Winter wonderland

We got so much snow. It is bitterly cold out. Welcome to winter. I love the song Winter Wonderland ..too bad it couldn't snow when it was warm out! I am already over winter. Bring on spring. Please. I did not manage to get outside today for photo taking purposes because I am still very, very sore. Also, did I mention it was bitterly cold out? Both of those things mean I'm staying indoors unless it's running to& from my car!

Also, you guys are getting quite familiar with my friend's online boutique, La Quaintrelle. I posted about the grand opening, first photo session& then a second one! She liked my photos so much, one of them made her main page. I'm so good like that ;) Well, she's making the big move from the internet to the real world! In case you aren't sure what that means ..she's opening a real, live location for her shop. How exciting is that?! The shop officially opens Saturday but because she likes me, I got a sneak peak into it tonight. I took my camera along& snapped some photos for a little virtual tour. The place is so much fun. It is above an old library in our town and it just works so well for her clothing! I have a total of 17 photos of the shop (which, if you're interested, you can view here) but I will only post one or two of them for your viewing pleasure. First up, is a photo of some shoes in her shop.

Linked with Fabulous Friday!

Don't you just love these?! I want the boots on the second shelf. I think I may have to treat myself to them for my very own Christmas present. I mean, they are awesome. What pair would you pick? I am not going to lie ..I sort of wish I had thought of this whole idea except for 1 thing.. my shop would sell skinny jeans& cardigans. I am so not stylish so I guess it's a good thing Meg ended up being the one to run a fashion-required store! It was nice to meet up tonight for a tea& catch up chat while I took some photos of the shop. I also promise to play photographer for her grand opening in a few weeks!

Also, I'm thinking I may have to purchase one of the dresses for some Christmas fun. As I age, oddly, I'm feeling the need to dress fancy more often. Why? I have no idea other than I spent my youth in barn clothes& one-piece bathing suits. I think my body may be rebelling against casual wear. At least in situations when fancy clothing is socially acceptable. I have a few go-to dresses that I love& am thinking I need to expand on that. So I guess I'll be having a very Quaintrelle Christmas! Also, did I mention I love colored tights? I think those may be a factor in me wanting to wear dresses as well! In honor of my slowly forming love of dresses, I figured I should show one off to you guys.

Linking to {snapped}& SES

Isn't that lovely? I also love that painting! I should have probably gotten a full shot of it but I was in pain so thinking ahead wasn't really in my mind. Thankfully, since then, I have taken some medicine. It doesn't really help me now since I am not in the store anymore so there will be no photos of the painting until Saturday. I'm sure you're all crushed! I'm also equally sure by the time Saturday rolls around, you'll have completely forgotten about this painting.

And with that, I am off to take some more muscle relaxers! Can anyone give me any helpful tips to getting rid of back/ shoulder pain? I'll take even the weirdest suggestions at this point. Medicine, stretching, heat& pretending it doesn't exist have all failed me so far. Next step? Chiropractor. He's like magic.

Look at this

I have my day 2 photo! I'm already amazing myself. I only have 28 days left to say I've completed this challenge ;) I'm thinking the insanely crappy weather has something to do with why I've managed to get two days completed. Today, however, may be the last day for getting this accomplished!

Why? Tonight my parents get home from Vegas AND both of Garret's brothers& their wives& kiddies are coming home! Then tomorrow I'm spending all day at the barn ..soo I think it's a safe bet to say that blogging& meeting photo challenges may be closer to the bottom of the list for the next few days!  It's also supposed to snow tomorrow. No, seriously. Words can barely explain how sad that makes me. Especially considering my parents will be coming home from Vegas with slightly tanner skin (ahah. Kidding. My parents don't tan)& memories of heat. My trip to Cuba is slowly fading ..

Okay so. Day 2 was 'What I wore today'. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a fashion blogger. I did one fashion post ..I also did a post about fashion websites. I think both of those posts are hilarious because I'm not very good at photoshop but I try anyway. Not to mention someone who loves Regretsy hated the fact I used skants from the website.. anyway, moving on. Since I am not a fashion blogger, I had no idea about a few things.

• What to wear
• How to take photos of it
• How to look hip& cool while photographing myself

The plus side? I'm not hip, stylish or anything of the sort but I am genius ;D Meaning yes, I took a few shots of myself in my clothes. Did they turn out? Ahh.... not even close. They were hilariously bad. I'd post one if I didn't already delete them (sorry, wasn't thinking ahead to writing this)! I had a good laugh at my socially awkward self. Too bad you will just have to use your imagination. So after many (two) failed attempts, I decided I needed a new plan of action. I wasn't ready to fail this photo challenge. At least not yet. What did I do? I know you're dying to find out (is anyone even still reading this?) so let me fill you in!

I took off my clothes. That's right, folks. Then I laid them down on my floor like there was a person& they were lucky enough to be raptured. I know, you're still not quite getting it since you weren't lucky enough to see any clothes post-rapture. Then I added some shoes. I cheated a bit with the shoes. You'll notice they are flats. I am not wearing flats today. There's a hurricane outside! I just didn't want to walk back upstairs to grab my boots. I'm lazy.

I. am. awesome.
Just kidding. What are YOU wearing today?!

Say Yes to the Dress

This show KILLS me! I love brides and the people they bring to help them decide. Sometimes they bring the meanest people and it leaves me wondering if this is news to them or they just like having snide comments thrown in their direction.

I mean, sure. Having people who will be honest are great. No one wants to walk down the isle on their wedding day looking like the above. In that person's defense ..it was slightly less ugly before I photoshopped it. It wasn't beautiful though. So yes, having people there to guide you is great. Sometimes, though, the brides-to-be put on a dress they OBVIOUSLY love and adore and have fantasized about. And what comments do they get? Mean ones!

Do they think the bride invited them to be jerks? No. They invited them to stroke their ego. If you aren't careful, bridesmaid, you're going to end up in a dress like the above. I would watch my mouth and remember - the bride picks what you'll be wearing in approximately 200 photos. And there ain't NO WAY to rock that dress. It does match the slightly less obvious rainbow pattern on the above wedding dress. Now, just to get a rainbow tuxedo and we could have a real theme.

And there we have it. One of the best weddings ever created. If I had more time before I head over to an appointment, I would have totally created a bridal party and put these outfits on them. For now, you're just going to have to use your imagination!

Also, this is one of the ONLY times you are allowed to be negative about a wedding of a person you know in real life. Feel free to make fun of everyone that you don't know personally. In reality, aside from the obviously brutal dresses, most brides look stunning on their big day.

So, tell me. Have you ever shopped for your own or a friends' wedding dress? How did it go? Have you ever been to an outrageous wedding? What was it like? Fill me in! I never go to weddings and feel like I am missing some truly golden wedding moments (and by golden I mean hilariously bad).

Fashion Blogs

These things are everywhere. Every second link I click takes me to a blog to teach me how to be fashionable or cool or hip or something. I'm none of those things. Watching other people excel at it is not fun or any type of hobby I want to partake in. I'm also very unmotivated& unless Stacey& Clinton show up at my door, I'm continuing blissfully in my cardigans& skinny jeans. Seriously.

Not ragging on the fashion world at all, by the way. Just genuinely frustrated that this type of blogging is the most common. I love photos. I include them all the time in my posts! I also need some substance. I can't stand blogs where there are just piles upon piles of photos. Maybe there are some words, but your blog is SO cluttered with photos that are 'vintage' that I can barely stand it. Clutter on blogs gives me a headache as I search around for the actual content.

Okay, I'll be honest. I don't even search. I just click the little 'x' on the tab that your blog is open in and never. go. back. That is actually how much I hate it. I'm sure it's common and lots of blogs are headache inducing, however I notice it is by far most common on fashion sites.

So first, you offend my ability to dress myself. Then you flaunt how well you can dress yourself (ps who the hell are the people in your life that take 10 photos of you a day so you can post them?!). Lastly, you abuse my senses with your massive amounts of crap I'm supposed to crawl through to get whatever content there may be on them. God lord.

Glamour.

A question I find myself being asked constantly is 'How do you have such an amazing sense of style? You exude glamor and sex appeal.' Glamour. Ladies& gents, but especially ladies. People say confidence makes you beautiful. I say malarkey. What makes you beautiful? Glamour. Now, I know. Trying to match up to my glamour is daunting. Kim Kardashian frequently says she wishes she could rock what I rock.

The next Sport's Illustrated cover image? 

No. The world ain't ready for this much good loookin'

I am a spectacular specimen of the human race. I'd like to say it is ALL me .. but I tend to think that my family just has some of the most amazing genetics of all time. Following, I have included 3 photos of my VERY glamourous family. Basically we are an unstoppable force of awesome. Wherever we go, so does The Sartorialist. It's true ..he wishes he could feature us constantly. Always a step ahead in the fashion world.

My brother. You just wait until spring. 
It's a hat AND a drink dispenser.

Testing out fashions for 2011. 

You never know when inspiration will strike.

Make your eyes look bigger& your nose look smaller. 

Perfect for high fashion wannabes.

So, at this point you're thinking to yourself 'I am playing an impossible game. She's not even glamourous on her own, she's GENETICALLY PREDISPOSED to be this awesome. I'm doomed.'
Fear not, fashionista-in-training. I am here. I will hold your hand through the streets of fashion and lead you to your own style. I'm now going to include some no-fail trends of spring/summer 2011. Now, I have excluded the brilliant designers names from these pieces. 'WHY?!', you demand. I will lead you to the door of style brilliance, but it is up to you to find your way from there. Plus, you can't afford this. So, here are my most coveted items.

*From Regretsy. 
God forbid I ever forget to link again. 
Because my blog gets SO much traffic.

These beauties are called 'skants'. A fabulous mix between skirt& pants. You know, for those times when your hooha  just needs a little fresh air but your legs are cold?! Well. Worry no more because these beasts are SMOKING. I'm talking allll over the runways everywhere. You get these bad boys and you will have one of THE hot ticket items for this season. Keep is classy. How can you make this work for you? Include some elements from your own personal style. Think of flowing tops or great necklaces. Keep the shoes simple, you don't really want to detract from the awesome lower half.

You know all those times you think 'I'd be SO MUCH less inconvenienced by this scarf if it was a sleeve. That way I could look hip AND choke myself at the same time.' Well, ladies& gentlemen your answer has come to you. It's unisex. It can match anything. It's easy to make. I'm not seeing anything about this that doesn't scream 'amazingly fashionable'!! I would snap one of these up off the racks before it's too late! Now, you're thinking 'But how will I make this work for ME?'. Easy. It's spring ..so wear it with a cute skirt. Or, perhaps a pair of SKANTS?!

I have saved the best for last. This is a dedicated lady. Look at those gem sweaters! Nothing says personal style like rocking a one-of-a-kind awesome glitter shirt. Her personal style& personality SHINES in these photos. Even if you can't afford her shirts, you can certainly take some cues from her style. Let's start with that hair. Anyone can rock that. Those semi-invisible glasses? Please. Such a DO this summer. And lastly, the pleather tan pants. I'm going to try to get this woman to guest blog for me. Her style might be the one style on earth that is ahead of mine!

Here is a perfect example of all the styles combined into a perfect everyday casual style. Can't you see yourself going to pick up the kids, get groceries, ooze sex appeal at every stop sign& red light?!

So yes, ladies and gents. You too can be as glamourous as my family& I. Even if you aren't naturally as gifted at putting together looks. It just takes a little practice& confidence to pull it all off. Have a fabulous Tuesday :)

*Editor's Note:

I actually had to reactivate facebook 

for some of these photos. 

Y'all better appreciate.

Sunday Adventures 2 ..

Okay, photo of the day is taken! Thank goodness the pressure is off for that. Now, all I have to do is mention two more things before you get to see it :)

1. My blog contest -Enter people! Enter ..even if you don't want to comment, you can retweet / facebook / blog it :) It's super easy and awesome. Not to mention the fact that you could get something free out of it! This is always a selling point for me, seeing as I love all things when they are free. Regardless of how silly or, like in this case, awesome they may be! Plus it will be a hilarious story!

2. Spring Trends -Much different in Cape Breton than the rest of the world apparently! Today at work some of the highlights of spring clothing were:

Men
A. Cropped bleached jean shorts that are slightly too big leading to my view of your gray underroos that are stained with some black substance. Also, to match? A lovely stained gray t-shirt, white socks and sneakers.

B. Button-up shirts that are about to pop because they are 3 sizes too small over giant beer bellies! Along with pants that are straight from ...I don't even know. They were awful though.

C. Hats used as an attempt to cover up whatever the hell you think you're growing on top of your head. I'm pretty sure it's either not hair, or it started out that way but took on a life of its own because you stopped paying attention to it.

D. Very fancy pea coat with a fancy polo on underneath. This guy looked stylin' until ...I got up to ring him through and? Awful gray sweatpants that were easily 6 sizes too big for him that he pulled up about 6 times from being rung in until receiving his change.

Women
A. Shorts. That's it. WHO WEARS SHORTS WHEN IT'S SNOWING OUTSIDE?!

B. Overweight woman who came in with a tshirt, an oversize mens' sweater AND a puffy jacket. Also sporting wayyyy too baggy jeans and flip flops. Can you say 'Gave up'?!

C. A teen in a skirt so short that she was constantly pulling at it .. along with a tube top and bra straps (gross) and high heels. At 10AM. Why does this scream 'I didn't go home last night' to me? Also, it makes me wonder where her parents are and why they are letting her traipse around in such clothes?!

D. Tights as pants (Topic 2). I repeat - THIS. IS. NOT. A. GOOD. LOOK. FOR. ANYONE. Stop trying to make it be.


Now, onto my photo of the day! It is cool .. it's Easter eggs. Prepare for a lot of Easter-y things from now until the event because this is easily my favorite holiday. It ties with my birthday as my most beloved event. Now, if only Easter could possibly fall ON my birthday, I'd be the happiest girl in the world. While likely to never happen, dream big! These Easter eggs are even better than the kind that come from chickens, ostriches or emus! Why? They are made of chocolate :) And they are wrapped in beautiful colors. Can't get any better than that. So, here they are:

*Have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE my light box?!

Friday evenings..

..are best spent at my job? No, wait. That doesn't sound right. Let me try again:
Friday nights are best spent looking through Vogue, Shape& In Style. Along with dealing with increasingly strange customers. Yeah. Still not sounding like the best way to have spent this evening, although perhaps was the best way to earn a paycheck. At the very least, it provides me with the desire to have style, to cut off all my hair (or have it grow long miraculously fast) and choke some people off.

I will start with the strange, strange man who called my store tonight. Affectionately known as Creepy. So, I'm leaving the store at the end of the month ..somehow Creepy finds this information out. He calls my store and this is our conversation:

Me: *sees caller ID.. groans. Picks up anyway, despite her better judgment*. Cogans.
Creepy: Hello, this is Creepy. I heard you're leaving the store!
Me: Yup.
Creepy: Oh my. Well, that's too bad. Are you going to let me buy you a tea tomorrow? I know I can't buy you a doughnut because you're on that weird diet thing.
Me: Umm .. maybe.
Creepy: You should you know. Are you working in the morning?
Me: *seriously debating lying to him ..but he'll just come in for both shifts anyway* Yeah.
Creepy: Well I'll be there before 3 to make sure I can get you something from Tim Hortons.
Me: Yeah, okay. Bye.

SERIOUSLY. What the hell is wrong with people like this?! Have I not been clear enough that I do not want anything that you can do for me? Take a hint. Please. It is times like these that I'm so excited to be done there. Then I remember the strange world that awaits me outside the convenience store bubble. This brings me great sorrow.

So, aside from Creepy calling the store, my shift was fairly uneventful. The regular strange customers .. lots of people who wanted Lotto Max tickets but couldn't figure out how to order them .. men who were inappropriate .. women who tried to get more free pulltabs than they had earned .. then one guy who won $100 and gave me $10! Thanks, your generosity was super appreciated. I will be spending it on something I don't need, like nail polish.

What I wish I had gotten? Enough money to buy all the amazing clothes I keep seeing in magazines. FINALLY things I like are in:
1. Skinny jeans
2. BRIGHT colors

...yeah. That completes my list. It also is basically the only thing I wear, so it's amazing that suddenly the fashion world has decided to make me cool with little to no effort on my part. I just have to purchase them. I'm looking for some cheap cool pieces (oh my god. I'm such a fashionista. Is that even what they are called? ahahah) and I am determined to try harder than 'I put on pants. What more do you want from me, people?!'. I figure I may as well, since I finally like what's considered hip& cool. Mostly the things I want are from Marc Jacobs. I either can't afford what I want (1,295$ raincoat, anyone?) or no stores around here sell what is cheaper. All of this is so sad. Oh well, I suppose I should stop complaining.

Onto the next feature of this blog, which would be what folks?! You should know this by now! In case you don't, I'll remind you; photo of the day! I am doing so good at consistently posting one. Go me. My photo is so cool. Although not as tasty as yesterdays :( It is cuter ..or well, I guess they are cuter. I know, I know. The anticipation is killing you. Without further ado ..