dot, and it’s why I was first attracted to this boutique line of jewelry when I was invited to a trunk show three years ago, is its versatility.

Most of the pieces can be worn more than one way and you’ll find many of the pieces can be worn layered to give you an entirely new look.

For example, the newly-released Rory necklace (similar look to the Elodie) can be layered with the Somervell necklace and you can finish the look with a pair of Nancy studs. Easy peasy and pretty too!

I know I’ve talked a lot of about our necklaces, but when you check out the entire line, you’ll see that there are bold and beautiful earrings and bracelets too!

If there’s one last trend I’m noticing for spring, it’s in the BAGS!  Grab yourself a cute bag for spring – like the Avalon Tote in geranium! Treat yo’self, cause you know you’re going to need those emergency flip flops soon for a fresh summer-ready pedicure (I promise, any day now girls!).

So, I hope this has inspired you to add some sparkle to your spring wardrobe – and a BIG thank you to Irene for her blog AND for inspiring all of us to take our fashion up a notch every day!

I’m happy to help with all of your styling needs – so don’t be afraid to reach out and visit my site: www.stelladot.com/amylazarkleiman

 

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