Teaser & New Game Announcement!

Hi lovelies! So as you know, Mr. AIF and I are moving back to Victoria for the summer, and that means only one thing: pre-shopping! My hometown is lovely and all, but it doesn't exactly offer much by way of shopping. My "holy shopping trinity" (aka H&M, Foerver 21, and Zara) are nowhere to be found, and there's not much to numb the pain of their absence. And with a new season approaching, it's only logical that I should stock up on some clothes, right? Right.

As the title suggests, this post is just one big teaser for outfit posts to come... Cruel, huh? But that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun with all this! As we all know, I may have a little shopping problem (depending on who you talk to), meaning I'm bound to buy some more stuff over the coming weeks... So why don't we turn this into a little game? For the month of May, I'll post new purchases by way of outfit pics, and then get you guys to guess whether or not the new items were in one of these bags when the photo was taken. At the end of the month, I'll add up how many times you guessed right, and the person with the most points will win a special prize... Sound like fun? Let's give it a try!

Casual Comforts...

Why hello there! How is everyone today? I've been running around trying to get my massive to-do list under control before moving back home for the summer... Can you say stress ball? Well, that's me!

These photos were taken a couple of weeks ago after going to a weekend Farmer's Market with Mr. AIF. I'm not sure why I didn't post them sooner- I guess I figured I had better photos to get through first? Who knows!

Anyway, I'm basically wearing all my comfy closet staples in this post... My Zara skirt is super comfy thanks to its, *ahem,* forgiving elastic waistband, my Halston flats make walking around a non-issue, and my faux-leather Forever 21 vest seems to be my little weekend warrior as of late- I've worn it more often than I care to admit!

What are your wardrobe staples? Spill!

Outfit details: tank- American Apparel; vest- Forever 21; Skirt and belt- Zara; flats- Halston; bag- H&M; necklace- Frug

Wardrobe Wednesday...

Hello lovelies! How is everyone on this lovely (Wardrobe) Wednesday afternoon?

So I bought this cute little clutch from Zara a few days ago and just couldn't wait to show you guys... Isn't it cute?! I've wanted one of those jumbo American Apparel clutches for months now, but couldn't seem to justify spending about $80 on it (yes, that's how much they cost here in Canada!). Sob story aside, I figured this cute little clutch would fill the void AA has left in my heart... *tear*

Now I don't wanna give too much away, but I decided to put my own twist on the quintessential "What's in My Bag" post in video form for you guys... I hope you like it! Or at least, you know, tolerate watching it for the next 3 minutes... Fingers crossed! xx

Awesome freeze-frame shot, huh?

Track Star...

Happy Monday, lovelies! I hope everyone had a nice, relaxing weekend... I know I did!

We decided to go get Eastery cupcakes on Saturday morning, and along the way we noticed this cute little train off the side of the road.... Since our trusty camera was in tow, we figured it would be the perfect place for some outfit pics!

The skirt and top are new purchases that I bought while shopping with Shy and Jenna last week, and believe it or not, this is the first polka dot skirt I've ever owned! I've always wanted one (hello, ultimate basic!), but for whatever reason had never found one I liked before... Thanks Zara! And if you'll kindly direct your eyes to the abalone pendant hanging from my neck, you'll notice my absolutely FAVOURITE new thing!! I've wanted this House of Harlow necklace for, oh I don't know, forever, but finally broke down and got one off Shop Bop a little while ago... A-mazing! It arrived on the last day of classes, which was pretty much the greatest treat ever... My UPS karma has been restored!

Any new purchases you guys wanna tell me about? Let's talk "shop"! xx

Outfit details: top- H&M; skirt- Zara; belt- vintage; turban- American Apparel; booties- Forever 21; necklace- House of Harlow

Sunday Spotlight...

This week's spotlight shines on A Go-Go's lovely leading lady, Jen Humphrey... This girl has some seriously sick style, along with the ability to rock so many different looks that she's become something of a clothing chameleon in my mind... Forget WWJD, 'what would Jen wear' is a much more pertinent question!

Images courtesy of A Go-Go

Over the Top Swap!

This photo was taken last summer while I was getting ready for my big move to Edmonton... I think I spent something like two full days purging my closet in an excruciating attempt to sort out what I wanted to keep and what I wanted to toss- NOT. FUN.

As hard as it was to part with so many "old friends," however, the feeling of catharsis that accompanies a good closet purge every now and then is undeniable... Which brings me to the following question: Have you purged lately?

Well lovelies, if you live in Edmonton and feel the need to do a little spring closet cleaning of your own, look no further that the 2nd annual Over the Top Swap! Bring 6-12 pieces of your best gently worn clothing and accessories to the Telus Field on Saturday, April 30 (10 am- 6 pm) or Sunday, May 1 (11 am- 5 pm) to swap for some new-to-you duds... That's a green and budget-friendly way to spend the day if I ever heard one! Pluuuus, attendees will have access to spa services and complimentary makeovers, so really it's a win-win... Add in the fact that all remaining clothing will be donated to the Canadian Diabetes Association and the Bissel Centre, and you have yourself an all-around feel-good afternoon!

There will be a special "blogger rack" for Marie, Janis, Kassandra, Jenna and myself, so stop by and say hi! We'd love to chat and see what goodies you acquire throughout the day, so don't be shy!

For more information, check out overthetopswap.com

Parking lot pics...

Hello lovelies! I hope everyone's long weekend is off to a good start... I had the pleasure of spending the morning shopping with two of my new favourite friends, Shy and Jenna. We bought a few things (I may have gone overboard!), had a little lunch, and, well, laughed a lot. Basically, the ideal way to spend the day! And in true fashion blogger style, we stopped to snap some pics in the, *ahem*, mall parking lot before calling it a day... that's totally normal, right? Despite all the strange looks we got in the process, our little photo shoot was a lot of fun and totally worth the awkwardness... Now if only people didn't have to stare so much.

Outfit details: dress- Forever 21; vest- Forever 21; bag- Shop Mamie; flats- Halston

Shy (left) and Jenna (right) looking lovely by "gas room 9"

Wardrobe Wednesday...

Hello, my loves! Happy Wednesday... For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you may have read about my new H&M heart sunglasses and my wondering if I'm too old for such frivolities... Well, juvenile as they may be, they make me happy every time I wear them and I just love them! And hey, that's all that matters at the end of the day, right?

Sorry to cut this post short, but I have a photo essay with my name on it... wish me luck! xx

Adventures in colour blocking...

When Pretty Shiny Sparkly's Kristina announced her new "Bloggers Do It Better" initiative, I was super pumped by the idea... a chance to try out different looks alongside your fellow blogger? Count me in!

For it's inaugural post, Kristina challenged participants to share a colour blocking (yes, that's Canadian spelling!) look, or their brightest, boldest stripes... Although my wardrobe doesn't hold much by way of solid colour, I jumped at the chance to put together a CB look! Wouldn't you? Come on...

If you're a blogger who wants to join in the sartorial fun, check out Bloggers Do It Better for more info! And to see all the amazing looks from this challenge, click here.

Outfit details: top- Club Monaco; skirt- vintage; belt- zara; tights and booties- Forever 21; bag- vintage Liz Claiborne; bracelets- H&M; necklace- Pyrrha

The long and short of it...

So remember when I gushed about how gorgeous the weather was a couple of weeks ago? Well, false alarm. That one, incredible week of sunshine and warm weather was nothing more than a tease; it snowed the very next week. That's right my friends, I said snowed... How rude.

So now we're in this God forsaken "seasonal limbo" if you will, never quite knowing what's around the corner. Regardless of mother nature's bizarre little head games, however, I am decidedly dressing for spring... or as my friend Marie calls it, "sprinter."

I'm wearing shorts, dresses and light blazers these days regardless of what's going on outside because, quite frankly, I'm sick of winter! And with a few, *ahem*, minor adjustments to my spring wardrobe (tights, boots, layers, etc.), I'm staying somewhat warm to boot. Hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...

Outfit details: blazer & top- H&M; shorts & belt- Forever 21; tights- Hue; boots- Feet First; necklace- gifted; bracelet- Whiting and Davis; ring- Forever 21

Sunday Spotlight...

Hello my sweets! How's everyone's Sunday going? My weekend has been chalk-full of assignments and group projects, but I'm very happy to say that after this week I'll officially be done my first year of journalism school! Woot woot! But enough about me, let's talk about Islabelle...

I stumbled upon her lovely blog, A Fine Day For Sailing, while on Chictopia the other day and knew instantly that I wanted to Sunday Spotlight her... Do you like how I made that into a verb? (Warning-- dork alert!) Anyway, isn't her style so eclectic and lovely? She has some amazing vintage pieces, and I'm especially envious of her Pendleton woolen jacket (pictured above) from Goodwill... What a score! Her blog (and her wicked Etsy shop, for that matter!) make me yearn for home and all the lovely thrift shops it boasts... Oh Islabelle, why must you be so devastatingly awesome?

Images courtesy of A Fine Day For Sailing

Running Wild...

When I saw this top at H&M a couple of weeks ago, I was intrigued... I don't know why, but it just spoke to me for some reason-- has that ever happened to you? You know, when you see something you wouldn't normally gravitate towards, yet for some reason you just can't help but want it? Well that's was happened to me that fateful day...

The logical part of my brain protested the, well, practicality of such a shirt-- honestly, how often will I wear a slouchy, "running wild" emblazoned tie-up top? So after a few minutes of silent debate, that nagging little voice got its way and I left H&M sans shirt. But after a week of thinking about it and all the different ways it could be worn, I finally caved and bought it! I still don't know how practical it is, but hey, does that really even matter? I choose to think not...

Outfit details: top- H&M; dress- Baila (Winners); booties- Forever 21; necklace- gifted