We All Need a Little Tweed

A jacket like this has been high on my list of closet staples for about a year now. Tweed is timeless and a perfect piece to throw over a quiet outfit to make it more interesting.

Details

Jacket: Thrifted via Crimson Clover Boutique (Halifax)

Jeans: Guess by Marciano (Vancouver)

Sweater: Old Navy (Halifax)

Boots: Call it Spring (Halifax)

Bag: Thrifted Michael Kors via Crimson Clover Boutique (Halifax)

Scarf and Earrings: Le Chateau (Halifax)

Bracelet: Joe Fresh (Halifax)

The size of this bag is just what I needed. I have a tendency to wear giant tote style bags that end up eating everything I put in them, causing random rants with me pulling out everything in the bag to find my keys.

Two classic pieces for a crazy deal... did I mention the jacket and bag were FIVE DOLLARS each and I also got a Banana Republic blazer for the same price?

What's the best find you've had thrift shopping?

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

What's in my Wallet?

Recently my trusty Nine West wallet of five years kicked the bucket. I was sad to see it go because it served me well, but I was also excited to buy a new one. Your wallet is something that you see a lot, so you should be in love with it.

At first, I was stuck on getting a large wallet. As you can see, my previous one was big.

Nine West via Century 21, NYC

So many card slots

I told myself I wasn't buying Coach. Then a 25% off Coach coupon appeared in my e-mail like a sign from the wallet fairies.

Browsing on-line, I was saddened to see that all of the large styles had similarly large price tags. I knew the craftsmanship of a wallet is intricate and all, but I couldn't reason paying almost as much for a wallet as I'd pay for a full sized bag.

After speaking with the associate at the store (who was kind enough to pull out her own wallet and show me how she downsized), I decided on a smaller and more reasonably priced piece.

Can you tell I like red wallets?

The color is called papaya and it is a Medium Madison style. It also comes in black, cognac, kiwi, purple patent, black sateen, and grey sateen.

I'm not showing my drivers license!

So how did I downsize? I took out my coupons and rarely-used cards and put them in a cosmetics bag in my purse (another way to use the tons of Glymm bags I have).  This wallet has a coin zip pocket on the back and my gift cards are tucked into the hidden slots behind the main card slots.

I've been using it for a few weeks now, and I'm glad I went with the medium size - it's easier to fit inside my smaller bags than my previous one.

How often do you replace your wallet?

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Dinner with a View

R and I went out for dinner last weekend (not because it was Valentine's Day. Ok... maybe a little.

We went to Seasons at the Atlantica hotel, and had a lovely candlelight dinner while we watched the skaters on the oval - Halifax's brand new outdoor ice skating facility.

Details:

Jacket: Mac & Jac (Moments, Truro)

Skirt: Costa Blanca (Dartmouth)

Leggings: Old and Unknown

Boots: Le Chateau (Halifax)

Scarf: Gift

Earrings: What on Earth (Dartmouth)

My Valentine surprise.  He broke the "no gift" rule. I forgave him. So pretty :)

I'm linked up with longdistanceloving today for what is supposed to be a post on red carpet style or what you'd wear to watch the Oscars on your couch. I'm pretty sure ya'll don't want to see me in my sofa attire...I may wear my big fluffy brown housecoat and fuzzy socks to watch the awards. Or in honor of the formal event, maybe I'll bring out the lululemon.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Currently Craving: Patterned Pencil Skirts

In my closet is a solitary pencil skirt - in black. While it's a classic and safe option, I think spring 2013 calls for my lonely pencil skirt to gain a bolder sister.

Pink Tartan

Joe Fresh - not yet on their website

Forever 21

J Crew

Any of these options would look classy paired with a crisp white button-up (fastened right to the top) with a statement necklace and nude pumps.

You could even buy a colorful pencil skirt now and wear it with black tights and a simple black sweater while the weather is still chilly.

Which of these skirts do you like the best? How do you style your pencil skirt?

Time for my weekly writing prompt:

Beach or Forest?

Since I was a little girl, I’ve always loved being near the water. I grew up about an hour from the shore and remember spending a lot of time there when I was a kid. My favorite thing to do at the beach when I was younger besides swimming was to find creatures to watch and poke at (but never harm). The water on the north shore of Nova Scotia is warm so now that I live on the Atlantic Coast, I find the water at the Halifax and area beaches too bleeping cold.

When I vacation in the tropics I’m much more likely to be found at the beach than at the pool. I find the sounds of the beach calming and R and I have driven to the beach a few times just to unwind and read for an hour or two. The only thing that bugs me about the beach is applying sunscreen constantly. Why has no one invented a sun protection pill?

In May, I’m going to Jamaica with my mom and a bunch of other people for my best friend’s wedding. I’ve not been there before, so I’m excited for a week of sun, good food, steel drums, and vodka mojitos. No Jamaican rum for me – don’t ask…

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

First Blogiversary

Glitterary Girl turned one year old on the weekend!

To celebrate, I had a cupcake (shocking, I know) and decided to take a peek at some of my favorite style posts from the past year.

Spring 2012. Trip to New England.

Summer 2012. Wedding rehearsal party in Grand Pre, NS

Summer 2012. Wedding in downtown Halifax

Fall 2012. Dinner at the Keg.

Fall 2012. Napa Valley, CA

Winter 2012. Family Holiday Potluck

Glitterary Girl has changed and grown in her first year. What started out as a blog that was meant to focus on my writing and pursuit of publishing my novel has turned into a life and style blog. Nature took its course, and I'm happy with how things are going. Blogging is a hobby that I continue to enjoy, and I wouldn't be doing it if it didn't fulfill my need for a creative outlet.

I'd love to thank all the bloggers who I've connected with over the past year. I've had nothing but positive experiences! I really appreciate those who've taken the time to read Glitterary Girl, leave lovely comments, and follow along through social media. I hope to grow my circle of blog friends in the next year to come!

One of my friends has started a blog as well. Raising Two and Everything Else I Do was born on Glitterary Girl's birthday! Welcome to blogging life Elizabeth!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

The Colors of Love

Hello my lovelies, and welcome back weekend!

Today I'm linking up with longdistanceloving for a focus on pink and red. I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day. Although the snowy setting in these pictures may look romantic, in fact, I was shivering and alone in -16 degree weather with only my tripod to keep me company. Sigh.

Details

Sweater: Gap (Halifax)

Jeans: Joe Fresh (Halifax)

Belt: Old and unknown

Sneakers: Converse (Las Vegas)

Snood: American Eagle Outfitters (Dartmouth)

Necklace: H&M (San Francisco)

In hindsight, I would have added sunglasses - the snow was blinding.

Did you wear a pink or red outfit for V-Day?

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

A Deal on Dots

I've become quite the collector of colored and printed jeans over the past few seasons. I'm still nervous to spend a ton of money on them, just in case the trend doesn't stick (I did the same thing with skinny jeans circa 2006...).

I was thrilled to add a pair of polka dot jeans to my collection - an absolute steal for $7.

Details

Jeans: Old Navy (Dartmouth)

Shirt: Gap (Halifax)

Boots: Call it Spring (Halifax)

Necklace: Etsy

Bracelets: Forever 21 (San Francisco)

Are you finding great end of season deals?



This week's writing prompt was a fun one It was really hard to decide on the most important years (1993 and 2011 were honorable mentions).

Think of three important years in your life - not including the year you were born. Why are these three separate years so important? What happened and where were you?

1999 – I was twenty years old and single for the first time in six years. I learned what it was like to really be on my own, and focused on my female friends (both old and new). I was in my third year at university and enjoyed campus life, going out dancing, and still managed to get good grades.

2003 – This was the year I graduated from physio school and moved back to my hometown (I never imagined I’d return there). I bought my first car (a little red Celica) and started my career. I also moved back in with my parents (another thing I never imagined doing) and spent a lot of time re-connecting with my mom while watching The Osbournes and The Simple Life on the couch.

2005 – My best friend and I left Canada behind for a year-long adventure in Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia. We saw even more of the countries than I ever imagined we would, and we met some incredible people along the way… some who remain close friends to this day even though we are far apart. I wasn’t homesick the entire time because I kept telling myself how lucky I was to get the opportunity to experience this and I had the rest of my life to be at home. The experience also solidified our friendship – they say that traveling together triples how well you get to know someone, and I can vouch for that! 

I can’t wait for another big life changing year to come up sometime soon – looks like I’m due for one!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Decadence

Do you ever hoard clothes? I'm the worst for it. At any given time, I can be guaranteed to have at least five things in my closet with tags still on them, "saving" them for sometime when I want to wear something new.

This skirt has been waiting since Christmas to come out.

Details

Skirt: Club Monaco (Halifax)

Tights: Old and unknown

Boots: Steve Madden (Toronto)

Shirt and bracelet: Joe Fresh (Halifax)

Fur Collar: H&M (Dartmouth)

Cardigan: H&M (Vancouver)

Earrings: Silpada

I'm obsessed with the leather details on the skirt. I was in Club Monaco the other day and I am officially in love with pretty much everything in the spring collection.

I wore this to a wine, cheese, and chocolate tasting last week. It was called Decadence and it was put on by the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia. This was my second year at the event, and it was such a fun time! I love finding new wines! The cheese appetizers and chocolate treats were phenomenal as well.

Do you have any fun things planned to break up the dreariness of mid-winter?

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Layer Love

It's Friday! Once again, I'm linking up with longdistanceloving. This week it's a layer party - it may be my favorite link-up !

Details

Leather jacket: Danier (Halifax)

Vest: Zara Kids (San Francisco)

Shirt: Gap (Halifax)

Pants: Aeropostale (Halifax)

Boots: Steve Madden (Toronto)

Scarf: American Apparel (Halifax)

Bracelets: Forever 21 (San Francisco)

Necklace: American Eagle Outfitters (Halifax)

Layers can be hard to pull off. You can't just pile things on top of each other or you risk looking like a child playing dress up or a street person. I tend to focus either on layers on the upper half (like my outfit here) or the lower half - but not both at once. Also, shopping days aren't the best time to add tons of layers as it takes too long in the dressing room to get your clothes off and on.

Playing with different textures is important when layering. On top, I'm wearing leather, faux fur, and cotton. Not long ago I tried wearing a wool knit sweater with a wool scarf. I took off the wool scarf as soon as I looked in the mirror and switched it to a cotton one.

I saw this silver and pink mani in a magazine and tried to copy it. I kind of like it! I think it'll work with lots of other color combos - maybe gold with chocolate brown or light metallic blue with cobalt.

Have a wonderful weekend!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Hi Fake Tree

I'm on vacation this week (stay-cation) and I told myself I'd take some outdoor blog photos. Enter a raging snowstorm and suddenly the idea of shivering outside in the wind made me cringe. So here is me and the fake tree again.

Details

Cardigan: Kensie (Margolians, Truro)

Shirt: Zara (San Francisco)

Scarf and bracelet: Gift

Jeans: Guess (Moments, Truro)

Boots: Call it Spring (Halifax)

Belt: Levis (Dartmouth)

I forgot how nice it is to have a week off with no major plans. I have some stuff to get done around the house and a much anticipated social event on Thursday, but I have a lot of down time too! I spent part of today snuggled on the couch catching up on DVR'ed "New Girl", which is a nice segue for my Plinky topic.

What technological device could you not live without?

I like all my little gadgets – my cell phone, my iPod, my laptop – but the one that has changed me the most is my DVR. How great is it to be able to watch the TV you want whenever you want? Ok, I remember VCRs, and while they were useful, it took ages to rewind and fast forward, and no one ever remembered how to program them. You always had to worry about your tape running out or someone messing up your recording. Also, with VCRs there were the stacks and stacks of tapes that took up a ton of space. I rarely ever watch shows in real-time anymore. It’s so much more time-efficient to watch them later, when you can skip the commercials. So sorry to the VHS tapes of the original 90210 that are buried somewhere in the depths of a box in my parents’ basement, I’ll be DVR’ing my teen dramas from now on. Speaking of teen dramas, have you seen “The Carrie Diaries”? Love it!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Glymm January 2013

Hello cute little cosmetics bag. You're a lovely bronze color!

First up for this month's Glymm products is a repeat. Good thing it's a repeat I like. Burt's Bees Milk and Honey lotion! My own honey introduced me to this a few years ago and it's an amazing moisturizer. I love these little packs for travelling!

Next are two cleansing cloths from L.A. Fresh. I really liked the nail polish remover packs from this company  that were sent previously, so I have high hopes for the facial wipes. The product card says that each wipe costs $3 (what?). Who pays $3 every time they wash their face? The mascara sample is from Lash-M. I haven't tried it yet.

This looks like a really tiny sample of eye cream, but with this stuff, a little goes a really long way. I tried this the other night and it made my undereye area totally silky and I used the teeniest amount. I'm sure this will last me for months, which is fabulous because eye cream is expensive! The company is 360 Skin Care. The scent is strong and planty.... reminds me of Aveda.

The epitome of laziness - I forgot to take a photo of the last item, and I can't be bothered to get out my camera again! It's a decent sized sample of moisture infusing hair serum, which is used like a conditioner and rinsed out. It's called Coolway Boost and is activated by low heat styling, which is a little confusing to me since you rinse it out in the shower before you use the heat... hmm. I'll be interested to see if it works well. 

I liked this month's bag, largely due to the eye cream and the pretty bag. Glymm is increasing to $15 from the current $10 I pay, so I have a big decision to make. While I enjoy my goodies, I'm not sure if the products are any better than before... and the price is 50% higher. That's a big hike, and Top Box is tempting.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Snow Bunny

Hmmm, I think the definition of "snow bunny" has something to do with skiing. Just to clarify - I don't ski. I tried it a few times, but alternately sweating, freezing, and falling on my butt wasn't my idea of a good time. However, the idea of curling up at a ski lodge in front of a fireplace with an InStyle and a chai latte sounds perfect. This is what I might wear for such an activity.

Details

Jacket and Earmuffs: Danier (Halifax)

Sweater: Joe Fresh (Truro)

Pants: Uniqlo (San Francisco)

Boots: Bare Traps (The Shoe Company, Halifax)

Fur Collar: H&M (Dartmouth)

Bracelet: Gift

Lipgloss: Anastasia in Sugar Pink
I take this blogging thing VERY seriously.

Check out longdistanceloving for other apres ski looks. Her Friday link-up is a great place to find other blogs!

Do you ski or do any other snowy activity?

XOXO

Glitterary Girl