Here I am in all of my holy glory.  Don’t worry – it was sacramental wine I was drinking 😉
Don’t look too closely, as I sewed this costume myself… still can’t believe it!
I was apart of a fantastic costume theme – where 11 of us dressed as the cast of The Sound of Music.  Complete with the Baroness, The Captain, Maria, all 7 Von Trapp children and of course the Rev. Mother …moi! 🙂
This wasn’t the first time I showed off my ‘nun-sense side’. Â Check out the below from my days of Halloween costuming in elementary school.
Happy to report we WON 1 place for the Best Dressed contest this year!!! Â Huge deal, considering this was my first attempt at sewing anything.
Special thanks to my mom for her sewing machine + help & guidance with laughs. 🙂
Stylish & Warm
Last week the temps dipped into the negatives which forced me to get all bundled up in winter outer wear.
I found this lovely shop on WQW called Pockets & Pearls with this gorgeous wool hat.  The broad brim and tricolour of merlot-camel-navy …
The navy jacket is from Eloquii’s new petite line. Â The first time a coat has fit me properly in the shoulders and in the length of the arms. Â If you haven’t checked them out before – you should!!!!
How I Got The Look:Â Navy Coat with Gold Buttons, Eloquii Petites; Hat, Pockets & Pearls; Shoes, NineWest;Â Gloves w/fur trim, Danier Leather; Pants, Old Navy; Scarf and purse are vintage finds
And what a spectacular night it was… with a gorgeous venue – The Great Hall on WQW!
It was the night I finally got to wear this adorable Russian nesting-dolls dress and fuzzy peach bolero I picked up at Tatyana’s crazy up to 90% off sale!!!
And danced my feet off!!!
Viva la Lindy Hop Swing Dancing!!!  Not sure what that is?  Click here to find out more 🙂
A rare moment – a bunch of lindy hoppers sitting down 🙂ME and my Dance Teachers, Lindy Hop Revolution
REMEMBRANCE DAY
I’m embarrassed to say that this was the first year I’ve ever attended Remembrance Day Ceremonies as an adult.
Since I had the day off, I made my way to Old City Hall in Toronto and pinned my poppy to the wreath at the memorial there.
Got to see the fly-by of vintage World War II planes in ‘missing man formation’, and hear Mayor John Tory’s speech.
It was quite a moving experience to be apart of. Â For more pictures, check out my Instagram channel and follow me.
CHEF’S PLATE
With the end of the month here, I usually post a new recipe that I’ve tried out myself, for the blog.
Have you noticed that I haven’t been keeping up with this since around August/September?
Well, that is because I’ve been cooking up a storm with Chef’s Plate!  Here’s what I’ve made this past month:
This fantastic service has helped introduce me to so many new veggies and dishes…and has given me new confidence in the kitchen.
If you’re curious and want to try it out, You can get 4 meals for FREE by using referral code: Â #PETITEPLUSMEOWÂ Â OR click this link.
1940’s @ GOORIN’S HAT SHOP
The Toronto Lindy Hop Community were invited to an exclusive shopping event at Goorin Bross on WQW – these fabulous hat makers were raffling off 3 gorgeous hats.
Hats. Wine. Live Music. #Boom
I was crushing on this one like crazy!!!
With Xmas nearby… I couldn’t justify dropping big money on any of the beautiful hats I tried on that night.
But I did come home with an Xmas gift certificate present and feathers for a hat I picked up at the Toronto Vintage Clothing Show last year.
Goorin Bros feathers amp up this vintage hat find, don’t you think?
Which meant, I was entered into the draw. Â And guess who won….
I WON! I WON!!!!!
Turns out in all my excitement to get this winning hat on my head for photos …. I was wearing this beauty of a 1940s propeller hat BACKWARDS.
How embarrassing
Here I am … wearing it properly.  (Excuse the no makeup face and demoted only-wear-at-home tank top) 🙂
SWING OUT TO VICTORY
And last, but certainly not least….. was the fabulous dinner dance in Hamilton called: Swing Out To Victory!!!
Last year… was my first year attending this fab event. Â And I ended up winning 2nd place for the BEST VINTAGE OUTFIT Contest!!!
Accessories were selected first – complete with ‘arrival shoes’ (Aldo), purse (Tatyana Boutique) and ‘dance shoes’ (Keds) plus nautical socks (Ardene). I was ready! 🙂
So naturally, this year outfit planning started early…
I had picked up this nautical wiggle dress from Tatyana LAST year and have been dying to unveil it all year-long.
Dancing among the planes, to a live BIG BAND, with men in uniforms….
Um, YES PLEASE!!!
Deets on my outfit and outer wear…
Right picture: Purse and Dress from Tatyana Boutique, Shoes from Aldo, Gloves from 69Vintage
Left picture:  White coat from Forever21+, Mink stole from Public Butter  …. I really like this look, must remember to do this more often in the winter months 😉
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Like I said… It was a busy November 🙂
Hope you enjoyed reading this online journal of What I Did and What I Wore …
SWING OUT TO VICTORY! is an annual dinner-dance held at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum.  You don’t need to be a dancer!  There are tons who come out just go to absorb the experience in a great museum setting with people dressed in their vintage finery.
The superb Toronto All-Star Big Band performed nostalgic tunes from the 1930s and 40s all night underneath the famous Avro Lancaster (last in Canada) – the main focus of the event.
This was going to be my first ‘away’ dance … and I was excited to get all decked out in ALL of my 1940s gear!
Finding vintage plus-sized pieces hasn’t been too easy.  But I did have some luck at this Spring’s Toronto Vintage Clothing Show, where I picked up this floral belted day-dress, along with these new-vintage (i.e. never been worn) Celebrity  bow-tie heels. The white gloves are from 69Vintage, and the purse was a vintage gift (thanks JJ!).  The only non-vintage piece was my fascinator, which I picked up from the Your Big Sisters Closet.
In an effort to make this dress more ‘1940s evening appropriate’ … Â I was on the hunt for a fur stole. Â Lucky for me, my vintage loving friends (thanks Erin & Joy) discovered that The Public Butter (a vintage shop on WQW) had a ton of them for sale!
I picked up this beautiful mink fur with a patterned, in perfect condition, lining for only $40!
The beautiful vintage mink fur stole I picked up – in mint condition from The Public Butter, $40!
The hair is always my biggest challenge. Â Liz, of The Vintage Inn, gave me a great easy tip and I was able to create this vintage back-roll…which held up pretty well all night!
A gaggle of us carpooled our way just outside of Hamilton, in our 40s finest …. stopping to have dinner at Swiss Chalet, we be Klassly like dat….yup – classy with a ‘k’.  And then we were off to dance among the planes with uniformed men 🙂
Lovely 1940s fashions, airplanes and furs with some fabulous ladies! Special thanks to Erin for bringing along her camera to capture some of these fab snaps!A little sweaty faced after all the dancing
At some point in the middle of the fantastic night, a delightful lady handed me a card and said I was her choice for “Best Dressed” of the evening…and would be called up on stage for the competition! Â Woot! Woot!
Geez…check out my Best Dress competition – 7 ft tall goddess with perfect pin-up hair…Best Dress Contestants were me, 7ft pin-up goddess and Winston Churchill
2nd prize winner of a giant basket of goodies for the Best Dressed Contest!Moi – a la 1940s. Photo credit: Shermette … click the link to see her blogpost recap on this event.
Is there a panda behind my head? “I always feel like somebody’s watching me”….Toronto Vintage Society ladies totally ambushed this uniformed crewmen into this shot. He doesn’t seem to mind too much though 🙂
Dancing to the always magically big band music of Toronto All Star Big Band,  surrounded by the planes at The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum,  among veterans and friends dressed in vintage finery and WINNING 2nd place in the best dressed contest ….. what a fantastic night!!!   Can’t wait for next year! 🙂
  
PPMeow! 
