Escapism is Always the Answer

Have I raved here recently over how awesome this dress is? It has long sleeves! I think I need to pack this for my conference this fall – maybe even present my paper (which is still causing me all sorts of grief) in it. I’d rather think about all the fun clothes to pack for the conference than actually try to make my paper better at this point. Escapism is fun!

dress: Simons / necklace: Monserrat de Lucca

Hot Mess

I was feeling sort of slouchy and gross and not really in the mood to make myself all that presentable then I wore this but, as I was out running errands I caught a glimpse of myself in the grocery store window and was all like “hey, this isn’t so bad.” The bitter irony, of course, is that when I’m actually trying to look fancy it comes out a hot mess.

pants: Target / top: ASOS / shoes: Aldo

All the Frills: Coral

I think I’ve mentioned before that I sort of have a weird obsession with coral. Well, I do. I have a collection of all these little bits and pieces of it scattered throughout my home. I’m currently on the hunt for a black piece, maybe in a fan formation…are there any specific idiosyncratic things that you like to decorate with?

Weekend Reading 

• It just wouldn’t a proper Friday without some adorable cats.
  
  
• So this news story is just bonkers. Who was this guy? I’m guessing an intricate web of lies was a big part of his life.
  
  
• I’m a crier you guys (somewhat surprising I know). It really doesn’t take much to set me off and I read this story about the origins of I Love You Forever while on a bus. Lucking I was wearing sunglasses so I don’t think anyone except the lady beside me noticed that I was quietly sniffling/choking back sobs the rest of the ride.
  
  
• So this story about a misogynistic asshole masturbating on public transport is all kinds of gross and disturbing, but the statistic at the end about 100% of transit users in Paris experiencing some form of gender based harassment or violence is what’s really shocking.
  
  
• I know I already included a link about cats but I just can’t help myself.

Cranky Pants

I snapped these in a hurry after a very hectic day of (once again) tinkering with the conference paper from hell, proof-reading something for a colleague/friend, working on my article project, and (as if all this wasn’t enough), putting in a full day at the office. So, yeah, that’s why I look cranky. At least I was really comfy during this hellish day…tunics will do that for you.

tunic: F21 / leggings: ASOS / sandals: Aldo / purse: Target / blazer: Calvin Klein, thrifted via Value Village / necklace: Aldo / sunglasses: Target

Anchored

Well, the real heat of summer has set in. That’s right, this is how I do heat. I’m just one of those people that always feels a little chilly. My office is air conditioned and so is my house and so I actually find when I get outside that it’s about 20-30 minutes before I really feel the heat because I’m just feeling pleasantly warm up until then. Also, this anchor print top is just too cute to not layer over something.

leggings: ASOS / tank: Target / blouse: thrifted, Value Village / shoes: Aldo / necklace: F21 / sunglasses: Aldo

All the Frills: Adventures in Camping

So I went camping back at the start of July. I usually make it out 2-3 times per year and one of those trips is a bigger one that several friends and I go on. This year we went to Waterton, an amazing place near the US/Canada border (it was a long haul to get there, about 6 hours in the car). But it was a beautiful place (we camped just outside the National Park and went in daily for hikes, strolling around town, etc). Today I'm sharing a few pictures from the trip.

Waterfalls glimpsed on one of our hikes

Nature!

A beautiful beach area

Even more nature!

A beautiful early twentieth-century hotel from the days when Waterton was a resort destination for the wealthy who travelled there by train and then stayed in style

A beautiful early twentieth-century hotel from the days when Waterton was a resort destination for the wealthy who travelled there by train and then stayed in style

A beautiful early twentieth-century hotel from the days when Waterton was a resort destination for the wealthy who travelled there by train and then stayed in style

Buffalo!

Weekend Reading:

• It’s true, cats on glass tables are pretty much the greatest thing ever.
  
  
• This collection of time capsule rooms and spaces is amazing.
  
  
• This article about the discovery of a large Viking hall had me at “large Viking.” Wait, that doesn’t sound so good.
  
  
• This article about impending massive earthquakes is a real downer. Fascinating, but a downer.
  
  
• I cannot wait for the movie Suffragette to come out. To tide me over I’ve been re-watching Amanda Vickey’s Suffragettes Forever! By the way, Amanda Vickey is an amazingly awesome historian. Her various media appearances are great but her more serious, academic history is equally brilliant (Behind Closed Doors is a personal favourite). She gave a talk at the Yale Centre for British Art when I was in grad school and I had a chance to chat with her and she was just delightful.

Closet Reunion

I snapped these a few days before I headed into the woods near Waterton (after a 5+ hour drive) for a few days of camping with friends. I love camping. In all fairness it’s mostly me lounging around, drinking wine and eating cheese all day. But I’m doing it in a tent and tending a camp fire, so same difference. And I occasionally get up for a hike in the woods. Anyways, as much as I love it, it’s nice to be back in civilization (I missed my Real Housewives, you guys) and reunited with my closet (although it is pretty damn fun to kick it in sweats and a old t-shirt for a few days without the bother of makeup or styling your hair).

dress: found at Winners / jacket: found after being abandoned at a bar / shoes: ASOS / necklace: Aldo

I Have a Draft!

Great news – I finally have a semi-finished draft of my paper for the upcoming North American Conference on British Studies (you may remember me complaining last week about the hell that writing it has been).

My issue with this one was that I had a bunch of research on my topic from a few years ago - various archival sources that I'm worked with for my dissertation and such. And then I stupidly pitched the idea for the paper without going back and actually checking what I had. So, when I sat down to write the paper I realized that a) I didn't have nearly enough material as I thought I had and b) none of it really supported the argument I had been thinking of making. But you have to go with where the evidence takes you so I had to rethink my whole premise and it just turned into a really, really gruelling slog.

Anyways, it’s still not in the shape I want it in but at least it’s something down on paper that I can work with. Let the seemingly endless tinkering begin! My resting bitch face doesn't permit me to convey, but I'm really rather relieved/excited on the inside.

blouse: Sheinside / pants: Zara / necklace: Target

All the Frills: House Re-Haul Final

Okay, last week of house photos here on All the Frills. This is our redone basement, and I think it’s the area where you can see the biggest change. This was mostly unusable space until we put the new flooring in and hung curtains in the unfinished spaces to hide them from view. I am so thrilled with the results!

Also, if you’re interested in seeing some before photos, you can find those here.

Weekend Reading:

• Dorothy was the greatest of all the girls golden – even if she did wear some hideous things occasionally.
• I don't know why I find this so amusing, but I do. I really do.
• I’ve always suspected dolphins were trouble. Suspicions confirmed.
• Corgis are adorable. I can barely stop squealing as I look at this.
• This city in Norway seems utterly magical to me.
• I feel really bad for the raccoon, but this is pretty funny.

Rearranging Deck Chairs on the Titanic

This whole outfit is one of my favourite things that I’ve worn in the last few weeks. I love how this blush top looks juxtaposed with the moto jacket and studded boots – it’s just such a great combo. I definitely need to recreate this one.

In other news, this conference paper that I've been working on recently is killing me. Just killing me. I'm already on draft 16 and I still just don't think it's right - I'm basically rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic at this point. It's just driving me batty.

blouse: Sheinside / jacket: abandoned and found at a bar / pants: RW and Co / boots: Steve Madden

Again With the Prints....

As I recently mentioned, it appears as though I’m getting more and more into prints (it's a weird turn for me). But this blazer was just too cute not to pick up, and it’s nice and light weight for summer wear.

blazer: ModCloth / leggings: ASOS / tank top: H&M / wedges: thrifted via Value Village / necklace: Aldo / sunglasses: Aldo