Progressive Joy: The Remix

I will start by shouting from my perfectly landscaped virtual rooftop to say, yeow! What a week it's been! Of course you may have noticed my delay in blog-land, but I promise you it was worth it! Special thanks to those of you who sent me extra lovely messages, that is always appreciated!

The week was filled with the usual business of marrying tight deadlines, chaos, and excitement together as we all began to do what I call, working miracles with budgets and margins once more in meetings. Yes, so glamourous, I know. However, the glam trail did not stop there! I received wonderful news both personal and professional. I found out that one of my friends welcomed a newborn son, and another close friend of mine landed herself a new career, as she's been seeking for months and held out for the perfect one.

I received a new freelance side project that I am happily working on as I type (after the tea finishes steeping that is), and even a small farewell party for a co-worker commenced earlier in the week, as he left the corporate world for good to start a new business venture of his own. 

 

So what does this outfit have to do with my week infused happiness ... absolutely nothing! It was actually inspired by blinds, but that is a whole other story of artful abstractions. Perhaps we can lean toward Breton inspired weekend, and a touch of modern prairie goes vintage on this one!

This is a remixed ensemble that I wore some time ago when I was visiting a family friend who owns a couple of horses. She's promised me a day of horseback riding in the countryside soon, which I love and have not done in years ... right, actually it's close to a decade to be honest.

But, life is full of glorious moments like these to cherish, and also a tub of challenges to conquer. We shall see what becomes of this weekend of nostalgia. Obviously, I would not be wearing a dress nor one of my favourite belts with golden hardware to go horseback riding!

All of this positive energy and thriving air of wonder is what's been going on so far! Is it not these entirely uplifting moments and randomness that we should share more of? Okay, now it's your turn ...


That's the highlights of the week! So, go on ... tell me below what made you happy this week? One good thing that has happened to you, even if it's simply the fact that you had sunnier days to greet you every morning!

The goods: Striped jacket-Consignment shop, Dress worn as skirt-SimplyChic SF, Boots-Vintage, Belt-Michael Kors, Tank-H&M, Leather clutch-Vintage 

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Bright Conversations

What are your favourite colours to wear? For me it's blue, specifically turquoise, as well as all shades of yellow ... my top two favourite hues! But, as you may know my love for colour in general includes, well, everything!

This dress is so comfortable and perfect for a "going to the park" type of day with a neatly packed basket full of cheese, champagne, and wine! Except, instead of carrying snacks and chilled beverages in my basket woven tote, this time I only needed to bring my reading material. I packed a good book, a few glossies, and portable iPhone speakers in my handbag, because this time my friends were bringing the goods to me!

Earlier in the day I had already decided on getting in some quiet time to catch up on reading and sketching. Then, a few hours later I received a surprise call that a couple of friends were in town and wanted a low-key meetup. Don't you just love those completely spontaneous days?

It turned out to be a wonderful day filled with enchanting memories, good company, and not having a worry at all flashing through our minds! Sometimes you merely need an actual day of rest: a moment to have a clear mind, releasing your heavy weighed thoughts or troubles, and allowing them to be infinitely swept up by the wind.

I think there's always time to indulge in the simple joys of life, so why not! Of course, we can all do this on our own at any given time, however this time it was certainly a special moment to share with good friends. And, I also believe that wearing one of my favourite colours attributed to the cheerful tone maintained throughout my environment. 

What colours or patterns have you recently worn that uplifted your mood? 

The goods: Retro gauze and crochet dress-Antique/thrift shoppe (similar), Handbag-Oasap (seen here), Wedges-Chinese Laundry, Handmade belt-DIY, Bandana-Art market.

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The Clash: Prints and Patterns

If you've followed this blog for some time then you may have noticed how much I adore accessories in general, especially versatile items like scarves! They can definitely be worn any time of the year ... from summer to winter! 

I tend to keep a scarf of some sort in my handbag and carryall for various reasons, as I've used them to alter the look of an outfit on many occasions. 


This is an outfit that I wore one weekend to view art pieces that a friend was selling, and then to go shopping later. After brunch we did a bit of vintage shopping and thrifting, which is always wonderfully time consuming, but also a lot of fun! I wanted to find antique pieces, however instead, I pretty much scored several other pieces: stemware, this leather handbag, and bird printed scarf.

At the shop that I bought the handbag and stemware from all proceeds and donations were going to support children's charities, so how could I not take peek and donate! I managed to get a total of 8 pieces all for the equivalent of buying a cup of tea! You can't beat a great cause and box of excellent buys!

I paired my newly purchased scarf with an old jacket that I had changed the buttons on. Originally, it had plain large buttons, so I sewed on new buttons to give the jacket more character. Since the jacket is navy, choosing a more detailed button worked well!

Have you found a great deal on anything recently?

The goods: Jacket-BB Dakota, Heeled loafers-BCBG, Leather handbag-charity shop, Bird printed scarf-Gap (thrifted), Denim-Express, Grey printed scarf-Ladyofashion, Necklace-Nordstrom, Eyeglasses-Firmoo, Striped top-Marshalls.

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Designer Highlight: Handbags For Any Occasion

As much as I adore shoes and all kinds of jewellery, handbags are essential accessories for my lifestyle! From the hustle and bustle of business travel to heading off to vintage shopping, there's always a bag that can go for every occasion.

Since Fashion Tales is about spreading the love of emerging artists, I wanted to share with you three designers on my radar—particularly handbag designers that all sell on Bottica. If you shop online then you've likely heard of Bottica by now, a fashionista's one-stop shop for acquiring creations from new talent. If not, then you should!

They continue to provide exclusively curated pieces by independent designers from across the globe. I've chosen these bags, which can easily take you from day to night. Additionally, I've added a few styles that would be ideal for my own fashion schedule, including enjoying the weekend.

As difficult as it was to narrow down my favourites I finally selected a diverse bunch! Take a look at these independent designers, and tell me your favourites!

(Above) 1-Missy Balloon suede leather tote bag (The Swedish Model), 2-Le Grand Icon in Ruby (Dareen Hakim), 3-Le Monaco Shoulder Bag and Le Icon-Sapphire Clutch (Dareen Hakim), 4-MGA Shoulder Bag (Bellebas)

Designers to love:
New York based designer, Dareen Hakim produces elegant handbags with personality. She uses her Lebanese culture as influence in her design aesthetic driven by the notion of unique contrasts, in fabric textures, using heavy metal, and original ancient calligraphy. View more of her designs here.

The Swedish Model is a team of individuals behind the luxury designer brand with a minimalistic appeal. I love their handbags most because of the versatility. In the Balloon bag (seen below #5), a personal favourite, it's the perfect travel carryall or weekender bag, as well as for other occasions. The roomy bag makes it a multipurpose piece to love, and above all their craftsmanship with leather speaks for itself! View more pieces here.  

One of the reasons why I was drawn to Bellebas' handbags was  because of the immediate luxe appearance that you get in a glance. My favourite from the Bellebas designing duo, Luli De Paula and Dolores Mourino is the Hexa satchel (seen below #6). My first thought was this exquisite bag is great for a meeting—of course, pairing it with my pencil skirt, silk blouse, and favourite heels would just be one of many outfit selections!View more from Bellebas here.


(Above) 5-Balloon Zip Brogue yellow leather tote bag (The Swedish Model), 6-Hexa Satchel Bordeaux (Bellebas)



You can check out private sales from Bottica designers that's rotated every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday for 48 hours for each sale. So, if you're looking for the perfect time to splurge on a quality bag, I would suggest selecting your must-haves and hitting the private sales!


What type of bag typically suits your style? Are you an "art with edge fashionista," a "classic beauty," a "bigger is better" bag lover, or "trendy devotee?"


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Maxi Movements

Maxis are one of the most versatile style of garments that any woman can wear! I typically wear them more during spring and summer, but I have found them to be wonderful trans-seasonal pieces in my wardrobe.

Think about it—whether a maxi dress or skirt, they're easy to wear, even better to pack, and no demanding styling is needed. You can literally wear a basic Tee, maxi skirt, and sandals and have either an overall casual aesthetic or even transform those pieces into a more refined ensemble!

I decided to wear this silk dyed maxi dress one day to work, and then to meet with friends later. It was one of those occasional work weekends. But, I made the most of it, and wanted to be dressed slightly more relaxed than normal work attire and without going for denim.

It was a low-key night, and I knew that most of the others that I was planning to meet were going to be very casual, so I swapped out my cropped blazer and opted for a cargo jacket. Why do I love it? It’s multifunctional and has loads of pockets!

Sometimes the most effective elements are random and simple. For me, it was pairing a nice silk dress that I found in the depths of my closet with comfortable shoes! I also liked the casual vibe to the look and blended favourable vintage to add texture with an earthy, yet contemporary feeling!  Either way, it was the right combination of comfort and style that I wanted. Are you a maxi lover?  

The goods: Maxi dress-Bebe, Patent shoes-c/o Oasap, Vintage-Tooled handbag and eagle belt-charity shop, Jacket-Old Navy (last seen here), and Lucite necklace-gifted.

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