Sandal Weather No More

I am super excited that there’s now a chill in the air (I was pretty pleased to wake up to -7 temperatures yesterday), but, before the real chill kicked in I did have to get one more wear of my sandals in and we got a burst of warm air and sun in late September which provided the perfect opportunity (yeah, I got a bit behind on photo processing and blogging as a result of my recent trip to New York and Connecticut…so now I’m playing catch up).

In other news, Happy Halloween!!! This is my absolute favourite time of year and, to celebrate, I'm doing a little Halloween retrospective over on Instagram so check that out.

sandals: Spring / leggings: ASOS / tunic: BB Dakota / cardigan: Zara / necklace: OASAP 

Soft and Warm

Like I said last time, I love me a good sweater and a good streak of sweater wearing weather – so I was pretty stoked to receive this little number care of OASAP. It’s so warm and soft, I love it! And the pattern is really eye-catching.

pants: ASOS / shirt: F21 / boots: ASOS / sweater: c/o OASAP

Sweater Weather

There are few things I love more than proper sweater weather – not only can I get a ton of wear out of this awesome cardigan from ModCloth but I can also go new coat shopping.Which I did.

cardigan: ModCloth / dress: Banana Republic / tights: Winners / necklace: my parents / boots: Target

And, ta da, here are the fruits of that labour.

coat: H&M / leggings: ASOS / boots: Kohls

Fort Edmonton

Just when it started to turn properly to fall, the helpmeet and I visited a local Edmonton attraction that’s probably in my top five of places to visit in the city: Fort Edmonton Park. The central feature of the park is the c. 1795 Hudson’s Bay Company fur trading fort but the park sprawl also includes original buildings and reconstructions from the 1800s all the way up to the 1940s. It’s basically a big living history park…so, obviously up my alley. My favourite part is the historic fort (1795 is bit out of my area of expertise – which is  1450-1750, although my real core knowledge is 1500-1625). Sometimes I need a good history rush!

dress: Winners / shoes: Target / purse: Urban Outfitters

Me, In Rarely Seen Bright Colours

I’m definitely not really one for bright colors and patterns but I love this polka dot top paired with this vibrant blazer – it just sort of works for me.

pants: RW Winter and Co / top: Zara / shoes: The Bay / purse: Urban Outfitters / blazer: F21

Docs

Now that the hideousness that is summer is finally banished for another year, I’m elated to be welcoming boots back into regular rotation – like these awesome Dr Marten’s that I snagged in May and haven’t really been able to wear since…

dress: ModCloth / boots: Dr Marten’s

Waning Light

See, I told you I’d try harder to get photos while it was still light out! There’s a really lovely school by my house, built in the early twentieth century with a nod to the Jacobethan style (as is the case with many older schools in Edmonton) and I was on my game enough this day to get out there earlier enough to grab a few photos before the light died.

skirt: Zara / top: Vero Moda / sandals: Spring / watch: La Mer / bracelet: Aldo / ring: Ebay

I Lost the Light

With the sun going down earlier I find myself increasingly unable to snap good photos while it’s still light. Hence these glam shots from my building’s parking garage. I’ll try harder in the future, I promise.

pants: Zara / blouse: Mexx / purse: Urban Outfitters / shoes: Zigi SoHo

Fall Rotation

Please join me in welcoming back to regular rotation my favourite fall dress – a touch of leather, hints of sheer, and oxblood, it’s perfect for the season. What fall items are you excited to be wearing again?

dress: H&M / shoes: Target / leggings: Target / necklace: Monserat de Lucca / belt: Aldo

The Camping Leopard

These photos are really delayed!

Oops.

Anyways, this is what I wore to work before racing home on a Friday to change into my camping gear and hit the road for a few nights at beautiful Rock Lake, about 4 hours north from where I live. The four hour drive afforded me ample time to duck into a few academic books I’ve been hoarding for the past few months, including an edited collection about the Tudors and Stuarts on film, which I had great fun finally getting into. I always wanted to design a class around representations of the past on film as an entry point into a larger discussion of the uses and abuses of history and the ethical responsibilities of the historian, so it was a great read.

Camping itself was likewise delightful. It was a bit cold but the hiking was beautiful and I had a great time relaxing and laughing and drinking with friends. I’m a bit sad that it was my last camping trip until next year. 

Are you a camping fan?

Also, if you follow me on Instagram or Twitter or Facebook (and, if you don't, check out the links on the sidebar), then you probably know I'm currently in Connecticut and NYC visiting my alma mater, hitting up a conference, and visiting some of my grad school friends. I'm having an amazing time thus far and will be posting more on that when I arrive home next weeks.

leggings: ASOS/ top: F21 / cardigan: Urban Outfitters

I Defy the Heat

While it was probably a bit too hot out for a blazer two weeks ago when I wore this and I would up carrying this over my arm for most of the day, I’m still glad I got to wear it for even a little bit because I always get giddily happy when I get to wear this jacket. I just love all the studs so much!

In other news - I'm off to my second home, Connecticut (with a trip to NYC later next week planned) tomorrow morning! My bags are packed, my conference paper is ready, and I am fully prepared for 12 days of hanging out with all my Yale pals. I am so excited to revisit my old haunts!

blazer: Zara / jeans: Zara / t-shirt: Urban Outfitters / shoes: Aldo / necklace: ASOS / sunglasses: Aldo

Five Across Diamond Band

I was recently approached by Anjolee to review one of their products, this absolutely stunning Five Across Diamond Band ring. And while this is a sponsored post (full disclosure), I was genuinely impressed both by the quality and delicacy of the item itself and by the company.

 Anjolee is the manufacturer of all the jewelry items featured on their website which means that they are able to provide their customers with the best customer service and fast delivery. They also have an absolutely vast collection of pieces including diamond tennis bracelets, gemstone bracelets, diamond earrings, diamond necklaces, diamond pendants, and wedding and bridal rings. Seriously, their selection of wedding and engagement (or "present to yourself") rings is insane. They are an ethically responsible company both in terms of the sourcing of their gemstones and the production of their pieces and lots of information on their practices is accessible to the consumer (they even offer you recommendations for having their stones certified by a third party). They are also one of the few jewelry websites with a unique customization system which gives customers the ability to custom-build each item of jewelry based on taste and budget. This is one feature of the company that I found amazing – you can build your own jewelry either for yourself to make a special and personalized gift for someone and cater everything to your individual budget, it’s a fantastic feature! And they offer free shipping and insurance with overnight delivery on all items, free gift packaging and 30-day, 100% money back guaranteed return policy. So really, one has nothing to lose.
 

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to flash this baby all over town!