Montreal

Francine and I took a little shopping trip to Montreal last weekend. We did so much shopping, eating of copious amounts of food, drinking loads of wine and listening to the Strokes. It was actually my first time in Montreal, and I loved the old stone houses. Anyway, here's a few instagrams from the trip, we tried taking Polaroids but it didn't really work (except one very pretty one that I will share later).  The first is me looking like one of Bob Dylan's girlfriends in downtown Montreal. I'm wearing my winter coat that I bought last year in London from Hobbs and a cashmere scarf from The Bay.

This one is pretty self explanatory. I'm wearing a skirt by Dahlia that I bought on sale at winners. It was way way to big on me so I had to alter it to fit me, this was a great triumph because it has a lining and is velvet. But I love how it turned out. My shirt is just from a yard sale.

Interesting phone booth in scuzzy bar my brother took us to.

Cutest puppy ever inside of bar named bo bo.

Francine's Jeffrey Campbell shoes and my Dieppa R Restrepo shoes from Chase Garde.

Me and my younger brother (whome I was visiting in Montreal, I guess I forgot to mention that). Anyway I think I look like blondie in this picture and I'm pumped about it.

I feel as though I should put a friends forever caption under this one but I'll spare you.

It's Always Midnight Somewhere

It's always midnight somewhere from Francine&CaitlinRose on Vimeo.

Ok so here is the horror movie that Francine and I have been working SO hard on. At this point I'm just so happy that it's done. Never make a movie with a plot! That's our new rule, it's too difficult. We had to re-shoot things so many times. So if things don't make sense, you're just going to have to pretend it's artistic. Anyway I am moving tomorrow morning so I'll have to keep this short. Later this week I'll post about what I'm wearing in it- I just really wanted you all to see it before Halloween. So I hope you are a little bit spooked by this, and Happy Halloweeeeen!

let's take a look

So lately I've been working over 50 hours a week serving at two restaurants in order to pay off my student loan as quickly as possible. I know I'm not really supposed to talk about working on a fashion blog, but I felt it was necessary to explain why I'm such a terrible blogger. Anyway, I've actually been spending quite a lot of that money I've been making on some lovely fall clothing. I just can't seem to help it, fall clothes are my favourite! And there's plenty of time to save money in January and February, when it's too gross outside to think of pretty clothing. So, I thought I should share some of these brand new outfits!

Here' I'm wearing a lovely blouse from Banana Republic that isn't part of their Mad Men line, but let's just say it is. The trousers and velvet bow are both from AA and the boots, well that boots are definitely my most outrageous purchase ever. They are Marc by Marc Jacobs black leather and suede riding boots. I purchased these because I don't have children yet.
I went over to Allison's new apartment to take the photos, and we were both pretty lazy so just took them on top of her buildings roof top patio. The sun was beautiful at that time of the day though. and now you'll get to see some of Toronto's skyline. We are so very proud of it here in Canada. 

I haven't been sewing too much between the working and the shopping, but tomorrow I've set aside the whole day to embark on a long blue velvet skirt. I'm a bit nervous because I've never sewed with velvet and people are always discussing how difficult it is to press, and cut and sew. But I did adjust another velvet skirt for myself just the other day and I thought it worked pretty well. I just didn't press down on the seams very hard, and the pile didn't fall flat. The velvet I bought is also a beautiful thick cotton velvet, so I'm supper excited. I'm making it for the Halloween themed film we're making this Thanksgiving weekend (oh it's thanksgiving in Canada right now). So everyone have a lovely weekend, filled with gluttonous amounts of delicious food.

Ulyana Sergeenko

So usually I try not to put too many lookbooks up here just because I don't want them to totally show up the clothes that I wear, but when I saw this debut (can you believe it) line from Ulyana Sergeenko on Jen McCabe' s Honey Kennedy I pretty much died. I've never seen a collection that I loved so entirely and completely! I know I like vintage things a lot more than a lot of people in fashion, but I just think that Sergeenko managed to capture the 40s without being repetitive. She added edge, which I think usually just doesn't work, and made it more beautiful, more current, and just down right amazing. So anyway, I'll stop gawking, and please enjoy the photos unless you've already seen them like 30 times (although I think you could enjoy them again even if you have).

Olive

Alright, Francine and I are finally finished making our new short film called "Olive"! And that's right, we actually found a title for it. I think this one was the hardest, and possibly the closest thing to a real video shoot, as we had a location that wasn't my apartment, or outside, and we had over a dozen extras! Yes it's true, Francine's iphone continues to be fastened to her tripod with an elastic band, but we are getting closer to being real professionals. 

 The first outfit I wear is this lovely little dress that I actually won on Here Comes the Sun. It's by a lovely Australian designer called Kings of Carnaby, and I feel so special to have something that's from so far away! I'm also wearing a great coloured pair of tights from joe fresh and my new staple black fall shoe that I ordered from Office Shoes.

I'm not going to include the next outfit because it's nothing that special, but this outfit consists of a sequined blazer that's Francine's and I have no idea where she bought it. The hat is from Holt Renfrew, and the pants, oh the pants were a gift from my mother's friend and they are vintage (1980s for sure) Armani hounds tooth trousers! I actually have the matching blazer too!

This dress is from a vintage shop near my apartment. It's an awful polyester, but I love how it looks. I bought it with a guilty heart, thinking it would never be worn, but here we are. Let that be a lesson to you!

Here we have the classic Caitlin's Club Monaco sweet heart top (I say that because it's my only going out shirt) and Francine's favourite red Club Monaco gloves. The skirt is American Apparel, the shoes are the same as before, and the flower is also Francine's. 

Okay, so before you watch the film I should mention a few things: the song we used is Anala by King Khan & the BBQ Show and we shot it at the Toronto Temperance Society, and I actually was the cleaning lady there this summer, so the movie is very authentic. I hope you enjoy.

Olive from Paris Is Calling on Vimeo.

Thunder Bay

 So summer, me and blogging don't seem to really mix. In my defense I haven't spent any time in doors, and I definitely haven't been coming up with great outfits. But I have been having a lovely summer, and I just got home from Thunder Bay, which is where I grew up. Thunder Bay is on one of the biggest lakes in the world, Lake superior, and even though it can get brutal cold there in the winter, the summers are breezy, fresh, and just plain old gorgeous. Here are some photographs of Silver Islet which is definitely my favourite place around the area. It is a small mining town from the 19th century with the original general store, many of the same old mining homes, and it's on Lake Superior.

I'm wearing: 

H&M pants

zarah shoes

thrifted sweater

and a blouse made by myself from a 1980s pattern. I'm really excited about this pattern and think I'll make it into a dress for next year!

I went with Jon and my parents and we took a walk along the old road, looked at the mining homes and sat on the sandy beech. My mother found saskatoon berries on road and she made us stop and pick every last one of them. They are delicious though, and my mother is crazy for picking berries. Afterwards we decided to take a look at the old cemetery from when Silver Islet was a real village, and it was such an interesting place. We ended the day with pie and tea at the general store. The day trip was definitely one of the highlights of my summer.

Now that the weathers getting a bit chillier I'm certain that I'll be a better blogger. And Francine and I are making another little film on sunday that may or may not involve flappers. So yes, have a lovely weekend.

Le Soleil

So here is the second film that Francine and I made this week. We filmed it last monday on the most humid and hot day that Toronto has had yet this summer in my apartment that has no air conditioning! If we didn't put a filter on the shots you would be able to see that I was actually dripping with sweat- I had a very real sweat towel for inbetween shoots. I grew up in Northern Canada (Thunder Bay to be precise) and I just don't think I'll ever get used to the humidity of southern Ontario.

For this film I remembered to take still shots of my outfits, although I have to say it was difficult to switch from "acting" (I know don't really act in these) to posing, so I apologize for the less than perfect facial expressions I am making in them. Anyway, this outfit consists of:
- chambray shorts made by me
- MADRAS for A.P.C. blouse
- London Office oxfords

This outfit is just a dress that I thrifted a few years back. I rarely wear it but I think I will more now that heels are everywhere, some dresses just need heels.

I recently bought this lovely dress at this great store near my house that my friend Allison just discovered. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside there's lots of great stuff. I would tell you the designer but it's written in another language, possibly Korean, but I love it. All I can say is if you live in Toronto I would suggest you check the boutique out, it's called Cherrie and the location is here.

I bought this the day after I saw Midnight in Paris because I couldn't resist something that looked so 1920s. It's from one of my favourite Toronto boutiques called Charlie. The designer is Jack which is apparently a line by BB Dakota. Or maybe it's all just BB Dakota, I'm not going to lie I'm a bit confused by that. But either way, it's a beautiful dress and I've surprisingly got a lot of wear out of it even though it's a lacy drop waisted dress. I know that you are never supposed to wear drop waisted dresses unless you're really tall or something, but I love them to death, and I really don't care, I wear them all the time even though they are definitely not flattering.

Lastly, this is my favourite summer dress by Mink Pink that I picked up at Bicyclette a few weeks ago. I went there after work one day just absolutely determined to buy something (I know that's not a healthy state of mind, but you may know the feeling) and I tried on a bunch of stuff but nothing really grabbed me until this girl walked out of the change room wearing this dress. I just thought it was perfect, like Marie Antoinette meets ballerina (two of my favourite things) so I quickly asked the sales lady/owner if she had any more of them and she said that it was the last one, but that I should "wait it out." I then proceded to putter around for 15 minutes while the girl hemmed and hawed over which dress to buy, it was painful. She didn't get it though, so as soon as she went to the till to purchase another dress I went into her change room, picked up the dress, tried on the dress, and bought the dress. It was all very exciting.

Oh and before you watch the film I should perhaps introduce you to Lily, the dog that Francine was babysitting while we shot the film. She mainly followed around Francine the whole time (it was very cute) but she makes the odd cameo. Ok so without further ado, here is the film, I hope you enjoy it.

Le soleil from Paris Is Calling on Vimeo.

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

I bought this lovely book for my mother on mothers day this year and I just wanted to share with you some of the illustrations. The book is Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam which is a selection of Persian poems translated by Edward Fitzgerald. Omar Khayyam (1048–1131), who was a poet, astronomer, and mathematician, wrote many of the poems in this collection. This particular publication, which is from 1952, is illustrated by Edmund Dulac (1882-1953) but I think the illustrations might be from earlier. I just can't say enough how much I love illustrations from this time period. We're talking about Arthur Rackham, Kay Nielsen, and Walter Crane, all the greats!

Francine and I are also working on our next film, so hopefully that will be ready for next week. I've started introducing myself as a movie maker/actress/costume designer, so hopefully these films become wildly popular. Okay, so even if they don't they still give me an excuse to buy more clothes. The only problem is that it's pretty difficult to come up with six different outfits for them. Luckily I've just been asking all of my friends to donate clothing to the videos fund.

 

Oh, and since I really like answering all your lovely comments, and I didn't really know how to in a way that you would actually be able to read them I've decided to take a note from Anabela's lovely blog, Fieldguided. Starting now I will answer your comments on the bottom of the following post. 

Okay here goes with the replies: 

Elyse: Thank you so much, I always strive to get that grainy look with everything that I do : )

BaronessVonVintage: I am always happy to show you my favourite spots in Toronto, this one is Riverdale Farm!

Roz: I'm not sure what you'll find when you google Canada Day, it's quite a modest celebration, but that's how we are here.

Bri: Thank you! I'm always happy to look like a doll (or like my doll that I got from my birthday)

Jazzy E: That is very sweet, thank you!

Hila: You are the least ignorant person I know! and I don't really know you ; )

danniekate: Oh thank you, I always think that clothes are nothing without an atmosphere

Hannah: I'm glad that you are more neglectful of your diana than I am, you're making me look good. 

Amy: It's nice to meet you too. Oh dear, I'm glad you like the poses, I definitely have a difficult time with them. I just take so many photos that some of them usually turn out.

My Country's Birthday?

 So I have these photos of my birthday from my diana mini that I've wanted to post for awhile, but since I already posted very similar digital photos I wasn't sure how I was going to slip them in. But yesterday was Canada Day so I thought that that might make it more appropriate to show you more pictures from my birthday? I was also too lazy to take any photos on Canada Day, or of anything lately so here's some sort of repeat photos for you.

Jon and I went to the Toronto Island for Canada Day after I got off of work to visit some friends and it was so wonderful. We made a fire, ate tons of food, and twirled around with sparklers (and yes I was the most enthusiastic twirler). Then around 11 we headed back to town to join Francine for a midnight BBQ at her house. But on the ferry ride back there was the sweetest thing, just in front of us a young girl (maybe only about 5 or 6) was wrapping her younger brother and sister in a blanket to protect them from the cool lake breeze. She held them the entire ferry ride back to Toronto! I hope everyone is also having a wonderful weekend!

Blooming Roses

Last weekend Allison and I decided to go take pictures of this church near my apartment because the roses are in bloom.  It is one of my favourite places in Toronto in June because all the roses are lined up against this metal fence in a whole variety of different pinks and reds, it's so amazing. We used the diana mini since I bought it months ago and have only used it maybe three times. I have to say, I love photography but I am simply rubbish at learning how to use it. I wish I had a magic wand that I could just say "make it look old timey" (this is probably why I use the iphone so much, even though I love the look of film). Anyway, we took the diana mini out and I think we got mixed results. 

I'm wearing: 

- a thrifted skirt that I must have bought about 5 years ago!

- a blouse that was Allison's great aunt's that she gave to me

- those MADRAS for a.p.c. sandals I always wear

- an aa bow

- and topshop sunglasses

And I apologize for the frown in this image, I was having a lovely time so I don't know where it came from?

Someone yelled "Sailor Moon" at me while we were walking, which I thought was pretty appropriate, even though I hadn't thought of it. Anyway, I hope everyone has a lovely weekend, and has lots of fun stuff planned.