the story of a dress...

this dress first made it's appearance in the ruche new arrivals in march.  i hadn't yet purchased my house, but i did go see it for the first time.  and when i saw this dress, i thought "that dress would be great with a half apron, in that kitchen, baking something yummy"... i completely pictured a 50s/60s domesticated housewife.

 

 alas, i didn't order the dress. and i didn't make an offer on the house. time passed. the dress sold out, and the house was still there.  

then i found out there was a conditional offer on the house. i was devestated. when i got the phonecall on a friday afternoon, i barely held it together all day. i made it to 4:30, to my car, and broke down crying in my car in the parking lot.  i wanted that house. real bad.

the following week, i started getting my butt in gear, getting things organized to make an offer on the house.  

and the dress came back in stock.

i really shouldn't have ordered it. i knew i'd have a lot of upcoming expenses with buying a house, and the shopping needed to end.  but, i still pictured myself in this dress, in that kitchen, baking.

 

so i ordered the dress. and i bought the house.  

this dress has been sitting in my closet for about two weeks now. i really should have waited until i was in the house to wear it, in that kitchen.  but it's just too pretty to sit in a closet unworn, unloved.

so today i wore it. and i felt fabulous in it, daydreaming about my kitchen. i got compliments on it.

and i did what every pretty dress deserves.  i twirled in it.

 

and when the time comes, i'll wear it in my kitchen, and bake something sweet in it, in my half apron.

and that is the story of the sunshine belle dress.

     dress, shoes: ruche
     cardigan: forever 21
     tights: we love colors
     necklace: vintage (gift)

strawberry tomato...

 

strawberry dress and tomato sunnies... i'm very nutritious in my outfit today.  my godson avery, melissa's little boy, surprised me with these new sunglasses yesterday.  i've said it before, and i'll say it again, that 2 year old has amazing fashion sense and gives the best gifts. 

 

  

today was one of the first warm days we've had since spring officially started.  it was actually nice enough to be outside in just a cardigan.  this is a pretty pleasant change from the windy, cold, snow flurry days we had on the weekend.  fingers crossed that this weather sticks around.

  

so this weekend is the premier of the avengers.  have you heard? are you as excited as i am?? i absolutely love comic book/superhero movies.  i've seen all of the character building movies (thor, captain america, iron man 1 & 2, the hulk)... i love them all, but the trailer for the avengers looks INSANE.  i highly recommend you go check out the trailer for yourself and see if you also get goosebumps.

in other news, my mom and i are heading to moncton this weekend for some house/cottage supply shopping.  she's doing some minor-facelifting to the cottage, just some paint, new accessories, etc.  she's in need of a few things. and, with just purchasing a house, i have a need/want list.  i bought a few things, and i have a few more necessities to buy.  other than that, i'll be scoping out the yard sales and flea markets this summer.  it's so tempting to go out and buy all new items, but realistically, i need to watch my spending for a bit.

 

that being said, if you happen to spot any mint green vintage goodies that scream 'jana', please let me know.  those are on the need, not want, list.

 

 

     
     dress: trollied dolly
     cardi & sunnies: forever 21
     tights: american apparel
     shoes: ruche

and finally, i leave you with my discovery of the day:

:)

j.

april in instagram...

 april was a very busy month for me, which resulted in a lack of blog posts.  a little quick recap of my month for you... 

i got a haircut, and so did chloe...

a coworker brought her puppies to work! meet izzy and bella... 

i started seeing a pretty amazing guy... 

 he takes me on the most unique dates... 

 and we had our first beach fire of the year, where i also got to use my vintage thermos set for the first time! 

it was administrative professionals day, and part of my prezzie at work were these delicious chocolates! also, i started painting at my parents' cottage... 

and lastly, i've been preoccupied with doodling floor plans and daydreaming, because... I BOUGHT A HOUSE!!!

i get my keys may 31st. so, may and june are about to be pretty hectic months as well. 

but hectic and exciting are coming hand in hand.

:)

j.

finally...

 

i have been looking for a red skater dress since early winter... and finally, finally, i found one.

 

granted, i was being extremely fussy.  i wanted it long enough for work, casual enough to wear any day, any time... 3/4 sleeve... perfect twirl skirt.  and success! i found it. 

 it's one of those feel-good dresses, comfortable yet stylish, and in a colour that you feel amazing in.

 paired with black tights and tstrap shoes, perfect work outfit!  switch up the heels for flats, and it'll be an instant outing favourite. 

a skirt this amazing was made for twirling.

      dress: love shopping miami
      necklace: etsy
      shoes: lulu's
    

blogger thanks...

 as you can see, i read quite a few blogs.  they're such great inspiration; they teach you how to attempt new styles with your hair, and many of them have a 'shop my closet' feature where you can buy items from them at great prices.

 

i have to say, two of my favourite hair inspiration bloggers are veronika and katie.  they both have great hair, long with bangs, and are constantly trying new styles.  they're tutorials have been great for days when you just need something new for your hair.  i actually attempted one of katie's tutorials with this hairstyle.  of course, i don't have the knack for it, so mine are always a messier version of her tutorials.  

 

 i actually purchased this dress from another blogger, meg, from with a sentimental heart.  it was a vintage dress she found and added to her shop my closet.  it's even better in person than in the picture!  the fabric is heavier than i pictured, and the skirt fuller.  it's perfect for spring weather in Canada! i paired it up with a polka dot scarf, but it's great on it's own.

      dress: vintage
      scarf, earrings & shoes: ruche
      belt: came with dress from peacock plume
      tights:  we love colors

.....

even if you aren't a blogger yourself, these are some of the reasons to read & support bloggers.  i used to go to magazines for fashion and hair tips, but now i look to bloggers, and you actually get a bit of an inside glimpse into their lives, rather than just a short article on someone.  it's quite nice.

:)

tip-toe...on the table...

 

spring has definitely sprung... at least, so it seems.  the month of march went out with a bang.  we had incredibly warm temperatures for this time of year, some days reaching into the 20s!  of course, it cooled off as, but other than a few days, the temperature stayed above zero.  until april of course.  we actually had snow on easter. which, granted, isn't unusual. but it was uncalled for. 

 

 however, spring is definitely in the air today.  we even had a few spring showers and i got to haul out my umbrella for some shots.  

the ground is mucky, muddy, and messy. the deck is pretty wet and puddly.  so here i am, on the picnic table, trying to avoid the mess and hide what's left of the snow.

not exactly my smoothest move, but i thought it was pretty fun, tip-toeing on the table.

i'm hoping everyone had a great easter weekend!  mine was pretty jam packed, but i managed to squeeze in some major couch-potato hours, which included some QT with sons of anarchy and braveheart.  these beat chick-flicks any day.  

 i'm pretty sad that my 4-day weekend has already come and gone. the only upside to it is that this week is at least a 4 day week and friday gets here that much faster.

... is it friday yet??

      dress, blouse, earrings: ruche
      tights: we love colors
      shoes: aldo