Staycation into Fall

Mid-way through my staycation, Mother Nature decided it was time for fall. Overnight (literally) the temperature and humidity just disappeared. It went from shorts to pants weather in the blink of an eye.

So, I followed suit. I thought the colder weather was the perfect opportunity to try out my new flared pants - and of course, I threw on an orange shirt for a pop. 

You may have noticed orange was a trend throughout my staycation - I swear, I didn't do it on purpose, it just happened. 

The jeans and short sleeve blouse were the perfect combination, I was warm enough, but not hot. 

The perfect combination for this shoulder season.

Shirt, Tank, Necklace & Cuff - SmartSet; Jeans - H&M; 

Although the weather had shifted, it wasn't so cold that I couldn't take my peep-toe wedges out for one last spin.

Shoes - Aldo

Staycation: It's All About Orange

One of the best parts of being on staycation is being able to do all of the things you can't do as a regular working girl, such as, taking long, leisure, lunches.

For that, there's nothing better than a pair of sandals and a shift dress.

In orange, obviously, as that was the theme of my staycation.

Dressing up and eating out... I could really get used to this lifestyle.

Dress - Banana Republic Petites; Shoes - Aldo

Real Single-girl of Centretown

The first two days of my staycation were more work than play, so on day three I took advantage of the nothingness that filled my calendar and did just that: nothing.

It was fantastic.

The weather was nice, but I was staying home to read (NB: Bossypants is the greatest book I've read in a long time, pick up a copy - you won't regret it!). Just because I was lounging didn't mean that I had to slum it up. So, I thought to myself, what would a "Real Housewife of [insert city name here] wear" so I pulled on a maxi-dress...

I've owned this dress for a while - I am in love with the pattern, both orange and peacock, as Rachel Zoe would say, "I die" - but I could never figure out when and where to wear it.

Day three of the staycation seemed like the perfect day to pull it out of the closet.

And, it was!

The dress was perfect for everything that I had scheduled that day: lounging...

and putting away my newly acquired wine glasses.

Dress - H&M; Belt - Jacob

Never has doing housework and nothing felt so chic.

Staycation, didn't get away

Day two of my staycation, and it was finally hitting me that it wasn't just a long weekend, but I was off work for ten days.

Needless to say, I was excited.

And, jumping for joy.

Coco Rocha makes it look so easy, Tyra would be so disappointed with my hands in these photos. She and Andre Leon Talley would be calling this drectitude to the extreme.

But, all of that critique wouldn't stop this Petite Adventurer. I was on vacation - nothing could take that away from me.

Day two of the staycation was much like day one. Lots of work, plus a trip to IKEA to pick-up all the essentials - you know, ironing board, shoe boxes, wine glasses, etc. the things you *really* can't live without. IKEA around labour day is hell. It's a zoo of aggressive families and there is no cart etiquette whatsoever. 

Like I said, hell.

To conquer hell, and dodge all the people and carts moving haphazardly through the aisles, one needs to be grounded; so, I threw on my TOMS, a pair of bermudas and a top that makes me feel cute - something to balance out the bermudas.

This outfit was the ideal choice for such a day. 

I managed to get in and out of Ikea in less than an hour getting almost everything on my list - although, they didn't have the step stool I was looking for - yes I need a step stool, it's one of the many joys of being 5'2".

Even though I went to hell and back that day, I was still smiling at the end of it all. 

Shirt, Tank, Bermudas - SmartSet; Shoes - TOMS

Who doesn't love organizing their closet, especially while being on vacation?!

Staycation, all I ever wanted

In all my years as a working girl, I have never taken a vacation longer than 2 days that didn't revolve around a holiday. This year, all of that changed. I decided to take this past week off to relax and recharge: I took a staycation, if you will.

The first two days of my staycation were less than relaxing. My parents had driven across the country from Victoria, bringing with them the remainder of my belonging that had been left behind from my move 6+ months ago (aka: all my books and items that were too heavy to ship). 

The first morning of my staycation was spent carrying boxes and boxes and boxes up to my third floor walk-up. All this heavy-lifting required a cute, but utilitarian outfit. I went with this...

Casual but functional, this outfit let me do all the heavy lifting (okay, so that was minimal, I opted for the lighter pieces while my dad did the lifting) and trudging up stairs that the re-move-in required.

Plus, it felt summery enough for the summery day (and sadly, one of the last, as a cold-spell over took Ottawa shortly thereafter).

Shirt - ines from Aritzia; Tank - SmartSet; Jeans - Mavi; Flip Flops - Old Navy

Work-wise, it wasn't the start to my staycation that I was expecting, but outfit-wise, it was perfect. I felt comfortable but cute - what more could you ask for.