Katie Style – Somewhere in Germany…

Jean jacket: Gap (sooo old) | Skirt: Gap (not so old) | Scarf and Hat (matching!): S. Oliver  | Tights: Manguun | Shoes: Hush Puppies

[An ode to German strumpfhosen is forthcoming. I never owned any tights, and now I own 8 pair. The Germans have created miracles in tights-form.]

Every other week or so, The Rocket Scientist and I try to take a day trip somewhere. This time it was to Breisach, a beautiful but apparently forgettable city. Forgettable because I asked T.R.S. at least seven times while we were there, “where are we again?”

But we saw a Munster (cathedral), a witches’ tower, some snobbish French swans that wouldn’t come and visit the German side of the Rhine, and I took far too many pictures of beautiful doors and one picture of T.R.S.’s cute backside (clothed) next to a statue’s cute backside (unclothed). He’s not letting me post that one online, but the man can’t control what I make my laptop’s background!

 

France (and its snobby swans) are over there.

Both the cute bums are there, trust me.

Heading home on the train.

Katie Style – Dinosaurs and Husband-Shirts

Happy Halloween, everyone! Halloween isn’t really done in Germany, so there’s no fun dressing up today. I do plan, however, on taking chocolate to my German language class. Which will, no doubt, lead to another lecture by my instructor on why American are all so fat…

The Rocket Scientist and I honeymooned our way through Canada, with stops in Toronto, Quebec City, and Montreal. Here’s what I discovered at a rest stop in Quebec:

1) Dinosaurs!

 

2) Humidity + short, curly hair doesn’t always work

3) T.R.S. Would Lose a Dinosaur Wrestling Match

4) Canada’s mis-guided belief that “dill pickle” is an acceptable flavor for ANYTHING continues.

5) That T.R.S. LIKES dill pickle as a flavor. I don’t know who I married…

6) That it’s a good thing to marry someone who wears roughly the same shirt size you do, because then you can steal their shirts and double both your wardrobes. I think this is an excellent plan, but I haven’t been able to convince T.R.S. to wear any of my shirts yet…

• Shirt – The Rocket Scientists, via JCrew (actually his wedding shirt!)
• Cardigan – thrifted
• Pants – Foxy
• Invisible shoes – Dansko

 

Katie Style – Remember Me?

Dress – eloquii | Belt – thrifted | Shoes – Dansko | Brooch – teeny tiny store

Internets! I’ve missed you! It’s been a long time. But, excuses – I have them.

It’s been a super busy summer for me. I started my own business, am sort of planning a wedding (only “sort of” because my mom’s a rockstar. Without her, the reception would be at Applebee’s) and continuing to fool myself into thinking that I might be able to manage the process of moving ‘cross an ocean without going mad. We’ll see.

Oh, and then this guy sneezed on me.

See? Busy life.

The highlight of my week definitely has to be my new lack of hair. It’s still growing on me (ba-dum-ch!), but I think I love it.

Note how the silver headband matches all the silver hair I’ve been too lazy to dye. Coordination for the win!

The Katie Dress

I wore this outfit last week to go and visit a newborn baby at the hospital.

Basically just a cheapy dress I got in downtown Toronto from a store called Katie. Katie noticed the store last time we were all together in Toronto and liked it, because it is called Katie. The simple things sometimes. I should also metion that all the clothes in this store are one size fits all. I paid in cash.

Anyway, this dress is a bit of a moo-moo if unbelted, so belted it. I was quite drawn to the pleats and polka dots, and the cute shoulder tie. A dash of colour with this emerald scarf via Katie (the person, not the store), and my $2 sandals I thrifted with Katie (the person, again) last month – brand new!

Since I last posted (cough, a while ago, cough), you can see how far my garden has grown. Those raspberry bushes have a mind of their own! And we are just starting to get tomatoes. They are green mind you, but they are a smaller variety, and will be purple soon.

Katie Style – Black and White and Red (and Turquoise) All Over

Skirt, Old Navy | Tank tops, Target and Gap | Sandals, Dansko |Necklace, here and there | Shawl, JoAnn Fabrics

I’ve been wearing a variation of this outfit for the past three days. Partially because I need to do laundry and I strongly dislike doing laundry, and partially because I’m now self-employed and can wear whatever the heck I like. And this skirt + a tank top, I like.

Three hours into this ensemble I realized I’m basically wearing our wedding colors. I must now pause to shudder at the fact that we have wedding colors. For shame, what have I become?

Shame over! Check out the pretty fabric for my wedding shawl/wrap/may end up as a veil by the end of the night.

Bound to happen.

Katie Style – Ocean Colorblocking

Tank: Gap | Cardigan: thrifted | Skirt: Target | Belt: Target | Necklace: TRS | Shoes: Softwalks

Today I missed the ocean. The sights, the sounds, and the smells (well, most of them). There are several solutions to this problem:

1. Rewatch The Voyage of the Mimi
2. Loiter around the seafood tanks at Whole Foods
3. Dress in cool blues and greens

This time, I chose color…and Ben Affleck.*

*But not in a creepy way. The dude’s like 11 there.

Katie Style – Pop of Pastel

Dress, elloqui | Necklace, self-made | Belt, Target |  Bracelet, gift | Shoes, Softwalks

Pastels have never been my favorite. Besides doing little for my coloring, they’ve never appealed to me aesthetically. Why choose light blue when there’s royal, cobalt, cerulean, electric indigo, and ultramarine to be had?

But the one place I do appreciate a well-placed pastel is with black. Combining pastels with black classes up the one while brightening the other. Just see how chic Marge Simpson looked in her pink and black Chanel suit.

So I’ll gladly pair my black batwing dress with delicious mint green accessories.

But where I really love pastels is on the tree outside my window.

Katie Style – In My Easter Bonnet

Shirt, Gap | Skirt, Gap | Belt, Target | Necklace, Target | Shoes, Softwalks | Jacket, Gap

My favorite Easter ensemble is still the “This is my Easter Outfit” t-shirt I got when I was 11, but this combination is running a close second. Cool and comfortable for the warm weather we’re having, but stable enough not to be blown up over my head in the gale-esque winds we’re having. Just because the Easter Bunny brought me underwear, doesn’t mean you need to see it.*

*Every year. Some people get jelly beans. I once got a Winnie the Pooh thong. 

As for my title, it may have been made famous by Fred and Judy, but I learned it first from The First Easter Rabbit. A cartoon classic if there ever was one – it even has Santa!**

**Santa also brings me underwear.

Chelsie Style – Bright and Tights

I always have trouble styling this really bright shirt because it is a total scene stealer. People always comment on the bright orange, and always in a cheerful way. I think navy is probably it’s prefect companion, and I’m pretty sure this is a navy skirt which I acquired for free from a friend’s closet. I like that skirt has a particular shape, almost bubbling out slightly after the waist, and then narrowing back in. It also has pockets and belt loops! I think the belt finishes off this paring well.

I love these neutral gray tights, but alas they have been retired. With the cooler mornings and warm afternoons, I’m going to need to increase my collection of lightweight tights… and scowl more menacingly at my car for it’s decision to quit gracing me with the presence air conditioning.

Katie Style – Colorblind

So awkward...

• Jacket – elloqui
• Shirt – thrifted
• Skirt – Target
• Belt – thrifted
• Necklace – JC Penney
• Shoes – Softspots

This outfit elicited a lot of comments, ranging from “You look like a barbershop pole!” to “It’s not Valentine’s Day anymore.” Everyone’s a critic…

But for all of people’s opinions on my getup, no one could decide what color I was wearing. It was called “bright red,” “hot pink,” and “…orange?”

Seeing how variable people’s perceptions of color are makes me feel a little sorry for all the times I’ve mocked The Rocket Scientist for his inability to distinguish hues.*

*But not that sorry. That dress was never pink, my love, it was purple. You’re just wrong.  

And the final accessory? The mushroom head returns!

Taking photos in the bathroom. Keeping it classy, internets. Keeping it classy.

Katie Style: Green Around the Edges

• Trench – Old Navy
• Dress – eloquii
• Scarves – thrifted
• Shoes – Softwalk

Three ways in which I’m a rebel today:

1. Wearing a sleeveless dress and open-toe shoes in March
2. Wearing three silk scarves
3. Wearing my “Friday” underpants on a Tuesday

One of the above can’t be explained by global warming. But which one?

I also had a Cadbury Egg for breakfast. But that’s not rebellion, that’s just delicious.

P.S. Remember way back when I wore multiple shades of green and got all nerdy about it?

Chelsie Style: The Skirt that will be Reincarnated

I thrifted this silk shirt and skirt at the same time without trying either of them on. To be fair, I knew the colour of the shirt would be good, and silk is forgiving in fit. The skirt however is a different story. I don’t have any other maxi length skirts so I wanted to try out this trend. My main intention with this skirt is to make it into throw pillows for the spare bedroom. I thought I would try it as a skirt first. This skirt is HEAVY! It’s wool. I hand stitched the hem up by 5 or 6 inches (I’m not tall), but I did not want to cut off the fabric since I am still planning on using the fabric for pillows. I know it works as a skirt, which I had not planned on, but I figure I have enough clothes that I can wear it once or twice more and it can be reincarnated into a life where I can admire the pattern every day! That decorating project is still in process anyway.

Katie Style – All Wrapped Up

(excuse the papers on the buffet – I’m a-doin’ my taxes)

• Dress – Adrianna Pappel, via Macy’s
• Shoes – Naturalizer’s, via my friend’s wedding
• Earrings – World Market

He hasn’t seen it yet, but I know – I just know – The Rocket Scientist is going to call this my “mummy dress.” After all, this man already name one of my cardigans the “squid sweater” and another the “bat cape.”

It’s like my closet holds the wardrobes for a weird group of superheros.

Now someone invite me someplace fancy so I have a chance to wear this sucker!

Katie Style – Love and Fluffy Scarves

Warning: This post contains lots of pink and ooey-gooey love. Proceed at your own risk.

• Cardigan – thrifted
• Belt – thrifted
• Skirt – Target
• Boots – Trotters
• Cowl – Anniversary present from The Rocket Scientist
• Earrings – The Rocket Scientist
• Bangles – Grandma

Last Thursday was The Rocket Scientist’s and my 4th anniversary.*

*Yep, Groundhog’s Day. Do we pick ‘em romantic or what?

To celebrate, T.R.S. sent me this fabulous coral cowl scarf, and a giant bar of Swiss dark chocolate. He knows me so well.

I love the scarf, but much more I love the guy who gave it to me. I had no idea four years ago that the smart and quiet guy across the table from me at pub trivia would end up being one of the most important people in my life. I’m lucky every day to know him, and even luckier to get to call him mine.

And now, thanks to him, my neck will stay toasty warm and adorable.

So Happy Anniversary to my very own Rocket Scientist, who looks adorable posed in front of a preserved tapeworm.*

*For those who don’t know, here’s how tapeworms factor into this story of love.

 

P.S. We just got engaged. Booyah!

Katie Style – Anatomical Dressing

• Blazer – Ross
• Shell – Old Navy
• Jeans – Silver
• Invisible Shoes – Hush Puppies
• Necklace – La Mama

["Take Two" of Surreptitious Museum Outfit Shots. Pro: not blurry! Cons: no feet. Also, mysterious orb - probably a ghost - floating on my head. It's a work in progress.]

And now, for a story:

Why I Will Never be Hired to Write About Fashion

The Break Room at Katie’s Museum

Co-Worker #1: ”That’s a pretty shirt, Katie. I like the pattern.”

Katie:” Thanks! I like it, too*, even though it secretly sort of reminds me of the cross-section of a penis.”

*This is where I should have stopped talking

Co-Worker #2: Ummm…

Co-Worker #1: ”I’m surprised you know what the cross-section of a penis looks like.”

Co-Worker #3: ”Really? We are talking about Katie.*”

*I think she was implying that I know a lot of weird things. Not that I go around dissecting manly bits. Although I have done that to a shark…

Katie: “Oh yeah, I had a whole semester of Mammalian Physiology on reproductive organs. I know a lot about penises.”

Co-Worker #4 (male) who just walked in: “…I think I’m going to go eat in the other room…”

Co-Worker #2: “You do realize, that now every time you wear that shirt, we’re all going to be thinking ‘There goes Katie in her secret penis shirt.’”

Katie: “That seems fair.”

Yep, never going to be a fashion writer. Unless Biology of Reproduction is hiring.

Also, here is a picture of my necklace next to a Silver Medal from the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Katie Style – Experimentation

• Dress – thrifted
• Cardigan – Sam’s Club
• Tights – no idea
• Socks – Target
• Boots – Clark’s
• Necklace – The Rocket Scientist

No need to adjust your monitors, I really am that blurry today. Just squint and pretend it’s artsy.

This outfit was an experiment. Work’s been difficult, for a variety of reasons, and silly as it may sound, the way I was dressing wasn’t helping. Wearing jeans and hoodies and flannel shirts was practical for the work I do, but it also made me miserable. I didn’t feel like me, I didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin.

So today I dressed like me: a dress, drapey layers, and the continuation of my never-ending quest to rock 90′s-esque silhouettes. And, yes, I did have to wear an ugly brown smock that smelled distinctly like feet and pencil shavings for part of the day to keep my clothes clean, but it was worth it.

I also experimented with taking sneaky photos at work (but on my break, in case my supervisors ever discover this blog). The photos ALL came out blurry, so there’s work to be done yet (again, work I’ll do on my break).

No idea what I’m doing here. None.

Katie Style – Employable Tree Frog

• Blazer – Ross
• Shirt – Target
• Pants – Gap
• Boots – Clarks
• Belt – thrifted
• Necklace – South Korea, gift

My current museum job ends in April, so I’m already preparing for whatever my next adventure might be. Along with looking for my next gig, I’m continuing to build my “professional” wardrobe.*

*And just biding my time until they make formalwear Snuggies. Black tie in the front, open in the back.

When I found these wonderfully wide leg pants on uber-clearance at the Gap, I quickly added them to my interview arsenal.

 

And on a completely unrelated note, how much do my arms and hands look like a tree frog’s in the following photo?

Another hiring plus, if you ask me. I wear awesome pants AND I imitate a sticky-toed, three-eyelided amphibian. Score!

Katie Style – SoHo Hobo

• Jacket – thrifted
• Shirt – thrifted
• Necklace – Anthro
• Belt – thrifted
• Pants – Gap
• Shoes – Clarks

I felt remarkably like a hobo in this outfit. No rails to ride, but the combination of boots, short pants, and a suit jacket always feels hobo-esque to me. But my coworker said it looked chic – a SoHo hobo, if you will.

Maybe I just need Edna Mode to make me a new suit, too.

Katie Style – European Edition*

*I accidentally wrote “European Addition” first, which would just be a post about me trying to do math in metric.

Warning: Europeans are FAR better dressed than I. I did my best.

Germany/France/Switzerland were FREEZING, so this was the uniform of every  day, complete with leggings under the jeans, multiple pairs of socks, and the occasional sweater pilfered from The Rocket Scientist.

• Hat – Vera Wang
• Puffy coat – Tommy Hilfinger
• Jeans – Dish
• Purse – la Mama

When, on rare occasion, I warmed up, I looked like this:

• Sweater – Lauren Conrad
• Tank top – thrifted
• Jeans – Dish
• Shoes – Clarks

My life will now be incomplete without a whale skeleton to suspend from the ceiling.

When I flew on planes, I rejected pants. I also looked blurry (blame The Rocket Scientist. For the blurriness, not the lack o’ pants):

• Tunic – Gap
• Scarf – thrifted
• Cardigan – mysterious Sam’s Club brand
• Leggings – Target
• Shoes – Clarks

The Rocket Scientist also looked especially adorable on this trip:

Shawl-collar sweater AND Orangina! Perfection.

I don’t know what’s cuter – The Rocket Scientist in his fabulous new hat, or the naked baby bum on the wall behind him.

Yep, the baby bum. But there’s no shame in coming second to a baby bum.

Stay tuned for more vacation photos. Mostly of food, since I’m a girl with her priorities in order.

Katie Style – Like a Cake (Song)

• Cardigan – Norma Kamali
• Tunic – Gap
• Belt – thrifted
• Leggings – Target
• Necklace – The Rocket Scientist
• Boots – Trotters

The reign of No-Pants Katie continues! Behold, my version of Cake’s “Short Skirt, Long Jacket.” But without the skirt. And with a cardigan instead of a jacket. But other than that it’s a totally identical pastry-related outfit.

The volume of material in the front makes me feel better about the lack of pants in the back…sort of. So I keep my back to walls. Hides my bum AND helps prevent sneaky ninja assassination attempts.

Chelsie Style – Classy Pants or Classy Blazer… Status Unknown

I don’t usually wear my skinny jeans to work. Actually, I never wear them to work, and I generally don’t wear jeans on a Friday either. I figured today would be a good day to bend my rules a bit, with it being the last day before holidays.

Voila – the Jessica Simpson skinny jeans. And to class it up a bit, and perhaps make it look a bit more professional, a blazer. But wait – the $2 garage saled 100% unknown fiber jacket…?

Though you cannot tell from these pictures, I got an eyebrow pencil yesterday night. I’m not sure what I think of it. My eyebrows look so dark to me, but I bet no one else notices. It’s kind of fun to play around with.

Chelsie Style – Pre-holiday Preparations

Too bad you can’t see how shiny/sparkly this skirt is. It is wrap around and has a sort of drape going on in the front. Of course it was thrifted for $1.

I love the gathers on this shirt and the light lime colour. Oh, look! My shirt matches with my lime green ornaments!

I have all my gifts wrapped and it has been a busy week of relaxing, holiday visiting, and tea, desert and gift giving. Maybe I will pick up my toboggan next week. Maybe one day there will be snow…

One more full day of work before the holiday week begins! What will you be doing at work tomorrow? Eating lots of baked holiday treats I hope! Anyone have the day off, or a half day?

Any holiday lovers? Any haters? I like to just kick back, drink some hot chocolate, with a little Baileys, and read a good book, and eat great food with great people. Happy holidays! (…or happy birthday, if you run out of Christmas paper…)

Chelsie Style, Spectacled

I got new glasses, like 6 months ago. A while back I noticed that Rebekah of Jaunty Dame had similar glasses. Since I have been more involved in home decorating schemes lately, I had not posted them on the blog. So here I am, in all my glory, in the cat eye wing tipped glasses. They are actually very comfy, and so stereotypical librarian. I find it funny to wear them to work.

I love the structure of this dress. It is sleeveless though, so winter + work = cardigan.

Today I wore:

• Thrifted Ellen Tracy dress
• Thrifted vintage Mimi di N belt
• Cashmere cardigan
• Free glasses from Clearly Contacts
• Necklace with beads from turn of the century abandoned German factory
• etc.

Chelsie Style and DIY Tray Upgrades

I was always keeping an eye out for a high waisted skirt, but they were always either too cheaply made, or the shape was not flattering. I found this skirt and shirt on the same shopping trip to my local Salvation Army. It is nicely lined, and structured with strong stitching supporting the waist form, and is made from a nice sturdy but soft almost jersey knit. The make is Sandwich and it is quite comfortable.

I find the skirt pairs well with more vibrant button downs that might be more risky on their own. Sometimes just throwing a cardigan or vest over a bright shirt works better than it might have solo. I also like the impact of the strong red paired with the bright purple tights.

I have not been thrifting as much lately because it doesn’t fit as well with my new schedule. Before I could hit all the thrift stores in town during my lunch hour, or during the summer when I was working part time, I would do the rounds after lunch. Now I get home at 5 and all the stores are closed and the Salvation Army is not even open on weekends and closes weekdays at 4!

Luckily I have a bit of a backlog of projects. I got these pretty trays this summer. I wasn’t keen on the dark grainy wood look (this picture makes them look nicer than they were), and was initially thinking of keeping the gold. Unfortunately, a) the metal was looking a bit rough and scratched up, and b) trying to tape it up to avoid spraying it was just too tedious. Thus I sprayed it all. Spray painting took me approximately 2 months – I know, sad.

I was a bad spray painter. Sometimes my coats were too thick. Some days were too windy. I ran out of spray paint for the underside and did not feel like taking my bike across town to get more. Eventually they all dried and I brought them inside. These trays or super handy for putting books on, arranging on the ottoman to make it a more solid coffee table, or setting out snacks and drinks for guests.

 

Katie Style – Spineless

• Blazer – thrifted
• Shirt – Old Navy
• Pants – thrifted
• Boots – Trotters
• Rhinestone spider pin – The Rocket Scientist

My shirt is covered in butterflies. When I was describing it to The Rocket Scientist, I mentioned that the only thing that would make it cooler would be to change the pattern to centipedes.

Because, as Mariah Carey has shown us time and again, anyone can wear butterflies. Wearing centipedes? That takes some backbone…or not.

Although, it is true that no one suspects the butterfly…*

*Or the Spanish Inquisition.