One Sandwich Short of a Picnic

Cardigan, J.Crew. Shirt & pumps, Banana Republic. Skirt, vintage. Belt, Eddie Bauer. Flower, bush.

I take pride in not being intentionally trendy, but this newly thrifted skirt has both pleats and a gingham print - two major trends right now. I just can't catch a break! (though I did score the skirt for five dollars). Doesn't it seem silly that style sources refer to these classics as "trends?" Schoolgirl uniforms and rustic tablecloths the world over must be puzzled and outraged.

A Vulpine Vancouverite

Top, Rendez-Vous by Paul & Joe. Blazer, skirt, and pumps, Banana Republic. Necklace, thrifted. Belt, Joe Fresh.

Whenever I do a sexy pose, my sister will tell me I look like a fox. Judging from the first photograph, I realize she may not mean "foxy" but rather "like an actual fox." Being compared to or nicknamed after animals is not foreign to me, so taking offense seems pointless (past highlights include but are not limited to: deer, gazelle, and... meerkat). What is foreign to this creature is being, feeling, or acting sexy, which you may have noticed from an almost daily parade of constipated expressions. The fox photo was a fluke and by the third one, I was back to my old sheepish self. Can't you see the humility in my eyes and the apologetic wrinkles in my chin? You can't fake that kind of emotion.

Reap What You Sow

Shirt and skirt, Banana Republic. Blazer, Club Monaco. Cultured pearls, Paris. Belt, H&M. Pumps, Nine West.

I've been watching a lot of movies on Netflix lately and have learned to love the whole "reap what you sow" business. Watching 8 1/2 brought Jules Et Jim in my queue, followed by a great deal of Antonioni. My goal is to eventually watch the (thus far) elusive Last Year At Marienbad and pseudo-educate myself in the process (snooty cinephiles, I'm coming for you). Now, if only getting dressed in the morning worked like Netflix because... can you believe it? This lagoonish ensemble yielded no tropical results.

The Queen of Kong

Cardigan, J.Crew. Shorts, Banana Republic. Scarf, Macy's. Tights, H&M. Flats, Browns.

I spent today mostly indoors, reading InStyle Magazine and watching The King of Kong. I'm only embarrassed about one of those activities and unfortunately, this is gonna be a short post - Steve Wiebe is about to hit the kill screen. Sing it with me, people. You're the best... around!
Nothing is gonna ever keep you down...

A Minor Indiscretion

Cardigan, Gap. Shell, J.Crew. Skirt, Club Monaco. Belt, Eddie Bauer. Pumps, Nine West.

It's been extremely warm around here and what better way for me to celebrate than with a bright orange, ruffled shell and bare legs? By sundown, the legs paid for this indiscretion with some very unflattering goosebumps, but the festive shell and I partied long into the night.

Foolish Fears

Cardigan and skirt, J.Crew. Blouse, Banana Republic. Scarf, Ralph Lauren. Tights, Hue. Wellies, Hunter.

When I planned this outfit, heels were part of the equation. Since it rained all day today, I replaced them with my trusty wellies and a brave face, refusing to get upset about the weather. Mission accomplished! Of course, the temporary contentment left a chemical imbalance in my brain and pretty soon, new peeves set in, filling the void. Real issues this time, like short(er) people in the rain - a threat to anyone unlucky enough to meet their umbrellas at eye level. I'm only 5'6'' and I barely escaped the obstacle course that is downtown Vancouver. Since the rain won't stop and neither will my work engagements, I see no other solution but to don safety goggles and banish my fear of eye gouging (the scariest part of the Oedipal myth, in my opinion). New trend alert! Who's with me?

The Possessive Prerogative - What to do when nouns end in S

Recycled glass, Pottery Barn. Assorted grosgrain ribbon, Chapters.

Singular nouns pronounced with an S or Z sound at the end are tricky because there are two schools of thought on possessive etiquette. Strunk and White's Elements of Style requires that one add apostrophe+s regardless of what the last letter is, such as "the dress's hem," "James's name," and "Jones's bones." This book has been my bible since 2004, though some argue that its rules are too rigid and well, old-school. The Chicago Manual of Style, among others, allows the usage of the apostrophe without the S as an alternative spelling, and it seems to be something of a trend. Since the latter doesn't completely contradict the former and merely offers both options as viable, I'd say go with the former, aka THE BIBLE.
In addition, Strunk and White cite classical/ancient/biblical proper names as exceptions to the rule (Jesus' Apostles, Achilles' heel) and expressions such as for goodness' sake. See? There is some wiggle room! To read their original and superior writing on this matter, click here.

WARNING: if you do decide to go with the traditional rule of 's for singular nouns and write  "Jones's bones," make sure you remember how that changes for plural possessives. Naturally, we would write "We dug up Percival Jones's bones," but what if we dug up poor Percival's entire family? "The Joneses' bones" is the way to go. By the same token, "the dress's hem" becomes "the dresses' hems."

One more thing. Although I'd love to be strict and crack my whip at any possessive infractions, I am surprisingly lenient when it comes to the plurals of decades (the 1980's) and letters (B's), because they're everywhere. Reputable news sources use them and I admit I often do the same, unless I'm in a self-righteous mood (whip in hand). 

NOTE: 
I hope that this "rant" answered some of the questions posed by readers on Monday's post. I would also like to remind everyone that I don't judge others who lack my grammatical discipline and would be very upset indeed if people got offended and referred to me as some kind of dictator (b*tch sounds much more polite, thanks). I'm nice. And normal. I put my my pants on just like you, one leg at a time, and then I troll stores in search of inexpensive grosgrain ribbon for my collection, which I sometimes like to iron. Who doesn't like that?