Let it Bee

And now for the latest in beekeeping fashion, this delightfully puffy all-white ensemble keeps the stingers out. I know, it's not pretty. But my visit to the hives of Metis Bee at the Proracki sweet potato farm was incredible, wondrous and educational.
I love bees. I have five giant bumblebees tattooed on my back. I think they are one of nature's most incredible miracles. So when I was offered the chance to go to a hive and see how it runs, I was as giddy as a kid at Christmas.
Ian hovered around taking photos and he did actually get stung on the head (way to take one for the team, honey!) and I stayed mercifully sting-free. In fact, the bees didn't show any aggression toward me at all. Of course I wasn't the one taking apart the hive boxes, but still. I was right there and obviously NOT one of them.
Here are just a few of the hundred photos Ian took of my visit with the bees!

 BEE HAPPY!

Cooling off with fall fashion previews

It's very, very hot out there. So I am retreating from the real world and immersing myself in the beauty and coolness of the fall collections. Every year I start getting really excited about fall fashion right when temperatures start to go over the top and I long for crisp days with crunchy leaves...but I'm getting ahead of myself (and I'm dreaming of textures and layering and boots, jackets and sweaters and leather and corduroy...I could go on and on. And believe me, after Labour Day, I will!).



Here's are some of my early favourites from this year's fall collections. These are just a few of my top picks from the runway shows; for a much more extensive look at the collections check out Harper's Bazaar at www.harpersbazaar.com. You'll have to skip a lot of ads to get through the entire preview, but it's totally worth it!

Rochas

Balenciaga

 

Carven

Chloe

Erdem

Bohemian style on the runway

Classic Navy Peacoat

Bright contrasting colours

The new sporty

Merlot is fall's hot colour for leather

Chanel

 

Diane von Furstenberg

Rag and Bone

Armani

Salvatore Ferragamo

Vera Wang

FLAMINGO!

Let me introduce you to my favourite dress! Readers: Flamingo Dress. Flamingo Dress: Readers. I was looking for something special for date night with my sweetheart at the incredibly stylish and delectable Jasmine's Foodery in Port Dover.  I'll be featuring Jasmine's here on Outskirts in a couple of weeks.

As you can see, this fabulous Billabong dress has a ruffled hem that hits above (okay, WAY above) the knee in front, and mid-calf in the back. The bodice is slightly structured with cute little pleats. Want one? I bought mine at Dave's World in Port Dover, (another future feature on Outskirts!) but you should be able to find it on the Billabong website if there are any left...The chef at Jasmine's (Jasmine herself!) was coveting mine and I hope she made it to the store in time to score one; immensely talented chefs should definitely have fabulous dresses. In fact, all women should have fabulous dresses, and I really think you should go get one right now. You don't even need an excuse like date night; dresses are for anytime, not just special occasions.

Flamingo speaks volumes for itself, so there's no need to over-accessorize. I settled on a turquoise choker, handcarved resin red bangle and carved bone Tibetan prayer beads on my wrist, and the perfect brown leather ankle-strap Volcom sandals, also available at Dave's World.

And what else does a country fashionista need to complete her ensemble on a sultry summer evening? A sweet vintage CCM Elan, my recent find at the Waterford Antique Market. Okay, obviously this dress and a bicycle would be a disastrous combination, I was really just aiming for a little photographic panache. I will not bike in this ensemble: I will strut.

Happy fashion, everyone!

Pair of shoes and paradise...

I love to walk and hike throughout the year, and every summer it's an epic battle for me to find cute sporty sandals that don't make my feet look gigantic and dorky. I wear a size 10 (I am 6' tall so this isn't unreasonable, just a nuisance), so you can imagine my delight when I found these totally adorable, perfectly comfortable Tevas at Winners for only $50, half the usual retail price. My prayers have been answered! How sweet are these?

Also please note the delicious glossy nude polish on my toes; I tend toward bright pastels in summer but I was craving a bit of sophistication last night so I went with Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure #230, Nude Now  (Shoppers Drug Mart, $8.99). I really like this polish's wide salon-style brush, which means only one swipe to put a coat on the little piggies.

My other sweet find at Winners was this Island Paradise Fijian Coconut Exotic Exfoliating Sugar Scrub (I am a body scrub addict. I live to exfoliate). It's hard to capture the beautiful turquoise colour with my camera phone, but I've made the attempt. And of course it smells like a day on the beach. Utterly drool-worthy, and only $6.99 for 500g.

Welcome to the Outskirts

The big city has always been considered the heart of fashion; Toronto is our nearest mecca, the shrine to style of Southern Ontario...but everywhere in Canada there are little towns and rural centres with quirky fashionistas, stylish little shops, and massively talented designers. I'm going to introduce you to what people are wearing, who you want to meet, and and where you can go to get the best and most beautiful trends and un-trends, without going anywhere near an urban centre. My intention is to focus each week on a small-town or out-of-town designer, artisan, individual or retailer who offers new and brilliant fashion (or tried-and-true style). I'll also spend a lot of time delving into the works of salvage and recycling artisans (I'm one!) and sustainable trade practices.
I hope you enjoy your time on the outskirts! If you know someone or someplace in a rural setting who you think should appear on this page, I'd love to hear from you.

your rural fashion blogger wearing a recycled leather handbag (reFurbished and re:play bags. Waterford ON) and fair trade silk skirt (Grasshopper Imports, Hwy 6 North, Hamilton ON)

Welcome to outskirts: fashion beyond the city!