Hello lovelies! Just popping in to say that I will be giving myself a bit of a long weekend and won’t be back until Tuesday. Sometimes we just have to put our feet up and put ourselves first – that’s where I’m at right now. It’s been a hectic few weeks with work, and this momma just needs to lounge around, sleep, eat, and read this weekend. Chat soon!
{Cardigan: Banana Republic Factory Store, Tank: Old Navy (old)}
{Earrings: The Bay, Shoes: Aldo, Bag: Tommy Hillfiger via TJ Maxx}
I’m a huge fan of peacock colours and symbolism (check out my Peacock Love pinboard for proof), and instantly fell for these earrings when I saw them a few months ago. I’ve seen them everyday when I open my accessory drawer, but my strange hang-up about long earrings not looking good on me prevented me from actually wearing them. Yes, I know it’s a strange issue, and my mother has been trying to convince me to get over it for years … but I just feel like they look weird on me! Thankfully, I sort of got over it for a bit last week and pulled this outfit together.
On a side note, it almost feels wrong to post these pictures because it is so beautiful and sunny here in Metro Vancouver right now and I’m living in shorts and a tank top! But for those of you that are still waiting for spring to show up, here is a great transitional outfit – cardigan over tank top and dark jeans. Hope everyone has a great week!
Click here to check out the Pink Chai page on Facebook!I’m linking up to the awesome What I Wore Wednesday round up at The Pleated Poppy today. Be sure to click through and check out all of the amazing bloggers on the list!
I was going to write a post apologizing for being such an unreliable blogger the last couple of weeks, but then I figured my sister is going to read it and tell me how annoying it is when I disappear then write posts about how sorry I am. Instead, here’s my life according to Instagram over the last three weeks, it’s been a bit crazy (but I’m not complaining, on the contrary, I’m feeling so blessed lately).
Met former Miss World Diana Hayden at the TOIFA Women’s Day Event
Lots of gluten free cooking going on – including this super healthy vegetarian chilli made with beans, quinoa, tomatoes, green onion and cilantro.
Got glasses – from screen time only
Intense decorating meetings with myself and some red. We are on the market for a new sofa, and also re-doing our master bedroom.
Lots of family time 
More fun times with the kids – and also my latest obsession; Instagram collages
This weekend I’m covering the Times of India Film Awards in Vancouver and will be in the trenches stalking Bollywood stars for much of the weekend, but it’s back on next week. I’ve got lots to share now that the shopping ban is officially over and I can shop till I drop!
Since today is Holi – the Indian festival that celebrates colour, I thought it was the perfect day for talking about bringing some colour into our wardrobes! Today’s lesson; how to use the colour wheel to match outfits.
Moms are notorious for wearing head to toe black. Some say it’s slimming, others say it’s easy to create outfits when everything you own is one color; I say it’s boring. (Also, if you have a really little baby – black does not hide spit up!) My best guess for all the support of the “morbid mom” dress code is; most of us don’t really know how to match colours. Sure, we all took the mandatory art class in high school that taught us a little about primary and tertiary colours, but very few of us have actually studied the concept of matching colours. I find it very strange that we spend so little time learning about a skill we are going to use everyday of our lives (well, everyday that we get dressed!) Fear not, I’m here to rescue you from boring black, and to teach you how to use the colour wheel to match outfits.
The Colour WheelBefore we begin breaking down outfits, a quick refresher on the tool itself. The colour wheel is made up of twelve basic colours that are referred to as hues. Every time you add black or white to these colours, they change hue again (which is commonly referred to as a shade). The reason I’m telling you this is so you understand that when we talk about matching a combination (like blue and red), it doesn’t mean you have to stick to a true blue and red, you could also work with variations of those hues like midnight blue and bright pink. The colour wheel only works with 12 basic hues, it is up to you to experiment with variations of those hues.
Key Terms to Remember:
Start with monochromatic colours (tints, tones, and shades of the same hue):
If you are scared of colour, this is the place to start. Pick one hue and choose pieces that use different variations, tints, and shades of the same colour. This idea works well with purples, blues, reds, and greens. I would avoid monochromatic looks with pastel shades, that is very hard look to pull off without looking like the Easter Bunny.
{Left image via J Crew | Right Image via Love Maegan}
Colours closest to each other (analogous colours) are the easiest to match:
Analogous colours sit close to each other on the colour wheel and are the easiest to pair together. For example; dark blue, light blue, and violet are neighbours and easy to coordinate. Any three colours which are side by side on the colour wheel are referred to as analogous, and can be used to created a head to toe outfit.
Complementary colours (directly across from each other on the colour wheel) provide the most interest but are hard to work with:
When I was researching this post, almost every resource said that you should use complimentary colours freely; I disagree. Complimentary colours can create the most beautiful combinations, and also the most jarring and unflattering combinations (think certain oranges and blues, or vivid red and green).
I’m not trying to turn you off of complimentary coloured outfits, I’m just saying; take some time to plan them. For example, red and green together can create a very tacky Christmas-esque outfit, however, different hues of the same colours (bright pink and mint) created this fun outfit:
{Original post: Budget Friendly Fashion}
A word about neutrals:
Black, brown, navy, and khaki are all neutrals that work with pretty much every colour on the colour wheel. My advice would be to pick one base colour as your neutral (it doesn’t have to be black), and get yourself a good pair of pants, and a pencil skirt to start with. From there start building colourful outfits off of your base.
I hope this breakdown has given you some ideas for incorporating more colour into your wardrobe. There was other areas I wanted to cover, but the post was getting a little long. If you’ve enjoyed this post, and would like me to create other lessons, or have questions – please leave a comment, it makes me smile!
Happy Holi to my friends that are celebrating:)
The Travelling Teacup is a weekly post where I step away from fashion and write about something else that is on my mind. I’m hoping to create the kind of conversations you’d have with your girlfriend over a cup of chai!
Last month in a moment of sweet internet serendipity I came across Maggie’s (Might Girl) Life List; what an amazing idea! A list of things you’d like to experience, places you’d like to go, and moments you’d like to be a part of. No pressure to check things off, tick the boxes, or even be accountable to anyone (unless you want to do any of that of course.) As I continued researching the idea, I also found Nicole’s Lovely Life List, which actually inspired some of the items on my list. (I couldn’t help it – she has some amazing ideas!)
So, I got to work on my list with a goal of recording 100 items – so far I’ve only come up with 57, it’s harder than it looks! Suffice to say, it’s a work in progress and things might get added or removed depending on my changing interests. I’ve put some pretty bold items on my list, which actually made me nervous about sharing it, but I figure if you are going to dream, you might as well dream BIG!
The plan is to come back and check off items as they are completed, and of course write update posts. (On a side note, when I re-read the list this morning, I realized that one item has already been completed since I wrote the list last month!)
Home:Have you written a life list? I would love to see it! Please leave a link in comments!
It’s the first day of February and this quote sums up exactly how I’m feeling! Have a great weekend everyone, see you on Monday.
{Cardigan: Old Navy, Skirt: Thrifted, Shoes: Payless}
Last night I had the opportunity to check out the Opus Hotel in Vancouver for a special media event hosted by a team member from Disney Parks – lucky girl! I played around with a few different looks, but finally settled on my very Carrie Bradshaw inspired skirt (with a little help from a friend:).
I say this every time I wear this skirt; it’s the best purchase ever! You cannot put this skirt on without feeling like a princess. A pink tulle skirt may not be for everyone, but I really believe that all women should have something in their closet that they can pull out in a pinch to feel special. In fact, I have a girlfriend who wears a tiara when she makes sales calls (over the phone of course) – what a lovely idea!
It was a really special and fun night, and I got to meet some pretty amazing ladies. I even got to ride out with Danielle from the blog Motherless Moments. She is such a talented writer and I so enjoyed my conversation with her. It’s such a privilege to to be a part of this community of Mom bloggers and I’m so thankful for special treats like this!
PS: on a totally unrelated note; I once wrote a blog post on the similarities between Carrie Bradshaw and my style for a internship position. You can read it here if you like!
The Travelling Teacup is a weekly series where I step away from outfit photos and DIY’s to write about whatever else is on my mind. It’s also an opportunity for me to take little adventures outside of my comfort zone. Join me?
{This week I’m enjoying tea in my super-sized Twitter mug c/o McCafe, doing some painting, and catching up on some light reading!}
I’m on a Shopping Ban…..
As of January 1st, I’ve put myself on a shopping ban for 3 months. Let me preface this post by saying; I don’t have a shopping addiction, I’m not spending my grocery money on shoes, and my husband didn’t make me do it (in fact, he doesn’t even know about it yet). The problem I’m trying to deal with is a mixed up wardrobe that doesn’t play well together, and constant buyers remorse.
For someone who blogs about fashion and daily outfits, I’m still pretty confused about what my personal style is, what I actually like and dislike, and how I’d like to look. Am I the only person who thinks it’s strange that we (people in general) don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the kind of image we want to create with our clothes. I’m not talking about trying to be someone you’re not, or pretending; I’m talking about showing off who you actually are. We spend months if not years decorating our homes to perfection, but run out the door in whatever we can grab because we don’t have time for ourselves. Or maybe we think it’s too frivolous to take the time to think about what we are wearing?
Whatever the reason; I’ve decided to stop buying new clothes until I’m a little more certain on how I actually want to represent my style. I was really inspired by Gala Darling’s Style Direction where she plans out how she’d like her look to come together for that year or season. She’s not making a lifetime commitment to that style – she’s just saying for this year I want my look to be like this. That’s an idea that works for me. I’m in a new-ish phase of my life right now; in my thirties, my kids are getting pretty independent, I work from home, and I’m moving my career in a new direction – all these factors play out in the look I’d like to have, but I’m sure things will change again next year.
There’s also a second part to this resolution; educating myself. I’m suddenly inspired to learn more about my clothing purchases. Which fabrics are better than others, what cuts flatter my body, and what are actual investment pieces? It seems like I’ve been shopping on auto-pilot my whole life. You go to the mall with a vague idea that you’d like to buy something, and pick what looks and fits nicely (on you and in your budget). But what about supporting local designers and artisans that craft by hand? And on the other side; I’ve never bought an expensive cashmere sweater or tried on Christian Laboutin’s – maybe it’s what I’ve been waiting for my whole life.
I’m hoping that by taking a break from actually purchasing wardrobe pieces I’ll have the time to think about my own style direction. During the shopping ban, I’m also going to clear out my wardrobe and purge ruthlessly. Over the course of the next few years I’d like to create a wardrobe that is well curated and full of pieces that I love – not like, not settled for, but love!
What about you; do you plan your purchases to fit into a “style direction” or do you shop on auto-pilot? I’d love to hear how you feel about developing a signature style!
The point of today’s post is to teach you a lesson about buyer’s remorse. I bought this shirt in October out of desperation. I wanted a white shirt (not needed, wanted) and searched with no luck for about four hours until I finally settled on this one I wasn’t so sure about.
Since then I’ve worn this shirt twice; once on a 6 hour air plane ride, and today for the lesson in this post. That’s the problem with settling – it never works out in the end. (The same rule can be applied to marriages, jobs, and bad coffee).
It’s not a horrible shirt, but it’s not the super crisp button down I was looking for; which in hindsight, makes no sense with the rest of my wardrobe either. Part of the lesson here is actually knowing your style, assessing your wardrobe regularly, and shopping with a plan. The other part; sometimes four hours just isn’t a big enough commitment to shopping. I’ll try harder next time!
That’s right, I did get dressed this morning….but now it’s just before 3, my kids will be home any minute and I’m in my PJ’s ready for bed. It’s been a tough day; I slept in, accidentally deleted my good outfit photos, and missed an appointment because I scheduled it on the wrong day.
I’m officially throwing in the towel for today and will try again tomorrow.
