Springtime PINK

Oh friends!  I’m sorry I’ve been so absent with outfit posts.

I am getting up everyday and wearing clothes and going out and about … I promise. 🙂

I just haven’t been very good about photographing.  And truth be told, been feeling kinda blue these days and not in the mood to write about clothes, shoes, etc.

Just been feeling ‘meh’.

But enough about that…..here’s my April Springtime in PINK recap:

Follow me on INSTAGRAM … as I often post OOTDs there as they happen 🙂

Pink Lace 

I recently hit The Duffrin Mall for a much-needed eyebrow clean up appointment…and somehow this lovely frock followed me home 🙂

I’ve noticed that the styles of Forever21+ online are very different from what they’ve got in the store. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I found this one.  (PS:  Great plus size selection at the Duffrin Mall location by the way ;))

Since it’s been a wintery-like Spring for much of this month, I paired it with a long-sleeved cardi with diamond-like sparkle buttons (Mark’s Work Wearhouse)

Hot Pink Shortie Cardi

Oook!  Remember my tailor-made-just-for-me Birdy Dress from Vietnam?   Well, I took it to the office by wearing this hot pink shortie cardi overtop (Old Navy) and this bright printed circle scarf (Ardene) to keep the cleavage work appropriate.

And last but not least,

Colour Me Pink with the Fanny Midi Skirt:

I picked up this amazing green Fanny Midi Skirt from Tatyana Boutique last fall during their BOGO event.  Happy to note it’s still currently available here.

It is a pricey piece…so I’m thrilled to be able to make it work for springtime too!

I wore it last weekend to a fun Rockabilly Brunch in my hood, with a long-sleeve laced shoulder shirt from Forever21+ that I picked up ages ago, and the striped purse is Kate Spade (click here for more purse).

OH, click here to see how I wore it this past Winter, and where I went.

Hoped you enjoyed this quick and dirty recap of my April Springtime looks.

Got a favourite?  Which do you like the best?  Tell me in the comments section.

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How To Tie a Scarf?

In a recent post, I got a comment telling me how much they liked the way I tied my scarf and asking that PPMeow! do a tutorial post on how to tie scarves.

Ask and you shall receive friends!!! 🙂

Spring is the perfect time to bring light-weight, bright scarfs into your wardrobe and outfit choices.   Not only are they fashionable, they are functional too as it’s still cold and breezy out keeping the delicate area of the neck covered will help keep the rest of you warm.

I’ve put together a collection of helpful resources I’ve used/refer to when I want to give an outfit a new look, to dress up your outfit  or to simply  add some pizzazz with a scarf.

I personally have Three “go-to” knots for the scarves I wear:

1.  The Giant Bow 

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There is really nothing to this scarf-tying technique.  Simply drape the scarf around your neck (keeping it as long and both sides as even as possible), then criss-cross the two pieces into a bow as you would your shoelaces.  You can keep the bow small…or fluff out each side of creating a larger puffy bow like I did above 🙂

 

2.  The Side Braid

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Now this one is a bit more tricky …leaving me to usually have to re-watch the YouTube vid once again, before wearing my own scarf like this.  So I’m including the vid for y’all 🙂

Once tied, you can simply lift it over your head and keep braid in-tact.  This way you have one always ready-to-go with this clever braid-tied-technique to save you time.  Just saying’ 😉

 

 3.  The Fancy Knot

For much of the winter months, this was my scarf-knot of choice.  It works really well with thicker, bulkier scarves …. but using light-weight ones work as well, just keep the knot nice and loose, and it’ll look great!

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Lastly, check out The Knot Library for additional quick scarf-tying images to help you recreate the look of your scarf by trying a new knot to change the look around your neck 🙂

 

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What did you think of this post?  Looking for your feedback friends….tell me your thoughts within the Comments section below.

Oh – and Follow my Blog via WordPress and Facebook too! 🙂

 

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Spring Photo Shoot with Rebecca Northcott

What do you immediately do when a camera is pointed at you and you hear, “Say cheese!”?  Do you know which side is your “good side”? Do you know what angle and what light really makes you look your best in photos?

I’ve generally got one standard photo stance: look straight ahead at the camera, smiling ear-to-ear with an involuntary head tilt.  Not at all model-esk.

Rebecca Northcott is a photography who has recently moved from Leeds, England to put down roots in Toronto, Canada with her hubs.  Yup …she’s a newly wed! 🙂  She’s already done a few outfit photoshoots on my blog here, here , here and here.  (More to come in the future too I’m hoping, xo Bexx). Since I began blogging a mere four months ago…I’ve realized how difficult it is to pose for that perfect shot!  I’ve been fortunate to have Rebecca’s professional eye – a much welcomed change from those photos taken with my shaky hand and iPhone.

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Rebecca has been developing her craft since she was 17, she’s had her work published in magazines and has worked for a range of clientelle over the years. Her recent move to Canada has been a blessing and also a challenge going from a huge client base in UK to rebuilding from scratch here.  Rebecca’s photography style is classy natural lighting with up close portraits. They are her favourite.   Her self-proclaimed OCD about having perfect sharp images is a standard she has set for herself, one which gives her a buzz and excitement as nothing else does.

She shared with me that she still get nervous before every shoot,  because she knows how important it is to the client she’s working with.  Having worked with her several times, I can confidently say that she will produce something wonderful each time – it has always been a pleasure and a fantastic experience working with her!

In an effort to continue to keep her portfolio current, she asked me and a few others bloggers to model some of the lovely Spring Arrivals of Your Big Sister’s Closet so she could snap some editorial type pictures .  How do you say no to a request like that? 😉

So last weekend we, Alex of Not Afraid to Wear Heels, Hanna of Classically Curvy, Karen of Curvy Canadian and moi, PetitePlus, Meow! arrived at the store to get styled in fresh spring fashions with light pastel-makeup faces and headed to High Park for the photoshoot.  Weather forecasted a +7 degree day … but I was still armed with nude hosiery and a shawl…mama didn’t raise no foo!

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The above summary shot links to Rebecca’s Photography page on Facebook, where you’re able to read all about the collaboration and a bit more about each of the outfits worn in each shot.  Between the multiple bloggers who were involved in this shoot,  I thought I would dedicate this post to the artist, Rebecca Northcott, and the art of photography.

I recently stumped upon this article called “The Truth About Photography and Brown Skin”. Writer and photographer Syreeta McFadden eloquently breaks down the problem: Photography has an “inherited bias” against dark skin. McFadden explains that when it came to the invention of color film — developed to be used by the public and taken to a lab — “the technician worked off a reference card [aka Shirley Cards] with a perfectly balanced portrait of a pale-skinned woman.”   This is how modern photography was calibrated: Using a white woman. Which means, as McFadden points out, “film stock’s failures to capture dark skin aren’t a technical issue, they’re a choice.”

Looking at my fellow models from the above “Is It Spring Yet?” photoshoot – I can only imagine that editing MY photos must have taken a lot more time and careful adjusting before they were ready to be shared with the masses.  Take a look at the end results of my photos with the talented photographic eye of Rebecca Northcott below:

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Rebecca Northcott Photography‘s future goal is to get her own studio space and possibly photograph a celebrity or two (here’s hoping!), while continuing to provide her services and create collaborations on personal projects to those in the community who cannot afford professional portraits.

If you want to get in touch with Rebecca, lifestyle photographer specializing in Weddings and Portraits for families in Toronto, Ontario (GTA), use the various links baked into the above post ….as her website is getting a facelift at the moment 🙂

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#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…

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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.

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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 🙂

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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 🙂

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

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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.

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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?

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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!

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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;

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