Victoire

Hello Cowgirl in the Sand...

2012-01-27T14:26:00.000-08:00

This time of year is a confusing time for me. My mindset is never consistent with what is happening outside. Especially on days like today when the shades of grey outside are endless. I like to do things to take my mind off of the fact that all of the outside is frozen solid. This morning to take my mind off of things, I listened to Neil Young "Cowgirl in the Sand". It instantly made me feel warmer inside as Neil always does.

Another thing I like to do when I'm feeling down on the cold is buy myself pretty things to remind myself that soon I can lay in the sunshine wearing all my new spring clothes that I have been hoarding all winter. Like this Mink Pink suede skirt. Its perfectly 70s and makes me want to weave myself a crown full of daisies to go with it! I'm pretty sure Joni Mitchel had a skirt just like this one.

Mink Pink Rhinestone Cowboy Skirt $79 Available at Dalhousie Location

Don't forget... Spring time is merely a breath away. Soon we will be warm. Soon we will be riding bikes and picking daffodils and having pic-nics. We mustn't let the winter get the best of us! Treat yourself to something that reminds you of the spring. Whether it be a bouquet of flowers or a new addition to your wardrobe! You're worth it xoxo.

Craft project: Easier then a demi-plié, promise!

2012-01-27T09:05:00.000-08:00

Regine gave you all a little sneak preview on Monday to the latest in our "easiest-crafts on the planet" series. This one takes a pair of ballet flats and a black sharpie. C'est tout! Voilà! Now instead of ending the post there, let's look at how adorable Éloïse's little legs are. My God, nothing cuter!

(Oh and if you are wondering if we ever take on difficult projects, the answer is not if we can avoid it. If we do ever present you with a "hard" craft we will so overblow the labor it involves that you will find it quite simple after reading all the whining we do.)

This is the new trick, point to things when the word is said. She knows that these are not just "souliers" but her "party shoes"! Much much more important. She can also point at Regine when asked where is "Tata Reggie", which melted her heart and paid for these shoes in kind. (Can you spot Rocco's feet? Another cutie!)

Her rockin' chevron ballet flats. How hip are they? I think this blogger's daughter definitely needs a pair, I hope her little E has an Auntie nice enough to make her some!

Look at this happy face in ballet shoes. Maybe her future holds what Tara-Lynn has had me finally fall for in 2011. Having been a tap dancer and LOVING Shirley Temple growing up, ballet never hit my radar. But maybe Él will choose her own way. Now if only she had another Auntie that would take her for lessons..... hint hint.

Happy endings are required

2012-01-26T17:43:00.000-08:00

I am definitely spilling the beans on this one, but I just couldn't wait to start telling you guys about the Vintage Lingerie Pop-up shop. Regine and I have been collecting these pieces for so long... opening that box with all the pieces together, it was sexy-coy overload! Aren't these two above just perfect? You wouldn't even have to say or do anything, the seduction would be 100% visual. And its always so hard to think of what to say...

Kristal has been working really hard to put together a really beautiful shopping experience for you all. If her invitations are any indication, it is gonna be a dream!

Hey Girl, Heeeyyyyyy

2012-01-26T15:32:00.000-08:00

Oh, Hey Girl! Just thought I would holler at you and let you know we got a new shipment of Mink Pink in. Ain't that sweet? I think I will wear this dress in the winter with tights and an animal print cardigan.. but Summa' time calls for BARE.

Mink Pink, Marjorie Dress $95

Vintage Frames, $24

This dress is also available in WHITE (walking down the isle soon anyone?)

P.S. When I say "Hey Girl, Hey"... I'm really calling out to Beyonce. I like to pretend she is reading this....or that we may one day have a phone conversation about Blue Ivy Oh, sigh.

xoxoxo

Can you quit asking me such dumb questions???

2012-01-25T08:19:00.000-08:00

I am so so so excited that spring deliveries are filing our racks. It is so wonderful to fall in love with all new clothes and start dreaming up new outfits to wear to all the fun things we will be doing in the upcoming months. So very very very happy! But then some dumb guy I happen to live with and have sworn an oath of forever-ness with says "But it's the middle of January, what the heck are you gonna do with spring clothes?". I give him the mother of all stink eyes and wonder if maybe loud rock music damaged his brain along with his ear drums!

REASON 1: Love, I love it. I want it.
REASON 2: It's gonna sell to someone else and then I will have to deal with envy and jealousy all season.
REASON 3: It feels really good to treat myself. I work hard and damn it, I look cute!
REASON 4: I like reminding myself that winter doesn't last forever, it will end!

REASON 5: There are so many ways to wear it now in "winter-y" ways! Let me demonstrate:

Look how cute my yellow cardigan looks with this Birds of North America dress? Some nice white woolly tights and I am cozy and cute. When it warms up I am so excited to wear this dress with my brown leather wedges and carry a basket instead of a purse. ADORABLE!

Here I have paired it with my Dace Skye blouse and some flashy red nylons. I feel great in this outfit. Now for all of you who missed the boat on the Dace top, (they sold so fast this season!) we have awesome blouses coming in for SS12. Don't dilly-dally this time!

Birds of North America Duck, $174

Love this little dress and so glad it is mine! We have it in gray too, very sophisticated in gray.

Giveaway for all you BFF's flying solo

2012-01-24T12:18:00.000-08:00

We love doing things together! Part of it is cause we are BFFs and that is just what BFFing is all about. Another part of it, a really big part of it to be honest, is that most of our friends aren't in for doing the things we like doing. We tried to convince our gang to spend our summer vacation in Hamilton, they weren't in. We think everyone would love to glitter as much as we do, and yet they never seem to have time. We could just spend the whole car ride talking about new ways Oprah is inspiring us to be better women and our other friends always seem to turn the radio up.

But sometimes you can't do things with your BFF. Maybe she lives far away, maybe she works a lot even on Saturday nights, maybe she is a HE and really doesn't want to get his nails done with you, or maybe..... she has a baby and didn't get a sitter in time and now only wants to hang out in her living room! Whatever the reason, we've got a little gift for you!

We have the very last Beauty School Drop-outs manicure spot for you at 7pm. All you got to do is tell us what you want painted on your nails and you can be the very lucky winner! We will do the draw Thursday at 4pm.

Ps. Hollie took these pictures. She is good!

My week in pictures from my crappy cellphone

2012-01-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

I'm addicted to la Pataterie Hulloise. And like all addicts, I try and get other people hooked so I don't have to feel bad about how often I crave it cos we're in like a circle of encouraging this bad but SO GOOD habit amongst each other. Kinda like how it's so easy to convince Katie or I to buy ourselves a fancy lunch on Wednesdays (our office day), now Kristina's hooked on Pataterie Hulloise too. Which makes me so happy and means I get to eat it more often too now and not feel too guilty about it. We made a dangerous discovery this week however - they have a loyalty card (can you believe they even have a little fry-shaped stamp??). It will be shocking how quickly we fill this puppy up.

Went to Value Village and found 2 perfect pairs of ballet slippers for Eloise. I kept one as is, and the other pair I sharpied chevrons onto for when she wants to wear something a little more "funky". Being an aunt is awesome.

I also worked a bunch (duh), which was fun cos we got some new shipments in like the aforementioned Ovate by Audrey Cantwell shipment which also included some awesome new jewelry.

And no big deal or anything, but I went to an AMATEUR WRESTLING NIGHT IN VANIER! It was so amazing, I already can't wait to go back. Especially awesome was how spontaneously these plans came to fruition. Was just having a burger with my pal Chad at the new Hintonburger when he mentioned having heard something about this happening tonight, maybe in like an hour or something? So all previous plans for the night were nixed in favour of a little trip to Vanier.

I think my favourite part was the beginning of every new round, when the wrestlers would emerge from the back and they would do their strut around the ring in their costumes (fringed pants! glittery capes! and so much more!) and they'd come out on their theme song. (My fave entrance song had to be Eddie Murphy's "Party All The Time"). Also, just like the male soap opera that is the WWE, there are even storylines woven into these bouts too - complete with injury fake-outs and everything!

I left with a brand-new t-shirt showcasing my new found appreciation for the sport (SIGNED by Koko B. Ware nonetheless!) and a phone full of wrestling pictures. If you want to see more, I tweeted furiously the entire night, I was just so excited about the whole thing!

Inspiration Station

2012-01-22T12:07:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you guys but January is my brooding month. It's cold, there isn't enough coffee in the world to make me feel awake and the once pretty snow is now mucky and gross. Plus, I've still got my holiday bloat on. Not nice. I know I sound super sour but I actually really appreciate this time of year. Within all the grump I've got going on it's also a time of personal reflection, figuring out what it is that truly gets me going and inspires me to be the best I can be. So today I thought I'd share some things that have seriously been yankin' my crank.

These ceramics by Miju Lee
Perfectly quirky.

Also very refreshing.

This music video by Chairlift

Man, what I would give to sing like her.

Hailee Steinfeld

Who is a pizza eating fashionista. Seen here for Miu Miu.

And also the bad ass and brave Mattie Ross in True Grit.

These photos and this interview with Jo Ann Walters

Hope you enjoy and please, send anything that's inspiring you our way. It's fun to share!

Ovate by Audrey Cantwell

2012-01-21T10:18:00.000-08:00

Oh boy. We are getting new stuff in the shops on a daily basis now. Christmas is cool and all, but I think the time right after the Christmas hustle and bustle is the best time of the year cuz all the new clothes we get in are a breath of fresh air. Case in point: Emily and I kinda lost it when we opened up the package we received from Montreal line, Ovate, created by the multi-talented Audrey Cantwell (check out the latest installment of the zine she puts together, Tarantula Sisters, while yer at it). Not only did we receive beautiful skull charm bracelets and the most rad beveled stone necklaces (with inverted crosses etched into them), we received some pretty major sweaters. They are already a big hit among some pretty "in-the-know" people (a.k.a. me & my mom - who decided she was going to steal the sweater I am wearing in this post from me) so you should probably head down to our Dalhousie location AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE so you don't miss out.

Here I am casting a spell on you in my black and nude textured net sweater.

Yes, it's a net sweater. But it's 100% cotton so it feels great on. It's kinda like cotton chainmail. $80!

I should mention this sweater is sheer. It is a mostly black netting with nude-coloured cotton woven throughout, and black ribbed cuffs and neckline. So perfect. I'll probably wear this for the rest of winter over all kinds of tshirts, blouses, bustiers, you name it, and all the way into summer. I know it's weird to say it guys, but I feel like this sweater completes me. Here I'm wearing it over my sheer black Valerie Dumaine Berit blouse, which is now on sale at the Dalhousie location for $125 (regularly $139).

This sweater actually completes me so much, that I wish I could clone myself just so one version of me could always have this sweater on. (I know this sounds like hyperbole, but it's not. This love is real.) (Also as an insurance policy against my mom stealing this from me... If one of me always has it on, it's safer.)

We also received this beaut, the Valhalla Hooded Sweater. 85 bones.

Get thee to our Dalhousie location for more Audrey Cantwell. But quick, supply is limited (for now).

Uhh, oh yeah, because Regine was initiated into the world of GIF making the other day, I thought I'd give it a try too. Letting the sweater work its magic on me.

Clementine and Tweed

2012-01-20T16:22:00.000-08:00

As I get older and transform into a somewhat more "grown-up" version of me I often wonder when I will get the hang of dressing myself. It's hard to look presentable while feeling comfortable. As my days become more and more hectic I find myself in search of the perfect outfit that can suit all of my many lives. One that will allow me to feel comfortable in the studio while arranging flowers but pretty enough to meet a bride-to-be over drinks for a floral consultation. I need the best of both worlds because honestly I have too much going on in a day to change clothes. This week we received new stock from designer Janine Cockburn-Haller of Clementine and Tweed. She clearly catches my drift with the whole pretty vs. practical crisis. These are my favorite super comfy but professional and pretty picks that we received:

Dress - Clementine and Tweed (Iris Dress) $98 Available at both locations

Necklace - Fischer Street $90 Available at Wellington

Check out the lovely detail at the back!

Clementine and Tweed (Lana Dress) $98, available at both locations

Its hard enough being a business lady/bartender/shop girl/human the last thing I want to worry about is what to wear! So if you are like me and you want nice clothes without having to sacrifice being stylin, you will be happy to know that you can have both things! Come check out Clementine and Tweed at our Westboro location. You'll be quite pleased. xo

Regine + Katie are BFFFFFFFFFFFFFFs!

2012-01-20T08:32:00.000-08:00

We are so super duper excited for our "That's so BFF" party. It's gonna be a fun filled night of discounts, crafts and camera silliness. We are thrilled that fellow BFFs ViensAvecMoi opened in our hood! This is definitely the first of many parties we throw together, exciting!!!

To get you all in the mood for "That's so BFF" I thought I would share some pictures of Regine and me together. We have been friends for 12 years now, isn't that crazy? And if you were to ask us a week into our friendship if we would still be in each other's life, I think we would have said: "I sure hope so - she is a cool confident WO-MAN!" (in high school we were really into being grown ups)

That first picture is us in high school, with our band t-shirts on and Regine's signature leather rope necklace. We look like little babies! The second picture is a few years later. I am not sure if you can tell but we are both wearing really big earrings. We were super duper into bold statement earrings. Now we wear studs.

This is our other BFF, MC. We are all wearing our favorite cool-chill outfits at the time. The top Regine is wearing I also had, we still do that now and it rarely happens that we are wearing the same thing on the same day. Twin Brain covering us? Also, please notice: we started covering our massive foreheads. The bang sweep entered our lives! Took years for us to try bangs. I wish I still wore 1" pins....

Okay this picture I remember taking vividly. We were at a party at our other-other BFF (Liana) Mom's house. And we found a "sexy" (because it was a two piece with spaghetti straps) bathing suit and took this picture to "TOTALLY embarrass Liana". We were clearly prudes. Remember "Never Nudes", well we were before our time.... Man, so much time was spent in our rooms. Liana's had all these lyrics written all over her walls, Regine's had posters from Spin magazine covering all the space, mine had both porcelain dolls, records pinned to the wall and weird leather masks (can't escape "Circus" culture growing up in Montreal).

Don't we look like nice fun people? We used to say we love: friends, fun, food, feminism and fashion! Doesn't that sound great? I love that. Wanna hear something crazy? The dress I am wearing in the second picture is my legal-wedding day dress. That picture was taken the spring I got married!!! I look like a baby. Also the two jackets Regine is wearing in these pictures were in our lives for so long. Man, it's weird seeing them again. Hope you kept them Regine, those are the tapestry of our lives!


This was one of our favorite activities before we opened the shop and well, it still is now. We used to call it "Corporate Espionage", we would analyze every detail when we went into boutiques. Took note of the good, the bad and how we would one day do it differently. It was so much fun and really great prep for our business. We still do it now, but we call it "Market Research". We will be doing A LOT of research in L.A. Might even need to pick up some "products" to analyze! That is a little heads up to Yann, our accountant! Maybe if you all are very very lucky, and we are very very drunk we will tell you and SHOW you punXercise next Saturday! Oh man, you all will love it and die of laughter...

Salvation Mountain

2012-01-19T13:32:00.000-08:00

So I don't know if you know already, but if you don't, get ready to hear us talk about it nonstop for the next month and a bit, but Katie and I are going to L.A in March!! It's our first time, and we are SO EXCITED. This will probably be the longest we'll have been both gone from the shop in forever. Katie will be starting with her little family in Palm Springs, our friend MC and I are gonna meet some friends in San Francisco, then we'll meet here, at Salvation Mountain, and continue our journey togther to L.A!

I pinned this picture in our Pinterest account months ago, never dreaming that I would actually be able to go here one day! I'll be celebrating an undisclosed but significant birthday around this time, and I couldn't think of a better thing to be doing for my birthday! Now of course a destination of this magnitude requires an equally sunny & colourful wardrobe - and lucky for me we have lots of great Summer pieces on sale that would be so great to bring on my mountain voyage.

(reg. 150$ down to 90$, available in red at West and in blue at Dal)

First is this flamingo tank by Juma. I actually bought this last season and it was absolutely one of my favourite purchases. Lucky for you guys we still have a few left and it's on sale now!

It's still cold though right now, and I am not as of yet IN California, so I'll be wearing it layered while still in Ottawa.

(reg. 115$ down to 95$, available at both locations)

Another great layering piece is this tye-dyed crop by Genevieve Savard. (Speaking of layers, there's a pretty good new Very Mary-Kate about this very important fashion concept.) I feel like this top can work both ways I imagine my L.A wardrobe looking...first the hippy-dippy California love vibe, but also paired with my Ursa Minor leather leggings all of a sudden I'm channeling skeazy Sunset Strip L.A. Yes!!

(Lily & Jae Skye dress reg. 229$ down to 80$, only available at the West location).

Now if dress isn't the perfect tribute to Salvation Mountain I don't know what is! I'm telling ya guys, I just know I'm gonna take to California life like a fish to water. I can't wait to wear neon colours. But also pastels. And also until then I'm not touching my hair, just gonna try to grow it real, real long. Long enough for the Mountain Man of Salvation Mountain to fall in love with me.

Is this long enough Mountain Man?..

New Arrivals on the daily..

2012-01-19T11:00:00.000-08:00

Slowly but surely both shops have new items trinkling in... It makes it a fun time for us! Everytime a Puralator or UPS truck roles up I know what's up. One of my happier moments today was oogling over our newly stocked C Comme Ca goodies. If you didn't get a chance to snag one before Christmas then wipe those tears away and come shopping. We have many different shades of the beautiful vegetable dyed leather...

Petit Andouille, $180

Wallet, $80 (comes in light gray and dark gray)

Le Professeur, $380

Now if only I had gotten an Ipad or Macbook for Christmas.. (sigh) Maybe next year. Okay Santa?

xoxoxo

Crafting with Quail eggs

2012-01-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

This is just about the easiest craft on the planet. It's pretty much equivalent to saying drying flowers is a craft... I won't lie, ease is what I, as a crappy- crafter, love about it. This craft makes me feel part Amy Sedaris with all her crazy craft-y ideas, and part Ornithologist (fancy word right?).

First step: buy Quail eggs. They are all over Chinatown grocers or at Herb&Spice. Aren't they just about the prettiest thing you have ever seen? They look like dinosaur eggs! I love how each egg has really different coloring and spots.

Step 2: Prick a very small hole on one end and break open a bigger hole on the other. And blow like that trombone player in grade7 music class did. Save the yokes for a very delicious scrambled egg. Wash the eggs well and lay them out to dry.

Step 3: I wanted to dip dye the eggs, but holy-cow it is super hard to do that. I kept trying but I would give up and dunk the egg. I used food coloring and water to dye them. Using such a gentle dye made it easy for my 9 year old buddy to help me with this craft.


Step 4: Okay so I had lots of ideas: string them together to make a garland, put in hooks and hang them as ornaments, have them glued onto tooth picks and use them as coke toppers. But then I put them in this mason jar and thought they looked perfect!

Voila! Perfect afternoon activity and you get a lot of prettiness for little work

Matchy-Matchy

2012-01-17T08:32:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been matching everything to the extreme and have only really taken notice since its been pointed out to me, repeatedly. Geez-Louise, I've got myself matching up the ying-YANG. Not sure if this level of matching is evidence of a style rut, OR maybe evidence of a higher level-style. All signs point to one thing: The future will be uber matchy-matchy.

I love Polka dots, especially when it is a double-dose of polka dots!Dress by Allison Wonderland (156$, down from 224$), at both shops. Nylons are from Santa.

My morning routine is dress myself, then dress Éloïse. Most mornings we end up looking like this, and I swear to you I didn't even realize I was doing it. I think that means my brain is fried.

THE YEAR 2011

2012-01-15T15:03:00.000-08:00

Inspired by this blog post on White Elephant's blog, I thought I would do Victoire's own "year in review" blog post! Man, it was really fun going through old blog posts to do this. We sure do have fun, don't we? It was also such a great reminder of everything we've accomplished this year! Perfect timing as well, since Katie and I have been using these slower days in the shop to plan Victoire's activities & goals for the year. And boy do we have another exciting year up our sleeves for y'all! (Starting next Saturday, January 28th for our first event of the year, That's so BFF!) I'm gonna keep it fairly point form cos there is MUCH to recap!

January
- Dalhousie store revamp: We closed for a few days to repaint the store the exact same colour (yup) and make small changes to the decor to further emphasize our made-in-Canada designers.

February
- We went on our first buying trips with Eloise.
- I used to do so many more outfit posts. I should really try doing that more again.

March
- We shared embarassing pics on the blog from our teen years
- We opened a Steel Magnolias etsy shop for our vintage dresses with the help of Angie from Norwegian Wood!
- We went to Hamilton to spend some QT with our pals

April
- We did our first Mixtape contest!
- Stacey London tweeted at us and we finally got why twitter could be so fun
- Vintage dress sale!

May
- We did a Pop-Up Shop in Hamilton!
- We almost got our asses kicked while there
- We helped get out the Vote!
- We got Steel Magnolias branded by Marie-Eve of Lake Jane & started selling our jewelry in shops in Hamilton, Toronto & Montreal!
June
- Important business meetings ended with ground-breaking decisions to make glitter signs
- We celebrated our 5 year anniversary with our biggest sale ever, a month full of giveaways and a ouija board cake!

July
- We started our "Victoire's Important Pals" loyalty card! (These are still available, just ask us on your next visit!)
- We did our first ever Birds of North America Pop-Up Shop, and it was a HUGE success!

August
- Eloise turned 1!

September
- 2 wonderful new gals joined our team, Vanessa & Kristina
- We shot the webstore pics in my new storybook apartment

October:
- Vintage sale at the shop with Hollie & Jane from White Elephant!
- Marysol of Edgar borrowed a few of our vintage dresses to shoot her amazing calendar
- I went to a cat show

November:
- We helped put on the first of hopefully many years to come of Support Local events along with apt613
- We had our first nail night with the Beauty School Dropouts

December:
- We did Smart Design Mart in Montreal
- We had our best Christmas ever thanks to all you good folks!

We are so thankful to all of you for making 2011 a really great year. There is absolutely no way we could have done it without all of you guys being so totally rad. We have lots of big plans for 2012 that will hopefully make you all really happy and proud of us and Victoire.

Will I Regret This?

2012-01-15T09:15:00.000-08:00

Oh, High School. What a tumultuous time for our egos. Girlfriends one day, enemies the next, skipping class, food fights, beat-up old cars, Much Music dances, math homework and first boyfriends. On Sundays I like to sit and drink coffee in bed and read blog after blog. Since I work today, I WILL NOT be doing that (until I get home). But I did visit this blog yesterday and liked one of her links about Retro High School fashion. I have many regrets about my High School fashion, especially my Prom dress (ask Kristina and Regine). But these gals got it going on. I need a time machine to go hang with these girls in 1969!

I am at a loss for words about these tights. I love them beyond words.

Scarf around the knee? and you aren't imitating a Gangsta (I did this with a bandana)? Sign me up.

fringe, fringe, oh lordy, FRINGE.

When pushing limits with fashion, sometimes I ask myself "Will I regret this?" and the answer is normally "MMMmmmm..hell no". But if you really don't want to regret any of your future outfits head down to Victoire and pick-up a "vintage-of-tomorrow dress" that you will look killer in and cherish for years to come. Don't look back at pictures and say "what the heck was I thinking?" EVER again.

xoxoxo

BUY ONE GET ONE FREE

2012-01-14T07:59:00.000-08:00

You lucky ducks! For the month of January, Larque and Victoire have teamed up to offer you a killer deal on all Larque rosebud earrings and necklaces. These lil gems are handmade in Victoria, BC and for the month of January, if you buy a larque piece in-store (either the rosebud studs ($22), rosebud studs with pearl ($24) or rosebud necklace ($30) ), you will receive another larque item (of equal or lesser value) for FREE. Awesome, right?

We have a huge selection of colors for you to choose from at both locations. The promotion runs until February 1st so bundle up and head over to get first dibs!

Everyone in leather

2012-01-13T10:14:00.001-08:00

We were in Montreal this past week-end for Ukrainian Christmas with our pals Tyson & Angie, and we brought back some goodies with us by Ursa Minor. Yes, that means the LEATHER LEGGINGS are back in stock!
If I had to make a Victoire staff uniform, it would involve one of the In God We Trust Sweet Nothing necklaces (I'm pretty sure we all have one, though all different) and then these leggings which 75% of the staff own I think.

Leather leggings, 140$ (available at both locations)

But if everyone's wearing the leggings on the bottom, what's everyone wearing on top?? Well I'm glad you asked! Cos that is where we really all show our true colours.

Katie would wear them under her girliest vintage dress with motorcycle boots. Cutie-pie on top, rock-chick mommy on the bottom.
Kristal would wear them with an abstract-print skirt worn as a tube-top.
Vanessa would wear them with a long flowy silky tank, and dream-catcher earrings with the tough leather acting as a perfect natural foil to her modern hippy chic.
Emily would wear them with one of her man's oversize plaid shirts and brown leather boots - can't hide her country roots!
Lucy would wear them with an oversized sweater and docs for sure.
Kristina would wear those leggings with one of these Ursa Minor tops. Totally. Accessorized with a smiley face ring or Garfield brooch. Minimalist with a hint of 90s nostalgia. Perfect.

Loop cardigan, 130$ (available at the West Wellington location)

Linen pocket top, 88$ (available at the Dalhousie location)

How would you wear them? (There really are no wrong answers guys. They're THAT versatile!) My go-to way to wear them is with an oversize blouse with the sleeves rolled up. Or with an oversize blazer, also with the sleeves rolled up.

Slam dunk it!

2012-01-13T08:11:00.000-08:00

Been a little pissy lately? Maybe you've been less then your most amazing self around the house? Need to get back in your man's good books? At least long enough to ensure a fun and *active* Friday night? We've got what you need back in stock:

Bow ties! Dudes are loving these ever since they clued in to the fact that they make them irresistibly handsome. Buy your man one of these, open some Hendrick's gin and you won't even need to wear fancy panties to get what you're looking for.

They are stocked at both locations and cost $32

BFF'S ROCK

2012-01-11T09:19:00.000-08:00

On Monday, I had one of the best days EVER. One for the books, a nice doodle and maybe even picture caption for the diary type of day. We thrifted, ate, thrifted, bought nailpolish, ate, watched movies, danced 90's style and then ate again. Good girlfriends really make life that much sweeter. With these lovely kind of friendships in mind Victoire, Viens Avec Moi, and Beauty School Dropouts are having a BFF event on Saturday, January 28th at the Wellington location. These businesses are owned by BFF's which is beyond special. So to encourage spending time with your bestie, Victoire and Viens Avec Moi are offering 10% off and 20% off if you AND your buddy buy something, Viens Avec Moi will have a photobooth and if you book in time, Beauty School Dropouts will do your nails! We'll also be making friendship bracelets yay!! To not miss out on booking your manicure, head over to the Beauty School Dropouts Blog and send them an e-mail. Just to get a sneak peak of some of the insanely rad stuff these girls have been doing, look at these pics and compare:

Jessie J- Domino

and...

Rihanna - You da One

Grab your friends and come down to Wellington Street West to have a night filled with fun to write in your diary!

xoxoxo

RED

2012-01-10T12:31:00.000-08:00

BE TRAPPED BY THE TENTACLES OF MAN DEVOURING PLANTS

I've spent the bulk of my spare time in the new year watching old sci-fi movies late into the night. In a time where CGI /the 3D experience is quickly becoming standard practice in the film industry, I find myself more and more drawn to these sorts of movies where so much thought, effort and imagination was put into the script/production/set/costume/prop design of these gems.

The Angry Red Planet was filmed in 1959 - one year before the Soviet MARS1M was shot into orbit to collect flyby data on the planet. At the time, there weren't even any surface pictures of Mars. Just a pretty red dot in the sky to get everyone's imagination running at a million miles a minute.

Space babes in bodysuits? Yeah, sure. Giant red space ants? Why not? Ample water and vegetation upon landing? They weren't right about these things, but they weren't wrong yet either. That sort of creative freedom makes watching these movies so captivating to me. I'd take a devouring plant on mars over that d-bag Jar Jar Binks anyday.

Here are some pieces in the shop that gave me a serious Angry Red Planet vibe. If you have any movie suggestions for me, I'd love to hear them too. Invisible Cinema has a killer selection and I'm sure i'll be able to find 'em there.

Alice and Alishka Kelly top -$95 (orig. $130)

Fischer Street earrings - $60

Steel Magnolia bracelets - $15 - $19 each

I heart....

2012-01-09T07:56:00.000-08:00

...the new lookbook by AinsleyWood Co. Is there anything Jane and Hollie can't do?!?

....this craft project that I will be attempting later this week. More 'grown up' then the mix & match glasses I currently have, but still special.

honey harvest from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

...how delicious honey tastes.

...this site about my favorite meal of the day. I made the Fig & Blue cheese omelette off of it. Yummy yummy.

...and lastly I heart this top. I tried it on for the first time this morning. I heart, I heart! On sale too.

Back from Holidays

2012-01-07T07:45:00.000-08:00

Hello all, this is my first shift in the store post Christmas holidays and after two weeks in big beautiful B.C. I've gotta say it's great to be back! Going away is always fantastic but at the end of it all it feels good to come back home. While away I visited family, ate too much food, hot-tubbed pretty much every night (I am going through withdrawals) and learnt I am a natural at the Wii game Just Dance.

One of the highlights of the trip was when we went dog sledding. Yay, that's right I said it and it was as cool as it sounds. The whole experience was amazing, if you ever get the chance to do this jump on it! We went through the mountains, down an avalanche shoot, stopped for apple cider and got to spend time with about 30 amazing dogs.

Puppies and mountains! What more could a girl want?

These guys loved their job!

The only thing that trumped dog sledding was catching up with my little sister. Being 15 years her senior and living across the country makes our relationship difficult at times so when we see each other I try to spend as much time with her as possible. Let me tell you, this nine year old is completely stuffed to the brim with girl power and for that she has my full respect. She rocks purple and pink hair, replaces sleeves with leg warmers, likes decorating cookies and owns a pink rifle! A Victoire girl in training!

Serious attitude!

Guest Craft post by Liz Bitze

2012-01-06T09:16:00.000-08:00

I am so lucky that Éloïse has an awesome care-taker, Liz Bitze, that always has great adventures planned, new songs to sing and delicious snacks for her (and her little Buddy Clementine). I am also excited that Liz likes to make cute things. She made these adorable tea bags as gifts for her buddies, and I think they are A+. Hopefully you like them and find them easy to make as well. And let's all REALLY hope this is the first of many crafty blog posts from Liz!

Now let's get crafting!

Supplies that you'll use: loose leaf tea, coffee filters, scissors, embroidery thread, cardstock/images you want to use for the tag

First I make the tags. I use pictures that I've cut out of old comics and storybooks Ive picked up from a second hand store. I glue them onto plain cardstock type paper so I can write on the back what kind of tea it is.

Take two coffee filters, and fold them in half

Cut off the sides, leaving the folded edge at the bottom.

Using a sewing machine, sew straight up the sides about 1.5"-2"

Pick your favorite loose leaf tea. My roommate Natalie and I are obsessed with David's Tea, there are so many amazing flavours!!

Measure out loose leaf tea into your bags. David's Tea marks on the package how much to steep for one cup of tea (usually its 1.5 teaspoons). And then sew up the top.

On the tags, I write what kind of tea I've used, and how long to steep it for. Sew the tags with embroidery thread.

Ta-da!

This is the blog I got the idea from and now that I'm looking at it, I feel like she did a way better job...BUT....anyway. I did it a little differently I guess. Mine were very quick, to make 4 bags it took about half hour. Easy gift, super cute. Everyone I gave them to looooved them!

Twin Peaks

2012-01-05T12:46:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Jeremy Latta, Regine and I have spent many Wednesdays cooped-up with some St. Hubert's, Ahora, pho, or pizza watching nothing more amazing than Twin Peaks. David Lynch is a genuis...When he and Isabella Rossellini were together she thought Twin Peaks was just TERRIBLE. I don't know why, but I love that. We love imagining her saying "Darling, it is so bizarre. It's just terrible." And then it turns out to be his masterpiece. Anyways, we finished the first season last night and had to continue on to the second. It was just so intense we couldn't leave it at the finale. Since Regine and I are together at the Wellington location today and are buzzing with theories, why not post some Twin Peaks-inspired outfits and accessories?

" I thought Leo was going to kill you (Bobby)"
Regine posing like Shelly at the diner, Eve Gravel Dress $140 was $176

"One day my log will have something to say about this. My log saw something that night." - Log Lady. Em wearing an Elaine Ho Mini Log Necklace, $ 80

Regine as Laura's Cousin Maddy Ferguson, wearing Vintage Frames $24

"I can't tell you all my secrets" - Audrey Horne
Emily as Audrey, holding a Jack of Diamonds card. Wearing Suzabelle, Swept Away Dress $122 was $176

Laura's hidden necklace picked up by a mysterious gloved character in the forest...
Steel Magnolia Best Friends Necklace $24 and Pre-loved Mitts, $22

We had lots of fun with this post! Still SO in Twin Peaks mode. Also, can I just link you to this Twin Peaks Props site I found? AMAZING!
xoxoxo

basically we're suckers for lace detailing

2012-01-03T13:41:00.000-08:00

We often try to sum up what we do at Victoire as "the vintage of tomorrow". I hope that doesn't sound cliche, but it's really what we aspire to, and how we bridge the gap between our antique-filled decor and the new designer creations we showcase.

Undeniably, we also let our love for vintage silhouettes, craftsmanship and detailing influence alot of our buying for the shops. It's no coincidence we carry designers who also seem to have an eye to the past in their designs. When I came across this image online I thought it exemplified Victoire's M.O. perfectly - such a striking image, and the lace collar is to die for.

AND it then doesn't surprise me that we were drawn to these tops by Beatrice Holloway for their modern interpretation of the lace collar.

Swell pullover, on sale for 89$ (reg. 99$), available at the Dalhousie location

Ponytail cardigan, on sale for 89$ (reg. 99$), available at the Dalhousie location

Cozy and cute to boot

2012-01-02T10:14:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone had a super chill & cozy holiday season. I'm glad we finally got a white Christmas, and just in the nick of time too. I'm actually one of those people who would be perfectly happy with a snow-less winter (I am not really a partaker in winter sports generally...my best winter sports memories of skating the canal seem to place an unusually high focus on the nachos at the old Mexi's at Dow's Lake or on beavertails...)

Anyways, this year was different, I was actually really looking forward to the snow. I wanted to test the mettle of my Manitobah Mukluks! And oh man, let me tell you - they have stood the test with flying colours! I remember the winter where I first made the switch from crappy fashion winter boots to Sorels and now these mukluks have even my dear Sorels beat! Cos unlike my Sorels, they don't weigh me down...it's like walking on a cloud. A cloud of sheepskin shearling to be exact. And they look super duper cute to boot!

Manitobah Mukluks, 300$ down to 255$ and 330$ down to 280$, photographed by Rebecca Baran

We still have a few pairs in each of the styles pictured above at the Dalhousie location. And now they're on sale!

Oh, that reminds me! Remember the teepee we mentioned a few posts ago made by the woman-of-many-talents, Danica Rustik? Well here it is in Katie's living room. Eloise is so lucky!! Katie's cats seem pretty into it too. I want one too. So bad.

New Year, New Clothes, New Beginning

2011-12-31T10:09:00.000-08:00

Do you have your outfit for tonight yet? We are open today from 10-4 at both locations. I got mine today. I can't say it isn't obvious what I would wear: Black on Black (minus the woolie socks!). BUT I did accessorize with my favorite gift this year.. ..my bangin' necklace by Fischer Street. Check it.

Valerie Dumaine Maida Dress, $179 on SALE $155

Stare down at the antlers around my neck...

My Deerest Necklace, $90

Now repeat myself: I will not fall tonight, I will not fall tonight, I will not fall (off a stool) tonight...

Happy New Years!!
xoxoxo

The Lost City

2011-12-30T16:41:00.000-08:00

I would like to introduce you to a dear friend of mine. She is by far one of the most creative people I have yet to meet. Her imagination is inspiring and I would literally give my right arm to step inside her brain and witness all the cranks and screws turning and creating the magic that is The Lost City. Her name is Danica Olders aka Danny Rustik (owner/creator/designer).

We are very proud to carry some of Dannys creations here at Victoire. My personal favorites that I can't quit eyeballing are her one of a kind sterling silver works of art. She actually hand soldered each and every one of these links with her own little hands and shaped and cut the beads!

$150 Available at Victoire Wellington location

$89 Available at Vicoire Wellington location

As well as jewelry, Danny is responsible for creating a whole slew of goods from clothing to pillows to silk-screened tents (which Eloise was lucky enough to get for Christmas! Hopefully pictures to come soon). Her talents and skills are vast and growing. I'm pretty excited to watch her growth as an artist. Something tells me this lady has plenty more tricks up her sleeve. Check her out, you'll fall in LOVE.

Website

Blog

xoxo

Jean's getting married

2011-12-29T11:03:00.000-08:00

We love it when customers send us pictures of Victoire dresses at special events! Ever year we outfit a handful of bridesmaids in dresses from the shop, usually for brides looking for something a little unconventional and that their bridesmaids will actually want to buy and most importantly wear again!

Caitlin recently sent us these pictures of her bridesmaids in Valerie Dumaine's Jean dresses, and I love how each girl got to choose a different colour! They're still unified in silhouette, but each got to choose a colour that suits them best. Win win! For any of you brides out there, we will be carrying new colours in the Jean dress this Spring that could be perfect for your wedding. We'll have it in camel, dusty blue, black and grey. If you'd like to be notified when these colours come in, shoot us an email at notrevictoire@gmail.com.

The infamous deep V back - so refreshingly sexy!

Or, if you're looking for that perfect New Year's Eve dress, we have some Jean dresses left at both shops (on sale!) in the best party colour ever, electric blue!

White out!

2011-12-28T08:06:00.000-08:00

Our new window at West is inspired by what is going on outside: Snow Storm!! It is definitely too cray to go out, so send your bravest friend out for a beer run and get cozy on the couch! I bet Die Hard is playing on TBS.

Or come visit us of course! That is the 2nd best plan for today!!

Pharaoh-out

2011-12-26T14:40:00.000-08:00

While surfing Pinterest, I came across these pics of Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra, and it totally made me think of some of the Miju & La Raffinerie pieces we have in the shop right now. I'm loving how bold these necklaces are, and I'm thinking for New Year's they might be just the ticket to cap off a party perfect outfit. But I also love them just as much worn every day with a band t-shirt & cuffed up pants (aka my uniform these days).

La Raffinerie Krakow necklace, 90$ (available at the Dalhousie shop)

La Raffinerie Paris necklace, 80$ (available at the Dalhousie shop)

Miju Tbird necklace, 36$ (available at both locations)

Miju Mexi necklace, 42$ (available at both locations)

Hello Yellow!

2011-12-26T09:09:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas feels surreal. Did Santa really bring me that blue velvet turtle neck yesterday? Or was it all just a dream? Everything happens so fast, so much gravy and chocolates ingested in such a short period of time! Today Katie and I showed-up for a busy Boxing Day and look-y here, we were thinking the same color scheme for our outfits: YELLOW vs. Dark.

Birds of North America, Pheasant Dress $ 169, SALE $ 126

Dagg & Stacey, Bertie Dress, $190, SALE $152

ALL YELLOW! (not really right?)

This was our master plan to make it look like I was wearing ALL YELLOW or a makeshift Big Bird outfit.. More so my Christmas weight just squished Katie.

Happy Boxing Day Shopping!
Come see us!
xoxoxo

BOXING DAY

2011-12-24T12:14:00.000-08:00

It's almost here guys. For shopping aficionados, this is it. It's like the shopping world series. And I love it. I used to do it up like crazy as a youngun' and get up super early to spend my Christmas money, but now I much prefer being on the other side of it. I get a strange satisfaction from seeing you guys score great deals at Victoire. Whether it's a piece you had your eye on for a while that you've been waiting to be a bit more budget-friendly, or a single size left in a dress that fits you to a tee, it feels like a mini boxing day miracle every time someone scores a great find. I really feel like high-fiving everyone on this day, like "Good for you man! I'm so HAPPY for you!" I think it must be my scavenger nature...

But anyways, we'll be open 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. on Monday at both locations, and we spent the whole afternoon today marking all the clothing & shoes at the shops between 10-70%! And there are some serious good finds. Like these:

Dace Skye Blouse - reg. 180$, sale 160$

Arynk K. red velvet dress reg. 165$, sale 130$

Valerie Dumaine Saule faux-suede crop, reg. 105$, sale 95$

Birds of North America Parrot, reg. 179$, sale 135$

Birds of North America Flickr, reg. 164$, sale 125$

A small caveat - we won't be accepting any returns or exchanges on Boxing Day cos it'll be too nutty. But hope to see you all on Monday! Until then, enjoy the time with your fam (and if you need a little break, a quick getaway to the Dom on Christmas night is one of my favourite Christmas traditions).

Happy holidays everyone! Be safe & happy & healthy. XO

Boxing Day!

2011-12-24T11:07:00.000-08:00

Just a quick little sneak peek at some of the sale items that we've pulled out for our boxing day sale! These gems have been priced to sell and all of our regular fall/winter clothing will marked down from 10 - 50% off, too. Ohhh boy.

Remember: we'll be open on the 26th from 10am - 6pm so get there early if you want first dibs.

Rita DiCesare Francesca dress (orig. $220 on sale for $80!)

Juma Flamingo tank (orig. $150 on sale for $90!)

Eve Gravel La Japonaise dress (orig. $168 on sale for $50!)

Something for us and something for our host!

2011-12-23T10:04:00.000-08:00

This is my little sister Michelle, ain't she cute?

Our family is really really into Christmas so there are lots of parties for us to attend. It's great! Lot's of time to spend with great people, lots of food and drink and best of all: lots of reasons to wear pretty dresses. Above Michelle is in a fantastic Ella Peru dress, so very very rad. Great for parties and will be one to wear to the office too. Love double duty clothes!

Now don't forget, if you want to keep getting invited to so many lovely parties, you better be bringing gifts for your host. We got Sparrow Floral Design to do all our host gifts. Everyone loves you a little extra after you bring them flowers!

Here I am in a Ella Peru skirt and Copious Couture top. A great outfit for the eve of Christmas Eve pie making party. Hopefully the high-waist will keep me from over eating tonight... Save that for tomorrow and the next day and the day after that!

And here is my host gift. Gonna be hard to give this one away. Sparrow is the best best best! We are thinking of doing a workshop with them in January or February. Would you sign up for this? I think it would be so much fun and a great way to get out of the house in boring Jan.

I love Christmas Mixtapes and MIXERS

2011-12-22T13:20:00.000-08:00

Over here at Victoire we have been spoiled with a bundle of Christmas Mixtapes. We have such amazing friends and customers who took the time to compile some merry mixes for the shops. Aren't we lucky? The song posted below is BY FAR my favorite (and probably everyone's). Don't bother with the video, just pleasepleasepleaseplease listen to it! It may just make your ENTIRE Christmas season.

UUMMMMMMMMMMM right?!

xoxoxo

Times'-a- Tickin!

2011-12-21T08:02:00.000-08:00

The clock is tickin' for Christmas Shopping time! If you still need to find your sweetie a neat little package, here are our Holiday Hours:

Dec 22-23rd: 10-8
Dec 24th: 10-4
Dec 25th: Closed
Dec 26th: 10-6
Jan 1st: Closed
Jan 2nd: Back to regular hours (opening at 11:00 a.m. during the week)

xoxoxo

AHH

2011-12-20T13:30:00.000-08:00

Ya can't say I didn't warn ya, guys - there are officially FIVE days left until Christmas. If you feel like your brain has been melting in the hustle and bustle of the season, do not fret! I've prepared for you some surefire gift ideas that will make you a holiday hero. No, really - check these out:

Izola soap sets

These are handcrafted soaps made and packed up in the style of fine 18th century toiletries. Super moisturizing thanks to it's old world triple milled recipe, it's chock full of olive oil, cocoa butter, oatmeal, and shea butter. Fragrance free, too! ( 3 gorgeous individually wrapped soaps per set - $25)

Broundoor wallets, Rustik bows and HIS/HERS/OURS decanter

These wallets are sure to be a hit with the boys - handcrafted in Montreal using off cut, recycled and scrap leather, these really are a gift you can feel good giving ($70). We have many other styles and sizes, too. The Rustik bows are attached to a clip for easy pinning, making them the perfect accessory for any holiday outfit ($ 10). And the decanter set ($45) is vintage (ONLY ONE IN STOCK!) and doubles as a gift for you and your cutie (assuming you fill it up real nice beforehand!)

Rustik Lost City pillows

These are the perfect little pals to keep you nice and cozy at night, but also look rad thrown just about anywhere. We have many styles at our West Wellington location, including some clocks, and some different colors/styles of the matryoshka doll. ($40 - $50 each)

Wondering who to take on your Christmas party circuit? We vote Suzabelle

2011-12-19T11:41:00.000-08:00

Pantheone, $191

Every designer has their own vibe and things they gravitate towards. Suzabelle loves party dresses! This Canadian ex-pat (now working in Seattle) is one of the designers we have been working with for the longest. Little known fact: she had been selling at Soho Betty when we took over the space and she jumped on board with Victoire right away. We are so glad she did because it is always a trip to see what she comes up with every season!

Gallery, $164

Marlintosh, $185

To help offset the impact of production and transportation of her garments on the environment, Suzabelle donates a portion of all profits to Conservation International™. Suzabelle shares C.I.'s mission to conserve Earth's living heritage and to help demonstrate that human societies can live harmoniously with nature and thrive spiritually, culturally and economically. Visit www.conservation.org to learn more about C.I.'s mission and latest projects. Suzabelle is also dedicated to employing only sweatshop-free labour because protecting human welfare is critical to ensuring that worldwide conservation initiatives and actions are sustainable and effective.

Lace, $174

Hunter, $180. All available at the Wellington location.

Take Me To A Cabin Please. . .

2011-12-18T13:20:00.000-08:00

This time of year after the initial shock of the cold wears off, I find my mind wandering on beautiful days like today. I dream of the woods all glimmery and covered in fresh white snow, the twinkle lights that cover all the trees, the smell of pine needles and fireplaces, letting my dog in and seeing her eyelashes all covered in tiny little white flakes. Winter can be pretty magical. It takes me a minute to adjust. But once it sinks in, I can't help but think of all the ways to make every moment cozier.

Tonight a girl friend of mine and I are making a fresh batch of home made baileys before we finish up some knitting projects we have started. This recipe will be sure to melt the icicles off your insides after coming in from a night of skating on the canal or late night x-mas shopping (***speaking of which DON'T FORGET we have started our late night hours at Dalhousie 10-7 monday to wednesday 10-8 thursday and friday***)

*Home-Made Baileys*
* 4 fresh eggs
* 1/2 tsp. almond extract
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* 2 tsp. chocolate syrup
* 2 tsp. instant coffee granules
* 1 can sweetened condensed milk
* 1 cup good whiskey
* 1 cup whipping cream

Blend all these lovely things in a mixer and put it in your fridge for an hour. Shake before serving. I like mine over ice with a pinch of cinnamon but in your morning coffee on your day off? yes please. Makes a great present tied up in a mason jar with some cute ribbon or lace AND stays fresh for 4-6 weeks. So delicious, I urge you to try it. It will warm all your bones and put a smile on your frosty cheeks. xoxo

I need a dress to look good in when I fall.

2011-12-17T09:49:00.000-08:00

Tonight Regine, Lucy and I are going out. That's right, we are jazzin' ourselves up, sleep deprived and tired from work, to have some much needed Gal Pal time. We are headed out to the Moon Room. It is my first time going there but I have been told I am in for a treat. Lucy picked out some nice dresses to look great and also look AWESOME falling down in.

Ursa Minor - Neptune Dress, $148 and Vintage His, Hers and Ours Glass Set $45

That Sh*t CRAY!

Suzabelle Lace Dress, $174

This isn't to say we are going to get sloppy (since we are classy individuals), but just in case we trip and fall or can't fully walk a straight line from all the Eggnog, we know we will look good in these lovely digs. Thus, people will be more distracted by Lucy's beauty and nice dress than her scraped shins.

xoxoxo

Girlie to the max!

2011-12-16T08:17:00.001-08:00

When you see this picture what do you think besides the fact that she is a very very good candidate for your next BFF?

Answer: That she makes the most adorable textiles ever! Here name is Olivia Mew and we are so very very excited to have her treasures in the shops.

Handkerchiefs, bunting flags, necklaces: oh my! How great would all of these be for stocking stuffers?

I like seeing the sketches of what becomes her material. Doesn't this make you feel like your last craft project was in fact quite crappy no matter what your man says?

I LOVE these patches so so so much. I am now on a mad hunt to find a wicked jean vest for Eloise so that we can have matching cutie-pie-punk jackets for next spring.

Dalhousie Shopping Night!!

2011-12-14T14:20:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow night from 6-9pm we are having the last of our shopping nights. Come down to the Dalhousie shop to enjoy desserts and discounts! Everything in the shop, including jewelry and bags (which as you know never ever go on sale), will be 10% off!

But if you bring in warm winter coats to donate to the Salvation Army, we will give you 20% off.

I love this time of year!!
Warm wishes,
xoxo

Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

2011-12-14T10:30:00.000-08:00

Remember making friendship bracelets (or anklets) with your besties and wearing them until the last thread fell off, and then tying a new knot with scraps? The past summer I started trying to make some bracelets while at the cottage and realized I am only able to make a simple braid. Not as appealing as multicolored, layered, and thick bracelets with chain links. Hence, at the shop we just got in MADGE Peaceband Friendship bracelets. These are some pretty solid Friendship bracelets. I'm going to get one for Lucy to confirm her importance to meeeeeeeee!

Madge Chain/Braided Peaceband Bracelet, $30 and Madge Chain/Woven Peaceband Bracelet, $25

Peace Out, O-Town.

LOOK at how many friends I have! (JK. Lucy gave me all of them)
Go out there and let your friends know how much they mean to you. Great friends are hard to find and so, so special.

xoxoxo

Stuff your pie-hole

2011-12-13T12:49:00.000-08:00

Last night at Oz was the Cheezy Luigi's pizza eating contest, and I don't know why, but seeing people stuff their face while a clock counts down was honestly so exciting. This has become an annual event (and awesome fundraiser for charity), one which we often consider entering, but then our better judgment gets the best of us and we chicken out. I honestly think anyone on the Victoire staff could own this competition. We're not exactly a gang of grazers at dinner. When Katie & I ate out of town recently, the waitstaff commented on how much food we had ordered for 2 people (we just wanted to try so much on the menu!) - thankfully, the wonderful folks & Oz and Town have gotten to know us and our appetites in the last few years so no one bats an eyelash anymore.

All that to say, I was inspired by last night's pizza pie marathon to find some nice, loose-fitting tops & tunics worthy of such an event since the holidays are filled with opportunities to go over-the-top and indulge till your pants get snug.

Valerie Dumaine Riley tunic, 160$.

This top can do double-duty - covering your pizza gut, AND the pattern totally camouflages any grease stains.

Now this is how I would normally wear this awesome one-size-fits-most top by Toronto designer Sara Duke (58$). Tucked into some high-wasted pants or a skirt to counter-balance the volume on top, it's a fail-safe and easy look that's super flattering. So let's call this "pre" pizza-eating contest.

Now "post" pizza-eating contest. Untuck that baby and enjoy the rest of your evening with your top button un-bottoned (nobody needs to know!).

Finally this top by Vicky Dubois (122$). The draping on it is awesome, it's so cozy and it's reminiscent of the super wearable yet still edgy style of a Complex Geometries piece. Now pardon me while I make some awkward poses to better showcase the cut of this top.

Oh lookie, what's that? This wonderfully roomy top's got room to spare for some pizza-pie to take home?? Nice!!

This is my happy/hungry face (same/same).

Babes on Bikes

2011-12-12T07:12:00.000-08:00

Was I ever pleased to see this post of the girls on the Ottawa Velo Vogue Blog. The blog is about cycling and fashion in the Ottawa area. So OF COURSE Katie and Regine were featured! Have you seen these girls whizzing by you on their bikes, pretty dresses and long hair blowing in the breeze (Katie with Eloise on the front perhaps)? Stops ya dead in your tracks, let me tell you.
Read it all here:

Katie looking effortlessly pretty in Birds of North America, Veery Dress $174

Regine rocking out in her Birds of North America, Moorhen Pants $159

I wanted to show a quick shot of Regine's sweet ride. My personal favorite quote from the article is: "WHAT ARE YOU RIDING: It’s nothing fancy, it’s got duct-tape trying to keep parts of it together. I tried to jazz it up last summer, I wanted to turn it into a “Victoire bike”, kinda the way the Garlic King has his car all pimped out, but a mini bike version of that. But I kinda dropped the ball on it…Anyways, that’s why parts are spray-painted gold!" How could you not love her!? I laughed while sitting alone reading that... daydreaming of Garlic King Shawarma. You girls rock.

Happy Monday!
xoxoxo

mmmittens!!!

2011-12-09T14:52:00.001-08:00

As the big celebration is rapidly approaching us, most of you are probably close to wiping your hands clean of your lists and errands...unless you are like me. I have pretty much been in denial that x-mas is coming since the first snow. Jeez in my mind I'm still waiting for that Indian Summer which never bothered to show up this year... Anyhow with all the craziness that surrounds this time of year it is near impossible to remember everything on your lists. One thing I almost always forget about is stockings (which coincidentally is my favorite part of Christmas morning). I find filling stockings can be such a loving process. Nice little sweets, maybe some pretty smelling things, bingo scratchers (a must have in my stockings), and spark-plugs (what i call those little bottles of booze). Oh man stockings rule. to fill and to open.

This year for the couple of stockings I am going to fill I am going to throw in some cozy mittens. At both Victoire locations we received a whole whack load of Preloved Mitts. All made of recycled sweaters! Each of them are one of a kind. And holy smokes so soft and comfy. Also a really great gift idea for 22$. And with all the many choices we have you're sure to find one for whoever you may be gifting them to.

Me sporting my favorite pair. Available at Victoire West $22

Available at Victoire West $22

Preloved mitts available at both locations

Want me to tell you my IQ? It will impress you

2011-12-09T14:30:00.000-08:00

The whole nerdy girl chic look is one of my favorites. It has you looking WAY smarter and like you may be a superhero on your down time. It is also a wicked way to cover up dark circles under your eyes!

Now I am not fortunate enough to have bad eyes, so I stick to vintage lens-less glasses. But if you are really lucky and you actually have to wear glasses these frames can easily be brought in for lenses (My husband got it done with Lenscrafters, no prob).

Is it weird yet to see so many close ups of my face? It's distracting enough for me that I have lost my trail of thought....
Okay so they are at both shops and cost $24 for the simpler ones and $35 for the rhinestone ones.

Smart cookies

2011-12-08T07:27:00.000-08:00

This week-end Katie & I were in Montreal for Smart Design Mart, probably the coolest craft & design fair around if you ask us. It's a great excuse for us to bring Steel Magnolias jewelry to a new audience and to hang with some of our favourite people. It's always inspiring & fun, and best of all, my favourite combo ever - BUSINESS & PLEASURE.

We had a bit of time after setting up on Friday so we stopped by Unicorn boutique, where our Steel Magnolias jewelry is sold. It's still a thrill to see our pieces in other shops! And we love how our black & white tags totally blend in perfectly to Unicorn's mostly black & white aesthetic. (Oh yeah, and we also had an amazing late lunch at Lawrence where we got to do a little Arcade Fire spotting. I know spotting an Arcade Fire guy or gal in Montreal is about as common as spotting someone from Sloan in Toronto (does that happen to you guys all the time too?), but it was cool nonetheless.)

Unicorn's streamlined but striking merchandising is always inspiring. After painting sticks earlier this summer, I wanna try painting rocks like this for our next craft night (which we have been majorly delinquent on).

So this was our booth! The bar was set pretty high last year, everyone really goes all out to create beautiful spaces that are an extension of their craft & aesthetic, so we definitely felt the pressure. But we were pretty happy with our setup!

Girl of our dreams, Audrey Cantwell. Next time we're in Montreal I hope we can hang out at her creepy taxidermy-filled apartment. In an effort to make our girlie apartments a little tougher, Katie & I each brought home a piece of Audrey's carpentry (um yes, on top of being an amazingly talented designer, Audrey also dabbles in CARPENTRY. So cool.)

Genevieve Savard's booth was all gold glitter & gold spray-paint, or "Dolce & Gabbana-fied" as she said. Genevieve, you had me at gold, everywhere.

Another great thing about SDM is we get to meet so many awesome new talented people, and one of my very favourite discoveries this year was Olivia Mew! I'd seen her pieces online before, but in person it was BFF at first sight. We're really excited to have her join our roster of designers, we're expecting a package of her goodies in about a week, so stay tuned!

Of course the week-end wasn't all business. If you spend 2 1/2 days with pals in a confined space a little horsing around is bound to happen. This is Tyson, one of the organizers of Smart Design Mart & our gracious host with his wife Angie.

And of course we came back with lots of new goodies for the shops! New stock from Rose & Ruby, Deborah Adams, Madge (new designer to the shop!) - and TONS of amazing vintage frames! I've been dying to find big round frames just like my mom used to wear in the 70s, and eureka! We have an amazing selection of frames from the 50s, 60s and 70s that are almost too good to be true. Katie's working on a blog post for later this week with more pictures, but for now you'll have to settle for my awkward camera phone in front of the mirror pic.

Like A Bunny

2011-12-07T09:37:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, Thursday December 8th, is the Wellington West Holiday Shop Hop! It's that time of year again where we need to seriously kick our butts into high gear for Christmas shopping! I have officially begun shopping and no, I have not shopped at a mall. I have shopped while working (sshhhh!). I can't actually post on here what I have purchased just in case those certain someone's see it. But just know that I have some very lucky people on my list!

A few gift options we've got in store for ya (from top to bottom, left to right): Manitobah Mukluks mitts 64$; bowties 32$; Genevieve Savard feather earrings 32$; Memento Mori perfume locket 49$; Larque rosebud earrings 22$; Erin Templeton Writer 32$; Flask 28-32$; Touch the Dutch beaver pin; Nautical soaps; Preloved headband 29$

We still feel relatively new to our West Wellington digs, but boy do we feel at home in this neighbourhood! There is so much new stuff opening all the time, and this Thursday would be a perfect opportunity to come and check some of it out.

After stopping by Victoire (of course!), you should definitely check out a wonderful shop that just opened 1 week ago by wonderful friends of ours, Renee & Sophie. Viens avec Moi is a beautiful space, and our minds are already racing for all the exciting projects we can take on together in 2012 to really put West Wellington on the Ottawa fashion map!

After shopping, grab a pint or a bite at the Hintonburg Pub House which just opened TODAY. See, didn't I say exciting stuff is happening in this hood all the time?

End the night at the Elmdale Tavern, where Sarah Hallman will be performing. We'll be doing 10% off everything from 5:00-8:00 p.m., 20% off if you bring in a gently used coat for donation to the Salvation Army. We'll also be serving our favourite macarons from Macarons et Madeleines again! This time we've got lemon, pistachio & cassis - and they're almost too pretty to eat, but too yummy not to.

FISCHER STREET

2011-12-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

oh man! If you are a fan of bold pieces, you are going to lose it when you see all the new Fischer Street jewelery we just received.

Based out of Toronto, designer Ashley Ling uses vintage/found/natural materials as the focal point of her collection. These pieces are extremely well crafted and feel nice and heavy around your neck - a quality I cherish with necklaces with longer chains (Ashley also offers a one year warranty - just in case.) Very excited to have this new line in the shop!!

Pharoh's Bib - $90

Bone Bullet - $70
( there's a very long chain on these, which is why I'm holdin' them up but the length is seriously so perfect.)

My Deerest (real antler!) - $90

Not a necklace fan? We've got some killer earrings in, too. As well as a buncha other styles (claws! nuts! bullets!) with varied chain lengths.

Voodoo Safari Monday

2011-12-05T11:01:00.000-08:00

I am obsessed with these Species X 1000 necklaces (54$, available at both shops). I wore one today, along with a leopard print shirt, and I also happen to be donning some hot pink zebra print nails (The Beauty School Dropouts would be proud), and I am in kind of a silly mood, plus I still have Kristal's blog post in my mind so I wanted to try and do something fancy like that with my blog post today. Except the problem is I have the computer skills of a 5 year old. So yeah, this is what came of all that.

See this necklace? Doesn't it just scream SAFARI to you? (In the best possible way)

Alright, let's head out for adventures!!

Whoa!! A bear, on safari?? Now I've seen everything! (though you wouldn't believe that judging from my not THAT impressed expression)

Species X 1000 Camp necklace do's & don'ts - DON'T pick your teeth with 'em.

But DO make fake fangs with them, to ward off dangerous predators.

the name game

2011-12-04T13:09:00.000-08:00

We just received a shipment of Gwen Delicious pieces all the way from Victoria, BC. We stocked up on the popular letterpress/typewriter key necklaces ($29 to $39) and we've got an assortment of letters and symbols at both shops waiting for just you. If you're in a pinch for a Christmas gift, these really are a perfect choice (and also a dream to merchandise with, oh boy!).

Letterpress necklaces ($39) & the cute lil Steel Magnolia bow brooches ($9)

These typewriter key inspired brass necklaces are $29 - the silver $39. weeee.

She walks the walk, she talks the talk.

2011-12-03T08:23:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, Sunday December 4th, 2011 from 10:00am - 4:00pm is Ottawa's first CRAFT WALK in good ol' Chinatown. It is only 2 bucks and you get to walk and talk while shopping and tasting treats from our local hard-working peeps (bringing that word BACK)!
Our very own Vanessa and her partner in crime Sophie from Sparrow will be there selling their extra special floral goods. There will be one of a kind terrariums housing antique treasures and trinkets, little hand-tied bouquets and wreaths all hand-made with so much love. All of which might I add would be perfect to present as a little housewarming gift/pick me up/hello i love you gift. They don't have a shop just yet so you won't want to miss this opportunity to see what these girls have been up to!

One of a kind terrarium starting at $30 each

I know its near impossible to have the time to check everyone off your xmas list while leaving yourself enough time to sit back with a warm boozy coffee and enjoy the festivities which are just around the corner. But my goal for this weekend is to go craft sale hopping where I'm sure to find something for everyone. And then lookout winter! I'm going to embrace you this time. I'm going to be prepared. I'm going to be merry. I'm going to have fun.

Handmade Wreath available at Raw Sugar this weekend for only $35!!!

TOTES

2011-12-02T09:04:00.000-08:00

The girls and I managed to snap some pictures last night just before Dalhousie Shopping Night went into full swing . We each picked out our favorite Genevieve Savard bag off the shelves. Each of these beauts are handmade in Montreal and will be the perfect Christmas gift for someone who isn't afraid to stand out in a crowd.

This is the Dark Crystal Bag ($360) - a large shoulder tote made from cotton canvas that has been undyed using a bleach discharge process. The bottom section is made up of 72 triangles made of stiff black goat leather giving it a crystal like structure. The top section is also reinforced with waxed cotton to help where the fabric has been bleached.

This handyed neon cotton tote ($120) is a showstopper for sure - once the chilly weather hits, i have a tendency to pull all of the dark colors out of my closet. With this tote, I'll instantly be able to brighten just about any outfit I've got. It also has a draw string at the opening, so I can stuff all my notebooks, sweaters and magazines in without a worry.

This is the Smokey Quartz bag ($360) which is perfect for Katie - a large shoulder bag made of durable cotton waxed canvas which makes this tote water and soil repellent (a mommy must-have!). It also features the crystal-triangle detailing at the bottom. You can also stuff so much stuff in these without making it look bulky - and also comes with an alternate leather strap for when she'll need her hands to dress lil eloise up in the bulkiest, cutest snowsuits I know she'll be donning if this snow keeps up.

Kids These Days

2011-12-01T11:25:00.000-08:00

You may remember my post where I gushed about our Co-Op students Pascale and Shaya. These girls really got "IT". We had the pleasure of attending the De la Salle Fashion show last week and were BLOWN AWAY by the back drop which Shaya and Pascale designed and built. I don't think I have ever seen something so rad... I hate to think it had to be taken down...it was seriously a masterpiece! Moving along, I would personally deem Shaya as having some of the best style in the Citay. Quote that. She pulls off anything and pairs pretty with edgy or military with cozy. Here is just a peak into her wicked world featuring Victoire.

Copious Couture, Lillian Blouse - $50

Ella Peru, Holiday Cardigan - $160

Valerie Dumaine, Berit Shirt - $139

Valerie Dumaine, Saule Tunic - $105 and Alice and Alishka, Heather Leggings - $90

All I know is that at Shaya and Pascale's age (undisclosed information) I was SO NOT COOL. It took me many years of skate shoes, baby phat tanks, spike necklaces and campus crew wearing to get to a place where I feel stylish and am showing the inner ME. Man, kids these days...Isn't she just so Fly?

xoxoxo!

Somewhere to rest my head.

2011-11-29T06:47:00.000-08:00

Pil-low (noun)
1. A bag or case made of cloth that is filled with feathers, down, or other soft material, and is used to cushion the head during sleep or rest.
2.Anything used to cushion the head; headrest; A pillow of moss.

3. Someone who has no backbone or gonads, totally unable to think for himself and therefore takes direction from someone else. Thus, he is a pillow and bares the imprint of the last ass that sat on him.
Just thought I would give you some Oxford Dictionary definitions of a Pillow and an Urban Dictionary definition. Urban Dictionary also had nice definitions of a pillow that pertain to illegal smoking paraphernalia and Women's breasts. Here are the PILLOWS Victoire has:

Rustik, Clock Pillow - $40

Rustik,Russian Dolls- $50

Rustik, Pocket Watch-$40

Snuggle Buddy? Russian (man) Doll - $50

Thursday, Dalhousie Street, YES!

2011-11-28T13:46:00.000-08:00

The Dalhousie shopping night is this Thursday. I am so glad because I have yet to start shopping, and lordy I've got a long list this year. I am pretty excited though, I love finding something special for everyone. The street shopping nights make this easy because all the shops are open a little later with extra goodies and promotions, and all their stock is out and ready for you to fall in love with!

Ursa Minor, $140

Since it will still be the very beginning of December, I think its okay to be a little selfish (or A LOT!) and get a few gifts for yourself to put under the tree. 'Cause seriously, who else is gonna get you leather pants?!?! Unless your Auntie is Joan Jett, you've got to have your own back on this one. How great will they be on New Years under a sexy little dress?!?

Gwen D, $39

This year in the Secret Santa, I picked a 2nd cousin that I don't know very well at all, but I sure do know her name which makes this necklace perfect!

For all the brothers, bros, brohans, and homies in your life, $32

This is perfect for my man who always seems to be loosing paper between the office, car, bike, and home.

Mitts! Everyone wants and needs cute mitts. Made from recycled material and $22, brilliant!

Henderson Dry Goods, 8$

Well I would be lying if I said I was a good enough giver to be letting any of these beautiful ornaments go. They are so lovely, and would make fore great hostess gifts, if you are that selfless.

Every group of friends should have a video camera...

2011-11-28T07:49:00.000-08:00

It would be okay with me Santa if you brought me a Mercedes Helnwein drawing for Christmas. No problem at all.

Mercedes Helnwein: Temptation To Be Good (Preview) from

top of the tops

2011-11-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

Add a daring pop of color to just about any outfit with this Wise and Proper top ($88) - would also look killer tucked into a high waisted skirt. I paired them with some Ursa Minor leggings here ($140). wee.

We also just received a shipment of printed tops from Rustik - this is the knotted pattern pf the LOST CITY collection which we've also got in a tank version, and in a t-shirt version. The sweaters are printed on AA California fleece and are so buttery smooth on the inside. This is the red on black version, but we've also got a charcoal on grey version currently sitting pretty at the Dalhousie location.

These sweaters are a steal at $50 a pop and are unisex for that perfectly slouchy look for you (or that special someone..)

Home for the holidays

2011-11-26T08:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, we here at Victoire realize it's super difficult to start considering holiday shopping while the temperature is still in the pluses. As I type this the countdown to Christmas is about 28 days 12 hours and 33 minutes... YIKES! I'm going to go ahead and brag, because I've gotten a huge chunk of my gift shopping done, but this morning a customer reminded me that every girl needs that perfect holiday frock. I am FROCK-LESS ladies... okay maybe a bit of an overstatement, I do have a closet full of beautiful Victoire dresses.

This year though, I want something extra special. My man and I are headed to gorgeous, middle of no-where northern B.C. this year so he can be swarmed into meeting 10 or so family members, all for the first time, all at once. Insert nervous laughter here. I've decided the only way to ignore the embarrassment of baby bum pictures and seemingly endless stories of teenage blunders is to distract myself with... well myself. Vanity at its best!

A sample baby pic. My bro on the left, me on the right. Seriously enjoying 'splish splash' time!

To be able to reminisce and say, "yay my finger is in my nose because I'm FIVE, oh okay now I get what Mom meant about too much liquid eyeliner, oh maybe wearing my brother's ninja turtles tee as a crop top with a Ramones hoodie that had cat ears probably wasn't so hot... but DAMN GURLLLLL you look real good THIS Christmas" would be most ideal.

SO! The contenders are... (drum roll puh-lease!)

First up is the Eleanor dress by Copious Couture - $200. Such a pretty back!

Pantheone Dress by Suzabelle $191

Ciara Dress by Darling $159

Decisions decisions! What's a girl to do? Let me know which one you think is most FROCK-TASTIC!

One month little elves...

2011-11-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

Getting started on our December window at West. My thumbs are still sore from making this guy, but I think it's pretty much my motto:

In the next month we are gonna forget all about our sweater and jacket days, coats will be the name of the game:

Allison Wonderland, $334

It's also time to start gathering treasures to give to all your lovies. We may all believe in ol' Saint Nick, but we also know we've got to help him out! Here are some ideas for ya:

You should definitely be starting your gift getting this Saturday at Idle Hands, 10-5 at St. Luke's in Chinatown. Come by our both and say hi to Regine and I!

Son of a Sailor

2011-11-24T11:51:00.000-08:00

Both shops are teeming with new jewelry arrivals from Son of a Sailor and I think they speak for themselves! They are rad. They kind of remind of friendship bracelets but taken to the next level. If you wanted to buy a gift for that discerning friend of yours, I think you can stop looking. These are the PERFECT layering bracelets. There is a really good balance between understated and vibrant colours in the Son of a Sailor pieces too, which I really appreciate. This double-strand leather bracelet with hand-painted pink and blue chevrons is totally speaking to me ($28, available in other colours as well).

We also have these classic double-strand leather bracelets (without patterns on them) for $25.

There are a bunch of chevron bracelets ($24, assorted colours) as well. Again, perfect for layering and finished really nicely with brass endcaps and brass lobster clasps.

The necklaces we have from Son of a Sailor are pretty special too ($38). I adore the aesthetic Son of a Sailor have going with these handpainted charms!

Lots to chose from (and tons more styles), so swing by one of the shops to see them in person.

Snow is falling...

2011-11-23T08:24:00.000-08:00

Today is Ottawa's first snow fall. People be acting CRAZY. Seriously though, what is it about the first snow that makes people bonkers?! The bus was JAMMED today. It is usually uncomfortable and packed tightly but this was outrageous. The driver was stopping and telling people NOT to get on. All the while, I had a nice, fluffy, light feeling daydreaming about Christmas! Time is never on my side so hand-making cards is unlikely. No need to worry because we got some amazing cards in the shop to give to my friends and family!

Happy Holidays Card, $5

Star on My Tree, $5 and Joyeux Noel, $5

Love (for Twinkly Lights, Just Blink), $5 and All I want for Christmas is YOU (if you're holding a bunch of gifts that are also for me), $5

You will be dearly missed. On the off chance you miss home, wear this to gain some sympathy- I'm Homesick, $5 and The holidays are all about giving. Wear this in anticipation, $5.

And this is the one I will be wearing.. A gift and reminder to everyone not to speak to me while stuffing is in my reach. Happy Happy Gift-Shopping!!

xoxoxo

Getting Creative in our Workshop

2011-11-22T09:15:00.001-08:00

Steel Magnolias is getting all geared up for our big craft sales at Idle Hands this Saturday in Chinatown and to Smart Design Mart next weekend in Montreal. We are so very very grateful to be included in sales with so many talented designers, we are very intimidated and thus are trying to get organized early so that our booth can shine among so many truly great ones. We get nervous whenever we do sales outside the store, so come visit us so we feel the love!

We put together some vintage nudies for Smart Design Mart, from $8-$15.

Horse ribbons from the 1960's and 1970's will be at both sales, $10.

We are gonna display all our jewelry on paint by number boards!

Pretty pretty chalk boards, from $15-$25

We got lots more ideas, we just got to make sure we have enough time to put them all to action. Thank the lord for our wonderful co-op student Shaya! I dream of us having enough time to make wrapping paper and quail egg ornaments. Nick is also thinking of selling pies at Idle Hands. Would people be into that? A slice of pie to eat during the sale or a whole pie to take home??

Here is a sneak peak of what our table will look like:

My BFF is two faced and I love her for it

2011-11-21T10:32:00.000-08:00

Victoire can easily dress the two sides to your life. Take our cutie pie MC here - by day she slaves away at the Ottawa Art Gallery. Isn't this Betina Lou piece perfect on her? Professional but sweet and playful:

Betina Lou Jeanne

MC also likes to dance, A LOT. And when you dance a lot at sweaty clubs you need to wear very very little cause it gets very very hot. This dress will complement all your moves (even those that are more dorky then sexy):

Mink Pink Side Kick, $65

My week with Marilyn Contest

2011-11-19T11:08:00.000-08:00

“I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.” -Marilyn Monroe

As I'm sure many of you are aware, coming to theaters soon there is a new motion picture featuring Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe!!! I seriously don't think anyone could fit that role better then the lovely Michelle. Based on the filming of the 1957 movie "The prince and the showgirl" and the week in which Marilyn was escorted around Britain by a set assistant (Colin Clark) while her husband was out of town. It looks like a beautifully filmed movie with a stunning cast and I can't wait to make a ladies night out of it!!

Here at Victoire we have two tickets (both admit 2) to give away for a special premier screening on Wednesday, November 23rd at 7pm. Just leave us a comment with your favorite Marilyn quote (god knows there are many) with your contact info and on Monday we will decide which ones are prize worthy! xo

The T in Victoire

2011-11-19T07:50:00.000-08:00

We got Tee's! Going along with the Support Local month we got some sweet t-shirts made! They are at both locations and come in a heathered red, brown, blue and gray. So along with supporting Ottawa's independent business scene, you can rep your LOVE for Victoire! yipppeeeeeeeeee!

Vanessa rocking the brown tee, $29

We have size small to extra-large. Why wouldn't you want to wear a comfy tee with your favorite store on it? Or... it is always a good gift idea for your bestie who loves us. Did I mention Victoire loves ya?

xoxoxo

BFF, Fashion and Nail Polish

2011-11-18T08:38:00.000-08:00

We are lucky lucky girls because last night we got a midnight manicure from Beauty School Dropouts! There was too much demand when they came to the shop a few weeks ago, so I was super excited to finally experience their awesomeness. And it was awesome! We had party mix, kitty cat cupcakes Regine made and A LOT of wine. It was brilliant and I strongly encourage you to book an appointment with your BFF for their next night at Victoire (November 27). Last I heard they only had 6 spots left, and for $20-25 it is a great gift to give a bestie!

With our nails all done pretty we did the next logical thing and found outfits to complement our new selves. Liana looks like a total vixen in this new Genevieve Savard dress. It is a really great and surprisingly subtle silk leopard print. The print is done using mud dying and it is probably the most sophisticated version of an animal print I have ever seen. Definitely a great option for office parties that need a little wild side, but not too much!

Genevieve Savard, $185

I chose a more comfy cozy option. I am counting down until we hit the road for the cottage. I am actually excited to do a whack of chores around the property and then... snuggle in front of the fire with a Hot Tottie. Best believe I will be wearing gloves to work, my mani has to last!

Ella Peru, $160

Tree decorating time soon-ish

2011-11-17T12:30:00.000-08:00

"I lost my mind over a treasure at Victoire and it was only $8!"

How often do you get to say that?? This Holiday season we are making it easy-peasy for you all. You are welcome.

Ornaments by Henderson Dry Goods, at both locations for $8

Picture via poppyTalk

Cats cats cats

2011-11-17T07:09:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to Victoire’s gentleman’s corner, wherein your humble servant brings you exciting news and opinions on fashion and life. I maintain my own little blog at jeremylatta.wordpress.com, so if you like this you might consider going there and poking around. Let’s get to it!

Girls like cats. A LOT. It’s a universal truth, with almost no exceptions. Single men: get a kitten and sit back as the babes roll in. So if girls like cats, how much will girls like lots of cats, all in one place? Let’s find out. A demented, dilapidated mansion with a shut-in and her 500 furry friends? No! A cat show! In our very own town. A friend of mine gave me a hot tip that there was a cat show this past weekend, and I knew I had to go. I also knew that the gals of Victoire would not want to miss it. Emily couldn’t make it, so Regine and I set out early Sunday morning to the wilds of Nepean to see what it was all about.

We dodged some figure skaters practicing in the hallway (tutus and socks, nice look) and arrived. Cat mania. The show was in a large hall, and consisted of: vendors all around the exterior selling cat toys, duct cleaning, more cat toys, pictures with cats (really, there was a photo tent were you could get your cat’s portrait taken; we saw a girl seriously pondering a sheet of glamour kitty proofs, trying to decided which one to turn into christmas cards or whatever), cat food, cat litter, and other cat stuff. At each end of the hall there are judging rings, which consist of cages with numbers on them, and a centre table with a big scratching post. It looks like this:

The cats of various categories are brought out of their cages, placed on the little white pedestal, and assessed by the judges. They grab their heads, and suss out their bone structure. They hold them up and stretch them out, like furry little tubes. They wave a cat toy at them and see how frisky they are. It is impossible to know what they're looking for, or whether the cats are doing well or not, but oh it's exciting. Strangely as the winners in each category are announced the owners don't react at all. Nothing. In fact, you can't even tell who among the spectators are owners or not. They all just sit there stoically, and I get the impression that any display of emotion is deeply frowned upon by the Cat People. Regine correctly observes that this is appropriately catlike.

The middle of the room features four rows of tables stacked with cats. Each owner has a little cat setup featuring their entry. Some of them are cages, and some of them are elaborate cat hotels, with little screened in compartments for the kitties to chill out in (with food, and water, and litter, and other weird accessories). And chill they do! It's remarkable how relaxed these dudes are! They just lay around, or peer out from time to time, and generally don't give a damn about anything. I was expecting neurotic, terrified animals, desperately trying to escape, and periodically succeeding. Instead we witnessed docile little furballs nuzzling their owners and lazing around like blobs, having a grand ole time.

The owners obviously take some care in decorating their cats' little show houses. Here's a British Shorthair, hanging out in his cupcake themed party zone.

And here's a freaky little cat in her rock and roll lair. It's hard to tell, but the cat has a crystal collar.

These two Persians had a little Chinese lamp in their crib. Huh?

As we roamed around we noticed the proliferation of ribbons on pretty much every cat cage. They all had at least eight ribbons, and I asked a few owners what the deal was. I learned that there are four different judges, and about six different categories, and that all the judges review all the cats in all the categories. There are semi-finals, and finals, and breed showdowns, and best overalls, and best in colour, and a million other ways to get yourself a ribbon. Our quick calculations revealed that they would give away approximately 8,000 ribbons over the course of the weekend. This rampant ribbon inflation meant that the owners didn't seem terribly proud of their ribbons, and in fact their motivation for even being there in the first place was hard to decipher. I congratulated one owner whose tortoiseshell Persian had won one of the best kitten awards. She breezed by me and didn't so much as acknowledge my praise. I guess success can go to your head. Regine fell in love with a little Siberian kitten named Odin. He was pretty ridiculously cute. See?
I asked his owner why she got into Siberians - actually I asked all the owners what they loved about their chosen breed, and they all refused to give even a semi-meaningful answer, save one - and she said: "I wanted a cat I could cuddle, and a cat that looked like a cat."

Ah! I responded, not one of those creepy, skinny little hairless freaks, right?. She demurred politely, but I'd hit the nail on the head. Really. What is with those things? Look, they're scary!

When this one was being reviewed the judge noted with satisfaction that it was completely hairless. Ewwww. (note to reader: insert innuendo laden joke here, if you must)

We prowled the aisles and saw all kinds of really cool, super cute cats. It was cat heaven. I was looking for a Scottish Fold cat (like Maru - if you don't know who that is, google him), but no luck. However, I did discover the American Shorthair, silver tabby variety. Holy hell!

Look at this little guy! I don't know how I'm going to resist getting one. I really don't.

It's funny, as you peruse all of the various breeds, you sort of start feeling like a bit of a racist. Oh, I like this one, but oh that breed has too long a face. That one is too skinny. That one's colours aren't the best. That breed has a squished face. And so on. You'd like to tell yourself that you love all cats equally, but it's not true. You can't help but deem some of them somehow lesser, just because of they way they look. I feel shame. One day a Martin Luther Kat Jr. will help us to realize the error of our ways, and we can all sit down at the food dish of brotherhood for some kibble. Until then, though, that American Shorthair is sure something.

Hunger eventually got the better of us and we left reluctantly. As we rode the bus we both got occasional whiffs of cat litter, and frantically smelled each other, offering semi-convincing reassurance. No, no, no, you don't smell like litter. You're fine. Maybe. And that was our trip to the cat show! It was awesome. You should definitely go to the next one. Surely worth seven bucks.

Fur Bonnet

2011-11-16T08:23:00.000-08:00

Please check out how creative Kristina and I were by placing the antlers behind my head.. y'know, just in case you didn't notice.

Genevieve Savard Recycled Fur Hat - $145 (available at both locations)

From da back..

Unflattering side profile
xoxoxo

Sad face or Sexy face? Kind of same-same for me

2011-11-14T09:38:00.000-08:00

Even before I had a baby, I never had a bombshell-bod. It's not something that ever really bothered me or made me feel crappy or anything (well besides when I was 15-16 but everything makes you feel crappy then). I've got a lot of mushy spots, which is perfect for cuddling and snuggling and making me an AWESOME mom-pillow (also known as the most comforting and loving spot to be).

But tonight Auntie Reggy and Auntie MeeCee are coming over to watch Eloise so that me and my guy can go out. ALL OUT! WAAAAAYYYY out!! We are gonna eat a mess of food, drink like madness. Get sloppy and silly, maybe get a little sexy too if this dress has anything to say about it:

Eve Gravel, Frankenweenie $166

This dress makes even a smooshy woman like me look sexy as heck. It is our top seller of the season for a reason. We are fully restocked at both shops, for now!

You NEED a Sparrow flower crown made for yourself, your kid and your cat!

2011-11-14T08:09:00.000-08:00

In very very important Monday news, today is the day you can place orders for Sparrow deliveries happening on Tuesday (your next chance is Wednesday for Thursday deliveries). Two weeks ago I got this amazing Terrarium that is just BEYOND, this week I am going for a $20 bouquet with lots of cream flowers in it. But I am also really tempted to add in a bike bouquet. Doesn't it look so perfect on Vanessa's bike:

new erica weiner!

2011-11-13T13:52:00.001-08:00

The jewelery cases at both locations are full to the brim with new Erica Weiner pieces. This is especially fun for me since I get to merchandise with them. It really does feel like I'm setting up little museum displays all over the store- a cichlid ring here, a gingko leaf earring there. Best.

If you're into jewelery with a real sense of history and whimsy - come spend a minute observing these pieces in their temporary little habitats (until you come scoop them up, of course..)

& while you're at it, take a peek at her Fine & Antique section. Tiger Claw 14K gold vinaigrette? Hairband ring? Can you imagine? So awesome ahhhhh.

Coco

2011-11-12T09:35:00.000-08:00

It's a hip hopping Saturday here at Wellington West so I am not going to be taking a collection of animal-posing pictures. But I will leave you with this picture of Pascale and Regine, it is an oldie but a goodie. You may have noticed we have had two very lovely Co-Op students in the shop helping us with projects, getting organized and more!

This picture was taken on Pascale's last day with us in the Summer at the Black Thorne Cafe. She is amazing! She helped organize our clutter and mess at BOTH locations. She gave US a parting gift too! Guess what it was? Jewelery organizer bins!!! She is trying to keep us in check and make sure we don't undo all the good she has done. We miss her and are happy when she pops by... but now Shaya is helping around the shops and she is pretty spectacular too! We are SO SO lucky to have met these two girls and have them at Victoire. So don't be shy, say Hi when you see these gals!

And if you are a hard-working young lady who'd like to do a future coop placement with us, please send us an email. We think interning at Victoire is a pretty awesome experience, we really are a small team here so even coop students become a pretty important part of the team pretty much right off the bat and get to learn alot about the behind the scenes work necessary to make Victoire a reality - so all that to say, we offer alot, and so we also expect alot too. So if you're interested in ALL the aspects of running a small women's retail business (and not just the super fun & glamourous parts, which sadly only account for like 10% of what we do), send us an email! It ain't always fashion shows & meetings with designers, but it is always different and fulfilling. Except when it's like post office runs, cleaning, steaming and doing chores, but that's just life now isn't it?

xoxoxo

Girl of my Dreams

2011-11-11T08:52:00.000-08:00

My issue of the new Lula arrived. Hurray hurray. This is without a doubt my biggest thrill every season. Since it takes SOOO long to arrive it always reinvigorates me after we are long done our buying and I am maybe a little drained. We have to think about so many factors when we are buying: price, fits, climate, our customers, etc, etc. It often leaves me a little bit drained and too consumed with the business side of fashion. Lula always reminds me of the story telling and fantasy involved with fashion.

I got the cover with the curly hair model (us curly tops need to stick together). But there was 2 copies left at Mags & Fags as of Tuesday.

With my Dace Skye top's Peter-Pan collar and my colorful porcupine necklace (truth be told I was trying to sound out the spelling and wrote: porky-pine. I am dumb), I am feeling very very Lula girl today.

Local's Only

2011-11-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

On Monday night we were so very very excited to celebrate the one year anniversary of Edgar. You all know how much we love love love Marysol, and it was such a joy to see a room full of people who think she is A+. It was even more delightful because many of our favorite creative people were there! We finally got to meet the owner of Le Local who is doing an awesome job on the Gatineau side; Remi Theriault was there which made us really excited for his party at town and the genius behind Pascale's Ice Cream had us craving Holiday treats. She is making 'des bûches de Noël' in all these flavors: sour cherry rum ball, milk chocolate hazelnut, dark chocolate orange & ginger, and egg nog! Yummy!

We were also so excited to see the delightful Amy Thompson. Both Regine and I have apartments full of Marysol's and Amy's magically captivating art. Definitely our fave fave fave! Is santa gonna be buying us art this year? Oui, oui, OUI!

It was a great night and there are so many other great one's coming our way:
The modern shop's party! ( I think I am gonna buy a new sofa?!?)

Workshops Un-birthday (I really hope that Brigit is dressed as the Cheshire Cat and Christina as the Mad-Hater!)

Raw Sugar's party tomorrow night (Will someone be breaking a beer bottle on their head this time?)
Great movies from Inside Out and a chance to see more of the National Gallery.
And of course: Pizza and Beers at Kichesippi (Pizza and beer is gonna be our weekend ritual this month! Last weekend at Art-is-in was terrific and hopefully the first of many!)

We are so proud of seeing our vision for Support Local take off in its 1st year. We live in the best city for awesome small businesses and I am so freaking grateful for it!

Just so Darn CRAZY for CATS!

2011-11-09T09:39:00.000-08:00

So, I spent the past few days crashing at my parents house. Home-cooked meals, vehicle privileges, cable TV (Watched way too much of these new Cupcake Girls shows?), coffee already made when I woke-up... but best of all...CATS. I say CATS because there is not just 1 or 2... there are 4, people! Sheer bliss. Whiskers is the newest addition and he is a beautiful orange tabby. Super skiddish, but loves to cuddle. If I napped, watched TV, or went anywhere in the house he was there beside me... until he got freaked out by a fluff and darted away. All us shopgals at Victoire love kitties! So how could be NOT carry this crop? It's great to be able to channel your inner crazy cat lady in the form of outerwear. Welcome to what I call the "Cat Crop" shirt.

Little Houses Clothing, $55

Cat Ears!

Cat imitation anyone? This isn't degrading at all...

Being pet by a stranger.

This last picture is to show exactly what Eloise does when Katie wears this shirt. It is her FAVORITE. She gets to point directly at the cats and pick out which ones look like her pets. It mostly sounds like this.."Bah BA bah BAH ba!!!" with lots of pointing and giggling. Adorkable. And if you still aren't satisfied with my cat jabber and need more visit my favorite Cat blog Dream Cats, for all things Cat. And if you need a special cat necklace to go with your favourite new cat top check out the Steel Magnolias Shop and grab yourself a Kitty Love necklace.

xoxoxox

let's get some shoes

2011-11-07T14:17:00.000-08:00

We've been so GD (gosh darned of course) busy with all the events happening at the shop these days that we've neglected to mention that our webstore has been updated with lots of new pretty pictures of Fall stock! For the first time, we added some of our shoes to our online inventory, we were just so GD pleased with our selection we wanted to share it with the world!

Manitobah Mukluks Assiniboine moccassins, 110$ (available online & at both locations)

It sounds silly, but my thoughts towards these slippers could be summed up with "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE??" OK, slippers, not exactly an earth-shattering purchase you would think, but the first thought that comes to mind when I get home is "slipper time! yeah!" (it's basically my Miller Time). And as soon as I'm up in the morning I slip them on while I do my morning routine. And every night I'm tempted to keep them on even as I slip into bed...but that would be crazy, and then you'd be right to tell me & my slippers to get a room. That would be taking it too far.

Dolce Vite Jamison boot, 149$ (available online & at the Dalhousie location)

These ones we only have left in a size 7.5, so make everybody jealous if that's your size and snatch these up, cos these boots have definitely been the biggest hit of the season.

Dolce Vita Pura wedges, 129$ (available online and at both locations)

These wedges, leather leggings - and who the heck cares what you wear on top when the rest of your outfit is so GD rocking??

*Interesting side note, these pics were all shot by Arden Wray on my porch in Centertown. In the background is the most impressive eye of god I had ever laid eyes upon when I saw it at White Elephant on one of our visits to Hamilton. Katie, seeing how entranced I was by it, went back (in secret!) and got it for me, like all good BFFS do. Isn't that the best??*

Cupcakes & crafts & cool nails

2011-11-06T17:29:00.000-08:00

So we had our Support Local Talk to the Hand party on Saturday, and I actually remembered to take pictures! It actually wasn't that hard to want to take pictures for once, there was just so much awesomeness happening all around me that I was COMPELLED to.

First off, Auntie Loo showed up with some goodies fitting a major girlie hangout. Cupcakes of all kinds, and the debut of an awesome new treat - WHOOPIE PIES!

Beauty School Dropouts worked non-stop doing manicures, each one totally different from the next. I think they calculated that they did a couple hundred fingers all told by the end of the night. Anyways, the evening was such a resounding success that we're thinking of taking monthly appointments at the shop for Beauty School Dropout manicures. What do you guys think??

This was my manicure! I only got my ring finger done in HOT PINK STRIPES cos there was a pretty big wait list forming and I didn't wanna hold it up. Sometimes I wish we could attend our parties instead of host them. But hosting is fun in different ways too!

Leopard print!

Zebra print & roses! FYI, those are hand-painted roses on each finger NOT decals!

While folks waited for their name to come up on the manicure waitlist, Heidi's Home Ec led a cross-stitching workshop, and our entire floor was taken over by cute girls sitting on quilts & pillows working away. It was a good ol' fashioned embroidery circle!

We often like to think of Victoire as a little creative hub, and Saturday night it felt exactly like that. Which just made Katie & I's night. It's why we're in business, and why we like to feature so many creative young women amongst our shop's designers & on our staff. Ya gave us the warm & fuzzies on Saturday, ok??

The night ended as many of them do at Town to celebrate such a great kick-off to Support Local Month. Our table was abuzz with the excitement of friends becoming business collaborators - exactly why we wanted to do something like this. And why supporting small independent businesses is important - cos entrepreneurship can be infections man! It's just simply thrilling to see Emilie & Kristina of Beauty School Dropouts get such a positive response to their first foray, and we so look forward to more collaborations between Victoire & BSD in the near future. (We'll post details soon, but we're very excited!) We just love seeing our circle of business ladies grow with each year.

And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to make it to Town this month! Order our favourite dessert, and you'll get 20$ off any purchase over 100$ made this month.

Saturn

2011-11-06T09:50:00.000-08:00

I walked into the doors at West today and the first thing I laid my sleepy little eyes on was this gorgeous new Ursa Minor Saturn peplum dress. I slipped it on as fast as I could and realized there was no camera here for me to take pictures of it with. DO NOT FRET though - I took notice that our laptop has a crappy-but-handy webcam. I know, I know - the picture are a bit fuzzy but the cut of this dress is just too good not to post.

$192 - currently sitting pretty on the West Wellington location's racks.

Just think: if this is how it looks with a 1.3 megapixel camera, just imagine what it will look like with your real eyes. It's also made of a sturdy cotton (handwashable!), and features a gorgeous semi-opaque back.

(( did up the back zipper up all by myself, too. A quality I value very highly in a dress))

Feel it Break

2011-11-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

I have recently discovered a new band that I can't get enough of. I literally have a dance marathon with myself every day in my living room to these guys. They go by the name of Austra. This Toronto band is currently on tour and are stopping in Ottawa to play a show at Ritual on December 3rd and I cannot wait! I'm going to dance til my legs go numb. Listen to this song and try not to dance. Impossible right?

Their new album "Feel it Break" has a dark, haunting, operatic feel to it which I love. If Fever Ray and Kate Bush made babies they would sound like Austra. Also something exciting about their upcoming show is that theres a pretty cool band opening up for them called Young Galaxy. Their song called " We have everything " makes me really happy. Its going to be a sweet show but will for sure sell out quick so don't snooze on it for too long if you have plans of attending. Tickets are available at Vertigo on Rideau. xo

Girly Girly Girly

2011-11-05T11:56:00.001-07:00

I'm getting psyched up for a girly, girly, girly evening tonight at the shop, which of course put this song in my head..

Hope to see you all in a few hours for Talk to the Hand!

I love shifts because they let me eat cake, dance and monkey around with my crazy kid

2011-11-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

I don't want to ever be an old-foggy that is set in her ways and isn't constantly evolving with culture. I want to be one of those hip 50 year-olds that debates whether the new Jay-Z and Kanye album is indeed better then Jay-Z's "Black album". But some things are gonna evolve right along with me: the Shift. I am never ever ever gonna stop loving shifts. Oh lordy they are absolutely my favorite look. They are so effortlessly cool and nonchalant, they make me feel super awesome and I think they make me look pretty!

Sofia, $232 available at West Wellington

This silk Sofia tunic dress is gonna be my go-to dress this holiday season. It will look fancy with textured tights, or rockin' with my motorcycle boots. It feels like something Sofia Coppolla would wear, and I like her a lot.

Valerie Dumain, $105 at both shops in taupe and black.

This faux-suede shift top is brilliant. It has been my uniform lately. Looks great with jeans but even better with Ursa minor leather leggings. Babies and husbands like how soft and cuddly it is.

More Ottawa Love

2011-11-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night was the launch of Support Local, Support Ottawa month at Shanghai, and like we said that night, we are so excited for a whole month of partying with our favourite businesses. I hope you guys are all coming to Talk to the Hand on Saturday (6-9 at the Dalhousie shop!), but we are also doing a month-long promotion at Town that we are super excited about since we pretty much take any excuse we can to get our butts down there (yesterday's excuse: since it was one of our "office days", and we'd been SUPER productive with computer work, we thought we deserved a nice lunch break at Town. Now that's something Katie & I always agree on.)

So, for the entire month of November when dining at Town, if you order Victoire's favourite dessert (the salted caramel popcorn ice cream!), you'll get a voucher for 20$ off any purchase over 100$ at the shop. Similarly, when purchasing Town’s favourite designer at Victoire (Birds of North America!), you guys will receive a voucher for a free dessert at Town.

To add to all these Ottawa warm & fuzzies, our pal Paul Galipeau recently shot this video for local rapper Peter Joynt, and it's really good! The Sens & Jim Watson are even fawning about it too. We live in a beautiful city, and this video & track showcases it perfectly! Official anthem for Support Local Month???

Say MUKLUK

2011-11-02T08:18:00.000-07:00

This season we started carrying awesome slippers by Manitobah Mukluks. This company and these people are amazing! Manitobah Mukluks is an Aboriginal owned company and all products are MADE IN CANADA. Are you not smitten already? Also, every Manitobah product comes with a Certificate of Authenticity that outlines the role of Aboriginal-owned companies within Canada's economic landscape. With our Support Local, Support Ottawa events and founding a shop pretty-much based on supporting Canadian designers and Canadian products, Manitobah Mukluks fits into the Victoire ideal perfectly. They are straight-up beautifully hand crafted goods, people! Check out our newest edition to the shop:

Nappa Mukluk, $ 300

And don't forget about these..

Assiniboine Moccasin, $110

Come by the shop and try'em on. You may find you can't stop petting your feet and legs after you get your puppies in the boots, the pom-poms and soft part of the boot is Rabbit Fur.....

NO EXCUSES

2011-10-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

So this week-end for Halloween I really wanted to wear a flower crown. I didn't really care what the rest of my costume consisted of, so long as I could wear some pretty braided flowers in my hair. (Which Sparrow made for me to my delight!) So at various points over the course of the week-end I called myself Stevie Nicks, a girl from a 90s video, a witchy woman, a sister wife, etc etc. I figured it didn't really matter since Halloween is all about fantasy anyways, so I should be able to wear whatever the hell I want even if I can't get my story straight about what I'm dressed up as.

And I think alot of people have the same motivation as me. Halloween is maybe the perfect excuse to go out on a limb with your wardrobe since no one can really tell you what you're wearing is over the top. Like I saw quite a few sharp dressed men dressed as (among other things) Pee Wee Herman, Party Down catering (my fave costume of all!), etc - and perhaps for these dudes it was also an excuse to wear an accessory they'd been itching to wear and just needed the perfect excuse, except swap their floral crowns for bow-ties.

Well I am thinking GUYS (& gals) - let's band together and DO THIS. Let's take the ballsy-ness and lack of inhibition characteristic of our Halloween get-ups and keep that spirit going year-round.

So guys - wear that bow-tie next time you go out on a Friday night for dinner. Or to work instead of the requisite tie. We just got in these lovely hand-made ones from Lithuania in lots of different colours. They're double-sided, so it's like getting 2 bow-ties in 1. They're just 32$ and come with cute hand-drawn instructions on how to tie them. (phew!)

Girls, I'm taking this new balls-to-the-wall attitude to integrate one of our new Species X 1000 camp necklaces into my wardrobe. It's a departure for me cos I've been wearing more simple, vintagey necklaces for so long now, but I'm excited to be a bit more adventurous with my style starting with this. I wore it this week-end with my costume(s) but I'm ready to plunge into every day wear with it now.

54$, available at both locations

No excuses, and NO REGRETS! (Also FYI, Susan Miller's monthly horoscopes are OUT TODAY!)