Summer Camping: it’s Accessories Day at Camp FPQT

L-A: I don’t know about the rest of the world, but we had a taste of summer in Halifax over the long weekend. And I liked it. It was perfect weather for BBQs, fun patio furniture, lemonade and twizzlers. It was also perfect weather to break out a new nautical striped t-shirt and these dandy bracelets:

Thank you, Etsy! (and thank you to PR Couture for tweeting about them in the first place). Mystic Knotwork bracelets are handmade (and hand-dyed) by a couple in Connecticut. Since I like mine so much, I am totally pimping them. Because you can’t argue with cute and ridiculously affordable accessories.

The bracelets and the warm weather got me thinking – not about my usual obsession with nautically inspired fashion, but about summer camp fashion. That is, the summer camp of imaginations and Disney movies. Because the summer camp that I experienced (as a counsellor) was a lot of cut off shorts, Grateful Dead t-shirts, Birkenstocks and hemp jewellery. It worked at the time (middle of the woods, late-90s), but not exactly what I’d wear around town today.  So, I went on the hunt for some fashion inspired by summer camp and share it with you in installements. I’ve decided that today is Accessories Day at Camp FPQT. And no summer camp is complete without friendship bracelets:

Two Sweet For Words bracelet

Everlasting Gobstopper

Also handmade, these friendship bracelets by Frieda & Nellie are like the macrame masterpieces that you used to make for your friends with embroidery floss, but mixed up with fancy Nana costume jewellery. Fun! I don’t own any of their bracelets, but I liked them as soon as I saw them on Coquette. They are the sort of thing that I would continue to wear and enjoy even though my husband says they are tacky (he once said that an outfit didn’t work because it was the colours of the San Jose Sharks. I ignore his advice a lot).

My other favourite summery campy accessory (hmmm…I’m not sure campy is not the right word) is the woodsy, souvenirs of Canada styles of Anneke van Bommel:

I mean, really, it’s not summer camp until you carry a canoe on your head. Or get the kids to do it for you. (p.s. to Halifax: Anneke’s fantastic jewellery is now available at Love, Me Boutique, as well as on etsy).

Now over to Ally to see what she has that fits with this theme. Or to derail things completely. Who knows?!

Ally: Let’s derail shall we!

I never went to summer camp. I can’t really say my parents deprived me, we had a family membership to the Waeg. Also, I worked at Jasper Park Lodge during university, and that was much, much like summer camp. In fact, the old staff housing was often referenced as being similar to those from Dirty Dancing.

There was some of that.

When I think summer, I think of my cottage down in Digby Co. Reader Jane would likely agree with this assessment of summer. I saw Jane over the weekend actually, and she had the cutest summer attire on. Including a sassy fedora.

Oh, INTERESTING. I found one on Nicole.
Jane was also sporting TOMS loafers. This is truly buying shoes for a good cause. With every shoe purchased, Toms gives a pair of shoes to a child in need. This is the second time I have seen these shoes in person and I have determined that it is fate telling me I must have them.
The first time I saw the shoes was at Baby and Tot time at the Bedford library. I basically stalked another mom as she was heading out of the libby to find out where she purchased them. She got her’s in the states. Jane however made my weekend by telling me she purchased her TOMS at KAS on Spring Garden in Halifax. Pit stop before the party tonight maybe?
To sum, basically I am in love with Jane’s style. She also agreed to shoot a video segment with me this summer during one of our trips to Frenchy’s. We may or may not bring a martini shaker. It will be excellent.

Linda Howard Read-a-likes

Ingredients

Destination Date: Italy