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    Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
    Showing posts with label review. Show all posts

  1. Review: Never Let The Crew See You Cry

    Saturday, August 17, 2013

    Despite Edmonton's Fringe Festival being the second largest in the world (after Edinburgh's), I've never been to the festival before this year, when I got a chance to see Never Let The Crew See You Cry, courtesy of Bottom Line Productions.

    Photo by Edward Allen
    The play, written by Linda Wood Edwards, details the life of the playwright's mother Ethel as a young Flight Line Mechanic for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan at 31 Elementary Flying Training School 31 at RCAF De Winton, south of Calgary, during WWII.

    Never Let The Crew See You Cry made me cry, but it probably wouldn't make everyone cry. I cried because it made me happy to know that there are still people out there interested in preserving Alberta's rich aviation history through storytelling. I also cried because it made me miss my grandparents. They met at RCAF Edmonton at a dance during the war, and I will always regret not asking enough questions about what it was like.

    But I feel like this play would have had more impact if it could have been expanded. There were only three actors, but a plethora of characters, and I found the shifts between characters sometimes jarring, as there were no costume changes. I found it hard to connect with the characters and it left me with several unanswered questions: why was Ethel drawn to the skies? Were there any clashes between her and the   other girls? What about the women and the men? Did she ever get a chance to fly?

    I felt like there was too much girly gossip, not enough of the nitty-gritty of war. The most gripping part was a re-enacment of Ethel being honoured in 2001 with a BCATP Pennant (which you can find hanging at the Alberta Aviation Museum), complete with a poem she wrote, "To A War Ace".

    However, I did feel the the dialogue was wonderfully written, with plenty of laughs and plenty of singing along from the audience.

    I truly hope that this play can be expanded - if not for the Fringe, then for some sort of tribute at the Alberta Aviation Museum - or turned into a memoir (I know a great writer/editor who's always looking for freelance work).

     I don't think that there's enough knowledge, especially in Edmonton, of the vital role this city played in the war. Did you know that Edmonton was the busiest airport in the world during WWII? Why isn't this part of our history celebrated throughout the city?



    I was truly honoured after the play to meet both Linda and Ethel and chat with them some more (this is when the crying happened. I sure know how to make things awkward!) and thank them both for sharing their family history with Fringe goers.

    If you're interested in seeing Never Let The Crew See You Cry, you can see it at the following times:
    Mon Aug 19 - 3:30pm
    Tue Aug 20 - 2:15pm
    Wed Aug 21 - 8:15pm
    Fri Aug 23 - 6:45pm
    Sat Aug 24 - 11:45am
    Sun Aug 25 - 1:00pm

    Posted by Laurie Callsen at 9:41 PM | Labels: , | 3 comments | |

  2. Review: eShakti spring 2013 line

    Friday, February 22, 2013

    I was delighted last week when I spied an email from eShakti inviting me to review one of their new dresses from their Spring 2013 line for all of you.

    I was asked to pick three dresses (as if I could pick just three) to send my measurements for; one would be selected at random, custom-made and sent to me.

    Source: eshakti.com via Laurie on Pinterest
    Source: eshakti.com via Laurie on Pinterest
    Source: eshakti.com via Laurie on Pinterest

    I opened up the package yesterday to find the middle dress, Graphic mixed media dress ($80), waiting for me inside.


    First things first - this is definitely a spring dress. It's very lightweight and flowy, but despite the less-than-spring temperatures in Edmonton, I wore it to work and a Twitter meet up today anyway. I can't wait to wear it in the hot summer months, especially in August for Bailey's Vegas wedding. I tried to pick dresses that can be both work and weekend appropriate, and I think this fits the bill just fine. And it's comfortable to boot, thanks to the elastic waistband in the back.


    One of the first things I noticed about the dress is how tiny my waist looks! Definitely a vintage-look must (and I didn't need to give up any chocolates to achieve it).


    Another thing I love about eShakti is that all their dresses come with pockets! As someone who often has to lug a lot of stuff around for work but hates hauling a bag everywhere, this is very convenient. eShakti also allows you to remove the pockets free of charge.

    The dress had a lot of static today (which may be because of shipping) and was crawling up my leg, but hopefully that will be resolved with a wash or some StaticGuard. One thing I was worried about was wrinkling - it's still fine after sitting at my desk all day - and sheerness - my skivvies are still a mystery - but so far, so good.

    One thing that I also looked for were straight and finished seams (again, good) and pattern matching. Just look at how well these stripes line up!


    The dress is a little low cut (as I find all my eShakti dresses and tops are - but perhaps I'm a prude!), but could possibly be worn with a cami underneath. I found once I put my necklace on it was fine. I also appreciated the snap on the bodice to keep it in place so there's no awkward peek-a-boob (it would also be handy if you're nursing). The collar detail is also a cute faux-peter pan collar look.

    boobs.

    In terms of eShakti as a company, I've dealt with them a few times in the past and can say that their customer service is top-knotch. I love that they offer custom sizing and I recommend that over picking something that is a standard size. If you can customize, why not go for it? No only can you give your measurements, but you can also change the sleeves, neckline and length on some garments, but not all.  I've also had to return some things in the past and have never had a problem with giving something back.

    The one thing that annoys me with eShakti is that they use DHL as a shipping company, but that's just because I haven't gotten along with DHL in the past.

    Do you have any eShakti pieces? What do you think about them?

    Disclaimer: This dress was provided by eShakti specifically for this review, but my opinions and thoughts are my own.

    Posted by Laurie Callsen at 5:18 PM | Labels: , , , , , | 3 comments | |

  3. As you may recall, I got Vintage Fashion: Collecting and Wearing Designer Classics by Emma Baxter-Wright for Christmas this year, but it's not until now that I've finally had time to review it. 


    This coffee-table style reference book is great for any fashion lover to have on hand to flip through and reference, no matter if you are a vintage devotee or merely curious about the aesthetics of decades gone by. The book is broken down by decades per chapter (except the 1900s to '20s are lumped in one) which are written by separate authors per chapter. Each chapter ends with a pictograph outlining key looks of the era - a quick reference guide for style, fabric, shapes and trends.


    In terms of writing, I did find the book a little disjointed as every chapter has a different author. Some chapters, therefore, are not as detailed or organized the same as others. There were, however, so many beautiful colour (and black and white) photographs of period clothing as well as photos illustrating whole trends and outfits. 


    Personally, the 1920s section was fascinating because the styles and trends shifted so rapidly that almost every year had its own distinct style. I also know very little about the 1930s fashion (I grew up in a farming family, so 30s automatically equals the Great Depression in my mind) so I have a hard time visually identifying styles with the 30s, whereas I find the 20s, 40s, 50s and 60s much easier. 

    I find it interesting that the 70s and 80s were included in the book. Many of us vintage gals typically think of the term 'vintage' stopping after the 60s, but I really enjoyed the 70s and 80s sections because it shows how these decades echoed the trends of 30s - 50s, which therefore can make it easier for buyers to determine if something is genuine or a 70s does 30s piece instead.

    As well, the back of the book includes a shopping guide with buying and garment dating tips  and also includes guides on care, cleaning and storage. There is also a glossary of top designers and fashion terms. 

    In all, I give this book 4/5 stars and think it would be a fantastic bookshelf addition for any vintage style lover, especially those looking for something that is easy to read, has quick references and is easy on the eyes. 

    Have you read Vintage Fashion: Collecting and Wearing Designer Classics by Emma Baxter-Wright? What did you think of it?

    XO Laurie

    Posted by Laurie Callsen at 5:22 PM | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | 0 comments | |

  4. Post 100: A few of my favourite things

    Friday, January 27, 2012

    I can’t believe that this is my 100th post!
    To be honest, I didn’t think I had it in me. I’ve done the blogging thing before but it was never engaging enough to keep me at it, let alone to keep readers coming back. To all those who comment here, follow my blog or who have found me through strange Google search terms, thank you!

    In the spirit of 100, this will be a blog post of my 100 favourite things.  Don’t worry, it’s broken down into sections but this may take a while, so grab some tea or coffee and get cozy.

    My 20 favourite vintage blogs
    This was a hard list to make. Originally I wanted to do 10, but I felt like I was leaving out too many great blogs. I follow 134 vintage blogs (at last count), both “famous” and relatively unknown and love them all to bits!

    100. Retro Chick
    99. Diary of a Vintage Girl
    98. His Girl Friday
    97. The Mariposa Chronicles
    96. Casey’s Elegant Musings
    95. Vixen Vintage
    94. Living in the Past
    93. Alternatively Lovely
    92. Esme and the Laneway
    91. By Gum, By Golly
    90. Land Girl 1980
    89. Mrs. Amber Apple
    88. Spiffing Sporadics of a Vintage Girl 
    87. Sweetheart of the Rodeo
    86. The Freelancer’s Fashion Blog 
    85. The Rockabilly Socialite
    84. Tuppence Ha'penny
    83. Va-Voom Vintage
    82.Of Steel and Lace
    81.Twila Jean - The Mysterious Life of the Metropolitan Housewife


    My 10 most popular posts (by pageviews)
    80. Show 'n' Tell: The Middy // Posted Sept 9, 2011 // 3 comments // 674 Pageviews


    79. New York: Day 4 - Stocks, Sailing and Statues // Posted Aug 24, 2011 // 1 comment // 501 Pageviews


    78. What to Wear: Dinner with Friends // Posted Jun 3, 2011 // 0 comments // 458 Pageviews


    h 77. Style Icon(s): Criminal Minds // Posted Nov 18, 2011 // 1 comment // 353 Pageviews


    76. What to Wear: Help me get dressed for a wedding // Posted Jun 23, 2011 // 12 comments // 280 Pageviews


    75. How-to: Transition summer clothes to winter // Posted Oct 20, 2011 // 0 Comments // 213 Pageviews


    74. Wrapup: Proper football and greyhounds // Posted May 23, 2011 // 1 comment // 205 Pageviews


    73. New York: Day 3 - Around the world in 50 city blocks // Posted Aug 23, 2011 // 2 comments // 156 Pageviews



    72. Finishing School: Fit (and retro swimsuits!) // Jun 21, 2011 // 0 comments // 150 Pageviews


    71. Wrap-up: a dance and a giveaway! // Nov 11, 2011 // 5 comments // 147 Pageviews


    My 10 favourite beauty products


    70. Motions Foaming Wrap
    I haven't done a lot of experimenting with setting lotions, but I can tell a big difference between using Motions and just water. My hair is fine, thick and straight but with Motions my curls last longer (even though I still have to set my hair every night), are bouncier and soft. I was shocked and amazed to find it in my local Superstore in the ethnic section. I may venture to Sally Beauty and find Lottabody when this runs out though, just to do a comparison.

    69. Garnier Fructis Hold and Flex  Hairspray
    As you will see, I use two different types of hairspray. This is my taming fly-aways hairspray. It keeps my hair soft, brushable and crunch-free but still holds my set in place.

    68. TIGI Rockaholic Hairspray
    This is called flexible hairspray, but it falls into the sticky, crunchy category. I wouldn't use it for flyaways, but I do love using it for rolls and pompadours. When I take my bobby pins out of a roll out at the end of the day it is still perfectly in place because of the hairspray. It also smells really good, kind of sickly sweet (which I like).

    67. Schwarzkopf got2B Defiant Pomade
    Ha, according to the got2b website, this is a men's pomade. Which makes sense, since G bought it and then I stole it. No matter, I love it. This is the hair product I found that works the best for me. Waxes separate my curls too much and I hate the texture of gels. This pomade is shiny and smooth without being goopy. When it's in the container, it's bouncy (it even goes 'boing' when you tap it!) and I also love the smell, which is like oranges.

    66. Nivea - Happy Time Cream Shower Bamboo Milk and Orange Blossoms
    This is my go-to body wash. It's creamy, suds up really nicely and doesn't dry my skin out (and I have really dry skin). It leaves my body soft with a orange scent without being too overpowering. I also like it because the scents line up with my orange hair pomade and my tropical body spray - there's nothing more harsh than competing scents.

    65. Mary Kay tinted moisturizer
    I have fairly decent skin, so I find what works best for me is light layering of a few different products  Since this is a moisturizer, sunscreen and foundation it works triple-duty, something else I love

    64. Mary Kay mineral powder foundation
    I use this as my finishing touch after using the tinted moisturizer, then concealer and under-eye concealer. It smooths out my complexion, layers great in places I need extra coverage and doesn't dry my face out or get cakey.


    63. Goody Sponge Rollers
    I love these rollers and I think these are the easiest to find - I got mine at Wal-mart for $10 but I've seen them in lots of other stores too. I've never have a problem sleeping on them, they clip in good and try rather quickly, but I have to half-dry my hair first. I use the green (second-largest size) on my top two layers and then the yellow on the bottom if need be.



    62. Pink and White vinyl shower cap
    I got this shower cap in my Christmas stocking but I wish I knew where it was from because I love it! Unlike most shower caps I've seen, this one has a brim and is made of vinyl instead of plastic - two things that allow for better repelling of water.

    61. Covergirl Lipstick in Hot
    This is my go-to red lipstick, even though I've only ever experimented with one other brand (Joe Fresh). I use it with a Rimmel Nude Lip Liner, and boy, does it last forever! Some days it will last through drinking water all day, eating two meals and washing my face, so I really need to make sure it's all off before I snuggle up in my white sheets.


    My 10 favourite outfits
    60. My turquoise sweater with my cream skirt


    59. White polka dot blouse with peddle pushers


     58. Plaid skirt and cream blouse

     57. Little Valley Jamboree shirt and high-waisted swing trousers (no photo)
     56. Dianne Wrap Dress


    55. Pumpkin pencil skirt and blue-white striped blouse (no photo)
     54. Pale pink dress

     53. grey tee and leopard print skirt

     52. Heartbreaker stripe dress

     51. 50s Peter Pan dress



    My 10 favourite memories
    50. Summers at the Lake

    49. Working at Intercamp

    48. My summer at Universite Ste-Anne

    47. the Oasis and Ryan Adams concert
     46. Canadian University Press conferences
     45. Shaving my head at age 14 for cancer
     44. Moving into the Fairmont
     43. My brother's wedding
     42. My first date with G
     41. Our vacation in New York


    My 10 life goals
    40. Be a good homemaker

    39. Keep on knitting and learn how to sew
    38. Stop biting my nails
    37. Make more friends and be a better friend to the ones I am lucky to have
    36. Read more and learn more
    35. Travel around the world
    34. Have a family
    33. Keep doing what I love doing
    32. Love myself and love others
    31. Be happy!


    My 10 favourite books
    30. The Greatest Show on Earth - Richard Dawkins
    29. Elements of Style - Strunk and White
    28. The Fortunes of Prue - Bessie Marchant (my great-great Aunt)
    27. The Guests of War Trilogy, which contains The Sky is Falling, Looking at the Moon and The Lights Go On Again in one volume - Kit Pearson
    26. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
    25. The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton
    24. Diary of Anne Frank
    23. Vintage Hairstyling - Lauren Rennells
    22. How to Sew A Button -Erin Breid
    21. Harry Potter series (that counts as one, right?) - JK Rowling


    My 10 homemaker tips
    20. Use Borax to keep your tubs looking like new!
    19. Clean the house 20 minutes a day
    18. Clean and organize as you go
    17. Use vinegar and water to disinfect
    16. Make a meal plan
    15. Track your monthly spending using Google Docs spreadsheets
    14. Use rubber gloves and aprons to save your hands and clothes
    13. light candles after cleaning to get rid of any chemical smells
    12. line your garbage bin and where you put the garbage can (like under the sink) with newspaper to make it easier to clean
    11. do a cycle of vinegar every one in the while when washing towels to get rid of the stink

    My 10 favourite things about me
    This probably seems like a very narcacissic thing to have, but it's taken me a long time to realize that self-love is healthy and not selfish! If I can't love, respect and be non-judgemental of myself, then how can I be the same to anyone else? You are your own lifelong companion, so you have to learn to love yourself (even thought I still can't stand myself at times).

    10. I have great support people. If it wasn't for my family, friends and G I think I woul be a very lost soul. I have a growing list of people who are always there for me, even if it's just a tweet to say hello now or then or an ear to let me voice my frustrations. You are all amazing!

    9. I like to drive. Maybe not in rush hour traffic in the city, but I love just going for a drive and taking in all the beautiful scenery and listening to my music while getting lost in my own thoughts. I find it refreshing and it helps me clear my mind.  

    8. I am organized and love to keep things neat and tidy. I've learned to live with some mess because G is a more messy-organized while I am a tidy-organized, but I like it best when everything is in its place. This doesn't mean I wash dishes everytime I dirty a cup, but it does mean I stack all the dirty dishes in one spot instead of letting them clutter up my whole kitchen.

    7. I am good at getting stuff done. Sometimes I will put stuff off, but if I have a deadline I am motivated and can do almost anything I set my mind to, wether it's a work assignment, cleaning the house or even shopping.

    6. I love learning new things. That's why I chose the job I'm in, because I am always learning new things and in turn, teaching others. Sometimes I can get really frustrated when I don't understand something, but once I do get it, I'm actually giddy. I love my thirst for knowledge.

    5. I like to relax. I've never been one for going out to clubs or bungee jumping or even amusement parks. While I'm not a homebody per se, I do tend to err on the side of relaxing (although I'm sure some would say boring). I prefer a pub or someone's living where I can actually have a conversation with my friends over a loud club and prefer to spend my evenings knitting while reading or watching TV.

    4. I think I have pretty good style. I have never felt more beautiful and more me than this past year when I've started dressing vintage. I know I'm not as authentic as some, but I feel like I've finally have come into my own style and I couldn't be more happier than taking this leap. It has changed my life. That seems silly, but it really has. I'm more confident and I love waking up in the morning just to figure out what to wear.

    3. I am damn good at my job. Somedays - mostly the days with angry phonecalls or letters - I don't feel like this, but I am a good journalist. I think I am good at breaking down information and giving it back to people so it's easier for them to understand, or simply more engaging. If I am bored by a story, my readers will be bored, so I always try to find something interesting or new about a story. 

    2. I love how I look naked - something I don't think many people can say with confidence. Sure, I have stretch marks and a lopsided boob and a bit of a belly, but I think I look fantastic.

    1. I am beautiful. I have vibrant eyes (blue/green/gray, who knows?), a cute nose and great hair, 90% of the time. I have flaws - mostly ugly hands because of my bad nail care, scars and stubby fingers - but I've learned to love those too.

    Phew!! That was a lot. Congrats if you made it this far and thanks for sticking with me through this long list and for these last 100 posts. It truly means the world to me that there are people out there who read my ramblings.

    XO Laurie

    Posted by Laurie Callsen at 2:18 PM | Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 comments | |

  5. Review: Bomb Girls

    Friday, January 13, 2012

    The latest period drama that you should be watching is Global's new mini-series Bomb Girls.
    Set during WWII (but before Pearl Harbor), the show chronicles the lives of the workers at Victory Munitions in Toronto, their struggle for equal treatment in the workplace and what it was like living during the war.

    Marco, Kate, Lorna, Betty, Gladys. Photo found via Google

    I'll admit, I had some low expectations for the series. "Another Mad Men imitation attempt," was the first thing that popped into my head. Well, so far the first two episodes have surprised me - I hope that it can gain momentum and grow into a full-fledged series, maybe even with a second season.

    The Pros:
    This is a show with some beautiful dresses! According to a short on the Bomb Girls website (which is amazing and full of great extras, I recommend checking it out). I especially love Kate's blue dress here:
    From The National Post

    Bomb Girls is a Canadian show! There is very little programming filmed and produced in Canada, so to have a show like this in my country gives me hope to the entertainment industry. The show has also featured some Canadian music, including my favourite gal Alex Pangman as well as Canadian retro songstress Jill Barber.

    I also feel like there is a lot of diverse characters: the rich girl, the tormented runaway, the Saskatchawanian-lesbian, the super hot Italian - the actors and characters, for the most part, all have great chemistry. The story could go anywhere from here.



    The Cons:
    I must admit, the acting in pretty forced in parts. When Gladys tells James that she wants to be a bomb girl, it was almost painful to watch. Speaking of painful to watch, I am going to get a ulcer from this show. Maybe it's just because I am a giant baby but I sit there and freak out the whole time I'm watching it, waiting for somebody to blow up!

    In short, I give Bomb Girls a 4/5, but there are still four episodes left before its finale. Who knows what will happen. Have you watched it yet (if not, visit their website - the episodes stream online starting from the day after its air date)? What are your thoughts?

    XO Laurie

    Posted by Laurie Callsen at 3:48 PM | Labels: , , , , , , | 3 comments | |

  6. Review: The Artist (2011 film)

    Wednesday, January 11, 2012

    Last night I cashed in one of the coupons G gave me for Christmas for a dinner and a movie date. We went to go see The Artist in Edmonton before having a late dinner at Earls.


    If you haven't had a chance to see The Artist, PLEASE do a favour to yourself and go. It was phenomenal!

    The acting was superb. Since it is a mostly silent film, the actors all rely on their body language to do the talking, with music complementing the scenes. The costumes, hair and set are all fabulous (I wish I had Peppy Miller's hair!) and the dancing is divine. From the filming techniques to the music, I felt that I was watching a silent movie from the 20s.The only thing reminding me that it was a modern film was the fact that John Goodman was in it. Using French actors relatively unknown to North American audiences also helped with the authenticity. And that dog! What an actor.

    Since the movie was so silent, we could hear sound from the other theatres in our theatre, which definitely took away from the experience. But it also made me realize how important sound is in film and how much it's overused (Also, movie theatres are too loud! Yeesh).

    Overall, I give The Artist a five-star rating. I would watch it again in a heartbeat.

    Posted by Laurie Callsen at 3:56 PM | Labels: , , , , , | 0 comments | |

  7. Show 'n' Tell: The Middy

    Friday, September 9, 2011

    I went under the knife (scissors) and finally got a middy cut!
    This is my terribly grainy before photo. My appointment was in the morning, so I decided to forgo a wash, since the hairdresser was going to do it anyway.

    Blargh! The Swamp Thing lives!
    I was dressed fairly slobby as well, since I was going to spend the rest of the day cleaning my house in a zillion degree weather (smart cookie, this one). My hairdresser was a bit trepidatious at first when I showed her the diagram, but when I showed her the picture of Retro Chick's middy her mind (and my nerves) were set at ease.

    The cut was fast and accurate! She didn't thin as much as I'd have liked, but hairdressers always seem wary of that. Trust me, I got lotsa hair. I'm not gonna miss any if you go too scissor happy. The final result (straightened):



    I'm certainly not a fan of my hair straight anymore - it kept on flopping into my eyes! And I can't even keep it back with a few bobby pins. pfffft.

    Annd, Pièce de résistance, with a set:





    To be honest, I set it like an idiot - it was too wet and wasn't evenly distributed, so some pieces fell out - but I'm still impressed. It wasn't too off from how my hair was cut before, but I'm excited to experiment with it. I'm also going to start setting it every other day instead of everyday (see tips from Retro Chick on how to make a set last one week) and see how that helps my fly-aways.

    All in all, I'm very impressed. If you're keen on getting one for yourself, take a photo of the middy styled straight so your hairdresser knows how to cut it. In online conversations with others, the diagrams have proved pretty useless with modern hairdressers and mine personally preferred using the photo.

    In other news, I went shopping again. H&M, stop parting me with my money!


    The skirt is old (H&M), but the blouse (H&M) and shoes (Spring) are new. The blouse is fashioned in the same way as my favourite dress, but I'm wishing now that I had gone a size up. Curse you bosom! Although the blouse is a little roomy in the shoulders, so had I gone up I probably would have looked like a football player. I got this blouse in two styles (you can't really tell but this is white with pink floral designs, the other is beige) and a brown skirt, which was really exciting as it went well pass my ass all the way to my knees! A rarity for H&M.


    PS I wrote this blog post after slamming back an Amber's Kenmount Road Chocolate Stout so if I don't make any sense or am sillier than usual, blame the beer.

    Posted by Laurie Callsen at 8:36 PM | Labels: , , , , , , , , , , | 3 comments | |

  8. Show 'n' Tell: back-to-school shopping

    Tuesday, August 30, 2011

    It's really not back-to-school shopping since I have no school to go back to, but the feeling is still there. Even though I've been out of school for a little over a year now (it seems so much longer!) I still get that feeling of excitement when the leaves start to turn and the busses start chugging down the streets again.

    And since I didn't spend much money in New York, I decided to spend some dough at one of my favourite local shops, Twig. I focused on colourful yet pieces that could be pretty versatile with our wacky weather that is sure to hit soon (too soon!)

    The very first thing that caught my eye as soon as I walked in was this bright green jacket, with a one-button stance. It's not too structured and the bright colour and canvas-like material is perfectly shabby-chic.


    The next thing that caught my eye was this cardigan. I have a black cropped shrug, but I've been looking for a similar white one. While this didn't exactly fit the bill, I loved the lace detailing and the buttons. One minor problem is that the top button doesn't really do up thanks to my well-endowed bust (ahem) but leaving the top button undone is no big deal!



    I also picked up this dress. G noted that it had similar lace detailing to the cardigan, and it turns out they are made by the same designer. While the dress is shorter than I normally like, it will be perfect for thick tights and oxford boots come the chillier season.


    I also ordered some shoes online from Spring, because what's fall without new shoes? I've had my eye on these $20 brogues for a while and finally snatched them up before they were gone.



    And I couldn't resist these red kitten heels for only $30.

    So that's the end of my shopping show-off, but I did try a hairstyle out of my new book today! I had a bit of a flop set because my hair is at the point where it's too thick and heavy to curl (grr, didn't I just go through this a few months ago?) so I had to do something where it the failed curls on my top layer were camouflaged but the successful, tighter curls underneath were still showcased. Enter the Homemaker:



    Since my hair wasn't as long as the model's it didn't turn out exactly the same, but I'm still pretty pleased, especially since it didn't take me that long to figure out how to pin a dry pin curl without the bobby pin showing.




    I love the book, it's actually pretty straight-forward to follow - or at least thing style was - but I do I have one complaint. Like a lot of other bloggers who have reviewed this book, I find it annoying that the spine is not ringed (like a recipe book) but instead bound tightly, probably like glue. It's makes it incredibly difficult to keep the book open without physically holding it until it's broken in a little bit more. However, I have other makeup books that are bound like this and after a lot of use they are starting to fall apart and lose pages. Some of them, like my Kevin Aucoin books, I'm considering to rebind them with coils to make them last longer, but it's such a pain! Does anyone have any other suggestions to remedy the situation?

    That said, I can't wait to try out more styles (and if anyone local is willing to lend their hair and head to the cause, let me know!)

    xx
    Laurie

    Posted by Laurie Callsen at 11:36 AM | Labels: , , , , , , , , , , | 3 comments | |