swing swing

 

My new fave. GIFed up Banksy.
With 5 others to discover – go to it.

Made by ABVH (via Think Contra).

settle down, settle down now kids

No Doubt is back.

But not without a solid throw back.

The tunes, themselves, are a throwback of course; to the ska days of my youth, spent in checkered accessories, wondering what this reggae thing is all about.

But what No Doubt has always been great at is being No Doubt. Shamelessly so.
Spiky buns, mild drag, gallons of bleach and more bra straps than your common nun can shake a ruler at.

And I love it. Every single second of it.
No Doubt knows what’s good about No Doubt.
And they aren’t changing a bit of it.

happy first birthday Rent frock Repeat

They grow up so fast don’t they? Already a year old, Rent frock Repeat has been offering the ladies of the city a place to have the dress of their dreams, for only as long as their fleeting dreams last. Here today, gone tomorrow, with only a memory of the perfect dress to accompany the new #1 on speed dial.

After all, it takes a special kind of someone to give you the above photo along with the promise of commitment-free dressing. RfR > anything.

To celebrate, the ladies had cake.

This lady, however, will celebrate by posting photos taken in the greatest place on earth (tip: not Disney, but rather, RfR studio). Spring weddings in full effect? Check out the cute, colourful options below. Spring wedding attended by an ex in effect? Check out the hot, sequined options below.

All photo credits: Nicole R. Full set on Flickr.

And don’t forget to check out an interview with Lisa and Kristy, the talent ladies behind Rent frock Repeat, courtesy of Anthea over at Clothes Line Finds.

what the button says

Please stand by during this unscheduled (and slighty predictable) intermission.

Button’s got me covered.

new season new bag

Spring brings with it a lot of things : flowers, rain, reminders about overdue blog posts, excuses for croissant park-dates, more reminders about overdue blog posts, and even stronger (and significantly more welcome) reminders that the closet needs an infusion of colour.

No matter how hard I try, it seems that over the course of every winter the wardrobe magically goths itself and nothing lighter than a medium-plus is within reach. Luckily I did manage to start a small stock pile of neon accessories which is making the springtime transition a wee less painful, but something bigger was definitely needed. And with that, I present to you my new love.

*cue angels singing*

Behold the Nella-Bella Hong Kong bag in a freakishly beautiful Turquoise. The brilliant colour instantly pumps up any outfit, but the simple briefcase-like design keeps it from overwhelming your other style efforts. With a removable shoulder strap, you can easily go from daytime hands-free carry all, to evening statement-making flat-shoe-hider. In other words, this thing was made for me.

As usual, the bag is 100% vegan, designed by one of the nicest guys you’ll ever have the pleasure of meeting, Tarek Al-Azbat. And it’s only one of the beautiful choices in the Nella-Bella Spring 2012 Collection. You’ve got the gamut covered with varying sizes, including perennial favourite the London and the NB Man bags that will leave the boys in your life wondering why they tried so hard to cram every single piece of their life into coat pockets (and give me even more things to steal from boyfriend *love you*). Colours are covered here too: blue, pink, turquoise and more for the bright light seekers, with black, grey, khaki and seriously delicious caramel for the basic needs.

So to recap:
1. Spring is here
2. You need a new bag
3. Look, I found you a new bag

(Uber-keener? Head to Chinatown to find a matching ring. Score!)

favourite things :: w/o mar 5, 12

Malajube makes me happy. Without fail. Even in cold MTL weather, I bet.

That dress. .that.dress. Oh Daphne, share your closet.

Trying to remember to eat the rainbow for optimal health? Pantone helps.

Teeny Stormtroopers are teeny. But infinitely more awesome.

All that is Louis and Marc, in book and museum forms.

vacation, right here

The sun is out, the city is warming up, and all it does is remind me of springtime in Paris. And with a high unlikelihood of Paris and I reuniting this spring, another escape is much needed.

Enter, in perfect time, Joshua Jensen-Nagle.

The uber-talented photographer’s work is currently taking over the main floor of Bau-Xi Photo, and it’s surely the quickest way to be transported to Europe without stepping foot in Pearson. On until the 17th (go, hurry) the exhibit features photos taken on Polaroid film and blown way up and out. The result is a dream-like look at beautiful locales. With classic European architecture as many of the backgrounds, the images draw you in to another place and time, offering – even if only momentarily – a break from the grind outside.

With the weekend’s bright forecast ahead of us, start planing now for a coffee at Orange Alert and a daydreaming session at Bau-Xi Photo.

Joshua Jensen-Nagle :: Bau-Xi Photo :: 324 Dundas Street West

favourite things :: w/o feb 20, 27

Yeah your bonsai is cool. But does it have a tree house?

I didn’t need this, but I appreciate it. Why coffee is amazing for me. And you.

Balanced cupcake breakfast. Totally reasonable.

Space Janitors. This is a thing, and it’s an amazing one at that.

This is a thing too. Olivia Wilde plays with her breasts. GQ knows men. Clearly.

This magazine is infinitely more amazing than the site leads on. Birthday listed.

frank and oak is covering the basics

It wasn’t so long ago that Frank and Oak was just a dream waiting to be realized: stylish menswear for under $50. Too good to be true, what’s the deal?

No deal – just great clothes at an accessible price point, with new stock every month. For March, that stock is covering you for basics: button ups, jackets, ties, and solid accessories. Your spring wardrobe tune-up just got a lot easier.

So if you haven’t already, head on over and have a peak at the offering.

You could look as good as this boy, and who wouldn’t want that?

denis gagnon knows how to steal hearts

I’m going to go ahead and assume it’s common knowledge that Denis Gagnon is an amazing designer. With a flair for extremes, paired with a keen ability to tailor and edit, his pieces are wonderfully unique without being so flashy you’re hard pressed to wear them outside of fashion week tents.

The  French-Canadian enfant terrible of the industry is rapidly collecting the hearts of audiences and critics since returning to the fashion stage in 2009, and now with a stand alone boutique, it seems things are continuing to look up.

A recent trip to MTL brought me right to the gates of glory, a classic old building in Old Montreal, glass front, overlooking the basement level shop. A shaggy green chandelier, mannequins in short skirts and leather, a sculptural wood bench, the store is exactly what you’d picture for a designer who so eagerly throws caution to the wind when presented with the idea of standard practice.

Carrying both his signature line, and a few other designers for accessories, shoes and clothing, the store is small and welcoming. With huge change rooms, you feel at ease trying on the masterpieces Gagnon is known for.

How would I know about the change rooms?

Well, I may have gotten a little excited by my surroundings. There was a sale rack (!!) the contents of which made walking away empty handed damn-near impossible. So ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my new love: leather and knit jacket, so perfectly fitted, so comfy and so, so beautiful.

You like?

(photo cred)

Denis Gagnon Boutique | 170b rue Saint-Paul Ouest, Vieux-Montréal