Happy New Year!

So, I've been saying "Happy New Years" all day because it sounded right to me and came out naturally. But then when I went to write the title to this post, I looked at it and realized that perhaps it was not grammatically correct. So I battled for a few seconds, typing the "s", then deleting the "s" a few times before settling on the singular version. Considering that this was my biggest challenge today (and I even went on a backcountry mountain tubing adventure this morning), I figure the last day of 2012 has gone pretty well.

Happy New Year, you guys! I hope everyone has a great but safe night!

See you next year ;)

j.

Food Comas & Leather Elbows

sweater {Old Navy} - leather elbow patches {DIY} - jeans {Flying Monkey via Century 21}

I hope you all had a great Christmas! I was spoiled this year by having FOUR different dinners in a row. I started out with roast beef, then moved on to spiced beef, followed by turkey and finishing with a grand finale of my Nana's homemade perogies, arguably my favorite dinner of the holidays. Needless to say, I probably don't have to eat for at least two weeks.

This is the leather elbow patch sweater that I DIY'd before Christmas. I really love it. I have already worn it twice, once with jeans, like above, and I even dressed it up and paired it with a red and black plaid skirt for one of my holiday dinners. Who knew leather elbow patches were so versatile. 

I don't want to hurt your feelings now, but as of tomorrow I will be in Hawaii for a couple weeks. I'll try and keep the posting of palm trees and crashing waves to a minimum. However, I will be on Instagram and since photos of palm trees on Instagram are probably almost as frequent as photos of your latest meal and best duck face, I am making no firm promises. If you wanna torture yourself, follow along (@jlovesstyle)!

j.

Leather Elbow Patch DIY

I'm baaaack! And I come bearing a little how-to on leather elbow patches. I had been wanting a sweater with leather elbows for a long time but never did find the perfect one so I decided that I could make one. All you need are the items above. I've given you a step-by-step guide below, it was really quite simple. I'll also share a few tips that I learned along the way.

Yep! It's really that easy. I did encounter a few difficulties so here are a few tips so you can avoid them!

-Since it's the sleeve and you only want to stitch through one layer of the sweater, getting to the inside was a bit tricky at first. I found it much easier to get at it through the neck hole instead of the arm hole, if that makes sense.

-I was pleased to discover that the leather did not shift that much during the sewing process but I pinned it at the top, just in case.

-Grow an extra layer of skin on your fingertips or consider wearing band-aids. My fingers are still sore from that darn needle!

-And the most important tip...line up the second patch with the first one BEFORE you sew the entire thing on and discover that it is a good three inches higher than the first one.

I LOVE how it turned out, stay tuned to see the whole sweater in all it's leather elbow patch glory!

j.

Be Back Soon

 

Image via Pinterest

 

So sorry for the radio silence, friends. I'm afraid it's going to be quiet for the next two weeks as well. Finals are here. Barely alive. Wish me luck to get me through these last few classes. I'm going to need it. And a whole lot of caffeine.

Until then,

j.

Gift Giving Guide: {For the Impossible To Buy For Guy}

A little later than planned, but the second edition of j.love's Gift Giving Guide is here! A few friends have told me how hard it is to buy presents for their boyfriend/husband, brother and even dad. So, for the guy who has everything and needs nothing, I present to you the Gift Giving Guide: For The Impossible To Buy For Guy!


1. Jack Spade iPhone Cases --- Is your man glued to his iPhone 24/7? Does he seem to love it more than he loves you (it happens)? Well, if that's the case, his gadget may as well look the best it can with one of these cute manly Jack Spade iPhone cases. My favorite is the duct tape look-alike!

2. Cheers DVD Set --- Arguably the greatest sitcom of all time, Cheers is sure to put a smile on any guy's face. The bar setting and quirky cast of characters is a favorite with the guys, but you won't mind sitting through a few episodes too because deep down, Cheers is just a love story (shhh, the guys don't have to know).

3. iPhone Gramophone --- Add a touch of vintage elegance to your man's living room with something as simple as an iPhone docking station. Simple has never looked so good. This gramophone from Restoration Hardware is definitely a conversation starter.

4. Knit Tie --- Sometimes you really can't go wrong with the classic tie. This holiday season, give a tie from The Tie Bar - they're stylish, unique and most importantly, affordable.

5. Power Pot --- The Power Pot is the perfect gift for the outdoorsy man on your list. This brilliant device generates electricity by boiling water. That's right! Simply fill this lightweight pot with water, place over fire and voila! you've got electricity via usb cord. 

6. 101 World Whiskies to Try Before You Die --- With over 100 different whiskies to try within the pages of this book, this gift will keep any guy busy until the next holiday season. And hey! If you're feeling extra merry, even throw in a bottle of the good stuff. You may just get a few extra kisses.

7. Sparkling Mike --- If all else fails and you still don't know what to get that guy on your list, go with Sparkling Mike from Restoration Hardware. A wind-up robot that shoots sparks out of his chest. Because I dare you to find a guy who doesn't want a robot. Particularly one that shoots sparks out of it's chest.

8. The Wave Coffee Table --- If you're in the mood to splurge than The Wave coffee table by Because We Can is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. This coffee table is full of LED lights that are motion sensitive, creating fun patterns of light when touched. It's sleek design and curved wooden base will compliment any room. This table is sure to be the life of the party!

As always, happy shopping and leave a comment if you would like to see a specific gift giving guide for that special someone on your list this year.

j.

That 70's Outfit

blouse & vest {sample sale} - dark denim skinnies {Flying Monkey via Century 21} - 

white desert booties {thrifted in Toronto} - bracelets {Flirt boutique & etsy} - gold watch {Target}

 

Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong decade. I think I would have really enjoyed living through the 60's and 70's. Both of these decades had fantastic fashion and styles. So I'm glad that it's acceptable to wear outfits today that are reminiscent of times gone past. Or at the very least, it's acceptable to me. And that's really all that counts.

On a completely unrelated note, I'm going to give myself a challenge to NOT shop until December 26. That's right, I will not buy myself any clothes, accessories or shoes for the next 40 days. Sounds easy enough... For those of you who don't know the importance of December 26, it's a little day us Canucks like to call Boxing Day. It's like Black Friday, just without the human stampedes and getting trampled to death. My bestie in Calgary and I are seasoned Boxing Day shoppers. In our prime, we hit three malls in one day. We have it down to a science. Our outfits are layerable for the ease of trying clothes on, we start early and ensure we stay well fed and hydrated throughout the day and we are not above dropping trou' in the corner of a store to try on jeans (well...she may be but I am certainly not, I mean who closes their change rooms on the busiest shopping day of the year?!). Here's to the next 40 days of not shopping so that I can go crazy crazier than usual on the 26th!

j.

One Poncho, Three Ways

I've secretly wanted a poncho for a long time and recently one just happened to find it's way to me. Turns out ponchos are quite the versatile piece of clothing. Not only do they double as a blanket on a long flight but I played around with it and you can wear it different ways for completely different looks.

You can belt it and bunch it to wear it almost as a sweater. Pair this version with jeans and ankle booties for a casual look.

Of course, there is the traditional poncho, worn loose with the longer sides in center front and back. This was how I wore it on the plane. Pair with leggings and warm boots for the comfiest outfit that is not pajamas.

poncho {sample sale} - dark denim skinnies {Flying Monkey via Century 21} - black booties {Topshop} - brown belt {Jacob} - 

black leggings {Aritzia} - knitted boots {Winners} - black dress {Jacob} - nude pumps {Madden Girl via DSW}

Lastly, I wanted to dress it up a bit so I wore it over a black dress with nude pumps. I turned the poncho so the longest points were at my sides and used a skinny belt to add a bit of waist definition.

Did anyone else notice the background transition in these three photos? The first one was taken yesterday when Calgary had basically no snow and green grass. Overnight turned the city into a Winter wonderland, as seen in photo number two. And with the snow not letting up all day (and still no sign of that happening), I chickened out and took the third photo inside.

j.

It's a Mod, Mod World

jacket {Gap} - turtleneck, red skinnies & necklace {Forever 21} - black booties {Topshop} - purse {vintage Dooney & Bourke}

I (finally) left the house this past weekend after being cooped up all week. What a glorious time I had with my friend Sesame. We met for breakfast, then found this amazing waterfall to take photos in front of. We wandered around the Rockefeller Center area, popping into a few shops and even scored tickets to watch Jimmy Fallon preview his evening monologue. Way cool!

I am flying home tomorrow night for the start of Love Fest 2012, also known as, my brother's wedding. I am so excited to be a part of such a special day. I will try and post while I am away but I'm not making any promises ;)

Have a good week friends!

j. 

You're Never Too Old For Dress-Up

These nine photos brought to you by sheer boredom and way too much time on our hands. I simply asked Kiki (my roomie) to show me how I should do my make-up for my brother's wedding next week. That took all of ten minutes, which led to "can I give you a smokey eye?". Why yes, yes you can. That quickly led to "oooh, I should tease your hair!". Logical. So at that point it only made sense for the hats to come out.

All kidding aside, Frankenstorm Sandy came and went earlier this week and left destruction, death and flooding in her wake. We are lucky enough to be living in an area that was not badly affected, we never lost power and all of our friends are safe (although a few are homeless for the time being). We are grateful for that. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by Mother Nature's latest tragedy.

Due to the storm, classes and internships were cancelled all of this week which has meant a whole lot of time inside the apartment. With transit obviously not in service, we have nowhere to go and not a lot to do (obviously studying is out of the question). So, when life gives you lemons...put on copious amounts of eye make-up, tease your hair real good and have your bestie take way too many photos of you making ridiculous faces.

j.

Soap Style: {Sharon Newman}

It's time for the second edition of Soap Style. Today, I am featuring Sharon Newman played by Sharon Case. Sharon used to be one of my favorite female characters but lately she has turned into the biggest train wreck the show has ever seen. Despite being completely emotionally unstable, her style has been steadily improving over the years. She wore the above outfit when she was "playing office" a few weeks ago. I really loved the blazer, especially the royal blue color-blocking and the cropped cut of the body and sleeves. By pairing it with a simple yet interesting silver necklace and keeping the rest of her outfit black, this jacket really stood out. It's just too bad Sharon's taste in men is not as good as her taste in blazers.

j.

Leather & Knee Highs

black sweater {Old Navy} - brown leather skirt {thrifted via Beacon's Closet} - knee-high socks {Joe Fresh} - 

black booties {Topshop} - black leather tote {Banana Republic} - elephant necklace {Flea Market}

Leather and knee-highs is a pretty big departure from my usual day to day wear. I really loved wearing this outfit though. I felt a little edgier, walked a little taller and maybe even pushed people out of my way. I'm kidding...about the pushing people part, but in this outfit I felt like I could've. And that has to count for something, right?

I thought of this outfit this morning as I channeled my inner badass to write a strongly worded email to the owner of the building I live in. We have had so many issues since moving in and now we have no gas, which means no stove or oven. Maybe living in a very old, five story walk-up with exposed brick wall is not all it's cracked up to be. 

I still love the exposed brick wall though. It did nothing wrong.

j.

Gift Giving Guide: {For the Fashionable Philanthropist}

I know it may seem a bit early for a holiday gift guide but I know there are some early shoppers out there (attention: MOM). I'm going to be posting a different gift guide each week from now until the week before Christmas or so. Each guide will be geared toward a specific person (or category of people). If you have any suggestions for a gift guide you would like to see or would find useful, please leave a comment and I'll see what I can do! I should also mention that any item with stars around it means I either have it and love it or know someone first-hand who has it and loves it. I hope you enjoy the first edition of j.love's Gift Giving Guide: {For the Fashionable Philanthropist}.


1. Clutches by VOZ --- Translating to "voice" in Spanish, VOZ has found theirs by connecting fashion designers with Mapuche weavers in Southern Chile. Made out of natural wool fibers that have been sourced locally and dyed naturally, a VOZ clutch is sure to impress even the most environmentally friendly fashionista on your gift list this year.

2. For the Bees Bracelet --- It's time to talk about the birds and the bees. Burt's Bees has teamed up with Canadian indie-luxe jewelry designer, Jenny Bird to bring you this adorable bee bracelet, available in gold and silver. This limited-edition piece is creating a buzz by donating all of it's proceeds to the Pollinator Partnership - a not-for-profit organization devoted to saving Canada's depleting bee population.

3. Sprout Watches --- Be kind (to our earth) and give the gift of time this holiday season. Sprout watches are made out of environmentally friendly materials, such as, bamboo, corn and organic cotton. Watch faces come in cool textures like wood and cork for a truly unique green gift.

4. The Vanity Project Tees --- The Vanity Project (TVP) is all about high quality fabrics with cool logos for clothing with meaning. This Chicago-based company was started by two friends who were searching for something more meaningful to do. They simply work with charities to tweak or redesign their logos and create t-shirts that fit well and are visually appealing, while still maintaining the charity's image and core values. Since TVP gives 51% of proceeds back to the charity, you can look great and make a difference all at the same time.

5. Westward Leaning Sunnies --- Featuring the same fashionable frame on every pair, Westward Leaning sunglasses stand out because of the small unique material they inlay on the arms of each pair. Meant to honor a social cause or progressive issue, materials range from wood to brass and even antler. Based in San Francisco, Westward Leaning donates $10, for every pair sold, to education programs related to the special achievements the sunglasses celebrate. With so many fun options, the hardest decision will be deciding which one to give.

6. Love Is Mighty Shoes --- Love Is Mighty (LIM) was born in 2011 from a passion to preserve the indigenous craft of Indian artisans. All shoes are handmade and 100% vegan. The pumps seen above are made out of recycled biscuit wrappers and hand woven on looms. 

7. TOMS + FEED Shoes --- By now, most of us know about TOMS shoes and how they donate a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair sold. Well, they decided this was just not enough giving so they partnered with FEED Projects to create a pair of shoes that also funds 12 school meals for every one sold. This is a great gift idea for the TOMS lover on your list (and you know there is one!).

8. FEED + Tory Burch Bag --- FEED Projects is on fire these days and has also partnered with Tory Burch to bring you a cross-body messenger bag made out of traditional FEED burlap bags with colorful mochilla webbing handles. Together they aim to raise $100,000 for the FEED Foundation and Tory Burch Foundation. Available exclusively at Holt Renfrew in Canada, buy yours now as this bag is only available for a limited time.


Remember to leave me a comment if you would love to see a gift giving guide for someone specific. Happy Shopping!

j. 

Polka Dots & Indigo Pants

polka-dot sweater {Old Navy} - white blouse {Loft} - indigo pants {Gap} - black booties {Top Shop} - 

black leather tote {Banana Republic} - bracelet {Smart Set} - arrow earrings {cheap jewelry store who's name escapes me every time}

I seem to be at a loss for words tonight. Maybe because I am officially in the middle of midterms at Parsons. So that means that my brain's capacity to form coherent thoughts, let alone sentences, is currently maxed out. I've been thinking a lot about the future lately. And by future, I really just mean May, which is when I will graduate from school. I've been thinking about what I want to do and where I want to live and it's all just sort of jumbled right now. Maybe I've been having these thoughts because of midterms, because that means that I'm mid-way through my second semester. And I only have three semesters. Time just seems to be flying. I met with my advisor this week to make sure I was on track for my May graduation and to talk about registering for my third and final semester. My final semester...but this one just started. I guess not so much. Eeeesh. Anyways, I better wrap this up here before my soul searching and lack of sleep start to get weird.

j.

Let's Talk About Tokyo

Arguably the coolest photo I have ever seen from any fashion week, ever.

Definitely my favorite show that walked the runway in Tokyo last week. Two models with unreal Afros from the Facetasm show.

From interpretive dancing (?) to unusual head pieces, Tokyo turned out things you just don't see in New York or Europe. Left is a model from the Jun Okamoto show and right is a model from Matohu. I'm officially obsessed with that yellow and white knotted necklace.

Again, Tokyo knows what is up. Troll doll hair and the reinvention of tie-dye are bringing me back to my childhood. In the best possible way. Female model walking for Shiroma and the male model is one for Phenomenon.

Tommy Ton was on the beat in Japan's capitol to bring us the best of what was happening off the runway. I loved that the majority of his street shots were of the opposite sex.

All photos via style.com, who's first time capturing Tokyo Fashion Week could be summed up as inspiring. I love seeing the differences between Fashion Weeks in different cities. London is usually a bit edgier and sort of grungy whereas Paris is all glam and avant-garde. Tokyo was out there, in all the right ways if you ask me, and really seemed to infuse it's street culture into the collections that came down the runway.

j.

Soap Style: {Victoria Newman Abbott}

So, by now you may have picked up on my small huge obsession with The Young and the Restless. I have been a devoted watcher for more than half my life (!) and oftentimes I find myself admiring the wardrobe of several of the female characters. This got me thinking about doing a weekly (or maybe bi-monthly, let's be realistic) feature on the Y&R's style, here on the blog. After coming up with this idea, I did a bit of serious research (ie. Google and Twitter) and turns out I am not the only one obsessed with this soap or the style seen on it. On Twitter, there are so many Y&R fans who only tweet about the show (I thought I was die-hard). My favorite thing I came across though, was a blog devoted to the show's wardrobe. The author of the blog gives you a witty recap/commentary on each episode with a photo of one character's outfit and then provides links to buy the showcase item (or similar item). Since that blog does it so well, I am not going to do the same thing. You can all take a collective sigh of relief --- I know many most of you do not care to know what the latest is in Genoa City (inside joke...between me and the Y&R). So, what you ask, am I possibly going to talk about? Great question. I will pick my favorite outfit to show you here and just give you a quick rundown of why I think it's great (or not...who knows). It will be a style review of sorts. My apologies if this is not your thing, but these are the types of things I think of at 2am. I live for this stuff.

For the first installment of Soap Style, I have chosen to feature Victoria Newman Abbott (played by Amelia Heinle). Arguably my favorite dressed character on the show, Victoria always hits it out of the park (sports metaphors...where did that come from?!) with her power suits and all-around great business attire. On this particular episode she came to the office wearing this gorgeous albeit totally NOT work appropriate (read: cleavage) red cut-out dress. I was in love when I saw the front but it quickly turned to full on lust when she got up to leave and I saw those cut-out slits on the back of the dress. Cut-outs and color-blocking? Way to be on trend Y&R. You did good, real good.

j.

Sweater Weather

chunky knit sweater {thrifted American Eagle via Beacon's Closet} - chambray shirt {Forever 21} - 

dark denim skinnies {Flying Monkey via Century 21} - black booties {Topshop} - black leather tote {Banana Republic}

That last photo is what the majority of my photos look like. Usually I'm completely hidden by busy passersby. It's one of the things that comes with taking outfit photos on a busy New York sidewalk. Taking photos on a busy street is still a little weird for me. For the most part, people a) don't even notice or b) really don't care. The result is what you see above. Then there are the people who do notice and try and be nice and wait for you to finish. Nice thought, but that could get awkward after the fifth photo. So I usually tell them to keep going. The result is a lot of photos of me mid-sentence, waving my hands. A new favorite, that happened while these photos were being taken, was one guy who stopped short of the frame, bent his knees as if he were doing the "elevator" and awkwardly shuffled through the photo. Again, nice thought but "dude! you're still in the photo!". Of course, there are the typical catcalls from less than desirable men. These men also usually find it necessary and hilarious to mimic what I'm doing. The result being strange men striking poses as they walk down the street, hooting and hollering. Only a few times have I been asked what I'm doing. Usually by middle-aged women who are not the most, let's say, social media savvy. Have you ever tried explaining what a fashion blog is to someone who has just gotten comfortable checking emails? Good luck with that. It's always a surprise as to what will happen and I suppose at the very least it keeps things interesting. Oh New York, you can surely never be described as boring.

Just a side, and completely unrelated, note to say that sweater and scarf weather is here in full force and I. Am. Loving. It.

j.

An Outfit

"Harry Potter" glasses {boutique in Toronto} - triangle design tank {Brooklyn Flea} - beige maxi skirt {Joe Fresh} - 

purse {vintage Dooney & Bourke} - bronze gladiator sandals {Steve Madden via Century 21}

These are some clothes I put on that one time in Toronto. Impressive, no? She knows how to get dressed!!! Give the girl a blog. Anyways, I know this is an old outfit and one that does not really match the current weather but despite it's simplicity I kinda liked it. So you get to see it. There's not many things I like more than shapes on a shirt...okay, maybe words on a shirt. I bought this tank at the Brooklyn Flea (my favorite place) during the summer. I went to the flea market last Sunday with a friend from school who'd never been before. I feel like such a champ when I bring people to it because they are always impressed and always love it. This has little to do with me and everything to do with the awesomeness that is Brooklyn and flea markets. But I still like to take credit for it.

j.

Eleanor Lambert: Fashion's First Lady

A few weeks ago, I got a text from Sasha Rae, my bestie who lives in Victoria. All it said was "I have a new style icon: Jane Birkin. She's a babe from the 60's. The Birkin bag is named after her. Who's you style icon?". She does this from time to time, suggest an idea for a blog post. Usually her ideas are really great. She also sends me outfit photos of herself when she's proud of a look. She's cute like that.

So, anyways her text got me thinking about who I look to for style inspiration. It was harder than I thought, as I didn't have anyone come to mind immediately. Then, in my PR class we were asked to write a press release on Eleanor Lambert. Having never heard of her until that point (embarrassing now that I know who she is), I had some research to do.

Eleanor Lambert was known as the godmother of fashion PR, having single-handedly making New York City the fashion mecca of the world by taking over the Paris dressmakers’ best-dressed-women poll in 1940 and organizing a biannual Press Week of Seventh Avenue in New York City. Both of these achievements live on today, as Vanity Fair’s International Best Dressed List and New York Fashion Week. Always searching for ways to integrate art with fashion and convince the world that the American garment industry was equal to its international counterparts, Lambert founded both the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Council for Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). 

After learning all of this, I had developed a bona fide girl crush.  This woman was responsible for making the fashion industry what it is today. She often didn't take payment for her services, doing it for, one can only assume, the love of her craft. Eleanor Lambert was an inspiration and force within the fashion industry until the day she died in 2003, at age 100.

While I am inspired by her business savvy more than her personal style, the woman obviously knew how to dress. Known for her turbans and over-sized jewelry, many people called her obscure. I call her brilliant. I respect a woman who knows what she wants and goes for it and that is exactly what Eleanor Lambert did.

j.