Red, white and blue...

...stars over you! Remember that nursery rhyme or maybe I'm dating myself.

For five years now, we can wear jeans to work on Friday by donating a twoonie ($2 Canadian coin) towards United Way. Work is in a city outside of Vancouver, so most of my colleagues dress very casually to jeans/tshirt-cause-I-work-in-shipping. Inadvertently, I have been wearing skirts every day to work for the past six months and Fridays are no exception. Here's what I wore:

navy H&M cap sleeve t-shirt with attached flowers S $10

red Mexx lined skirt (thrifted $10)

Richard Tyler navy suede D'Orsay shoes (thrifted $10)

white Danier purse (last summer $38)

The skirt looks pink but is really red with white mixed in - like very fine vertical pinstripes. See the smile lines across the hips? This picture was taken before I left for work. It was too late to change so do you know what I did? I stuck my hand down my skirt and pushed the fabric out until the lines were less noticeable. This is not as easy as it looks. If you have this skirt, you know what I mean. It is lined and the skirt material is a cross between smooth denim and canvas - very unwieldy.

After work, my family all went to an open-air market that happens every Friday from 4-8pm. While buying some after-dinner goodies, the server told me how she spotted me earlier and have been coveting my skirt ever since. All day no one at work said anything to me (except my hubby) about my skirt so this was a welcome compliment and reassurance.

The shoes. Thrifted so you might think "ick", right? But this was not worn from the look of the soles and the fact that the original retail sticker was still on the inside of the shoe. I love D'Orsays but the fit is crucial on whether it stays on or if I'm an accident waiting to happen (in a skirt, no less). Never heard of Richard Tyler before this shoe and I don't know where I might find a B&M that I can scour for more.

I wore no jewelry as the flowers seem to be an accessory by itself.

How do you cope with unavoidable hip smile lines?

Twirling fun

There is a Dynamite clothing store near work so I dropped in. For my taste, they are geared for younger fashionistas. BUT -- I've read somewhere to try things coz you never know! I was drawn to this pretty purple pleat skirt for $8.

It also comes in a bright coral. The hemline is shorter than I am used to. I have been looking for this purple in tops which would go great with my existing red skirt.

The waist is elastic and doesn't look good on me without a belt. I have wide hips so I have to wear it low if I'm to avoid extra poofing. So fun to twirl in. My daughter saw me and she had to try the twirl. She said "Mommy, you're not fat. This skirt almost fits me." (Excuse the tshirt as it was a quick try-on before making dinner.)

It's good that I'm blogging this. I think I have made up my mind on whether to keep.

Have you tried this skirt? Shall I keep this?

Mustard yellow

In my early twenties, I wore mustard yellows and any shade of poop (it seems). I didn't know how to pair it properly and I also picked up the incorrect skirt or jacket lengths. I don't profess to know it all but I hope that my years have added some wisdom not to repeat my mustard-wearing-twenties. Enter Extrapetite and her rocking know-how on wearing mustards and olive shades. She makes it look so good so I vowed to try it again.

While in Seattle for a Mariners game, I saw Loft for the first time and ventured in. I found this shirt.

Loft ruffle front tshirt XS $34.50 (sale $15?)
Tristan navy skirt (lined) XS $89
Aerosoles strappy nude sandals size6 $15 (sample sale)
Necklace (thrifted)

I've paired it with jeans (untucked) and even with a red skirt. I quite like it and will try more olive and mustard shades again.

The skirt was a splurge but it is machine washable and retains its shape (Lycra). It is soft and exceptionally light in weight for a lined skirt. The other side of the removable tag also shows it a travel suit. For me, that means less smile lines across my hips.

Twice a year, I go to a Shoe Sample Sale. The first time I went, my husband and I stood with mouths agape at the ice arena stocked with tables of size 6 shoes in Born, Timberland, Tsubo, Tommy Hilfiger, Franco Sarto, Hilary Radley, Guess, Aerosoles, Clarks, Miz Mooz, Sofft and more. At $15 to 50, it is worth the trip. Most of my shoes come from there but I think I will skip the one in October.

Excuse the background mess. I'm a noob at blogging and haven't found the perfect setup for taking pictures...nor do I have a timer and stand. I don't know if I will blog for long so the extra expense is not justifiable to me. Yet.

Do you like mustards and olives? What shades do you pair it with?

An adventure to blogging

I have always been the small one in a group - short and petite. I didn't mind it but finding clothes that fit was a problem after my teens. My body is curvy whereas most teen clothes are built for smaller hips and waist. I was ecstatic when I discovered the petite blogging community. Through them, I have learned much about style and fit. I have been taking daily pictures to document different pairings of items from my closet. I thought it would be good for me to document them to see which works and which not to repeat.

I cannot promise to post regularly as I am a mom to an active eight-year old and wife with a full time job and other interests. For those who choose to continue with me on my journey, I am 5' tall and weigh 105 lbs. I measure 32-26-35. Wish me luck!