A winning start to 2012!!

Me and baby Emily!  I was lucky to ring in the New Year with her and her parents!

Happy New Year, everyone!  I can't wait to see what 2012 will bring all of us! 

Before I get back to my regular outfit-of-the-day posts, I wanted to announce the winner of my Kalos giveaway!  Congratulations Bonnie!  I'll be emailing you later today to get your mailing address so I can send your gorgeous new earrings!!!

A Date with the Contessa: The Wear

I was lucky enough to be one of several bloggers featured in a collaboration with the Barefoot Contessa, a local Vancouver boutique that has great collection of clothing, jewelry, and adorable pieces to add whimsy to your home.

I couldn't resist picking up the cutest hippo dress (appropriately named the "Hungry Hippos") and an Owl pendant!

I love the collar on this dress! Perfect to layer with a cardigan!

 And I know that you're thinking - there's that belt again!  What can I say - it's quite versatile!

Cardigan: Joe Fresh; "Hungry Hippos" Dress: Audrey; Necklace:  Toodles by Toodle Bunny Belt, Tights: H&M; Shoes: Kelsi Dagger

Check out my top Christmas gift ideas on the Barefoot Contessa blog here

and learn more about my visit to the store at furelisse.com when I got to shop the store and pick out some of my favorite things! 

Many thanks again to Lauren and Eva for making this blogger collaboration possible! 

Don't forget to follow the Barefoot Contessa on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Co-worker Approved: The Belt Makes the Difference

Dress: Blue Sketch ; Blazer: Dynamite; Leggings: Talula; Boots: Kelsi Dagger; Watch, bracelet, necklace, earrings: The Usual Suspects

 I apologize in advance for the quality of these photos.  They were quickly taken with an iPhone (and edited with the Luminance app) as I originally had no plans to photograph this outfit.  

But I felt compelled to post about this, given the amount of comments this outfit I got at work.  You see, I've worn this dress dozens of times in the six months I've been at my current job.  Thing is, nobody made mention of it until I wore it last Thursday.

Apparently what  made the difference was this belt I paired it with - a cute bow belt with dangling chain detail from H&M.  You can't see it in the first photo, so I took a close up (using my front-facing camera) below: 

 The boots are grey, and you have previously seen them in this post. 

This outfit wasn't pre-planned.  Actually, I hadn't done my laundry, and scrambled to pull something together with whatever clean clothes were in the closet.  Thank goodness I had just got the blazer back from the dry cleaners!!!

And who knew this outfit would be such a hit!?!  I'll have to remember to pair these items together again in the future!

Make a Statement

 When Jen and Tiffany announced their Style Challenge, I wondered what piece of statement jewelry I would choose to feature in my entry.  I chose this Kalos necklace, mostly because when I initially bought it, I wasn't sure what I could pair it with.

I wanted the necklace to be out-standing, and not be hindered by any patterns or prints.  But I also wanted to choose an item of clothing that would creatively "frame" the necklace.

Enter this Jenny Han cape sweater/poncho.  Without the necklace, this sweater is a fantastic stand-alone piece. With the necklace, it adds a vintage character. 

This also was a lesson for me to pair long statement necklaces with turtleneck tops more often! 

A cute pair of nude heels makes any outfit fun and fab!

Poncho: Jenny Han; Pants: H&M; Heels: Aldo; Necklace: Kalos; Watch, bracelet, earrings: The Usual Suspects

Happy Friday and wish me luck in the Style Challenge!  


And yes, you still have time to enter my Kalos feather earrings giveaway!

KALOS Jewelry Giveaway!

I get excited when I find local jewelry designers – little did I know that discoveries like these would be right in my own neighborhood!  I first learned about Kalos Jewelry when one of my favorite coffee shops featured their pieces for sale a few weeks ago.  I quickly nabbed a couple of their necklaces, and a pair of their gorgeous feather earrings as a gift for a friend.

 (image source)

Kalos is the loving creation of Teagan, Lindsay and Bethany, whose collection includes a colorful array of feather earrings and redesigned vintage jewelry.  I'm happy to be featuring their pieces in my first giveaway on this blog!

You’ve already seen one of the necklaces I bought from them in a previous post ….

and you’ll be seeing this gorgeous pearl-based necklace in my next outfit ...

 At first I thought I wouldn’t be able to wear their feather earrings, but as soon as I saw these peacock feather earrings, I didn’t hesitate to slip them on! 

And I want you to have a pair too!  The ladies of Kalos have generously donated these auburn and orange-colored feather earrings for me to giveaway to one of my readers!  Maybe these earrings will be the perfect stocking stuffer for your favorite fashionista, or for yourself!

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post with a valid email address.   (1 entry)

Follow Kalos Jewelry on Twitter (@kalosfeathers) and leave a comment on this post confirming that you are following them (1 entry)

Shop the Kalos online store (http://www.makefeathersnotwar.com/products) from December 5 to December 11 and use the discount code, Elisse to get an additional 15% off your order! 

This contest is open to international readers!  All entries must be received by Sunday, December 11, 2012 at 11:59 PST.  

Military Chic

 It's that time again!  I've joined up with the Bloggers Do It Better movement to show you what I think is Military Chic.

Today's outfit features a jacket that, while maintains a structured look, fits and feels like a sweater! I also get to debut my Sam Edelman over the knee boots, which I purchased for a steal at Nordstrom Rack.  Why I never shopped at Nordstrom Rack until now, I will never understand.

Underneath the jacket is a sweater dress, that I featured in this Für Elisse post, called "Haute Cloche".  I just wanted to give a slight pop of color, and not take away from the button detailing of both the jacket and the boots!

 There's a bit of slouch at the ankle, but overall, these boots fit me very well.  I'm also digging the belt/buckle detailing!

Jacket: vintage; Sweater Dress: H&M; Tights: purchased in Sicily; Boots: Sam Edelman

Is there anything military chic in your closet?