Random Road Trippin'

Summer has been a long time coming for us in Nova Scotia. With a full weekend of sun and heat forecasted, we decided to head out on a little road trip. Destination - New Brunswick!

My aim was to have fun, not take photos, so I don't have pictures of every bit of our day. Missing are snaps from the bakery in Cap Pele (yummy whoopee pies and a BLT), L'Aboiteau Beach, ice cream at Molly's in Truro, and supper at Fred's (seafood!)

Casual and car-comfy

Details

Shorts and flip-flops: Joe Fresh

Shirt: Guess

Necklace: markets in Sydney, Australia

Sunnies: Coach

Bracelet: Jamaica

Big lobster in Shediac

Blueberry ale at Sand Bar, Pointe-du-Chene

Our goal is to take some day-trips this summer as our weekends are relatively open. We'd like to do Cape Split, Carter's Beach, and the requisite Valley wine day.

Where are you planning on going this summer?

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Cheese and Hammocks

Two of my favourite things in the same day!

R and I went for a Sunday drive and ended up stumbling upon (ok..... stalking) the Cheese Gypsy food truck. I was dying to try this new gem of mobile eats. I opted for the strawberry rhubarb brie, which was an excellent choice. If your taste buds are craving classic, it might not be the one for you. R had one of the more classic choices, The Canadian, and it was amazing as well. Their fries were some of the best I've had - so fresh!

Hello there mobile cheese.

Yum!

After filling up on cheesy wonders, I decided to try out Canada's largest hammock, located at Bay Hammocks in Seabright. They had lots of normal sized hammocks and some nautical gifts too.

We had a great time, saw pretty scenery, and were there and back in less than 2 hours - food and hammock-sprawling included.

Lobster traps

Have a great weekend!
XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Wedding Wednesday: The Dress

When it comes to making decisions about a wedding, the dress is right up there with the ceremony venue for importance. Scratch that. For me, it probably is the most important thing. I could be getting married in a swamp, as long as I have R and my dress, all would be fine.

I was never one of those girls who had a "vision" of the perfect wedding dress. I was quite open to trying on a lot of different styles. I knew I wouldn't want something classic, and I knew details were important (i.e. not plain).

I went dress shopping four times. The first time was last August and the last time was in February when I bought the dress.  I probably tried on 30 dresses in total - most of them weren't contenders. The only dress I thought about besides the one I ended up picking was one by Maggie Sottero. I can't get the picture to copy, but here's the link. There was something about it that just wasn't quite right for me though, and I stopped thinking about it once I tried on my dress.

I first tried my dress on in September when my mom and I went to Chester and Felicity for a trunk show, which is where one designer brings a lot of dresses that the store normally doesn't carry. I was choosing which dresses to try on, and I kept looking at my dress, but I thought it wasn't "bridal" enough on the hanger. After trying on a few dresses, the consultant was getting to know what I was looking for in a dress and she insisted I try on the dress I had been eyeing, promising it would look "bridal" once I got it on.

From the first look in the mirror, I loved it.  I was really hesitant to purchase that day though, as I still felt it was really early to be making the decision, and since it was a new dress, it wasn't going to be discontinued.  The only problem was, the dress was leaving the store with the trunk show and I wouldn't be able to try it on again.

My goal was to have the dress bought in February, so I went back to the same store, pretty sure I'd be ordering the one I tried in September, but just wanting to try on a few more to be certain. None of the other dresses I tried came close to how I felt about the one I ordered.

The dress was ordered that day and came in a few weeks ago. There was a tiny fear in me that when I tried it on again I wouldn't feel as good in it as I did before, or it wouldn't look the same as I remembered. It was a big relief to try it on and still love it!

I don't want to share too many details about the dress as I want it to be a surprise. I'll divulge that it is relatively lightweight (yay for carrying it through airports), made by Pronovias, and is quite unique in terms of style.

There! That's all you get to see until October!

Was your wedding dress easy to pick? Do you have a vision of what you'll wear on your wedding day?

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

White and Stripes

Some days necessitate wearing something classic and safe. Like the day you try on your wedding dress!

Details

Shirt: Old Navy (recent)

Jeans: Joe Fresh (recent)

Shoes: Cole Haan

Necklace and bracelets: Stella & Dot

I was quite proud of myself for drinking red wine while wearing these jeans and not spilling a drop!

Have a great week, and be sure to check back in two days for another Wedding Wednesday post.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

June Resolution

It's okay to have resolutions six months after the new year right? Has anyone else just gotten used to writing 2014? It's almost half over!

My resolution is to take a work outfit picture at least once per week. I've found a good backdrop and a few co-workers who will tolerate snapping the occasional shot for me (thanks A and M)!

Details

Sweater: Gap Factory Store

Skirt: Topshop

Sandals: Old Navy

Sunnies: Guess

Bracelet: Joe Fresh

Necklace and earrings: Gift

On nails: Maybelline Color Show in Bare Escape (obsessed with this)

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

The Bully

I never really could understand the concept of a bully. How can being mean to someone make you feel good? We've all experienced a playground bully, a "Mean Girls" bully (perhaps the worst kind), but how many of you have encountered a bully you actually liked?

I did, on Saturday, at The Stubborn Goat. Sadly, I forgot to snap a photo. However, it was a glorious concoction involving pear vodka, cider, and ginger ale. And they called it The Bully.

Details

Cardigan: Kensie

Shirt: 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target

Jeans: Aeropostale

Shoes: BCBGeneration via Winners

It was quite the dreary weekend in Halifax, but I managed to cram quite a bit of stuff into two days, including meeting my sweet friend for a nice lunch at Lion and Bright, a new-ish cafe in the north end.

What do you do in your city or town when the weather is dreary? Have you had any summery cocktails lately that you want to share?

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Tall Grass

You know it's time to cut the lawn when you can't see your shoes.

Details

Shirt: Old Navy (mens)

Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Scarf: H&M

Shoes (not that you can see them): Cole Haan

Bag: Old Navy

Bracelet: Gift

Sunnies: Coach

My scarf nearly blew away

It was so windy the day these photos were taken. A day where lipgloss should be banned because your hair is going to stick to it. There is a family of geese on the lake right now and I hoped to get a photo, but they were hanging out on another lawn. Five goslings - so sweet! I wanted to name them after the Spice Girls but that didn't fly with R.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Respectfully Red

I'm not going to say a whole lot about the situation last week in Moncton, except to say that it was a tragic event that resulted in the loss of three brave members of our police force.

People were encouraged to wear red today in support of the RCMP, and I'm not sure how I missed the memo, but I didn't know until I got to work. I felt guilty all day wearing grey and black.

Here's my contribution, with the utmost respect for all those who risk their lives every day to protect the public.

Respectfully Red by jennifer-merlin featuring a satin purse

Emily and Fin ruched dress / Nine West red pointy toe flat / BCBGMAXAZRIA satin purse / Kate Spade earrings / FOSSIL leather bangle bracelet / NARS Cosmetics lip shine, $31


XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Sunday Currently 06/08/14

Reading: A book called Hidden by Catherine MacKenzie. I'm about half-way through. It's pretty good! I also read People StyleWatch this week (not really a fan of it this month...)

Writing: To-do lists! 

Listening: Lawnmowers in the distance. It's that time of year! 

Thinking: How much better it is to get up and work out early in the morning. I'm one week into P90X3 and have done most of my workouts before work. I always set my alarm for 6:00 and wake up on my own a few minutes before that. It's so nice to not have to think about trying to squeeze in a workout in the evening. It's a great program for those who want a great session in minimal time ( 30 minutes)

Smelling: Sunscreen - fabulous day here in Halifax!

Hoping: That I'll be able to share some good news on the blog in about a week or so!

Wearing: Black skirt, peach sweater, slippers, Stella & Dot baubles

Loving: This weather. 22 degrees and sunny. Can it stay this temperature all summer? 

Wanting: To steam my clothes... but my steamer stopped working. I tried cleaning it with vinegar but it's still not working. Sigh. 

Needing: My hair coloured. I have an appointment in two weeks and I'm so excited because I'll get my new hair extensions coloured so I can finally test them out. I bought them for the wedding but I'm sure I will be tempted to wear them before that. 

Feeling: Full. We had a late lunch at Habaneros, an amazing food truck that serves tacos and burritos. I had a pulled pork burrito salad and it was amazing! R had the tacos.

Mango sour cream - amazing!

Clicking: I've been lurking on Instagram a lot this week. I don't post that often but I love looking at other people's posts, especially beach shots.

I'm linked with siddathornton for Sunday Currently today.

Have a wonderful week!

XOXO

Glitterary Girl

Tweedish

I love me some tweed, but it tends to be more of a winter experience. Then I found this summery skirt just begging to be bought - the only one there, my size, and $20. No brainer.

Details

T-shirt: Zara

Skirt: Banana Republic

Sandals: Topshop

Bracelet: Joe Fresh

The lighting was horrible in the full length shots, which happens when you take photos with your smartphone. Indoors. At 8 pm. My goal is to get my good camera back in action this weekend.

I hope your Wednesday was wonderful! I spent my lunch hour at the library, reading the latest Glamour and Allure issues. Tres relaxing.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

My Monthly Purchases: May 2014

I was so well behaved in May! I kept the shopping to a relative minimum, perhaps because I found a new way to spend my lunch hour. I used to go to the mall or Superstore (i.e. Joe Fresh) every day, but lately I've been spending more time at the library - reading magazines (they always have the latest issues.... free!) and gaining ground on whatever novel I happen to be in the midst of.

Still, I did do SOME shopping this month. Here's what I found.

Skirt: Banana Republic
Discounted to $20 from $110
This was another one of those times where something is still selling for substantially more on-line but I found it in the store for less. I have very little yellow in my wardrobe and this skirt was too cute to pass on for $20!

Shirt: Banana Republic Factory Store (not available on-line)
Discounted to $14.50 from $80
As soon as I saw this, I knew it would go perfectly with my pink skinny cords.

Skirt: Le Chateau Outlet (not available on-line)
Discounted to $20 from $80
I recently retired an old animal print skirt and was looking for one to replace it. This is a very flattering skirt and I'll be bringing it to Vegas for sure!

Belt: H&M (not available on-line)
Discounted to $3 from $20
I needed to replace my black waist belt. I love the turnlock closure on this!

Shirt: H&M (not available on-line)
Discounted to $10 from $20
This is cropped, but not too cropped. I can wear it with high waisted bottoms and show the tiniest sliver of midriff or simply layer a tank underneath and be fully covered. I love sweatshirts.

Hair Flower: H&M (not available on-line)
Discounted to $1 from $5
It's cute to clip onto the back of a ponytail to hide the elastic

Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters
Discounted to $7.50 from $50
I've come to the realization that my jeans need an overhaul. I have quite a few that are still really low rise and awkward. I'm so much more comfy in a mid rise jean, especially being long waisted. These were the only size left on the clearance rack and they happen to fit perfectly. I can roll them up if I want an ankle crop too.

Tee: Banana Republic
Discounted to $10 from $24.50
A great fitting, thick basic tee in dark grey.

Bracelet: Stella & Dot (Milana Tassel)
Discounted to $27 from $54
My Stella stylist is retiring! I was able to nab this cute bracelet at her sale. I said no more jewellery this year, but this was irresistible and I wore it three times last week.

Value of items: $444
Price I paid: $113
I saved 75%

That leaves me with $244 to spend for June, which will end my quarter. I think I will come in this season under budget!

On my list of "wants" is a powder blue top and some denim shorts.

Do you budget your clothing expenses? How did you do for May? I found a budgeting link-up here and this is my first time participating. I love seeing how others spent their May budgets!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl