December 2014 – PPMeow!

2014: PPMeow in Review

Here we are….the last day of 2014! And thus concludes my first year of blogging! Yay!!! 🙂

Thank you for reading, following and commenting. If you’ve got feedback or ideas you’d like me to explore/review in the new year … let me know in the comment section and I’ll do my very best to tackle them as blogposts in the New Year!

There have been 170 blogposts, not bad for the first year! I only really got the hang of publishing and alerting various social media channels towards the later part of the year, so I thought I’d pick out a few of my favourite posts that were maybe missed, or hidden by Facebook at the time.

Go Canada Go! The biggest news worthy thing I remember happening in 2014 is Team Canada winning gold, beating Sweden 3-0 in men’s Olympic hockey! Canada dominated moving into the finals! And at 6am on this Sunday in February bars everywhere opened their doors to die-hard Canadians who support our athletes by drinking beers and cheering at big screen TVs with complete strangers in unison. And to join the hoopla I dedicated an Outfit Of the Day to the win 🙂

Although I often write about fashion – What I Wore – I try to also focus on lifestyle too – What I Did while wearing it. Just as seeing someone who more resembles your body shape wearing an outfit you never thought to try yourself, I write about my adventures at trying something new in hopes that YOU might try it for yourself as well. There have been several specific LIFESTYLE posts around activities I’ve tried such as:

BollyFuze – Now What? a Bollywood dance based workout designed to get you up and moving! Each class runs an hour-long, blending together elements of Indian Classical, Modern Bollywood & Folk dance with main stream fitness techniques that gives you a full body workout. Best part – BollyFuze is designed for all levels, ages & abilities …and with the energetic beats of Bollywood you totally trick your body into getting fit with hip-shaking-fun!

Yoga I personally hadn’t practiced yoga in nearly two years before I found Studio Blue. 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 (Why are People Afraid to Try Yoga?) But once I got over the initial ‘scare’ it yield a ton of benefits …. AND I even arranged for a PPMeow! $30 Pass EXCLUSIVE to YOU – my blog’s readers & followers 🙂

Swing Dancing I officially got bit by the swing fever bug at my first Rockabillie Concert… I signed up for classes the very next day. I’ve blogged about my very first swing lesson – describing myself as a hot mess. It was tricky at first, but week after week I felt more and more confident of the steps, felt myself improving and I couldn’t for class to learn the next big move. And now, honestly I dunno what I did without this fun dancing outlet in my life!!! There have been a number of different blogpost related to swing dancing … I love it so… simply type the words “swing dancing” into the search bar within the blog and you’ll find them all friends 😉

There was also Country Line Dancing, singing loudly weekly with Choir, Choir, Choir, my adventures in Speed Dating and fun in the sun with my Vacation Recap post to Grenada. Looking back, this year has been pretty awesome.

The saddest part of 2014 was the passing of my pup, The Berto 😦 But, in his memory Maryanne and My Beaded Designs will be donating $5 to the Pomeranian and Small Breed Rescue (PSBR) from every Swarovski PAW you buy. Have you gotten yours yet? Click here!

WordPress tells me that the busiest day of the year on the blog was April 10th — the post that day was THE Valentina Illusion Dress.

There have been a ton of outfit posts so I’ve created my first Flipagram to capture my faves ….it’s even set to my personal theme song: Golden by Jill Scott 🙂

Thank you again for reading, commenting, following and supporting Petite Plus, Meow! There are some exciting things in store for me and the blog in the upcoming months – as I’m declaring 2015 to be THE YEAR OF TRAVEL in my life. Stay tuned friends.

Wishing you a fantastic New Year’s Eve tonight, and may 2015 be our best year yet! xo

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TONI+ Wide Calf Boots

Curvy Canadian Ladies … designer plus size retailer TONI+ now introduces high style genuine leather European boots for women with wide calves and feet!!!

Just in time for the winter season too! 😉

THE PERFECT MEASURE:

You may think you know your shoe size, but do you truly know how to get the right boot fit for your unique shoe and calf? TONI+’s directions will help you to properly measure your feet and calves in 3 simple steps:

Step 1: Length of your foot – Measure the length of your foot

Step 2 – Width of your foot – Measure the width of the widest part of foot (from the ball to just beneath your little toe)

Step 3 – Calfsize – Measure the circumference of the fullest part of your calf

Measure both feet and calves for all 3 steps. It is normal for one foot and calf to be bigger than the other. Always use the larger measurement to gauge your boot size.

TONI+s footwear collection features a stylish 100% Italian leather options ranging from ankle and riding boots. And with this Personal Fit Code, they will ensure your boots fit perfectly. You can get professionally measured in-store or measure yourself at home using the above steps.

Click here to find a TONI+ location nearest you friends 🙂

My personal favourites are:

Do you struggle to find boots that fit your calves and feet? Where have you found the best selection and fit? Share with me in the comments below.

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Toronto Vintage Society’s KITSCHMAS CABIN!

Earlier this month the Toronto Vintage Society gathered together to celebrate all things MERRY, KITSCHY and BRIGHT by turning the Cadillac Lounge into a winter cabin!

But what the heck do we mean by “Kitschy”? Good question!

“Kitsch”, according to Wikipedia, is; (/ˈkɪtʃ/; loanword from German) is a low-brow style of mass-produced art or design using popular or cultural icons. Kitsch generally includes unsubstantial or gaudy works or decoration, or works that are calculated to have popular appeal. Click here to read and see more about exactly what this means 🙂

The Event:

$5 at the Door got you entertainment galore!! 40s/50s themed decor and suggested dress code with Best (and kitschiest) Dressed prizes to be won! Along with vintage cocktails flowing all night and home made treats, handmade kitsch and vintage chachkas for sale!

1484630_1501533413463064_7980386887426767101_n — The Cadillac Lounge transformed into our Kitschmas Cabin

The Toronto Vintage Society never does anything half-assed …. always FULL ass! 😛

Not only were we able to transform the Cadillac Lounge into a wintery holiday cabin, there was all kinds of fun entertainment all night long to get everyone into the festive spirit no matter what your ‘thing’ was. There was even a Nail Artist: Strawberry LIPs n TIPs creating one-of-a-kind holiday art one nail at a time!!

Loving my amazing Rudolph nail art – outstanding!!!

This party was non-stop entertainment which included…vintage vinyl and holidays classic movies played all night long by our very own DJ Tarana Pete…

FullSizeRender-4 — DJ Tarana-Pete spinning vintage vinyl & holiday movie classics

PLUS Performances by ELVIS and his burlesquing alter ego – Blue Suede Sue. Then the adorable Miss Kitten Monroe.

10603597_10152560924619072_3980949005719585555_n — Me with the talented Tia Brazda and delightful Kitten Monroe

AND performances by the Tia Brazda Swing Band with her hit song Christmas in Mexico!! Take a listen and get yourself a copy… Tis’ the season for this catchy toe-tapper of a tune 🙂

Ooooh…and there was plenty of swing dancing too!!!

As you can see…..We PACKED the place! It was a spectacular night!!!

FullSizeRender-3 — I’m pretty sure I managed to sell raffle tickets to every single person in here!

And to top it all off…..we even had an amazing Winter Wonderland of a photo booth setup with SANTA!

Click here for the full TVS Photo Booth album — each picture just jumps off the screen with happiness and joy!

If you didn’t make it out to the event, you can relive the fun – prepare to smile your faces off 🙂

Dancing went on until the wee hours of the morning …. AND there was even karaoke in the backroom!!!

I’m not gonna lie, due to all the liquid courage (who knew apple cider and rum would be such a delicious combination) I may have gotten up on stage to belt a tune or two. There is evidence of this on someone’s phone…dun dun dunnnn 😮

What I Wore:

I picked up this Alika Circle Polka Retro Dress during Tatyana‘s BOGO event – yup…Buy One, Get One FREE!!! This dress comes in a variety of solid colours that are just as lovely. But I really, really, really loved this black, white and red polka-dot pattern. And was determined to xmas-ify for THIS holiday event!

With an amazing lattice style around neckline and sleeves you really don’t need any accessories to jazz this frock up! The waist features a bow at the center that leads to its full circle skirt. There’s a three-eye-hook closures above the back zipper…which requires a buddy’s help, at least in my case 🙂

The Alika Circle Polka Retro Dress WITH crinoline

The dress on its own is quite lovely with the full circle skirt. But it gets even for amazing with a puffy red crinoline underneath! Plus, it hides any additional lumps & bumps that may have resulted due to vintage cookie eating the weeks before….click here to see what I mean. 😉

And I’m happy to say that EVERYTHING I’m wearing in this post came from Tatyana Boutique on West Queen West, in Toronto. To read more about Tatyana’s new Toronto location click here.

Red Crinoline, Harlow Heel red shoes and Audrey red purse courtesy of *Tatyana Boutique – Toronto.*

As lovely as everything looked all together, my outfit was incomplete. It was missing the much needed “Kitschy” factor.

AND THEN THIS HAPPENED…..a fabulous Poinsettia fascinator!!! Hand-made by the crafty curator of TVS, Miss Jacquie – isn’t it amazing? Totally helped perfect my look for the evening’s event! 🙂

10836532_10154951382190397_472092834_n — Handmade Kitschy Poinsettia Fascinator …. I’m told that there are some available for sale at Damzel’s East location, FYI 😉

Earrings from *Your Big Sister’s Closet*; Hair flower made by Jacquie Jeffery

And ….TA-DAH! My vintage kitschmas look was complete!

10846889_10154855023210184_691336119_n-2 — Blurry end-of-the-night selfie

Extra Bonus to those reading this right now!!! Tatyana Boutique will happily give you 15% off until December 31st by mentioning this blogpost friends >>>>

Merry Kitschmas to you!!! Ho! Ho! Ho!

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Holiday Double Feature: Casual Cocktails

Here we go – the very last outfit post of our week-long Holiday Double Feature collaboration series with Cassie of Style Cassentials.

We’ve been discussing and putting our own unique twists to some Holiday trends ALL week. Hope you’ve been enjoying it. If you missed any of my previous posts I’ll list them at the end of this one…so you can get yourself caught up and festive ready! 🙂

There’s bound to be a few dress-down weekend holiday house parties you’re gonna have to hit – and that’s what we’re focusing on with this last post we’re calling: Casual Cocktails!

I picked this soft pink lace trim top on sale from Penningtons a few months ago. It totally caught my eye with its mix-media textures, this top would go well with a skirt or dress pants, to the office on weekdays and totally works with jeans on the weekend.

The lovely lace trim and cool colour-blocking over soft pink sheer front and cotton back just makes this top oh-so unique.

Since this top has lots of interest to it, I was easily able to tone down the vibe of my outfit while still looking a bit ‘holiday fancy’ for a festive house party at the neighbours or whatever last min invites that may come your way for boozy egg nog and Christmas cookies 🙂

How I Got The Look: Sheer & cotton laced top from Penningtons; Navy tuxedo striped pixie pants from Old Navy; Brown suede booties from Reitmans; Faux fur bag from Aldo Accessories; Bow-tie earrings were gifted.

Cassie’s off-the-shoulder winter white sweater with lace skirt combo is oh-so romantic for the holidays. Head over to Style Cassentials for all the details on how Cassie has styled the trends. Or visit her Facebook page here.

casual cocktail — Cassie of Style Cassentials

And just in case….if you’ve missed a few from the special Holiday Double Feature? Not to fear…

1. Red & Green

2. Office Party (before 5p vs. after 5p)

3. Sparkle & Shine

4. Tuxedo Glam

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Holiday Double Feature: Tuxedo Glam

Here we are – 2nd last outfit post in our special Holiday Double Feature collaboration with Cassie of Style Cassentials.

The female tuxedo was seen on various designer runways, it’s also a look that’s been adopted by many celebrities on the red carpet. It is a great alternative to the cocktail dress for evening-wear.

Today we’re focusing on Tuxedo Glam! 🙂

By total fluke, turns out I had silver stud earrings that totally matched the studs down the lapel of this blazer! This cute little top-hat fascinator was a fabulous find at this year’s BIGDeal Toronto Blogger Consignment Sale.

I’ve had this tuxedo blazer for a year now, and have only worn it a handful of times for fear of spilling food on it and the dreaded dry cleaning bill it would result in. My sparkle heels added a touch of feminine glamour to the monochrome colour palette of this tuxedo look. It would be extra sleek if I went black on black or white on white tuxedo. But I really like the classic black n’ white combo.

When looking at how to wear tuxedo trend clothing, go for slim cut trousers and fitted blazers. Making sure your pieces are fitted to give you that tailored look when trying to pull off tuxedo glam. 🙂

tux1 — **How I Got The Look:** Jessica Simpson bone n’ black lapel jacket + Thrifted black taffeta dress + Guess sparkle heels + sheer black hosiery + Top hat fascinator from BIGDeal Toronto Sale

Cassie’s floral pants make me crazy with floral envy!!! Loving the ivory tuxedo top & black tuxedo jacket. Head over to Style Cassentials for all the details on Cassie’s look or visit her Facebook page here.

tuxedo look — Cassie of Style Cassentials

What do you think of the tuxedo trend? Do you have any tips for how to wear the tuxedo trend? Let me know in the Comment section below

And just in case….if you’ve missed a few from the special Holiday Double Feature? Not to fear…

1. Red & Green

2. Office Party (before 5p vs. after 5p)

3. Sparkle & Shine

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Holiday Double Feature: Sparkle & Shine

We’re mid-week in our special Holiday Double Feature collaboration with Cassie of Style Cassentials.

What holiday series would be complete without talking about Sparkle & Shine? That’s exactly what we’re gonna focus on today. 🙂

There is A LOT of sequins in holiday wear this year. Don’t get me wrong…I love me some sequins!!! But everyone else is gonna be wearing it right now, and I would rather do something different this time around.

Knowing HOW to wear sequins can be a bit tricky. I’ve done a previous blogpost on How To Wear Sequins & Shine earlier this year, if you’re interested 😉

Photo credit: Rebecca Northcott Photography

For this holiday look, I decided to let the sparkle and shine show in my accessories, rather an my entire frock.

I found this peplum dress last year from AdditionElle and have come up with many uses for it, like say THE South Asian Princess Leia…. click here to see what I mean 😉

There is just something about wearing crisp winter whites that really steps up the glamour of an outfit. I wanted to use the ‘sparkle and shine’ factor sparingly for this holiday look.

This amazing sliver-gold-jewelled belt was found in a lovely boutique on West Queen West called Fashion Crimes (NOTE: this shop has recently closed it’s doors and will be reopening as a bespoke boutique elsewhere in Toronto in 2015).

I matched it up with this jewelled bracelet (Aldo Accessories) and gold drop earrings (Your Big Sister’s Closet) to jazz up this holiday outfit. And lastly, I decided to keep the heels a simple nude pump (Payless), to not distract from the rest of the look.

Cassie dazzles in her boyfriend jeans, black glitter heels, ivory camisole and black sequin jacket! Loving the statement necklace too! Head over to Style Cassentials for all the details on Cassie’s holiday outfit. Or visit her Facebook page here.

And just in case….if you’ve missed a few from the special Holiday Double Feature? Not to fear…

1. Red & Green

2. Office Party (before vs. after 5pm)

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Holiday Double Feature: Office Party

We began the week with a special Holiday Double Feature collaboration with Cassie of Style Cassentials yesterday. If you missed our first post, no worries – click here 🙂

Today we’re we focusing on getting Office Party ready for both before & after 5pm!

Before 5pm…

To get through the workday, I chose a black collared shirt with a gold faux belt attachment (Reitmans) to go with my gold & black brocade pencil skirt (Lane Bryant). Keeping the shoes a simple beige pump (Payless) with sheer black hose (Dollarama).

For the party portion of the day, I’d lose the blazer and put on one piece of awesome jewelry: like this amazing black n’ gold statement necklace (SexyPlus Clothing)! Click here and here to see it in other looks.

Jewelry has been the most successful fashion conversation starter at networking events, or so I’ve found. Both women and men feel comfortable complimenting or commenting on a piece of jewelry. It’s considered in the safe zone — Statement Jewellery May Help You Network.

Are you more of an earrings girl? Go For It! You can wear a big bracelet or put that vintage embellished hair clip in your do. Just stick to one eye catching piece of jewelry….try not to over do it.

Now, to elevate my look After 5pm…

I got rid of the collared shirt, and went with the mock-neck peplum top with a sheer peek-a-boo neckline (Forever21+)

I didn’t want to add anything more to the neckline of this top, so I opted for bling’d out earrings instead (Your Big Sister’s Closet)…

I also swapped shoes for these edgy gold spiked pumps (Torrid, click here and here) with a purse to match (Danier Leather, click here) and put my hair up.

Cassie green leopard dress is amazing….! With blazer or without it’s perfect for office party mode, don’t you think?
Head over to Style Cassentials for all the details on how Cassie has styled the trends. Or visit her Facebook page here.

10860374_608770739268617_1567364592_o — Cassie of *Style Cassentials*

What do you think about these look? What have you worn to your work’s holiday party? Tell me in the comments section…

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Holiday Double Feature: Red & Green

Your holiday calendar is likely packed with tons of parties and get-togethers over the next couple weeks. You’re gonna need a festive frock or two for this super-social season.

Not to fear friends, me & Cassie of Style Cassentials, are gonna be giving you some inspiration when it comes to outfits, accessories and all that jazz ALL WEEK with our special Holiday Double Feature collaboration!

We’re kicking off the series talking about the classic christmas combo colours of Red and Green 🙂

When I’m feeling festive, it’s hard for me not to over do it with the reds and the greens. For holiday parties, pick one to avoid looking like a christmas ornament 🙂

This green fanny midi skirt is pretty great – so great in fact, that I even bought it in a wine red too! Click here to see that. To make it holiday and winter ready I paired it up with a simple black sweater and jazzed it up with jewellery.

The details on the neckline and arms of this black sweater were really pretty, and to draw attention to them I kept the jewellery minimal & matching in a deep red-gold combo to give my overall outfit the festive feeling I was after.

How I Got The Look: Fanny midi skirt from Tatyana Boutique; Black sweater from Reitmans; Maryjane shoes from NineWest; Purse from Danier Leather; Red cuff and necklace from Celo, Gold on red belt from Fashion Crimes

I wore this outfit (slightly modified) recently, to Your Big Sister’s Closet store’s holiday bash — since it was a mild evening I wore a simple black corp top (Forever21+, click here), my faux fur bag (Aldo, click here) and black suede booties (Nine West, click here) instead.

While I went green, Cassie did the opposite showcasing a red dress with sheer panel at the hem of the skirt, with green nail polish to add to her festive look. Her crisp white blazer can take this look to the office …and beyond! Head over to Style Cassentials for all the details on how Cassie has styled her holiday look below. Or visit her Facebook page here. 🙂

What do you think about these looks? How are you going to be rocking the festive red & green this holiday season? Tell me in the comments section…

Stay tuned tomorrow as we continue with this special Holiday Double Feature Collaboration!!!!

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fanny midi skirt — Photo Credit: Val Soo

“Ugly” Christmas Sweater

Ok, so Ugly Xmas Sweaters are everywhere!!

Truth is, I prefer ‘cute’ over ‘ugly’ …. so, I picked up this Giant Rudolph sweater from Ardene ($20) to meet this need in my life 🙂

Kinda perfect for just throwing over a dress, and viola! Instantly you’re festive ready outfit is complete.

This is one of my favourite dresses I picked up from Forever21+ earlier this year. It’s perfect for swing dancing too …keeping the ‘girls’ locked n’ loaded AND covered up for close dancing … plus the criss-cross back cutouts are helpful for cooling down between dances. To see it in other looks, click here.

Wore these cute silver bow earrings I recently picked up at a vintage sale

colin-firth_2740666a — Colin Firth **swoon** as Mark Darcy in Love Actually, in his classic xmas jumper

When I saw this sweater … it totally made me think of the handsome and adorable Colin Firth, in my favourite holiday movie: Love Actually…

The hope was to wear this sweater and attend The Gladstone Hotel’s 12 BEERS of Christmas! Sadly, tickets were soldout at the door…so a few of us ended up drinking and dining elsewhere in the area before returning for live music and swing dancing.

If you’re looking for an excuse to wear an ‘ugly xmas sweater’ yourself, click here to see a listing of fun ideas of how to incorporate this fun theme into your holiday plans!

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Holiday Happenings: The Ugly Xmas Sweater Party

Now that we’re firmly in the middle of December, there’s bound to be a “cheesy”, “ugly” “holiday/xmas/Christmas sweater“ party in your future.

Me personally, I’ve got three separate invites and opportunity to wear one all happening THIS week!!! Knowing this, I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect one…and I think I found just that ========> Ta-Dah!!!

A Xmas Sweater of Scottie Dogs WEARING Xmas Sweaters!!! OMG! Right!??

Not only is this sweater a convenient cardi …. the details of this knit are pretty amazing:

Those little red specs are actually knit HEARTS. And the BUTTONS!!!! Just look at these buttons!!!!!

AND I found it on FACEBOOK being sold for $10!!!!! BOOM!

SCOTTIE DOG — LOOK AT THE BUTTONS!!!!! Little Scottie Dogs — seriously!?!? The cutest things ever!

How I Got The Look: I’ve had this Dorothy Perkins mini dress for a while now – I don’t often wear it on its own as it’s uber short and clingy. I typically wear it as a top to show off the amazing shoulder pleats of this dress. But this Christmas red dress paired with this “ugly” holiday sweater, over-the-knee boots (AdditionElle) and sheer black hosiery just seems to work, don’t you think?

Now, for the office party this week — I’m gonna swap the sheer hose for thick black leggings. Ideally, I’d like to wear it with my plaid leggings to add more length to this skirt…if I can find them :).

So, waddya think of this “Ugly” Christmas Sweater look? I DARE you to call it “ugly”…...I DOUBLE-DOG-DARE YA!!!! 😉 Classic line from my fav holiday movie A Christmas Story AND I’ve got double dogs on this sweater… I’m freakin’ hilarious!!!