OOTD – Page 2 – PPMeow!

Summerlicious Nights

Toronto kick’s off their Summerlicious season!!! Which means this petite plus diva gets to get dolled up to discover and experience the diverse cuisine this city has to offer at exceptional value!!! For two mouth-watering weeks in July, foodies savour delicious three-course prix fixe lunch and dinner menus at more than 200 of the city’s top restaurants.

Last Night a gf and I tried out CHURCH APERITIVO BAR. Located in an old church at Queen and Dovercourt….this spot’s speciality is Italian cuisine. The food was delish with very generous portions. The meatballs were just like my ex’s Nona used to make (once you added some of their chili-flake sauce). There’s a built-in 18% gratuity, and the paired wine with the menu turned out to be $15 PER GLASS. A little outrageous, I think, but waddya gonna do once your belly is full and the bill comes. Sadly, I failed to take any photos of my food … which is very unusual for me… guess we were more hungry than we thought. 🙂

Here’s what I wore:

Does this dress look familiar? That’s cuz … it was one of the dresses I wore for the collaboration photo shoot entitled “IS IT SPRING YET?” with Rebecca Northcott Photography and Your Big Sister’s Closet this past Spring.

I fell in love with this dress immediately! So much so that I had to buy it BEFORE we even got to the location for the photoshoot 🙂

If you look closely at the photo shoot pictures you’ll see my bra strap is showing … sigh. At the time I didn’t have one that was suitable of the way the back of this dress is cut. Buuuuuuut in the newer pictures from this post – this has been corrected with Cacique’s Lace Racerback Bra!!

Black suede platform sandals (Nine West) give me the height needed to wear this lovely maxi dress without any alterations!

Short Diva Trick – I tied a wee knot in the bottom of my dress so that I don’t trip over the length whist indoors without those sky-high platform sandals.

It was a bit on the cooler side that night – with temperatures threatening to dip into high teens tonight (+18) … so keeping that in mind, I paired this gorgeous maxi with an open black 3/4 sleeved cardi (Reitmans). In an effort to keep it ‘summertime fun’, I tied it in front rather than keeping it open so that the lovely paisley pattern doesn’t get hidden. 🙂

How I Got The Look:

Black & paisley maxi dress from Your Big Sister’s Closet (click here to see the photoshoot I did for them that prompted me to buy this dress)

Sandals from Nine West Outlet (click here to see my cross-boarder shopping haul post)

Black open cardi, Reitmans; Silver teardrop earrings, Payless; Black clutch wallet, Ardene

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Backless Nautical Navy

Ooo!! It’s summertime and I have to admit, I’ve been baring my arms and legs much more than I ever had in pervious summers.

Blogging has gotten me braver in my outfit choices and more confident to rock things I’d normally shy away from. Like this fantastic dress I picked up cross-border shopping recently … I was immediately drawn to it on the rack. Buuuuut upon picking it up I noticed that an important piece of fabric was missing ….that critical piece of fabric that covers up my giant bra clasps and that loveable back roll that gets formed upon wearing said giant bra.

Doesn’t this dress just SCREAM: Summer!!! I just love it!

The hi-lo skirt is perfect for petite beauties as there will be zero ‘tripping-up-the-stairs’ incidents as there might be with lengthy maxis (least it’s the case for moi…seems I’m terribly clumsy). I’ve already professed my love and devotion to all the nautical-ness in fashion since the Spring…so this dress just needed to be mine! Click here and here and here and here for all my previous nautical love posts friends!

A special shoutout to the lovely coral floral necklace and earring set I’m wearing in this post. Picked it up from this cute lil’ boutique called One Girl Who on St. Clair West in Toronto. Recently rediscovered it among all my jewellery….. doesn’t it just add to the summertime fun feeling of this outfit? 🙂

How I Got The Look:

Backless Navy Striped dress from Rainbow Clothing from recent Cross-Border shopping trip; Coral floral necklace & earring set from The Girl Who; Pink purse from Your Big Sister’s Closet; White & gold sandals from Le Chateau

So… waddya think about the backless-ness of this dress? Would you rock it? How would you style it? I wanna know what you think friends….tell me in the Comment Section below!

Black Summer Prints

I usually try and avoid wearing too much black … especially in the summer. But there are a number of fun black-summertime-prints that I just couldn’t resist!

This hi-lo maxi dress (Target) has been with me for a few summers now – don’t look too closely, as you’ll see the black bits fading due to wash and wears. It’s one of my easy-peasy-favourite pieces.

Being petite (short) the train of this dress does sometimes cause me trouble. I’ve been known to trip up the stairs in this dress and also had a horrible experience with an escalator that nearly ended this dress’ life! Luckily, I managed to rescue and repair it and keep it among my summertime wardrobe still 🙂

Since the dress has a giant pattern with solid black boarders, I added a pops of colour with my coral purse (Aldo) and bright green stoned earrings (Stella & Dot), plus my stroppy gold & white sandals (Le Chateau) plus my vintage cat-eye sunnies to keep the looks casual for weekend wear of errands and city roaming.

Are you a fan of wearing black in the summertime? How do you incorporate it into your summer looks? Use the comment section below and let me know how YOU’D style this dress?

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OOTD: Sea Foam Swirls

I have to admit, this past weekend with the release of Orange is the New Black season 2 on Netflix, I’ve been anti-social… or rather ‘selectively social’. In my defence I haven’t been feeling in tip top shape …and what better way to regain ones umph than by marathoning episodes of a fantastic show like this? 🙂

Monday, Monday – back to the grind. It is a absolutely beautiful day in Toronto today … which encouraged me to bust out this lovely sea foam swirl dress I picked up from Forever21 a few weeks ago…when I was on the hunt for a sea foam blazer. Alas, the blazer is still at large….but let’s look at how I took this fun, flirty, cut-out back dress from 9-5 and beyond 😉

Office Ready — I had to travel to the depths of Scarborough this morning to deliver a training session…but covering up the backless-ness of this fab patterned dress with a simple black open blazer (Reitmans), gave me the polished office appropriate look with this airy number, I think. I paired it with simple gold earrings and my MK bracelet watch, and my one of MANY new shoes from my recent cross-board shopping extravaganza trip. These brown wedge sandals are from Payless. Stay tuned for a blogpost on that all on its own friends…I did REAL good in the footwear department. Holla!

5pm and beyond: Remove the blazer….and head to your nearest patio STAT!

EASY PEASY, LEMON SQUEEZEY! What do you think of this sea foam colour on a darker skin tone like mine? Shall I still continue the hunt for a sea foam blazer or should I leave this colour alone? Would love to know your thoughts – share in the comment section.

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Choir! Choir! Choir!

I love to sing. I’m an off-key karaoke fiend, and often have broken into song on the streets whilst listening to my iPod. I’m not particularly good at it … except when I’m singing “Drunk In Love” in my shower – then I sound EXACTLY like Queen B 🙂

Singing makes me happy. And I’m determine to discover and DO more of those things – that make me happy. I’ve been told of social choirs outside of a ‘church type choir’ before, however many of the ones I’ve been looking at have strict rules and restrictions before one can become a member. Plus, most of these chapters are located in Whitby, Mississauga and Oakville. Not at all what this Downtown Toronto gal is looking for.

SIDE NOTE: Just recently found this BlogT.O. article: Karaoke Nights in Toronto – every night of the week?! I’m definitely gonna have to investigate this list and the different spots this summer FO SHO!!!

I often sing the praises (see what I did there…ya, I’m clever like that) of Toronto being the best city ever — and I’ve recently discovered yet another reason why this city is so great: Choir! Choir! Choir!

C! C! C! is a singing group based in Toronto. Since February of 2011, they have been throwing down and saving lives. www.choirchoirchoir.com

I’ve actually been a member of this Facebook group for a few months now. Always wanting to go to an event, but feeling shy and discouraged to go alone. Alas, my social circle’s avaliability has dwindled due to life, marriages and babies….. and of those who still remain, they are less than enthusiastic about singing loudly in public than I am 🙂

But when I received the invite to last week’s session – I was def gonna check it out not matter what!

Don’t You Want Me (Human League) and Tainted Love (Soft Cell) – Yup! Two classics. One glorious night!

Typically, C! C! C! meets at two different pubs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Toronto’s Little Italy (College/Shaw area) …

Daveed Goldman & Nobu Adilman are the musical leads/directors who kick off the evening with riffs and banter before corralling us all to stand tightly as close to the stage as possible, grouping those who sing “highs and mids” separate from “lows and base”.

With minimum practice, Daveed and Nobu were able to make us sound amazing in 3-hours of fun filled singing with beers! Don’t believe me – check out the SoundCloud clips … thrilled that MY voice will be among a few of these renditions now. Oooop Boop!

I really can’t describe how amazing it was to be surrounded by a bunch of strangers singing our hearts out in unison and harmony. The only way to capture that feeling is to show you friends. Check out this clip of C! C! C! singing Neil Diamond’s hit “Sweet Caroline”.… if you’re not smiling ear-to-ear by the end of it, then you are a robot.

Oh … here’s what I wore done collage-style (as I forgot to take pics of the actual outfit) – my #ootd was uber casual for pub singing with C! C! C!:

How I got the Look: Black tank maxi dress from H&M; Great back lace sweatshirt from Penningtons (click here and here for other posts featuring this one); Medina Bib from Stella & Dot; Purple patterned scarf and memory foam soled Sketcher — essential for all the STANDING required for 3+ hours of singing with C! C! C! 🙂

Can’t wait for the next sing-a-long event with this fantastic group of people! Just thinking about it makes my heart happy! Weeeeee!

Want more details about C! C! C!? – Read Here, New People 🙂

Tribal Kimono

Toronto got its first glimpse of summer weather this weekend friends! Happy to say I got to enjoy a patio or two …hope you did too.

Saturday I put together a real casual run-about-town-doing-nothing daytime look by giving a simple tank maxi dress a trendy tribal feel.

H&M – a store I typically never venture into…but signs for a One-Day-Sale lured me in. Y’all know I’m weak when it comes to sales. 😉 Discovered a selection of basics for fab prices…. I was happy to find that these maxi dresses in straight sizes (size L) fit me! And was only $10!!! Bonus – the length was perfect for a petite gal like me. Typically with maxi dresses I’ll have to wear sky-high platform sandals to avoid hemming the dress…..buuuuuut this maxi stopped well above my ankles, which meant I could do flats easily! With all of these benefits…I HAD to pickup this mauve one AND its twin, in black.

I picked up this sheer kimono from Marshall’s a few weeks ago with a gift card I nearly forgot I had.

Not only is this tribal print on trend, but the light sheer fabric is perfect for a comfortable coverup/outerwear layer to help you ‘closet swap’ whist we enjoy this in-between weather from Spring to Summer. Most of the kimonos in straight sizes fit me nicely – the one I’m wearing here is a size L.

I’m really loving the tribal patterns that seem to be going strong into the Summer, and even happier to have incorporated this trendy piece into my wardrobe with a gift card that was totally forgotten about in my wallet. Did you know that you can sell gift cards for cash at the price you choose? Raise Marketplace accepts gift cards and merchandise credit from any brand or restaurant, and you get paid when the gift card sells. Good to know, huh… 😉

Alternative to pairing this tribal kimono with this maxi, I think it would look lovely with a crop top and loose-fitting drawstring pants – for a more summertime easy-breazy look.

Waddya think? Would you rock a kimono or tribal prints this Spring/Summer season?

How I got the Look:

Sheer tribal kimono from Marshalls; Mauve maxi tank dress from H&M; black flat peep-toe with cutouts from Payless; Jade & gold drop earrings from Stella & Dot; Cat-eye sunnies from Public Butter Vintage

OOTD: Rainy Day Alternative

It’s a full week of rain in Toronto … and although I’ll happily take it over snow, I’m always looking for alternatives so I can avoid carrying around a giant umbrella to get from A to B in the city.

I have the best pair of galoshes!!! These pink paisley rubber boots basically screamed “Irene” when I scored them a million years ago from Wal-Mart.

But sometimes, a girl doesn’t want to be in humid rubber boots all day. Plus, these boots don’t exactly go with ever look and outfit. 😉

So here’s what I put together as a Rainy Day Alternative recently … in an effort to rid myself of an umbrella and galoshes.

The solution: A giant hat + booties!

Now naturally, this alternative is only good if the temperature is warmish (15+) and rain not too heavy so your footwear doesn’t get ruined. Since my jacket was 3/4 sleeved (and extremely light), pairing it with this fun scarf helped give me that extra bit of warmth. If you wanna see the many other ways to tie a scarf, I’ve got you covered in that link 🙂

Since the overall colour scheme was pretty simple and muted, I thought I’d add a pop of colour by wearing this HOT Pink gold studded belt to give my outfit some pizzazz!

I’ve been all over this circle scarf I picked up back in November from Aldo (I even mentioned it in my Interview upon being nominated for a 2014 LIEBSTER BLOG AWARD). It’s a light-weight simple beige toned bird patterned scarf, that I find myself adding to any and all outfits I whip up, especially on the weekends for running errands or impromptu meet-ups for brunch, drinks and the like.

Like the look? What are your solutions to looking cute in the rain?

How I Got The Look:

Bird circle scarf, Aldo Accessories (click here for related other posts)

Pink paisley galoshes, Wal-Mart (click here for related other posts)

3/4 sleeved brown jacket, AdditionElle

Black n’ white striped long-sleeved dress, Old Navy

Hot pink studded belt, Your Big Sister’s Closet

Large cream brimmed hat, Toronto Vintage Clothing Show(click here for related other posts)

Faux cowboy booties, Payless( click here for related other posts)

Statement Jewellery May Help You Network

My apologies for the long absence….. seems my day job and life have been keeping me from blogging. But I’m back and ready to share some insights on some things I’ve observed whist being a more corporate fashionista the last week and a half.

I have found myself in numerous situations where there network opportunities to broaden my professional-social-circle have presented itself. However, developing rapport with strangers in professional, office-workplace settings has always been something I find tricky to do….

So, my go-to strategy once I’ve found someone I’d like to network with, is to begin by offering them a compliment.

Often time in those painful elevator rides where EVERY button is illuminated, and we’re all staring at each our feet, I’m usually the first to notice a fellow corporate fashionista standing next to me with fantastic shoes. I’ll look up at her and tell her so. And immediately we’ll be in chit-chatty conversation until we’ve arrived at our respective floor destinations.

Compliments are an easy ice-breaker. This means you want to use them to your best advantage and turn compliments into conversations. This totally works for men too. Plus, when another professional feels compelled to let you know they like something you are wearing…it’s as if you instantly have something in common. And possibly have them start thinking, “I wonder what more we might have in common?” 😉

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. For men think: cufflinks, watches and tie pins (although rarely worn).

Multi-strand Pink & Coral Stones, Stella&Dot

Hello Yellow bib & earring set, Expressions – Hudson Bay Co.

Cherry pendent necklace & matching earings from Jubly-Umph Originals, Doll Factory by Damzels (pic links to post)

My favourite, and most impactful pieces that yield the most compliments and conversation-starters are necklaces. Likely, because they’re at eye level with other networkers. Of course, earrings, rings, bracelets and other jewellery could do the same thing too. If its a morning breakfast-networking event or cocktail-event, be sure to wear it on the hand that holds your drink beverage or food plate. So that your fellow networkers can the statement jewellery and make it a conversation starter. 🙂

Mint Stone Necklace from One Girl Who (pic links to post)

Black and Gold necklace, Aldo Accessories

Take a look at a few from my personal collection that has gotten the most ‘action’ in terms of conversation starting with networkers, in addition to my colleagues within my work team, managers included! I’ve provided captions under each picture and links to more details posts if I’ve worn this piece within a previous Outfit of the Day post.

I recommend wearing one eye-catching piece of jewelry to networking events. It doesn’t have to be over-the-top or uber expensive to be effective; it’s most important for it to be visually appealing and personally flattering.

What is your go-to or favourite statement piece of jewellery? What is it about this piece that makes is special to you?

#Bopo.jpg — THE Medina Bib, Stella & Dot (pic links to post)

White & Gold Bib, Aldo Accessories (pic links to post)

steampunkearcuffs — Giant Pearls, Your Big Sister’s Closet; Ear-cuffs, Steam On Queen (pic links to post)

#OOTD: April Showers

I just realized that I haven’t actually blogged about this particular outfit that I posted to Instagram a few weeks ago. Figured I’d do a ‘rainy-day’ outfit post seeing as we’re in April….and you know what they say, “April showers, bring May flowers”…

Toronto sure could use some springtime flowers already! Sigh…

I have the best pair of galoshes!!! These pink paisley rubber boots basically screamed “Irene” when I scored them a million years ago from Wal-Mart. They are still in great shape and continue to keep their waterproofy-ness…although I have noticed that I can’t wear them for too long, as they make my feet extremely warm. These boots have been my go-to for those early morning and last evening Dog-Walks, but I’ve worn them as part of an all-day outfit occasionally.

These pics were taken as I was getting ready to see a Saturday Mirvish matinée performance – fashionable & functional seeing as it was raining cats & dogs that afternoon. So I went for light, bright colours like this Robin’s egg blue card with this ‘hello yellow’ tank with solid navy w/Tuxedo stripe pants. The look was very plain, so I added this amazing springtime scarf I picked up at Winner’s to really tie everything together…in a bow 🙂

Did you like my rainy day look?

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What looks to you find challenging to put together? What would you to read about on PetitePlus, Meow?

Use the comments section and let me know 🙂

Take 1

Take 2

Take 3

How I Got The Look:

Springtime colourful scarf from Winners; Yellow tank from Reitmans

Robin’s egg blue cardi + Navy Diva pants from Old Navy

Paisley galoshes from Wal-Mart and vintage yellow swirl earrings from a #tvs friend

Herringbone jacket from Forever21+, seen here

Spring Weekend: Shawl + Hat

It finally happened! Toronto got an actual SPRING weather weekend! Hooray!

So this Sunday I ditched my winter coat for a belted shawl + hat look instead.

I was invited to a photoshoot at High Park…and was asked to wear pastel colours for makeup. I’m not a big makeup kinda girl in the first place, but I was a bit intimidated of how to make pastels work for my darker complexion. With the help of Google and with Rimmel having a sale at Shoppers….here’s my attempt at pastel eyes and lips for the day.

Waddya think?

In hindsight, the light grey lacy-back sweatshirt and silk scarf I wore under the houndstooth shawl did not keep me warm enough….especially after 7pm once the sun went down. But, fashion before function, right? Right!

How I Got The Look:

Outter: Shawl from Reitmans; Cobalt pants from Old Navy; Rhinestone nude flats from Payless; Black belt from Lane Bryant; Hat from Vintage Clothing Show

Inner: Grey lace sweatshirt from Pennington’s; Oriental printed scarf from Vintage Clothing Show;