Give it a little pep!

It's every girls dream to wear something comfortable that still looks put together. For me this homemade peplum top fits that bill exactly. It's comfy, it's a nice bright floral and it just plain makes me happy!

Pepluv it.

Okay.
I admit it.
I am officially in love with peplums.
I know, I know, you're thinking "Tea, this is not new news". But I didn't realize until I started going through my fall wardrobe this week and trying to decide if there was anything that needed to leave and go start new life elsewhere that every. single. peplum. I owned went immediately into the keep pile. I just love this silhouette.

This red hi/lo peplum has the added bonus of being a DIY so I can feel extra proud when someone compliments me on it. It was once a skater style dress, which was obscenely short on me (hi, plus sizes, short waist and long legs do not make for a good skater dress body. Oy). So I gave it the chop and turned it into a cute, ballet back, hi/lo peplum top instead. Yay!

How do you feel about peplums? Pepluv it? Or Pepleave it?

Gingham & Boyfriend jeans

Okay, I admit it. I've worn these jeans like a billion times since I picked them up at the V-V boutique (aka Value Village). They actually come from Old Navy, but I much prefer to pay about $7 for jeans than $30. This gingham shirt has gotten a lot of wear this summer and these scalloped flats add just a bit of punchy colour to this outfit.

Lace & Plaid

I know it's really starting to feel like fall when I need to put tights on under my skirts... of course, the morning I got dressed in this is was cool and pouring rain and by halfway through the day it had gone up about 10 degrees and was sunny. End of summer weather just can't make up it's mind!

In any case - I love this brown plaid skirt. I thrifted it last year and had never gotten around to wearing it. It's a really classic shape, a mild kind of a-line, and I actually love that the plaid doesn't quite meet up at each panel, it's ever so slightly "off"... kind of like me.
I wore it with my lace yoke top that you've already seen several times this summer, but I tucked it in to take advantage of the belly hiding high waist of this skirt. Purple tights give this outfit a bit of fun and it slightly less school-marm-ish. My flat knee high boots and some funky peacock style earrings and necklace.

 

Back to School Shopping - a shorts story

Back to School Shopping.

4 little words that make almost any parent shudder.

Oh, the humanity!

The backpacks, the lunchbags, the pencil cases, the stuff stuff stuff... and our kids are only in JK and Grade 1 - and they don't even need any of that stuff (try telling them that).  So thankfully (thankfully?) our Back to School shopping is really only grocery - stocking up on things like juice boxes and lunchmeat and snacks for recesses. Of course - all those individually wrapped, correctly marked 'nut-free' snacks aren't exactly cheap. Thank goodness I'm pushy, handy with a pen and like bulk barn and sandwich bags. But I digress.

We were still at my in-laws this morning, so I was only able to dress from what I packed, but this outfit was comfortable for a day of hanging out, travelling back across the city, and then shopping with the hubs and the kiddos, making dinner and hanging out before wrangling our monsters into bed. You've seen these eyelet shorts and this gingham shirt before, though not together - I quite like it! It's like a very subtle print mixing type of feel.

Red & White

Every now and I then I end up dressing a little patriotically - but I can't help being Canadian and loving how much red and white go together!

These shorts are just so comfy that I've worn them a tonne this summer, and I love this lace yoke top I picked up from Walmart in the states, so this is definitely an outfit made up of pieces you've seen before.

I wore this to hang out at my in-laws, do a little shopping with my sister-in-law for decorating her classroom for this year and celebrating my birthday with my husband's family. A great day all around.

So enjoy my bit of unintentional patriotism and feast your eyes on this simple outfit - and remember - even if you're not Canadian you can still rock red & white and love Canada ;)!

Chambray and Floral

Sometimes when it's grey and rainy outside I like to wear the brightest possible colours. It sort of acts as a pick-me-up when the weather is crummy. This chambray shirt was the first one I ever picked up (and now I have 3 in various washes and sleeve lengths) and started my love for this amazing neutral.  To address something really quickly: chambray is not denim. It is denim-like. It comes in washes (like denim) and has a kind of blue, brushed cotton feel... but it is NOT a denim shirt. It's much lighter and more wearable. So if you're looking for a chambray, look for something that has a little bit of texture or weave to the fabric, but still flows and moves nicely. A good chambray can act as a neutral with basically any colour, but is more casual than a white button down, can also act as a great neutral layer. Okay - enough chambray talk.

I found this fabric on sale at a fabric store and I knew it was destined to be a skirt. I loved the slightly watercolour feel of the print and the colours are so bright and saturated. I paired it with a bright pink chemise and my chambray to hang out around my house, do laundry and walk the dog. It's cool, comfy and looks nice enough that if I were to go out later I wouldn't have to change.