Curse you salt!

I enjoy winter, sure I'm cold all the time but snow is pretty and can be fun. However, the large amounts of salt used on the roads so people and cars don't slip and slide all over the place is the bane of my winter existance. Remember the boots I bought the fall? My lovely cowgirl-esque boots. They're slowly being ruined with the salt. It drives me crazy as I futilely work to halt the salt's progress into the leather. Grr, argh.

How do I make it stop?!


Jane

I <3 crewnecks

It has been the Fall of the crewnecks for me and I suspect it will continue into the winter. I did this with tank tops once, I wore one every day for a couple years in University. In summer it might be on it's own, in winter it provided a base layer. The ultimate in versitility. Now it's the long sleeved crewneck. Perfect in winter as a base layer, because I'm always cold. I bought six this Fall (3 packs of 2), little extreme perhaps? But they were a good price and work well under my sweaters which are mostly 3/4" sleeve so the long sleeve sticks out for a cool layered look and keeps my forearms toasty. There's nothing worse than a cool forearm.


Jane

Party Time!

The Holiday season has begun, we had our first Christmas Dinner (hosted by my boyfriend's employer) this weekend. It was lovely. I bought a couple new items for Holiday dressing up a jacket, a red silk shirt, and a necklace. I wore the first two to this weekend.



I didn't immediately realize that I look Ringmaster-esque . . . I still like it though, fun and professional.

Merger

So, I currently have two blogs and it's just not working. I'm going to try and combine the two in the new year so the new blog will reflect all of me, not just the fashion side. Hopefully it will be a better read once combined :)

It's over!

Last night I passed in the paper that has been taking up all my time. When the class was cancelled too I went out to celebrate. I went to Wal-Mart and Michaels to buy beads and other supplies for the jewelry projects I have to complete for Christmas. Yay! I went a tad crazy with buying beads but they were all so pretty.

I can't wait to get started.

So many ideas

I'm working on a report for a class I'm taking so I won't be updating regularly (ie. no post yesterday).

However I can gripe a minute about all the ideas for DIYs I've been having but not being able to work on. It's driving me crazy and I try to write them down which is turning into a mess of notebooks and stickies. Some day I'll find the time to set up my little work area and make my thoughts into reality.

:)

Layers

Winter is the time of layering for me. I never wear less than two shirts :) Today, considering the temperature and my flu-ish state I wore a cotton short sleeve shirt, a thin cotton 3/4 sleeve sweater, and a 1/2 (?) sleeve swing cardigan. I was pretty cozy. I kept it from getting too busy by sticking to red and grey, red patterned shirt, red sweater, and dark grey sweater.

I should of taken a picture, but by the time I got home after work and class it just wasn't the first thing on my mind. Next time :)

Off Sick

I was off sick today so not feeling particularly stylish, more fluish ;)

I'm about to curl up with a cup of chamomile and watch some tv before bed. Hopefully things will be looking prettier tomorrow :D

Face Frustration

For the last few months I've been breaking out like crazy (high school levels). Two months ago I switched to Clinique's system with soap, toner, and gel to see if it would help. But, in the last week it's gotten particularly bad. I don't know what to do. I could switch again, but that might just upset my skin more. I was sizing up my face and the pimpleless (:D) skin looks good, small pores and smooth.

So I looked into the medical side of things and apparently my acne is more on the hormonal side of things (yay). You can tell because it's on my jawline and chin (not my cheeks and nose where I used to get it in the teenage years). I guess I have to take this one to the doctor.


Jane

Steampunk Style

After coming accross this article on digg I've become ever more intrigued with steampunk. I love the fantasy feeling of the look, the dreamy quality of it all. Turns out I've read a couple of steampunk-ish novels by Alastair Reynolds (Century Rain was my favorite) which must have planted the seed in my head.

Well today that seed bloomed, I could spend hours going though The Steampunk Home and I found this beautiful necklace on etsy.

Oh, and this one too :D


Jane

EDIT: apparently Reynolds is more cyberpunk than steampunk. I've gone and confused my punks!

New York Outfit

I really enjoyed being in New York and, well, dressing up a little. I definitely looked pretty fancy compared to my usual vacation clothes :)

Here's my outfit I wore for a walk in Central Park and Skating on Wollman Rink.

*yawn*

Is it Tuesday already? Last night was busy. Did an at home workout with the boyfriend. We can't seem to make it to the gym.

I'll have a New York outfit up tonight and I'll be doing a bit on my search for the right cleansing system soon.

Outfit - Nov 13th, 2008

I bought some awesome boots in New York. I absolutely love them! Today's outfit had me humming Darth Vader's theme all day :)




Necklace. Can't remember :D
Sweater. Gap
Skirt. Necessary Objects
Leggings. Razzle Dazzle
Boots. DKNY

Lazy day

So last night I just cuddled up on the couch, partly because I was tired, partly because I was cold. When I got warmed up I didn't want to move an inch. This led to me not posting last night.

I'll certainly get something up today, I've turned the heat up a little so I wouldn't be too cold :D

I'm wearing my two favorite new items. A skirt with pockets (so comfy) and my DKNY patent boots. Can't wait to show off!

I'm back!

And boy, do I have a lot to show! So many nice things. It was so much fun!

I'll post some New York pictures this evening!

The women who had highlights for less than 24 hours

I've scheduled a redo. I'm going back to brown.

Well, I guess I've learned my lesson. Don't change things that are working perfectly fine on their own :)

My complexion on the other hand . . .

I don't likey

Ok, so I decided to get highlights, and I asked for caramel. But when we put the caramel in it was too close to my own hair so we went for lighter.

But I really don't like lighter.



I'm going to call my stylist tomorrow to darken it again.

- Jane

Feeling good today

Well this morning went much better. I got up ten minutes earlier and I had clothes washed for the day :)

Hopefully I'll get an outfit shot today before I get too wrinkly.

Not a good morning

This morning I decided to wear my black leggings and my black lace trimmed skirt with my big grey sweater and my boots. We were running late. I was just finishing up my hair, my boyfriend kissed me goodbye (because if he's late darkness will blot out the sun) and I went to put on my skirt. It stuck. I could barely get it up, the leggings were like velcro making the skirt stick to my legs in a most unflattering manner. You probably heard my cries of frustration. I had to pick out something else at the last minute and it's not pretty. I had to wear my brown cords but I couldn't find my brown socks so I could wear my cute little flats. No, all I could find were olive socks so I ended up wearing my black boots. Oh and the cords are a little on the short side because apparently I'm on the abnormally tall side and pants don't like to be the right length for me :D

So, it basically boils down to one thing:

Jane is not in a good mood today.

I want one

These are just the cutest! They're called Nabaztag's, little rabbits that hang out in your house and let you know what's happening on the internet. I like the idea that it could keep me updated on facebook, twitter, and my feeds. Very cool. And fun too.

Besides the cuteness I like where this is going. The idea that we'll be interacting with technology in a less conspicuous way in the future is pretty neat. I won't have to pick up my phone to check the weather, I'll just have to ask my little electronic friend :)

Renaming

So, I think I'm going to rename the blog to Jane.Style tonight. I'm also going to try a more personnal tone in my posts. Hopefully this'll work better than my current stategy (and I'm not even sure what the current stategy is).

Jane

All dressed up

I got all dressed up as Death last night. It was fun for many reasons, trying to get my hair all puffy, applying liquid eyeliner for the fist time, making an Ankh necklace at the last minute with my boyfriend :)

And here's the end result!



We had a great time eating candy and drinking at our friend's Halloween party, thanks Jessica :)

Style Woes - Gravel

Living in Newfoundland (or any other smallish and/or cool place) presents certain challenges for persons trying to be stylish. Whatever your inspiration (even if it's sporty hiker) you're going to have to take the climate and landscape into consideration. So, I'm going to cover some problems I run into here and how I go about avoiding or dressing for them.
 
Gravel is a pretty shoe's worst enemy. Mud can be washed off (in most cases) but gravel can do serious damage. And it's all over the place here, littering sidewalks and parking lots, serving as the sidewalk or parking lot . . .
 
I try to do a couple things, they sound simple enough, the main thing is to actually think about it when planning a purchase or outfit. 
 
 - Pick out shoes with a substantial sole (so the gravel grinds at the rubber instead of the more delicate leather, vinyl, satin, etc.)
 - Wear a pair of sneakers to the car (I have a gravel walkway and my pretty pumps just can't handle it)
 - Plan ahead, if you know you'll be walking wear something that can handle it
 - Have a purse big enough to carry a pair of shoes with you
 - Own shoe polish (so you can try to cover up that unsightly scuff)
 
I've gone to weddings only to find out that the parking lot is gravel and I had to tread carefully to avoid ruining my shoes. And I didn't even realize what it was doing to my favorite work shoes. I have to try and fix those tonight :S



EDIT: By the way, if you're using a squeeze bottle of shoe polish try not to squeeze too enthusiastically (because, for example, it's late and you want to get this done so you can go to bed) and get black polish all over the laminate floor.

However, if this does happen don't panic, it actually wipes up pretty easily :)

New Halloween Plan

So, for various reasons I've completely changed my Halloween costume. I've decided on something a little darker but still pretty with Neil Gaiman's Death. I've been working through the comics (slowly because they scare me at times) and really loving the Endless characters.



My Mom is working on it now (yeah, I'm spoiled).

New Boots

I feel complete, I have boots. They're warm and pretty and sturdy, what more could one ask for?



I love the slightly rough look of them. I can see these going with jeans but also skirts and tights. Today, I walked home from work and they were perfectly comfy.

Glamour

I watched a TED video of Virginia Postrel speaking about the concept of glamour. It intrigued me. The glamour of fashion is certainly what draws me in to the whole thing but it got me thinking, what keeps me interested in fashion? True high fashion is quite unattainable (on my budget at least) and oftentimes impractical. What keeps me interested is the allure of glamour and the ability to reach for it. I can't afford designer clothes but, I can buy clothing at outlet stores and I can sew/make lots of items to keep it personal. I'm definitely more motivated to get to some of the projects I've had on the shelf now. I feel like the act of reaching for glamour is enough now :)

Aggravating Undies

Bad underwear definitely have an effect on my mood. They keep reminding me their there but I'm usually to busy to figure out what it is that's bothering me :S

Well today was a reminder. So now I'm on a search for the perfect pair of panties. Undies that don't create bulges with dig in elastic seams and that breathe (because I have sensitive skin). So far I've found these cotton seamless bikini's at Victoria's Secret. I may have to order some up. Recommendations welcome!

Star Trek Style

I had a look at the new pictures released for Star Trek XI and I have my misgivings but I hope it'll turn out alright. One stylistic critisism is centered around the colour of Kirk's shirt which is major but I've noticed some other style issues.



Chekov's hair (Walter Koenig) was never curly, I mean really . . . but Anton Yelchin's above is quite curly



I guess women have been known to change their hairstyle so the straight pulled back style is ok and I think Zoe Saldana is a good fit but back in the day Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) always had big hair :)




On a positive note, I love the texture of the uniforms, very cool. I'd like one myself :) And Spock looks great (albeit a little young).

Hair Maintenance

I had a dentist appointment and a hair appointment yesterday and I realized that they were much the same. My dentist was all about making sure my teeth were clean and in good condition. My hairstylist gave my oily hair a good deep clean and she dried it against the grain to keep it from getting too blah. In the end it looked shiney and refreshed (and my teeth were looking good too). I guess it's all a part of taking care of your health and appearance.

On a semi related note. I'm considering some highlights. I'm not big on hair dye, my hair is hard enough to maintain thanks, but I think it would be fun to try a little something. Here's two pictures I've found of highlights I like, although I'd probably go with some tamer colors (for now at least).




I think they'd look good, hm?

Halloween Costume

I've been trying to come up with a Halloween costume for this year. I think I might base it on a Carnival costume for several reasons.

1. I bought a mask at the Italy pavilion at Disney this summer and I'd like to have a chance to wear it.


2. The Halloween celebration downtown is called Mardi Gras for some reason.

3. I want to wear something pretty and warm (big long dress should do it).

4. I figure my boyfriend can figure out some sort of Robot costume to go with it because that's what he likes to do:

Summer Dress

If I were to buy/make a summer dress I'd like it to look something like this Emanuel Ungaro Spring 09 dress:


Image from style.com

I love the ruching/pleating and the way it makes the fabric look so graphic. I love it.

Owlish

So a few weeks ago I was treated to a night of make-up fun as I helped a friend prepare her portfolio for a make-up design program. I helped by being one of her models! We had some fun poking through her array of cosmetics, getting a wild makeover, and taking turns acting as the photographer's assistant (the photographer was my boyfriend). And in the end we got some pretty cool pictures of ourselves.



Good luck with your application Carolyn!

New plan of attack!

So, getting into the habit of writing a blog is quite difficult. Basically I just need to add blogging to my daily routine. And I think I've figured out how to do it. I'm going to write on my lunch breaks. I have an hour everyday for lunch and even if I can't get online I can get the hard part (writing it all down) over with and upload to the blog when I get home.

In honour of my new direction I bought a Golla laptop bag last night and it's adorable! I'll definitely want to bring my laptop everywhere I go :)



And I've filled it with stuff to inspire me when I can't think of anything to write.



So here's to a new beginning!

Complementary Colours

When I was getting ready this morning I was struck by the way my eyes popped out at me in the mirror. I credit this to the fact that my eyes are green and I was wearing a deep red top (as opposed to the light blue top I wore yesterday which definitely didn't flatter as much). It looks really nice and reminded me why I love red so much. I paired it with green eye shadow on my lash line (MAC green smoke) and a raspberry colour lipstick (Clinique respberry glace, from last year's Fall bonus :).

Breakfast

One of my favorite breakfasts is yogurt and berries. Today I got to enjoy it with my Nan's rasberry jam and blueberries, yum. Unfortunately the blueberries weren't local, I haven't had the oppoutunity to pick any in a while. I'll have to look out for when they show up at the grocery store.



I tried out some layering with my sweater today and used the my belt/necklace in it's necklace capacity.

I'm going to New York!

That's right, NYC. Which means very frugal ways for the next while. I'll need a little stock pile of monies so I can shop for myself and for Christmas. I'll only be gone for four nights so it's going to be quite the undertaking :S

Here's the main places we plan on hitting: Century 21, H&M, Filene's basement, and Loehmann's. Aside from the shopping, we'll be seeing Wicked and doing a Harbour Cruise.

I'll let you know how I make out :S

A different use for a glasses case

I had to travel for work this week. While packing I found myself stumped, how to keep my brand new tube of foundation from getting squeezed out while in my bag. It had happened with my old one several times and there was a good few applications stuck in the top of the cap. I didn't want to waste any because the budget is getting tight and the stuff isn't cheap.

So I found it a safe home, my glasses case, I've got a couple extra ones lying around from the many pairs of glasses I've had over the years so it all works out.

Fashion and Style

Fashion and Style are two different entities that can exist on their own. Fashion is cultural factor outside of a individual person's control. It is there for inspiration and it's the art of clothing. Style is a personal thing. How personal it is varies from person to person. You can be inspired by fashion, pictures, books, anything.

I think it's important to distinguish the two to avoid getting caught up in expensive trends that don't really work for you.

I'm Sorry

I can't seem to get the time to blog these days. I will continue to post when I can and perhaps some people can forgive the erratic rhythm.

I'm feeling frustrated today. There are so many things I want to work on, my Halloween costume, some jewelry presents, curtains, but my apartment is still not organized and my scarf is wrinkly.

Funny how a little detail like a wrinkly scarf is indicative of how busy and unsettled I am.



On a happier note, this is probably one of the best pictures I have ever taken.

Lazy Sunday

I love a good lazy Sunday. Today I slept in until 1pm, got my hair cut, hung out at Chapters and talked about life with my boyfriend. It was lovely.

While at Chapters I got to buy some books to help me start some creative projects. I picked up Simply Sewing with a French Twist by Celine Dupuy which goes through necessary supplies, basic to more complex seams, and patterns for around the house. Earlier I bought both Stitch and Bead both in a series by Murdoch Books which are great for basic techniques and some starter projects. I can't wait until we have our "hooby room" ready so I can get everything laid out and make something :)

Flip Flops

They have come to be one of the first signs of Spring and they'll be seen well into Fall, flip flops are everywhere and I'm getting sick of them. I might not dislike them as much as my mother does but they are getting old. I know there is a lot of people who love them and I'm not about to throw my own out the window but I do think they are far from the wardrobe staple they are pretending to be.

I've seen women bundled up head to toe with flip flops on their feet. Considering the fact that they have no support whatsoever and make that annoying flopping noise the only reason I can think of to explain their popularity is the price tag. This is kinda sad folks.

We're all about having lots of selection so we look different everyday we're spending our money on trying to own as much clothes and footwear as we can instead of buying quality items. Let's say no to buying crappy footwear that are supposedly comfy but in the end do as much damage as 3" heels, just in different places :)

All Work?

I've been travelling for work again. I got to enjoy my first helicopter ride today! It was very cool. Lift off was my favorite part, it felt like breaking free. I also saw my first wild bear but he was nothing scary (because he looked about the size of a house cat from the air).

I'll have a more fashionable post this evening :)

Jane

Yay for Shopping!

I got paid last week (yay!) so I finally got to buy some new clothes this weekend. Turns out I really like black, grey, and red. I did buy a nice fuzzy blue sweater but it's so dark it almost fits into the black and grey category :S



I also bought a new purse. I loved the one I had (a simple Lauren by Ralph Lauren bag) but it was starting to wear after two years and they have been reworking it with a minor change. So it was time.

I got this lovely Kenneth Cole Reaction bag, I love the big zippers and patent pulls. It's simple and easy to wear with anything (including my weekend sneakers :). The only thing that made me hesitate was the fact that it's a logo bag. I'm not really a fan of being used as a walking advertisement. But, the logo is not too "in your face."



So here's what I wore to work today, I'm loving my new striped sweater :)

Business Trip: Time for taking care of yourself

The apartment is officially connected and I'm home from some traveling I had to do for work. So all things are in order for me to give you the following.

The majority of my business travel leaves me with evenings to myself. If I'm with a co-worker we might pop out and do a little sight seeing or some other form of amusement but I'll usually have at least an hour or two alone in the hotel room. So, I take advantage of the free time to relax and de-stress.

A hot bath is a great way to relieve the aches and pains you acquire in your day to day life (ie. my Ultimate weary body). And a bath bomb travels well, it's small so you can poke it anywhere and it's a dry product so no icky mess.

Exercise is a great way to work out a case of the blahs from sitting down all day staring at the road ahead or at power point presentation. The locations I get sent to don't have gym facilities but they do offer lots of walking/hiking trails. If it's going to rain and you have room, stick an exercise mat in your suitcase and do some yoga or a body resistance workout (I've used the one published in the Women's Health Training Guide 2008).

Finally, there's brain time. It's pretty old school but bring a book. If your not the novel type try a book of short stories (The Ladies of Grace Adieu was a favorite of mine) or a non-fiction, House Thinking gave me a lot to ponder. Pack some paper (such as the notebook you bought because it was cute) and rough out your next blog post (:D) or just write down your thoughts to clear your mind. If your not in the mood for either of those bring a camera (I usually have one with me for work) and try to capture your temporary surroundings.

Once you get home you'll be refreshed and ready to tackle whatever gets thrown your way next instead of bleary eyed and spaced out. It worked for me :)

P.S. No outfit pic today, I'm still dressed in my jeans and white t-shirt work wear.

Still no internet

Should be set up for Thursday. On a happier note, I'm pretty much moved into the new apartment. We've been roughing out our ideas for the various rooms. Ikea is going to play a big role, ikea and books. We really like the Malm bedroom furniture. It seems perfect for a clutterbug like myself.

Well I look forward to when these BlackBerry posts are no longer needed and I can embelish with links and pictures.

See you soon,
Jane

Moving

I'm moving this week which means I'm disconnected until Monday. However, after moving into the new place I should have lots of material for home style posts!

Retreat

My family home has become something of a retreat for me. It's in a rural community and I love coming home to be surrounded by family and nature. It centers me and helps me focus. Something I really need considering all the projects flitting about in my head that need taking care of.

So this morning I had a relaxing bath in the whirlpool tub and now I'm all set up to read for the afternoon. Hopefully I'll be able to plot out some of my ideas for jewelry, home decor, and clothing tomorrow with renewed clarity.


Wrap.Chapters
T-shirt.Urban Planet
Jeans.Brody
Shoes.Nine West

The Traditional Bob?

I had my hair cut last night and went for a rather dramatic change. Only a few months ago I dared to do bangs (I hadn't had them since I was three I beleive) and lately had been toying with the idea of letting it grow long. But instead, we decided to chop all the longer growth off and try out something quite different.

I Love It!

Now I just have to work on styling it :)

I love my stylist. I can talk to her, she gives me feedback on what I'm suggesting, takes time to talk about my hair and find the right style. In the end I always leave the salon happy. I tried salon after salon for a few years before I finally found her in the spring but all the roaming was worth it in the end.

Results: Beating the Heat

Well, the wet top sheet worked gloriously! It was a little odd getting under a wet sheet (kinda like the feeling of wearing wet clothes) but it made me feel quite cool and I slept through the night. The nice thing was when I was snoozing in the morning the sheet was dry so it was nice and cozy :)

I got my hair cut today and I love it. It will be on display in an outfit post tomorrow.

Beating the Heat

So we've had a few sweltering nights the past few weeks and it's really affecting the quality of my sleep (something which is quite important if you want to look/feel good). Today I stumbled upon this wikiHow article and it has lots of great ideas. I'm going to try the "egyptian method" (#4) tonight. I'm also intrigued by the buckwheat pillow, I've found one on The Linen Closet, but I've never purchased anything from that site. I have to wonder if the pillow would be worth the price. Anyone else use a buckwheat pillow?

I took this picture a few weeks ago from the side of the ferry during a windy trip from Ramea. It makes me feel cooler, mind over matter right?

Ultimate Aching

(pic courtesy of my boyfriend)

I played in the Mile Zero Ultimate Toilet Bowl Tournament yesterday. It was a lot of fun but my feet weren't too pleased by the end of the day. I ended up soaking them in salt water last night which has definitely helped the blisters and sore toes. However, I can't help craving my favorite LUSH massage bar Therapy. Too bad there are no LUSH stores in NL. I'm going to have to put in an order when I get paid.

Grey Day

Today was grey and somewhat rainy. I'm glad I wore my yellow sweater :) I'm looking fairly rumpled by this point after all day at work. Time to crawl into bed and hope tomorrow will bring brighter things.

Grey day
bring breezes
into head spaces

Necklace.Foxy Originals

Sweater.Winners
Pants.Ricki's
Shoes.outlet store

First Post

So I'm not sure how I'm going to work this blog. I will be posting outfit shots and probably some home style stuff. Stay tuned to see how my blog develops :)

Here's what I wore yesterday to go see The Dark Knight and then go to a friend's birthday party:

Jacket. Reitman's (it's been a while since I pulled this out)
Shirt. Hurley
Jeans. Foxy Jeans
Shoes. Keds
Necklace. eBay (cardinal767cardinals)