style: the perfect black mini

These two pieces from Joe Fresh are rockin' my boat lately. The black mini skirt is a bit shorter than I would normally wear, but I figure that when worn with tights it's not as scandalous. Did I mention it has pockets? It truly is the ultimate staple -- suitable for almost any occasion, super chic and dare I say, sexy even. I've been wearing it with my ankle booties almost every weekend since I bought it. And the sweater? What's not to love about a soft and comfy camoanimal print (try saying that ten times).

This picture was taken at a random farm outside of the city. I desperately needed a change of scenery a few weeks ago, so Scott and I went for a spontaneous drive in the country. We stopped and trespassed through a farmer's field to get near the hay bales, but only for a few minutes because I was scared we'd get caught. My idea of living on the edge. Well that, and wearing a hat in public.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
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Sweater: Joe Fresh
Skirt: Joe Fresh (on major sale, btw I'm wearing a small)
Jacket: Zara (last season)
Tights: Hue
Boots: Aldo
Hat: Target
Purse: Similar
Necklace: Anthropologie (last season)

loving... anthro's tropicalia dress

Edmonton's in the midst of a bitter cold snap and with spring still months away, dreaming of wearing this gorgeous dress is my only salvation from the winter doldrums.

This maxi is officially my first purchase of 2013. My second? These fun printed oxfords. Can you tell I�m tired of being wrapped up in thick winter clothes?

What about you? Have you bought anything from the spring collections yet? It�s hard not to, isn't it -especially with temptation lurking everywhere you turn � even at the dang supermarket. I�m looking at you Joe Fresh floral printed jeans.

Hope you're having a fantastic week and keeping warm.

Dajana

anthropologie: revisiting the whirligig dress

I haven�t worn this dress in a year. Strange because it�s perfect for those mornings when I want to pull on something easy, soft, comfy and cozy. Like today.

Really, it should be renamed the Pajama Dress.

{Anthropologie Whirligig dress & patterned tights, Joe Fresh cardi, H&M belt, Pegabo boots}

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American friends! Hope you�re having a comfy cozy day, too.

P.S. I'm seriously coveting this dress. He-llo! (;

anthropologie: ikat frequencies shirtdress

This is one of my favourite Anthro pieces from this year. Perfect for when you're standing blurry-eyed and half asleep in front of your wardrobe on a Monday morning wanting to feel effortlessly chic in a hurry. I've been living in it this summer.



When it's a tad chilly, I pair it with skinny jeans and on balmy days, I only need to add sandals and I'm out the door. It's nice to have such an easy and versatile piece in my closet--and you could just stuff it in a suitcase for traveling.

Anthro has added three new prints to the mix but I stand by the original blue motif. The vibrant blue makes me feel like I'm vacationing in the Mediterranean. And that's important when, in reality, I'm smack dab in the middle of the Canadian prairies with neither a body of water nor European vacation in sight. (;

Dajana

style: bold + sweet stripes

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(On Kat: Dress - Eva Franco, Sandals - Geox)

Scott and I had a fun double dinner date with our friends Kat and Gord, last night.  We went to Von's and indulged in oysters, clam chowder, steak and a lovely chocolate cake (we all got the choco cake). I finally wore my B.B. Dakota dress and was happy to see Kat rocking the most gorgeous Eva Franco dress from Lola's Boutique.

(Dress � B.B. Dakota, Jacket � Joe Fresh, Sandals & bracelet � H&M, Necklace � Anthropologie)

Sundresses and sandals have become my go-to wardrobe choice on pretty much a daily basis. Add in a topper (jacket, cardigan or blazer) and it instantly becomes work appropriate.

Hope you�re having a sundress kind of summer!

Dajana

p.s. Thanks to our husbands for taking these shots and for having the patience of a thousand men.

anthropologie: slung slash tee

Top: Anthropologie Slung Slash Tee in Moss

Blazer: H&M

Jeans: Old Navy

Boots: My go-to pair from Feet First

Earrings: Banana Republic hoops

My casual Friday look during the winter usually consists of a blazer, shirt, skinny jeans or a dress and boots. Not terribly exciting I'm afraid, but it works and I feel comfortably chic. I especially like the look of the coquettish Slung Slash Tee peeking from beneath a cardigan or in yesterday's case, a plaid equestrian'ish blazer from H&M. I am so happy I purchased this versatile shirt - I like that it looks just as good tucked into a pencil skirt as it does worn with denim. I'm not sure it'd be as work appropriate sans blazer (the lovely neckline is a wee bit low cut) but once 5 p.m. rolls around, look out! (;

Does your workplace have casual Fridays? What does your "uniform" consist of?

Have a super weekend, y'all! I hope it's filled with heaps of fun and relaxation. I'm looking forward to doing some shopping with my mom and niece and watching my hubby play hockey. On Sunday, I have my last indoor soccer practice of the season. Once the snow melts (soon I hope!), our outdoor season starts. Yay!

Dajana

anthropologie: getting my bond girl on!

Stylish green skirt, check.

Hitting the target, nine times out of ten, check.

Playing Bond girl for an evening...priceless.
















Who says you have to wear jeans to an indoor shooting range? Not me! I was more than happy to don my new Pleated Ponte Skirt when we visited the Phoenix Indoor Range last weekend. It was my first time at a gun range and I was excited and nervous and giddy. I had heart palpitations, but in the best possible way.
It's not every day that one shoots a 9mm handgun, peeps. I honestly never thought I'd enjoy handling a firearm (I'm the girl who gets scared whilst watching CSI) but I surprised myself by loving every minute of our gun slingin' adventure. It was an adrenaline rush like no other!

Scotty and I, along with three other couples, were at the range celebrating our friend Robin's 40th birthday. His wife & my buddy, Patrycia, came up with this super duper idea! I would highly recommend this as a fun birthday activity for men or lady folk. Plus, what's a milestone celebration without a couple of rounds of ammo before dinner?

The friendly peeps at Phoenix were lovely (hi Steve!) and also very patient with our group. Well, mostly me. They gave us a solid safety orientation and let us choose from over 30 different firearms. I picked the small and ladylike 9mm Glock but later on I also tested out the big boy you see in the last few pictures - the Tactical 9mm. That was beyond cool.

My facial expression at the end of this video says it all. Take a gander:




Happy Friday y'all and a happy Family Day long weekend!

I have four days off (four!) and am SO excited to sleep in, take in the Silver Skate Festival at Hawrelak Park, watch some Oscar-nominated short films at the Princess Theatre, and visit the mothership - my local Anthro. Maybe I'll even stop in and say hello to her friends, Zara and H&M.

Let's talk soon, okay? After our shooting escapade we went for dinner at my new favourite resto and I want to tell you all about it. See you in a few days!

Dajana (:

anthropologie: fitting room reviews

In the words of The Cure: "It's Friday, I'm in love."

To celebrate this happy day, I thought I'd share a few items I recently tried on at Anthro.
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?????First up is the Pleated Ponte Skirt.  Love this piece! It's a great weight, the colour is a beautiful saturated kelly green and it's swishy and fun. Initially, I thought I might be old-ish to wear this short length (19'') but with tights and a lower heel (or flats) it's a go. I tried on both a size six and an eight. I went with the larger size so I could wear it lower on my hips. Did I mention how much I love this? Enough to call it my own.

{Pleated Ponte Skirt}

Next we have the highly touted Pieced Column Dress. The Anthro community is abuzz about this Bailey 44 number. Ladies be smitten!  Even non-believers are converted once they try on this figure flattering body conscious dress.  I was in the latter group. I never thought I'd like such a body (and booty) hugging dress, but I sure did. The layering of the material and the diagonal stripes come together to hide imperfections and highlight curves. Yay! Although I like the way it looks, I think it might be a tad too sexy for my fairly conservative workplace. Maybe it'd be alright if paired with a cardigan or jacket, like Molly of Anthromollogies did with the longer version here? Hmmm. No matter, I still highly recommend this dress. For reference, I'm wearing a medium.

{Pieced Column Dress}

Third on the list is the pretty Valparaiso Dress. It's the most lovely shade of emerald green but I'm not sure about the flowy, dolman sleeves. How would I cook dinner in this? ;)  I found the fit much more flattering by tying the dress in the back, rather than in a bow as shown in the online photo. I tried on a size 8 but really needed a size 6. Unfortunately, none were to be had at my local Anthro. Sadly, it's a pass for me.

{Valparaiso Dress}

?Ladies, meet the Scalloped Buttondown. This bright yellow hued blouse is gorgeous! I like the attention to detail - just look at those wonderful scallops! There's such an ease to this blouse and it can be dressed up or down. I tried on a size 10 to accommodate my d�colletage area and there was no gaping. Yes! I particularly love the 3/4 sleeves and can see myself tucking it into skirts (animal print!) or wearing it belted under a cardigan and skinny jeans. All of this golden wonderment for under $100 and it's machine washable. Hellooo!

{Scalloped Buttondown}

?Last, we have the Shawl-Collar Boatneck.  I think many ladies will choose this comfy cozy as their go-to top for weekends and for travelling. It comes in an array of stunning shades, in addition to the bright pink. My friend Karen bought the orange version and it looks fabulous against her dark hair. It's a soft, thick jersey knit and would work well for those of us trying to disguise a big lunch or for those ladies who have just had a baby. It does fit large so try a size down - I'm wearing a small in the photo. I passed on this shirt because I can see myself constantly fiddling with the neckline. Strange, but true.

{Shawl-Collar Boatneck}

Do you have any of these pieces? Or has something caught your eye from the February catalogue? Do tell!

Happy weekending, friends! I hope the next few days are all that and a bag of Lay's Dill Pickle chips.

Speaking of food, this weekend I'm going to nosh on yummy Malaysian food, go curling (a quintessentially Canadian activity), catch up with a good ladyfriend over some drinks and spend Sunday with my little niece.

GO weekend!

Dajana (:

anthropologie: favourites of yesteryear

I visited Anthropologie last weekend, and although I tried a few things on (reviews to come), nothing really got my style senses tingling. I'm hoping the blah releases of the last few months will be replaced by a bevy of beauties, in the spring. A girl can only hope.

Until that time, I'm going to continue to enjoy my Anthro purchases of yesteryear. Every single one of these items makes me feel pretty, feminine, chic and classy. And that's how you should feel when you're getting ready to take on the day.

Let's start this trip down memory lane with a marigold frock from Girls from Savoy. I wore this stunner to my husband's Christmas party, and my next step will be to incorporate it into my work wardrobe. I love how vintage, classic, and timeless this dress feels.

Fall/Winter

{Fluted Ponte Dress}

{Whirligig Dress}

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{Refined Cord Shirtdress}

{Vagabond Dress}

{Wightwick Manor Dress}

Spring/Summer

{Compeer Dress}

{Take Action Dress}

{Beda Dress}

{Flutter Sleeve Tunic}

My friend Ayesha has a couple of favs, too:

{Air Mail Skirt}

{Raining, Pouring Blouse}

Did you enjoy this look back at some of our most cherished Anthro items? Sometimes it's good to be reminded of what you already have in order to keep the consumer monsters at bay. Right, ladies? (;

Happy Friday, y'all. I hope you all have something fun planned for the weekend.  I'm playing in my first soccer game of 2012. Wish me luck!

Dajana

p.s. I'll be back in a few days with a few Anthro reviews and an exciting announcement for Edmonton's style fiends. Come on back now, y'hear?

a tale of two trenches

Hey ladies, can you help a sister out?  I've got a clothing dilemma on my hands.

Here's the dealio. My heart is torn between two lovelies - Anthropologie's Pansy Corset trench and Banana Republic's Mad Men Leopard Print trench. They're both currently in my cupboard awaiting their fate. Sad, but such is life.

I'm smitten with each of them, but for different reasons. The Pansy Corset trench, made of heavy cotton canvas, is a bold statement piece with its quirky and whimsical print and fun striped lining, whereas the Leopard Print trench is subdued, chic and sophisticated, made of polyester (blech!) and has a nondescript lining. Both have a classic silhouette. Neither is waterproof.

Take a look:

So, what do you think, friends?  Pansy or Leopard? I want "trenchgate" to be over soon so I can focus on other fabworthy fall fashion finds.

I hope y'all are having heaps of fun this Labour Day long weekend.

Dajana (:

p.s. Please do come back and visit this week. I'm finally revealing my backyard oasis! I got to use a fancytastic camera so it's going to be a good'er.