It's my birthday, I'll wear hot pink if I want to

Hey there Blogees! It's my birthday! I'm 32! I don't know why I'm writing that with an exclamation point!

Okay, I'll stop.

Seriously though - something about birthdays after a certain age losing their lustre makes me want to wear hot pink and/or other freakishly bright and annoying colours. Kind of like, hey, I'm 32 and I'm gonna wear whatever the hell I want... or something.

Also - I love this skirt.

Anywho - this morning I went to the park with my BFF and her kiddos (and my kiddos, obvs) to hang out and be outside in the sunshine and have celebratory birthday timbits. And this is what I wore. Yay for birthday outfits (NOT to be confused with birthday suits - no one wants to see that, trust me).

Mud Run Fun Fashion

Today's post is going to be a bit different.

For the 2nd year in a row now I've pulled up my big-girl panties and gone and done Mud Hero: a 6k mud obstacle course fun-run. It is seriously the hardest thing I do all year (and no, it's not nearly as hard as Tough Mudder, or Warrior Dash or a myriad of other mud-runs.... it's kind of like those runs goofy little brother... but hey) and I'm usually really sore and really proud of myself the next day. I'm not the most fit person around, but I manage to complete the run and do all the obstacles, so I love it. And I'm so doing it again next year.

This year, the hubs decided to join me, and our team "Muddy Mayhem" was made up of myself, the hubs, my folks, and my friend (who is way tougher than me and has done Tough Mudder approximately 18000% more times than I ever will) and I decided to share some "mud run fashion" with you.

For mud-runs, the normal fashion rules do not apply. You need to wear clothes that are fairly tight, made of wicking material, and add some wacky costume accessories to make you stand out to the photographers around the course. So here's what we wore!

 

My folks - possibly the coolest parents ever. 

 

My tough mud-run friend - this hero is ready for mud-battle!

 

Here you can see us rocking the neon yellow knee highs and yellow bandanas we chose for our team this year. Also - fluorescent shoelaces. Obviously.

Summer Blues

The end of summer always gives me a slight case of the blues. Summer is so short here in Ontario, and while I do look forward to crisp fall days, and the colours of the leaves on the trees (and all the thing I'm allergic to being dead and not affecting me anymore) I know that it will only be a short time before I'm longing for the hot, lazy days of summer.
Also - it just so happens that my birthday falls in the last week of August, so I have to officially get older every year at the end of summer... so, y'know, there's THAT.

That said, the blues in this outfit do not give me the blues. They're actually quite bright and fun, and I love these printed pants so much that they basically always get worn straight out of the laundry basket.

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.

 

Mom-Date

You guys, you guys! I got to go on a date! A MOM-DATE!

What's a Mom date, you ask? Well, I'll tell you!

It's when you go out with some other Moms for dinner and drinks and you don't take your husband or your kids.

That's right, ladies. Moms. Only.

Awesome.

So since I was going on a Mom date, and I was super excited to go somewhere without having to hold anyone's hand, or bring wipes with me (I mean, for reals) I decided I would get a little teensy bit dressed up! *Because I didn't want them to think I was trying too hard ifyouknowhwatimean...... lol

I wore jeans, because well...jeans. And I put on a totally simple peplum top that's really easy to wear and makes me look so much more fashionable than I really am. So comfy wedge heels and some makeup (I know, right?!), which of course had to include my favourite mascara EVER, and I even brushed my hair. Okay - maybe I was trying too hard, but keep in mind these are ladies who have had to be subjected to me in yoga-pant-early-morning-mom-mode all school year.

We went to Marca in Whitby (which is amazingly good, so go if you're ever in Whitby. I mean, it, go.) and had really good pasta, pizza, bruschetta and wine. And we talked, and we laughed, and we didn't have to yell at anyone, and no one said "I don't like this" and pushed their plate away and it was so so nice.

So thanks, ladies! I had a fab time!
And for everyone else who didn't get to go on a Mom-date - here's what I wore.

Printy Printy Print Pants

So, I'm probably not the most subtle, sedate person you'll ever meet.
What I mean is that, most people wouldn't use the word "quiet" to describe me.
I guess I'm trying to say that I can be a bit... outgoing. Gregarious, even.

Okay, honestly - I'm pretty loud, I'm not shy, I'll say just about anything, and I love love LOVE bright colours. So these print pants are pretty freakin low-key for someone like me.

For some other people these might seem a bit wild - but to each their own.

I love the print pants trend. I was waaaay ahead of the trend because when I was like 14 I had a pair of plaid bell-bottom trousers that I wore a lot. A LOT. So, clearly I was just super fashionable... and totally not a nerd. Whatever.

I don't look like a nerd in these pants though - at least I don't think I do. You'd tell me if I was wrong, wouldn't you bloggees?

Thrifted Vest

I have been wanting a cargo/canvas/military-esque style vest for quite a while now. However, most of them are either a)stupidly expensive b)not shaped correctly for someone my shape (because I just LOVE looking like a big square... literally) or c) covered in weird/awkward/so-not-my-style blingy bedazzlement - sorry - but if you grew up in the 80s/90s anything that looks like something someone went at with a Bedazzler is not really at the top of my list.

So when I saw a short-sleeved button up shirt with pretty much all the cargo/military type styling I was looking for on VarageSale for a whopping $3.00 I had to jump on it. Picked this baby up, took it home, chopped off the sleeves - and voila! Cargo vest for $3.00!

I paired it while at the cottage with a long sleeve tee, my current fave jeans and my happy birthday to me moccasins. Super comfy, warm enough for a cool rainy day up north. I can see this vest getting a LOT of wear this fall as I'm looking forward to layering it with sweaters, button downs and hoodies. I also like the versatility that the buttons and string-tie at the waistband offers.